Once Upon a Time...(IC)

[Heritage]

"Well If you ever need to chat or anything, you can find me most workdays at Jos antiques store in Riverside." Sirius comments. "I err mean it might be interesting, If you turn out to be some kinda fey and I turn out to be a Kitsune, I mean It'd be interesting to compare notes and what not."

The train pulls up and Lynn expertly wriggles her way through the crowd and finds a pair of seats for them, across the aisle from each other so they can talk (and sadly for Sirius, not side by side). If she was aware of his blushing earlier, she makes no indication.

"Oh yeah sure, that'd be cool. Do you live in Riverside? 'Cause if you do, we might be neighbors in a month or so."

[Kavos]

"Oh yeah sure, that'd be cool. Do you live in Riverside? 'Cause if you do, we might be neighbors in a month or so."

Sirius chuckles slightly, "My living arrangements are a tad more complicated..." Sirius says, avoiding the question. Telling Lynn about magic was one thing, telling her about the Inter dimensional Mansion his mother owns... was another thing entirely.

"Soo... what were your thought's when we reach this ally?" Sirius questioned.

[Heritage]

"My living arrangements are a tad more complicated...".

"Whatever." The faeling shrugs and lets the issue drop, scanning the crowd with an experienced commuter's disinterested gaze.

"Soo... what were your thought's when we reach this ally?" Sirius questioned.

Lynn's eyes snap back to the Irish boy. "I dunno, I guess I'll just- oh, do you need a seat?" She stands to let an elderly woman take her seat, then crosses over to Sirius' side of the aisle and sort of hangs off the pole, her thigh occasionally bumping against his knee with the movement of the train.

She flips the hair out of her eyes and continues.

"So I dunno, kinda scope it out, see if I get any weird tinglies walking around the spot; why, do you know a spell or something?"

[Kavos]

"So I dunno, kinda scope it out, see if I get any weird tinglies walking around the spot; why, do you know a spell or something?"

"Ah I don't believe I have anything like that." Sirius says as he thinks over things... "Although... I don't know... however.... no no it wouldn't.... hmm I might have something that may help." Sirius finally decided "But you wouldn't be able to tell ANYONE what you see..." Sirius suddenly adds with none of his usual bravo, In fact for the slightest of seconds he almost sounded like his mother...

[Heritage]

"But you wouldn't be able to tell ANYONE what you see..."

Lynn's eyebrows rise a bit, then she looks very serious for a second as she thinks about it; her head moves from side to side, as though her head contains a spirited debate, until finally she nods her head firmly.

"Okay, deal." She crouches down until she's at the seated young man's level and thrusts out her hand. "I'll even shake on it, okay?"

[Kavos]

Taking lynns hand Sirius shakes it, "Deal." he says returning to his normal demeanor. "It's ah, just a side of me that I don't share that often." Sirius says quietly, obviously embarrass about his little outburst.

[Heritage]

"It's ah, just a side of me that I don't share that often."

The pretty brunette waves her hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it; we're all freaks on this train." She rides the rest of the way in silence, lost in thought.

About twenty minutes later, the pair are entering an alley in the Fens, just off of Broadway; it's a dark and twisted space, and Lynn noticeably recoils from the rusted fire escapes that crawl up the walls like spidery vines. The buildings lean together, blocking out almost all sunlight, and bold mangy rats skitter from shadow to shadow.

"Oh God; this is...this is worse than I remember." Lynn reflexively reaches out and takes Sirius' hand, and gives it a nervous little squeeze.

[Kavos]

Sirius smiles at her attempt to comfort him. "That we are." he says quietly only a subtle hint of humor in his voice.

Arriving at the alleyway Sirius is taken aback. "Wow I didn't think places like this existed in America." Sirius says as he squeezes Lynns hand in comfort.

Looking at Lynn, "So ah? do you have any idea, any sort of feeling as to were the portal is?" Sirius asks, "Or... should I see if I can find it?" Sirius asks somewhat reluctantly.

[Heritage]

"So ah? do you have any idea, any sort of feeling as to were the portal is?" Sirius asks, "Or... should I see if I can find it?"

There is a notable amount of fear in her voice when Lynn speaks. "It'll be back, way in the back; the darkest part of the darkness." She looks over her shoulder back to the brightly lit street behind them. "C'mon, lets get a little farther in so you can work your magic."

As she walks, her grip on Sirius' hand gets tighter and tighter, stopping just short of causing him physical pain.

"God, I think I'm gonna be sick..." :(

[Kavos]

Sirius gives a small sigh of resignation. "You may want to stand back a little bit." Sirius says trying to get Lynn of his arm. "I err don't want to hurt you or anything." He adds.

once she lets go, Sirius takes a step away from her. "Please don't be alarmed..." He says to her as he steps into the shadows, unbuttoning his shit as he goes.

Suddenly out of the darkness a fiery symbol appears, glowing as brightly as the sun and yet giving of no illumination. Despite the lack of illumination it was clear that it was coming from Sirius's chest and shoulders. Like massive wings stretching around his shoulders and ending in a tip on his chest.

Than the sound of cracking bones could be heard, each one sounding as painful as the next. Although it was difficult to see, it was clear Sirius was in pain.

But before you could do anything Sirius turned his back to you, the elaborate wings that were on his shoulders and chest gave way to an intricate Celtic tattoo, the wings joining up into a large triangle that sat in between Sirius shoulderblades.

In the very center of the triangle sat what appeared to be a Fox head It's eyes glowing brighter than the rest of the tattoo. Than without warning flames erupted from it's eyes engulfing Sirius and lighting up the dark passage way. For the quickest of seconds the flames almost appeared to take shape of a massive Fox head above Sirius, but it and the flames were gone in a single blink of the eyes.

As eyes adjusted to the darkness again two fiery red eyes stared back at Lynn, "Please don't be afraid..." came a whimper, The voice was higher pitched than Sirius, and more gutty, but at the same time there was still a hint of Sirius voice...

[Heritage]

Lynn watches the transformation in quiet awe; there's a lot she can't make out even with her night-adapted eyes due to the glare of daylight, but the tantalizing glimpses send shivers down her spine.

"Please don't be afraid..."

She laughs in disbelief.

"Are you kidding, that was awesome! The crunchy bone noises were kinda gross and disturbing, but other than that, two thumbs way up!"

She peers into the inky blackness as best she can. "Alright, you're gonna have to come out of there someday, dude; just rip the Band-Aid off already and strut your funky stuff."

[Kavos]

"Are you kidding, that was awesome! The crunchy bone noises were kinda gross and disturbing, but other than that, two thumbs way up!"

"Alright, you're gonna have to come out of there someday, dude; just rip the Band-Aid off already and strut your funky stuff."

Ember looks at Lynn, "Your a very strange person you know that?" Ember says before stepping out into the light.

Now rather than the human Lynn had met in the book store, but rather a humanoid Fox stood in his place. Red fur covers the majority of his body, white patcher's highlighting placers like his stomach and his nose, while Black patcher's highlighted the tips of his fingers and tail, as well as some marking's on his face and nose.

The most out-of-place marking however was the black patch of fur that Lynn had seen glowing a few moments ago, around his shoulders and on his chest.

Placing his shit over his shoulder and picking up his shoes Ember began to sniff the air... "Hehe, I was right, you do have the smell of magic." Ember chuckled to himself.

[Heritage]

"Your a very strange person you know that?"

Lynn grins. "Yeah, I get that a lot; I actually take it as a compliment."

When the humanoid fox creature that is (or was) Sirius steps into the light, Lynn's mouth falls open, and she is genuinely speechless for several seconds, a relative rarity for her. Her eyes trace the outlines of his vulpine form with childlike wonder, and she takes a tentative step forward with her hand outstretched, but stops just short of touching him.

"Hehe, I was right, you do have the smell of magic."

That line snaps her back to reality, and she playfully punches his hairy shoulder.

"Hey, less talk about my mystical b.o. and more with the portal detection, foxy!"

Then it sinks in that she just touched a foxman, and she gently reaches out and strokes his fur.

"Wow. Ever see Princess Mononoke? Definitly getting a strong Miyazaki vibe here..."

[Kavos]

"Hey, less talk about my mystical b.o. and more with the portal detection, foxy!"

Ember chuckles again, He hadn't thought of it that way.

"Wow. Ever see Princess Mononoke? Definitly getting a strong Miyazaki vibe here..."

"I'm sorry I don't know that one, But than who know's as far as I know the entity that gives me my power is several hundred if not thousand years old." Ember says somewhat absently, not really listening to what he was saying.

His nose sniffed the air again, "Something smells funny." He says before handing Lynn his shirt and shoes and than gets down on all fours. "Magic.....Old... very old..." He mutters to himself as he begins to wonder about the area, his nose to the ground.

[Heritage]

"Something smells funny." He says before handing Lynn his shirt and shoes and than gets down on all fours. "Magic.....Old... very old..."

Lynn stuffs Sirius' clothes into her messenger bag, which she throws over her shoulder as she drops to a crouch to follow him.

"That's it, that's gotta be it."

[Kavos]

The sound of Ember sniffing filled the air as he paced from one side of the ally to the other following the trail of magic. After a few mishaps with some rotten garbage Ember finally stopped and stretches out strait his tail pointed before he suddenly fell on the ground laughing. "I'm one tenth blood hound you know." Ember says jokingly before standing up strait and dusting himself off. "Although that could have just been a dream."

Pointing to a few feet in front of him, "I'd say that's your entrance, how one goes about entering It I don't know I've never stumbled across a natural portal before." Sirius says, Pointing a small section of bricks between two trash bins.

[Heritage]

"I'm one tenth blood hound you know." Ember says jokingly before standing up strait and dusting himself off. "Although that could have just been a dream."

The beautiful brunette can only shake her head as she stands and approaches the indicated spot.

"You are such a goof." :roll:

"I'd say that's your entrance, how one goes about entering It I don't know I've never stumbled across a natural portal before."

Lynn frowns thoughtfully as she runs her fingers over the bricks. "Wow, I can definitely feel something, like little pinpricks in my fingertips; here, take your hand and-"

Suddenly her arm is sucked into the wall up to her wrist, the skin ending cleanly at the brick and mortar. "Aw, crap, no!" She grabs her arms with her other hand and gives it a sharp tug. "Ow! Oh man, I think I'm goin' in, dude!"

She indicates her messenger bag with a jerk of her head. "Quick, grab your stuff! I don't want to leave you here naked, y'know? Ah, man that hurts! Like ice cold metal!"

She fishes her phone out of her pocket with her free hand, which unfortunately allows her trapped limb to get sucked in up to her elbow.

"Damn it! Quick, put your number in here! I want to call you once I come back out again, 'cause I think this is gonna be a solo run. Hurry! Type it in and drop it in the the bag!" She lobs the phone at the fox boy, and grabs her rapidly-disappearing arm again; her face is taut and glistens with sweat.

[Kavos]

Ember Quickly grabs his clothing, dropping his shoes as Lynn throws the phone at him. As quickly as he could Sirius punched in his number, before dropping it in Lynns bag and handing it back to he. "You sure you wanna do this alone?" he asked, genuine concern on his face.

[Heritage]

"You sure you wanna do this alone?"

Lynn grimaces with little humor. "Uh, no, not really, but I think I might have to; isn't that what that Joseph Campbell guy wrote about, the 'Hero's Journey'? I think I have to go alone; it's like the rules or something."

Her right arm has now disappeared up to her shoulder, and she is really freaking out. "Oh God, it feels really weird now, like my arms underwater. Ahh, something just brushed past it! I can't-"

The terrified brunette finally closes her eyes for a few moments and takes a deep breath, visibly steeling herself for an ordeal; when she opens them, there is a thin veneer of calm laid over the blind panic. Her voice is firm with an edge of fear.

"I need to do this; I may be scared ****less right now, but it's worse not knowing what I am."

Half of her torso is gone, along with most of her right leg; she gestures to Sirius with her free arm.

"C'mere, I need to tell you something, before I go. Come in close."

[Kavos]

Taking a step forward Ember leans in. He couldn't help but Admire Lynn for her bravery, he wasn't sure if he would be this brave in this situation. "What is it?" he asks, despite his best efforts there were still some traces of concern in his voice.

[Heritage]

"What is it?"

Lynn puts her hand behind his head and pulls him closer.

"My name is Grimalkin. I fight crime."

Then she pulls him in for a kiss, right on the lips; it's passionate, but not in a sexual way per se. When she let's him go, there are tears in her eyes, but she's smiling.

"In case I don't get another chance, y'know?"

The strange creature who calls herself Grimalkin closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets the arcane forces pull her under...

[Kavos]

Ember stood stunned for a moment as Grimalkin went under. Both the revelation that she was a Hero, and the kiss had caught him off guard. Hesitantly he razed a pawed hand to the brick wall, It was solid for him. "Guess it was a solo after all." he said to himself.

Taking a step back he picked up his clothing and sighed. Reaching into a pocket he pulled out an old key. Touching a small gem encrusted in the handle of the key, Ember turned it...

The world around Ember dissolved and than the familiar storms if his inter-dimensional demi-plain home greeted him. Stepping of the anchor point at the front gate, Ember couldn't help looking up at the sky wondering if he would ever hear from the Lynn again...