Unreal Estate [IC]

[trollthumper]

The Parkhurst House had lain atop Lantern Hill for over a century -- if not dreaming, then at least turning over in its sleep. It had known a different name when it was being built -- White Orchid, the dream of railroad tycoon James Astoria for his wife, Mildred. The house had been erected in 1883, after a number of set backs and disasters during the construction process, some of which had claimed lives. It was here that the idea of the Astoria curse developed, and the events that followed in the house did nothing to dispel that notion. A maid by the name of Milly Thompson had vanished in 1886; the only trace of her that was ever found was her apron, hanging in a tree outside the manor, dotted with blood. A cousin of Mr. Astoria threw himself from the second story guest bedroom in 1891, though Mildred insisted to her dying day he had been pushed. And when their daughter Josephine died in 1901 -- from a fire that never spread beyond the confines of her playroom -- White Orchid was abandoned in earnest, as Mildred experienced a complete breakdown and was sent away to a private hospital to live out the rest of her days, while James and his surviving children relocated to a country home in upstate New York.

It lay untouched for 60 years, until local developer Matthew Hornsby transformed it into the Parkhurst House, a stately hotel "serving as a tribute to the living history of Freedom City." But it wasn't just the living history bound up in the house that stood out. Despite the fine surroundings and lovely furnishings, some guests complained about a feeling of being watched and belongings that went missing. Hornsby tried to play on the history of the house, stirring up its reputation as the "haunted hotel" and encouraging ghost hunting tours. It was wildly popular for four years -- at least, until the incident in Room 204. In 1974, a guest had stabbed his wife to death with a broken glass, wrote words in her blood in a language no one could decipher, and was seen by witnesses to calmly walk off the balcony to his death. After that, the haunting didn't seem like such a fun risk, and Hornsby lost money on the House until he sold it off at public auction in 1975. Talk of another reinvention was planned, but quickly abandoned after an initial survey, and Parkhurst House entered into the public trust.

It remained untouched for 33 years. In 2008, Adrian Eldrich, Earth's Master Mage, had taken his young disciple, Nick Cimitiere, to the hotel to instruct him in some of the darker mysteries of death. The thing in the hotel had risen at the scent on the young necromancer's soul -- a nihil, Eldrich had explained, a dark genius loci born of a blood sacrifice on marked ground ("like that damnable hotel in Colorado"). In one long, dark and torturous night, the consciousness behind the nihil had been banished, and the ghosts that remained in the Parkhurst were merely those who wished to stay behind.

And in 2011, Nick Cimitiere returned to the Parkhurst House. Only this time, he brought sandwiches and pastries. After parking the Pale Horse down the street, he made his way up to the House. Sure enough, the loose bar Eldrich had used to get in was still loose, and the Benediction of Janus left on the lock still left it open to him. He made his way to the dining room, and was surprised to find it was mostly dust free. Some of the tables were in disrepair, and the table clothes looked like they'd be better suited for rags, but the place was pretty much spotless.

"...if that's you, Milly," he said, "you do some good work." He lay out the paper plates, the napkins, and the cutlery, and the boxes of sandwiches and pastries he'd gotten on an employee discount at the Black Petal. Then he took a seat -- one that felt like it wasn't going to fall out from under him -- and waited.

"Wonder who all's gonna show up..."

[Lone Star]

Blake teleported outside the entrance, his sneakers smoking. He modified them for a long distance jump, and luckily, they worked. He wiped his nose and looked up at the mansion. It sure looked like the right place. He could almost feel the sense of death and foreboding as he approached the front door. He slowly opened the door, peering inside. It was a surprisingly nice hotel, but it was impossible to ignore the dark forces that had been at work.

He walked into the dining room, where he found plates and sandwiches. His stomach growled and he took one, and got a huge bite. He blinked as he looked at the figure sitting at the table.

"Nick!" he said, his hand extending towards the young necromancer. "It's been forever, dude! How've you been?"

[trollthumper]

Nick looked up at the young man. He didn't look familiar, but the voice... even without the strange eldritch tones, it sounded rather familiar...

"Kid Cthulhu?" He got up and returned the hand shake firmly. "You're right, it has been a while. Sorry I wasn't able to stop by after... well, the incident. But I'm glad to see everything's going okay. How's life at Claremont?"

[Lone Star]

"Dropped out. I loved the place, don't get me wrong, but I really couldn't run my business and go to classes at the same time. I'm teaching myself everything I need to know. But here-"

Blake waved his hand, and with a puff of blue smoke, a business card appeared his hands. It read "SALAZAR SUPERNATURAL SERVICES" in large print, with his phone number.

"Badass, huh?"

[GranspearZX]

The drive up to Lantern Hill was peaceful enough. Marcus had never been there, but he knew how to get there, at least, without needing a GPS device. He was in decent company, at least; he was giving Etain and Morgan a ride to the same place, though he didn't have a clear idea on what it was about. Just the fact that he was in a car with those two meant that it had something to do with their mystical abilities; all three of them shared that particular aspect. He slowed down as he approached the abandoned hotel, frowning as he looked up at it. "Wow, Eric wasn't kidding when he said this place was... how did he put it... 'Tales From The Crypt creepy'. It wasn't so much fear that he was feeling, but anxiety; the Beast Rune was on edge the moment he laid eyes on the place.

"...well. Here we are. Parkhurst House..." He parked and got out, popping his trunk open and pulling his knapsack and staff out. There really was no sense in going in there without them...

[Quinn]

Crow was in near-full costume as he hopped out of the car, the only things different were the lack of the beaked hood and bandanna. While he did concur with Eric's assessment of "Tales From the Crypt-creepy", it actually made him more excited than spooked. He walked over and politely opened Etain's door, offering his hand while turning his head to look at his classmate.

"All we need are a few storm clouds, maybe a lightning bolt or two." the teenager from Boston agreed.

[Aoiroo]

Etain didn't know what to think. She had been sitting in the car, talking with her schoolmates about there destination, about the mystery of the invitation. It had seemed so fun at the time being invited to such a thing, though the moment the house came into view she was absolutely silent. As it pulled up, she moved out of the car carriage and onto the grounds of the house she made absolutely no noise, even the sounds of her footsteps and the rustling of her skirt were absent as she walked up to the house umbrella in hand without a single flitter of emotion crossing her face. Her eyes were full set on house as she did so as she moved with great purpose so much so that she beat her classmates by several yards as she opened the door and entered the house. Her eyes moved along every detail of the interior as she heard voices from the other room and with her hand on her umbrella's handle she moved quietly to find a table set with refreshment and two male magic users of very different practices engaging in small talk. She didn't remove her hand from the handle and instead gripped it a bit tightly as she said,

"Good afternoon."

[trollthumper]

"Not bad," Nick said, looking at Blake's card. "I suppose I should offer up some Big Brother style comment about how dropping out of school's a bad idea, but... well, if you can make it work..."

He was drawn away from the business card by the presence of the woman at the door. He stepped forward towards her. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "Nick Cimitiere. Etain, is it? I've heard of some of your work. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[Lone Star]

He snerked and poofed the card out of existence. "I do just fine, Nick. Like I said, I teach myself everything I need to know."

Blake looked up at the girl, and nodded in a friendly sort of way at her. He took off his fedora, spinning it on his finger. "Nice to meet you, Etain. They call me Warlock."

[Quinn]

Morgan watched as she got out without a word, walked up to the house, and disappeared inside. He looked up there, then back at Marcus with a quizzical mean. Then he shrugged. Etain was Etain, after all. No telling what she'd be thinking, half the time. Very clever, though, and he could swear she saw things differently than the rest of them. Fey, by all the meanings of the word. Good-looking, too. He shook his head to clear his mind as he thought that, giving a sheepish smile only to himself.

Could've said thank you, though.

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his head, before motioning to Marcus and walking up towards the doorway himself.

"Well, not like they're going to come out here to us. Let's go see what boogity-woogies are waiting up there."

[Aoiroo]

Looking at the two of them for a few seconds she took the card and looked down to read it's contents,

"It is nice to meet you Warlock, though somewhere else would of been prefered."

She made a half glance at the food set on the table, and nearly let out a laugh at the irony of how very unlikely it would be for her to be able to eat anything like that for at least a good few hours.

"This is an unusual choice for such a meeting, what is the purpose?"

[trollthumper]

"Really?" Nick said. He cast a look around the room. "I guess it really wasn't the best choice for one of these, was it. You're not wrong to feel suspicious; for a while, this place had some nasty mojo possessing it. Eldrich and I ended up driving it out some years back, made sure it was destroyed. Since then... well, I guess I've been a bit more focused about how the ghosts it kept were putting things back together. This thing... damaged 'em. Once it was gone, they finally got to be themselves again. It was like... like watching a ripped tapestry knit itself back together." He shook his head. "You're right, though. Should've thought about that.

"As for the purpose of the meeting," he said, "it's kind of a meeting of the minds for Freedom's occult community. Make acquaintances with new faces, see if we can set up community resources, stuff like that."

[GranspearZX]

"...huh? Yeah..."

The Beast Rune wasn't comfortable in this place. As a result, it was making HIM uncomfortable, and he found himself distracted just trying to keep it under wraps. He nodded silently to Crow and led the way to the door, staff tapping absently at the ground as he headed inside.

He wasn't much to look at really; a white Freedom City Heroes jersey, khaki cargo pants, and white sneakers. All in all, he looked pretty average, save the knapsack, spellbook, and staff he was carrying. He joined Etain just as she was introducing herself, nodding and waving. "...er... hey. Arcturus." He decided it best to use his codename; he wasn't wearing any sort of costume, but then again, once he transformed, names really didn't matter much where he was concerned...

He looked around as Nick spoke, nodding slowly. "...definitely an interesting choice, but... eh. We're here now. These two rode with me, but... is it just us?" He knew at least one other mystic, Equinox, but he hadn't seen her since the incident in Pennsylvania. He wasn't entirely sure what her opinion of him was after what had happened... or Nick's for that matter. He cleared his throat, stuffing his free hand into his pocket.

[Aoiroo]

Etain took another long look around before before closing her eyes,

"I am sorry, I am really having a hard time seeing it. But it does not seem like there is any actual evil presences here, just the stains of what I imagine is a very bad history."

Moving a gloved hand through her hair she decided to take a few steps back and to grab a chair. The idea of a meeting had definite merit considering how generally reclusive mages were. As for the sight of the house, Etain decided she'd probably just find some interesting magics to focus instead of the house. Though Marcus was a good target for this as he entered, when she lowered her sight as she sat down she found another one immediately on Warlock's feet.

"Those are some interesting shoes you have, though I think you may not want to push the travel enchantment again, it might damage the vessel."

[Lone Star]

Warlock nodded at Nick's words. "We mages are never really the most social of people...it's probably best if we hang around each other as much as possible. It looks like we've got mages of every stripe here, and we can get a lot of things done if we work together."

"Those are some interesting shoes you have, though I think you may not want to push the travel enchantment again, it might damage the vessel."

Warlock looked at his shoes, which were still smoking slightly. "Yeah, that's probably a good plan."

[trollthumper]

He looked around as Nick spoke, nodding slowly. "...definitely an interesting choice, but... eh. We're here now. These two rode with me, but... is it just us?" He knew at least one other mystic, Equinox, but he hadn't seen her since the incident in Pennsylvania. He wasn't entirely sure what her opinion of him was after what had happened... or Nick's for that matter. He cleared his throat, stuffing his free hand into his pocket.

"Hey, Arcturus," Nick said. He seemed warm, open, and glad that the young bear-shifter had shown up. "We've got a few others coming. Equinox got an invite, and a few others went around, too. Then there's always the matter of 'plus ones.' And yeah, this really wasn't the best choice of venues. My bad; I was kind of looking at it through a rose-colored caul." He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. "Course, I've got some back-up venues, just in case. Would be easy to move the stuff there..."

Etain took another long look around before before closing her eyes,

"I am sorry, I am really having a hard time seeing it. But it does not seem like there is any actual evil presences here, just the stains of what I imagine is a very bad history."

"It's a difference of outlook thing," Nick said. "Very common among mages, especially of different traditions and practices. I look at this place, and I see harmony slowly building up after a disaster -- like the wild retaking Chernobyl. You see a creepy old house, and honestly, I can't blame you. I'm sure if someone whipped up an illusion in front of the two of us, you'd be able to read the make, the intricacy, the sheer art and vision that goes into it... whereas I'd just see an illusion."

[Griffalo]

Down the hall, what others could have sworn was a broom cupboard door swung open and Mercury stepped out. He was a young man in his late teens with dark hair and eyes, dressed in a white tunic that fell to just above his knees. It was belted at the waist, and a keyring hung from a clasp on that belt. He wore a breastplate that must have originally shining bronze, though judging from its colour now, it was probably old indeed.

Across his shoulders was an unassuming cloak of red wool. It seemed thick and practical, a soldier's cloak. No doubt such a cloak came in useful during the winter months. The whole outfit was finished by incongruously modern white sneakers.

His tone was apologetic as he spoke, an Indiana accent evident.

"Sorry guys!" He closed the door behind him. "Took me ages to find this place on a map." He instantly moved towards the refreshments. "Hope I'm not late. Did I miss much?" Picking up a sandwich, he took a bite.

[Supercape]

The first taxi had refused to take him there. The second, he had to pay double, and listened to the drivers ignorant drivel about ghosts the whole ride.

Of course, amidst a desert of ignorance there can be a grain of truth...

He stepped out of the Taxi and duly paid the man. "Merci for the ride, Monsieur driver, your wisdom was quite exceptional. "

Your lack of it was quite exceptional...

The house looked fantastic he conceded. He could spend weeks painting it. He almost wished had brought his easel. He adjusted his beret, and strode in to the amassed gathering of Mages, making sure he huffed and puffed and put on a good show about how venerable and creaky he was.

"Greetings all. My, that Hill is steep isn't it? Played havoc on my hips walking up it. My feet are quite swollen... Ah Monsieur Nick! and Monsieur Marcus! delighted that you are here..." he scowled slightly at the others, although the perceptive would notice a twinkle in his eye and the flutter of a smile as he did so. "As to the others, I am Rene deSaens, and I am of course delighted to meet you!"

[Griffalo]

Mercury gave him a short wave, an expression of friendliness yet vague discomfort on his face.

"Hi there. I'm Evander Levinson. People generally call me Mercury, though." He cast a sidelong glance at the old man as he turned back to the others.

What's the point of being able to use magic if you're not going to use it? I'll be damned if I'm gonna walk everywhere, especially when I'm that guy's age.

He took a good look around at the others. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his senses were screaming that magic permeated this room - no big surprise really.

The Nick guy seemed pretty cool, and thus made Evander feel a little out of place.

He's probably in a band or something and gets to make out with chicks all the time, he thought. He instantly regretted wearing his costume, he probably looked like a dork next to him.

The guy that had called himself Arcturus made him a little more comfortable. The guy did seem pretty bearlike, so he was probably a guy with some smarts rather than some clown who'd just picked the word because it sounded cool. To him, he gave a friendly smile.

The guys more his age were dressed like some Matrix - Constantine - Brandon Lee in the Crow crossover. Kind of average, just like him. Their style seemed so different, though, he wondered if they'd have any common ground at all. Even their magical workings were probably going to be at odds.

Then his eyes landed on Etain.

Wow.

She was easily the most beautiful creature Evander had ever seen. He wondered if perhaps she'd had a God for a parent too. He was very conscious that his hair was probably a mess, he hadn't shaved today, his bare legs were probably looking really pale and he had breadcrumbs down his tunic. His voice quavered slightly as he spoke.

"Hello."

[GranspearZX]

"Rene? Oh... hey, how're you?" Marcus smiled; he probably should have expected Rene's presence, given the nature of the meeting. He smiled and nodded at both him and Evander, though Evander earned a bit of a raised eyebrow from the wide-shouldered teenager as he went straight for the food. It didn't do well for first impressions, but he seemed especially sure of himself. It wasn't a terrible trait to have--he and Crow definitely had that in common.

Mercury. Complete with the wings on his shoes... Interesting. He couldn't really tell what sort of magic he could command, but Etain might. Marcus bristled inwardly at how Mercury looked at her though...

Wait. Why do I even care?

He exhaled deeply to clear his head, sitting down in the chair beside Etain and putting his knapsack and staff on the floor. He fidgeted a little bit, still nervous about being in a place like this with nothing in his hands, so he laid them both flat on the table and tried to think of something else. "So... ah... Evander. I don't think I've seen you around before... have I?"

[Griffalo]

He exhaled deeply to clear his head, sitting down in the chair beside Etain and putting his knapsack and staff on the floor. He fidgeted a little bit, still nervous about being in a place like this with nothing in his hands, so he laid them both flat on the table and tried to think of something else. "So... ah... Evander. I don't think I've seen you around before... have I?"

He shakes his head. "No, I... I haven't been in Freedom that long. Since the weekend, really." He dusted crumbs from his hands. "I'm a new student at Claremont. I got the invitation, thought it sounded interesting, so... here I am!" He smiled, looking around at all their faces. His then fell.

"Wow, I totally didn't think that through, did I? You guys could be anyone."

[GranspearZX]

Oh god, he's worse than Morgan.

The thought was more amusing than alarming; it actually made him smile. Never mind that he'd been the only one who didn't walk in through the front door; he'd noticed, but he wasn't sure if anyone else had. It reminded him of an old TV series he saw..."I don't think you've got that to worry about; everyone here's pretty trustworthy." He glanced over at Warlock for a second as he said that. He didn't know the guy at all, but he seemed to know Nick... that was good enough for him.

"But... yeah. Showing up to a gathering where you don't know anyone isn't all that thoughtful. I'd have given you a ride if I'd known... either way, you're more than welcome to ride back with us. And while I'm thinking about that..."

He looked over at Rene. "Did you take a cab again?"

[Supercape]

"Rene? Oh... hey, how're you?"

"I am excellent, Mon ami dont" replied Rene, pleased to see the huge man again and giving him a hearty slap on the back. Despite his age, he remained in good vigour and health. "And how are you? Bristling with ze passions of youth, I see!" he gave a glance at Etain so quick that one could barely notice it. "Tres Bon. I applaud living life to ze fullest. One only lives once, you know. At least, usually. "

He wandered over to Evander and shook the man by the hand. "And you look like an astute young man, if I may so. Keen glint in your eye too, Monsieur... Evander, did you say your name was? or Mercury? Ah forgive me, I am but a helpless old man, and my memory plays tricks on me at times. The long walk here has tired me out I am afraid... So, you are a Magician, or Sorcerer, yes? "

[Griffalo]

Evander nodded sheepisly at Crow. He certainly didn't need the ride, but this would be a prime opportunity to get to know some more students.

"Sure, I'd really appreciate that."

He warmly shook Rene's hand, smiling. He'd been brought up to respect his elders, even if sometimes they didn't have much interesting to say.

"My name's Evander, but people call me Mercury." He nods. "I guess, yeah. I usually prefer the term magus, but I suppose 'sorcerer' works too." After a moment's pause, he smiled.

"Wait, you're Rene DeSaens? I heard about you, you're the artist, right?" He smiles. "That's pretty awesome."

He looks around the room. "I guess that must be true of all of us, one way or another." After they'd dropped their handshake, he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Why are we here, anyhow? Just like a general meet and greet, or is there some sort of agenda?"

[Supercape]

Rene reached into his pocket and brought out an envelope. "An invite from Monsieur Cimitiere..." he replied. "Did you receive one? Monsieur Cimetiere may look a little..." he shrugged, with a smile on his face "...unusual, even for these times, but he is extremely capable. I have met few mages of his power in my time, and zey have been master mages. He is somewhat of a specialist, however... but I will let him explain, unless you know already. "

He made a sweeping gesture around the house. "It has something to do with zis building, I think. Even I can sense something here, something elemental and arcane. "