ic Twilight Tag(IC)

[Tiffany Korta]

She snatched up Dyrnwyn, the time for pleasant conversation was now well pass. She adopted a defensive stance and tried to keep an eye on the Queen’s guards. If they were fanatically loyal to the Queen the iron in the weapon would hold no fear for them.

“You’ve come to our land’s and through guile’s and deceit, and attempt against the compact’s we’ve enforced since the day of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Humanity doesn’t need your rule and we do not need your rule.†Her eye’s narrowed and her face took a darker turn “Abandon this claim and return to your former lands or we shall declare you Unseelie and now where will you be safe.â€

[Ari]

GM

A furious look came into the eyes of the Queen, and with a shouted command her soldiers charged the two teenagers, spears held in a way instantly familiar to the eyes of the Welsh agent as the preparation for a disarming move. Stepping back their once-gracious hostess snarled "You will try and order a Queen to do thus and not thus? And you dare threaten me with the name Unseelie? Putrid brat! Your iron and pet lummox won't save you from my wrath! Or have you forgotten the chains of gold and silver?" she raised a hand and a faint pulse rippled through the water...

[Ari]

"They won't save you from my wrath, noisome tyrant!" Subito shouted, jumping off the table and hitting the ground running as he raced towards the Queen as fast as his soaked clothes let him. 'Days like today I really regret wearing only white shirts...'

When only a few feet from the stately and imperious Fey, the stocky Puerto Rican suddenly stopped and waited a moment for her to react, and then struck straight at her face like lightning with his powerful fists!

Jumping back he called to Cerys "Blodeu! What's the plan?"

[Tiffany Korta]

“What we always’s do Subito, we fight and we win.â€

Blodeuwedd lowered her head and looked at the assembled Fae, though she hadn’t chosen to deploy her hood her face seemed to darken.

“They say that the Fae have no true souls, only that the disembodied voices of the slain can be heard on the breeze. Tell me do you any of you wish to join this mournful choir?â€

With a perfectly timing she suddenly surged forward towards the Queen, Dyrnwyn trailing blue fire behind her. With only a single blow she struck the Queen biting deep into the faerie flesh.

“I’m Blodeuwedd, no chains for me your majesty. And I’d be careful with your tongue my Queen, for when our King did us wrong we killed him for his crimes.â€

[Ari]

GM

The white-hilted sword of kings struck soundly, slicing a deep and deadly wound into the pallid Queen that raised an ear-splitting shriek as the human metal tore through the enchanted creature! With a low wail the Fey sank to her knees and collapsed, clutching her chest in agony.

The Order agent's words struck terror into the hearts of the gathered Twylyth Teg, and the dazzling spears of the elves trembled in their hands as they rushed at the young heroine. They didn't try to strike at the teen, instead swinging their staves around the hateful weapon she held that filled them with dread. Two of them managed to connect, but the others missed by feet, shaken by her threat.

One of them sneered "We have no heaven or hell, but we shall send you to yours! A mere human is worthless without their weapons!"

[Ari]

Quick as a flash Subito jumped forward and punched the guard out, sending him clattering in his armor to the deck. Rubbing his fist with a pained wince as it throbbed from hitting metal, the stocky boy commented "Fight an' win? That's a pretty foolproof plan right there!"

He readied himself for the next attack, adding casually "By the way Blodeu, I'm totally taking you up on your restaurant offer, fighting these guys is hungry work!" he said with a cheerful grin.

Subito was still on his guard, knowing that the Fey might have further tricks up their gaudy sleeves...

[Tiffany Korta]

Despite Blodeuwedd skill with Dyrnwyn there was no way she could avoid the soldiers disarming attacks. They were to skilled with the weapons and upset with her harming the Queen. So simply put she didn’t, instead when Dyrnwyn was wretched from her hand she turned with the disarming blow and swung around with her shoulder as she did, catching one of the Fae soldiers in his stomach.

“The Queen has will be judged and punished for her crimes, but none of you need to suffer her fate. Lay down your arms and you will be treated fairly by the order.â€

[Ari]

GM

Dyrnwin dropped with a simple *thunk* into the wooden deck of the Fey barge. The laugh of triumph from the guard who had knocked it from her grip was cut short as Blodeuwedd startled him and, with a swift movement drove the wind clean out of his lungs, dropping him to the deck with a clatter of his ornate armor.

His comrade leaped forward with a snarl and a vicious thrust of his lance at the agent, who dodged the attack with tremendous ease and sent him stumbling on. By now the few attendants not carrying weapons were vanishing over the sides with nary a ripple, swimming as fast as they could for the castle.

[Ari]

"They're not goin' for it, Blodeu!" Subito said cheerfully as he jumped into the stumbling guard, swinging his damp arms around the man with a powerful grip. Lifting the Fey over his head, he threw the soldier with a grunt of effort clean off the ship, crashing into the water with a spray of lakewater!

Dashing over to the side, he watched the Fey get snatched up in the jaws of the Afanc, who then began cruising towards the distant shoreline. Pumping a fist in the air he turned gleefully to Cerys, all but jumping over to her and clapping her on the back "That was badass, Cerys! Now what do we do?" he glanced around at the Fey lying and groaning in pain on the ship, rubbing the back of his wet head with a pained wince "We just...take ' em to Medraut an' let him deal with these jokers?" he shrugged and then narrowed his eyes, tugging at the collar around his neck.

Pointing at it the stocky Puerto Rican asked "Uh...could ya get this thing off Blodeu? It's really uncomfortable."

[Tiffany Korta]

“I don’t know I think it suits you! It’s probably a Glamour it should evaporate back in the real world, if not the Seer’s should be able to deal with it.†She was back to her normal deadpan humour

With a small flourish she sheathed Dyrnwyn it eldritch light begin extinguished as she did. She crouched down to check on the Queen health.

“Why don’t you and your new friend get this boat back on course for land, I’m sure the Fae will be happy to help you.“ the way she phrased it the Fae would be unwise not to offer there assistance.

[Ari]

GM

With the Afanc shoving from the stern and the faeries pulling at the oars, the majestic and inhumanly decorated barge sailed gracefully across the wavering and misty water of the Llyn Brenig, soon arriving at the shore, where the Order agents had gathered around a table playing dominoes with some immensely bored-looking soldiers of the Queen. At their landing, the soldiers took one look at their largely unconscious monarch and surrendered, quickly clapped in(literal) irons by the Order agents and placed on the boat. The other agents collected the shards of the great cauldron while Nisien placed a geas on the entire group of Otherworlders never to return to the lake, and had the Queen swear on copper to remain in her own lands. The fairy Queen was mostly silent as Nisien spoke, until the parts of the ornate oath where she had to repeat his words, but she looked with eyes like blue daggers at the two teenagers who had led to the ruin of her plan.

As the boat lifted up on a river like silver and flew elegantly through the sky of the Otherworld, Nisien and the other mages of the Order chanted the counterspell, and the mist and vague splendor of the land of the Twylyth Teg faded to be replaced by the solidity of their world. Blodeuwedd turned out to be quite correct, as the shackles and collar dissipated into mist as they returned to Earth.

Supervisor shook both their hands and beamed like the Sun, saying "Well done, agent Blodeuwedd! And Mr. Sondo, of course. A threat has been dealt with, and no further trouble should come from that Queen so long as nobody strays into her realm." he frowned thoughtfully and glanced at the young swordswoman "We may need to look into her further at a later date. Be ready, agent. Mr. Sondo, we will be glad to have your assistance in the future! Please feel free to bring him with you next time we call you home, agent, the Taid does like to meet new members of the family." he winked almost imperceptibly at Subito, and far more subtly at Blodeuwedd.

"Now then, what would you like before you depart, my young comrades? Anything at all." the spectacled man smiled with real warmth at both of them.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd sat down on by the side of the lake, her clothes morphing themselves into a much more sensible form. She couldn’t help but have a feeling of elation and satisfaction at a job well done. It help that it was also her first official mission for the Order. It somehow made the victory all the more sweeter.

“Well if it okay I’d like to return to Caerdathyl to collect a few personal items, like my Longbow, throwing knives, the kind of stuff I couldn’t get through customs flying into JIA.†She looked at Subito and then back to Medraut “I sure Subito wouldn’t mind a wander round the village for an hour or so…â€

[Ari]

Subito looked utterly thrilled at the idea. "Really? Awesome! I've never been t'Wales before, this'll be great! I bet I could meet loads of people-wait." a sudden look of unease crept over his face as he turned to supervisor Medraut "Uh, sir? Just makin' sure, but folks around here can speak English, right? I can understand pretty much every language ever, 'cause of my powers" he added with a grin "but if I can't speak Welsh, then-" "Then you will be no worse off, Mr. Sondo" the dapper man replied with an unchanged smile, though Blodeuwedd saw a quick flicker of irritationa s he briefly explained "Thanks to several hundred years of English rule and their educational system, us in this remote territory have picked up a passable understanding of the mother tongue. You will be at no loss if you speak English, or even Latin, which I understand you have a command of. Commendable, if I may say, it is a rare study for one of your years." Medraut said more warmly, seeming at least a little pleased at the chance to put a minor bit of trivia from the young agent's reports to use. Whistling in quiet awe, Subito regarded the older man with admiration "Heh, thanks sir. It was my dad's idea and the priest was happy to teach it. Made sure to pretty much brand it into my mind! I gotta make sure I ask Blodeu to teach me Welsh when we get back t'America. Be good to know what all these names I keep hearing really mean!" he added, glancing at his schoolmate with a bright smile. One thing that his translation powers didn't cover, as he'd told the lithe swordswoman before, was names.

Obliterating a benign smirk, Medraut turned to the young agent "You are quite free to drop by HQ to pick your gear, Blodeuwedd. Everything is in order. Seeing as time is no longer a factor" he clapped his hands together as he turned his eyes to the clear skies around them "I will drive us back! It's just up and over the hill," he added for Subito's benefit "As you are not truly one of us, Mr. Sondo, I am afraid I cannot furnish the precise address. Now then, servants of the Order, let us give thanks for our victory and to the ones who ensured it, and return to fair Caer Dathyl!" The other agents gave a polite and subdued cheer, and soon the guardians of humanity were on their way back to the stronghold of the Amddyffnwr. The drive through Welsh countryside in the early fall was, as might be imagined, quite pleasant. After arranging to meet him at one of the eateries the town sported, Medraut dropped off Subito at the village, where he quickly did his level best to befriend at least half its population in one hour, the young paragon cheerfully losing himself in the pleasures of touring the place.

[Ari]

In Caer Dathyl, the agents were warmly welcomed, and praised for the success of the mission. Even the Taid was openly happy at such a total victory, and listened with relish to Blodeuwedd's report of her part in it. Her instructors were relieved that her training had stood her in such good stead, and that a relatively simple case such as this had been her first assignment. Her business done, equipment gathered and ready to go, Blodeuwedd was met by Medraut on the way out of the ancient fortress. "Agent" he said crisply "the Taid and other masters of the Order had conferred, and have decided they could use a power like Mr. Sondo for future missions. If at all possible, please do your best to invite him to assist you on future tasks you might be on for Claremont, especially if they involve magical threats. Telling him snippets about our more glorious battles against evil would also not go amiss. It's quite possible he might develop feelings for you, in which case gentle encouragement might be in order, as such a development could net us a valuable asset with minimal cost. As always, use your discretion. Good luck, agent" he added with a quick smile "the gateway will open shortly after you two meet."

Blodeuwedd met her schoolmate a stand of trees a little ways from the restaurant, the leaves already turning yellow in the slowly dipping sun. He was leaning against one of the tree trunks, whistling a song he had learned a short while ago, and hearing Cerys' step he leaped into action, bounding up to her and telling her excitedly "Hey Blodeu! I've been all over this place, it's awesome! Met a bunch of new folks, helped fix a wall this guy was havin' problems with, picked up some sweet new words, it was a blast. Thanks for taking me along Cerys." the muscular boy added with a beaming smile, giving her a warm hug. Separating with a laugh, he asked eagerly "So, we goin' back to Claremont? Ooh!" his hazel eyes lit up "Are we doing that teleport thingy?!"

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd wasn’t often nervous she tended to have a certain confidence in her own abilities. But right know she was about to do something she had never done before, she was going against the wishes of her Order.

“With all due respect sir I’ll don’t think that the best way to do things. I’d happily sing the virtues of the Order to Subito, but that as far as I wish to go. This isn’t like a normal mission, not only do I have to live with these people but many of them are also my friends.†Despite her nerve’s she managed to look Medraut square in the eyes “I’d understand if you decided to reassign me, or return me to training. My loyalties are still to the Order, but this is something I have to handle in my own way.â€

[Ari]

GM

Medraut scrutinized Blodeuwedd for a moment, lips a shade from being pursed. At length his face brightened and he replied more warmly "Of course, agent Blodeuwedd. If your assessment of the situation differs from ours, we have full trust a star pupil like you will make the right choice." Turning to go back inside the great home of the Order, the bespectacled man cut an even more academic figure than normal, adding over his shoulder "Though your superiors will always not grant such delegations so readily. Bear that in mind. Good day, Cerys Pfer!"

The invisible blue portal back home was nearby the stand of trees, precisely half a metre from one bearing a significantly distorted symbol of the Order among the usual scars. It was so often used it was joked the more experienced agents could find it bound, blindfolded, and dropped from space.

"Y'know," Subito glanced at the horizon thoughtfully, watching the distant grey rain clouds gradually swooping in "I think I'm forgetting somethin'...eh, I'll remember it when we're back in Claremont." He shrugged and relaxed, watching Blodeuwedd with dancing eyes.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd gave a little smile and almost considered letting him travel home in his current condition.

 

“Anything created by the Fae is only a glamour, and all glamour’s  fades away in the real world. Something takes longer than others but eventually they all do. It's why you shouldn’t accept Fairy gold or wear any clothes made by them...†She looked Subito up and down with an appreciative eye “Luckily everyone in the village are used to strange things happening around them.â€

 

Supressing a disturbingly girly giggle Blodeuwedd threw a bag toward Subito “They should be about your size; you better find somewhere to change before we go back to Clarmemont’sâ€

[Ari]

Subito looked blank for a few seconds before he glanced down at himself. And at the thin shreds of cloth he was wearing vanishing in the sunlight. "Oh crap!" Leaping backwards he hastily covered himself with the bundle of clothes, awkwardly looking away as his face went dark red and mumbling "S-sorry Blodeu. Uh...thanks for these. Be right back" before he dashed behind the diner.

 

Slamming against the wall, he wondered briefly about something 'I..wasn't as horrified as I'd normally be. That isn't a good sign, is it? No. It is not. Clean thoughts Herald' Sighing glumly, the muscular boy quickly got the clothes on, grumbling about the tightness of the pants as he jogged back into the stand of trees, blushing again when he accidentally met Cerys' eyes. Stiffly leaning against the tree, he gestured vaguely at the ground, saying with a wince "Could we please not talk about that last part? Like, ever? Last thing I wanna remember is ...well, that. I normally keep all my clothes on in front of girls!" he protested anxiously, looking at Blodeuwedd with pleading eyes.

[Tiffany Korta]

She hefted the large sport bag, which contained her possessions, to her shoulder. It had a number of hiding places and slot to help conceal the various devices she relied on.
 
“I can’t promise I’ll never tell anyone.†She was supressing a smile “But for now your secret’s safe. But I’m sure there be plenty of chances for girls to see you naked…â€
 
She wondered past, it was enough to imagine the colour he was going right now.
 
â€The gateway is right here, we can leave when you ready." She looked at him over her shoulder “But one day I’m going to take you up on that dinner date in Cardiff.â€

[Ari]

Subito nodded and followed her through, doing his best not to let his imagination start running wild at her words. That and keeping calm as blood pounded through him.

 

At least he remembered what he had so easily forgotten, and glancing at the young agent he smiled warmly "Blodeu, I'm gonna hold ya to that promise! I bet we'll be in Cardiff soon on Order business, and that dinner's on you. And no telling! I mean it!" the strongly-built boy added with an adorably serious look as he stepped into the circle.

 

Emerging with a neat roll behind the sheltered bus stop down the road from Claremont, he glanced up at the noon sky with a gleeful "Hoo yeah! More Saturday for us!" and jumped to his feet. Another remebrance of what he had promised sent a fresh thrill of excitement through him.

 

Settling against the bus stop, he waited for Blodeuwedd to come through and then walked up to her, put a hand on her shoulder and leaned slightly up to murmur into her ear"I forgot to return this to you" then he kissed her sweetly on the cheek, looked into her eyes, blushed furiously and stepped back.

 

Clearing his throat a few times he glanced away, mumbling "Uh, yeah...so...we should pro'lly, uh, get goin'" as he quickly set off for the gates of the stately campus. "Thanks for the clothes by the way, they're a little tight but real good. Um...I'll give 'em back wh-"

 

Suddenly he stopped, whirled around and hugged Blodeuwedd enthusiastically "Cerys! That was awesome! I can't believe we got to do that! Like, with the thing, and then that fight, you-you-" he broke away and grinned at the taller girl as he gripped her shoulders, eyes alight with merriment "You let me know right away when I can help you guys again! And tell me about your folks sometime! Your family is sick. I Branwen like that all the time? I bet if we..." Flinging an arm around her shoulders he walked back to school, not stopping an excited flow of plans, future badassery and derring-do until they parted for their floors. Striding back into his dorm room he tossed the backpack onto his bed, casually pulled the fresh clothes off and got his own back on, thinking cheerily 'Aw man, I wonder what Cerys thinks 'bout all this? I bet it's just the same old, same old for her! Hm. You may be righter than you know.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd didn't have much time to consider the mission they'd just returned from, Subito's enthusiastic babbling drowned any serious thought's out. Not that she minded it was actually quite relaxing.

The day had been quite taxing and she was so tired she went via the stairs rather than scaling the wall outside the door room. Once inside the room she reverently replaced Dyrnwyn on its stand before collapsing onto her bed. Only then before sleep claimed her did she think about what she had achieved. Which meant she fell asleep with a massive smile on her face.

Her last thoughts were how nice it had been to spend time in Subito's company in her world of secret's, carefully chosen words and hidden things having someone as open and honest as Subito was a pleasant change. She actually looked forward to spending more time with the young man.