Flick of Horror (IC)

[Supercape]

GM

26th October

Castle Cinema in Port Regal, with its dark stone, gargoyle carvings, and torch-sconce lighting, was one of the favourite movie theatres in Freedom City. The favourite, according to horror fans. And, with the nights drawing in and approaching Halloween, it was horror fan's time of the year. The Castle Cinema was running back to back B-Flicks in a celebration of the slightly cheesy but still scary films that the less well funded segment of cinema productions churned out at a rapid pace.

Nocturne would fit right in.

And what was this?

Down some dark alley, a helpless scared young woman, with bad make up and worse style, screaming as two shuffling bodies lurched unsteadily towards her...they couldn't be made out in what seemed an uncannily dark alleyway, but the young woman was clearly scared....

[Supercape]

GM...

...Meanwhile...

Mary Morris tapped on the front door of Parkhurst. It was raining, her feet were tired from the walk, and she thought the whole thing was a waste of time.

She thumped the door hard, three times.

"Open up!" she yelled.

She didn't really believe that the painter across the road was a sorcerer, or magician. But that's what the whispers said. When she had asked him, he looked at her in that way, and told her that she was very foolish to believe that kind of thing at all. And that the Ghost that had been bothering her since childhood wouuldn't be bothering her any more...

He was right too. The Ghost, of her dead sister said goodbye to her that night, saying that a nice man had helped her and she would be going to bed. That was the last she had seen of her sister.

Mary Morris was a goth. A goddamn goth. She didn't like it, but she had a knack of seeing things that weren't supposed to be seen. She tried her best not to believe it. She tried to pretend it was schizophrenia, and had tried the antipsychotic drugs. Hell, she had even been committed. None of it helped.

SO she hand around coffee shops, hung around Goth's and occult nerds, and occult magazines, and did some writing, and some waitress work, and just tried to cling on to a little bit of life and shut her eyes when she saw things that other people couldn't see.

But goddamn it, she couldn't ignore what she had just seen. She needed help. And she saw the Frenchman come here, even if nobody else did. Everybody just seemed to ignore Parkhurst hotel. But she saw it for what it was.

[Aoiroo]

The ghosts notified Etain when someone knocked on the door, it was the youngest ghost who did it this time, and she knocked on Etain's door finding the older looking girl sitting at her old fashion sewing table working on an overdress of red fabric. She herself was wearing a simple red skirt, vest and blouse. Her hair knotted into a thick curly bun and had several long strands falling over the top of her face as she moved her eyes away from her work and too the ghost of what was once a younger girl. The description the ghost gave her made her rather curious, and she told her to inform the others to hide themselves for the moment, and for Custos to perch himself outside so as not to attract too much attention.

She picked up her skirt and hurried down the stairs where there was still quite a loud knocking on the door, which meant it hadn't opened on its own. Usually no one would approach the house unless they knew explicitely where it was, so it was unusual that someone who the door didn't recognize was here, either way, if it was anything too harmful the alarms would of gone off so she went to the door and opened it slow, which was a task as since when she touched the handle it tried to swing open with it's usual force, but she held it back stiffly and cracked it to have a good look at the person,

"Why good evening."

She didn't open the door all the way, instead slid herself out of the crack to face the person and closed it behind her,

"It is a bit early for tricker treaters, though I do not suppose that is what you seek."

[PurpleProse]

This is idiotic. Foolish. I hope you do recognize this fact, mortal.

Danica Umbridge, aka Nocturne, did her best not to sigh at her 'partner's' grousing, the telepathic grumbling coming from the tattered tome tucked under one arm. She had expected Sombra-La to be less-than-enthusiastic about her new line of work. However, she hadn't expected the former sorceress to be quite so obnoxious about it.

Wind whipped through her raven tresses as she soared over Port Regal, the insides of her black skirt lit by the spinning scarlet spell-circles that manifested her flight spell. At least it wasn't raining; she'd hate to think of what the dry-cleaning bill would be on this dress.

You expect to find some dreadful situation to intervene in? Fah. A waste of our time...

"You know, if you didn't want to come, I could have just left you at the apartment," Danni replied.

Absolutely NOT! Danni winced as Sombra-La's mind-voice rose in a shriek. So long as you wear my body, I will accompany you, even if you insist on wasting time on a fool's errand! I will not have my glorious form besmirched outside my sight!

"Yeah, besmirched." A rush of wind kicked a bit of errant debris as Danni alighted atop of Castle Cinema. Her first patrol had been... less than productive so far. No bank robberies, high-speed chases... not even a purse snatcher. Nothing for Nocturne to intervene in. You'd think a place like Freedom City would have trouble going on somewhere...

At least until she heard the scream.

Finally! Danni resisted the urge to fist-pump as she jumped off the edge of the building, her flight spell kicking up. Slowly, she hovered down at the entrance of the alleyway, eyes glowing bright red in the darkness as she called out to the attackers.

"Halt, fools! I, Nocturne, Sorceress of Twilight, command you to surrender!"

Had I my hands still, Sombra-La groaned, I would have ripped your tongue free from its moorings for speaking such idiocy.

"Oh shut up," Danni whispered under her breath as she struck her pose.

[Supercape]

GM

At the Parkhurst Hotel...

"Oh God no!"

Mary's voice was half scream of fear, half sigh of resignation as the door opened.

"Ghosts!" she said, clamping an eye over her eyes. "Always Ghosts....here too. Damn, I came here to get away from that kind of crap!"

She remained outside, in the cold wet rain, shivering slightly.

"Honey" she said to Etain, "if only I was a trick or treater, I would be happy as can be. But thing is, I see things. I see the things that flit along the night along with the kids and the candy, ok?"

She ran her fingers through her long black hair. Mary was a thin woman of average height. If she made more of an effort she would have been reasonable looking, but as it is she looked plain. Her eyes were brown and big, wide and tired. She had a nose a little too big, a chin a little too small, and an attitude a little too cynical.

"Yeah, you guess rightly, kid" she said to Etain "although you look a lot older than what you look...if you know what I mean" she said.

"I need to speak to the Frenchman, hell, anybody. He sorted out the last Ghost. And I think we are in for one hell of a night. "

[Supercape]

GM

At least it wasn't raining; she'd hate to think of what the dry-cleaning bill would be on this dress.

As if on cue, a cold, wet, and hard rain started to drizzle down on Freedom City.

"Halt, fools! I, Nocturne, Sorceress of Twilight, command you to surrender!"

The young woman stopped screaming, surprised at the sudden appearance of such a striking woman.

"Nocturne?" she said "Thats...new...wow! you look perfect!!!" she said, excitedly, a huge smile over her face.

Somewhat more slowly, the two figures turned around. They were dressed in blood soaked rags, and had pallid, rotten faces with broken teeth and blood trickling down their faces. They walked with a shuffling gait and after a moment, started shuffling towards Nocturne.

"Noooccc....tuuurneee....." they groaned, in unison, approaching her.

[PurpleProse]

Wait, what?

Danni stopped, lowering her hand as the scene unfolded. Yeah... that looked like a lot of spirit gum and paint; she'd seen more than enough genre films to recognize good practical effects when she saw it. "What do you mean perfect? These guys aren't attacking yo-"

And then the rain started pouring. Unfortunately for the group's would-be savior, she didn't have an umbrella handy, so the entire wrath of the storm poured down on her head. Danni's long black hair went from curls to a straight, wet mess that piled ungracefully on the ground, even as the very expensive gown went from clean to rain-soaked. At least the short cloak was somewhat waterproof, which didn't help matters much.

This only made Sombra-La angrier. Maybe it was because her precious gown was being utterly soaked. THERE ARE NO WORDS WHICH DESCRIBE MY UTTER HATE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW! NONE!

"Quiet you. At least you're dry," Danni growled at the book before looking at the girl and the two actors. "What the heck is going on!?" She shouted over the rain.

[Aoiroo]

A good look at the girl revealed immediately that hiding would do not good for the ghosts, she would not bring them out to meet just yet, but it was intriguing. Looking at the girl she gave a very nuetral look,

"You are very astute to the supernatural. As for my look, I am well aware it is very much an antiquety of fashion, but it is the style I choose for very many practical reasons."

She took a step towards the woman and held out a hand,

"Rene DeSaens is not in currently, but I am quite capable of locating spectors myself, and if you are currently being trouble am able to repel any you shall see. Now, would you like to step inside? Even though there are spectors in residence, none shall harm you, and if you expect that there are any following yourself of a more menancing nature, they shall be repelled by several of the house defenses quite easily."

[Supercape]

GM

"What the heck is going on!?"

The two 'zombies' looked at each other.

"Nooooc...turrrrrnnnnnne" mumbled one half-heartedly, before realising the game was up.

"Oh hell, that looked awesome!" said the cameraman stepping out of the shadows at the back. He was dressed like a complete nerd - messy hair, coat, shorts, sandals, and socks. He had a huge grin on his face. The young man had a handsome face that he was completely unaware of and was actually blocked out by his complete lack of style and clumsy manner.

"I can't believe it, you looked mangifi-awesome!" he spluttered at Nocturne. "The way you flew in you were all like ker-whoosh and then your cape flapped all like ker-swish and wow, yeah...awesome!" he finished, dwindling in enthusiasm a little bit.

"Hi, I'm Phil. Phil Gaylord" he mumbled. "These are my friends. We are from the horror film society of Freedom City. We are making a film for the festival at the Castle. It's going to be awesome! you gotta come along! please!"

The man looked at Nocturne his eyes pleading. The two zombies and the young girl gave her an almost equally enthusiastic look.

[Supercape]

GM

At parkhurst hotel...

"Rene DeSaens is not in currently, but I am quite capable of locating spectors myself, and if you are currently being trouble am able to repel any you shall see. Now, would you like to step inside? Even though there are spectors in residence, none shall harm you, and if you expect that there are any following yourself of a more menancing nature, they shall be repelled by several of the house defenses quite easily."

Mary stepped in.

"Yeah, so I'm Mary. Mary Morris. I'm...yeah...I see things..." she muttered, stepping inside.

"That Frenchman, you his friend?" she inquired, with a little degree of suspicion. "You...look ok, I guess. Alive for one, that's always a good start. Nice place you got in here. Dry..."

Mary's voice, like her mind, tended to ramble. She had developed this habit as a way to distract herself from the things she saw.

"Look, I hang around the little fanzine, called Midnight Visions. Its cruddy, whole loada freaks. Anyway, we get this new guy. Phil somebody. Student at Freedom City University. Didn't say his second name. Said he was making a film for presentation at open night at this cruddy cinema...the Castle. Freaky place. Full of...you know. Anyway, stuff he showed. Freaked me out. I ran out, screaming, I tell ya. And I ain't screamed for a long time, although I got plenty to scream about..."

She paused for breath.

"Anyway, I gotta feeling something real bad is going to hit the Castle tonight...."

[PurpleProse]

"Uh..." Danni blinked owlishly as she stood there, slightly dumbfounded. A student film crew? Seriously? It took a second or two before she recovered. "That's... nice? Could we continue this conversation inside? Where it's not pouring down rain?" She pointed towards the theater entrance nearby, then headed in the direction of not-raining-not-wet-possibly-warmer surroundings.

In my Netherworld, Sombra-La growled in Danni's head. I would have had those four executed for the crime of wasting my precious time and forcing me to stand in the rain. Possibly by being thrown off the side of the island...

"Yeah, well, tough..." Danni grumbled softly, giving the theater door a shove before walking inside. At least she could dry off inside.

[Aoiroo]

"I am very much alive yes,"

She led the thin woman through the front and into the den while she spoke. Very gently she sat her down on one of the more comfortable couch and listened while she wen through it,

"Stuff he showed you, what did he show you exactly. You said he was making a film, was it something on a tape or video?"

She disappeared in the kitchen and reappeared with a silver tray with a pot of tea and several delicate china cups. It was prepared by Millie who had heated it up the moment she was informed of a guest, but Etain encouraged the ghost to stay behind. Sitting down she poured a cup,

"Would you like cream and sugar?"

[Supercape]

GM

In parkhurst hotel...

"Ill just take it black. Like my humour" said Mary with a wan smile that looked more like a frown.

"I don't know exactly. He just showed it, a short clip, when we were at the Fanzine. I kinda freaked out. They all laughed at me. Yeah, right. Like to see them having a pair of balls when they could see half the stuff I see. The £$%£$!ing nerds" she said, bitterness in her voice.

"I remember some woman screaming, like from an old black and white horror film. But that's about it. Sounds like nothing, yeah? but it was so much more than just the film. I felt like it was coming alive, sucking the souls out of the living and churning out the souls of the dead. Only, broken, like a scratched record or something. It seriously felt like a torture instrument for your very soul. Heh, don't look at me like I'm mad. Been there, done that, got the antipsychotics to prove it. Didn't help...."

[Supercape]

GM

Outside the Castle theatre

"That's... nice? Could we continue this conversation inside? Where it's not pouring down rain?" She pointed towards the theater nearby, then headed in the direction of not-raining-not-wet-possibly-warmer surroundings.

"What? You'll come?" screamed an amazed Phil. "I mean..yeah...of course you'll come. Its gonna be supercool!"

"I'm getting footage for a film I'm going to show. Just rough cuts but it looks awesome, and wait, you are so gonna dig this!" he said, showing Nocturne his camera, and ornate device filled with brass and scratches, a most exotic design, looking like it wouldn't work at all.

"Found it in a junk site, would you believe it! and it still works! gets some awesome cut up shots, kinda got some character, you know! and how awesome is that for some horror film. Man, I'm gonna be so famous!"

And with that, he showed, nearly shoved, Nocturne, into the Castle theatre. It was gothic at the best of times, but right now it was decked out in full halloween splendour, full of horror fans, many dressed up in fancy dress, even more high on too much coffee, all watching a mixture of old B move horror films, and some new "art" and "student" cuts. The mood was high, and Nocturne's costume fitted right in. She got many admiring glances, although her height was perhaps a little exceptional.

[Aoiroo]

Etain reached out to the woman grabbing her shoulders and holding her brown eyes with her own hazel with sympathy and understanding as she said,

"You are not mad,"

She handed the woman the small plate with the teacup on it,

"You see a world that you were never raised too, a world that most people cannot ever hope to comprehend."

She let go as she backed up,

"I am similiar, and have been for as long as I have memory. But where I was raised, it was an accepted truth rather then here where it is a skeptics theory. It is difficult I am sure, but I understand, and I believe that you did in fact see something that should be troubling. So I will for the moment need to look more deeply into this matter. Please, drink and make yourself warm. The ghosts here will do you no harm if you do no harm in return, and please do not try to steal anything, you will not make it past the door."

Standing up she gave the woman a nod before she walked past into the kitchen and down the stairs.

It took not two seconds to locate the large basin of water that was the scrying pool, it was currently inactive, looking nothing but plain water, but Etain put a hand on the side and it activated to her touch turning murky and glowing,

"Locate the one named Phil whos films present a wicked will, at the castle where the pictures are stark, and where horror lurks in theatre made dark."

[PurpleProse]

"Sure...right..." Danni looked at the weird camera as it was shoved in her face. She reached up and carefully pushed it away before she was hustled into the theater. At least it wasn't cold in there. The smell of cheap coffee, face-paint, sweat and popcorn was everywhere thanks to the patrons of the Castle. She nodded politely to some of the people, then squeezed her way along and into the bathroom. She needed to dry off before she actually caught a cold thanks to her soaked clothes. Thankfully, nobody was in the bathroom.

As she began to wring her ludicrously long hair out into the sink, she noticed a distinct silence. She glanced at the grimoire at its resting place atop the wall-mounted dryer. "Sombra-La?"

You saw it, did you not? The Witch-Queen's telepathic voice came out sibilant and hissing. That wretched THING in that fool's grasp?!

"What? Are you talking about the camera?"

Camera?! You speak of it as though it were a mere bauble! Fool! Idiot! Child! Did you not notice the runes and signs, the glyphs carved on its malefic brass casing? That is no mere camera!

Danni frowned. "Well, now that you mention it, it did look odd. I've seen cameras before, but nothing like that. It didn't even look vintage..."

IT! IS! NOT! A! CAMERA! Danni could feel the punctuation on each word. It is a device of dark origins, a Soul-Catcher! I recognize the work of the Infernal realms, and that is certainly one such work!

"A soul-catcher? You mean like... something that sucks out souls?" Danni felt a chill run down her spine, like someone dropped an ice-cube down the back of her dress.

Yes! A twisted thing of magic and hate, designed to steal and torment souls of the living! That fool knows not what he holds! Damnation awaits unless we destroy that contraption now!

"Wait? Destroy?"

Yes! Do you not agree?

"Well yeah," Danni frowned at the book. "I just didn't expect you to want to smash it. I mean, you're kinda..." she paused to consider the adjective she wanted to use, "...not-very-good yourself. I figured you'd want me to keep it or something."

A Dark Lord though I may be, Sombra-La growled, but even I recognize the sanctity of the soul. Such a thing is an abomination, and I, Sombra-La, Witch-Queen and Ruler of the Soaring Archipelago, will not permit it to exist!!!

"Huh...finally, something we can agree on. Never thought I'd say that."

The fool must also be punished as well. Executed for consorting with Infernal powers...

"Annnd back to normal." Danni sighed, grabbing a few paper towels and wiping off her face, neck and cleavage. It seemed simple enough; step one, grab camera, step two, destroy camera. What could possibly go wrong?

[Supercape]

GM

The scrying pool of parkhurst hotel...

"Locate the one named Phil whos films present a wicked will, at the castle where the pictures are stark, and where horror lurks in theatre made dark."

The waters stirred, and parted, misting slightly before revealing the object of Etain's curiousity, namely...

At the Castle Theatre...

"Hey hey!" said Phil to Nocturne and his pals. "My film's coming up next...sorry Witchykins, I'm afraid I can't get that footage of you in yet. Damnit, it was so megacool!" he rushed to the main theatre, beckoning 'Witchykins' (i.e. Nocturne) and his pals to follow him. The theatre itself was dark and alive with good natured horror fans.

"And now, a new short film just for tonight's performance, by Phil...." introduced the compare, a middle aged portly man with thinning hair, a velvet smoking jacket, a microphone, and a self confident wicked smile that gave him quite a presence.

"The Screams of the Castle!" he roared in a deep majestic tone, his smirk widening still further. With a bow, he departed stage left.

The screen came alight with a scratchy black and white montage of a woman in a black gown running through an old cinema. In fact, the cinema looked just like the Castle theatre they were sitting in.

"Hey yeah!" whispered Phil "I thought I would spook them out by filming the actual Castle cinema, its perfect for this! hey...." he whispered, muttering with uncertainty. "Who is that woman? I didn't film her...."

The black and white woman distorted and scratched, and looked right at the camera.

No...she looked right at the audience....

Back at Parkhurst, with Etain and Mary...

"That's him! hey whose the tall hot chick he's with?" muttered Mary. "How could some idiot like that end up with her? and, yeah that's his camera...."

As the film started at the scratched distorted black and white woman swam into focus...

"Oh hell, that's the woman I saw...we gotta do something!"

[PurpleProse]

He just had to say that, didn't he? Danni thought to herself as she heard Sombra-La growl.

"Dude, my name's not Witchykins. And-hey!" Danni replied as the would-be auteur headed into the theater. Great, the last thing she needed was a bunch of people in the way if she needed to wrestle a soul-sucking camera out of an unwilling film-geek's hands. She managed to squeeze herself in as the film began to spin up, heading right towards Phil...

Until she saw what was on the screen.

What sorcery is this? Sombra-La whispered as Danni's eyes went wide. She hadn't been in Freedom City for too long, but she knew enough about the city to recognize who, and WHAT, was looking out at the audience from the other side of the celluloid.

"EVERYBODY OUT! NOW!" She shouted. "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"

[Supercape]

GM

He just had to say that, didn't he? Danni thought to herself as she heard Sombra-La growl.

"EVERYBODY OUT! NOW! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"

The audience, pretty scared by the crackling film, kept deathly quiet for a few seconds after Nocturne's speech. Their generous hubbub of noise fell to silence.

"Hey...." called out one nerd, a fat fellow in a t-shirt emblazoned with the iconic still from "Bloody Hell 9", one of the best in the franchise.

"...This is awesome! you got some amazing stooge in the cinema! what a hotty!"

The audience erupted into a cheer, hands clapping, foot stomping, pop-corn throwing.

"Wait...she's not a stooge...this is all wrong...." yelled Phil over the thunderous crowd, but he was drowned out, and, as he received a volley of popcorn thrown in his face and a hearty backslap from an appreciative nerd, he was puffed out too.

"Meanwhile the Silver Scream, Lauren Hammond, approached the film nearer and nearer until it almost looked like this was a 3D film instead of an old black and white scratched one.

"What is the meaning of this? You dare mock my performance! I was one of the greats! You shall feel my wrath!"

The crowd once again broke out into jovial and loud applause, saluting what they perceived to be another episode of over-hammed acting from the faded and deceased star.

And with that, Lauren Hammond, the Silver Scream, all in black and white, floated right out of the screen and into the auditorium...

The crown seized up, not making a sound. And then, pandemonium hit, as they screamed and started clambering over one another to run from her sight.

[PurpleProse]

If Sombra-La still had a jaw, it would likely have been slack enough to rest on the ground. As it was, she had to rely more on a shocked tone of voice.Do these fools not realize their peril?!

"They're horror fans. I think they're used to it," Danni replied. Though you'd think living in Freedom City would give them better survival instincts at least.

And then the Silver Scream made her appearance. Nocturne sprang into action, the magic circles of her flight spell springing to life as she flew up into the air, spinning rapidly around her ankles as she hovered there in the popcorn-and-fanboy-funk-filled air. "Sombra-La, you wouldn't know any spells that affect ghosts, would you?" Her voice trembled only slightly as she rose to meet her first super-villianess.

Perhaps. Give me a moment to think...

"We don't have a moment!" She took her own combat stance, hand extended and ready to cast. "Silver Scream! Phantom of the theater, prepare yourself, for tonight you face Nocturne, Sorceress of Twilight!"

[Supercape]

GM

"Silver Scream! Phantom of the theater, prepare yourself, for tonight you face Nocturne, Sorceress of Twilight!"

"Muahahaha!" came the ghostly voice at Nocturne.

"And how will you face me, mighty Nocturne?" he laughed.

"Will you face me here?" came a voice by one exit, where a Zombified version of Lauren stood, one arm hanging off tendons, the other raised to attack the panicking horror fans who back pedalled as they saw her.

"Or here?" came another voice, again of Lauren, this time in deathly black with red eyes and fangs, dressed like a vampire with a cold gaze. She stood by the other exit, again scaring off the terrified rabble who were now cut off from any exit, and yet still scrabbling in every direction, often over each other, to get somewhere

"Or up here!" cackled yet another Lauren from the ceiling, this time with horns, red skin, a tail, and trident, wreathed in infernal flame, floating above the crowd.

"Or here?"

"Or here?"

"Or here???"

A cacophony of Laurens, each kitted out in as some horror monster from fifty years back, appeared in what seemed to be every corner and crevasse of the theatre, cackling and mocking.

And looking back, the original Silver Scream, the lady in black and white, was gone!

[Aoiroo]

The ghostly enity plaguing the theatre certainly stole the show, but it did not steal Etain's attention. No, a smoking gentleman in the coat did especially as he disappeared into the projector room. Etain stepped away from the scrying pool and moved towards a large pillar ingraved with runes,

"Mary, I am grateful you brought this to my attention, but would prefer you do not follow. You may continue viewing using the pool, though it will not show anything else without a house owners command. I will be back shortly."

She placed a hand on the pillar and it glowed for a second before she disappeared from the spot.

She reappeared in the theatre's projection room, unseen and completely quiet as she did, she did a survey looking for the demon who had gone in here. It was clear that for now the sorceress could deal (or very much so distract) the ghostly enity but she could not let the demon get away unnoticed.

[Supercape]

GM

In the projector room...

The rotund man, with his velvet jacket and slicked hair, was peering at the screen with almost glazed eyes.

"What's this?" he murmured, drumming his fingers on the side of the projector. "That wasn't supposed to happen..." he chuckled to himself, although it was a chuckle laced with some slight irritation and even caution.

"...What to do...what to do..." he said to himself, observing the pandemonium below. "Its a distraction, but not a totally unwelcome one...Lauren Hammon...The Silver Screen...I suppose its not unexpected that the camera should bring you back, mocking your soul once more..."

[PurpleProse]

Nocturne spun about as each phantom popped up, sending the theater patrons screaming as they were rapidly hemmed in. She couldn't risk attacking the ghost; even if she could land a shot on the incorporeal ingenue, there was a distinct chance she might hit an innocent! But she had to do something!

Aha!

"Please tell me that was a good 'aha,' Sombra-La," Danni whispered urgently, "because things are going from bad to worse, fast!"

Fret not, mortal. I have just the spell for this occasion. 'Twas one I used when dealing with the elusive sylphs, as intangi-

"No time for stories, just tell me the spell!"

Ugh. Fine. I shall lead you along, then.

Danni winced as she felt Sombra-La's presence 'push' on her psyche. That was always an unpleasant sensation, the sort of thing that gave her a migraine. However, she inhaled, steadied herself, and raised one hand above her head.

"Powers of twilight and the endless wind, heed well the words of I, your mistress! What once was shadow, make now solid! What once was fleeting, make still! Sunder and shackle spirit and sylph, in the name of Sombra-La!"

There was a low and ominous rush of wind as a crimson spell circle spun itself into existence underneath Danni's feet. With a slash of her hand, Danni sent the circle spinning, sending ripples of purple and red light rolling outwards over the crowd, the threads of the spell seeking to drag the Silver Scream to the corporeal world.

[Supercape]

GM

In the theatre...

The power of Nocturne rent asunder the visions of Lauren Hammond, left, right and centre. They evaporated into the ether, screaming obscene howls as they did so. It was a simultaneous relief and shock for the movie loves.

"M-m-m-mann....these 3D effects are getting better and better...." mumbled one prostate thin man, built like a skeleton himself and sporting some thick glasses that had half smashed. By some miracle, although he had been trod on and shoved countless times, he still held a nearly full box of popcorn that slowly spilled to the floor. He trembled in fear, trying to reassure himself despite all evidence to the contrary that this was all part of the film.

Lauren Hammond, as a young actress, lay panting on the stage, etheric vapour streaming from her. She looked tired, worn out and thus quite real.

"What...did you do? I'm fading...." she whispered as her form started to melt away back into the still flickering screen.

In the projection room

"Sombra - La???" said the man in the velvet smoking jacket, shocked.