Machinations of Light's Glory - death, decisions, doom

I could tell that just by looking at you, Mister Lawrence, I'm a pretty good judge of character and I think you're just wonderful if you don't mind me saying so what with having realized that you were here before the rest of us and scouted out the general area and prepared drinks for the rest of us that arrived a bit later and might I say you should definitely talk more because your voice is really nice, kind of soothing you know, like a voice I wouldn't mind talking by my bedside as I left this plane of existence surrounded by my grandchildren or dying young of a broken heart or something equally as tragic and inspiring not that I'm really all that interested in romance you understand because it's hard to actually think about getting that personal with just one person when there are SO MANY people in this world that you might possibly know without being tied down to one and I'm not saying in like a gross way because that's like, what! I mean in like a really knowing-knowing way you know? Oh but you asked me a question and yes there's a whole vamp craze and it's fine if that's what you want to spend your time doing but there's such a limited amount of time you get to spend here you know, even if it's hundreds of thousands of years due to implants eventually a star is gonna supernova and then BAM you're dead just like the rest of us and so I think it's way better to just get to know people rather than get wrapped up in little things like vampires or whatever when you could just focus on how everyone's going to die and how death is awesome, you know? I think it's super cool you said "esteemed company" that is the sign of a really open mind and I love that about people! To be fair I love close minded people too because it's just so awesome to see them dealing with the world in their own way, right?

Oh, someone from my school said something super important up there before about helping each other out. I mean, I think that's what he said. I should probably get a transcript. Is someone recording all of this? It'd be totally funny if I was placing importance on like, his dinner order. Although keeping oneself fed is super important to being healthy in the here and now and he'll probably need his strength for later. I mean, we all will, assuming we wake up tomorrow and haven't been smothered by ghosts or killed by demons or murdered by people who just didn't like us.

Or I guess someone could commit suicide or have their heart give out due to natural causes.

Behind her visor, Bladida's eyes grew wide. The things I could get with that many likes. Maybe change my title, and I'd never have to scavenge for cat pictures to sell ever again! She noticed she'd started drooling a bit and quickly wiped it away. "Ahem, ex-excuse me for a moment. I forgot to check something in my ship."

"The wine is bad?"
Ann gently swirled her glass, contemplating. The red liquid sparkled in the neon lights illuminating the room.

Finally she shrugged her shoulders.
"Until I can access my brain implant's cloud server to erase the public humiliation I just went through, this is the next best thing.
Ergo bibamus, amici."

The disembodied voice speaks up yet again.

"Sumimasen, mina-sama, but it appears that one of the Falcons has... made a chisai error while reading their mission briefings. I am kanashii to inform you that one of us may or may not be able to cast in tonight's circle. Would one of the Owls be willing to replace them? You would be casting in Ozzo's circle."

Phoenicity PARAdoxial Dan Lawrence Sarkus Lazy Shiftless Bastard

Nebty sipped her blood-red wine and observed the gathered people. They were such a diverse group. She wondered how the Arkiolojiss Society had found and recruited them all.

"An interesting sentiment, considering the struggle we are currently facing", she murmered, smiling at the singer with the green hair.

"But I do have a soft spot for that particular song. Excuse my asking, but could you perhaps be...Dazzler?"

Given that they have already signalled their willingness I would suggest that Lazy Shiftless Bastard or PARAdoxial are best suited to fill the gap in the Falcon school.

Indeed, friend Lawrence is correct. Unless Miss Paradoxial wishes to do so for sentimental reasons I shall help the cleaning staff complete their circle. I will join Ozzo's circle with the Falcon school.

"Indeed. No use in hiding that fact, now." The singer dips her head in greeting and projects a sparkling halo around the priestess's metal hairdo. "Quite the privilege, your Holiness. If you need someone to help with the service for the former members of this community, I'd be honored to sing the blessing."

"In the meantime, I suppose we should get to this casting thing. If Mister Isidore's offhand suggestion of joining hands and chanting is in fact how this is supposed to work, I invite the rest of the Ravens to join me onstage. There's plenty of room, and it'll give me a chance to scope out whether any of you have the talent to form a backup band."

"On behalf of the Falcon-gumi, I give you our sincerest arigatous, Lazy-sama."

The air near the noblewoman Ann shifts a little, and if you squint you can almost make out the silhouette of a bow.

The corner of Nebty's mouth quirked.

"That is rather grim." She sighed. "I do not look forward to that particular service, but I would appreciate your help when I am called upon to perform that duty." Dazzler looked like she was about to leave, and Nebty raised her hand.

"A moment, please." She took a deep breath and, after self-consciously smoothing her veil back into place, said,

"Before the night ends, and while we are all still together, I wanted to tell you that I am a...a fan of your music." She glanced up from beneath her veil, hoping for a reaction.

"That is, I mean, I have all of your albums, I have recordings of all of your performances, I..." A sudden tearing sound could be heard, and Nebty instantly dropped the edge of her veil which she had unwittingly shredded in her nervousness. She ducked her head, glad that her face no longer contained the blood vessels which would allow her to blush.

"Apologies, I should not be keeping you from your circle. But I was very...pleased to finally be able to see you in person." She smiled a bit sadly.

"My duties consume so much time that I seldom have any for myself."

##$@!! chtor polymers tracking, individuals sighted and face to database connection with ***3#? processing, processing... (Gn|Dn|) reading + metarq deposits within organism 33%^abnormally high >>reconsider, full analysis scan??? #*&%!! @#!! V&%() ;4(*^*)?!! %$^## ABORT ABORT, FILEUNFOUND:RE:BUDAPESTINCIDENT:DANGERWILLROBINSON <<THE SOVEREIGN!>>

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It was the squeak that caught her attention, and she was turning when the displacement of air ruffled her hair. The explosion was minor, more flash then bang. Her eyelids shuttered against the light she was scanning the area, Pekkelo Incisor extended when Mibble's listless form was revealed as the source. Groaning, Soli'Sturm retracted the quietly crackling blade before carefully cradling the fish with her hand. For the moment, she ignored the broken glass and feathered her fingers faintly against it's frame. It's eyes were open at least, fins waving feebly and looking for all the world like it was in shock. Accessing the disintegrating history file she scanned the words, the gist of which filtered through well enough to be perceived.

"This is why you don't go looking at their insides, Mibbles!"

Unfortunately, she wasn't quite able to triangulate with the data just who the AI had been making bright eyes at. A most worrying prospect, considering the components. Soli'Sturm absently pressed a few switches on her collar, only half listening to the Dazzler's request and the ensuing conversations around her. There was still the dropped glass to consider and the fish's twinnings. Letting the Autonomous eWe repair the drink she plucked a few hairs to feed into the fish. There was a healthier color to it now, and Mibbles seemed more aware.

""O___O"" Soli'Sturm pinched the end of it's tail in retaliation. "Of course it was going to be a bit much! Didn't I say not to go overboard?" The fish became a bit thoughtful at that and then it gave a ghatric shrug and swished upwards to make a bed in the mohawk. She sighed in aggravation. Nothing to do but join up to cast now that it was approaching full dark.

Wordlessly, blushing in a neon rainbow of colors, Dazzler throws her arms around the other woman (android?) and hugs her furiously. So seldom did she meet such quiet, honest fans.

Realizing the extent of her impropriety a few seconds later, she drops back, bows quickly, and flees the scene. As she busies herself in communing with her Ravens, the undercurrent of her thoughts pulses with "ohgodsohgodsohgods."

A few members of the Owl’s school head to the residential complexes for an early rest. The rest of the Society gathers at the various sites of power to perform their chosen magics.

Their chantings begin to echo across the island, but as they come to their conclusion, another chanting can be heard. Deep, piercing, and in a tongue not meant for mortal ears, the foundations of the world shakes with each syllable, and the sound of the nightmares below begins to rise.

When it stops, there is but a moment’s silence before the summoned tentacled horror splits the island apart and rises from the earth.



The members of the Society who have been hardened by war rush into battle. Leading the charge, Bladida loads an ammunition pod of contraband dislikes into her weapon, and cuts a swathe through the nearest columns of monstrous flesh.

But there are too many. They reach for her, slowly, implacable. She begins to run, and Ozzo steps forward to cover her retreat with a blast of magic. It’s at that moment that the tentacles abandon their deception, and lash out at their full speed, grabbing hold of their real target, the green-haired cigar-smoking MEIDO.

The monster pushes away from the broken earth, and drops away from the island with Ozzo in its clutches. As it falls, the beast dissolves into the bubbles of raw magic it was formed from.

The dawn breaks, and Ozzo’s spirit can be clearly seen rising to the heavens alongside the morning sun.

In the aftermath, Sarkus is found slumped in the doorway of the Owl’s residential complex. He’d never reached the battle, and was slowly bleeding out from two gaping wounds through his torso.

Ozzo has been killed by a summoned magical horror. She was loyal to the light to the end.
Sarkus is suffering from fatal stab wounds, and will die by the end of the next night.

The first day begins.

The High Priestess watched Dazzler go, then touched her own shoulder. The heat and pressure sensors embedded within her metal flesh had registered the feel of the hug, and Nebty smiled as she recalled the sensation.

She's so beautiful, she thought wistfully.

Nebty rushed over and knelt beside Sarkus

"My Child, do you know how this happened? Who did this to you?"

Did you see that?! Did you see tha--oh that dead woman definitely did. Did you see her spirit? So beautiful! I told you there were ghosts here! Did anyone know anything much about her? I didn't get a chance to talk to her before--oh, someone is hurt! QUICK, MISTER! Tell me a little about yourself in case the shadow of death that constantly hangs over each and every one of us decides to take you into its embrace and usher your spirit into the next world!

...actually, is anyone else having problems with their implants? Mine are really aching. I think there must be some kind of residual static or something around here, I can't seem to--can anyone in the School of White hear me? I'm thinking really hard at you. I disagreed with something that was just said--er, thought-- a bit before this all happened, did you get that?!

Damn... not good. That tentacle monster was crazy enough but we've also lost one to some sort of murderer.

"We have not lost him yet, sir!" Nebty barked at the Baron.

"His wounds may be grave, but he still lives." She turned pleading eyes to the crowd.

"Is there no one here with the power to save him?"

I had not expected the cultists to strike so fast. May your soul rest in delighted, squealing peace, Ozzo.

Sarkus, were you able to identify your attacker? Those wounds...you will not see the sun of next day. I suggest you report all information to the group if you are in decent enough shape for it. Then, deal with any lingering ties to the world...any regrets you may harbor.

Emerging from her sleeping quarters, Ann rubbed her eyes.
"Olivia, where are you? I need help with my hair."

A sudden gust of wind swept up, sending a cold shiver down the woman's spine.
"That just now ... It can't be. Olivia? Olivia! Answer me!"
But her calling was to no avail, the MEIDO didn't answer. Ann sank to the ground, her expression unusually hard. 'I will find whoever did this to you, and if it's the last thing I do.'

After calming herself down, Ann joined up with the rest of the group, only to find them gathered around a horribly wounded Sarkus.
"What in the world? What happened here?"

Grimacing with pain.

I'm not done yet, though I can feel my energy slowly falling. A healer may be able to reverse these injuries, should one be willing to come forward. I'm afraid I do not have much information to share - I was resting when I heard fighting. I rose to leave my room and was attacked from behind. I did not see my attacker, but I did hear footsteps before I lost consciousness.

I need to confer with the rest of the Owls. Then I may be willing to speculate as to what may be behind this.

So, whoever it was does, in fact, have feet. That narrows it down quite a bit.

Can anyone hear me!? Did I turn into a ghost and I don't know it yet!? I feel pretty solid but maybe that's just to me--maybe ghosts feel solid to themselves?! I suppose it's possible. Well! Death was pretty painless, like I always thought it probably was, I mean maybe not in certain cases of attack by demon tentacle monster but in my case it most certainly was! Perhaps because I embraced it all throughout my life and looked upon it as the gift of just being able to better serve the Light in my capacity as an ass-kicking ghost when all was said and done, that would make a lot of sense--can ghosts see their own reflection? I wonder if I have wings!

Pretty sure the dead can hear you, lady.

Oh they definitely can, they get REALLY talkative at night!

I guess this means no wings. Something to look forward to later I suppose!

... I can't tell if she's kidding or not.

"A second attack? How? Olivia was ..."
The noblewoman bit her lip, not wanting to go on.

"Hush, dearie."



Chance doesn't seem to have moved since the night before, still placidly in his full lotus on the grass. You saw him throwing cards, when the tentacled beast attacked, cards that glowed bright purple and exploded when they touched the tentacled beast, but even so failed to do more than slow it by a miniscule amount.

He throws a card again, this time in an arc that brings it spinning around the babbling girl's face, throwing off purely aesthetic sparkles of purple, red, and blue. It makes its way back to his hand, and he idly shuffles his deck again.

"Ah've had no trouble hearin ye nor trouble with speakin to the School o'mine."

He smiles noticeably at her reaction, the first smile more than simply a glimmer you've seen on his face.

.........



THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Sorry, I should probably keep my voice down but even in this somewhat dire situation there are few here who can deny the awesomeness of a guy that throws sparkly cards that come back to him! Is that magic-magic or is that like some kind of religious card-familiar thing or is it a very thin robotic contraption that perhaps is magnetized to something in your hand so that you can call it back or maybe a tiny remote control that--well it probably doesn't matter, but let me say that I'm not kidding, Intimidating Eyepatch Man. I think you said your name was a number somewhere, or maybe I dreamed that, so do you mind if I call you Patch? I had a cat named Patch once, but not because she wore a patch even though that would have been SUPER adorable but because she had a bunch of colors on her coat--I mean where the robotic legs weren't--do you remember that time that all cats came with laser eyes? That was such a mistake! It did mean they kept themselves entertained for hours without any--
I'm getting off track. The beautiful ghost-lady probably won't come back to speak to me tonight, but Mister--uh, the one with the wounds--if you don't survive the night maybe you could come back and talk to me. I've been told that after people die things become a lot clearer so maybe then you will have a clearer idea of what happened to you and can tell me and then I can tell everyone else. And if you do die don't worry because it is not at all scary like you might have been told--I mean unless you're evil in which case I believe fire and tearing apart of your very soul is involved, which is probably some kind of other death entirely which I assume is not pleasant--and in the meantime I believe we need to choose someone that we think might be evil in order to offer up to the knife today. Or someone innocent willing to offer themselves up to give people another day to decide. I mean we're all going to die anyway, so I suppose sacrificing yourself for a noble reason instead of being killed some random night or before you can make your peace with it is something.

Ana stares upwards at Ozzo's rising spirit.

"And this is why I argued against letting probationary MEIDOs work in the field, no matter how capable or talented they supposedly are. A century or two more of training and discipline, and she might've blossomed into a truly stellar operative."

She shrugs.

"Maa, ii yo. More interesting to me right now is... what's this about the Shiroi School of Doves being unable to communicate? Or is it just Q-sama over there?"

*Fontaine slowly lumbered towards a nearby stalagmite; a very small, spider-esque drone crawling across his GasMask. He reached behind his red mantle with his right gauntlet-clad hand, and pulled out a blue-colored rose; his left hand repeating the process, retrieving some rudimentary tape. He proceeded to tape the blue-colored rose to said stalgmite; his head moving in a downward direction. Fontaine proceeded to take off his Top Hat; his head now parallel to the ground.*

Dazzler stares pensively over Vi's shoulder at the wreckage left by the tentacled...thing. Noticing something smoking faintly in the dust, she bends over to pick it up, finding Olivia's cigar. It must have been thrown aside in the chaos of the poor girl's demise. She slips it into a jumpsuit pocket and mouths a prayer.

"Well, Vi, did you all happen to stumble upon any useful information last night? I realize your colleague was taken, but I really don't know if a cast would have worked given that fact." Never was good at making small talk. Especially bereavement talk. There's no way to put flash and dazzle on death. "And, uh, Captain Top Hat? Are you set up for communication protocols? What's with the rose, if I may ask?"

*Fontaine's GasMask suddenly gave off a loud noise. A large amount of steam emitted from his head; the spider-esque drone continued it's business, appearing unaffected by the activity. He replaced his Top Hat upon his head; it now having returned too an upright position. The Eye of his GasMask glowed Red; indicating his awareness.*

I am now. Apologies for all the steam; my Mask is of an archaic design.

Some sort of alien creature? Fascinating. Obviously this connotation about magic is just more babble. I wouldn't expect people such as yourselves to be so in tune with such... blather.

I do wonder how it shifted into a liquid, though. And the whole disappearing thing. Fascinating. Just fascinating.

Quite the display here. I don't suppose anyone recognizes unfortunate Sarkus' wounds as being the product of this infamous Scythe? Also is now the beginning of this suitably primitive ritual wherein we must choose someone to be sacrificed?

Hm, too soon, perhaps? Are we still in the period wherein we deal with what I believe are called "feels"? If I may offer consolations, then, as we humans do not know what happens to our essence when we die it is entirely possible that Ozzo and friend Sarkus here may congeal from the aether in what might be referred to as the sixth or so higher dimension, and sleep through the aeons until such time as the stars are right to reawaken once more into this world. Much like any strictly theoretical higher life form would.

"Ah've read that the Scythe kills instant-like, not with a slow bleedin' like a stuck pig. And as fer a sacrifice, why, ah suppose ain't nobody wants to be the first to throw an accusation, on account of if'n they're right, they'll fear death tonight, an' if'n they're wrong, they'll fear death tomorrow day."

"Right. Since nobody else is coming forward with their circle results, I might as well get this started. The Raven School's scry was entirely successful, though unfortunately, we are no closer to a suspect for the attacks on poor Olivia and Sarkus. Would anyone from the three schools that cast care to shed some light on what they found out? And our poor brethren of the Owls, you didn't happen to pick up any tidbits of wisdom, did you?"

Nebty rose from her position beside Sarkus. The hem of her robe was stained red with his blood. Her mouth tightened and she said,

"I am sorry. I can do nothing for you, and I must perform a service for our fallen comrade."

"I believe you are right. It is unlikely that Mr. Sarkus's wounds came from the scythe. This means one of two things; either this was the work of the cultists and they are able to murder twice in a single night, or there is some third party at work here."

Nebty walked to the edge and stared down into the abyss.

"It did not even leave a body." She murmured to herself.

"The Doves are in the same position. Our circle was successful but we have no suspects."

"Ashi is kanashii to report that the Falcons are in the same predicament as the Doves and Ravens. We scryed successfully but did not find a single speck of dust."

Ana looks over to the Phoenixes.

"Might not our nakama of the red have more insight on the matter?"