Roleplaying
2004 Archive
2005 Archive
Seminars
| When: | 27 January 2005 ("Good Intentions" Plot Event) |
| Who: | Al-Exar, Alvira, Christian, Ellen, Marcus, Nicodemus, Oreniel, Pan, Zaman |
| What: | Christian yanks the soul from a body, to the shock of others. His oblique response to protests offers a hint to his desperation. |
The Drag - Austin
The Drag is one of the busiest places in the entirety of Austin, spanning many blocks, primarily on the streets of 6th and Guadelupe. Shops, restaurants, and the like fill every building, and due to its close proximity to UT, they are more inclined to be the ecletic sort, or failing that, the sort that sell groceries and other sundries. In fact, UT's own student co-op can be found on the Drag. There's really no telling what they'll be selling in other cases -- the stores and restaurants offer most everything the average mind can imagine, and quite a few things it may've been a little slow to. Shady oak trees typically line the streets, and it's not uncommon for people to spend a day hanging out here, walking the length of the Drag to browse its many establishments.
The evening's relatively mild. Those taking advantage of the last shopping hours are clad in little more than light coats. Among these is the plodding footfalls of one rather sullen looking gentlemen. With shoulders hunched, hands in pockets, he scuffs along. One thing is clear, though, those taking a sidelong glance or better would be able to recognize him as the man responsible for the disappearance of the young lady several days ago.
Oreniel is often on the Drag. The stores are reasonably priced and it's an excellent place for pizza and people watching. One or the other, typically. Today, Oreniel is sitting on a bench looking a bit sadly at the scuffed-up remnants of a chalk drawing...
Deciding against an evening in the office, Nicholas Lyman has ventured onto the drag, heading north out of the downtown area. He is dressed for the mild cold, an elegant black coat covering his business attire. Yet, it would seem this is not just a casual stroll, as the Austin industrialist keeps to a swift pace, an air of purpose about him. Evidently, he is still on the clock...then, so too is an aid that keeps a stride behind Lyman.
Pan hasn't met Christian yet, so he doesn't know him, but that doesn't keep her from approaching her as she slides into the Drag. As she spots the fellow, she brightens visibly as if utterly glad to see him. He probably picked him randomly. She does that. "Hey there!" She chirps, trying to be friendly but not annoying, though that line is sometimes a thin one.
Christian fixes Pan with a nearly listless gaze. "Move, kid," he utters out, even as he begins to peer suspiciously at those around him. He doesn't seem to pay any heed to the remaining scraps of the sidewalk image. He raises a hand to pick at the dirt under his fingernails, the thinnest veneer of patience upon his form.
Johnathan Moriarty, one who might have been recognized as the infamous Mr. Suitcase about 3 weeks ago, is hardly recognizable as such now. The man is wearing a pair of beautifully shined black dress shoes, on his belt, they're tied by the laces to a cracked leather strap which holds his garbage stained black slacks around his aenemic waist. Moriarty is wearing a rainbow tweed jacket, and apparently has has a black tear tattooed in the corner of each eye. He is smoking a cigarette in each hand and zeroing in on Nicholas' position very quickly.
Here a librarian, there a librarian, everywhere a librarian...
Or rather, just one. And being the most convienent place to eat and shop from the University, he's here often. Well... Not that he eats much. Or shops much. Regardless, the rail-thin man strides down the Drag, with only a small twinge in his step to speak of the nasty fall he experienced the other day.
Zaman steps out foo.bar.com, his pace quick and confident as he makes his way down the drag with hands pocketed into his jacket. He wears a grin, white teeth flashing in the lamplight.
Pan points at Christian, "I dub thee grumpy.", she declares mightily before doing as he asks. She has no reason not to, after all, but that doesn't mean she's not going to make fun of him. She can be heard mumbling, "Why is everybody so grumpy here..? Is it because the weather man keeps getting it wrong?"
Oreniel looks up a bit as Pan's voice cuts through the general hubbub... it is a bit higher pitched. He sighs a bit, worried that she's out on her own, and heads over to look for her, heading in the general direction towards Christian.
Marcus walks slowly down the sidewalk, glancing around every so often, before stopping in front of Uncle Pete's Pizzeria.
Nicodemus says, "Keep an eye out," Nicholas says, muttering quiet yet stern instructions to the man behind him. This so called aid shadows his employer both with thick, broad shoulders, even though Lyman may cut an imposing figure himself. In fact, the trailing man is nothing like the toady filing system Lyman normally keeps scrambling behind him. One might get the distinct impression he was not hired to do any office work. Whatever the aid's purpose, he and his employer speed quickly down the sidewalk, scanning both sides of the street for someone or something. Eventually, the lead man stops, his eyes narrowing their focus on the vagrant staring him down. His face seems familiar..."
"Keep an eye out," Nicholas says, muttering quiet yet stern instructions to the man behind him. This so called aid shadows his employer both with thick, broad shoulders, even though Lyman may cut an imposing figure himself. In fact, the trailing man is nothing like the toady filing system Lyman normally keeps scrambling behind him. One might get the distinct impression he was not hired to do any office work. Whatever the aid's purpose, he and his employer speed quickly down the sidewalk, scanning both sides of the street for someone or something. Eventually, the lead man stops, his eyes narrowing their focus on Johnathan Moriarty. His face seems familiar...
Alvira is walking along the drag, looking vaguely confused, or just drained by the day, as she heads in the direction of foo.bar. She stops at one point to check the wind... evidentally she's not trusting the weatherman either, before continuing on, tightening her UoT jacket... heading along the Drag in the same direction as Remy, as matter of fact.
Zaman seems to have lost the will to keep walking down the street, allowing his pace to slow until he's just about stopped. He turns towards the street proper, stepping back from the main traffic and just allowing himself to loiter and watch for a little while, keeping a vigil over the other heads passing by.
Al-Exar walks directly towards Nicodemus, all at once his facial expression looking nervous, like he knows approaching his employer in this fashion is inappropriate and hazardous to the health, but he struts forewards with a sort of ethereal confidence, his bare feet slapping on the asphalt, he never smoked when last Nicholas would have seen him but he's sucking on the darts he has in either hand with reckless abandon. "Hey Boss, yo yo yo."
Marcus abandons his spot in front of the pizzeria, pacing down the street at almost a crawl while others speed by him by comparison.
Christian mm-hmms to the girl's proclamation, before he continues on his way. However, the yap of dogs can be heard, and the hurried squeaking of the older Oriental lady walking them. They are a bit out of control, and the lady practically faceplants into Christian's chest. His face contorts in rage, and he reaches out. For those who can't make out the action, it looks like he merely places his hand atop her shoulder.
Those more in tune with celestial goings on, may, however, see a completely different sight.
It's a bit unsettling, that motion, where his hand almost appears to disappear within the woman's flesh up to Christian's wrist, and with a scooping motion, his hand leaves. A diaphonous bluish and yellowish tinted aura surrounds his hands, dissipating in a smoky trail after his fingers. The woman emits a short half-choked chirp, and then does another faceplant -- this time into the sidewalk.
Roll by Alvira: (5) (5) (4)
Roll by Oreniel: (6) (4) (5)
Roll by Zaman: (1) (3) (3)
Roll by Marcus: (6) (1) (6)
Alvira doesn't see anything out of the ordinary as she continues on, spotting Remy in the distance, and giving a shout of his name, runs forward a bit through the crowd to meet up with him.
Oreniel continues blithely on towards Pan past Christian, seeing the man being apparently friendly to the older woman... it's only at the chrip he turns around, looking confused before spotting the woman on the street. He races over to examine her...
Marcus changes the course and speed of my walking to that of a swift walk in the general direction of Christian.
Roll by Al-Exar: (5) (2) (1)
Roll by Nicodemus: (1) (1) (3)
Roll by Remy: (6) (5) (1)
Roll by Pan: (6) (2) (5)
Pan hmphs a bit, but doesn't seem to notice what happened. She's humming to herself going 'nanananananana' so that's probably why. She seems to be heading towards a certain librarian though to say 'hallo' and bug him incessantly.
Before the vagrant starts over, Lyman is frozen in observation, as he searches for some recognition in Moriarty's face. One hand is held motionless in the air, a signal to his employee to wait. Eventually, when Al-Exar paces over, that hand falls and Nicholas explains, again in that hushed voice, "That's him." Then, another gesture follows, dismissing the aid so that he can follow less closely. To the vagrant, Lyman offers the same hushed instruction, this time with restrained displeasure, "Don't call me that, don't look directly at me." Angling his head in the direction of a nearby alleyway, he starts off. Clearly, Jonathan is to follow...that is until the industrialist is momentarily jolted by something. He stops, a suspicious gaze shooting down the street after the drama that unfolds.
Christian looks down impassively, although he does step to the side to allow Oreniel to descend upon the fallen woman. With eyebrows raised, he reaches one foot out to prod at the body, with probably the first smile anyone's seen on his face in a while. "Hmm, probably should have had a bit more green tea, eh?" Closer examination of the form would reveal that she is indeed quite dead, even as the dogs mill around her hands, offering a faint growl towards the incoming helpers. At Marcus's footsteps, Christian looks up, narrowing eyes. "Ah, more to her aid. Well," he raises hands, "I should let those with first aid training get closer in." The mirth fades however, back to his sullen demeanor.
Marcus locks eyes with Christian, stopping for a long moment. He then continues around the scene, maintaining his gaze with Christian until he has pasted. He stops about 50 feet away, leaning against a wall and making sideways glances every few seconds.
Oreniel looks up, a mixture of wariness and alarm clearly visible on his features as he gets nothing for the vital signs. He doesn't make out Christian's face yet... not really visible last time from where he was standing, but his eyes narrow as he opens himself to the Symphony as he queries, "Sir, did you see what happen when she fell?"
Roll by Oreniel: (5) (3) (6)
Zaman watches Christian with some interest, not coming to the aid of his victim but instead studying the man himself, suddenly far more interested in the scene on the drag as a whole. His gaze sweeps up and down the street, picking out faces and always tracking back to Christian.
Oreniel winces, shaking his head, as if his ears suddenly started ringing.
There is some poor living soul looking at you, Remy. Rip his soul out.
Christian huffs out to himself, "Oh, that one was real, unlike last time..." He raises hands to dust off the front hem of his flannel shirt, before wrinkling his nose and responding directly to Oreniel in a sneer. "She just fell over. She looks old, probably had an embolism or something from chasing after those curs! Don't you know CPR? Do something about it instead of just interrogating me." He doesn't look too bothered by the Asian lady's corpse at his feet.
There is some poor living soul looking at you, Ellen. Rip her soul out.
Alvira heads towards Pan... spotting the commotion further ahead, and waving to the girl as she tries to get into Pan's approach pattern so she'll be seen... "Something going wrong?" she asks.
Oreniel's mouth is a thin line, evidently the pain isn't helping. "Real?" he mutters, shaking his head again, and looks around, shouting desperately, "Does someone have a cell phone?"
Remy strides along, looking a bit distracted as his gaze sweeps the area. With a glance back and forth, he sees the man and old woman... and sees her fall to the ground. With a blink of surprise, Remy alters his course to head towards the incident with thin eyebrows furrowed in concern. Eyes swivel to look at Christian... and the librarian stops nearby, once again a look of mild surprise entering the man's features.
Pan says, "Huh, what?" She says, not noticing...until she looks over her shoulder and spots the body, "What the heck!?" She proclaims, before looking over to Christian, who acted like a big dumb jerk, and while Pan would love to say the guy stabbed her to death with his fingernails, she, well, doesn't. She looks over to Remy, "Someone's hurt, Rem!" She shouts over to the librarian as he approaches.
"No, someone's dead." Zaman comments quietly and nonchalantly to himself as Pan shouts to the nearby Remy. He still wears a smile, finding this whole situation a little more than amusing.
Al-Exar wanders along behind Lyman. He's got a strong and determined stride yet, despite his disgusting outward appearance and appalling lack of basic hygiene. Mister Moriarty is just as startled as Nicholas, but it comes across as a nervous twitch, and the man is quick to appear disinterested, and fidgets to light up a fresh smoke quickly as Nico keeps watching events unfold.
Ellen comes down the street, on her way from here to there. She blinks as she catches sight of that weird guy, Christian, and a woman lying on the ground near him. She mutters a cuss word and hurries quietly toward the scene.
Putting his meeting with the homeless man on hold, Lyman edges closer to the scene, his curious gaze concerned more with the strange man than the collapsed woman. At Christian's astoundingly standoffish behaviour, the Austin industrialist does not react with disgust. In fact, his fixed gaze relaxes and a smile emerges, if only for a brief moment. Then, with the request for a cell phone, Lyman steps into circle of concerned bystanders. He hands over his phone and declares generously, "Perhaps I can be of service..."
Alvira grimaces, and moves in closer at hearing someone's hurt, pushing up through the crowd as needed, to arrive at the back of the gathering crowd and jump up and down to see.. she pauses in surprise at seeing Christian standing there, and shakes her head as if to clear it.
Christian doesn't seem too terribly concerned with who sees him and who thinks what about him. He just gives a sly, "You're a clever lad, I'm sure you'll figure it out." At that point, he catches Marcus's gaze, and perhaps notes the challenge, before giving another nod towards Zaman and beginning to amble away. He doesn't linger, quite literally not doing it for attention, but doing it to, well, just be doing it, from all appearances sake.
Zaman gives Christian a little two fingered salute from where he stands, a smirk forming at the edge of his lips. He turns away from the scene, picking up his feet so that he might make his way towards downtown.
Oreniel eyes Christian angrily, but doesn't spend much time on it... there's a theory percolating up a bit, but he doesn't have the experience to really check into it. Right now it's a matter of confirming 911 is on the way, and letting someone trained in CPR have a better chance at the body, no, woman yet. He says, "Yes, she WAS very real, and alive... but life seems to disappear around you, doesn't it?"
Roll by Ellen: (5) (5) (1)
Pan wrinkles her nose at that. Who could it have been!? Sometimes humans can be worse than demons, but humans worse than demons tend to have something in common with them. She looks over to Christian and just glowers at him. "You're acting awfully chippy for someone who had a dead body land on him," She accuses, looking just a -little- angry, and -very- frustrated. "I don't have a phone, does anybody have something I can call 911 with?"
Al-Exar is right behind Nicholas Lyman, those dress shoes dangling off his belt make the occassional thock sound, my god those shoes are still so beautifully polished. He clucks his tongue, as he surveys the damages, reaching into his blazer jacket, he pulls out a can of spray paint, and begins to shake it, the ball inside the can clacking wildly.
The words bring Remy out of his intense look at the retreating Christian, with a quick intake of breath. "Hurt? Dead?" He looks over to the fallen woman... And Nicodemus seems to have the next part covered, as he kneels down next to Pan to address her on the same level. "How did it happen? And Mr. Lyman seems to have the ambulance handled. Unless you know first aid, Pan, we shouldn't intervene much more."
Seeing Oreniel's pained expression, Ellen steps worriedly over to him, giving him a quick concerned look before she watches the rest of the goings-on. "Are you okay, Orion? And did he... do anything?" she asks Oreniel softly, gaze flicking over Christian and the fallen woman.
Oreniel moves around a bit closer to Christian, face clearing to angry... "How can you..." she says, fingers flexing, "Just walk away from something like this?"
Oreniel looks up at the people entering the area around, "Dead, I believe..." he says, giving another worried glance at the woman. "I walked past, and she was fine... I heard something, turned around... and she was dead." He looks at Ellen, and looks even more worried. "I don't know," he says, in a quieter voice.
The one with the cell phone, Lyman explains the situation to the dispatcher and answers the routine questions. As if this were the lifeblood of his business, he gives each statement with utter calm. All the while, the Austin industrialist is not hovering over the motionless woman, but squeezing through the bystanders, following Christian out of the crowd. Then, when the ambulance is said to be on its way, Lyman abruptly slaps his phone shut and starts off after Christian. He does not make direct contact no, he just wonders allowed, "That was quite the fall..."
Alvira strides off after Christian, face clearing towards angry as it seems others have it well in hand... But Christian, he started moving /beforehand/. "Wait, mister!" she calls, "The police may want to talk with you..."
Before he gets anything back from his indirect query, Lyman turns back to the crowd momentarily and calls out, again with an even tone, "The ambulance is on its way..."
Al-Exar is a handful of steps behind Lyman the whole time. He's smoking two cigarettes with /one/ hand now, and he takes a few test sprays of his paint can in the air. He certainly appears to have no idea what is going on or what he's doing except that he's not letting Lyman get away from him now that he's found him.
Pan shakes her head and sighs, "There's no way that's living. Otherwise I could've done something. Lucia is a doctor and could do an autopsy but, well, she doesn't work at the -hospital-.", she peers after Christian again and adds, "I didn't see it anyway, just all of a sudden there are people cheerfully announcing dead bodies are abound." The very idea seems distasteful to the girl.
Ellen murmurs quietly to Oreniel, below the hearing of the crowd, "If a celestial had killed a human, I'd have heard it all the way down the street. What kills and doesn't make any noise?.." Her eyes widen faintly. "A mummy?" She flicks another suspicious gaze at the departing Christian.
"A parade for me?" Christian looks over his shoulder once, and appears to just tolerate those that stampede ver. "The police? Woman, there's much bigger things to worry with than local authorities. Sheep are sheep, even if their wool is dyed blue." There's definitely something going on with the man, enough to possibly make it worthwhile to expend a bit of effort to find out just what. "I come and go as I please. In the end?" He makes a face, looking upwards to the night-darkened sky, "It NEVER ends!" he exclaims, shaking his head perhaps in frustration. "And it was a fall, that's for sure, Mister..." He trails off, apparently not on top of the whole politics thing. "And just what in the bloody hell are -YOU- doing?!" he directs towards Al-Exar.
Oreniel looks around uneasily... Doesn't seem too many mundanes in close earshot. He whispers, "It could be... I am not familiar with the undead. I was far enough away for it not to matter in either case, human, Sorceror, or...other but I have heard him Singing in the past, Ellen, though I didn't know the Songs."
Alvira mutters to herself, "There's me, for one..." but says, louder, "I've seen you cause at least one disappearance!" She struggles to get forward through the crowd, "Judgement WILL be passed on you!" she says again, looking pleased with herself momentarily before continuing to try and get close enough to restrain him.
"Some mummies are also Sorcerers -- Necromancers," Ellen whispers back to Oreniel. "Which would explain how he could banish a demon like... like Genevieve." Her eyes widen some more as she catches Christian's words. "'It never ends', does it? Hmm." She doesn't look too eager to try and restrain Christian herself, preferring to let the gangsters and martial-arts hotshots do that job.
Oreniel whispers, flatly, "He was apparently in error. That was not the form of a demon." He sighs as Ellen repeats, his ears are still jangling, "I hope he was speaking of life and not the War, if he is involved to such a degree."
Oh, Nicholas means to return to the homeless man. After all, Jonathan is his reason for being on the drag tonight. It's just, for the moment, there appears there are more pressing matters. Raising his hands passively, but smiling knowingly, almost accusingly, the industrialist replies, "I didn't accuse you of anything..." Then, Alvira's outburst interrupts, causing Lyman to turn with a lingering glance and a raised brow. "Judgement?" Nicholas spits back in mockery, "That will be done by the proper authorities, miss."
Al-Exar chuckles as he bends over, now that Christian has stopped moving a bit, and directed his attention towards him and Lyman he has the time to do this, he begins to spray paint a circle around him on the ground, "I'm doing something very IMPORTANT, and probably entirely irrelevant to what you're doing here, although that's probably not true, one way or another I'll find a use for you but don't sweat it, you just keep running your own game." He snickers and "Also Wink Smiley right there, I think you better let him call the shots."
Al-Exar points at Lyman when he says Wink Smiley "It's already been passed!" Thunders out from the man, as he looks over his shoulder towards the defiance of Alvira. "I've gone before. And now, afterwards?!" He furrows his brow as he whirls to look at her, expression almost pained. "NOTHING I can do send me to where I should have gone for what I did!" At that point, he flat out breaks into a run, whatever vocation -- it's one that clearly involves physical labor -- carrying him to catch up to a departing bus, as a befuddled sneer is sent towards the spray-paint weilding man.
Alvira looks over at Nicholas as she moves forward, "Yes, it will... and I'd like him to STAY in one place long enough for the police to arrive so it can be done.." She looks back around. "Oh..." she builds up, then lets out a breath, consdering, and sighs, "Vocabulary fails me..."
Pan doesn't chase after Christian, though she almost seems admiring at how fast he gets outta there! "Remy," She says, uncomfortably, "I don't think I really want to stick around here anymore, you know? It's just... I can't keep looking at it.", she brushes back her hair, clearly growing more distressed.
Turning back to Christian for his parting words, Lyman does so with a growing smile. He rolls his eyes, as if in disbelief. Clearly, something has just clicked. But, whatever concept the businessman has just grasped do not satisfy him for long. A stern glance tracks in Jonathan's direction, silently reprimanding for his earlier marks. Then, once again motioning for the vagrant to follow, he starts for the alleyway. The body language conveys the same command...follow me.
Alvira pauses, and growls a bit in her throat, before moving towards Remy and co. back near the body, looking depressed, and shaking her head, reporting when and if she arrives to the gang near the body that she knows, "He said something about not being where he should..."
"Not a demon?" Ellen whispers in astonish. "He can banish /angels/?" She turns to watch the peculiar scene as Al-Exar tries to trap Christian in a painted circle. Her eyebrows lift even more at Christian's continued words. "'Nothing can send me to where I should have gone'. That sounds like an undead, all right," she murmurs grimly.
Al-Exar halts in the midst of his monochromatic paintwork of what appears to be two hands stretching an anus to unbelievable proportions. He rolls his eyes and begins to skip along and whistle, as he follows Lyman into the alleyway.
Oreniel looks at Ally's approach and nods briefly, before asking Ellen quietly, "Is THAT what that was? Odd notes..." he shakes his head, and asks, concerned, "What do you mean 'nothing'? He's beyond achieving his Destiny?"
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