Morose

The Horrors of Coventry - Concluded

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@Nallore@Witch Cat@FantasyChic@BlueSky44@RoccanIronclad@Peridot

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December 28th, 2016 - 9:01 P.M. EST - 0 Days Since Hel Returned

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Main Tent - Cirque Anomaly, Coventry, Massachussetts...

Somehow, someway, the rubble crushing Millicent is shifted enough that she can wiggle her way out from underneath. There's no lasting damage to her, though her legs are a bit tingly as the blood returns to them. Her circulation had been cut off for a bit - so good thing she's out now! The cloak in her hand is silent as well. If Millicent didn't know any better, it would have appeared to be an ordinary cloak, without a death spirit imbedded into the fabric.

"Thanks," Darren grunted, as he managed to slide out from underneath the rocks. Cecily still hadn't awakened and Darren stared at her for a moment, clearly crestfallen. They didn't belong in this time. And the longer they stayed, the more damage they'd be doing to the universe. He didn't have anything more than a feeling to back him up on it, but...

"We don't belong here," Darren said, turning to face Seraphina. "Can you send them back?"

Lobby - Coventry Horrors Hotel, Coventry, Massachussetts...

Well, well, well...This is good news, for once! You see, Lilith got a perfect score. Not only will she see ghosts that are relevant, she's able to find the spirit of just about every person who ever lived or died in Coventry. The exception is Andromeda and the others who died in the tent - their spirits are strangely absent. Among the spirits she can see are the following:

• Mallory Coyne - a Pinkerton detective from the late 1890's
• Tobias Fairfax - the founder of Coventry, died in 1691
• Lyle Corandel - a hunter of the supernatural, died in the 80's

As for the rest of you - Thalia's hallucination hasn't gone away. In fact, it seems that her unwanted visitor now has a friend. The funny asshole is now accompanied by a woman with dark curly hair and mischievous eyes. "C'mon, sweetheart. Enjoy the ride~!" the new hallucination beckons to Thalia. "One day you'll be dead like me...Dead, dead, dead."

Folly is relatively silent, her eyes glancing towards the staircases. She had spent almost all of her time in this hotel running up them, attempting to find a wardrobe that would take her away from this time and to a better one. Fairfax, of course, was focused on the task at hand. "I think that speaking with some spirits is an excellent idea - they may know more about this situation than we do ourselves..."

Cedar Creek Pub - Aurora, Colorado...

The suit smirked at Walt. His fondness of alcohol had been well documented, and it hadn't taken him too long to figure out which pub to wait for Walt in. While there were a few to choose from, Cedar Creek had the best booze for the cheapest price. For the hunter on a budget and needing to forget the sins of his past, it was ideal. "We had a suspected sighting of a Norse deity in Washington, near Altsoba. Male, don't have an ID on him yet. Witnesses are being processed as we speak," the man explained calmly. "We need you to--"

His phone rang and the agent held up a finger, signaling for Walt to give him a moment. As he answered the phone, the conversation was quick to the point. There were several yes, sir and I understand, sir before the suit finally finished the call. He forced a smile at Walt, looking a bit sick to his stomach. "There's been a change of plans. The unknown necromantic is no longer a priority. We need you at the Capitol."

The man paused for a moment, before standing up from his seat in the booth. "And we're no longer asking - we need you on this." It seemed Walt wouldn't have much of a choice in the matter when it came to the O.M.E.N. agent. Of course, to see O.M.E.N. scrambling like this was incredibly rare. The organization hadn't been around for more than half a year, but they already had a certain reputation established for themselves.

St. Septima's Veterinary Hospital - Clearwater, Florida...

Jessica's luck has taken a turn for the better - and simultaneously, for the worse. Angel Radio was coming in loud and clear, clearer than it perhaps ever had before. Perhaps it was the natural order of the world out of balance, allowing the angels to be more distinct? Or maybe they had finally found her, the signal better as they came closer and closer? Keep on listening...

--A prophet has foreseen a gathering of warriors in Washington D.C. to fight Hel...

--Our squad will approach soon, brother. We have detected a nephilim in Clearwater, Florida.

--Finish the job and then join us, sister. The Aesir may have returned...Near Altsoba, one of our number was slain.

Abandoned Warehouse - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

Fortunately, nothing particularly extraordinary or harmful happens as Anthony opens up the container. Of course, that's in a supernatural sense. Scarlett's mood instantly sours, her eyes narrowing as she stares forward at Anthony with hate. Closing her purse angrily, she extends a hand, telekinetically holding Anthony in place. He won't be able to budge or even move a muscle.

"Where. Is. It?!" Scarlett screamed. With one hand still holding Anthony fixed in place, she removed an object from her purse with the other: a map. She set the map down on the ground, reciting a Latin incantation. She was performing a tracking spell on the missing item. The map bursts into flames and Scarlett blinks a bit, before finding a shriveled piece of paper left on the ground. On it, a single word has been burned - O.M.E.N.

"You set me up?! I'll fucking kill you and your family for this!" Scarlett screamed, seeing red. She flung Anthony backwards, sending him crashing into his own car. The car alarm started to ring and the windshield broke, but the damage to Anthony himself was minimal.

FBI Mobile Office - Ashland, Wisconsin...

Alec's superviser, Vicki Norman, didn't appear to be amused in the very slightest. Her insanely curly hair seemed to be more of a frazzled nest than usual, as if she was preparing a nest for a family of birds. Agent Norman's intense glare was enough to send the agent that had phoned Alec - Agent Summers - practically running towards the break room. It was about eight o'clock in the evening - perfect time to take a dinner break, right? Right?

"Fletcher, you have to go in now," Norman explained. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "O.M.E.N - yeah, those assholes - phoned in. They need you in D.C. to debrief them on Agent Murphy's activities. They're calling whatever the fuck is going on an Altsoba Level Event." Norman's phone started ringing again and from the look in her eyes, she may very well decide to smash it into bits at this point.

"There's a private plane waiting for you at the airport - and Fletcher...Give whoever hurt our boy hell," Norman instructed, before heading into her office to answer the phone. She shut the blinds, sending a clear warning to those in the mobile office - do not enter unless you have a death wish.

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Fergus

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Location: O.M.E.N. Secure Prisoner Facility - O.M.E.N Headquarters - Washington D.C.
Interacting With: Rita Evans @Witch Cat (also @FantasyChic)

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Upstairs, Irwin looked at Bronwyn for a moment. The stress and fear was clear on his face and it motivated him to act against his best judgment. Ordinarily, he never would have accepted a civilian request to help. He'd instead direct them to the recruiting office and likely never see them again. O.M.E.N. preferred to seek out individuals and ask them to join, rather than taking those who applied. Anyone who applied for this job, in his experience, was a little insane.

"Okay. We're going into the panic room for a briefing," Irwin said with a bit of a sigh. "Hopefully you know something about the Norse goddess of death, kid."

Seven stories underground, Rita was not having nearly as much success with her conversation partner. The prisoner's facility was designed to keep out just about any sort of supernatural threat - especially demons and angels. Cell phone signals did not work as well. And to make matters even better, the entire chamber was built out of plastic. It had been retrofitted with iron bars after its original prisoner was no longer there, making it into an ideal home for the Consultant.

"Well...Tell them I'm busy," Fergus replied. He was currently spread eagle on the ground, with a glass of whiskey next to him. The nearly empty bottle was rolling around on the floor. "My hours are one to two on February 29th...excluding leap years when I'm on holiday."

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Robin Ramírez

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Location: Room 307 - Hunter Hotel, Omaha, Nebraska
Interacting With: Mariana Garcia @Nallore

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Robin nodded, heeding her cousin's words. Mariana had never been wrong about a demonic possession before - when she was sober, at least. Robin didn't recall them getting the opportunity (thankfully) to test it while Mariana was drunk. Hopefully they'd never know if her sixth sense still worked on those occasions. With her arrow notched and at the ready, Robin took a deep breath as the door opened. Mariana's shot went off, hitting the intruder with a round in the stomach. Robin's arrow was next, hitting the intruder squarely in the shoulder.

"Jesus Fucking Christ...," the intruder swore, staggering backwards. "That hurts like a motherfucker..." She panted a bit, squinting as she examined the wound where the arrow was. She didn't want to risk pulling it, just in case it was stemming blood flow. She gritted her teeth, using the door for support. "Sorry about the language...I was told that I'd be able to find Mariana Garcia and Robin Ramírez here."

The stranger paused for a moment. "I'm Aloise Zamora - I need your help."

"Aloise Zamora?" Robin repeated. She hadn't lowered her bow. "Who told you where to find us?"

"Russell," Aloise replied. Russell was well known in the hunting community. He knew just about everybody. If he didn't know a person, they didn't exist or they were long since dead. Whenever someone needed help on a job, he tended to point them in the right direction. "Listen, can we talk?"

"About?" Robin asked, only lowering her weapon slightly.

"Saving the world."

🦄 Deeper Than The Sands - Merged With T.S.

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Nora Kingston

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Location: Governorate (E/F 10)
Skills: Social Etiquette

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Nora accepted Peter's handkerchief, feeling a bit foolish as she dabbed at her eyes. Regaining her composure was not too terribly difficult. With the household she was raised in, she often was expected to put on a brave face even when her illness was ravaging her. She took a few slow breaths before smiling back at Peter. "My apologies - I am afraid I am not normally so easily prone to tears," Nora said quietly. She laughed quietly at Peter's small joke, enjoying the quintessential British-ness and mathematic nature of this conversation.

"Of course. We're British - a stiff upper lift and a cup of tea solve all problems," Nora replied. Her voice was soft but yet it was not meek. She was a quiet individual by nature by after tearing up in front of Peter, any shyness was gone. He was one of the few to call her Miss Kingston as well. He seemed to be a good man. Vera was lucky.

As they rejoined the others, Nora had regained her composure. She noted how George referred to Vera by her Christian name - it struck her as a bit odd. There were intricate rules when it came to matters of address amongst the peerage - the same rules that made it almost impossible to differentiate between Nora, her sisters, and her mother in conversation. There were too many Lady Kingstons in this world. And while some did prefer to be addressed by Christian names - or without title, such as herself - she could not help but note how a man that terrified both her and Vera not more than an hour ago was now on such friendly terms with Vera.

She smiled as Vera addressed her as Miss Kingston. "Yes, we should be quite alright. Thank you for the escort...Peter," Nora said, catching herself before calling him Lord Captain. He had asked that she use Peter - and so she would. She nodded at the two gentlemen before following after Vera and going inside.

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Elizaveta Romanova, Sister Mary Ignatia Hale, and Virginia Crypt

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Location: Russian Imperial Circus Tent City (Regent's Park)
Skills: Tretiy Glaz (Elizaveta/Passive), English (Elizaveta), Diplomacy (Elizaveta), Negotiations (Virginia), Leadership (Virginia)

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"Agreed and vithout a vord to anyone outside of this tent for if any vere to catch vind of our plans it could mean true disaster for all involved. Circus vould try to top me or come vith. I do not knov vhat church vould do or council considering vhat is occuring here in London. And ve do not vish to think of vhat Rutherford vould do if vord vere to get to him before ve do. Vould he do vorse to her? Not something v should linger on," Elizaveta said as she rose form her place and smoothed the front of her gown down. Lacing her fingers together she rested them in front of her and glanced over towards Mary. It had been just the two of them but she would not deny Virginia the chance to deal with Rutherford personally for a friend. Virginia had more right to go than they did.

"What is happening in London is happening in a lot of places," responded Mary, "and when The Church honored me with my new title, I received greater autonomy. The decision to act or investigate is my own, their counsel notwithstanding, unless ordered otherwise by the Grand Cross or His Holiness. Yet I promised not to breathe a word and I mean not to, for just the reasons you have stated. I do have concern about Adam's care during this, however."

"I vould like to suggest that young little Adam remain with Circus as vell, for nov at least. I believe he and James vould do vell for each other," she added as she stood there. Adam was not something they had discussed but he was something that needed to be addressed. If she was going to arrange for one child to stay, why not make it a pair that could be there for each other. They would be outsiders coming in and even Elizaveta wished she had had a non-circus playmate when she was younger.

A resolute sigh escaped Mary's lips. "Of course. If the Circus will take him in, the both of them may find camaraderie with one another. No one should be alone in this world." The young Apostolic's hand dropped to the chain rosary at her belt, her fingers counting each link, one after the other. "We are in agreement, though after this business is done to the north I should like to hear his opinion on the matter."

"Yes, of course. Vhen matters can be discussed freely vith him ve shall see vhat he desires," Elizaveta said as she looked towards Mary though after what she had seen in Adams eyes she wondered if that would even be a worry.

Mary cleared her throat and continued, "It is decided. When the meeting is concluded, we ride for Gretna Green. The boys will be cared for here. Now, the Graveolase: I have my own ideas, but I would dearly appreciate the advice of a London noblewoman of standing and a powerful Grand Duchess. I am very new to this."

With James' safety ensured, Virginia felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. She was calm by nature, yet the threats against her brother's life had rattled her extensively. And while she was by no means indifferent to her dear friend's plight, she was better able to focus on the task at hand, as the Dame Commander and the Grand Duchess systematically tackled each issue in turn. Her thoughts then turned to the Graveolase. She had some skill in leadership and negotiations, but there was much about the individual members of the Graveolase that she simply did not know.

"My advice in this matter is limited," Virginia said. "Yet in terms of the Graveolase, it is possible that they will see you as simply a woman and nothing more. You may need to command their respect in order to be considered fairly...Not all in our society take kindly to women in positions of authority. But beyond this, I can only offer you another small piece of advice. To be brief, trust your instincts. They will act as a compass."

Virginia's words sounded of truth, to Mary's experience. It didn't matter that she had been trained by the elite soldiers of the Vatican, nor that she possessed abilities beyond ordinary men and women and the courage to use them against the plague upon mankind that was the Soulless - to many, Mary would always only be a mere woman. She nodded and listened respectfully as the Mistress of Wenwynith reminded her of the hurdles she had to leap for having been born female.

"You vould not like to hear my vords on the matter Mary. I have dealt vith them in the past, each time urging them to add my peoples skills to the council and give us a seat but they refuse. I try again tonight, perhaps attacks vill get them to listen though I doubt it. Tread carefully, only the Graveolase from Rome, Ireland and Japan are those vhich I would trust. Outside yourself of course Mary but then I do already trust you," Elizaveta said as she heard a bit of a commotion outside. She could hear Constantin bellow for Vlad. Vlad would take care of matters, she could stay focused here.

Mary noted the call for Vladimir's aid outside of the tent, and she had to override her intrinsic impulse to rise and see to this new difficulty. Before she was fully aware of what was going on, Mary had already moved a hand to her pistol and her muscles tensed to spring from the couch, her eyes blazing with righteous fire. But she was a guest here. Taking certain liberties for herself might very well lead to a diplomatic incident, not that she was much of a diplomat in the first place. Instead, she forced herself to relax (somewhat) and deferred to Veta's lead, allowing The Great Bazhooli to handle his own affairs without Scots-Catholic interference. "Rome, Ireland, Japan." she reported back, using the words to ground her thoughts in the immediate vicinity. "Why must there be politics involved in defending humanity? We all want the same thing. Rather, we should. I do wish this "honor" had not been thrust upon me." But she took it, if only to keep it away from those who would abuse the office.

Virginia's hand went to the sheathed axes attached to the sides of her dress as she heard someone cry for the Great Bazhooli. The exclamation of an intruder worried her, yet her eyes flickered towards Elizaveta and Mary. The Grand Duchess did not appear to be too concerned and while she caught a hint of flames in Mary's eyes, the Dame Commander remained as well. James would be fine, Virginia reassured herself - and if the situation did turn dire, she was armed. She refocused her attention on Elizaveta and Mary, pondering Mary's words. There were many occasions when the rest of humanity puzzled her. They had manners and customs that made little sense to a Crypt. "Greed, pride, fear, self-interest...The preservation of humanity is perhaps at odds with those. But Mary, the reaper waits for no one. Who else was qualified when the Arch Graveolase went to the next adventure?" Virginia said.

"And even if there vas one vould ve vant them to have this position? Many placed on a path by God did not vish it to be so and yet vho are ve to question his decisions? Trust in him and keep your faith Mary. He has placed you here for a reason and vould not do so if you could not do vhat is right," Elizaveta said as she looked over towards Mary and gave her a slightly of approving nods. There was another yelp outside and a language that Elizaveta did not know spoken very loudly, yet she did not move. Myska was not there to protect her nor had Sister Sophia come barging in so she chose not to worry about things right then.

The rapid fire reassurance from both Virginia and Elizaveta served to bolster her affection for her friends, though did not do quite as much for her confidence in the upcoming meeting. "I do not question the will of our Lord, of course," began Mary, "nor am I aware of anyone else qualified for such a position that I might trust to act with altruism. Particularly if they were to covet the position." Mary shook her head, ever so slightly, maintaining her serene countenance, "So your collective advice is to immediately command the respect of persons I have never met who will likely dismiss me immediately because I am a woman, do as I must to appoint the Russian delegation into the Graveolase despite previously unsuccessful attempts, and above all maintain faith in the Lord. The last part will come easily. I have hope that the former will follow thereafter. So, how shall we begin?" Oddly, Mary seemed in high spirits, presented with this new challenge. A small smile gave it away.

The shout in a strange tongue, strangely enough, was a relief to Virginia. The words did not sound like any spoken in the New World or by those who studied in Asia. Despite not speaking the trained tongue of the Talinks, she could at least recognize the difference in sounds between other languages. With the Talinks ruled out, as well as the mysterious figure who at least trained in the New World, Virginia was reassured that whatever chaos was happening outside of the tent did not concern her brother. As for how to begin - she turned her gaze to Elizaveta. Virginia was unfamiliar with the time table for tonight's events, yet she figured the Grand Duchess - given that she was hosting the event - would know almost every last detail. "If the Graveolase have already begun to arrive, perhaps now would be a moment to familiarize yourself with them - especially those that the Grand Duchess has already mentioned. Of course, I am unaware of the schedule crafted by the Circus for tonight's activities, beyond the prepared Mamushka." Her eyes had an almost icy warmth to them at the thought - she adored the Mamushka and found that the larger the group, the more spectacular it became.

"Voman not such a problem to council. There are currently three women on the council. Lady Kirkpatrick represents Ireland. Christine Del'ataunt the West Indies. Finally, Akechi Lee Ko heads up Japan. It is youth that may be largest obstacle. All on council are older than ve three, youth can mean inexperience to many." Glancing over at herself in the mirror, she knew she didn't look as if she had the experience needed to rule a country or to head up a church, or to lead a people on the council. Yet, there she was. All of twenty-three and embarking on all three for her nation. "As far as circus goes, as much as I vould like it to be that we are added to council, one must ensure ve are able bodied. That will be displayed tonight, I pray to your satisfaction."

Mary raised a eyebrow at that last statement. "I am already satisfied, Grand Duchess. If this is my decision to make, this event tonight is a formality. I do wish to experience more of the skills of your people, however. I find them fascinating." Mary also found it fascinating that there were a number of female Graveolase, but refrained from comment as it appeared that Veta had more to say on the matter of the meeting.

Virginia was a bit surprised as well at the female Graveolase - from what she understood, society feared women in power. While she had been raised in a family that saw no difference in capability between the sexes, that was not the case for the outside world. She felt a bit of happiness learning that not all of society had fallen down some dark and horrible path - there was still hope for them. Perhaps one day they would even play Wake the Dead without judgment.

Looking away from the mirror she looked towards Virginia and gave a soft smile. "The dance of the circus, the fight of blades, birth of our people. And tonight it will be as never seen before outside of Circus." Veta took a deep breath. It would have to be more spectacular than before, more dangerous, and she would be in the middle of it. A small prayer was said that her voice did not crack for it could mean a blade missed its mark.

"It sounds excellent, and I am certain your ancestors would leave their graves to view it if they were so able," Virginia said. She meant it as a compliment. She had only fond memories of the Mamushka and she was excited to see it performed tonight. Given that it was a skill, she assumed that there were differences between the Mamushkas she had danced in her childhood. This rendition would have novelty to it and she yearned to see it. Little James would have a chance to watch it as well and it warmed her heart. There was nothing that made her feel more alive than a dance with death - even if she could only be a spectator to it.

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

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Nancy Parker

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Location: Ville au Camp: Main House (Room 202)
Skills: the Cards

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"Maybe I'd fancy doing a reading with my toes," Nancy mused. "Change of pace and all." For the most part, she disliked talking while she conducted readings. She didn't mind with Gio - he was Gio, after all. With others, they tended to breathe down her neck and ask a bunch of tedious questions. Sometimes, they'd even ask for her to teach tarot to them. And while instruction in tarot wasn't too hard, the Cards would never work for anyone but her. It'd be nothing more than nonsense for anyone else - and as far as she was aware, none of the Paradoxes had an ability that could rival her sight.

Nancy carefully picked out the cards, turning them all to face upright. She always felt a bit mystical when she conducted these readings, as if her purpose was ever the more clear. "The Tower," Nancy said, looking at the card she had drawn that would give her insight into the past. She then moved onto the next. "The Fool," she said with a bit of a chuckle. It represented the present. "And finally...Ten Swords." It showed the future.

Her dark eyes flickered over the cards, chuckling a bit at the illustration on the Ten Swords. It always amused her, seeing the man with multiple blades in his back. Of course, the reading in its entirety wasn't so amusing. Her smile faded as her mind went through the meanings of the cards and what this reading meant. "This isn't a good reading, Gio," Nancy finally said, her thoughts in order and not a mere jumble of cards and their meaning. "See, the Tower...That's us leaving to come here, I think. Disaster, ruin, change. And the Fool, that's a hopeful beginning, taking chances, seeing the world - the new Paradoxes...But what worries me is the last one - the Ten Swords. Unless it's saying you're going to throw out your back, this card means this isn't going to end well...It'll be painful. Bloody, maybe. And final."

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Alicia Gonzalez & Andromeda Aldrich

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Location: Ville au Camp: Tree --> Main House (Room 109)
Skills: Empathy (Alicia), Psychology (Alicia)

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The first thing Andromeda saw when she opened her eyes was the face of a stranger, offering her a hand. She remained motionless for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. They had killed the demon, right? Yes, yes they did. Her fingers curled a bit, feeling the dirt and grass. It seemed so real - but she had been in Massachusetts a moment ago. "I'm...dead..." Andromeda repeated, feeling quite strange. It all seemed to snap into place in an instant - the damage that had been done to the fabric of reality and then...then she was here.

"Yeah, I think I covered that part chica," Alicia said as she kept her hand held out to the girl. Damn she was pale, reminded her of the deadies she had to deal with in her memories of Newnan. "Least you got the skintone for it."

Andromeda hesitated for a moment, before taking Alicia's hand. It didn't seem like hell - and she wasn't even certain if she believed in heaven. "Where am I?" Andromeda asked, before her heart skipped a beat. The others - were they alright? Her brother - was he okay? "Are the others alive?" she then asked quickly.

Giving a good yank she helped Andromeda up and off the ground she shrugged a bit. "Okay, I can answer the first question. You are in Louisiana, the year is 1943. Hence your get up." Motioning towards the clothing that Andromeda had shown up in. It fit the time era and location. Granted what Alicia was wearing didn't but she had been there a while and knew better than to step outside of the camp wearing her clothing from 2017. "I got no clue if they are, they ain't here though, so that could be a good sign."

Andromeda's eyes flickered down to her clothing and she wrinkled her nose. While she didn't specifically dislike pink or dresses, she seldom wore dresses or even skirts. The stranger's comment about her skin tone came back to mind and Andromeda chuckled weakly. Some things didn't change even in death then - the weird looks about her hair, her skin, and her name. "My mother's albino," she explained. As for the others...Andromeda looked at her surroundings for a moment, taking it all in. Was this the place where everyone went when they died? It seemed too...small.

"Why am I in 1943?" Andromeda then asked.

"Because that is where The Cards saw, so The Dice checked if it was a safe day and The Hat got our shit here, Then The Watch took care of making sure the day stayed the day and boom, here we are." All of that completely made sense in Alicias mind as she spouted it off, the she realized it wouldn't to the new comer. "Long story but let's just say it is a safe day where shit doesn't happen. Well other thank pranksters and Halloween."

"The...The what? Like Monopoly pieces...?" Andromeda asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Even though it had essentially been brushed aside, her mind was far too inquisitive and curious for that. She hadn't heard of anything like the Dice or the Cards or the Hat or the Watch before. Her timeline had some horrifying truths and powerful figures - but nothing with names like that.

Looking back down at the clipboard she ran her finger over the information provided. "Salem... so either you like Halloween or hate it... which is it?"

"I was basically raised on it - so yes," Andromeda replied. "I was raised in the tourist trap you visit after Salem...I'm sorry, but...who are you? Are you...Virgil or something like that?" She was trying to wrap her mind around everything that was happening. The more information she had, the less confused she'd be - or at least, so she assumed. Only about half of this was making sense currently to her, something she wanted to rectify.

Alicia had no idea what Andromeda was referring to, it wasn't like she was up to date on her Dante Readings. "No, I'm Alicia. Come on, let's get your ass settled, Gilberts got your room all ready for you," she said motioning towards the large house that was just a stones throw away from them. "Hope you don't burn easily, we really don't have a lot of sun screen here."

"Gilbert? Is he one of those..." Andromeda paused, trying to think of a word that made sense. None came to her. She still wasn't sure what the Cards or the Hat and all of that was about. Her eyes flickered over towards the large house. The thought of getting sunburned didn't phase her all too much - she spent a lot of time in New Mexico with her mother when she was little. And while it did tend to happen easily, she was used to it. "I'm trying to wrap my head around all of this but...Alicia, what are you? What am I - a ghost?"

Alicia stopped in her tracks and pushed her hair out of her face before letting out of a huff. She really needed to talk to Evelina about all this and get a script down because she kept forgetting things. Turning she faced Andromeda and tried to explain everything. "Okay, there are four Emendators. They pretty much control everything. Then there are us. We are Paradoxes. We are dead but living again. We aren't ghosts, or vampires, we can die. We have nothing to do with any god or anything like that. This is just a place to get a second chance at something outside of what you used to have in your life. Clean slate if you will. Different time, different place."

The understanding dawned visually on Andromeda's face. Now that she had terms and definitions, a portion of her confusion dissipated. While she still had more questions, she didn't feel hopelessly lost anymore. She had heard hundreds of strange and curious things when she was alive - many of which turned out to be true. Her brother had worshiped Lucifer and leveled a small town when he tried to raise the devil from hell - it wasn't too hard to accept what Alicia was saying, now that she had some explanations. "So what do Paradoxes do then?" Andromeda asked.

"That's... well," Alicia said as she turned and kept walking, motioning for Andromeda to follow her. She had seen Gilbert duck into the passageway on the side of the house that was closet to them. Best not go that route. Then it dawned on Alicia that she didn't need to check the lists. There was only one room left vacant currently, it had to be for this newest arrival. Sweeping around a little wide she kept some distance between them and the house as she went for the far side passageway. "I'll let that to Eve to explain. She wanted to handle that once you all were here and settled in," she finally said as the arrived at the far side passageway and headed over to room 109. "It won't be anything you don't want to do, well shit, they don't force you to do shit at least."

Andromeda kept up with Alicia, her mind still mulling over the information she had gained. The last twenty four hours, from her perspective, had been horrifying and exhilarating. She had died - but then she was alive again. Alicia's vague answer only brought more questions to mind, but she consciously stopped herself from asking them rapidly. They could wait for now, until this Eve - was that one of the Emendators? She doubted that Alicia would be taking orders from a Paradox, giving her description of how this reality operated. She reached to brush her hair back, only to feel the chain of a locket around her neck. As she glanced down, Andromeda smiled sadly. It was just like the protection locket she wore when alive. Her thoughts drifted to her brother briefly. He wasn't here - that was a good thing, right?

"Thank you, Alicia," Andromeda said, once they reached the outside of room 109. That was one benefit to being dead, she realized - she no longer had to work to keep her father's hotel afloat. She hated running a hotel.

"Sure thing. Listen you need anything come find me. I think you are the last we are getting around here for a while. Hell," she said looking back down at her clipboard and then shrugging. "Yeah, no more names so get settled and then come look around. There are several others. Look out for the pranksters though, Gio and Nancy... I think being Emendators they grew bored over a few thousand years so get their kicks with new folk," she said as she unlocked the door and then handed the key over to Andromeda. Granted she wasn't about to tell her she was nearly as bad as that pair.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow, but she smiled at the thought. Many societies, from what she recalled, had prankster deities. Perhaps there was something to that after all. "What do Gio and Nancy look like?" Andromeda asked, accepting the key from Alicia. She had only seen Alicia thus far - as far as she knew, anyone could have been this pair of pranksters. It was hard to keep an eye out for something almost entirely unknown, after all.

Chuckling Alicia thought about all the others she had warned about Gio and Nancy. Not one of them had asked what they looked like. This girl at least had some sense about her. "Gios a few inches taller than me and bald older looking guy. Actually oldest looking on the grounds. Nancy is a couple inches shoulder than me, dark hair and eyes, pale." That was about it when it came to those two. Lord only knew what they were wearing right now. "Oh as far as the other two Emendators go, you can't miss them. Gil.... Think The Rock, thinner, better looking, but just as buff and scarier. Eve.. Prime, proper, all in blue, even her hair is tinted slightly blue. Navy blue, refined. Looks like something out of First Wives of the 1940's Spread in Time Magazine."

Andromeda committed Alicia's descriptions to memory. The four Emendators - Gio, Nancy, Gil, and Eve. They seemed like they'd be fairly obvious for the most part, unless another Paradox happened to be a bit shorter than Alicia with dark hair and eyes. She doubted she'd miss an incredibly old man, the Rock, or Pretty in Blue. "Gotcha. I'll keep an eye out." She had to keep her thoughts from drifting towards the only person she knew that would potentially be alive in the 1940's - Fairfax.

Alicia gave a nod before leaving Andromeda alone to get settled in and have some me time as she had with the others. Glancing down at the clipboard no more names were showing up. That meant she didn't have to go back to the tree. Letting out a breath she headed towards the front of the house. Eve's schedule was pretty set in stone so once you were around here for more than a few repeat days it was pretty simple to find her. This time of the day she was normally just taking in the air on the front porch. Time to let The Dice know she was done for now.

Andromeda entered her room, closing the door softly behind her. It was clean and orderly - almost a little too much so. It didn't have that lived in look that she enjoyed, instead reminding her too much of a hotel. If she could go the rest of her afterlife without encountering the hospitality industry, it'd be an afterlife well spent. She ventured forward and sat down on the small four poster bed, noticing a few items set aside for her. She picked up a reel to reel film projector and grinned, especially upon noticing the tins of films.

She looked through the tins for a few fleeting moments, before she spotted a wooden box. Picking it up, she placed it on the bed beside her and then opened it, finding a telescope inside of it. She picked up the antique telescope with care, a stray tear just missing its metal coating. She had minored in astronomy in college because of her mother. She had been Andromeda's inspiration to look up towards the stars and see the wonders of the universe. "I'm sorry you're alone," Andromeda whispered. She wasn't sure who she was apologizing to - it could have been anyone in her life. She had died and left them behind in a world plagued with horrors.

She then peered through the telescope, not aiming it at anything in particular. Her mother's advice came back to her and she smiled sadly. "I just need to find my Polaris," Andromeda reminded herself. She just needed to find her North star and use it to guide herself, like a compass, through this unknown and strange existence. She took in even breaths, before slowly and carefully placing the telescope away.

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

@BlackPanther Day 7

The Wolves of Red Lake (Completed)

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Jenna Westbrook

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Location: Silver Mine

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Had Jenna's birth father been present, the resemblance between the two would have been uncanny. Yet the chances that he would show up in Red Lake were slim to none. Scott Jones simply wasn't his real name, despite that being listed on the birth certificate. His actual last name was difficult to pronounce, meaning he tended to introduce himself with the alias. Unaware of all this, it was nearly impossible that Jenna could ever track him down - he would have to find her. And throughout her entire life, he never had.

But even then, her countenance mirrored Scott's almost identically. Declan hadn't answered her question - he instead exploded at her. It didn't appear to phase Jenna in the slightest. She was blunt and determined, never one to mince words. Mayor Ryder had been mauled to death by a wolf. Riley was missing. Despite the evidence pointed towards someone attempting to summon a demon, Jenna needed to know. She needed all of the facts. To her, werewolves were mindless beasts on the night of a full moon. "We need the facts, Declan. If you were the one that killed Mayor Ryder, we need to know. It's that simple."

She turned her attention back towards the silver mine. It had something to do with all of this, judging by the symbols she had seen on the wall. Jenna listened to what Finley had said - a murder and an attacked officer. She wanted to go and investigate the mine further, but she had images of those symbols on her phone. She could look at them later. "Mayor Ryder was involved in Satanic rituals, from what I can tell. It has to do with his death. I don't believe that a wolf mauled him because it wanted to - I think it was made to." She turned back to face Finley. "Let's go to the murder site. I can see if the ghost remembers what happened to it."

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

@BlackPanther Day 6
@Peridot Day 7

The Wolves of Red Lake (Completed)

I'll get a post up today after lunch

Strange New Waters - Concluded

@mnkee Day 6

The Horrors of Coventry - Concluded

@BlueSky44: Day 6!
@Peridot: Day 5!

I will get an update tomorrow regardless as to who has posted