2012.06.29.Last Fireman
Storyteller: Tabitha Participants:
The call goes out. That strange text that two have seen before, though subtly different, perhaps different wording, perhaps just because it's a different day. Who could say? Still, it led to something needing done last time.
And that is likely why Ray has shown up, yet again. Hat tipped down some, he wanders along, hands in his coat pockets, a cigar in his mouth, smoke trailing from its tip.
Amy shows up again as well, her phone out until she gets to the porch, when she puts the phone back into her purse with a click at the lock button.
Chance makes his way along, looking around for what ever put out the call.
Hey, Vixxy's house. The door opens before knocking can begin. Perhaps she saw people strolling up. "It's good to see you all again," she greets, waving inside, "I'm sorry to call again so quickly. Sometimes it's like you put out one fire just in time for the next to pop up."
And here Ray was ready to give the standard shave and a haircut knock. He nods, puffing on his cigar a few times before he speaks, reaching up to pluck the cigar from his mouth, donning his best Bogey voice. "What've we got this week, Sam?"
Amy takes a seat, toward a corner, so she can face everyone. "Last time was... well, that was... that one... it could have been worse though, I suppose." she says softly, a grim look on her face as she folds her hands over one knee.
Chance steps in and looks around. "You sent that call? What is the danger?" Seems to be direct and to the point at the moment.
Tabitha gets drinks as requested as she begins to explain, "Well, thank you for the last one. I heard most of them got better, but I went to peek where I last saw the banes hiding, and there was a hole where one of them was. It seems," she explains as she returns with cups, "That it was having an unusually hard time getting a grip on the host. That fireman's mind must be made of steel, but it's gone in directly to his dream space to finish the job. I don't think he has a lot of time left." She tilts her head, "I couldn't get a grip on his body. Do you know where he is?"
Kalvin follows after someone else enters, having been here before himself. He heads over to a seat and flops down, looking between the gathered faces.
Amy looks over to Chance and says "Oh hey, when you get a chance. At the 7/11. If you can tell me where that one person, the one she was looking for, the angry spirit. If you can tell mea nything about that guy, please let me know. Send me a note, whatever you can tell me." Then to Tabitha she gasps "Oh... wasn't there one... who went to New York or someplace?"
Chance nods to Amy. "I know the spirit was angry with him, I know nothing else about him." Yup, quick, to the point, and totally helpful today. "But I will look."
"I can call in some favors, find out if anyone's seen him." Ray says, nodding. "But I don't have any special way of tracking him otherwise. Other than..." He snaps his fingers, then picks up his phone, moving to a corner to make a call.
Tabitha nods in agreement with Chance, "I will check into that. She is a dangerous spirit, or is she a ghost? She was blurring the lines more than even I generally allow for. In any event, we can't allow any spirit that able to manifest in the real world, and willing to do so so violently and publically, to have free reign," she agrees, "But let's keep to one crisis at a time. New York? That would explain why the hole felt so thin. I can't get you all to him fast enough conventionally, but, if you are willing, I can hold the hole open and wide to permit you to follow it in. You can root it clean of his dreams, by force or guile, and it won't matter where he's standing." She holds up a hand, "I won't lie. If it's already in there, it's probably a hella mess in there. You will be seeing this man's darkest side as it tries to bend it against him and get nice and snuggly."
Chance looks to him self, then to Tab, but he lets that pass for the moment as he listens.
Kalvin leans back in his chair and listens closely to what is being said.
Amy laughs a little, glancing between Tabitha and Chance, a knowing smirk on her face. But then back to the matter at hand. "A hole into his dreams? I'm not... sure how to process that concept."
Turning back, after hanging up his phone, Ray nods as he listens. "I need about an hour, if we've got that. Just to... prepare something." He notes, glancing around. "You use the cleaning chemicals in your house much?"
Tabitha blinks softly at the question coming from Ray, "Uh, sometimes." Lies! She's a dirty girl. "You need them?" she points under the sink before looking to Chance, "And you're just sweet." Sweet about what, she says not.
Long distance to Ray: Tabitha pat pats, though garou do not venture into the higher umbral to explore dream realms that often.
Chance looks to Amy. "Things are not sperate, that is an illusion of this world. Dreams can touch all places, in them you remember and the lies of this world fall from you."
Right for the sink Ray goes. Tabitha didn't need this little plastic washtub, right? He starts pouring chemicals in, occasionally reaching into a pocket to pull out something that can be used in... whatever the fuck he's mixing up. And he's busy working with it.. making something.
Amy hums. "Well um. I guess... I tuess it's the right thing to do. Even if I'm not sure I grasp it yet."
Tabitha lifts her shoulders, "The barriers from the spirit wilds to the dream lands, where they touch, are very subtle and difficult to see," she admits, "But it is my calling to do so. I will open the way, but I will not come along, since without my presence, the hole could cease to be at any time, especially if something happens to him, like his bane being banished."
"It's a dream realm of the umbra." RAy calls out from the kitchen as he continues to cook up ... whatever it is he's working on.. Some ajax... dawn... little bit of jet dry.. And a sprinkle of cinnamon. Because that always helps...
Chance says, "The way to and from is, hard and can be long. It would not be well to be stuck there. I will help, but my nature may touch his dreams. I am of the wyld, and my touch is not always subtle or light. My nature will not be easy to contain.""
Amy nods as she sits back a bit. Looking to Chance, then to Tabitha, it's the latter she studies for a moment. "That's an interesting thing to say, but it's not important now I guess." she observes.
Cross comes in from RP Rooms Lobby
Cross has arrived.
Cross moves to RP Rooms Lobby
Cross has left.
Tabitha nods at Chance, "Actually, your presence alone could destabilize the bane's grip. You are as powerfully aligned as it is, to another aspect. It might be just the thing to give a fighting chance," she says with a smile, "He will be touched, but far better that than the alternative."
Chance nods "This could be so, though it could bring him madness, at least it will not be the madness of the breaker. I can consume and turn the bane, once it is pulled from its hold on the human."
Amy considers that, continuing to look between the two as they discuss that. "Perhaps he should stay back, but reserve the option to come through the hole in the event that we're otherwise failing."
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Ray rolls Intelligence + Science vs 6 for 3 successes.
1 3 +8 +8 +8 10
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It takes Ray that full hour to finish what he's doing. But when he does, he's got a strange looking device that ALMOST looks like a block of c4 with a mickmouse clock radio on it. He idly slides a plastic cover over a small remote control that is wrapped up in duct tape to keep it together, making sure he won't prematurely hit the button. With his device in hand, he shoves it in a pocket , and then glances around. "You got any kerosene? Or ethanol?" He questions of Tabitha.
Tabitha looks at the funny device, "I forgot I had that clock," she admits, then glances back towards Amy and Chance, "Well, if you think it is best. It will be difficult for you to signal us through the hole, since you will be in the midsts of the dream, and they will likely be quite turbulent until the issue is settled."
Amy hums. "Well, how about that?" she turns to chance to ask. "Do you think that we could communicate somehow?"
Chance fidgets a bit. "I will do as others wish. I do not normally do to the dream realms. I am, hard on those with in."
Amy stands up, and stretchs slightly as she steps up to Chance. "But... do you have... I don't know. The ability to give me a temporary gift to communicate with you? Something, so that we can bring you in, if the choice is death or possible madness?"
"Gee, Ward. you were pretty hard on the beave last night." Ray comments as he adjusts his coat, having found the chemicals he's looking for.. And into his pockets they go. oddly enough, he seems to be fitting WAY more into his pockets than should fit into them...
Chance shakes his head. "Not that I know of. Such is not my way, we of the wyld do not tend to, gather in groups. To speak at distance, our voice could well harm the fabric of the dreams."
Kalvin is not much of a talker it seems, or maybe its just around strangers, he leans back in his chair, arms folded and waits for the action to begin.
Tabitha gestures back at her room, "When you are ready, I will lead the way. We should move swiftly once we pass over." she advises, and moves to do whatever she does to get ready for these things.
"I'm ready." Ray notes as he pat shimself down once more, just to make sure.
Chance nods and moves to follow Tabitha. He looks to the others. "What would you have be do? I can try to walk softly for a time. Or I can wait for your call."
Amy follows along, as she was already standing. "Alright, let's do our best. Come or not, whatever you think best. We don't want to do any harm, but we have to do our best to prevent worse harm."
Kalvin stands and follows, sticking close to those he knows.. .amy and or ray
Onwards, to Tabby's room. She directs everyone to stand in a circle, then pauses, "You can all step across?" she asks, "That would save me considerable effort. It's hella hard getting more than one person across. I'll have to do that for the dream hole as it is, so if we can skip one, that's fine by me."
Chance smiles "I can open a way for all."
Chance reaches out and seems to grab the air, then pulls. Reality it self seems to rip open, showing the spirit world on the other side. "Enter if you will."
"By all means, Chance. Open your hole for us to go in." Ray says, completely deadpan. He reaches into a pocket, pulling something out just enough to look at it, then stuffs it back in quickly. "I'm ready when everyone else is."
Amy follows along. At this point she goes quiet, watching Tabitha closely, as well as Chance. She pays attention, goes along with it, but studies as well as she can just what is going on here!
ANd Ray is likely the first to walk right into Chance's hole tonight. How bad can it hurt anyways?
Tabitha eyes the abrupt bridge between Here and There. Ah well, too late to ask him not to do that, and her house hasn't imploded, so in she goes, muttering soft and alien words of spirit, asking them to protect her on her spirit journey. Though no visible spirit nearby takes immediate action, her spirit self is quickly clad in faintly glimmering force.
Kalvin follows along as well..
Chance is the last to enter the hole, letting the rip close behind him. As he crosses over, the man seems to come apart. Hist wyld nature shows clearly here as he comes apart into a spinning mass of chaos. The mass seems to pull in on it self, containing its nature a bit.
Amy goes in somewhere in the middle, having seen the hole. Now whe wants to get a look at the hole itself, and what's going on with it.
There are spirits lingering around Tabitha's house, some feeding timidly on the tiny wellspring that exists there, but little time is given to examine the whimsical looking things as the chanting grows in volume, urging motion and rapidity. With a great push of speed, the group begins to be propelled through the wilds, leaving the city behind below and soaring to a dark cloud that lingers above the city. There, the stink of the wyrm is pungent, but weakening. Most of the banes that resided here have left, just leaving one smelly asshole behind. This looks like little more than a faint indent, useless and ignorable, though it reeks of the corruptor.
As soon as he's there, Ray pulls one of the bottles he stowed away out.. Kerosene. He starts to walk a circle in perimiter as he watches the bane, starting to pour the bottle out along th eway, walking a full circle, at a good distance from it. But then he starts to slowly test if he can get just a bit closer, occasionally tossing more kerosene out in splashes towards teh bane. Then, a look to Kalvin. "Hey. Wanna do me a favor?"
Kalvin follows along quietly until spoken to, he nods to Ray, "Whatchoo need?"
Amy watches, studies. She watches the bane now. That's the greatest concern, more than trying to figure out how all htis reates to what she already knows about the lands beyond the gauntlet. What is it? What kind of threat is it? Thats' what she wants to know.
Chance holds himself close for now, letting the others do what is needed for now. He know he could damage the path if he reaches out too soon, and waits for the others to decide what is needed.
Tabitha quickly shakes her hands, "Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't!" she calls out with some alarm, "That's the bridge. We need it to get to him." Ah how quickly things could get out of hand.
The block'o'C4 lookalike with the Mickey mouse clock is pulled out and given a light heft in Ray's hand before he glances at the Bane. However, when TAbitha speaks up, he arches a brow. "Okay.. So we need to draw the thing out, then.. Or do we kill it? We've got to pick one. Or both, I guess." He looks to Amy. "You're the spirit whizz. What's your take?"
Chance says, "We use it to go to where it can be found, it is the path to itself and the dream it is with in. You see only it's shadow here."
Amy shrugs "I don't see a bane. AndI don't know how dreams work. I have no idea what's going on here."
Tabitha nods at Chance, "He has the right of it. It's the path, not the target. The bane's on the other end, messing around in the guy's head. Get it to leave, destroy it, whatever, so long as it's gotten out of there, and it's a job well done."
Kalvin tilts his head and watches silently, not understanding too much of what is said, he is an ahroun after all.
Chance moves to Amy. "Carry me through, so that it will not feel my tred on its shadow." His form condenses further to become something of a wolf, more or less..
Amy chuckles "Carry you? Alright." She then takes a moment to shift, becoming a very giant wolf, more than enough to carry Chance on her back.
Tabitha gets to work opening the path properly. A soft song that speaks of strange things, beckoning to Maya and the dream lands. The indent reaches downwards into darkness, becoming a full fledged hole where once there was barely a dent. The shaman moves around it in a circle, singing and dancing and generally looking a little foolish as she does her serious work. Oddly, she gives no further advice, but the way appears open.
"Well, if we can drag it out here..." Ray says, nodding as he starts to move towards that hole. "Hey, Kalvin." He says, nodding to the man. "Stick your finger in there."
Chance lets Amy carry him so that he will not endanger the path by touching it, or give warning to the bane.
Kalvin tilts his head and looks to where Ray points, then back to ray, "Do I look like a theurge?" he asks the laughs as he strides forward.. Guess the ahroun should take point.
"No, but you look like you know how to finger something like that." Ray says with a shrug as he moves towards the hole. "I bet you've stuck your finger in worse."
Tabitha does raise a brow at this line of conversation, but she does not break her ritual, lest the path be lost forever.
Amy is paying more attention to the spirit on her back than the mad bomber over there. If he wants anything, she'll help him. For now, she is a courier.
Chance keeps quiet and small for the moment. Nothing to see here, this is not the wyldling you are looking for. Move along...
Long distance to Ray: Tabitha has the most important and most boring and least glamorous job. Go in circles and don't get dizzy, roger!
Kalvin laughs and nods, "You know it." he replies and starts through the opening, finger first.
Oh god! No, wait, his finger is fine, though it feels like it's going off at the wrong angle, which follows through the rest of the arm and pop, in he goes, lost to darkness immediately. The hole shows little reaction to this intrusion.
With Kalvin not exploding out in a spray of blood and guts, Ray follows after. Always let someone else go first. that's the way to do it.
Amy walks up to it on four legs. Not quite touching it, but nosing at it, she looks up toward chance and well, tries to howl some sort of question of whether she should jump on through.
Chance nods "Through."
Amy jumps.
It seems that the hole met the dream at a right angle, meaning everyone arrives facing the sky, and likely crashing to the ground, in a pile of visitors. The sky, speaking of, appears to be a playing movie of a woman slamming a door repeatedly. The banging sound of it echoes across the field of what looks to be a school yard. The children playing seem to be missing their right arm and left eye, blood oozing from the missing organs, but they play as if entirely unaware of this. A school teacher overwatches all of this at once with three heads, two humans, one of a jackal with mangey fur, dripping spittle and snarling at any child that draws too close.
Kalvin ooffs as he hits the ground and attempts to not be a soft landing spot for those that arrive behind him.
Chance moves out from under Amy, or how ever they ended up. He still tries to keep small as he looks around. A bit of the wyld does show through in the way his fur patterns change.
Amy gets onto her feet pretty well. Perks of this form and all that, She then lowers her head, letting Chance get back on if he wants, before taking a careful look and sniff around the place.
And here Ray was hoping to have a soft landing spot. Once hitting the ground, he rolls over, trying to get his bearings straight. once he's on his feet again, he starts dusting himself off. "Someone needs to teach them better road planning."
"What are you all doing there? Are you bothering the children" The voice comes from Police Officer. The representation literally shines with authority and awful perfection. He just seems... better than everyone else, "School's closed to visitors."
Chance says, "It was a good crossing, all our parts came to the same place. It is not always the case."
Kalvin stands and looks the officer over, before turning back to look at Ray... "You don't want me answering him."
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Ray rolls Charisma + Subterfuge vs 6 for 3 successes.
2 3 3 3 +7 +7 +10
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<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Ray rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge vs 7 for 5 successes.
1 3 6 +7 +7 +9 +9 +10 10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
Amy considers throwing her ears back, baring her teeth, and letting out a nasty growl. But she decides that would be silly.
We're with the FCC and OSHA committee. Here to make sure you're not using any recalled aglets." Ray says, stepping up and talking as if he is an absolute authority himself. It all sounds so damn convincing. "You need to step asside and let us." He adds, nodding to the man as he flashes a fake badge.
The police leans forward to peer at this badge, "I see," he says, while not seeing at all, but it is against his character to ever be in the wrong, or ignorant, so, "Follow me, I'll show you the way in." On the road just beside the school, a Labrador retriever runs out, to be flattened by an oncoming truck. Bits of dog scatter everywhere in horrific detail, but despite this, the dog remains, staring at you, yes, all of you, seperately, at once, gazing with sad dying eyes as life flees it.
Kalvin stands aside and waves an arm out to the side, "After you." he says to Ray and follows.
Chance pads along, trying to step lightly as the ground ripples under his paws.
Amy starts to walk, bringing up the rear, unless of course Chance gets onto her. In that case she's part of a pair in back.
And onward Ray strides, with that aura of belonging, really selling his lie. He pockets his fake badge again and follows the officer. "Of course. We'll make sure everything is in order. And that everything is up to the proper specs. We wouldn't want things to be substandard, afterall."
"Of course. We all have to do our job," agrees Policeman, "You aren't a Policeman after all. You wouldn't measure up." A feeling of inadequacy, and the mind form is gone, his part placed. The group finds themselves inside the school. On either side of this seemingly infinite hallway are lockers. Strange, foul, odors emanate from them. One rattles lightly, knocking from inside, then soft scratches.
Chance starts to expand and come apart as things ripple around him. Seems he's not exactly comfortable here.
Amy is just following. She's following. She's watching Ray, she's watching the two in front. This is very weird and she's not even going to try to understand it right now.
Kalvin is just going to follow along, hes not much good unless fighting it seems.
If Ray is even remotely rattled, he doesn't show a sign. It's just another walk in the park for him as he wanders through. He even pulls out a cigar, previously smoked on a bit, and starts to light it up.
Bang Bang Bang, goes that locker, the door of it rattling powerfully before it stops, the tension felt prickling against the flesh.
"Hey Kalvin." Ray says, glancing to the locker. "I think he might have left his lunch in there. Or a bully shoved him in there."
Amy stiffens up. Her back arches, fur bristling. Now her ears to back. It's not an act though, and it's not like she has the ability to sense the wyrmShe's just guessing here.
Chance touches a locker, sending ripples through it. "Perhaps, to search it out is not best. It makes it self comfortable here. Perhaps it will seek us out if given reason to wonder what is here." He spins a bit faster as the locker bangs.
Ray pages: I'm going to need to sleep in like, an hour or so. Getting tired. :P
Kalvin shrugs and okays.. He turns and tries to look through the tiny slots into the locker before deciding to open it or nor
Ugh, the smell that assaults Kalvin's nose. A raspy voice begs for help. The specific words are lost in dream fugue, but the meaning is crystal clear. A soft whimpering as blood seeps from the bottom of the door in a clotted mess that begins to slop towards the floor.
"You're the big guy, see what you can do." Ray urges, making a gesture for Kalvin to continue.
Kalvin shrugs and opens the locker, no pain no gain...
Amy tries it anyway. She leans in, sticking her nose out even though it won't do any good, tries to get a good whiff, then backs off.
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Amy rolls Perception + Primal Urge vs 6 for 2 successes.
3 3 5 +8 +9
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A flayed body drops to the ground in a wet splut of blood and bile, "Why couldn't you save me?" it asks as deep shame seems to color the area. A man appears, one Ray would recognize from his research as the missing fireman.
"I tried to save you!" Tears stream down his face and his features are ashen and haggard, eyes quivering with a mixture of extreme fatigue and a touch of unhinging.
The thing on the floor does not smell right at all. Not human. It reaches towards the fireman, suddenly right up in the man's face, teleported through dream time, "YOU ARE A FIRE FIGHTER. I NEEDED A POLICE MAN" Blood spraying as it yells at him.
Chance hisses and pulls back, starting to unfold into his spirit form. "Be ware. If the man is here, then the broken one will be close, perhaps even hiding as that." <repose>
"I need an adult." Ray chimes in, eying the thing on the floor. Then, he looks to Kalvin. "Do me a favor and stick your size thirteen up that thing's ass?"
Amy whines a little, and growls out a sad complaint to anyone who can speak the language. "That's so sad. This hero is wracked with doubt and this monster..." OK, now it's anger mode on, and she lets out a mean growl, and looks at Kalvin. She looks ready to lunge herself.
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Ray rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge vs 8 for 3 successes.
1 2 4 5 5 +8 +9 +9 10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
Kalvin watches this, looking between the unfolding scene and the others, wondering what to do..
"Have you ever wondered if there's more to life? If this boring job you have is really all there is?" Ray questions of the yelling creature. "HAven't you ever wondered if this is REALLY reality, or if there's... something else?" He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the bomb he made earlier. "If you take the... Mickey mouse pill, you will tear back the illusions, and you will find the police officer." He says, doing his best to channel Morpheus.
Chance reaches out to tap the world, to set the dream stuff rippling and see what is not simply dream stuff.
There are positives and negatives to navigating the dream realm. Even the bane has to follow some of the rules, at least so long as the dreamer remains willful, as this damnable man seems to be despite what must have been quite a journey of torment. The bloodied figure tries to look away, but the host looks at the bomb, seeing only salvation, ignoring its shape, size, or mickey mouse head, "Go on, you'll be saved, take it," he encourages hopefully. The creature begins to approach, resisting, trying, but unable to stem the tide of hope and relief pouring off the dreaming man. He only has to... And the bomb is gone, all watching aware that it is consumed though no eating was seen.
"Just for your information.. that's a suppository." Ray notes to the bloody one.
Chance starts to drum on the dreaming, to keep it rippling and shifting so that the bane can not hide in the dreamstuff.
Long distance to Ray: Tabitha thinks Kalvin is ready to break down into sobs of confusion. :p
The bloody man's form is washed away in a ripple of distortion, revealing the deformed and muscled form of the angry wyrmling. It screeches in defiance at being so exposed, and the dreamer joins in the scream, for other reasons.
Amy leaps to bite the thing. No muss, no fuss, she just attacks. She knows a wyrmling when she sees one, and that's one.
Kalvin ahhhs when he sees the transformation and does one of his own.. Instantly he is crinos form and dives at the bane.
"Hey Kalvin?" Ray says. "I think now's the time for you to start stomping." He says as he starts to back away, whipping out that remote from earlier. The protective cover is slid off the button.. But he doesn't press it yet. He's making sure to get behind the others, first.
The bane is grabbed in terrible teeth and raking claws. Beep, fwoosh! The dream world collapses under the sudden violence. The explosion seems to tear apart reality, and things shatter like glass, leaving everyone floating disjointedly a moment before the glass spews out of the original hole besides Tabitha and rapidly becomes to reform, unharmed for the journey, physically.
Chance looks for the bane, or any scraps of it that are expelled from the dream and moves quickly to unmake them.
The skrag is only just trying to reform when the wyldling, more used to existing in multiple pieces perhaps, is on it, consuming and destroying. Soon there is no hint of its former existence.
Chance waits till folks are back together and ready, then opens the way back to the world most think of as real.
Kalvin looks around for something else to attack, his thirst for violence apparently not quashed.. After a few moments, he calms down and shifts back into his human form.
Black Velvet looks around for something else to attack, his thirst for violence apparently not quashed.. After a few moments, he calms down and shifts back into his human form.
Amy does the same, shifting back now that things seem to have been accomplished. She sighs deeply, still unhappy about what the bane was doing to a guy who's legitimately a hero among men.
