Yonov172003.htm

Gideon Club...

Yosannah is laying on the couch. When you arrive, she peeks her head around the arm and raises a brow, "Oh, hey, Brandon."

Brandon arrives in a swirl, "Hey there Yo, how you doin'. I hope you don't mind me comming by, I saw you were here."

Yosannah swings her legs to the ground and rises, "Not a problem." And then, as if an anfterthough, "Oh, hey. Did you know your son got into a brawl with the Spade brothers the other night." She seems concerned.

Brandon nods, sighing. "Yeah, he is an idiot some times. I need to speak with Joshua." He smiles, "I figured I would check in on you and your object trump drawing."

Yosannah nods at the later statement, "Yeah, I have something to show you." She reaches into her jacket pocket and fishes around for a bit. With a sigh she notes, "You know... I don't have anything against Riva, mind you. And I offer this strictly from the perspective of a concerned friend... You gotta get him out of her hands. I mean, Jesus. Fighting with those idiots," she withdraws a smattering of tarots and begins to thumb through them, "is just bad news."

Brandon nods, "Yeah, I told him today. 'I didn't raise you, you are not a child. I wont tell you what you can and can't do, your a man. Just don't get yourself killed.' And honestly that is all I am going to do."

"True... ah ha." She pulls a single card from the collection, "Here it is." She moves near him and extends the card, pointing at the image therein. It is obviously a depiction of the braclet on her wrist, "I got it." She smiles and nods, "Took a bit of work, but I did it. Thanks to you."

Brandon smiles, "Very good, very good." he takes the card and looks upon it. "Mind if I use it?"

Yosannah shakes her head and begins to remove the bracelet. She sets it in her palm and says, "Not at all, give it a shot."

Brandon nods, and turns to the card. He is quick and looks almost through the tarot before wiggling his fingers and hooking the bracelet with his index and pulling it through reality the whole two feet it has to travel. "Very good, excelently made. Usually the first one is very hard to use." he offers both things back to Yo.

Yosannah reaches for the items. She slides the braclet over her wrist and nods, "It was. That wasn't the first one. I did two before that since we last talked."

Brandon nods, "That makes more sense." he smiles, and moves to sit. "So, you have a good grasp on the object drawing?"

Yosannah tucks the card away, "I think so." She sniffs a bit, "You know what I think it comes down to. I think I was really just trying too hard. And really, I should know better." She offers him a crooked smile, "So, thanks again for the tips."

Brandon nods, "Yeah, we all try to hard alot of times. I am doing research on a few things that I know are just . . right . . there. But I can't find them, I mean they have to be around." he shrugs, "It sucks, but I know eventually I will find them." he nods.

Yosannah leans against the bar and crosses her arms over her chest, "Should I even ask was nefarious things you have yourself into, or should I let that go?" A mild smirk plays on her lips.

Brandon chuckles, "I am hungering for a spikard, I know they are around. I just need to find one, and get my finger into it." he smirks, "But that last part is the hard part."

Yosannah lowers her gaze, smirk fading into a subtle, thoughtful smile. It quickly fades into a tight focus, "Dangerous things, Brandon." She lifts her gaze to him, "But I suppose you know that."

Brandon nods, "The one person I have ever met, that I know has one. Was Merlin, he told me 'Power corrupts' I quickly replied 'Only the corruptable can be corrupted'." he grins, "It was the only time I have ever seen him not respond in a flashy style." he shrugs, "They are dangerous, yes. I still want one, If just fora few weeks to study."

Yosannah nods, "Yeah, and I doubt Corey is just gonna lend you his." She winks.

Brandon nods, "Yeah, I don't think so." he chuckles, "I know sand has one, and Delwin but serpent knows where he has gotten himself off to. You know anyone else?"

Yosannah chuckles lightly and shakes her head, gaze going to the floor. She offers, simply, "No."

Brandon nods, "I will just keep looking then." he smiles, "But enough about that, back to trumps. Have you learned to memorize them yet?"

Yosannah raises a brow, "Memorize?" She chuckles again, "No."

Brandon nods, "Then that is what we will move to next, the ability to memorize trumps and use them without looking at them." he smiles, nodding. "Alright first things first, take out the card you use the most."

Yosannah withdraws her tarots once again. She thumbs through them for a moment and then pauses, "Person?"

Brandon shrugs, "It dosn't matter, it is the same technique." He hmms, "Preferably one you drew, if possible. If not, thats is ok."

Yosannah shrugs, and nods, settling on one. "Okay. This is as good as any other." She smirks, "It's my secret hangout place."

Brandon nods, "Good enough." he smiles and motions, "Alright now bring the card up and look at it, without using it. Retrace all the lines with your mind, feel each curve of each section of the card. Follow?"

Yosannah holds the card up and studies it, much like one would a sight seen for the first time. She peeks around the card at Brandon, "Not all that unlike what I did in drawing that bracelet, eh?"

Brandon nods, "Very much like that yes." he smiles, "Now that you have the basic idea, I want you to put that card away and hand me your trumps."

Yosannah seems doubtful, "All of them." Her tone sounds a little resistant, "How come?"

Brandon says "Because this is how I was trained, and how my teacher was trained, and her teacher before. You must trust me for me to train you, and you must Trust me to hand over the cards."

Her jaw works for a bit, reluctant. She exhales and nods, mind seemingly resolved to trust. She collects her cards and holds them out to Brandon, "Fair enough."

Brandon takes the cards, "Now, my teacher left the shadow I was in. But I won't take all your cards that far, just to the other room. We will continue training, and you will get your cards when you trump me." he smiles and begins to step from the room.

Brandon enters the billiard room.

Yosannah yells after him, "Trump you?! How the hell am I supposed to do that." There is along pause and a grumble, "Sonuvah Bitch."

Brandon he yells back from the Billiard room. "You will figure it out I am sure, just don't mess up my shot." and the sounds of pool tables before the door closing.

A few hours later...

Yosannah has established contact with Brandon.

The image of Brandon makes a shot and smiles, about three hours passing by since they last spoke. "You see?"

To the image of Brandon, Yosannah's brow is creased. It is evident by the tenseness around her eyes that the contact is taking an extreme amount of effort. "I guess I do," she says.

The image of Brandon smiles, "I will come back out there, hang on." he closes contact and returns to the room.

The Trump contact vanishes.

Brandon appears from the Billiard room and holds your cards out, returning them all unopened and such. "Very good job, by the way."

Yosannah reaches for the tarots, thankfully, "You think so? That's quite difficult, Brandon. Without the card to concentrate on, it's hard to hold the image in my mind." She moves behind the bar and begins to pour herself a glass of water from the tap, "Am I to assume it will get easier."

Brandon nods, "It will, with time and repitition. It is also much simpler to do it while you have the cards on your person, but I figured I would go with worst case."

Yosannah lifs the glass to her lips and nods behind it, "Gee." She sips, "Thanks."

Brandon nods, "No problem." he winks, "But its like swinging a bat in Baseball, while on deck you use two or three. Or a weight - Here, you go hardest first, the rest will be simple."

Yosannah sets the glass atop the bar and wipes her hand across her forehead, "Ah, baseball analogies. A man after my own heart."

Brandon chuckles slightly, "Well it was the best way to put it." he smiles, "Lets see, practice that for homework. I also want you to try and draw cards faster. Just start trying to speed yourself up."

Yosannah crosses her arms over her chest, "Speed myself up?" She considers this, "Does it matter if my art suffers for it?"

Brandon mmms, "Trumps can be drawings of stick figures, that is consiquental." he smiles, "The art is an expression of the artist, to draw a trump faster you need not devalue the art just draw in the power faster. Flex your metaphiscal muscle."

Yosannah nods, "Ah." She snaps her fingers, "Metaphysical. That I can do."

Brandon winks, and takes a seat once more. "Good, your a quick study."

Yosannah inclines her head, indicating behind the bar, "You up for a drink, Bran? Least I could do for the lesson."

Brandon nods, "Sure, grab me a beer of something or what not."

Later still in the Gideon Club Hallway...

Lisle has just steped out of the study, a mug of something hot and fragrant in her hand.

Yosannah walks down the stairwell, small folded piece of paper in hand, "... as if I didn't have better things to do..." She notes Lisle with a smile, "Oh, heya."

Lisle says, "Greetings, fair Yosannah," adding a bit of drama with a circular motion of her hand, fingers together, and a boyish bow from the hips.

Yosannah chuckles a short gust of air from her lungs, "Cute. I was just getting ready to head out." She lifts the small parchment and points at it with a finger from her free hand, "I completely forgot about this damn thing."

Lisle says, "It must be that invitation of Ben's?" She smiles, generously, dimples showing at the corner of her mouth. She sets the cup down, producing a folded piece of paper of her own.

Yosannah finally steps fully into the foyer of the hallway, "You're kidding. You too?" She moves near the woman and holds her note next to Lisle's in an effort to compare. "Heh. I haven't talked to him in a couple days, so I have no idea what this is about. How 'bout you?"

Lisle holds her note near Yosannah's. Given Stone's inattention to detail, they might be identical. She shakes her head, "No idea whatsoever. But Ben is so... so different, I imagined it would at least be interesting."

Yosannah folds her letter and tucks it into a pocket. "Interesting? Not exactly the adjective I'd use. But what do I know." She nods toward the front door. "My car is parked outside, we can head on up the street if you want."

Lisle says, "Oh great. I was afraid I'd have to find one." She slips the note back in her jacket pocket, which is incidentally an anachronism compared to any possible jacket worn in Banished Sun and shouts 'Amber' for all those who'd recognize the styling. She walks outside, the coat tails at her knees.

Path to the Haunted Mansion - Banished Sun...

Yosannah fishes some car keys out of another pocket. She points it at a midnight blue Lexus parked outside the club and presses a button on a tiny box. "Beeep er Eeep." A clicking sound can be heard from inside the car. She moves to the driver's side door and opens it, climbing on, "Come on."

Lisle walks toward the car when Yo does, climbing in the passengers seat and reaching for the seatbelt. "Nice car."

Yosannah backs away from the club and three point turns so that they are heading south, "Yeah. Well, thanks to Stone, my last one got destroyed outside my club. Poor Intrepid. I loved that car."

Lisle watches the scenery pass, remarking, "I've lost a few cars. I don't know what an Intrepid is. But I had a great little car on Earth in the nineteen fortys. Now I just take the subway."

After a short ride, Yosannah slows and her Lexus pulls into the cemetery. Break lights send a soft red glow over the tooms. Then, the engine dies and the car goes dark. She emerges from the vehicle with Lisle. Yosannah seems to be chuckling at something.

Roxane turns to look over the Lexus with complete fascination.

Lisle gets out of the car, hands in the pockets of her Amber styled coat, riding boots scuffed and worn. She's smiling at Yosannah.

Stone stands with Roxane and Nash, "Hey, gang's almost all here."

Roxane then turns to Stone again, and asks, "What is a flatlander, and why do you believe I work for them?"

Nash glances at the new arrivals, then says to Roxane, "It's another name for Amberites."

Yosannah closes the driver's side door behind her and makes her way toward the group. Keys are tucked away in her pockets though they jingle when she walks.

Stone tells Roxane, "I put things in Nash's terms."

Roxane ahs to Nash, but her attention remains on Stone, as though waiting for areply to her second query. She lifts a hand in greeting to Lisle and Yosannah.

Lisle overhears, remarking, "It's prejudice, Roxane." Inclining her head graciously to Ben, after that, then the others. "And always a pleasure to see you, Nash."

Nash nods to Lisle, "Likewise. They call me shadow, I call them flatlanders - seems fair enough to me."

Stone smiles at Lisle, "Been a while. How've you been?"

Lisle puts her hand to her chest, "_I_ don't call you that, Nash. You're generalizing." She steps beside Stone, if there's room, so her hand can touch the elbow of his sleeve, as if she's fond. "I'm terrific, as it happens."

Stone has room for Lisle to stand near. He smiles, "Great to hear." He waves at Yosannah, "You keeping busy too?"

Roxane says mildly, "I merely wish to know why he believes I work for anyone, scions of Oberon or not." Then she falls silent, leaning upon a headstone, and smiling another greeting to Lisle and Yosannah.

Nash reaches under his shirt, fumbling about and then pulling out a card. "Shall I give Elektra a buzz?" and to Lisle, "I shall remember that and be likewise polite."

Yosannah offers Stone a slow nod and an obvious, "Yep." Followed quickly by, "What the hell are we doing here. It's cold and I'm tired."

Lisle smiles back at Roxane, but when Yosannah speaks, she tells Stone, "Yosannah seems a little grumpy."

Nash shrugs and looks to the card anyway.

Roxane says to Lisle, "It is good to see you again." She turns her smile to Yosannah, "And you as well."

Stone says to Lisle, "She is? Compared to what?" He then grins at everyone, "So we all set to start here?"

Yosannah rolls her eyes heavenward at Lisle's comment. She offers Roxane a sideways glance and a smile. "Start. What."

Nash mumbles, "Give me a second." He extends a hand to the air.

Lisle says, "'Ready for what?' is the material question, but I may have to dash home at some point."

Stone tells Yosannah, "We're calling forth the dead. Or something."

Lisle ahs, after Stone's remark, brows lifted.

Yosannah mimics Lisle's posture, "The dead? You mean we're finally gonna talk to that corpse you got the watch from?"

Roxane seems fascinated with the whole precedings.

Lisle says, "Oh my. A corpse."

Stone nods, "Possibly." he tells Yosannah. "Or maybe even the demon from my watch."

Elektra appears, grasping Nash's hand.

Yosannah notes Elektra's arrival with a glance, "That's not the corpse."

Lisle adds, "I'm in agreement."

Nash releases Elektra's hand and stands from the tombstone he was sitting on. "The 'corpse' is safe where I hid it, you ghouls."

Elektra appears, her hand in Nash's. She then looks at Yosannah, "I can change forms if you think it more appropriate Yo." she smiles, noding to Nash, "Thank you."

Yosannah smirks, "Ghouls? Hey, trick or treat was two weeks ago. And I went as Puff Daddy."

Nash mutters, "The corpse also has a name."

Lisle inquires, "What's a puffdaddy?"

Roxane offers to Lisle, "A giant mushroom?"

Nash mutters, "The corpse also has a name."

Elektra looks to Nash "Micheal Carr?"

Stone looks at Nash as well, "Think that would be a good idea? My idea was seance. The rest I'm just winging as usual."

Nash tells Stone, "I think the seance is a bad idea, but since we're running out of options ... leave his body alone, his soul isn't anywhere near it anymore anyway, all you'd get is a zombie."

Yosannah nods, "Fair enough." She looks about the group, "Mind if I have a spirit of my own hovering about while we do this then? It'd make me feel a whole lot better."

Stone asks Nash, "You think there's a chance we could call the demon forth instead? Get right down to it to see if we can solve this thing right now?" He nods to Yosannah, "Do that thing you do."

Lisle, very subtly, looks a little squeamish at the mention of a zombie. Her nose wrinkles a very little bit.

Elektra looks to Nash and Stone "Can I offer any assistance, without disturbing the body." she assures Nash.

Netzach has arrived.

Nash smiles a wicked smile at Yosannah's remark, but doesn't comment on that, saying instead to Stone, "You know anything about controlling demons?"

Riva approaches on foot from the south, accomanpied by Netzach.

Lisle says, with a faint sigh, "I do."

Roxane glances to Riva, murmering with a smile, "I am pleased to see you up and functional, Lady Captain."

Lisle adds, "And my best advice is to run. So maybe I don't know what you really need to know."

Lisle, standing near Stone, slips her hands in her coat pockets, as if they are cold.

Netzach surveys those gathered when he appears with Riva, staying close to the woman.

Stone says to Nash, "Controlling demons? I can talk to 'em. We have enough firepower here to make 'em think twice about anything." He grins, "Trust me."

Riva is pale and allowing Netzach to assist her. "Take...more than...four...to the..Chest...To slow me down." she pants.

Lisle remarks, "Greeting Riva. Netzach." Formal. Nash gets two lifted brows over knowing eyes.

Netzach keeps an arm around Riva. He nods to Lisle, "Cousin."

Nash shrugs, "Calling people is safer. I don't think my blade will help 'gainst time itself, Stone. Nor my guns. Everything we do take /time/ to do, right?"

Elektra stands near Nash in the same places she appeared in. She looks between him and Stone, listening.

Stone nods, "Calling people won't solve the problem, though." He glances around, "Any more strenuous objections?"

As if in respone to the groups /brainstorming/, Yosannah's gaze goes cold, steril. A gust of air whips about her and then, where there was nothing, a blue-grey image begins to materialize about about her form - hovering.

Netzach mutters to Riva, "... we doing..."

Lisle studies Yosannah's grey image.

Ithius comes in from the south.

Elektra folds her arms over her chest and taps a finger upon her lip, thinking.

Riva says "I think you're being an idiot-but I don't have any better ideas. Those of my staff.." she pauses to breath, "Who were able to come, did, or will be here briefly."

Roxane also turns her gaze to Yosannah. Fascinated, her eyes are filled with curiousity as she looks over the woman and her rider.

Nash sighs, "Stone, you never take my advice, why you even ask?"

Lisle says, "But if anything lays a claw on Ben, I might lose my temper." She doesn't appear to be joking.

Stone grins, telling Nash, "Because you need people to say no to you once in a while. Otherwise you'll get a big head." He then reaches into his jacket and pulls the watch forth.

Riva leans over and mutters to Netzach

Nash looks at the watch with clear apprehension, "People are always saying no to me."

The gaze of the fallen seraphim that now hovers nearby Yosannah is a vivid miasma of murky blackness; an empty vortex of dark swirling cumuli-nimbus peers out amidst a mane of wild midnight hair. Ashen feather wings flutter rhythmically about the transparent creature, Pestilence. She floats quitely before the group.

Ithius humm softly some song, muttering, something under his breath, "I was summoned to see Stone?", he asks waving at said person and eyeing the others gathered.

Netzach looks at Riva and just says, "Oh."

Dai comes in from the south.

Roxane murmers, "Fascinating."

Stone squints at the thing by Yosannah now, commenting, "That's darn freaky." He then says, "Okay," as he wanders to a nearby rough circle formed by gravestones. He sets the watch down in the center. He says to Ithius, "We're summoning something nasty."

Lisle leans down by the gravestone Stone had been leaning on, feeling around in the grass and fall leaves for something.

Elektra takes her blade out and holds it point down into the ground, as if using it as personal focal point. She waits quietly.

Ithius laughs softly, "You already have", for some reason it was a serious laugh. "Should I pull out a weapon?", he asks.

Stone tells Ithius, "Couldn't hurt." He then crouches down, tracing a circle in the dirt with a finger, scrawling sigils around it as he does so, "If anyone's better at demon summoning than me, feel free to jump in."

Nash mutters something prayerlike and makes a serpentile sign over his heart.

Netzach takes Elektra's lead and draws a blade, holding it at the ready.

Roxane watches carefully. Closely.

Riva murmurs under her breath, could be a prayer also. She takes a small step from Netzach, as if giving herself room to right.

Elektra mutter something quietly under her breath as the others prepare.

Yosannah steps aside as Stone passes by, tracing his circle in the ground. With a flick of her hand toward Pestilence, the creature begins to rise, wings fluttering mutely, circling the group. Searching, watching. Yosannah's attention remains on Stone, "I had no idea you were into demon summoning in the first place. How's this connect with the damn watch?"

Nash stays reasonably near Stone and his circle, but gives the man elbow room. He looks a little grim, face hacked into even gaunter aspect by the shadows, his hair tugged across his face by the autumn breeze. Around you, trees rustle their remaining leaves.

Stone continues the circle drawing and inscribing before standing up and taking a step back. He tells Yosannah, "The watch is a conduit for it's power. Or is part of it. I've heard several theories. Now hush. Summoning." He then turns and starts to murmur low, the words 'Greenwich Meantime' being spoken louder than the rest several times.

For several long minutes there is only the rustling of the trees and the shrieking cry of a distant fox. Then, a ponderous creaking sound seems to come from all around. A loud, deep Tick, then seconds later a Tock, the intervals between the two lengthy and heavy. The trees rattle their leaves a little louder as the wind picks up.

Ithius mumbles and pulls out a block droping it on the ground then another block snick snap in a few moments he has a sword assembled, "will guns be helpful?", he asks as he pulls out a strange looking gun, a long barrel and a large calibre with a big clip it looks shoulder mounted, he sets it aside, where does he keep all that stuff? Ithius bats his cloak and it rattles a bit. "Summoning demons.. just means trouble but if it's the only way.. oh well", he says.

Roxane remains leaning against her selected headstone, watching with open fascination. In her hands is a sketchbook, she has her fingers slipped inside it, holding a smaller card hidden within the book's pages.

Netzach's eyes narrow as he watches the watch. He seems to concentrate on something.

Ithius damns softly, "you guys in a hurry or something?", he looks a bit concerned suddenly, he sticks the sword into the ground and sets the other weapon at a handy location.

Elektra continues to watch the circle rather then wander her gaze all over.

Stone continues his words, chanting louder now as he glances about, making sure of things going on around him.

Yosannah watches Stone, intent on his gestures and actions. She appears more interested in studying the nuances of the ritual then the impending sounds that boom nearby.

In the centre of the circle, the watch gleams strangely, it's clasp popping open the lid and a multitude of tiny scarabs scuttling out of it making equally tiny 'eeee' noises. Blood follows, oozing over the stragglers in the beetle crowd.

Lisle who had been reaching for something in the grass and leaves says, "Woah,"and falls behind the tombstone with an additional and ungainly 'ugh' kind of sound. She doesn't come back up. In fact, she might appear to have disappeared.

Nash bares his teeth.

Riva draws her sword and makes sure she is safely spaced from others. At the wind and the ticking her expression becomes spooked, "I hate this shit." she declares, with venom.

Roxane eyes the scarabs, tearing a sheet from her notebook, and reaching to attempt to trap one.

Yosannah peers in the direction of the now absent Lisle. She steps toward the tombstone and mutters, "... oh, Jesus."

Elektra stands still, as like a feline ready to pounce at a moments notice, still watching the center of the circle, ignoring all else for the present.

Stone steps back and grins, "Now that's what I'm talking about." as he watches the bugs with great interest.

There's a ripping, roaring sound over the noise of ticking and abruptly, something appears about ten feet above the centre of the circle, falling down onto the watch heavily. It's the body of a woman, bloody, broken and twisted in impossible ways. Face distorted by some kind of pressure, one eyeball hanging out on her cheek. All limbs broken, her back as well by the looks of it. Straw embedded into her.

Roxane folds the paper carefully as the scarab climbs onto it, her attention distracted for the moment as she bends it into a small origami box.

Nash murmurs, "Serpent."

Ithius grabs his sword from the ground, "now that doesn't happen every day", he says as he watches around he's using a weapon ... someone pinch themselves.

Elektra watches the woman appear, her expression is blank and hard to gage.

Yosannah turns now, abruptly, at the sound of the crashing woman. She winces, lips pursing into a grimace, "God." She reaches a hand into the air, summoning Pestilence nearer. The creature swoops downward toward the group.

Riva inspects the woman, peering closely to try to ID the body. She creeps forward a cautious step.

Stone steps to the edge of the circle, "Hey." he points to himself, "Here I am. Lets talk." he says to the corpse.

Roxane looks up at the woman now, after carefully stowing away the scarab. Her only reaction, a slight frown.

Ithius looks about and says, "Summer has fallen", he peers at the woman again, "she alive?", he asks softly.

Riva breaths, "Mrytle." her expression becomes more wary as she ajusts the gripon her sword.

Dai strolls up to the gathering quietly, his sword held reversed in one hand. He frowns at the body of the woman but doesn't say anything.

Elektra seems to nod as Riva notes the woman's identity. Her eyes dart rapidly between the approaching Stone and the woman.

Netzach stays close to Riva, wary and peering around for trouble.

The body starts to shudder and move, twisted limbs moving to push itself up some, although the way bones are jutting out of flesh and the sponginess of the back, it's clear the thing is never going to stand, exactly. It rattles, "Michael ... Michael you done me wrong." the stench of decay coming off the thing is almost overpowering, even in the open, breezy air.

Stone stands his ground and says, "And what will it take to put it right?" he asks, voice even, eyes watching the corpse intently.

Roxane takes in everyone's reactions, and murmers to herself, "I seem to be lacking in background." She slides her hand between the pages of her sketchbook again, watching carefully, listening as Stone converses with the corpse.

Ithius sniffs the air and shrugs, then mumbles softly looking at anything that might be useful not that it will do any good.

Riva moves towards Stone in a protective gesture, perhaps rembering her original function in this mess. She sputters softly at the smell of death, but that's it.

The corpse laughs, hacking and choking on its own mirth and a brownish sludge slaking down it's chin. "Fix ... fix ... tick, tock, Michael's going to fix everything he broke. Tick, tock, Michael's /sorry/. Tick, tock, you think she was all you broke? Do you!?" The wind picks up another notch, the edges of the darkness around the circle starting to twist and blur. Nothing appearing steady or fixed anymore. There seems to be a slight vibration in the ground, growing stronger.

Yosannah lifts the back of her hand to her nose. As if this gesture might somehow clear the stench from the air. If Pestilence is disturbed at the stench, she gives no indication as such. The creature hovers around and above the gooey mess of a woman that hacks at the group.

Netzach shifts the grip on his sword, following Riva even if it means getting closer to the broken woman.

Dai's nostrils flare at the smell rolling off of the corpse. His eyes shift to black and begin glowing with unlight as he regards the body. He plants his sword into the ground and moves closer to the corpse. He crouches down within arms reach of the corpse but again says nothing, just regards the corpse.

Stone points at the creature, saying, "I didn't say I was sorry." he corrects, "I said I wanted to know what needed to be done." He adds, with a charming grin and a casual wave of his hand, "Humor me."

Roxane settles down more comfortably against the headstone, watching, seemingly unmoved by the stench, or sight.

Elektra doesn't make any effort to sheild herself from the ungodly stench, her hands remaining upon the hilt of her downturned blade in apparent readiness. Her face is serious and doesn't seem to show that the stench even bothers her.

Riva continues to move to interpose herself between Stone and the corpse, careful not to block his view but making sure that if it attacks it has to get through her to get to stone. Her face is a set, pale mask that never leaves the grotqesque corpse.

There comes the sound of four bells, chiming as if in the distance. A sequence of chimes familiar to anyone who's been in London. Anyone who's listened to the main local radio station. The bells in Saint Stephen's tower which is surely too far away to be heard from here. As they sound out in their tune, the corpse rises as if on strings, arms flailing brokenly outwards as it shrieks, "You don't need to worry, Michael. Grenwich Meantime will fix it all for you! Just like you told me to!"

Stone licks his lips in thought, "Hunh." He says before continuing, voice calm and deliberate, "And what did I tell you to do again?"

Ithius states, "Seems several things are going on.. at once", his eyes dart about.

Roxane's head tilts at the sound of the bells. Still listening.

Dai rises and grabs one of the flailing arm. His eyes flare, blazing with unlight, drinking in all light near him, and his mouth opens, agony etched on his features. No scream comes from his mouth, but he quickly releases her arm and collapses, unconcious. There is the scent of burned flesh and the right sleeve of his coat is on fire. Dai's skin begins dripping off of his arm.

Elektra suddenly realizes what Dai is about to do, and is too far from him to stop him, her face now shows a reaction for the first time, and it's one of mixed distress and horror.

Riva screams in heartfelt distress, and panic "DAI!" she leaps forward, everything forgotten except Dai's distress.She falls to her knees beside him, sword still in hand.

Netzach does his best to stay between the dead chick and his wife, holding blade ready, though this likely is little defense against the unseen.

Roxane pulls out the card she had been holding, at the sight of Dai's distress. Her attention focusses, becoming concentrated. There is a sudden spray of rainbows around, she highlights in a spray of wild and discordant color, then her color fades, collapsing in upon itself, and she vanishes in a riot of uncomprehensible images.

The corpse dangles mid-air and unpreturbed by Dai's perdicament answers Stone sweetly, "To make it never have happened, my love." The bells are at the end of their sequence and there's the familiar, pregnant pause before the main bell starts to toll - this /incredibly/ loud. Big Ben strikes the hour.

**BONG**

Pestilence snarls at the gonging of the chime, gaze turning to her avatar down below. She and Yosannah seem to be of one mind, exchanging knowing glances without so much as a word. For those with magical sight, the energy lines which feed Pestilence outside Yosannah's form seem to pulse sporadically - as if the woman's very lifeforce were being drained to sustain the winged creature. Pestilence rises quickly and then plummets toward the oozing woman at the center of the circle, long,claw-like fingers posed to rip and consume.

Netzach turns his head to regard the woman speaking, eyeing here with suspicion. A moment later, however, he's flat on his back, sword hilt loosely held in his hand rather than tightly.

Elektra starts to move but only for a split second before she's forced uncerimoniously to the ground.

Ithius is moving but stoped then flops to the ground with a thump his sword stuck with his hand at a weird angle still on it.

Riva's eyes roll up in her head and she falls beside Dai, sword falling from limp fingers. The crunch of leaves is almost deafening in the sudden silence following the hear-shattering chime of the bell.

Stone considers the corpse's words as he watches Dai drop with a frown. He then steps back, some surprise on his face as Pestilence dives to attack and chaos de scends upon the scene. "Bloody Serpent." he mutters.

Nash's face seems to run to bleached bone, his eyes sinking into blackness as he leaps into the circle himself. His hair seeming white instead of dark purple as he strikes out a clawed hand at the floating corpse.

The unlight continues to blaze from Dai's open eyes. His mouth remains open, his features locked in place, and he doesn't move.

Yosannah falls slowly to her knees amidst a pile of fall foliage. Unlke the others, she seems to be supported by the creature that draws it's strength from her. Pestilence rips at the blubbering corpse's flesh, its skin rotting at her touch, diseased.

As Pestilenece works upon the corpse, it starts to boil all over with sudden maggots, the corpse screaming as chunks of it are torn away. Rotting mire erupts from it's mouth, then as Nash strikes at it, he himself looking more like a clothed skeleton, the bones splinter and crack, the flesh shrivelling and drying. The corpse drops to the ground, lifeless. And after a scant moment, Nash falls with it.

The job in hand, and Yosannah's life energy drained, Pestilence hovers but a moment longer before diving back toward its host. The winged Rider vanishes inside Yosannah's form and the woman falls into an unconscious heap.

Stone stands still as some of the exploding gore sprays him. He frowns, wiping it off his face as he takes a slow look around at the bodies that surround him at this point.

Silence reigns over the cemetary, the wind dropping down to its former breeze and leaves skittering across the mutiple bodies lying on the ground.

Stone frowns some more. He then reaches in his jacket, pulling out a cell phone, hitting a button and starting to speak into it.

Yosannah stirs, moaning softly. "... Oh man..."

Netzach starts to stand up, using his sword for Leverage. "What the..?" he trails off, a crack running along the length of the blade he holds.

Stone tells Yosannah, "Stay still. You're hurt." A group of men appear from the direction of the Club, some bearing stretchers. Stone gestures to the bodies on the ground who aren't moving, "Take them to the Club." he orders.

Yosannah peers at Stone, one eye remaining closed for good measure. She moans again and nods at him, hand sliding up to her temple and a large bump that has formed there - her head having landed against a rathher large rock. "...awe.. shit."

Riva remains motionless next to Dai.

Elektra stirs, she remains face down, as if not quite able to come out of her state of unconsiousness. Her body seems to writhe more the moves with any purpose.

As the men move to pick up Nash, one of them ends up just lifting a boot with nothing attached to it. Closer investigation reveals that Nash seems to have shrunk a good deal and it's more of a purple-haired child they lift onto the stretcher, tangled in clothes far too big for him.

Yosannah is lifted by two men and slid onto a stretcher. She begain to carry her off.

Netzach lifts his sword to stare at the crack that ruins the blade. He starts to throw the blade, but only ends up falling over, landing on Riva with a 'Oof."

Stone looks over at Nash thoughtfully and then looks at the others in turn as they are gathered up.

The watch sits innocently in the centre of the scuffed up circle.

Stone puts his phone away and goes to get the watch, pulling a Trump out as he does so.

Elektra stirs again, this time seemingly in an attempt to pick herself up, but one arm seems to buckle sending her back to the earth in a flurry of curses. Her hair covers her face and blocks it from view.

Riva sits up, groggily. Her features contort with new distress as she looks around, "Dai?!"

Dai pages to everyone in the room: No invite for Ith and Yo because of the marsh mellows.

Netzach manages to clamber off of Riva without doing much more damage. Just stubs his toe.