[Molly Quincannon] Molly was apparently serious when she said that she intended to have a cabal remit of "Look for the weird shit and try to get it under control before it spreads". Nat gets a text from Molly along the lines of, "Doing perimeter scan for supernatural weird in tunnels and walkways etc. If you're not busy, join me? Treat you to dinner after, coffee before".
Assuming the response to the query is a yes, Molly arranges a meet-up for the two of them at their favourite coffee shop, where Molly has a cup of coffee just as Nat likes it - and even cool enough to drink - waiting for the diminutive Dreamspeaker. There are perks to having your best friend be a Time mage.
[Natyana Wapanee] The response she gets to the text is "No need to bribe me into it, I'd go just to get out of the boredom. Good goddess... for as seedy as chinatown is... nothing happens here. Be there in ten."
Ok, so coming from the other end of town takes a little longer than ten, but the insinuation of happiness to the boredom relief is very much apparent. This side project of hers taking alot of focus to the point of becoming automation now, all actions and not having to really think. There's hope though, that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. And soon.
So thus, she arrives, hair up in a pony tail, trusty purse on her back, jeans, tank top, and actual muck-appropriate shoes instead of the usual berkinstocks.
[Molly Quincannon] "Is it bribery when it's all part of the awesome?" This spoken verbally when Nat arrives, and Molly hands her the coffee (in a to-go cup, of course). "C'mon; after these deals, a little bit of wind-down dinner is pretty much necessary. And fun. And c'mon, there's a Hobbit-themed pizza restaurant named Bilbo's that I have got to try. But first thing's first. Onward!"
As they walk towards a nearby entrance to an abandoned subway system, Molly adds, "And things happen in Chinatown. Didn't Lara or Thomas tell you about the spirit nasty with the human sacrifices in the opium den?" Then she blinks. "Didn't I tell you about that?" A shake of her head, and she adds, "Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm a chaos magnet."
[Natyana Wapanee] "Hobbit pizza? People shorter than me making awesome fattening food? Or is it made with real hobbits? Oh hell yeah, sign me up." The coffee is taken, gratefully, as she doesn't get over to this end of town these days for the good stuff.
"Thomas told me a little about it, Lara didn't say anything. She's actually.... been working alot lately. Either she's working or I been caught up with my projects. We meet in the middle to spend time together, but not alot of talking is involved." She grins at that and shrugs. "Anyways... it's been pretty quiet since I rolled in down there. But then... I haven't exactly been quiet to let them know I'm there, either, so they could just be behaving on that side of the gauntlet. Apparently my name's gotten around."
[Molly Quincannon] [[Perc + Aware]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] [do we have enough coffee in the system to be aware?]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] "Makes sense, I guess. Ah, you'll hardly need me for this one, then, my bite-sized badass buddy." Apparently, Molly's in a reasonably good, if slightly weird, mood today. With that, and a rummage in a pocket for her key-chain MagLite, the duo enter the tunnels.
It's quiet until they get a little ways in. There are some echoing noises, but they're impossible to identify. It could be homeless and the mad, or something else, or both. Probably both, from the tingle of cold with a hint of teeth that seems to be lingering deep within the tunnels. Molly seems to be aware of it, as the direction in which she leads them brings them closer to the sensation, but for Nat, it's enough to break out in goosebumps. Whatever they've found, it's frigid.
[Natyana Wapanee] She grins over at Molly, until there's that chill. A shudder runs up her spine, and an eyebrow raises. "Jackpot. You feel that?"
Her knife comes out, blade sliding out and flipping to catch her hand and open it, the movement automatic. Where there is tingles, is likely going to call for some extra oomph. Might as well be prepared, and start the reaching before they actually get hit with something.
[Molly Quincannon] Molly just nods and keeps going, trying to be quiet although it's hard to be quiet when there's so much much to step in and wade through. For her part, Molly's got her iPhone in her free hand, though the screen's not lit. And on they go.
The tingling chill leads them to a hole in the tunnel wall and into the blackness beyond. Slumped at the entrance to this space is a man, evidently a homeless individual who'd been living down here. Her's dead, and the blue cast to his lips and the pallor of his skin tell the tale of how he died (if not what manner of thing killed him) even before Molly crouches, touches his hand and pulls away fast. "Frozen solid," she murmurs. "What the hell does this?"
[Natyana Wapanee] "Lots of things can..." Her eyes going to the body, then the hole. "There's spirits for... everything. If it wasn't some actual physical something, it'd be an elemental gaffling on a rampage I'd say. But hell... I've never been down here so.... no idea. Might've been something physical."
She looks to the hole, letting her eyes shift focus even as she's digging her pouch out of her pocket to squeeze it with her bleeding hand.
[scanning... with... everything she's got? heh. has her foci, practiced, easy lvl 1 stuff, extending. blah blah]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Natyana Wapanee] [cosmos!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 6, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] Most of the life signs are behind them, back the way they came (and above, of course. They're way underground now) but there's Molly's next to her and something that might be a very weak life sign out there in the darkness someplace - the darkness into which Molly is shining the beam of her flashlight and frowning as it barely makes a dent in the black. Prime ... well, Prime she mostly gets her own Pattern and Molly's; there's power there, but she actually gets more from her natural awareness than she does from Prime, indicating that it's not a mage in there, at least. That's aided by what she gets from Spirit - there's a very strong spirit presence through the gap in the wall. Either it's big, it's powerful, or it's both.
It could be an elemental gaffling on a rampage, but that doesn't seem likely; a gaffling would probably be around where it could wreak more havoc than some abandoned tunnel could offer, and wouldn't content itself with just the odd homeless shmuck that happened to wander by. This seems a more intelligent thing, one of the elementals that got elevated by mythology into something not precisely godlike, but certainly up there in the ranks. Something like an Old Man Winter or a Jack Frost. Either that or it's an elemental held in thrall by something bigger.
Of course, Molly's question had been more or less rhetorical, and when her flashlight offers nothing of use, she steps into the tunnel and the darkness beyond. The moment she does, the light from her flashlight vanishes - either the thing turned off or the light was just ... eaten.
[Natyana Wapanee] She frowns, eyes slowly making their sweep. "We're not alone. And it's definitely spirit... something a little bigger." Her voice is low, and she looks towards the strongest point of the concentration. Her eyes keeping her focus shifted, and open. "Might... need some guidance here. Trying to get a lock on it sort of makes me a little blindish."
[Molly Quincannon] Silence for a long moment; longer than a pause for thought, certainly. When Molly's voice comes out of the black, it's quiet - as if from a long way away rather than a whisper. There's also an echo to it, as though wherever Molly's talking from is somewhere big. "I can try, but you know I don't know spirit from spit. I guess I can just scan and see if I can get a visual. Man, you've gotta see this place! Though I kind of wish I'd brought a sweater."
Then, closer and confused, "...Okay, there was a passage there a minute ago..."
[Natyana Wapanee] "No no, goofy. I meant just make sure I don't fall on my face while we're walking. I can keep the sight going and try to find this thing... whatever it is it can't be going round killing people. That's a given. We're looking at a... spirit with oomph here. An essence, not a gaffling. Which means I'm gonna have to keep my eyes open and in the other, lack of meatspace if you get it. Things look different there, not always the same, so there could be obstacles that aren't reading on that side that make me useless if it comes to boxing. And dude. Where the hell are you?"
[Molly Quincannon] "Oh. You didn't see..." There's a tut, a bit of self-reproach. "I went through the hole in the tunnel wall. There's ... a place here. Ice cave kind of thing. I ... don't think you're going to need dedicated spirit sight past that point, put it that way. If I can see it..."
Molly's voice trails off as something catches her attention, wherever she is. "Oh, crap. Can you get through? I think we have a problem."
[Natyana Wapanee] "Seriously? Dammit Molly, I was getting a read before diving in. Gonna plant my shoe in your ass woman." She blinks, bringing her eyes back to the here and now, not hesitating to slip through the hole in the wall. "This thing isn't something you wanna just run into, trust me. It has smarts to it"
[Molly Quincannon] Nat steps through the hole and all of a sudden, it's dark and cols. A hand reached out to seek a wall finds cold rough brick at first, but twenty paces in, Nat's hand finds ice. Fifty more paces and there's a little bit of light, and eventually, after a hundred yards' worth of walk, the tunnel opens up into a massive ice cavern, the stalagtites and stalagmites glittering like diamond in the light of Molly's flashlight. Awareness says ... well, they're not exactly in Kansas (or Chicago, rather) anymore.
There are people here, in a manner of speaking. In each of the stalagmites rising from the floor, there are bodies - all scruffily dressed and dirty in the usual manner of homeless folk. Molly's shining her flashlight on one of them (a scantily dressed teenaged girl who even in her prison of ice bears the marks of the stereotypical 'crack whore') and looking vaguely horrified. She hasn't seen Nat approach, and neither has she addressed the commentary about Nat-shoes and Molly-ass.
[Natyana Wapanee] She looks around, blinking at the oddities. Nagging Molly forgotten for the moment as she takes in the setting, and wraps her arms around herself against the frosty air. Her eyes widen a little at the collection of.... 'dolls' in the decor, and immediately starts looking around for an inhabitant.
[Molly Quincannon] The ice cave seems to be empty apart from Nat, Molly and the ice-bound inhabitants. For now, anyway. After she's done inspecting the teenager for signs of life (and apparently finding none), she looks up and around again, flashlight beam glinting off the ice, and finds Nat. "Oh, hey, you made it. I'm going to get a look at the layout of this place, I think." She pulls her laptop out of her bag and frowns at it. "Do you think we should call someone out? I mean, you said this thing's smart. Maybe if we talk to it, we can ask it to ... not turn people into hobosicles?"
[Natyana Wapanee] [awareness!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] [alertness]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 8)
[Natyana Wapanee] She moves around, letting the light from the reflections help her see. She frowns, shaking her head. "For something to have done this much effort? There won't be much room for convincing. This thing... probably is feeding off whatever it's doing somehow. This is thought through. It'll likely just have to be put down."
[Molly Quincannon] "Maybe it's not effort." Molly's tone is distracted, as it normally is when she's working. "And maybe we can't - or shouldn't - put it down. If it's a primal force of winter or something, it might be ... I mean, what happens to winter if a primal force of winter dies? Well, I guess we find it and see what it is." She's already seated on a semi-convenient ice outcropping with her back to a wall, working at her computer - thankfully she doesn't need an actual wifi connection for what she does; Chuck is consistently perplexed as to how the code she uses doesn't fry her rigs.
As Molly works, tuning out all distraction, Nat feels something at work; an increase in the cold that's more metaphorical than physical, though it causes a shiver all the same. And as Nat looks around to keep an eye on the entrances to the ice cave, and on Molly, she notes a build-up of frost on Molly's boots. It only really grabs the attention because it's building up so fast, to the point where it looks set to form a shell of ice. It's not natural, that's for sure.
[[For Molly - Corr - floor plan. Diff 5, -1 focus, -1 practiced so diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 3 (Failure at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Because she's stubborn, trying again. Diff 4 this time. Must be the cold.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 8 (Success x 1 at target 4)
[Natyana Wapanee] "We can try convincing it not to turn people into decor... but if it's corrupted, something else will be... promoted... to take it's place. They tend to balance themselves out when the ranks get put in check."
She continues to move around, her hand that isn't bleeding feeling along the stalagtite thingies and looking inside to the ranks being collected. "We're... apparently alone for now, so might wanna take advantage of it."
[Molly Quincannon] [[And again, maintaining diff at 4]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 3 (Failure at target 4)
[Molly Quincannon] There's more rat-a-tat of keys - Molly isn't paying much attention to anything but her rather frustrating work at the moment. Clearly it's not going well, her attempts to map this place out. Perhaps it's a lack of spirit ability on her part...
Or perhaps it's something else. The typing stops for a long moment and, when Nat looks around again, she'll find Molly, sat motionless on her outcropping, covered in a thin layer of ice.
[Natyana Wapanee] "Fuck." She does indeed notice it, once her brain seems to wrap around the fact that things are unnatural.... and affecting people that are moving. There's an agitated at her self sigh, and she picks her way over to Molly. One hand reaches out to pat over her, firmly, and start knocking the ice off.
"Sorry.... forget you zone in when you work."
[Molly Quincannon] The first hard pat cracks the ice relatively easily - it's only as thick as the rime of ice on a frozen-over puddle, though Nat can feel it trying to build even as the rest of the ice comes loose. When her arms and hands regain mobility, Molly claws the ice sheet off her face and draws in the deep, ragged breath of the oxygen-deprived. "...Hoo," she finally says, while still helping Nat get the rest of the ice off. "It's going ... to have to be ... hot bath tonight. Gah. So," she goes on, standing up and shaking the rest of the ice free, "I ... think it's a safe bet that something knows we're here. Unless this place is a pitcher plant of frosty doom. I got a ... very basic read of the place, before I got turned into a geeksicle. There's a bunch of little rooms in a kind of honeycomb pattern over that way--" she points off to the right with a hand shaking with cold "--and a single room - smaller than this, but still pretty big - out towards the back. I'd bet if there's a ... home for whatever lives here, the big room is it. So ... stay and talk to it, or go and melt the place behind us?"
[Natyana Wapanee] "Well, if it's honeycombing then it could be growing. That could be bad... we should probably try to find out what's up first. But going deeper, my guess, is it gets colder and I dunno if that's such a good idea either." She frowns, helping flick away the ice chunks and then stands close to offer some body warmth for Molly to lean in on. Her own self keeps motion flowing of one form or another, fidgeting, bouncing legs. "Either way, we have to keep motion flow so the ice don't build."
[Molly Quincannon] Molly nods, still shivering, and takes a few steps towards the passage towards the back, where the large single room apparently is. It's more pacing than purposeful movement, though, as she turns back and moves a few steps towards the passage on the right, towards the honeycomb of rooms there. "Well, it's not going to be a great idea if it gets big and uppity and turns the city into an iceberg, either. So if we stay, our choices are the honeycomb rooms or the big one out back. I want to see what's in those little rooms, I admit it, but I wonder how protective the big frosty running this place would get. So ... your call. Big room, or honeycomb nest thing? And don't worry," she adds with a little smile. "If it gets seriously too cold, I can always pull something Forces related. I'm not doing it yet because I don't want to piss anything off before I have to."
[Natyana Wapanee] She nods, her own clothing really not offering any protection from the cold. Life, however, is nice indeed. Being able to monitor your own body temperature, and make adjustments can help fight it off. If she were to go that route. She's still debating.
Room choices. Room choices are nice, but Molly's right. when it starts nesting, that's signs of territorialness. Territorialness can lead to grumpiness when people get too nosy. Note: Exhibits A-L, interior home design. She moves towards the larger room, rubbing at her arms against the chill, succeeding some between that and moving, and smearing blood on herself.
[Molly Quincannon] When Nat silently picks the direction, Molly nods and moves with her towards a neatly shaped ice tunnel. It does indeed get colder as they pass, though not by much. There's that, at least. Still, the light from the flashlight sparkles over ice studded with the faces of the frozen dead, leading to glimpses of blank, lifeless eyes in the near-dark and the impression of screams locked in frost.
After a walk that's not nearly short enough, they spy a bluish sort of light at the end of the corridor, and Molly switches her flashlight off and stops - only for a second - to listen to what sounds like a small gathering of people (things? beings?) conversing in an unknown language over drinks. A booming but brittle voice comes to them as well. "I see we have guests! Come, warm ones, and share our revels."
Molly gives Nat an I don't like the sound of that look but continues on into an open space that looks to be nothing less than a throne room, with all its furnishings - a bar, benches for the 'guests', the chandelier lit by heatless blue flames, the throne itself - are made of ice. The other 'guests' are puffs of frosty air and clumps of animate ice and patches of snowflake shaping and reshaping into intricate patterns. The servants are pale, blue-lipped humans, dead or so close to it that it makes no difference (the Life patterns Nat saw). And on the throne sits a man who looks a little like one might imagine Snow White to look, were her lips blue as winter skies instead of red as blood; black hair, skin of pure white, dressed in ice-blue finery.
[Natyana Wapanee] She's not much enjoying the walk, but she forces herself to keep moving. The cold seeping through her thin tank top as effectively as wandering in topless. Voices, noise, and.... sounds like a party? What the hell?
She frowns over at Molly as they step into the other room, Molly's look returned with a mirrored quality to it. Then she looks around at the others, and slowly, finally, to the Snow White look alike. But she does indeed move forward, into the room.
[Molly Quincannon] Molly's shirt at least has sleeves, and Nat's does not; Molly therefore shrugs out of her jacket and wraps it around Nat's shoulders. There are perks to being taller than your companion; it'd be very hard for Nat to do the same to Molly to give the jacket back. Then she steps a little closer to the throne and asks, as if just curious (which she is, but there is no 'just' about it) "...Can't you actually find any better house staff than frozen humans?"
The man raises an eyebrow and looks decidedly annoyed. "Will-workers. Huh. Ever the ludicrous questions. So what brings you to my humble domain?"
"My feet, mainly." Molly's not particularly impressed either.
[Natyana Wapanee] The popple purses her lips and huffs at the jacket exchanging locations, and the aggravation and all-but climbing up the taller woman to return it would require. So she just leaves it, and will argue it later.
Her gaze goes back and forth between Molly the man, and she smirks. "Nothing ludicrous about it. You're hurting people. That's just bad business right there."
[Molly Quincannon] Another unimpressed 'huh' sort of sound from the pale wintry gent on the throne. "Is it. It has caused me no inconvenience. Until your arrival, of course. Which indicates to me that you might be the inconvenience. Perhaps that should be dealt with."
Molly goes back to the questions. "What - or maybe 'who' would be more polite - are you?"
"A guardian. A seneschal. A lord of this manor. A being of winter. Would you challenge me?"
Molly, of course, just grins. "Gladly."
[Natyana Wapanee] Nat eyes Molly. Then actually raises a leg to her back and lets foot meet ass.
Her eyes go to the cold man. and her lips twitch. "Us inconvenience? No. We aren't the ones freezing the population and using them for slaves. That's just rude, man. There's other ways to get your work done."
[Molly Quincannon] The nudge to Molly's backside gets a look as if to say What? He asked.
The winter-seneschal shrugs, grinning. "They wander too close to the domain of the Lady. I would call that rude, myself. In any case, the lady is fond of the human kind. I would prefer them ... better-groomed, but perhaps when our domain spreads, we shall have more of a choice. Now, this challenge..."
"Hold up." This from Molly, who still looks keen to take on this winter seneschal. (Overconfidence meets overconfidence. This is never good.) "Who's your lady?"
That gets a raised eyebrow and no direct answer; just "If you wish to meet her, you have but to say. I am sure that she would be ... quite taken with the two of you."
[Natyana Wapanee] Her eyes narrow at the man then, the knife turning in her hand. She rocks side to side, to keep the cold from settling a layer of ice. Constant flow of movement is good.
"Ok look. It's too fucking cold down here to play games, mister winter. So can we speed this along instead? You two can dick wave some other time. How about that. If you're gonna bring your lady, bring her already so we can make some attempt to ask nicely to stop killing the locals and carry on to much warmer climates."
[Molly Quincannon] "I was not dick-waving!" This from Molly, sounding exasperated. "I am not equipped for dick-waving!" Then, with a glance at the entity on the throne, she adds, "I kind of figure he's not either, honestly--"
"Enough!" Clearly, this winter being is pissed now, and the glare he shoots Molly's way is enough to freeze. Literally, given the way she gasps and drops to a knee, arms wrapping around herself as her skin goes deadly pale. "I have taken as much insolence as I intend from you!"
At which point, there's another voice - a young woman, maybe three years Nat's junior, from a spot behind the throne. The accent might be Russian. "Pyry? What is this?"
"Uncouth intruders, my Lady," he replies, still smooth as all hell and as if he's not freezing Molly from the inside out. "I shall deal with them for you."
[Natyana Wapanee] She snarls at that. "You'll stop hurting my friend, or this'll go from minor dick waving to just flat ass ugly, old man." Her hand flexes, fingers pushing at the cut on her hand to get the blood flowing again. "She didn't do a damn thing. Me, on the other hand, should be what you're worried about."
Her eyes go to the female, looking her over. Puppet and puppeteer, and Molly's being fucked with. The Popple is getting pissed.
[Molly Quincannon] The girl peers over at Nat from behind the throne, clearly fascinated. She's got a similar look, but her pale skin is somewhat more natural, with faintly rosy cheeks more suggestive of 'fair-skinned girl who's been out in the cold' than the creepy of this Pyry individual. Her lips are pink, her hair such a pale platinum-blonde it's nearly white, and she's dressed in very comfortable-looking furs. "Pyry? Stop. What is all this? Shall I not have introductions?"
Pyry doesn't stop, but he does sigh and roll his eyes where he thinks this girl can't see. "Mannerless will-worker whelps, know that you now stand in the presence of the Lady Snegurochka; the Snow Maiden. My Lady, I did not hear their names before the insults began. And it seems I shall not have my challenge. Pity."
From the floor, where Molly's still curled and obviously hurting, "...Bring it, you frigid man-bitch."
[Natyana Wapanee] Her hands flex now. Both of them. Her eyes settling on the man. "Lady Snegurochka... I am Natyana Wapanee. Shaman, and Spirit Warrior. This is my friend Molly, whom I am just as protective of, as your man is to you. If he does not stop his assault, I will be forced to act."
All playfulness and curiosity is gone now. Now it's the business face. The face Molly's only seen once, really. Once, when a garbage-heap bulldog was guarding a hallway that led to deeper places. Grabage-heap bulldog that she forced into submission. And that was even before the over-protective streak flared out. Now, who knows how she'll react.
[Molly Quincannon] Pyry doesn't seem overly impressed with Natyana, but when the lady says, "Pyry ... I did ask you to stop." Pyry lets out a slight snark, lip curling in a sneer, but then he waves a hand and Molly's shuddery breathing resolves into a gasp that's mostly relief. "I apologise for my seneschal, shaman. His heart burns cold as yours ... and that of your friend ... burn hot. Those two burns do not do well together when they meet."
Pyry glares at the recovering Molly. "She could bring fire to this place. I scent it on her. Would you allow her to melt your domain, lady?"
Lady Snegurochka points at Nat. "And what do you scent upon the spirit warrior, Pyry? Would you anger them, then, and end us?" She tuts and turns to Natyana. "What brings you to this place, will-workers? Why have you come amongst us and brought my servant to such lengths of cold fury?"
[Natyana Wapanee] She keeps her eyes on Pyry, her jaw muscles working slowly. When he finally releases Molly, she turns to look at the woman. "Exploration, at first. But then we found a dead sleeper outside your door. Then more when we came inside. Is it not part of the duty of the will-workers to protect these sleepers from things such as that?" Her head tilting, she watches her. "So we come to ask, if there is a way to prevent unnecessary death, and your Pyry took offense to that." She pauses, licking her lower lip, and frowns.
"Fire and ice do not mix well, no, but we did not come in here and start the challenge. He asked, and he didn't like the answer, and he lashed out. I will defend my friend with any means at my disposal." She knows she's nothing scary to look at. She likes it that way, really. It's what's made her so damn effective when she does manage to pull off what she does. But the woman is in negotiations stage, and she'd really rather not have to tangle with two of them of considerable power levels. That.. might be a bit much, even for her. Still, she didn't get a name amongst the spirits for backing down.
[Molly Quincannon] [[Aware-as-Empathy for Molly]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] [awareness-as-empathy? Really? She's curious and he's pissy, but there's bound to be more, right?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] If Molly notices what Nat does - or to the extend to which Nat notices it - she doesn't say anything. She's a little too busy shivering to pay much attention anyway (while she's not being directly frozen at this point, she's still getting over hella-cold). But what Nat sees is a flinch of sorts from Pyry, and surprise followed by some suspicion from Snegurochka. Apparently, Pyry's been acting more or less without sanction on at least some of this.
Then the Snow Maiden confirms this when she says, "I ... know not of the duties of the will-workers, but ... as I understand it, my ... servants, my ornaments ... they are here by choice. They feel no pain or want ... do they?" This to Pyry, who has managed to school his face to careful blankness. "I was told that it was better for them, that it was a life they chose in preference to their circumstances. Surely there is no harm in it. If such is true." She gives a slightly wistful smile. "I do enjoy the human sort. They have softer edges."
[Natyana Wapanee] "If they were so willing, why are many of them looking so afraid? No. I do not believe that to be the case with all of them, and that is not good for the balance, now is it? The unwilling ones will leave behind a stain, and could risk your exposure, which in turn would bring down things other than us. I don't think that is something you really want, is it?"
She looks over to Pyry, eyes narrowing. "Might be a good time to come clean here sir, for your deeds in this could bring harm and shame to your lady's work." Her tone is cold, very displeased with him in particular.
[Natyana Wapanee] [wits+......ok just wits ^_^]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 4, 4 (Failure at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] The girl looks Pyry over. He stands, impassive as an ice wall. "...Pyry?"
"My duty," he says, "is to your happiness and welfare. Not to these ... unwashed humans or these will-worker whelps. I hear tales of overpopulation amonst these sorts. I take none that will be missed, and all for your benefit. The only reason we have notice is because these arrogant upstarts took it upon themselves to invade our territory. If we deal with them, then we will receive no notice or exposure. And you shall be have two far prettier ornaments."
The Snow Maiden looks to be considering that when Molly speaks up, controlling the chattering teeth through an effort of will. "Oh, they'll notice. We are not two solitary will-workers. We have tenacious friends, and I have seen one throw fire such as you've never seen. I've seen another dissolve reality with a single stroke. But I've seen them defend such as you from prying eyes and urban renewal destroying their homes. We're just the scouts, so you know. We and our kind ... we can be wonderful friends, and terrible enemies. Now ... now's when you get to choose."
[[Wits + Expression]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] Her lips draw into a tight line, waiting, watching. She's ready to start channeling if need be, and her patience is starting to run out. They're either going to shit or get off the pot on this very soon.
Her eyes dart over to Molly, then back to the other two. "Regardless of the over population, some of them are there by choice, and they all have a right of survival. Who are you to judge them for how they live? That is for other spirits to decide. You are not the spirits of life, you are the spirits of winter."
[Molly Quincannon] The Snow Maiden looks rather offended at that. "I make no judgements. I like them. I merely speak as I find. They ... are unwashed. Underfed. With strange chemicals all through their bodies. I ... Pyry brings them to me ... as house staff. I--" She shakes her head. "The fire-mistress has a point, Pyry. They would be admirable friends. I shall treat with them. And then ... then I shall deal with you. You said they were all willing. You lie to me now? You antagonise the will-workers?"
Then she faces Natyana. "I cannot return those who are with me now. They are the property of winter now, and they would not survive mortal climes, even in our season. But they shall one day ... falter. I will need them replaced, one way or another. What would you suggest, then?"
[Natyana Wapanee] "The sleepers are manipulated easily by what they do not know, and the spirits, especially the notable, capable ones like yourselves, could easily talk them into things that truly are not what they want. They may be dirty, and corrupted by unhealthy things, but for some, that is their way of life. That is where their happiness lies, just as this cold and ice is yours."
She looks over to Molly, then back to the lady. "All I ask is that you be completely certain that they are willing participants. No sleeper is meant to be exposed to the things we face, but if they are, please... Be true to giving them the proper choice in it. Not manipulated and blinded to what they will be put through. They don't deserve that. I don't think you are truly wanting to torture innocence."
She looks to Pyry, eyes narrowing just a bit. "He, I can see it. Unshaking loyalty makes you do funny things with a justified hand. But that doesn't make the end result right."
[Molly Quincannon] Now the Snow Maiden looks truly perplexed. "What do you mean, 'put through'? They come to no harm! I am the kiss of gentle snowflakes upon the branches of the pines!"
Molly, still shivering but at least now on her feet, pipes up with, "And he's ... not. This is the second time I've had the liquid bits of me chilled to that degree. Water expands, if you don't freeze it fast enough. That makes fleshy bits great and small just ... explode. Which ... hurts. Not so much the kiss of snowflakes."
The Snow Maiden frowns, glares at Pyry (who closes his eyes and gives a nearly inaudible sigh) and then looks back at Natyana. "The methods of my seneschal were ... unknown to me, and unsanctioned, I assure you. I shall have a more ... compassionate member of my court choose my servitors in future. I offer my apologies for the inconvenience."
Pyry turns to his Lady, looking scandalised. "My Lady, surely you do not mean to give quarter--"
"Would your friend like to destroy Pyry?" Snegurochka's voice is as cool and calm as snowmelt. "Or shall you leave me to discipline as I see fit?"
[Natyana Wapanee] She looks between Molly and the lady as they discuss, letting Molly describe the pain of it. The pain in some of the faces of her decorating. Her eyes narrow on Pyry though, when he starts his protesting.
"No apology is necessary on your part. You did not see, did not know. You are not the one accountable here. And as far as discipline goes, that I will not push. Like you, I am not a judge. I am a Shaman, meant to open eyes and help keep the proper balance. If you see fit to hand Pyry over to my friend, I'm sure she will gladly accept it. Maybe he would like to know what it feels like to have fire burning through his veins to see just what it feels like when he does it to others. But he is yours to discipline as you see fit, so the final decision on what his fate is for his karma is in your hands."
[Molly Quincannon] "I will not submit to discipline at the hands of a fleshling!"
This, of course, is the point at which Pyry simply snaps, and goes on the attack. Two-on-one; he must be desparate.
[[Initiative rolls!]]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Pyry initiative: 6 + 1d10 = ?]]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10
[Natyana Wapanee] [+7]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Molly initiative = + 5]]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3
[Molly Quincannon] [[Molly declare = Forces. Light --> Heat]]
[Natyana Wapanee] Putting herself between Molly and Pyry with a step, and starting to draw for a nice little halo.
[Prime Halo, prime 2 spirit 2 -foci, -practiced, -extending, +WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 4, 5 (Success x 3 at target 3) [WP]
[Natyana Wapanee] ((~punts browser hiccup~ was only sposed to be the preparing, not rolling too. For the record.))
[Molly Quincannon] [[Pyry declare: Ice shards --> Molly. 3 dice damage.]]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Pyry roll - Ice Shards damage.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] Prime Halo, prime 2 spirit 2 -foci, -extending, -natural channel +WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Natyana Wapanee] [flex that muscle girl]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 7 (Success x 1 at target 4)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Forces 2, light to heat. Diff 6 -1 practiced, -1 focus, -1 resonance match so diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 9 (Success x 2 at target 3) [WP]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Extending - diff up to 4, -1 for quint so back down to 3.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 5, 10 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Damage + 4]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 5, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] Before Nat can get in front of Molly, Pyry flings out a hand and shards of lethally-sharp-looking ice fly at Molly, shredding her T-shirt and arms, though she thankfully gets her arms up to cover face and throat. Nat gets in front of Molly a moment too late and begins to build her Prime Halo, whereas Molly grabs all the light available around the winter-being flinging nasties at her, turns it to heat, and the air around Pyry goes dark for a moment - a moment in which he shrieks in agony. When the light travels back into that area, Pyry's clothes are scorched and sticking to his blistered, melted skin. He looks a lot less ethereally beautiful, and a lot more creepy.
Lady Snegurochka ... she just watches as if it's a particularly interesting TV show.
[Molly Quincannon] [[Molly declare - hit him again!]]
[Natyana Wapanee] Declare: extension build, then release!
[Molly Quincannon] [[Pyry declare - Healing!]]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Healing]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 9 (Failure at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Rolling Dox for Molly]]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 3, 4 (Botch x 1 at target 6)
[Natyana Wapanee] [[extended a little more +WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 9 (Success x 2 at target 4) [WP]
[Natyana Wapanee] [[and... kaboom? +quint]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 6, 7 (Success x 2 at target 4)
[Molly Quincannon] Pyry attempts to concentrate, perhaps to heal this form he's taken somehow, but nothing happens; he's too badly burned, perhaps. Either way, he barely has the time to try before Nat builds her Prime Halo one final time and then releases it. Pyry doesn't even have time to scream, though he looks agonised beyond the ability to scream anyway before he more or less vaporises. This leaves Molly to give an impressed sort of blink and then mop the blood off her iPhone before pocketing it.
Lady Snegurochka looks at the spot where Pyry once stood, and then up at Natyana. "You might have left him existing," she says, no particular judgement or anger in her voice. "I might have yet found use for him."
[Natyana Wapanee] She turns her eyes back to the Lady, and actually gives her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. But he would not have been so kind to my friend, and where my sister's safety is concerned, I will not take that chance. Ever. He chose his fate in defying you. He was warned."
She means it when she apologizes, but there's absolutely no regret or remorse for defending themselves. She looks over to Molly, looking to where the shards actually hit her, already that mother-henning look starting.
[Molly Quincannon] At all that, Molly blushes and tucks her arms behind her back, as if 'out of sight, out of mind' might somehow apply to cuts that deep. "Besides," she adds, "he might have gone for her next. Which I wouldn't have let him survive anyway. What she said, only I got the smackdown first."
The Snow Maiden nods. "I must choose my next seneschal with more care. The word must spread - both of his defiance and what befalls those that do." She shrugs. "Not that I expect that you and yours will always come to handle difficulties within my domain, but ... it will aid matters of having the selection of my human servitors be a matter of their own choosing, such a rumour." After a moment to let that sink in, she adds, "Now, if you will pardon my lack of hospitality, I would return my house to some semblance of order. And the warmth of your blood is ... damaging." It's pretty clearly a dismissal.
[Natyana Wapanee] She nods to the Lady, smirking. "If you have problems, though, the assistance is offered. You gave us diplomacy. We can return the favor. We will be watching, and keeping an eye to make sure the appropriate ones are brought to light."
She turns, scowling at Molly, unconvinced. "Lets get out of the cold, I can get the bleeding to stop when we get out of here."
[Molly Quincannon] The Snow Maiden simply nods, and out the duo goes, through the corridor and into the main ice cavern. The doorway out is visible now, and they end up back in the tunnels.
Which is when Molly finally says, "I'll be fine with just bandages, seriously, and I can do those at home. I promise they're not that bad. Just ... messy. I've had worse burns." Then she shakes her head. "Though I've never had worse burns than that guy. We make a pretty good team, I think."
[Natyana Wapanee] She eyes Molly, with that look. That you better be fine look. Though, she does reach out and snag an arm, looking the cuts over to be absolutely sure. She could just scan, but that'd be cheating and loose some of the mother-henning effect in the process. As long as they don't look too bad, she'll let it drop and let Molly bandage herself as she seems to want to do.
She does grin though, and puff up. "Told you I could do it.... Pretty cool huh? I wanna learn the fire thing though... been finding alot more sacks of meat type things to deal with lately than spirit work... and I really don't want to use that on a flesh bag. That's just messy."
[Molly Quincannon] "And setting them on fire isn't messy?" Molly gestures to the burn on her upper arm with the hand not being clutched and examined by Nat. The bleeding's slowed considerably, probably down to the cold of that place, but hasn't entirely stopped yet. "Just make sure you're far away from the source of heat or flame when you pull it and it'll be fine. It's a lesson I seem to be learning." She grins a similar grin to the one that Nat's wearing. "And yes, you told me you could do it and I did not disbelieve you. I'm getting the hang of Prime but I don't think I'll ever be anything big in Spirit. Not my bag. I seem to just piss 'em off."
[Natyana Wapanee] "Yeah but with burning it's... easier to clean up than exploded bits from a pure prime explosion raining at them like the wrath of the goddess flexing her o-ring" She grins, shaking her head. "S'ok. Leave the spirits to me, I leave the techno-geek stuff to you. I'll never get the hang of all that... just way too much technology for me. I'll keep my peace pipe and peote trips and occassional video game junkie fixes. We balance eachother out perfectly there and make a damn good team of it." Satisfied the wounds wound risk bleeding out, she lets go of the arm and nods, the mother-henning subsiding for now.
[Molly Quincannon] That gets a laugh from Molly. "Hey, you're talking about two completely different things. Chuck does the Spirit thing with tech, and so could I. I just like to flex my reality bending skills in a less ... ethereal way, I guess? Don't go mistaking style for substance, now." She's teasing, clearly, and she tweaks Nat's nose in a playful sort of way. Then she shivers a little and says, "Right. Coffee and pizza. I promised you pizza. Nothing like Hobbit-themed pizza after brushes with the really uppity representatives of winter, hmm?"
Then a thought occurs and she adds, "Man. I dunno what I'd ever tell Emily about this place. She does volunteer work with the homeless. I don't know what she'd make of that whole set-up."
[Natyana Wapanee] She shrugs out of the jacket and shoves it at her. "Put this back on. It'll hold you over till we get to the coffee. I'll deal."
She grins, wiggling her nose and sticks her tongue out. "Different strokes for different folks." She grins. "No less effective. Tomaytoe Tomahtoe. And speaking of such, pizza after a cold front like that? Hell yes."
[Molly Quincannon] Molly rolls her eyes. "You're going to have to get yourself a jacket," she grumbles. "Or start wearing it more often. Emily was telling me about how autumn's nearly over already and how there's going to be a lot of cold and wet and metric fucktonnes of snow soon. Also, I am only taking this back because it covers up the rips and tears and stuff and I don't want to freak people out." Then she takes her jacket and shrugs back into it, eyeing Nat in her tank top with a mildly concerned expression.
Then she grins. "Like I said. Coffee and pizza, and then I go home and take a long, hot shower. I kind of miss having a bathtub sometimes."
[Natyana Wapanee] "I have one, I just wasn't expecting to go walking into the winter den." Laughs, shaking her head. "I don't think Emily should be told, honestly. If she volunteers, and is all choristery she may not understand the balance so good and think it all is bad... when it's not. The religion standpoint is a little different there..." She, is absolutely not concerned. It's over 40 degrees out, and under 70. Tolerable weather. She'd rather at least have a hoodie at this range, but she'll deal and not complain. Not when Molly needs to cover herself up until she can bandage.
"Dinner and coffee and hot showers sound awesome." And thus, they head off. For hobbit-pizza of awesomesauce, and coffee, and then parting to their homes once more to finish the thawing out. Molly moreso than Nat after the cold violation to her innards.
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