Library -- 6th Floor -- Tower of Illusion -- Niflheim
This room is a lot like that of one of the floors of the Library
at the Unversity that Rahne attends. Just like that one, rows of book
shelves are close together, the envirorment dark, and almost scary in
it's own right. Cages line one of the walls, cages that have always been
rumored to be where they put the grad students. Of course the cages
actually have another purpose, but why are book cages always spooky?
This area is not for the timid at heart for the books and the cages can
become quite intimidating. Back at the University it is rumored that a
ghost of a long dead student walks these corridors at night, but none
has actually seen the weary sight. But then again you're not at the
University...
"Oh. This is... quaint." Paige is not happy. Why? Because, well, she's
grumpy over Sam's 'temptation'. That was just.. more mean to her then it
was to him. Bah. He gets to have everything she wants. Home, family..
everything except for team leadership. And she's got higher goals then
just 'Generation X'. But that's another story all together. "Anyone
recognize this place?"
(~~...b'gger'd if I do.~~) Jono says, using his favorite phrase for this
trip. His jacket is zipped up, but the tatters of his turtleneck does
little to hide the lack of jaw, and the energies replacing it. His brown
eyes look around, (~~...a library?~~)
"Looks like somethin' ou' of I know wha' y' did las' summer.. tha'
sucked.. terrible movie.." Terry tilts her head as she glances about.
Gwen Namura heads towards the card catalogue. "Well, it's about half NYU
Library... an' about half Public Library of NYC. Like, this is where
they filmed Ghostbusters."
Does anyone know why there are cages in Libraries? Well, who
knows, but there's that rumor that they lock students in there who
refuse to study so that they have no choice. That probably isn't true,
but hey, classic stories that one always hear are sometimes the ones
that bug us the most. But for now, the library looks empty and
particularly quiet. And no doors to get out of either. The door ya'll
came in through vanished behind you. It may still be there, just ya'll
can't see it no more. Might be stuck in here a while.
Oh, like Paige minds the library. 'course, few of the people here
remember the geeky, glasses-wearing book-worm Paige from 1998 B.E. -
Before Emplate. She walks the aisles quietly, exploring, and looking
over book titles. Every so often, she stops, pulls a book off the shelf,
looks over the covers and looks inside. "I wonder if this is supposed to
be like hte library in the Addams Family movie. Y'know, where the titles
dictated the contents and strangeness it'd spew out when opened?" SHe
muses to herself. "Since we're on movie comparisons..."
Turning as the door disappear, Jono's mind mutters a curse to itself,
the psi turning to try to find a way out, (~~...if I w's a psychotic
bitch wit' a perch'nce fer trick'ry, wh're w'ld I `ide a door?~~) he
asks himself, his boots thudding on the floor as he moves through,
cautious of the cages.
Terry takes up a book, flicks through it, "YEah.. Addams.. tha' was
funny w' th' man sunnin' himself.." She sniffs, "Books always smell s'
nice.."
Gwen Namura flips through the card catalgue, then wanders off to find a
psych book. "Might as well study."
Welp, there's regular books. Nothing pops out of them. But some of
the titles are... strange. _Niflheim : Land of Ice and Shadows_, _The
Art of Rune Magic_... ect, ect. Those titles might draw a little
interest, because the books literally look... ancient. Yellowing pages,
brittle leather covers. And if all the illusions in the room vanished,
those books would still be there. Because unlike everything else here,
they are real. Hey, when you're a "psychotic bitch wit' a perch'nce fer
trick'ry" you can still like to read.
Oooo. Tempting, tempting, tempting. "So how does this girl do her
stuff?" Paige pulls a few of the more interesting titles down and begins
to thumb through the delicate pages - looking over the history of
Niflheim, and then skimming the runes. Weird, weird, weird.
(~~...l'ke I kn'w, gel.~~) Jono says, moving towards the opposite end of
the library. (~~..Gwen, g'check th'back.~~) he says.
Gwen Namura pauses near Paige. "Can I have the rune one? I gotta idea."
After an answer, and the passing or not of the book, she heads to the
rear.
Terry wrinkles her nose as she peers through, "Magic was always a weird
subject. Eye o' newt an' such.. nah these little bity stones.."
Welp, Paige, hate to tell you this, but the titles were a fraud.
The titles were in English, but inside the book there are delicate
symbols instead of words. Or at least, for a moment there were delicate
symbols instead of words. Then the page shimmers for a moment and the
words appear in English. Isn't that just cool? Yup. Cool. Definately
cool. Magical book? Or is Lishka just playing with you all's heads? You
decide.
Meep? "Somehow, I just don't trust this stuff." Nor does she think the
golden bitch would have a translation spell on the books. But
regardless, Paige sets down to read through them - on the odd chance
that she's *NOT* toying with them, and wants them to THINK She is.
Jono doesn't take any books from the shelves, cautious of everything. He
taps the cages, moving back towards Paige, (~~..wot'cha find, luv?~~) he
asks her, taking a moment to peer over her shoulder.
Terry mutters, "Somehow I'm a bit more trustin' o' genetics an' such
than this stuff. I wouldna be surprised if it has some sor' o' price."
Well, book or no book, Gwen heads for the back of the room, whistling to
herself.
Well, basically Gwen finds that there are no doors, and no
windows, and not even any air vents. No air conditioning or heaters,
nothing. Just shelves, walls and cages. Now as for the two books, Paige
is skimming through one about Niflheim and by now knows at least the
basics. 'Nifl' is a word for Shadow, and 'heim' is a word for World.
Shadow World. Niflheim is one of 9 worlds of Norse Myth. It's right
above Hel. It is the world of primal ice and shadows. Ice giants and
creatures roam the landscape of this world. It's the world where the
World Tree, Yggdrasil, roots rest. It is a world with only two
intelligent races. One, isn't talked about. Another is. A race called
the Niflmannaz. The People of the Shadow.
"Great. We've stepped into a D and D setting." Paige drawls after a
moment. "You all might want to come and skim this over, folks. Know the
enemy, right?" She say as she goes through the book a little more, the
one with runes still under her hand as well.
Jono looks at what Paige reads, hrming to himself, in his mind, as he
skims whats on the page.
Terry shuts her book and wanders over towards Paige, "Wha' does it say?"
Her eyes drifting about, "An' ha are we supposed t' get ou' o' here?"
Gwen Namura heads back to skim with Paige! Whee!
Wohoo. Everyone gets to learn about the Niflmannaz now. Well, the
Niflmannaz were first created many many many years ago. Doesn't say how
long ago. Doesn't need to. Just says that they've been around as long as
Norse myth. They were created by a Rune Master. A man who made a stave
out of the roots of the world tree, and began carving runes into it.
When he carved six runes in a row, a Niflmannaz was born. Taken from the
frozen roots of the world tree, the Niflmannaz were instantly... cold.
Icy in nature and in heart. In fact, this book seems to go at great
lengths on how being as icy as they were made them a perfect counter
towards Odin and his "goody" people. This book, likely was written by a
Niflmannaz, because of the way it seems to take pride in those traits.
It also goes into the fact, that at first, the Niflmannaz had no
weaknesses. They were "all-powerful". At least as long as they remained
in Niflheim. The minute they left their powers... dwindled. But despite
the dwindling powers, they were still considered dangerous, and in an
unfair ruling by one of the Gods in Asgard - unfair to the writer at
least - Odin in fact. The Niflmannaz were banned from leaving Niflheim.
Then it goes into how smart they were to find a loop hole. If they
traveled to other worlds and remained in the shadows, they wouldn't have
offically left Niflheim. So they could still visit Midgard, and other
realms, as long as they stayed within the safety of the shadows. There
is more of course...
Paige lets out a tired sigh. "Great. EVERYONE is like her. There are
*MORE* of her." She shakes her head, and then turns to the book of runes
to flip through, getting into that one and letting the others read more
indepth on that Niflheim 'myths'. "See if you can find one on the
tower..." She suggests.
Snagging up one of the books, Jono tries to figure out how to get out of
here, or how to kill the icebitch upstairs. He sits down across from
Paige, his brow furrowing as he flips open the book, to roughly the
middle, and starts to read.
Terry sighs, "I dinna like this. Its s' odd..."
Gwen Namura shrugs. "Seems fairly normal to me."
Woah-boy. Ok. Here we go. The book on Runes goes into all the
runes and what they represent - ladahladahla. It mainly discusses the 24
main runes. Then it goes into how they can be activated and used in
magic. They have to be carved into something, stained with blood and
then their name must be called out. It says that some races can activate
the runes, but most can not. Some worlds have barriers on them that do
not allow the rune magic to work. Other worlds, like Niflheim, actually
-feed- the runes. It says that hypothetically, anyone could use rune
magic, if they had the knowledge, and were in the right place. Now, as
for books on the Tower of Illusion. Nope. Not one. There -is- a book
about a Tower. But it's called the White Tower. There's tones of "White
Tower"s. In fact, anyone who read Robert Jordan is probably asking where
Tar Valon is. Anywho. As for killing the ice bitch that lives upstairs.
It says there's only one way to truely kill a Niflmannaz. But it doesn't
say how. The rest of the page is blank. But before it says there's only
one way to kill a Niflmannaz, it goes into how there's only one way they
are born as well. No babys born here. This race doesn't mate. It doesn't
have children. Children, and others of the kind, are made. Through Rune
Magic. Through carving a name into a stave made from the World Tree. A
stave nicknamed by the author 'The Stave of Life'.
Paige groans softly. "This may be getting us a little more
knowledgeably, but it's not helping." Least, as far as she can see.
Using her vast mental power (And she's got it) she commits a few of
those runes to memory. They might be useful later - just to see if they
work for the human folk - after all, a human man carved the runs in the
tree to get the Niflemannaz, right? so maybe.. well, she'll test her
theory later. "Okay, lets try and go over this place again."
(~~...wot th'ell's a 'White Tower'?~~) he asks. Apparently, he got that
book, and Jono's confused.
Terry blinks in confusion. "I ha' n' idea..
Gwen Namura reads over Paige's shoulder. "I dunno. What if this is the
trap in this room?"
What's the White Tower? Well from the first couple pages Jono
learns all about how it's a prison basically. The Niflmannaz, years ago,
decided life in Niflheim was boring, and began playing games with other
races. The race here was no fun to play with, so they started playing
with humans on Midgard. Now, the first couple of "games" were rigged.
Humans would instantly lose no matter what. When Odin and all them
caught wind of that, well, they didn't like that much. Loki did though.
Odin tried to put a stop to their games, but Loki - who is the only
'God' view with respect in these books - kinda liked the idea of playing
games. So, limits were put on their games. They could only play with a
human if the human -agreed- to the game. Hense, why you all only got
sucked in after agreeing to play. Of course, this is where trickery came
into the mix. Tricking people into agreeing. And when those people lost,
they usually lost one of two things. Their soul, or their blood. Blood
is valuable to a Niflmannaz after all. They need it to charge runes.
They have no blood. When the soul was the price, they would need a place
to be stored. And the White Tower, was one of the main storage places.
Now as for the info being the trap? Who knows. But certainly nothing
else seems to be happening here. No ghosts, no axe-murders. Nothing.
Paige sighs softly, regardless, and goes over the damn room. "Anything
interesting from you guys?" She asks as the combs the room.
(~~..n't a d'mn th'ng.~~) Jono says from his position, sitting at one of
the tables across from Paige, reading one of the books.
Gwen Namura curls up under a table, and naps. "Wake me if something
happens."
While the others are all doing their thing, there's a slight...
shifting feeling in the room. Almost like the feeling one gets when a
plane is taking of. That G-Force feeling. It stops after a few seconds.
Wierd. Anyway, then something else happens. Someone steps out of a
shadow cast by one of the bookshelves. While one would expect Lishka,
the person who steps out is a male. A male version of Lishka. Just as
beautiful. And almost -more- dangerous feeling. His hair - like Lishka's
- is snow white, but unlike Lishka, his eyes are blue. Like a mile deep
lake, or the sky the instant before dawn. Almost what could be
considered an electric blue. An eyebrow quirks slightly, and he shakes
his head, "Little Lishka is playing a game here. Interesting." His voice
is somehow colder then the ice witch's. And he sounds almost bored.
(~~...aw shit, `noth'r one.~~) Jono says to the group, turning to regard
this one, the energies viewable through the top of his jacket turning
red..
Buh-LINK. "Oh, shi-yit," Paige mutters under her breath, as she looks
from the aisle she's standing in. "Lovely." She drawls as she comes out
and around, putting her hands on her hips being the very *picture* of
defiance. "Can we help ya, sah?" She says sweetly, though her eyes don't
really hide her venom all that well from the strange, handsome man
that's probably here to make them all misreable.
Terry glances back over her shoulder and jerks, "F' th' love o' god
another one?" She pushes some of her hair out of her eyes.
Gwen Namura peers out from under the table. "Yer mudder chews tabakker,
and yer fadder wore old overshoes."
The "shadow man" laughs softly. Unlike Lishka, who wears mostly
gold and white, he wears black. His voice is beautiful, but lonely, and
icy. Like wind chimes from a distance, except made of ice. "Oh, no. I
was just checking up on Lishka is all." He glances around and shakes his
head slightly, "The child needs to be more original. She always uses
this room. I don't see why." He seems to be talking to himself. As if
everyone here were below his acknowledgement. And the way he speaks of
Lishka... one would guess he doesn't care much for the ice bitch.
Paige glowers quietly. All pretense of sweetness is almost tossed to the
side, and then she mmms softly. "Really? Use the same room, ovah and
ovah? Ya don't seem t' much care foah her lack of originality."
Rising from his chair, Jono keeps a watchfull eye on this shadowman, the
energies swirling within his chest, underneath the leather jacket.
Terry's eyes widen a touch, "Checkin' up on her? Wha' are y' t' her?"
She slides her hands into her back pockets as she watches. Curious most
definitely. Among other things.
Gwen Namura looks up and whispers to Paige. She whispers, "Want to try
one of those mystic prunes on him?"
The man looks over each of then, furrowing his eyebrows slightly,
then he shrugs and moves to sit on one of the bookshelves. Yes. A
bookshelf. He floats up and sits on the top of it. He obviously likes
looking down at "humans". "What am I to Lishka? Well, you could say I'm
her 'big brother' of sorts." He doesn't seem to mind talking to the
humans, as if this is just something to bide his time for a while. And
perhaps he's trying to get some dirt of Lishka as well.
Paige mms, and arches a brow. "So she's playin' off yoah old tricks, is
she?" She asks. "Probably takin' an ideah of yoahs an' tryin' t' pull it
off." And the clear sub-text here is 'but you could probably do MUCH
better!'
Jono hopes that Paige doesn't get them into more trouble then they
already are...
Terry mutters to Paige as she watches, "Wha' y' wan' t' encourage
another one t' participate?" She lets her eyes raise up again and then
glances back to the others. "This jus' keeps gettin' weirder.."
Gwen Namura crawls out from under the table, and bounces up the set of
bookshelves next to the ones the man is sitting on. "I like this idea."
The man raises an eyebrow and laughs again. Though other then the
laugh he seems completely somber. "Yes. I could do this much better then
she could. She's too -nice-." That's a word that hasn't been pinned on
Lishka yet. That's for sure. "I think her games are incredably boring.
Too many rules." He doesn't like rules. And if he does have rules, he
seems like the type to break them.
Paige's brow arches. "So, how are your games different then hers?"
C'mon, c'mon, you egotistical bastard! You waaaaaaant to help us cause
you HATE her... and breakt the rules. Really. Sigh. Paige is TRYING to
be subtle. Realy.
Jono just watches.
Terry glances to Paige, and mutters, "I dinna think high school
psychology is gonna work on him.."
Gwen Namura waves to the man from the neighboring bookshelf. "Hi! We're
playing a game with Lishka! We can't break the rules cause she made a
really big mistake. And she can't break the rules either. Do you know
what the rules are?"
He gives his head a shake, "First of all, she needs to stop using
this Tower for her games. She needs to return it to the Elders. Her
invokation of the 'right of property' was probably the only truely
tricky thing she's ever done, but it was also stupid. Who would want to
spend eternity inside a place you were once held captive?" He gives a
slight shrug, then glances over at Gwen. He looks a thousand times more
smug then Lishka ever has, "I guessed that little human child." Then he
frowns, "She invoked Thurisaz?" He says that like someone else would say
'is that woman nuts!?'.
Paige nods quietly. "Yeah. So you think you maht wanna help us out a
little, maybe?"
Jono watches still, hoping Paige's gamble pays off.
Terry glances up and what the hells, "Please?"
The man gives a small shrug again, "Perhaps, perhaps. But I would
expect something in return for any help that I give." He turns his eyes
on Paige for a second, and then vanishes into a swirl of mist and
reappears in front of her, looking smug, and lazy, "Do you humans have
something I might want in return for a little help?"
Gwen Namura says "People, I don't think we should ask for help. It might
be cheating. We can't cheat. We can win. Just remember, good sir. It
might be worse. One of us might be Malekith. He's been on Midgard a time
or two. Or... Well. Let me put it this way. We could use all the luck we
can get. Don't you think, sir?" She watches the man, measuringly.
Paige's lips quirk into a smile. "Maybe. Ah heah you Niflemannaz need
blood to work yoah magics. Maybe a little in exchange for some assitance
heah?" She offers. Not like she can't be bled to the point of near-death
and then just husk away her damaged body for a good, whole one.
THat'll go over good with Jono, regardless if Paige can husk a new body
or not. He watches the man carefully, his fingers twitching, like they
were going to clench into fists.
Terry folds her arms across her chest, "Aye we ken offer blood, b' we'll
na' offer anythin' else.."
Gwen Namura says "We can't offer blood for services, though. I'm afraid
that might be considered cheating. Frankly, perhaps you'll have more fun
simply waiting until the game is over. If luck is with us, it won't be
long."
The man tilts his head slightly, then says, "No, I do not think
the rules of the game go against me helping you, or I would not have
been allowed to appear at all." He looks down at his fingers and blows
on the slightly, "Not that any of Lishka's restraints are much compared
to how they could be. She's too... nice. The use of Sowilo in her name."
He shakes his head. Sowilo. The rune of the Sun... He waves one hand
slightly, and a jug appears. A large jug, but not as large as it could
be. Could hold about a gallon. "Fill that, and I will give you a little
help."
Oh. Boy. "You two bettah help me out hear. Ah ain't fillin' that damn
thing mahself." She says simply as she looks at Terry and Gwen. "Got
it?" And with that, she grips one wrist, an shreds the skin away - to
reveal a knife where he hand once was. "Blood, then. Not lahk Ah ain't
opened up mah wrists b'foah..." She murmurs as she moves to the jug. She
fixes Jono with a look that says, 'Don't EVEN try and stop me' and then
draws the knife down her arm in five deep slashes, concentrating on
keeping her form human beneath. Bleed? Yes, she does! Very well in fact.
There's a spurt and then it tapers off as it dripples down her torn
flesh and into the jug.
Jono grips the back of the nearest chair as he watches his Paige slice
her wrist open.. trying to keep back..
Terry offers her arm over to Paige, "Nah' five slashes thank y'.." Not
like she would dare let Paige do this one on her own. She can just hear
Sam going off on that one.
Gwen Namura idly plays with her fingers on the top of the bookshelves.
"Fill that, and we make you a god." "What's your name, anyhow, you?" A
golden glow may, or may not, be visible between her fingers.
The man watches the silently, seeing her rip her skin off and not
seeming worried by her. He still looks.. smug. He glances over at Gwen,
"My name is Teiman." And you all thought Lishka was a weird name? He
looks up at the ceiling, sighing softly, as if bored. But his smug
expression has reason. You all didn't set terms. So he can help you as
little as he wants. And he loves the thought of that. All that blood,
and he barely has to stretch for it. Lishka's gonna be pissed when she
realizes he's been cloaking his presense in this room from the moment he
entered.
No, Paige is a little smarter then *that*. "So." She says, gritting her
teeth as she pulls back her arm and husks away the wounds. She still
looks a touch pale, but hey. "Now. You've got half your jug here. What
are you going to do for us to get the rest of that thing filled?" She
runs her hands along the top of the rim, in that bit of her blood that
splashed there - Terry's not been cut yet, thank god! - and says, "We
want help. And Gwen's right. We *are* giving you alot of blood here. So
you need to pay us back in kind." She says, and then tilts the jug. "I
mean, it'd be a danm shame if we had to ... drop it without gettin' our
payment in return." And thne she lets the jug settle back the tabletop.
"So, 'Teiman'. What is it?"
Jono moves to place a hand on the jug, holding it, for that added
'protection', watching Teiman.
Terry keeps her arm bare and extended, "We need t' finish this
negotiation, d' ttha' an muh blood will join hers..."
Gwen Namura says "Distress and Ice. Sounds like a bad mix to me. And, of
course, we can't trust you. You've admitted as much yourself. But a
bargain of blood should not be broken. Maybe if everyone was nicer,
things would work better. She reveals a angular S gouged in the
bookshelf, rimming with blood from a minor cut. "Now, how did you
pronounce that word?"
Teiman's eyes narrow at everyone, and then he snorts loudly. Then
he gives a small shrug, "Alright, alright. I'll get you all to the next
floor. That's what Lishka loves about this room. It's a game within
itself. You have to read one specific book out of these hundreds to open
the door. Many groups have spent days here." He moves to lean against a
bookshelf. Sowilo. The Sun rune. The rune that melts ice and destroys
shadows. And one of the only weaknesses of a Niflmannaz. Smart move,
Gwen.
Paige smiles slightly. Does that mean she's got to open up her veins
again. "Full jug, then. And no melting the help, Gwen. Unless you have
to. Terry?" She wipes her bladed 'hand' clean on her jeans, and then
looks at Terry. Well, Irish?
Jono backs away from the blade. They don't need some kind of liquified
psionic energy added tothe mix of blood.
Terry hisses a tad as Paige's blade cuts hungrily into her arm, "Ahhh
damn nah.." The blood wells up from the wound and flows with a sickening
slowness down the pallor of the redhead's arm. This is something she's
going to be paying for, considering its not illusion damage. It slides
down between her fingers dripping into the jug or bucket or whatever.
Gwen Namura says "Melting? Hm. Interesting. Now, tell you what. If you
give us the next room... and something extra, we'll give you a warning
in return. How's that for a deal? A warning and the blood."
Teiman's eyebrow raises at Gwen and her grumbles, "A warning? Do
you really think the rune will work that purely? Isa may create ice, and
Kenaz may create fire, but that does not mean an amature can use that
rune to create anything useful. All runes have multiple uses. How do you
know you will get something useful on your first activation?" He glances
towards the jug. All that blood within reach. He wants it. He could
stain a hundred runes with that blood. Not to mention he could trade it
to the Elders for things. His eyes actually look... hungry. Famished is
probably the right word. "A warning and the blood? How much extra help?"
There's a low hiss, and Paige comes out with, "Gwen. You *are* gonna
contribute to this. Terry an' Ah can't fill this damn thing on our own."
She mutters. "Ah may be able to husk this away, but you an' Terry can't.
Ah bleed ovah half. You twn can contribute the rest. Do yoah fair share,
Gwen." After all, it's not like Jono can bleed.
Yeah, if Jono bled, he'd be bleeding enough energy to rock the hell out
of Teiman over there. As it is, he looks like he wants to do it. He
doesn't like the idea of the girls weakening themselves to give Iceman
an advantage over anyway. (~~...add in, Gwen.~~) he says to the girls.
Gwen Namura says, "Jono, if you would bring the jar up here?" She
doesn't seem to want to move from the rune she carved. "You give us a
suggestion. I'm afraid we don't have enough experience to ask for the
right thing." She holds a finger over her left wrist, ready to slit.
Terry squeezes her fist a bit, urging a little more to come out. She
takes a steadying breath, "Damn.. we're goin' t' need t' find a source
o' red meat after this.." She squints.
Teiman frowns briefly, and glances around. What to give them? What
to give them? Ah. There's an idea. Thank you, Terry. "How about I bring
you something to eat. Non-illusions. Non-plant life. Red meat as the
pretty red head over there said. I could conjure up a quick portal to
earth and bring trap something for you all to eat."
Paige mms and nods quietly. "Provisions good be good. Anythin' else,
ladies and gent?" She asks, looking over the group. "Food is good.
*Cooked* food. None of this raw meat shit. Movin' to the next room, as
well." She looks over at Jon and Gwen and then says, "Anythin' to add,
you two?" And GWen gets a warning glance - 'Don't get too cocky'.
Jono keeps his hand on the jar, speaking directly to Paige, (~~..st'dy
T'rry...~~), and then to Gwen, (~~...j'st slice th'd'mn rune outta the
wood, git d'wn `ere, and add in yer share. Or we'll leave ya `ere.~~) he
threatens, sounding like he'll do it, too.
Terry mutters, "Some sort o' fruit juice would help after this, cause I
dinna think I'm goin' t' be standin'... much longer.." She tightly grips
at her arm, staunching the blood flow into the jar. She takes slow
breathes wearily.
Gwen Namura does as Jono suggests, hiding the method she uses to cut it.
She says, "Milk. In a gallon jug, from a grocery store. Whole milk, if
you don't mind. And for meat... lesse. What's pre-packaged and easy to
accquire? Ah. Two quarter-pounder burgers from McDonald's, each. And, if
you would be so kind, toilet paper." She waits for Terry to be free,
then cuts lightly and partially across, NOT down, her left wrist, and
begins to milk it for blood.
Gwen Namura says "Two gallons milk, actually. Or maybe fruit juice
instead."
Teiman grumbles and actually says, "Would you like fries with
that?" He doesn't sound pleased. Being bossed around by humans. That's
just wrong. Then he says, "I will see what I can do. I can not promise
much. My presense on Midgard - as you likely know - is limited."
Paige's lips curl up in a slight smile, nodding to Jono. There's another
SHIRP As she begins to wind away flesh - morphing as she goes into ...
cloth arm? Shit, she's got to stop this soon. She shrips that away as
well, forming a strange bandage for Terry and moves over to wrap her
arm. "S'ahraht, gal." She murmurs and then glances over at Gwen as she
bleeds. "Theah."
Paige murmurs, just a moment later, "Make 'at *4* quarter pounders and
juice foah us. Ah think Ah put out too much masss..."
Keeping his hand on the jug, its evident that Teiman ain't getting this
blood without paying up.
Terry murmurs to Paige, "Thank y'.." She closes her eyes, "Definitely
the juice."
Gwen Namura carefully milks her wrist, watching it without growing
faint. She says, precisely, "Then it's settled. The extra, in addition
to getting us to the next floor, is four quarter pounders each, and a
gallon of fluids per person, half the total sum of fluids juice...
orange juice, and half the total sum of fluids milk... we need the
calcium. I apologize, but I was not aware of how much your kind knew of
Midgard. She who is playing the other half of our game has been... out
of contact for some time, and is not a good representative. If you
prefer to pay for the food, I have a sum of money, as might some others
of our team." She reaches into her fanny pack, removes a bandage, and
applies it to the wound, as the jug is more or less filled. "Is that
agreeable?"
"Lishka has been out of things for a while. That's what happens
when you show weakness and let a human go. ... It is a deal. I do not
need your money..." Teiman digs into his jacket and pulls out a small...
card looking thing. Only made of wood. There are many stained runes
carved into it. He walks over to a bookshelf, looking for one that isn't
an illusion. As he walks he strips away Lishka's illusions. Shelves
vanish, real books fall to the floor, even the cages desolve. Then he
finds a real one. He pulls out something that looks like... chalk... and
draws a doorway on it. Then pulls out a knife - his jacket must hold a
lot - and carves in a rune.
**
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**
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*
Then he pulls out a small vial of blood and stains it, not
wasteing a drop. Then he says in his usual voice, "Raidho." The rune
starts to spin, flashing bright red. Strobing. Then the door looks real.
He moves forward, and steps through it. It closes behind him and
vanishes. It was only meant for one. A few moments later he reappears,
with most of what was asked for... In a grocery bag of all things. Plus
extra. He didn't pay though, that's for sure. A bunch of people are
going to be missing groceries and missing burgers.
Paige ooos! FOOD! "Hand it ovah, darlin'." She looks at Jono, and then
shakes her head. "You wanna be a thief an get our asses nailed for it,
you do yoah own damn dirty work, Gwen." And with that, she helps Terry
over to get that food, and looks over to Jono. "Get the jug, darlin'.
When we get our exit and get through, the blood is yours."
A mental oof, and Jono is hefting the blood-filled jug into his arms,
moving with the group.
Terry helps by taking up some of the food, "Let us ou' o' here..."
Gwen Namura says "How bout we give him the blood now and the warning
after we're through the door? The warning is important."
Teiman nods and looks around, trying to find the illusion covering
the door. Lishka's illusions are as easy to tear apart as paper to him.
Then he grins and sees it...
A doorway appears on the ceiling, like one someone would expect to
see for an attic door. The type that pulls down. The only apparent way
up there besides flight, is a ladder against the bookcase, the type one
would climb to get a book that's at the top.
Paige helps Terry up the ladder, and then waits the at top for Gwen and
Jono. "Give the damn jug and the warning, Gwen, and lets high tail it
outta heah." She says gruffly.
Jono stands at the bottom, holding the jug, gauging the distance.. He
sets the jug down, then sprints up the stairs, preparing to dive between
Terry and Paige if need be.
Gwen Namura moves to the ladder. "The warning is that most of us are
superpowered humans. You have seen that. The part that is not obvious is
that most of us are of the "mutant" type. That is the result of a random
factor in the genetic structure of the person. It will be present in the
blood. In addition, several of us have been near or the focus of extreme
magical activity. Up to that of a living dimension or plane, gained
sentinence. The essence of the warning is that the blood will be of at
least average quality. Possibly more, for the blood of a hero. Possibly
more for the mutancy and magic. But test it carefully before you use it.
You have enough to do so. Because the results may not be what is
predicted." She climbs.
Terry stumbles along the ladder, "Dammn dammnn.."
Resting Suite -- 7th Floor -- Tower of Illusion -- Niflheim
Congrats! You're halfway there. And yet again, you find yourselves
in familar ground. A very large suit devoted to the family, having 4
bedrooms from the central room. Furniture reaches all throughout the
room. The area is tastefully decorated in reproductions of French
artwork. There is plenty of room to move about, and windows overlooking
Knightsbridge, London. There's no doorway where the door would have been
to lead to the Second Floor of the Chateau Cartier, instead there's just
a solid plain wall. Any attempts to open the windows will find nothing
but solid matter. The windows do not really overlook anything. They just
-look- like they do. There are actually four bedrooms though. This is a
room set aside for resting. Isn't Lishka nice, giving you all a place to
sleep comfortably?
Terry drops on the floor and starts draining her juice.
(
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