Pulp 014

May 31, 2021

[7:26 PM] Xho: You folks were all holed up at the Swan Lake estate, stately home of Alan Swann (Charles Foster Kane wishes he were this cool), after a successful trip fetching the Fang of the Fallen, along with its guardian, a two-headed Russian dragon (zmeya) named Anya. The trip was not without its difficulties, however--Joseph was hurt when sky pirates bombed the forest you were escaping through, and Inari was hurt doing... something, when she separated from the group soon after.

[7:28 PM] Xho: Joseph is unconscious and being watched over by Casper Quentin, Anya is sleeping on a pile of magic books in the library, Inari is in the shape of a fox and receiving medical attention, Nemo is missing, Eleanor was wounded and the mansion is full of weirdos.

[7:30 PM] Xho: And you picked up a new weirdo, Declan Fry, a magician and also a mage.

[7:30 PM] Declan: ((That describes our every game.))

[7:30 PM] Xho: ... that's a good point, actually!

[7:30 PM] Ke: ((It does.))

[7:30 PM] Declan: ((Just a place full of weirdos.))

[7:32 PM] Xho: You may or may not have jet lag, and may or may not have had a tough time sleeping last night, but it's morning now and things look brighter! ... partly because it snowed overnight and the sun is reflecting off of everything and I hope you all brought sunglasses and a good pair of boots if you're planning on going out today, children.

[7:32 PM] Sandy Swan: wakes up, having fallen asleep in the garage and will go get breakfast.

[7:32 PM] Ke: ((Does Sofia Sparkle?))

[7:33 PM] Declan: has not slept, having spent all night in the library, probably.

[7:34 PM] Xho: Sofia does not sparkle! She is a traditional vampire girl.

[7:34 PM] Sandy Swan: ((  ))

[7:35 PM] Ke: would have slept a little but mainly wandered the mansion a bit but would head to the kitchen area as it is about breakfast time.

[7:36 PM] Declan: goes to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.

[7:36 PM] Sandy Swan: "...mornin'"

[7:36 PM] Xho: In most giant homes like this, that'd be out of bounds and for staff only, but Alan is a weirdo himself and runs a pretty informal house. Staff is accustomed to people just wandering in and out like it's a normal kitchen.

[7:37 PM] Declan: is reading a book, still, and the coffee pours itself and floats over to him.

[7:38 PM] Declan: .... huh. Did you know that Baba Yaga is not only real, but apparently is lovely once you get to know her?

[7:38 PM] Sandy Swan: ((Sandy would've been in and out of the kitchen a bunch.))

[7:38 PM] Sandy Swan: "Yep."

[7:38 PM] Declan: I don't get out to Russia that much.

[7:39 PM] Declan: How's your friend?

[7:39 PM] Ke: No change.

[7:39 PM] Sandy Swan: "How's Casper handling it?"

[7:40 PM] Xho: The big, fluffy black cat meows at Sandy.

[7:41 PM] Sandy Swan: scritches

[7:41 PM] Ke: He is holding up. I think he managed to get some sleep.

[7:42 PM] Xho: The cat leans into this, but obviously thinks he should be having food right now.

[7:43 PM] Ke: How about you Sandy? Where did you get off to last night?

[7:44 PM] Sandy Swan: "Eh.  Nowhere special.  Working on some new designs, primarily for Forrester.  He seems like a good guy."(edited)

[7:45 PM] Declan: reads. "Huh, the Brotherhood of the Cold Flame started out as an insurance scam, then they started worshipping a physical reincarnation of one of Kali's darker aspects.  They tried to kill me a lot last year."

[7:45 PM] Sandy Swan: "...what's that?"

[7:46 PM] Ke: will slightly twitch at mention of Forrester "Why were they trying to kill you?"

[7:47 PM] Sandy Swan: "What are you reading?"

[7:49 PM] Declan: It's just one of the Planetary Guides in the library. Seems to be some kind of annual travelogue of weird shit in the world. And the Cold Flame was trying to kill me because they wanted the Amulet of Fire, which I had taken off one of their Warlocks.

[7:49 PM] Declan: It was a whole... thing.

[7:51 PM] Sandy Swan: "...I can't tell if you're doing the detatched blasé thing as an act or...like...what?"

[7:52 PM] Declan: Hmm. Kind of. You all are globe-trotting adventurers, I mustn't come off as too terribly provincial with my minor escapades, you know?

[7:53 PM] Sandy Swan: "Fair enough."

[7:53 PM] Ke: I do not know if globe trotting adventurers is the right word.

[7:54 PM] Declan: You just came home from Russia with a dragon.

[7:54 PM] Xho: Paris turns up with a tray and brings it back to the sink.

[7:54 PM] Declan: Who's blase now?

[7:55 PM] Xho: Paris: She's in the library. Do you think two cows will be enough?

[7:55 PM] Ke: Be at least a good start.

[7:56 PM] Sandy Swan: "Thanks, Paris."

[7:56 PM] Ke: If she has two heads do they share a stomach?

[7:56 PM] Declan: I suspect you will learn very quickly if it is not.

[7:56 PM] Xho: Paris: I would assume so. And that is true.

[7:57 PM] Xho: Paris: We have not had a dragon as a guest for quite some time.

[7:57 PM] Sandy Swan: "...wait, we've had dragons before?  ...have I met dragons?  ...why did no one tell me I met dragons?"

[7:58 PM] Declan: I mean, maybe they thought you knew?

[7:59 PM] Xho: Paris: I do not believe you have, Miss Sandy.(edited)

[7:59 PM] Sandy Swan: "Ok, well...I feel better about that...I guess?"

[7:59 PM] Xho: Paris: They're generally not... subtle.

[8:00 PM] Sandy Swan: "...I miss when we mostly fought other treasure hunters.  Remember Dr. Fisto?  He was fun."

[8:03 PM] Declan: ....... Dare I ask what his gimmick was?

[8:03 PM] Sandy Swan: "He had a big mechanical hand.  Like...ludicrously big.  Pretty sure he had balance issues."

[8:04 PM] Declan: I would imagine so.

[8:04 PM] Ke: Seems quite impractical.

[8:05 PM] Sandy Swan: "It really was.  Again, fun.  ...I mean, he did murder a bunch of people to get really old novelty rocks but...you know...comparatively speaking."

[8:06 PM] Xho: Paris: A very unpleasant individual.

[8:07 PM] Declan: I suppose since everyone's magic now it kind of.... raises the stakes? Before a few weeks ago, it was scrambling and fighting over every scrap of magic you could find.

[8:07 PM] Sandy Swan: "I'm not magic."

[8:08 PM] Declan: shrugs. "You get my point, though."

[8:08 PM] Declan: Things got a lot stranger.

[8:08 PM] Sandy Swan: "I do.  I miss when everyone wasn't magic."

[8:08 PM] Xho: Paris: I prefer to deal with magic using a tongs, a pair of work gloves and the fireplace, personally.

[8:09 PM] Ke: Does that work?

[8:09 PM] Xho: Paris: Surprisingly often.

[8:09 PM] Declan: The world's a strange place. I rather like it that way.

[8:10 PM] Xho: The cat meows at Declan insistently.

[8:10 PM] Declan: pets the cat.

[8:10 PM] Ke: Strange things and changes are better than being dead.

[8:10 PM] Xho: Paris: Ellie told me to stop fussing over her like an old woman. She does appear to be on the mend.

[8:11 PM] Sandy Swan: "She's looking pretty healthy."

[8:11 PM] Sandy Swan: "...I assume Alan's looking after the other mangy creature in a bad way."

[8:13 PM] Xho: Paris eyes Sandy. "Inari? There was a bit of a fuss earlier this morning when the doctor wanted to go home."

[8:13 PM] Ke: Why did the doctor want to leave?

[8:15 PM] Xho: Paris: Oh, he said he'd done all he could do and she ought to recover well enough.

[8:15 PM] Xho: He eyes Sandy again. "But you know how he gets."

[8:16 PM] Sandy Swan: "Yeah."

[8:16 PM] Sandy Swan: "...do I?"

[8:17 PM] Sandy Swan: "...hey Paris...is Alan...um...how's he been?  Like...since I left?"

[8:18 PM] Xho: Paris: ... grumpier. Why?

[8:18 PM] Sandy Swan: "I hadn't asked.  And he's seemed...different.  Like...I don't know.  More...around?"

[8:19 PM] Xho: Paris shakes his head, picks up his tray and heads out.

[8:20 PM] Declan: Family's tough.

[8:20 PM] Sandy Swan: "Yeah."

[8:20 PM] Sandy Swan: "You got one?"

[8:21 PM] Declan: I do. It gets pretty awkward, you know? You grow up and the person you are is not what they see, they see the person they raised.

[8:21 PM] Xho: The cat hops onto Declan's lap for more pettings.

[8:22 PM] Declan: picks up the cat and pets.

[8:22 PM] Declan: So.... I assume the fox-thing is important to him.

[8:23 PM] Sandy Swan: "It's kind of his girlfriend."

[8:24 PM] Declan: ...okay.

[8:25 PM] Sandy Swan: "She's not usually a fox."

[8:25 PM] Sandy Swan: "Like you said, everyone's magic."

[8:25 PM] Declan: Oh, that makes more sense, then.

[8:26 PM] Xho: Roll Awareness.

[8:26 PM] Declan: ((4 successes.))

[8:27 PM] Ke: ((1 sucess.))

[8:27 PM] Sandy Swan: ((1 success))

[8:29 PM] Declan: looks out the window. "..... huh.  That bear is wearing people clothes."

[8:29 PM] Xho: All of you spot Wild Jack out by the treeline, where there's a more woodsy area of the property that's mostly been left as nature made it.

[8:30 PM] Sandy Swan: "Oh, that's Wild Jack...I don't think he has a bear form.  He just...looks like that."

[8:30 PM] Declan: Hmmm. Catching rabbits, it looks like.

[8:31 PM] Declan: So I get the feeling you haven't been part of the Society for very long.

[8:32 PM] Ke: No, we only just joined.

[8:33 PM] Sandy Swan: "...wanna go say hi?"

[8:35 PM] Xho: Mort: Hi.

[8:35 PM] Ke: So how many books from the library did you read last night?

[8:35 PM] Ke: Morning Mort.

[8:36 PM] Xho: Mort: I should eat food.

[8:36 PM] Sandy Swan: "Jesus!  ...you are very quiet, kid."

[8:36 PM] Sandy Swan: "Yeah.  Um...I'll make eggs.  You like eggs?"

[8:36 PM] Xho: Mort: ... is that bad?

[8:37 PM] Ke: being quiet is very useful.

[8:37 PM] Declan: It is.

[8:38 PM] Xho: Mort: Oh, good.

[8:38 PM] Xho: He smiles tentatively. "Eggs. Thank you."

[8:38 PM] Ke: It has gotten me out of many situations.

[8:39 PM] Sandy Swan: begins making eggs.

[8:39 PM] Declan: nods. "I imagine so.  So how do you balance your performances and being here, Miss Ke?"

[8:40 PM] Xho: Mort watches this process interestedly.

[8:40 PM] Sandy Swan: "When do you perform, Ke?"

[8:42 PM] Ke: less performances in the winter, but I do have to get back for some this week.

[8:43 PM] Sandy Swan: "You have a regular circus?"

[8:44 PM] Xho: Mort: They do tricks.

[8:44 PM] Sandy Swan: "Circuses?  Yeah, sometimes."

[8:45 PM] Ke: Is that surprising?

[8:46 PM] Sandy Swan: "That you work for one?  I dunno.  I don't know how circuses work."

[8:46 PM] Declan: What do you do, Miss Swan?

[8:47 PM] Sandy Swan: brings eggs to Mort. "I'm a waitress."

[8:47 PM] Sandy Swan: "I worked at Al's Diner for a while.  You know it?"

[8:48 PM] Xho: Mort smiles, sits, and eats them right up!

[8:48 PM] Ke: I have passed by it a couple times.

[8:48 PM] Declan: No. I've only been in Boston for a month or so, though.

[8:49 PM] Sandy Swan: "Mmmmm.  On the side, I tinker with stuff.  Cars and bikes, mostly.  Anything with an engine, but I'm expanding a bit."

[8:50 PM] Declan: To what?(edited)

[8:50 PM] Sandy Swan: "Well, given our recent line of work, weaponry.  Have an idea for a gas gun.  Also need some sort of easy portable container unit.  One that not anyone could get in.  ...also, a leg now."

[8:51 PM] Ke: A leg?

[8:52 PM] Sandy Swan: "For Forrester.  He's got a prosthetic, thought I could make a new one.  Give it some enhancements."

[8:54 PM] Declan: Could make it oversized and call him Dr. Kicko.

[8:54 PM] Sandy Swan: smirks

[8:55 PM] Ke: i would approve of that, at least he would be less mobile with a giant foot.

[8:55 PM] Declan: Why do you want him less mobile?

[8:55 PM] Sandy Swan: "...what's your problem with Forrester?"

[9:01 PM] Sandy Swan: "...every time he comes up you get...twitchy."

[9:03 PM] Ke: We had a conversation and I was basically forced into one of his current investigations.

[9:04 PM] Declan: I feel like that's a statement that needs unpacking.

[9:04 PM] Sandy Swan: "Agreed."

[9:06 PM] Ke: He was interested in items I had acquired for an organisation that he is trying to shut down.

[9:07 PM] Sandy Swan: "...what organization?"

[9:08 PM] Ke: I do not know their name.

[9:08 PM] Declan: Are you part of this organization or just.... freelance?

[9:09 PM] Ke: part of, but they are very secretive.

[9:10 PM] Declan: Is it a cult?

[9:10 PM] Xho: Alan clears his throat, standing in the doorway.

[9:10 PM] Xho: He's got a bundle of blankets in his arms.

[9:11 PM] Sandy Swan: "...Alan.  Morning."

[9:12 PM] Xho: Alan: The doctor said I should try to get her to eat something. And she should make a full recovery.

[9:12 PM] Xho: A little fox head pops up from the blankets and looks around.

[9:12 PM] Ke: That is good.

[9:12 PM] Ke: How long will she stay as a fox?

[9:13 PM] Xho: Alan: Until she heals up a bit more, probably.

[9:14 PM] Sandy Swan: "So is she like...really a fox and just turns into a human?"

[9:15 PM] Xho: Alan: She's a fox who assumes human shapes sometimes and fox shapes at other times.

[9:15 PM] Xho: The blankets wiggle a little bit.

[9:16 PM] Xho: Alan: ... it's inconvenient, because she can't talk this way. What do you want, anyway. Woah, stop that.

[9:16 PM] Xho: Mort: She talks. You just don't understand.

[9:16 PM] Sandy Swan: "She want eggs?"

[9:18 PM] Xho: Alan: That's a good idea. Ordinary foxes eat eggs, so...

[9:19 PM] Xho: He sets the blanket bundle on the table. It makes a "whuff" noise.

[9:20 PM] Sandy Swan: goes about cooking eggs.

[9:20 PM] Sandy Swan: "Paris said the doctor said she'd be alright."

[9:21 PM] Xho: Alan: Yes.

[9:22 PM] Xho: Alan rubs his forehead and the fox peeks out of the bundle at Declan.

[9:22 PM] Declan: waves.

[9:23 PM] Xho: The fox steps partially out of the bundle and sniffs at Declan interestedly.

[9:24 PM] Ke: Inari this is Declan. He is a magician.

[9:25 PM] Xho: She sniffs his hand, if he lets her.

[9:25 PM] Declan: does.

[9:25 PM] Xho: The cat, meanwhile, hops up onto the table and sits next to the injured fox. Alan watches it like a hawk, but the cat just yawns.

[9:26 PM] Ke: Did you sleep last night Alan?

[9:27 PM] Xho: Alan: What? I'm fine.

[9:28 PM] Sandy Swan: "Not an answer."

[9:29 PM] Xho: Alan: It's not going to kill me to skip a night of sleep.

[9:29 PM] Xho: The fox whuffs.

[9:30 PM] Sandy Swan: drops the scrambled eggs in front of Inari.

[9:31 PM] Ke: If you are making decisions for the Society, it might kill someone else if you do not take a nap.

[9:32 PM] Xho: Alan: You were at the meeting. No one makes decisions for them, they argue about every single thing.

[9:33 PM] Xho: Inari pokes out of the blanket bundle enough that you can see the bandages around her, and noms up the eggs.

[9:33 PM] Sandy Swan: "I noticed.  Almost seems not worth having the meetings."

[9:34 PM] Ke: Not much of a society if it never meets.

[9:35 PM] Xho: Alan folds his arms. "It's in the bylaws."

[9:35 PM] Declan: And it's a society, not an army or anything. I'm assuming. When you're not fighting Nazis I assume you just get together and swap stories and information and lore.

[9:36 PM] Xho: Alan: And argue. A lot of it is arguing.

[9:36 PM] Declan: looks at the fox. "Huh.  That's new."

[9:37 PM] Sandy Swan: What is?

[9:37 PM] Xho: She sits back on her haunches and looks at him.

[9:37 PM] Declan: I can tell she's magic.

[9:37 PM] Declan: .... I mean, obviously, but I can... feel it.

[9:38 PM] Xho: She grins a foxy little grin at him.

[9:39 PM] Sandy Swan: "...that's new?"

[9:39 PM] Xho: Alan: You have a connection with magic.

[9:40 PM] Declan: Yeah,  it's new. Huh, neat.

[9:41 PM] Sandy Swan: "Good to know."

[9:41 PM] Ke: potentially useful.

[9:42 PM] Xho: The fox limps over to Sandy and sniffs at her.

[9:42 PM] Sandy Swan: "...I only really know how to cook eggs, Inari.  Sorry, nothing else to give you."

[9:43 PM] Xho: Alan looks at Declan. "She likes you. She doesn't usually ignore men like that."

[9:43 PM] Xho: The fox whuffs at Sandy.

[9:44 PM] Declan: Oh, good. That's good, yeah?

[9:44 PM] Sandy Swan: "What?  What do you want from me?"

[9:45 PM] Xho: The fox looks at her expectantly.

[9:45 PM] Xho: Alan: I don't know, how do you feel about redheads?

[9:46 PM] Sandy Swan: cautiously pats her head.

[9:46 PM] Declan: pours more coffee and warms it up in the mug. "Trouble, typically.  Can be worth it, though."

[9:47 PM] Ke: maybe she wants something to drink?

[9:47 PM] Xho: The fox definitely leans into it.

[9:47 PM] Xho: The cat, meanwhile, is insulted by all of this and heads over to Declan, meowing extensively for pets.

[9:49 PM] Declan: pets the cat. "So.  You guys fight Nazis, I hear."

[9:50 PM] Sandy Swan: "S'what I've been told.  This all got very crazy at some point."

[9:51 PM] Ke: I think it started crazy, to be honest.

[9:51 PM] Xho: The cat sits and seems happy with this.

[9:51 PM] Xho: Alan: You think this is crazy?

[9:54 PM] Xho: Alan: One time the mansion was overrun by gremlins and everyone in the society had to come and help catch them all.

[9:55 PM] Sandy Swan: "...again, Dr. Fisto.  Had a giant fist.  Times were simpler."

[9:55 PM] Declan: When Dr. Fisto is your barometer for normal, it never was.

[9:55 PM] Ke: That does not sound simpler.

[9:56 PM] Xho: Roll Awareness!

[9:57 PM] Sandy Swan: ((Fail))

[9:58 PM] Ke: ((2 succeses))

[9:58 PM] Declan: (1 that time.)

[9:59 PM] Declan: puts a hand on the back of his neck. "Something's coming."

[9:59 PM] Ke: My life was less crazy before all this.

[9:59 PM] Sandy Swan: "...what's coming?"

[10:00 PM] Ke: No clue, something is though.

[10:00 PM] Xho: Alan draws a gun.

[10:00 PM] Ke: also pulls a gun out.

[10:00 PM] Xho: The cat darts under the table, and Inari bristles, limping over to the edge of the table with her teeth bared.

[10:01 PM] Xho: Mort looks totally unconcerned, though.

[10:02 PM] Xho: You hear the sound before you see anything: a low crackling noise that quickly intensifies into a roar, almost like a fire in an electrical generator, snapping and zapping.

[10:03 PM] Xho: Then on the windowed side of the room, a blue-white thing appears. It looks like it's made out of some sort of energy--plasma? lightning? magic? hard to say, but it's spinning.

[10:03 PM] Sandy Swan: "...Tesla coil?"

[10:03 PM] Xho: A glass falls from one of the countertops and breaks.

[10:04 PM] Xho: ... then it picks itself up and comes back together again as the room shakes a bit.

[10:04 PM] Declan: So that's weird.

[10:04 PM] Ke: It is.

[10:05 PM] Xho: There's a weird feeling of sudden pressure, and a human figure leaps out of the spinning, crackling portal.

[10:05 PM] Sandy Swan: "..."

[10:05 PM] Xho: And then the pressure is gone,, as the portal vanishes with an incongruous "pop!"

[10:05 PM] Xho: The person is on the ground, face down.

[10:06 PM] Ke: goes over to them and rolls them over.

[10:06 PM] Sandy Swan: goes to investigste

[10:06 PM] Declan: works his jaw to get his ears to pop.

[10:07 PM] Ke: Common way for visitors to show up here?

[10:08 PM] Xho: It's Nemo, and she's unconscious.

[10:08 PM] Xho: Alan: I really wish she'd stop doing that.

[10:08 PM] Sandy Swan: "Nemo!"

[10:08 PM] Declan: You know her?

[10:08 PM] Sandy Swan: "She's the librarian."

[10:08 PM] Ke: She is the librarian or record keeper.

[10:09 PM] Ke: Should we call a doctor?

[10:09 PM] Xho: Alan: She's been missing since the fight.

[10:10 PM] Xho: Nemo's eyes open and she sits up, suddenly.

[10:10 PM] Xho: Nemo: I know where it is.

[10:10 PM] Ke: Where what is?

[10:11 PM] Xho: Nemo: The library.

[10:11 PM] Xho: Nemo: I know where it is!

[10:12 PM] Sandy Swan: "....here?"

[10:12 PM] Xho: Inari sits up.

[10:12 PM] Sandy Swan: "I'm confused."

[10:12 PM] Xho: Nemo: The rest of it! You're back. Where's Blackwell?

[10:12 PM] Sandy Swan: "...not well."

[10:12 PM] Ke: Unconscious, has been for days.(edited)

[10:12 PM] Xho: Alan: ... the Library of the Black Hart only partially exists in this plane, the rest of it is... elsewhere.

[10:13 PM] Xho: Nemo: It was elsewhere. He's unconscious? Where?

[10:13 PM] Ke: upstairs.

[10:13 PM] Sandy Swan: "Guest room 3"

[10:14 PM] Xho: Nemo runs out of the room.

[10:14 PM] Xho: Alan: ... that's much more typical.

[10:14 PM] Ke: will follow her(edited)

[10:14 PM] Sandy Swan: follows

[10:14 PM] Sandy Swan: "You ever going to tell us what's happening?"

[10:15 PM] Xho: Nemo: He took over the library that exists here, we can use him as a tether to retrieve the rest of it.

[10:17 PM] Xho: Does Declan follow?

[10:17 PM] Xho: Mort does; Alan and Inari do not.

[10:18 PM] Declan: That seems more inconvenient  than just keeping your library in one dimension.

[10:18 PM] Declan: follows.

[10:18 PM] Ke: Maybe it wasn't on purpose.

[10:18 PM] Xho: Nemo: It's a long story. Does anyone have a knife?

[10:18 PM] Sandy Swan: "How is Blackwell in control of it?"

[10:18 PM] Sandy Swan: tosses her a knife.

[10:19 PM] Xho: Nemo: He isn't in control of it, he's the Librarian.

[10:21 PM] Xho: She opens the door to the room where Joseph is, and Casper wakes up a bit, blearily looking up from his armchair.

[10:22 PM] Xho: Nemo: We didn't know it was alive or I'd never have let him take that position.

[10:22 PM] Ke: Being librarian is what knocked him out?

[10:23 PM] Xho: Nemo: Don't worry, I'll fix it.

[10:23 PM] Xho: She holds the knife up.

[10:23 PM] Sandy Swan: "...that's making me more worried."

[10:23 PM] Xho: Nemo: All I have to do is kill him.

[10:23 PM] Xho: And there we'll stop for the night!