Session Start: Wed Jul 21 17:54:44 2010 <@Ked> [The Hunt] <@Ked> [Tuesday, June 22, 2490 - 1830 local time] <@Ked> The first dorm meeting was contentious and confusing, possibly setting the tone for communications to come with the RA's. Oh, well. The gang has largely adjourned back to the Combs lounge, discussing plans for the talent show to come and the relative merits of poetry readings. Oh, and something's in the air... <@Ked> [resume session] * John is looking around. Pacing a few times and walking in circles, like he's trying to get a bearing on ... something. * Tasiya straightens up from whispering to her friends, and as she does so, catches sight of Jaimie and the rest. She smiles and waves, then blinks for a couple seconds. * Murdon's brow wrinkles, and he looks about a bit. * John pulls up a campus map on his EI. If you're watching him it's fairly obvious he's looking at what's north-ish. * Jaimie looks over at John being agitated and frowns. "John, is everything - okay?" * Sad is nearly back to his apartment, and Nicholas is on his heels, already with a crate of eggs in hand. Yeah. There's... something. that way. * Tasiya leans back down and says something to her group, then gracefully swings off from the back of the couch and strolls over, as-if casually. * Murdon shrugs, and looks about to ignore whatever it is, but then frowns. "Hey, Sad? Wait up..." * Jaimie blinks. She does not look reassured. "What kind of something?" * Murdon heads after Sad and Nick. * John pauses, and looks at Jaimie. "Maybe you better stay back. I think this is magical business." He emphasizes 'magical', as if he's hinting at something. * Jaimie frowns more, and looks over at Tasi coming their way. "Hey, Tasi, I think we need to go get some of the Ladies." * Murdon hasn't heard John and Jaimie, being too busy trying to... he's not sure. "Hey, do you two..." he trails off as the three of them draw near Sad's room. * Sad opens his door, lets Nicholas slip through, and then waits as Murdon catches up. * John starts walking north, trying to actually get to the source, now that he's got a rough bearing on it. * Tasiya wrinkles her nose. "What for?" She continues heading to the elevators, her hand in her purse. What? * Murdon pauses at the entrance. "What've you GOT in here?" he asks, quietly, wondering what's going on. * Tasiya appears to be sending a discreet message to John and Jaimie. * Tasiya is sending that through her EI, that is. * Murdon has his black fan unfolded to hide his lips from the rest of the lobby area. ...well, I got a nicer stove... * Jaimie sends a message back. * John texts back, "Magic. Not earth magic." ...I don't think that's it. Unless it's got an electrical problem? * Murdon is looking about. "Can't you feel that? Something like... I don't know. It's not ozone...is it..?" * Sad sniffs the air. "I have a crummy sense of smell." * Tasiya gets into the elevator. * Jaimie heads towards the elevator as well. "Mind if I join you?" Maybe not your room...who's next door? It's ...something close. And if it IS an electrical problem... * Jaimie starts messaging again as soon as she gets in the elevator, this time to Lady Spoon. * Tasiya blinks and looks back over her shoulder at Jaimie, holding the "open" button. She grins. "Hey, it's a free elevator." She closes the doors as soon as Jaimie gets in. Hercules, relay this particular conversation and only this one, and it's ongoing additions, to Lady Spoon. Flag it urgent. *he gestures to the current conversation with the other two incognito Snowflakes* <@Ked> There's a sudden flash of red light - it reminds you crazily of a holoprojector gone insane - from the cracks around the door to the left of Sadao's. A second later, a boy throws the door open and screams, clutching his right hand. AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIGHGH!!! What the--!? * Tasiya doesn't press any level buttons yet, but she pulls up a map of the campus. "OK, so where do you think the best place would be to go change?" Whoah, whoah! What happened? Hercules, get medical! * Murdon rushes over, taking the other boy by the shoulders and helping him to a seated position. "What happened?" * Jaimie endeavors to smile back at Tasi, but it disappears quickly when the screaming starts. She frowns at the map. * Rory runs for the nearest stairs brushing aside Murdon, incoherent with pain, and tumbles down them when he gets there. * John frees up his hands. and then, the whole hallway fills with a gust of thick, opaque wind - and then there's a Lord where the boy was. * John is now known as LordWind <@Ked> In Rory's doorway, there's a floating point of pulsing red light. * LordWind goes straight in. ....crap. Let's just.... * Murdon looks torn between going after him and going into the room. "...Sad, Nick, help Rory!" he says, already going for a fire extinguisher. His fan is folded and nearly forgotten in one hand. * Jaimie looks anxiously at the closed elevator doors, imagining what might be happening. "Can we just do it in here?" Hold up, I'm gonna take us down to one of the unoccupied floors. Then we can use the stairs! * Tasiya does so. * Jaimie nods, jittering in place. * Nicholas hasn't seen anything, and is just now wandering out the door with a very mixed-up expression. * Sad is running away in the opposite direction. * Tasiya gets out as soon as the door opens and books it to the stairs. She transforms as soon as she's in the stairwell and runs straight up to where they just were, as fast as she can! * LordWind stops just short of going into the room, spying Nicholas. He stops, and points. "You! Watch the hallways, don't let anybody in! You've got to keep the hallway clear unless they're supposed to be!" * Jaimie sprints out of the elevator, also transforming on the run, and following Tasi back to the common area. * Tasiya is now known as LadySpitterwing * Jaimie is now known as LadySwarm * LordWind then walks into the room with the pulsing red light. * LadySpitterwing bursts out of the stairwell, looks around, and heads to check out the pulsing red light. * LordWind stops, and blinks a few times once he's inside. "Uh." * LadySwarm slams the stairwell door heedlessly against the wall as she comes out and heads immediately towards the strange red light. * Murdon pauses, recognizing it as not-a-fire, and holds out his fan like a sword. He charges forward. Once he's in the room, water drips on the floor. It then erupts around him, a cylindrical torrent that glows faintly, revealing only his silhouette hovering within it. * Murdon's back arches, and his clothing shreds, disintegrating in the water. His silhouette is obviously nude, and holding a trident. His legs twist painfully, then...unwind, flinging the water away. A gray-skinned, bare youth with black tentacles instead of legs blinks. <@Ked> The point of light buzzes out of the room as Murdon transforms, just inches past Wind's head (singing his hair on the way by!) and everyone close enough sees that it's a floating peepmouse! It zips into the garden space in the center of the hall, eyeball-first. * Murdon is now known as LordCharybdis Whoa! * LordWind spins, and goes to chase after it! * LadySwarm snaps her head around as the peepmouse whizzes by, astonishment clear on her face. <@Ked> The students are mostly fleeing the hall, the ones that are aware anything is happening yet at least. A few are starting to wait in the elevator lobby though, wanting to see their snowflakes in action. * LadySwarm goes after the peepmouse, quickly but more cautiously now. * Peepmouse is hiding itself well in the mini-garden, the only traces for the moment being the occasional flash of red light and a bit of smoke when it sets a leaf on fire. * LadySpitterwing is still in the room, gaping at the new Lord. * LordCharybdis, still a bit caught up in the moment, gestures with one hand and a couple tentacles in a rending motion, and calls, "Rip Tide!" A ball of water swirls into existence somewhere near the latest flash of red, and explodes outwards, misting the room. What is that...thing? Isn't it just a peepmouse? Why does it feel so...hard? Like...like metal? * LordWind glances at the ... squid? "Who are you?" * LadySwarm is gripping her rod so hard her knuckles are white. "No, it's not just a peepmouse." * LordCharybdis looks somewhat confused and rather determined as his tentacles writhe out of the room on a small wave of water, lifting him on a miniature column of it. He holds a black metal trident in his hand. * LadySpitterwing O_Os at the "Rip Tide" call, shakes her head, and comes out. She takes a deep breath and looks over at the garden. It feels more like a silverdart. Kinda. * LadySwarm hasn't even turned to look at the new Lord, or whatever he is. She has more important things to worry about. Then...what *is* it? Is it one of the Snowflakes' Pets? A flaming, flying peepmouse. * LadySwarm is still staring at it. "I don't know, I've never seen one before." Who's room was that? Rory's. He's hurt. If you Snowflakes have this under control, I will go help him. <@Ked> It *is* a very metallic sensation you get through the magic. Cool, despite the heat the critter is radiating, and utterly, utterly alien. * LadySpitterwing makes a weird face, concentrates on the feeling, and slowly edges closer to the minigarden. * LadySwarm also spirals slowly closer to the floating peepmouse, frowning in confusion and probably all kinds of other things. * LadySpitterwing whistles quietly at the peepmouse. ...Ladies? Lord Wind? Um. *Do* you have it in hand? Is that thing...I mean, not the peepmouse, but the magic...is it even from this planet? * LordWind looks around and counts exits. Has anyone called Lady Spoon yet? Why wouldn't it be? <@Ked> The garden is actually a small, but tangled set of brick paths, with nicely tended earth vegetation laid out in the spaces between them. * LordWind glances at his EI. "Herc, any response yet?" * LadySwarm looks over at Tasi. "I did." Well, no. It's probably Earth. Doesn't this planet not have any? Because it feels so wrong. It's not earth magic. <@Ked> Wind sees the elevator lobby, a freight elevator, and a two stairwells. ...you're the experts. It feels like the silverdarts. Except, uh... harder? ...yeah. Hard. Metal, cool, hard. * LordCharybdis makes a face, as if trying to work a bad taste from his mouth. * Peepmouse zips from a stand of lilies into the branches of a carefully-groomed dwarf pear. * LadySpitterwing walks toward said dwarf pear. <@Ked> The two Ladies are getting close now, only one path over from the tree. The peepmouse doesn't seem to be reacting to them yet. * LordWind walks carefully to it. Not all the way, just close enough that it'll be in range of some of his powers. * LadySwarm grimaces and says quietly, "Any of you think you can contain that thing? I know I can't." If I can get close, I can hold it still. * LordCharybdis looks worried. "...right. I'll help however I can, Ladies," he says, using the female form to refer to the group of them. * Peepmouse peeps! <@Ked> ...or you'd say it peeps if it didn't also sound like two rocks grinding together. ...what's *wrong* with it? * LordCharybdis extends his Trident, carefully, as if to offer it a place to perch. He squirms forward on his small pillar of water...but pauses, staring at the trident. "Where'd *that* come...from?" Maybe something's...in it. Then... we'd better catch it and take it out. * LadySwarm looks in astonishment at Charybdis, momentarily distracted. "It came when you transformed, like my rod." * LadySpitterwing cocks her head and repeats the peepmouse's sound exactly. ...oh. *takes a moment for that to sink in* ...no way. <@Ked> As the tree catches on fire, the little furry decides not to burn with it and simply drifts away, upwards and above Lady Swarm, but Spitterwing's chirp definitely gets her attention and it circles back at her. Wind, get over here, I'm gonna try and get it closer to me. * LadySpitterwing repeats the noise! Don't let it touch you! * Peepmouse peeps back, excitedly! And someone deal with the not setting the whole place on fire thing! * LadySpitterwing peeps, twice! * LordWind nods. He steps forward, as it drifts to Spitterwing. Then he reaches out - his hand only goes so far, but where he thinks the peepmouse is the air itself tries to grab it. The misting in the air distorts the view enough that this can be seen, a rough sphere of inwards zigzags, spirals, lines, and other contracting shapes. * LadySpitterwing makes sure she has plenty of room to step back in case it comes too close. * LordCharybdis's eyes widen at the fire and, before he thinks about it too hard, he gestures with the trident. His little column of water sprays a glob at the fledgling fire. <@Ked> The tree is quenched! * LadySwarm just watches everything anxiously, wishing she could do something to help. Why's it feel cold, when it's burning? * LordCharybdis is pointedly ignoring his own condition; there's work to be done. * LadySpitterwing has her eyes on the tiny prize! Don't know. Maybe...maybe if the magic is really cold, it has to send out heat to stay that way? * LadySwarm is not sure if that made sense. Huh? * Peepmouse isn't interested in counting, apparently, but simply hovers at Spitterwing's eye level - then as Lord Wind tries to grab it hisses and darts out of the garden and into a lounge area, hiding under the cushions of a couch. ...heat resistant. We need something heat-resistant. <@Ked> The couch starts smoldering. ....like now. ...wait. I could... Or we can just soak the entire couch? * LadySwarm runs forward. "Can you get it to come out?" * LordCharybdis nods. "Um, maybe?" Uh, I can try? * LadySpitterwing leans down a bit and peeps some more. My rod goes someplace when I don't need it. I can try to stick the mouse in there. * LordCharybdis gestures again, flowing towards the couch, letting his wave of water move from under him to spread out under the couch. If there isn't anything in there, it can't burn. * LordWind looks around for a bucket. Or container. Or something. * Peepmouse peeps once, then emerges and bumps directly into Lady Spitterwing's nose. She's reminded momentarily of resting her face on a frying pan. Ah! Sorry, Lady! * LordCharybdis looks a year or so older, somehow. Perhaps it's the extra height granted by the tentacles. * LadySpitterwing yelps and flinches back. * LadySpitterwing then peeps again in a "ow, why'd you hurt me? ;-;" tone of peep. * Peepmouse bounces away and its eye seems to get fractionally bigger, then it starts buzzing Lady Spitterwing in tight, angry circles. ...uh oh. I think you should hold...very...still. * LadySpitterwing @_@s, trying to follow the peepmetalmouse with her eyes. Heck. It wasn't even mad before. * LordCharybdis stumbles as he tries to move forward, but finds his water is still sloshed out under the couch. Hey, *it* hit *me!* Yeah, I know. I think it's mad that you tried to trick it into getting caught. * Peepmouse ducks between Spitterwing's legs, and her feathered sari lights on fire. * LadySpitterwing rubs her nose. "*I'd* just like it to stop setting things on fire, like m-EEEEK!" * LadySpitterwing leans down to bat at it frantically! * LordWind reaches out again, and invisibly grabs one of the cushions that's seen better days - it hovers near Spitterwing and the peepmouse, and hits the Lady as the peepmouse jets. Eep! HEY! Agh! Sorry! Sorry! * LadySpitterwing just removes the sari bit and beats it out against a pillar until the fire goes away. ;-; * Peepmouse finally seems to realize that it's being hunted, and floats away, over Lady Swarm's head and towards the elevators and a few adventurous students still watching. And laughing. And about to panic. No! Close the elevators! * LadySwarm cups her hands around her mouth and yells at top volume, "MOVE!" * LordWind stops. "No, chase it into the elevator! Then close it!" then he books it for the elevator himself. * LadySpitterwing finishes with the fire, whirls, snarls, and swings her empty arm. * LordCharybdis stumbles again as he tries and fails to run towards the endangered students. The water flows up from the floor and in that direction on its own, leaving him behind, his trident a few feet away on the floor. <@Ked> On the one hand, they're teenagers. On the other, she's a Lady, and generations have been trained to obey that authority. They move. * LadySwarm runs to get in between the peepmouse and the students. <@Ked> ...slight problem - the elevators are all downstairs. * LadySpitterwing 's nail-claws seem to flash even longer and whiter at the furthest point of the swing. * Peepmouse is slammed to the floor, glowing, bloody ichor leaking from one side and peeping piteously. Swarm is immediately on top of it. * LadySwarm spins her rod and slams it into the downed peepmouse before it can get up. The peepmouse isn't ever getting up now. * LadySpitterwing gasps, her hands over her mouth. She stammers weakly, "I...I was just trying to slow it down!" ... Uh... *swallows* * LordWind pauses. * LadySwarm doesn't look real happy either. "I didn't have any other way to stop it." <@Ked> There's a weird, low-pitched crashing sound from Rory's room. Hey, hey, hey! We'll talk later. And I didn't want it burning any of the students. * LordCharybdis nods. "Um... ..uh-oh." ...oh no, what now? Oh, man. ... after that crash? * LadySpitterwing runs back to Rory's room! * LordCharybdis thinks a moment, and pulls himself - and his water - underneath himself, and rushes on a wave back towards Rory's room. * LordWind heads back to Rory's place! * LadySpoon charges out onto the balcony, Spoon raised in a high guard. * LadySwarm heads towards the crashing noise. * LordCharybdis pulls to an abrupt stop, his wave accidentally splashing the Lady as she emerges from the room and almost runs into him. "L-Lady Spoon, ma'am!" * LadySpoon pales at the sudden monster in front of her, and freezes. * LadySpitterwing manages to avoid careening straight into her. "...Lady Spoon! There you are!" * LordWind stops at seeing Spoon. "Whoah. There you are!" * LordCharybdis backs away, lowering the trident he was readying for battle. * LordWind stops, and looks around, also trying to fix on any other sources of potential non-earth magic. ...who ...wha huh? * LadySwarm stops short. "Lady Spoon. There's a dead...peepmouse...thing...over there." She gestures in that direction. Yeah. It was lighting things on fire and flying, and it was...metal. Sort of. It's...he's...He's another one of us. Um, Lady Spoon, it felt weird. * LadySwarm realizes Spoon's confusion. "He became when...whatever it was...showed up." * LadySpoon looks between Charybdis and the others. "...another one?" Yeah, It felt like.... a solid Silverdart. Well. The feeling a Silverdart gives is kind of liquidy. The peepmouse, it felt... the same, except solid? * LordCharybdis nods. "Hard and metal and cool but it was hot." * LadySpitterwing rubs her nose in remembered pain. "And it bumped right into me. It was making a strange sound, like this." * LadySpitterwing repeats the sound. Another what? *looks around for another peep mouse* Another Snowflake. * LadySpitterwing looks at Lord Charybdis. "Another...*you*, silly." * LordCharybdis pauses. "Oh. Um. Oh." ...we should have set up more male dorms. I don't feel any more magical flaming peepmice around, though. A peepmouse, huh? * LadySpitterwing manages to giggle a little. "You mean you were doing all of that and you didn't realize?" * LordCharybdis looks down at himself. "...this is weird." All what? I was just trying to keep it from burning down the dorm! * LadySwarm is still looking kind of subdued about the whole smashing-a-critter- into-jam thing, however dangerous it was. Well, good job. I guess. It was all glowing red and such. * LordCharybdis 's almost hovering in a little column of water that jets up off the floor, his tentacles writhing unconsciously within. He holds that trident almost majestically. Technically naked, his lower half is squid enough not to make him indecent, but his skin is gray and his hair is white. * LordWind gives Chary a good look, then at the other Snowflakes. "Uh." Then at Lady Spoon. * LordCharybdis is looking at his arms, and a couple tentacles rise up so he can examine them, too. "...REALLY weird." I think... we need to have a meeting. Like, now. Uh? *startled* Yeah, definitely. ...has anybody looked after Rory yet? * LordWind is looking just slightly nervous, but also like he's got it under rein. He fell down the steps, and had been burned... * LadySpoon puts away the Spoon and really eyeballs Charybdis. "You look like a Ningyo pet. ...but that's the good old Earth Magic..." I do? A pet? What? It's who? I'm nobody's pet! ...I thought I heard someone say they were gonna take care of it. That was him, I think. * LadySwarm gestures at Charybdis. ...oh. Oops. ...oh dear. ...no, no, sorry. Who are you, though? We'll need to rearrange your classes. * LadySpitterwing looks around at any remaining students. * LordCharybdis flows off towards the stairs, but pauses when he's asked who he is. "Lord Charybdis," he answers, reflexively. <@Ked> There are more gathering back at the elevators, and one or two peeking out of rooms, but no one is in easy earshot yet. * LordCharybdis continues on, not quite connecting that he didn't answer the question she meant to ask. * LadySpitterwing leans in to whisper in Lady Spoon's ear. "I...I think he's Sei Murdon, ma'am. I saw him go into the room right before me, and when I got in, well..." She gestures at Charybdis. I'm going to find Rory and get him to a doctor. Hmm. * LordWind goes to do that, calling out "Rory? Rorrryy...." Good plan. *lets Lord Wind join him* He's down the steps, here, I think... * LordCharybdis is getting water everywhere. Ladies, make sure you get some cover before reverting. Were all of you okay? No injuries, right? * LadySwarm glances at Tasi. "Tasi got a little burned..." * LadySpitterwing rubs her nose again. "Yeah. It...it basically bumped noses with me. It hurt, but now it's fine." The Lady who can make animal noises got burned on the nose-- yeah. And is there anything left for the forensic crews? * LadySpitterwing points at the area it was initially smashed, and at Swarm's rod. * LordCharybdis flows down the stairs. "Rory! You okay?" His voice sounds a bit more mature than Sei Murdon's does. * LadySwarm looks really, really self-conscious. "It was heading for the other students, and I didn't know how to stop it..." <@Ked> The two Lords find Rory huddling with his right arm plunged into the ice maker. * Nicholas is now known as Rory You should probably also talk to Rory, ma'am. It burned him first. ...did you... what happened to Tiny? ...oh no. Lord Wind, you wanna go get a doctor? I'll help him get --Tiny? He's a lot worse off than we are. The peepmetalmouse came from his room. * LordWind is glad that Swarm isn't there. They smashed it! Or the two Ladies did, anyway! It was awesome. * LordCharybdis looks away, genuinely sorry, at Sad's true but unfortunate proclamation. * LordWind makes a sad face. "Sorry. How is your arm?" * LadySpitterwing glances at Swarm quickly and tries to pretend she didn't hear that. Aw, man... At least it didn't hurt any of the others. We should get him to Zone 1 - they're still set up as a functional hospital over there. How's your arm doing? Hurts. I was holding Tiny when he... he... * LordCharybdis nods. "Here, put some ice in the water, here, and we'll get you to Zone 1, Rory." * LadySpitterwing looks up at Spoon. "Is there...I mean, what's the fastest way to help Rory? Plus he might know more about this." * LordCharybdis brings up a blob of water for him to do so with. * LordCharybdis is trying not to look sick to his stomach. * LordWind calls up emergency services to get an ambulance or something. He changed, and I grabbed him tighter like an idiot, and my hand feels like it's burned off. <@Ked> Emergency services are happy! So happy! To help Lord Wind. Just...changed? Like poof? *trying to focus on something else* There was a flash of light outside my window, then a flash of red light as he changed... oh, Tiny, that was a bad way to go... Was it the same color as at the speech? * LadySwarm lets go of her rod and it drops into nothingness. Now what do we do? Aside from get Rory to a doctor? The silverdart? Uh, I guess we...need to find a safe place to, to uh, revert? Also? Unless we're going to like, have a meeting with Lord, uh, Charybdis? * Rory hisses as he moves his hand, which is charred-looking but all basically there, to the mobile water bubble. Yeah, maybe. I'm not sure. * LordWind winces when he sees the arm. "C'mon, let's meet the ambulance outside." ...ouch. *winces in sympathy as he sees the hand* Wish *you* were a Lord. Can you keep that steady... *beat* Charydbee? * LordCharybdis walks with Rory, leading him out and offering a shoulder to lean on if he needs it. Charybdis, huh. Maybe we'd best leave that for tomorrow after Turbulence's crew has a chance to look at stuff. "Charybdis" *corrected reflexively* And yeah. Um, okay. Should we, um, also use the window or what? It's gonna be hard to find a place, coming from here. I think. Sorry. And good. You wanna use my hole in the wall? Go ahead. Good practice for you! Heh, thanks! Um, any tips on finding a good spot? * LadySwarm looks a little dubious at the idea of climbing out a window in full view of anyone, but she doesn't object. * LadySpoon heads off to intercept the most curious students and keep them away from the peepmouse remains, starting a conversation with her EI (it looks like a anthropomorphic mallet with butterfly wings) at the same time. * LordWind takes the lead, making sure the hallway, and the rest of the route outside, is clear of people blocking it. * LadySpitterwing pouts a little, then runs and jumps through the window! Just remember to roll when you land! And NOT ON YOUR HEAD! <@Ked> Spitterwing falls five stories, into a graveyard. <@Ked> [end session] EEEEP! Session Close: Wed Jul 21 20:50:43 2010