"We retrieved an item," Valda confirmed. "Once you ensure it's the right item, we'll be all square."
Melody nods to Valda and takes item. After a detect magic and a few minutes of reflection, she nods. "I believe this is it. You should consider visiting the order sometime," she nods to Valda. "There may be things we can learn from each other."
The other casters among you notice she does not make the same suggesting to you, and you're not sure what qualifies Valda more than you.
Having completed your mission, you are free to return home. The trip back to Arzata is uneventful, and as you step off the plane, you are slammed by the desert heat once again, all the more harsh for having been away for a while.
Wait wait, you mean to tell me you, all of you, live in Arzata, New Mexico? Pavel says once in the airport and after he checks his tickets, his eyes widening as he looks at all of you in a new light, As in, "Arzata Abnormal," Arzata?
"You better believe it, buddy." He says, looking around the airport without a single degree of care. His headache was starting to wane finally, and he's looking forward to getting some shuteye on the way back. "How's that for a coincidence."
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Three weeks later...
"Good evening, listeners. This is Stacey Know. Welcome to another Abnormal evening in Arzata, New Mexico. Abnormal in more ways than one as the heat spikes up over 110 F. Stay safe, Abbies. Tonight's report goes out to some old friends who've been out of town.
"It seems there's some unrest in the western desert lately, and I don't mean the political kind. Honor Waters' Asylum, one of the first buildings built near the original Uranium mines from the historical founding of Arzata 50 years ago, was closed down in 1997 due to radiation exposure from unsafe mineral processing in a nearby mine. Since then, rumors of hauntings, cults, and demonic possessions abound regarding the old structure.
"Yours truly, Stacey Know, did a little digging, and found several reputable reports of ghostly noises, blazing skulls of fire, and other spookiness regarding the old asylum.
"So, is it urban myth? Or is it real? Certainly, only experienced paranormal investigators can tell us the answer..."
Listening to the radio report at her shop, she picks up the phone and dials Joey.
When he answers, "Hey, it's Maria. You listen to Stacey Know, right? We should gather the Scoobies and go check it out."
Pavel had asked Dave to tune to Arzata Abnormal while finished his work, running what appears to be his empty hand over Dave's sword. As he does, blue sparks erupt where his hand passes, accompanied by the sound of a whetstone scraping on the metal. I would have you know Dave, the components I needed to enhance your weapon were expensive and hard to come by. Every bit of the money you gave me went into the blade rather than my pockets, much as I would have liked to pocket something...
His ears pricked up as Stacy talked about Honor Water's Asylum, pausing to examine the edge of the blade while he listens, running it above his hand one last time, leaving a faint glow on the edge. Stacy speaks of you and yours, yes? The "Experienced Paranormal Investigators?" he asks as he gingerly offers Dave the blade, hilt first.
He takes it delicately, twisting it this way and that as he examined the feint glow of magic. "That includes you too now, but yes. So, this is what you said was in my sword huh? Who knew I had my own fancy magic sword the whole time. Here dude," He takes out a hundred dollars, passing it along to Pavel. "I know it's barely anything compared to this, but thanks."
'Happy birthday to me.' comes an absent thought, noting his upcoming birthday to himself. After a few more minutes of examining it, he sheathes the blade in it's usual spot. "Being closed down by radiation exposure isn't exactly promising, and neither does the rest of her descriptions. But I suppose it's something."
Yes, it's a very old blade. There's more power in there, more history, but unlocking it will take more reagents and esoteric supplies, costing at least double what we bought this time. But it can be done, Pavel informs Dave as he pockets the money.
Radiation... he mumbles as he shakes his head, well, I always said I wanted to visit Chernobyl, I suppose this could be the next best thing. When do we leave? he asks, taking an ornate, old, and faintly glowing breastplate from the wardrobe and placing it on the table, speaking a single word and causing it to transform into the trench coat he was wearing when you first met him.
He nods, then moves onto the issue. "Probably as soon as possible. Joe generally calls me- and the others now, too -within the hour after her radioshow. Unless something happened, but that's an unlikely event. I'll pick us up a Geiger counter for the trip, we'll likely want one. Just in case."
Realizing Joey isn't answering, she hangs up and dials Dave instead.
An 80's song begins playing from his pocket, "Ah, that should be... him. Hm. It's Maria." He frowns, after pulling out his phone and looking at the caller ID. He answers it anyway. "Hola María. Llamando por último show de Stacy?" He says, his accent easily distinct. He switches back to English just as quickly though, "I'm here with Pavel."
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Isaogras stands before a massive chalkboard. Every inch of the black surface is covered with white scribbling. To the uninitiated, it looks like a calculus professor decided to scribble madly, without a care to the laws of physics, or even established science. But to one of The Order of the White Angel, it's true meaning is plain.
By chance one such man walked into Isagoras' chamber. "Greetings, brother Varus. How can I help you today?" Isagoras' eyes never left his epic writings.
"There has been talk, Shaper*. They say you have strayed from accepted theory." Varus pauses to gaze at the chalkboard. "I see the rumors are true. You are thinking that you can lay in multiple lines of Promethean safely? This is...not a thing that is done."
Isagoras made no reply. He simply kept studying his formulae. Eventually Varus left.
***
Once Ms. Know was done with her high-pitched yammering about ghosts and specters, Isagoars determined to call Dave. No doubt he'd be off on some damn-fool idealistic crusade and he needed watching to make sure he didn't accidentally trip on anything of -real- power.
"Mr Wavaski. Shall I assume by the latest meanderings and rumor-mongering that there is a permutation of activities to be contemplated?"
*Shaper is a name of honor given to those that create life from the penumbra.
The next morning, you all gather together at Joey's office. "Hey, guys," Joey greats everyone in the messy central area of the office, taking a drink of his morning joe.
"So Stacey doesn't have much more on Honor Waters. She did tell me that there are rumors a couple teens disappeared there a few weeks back. I checked, and the kids in question are definitely missing. Whether they actually went up there or not...who knows."
"I got a map of the area. There are still warnings of soil contamination and such, but it should be safe enough for us to go in for a few hours to check things out, if you want. I can get us a geiger counter, just in case."
"Well, I'm not likely to have kids anyway because, you know, ladies are awesome," Valda commented thoughtfully, "But I still don't really want to grow a tumour familiar. And yes, that is a thing. So a geiger counter is a must."
It was almost a shame that those pants hadn't turned to lead, really. Valda had spent her down time focusing on becoming a better shot with the gun she carried, and the brutal weapon was now even more dangerous in her hands. She was considering picking up heavier weapons, although her magic wouldn't work with such a weapon...
"Any truth behind the whole cult thing?"
"You could always adopt anyway. And I picked up a counter on my way over, so we're good there." He takes out the device from a pocket, which cost him about two hundred bucks. Pricey, but cancer treatment is even more expensive.
"Nice," she nodded to Dave. "I wonder if we can get any of the meds to flush radiation from your system,"[/ooc] Valda added. [b]"Isn't it just iodine or something?"
He shrugs, "Maybe. Could be a good idea to look it up first, as rad away is unfortunately not a real product."
"Yeah, tried calling Joey first but it went to voice mail. Should I head to his office?"
Assuming I am told to head to Joey's office, I'm there. :)
"I definitely don't want kids. Though I also don't want cancer."
In the past... "Yeah, we'll all meet up tommorow morning. I'm getting a call from Isagoras, probably about the same thing. See you then." He then takes the time to talk with Izzy as well, and also reccomnds a time and place.
But in the present; Some odd sort of emotion enters his voice, which is difficult to place, as if there was something more to it. "I'm not sure I'd know how to raise a kid properly."
No one really does, Dave, Pavel says in what he hope is a comforting way, but stopping short of patting Dave on the back, I mean, look at me. My parents did the best they could, yet here I am hiding from Serbian debtors in the United States.
He coughs nervously before quickly changing the subject, anyway, lets take a look at that map then, see where children might play and get lost.
"They're teenagers. An abandoned, condemned, or overall dangerous location is exactly where one would 'play and get lost'. Suppose it dosn't hurt to check though."
"If they've been there a few weeks, I suspect that we're more likely to run into Glowing Ones than kids," Valda pointed out. "The place is safe-ish for a few hours. A few weeks..."
She didn't mention in on the radio show, because it's really in the realm of rumor and she didn't want to get anyone (like the parents) worked up. She just confided to Joey that it MIGHT be a possibility. It's not for sure connected.
It's morning now, would you like to head to the asylum during the day, or wait until evening?
Valda has seen enough horror movies to vote for daytime.
Pavel will agree that a daytime visit seems more prudent than a night visit.
The location of the asylum is remote, placed out of sight for the peace of mind of the founding residents of Arzata several decades ago. The road is blocked only by a simple board on a pair of saw-horses; it's easily driven around or moved.
Once past the roadblock, two things become obvious: the road is covered with sand from years of abuse from the desert winds, and several people have violated the roadblock over the years, some recently. Tracks indicate that the sand has been disturbed recently. Empty beer bottles and fast food wrappers give an idea of the purpose of the trespass.
In the desert morning, the building is not so much intimidating in appearance as it is decrepit. You have no doubts that, viewing the same property in the dark desert night would give a different impression.
The building is two stories, obviously intended for a smaller population than Arzata eventually came to have. For an instant, you're uncertain whether a sound you've heard is the desert wind or a human cry, but it does not repeat.
"How grand and unexpectedly terrible looking." He takes out his counter, switching it on. "You know, I did always wonder when it'd be time for us to visit an asylum. This will hopefully play out better then any of those scenarios however. Especially now that we all know magic is real."
Asylum... Pavel says, virtually spitting the words, the name is a joke, especially for when this would have been open. Damnable governments and their experiments...
When the car is stopped, he pulls his sword and revolvers from his balalaika case, leaving the case behind in the car and strapping his scabbard and holsters to himself.
Valda focused, trying to work out where the noise came from. If it wasn't a human voice, then it wouldn't be an issue...
All Valda hears is a moaning in the desert wind. It doesn't sound like what she heard previously, but then, neither does that sound repeat.
Without any obvious clues to follow, Valda headed towards the main doors to the building.
Pavel waits until everyone else follows Valda, then proceeds to follow behind them, muttering about governments and experiments on the infirm some more, his hand going to the hilt of his sword almost reflexively.
Dave doesn't even seem like he's considering having his weapon out, a cool sort of confidence about his own abilities surrounding him. He keeps an eye on the counter though, watching for any spikes just in case. For a brief moment, he imagines himself as Dean Winchester waving around his ghost detector or whatever it was. He wonders if such a thing is actually possible to have.
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Isagoras follows along, keeping the conversation light. "Do not be so overly eager to dismiss institutions of this nature. Many exist that would have no where else to go. For those that are not evil--but simply can not tell it from good, this would a boon. In free society they could not exist, and would be lured unto wickedness, but if incarcerated, they would not know or understand the wretchedness and villainy that swirled about them. Hence, for all the occasional evils that might befall here, to be isolated and safe and fed might be the most to be hoped for in some instances."
And for every one person that needed to be here and got good treatment, there was at least one other who did not. A woman admitted because of "hysteria," someone lobotomized with an ice pick through the eye, starvation... Pavel audibly grits his teeth, pausing in his sentence and seeming to consider. Perhaps it ended up for the best for some, but it was a betrayal of the highest order for far too many, and I still hold the government responsible for his- he stops his sentence abruptly before seeming to catch that he's doing it and falls silent.
"I dunno Izzy, Pavel could be right. Some really nasty s*@# went down in all those really old asylums. Sure is a lot of really specific events though. Did you look this place up before we got here, Pavel." He asks, barely looking at the man through his sunglasses.
"Of course, the downside to these places is when they aren't used well." Valda considered for a moment. "Hell, when this place was built they'd have probably tossed me in for all sorts of reasons. Wearing pants, talking back to husbands...not having a husband 'cos girls are more fun. They're mostly better now, but there's still some pretty hefty issues with just shoving folks in a box because they're not right, rather than treating there problems."
Pavel doesn't hold eye contact with Dave as he gives a sharp, No.
He lets it hang in the air for a moment before sighing and saying, more soft than before, That specifically was Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts, but that research was done long ago.
He decides to avoid bringing up whatever bothered Pavel. "I'm sure they are Valda. You know, we could just see if there's anything online about this place before we go in balls deep. Wouldn't want to be caught unaware when some ghost with electric fingers comes up to try and control our brains. Or blueprints. That'd also be helpful."
Pavel chimes in, pleased with the change of subject, I can also project my sight a good distance, so I can send that sensor to scout ahead if we need to.
Maria remains silent during the asylum talk, but seems to have been frowning slightly.
For a brief moment, he imagines himself as Dean Winchester waving around his ghost detector or whatever it was. He wonders if such a thing is actually possible to have.
According to all the research, EMF detection and thermal imaging can both be of use, depending on the type of haunt. Other techniques such as EVP (electronic voice phenomena) can be useful after the fact.
Basic information is limited. Honor Waters Asylum, named for a nearby runoff that flows during heavy rains, is actually a lot more recent than the really old asylums you all referenced previously. It was built in 1953, just after the first uranium mines opened. Disturbingly, it was one of the first structures built in what would become Arzata, though the reason it become so necessary isn't listed.
The asylum was closed down in 1997 due to radiation exposure from unsafe mineral processing in a nearby mine; by this time, most of the patients had already been transferred to psych wards in the local hospitals.
Since its closing, there have been unsubstantiated rumors of various nefarious and spooky happenings, but there are no police reports or evidence, aside from a few kids getting busted for drugs and trespassing from time to time.
Putting away her phone, Valda reported the findings.