Skyler doesn't seem especially comforted. She looks at Caio, starts to get a look of concentration and then immediately squeezes her eyes shut. She pulls away from him.
"Cancer ray," she begins.
"You've heard of that, right? Like, as a joke? A power that is just... terrible. All your power does is give people cancer. Sort of the counter to the, 'all gifts and powers can be used for good.'"
She looks at her hands. "I have a cancer ray."
As Indarius gathers power to himself, Grace and Max hear some rustling in the bushes. And some muttering.
"Wh-- what did she do to me?!?"
Max steps toward the voice. "She tugged at your aura. Changed you at a fundamental level. What she did can be reversed, though. We can help you if you are willing to help us.
"Tell us where Lua and the others are. Tell where they are hiding and what they are planning. Then we can talk about what we can do for you."
Not wanting to pressure her and thinking she needs some space, Caio doesn't try to hold Skyler. He tries to calm himself, both for him and for her, while looking at her and trying to understand how he can help her.
The man is short, wiry, and dirty. He apparently had cast off his shoes or wasn't wearing any to begin with. He looks at Devil Diva with bewildered eyes when she talks to him.
"How about I make her fix it! RAAAAAHH!" he shouts as he lunges at Max! He shifts into a wolf hybrid at the same time, his sudden ferocity unexpected.
Skyler falls back into a sullen silence.
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Having prepared for the werewolf to be hostile to them regardless of Max's intentions Indarius threw up a nice tasty spiked brick of ice for the wolf to bite down on. Halting his advance against DD. Already he felt rewarded for his actions against Caio's worry.
"The nice lady is willing to talk to you Mutt, the next one will have you wishing you'd never come here." He spat, at the wolfman. "So answer her, or we'll see just how real that famed regeneration is."
Shin looks at Skyler a little strangely. Mostly over her comment about her powers being a cancer ray. It's reminding him of Dusk's past in particular. It's not his place to try and interject himself into that though.
"...Femtite, can you pop the door?" He asks her, standing up. "I can't leave those guys alone. They're my responsibility."
As the doors of Love Bug, The opens and they exit to enter the dorms, where he accompanies Skyler to her room after asking the others to wait for him. At her door, Caio gives her a small hug and a kiss on her cheek. "Let me know when you want me with you... I'll be there for you, no matter what. You are part of my life, and it is important for me that you understand this, ok?" He then steps back, giving her the space she wants. If she has nothing more to say to him, he'll wave and leave her to her thoughts.
Femtite opens the dome once at the dorms. While Caio is out, she asks Shin, ”Shall we go to the others together?” Looking back at where Caio went, she adds, ”With Caio too I mean? I think he’s not gonna be long.”
The werewolf slashes and gnashes ineffectually against Indarius' barrier. "Like you don't already know! The whelp is ours! Lua could tell that he's ready!"
He twists suddenly and darts off into the darkest part of the park!
What do you do??
Skyler starts to head into her dorm, but she pauses. She turns around, still staring at the floor, and walks up to Caio. She quickly rises up to put a kiss on his cheek, then she turns back and retreats to her dorm room.
Max nods her thanks to Percy. When the wolf tries to run, she follows after him. ”I would urge you to reconsider. It really is in your best interests to talk to us.”
This time, she released some pheromones for a bit of extra oomph to her argument.
The werewolf slows up, and eventually stops. He's deeply shrouded in shadow, but Max can see his golden eyes reflecting the dim lights of the city.
Max smiles and beckons him closer. ”Thank you. Now, come here. Tell us where Lua is hiding.”
He takes a couple steps closer. "Lua is not hiding. She doesn't need to hide. I was going to meet her, but now... I feel wrong." A growl emanates from his throat.
”You can still go to meet her. You will simply take us along with you,” Max says sweetly. ”And once we have spoken to her, then we’ll see what we can do to make you feel right again, hmm?”
Caio returns to Femtite and Horizon . "She'll be ok, I think. She just needs some time alone to think."
"Have you checked on the others? I'm ready to tell you all I know about Lua and her pack."
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Indarius follows alongside DD, keeping behind her and a bit more weary of the werewolves liability to strike out at them. He is far more concerned that one of the other members of the pack might try to strike or that they might be trying some ploy to split them apart. "Keep close, we can't let them split us." He says to Grace while walking after Diva.
Grace nods as she walks alongside the mage. ”So…this going to be a talk it out trip, or a fight it out trip?”
The captured werewolf doesn't offer Lua's location. He seems thoroughly pacified with Max's pheromones, though.
He looks more agitated when he sees Grace, however, and hairs start growing around his jaw and neck.
"Yeah, let's all meet back up with them. I still think it's a mistake, but we have to back up the team and make sure no one gets hurt - including the rest of the pack," he adds. "I'm hoping that we can resolve this without it getting into a violent confrontation. But I suppose that depends on what you can tell us, Caio," He says to him.
Max frowns as the wolf reacts to Grace. "Down, boy. You don't want to to do that."
It seems her words will go unheeded though...
"Also, if you have any belongings of Lua's or of course: blood/sweat/hair, then that makes things a lot easier."
Just as the team reassembles, a portal opens up and Scar, the scarred member of the Corps, steps out. He's got a long, wrapped bundle in his hands. He looks at everyone and notes the lack of claw wounds. "Good you haven't started yet. Sorry it took me so long, I had to tear the place apart looking for this. It was beside the nightstand."
Caio looks at Scar with obvious relief and hope. "Perfect timing. What is it you are holding?"
Scar holds out the wrapped bundle. "A holy relic, like you asked for. A sword of an angel. Useful against literal forces of darkness. Keep it away from your demon friend. Lola can attest; it won't feel good for her."
He starts unwrapping it. "We need to move fast if they still have your lady friend. But know this: if you use this sword, you will tested by the angelic spirit within it. I can't tell you how that'll go."
"Oh, well, the good news is she's fine. She actually rescued herself and we just dropping her off at the dorms - by the way, hi, Horizon, leading the team, and Caio hasn't quite kept me in the loop, you are?" Horizon asks while side-eyeing the sword. He supposes that if there were demons then of course there had to be angels as well.
Caio takes the wrapped sword. "I'll take whatever test it is needed from me, since the alternative is for sure worse." He says.
"Horizon, this is Scar. He belongs to a group called the Corps, whose mission is to keep people safe and ignorant of the dangers of the darkness... vampires, demons, werewolves, dark mages, unholy relics, and so on."
"You've already met them... they were the ones helping during the ball."
Caio takes a deep breath before unwrapping the sword. If anyone expected it to shiny with holy light, they'd be very disappointed. The pommel was round and simple and the guard was straight. The handle was long, enough for two hands to hold it, and the leather around it was old and damp.
Caio looks at Scar, raising an eyebrow... the sword did not look special, or magical at all. He takes the blade of the scabbard. There were no magic runes or special patters whatsoever, just a long inscription in what he thought to be latin. Touching the blade, he discovered it to be strangely cold and moist. He feels a raindrop hitting his cheek and looking up, he notices the weather has changed, and soon more raindrops fall, even if just a drizzle.
To those watching, they see Caio's eyes roll in the back of his head the instant he grips the sword.
You feel yourself naked as cold rain pours down upon you. The light is gray and pale, and you cannot see anything beyond a few feet. Your bare feet are standing upon wet, dark stone.
The sword clatters to the ground in front of you. If you try to reach for it, your hand distorts and grows fur and claws. The sword lurches away from your grasp.
Scar nods to Horizon at the introduction. "You're Whippoorwill's protégé, right? How's she doing these days?"
Before Shin can answer, the sword drops out of Caio's grasp and falls to the ground, and Caio is drenched!
Caio watches, hopeless, as the sword lurches away from him and as his hands begin to shift as he tries to get a hold of it. Of course... if the sword is supposed to be used against creatures of darkness, then how can I use it... I AM a creature of darkness.
Caio looks around, seeing nothing but rain.
He sits on the stone and closes his eyes. For a moment he is tempted to use his enhanced senses to try to perceive anything beyond, but then he realizes that if he wants to kill the Wolf, then he'd need to use his own senses.
Trying to use the sound of the rain as a white noise, Caio begins to meditate, staying motionless, losing the notion of time. Once he begins to feel cold, he speaks. "If I had not already failed your test, I'm ready for it."
Max immediately goes to Caio's side as, eyes wide. "Caio!" She gives the sword a wide berth, eyeing it warily, as she takes his hands and squeezes them reassuringly. "You've got this. Show those angels your worth."
"Yeah, she's doing all right, trying to keep me in shape-" Horizon says to start before everything seems to go sideways. "Caio?"
Seeing him drop to the ground, he kneels and takes up the sword in one hand, checking to see if it might be silvered or otherwise bad for a werewolf...though he's not entirely sure what he'd be looking for. "Is this supposed to happen?" He asks Scar.
Femtite thinks of her training sessions with horizon. She’s a long ways away from having a magic sword.
To Scar, she asks, ”Does this whole protect-the-masses-from-the-truth thing… work? Any drawbacks? Like, if people stumble upon the truth you’re trying to hide, for example, does that complicate things.
“Oh—and what about denying the existence of extraterrestrials? Do you cover that?” She is obviously not hiding herself from the public.
"What am I always saying about not just pawing at magical artifacts and talismans?" Despite her flippancy, Connie tried to split her attention evenly between making sure Caio wasn't in sufficient distress to warrant snapping him out of his little sword-stupor, and making sure that Scar didn't expand his mandate to Neon Space Princesses or Public Practitioners...
Grace watches the whole interaction anxiously. As Caio seems to be having some internal struggle with the sword, she instinctively squats down as if ready to pounce.
Caio tries again, this time appreciating that the sword is more than a tool to be snatched up at a whim. He attempts to center himself and tries to connect with it, even though his emotions are in turmoil.
Scar watches Caio struggle with the sword. He shrugs when Horizon asks if that's supposed to happen.
When Femtite asks about hiding the truth from the masses he gestures toward the glittering spires if Halcyon City. "It's common knowledge that all sorts of weird stuff is out there. But venture outside of Halcyon, and most people think it just happens here, and they're fine with that.
"We try to keep it quiet that it's not as concentrated as people think. Also, that things like vampires and demons and entities that are just plain wrong exist for real. Sometimes knowing gives people wrong ideas, like vampires being sexy and being one is all glamorous or romantic. Other times, knowing something exists means it knows you exist too -- and that can drive someone quite mad."
He grins through his patchy beard at Fems, looking a little crazed himself. "So it depends on the kind of extraterrestrial."
Feeling the sword rejecting him still, Caio grits his teeth, annoyed but also determined to prove himself to it. Opening his eyes, Caio finds himself amid the others. He picks the cloth that was wrapping it from the ground before moving towards Horizon.
"The sword will test me before I can wield it. He extends his hand, covered in the cloth to pick the sword back. "I just hope I can do so in time."
"Thanks, Scar. I owe you guys."
When Femtite asks about hiding the truth from the masses he gestures toward the glittering spires if Halcyon City. "It's common knowledge that all sorts of weird stuff is out there. But venture outside of Halcyon, and most people think it just happens here, and they're fine with that.
"We try to keep it quiet that it's not as concentrated as people think. Also, that things like vampires and demons and entities that are just plain wrong exist for real. Sometimes knowing gives people wrong ideas, like vampires being sexy and being one is all glamorous or romantic. Other times, knowing something exists means it knows you exist too -- and that can drive someone quite mad."
He grins through his patchy beard at Fems, looking a little crazed himself. "So it depends on the kind of extraterrestrial."
Femtite admits, ”I already met Death Cap, so I know I’m not the only game in town. So maybe I’m worried about my people all for nothing?”
Max is relieved when Caio comes back to his senses. She gives him a nod, then looks to the others. "Are we ready to move out?"
"Yeah, try to avoid touching the sword again until you figure that out," Shin suggests to Caio, letting him wrap it up. He turns to the group to speak up to them.
"Skyler's safe for now. And despite my misgivings, we do have one of Lua's pack now. Good work," He tells Max, Grace and Percy. "I think that if he's not going to give up Lua's location, then the next step is to contact her through what means we've got to communicate and give her a location where we can return her packmate to her and begin negotiations. Percy, Conflux, anything you can whip up for that?"
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Indarius had stood to the side for the entire exchange involving the magic sword and he cocked an eyebrow when Caio had his moment of trance. Then shifted to Horizon once addressed feeling his temper flare at once again being called Percy while they were out heroing.
"Alright, next time someone calls me that while we're out being capes they're getting singed because apparently the lesson at class wasn't enough. But yes your welcome for stopping the werewolf from going off and possibly hurting any innocents. Most of that goes to DD and her abilities, Guardian for finding him, and myself lending protection."
He looked at the werewolf who was very much not in captivity, mostly just allured by Diva and he leered back to Horizon, "Could make him howl, but I doubt it'd draw her out. And Since Caio's been tight lipped about Lua." The mage rolls his hand towards their companion, "I can't work off of thoughts and information you keep in your heads."
Despite his attitude towards Caio he was glad he wasn't possessed, probably, or crying about his own impotence against the rival pack anymore. "So, anything in that steel trap of yours that would help us find this, pardon the term, royal b+~!$?" He accented the point drawing his hand to a close with a snap at the appointed title.
[dice=Proving Worthlessness] 2d6+3
Feeling the sword rejecting him still, Caio grits his teeth, annoyed but also determined to prove himself to it. Opening his eyes, Caio finds himself amid the others. He picks the cloth that was wrapping it from the ground before moving towards Horizon.
"The sword will test me before I can wield it. He extends his hand, covered in the cloth to pick the sword back. "I just hope I can do so in time."
"Thanks, Scar. I owe you guys."
Scar takes the news that Caio is currently unworthy for the sword matter-of-factly. "It's not too surprising. Being a werewolf, you're touched by darkness. Doesn't mean you can't be accepted by the sword. All the Corps are touched in some way -- usually by death. But that familiarity with darkness can make you the best kind of champion against it."
He turns to Femtite. "Oh, yeah. There's all kind of aliens. Alan -- Xeno -- he's one. Or, he was altered by one, and made... actually, it's really complicated."
==============
The captured werewolf just whimpers when he's talked about. He still seems cowed and under the spell of Devil Diva's pheromones.
"That was my slip up. Apologies," Horizon tells Indarius, kicking himself mentally for letting his guard down. "Caio, let me ask your opinion on this - do you think that Lua would be willing to listen to reason? Anyway that we can resolve this without bloodshed?" He asks the wolf.
"I have not been tight lipped, but I can't help anyone who wants to rush without knowing s%~$ about what is going on, Indarius, but if you are willing to be quiet and listen, I'd be more than happy to tell you all all I know about her." He eyes Percy, angry, before turning to Horizon.
"I don't think we should discuss anything in front of him."
When Indarius is off to himself, Grace makes it a point to approach him.
”Hey,” she says quietly, ”I…haven’t had any slip ups with your alias, have I? I don’t recall, I’ve always tried to be so careful…” she adds, concern heavy in her voice.
Not waiting for any further portentous declamations, Connie starts searching the captive for anything that looks like it could be part of a set.
"Since apparently this read as unserious aside earlier? If anyone has Lua's blood/sweat/hair or a belonging of hers then we don't need to bother with interrogation."
While the others talk about their gaffes about keeping secret identities or discuss Lua, Conflux searches the pockets of their werewolf captive. He growls at her, but doesn't take advantage of an opportunity to snap when she gets too close during her pat-down.
Conflux doesn't find much but some Brazilian reais, U.S. dollars, and a hotel key card. The rental car has a rental agreement with the name Carlos Rocha on it. There is also a parking garage ticket on the dashboard.
While there might not be a magical connection, some mundane legwork might be able to track Lua and her pack down.
Connie claps her hands to get the team's attention. "Okay party people, we've got options. We've got locations where they kept a vehicle, a financial trail which could provide other hits, aaand the place they've been laying their heads to rest. That seems like the best target to me - Either they're still there or we get more trail."
She purses her lips and adds, "Wouldn't hurt if you could pass the rest of the deets onto Her Feathery Goodness though, Horizon. Oh, or if you have a support staff or something Miss Kitty Fantastico? I never got downloaded on what the logistics of your whole deal used to be."
"Femms?" she grins, "Ready to hit the sky?"
Femtite replies, ”You point, I… uhhh, drive that way.”
She hops in, trusting Connie knows what she’s doing. She’ll go wherever Connie says to!
The Kirby Craft finds the hotel is a no-frills budget establishment not far from the Halcyon International Airport. A quick recon finds the room unoccupied, but it was clearly used recently. There is an adjoining room which is similarly unoccupied, but had been used by a woman.
"Great! We can count on a Tripletree not to have gone all out on the wipedowns. Let's toss the place! Mundane clues good, magically resonant samples better."