LJ closes her eyes for a moment. She holds up her hand. It looks like she is calling something.
Find her, she whispers, and a burst of wind goes zooming away at a high rate of speed.
That's the best I can do. I don't have any other way to locate her right now.
While the others are away tyalking, Momus appears in the Oasis. He walks up to Alaina. "I have sensed your grief my dear," he says. "I know what you want, and I can help you get it. All you have to do is ask."
Ash pops in. "Oh dear, why all the long faces? I would have thought you goody-goodies would be celebrating. Could it be that you've already suffered another defeat? Inevitable really. You're only fooling yourselves, thinking you're going to win."
"Wha...I thought you ere dead," Allura says. "Well this time we'll make sure that happens." Allura runs to the waters edge and grabs her ransuer.
Ash laughs. "You didn't think I was actually going to stand here and let you take pot shots at me, did you? Foolish heroes. And this sort of thing is exactly why you're all doomed to failure. Ta."
With that she planar shifts away.
A man dressed in fool's motley steps out from behind the erinyes' wings
Water water everywhere
A fine setting I think
I enjoy water in all forms
For it helps people sink!
The Harlequin grins, and his mouth opens impossibly wide. A gush of foul fetid water comes streaming out of his painted mouth with firehose ferocity, slamming into the heroes.
*The oasis surges as a geyser of water erupts from it.. When the water calms, Kalear stands ready for battle. He strides foward, robes rippling and staff in hand.*
"Has anyone been to the Club lately? I urge you, do not go, it isn't safe."
Ash pops back in. "Whoops, forgot something." Grabs the Giggler, and planar shifts back out.
Ash isn't dead. Her voice sounds dull and distant. I suppose I should have known. I guess that means the Clubhouse isn't safe. She got in once and grabbed me. I still don't know how she did it. She could easily get in again.
"I get the feeling that someone else is involved," Allura says. "There is no way she survived on her own."
Ash isn't dead. Her voice sounds dull and distant. I suppose I should have known. I guess that means the Clubhouse isn't safe. She got in once and grabbed me. I still don't know how she did it. She could easily get in again.
"There is no reason to go to the Club right now. Everyone who was there is.. dead. Their blood drained and corpses reanimated."
Ash isn't dead. Her voice sounds dull and distant. I suppose I should have known. I guess that means the Clubhouse isn't safe. She got in once and grabbed me. I still don't know how she did it. She could easily get in again."There is no reason to go to the Club right now. Everyone who was there is.. dead. Their blood drained and corpses reanimated."
She looks startled. What? - Kaelar! I haven't seen you in a while. Yes, I know about what happened at the club. I wasn't talking about that. I was referring to something that happened at the Jack's Clubhouse. You missed it. The goddess is dead, by the way. But I don't know that we have one single safe place to go anymore. Oh, you should meet Sirone. She's also into water, so you'll get along. And Nimora too. Well, you already know Mirathan.
She's talking much too fast and going a little incorporeal around the edges.
I thought I was going incorporeal once.....it was groovy.
Aquila screams something in Auran and LJ resolidifies. Laeana growls softly and LJ stands up, a determined expression on her face. She turns away from the group for the moment and hold out a hand.
Please find my sister. Tell me where she is and who she is working with.
Please look for any undead that you can find and return to tall me their number and location.
Having sent her winds out to scout, she turns back to the rest of the group.
First things first. We need a secure base, somewhere for us to meet and plan as well as a place for all of us to regroup. Club Calistria was that place, but it is no longer secure and neither is the Jack's Clubhouse. Sirone, how secure can the Oasis be made? It's not much use to us if people like Ash and her clown friend can just pop in at will. Is there some way to bar them from entering?
Second, we need to get everyone together in one place. I don't know where Alaina is, but we need to be ready to move at once when we find out as she could be in danger and requiring our help. Our enemies have been having a little too much luck at the divide-and-conquer strategy and I'd like that to end.
Lynora-Jill stops speaking for a moment, as if she is listening to something.
In Auran:
Alaina was seen visiting Evil Monkey. Does anyone here have a good enough relationship with him to ask him if he knows where she might be going next?
Devlyn reappears near the pool, looking tired. He notes that Alaina is no longer lying nearby.
"Did Alaina finally wake up?", he asks as he looks around.
Devlyn reappears near the pool, looking tired. He notes that Alaina is no longer lying nearby.
"Did Alaina finally wake up?", he asks as he looks around.
Alaina woke and she was crazed. She was screaming for vengeance. We would have gone with her, but she wasn't willing to wait. My winds tell me that she visited the Evil Monkey, but that is all we know at this point.
Alaina woke and she was crazed. She was screaming for vengeance. We would have gone with her, but she wasn't willing to wait. My winds tell me that she visited the Evil Monkey, but that is all we know at this point.
"Do we need to go to the Club and see if she went back there? She shouldn't be there alone, even if the place is empty now."
Alaina woke and she was crazed. She was screaming for vengeance. We would have gone with her, but she wasn't willing to wait. My winds tell me that she visited the Evil Monkey, but that is all we know at this point."Do we need to go to the Club and see if she went back there? She shouldn't be there alone, even if the place is empty now."
If she were there, the wind would have found her. There is no need to go looking there.
If she were there, the wind would have found her. There is no need to go looking there.
"Wind?"
First things first. We need a secure base, somewhere for us to meet and plan as well as a place for all of us to regroup. Club Calistria was that place, but it is no longer secure and neither is the Jack's Clubhouse. Sirone, how secure can the Oasis be made? It's not much use to us if people like Ash and her clown friend can just pop in at will. Is there some way to bar them from entering?
"I will do what I can," Sirone says. Sirone begins wandering about the oasis weaving wards against evil presence.
"Does anyone know who that clown was," Allura asks. "I've never seen him before."
"Does anyone know who that clown was," Allura asks. "I've never seen him before."
Nor I. But if he's with Ash then he's up to no good. Hopefully the wind will be able to tell me more.
If she were there, the wind would have found her. There is no need to go looking there."Wind?"
I have asked the wind to search for her. It's still looking.
"Does anyone know who that clown was," Allura asks. "I've never seen him before."
"Clown?" The lingering scent of fetid water finally registers.
"What happened? Did anybody else get hurt?" he says as he looks to make sure nobody is injured, starting with Allura.
No one is injured, but it would be beneficial if someone could purify that water. Preferably before it makes Mirathan and Nimora ill.
Ash and her clown friend popped in to say hello and he spewed that stuff all over.
If she were there, the wind would have found her. There is no need to go looking there.
"When Angel and I left the Grove, she said she was going to the Club to keep watch and make sure nobody comes back who isn't supposed to be there..."
LJ sighs. It's a good thought, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. Our enemies are having too much luck at splitting us up, making us weaker. We need to stick close together.
LJ sighs. It's a good thought, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. Our enemies are having too much luck at splitting us up, making us weaker. We need to stick close together.
"You may be right. Can you get a message to her to come back here, then? If not, I'll go get her and bring her back myself."
No one is injured, but it would be beneficial if someone could purify that water. Preferably before it makes Mirathan and Nimora ill.
Ash and her clown friend popped in to say hello and he spewed that stuff all over.
"The water is harmless," Sirone says. "It is simply swamp water, which may give us a clue to where your sister is."
LJ sighs. It's a good thought, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. Our enemies are having too much luck at splitting us up, making us weaker. We need to stick close together."You may be right. Can you get a message to her to come back here, then? If not, I'll go get her and bring her back myself."
She thinks it over for a moment.
Yes, I believe that I can get a message to her.Auran:
JH smiles at LJ as she attends to matters. She has regained her confidence, and her strength.
He reaches out into the Earth surrounding the Oasis, searching for threats. He finds a few plants with the taint of evil. He rips them out of the ground, roots and all, and burns them.
JH smiles at LJ as she attends to matters. She has regained her confidence, and her strength.
He reaches out into the Earth surrounding the Oasis, searching for threats. He finds a few plants with the taint of evil. He rips them out of the ground, roots and all, and burns them.
Devlyn notes that Sirone is not saying anything against Jack's actions, so he assumes that he found more plants like the red one near the pool.
He lowers himself down onto a rock, plucking a pear for a much-needed snack.
Angel, thank you for coming. There is a slightly awkward moment, but she blusters past it.
I still haven't located Alaina, although I know that she visited the Evil Monkey. Ash and a clown friend of hers popped in for a visit just to say hi, and the clown spewed foul water all over. Since all of our locations have been compromised, we are doing our best to secure this one. I have sent the winds to scout for the locations and descriptions of our enemies. Right now we need to have a plan. A real plan that has everybody on the same page. When we do find Alaina we may need to move at a moment's notice to help her, or possibly to save her from herself. Our enemies have been doing too well at keeping us divided. That needs to end. And you and I need to talk. Privately.
Devlyn gets back up as LJ and Angel walk off to talk. He goes over to Allura.
"I think Jack, Nimora and Mirathan can handle the pool area. I'm going to walk the outlying areas of the Oasis so we have another set of eyes on things. Care to come with me, or do you need to do work in the temple to help with the wards here?"
Lynora-Jill walks to a more secluded area of the Oasis before turning to face the other woman.
I don't know exactly what is between you and Jack Hammer, but I'm guessing from the kiss that you gave him that you and her weren't just friends in the future you came from. I won't pretend that doesn't bother me, but we have to work together now. So I'm just going to put all my cards on the table, as it were.
I love him with all my heart and I will until the end of time. A galaxy of twinkling stars going on into infinity can be seen inside LJ's eyes as she says this.
I will do whatever is necessary to ensure his happiness. If he decided that happiness can best be found with you, then I will step aside. I will not pretend that that wouldn't hurt more than even I can imagine, but I will do whatever I need to. I hope that it doesn't come to that, and that he chooses to stay with me. I'm not going to lie to you about that. But I am prepared to accept either possibility.
We used to be friends and I hope that we still can be. I understand if you don't want to be near me much right now. We can find ways to work around that. Regardless we need to be able to work together to fight against this evil.
|
Lynora-Jill walks to a more secluded area of the Oasis before turning to face the other woman.
I don't know exactly what is between you and Jack Hammer, but I'm guessing from the kiss that you gave him that you and her weren't just friends in the future you came from. I won't pretend that doesn't bother me, but we have to work together now. So I'm just going to put all my cards on the table, as it were.
I love him with all my heart and I will until the end of time. A galaxy of twinkling stars going on into infinity can be seen inside LJ's eyes as she says this.
I will do whatever is necessary to ensure his happiness. If he decided that happiness can best be found with you, then I will step aside. I will not pretend that that wouldn't hurt more than even I can imagine, but I will do whatever I need to. I hope that it doesn't come to that, and that he chooses to stay with me. I'm not going to lie to you about that. But I am prepared to accept either possibility.
We used to be friends and I hope that we still can be. I understand if you don't want to be near me much right now. We can find ways to work around that. Regardless we need to be able to work together to fight against this evil.
"Alright, since we're putting all the cards on the table, yeah when I was trapped in the future Jack and I were lovers. But I always knew I was just a replacement for you. I had no illusions that when I came back that he and I would pick up where we left off. The kiss was a convenient way to transfer the memories he implanted in my mind in the future to him in this time. Our scientists told me that the memory transfer required flesh to flesh contact. I can't imagine you would have been happier with the other alternitive." Angel turns her back to Lynora. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hurt seeing the two of you together. For me, it's only been a week or so since he and I kissed goodbye for the last time. But we both knew that if I managed to adjust things that this was what would happen. I'm not going to make a play for him if that's what you're worried about. I'm just here to make sure that Candle Lighter and your sister don't win."
I am sorry for your pain, Angel. I would change that if I could. Thank you for your honesty. I will try to respect your feelings.
Leaving the spellwork and rituals needed for the defense of the Oasis to those who can do such things, Devlyn heads out to protect the borders of the Oasis the way he can - up close and personal. He disappears quietly into the shadows under the forest canopy to patrol its borders, going in the opposite direction from LJ and Angel (to respect their privacy).
Nimora retreats to the deeper waters. That swamp sludge was difficult to breathe. She continued to keep a careful watch on the portal. She wasn't letting danger get through that way again.
Plantjack suddenly appears, hoping that people will actually notice him (unlike what happened at the other thread).
"I am back. It has been difficult, but Wasp's last act pulled through. I am the last Servant of the Board, and almost all my friends have disappeared or are dead. I am now the Champion of the board.
"So you'd think someone would @#$%ing listen to me!!!"
He shouts angrily.
"I tried to warn Wasp that you folk were innocent, but by the time he heard me it was nearly too late. I warned you people as well as I could, but you didn't listen and the goddess nearly returned! I told Alaina to wake up and help her friends, but she ignored me and went evil! And I went to talk to the trees, but they didn't even see me! Now look, in the absence of a Servant, you may have forgotten about us, but while there is still one alive we are going to survive this! Board Essence has been perverted, from death, and then further perverted by some servant of the undead creature who ordered the attack. Action must be taken. We can't just huddle like corn stalks, waiting to be cut down in one fell swoop."
*Kaelar sits down to meditate, his staff standing on it's own off to the side. His hands raise on either side of him and his eyes open and glow faint blue. Water streams from his fingers, purifiying the oasis, healing wounds, and removing the last vestiges of the clown's swamp water.*