Nutshell(#216RAFJLM)
A comfortable nutshell, with fur and fuzz therein, and many chairs and dice, suitable for roleplayers. "Oh, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and be a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams..."
Contents:
Mallory
Liz
Demiurge
Generic Game Object(#595V$)
Obvious exits:
Rick's
Generic Game Object(#595V$)
A Generic Game Object. Chock full of happy commands. Amongst these:
roll d666 - Roll a d666 publicly.
roll/priv d666 - Roll a d666 to yourself.
><message> - Make an OOC comment. ( : and ; will pose)
+ic - Start an IC scene and announce it.
+ooc - Stop a scene and announce it.
Mallory stretches. Even.
arcangel starts logging.
<<Scene Start>>
<<OOC>> arcangel had to check the game object to remember the commands!
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Right. It's been a few days since Mallory and Jolie came back from the Marches. The kitsune "escorted" them out of its (?) Domain, but has not visibly appeared on campus. At least, not in Mallory's view."
<<OOC>> Demiurge chuckles.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Classes proceed. Daria flirts, Mellor vanishes in and out, Jude glares, Isabelle drops her fencing stuff off with Mallory and picks it up again for classes, Jolie takes notes and works at the library, Mr. Smart-Mouth continues to try to impress the +3 Charisma people..."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Somewhat annoyingly, the fencing teacher seems to be... improving, with all the sparring that she's doing with Mallory. This may inhibit his plans to take over the class, curses!"
Mallory settles into what could be described as a 'routine'. Classes, reading, making sure that Jolie continues her duties, and as much sparring as he can... how vexing.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Is Mallory still tending to search Isabelle's fencing bag, since he found that scrap of paper with possible Hellglyphs upon it?"
Mallory is, naturelment.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 6 3 CHECK: 4.
After the third time Isabelle's dropped off her fencing bag, Mallory discovers a smallish, plastic-wrapped book in the bag's front pocket.
Mallory has also found a pair of headphones for his guitar, according to Tom's suggestion, so that he may practice with less overall noise, and has achieved a small but tasteful stack of fashion magazines, which are generally looked over with a sense of disgust. Those damn Victorians.
<<OOC>> arcangel grins. "So far, no ... further weird events have happened with the guitar..."
Mallory sighs and carefully unwraps the package. Fortunately, re-applying tape is ever so much easier than, say, trying to reseal wax-sealed letters and the like.
The package isn't taped -- merely a plastic bag from a local grocery store (apparently), tightly tucked around... A small, leatherbound book with yellowed pages that are crumbling around the edges.
Mallory tsks. "Where does she find these things?" He opens the book carefully.
A slip of folded notebook paper falls from out of the back cover. The book is mostly Latin at the front. A few pages in, it appears to be an iffily-drawn Latin-to-Helltongue/Helltongue-to-Latin pronunciation guide and dictionary. With a lot of gobbeltygoop around the important entries.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Does Mallory do Latin, one wonders?"
<<OOC>> Liz says "ooc"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "ooc"
<<OOC>> Liz says "OOC Sorry."
<<OOC>> Demiurge says "Use >"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "would have had occasion to be exposed to it, certainly. Church latin, if nothing else."
<<OOC>> arcangel will go with that, since the snake's slithered off from the other character sheets.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Give me an Int roll, methinks."
<<OOC>> Liz says "How does one roll again? ^_^;;"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "roll d666"
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 6 5 CHECK: 1.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Pathetic."
<<OOC>> Demiurge | O Devil! How rabbit quorum of which cantrip sin white spectacular demonstration!
The Latin is horribly scribbly.
Mallory looks somewhat disgusted.
So are the Hellglyphs.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "How 'close' does it look to Isabelle being ready to actually try something?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Based on the book alone, or the folded paper?"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "All of it, plus any other books she's had lately."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mallory's seen her tote one large-sized, plastic-bag-wrapped book out, that first time, a thick sheaf of papers a second time, and this seems to have been left. The folded paper, unfolded, reveals a Hellglyph-to-Latin-to-English (with phonetics) attempt on some words. It is about as broken as one might expect from that genesis ("All your Tether are belong to Us!"), but the phonetics are pretty accurate -- more-so than this book alone should account for. Either she's got another book(s) somewhere, or a source of spoken Helltongue."
<<OOC>> arcangel says ""
Mallory ponders the writings. He looks over the Helltongue glyphs for any names, particularly, say Names of demons one might attempt to summon.
<<OOC>> Mallory has an Idea.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "'How Close' depends on how stupid she is, what other resources she might have, and other Sorcery/Fate stuff. Of course, none of it will work unless she's 6 Forces. How much does Mallory know about Fate/Sorcery stuff...."
Strangely, while there are plenty of 'names of power' to 'control demons' noted in the scribblings, there are no 'named demons to summon.' At least, not designated as such.
<<OOC>> Mallory 's problems were War, not Sorcery.
<<OOC>> arcangel nods cheerfully. O:>
<<OOC>> Mallory says "BTW, are you Plot thinking Isabelle, or something else? If the former, it's about time to do something to keep the girl from doing something stupid. If the latter, the'll keep."
<<OOC>> arcangel has many plot. O:>
<<OOC>> arcangel has found Mal's character sheet, too. Victory!
<<OOC>> Mallory makes some notes on all of this. If he finds any Names of Demons to Summon, he'll carefully add in a corrupted form of his own Name, enough to get his attention but not (he believes) enough to actually bind him.
Mallory makes some notes on all of this. If he finds any Names of Demons to Summon, he'll carefully add in a corrupted form of his own Name, enough to get his attention but not (he believes) enough to actually bind him.
Mallory then sticks everything back where it was, and back to paperwork. Ah, life in the military. Particularly if those manifest lists for his 'equipment' ever came in.
This book, strangely, seems to have no Names To Summon. It's mostly a dictionary.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "(Note: if Mallory wants to pursue this thread, he can wait a day or two to see what might next appear in the bag.)"
<<OOC>> Liz says "Hmm. Will weird Sorcery have Interesting and Odd effects on dear old Mal?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Or attempt his own study course at the Library; that had some strange books in it, just lying out as part of a display..."
<<OOC>> Liz says "If so, why nto? ;)"
<<OOC>> arcangel snicker.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Gimme another Int roll, for coming up with interesting rumors about sorcery, sorcerers, and the summoning of demons."
Mallory does parallel research to what Isabelle is up to, certainly. Wouldn't due to get caught with his scales down.
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 1 2 CHECK: 4.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "WOO!"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Much better."
<<OOC>> arcangel writes much...
<<OOC>> Mallory waits patiently.
Thinking back, Mallory can recall various rumors in Hell about the Dozen (who are supposed to be fictional, but demons whisper they _aren't_, and really _can_ bind demons), ways to get a sorcerer to give you a new vessel (!), horror stories of White Sorcerers who summon demons into rooms with packs of angels, some tales of people who got called up as succubi or incubi, three or four common approaches sorcerers take ("So, while he's binding me with the name of, get this, Uriel, Prince of Hades, I'm picking at his little pentagram with my toes...")...
With careful puttering in the library, between classes, Mallory can find that there are some _interesting_ sorcery books tucked into the New Age section. In english, even. They are all, however, focused on the summoning of ethereals. A computer search (Mallory can get a librarian to help him out, easily) reveals that some other "New Age" books are checked out at the moment, which have suggestive titles. Of course, all the New Age ones have suggestive titles, but these would have been filed very near to the other ones.
<<OOC>> Mallory sighs. "The girl is going to get herself into quite a lot of trouble, I can tell."
Mallory sighs. "The girl is going to get herself into quite a lot of trouble, I can tell."
<<OOC>> Demiurge says "(Sex Secrets of Ancient Atlantis.)"
<<OOC>> Demiurge offers Mallory a copy of the Liber Domini Tellorum.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Nah, that one's filed next to the Kama Sutra. (Sex Secrets, that is.)"
Mallory waits one more day, to see if she's going to do anything rash. And what did wind up happening with the equipment manifest list? Did he actually get one? Not that he expects it to be useful, but.
_Eventually_ the equipment manifest list showed up.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "What was Mallory hoping would be on that, BTW?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "And is he shadowing Isabelle after classes again, after that one boring mundane trip?"
Mallory wanted to know if the guitar and the odd vessel were on the list.
Mallory is a soldier. Normally one sends the grunts out for patrol, but a soldier does as a soldier must. If nothing else is pressing, he'll follow Isabelle as time allows.
The guitar is on the list. The vessel is on the list as well, with the comment, "Test mortal visual reactions?" scribbled in some underling's hand.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Daytimes, Isabelle goes... to classes, often early (where she apparently reads her homework). To the library, where she vanishes to upstairs stacks. To the parking lot, where she waits around a very long time, usually reading, until she's picked up around sunset -- or sometimes later."
<<OOC>> Demiurge idles briefly to do dishes.
<<OOC>> arcangel eeps. Great big boom outside...
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Do you need to go?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "If Mallory wants to try to follow her around in the Library more precisely, he'll need a Move Silently roll to track her. Or a reason to go with that she agrees with."
Mallory will follow her about the library.
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 2 2 CHECK: 3.
<<OOC>> arcangel dunno if she needs to go or not. Walter's checking out the garage. It was a bit scary of a boom.
Mallory >is smooth and deadly.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 6 6 CHECK: 6.
<<OOC>> arcangel falls over.
<<OOC>> arcangel falls over laughing.
Trailing after Isabelle, Mallory is smooth, invisible, utterly unnoticable! Indeed, at one point, when Isabelle _might_ have been able to glance into a windowed study room and catch Mal's reflection, she seems to notice nothing at all!
Mallory almost luxuriates in such efficient stalking. One could grow envious of the djinn, if it were always like this.
She goes up to a 'keep in library, historical books' section, flashes her ID at the person sitting guard there, and is passed through without comment.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 3 1 CHECK: 4.
The librarian at the desk notices Mallory, if he tries to go by there. Drat.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "However, Isabelle will not notice Mallory being noticed."
Mallory looks vaguely annoyed. Instead, he settles near the exit to the historical books section, and waits for Isabelle to return.
Mallory makes a show of waiting for her.
The librarian eventually asks, "Can I help you with anything?"
Mallory pulls out a book from class, and says, "No, thank you. I am merely waiting."
The librarian nods, goes back to her book, and there is waiting.
Eventually, Isabelle returns -- and completely fails to notice Mallory. She seems to be biting the corner off of a page of torn-out notebook paper while she studies another page in her hands.
Mallory coughs slightly as Isabelle passes him.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 3 5 CHECK: 6.
Isabelle passes, unheeding.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "When you get an Infernal Intervention on a Perception roll..."
Mallory just shakes his head, and chuckles, then follows after her.
Mallory takes full advantate, particularly if she's going off to do something stupid.
Isabelle wanders -- reading her papers and idly chewing on the corners of the pages -- out of the library and towards the Campus Bookstore. She stumbles over a few things, including (nearly) the statue of the Founder in the middle of the Pent. She does _not_ notice Mallory.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Indeed, Mallory can almost _feel_ himself being wrapped in a fog of 'look somewhere else,' as if a mist upon his scales."
Mallory hmms, and sees if he can walk close enough to read her papers. This is..entertaining.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Well, if you're going to _push_ it... Give me a roll on your Agility, so you don't trip over something yourself while reading, and fall into her."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Don't get a Divine Intervention. O:>"
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 2 5 CHECK: 5.
<<OOC>> Mallory continues to be smooth and deadly.
The papers at the top of the ones she holds seem to be a list of ingredients. Candles (white, beeswax, unscented), cloth (cotton, 2 yards by one yard, white), athame (sharpened), incense (lilac). The "lilac" comment has a ?? next to it. At the bottom of the page, a note: "Check against <B>Sumng Pw'r</B>"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "The "bold" being a short-hand scribble-mangling of Hellglyps."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Oh, yes, and Parchment is also on the list, feather quill, and matches."
Mallory rolls his eyes. The little fool. He starts to commit the list to memory, then, chuckling very softly to himself, takes out a pen and paper, stands a couple of feet back, and jots it down.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "And, should those items appear in her pack, I will know she's close to accomplishing her goal and interference is required."
<<OOC>> Demiurge chuckles.
Isabelle heads into the bookstore, shucking her backpack into one of the cubbies provided. She stuffs the other papers into her purse, which she takes with her, and roams about the store.
To Mallory's possible dismay, the store seems to sell nearly everything on the list, with the exception of the cloth.
Isabelle is, however, only purchasing the candles, parchment, and matches -- the rest, she is taking notes on prices.
Mallory follows her a bit more, if only to make sure that she's not doing anything on campus this day. He figures she won't dare try anything at home.
<<OOC>> Demiurge says "Roll a divine intervention now, Mallory. I want to see what happens. ;)"
The purchases go into the girl's backpack, along with the page with price notes on it. Then she goes to peruse a bus schedule, apparently trying to decide if she can catch the bus to the Mall and get back to campus before she is picked up.
<< GAME >> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 3 5 CHECK: 1
Mallory follows along, still looking amused.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "As long as she keeps doing this sort of thing, I'll follow. Feel free to fast forward."
The bus schedule does not seem to be promising, and she heads off to the large, decorative boulder where she generally tends to lurk until her ride picks her up.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Not going to go up behind her and shout BOO in her ear? O:>"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Not yet. :)"
More warily than before, Isabelle pulls out the other papers from her purse and mutters to herself, as if reading lines in a play.
Mallory listens intently.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Perception."
<<OOC>> arcangel invites a Perception roll. Hopefully not a 111. O:>
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 1 5 CHECK: 1.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Not quite."
While the words are indistinct, Mallory can make out familiar harsh cadences.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Since you can creep up right behind her, you have a slight bonus. O:>"
Demiurge pages: And at this point, the triad strides up and arrests her for consorting with the demons of hell and as a sorceress. :)
You paged Demiurge with 'Ah, but she's on campus! Besides, Mal hasn't rolled a 111.'.
Mallory says, very quietly, "Your accent is rather poor."
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 6 1 CHECK: 5.
Isabelle fails to notice.
From afar, Demiurge Grins.
Her accent is actually surprisingly good, for a mortal.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "That's even more worrisome."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Though, naturally, poor for a native speaker."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Perhaps she has a language talent."
Mallory thinks clearly that the girl is oblivious. Perhaps tomorrow. He reads a book until she's picked up and safely gone for the evening, then goes back to the dorm.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "How close is Mallory hanging around?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "As in, is he trying to get a closer glimpse of who picks her up (previous days, if he's been following her, she's been more alert)?"
Mallory is curious. He's quite close enough to see what is so awful that a girl would willingly summon some of his more unpleasant compatriots.
Eventually, Isabelle stuffs the papers into her backpack and starts reading the BritLit coursebook. She is about a half-hour into that, by the time a car pulls up in front of her rock.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 2 1 CHECK: 3.
_That_, she notices, and slides down from her rock, BritLit book tucked into the crook of her arm. Upon the opening of the rear door (and the little light turning on in the car), Mallory can see that it is being driven by an older human male, with a short brownish beard that is going to gray. He's dressed very much in the style of "bland," but with his tie partly pulled loose. While Mallory watches, he takes a brief drink out of a bottle, then returns it to its position in the front seat next to him. Isabelle shuts the door, and Mallory sees her starting to put her seat belt on as the car pulls away.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 1 3 CHECK: 1.
<<OOC>> arcangel makes note of _that_ roll, smiles, and says nothing.
<<OOC>> Demiurge says, blandly, "It's her Watcher." :)
<<OOC>> Mallory says "What can I see of him?"
<<OOC>> Mallory laughs!
<<OOC>> Mallory says "That would be a bit much, but amusing."
<<OOC>> Demiurge grins.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mostly his suit, facial features (beard, glasses, rumpled hair), and the bottle."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "He looks, hm, like he usually is wearing one of those bland human suits that Mal saw at the Mall, and doesn't get out of it when he 'lets his hair down,' as students have sometimes slanged around Mal."
<<OOC>> Mallory says "And the bottle type? Alcohol, or one of these more modern beverages?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mallory -- who makes it his business to be versed in such things -- believes it was the shade and shape to be a wine bottle."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Taller than beer, doesn't look like a soda bottle, etc."
Mallory gives a look of disgust. Drinking straight from a wine bottle? The barbarian.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "The car, BTW, was not a sports-car -- but a 4-door sportscar wannabe."
<<OOC>> arcangel says, blandly, "Hard to drive and pour into a wine-glass..."
Mallory shakes his head, and goes back to the dorm. He has Jolie to check on, and a guitar to tune, and angels and a Shedite to keep an eye on.
<<OOC>> arcangel grins. "And I have an awake baby. Shall we call that a wrap?"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Sure. More another time. With more Plot and Things Happening."
<<OOC>> arcangel nods. Is doing... slow anime plot, that's the ticket!
<<Scene Stop>>
arcangel flup.
Mallory hugs. "Thank you."
Demiurge grins. Hugs you both.
arcangel snugs. "Welcome! Thank _you_!"
arcangel is most amused that Mal seems to want to preserve a human from her own stupidity.
Mallory says "Perhaps more with Mellor, next time."
arcangel nods. Needs a Jo for that, though.
Mallory has no use for her as one of 'his' soldiers if she's been broken and subverted by another demon.
arcangel laughs!
You say "What, he's going to subvert her himself, first?"
Mallory says "Perhaps. Or decide that she's of no use to me, and let her off to her own Fate."
arcangel chuckles.
arcangel tries to remember. "If I am not mistaken, the War holds a Hostility towards Fate?"
arcangel checks the book and is not mistaken.
Mallory says "Small 'f', then. But so long as she's one of mine, she gets the protection of an Officer for his Soldiers."
You say "Hee hee hee."
arcangel needs to away, for the baby awaketh and some dinner would be good.
arcangel is hyped! GAMING!