[ She loves the others, she really does. But sometimes it's just too much. If he's got a place where she's welcome and can still fly under the radar... ]
Nah, you're not nosy.
the Staff can... well, I dunno the limits yet. It seems like it can pretty much do anything, as long as I can find a way to put it into words.
[ There's a pause, and then another message: ]
And so long as I haven't already used those same words on another spell.
[ Nico downloads the link, and saves it to her mapping application. To b honest, she's tempted to go right now... if she can drag her millions of pounds of skirts out of the shower and successfully make her way there despite the too-many-beers.
Maybe a sobering spell would help her out. Again. ]
Yeah, that's how it works. I can use the same spell if i can think of another way to say it. shields are common. So I'm having to learn how to say shit in other languages, or find other ways to phrase it. being bilingual is handy, sure, but even that's not quite enough.
( ooc; are you cool if I turn this into a thread? and do you prefer action or prose? )
[ "Soon" takes probably a little longer than it should, given that Nico has to unentangle herself from her skirts, change clothes, sober up enough to move without drawing suspicion, and make her way to the location he sent her... but she makes it in the end, lifting the brick he had mentioned so that she can slip through the service door.
Of course, having never been here until now, that's as far as she gets before she realizes that she has no idea where to go.
With a sigh, she pulls out her phone again. ]
I'm here. In the service entrance.
No idea where I'm meant to go.
[ For now, at least, she resists the urge to be overly-cautious and look around; she trusts him enough to know that if he says this place is safe, it's safe. ]
[ The bar is an old storage warehouse and the back entrance serves two purposes: First, the staircase to the left upon entering leads up to the loft. It's a safehouse and an apartment with a semi-rotating set of individuals of which Josh is a constant. But the second is that the back leads into the loading bay-turned-inventory space for booze and food. Three large freezers take up the far right wall.
When Nico arrives and sends that text, she'll hear a chime sound from overhead, followed by Josh peering down from over the railing. ]
Great. You're here. [ He takes a pull from the slim vape clutched in his left hand. ] Come on up.
[ Of course, the sound of a phone chiming in the same instant that Nico sends the message is enough to have her starting, the worry evident on her face as she looks up - and breathes a sigh of relief to see Josh looking over the railing at her.
Being on the run is exhausting. Doubtless, the embarrassment at startling over something so small - as well as the irritation at being caught in such a moment - is written all over her face. Nonetheless, she tries on a smile as she heads up the staircase. ]
[ He moves away from the rail, pitching his voice enough that he knows it will carry downstairs, before moving towards one of the couches in the loft's open plan living room. ]
Just me today. The rest of my crew is off running errands or had to head out of town for a while.
[ She has to admit that she's grateful; even though she's sure that with time she'll be comfortable getting to know some of the others in his crew, at least for now it's easier if it's just the two of them, especially given how twitchy she seems to be at the moment.
Without a word, she moves to join him on the couch, only then shooting him a quick grin. ]
So, do I look as shit as I feel?
[ Worn off though the alcohol may be, she now has the beginnings of a hangover headache. ]
Admittedly? [ He shakes his head. ] No. But I know that hangovers can be deceiving.
[ He knows a little bit about her situationβbut it's mostly bits from previous conversations: she's a runaway, hangs with a group of kids who she shares history with. He doesn't know why she left, or if her parents are looking for her. But Josh figures that maybe, in time, she'll loop him in on those details. ]
Do you want to talk about things over some food? I had to play chauffer this morning, so eating fell to the bottom of the priority list.
[ Nico doesn't even realize that she's hungry until her stomach rolls and growls noisily at the mere mention of food. If she was in any other company, she might be embarrassed at it, but as it is, she just grimaces.
At least, with what he already knows, he's probably aware that resources aren't exactly easy to come by, either. She and the other kids make do, but some days are harder than others. Especially when you spend your budget on wannabe-bougie beer.
With a slight, self-deprecating grin, she nods. ]
Uh, yeah. Food sounds really fucking good right now.
[ And... yeah. Talk it out over the food. She owes him that much, at least. ]
[ He offers a sympathetic smile when her stomach growls and then hops off the couch with a little wave to lead her towards the kitchen off to the side. Their fridge is... huge. It's a byproduct of his apartment essentially serving as a base of operations for Migo, Ana and Diana, as well as the odd contact or friend from their network. ]
Late breakfast good? [ Grabbing eggs and bread and some cold cuts. No sense dragging out cooking when the basics will do. ] Should be a couple bags of chips over there.
[ Nodding at a rattan basket atop the kitchen bar which honestly looks like it's seen better days. ]
[ Jumping off the couch, Nico follows to the kitchen, and admittedly her eyes bug out a little when she sees the fridge, even if she tries to keep her reaction mild. This kind of setup is something she dreams of being able to help get for the others, to the point that she's considered trying to magic it into existence, even though she's sure that wouldn't work the way she would want. ]
Late breakfast sounds great. [ And perhaps her face is kind of tame, but her words and tone are definitely proof that she's invested. ] Anyone who says no to late breakfast has some explaining to do.
[ Especially if they turn down something like eggs and cold cuts.
[ He makes quick work of things, putting together 2 sandwiches each and then pushes a plate across the counter towards Nico. ] I think we have juice, but the only thing Ana gets is cranberry for some reason.
[ Turning away at that to measure out some coffee to brew. ]
[ She can't help but wrinkle her nose at the cranberry comment. Not that cranberry is bad per se, but there are just so many other choices. Coffee, at least, sounds good though - especially to the hangover.
But then comes the question, and she sighs. She's hardly about to lie to him, especially given how helpful he's been with her particular brand of circumstances. ]
It's complicated, I guess.
[ Nico pushes at one of the sandwiches with a frown. ]
Our parents are kinda assholes. Of the villain variety. I guess that's the simplest way of putting it.
[ Pouring her a cup of coffee now and turning back to the fridge briefly to grab the three kinds of creamer that Migo just happens to keep on-hand. Sugar's in one of those fancy-looking containers on the table. ]
Yikes. Are they trying to hunt you kids down?
[ He's heard some horror stories of parents being particularly controlling. Granted, the ones he's seen (more accurately) are from the memories of the ghost echoes he has to lay to rest. ]
[ Even as Josh works to get the creamer and sugar, Nico is picking up the coffee and sipping at it. Black, like her lipstick. When she puts the mug down, she nods. ]
Yeah. Also... I dunno if you heard. That girl who was murdered? They're framing us for that too.
[ She shrugs. And the story just goes on from there. Their parents have enough power that if they're hunted down, they could keep them out of jail, but none of that is the point. Their own parents fucking framed them for a murder they committed for some creepy fucking alien's benefit... ugh. ]
It's a mess. So we're sticking together. But that's not always easy, y'know?
I think I saw that on the news. [ He's pouring himself a cup and settling down, listening to her because sometimes you have to just let kids talk. ]
It's not. Sometimes you just need a bit of space from each other. It's healthy.
[ While this place is HQ, Migo and Ana have their own lodgings, opting to come by and stay as long as they like because they can leave if they want to. ]
[ She nods, grateful that he seems to be understanding at least. ]
Yeah. Which isn't easy. I mean, the Hostelβ that's what we call our place. It's big, but we're all still under the same roof. Too easy to find each other.
[ But here? None of them know where she is. That fact should scare her, but it's honestly something of a relief. ]
You're welcome to stay as long as you like. [ Putting together two egg salad sandwiches with 4 slices each of Hungarian salami on a plate and then sliding it over to Nico. ]
I've already given my people the head's up that we have a guestβ [ he pauses, thoughtful ] βMigo is a recluse and will probably skulk around. Ana will likely ask about your eyeshadow brand.
Are we still pretending that would hurt more than your feelings, dear Lantern?
Give me a minute and they'll be waiting for you on your car while I do my best caricature of a victorian socialite as is only appropriate for a woman who can kill people with her mind.
It's still more than most get. Also, I'm not convinced she's ever happy with us. We're an unsettling lot.
I have never tried to do anything with a ghost, they are not abundant in Arkadia. So, I wouldn't know. I suppose it may, I already do unreasonable shit like see the future.
[And she does, after a minute or two when she has found herself a safe place to sit where no one will interupt her. At first she thinks to try some sort of calming spell, because Titania had certainly tried to teach her some but she can barely keep herself calm on a good day, she hardly imagined it would work on a ghost.
So she does another piece of magic she had learnt in all those long years in Faerie, she pushes a projection of herself out into the world and where Josh and his ghost were. Only the image of her is younger, about twelve. There is dirt on her jeans and smudged on her face and a daisy chain upon her head like a circlet. A wooden sword is tucked into a belt that is so big she had clearly stolen it from Uther at some point (he probably didn't notice).
And there is kindness in her face and her bright green eyes as she approaches the ghost.]
You look like you'd be a very good knight, [Child-Morgana says to the ghost, her voice earnest and warm.] You kinda look like my Da and he coulda taken on the whole wide world.
I do need your help though, see, I'm waiting for the rest of my knights to catch up, and its very dark here... will you wait with me a few minutes? My Da can't, he died.
[A distraction? Perhaps, but almost certainly too true.]
[ He sees the little girl manifest a few feet away from the ghost and if Morgana hadn't warned him, he might have broken cover, broken into a run, and carried her to safety. Ghosts and children were, in his experience, a pretty bad mix, if only because previous encounters had demonstrated how the former didn't have any reservations of possessing the latter.
The ghost is half-there, glowing in a way that emphasizes it's internal skeletal structure more starkly than the rest of it. If it didn't carry the telltale signs of being all the way dead and an echo of the man it used to be, Josh might have assumed it was something altogether different in terms of being undead.
It's not the man's fault. The building he was anchored to was slated for demolition. Whoever he was viewed the destruction of the only home he could remember like any sane person would: an attack.
Morgana's little distraction was enough to keep him occupied, which is why Josh is now hurriedly setting up a spirit barrier to keep their new friend in one spot while he figures out how to break the anchor.
He'll put himself in Morgana's line of sight and gesture half-helplessly to have her herd the ghost into the half-circle. ]
Please, please, please, let this work I don't want Arthur to punch my face in. [ Muttered, softly, and in half-panic. ]
[It was neither a child nor a ghost, more like a memory that Morgana could manipulate from her sheltered spot. Her eyes were closed as she moved her illusion, chattering away at the ghost as children so often do but ready to change the illusion further if need be, or use some other magic to guide him.
What magic, exactly, she did not know but it felt like she would, if she needed it. It served no purpose to dwell on plans she had been given no time to come up with.
In any case she keeps the ghost entertained enough, for both at actual age twelve and certainly now she had a certain talent for directing people as she will, save for Uther and her mother who were entirely immune to her charms.
I would never let him punch your face in her voice whispers beside his ear, entirely separate to her illusion that is still happily talking about her plans to fairly rule Britain, and is about thirty seconds away from impersonating Galadriel at the mirror.]
You say that now, but my face remains unconvinced. [ He keeps his voice low, but the smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he finally closes off the salt circle. And then he's slipping out the bone skull keychain from his pocket.
Opening doors to the Underworld can mean hunting up gates; those are his preferred means of descending. But occasionally, instances like this require hacks - and the skeleton key in his hand happens to be just that.
With a twist of his wrist, a staircase opens up on the pavement, some three odd feet from the ghost. It doesn't go very deep. The most he'll get is the Upper Reaches, giving him clear access back up here once distractions are done.
Guide him down. It'll but me time to deal with the anchor and get him away from here for a little while. ]
[I promise. this time her voice was almost a purr as it nipped at his ear. There was a smile that was a little too amused on her lips where she sat.
Her illusion kept on with her chattering away, discussing some policy or the other she wanted to implement if she became (a very benevolent) queen, ruling as the people deserved and as she did, she slowly lead the ghost towards the newly appeared stairs without him even really noticing where they were going. She was very distracting and convincing like that.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
β overflow | esbat
thank you for overflowing us! I kept meaning to do it and not LOL
Are you sure it's safe?
no worries!
from both sides of the superpowered coin
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At risk of, y'know, taking away the offer of a potential safe haven
[ Has she told him about this? She doesn't remember. Speaking of "low profile"... ]
Dunno if I'd exactly call myself "superpowered", but I do have magic.
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offer still stands :)
and i suppose i should have clarified: i equally avoid the heroes and the villains
[ He has enough to worry about when dealing with the dead. ]
at the risk of coming off nosy: what kind of magic?
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[ She loves the others, she really does. But sometimes it's just too much. If he's got a place where she's welcome and can still fly under the radar... ]
Nah, you're not nosy.
the Staff can... well, I dunno the limits yet. It seems like it can pretty much do anything, as long as I can find a way to put it into words.
[ There's a pause, and then another message: ]
And so long as I haven't already used those same words on another spell.
kind of weird, I guess.
/brb adopting her now
key to the service door is behind the 3rd brick from the right side of the door frame
just in case you don't want to come in through the front and avoid prying eyes from the street
[ Curious. ]
so... what i'm getting is that you can't use the same spell twice? or words, rather
that about right?
girl needs friends and actual healthy adults in her life so never saying no
Maybe a sobering spell would help her out. Again. ]
Yeah, that's how it works. I can use the same spell if i can think of another way to say it. shields are common. So I'm having to learn how to say shit in other languages, or find other ways to phrase it. being bilingual is handy, sure, but even that's not quite enough.
( ooc; are you cool if I turn this into a thread? and do you prefer action or prose? )
excellent, cos josh is happy to be just that
come by and i'll introduce you to folks
my crew speaks multiple languages so maybe they can add to your arsenal
success! β₯
[ "Soon" takes probably a little longer than it should, given that Nico has to unentangle herself from her skirts, change clothes, sober up enough to move without drawing suspicion, and make her way to the location he sent her... but she makes it in the end, lifting the brick he had mentioned so that she can slip through the service door.
Of course, having never been here until now, that's as far as she gets before she realizes that she has no idea where to go.
With a sigh, she pulls out her phone again. ]
I'm here. In the service entrance.
No idea where I'm meant to go.
[ For now, at least, she resists the urge to be overly-cautious and look around; she trusts him enough to know that if he says this place is safe, it's safe. ]
yaaaaas β₯
When Nico arrives and sends that text, she'll hear a chime sound from overhead, followed by Josh peering down from over the railing. ]
Great. You're here. [ He takes a pull from the slim vape clutched in his left hand. ] Come on up.
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Being on the run is exhausting. Doubtless, the embarrassment at startling over something so small - as well as the irritation at being caught in such a moment - is written all over her face. Nonetheless, she tries on a smile as she heads up the staircase. ]
Hey. Thanks for having me over.
no subject
[ He moves away from the rail, pitching his voice enough that he knows it will carry downstairs, before moving towards one of the couches in the loft's open plan living room. ]
Just me today. The rest of my crew is off running errands or had to head out of town for a while.
no subject
Without a word, she moves to join him on the couch, only then shooting him a quick grin. ]
So, do I look as shit as I feel?
[ Worn off though the alcohol may be, she now has the beginnings of a hangover headache. ]
no subject
[ He knows a little bit about her situationβbut it's mostly bits from previous conversations: she's a runaway, hangs with a group of kids who she shares history with. He doesn't know why she left, or if her parents are looking for her. But Josh figures that maybe, in time, she'll loop him in on those details. ]
Do you want to talk about things over some food? I had to play chauffer this morning, so eating fell to the bottom of the priority list.
no subject
At least, with what he already knows, he's probably aware that resources aren't exactly easy to come by, either. She and the other kids make do, but some days are harder than others. Especially when you spend your budget on wannabe-bougie beer.
With a slight, self-deprecating grin, she nods. ]
Uh, yeah. Food sounds really fucking good right now.
[ And... yeah. Talk it out over the food. She owes him that much, at least. ]
no subject
Late breakfast good? [ Grabbing eggs and bread and some cold cuts. No sense dragging out cooking when the basics will do. ] Should be a couple bags of chips over there.
[ Nodding at a rattan basket atop the kitchen bar which honestly looks like it's seen better days. ]
Not sure if Ana's done groceries yet.
no subject
Late breakfast sounds great. [ And perhaps her face is kind of tame, but her words and tone are definitely proof that she's invested. ] Anyone who says no to late breakfast has some explaining to do.
[ Especially if they turn down something like eggs and cold cuts.
Unless, you know, they're vegan or whatever. ]
no subject
[ Turning away at that to measure out some coffee to brew. ]
So, tell me. How come you're on the run?
no subject
But then comes the question, and she sighs. She's hardly about to lie to him, especially given how helpful he's been with her particular brand of circumstances. ]
It's complicated, I guess.
[ Nico pushes at one of the sandwiches with a frown. ]
Our parents are kinda assholes. Of the villain variety. I guess that's the simplest way of putting it.
no subject
Yikes. Are they trying to hunt you kids down?
[ He's heard some horror stories of parents being particularly controlling. Granted, the ones he's seen (more accurately) are from the memories of the ghost echoes he has to lay to rest. ]
no subject
Yeah. Also... I dunno if you heard. That girl who was murdered? They're framing us for that too.
[ She shrugs. And the story just goes on from there. Their parents have enough power that if they're hunted down, they could keep them out of jail, but none of that is the point. Their own parents fucking framed them for a murder they committed for some creepy fucking alien's benefit... ugh. ]
It's a mess. So we're sticking together. But that's not always easy, y'know?
no subject
It's not. Sometimes you just need a bit of space from each other. It's healthy.
[ While this place is HQ, Migo and Ana have their own lodgings, opting to come by and stay as long as they like because they can leave if they want to. ]
no subject
Yeah. Which isn't easy. I mean, the Hostelβ that's what we call our place. It's big, but we're all still under the same roof. Too easy to find each other.
[ But here? None of them know where she is. That fact should scare her, but it's honestly something of a relief. ]
So... you know, thanks.
late 5 ever i'm sorry :c
I've already given my people the head's up that we have a guestβ [ he pauses, thoughtful ] βMigo is a recluse and will probably skulk around. Ana will likely ask about your eyeshadow brand.
that's okay, I was late this time too β₯
If I see Ana, I'll happily pass that information on.
[ She takes the sandwiches with a nod and takes a bite out of oneβ she barely manages to swallow it before she exclaims: ]
Fuck, that's good.
[ She's pretty sure she hasn't had good quality food in quite a while now. ]
no subject
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but i digress
we may have to comm via text for a bit longer, arthur will kill me if i get a scratch on u
[ Not that. Y'know. He'll stay dead. But he's not gonna mess with a Pendragon when he keeps a shovel in the back at all times. ]
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[Who doesn't know what she's doing right now.]
Do you have somewhere you want me to leave the supplies where I can then run away to find a fainting couch?
no subject
i left my car up front and how did u know that there's a furniture place across the street?
[ He's joking. But there really is a furniture store across the street. ]
no subject
Give me a minute and they'll be waiting for you on your car while I do my best caricature of a victorian socialite as is only appropriate for a woman who can kill people with her mind.
no subject
and the flower girl won't be happy with your brother.
also thank you and on that note: do you think your abilities extend to ghosts?
no subject
I have never tried to do anything with a ghost, they are not abundant in Arkadia. So, I wouldn't know. I suppose it may, I already do unreasonable shit like see the future.
no subject
you could try? at the end of it, ghosts are still people.
no subject
What do you think I should try and do, though?
no subject
but i guess the only answer is: arthur
it's mad about something? not sure if your powers include something that can keep it occupied in one spot
no subject
I will see what I can come up with, though I've never done dinner and a show for the dead before.
no subject
nabbed the salt and the shovel - whatever you can manage will help heaps
no subject
Okay. I'll think of something.
[And she does, after a minute or two when she has found herself a safe place to sit where no one will interupt her. At first she thinks to try some sort of calming spell, because Titania had certainly tried to teach her some but she can barely keep herself calm on a good day, she hardly imagined it would work on a ghost.
So she does another piece of magic she had learnt in all those long years in Faerie, she pushes a projection of herself out into the world and where Josh and his ghost were. Only the image of her is younger, about twelve. There is dirt on her jeans and smudged on her face and a daisy chain upon her head like a circlet. A wooden sword is tucked into a belt that is so big she had clearly stolen it from Uther at some point (he probably didn't notice).
And there is kindness in her face and her bright green eyes as she approaches the ghost.]
You look like you'd be a very good knight, [Child-Morgana says to the ghost, her voice earnest and warm.] You kinda look like my Da and he coulda taken on the whole wide world.
I do need your help though, see, I'm waiting for the rest of my knights to catch up, and its very dark here... will you wait with me a few minutes? My Da can't, he died.
[A distraction? Perhaps, but almost certainly too true.]
no subject
The ghost is half-there, glowing in a way that emphasizes it's internal skeletal structure more starkly than the rest of it. If it didn't carry the telltale signs of being all the way dead and an echo of the man it used to be, Josh might have assumed it was something altogether different in terms of being undead.
It's not the man's fault. The building he was anchored to was slated for demolition. Whoever he was viewed the destruction of the only home he could remember like any sane person would: an attack.
Morgana's little distraction was enough to keep him occupied, which is why Josh is now hurriedly setting up a spirit barrier to keep their new friend in one spot while he figures out how to break the anchor.
He'll put himself in Morgana's line of sight and gesture half-helplessly to have her herd the ghost into the half-circle. ]
Please, please, please, let this work I don't want Arthur to punch my face in. [ Muttered, softly, and in half-panic. ]
no subject
What magic, exactly, she did not know but it felt like she would, if she needed it. It served no purpose to dwell on plans she had been given no time to come up with.
In any case she keeps the ghost entertained enough, for both at actual age twelve and certainly now she had a certain talent for directing people as she will, save for Uther and her mother who were entirely immune to her charms.
I would never let him punch your face in her voice whispers beside his ear, entirely separate to her illusion that is still happily talking about her plans to fairly rule Britain, and is about thirty seconds away from impersonating Galadriel at the mirror.]
no subject
Opening doors to the Underworld can mean hunting up gates; those are his preferred means of descending. But occasionally, instances like this require hacks - and the skeleton key in his hand happens to be just that.
With a twist of his wrist, a staircase opens up on the pavement, some three odd feet from the ghost. It doesn't go very deep. The most he'll get is the Upper Reaches, giving him clear access back up here once distractions are done.
Guide him down. It'll but me time to deal with the anchor and get him away from here for a little while. ]
no subject
Her illusion kept on with her chattering away, discussing some policy or the other she wanted to implement if she became (a very benevolent) queen, ruling as the people deserved and as she did, she slowly lead the ghost towards the newly appeared stairs without him even really noticing where they were going. She was very distracting and convincing like that.]