[24th January 2011]
[Shadow of the Ley-lines, Earth]
Power flowing wildly, building and roaring like a great storm, was both a boon and disaster we found listening to the prayers of its handful of faithful. Surprising really, but the doors had slammed open things were in motion beyond our ability to track let alone deal with; only the immediate dangers could be dealt with where others might be moving. The blind leading the blind perhaps, but some knowledge of a soul were proving concerningly true as it communed with its agent of the death, deaths in truth, to end one such potential barrier breaching. Ones best left unnoticed perhaps.
Dark deeds perhaps some would argue, but dark things were the Many Angled Ones on that other side of that particular door; ones that had conquered death there in their twisted, corrupted, madness and would bring great destruction if they had crossed over. Gotham...Gotham was a useful but disastrous nexus for it as it kept doors open hidden from others...but others too would and had tried to hold open, or to try open, such while the power surged and sang. Its attention was there as it was upon the island of its temple, and upon the prayers of a few children in the city beneath the ocean's waves...but mostly upon the Hellmouth singing dark songs of the doom of worlds.
Such a lovely being was Lady Gotham...in her own twisted way, joyous and wrathful did she sing as a gargoyle now, a beautiful lady the next. But she hid its presence beneath her skirts, unintentionally perhaps, and aided her own dark champions even as new monsters were raised to challenge them for her fascination...but damn if it wasn't creepy to watch over. Sadly it hid other players of the dark game too, and now established powers had begun to move including our new-old foes of course. Unfortunate, but its own fault as it had been its agent so not unexpected.
Having followers transfer allegiances had not helped most likely, but they were its followers now and the awareness of its presence had already been announced by other means so fuck the Olympians and their idiocy it figured. For now it had allied with other old powers of this dimension in the spirit of mutual self interest, and of the Greater Good of course...or Needed Order perhaps...so there would be counter-balance despite its own weakness. Plans had been cast aside, and now it dealt with matter in an ad-hoc work in progress method as a Spark of Divine Presence answered the Prayer, entering the Dream at the Offering of Control. Illusion Twisted, the Nightmare Banished as it strode forward in its Raiment of Shadowed Power and Shrouded Truths.
"Hello Paula, you called?" a confused response momentarily, then ended it saw as the crippled woman gripped the hands of her prison to stand Whole Once Again as It offered a hand clad in shadows "...here, let me help you Stand"
"Ah...this is a...dream perhaps?" she muttered hesitating a moment glancing at and about herself, pain, broken dolls legs, filth, and regrets welling up. It considered, Changing, Twisting the Illusion without resistance. Confusion, Hesitation met Its Form but a Moment...
"Perhaps a more familiar face hmmm?"
...then Her hand too Its, rising up from the Nightmare as the Prison Shifted, Changed. She was Young Again, Her Image of Herself in Her Glory; Proud, Willful, Beautiful...Dangerous and Lethal. Still, she frowned studying its face and the Library in which they now stood.
"You're not the Young Master, Golden Eyes" she stated firmly, eyes away and at herself in the Mirror that appeared to their right side. It smiled, resting its current Form against the desk behind it, hands behind and to its sides in an easy gesture of rest and being non-threatening.
"No, but do you know Who One Is, as You Called"
"I...did, didn't I?" came her reply one hand coming to her chin, the other arm on her chest in what was a thinking pose of sorts. Studying, Considering "...Or I'm just having a very strange series of nightmares and dreams"
"Not an unreasonable theory, even if incorrect. One Know You Can Feel this One's Power after all, and that You Called One here and Know this"
"Yes" she stated back firmly, nodding to herself and standing at ease now, arms at her hips and away from the blades upon her back "Yes, I do, though I honestly wasn't sure if it would actually work"
"No, My High Priest Spoke Truly in how he would commune between God and Cleric, though he did suspect your reasons beyond those stated of guarding him and concerns over what you have witnessed in the Afterlife of the God of Abraham"
She nodded and It continued "Though One must note the God of Dance and Merriment has been in your presence, and Knowledge that other such beings exist and not your only Choice, if One is Correct in Why One was Called?"
"Oh, very much Yes to that..." she answered after a moment, Baring Herself Before It as the armour and weapons vanished; Soul Regretful yet Proud, Still Defiant Despite Fear, And Dripping with Shed Blood of Guilty and Innocent "...I've seen Hell, and I don't doubt currently my future destination based on all my I remember of my mother's words as a child"
"Perhaps, your Faith was ever Minimal despite being Marked as best One can See. But yes, One would Expect Judgement Under the Laws of the God of Abraham and Apostle of Rome in your particular case"
"My daughters?"
It shook the head of its current Form and gave a shrug "One cannot give a definite answer of course, but One's Servant's eyes then one is mostly innocent and one is mostly damned, worse than you Paula. Using His Laws of course, but He is Forgiving One must state, more than Most, but must Truly Repent...and You Do Not"
Defiance, Guilt, Anger, Regret, Blood "I made mistakes, but I did what I had to and would have done so again if the situation demanded it. I am...will never be...a Good Christian I know. But I need to protect my children, even from themselves...and a chance seems better a sure bet of failure to my eyes. You can thank your priest for the consideration here, as Mr. Lord of the Dance doesn't seem suited to my deeds and skills. So...I want to make a Deal, on my behalf, for my daughter. I'm serving your High Priest, I want a get out hell free card"
"Well, One could do with a Priestess of such skills and wisdom as yourself, but one will Warn One cannot save your daughter's Soul without Her Permission. Nor will One tolerate breach of any Contract between Us. One is not an Evil God Paula dear, and whole One will tolerate much in exchange for a price paid compared to your current Lord, One also expects Loyal Service and there are Dark Times ahead"
She stood defiantly, arms folding across her chest as a table appeared between them alongside paper, ink-well, and quills "Okay I'm already bound to the Young Master so I know the drill, so then, let's talk the terms of my new employment...
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[24th January 2011]
[Mount Olympus, Dimensional Boundary]
It was frustrating to be home, and raging inducing to be forced to stay there because Mom was having her temper tantrum and Dad was taking his anger out on everyone at been shown up. Particularly Eris herself, largely since she'd done the horrible, terrible, crime of doing something and thus gaining a few worshippers...at least before being dragged back to home sweet home anyway. All that magic in the air, other pantheons moving, interesting and chaotic things happening, and Daddy Dearest had everyone under house arrest because he was sulking at being one upped by a bunch of foreigners and Outsiders.
Oh, and her new little half-sister of course; because wasn't just fantastic to have Mother throw her massive temper tantrum on the rest of the family because Dad had banished her to the couch. Largely where she could get drunk, and cry, and shout at everybody else in the family all without being in Dear Old Dad's way; cramping his style as he put, the arrogant jerk. Well, it was about time somebody dealt with this particular bonfire waiting to erupt...by setting it off in the most amusing and beneficial manner possible. All she had to do was make sure when the fireworks went off it would not be seen as her fault for causing trouble and escaping this particular madhouse.
"Dad, can PLEASE talk to Mother?" she stated in her most whiny sounding voice after coming into the throne room where Zeus was standing alone gazing into his pool thing on the mortal world. Probably into a cheerleaders shower room judging by how fast he shadowed whatever it had been he was watching. Angry Mom, chased off Mortal Mistress and a new child meant hunting time had started again to show how Godly a God he was "...PLEASE? She's getting herself all worked up again, and she's demanding more wine and ambrosia"
"ERIS, what have I said about disturbing me?"
She put out a put upon sigh "Not to bother you. But Dad PLEASE, she's getting..."
"Daughter GET HER WINE AND LEAVE ME IN PEACE"
'Ah there we go' she mused hiding the smirk as she pouted and threw her arms up in the air, muttering *unhappily* as she turned around with a "FINE! FINE! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
The key to the most Chaos being caused for ones foes was making sure all the little pieces were lined up before hand and letting their own nature take over. Pouting, and showing a visible level of irritation as she passed Athena, she strolled alone the promenade and towards one of her brother's was sitting unhappily after being dragged away from his forge for more meetings with Daddy. Only Hades and Ares had managed to escape that fun, with Poseidon eventually grumbling and arriving, but big brother was in a bad mood since his whore of a wife was being particular herself, and therefore irritating, of late. Striding over to stand before him she glared down at him, sighing and feigning apology after a moment and his glare back.
"Sorry Bro, just saw Dad, need your help. Have to talk to Mom and bring her more booze"
"Ughh...do we have too?"
"Exact words; Get her wine and leave me in Peace" she mimicked back "...and that's after I asked him to talk to her. Seems peeping time is more important than that"
A grumpy and bitter Hephaestus was the worst possible person to talk to a drunken Mother after all, and it only had to be for a few moments in the end. He groaned, rubbing his palm over his ugly face "Do I have too?"
"Yes, because I've been stuck with her, Ares is off hiding in his so-called prison...conveniently surrounded by beautiful and scantily clad women warriors whose queen he probably boinked mind you...and do we REALLY want to send in Forehead Girl or one of Daddy's other little mistakes hmm? At least help me carry the copious amounts of drink she's demanding"
"We shouldn't be letting her get so drunk like that, it makes her temper worse Sister"
She threw her arms up in surrender "Then get Dad to TALK TO HER, or stop rubbing more little bundles of joy in her face maybe!" like that'd happen with horny the old goat "...but at least if she get drunk she'll shut for a bit when she sleeps it off before she goes haring off like the last few times, or decides we all need *help* with our love lives"
Her brother made a face, a particularly uncomfortable one to see, at that and she gave a helpless shrug "You know she will, or get all discipline children. Bad enough she knows, but it's been rubbed her face with that damned Outsider and the Dancing twit claiming our half-sister as their ward"
Though that had been a great damned party, and the Lord of the Dance was always a fun fellow to have drinks and wild time with. Mr. Outsider Order-Lover Shroudy less so, but damn if one of the Orc Gods little General's lurking around hadn't been a bug up Athena's butt since chatting to the Event, and then a priest of his turning up to Hermes place in Sigil. Change and Chaos were in the air, and that filthy Elemental Lord of Chaos avatar destroyed so not butting into her business for a time, so she just had to get out there and spread her influence once again. Hecate was of the same mind, and Hestia too even if in her simpering 'helping others' manner, so if it took a little Chaos and Discord...and Violence. Well, that was a price worth paying since it'd be others taking the face punches once Mommy Dearest went off on one of her idiotic rants against the women who'd 'seduced' her 'wonderful' cheating jackass of a husband...
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