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Post by Pearl Dragon on Dec 2, 2018 9:07:14 GMT -6
Static played eerily through their radios in response to Cassius' call for backup. The very sound of it sent a radiating wave of chills down Stenson's back and he turned nervously to peer at the other officers. "That doesn't sound good." He muttered, reaching for his own radio to send a sound check through.
As his hand closed around the radio, he paused, his eye catching a flicker of movement back down towards the door that he'd been watching. Stenson turned, squinting to see through the dark at what he thought had been someone waving. His nightvision caught the slim shape of a hand, and saw that he'd been right, there was someone there. A woman perhaps, from the looks of it, and he felt a cold pit begin to fill in his stomach. Was it her? The hand was only partially in sight, mostly ducking out of the way, gone and then back again with more urgent flickers that followed. A beckoning gesture, and Stenson felt goosebumps crawl across his arms.
His hand shot to his belt, pulling the small Maglite from its place and clicking the button to shine it towards the figure. "Ma'am, is that you? Is something wrong? If you're there, we need you to come out of the dark and step forward, please." He called, holding a steady authoritative voice, and only managing to hide some of an underlying tremor. He wanted to check on her, perhaps she might finally be wanting to reason with him, but from previous training he'd always been taught that spirits were fickle, deceptive things at times. Most would go out of their way to manipulate the living, and Stenson was wary to leave the safety of the barrier of seals. "She's down there again, she's waving to come to where she is. Should I check it out?" Stenson then murmured to Cassius, wanting the gold badge's thoughts before he made any inexperienced decisions. The way she was beckoning certainly seemed genuine, and the urge to check in case there was any way of working things out in a diplomatic way was strong. Still, he couldn't immediately trust her, not after her dismissive and cold treatment of their arrival from before.
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Post by jarahamee on Dec 3, 2018 0:26:52 GMT -6
Cassius looked at the two of them, his eyes narrowed a little with annoyance. What was all this about wanting to separate? Were they really going to do this? He shook his head at both of them. His expression was uncharacteristically cold and imperious. His expression became more of a grimace than a smile, though his scars injected an uncomfortable tinge of macabre to it.
This was a trap, and they should all know it. If she was doing what he thought she was doing, they were likely all going to die here, and then the next crew would find them like the night watch. Likely in a smear on the floor; unrecognizable.
Instead, he reached into his briefcase, and handed both a small fistful of wards with determination. He started into their eyes and frowned. He set his jaw and his teeth made a quiet grinding sound. He had opinions about this whole spreading-out-in-the-hand-of-the-enemy. They weren't done yet.
"Don't separate. You two, return to the entrance and help the staff find their way out safely before this becomes more dangerous. Use your radio outside, where we can be sure it works, and ask for back up. I will go and speak to the spirit, if that is what she's requesting. "
He spoke in a breathy huff , then turned looked in the direction Stenson was looking. They were all appearing like a load of fools. Not the crew for this kind of threat. Too many unanswered questions and not enough answers. She was waiting for him, and he'd come to her. It was his duty to treat her with civility, even if she likely thought of them as more of her next meal.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Jun 19, 2019 13:34:28 GMT -6
Cassius words seemed to snap the dullahan out of some state he had been in. He shook his head as if to clear it of the irrational thoughts that plagued it. Yes, he would draw the spirits attention away from the others, should need be. If it meant they would get out, he’d gladly do it. But right now, they were all acting like fools, lost lambs without direction. They were on uncertain ground and in enemy territory on top of that. The spirit has taken root in this place, it was undoubtedly the reason why their radios didn’t work. None of them knew the true extent of the entity’s powers, but Samael suspected that they weren’t even beginning to realize just how much she distorted the place around them, so they could run around like fools, entertaining her for a short time. The odds were against them for sure, separating would only further that. So when Cassius’ spoke again, saying that he would approach her, Samael’s first thought was to stop him. He new that it was out of line, considering their ranks and the fact that Samael was still seen as newly transferred by most agents, but he wasn’t about to let a companion walk into a trap.
“Cassius, stop, please.”, Samael called out as he approached the gold-badge offier as he approached. The dullahan sounded calmer now, much more level-headed and focused that he had been before, “I realize I made a mistake, trying to separate, but right now, we’re all playing into her hands. By letting her separate us like this, one way or another, we’re all be easier targets for her.” If he could, he would have attempted to look sympathetic, however, there was no way for him to do that, so instead he hoped that his voice conveyed his sincerity and his genuine concern for the other officer. He respected Cassius, and didn’t doubt that the officer knew what he was doing, but Samael didn’t like this situation in the slightest.
“I don’t doubt your abilities, Cassius, of course I don’t,” he added then, hoping to seem less disrespectful, “and I mean no disrespect, but I’m not letting you walk into a potential trap alone.”
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Post by MP on Aug 20, 2019 13:37:06 GMT -6
The moment Cassius spoke, the moment the dullahan moved back toward the group and the heart of the wards, the subtle presence about him gave and finally snapped like a cobweb, though the clinging, unclean feel of it lingered on his shoulders. An air of disappointment, almost petulance, lingered behind him.
Disappointment and a second figure. It stood down the hallway they’d come from, distant, at the very fringe of Cassius’ wards. With its appearance, the agents were now trapped between the two unknowns. Where the first figure still peered from behind its wall, beckoning to Stenson with increasingly urgent motions, the other leaned by its doorway, watching the agents with folded arms.
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Aug 20, 2019 17:16:46 GMT -6
Stenson noted the strained look Cassius displayed at his question and instantly felt a pang of guilt. The situation was already looking grim for them since the spirit already seemed to have them surrounded. Stenson nodded at Cassius' words, "Agreed sir, my apologies. " He said respectfully and then took the offered wards that Cassius. He hoped they'd work when the time came, but he had little doubt when considering the barrier the gold badge had set up around them.
"Sam, stay close. Back this way." Stenson said, turning the beam of his flashlight towards the way they had come. If Cassius wanted to take lead, he would let him. Otherwise, Stenson led the way into the dark with the help of his flashlight to bring everything into stark contrast before them.
He did feel bad for leaving the gesturing hand behind, but he also trusted Cassius' word beyond all else. If they got out of this unscathed, he'd owe the other men one hell of a steak dinner.
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Post by jarahamee on Aug 23, 2019 22:50:27 GMT -6
Cassius nodded, and turned them towards the way they came. The strategy part of him was activated. It was not helpful that he could not feel this thing, but he trusted the person who did. Perhaps, his plan did carry unnecessary sacrifice, even if it would allow the others to return. She was not waiting in a single place, she was surrounding them. A different situation.
"O’Carrick is right. We should not separate. What do you feel now?"
He turned to the dullahan, staring deep into its lack of face, as if that would give him answers. They were going to stay together, if that was what felt best to the others. He ensure each of them had a handful of wards. Perhaps, if he moved first, he could lay down wards as they moved, to prevent the spirit from completely surrounding them. He strode alongside the two of them, preparing to return first in the way they came.
"What do you desire?"
He addressed the dark shape directly, well-knowing that she was, in fact, everywhere, and most likely was the museum at this point. Their mistake had been thinking she was something more... contained, when in fact, she was an infestation. An unpleasant, consumptive infestation. Cassius lay down his wards as he moved back towards the barrier of his making. They would simply have to pass through it, and get the rest of the staff out of here.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Nov 30, 2019 16:52:04 GMT -6
The dullahan calmed the moment he saw that the two other officers no longer intended to wander of on their own. While not good, it was better than all of them rushing off in different directions. At this point, he doubted anything was good in this situation. They were in the thick of it, and the dullahan felt the spiritual, metaphysical presence all around him as an almost physical pressure, similar to how being underwater felt, though his movements were not slowed, luckily. He’d need a clear mind and body, should worst come to worst. The pessimist in him told him that it would.
A wry, chuckle-like sound could be heard coming from Samael, still it was hoarse, wheezing and metallic, like a sound one would expect from a dying man. The dullahan wasn’t the humorous type, especially not in a situation like this, but this chuckle was something difficerent, like a sarcastic input from the headless man, perhaps even sardonic. “I think we’ve disappointed the spirit.” He said, looking at the other officers, “we were playing along so nicely before, but not anymore. We were so much more fun when we were about to split up. Easy pickings.” The last two words were almost hissed beneath his breath, his tone still calm and controlled, but sharper now.
When the group began to move again, with Cassius in the front, putting down wards, Samael walked last, behind both officers. It felt like the right thing to do. From here, he’d be able to cover their backs, should the spirit want to change its approach. He remained aware of any changes in the spiritual energy around them, alert for even the most subtle of changes in the spirits energy or emotions, knowing the gravity of it. As much as every instinct in his body told him to summon a weapon, he stopped himself, he didn’t want to anger the spirit more than it already was.
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Post by MP on Dec 5, 2019 23:53:05 GMT -6
They turned away from the beckoning figure - there was no beckoning figure now. The gallery seemed darker, the air coiled and oppressive. Too silent.
The woman was still standing there when the group came back down the hall. She made no move to block their way. She only watched them, arms folded over her chest. One nail tapped, tapped, tapped over her jacket sleeve like the click of a beetle's legs.
Cassius' latest ward dropped to the floor in front of her feet. Muddy eyes followed its trail down. Her clip curled as the paper struck the tile. A faint twitch. A soft tap of fingers.
"And where am I supposed to stand?"
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Dec 11, 2019 18:49:00 GMT -6
Stenson turned again, if only for a moment. His flashlight beam passed across the shadowy galleries, bathing them once more in white light, but the beckoning hand he'd expected to see was now gone. A chill ran down his spine again, the darkness seemed just as dark even with the sharp beam of light. He turned quickly back to continue with the others.
As Cassius called out to the spirit, Stenson kept his flashlight aimed ahead. It passed across the floor and covered the familiar legs of a figure before rising just below her face. He didn't want to blind her, although his eye was quickly drawn to the insectile tapping of her nail against her jacket sleeve. She didn't seem at all pleased at the wards Cassius was placing, although Stenson couldn't help but think of the translucent quality about her from earlier. He looked nervously back at Samael, but the faceless orb of the dullahan's head did nothing to set him at ease. Instead, he straightened and waited, wanting to let Cassius make the call. Even besides the spiritual anomalies of this particular case, he found the overall tension in the air from the woman to be unsettling on their own.
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Post by jarahamee on Dec 20, 2019 18:40:16 GMT -6
Cassius made a gesture like a small bow, leaving the protective seal where it was. His suit jacket blended with the darkness, and his dark eyes glinted in the light, half-shining greenish like a carnivorous animal's. The seal was at his feet, and he was not about to move it any farther away from the group. Abstractly speaking, she had plenty of space to stand if she wished.
"You can move where you like, just not in our path. What do you want with this place, if I may ask? Are you hungry?"
He looked back at the other two, and then, briefly, scanned Stenson for any signs of recording equipment. Surely he had something to help record aspects of the creature. For the time being, he brought out his paper pad, and hesitated a moment.
They were going to have to call spiritual specialists, especially with an aggressive, consumptive and otherwise diffuse spirit. This was no lost soul here, this was something else entirely, and he was not the sort best suited to meeting it.
The lack of a copy and the ominous crackle of his radio was not an appealing sound, and gave him a sense of her power. She was easily dominating this space, and he doubted it had significance to her. She could not have died here. Perhaps she was tied to one of the items within? And where was the guard? Had he been consumed?
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Post by NightshadeVII on Jan 9, 2020 9:46:06 GMT -6
While Cassius spoke, Samael remained silent and almost motionless, more like a stoic guardian than anything else. His posture was rigid, disciplined for sure, but he was ready to move on a moments notice. His head was slightly bowed, perhaps a show of respect, perhaps to avoid antagonizing the spirit further, who knew. But still he kept an eye on her, her movements, both those visible to the naked eye and the more invisible ones. Being the only one currently capable of dealing with the likes of spirits and other metaphysical beings, Samael had no intention of neglecting that. It was the reason he was here after all. After a moment, he looked up slightly, scanning the room and the darkness around them. He didn’t care about the darkness, in fact it barely bothered in him, instead he was looking for things only other metaphysical beings could see. The spores and veins he had seen earlier would most likely be heavier and have a stronger presence here. Though his approach was more subtle this time, he was simply an observer now, as opposed to the role of participant he had been earlier. He didn’t seek to feel the metaphysical, only to see it. He doubted that the woman before him would appreiate if he tried to touch the world of the spirits entirely.
Samael noticed the gargoyles concerned expression, as he looked back at the dullahan. It was understandable, the officer had never been on “ghost-patrol” before as he had put it himself, and this wasn’t exactly an easy case. Sympathy stirred in the Dullahan’s chest. Slowly, so as not to startle the other, Samael placed a hand on Stenson’s shoulder. A strange gesture, considering that the dullahan definitely wasn’t a touchy person, but the slight squeeze of the gargoyle’s shoulder that came shortly after made it clear that it was an awkward attempt at comfort. Perhaps not as good as a readable smile or other facial expression, but it was all he had.
Then he turned his attention back to the woman before them, studying her once more. Her posture and her presence in the room, wary for the smallest signs that she might go on the offensive. But not once did he move. He made no attempts to come closer or back further away from her.
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Post by MP on Jan 13, 2020 0:32:09 GMT -6
"Your path," She ground out the words. "Is filling the entire hall. If you're going to run around, at least pick them up," she spat the last three syllables like pellets, "when you're done."
Muddy eyes turned to the dullahan, narrowing at the movement of his hand. Her gaze kept coming back to him, even despite the movements of the others. She seemed to know when he was watching her.
"You're louder than the last one too," she said stiffly. She either hadn't heard or chose not acknowledge Cassius' questions. "You should leave. I don't want you hanging around smearing up my things."
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Feb 2, 2020 8:53:45 GMT -6
[Rolled to see if Sten would be given recording equipment for this particular 'ghost hunt'. 1=no / 2=yes, he rolled a 2 ] Stenson watched Cassius turn to him, glance over his uniform and then pull out a pen and notepad. At first, he was baffled by the gold badge's random scrutiny of his appearance, but then started when he realized what the other man would've been looking for. Passing his flashlight from hand to the other, Stenson's free hand then dove into a side pocket and drew out a small black rectangular object. It had a few ring of holes, a red light, and a black button. An audio recording device. Stenson tapped Cassius on the shoulder lightly with it to show he did indeed have a recording device, before hitting the small button at the top. The red light clicked on to show it was recording and Stenson remained perfectly still while the other officer convened with the spirit. After a moment, the weight of a hand descended on Stenson's shoulder from behind where he knew Samael was standing, and Stenson turned his head slightly in response. The hand squeezed, and Stenson nodded to let the other know he was at ease. And also in thanks. Awkward though it might have been for the dullahan, Stenson appreciated the gesture nonetheless. The cold words of the spirit snapped Stenson back to attention, and he was careful to hold the recorder level where it could properly hear every word spoken.
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 2, 2020 15:46:34 GMT -6
Cassius paused, his expression tense as a listening watchdog. So it was a confession of sorts, at least, it seemed so. He looked at Stenson once, a meaningful glance, and then leaned over behind them to pick up the seal as they began their retreat. Slowly but moving with purpose. They had time.
"The last one? Who else came by?"
He asked the spirit, looking over at the others as if suggesting they should continue back towards the entrance again.
It was time to go; they had collected the information they came for, and it became clear that only Samuel had the ability to see and feel what they needed to see and feel to accomplish their task, and they'd need to make away for the new team when it came. And they at least had an idea of what sort of powers this spirit had...
Too much; too powerful. Perhaps they needed someone who was accomplished in speaking to spirits and aiding in their de-escalation to help settle this one. It seemed...irritable to put it lightly, and hungry. Very hungry.
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