WHEN: Monday, 21 Aug 1943 - morning
WHERE: The bridge between Seiiki and Victoriana
WHO: Dinah, Dorian, Blake, Murke, Eztli, Sato, and a gaggle of ghosties
--
[11:00] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): There are constables on each side of the bridge, lingering some distance away but close enough to herd townsfolk away. Academy mages linger closer to the bridge itself, keeping up an illusion that makes the structure look like it's collapsed. They move to stop anyone that approaches, though if they are able to sense a person is magical to some degree or simply wants to help and is at least a little capable they will let them through. Inside the bubble of their illusion, the bridge is not broken. The problem lies in the ravine below where the mass of necromantic energy created by the late-Burke's contraption is swollen and churning, seeding the air around with a feeling of dread. It is cold. The very air feels like it wants to suck the life from your lungs.
(( Those with Sight or Necromancy, Empathy or Psychic ability gimme a roll! ))
[11:08] Dinah (dollihead) had no real reason to be here, but she was...terminally curious. She had a wicker basket under one arm containing a selection of her ritual components, her lovely white dress, and her seeing eye crab as she walked towards the bridge. She was a professor from the academy, so she had no doubt that she'd be let through as she approached the middle of the bridge. The chill made her skin prickle, the sensation of dread made her pull her lips back in a way that was halfway between a grimace and a grin.
...necromantic energy.
For now, she touched the elemental symbols at her throat in a set order, tapping each with her fingertips in turn as she watched, staring those sightless eyes at the roiling energy below. "...that is...unpleasant."
[11:12] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) had come when hue and call was raised, one of their employees reporting word about the bridge and thus had time to grab his timeless solution to problems: his sword. At the bridge itself he had no trouble calling upon his name to get by, declaring to the constables, "Dorian Windgrace, I shall vouchsafe myself and my.... sister." Once he'd made it past that barrier, he'd be following close behind her like a kite with very little slack indeed. Close enough to murmur near her ear, "I knew I would find you here." And then moving away again to a respectable enough distance, he'd cast his gaze around, mundane as it was, looking for the unpleasantness his sister described.
[11:13] Blake Jermyn lurked at the corners of the bridge, eyeing the constables with great suspicion. He'd been hitting up a nearby cafe when he heard the screams, scrambled over to see wtf was going on, and OH SHIT, THE COPS!!! He scrambled, dodged, lurked, and skittered in an attempt to avoid the bastards, get closer to the source of pure curiosity indulgence. So when he saw his brand new family in a similar position, his face lit up. "Hey!" he whispered from between the wooden slats at the edge of the bridge, "Dinah! Dori! Tell 'em I'm legit, tell 'em I'm with you!" He absolutely was not, but with that wide grin and sparkling bluegreen eyes, who on earth could resist him?
[11:16] Naoki's Familiar somehow goes unnoticed through the crowd, the perimeter. Perhaps people just see it as a large dog, or a goat, but whatever the case - Eztli, or the creature it now was, followed along behind its creator, its owner, its binder - at least until the latter leapt atop the bridge rooftop as the illusions were cast, his glamour unveiled.
The flesh golem, for the moment, was not currently cast in a state meant for extreme violence, nor in its humanoid image that mirrored the girl it once was. No, it was, instead, cast for mobility, perception, amphibious in nature and suited for the copying and amplification of her owner's powers.
It croaks as it approaches the rails of the bridge, shielded by the Academy students and the bobbers. It stares down into the ravine, feeling and SEEING the way that the necromantic energy pulsed, grew, consumed.
-Psychics in the area would be able to sense the echo of what Eztli sees of the mass of energy - its growth, its consumption-.
It bounds not towards the water, but up up one of the beams, its sticky pads clinging to it.
A heavily distorted, croaking, emotionless voice ripples from the familiar's throat: "It grows stronger. It pulls people to jump. It leeches. It consumes."
[11:22] Murke scurries over the mortuary's roof, keeping low, though the fog adds cover and most people are looking at the bridge, the cops. As an academy student in lie only, she's unwilling to take the risk they offer. Far safer to climb down the tree, with climbing gloves protecting her hands, rope around her waist, and sneak behind them onto the bridge while the cops are looking at the blondes. The rats in her bag stay silent, not even needing to breath, let alone squeak, an the undead minions hide from sight, leaving only a very greasy twenty-something, who looks like she hasn't done laundry in weeks and might be hydrophobic from how much filth has built up. She very carefully doe not look t the energy, instead keeping her eyes on the humans and bridge, needing to time it right to put herself on it like she'd always been there.
[11:27] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): The blonde twins are allowed to pass readily, though they get warnings and "Really think ye oughtta rethink it, 'specially in that gown o'yers ma'am," and the like. Blake though. Them constables seem to constantly be on the lookout for him, and they seem to be heading his way (and blissfully not noticing Murke's sneaky movements in the process) until the shadows sort of puddle beneath his feet. He finds himself yanked through a shadowy portal and deposited on the bridge near Dorian and Dinah, a shadowy tendril retreating from where it had grabbed around his waist. Considering Eztli had already spoken to the little gathered crowd Sato found no need for silently observing. He hung from the roof and flopped himself down onto the bridge itself, Glamour broken, guts out, mouth split to reveal too many triangular teeth. "It musn't be banished. Not completely," he warned, his voice a distorted rasp. "But it can't be left alone."
[11:30] Dinah (dollihead) cocked her head to one side at the sound of her brother's voice with a faint smile and she nodded, though the constable was given an indulgent smile "Dorian you are likely going to have to play catch" she said softly, pointing out over the water. "the ghosts are hungry. they are consuming whatever they can. they want people to jump off the bridge so they can consume them too" she didnt turn away, but Helios did, peering towards blake with a clacking of his claws.
"if you can make yourself useful, blake, of course" she beckoned her fingers forward to summon him forth, .
and then she looked upwards, towards the...frog...dog...thing.
And the gut-spilled man.
She stared at Sato, recollection dawning on her face, and she nods.
"he speaks the truth. I am...inexperienced in handling the dead. but. I should at least know barriers that can keep it secure. Gentlemen, I will need you to make sure it doesn't eat people." she walked to the middle of the bridge and set down her picnic basket, starting to withdraw her ritual kit. Herbs. Candles. A rather large knife made of an odd looking black stone. the usual. "Containment I can do."
[11:35] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) assured the constables he'd get well out of the way of any trouble and gestured towards his sister what a shrug that indicated he was powerless to do aught else. He was also ready to vouch for Blake and waved him over when he heard the raven haired fellow's call. The constable could assure that he'd vouch for Blake by both the wave and the moment's chortle upon seeking his friend there. To his sister he'd answer, "Like we've done before, I can do this. We can." A little grim grin punctuated and he'd cut his eyes toward Blake before winking a very obvious wink. after this he'd turn his eyes to the troubled waters again which had been the source of so many problems on the isle of late. He'd not move toward his weapon believing speed could avail him or strength when the time came.
[11:36] Blake Jermyn, despite his best efforts at trying to blend in as a fellow Windgrace, could see an absolute hoard of constables coming straight for him, several of which he recognized from previous offscreen escapades. "Shit shit shit shit fuck shit fuck," He murmured softly to himself even as a wide, panicked smile plastered itself onto his face, but then-... Stepdad to the rescue!
"Sharkeeeyyyyyyy!" He called out across the bridge as soon as more important information was done being relayed, making a little heart shape with his fingers. "You're the best, dad!" Dorian got a big grinning wink and set of fingerguns as well, grateful that his buddy always had his back in a tough spot. Back to the matter at hand. Looking to Dinah, he went over her loose plan in his head, nodded with furrowed brow. "Ok, so we're on combat duty while you do the-" wiggly fingers "-magic bullshit. Got it. I need to see how good I am at fighting a ghost anyway, got a lot of that that needs doing these days...." A sigh, before he cracked his neck, his knuckles, prepared for the difficult task ahead.
[11:38] Naoki's Familiar 's nictitating membranes flicker once, twice over its eyes - the glassy, camera-lens-like amphibious eyes of the flesh golem zooming in on the magical mass. For now, it simply observed, Eztli acting more like a surveillance drone than anything else, at least until Sato gives her any orders to act otherwise, or needs her to amplify or double his own magics.
It doesn't interfere in Dinah's preparations of her magic, but neither does the creature seem to be preparing for a fight just yet.
[11:40] Murke, now able to focus on the situation itself rather than getting herself into it, looks up to find that presence from before only to see it now, Sato. His exposed entrails, the frightening visage's teeth, it all earns a nod to his words. "I can handle the dead. It is useful even if it is dangerous. Making it safer, stable, drawing less attention, good idea. Or... uhm. What did you want to do with it?" With the pause anxiety sets in, the comfort afforded to her by familiarity and expertise now broken by the true horrors of social interactions. She looks for new signs of comfort, Blake and the familiar, both which she moves towards. With the magic words however, her hands come up her fingers wiggle and she echoes Blake. "Magic bullshit. I'm on that one. No combat." She looks down to the familiar and pulls her backpack off to hang on only one shoulder. "Do you have a name?"
[11:51] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Perhaps it's a sign of the waning strength of the Covenant's magic... but the constables' stares linger on the bridge and the crowd longer than they normally would have. Eventually though they turn their attention back to dissuading the rest of the town from joining in. Sato stares back at the heart Blake makes and tilts his head. There's really no way to see the expression on his face with the state it's in though. "It can be used. Converted. Like a battery," he offered and turned to the twins. "If it can be pacified, stabilized... contained to something. It can be useful." He turned to Murke, sizing up the other necromancer. "It had a name. It doesn't any longer. Call it what you want." He went to the edge of the bridge and stared down into the mass. His eyes lingered on it for a long moment before he pulled back, tense and shaking. The mass, seemingly angered by the ability of those on the bridge to shake off its call, shuddered and let out a cacophany of screams, ear-piercing and shrill. The sound invaded the mind, the noise itself shaking the wood of the bridge. (( Psychic attack, roll to defend against a 13 with whatever you've got that works ))
[11:56] Dinah (dollihead) was preoccupied sorting her kit out. Candles were set aside, and she checked each of the jars in turn, holding them up to the crab on her shoulder to read the labels.
The crab turned to look towards Murke, unfamiliar with the stranger, but di nodded.
"if you can tame the dead, keep it under control. I will bind it. Secure it. lock it with wards" she explained. She stood, giving dorian's hand a squeeze as she moved to place the candles in the four cardinal points. ideally, she'd try to surround the thing...
The sound of the scream didn't bother her too much, but when the face of him shrieked up through the bridge towards her, Di made a startled cry and stumbled backwards onto her ass, clutching her arm over her eyes with a most uncharacteristic whimper
[12:00] Naoki's Familiar feels the psychic intrusion trying to burrow into its mind... Or perhaps more accurately, registers it. Was it because its own soul was so mangled, tormented, that it was essentially like trying to invade an empty room? Yes, it could be done - but what was the point? Eztli was empty, nothing but the pain inflicted on her, nothing but service to her owner.
The attempt at compulsion essentially passes right through her, a kind of passive resistance to the blob's influence - the immense misery which defined the flesh golem coming right back around to the other side, that deep-seated unfeelingness and automatic response more suited to machines.
A long, sticky tongue briefly flickers from the creature's mouth.
At Murke's request, the creature doesn't say anything to the contrary as Sato dismisses it as a pointless question. It simply continues to observe, waiting for Sato to take an action or order it to commit thereof - otherwise, it is simply keeping track of changes to the ghostly mass.
The shrill screams don't seem to bother Eztli for even a moment. There's a brief moment where it FEELS like Eztli sees something fuzzy, staticky flying at it from the blob - but the image is so distorted that it is, in essence, meaningless.
"Psychic interference attempts. Prompted by audiovisual stimuli. Recommending use of indirect observance by vulnerable entities," it states, its voice croaking, groaning as the flesh golem's organs struggled to make the right sounds. Its nictitating membranes close shut, then go cloudy, hazing but not entirely obscuring its sight - the familiar evidently beginning to adapt itself to more safely observe the thing below.
[12:05] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) would at first start to heed that terrible call as he walks straight past his sister toward the edge of the bridge, unto bumping against her as he passes. Like she's not there, but yet ahead of him. He'd go straight toward the rail with his head cocked at an inquisitive angle, utterly locked in. But the contact with Dinah followed by looking at Dinah stopped him in his tracks. He was shaking his head to free himself from missapplied sight and putting himself between the ledge and his twin without explaining what had happened. It did take a full several heartbeats to stop peering at his sister though instead of the usual love he was staring in bewilderment. And then he'd bend down to help her up as she was spooked into sprawling, offering her his arm and assuring her, silently, "<We are fine.>"
He'd round on the monstrosity again once his sister was back to her feet, but only then. And then with a grunt of distaste for having knocked her down.
[12:07] Blake Jermyn brightened further as he spotted Murke, giving her a wide, confident grin to balance out her tiny, scared nature. "Heyyy, Grapes! Ok good, that's great to hear. Now we got two wizards, and two fighters, and Sharkey who's like, both. Wait what the fuck is that weird frog thing." He stared in wide-eyed awe at Etzli, blinking for several long moments before Sharkey answered the query, marking the beast as his. Then he just shrugged. "Cool."
And then the screaming began.
Blake's hands flew to his head, his voice rising to add to the chorus of screams. Blood began to stream from his ears, his nose, but his eyes narrowed as he fought to shake off the assault.
[12:15] Murke is pulled in by the design it presses on her, and she moves towards the edge. It's a desire she already had, though for different reasons. Pain, terror, exhaustion, the desire for it to end, does tempt her, though as she reaches for the railing with her hands, she reaches out with corruption. She'd been coming here, stealing power for months, and there's another way to ease all of those pains in her, to gorge on power until nothing can hurt her again. She lashes the grapple's edge to the railing as she steps up, visibly intending to jump. She doesn't even hear Blake's words, forgets that Sharkey had given her the delightful freedom to name his familiar. Dorian's walk and then backing away, isnt' enoguh to pull her attention away and neither is Dinah's whimper.
[12:19] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): The face that came screaming out of that mass rattles the Jikininki. He pitches backward and scoots back to the opposite rail of the bridge, staring wide-eyed in the vague direction of the blob. He's so frozen for the moment that he doesn't see the figures approaching from the sides of the bridge - two Academy students and one constable, stumbling and holding their heads. The constable seems to be fumbling for his sidearm... and the students? Are going right for the edge of the ravine. Those plus Murke, who's a little bundle of Necromantic energy herself, form a little bit of a feast lined up for the blob below if the group doesn't act quickly. Sato finds it hard to move at the moment but there is the strong urge sent to the fleshcrafted beast that accompanied him to grab the mini-death-girl before she pitches herself over into the ravine.
[12:22] Dinah (dollihead) clutched her hand over her face, her fingernails pressing into her skin. "...b-bastien. ymg' ah mglw'nafh" she muttered miserably, trembling as she picked herself up, clutching onto her brother. She held onto him for a moment longer with a shivering squeeze of his arm before she got back to work.
oh yes. She had been considering a more...passive route with these specters but THAT had been dirty pool, and she would not stand for it. Ignoring the students..though to be fair, she couldn't even see them...she snatched up one of the jars she had set aside, she emptied it into her ritual bowl. And another, and another. Dried mullein and rue, fronds of withered ivy and sandalwood, trimmed to sawdust all upended into her offering bowl.
A flick of her wrist, and a crackle of green lightning, set the bowl of incense alight, and she picked up a taper to catch the fire on the tip, moving to light her candles.
[12:25] Blake Jermyn finds his vision reddened by burst blood vessels in his eyes, but he can still feel the damn thing at the edge of his senses, and so gritting his teeth and bleeding heavily, he staggers slowly towards the railing. He's still working out how he can actually lash out and harm the thing when the students make a run for it. He couldn't let that thing in the ravine devour them; it was trouble enough without gaining even more power. So, lashing out with his will made manifest, he reached out as if to grab the closest student with his hand, immutable force shooting forth to attempt to fasten its grip around that falling student. ((rolled 1d10+6 Student 1 GRAB: (1)+6 = 7))
[12:27] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes): ||Once his twin was operating under her own power again he'd made his way toward the rail where the monstrosity was and just in time to attempt to put himself between so-called Grapes and tumbling in. He argued with her and anyone listening, "No good can come of going into those waters just now. Please." Afterall the woman had helped his big brother, it was the least he could do to stop her or others from going in and making this thing any stronger. He'd give Sato a look as he put his back to the thing again. ((@Dorian Windgrace (& Pandora) rolled 1d10 +3: (4) +3 = 7))
[12:30] Naoki's Familiar responds promptly to Sato's instructions, the fleshcrafted beast instantly darting out that long, sticky tongue to ensnare Murke like a fly, simultaneously flinging itself off its perch back towards the centre of the bridge to add more force to its attempt to keep the woman from pitching herself over into the ravine.
Its skin splits. It's a wholly unnatural thing, the way that the creature simply changes itself at a whim in order to do the things it is meant to do. Spirals of dark blood pour out of the creature, shooting simultaneously towards the other student who is about to throw themselves into the river.
((Going to prioritize saving Murke because of Sato instructions, but if Murke doesn't require a roll... Going to roll for blasting the other student back with bloodwork))
[12:34] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Student one folds in half in mid-air, caught around the middle by a telekinetic force. He just hovers there in Blake's grip, dangling over the hungry ghost splooge until Blake deigns to pull him back up to safety. The other student runs headlong into Dorian and stumbles back, assisted with the yank of blood. It's all too much for the poor thing though; frantic and shaking, he simply seems to dissolve into a sobbing fit on the bridge. The constable, however has drawn his gun. He advances on the group, a shaky hand pointing the barrel straight at Dinah. "M-Monster - monster! Monster!" he begins shrieking before firing off three rounds at the ritual caster.
[12:38] Blake Jermyn, with a flick of his wrist, hauls the ragdolling student back up onto dry land, pushing him several feet back from the bridge before at last setting him down. He manages to take a shaky breath, wipe the blood from his nose and tear ducts, before oh shit.
"That's my fucking family you son of a BITCH!" Blake roars at the cop, the force of his will once again flinging out, trying to intersect the bullets before they strike, send them flying wild.
[12:41] Dinah (dollihead) had lit the candles, and had returned to the center of her circle. She had picked up her ritual blade. She heard someone calling for a monster, but with her attention primarily on the rite at hand, she hadn't realized that it was going to be aimed at her.
And she'd even worn her human face out and about today.
Blake's words had her turning though, teeth bared in something of a sharp toothed snarl, but she had a job to do.
"Ateh, Malkuth, Ve Geburah, Ve gedulah. Olahm, amen" she lifted the knife and scythed the corresponding symbols into the bared flesh of her chest, from throat to navel. "Adni. Ahih. Agla. Before me, Gabriel. Behind me, Raphael. On my right hand, Michael, on my left hand. Auriel. For about me are the flames of the pentagram, I dance the rays of the six pointed star"
[12:41] Murke with Dorian stopping her, the familiar's grab, the nickname, and the sudden flush of stolen power, together all manage to break the compulsion to throw herself in, her own survival instincts a strong contender. It was only blinded by the idea of power that could push even those aside for a moment, but now the grappling hook on the railing is nothing more than a safety measure. She reaches into her bag for a ball of wrapped leather, sigils blackened into the brown bag. "Thanks. I uhm..." Rather than explaining why she'd been about to jump, she instead focuses on her hand, to cut the blood under the free with a thought to coat the bag and awaken the spell. It's hidden under the leather, but those with a sensitive nose might catch the scent under her rot. The iron and salt fill the curse bag created with necromancy, made to weaken the dead, to cause a spike of disruption.
[12:43] Naoki's Familiar || As the sounds of gunfire ring out, and the constable panics and cries out at Dinah, and Naoki's stepson turning the fired bullets into an improvised frag grenade...
Really, it's all happening too fast for Eztli except to react in the most generalized way possible, the spiralling ribbons of blood used to launch back the other student violently yanked back to form a shield directly in front of Dinah, its own body positioning itself in that moment to potentially block any dangerous shrapnel headed towards Sato with its own flesh.
[12:47] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) had not seen the constable was aiming at his sister, surely saving that man's life. He had however saved a student from hurting themselves. Once the student had put themselves at a safe distance. Not to mention the woman who'd helped his brother once upon a time. Any sense of a scent of decay was attributed to the paranormal occurrence. He had to keep the ghastly sphere from stopping the ritual and being a literal meatshield was not beyond him. He'd give the violet haired woman a wink before turning to face the monster again, hand once more upon a sword's hilt he was not sure would have a lot of effect. He was ready to hold the line where it was. ((no roll))
[12:56] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): It was a good thing the copper had only fired three rounds. One of them lodges squarely in Eztli as it goes wide from Blake's deflection, the other turning back to the constable himself and the third putting an unfortunate student onto the ground. Murke's intervention prevents further attacks from the blob, its surface rippling as phantom faces press out of the miasma before sinking back in. It seems to be weakening, lowering back towards the water at the bottom of the ravine. The gunshots, however, have attracted a couple more constables and they approach from either side, both with rifles to investigate what's going on. Seeing a downed copper and a downed student, one raises her rifle and points it at the group as the other checks their injured colleague. "Hands in the air, step away from the bridge! What's going on here!?" yells the ready gunman. Sato makes a face. "I'm going to kill them if you don't have better ideas," he says quietly to the rest of them.
[13:05] Dinah (dollihead) gathered the blood on the tip of her knife. There were no more words to her ritual, but she threw her arms upwards with a flicking splatter of blood that seemed to crystalize, and then vaporize against the wood of the bridge. She concentrated, letting her ward settle in around the bridge, feeding her aether into the boundaries she had put around it, flexing her hands, bloody and still holding her knife, when she heard the sound of the constable.
Turning on the spot towards the sound of the voice, Despite the blood, her wounds had already healed, and she channeled as much of her inherent, imperious english 'aristo voice' as she could manage as her blood, and the ward, soaked into the air around them.
"My name is Lady Dinah Windgrace and you are interfering with academy hermetics business. That constable discharged his weapon unduly and it misfired." she said sternly, She needed at least a moment before she could inflict anything mental against the constable.
[13:07] Blake Jermyn breathes a sigh of relief as Dinah escapes the bullets unscathed, only to wince as he sees the trajectory shift to end up straight into a student. Fuck. He really hadn't meant to do that..... And to make matters worse, there were more cops. "I, uhhhhhhh......" Wide blue eyes shifted to Sato, then the cops, and back again several times, his mouth opening and closing. He DIDN'T have any better ideas, but he wasn't going to say it, so don't blame him!
"....Or that, we could do that, yeah," He managed as Dinah began the forbidden hermetic art only the highest and most talented of mages dare to tread into: Actually TALKING to the POLICE.
[13:08] Naoki's Familiar of course, has no better ideas. Of course it doesn't - it's Sato's familiar. If anything, it's probably about to make things worse, because the eyes are starting to melt back into its head, its form becoming sleeker, its feet starting to shift into needle-like points as its body begins to turn bone-white while it writhes on the ground, pained croaking turning into a bone-scraping screeching and aggressive hissing.
It's already responding to its owner's murderous intent, starting to shift from a utility-focused form to something more suited to slaughter, a hellish, monstrous thing, with too many teeth in its open maw.
A needle-point stabbed into the wooden planks of the bridge as it pushes itself up, positioning itself in between Naoki and the gunmen, its body lowering itself into a ready-to-pounce position, preparing to leap and disembowel the mortal in one go, at its owner's command.
But, you know. The mortal constable probably just sees a big old sheepdog. That's leaking blood out of a bullet wound in its side. And is growling. ANGRILY.
[13:08] Murke meets Dorian's wink with a blank faced confusion. Then realization. "Oh. Thank you for saving me." The bullets, the ghosts, the madness, still her mind someone that well off paying attention to her means one thing. She's doing something wrong. It must be her manners. While at first she hadn't registered the cops as a threat over the dead at first, that changed when they shot in, not at her thankfully, but at the people she needs. So while the spell goes off to disrupt the dead, she whispers to the shadows. "Stop the cops." Though the servant which forms between the rafters of the bridge knows she means permanently. It glides along the roof, waiting until it's in range to strike. Murke returns a quiet response up to Sato. "They're going to get more people killed. Better them than us." Though as Dinah speaks with authority, Murke listens. The shadow waits to see if the constables will accept this.
[13:12] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes)'s eyes widened as cops began advancing on them, and moving both hands into the air he'd not even need to call their way as his sister had evoked their name already. He was going to do the same, but he hadn't even the name of the academy behind him, so he'd just preemptively grin at the way the interference from them was going to go. He'd somehow managed to catch one of the stray bullets but despite the red seeping onto his shirt he'd act like it was a mere grazing wound. The way he healed it might as well be.
[13:19] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Magic wrapped itself around the blob of death, condensing it into an opaque white orb, misty an inert. It sank into the water at the bottom of the ravine, bound and for the time being, harmless. Sato was quick to replace his glamour. He'd simply look like he was conducting whatever "Academy business" this was shirtless. Very credible. The constable frowned at Dinah and lowered the rifle. "Lady Windgrace... aye yeah I see it's you, and your brother. And er." She stares at Sato oddly, heavily disturbed by the 'hound' that was squatting nearby. "Okay but ye best be getting away from that bridge, ain't been anything good by it. And Mr. Windgrace yer bleedin' sir, why don't you come get that looked at aye?" she warned as the other constable helped to pick the shot one off the ground. He was bleeding from the shoulder, still staring wide-eyed and rattled at the bridge and the lot of them but more confused than anything else. "I-I saw... I saw..." he was sputtering. Sato shrugged and went over to the student that was whimpering and grabbing at the bleeding bullethole in his abdomen. Pressing a hand on it and making the poor boy yelp, he cleared his throat. "Going to... bring this one for medical care," he announced, though the flat affect of his speech likely made it difficult for the lie to be detected as such. There's also likely lots of squinting at Blake. Lots of it.
[13:26] Blake Jermyn sloooowly backed up, expression more and more nervous, hands raising up in a "I didn't do nothin" gesture. "I, uh, I was just, helping my family out here.... Official Windgrace and Sato business, I ain't causin' trouble... Hell some of those students are still alive 'cuz of me...." Of course, one of them was very shortly NOT to be, unless he stepped in and did something.
"Heeeeey, Sharkeyyyyyyyy...." He said, grinning at his stepfather as he swiftly stepped up, took the injured student by his other arm. "I'll get this guy over to the asylum for ya, I know you got a lot to do, lot on your plate and everything, why don't you take your weird dog for a walk and I'll make sure this guy ends up hunkey dorey, alright?" He gave Sato a strained grin, silently pleading to him, hey, come on, this one was my fault and I feel guilty about it. Why don't you eat one of the cops, instead?
[13:27] Dinah (dollihead) wiped her blade on the back of her hand, gathering up her ritual components except for the candles back into her basket. The still burning incense she dumped into the river on top of the misty pearl of pissed off hungry ghosts.
And she advanced towards the constable that had fired his gun. She reached out her hand and touched him on the shoulder with a chilly pulse of healing magic seeping from her fingers into him.
"if you feel the need to imply that either I or any of my students are monsters again. I will see that you receive the appropriate care you clearly require at eumenides" she said sweetly, giving a somewhat unsettlingly placid smile. Slightly sharp toothed, still bloody, and now holding a picnic basket full of ritual components once more, she turned onto the constable with the rifle.
"your friend here is disturbed. Perhaps he requires rest? I understand that the city has been...gloomy of late, but there can be no good that comes from waving a gun around in such a state, mm? Thank you for your concern." She rested her hand on her basket, giving a similar smile towards Sato.
"I hope to speak with you soon. Come by whenever you please. And you..." she turned towards Murke and blake "Thank you for your assistance. Dorian, darling, are you alright?"
[13:28] Naoki's Familiar seems to mostly stop being so aggressive once the constables seemed to stop being intent on filling the group with bullets. Especially Naoki. The fleshcrafted familiar 'sits', for a moment, as if to signify everything was alright now, and then follows after Sato as the man walks off to pick up the boy student who most likely would not be getting to go back to another class. Poor thing, another witch in Sato's stomach, oh dear.
Not that Eztli really thought any of that. No, if Naoki allowed Blake to save the student from that fate then that was that, but of course, if Naoki ate the boy... That was also that.
She just followed after her master like a 'dog'.
A very sharp, horrifying dog.
At least the mortals would still think she was just a sheepdog. Probably.
[13:29] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) waved off help from constables, assuring them, "My sister is an apt healer and we have heaps of bandages, I shall be safe as houses." Lifting his arm didn't seem to hurt him, so surely he was fine. Neither did dropping his arms as he went to see to Murke, offering her his hand, "Dorian, we were in your debt miss...?" Even though he was bleeding (barely anymore) he'd pay that very little mind as he explained to his sister, "This one is the one who pulled Drystan to safety. We are in her debt. I remember her face."
[13:33] Murke, with so much attention on the bridge and her, she skitters back behind the Windgraces, using their authority as a shield the same way Blake had earlier. So when Dorian offers her his hand, she takes it automatically, too bad it's her bloody one. "Murke. Just Murke. You're Windgrace?" She'd heard and forgotten their personal names already, but the last name carried weight. Though when Dinah turns to thank her, the sense of wrongness increases. " It's okay. I didn't do anything. I wasn't here. Bye." As quickly as she'd put herself behind them, she puts herself further away, to move off the bridge and down the street. Blake gets only a parting glance as her shadow follows him discreetly, following its master's desire to deliver a message once he's alone.
[13:41] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): The constable with the gun and the one carrying the other exchange glances. "...y-yeah, er. We'll get him checked out... you sure you're alright then?" she asked, mumbling in the face of Dinah's...well, muchness and flicking the safety on her rifle. She stows it to help carry the injured copper's weight. "Either way, wouldn't hang 'round here or this lot too often, 'specially when it starts gettin' dark. Best be hurrying on home then, Lady Windgrace. Lord Windgrace." They do little head-bobby nods at the blonde twins and shoot Blake a final glare as if to mark his last known location in their heads before hobbling off to get their colleague tended to. Murke they did not know... she passes as a quiet student in their minds.
Sato stares after them, eyes on the injured one... then the other two as if sizing them up. He hasn't exactly let go of the poor simpering student, partly because some of his blood is worming into the wound to retrieve that bullet that was lodged inside him. "Internal bleeding," he answers Blake. "Best taken care of with magic." Once the cops are out of earshot he turns to the black-haired waif. "Do you want him? Is that why you don't want him eaten?" he asks rather bluntly, making the boy whimper aloud. He does not notice the shadow following Blake... or doesn't comment. But Murke certainly sees Sato's shadow turn as if to watch her leave before settling back into normalcy.
[13:46] Blake Jermyn gulped as the cops gave him the hairy eyeball. Welp. That was it, time to lay LOW for a while. "Uhh... LLllaaaaaater," he said, waving to the others with an awkward, shaky smile. If he noticed the extra shadow lurking about his person, he didn't comment, not yet.
Which left him, Sato, and his poor, unfortunate victim. He hadn't let go of the student's other arm, just as Sato hadn't. A vaguely understanding nod at Sato's medical assessment, not raly understanding what the implications were, but then the next question, he could easily answer. "Yyyyyeeeeeees. Yes. I want him. Please, daddy?" His eyes went wide and puppyish, his grip tightening on the poor student.
[13:49] Dinah (dollihead) smiled cheerfully and reached for her brother's arm, latching herself there quite happily and offering him the basket. Ritual work was always a little strange, it made her somewhat swimmy-headed. When Murke seemed to nope out she gave a friendly wave.
"Bye, person who wasn't here~" she called after her, before her attention turned to the police once more.
"my brother is more than adequate to protect me but I appreciate your concern. thank you. We will be heading home soon." she agreed, resting her weight against Dorian's side before finally turning her attention onto Sato and the student. Frowning in thought, she lowered her arm for Helios to scuttle down her sleeve and peer a little closer at the student in question.
"mmn. I know this boy. he is one of mine at the academy" she said thoughtfully. detaching herself from dorian, she hunkered down so she was more level with his eyes. "Now, do you understand the benefits of hermetic magic? do you understand why I try to instill it's rather prolific benefits in class? perhaps if you had paid more attention, you might have been able to help me instead of standing there soaking up bullets." she stood and returned her hand to Dorian's arm, giving Blake a curious look, and a similarly intrigued look towards Sato to see if he would agree.
[13:52] Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) accepted the handshake though when it was coupled with running away he looked at his twin as if asking her what to do about this turn of events. Sometimes people ran from them, and their being bloody twins surely didn't help, but not like this. Dorian was on the verge of laughing though it seemed wrong. Some of that amusement escaped his mouth as he called, "Miss Murke! Wait! Or take good care where ever you shall go!"
He was not going to chase the poor gal down. Having time to notice Sato at last Dorian gave the retreating form a nod as he looked back. Blake would get another of the same, rather than any words, but a grin was accompanying that nod. Afterall he had a twin sister upon his arm and despite both being bloody he counted them in good shape. He'd take her basket and bear it as easily as her arm, as casually as if this was just an afternoon promenade.
[13:57] Murke looks back and the Sato's shadow catches her attention when Dorian calls for her to wait. Her eyes look at the cops, look at the Windgraces and finally end on Sato. "I can't wait, sorry. I drop by another day instead." She's still moving further away. The need to escape is too strong. Drop by where? When? This is left a mystery.
[14:00] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): The Jikininki's frown deepened. His would-be lunch was a student of allies he needed. Dinah's student was nodding, still in tears. "YES! YES I'll do me homework too! EXTRA I'll do EXTRA don't let him eat me!" he replied at which Sato sighed. "Fine," he said, short and curt. His fingers dug into the boy's abdomen, his command over blood pulling the fluid from the cavities in his body where it ought not be. It circulated in its proper paths despite the broken vessels, even as Sato stood and licked his fingers clean. "He'll need the wound healed before the magic wears off," he said dryly, turning to send his fleshcrafted 'hound' after the hobbling coppers with a nod of his head. "Quietly," he amended after the departing creature. When he turns back to the others it's with a nod at the twins. "Soon," is all he says, then he's turning to head off unless he's stopped, one hand settling on the back of Blake's neck as if to drag him with.