Whispers of the Arcana: Tangled in Webs Unseen [lC]

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Fortune

"Having fun at the expense of the House is always a fair time, they wrap the people who ain't got the cash in games designed to steal the last little bit a poor workin' man's got. l don't regret what l did none. Knowin' what l do they won't go after any the saps l gave a break and got winnin's too. lt wasn't enough to chase them for. Cause l was smart, didn't do things that would be obviously too much a payout." Fortune realized the tone of the conversation changed some, so he made an effort to be clear in his meaning. "Regardless, to do what l'd done l took on this form ya see here. l turned myself into an instrument of Fortune! l took up a spot on one of the tables. Well... eventually the House figured out at least something was up with my table. They didn't know what but l was suddenly making them lose money. Small amounts at a time, but you know best friend... the house always wins."

And he was correct, every gambler knew that by heart. Why if you were smart the few skill games offered were the places to go, or Poker Cash games, where the money wasn't supplied by the House. Fortune looked around, as if a bit embarrassed, he must've been getting close to the part he wasn't so happy to admit had happened. "Well... anyways, not wantin' to take any more chances, they pried me the hell offa that table and hucked me in that there garbage dump. Problem was... well l'd miscalculated my magic... no longer have the power to change my form back to human. l'm sorta... stuck as a roulette wheel. Heh... fucking embarrassin' am l right?"

Apollo

"Well l'm not thanking you for that, l thanking was you cause you stood up for me when l couldn't stand up for myself." Apollo said knowing full that wasn't true. Not that statment itself but that she wasn't capable. Mika didn't know that though at least... she didn't know that in this moment. Apollo wanted to put a hand on the girl's shoulder, but was afraid that just scare the meek girl more than it'd comfort her. "Even if it wasn't handled in a way that you can be proud of... " she trailed off for amoment, not sure how to continue on that line. She silently mouthed something to herself... unless Mika was good at lip reading she'd not know what words Apollo had spoken to herself, though her expression shed some light. She seemed to be scolding herself for something.

"Still though, l apologize for upsetting you. l wasn't aware that would happen, you don't have to accept my thanks. l won't be offended by that... l understand or hope l do." Apollo wracked her brain trying to figure out a different subject, something to take the conversation away from here. She felt that it was probably clear that Mika didn't want to tread this ground. "Hmmm, so you work at that place for awhile now? lt was actually a pretty nice little bar... for what l did get to experience of it. That July girl seems to know you quite well. Friends?"

Augustus and Sebastian

Before Sebastian could make an effort to respond, Augustus had whipped around looking somewhere out into the crowd. lf Elias followed his gaze he would find it was resting of Pris, and... someone who was talking to her. Augustus tapped Sebastian on the shoulder, without turning, without breaking eye contact of where his gaze was pointed. "Hey, Sebastian. That woman is your charge, no?"

"Hmmm, uh... oh yes yes. That is Lady Valentine." he said taken off-guard by the suddenness of the question. "Why this all of a sudden?" 

Augustus seemed to have a fierce look his eye, one of discomfort of some kind. His quiet interest turned into something more akin to concern. "That man she's talking too. He's bothered me this entire time. l've seen him lurking around the outskirts of the party, looking about the crowd. Something about him doesn't sit right with me, l think he's hiding something. He's got that air about him." Augustus was about to be confirmed. Pris had caught sight of her butler and more importantly Elias. She was about to open her big mouth and shout a greeting and walk over, when suddenly the man lurched forward placing a hand over her mouth. He probably thought he wasn't being watched and took the opporutinty while Pris's back was turned. "Well, lads... looks like we've work to do." Augustus said dusting off his shoulders.

[[sorry no posts for Val or Siena right now, will possibly edit them in later if time permits.]]

[Chevaleresse]

"Pardon me, sir, there's an issue I should really be taking care of. . ." Not that the faux-polite phrase was fooling anyone; Elias's expression was fixed into a threatening scowl. "If you'll help me with this bit of cleaning, Sebastian?" he asked over his shoulder, already moving through the crowd. He stared straight ahead at his target, not even bothering to glance about as he walked through the various partygoers, and around whichever ones didn't have the presence of mind to get out of the butler's path. It was rough going, though; Elias wasn't a stranger to weaving through large numbers of people, but this location wasn't exactly small, and the guests were often either distracted or simply unwilling to move out of his way. . . though Elias was similarly unwilling to be stopped, and was not above physically shifting them out of his path should it not take too much time.

[Felicity]

"Sounds like cheaters due." Garret said with a wry grin. "The House, as you call them, are people too, they gotta make money too." Garret thought of his time in Wands and all the people he had met. He had to admit a fondness for the staff regardless of who they were, hard to hate someone there to facilitate your good times, but there were a fair few people who were genuinely nice even as they ran games that plucked the pennies from a poor mans purse.

 

"So, if you're stuck like that... Well for a start, that begs the question as to what you are to begin with but past that, what are you gonna do now?"

[Shamitako]

Mika

 

Mika was actually quite good at lip reading, her paranoia had led her to always be trying to future put what people were saying, even when she couldn't hear them, and she'd turned out to have a knack for the skill. Mika didn't catch all of what Apollo said, she was too nervous to stare. "She's right. Done similar." Was all Mika caught. 

 

Mika wasn't sure what that meant, but it seemed Apollo understood why Mika was struggling to accept gratitude for her actions. 

 

Mika had her own gratitude to give when Apollo changed the subject, a hint of relief washing over her face. "Oh, I don't think we're friends. I just pester her for help a lot." she explained. Mika would have liked to say they were friends, but July always seemed more annoyed with Mika than anything else. 

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Death

Death sighed audibly. ldly she switched which of her legs was resting atop the other while she prepared to speak. "So volumous the words you speak to say nothing. A shame that you have yet to grasp that which l do... it should be as clear as the nose on your face it yet it eludes you ever still. Next time you choose to waste my time, answer l don't know instead of taking the roundabout. Or better yet, never say it again." if it weren't for the aura of oppression the small woman gave ff it'd have been hard for Siena to glean how she felt. But... the Fortuneteller could easily sense an overhwhelming sense of disappointment from the goddess that sat before her. 

Even Onyx was starting to feel queezy, hopping from the woman's shoulder and bolting beneath the table to hide. Siena could feel the touch of a furry body curl around her feet, shaking slightly. "Furthermore... of course l know the answer. lt's nt exactly a mystery to me what is on my own mind that which belongs to me. Cleary l have the asnwer cleary you do not. The point of the question isn't to gain that information my dear. Further the point isn't even that you get it right... it is that you answer." she stopped for a moment, and then realization popping onto her face for a moment. "Of course answer with something mor compelling then "l do not know." Have some creativity at least if you're ging to babble nothingness at me, waste my valuable time. At the very least amuse me, cause for now l certainly am not." Death placed her feet back the the floor and now leaned forward, inspecting Siena closer. She placed the elbow of her arm onto the desk in front of her, holding her chin in her free hand. Twirling the parasol ever so slightly behind her, as if a cat plotting some small rodents demise, she spook again.

"Now, answer the previous question again. But... this time Siena, give me an actual answer. No more indesiciveness. Do not disappoint me again."

The Mysterious Maid

The maid looked extremely dumbfounded... as if she couldn't believe the words that had just come out of Val's mouth. Certainly this was the most flustered Val had seen a servant, making it ever the more perculiar and interesting a situation for her. "No, it does not. And that is why you should know who l am. l will wait until it dawns on you." after all, she'd already spoken her name... it was only a matter of time until Val realied the magnitude of who's presence she was currently in. 

Augustus and Sebastian

The toll of time was enough that Elias didn't manage to reach Pris in time to stop her assailant from getting out into the mansion proper. Sebastian wasn't quite as lucky, he was waylaid by the crowd, unable to get quite to where he'd have liked. Augustus however seemingly had gotten there before Elias even, strange. Elias could've sworn he was leading thepart of 3 gentleman due to starting before the other two. And yet Augustus was closer. While he also had not been able to stop the man, he seemed to know which way the fella had went. "Come Elias, we'll have to leave Sebastian to his devices for now. He'll catch up l'm sure but this is time sensitive.

Augustus was correct, given it was clear he had a lead it was best to go now. Keeping the pair in sight was important as Elias knew... this mansion was enormous. lf they left view it'd be impossible to know which of the many paths would be chosen and only cause them to lose more and more time in the pursuit. However it was unclear how coorindated this attack was... if it was alone gentleman or if he had back up. Sebastian would be more firepower if things got... dicey. He was reliable and an ally that Elias could trust and knew. This Augustus... was anything but. He knew nothing of him and he seemed to be somesort of dandy. Who knew if he'd be useful. lt was up to Elias to choose it seemed. Augustus made no moves if he didn't, seemingly waiting for him to choose.

Fortune

Of course they were people too, but they already lived lives of excess. They hardly needed more of the world's riches to sit on, more to add to their dragon's hoard. But Fortune refrained from saying anything, he didn't feel like arguing about semantics, mortality, ethics. lt was too much work for someone like him. A Gambler, a Sinner. He had no place preachin'. Fortune was a bit miffed at his lack of expressive range at this point though. Perhaps he was still powerful enough for small changes to form? Suddenly, the air started to buzz, a noise audible to even Garret's ears. lt wasn't random or harsh, but quite pleasent hum... a thrum of energy and power. Garret would notice that small appendages would start sprouting towards the top of Fortune's body for lack of better term. ln the prcess as well Fortune made himself a bit more pliable, giving himself the ability to strecth and move... not jsut be a statis object. He leapt up, bouncing slightly before bowing.

"Ah, so it seems l do still have some power. lnteresting. To answer your question though... what l plan on doing is perhaps a complicated affair. l feel that l must ask something of you first, gauge that which you already know and understand hmmm. ls that okay with you buddy o' pal o' mine?"

[editor is laggin' too much gonna have to do Mika's in another posty post.]

[Twinwolf]

Val was a fairly sharp one. She could piece two and two together. A primary reason she had not already done so was that she, in all honesty, had never truly believed in the gods. The idea of greater beings pulling the strings of her life and that of other humans didn't sit right with her. The idea she was speaking with a goddess, and not only that but the one whose lineage her family claimed, was rather absurd to her and not the first thing she'd think of. And yet, with what the woman said, with her presence, with that feeling, it was the only interpretation she could arrive at easily. 

 

Priscilla blinked. Then again. "You're telling me that you're the Stewardess." she says, unsure if it's a question or a statement. "...I hope you realize how difficult that is to believe, if it wasn't for the fact I really can't think of another explanation." She said. She still wasn't quite sure, and was half prepared to laugh it off as a joke, but she was mostly trying not to look like she was in complete shock.

[Swampellow]

Feeling Onyx against her made something in Siena click. Or at least made her realize the way that she had been speaking to the goddess of Death.

 

“You are here for me.” She said, letting out a breath to steady herself, as she had begun to shake a little when Onyx did. “You want to use me in some way.”

 

She paused for a moment after that, now being much more aware of what she was saying, or more specifically, how much she was saying. “For what however…” she stopped again for a beat, “I don’t know.” she said.
 

[Chevaleresse]

Elias couldn't help but raise an eyebrow before pressing his expression into smoothness once again. He considered himself fairly adept at moving through a crowd; he hadn't expected their guest to somehow part it more easily than he had. Though, he supposed that could be chalked up to looking much more important than some random butler on a mission. "Indeed," he said, without stopping. A faint suspicion arose in the back of his mind; could this Augustus be part of whatever was going on here? Set to lead him off. . . though it was unlikely they would have planned around his interference, if this was a "they" at all. Besides, it would be a truly complex and bizarre plan if it involved Augustus himself pointing out what was happening. "I do hope to avoid this getting rough, but there is a risk it might." He glanced at Augustus again, watching for his reaction as the pair continued to follow after Pris.

[Felicity]

Garret examined the roulette wheel on his table as he considered what to say. This was strange. Continuing to engage with this would almost certainly lead to more strangeness, even if it was just having a new room mate of sorts.

 

Damn was it interesting though.

 

"You've humoured my questions Fortune, I'm sure I can return the favour. Shoot."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Apollo

Apollo giggled at the comment, Mika was certainly an interesting one, not sure of the great things she truly had. "l think that's less she doesn't like you, more that July is one of those people that is very difficult to read." The resting bitch face certainly didn't help the woman comeoff as anything but threatening or aloof to the utmost extreme, as if everything was an annoyance to her. But, Apollo couldtell there was a fondness for Mika in her, given how much trouble she gave her to even agree to telling the location of where Mika lived. "l'm sure she's fond of you in her own type of way. She looks out for you, sorta like a big sister.~" Apollo had a wistful look in her eye, as if she was remembering something nostalgic. Some memory that she held dear... the kind of face one would take on when looking at a picture of a loved one.

"Huh... have any family? Whether the blood related kind or the l chose them kind? l have more of the later l feel." Apollo said after awhile. There was a childlike giddiness to her, a sort of cheerful energy that permeatated the room. One that in part couldn't help but smewhat bleed over to Mika herself. Perhaps not in full, it'd not removeher doubts, her fear of something... someone new. But unlike any other she'd feel that comfortable affability get through. She'd feel the warmth from Apollo. She'd feel her heart, her spirit... honest, clear. She didn't wear a mask, though it made sense she said she wasn't around here. But, it added to the experience that she felt no need to hide behind one. Apollo wore her heart on her sleeve, that much was clear to Mika.

The Stewardess

"Hmmm, search your heart. You know that l speak the truth. l understand that meeting me isn't the easiest thing t comprehend especially as many of your line don't believe l truly exist anymore." The Stewardess spoke with an air of authority, of grace now. Her body langauge while it did not fully relax, lessened in its severity, its tone. lt never wouldn't be strange how much authority radiated from a figure meant to show the opposite. And yet, Val perhaps came to a better understanding of it. After all, she was The Stewardess. Something more than an average servant. There were those that were trained in the arts of lordship, those that truly held dominion over a claim often times in the absense of the true owner or if the owner was too bust with another estate. Still, it was servitude, but another kind. Perhaps the Stewardess was on this other level... she said it herself. She was a servant to The World. The Arcana who ruled over all. "l can prove my legitmacy definitively if you still do not believe but l would rather not exercise such on a human." a tone with which it was clear how much she meant that statement. That she did not want to prove herself that way.

Death

"Didn't l say l didn't want to hear l don't know any more?" Death said leaning back in her chair once more closing her eyes. She was quiet for a moment, but she quvckly opened her eyes, a small smirk on her face. She wasn't completely disappointed this time it had seemed. "No need to look so grim though darling... you look like you've seen a ghost." she teased, a sense of playfulness sneaking through. lt broke the tenseness for a mere moment, but a moment that could certainly be felt by all present. 

"l suppose you are in part correct, though l'm being generous. You answer was wide, ambiguous. You cast a mvghty net. So, to say you are correct is to accept what is barely a mark on a target as a bullseye." She said, returing to her seriousness. "lt is clear that l am here for you. lt is clear that there is something l want. But is that not the goal of all conversation? That one holds within their possession that which the other desires? ls that not the goal of conversation?" 

Augustus

"Hmmm, it is probably quite garrish of me to admit this... though l would enjoy seeing you in true action if things to get to such." The man in red had a twikle in his eye, he for certain spoke the truth. But it was clear he was considerate and didn't want somene to come to harm to sate his curiosity. "Come come, he took a left turn from here. l believe he's headed for the entrance hall... but we should be able to cut off his path this way." He said gesturing with his head to the right. Knowing the layout from Pris's instruction that had mnaged to settle in... Elias knew this was to be true, but it was quite odd that Augustus would. Perhaps the man was the observant type?

[feel free to put cutting off the guy in your post Murdoc.]

Fortune

The roulette wheel nodded, a good host this man was. He had his questions sated for now, and would give his guest a chance to ask his own. Fortune respected this greatly, clear through his silent nod. He paused for amomet to think how to phrase what he was to ask. This wasn't an easy question to ask. Not in this day an age, not in the world that existed now. lt was important he asked it correctly. But it wasn't his style to carefully craft. He flew by the seat of his pants, corrected the rejectory later as he flew. He hoped that the man he spoke to now was a kindred spirit that he understood that way of life. Only one way to find out he supposed.

"Hmmm... might l ask, Do you know of the Arcana? lf so... how much?"

[Twinwolf]

Priscilla took a deep breath. "That... won't be neccesary. Like I said, as incredibly unlikely as it is, it's the only explanation I can currently think of." she said. Well, guess that whole 'doesn't believe in the gods' deal was over now, considering one was literally standing in front of her. The way she was drawn to her, the air of authority, the way that she seemed to be the only one who could see her, well, she didn't exactly see that coming from a normal maid or even the head of the association herself. She was doing her damndest not to show her shock and not doing too great, but she managed to compose herself. 

 

"So..." she said, "Why're you here? What kind of god business is bringing you to Masquerade? I can't imagine you just wanted to see your great times a dozen grandchildren." she paused. "...If you don't mind me asking, that is. Respectfully."

[Chevaleresse]

Elias couldn't help his eyebrow gaining altitude again. An apparent fop, but one that already knew his way around the palace, and was eager to see a butler's less domestic skillset put to action. He supposed the latter was excusable, but there were a great many things about this man that might've been excusable held in isolation. Together, though. . . "That we should." He took off down the hall at a brisk pace; Elias moved as quickly as he could manage without risking winding himself before the upcoming physical confrontation - if there was one, anyway. He supposed that was something from his life growing up that would never quite leave him, but now wasn't exactly the time to be pondering the past. And sure enough, Pris and her assailant were already coming into view, in such a way that if he actually wanted to get away, he'd be forced to retreat further back into the mansion. "Excuse me, sir, but would you mind explaining your treatment of the good lady?" he called out, faux politeness still in his voice.

[Felicity]

Garret mulled the word over. Nothing sprang to mind immediately from hearing the word. Sounded like a name, a title? A noun, whatever it was. A small irrationally irritated part of Garret chafed at not having a proper answer.

 

"'Fraid not, it's a new word to me. Sounds like arcane, this have something to do with the magicians and their field?" It probably did, given Garret was speaking to a roulette wheel. Not a huge leap of logic.

[Swampellow]

“Not a ghost… just a little something even more unlikely.” Siena said, nodding her head slightly with relief after Death’s little joke. 

 

“I suppose that I had the thought that goddesses and gods would always have a purpose in their actions,” she said, re-adjusting herself on her seat and sitting a little higher after noticing that she had been unconsciously slouching; no doubt due to the presence of the being before her.

 

“I can’t say that I have too much experience with what would be considered ‘casual’ conversation I suppose, whether that be due to my… occupation,” she says with a small wave of her hand and a glance around the tent “or that others don’t see me as one that they would like to have or hold a conversation with. Not that I mind most of the time. If I wanted to converse with another I would start it myself."
 

[Shamitako]

Mika

 

Apollo's cheerfulness caused Mika to try to bury herself further in the couch. She didn't handle outgoing people very well. It didn't help that Apollo asked about her family, a spot that had been sore for longer than she could remember. Although it had seemed like Mika was opening up to Apollo, that question set her back to her original discomfort and Apollo was answered with a deafening silence. 

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

The Stewardess
 

The maid deflated some, relief that she didn't need to something... unsightly to prove herself to the young heiress. However it was such a slight relaxation it probably wasn't something that Val could discern just from gazing upon her. The Stewardess shifted her form from where she currently stood. Val couldn't help but feel how pristine she looked, how she moved with a perfection that was unnatural. She seemed like a perfect porceline doll more than a person at times with the precision of which she had over her finer movement. Though, Val couldn't say it wasn't unlike the feeling of watching some of the Assiocation's finest bulters or maids in action. Elias didn't move this way, but that provided a sense of comfort rather than anything else.

"Firstly... it's not such a visit. Regardless if such was my aim, l'd be better suited going to Arcanum. Where all the nobles congregate." she spoke, approaching Val every so slightly. "Secondly... well. l'm not sure how to put this lightly. How to dance around this. But...The Arcana... we are dying." a varitable bombshell spoken without much pause. Naught a blink of an eye, or the bat of an eyelash.

The Mysterious Man, Priscilla etc...

The man wasn't expecting company it had seemed, quite clearly spelled out by the small muffled yelp he let out at the questioning from Elias. What was strange, was in that moment Elias could make out what was an utterly strange detail. The man seemed to be armed with... well. Nothing. He wasn't brandishing knife nor a firearm of any sort towards the fair lady. He seemed to have nothing of the sort. Though there wasn't much time to process this as clearly Pris had been waiting for some such oppertunity. Suddenly the assailant yelped again, but this time out of pain not surprise.

Pris has bitten the arm that was holding her, and managed to wriggle free. She scurried off out of sight into one of the rooms for the current time leaving the man staring down Elias and Augustus. Augustus smirked at the situation, the young lady managing to free herself. But, he still seemed on guard. He wasn't sure what this man was capable of. lt wasn't smart to assume they had won yet. The man looked about frantically,thinking about turning and running, clear as day in his eyes. However it was at this time that Pris had reemerged from the room behind him. She stood in the hall brandishin' what one would call "A Masquradian Typewriter". The gun, about half her size in height, a drum mag loaded to the brim with what soon be molten lead. "Well, now that we've even'd the odds, how tough are ya pal?" Pris said, a large grin on her face.

The Man just put his arms up in front of him. lt wasn't a surrender however, it was clearly a stance for something... but as to what? "l didn't want it to come to this but l've no choice. The Lady Valentine comes with me, or... l blow us all sky high. Deal?"

Death

"The bredth of a conversation doesn't really change it's purpose my dear." Death said, a leery look on her face. She was incredibly hard to read. Death was quite the cryptic figure. The feeling of every one of her words meaning more then they seemed ws impossible to shake that much waas sure. "lt is a form of commucation no matter the circumstance. ldle chatter maybe to serve the end of learning more about someone, or perhaps to derive some manner of entertainment, bemusement. l'm sure many use your services for just that. After all,it's all a fortuneteller is good for no?" a somewhat backhanded question. Perhaps just designed to get a rise out of the woman.

Death seemed keen to remind Siena at every oppertunity what exactly she truly was. A fraud.Someone who claimed to know the will of some higher power, whether that of fateor some god. And now before her sat one of those beings. Yet... it didn't feel like Death was mocking her. Siena really couldn't understand Death's purpose in all of this.

Apollo

Apollo imediately knew it was a mistake to have asked about family. Should've known... given she'd have dreaded the question herself. "Hmm, perhaps not a good place ta start. l'm not quite as good at this as l thought." she said rubbing the back of her head in some mixture of embarrassment, bewilderment and legitmate concern. Apollo was unsure where to continue, she needed to repair the damage she'd done if Mika was to open up to her anymore. Perhaps it was best to retunr to the topic of the girl's work? She was at least willing to speak about that.

"So, how's the person you work for? They a good person?" Apollo asked. Hoping this question would be one that found more purchase with the shy girl she was trying to reach.lt would perhaps do the trick.

Mika, would have thoughts brought to mind of the first person to really show her any genuine kindness in this world. A man that didn't treat her well cause he expected something of her, wanted to gain from that investment of kindness. No, this man simply showed her kindness cause it was the right thing to do. Because she was a human being. Unlike that rotten tribe that claimed to be family... the people that were supposed to show her that type of kindness. He was the person she worked for, the owner of the Drowned Duck. Mika could see that warm smile of his in her mind, as if he was there in front of her this instant. 

[[gonna stagger a post for Garret here mostly cause he's already a bit ahead and well... the text editor also laggin' ta hell at this point as well.]]

[Swampellow]

 

Siena pondered on what Death had just said for a moment. She certainly couldn’t deny that it is likely that some of the people who came to her did it merely for entertainment. In fact she knew that many did, even though there were those that did believe her.

 

The manner in which Death was talking however; everything that she was saying… Siena couldn’t exactly place an emotion of intent to it. If she were to believe everything Death was saying at face value she knew that she should be feeling insulted at the mockery of her person. But she wasn’t. Because she couldn’t place any exact intent behind Death’s words she wasn’t exactly sure as to how she should feel. Perhaps that was Death’s intent? She still wasn’t sure.

 

“Well then, I suppose we shall continue this conversation? Allow us to get to know each other more?” she said, not so much with a smirk but with the faintest indication of a smile. “Or I suppose more accurately: allow me to try to understand you more, as I have an inclination that you know everything about me that you want to know.” she said, allowing the smile to more properly show. 

 

“And I feel as though the best way that I can attempt to understand you is by asking this.” she said, a slightly more intense look in her eyes showing, but without her facial expression really changing.

 

“Who are the Arcana really? If you are the gods of this world, what is it that you do now that the world has been created?"

 

As she finished asking she felt her heart jump for a moment; once again fearing the emotional aura that Death had previously emitted before settling, confident that this is what she needed to know. 
 

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Garret

"Perhaps it once did, but no. I'm afraid not." Fortune said, the wheel was clearly mulling over how to next proceed. What he was to explain perhaps wasn't the easiest newsto break to someone, Humans especially. They were notcreatures fond of thevr worldview being shattered into a million pieces. They werecreatures of comfort, habit. This...it'd hold a wieght not ableto be processed with nary a second thought. Well.. for most humans. Perhaps this Garret was as interesting in that aspect as he seemed in others to Fortune. "Hmmm, The Arcana, are the beings that created this world. l had not told you my full name before, l was unsure how you'd react to being told such a thing. Regardless of me being a talking object." Fortune "walked" closer to the gambler, clacking of wood on wood.

"l am Wheel of Fortune, the 10th. He who repersents the winds of fate." he took a deep regal bow. A strange gesture from a roulette wheel. 

Death

Death smirked at the questioning, as to what that grin that played across her soft features for but an instant meant... was unknown to the teller of fortune. "A bold gesture. A mortal to dain that l answer. Questioning one of those which she knows created the divine tapestry known as the Terrastial. One that has taken her time to remove herself from the Celestial to commune with her children." Death's cool blue eyes bore into Siena, as if the goddess could see her every flaw, if every thing had been lain bare. Siena felt naked underneath those eyes of frost, down to the fabric of her being. Her Soul. This glance had been the most intense... Siena felt the imenseness that was the being Death. As if the world curled it's hand around her throat.

Despite how she choose to appear to her, a small woman... nay, almost a child... and yet she was the most horrifying being that Siena had ever witnessed. She could feel in her soul how easily Death could toss her aside, take her most precious from her... extingish the gift of life. Death's Icy Talons could pluck the fruit of life so easily from her chest. Over in but a second, and Siena would wither away, forgotten to the world and time itself.

And yet, Siena would feel something else within that premordial fear. lt was perhaps not a concept she could truly grasp at this moment, not something she'd know the name of... but it brought her a type of comfort, succor from the horror she bore witness to. Death wasn't only the most terrfying being that Siena had met. She was also the most comforting. The complexity... was hard for a mere human to understand this in full, to process it in onw go. But the feeling kept Siena from reverting to the baser instincts. She didn't feel the need to run, to remove herself from the situation.

"But...if l must. We are the caretakers of the Celestial. lt is a place above mortals. One that exists and yet does not. Your kind, the children of the world may refer to space as this. Often you refer to the stars, suns, planets as Celestial bodies. Perhaps in some way but this is not correct. The Celestial is a realm beyond. The Terrastial emcompasses all that you know. lt is your realm. The one that we left for mortal life, the children. We leave it in your care. However, our realms are connected. Without the Celestial, the Terrastial cannot exist."

[Chevaleresse]

He could be bluffing. Was that a risk he was willing to take? He couldn't tell from this angle if he was actually wearing a bomb; Elias supposed that if it had been easy enough to tell, the man wouldn't have been allowed to enter in the first place. Though, regardless of that. . . "I don't believe that's up to me. You'll have to convince the lady yourself, I think." She was clearly more capable than he'd thought, but this was a delicate situation. If he could just get close enough, he could likely subdue the man before he had the chance to detonate the device, but such a thing wasn't sure. He glanced at Priscilla, and then let his gaze linger for a long while. If you made a show of submitting, made sure his attention was fully on you, I could close the gap. He nodded at her, faintly, hoping that she interpreted it the way he hoped. She made a scene, then he got close and put the man down while he was distracted: that was the plan. 

 

. . . That, or that she didn't' wait and just put a bullet between the man's eyes before Elias could do anything. Sure, it'd be a bit of a mess to clean up, but it'd solve this problem rather neatly otherwise.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Mysterious Man, Priscilla, etc.

Priscilla caught the glance but wasn't really sure how to interpret what it meant. She figured it must've had some meaning however, deciding that Elias probably wanted her to take action and he'd follow up on it if need be. "Fat chance pal!" she shouted in a rather unladylike shout [nothing new to Elias]. Her eyes lit up along with her smile as she depressed the trigger and the firearm roared to life. The clap of bullets filled the air, the pinging of metal casings off the tiled floors. lt was quite the scene watching a supposed noble firing an icon of gangster culture... but there wasn't much time to appreciate the irony.

Space between the gun-toting princess and her two accompanying servants was now empty, completely. lt was more then proven by the bullets whizzing past the duo as they hit nothing but air in the space that the man had occupied prior. "What the hell?" Pris cursed under her breath though audible enough the two men heard it anyway. For a moment the the air was silent, the three unable to process what had happened when a snap came from down the hallway. The snap of air suddenly rushing out of a space suddenly being filled in but a fraction of a second. The attacker was now down the hallway down the side behind Pris. He sighed heavily, not letting the quiet breathe any longer. "This shit ain't worth it." he said pointing his index finger towards Pris. lt was a gesture that resembled a small firearm.

"Boss wanted ya alive but l'm sure he'd not mind ya dead either. Sayonara Miss, nothin' personal, it's just business." the look on his face one of disappoint... before a small orange globe formed on his fingertip. "Feugo." and with that the minuscule globule of orange expended rapidly into a roaring inferno. The man recoiled his hand back, sending the bullet of destruction flying down the hall. Clearly he'd decided taking her with was too much of a hassle, and feel back to an assassin but... what was this? lt had to be magic, but this was impossible! Magic could never do something of this scale. Though now wasn't the time to try and grasp what was happening, the amber wave of energy screaming down the corridor straight for Priscilla. There wasn't an option to run, it could easily out pace the the three of them. Pris also seemed to stunned to move, unable to process the sudden turn of control in the situation.

[Twinwolf]

Val blinked. Then again. Annnnd again. This had been... an interesting several minutes. She'd gone from basically believing the gods don't exist, to knowing they do, to knowing they're dying. How do gods die? Aren't they supposed to be immortal? Priscilla just stood there, shocked for a few moments, before regaining some measure of composure. "...Dying? How do gods... die?" There was really nothing else to say - it had been a rather harrowing fifteen or so minutes. 

[Swampellow]

‘Without the Celestial, the Terrastial cannot exist’. Those words echoed within Siena for a moment as she processed what they meant. 

 

“So what you are saying is…” she paused, glancing at Death, “is that something is happening to the Celestial. Something that is causing it to…” she struggled to find the words to describe what she was thinking. “To no longer exist? As in, revert to a state before you created it… before you even existed? How? What…” she stopped herself from asking Death why she was here again. But of course she did still want to know why.  
 

[Shamitako]

Mika

 

Mika's eyes lit up at the mention of her employer. "Mr. Honeydew is amazing. When I first got here nobody would give me so much as a look, but he took pity on me and gave me a job and a place to stay. He's always fair and kind to everyone and he really loves the Drowning Duck. Even July likes him." Mika looked at Winslow as a sort of father figure. He was the first person in her entire life that had given her love and affection. For someone so starved of caring as Mika was, that was even greater a gift than everything else he'd done for her. 

[Chevaleresse]

Time seemed to stop for a moment, as Elias tried to process the situation. The man had apparently teleported, then used magic to unleash a roaring fireball. How? Why? Not important. Could be an illusion, but calling the bluff was not worth the price of being wrong. No space to run; it was traveling much faster than his top speed. They'd all likely be incinerated, and furthermore Priscilla seemed to be in shock. Rather more dangerous than one would expect from her, yes, but a trained professional she was not. 

 

Elias made a decision.

 

He shouted out toward her, a high-pitched "Priscilla!" as the butler's voice seemingly cracked. He was already moving, hand stretching out to grab the lady. Well, this has been a good run, I suppose. Better than choking to death on smog or starving. There wasn't much point in running; there was a slight chance that he could find cover, but the odds were that if all three of them ran, all three of them would die. This way, he could attempt to reduce that number. Elias yanked Priscilla backward, pushed her down the hall and away from the fireball. And, as it reached them, he dove on top of her, trying to block the flame with his own body as he braced for the end.

[Felicity]

Garret... stared. He stared at the small animated board and considered just what it had told him about it's identity. Then he asked himself a few questions.

 

Was he lying? Did it matter if he was lying? What did Fortune want? Why tell Garret now? What did being a creator of the world entail? Especially if there was a community of at least ten of these beings. Questions began stacking up and in his mind Garret could almost see the weight of those questions stacking up against what he knew of the world itself. Magic and the strangeness assosciated with it was silly, it was entertaining, fun, unknowable to him and intriguing because of it. Garret's world was a small corner with a myriad of moving parts set against the dull grey and brown of the city buildings. So when faced with Fortune, claiming to have made the world he lived in, there was a lot of dissonance going on.

 

Until another question popped into his head. What did this mean for Garret? This question brought a clarity of focus that pushed the uncertain questions he may have worried away on to the back of his mind and Garret found himself speaking with a clear voice.

 

"Well, I'm certainly glad I brought you home now. So, you are a creator... one of many? Where are your fellows? And why are you here in this world?"