texas ♔ don't want to face the fears we've met

[heavensend]

WHO || Anastacia, Avaleen, Thea, Riddick [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights try to track down some missing Shadowkind
WHERE || Houston, Texas
WHEN || April 9th [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The Church of Good Hearted Souls is a nondenominational church, located in a poorer district of Houston. The neighborhood itself doesn't disguise the fact, but the streets that they walk through to reach the church are populated almost exclusively by Shadowkind, of all types. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, even a minotaur shuffle past, many of them making their way in and out of tenement buildings that have seen better days. The occasional humans that break up the mix often wear clothing more suited to a fantasy village - and those who don't sometimes have hairstyles that give them away as less than totally modern. The Church itself doesn't even remember a conventional church or temple in any way - it seems to have been built into a squat brick building, hollowed out to make room for folding chairs, since pews seemed to be outside their price range. "All faiths welcome" proclaims a sign out front, and another replaceable sign below it is flipped to read "Sister Deborah is in". 

Comments

[silvermaid]

[ she does, indeed, find the keys, as anastacia starts hurrying down the metallic steps to join her. alvin stays frozen, but anthony breaks free just as thea gets the keys out of his pocket, and he goes to reach for her wrist just as avaleen casts the spell -- which freezes him in place once more, eyes filled with rage. ]

[delicere]

Please - him first. [Him being her new gnome friend, Avaleen's words directed at Thea even as she focuses on Anthony.

Also going to hold action for her.]

[withasouvenir]

[ thea doesn't actually want to move out of stabbing range of these two guys, especially when one of them starts to move, so instead she'll hold out the keys to anastacia, snapping at anthony: ] Don't tempt me. My dad is a mass-murderer, do you really want to see if it runs in the family?

[ at least malcolm is good for threats tbh. (intimidate ..11) or not. ]

[silvermaid]

[ it's impossible to tell if they're scared anyway, since their faces are frozen that way SO WHO KNOWS. anastacia takes the keys and hastens to open the gnome's cage with them. he scrabbles out and to his feet, grabbing her arm. "Oh thank you! Thank you!" he blubbers and she gives him a warm smile, even as she glances back at the brothers, to make certain they haven't moved.

but they both failed their save again so they should be okay for now... ]

[delicere]

What shall we do about them? [As Ava I believe remains... still in her cage for now?

Holding-holding-holding.]

[withasouvenir]

We could put 'em in the cages. [ just... an option. she's going to ready an action to attack if one of them moves though because she's self-aware enough to know that she can't move them by herself. she's not that strong. ]

[heavensend]

It seems only just, really. We'll bring the police in, show them this little set up. It should hold them until then. [ she turns to avaleen's cage next, unlocking the door, as the very strong-willed anthony breaks free again. thea may take her readied action before he gets to go, however. ]

[withasouvenir]

[ she immediately swings her katana up in a swift flash of metal. (atk 25, crit on 18; dmg 14) ] Hey!

/I lied (does a whole new tag)

[delicere]

[Assuming that Thea didn't just ya know, slice dude in half; As the cage door is unlocked, Ava swings it open, only to cast Command on Anthony;]

Approach.[Trying to lure him into the cage. Will 17 Negates.]

[silvermaid]

[ it cuts a massive gash in him, but he's not dead - but he's so taken by surprise that ava's magic quickly grips his mind, and despite himself, he starts walking into the open cage. anastacia moves to start pulling the other brother in, but finds she can't move him (str 5 womp womp) ]

[delicere]

[And cause I'm pretty sure she can't move without provoking an AOO, Avaleen will cast Hold on Anthony (4 rounds/WS 18 Negates) once again and welp whether successful or not, she'll try to move out of the cage, leaving him in it.]

[withasouvenir]

[ thea will help anastacia out, not so gently dragging the other brother toward the cage. (str 20 total) ...she works out a lot, okay? now that they seem to be in the process of being secured, she feels confident enough to check on the others. ]

Avaleen, are you and... the boy okay?

[ she doesn't know his name. :( ]

[heavensend]

[ they get both men into the cages, which anastacia soundly locks, before she looks back at avaleen with equal concern

/init ]

[delicere]

I am fine, truly. [Avaleen's focus turning to the young gnome boy with the broken arm.]

I believe I have a promise to keep. [To do more for his injury once they escaped their cages and she goes to him now, kneeling before him and holding her hands out.]

If you will allow me again? [And assuming he will; Cure Moderate Wounds: 18HP.]

[silvermaid]

[ he totally won't argue, looking at her with wonder in his eyes.

"Who-- who are you people?" he asks ]

[delicere]

[Avaleen glances back at Ana like... we never covered what I'm supposed to say here?!]

We are... [She tries for a warm smile.] Friends. We heard that you and others were in trouble and we wanted to help. [See how she totally didn't answer that question at all?] How is your arm now?

[silvermaid]

[ "Oh, it feels much better! Thank you again, I thought-- I thought there was no hope left." ]

It looks like you were the only ones here, at least. But who knows how many they already sent along.

[delicere]

You are safe now and we shall see you and your sister reunited soon. [She offers him a warm smile before rising up again, eyeing the man with his wounds in the cage for a long moment as Ana speaks.]

We are to investigate further, yes? Stop the ones these men were working with?

[withasouvenir]

Pastor Windright. He's selling them. We have to get to him before he realizes this deal isn't going down and cuts and runs.

[silvermaid]

That's why they're going to tell us where we can find him. [ she moves to the edge of the cage, wrapping one hand around the bars, and the unearthly blue of her eyes seems to become even more pronounced as she fixes the man with a somewhat unsettling look (intimidate 17). ] And I'll know if they're lying.

[ neither man, however, looks all that intimidated. ]

[delicere]

[If only Ava had prepared a zone of truth spell... alas which she did not.

She does however sense that neither of the men are particularly afraid of Ana (SM 21) and knowing that she's far less intimidating than her Knight... Ava's gaze slowly slides towards Thea because well. She may be little but she's also a little scary.]

[withasouvenir]

[ seems legit. thea steps forward, tapping the edge of her katana against the bars. ]

Okay boys, my friends are asking you nicely. Answer them or I starting asking the questions. I think we established already that I won't be nice.

[ her own intimidate was only a 18 though. ]

[silvermaid]

[ "Lady, we ain't tellin' you nothin'," one of them replies, spitting in their general direction. anastacia flinches, looking helplessly at the other girls. ] I guess we'll have to leave the interrogation in the hands of the police. [ she sounds disappointed as well, but she's not going to let it undercut what they've done here. ] But these two won't be hurting anyone else.

[delicere]

[I'm not even trying with Ava cause she just, couldn't intimidate a tadpole.]

Should we see if perhaps Sister Deborah might be able to offer further assistance?

[heavensend]

We can let her know what happened here, but I think we need to report into Wynn with what we've done. Maybe the Hoard can pull up something on this Pastor, since we have his name.