new orleans ♔ need a fix cuz i'm going down | down to the abyss

[romanticidal]

♬ Season of the Witch - Dr. John

WHO || Rafael, Buffy, Spike, Des, The Mind Master, Olean Gilbert, anyone guarding Olean in the car... (including Gar) [closed]
WHAT || The Knights go to investigate Chad Becksworth's mysterious 'advisor' in her bayou home
WHERE || The Lousiana Bayou, outside New Orleans
WHEN || Thurs, Oct 18th, evening
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order! Keep it a rollin'.

Crammed inside a big white van, Olean rides up front, directing the driver outside the city of New Orleans, and in the direction of the stretches of swampland for which Louisiana is famous. He has them turn down a side dirt road, which leads them far off any highway or main street, and seems to go on without passing anything remotely similar to civilization for at least sixteen minutes of the drive.

The closer they get, the more he begins to sweat profusely, wiping his face repeatedly with a handkerchief, until he can't find a spot on it that isn't drenched. Finally, he tells them to pull over, waving his hand at the side of the road, and the vehicle pulls to a stop.

"T-this was about where we w-went in," he says. "But I can't tell you anymore, because it was only the once, and there wasn't a real path and ... and... I wasn't exactly paying attention to how to get back there anytime soon. Or ever."

Rafael cranes his neck to look out the back window, but then just pops the back doors of the van open and hops out.

"We'll find it," he says, a determined look in his eye. He nods a bit up the road, at what looks like a dilapidated shack that could be straight out of Cabin in the Woods. In front of it stands a sign that's fallen over, with "FREE TOURS" in white paint that dried dripping half down the wood. There's a light on inside, glowing through one of the windows. "And it looks like someone knows of a path."

Comments

[bigbad]

She's got a moat filled with demons and crocodiles. I wouldn't put it past her. [Spike isn't quite as steady as Buffy (concentration 13) as he walks behind her, looking around at all the weird patterns as he goes.]

[mindmaster]

[ ♬ Happiness Is A Warm Gun - The Beatles

wow, wrong uma thurman movie buffy, ok. rafael also manages to walk straight, and hopefully des doesn't veer off and try to walk up the walls or anything, so eventually they shove open those doors.

the room is just as gold -- and most definitely a throne room. there are no other doors to be seen in here, just a metal grate at the end of a little low decorative pool in the far corner of the room. there are etchings on the walls and top of the throne, depicting a number of reptiles.

on the throne sits the 'guide', although her swamp-venturing clothes are gone, and she's wearing dark green robes instead, tightly cinched at the waist with a gold belt to create a fashionable look. her glasses are gone, and she regards them with amused green eyes as she taps several ringed fingers lazily on the arm of her chair, and drawls: ]

Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to talk about others? Particularly under their own roof.

[slay]

Almost as rude as luring people out into a swamp and trapping them under that roof. What's the plan, make us gator food? 'Cause, lady, gotta warn you - you're gonna have some trouble with that one. [ she paces up toward the throne. ] And I'd hate for this to get R-rated when we haven't even been formally introduced, Mind Master.

[mindmaster]

You wanted a way in. That's exactly what I gave you.

You could show a little more gratitude.

[bigbad]

Why? You're a rotten tour guide. And took advantage of the idiot tourist in our midst.

[mindmaster]

It's not my fault if he's all looks. [ she smiles sweetly at rafael ] But none of you must be very stocked up on brains, to have come here.

[nothingsodivine]

Sweetcheeks, if I had a dime for every time someone told me I didn't have the brains for something, I could swim in 'em. [He straightens his jacket, because he's all manly.] We've got mutual friends. We wanna dish the dirt, like the girls do. Talk about how Chad Becksworth's shoes are last season. That kinda thing.

[slay]

Yeah, yeah, we know, you're really spooky, reducing men who are already walking sewage to wetting themselves at the thought of you. But, I got news for you. I'm scarier. So this whole intimidation threat tactic? Not really working.

1/2

[mindmaster]

Chad Becksworth? [ she doesn't even so much as spare a glance at buffy, fixing her gaze on des with a lascivious smile, like she's planning to eat him up. ] I don't think he's ever given you the time of day, darling.

2/3 i lied

[romanticidal]

[ raf steps up next to buffy, one hand on the gun at his right holster. ] Because he will not so much as meet with any of us. Which we have heard is due to your influence.

For a man who works in managing recording artists, it seems strange that he should show so little interest in hiring any.

[mindmaster]

Chad is looking for a certain type of artist, and you don't fit the bill. He isn't going to waste his precious time meeting with the rest of the rabble looking for stardom. [ her eyes glint knowingly ] Or whatever else you seek.

[ also do spot checks yo ]

[nothingsodivine]

[spot check 5. you tried des.]

Why bother associating with that kind of rabble when he's got plenty of the worse kind in his pocket.

[mindmaster]

[ her expression changes to one of faux defeat, as she lifts her eyebrows and shrugs her shoulders ] How silly of me. I forgot you have it all figured out. That must be very nice for you.

[ and then she drops it, looking back to des ] -- Except if you did, you wouldn't be here. [ she rests her chin on the back of her right hand just barely ] And I'm afraid this is a dead. End. [ she punctuates both words slowly and purposefully ] I'm just a lowly adviser. Chad's old enough to make his own decisions.

[bigbad]

[Spot check 12. At least he's looking more carefully than Des...

Spike steps forward a little.]

Lowly advisors don't have secret lairs as nice as this one, pet. Though I have to say, I'm not impressed. Shouldn't the great and predictable Mind Master have a little more than crocodiles up her sleeves? [He shifts his face, fangs dropping out (intimidation 29).] How about telling us what sort of evil you lot are trying to stir up before I get tetchy?

[mindmaster]

[ she turns her head slowly towards spike, crooking her head like a curious dog as she examines his face, the smile gone, but a strange eagerness in her eyes ] Or you'll do what: drain me dry? [ slowly, she draws her tongue along her top lip. ] It's a date.

[bigbad]

[He tilts his head because definitely not the response he expected.] How about you tell us what we want to know first?

[mindmaster]

I'm afraid I can't do that. [ she dangles a smile at him once more ] Your loss.

[slay]

[ buffy's been distracted looking around - spot 17 - but she'll weigh in now. ]

Then, how about you advise Chad to give us a little consideration. Personally, I'd prefer chatting with the man himself than his pawns, and if I have to watch you try too hard much longer, I might actually puke. [ SHE IS IN NO WAY CATTY AND DEFENSIVE BECAUSE SHE WAS MAKING EYES AT SPIKE. FTR. ]

[bigbad]

[Is that... jealousy? Or wistful thinking? Spike glances back at Buffy for a moment, fangs slipping away, and decides to up the flirting. This is clearly the place and time for that, right? Right.

He smirks at her.] Also yours. Sure we can't work something out?

1/2

[mindmaster]

[ well, spike, you can always roll a charisma check to flirt with her. if you think that's a ... good... idea.

either way, she just looks amused as she follows buffy's gaze towards the rising gate on the far wall, which no one else had noticed.

♬ Ceremonious Play - Last Exile ]

Another time, perhaps.

[extremist]

[ a figure is advancing out of the darkness behind the grate, which lowers again as he walks down the narrow ledge along the side of the interior canal. as he steps out of the shadows, he becomes visible: a man, of middle height and confident posture, dark haired, dressed exactly as on the left here, with a dramatic black cape and a cane. he's yanking on gloves, the cane tucked under his arm as he enters the chamber, and hasn't seemed to notice any of them yet, as he walks briskly towards the throne, speaking apparently to her as he does so. ]

Decker's finally finished stalling, which means we can actually move forward, although-- [ and noowww he sees them, coming to an abrupt stop some forty feet behind them. he looks for a long moment at rafael before turning his gaze to the others, and his expression shifts to one of extreme bewilderment. ] What the devil?

[nothingsodivine]

[Des whirls at the sound of a new voice and looks from the guy to the Mind Master and then back to the guy again. Then he breaks into a wide grin.] Hey, look at you. You're late, pal. You almost missed the cake.

1/2

[romanticidal]

[ rafael turns in place as well, as the man glares somberly at des' carefree grin. ]

Chad?

[extremist]

[ the man's eyes immediately dart to rafael at the name, and his eyes narrow a tiny bit, but he doesn't address any of them, looking back up at the mind master again. with bitter sarcasm, he asks: ]

Having some friends over for dinner, are you?

[slay]

Oh, it's not her fault. [ buffy's tone is mocking - patronizing, even. ] We were gonna call ahead; we just couldn't resist the chance to come out and get a look for ourselves at what you've been up to these days. I mean, we were gonna bring your brother, but turns out it's been a while since he or, well, anybody else at Nova's seen you, Chad. Where's the love?