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Post by Circe on Aug 6, 2020 21:28:01 GMT -6
Zhen didn't exactly reply immediately, as he was unused to anyone communicating in such a way. After everything, he tried to put aside and ignore his duties as a Guardian as much as possible. The magic and necessities that came with it had robbed him of his home, and later loved ones. He couldn't understand how his family had willingly put up with Heaven for so long. 'Be right back then.' He finally answered giving his sister a mildly annoyed look. Being someone's errand boy was not what he had agreed to, free food or not. Disappearing much like Xiaolian had appeared earlier, one moment he was there and then the next he wasn't. There was little if any magical trace to follow him by either.
"Cellar door, down the stairs..." Zhen muttered ignorant of what was going on outside, and like any one hungry magic user, lured by the promise of free food.
Xiaolian meanwhile, watched with mild curiosity as the cylinder engaged. Stepping back, she half expected something to happen with the audible click that had come from it. But when nothing seemed to happen she scowled and muttered, "Hún dàn Jinhai.." Devices like the cylinder were suspect in her book, they often provided too little assistance too late. However, her intial thought was quickly proven wrong as she was knocked flat on her back from the sudden movement of the earth below her feet, and explosion of light from the cylinder. Several other similar epithets could be heard out of the Guardian as she stood back up. Dealing with the Jinhai was tricky, one could never figure out what the device they were giving in lieu of actual aid would do. For now though, it seemed that the overwhelming tide of magic had been redirected.
"Eleven hours to go.." She muttered wondering where Zhen was at and what that strange scraping noise was. It was difficult to tell over the screeching of the Jinhai's device as it struggled with the high concentrations of magic in the storm.
Zhen had already delivered the insulated crock to Catherine, who still seemed to be struggling with the storm more than Tyrus. Afterwards, he jumped back to the cellar and then took Tyrus his food. "Here you are, dinner is served.. you know such as it is." He joked setting down each item with care.
Across the ranch at the midpoint between the two slowly stabilizing hotspots, Xiaolian continued to monitor the cylinder. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew what that scraping, dragging sound on the gravel was. But before she could think any further about it, a car door came flying through the air towards her and the cylinder. Xiaolian had to act fast and either redirect the door or risk getting hit by it, or have the cylinder hit by it. Mumbling a few words under her breath that sounded like, "Rin pyo sha!" and with a few subtle movements of her hand, the door was soon delt with. With a shower of indigo sparks and the sound of metal crunching and screeching as it yeilded to invisible forces, the door vanished.
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Post by demikara on Aug 7, 2020 10:04:54 GMT -6
It looked delicious. Tyrus had a feeling Monmack had an idea of what was happening as well, the crafty dwarf. He started with the stew, eyeing the pork filled apple curiously. That was new. "Don't forget to eat some yourself. Monmack's food is good for replenishing your reserves." It tended to be heavier on the protein than he used to like, but his tastes had changed since being turned. "And thanks for getting it. I know you didn't sign up to play fetch." The other had barely signed up at all if he hadn't missed his guess.
He knew all too well the look of a put upon younger sibling. He had worn it many times himself. Though now he suspected he really only had the look of a put upon prince to fall back on. At least he was still a prince. It would have been something else entirely to have lost his position permanently, even if the circumstances weren't what anyone wanted and his sire wanted fuck all to do with him. "So what happened at the edges of my wards?" And they were excellent wards, but he was worried about possible strain.
Strain much like what he was dealing with now. The sigil was helping greatly, but channeling that much magic was more than a little trying on his body.
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Post by Circe on Aug 7, 2020 13:24:36 GMT -6
Zhen looked at the apple and stew dubiously. It was certainly different than what he was used to, and new things weren't exactly high on his list of things at that very moment. "I don't sign up for a lot with my sister for a reason." He sighed. Being the younger sibling often meant that shit tended to roll down hill. Things had been a bit better when she had been stationed overseas for a period of time, but even that came with its difficulties.
Disappearing and reppearing again beside Xiaolian, he looked over at the cylinder. "So is it working?" He asked unsure what to think about the now listing piece of equipment and the screeching coming from it. "Far as I can tell. You find the food okay?" She replied with a shrug. "All I care about is that it's working and that it's not going to blow up." Xiaolian added.
In Zhen's absence, she had checked on her boss, now turned charge again. For her it seemed that all they could do was monitor the sigils and make certain nothing worse happened. It was a waiting game at this point, and one Xiaolian didn't like to admit to. She strongly prefered action and getting things done to having to wait anything out at all.
"Yeah food's back with that Tyrus guy if you want to come with me?" Zhen offered. It was better than eating alone, which he suspected she did a lot of these days.
Xiaolian nodded and turned away from the cylinder to follow Zhen back to where Tyrus sat. A brief respite would be helpful, and it would give her a chance to check the sigils on Tyrus that Zhen had applied.
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Post by demikara on Aug 7, 2020 14:21:16 GMT -6
Tyrus was enjoying his stew, eating politely despite the fact that he was ravenously hungry. The vampire could control himself after all. "Boyuan." He greeted politely. "I hope you enjoy Monmack's cooking. It should help replenish your reserves and your energy fairly well." It had been designed as a meal meant to replenish him after all, and to get him back to his feet. It was sure to be calorie dense and he wouldn't be surprised if there was magic in there as well. Hopefully not, given his current situation. "So what was at the edge of my wards?"
He rather wanted to know. Another wave of magic spread through him and he hissed, pouring it into the ground. The sigil was keeping it bearable, but he still had work to do to keep it going. Hopefully once they were past the peak he'd be able to rest more deeply than he currently was.
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Post by littlekreen on Aug 7, 2020 14:34:38 GMT -6
As the door vanished from reality there came several crinkling noises from the cylinder in accelerating time. Then the noise was gone as the screech quieted to a rhythmic if loud whine. The dust underneath their feet a quiet sift from a dynamo thrumming from a pressure less disparate. Thin whorls of air leaped in angular fractures of ground dust as potentials arose between the natural flows of power and their new synthetic foreigner. A flock of creatures not yet flown the small airy whorls darted toward their feet in increasing number but did little but make for dusty shoes. An inner ticking calculus rightfully unsatified with what they touched.
At least until they went to inspect Tyrus as a single forging dust-devils born of the sort of pseudo-chaos that machine understood. A single whorl and its trail of angular dust patterns arrives to plaster itself into the tree. Little ants of Manipulation magic shoot across a connected potential to leave a growing trail back and forth. That bucket brigade of growing number arrives along the brushed dust paths either to empty or take in itself from raging points spread around the ranch. They listed off and lost their way as their well strained from the storm though never far enough to lose sight of that particular lighthouse.
A rather different if ardent flock circles and stalks his home seeking to enter. They smash into doors, splatter on windows, and dismember in vents.
At the very least near Tyrus and the tree they shot through the two Guardian's legs rather than at them.
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Post by Circe on Aug 7, 2020 14:44:51 GMT -6
"Rahal." Xiaolian said bluntly as she crouched down on the ground, ignoring the newest arrival. For now they didn't seem too terribly harmful, and likely just a side effect of the Jinhai's cylinder.
Zhen had already found himself a large rock to sit on and eat his meal, seemingly content with the offerings Momack had provided. "Before anything I need to check the charms Zhen used on you." She added. Xiaolian didn't ask for permission, and instead just forged ahead checking each piece of the sigil on Tyrus for wear and tear beyond the usual. Frowning, she had found a break in what should have been a solid line of charcoal on the paper. Muttering something under her breath to herself in Ba-Shu about idiotic little brothers, she pulled a marker from a pocket and fixed the damaged sign before proceeding to the next.
"Curiosity kills, did you know that mage?" Xiaolian deflected. As always, her tone was curt and words brief. There were things that humans, or in this case vampires, weren't supposed to know about. The Jinhai, the Ratatoskr, and the Gaurdians some of them. "You had two damaged charms, either the magic has burned through them or Zhen didn't write them correctly." She explained capping the marker and putting it away.
Strange things and even stranger eminations or creatures during a class 5 storm didn't seem to phase Xiaolian. Zhen however seemed a bit more worried about his apple dumpling and stew than anything else.
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Post by demikara on Aug 7, 2020 18:38:41 GMT -6
"I'd say I'd keep an eye on them, but I don't know what I'm looking at." He admitted easily. "I'll assume they were some of your business then." And that she had dealt with it accordingly. The mage felt the charms repair though, and relaxed a bit more. "The flow of the magic feels better. Thank you." He had a bit more of his stew and then frowned at the...things that were not flying around his property.
He reached to catch one and failed, too tired to use his full speed. "What are these?" Whatever they were he didn't appreciate them at all. Eyes narrowed he watched the creatures? the whatever they were and probed at them with his magic, seeking to understand what they were. At least he had that much control again, even if the probe was weak and careful. He didn't dare do more than he just had. As it was, the probe nearly failed thanks to the charm on him.
Sacrifices, he supposed, had been made in order for him to continue living without being burnt out by magic. They were just currently incredibly annoying sacrifices.
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Post by Circe on Aug 7, 2020 19:43:40 GMT -6
Xiaolian rocked back onto her heels and sighed as she looked at the sprites flying over head. They were the curious sort of thing, drawn in by high levels of magic and chaos. But she had never known them to be malicious. "They are called "Jīnglíng" most likely if memory serves. A byproduct of a shunting methods for veil storm of this size. They're not so much dangerous, as they're bothersome." She explained picking up a piece of bread and bottle of cider from the impromtu picnic Tyrus had ordered from his supplier.
"And yes, we took care of what was at the edge of the wards. Thankfully it was the cavalry coming with some extra help." Xiaolian added. She was loathe to call the Jinhai help, but that was what it had been. The cylinder could still be burnt out at any time, overwhelmed by the magic, but if it got them through the next hour she would be happy.
"Trying to probe or catch them will do you little good, Rahal." She pointed out, watching Tyrus try and fail to grab one from the air. "They are emphemeral things, drawn to the magic and chaos of a storm. You will need a better plan come winter."
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Post by littlekreen on Aug 7, 2020 19:59:23 GMT -6
Reaching out to catch the small workers proved very much an exercise of catching wind when one's whole body was neck-deep in molasses. Though as he probed at them with his magic the rapid squirm of the creatures was apparent. Long massless bodies like little cleaner fish that traveled in energetic schools but found a visitor. They'd stop in fractions of a second to nip away parasitic surges from the storm that clung to the edge of Tyrus' weaker magic. Sometimes instead to replace minuscule potential they carried from somewhere else in the thunderous veil nearby where that particular potential was far too high. Though not the true chaos that came to the natural world's own patterns it certainly rhymed enough to get along that it reacted more than led. If his mind reached out just far enough he could easily feel the invisible frenzy just at the impact front of buildup in and around the rapidly expanding tree. Filling themselves with potential then squirting away along a marked path as others return with potentials to erupt with.
Though if he focused among the magic it echoes nearby with a very particular tone in the ley as some hard-struck tuning fork. A rhythmic tune that the schools danced to that they could keep time with the solstice storm's deep metronome.
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Post by demikara on Aug 8, 2020 9:36:14 GMT -6
"I'm hoping to have a better plan all told come winter than camp out in the same two spots." He admitted. "I suspect all my free time will be spent on how to properly handle solstices for awhile, so your help isn't as sorely needed as it is today." Jīnglíng were interesting creatures, he decided, and he left them alone. There was not a lot he could do right now as it was. "Hopefully something that will work for Catherine as well as myself. Frankly, we got lucky that we know you." And they couldn't always count on luck to get them through this day.
The repaired sigil did help with his energy though. Catherine had felt too out of it to check with her, but that may be for the best. "Though I admit, I'm glad I was so lucky. I still intend on paying you for the service." Though what he'd be paying her was going to be tricky to determine. He hated owing favors though, and suspected that's what would end up happening.
A favor could be incredibly expensive. It was easier just to pay.
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Post by Circe on Aug 8, 2020 13:55:48 GMT -6
Xiaolian could only hope that they wouldn't have to weather another similar storm come winter. She suspected that it had never been this bad before, and neither really had any clue how to cope with such difficult circumstances. "Given the severity of the situation, that may be your only solution." She counseled. There was nothing that she knew of to stop or even prevent the storms, one just had to find ways to mitigate the damage.
Reaching a hand out, she offered one of the more curious Jīnglíng a small piece of bread. She supposed that it would be better to cooperate with the Jinhai and their strange devices, than to be so resistant. It went against every single bit of her training, she had been taught that Guardians knew best and that projecting such would make the situation go smoother altogether. But no Guardian had ever been asked to take on a veil storm of such enormous magnitude, and especially not two storms dancing around one another as one.
"Payment isn't necessary. This is actually my job." Xiaolian disagreed. "And you do not need to be owing me especially any favors." That was a dangerous proposition, and she had already said to much about everything. While it had been necessary, she would have rather knocked Tyrus out and paralyzed him like she had Catherine. "Owing a Guardian a favor is not something you want to be doing. Even the Ratatoskr avoid it."
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Post by demikara on Aug 8, 2020 14:09:04 GMT -6
"If you're sure." He said simply. Agreeing to no favors owed was better than any other option, he supposed. And if it was her job, then it was her job, if different than an MCU one."And I don't want to owe anyone any favors. It's much better the other way around." There were a few people who owed him favors, but mostly for things related to the court. He tended to prefer dealing in money instead of nebulous favors. The mage finished off his lunch and relaxed against the tree again. He grabbed one of the flasks of cider before he did so though and opened it, sipping at the drink happily.
"And I know it may be the only solution. But I can at least look for others. Being turned tied me into the veil much more than I used to be." Before, solstices were a power day, but not to this point. He could probably still cast of course, but nothing that required fine control or a steady flow of magic. It was probably better to store it in the ground though, for now at least. He'd have to figure out how to pull some of it out of the ground for safety's sake. Too many years of this, assuming he didn't manage to get everything under control, could result in magical pools that caused all manner of mischief.
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Post by Circe on Aug 8, 2020 14:31:44 GMT -6
"I'm certain." She confirmed. Payment and favors could lead to corruption, and there were already so few of them that could say that their methods were at least pure. For the greater good of others was what Xiaolian had been taught, and unfortunately it often led to difficult choices and even more difficult situations. In many ways she was glad to be spared the constant need to travel the tree and prune corruption away. But she also knew that the inability to travel like the others made her essentially worthless in their opinion.
Xiaolian fell silent, lost in these thoughts as she finished her meal. She didn't know why she could only travel along a singular plane now, or how her magic had become so limited in comparison to the others. It was humilitating for a daughter of the Hou family, one of the oldest lineages of Guardians, to be considered so weak.
"Right then.." She said as she set down her empty dishes. "Zhen, please go check the other sigils for burn through. It's almost noon."
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Post by demikara on Aug 8, 2020 15:59:58 GMT -6
Tyrus shuddered and leaned against the tree. He finished off the cider and hissed. "My body was not designed to run through this much magic. I feel like I've run a marathon." The meal helped. As per usual, it refreshed him enough that he felt more alive, at least, and in control. For now he could handle it again, which was good. It was almost noon.
He was beginning to dread noon. He suspected if things were going to go pear shaped regardless of the sigils, it would be then. He pressed himself against the tree, grounding himself and his magic as best he could to help with the drain on the sigil. He closed his eyes, funneling to magic down and out, whatever the sigil didn't take care of at least. The blessed thing was efficient as hell. He could admire that.
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Post by Circe on Aug 8, 2020 16:19:44 GMT -6
"Most human bodies aren't." Xiaolian remarked bluntly checking her watch for a moment. They would have to be quick checking the sigils on Catherine. Those were the ones she was more concerned about burn through on, especially given the lack of control and levels of fear the other had been exhibiting earlier in the day. "On it!" Zhen answered cheerfully disappearing again, glad to be dismissed to another task away from his talkative charge. It wasn't usual for the origin point of a storm to be so friendly, or even lucid. This was all highly unusual for both of them, but Zhen especially who had limited experience compared to Xiaolian.
"Jiejie..." He began returning a few moments later. "The main sigil is holding, and I reenforced the others twice over. She's still pretty out of it, but... she doesn't seem to be fighting it like the mage is." He reported on return, immediately forgetting about Tyrus sitting right in front of them.
"That's some comfort at least. Likely she isn't lucid enough... and thank Heaven for such small favors." Xiaolian surmised thinking about Zhen's revelation. Was Tyrus fighting it instead of letting the current carry him? She didn't know, and couldn't even begin to guess. This situation could easily grow from bad to worse, and she hadn't time to even try to peer ahead in the storm to see what might be coming. At this point a clouded view would have been better than nothing. "I could try and look ahead.. but I fear it's too late for that. It's noon now." She added shaking her head.
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