At Last, At Last...
Sep. 27th, 2009 08:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
realsorienHere's the next installment of the Horror Campaign! The most recent episode, the bonus run, should be up later this week! I may have it done tonight or tomorrow. Woot!
When we last left off a mind-controlled housewife set off a suicide-pack she was wearing and blew the front off of the dormhouse wherein Our Heroes dwell. The woman of course was killed in the blast, as was one of the mercenary troops who had the misfortune of answering the door. Jackie was unhurt, being up in her room when the blast occurred, but her three roommates were all injured, Greg being the worst. Professor Dane was also badly injured, and it seems that the woman catching sight of him was what caused her to detonate her bomb.
In the aftermath of the blast there is an arrival to the scene- Thomas Black Cloud, an Amerind shaman and former associate of Professor Dane. He’s come at the request of the Professor to restore the wards in the dormhouse, which were broken some time back by a masquerading demon who tricked its way inside.
With the Professor on the way to the hospital, everyone else (excepting Mr. Black Cloud) makes their way to the Dane Estate, which is the safest place for all concerned given its not-insignificant mystic defenses.
As we open, it is VERY early in the morning as the disheveled and motley crew arrive at the Dane mansion. Bill and Greg happen to notice that the stone lions flanking the doors of the mansion are in a VERY agitated, aggressive posture. As he enters, Greg pats one of the pair and says, “Keep watch, boy.” Roy sees this, buy says nothing; he does file it away for the future though. There is a short discussion with Ms. White, then people pile inside. Its almost 5 AM by this time, and Jackie realizes that she has an appointment to keep. She’s determined to keep her promise to Joe Oracle, and wants to head out. She gets a lift with one of the commandos in their van and reaches KNOW Radio in short order.
Once there, Jackie is helped out of the van by her escort; he then proceeds to pound on the door with the butt of his assault rifle! Too late, Jackie remembers that she has a cardkey to get inside. Joe is coming downstairs as she comes in. “Not exactly the way I expected to be woken up...” He says. Joe talks with her for a time, making the point that given the events of the day, she’ll be in no condition to actually gain anything from training. With that, he says, “I can make my OWN coffee.” Jackie goes outside to tell the commando that he can head back to the mansion, but he’s committed to stay the duration. However, he doesn’t turn down the offer of coffee when its made. Jackie curls up on the breakroom couch and is instantly out cold.
Back at the mansion, people are sorted out and settled into the rooms arranged for them. Greg, already unconscious is made comfortable, while Roy and Bill are escorted to huge bedrooms with huge canopy-beds. Bill considers cleaning up before sleep, but pretty much as he sits down on the bed he’s deep asleep.
What’s left of the night passes without anything taking place of note. Morning goes by as well, exhaustion keeping our principle characters down for the count. Finally people start to wake, Roy being the first. He’s still sore and aching from the explosion, but he feels very well rested. He looks about the huge, luxurious room he’s within and mutters, “I could spend the rest of my life in this place, especially if Ariel were here.”
Right then, Ms. White knocks and enters. She’s carrying a tray of food and a pair of bottles of Mountain Dew. “How are you feeling?” She asks. “Like I was hit by an exploding house,” he replies. “Ironically, that IS what hit you.” She tells him that the Professor has been released from the hospital and is on his way to the mansion, and that he should take his time and rest. With things as they are, there’s no need to rush.
The next to waken is Jackie, back at KNOW. Its hours after Roy woke, though she doesn’t know this. Sometime while she was sleeping she was covered with a fluffy quilt. She smells food- REAL food, not the twinkies-and-cofee diet that seems to be Joe’s staple food. Chinese, it seems. She looks for the clock, and discovers that its 4 PM, and that convinces her that she REALLY needs to get up. The food IS Chinese take-out, sitting in its little white cartons on the breakroom table. She cleans up in the bathroom, then is told by the Intern that some of it is for her. With that, she digs in.
Joe, of course, is busy in the studio. She can see in through the glass partition as he works- he’s standing, not sitting, and is in almost constant motion. He adjusts things without looking, and when a call comes in he listens; moments after he reaches without looking, hits a control and says, “Here’s your song!” She watches for hours, hoping to learn something... And ends up falling back asleep.
Greg is the next to come to. There is a knock at his door, then Ms. White enters. She has something steaming in a bowl for him to eat, and a glass of juice. She updates him on what has taken place since the explosion; he’s relieved that his friends and Ariel are apparently intact, but bothered by the death of his father’s companion. She also tells him that Professor Dane and his father are in the study, talking. With the explanation out of the way, she has him lie back while she redoes his bandages. After she finishes, she leaves him to eat in peace.
When he’s done eating, Greg grabs a robe and heads out of his room to the mansion’s common areas. He’s met halfway by Ariel; they talk, Ariel giving a few minor details left out by Ms. White. She’s been unable to sleep in the mansion; the energies within it keep her awake. It doesn’t seem harmful to her, however.
Finally, Bill drags himself back to consciousness. He can smell the faded scents of smoke and blood; not the best thing to wake to. As she did with the others, Ms. White arrives with food and drink, in Bill’s case a cheeseburger, fries and a coke. She lets him know that everyone is alright, and that the Professor, Black Cloud and Mr. Poulte are talking. Bill wants to talk to the professor, but Ms. White lets him know that it might not be the best time at the moment.
Returning to Greg, he’s realizing that he’s still pretty weak. With Ariel’s support, he goes back to bed for further recuperation. She tucks him in, then remains with him until he’s once again asleep. Then she sprints to Roy’s room! She knocks, and goes in- Roy finds his dreams being fulfilled and the pair have a VERY good time.
Jackie is woken by Joe back at KNOW. She’s embarrassed that she fell asleep, but he seems to not be bothered by the fact. He tells her that she should take another day off, given the recent stresses. While they talk, she notices that the Intern is in the both, running the radio show. Weirdly, he sounds exactly like Joe, and is performing the Joe Oracle show with equal facility to the original! Joe lets her know that the Intern IS a psychic, with abilities similar to his own. He’s in training too, and obviously much further along than Jackie.
Bill is out and about in a fluffy robe. As Professor Dane is still talking, he goes down to the living room, cops a computer and gets going on his homework. Time passes, he’s not sure how much; he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder. He starts, and it’s Thomas Black Cloud! “I believe that you wanted to talk to us?” Bill blinks. “Uh, I actually wanted to talk to the Professor, but sure- Lemme finish this up and I’ll be right there.” Black Cloud nods and returns to the study, Bill following in his wake.
At about this same time Greg wakes once again. Ms. White comes in and informs him that the Professor, his father and Black Cloud are in the study, and that he should join them with Bill. “I don’t think that Roy will be joining you,” she tells him. “I hope he’s alright,” Greg says. “Oh, I’m quite sure he’s having a good time.” Greg, still waking up, completely misses the hint.
He runs into Bill in the hall. They talk a bit, and just as they’re about to head into the study Jackie arrives. Her commando escort checks in, then finds a place to collapse. The three enter the study and get settled.
Mr. Poulte introduces Black Cloud, and the situation at the dormhouse is discussed. Black Cloud is going to set the wards into the foundations, so that the chances of their being brought down again will be remote- they’ll also be stronger than before. Bill notices that Mr. Poulte puts certain emphasis on Black Cloud’s name when he refers to him, and also notices the mischievious grin Black Cloud gets when this happens. Bill gets the solid impression that Black Cloud enjoys discomfiting the man. All three students notice the aura of power possessed by the shaman.
Jackie in particular is focused on Black Cloud. While she watches him, he notices and starts watching HER. She can feel the power and spirits that accompany the man; unlike St. Charles, whose power came from all around him, Black Cloud’s comes from within. The spirits around him serve him willingly, without coercion.
The discussion progresses, becoming almost a monologue from Mr. Poulte. He tells them that the three of them, with Michael and Anne, were brought to Arkham for a purpose, that they were assembled to help deal with the mystic threats of the world. Bill mutters, “Thought so...” Which earns a raised-eyebrow momentary glare from the elder Poulte. They can leave any time that they wish if they so desire. He also explains that he, the Professor and the commandos will be leaving soon, more than likely before the coming Monday.
Questions are asked, most being fielded by Mr. Poulte, who answers for Professor Dane due to the latter’s inability to answer vocally. Bill asks the professor for access to the restricted sections of the Professor’s library. This is summarily denied, even with supervision. When he’s asked why he thinks he needs this access, he says, “I don’t know enough. And I know that the school library, even the restricted section there, doesn’t hold the answers that we need. I know there’s danger in the knowledge in the books, but we NEED to know what we’re facing, and right now we really don’t.”
“You think you can handle this?” He’s asked. “I do what I can to protect my friends,” he replies. This draws Black Cloud’s attention. “Do you know what you’re doing with such a choice?” Bill meets his eyes. “I might know better than you think.” Black Cloud almost smirks. “DO you? MY experience is hands-on. Not from books. The knowledge changes.” Bill nods. “I know, but I need to learn. I have to start somewhere.” Black Cloud pauses. “What spirits have you spoken with?” “Well, most of the spirits we’ve encountered have either trying to tear my hear out, rip off my face or kill those around me.” Black Cloud snorts. “Well, you’ve had a poor choice of sources.” Bill shrugs. “I’m not a mystic.” “You don’t need to be. Do your friends accept your guardianship?”
Bill pauses, shifting gears with the change in Black Cloud’s conversational direction. “... No.” He bites his tongue on other, unsaid thoughts. “Then perhaps you have made a poor choice.” Bill replies, “I don’t have that many friends.” “And why is that?” Bitterness is in Bill’s answer. “Gee. I wonder. I’m a comic-book geek who believes in vampires and everyone thinks I’m crazy.” Black Cloud takes little notice of the bitterness. “I do not know what you mean by ‘comic book geek’ but perhaps there is a path for you to follow.” Bill nods, the conversation having dug into buried feelings. “Then I will.”
Black Cloud is right, but he’s not a diplomat.
The meeting breaks soon after this. Bill and Greg are admonished to go to bed, Jackie having stepped out earlier while Black Cloud was focused on Bill. Bill goes to finish his homework first. He finds that the computer he’d been using earlier is occupied by Jackie. “How long will you be?” She looks up. “I’m finished here. Its all yours. She closes out what she was doing and turns it over. It doesn’t take Bill long to finish up, and he heads to bed. He expects that he’ll be staring at the ceiling for hours given how long he slept earlier, but he’s out like a light nearly as his head hits the pillow.
During the night, Roy and Jackie wake and notice sounds of scuffling outside. When they look, they see something... Big dogs possibly? Fighting with people who have crawled over the fence. As they watch, one of the creatures lobs one of the invaders over the fence! Roy goes into the hallway and encounters Ms. White, who feeds him a cheeseburger and sends him back to bed. Jackie peeks out at the tail end of this, and is told by Ms. White that the mansion is VERY safe, and that if the lions can’t handle something, the gargoyles will deal with it. Nobody knew about the gargoyles...
The next day dawns with Jackie waking first. Her companions are all still out cold. Breakfast is being served in the main hall, and Ms. White lets her know that what Jackie discussed with her (off-camera) the previous night has been arranged, but that she should probably wait until after the morning meal. Jackie heads downstairs, and Ms. White proceeds to Greg’s room. She wakes him, and thereafter he showers and removes the older bandages.
Ms. White wakes Bill next, and he too cleans up. When she gets to Roy’s room however, she finds him starfished across the bed with one leg up on the headboard, still deeply asleep. She blinks at the sight and lets him be. She returns to Greg’s room moments after he exits the shower, assisting him with re-bandaging his wounds. He goes down for food, followed shortly by Bill.
The meal goes by silently aside from the sounds of starving college students presented with a banquet. “Where’s Roy?” Greg asks. There’s no vocal comment, but from Ariel’s reaction and the primness of Ms. White’s posture he rapidly figures out just what went on the night before.
After breakfast, they’re told that they are likely safe to go outside the grounds without escort; however, they should NOT be out alone after dark for plentiful and obvious reasons. Bill asks Mr. Poulte about working at the shop- he’s told that for now the shop’s closed. He also asks about working on his van, and he’s given permission to work on it in the mansion’s garage. The plan develops- Bill, Jackie and Greg are going to head back to the dormhouse to collect personal effects. Ariel is sent to fetch Roy for the same reason, but it takes her some time to come back with him- One thing kind-of led to the other...
Eventually they assemble and are ferried over by Wrench in the van. The damage to the dormhouse is pretty bad- the front of the first floor is pretty much gone. To Bill’s dismay the Porsche is also damaged- the passenger-side window is gone, the door is also torn up and the front wheel and tire are shredded. He sighs, then checks the car for bombs or other booby traps. He finds none, and is pleased that there’s a full-size spare with matching rim in the trunk. Knowing he can at least get that fixed improves his mood some. He sets to swapping the wheel.
While this goes on the others fetch their effects. Jackie explains to Greg that Roy is fairly-well confirmed to be with the MIB. Greg is a bit skeptical at first, having missed some of the Roy-related weirdness, but he’s convinced when Roy randomly rattles off obscure details about his telescoping tiger-fork and other unusual gear. When he gets the opportunity, Greg also gets Roy alone and out of everyone else’s earshot. Once there, he flatly states that if Roy hurts Ariel, he’ll kill him. Roy blinks and digests this.
Later on when all the things have been collected and loaded into the van, Wrench and Greg get into some friendly trash-talking. This leads to what is supposed to be a friendly little brawling match between the two friends, but once again things get out of hand.
As they get into the fight, Greg once again is possessed. He doesn’t and really CAN’T tell that it’s happened, but to the others its readily apparent- his skill seems to increase, and his actions turn from friendly-fighting to deadly-crippling! He catches Wrench’s leg, smashing down on it HARD! Wrench screams in agony as his knee bends in the wrong direction. Bill leaps in without hesitation- He slams into Greg, driving him back before Greg can further injure the downed man. However, this has the effect of focussing Greg’s attention on HIM.
As this occurs, Black Cloud emerges from the dormhouse. Bill doesn’t see him, being occupied at the moment; he yells, “Jackie, NUKE him!” As he knows what’s happened. She tries, but her psi blast is deflected by a powerful shield. Fortunately or not, Roy decides to act. He grabs and activates Greg’s tiger fork. Greg rapidly snatches the weapon away from Roy, looking furious that HIS weapon was taken from him. The exchange gives Bill another opening, slamming his elbow into Greg’s face. Though it was a solid strike, Greg hardly blinks and once again faces Bill, this time with the tiger fork.
Before the deadly strike can land, a wind rises. With that wind, the ground SHAKES. Black Cloud shouts, “STOP.” Roots rip free of the earth and wrap around Greg, pinning him and ending the fight. As Greg is bound, Jackie finally releases the power she’s built up. “Get OUT of his mind!” She yells, as she blasts the foreign presence loose of her friend.
Wrench is unconscious on the ground, Greg is free of control and slumped in the grasp of the roots, and Bill is keyed and still fight-ready. As Black Cloud approaches, Bill checks on Wrench. “Shit. His leg... His knee. Mr. Black Cloud, I hope you’ve some healing ability cos this is way beyond me...” Black cloud immobilizes Wrench’s leg with splints then says, “You. (Points at Bill), You, and you. (Points at Roy and Ariel) Take him to the hospital.” Black Cloud loads Wrench, now once again awake and cussing, into the van. Bill and the others roar off with their passenger to the hospital, leaving Black Cloud with Greg and Jackie.
Black Cloud releases Greg, knowing that the young man is no longer under influence. “You must know that it was not your fault. Your enemy uses a weakness within you to harm your friends. You can learn to close this weakness, and you must do so.” Greg is shaken and depressed that once again he’s been used to hurt his friends, but Black Cloud does get through to him. “Your friend (Black Cloud indicates Jackie), she is much like you; where you have focussed on the body and neglected the mind, she has focussed on the mind and neglected the body. You will need to learn from each other and help each other.” Greg nods, but isn’t speaking much.
Greg gathers what’s left to bring back, including Wrench’s possessions, and takes them back to the mansion in his minivan. Jackie, however, remains behind with Black Cloud. With Greg’s exit, the pair talk, and walk generally in the direction of the mansion. “So. Tell me why I am here.” He looks pointedly at Jackie as he says this. She gulps, and sheepishly explains what happened with St. Charles and his spirits. “Ah. I would have given anything, I think, to have seen that. A bigger ass I’ve never met.” He them tells her much the same as he told Greg; the pair need to work together, and need each other. He also tells her that he is fortunate to have his link with her.
Their wandering walk has brought them to the front of a tobacconist. Jackie realizes that this is what she needs to give Black Cloud as an offering for what training he might provide in the next week. They go in, and she takes the time to explore the shop and its wares- she ends up purchasing $800 in high-end cigars and pipe tobacco.
With the purchase in hand, they once again set to walking back to the mansion. She tells Black Cloud of the events with the psychic assassin Gene Simmons, and of his training. It seems to please him that she finally rejected his ‘fast’ path to power. Soon after, they have reached their goal.
Once At the hospital, Bill first routines Wrench on the cock-and-bull tale he’s going to pass on to the doctors, namely that Wrench fell off a ladder and caught his leg in the rungs as he fell. Wrench is quickly checked in, the story being bought at face value. Bill gives the necessary contact information, and when he’s told it’ll be some time before any answers will be forthcoming on Wrench’s condition, the trio leave.
However, while Bill and Ariel return to the mansion, Roy separates from them. He’s got an appointment to keep. He makes his way back to the MIB warehouse, and heads down, looking for Z. It doesn’t take too long for him to find his boss.
“Ready to go back to work?” Z asks. “Yes!” Roy replies. After all, he’s likely safe as long as he’s inside the base! “Remember your desk?” Roy looks around. “... THat one.” “Well... We had to rearrange things since you were last around.” Z gives Roy directions to where his desk is that are only slightly easier to follow than calculating the Schwartzchild Radius of a black hole. Roy manages to locate the proper department, then employs the wisdom of the ages and once again asks for directions. After more directions (like inverse latin translated into Klingon), he finds himself still lost. Finally, he notices a map in one of the office cubes! When he at last reaches his cube, he thinks he may be somewhere under Boston.
He sits down and starts to work. Or... He would, if he had any idea what he was supposed to do! He asks someone, and they simply reply, “You know, work!” He checks his system for projects, and for the moment the queue is empty. Then, on a lark, he checks his email- there are 67 MILLION messages! O well. He starts digging through the pile, clicking-and-deleting the pile one by one...
And there we leave off. Our NEXT run is a special, and will be followed by the actual last Horror run before Traveller returns!
When we last left off a mind-controlled housewife set off a suicide-pack she was wearing and blew the front off of the dormhouse wherein Our Heroes dwell. The woman of course was killed in the blast, as was one of the mercenary troops who had the misfortune of answering the door. Jackie was unhurt, being up in her room when the blast occurred, but her three roommates were all injured, Greg being the worst. Professor Dane was also badly injured, and it seems that the woman catching sight of him was what caused her to detonate her bomb.
In the aftermath of the blast there is an arrival to the scene- Thomas Black Cloud, an Amerind shaman and former associate of Professor Dane. He’s come at the request of the Professor to restore the wards in the dormhouse, which were broken some time back by a masquerading demon who tricked its way inside.
With the Professor on the way to the hospital, everyone else (excepting Mr. Black Cloud) makes their way to the Dane Estate, which is the safest place for all concerned given its not-insignificant mystic defenses.
As we open, it is VERY early in the morning as the disheveled and motley crew arrive at the Dane mansion. Bill and Greg happen to notice that the stone lions flanking the doors of the mansion are in a VERY agitated, aggressive posture. As he enters, Greg pats one of the pair and says, “Keep watch, boy.” Roy sees this, buy says nothing; he does file it away for the future though. There is a short discussion with Ms. White, then people pile inside. Its almost 5 AM by this time, and Jackie realizes that she has an appointment to keep. She’s determined to keep her promise to Joe Oracle, and wants to head out. She gets a lift with one of the commandos in their van and reaches KNOW Radio in short order.
Once there, Jackie is helped out of the van by her escort; he then proceeds to pound on the door with the butt of his assault rifle! Too late, Jackie remembers that she has a cardkey to get inside. Joe is coming downstairs as she comes in. “Not exactly the way I expected to be woken up...” He says. Joe talks with her for a time, making the point that given the events of the day, she’ll be in no condition to actually gain anything from training. With that, he says, “I can make my OWN coffee.” Jackie goes outside to tell the commando that he can head back to the mansion, but he’s committed to stay the duration. However, he doesn’t turn down the offer of coffee when its made. Jackie curls up on the breakroom couch and is instantly out cold.
Back at the mansion, people are sorted out and settled into the rooms arranged for them. Greg, already unconscious is made comfortable, while Roy and Bill are escorted to huge bedrooms with huge canopy-beds. Bill considers cleaning up before sleep, but pretty much as he sits down on the bed he’s deep asleep.
What’s left of the night passes without anything taking place of note. Morning goes by as well, exhaustion keeping our principle characters down for the count. Finally people start to wake, Roy being the first. He’s still sore and aching from the explosion, but he feels very well rested. He looks about the huge, luxurious room he’s within and mutters, “I could spend the rest of my life in this place, especially if Ariel were here.”
Right then, Ms. White knocks and enters. She’s carrying a tray of food and a pair of bottles of Mountain Dew. “How are you feeling?” She asks. “Like I was hit by an exploding house,” he replies. “Ironically, that IS what hit you.” She tells him that the Professor has been released from the hospital and is on his way to the mansion, and that he should take his time and rest. With things as they are, there’s no need to rush.
The next to waken is Jackie, back at KNOW. Its hours after Roy woke, though she doesn’t know this. Sometime while she was sleeping she was covered with a fluffy quilt. She smells food- REAL food, not the twinkies-and-cofee diet that seems to be Joe’s staple food. Chinese, it seems. She looks for the clock, and discovers that its 4 PM, and that convinces her that she REALLY needs to get up. The food IS Chinese take-out, sitting in its little white cartons on the breakroom table. She cleans up in the bathroom, then is told by the Intern that some of it is for her. With that, she digs in.
Joe, of course, is busy in the studio. She can see in through the glass partition as he works- he’s standing, not sitting, and is in almost constant motion. He adjusts things without looking, and when a call comes in he listens; moments after he reaches without looking, hits a control and says, “Here’s your song!” She watches for hours, hoping to learn something... And ends up falling back asleep.
Greg is the next to come to. There is a knock at his door, then Ms. White enters. She has something steaming in a bowl for him to eat, and a glass of juice. She updates him on what has taken place since the explosion; he’s relieved that his friends and Ariel are apparently intact, but bothered by the death of his father’s companion. She also tells him that Professor Dane and his father are in the study, talking. With the explanation out of the way, she has him lie back while she redoes his bandages. After she finishes, she leaves him to eat in peace.
When he’s done eating, Greg grabs a robe and heads out of his room to the mansion’s common areas. He’s met halfway by Ariel; they talk, Ariel giving a few minor details left out by Ms. White. She’s been unable to sleep in the mansion; the energies within it keep her awake. It doesn’t seem harmful to her, however.
Finally, Bill drags himself back to consciousness. He can smell the faded scents of smoke and blood; not the best thing to wake to. As she did with the others, Ms. White arrives with food and drink, in Bill’s case a cheeseburger, fries and a coke. She lets him know that everyone is alright, and that the Professor, Black Cloud and Mr. Poulte are talking. Bill wants to talk to the professor, but Ms. White lets him know that it might not be the best time at the moment.
Returning to Greg, he’s realizing that he’s still pretty weak. With Ariel’s support, he goes back to bed for further recuperation. She tucks him in, then remains with him until he’s once again asleep. Then she sprints to Roy’s room! She knocks, and goes in- Roy finds his dreams being fulfilled and the pair have a VERY good time.
Jackie is woken by Joe back at KNOW. She’s embarrassed that she fell asleep, but he seems to not be bothered by the fact. He tells her that she should take another day off, given the recent stresses. While they talk, she notices that the Intern is in the both, running the radio show. Weirdly, he sounds exactly like Joe, and is performing the Joe Oracle show with equal facility to the original! Joe lets her know that the Intern IS a psychic, with abilities similar to his own. He’s in training too, and obviously much further along than Jackie.
Bill is out and about in a fluffy robe. As Professor Dane is still talking, he goes down to the living room, cops a computer and gets going on his homework. Time passes, he’s not sure how much; he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder. He starts, and it’s Thomas Black Cloud! “I believe that you wanted to talk to us?” Bill blinks. “Uh, I actually wanted to talk to the Professor, but sure- Lemme finish this up and I’ll be right there.” Black Cloud nods and returns to the study, Bill following in his wake.
At about this same time Greg wakes once again. Ms. White comes in and informs him that the Professor, his father and Black Cloud are in the study, and that he should join them with Bill. “I don’t think that Roy will be joining you,” she tells him. “I hope he’s alright,” Greg says. “Oh, I’m quite sure he’s having a good time.” Greg, still waking up, completely misses the hint.
He runs into Bill in the hall. They talk a bit, and just as they’re about to head into the study Jackie arrives. Her commando escort checks in, then finds a place to collapse. The three enter the study and get settled.
Mr. Poulte introduces Black Cloud, and the situation at the dormhouse is discussed. Black Cloud is going to set the wards into the foundations, so that the chances of their being brought down again will be remote- they’ll also be stronger than before. Bill notices that Mr. Poulte puts certain emphasis on Black Cloud’s name when he refers to him, and also notices the mischievious grin Black Cloud gets when this happens. Bill gets the solid impression that Black Cloud enjoys discomfiting the man. All three students notice the aura of power possessed by the shaman.
Jackie in particular is focused on Black Cloud. While she watches him, he notices and starts watching HER. She can feel the power and spirits that accompany the man; unlike St. Charles, whose power came from all around him, Black Cloud’s comes from within. The spirits around him serve him willingly, without coercion.
The discussion progresses, becoming almost a monologue from Mr. Poulte. He tells them that the three of them, with Michael and Anne, were brought to Arkham for a purpose, that they were assembled to help deal with the mystic threats of the world. Bill mutters, “Thought so...” Which earns a raised-eyebrow momentary glare from the elder Poulte. They can leave any time that they wish if they so desire. He also explains that he, the Professor and the commandos will be leaving soon, more than likely before the coming Monday.
Questions are asked, most being fielded by Mr. Poulte, who answers for Professor Dane due to the latter’s inability to answer vocally. Bill asks the professor for access to the restricted sections of the Professor’s library. This is summarily denied, even with supervision. When he’s asked why he thinks he needs this access, he says, “I don’t know enough. And I know that the school library, even the restricted section there, doesn’t hold the answers that we need. I know there’s danger in the knowledge in the books, but we NEED to know what we’re facing, and right now we really don’t.”
“You think you can handle this?” He’s asked. “I do what I can to protect my friends,” he replies. This draws Black Cloud’s attention. “Do you know what you’re doing with such a choice?” Bill meets his eyes. “I might know better than you think.” Black Cloud almost smirks. “DO you? MY experience is hands-on. Not from books. The knowledge changes.” Bill nods. “I know, but I need to learn. I have to start somewhere.” Black Cloud pauses. “What spirits have you spoken with?” “Well, most of the spirits we’ve encountered have either trying to tear my hear out, rip off my face or kill those around me.” Black Cloud snorts. “Well, you’ve had a poor choice of sources.” Bill shrugs. “I’m not a mystic.” “You don’t need to be. Do your friends accept your guardianship?”
Bill pauses, shifting gears with the change in Black Cloud’s conversational direction. “... No.” He bites his tongue on other, unsaid thoughts. “Then perhaps you have made a poor choice.” Bill replies, “I don’t have that many friends.” “And why is that?” Bitterness is in Bill’s answer. “Gee. I wonder. I’m a comic-book geek who believes in vampires and everyone thinks I’m crazy.” Black Cloud takes little notice of the bitterness. “I do not know what you mean by ‘comic book geek’ but perhaps there is a path for you to follow.” Bill nods, the conversation having dug into buried feelings. “Then I will.”
Black Cloud is right, but he’s not a diplomat.
The meeting breaks soon after this. Bill and Greg are admonished to go to bed, Jackie having stepped out earlier while Black Cloud was focused on Bill. Bill goes to finish his homework first. He finds that the computer he’d been using earlier is occupied by Jackie. “How long will you be?” She looks up. “I’m finished here. Its all yours. She closes out what she was doing and turns it over. It doesn’t take Bill long to finish up, and he heads to bed. He expects that he’ll be staring at the ceiling for hours given how long he slept earlier, but he’s out like a light nearly as his head hits the pillow.
During the night, Roy and Jackie wake and notice sounds of scuffling outside. When they look, they see something... Big dogs possibly? Fighting with people who have crawled over the fence. As they watch, one of the creatures lobs one of the invaders over the fence! Roy goes into the hallway and encounters Ms. White, who feeds him a cheeseburger and sends him back to bed. Jackie peeks out at the tail end of this, and is told by Ms. White that the mansion is VERY safe, and that if the lions can’t handle something, the gargoyles will deal with it. Nobody knew about the gargoyles...
The next day dawns with Jackie waking first. Her companions are all still out cold. Breakfast is being served in the main hall, and Ms. White lets her know that what Jackie discussed with her (off-camera) the previous night has been arranged, but that she should probably wait until after the morning meal. Jackie heads downstairs, and Ms. White proceeds to Greg’s room. She wakes him, and thereafter he showers and removes the older bandages.
Ms. White wakes Bill next, and he too cleans up. When she gets to Roy’s room however, she finds him starfished across the bed with one leg up on the headboard, still deeply asleep. She blinks at the sight and lets him be. She returns to Greg’s room moments after he exits the shower, assisting him with re-bandaging his wounds. He goes down for food, followed shortly by Bill.
The meal goes by silently aside from the sounds of starving college students presented with a banquet. “Where’s Roy?” Greg asks. There’s no vocal comment, but from Ariel’s reaction and the primness of Ms. White’s posture he rapidly figures out just what went on the night before.
After breakfast, they’re told that they are likely safe to go outside the grounds without escort; however, they should NOT be out alone after dark for plentiful and obvious reasons. Bill asks Mr. Poulte about working at the shop- he’s told that for now the shop’s closed. He also asks about working on his van, and he’s given permission to work on it in the mansion’s garage. The plan develops- Bill, Jackie and Greg are going to head back to the dormhouse to collect personal effects. Ariel is sent to fetch Roy for the same reason, but it takes her some time to come back with him- One thing kind-of led to the other...
Eventually they assemble and are ferried over by Wrench in the van. The damage to the dormhouse is pretty bad- the front of the first floor is pretty much gone. To Bill’s dismay the Porsche is also damaged- the passenger-side window is gone, the door is also torn up and the front wheel and tire are shredded. He sighs, then checks the car for bombs or other booby traps. He finds none, and is pleased that there’s a full-size spare with matching rim in the trunk. Knowing he can at least get that fixed improves his mood some. He sets to swapping the wheel.
While this goes on the others fetch their effects. Jackie explains to Greg that Roy is fairly-well confirmed to be with the MIB. Greg is a bit skeptical at first, having missed some of the Roy-related weirdness, but he’s convinced when Roy randomly rattles off obscure details about his telescoping tiger-fork and other unusual gear. When he gets the opportunity, Greg also gets Roy alone and out of everyone else’s earshot. Once there, he flatly states that if Roy hurts Ariel, he’ll kill him. Roy blinks and digests this.
Later on when all the things have been collected and loaded into the van, Wrench and Greg get into some friendly trash-talking. This leads to what is supposed to be a friendly little brawling match between the two friends, but once again things get out of hand.
As they get into the fight, Greg once again is possessed. He doesn’t and really CAN’T tell that it’s happened, but to the others its readily apparent- his skill seems to increase, and his actions turn from friendly-fighting to deadly-crippling! He catches Wrench’s leg, smashing down on it HARD! Wrench screams in agony as his knee bends in the wrong direction. Bill leaps in without hesitation- He slams into Greg, driving him back before Greg can further injure the downed man. However, this has the effect of focussing Greg’s attention on HIM.
As this occurs, Black Cloud emerges from the dormhouse. Bill doesn’t see him, being occupied at the moment; he yells, “Jackie, NUKE him!” As he knows what’s happened. She tries, but her psi blast is deflected by a powerful shield. Fortunately or not, Roy decides to act. He grabs and activates Greg’s tiger fork. Greg rapidly snatches the weapon away from Roy, looking furious that HIS weapon was taken from him. The exchange gives Bill another opening, slamming his elbow into Greg’s face. Though it was a solid strike, Greg hardly blinks and once again faces Bill, this time with the tiger fork.
Before the deadly strike can land, a wind rises. With that wind, the ground SHAKES. Black Cloud shouts, “STOP.” Roots rip free of the earth and wrap around Greg, pinning him and ending the fight. As Greg is bound, Jackie finally releases the power she’s built up. “Get OUT of his mind!” She yells, as she blasts the foreign presence loose of her friend.
Wrench is unconscious on the ground, Greg is free of control and slumped in the grasp of the roots, and Bill is keyed and still fight-ready. As Black Cloud approaches, Bill checks on Wrench. “Shit. His leg... His knee. Mr. Black Cloud, I hope you’ve some healing ability cos this is way beyond me...” Black cloud immobilizes Wrench’s leg with splints then says, “You. (Points at Bill), You, and you. (Points at Roy and Ariel) Take him to the hospital.” Black Cloud loads Wrench, now once again awake and cussing, into the van. Bill and the others roar off with their passenger to the hospital, leaving Black Cloud with Greg and Jackie.
Black Cloud releases Greg, knowing that the young man is no longer under influence. “You must know that it was not your fault. Your enemy uses a weakness within you to harm your friends. You can learn to close this weakness, and you must do so.” Greg is shaken and depressed that once again he’s been used to hurt his friends, but Black Cloud does get through to him. “Your friend (Black Cloud indicates Jackie), she is much like you; where you have focussed on the body and neglected the mind, she has focussed on the mind and neglected the body. You will need to learn from each other and help each other.” Greg nods, but isn’t speaking much.
Greg gathers what’s left to bring back, including Wrench’s possessions, and takes them back to the mansion in his minivan. Jackie, however, remains behind with Black Cloud. With Greg’s exit, the pair talk, and walk generally in the direction of the mansion. “So. Tell me why I am here.” He looks pointedly at Jackie as he says this. She gulps, and sheepishly explains what happened with St. Charles and his spirits. “Ah. I would have given anything, I think, to have seen that. A bigger ass I’ve never met.” He them tells her much the same as he told Greg; the pair need to work together, and need each other. He also tells her that he is fortunate to have his link with her.
Their wandering walk has brought them to the front of a tobacconist. Jackie realizes that this is what she needs to give Black Cloud as an offering for what training he might provide in the next week. They go in, and she takes the time to explore the shop and its wares- she ends up purchasing $800 in high-end cigars and pipe tobacco.
With the purchase in hand, they once again set to walking back to the mansion. She tells Black Cloud of the events with the psychic assassin Gene Simmons, and of his training. It seems to please him that she finally rejected his ‘fast’ path to power. Soon after, they have reached their goal.
Once At the hospital, Bill first routines Wrench on the cock-and-bull tale he’s going to pass on to the doctors, namely that Wrench fell off a ladder and caught his leg in the rungs as he fell. Wrench is quickly checked in, the story being bought at face value. Bill gives the necessary contact information, and when he’s told it’ll be some time before any answers will be forthcoming on Wrench’s condition, the trio leave.
However, while Bill and Ariel return to the mansion, Roy separates from them. He’s got an appointment to keep. He makes his way back to the MIB warehouse, and heads down, looking for Z. It doesn’t take too long for him to find his boss.
“Ready to go back to work?” Z asks. “Yes!” Roy replies. After all, he’s likely safe as long as he’s inside the base! “Remember your desk?” Roy looks around. “... THat one.” “Well... We had to rearrange things since you were last around.” Z gives Roy directions to where his desk is that are only slightly easier to follow than calculating the Schwartzchild Radius of a black hole. Roy manages to locate the proper department, then employs the wisdom of the ages and once again asks for directions. After more directions (like inverse latin translated into Klingon), he finds himself still lost. Finally, he notices a map in one of the office cubes! When he at last reaches his cube, he thinks he may be somewhere under Boston.
He sits down and starts to work. Or... He would, if he had any idea what he was supposed to do! He asks someone, and they simply reply, “You know, work!” He checks his system for projects, and for the moment the queue is empty. Then, on a lark, he checks his email- there are 67 MILLION messages! O well. He starts digging through the pile, clicking-and-deleting the pile one by one...
And there we leave off. Our NEXT run is a special, and will be followed by the actual last Horror run before Traveller returns!
