Fantasy Silent Rapture

[Lioness075]

Falarion smiled when the ice woman seemed to relax in the pool along with the others. He had been a bit worried she might take his tackle the wrong way, but he was pleased it had not been misunderstood. She splashed at him and this made Falarion laugh, but he resisted doing it back. They were definitely overdue for some relaxation time.
Hearing Harian's comment, Falarion chuckled and grinned at her before replying, "It's okay, I know you really like me." He winked at her a moment before she left the pool and began drying off. He could see Jophiel waiting patiently for them and let out a wary sigh before he followed Harian's lead. He kept a towel wrapped around his waist, not bothering to put on a shirt, and found some flip flops among the swimsuit area to wear.

With a faint slapping sound for each step he took, Falarion trailed after the group. When they reached the table and a few of the group left to their own rooms, Falarion snatched up a card of his own. He frowned slightly when Gabriel opted to go read a book instead of going straight into his own room, but Falarion was too excited to custom design a room for himself. He decided to stay with the main group instead of following after Gabriel.
Falarion was very curious when he heard about the ability to travel with the cards, but it seemed like they would be getting a couple days off from saving the world. He figured he could wait and explore tomorrow, as he was very keen on sleeping in a bed for once in his life.
Falarion stepped aside and decided to give everyone else the courtesy of not peeking into their rooms while he tried really hard to imagine what his own room would look like. He spent most of his time in New Delhi sleeping on rooftops or in bedrooms that kind people would let him stay in overnight. He never really had a place of his own.
Sighing, Falarion closed his eyes and focused on imagining what one of those very fancy hotel rooms would be like that he had seen around his city. The hotels were often very lavish from the outside and even more spacious and gorgeous once inside the lobby. He wanted to know what it felt like to sleep in one of those rooms of such luxury.
A moment later, he had the image in his head and smiling, he opened his door. He sighed as a faint heat touched his skin and then he stepped into a spacious hotel room, with a king size bed with a fluffy blanket and numerous pillows piled at the headrest. The floor was a soft and squishy carpet and Falarion grinned as he kicked off his flip flops and then sighed in delight at the feel of the carpet against his calloused feet. The door slowly swung shut behind him, as Falarion continued into the room, slowly exploring it and taking delight in the luxuries he never had before.

Later that evening, Falarion begrudgingly left his room, though he now had the fluffy blanket from his bed wrapped around his shoulders. He took a lazyboy of his own in the living room area, curling up in his blanket and peeking out from a small opening amidst the comfort. A faint chuckle could be heard from the blanket when Jophiel struggled with the technology and Harian had to help him.
Falarion grew a bit more serious when he saw everything falling apart around the world. He had not really noticed the problems, as it seemed there was always some disaster or another befalling New Delhi. He had never thought of it as being worse than the usual. Hearing Harian's jab at their dimension, Falarion poked his head out briefly to stick his tongue out at her. Then he promptly returned to his fluffy domain.
Not much else was to be said after Jophiel concluded his presentation and Falarion had not been able to think of any questions himself. Instead, he had returned to his room and promptly fallen asleep, the days troubles finally wearing him down.

~~~~~~~~~~

As a few days passed before they had another objective, Falarion took the time to use his handy portal key card and explored the variety of locations they could go to. He had been fascinated by the different appearances of people across the world and had eagerly tried to meet as many people as possible. He had even acquired a Polaroid camera along the way and now he had a small collection of photographs hanging in his room against one of the hallway walls. He spent his last two days in New Delhi, revisiting some old friends and running in the streets while he dodged water balloons from the street kids.

Falarion's fun and travels were short-lived, though, and he soon found himself back in the living room with the group. He had finally bought himself a fresh wardrobe and was now wearing a red, white, and black plaid button-down with a white t-shirt underneath. He had a navy travel jacket kept open on top of those layers along with light grey pants and khaki tennis shoes.
At the mention of eradication, Falarion grinned and tapped on the container his staff was hidden in. "Sounds like it'll be fun and exciting then," he said just as Harian complained. She did have a point, as angels generally did not just decide to off someone. They had the same restriction that Falarion had to deal with; he could not harm a human and he now realized that there was a chance that he would be fairly useless in this upcoming mission.
Gabriel went on to mention the human being the anti-Christ and now Falarion's mouth dropped open. For once, he was speechless. This was all but impossible and despite being the lowly team they were, the angels were expecting them to be able to handle something of this magnitude. Falarion had a feeling he was going to be desperate for a dip in the pool sooner than later with this mission.
The mention of missing scouts did not reassure Falarion about their capabilities in this mission and he merely sighed as his reaction. It was going to be a long day.
SilverFlight @ everyone else in the room

 

[Naberius]

Gabriel had spent the majority of his downtime getting to know the layout of their new home and getting in as much physical training as possible. Everyone had to stay sharp and keep their wits about them. If they were going to wage an entire campaign against every dark thing in the world, they would all need to push themselves well past their current level.

On the day when word finally arrived about their next objective, Gabriel had been hard at work pushing his body to the breaking point. Intense training and an exercise routine designed to hone his skills and abilities even further beyond human limits took up his entire morning. When the call came for everyone to gather, he was already shaking from exertion and drenched in sweat. He snagged a towel on his way to the living room, doing his best to make himself more presentable. When he arrived, he almost sighed in irritation. He was back.

He stood quietly in the back behind the others while the angel gave them the rundown of their next operation. He noticed that the beings attitude hadn't improved in the slightest since the first time they saw him, adding to his mounting irritation.

In ancient Greek: "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of a cloud this morning...."

He spoke quietly, venting his exasperation but not wanting to anger the man. He had no idea how much of a living hell he could make their lives just because of one offhanded comment.

"So. We're going Old Testament on a building potentially full of supernatural body guards, monsters, and whatever else they could find to feed us to. Any particular reason why we can't just rig the place with enough explosives to level a city block and call it a day?"

He didn't bother trying to conceal the irritation in his voice, not really caring what Gods secret service thought of him.

SilverFlight

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

No matter how much he tried, Nero couldn't induce his memory delving again after the first time it happened. He tried nonstop for the first two days after the incident and only managed to make himself pass out multiple times without the benefit of the memories, so he eventually stopped trying in favor of exploring the rest of the spacious house. Most of his time was spent reading and reflecting under the permanent night of his 'room'. As it turned out, the books laid so conveniently under the gazebo were a myriad of tales and facts on all types of mythological beings, from the well-known Pagan gods to the supposedly lesser beings, such as doppelgangers and tree-folk. Someone or something, somewhere, wanted him to be educated on the subject.

The news they received from their local guardian angel about the rampant chaos spreading throughout the world had both amazed and concerned him. On one hand, the figure seemed to undoubtedly signify a paranormal source behind these threats, while on the other, Nero had never seen a TV or pictures before. With the terrorism they'd been shown, he could hardly be upset that his introduction to the world of moving pictures had been so grim.

On the day that Gabriel showed up, Nero had been away from the house. He'd been trying to learn about the world's societies and it's geography through first-hand experience and had already gathered a small collection of maps and other souvenirs from the variety of countries the front door gave them access to. The group was already gathered, but he managed to silently slip in and catch most of the conversation - Nero wasn't interrupted this time and was able to see their guest. Even though his encounters with Jophiel had been limited so far, it was easy to tell that this other person was the same type of entity, and yet a polar opposite in to his personality. It was a type of confident cockiness that he hadn't had to deal with before and was quickly finding to be abrasive.

"What happens if we can't handle it, same as the rest of them?" He wasn't sure what compelled him to ask the question with such an edge, but his expression was abnormally stern and serious as though some outside or inside force was tampering with his emotions. Nero considered himself a stalwart believer in his faith, yet the existence of the anti-Christ in it's true form was hard for him to grasp as reality. Then again, reality has been strange as of late. His next question was directed at Jophiel in a far softer tone.

"More importantly, what if it isn't what we think it is? What if it turns out to be something worse, or something not necessarily worse, but simply different?" He couldn't bring himself to level with Harian's lack of empathy, nor with Gabe's straightforward suggestion. "It is still supposed to be human, like some of us."


SilverFlight (Mentioned: Naberius )

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

Hino graciously took Volt back on his forearm as Nero departed. What a strange little boy, he thought. The boy was certainly very odd and he was still trying to figure out if his final comment was an insult or a suggestion. He supposed he could figure it out some other time as he too decided maybe he should find a room. Maybe there he could find some peace and quiet. He was one of the last ones to pick up his key card and was left the furthest room down the hall. He didn't mind. It meant that he was out of the way and that there would be less foot traffic.

He was still uneasy about staying in a place with these people and wasn't totally sold on the whole 'save the world' narrative; however, this type of magic offered him an opportunity to experience something he hadn't in a long time. He stood outside his door and pictured his room with as much detail as could remember, with a few modern additions, of course. He sat there for a few minutes until he opened his eyes and wondered if it had worked. Then, at his feet, a small pool of water began flowing from beneath the door and a faint beat was emitting from the room. He grabbed the handle of the door and opened it slowly. He was greeted by 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)' blasting from beyond a steady, but soft flow of water pouring down from the door frame. Hino parted the miniature waterfall and entered the 'room'. The room was a well-lit cave with a very modern and hipster vibe to it. There was a king size bed on the right with two night stands, a minifridge, and a luxurious nest for Volt beside it. A black leather couch and a top of the line Lazy-Boy recliner sat opposite to the bed with a coffee table that stored several books and magazines, all in his native tongue. Finally, the crown jewel, a complex stereo system, currently blasting the Dead or Alive track, and a classic record player were housed in the right corner of the room.

Spoiler: You Spin Me Round

While Hino greatly appreciated these upgrades, it was not what he was truly looking for in his home. At the moment, the cave only had three walls, the wall with the door and the two on either side of it. The mouth of the cave opened to another waterfall. However, this one was vastly larger than the one at the door. On the far right, Hino could see an opening between the cave and the waterfall that led to a thin path. He held his breath in anticipation as he walked towards it, slowly. Volt could not contain her curiosity and shot through the waterfall. Peering around the side of the falls, Hino felt his heart warm. A tear rolled down his cheek as he took in the view of his first home: Niagara Falls. It was exactly as he remembered it, down to the last pebble. The late sun hit the lake in a way that set it on fire as deer peacefully drank from it. The soft breeze shook the leaves until they sounded like a soft rainfall. He truly felt as if he was home. No buildings, no people, no boats, no tourists. It was perfect. Calm washed over him as he breathed in the misty air and listened to the deafening thunder of the falls. In the distance, Volt soared through the air clearly enjoying being able to fly freely in the open air once again.

***

Several days had passed since the group had first arrived at the base, and Hino had spent the entire time in his 'room' either blasting his music or sitting atop the falls and revisiting past memories. Being in a replica of his former home had brought up a lot of emotions. Mostly of pain and anguish over what he did, what he couldn't do, and what could have been. But now he stood in the corner of the living room with the rest of the group and two angels. He was well aware that he was an outsider in the group and chose to remain on the outskirts of the meeting as a silent presence. It was now common knowledge that the coming of the end of the world was being brought on by some anti-christ. He had been the cause of natural disasters, murders, and terrorist attacks. Hino was still not entirely sold on the team he had to work with, but the cause was enough for him to put his concerns aside. In fact, he almost seemed hopeful about this new mission in his life, though he would never admit that to anyone. For the first time in a long time, Hino had a sense of purpose.

Hino only listened to the pair of angels speak so he could get the necessary information for the new mission. He was very eager to start. It was one thing to contemplate saving the world and another thing to actually do it. However, not even his excitement could mask his disdain for Jophiel and Gabriel. It wasn't until Harian said something about murder that he decided to interject.

"What do you mean they're not the type for murder? Everything they are today is built off the massacre of millions," He scoffed, "But ignore me. Let's get back to the mission description. A being with a great a terrible power with no morals, that does sound awfully familiar," With no attempt at subtlety, Hino locked eye contact with Gabriel.

He then turned to Nero, "Oh, it most certainly isn't what they think it is. The Christians rarely do their homework, and even if they did, they wouldn't care if we killed just one more innocent."

SilverFlight Crazy Trey-n @ anyone else

 

[SilverFlight]

At Gabriel's snide comment to the archangel Jophiel pinched his brow in vexation.
The archangel Gabriel turned his head slightly to catch Adrestia's justicar with a mildly irritated glance: "It's the end of the world Mr. Albright, I'm always getting up on thr wrong side of the cloud these days." He replied in the same old tongue, and then, for courtesy to the others, he switched back to English. "And there are exactly 56 reasons why, many of them are under twelve years old. The residential area cannot be disturbed. I never said this was going to be easy, I just said I have it on an authority that you could get it done."
Naberius

A younger voice sounded after that, and Gabriel turned to Nero. Jophiel's heart nearly stopped.
"In theory, he is human." Gabriel answered calmly. He was looking at Nero, but if he saw something out of the ordinary about the youth it did not show on his face.
"And if you can't handle it...you die. This is war, a fight for the fate of the world. There are no do-overs. You were each recruited because Jophiel thinks you can hold your own...don't prove him wrong."
Jophiel was on his feet after that, stepping in front of Nero quickly. "They will be up to the task Gabriel. I know they will."
Crazy Trey-n

Hino's words cut at Jophiel and he winced visibly as they were said. It was a topic that evidently cause thr angel pain. Harian watched with a curious expression, but said nothing. Gabriel locked eyes with the First Nation god, holding his gaze for a long moment. "Your team, your trouble Joph. I'll let you handle that one."
KhazTheGiraffe

 

[andujarprime]

Ayramis had spent his days sleeping, cooking and eating. He became quite familiar with the kitchen, and the magical door that led to different nations. It provided no end to fresh produce and he was very delighted by this. At present he could be heard in the kitchen. Fire sizzling and pans clanging with spatulas. Short barks could be heard as his Jackal jumped around. Waiting for something to fall into his lower realm close to the floor. Ayramis only smiled as he picked up the bits of steak he was searing. He dropped a few pieces onto a platter and lowered to the Jackal. It yipped excitedly as Ayramis carried a full platter of steaks in one hand. A platter of sautéed peppers and onions in another. The aromas of Thyme and garlic filled the air. He was slightly distracted by the cat in front of him as he was leaving the kitchen. He smiled at Harian’s feline form as he turned to the dining room. He yelped himself as Gabriel appeared out of nowhere. His hands went up, the steaks lifted off the plate but he managed to catch them once more. He looked at Gabriel, super irritated and made his way back into the kitchen. “Maybe messenger pigeon is on the menu for tonight now!” He exclaimed as he heard Jophiel begin to assemble everyone.

Ayramis sat listening to everyone, quietly. “Antichrist? Seriously? This early in the game?” He questioned in between bites of steak. He wasn’t one who enjoyed cold food, and he sure as hell wasn't about to let a messenger pigeon make him miss his hot meal. He listened to the others only nodding. He didn’t find himself speaking much, merely observing. “No, blowing things up isn’t always the best choice. Flashiest maybe, but not the best.” He started picking up another piece of steak. “Especially when there are other innocent lives at stake.” He stated aloud, looking to Gabriel and the others. “We’re going to need a plan, clearly.” He said with a sigh turning his attention back to his food. He pushed a platter forward with more food in case anyone else wanted.

SilverFlight KhazTheGiraffe Crazy Trey-n Naberius Lioness075

 

[Naberius]

Gabriel chastised himself, mentally kicking himself for letting his irritation get the better of him. His expression softened a little. He realized too late that he was being quite unfair.

"I wouldn't know where to get explosives anyway. If we're going to be fighting in a populated area with civilians, someone's going to have to do something about the police. Gun fights, magic, and divine smitting aren't usually very quiet. We have any idea what sort of opposition we can expect?"

He had wrapped himself back into the calming thoughts of the hunt. He was focused too much on the job ahead of them now. No more time for emotions or banter. They had to have a viable plan or at least some idea of what to expect if they were going to make it out of this in one piece.

SilverFlight

 

[GamerCarrot]

Hayle accidentally slept in a little later than she was hoping, waking up with her hair in a mess a hurried putting on a clean pair of clothes and fixing her hair up in a neat braid. Feeling here horns were in plain view when she was just about to open her bedroom door she panicked and quickly glamoured herself, looking at the mirror on her small vanity she smiled. She disliked having to keep she was a demon a secret but it was for the best, she saw how someone would react to finding out someone was a demon and it terrified her. Not every demon was like the one they battled earlier but it still scared Hayle that there was a possibility that she would be hurt by someone that she hoped she was going to become friends with. Double checking her glamour before walking out of her bedroom she headed towards the living room, as she was about to walk in she heard someone say the words Anti-Christ and she froze in place. They were going up against that? And they were expecting them to handle this on their own. It was a suicide mission. Stepping into the living room hoping no one would notice her lateness she tiptoed near the back of the room trying to stay out of sight of the two angels and avoiding getting yelled at for sleeping in and missing half of the debrief.

She heard everyone arguing about the mission they were on and she honestly couldn't blame them all for being so worried, it was the anti christ everyone should be terrified when it came to it. Hearing Gabriel comment on how everyone was chosen because they could hold their own surprised Hayle, how were they expecting a group of beings to be able to defeat the anti christ with no divine help what so ever. Now she was understanding why most demons strongly disliked angels. "How are we even meant to get in? What's stopping them from putting up barriers so we can't even get into the building... they obviously know there is a chance that we are going to come after them?" she asked slightly nervously, she couldn't think of a way of getting inside if the whole place was going to be protected by the anti christ's bodyguards.
SilverFlight

 

[Feywild]

Over the last few days, Zoya had explored the house, finding it met all her expectations and went above them in multiple aspects. It was all so fascinating, she wanted to learn how it all worked, skipping anything that was nonsense to her seemed like a suitable way to do so. She’d played around with the door, wandering out into the world excitedly before running back to do explore another place. There was nowhere her curiosity was safe from, not even the wretched library she’d put off visiting, but she found herself there one night. Troubled she was, sleep was too elusive to chase, so she found herself wandering. Trailing her hands over the tomes and backs of books, the reoccurring thought of how useless both she and they were in that moment. Though it passed and left her alone as she left to be in the night, standing with moonlight casting its rays of light onto her skin and delving into her very being.

Waking up the following morning didn’t seem to help. All night she’d been tormented by something, never being able to place what it was unnerved her even more, prickling away at her as she got ready and fixed her blonde hair into two delicate braids. Unease stirred in her stomach as she stared at her pallid reflection, the dim light offered her no flattery, making her appear almost ghostlike. Dwelling on the night wouldn’t help her, so she got dressed in a new lilac dress she’d treated herself too, gold bracelets jingling on her wrists as she wandered out of her room and down to the living room where she found the others. A stiff smile etched onto her face as she noted the presence of the other Gabriel, the one that wasn’t the most likeable and too snappy for her taste, and how the whole team was disgruntled.

“An anti-christ? Sounds a bit extreme if you ask me.” Zoya mused quietly, fingers toying with the soft fabric of her newest dress as her eyes flitted around the room, landing on the others as she let the severity of the situation slowly sink in. “How are we meant to take them out and keep everything quiet?” She asked with a frown, “it doesn’t sound like a situation easily taken care of.” Now she was eying the others, they were all capable it was true, but there was still the lingering impression that perhaps their teamwork all wasn’t the best for something so threatening.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

"You will need a plan." Gabriel answered the god of embalming.
"And barriers will be a thing. So no, it will not be easy." The archangel seemed to be impressed with the thought the team was putting into the approach, he gave approving nods to Hayle and Zoya.
"Keeping things quiet would also be ideal, but if you're going in, I won't be sending you in empty-handed."
A bag appeared in his hand (had he always had it?) and from it he pulled several replicates of three different items: The first was a round, flat stone with a small hole in the center.
"Scrying stones. They will allow you to see past illusions that can fool most beings. They will also glow brighter the closer you are to the antichrist. There is one for each of you."
The second object was a small wooden tab with Sanskrit characters crowded elegantly on the front.
"These sutras are designed to disrupt the energies of most magical barriers, the darker the energy used, the more effective they are."
Finally he withdrew three small bags of carved alabaster figures. There were sigils inscribed onto each one.
"These should be placed outside the house. They will perpetuate a sound and picture illusion that should keep the local mortals from getting suspicious."
Gabriel set the items on the kitchen island for any one of them to take.
"Right, I won't tell you how to do your job. Jophiel knows how to contact me when it's done."

Gabriel didn't wait for anymore comments, he simply opened the portal he had used back in the cellar and walked through, and that was that.
"Well," Harian began as she looked around at the others. "Shit."

*~*~*

"So we're really doing this huh?"
Harian had not been back in Paris since the French Revolution and the sights were making her feel a bit nostalgic. It was a lot cleaner now and Harian had forgotten how beautiful the city could be. The night air was filled with the sweet scent of spring flowers and it was warm. The portal had let them out at the central train station, the Gare de Lyon, from there they had taken the metro out past the 17th arrondissement. The house was directly across from the Parc Bois de Boulogne, which offered a brilliant and inconspicuous stakeout location, even in the fading twilight of a peaceful Friday evening. The building was gated, and thank goodness, fenced off from neighbouring apartments. Placing the alabaster figures would be the easy part. The house itself was white stone with a black slate-tiled roof and wrought iron balcony railings. Intricate mouldings were placed at every corner and under every windowsill. The French certainly had not lost their obsession with aesthetics.
Through the gates they could see a security guard and several dogs. Harian had a feeling that if they used the scrying stones, they would distinctly not see a human guard patrolling the grounds, nor would they see German Sheperds.
Jophiel was there as well, though he announced before they left that he would not be attempting to follow them into the grounds.
"Remember, any door can be turned into aportal back to our house. We need a team to place the carvings, and we need another team to scout the perimeter, perhaps find the best point of entry."
Jophiel looked at Harian.
"What? Oooh no. I heard The Stupid Gabriel (this was I have decided to call him) when he mentioned those scouts. I know a suicide mission when I see one."
"We need information, I know you Harian, you can get in and out of any place undetected. If anyone can give us a fighting chance it's you. Otherwise there might be...casualties."
It was subtle. Almost unnoticeable, but Harian's eyes darted to Gabe for a millisecond.
"Fine." She said at last. "Who wants to come with me and get barbecued by the barriers?"

The house is large and separate from the other buildings. There is a generous front garden and a wrought iron fence eight feet high that runs the entire perimeter, a single gate exists at the front and is wide enough for 2 cars. There are hedges and topiaries inside the fence that could provide ample visual cover once inside, though they will offer no protection if you are attacked. There is a large fountain in the center of a carriage round that leads right up to the front door. The barriers can be seen through the stone and are large domes that encircle the entire house and likely are buried a few feet under the earth as well. Opening a hole in the barrier at the front of the house will definitely alert the guard. The front door, from where you are standing looks normal, but you see faint traces of symbols around it's edge, indicating that it might be magically sealed. There is about 50ft from the gate to the front door of the house and the front lawn is patrolled by one guard and three dogs. Looking through your scrying stones you will see something quite different: Spoiler: The "dogs" The dogs are in fact, gargoyles, each about the size of a polar bear, with wingspans that would rival a small plane. They are very strong and have stone-like skin that most blades cannot cut. They are bulletproof at any range greater than point blank.They are monsters, and therefore mortal and neither weak nor resistant to demonic or divine energies. Their weaknesses are water and ice. There are a few stone gargoyles that adorn the roof of the house, but now that you've seen these...you might be beginning to wonder... Spoiler: The "guard" The guard is a strange humanoid creature that looks more like an automaton than an actual being. It's brass-coloured plates are all sharp and though it is moving slowly, it gives off the impression that it can move very quickly. There is no information about what this creature is, though to hazard a guess based on it's metallic appearance, it may be susceptible to lightning. The back of the house is rather uninteresting, flat, stone walls behind the wrought iron fence, with a small vent for the dryer air to escape, and an air con unit. The first set of windows around the back are on the second story. The sides of the house have windows on the first story, but all are lined with the same symbols that mark the door. There is something moving around on the first floor, but currently it is too dark inside to see. The only place there are no decorative stone gargoyles is at the back of the house. The closer you get to the house, the brighter your scrying stones glow.

Lioness075 MrBossMan andujarprime The Velveteen Rabbit Naberius Crazy Trey-n KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot Feywild

 

[Naberius]

Gabriel had only ever been to France once before, and had never actually been in Paris at all. It was beautiful. Much like London, you could tell just how old and storied the place was just by looking around. The old architecture mixing with modern amenities and structures. One could almost see the generations flowing through the buildings, time itself passing before your eyes as the different designs of various eras stood side by side.

When they arrived at what was to be their latest battlefield, Gabriel was tense. It was only their second job and they were already about to face off against the literal christian apocalypse. This was going to be a other long night. With their totems in hand, they had all gathered to discuss how to proceed. Harian had apparently been tasked with surveillance duty. He didn't like that, but couldn't argue the logic. With her powers she was the best suited to infiltration out of all of them. That did nothing to settle the lump of unease that had dropped into the pit of his stomach like a lead weight.

"I'll go. I might not be able to transform but I know how to go without being seen. I've had to break in to a few places before over the years, some with pretty tight security. And if there are electronic defenses as well, I'll have the easiest time handling them. I'm not exactly world class, but I have a bit of skill as a hacker."

SilverFlight Lioness075 MrBossMan andujarprime The Velveteen Rabbit Crazy Trey-n KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot Feywild

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

A small smirk danced across Hino's lips. He had clearly hit some sort of nerve with both of the archangels, and it sure made him feel giddy inside. However, the others were raising some good points, including the annoying blonde woman from his first day. But it appeared that Gabriel had brought them some tools to work with, each with their own unique capabilities. He paid particular attention to the scrying stone, it was an odd sort of object, but one that would surely be immensely helpful. He pocketed the items as Gabriel left and awaited new instructions.

***

As far as Hino was concerned, there was no discernable difference between Paris and London. Both had far too many ugly, old, grey buildings and far too many people and each city smelled like a mixture of pollution and piss. Furthermore, the lack of greenery and animal life was appalling to him. No wonder the people who lived here seemed like anxious, miserable, old, shits. It was clear that bland city infrastructure was all Europe had to offer. Talk about over-rated.

At the moment they were staring out into the clear night doing recon on the house of the anti-christ. Hino looked through his scrying stone. The security was no joke, which led him to believe that perhaps they did, in fact, have the right guy. However, instead of dread or fear, the Thunder God felt only a rush of excitement. At first, he thought he was anxious because he hadn't experienced this feeling in a long time, but he soon realized that it wasn't anxiety at all, it was anticipation. He was finally ready for a good fight, maybe not with these people, but they would have to do. The things guarding the front entrance were intimidating, to say the least, but they were also coated in metal armor which just happened to be an impressive conductor of electricity. Though they were greatly outnumbered, it appeared Hino had some advantages in this fight. Besides, if he happened to perish on this mission, he would classify it as 'dying for something', which is all he could hope for in his life.

He listened to Jophiel discuss the strategy for the mission. At least they had pieces of a plan this time. Harian and Gabe had offered to do the scouting of the perimeter, a dangerous job no matter how skilled you were. While Hino was a very skilled hunter, his stealth was only so good for someone of his size, but it didn't mean he couldn't help. It was about time for him to step up and be a team player, anyway.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance. I can't go with you for obvious reasons," He vaguely gestured to his entire body, "But I can provide you with some much-needed cover. You won't be able to see very well, but neither will they." He raised his hands up until they were about waist height while his eyes and tattoos began to glow a dull, pulsating, blue. A mist began to slowly crawl onto the streets surrounding them. It was initially quite transparent, but after a few minutes, the entire city was covered in a dense fog.

SilverFlight Lioness075 MrBossMan andujarprime The Velveteen Rabbit Crazy Trey-n GamerCarrot Feywild Naberius

 

[andujarprime]

Ayramis looked to the items on the table and sighed. "Dinner's over I guess." He quickly cleared the platters then made his way to his room. He had to change. Getting into a fight in his kitchen blacks would be very, very upsetting. They were likely to get ripped, and he didn't much care for that. He found himself a short while later with the group looking across at the building in question. His clothing changed now. Black jogger pants and a dark grey sweatshirt. A black hat pulled down over his blonde hair, and a thick dark gray scarf, with black hieroglyphs wrapped around his neck and face. His Jackal sat on it's haunches looking up at the night sky. It's ears twitched as the mist began rolling in and thickening out.

Ayramis looked up at the sky, then across at the barriers. He took one look through the scrying stone and his body began to tingle in excitement. He heard Jophiel practically volunteer Harian and frowned but didn't contest. He understood that reasoning. However when Gabe volunteered himself, his brows furrowed. "Slow down, sly cooper. I think we may have some others more suited for espionage." He looked to Gabe as he spoke. "She can fly, and change shape. Hell, she can lose shape." He motioned to Harian while speaking "You sir, can not. Let's think it through a bit more objectively, logically. Maybe someone less conspicuous? Or at least more durable, in case the proverbial shit hits the fan?" Ayramis suggested, looking back at everyone else. He didn't mean to sound like a snob, or know it all. But he understood the situation wasn't a gung-ho operation. And he knew how much humans could be very gung-ho.

SilverFlight Naberius KhazTheGiraffe MrBossMan The Velveteen Rabbit Crazy Trey-n Feywild Lioness075

 

[Naberius]

Gabriel shot their resident epicurean a smug smirk. He'd heard similar things before. Everyone always underestimates the human. It's a bad mistake to make, especially in regards to someone such as himself.

"I can see why you would think that. Unfortunately, you're quite mistaken. Aside from Harian, I'm basically the only one capable enough to pull off this sort of job. You have this notion of humans being weak and incapable. I assure you, we are not. Personally, I can bench press half a ton, jump 5 feet straight into the air, and I've mastered Ninjutsu in all its forms. If I don't want you to hear or see me, you will not. I can't blame you for thinking I'm just some ordinary human. But I was given divine gifts by a war goddess. I'm very hard to kill. When the daughter of Ares gives you power, it is no small amount. Don't let my jovial and easy going nature fool you. I am a weapon, first and foremost. I am the Justicar of Adrestia, goddess of the balance between light and dark. I've been doing this exact same kind of thing for 12 years now. I'm more than capable. Don't forget that each of us was hand picked for this team for a reason."

SilverFlight andujarprime

 

[andujarprime]

Ayramis sighed as he listened to Gabe. Pinching the bridge of his nose, as he fought the voices in his head. “Chi...” He paused, eyes shutting, thinking and fighting himself to remember the ways of men. He almost called him child, that wouldn’t be good. To Ayramis, nearly everyone he dealt with seemed to be a child compared to him. But he understood the way the world worked. And he remembered the ways of mortals.

He pushed back the voices. This area was disturbing the souls, the dark energy hear disrupted the veil that split the realms and he was feeling it. He opened his eyes once more “Gabriel, I know full well what you humans are capable of. I am NOT, by any means underestimating you. I’m saying let’s explore all options.” He pointed to Hino “Do you know what he is capable of?” Then pointed to Falarion “Or him?” “What about them?” He asked waving his hand towards Hayle, and Zoya. “Them?” Now at Nero, Phil, and Kiyomi.” You certainly don’t know my ability. Without at least knowing everyone on your team, their specialties, strengths, weaknesses. You can’t rightly declare who is best for what. Sure, you’ve got some power. That’s clear, or you wouldn’t be here. That goes for everyone here. But in my millennia of dealing with humans. I’ve found that diving head first, without exploring all options, as many of your kind are always so willing to do, gets you dead. We are all needed here, proper planning and discussion are needed right now. We have the element of surprise, and just a little bit of time to figure this out. We only get one shot at this. We discuss this As a group. So we succeed, as a group. Or we fail, as a group.” Ayramis explained his reasoning, looking to everyone else. Wondering if his line of thinking made sense. Then he turned back to Gabe “Or,” he shrugged with both hands in the air. “We all dive right in willy nilly, praying to whoever fits your fancy that the rest of the team can read each other’s minds and things turn out for the best. It’s not like the end of the world hangs in the balance or anything.” He finished up with a sigh then stepped back and crouched down beside his Jackal. Grazing his fingers on the back of its neck and petting it. He watched the group to see what would happen next.

Naberius SilverFlight Lioness075 Crazy Trey-n MrBossMan GamerCarrot Feywild The Velveteen Rabbit KhazTheGiraffe

 

[SilverFlight]

Harian watched the mist roll in and gave Hino an impressed look.
"Nice move Sparky." She glanced over at the gargoyles, whose eyesight was already not the best, looking about as if lost. One even managed to walk straight into a topiary.
"That'll mess them up a little."
KhazTheGiraffe

The back and forth between Ayramis and Gabriel caught her attention. She listened to one and then the other, not really willing to believe that she'd have to take the role as mediator.
"Okay les boys, over here for a sec." She beckoned for their attention.
"Gabe, nobody is calling you useless, I mean, I do, but that's not the point. Ayramis, no one here understands where you're coming from better than I do. We've both been here for long enough to have heard everything at least once, especially from humans." She glanced back at Gabriel and her usual, irritated expression softened just a little. "I think he's good. If he says he can keep out of sight, I believe him. Plus that house. I mean, have you seen it? Thee owners are loaded. They'll probably have a regular security system. Do you know how their dumb digital tech works? 'Cause I sure as Hell don't."

It felt strange...actually defending someone, but defending Gabriel? That felt a bit more right, though the look she shot him afterwards told him that if he ever brought it up again she would set his duster on fire.

andujarprime Naberius

 

[GamerCarrot]

Arriving at Paris with the rest of the group Hayle was taken back by how beautiful it was even though she was here on an important mission she really couldn't help but admire the view around her. But her admiration for her surroundings were quickly interrupted when a fog rolled in, she was a little disappointed but there was a more serious matter at hand. Turning around she finally looked at what laid before them and what they soon will be facing, she noticed the gargoyle guard dogs and the guard before them, sure it was a bit hard to see but she could definitely make out the shapes of the two of them. As much as a part of her wanted to get closer to get a better look she didn't want to draw attention to herself or the others and with so many humans now fleeing the area because of the fog that just rolled in. She tried thinking of ways she could get the gargoyles out of the way first so that they could leave the big guy to last but her thought process was interrupted by two of the team members bickering but the bickering was soon silenced as Harian spoke up and silenced the two of them. She was right Gabe had proven himself multiple times that he could handle himself so why would a stealth mission be any different, yet the only problem is how were they going to get in without causing too much of a ruckus.

Thinking about what she would do she decided maybe it was best she help search the perimeter to see if she could help find a way inside, even looking at the fountain in front of the house Hayle considered using her magic to cause a big enough distraction so that they could all sneak in either coming in from the back entrance or coming from the front. It was a good idea at least from her point of view and she could even attack the creatures standing out the front with the amount of water pooling out of it. Turning to Harian she subtly gestured to the fountain "I can do something with the water and cause a distraction for you? I could even attack the creatures blocking our path. With that amount of water I can do some damage" She said, hoping that Harian would agree to her small plan.
SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

Gabriel continued staring at his distinctly more posh counterpart for a time, his face a blank mask. Finally, he smiled his usual smile and shrugged. He couldn't argue. He wasn't thinking like a team player.

"FFor what it's worth, you're not far off. We normally don't live very long. So we're prone to making decisions first and thinking about the consequences later. We let emotion and not logic run our lives. And while it works fine in some cases, it doesn't lend itself to teamwork. I've been working on my own with no backup or allies to call on for so long that I still find it hard to look to others. I guess you could see it as me having something to prove, being the token human. You have my apologies and my thanks. But I stand by my statement. I've spent years sneaking in and out of places, bypassing security systems and taking out targets without being seen. I won't push the subject. We need to make a decision. As a team."

He stepped over to the man, now knelt down next to what Gabriel assumed was some sort of familiar. He held out a hand, a gesture of truce. An olive branch. He couldn't find a reason to ignore the advice. And this particular mission was too important, too big for his usual methods. It was time to make a conscious effort to being part of the team instead of an individual working along side it.

"Don't think we were properly introduced yet. Call me Gabe. Everyone does. If we're putting together a compilation of what everyone can do, well. I kill things. Really well. I have Mastery of several dozen forms of physical combat, most of them intended to kill. I know my way around a bit of hedge magic occultism and have extensive knowledge of the supernatural and paranormal beings that share this world. I'm basically batman but poor. Working for an Olympian doesn't exactly come with a pension plan."

The ice caster spoke up next. He had seen how deadly and precise she was with just a single bottle of water. Her raw power was certainly impressive but her creativity and control were what made her dangerous. Gabriel took a moment to look at each member of the team in turn. He needed to listen to his own advice. Each and every member of this team and the countless other teams working in tandem around the world were all chosen for a reason. Their collective experience and abilities were what made them the last, best hope for the planet. He wouldn't let his own stubborn, thick headed nature get in the way of saving his own world.

"We all saw what you could pull off with just a bottle. If you think you can handle the guards, I'm inclined to believe you. But we have each other's backs. I haven't exactly been much of a team player thus far. But this is my world. Our world. I'll just have to get used to working with others. We're playing for keeps. There is no greater battle to fight than this one. So let's make it count, yeah?"

SilverFlight andujarprime GamerCarrot Feywild KhazTheGiraffe Crazy Trey-n Lioness075 MrBossMan The Velveteen Rabbit

 

[andujarprime]

Ayramis left his face a blank mask as he listened to Harian. Then smiled as Gabe spoke to him. “Gabe, the name’s Ayramis.” He said shaking his hand. “I truly meant no offense. My apologies if it seemed that way. I am not exactly used to interacting with mortals outside of my kitchen or restaurants. I may need to brush up.” He explained with a genuine smile. He laughed at his Batman comment and nodded. “I believe it. Most gods have no need for worldly possessions, so they may tend to undervalue the importance of monetary income. As for your skill, if even Harian vouches for you. You’re no slouch. She doesn’t like ANYONE.” He chuckled at his own comment sending her a smile, completely expecting daggers and eyerolls.

He turned back to Gabe. “My specialty is more judge and jury, than execution, but dispensing death is something I am well acquainted with.” He turned to the rest of the group. “I am also very useful in many situations. I have extensive uses with my soul work.” He stated, not wanting to use the more common term of necromancy. He learned that word invited fear and mistrust. “Once the ice queen lets loose the guards will be looking for something to chase. I can help in that regard, and keep a distance so as not to put myself in harms way, or give away our location and numbers.” He explained looking to Hayle with a smile. “And I mean no offense by calling you ice queen, but your mastery over the element fits the title my dear.” He added as a precautionary measure. He didn’t know what she was exactly, but it was not human. The aura her soul gave off, was both odd yet familiar. He was sure he hadn’t met her before, but the aura felt similar to other encounters. But he couldn’t place where, or what it belonged to. “Any other ideas?” He asked the group.

Naberius SilverFlight GamerCarrot and everyone else

 

[Lioness075]

While the annoying Gabriel gave the team the worst pep talk ever, Falarion sidled up to Aryamis' leftovers and began nibbling at them, just snatching up pieces here and there. He had not had too many times in his lifetime where he had actually used some kind of silverware for eating meals and thus, he was not fully aware of the uses of such things. His hands were mostly clean anyways. The two Gabriels continued at it for a bit longer before the crappier version finally seceded and handed off some trinkets to the team. He then promptly left and Falarion gulped down one more piece of heavenly steak before he gave Ayramis an appreciative nod. Hoping that sufficed for a thank you, Falarion hurried over to their table of goodies and curiously picked up a scrying stone for himself before also collecting one of the figurines.

When they arrived in Paris, the first thing Falarion did was hide his tail with Glamour once more. He was disappointed to have to do so, but he had to play it safe while they were among humans once more. Only a few minutes into their arrival and Falarion was already entranced with the cityscape. His eyes were wide and his head stayed on a swivel up until they had to ride the metro to their final destination. Falarion had just narrowly boarded the train and yanked his tail in after himself before the doors closed with a soft hiss. His face was all but glued to the window despite there being not much more than concrete and the occasional exits that they did not leave at. Once they were back outside, Falarion grinned at the colorful city despite it being the evening. A number of restaurants they passed had lights hanging in trees and Falarion was amazed at how much greenery was here.

Just as he was admiring the hedges of the very house they were to approach, Falarion walked into someone and promptly let out a soft yelp of surprise. He backed away and put his hands up just as he saw he had walked into Jophiel. "Oh, my bad! Sorry. I'm just so amazed by how beautiful this place is and there's just so much new stuff to see!" He grinned after saying this and was about to look around again when he finally caught wind of the discussion nearby. He heard Ayramis chiming in at the end of it and decided to add, "If we're discussing our uses in this mission, I'm not sure where I fit in besides being able to stash those figurines around the house. I'm nimble and a strong fighter with my bo staff. I can also jump high and far when needed. Um, and I can dispel evil stuff to a degree." Pausing, Falarion seemed thoughtful for a moment before he brightened and added, "Oh yeah! I can also hang from my tail if I need to. Perks of it being a monkey's tail." He seemed overly delighted by his last skill, as if it were the key to solving everything.
SilverFlight andujarprime Naberius @ everyone else nearby

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

Nero had kept a sharp eye on the house and it's masked sentries, not averting his gaze elsewhere until the mist partially obscured it from view. The scrying stone that he'd taken was glowing faintly and when he'd grasped at the small bronze-and-silver cross on his chest - the one he'd almost forgotten about, considering it was always hidden from view and that the chaos lately had drawn his attention away from it - it rapidly grew hot enough to nearly burn him. It had been in his satchel ever since. A silent prayer to himself was all he managed before turning his attention to the group.

The brief exchange between Gabe and Ayramis had been settled rather quickly and positively, but it still brought up the issue of their lack of proper teamwork and their abilities. As far as he was concerned, he had none save for a strange ability to 'live' through certain memories. That didn't seem particularly useful right now.

"I don't think I can offer much to the group right now, but I am flexible and fit into spots that some others can't. I remember that before I came here, I knew how to move quietly so that I could hunt, as well..." His words drifted off slowly after he'd chimed them in. Nero was almost embarrassed that he couldn't contribute more at the moment, but it also gave him the notion that from here on, he'd have to learn; he'd watch the others closely and observe well. They all seemed more than capable, and he'd even been able to gather a few ideas from them. While he didn't have much to offer, the others had skills and abilities that he could work off of. He had even toyed with the idea of having the girl who could fly or Volt bring him to the rear of the house so that they could break the barrier and sneak in that way under the cover of the fog. The grounds there seemed quiet and there didn't appear to be any guards, but he agreed with the words of his group: teamwork would be essential, and going off alone might not be the best idea. Nero added after a moment of thought, "I'll help in any way I can, but we should definitely be careful and watch out for one another. We don't need to lose people before even getting inside."

andujarprime KhazTheGiraffe Lioness075 SilverFlight Feywild GamerCarrot MrBossMan The Velveteen Rabbit

 

[SilverFlight]

Jophiel smiled at the monkey god. "While I appreciate your sense of wonder, we should probably stay focused on the task at hand."
He looked to the others. "We must get these carved figures placed quickly. I have no doubt Hayle's abilities will come in very handy here." he offered her an encouraging smile.
"I think we will need to engage the enemies on the lawn before we can safely set up for our encounter with..out target. So let's find out the best plan of attack."
Jophiel hated de-humanizing him, even if he was the enemy.
Lioness075 GamerCarrot

He turned to Nero when the boy spoke and his expression was one of mixed feelings.
"Nero," He began with a little uncertainty.
"There are things you may not understand now, that you may not see within yourself, but please believe me when I say that you most certainly belong here, with us."
With great ceremony, Jophiel pulled the pen from his breast pocket and held it out to the boy.
"I want you to take this. When the time comes, I know you'll be able to use it."
Jophiel's face was completely serious as he held out the pen, which was elegant, probably custom made, but in no way did it look out of the ordinary.
Crazy Trey-n

 

[GamerCarrot]

As Jophiel spoke up Hayle turned to face him and spoke up "I can do as much damage as I can with that fountain of water first and let the others come in after me? Then once that is clear we head inside right? Obviously with our guard up and everything." she tried to speak confidently but she couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the angel. Sure he was nice but that doesn't mean she wasn't a bit nervous around him. Gabe's little compliment helped her confidence in her own abilities "Thank you Gabe, I really appreciate you saying that. I hope I can at least do something to help our world." sure with the right amount of water she could be quite dangerous. She could bend and change the water at will and if there is a large amount of water around she could literally go nuts and create almost anything. But her train of thought about what she was going to do was interrupted when someone spoke up and even called her an ice queen, turning around and seeing Ayramis speak to her she chuckled.

"Oh... that's okay I don't mind. I've been called far worse than that and I was named Hayle, it's slightly on the nose don't you think?" She said slightly joking about her parent's choice of name for her, she then realised she hadn't even asked who was speaking to her. She barely knew half of the people within their little group. "I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name." She approached him and held out her hand for him to shake it although she didn't quite think it through considering her natural temperature was freezing. She remembered his face as one of the people she protected from the rats earlier and she had completely forgotten to apologise for nearly hitting him in the face with her ice "I also apologise for nearly hitting you in the face with a shard of ice from our last encounter, I hope I didn't accidentally scratch you." She looked at his face trying to see if there was a little scar from her ice shard but since she didn't see anything she just assumed she missed him but just barely.
SilverFlight andujarprime Naberius

 

[SilverFlight]

"All right, come on." Harian started forward, shifting down into a black cat. "We're wasting time. Let's go scouts."
The perimeter outside the fence was fairly easy to get around. The guards were only focused with guarding the front door. The bushes from the neighbouring properties kept them hidden from the rooftop, where Harian could see the silhouettes of the decorative stone gargoyles looming over the rain catchers.
"I don't like those things." She said quietly.
Harian scooted around the back of the house and it did not take her long to find the portion of the house with no gargoyles.
"We could get in here, someone with thumbs use one of those barrier-busting thingies." This she said to anyone who had followed her.
"What's the best way to surprise the welcoming committee? Any ideas from the peanut gallery?"

Lioness075 MrBossMan andujarprime The Velveteen Rabbit Naberius Crazy Trey-n KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot Feywild

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

At first, the gaze Nero cast at Jophiel was one of wonder, yet it paled ever so slightly at the appearance of the pen.

"But I've already learned how to use a pen during my stay." He even twirled the pen between his fingers after he'd taken it to find out what was so special about it, but nothing particularly stood out. As he began to voice one of the many questions on his mind, Harian had begun to make her way around the building. Nero decided to take the initiative this time. All he did was shoot Jophiel a hesitant glance, pin the pen securely to the bible at his side, nod and murmur a quick, "Thank you," before silently following after the djinn. Hopefully the others would manage the placement of the figurines.
While he was disciplined to a degree in the art of stealth, typically the hunted remained on the move. Everything here was stagnant and motionless. Even the wind seemed dead. Nero let out a quiet, shuddering breath.

"They won't make it easy one way or another... if the others can provide a distraction from the front, then perhaps we can take advantage from the rear?" he offered to Harian and those who followed. He gestured towards the building. "Afterwards, we can simply sneak into the house through the windows or the vents and not risk the front door. Or, at greater risk, we can split up." Anyone too large wouldn't be able to fit in the vents and the second-story windows would be too high for those unable to scale the building or jump high enough, but those seemed to be the primary options. Regardless, he procured the strangely decorated tab and the scrying stone from his satchel, using the stone to locate the nearest barrier, then carefully stepped forward and got to work etching a route through the barriers with the tab.

SilverFlight Naberius andujarprime GamerCarrot KhazTheGiraffe Feywild Lioness075 MrBossMan The Velveteen Rabbit