ic Exes and Ohs

[Avenger Assembled]

"Ah, Ace," said Dimitri, a look of commiseration on his stubbled face as he looked around at the Jungle Room before he seemed to light up at the sight of their host, sketching an obsequious bow as he folded his hands in front of them. "Hello, my fair lady," he said with a wink at the matron. "I am Dr. Dimitri Peshkov, and this is my associate, Mr. Jack." He said both names in a tone like the purring of a large Arctic bobcat. "Our lady Talya requires a conversation with Mr. Ace Danger." He put his hand against the side of his mouth and whispered, "A private conversation. But a woman in your business, you know how these things are, eh?" Dropping his hand, he laughed, drumming his fingers against the door as he looked up at the older woman. "So are we in right spot for such entertainment?" 

[Gizmo]

Erik gave Talya a reproachful look as he suffered nobly through Dimitri's exaggerated innuendos and mannerisms. After hearing it in that tone of voice he felt like he needed wash his codename to get the slime out of it. Still, if they were following Frost's lead he supposed he'd better help sell the bit. "Entertainment, Doctor? Confidentiality or not, I don't know how you can make jokes," he bristled with convincing moral outrage. As he turned to the matron he stepped closer to Talya and put an arm around her shoulders in a fraternal gesture while his other hand - by appearances unconsciously - moved protectively toward the blonde's midsection. "Please, it's very important that we speak with Mr. Danger as soon as possible." If the Russian was going to play the unscrupulous back alley physician, the fencer could pull off desperate and naive well enough.

[alderwitch]

Talya took a moment to frown at their surroundings. "Good god, it's like we've gone back to the seventies. I don't think I can go another round with Ace in full blown bender," Talya murmured, almost more to herself than the men as they fell into their roles. As Erik's arm slipped around her shoulders, Talya schooled her features into an appropriately chastened expression, her gaze downcast. "Next time one of you can be the damsel," she said, very, very softly under her breath. 

 

Despite her complaint, Talya played her part well as she exuded just the right amount of well mannered reluctance, "Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea," she said, half turning away from the gatekeeper and conveniently as well throwing her silhouette into profile. "They may not even know where he is."

[angrydurf]

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The woman looked to dimitri with understanding then betwixt the young couple it wasn't unusual for customers wanting to spice up the marital bed to pay a visit here and in his short tenure Ace had of course managed to earn a reputation for handling such arrangements with grace.  At Eriks words however her expression turned to one of commiseration.

 

"No no dear nothing to be ashamed of."  she assured Talya with a warm smile and looked Erik over with plain appraisement, "Too bad too he'd have given you lovely children."  Looking back to Talya she considered for a moment, "Probably the tight pants, drops the sperm count you know."  she confided consolingly.  

 

She looked down at the book though clearly it was but an act to appear to be checking scheduling before looking back to the trio and offering to Dimitri a conspiratorial smile, "While we're not a medical establishment so can't make any guarantees I may be able to help you with the, entertainment, you desire."  she said with a nod.  "And," She'd add to Talya, "No paperwork need be filed about it, no one need know."  she clearly assumed Erics unfortunate state to be a matter of secrecy perhaps a politically potent, though otherwise less so, family.

 

Biting her lip however she hedged slightly, "However the specific request is more difficult."  she whispered quietly, "Ace while a skillful entertainer has a similar issue."  she offered with a nod to Erik and a shake of her head murmuring, "Always the pretty ones."  

Edited March 8, 2016 by angrydurf

[Avenger Assembled]

Has he really been whoring himself out? Damn, Ace! Normally you can manage a finer sort of establishment than this for that was what Dimitri thought.

 

What he said was a confidential whisper, "Listen, what we're talking about here is question of lady's honor, you know? Very important thing, very important - especially since so many want to steal it." he insinuated, looking around as if a horde of tabloid reporters were there waiting to swarm in like so many journalistic piranha. A subtle gesture of his hand indicated Talya's pregnant belly, something that for a brief moment made him feel guilty - how dare these people judge her, even in the wrong? 

 

Fortunately, such moment's pass quickly. "Keeping honor could be handsome reward for woman of discretion such as yourself, heh-heh-heh," he smiled up at the woman and took a file out of his pocket and began filing his nails right there as they spoke, his teeth sparkling white. "If it's a question of Ace's time, we can find way of paying you for it. I know some...people that might be of interest to you." He winked up at the woman. 

[Gizmo]

"You'd really think but the pants aren't any more effective than Talya's voodoo doll curse thing," Jack snorted, immediately dropping his adopted persona once the matron began making excuses for Ace. "Save your chilly breath, Corncob, he's not here any more." He might have only had a quarter of the life experience of the veterans but the West Ender knew people and he knew body language. The Jungle Room's hostess was trying to cover for the loss of a star attraction. He didn't really want to think too hard about what that attraction must have entailed to garner Ace immediate name recognition with the local police but that was beside the point. "Look, sorry to be playing games with you but it sounds like you already know how flaky Danger can be, yeah? And you're probably at least a little annoyed with him on account of, y'know, having met him. Can you tell us how long ago he left or where he was headed? We'll get out of your hair."

[angrydurf]

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The woman smile beatifically at the nonsense Dimitri was spouting.  "Well I'm sure one such as Ace danger could not offer much insult to a lady of-" she trailed off as Jack revealed her secret and tersely motioned them inside and into a coat room off the entryway.  She let out a heavy sigh, "Who sent you?"  She asked accusatory, "That stuck up toad Karakos?"  she gritted her teeth then looked them over again particularly Talya and paused, "Wait you're, you're from his world aren't you."  she replied finally and pulled an only slightly wrinkled envelope from her ample cleavage, "Here."  he said to give this to anyone from there who came looking for him.  Handing off the letter she turned on her heel and stepped out to greet the next customer.

Edited March 16, 2016 by angrydurf

[alderwitch]

"It's a gris-gris and I got it from Ace, actually. Although his has never malfunctioned to my knowledge. Especially as spectacularly as this one did. Are you sure there's not some sort of fertility blessing folded into the rest of your lineage?" Talya replied dryly, dropping the damsel act like the mask it was as she rested her hands on her hips, one heeled foot tapping with ill concealed impatience. The idea of more travel through the multiverse did not appeal after their jaunt here. She reached out to take the letter when it was offered, scanning it quickly before she handed it off to one of the men absently. "Oh, I know this one. That fellow, the one that looked like a swarthy Errol Flynn. Kept offering to show me his airship at that victory party in Paris."

 

Talya frowned down at the ground, her lips pursed as she clearly tried to remember more than a smile and a pick up line. "Ib'n al... something-or-other. The Steam Sheik? Terrible name. Nice smile though. Haven't a clue where he came from. I didn't run into those fighting in the African front terribly often."

[Avenger Assembled]

Dimitri watched the woman go, shaking his head. "Such a shame." Looking over the paper with Talya, he nodded, "Steam Sheik, yes, I remember him from jaunt to El Alamein. What a fellow he was!" A fellow with a lot of awkward questions about the Turkish peoples who lived under Soviet rule, as he recalled. "Was one of practitioners in ritual that sent him to native realm - could probably do it again here. Jack of all Blades, be good fellow and bar the door, eh? Would not do to let hosts interrupt us in the midst of ritual." He sat down and placed their mystic gateway on the floor of the small room, kneeling before it as he took out the ceremonial dagger. Putting his hand on the dagger again, he commented with a resigned look on his face. "You know, usually in Ace's parties I only must cut something at _end_ of evening..." When Jack had joined them down on the floor, he put his hand on the idol again - and stabbed it! 

[Gizmo]

"That actually sounds a lot like something the old man's side of the family would do, honestly," the fencer admitted as he went back to feeling out of the loop over the oblique contents of the letter Ace had left. He nearly opened his mouth to object to following Dimitri's orders on general principle before grudgingly moving to deal with the door. Erik wasn't sure whether or not the old vampire was still trying to needle him or purpose as an ongoing test but campy affectation aside taking steps to avoid interruptions was a reasonable suggestion. The Russian wouldn't get a rise out of him either way. "Are you going to be alright for anoth-- Dios, man!" He started to check in with Talya before wincing reflexively at the self-inflicted wound. "That can't be the best way to do that."

[angrydurf]

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The transition was just as sudden as the russian's execution of the ritual such as it was.  With a dizzying wrenching sensation the trio of dimensional travellers was thrown through the spaces between worlds finding themselves in a dark and dusty room the walls piled high with assorted boxes and crates in varied states of disrepair.  High on one wall a small casement window streamed bright light leaving motes of dust disturbed by their sudden arrival to dance in the beam.  Distant drums could be heard as if reverberating off of rough hewn walls of the streets outside though peering out the window would reveal the alley it opened to to be empty and abandoned.  A rotted door stood at the far end of the room a heavy lock rusted with age hanging from the bar.  No sounds came from beyond it.  The air was dry and the harsh light from outside suggested a far more equatorial latitude than that which they had left.

Edited March 16, 2016 by angrydurf

[alderwitch]

This time, at least, she had both an empty stomach and had braced for the nauseating vertigo of the ritual. Taking a few steadying breaths, she gave Erik's hand a gentle pat of reassurance as she stood up. "I'll manage," she promised him, and although pale she was steady on her booted feet as she stood up to take in their environments. Talya crossed to the door first and its lock with an experienced eye. A few rattles of the door and she announced, "Rusted in place. Damn."

 

Casting her gaze around the room, she focused on the window and tipped her chin up to examine that as on option. She could probably squeeze through still. Probably. Without comment, Talya began stripping off the bulkier layers she was wearing for New Jersey winter weather to just the lowest layer of tunic, leggings and boots in clear preparation. "Jack, be a dear and give me a boost?" She asked as while she could climb the wall, no problem, having some additional leverage would make it easier certainly. Especially since the opening was small and she didn't compress in quite the same way right at this particular moment.  

[Avenger Assembled]

Dimitri gave Erik a reassuring smile - the sort of canned look that Erik had the feeling Dimitri had to give people a lot. "Is fine, friend. I have cut my flesh with bigger things for lesser causes. But your concern is touching." As Talya and Erik figured out how to make their escape from the shed. It occurred to Dimitri that he could easily enough freeze the door and kick it down with his great strength - Talya had seen him do that sort of thing plenty of times. But trusting in his friend's instincts - or at least her desire to move her body around, he stood up and wiped the blade clean with a rag he took from his parka pocket. Holding a lighter to his hand a moment later, he kept an eye on the other two as they went about making their escape. The failed industrial conditions of their temporary prison didn't trouble him any - more so even than Talya, he knew what in 2016 people called a "developing society" looked like. Walking over, he studied the writing on the crates, then their contents, with a disinterested expression. 

[Gizmo]

"Cielo." Erik dusted off the knees of his much remarked upon pants as he stood up then held his right hand in the empty air above the idol. Immediately motes of light began to flicker into view over the artifact, a kaleidoscope of colours that intensified as they rose in a tight spiral toward his waiting fingers. Within moments the crumbs of magic had been coaxed into a roiling sheet of luminous power, coalescing into a broad scimitar that oscillated between the bleeding edges of ultraviolets and infrareds. The metamagi hefted the blade judiciously, impossibly thin at its edge and made up of the same energy that allowed the idol to bridge the space between realities. "The Force is strong with this one, remember?"

 

Sauntering over to the old, disused door he gave a flourish with the colourful blade before bringing it down decisively though the rusted lock. The corroded metal offered no more resistance than water might have and with a second slash the bulk of the mechanism dropped to the floor. "I'm saying I'm a rakishly handsome amplifier, Frost," Erik added, glancing over to the Russian as he treated the wound on his hand. "Dunno how much blood you can lose but let's maybe call finding out Plan B, is all." With that he drew back a booted foot and gave the door a resounding kick.

[angrydurf]

GM Post  

 

The material of the containers appeared to be assorted dried vegetable matter and assorted jars of fine powders, assorted spices and herbs most likely though the scent was weak as if they'd sat exposed for far too long to be of use any longer.  This room at least had been long abandoned by whatever proprietors had used it previously.

 

The door and lock were easily undone by the meta-magi's dimensional blade, looming in the doorway as the wood crumbled away was a clockwork automaton dust and cobwebs were thick on the machine as well though it stood unmoving and inert.  Beyond the bestilled robot was a short stairway leading up into some sort of shop.  Perhaps a cafe or apacathery of some kind?  with the dust and broken crockery it was difficult to determine it's original purpose.  What was certain is that the abandonment of this establishment had not been a peaceful one.  Broken furniture and shelves spilled glass and pottery jars of long dry materials onto the floor, a register stood open with cash and coin untouched flowing arabic script looped around the abstract geometric patterns of classical islamic art.  The streets beyond the shattered windows were empty though the vague sounds of drums could still be heard reverberating through the abandoned streets.

Edited March 16, 2016 by angrydurf

[alderwitch]

"That really depends on how fast he gets it replenished, dearest," Talya commented, giving the window one last wistful look. It might be the better plan but Talya was so rarely locked into a room these days. It wasn't that she missed it, per say, so much as it was always nice to use one's well honed skills. She came up on silent feet behind Erik to peer around him, one arm sliding around his waist absently from behind. "I'm not familiar with this particular dimension but this seems particularly ominous. Looks like a revolution gone bad. Unfortunately, Arabic is not one of my suite of languages. On the bright side, if those are the drums of some execution ceremony, we have plenty of time to get Ace. Everyone else, not so much."

 

For all of Ace's flaws, Talya had no doubt that if the man had thrown in with a particular group, that it was probably the right side to do so. "Towards the drums then? Normally, I'd offer to scout ahead but perhaps staying together might be a better option this time."

[Avenger Assembled]

Comrade Frost took in the scene and pulled up his parka, eyes hard beneath his hood. "Revolution speaks a common tongue." He looked around, for a moment a disconsolate expression crossing his stubbled features, before he took the lead. As Jack watched, an icy sheen seemed to spontaneously develop on the Russian hero's face, his already-pale skin dropping to a deathly white. With that strange aura of death magic around him, he looked and felt like the frozen corpse he was. "Let us investigate." Notably free of jokes, he kept his head down as they went, and his eyes peeled for the heatmarks of recent passage in the air or in the sky. 

[angrydurf]

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The situation in the streets was no better Ancient walls were pitted and pockmarked by gunfire scorch marks marred the cobbles and brickwork in places though all was clearly weeks old at the least.  High overhead Dimitri could make out faint outlines of a few airships slowly circling at great height, the metallic hulls warmed by the suns heat and bright pinpoints of the boilers onboard.  If there had been a revolution it was over, if recently, though who had won was still hard to say.  

 

Turning a corner the trio  found themselves on a wide boulevard, barricades and craters blocked the street at various places and crumpled wrecks of steam tanks loomed silent vigil.  At the far end of the roadway a colossal clockwork lay fallen against a building mostly blocking the path.  It's heavy armor scorched and battered but intact as if rather than succumbing form the fire of the assembled war machines it had simply gone inert and collapsed into the neighboring building like so much scrap.  Beyond the wreck the sounds of drumming grew louder echoing down the broad street the only signs of discernable life on the ground.

[Gizmo]

"Scenic," Erik observed dryly, a token effort at his usual banter while most of his attention was focused on the crumbling buildings around them. He wasn't sure how likely they were to run into more of the violence that had ruined this city but it certainly didn't look like anywhere he wanted to get caught out in the open. Adjusting his grip on his luminescent blade he loved almost as silently as Talya, picking his way across the uneven terrain while keeping an eye on sight lines from the more intact windows and rooftops. "Do we know anything about this place other than 'they have giant old timey robots'?"

[alderwitch]

"Well, it was a rather long time ago and he fought mostly in the African arena. From what I only vaguely remember the deviation point is that the Arabic golden age never ended but developed into some sort of mystical steam tech that in the 1940's were something out of a fantastical pulp novel." Talya provided as her gaze scanned the horizon before she strayed towards one of the fallen hulks. "But something seems to have gone rather wrong and relatively recently." 

 

That was patently obvious and she gave Erik an apologetic shrug, "It isn't place I've been to before or anywhere that Ace has talked all that much about. Frost might be able to tell us something about the magic, maybe?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Hmm?" Dimitri had been eying the battlefield with a professional demeanor, he looked back at Talya and said, "Is pretty standard stuff. Early modern magical revolution simultaneous with scientific one, allowing for magical power revolution to merge with steam power revolution." He scowled, uncharacteristically sober. "Not uncommon thing - not a good thing, either. Despite fantasias of American science feection writers, usually just means that now bosses have brass golems to whip the workers back into line. To change heart of industry is easy. To change heart of man, that is work of ages." He put his hand briefly on his chest, listening for the drums, then said, "OK, tired of listening to those suka blyad drums. Between three of us, I can be shot, so stay behind me," he said, trusting Talya to mask herself in her own way as they headed for the drum beats. 

[angrydurf]

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Moving past the crumpled hulk of the colossal steamworks monstrosity the drums grew much louder the drummers must have been only a few streets away.  Low celebratory cheers interspersed the drumming and a few high trilling undulations echoing off the empty buildings around them.  As Frost rounds a corner he can easily see a rag tag band of soldiers or perhaps revolutionaries picking through the streets with a large dog of indeterminate breed lapping at their heels.  As they noticed Dimitri they leveled weapons though the apparent commander signaled for them to hold fire, "This area was overrun by the Steamworks."  he intoned cautiously, "How do you come to be here?"  at his side the dog began to yip and growl at the unnatural ice beast before them and the soldiers tired but well trained went on alert, "No further!"  the squad leader commanded as he pulled a device from his belt and aimed it at Dimitry as he fiddled with knobs along the side, "No boiler."  he said with confusion and the guns didn't waver, "Can't be a Steamwork with no boiler what is it..."  he murmured examining Comrade frost with grave concern.  Jack and Talya it seemed had gone unnoticed behind Frost where they lurked just out of sight.

[alderwitch]

"No, no, my fine lads," Talya said smoothly as she stepped out from behind Comrade Frost, offering her most disarmingly sweet smile. "We don't mean to be interrupting your... whatever celebration that might be. You see, we're just looking for Ace Danger? Tall, blonde chap - nice smile, good teeth. Tends to catchphrase his way into troublesome situations?"

 

It was a calculated gamble as even-odds that Ace wasn't actually on their side in whatever the recent troubles might have been but Talya had always been willing to play the odds. Especially when her odds involved one Comrade in frowning-about-the-revolution mode and a certain Espadas when he was willing to get his over-protective on. Talya smiled once more showing very even white teeth. "We're on an errand from his family, you see."

[Gizmo]

"Look, I'm not saying we let him get shot but he did volunteer," Erik sighed quietly as he sauntered out with considerably more care than he was projecting. He did some rough mental arithmetic as he took up a position on Talya's other side, the sort that involved how close he needed to be to their new acquaintances to be able to close the distance in a single lunge, how quickly he could move from disarming one to the next. All in all he wasn't particularly worried, weird steam guns or not. He was pretty comfortable with the idea of mixing magic in with biology or in this case what passed for technology here but he still wasn't sure he was going to recognize the good guys from the bad if it came to it. "How's it going?" he called casually, balancing his weirdly luminous scimitar of dimensional energies across one shoulder. "Good looking dog."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Hey, little fellow," said Dimitri to the dog, his eyebrows creasing together for a moment. He missed dogs, sometimes. It was obvious that he was more interested in the dog than the men pointing guns in their direction. Rather than frighten what was obviously a combat-prepared animal, he said, "Yeah, good luck with your counter-revolution, buddy, but we just looking for Ace Danger. We take him off your hands, no troubles." He waved his hand, looking distinctly fatigued beneath his icy armor. Hey, at least language glamour still works. I don't really have an interest in learning steam-age Arabic or wahtever they're actually saying. Eying the guns, he went on, "I know it's warzone but you should point that thing at your enemy not at likes of us. And mind your trigger discipline." The last was not bark, not in combat, but a sharp retort.