11283/The Journey: 1 - The Magician

The Journey: 1 - The Magician
Date of Scene:	03 June 2022
Location:	The Velvet Room - Hallway
Synopsis:	The door of The Magician opens and the members of the JLD work towards utilizing the power in tandem to overcome the obstacles blocking their path on The Journey.
Cast of Characters:	Chas Chandler, Robbie Reyes, Gabby Kinney, Jonathan Sims, Michael Hannigan, Rien D'Arqueness, Cael Becker

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Chas Chandler has posed:
    The second of the strange doors in the long spanning Hallway of The Velvet Room Castle is open! All who can come to see the mysteries of The Magician!

    Again the room beyond is obscured by a literal curtain of flying blue morpho butterflies cascading up and down in a flutter of vibrant blue that shimmers as the lights dance off their wings. There is no sign of Igor this time, it seems the caretaker is content to let the new tennants take initiative without his interference tonight.

    The door of 0. - THE FOOL is no longer a door. It has currently been replaced with a stained glass depiction of the tarot card it represents glowing with eerie phantom light of its own that is in no way relatable to any light sources of the outside.

    Chas stands before it, hands in his pockets looking at the curtain. "Well, the last one wasn't so bad... a bit of introspection and bit of philosophy and a giant gaping chasm." He looks up at the plaque reading I. - THE MAGICIAN in the same stylized font of the previous door and sighs. He's dressed in jeans, a white tee, and his work boots. The tattoo of arcane energies and symbols on his neck writhes with a mind of its own but it's more a distraction to others than anything of note to him, he's had it for years and has since become accustomed to it.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie's not sure what to make of the butterflies, and to be fair, they're not sure what to make of him, either. Like most creatures, they sort of.. skitter away from him if he gets too close. His hand's extended toward the 'curtain', and they stream between his fingers and fall away like iridescent water.

"We goin' in?" he wants to know. The question's directed, possibly, at Chas. And the young man himself is dressed in tight black jeans and scuffed combat boots, and a worn black hoodie with the sleeves presently pushed up to his elbows, exposing a large portion of the barbed and fletched *yaomitl* along his forearm.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney stands close by as well allowing the others to examine the butterflies this time. Granted she'd already examined them the last time when she tried, and failed, to catch them as she leapt through. They were just spiritual something-or-others and pretty ones at that which she could admire from where she was. Both ahnds clasp behind her back while she leans forward to regard the opening breifly, glancing back toward Robbie, Chas, and everyone else with a grin. "Of course we are. Just a matter of who goes first."

Breifly pausing she reaches out to touch the tattoo on Robbie's arm with a fingertip squinting at it as she hadn't seen it before. Her curiosity/distraction is satisfied so she looks back to the door with a hum. "Everyone gets upset if I leap in. Well most everyone."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon stands there with his hands in his pockets, peering at the butterfly curtain. He wears a t-shirt and jeans and sneakers like he does most days of late, with New York heating up, and hair has been dyed a similar blue to the butterflies. "The Magician," he muses. "The will in action. Resourcefulness, power, inspiration. In terms of the journey of the Fool it's... hmm. The realization of one's power to shape reality, I suppose."

    They tilt their head and then shrug, glancing around. "We go in," he confirms. He doesn't move to take the lead, however, content to let someone else do so as last time.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Unlike the time Mike was initially invited here and the time he taught Nameless a few more songs, his attire is not utilizing the tried-and-true jeans and T-shirt combination. While the jeans are still there, they are of a higher quality and black (of course). The Tee was replaced with a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, exposing the forearms with the scar still settled upon his right.

Despite the dark fabric, stray bits of grass clippings can be seen clinging to the outer hems on both sides.

There is no knit cap or ballcap to obscure the lengthy brown hair today but instead his hair is pulled back to a low set but neatly done ponytail. Or at least it was neat when he set it. The stray hairs that have arisen betray a period of time being outdoors.

The expression upon Michael's face seems tired. Lips set to a thin line as pale eyes look at the 0 card. Well. Not fully. His eyes do not appear to be really focusing upon the design or anything in his general vicinity, but they are following something.

He has not spoken a word beyond what was necessary since getting here.

After Chas speaks, Mike blinks, turning his head to look to those filtering inside. opens his mouth. His lips give a mild resistance to the process they had been closed for awhile but the task is successful. "Gaping Chasm?"

Seemingly coming back to the present, Mike looks to the design of the Fool.

Oh.

THAT Gaping chasm.

Mike turns to look to the door of the day. He doesn't reach towards the butterflies or approach them just yet. Robbie's poking at them enough for the rest of the group.

As Jon explains what the door represents, he looks over to him in consideration before looking to the doorway. He's not the closest to the entrance so he waits for those in front to move forward.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien studies the curtain of butterflies, watching them flutter and cascade over and around each other. It's nearly hypnotic. Still, she blinks, looking away from the butterflies and towards the others. When nobody makes the first move, she just shrugs and pushes forward herself. Carefully, not to jostle or shove, just nudging her way through the gathering towards the door.

In her comfy chic jeans and boots and top and jacket, blonde hair all soft waves and loose curls, she glances over her shoulder and smiles, "See you all on the other side."

And she steps through the curtain of butterflies...

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Well - good thing I have my pistol, then. That's how //I// affect change on the world," Cael remarks glibly, standing beside Jon as the group study the door. She's not looking towards Chas - she still does an awful lot of that, not looking towards Chas, though many present know precisely why.
    "Well," she adds. "No point waiting around - might as well get this over with." And so she starts towards and through the curtain of butterflies, fingers entwined with Jon's to drag him along with her.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas grins as Rien takes the first step in and looks to Robbie. "That answers that, doesn't it?" he says before he too walks through the curtain of butterflies. The shimmering curtain falls over his form like cool water that leaves no residue of their passing as they do for everyone who passes through.

    On the other side is an small earthen clearing surrounded by forest. A path shrouded in shadow leads further into the forest. There is a small hut to one side of a large firepit, currently unlit. A stone table sits before the hut.

    On the table are four items of power. A disc about the size of a man's hand with a five pointed star on it: a pentacle, a foot long smoothly carved stick: a wand, a blade of some silvery metal that does not look like iron or steel: a sword, and an unadorned golden goblet filled with crystal clear liquid: a cup.

    Chas emerges from the gateway of the room with a blue-white glow surrounding his whole form. He shivers as he enters and frowns at Rien. "Huh... less dangerous looking than the last one" he says before noticing the blue glow around him and starting. "Oh... sorry. Habit..." with an effort of will the blue glow fades from his body.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The Sin Eater isn't too far behind. After a glance over his shoulder at Gabby for the touch to his arm, he steps through the curtain, briefly aglow in the butterflies' luminescence before it wisps away like so much ash. He approaches the table at a slow prowl, eyes slightly narrowed as he peruses the contents.

And, being the impetuous young man that he frequently is, reaches out to pick up the sword, if he can. "Cup, sword, star thing, and I'm guessing that's a wand. One of you know something about the tarot?" Of course they do. Half of them are sorcerers.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney lets out a little huff of breath as everyone starts in. "Man. Wonder if I could get a tattoo," she mumbles beneath her breath before shrugging it off. Now was not the time to be wondering if her healing factor would keep her from getting ink. Now was the time to step through the door after the others--Which she does.

Amusingly it's perhaps one of the few times she's waited for the 'adults' to go first. Maybe it's because Tim wasn't here this time to help bolster her confidence. Or maybe she was just doing it 'the easy way' for once so no one would go on about children and leaping off cliffs. Either way she's after htem both, and pauses to stare at the items on the table. Her gaze drifts away to the hut. "I'm more curious about who's living here. And did we bring marshmallows? No? Always need them when there's a fire and they're never around."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon smirks at Cael and leans over to give her a kiss before she drags him forward through the door. Once in the clearing on the other side, he squeezes Cael's hand and then drops it to step forward and reach out toward the cup on the table. His hand goes right through the cup, and he shakes himself a bit, looking around. "I would... expect that maybe it's the 'Magician' who lives here?"

    He gestures to the objects on the table. "I've been learning about the Tarot... the objects represent the four suits of the Minor Arcana. They're usually shown on the Magician card. I've been focused on the Major Arcana so I don't know as much about them, but I know they have traditional elemental associations. The wand is fire, the sword air, the cup water, the pentacle earth."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
With Rien effectively being the first person to start the line at the buffet of discovery, Mike steps forward, starting to follow after. He doesn't end up immediately behind Rien after crossing the butterfly barrier. There were several persons closer to the door than him that also decided to step forward.

Emerging on the other side, the musician catches the last moment of Chas glowing. He gives a small smile to the apology. Seems someone was being extra cautious. "Can't fault you for being careful." Mike responds to Chas before he continues forward, getting a closer glimpse to hut. His attention shifts to the table as Robbie asks about the tarot. A shrug is given as he looks to the sword and the cup. And then he looks to Jon expectantly for the explanation.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien had gone through the curtain and stepped through the other side to... a woodlands scene that she's not exactly unfamiliar with. All that's missing is the French Alps in the background. Moving towards the cottage, she halts when Chas comes through after, turning and offering a wry smile, shrugging, "Nothing wrong with being prepared. I might have been a bit more upset had you come through firing off magical energy blasts or the like."

As the other start trooping through and all head straight for the table and it's contents, she lets out a small sighing chuckle before lifting a brow at Chas and tilting her head towards the cottage, "Lets go see if anyone is home, shall we?" Turning back around, she starts towards the cottage.

Approaching, she tries to knock on the door, while observing everyone trying to pick up the items on the table. "Jon, myself, Chas, Lydia... we're all pretty well-versed in tarot." Not that she explains it, that she leaves to Jon, who LOVES to explain these things! Looking back to the cottage, she calls out, "Hello? Anyone home?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael stiffens briefly at the sight of Chas - glowing a gentle blue in the corner of her eyes. She ignores the apology, turning away to study the clearing instead, as she keeps her eyes on what they are doing. "Sorta peaceful. Better than a chasm, anyways," she remarks.
    As Rien approaches the cottage, Cael wanders away from the group towards the path - starting down it a short ways, without going to far as to lose sight of everyone, as she studies what lies ahead of them. Sure - the cottage seemed obvious, but to her... this way lies //adventure//.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    All the objects on the table seem to be phasic in some fashion as Robbie's hand passes right through the sword and touches the smooth surface of the stone table. It's not a spiritual or ghostly effect. It's something else as there is a tingling sensation if one of the objects phases through your skin for an extended period. -Something- is there, but how and why it's doing what it's doing isn't readily apparent.

    Chas shrugs at Rien and follows along to the cottage. The immediate silence in reply to her call is met with a frown. "Maybe he's not home?" he says. "Though... with this place build specifically for our discovery... I doubt it's ever that simple." He peers over to see what Cael can see further down the path. "Anything of note?" he calls to the woman.

    The answer to his question is... just more path. The canopied ceiling provides little in the way of light for the length of it but there is definitely -something- at the end. Something large enough to rise and block the path completely at its end--an obstacle of sorts.

    A voice finally comes from the cottage. "You don't have to be so loud..." the voice says as it opens the door. The owner of the voice is a youthful looking man somewhere in his late 20s or early 30s with sandy blonde hair and an open friendly face. A symbol that resembles a stretched 8 on its side and made of orange flames rests above his head. He is wearing a simple white tunic or toga or some sort. It's belted at the waist with a simple blue cord and a red and orange shawl rests over his shoulders.

    His eyes jerk from Rien and Chas to the people at the stone table and he pushes through. "Hey! Don't touch those things! They're delicate mystical artifacts!" He stops when he notes just how many visitors he has and blinks. "Oh... wow..."

    Those who remember the Journey of the fool would have a hard time not recognizing the man as the same fool that stepped off the cliff and plumeted toward the bottom with them during the last door.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie looks up sharply as someone comes out of the house, and starts chastising him for grabbing things he shouldn't. "Well, they don't got your name on them, do they?" he grumbles, mostly to himself. But at least he shoves his hand back into the pocket of his hoodie.

And then wanders a little closer, boots snapping the grass as he approaches the man with the weird flaming infinity symbol above his head. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney had paused at the fire pit to regard it thoughtfully while the others explored and tinkered over the various places and objects. It left her smack in the middle of both locations in case she has to move to one or the other at least. When the Magician makes himself known she stands from her half-crouch to regard him with a grin. "Oh, hey, mister Fool! Or I guess you're not a Fool anymore." The floating eight over his head is regarded a long moment.

Looking to Robbie she offers a shrug. "I mean, magically they might. I can't see magic, can you?" There's a pause as she considers, "Maybe Eli can. Oh hey, I wonder what would happen if I poked them another magical object?" She's about to turn around and find out! At least until her common sense stops her, just a bit.

"Er, wait, this is... what are we supposed to learn this time?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon eyes Rien for a moment. "I wouldn't say I'm 'well versed' in the Tarot. I only started studying it in earnest quite recently. If you have more insights, please share them."

    A brief frown to the objects on the table and he shakes his head to Gabby. "They don't look... they look like repositories of power, but not... mmm. Not any more magical than anything /else/ around here."

    He looks to the Fool--the Magician?--and coughs. "Ahh... sorry about that. I was curious." He can't speak for Robbie, after all. Others wandering off down the path, well... that's on them. He's fairly confident they'll all wind up okay. Fairly so.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike turns away from the table to look back towards the hut as Rien tries to see if anyone is home. Being that there was apparently another room earlier and he didn't go through there, he's uncertain to how this whole affair goes. So, yelling at a possible residence to see if anyone's home isn't too out of line by his assessment. Maybe that's what's supposed to happen. Maybe someone inside the room is supposed to pop out and give them a general game plan.

He hopes.

Because right now all he's doing is guessing.

Maybe they're supposed to take the items and do something with them?

That's theft.

Maybe not?

Eyes blinking he lifts a hand up to cover his mouth. The eyes close as he tries to stifle a yawn.

A glance is given over towards Cael as she starts to head towards the dark path. The glance is short lived when the new voice draws Mike's attention back to the cottage. Robbie's question causes for Mike to smile tiredly.

He might actually know this one! If the labeling over the door was any indication and this guy is living here. Guess that makes him The Magician.

Right?

Then Gabby's response proves him wrong again.

The fool in the Magician's room? Eyes closing, he thinks back to the ornate display of the Fool earlier. And the number.

The fool was 0. This room was 1. It's not quite enough for a pattern but he could guess. And he's pretty good at guessing.

Being correct is another matter. But he's practiced at guessing.

"Are you going to be in each room?" Mike asks of the newcomer.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Weeeeeeeeell... the Magician, when it appears in a spread, generally means tapping into one's full potential. It can also mean transformation." Rien turns a considering look towards Chas, arms folding loosely over her chest as she smiles. She turns back in time to see... Infinity Man in his toga/tunic. "Had you offered response when I first knocked, increasing volume wouldn't have been necessary. Just because I have all eternity, doesn't mean everyone else does."

She glances back towards the table with its four items, then to the young man. "A test, then? Who is worthy of the items? Presumably then some... monster or mystic will appear to be overcome in some fashion that requires the utmost effort from each of us?" Shrugging, she looks back to Jon, "A guess only. The tarot is unhelpfully mutable depending on where a card is, its placement, its position..." Shaking her head, she looks to Michael, "You can transform, too, yes? That -would- make four of our number that can..." Her eyes jump from Chas, to Jon, to Michael, then to Robbie.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "There's something obstructing the path!" Cael calls to the others. She considers for a moment, then shrugs her shoulders as she adds, "I'm going to go explore it! Feel free to join me." She leaves the others to talk to the man - as she decides to take a stroll through the woods. I mean, really, is it that much of a surprise that when offered the choice of 'talk to someone' or 'do something physical' - she chose the latter?
    The walk is pleasant as she somehow enjoys the shadowed path through the woods. It feels... almost comforting, as she moves sometimes at a walk, sometimes at a slow jog. With little else to distract her for the moment, she reaches back, rubbing at an itch at the back of her neck and shoulder.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    The man eyes Robbie. "Why... I'm the Magician, obviously!" he says, holding his hands out as if that explains everything. "I was about to set forth on a journey to overcome what lies beyond" he gestures to the forest and the path where Cael is. "But, well..." he frowns. "I am one man and there are four powers before me. I was trying to decipher how best to exert all four at once." He smiles at those gathered. "But now... with you all here... I might not have to. Come, come, gather around please." He coaxes the others forward to join him at the table.

    To Gabby he smiles though there is a considering gleam in his eyes. "I might've been. I'm not sure. Did you meet me at another point in my life? Is appearance the only judge of who a man is? Or is there something more to him within that defines him? These are all things I hope to discover and perhaps... if you and I run into each other again, you will discover it with me."

    Mike gets a similar look of consideration. "I may? This is my journey after all. It would be rather silly of me to not be on each step of the path, wouldn't it? But who can say for certain? I could go into the woods to overcome the obstacle before me and get eaten by a bear for all I know. But I hope to be able to overcome it and get to the end of it in once piece. Changed, but unbroken. That is the ultimate goal for all things in life isn't it?" he smiles.

    He turns to regard Rien. "Yes. Exactly. Or well... not entirely. No. Too many people for worthiness to come from simply four of your number." He looks at the items and ponders for a moment. "Oh I have an idea." He gestures and the mystics attuned to this sort of thing can -feel- the extent of his power. He is powerful, that much is clear in the gesture. The four items, all repositories of power, duplicate. Now two of each item rests before the party on the stone table. "Much better!" he says with a pleasant nod.

    "Now... what for who... hm hm hm..." he ponders, picking up one of the wands. "You..." he says, pointing to Robbie. "The one with a skull of fire for a face... this is yours, Eater of Sinfulness." He says setting the wand on the edge closest to Robbie. He picks up the other wand and looks at the group gathered. "You... the angel... this is yours, Dominion Over Freedom." He sets the other wand closest to Chas.

    He next picks up one of the cups. He regards the cup and then the group. "Speaker of Truth, for you..." he sets the cup before Jon. "And..." taking up the other he considers and then asked Jon directly, "Can you see that The Everywoman gets this one?" he asks, setting the other next to it before pointing to Cael wandering the path.

    "Next... Swords..." he takes up one of the silvery blades. "Hmm... I think you are fit for this one, Queen of All and Nothing" he sets the sword before Rien. "And... for you, Walker of the Sleeping Mind." The other goes before Michael with a cordial nod of acknowledgement. "Yes, I think that works best. Which leaves..."

    He takes up the two discs with the star on them. "Here. For you, Driver of Destiny" he says, offering one to Gabby. "And the last, will be mine."

    He smiles again, seeming pleased with his work and takes a breath. "Well, I suppose there is no time like the present to get on with it. Shall we?" he asks, looking to those around him for their acceptance.

    Chas for his part looks bewildered at the offerings present. His confusion is two fold: one, how the items were dispersed. He can see a bit of logic in it, sure. But what the items do... is still a mystery. Even so he takes up the wand offered to him and looks at it. Simple, unpolished but smooth wood. He can feel the fire in it. The flames of inspiration, courage, primordial forces within... a echo of the very makeup of his new form. His second point of confusion is the names given to hsi companions. How is he able to see them for what they are without any obvious transformation?

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie can't help but to snicker at Rien's comeback. This poor man; they all waltz in onto his property, and proceed to give him a hard time.

But the brief amusement's gone by the time the stranger gets to addressing them, and reveals something surprising: that he actually *sees* them. The Ghost Rider looks.. discomfited by this turn of events. How the hell can this guy just know what he is? And, to add insult to injury, he's being equated to an angel. The nerve of this jerk.

"What are we supposed to do with these?" he asks, reaching for the wand. Picking it up this time, if he's able.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney reaches out with both hands to accept the pentagram disc which she regards with a strange feeling of awe, interest, and curiosity all at once. Though she's usually a bit hyper, perhaps forced at times, she quiets down while holding the object given and considering the title that the Magician had called her by. "Driver of Destiny." It's turned over in her head even as she turns the disc over a few times regarding it with deep thought, and a slow growing smile.

Glancing up again she shifts her gaze down toward the path that Cael had gone. "We should probably catch up with her before she finds herself against whatever is blocking the path on her own. Since we're all here, it's not something any of us have to face alone."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon blinks at the Magician for a moment, then inclines his head to the title he's given. It's accurate, after all. Receiving the cup himself doesn't surprise him in the slightest, but the second...

    "The Everywoman? You mean Cael?" It's an apt name for her, but he blinks for a moment before picking up his cup. The feel of it is familiar, almost comforting. He smiles, then picks up the other.

    "I'd say... take them and start on the path?" He starts off that way himself, so he can hand off the cup to Cael. "I'm curious what other people felt from their items. I feel... hmm. A wellspring of emotion and intuition, the drive to make connections--or the pain of loss that comes from those connections being denied. The cups has sorrow and nostalgia among their meanings along with love and joy, after all."

    A glance to Rien over his shoulder and a nod. "That's one of the things that's making it harder to learn than just memorizing meanings... everything shifts based on placements." Then he jogs along the path, long legs eating it up to catch up with Cael and offer her the second cup.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Pardon." Mike apologizes to the magician. (Dammit. Shouldn't have changed the guess. Trivia 101 - ALWAYS go with the first guess) "I wasn't here for the first room so I'm getting caught up on what's going on."

Mike's glance shifts back to Rien as she starts giving more of an explanation of the meaning of the Magician. The question directed to him causes him to nod in response. "Ah you remember that..." he murmurs.

Then again it's not everyday you go diving into other dimensions to save souls.

Sure, considering the group gathered here It's probably a lot more frequent than people would think. But not EVERY day.

The movement of the magician brings his attention back to the eight obj- eight. Watching the items get dispersed, he watches as one of the two items he felt drawn to is offered to him along with the wordy title. "Thank you." he offers in response to the magician before taking the sword. He lifts it, considering the offered item. "...It's lighter than I thought it would be."

And then Gabby points out one of the party has wandered off. Mike lowers the sword, looking to Gabby and then in the direction she's looking.

With Jon already on the move in that direction, Mike starts to follow after.

Didn't the magician mention bears in the woods?

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Glancing sidelong towards Chas, Rien lifts a brow as the Magician passes between them towards the table. She's fighting a smile, however, as they all gather round to see what everyone is given. None of the selections seem to surprise Rien, she even makes a scabbard appear on her hip before he hands her the sword. Taking it with a nod, she sheathes it and rests one hand on the pommel.

Sidling over, she sneaks a kiss to Robbie's cheek and smiles, "The wand represents raw power, raw ability... unshaped, untapped. It's pure potential. And that's you, Robbie. You can be so much more than you think of yourself." It's murmured quietly to him, with a small nudge.

She shifts, looking towards Jon, that smile growing a touch as she nods, "Very true." She glances to the sword, then back, still smiling, "Clarity of mind, clarity of purpose. Confidence." To Michael, she chuckles, "Even at my age, I don't forget run-ins with Big Red. He's singularly unforgettable. And that Chainer was a rather nasty specimen."

Then there are others that are moving down the path and so, she quickly starts to usher the rest of the group along as well. "Come now, we can't leave our compatriots to face the obstacles alone... together now."

Cael Becker has posed:
    It takes Jon a little while to catch up with Cael - she'd been moving at aa steady clip, all on her own. She turns back at the sound of footsteps however, and offers a smile of greeting when she spots Jon - pausing to allow him to catch up. "Alone in the woods..." Of course, with the two of them, nothing it going to happen other than the brief kiss she offers - before taking the cup from him.
    "A cup of water, love? I haven't been hiking that long," she remarks with amusement - but she can feel it as well when she touches it, as it somehow summons to her mind all the connections she's been making of late after years of self-imposed isolation, and a pang of loss for her sister - who she won't see for many years. "Uhh... Thank you?"

Chas Chandler has posed:
    The Magician looks at Robbie with bewilderment. "I don't know... you do whatever comes to mind. They're tools, nothing more. A way to express what you are in this place against the obstacle before you." He sighs. "But if you must see an example, fine." He holds the disk in his hand and bends down, placing his hand in contact with the earth beneath them.

    "I can sense all that lies in our vicinity" he says, his voice growing slightly distant. "I can feel the earth beneath you all and feel it around our obstacle. We will not proceed without its removal and thus our journey will be cut short. We must work together to see that our will is greater than its will." He rises and dusts his hand off on his robes. "But it's different for each person. As different as your Names. An expression of who you are given the correct route to be loosed upon the world."

    He gestures to Jon and Cael. "They have the right idea. Our obstacle is there at the end of the path. Are we to stand here and stagnate or go forward and face our opposition as true warriors and privateers of our own destiny?" he asks. His tone at least -sounds- inspirational, even if the words are up to those who listen.

    The woods Cael is passing through doesn't seem to change. Literally. The same trees, the same twigs on the ground. She's not getting any closer to their destination and even as she stops it's clear she hasn't gone more than maybe ten feet down the path, despite the pace she had been setting. Only as the others approach, and the Magician sets his foot on the path does it seem that forward progress can truly be made.

    Chas for his part tosses the wand up in the air. It turns end over end multiple times before he catches it and nods. "We're both fire. We're both passionate. And we're both men. It makes sesne, even if we're on different sides of the spectrum... so to speak" he says to the Ghost Rider. He doesn't seem to mind the association or the name for that matter even if the man's Insight is still staggering. But a Magician is a worker of will and diviner of mysteries--it really shouldn't come as a surprise. "I'm game... if you are" he says, brandishing his wand in a compatriotory fashion to the younger man with a soft smile.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The wand's hefted into Robbie's hand, turned over, and given a little flick-- like he's half expecting it to do something. The heck if he knows what it's supposed to signify, after all. But then Rien's elucidating for him. And dropping a kiss to his cheek, no less. It's enough to banish the thoughtful frown that's settled between his brows and at the corners of his mouth, mismatched eyes lifting to hers for a few beats.

"Ain't amounted to much yet." High school dropout, stole a car and got shot to death. "The sword suits you, though." Because she is what she is; one would have to be blind not to see it.

Then the Magician is urging them forward, and he goes. To Chas, as the older man addresses him, "I don't got any beef with you." He even 'fist bumps' Chas's wand with his own in passing.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"You managed to get my sister so that amounts to something," Gabby tosses back cheerfully before adding, "And been taking care of your brother, too. It's not all about BIG things. Just IMPORTANT ones." At least that's how she sees it. The disc she has is held up aloft on fingertips attempting to balance it even as she marches forward with a juanty step. Partially to make up for distance lost to those with longer legs, partially because she was full of energy.

And. Something else. Holding the disc certainly made her feel as if she was more centered, balanced, and in tune with all around her. Focused. Grounded. "I feel like I'm not getting distracted as much right now," she utters quietly for any to potentially hear.

Curious and exploring still she checks to see if she can stick her fingers into the points of the pentagram and spread them to increase it's size overall, or if it's just... A disc. For now.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon returns Cael's kiss, and then says, "Each of us has something of our own. I would've thought the wand, for you... but you /are/ quite an emotional person, I suppose." He smirks briefly, and looks around as the others come up alongside.

    "It's funny, I feel... hmm." He takes a sip of water from the cup and raises a brow. "It's rather like my own water, but... far more powerful." He considers the cup in his hand as he walks, the water not threatening to spill even a bit as they approach the obstacle.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Oh yeah, that stuff I got covered in felt real nasty." Mike tilts his head towards Rien slighty, "I ran into Red at a meeting later where we had more proper introductions. He wanted to call me Smashwolf after that one. Seems he knew too many Mikes he wanted to punch."

Which seems to be a running theme nowadays. Good thing the stage name is Nick.

Realizing his steps were slowing while talking to Rien and the couple might want a bit of space while they chat, he starts to quicken his pace in an effort to catch up to the two cup holders. Fortunately the limitations to how far they can travel down the path helps in that process.

Being that he was handed a bladed weapon, Mike opts not to treat it like a fidget spinner. That might cut the trip short.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"That sounds entirely like Big Red. I still don't know if he's ever actually said my name or if he just calls me 'you' because the French makes him self-conscious." Rien laughs lightly and lifts a shrug towards Michael. She shakes her head, "It's an American thing, I'm pretty sure. Your name doesn't define who you are. There is a Michael that this entire group truly despised... but we don't discriminate against the name."

She waves a hand towards Michael and creates a scabbard and belt around his hips, scabbard opposite to whichever hand he's holding the sword in (so if he's right-handed, the scabbard is on the left hip, and vice versa!).

Lingering along with Robbie, she loops an arm around Gabby's shoulders and brings her in for a squeeze, "Do you know why you were given the pentacle, Gabby?" She seems genuinely interested in what Gbby will say, smiling at her sister as they walk along.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You take that back," Cael remarks with amusement - giving Jon a light jab with her fingers. She grins at him - then gives her cup a considering look. "Am I supposed to drink it?" she asks, as they continue walking down the path. She sniffs at cautiously, before taking a sip - a sigh escaping her lips as she can feel strength and confidence filling her muscles. It wasn't too dissimilar to how it had felt to wear the amulet.
    "Where's Steve when you want a sparring session, huh?" she asks - before taking another drink.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    The Magician is silent as he sets on the path. This is a journey for him and one that requires a great deal of introspection and serenity--even if he has friends along for the ride. He seems content to let them banter amongst themselves all the same.

    The woods, while dark and dangerous looking beyond the path offer no threats, no signs of aggression. There are animals, because no woods is without wildlife, but they seem to be the sort of live and let live. Deer, small rodents, and even a fox leaps across from one side of the path to the other in search of some prey.

    The obstacle they approach isn't far, despite everything before saying the contrary, and soon they are upon it.

    The rock was huge, nearly the size of one of the more iconic skyscrapers of Manhattan and has wedged itself up against the mountain before them. The face of the mountain around it show signs of the impact point, cracks that have worn away with time but still give enough testament to the boulder's cataclysmic impact.

    The Magician stops before the boulder and tsks. "This is no good. We'll need to move it if we're to continue. Well.. best we get to it." The casualness with which he approaches the task of moving something that clearly weighs hundreds, if not thousands, of tons might seem mind boggling.

    It certainly does to Chas. He blinks up at the boulder. "You want us to... to move that?" he says looking incredulous at the rest of the group. "I... I mean, we're strong but that has to be..." He looks at the wand and focus on it. There's power there. Potent power that seems to echo and merge and blend with his own, magnifying the will in him and giving him the strength to inact his own will on this world. Maybe with enough strength and a combined effort... they might actually be able to do this impossible feat.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Dawdling just behind Rien and Gabby while they link arms and chatter with one another, Robbie's only dimly aware of what the others are saying. He does give the latter a brief glance when she speaks to him, and attempts a smile. Which, for him, means he looks a little less angry.

Once they come upon the obstacle in their path, he pauses. Cranes his neck to look up the height of it, then walks forward to run his hand over it contemplatively. "You figure if we.." He sends Chas a slantwise look. "Change forms. Maybe we can double-team this thing? Wonder how this'll affect the Rider." The wand, he probably means.

Well, no time like the present to find out. He clenches his teeth, biting down on the familiar pain that overwhelms him as the demon burns his flesh away, and sends up a great gout of hungrily burning flames from the vents in his metal mask.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney feels Rien's arm go around her before she sees her sister there as her attention is fixated on the pentagram fidget-spinner she'd created. It's at least balanced on her fingertips for now, though when she's tugged in for that one armed hug she grasps it properly and slides her other arm around Rien to return the squeeze.

"Why did I get this?" She doesn't answer outright or immediately as they walk up to the rock blocking their path. She could say something witty, or clever, or funny. Something silly or amusing. A soft 'hm' is given as she considers all the options and instead chooses the more introspective thought that had come over her.

"It's about fate, right? Finding our footing in life." Or so she gathered, a bit. "He called me the Driver of Destiny' and that's funny because I was always told what my destiny would be, so I didn't believe in destiny. I'm still not sure I do... Because I know I can make it whatever I want it to be."

The squeezed hug tightens again momentarily. "I've lived through a lot. Lost a lot. Gained a lot. And lost again. I could just keep dwelling on it but I try to use the experiences to help me move forward to something better again. I think maybe that's what he meant by 'Driver of Destiny'. As for this?" A small shrug. "If it's related to that, then that would make sense. I don't know what it does. It's a tool he said, though, so I guess I'll find out as I go."

Quietly she adds, "I still miss all my sisters. I wish you could have met them too. I'm doing my best to live as much as I can in their place." Then the boys start to change causing her to grin. "... Can we really not walk around it or maybe go under?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon doesn't say much as they walk along, pondering the cup in his hand. He doesn't take another drink, the way Cael is. Instead, his fingers drift across the surface of the water, never quite touching it, but causing ripples within the liquid as it goes.

    When they reach the boulder, he stops and frowns up at it. "I think... the Magician would not be about moving /around/ the obstacle. It's... the will to change the world. To look at an obstacle and overcome it in whatever your particular way might be." He chews on his lip a moment. "And... presumably we have to do it together, yeah?"

    A moment's thought and then they swirl their hand, so that the water pulls up out of the cup. This doesn't lower the amount of water in the cup; it seems to be an inexhaustable well of power. "I draw power from other sources, shape it and mold it, and use it to sculpt the world as I see it should be. My kind of water is the river, swelling from a spring and carving a path through mountains and desert and giving life along the way. A river can carve a canyon in the greatest mountain, given time."

    They grin, and with a gesture, send a gout of water at the stone, as thick as a man's leg, hoping to help remove the boulder by wearing it down.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Maybe not but for some it my reflect wh-" Mike pauses, getting quiet for a moment, "Well, I got plenty of names to work with." Feeling a weight on his hips and against his left pant leg, Mike glances down. He turns his head to look back to Rien who had already done something similar for herself. He cracks a smile, "Thanks." He takes a moment to stop and put the sword in the scabbard.

Upon reaching the large rock, the musician sighs. Studying the rock. "I could probably go through it but that wouldn't-"

Mike steps from one side, glancing to the ground, and then turns, walking to the other side. He seems a bit more alert than when he was in the hallway. "Hmm. It doesn't look like it is all rock underneath this one. So, What if we removed enough from the side... and maybe set it off balance so it rolls a bit? Soften up the dirt portions, dig up one side and shove near the top to start the teetering process?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien smiles at Gabby and murmurs, "You also help others onto or along their own paths of destiny. You help to drive others to delving deeper inside themselves, pushing them to become more, or better than they were." She pauses as they reach the boulder, looking at it from the ground, then looking to Gabby, "Now. If this were a dream, and you needed to move this boulder... how would you go about doing it?"

Then she's stepping forward, that light blue glow enveloping her form completely as she murmurs, "I am my own power... a wellspring fed from the very cosmic energies that all matter, all life, is based from. I reshape the world through an iron will and stubborn tenacity." She smirks faintly as she begins to envelope the stone in that same light blue glow, "And with far more creativity and style than a certain Archangel who couldn't imagine his way out of a wet paper bag."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael takes a deeper gulp of the water, but notices it's still quiet full. "Odd," she remarks under her breath - her gaze going to Robbie and Chas as the younger man starts urging the cabbie to transform himself into something that Cael, quite friendly, did not want to deal with. "Jon... you've got me, right?" she murmurs a bit uncertainly, her gaze locking onto his, and staying there until he offers the needed reasurance.
    "Chas - you better stay blue, because I swear if you go cold I'm shooting you //again,//" she asserts firmly.
    She turns her attention towards the boulder, studying it with a determined look. Her first instinct is to tackle it head on - trying to simply shove the thing out of the way while the others work. It doesn't strime her as the smart move so she asks, "Jon - can you make me a shov-" she starts - only to find the towel forming in her hands, as the result of her own will. "Oh. ... right." Weird place.
    She sets to work, digging out from under the front edge of the boulder, her enhanceed strenth making easy work of the packed earth as she weakens the stone's stability.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas looks at Robbie and nods before he grins at Cael. "Cael... relax. I've got this already" he turns back to the Rider and lifts the wand in his hand. A repository that rebounds and exponentially enhances his own strengths. A cold blue-white glow surrounds his form. As the glow covers him completely his eyes match the color of the aura, flashing with some of the hottest fires of supergiant stars. "Let's give everyone a hand and get this thing out of the way."

    He moves forward and stands before the rock. Jon's hydroblast sprays mist down over him that he seems not to mind. He tucks the wand into his pocket and punches the earth at the base of the bounder, driving his fist and his arm up to the elbow into the ground beneath the rock. "I've got the bottom..." he says. He sends his other fist into the ground beside it to take hold and tries to lift the rock out of the way.

    It's so heavy. Heavier than anything he's tried to move before and he doesn't even feel like he's making headway as he uses the force of creation, the power that brought the stars together in cosmic infancy, against the immense weight of the rock.

    The Magician nods with excitment in his eyes. "Yes. Yes. Sin Eater... use the chains that you bound your foes with and pull against the obstacle." He smiles and nods more emphatically. "Queen and Walker... use the element gifted to you. Use the wind of intellect and slice through this obstinate foe. Cut a path for it to travel freely from our midst."

    He moves up to Gabby. "You and I... we are connected to its source. Feel it." He turns his attention to the rock. "Feel the weight of it, feel how much more our will affects reality as it does. We can create our own path and it will have to move because we tell it to. Focus and simply" he waves a hand across the area in front of him. "Move it."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The angel's counterpart, of course, is a firestorm in the form of a demon. Where Chas is channeling the force of a cepheid, Robbie is the night bringer. His silver mask grows slender, curved 'horns' from its crest, and his teeth become a mouthful of wickedly long fangs; his fingers, tipped in serrated talons.

Talons that sprout several sets of chains, all of them raging with hellfire. He turns to look at Chas, and nods slowly. As if, somehow, the wand gives him perfect control over this form and its potential. Then he sends the chains winging around the rock from either side, embracing it in the raging inferno of his power. Then starts to pull steadily in time with the angel.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney glances up toward Rien when her elder sister explains more about what SHE does as well as what it might mean. The words do find a bit of peace within her--she liked to think she could help others as well. That it seems to be something Rien agrees with is rather encouraging.

As the others begin to shift into their powered forms she finds herself staring openly: She'd never seen Chas turn into an angel before. Nor had she seen Robbie react in such a way, either. It only takes a moment before she glances down to the disc in her hand. As the Magician himself had done earlier she leans down to place it on the ground along with both her hands letting herself -feel- the Earth. The boulder. Feel it, and feel the forces already working against it to push through. And with a deep breath she adds her own will into it to push apart, from the inside of the boulder, seeking to make a crack or crevace that the water and wind could find purchase with to help cut through.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon seems to be taking 'cut through' quite literally, and he /did/ say his particular form of water was the river. Starting at the top and trying to wear its way down to the bottom. He doesn't really think about manifesting a pair of multicolored wings or the circlet with the feather of Ma'at on his brow, he just sort of... does. The water gains quite a bit of 'oomph' as he does so, flowing more quickly and strongly in arn arc that heads for the boulder and works it wear it down.

    The water, where it sprays over people, is pleasant and even energizing, like a cooling mist on a hot day. It might help to keep up the strength and spirits of those doing the heavy lifting, if nothing else. "If Chas and Robbie pull apart either side... and the rest of us can create a crack... I think we can break it in two and make an opening. Like a door... or pillars."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks over to Rien as she poses the hypothetical dream question. "In a dream, I wouldn't move it." He answers, "The dreamer would. You don't focus entirely on the object. You focus on the environment around it. Cause a domino effect."

As Chas starts busting rock at the base of the boulder, Mike glances over nodding. As the chains are added in to help with the process of setting the boulder off balance, the expression strengthens.

Stepping back, Mike finds a patch of dirt and draws his sword. Point extended downwards, he glances to the boulder placement and the others. He looks down, using the point to essentially draw a rough outline of the boulder and the placements of the others. Arrows are added in trying to figure out where everything's going in terms of force.

"...But this isn't exactly a dream." Mike mumurs, circling two spots on the sketch.

His form starts to shift, Scar, once again moving to the left, while the scabbard now finds itself on the right. And yet the sword remains in the right hand. Mike takes off running towards the boulder, pushing off of the ground to leap up to an unnatural height. There comes a point where it seems he's merely suspended in air as he raises the sword up and starts plummeting downwards towards one of the spots he outlined in his sketched. With the speed of descent and the focusing of Phantasmic strength towards the sword, he swings downwards at his chosen target area, generating a sharp gust of wind to strike the rock.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien probably seems dull by comparison to the others. She doesn't shift or change forms, just that light blue glow enveloping her body as she exerts her will over the boulder in tandem with the others. As everyone else starts to add in their own efforts, personalizing things with their own flair, Rien decides to switch things up a little herself.

Focusing her will, that blue glow around the boulder condensing down to where it's started to crack and break open. And there a fist forms, a fist sporting glowing blue bone-looking claws from the back of the hand. "Let's crack this egg..." She rears back one hand, those bone claws extending from the back of her hand, all near three feet of them. And punches down towards the ground. THat large glowing blue fist follows suit, slamming down claws first into that opened crevice in the rock. Trying to force it open fruther, working with the others to split the massive stone in two for Robbie and Chas to pull apart.

Cael Becker has posed:
    As the others all focus on breaking the rock in half, instead of moving it, Cael shifts the locaction of her trench to help one of the halfs fall far enough to the side to help reveal the path. Once she feels like she's move enough earth, she then turns towards the boulder - swinging her astral shovel with all the considerable strength in her form, to bring it down right at the joint Jon is opening up.
    But somehow hitting it with the shovel isn't satisfying enough - so as the shovel fades out, she takes a few swings with her fists, leaving a smear of blood across the surface of the stone. "Hurry up and BREAK!" she shouts at it - all while doing her best not to look in Chas' direction. At all. Even for a moment.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    The Magician focuses his own will in tandem with Gabby's and the joining of powers is complete. There is a cracking sound and a split rides up the middle of the boulder, weaving a jagged path of least resistance over the massive obstacle. "More! More!" the Magican calls over the crack and crumble of rock, wind, water, and flame. Then it splits and the two halves of the monstrous rock fall aside, revealing a small archway in the cave that is filled with blue butterflies. Above the arch is a plaque depicting a card of blue with two eyes beneath an infinity sign a flame and two hands beneath it. On the card is the roman numeral for one. "I thank you my friends... I hope that we will meet again soon..." the Magician says and with that the he fades from view in a sparkle of blue motes. The artifacts gifted fade in similar fashion with him, leaving cascades of blue motes flickering around the members of the group.

    Chas slumps back as the boulder breaks apart and stumbles, falling to the ground. The blue glow fades from his form and his eyes return to normal. "God... that was intense... but we did it!" he says looking around at the others in support and glee. "That was incredible, guys. Really." He chuckles softly and pushes himself up, dusting off his pants and his hands.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The harder the Ghost Rider pulls, the stronger he seems to become. Until the chains are taut, and the rock begins to flake off and crumble under the combined force exerted on it. He twists the chains, wraps them around his wrist with a scrape and spark of metal on granite, and then roars as the boulder breaks and comes apart.

No sooner have they completed their task, and the Magician taken his leave of them, than Reyes's form begins to shift. The horns and claws crumble into ash that's buffeted away on the updraft generated by his raging inferno. And then that, too, goes out; and the process of healing what look like third degree burns begins. Painful, clearly, given how he's grimacing and trying not to cry out.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney bounces back to her feet when she hears the cracking of the rock splitting in half. Feels it as well as hearing it, really, and that was... such a rush to feel. Her hands clap together with a whoop of excitement as they do indeed all work together to get the end result of breaking apart the boulder. "We did it! Great job everyone!" A quick little hop and fist pump to the sky is given.

Then she whirls around to give Rien a hug, before hopping over to do the same to Robbie--Only to pause when she sees the pain he's in. Very, very gently she pats his shoulder. "Good job! We'll get you a drink later," she promises, and then she hops over to hug Chas. And everyone else in turn unless they give her 'DO NOT HUG ME' vibes, which she might get from Cael if she recalls right. "We did it!" She still cheers with excitement. "See these aren't so hard at all. We'll get through them in no time."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    As the boulder cracks open Jon sags a bit as well. Despite not having done /physical/ work, the channeling was exhausting in its own way. Still, they conjure up more of their water, in simple cups, offering one to each person. "In case you're tired," he murmurs, taking his own cup and taking a sip. "But yes, /great/ job, everyone." He grins, a little giddily, for a moment, feeling the rush of success. Sadly for Gabby, Jon has fairly strong 'do not hug me' vibes but they gladly give her a high-five instead.

    The water, for anyone who drinks it, is crisp and clear and refreshing, washing away fatigue. It's water that can cure hangovers and poison, but it won't be enough to help Robbie in his extreme of pain.

    Jon hesitates a moment, looking toward Rien as if trying to see whether she'll be going to Robbie. Once he's sure she will, he moves over to Cael, frowning down at her fists and murmuring, "You always hurt your hands. Do you want me to...?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Considering Mike's approach and the loss of boulder, the musician falls to the ground. Toes pointed downwards and arms stretched out he ends up landing, feet first, legs bending at the knee until he stops in a crouched position. Arms spread out in front of him.

The figure stays there a moment before he straightens to a standing position. Everything switches back into position. Scar back upon the right, empty scabbard to the left before it too fades. Even the hint of darkness that was starting to creep out of the collar of his shirt has faded away.

All in all a fine outcome to this outing.

"That was a good distraction." Mike admits, sort of agreeing with Chas. Now the growls of pain from Robbie?

That's a bad distraction. A bit concerned, Mike starts walking over towards Robbie.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
It's a good thing the boulder had broken before Rien caught sight of the very burned Robbie. She's hugging Gabby when she sees him. Her eyes widen as the large clawed hand of blue energy disappears. "ROBBIE!"

That blue glow appears in a fiercely bright corona around his body and she chants something low and foreign under her breath. Even as the words start to tumble out, his burns start to disappear, skin healing and restoring to its natural condition. Hair sprouts and regrows in the blink of an eye.

The corona flares brighter, the blue bleeding out to a pure white before it flashes and disappears, leaving him whole and unhurt. And Rien looking torn between kissing him and slugging him. She may still do both!

In the meantime, she launches herself across the space and hugs him tightly, whispering something to him. Anyone nearby will hear, "Te dije que tienes mucho potencial, te veias totalmente rudo."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael pours the offered water over her hands, looking down at them as Gabby approaches. She back peddles abruptly, giving the girl an almost wary look - along with a small shake of her head, before her attention is captured by Robbie's plight. "What the-" she starts, looking relieved when Rien goes to help him - and Jon appears at her side.
    "Sure, love," she agrees - offering her hands to him with a small, wry smile. "I don't think I managed to break anything - other than the skin."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas smiles as he's hugged and as pleasantries are exchanged among the group. He gives Gabby and Michael both nods of comraderie and then gestures to the blue archway filled with more butterflies. "Shall we?" he asks, turning and strolling through the arch...

    And back into the hallway of the Velvet Room. "Just like before..." he says stepping aside to let the others filter out behind him into the hall. "Everyone up for a drink? I'll bartend..." he says with a smile.

    "That won't be necessary, Mr. Chandler..." comes a nasally voice behind the man. Igor stands there, in much the same clothes and posture as before. The tall custodian of the Velvet Room bows slightly at the waist. "I can attend to those duties myself. After all, you and your friends have just gone through a harrowing ordeal. The least we can expect of you is to force more work on you. Please,allow me to serve you all. I will be waiting..." At that he turns and moves toward the sitting room of the base, his steps measured and echoing on the tiled floor.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
In all fairness, Robbie's transformation to and from his demon form is *never* pleasant. His pain sensation is no different from any other human's; it's like being burned alive every time, like he was on the day he was killed by gangers. This time seemed.. worse, though. Probably on account of his enhanced form.

He doesn't, therefore, register Gabby's touch to his shoulder. He's busy trying to get through the next few minutes, and wishing his regeneration would kick in faster.

But then there's a wash of familiar power, and the pain's gone, and his body's whole again. He doesn't need to ask to know that it was, "Rien. Gracias, bebe." And he folds his bigger frame around her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thanks for the assist," he murmurs to Gabby, and gives Chas a wordless nod if he manages to catch his eye. Jon and the others, he watches with a giddy sort of detachment, without letting go of his girlfriend.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney falls back after her cheering and excitement fades to the more concerning issue at hand. Cael is being treated by Jon, and Chas is fine. It's Rien and Robbie she focuses on while clutching her hands to her chest with an uncertainm, nervous frown. "Sorry, wish I could do something to help more," she offers up while just... hovering nearby. Stupid stupid stupid. She knew he healed but he also felt pain. That must hurt. MUST. A lot.

Sometimes it was easy to forget how much something hurt when you didn't feel pain yourself.

Glancing after the departing Igor and Chas she looks back. "Uh, do you need help getting him to the room Rien? Somewhere comfier? Oh, if there's a doll on a chair don't sit on her."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon reaches down to take Cael's hands in his and blinks. "Cael... love... your fingers, they're..." Her hands and knuckles are swollen and bruising, only becoming evident now that everything's over. "You've probably fractured several bones." With a frown of concern he conjures up bright, warm sunlight surrounding her hands, a flare of noonday glow. The warmth and light knit together the bones and heal the broken blood vessels, sooth away bruising and swelling.

    When it's done, Jon kisses each of Cael's hands on the flame tattoos--/those/ did not get healed away--then puts an arm around her to head on out for the bar. "We need dinner," he comments idly. "Are we getting steak again? Maybe kebab for a change of pace? I don't know why you've been on this kick lately but..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Rien takes care of Robbie, Mike's steps in that direction slow to a stop. But soon Chas is nearby prompting him and Gabby to the hallway. Mike returns the nod before following Chas.

The offer of drinks, is appreciated and Mike does end up partaking in a beverage as his demeanor moves back to the way it was before.

Buttoning the sleeves of the dark shirt back up, Mike bids goodbye for the evening before using the door to return himself to the maintenance building of the cemetary.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien smiles and hugs him close, nodding, "De nada, amor." Turning a smile towards Gabby, she gives a small shake of her head, "Thank you but we'll be fine. Go celebrate! You did amazing." To the others, smiling, "We all did a great job. This was really great."

Looking back to Robbie, she murmurs, "You want to head home? You've had a big day, unleashing more of your potential than I've seen before." Rien doesn't seem inclined to let go of Robbie either. She smiles towards the rest of the group, "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up with you all later."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You think so?" Cael says with some surprise as Jon surmises that her hands were, in fact, broken. She looks down at them in surprise - holding still as the light of Jon's healing magic washes over them, and soothes the injuries. "It didn't really hurt much more than an ache," she remarks - still sounding puzzled, as she puts an arm around Jon in return, as they step back through into the castle.
    "I guess we could do kebab... Or... What if we did yakiniku?" she suggests. "With a side of yakisoba."