13279/Welcome Home Nessa

Welcome Home Nessa
Date of Scene:	05 November 2022
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Sera picks up Nessa from the airport. Welcome back to the USA! .. oh and here's a secret cult trying to bring an otherworldly giant cat in to the city. Woopsie.
Cast of Characters:	Sera, Nessa Donovan

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Sera has posed:
There's something so incredibly mundane about standing around in an airport waiting for your friend to get back via a flight. As magic users there's often so much flinging of magic about - portals, flying, and the like.. it's easy to forget that sometimes the best way to travel is by airplane. Especially if you need immigration to know you're actually in the country.

So Sera stands amidst the crowd of people near the arrivals. Some are holding up signs and a small smirk creeps across her lips. She should have made a sign for Nessa. Perhaps some kind of frozen pun. No, no she wants Nessa to relax and feel like coming home was a great decision.

She's dressed in jeans, her favourite t-shirt which says Acute Angle on it, and a black leather jacket. She blends in well with the humans, even if she looks like (compared to humans) she works out a lot. She does not.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa makes her way towards the arrivals. She's dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a simple ice blue t-shirt. She's clearly making a joke about that, as her hair is braided. Slung over one shoulder is a bag, likely her belongings, but it doesn't look like she has too much with her. She's even gone without the gloves or jacket for once, which is an improvement for the moment. Especially since airports mean pushing and shoving around. Good practice.

It takes her only a moment or two to spot Sera in the crowd before she holds up a hand and makes her way in that direction. "So glad to be off that plane," she mumbles.

Sera has posed:
Sera covers her mouth as she snrks loudly at the way Nessa has dressed herself today. An utter delight and joy to see. She embraces Sera in a warm mandatory welcoming hug. "Welcome home Nessa. The city has missed you," she states. There's some small amount of truth to that after the ladies book club helped birth a galactic spirit of New York.

"Come on, this way. Do you have a place lined up? if not, I have a delightful spare room in Brooklyn you can crash in. Angela won't mind. I'll move the weird black plant thing Strange gave me back to the basement. It seems to prefer gloomy spaces anyway."

She doesn't have to do quite so much pushing and shoving - people get out of her way. She doesn't command the presence of Sif, but she still has an aura about her. It might be magic in nature. Taking Nessa out she has a motorcycle parked there. Etched in to its body are a bunch of magical symbols. Protection wards and some other slightly weirder stuff.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Nice to know the city didn't forget about me," Nessa grins as she follows Sera out. "A place to crash would be nice. I actually hadn't quite figured out where to get back to, which is kind of a foolish thing now that I think about it. Plenty of other things to think about, I guess."

She grins on the way out, amused at Sera's impressive command of attention. She glances at the motorcycle, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you've got quite a ride at your disposal. This new?"

Sera has posed:
"I hear couch surfing is a thing. Being a wandering soul is a lovely way to live. I did it for a long time with Angela. It's been strange to make house on a single planet for so long. Two years now," she remarks casually. She smiles and helps strap Nessa's bag to the back of the bike.

A hand patpats the fuel tank and she nods her head. "Not new. I was given it by a bikie who thought I was there to kill him. Please, take it, he said.. threw the keys at me and ran away. How could I say no?"

She slides in to the drivers seat and shuffles to make sure Nessa has plenty of room. "But I figured if I'm going to avoid showing off my wings everywhere, I needed something fast that felt a bit like flying anyway. Nothing quite like driving at breakneck speeds through traffic to get the blood pumping."

She turns on the bike. It makes no noise - it's electric. There is a flash of magical energy that projects from the front of it momentarily but then it's gone.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Once Nessa's settled, she's happy to continue the conversation. "I enjoyed traveling, even though I didn't know quite as many people over there as I do here. Having familiar faces is something I had no idea how much I'd have missed." She grins. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that you'd be zipping about in traffic. Nothing quite like living on the edge like that."

Sera has posed:
Sera can't rev the engine of this bike, being electric and all. Instead, she puts power to it and it takes off. She weaves through the traffic and on to the highway heading away from the airport. "Well, you had my face every now and then."

She increases the speed as they head towards a tunnel under the water. "How has your magic studies been going anyway? did you ever manage to let it go?" She just can't help herself sometimes. But then she does something a bit weird as the enter the tunnel.

The bike veers off toward the wall and should have crashed through it. That magic activates again and instead they pass through in to a very different kind of tunnel. This one looks to be lined with sparkling gold and ethereal magic flows along its ceiling, walls, and the floor they're driving on. It looks to have aztec like carvings on the walls. This.. this is not normal.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Trust me, were it not for those video chats I would have gone absolutely nuts," Nessa grins. The mention of magic and Frozen twist the corner of her mouth in a smirk. "Things have been going well, but I don't know that 'letting it go' will ever be something I'll find it in my heart to do. I certainly feel much more of a sense of control if nothing else."

It's the surprise of the wall and the tunnel that capture her attention, though. "Well, this is... new. This something you added or did the bike come with this pre-installed?" She grins, even if she's a little surprised.

Sera has posed:
Sera drives down the traffic free tunnel. Magical energy is certainly flowing somewhere, roughly in the direction they're travelling. "This place? I don't really know where it came from. I was just riding around one day and then I noticed it there. It's a bunch of golden tunnel shortcuts. Super convenient."

The corridor darkens momentarily before the golden glow returns. "Also it does that sometimes. Kind of ominous. I keep meaning to go figure out what's at the heart of it all but it just keeps dropping off my todo list...."

She raises an eyebrow and smiles, "Though since a healthy chunk of the ladies book club is here - why don't we go check it out now?" As the tunnel forks, she takes a left instead of a right following the flow of magical energy.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"You know, that does sound like a fun investigation for the ladies book club." Nessa's grinning from ear to ear. "And it /has/ been a while. Nothing better of a welcome home than an investigation, right?" She glances around the tunnel more seriously now, seeming a lot more thoughtful.

"Good catch on finding this, though. I wonder who built it."

Sera has posed:
Sera glances at the murals on the walls and shrugs her shoulders. "My guess? It's probably part of the lost city of gold or something." Owing to all the gold and aztec like influences. She smiles though. Going on a mission with Nessa is like old times again.

Another turn and the tunnel expands out in to a vast open chamber. At its center are a group of robed and hooded figures bowing and chanting before what looks to be a gigantic magical cat eye peering through from another realm of existence. Sera comes to a stop.

"What the actual fuck..." she says in a hushed tone as she watches on. The magical energy seems to be flowing in to the rift that the giant cat eye is looking through, slowly prying it open more and more. "Did we just stumble on a cat monster cult?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's eyes go wide as they stop. She was expecting to investigate, she didn't expect /this/. "Well, shit, maybe we did. Are you as alarmed as I am that they're... making that rift bigger? I'm all about freedom of religion but I don't exactly like when religion decides to start..." She trails off.

"I don't know what they're doing, but I'm not sure I like it."

Sera has posed:
The giant cat eye disappears leaving a black void in its wake. Moments pass and then a giant cat paw slaps through the opening. It's huge claws spear through one of the cultists and he's yanked with a scream in to the darkness. A spray of blood comes out moments later.

The other cultists.. they just keep on chanting. "NUH uh. Nope. No way," Sera says agreeing with Nessa when she sees that. She shuts off the bike and slides off. "Time for us to kick some butt and close that rift." Her eyes search around the room.

She points at old stone levels in the walls. "It looks like there's some sort of system for adjusting the flow of the magic. If we can divert it away from the cultists may be the rift will close in on itself."

The giant cat eye returns and fixes upon the two sorceresses. A rumbling hiss fills the room.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Those are some dedicated cultists," Nessa mutters, cringing at the spray of blood. "They're content to be playtoys of a kitten thing." She takes a moment to glance over at the levers. "That sounds smart, them trying to use the power of the tunnels to siphon onto the ritual seems to make sense as to the flickering." She looks towards the eye. "Uh, I think that wants out. And I think it sees us."

Sera has posed:
Sera grimaces seeing that giant cat eye staring at them. She nods her head slowly, "Yeeah. I think it does. May be they've all been infected with interdimensional taxoplasmosis? ..any way you go clockwise, I'll go counter clockwise." She starts moving toward the first lever on her path.

The cultists, as one, stop and stand back up. Their chanting ends and they turn to look at the intruders. Each of them draws a magical dagger and begins to advance on them. One of them breaks in to a run at Sera.

Turning, Sera is engaged by the cultist and she grabs his arm to stop the dagger getting at her. A kick from him causes him to yelp in pain. She's built of sterner stuff than humans. With a twist, she slams his body in to the level causing it to go CLUNK and a golden stone door falls down over the tunnel, shutting off the magic flow.

She flips him over her shoulder and beats the knife away in to the magical energy. It sizzles and dances about like water in hot oil. "Magic daggers!," Sera calls out in warning to Nessa.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa starts to make her way clockwise, though as soon as she's aware the cultists are onto them, her back stays to the wall where she can make sure she sees all the threats at once. "Got it!" She calls in reply to Sera. Magic daggers are an important warning. With a wave of her hand, she creates a solid ice shield. Not *quite* a Captain America look, but definitely inspired. "Been wanting a good fight anyway."

She darts for the first lever she sees, the shield up to try and defend her if anyone rushes her while she does it.

Sera has posed:
Sera starts to make a run for the next lever. Two of the cultists charge in at Nessa and another one breaks in to a run at Sera. He tackles her crashing the two of them in to a wall. There's a scuffle and his knife goes flying. Sera rises back up with a cut along her arm. Her song reverberates in the walls of the chamber as her wings ignite, glowing white powerful magics.

A sword and shield appear in her hands and she beats the cultist with the shield, then rushes to the level, yanking down on it. Another of the golden doors CLUNKS in to place blocking off the flow of magic. The giant cat monster hisses angrily and a shadowy paw swipes out, razer like claws strike at Sera's shield tearing long holes in the magical construct.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
With the two coming towards her, Nessa gives a quick shove using her shield at one of them. It leaves her open to the other one, but she brings up her other arm, creating an icy gauntlet on her arm to block as the dagger comes down towards her arm. Thankfully, it doesn't make it fully through the ice even if it does get most of the way down with a hiss of steam. She kicks at him with one foot to try and knock him back while he's distracted by where his blow landed.

She's about to move on to the next lever when she notes the cat paw. "Hey, asshole, that's my friend!"

Sera has posed:
Sera scowls and tries not to pay too much attention to the intense magical ache in her arm from the dagger. She'll deal with that later. For now, the existential threat of a giant cat paw and claws has her attention. But then, so too do the cultists charging at her.

She does a spinning motion and cuts the wrist of one attacker, forcing him to drop his knife. The other she beats with her broken shield, picks him up, and tosses him across the way to the next level. CLUNK, another doorway to the magic seals closed.

The giant cat eye returns and focuses entirely on Nessa. It's like a heat, an energy, bearing down on her. Hot but not hot, magical though, which melts the ice as more cultists charge at her. "Not to brag or anything," Sera calls out, "But I've done three..."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Hey, I didn't know this was a contest," Nessa says, grinning. She slams her ice gauntlet on the lever before it melts away by the gaze of the eye. "Oh, you fucker." She raises a hand, making a javelin of ice and throws it right for the eye while rolling out of the way of the cultists and scrambling towards the next lever. She raises a hand up behind her after she rolls to spray anyone daring to be in that vicinity with a wave of ice shards.

Sera has posed:
The eye withdraws from the rift as the javelin is thrown. Darkness consumes the magical ice and in its place the tip of a tail pokes out. The last of the cultists split up and charge for Sera and Nessa. "You know I think that really is just a giant freakin' cat," Sera calls out."

She lets go of the shield and sword and instead begins to sing a different song, one of revelation. The music echos through the room and glowing golden collars of magic can be seen around the cultists necks.

"Knew it," she mutters. No one charges a person with a sword when they've only got a knife. Sera goes in to battle mode and kicks the first of the cultists charging at her; the second she arm locks so he can't use the knife. Her voice raises and she sings to the thing about his neck.

With a snap, the magical collar disintegrates and the middle aged merchant bank blinks a few times in confusion. He drops the knife and says, "Sss.. sorry I.. I don't know what I'm doing. Where am I?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"You know, I think you're right. I think it's an actual cat..." Nessa says, half-distracted as she goes for the last lever. Mostly, she figures Sera can handle the collars if she finishes off with the changing of the magical flow. Maybe if she finishes cutting off the flow the collars won't even be working on them.

"That kitty needs to lay off the catnip /right now/." She says, then slams a hand down on the lever.

Sera has posed:
Sera chases after the next cultist who she kicked away. As he gets back up she tackles him to the ground, her thighs on his upper arms. She sings once more to his collar and he too snaps out of it when the magic is broken.

With a loud CLUNK the golden door closes down and shuts off this room from the magical flow. The seam that ripped open to allow this cat monster creature to impose starts to shrink. The fluffy black tail tucks back in at the last moment as it seals up. The last two cultists stop charging at Nessa and look blankly around. One of them points to an unconscious man on the ground, "HIM! He did this to us!"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Looks like we found our culprit," Nessa mumbles as she brushes herself off. "I really hope that he didn't lure people in with a screenname of something like 'CatLover452' in an ad or something." She glances towards the two no longer cultists expectantly. In spite of the relative safety of the situation, she turns to make sure Sera's not too roughed up.

Sera has posed:
One of the cultists blinks and shakes his head, "No.." He points to a passage way with stairs. "It was a cafe, and the guy asked if I wanted to pet the cat."

Sera looks confused and then shrugs, heading up the stairs and out in to a regular looking cafe. She turns back around and walks out to nod to Nessa. "Story checks out," she says with amusement. Over to the culprit in question, she sings her magic out and glowing white rope appears. She ties it about his wrists.

"Well I guess we should call SHIELD or what have you about this. Sorry you'll have to wait a little longer to crash on a comfy couch and sip coffee to the latest episodes of Andor."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I suppose so, but I think I'll survive. LBC duties come first before coffee," Nessa says with a grin. "SHIELD seems to be the only real option here, right? Unless something formed while I was away in Europe. God, I couldn't have been gone /that/ long, right?" She makes a face at the thought of an entire other organization making a mess of things.

Sera has posed:
Sera chuckles, "Oh.. ah.. yeah. About that." She smirks a moment. Then again, she's not quite sure _who_ the Justice League Dark are. Just that they're out there. Doing things. THINGS. But it's not her problem, they seem to be on the right side of magic at least.

"Come on I'll buy you a coffee in the cafe while we wait."