16063/Reavers: A Call for Help

Reavers: A Call for Help
Date of Scene:	12 October 2023
Location:	Third Floor Workspaces
Synopsis:	When Nettie researches the Reavers mode of transport, an unexpected guest invites her and her companions to see where the Reavers have taken root.
Cast of Characters:	Nettie Crowe, Joshua Foley, Belinda Gutierrez, Billy Kaplan, Gabby Kinney

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Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Late into the night at the Candle Booke & Belle's workroom, Nettie Crowe is scribing on the floor, using a long stick with white chalk at the end of it. She scribes her runes and sigils, Lhasa phrases and Bangledeshi prayers to long-forgotten devas. Her hair is down and loosened, and she ears a patchy vest over her chest, and a swirly, comfortable skirt. Her cigarette, hand-rolled, is lit, and the tobacco smoke swirls around her as she hums a little melody as she works.

    She stands in the middle of the intricate web of chalkwork and intertwining circles, and looks up to the ceiling where the lone, dimly-lit light flickers.

    "I know, I know." she whispers comfortingly to the building. "We've been through a fair bit, yeah. But this time, I think we'll be fine.

    She then draws off her shoes and socks. Bare feet, tattooed over with designs that would be at home in a henna artbook show before she sits in the middle.

    She pours herself a cup from a dark blue bottle marked 'DO NOT DRINK', and she toasts to the East before she downs a noxious liquid like a shot, and relaxes against a cushion.

    Wandering around the Astral is dangerous enough. Astral work that requires she venture to an entirely different continent, to an unknown area, in the Dreamtime? Well, that requires a little more doing, doesn't it?

    And any dreamers who dare to join her, would hear the harsh call of a crow in their dreams, a call to arms as Corvax's astral form flits through.

Joshua Foley has posed:
It is late at night in New York.With the silence that is over the Candle, the wind outside is gentle at first, then starts to swirl, faster and faster. But the building doesn't creak, doesn't complain.

The sound of the wind whooshes, the pitch growing higher and higher until...

It's mid-afternoon. The light that comes in through the windows of the shop is bright. The sun is warm on the skin. The sky is cloudless and the terrain is desert. It's a high plateau, overlooking a riverbed and down below, a long abanonded mining town. The buildings harken to the late turn of the century, with perhaps the newest bulding being one that was created in the 1950s.

It is silent, just the sound of the wind that blows over the plateau.

Until one hears it. Faint at first. Then louder. The song of a didgeridoo being played, it's baratonic tone become more and more recognizable as the contunuous drone beckons.

Sitting out on a rock by himself is a withered old Aboriginal. His skin is dark, his hair on his receeding hairline and bear is wild and thick. His stomack is well dissenceted, his arms and legs thin and frail as he plays the song to beckon forth those that went to sleep. He sits cross-legged, and the old man waits.

Miss Nettie and the Magic Bookshop are not cruisin' down on Main Street or taking the second right to Mars. But they might get baked into a pie.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
No matter in quiet alcove of the park or in bed in the student dorm, it is the same dream, every night. Only the details change, subtle nuances and differences and half-remembered things. Gone come the morning sunlight like whisps of mist, ne'er to be remembered anew.

Until the next quiet sleep.

Endless world. Endless desert sands. Endless, eternal twilight. The sun, eclipsed in a sky of darkness, yet illuminated by swirls from the covered sun, dark, thready flares of energy and ribbons of supple light. The moon, forever shining in its fullest glory, equal brightness to the elicpsed star. Timelessness.

Tuat.

The Call comes. A heartbeat's pause.

A howl answers.

Supple, silver, shadow-- Belinda is called, and the 'Dane answers. Comes.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
"You're going to be okay, miss," Wiccan says as he hands the angry woman back her purse. "The police will be along to collect him." Wiccan gestures with a flick of his head up to the street tough hanging on to the top of the street light for dear life. Wiccan teleported him up there to await the police...and to keep him safe from the really pissed-off woman he tried to rob.

The mage has long since passed the need to use any verbal components in his teleportation spell, a magic that he has practiced over and over again until he mastered it. He turns to leave, stepping from the cool night air to...a desert? "Shit," he mutters to himself. It has been a long time since he messed up his teleport spell.

He looks around at the unfamiliar landscape around him, but in front of him is the door to the Candle. "Oh boy," he murmurs. "Nettie, what did you do?" The spellcaster opens the door and steps into the shop.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Dreams were a place where one's true self could come out. Whatever they may seem in person, while awake, may not be who they actually appear inside the dreams of their mind. And sometimes it may not be who is expected at all.

Gabby had nodded off. A light sleep that she would wake from soon enough no doubt as she'd left her phone on playing some show or another on Netflix. Something she'd seen before but was all the more comforting for that. She's not quite deep enough asleep to enter the dreamscape... But another is.

Curious, even suspicious, a dark haired woman bearing Gabby's face departs from the sunlight door of the Candle out into the desert. She bore some signs of age, of injury, that couldn't be healed as her left hand is completely missing midway up her arm. In it's place is a prosthesis which appeared a bit more futuristic than was readily available at the current time of the 'real world'. Gabrielle narrows her gaze as she looks over this desert dreamscape.

"Where the fuck am I?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Dreaming." NEttie states. Well. It's probably Nettie. For one thing she's naked. For another thing things are at least blurred out and softly glowing sans shadows, except for if anyone looks at her back, where they may see eldrich patterns in swirling, abyssial black that keep her in general attached to the plane of the living.

    "We're taking a walkabout 'round the Reaver's base." she states, and gathers others to shoo them out the door and back into the desert.

    "Come along duckies, nothing to be afraid of. Just caught up in my wake is all. Hard for me to get out to do this after what happened last time." she tuts gently as she makes her way through and out the door herself.

    "Aaah, that sunshine. And not a pair of shades in sight. SO. Everyone, stick together. There's bound to be some sort of issue about. Bad things happen in the Outback, after all, no doubt there's some spirits that may not take kindly to a bunch of Colonizers -- minus our Miss Gutierrez -- wandering amuk in their back yard." she tuts gently... and then she stops and looks at Gabrielle. She looks her up and down, and then her head tilts a moment.

    "Did I miss something, poppet?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
As the group approaches or follows Nettie. Really hope they're following Nettie, as they approach the small, elderly, wisened man that is sitting on a rock in only a loincloth beckons them forward with his music. When they finally get into range, he stops the music he was playing.

"Greetings, child." he offers to Nettie, a brief smile of straight teeth. "You have come here for information of the metal men."

Picking up his bullroarer, which is a smooth rock ball inside of a sling. He starts to spin it. Faster and faster. As he does so, a portal opens within the bullroarer's circumference. "I will tell you a story."

And then there are no more words. The portal opens and pulls Nettie and the others through. It is the same land. But it is different. The valley that was a nearly dry creek bed is fertile, full of life. A river flows through it, the sparkling water giving birth to an aboriginal village. They work the fields. They dance. They have happy lives, birth, life, death, rebirth.

It is an idyllic lifestyle that is their home. Then, in the distance, a waving of a flag. Blue, red and white. The white shirt, white skins arrive. They drive the tribe to the plateau about the idyllic valley. They build a town. The mine the plataeu. There are explosions as rock and dirt are blown away in the search the stones that glitter.

They leave. The dam the river to build upstream. The valley withers. It dies. The people of the plateau, they too die, save one.

One who now sits on a rock, spinning his bullroarer. He is young, and as night closes in, the spirits rise. The aboriginal spirits mourn, they are trapped. In the valley below, the demons of colonialism rise, their mechanical jaws snapping, roaring, breathing fire. Ready to feast upon those spirits trapped above. The old man is their only defense.

There is more to the story, but he allows the others to catch up.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
"They have their own spirits," comes the warm, rich, faint melody of experience. Slender, tall, dusky-- adult in every sense of the word. From shadows that were not there, the 'Dane emerges, clad in silver tunic, golden-hued collar, shimmering scale... broad, gleaming spear. "Their own ways and times and places. So long as one is respectful, all should be well."

Barefoot on the ground, the woman comes, joins the group. A flicker of a smile for Nettie-- sterness resumes as she gazes towards the ancient elder before them. Following, moving with, led and leading-- from desert to desert in an unspoken whirlwind of silent motion. Silent witness to the tale unfolding.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Wiccan knows how they have travelled. He has traversed the Astral Plane before, when he was younger and less in control of his powers. He saw things there that scared him -- saw things that scared the future Demiurge! He moves closer to Nettie as the group approaches the old man. "Nettie, you should know now that there are Kree after me. They think I'm...someone else." His tone indicates that there is a story there, but one for another time. "I don't know if they can traverse this place but if they should manage to take me it will be bad. For everyone."

The next thing he knows he's being pulled through the portal. Anyone who happens to look in his direction at that time would note a displeased frown on his face. In the best of times the young magic-user doesn't like unmitigated chaos. This is not the best of times.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabrielle turns to look impassively at Nettie. There's not a lot of recognition there... It takes a moment of squinting at her for it to finally emerge. A little quiet 'hmm' comes as a simple response for now while they are drawn toward the Aboriginal man leading them to more information on this journey.

"I'm the 'other' one. From elsewhere, elsewhen. Usually I'm in the back of her head." In this case? Apparently she had more freedom at the moment.

Since others were heading on this journey she shrugs a single time and follows along for now warily watching as the colonizers take over. THIS causes a glint of familiarity in her eyes as well as a particular hate toward those types.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie is quiet, in reflection. It takes a lot for someone to address her as 'Young'. And she narrows her pale eyes at the man with the bull roarer, but quietly listens, following, letting herself be guided.

    This is a play she's seen too many times, in fact. One she grew up reviling to the point where she didn't see her native England for decades.

    She does reach out and lightly touch Billy.

    "We're exploring a where, where someone who hunts mutants is currently living." she explains quietly, and she leans back on her heels.

    "I don't doubt the Kree can see into the Astral, but we're fairly guarded. And the gentleman at the beginning of this tale is powerful enough to be here and there."

Joshua Foley has posed:
The Aboriginal reaches up and taps his nose, while still spinning his bullroarer. There's a gleam in his eyes as he looks from Nettie to Billy. Billy is so young and will learn. Learn so much in time. His attention turns to Silverdane and Gabrielle, and he has a brief look of sympathy for the latter, before he is again increasing the speed of his spins.

The Aboriginals remain trapped on the plateau, held hostage by the demons below. Time passes, then one day. They arrive. Metal men. Not human, not robotic. They arrive by the dozens, these mechanical men. Military, not military, tanks, some wearing football helmets. Gabrielle's current style fits in very well with them.

They start to take over the town. They climb the plateau. They stand before the old survivor. Their words are clear. He will teleport them to anywhere they want to go. If he does not...

An explosion rocks the plateau. It shakes, crumbles, collapsing on itself. The spirits scream in terror as they fall, to be consumed by the demons below that wait for them.

The plateau returns. The old Aboriginal agrees. He opens the portal. Reavers come. Reavers go. In the city below, they build, hiding things in the old structures. One hangs a sign.

Cotterman's Creek.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Bright eyes glitter as Silverdane stares at the sign, the scene, the name. Words beyond words-- stories carried on the Astral wind. Drawing a breath, inhaling-- finding, memorizing, learning. /Knowing/.

"I hear you, Storyteller," she recants, fingers taut across the wood of her weapon. A sudden, supple tension in smooth muscle, dark skin.

A bowstring, drawing taut. Ready to let fly.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Not having been a part of the original adventure, Billy is at a bit of a loss. Of course, he sees familiar faces: Nettie, Gabby, Josh, Belinda. But /why/ is he here? He decides that keeping his mouth shut and observing is his best course of action. Here, in this place, the unseen forces that move his hood and cape around are working overtime. The young mage's garments make him look like he's caught in some sort of invisible storm.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Looks like a 'fun' bunch," Gabrielle utters darkly with fingers flexing as if she were itching to simply jump in and begin treating them as they treated others. Perhaps a bit wiser than it may seem though, she merely watches looking at the tale told. There were others at risk here after all. The Aboriginal, and those souls he protected.

Her attention shifts to the others watching how they react to this as well. Aonther flex of her fingers comes thougn not from the fake hand. That one just remains balled into a fist. "How can we help?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "... they've threatened you with destruction of the Dreamtime, haven't they?" Nettie asks softly of the man, and she comes to a realization.

    "You're how they're able to get across the world from this place, and Pierce has threatened you with the destruction of your ancestors and family..." she trails off, and she looks to Billy.

    "This is where the Reavers are based. He's their unwilling transportation." she explains, and she runs a hand over her head. "My poor friend, oh you poor old dear. That must be such a burden on your shoulders." she murmurs.

Joshua Foley has posed:
When Belinda draws her bow, there's a momentary look of worry before Gabby talks and asks questions. Relief then follows as Nettie fills in the pieces, as he stops spinning the bullroarer. When they return, it is now the star-filled night in Australian.

Only the lights of the Reaver base shine. He looks at the group. "I can bring you here." he says finally. "But if the machine men detonate, my people lose all." The plateau is holy ground for the Aboriginals. If it is destroyed, there is no way to reconsecrated to save those that are currently here.

"They are trapped. They cannot move on. Not since the white shirts came." He looks up to Nettie, then to Billy, Gabby, Belinda. "They are not free. I must stay. I cannot leave until I am the last."

"The waking hour comes. They will return soon from where they are. I can only offer what I can with the time I have left."

Giving them a chance to ask one more question each, he's already starting to spin the bullroarer/

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda-- Silverdane, the Egyptian --eases her clasp on her bow. Dreamtime ending, fading at least for her. Light sleeper-- easy dreams, easy awakenings. Too easy by half.

"I will come," is the simple declaration. Promise. Vow.

"....by Abuela's call," she adds more faintly, and the voice is entirely Belinda, the twitch of lips utterly hers. Sigh, whisper, tremble--

...gone, like morning mist, whispers on the wind. Waking.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Based on Nettie's description of the situation, Billy looks at the old man with some wistfulness and melancholy. He draws in a breath and lets it out. "I should be here," he says as much to himself as anyone else. "It's too dangerous. I'm sorry." These days, Billy doesn't need to power his teleportation with words. But from here? From this place? Better to be safe.

"Take me home," he murmurs.

His already-whipping cape begins to accelerate and twirl like it was some animal trying to escape a fire.

"Take me home," he says again, this time his words carry along the mystic underpinnings of the Astral wind.

"Take me home," he says one final time, releasing a silent yet ear-splitting explosion as the pure energy of his magic pulls him from this place and he vanishes.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Protect the plateau, then, and take them down quick," Gabrielle determines looking again toward the 'town' that the Reavers had built. A long, slow breath is drawn--Perhaps not a real breath. This was the dream scape after all. She had no body other than the one she rode along in these days. A borrowed physical presence. Though she does pause to consider how she, herself, could help directly.

"Yeah. We'll help." As if it were even a question. "I... May be able to stay behind, in this ... realm. I think I would be lost after though. I only have what I can borrow to exist in this world." If they had someone on THIS plane to attack the aboriginal however? She could help that way.

Joshua Foley has posed:
The Aboriginal man chuckles. "Fret not, ngalawuny." he offers to Gabby. "They have none that may harm me on this plane. I only protect mine from the bungaree." But there is a smile that suggests he appreciates the offer of existance.

"When you are ready." He says, looking to Nettie, "Speak my name."

And in her head pops up a single word. << Gateway. >>

"I have and will be prepared." He starts to spin the bullroarer again. There is one last look as he takes in the three that remain. The one that left has him slightly concerned, but hopefully the others will convince him he can assist. "They await." he offers.

Faster and faster the bullroarer goes, opening the portal that starts to engulf the shop to return it to New York in the real instead of the Aboriginal Dreamspace.