4361/Nightstalkers

Nightstalkers
Date of Scene:	10 December 2020
Location:	Somewhere in New York City
Synopsis:	Amanda spends her evening hunting monsters in Manhattan with Wanda.
Cast of Characters:	Amanda Sefton, Wanda Maximoff

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Amanda Sefton has posed:
Late at night, mid-week in Manhattan. Amanada Sefton is once again out in the darkness, following up on disturbances to the balance of the city she calls home. She can feel something *off*. She's not sure what, but the darkness has been growing steadily since Hallowe'en. She knows the solstice is quickly approaching, the darkest time of the year. And these days, between All Hallow's Eve and Yule, are among the most powerful for the working of dark magic. The Veil is thin right now.

So, hooded and masked, in the runic coat of Daytripper and cloaked in a shadowcloak spell, she walks the streets of a quiet neighbourhood of squat walkups and two-storey storefronts, seeking whatever it is that's hunting these streets. The are few people on the side streets, though the main streets are still busy. The lights seem dimmer to her than usual. Like some subtle darkness is stealing the brightness from the street lamps. Or maybe its just a brownout affecting the neighbourhood. She could be reading too much into this.

But that doesn't stop her from drifting down the street, hardly visible, save for the ocassional shimmer of light that hits the edges of her form like a subtle, shifting rimlight. Softly, as she passes by an alley, a low growl catches her ear. She glances to the left, down the alley. A pair of red glowing eyes peer out from behind a battered green dumpster.

"There you are..." she murmurs, turning towards them. Her hands rise to form a spell and she steps into the shadows of the alley.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
It's difficult, this time of year. It's not always this strong, the pushing on the Veil, the feeling of the 'otherness' that just sits on the other side waiting and anticipating. It's the time of year when Wanda has a more difficult time keeping her sanity in check; a direct reflection of that which goes on around her, whether she realizes it or not.

Mostly not.

To that end, the red-headed witch has to get away from those she loves, from those that offer up aid to 'help' without knowing the why or the how. The only one who truly helps is currently elsewhere; not abandoning, but not by her side either. Which is perfectly fine. So, how does Wanda best combat that feeling of 'not right'?

Magic.

It's probably one of the absolute worst ways she could address it, but she's never been that discerning. She'd rather act rather than be alone with her thoughts.

It's not subtle, not in the very least. While Amanda may use a more subtle 'attack', it's not a full block over where there's a *thooom*, the sound of a giant metal dumpster rising into the air with a force enough to launch it 30 feet into the air, only to have it land again with some extra vibrato. Red particles float in the air; residual magic that only serves to act as a clarion call to those around.

Not. Subtle.

Nope.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda lashes out with green energy, eldritch fire that wraps around the creature in the shadow and pulls it closer to the light. It snarls and snaps. Once upon a time, it might have been a dog. Now, however, it is a mangy looking hellbeast with deformed limbs and an oversized muzzle with teeth to match. It lets out a horrific howl as the flame burns its flesh, snapping at the whiplike tendrils of magic. The witch makes a sharp gesture and speaks a word of power. A portal opens beneath it. It falls through into some other realm, far away from this one.

As eldritch fire dies away and the portal snaps closed, Amanda's head snaps around to the sound of a vibrating THOOM, the crash of metal and flash of red sparks. "Bloody hell..." she murmurs.

Without any further thought, she lets eldritch wind lift her into the air. Her shadowcloaked form is hardly a ripple against the black night. She soars over the buildings between her and that explosion, seeking the source of that magic.

She suspects she knows who it is.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The air is wrong, the city is wrong, the ground beneath her feet is //wrong//.

The moment the dumpster hits the ground, the garbage, debris spills out of it; something completely expected. What most //wouldn't// expect, however, is a small mass of teeming, diabolical rat-flesh that also comes out. Red eyes, their rodent faces in demonesque masques, and their normally high-pitched skittering noises is something more gutteral and 'other worldly'. It is this that Wanda expected. She isn't really caring what goes on around her, whether or not any cars in the vicinity had their panic-alarms set off. Instead, she's got her hands to the side briefly as the subtle red of her hands glow in their magicks, ready for the rat-attack.

With a lift of her hand, two of the demon rodents are lifted into the air and slammed into the side of the building, the ochre of their blood trickling down the side. Before the bodies can fall, however, beneath them, on the wall, an opening (not to the interior of the building!) opens, and the bodies fall through before she closes it once more.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"Bloody hell," Amanda murmurs again. Yeah. It's who she expected. Just a little more on the crazy side tonight. Pietro deals with this often? She raises her estimation of the man.

Dropping her shadowcloak spell as she descends, so as not to startle the other gypsy and thus earn an attack, she reaches out with her own magic to corral those creatures trying to escape the mouth of this new alley. They hit a wall of incandescent green flame and retreat, screaming pain and fury.

"Fancy meeting you here," she calls out to Wanda, not sure she's going to get a coherent response. But, she's hopeful. The woman doesn't seem so much incoherent as... exceptionally focussed.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
There's something of a fire in Wanda's eyes, as she spins around when Amanda does approach, her hands up and ready to either blast or shield; could be either really. Or something else. Thankfully, however, there is someone behind the fiery gaze, and she holds her fire, instead turning about and pulling the creatures who'd slammed into Amanda's shield into the air. A deep, dark hole then appears, the creatures first rent and then thrown in before again, the portal is closed with a *pop*.

It is true; this is the Wanda that her brother also deals with this. Often.

And she's an Avenger.

In the seconds after the hold closes, Wanda just stands there, the red glow remaining before it fades out in the night air. Her mouth is open slightly in her breathing, and finally, finally, she recognizes that 'friend' from just moments ago. There's a weak smile before she glances back at the dumpster and back again.

"I could not sleep." As if that'd answer all the questions, any questions?

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"I couldn't either," Amanda assures her. "There's too much creeping about that shouldn't be." She steps further into the alley and looks around, in case there are others. But, for the moment, the space is quiet. It may not last.

"The veil is thinner than it should be. Have you noticed?" Silly question. Of course the other witch has noticed. "I thought I might try to triangulate where the otherworld influence is strongest. I haven't had a lot of luck. It's blanketting this whole section of the city."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda looks down and wraps her arms about her as if fending off a sudden coldness, or a colder spot than the ambient winter temperatures of the evening. "I feel them," and she nods as she looks down. "Under foot. I feel them." Does she sound crazy? She does to her own ears, and she looks back up, looking at Amanda to see if she can't gauge the other woman's reaction.

"It is thin. I cannot sleep, not like this." Wanda murmurs, her voice holding an edge to it. The lilt of her speech sounds a little higher, concerned. It is quiet now, but she's still disquieted.

"I will help if you wish," comes after a few heartbeats of silence. "Is all over neighborhood." and she's wishing she had her brother around...

"Could even be in buildings."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda cants her head at Wanda's comment. "It could be," she admits. "Too much power tends to linger like that." And there's definitely too much power. "Is there anything I can do to help, Wanda? I have some restoratives that my help you sleep... I doubt we'll be able to cleanse this neighbourhood tonight. We need to find the epicenter, first."

She considers how they might do that. It will really require, to her way of thinking, a certain amount of stalking and hunting, rather than blowing up dumpsters in alleys. "The most I hope to do tonight is cull their numbers enough to keep everyone safe."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
There is definitely too much power in the area. Way too much.

When the evening's adventure is to cull, Wanda nods her head slowly, distractedly. Her thoughts are turning inward, and the feeling of sickness, the feeling of //wrong// is so strong. The blight on the area is affecting her, and her balance. She's still not aware that she simply is reacting to that around her, a reflection of the health and sanity of the area. "I understand," there is nothing that can be done to truly cleanse the area this evening. Or, from what she's feeling, this week.

The offer of a a restorative brings a mentally weary smile to the witch's face; one of honest and genuine thanks. She does shake her head, however, her voice lowering, "As bad as I am now, if I sleep too soundly, is worse." She'll do.. who knows what in her sleep. "I will help bring numbers down, could help. Then, try sleep." Not so deep sleep, that is.

It's a promise she can keep, and one she wants to.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda nods to Wanda. "Let's go hunting, then," she says to the other gypsy. And with that... they do. They'll both sleep at least a little easier later, no doubt.