7015/Paying a Debt

Paying a Debt
Date of Scene:	25 July 2021
Location:	The Fair Corner of Hell
Synopsis:	A child is saved, but at what cost?
Cast of Characters:	John Constantine, Michael Hannigan

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John Constantine has posed:
    Really John had intended to go alone to fetch the girl, he truly did. But the waves ride him, he doesn't ride them; or at least he has no control over where they take him and who might get dragged along in their undertow.

    Maybe it was a forgotten wallet from the night before? Or just a niggle, or a question that Michael Hannigan wanted to ask the Laughing Magician? Either way, the reason doesn't really matter, the thing that does is the fact that it isn't happenstance that brings the musician back to the pub the next day, before opening. It's Fate dealing the cards in John Constantine's favor.

    Mike learns a few things this day. The first is that John Constantine sometimes forgets to lock his doors. The second thing is that the man is obviously a cheat because...

    In a room warded against magic big and small, the Laughing Magician has just finished a spell or two. The first one, cast over a lock of hair from a little girl's first haircut has turned that precious memory into a flickering, floating, bouncing ball of light - it's cliche', he knows it, but it works. The second one has opened a doorway - for it is truly a door - rectangular in shape with a knob and a frame. It's just that the frame is attached to no walls and the entire setup stands in the middle of the bar, wedged between two tables with barely enough room to be opened when the time comes.

    ...caught in the act, it would seem.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
He did it again.

Honestly someone needs to have a talk with Mike about his occasional tendency to zone out when walking. He runs into so much weirdness when that happens. From Sanctums to Infinity Watch to random hell portals in Central Park, it's rarely boring.

Actually the first time he came across that bar in Hell's Kitchen was also a result of him zoning out. And something interesting happened then too. It just didn't involve him directly. But regardless of the process, when the door opens and the musician blinks himself out of his stupor, there's the exploding magician from earlier. Seeming a bit more sober but still very much up to hijinks. The door in the center of the bar does get an extended look but no words. Sometimes it is hard to express what is going on in the head.

The sound of the ACTUAL door to the bar closing behind him is what gives away Mike's entrance.

John Constantine has posed:
    Hand on the doorknob to that strange door, almost ready to pull it open and...

    "Bloody hell," John laments under his breath when he hears the actual door to the actual bar shut. That little dancing light starts flickering and flashing and bouncing off the 'other' door like an excited puppy wanting to go outside to play.

    Pressing his thumb into the spot between his eyes where his headache is starting to bloom, John says, "Little busy here, mate. Kid in trouble n'all that."

    To the little floating light, that's now even starting to hum and buzz like a bee with ADHD on steroids, he hisses, "I know, I know she's in there, just gimme a bloody second."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks over to John. "Sorry. Kind of zoned out and ended up here." His eyes shift over, watching the bouncing light flitting about the older man. He frowns, looking back to the unusual door and considering the statement given earlier. "What kind of trouble?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "Bollucks..." John goes from pressing his thumb into that space to pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index fingers. Finally, he jabs a finger in Mike's direction. "Look, mate, I don't have the time ta stand here and argue the pros and cons of ya decidin' ta play the hero and come along. So... rules... Don't go off the path, don't take anything from anyone; food or drink, don't ask questions or favors and if ya get in trouble..." Here he pauses and fishes a coin from his pocket that he tosses in the other man's direction.

    The coin is shiny as a new penny, but still manages to look really old. It's copper with some strange sigils on both sides. "...toss that up as high as ya can and say, 'Chan eil aite coltach ri dachaigh,' before it hits the ground. Learn it, 'Chan eil aite coltach ri dachaigh', repeat it and decide yes or no."

    With that, he yanks the door open to reveal...

    A forest shrouded in darkness beneath a full moon on either side of the path directly in front of the door. But it doesn't look like just any forest in anywhere USA or the planet earth really. The trees are too tall, trunks too thick, sky too speckled with perfect stars, it's all too... vivid, too *perfect*, it looks like a page from a storybook.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Constantine goes into the cliff notes of what NOT to do when going on a field trip to... who knows where. Mike's lips press together, eyes focusing John. For one, there's a door in the middle of the damn room and a bouncing light. And when magic's involved, that's probably a good clue in to listen to the guy spitting out instructions. Granted, Dr. Strange also has that 'Do no harm' thing going for him but-

Well it's not exactly an answer to the question posed but- A kid is in trouble.

He almost misses the coin being thrown at him. Two hands raise up, slapping together to catch the coin between the palms. The musician looks to the clapped together hands before looking back to John. At the end of the phrase, there's a slight quirk to the lips before he nods, listening to the sentence being repeated again. 'Chan eil ait coltach ri dachaigh' Mike repeats as instructed. As for the decision of 'yes' or 'no'... Was there really a choice?

Stepping a bit closer to the door, Mike looks to the scenery which is... much nicer than some other portals he's encountered. And, kind of remeniscent of some dreams he's seen. He looks over to John, "So, along with doing that other stuff. How can I help?"

John Constantine has posed:
    "By not forgetting to do that other stuff," John mutters before he steps through the doorway and onto the path. The little floating light flashes brightly a few times, excited, and darts off. It never strays too far, however. It always pauses to give John's lanky legs time to catch up before darting ahead again.

    They walk and they walk and they walk and the longer they walk with nothing bad happening, the more nervous the Laughing Magician becomes. Why? Because they are obviously being led, the path never varies, there's never a branch off in any direction, nothing but straight on and trees on either side. There isn't any possible way that it could carry the stench of a trap any stronger.

    "Maybe ya should just go back, aye?" he mumbles, first words he's said the entire time.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Hearing the retort, Mike gives a bit of a shrug, stepping through the doorway after Constantine. "Fair enough." On the other side of the doorway, Mike gives another look to the surroundings before following along. John's a tad taller than Mike and the strides between the two reflect that slight difference but the musician keeps up just fine enough. The look to the scenery doesn't produce much in variance. But it could be a long path, right?

Hearing the murmur, Mike turns his head to look to John, a brow arching. "Depends. Are you going back as well? If not, then maybe you can sum up what we're doing over here beyond the 'kid it trouble' statement."

John Constantine has posed:
    "No way left but forward for me," John mumbles in reply. "Startin' ta think me past it is about ta make sure of it." It isn't much longer before the ground beneath their feet starts to become a little... mushy, just a little softer, damp. It's not so much that it makes shoes squelch, but it's noticeable.

    Up ahead, still a ways off, bathed in the direct light of the moon like some sort of twisted Bethlehem under a star, stands a castle. It's not a castle in the traditional sense, it's not made from brick and mortar, but rather from the bending and melding together of the tall, thick trees to turn them into such. Boggy, bubbling water roils and belches around the thing, a bridge the only way across.

    "Finvarra," John explains, not that it really explains much. "Be ready," he adds... apparently deciding maybe Mike should be along for the ride after all? "...you move on my word, you don't hesitate, the girl's all that matters, understood?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike studie's Constantine's expression for a moment before giving a nod, turning his head to looking back to the path "Right. Forward it is for me as well."

As ground softens and the tree castle comes into view, there is a slight cheer within that the never-ending path wasn't some form of weird infinite loop of walking. The name uttered by John gets a side glance. Whatever doubt that may have come up from the previous question seems gone. Considering what they've seen so far, perhaps 'The girl' is all the description that's necessary to finding the one in trouble. He'd most certainly hope John would provide further clarifying details if necessary.

The scar upon Mike's lower right forearm fades, reappearing upon the left as his features mirror. "Kid takes priority." The now Phantasmed man summarizes, "On your word."

John Constantine has posed:
    The ground gets ever more boggy and soggy as they continue on. ...and John grows even more silent than before, if that's possible. He carries the air of a man heading to the gallows, truth of it be told. Resigned and determined to accept a fate known, for now, only to him.

    The large, gnarled doors of the 'castle' open without fanfare as they finally make their approach. The King of the Unseelie court sits on a throne of branch and rotted wood. To his right and left, Red Caps ready to defend at the drop of... well, trouble. In front of the throne, sitting cross-legged on the ground is a little girl. She can't be naught but eight years old.

    "Stealing children now are we, King Finvarra?" Constantine asks, his eyes fixed on the child rather than the king himself. "Dirty deed that, seen Bredach lately?"

    "You owe a debt, Magus."

    "One that cannot be paid."

    "Oh but it surely can."

    Poor Mike, likely not a clue what it all means. But the lack of knowledge likely won't take away from his chance to be a Bloody Hero, at least to a little girl with faded denim blue eyes and muddy blond hair.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
After shifting over, the sense of the ground is lost on Mike. His steps are even, nor do the phantasm's shoes appear to be any wetter than before he switched over. The silence coming from the blonde does earn the man a concerned glance. Without further information to go on due to the one with the answers being, well, a stingy bastard, the glance is all Mike can afford him at the moment.

Upon the doors opening, Mike takes the time to silently observe the surroundings, pulling what information he can about the situation at hand without any unecessary questions. It seems a lot of problems in the rules can be circumvented by just not speaking. So best try that, right?

Although the name of Finvarra associated with a child is a bit curious. From what little Mike knew of lore, wasn't Finvarra's thing women, not children?

Pale eyes settling upon the red caps, they narrow a bit, Mike remembers the last time he encountered some. Although, he looked a lot different then.

The exchange between Constantine and the king draws his attention back to the situation at hand, eyes glancing to the child sitting in front of the throne.

Whelp. Apparently 'The girl' WAS all he needed in terms of a description.

All that's left is to wait and listen for the go ahead.

John Constantine has posed:
    "I think you're mistaken, but regardless, no sense in jawin' about that all day..." Or night, is it ever day in this little bit of the Fair corner of Hell? "Adeline, come..." He gestures to the little girl. She stands and comes forward to stand next to John and, Mike by proxy. She isn't stopped.

    "You're staying then, in her stead? Just like that?"

    Just like that, was there ever any question?

    "Aye, but the debt can't be repaid," he insists one last time before glances over to Mike. "Throw the coin now, mate."

    ...the gallows are right there, in front of him now... and the bastard is actually *smiling*.

    "Take her to Meg, she'll get her home safe."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Brows lifting, Mike turns to look towards John, "Wa-"

NO QUESTIONS.

The question is bit back as Mike frowns. "...Alright." He he replies reluctantly. Features shifting back. He reaches into his pocket to pull the coin out.

Another glance is given towards John. "Stay stubborn." He wishes.

Glancing away, he rests a hand on the child's shoulder. Flipping the coin high into the air. The light bounces off of the sides of the coin as it spins in the air, giving off the illusion of an orb of light. Mimicking the cadence of so many he hung around with in May, he utters the phrase given to him before.

"Chan eil aite coltach ri dachaigh!"

John Constantine has posed:
    The last thing Mike might see before a bright flash of light zaps him and the child into ... well, wherever Mike calls home, is John still smiling as one of those Red Caps forces him to his knees in front of King Finvarra.

    Stay stubborn? The day that John Constantine isn't stubborn? That'll be the day hell comes for him. Wait, that already happened dinnit?

    ...and he's still stubborn.