Owner	Pose
Chas Chandler	The trip to the Ivory Tower is facilitated the same way it was the time before, Lavenza--the caretaker of the Library--opens a portal to a rickety dock in the Astral. Where a strange three masted ship waited to ferry people across the vast lake to the solitary island in the middle of its dark waters. The tower shines like a beacon; a last bastion against the swirling darkness of the abyss that is the Bleed and the Void beyond.     The forces of the JLD are not harrassed by any strange fog monster on the way to the tower this time, instead the boat makes good time and bumps against the rocky land of the island before letting out a gangplank to let its passengers off to assault the fortress overtaken by the servitors and avatars of I Do Not Know You.     A single door leads into the interior of the off-white expanse. The corridors are featureless, smooth, and vaguely glowing material that makes up the general composition of the tower proper. Nothing harasses them, but there is an eerie stillness to the air. As if the silence and calm could change at any given moment.     "Have I mentioned how much I don't like walking into a battle where the enemy has had time to prepare?" Chas states from his position at the rear of the group. "Too easy for us all to fall into a trap... and I hate traps" he grumbles as he follows along in the other's wake. His power is leashed for the moment, but it would be easy enough for him to release it--but why make a statement so bold until its needed.
Rien D'Arqueness	Rien is taking point for this mission, she needs to, compelled to this course by both internal and external forces. She steps through the portal with a nod to Lavenza, and a quickly murmured, "We'll have to celebrate at the Tower after." She flashes a quick smile to the attendant and steps through the portal to the boat. When they pile out of the boat, she looks around, getting a feel for the area, then focusing on the door leading into the tower. Heading inside, she glances back to Chas and quirks a smile, "You could stand guard out front if you're that worried. Alert us if anything tries to come in from the Void. If the roof blows off the Tower again, you'll know where to go." Teasing aside, she waves a hand to create a shadowy approximation of herself, adding enough magic to give the shadow weight and substance, then sends it out in front of her. "There. That /should/ trigger any traps on the way up, but keep senses sharp. Nikola has a flair for the dramatic, but the I Do Not Know You thrives on anonymity, so blank spaces and shadows are potential hot spots." And she ascends, moving towards the top of the tower.
Nick Drago	It would stand to reason that when Mike ended up having his dreams interrupted for an unplanned field trip to the area of the tower that he'd be taking part in the next trip here. But there is the added bonus that he's not traveling alone this time. The amount of logistics to get him here for this is- Well, the less said, the better. But the key thing is he is here! Considering the last visit, The musician has opted to already be Phantasmed this time around. As they board the boat, he is...somewhat surprised by the lack of fog, and somewhat not. "They probably do know we're coming." He admits to Chas. It's not a mystery. Having a conversation with their boss on site would do that after all.
Jonathan Sims	Jon's holding Cael's hand as they step off the boat, because Jon's /been/ holding Cael's hand the entire time they were on the boat, largely on her insistence. He's wearing his superhero armor, and carrying both sword and staff, just in case. He's been scarce lately, but helping Rien take care of this is one of the things he needs to do before he can leave for Nilaa.     He frowns at the Tower, expression and stance tense, and squeezes Cael's hand firmly before gently pulling away so he can uncase his khopesh. "I'd suspect something like dopplegangers," he murmurs. "Keeping an eye out is an excellent idea."
Cael Becker	Cael Does Not Look at Chas. The degree to which she does not look at him is palpable, and hard to overlook - a tension in her shoulders and her back attesting to the visceral anger she still feels towards the man since their last encounter.     Matters aren't helped when they are unceremoniously dumped on the shore, by a pier, leading to a familiar boat.     Wordlessly, the blonde woman reaches out to take Jon's hand - and she doesn't let go of it. Not until their feet are back on solid ground once again. There was no chance she was going to risk being separated from the others, and lost in a fog, for a second time.     Once they're safely ashore, she returns that squeeze before finally taking a step away. She's dressed in unmarked combat fatigues, with her usual assortment of firearms and ammo. There's also a small pouch with a change of clothes - on the off chance she ends up ruining what she's wearing. Carrying around light tank top and a pair of shorts on the off chance has just become the sort of precaution she's learned to bring into every fight.     Just what is her life even?     "We've all got your back," she ashores Rien needlessly as the group moves forward - trying to ignore how uneasy it makes her feel to have Chas //behind// her. Just because she can't stand him doesn't mean he's an actual threat, she reminds herself.
Gabby Kinney	Gabby Kinney hadn't been here on the first trip as she'd been hunting down the Pretender, or whatever other name it was called by. Everyone seemed to have their own nickname for it and that was the one which she'd chosen given it had done it's best to replace Rien. Something which had angered her no little amount once the memories were brought back. The lack of fog doesn't bother her. She simply gazes down into the 'waters' while on the trip. The tension among the others is palpable. It's hard not to miss. Her attention keeps shifting back toward them while she waits quietly, patiently, before shaking her head a time or two. "I don't know what's happened with everyone... But we were all friends once. Just for tonight, in spite of what may have happened, can we all be friends again?" A childish request perhaps but it was worth a try. "We won't have time for anything else if there's as many here as Mike thinks." With that she slings a bag over her shoulder to hop off the boat herself joining the others. She'd brought gear. Heavy duty gear. Whether it would work or not she would find out, but she wasn't holding back.
Chas Chandler	"We're all a little on edge, Gabby" Chas says, attempting to reassure the young woman. Even as he speaks he's pointedly not paying attention to Cael's pointed disregard for him. "It happens when you're dealing with forces that want to rewrite or destroy the very fabric of reality and have the means to do so if we are inclined to let them." He shrugs. "I'm sure when this is all over, we'll be square and back to how we were."     The corridors twist and turn like some internal labyrith that makes little sense given the cofiguration and dimensions of the outside structure, but the JLD should be used to this by now. There is no direct issue or trap on this lower floor befor ethey arrive at a single open arch. Beyond the arch is an Ivory stair spiraling up to the next level. Before the stair, are two individuals.     The most remarkable thing about the pair is the complete lack of remarkability. They are both bald and wearing plain grey coveralls and despite their impressive size and mass, they're easy to overlook. Plain faces in plain clothes; nothing to be worried about. The one of the left speaks, his voice thick with a Cockney accent and his cadence slow as if he is reading from a script he is unfamiliar with.     "Breekon--" he starts. His partner finishes with an identical voice. "--and Hope Moving Company would like--" Again they trade off speaking, "--to welcome you to the Tower of the Unknowing. If you--" Another swap, "--wish to gain access to the top, you must brave the servitors. We--" They each reach behind them and produce a pair of identical fireaxes. Nothing marks them as anything but plain fireman's axes, but when is anything simple with these creatures? Again the speaker swaps, "--are the first."     Without further speech, they advance on the JLD in unison to engage.
Rien D'Arqueness	Glancing back to Gabby, Rien smiles, "It's going to be fine Gabs. I know this place. And remember, this One's strength is its anonymity. We're forcing it out into the open, taking away its greatest tool. But. Jon, could you favor us with a codeword sent mentally that we can use to identify each other if we get separated?" Her gaze flicks to Jon with a lift of both brows. Then she's stepping into the first room and staring at the two guarding the stairway. "Ohhhhhhhhhh, I already don't like that. The creepy twins from the Shining voice share thing. Nope." Moving quickly, she starts towards the pair, claws coming out. "Lets get these two down fast and hard. I get the feeling we're about to have a battle tower style fight to the top."
Nick Drago	As Gabby calls out some folks for the chilly atmosphere between them, Mike glances over to her. He then looks over to Cael, head tilting. "Hmm. Maybe after all this is done with we should talk things out or something. But right now I'll be happy if everyone in our group gets back to the room in one p-" Wait. No. One piece had too much leeway with the potential results. Megan was in one piece too when she hit Chas with the van. "- the original condition they showed up in." Thoughts on the matter expressed, Mike drifts to a general silence, looking around the corridors as they advance. When the movers come into view, Mike blinks. Aren't those the same guys who picked up the ringmaster guy last time? The Rien abducting one. Not the Unicorn chasing one. It's kind of scary how Mike has to differentiate between two evil ringmaster types. Is that like a requirement of circuses nowadays? Either way it looks like the first bell was rung. Mike takes a running start before leaping over the two advancing men.
Jonathan Sims	"I'm not sure we were ever 'all friends,' Gabby," Jon murmurs, glancing between Cael and Chas. "Gods know we tried, but..." He sighs, and shakes his head. Considers, for a moment, and then sends everyone a mental code-word so they'll be able to say it should they run into duplicates or what-have-you.     The code word? Lipton.     He narrows his eyes at the pair guarding the stair as they all approach, and says, "Drop the accents. Nobody in this universe is going to get the joke." He barely gets it himself, but memories from a brief entanglement with an alternate self /do/ surface from time to time. "Kill one of them and the other should give up. They're pretty much the same being. I'd focus on 'Hope.' It seems to be the weaker of the two, generally speaking."     That said, and ignoring the irony of 'attacking hope,' Jon does indeed go for the second speaker, twirling his sword before moving in to attack.
Cael Becker	Mike's suggestion that they 'talk things out' later earns him a momentary glare from Cael, before she continues forward, intent on doing the job - and getting back home again. After all, do any of them really want to be here right now? Rien's words cause Cael's attention to shift towards Jon for a moment, giving a brief nod. She knows how hesitant they are to intrude on her mind without explicit permission - and to be honest, it's something she really appreciates, even if Jon does have her implicit trust. The word that they offer, however, earns a snort - and the first genuine smile she's shown since the group gathered. Even if it is a short-lived expression.     As they approach the stairs, her eyes slide over the two non-descript men, not really seeming to register their presence until they speak which is- disconcerting to say the least. How did they- I mean. They were //right there// the whole time.     Once the threat is revealed, though, she doesn't hesitate - drawing one of the pistols that ride at her hips, and firing off several quick shots in Hope - before Jon closes in on them, making more shots ill-advised. Only then does she shift her aim towards Breekon.
Gabby Kinney	"The hell kind of name is Breekon?" Mutters Gabby even as the target is decided. Amusingly how destroying Hope seems like one of those things that shouldn't be able to happen. Yet... Maybe it was just a name. Maybe. The nature of these two was uncertain to her however, and outwardly naming a single target seemed like a Bad Idea. Plus who was to say the pair weren't lying about who was who? While the others attack Hope en masse, she instead leaps for the other twin. Glowing claws break from the back of her hands as she ducks low to swing both claws at the 'man's side doing her utmost to keep away from the axe by keeping to the side without the business end.
Chas Chandler	Chas has a choice to make. Engage with Hope and risk harming his allies, or engage with Breekon and assist Gabby in her struggle. In the end numbers win out and he advances on the stronger of the two oppents, his own size matching Breekon. The aura of starfire that surrounds him between one step and the next is immediately noticable, lighting the room in stark blue as the off white reflects the illumination. A sword of the same flame--his weapon of choice--converges into shape in one of his hands as he advances on the stronger of the two in Jon's assessment.     The majority of the attackers converge on Hope (or who they presume to be Hope) and engage. The creature is surpisingly swift for its size and seems not to be too concerned with tanking damage. Rien's claws cut a furrow into it's side. It doesn't bleed even as the magically enhanced blades blacken and char the skin around the cuts. The man takes a swing at her but she' already clear as the axe bites into the Ivory floor. He jerks as a few of the shots enter his body, one opening a small hole beneath his right eye. Even so, he doesn't seem to pay notice to it. Jon's blade is intercepted by the haft of Hope's axe in a block. "Calling me the--" he starts and the end of his words come from Breekon. "--weaker isn't nice." Even so, Mike is given an open shot at the man's back if the Phantasm is so inclined to take it.     Breekon takes a few more of Cael's bullets, his body jerking as holes open on his torso and one in the side of his throat before he's engaged with Gabby and Chas. Honey Badger's own claws have as much effect as Rien's--minus the blackening effect--but skin and flesh are torn easily in two deep slashes in his side and the axe strike for the smaller woman is caught by Chas' sword--lending credence to the unnatural quality of their weapons. Sparks erupt where the matter of an Old God touches that of the Angel and their war for supremacy. "How about you leave the girl to her business and focus on me, big guy?" Chas growls out as he presses to gain an advantage in the weapon lock.
Rien D'Arqueness	Rien steps sideways to avoid the swing of Hope's axe, whirling around to catch Breekon in a sweeping slash as he clashes with Chas and Gabby. She pauses, looking between the two, watching Jon, Mike, Cael, and Gabby. Sending a bit of that magical energy to envelope Cael's gun with a light blue glow and smiling her way, "Fuck them up, Cael." Winking, she turns back to Hope to send another slash of those claws raking over his hip before stepping back and towards the stairs. Part of her wants to turn and head up, to barrel through whatever 'treats' the Stranger has in store. The larger part won't leave her friends, though, and instead she turns towards support and offers a wicked smile to the room. "You know what? Let's change the game..." That light blue glow encompasses her hands as she draws on her magic, this time not aimed towards her friends, but rather, the axes being wielded by the twins. She grunts as she feels a backlash building equivalent to her own usage, but grits her tetth and clenches both hands. As she does, she's thrown back into a wall by the force of the backlash, hitting it hard and dropping roughly to the floor. As she picks herself up, wiping away a trickle of blood, her smile is still in place. Each of the twins is now wielding a bright yellow and silver colored Nerf axe. "Boys and their toys..."
Nick Drago	As Mike reaches the apex of the arc he takes, his body twists, allowing for him to swing his arm and the concentrated force in his fist to the back of one of the movers' heads. While he was already moving when the play was called, it so happens Hope is indeed the one he's going for. He's got a friend who might appreciate him prioritizing on that name. He continues the tumble forward to land on his feet. As the word pops into his head, Mike pauses. Looking over to Jon. Seriously? Right. Task at hand. With no sword or claws currently out, Mike resorts to... jumping up and punching him again.
Jonathan Sims	"You're the one who died, aren't you? To a werewolf, if I recall correctly." Vague memories, but they're there, and it's enough to taunt the creepy twin men with. Jon lets the sword slide along the haft of the fireax and he's blocked, holding the brute's attention while the others shoot at or claw or punch it. "We have a werewolf, but I think she's a little busy just now."     As the sword slides away from the axe, just before Rien turns them into Nerf toys, Jon spins and goes for the other side, trying to get a gash from the sword to match the gash from the claws, in the 'delivery man's' skin.
Cael Becker	Cael's gaze slides towards Chas as he strides forward, going full Super Saiyan in the process. She can feel her grip tightening on her gun, her breathing rate picking up- and then Jon's comment about a werewolf pulls her gaze away, giving her something else to focus her attention on. "I think I'd remember if I'd killed one of these fucks before," she remarks. Her voice doesn't sound entirely natural in her ears - but maybe the others won't notice.     She focuses on Hope once more - waiting for an opening in the dance, and as Jon steps to one side, she gets a clear shot at the man - squeezing off a few more shots with her enhanced weapon.     Stay focused, Cael. Do the job. You've got this.
Gabby Kinney	Gabby Kinney flinches at the sudden unleash of pure angelic power. She wasn't even sure if it could be called magic so much as... Power. Then again she wasn't exactly an expert on such things either way. The burst of light, yes, just consider it light... It was a distraction. One hopefully for the twin she had lunged toward as well. At the very least she was hoping to keep him from jumping in to help his twin while the others finished him off. Her goal is to just occupy. With quick movements she spins around to try and get behind the twin. With a quick crouch she swings her arms across her chest aiming one claw behind knees, and the other lower, aiming for the achilles tendon. Without waiting to see how deep she may have struck she pushes back to her feet leaping backwards in an attempt to get away before any retaliation. Quick, and don't stop moving. That was her goal tonight.
Chas Chandler	As Breekon's axe is transformed Chas presses his advantage, the foamy material burning and flaking away in large chucks of ashen plastic. The smell is terrible. "It seems the bitchy--" Breekon starts. "--Queen has tricks we weren't told about" Hope finishes. There's little inflection in the voices, just enough to note their surprise at the fact.     Mike's punch lands squarely on the back on Hope's head, causing him to flinch forward a bit at the hit. The man's head and skull are quite thick and there is a somewhat hollow sound when Mike's fist connects. "We don't like--" Hope says. "--being swatted by a Dream fly." Breekon finishes. Hope turns to attempt a backhand of his own to the Phantasm. Which causes Jon's blade to miss his side and instead take him full across the middle of his torso. The kopesh cuts deep and Hope jerks in surprise. He looks down. "You don't look--" Hope says. "--like no werewolf..." Breekon finshes. The flagging Hope swats Jon with the nerfed (literally) fireaxe and only manages to deliver a strong, but summarily useless swat with the toy. Cael's trio of shots skate up the side of the creature's face: neck, cheek, temple. The temple shot causes it to jerk and then it falls with a dull thud to the ground; thoroughly dead.     Chas and Gabby are contending with Breekon and making progress. Gabby's sweep pass and tearing of mobility tendons doesn't seem ot have much effect, at first. The man whips around and tries to catch her in a bear hug, only to stumble and drop to his knees as the damage done catches up to him. Chas' thrust of his angellic blade was aimed for the middle of the creature's back... instead, the blade goes straight through his head, coming out the other side and destroying the plain face before Gabby's eyes.     Chas withdraws the blade and lets the sword dissapate to so much energy in the air but keeps his aura up. "Not the cleanest of battles. But it did the trick," he says with a look at the two ruined figures. His blue flamed eyes turn to Rien. "Lead on."
Rien D'Arqueness	The backlash takes more out of her than she wants to admit, the internal damage knitting itself back together as she watches the fight. Claws out, Rien looks for an opening to get back into the fight, but before she can, the fight ends. With the twins' 'teeth' removed, they prove little threat to the JLD and are taken out quickly. Rien watches with satisfaction as the twins are summarily dealt with by the group, relief rushing through that nobody was hurt in the opening volley. She's smiling when the twins call her the 'bitchy Queen', letting out a small laugh, "Oh, you two have /no/ idea. Too bad you didn't survive to find out." She lets out a sigh and shrugs, then turns to the group, "You're all awesome." She gives a nod to Chas and turns, head high like the Queen she's been termed, starting up the stairs to the next level of the Tower. "Come out, come out wherever you aaaaaaaaaaaare. Hiding behind minions won't make this any easier for You!"
Nick Drago	As Hope turns to swat at him the musician hops back to avoid the swat. Now Mike will admit that the moves displayed weren't the flashiest but he'll take conveniently distracting. When the two figures fall down, Mike glances to what remains of the weapons. A slight smirk forms on his face as he picks up one of the foamy axes. What the hell, Mike? Ugh. Either way. Mike is now armed with a Nerf toy.
Jonathan Sims	Jon flinches at the hit from the Nerf bat but it's practically nothing; he shrugs it off and pulls the sword out of the evidently hollow man, shaking his head. But it's done, and they're both down, so he checks the sword over and glances around at the others.     He eyes Mike for a moment and shakes his head, then briefly turns to Cael to make sure she's okay. Once satisfied with that, he turns to follow Rien up the Tower, shifting the grip on his sword as he goes.
Cael Becker	As one of their foes goes down, Cael's gun automatically trains in on the other. Does that leave the weapon momentarily pointed in Chas's general direction? ...yes. But she actually takes pains not to point it directly at any of her allies.     Once the danger is based, she holsters her weapon, turning away from Chas and towards Jon. Approaching them, she wraps one arm around them, taking a moment to breath in their familiar scent. Jon is fine, she is fine, and there's still work left to be done. After a deep breath in, and then out again, she lets her arm drop, starting for the stairs without a word.
Gabby Kinney	Gabby Kinney hops back another few steps when that large man thing turns around to try and give her a not-nice sort of hug. Thankfully the cuts take effect bringing him down and leaving her a moment to actually catch her breath. "I'm SO glad that worked," she lets out with a sigh of relief. Who knew if they had similar biology to humans? Apparently they did. Dusting her handsd off on her thighs she glances over to the others before flashing Chas a grin. "Nice shot there," she offers even if her stomach was tight from having seen someone get a sword through their head up close and personal. It's shaken off as best she can. Somehow after the nightmare she'd had it wasn't so bad to see. "Right. Let's keep going and see what else they've got for us. Or..." Here she pauses tipping her head back to peer up at the tower. "Or we could climb up."
Chas Chandler	"Here they amount to the same thing" Chas replies as he gives Gabby a clap on the shoulder. His touch is warm but not uncomfortably so. He glances to Jon, Cael, and Mike--the latter getting an arched brow at the nerf toy he's holding. Who knows what the man had in mind for that thing. With the Phantasms control over the imagination anything was possible.     The next floor appears to be much of the same. Ivory, featureless walls and floor in a myriad of twists and turns that geographically make little sense, archways separating the corridors, and that same oppressive stillness. Just when it seems like it will become unbearable, they reach another open archway onto a large room.     In the room are two figures, both are mostly familiar. The Not-Rien, in it's twisted and elongated form--arms and legs like PVC pipes with extra joints throughout tappering in extra jointed claw-like fingers. The face of the Not-Rien stretched to even more abnormal proportions lending an perpetual rictus of a grin over what it calls a mouth hovers to the right of Nikola Orsinov the mannequinesque ringmaster from before. She's been repaired and reassembled but parts of her form are made of a amorphous darkness, like congealed ink that pulses and ripples over holes in her body. Left shoulder, right arm, the upper part of the right side of her face, and some of her right thigh all seem to be made of the stuff. Whatever it is, it doesn't feel pleasant to those with magical senses attuned to such things. The sense of -wrongness- about everything in the room is overcast by the sheer dread that the black substance exudes.     "So nice of you to make it for the second show" Nikola exclaims. "It's going to prove to be such a blowout performace. After all, it's not everyday one performs for royalty." She fixes Rien with her false smile. "I think pleasantries aren't necessary so lets skip introductions and get right to it?"     She snaps the fingers on her left hand and four shadowy figures in an approximation of her own form rise from the ground out of nothing. Despite the lack of discernable features, they appear quite solid as they rush with the Not-Rien hot on their heels charging for the group, the shadow's own fingers sharpen into talons as they near the members of the JLD.
Rien D'Arqueness	Rien's claws are slid away when they reach the top of the stairs and she can see what waits for them. A slow smile spreads across her face, ignoring the Not-Rien and focusing in on Nikola. "Oh. You've made this much easier. How delightful. Two birds, one stone. I hope you're ready to serve a new mistress Nikola. That is, if I decide to let you survive." Stepping away from the others, Rien seems to grow... darker. Not that her skin tone or hair color changes at all, but the light around her seems to get much dimmer and shadows much thicker. She walks towards Nikola, a raised shield of Null Energy sending the shadows around her like a boat cutting through water. And as she stalks towards Nikola, her own shadow grows longer, darker. The form of a voluptuous woman, but one with tentacles for hair and coming from its back rather than her own usual shadow. While still most certainly in control, there's a darker, heavier force that's driving the Queen of Nothing towards her prey. "Ohhhhhhhhh, Nikola. You really should have listened to me before... this could have been a much less painful transition.. for you." Hands lifting, her usual light blue glow has turned to a deep blue-black, the color of ink and shadows and midnight. "I warned you not to fuck with me. I tried to give you a chance.. now you're just going to have to find out the hard way."
Nick Drago	Mike can just feeeeel the judgement coming from Jon and Chas. "I have my reasons." The Phantasm promises the Archivist and Angel. He squishes the foam briefly with his hand during the statement. So reassuring. As the group makes their way through the corridor, Mike uses the time to feed a bit of his energy into the harmless looking toy. Prepared ahead of time and seeing one of the shadow figures charging towards him, he raises the tiny ax. But as the figure gets closer and he swings it downwards on it, the Ax shifts suddenly, becoming larger and definitely not Nerf looking as his strength gets focused upon the newly formed cutting portion of the blade.
Jonathan Sims	Jon returns Cael's hug and then heads on up with the others, narrowing his eyes at both the Not-Rien and Nikola. Before he really reacts, though, the strange shadowy forms are rushing them, and Rien is drawing on some kind of darkness that makes him blink and shake his head, rolling his shoulders. Well. That's no fun.     He takes a moment to look at the others and then, because it's the astral, summons up new, more powerful weapons for them. Gabby gets a flamethrower, Chas an axe to match Mike's, and both Chas' axe and Mike's imbued with some kind of glowing blue energy. Cael's gun is already enchanted, and Rien's got her claws, so he casts the blue energy along the blade of his own sword and moves forward to engage one of the shadowy creatures.
Cael Becker	Cael stalks through the twisting halls and corridors, doing her best to ignore the hints of blue-glow she can see glinting off the walls, but it's enough to keep tension in her shoulders and her back, and her hands clenched at her side.     Stepping into the room with Nikola and the Not-Rien, however, brings back memories of the weeks she'd spent watching the //thing// that had taken the place of their friend - watching everyone welcome it. Watching Jon //hug// something that had felt so wrong to her, while she was powerless to stop or prevent any of it. A growl builds up in the back of her throat. "You..."     She can't let loose on Chas. But //this// monster? This one she can tear to pieces with her bare hands.     The combat fatigues tear away, and the harness holding her weapons pop free as Cael's form swells - limbs elongating, and nails growing at the ends of long, tapered fingers. Her face grows out into a snout - until one twisted form faces off against another. She springs forward - shoving one of the shadowy figures aside with a negligent swipe, to clear her path towards the Not Rien, intent on rending it limb from bloody limb.
Gabby Kinney	As Rien's energy changes and her talk speaks of taking over, Gabby's gaze snaps toward her with a sudden sense of dread and worry. That unease that itches just beneath her skin is fought against for now to focus on the issue at hand. Cael was changing. They were attacking. And she suddenly had a flame thrower at her disposal, whether astral or not. Amusement tugs her lips into a grin as she shifts the bag slung over shoulder she'd been packing with her to draw to her side. For now she doesn't opt for the flamethrower. Instead she pulls out a chunky, almost comical looking gun. Drawing it up she aims, one eye squinting shut. A deep breath is taken, and let out slowly as she fires off the single shot of the flare gun aimed for one of the Not Rien's eyes. It was a single shot incindiary so she merely drops the gun in favor of picking up the flame thrower now to prep it patiently while she waits for the chance to use it. If needed. "Told you I'd keep my 'eye' on you, Pretender," she calls out cheerily. If they were all running into their antagonists, would she run into hers further in?
Chas Chandler	Chas looks at Rien as she changes and a flicker of concern crosses his face but he has little time to acknowledge it before he'e bestowed a battle axe from the Archivist. He looks to Mike and twirls his own with a hand, sending a measure of his own angelic flames coursing along the length of the weapon before bringing it to bear down on one of the shadowy forms. The force of the blow sending it into one of its fellows as he follows through.     The beings are a great deal more solid than anticipated and the weapons, conjured axe, Phantasm axe, and kopesh bite -into- the shadow forms but don't go -through- them as much as one would expect. And those who wait around long enough to marvel are delivered clawed gashes for their trouble.     Chas's shirt gets ruined and his skin underneath even opens to reveal more of the contained plasma under his skin. He jerks the axe back and looks at his wound. "That's new..." he mutters in surprise before dodging out of the way as his second foe jumps at him. "We need to corral them!" he says to the others. "Direct concetrated damage might do the trick!" His firey eyes track to Gabby and her magical flame thrower in hand.     The Not-Rien and Cael clash and it's a battle of montrosities as the rage of a werewolf meets the unnerving rictus smile of malice from the twisted creature. The skin of the creature holds up surprisingly well against the unnatural claws of the werewolf and it's own have their own level of visciousness. For the moment, it's a stalemate as a tangle of limbs and fur mask the true battle going on between the pair.     The true struggle is with Rien and Nikola. The Ringmaster's eyes narrow when Rien transforms. "I see your play Queen and it won't work, no matter what you may think our Lord is stronger and greater than others of his kind" she says and leaps into the air to come at Rien; a bladed discs, encircled by her own inky darkness, in each hand. "How else can one such as him walk among your kind untehtered for centuries after the rest of them were imprisoned."
Rien D'Arqueness	The laugh that bubbles up from Rien's lips is two voices layered over each other. Rien's voice, but also another one. An alien-sounding voice, that same wrongness that comes from dealing with an Old One, but with a purring, velvety quality to it that's as seductive as it is off. "Ohhhhhhhh Nikola... she was not imprisoned, she was forgotten. She was left behind. And now she is PISSED. You're treading on her territory, interfering with her plans." Her own hands are empty of weapons, surrounded by the deep blue-black glow. There's no attempt to duck or dodge or avoid Nikola. Instead, Rien... smiles. A slow, satisfied smirk. And inky blue-black tentacles of pure WRONGNESS sprout from her back, four of them in all. "I finally understand. I get it. I get why. Why all of it happened. What went wrong. And now, Mynoghra has found me. And you're /fucked/." Those tentacles lash out, heavy brute force of that ultimate darkness, punching at Nikola, trying to ensnare her and draw her closer. And Rien stands there, her blue eyes and blonde hair all the more striking for the darkness that surrounds her, watching Nikola with the assurance that she /will/ win.
Nick Drago	Oh yes. Judge Mike when he picks up the toy ax, but when he actually uses it as an actual weapon, suddenly it's ok again. When the ax doesn't do as much daMAGe as he initially intended, the dream being jerks back to avoid getting clawed. The ax Mike pulls back gets shaken, turning more into a MAG flashlight. The heavy set looking flashlight clicks on, emitting a beam similar to the one he used on the last visit. The bright beam is set upon the shadows.
Jonathan Sims	The khopesh may not cut into the shadows as far as Jon intended, but he doesn't give up on the line of attack; he keeps pressing, trying to herd them toward a central position, over toward the ones Mike and Chas are fighting. "If we can get them in position..." Seems he's having the same idea Chas is, about the flamethrower.     Cael's change gets a flicker of a glance, but not much; he's becoming used to it by now. And it'll be good for her to let loose on the thing that so upset her.
Cael Becker	Cael remains oblivious to Rien's battle and the concerns some of the others may have, as her awareness seems focused solely on the fight in front of her. She growls at the Not-Rien's claws dig into her own flesh, and she snaps with her teeth, aiming for a shoulder, as she tries to bite and twist one of those grotesque arms into a useless, mangled piece of hanging flesh.     "You enjoyed making my squirm," comes her gutteral, distorted voice as she releases the creaatures shoulder. "I'll return the favor," she promises, a clawed hand reaching for the thing's throat, to try to slam it back into a wall.     Blood drips from her chest and arms from the clawed gashes that have been opened by the Not-Rien's claws - but she seems to pay them no mind, as the crimson blood splashes on the white stone of the tower floor.
Chas Chandler	Chas dodges and weaves away while scoring hits on his two shadows. The discerning eye, if there was on in the group right now might see that he's managing to inch them towards a central point in the area. Jon's hits as well force his opponent towards the same place. Mike's maglight does just as much to angle and corral his oppnent to the same place. "Everyone! Pile on!" he shouts. A ring of his angel fire spring sup around the four, at the same time a wall of Jon's green energy encircles them. The pair release a torent of blue flame and green energy together that starts to sear away the shadowy figures. "Gabby, pour it on. Mike, if that flashlight has an 11 on it, go to 12." He cringes away from the power combining and flinches as the roar of magical flame from Gabby's flamethrower joins the conflaration.     Cael's bites and claws are scoring the pale white dessicated figure of the Not-Rien. It looks to be flagging though and doesn't move with the same agility as before as Cael manages to grab it's throat. The two struggle before coming to a wall and the Not-Them lets out a warbling hiss of pain as the ivory wall cracks from the sheer force of the tackle. Claws lash out again at Cael's werewolf form but their defensive actions more than anything aggressive, the last ditch effort of a creature who knows it's met it's match.     Rien's pure strength in the power of her patron, Mynoghra, is more than Nikola can contend win. But strength is not the only measure of one's ability. Finesse can play its own part and Nikola has finesse in droves. The sharpened disks spin and deflect the punches from the tentacles with inhuman speed. And she even manages to score a cut on the body of Rien, a cut that seals itself almost as fast as they are formed. "Why can't you just die!" she screams as the wounds formed do almost nothing to slow the inexorible onslaught of the displaced Howlett.
Rien D'Arqueness	Sparing a glance for the others, seeing them handling the shadows while Cael fucks up the Not-Rien with a passion, Rien looks back to Nikola just in time to to catch one of the bladed discs across her ribs and stomach. Letting out an inhuman laugh as it seals closed, "Don't you get it, Nikola? I was literally /made/ for this. Mynoghra herself blessed the union of my parents, made me an immortal conduit for her power in this world. You never stood a chance!" Then her eyes flash and she moves with the speed and agility her mutant heritage provides, darting in towards the ringmaster. Reaching up with both hands to clasp Nikola's face, those blue eyes boring into the mannequin's own, and starting to draw on the power of the I Do Not Know You that fuels the creature. Sucking away the power and channeling it into her own, into Mynoghra, feeding that power directly to her patron, her 'godmother'. "And now you're going to belong to /me/. All your power. All your minions. Everything that you are, is mine. And hers. I /am/ the Queen of Nothing, and this is /my/ domain. You and yours are not welcome here!"
Nick Drago	Mike nods, double clicking the button. For a brief moment the light flickers off but when it comes back on the light is even more intense than before, to the point one can start to see through things. It's probably best. NOT to look directly into the light. He brings a hand to his pocket and starts to pull out yet another flashlight, flicking that one on as well.
Cael Becker	Cael's foe is pinned against the wall - and a smile of grim satisfaction grows on her lips. Her freehand goes to the Not-Rien's chest - keeping it pinned as her other hand releases its grip on the throat - and goes for the chest as well. Claws of both hands dig into its flesh, and rend it apart - snapping bones, as the rib cage is cracked opened revealing the heart beating within its chest.     Her first instinct is to tear it out with her teeth - but who wants to put an eye out with those broken ribs?     So instead, she reaches in with her hand, with her own unnaturally, elongated fingers to tear it free.     "Fuck. You," she spits out as she does so.
Chas Chandler	Chas, Mike, Gabby, and Jon only let up when the last vestige of black body is gone. Then they stop and all that's left is a dark patch of charred ivory where the shadowy creatures once were. Chas turns to regard Rien and Nikola's struggle, he knows its too late to intervene now. What happens from here is essential. For their mission, for their future, for their team. But he will be there to witness it.     The Not-Rien, struggles against Cael for a few seconds, even without a heart but then the ruined mangled corpse slides to the ground motionless. The face on it twister and contorts to a myriad of shapes and visages before settling into a smooth blank slate of whitish-grey skin: the true face of the Not-Them.     Nikola screams. A wordless sound of terror and pain and pleasure all mixed into a sound that starts low and then continues to rise into dizzying heights of tone without a break for air until it's a hoarse croaking sound. Her body spasms as the enrgy that animates her is wrenched from her own control and flows into Rien and the Queen of Nothing's patron. That inky blackness tries to flee but is drawn into Rien like a vaccuum draws in dust, and the well is deep. More and more power flow from Nikola into Rien until what's left is barely enough to keep the mannequin animate.     "What... what are you going to do to me?" Nikola whispers, the awe and wonder for what she thought was a mewling foe and yet has become an idol of adoration and the ideal plain in her tone.
Rien D'Arqueness	Rien's ears are assaulted by that scream, but she bears through it, drawing on that power until Nikola dangles weakly from her grasp. That wreath of shadowy inkiness and tentacles still surrounding her as she watches Nikola. A smile touches her lips, "Well now, Nikola, that depends on you. Will you swear yourself to my service? To making amends for the pain and suffering you've caused? Will you swear to fight as fiercely /for/ me as you did /against/ me?" Her smile very nearly beatific as she watches Nikola with that unblinking blue gaze, "If you swear these things, then I will restore you. Heal you. The Stranger's minions are mine now. This is /my/ tower, these are /my/ people. Will you serve, make amends?" Her head turns, catching sight of Chas, of Cael, of the Not-Rien lifeless on the floor, the others grouped around the scorched spot on the floor that used to be the shadow creatures. She focuses on Chas for a long moment, then looks back to Nikola. With effort, she banishes the shadowy benefactor, the shadows and tentacles receding, then disappearing entirely, until it's just Rien once more, holding the broken Nikola. That light blue glow returning to her hands and she cups Niola's face. "Will you join us? Or do I take the last of your essence and send you into whatever you call an afterlife? You can maintain the tower, command the minions below. Be our eyes and ears on the edge of the Void. Watch the Bleed, and let us know when they act. We will come, we will protect you, if you help us."
Cael Becker	Cael watches the thing dispassionately as its final struggles slowly weaken - and then cease altogether, as she drops it into a heap on the floor. She's smattered with blood - some of it her own, but much of it the Not-Rien's as she turns to regard the others, her gaze resting on the tenacled Rien for a few moments, before she approaches the group at the blackened patch of stone.     She drapes an arm around Jon, pulling them towards her - heedless of the gore she smears on them with that action - as she fixes her gaze on... Chas.     But it's Rien she speaks to.     "Just fucking kill it," she suggests. They don't need these //monsters.//
Chas Chandler	Chas shakes his head at Cael's insistence. "It's not that simple... not anymore" he says turning to regard the others as the blue flame winks out. "Jon, can you take them back to the Castle. Rien and I will be there momentarily." He turns back to the blonde woman holding the shaking Nikola. "We have some things to discuss."     Jon hesitates for a moment before nodding and then opening a green hued portal that reveals the Sitting Room of the Velvet room on the other side.     Nikola shakes under the intense scrutiny of Rien. "If... if... that power... is truly yours. Then I must serve." She shakes and shakes her head as much as she can. "No! But... I must... but..." The struggle inside the animate mannequin is clear and stark as she writhes internally and externally in Rien's grasp.     Chas' approach is slow. "It might be easier to destroy her here and now. There are other servitors. Others you can set up in place to guard and watch. I understand wanting a smooth transition, but..." He gestures to Nikola. "I'm not sure anything from her is going to be smooth."