Giggling to herself, Josephine headed straight upstairs, speaking false psychology aloud as she did so, in an elevated vocal volume,

"Man, I sure hope Lily didn't hide upstairs in those cupboards! I guess I'll have to check each one to make sure she didn't, because that would be where I would hide if I made so much noise climbing the stairs that everybody heard me...!" she teased, heading directly up there with a teasing grin on her face.



Plans: bonding with Lily, hanging out, maybe drop by home for a bit for her and Lily to say hi to mom and check in

Jo: You hear loud cursing and a bang followed by more cursing and you think it likely she hit her head inside the cupboard. A moment later she scrambles out, hair a mess and looking quite grumpy. How!? I was so quiet! What do you have the ears of a wolf!? Aaaaaarg!!

Laughing, Josephine held out her arms to grab Lily's shoulders to calm her down, and she whispered,

"An old trick mother taught me... always use all of your resources to win, no matter what." she said, tapping her eyeballs, and pausing, to let Lily catch onto the fact that she'd peeked.

She was poised to dodge out of the way if Lily smacked her one, playfully with a grin on her lips.

'You don't happen to know when Belial needs to perform this ceremony, do you?' Penny asked, thinking of upcoming auspicious dates for a demonic summoning, like the next full moon. She might not know where Kate was being held, but perhaps she could determine when Kate would be in Central Park. It didn't give her much of a chance thwart the ritual, but if it was all she could get, she would seize that chance.

Having no more questions for the time being, Penny deflected Emma's earlier queries about the location spell by promising to speak with Victoria, then departed. She was relieved to get away from the witch, and her head spun with her claims about her family. Was it true, or just a demon's lie?

Afterward, Penny planned to speak to Victoria about Emma's location spell. Would it work? Could she perform it, or must they rely on the witch? She would also make discreet inquiries about the Blaeden family. Who were they, and how were they involved?


OOC: Knowledge (arcane lore) 28 - Can Penny guess the date or other details of the ceremony?

OOC: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH I'm so mad! My stupid computer crashed and ate my post! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO angry!!!!!! Now I don't have time to be detailed so sorry about the crappiness of this. I'm so flippin pissed!

Penny: She claims it will be some 3-4 months away but is unsure of the date. You both are assuming the summer soltice, June 21st which gives you some time and yet if you can't find the ring quickly it could be close.

Victoria claims it would take her a long time to master the spell and it would seem that Emma is your best bet in getting to Kate quickly. As for the Blaedens, they are apparently a family with a history so old it can be traced back to biblical times. There is a rumor that some of the worst folk out there have lineage linking them to the bloodline including Elizabeth Bathory, Vlad Dracul and several other unsavory historical figures including cannibals, murderers and other villains of the worst sort. She is a bit skeptical if these can all be truly linked or not but she has not done much research on the subject. Some think the whole thing a myth but if Belial has an interest perhaps not...

Jo/Simon: Lily is fortunately amused by Jo's antics though she recruits the priest to show her a bit more fisticuffs since she loathes losing to Jo and she's quite adamant about regaining her reputation. The Indian will invite the priest to go with them to check in with Jo's mother at her bar if he is so inclined, a tidy little place several blocks away. Should you take her up on the offer you will find that Elizabeth is a feisty, strong woman but she seems pleased to see a priest involved in her daughter's life, perhaps feeling a bit safer about things if a man of the church is involved.

Everyone: Before long it will be time to do the spell and see just where Kate is, provided you are willing to let Emma have a go at it.

Calm down, jeez "flippin" and "pissed" in one sentence. =-) Just teasing you Artemis.

Simon indeed goes to the bar with Lilly. Even if his presence makes others there uncomfortable he will pretend not to notice. He is happy to meet Josephine's mother and will talk with her at length if it helps the situation.

ooc: Lol! Yeah...well when irritated I won't hesitate to pull out all the stops!

Three to four months? Penny had thought in despair. If it truly was the summer solstice, then why seize Kate so long before? Belial was taking a big risk; surely he must know it would give the Men of Letters more time to act against him, and would pressure them to retaliate. Unless the shifters had forced things along by kidnapping her when they did. it was a bonus in their favour, but it prolonged Kate suffering. But no matter, it changed little.

Penny spent the rest of the day in some desultory research into Emma's spell, and into the Blaedens and her own twisted family line, as far back as certain records of the Men of Letters would go, and further still in her own notes and recollections.

Blaeden was likely a variant of Bladen, a not-uncommon English surname descending from Bladon in Oxfordshire and Blaydon in County Durham. The Bladens were normal enough; the Blaedens seemed unremarkable. It was only when Penny chased down the cadet lines and descendants of women under their married names, generations later that she found all manner of villainous rogues. Countess Elizabeth Bathory; Vlad Dracul, whose tale she'd mentioned to Mr Stoker; and Lord Gilles de Rais, the depraved child-murderer. She suspected a connection to the leper and necromancer King Bladud mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's fanciful history of the mythic kings of England, of which Penny knew some of the truth, that they were mostly Dark Ages warlords in post–Roman occupation Britain.

Much of it was tenuous and fragmentary, and she'd not had time for full research, but if even a quarter of it were plausible, it had disturbing implications. While the Darkmoors had lurked in their gloomy corner of Devon, the Blaedens had spread their seed among the European nobility. But if their mixed bloodlines were to be the key to Belial's prison, then why wait so many centuries? Had earlier crossings failed, like in the case of the tyrant Mempricius? Were they waiting for Doomsday, which some feared would occur in 1900? Or was it simply dark and twisted eugenics, like a farmer breeding his cattle, to one day birth a perfect monster?

Penny felt sick inside, like her own flesh and blood and bone were filthy tainted things, loathsome within her skin. Family was an evil she could never get away from. She had to remind herself that her line and the other had produced some good too, decent people and heroes – like Queen Gwendolen, Kate Piper, and, she told herself, Penny Darkmoor. Mostly among the women. People were not cattle, and such a plan would struggle against the human heart and mind.

Slamming her dusty books shut, head spinning with dark history, Penny joined Victoria in time to enact the spell of location. She'd reluctantly approved letting Emma Bently attempt it, and took all manner of precautions, including having the hellhound on standby.


OOC: I decided to go with Queen Gwendolen as Penny's ancestor, and added some names from legend and history that I realised could fit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Gwendolen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mempricius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bladud
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais
This message was last edited by the player at 13:15, Wed 09 Sept 2015.

ooc: Good Penny. I was going to look up more loathsome historical figures (including Gilles de Rais, but my stupid computer crashed as I may have mentioned ;P)

Now that preparations are made, you all gather in the brownstone and await Emma's spell, watched closely by Victoria and even aided when the occasion calls for it. A large globe sits in front of the woman and after tedious chants droning on as well as several spell components the woman's eyes roll back into her head and she takes a hat pin and stabs the globe with it with alarming force. Only then does she return to her normal self, her eyes coming back into place, she looks a bit surprised at it all too, though you suspect it is more because she was not expecting the sensation rather then anything else. Ian leans forward eagerly. Well? he demands. Emma looks up, her face thoughtful. England. Eighteen sixty three.

"Time Travel." Simon hissed, "They don't have to wait for the right date, they can take her to the right date."

He paced, keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:41, Wed 09 Sept 2015.

Yes and no. There are restrictions to such things and though one can do minor manipulations generally massive changes are avoided even by power hungry demons like Belial. This could mean he was putting her there for safekeeping perhaps? He did not want us tracking her I assume. If he was going to risk taking her to the solstice why take her back in time? I only pray that he is not insane enough to be that aggressive with manipulations. He may tear apart the world he is trying to rule if he's not careful. Victoria sighs.

England. Eighteen sixty three. Penny frowned, surprised to hear an innocuous year only a few decades ago; not another plane, not the future, not the distance place. Almost like home. Then realisation dawned. Of course. 'Oh, I believe the year has some other significance.' she began softly, brooding on the implications. 'It's the year of my birth.'

Penny is met with looks of surprise and even Emma takes a few seconds to respond. Well that's odd. Perhaps it is his idea of a joke. Or perhaps they mean to interfere with you somehow. The fact that you are alive though means they haven't killed you in the past. They may want to change your upbringing, make you less of a hindrance? I don't understand what this has to do with Kate though. Hm...it could be they know you will thwart them and went back to eliminate you and it just hasn't happened yet and the timeline will change. But then you would never give birth to Kate's bloodline and that would render Belial's precious key non-existent so that doesn't make sense...Oh I'm getting a headache she makes a face.

Ian turns to the witch and Victoria with a determined face. Well, we know where and when she is I say we get going this instant. If they are planning to manipulate Penny in the past we had best get over there and stop them! Besides, the sooner we rescue Kate the better. It was my face that was used to betray her, I don't much care for that he growls.

Lily turns to Jo with a worried look. Think hard before deciding whether to join us Jo. I have no idea what we are walking into or if we will be walking back out again. Don't throw your life away so quickly for us. That said, if anyone can scrabble through I suppose it's you! All you have to do is run off and hide and they'll probably never find you she rolls her eyes teasingly. Of course Penny and Simon probably don't know about their hide and seek session so this would sound a bit odd to them.

ooc: Ok, ready to leave to the past when everyone else is. Just make sure you let me know what supplies you bring and any other preparations.

Raising her eyebrows, Josephine asked Lily,

"Wait, you're time traveling somehow, and trying to leave me behind? Psh, maybe I should've left you upstairs hiding, and started the mission myself!" she teased, smiling.

'Perhaps...' Penny mused at Emma's suggestions, staring into the distance and into time, too distracted by the implications. There was something strange and horrible behind this, something she couldn't conceive and yet which disturbed her all the same. If Kate and I are related...? 'Or they wish to ensure my present existence.' she snapped, angry at the forces behind this. The Darkmoors' ancient pledge to Belial, made by some forgotten scoundrel on behalf of all his descendants, whether they wished it or not. Made by her father, too, no doubt, and in the arranged marriage she'd fled.

She looked back to Emma Bently, saying 'While I can certainly hazard some guesses, can you be more precise than England, 1863? It is rather a large island, and a long year.'

Then she asked Victoria 'How shall we travel to 1863? Belial's time portal only runs from 2013 to the present, and I understand you used that to send Kate and I back. Are you able to create a new portal? Or shall we contact the angel Castiel?'

Simon spoke "Not that it matters given the local but 1863 is also the year I was born."

Simon had a hard time following Penny's logic. Why ensure an enemy's existance? He did not argue the point. She also spoke again about contacting an angel. Simon cocked a brow. "You know this messenger well? I must admit to a degree of jealousy something I will need to confess."

Lily laughs at Jo's words and looks relieved, no doubt fearing the woman would actually take her up on her warning. Well alright then, you'll have to keep an eye on me I suppose she grins. Since we've established you are the superior of us. Now, my question is, are you going to tell your mother you'll be going back in time? Do you think she'll even belive you? Even for hunters this is pretty out of the ordinary.

At Penny's questions Emma nods. Yes, the moors. And it is spring I would say in her time anyway. I'm guessing April if I had to. Victoria is the one who addresses the means of traveling. I do have access to some very powerful spells though we'll probably have to do this at headquarters. I will need a bit of help and I should stay behind, make sure you are able to return safely. I can't promise I can get you exactly to Kate but I can get you very close, that will have to be enough. If you think you should contact the angel then by all means do so though, provided you have means of course.

ooc: So if you ever want to do in depth conversations guys just go to the conversations thread and let me know the generals of what you cover so I can watch two threads simultaneously. If everyone is involved in a conversation like this one of course you keep it here, the conversation thread is more for pairing off, etc. Also, I will sum up soon and get you guys to England but I want to make sure there's no straggling loose ends before I rip you away from your current time.

Penny had glanced to Simon, intrigued to learn that he'd also been in 1863, that he was the same age as herself. 'Indeed? ...Yes, I've met Mr Castiel several times. He is... a good man.' she said at last with a clear mixture of awe and puzzlement. 'I would like to speak to you about him at some point.' she admitted.

Growing increasingly tense, her face tight and grey, Penny waited anxiously for the date, then at last wilted in relief. After her birthday, then. There should be no strange plot involving her own birth, or her mother, or so she hoped. Nor would she be forced to meet her mother, a mother who, she had been told, had died delivering her into the world. All her life, Penny had wished she could have known her mother, yet now, when she had the chance, she couldn't bear the guilt.

'Then we should bring Juliet. The hellhound can track Kate precisely. She may even enjoy a run upon the moor... Perhaps we should contact Castiel regardless; the angel's eyes can pierce the veil of time, so he may have information on the period, or he can support us there. I understand prayer is the standard means?' Penny looked to Simon for confirmation.

Simon held up his hands, in both awe and dumbfoundedness. "Penny, prayer is mean to contact The Almighty. Angels are His messengers. I would suspect that they show up when He has a message. I, personally, have never seen an angel, not even in my short vision."

Penny blushed, embarrassed by Simon's reactions. 'I'm afraid Kate and I just shouted for him, though we were a bit hard-pressed at the time. Castiel is... different. Not what you might expect. You'll understand when you meet him.' Penny looked around the group, getting ready for the expedition through time. It would not be as sudden as last time. It was not the time for a discussion of the divine. 'Maybe we should go to another room?'

Simon thought for a moment, "How about the confessional closet in the chapel? I believe it is back at HQ? That way we can be alone without it being inappropriate for Lily or you. Would this be alright?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:08, Fri 11 Sept 2015.

Whispering, Josephine laughed softly,

"I'm not even sure I believe it, so how could I expect Ma to?" she chuckled, teasing Lily.

Penny thought for a moment, then nodded. 'Very well, though remember I am not there to confess. It is not common in Anglican practice.' she explained tactfully. Anglicans confessed privately to God; the private or auricular confession was still controversial and not commonly accepted. 'We may call upon Castiel in the chapel afterwards.'


OOC: So much as I understand from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...igion%29#Anglicanism

While Penny and Simon are away Lily shows Josephine the Men of Letters headquarters. It is in a warehouse underground and fully fitted with electric lights and telephones, quite state of the art. There is a decent number of folk about but Lily informs you there used to be far more. We had a tragedy here last week unfortunately. It turns out that many of the members here had been possessed by demons, used to spy on our activities. Even our leader himself turned out to be a shifter. It turns out that he had come and disabled the devil's traps by altering the design slightly. Kate, the woman we are to rescue, discovered it and when she and Ian fixed them we were shocked to find dozens of our members trapped. As you can see the traps run throughout the complex. Anyway, exorcising them proved fatal for many of them as they had already sustained too many injuries while under possession. Who knows how long they were like that. I lost a good many friends she shakes her head sadly. So that is why we've been working like mad to find a solution and it seems we may have. There is a certain sigil that seems to be effective in preventing possession. Since we are here and Penny and Simon will probably take forever and a day I think it best we apply it to you. Tell me, what do you think about tattoos? she suddenly grins wickedly.