The alpha looks at Lily nervously before answering, not liking how tensions are rising. As far as I know there are no more agents. Surely half of your company infiltrated should be enough. I don't know what Belial wants with you but I'm sure if you asked him he would tell you. He seems amused by the whole thing and expects you to join him before long, though how he means to manage it I'm not sure.

Lily listens with an icy face though she looks amused at Penny's denial. Think what you like but burying your head in the sand won't change things. You share common blood, and that, I think is why Belial needs you. Castiel knows something about it and he knows what I am. I suggest you leave me out of your questions though. It will be safer for you. She winces suddenly. We need to get him back now. I'm starting to forget again... she looks in pain. Unless you two want to wrangle an alpha on your own we need to move fast. she turns to the shifter. For your sake we'd better make it in time. If I start to fade the last thing I'm going to do is rip your head off. He turns pale and nods quickly.

ooc: Thought I would give you a chance to respond before you rush back

The alpha shifter seemed to have no more of worth to say right now, and though Penny was full of questions for the thing possessing Lily, now seemed quite definitely not the time. 'Let's go back then, via his safehouse and the tunnel. It is the shortest route, and we can't get this bloody mess back through the streets.' she growled. She didn't mention Ian, deciding to leave the potential for reinforcements unknown to both Lily and the shifer. She covered the shifter – any Lily – with her pistol and directed them back along a concealed route away from witnesses.

On the way, Penny turned over these revelations. In her previous cases, Penny had been pleased to be an outsider, apart from the crimes and horrors she uncovered. She hoped America would be even further removed. But, instead, this business had brought it even closer. Despite what everyone had said, Penny didn't doubt that her family may have acquired some dark taint or two in its ancient lineage and nocturnal misdeeds, only that Kate might be a part of it. Maybe she did not want dear Kate to be so polluted by the blood of the Darkmoors. But perhaps a familial connection would explain their fast and close friendship... But how? There were few other Darkmoors in her time, and a distant cadet or bastard branch of the family hardly seemed relevant. Kate's ancestors would most likely issue from... herself. A husband, a family, children; Penny had scarcely considered them, and had, at the age of 27, been resigned to spinsterhood, or an early grave. But now she whirled with possibilities, wondered who and how. The future suddenly seemed completely unclear. I should have Googled myself when I had the chance.

ooc: Lol, I love the googled herself comment!

You travel back to the house and Lily notes the gun with amusement. That won't do any good on either of us. You'll need iridium for this one. As for me, if I'd wanted to harm you I would have already. She winces again and picks up the pace. You should know, the agents that I killed were demons. You're going to hear a lot of rumors about me so you may as well know that much. My advice? Don't investigate. I know it's your nature but you'll be much better off. Now, we need to run. She grabs the alpha's arm and starts to hurry towards the safe house. Just outside of it you see Ian, bloody but in decent condition. He looks relieved to see you. Ah you got him then! he grins. Lily ignores him and barrels inside, trembling and looking stressed. I don't think I can make it she pants even as she starts to open the trapdoor. If I don't trap him before I fade he will kill you. Your gun is not enough. I may have to finish this. Ian looks at her in shock and back to you for explanation.

Kate followed along her weapon also up and ready to shoot if needed. Lily's words rang in her mind. She was related to Penny? Kate scrutinized her friend out of the corner of her eye. It was a crazy idea but she found herself hoping it was true. Her family in the future was dead, why not look up someone from the past? Though who knew how badly they were messing up Kate's future by knowing one another in the past. Maybe that was why no one had brought it up until now.

Kate was pulled from her thoughts when they met up with Ian. Lily was obviously having a hard time keeping control. "Try to hang on a little longer," she encouraged the Indian. Things could get ugly very fast if she lost control...

Iridium? Penny would remember that. 'Maybe a bullet will not kill either of you, but I'd wager it would certainly hurt going in.' Plus, of course, the gun was enchanted, so the bullet should be more effective. Did Lily or the shifter know about their weapons?

'Why not just tell us who or what you are? It would save us all a lot of bother!' Penny called after the thing that was Lily as the Indian woman hurried off with the shifter.

Cursing, she followed to meet up with Ian, but they hardly had time for courtesies when Lily confessed to losing whatever wicked power she had. Penny would be glad to see the young woman rid of it, but right now it was so terribly inconvenient... 'Look for rope, chains, anything we can bind him with!' she told Kate and Ian, and turned to eye Lily, or the being inside her. 'He'll kill Lily too. Tell me what you are and I may be able to help you.' she pressed.


OOC: Okay, so it appears the major use of iridium at the time was in fountain pen nibs: :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium#Historical
Can I assume Penny has such a pen, or roll to see if it is an iridium one? I presume I should make a Knowledge (physical sciences) check for Penny to know this. I got an 18. If need be, I can spend an action point to make it 27.
19:51, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 18 using 1d20+5. physical sciences.
20:00, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 9 using 2d6. action point?

What I am is an abomination she calls back with a wry smile even as she hurries off.

At the safe house Ian quickly obeys, though it is clear he has many questions. Lily winces but gives a short mirthless laugh. He won't kill me. I'll have his head off before that happens. You had better bind him quickly or it's as good as mine. He removed Westbrook's apparently so it's only fair. She is in great pain now, fighting whatever is happening to her. You can see her glowing eyes flicker back and forth to Lily's green ones. She grabs the alpha and forces him to his knees, gripping his hair in one hand and his neck in the other. There's nothing you can do to help me. My mind is trying to restore itself. You have one minute to find something or he dies. Your guns may hurt him but he's too powerful.

ooc: Roll a search please! Ian already did and sucked horribly. Also, yes you may have the iridium pen as it seems like Penny to carry things to take notes. Also 18 is good enough for me! Lastly, keep in mind that the men of letter's weapons are limited in their power. However...do you still carry your angel swords that Cas gave you...? I believe he did mention they were useful against a number of things.

Penny rummaged in her purse, pulling forth an elegant fountain pen. 'Would an iridium-tipped fountain pen do? It would be a shame to blunt it in a shifter's ribcage, but needs must when the devil drives...' she tutted, then drew a short, gleaming silver blade that seemed rather too large for her purse. She stared puzzled at it for a moment. 'Or an angel's sword? I forgot we had these...'

Seeing Ian trying and failing hopelessly to scour the basement for rope, Penny beckoned the man back, holding out both weapons. 'Ian! Come cover him with one of these. Let me look.'

She rummaged through crates and ransacked the place, she applied her detective skills to the matter, finding her keen deductive skills honed to a razor's acuteness by the life or death situation she now found herself in. 'Now, Miss Lily, or Madam Abomination, or whatever I should call you... You say you are fading from Lily's mind. Yet also that you will tear our shifter friend's head off should Miss Lily be threatened... So, I take it that a threat to Miss Lily's person will awaken you to her defence?' she reasoned, hoping she could find a way to keep Lily or the entity in charge at strength.


OOC: Look for rope, Search 28.
11:37, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 28 using 1d20+12. search.

OOC: Angel swords! I forgot we had angel swords! Damn! We could have been slaying demons with angel swords all this time. Although, considering my rolls, it wouldn't have done me much good anyway.

Lily looks surprised and pleased at the pen, though naturally the alpha looks shaken. Upon seeing the angel's sword she suddenly recoils visibly and turns ashen. Where did you get that!? she whispers.

Ian takes the weapons looking relieved to be free of searching, though he looks curious at the angel sword and Lily's reaction to it. You have a lot of explaining to do later ladies he shakes his head.

At Penny's questioning Lily calms down, trying to play off her earlier reaction. I will tell you this much, I am Lily, she just doesn't know it, but I'm as much a part of her as anything else. Keep that in mind should you try to kill me you will as surely be killing her. Second, I am not your enemy so I hope you remember that. Third...a threat to the version of myself that you know may do the trick she muses. I am set free during times of instinct, whether it be fear or anger she adds suggestively.

During this time you find some spare rope so quickly that Ian actually blushes. I'm sure I would have found it had I kept at it he mutters.

'Friends in high places.' Penny answered simply and mysteriously the questions asked of her angel's sword. She ought to show Simon, she considered. Would the priest doubt her so much with such clear sign of divine approval? Or, at least, divine tolerance.

She was intrigued by what she learned of Lily. If what she said was true, she appeared to have some kind of split personality, but one with fantastic strength as well. She supposed she might awaken the other Lily by provoking her to anger, that would surely drew her ire, making it a very risky tactic. 'Oh, I shall remember that...'

She soon hauled out a length of rope from its hiding place, but handled it like it was a particularly stubborn snake, gingerly wrapping it around the shifter's wrists and puzzling over the knots. 'Where's a sailor when you need one? Ian, perhaps you will have better luck at tying knots.' Allowing Ian to take over and recover his pride, she took the sword and pointed it at the shifter's neck, standing beside him so he could not easily reach her with his hands.


OOC: My turn to be hopeless again.
14:19, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 6 using 1d20+2. dexterity.

Castiel then Lily surmises bluntly. The fact that she knows who he is surprises you, but then it wasn't the most unusual thing to happen that day. Ian takes the rope with a grin and quickly goes to work. Remind me to show you one of these days my girl, he laughs. I've always been good with my hands he winks. The shifter looks relieved to be merely a prisoner and is surprisingly cooperative during all this, glancing back at Lily nervously. As for the native woman, by now she has slumped to the floor, shaking.Tell Lily nothing! If you value her life you'll not reveal me!, she implores fiercely. Suddenly her eyes are green again and it is clear she is the Lily you know once more as she sits up in bewilderment. She looks at the blood spattered all over and her gore covered arm and sighs. Tell me I didn't kill anyone I shouldn't have? She glances at the false Westbrook with surprise. Oh! We caught him? I don't suppose you saw anything of what happened to me? she looks hopeful.

'Perhaps...' With a slight blush, Penny looked away from Ian's flirtatious comment, and decided to concentrate on threatening the shifter rather than the matter of knot-tying and Ian's dextrous hands.

She watched with concern as whatever force she had been conversing with seemed to leave the Indian woman and leave her normal and free. As a detective, Penny valued the truth and honesty – after all, her middle name was Veracity, or rather, Verity, but she had changed it – and felt Lily would be better off knowing full well what was happening to her. But, if the truth meant a threat to her life, then keeping her secret had to win out. At least until they knew more about what afflicted her. Besides, this was hardly the time. 'No, you didn't kill anyone, Miss Lily. Only maimed this shifter here, and it is hardly a loss... As for what happened to you... I'm afraid we learned little.'

Looking away, angry at herself for lying, for keeping secrets from Kate and now Lily, she poked the shifter with the tip of the blade. 'For your sake, I hope you do not make us regret saving you, sir.' she hissed with savage politeness.

Lily looks disappointed but relieved to have not caused too much harm. The shifter wisely decides to stay silent on the matter but at your threat he stiffens. I have plenty of information I'm certain you would be interested in Miss Dreadful. What use is a corpse to you? he glances at the blade with distaste. Lead on then he gestures, the epitome of cooperation. You wonder if it is because he feels well and truly beat or if it isn't because he has hope of escaping at some later time.

As you head through the tunnel Ian takes the lead, taking you to the prison cells which are equipped with just about every protective seal one could hope to find. The bars are silver and iridium flecked he smiles smugly. This alpha as you call him isn't the only creature susceptible to such things. We'll post guards on him as well. In the meantime is there anything you wish to ask him before I have Victoria take over?

'I find corpses very useful, as a matter of fact...' Penny hinted, her words ambiguous and morbid, though she only meant as a body of evidence. She intended to scare the shifter and keep it off-balanced and uncertain. If these creatures would claim to know her and her family name, then let them fear her too.

She was satisfied to observe the security of the gaol cells and strength of the bars, though time would tell how well they held. The Men of Letters base was meant to similarly impregnable, and look how well that had turned out. 'I have one question.' She turned to the shifter, fixing her steely crystal-blue gaze on him. 'What did you do with Mr Westbrook's pocket watch?'

"I wouldn't mind if Lily had killed him," Kate muttered as she observed the shifter being locked up. She wondered what plans Victoria would have for him and hoped he'd meet his end sooner than later. The Men of Letters base had been infiltrated once. It may be only a matter of time before he was set free again.

Penny's attempts to make the shifter nervous seem to work and he looks quite uneasy as you speak to him.

The alpha blinks in surprise at the question. His pocket watch? he mutters. I think it is probably still with his body he shrugs. Didn't even realize he had one. Why? What use is it to you?

'Remember when last we spoke, I asked you for the time?' Penny reminded the shifter, a small smile on her lips. She enjoyed this moment, the opportunity to explain her reasoning and reveal her sharp intellect, to let the criminals and monsters know where they had failed. 'John Westbrook carried a silver pocket watch, a family heirloom perhaps, given to him by his father or a father-figure. He had a nervous habit of handling it and checking the time on it when anxious. That much I surmised in my first meeting with him, which I subsequently verified with him.'

'Victoria Green already suspected you were an impostor, as the nearest person he had to a daughter would. I confirmed her beliefs at our last meeting: you failed to produce the pocket watch when pressed, either emotionally or simply when I asked for the time. Ergo, you were an impostor. I warned Miss Green and, until we could entrap and reveal you, we planned to feed you false information... For example, our hotel room number. You sent poor Fredrick to ransack the wrong hotel room. We helpfully gave him a suitcase... What did you do with that anyway?' she inquired curiously. She assumed he'd given it to Belial, but it would be worth confirming.

'As for the pocket watch, I will give it to Victoria. I believe Westbrook would have wanted that.' she decided with sentiment. One could not choose their parents, Penny knew, but they had chosen each other and, in the brief time she had known them, they seemed to genuinely care for one another. It felt the right thing to do.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:40, Fri 17 Apr 2015.

The shifter looks surprised at your cleverness and gives you a scrutinizing look as though studying you properly for the first time. In regard to the suitcase he is most unhappy and his face falls. I, gave it to Belial he sighs. He was going to destroy it I believe. He will be most unhappy when he realizes Emma's soul is not within. You may as well know, he is aware of her plans to stop him. Her husband betrayed her and he is looking for the ring as much as you are. he informs you flatly. Why are you being so forthcoming? Ian demands suspiciously and the alpha scowls. As much as I support Belial, I need to live. I have many children who need guidance, shifters all over the world. I cannot leave them leaderless. Lily gives a derisive snort. What makes you think you're going to be left alive? After what you did to Westbrook, I'm betting Victoria will have some ideas for you. The alpha turns pale but holds his head high. Perhaps, but I've seen something of the woman's character. She will know an asset when she sees one and unlike you she can control her temper when she needs to.

"I like that you think you are an asset" Kate said sarcastically. Her tone implied that she thought the shifter was an idiot for thinking he'd live to provide his "children" with guidance. That was obviously not going to happen. Victoria would probably let him live for a while but in the end he would obviously need to be killed.

It would be good indeed if Belial destroyed the fake suitcase without checking inside; he need not learn of Mrs Bently's resurrection, and should be surprised when they completed her plans to destroy him. 'Belial will indeed be unhappy. So it would behove you not to try to escape and reunite with him. He will be even less kind with you than Miss Lily was.' she warned.

She didn't have anything to say on the alpha shifter's subsequent utility; obviously he would need to be executed for his crimes at some point. And obviously, that was not a subject to raise in his company while he remained helpful. 'In any case, kindly stop wearing Mr Westbrook's guise. It's offensive.'

She turned to Ian. 'I believe I'm done here. For now.'
This message was last edited by the player at 05:45, Fri 01 May 2015.

The shifter effortlessly changes into the form of a young man, surprising you with the ease of the transformation. Normal shifters are messy things, this man was far more sophisticated.

Ian nods. Victoria will have her fill with him next I imagine. He's got a lot to answer for. Still, in light of everything that's happened I'm not keen to leave him too quickly. I'll stay with him until someone comes to relieve me. Kate, would you mind keeping me company in the meantime? His eyes are friendly and his manner nonchalant but you get the impression that the man wants to speak to the time traveler about something in private.

Meanwhile Lily suggests that she and Penny go and locate Victoria so that she can address the alpha. As soon as the pair of you enter the hallway and the door to the prison is closed, Lily turns towards you with intensity. I know there's more to it than what you've said. Tell me what you saw, I need to know. Did, did I seem evil? Like a murderer? I've been carrying the dead on my shoulders far too long, I need to know what I was like, what did I say? Tell me everything.

'Hmm.' Penny watched the transformation with professional interest. Shifters who did not leave scraps of skin laying about vastly changed the procedures for investigating their crimes. No longer could she rule out a shifter as a culprit for a lack of skin evidence. Even in the case of the false Westbrook, she hadn't ruled out a ghoul or some other obscure monster with shape-changing ability. These alphas required further investigation.

Penny accepted Ian's plan and Lily's proposal, but was disappointed not to get the opportunity to speak with Kate privately. The revelation that they might be related perturbed her greatly, but if it was true – she had a granddaughter! It was thrilling news. How could she not want to speak with her, about everything?

She was startled from her thought by Lily's much more pressing worries. Such was the Indian woman's intensity, and the violence of her earlier actions, that Penny backed up a step. She chewed her lip, uncertain how to answer. She so wanted to help relieve Lily of her fears and anxieties about what she was. But the identity's threats to Lily made her wary. 'I... cannot.' Penny looked down to the floor, ashamed. As a detective, she was honour-bound, however terrible. But sometimes secrets had to be kept, investigations had to be delicate. When she could ensure Lily's safety, only then. 'I was bound to the strictest confidence. I cannot tell you – for you own safety. I beg you, you must trust me on this.' she implored.

But she had to say something, to soften Lily's worries. The desperate fear on her face couldn't be ignored. 'I learned very little, in fact. But, I believe I can say... you seemed ruthless. Extremely dangerous. But fully in control. I do not believe it is evil, no more than a lion is. This... force within you is keenly dedicated to the safety of your person.'

Lily listens with growing horror. Ruthless? she repeats. Dangerous? A lion may not be evil but it kills just as surely! she stammers. I was with other hunters and they ended up dead. Were they a threat to my person? Why did I kill them if I were not evil? You have to get this thing out of me! I can't keep wondering who is going to end up dead, waking up covered in blood. How do you know I am no threat to you or Kate or even Victoria? If you know so much that you are unwilling to divulge you must at least have some idea of how to cure me!

Shocked at Lily's mention of her alter ego's misdeeds, Penny cursed herself for her words. 'Forgive me, I did not know all the details of your case...' she returned hesitantly. She hated working in the dark like this. It would make her job as a detective so much easier if everyone involved were wholly forthcoming. 'I can only speak to what I observed, and what you told me then. I do not know what this power is, I know very little about it. We can only buy time until we can identify the cause.' Penny hurriedly explained.

So, it had killed other hunters? Of course it would, if it had manifested and the hunters tried to attack it, believing it a monster, Penny theorised. After all, it was only the distraction of the shifter that had forced them to trust Lily's alter ego. And it appeared in moments of instinct, of fear and anger, to protect Lily from danger. She must quell that fear and anger, control that instinct – perhaps that could do it. 'I cannot promise a cure. But I think may be able to teach you how to control it, to keep it contained or release it as you need.' She had to allow her that option.

The Indian listens with a desperate hope. Really? You must tell me how, I can't keep going like this. I've wanted to leave here for a while, keep everyone safe from me, but Victoria has insisted I stay, that I am meant to be here. It's just not easy knowing I could lose control when things go wrong. she sighs. <Rose>Most people don't know the extent of it. I've lied to Ian and Simon about how frequent it happens. When I was young I would have days of missing time and no idea why. It's gotten better since then but I never used to wake up with blood on me until recently. Perhaps it's getting worse. <Rose>

'From what I observed, I believe this force manifests under certain circumstances, when you are angry, afraid, in danger, or perhaps in times of stress, anxiety, or acting upon instinct. Controlling your emotions at such times may, and I stress this, may limit its appearances.' Penny knew she was walking a fine line, and taking a dangerous risk, telling Lily these things while avoiding the truth her alter ego wished to keep concealed. But that other Lily had warned of – or threatened – great harm to Lily if she revealed the truth of her. Blast it all. It was too cruel either way. Penny licked her lips, having a truth to admit; her recollections of the Ripper were still too fresh in her mind. She reached out and patted Lily on the shoulder, hesitant but assuring. 'I do know what it is like to black out and wake up covered in blood.'

'We must have a long talk some time, Miss Lily.' Penny smiled. 'A traditional English tea ceremony.'