As Sal messed with his new weapon, he found that it was incredibly light and would take some getting accustomed to compared to a normal blade.

 Once Fate walked through the main area, Talion handed her a book. "These are my collected notes on magic. Bound, animated, and granted sentience, the book will harm anyone other than you who tries to read it with effects ranging from blindness to madness to death. If you leave it somewhere, it will find its way to you. If it is stolen, then the thieves will perish. If you misuse the knowledge herein, you will die."

Closeness was how Noah managed his trauma. Which is why when he woke up with a random transformation ongoing he threw himself back. He was careful, never wanting to turn Mistral into Christopher Reeves 2.0. The bulk was an issue at times.

Once everything settled he stormed down ready to kill Merlin or some invading cabal. When he saw Talion and got the suprised he gave the man a thumbs up, went to eighty twenty mode, and went to steal a bit more anti trauma snooze time from hypnos.

Sal puts his new weapon away. He sits down with Talion, and says, "My time away from Kindred society has not gone unnoticed. The Prince expects me to work towards his interests. He doesn't believe I've been where I told him, and doesn't understand I've been working for the interests of everyone who isn't part of a doomsday cult. What we've done together, is so far beyond him... yet, I'd like to keep him as an ally..."

 After getting a good laugh out of freaking Noah out... perhaps the first laugh he's had in months... he turned his attention to Sal. "Indeed. Victor is a man of many talents... but believing in the impossible isn't one of them. He's a pragmatist and, like most Kindred, likes to trade in favors."

 Talion pulled one of the wish marbles out of his pocket and rolled it along the back of his knuckles. He still wasn't very good at the trick but he looked to be practicing. "... so I've made certain to let Victor know just how much I've appreciated that he's loaned me your aid."

 The marble rolled off the back of his hand and he pulled back to catch it against his body and put it back in his pocket. "So rest assured that your help here serves his interests quite well."

Mistral was awakened by Noah thrashing about in the oversized bed they shared, seeming to be in the midst of some painful difficulties.  She leaped up and was quickly armed with a blade and ready to kill any intruders, despite not wearing a stitch.  “Are you unwell, mon dragon?  What can I do?”  She soon realized there were no intruders and that Noah was unlikely to die immediately, and chalked it up to the incomprehensible magic that was part and parcel of life at the amethyst palace.  Besides, without her welcome no intruder could find their way into ‘the Prism’, as she’d come to call her new multi-locational sanctum design.

When Noah returned in man-dragon form, Mistral was deshabille and pouring fresh-pressed coffee into a pair of mugs.  She paused to look him up and down, then raised a brow.  She remarked, “I know this form in dreams, but now it is real, hm?”  She offered him a steaming mug, then approached closer and ran a hand along some of the new scales before suggesting, “Would you like to return to bed?  Je voudrais.”

Some time later, Mistral snuggled cozily next to Noah and sighed, “Grey is insistent about the Halloween costumes... It is hard to decide what to be.  Have you given it thought?”

Noah joyfully rumbled at her as he took the offered snackrafice of coffee. "You remind me to renew the contract with Jitters now that Argent is away. The more defense we have the better I think." He did enjoy spending time with her to just relax. He worked the trauma through dreams and recovered with closeness. And it showed to a small degree, he was a bit quieter, heled a temp lower than a heated blanket.

But time brought him out of it. He would deal with the nothing a bit more as time went on. He had quietly relayed the events of the nothing to her in dream time. Just as heared the better detail on what happend on her side. Much like her bubble in the sewer his bubble did just about the same. Once he came to it was a bullet through the dark dimension.

He wasnt sent to the abyss but in a mirrored dark realm made by the death angels. A jar for souls so they could prevent final transition. Still, he put it behind him to deal with it in doses.

"It's her first Halloween so it's a grand idea. Part of me thinks I could go as a male maleficent if I could talk you into a female prince valiant."

"Or we could go as a whole big family theme. Want me to call Grey and see what she wants to go as? As it's her first-ever Halloween no doubt she has locked on something."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:39, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

Fate entered the room and Talion approached her. As she was handed the book and listened a look puzzlement followed by realization hit her face. "Thank you very much. I look forward to reading and learning all that's here." Once the explanation was given she went to hand the marble she had received earlier back to him.

 Talion took the marble with a nod, leaving her now with a library in the form of a single book, containing notes regarding the fundamental reality of time.

After the mission, Mistral was newly reluctant to embark upon their usual lucid dream adventures, for reasons she did not articulate.  It was only after the first night when she awoke screaming in a cold sweat that she conceded to share what she’d seen beyond the dark portal: A hellish realm of twisted geometries and screams on the wind, haunted by one’s own fears and doubts manifested as shadowed horrors.  The sphere of nightmare at its center, chained and glowing balefully through many fractures.  She held Noah while crying quietly, then confessed, “I fear bringing such nightmares into our dreaming.  I... would not have you share ces horreurs."  Now Noah would insist on helping her to deal with this nightmare, curse him.  It could be difficult to be an aloof misanthrope and keep problems to herself when he insisted on caring so much.  It was also difficult to deny the aid after offering it herself when he shared his own brush with the void.

Later in the morning, at Noah's costume suggestion, Mistral propped her head up on a draconic shoulder to glower at him.  With a dangerous tone that was all pretense, she warned, "Va te faire voir.  I am not dressing as Prince Valiant."  She looked into the middle distance and considered, then said, "Malifecent suits you.  You have horns already, though not the same shape.  For moi?  Hm.  A ghost or a witch are perhaps too near to truth.  A vampire may be un faux pas with Sal..."  Mistral sighed and said, "Oui, let us consult with Grey.  She is never lacking for ideas.  Allow me to dress, first."

Mistral arose from the oversized bed and walked toward a blank amethyst wall, making a small sweeping gesture over her head that caused the ceiling and walls to unfold and curve outward like a dimensional kaleidoscope.  The space looked as if it were mapped to the inside of a roughly spherical prism, with each plane looking down into a different place arrayed overhead.  A dim and cold cavern with a crystalline pool, a blue cabin on the S.S. Grey, a spartan study, and a few other spaces with lights turned out.  Mistral proceeded to step onto the amethyst wall and walk up it like a ramp and into the local gravity of her cabin on the S.S. Grey, now appearing to stand nearly sideways relative to the chamber she'd just left.  Mistral rummaged in the closet and retrieved a fluffy neon-green bathrobe, which she wrapped around herself.  She stepped back up the cabin's wall and back down the amethyst wall and into local reality, then with a gesture folded space back together into a perfectly normal bedchamber carved out of a huge geode.  She paused and looked at Noah, whose eyes seemed to spin in different directions.  "Oh.  Pardon, mon dragon.  I ought to have warned you I meant to open le Prisme."  She had explained previously how she'd arranged to interconnect all of her places of sanctuary into one, which she had named the Prism because of its multi-faceted nature.  She had warned Noah that he may not find it pleasant to look at, and this may be the first time he'd seen it.

Mistral sat by him on the bed and petted Noah's scaly head, then said, "You may call Grey now, whenever you are ready."

 It did not take long for Grey to come bounding into the bedroom holding Fred the Littlest Lobster... who was desperately trying to pinch Grey and win his freedom with no noticeable success.

 "Hello! I was showing Fred around the ship! He's not as talkative as Jitters was. I miss him.

 Hey, think Fred might talk more if I put him in he Kaiju system?"

A Halloween party? Interesting. What would I wear? Michael pondered the thought as he looked out at the beautiful landscape. “Perhaps a plague doctor would be fun. I could have the pieces and a scythe commissioned out of copper. A morbid spin on a devoted healer.”

You know me well Mist XD

Noah absolutely insisted on working through the horrors they saw together and slowly. The lion share of mages went bonkers and it was hard to find an elder mage no less an archmage who wasn't bent in the head somehow. Hell was not something to be kept in a bottle, it fermented quickly and would pop a cork in no time. So he shared one of the tools he used for dream control. It would take a good amount of work but setting up a pause spot on her hand could train her mind to halt dreams. In the end, it was her call as he was happy to be an open ear as needed or an extra hand. "Never be afraid to bring your nightmares to me. Before long we will have you faffing about like Doom Gal."

He smiled at her protest as to the costume suggestion. "I dunno. I think you could make a sword and armor look good."

His eyes did indeed roll around as bent space did not mix well with Noah. He sat back and laced his fingers over his stomach being used to it. He gave her a sly smile as he could still see the green robe.

"I may have a way to get Jitters back. I'm still a little weak on spirit magic though. We wanted to talk to you about Halloween. I don't know if this is your first or just your first with us. But we wanted to know if you had your costume idea nailed down." He blinked a bit. "I am always down for a Kiaju fight but resurrecting Ebirah may ruin part of the city. If you do, make sure he doesnt have claws or anything."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:23, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

 Grey threw up her hands, causing Fred to try all the harder to extricate himself. "Yay! Jitters is coming back!"

 She paused for a moment, looking down at Fred. "I wanna be a superhero!"

Noah sat up and smiled. "A solid start, do you know which one or will you be going with something of your own desgin."

 Grey grinned wide. "Imma go as The Golden Grey!"

 Her outfit begins to morph in front of them as she "dons" her outfit... which was a mishmash of superheroes all given a golden paint job. Iron Man's suit, Thor's Hammer, Captain America's shield, and a cape that looked to be made of pixie wings. Replacing the gauntlets on the iron man suit were a pair of Infinity Gauntlets, complete with gems that sparkled with an inner light.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:50, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

After Fate called her contact at the police department and gave them the plate numbers she sat down across from Talion and started reading over every word in her new book. She was never much into costumes, but with the trench coat, the book, and maybe a floppy hat she was well on her way of looking like a sorcerer, of course this was far too close to home for comfort. But this did pose an interesting idea that if she did cast magic she could perhaps play it off as a magic trick she learned special for the holiday.

Opening up was a continual struggle for Mistral in her relationship with Noah, especially about her weaknesses and fears.  Nonetheless, Noah drew it out of her by begrudging degrees via stubborn supportiveness and acceptance.  Sometimes, she even expressed her gratitude for the support... in private.


Mistral gave Noah a look that said of course she'd make the sword and armor look good, but tough luck.  Grey's exuberant enthusiasm for her remarkable mish-mash superhero look was endearing as always.  She smiled demurely at the result and said, "Surely none can defeat le puissante Golden Grey.  Je l'aime.  I like it."  She gave the superhero theme some consideration, then said, "Superheroes are good, although I always found the villains beaucoup plus intéressant."  Mistral got up and went behind an amethyst dressing screen to actually get dressed for the day, and sighed, "Of course, the supervillains féminins tend to be garbed in scanty, form-fitted costumes..."  Noah would approve of such a costume for her, she knew without even seeing his face.  Mistral considered, then called "I have always liked Mystique, the villain to the X-Men.  In le comiques she wears some clothing, at least.  Des avis?"  She looked to Noah and Grey for their opinions, though Grey would probably need to be introduced to the character.  Mistral emerged from behind the screen dressed in black skinny jeans and a blue hooded jacket that matched the tips of her hair, and remarked, "If it does not look well Mystique can always transform, non?"

Once Noah was ready they left the room to meet with the others, though by no doorway visible from without.  After giving greetings, Mistral offered taciturn approval of Michael's plague doctor costume idea.  She approached Fate, who was reading a book with rather interesting diagrams, and asked, "Madame Fate.  Have you had any results from the license plates?  Also, you spoke of means to find trace of your quarry.  When you have it, I can find him."

Fate looked up from her book which she had been reading rather intensively and answered, "I called and gave them the license plate numbers, but they haven't call me back yet. As for the item of connection, I do not have that on me, but I am certain that the police station I called must have something we could use."

Michael appreciated Mistral’s opinion of his costume. He had a somewhat worried look on his face. “It has been almost a day since I was at Haven. The ward will disappear soon. The good people of the city that sought refuge there will be vulnerable. I need to return to refresh the ward then I can return. My wish has greatly enhanced my speed. I haven’t tried running on water yet. If I can’t would it be impolite of me to ask for transportation back? I don’t want to miss the party, but I have my obligations.”

Mistral pulled out a transparent slate, turned on the holographic screen and brought up an interactive satellite map of New York City.  After scrolling the frame around briefly, she handed the slate to Michael and said, "Show me the Haven's localisation.  I will establish une Porte that will remain open à perpétuité... or rather, as long as I allow it to remain open."  She nodded to Fate and said, "When he is finished, show me this police station."

Mistral regarded Michael thoughtfully as he perused the map, then said off-handedly, "You should attempt it.  Running on water.  That would be an impressive trick."

Nefertiti sat there and listened still and was not sure what they was all talking about only word she knew was "party".  The mentioning of this word Halloween is unknown to her for she was born at a time way before it was celebrated.

Looking at them in a daze expression but still she listened to see what all she could grasp.

Noah smiled wide, "Hail the mighty Golden Grey." He would later deal with the horror that her tools would be functional... and her core was effectively his heart... Thanos's heart...

Noah smiled delightedly at the supervillainess theme idea. "You'll want to stay away from the Rebecca Romijn version of mystique." He flipped through his giant slate for a moment. "Yeeeaaa, white dress with the skulls. I am sure setting something up will be well within your abilities. It's gonna be harder to talk Talion into going as Doctor Strange." He pulled up the sheet, thwapted it once in the air to settle it back on the bed, and by the time it settled he was already fully dressed in one of his day suits. Grey got a shoulder ride down for breakfast. "Working world-ending gauntlets aye?"

He cracked his fingers once downstairs, "Lobster omelets will be up shortly." He rather adored a central cooking and eating area. He could have been a hibachi chef in another life.

He smiled at Michael as he put on an apron for the humanoid dragon form he had taken. "Scarecrow... hmmm... running on water...?" He sent Michael a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ "You'll kick their backsides."

He looked over to Nefertiti as he started cooking on the countertop. He performed tricks that he was clearly cheating with as the knives caught too much air time, the spices drifted too slowly. He was a little ways in when he indicated a counter seat for Nefertiti. "Sit, Talk, ask questions if you like."

Sal came in and took a seat, as well. He couldn't enjoy the meal, but he was nothing if not sociable. He smiled at Grey when he saw her in costume. "Fighting supervillains today, Grey? I think we've all earned a break from that, don't you?"

OOC: Costume post for funsies, prior to joining the others outside :)


Mistral considered, then took out her slate to search through some images for reference.  Her brow raised as the perused the artwork, which held quite the lascivious variety of interpretations of the character.  At last she found an acceptable image and studied it briefly, then set the slate and closed her eyes to form the Imago.  Mistral whispered unutterable words, drew her hands together and then... became Mystique.  Blue skin, bright red hair, pupil-less yellow eyes and an elegant sleeveless white gown with a skull belt and matching thigh-highs and arm-gloves.  She was recognizably Mistral, but cosplaying via a quite convincing sensory illusion.

Mistral looked down at herself, noting with alarm the rather risqué cut of the gown.  She remarked in a voice that now carried the character's menacing, imperious undertone, "Merde.  This gown has more side-slit than it does fabric."  'Mistique' paced to and fro with an elegant stride distinct from her own, seeming oddly empowered but uncertain how to feel about it.  She rested a hand on hip and glowered at Noah like a supervillainess, then said, "This appeals more than I expected, though I may now give a Prince Valiant costume greater consideration."


https://imgur.com/iJfpFtp

Fate looked up from her book upon seeing Mistral's illusion and pondered something. "That's quite an impressive illusion, but then again with what I've seen you capable of this must be nothing. I wonder, do you think that you could teach me some of your magic. I'm still such a novice, but perhaps with a touch of your kind of magic I could improve my level."