Abe smiled.  "Well, as there could be rather serious consequences to trying to ad-lib some magic to learn about what's going on with Thomas, there's no time like the present for Fantasia.  And as for Randland... I think I may have let my geek show again - it's the name for the Wheel of Time world among the fandom."

Sparrow confirmed that she had heard about the Wheel of Time, but was otherwise not familiar with the novel series.

The trio hung out for a few hours before they could get additional help. About an hour after nightfall Jack was at the door and Sparrow let him in.

"So, what can I help you with," Jack asked.

Abe smiled at Jack.  "Should be easy, Jack.  Try to feed from this guy."

Thomas looked at you as if you had just ordered him killed. "This is a trap then. Thanks for that Abe. I was trying to help you."

"I've already fed," Jack said, "but okay." As Thomas spoke, Jack approached him.

And stopped.

"What's this," Jack asked. "I can't get any closer. What are you doing Abe?"

Thomas sighed in relief.

Abe smiled apologetically at both men, while internally feeling relieved - both that the repulsion had worked again and that it was originating from Thomas, not Jayne.  "Sorry, guys!  I didn't know if it would activate if either of you knew what was going on.  Thomas doesn't read as supernatural to Tom, but at the very least apparently has the ability to repulse vampires and Carson's men when they're intent on his immediate or eventual harm."

He looked to Sparrow.  "Do we have any way to detect and understand ongoing supernatural phenomena?"

Before Sparrow could answer, Jack spoke. "He is mundane. I cannot explain how he can do what he did and not be of Shadowland, but he isn't. That's one of the things I can sense now. And he's the only one of us I can 'see'."

As you were talking, a pillar of small blue and white orbs of light appeared in the apartment. A jingling sound emanated from the orbs that descended slowly.

When the bottom of the pillar touched the floor, the orbs changed into a female dressed in a white robe with a deep and large hood covering her head and face.

Doctor Strange style, Sparrow created a fireball in each of her hands.

"Who are you and how did you get here," she asked.

Cailin blinked a few times, fixing the fireballs she grumbled. “Uh, I didn't imagine vampires could do that…”

As if realizing she had just spoken aloud, she said. “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Mr. De La Vega asked me to come find you. I am Cailin. As for how… I 'Orbed' in.” She shrugged. “Don't ask me, I'm not the one who decided to call it that.”

"You are an angel," Sparrow said. It was a statement, not a question.

Cailin simply nodded. “I am.” After a couple of seconds, she cocked her head to the side. She glanced at Jack and Abe that she recognize from what she had been shown, paused on the other man that she assumed was Thomas, then looked at Sparrow. “I wasn't expecting to see you though.”

"You're in my apartment," Sparrow said. "What did you expect?"

“Oh, I'm sorry to intrude.” Cailin lowered her head slightly, then waved at the three men. “I was expecting to find them.”

“In fact,” She added, obviously curious, “I was wondering why one of you,” She glanced at Abe, “Would ask the second one,” She turned to Jack, “To feed from the third one…” She looked at Thomas.

After all, not only it didn't sound particularly neighborly, why would Abe ask Jack to "test" to feed on someone else? Wasn't he a vampire too? Still turned to Thomas, she asked. “Do you need help?” From what she had heard it seemed he didn't… not yet anyway… but it didn't hurt to ask.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:21, Sat 14 Mar 2020.

Abe noted Sparrow's fireballs.  He'd have to learn how to do that at some point.

"Apparently angels also have eavesdropping powers?  Or was that De la Vega?"  Abe asked Cailin.

“Hmm… No,” Cailin shook her head. “I'm pretty sure that was all me. He was probably expecting me to run around like a headless chicken while trying to find you. But he's the first vampire I've ever interacted with… that I know of… So…” She shrugged then turned to Thomas, still waiting for an answer.

"I think I'm fine," Thomas said. "Thank you. And on another note, you don't look like what I'd expect from an angel."

Abe hadn't wanted to answer for Thomas, but when Thomas responded, Abe nodded.  "I wasn't going to let Jack actually do anything to Thomas, but Thomas had demonstrated a probable ability to repel vampires that I wasn't sure would work if they were both cued in to it being a test."

He turned to Cailin.  "I'm Abe.  You said the Baron sent you - did he need us for something?  And and is there a reason he's sending an angel rather than a text?"

“It's the wings, right?” Cailin nodded to Thomas. “I asked him about the wings, but…” She sighed, sounding like she had been wronged. “And not even a flaming sword.” She shook her head. “But I think I can find a way to get the wings.” She was a "being of light", there was "no limit to what the could look like" and that came straight from Christopher's mouth so who knew? “Not sure about the sword though…”

After a moment spent thinking about that, Cailin shrugged, then looked at Abe, acknowledging his explanation with a nod. “I didn't say De La Vega sent me,” She sniffed a bit disdainfully. “He asked me to come. It's not that he needs you, he mostly just wanted to test me I think. He seems to think that at the moment, helping you is the best way I have to help him,” Which didn't make that much sense, but maybe he wanted to keep the new angel out of his feet until he knew what she could do for him. “And that's what I'm supposed to do, so…” She shrugged.

Sparrow got a call. She answered. "Yes, send him up," she said and hung up. "Dean is on his way."

"Actually not," Thomas said. "I expected the lack of wings. It's the lack of power that surprises me. I expected angels to radiate power. But I guess not. Just having been asked if I was an angel and then meeting a real angel is a little much, I think."


A short while later, the doorbell rang and Sparrow let him in.

Other than Sparrow and Abe, Jack was there, as well as another college-age male, and an angel. She was shorter than the other angels you've met, but like the others, her head and face were covered in that oversized hood of theirs.




[For the sake of continuity, it is now the evening of Tuesday 21 May. Cailin would be the only one not knowing what date/day it is.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:08, Sat 14 Mar 2020.

“Oh.” Cailin paused, then grinned. “That's because we prefer to be incognito. Makes things much easier.” Though of course, she had no idea if that was it at all. In fact, it had probably a lot more to do with her being barely more than a newborn chick - so to speak - than anything else. “Plus, if I were to radiate power, I think it'd be very uncomfortable for the vampires… Light and heat aren't exactly their friends, right?” She sure hoped at least that part of the myth was true anyway: she'd sound stupid otherwise… Lower, she grumbled. “Yeah, well, imagine being one…”

When Dean entered, Cailin nodded in his direction. She didn't say anything straight away though, her head tilted to the side as she "consulted" her map.

Dean ducked through the doorway with a somewhat uncertain demeanor, as if he was not quite sure of what he might find, or if he was in the right place.

He had changed even in the past few weeks from the sort of "bro'ey" linebacker that had travelled with the fated group cross-country. Then he had seemed confident, vital, and boisterous. The sort of guy used to locker rooms and practice sessions.

Now, he looked pretty rough. Not in a "bad ass" sort of way, but in the quasi-homeless backwoods nutjob sort of way. He had a few weeks worth of facial hair going, and his once shaved head was now growing in a deep chestnut brown.

Gone was the lumbering giant. While he was just as big, he moved more subtly and carried himself in a more reserved way. He did not "puff up" as much as he had before.

But the eyes, the eyes were the biggest difference. They had a marked wildness to them normally reserved for the subjects of wildlife photographers. Hungry, feral, and intent. It could be seen as disconcerting to some.

He was dressed in what had to be hand-me-downs or thrift shop specials, stained brown cargo pants, a gray shirt, work boots. The gray green flannel he wore looked like it had seen better days.

"Hey" he smiled at Abe, Tom and Jack in what he had meant to be a warm way, but now came off as sort of crazy. "This a good time?" He asked and acknowledged the othershe had not met  with a slight nod .
This message was last edited by the player at 18:25, Sat 14 Mar 2020.

Abe nodded to Dean.  "As good as any, Dean.  You officially dead now?  And are you okay?"

He looked around at the assembled group, gesturing to each in turn to avoid any confusion.  "Going around, so everyone can know each other as much as any of us do.  We've got me: who everyone here knows, Sparrow: our hostess, Dean and Jacok: my cohort-mates, Thomas: special but apparently not an angel, and This Nameless Lady: apparently an angel."

Cailin blushed, embarrassed. While it was under her hood, it could be heard from her tone of voice. “Oh, sorry. I'm…” She paused there: should she give them her real name? Did she want to lie? In the end, deciding that it could be important that they have the right one, she finished. “Cailin.”

Dean seemed to think for a moment. "Yeah..." he eventually replied and nodded a few times, although it was hard to say which question he was replying to. He obviously had a lot on his mind.



Dean was visibly surprised at the mention of the Angel, and he looked to her with what was almost a hint of sadness in his eyes. He smiled faintly and nodded. "Didn't think I was going to run into another Angel anytime soon. I met Kyle a few weeks ago, he seemed really nice." He obviously expected her to know who Kyle was, and he had recalled the name easily, so whoever it was must have made quite the impression on him.



"Well, good to meet you" he obviously wanted to ask more questions as to why she was here, but he refrained for the moment and turned back to the others. "How have things been? You're all still here, that's great" and he really seemed to mean it, given everything that had happened. "Any big news while I've been gone?"

Abe nodded in greeting when Cailin gave her name.  "Thanks."  He said simply.

He raised an eyebrow when Dean mentioned meeting other angels.  Interesting, he thought.  How had Dean managed that?

He shook his head in response to the question about anything big: "For me, it's mostly been learning a bit about my powers and family, and realizing that Thomas here is a conundrum.  Which reminds me:"

He turned back to Sparrow.  "A lot happened in the past two minutes, but I was still wondering - is there a way we can detect ongoing supernatural phenomena?  Maybe someone put a magical barrier on Thomas before he went into the club.  That feels like the new best theory for how he reads as mundane but has a hedge against vampires.  That is, assuming there isn't an angel acting on his behalf?"  That last bit was asked in Cailin's direction, with an eyebrow raised.

"If someone was shielding him, I would sense that," Sparrow said. "Just as I did with you. But there is nothing. I don't know how this is possible."

And then she turned to Dean. "Why don't you shake hands with Thomas. Let's see if you can do that."