The dingy meeting room fell away from the group, seeming to dissolve and change around them. What swirled into being was a recreation of the explosion from the night before, rubble and fire, chaos and smoke. The group was again in the alleyway between the demolished antiques store and the office building beside it, the area filled with debris. However, it was oddly presented, almost like a photograph that had been double exposed.

In the middle of the alleyway was the pile of brick and broken furniture where Michael had been trapped. However, it was presented twice. In one representation, Michael was still there, battered and bloodied. However, he was also not there. The wardrobe and bricks where he had been cast aside, as it had been after he had been pulled free.

There were other small differences that made the image seem slightly disorienting, as it was all pulled  together from slightly different perspectives. Here and there, the height of a wall seemed too tall… or too short. The shadows were doubled and overlapping, somewhat askew. On the ground, broken glass glinted in the light cast by fires, reflecting the scene around them, like a million tiny mirrors. If one blinked, they seemed like they might gravitate to one another, but they did not. They remained inert and unmoving. Just more bits of destruction.

Just a bit to the side, a memory of Solstice stood with Dr. Orrus. The doctor’s face was concerned and stern, focused on the trapped man before them. Already he was beginning to move towards the man, ready to lend aid as best he could to this unfortunate stranger. Just behind him, the worried fae reached out tentatively, as though to take the doctor’s hand. However, the good doctor was too focused, too swift in his motion, and the gesture went unnoticed.

A silent wind blew down the alley, clearing the smoke for a moment. Back out towards the front of the building, rescue workers could be seen diligently working to put out the fire and clear the area of bystanders. Bright, yellow coats… red fire engines… the glint of equipment and badges. All working to try to contain this, to keep it from causing further harm.

More lights blinked into view along the wall of the office building. They twinkled delightfully, beautiful and bright, like small stars. Plink! Plink! Plink! They popped into view one after another, forming patterns on the wall. Orion… Taurus… Gemini… Auriga. Ah! Araneus. Araneus. What a beautiful part of the sky, especially to be found here among all this dreary dirt and dust.

At the very back of the alley, near the back parking lot that Michael had been trying to reach, there was a wire. It ran across the background, presumably between two electrical poles that were out of view. And, sitting there, watching the scene was a bird. Unlike everything else, it was still. Dark. Silent. Intent…. Unnatural in its quiet.

Focusing on the bird and the stars, Lysette sifted her long memory for any association. Other than the legends of far Carcosa being on a world in the Hyades within the constellation of Taurus, nothing sprang to mind. That and the fact that the entire caelregio they were being shown was named for a spider -- Araneus.

But the bird. That indeed looked odd. So focused. Watching, with unnatural interest.

Bird!

Be Still.

wait ...will it blink?
Watch

On closer inspection, the bird resembles something like a raven, large and imposing. Yet, it's feathers are not black. Instead, they are greys and browns that blend into background easily. It's no wonder that the creature was missed during their initial visit to the alleyway. The creature was nearly invisible, and their attention had been quite focused on rescuing Michael, at the time.

As Lysette and George watch it, it blinks. And, when it does... there is a faint 'click' that human ears would not pick up. And, there was the glint of metal.


OOC: This bird doesn't look like any bird in real life, that I know of. It might resemble a species that I don't know about, though.

Solstice hears the click and his head snaps towards the bird creature.

[OOC Lazerbeak is that you??]

"A mechanical bird?" suggests Lysette. "A drone of some kind sent to spy on the events? But by whom?

"Tell me again of the circumstances of this explosion and the people involved. Who stands to benefit the most or who might have a grudge in play?"

"The bird could be someone else's eyes," Ryan said. "It depends on where you learned your magic, I suppose there are still traditions where you work with a familiar."

"If there'd been an explosion, most animals would flee. This one's watching."

Surrounding the memoryspace conversation, musky dark thoughts sift through the visions of the bird.Its clear that the bird feels disturbing and wrong to the wolf in the groups hallucinated shadows..

"Enemy. Hunt it."

Vision shifts around, searching.
"Crabs."

Memory space is filled with a rush of strong scents.
Concrete. Blood. Books. Dust. Dirt. Rats. People. Panic. Fear. Pain.
Aromas not normally experienced by most in the group fill the space in a heady, intoxicating brew of information.

"What is that... Smell...? It's making it hard to focus..." Solstice mumbled

A shift of attention focuses on Solstice, and the scent of Cinnamon and Faerie fills the memoryspace for a brief moment, then all the aromas fade back to something less intrusive again.

"...sorry...hard ..to go half 'blind'." George growls through the memory web.

The attention remains. Then shifts to include Ryan, and a question is asked of both.

Can..you show magic..scents..?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:23, Thu 04 Mar 2021.

What does magic smell like? Ryan considered. It would begin with ritual scents: sage, beeswax, herbs. The smells of nature. Tokens of what one wishes to bring into being, but also human emotions, not always good ones. You're at peace with yourself and the environment ... or you're working from greed, lust, envy, anger. If magic had a smell, that would be a part of it.

"D-do you mean sensing magic? Yes I'm sure I can do that." The fae man assured and focused his own energy to the magic in the air.

The result of Solstice's effort was an interesting sensation. Much like the scene before you seemed to be layered, so too was the fae's sense of magic.

On one layer, there was the memory of the alleyway. Once again, Solstice was able to feel the rapidly fading touch of a strong evocation magic, most likely what had caused the antique store to explode. Below that was a faint hint of psychopomp, that magic that allowed travel in many different forms. And, from the bird... oh, that bird! It made Solstice shudder with how wrong it felt. There was magic about it, to be certain, but it was perverted, somehow. Where fae magic was like sunlight, and human magic felt of earth, this... this had a sharp tang to it. Metal and blood.

Solstice's senses were also tuned in to the police station, since they were not actually in the alleyway. No matter what they saw in their mind's eye, they were still physically sitting in that drab, starkly utilitarian room.

The fae healer could easily sense the integral magic in George and Lysette, that which made them what they were. Divination magic rolled off of Ryan, as was expected as he was the magician who had cast the memory spell. Surprisingly, Solstice could sense hefty amounts of magic coming from Detective Johnson. From the officer, he sensed... alteration and protection.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:29, Fri 05 Mar 2021.

Woooooh
George had tried mushrooms once..sort of by accident, with some buddies..Outdoor food experiments.

That was the closest thing to the current kaleidoscopic experience happening now.

               Colours perceived through taste. Splintering vision through different eyes, while also blurred with different angles and memory.

      Blood and metal. Aversion. Fear.

The Wolf can smell fear and confusion,            both in memory and room. And, he can ..taste smell the magic       woven through it too.
ColdfireLysett
    ShadowcrystalRyan
         UltrvioletSolstace
                MaelstromeDalion
                    Stonesolidcop

Its beautiful

Solstice wasn't liking the way the influences of the other's was melding with his magic and it was starting to make him feel a little nauseated. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.

Walking unsteadily through the dream rubble, through the heady mix of scents, taste, and sight all interweaving and slightly transposing over each other, George somehow hunts.

Find the prey. the thing that's hiding, wolf instinct screams.

 he follows the spore revealed by Ultraviolets magic. Hoping to memorize the taste, if they come across it again.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:49, Sat 06 Mar 2021.

It takes Ryan a moment to process the collective memory. He'd intended the spell to be a melding of different points of view, but finds he's also experiencing the others' sensory input. There's a primal, wild feeling to George's perceptions; and an intimate (but not inherently erotic) shading to Lysette's, an awareness of heartbeats/lifebeats that is both craving and majestic passion.

And then there's the quiet, measured perspective of Solstice, providing the grounding influence for the others.

The memory continues to unfold ....

"That constellation over there is Araneus". Said Dalion in an uncharacteristic low and calm tone. "It's named in honor of a tragic monster, Araneus was a human hero who felt compassion for Arachne and wanted to lift the curse imposed on her by Athena, he tried to steal Hecate's secrets of transformation but his lack of cunning made him transform himself into a spider, Arachne saw his failure and felt both delighted and frustrated, so delighted that she laid with him in return, impregnating her, and so frustrated that she ate him afterward. Sailors in the past would try to avoid starting a new voyage or business during the days that Araneus constellation could be seen clearly, because they believed Araneus would interfere and make them lose their way, guiding them to a deadly end".  Dalion said this, closed his eyes, and removed his finger from the bowl, sitting straight on his chair and breathing deeply.

Not surprisingly, as Dalion withdraws his fingertip from the bowl, the sparkles stop resembling the night sky and become mundane in appearance ...

Having taken note of whatever scents and sights he can, George takes his finger from the bowl, and sits a bit, adjusting back to one set of senses.

When George withdraws from the bowl, the scene for those still within becomes much calmer, more akin to what they are used to. The strong scents die away, replaced with less robust and varied smells. Now, primarily, there is only the smell of smoke and a bit of fresh air, as a breeze flows down the alley.

Reese makes a thoughtful humming sound. There is a faint click-click-crunch as he gently gnaws at the pop that is tucked in one cheek, his eyes narrowed as he eyes the rubble. Ever so gently, he turns the scene so that it is focused inside the store. It's still a bit odd, because the Ryan and Solstice remember the scene with fire, while Reese remembers the aftermath. So, there is overlap where clearly sopping wet objects are merrily burning. But, it's still possible to make sense of it all.

The interior of the building is a ruined mess. What was once lovely, old furniture is now nothing but charred ruins. Any vintage clothing that survived the explosion is soaked and destroyed, covered in ash and stained. Toys and books are scattered. Shards of glass from windows, vases, and figurines twinkle in the ashes.

Most notable, though, is the fact that the floor is sunken. It dips in the middle, sagging like a wet paper towel. Pointing to the back of the building, Reese says, "Back there is where stairs led down to the basement. It's completely blocked. And, I didn't trust the floor to try and get to it for a better look."

"Is there any way to get there from around the back?" Ryan asks.

"I could go in... My wings mean I'm in no danger of falling..." Solstice offered, still keeping his finger in the bowl just in case everyone else wasn't done looking. Despite his still lingering nausea he wanted to be helpful.

Lysette removes her finger from the bowl and stands back to consider what they have observed.

"The bird was clearly there to observe," she muses. "Some kind of technomagical construct. This would indicate that the explosion was expected and that we are up against a very sophisticated villain.

"As to learning what was in the basement, might there be another entrance? A loading hatch or something from the street?"

She looks over at the policeman.

"Has the fire team finished with the site?" she asks. "Did they have any conclusions about the cause?"