Elissa nodded at the dream diary request "Sure. I'll have to dig it out: it's still packed in the bottome of a box from when we moved here. You know" she continued "You are both being pretty awesome about this. I... I've been alone with this for a long time. It's nice of you two to care, and not treat me as a freak. And... I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to get on with.... So ... thanks. "

She gave a laugh at the 'cleaning' request "I might have had to do that a time or two in the past. I'll show you girl. You'll have to get used to it. The rules are easy. Cold water... for fucks sack don't use hot or it will bake in. Then you just scrub it with soap." she made a gesture of rubbing her knuckles together "Mum says 'soap flakes are the best for blood'... you have to look for them because the modern Persils and stuff don't cut it. I've got some at home and mum could show you or we could just use Fairy Liquid. I can't help you with the sewing though.... or rather I could but it would look utterly crap. Like a three year old did it..."

Elissa thought a bit more about the man and the horse "You know...if this was a comic... It would be a 'he's magically protected from getting into Cambridge. So that begs a few questions... how long has he been trying to get in, why does he want to get in and who wants to keep him out. 'corse it could all be crap and be something else..."

"And it also begs another one... only maybe a minute after I saw him we had that cold. Do you think it's related? That was magical too. So maybe he got in. Or maybe whoever was keeping him out saw him and told him to fuck off."

"That's assuming it's a who and not a Doctor Doom magical device." she shrugged "Guess that's up to the 'traditionalists' to show they aren't total fuckwits and let us know. Sun Tzu has it right. If we don't know our opponent, though we fight a hundred battles we can't win. Someone's gotta do that knowing"

Upon hearing the description Elissa relayed, Alice's expression darkened.  Her tone of voice was also harder... but it wasn't directed at the girls.  Alice's hate/loathing was towards other beings.

"This knight is likely one of the Fae and before you roll eyes at 'real fairies', they are dangerous, possibly vindictive, and not at all 'cute'... despite whatever beguiling forms they might adopt.  I've had a run in with one before and it wasn't pleasant.  However as they are an unknown group and the Watchers don't want a new war... live and let live seems to be the accepted policy.  *I* have reservations, but until I acquire actionable proof... the best thing to do is to keep the iron wards in place.  That keeps them out for now."

Then Alice turned to more palatable conversations and her warmth returned.

"In terms of adding to our little strike force, I was at a Fencing club to see if there were any 'friends' we could recruit.  I plan to visit other martial gatherings too.  Some of the people we help or save might also enroll.  And there are other outcasts that might be worth recruiting.  We just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled."

Alice briefly wandering into her room and returned with a sewing kit.  It looked pretty new as if it hadn't seen much use.  She also pointed out where her telephone was, in case the girls wanted to call home.

"I don't think a small bout of book research will alert anybody.  Talking to other people or snooping around has a greater chance of tipping our hand... and for now, lets not risk that."

Elissa's offhand comment of 'Someone do that knowing' brought a cat's grin to her soft features.  Alice felt exactly the same way.  It was nice to find more common ground and perhaps an ally to pursue some intelligence gathering on the Fae.

Ann thanked Miss Casey for the sewing kit. Of course, she couldn't sew it up while wearing it, so was forced to strip to her white underwear to repair the damage.

"So we try to recruit members of this fencing club. We also try to find out where Elissa's power comes from. But what then? I can't fight chilly weather or a knight I can't see. Though that makes me wonder. If only Elissa could see the knight, is her power somehow linked to his?"

She held her sewing up to the light. It wasn't great, and the blue thread didn't match the purple of the material, but it would do. She bit the thread off then looked up.

"How do we even go about figuring out the answers to these questions? Do the Watchers have everything they know written down? I'm guessing that the local library won't have much to help us with. Should I keep patrolling that area, in case the knight returns? And what can you tell me about the fae? Do stakes work on them, or is it something else?"

She looked down at her bloodied clothes. "And do you have some Fairy Liquid in your kitchen?"

"So are you Watchers the people that set up the 'iron ward's" Elissa asked curiously. That implied a great deal of either knowledge or magic or both. And there were even more factions in the Watchers... Elissa wondered which side the 'traditionalists' were on.

"Cambridge has one of the best libraries in the world" Elissa responded to the 'local library won't' "We were told about it in the 'what's great about Cambridge' leaflet. Along with a load of rah rah about punting"

The talk about the origin of her powers was interesting. Especially the implication that it might be 'fey' in nature. "You know I'm tempted to say 'wrong sex darling'" she gave a camp gesture as she did so.

"Come on Ann. Soonest done the better" she headed into the kitchen. She didn't have a lot to offer on this part of the planning, and Alice had said it was going to be book work for a while.

Alice laid a hand on Ann's shoulder and smiled, seeking to calm her.

"A lot is possible Ann, but lets not tie ourselves up in speculative knots.  The cold weather could belong to the knight or be a symptom of something else entirely.  I will need time to research all of this.  Some of my own materials will be sufficient, for other sources I will check with my local superior.  As to the Fae, their main defense is that they are such an unknown and varied group.  Iron keeps them at bay, but would it cause excessive trauma?  We won't know until its battle tested."

As to Elissa's question...

"We maintain it.  I'm not sure if the Watchers originally set up the ward or merely had a hand in it.  I've not had the time to ask."

When the girls went to the kitchen for some sewing, Alice turned to her bookshelf.  Most of her occult tomes had been read several times, so she had an idea on how best to proceed.  The religion angle was her first preference, but Fae links were worth checking as well.  Alice jotted down references and specific sentences on a note pad... just to keep a track of her progress.  It would be nice to give Elissa some certainty, but her research could very well create more questions.  Nonetheless, Alice believed it was better to know than remain in the dark.

OOC:  For researching Elissa's possible heritage.  I only seek as much info or clues as Elissa would like to have revealed.... its her character :)
01:25, Today: Alice Casey rolled 15 using 1d10+7 with rolls of 8.  Alice researching Elissa.

Ann padded out to the kitchen behind Elissa, poured washing up liquid onto the bloodstain and scrubbed it under cold water. She looked over at Elissa as she worked.

"So what do you think about this set-up? It seems to me that the vampire we fought was clearly evil. You and me, we could do a lot of good, help a lot of people. Miss Casey can help guide us, a bit like Charlie in Charlie's Angels. Of course, I'd be Farrah Fawcett because I've got her hairstyle."

She rinsed the stain under the tap then held it up to the light.

"The Angels never had to clean and repair their own clothes. I guess real-life heroines have it a little less glamorous. But I think this looks OK. What do you think; will it pass when it's dry?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:10, Tue 11 Jan 2022.

"Her watchers have factions. The traditionalists I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire" Elissa said thoughtfully "The Watchers send you in, in a half assed fashion without proper support. No reconaissance not even a map. No primary second mission objectives. No regroup and recovery protocols. No overwatch. What the hell is that about?

"How long have they being doing this for? I don't beleive for a second they couldn't have a merc team on standby to support you if they wanted. They have magic and they aren't afraid to use it, so they have wealth.. If they can prophecy you, they can do the pools. My dad used to be a merc... it's not hard to find them and not that expensive if you have money."

"So I don't trust them as far as I can fucking throw them."

"But Alice isn't 'the Watchers' She went in with you. She didn't rabbit when the vamp turned up. She's alright."

"Then... there's the fact.. well look girl. We turn up at the graveyard. Within two minutes we spot a vamp about to kill a marine. How many f-ing marines die every year guarding that spot. I bet the answer is zero. What if we'd been ten minutes later? Or the day before? or the day after? So ... something arranged for us to be there at that exact moment. Or the vamp to be there at that exact moment. Which by the way was the same time as the patch of cold... and the Faerie knight"

"Maybe it was prophecy, fate, whatever. Or maybe it was the Watchers or someone playing silly buggers. Summoning a little test for their new shiny slayer and her sidekick. Which ever it is... fate ... humans.. monster..." Elissa sighed "I was there. I was noticed. I can't go back. Not unless I run far far away and that wouldn't stop a prophecy "

She nodded at the cleaned clothes "Looks good... I guess I was saying 'yes'."

Ann wrung out her clothes in the sink. A month ago they'd still have been wet to the touch after doing that; one bonus of having Slayer strength was that she was now able to fully dry them.

As she dressed, she asked, "You wouldn't do that, would you? Run again? You're the only person I know who knows what it's like to be different. It's not just the help fighting the vampire I appreciate; the moral support matters just as much. Oh, and I'm sorry about kicking you into the water earlier. I was only going for the vamp, and I am still getting used to my new strength. To be fair, it was still quite a warm night when I did that."

Zipping the front up, she nodded. "It is strange that the vamp was right there as we arrived. But we should ask Miss Casey. She chose that graveyard. Perhaps she knew that vamps had moved into the area. I imagine she'd know what time they come out to play too. So maybe she just got lucky with her guesses. Though that makes me wonder whether there are any more there for the guard to worry about. As for the cold and knight, I don't think anyone expected that."

She looked at her sleeve. The stitching was obvious enough when you looked for it, but the blood wasn't visible. "I think I'll get away with that. Do you think the Watchers would let me have a clothing allowance? I thought it was going to be fangs and kicks, not knives. And have you thought about whether you'd want the Watchers to know about you? Or will you stick to the shadows and let me take the limelight, like Spot and Hong Kong Phooey?"

"Haven't run away yet, girl. Ever" Elissa said looking a bit puzzled at the 'again' "But.. shit girl, if I had to run away to keep Mum and I alive... of course I would. If there's a crazy man with a gun in the street... then hell yes I'd run away. Pride isn't a great reason to end up dead. Let's say... Let's say some doctor can chop you up into a hundred pieces and each piece of you will save a life...someone who would otherwise die.... but you are dead. Would you say 'sure go ahead and chop me up'. Or would you run away?"

She shook her head at the 'sorry' "Nah. It was a fight. Shit happens in a fight. I grabbed Mr Vamp and put him on the ground. He grabbed me back: I should have stopped him doing that. You kicked him... He dragged me into the water not you... that's how it goes. Like you say, if it wasn't the for f-ing cold snap it would have been just funny"

"Yeah you're right about asking Alice... I know fuck all about vampires. For all I know you coming closer makes them rise from the grave. I mean... jesus we are talking about vampires here. And magic. And fairies. Kind of hard to do two plus two"

She shook her head at the idea of Watchers giving an allowance "They are fucking useless. Don't give a toss about you. If they did ... well we've been through that. You're just an 'assett' to the them. They want you to give, and they take. You're useful until you aren't and then they get the next shiny new slayer. Ask the 'traditionalists'"

Elissa looked pleased at the offer of staying the shadows but "Alice is going to tell them about me though, right? She's a Watcher, girl. Her first priority is the Watchers not you. But sure if that's possible..."

"Anyway the question really is 'what do we do about tomorrow'. One day at a time. I'll come patroling with you next time. But... we fucking check the place out in the daytime first. Spot a way in and out without having to chat up hunky soldiers, find out where the nearest phone box is, agree where we meet up if we have run, that kind of shit"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:05, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Ann considered what Elissa had said.

"I don't think that Miss Casey will necessarily tell the Watchers about you. I'm sure she would if you let her. But if you ask her not to, maybe she wouldn't. She knows that trust is a two-way street. If we can't trust her, we won't trust her, and she'll be left in the dark. If the vamps think they're just dealing with a Slayer, then having you to pull out as a surprise will give us an edge. Your being secret works in everyone's favour. Except the monsters."

"And if some of the Watchers are useless, why should we care? We've got Miss Casey to look things up and guide us. We did something good tonight. Something more than watching Top of the Pops or going to a disco. We can make a difference to real people. Like to that guard. And to the people who care about him. I wonder if he has a wife or children. If we hadn't been there, well... So yes, let's keep doing that. Make the world a safer place."

"And I agree, let's figure out how we do this in future. No more almost frostbite. And certainly no getting killed for either of us. I want to live long enough to see the '80s. Imagine how cool disco and punk will get in that decade. I already practice fighting with Miss Casey, so maybe you can join us. Let's get real good at this, because I don't want us coming up second best like that vamp did tonight."

Elissa nodded to Ann "Words of wisdom. Sure: I'll ask Alice not to tell her people. And hell yes it felt good to save a life. That guy was a marine, not a waster."

"Tell you though girl: you said something that made me think. You said ' If the vamps think they're just dealing with a Slayer'. Do we think that the vampires talk to each other? And ... hell .. how old are they? Are we going to find some vampire that was around for the frigging crucifixtion organising others? Sheesh..." she shook her head "If you don't know your enemy, even though you fight a hundred battles you cannot win I never thought 'vampire culture 101' would be on the agenda. Did Alice tell you any of this shit? Is there like a 'slayer instruction manual'... 'cos there's no excuse for the Watchers not to have that. Even the waster 'traditionalist' should realise that a 'quick guide' and 'here's what you have to know' would be good to have"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:28, Thu 13 Jan 2022.

"Vamps don't age. And unless they meet with an accident, such as me pushing a stake through their hearts, they don't die. So they can be very, very old. Most aren't, apparently. But they do talk to each other. Them and other demons. If we kill one vamp, another might see that, run away, then let others know. So sooner or later, word will get out that there's a Slayer in town."

She laughed at the idea of a Slayer manual. "Not even a pamphlet titled So You Think You're a Slayer?. But that's the point of the Watchers. It's not like hundreds of girls are learning this all at once. It's just me. Miss Casey knows all about this stuff, so she's bringing me up to speed. I'm getting the one-on-one tuition so I don't need a dusty book. And no book is going to help me learn to fight well, or exactly where to aim a stake. Or tell me who a particular vampire is and what their plans are."

"And now you know that there is this crazy supernatural world out there, you can learn about it from her too. Because I bet you'll never go on a night out feeling the same way again knowing just what is out there."

"Just like the films..." Elissa said quietly "Hmm...we bashed that vamp and he blew into dust. In the movies... you can take the stake out and it all starts again. I think I like the real world better"

She gave a rueful shake of the head to 'never go out again' comment "I've been like that for two years, girl. Waiting for the boot to drop. Waiting for the fucking snatch squad, or a super villain to turn up. Or to make a mistake and be spotted. Or something wierd-ass to happen. But you can't live your life in fear... In some ways it's easier now."

"Come on it's getting late. Actually it's way past 'getting late'. I need my beauty sleep. Are you sleeping here Ann? or shall we walk part of the way together"

Ann looked down at her sleeve again.

"I guess I'm OK to go home like this. And if I did stay out all night, my dad would only worry that I was with some boy. Though if that was really what I was up to at nights, it would be so much safer than this."

She led the way back to the living room.

"I wonder if Miss Casey found out anything in her books."

Alice finds it unlikely that Elissa is a synthetic super soldier.  It seems more likely that she is either a human-demon hybrid, somewhat like the Nephilim, or she or an ancestor has somehow been inoculated with blood, serum or some other demonic substance.  Alice has no clue what kind of demon.

Casting a glance to the kitchen (to make sure the girls sounded OK), Alice pondered her findings.  There was nothing definitive, but some things could be safely ruled out.  Elissa might not like the news, but Alice thought she could deliver it well enough to only cause 'mild' annoyance/anger.  And then Ann returned... with Elissa mostly likely in tow (or close by).

"Ahhh good timing... and your clothing looks much better too.  I've checked a few references and hopefully Elissa will be glad to know the chances of her being a science experiment are very low.  I'd need more clues to work with, but she either has an enhanced ancestor, demonic heritage, or my personal suspicion... Nephilim ties.  And before anyone panics, there are many demons... not all of which are inherently evil.  Nothing about the Fae came up, but my books only cover so much about them."

"Ummm... Not being awkward. But you're a wizard right? A watcher? And you've been looking in magical books right? So in the magic books... is there are lot about how a super soldier might be made? You know Quantum crap and Chemical crap and cutting edge research that is only available in the secret labs?" Eliss asked curiously "'cos if there was a super soldier experiment it would be like a secret wouldn't it? So if you didn't know the secret... it would be hard to know that the secret existed. It certainly wouldn't be in text book, or a magic book would it?" It was clear that she wasn't writing that theory off, but also...

"I mean... mostly I don't care. Someone did it. They've left me alone for two years. I had some shitty dreams, but mow I'm mostly OK. I'd like them to keep leaving me alone... so let's not do any looking that will tip them off. On the subject of which... If it's possible I'd really like the Watchers not to know either. Because the fewer people that know the longer it will stay a secret. And given that if the secret gets out I spend the rest of my life in a lab... I'm keen to keep it"

Ann was full of questions.

"What are Nephilim? Demons? If it turns out that Elissa didn't get Captain America's super-solider serum, how do we work out what sort of demon she is? Can we test her blood in a lab or something like that?"

She turned to look at Elissa.

"Are there any other characteristics of Nephilim? Do they grow wings? Have green skin? Grow extra heads?"

A thought crossed her mind.

"You did dye your hair that colour, right Elissa? It's not some natural Nephilim colour coming through?"

"I'll skip the lab test, right" Elissa said amused for a moment, as much by the idea of growing another head "It's one of those classical 'it all goes wrong' episodes in things like the Tomorrow People or The Defenders... when the lab samples go missing... or the lab tech gets ideas.  Besides... I don't care. Like really."

"See, girl, being Punk is about being who you want to be, right? About not fitting in with the expectations. Not giving in to 'the Man'. Not being forced by parents into some cookie cutter existance running in a rat race. Not letting society's norms grind you down and giving in. It's about being who you want to be and being happy with it. My dad told me the first Punk was this ancient greek dude... Dio.. Diopheenes or something... I think... So it's been around for a while. And Dad was a great Punk"

"So all that just says ... I don't feel a need to be put in a box with a label. I am who I want to be. And ... unless I suddenly get a craving to eat brains... at which point I'll be back for those lab tests... I'm good with being who I am."

"Anyway ... you found me out" Elissa bent over and showed her hair roots "It's natural. Or unnatural. Saves me a fortune in hair dye. Changes color a bit occasionally... but I've not worked out the 'why or wherefore' of that." she patted just below her belly button "Could cause awkward questions if I get really friendly with someone, but I'd just say 'it's dye there too'"

Alice smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not a wizard and my books don't have spells in them.  We are occultists.  There is some overlap with rituals, but we deal in lore, prophecies, and legends... cataloguing as much as we can 'safely'.  Witches and warlocks do exist... some may be allied to people within our organisation, but that is above my pay grade.  If you find any trustworthy practitioners, Ann... I'd certainly not object if you wanted to recruit them.  And I'll do my utmost to protect their secrets... just like I'll do for Elissa."

Clearing away the dirty plates and cups, Alice returned momentarily.

"Nephilim are part human and part demon.  We don't view them as evil by default.  Because its a catch all term, its hard to ascertain what features Nephilim derive from their demonic parent... or in some cases, grand parent.  If Elissa is one of them, she'd only have to worry about an awkward family reunion."

She grinned as Ann deduced that Elissa's hair color might be natural.  This was the sort of smarts that would help on her hunting (and survival).

Elissa nodded realising that the super soldier option was still firmly on the table. Occultists weren't the kind of people that would know what was going on in government labs. And Occult books weren't going to have in them the research that hadn't been published. But which was the better option? Nephilim or Captain America. Or did it even matter? Probably not

"Well it wouldn't cost anything to get the family records and see if we can work something" Elissa said thoughtfully "That's not going to raise any alarms or result in embaressement if lab results end up in the wrong hands"

"You know this is the first time ... ever ... having a title actually helps. There are records going all the way back to 1066 and probably even more. I can get them from the House of Lords record office for just asking. Mum has been hassling me to do it for a while, but I never got around to it.  Thinking about I don't think Dad was 'supernatural'... He was good, right. But not much better than his friends... not in the way Ann and I are. Well not when we trained together... but maybe I couldn't tell ... or maybe he was just good at hiding it... Sheesh who knows. Still he didn't have blue hair."

"Thank for protecting my secret Alice. I'll do the same with Ann's. And your's. You know that right?"

She had to give a chuckle at the 'awkward family reunion'. "Yeah... Big family... There's books in the library... If you want to know the fifth cousin twice removed... that can be done. Only met a few of them, and they are all stuck up no-goodnicks."

"This has been the weirdest night of my life. I met - and killed - a vampire, almost froze a friend to death, and found out she might be part demon. Oh, and now I know what colour her pubes are."

She considered what to do next. "It's getting late, so I think I should head home. I'll look out for anyone else who can help, though how I'll spot them I don't know. I can't just recruit every punk who's dyed their hair and hope for demon blood. It'll be interesting to hear what you find out about your family, Elissa. I wonder just what details the House of Lords would have on something like that. It makes me wonder about other people too. Do you think the royal family has some demon blood in them?"

"And Miss Casey, thanks for letting us crash here while we recovered. I guess you'll want to see me for our regular training? Should I start patrolling now that I've seen some action?"

"Gotta remember how you get to be a King or Queen or a Noble" Elissa said "It's the politics of the broken bottle. Of smash and grab, brutality and might. My family weren't as good at it as others: we backed the wrong side in a royal family squable... you know the hundred years war. Actually we backed both sides ... 'cos all families did, but my direct line backed the wrong side. Having demon blood sounds like it might be a bit of an advantage ... so I guess I would be surprised if the Royal's don't... because otherwise someone with that advantage would have used it"

"It's the same thing in modern politics among nations: might is right, having a bigger army and nukes makes everything legal. Having a secret police force let's the government get away with anything they want. Worse than fucking animals all of them."

"If we are going to patrol... we should scout out the route in the daylight. You know... find a way in and out... get the regroup points sorted out... all that sort of thing. Maybe we could pick a cemetery ... one that isn't going to get us into trouble .. and sort it out"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Tue 18 Jan 2022.

"Just doing my job, Ann.  I wish I could say things won't get weirder... but they probably will.  You have a good head on your shoulders, lets keep it that way."

Alice escorted the girls to her door.

"Well, since you two together are a formidable duo... I think I can let you walk home.  As always be careful and alert.  We can talk about patrols later on... but Elissa has the right idea.  Start with the cemeteries, then maybe we'll see about the pubs and clubs.  I think we can take things gradually.  Well, good night girls."

END OF SCENE