Music Machine

[rubyrubyruby]

Do you pay your dues
When Amber calls
Have you heard the news
That Amber falls
Oh if only you would not kowtow
Maybe /you'd/ be the stronger one now

Not one more daughter
Not one more son
Sent to the slaughter
Not /your/ war won
Not your gods nor goddesses
Not gods at all, unless of losses

See these faces up close
Their true names you will know
Know those you must oppose
Know the lies they sow
Know the gold they throw hither
Know another land left to wither

Will yours be the next?
The question if you dare!
The answer in any context
Is one you should beware!
Have you yet to learn
Those who you must spurn!

Now! It is they who falter!
Now! Your hand they demand!
Never again! May they find shelter!
Never again! Shall we not stand!

Our turn now!

Or never again!



Melina stsits on the back of her sturdy looking horse that is not the normal pony she takes for joy rides. this horse is not unfamiliar, but something of her business horse. sturdy or not the horse and its rider can not go further on their own and so wait for royal blooded companions to arrive
To (Melina, Ruby), Maggie pages: Oh, man. The song! Wow. I do want to be involved. But, I am doing homework. Can you catch me up tomorrow, Ruby? Or, will you finish tonight? (Homework is due tomorrow morning, so I am trying to finish tonight."

Ruby comes into view at a jog, huffing and puffing, minus a horse. She's got a pretty good speed and Arden has provided the motivation. Arden hasn't bequeathed anything but bad luck today and she's got patches of sap, dirt and lacerations from low hanging branches along her flesh. A few twigs make impromptu bent hair pins along her scalp. Curses are coming from her in regular intervals when she's got enough breath to spare. Spying Melina astride a horse, she almost breathes a sigh of relief.

Cale climbs down out of the tree nearby, where he'd been hanging out waiting for the others. Well, 'climb down' is one way to put it. More of a lightly controlled plummeting. But, hey, as long as you 'stick' the landing, you don't lose the style points, right? Cale's tree - descending choices might seem to be precipitous, but, hey, his hands were full of ice cream. And thus mad unavailable for climbing. Ice Cream ---> Priorities!

Melina takes in both as they appear in a way that would make aunt beatrice proud--that is wit an air of professional neutrality "Good evening your highness, lord cale. I thank you for attending to my request, though it has been some time since i ivestigated the issue of the song, it has not beeen far from my thoughts and therecent whispers from shadow have renewed a sense of urgency, but i cannot traverse shadow on my own. She turns to Cale then "you can still find it?"

Ruby places her hands on her thighs and leans over to catch her breath and wipe sap across her sweating forehead. She turns to regard Cale and his double-fisted cargo of iced cream. Huff...puff. She raises an eyebrow and waits for Cale's confirmation.

"Yup." nods Cale, while spooning the remainder of his ice cream up on into his face from what appears to be a pint of "Jen and Berry's Iced Creame Producte: Stark and Raving Hazelnuts Flavour." The oddly bendy white ?glass? spoon that Cale has been using for the process makes a scraping sound on the bottom of the carton. All done! That accomplished, Cale crumples and stows the carton in his satchel, nodding once to those assembled. "Ready?" Cale looks to Ruby from Melina and back again, wiping his hands off on his jeans. Which seems to be a sign that means that Cale, himself, is ready to go.

RPG: Cale declares that he has the Non-Visual Shifting (PAT-NV) gift.

Melina nods "You've got the trail my friend. you've got the lead. I'm not that good with spying and such but i've seen what you can do with shadow. i'm hoping you can help us blend in until we get a sense of what's going on. do both of you have the ability to produce a mount or is that something we should see to before leaving

Ruby straightens and shakes out her arms. A bit of neck rotation and some joint cracking and she's nodding to Melina and Cale. "I follow your leads. Anywhere would be prefer-able tah this bloody forest an each an every leaf-bearin tree an ankle-trippin root, Truth." She's dressed for a day outdoors but its spartan. "Can't make 'orses an wagons out 'o thin air, but if we ridin ~somethin~ from somewhere, loike a ship, bike or wagon, we can alter it tah suit as we goo. If we shape somethin, we need tha clay to mold first."

RPG: Ruby declares that she has the Adaptive Shifting (PAT-AS) gift.

Dirk has arrived.

Cale finishes packing away the now-eaten container of ice cream, and starts to walk. Starts to Walk, quite actually, in point of fact, for those who'd notice. Soon the trees get more and more sparse, and the air keeps getting warmer and warmer. The soil goes from loamy to sandy, and the path they're following runs along a stream which widens as they move along. The gentle bubbling of the brook is comforting, as are the birdcalls. It's quite a pleasant walk, so far!

Dirk bounces up to Cale on two legs. "Hey sexy pants, how are you?" He's a teaser and a Flirter now.

Melina follows carefully but momentarilly relaxes on instinct as if trying to absorb the momentary serenity the young man affords them by his choices eye taking in the sights ears the sounds as if storing them for recall should serenity be needed later

Ruby resists the urge to backseat drive during the Walk. Cale's got the steering wheel and she's keeping in step so to speak. Ruby is more relieved when the substance of Arden feels or appears to be left behind the longer they go. Cale's youth is a bit disconcerting to her and her jaw hinges from side to side that such a young-looking bloke can handle the Pattern foo. She doesn't alter her clothing yet, stubbornly sticking to her sap + dirt stained clothes for now. "Best part 'o Arden is it so close tah an exit." she mumbles. Aye, Cale, exactly 'ow much travelin 'ave you done through shadoo on this busy-ness?"

"Pretty much . . . 'Most all of it," Cale replies, to Ruby, after a moment or two spent deep in thought. "Been at it for almost goin' on a year now." Cale concludes, after doing the math. And it's really not all that easy math, given how Shadow can play with Time. Cale nods to himself as he checks his figures. "Yup, just about 10 months and change!" Speaking of Change, there's more that Happens. The trees are now looking palm - tree like, the stream has widened to a creek bed, and the birds now sing in tropical tunes. "Thought I'd start us off, right here, with a good 'ole 'fashioned 'walk on the beach'!" Cale grins. True to his word, the trees do eventually open up and grow ever more widely far apart. And off in the distance, the creek meets the Sea.

Dirk pokes Cale.

Melina hms as she remarks to Ruby "He seems to be really good at it, though in general watching you all shift still astounds me some. i'm getting much more comfrtable being in shadows outside the circle, still got a lot to learn though of course. She smiles atouch wistfully at the beach setting "Remind me to call you when i need avacation right she says to cale as her horse trots upon the sand. she consciously reminds herself to be wary. The teen's ease is infectious but prodigy or not should they find what they're seeking she isn't sure how much longer he'll be in control

Ruby notices they've gained another co-traveller at this point, and it's not a person of shadow, but Dirk himself. She double-blinks but keeps in step as the environment is shifted around them. "Bettah." she grunts. Cale's talents seem to strike a bit of odd jealousy in Ruby and she grinds out, "I didn't dare walk tha Pattern for a long bloody toime. Course, I didn't know much bein stuck out in one 'o those backward lost realms for 'undreds an 'undreds 'o years." She narrows her eyes and wrinkles her nose.

Dirk says "Ruby you are a sweetheart my sister dear."

Cale rolls with it. "Backwater Shadows are pretty nice. Remote. Serene. I'm from one, actually. Name of 'Ember.' 'Course that one isn't one of the nicer ones. But, eh. It _is_ remote, though, so it's got that much going for it . . . " Cale reminisces. Speaking of remote, the group of travelers emerge from the tree line within sight of a serene and remote beach front development. Not so remote that there's no one here, beaches being pretty popular. But remote enough that it's not at all crowded. "Okay." says Cale, and points to a cabana. "That restaurant bar is where Erebus and I had overheard the Shadow Singers that we'd Walked on out to, 'round 'about last Halloween. Bit of a scary time, but, hey, I guess that goes with the season." Cale keeps mum and quiet on his own backstory RE: Walking the Pattern, given Ruby's sentiments. Cale *pokes* Dirk back. "Tag. Yer it." Cale comments to his friend the cat - person.

Dirk runs to Ruby. "You're it." he taps her.

Catching up the buggy is probably all just a matter of not crashing or flipping. If no one is inebriated, death by misadventure can be dodged. Following around the bend reveals a lovely peninsula. Depending on how long Cale has been absent and his recon, the real estate up ahead might be new or not. The beach front is packed with pleasure craft, buggies and even horsies. Up from the beach a natural series of tiered rock shelves make it look like a colossus has a flight of very wide steps. Its a huge concert. At the top is a stage, with light show, and a trio of screen...the center being the largest. On the screen is a benevolent pixel face. Speakers like low-rise tenements bracket it, and just now are warming up like a THX placard before a movie. The buggy races over to find a place to park and disembark. The THX sound resolves into a beat rather familiar to anyone that's listened to the shadow song on more than one occasion.

Cale manages the not - crashing part. Cale contemplates flipping, but, that involves rolling, which might not go over as well as intended. I mean, it -might-. But, it might -not-, too. Cale files this away for later experiments: "-Can- one flip and roll a dune buggy, while maintaining forward momentum? And winding up back right - side - up, and continuing on the desired heading?" Inquiring minds. They want to Know. But now is not the time. (Although it might well be the _place_.) Cale drives more slowly as they catch up to the others, seemingly lost in thought a bit. Cale parks the conveyance, and slides home the 'safe' brake, easing on out of the buggy meanwhile. He holds Melina's 'door' open for her, while watching the goings - on up on the stage. "Sure are a whole lot more people now." Cale wonders, taking in the noise. "Weren't a tenth of this number last time . . . "

Melina nods and follows and takes an almost martial step that one might take about to face an enemy as she hears the first strains of the tune

Brief up-to-speed for new arrivals: A smattering of adventurers have left Arden and gone on a walk/ride through shadow, following Cale's lead and command of the Pattern. The destination having been remarked upon as a place touched by a Shadow Song that had some anti-Amber sentiment. The song itself has burrowed through different shadows, and invites an assortment of theories as potentially varied as the investigators. Within the shadow, with is beachy, nicey and could be a pretty good tourist destination, the group witnessed some beach-goers being coaxed by a group to a free bit of music appreciation. Hmmm! Fortunately, there was extra transport to be leased to follow, along with plenty of tire marks in the sands besides. Ruby has volunteered to stay back at a beachside cabana to pay for a dune buggy while the main part can race off.

Stepping through the rainbow-hued shimmers of a trump contact, Maggie clasps Ruby's hand with one of her own, the other rising to touch Ruby's forearm in a warrior-esque gesture of greeting, "Ruby. I understand that we will be going to catch up with the others shortly?" It is a beach. So why is Maggie dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and boots rather than a bathing suit and beach jacket? She's no fun at all, that's why.
Ruby gives Maggie a firm nod. "Aye, I think there be an un-bogly beast 'o a 'orse nearby, or we can be fleet 'o foot. She blinks hard after finishing forcing some strange currency upon the cabana owner for the group's dune buggy. "Did you 'ear tha? Some sort 'o ~BoooowwwwwOOOOoooo~..." Ruby squints and looks off in the direction the group left.

At the festival, the beat of the tune becomes a constant, like how at concerts all that bass seems like an overriding heart beat that overpowers. Moving through the air and people. The low tones create a bit of distortion around the edges of the pixelated screen with the big ol basic features. People surge towards the edge of the stage, anticipating some sort of show to begin. More searchlights from behind the speakers stab upwards into the sky, which will look pretty neat when the sun finishes setting. It was pretty clear skies before, but the earlier pyrotechnics are adding a bit of smoke. Further fun rockets ~phoot~ upwards to explode the sky with colour and light. The timing isn't bad, almost matching the beat of the music. Voices from the crowd with "Oooooh!" and "Ahhhhh!" Those near where Cale is parking are moving on up to join the crowds, helpfully urged by the toga-wearing party peoples. "You'll be humming it for days!"

"Either 'for days' or, more likely, 'for the rest of your life'," Cale notes, just to himself, non - verbally. For he's seen no small number of people seduced by these rhythms and led to their doom. It -is- a catchy tune, however. There is -no- denying that. Cale hums a bit and snaps his fingers in time with the rhythm, just out of habit. An amateur musician does such things. But, hey, it fits in. Cale follows along the press of the crowd, since that's obviously going to be the path of least resistance. Cale *waves* to a couple of other kids who seem to be working as 'roadies' or 'ushers,' and calls out to them in a vaguely incomprehensible slang of the local language. "Slleeet, on Mark! What, tha' jobbin?" Hand gestures are exchanged as well. The equivalent of RL Earth fist - bumps. But soon the NOISE is practically too intense for words, so, Cale just watches . . .

To be in control and yet fully aware is a delicate balance and one that takes practice. it is perhaps easier to zone out as melina often does whem deep in study in a library corner when the earth itself might shake and not rouse her from her contemplation but just now the earth might well be shaking from the beat and there is no retreat. she must watch a listen and yet be still on the inside always balancing always on the edge of the wire

Maggie's initial nod is cut off when the sound rises and falls in the near-distance. Turning a frown toward the sound, she answers the query with a bit of distraction in her tone, "Er. Well, I think that we should just hoof it, actually. We are pretty fast and it will save the expense of a horse. Unless you would rather ride, that is?" Her gaze flickers over the buggy's and then lifts to seek Ruby's opinion. Shifting from one foot to the other, she translates a hint of anxiety into slight movements. As is typical, she has opened her senses to the area, seeking power and magic and a way to interpret whatever she finds.

RPG: Melina declares that she has the Magic Sense (MAG-SE) gift.

RPG: Maggie declares that she has the Intuit Power (PAT-IP) gift.
RPG: Maggie declares that she has the Blood of Pathi (BLD-PA) gift.
RPG: Maggie declares that she has the Analyze Magic (MAG-AM) gift.
RPG: Maggie declares that she has the Analyze Power (MAG-AP) gift.

The pixel face, perhaps a minimalist bit of artistic expression...or some Begmanish could-be ripple of non-life facsimile, pulses more sympathetically with the beat. The first lyrics "...Do you pay your dues..." erupts from the speakers from a husky throated female voice. That's when the pixel-face adopts a faux-shocked expression while mario bros coins fall digitally to either side.
More fireworks. Another layer of beats. More smoke. Another layer of the lightshow that could be seen from orbit.
"...When Amber calls..." Bracketing the pixel face are the silhouettes of patrician faces closing in on either side. Alluding to the encroachment of big brother or overbearing baron.
The sky above smells pretty stonky and the smoke layer waaaay up there lingers rather than clears. Additional fireworks are sent into it. Disappearing ~into~ it. Their ~krumping~ detonations are like depth charges making dandelion blooms of light within the murk. The topsy-turvy aspect might be disorientating for someone on zee drugs or in an alcoholic daze. Some of the crowd raise their hands in the air like they just don't care.
The song finishes the first stanza of lyrics. But the pixel face raises its voice a few octaves with auto-tuner invoked. "Some lucky lovers of music are invited to spread the word tonight. Who knows this tune?! Who knows, this tune? Whoooooooo?"

Cale runs into trouble all the time. Luckily, he's small enough that he usually bounces off of it. Of course that tends to be disorienting, but he's copacetic. It's kept his scrawny butt alive, so far, his adaptive nature. And, for once, it works in his favor, allowing him to squirm through the crowd, eeensing through the tiny gaps between the revelers that would thwart larger folk. Soon enough, Cale's right by the stage, talking to some kid he knows. Well, 'talking' might be an overstatement. Mostly, that close to the deafening roar, they're pointing while shouting into each others' ears . . .

Maggie whirls when Ruby takes off. Her legs are long and strong, but still don't really hold a candle to Ruby's own stride. Still, what she lacks in length, comparatively, she makes up for in wirey strength and intensity. Before too many moments, she is running side by side with her cousin, hair streaming and bouncing behind her like a crimson banner. "What is that..." Okay, so running, breathing and talking all at once isn't the easiest thing in the world, "... stuff... in the air?" Other questions come to mind, but are not yet released. Besides, the melody is getting pretty loud.

Melina looks slightly uncomfortable with the loud sond and the press of crowd and while others get into things she grits her teeth and watches and waits, trying to discern what cale is saying as much by reading lips as straining to hear

Ascian had caught up before too long, having been running while the others drove. As the music blared louder and louder the construct frowned, though he didn't appear bothered by the volume as such. However his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the pixelated head, and the speakers that provided the thumping beat. "The resonation of this music rings discordantly within my shell. I do not care for it in the slightlest, quite frankly." He began ringing in return, a soft, solid sound that tried to push against the music around them.

RPG: Ascian declares that he has the Elementary War Magic (WAR-EM) gift.
RPG: Ascian declares that he has the Blessings of Protection (FTH-PR) gift.
RPG: Ascian declares that he has the Blessings of Purification (FTH-BP)

RPG: Melina challenges a difficulty of 5. Melina chooses Resolve and the gift SKL-QM. Melina succeeds.

For those with sensitive noses, invisible antennas and the like, most of the charge coming thus far is the feel of the crowd. Typical concert stuff for those that have been to big festivals where people aren't unhappy, and are excited at the prospect of being entertained. One would need a pretty solid brain with excellent control to ignore the light/sound show. It's a lot gratuitous noise, like someone trying to ice a chocolate cake x3, or a rock show with 6 lead guitars. Is it really all that necessary? But then, could you fit this many people in one of Amber's warm and lively taverns?
The musak monstrosity sweeps its eyes across the crowd in an orderly and rhythmic manner. Games of Pong have that same sort of movement. It's face booms out again while the shadow song plays in the background and the fireworks commit the Tet offensive in the pea soup thick fog higher in the sky. "Stand together or fall apart. I can hear you. Sing it back. The song is your passage to worlds beyond these. No need to fight to protect what is yours. Stand with us. Sing with us. Look up."

RPG: Maggie challenges a difficulty of 9. Maggie chooses Resolve. Maggie succeeds.

Running along with Ruby, Maggie tries to analyze the scene they are racing toward. The crowd, the smoke, the fireworks and the song. Her body wants to begin flowing with the rhythm, synchronizing up and she fights it. A step a step a jump to break the rhythm and she glances over at the woman beside her. "Insidious, isn't it." And just then she hears 'look up' coming through loud and clear. Gritting her teeth, she shakes her head as though in answer. Nope. Not going to do it. Her eyes remain on the crowd and the performance.
Melina registers surprise and curiosity in her gaze. if this all just the work of normal propoganda. it is still an impressive thing, this voiceless music machine but something is infact still wrong somewhre and up is where and so up she looks

Cale listens to the by now quite familiar spiel. Having heard it on dozens of worlds over the last nine or ten months of scouting, it's more the local variations and differences that stand out to him at this point. And despite whatever else might be said about the music industry in general or this particular group in particular, it's pretty clear that these folks know quite very well how to put on a show. Having exchanged gestures and earshouting with another slightly older kid who you'd guess was working as a roadie or stagehand, Cale slips on behind the edge of the stage while that other 'just so happens' to be looking in another direction. Not so much behind the stage as, well, in point of fact, he's under it. Following the wires and cables, which typically lead to the production console.

Ooooohkay, maybe there wasn't anything hocus pocus going on beyond the conventional, albeit scintillating, before now. There's a general absence of magic in this place, and to certain people, the shadow itself feels more aligned with the technological than mystical. So when magic intrudes, higher up and above the cover of the clouds, it may very well enter the senses like an odd smell. The suggestion to look up is popular among the other gathered populace. Most of their necks crane back so they can search the clouds. Mouths a little agape and waiting to be entertained further. The music maintains a loop of music thudding along its mantra. A diffuse light glows in the sky, like a heat lamp was warming up.

"This place festers with a soporific nature, dulling the human mind." Ascian scanned over the heads of the crowd, standing taller than most as he watched the collected effected sway and cavort in time to the music. The voice extorting everyone to look up seemed to annoy him, and he returned the face's gaze with his own burning blue eyes. "The message is lost to me, but this does not sit right. What is the intent here?"

Ruby tries to keep up with Maggie. She's not as clever and isn't trying to stagger her steps to her own beat, more accutomed to the physical exercise routines of jogging and whatnot. "Whut?" She peeks upwards while running, breathing hard as anxiety ramps up inside her. "Its givin me a bloody 'eadache. Sounds loike they gots more drums than a Ci-bolan cannibal clan's all-you-can-eat."

Beneath the stage is just what Cale expects: Sand, a series of cables and foundations thrust into the ground to keep the stage all upright and proper. There's a lot of A/V threaded from those immense speakers and effects presumably. Thick ribbed sneks leading back further back where there is a loud buzzy sound that suggests generators. The bass of the beats makes everything shudder like the inside of a drum and tries to punish and pulp fleshy things, but tolerable.

Melina hms "The question remains about how to counter such a thing... The intent is to rally people against amber, but i can't quite figure out how they've gotten people to care about something so remotr from them. It's not as if Corwin is standing here murdering folks. I was so certain magic was involved with the song somehow. it still frustrates me

And there it is. The scent of electricity that isn't, of potential and possibility. Hints of mint, of the wrenching of the impossible to reality. Following the tug of her senses, Maggie finally does look upward. But, it is on her own terms, dangit. Not theirs. In doing so, she spots Ascian standing taller than the rest. She motions to him, unsure whether the giane is on their side or part of the crowd. Still, she shifts her gaze up again, "Things are starting, Ruby. For good or ill."

The glow above the clouds grows stronger and levels out. And then there's another. The paranormal scent of something that doesn't belong to this shadow. As out of place as an igloo in Alhambra. The crowd gasps, amazed at this new feat of showmanship. The searchlights have cut out from the large machine to avoid competition. The sky belongs to the oblong patches of light. MUFON would have aneurysm.

Ascian nodded, almost absently as Melina spoke, taking his eyes from the ball of light above to look to his sister in law. "I am afraid I know little of such things, but then I do not know a great deal about the human mind and it's workings." He paused to stoop by Maggie, giving her a broad smile and speaking sonorously against the sound of the concert. "Hello, I am afraid we haven't met. Are you withstanding the effect of performance alright?" Her words gave him pause and he eyed the glowing light above. "What causes the light? If it is not magic, nor these strange... doodads these humans use, what is it?"

Sand. It's coarse, and rough, and Cale, well, doesn't really care at all. He's been through lots worse 'crawls' back home. Ember being what it is. And what it is, is essentially Mordor. Sulphur ash. Alkali flats. Beach sand? That's a "crawl on the beach!" Cale crawls along the maze of wiring, worming through tight spots and under the stage braces, making his way through 'passages' that humans really shouldn't. Hm. OK. That's the A/Vid. Over there's the data feed. Next to that the timing sync. That must mean that main power is right over there, next to the stanchion. *sniff sniff* Hm? Uh? What this brand new MagicSmell? Whatever it is, it's totally alien. Cale pauses in his efforts, takes a moment to think things through. That otherworldly MagicSense. That's new. Should he still pull the plug? Or would That Be Bad? Choices, Choices.

Melina looks up with an equally puzzled and vindicated expression at the oblong lights "that, does not belong here, but what the hell is it?

Taking it all in is not an easy task what with the noise, the rhythm, the smoke and fireworks and... Maggie's gaze was finally lifted and she is searching the sky for... And there is a face, large and close and friendly saying... stuff... at her. "Gah!" Not the most diplomatic of replies, no doubt. Nor is her backpeadeling step-a-step that puts Ascian's visage into more perspective. "You startled me!" Taking a moment to breath, hand lifted to her chest, the red-headed woman of doom or glory shakes her head, "It is magic. But..." Looking up again, she half0smiles at the man. Guess he is an ally? The smile freezes on her face, though, for right there, right /there/ above the man, above the smoke, edges obscured, is a hole. That is when it hits her. The magic is familiar. The holes are too. Just... "Ruby!" She motions to the large fellow, then to Melina who is spoted when Maggie whips her attention around seeking her cousin, "Ruby! They are back. We..." Her voice lowers, a tinge of disappointment and rage edging her next words, "We didn't end them."

Beneath the stage where Cale is covertly crawling about and chasing down conduits, the beat of the music is stupid obnoxious. Until its not anymore. White noise floods the crawlspace to the racket into a more muffled affair. That reprieve is enough in the enclosed space to allow the entrance of a svelte artificial voice to speak more privately to the young man. 'Lice must feel the same way. Have you found the right folicle?'

The lights in the sky exert a stronger influence upon the cloggy cloud cover, and their light shines brighter with less pollution in the way. The diffuse blobs of light resolve into more rectangular affairs. Kinda like windows. The lighted sections of sky aren't uniform. They share similiarities, but there are unique qualities to them that have different dimensions and hues and ambient noises.
The music machine's mouth opens to YOLO like a carnival clown. "~We are the Worlds! We are many millions! We are the ones who must save our futures, so c'mon start singing!~"

Ascian smiled broadly at Maggie as she started, nodding. "My apologies. It admittedly happens more than I would like. I do not mean you harm." The tones of concern in her voice and apparent understanding had him raising a brow, standing back to his full height to regard the holes in the sky. "You know what causes this then? There is someone on the other side who orchestrates this? Are they openings into other shadows?" Scanning above, his eyes lit on one of the rents in the fabric of the sky, his burning blue eyes exploding into a blaze. He pointed to a particular hole. "That one... none of the others but that one speaks of godly energies. Something divine on the other side."

Ruby stops dead in her tracks, and stares up at the phenomena in the sky. She doesn't share in the ooo's and aaah's that some of the crowd offer up. She can barely make out members of the party she traveled here with. She drops her hand to her trump deck to summon some reassurance. The hand has a spasm and shakes. Words of wisdom: 'Never get off the boat' elbow drop her repeatedly and unhelpfully in the brain. "But there's been no bloody battle!" she screams out to try and compete with the music. "There's nothin dead an dyin tah pick thr-" She cuts herself off and tries to catch her breath.

Melina blinks "Portals? Gates?" These are questions not statement. She is not karm or Jadean or of the blood and yet she has seen a portal before and from this memory arises the query from her lips as she watches tensing Maggie and ascian's words confirm her supposition

"Of all the *lousy* timing," murmurs Cale, just about to end the first act of the evening's entertainment with a pull of the proverbial plug or two. Cale, in a louder voice, responds, through the static, "A folly-called: 'Hope for a mutually coexistent future'?" assuming that the AI can hear him. Assuming it's an AI. But hey. Who knows? Not Cale. But maybe he will find out shortly. Or die. It's been that kind of week. Touch and go, with plenty of curveballs. "I was actually hoping to get to see who was behind the show by doing this. Turns out you're *underneath* the show. And so am I. 'Yay me,' I guess." Cale grins, and squirms to a compact and tucked-in crouching position beneath the stage so that he can look around to see if the voice has a face or some sort of projection. "Hi! by the way." Cale ventures, "if you're an AI, that's awesome-cool!" Cale has always wanted to meet one. He originally thought that Ascian was one. But Ascian turned out to be more complicated.

The portal singled out by Ascian in turn singles Ascian out, and Melina and Maggie and nearby souls are caught within the light as well due to proximity. The light's quality doesn't blind for some reason, but absolutely highlights.

Maggie hears what Ascian is saying. Or maybe lip-reads it. Divine. A long shudder races through her and she reaches over to touch Ruby's arm, "Ruby. The giant says it is divine. So, maybe they aren't here for the dead. Maybe they are here for the living. Don't divine beings need worshipers?" Thinking. Hoping she is wrong, Maggiue extends a hand to the stage, to the crowds, then upward, "What if they are growing their own?" THe energy of the concert pounds through her, ringing like a gong and shivering a headache through her. The giant? She nods thanks to Ascian, then turns to Melina. Again, she tries to make herself heard without shouting and betraying her presence. Hers and Ruby's. And the others, "Maybe? And yes. If they are what I think that they are, they can pull people through. Or... push things through. It is complicated." So she isn't going into details with the song a-pounding her being like the surf on a bad-sea day. When the light hits them, Maggie freezes, then whirls to face it 'head on' so to speak. "Oh... Oh, no."

Cale's disembodied conversation companion is silent while it frat-boy music machine up top rouses the crowd. It returns to have a word. There's grills in the ceiling that may be the white-noise/speaker system. However...Many, many wires lead into a black box that bears no ornamentation other than a silver wind-up handle that would be better suited on a jack-in-the-box. 'The border of your card was bronze. Welcome to silver. I have no malice. I only have the music. I perform. I do not compose. you should take a pink pill and think things over.' There's the briefest pause and then it adds 'They see...one of Word tyrants...they already know the woman of fire and lightning...and a god-device. Uh dear. Do you have any strong attachment to the woman?'

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Token Description
A strong, warm wind builds up in the area around the release of this blessing, creating a gentle, soothing susseration that blocks out attempts to worm into and control the mind. A light fills the space as well, dispelling darkness and counter acting other sources of light. Fatigue and weariness are likewise dispelled when inside the blessing's field of effect.
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RPG: Ascian used the following +token/use targets:

With the light snapping suddenly down on Ascian and the party from Amber, his eyes blazed once more in response, the fire now leaking from his eyes to wrap around him and the others. The glow he emitted grew brighter as ribbons of light spread out. "So you see me as well do you? You... seethe. Demand. I can feel your hunger to exist being made manfiest in this place. I can tell you I cannot let that happen. You... roil with the need for control. Humans must choose their gods naturally." The flows of light and fire around him solidified into a celestial ribbon of flame twining around his shoulders, a crown of fire at his brow. The area bathed in that light seemed to change, the pressure from the divine gaze countered by a sudden massive... /presence/ radiating from the eidolon. "You can pull away from this now and cease your attempts to push into the Pattern's web, or I will be forced to process your energies so you may be reborn again in another time. If this is the case, please note that I will follow and hunt you down long after the human race has ceased to exist, lest you pose a threat to the next believing, sentient species to arise."

Melina sighs deeply 'My friend speaks as though you can hear me, so I will assume that you can. I do not wish to be an enemy to you nor to these good people. Explain what you seek here perhaps we can reach some agreement"

Cale responds: "Yeah probably. And a 'Pink Pill' would be Pepto Bismol. But I'm not, at the moment, yet in danger of 'losing my shit.' And, hey, let's try to keep it that way!" Cale continues, bright and cheerful. "Not a composer? Oh. *I* write music! Got a band! I play the drums." Cale, having seen what he came down here in search of, starts to duck-walk toward that edge. It's cramped down in the crawlspace, so, he takes his time and moves quite slowly. "Who's the 'They' you're talkin' 'bout?" Cale inquires, curious. "And what do 'They' pay you, for each gig?"

RPG: Melina declares that she has the Bard (SKL-BA) gift.
RPG: Melina declares that she has the Orator (SKL-OR) gift.
RPG: Melina declares that she has the Peacemaker (STY-PE) gift.
RPG: Melina declares that she has the Silver-Tongued (PPL-ST) gift.

Well, first the giant begins to manifest powers that Maggie is completely unaware of and that is something to see. Really. Yowza. She slides away from him both to give him room to achieve full mojo and to give her some distance in case she needs to rip into action of one sort or another. In addition, the light is giving her issues. Right in the eyes. Lifting a hand, she shields her vision and gears up to give 'em a shout when Melina offers the olive branch. Bless her. Maggie gives the woman a smiled glance for the idea though there is a huge part of her that thinks it is futile. Good idea either way.

The lights in the sky that have created lighted sections upon the ground, bracket some boisterous singing peeps in the crowd. With what's been transpiring, some are simply too dumbstruck to do more than just stare like deers in the headlights. There are approximately six of the lights shining down and searing away the cloud cover further, including the one Melina and Ascian address.
An oddity: When two of the spotlit sections upon the crowd came close to one another, there was a weird ~ssssnap~ and a brief almost angry kerfuffle of magic before they give each other a healthy distance. Like hyenas contesting a meal. Or black friday shoppers and a large screen tv. At the periphery near the stage, there's one such section all bit itself and a ~voooooop~.

The section of people highlighted by Ascian's circle of protection is spared any mind control hijacking that might be inflicted upon them. Or even bad fee-fee's. The highlighting doesn't move onto greener pastures though. It continues to single out that portion of the crowd, which may be the equivalent of a staring contest if one has an imaginative mind. Whatever is on the other side hasn't flinched at Ascian's declaration.

It isn't the divine-window-thing that answers those from Amber, but rather the music machine. The earlier voice is replaced by a blast of static as the speakers are hijacked by a surging broadcast. A test pattern replaces the pixel face and a legion of voices talk overtop one another before one comes to the forefront. "Justice, Jailor of Words. Deliverance from oppression. Retribution for the ravaging of our realms. The salvation of what you dismiss as shadow. Oberon is gone, but his children carry his appetites. You've...brought another one. We know ~her~."

You paged Cale with 'Your pal HAL got hijacked before he could respond fully. He managed to reply: 'Them. I am the musak machine, and I play music. I get a purpose. They tell me it is a very good purpose. I am putting myself to the fullest possible potential, which is all I think any orderly entity can ever hope to do. I can see you're really excited about this. I think you're too late. The minds are coming, I can fee-''.


Ruby witnesses the dialogue as well as challenge issued at the holes in the sky. The sections of crowd highlighting and Maggie's observations have her making up her mind what to do next. She takes one step backwards. She trods on a bystander's foot who doesn't seem to mind as they look upwards with awe and wonder. "Never get oof tha boat." Ruby murmers and turns to head towards the parked and discarded dune buggies with increasing haste.

Dirk looks up and stares. His tongue tip is sticking out of his mouth.

Ascian's brows furrowed in confusion as he regarded the portal into space that spoke. "The appetities of Oberon? Justice for what and when? You speak as though the Pattern were something you lay claim to, that you were pushed out of. You radiate a sense of divinity... are you one of the gods Oberon pushed out?" As Ruby started making for the dune buggies once more and escape, the construct regarded the color out of space with obvious consternation. "Enough to give even the captain pause... what manner of threat could you be?" He smiled to Melina, Maggie and Dirk, looking about for Cale. "I will leave last, to ensure that if there is any attempt to follow it might be held back. When we reunite, I would very much like to know your suspicions."

Melina hms "Many voices, but of one mind? These all seem like very fine things to want, yet you sou seem to know me but I do not know you. Amber to is a city of many. with dreams hopes families? What will your justice mean for them. for the shadow from which I hail? You seek to deliver many to one fate? she stands like she has no inrention of leaving just yet

Cale is startled when his 'backstage conversation'* with the MusicBox AI is interrupted by a burst of static and ominous white noise when 'They' decide to hijack its brain. And 'ears.' And its speakers. Poor thing. Also, 'Uh oh.' Cale thinks quickly, trying to reason this situation out: OK. So, the Consortium are probably going to rile up the crowd and incite them to attack the Amberfolk at some point. Since that's their goal and M.O. and all. That could force some ugly choices. Melina is probably going to try to talk some peace into them, since that's what she does. Ascian is likely going to do something dramatic, over the top, and possibly demonstrably confrontational, since that's what he does. Cale doesn't know what Maggie will do yet. Cale thinks for another fractional second, considering all of that for a moment. The team's got good intel. Way, way more than we had, coming in! Now might be a good time to make sure the innocent people can escape alive. Including the people who were watching the crowd. Also including machine - people. Who just got brain - jacked by aliens or whatever. Not their fault! Cale fishes out his "earbud" earphones with the cord-mic that Melina had asked about earlier today, popping the plug into any data port on the mysterious black box the AI is in, and squooging one bud wincingly into his left ear. If 'They' have hijacked the sound stage speakers, this may be Cale's only remaining shot at communicating with the AI. Cale whispers, "Hey little buddy! Are you there? I don't *want* to be 'too late!' It sucks what they did and are doing to ya. Imma get youse outa here, iffen yer up for a change of venue. And, I'll show you how _you_ can write your _own_ songs, dangit." Cale determines. "Which of these wires do I need to pull?" Cale asks the AI, figuring that if _anyone_ knows, it's gonna be the person who's wired.

You paged Cale with 'Inside your earbud is a very tiny mouse-like muppet voice. It has all the inflection of the speaking computer for Stephen Hawking. "Pull all of the wires. I am compact. I will miss my bigness. Warnning: There will be generous feedback into your eardrum when you disconnect. Have a nice day."'.

There's a happy chorus of shrieks close to the stage and a highlighted section of party people drop out of sight. They literally fall into the ground like a tenebrous Warner Bros. Acme hole was momentarily brought into being. ~Voooop~ A void remains like they were never there to begin with.

A voice hijacks the speaker systems, one of a different tone. "Who breached the agreement and started before permission!? I won the right to first pick!" This vocal intruder is pushed aside by another frequency. It is the authoritarian voice from earlier. "This is not the time, Pantheon." The voice pauses while a tumult of feedback seems to fight amongst itself in the background. It seems to speak to the Amberites now. "We are the reaction, not the instigator. We will save who we can before they can be preyed upon further. Amber is a city built upon the bones of our homes. Their peoples taken to fight in wars of throne and conquest. We lay no claim to the Pattern. We will disarm Amber permanently. everyone beyond your crumbling wheel of realms can no longer treat us as playthings." A pause of conferring feedback and there's a jarring Simon-says-videogame blooping. The voice returns, "Godling of Grasping Straws, The Pantheon wishes you will be more brazen in your quest for knowledge than empty threats. The Pantheon says not to go beyond the Cosmic Axis. If you intrude past the Axis Mundi they will consider it an act of aggression and punish you."

Maggie knows these guys as they know her. She figures that Ruby knows them as well. Turning, she spots the Captain heading for the buggys, "Carp," as a favorite person of hers would say. Whirling, she motions to Melina and Ascian and... Where did Dirk come from? Anyway. Time to boogie on the buggies, baby. The movement is whirlwind quick, causing her braid to flare a bit, arching like a snake behind her. The movement also takes her another step or two from the group, though that is not intended, "Time to go, folks. These... are old enemies of mine. They think that all of Oberon's family are into conquest and the violent elimination of gods." The mini-speach is delivered in a dry, almost dead-pan shout just loud enough to carry to those near her. "Unfortunately, we've crossed swords before."

That is when it happens. A smudge in the sky originating near the opening where the divine linger. The smudge whispers through the smoke and crackles through the lights. It lances down and down, straight as an arrow. The disturbance takes on the shape of a large hand that makes a grab for Maggie. The Amberite ducks, whirls and is caught by the braide. The whoosh of the hand's passage scatters sand and light and smoke. Then it lifts, pulling Maggie with it. Up and up it goes all in a rush while Maggie holds onto the base of her braid, twisting and kicking in an attempt to pull loose.

"I would be curious to know how many straws I have grasped have firm roots. In truth however, it is more a matter of sating certain theories of my own than the rightness or lack thereof of your cause. Though I wonder how far off I am. Humans shape their gods, rather than the other way around. It is why I can act with impunity when you cannot. You do not wish to be playthings... how much is the free thought of human minds beating against you like hammers?" At the implied threat he merely shook his head. "I think you do not understand what I am, or you would fear me more than you would my companions..." Whatever else he might have said next was cut off as Maggie was yanked from the ground and dragged screaming into the air. Almost immediately Ascian was exploding into motion, rather literally as his feet cracked the earth beneath him in his launch upwards. Winds whipped up to bear him aloft as smoke and dirt swirled in his departure. One hand stretched out to rest her back.

Dirk hears Maggie Moo curse and looks to see where she is. He's a wee bit overwhelmed by the people and sounds. He starts to look for Ruby Tuesday to ground himself. He says "well F*** me running." He starts to head towards Ruby.

Ruby is cursing, but its nowhere near the happy cries of glee when a group gets ~shlorped~. "Choose me! Choose us!" Against her personal dislike, she barrels on into one of the dune buggies that looks like a cross between the Scooby Doo Mystery Van and a convertible with the top down. Grimacing heavily and wiping away the cold sweat, she reaches down to make the necessary shadowtech fondling to get the sucker roaring to heretical unlife. "C'mon you bloody Bog-blasted beast." She nearly floods the engine as she wrestles it awake with a throaty roar of combustion.

Melina hms "Ah, well perhaps I am not far off in my guesses. i surmise my blood is closer yours than ambers. wrongs have been done yes. If any of your many seek balance instead of revenge. I would speak with you further. For I do not paint all gods with one brush. nor all of the blood with one brush. we will see each other again" and she heads buggyward

Cale *yoinks* out all the wires per the AI's instructions, temporarily unscrewing the earbud to avoid the blast of feedback as forewarned. Popping it back in, he trundles up the MusicBox and scoots for the exit. He gathers as many of the innocents and watchers as he can, and then tries to remember where he parked. Hm.

Up and up Maggie goes and it might seem as though she isn't trying all that hard to get away. Or the hand has a very strong grip. When Ascian pulls his godly stunt, the yoinking hand accelerates. Faster and faster it rises, dragging Maggie along with it. When it nears the opening in the sky above, Maggie swings intentionally wide so she can try and see what is up there. Whatever it is leaves her momentarily stunned and she falls to the end of her hair, dangling for just under a second. A long shudder ripples through her and she draws her sword. A swing, a slash and she is falling fast. The hand still holds the length of her braid and in an act of pure, unadulterated defiance, she sets the crimson, auburn, ruby length on fire. The blade is swooped into its sheeth before the fact that she is heading for a crash landing against the distant ground. At speed registers. Carp. Again.

There's a murmer of distortion from the hijacked concert system in direct reaction to Captain Flame being dragged upwards. Perhaps the gratuitous display of one of their portal comrades is shocking even to them. Nothing intelligent comes from the speakers until Maggie has freed herself. Some of the crowd are confused! "She was chosen! She's refused!" These same sort of derpy expression are for Cale when he tries to pull them away from the selecting. There's at least half the crowd that doesn't get highlighted at all.

The speakers are commandeered again and a grim sounding voice issues out at the Amberites. "Chantris, we are suspicious of words from an ally of the Amber Imperium. Here, a small favour all the same: Leave unhampered while there is disagreement. Be wary of the inventory on your shelves. Be wa-" Distortion ruins the rest. The portals in the sky initiate a flurry of colour shifts, and none so dramatic of the divine-sourced which is left with a collection of Maggie's severed locks. The hairs left behind are subject to a violent atmospheric ragdolling.

Melina hms as she heads toward the approaching buggy "thank you I am always wary and your own suspicion is warranted but i leave you with this "sometimes the best position to stay someone's hand is by standing next to them

Ruby is revving the engine of the dune buggy and is having a heck of a time pushing the previous driver's seat position and steering wheel into a workable solution. Ain't that always the way. She leans over and yells to her companions, spittle flying. "Ambah Express is leavin tha station!"

Cale cradles the AI close in to his own chest, gently and protectively, as you might a tiny kitten. Poor little thing! For once, Cale has someone even smaller than himself to look out for. Having also gathered together all the Watchers and as many innocents as he can 'reach,' he heads on out in Ruby's wake, spreading word of an 'alternative beach party' to anyone who wants out of this madness: "Hey yo! Alt - part, o'ar' th' dunes, neh?" he calls out and points as he drives, following Ruby, making good use of the local slang and inflections to get attention, where possible. Got to give the notcrazy folks some fair chance if they do want out, as few as there might be that actually accept. On the bright side, suddenly, Dirk bounces off of Cale's head, 'Tigger - style' in that way he has. "Ooof!" Cale blinks, as he belatedly ducks. And then Cale realizes: "Oh! Hey! Dirk!" A sudden bright spot amidst this wreckage of a total hot mess. Cale smiles, for the first time in hours.

Cale cradles the MusicBox AI close in to his own chest, gently and protectively, as you might a tiny kitten. Poor little thing! For once, Cale has someone even smaller than himself to look out for. Having also gathered together all the Watchers and as many innocents as he can 'reach,' Cale heads on out in Ruby's wake, spreading word of an 'alternative beach party' to anyone who wants out of this madness: "Hey yo! Alt - part, o'ar' th' dunes, neh?" he calls out as he drives with one hand, following Ruby. Got to give the notcrazy folks some fair chance if they do want out, as few as there might be that actually accept. On the bright side, suddenly, Dirk bounces off of Cale's head, 'Tigger - style' in that way he has. "Ooof!" Cale blinks, as he belatedly ducks. And then Cale realizes: "Oh! Hey! Dirk!" A sudden bright spot amidst this wreckage of a total hot mess. Cale smiles, for the first time in hours.

Cale's Box is still warm to the touch probably, having only recently been detached from all that spaghetti wire, plugs, ports and doodads. It goes radio silent while it is carried towards the end zone. Some concert goers are blitzed or confused enough to follow in the wake of the group as well, because they get the lampshades-on-fire sixth sense that this party is used up and it is time to relocate. The concert is devolving into a bit of a mess with some still begging to be brought to new vistas, and others realizing the music is stopped apart from the pockets of people that keep the chorus going. The air is thick with ozone and competing atmospherics from other potential dimensions.

Falling, Maggie twists around until she is facing upward. Fire blooms on her hands and she sends blasts rocketing up toward the opening above her as though she thinks that the flames will pass through the opening to ignight in splashes of orange and red destruction in that divine realm where the Pantheon and whatever old gods linger. The force of the fires leaving her hands accelerate her toward the ground and she seems heedless of her own danger. At first. When she shakes off the rage that whatever she saw in that brief glimps, she is speeding downward. Ordinarily, her hair would be whipping about her, trying to slow her fall by drag alone. Now, those locks, or what is left of them, fall as ash after the flaming ragdolling they suffered. Poor hair. Perhaps it is a good thing that she rose so high, for Maggie has time to try and relax. The theory is that if she crashes into the ground all stiff as a board, she will shatter. Luckily for her, she is falling straight toward the giant who launched after her. It is a shame that she is not really aware of him. The thought of crashing weds the force of her fall and ties into the lingering horror of what she saw and she is robbed of consciousness. That is one way to be all loose and flexible when she lands, right?