Invisible Monarchs/Session5

Alice: Alice yawns, cradling Crestfallen. "I'm going to sleep for now. Night you guys."

Forcas: "Good night, Alice."

Forcas: The same evening, while Virgil works on his comics and Alice sleeps, Forcas goes out again to meet with Charon as arranged earlier.

Forcas: ((OOC note for the record: parallel threads running in #AliceDream and #VirgilCampus))

Alice's Dream

Alice: Before she had Awakened, Alice always had found herself in a house, very much like the home she knew so well. After all, it was one of the few things she did know, beyond the gardens and the flowers. There were hazy memories of other things, but perhaps her mother had kept them away.

Alice: But things had changed now.

Alice: Alice's dreams were far different now, cities and buildings intermingled with forests and wilderness, with every thing having a spirit and a personality similar to the symbols they met.

Alice: And always Alice herself was different, dressed in different garb than she always slept in, and... not /exactly/ with her Familiar.

Alice: It was a place to wander alone, after all, dreams.

Alice: But always, always one thing was the same.

Alice: She always woke up, rubbing her eyes as the poppies bloomed around her, welcoming her to slumber.

Alice: (Though, she was willing to make bets that as the seasons changed, the flowers would too.)

Alice: The girl gets up, shaking her head and not bothering to dust herself off of pollen as she walks down the cobblestones, adjusting her skirts covered in blinking eyes, watching the world around her as she listened for... something.

Alice: There was a nervous energy as she walked, as if she was at risk of being caught, but then again, maybe she was. She was going to an old library... her own memories.

Alice: She wanted to see if she could know the Uncle they had met before.

Yogo: The Library is in disarray, books mislabled and out of place, the card catalogs half eaten away by the flowering vines that creep over the entire place. But you can hear something, just at the edge of perception, the sound of a party of some kind, classes clinking and people talking happily.

Alice: She bites her lip, letting herself imagine a different shape, a different /age/ to her self. A doll's visage surrounds her as she walks, mimicking childhood recollections as she pretends to check and sort. Little spirits react as well, realizing someone was here, and that She was important.

Yogo: Your wandering leads you through the library towards the sound and eventually you come to a door with a book on the ground in front of it, many of the pages torn out by the vines growing over it. The cover reads, "Mama's Party."

Alice: She takes a deep breath, dusting it off carefully and then removing the vine slowly, gently.

Alice: She creates a mental 'tug', calling Crestfallen to warn her of possible danger, what she was attempting.

Yogo: Crestfallen is a silent but comforting presence at the back of your mind and then the vines are pulled free and the book falls open revealing that it was just covering up a hole in the floor, and the sounds are louder now, resonating out of that hole.

Alice: Alice thinks for a moment, glancing for a set of stairs. Mortal means would be safest here, with this guise.

Yogo: You look about a moment, and then when you look back the stairs are there, rickety and overgrown with more flowering vines but servicable.

Alice: She touches the flowers, her thoughts singing out command to be strong and allow her presence in her own dreams as she descends.

Yogo: The vines stiffen, holding the stairs fast as you clamber down, the light swelling below you from the wan dawn of the outside city to full daylight as you emerge into the memory of one of Mama's garden parties.

Alice: And unwittingly, Alice is small now, smaller than herself as a child, a black cat with doe-brown eyes as it blinks.

Alice: (I figure since it's her dream, she can go crazy changing.)

Yogo: ((Of course))

Alice: The cat pads about, glancing about for a very familiar little girl. It was... at the least very odd seeing both out and in, but perhaps that was the power of the Awakened.

Yogo: You can see yourself, wearing a white lacy dress and following Mama around as she moves through the flowers of her garden, her dolls serving the men and women who you don't recognize instantly, but all of them have the look of free people, not one of Mama's dolls.

Alice: The cat curls up on a low brick wall, watching the faces, listening with keen, keen senses.

Yogo: Mama leads the little girl over to one of the older men among the guests and she smiles, "Ah, how are you today Uncle?" The man turns toward her, frowning, his bald head shining in the light and massive bushy beard bobbing as he says, "Very well." The dream starts to stutter, and you feel the vines and flowers from Mama's garden creeping up and wrapping around your cat-body, pinning you to the wall as more vines grow up, tearing the space around you as they lash, fragments of dream space fluttering around like broken winged birds and you can hear Uncle say, "How are your daughters doing?" But Mama isn't listening.

Yogo: She's turned toward you, face a calm mask but fury glinting in her eyes, "No darling. You don't belong here."

Alice: In reaction, there's stalks covered in hundreds of blood red flowers blossoming around the cat, turning into fine china yet not cracking as twin voices growl.

Alice: "No, *we* do."

Alice: Hollow and alive, something far more sinister. "Life and spirit, heart and soul."

Yogo: The vines around you shatter and Uncle continues with his conversation even though the dream of Mother has left it to direct her vines as they tear apart the space and tangle with your own flowers. Uncle smiles, "I can't wait to continue their lessons."

Alice: The china cat frowns, watching. Daughters, daughters, daughters...

Alice: *s*

Yogo: Mama lets out a piercing shriek and the air shatters, and for a moment only Uncle's head hangs in the air, as he says, "You know, Mary especially is quite talented..." and then his head breaks apart into a shock of orange and black butterflies and mama vanishes into the darkness, her vines wilting away from you.

Alice: She grits her teeth. /I'll need Forcas here next time to do this more tidily.../

Alice: She looks at the window, inside of the house, glancing to see if there was a face there.

Yogo: The house, behind you, is still whole and sunny in contrast to the darkness arrayed in front of you. It's still and quiet, the view marred by the vine wrapped stairs you climbed down.

Alice: More subtle... she'd have to talk to him...

Alice: The kitten shifts back into Alice, and she looks about, shaking her head as she holds Crestfallen.

Alice: She closes her eyes and makes a different place to patch the hole, a mental broom to sweep things up for now.

Alice: Maybe the Mastigos could glue it all together.

Yogo: The broom whisks through the air, and the bird shaped shards fall to the grand with a crystalline clatter, building up a new, if scattered and wrong, image, like a jigsaw put together by touch alone.

Alice: "This is going to be so very awkward..."

Alice: "Sorry for waking you up, Crest. Why don't we look in your dreams tonight? I... Think not tripping anything else is a good idea."

Yogo: Crest smiles and nods, "Okay." She whispers, and you feel the world around you shifting and you and taking on the form of one of Crest's dreams, a castle on a hill with well armed soldiers at every turn to protect you, wrapped up in a blanket and safe in bed.

Virgil on Campus

Virgil: Having parked near to (but not on) Campus, Virgil picks up his visitor badge from reception and proceeds to the Engineering block.

Virgil: He's carrying a briefcase but otherwise in his normal attire.

Yogo: Bloom's on break at the moment, in his office working on grading a few preliminary reports for student projects, just visible through the thick glass in the window of the door to his office. He's thin, very thin, and old, with wispy white hair and a deeply wrinkled face.

Virgil: knocks on gently on the glass

Yogo: Bloom looks up from the pile of papers he's shuffling through and smiles, beckoning you to come into his office.

Virgil: Entering with a laconic wave. Virgil enters and sits down.

Virgil: "Good to see you well, Doctor."

Yogo: Bloom smiles, "And yourself, Virgil." He pushes some papers aside, and says, "I hope you're doing well? With your art as well as your recent assignment?"

Virgil: "Behind, but not too much. Nothing a full day to work won't fix. The assignment went well, but seems to have brought the Cabal to the attention of the local Seers."

Yogo: Bloom frowns, and is silent a moment then he sighs, "Bad business that, but it's inevitable I suppose." He taps idly on the desk with the butt of his pen and then says, "And your Cabalmates. Alice and...Forecast?"

Virgil: "Forcas, after the Demon. They are both well."

Yogo: Bloom nods, "Ah. Close." He smiles and says, "Well,in any case, I don't suppose you'd care to meet the young lady I was telling you about? She should be by sometime soon to deliver her own report." He pats the stack of papers and smiles, "That is, if you don't mind waiting here a while?"

Virgil: "Certainly." Virgil says glancing around, noting changes to the office since last he was here.

Yogo: The office is just as it always was, bare but for a few models of Bloom's favorite students best work, and his degrees on the wall behind him next to shelf upon shelf of technical manuals and textbooks.

Virgil: "While we're waiting. I had a question that you may able to be answer." Virgil leans back. "When I get some spare cash, I've been considering setting up a small machine shop in the church. Anywhere you'd recommend ordering the equipment from?"

Virgil: "It should be useful in repairs, and for a couple of projects I'm considering."

Yogo: Bloom smiles, "Oh? Well it depends what you're looking for. If you have the money to spare there's some more high end items, but if what you're looking for is more simple I can get you a few companies that make some excellent materials."

Virgil: "The simpler stuff first I think. Save the more expensive stuff for when I have a greater mastery of Matter."

Yogo: Bloom nods and taps gently on his desk, "Well, then, I have a friend who makes stuff here in town. I can give you his name and maybe get a discount for him." He grabs a piece of paper and starts to write when there's a knock on the door.

Virgil: activates Grim Sight and turns in his chair

Yogo: Bloom smiles and says, "Come in." The door opens, revealing a young lady, holding a folder in one hand. She looks to be in her early twenties with hair cut short, and she's dressed casually, wearing a hoody with a pair of scales printed on the front.

Yogo: Under Grim Sight she has a...shadow following her. A blurring of the air just behind her shoulder in the shape of a humanoid, but not a ghost, too indistinct to make out properly. She looks between the two of you curiously and says, "I'm sorry Doctor, am I interrupting anything?"

Yogo: Bloom shakes his head and says, "Not at all Mary. I was just talking with my old student. I think you're familiar with him?"

Yogo: Mary looks confused, and then Bloom says, "This young fellow happens to be the artist and writer of that comic book you and I spoke about."

Virgil: "Alec Moss, nice to meet you."

Yogo: Mary blinks and then says, "Oh! You're Moss? I didn't know you were one of Doctor Thorton's old students." She extends a hand, "I'm Mary Grace." Her hand is warm to the touch but at the same time cold, your magically enhanced senses making your skin crawl at her touch.

Yogo: She smiles, "I love your work. It's seems very...true. Like it means a lot to you." Virgil: "It does. Well at least Charon does. Kuiper is more a daydream. It doesn't sell nearly as well either.

Yogo: She nods, "That does seem right. I really like Kuiper, don't get me wrong, but I loved Charon. Are you working on anything now?"

Virgil: "Well I should really be working on the next issue, but things in life keep jumping in the way. I also have a couple of paintings I'm in the middle of. Other parts of Stygia, at least as described by Virgil."

Yogo: Mary smiles, "I can't wait to see them. Are you free? I'd love to pick your brain, but I don't want to bother Proffessor Thorton any more." She glances over at Bloom, who has returned to grading papers calmly.

Virgil: "Yeah sure, the Professor answered my questions already. I was just about to leave myself." He grins, "Plus I don't like to work too hard on a Sunday."

Yogo: Mary laughs, "You and me both." She sets down the folder and smiles at Bloom, "Thank you proffessor." The older man smiles, "Any time dear. Well, any time I have another famous former student to introduce." He chuckles and goes back to the reports.

Virgil: "Oh come on, I'm not famous." Virgil says shaking his head. "So where do you want to go to talk?"

Virgil: opens the door and heads out into the corridor, tucking the piece of paper Bloom handed him into his breast pocket.

Yogo: Mary thinks a moment, "There's a little cafe in the Chemistry building where we could talk."

Virgil: "I remember that Cafe." His eyes go distant for a moment. "Yeah it will work fine."

Yogo: Mary continues to talk as the two of you walk, "So do you live in the city still?"

Virgil: He recalls sitting around with Iz and Henry one lazy summer afternoon after his last exam. Hadn't he carved something into the underside of one of the tables there. Good thing no one noticed, that could have been problematic. Shaken from his reverie, "Yeah a couple of friends and I are restoring one of the old churchs. St.Boniface, if you know it."

Yogo: She nods, "I do actually. That's pretty awesome." She thinks a moment and says, "Not to far from where I live actually."

Yogo: ((I forgot to describe her aura. She has two. One clear, and vibrant vermillion while the other is a muted shadowy green.

Virgil: "Ah you live off Campus." Virgil says surprised. "I would have thought Dorm's would have been too much of a lure. Out from under your folks and all."

Virgil: (Two now that is odd)

Yogo: Mary frowns slightly, Aura darkening momentarily as she says, "I had a falling out with my parents and moved out before the end of high school. I've been living with friends ever since."

Virgil: gives and apologetic look. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Virgil: "Still your missing out of the community aspect of it all. Dorm's were an experience to say the least." He gives a sad smile.

Yogo: Mary shakes her head and smiles, "It's alright." Her aura flashs bright blue a moment and the darker one mottles red and she smiles, "True. I did miss that, but I've got a few really close friends here anyway."

Virgil: "So how do you know St.Bonifice then?" Virgil says changing the subject.

Yogo: Mary smiles, "One of my friends broke in there before they started restoring it. He'd heard it was haunted and he was keen to prove that it wasn't." She chuckles slightly, "But who knows. He did see some pretty strange things in there."

Virgil: "Like what? The place seems mostly normal to me. No ghosts that I've seen."

Yogo: Mary laughs, "Do you see ghosts often then?"

Virgil: "Not half as often as I draw them." Virgil laughs.

Yogo: Mary smiles, "Well, that still puts you ahead of most people, considering how many you draw." She pauses then grins, "Speaking of which you did say you were still working on some new stuff right?"

Virgil: "Yeah another issue and some paintings. I've done some local exhibits with the paintings a couple of times prior to know."

Yogo: Mary blinks, "Really? I didn't know that. I wish I'd seen them. Are they similar to your comics or do they follow a different theme?"

Virgil: "Mostly they are right out of Orpheus. Virgil's descriptions of Stygia fascinate me."

Yogo: Mary nods, "He was certainly amazing." She smiles slightly, "Although he doesn't seem to fascinate most people the same way these days."

Virgil: Shrugging, "You make it sound as if you knew him." Virgil says as they arrive at the Cafe.

Virgil: "I haven't been here in awhile. I think my name may still be carved into the underside of one of these tables." He glances under the nearest one.

Yogo: Mary laughs, "I don't know. They haven't replaced any so there's still a chance." She smiles, "And I wouldn't say I know

Virgil, but I certainly feel close to some of his subject material.

Virgil: "Nice to find someone else who shares the interest." He sits down with a glint in his eye, setting the briefcase down on the floor, "Want to see something Cool?"

Yogo: Mary laughs, "Sure, although you might want to be careful trying that line on anyone else."

Virgil: With a look of embarassment, "Yeah, I guess it shows that I haven't been out in awhile." He reaches down into the briefcase and pulls out his sketch book.

Virgil: Throwing it gently to the table. "My sketchbook. Its got most of my ideas in it."

ST: Mary laughs and smiles, "I forgive you this time." She smiles at the sketchbook and starts to look through it curiously.

Virgil: examines her as she looks at it. Trying to imprint the pair of aura's to memory.

ST: She smiles as she flicks through the books, and finally she says, "This is some amazing stuff. Some of it looks like you've actually been there."

Virgil: Pausing before he repsonds, "Yeah it does doesn't it. Mostly just the result of an overly active imagination."

ST: She smiles and says, "Well I hope you can keep being overly imaginative. I certainly like your work."

Virgil: "As you can see I have plenty ideas." Responding to her smile with one of his own. "I have about six other sketch books just like that one filled at home. You'd be amazed what living in such a gothic building does for generating ideas."

ST: She grins. "I'll bet. From what my friend said it was a really neat place. I'd love to see it some time."

Virgil: "Tell you what." He says taking the book back gently from her. He pulls a small bit of paper off one of the clean pages, writes something down and hands it to her. "This is my mobile number. If you want to come visit, just give me a ring. I'll make sure to give you a tour."

ST: Mary smiles, "I'd love to." She thinks a moment and then says, "I can't offer anything like that, but if you ever need any help you can call me." She reachs over, hand laying across yours for a moment before she plucks the pen from your hand and writes down a number. "Here. Call anytime."

Virgil: "Why thank you.Virgil looks at his hand, puzzled, "What kinda help?"

ST: Mary shrugs, "Whatever you need. And my friend seems to think he knows a lot about ghosts." She laughs, "So if your church does end up being haunted, maybe I could help with that."

Virgil: He shrugs, "I'm pretty certain it isn't, after all I do spend a lot of time there at night." He says with a grin, "But if any show up, I might take you up on such an offer. And if you want to just call and talk, you have my number."

ST: Mary nods, "I'll keep you in mind."

Virgil: "I take it that is my que to leave then," he says with a mischievous grin. "Well nice to meet you, Mary. Hopefully we'll see each other again before too long." He stands placing the sketchbook back in the briefcase.

ST: Mary nods, "Of course. I'll be in touch later."

Virgil: "Wow that came out far more formal than I was expecting." He begins to leave, thinking to himself that he has met far too many interesting attractive women in this cafe.

Forcas' meeting

ST: The diner is closed, but Charon is leaning against the grimy window and casually smoking a crumpled cigarette as he waits for you to arrive.

Forcas: He dislikes having to drive himself - the irrational fear plaguing him after his accident he has overcome since Awakening and learning to modify his own mind but the bad memories remain - but that is the price of mobility. One day he'll be able to disregard spatial distances, but that day has not yet come.

Forcas: Approaching the diner after having parked the car Forcas nods to Charon and makes the usual gestures making up the obligatory recognition signs.

Forcas: "Good evening," he greets the other Guardian. "I hope it's no trouble meeting at this time."

ST: Charon's hands flicker easily through the signs of recogntion and he stubs out his cigarette on the wall of the diner and tosses it into the street. "No problem." He says, although in truth he looks very tired. "Almost everyone else I could think to call was busy down at the Center, and I thought since you brought him in this might...interest you."

Forcas: "Absolutely. Hence my calling back as soon as I got back to the sanctum." He frowns. "He hasn't escaped or anything, has he?"

ST: Charon shakes his head, "No...it's...strange. It's something I've never seen, but it..." he stops and shakes his head, "Well, you should see for yourself. Come on in." He turns and opens the door to the diner, holding it open for you and locking it behind you once you are inside.

Forcas: "Yes, thank you." Forcas enters the diner and follows Charon's lead.

Forcas: "Upstairs, right?"

ST: He nods walks back to the safehouse door and lets you in through that and then leads you up into the Ghost Library, which seems to be in a much more disarrayed state than it was the last time you visited, the filing cabinets wrenched open and papers and cigarette butts scattered all around.

Forcas: takes in the chaos all around, his expression serious. A break-in? But no, let's not jump to conclusions. Charon will explain.

ST: Charon looks at the mess and says, "Sorry, I've been living and working here since it started and Mosades is a bit...unfriendly. I think I've got most of it sorted out, but we did lose some of the Library."

Forcas: "Unfriendly? And capable of making problems despite your bindings on him?"

ST: Charon nods, "I know. He's...not normal. He...well, see for yourself." He focuses for a moment and you feel the sensation of his mage sight settling upon you and the room seems to darken a moment, leaden currents flowing around the room, your ankles deep in the thick black water and before you, in the center of the room is a...thing. It most resembles three people chained back to back, a bullet hole square in their forehead and cha

ST: and chains reaching out in every direction from them that clatter as they fitfully stir. They have Mosades face.

Forcas: almost takes a step back, but gripping his walking stick harder remains standing where he is. "Three, chained together ... that does make sense in a way. But where do the chains lead? Is he still under the control of ... someone?"

ST: Charon shakes his head, "No. But those aren't my bindings. I think they're a part of him. How he views himself as a mass of obligations. And that's not all. He ate some of the other ghosts." He shakes his head, "No...that's wrong. He absorbed them, made them part of himself."

Forcas: "This isn't exactly my area of expertise ... I take it that's not something ghosts normally do? Is that inherently bad, beyond the consequence of losing parts of your library?"

ST: Charon shakes his head, "I don't...I don't rightly know. And it's something I've only vaguely read about. I know spirits can do something similar, one just has to go to Cable House to see that. But he's far stronger than any ghost should be."

Forcas: "Have you had ghosts of hive-souls before? Since they are Seer instruments maybe the Order has more information on them?"

ST: Charon shakes his head, "We have plenty of information on hive-souls, but less on their ghosts. The seers try very hard to keep their tools away from us, and are pretty consistent about trapping their ghosts."

Forcas: "Spirits that are eaten leave part of their self in the one that eats them - does that mean the information of the consumed ghosts is still accessible? In any case it seems obvious that this one should be confined in solitary, away from other ghosts it can consume. If it gets stronger that way ... he could become very hard to contain indeed."

Forcas: frowns. "If not a threat by himself."

ST: Charon nods. "Indeed. The only problem is that I can't move him. Not by myself at least. The Order is sending more people over tomorrow to help me move him down to the center but I don't think I can chance distrubing him by myself."

Forcas: "But he is safely contained for the moment?"

ST: Charon nods. "As far as I can tell. He was throwing stuff around and pulling on his chains but he seems to have calmed down and I've taken the time to layer as many bindings I can manage on him.

Forcas: "Is there any way I can help? I know precisely nothing of Death, but ..." Well, Forcas is sort of responsible for Charon being stuck with this monster-ghost.

ST: Charon nods, "Yes, actually. I was hoping you might be able to convince your Cabalmate to take a look inside the Atheneum for information." He frowns, "I know it's a hell of a thing to ask, but I don't rightly know what else to do."

Forcas: "About hive-soul ghosts?"

ST: Charon nods, "Or just about ghosts eating each other. I've never seen this before."

Forcas: hesitates, then nods. "I'll ask but I can't promise anything. How quickly do you need an answer?"

ST: Charon shrugs, "I can't say, but there's no rush. Once the others get here and can help me move him we should have plenty of time. Although it'd be nice to know before the Veiled Ball."

Forcas: A thoughtful look. "I will need to be kept in the loop about developments with Mosades. This relates to my cabal's earlier investigation, so on behalf of the cabal - not the order - such inquiries might be possible." He looks at the chained ghost. "Once he is moved to Center my cabal mates will have no longer access to Mosades. Would you allow me to download the memories relating to his actions and the consuming of other ghosts in particular and pass them on?"

ST: Charon nods and thinks a moment, "Alright, can do. Go on ahead and do your thing, Warlock."

Forcas: Touching one finger to Charon's forehead Forcas bestows upon him the capability to partition his mind and his memories, to create a package containing only the memories he wants to pass on.

Forcas: Once the other Guardian is finished compiling the package the Warlock casts two more spells in quick succession, carefully pronouncing a phrase in High Speech for the last one.

ST: Charon nods and closes his eyes, then nods again, "Ready."

Forcas: Images flow rapidly from the prepared container to Forcas, a stream of memories that will need some sorting out later on. There is the brief impression of a 'Copying ...' dialogue window, then all is done.

ST: Charon blinks then smiles, "Alright. Let me know what you can find out. I'll keep you updated on the situation." He yawns and sighs, "Well, thanks for dropping by."

Forcas: nods "Thanks, I will. Until then, don't let him eat you, alright?"

ST: Charon nods, "I promise." He grins and rubs his eyes, "I'll lock up behind you."

Forcas: Out on the street he shakes Charon's hand before making his way back to the car. By now he is tired as well. Once he returns it's time to sleep ... for an hour or two.

Back at the Sanctum

Forcas: And indeed, at around one in the morning he rises again, showers and prepares for the next day. There is much to do.

Forcas: Sitting in the previously identified middle of the sanctum the Warlock, surrounded by a circle of white candles, chants in High Speech as he meticulously raises new and stronger wards about the sanctum.

Forcas: Around eight in the morning he releases the finished spell, the candles briefly flaring high before going out.

Alice: And at that 'flare', Alice wakes up, rubbing her eyes and coughs up a single butterfly.

Alice: "Blagh."

Alice: "Stupid life."

ST: The butterfly flutters by, moving around your head in a lopsided circle, orange and black wings sending it shooting up and down.

Alice: She gets up, letting the butterfly float with her into the kitchen.

Alice: "Forcas, are you awake?"

Forcas: In the cathedral Forcas slowly rises, stretching after the long period of immobility, and begins cleaning up. Wax circles are good to focus the mind but annoyingly difficult to remove again.

Forcas: *Candles are good to focus the mind, but the wax is annoyingly difficult to get off rough surfaces.

Forcas: A few minutes later he enters the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee machine. "Ah, good morning, Alice."

Alice: "How good are you in looking in people's heads?" She is having cereal while talking.

Forcas: In this house this is a normal question - though not from Alice, perhaps - and Forcas only blinks once before answering. "Depends on how badly they want to keep me out. Only surface thoughts though, except in the context of a memory download."

Alice: "Darn."

Alice: "I found some wards on my memories."

Forcas: tilts his head. "Your mother?"

Alice: "Mhm."

Alice: "They didn't hurt me, but they broke what I remembered of one of mama's parties."

Alice: "I have to do a lot of weeding, but I'm not iron."

Forcas: frowns at the metaphor. "So, are they locked away, obscured, eroded, decohered, or scattered?"

Alice: "They broke when I got too deep, I think they are just hidden."

Alice: "But I think the Uncle we know about was there at one of mama's parties... and he said something about daughter*s*."

Alice: "A Mary being very, very talented," she says distractedly as she finishes her breakfast and puts things away.

Alice: "I was there though... and I actually get safe from the wards, but they break everything else."

Forcas: "How do they break things?"

Forcas: "If you want I can see if I can find the memory block - your mother being a master though it would likely take quite a while. Several hours."

Alice: "We could visit your master as well. I don't think she realized I would awaken."

Alice: "Crestfallen can hide my true name while you do it."

Forcas: Forcas smiles, "Ah, it's not like searching through your memories. I can't do that. What I would do is simply put together a Third Eye spell - mage sight - of extreme potency."

Forcas: "Then I would be able to see the spell your mother laid on you."

Forcas: "To breach or break it would require an Adept of Mind or a Disciple of Prime, though."

Forcas: "What I could do is help you organise the memories you do have remaining."

Alice: "I did break one memory."

Alice: "Maybe you can patch that one up? I think it had uncle in it."

Forcas: "You ... broke a memory? How did you do that?" There's the whispering of a spell being cast against Alice's Unseen Senses.

Alice: "The wards did." She winces, clutching Crestfallen.

Forcas: "So, rather than lock aways a ward 'broke' a memory?" Forcas doesn't quite follow, perhaps because Alice doesn't use the common terminology of Mind.

Alice: She sighs. "I was in the memory, then mother turned around and said I shouldn't be here. The vines all over tried to attack me, but I brought in Crestfallen to keep the vines away. Everyone's faces shattered into butterflies."

Forcas: "Anyway, what I can easily do for you is help you organize your memories into different containers. Then you can show me the memories in one container while keeping private all others. And I can see if I can help you make sense of those particular memories."

Alice: "The problem is that the memories will would have my true name mentioned, wouldn't it?"

Forcas: "And ... out of professional curiosity I would be very interested in how you 'were in your memory', as an active presence. It sounds a lot like an Oneiric journey, but our Hallow is not powerful enough to allow such."

Forcas: "You could decide to leave your real name in a different container from the one you show me."

Forcas: "This is a technique often used among Guardians of the Veil - if the risk of revealing dangerous secrets was other than extremely small it would not be used."

Alice: "I don't know..."

Alice: She shrugs.

Alice: "I know a little bit on how to Dream..."

Alice: "BUt I was just looking in my head."

Forcas: "The only catch is, that you have to actively separate out the secrets you want to keep from the memories you can show to someone else."

Forcas: "But that is what the spell is for."

Alice: "I was thinking maybe Crest could keep it warded instead? It wouldn't be hard to tell a Spirit-made one, would it?"

Forcas: shrugs. "For the procedure I proposed there could be no 'instead', since that step is vital to the process. That sort of ward, if Crest can create it, could work on top of it, though."

Alice: She wrinkles her nose, trying to think of something.

Alice: "Let's try it with the 'broken' memory and see if I can get it to work?"

Forcas: "If that is what you would like to do. All I can do is offer you options."

Forcas: "If you so desire I can make myself forget afterward."

Alice: "If you find out the name, yes please."

Forcas: nods. "Let's sit down comfortably then."

Forcas: Once both are sitting Forcas explains: "First I will cast a spell to allow you to sort your memories - it's like being in a library and making copies of certain pages in certain books, then putting them together in one place while the actual books are somewhere else. You control what pages, or even what sentences on the pages to copy and what to leave."

Alice: "That will be easy then. There's already one library there, and we'll be going there."

Forcas: He touches his index finger to Alice's forehead and there's the unseen whisper of a spell being cast.

Forcas: "Once you have all the copies that belong to the memory in one place, you'll find that you can 'show' them, bring them to the surface of your mind. When you do that tell me and I can look at the copies and only the copies."

Forcas: "Then I'll see if I can put the pieces together, like gluing together a page that has run through a shredder."

Forcas: shrugs. "I'm not actually sure that metaphor is accurate, since I don't yet know what that ward did to your memory, but we'll see."

Alice: She shuts her eyes and in the 'sight' of Mind, it likely looks like... skeet shooting?

Alice: Confetti of birds, all shaped in fragments gently drift from Alice.

Forcas: "Ready?

Alice: "As I ever will be..."

Forcas: It's a strange feeling, a touching of minds, a metaphorical hand that reaches out to take the memories that are being offered.

ST: The memory that is transferred is a jumble, a childs half-remembered and foggy moment, and further broken by the workings of Puppet, the entire thing feels like a jagged edge in your own memory, but you can feel the fractures and with time should be able to put it back together.

Forcas: "Ah ... I ... see. Yes, give me some time ..." Forcas turns to the table where he moves his fingers over the wooden surface as if assembling a puzzle.

Forcas: "Not easy at all ..." Forcas stares at the empty table in focused concentration, puncuating each movement of an imaginy puzzle tile with a whispered word of High Speech.

Forcas: Finally he nods. "Yes, just like that."

Forcas: "Alice?" He looks up and around. "I have your memory glued back together."

Alice: "Oh? Can I see?"

Alice: She looks up from her handiwork, some sort of suit for a tiny person.

Forcas: "Yes, of course. Download commencing in 3, 2, 1, ..." There is a rushing sound and a stream of memory flows back into Alice's mind.

Alice: "We... probably should go to someone to find who Mary is..."

Alice: "if it's the same one..."

Alice: "But I think it'd take a really long time we can't do..."

Alice: "... Oh." o.o

Alice: "I know a good way to do it, but it'll mean more debt to your teacher."

Forcas: looks very tired. "Oh? I'm sorry, but I think I'm missing some context to the memory. And I don't quite follow, good way to do what?"

Alice: "We can ask Medea to do the weeding while I'm at school, if I'm a student of hers."

Forcas: He rubs his eyes. "Note to self. 10 hours of ritual magic is a bit much before breakfast."

Alice: "Probably.  :D"

Alice: "When should we try approaching the school?"

Forcas: "Oh right, the infomaterials arrived this morning." He points. "There beside the newspaper."

Forcas: He looks at the clock. "Is Virgil still sleeping? Or just not in the mood for breakfast?"

Alice: She goes over and picks them up.

Alice: "Give him time."

Forcas: "In the meantime ..." Forcas goes back into the kitchen for a second cup of coffee and something to eat.

Forcas: "I renewed the wards, by the way," he calls out while juggling jars of marmelade and honey. "Should be a good deal safer here now. No scrying, no portals, no teleporting bombs into the bedroom."

Alice: :D

Alice: "That's good." She just finished a small suit, lifting it up appraisingly.

Virgil: enters, looking as scruffy as normal. His white shirt is creased and his hair is a mess.

Virgil: He yawns, "I'm still behind, what's for breakfast?"

Alice: "You know..."

Alice: She looks embarrassed.

Alice: She gets up.

Alice: "I'm going to try making something."

Forcas: "Good morning, Virgil." Forcas sits at the table, drinking coffee. "Bread and various sweet things."

Forcas: "So far, that is. Looks like we'll get more sophisticated now." He smiles.

Virgil: "At the moment as long as it is food, it'll do. Find anything interesting out last night?"

Forcas: "Interesting and alarming. Fascinating how these things seem to go hand in hand."

Forcas: "Probably just as well I spent the night reinforcing our wards."

Alice: Alice heads into the kitchen, setting Crestfallen in a place where she can keep an eye on her mistress and then checking what they have.

Virgil: "That's the way of things I suppose." He says beginning to prepare coffee. "Coffee?"

Forcas: Forcas briefly gathers his thoughts. "Alright, the short version. Something is seriously strange about Mosades' ghost. It's far stronger than a normal ghost has any right to be and it's making trouble."

Virgil: sighs warily.

Alice: "Do either of you guys preferred sunny side or just mixed up?"

Virgil: "Sunny side up please."

Forcas: "I'll take the chef's recommendation."

Alice: "Okay..." >.> She sounds just a little hesitant. "I'm just making something I used to make when no dolls were there or if they really messed up breakfast."

Forcas: "What's more, it has apparently *eaten* several other ghosts in the Ghost Library, which is seriously messed up."

Alice: "eeeew."

Forcas: "Not to mention all the rattling of chains, chains everywhere. I thought that was just a myth, ghosts being noisy with chains."

Virgil: "Wait eaten other ghosts? Wow."

Alice: "Spirits can do that..."

Forcas: "Yeah. I didn't even know that was *possible* for ghosts, though. And neither did Charon."

Virgil: "And chains too. That must be quite a cool image. Shame I didn't go with you."

Forcas: "Anyway, Charon's been having serious trouble and Mosades will now go to super-max solitary."

Forcas: "Oh, I do have images aplenty, in 3D with sound and mage sight."

Forcas: "I can download them into your mind if you're interested."

Virgil: "Sure. Sounds cool. I probably need to learn more Death before dealing with something like that in person anyway."

Virgil: "So what is everyone up to today then?"

Forcas: gestures with one hand and a bunch of memories are downloaded into Virgil's mind. Mosades' rattling his chaings and railing against his magical bindings. Mosades' eating another ghost. And more of the same.

Forcas: "Do you have any idea how this sort of thing might come to pass?"

Alice: "I have to do the stuff for the school. I was going to talk to Medea about weeding the memory wards in my head and let the Veil handle it."

Forcas: "I mean, you know Death and Alice knows Spirit ..."

Virgil: blinks and shudders slightly. That's a rush.

Virgil: "That's a rush. And I only barely know Death, I really need to learn some more. One of the reasons I was going to visit Master Bloom later today."

Forcas: "And, well, since it's something none of us or even Charon knew was possible, it may be worth looking into. After all it was us who brought Mosades in. If he becomes some sort of terrifying monster-ghost ..."

Virgil: "So your set on going to Medea's place then. Well I guess you couldn't be safer." Virgil says grudgingly.

Alice: "I don't like letting someone poke in my head but it'll help, I think."

Virgil: Turning to Forcas, "I'll see what I can find on it." He pours a cup of Coffee

Forcas: nods. "Thanks. Apart from being informative it might also help keep that hive-soul ghost contained."