Mad Fantasy

[Carthrat]

Today is a special day for Jeremy Fitzwilliam.

Today, he is going to help somebody. Nonwithstanding the fact that his life as of yet has been dedicated to helping people, but every life set slightly higher means something in the cosmic scheme of things. Every good deed counts, and Selenites rarely forget this.

Heading towards the London Tube from his modest apartment, he finds it slightly relaxing in suburbia London. Unlike the city centre, it's not full of traffic and people, but a calm, picturesque neighbourhood. Not many people are out, but there's plenty of trees and neatly trimmed lawns about, along with a couple of evening dog-walkers heading towards the local park.

Fitz needs to cut across it, too. There's not many people there, in any case, and in the early evening, it's even a little creepy. A full moon is out, but it's illumination amongst the leafy trees emphasizes the darkness more than dispels it.

A slight moaning reaches his ears; a constant, low-pitches whine, over and over again. Slightly breathy, it seems to be coming for against a particularly tall redwood tree, about ten-fifteen metres away from the path.

Fitz can't make out what it is, but he can make out a pair of suited men a lot further along the path, striding purposefully in his direction. Not that that's saying much; they're probably just cutting across the park to get home.

[baka]

As usual on his way to a homeless shelter in central London, Fitz slows his crossing of the green when he hears the whine. He looks at the men ahead of him first, then looks to the side of the path, trying to see if he can determine who's making the noise through the mottled gloom. If he stops, he might miss the train he's aiming for, but whoever it is certainly sounds in distress.

[Carthrat]

A closer look reveals there to be a man crouched, leaning up against the mighty tree. It's difficult to tell, but he looks to be relatively slight, and his face is apparently framed by long, dark hair of indeterminate colour.

He seems to be holding his head in his hands, and that constant moan doesn't stop.

[baka]

Without thinking twice, Fitz leaves the path and heads towards the hunched figure. He approaches slowly, looking the man over to see if there is anything obviously wrong. Apart, of course, from the fact that he's acting like a patient in a mental ward.

He stops about a foot and a half from the man and squats down, trying to get a look at his face.

"Uh.. excuse me... hello?"

[Carthrat]

It's quite clear from this point of view that the man is terrified.

He's shivering, even though it's not particularly cool, and despite his long red coat and thick pants and shirt, he's rocking back and forth as if trying to get together some warmth. Seems to be of slightly asian complexion, too.

He looks at Fitz surprised, and almost a little relieved, but soon returned to his slow rocking motions, with a little less moaning and a little more talking;

"He's coming.. he's coming... he's coming..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fitz notices an empty scabbard on the mans belt, swinging back and forth in time with his swaying.

[baka]

Fitz takes the lessening of the moaning as a good sign, and moves a little closer to the poor man. If he's got that scabbard... where's the sword, he wonders. He offers up a small, silent prayer to Selene for aid in helping this man.

"Who is coming, may I ask?" he says, looking around to see if anyone is heading towards the tree. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here looking for you."

[Carthrat]

Heavy footsteps approach behind Fitz, and a heavy voice speaks, "Excuse me, is something the matter?"

[baka]

Without standing up, Jeremy turns to look at whoever spoke, hoping that they don't notice the scabbard at the man's side.

"This fellow appears to be rather upset. Maybe a little too much to drink, eh? I'm just seeing if there's anything I can do to help."

Fitz glances back at the red-coated man, to see whether he's lapsed into the moaning fit again.

[Carthrat]

[15:15] <C-Rat> <->
[15:17] <C-Rat> "I don't smell any alcohol," begins the businessman. You note that there doesn't appear to be anyone else around.. but there's still this odd feeling that someone else *is*, and given the darkness of the park, and the fact that there's a man obscuring your view, it's hard to tell in any case.
[15:19] * Fitz shrugs amicably. "Me neither. Still, he seems a bit out of sorts. Perhaps I should get him a cup of coffee somewhere in out of the cold."
[15:21] <C-Rat> "Indeed," replies the businessman, shrugging. "He certainly doesn't sound too good..." You note that the guy has dropped out of distinct words and has started moaning again, his eyes slightly glazed over.
[15:23] * Fitz turns back to the shaking man. "Hey, don't start that again. Would you like to go and get a coffee somewhere, and calm down a bit? It's on me."
[15:24] <Fitz> roll 3d6
[15:24] * Bjorn --> "Fitz rolls 3d6 and gets 6."
[15:25] <C-Rat> Behind you, you hear very fast and very light footsteps rapidly approaching, a very short distance away. The steps are a little irregular, but *very* light- if it wern't for the crunch of the grass, you'd never hear them.
[15:26] * Fitz turns around to look at the source of the noise. "What the..."
[15:30] <C-Rat> Alarmingly, behind the businessman is a tall figure. You wouldn't expect to be able to make out too much of him in the darkness, but he emits a faint glow that causes him to stand out at this range. You can't imagine why you wouldn'tve seen him earlier; how could he have moved so quickly? It's also hard to make out much of his body, but you can see part of his face. There's some extremely pale skin, and light-blue hair that hangs down over his face. Also, there's a gaping socket where an eye should be, and blood runs freely down his face. However, he looks *pissed*.
[15:32] <C-Rat> There's some extremely pale skin, and light-blue hair that hangs down over his face. Also, there's a gaping socket where an eye should be, and blood runs freely down his face. However, he looks *pissed*.
[15:33] <Fitz> Shit.
[15:33] * Fitz stands up and grabs the businessman by the shoulders, thrusting him behind himself, towards the shaking guy. No time for worrying about anyone seeing anything out of the ordinary.
[15:36] <C-Rat> The businessman, strangely, hasn't noticed the bleeding guy, shouting in protest as you shove him out the way- and promptly shutting up when he *does* notice the man. With a clear view (and the guy only a good metre or so away from you), you see that this.. almost elfin figure is wearing flaring pants and a loose shirt- looking more like they belong in 'Arabian Nights' than anything else.
[15:36] <C-Rat> He's not holding anything, but he's got a couple gashes across his chest, and his own (empty) scabbard at his hip.
[15:36] <C-Rat> (And now, we go into combat time!)
[15:37] <Fitz> (Wee~)
[15:37] <C-Rat> OOC: Combat Time begins, if you don't know, at Phase 12, where *everyone* has an action. Therefore, whoever has the highest dex gets to go first.)
[15:38] <Fitz> (Wait, we start at phase 0 though, aye?)
[15:40] * Fitz will start with a quick prayer to Selene for protection.
[15:40] <Fitz> roll 3d6 for Battle Meditation
[15:40] * Bjorn --> "Fitz rolls 3d6 for Battle Meditation and gets 9."
[15:44] <C-Rat> Holy power flows through your mind and into your head, but spells are left yet uncast, for the prayer only recieves knowledge, and not manifest power. Magic courses through your mind, and names course through; Chains of Light, Mental Reaffirmation, and Armour of Faith.
[15:49] <Fitz> Right. In that case Fitz casts Armour of Faith, making arcane gestures and mumbling loud, inhuman "words".
[15:50] <C-Rat> Light coalcizes about the priest, and a shimmering layer of force overlaps his vision slightly for a moment, as he concentrates on nothing else. It fades within moments...
[15:51] <Fitz> "Who are you?"
[15:52] <C-Rat> ...giving him a perfect view of the tall man striding right past him (not bothering to answer, naturally), shoving the businessman aside, and reaching to pull the up the moaning, sword-deprived man up by the collar.
[15:55] <C-Rat> With incredible speed, and screaming incoherently, the almost-handsome-if-he-still-had-his-eye man produces a knife from inside his robes, and slashes across the man just pulled up (who's doesn't seem to notice, amazingly enough). It doesn't appear to be a deep wound. Perhaps the crazy man just can't see properly after all.
[15:57] * Fitz will, due to lacking any weapon, move towards the pair and attempt to fetter the bastard in pure light?
[15:59] <Fitz> roll 3d6 (with +2 in OCV from CSL spells?)
[15:59] * Bjorn --> "Fitz rolls 3d6 (with +2 in OCV from CSL spells?) and gets 10."
[16:02] <C-Rat> Swirling lights extend from Fitz's rapidly moving hands, encasing the bleeding-bishounen in ropes of white, holding back his arms and legs.
[16:02] <Fitz> roll 4d6 ENTANGLINATION
[16:02] * Bjorn --> "Fitz rolls 4d6 ENTANGLINATION and gets 10."
[16:03] <C-Rat> roll 2#1d6
[16:03] * Bjorn --> "C-Rat rolls 2#1d6 and gets 5, 1."
[16:03] * Bjorn --> "Fitz rolls 4#1d6 and gets 5, 1, 2, 5."
[16:04] <C-Rat> The figure drops the knife as the lights surround him. He starts to thrash about- but to no avail. He managed to turn his head, though, and glares balefully at you for a moment.
[16:05] * Fitz moves between the trapped figure and the (I assume prone now) man.
[16:05] <C-Rat> The businessman is looking stunned, having fallen over out of shock when Fitz started tossing around magic. However, the moaning man is looking up at the encased figure, practically gibbering with horror.
[16:06] * Fitz , still lacking weaponry, tries to take away the trapped bishie's scabbard as a makeshift beatstick.
[16:06] <C-Rat> It's not a hard task; it's merely stuck in his belt. It's a good, oh, 35 inches long, and looks to be made of fairly solid stuff.
[16:07] <C-Rat> The bishie isn't screaming in rage anymore, but is breathing very hard. It sounds as if he's trying to force himself to calm down.
[16:09] <C-Rat> If you leave, the magic may dissapate.
[16:09] <Fitz> "Who the hell are you?!" Fitz yells, pissed off in the extreme, and freaked out by the lack of eye.
[16:10] <C-Rat> The guy stares at you for a moment, his heavy breathing starting to come under control. He doesn't reply, but his lone eye doesn't like you at all.
[16:12] * Fitz , without looking around, talks to the man on the floor. "Do you know who this guy is? Is he who you were talking about before?"
[16:12] <C-Rat> The guy on the ground is quite beyond coherent speech. Despite the obvious entrapment of the man in front of him, he's terrified.
[16:14] * Fitz ponders, at a loss of what to do short of beating the crap out of the guy. Probably no use in getting the police, if these people are his kind of people.
[16:15] <C-Rat> While Fitz thinks, the businessman has gotten up and run off, terrified. You don't think he'll be coming back, somehow. On the other hand, the eyeless-guy has got his breathing under control...
[16:16] * Fitz sighs, and tries to get something out of the eyeless-guy. "You're a swordsman?" he asks, waving the stolen scabbard. "A kensei?"
[16:17] <C-Rat> With a baleful glare, the man's lone eye suddenly focuses on your head;- and a jolt of pain flashes through your brain!
[16:18] <C-Rat> However, your mind manages to shake it off. Somehow. Either way, you're going to have a headache later.
[16:18] * Fitz growls, and (if it's his action) turns that growling and some improptu hand waving into Mental Reaffirmation.
[16:24] * Fitz takes a swipe at the bastard's head, with his CSL: All in OCV, and his MA in damage classes, pushing his strength if he can.
[16:25] <C-Rat> With a sound crack on the skull, the bastard goes limp in the supporting chains of light. That really is one hard scabbard.
[16:25] * Fitz looks the scabbard over, wondering why someone, or rather two people, would be wandering around with empty scabbards.
[16:25] <C-Rat> You're left with a terrified ex-swordsman lying prone on the ground, and nobody in the immediate vicinity. The northen park is started to feel very lonely, and more than a little eerie.
[16:26] <C-Rat> The scabbard is quite elaborate; the wood is imprinted with images of diamonds, rubies; precious metals, all. However, it's made entirely of wood. It looks like it could fetch a fair price to a collector of such things.
[16:27] * Fitz crouches down next to the gibbering wreck of a swordsman. "He's out cold. Are you hurt badly?"
[16:28] <C-Rat> The swordsman doesn't actually seem hurt at all, beyond his brain, which is showing no signs of fixing itself, given that he's still intensly disturbed by the presence of the bishonen, whose earlier light glow is rapidly fading.
[16:29] <Fitz> "Hrm. That glow..." Fitz lays his hands upon the swordsman, if he will let him, to dispel any effect the bishie might have used on him.
[16:31] <C-Rat> With the bishie not responding, the swordsman, after a few moments (and another try of the spell) stops his constant moaning, and starts struggling to pull himself together. He's still wide-eyed, and certainly not the epitome of poise that many such men attempt to aspire to.
[16:31] <C-Rat> However, he's getting back in control of himself- and doesn't seem to know where he is. "Who.. who're you?" he asks, fretfully.
[16:32] * Fitz offers him a hand. "Jeremy Fitzwilliam. Fitz, if you'd rather. And you?"
[16:33] <C-Rat> The man pulls himself to his feet. From here, his slight asian looks are significant, but his voice is relatively clean. "Uh.. Jared," he replies, his hand straying towards his (empty) scabbard. "But it's dangerous here! You should get.. away.." His voice trails off as he sees the ensared bishonen, and he looks quite shocked.
[16:34] * Fitz smiles slightly. "Was this man after you?" he asks, waving the stolen scabbard.
[16:35] <C-Rat> The mans eyes look a little shifty. "Uh. In a manner of speaking," he says, glancing around. "Are you.. a mage?"
[16:36] * Fitz shakes his head. "I'm a priest. I do Selene's work, and she helps me in this world. You look like a swordsman.. a kensei. But where is your sword? And where is his?"
[16:37] <C-Rat> The man looks around, surprised. "Uh. Somewhere back in the woods, I think. I remember disarming him, and striking him in the head.. and then it all goes blank," he says. "I think I've got a headache.." Now that he mentions it, he looks mighty tired. "A priest, eh? Not the sort I'd expect to deal with a.. a fighter like that."
[16:39] * Fitz shrugs lightly. "As I said, Selene aids me where she can. After he was bound, he wasn't that much of a threat.. although, speaking of headaches..." Fitz rubs his head. "Do you know whether he might have some kind of.. mind-altering power?"
[16:39] <Fitz> "He certainly seemed to be doing something to you."
[16:40] <C-Rat> Jared pauses for a moment. "I don't honestly know," he says, and traces of an asian accent slip through. "I think I remember.. running from something. Something horrible, beyond anything I could face.. but I don't think there was anything around but him."
[16:41] <C-Rat> "Look, uh, you seem to have the situation well in hand," he says, gesturing to the unmoving figure. "I might just, uh, go. Yeah."
[16:42] <Fitz> "Wait! You two were fighting, he's nothing to do with me."
[16:42] <C-Rat> This guy isn't obviously very good at concealing his feelings, because he's starting to look extremley shifty.
[16:43] * Fitz takes a step closer, trying to stare the man down. "It's not often these sorts of fights spill over into normal London. What's going on?"
[16:44] <C-Rat> The man looks sideways. "It's a long story. And not one to be told in the middle of a park where anyone can hear," he replies, ignorant of the fact that nobody is around.
[16:45] <C-Rat> "Just, uh, take it from me. This guy is dangerous and probably shouldn't be left to run around as he pleases."
[16:45] <C-Rat> "Just take a look at him! He's clearly not from around here."
[16:46] <Fitz> "I could guess that much. I think we need to go somewhere we can keep an eye on this guy, and you can tell me what's going on, so we figure out what to do about him."
[16:46] <C-Rat> "Well, you're the priest," comments the Kensei, dryly. He's certainly regained his composure pretty quickly. Maybe he's just used to this sort of thing.
[16:47] <C-Rat> "You're the one who probably has spies and contacts and templar and god-knows-what- literally- all over the city. I'm just a travelling swordsman."
[16:48] <Fitz> "Yes. The church may be able to do something. But that still leaves the matter of who he is. What don't you want to tell me?"
[16:49] <C-Rat> "Well, I want to think about what to say," he replies, forthrightly. "I don't know the whole story."
[16:49] <C-Rat> "But, uh, you'll excuse me when I say I don't really feel like talking about it when he could wake up anytime and blast us with mind-juice, or whatever it was you think he can do."
[16:52] <Fitz> "Fine. We'll take him to my apartment, and I'll figure out some way to contain him. Surely he won't be able to blast us if he can't see, hear or move."
[16:55] <C-Rat> Jared looks dubious. "Well, ok. How far is it to your place?"
[16:56] <Fitz> "Just a couple of minutes walk." Fitz points in the direction he was coming from before all this started. Guess volunteering at the shelter tonight isn't going to happen any more.

[Carthrat]

Abruptly, Fitz's phone rings. A quick look at the mobile screen reveals that it's his little brother, making it a dubious call if he should pick up or not.

[baka]

Fitz glances at the phone, then shakes his head. Not the time. I'll call him back later. He stops the call and turns to Jared. "Let's go. Help me carry him. If anyone asks, he's just a friend of ours who's not doing too well, and we're taking him home to rest."

With that, Fitz wraps the one-eyed kensei's left arm around his shoulder, and puts his arm around his waist, ready to let the binding go when Jared takes the other side. Then, they head home.

[Carthrat]

It's a bit of a walk carrying a comatose guy, but in a short amount of time (and thankfully, without being seen), Fitz and Jared reach.. the Apartment.

Better work fast pulling him up the stairs. Anyone could just pop out, and then where would they be? It does look pretty damn suss to carry up a one-eyes body..

[baka]

Fitz mutters under his breath, wishing they'd covered the guy's eye or something. Nevertheless, nothing much else to do, so he heads up the stairs. He doesn't want to think about what would happen if they bump in to anyone.

[Carthrat]

Luck seems to be on Fitz's side today, though, as he goes upstairs and finds the door to His Apartment.

[baka]

Fitz leaves Jared holding the bishie for a moment as he unlocks the door to his apartment.

"Put him there," he says, pointing to the sofa. The sofa lies in the middle of the large open room the door opens into, on Jeremy's right. On his left is the door leading to his bedroom and bathroom. The open plan room includes a siting area with sofa, tv, and a couple of chairs, a table further away for eating, and then just round the corner there's a small kitchen.

Not a very large apartment, in all, but nicely furnished and decorated in light, pastel colours, and it's home.