Beauty & The Beast

[Carthrat]

"Mmm. And forgive me for asking, but what exactly is this token?" asks Angela, curiously. "I'm sorry, it's just not clear to me."

[Brian]

"The drug, of course," N'dovu says, glancing towards the door that Kyle had vanished through.

[Carthrat]

"Isn't the drug to clear your mind or something, though?" asks Angela, shrugging. "What does a spirit want with a drug?"

[Brian]

"It's to respect that there are barriers between those who live in the world, and those who live beyond it, with an awareness of the spirits," N'dovu says, shrugging back at Angela.  "Why else would so many holy books say what is good and bad in medicine?  But it is there, none-the-less...."

[Carthrat]

"Well, I-"

At this point, Kyle comes back in, wheeling a trolley up to N'Dovu. "How much do you want?" he asks, flatly, in a gravelly voice.

[Brian]

"A pint," N'dovu says, wondering if Kyle will conceed to the large amount.

[Carthrat]

Kyle doesn't show much reaction to the amount, carefully measuring it out and serving it up in a beaker. "Here," he states, flatly.

[Brian]

"Thank you," N'dovu says, gravely taking the beaker in his free hand.  Taking a deep breath, N'dovu closes his eyes, tries to ignore the smell, and chugs the vile liquid as quickly as possible.

The second it's over, the now-familiar disconnection between N'dovu and his senses kicks in.  While his perceptions themselves are unchanged, he's uncannily more aware of them ... and the swiftly growing tumultous flow of information rapidly crowds his mind, leaving him struggling to maintain awareness of his surroundings.

Trying his best to keep a cool demeanor, and still hanging onto his staff, N'dovu tries his best to hand the beaker back to Kyle before the visions begin.  Already N'dovu feels oddly cold, and at the same time, too warm.

[Carthrat]

Kyle manages to take back the beaker, and N'Dovu manages to see him walk over to a computer screen and start analyzing it. His physical surroundings short become twisted and warped in his field of vision, as if in a dream; the common things seem too morphic to be real, and his perception of the other people in the room becomes somewhat distorted.

There's a slight hint of an unusual spirit about the place, but it doesn't seem real. Of course, oft-times spirits don't seem real anyway, but in this case, there's synthetic, constructed feel to the air, rather than the more natural feelings that spirits tend to evoke.

[Brian]

"And now, we wait for the spirits," N'dovu mumbles, blinking at the way he can see the walls flex in response to the sound.

[Carthrat]

A high-pitched piercing noise rings out through the room, and through his hazy vision, N'Dovu can make out something fiery happening to the computer that Kyle is working on- followed by a swirling, ghostly spirit that is wreathed in flames!

Angela doesn't notice it, of course, but neither does Kyle- he's busy throwing his coat of the fire. At least, that's what it *looks* like he's doing. If it wasn't all so swirly...

The spirit can only be described as 'Surreal'. It's staring at N'Dovu (or, at least, as close as it can), and he thinks he can smell smoke coming from it- not only that, but he thinks it's been translated to the real world, as well.

[Brian]

Murmuring to himself, N'dovu stands up, and bows to the spirit, staff held behind him, but still in a ready position, as is appropriate for the occasion.  Speaking first in Cahuilla (the spirit may be local, after lal), N'dovu then says, "Greetings, Spirit.  What brings you to this place unbidden?"

The warpings of reality only swirl when N'dovu looks at them directly.  In the corners of his vision, they actually tear and blur into colorless gray.  N'dovu tries to ignore this and focus on the spirit.

[Carthrat]

The spirit stares at N'Dovu, and speaks, it's voice like sandpaper rasping across stone;

I felt a strong will, Spirit-Hunter!
          Is your mind prepared?
                         Are your weapons of thought at hand?
     Tolerance for breaking the mold, I do not have!

[Brian]

N'dovu nods slowly, and then in Zulu, says, "I am prepared, Spirit.  Let us see beyond and further."

A distracted corner of N'dovu's mind wonders where King Shaka is, but it's quickly dismissed; this is a time for action, not hesitation.

[Carthrat]

Then know the smallest power of the Fire-Realm, mortal!

A wave of fire lashes out from the Fire-Spirit, ripping over N'Dovu and causing intense pain! The fire shifts in colour and consistency, but Kyle and Angela show no reaction to it- that you can tell, through the multi-shifting form of the Spirit-World.