2020-01-05 - Toss A Coin To Your Entertainment

Summary:

An invitation to a 'fun' event turns out to be anything but.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Sun Jan 5 03:45:41 2020
Location: RP Room 1

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

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nick-gleasonalison-blairlydia-dietrichhisako-ichikiisis-marik

The invitations came in the mail. the invitations came via social media. The invitations came via email. How many got the invitations isn't known. They weren't personalised and there were no restrictions on who could come along.

"Join us for a day of frivolity and fun. Opening special. Bring yourself, bring your friends. New Amusement parlour opening day - the best of the best, the newest of the newest."

The location is a building on the edge of Battery Park. There's a bright neon sign inviting people to enter. When each person walks through the door though, they find themselves in a small almost medieval style town, with a castle towering to one side and small, squat, buildings to the other. One section of buildings is more affluent - merchants perhaps? But the further out for the castle, the more run down and squalid the buildings seem to be.

Each person is dressed in 'period'. Some are armoured up with halberds and swords. Others in skirts or rough hewn trousers.

In the distance there's a rumble - it sounds like something approaching. A lot of somethings …

For those who have been bingeing the streaming services for the holiday period, the setting might be … vaguely familiar.

Isis had received an invitation and invited some friends along. When they step through the door, the slim feline-like mutant finds herself wearing heavy skirts and a blouse. "What's going here?" she growls a little. The emotion coming from the mutant is anger and fright, mixed with just a touch of the feral.


Dazzler is becoming famous enough to be invited to openings! Of course Alison will go. Though when she steps into another world and looks down to see herself dressed as a court jester, her enthusiasm pales a little. "My thoughts exactly" she asides to Isis, still taking in their surroundings. "Does this remind anyone of something?" She thinks hard. "Dark Crystal?" She doesn't have a lot of time to catch up on Netflix.

In her hand she discovers she holds a multi-colored rod with a puppet head on the end. A puppet head with many bells attached, as she discovers when giving it a shake. "Did we fall unconscious on the way in? Drugged? Oh, sorry, I'm Alison. Alison Blair. NOT Harley Quinn." At least she has a lute strapped to her back - shame she can't play one.


To judge by the bewildered look on Hisako's face as she passes through the door and looks around her new surroundings, she hasn't been keeping up with Netflix's latest additions either. She's outfitted rather the same way Isis is, too - a mostly-white blouse and a rough-spun dress, the latter shaping the former to show off her curves (what she has of them) to best advantage. "Hisako Ichiki," she introduces herself - then does a double-take at Alison, and nods slightly as if recognizing her from somewhere. "Not that I know who Harley is … hey, Isis," she greets the feline-looking woman. "Your guess is as good as mine."

She looks back at where the door *had* been when she came through; is it still there?


School is about to start up again, and this is the last chance Lydia is going to get for a while to get out and just have some fun without worrying about things like homework, term papers, or (eugh) Chemistry. So when she got an email about this event she figured, "Hey, why not?"

When Lydia steps through the door, she finds herself in a small Medieval town… which is strange. And there's a castle right over there. Even stranger. And even stranger still is the fact that she's now wearing a gilt dress befitting a princess, making her look like royalty. "What the heck?" What hadn't changed was the ever present green haze that constantly surrounds her, making her easy to spot from the crowd.


The first thing Nick has to do is pause to pull a ruffled cravat out of his collar. It appeared rather suddenly and was very much getting in the way of everything. He gives it a sour look and then glances up, picking at what has become of his clothing.

"The hell?" It goes without saying that this isn't normal. And any place that lures people here on what appears to be false pretenses isn't especially likely to be up to anything good. That has him visibly on edge. This is especially obvious since he's a wolfman, and his ears lay back flat while his hackles raise.


@emit

"Uh hi …" Isis isn't sure what to call Hisako, but the woman takes care of that herself. "… Hisako. This is … Nick." The feline-like mutant frowns at the cravat and then at the wolf man "I don't like that look on you." It's a bit petulant. "Hi Alison… and um … " She doens't remember if she met Lydia - her time at the Institute wasn't exactly pleasant for the young mutant. "I'm Isis."

That's all the time they have for nicieties as the horde that's nearly on the courtyard where they all stand. These are mostly humans - or human in appearance. Dressed in armour and mail, some riding horses that look more like wolves. Oh wait, they are wolves … sort of.

Seeing the group that stands there, the wolves howl and lead the charge at the group.


"Nice to meet you all" Alison smiles sincerely before it becomes impossible to ignore the charging horde - as much as she would like to. She looks at the armored warriors on their savage beasts, then looks at the jingling rod in her hand, then back at the horde. "This doesn't seem very fair. I hope they only took our clothes away." Tossing the bauble away, she takes a defensive stance and stretches out her hands towards the oncomers. "Please work. Please work." If all goes well, blinding light will burst into existance.


If Hisako had expected a fight to come looking for them, she might have offered her codename instead of her actual name. The sight of the wolf-cavalry bearing down on them prompts Hisako to 'armor up,' a shimmering field of yellow-tinted energy flaring around her and forming into a shape akin to exoskeletal armor, large enough around her that her skirts won't foul on the inside of her exo-armor.

And rather than wait for the wolves to come to *them*, Hisako - or Armor, as a couple of people might know her codename - steps forward, trying to scoop one of her armor's forearms under a wolf's (warg's?) throat and flip the beast onto its back … and potentially, pin its rider underneath. "Where *are* we?!"


"Lydia," Lydia says, introducing herself. Of all the people in their little group, Hisako is the one she knows best, so she gives the other mutant a wave and asks, "So do you know what's going on? The door seems to have disappeared."

Before she can get an answer, though, a troupe of wolfbourne soldiers come charging at them. "They're coming right at us!" she shouts in warning to the rest of the group. In defense, her miasma of ectoplasm hardens around her in a kind of suit of armor, this time taking more of a raven motif, bunching up her skirts as the armor tightens in around herself.

"I don't know!" Lydia answers Hisako, bunching up a fist and slamming it into the nose of an oncoming warg. "This doesn't look familiar at al!"


"No idea. Nick, by the way." The Wolfman says as he sets to take the rush of these… knights, whatever they are. This does sort of remind him of the star trek episode in which Q had the bridge crew facing off against pig-like napoleonic soldiers.

Either way when the wolf mounted knights rush in he simply lunges forward and tries to get a shoulder under one to flip it on it's back. Yes, he apparently is that strong.

"Does anyone see a way out?!" Because that would be nice.


The descending horde breaks into two, separating the groups from each. Nick and Isis end up on the side with the other mutants. The others are left by themselves.

Alison's blinding light, hits the front rank of soldiers. Who are now almost on top of the group. Alison has to watch out for the flank though, those halberds are aimed directly at her.

Isis doesn't hesitate to find the highest point she can and leap up onto it - sharp claws appearing from her nails as she does. "Angry or fearful?" That's to Nick. He might be proud of her, at the moment - she's not broadcasting like she might otherwise be.

Armor manages to flip a wolf on its back. It's not exactly a Warg as might be depicted in popular computer games. The rider oofs - they *look* human but there's something not quite right with their features. "Welcome to MojoWorld…" it grunts as the wolf above him exerts itself, trying to knock Hisako back. It is that strong and Hisako can feel her life force draining…

Lydia gets a solid hit on her wolf, knocking it back a step but she's hit by the riders lance. It's a good thing that Alison managed to blind the front rank, they might be in trouble otherwise. Lydia too can feel her life force drain as her fist connects with the wolf.

Nicks wolf and its rider don't look like pig-like at all. The wolf is flipped, its rider sent flying. The wolf snaps and snarls at the Wolf Man, draining his life force as well and starting to morph. Growing in height, retaining its wolf like features, but looking more and more like Nick every second.


This place sucks! Alison is going to post that to all her followers, the second they get out of here. If they ever get out of here. Thank goodness for all that Young Avengers training; spotting the attack on her flank, she leaps back and her blinding light becomes her own version of armor. An intense heat that will, hopefully, melt medieval metal or causes wooden polearms to burst into flames. As she holds up her shield she looks for a way out. "We need to get somewhere narrow!" she calls out to the others. "Where they can't use their numbers or outflank us." Their must be a dingy, dark alley. There always is!


Lydia stumbles a bit after getting hit by that lance. Sure her armor can protect her from bullets. but the lance has the momentum of the rider behind it. Between that, getting some of her life force drained, and the damn skirts she's now wearing, she manages to trip and land solidly on her bottom.

A pair of ectoplasmic tendrils fling out the back of her armor, and gripping the side of a building, yanks her away from another attack from the mounted rider. "Argh! Don't touch them!" she warns, scrambling to her feet.


"Mojo-what?" Hisako wonders aloud, then winces as she feels something starting to leach away her strength and alertness. The wolf that came higher up at her draws her focus, and she doesn't hold back much - two quick punches to its chest, followed by a kick as her armor expands *further* in size - about twelve feet in height, now, if she were standing straight.

Suffice to say that she's *not* holding still for anyone to get a good look at her relative size. She doesn't have any ranged abilities, but the armor provides her punches and kicks with better reach than if she were just fighting on foot, as well as amplifying the force she can exert. Lydia's warning is acknowledged with a quick nod, and Hisako focuses on opening as much distance as she can. If it means she has to hit harder than she intended …

Well, she won't feel too sorry about the wolf-things that she may be mauling. Their riders are only a slightly different matter.


"I don't dance!" Nick responds to the identification of 'Mojo-World'. In response to being bit he lashes out the thing, punching it in the nose. "The drawbridge of the castle might be the best we've got right now!" He calls out to Allison. "Hopefully they don't have archers. Isis! Make them afraid!" Can they be made afraid? Are they even real? He has no idea but that has as much chance of working as anything else right now, it seems.


There is indeed somewhere narrow, not far behind those on the ground. It is the drawbridge to the castle and they can fall back and defend there.

Nick finds himself punching … himself. It's no longer a riding wolf anymore. Taking his lifeforce, the thing has shape shifted - which is bad, if it decides to use that to its full advantage.

Lydia finds the wolf recovering, launching at her again as she stumbles. She'll make the safety of the drawbridge but it's going to be close.

Thankfully Alison's light melts several halberds and makes a few too hot to handle. Those are flung at the ground by the heroes feet - something they might be able to use.

Hisako finds herself grabbed by the rider - her life force not being drained by the contact. The rider tries to throw the woman to the ground - a real tussle. Thank goodness she's strong with her armour.

"Mental shields up." Isis manages to call, perched catlike on the top on the gate. A wave of emotion rolls out from her, causing the ranks of soldiers to falter - some recovering quickly, others standing in fear, and a few actually turning to run. "There's something over here … " she calls to both groups. "It looks different to the rest of the building …" She'll ask Nick why he said he doesn't dance later.


Lydia manages to get to her feet moments before the rider catches up to her, which is just enough time to unfurl some raven wings and launch herself into the air, out of reach of her assailant. Isis gives her plenty of warning to try to remember her training she got at the Institute about setting up mental shields, and gets something up in time so she only feels a bit more frightened than she already is.

She wheels about in the air, trying to get a better picture of what the heck is going on, at first heading towards the drawbridge, and then angling to where Isis points out things are different, swooping down to try to knock a rider off his mount along the way.


Mental shields? What? At least Isis's emotional assualt wasn't directed directly at her, but she catches enough of it to feel her legs start to wobble with fear. "The drawbridge!" Concentrate on that. Concentrate on keeping up the heat shield. That's how Alison focuses the fear away. Besides the archers in the castle, there is also the worry of the drawbridge being raised while they are on it.

Isis call of strangeness has Alison glancing up at her. "Are we doing the drawbridge or not?" She glances down at the abandoned weaponry but she will stick with her powers - a weapon specialist she is not. Alison backs away towards the drawbridge but ready to change tack if need be.


"Not!" Nick calls to Allison. "If something looks different it might be a way out. Run!" Nick gives, er, himself one kick to try to put some distance between them and then turns to follow his own advice. He runs toward the area Isis indicated.


Trying to throw an armored Hisako is an interesting exercise in applied physics, particularly when - if it's a matter of leverage - she can adjust her size as needed. Hisako basically has a choice between 'growing,' and simply lifting her assailant, or 'shrinking' to try and deny the rider that leverage.

Hisako goes bigger, and simply flings the now-dismounted rider over a nearby roof before shrinking back down, heading for the drawbridge. "What is it you're sensing?" she calls out to Isis, even as she's already in motion; she'll divert course if she has to, based on what Isis says.


It's just past the drawbridge where Isis has indicated. The group that runs gets a moment respite as the horde recovers from the fear that Isis sent through. Not that it lasts long.

"Not sensing. Seeing." Isis answers. All of them can see the glow surrounding a door in the keep wall. Is that the way out? Perhaps it is, but they're going to have to fight now - that horde descends on them again.

Nick finds himself pounced by … himself. As strong as the wolfman, but differently. There's growling and snarling as the faux-Nick tries to pull the real Nick to the ground and close its jaws over his shoulder. "Nick!" Isis cries out. Still trying to turn the horde from the group.

Alison, Hisako and Lydia find themselves pinned. They're going to have to fight the halberds that have made it through. There's no quarter being given as they're approach to that glowing door is impeded and slowed.


Now that there's a clear goal in sight, Lydia wheels back around and lands to fight with her fellow heroes. "I learned this from my girlfriend!" she shouts. "EMBIGGEN!" The gauntlets of her armor expand until they're the size of beachballs, and she starts swinging them around. When powered by her ectoplasm, she's easily strong enough to flip cars over, so she sends plenty of the armored knights flying end over end as she helps clear a path to the door.

"I really hope this is the way out!"


Glowing doors work for Alison. The bells of her Jester hat jingling as she runs for it, shield still around her to melt any weapon that gets close. Thankfully, medieval combat is very loud and she is being recharged even as she exerts her powers. This is what it will be like when she's popular, battling through adoring crowds. But, for now, she can clear the way a little more directly.

Alison draws on her power, more and more, until finally letting loose a photon blast that flattens those around her. Hopefully, her new superfriends will be able to withstand it better than the armored warriors being knocked down like ten pins. "Almost through!"


Nick is brought down in a tumble and only barely manages to avoid having his shoulder shredded. In short order it's not actually possible to tell which Nick is which as they roll on the ground biting and clawing. They're both a bloody mess with matted fur at this point. One of them finally gets the upper hand and pounds downward with fists and claws several times. The one on the bottom starts moving.

It's a good thirty seconds before the victorious Nick, whichever one it is, rises to his feet and begins to run toward Isis. But which Nick is it? Friend or foe?


Lydia's cry of, 'Embiggen!' coupled with the effect it has prompts a brief glance from Hisako, and an expression of mingled confusion, impression, and pride. She doesn't take the time to dwell on it, though; her own armor expands (overall), and she sweeps halberds that are being pointed at her aside, trying to shove them out of the soldiers' hands if she can.

She'd be happier to just disarm the soldiers and dismay them into backing off - but if that's not enough, she starts shoving them off the sides of the drawbridge, as roughly as she needs to. "Sorry, gentlemen," she remarks, "but we have someplace to be, and it's not here with you. Clear the way - if you don't want to be one with it!"


The group at the door can see Shayera's wings and the others as they cut down the horde between them. Bodies go flying, to land in a heap all over the coutyard. Six guys who try for Lydia and Alison, are webbed from behind and go down in a tangle.

Soon there's only a few left, holding their halberds tentatively, backing away.

"Nick!!!!" Isis leaps from her perch to meet the wolf-man as he moves towards her. How does she know it's the right Nick and not the imposter? Is it? Oh wait … the wolf explodes from the mouth of the downed 'Nick' and takes off at run. It isn't standing to fight now there's only one.

As the groups meet up and Isis opens the door, a voice sounds above them. "Don't forget to toss a coin to your Witcher and stay tuned for more excitement. Our heroes have escaped this encounter but will they encounter more. This entertainment is bought to you by Mojo!"

The door opens back to the bright daylight down by Red Hook. The scene on the street far more peaceful and normal than what they're leaving behind.

And yes, as they step through - their clothing reverts. Probably leaving a group of very confused people on the street.


Hisako de-armors before passing through the door, mostly because she wouldn't fit conveniently if she *were* still in her upsized armor. The announcement from above prompts a cross look … but exiting is more important.

And as she confirms that number one, yes, she's back in New York proper; number two, she's back in her normal clothes; and three, everyone she saw there - and then a few - all seem to be okay? *That's* when she relaxes. "Remind me not to use one of these unsolicited invites anywhere again …"


Alison takes deep breaths once she has been returned to the 'real' world. "I never thought I'd be happy to breathe polluted New York City air" she laughs softly before looking back over her shoulder. Her shield flashes into nothingness, her casual, but perfect for being seen in, clothing returned. "I'm also glad I've lost my Mojo." She glances over the others. "Everyone okay?" Alison pats down herself to make sure she is okay. "Well, that was fun." An attempt at a smile.


"Who is this Mojo guy anyway?" shouts Lydia, clobbering her way to the exit. "This whole thing is a farce, not entertainment!" *POW* goes another knight flying off his mount. "I wrote better fic when I was 13!" Then she's through the door.

She dissipates her armor, letting her ectoplasm go back to it's neutral, mist-like state. She nods at Hisako, "Yeah. This was a mistake." To Allison she says, "Yeah. I'm fine. A little POd but fine."


Nick doesn't stop until both he and Isis are back in the light, stink and noise of New York City. He pauses to bend over, hands on knees, panting. "I'm okay, thanks… it's Allison you said right?"

The wolfman nods in agreement to Hisako. This is the last time he goes to something like this sight unseen. "Anyone else find the pop culture references and weird TV language alarming? Sort of like… we might have just entertained someone and they might want more?"

That seems pretty ludicrous. But then the whole thing seems pretty ludicrous. "You okay Isis?"

Lydia's question gets a shake of the head. "No idea. Never heard of him. Her. It. Whatever."


Isis has a couple of scratches and cuts, she didn't get away scot free as the others were fighting. "I'm ok, Nick. Are you?" She's looking him over, the concern rolling off her though her empathic broadcasts are fairly well controlled. Oh, her claws are still out and she's growling.

"I want to find this Mojo and hurt him …" She'd say kill him, but Nick and the Institute frown on that.

"That … that was like that show I watched over the weekend. Sort of. The wolves were different but … " she has to agree. They seemed to have entertained … someone.

"If you're all ok, I want to go home Nick…" Such a Cat. She doesn't ask if any of them know of the Institute but takes out a card "If you need help, you can find us there. Paragon Investigations. Nick owns it."


"TV show?" Hisako looks blankly at Isis. "Is that what the 'witcher' thing was about? That didn't look like a TV set, or even a location shoot - and even if it had been …" She gestures around at the street they're standing on. "… it took somebody a lot of 'work' to warp us from Brooklyn to a medieval countryside, with extremely realistic riding-wolves and weapons. And that drain wasn't a mere special effect, either - I felt it too, if not as much."

She takes note of Isis's card, and nods. "Might look you up there even if it's not me who needs help."


"I always wanted to perform on television but that's not really what I was going for" Alison frowns before a nod to Nick to confirm her name. "Nick, right? Wow, all of you have some pretty impressive powers. Wait, there was draining going on?" She's thankful she missed that.


"Yeah, if you touched the wolf-things," Lydia says, checking her clothes to make sure that they are, in fact, back to normal. "I got a bit of it before I took to the air where it was harder for them to touch me." Assured that everything is intact she sighs, "At least we're all in one piece."

"Nick yes." The wolfman nods. "There… was. Something that felt like, mmm, I'm not quite sure what. Powers. They weren't normal but nothing about that was normal."

Nick nods to Lydia. She felt it as well. "I'm headed back to the office after that. But call on us if you need us. And… be careful, folks. I have a feeling we haven't seen the end of that one."

Nick waves to the others and goes to hail a Lyft. He needs to get back to his truck, which he DEFINITELY didn't leave in Red Hook.


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