Main Event Answer the Call

[Takumi]

"This whole event seems... different from my last Crisis" Jim muttered, his eyes releasing a green glow as two minds thought as one "The 52 worlds under my watch back then all seemed so... similar. The patterns were mapped out before me, drawn like lines in the sand... but here, all is not as it should be. My foresight has been... clouded. The centuries are not charted before me as they once were... but I stand by what I said:

"We both see the clues... we simply have to assemble them... Many of us... have been touched by the arcane... touched by time... I can sense it..."

Corrigan thumbed through the pages of the Spirit Guide at remarkable speed, his eyes caressing each page in search of any relevant text. He thought allowed as he worked, speaking in a dream-like, dazed tone.

"In order to open up a spiritual portal as large as the one above us, its Champion would have to have expended an immense amount of spectral energy....Keeping it open for several days would require an even greater reservoir of power... Its unlikely that such strength would come from a single source... we could be dealing with a figure harnessing the power of a Godly Patron... or channeling the power of the spirits themselves through an object of power...

"Its likely that a ritual or summoning took place within the last month in order to cast the portal... the best place to start would be to search for a prophecy... that failing, any mention of suspicious actors in local news reports... Animal disappearances... Bad Omens... Anything that could direct us towards a particular cult or spellcaster.

"If we can find out how the door was opened, we can find a way to close it..."


A fire began to burn within Jim's chest, spurring him to raise his tone and speak with the voice of many yet again. The Spectre wished to judge the gunman's soul, but he lacked the support of his jury. The verdict was not yet final. It didn't take the power of God for Corrigan to read Ethan's actions; nobody was going to die tonight.

"Twice you have raised arms against your fellow man, Ethan, and twice you have done so without murderous intent. Your threat is hollow. You are not an evil man. Your target is not deserving of your wrath. Lower your tool of hollow threats. The time for violence is not yet here"
@Yun Lee @Everyone​

Serenity perked at the mention of a cult, but the following actions of Ethan and Hector distracted her for a moment.

Grell watched the telekinetic teamaking in awe, jumping up from her seat to watch it all transpire. "Fantastic!" She leaned over the teapot, admiring the display. "So, gas stoves are still in vogue even in the 20th Century? Do tell me-are they more refined in the future? You'd be surprised how many souls met their end thanks to...these...things..."

The sudden tension in the room finally caught up to the reaper, and she looked over her shoulder to see what the source of it was. And what did she see? Ethan, standing there in a disgusting underground cavern, in a standoff. Though the person against him was not Hector; rather, a large behemoth with gray skin, who was holding back a screaming demonic doll. Grell knew all too well what came next: she begs for his life, the doll attacks Ethan, then her when she tries to stop him. She remembered the horrible, horrible event that came after the calm once the doll was disposed off. And above all else, she remembered something, the one thing that truly made that dream an absolute hell, one that had become unbearable without Ethan and the others.

Helplessness.

Yes, she had been completely helpless, hadn't she? Helpless to rescue Ethan and those other fine men when Grundy came calling. No death scythe, no post-death immortality and agility...it was as though she was a mortal again, forced into a dismal existance from which there was no escape. Thankfully, it was all a dream, and that feeling was gone the instant she woke up. Ethan's death, too, had been a dream, thank God. But this? Grell had tried to deny it at first, but this was all very, very real. And Ethan could die for real, if he wasn't careful. But now...Grell wasn't quite so helpless anymore. And she wouldn't be that way, either, ever again.

And especially not now.

"Oh come now, you two! We were all getting along so nicely before..." Grell appeared by Ethan's side, a cheerful smile on her face. "Now I've never met this Dracula fellow, but you both seem to mutually dislike him, so is there any need for this tension when you're both on the same side? Believe me darlings, I live for drama, but now isn't the best time! We should all team up to deal with...erm..." She looked to Shuichi and Joker. "Say, has anyone figured out what it is we're dealing with here? Or do we need more people fliiping through those musty old books?"

@Ver @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Archmage Jeremiah​

If Hector was in distress he wasn't showing it not even turning to face Ethan. Janine meanwhile tried to step in. "Hey! Put that gun away this instan-!"

Hector held up his hand to show he had this under control. "Depends on what you consider smooth. A betrayal and the death of one hand and then by my own. Nothing was ever simple with him, nor do I believe this was the last time I will hear his name or the pain he has caused."

He turned to face Ethan now, looking down the barrel of his gun. "Perhaps he is the cause as to why I and all of you are here I can not say. Last I saw of him he was a mere shadow of his former self, slayed by my own hands. Fire your weapon if you must, but what good will that do to you in the long run? Unwillingly I may be here but I am here as an ally. So what will it be? Lower your weapon, or shoot me?"

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Ottonomous Ghost @Yun Lee @Lucky @Crow @Alex Azure @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Everybody

Flip.

With practically a flick of the wrist, a gun was suddenly pointed right at Hector's head, held in Ethan's hand right at his hip. The posture was nonchalant, it practically betrayed the steely, cold gaze given off by the man's brown eyes, threatening to pierce into Hector deeper than any number of daggers could hope to.

"... A "former" servant of Dracula, huh? Pardon me for the knee-jerk reaction, but... at least from where I came from, he and I never quite got along," Ethan grunted, but despite his words, he didn't quite seem very apologetic at all, his aim still poised toward Hector, "Besides, how is it that you can so offhandedly decide on a whim to pledge and break allegiance from someone like him? I don't suppose it was a very smooth process," he went on, not quite caring if he was making a scene around the others.

Ethan knew that he was being hypocritical of so suddenly casting suspicion and ire toward Hector now that he knew the true name of whom he served in the past, but genuinely, he couldn't help himself. That cursed name that had brought him so much suffering, that had haunted him ever since that day. Even after everything, all the times he had tried to reincarnate into the world, all the times he had hurt those closest to Ethan or worse, it was a burden he couldn't bear to carry for very long, ready to burst at any moment.

Like now.

"In fact, if Dracula is as evil and powerful as he is throughout these different worlds, who's to say you don't know how we got here?"

@Jeremi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Ottonomous Ghost @Yun Lee @Lucky @Crow @Alex Azure @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Everybody​

"If any in the group happened to be working for who brought us here....I can see to them." The assassin spoke up, and while Ethan wasn't her master in this place, he at the very least was nice to her so far. He was also Grell's lover it seemed? She assumed so, with how fondly they spoke of each other. "However, he seems open about himself...whether good or bad for the group it doesn't mean much to me either way." She added, and made a mental note to keep track of anything else said about the others powers and such, at least from what they share.

"....we can't hold the fort if we stand here fighting each other, so we have to work together even if we don't want to, we can fight each other later if we find the need to." Serenity spoke her thoughts aloud this time, as she stood on the outside of the gathered group, simply observing for now. They could still 'watch the fort' even if someone's body was on the floor, just meant one less person, but sometimes things happen.

@Jeremi @Ver @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @Sark @Others

 

[Jeremi]

Hands casually dug into his trouser pockets, Joker stepped off the bus and back into the biting cold of winter. Taking a second to himself, the Phantom Thief split from everyone herding into their destination single-file to peer out into New York. Seeing the massive urban jungle so barren and draped in shadow brought back sour memories of Christmas in Tokyo. Gazing skyward to the crimson veil blanketing the clouds, he half expected the pelting snow to turn to blood. Spinning around to regroup, Joker was then met with that iconic crest of the Ghostbusters, and in a single moment his usual carefree confidence returned to his grim visage. Squinting hard enough at it, he swore it looked almost like something ripped straight off a Spectrestoppers poster.

Almost.

Slipping inside behind everyone, Joker followed Monika, shamelessly pilfering a slice of pizza and eating silently, leaned against the fridge. Listening to what Hazel had to say gave him more than enough time to finish his snack. "Not much more than a thousand," Joker answered simply, "Hate it there. The second I can, I'm moving back to Tokyo,"

@MelodyMeister @Yazzie @Bark



Reading the room, Joker couldn't shake his aura of anticipation, nor could he calm his nerves. If he was dressed in his phantom disguise, it was because something saw him - and by association, everyone else gathered - as a threat, and the answer 'ghosts' wasn't exactly helping. Like a handful of the others he wished he could have joined the Ghostbusters wherever they were headed, but for the moment, the most proactive Joker could get was flipping through dusty tomes. Swiping the first one he could find, Joker hovered around Kylie's station, mindfully searching the book's contents.

"Sorry for invading your world," he quipped Kylie's way.

@Jeremi @y'all
​

"It happens way more than you'd expect actually." Kylie replied before looking up at Joker and stopping for a moment to give him a look over. "So what's your deal? Dark crusader of the night? Or were you just heading to a costume party?"

@Archmage Jeremiah

Grell watched the telekinetic teamaking in awe, jumping up from her seat to watch it all transpire. "Fantastic!" She leaned over the teapot, admiring the display. "So, gas stoves are still in vogue even in the 20th Century? Do tell me-are they more refined in the future? You'd be surprised how many souls met their end thanks to...these...things..."

The sudden tension in the room finally caught up to the reaper, and she looked over her shoulder to see what the source of it was. And what did she see? Ethan, standing there in a disgusting underground cavern, in a standoff. Though the person against him was not Hector; rather, a large behemoth with gray skin, who was holding back a screaming demonic doll. Grell knew all too well what came next: she begs for his life, the doll attacks Ethan, then her when she tries to stop him. She remembered the horrible, horrible event that came after the calm once the doll was disposed off. And above all else, she remembered something, the one thing that truly made that dream an absolute hell, one that had become unbearable without Ethan and the others.

Helplessness.

Yes, she had been completely helpless, hadn't she? Helpless to rescue Ethan and those other fine men when Grundy came calling. No death scythe, no post-death immortality and agility...it was as though she was a mortal again, forced into a dismal existance from which there was no escape. Thankfully, it was all a dream, and that feeling was gone the instant she woke up. Ethan's death, too, had been a dream, thank God. But this? Grell had tried to deny it at first, but this was all very, very real. And Ethan could die for real, if he wasn't careful. But now...Grell wasn't quite so helpless anymore. And she wouldn't be that way, either, ever again.

And especially not now.

"Oh come now, you two! We were all getting along so nicely before..." Grell appeared by Ethan's side, a cheerful smile on her face. "Now I've never met this Dracula fellow, but you both seem to mutually dislike him, so is there any need for this tension when you're both on the same side? Believe me darlings, I live for drama, but now isn't the best time! We should all team up to deal with...erm..." She looked to Shuichi and Joker. "Say, has anyone figured out what it is we're dealing with here? Or do we need more people fliiping through those musty old books?"

@Ver @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Archmage Jeremiah​

"They are, but this is an electrical one, takes a bit longer but far more easier to tame." Dear Lois replied as she hovered over kettle waiting on the water to boil. And then the Ethan and Hector situation happened. She decided to stay back, she was sure they could figure this out on their own with out more people trying to solve it.

"This whole event seems... different from my last Crisis" Jim muttered, his eyes releasing a green glow as two minds thought as one "The 52 worlds under my watch back then all seemed so... similar. The patterns were mapped out before me, drawn like lines in the sand... but here, all is not as it should be. My foresight has been... clouded. The centuries are not charted before me as they once were... but I stand by what I said:

"We both see the clues... we simply have to assemble them... Many of us... have been touched by the arcane... touched by time... I can sense it..."

Corrigan thumbed through the pages of the Spirit Guide at remarkable speed, his eyes caressing each page in search of any relevant text. He thought allowed as he worked, speaking in a dream-like, dazed tone.

"In order to open up a spiritual portal as large as the one above us, its Champion would have to have expended an immense amount of spectral energy....Keeping it open for several days would require an even greater reservoir of power... Its unlikely that such strength would come from a single source... we could be dealing with a figure harnessing the power of a Godly Patron... or channeling the power of the spirits themselves through an object of power...

"Its likely that a ritual or summoning took place within the last month in order to cast the portal... the best place to start would be to search for a prophecy... that failing, any mention of suspicious actors in local news reports... Animal disappearances... Bad Omens... Anything that could direct us towards a particular cult or spellcaster.

"If we can find out how the door was opened, we can find a way to close it..."


A fire began to burn within Jim's chest, spurring him to raise his tone and speak with the voice of many yet again. The Spectre wished to judge the gunman's soul, but he lacked the support of his jury. The verdict was not yet final. It didn't take the power of God for Corrigan to read Ethan's actions; nobody was going to die tonight.

"Twice you have raised arms against your fellow man, Ethan, and twice you have done so without murderous intent. Your threat is hollow. You are not an evil man. Your target is not deserving of your wrath. Lower your tool of hollow threats. The time for violence is not yet here"
@Yun Lee @Everyone​

Sadly the Spirit guide mainly had passages about different spectral beings. The summonings M.Os didn't add up. Blood red moons...blood falling like rain...but no giant red portal in the sky, and certainly nothing about winter. Why were most of these prophecies set around warmer months?

As Corrigan turned to face Ethan and Hector the Devil Forgemaster still calm and collected. "Let the man decide for himself what he wants to do. That's the only proper way to solve this."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Ver

 

[Ver]

View attachment 3611

"..."

Ethan said nothing initially, letting the tension grow thicker and thicker with every passing second, letting everyone say their piece, including Hector. The man clicked his tongue lightly and let out a droll breath, his gun still poised and at attention. "You slayed him, huh? That's some betrayal right there, even if someone like him's always bound to come back," he only said initially, as though somewhat disbelieving of Hector's claim that he killed Dracula, but either way, it wouldn't be so difficult to relay that he at least fought the dark lord.

As though begrudgingly relenting to the demand of Corrigan, he hesitantly began to lower his pistol, keeping his steely gaze fixed for the moment though. Ethan knew that he and Serenity had good points; hell, Ethan knew he was in the wrong for all accounts. A knee-jerk reaction to a name he recognized, from a man who probably didn't even have the same time as he did, who had no context for what he had gone through to stand against the cursed vampire. And even if he was justified in the eyes of the others for this, it was himself who said it; this was not the time or place for this sort of thing.

If for nothing else, he may as well go ahead and not drag this scene out, if only for Grell.

Finally holstering his gun, Ethan turned around, as though averting his gaze from everyone. "Fuck it. There'd be no point in pulling the trigger, would there? I'll take your word for it. If you're serious about having once served him and betrayed him, then I gather you know just what he's capable of, just what he's likely done to people all across these cursed lands, so I won't ask that you forgive my... transgression, but rather simply understand. To that end, I'll work with you, but only because I have to."

"... Excuse me."

Tipping his hat ever so slightly, as though to conceal his eyes just a bit more, he began to walk off somewhere else. Just anywhere aside from here. He'd done enough...

@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Others​

 

[Jeremi]

View attachment 3611

"..."

Ethan said nothing initially, letting the tension grow thicker and thicker with every passing second, letting everyone say their piece, including Hector. The man clicked his tongue lightly and let out a droll breath, his gun still poised and at attention. "You slayed him, huh? That's some betrayal right there, even if someone like him's always bound to come back," he only said initially, as though somewhat disbelieving of Hector's claim that he killed Dracula, but either way, it wouldn't be so difficult to relay that he at least fought the dark lord.

As though begrudgingly relenting to the demand of Corrigan, he hesitantly began to lower his pistol, keeping his steely gaze fixed for the moment though. Ethan knew that he and Serenity had good points; hell, Ethan knew he was in the wrong for all accounts. A knee-jerk reaction to a name he recognized, from a man who probably didn't even have the same time as he did, who had no context for what he had gone through to stand against the cursed vampire. And even if he was justified in the eyes of the others for this, it was himself who said it; this was not the time or place for this sort of thing.

If for nothing else, he may as well go ahead and not drag this scene out, if only for Grell.

Finally holstering his gun, Ethan turned around, as though averting his gaze from everyone. "Fuck it. There'd be no point in pulling the trigger, would there? I'll take your word for it. If you're serious about having once served him and betrayed him, then I gather you know just what he's capable of, just what he's likely done to people all across these cursed lands, so I won't ask that you forgive my... transgression, but rather simply understand. To that end, I'll work with you, but only because I have to."

"... Excuse me."

Tipping his hat ever so slightly, as though to conceal his eyes just a bit more, he began to walk off somewhere else. Just anywhere aside from here. He'd done enough...

@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Others​

Hector gave Ethan a knowing look before he wandered off. The awkward silence that followed was broken by the sound of the kettle whistling.

"Tea's done," Dear Lois said as she pulled some more cups out of the cupboard with her powers. "I forget everyone who wanted some."

@Ver @Everyone

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

Okay...this didn't look appetising at all. The only thing that she could really recognise was the milk, and she could see that it wasn't good milk. The food seemed ediable though, if not arranged and made in a differnet style then Hazel was used to. Still, she had to admit she liked new things. Taking out a small paper box, Hazel looked through the food. So...what was the thin swirly stuff? Was this meant to be eaten cold? Because this didn't seem like it was meant to be cold. But then why was it in the freezer?

Taking a noodle with her finger and slurping it, Hazel cringed her face. Okay, she couldn't cook, but she was pretty sure this wasn't how it wasn't meant to be eaten.

"How are you meant to eat this..."

Hazel mumbled under her breath. Scooping up a soggy small vegetable along with a few other noodles, she began to eat it with her finger. She listened in to what Joker said, and her eyes widened. She turned her head of him.

"One thousand?! Woah...that's a lot? How big is your home to fit that many people in?"
@Archmage Jeremiah @Bark @Yazzie​

"One thousand, alot?" Joker repeated with a smirk, "There's at least ten million living in Tokyo; my lazy boonie town is nothing compared to that," he said, idly twisting his frizzy bangs.

@MelodyMeister @Yazzie @Bark

She looked to Shuichi and Joker. "Say, has anyone figured out what it is we're dealing with here? Or do we need more people fliiping through those musty old books?"

Turning his head to meet Grell's gaze halfway, Joker blinked at the reaper's question. "Yep, says here the big red hole in the sky is Santa Claus, and all the ghosts are his little helpers delivering presents," he deadpanned, a subtle curl at the ends of his lips betraying his straight-faced lie, "Lucky how the first book we picked off the shelf was the right one huh?"

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight

"It happens way more than you'd expect actually." Kylie replied before looking up at Joker and stopping for a moment to give him a look over. "So what's your deal? Dark crusader of the night? Or were you just heading to a costume party?"

Joker bowed his head and closed his eyes in thought. His answer was clear, but to boil it down for someone who hadn't lived it, he had to wrack his brain. "We reform society," he eventually answered, "By stealing the distorted desires that exist within people's hearts, we bring criminals to justice, and give victims the hope to fight for what's right. We, are The Phantom Thieves,"

@Jeremi​

 

[Bark]

The bus ride had seemed to make Cassata a bit nervous - it was his first time after all! - so he was a bit quiet as all the people gathered together under a roof. Food had been offered to them of course, but he didn't need to eat so he didn't bother looking. He figured it was better to just let the kids talk to each other, he really was not much more than a clueless old man anyway. (Though he seemed to not want to let them far from his sight.) Seeing a few people eat pizza made his heart ache for the certain someone he had left behind. So he listened to them chatter about their hometowns. He didn't even know how much people even lived in the Kingdom today. He seemed very surprised that 10 million people could even live in one place.
He looked out curiously out at the other members of the group, though his single eye made it seem more of a scowl than simple curiosity.

 

[Jeremi]

"One thousand, alot?" Joker repeated with a smirk, "There's at least ten million living in Tokyo; my lazy boonie town is nothing compared to that," he said, idly twisting his frizzy bangs.

@MelodyMeister @Yazzie @Bark



Turning his head to meet Grell's gaze halfway, Joker blinked at the reaper's question. "Yep, says here the big red hole in the sky is Santa Claus, and all the ghosts are his little helpers delivering presents," he deadpanned, a subtle curl at the ends of his lips betraying his straight-faced lie, "Lucky how the first book we picked off the shelf was the right one huh?"

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight



Joker bowed his head and closed his eyes in thought. His answer was clear, but to boil it down for someone who hadn't lived it, he had to wrack his brain. "We reform society," he eventually answered, "By stealing the distorted desires that exist within people's hearts, we bring criminals to justice, and give victims the hope to fight for what's right. We, are The Phantom Thieves,"

@Jeremi​

"Dark crusader of the night it is then," Kylie replied back.

"So looks like we've all called down, that's great." Janine walked up having also stood back to see how the situation with Ethan and Hector played out. "Cause I really don't care to babysit what seems to be a bunch of grown ups." She looked over to Jack, Monika and a few others. "Well most of you are. Look if it was up to me then I would have let you go out with the Ghostbusters and help out but fine you're here now, so let me set up some ground rules."

She raised one finger as she continued. "Number one, no fighting inside the HQ. If you want to head outside go right ahead but I ain't cleaning up any mess you make in here, and actually that's about it. I'll tell you some more when I think of them. Of yeah, number two. Don't go anywhere that looks like you shouldn't go. We have a containment unit full of ghosts and no one goes near that thing. Everyone got that?"

@Archmage Jeremiah @Everyone

 

[Lucky]

Theo Raeken

" If I may ask a question. What exactly does this containment unit look like? Are we talking about something akin to a small box or more of a room to avoid? It would help if we have a bit more of a description. With all of the different time periods, some of us may have never encountered one before today."

@Jeremi

 

[Yun Lee]

Well then. That was...not a side of Ethan Grell had ever seen. Even back in the dream, he hsd never reacted that strongly to anything. So why now did he lose it? Well, only one way to find out...

"Ethan!" Not waiting around, Grell decided to follow the American to...where was he even going, anyway? Wherever it was, Grell wasn't about to leave him by himself.

"What in the world was that?" Her tone was one of concern, which was rare for her. "I don't remember ever seeing you so worked up..."

@Ver​

 

[Jeremi]

Theo Raeken

" If I may ask a question. What exactly does this containment unit look like? Are we talking about something akin to a small box or more of a room to avoid? It would help if we have a bit more of a description. With all of the different time periods, some of us may have never encountered one before today."

@Jeremi

"It's big and red and in the basement so let's add that to the second rule," Janine responded. "No one goes to the basement."

@Lucky @Everyone

 

[Lucky]

Theo Raeken

" Big and red and in the basement. Got, I'll avoid going to the basement then. That makes sense. Also, Miss Lois, Grell was one of the two to request tea. I don't remember the other, but I'll gladly take hers out to her." Once he would get the tea, he would walk over to Grell. " Your tea was ready, though I would bring it out to you."

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Ver

 

[Josh]

View attachment 3611

"..."

Ethan said nothing initially, letting the tension grow thicker and thicker with every passing second, letting everyone say their piece, including Hector. The man clicked his tongue lightly and let out a droll breath, his gun still poised and at attention. "You slayed him, huh? That's some betrayal right there, even if someone like him's always bound to come back," he only said initially, as though somewhat disbelieving of Hector's claim that he killed Dracula, but either way, it wouldn't be so difficult to relay that he at least fought the dark lord.

As though begrudgingly relenting to the demand of Corrigan, he hesitantly began to lower his pistol, keeping his steely gaze fixed for the moment though. Ethan knew that he and Serenity had good points; hell, Ethan knew he was in the wrong for all accounts. A knee-jerk reaction to a name he recognized, from a man who probably didn't even have the same time as he did, who had no context for what he had gone through to stand against the cursed vampire. And even if he was justified in the eyes of the others for this, it was himself who said it; this was not the time or place for this sort of thing.

If for nothing else, he may as well go ahead and not drag this scene out, if only for Grell.

Finally holstering his gun, Ethan turned around, as though averting his gaze from everyone. "Fuck it. There'd be no point in pulling the trigger, would there? I'll take your word for it. If you're serious about having once served him and betrayed him, then I gather you know just what he's capable of, just what he's likely done to people all across these cursed lands, so I won't ask that you forgive my... transgression, but rather simply understand. To that end, I'll work with you, but only because I have to."

"... Excuse me."

Tipping his hat ever so slightly, as though to conceal his eyes just a bit more, he began to walk off somewhere else. Just anywhere aside from here. He'd done enough...

@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Others​

Well then. That was...not a side of Ethan Grell had ever seen. Even back in the dream, he hsd never reacted that strongly to anything. So why now did he lose it? Well, only one way to find out...

"Ethan!" Not waiting around, Grell decided to follow the American to...where was he even going, anyway? Wherever it was, Grell wasn't about to leave him by himself.

"What in the world was that?" Her tone was one of concern, which was rare for her. "I don't remember ever seeing you so worked up..."

@Ver​

Near by the two, a woman with strawberry hair yawned softly before stretching her arms as she gazed at the duo against a nearby wall.

"That was...…. something."

The words lingered. The voice didn't seem to be looking down on the man, more caught of guard than anything.



"Are you okay? I know it's none of my business, but anger like that's not good for your health. This whole situation won't it any favors either."


@Yun Lee @Ver
​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Tea's done," Dear Lois said as she pulled some more cups out of the cupboard with her powers. "I forget everyone who wanted some."

"I requested some tea. Plenty of sugar as well."

@Jeremi @Anyone interact plz​

 

[Ottonomous Ghost]

Lucian
@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Atomic Knight @anyone
​

"..."

Ethan said nothing initially, letting the tension grow thicker and thicker with every passing second, letting everyone say their piece, including Hector. The man clicked his tongue lightly and let out a droll breath, his gun still poised and at attention. "You slayed him, huh? That's some betrayal right there, even if someone like him's always bound to come back," he only said initially, as though somewhat disbelieving of Hector's claim that he killed Dracula, but either way, it wouldn't be so difficult to relay that he at least fought the dark lord.

As though begrudgingly relenting to the demand of Corrigan, he hesitantly began to lower his pistol, keeping his steely gaze fixed for the moment though. Ethan knew that he and Serenity had good points; hell, Ethan knew he was in the wrong for all accounts. A knee-jerk reaction to a name he recognized, from a man who probably didn't even have the same time as he did, who had no context for what he had gone through to stand against the cursed vampire. And even if he was justified in the eyes of the others for this, it was himself who said it; this was not the time or place for this sort of thing.

If for nothing else, he may as well go ahead and not drag this scene out, if only for Grell.

Finally holstering his gun, Ethan turned around, as though averting his gaze from everyone. "Fuck it. There'd be no point in pulling the trigger, would there? I'll take your word for it. If you're serious about having once served him and betrayed him, then I gather you know just what he's capable of, just what he's likely done to people all across these cursed lands, so I won't ask that you forgive my... transgression, but rather simply understand. To that end, I'll work with you, but only because I have to."

"... Excuse me."

Tipping his hat ever so slightly, as though to conceal his eyes just a bit more, he began to walk off somewhere else. Just anywhere aside from here. He'd done enough...

Lucian watched with a poker face as Ethan pulled a gun on Hector and subsequently conceded. "Looks like both of us have some issues," he mused to nobody in particular, referring to the earlier situation in which Lucian had been the foolish one.
​

Zac froze in place at the question, halting the process of devouring an entire set of Chinese food (box and utensils) included. The ooze lowered the food to the counter, releasing a heavy sigh that visibly deflated some his bulging 'muscles' as he side-eyed Lucian.

"It's, uh... well, it's not a pretty story, boss. I take care not to remind myself of it too often, y'know. Let's just say that even though I was... 'created' for somethin', I had parents. And if I learned anything from Mom and Dad, it's that they taught me not dwell on the past. So let's jus' say that I showed up one day with a clear purpose in mind. I'm sure you can relate, Lucian."

Zac's glowing eyes seemed to look directly at the Purifier for a single moment frozen in time amidst the bustle of the HQ surrounding them. The being's tone adopted peculiar humanity to it; one that may strike a particular chord with someone who carries purpose from the pits of adversity, a look seething with some life.

The moment passed in silence. Zac then let out a hearty chuckle, tossing the slime of pizza he'd offer back within his gob and allowing it to vanish into his mire like everything else he'd devoured. "Don't worry about it, Luc. I jus' pop around Zaun to help whoever needs it, is all. It's... not a bad city, really. It's a home for the best and worst to flourish, y'know. The little guy gets picked on by the big guy, and I'm there."​

Putting two and two together, Lucian assumed that Zac must've been adopted by two normal people after escaping the tyranny of his original creators. It would explain his manners and sense of justice. Shrugging, the Purifier responded,"Guess you're right; Zaun isn't all bad. Especially if they've got good guys like you walkin' around,"​

"That's the spirit, kid," the hulking, humanoid mass of ooze that accompanied Lucian cheer with a loud smack on the boy's back - thankfully, the ooze somehow managed not to stain his clothes. "I mean, look at me. Even if you don't got a spine, you have to stick up for yourself. But even if that doesn't work..."

Zac juts a slimy thumb towards himself, grinning as he stood heroically next to an unwitting Lucian. "Jus' stick with me and my pal here, Shoe. I'll get you and everybody outta this-- with some help from the Ghostbusters! Count on it!"

He cleared his throat. "It's Lucian," he exclaimed again, this time a bit louder.

He sighed and then looked at the boy again. "And, yeah, if we get caught out, stay near Zac. He can protect you from the ghosts because he doesn't have--" He abruptly stopped talking, realizing that he had almost said something rude. It was a fact, certainly, that the Zaunite did not possess a soul, and because of it, no ethereal being would have much interest in him, but even Lucian, who had long since lost his polite demeanor, knew how cruel it would be to say that. Metaphorically, Zac had more of a soul than a lot of people in Runeterra. "...need to worry about gettin' hurt."​

 

[Ver]

"..."

Ethan didn't respond to Grell at first, only looking down at the ground and balling his fists tightly. He let out a discomforted breath, knowing that he'd made a fool of himself; he didn't even really want to say anything, but after all this time, and after what he'd done back there, maybe he owed Grell something.

"I suppose I'm not an easy man to rile up," Ethan initially only said as he cocked his head back to face Grell, "At least, not when that name is spoken. Dracula. A big ol' fucking demon -- a dark lord, they called him -- who ruined my life. Damn near took over England like a cold wind, took away those I cared for, the one that I..." He started, before trailing off, letting the sentence just end inconclusively, before deciding to start one anew.

"When that man mentioned he once served him... My body moved on its own. My mind went blank. Everything came rushing back. The pain, the violence, the anguish... and he knew what I was talking about. There was no doubt about it; even if he and I were from two wholly different places, it seems like the name Dracula spells evil no matter where it is," Ethan said with a grave tone, far more serious than he'd ever been before.

Before he could go off for much longer though, it seemed that his ramblings were interrupted by a woman with orange hair and peculiar clothing, though probably not so weird compared to the others in their so-called party. "You're right. It's not your business. It's a little bit of personal business, so if you don't mind, Miss...?"

@Josh @Yun Lee​

 

[Minerva]

Ignoring the chaos happening around her with Ethan and the man who worked for someone named Dracula, Li-Ming would pour herself some tea (Herbal, just like a brew from Xiansai) and look through the books on the shelf.

She flipped through it, reading about the occult of this world and how oddly familiar it all seemed. The spellbooks contained nothing she hadn’t known (and some of them were patently false, she noted.) but the grimoires and bestiaries were of significant interest.

Had they gathered all this information since New York became Westmarch? Had the tales of Diablo been long forgotten? We’re these “Ghostbusters” a New Horadrim? Time would tell, and for now, Li-Ming would wait.

She smiled and sipped her tea.

@anyone @Jeremi​

 

[Yun Lee]

Grell quickly shooed Theo away. "Not now, darling. Give it to that girl over there." She nodded towards Heroine X, then gave Theo a knowing look, as if to request some alone time with Ethan.

As he span his tale, Grell listened quietly, leaning on a wall. "Goodness! You know, where I come from, Dracula is something I've never heard of...but he seems to leave quite the impression wherever he goes, hm?" She gave Ethan a small smile, then sighed, looking away into the distance.

"Believe it or not...I do know where you're coming from." Damn it, why was she getting into this? She had sworn she wouldn't, but...hm. Perhaps if she was a little vague, then... "A certain...sensitive subject caused me to lash out at people, myself. People who..." She paused, as if unsure of what she was about to say. "People...who...um..." She shook her head, shaking off whatever line of thinking she was getting at. "W-Well! Nevertheless I lashed out, did some rather unfortunate things, and paid a steep price for it. I suppose what I'm trying to say here is...the past is in the past? Dracula is gone now where you're from, right? And though the memories may be painful, there's still a present and future to look to. I certainly don't let my past keep me down!" After a pause, she added, less confidently, "...and I think Hector might be the same way. I mean, he did turn on the fellow himself, after all."

The new woman making herself known, Grell let out a big sigh of relief, glad for a distraction. Goodness, this was...well, it was one of the hardest things she'd ever done! What she was feeling right now...she had never felt this before. There was a term for it...what was it...G...Gu...

Ah! That was it. Guilt.

...

No. No, that was silly! Grell had never felt guilty for anything she had done, ever! Not for Angelina, not for those women, and certainly not for that little half-pint. So why...why was there a knot in her stomach now? Why did she look back on that time and...and regret it? Ugh, whatever. It was probably just some weird phase or something. She'd get over it.

@Ver @Josh @Lucky​

 

[Takumi]

View attachment 3611

"..."

Ethan said nothing initially, letting the tension grow thicker and thicker with every passing second, letting everyone say their piece, including Hector. The man clicked his tongue lightly and let out a droll breath, his gun still poised and at attention. "You slayed him, huh? That's some betrayal right there, even if someone like him's always bound to come back," he only said initially, as though somewhat disbelieving of Hector's claim that he killed Dracula, but either way, it wouldn't be so difficult to relay that he at least fought the dark lord.

As though begrudgingly relenting to the demand of Corrigan, he hesitantly began to lower his pistol, keeping his steely gaze fixed for the moment though. Ethan knew that he and Serenity had good points; hell, Ethan knew he was in the wrong for all accounts. A knee-jerk reaction to a name he recognized, from a man who probably didn't even have the same time as he did, who had no context for what he had gone through to stand against the cursed vampire. And even if he was justified in the eyes of the others for this, it was himself who said it; this was not the time or place for this sort of thing.

If for nothing else, he may as well go ahead and not drag this scene out, if only for Grell.

Finally holstering his gun, Ethan turned around, as though averting his gaze from everyone. "Fuck it. There'd be no point in pulling the trigger, would there? I'll take your word for it. If you're serious about having once served him and betrayed him, then I gather you know just what he's capable of, just what he's likely done to people all across these cursed lands, so I won't ask that you forgive my... transgression, but rather simply understand. To that end, I'll work with you, but only because I have to."

"... Excuse me."

Tipping his hat ever so slightly, as though to conceal his eyes just a bit more, he began to walk off somewhere else. Just anywhere aside from here. He'd done enough...

@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Others​

Serenity was sure Ethan wouldn't want to be bothered, or would rather talk to Grell, so she let him go and instead took a slice of pizza and bit into it after shifting her mask enough to eat.

"...hm." She stared down at it for a moment, before humming softly. It wasn't bad, just different. Shrugging, she kept eating until it was gone, then went to take a peak at one of the books, mostly looking for whatever it might of said about any cults of the current time period.

@Jeremi @Ver @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow

 

[Josh]

"Rangiku Matsumoto, the pleasure is all yours. I wasn't trying to be nosey, you were just really loud."

The Soul Reaper shrugged as she glanced at Ethan. This man sure was a blunt one. However, Rangiku couldn't help but admire that.

"We're all a little tense here. How about you and your friend her help me find some Alcohol to calm the nervous, and just relax a bit."

@Yun Lee @Ver ​

 

[Macy Moretti]

Ignoring the chaos happening around her with Ethan and the man who worked for someone named Dracula, Li-Ming would pour herself some tea (Herbal, just like a brew from Xiansai) and look through the books on the shelf.

She flipped through it, reading about the occult of this world and how oddly familiar it all seemed. The spellbooks contained nothing she hadn’t known (and some of them were patently false, she noted.) but the grimoires and bestiaries were of significant interest.

Had they gathered all this information since New York became Westmarch? Had the tales of Diablo been long forgotten? We’re these “Ghostbusters” a New Horadrim? Time would tell, and for now, Li-Ming would wait.

She smiled and sipped her tea.

@anyone @Jeremi​

Serenity was sure Ethan wouldn't want to be bothered, or would rather talk to Grell, so she let him go and instead took a slice of pizza and bit into it after shifting her mask enough to eat.

"...hm." She stared down at it for a moment, before humming softly. It wasn't bad, just different. Shrugging, she kept eating until it was gone, then went to take a peak at one of the books, mostly looking for whatever it might of said about any cults of the current time period.

@Jeremi @Ver @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow

Alter stood by Li-Ming and Serenity, looking at the books. With a cup of tea from Dear Lois and a barely eaten slice of pizza in the other, she couldn't very well look at any of the books. She offered her half-eaten slice to Serenity, who appeared to enjoy the savory taste more than she did. If the Assassin didn't take the slice, Alter would just put the slice back in the (now probably empty) box.

Addressing Li-Ming, she asked, "Master, should I help you search these books for information?" She knew that Li-Ming was not her true Master, but it felt more natural for her to refer to someone as Master. Her nature as a Servant was to only exist alongside a Master, as otherwise the will of the earth rejected her existence.

She pulled her scarf down enough to take a sip of her tea then returned it to covering her mouth.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi​