2020-05-19 - Door Into Sunrise

Kailey opens her eyes not on a bedroom ceiling or furry kitten who has decided sleeping on her face is the way to go. No, she opens her eyes and sways because she is sitting up, not laying down. Is she still dreaming? Fuzzily she rubs at her eyes and makes an unhappy sound. It is bright and her eyes don't want to fully open. Adjusting to the light she shields them with a hand and narrowed lids. As her eyes adjust and she takes in the view Kailey frowns. Definitely not home, but is she really awake? Slowly she rolls over onto hands and knees and then stands with a grunt. "Hello? Anyone there?" She calls out before her eyes fall on the door.

Curiousity draws her towards it. Appreciation of the arts has her reaching out to barely trace the intricate carvings and designs of the door. "Cool," She murmers to herself. The frown fades slightly replaced by a half-smile.

Not another of these dreams!! Devlin sighs, "This is getting old.. same uniform.. same aide bag.." Nothing like a Kevlar Helmet, desert camo's that are dusty, full medic's pack on his back, his face covered by goggles and a desert camo bandana over his nose and mouth. He looks at his hands for a moment and sees the old familiar pair of tan driver's gloves on his hands, "Hi.. didn't you get tossed out in fourteen?" He takes a moment to look about looks about and comments, "Great.. no Grunts again.." Those that know patches would see the Airborne tab over the circled AA patch on both shoulders, staff sergeant's rank shown, Combat Medic's Badge, and of course, Jump Wings on his uniform. He then notices the door, "Canyon.. door.. lovely."

Working late nights at the Cabaret made for bad sleeping habits and Lyric was finally home after walking there once her shift as DJ there had ended the night before. She'd changed out of her uniform into some leggings and a comfy long sleeved shirt that says: I can get you on the naughty list, across the front. A throwback shirt from last December. Her converse are on her feet because she'd had every intention of going over to check on Ms. Johnson at the trailer park and fix her some breakfast. But here she was, not walking out of her door of her house and to her porch. She was in the middle of somewhere undefined. Immediately she recognizes it as a Dream, but like always, she is more curious than afraid. Seeing the odd door with no knob and with a human heart, she crinkles her nose in distaste. Recognizing Kailey, she greets her. "Ohhi," she beams a smile. "Good to see you."

Aidan doesn't usually do dawn, particularly on the waking up end of things, but usually isn't always. That today is an exception wasn't his plan, though, and he blinks around blearily, brow furrowed as he wipes sleep from his eyes. The tousled curls are even more so than usual, and the dream probably hasn't seen fit to do much in the way of adjusting his clothes. Maybe it added the long fuzzy bathrobe and big fluffy monster-slippers, or maybe he did fall asleep in those; the pyjama-type pants printed with pineapples and flamingos and the old, worn t-shirt extolling the wonders of the Mystery Hole seem quite likely to have been slept in either way.

"Mmf. ...hey," he greets the others, once he spots them there, and Kailey in particular gets a sleepy, slightly wry grin, and the amendment of, "Hey again." Not long at all since he saw her last. He approaches the door as well, studying the design on it. "Think we oughta knock?" seems to be a question for them all.

Shhk, sshhkk
A puff of smoke follows the lighting of Everett's cigarette. Late, fashionably or otherwise, he stands behind, snapping his wrist to close the zippo and slides it back into his leather jacket inside pocket while he takes a draw. With the hand used to shield the lit end, he pulls it from his thin lips and murmurs, "Fuckin' great."

Nothing like a medic's quick eye, "Kailey is it? forgive me.. about what.. four five months along?" Easy to hear the concern in his tone along with body language, "I'm Devlin.. paramedic.. if something seems odd for you, I may be able to do something." He then shrugs, "Someone seems to think I belong in this uniform rather than my 1st responder..." He then sees Everett, "Well, doesn't look like Hera came for the ride along."

Kailey sees Lyric and that's when she knows this is a Dream and not a dream. With a sigh and wan smile she lifts a hand and waves. "I really prefer just, like, getting a coffee or something if we're going to hang out. Next time let's try and avoid the crazy and do something normal?" She says with wry humor. "That said...I wish I had my sketch book. This door is pretty awesome. I love how the heart becomes roots and roots become the skeleton of a creature..." Yep. Kailey's an artist.

Aidan's appearance has her head snapping up. "Oh! HI! You, I never -have- gotten your damned name. Either underwater, or in danger, or talking musical notes..." She pauses as she starts rambling and then puts on a smile and holds out a hand to him, "Kailey Holt. Nice to finally really properly meet you," She says. Devlin gets a nod and she says, "As of today? 32 weeks."

Another voice has her spinning in surprise. Brows going up and for a second she smiles. Before her nose wrinkles as the smell hits her. "Hey babe," She says mildly. Like they were passing in the hallway to the kitchen or something. Not standing in a canyon, her in her PJs and Vorpal Bunny slippers. Cringing as the bell-like tone rings out.

Devlin mms as the door opens, "Looks like someone is expecting us. If anyone gets hurt.. last time my aide bag seemed well stocked... so hear's to my not needing to crack it open.." He looks to the door, "Guess we walk in."

"Coffee or somethin' is good." Lyric agrees with a lopsided smile. Then she's greeting Aidan so Lyric looks at him too and bobs her head towards him and the paramedic in greeting. When the knocker sounds her attention goes there, but she also hears Everett and glances back towards him with a light laugh. "At least you came to this Dream too." Last time she'd seen Kailey in one, he'd not been there. She does walk towards the door. "Yeah we have to go in, it's prolly the only way outta the Dream." So, good or bad, she does go through the door.

Holding the cigarette with his left hand he starts counting off on his fingers, "Stay away from the light 'cuz it's a dick. Break the crystal when we find it. Stab the book with the shaarrrddd--" The gorilla lingers on the last word as the door opens, by itself, and shows a landscape unto which he is unfamiliar.

He pauses.

The smoke returns to his mouth, while he draws a breath and exhales the exhaust upwards, away from sensitive noses. "Ok, fine." He sighs with annoyance, and looks over to Devlin, "Tell your cousin to return her calls." He points his fingers at Kailey, "And you. Stick next to Aidan." Then Aidan's regarded, "... if you don't mind." Watching Lyric summon bravery, Everett grimaces, and then follows after her. "Wait, Bo. Don't split us up..."

"Aidan," the bearer of said name replies to Kailey, "...Kinney. And yeah, nice properly meetin' you." She even gets a proper grin, if a somewhat briefer one than perhaps in other circumstances. He takes half a step back when the knocker knocks itself and the door swings open. "Good sound, though," he says, stepping forward again and leaning to look into the room. "Yeah, we'll prolly be here forever if we just stay here," he agrees, and steps in. "This floor must've been awesome originally." He eyes it like he's considering trying to do something about it, but Everett gets a quick thumbs up; he doesn't mind any of them sticking by him.

Walking through the door, "Everett, do you really think my cousin is going to do as I ask? Any more stubborn, Webster's will replace mules with her for the image of stubborn." Devlin nods as he listens, "Lost glory or something?" He motions to art work of the door, "Must have been something in it's hey day." He looks around more as he walks in, "Let's hope the foundations are sound."

Kailey quirks a brow at Everett telling her what to do. The expression is vaguely amused but also, very clearly, a 'look'. But after a couple of seconds she relents and follows after Aidan, rather than Everett. "Fine," She says with a smirk. "So why am I sticking by you?" She asks in a quieter voice to Aidan. The smell of the place has her glancing around. "Kind of smells musty," Says the woman with the sensitive nose. Right before she yelps and leaps forward, grabbing at the nearest person, Aidan, as she glances behind her.

Swinging aide bag off his back that puts it right in front of his chest hanging off one strap, Devlin says, "Well.. at least not cracking for an injury.. now lets hope this thing is stocked the way I do it." He opens one of the outer compartments, "Now.. lets hope the chem lights and dummy cord are here." He digs into the compartment to check. "It's either this.. or hopefully I have my flashlight.. torches just do not do it for me."

"It smells moldy." Says Lyric, like no one else is able to smell it or something. "And it sounds like a waterfall." She doesn't seem to be too afraid and when Everett approaches, she looks up at him with a half smile. Until the door disappears. "Ok, now we're in a tomb or somethin'." She stops near the mosaic of the volcano and crouches a little to touch the colored tiles near the eruption. "This is super pretty."

The ape in a leather jacket pauses the moment the door slams shut. And just like that, he's reminded of the other thing with a viable wince written on his face. "Oh yeah. ... we were supposed to keep the door open." Dutifully, he turns around to examine the spot it once occupied and mutters, "Damnnit," and pulls another drag of his cigarette while staring at empty space.

Devlin's given a side-eye and a thoughtful grunt. "Still. I want to borrow her space for," he glances at Kailey and then back at the other man, "a thing. She hasn't gotten back to me." The look from Kailey is ignored, for now. It'll be acknowledged later with a string of apologies, probably. "Here," Everett says, reaching back into his jacket for his zippo and offering it to Lyric. "I saw one of the Kelly twins do something with his to make light." The cherry end of his cigarette glows with his takes another puff and exhales it towards the ceiling. "I mean. More light," he adds to Lyric, before glancing at the archway and then heading in that direction.

"'cause he asked you to, I guess," Aidan replies to Kailey, "Maybe 'cause he knows I can heal? I mean. If someone got hurt." If. This can stay theoretical today, right? The slam of the door doesn't help there, and he makes an unhappy noise when it's combined with a sudden tight grip on his arm. It's not that bad, though, and he relaxes after a breath. "Man. I wish it wouldn't do stuff like that," he says, and studies the place, the mosaic again in particular, before moving to peer through the archway toward that watery sound.

Lyric takes the offered lighter and tilts her head before giving a grin, kinda sorta figuring it out. She knows what to do! Now, to do it! Holding it in hand,there's a glance at the evil clown and the word Tiny on it. With a smirk, she stands up and focuses that glimmer of hers on it to brighten the room to look around more than just at the volcano. Fwoosh! There's a big ol' ball of light and she giggles, "I'm glad I don't got cotton candy hair in this Dream." Cause obviously she does in others. Watching Aidan, she looks curious about the watery sound also. "What's in there? Should we all go together?" Cause she has the light and all.

Kailey releases Aidan's arm with a murmered, "Sorry," And cringing faintly. Bringing her own hands back she tugs at her shirt nervously. "So you can heal too? I...didn't actually know that was a thing. Mom couldn't do it and until Gray Harbor I didn't know anyone else who could do anything," She chats quietly as she moves after the others. Sticking back just a little bit. "Well, we're not going to get anywhere fast staying here," She says to Lyric as they move to look into what is beyond. And Kailey just jaw-drops a bit, staring with wide-eyed wonder at the lavafall. "Wow..."

Looking up, Devlin sees the new light. "Ok.. still having this does not hurt." He takes the chem light cracks it and then ties it off onto the cord. For now he just holds it in hand, "Guess we move forward towards the moving water." He pauses for a moment though to look over the mosaic. "This is nice.. " He pauses and then looks to the arch and then to the volcanic floor art, "Keep alert to sulfur smells.. just in case."

And once through the arch way.. "Just fuck me sideways with a rusty spork.... frack'n mosaic was telling us something." He looks at the bridge and then to the others, "Not the most stable thing in the world..Guess we cross here." If he's impressed by the view.. hard to tell.

Everett taps his nose with his left hand and then points at Aidan, while looking at Kailey when Aidan mentions healing. His angular brows rising at the woman as though asking a silent question. But in case the look is missed, he highlights the why with a serious look at Kailey, "You remember when I told you when my back got pin cushioned with wooden splinters?" Oddly, protecting Lyric at the time. The thug points his smoke holding fingers at Aiden, "He's the guy that put me, and my jacket, together again. So, stick with him. And thanks," those last two words directed to Aidan for either then, or now.

Eyeing the roots, Everett's hand goes to his hip. Where there would be a knife, if he wore it more. "Damnit." Seemingly out of ideas, muscles offers, "I'll cross first and break the roots off as I go so we have handholds?" He purses his lips, and then looks down at Lyric, "I don't suppose you can fly, Pixie?"

"'sokay," Aidan murmurs back, giving Kailey a quick, small smile, and then there's the view beyond the archway. This is far from the first Dream he's been pulled into, but they still have the ability to startle and impress, and he stares for a second or two at the lavafalls and waterfalls and the golden glow of the water, lips slightly parted, before pulling his gaze away to take in the rest. The bridge gets some particular focus. "I might be able to do something about those brambles. Or-- maybe make the stone stronger? Lemme see here..."

Lyric bobs her head to Kailey in agreement. It's once she is through the archway and she looks at the precarious bridges, the lava, the waterfalls, all such menacing things so it's at odds with her environment when she sounds more awe filled than anything. "It looks like REAL LIFE MINECRAFT!" That excites her and she grins at Everett, shaking her head, "You're the second person asked me that recently. I could throw a person over there though with my magics. Like I threw the zombie at the sea witch." So yeah, she could do that! Everyone but her. And maybe Everett, depending on his weight!

Devlin hmms, "Ok... lets give this a shot." And the chem light floats a couple of feet over his head, looking like a very wacked balloon with the dummy cord tied to it. "That should help with the lighting." He then looks to Aidan, "Was that you making the brambles go away? And how did you do that if it was you?" He then moves towards the bridge, "I'll give it a try first considering the ladies."

Kailey walks with great care as they cross the precarious bridge. Pausing now and again to get a better view of waterfalls or lavafalls. "You know...I think I won't be wanting for imagery to paint for awhile," She says idley on her last pause. Turning from the glowing heat there is a frown on her face. And it is directed at the doorway. "Someone's fighting in there," She says warningly.

The expression in Devlin's face drops some as he realizes what is happening beyond. "Just great.. and me without my battle rattle on... or a boomstick.." He takes a breath, "This will be about as fun as Everett trying to get Hera to agree to something.. If you paint some of this, I do want to see. May be something .. never mind.. business first." Attempting to be stealthy, Devlin moves up to get a better view of what is going on as no one is providing scorecards.

Across the bridge and while it's precarious, she manages to make it across without tripping up too much. It's a battle of wills though with the brambles. Seeing into the building though, as soon as she makes it over and is able to concentrate on something else, Lyric notices rats attacking someone! "Ohmigod!" With a look around, she sees some large boulders and while she doesn't want to get near the rats she uses her abilities to heave one of the larger ones over towards the rat! "Stupid rats are so gross." So gross.

Giving Aidan a glance while he volunteers, Everett carefully sidesteps and takes another pull from his cigarette, drawing up to the medic. Everett pats his breast pockets, making a show of it, while smirking, "I don't think I've got a spork." Rather than admit he hadn't paid attention to stupid mosaics, his smile ebbs slightly, and he offers Devlin, "What do you figure we have to look forward to next?"

Turning his attention back to the bridge, Everett watches the changes, and purses his lips, nods once and mutters, "... finger-wigglers," tight before he looks at Lyric with an amused smirk. Shaking his head softly, he mutters with his deep voice, "You are such a nerd," he murmurs, while Devlin floats a chemical light on a line. Crossing the bridge, Everett takes up the rear, in case his weight causes it to crumble, and when his name is taken in vein, he frowns, but good naturedly, "He--" he was about to object when large stones to whizzing past. He gives Lyric a look, a side-ways glance, before passing through the archway. "Hey, Ratatouille. Pick on someone your own size."

Well, it's not quite as effective as Aidan might've hoped, but it's something! He looks more or less satisfied with the changes, glancing to Devlin with a slightly surprised look at his questions. "Yeah. Um... I dunno how to explain how, exactly. You can do some weird stuff, right? I mean, you're here and you've got the spark. So, probably kinda like that..." He picks his way across the bridge, but doesn't seem to notice much about the scuffling noise until the others are talking about it.

two rusty assed sporks sideways.. is muttered to himself by Devlin as he drops the chemlight into a pocket. He then removes his helmet, "Sifu never taught how to deal with shit like this." <apuse> "Rats for a guess, E." He grabs the helmet's webbing with his left hand to use as a make shift shield/club. "Ok General.. lets see how good these Wellcos are for kicking rats.."

Oh yay there is fighting now. Kailey sighs audibly and brings up her hand. It's all very Star Wars like as she focuses on Everett. The almost invisible barrier shimmering pink when it protects him. Yes, pink iridescent to be exact. Then her attention turns to the others, staying back by the door. When Devlin gets bittens he cringes in sympathy and her hand does the little fling out again. She's not a fighter, not really, but protecting people in other ways? That she can do.

As it latches onto the medic and Lyric hears the warning from the kid, she gathers pebbles with her magics and starts pelting the rat thing with them. Nothing to damage it so much as distract it so it'll let go of the medic, successfully distracting it. Only.. then it notices her and starts coming for her! "Um.." Looking towards the rat, she tries to see if any of Devlin's clothing had gotten stuck in its teeth. She has her reasons, don't judge her!

Making himself a target, Everett slips his cigarette between his lips and dodges to the side as a rat peels off the boy and jumps for him, grabbing it and wrestling it down to the ground. A blow. Another, the brute holds down its head by the back of the skull with his left hand, while his other repeatedly lands blows on it. On the third strike, he murmurs, "... stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself," before his big hands rise up to grab about the reptilian-rat head and starts twisting. His lip curls back, the cigarette dropping ash while Everett falls back into childhood memories.

Aidan winces as the rat catches Devlin's arm, and glares at the creature, whereupon... absolutely nothing happens. Damn. Well, if at first you don't succeed... he tries again.

"Get off my arm mother fucker!!" the Medic yells out of surprise from being bit. Devlin doesn't notice the pink yet as he is intent on first trying to deliver a difficult kick to the devil rat. As that fails, Devlin switches to using the helmet in his left hand to pound the thing around it's head managing to deliver a few glancing blows that drive it off him. "You fucking piece of shit!!" and Devlin attempts a field goal however he misses the moving ball.

Kailey's eyes dart from rat to rat till they are all bloody or still messes on the ground. Only then does she move forward and, predictably, to Everett. "You okay?" She asks, sounding only minimally worried. Her gaze turns to Devlin and the wound, then back to the boy. "You said they were diseased? What kind?" A pause as he says a word she doesn't right away recognize. "Maestros?"

Again Devlin swings the aide bag infront of him, "I swear.. no grunts around.. the medic gets hit. ." He starts a string of cursing in a few languages. "I'll be ok.. I trained for this shit.. fuck'n rat better not make me have to do stitches on myself..." the rolling ground doesn't even phase him as he is well rooted. He starts digging into his aide bag. "You know something about the way the ground moved felt off.. any one else feel the same."

The rat is deterred and Lyric gives a grateful look to Aidan before flipping off the rat. "Stupid gross rat." It can't be said enough. Then the world begins to shake and she holds on to the nearest sturdy object. "It feels more like footsteps of something big." Of course that's her own guess, but she shares it with Devlin.

Twisting, pulling, turning,
ShlurrrppPOP!

A grunt escapes Everett's loosely held lips as he then pulls against the tearing sound and both his hands suddenly rise over his head. A violent splatter of dark green blood sets of the iridescent shield to flicker pink around him before it lands on his cheek, collar and shoulder. The rodent under him twitches, then stills while in his hands, its mouth and eyes continue to roll and move.

With a satisfied gasp, Everett stands, before he notices what he's holding, and casually tosses the leaking head to his side and looks around. Things seem handled, so with a bloody hand, Everett gingerly takes the cigarette from his mouth, exhales away from the crowd while he eyes the kid. When his lungs are empty, he upnods and murmurs, "S'up?"

Then he narrows his eyes with curiosity and distrust when the kid calls them that name. The further explanation causes Everett to mutter, "Oh. Fuck," while dark green ichor drips from his fingers. "It was only, like, two weeks for me," he adds under his breath, then crouching when the earthquake rattles the chamber, his gaze going up like it does, so he will see loose stone to dodge. To Kailey's question, Everett nods, and smiles gently, "Yeah, I'm good," he says, then looks at his green stained hands, before looking back to her. A pause before he adds with the hint of a question, "You should see the other guy?"

Unless he's stopped, Everett makes a reach to cup Kailey's cheek.
And spread some of that dark green ichor.

His attention turns back to the kid, "So tell us what's going on, and maybe make it quick. I guess if it's been a thousand years then you don't know what happened to Raven. Wait. Rav....Ravie. Ravenna?"

Aidan winces as the rat makes that sound, immediately looking guilty even if it was attacking them, and takes a breath, focusing on it for a moment. Whatever happens is quiet and subtle this time, and the rat goes still with a final breath. Aidan rakes a hand through his curls, just in time to get wobbled by the shaking, having to take a step to stay upright. A blink. "That wasn't an earthquake. Someone's using Essence magic to try and-- and do the opposite of what I did to the bridge. To break it down, destroy it. It seems like-- I mean I'm pretty good at it most days and I dunno if I could do something this big." He looks to the boy, "What's been going on?" A pause. "And, uh," he adds, looking to Devlin, "do you want me to... see if I can do something about that for you?"

With a level of skill that comes with lots of practice and knowledge, Devlin starts off by cleaning his wound and then using butterflying to close the wound. "Well.. if the disinfectant works.." He takes a breath and looks over to the kid, "This was Ravena? That market place were we ran into those robo guards?" He looks over to Lyric, "Foot steps.. what the hell? We dealing with a dino or something? A frak'm Abrams doesn't rattle the earth like that unless you got a couple dozen of them near by on the move."

"NO!" Kailey says louldy and suddenly as that ichor-covered paw comes up. Her eyes, possibly the same color, are wide as she takes a few steps back. The shaking ground barely seems to bother her. She brings a finger up and waggles it at Everett, "He said disease. You no touchy with that foulness on your hands babe."

Turning the pregnant woman looks the kid over again thoughtfully. "Okay..." She glances at Everett. "Is this some C.S. Lewis style shit?" Since he seems the most familiar of them all. Looking back to Jan, "What book?"

It register's with Devlin that Aiden offered to heal the wound. "Oh.. sure.. Got it wrapped and nicely cleaned. Don't think I got infected but never hurts to have insurance. Would do it myself.. but can't do that.. go figure." He looks to Everett, "you touch her with that blood and I will make sure Hera hears about it.. then where will your chances be to borrow space.."

Aidan makes a face at the whole spontaneous combustion thing. "You maybe oughta just let me--" he starts, to Devlin, and looks faintly relieved when the medic agrees. "I can't do it on me either, only other people. Which sucks, sometimes." Glancing back to Jan, he asks, "So, yeah: what book? What temple? How long's this been going on? And, well... why?" He steps over and gingerly sets a hand on Devlin's arm, near the injury, focusing on that for a moment.

"The book pulled it under? Which means the book is under there?" Lyric tries to deduce the location. "Where can we get to the book? Everett said somethin' about breakin' the book? With a shard?" Curious, she looks between Jan and Everett. "Can you take us there where it is? And can he," she jerks a thumb towards Aidan, graciously volunteering him, "heal you if you're hurt from the rats?"

The book... ...the book.
Everett narrows his eyes at Jan. There was something important not to do about the book. It's right there, tugging on the back of his brain before Kailey shouts and steps away from him causing Everett to look at his hands and then back up at her. "Sorry." And then, because he's really a 12 year old boy in a mostly grown adult's body, Everett makes grope-y hands in the air at Kailey, taking one step forward against her several back and makes a zombie-like sound. Then one at Lyric, too. Really. People let this guy vote.

But the serious question breaks Everett out of it, "The what and the what?" And then there's the mention of the book again. Book. What was that about the book. He frowns darkly, thinking hard. The smell of smoke lingers in the room either from between his ears or from his cigarette which he takes from his mouth, and flicks to the body of the lizard-rat he killed even if it isn't finished, looking at Devlin after, "Alright, alright." An upnod follows, "I don't suppose you have a moist towelette in th-- READ IT!"

Everett snaps, or tries to snap his fingers on his right hand as he points at Devlin. "That's it! Yeah." He looks at those around, "Don't. Whatever you do. Don't read any portion of the book." He smiles then, proud he remembered SOMETHING. Puppy wants a cookie. Everett signals Devlin's bag again, then gestures for him to bring it over. Or that moist towelette. "If it's anything like last time, we break through an obsidian wall, then break the book in the crystal and then stab the book with the crystal or set it on fire. Both seemed to annoy it."

A couple of towelettes are pulled out of the bag by Devlin along with cravat and passes them to Everett. "Use the cravat to dry off your hand if needed." He then inquires, "Ok, irritate a book? You make it sound like something out of D&D.. what is it.. a lich phylactery or something like it?" He then is.. "Uh.. what the fuck?"

Kailey mutters quietly under her breath, "Don't think we have a choice." In terms of taking care of it. She continues to dance back and away from Everett. A smirk grows and she says, "Stoooooop," To the giant. And he does. And it is about that moment that sound reaches her ears. And she turns fast on one foot to stare out the door. "Ghasts?!" She looks really worried. "Uhhhh..." No, Kailey doesn't play Minecraft when she has insomnia. Not at all...

Warmth flows from Aidan's fingers across and through the flesh of Devlin's arm, knitting and purifying it; it's slower than he'd prefer, stodgy-feeling from within. He jumps slightly when Everett suddenly bellows about reading, like he's been unaccountably possessed by educational TV, but then there's a 'don't' and a 'last time', and he brightens a bit at Everett's proposed solution. "I'm pretty good at setting shit on fire." We all have our talents. "What happens if we do read it?" Ev gets asked that one, not Jan; he seems to have encountered it more recently. He'd probably have agreed to try to deal with the thing, but that cry that comes back cuts off any words for a moment. "...whatever that is is your friend, right?"

Lyric listens attentively to the boy when he talks, looking confused at some things but giving him a nod too. "We can help." She's certainly not short on confidence, even when the sounds echo. "Show us then, but if you lead us to danger, you won't like what we will do." Her demeanor is suddenly very serious and very terse. Very not like her.

"Well that's not what the cop said," replies Everett to the kid's back, defensively, "What do I know." Glancing with distaste in the direction Jan's heading off in, Everett murmurs, "I'm sure that's fine," while he accepts the items from Devlin and starts opening them, leaving a line of liter behind him while cleaning his hands and cheek. "Naw," he replies to Devlin and then Aidan, "I don't know what it was. Just a book the chief of police told us not to read and when we all got to it we had to kill it. And then there was a fall upwards, back home." The words that follow are dismissive, like it happens all the time, "you know." With a glance at Lyric, Everett smirks, "Look at you. So tough," he adds, his smirk widening into a grin.

Nodding to the kid, "It's ok.. some of our experiences may use terms you don't know." He takes a breath at seeing the hugs bats, "Guess this is the local version of a camel or donkey then.." Devlin shrugs, "Well, in for a penny.." He moves up to try letting one get his scent and then petting it.

Kailey follows out and seems a little reluctant to climb up on the bat. She shuffles her feet and makes a soft noise in her throat. "Oh. Oh...bats. How...um...oh," She says and tugs at her shirt, looking just a little like a ghast herself. Paling and a bit sweaty as she spies their rides. "Just so you all know...I...I have a thing...with bats." And she is just sort of frozen in the doorway. A closer look and she's trembling.

"You can wait here." Lyric tells Kailey, since she seems adverse to going with the bat. But she's not one to be slowed down so she walks over to make sure it won't bite her and she pats it before nodding. "Ok, I'm goin'." A look to the others, then Jan. "Do we ride on them then?" Already going about climbing on it if that's the case.

Aidan does not have a thing with bats, judging by the delighted look when they arrive and the light of the lake flickers off and through their strangely translucent fur and skin. "Awesome," he murmurs, then looks faintly chagrined when it becomes clear this is an Issue for Kailey. "It'll be okay," he assures her, as though he had some way to make sure this is the case. Which he does not. But he does seem to believe it, at least. Like Devlin, he moves toward one, offering his hand toward it in case it would like to smell him before he pats its head, and strokes the fur. Then strokes it some more. It's so soft!

Following along, Everett makes sure he's gotten the last of the dark green from the webbing between his middle and ring finger of his left hand when he stops. And looks up. Gigantic fuck-off bats. His stoic expression doesn't change while he glances over the nearest one, then the one next to it with a mixture of disbelief and nope. Finally, the towelette resumes scrubbing while he doesn't take his eyes off the bats, and then flings the trash over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, sure," Everett murmurs, nonplussed, while he walks over to Kailey, and slings a clean arm around her shoulder, glancing from her to the sky-rodent and back, "Ok, look. I mean. Sure. Maybe you never grew up in my kind of neighborhood where we flew gigantic-fuck-off-vampiric-bats all the time, but if it helps any, you can think of them as gigantic-fuck-off-fruit-bats, ... that also make the ugliest noise I've ever heard." He pauses a tick, then turns his back to the bats so he can put his hands on Kailey's shoulders, "Or, look at me. Or, you and me stay here and the others do this on their own, maybe, 'cuz I'm not leaving you alone." He points his first two fingers at his eyes, "Yeah? You can do this. I believe in you, Kiki." Everett's long hair bobs when he nudges towards an unoccupied bat, "Give it a pet, and let it smell you. It's just like Bean's puppy." Only with wings. And big.

Devlin says, "May as well give it a go." He then mounts up, "Well, lets mount up and follow Jan. Only way we will get the answers.."

"Pu-puppy?" Kailey's voice cracks a bit as she stares hard at the bats. Another whine crawls out of her throat as she leans in against Everett. The offered meat is looked at thoughtfully. A look at the bats and then back and she takes the jerky fast. In an impulsive manner she shoves a bite into her mouth and starts chewing. "Okay. Yeah. Right...I'm gonna fly a giant fucking bat. Right," Her voice is a little shrill as she chews around the jerky. But she only manages to walk to about five feet away from one. When it moves she squeels and runs behind Everett. Breathing hard she takes another bite of the jerky as she clings to the giant's jacket. "Okay...yep. I can do this..." And then she takes a small step towards it. "Can two people ride one?" She asks hopefully.

Getting friendly with one, Lyric pets it and grins at Aidan before bobbing her head to Jan to let him help her get in the harness. She goes very willingly, even eagerly. The mention of the stuff to settle Kailey's fears gets him a scowl though, "She's gonna have a baby she can't have some things. She's got her boyfriend with her they can wait here and be safe."

"Skypuppies," Aidan agrees, happy to support this claim of Everett's, while he tests out scritching his behind the ear. He grins back at Lyric, and moves to attempt to get properly mounted and harnessed, though chances are pretty decent Jan'll have to come correct something, since Aidan's never done this before. He watches Kailey with some concern, before offering, "I could... try to make you feel not-scared?"

His pep talk having worked, Everett heads off towards his own, just in time to get hidden behind again. Kailey's given a reassuring hug with one arm, before the giant looks to his own bat. Pointing at his own eyes, he points at the bat, then does the same ritual as the others, let it smell him and the lingering snort of towelette and lizard-rat blood before getting awkward pets. "Fuckin' weird shit you do in these things," he mutters to the bat. With purpose, petting its fur to fluff it into a mohawk. Or as much as one he can quickly manage. "There. Now you look bad-ass. I'mma call you Spike. C'mon, Spike. Let's go save the world."

Everett saddles up. Yeehaw?

"Thanks," Devlin says to Jan. He pauses as he dismounts.. "Ying Yang? The balance.." He takes a breath, "Just a feeling.. or I heard it in my head... I think. If the book did that. Not sure if that is a good sign myself. Hope someone knows more than I about these things."

Kailey turns to look at Aidan with huge relief and nods her head. How quickly she forgets her own abilities other have, and can be used on her. "Oh yes, please. I...mmmm," She wrinkles her nose and gives herself a shake. "Thank you." And when the effects of jerky and Aidan's own skills wash over her there is a soft sigh. Shoulder relax and she gets an almost goofy grin. "Whoa...nice," And she gives the curly-haired healer two thumbs up.

It makes mounting and getting strapped in easier. Especially with Everett helping. And instead of screaming when the bat launches off the edge she gives a yelp, holds on tight, and just pretends she is on a roller coaster.

Aidan doesn't often use that particular manifestation of the power -- he didn't used to be as good at it, and it's one of the more awkward things to get caught attempting -- but he is very good at 'relaxed and cheerful', and he passes that right on. He holds on tightly, and, roller-coaster-like, gives a fairly joyful whoop as they dive. He trusts Jan and the bats, apparently.

He's almost disappointed when they land, even after that feeling in his blood, but all good things etc. "...'Hymns of Blood and Ashes'," he reads, eyeing the tome. "...I kinda feel like I should set it on fire." Which is not an unfamiliar feeling, but this one feels like he really should probably set it on fire.

Lyric grins back at Aidan and then she's suddenly taking flight with her bat. Her voice echoes back, sounding delighted. "Yes, Everett! I can fly! Woooooooo!" It sounds like she's enjoying herself at least, taking in the area as the bat lands. She unfastens by doing what Jan had done in fastening her, but doing it backwards. Turning back to the bat, she nuzzles him, rubbing her cheek to his soft one. "Thank you for bringing me." A little more nuzzling. "Wow.." she comments once she's let go of the bat and she's looking down at the surface they landed on. "Looks kinda like obsidian mixed with magma blocks. Maybe magma cubes." More Minecraft talk. With a grin, she looks around again, towards the centerpiece. The tree. The book. "Why not just take it away from here? Maybe it just has to be gone?"

Settling himself in his own harness, Everett ganders at the gander's goose and smirks softly before he leans over and gives her a hand with her own straps. "Here you go, Kiki. It's easssyyyYYYYY... <font size=-2>... mmmmotherfucker!</font>," as Spike leaps off and joins the others. Silent for the remainder of the flight, the giant keeps his head low, either to keep from being brained or to be less of an air break and then then land, Everett's all to happy to slip from the harness and walk up to Spike's front end, holding the bat with his left hand. Maybe more to steady himself. Then Everett adjusts Spike's mohawk again from the wind swept treatment it received.

To Devlin, the ape nods, "Yeah. Some kind of circle of life stuff?" Everett approaches and stops before he reaches the shelter of the tree, watching the 'sap'. "That's. New." He looks over at Aidan, then nods his head, "You felt like torching, right?", echoing Aidan's own words. To the others, he offers, "I dunno what happens after this, but. Burning magical books and all?" He shrugs a big shoulder, "Can't be good." Looking up at the tree, the giant looks over at Aidan next.

A bit of nerding out on Devlin's part, "Never was a good thing to burn ancient magical texts in just about any swords and sorcery stuff I have read or played.. If I can help, yeah.. but I get the feeling to paraphrase a lot of helmsmen in Trek.. Raise Shields..." And with that he brings up the protection that physical can bring. "So.. what do I do next?"

For all she is calm and cheerful, she gets off that bat awful fast. As her feet hit the rock she smiles nervously at the flying beast and steps away. Out onto the obsidian and away from the creatures. Nice bats.

As they enter and she eyes the words she shakes her head and says, "I can't...nope. Not getting it. But...I don't think going Sith on the book will help...but maybe we should be ready for something to attack us?" She offers as the rumbling gets worse, looking at Aidan and then Everett and then Aidan again. "If you're burning it, we should protect you probably..."

Aidan slides down off his bat, and gives it a fuzzle and a hug with some murmured thanks, then takes a few steps closer to the book. "You said you guys had to destroy the other one, right?" he says to Everett, "'cause I think-- I think it's gotta be fire." Glancing to Devlin, he adds, "You can prolly burn things too, if you try. See if you can help me?" He takes a breath and focuses on the book, bringing his hands close to his chest and then pushing them forward in a motion familiar to some video game players, attempting to send a fireball to engulf the thing.

Devlin nods, "Alright.. lets see what I can do." He then takes a calming breath and lets his mind clear. "When ready." He begins a qi gong focusing exercise as he gather's qi to prepare to unleach these newish energies at the book.

Gritting his teeth on the ground and sounding pained, "Fuck you.. never quit.." and Devlin does his best to unleash what he can at the book

Kailey frowns as the shield she knows was around Devlin doesn't do all that much good. As he is slammed down into the ground. She cringes and bites her lower lip. The bats screeching has her taking a step back before she throws a glittering irridescent pink bubble around herself. "Devlin, take cover!" She calls out from where she stands towards the back. Almost with the bats. Giant bats at her back. Good thing Aidan's good at tweaking her emotions. She's chill about it. Though they do get a glance that might be vaguely nervous.

To Aidan's question, Everett nods, "Yeah, I stabbed with a shard of the crystal that it was entombed in and that cop did other stuff. Really, the whole lot of them were flinging their finger-wiggling effects at it. But I'm pretty sure the crystal was what it didn't like in the first place. In this case." Everett looks at the tree, then the book. Then the tree. Then Everett jerks his thumb at the tree, "I think we have to torch the tree, maybe, before we torched the book?" But he doesn't sound certain. "But I'm not so certain, you know. These things aren't my area of expertize."

Regardless of what he says, though, when the tree fights back, and knocks Devlin down, Everett runs over to help the man to his feet. "Nevermind me; you got this bud. Leave it crispy."

Lyric knows she can help, kinda, so she focuses herself on Aidan since he'd been having a little trouble. He manages to hit the book and the medic damages it too. It seems smooth sailing.. until the book fights back. She then shields herself just as Devlin goes down and as Everett goes to help. She stays near Aidan though, opting to help him if she can in any way,

Aidan has not attended the School of Action Hero One-Liners, so his retort to the book isn't something pithy about bloodshed or books or the importance of reading but simply, "No." As though the first had been a warm-up, or as though Devlin falling were a catalyst, his hands draw back and forward again, sending another gout of flame at the book, and this one hits true and hard, exploding the book into fragments that dig into and take out parts of the heart of the tree, before the heat and flames devour the rest, golden tracings of fire flowing up along the veins of sap. There's the barest flicker of a grin toothier and less pleasant than his usual, satisfaction in the conflagration. Hopefully they've done it right, but at least they've done it well.

Not able to see Devlin go down and stay down, Everett rushes over to pull roots from one of the people doing damage to books.
Of course, it had to be books.

Devin first, then Everett, so the other man can keep the pressure on Lucifer's Ledger. Which is where he is when the blast catches him, and Jan. The boy-coward, runs with Spike. SPPIIKKKEEE! Everett reaches, arms flailing while he's falling, then floating. And then coughing, jolting awake on the living room sofa, looking around stunned, for a moment, not knowing where he is.

"Mother. Fucker."