Log:Key of Edom

2014/12/27 Ebon Star Grimm Matt Sasha 1 Artists' Quarter

This district is bisected by Pennyroyal Lane, which runs southwest to northeast, winding down from Colonial Heights then continuing on the level to Golden Sands. And "artistic" flare permeates the whole district, but its nature varies greatly, from the truly (or pretentiously) artistic in the housing, cafes and galleries east and south of the road, through the showy, even garish, commercialism around Pennyroyal Lane, to the more suspect pleasures of the red light district in the north and east.

Matt was called in by the gemologist..or so she calls herself, really she's a sham of a semi-precious gem seller, trying to tell people how green jade absorbs evil and such. He's been supplying her as one of his sources of income. He's come over because she's called, its sort of late, but she's been a good client, so he doesn't really mind. Knocking on the door, there's no answer, "Diane!..its Matt! Are you in there?" he looks at his holo and sees the request to come over as soon as possible. Whats going on?

Ahhh, the artist's quarter. A place for artsy students, art enthusiasts, antiquers, and the magically inclined who know about Lucky Finds. The place itself is run by an irresponsible, lucky girl who has no idea what land mines she's sitting on. So of course it's the target of less than savory elements.

And today, it's being targeted by a man in a black robe with a red half-mask. The door is busted wide open, blasted inwards. But now the would-be thief is trying to leave, and facing off with Grimm, who stands a few meters before him. "Ohhh, this day is truly fortuituous! Never did I suspect the Key of Edom to come to ME!" the acolyte taunts with a flourish of his wand, holding a strange, intricately carved jar.

"Oh-ho! Now that's a title I haven't often heard," Grimm taunts, her shadow stretching out along the pavement as an aura of darkness surrounds her, four black tentacles spreading out from her. She's here! She's alive! She's...just as she often is. But terrifying.

Oh...oh god. Those shadowing tentacles. Stretching. It's like the Tall Man, that creeping darkness...those things of shadows.

Blades of pure light form from his fists, (think Wolverine) Matt's eyes grow wide when he sees he tentacular horror, his mind is ready to shut down..but now he's got mage sight, and he can tell that it isn't the tall man..its someone he's seen more often and more recently. "Grimm!" he says happy, in an upward grabbing motion, he sends the concrete under the man's body to encase him to the neck.

The Demon Acolyte leaps aside from the uprising concrete. "Curse you! Not now, when the Key is right within my reach!" He waves his wand in a circle overhead and flicks it at Grimm.

Grimm looks over at Matt, looking rather surprised to see him happy to see her. NO ONE is happy to see her. Except maybe Malcolm. And then, a ball of hellfire strikes her as she tries to backpedal, which doesn't help at all in evading the spell. The ball hits her with so much force that it winds her, knocking her back and sending her rolling into the street. Grimm grunts in pain and curls up on the ground, trying to suck air back into her lungs.

Matt almost growls, the last time he saw Grimm, she was swallowed by a rug, and wasn't sure if he was going to see her again. Now that he has some jerk with a wand wants to take her down? Not acceptable. "Hellfire? I'm going to break you.." he says, He leaps/flies at the guy his hands are covered in martial boxing gloves lined with what looks like brass knuckles, if brass knuckles were made of stone, and gloves were made of light. He is starting to be able to meld elements

Still smoldering from the hellfire blast, Grimm remains in the street curled into a semi-fetal position, sucking in air. The acolyte gets blasted back into Lucky Finds, crashing into a rack with shelves of various dried rare herbs and strange items stored in liquid. There's a clatter and crash as he slumps into the shelving. His mouth is twisted in an expression of pain and frustration. "I didn't want to use this so soon, but...the Key is worth much more than a simple demon."

He smashes the carved jaw by throwing it on the ground towards the store entrance as he rises to his feet. Smoke swirls and rises up with the sound of chittering bugs as cockroaches, worms, rats, flies, and maggots start to appear in the form of a humanoid. The smoke clears as the demon made of vermin fully forms.

Matt looks at the vermin demon. "Dammit..dammit.." The Acolytes not going anywhere..he doesn't care about the demon, he thinks..hopes he can take the demon, but the summoner..he's the source, so he has to be taken care of.

The cement from beneath the wood floors seems to ungulate and the wood warps to let the liquid seeming concert grow and spread, and with an upthrusting of Matt's hand, it engulfs the Acolyte to the neck. "Got you this time jerk." but now he's got a whole different problem to face..

The DEMON acolyte is engulfed by the cement and wood, struggling in vein to free himself and his want. The demon lurches towards Matt and Grimm, its focus on Grimm. "What are you doing!? Free me!" the acolyte commands.

The demon turns its ever-twisting features towards the acolyte. "I serve the Kings of Edom, not you, little mage. The Key is all that matters." It turns back towards Grimm and reaches a hand towards her. That hand starts to grow and extenda in a swarm of vermin, the hand at the end of the distended limb swelling even more to a meter in width as he swipes at her.

The massive hand made of a swarm of vermin wraps around Grimm and tightens about her before she can fully recover from the hellfire blast. "Guhhh....get AWAY...froomm.....meeEEEH!" It squeezes the air of out her lungs as it crushes around her. She goes limp and her head drops forward. A few errant cockroaches and centipedes crawl over her. Into her hair. Underneath her shirt collar. And a huge swirling mass around her torso.

Matt is now faced with a demon of malintent and he's hurt Grimm. why does everyone want to hurt her? She isn't weak, but he will protect her. "Demon, you picked the wrong person." Wicked claws grow from the gloves, lightning arcs between the claws, and the gloves grow to encase his arms, they become a sheath around him and he jumps in slashing at the arm that holds Grimm.

The patrolling thing is becoming something of a habit under Eden's influence and so it is that she hears the ruckus in the block over there and drifts smoothly in that direction. By hero standards she's not that fast but kind of steady, robe ruffling in the wind as she drops over a nearby skyline.

At Matt's slashing, a gap is cut into the arm, but the swarm swirls and fills in again to make it solid. Some of the bugs are crushed and flung against the cement.

Ebon Star gestures to the anthropomorhic swarm of insects with a gripping gesture and a low distorted voice resonates. "Be Still."

The vermin Demon draws Grimm in towards it, reeling her limp form towards it. "At least, the Key is ours. The Kings of Edom will reward us with far reaching lands for her." Its voice is a chorus of chittering, buzzing, screeching sounds. It creates its own two-part disharmony. It starts to walk in a clumsy manner as it coordinates its swarm, heading for the manhole cover in the center of the street. Its free hand reaches out and lifts the manhole cover, while a vestigial limb (more of a tentacle, really), starts to bulge and stretch from its stomach and whip around to snap at Matt.

The explosion of Vermin strikes matt full on, he tries to block off the attack, but there is simply too much, the sheer mass of what comes his way causes some pain, and threatens to knock him off his feet, he is sent flying, but even as he hits ground on his back he rolls to a standing position. "NO!" he shouts as the vermin beast begins to head below.

It takes only a moment for Ebon Star to survey the scene and discern that unconscious heroes being dragged away by a belligerent body of bugs is bad. Drifting fractionally closer before bending her will to freeze the adversary in place trying to clamp it vice-like where it stands.

The vermin demon starts to jitter and slow to a crawl, and then a halt. A few cockroaches skitter and crawl into the manhole, but the main mass stays still.

Matt sees the entry of the new hero, he's not sure what she's done, but since Lightning didn't have much affect, he knows that bugs hate flames, and lucky for him, he's got tons to spare. The air around his body begins to roil with heat as his hand become engulfed in flames, he once again attempts to sever the hand that holds Grimm Fast.

The pile of vermin screams a cacaphony. "Mind witch!" its form hisses as it seems to just glide over the pavement to the opened manhole cover, fleeing from Matt's reach. It starts to swirl down into the manhole, dragging Grimm with it.

Matt watches the Vermin demon drop into the sewer with Grimm, he felt close to ending it with the demon, but he didn't have the chance, but he's not going to let it get away either, he runs to the open manhole and drops in, his hands still flaming, ready to fire off a salvo if he can sight it.

With nightvision, Matt can see the Rat King four meters away from the manhole ladder, trying to slink off as it trudges through the knee-deep cold storm drainage flowing through the sewer. There are elevated walkways on each side of the walls to allow dry passage. Some of the rats that compose the vermin demon's body 'jump ship' and swim away in the water squeaking violently, while others scamper higher up the body.

Matt see's the Ratking and wants it to let go of Grimm, he takes sight and lets loose a gout of flame that he hopes it will not like enough for its inhabitants, the vermin themselves to choose to leave the King. He pours himself into the blast in hopes of hurting the Ratking more.

The heat from the fiery strike slams the vermin demon against the wall of the sewer. A spray of bugs splatter against the wall. Some burned and crispy ones fall away into the water and float down the current. It's body undulates as it redistributes its mass to make up for the loss, becoming slimmer looking and a tad shorter. It raises its free hand, which starts to become larger and longer as it bulks up into a clubby appendage, then tries to bring it down to swat the annoying hero.

The robed form of Ebon Star is sheathed in a slowly rotating cloud of fuliginous droplets that coalesce, ripple, and separate in a stately patttern, bulging here and there into stellated points. She drifts deliberately over to the manhole as though lighter than air, her pace steady, unhurried, and sedate by meta-human standards. Either she doesn't have a vested interest in saving Grimm, doesn't understand the situation or simply doesn't have a higher gear.

Matt blinks as the mass of vermin grows and attempts to club him into submission, It might work, it might not, he braces for impact though...

Drifting downward into the confines of the sewer Ebon Star simply points a gloved finger at the milling mass of mice and maggots. What exactly pointing at the thing is supposed to achieve is anyone's guess. The mentalist's electronically distorted voice sounds even more eerie in the confines of the sewer. "You will only lead us to your master's sanctum. Your reward will be nothing but suffering. Drop the sorceress and depart."

The massive gross clubhandappendagething smashes into Matt, his body bends to the impact, before unbending violently against the side of the sewer wall..."Ungh!" he says eloquently as he's hammered hard.

The vermin demon chortles in a chorus of what probably passes as a laugh for the strange demon as Matt strikes the wall and Ebon Star just points. But then the thing screeches, clicks, and squeaks. The club hand shrinks down into a normal hand again and clutches its head. Then it drops Grimm along the dry walkway, where she lands in a heap with a thumb, so that it can grip its 'head' with the other. It starts to lose form and shape as the cohesive demonic energy holding it together disappates. It breaks apart into its individual parts. Cockroaches scatter. Rats scamper. Maggots just writhe about on the ground. Some of them are crawling and squirming over Grimm as they are no longer controlled by the demonic force, trying to flee the predators in the area.

Matt shakes off the hit and flies to Grimm. He cradles her in his arms and hopes she's ok, as he floats, disgusted by the maggots that are all over her, but still, he carries her up and out of the sewer. Once out he flies her to the nearest sidewalk and lays her down, leaning her back against the nearest wall. He feels gross...he's got bug guts and maggots and other grossness all over him..but he kneels near Grimm and tries to check for a pulse and look for normal breathing and the field stuff he's learned. Medic was never his real calling..

Ebon Star hovers for a moment, silently observing the dissipation of the conglomerate creature. The heavily distorted voice remains neutral <>

As Matt seems quite concerned Ebon Star's gloved hands glide a series of intricate and arcane gestures. She becomes very still as she focuses her energies and her skill on the task at hand.

Grimm's pulse is strong, and she's breathing normally. She's probably going to bruise from the hits she took, but otherwise, she's going to be fine. She's just knocked out.

After a few moments of fervent concentration a beam of some sort of translucent energy drifts from Ebon Star to Grimm, which seems to have done no harm but neither is Grimm yet conscious. More concentration and more gestures follow, and more.

The sound of skateboard clattering down the street heralds the arrival of Sasha. He appears to be rocking out to something on his PDA while he thrashes down the street and sidewalk.

Matt watches the healing magic take place, when he can kind of tell Grimm has been healed by the signature of the magic that was just performed..he then flies her out and puts her down on the sidewalk..

"This is not as easy as some people make it look." Ebon Star observed drily as she flies after Matt and his burden. "You may want to ensure that your captive is still secure, it would be embarrassing if he were to win free while we are focussed of first aid." She begins another round of still focus and arcane gestures.

Grimm is still being dragged around as a few bugs drop off of her from all the carrying. It may be a blessing that she's unconscious at the moment.

Sasha slows to a stop not far from Ebon Star and the unconscious Grimm and conscious Matt. He cocks his head to one side, "Sup Matt?"

Matt nods to Ebon Star..he goes back to the book store, to find the DEMON Acolyte.

Ebon Star completes a third sequence of gestures, which takes a few seconds to complete before a sudden burst of incandescence erupts from her form to engulf Grimm, bathing her in a warm luminous radiance that highlights her features to flattering effect and her eyelids begin to flutter.

The DEMON acolyte just inside of Lucky Finds, grasped by an cement bonds Matt made. Matt lands lightly inside the store, he cocks his head to the side, and says to the acolyte, "You're going to explain a few things to me. And If I don't like what I hear, I'm going to have that cement hand that's holding you, crush you. Do you understand?"

Sasha watches Matt head into Lucky Finds then turns his attention back to the recently healed Grimm and her healer Ebon Star. "Wow, that was really cool, mam'selle Ebon Star. You fixed her up good." He grins down at Grimm then turns his smile on Ebon Star. "So, got everything handled but calling the police?"

Ebon Star looks to the new arrival. "The sorceress..." she gestures to Grimm. "Was accosted by a member of DEMON and an abomination made from sewer vermin, Matt restrained the DEMON minion, and beat the summonling to the point where it was easily dispelled." Her shoulders lift. "My instructor is correct that my skills remain clumsy and ill-directed. I think Matt is going to investigate further." She looks over to the shop, hoping Matt isn't serious about the crushing thing - that would make things awkward.

Grimm groans softly as her eyes flutter, and then finally open. "What hit me...?" she murmurs as she rapidly comes around. The radiant light does manage to flatter her features. Soft lighting always makes people look flattering. But then she sees a cockroach skittering along her leg and sees a centipede crawling along her arm, which makes the effect lose a little something. "Ah!" she instinctively turns into a transparent shadow (literally) of her former self, the vermin from the demon falling through her and onto the ground.

Ebon Star goes still once more, focusing on the discarded insects, her darkened cowl set in an attitude of intense concentration as she makes a different series of gestures and five of the bugs warp and twist, turning into brightly coloured butterflies that flutter a little awkwardly and confusedly into the night.

The acolyte's eyes gleam with dedicated madness behind his half mask. "Then crush me, worm. I will die doing His work."

Sasha watches the dual displays of magick as if studying a really clever trick. "Very nice," he murmurs. "I especially like the butterflies. Keeps it simply and less creepy." He kicks his skateboard up into hand then places a hand over his throat. In an altered, older voice, the youth calls out, "Shall I contact COVEN to come and deal with him, sir? I know a few people who know people."

Ebon Star's voice, heavily distorted as it obviously is drifts from where she stands next to Grimm. "I am not sure who hit you, it could have been the moronic DEMON minion or his rather more intelligent summoning." Her cowled head inclines toward Sasha. "Thank you." Her attention flickers to the doorway though that involves no motion of any sort. "DEMON minions delight in luring the innocent and honorable into corruption, twisting righteousness into poisonous vengefulness."

Matt smiles, an evil smile, as his hand begins to glow a bright white light, "Who is this "his"? Do you see this light? Looks a bit holy doesn't it? I am a conduit of the gods, even the holy ones. I am going to cut you off from him and you will vanquished by a lord of light, and when you are, do you think your demon will take you? With the stink of the holy upon you?" he smiles again, "You will be left with nothing."

Grimm clambers to her feet, then watches in amazement as the now-butterflies flutter away. "Okay. THAT was amazing." Her skin feels like it's crawling a little less now with the distraction, and the healing has her feeling much better. She returns to the world of solid color now that the bugs are off her, but she hasn't realized that she's floating three inches off the ground as she 'stands' there.

"You are nothing!" The acolyte laughs at Matt. "Do you really think that threat means anything to me? You are no lord!"

Sasha grins slightly as he says, "My how you have grown, mam'selle Grimm. So imposing now." He points behind the two ladies out front and says, "Look! A distraction!" Then his forms shimmers for a moment as he becomes Harlequin. "Let me go help, young Mr Regent," he murmurs in only fainted European accented RP. The mage strides into Lucky Finds as he smiles widely behind the mask.

Ebon Star turns to drift in the direction of Matt and his captive. "You should come talk to your stalker... I'm sure he has many stories of unrequited fancy to lavish us with. How he has warmed himself to sleep with the image of abducting you." Drifting into the book store after Harlequin.

Grimm smirks in amusement at Sasha's skillful distraction technique. "Really? That was some distraction. Clearly you've had training, because the way you had us fooled? Chilling." She steps down on the ground and follows after the others, her gaze taking in all the magical artifacts within the shop.

Pulling up just inside the store and some little way off the ground Ebon Star regards the scene. "His conditioning will be to try to kill us and escape, if that cannot be achieved he will try to corrupt us, sowing seeds of suspicion and discord. If he is in danger of revealing anything substantial he will die and his soul subjected to unimaginable torment. If we release him his superiors will conclude he is in league with us or a bumbling incompetent, either way they will slay him." Her cowled head shakes. "I am honestly at a loss as to how his life is not forfeit regardless of how we proceed."

Sasha waves jauntily to the acolyte as the eyes behind the lenses of his mask begin to glow a sooty red. "It is a difficult balance I walk, boy," he murmurs in a casual tone. "In order to not feed my own soul to the Lower Hierarchy, I have to feed others to it." He pauses as he glances at you. "You are sworn to one other than whom I draw power from, so your lord's loss would be my patron's gain. Care to prolong you existence?"

Matt smiles, "I am not a lord, I am only their conduit." his hand reaches out and the brilliant white glow grows as he gets closer to the acolyte, "Feel the power of my lord. Feel your eyes burn with its holiness." He pauses.."His soul will be cleansed.." but he doesn't do whatever it was he was going to do..yet

Matt turns and see's Harlequin's powers manifesting.

The acolyte laughs. "Your Pagan lord, you mean? Yes, please do."

Grimm bristles slightly with a ripple of dark energy around her. She's seen Harlequin use black magic before, so at least this time it doesn't take her by surprise.

Sasha murmurs gently, "Mr Regent, could you step aside for a moment. This is not something you should do. Your path lies in a different, higher direction." He cocks his head at the acolyte. "So?"

Having presented her synopsis Ebon Star falls silent, darkened cowl set at an angle as she watches the scene unfold. Beneath the cowl her eyes roll, of course the DEMON dupe is going to try to provoke them, feed their rage and lead them into darkness. She just hadn't anticipated it would be that clumsy. She seems content that an old hand like Harlequin doesn't need further input in whatever effect he is aiming for.

Matt floats off..his hand still glowing brightly.

The acolyte maintains that maddening smile of a devotee. Perhaps Ebon Star's assessment was on point. "Your patron is insignificant compared to ours. It will do it no good."

Sasha murmurs as he looks deep into the acolyte's eyes. "Well, even if you die, I'll just bring back your shade to answer my questions, fool." A sooty red bolt flashes from Harlequin's eyes as a faint hint of brimstone fills the air. To those who can see, yes, it is not an illusion but true Black Magic. Its corrosive spiritual effects are blunted on the mage as if he uses it without being owned by it. Must rather be like riding a man-eating tiger.

The acolyte shrinks back as best he can from Harlequin while still held fast, his eyes growing wide behind the mask.

Sasha cocks his head to one side. "You see, fool, /I/ am not a hero. Those behind me are and will save you fro destruction. I would just as easily cast you into Hell then drag you back as a powerless ghost to serve me." One can almost hear the grin in his voice. "So, care to answer my questions? Or shall I scourge your soul again?"

Grimm sneers a little as black shadows outline her hand and stretch into claws. "Ohhh, I'm not here to save this DEMON b******. I'm here to BURY him," she growls with unconcealed loathing, clenching her jaw.

With Harlequin's spell, convincing acting, and a very angry Grimm who is not acting, the Acolyte trembles and awaits the question.

Sasha murmurs softly, "Who sent you here? And why, fool?" HIs tone is clinical detached. Almost as if he does not care.

Ebon Star remains silent and still, hovering a few feet off the ground. Her darkened cowl lifts as Sasha poses his question and she focuses her attention on the Acolyte, settling all of her mystical perceptions on his form and any items he might be carrying.

The acolyte starts to speak. "I was sent by the Morbane to steal an artifact containing a demon for him to use. But...but then I thought to use it when the Key---eeeyAAAARRGGHH!" The acolyte suddenly bursts into flame with wretched screams.

Ebon Star starts frantically, gesturing, gloved hands rippling in a sudden flurry as the captive's form is wreathed in angry orange tendrils, his cries ripping through the confines of the shop with clouds of acrid smoke and the crack and sizzle of splintering concrete.

Matt doesn't really want this guy to burn..not when he was being so cooperative..he opens his hands and large globules of water start to pelt the man, like being hit by numerous water balloons, minus the balloons...

A large blue eye appears on Harelquin's forehead and bathes the burning acolyte in a blue beam. Harlequin shakes his head as the Akashic Eye looks into the dying man.

Matt waves his hand and the cement encasement sinks back into the floor.

The raging inferno vaporizes some of the water, and the stone encasement guards against some of the water. The acolyte's screams die away and he goes limp.

Grimm stares in horror, her claws disappearing. "Harlequin...oh my god, what've you done??"

Ebon Star reverts to a more familiar sequence of gestures though some of the components have changed as she focuses less on superficial injuries and more on trying to preserve the Acolyte's life force. Within the cowl her brow furrows. Did Harlequin just do what she thinks he just did because she'd always been told that was REALLY bad.

As she completes her spell a burst of faintly blue tinged brilliance suffuses the scene as a torrent of positive energy hums toward the thrashing, screaming figure of the acolyte.

After the encasement drops away and Sasha looks into the acolyte's mind, the acolyte goes quiet and falls onto the floor of the shop in a burning heap. Ebon Star can sense the agony and distress in the acolyte's mind fade to blackness. Her healing magic rewards her with some effect, as she can sense some of his mind again.

The Akashic Eye examines the burning man for a moment then the eye transforms into a blazing eye a la the Eye of Sauron. It seems to fight against the mage as it causes the acolyte to stop screaming when Ebon Star returns him to consciousness. The acolyte does not seem to be suffering any longer but the fires do not go out either. Blood begins to leak from beneath Harlequin's mask as he turns the magic of the Netherworld to a use it was never intended for.

Matt fires off more water globs as the encasement drops...

Even as the first bolt of energy erupts from Ebon Star she begins a new sequence of gestures, cycling through the spell again, her movements controlled but frenetic, striving for as much speed as she can muster while maintaining her focus.

The water has little or no effect on the demon fire, so matt tries once more. he is afraid that he could cause more harm than good...

This time it is not globules of water, but a decent deluge that hits the burning man.

Sasha grates out. "Just...let...him...pass...He...is...already...dead..." The mage takes in a deep breath as he tries to physically reach up to guide the blazing eye.

Ebon Star ceases her spell, hands folding in front of her. Beneath her cowl her teeth clamp on her lower lip for a moment. Her shoulders lift as she takes a long, slow, deep breath for the count of ten, then just as slowly exhales before repeating the pattern, as though she was in some sort of meditation exercise even as she hovers just off the floor.

While Ebon Star's attempt to counter the damage of the curse is valiant, she can't keep up with the speed at which the fire is consuming the Acolyte. Harlequin gathers information from the acolytes mind as he passes, at some personal cost to himself. Being in the mind of someone as they die can be traumatizing. But at least the acolyte doesn't feel the pain anymore. Matt's watery blast finally doses the flames on the acolyte, but the dark curse has done its work.

Grimm covers her mouth as the smoke rises off of the burned acolyte. It took her a moment to see the curse in place that caused the fire. She had claimed she was going to kill the acolyte, but she didn't really have the ire to go through with it. And seeing what Morbanes do to their own who talk just confirms why she hates them so much. "Doing this to their own men. As if DEMON wasn't bad enough...those sick...twisted..." she quietly says a few choice curse words aimed at the organization, then falls silent, unnerved by events.

Matt stops with the water as the charred husk of what used to be a man is left smoldering in its wake. He is not exactly sure what just happened, but he isn't happy about it. His voice is even, not judging, "Sasha..did you do that to him?"

"The truth is he was dead no matter what, had we released him his master would have killed him on suspicion of treachery or for being weak." Ebon Star's distorted voice is hollow-sounding. "His only course was in imprisonment without giving up any of his master's secrets. The responsibility lies with the person or persons who placed the curse upon him. It is their desire that blame appear to lie with others. That we blame one or another of our number for what is their crime."

Sasha banishes the flaming eye by crushing it in his hands. As the flames burst out from between his fingers, he says through what sound like clenched teeth but in an oddly calm distant voice, "No, Matt, I did not. Nw if you will excuse me..." The mage dahes outside just in time to not lose his lunch inside Lucky Finds. Blood is mixed in with whatever he ate.

Matt frowns. "Who are these Morbanes?" his voice is now a controlled burn that seeks to rise above his ability to keep his anger inside of himself.

Ebon Star drifts after Harlequin, her awareness exploring his mind for signs of recent damage. "Stealing from the minds of others is fraught with all sorts of dangers, especially those who traffic in spiritual corruption, and especially when they're on the brink of mortality."

"What she said. And way more. They're nasty pieces of work," Grimm offers as she suddenly flickers and appears beside Harlequin. "What's happening to you?!" she asks in a sudden panic. Curses! For all her power, she can't heal anything other than herself and shadowy beings.

Sasha grates out through blood limned teeth as trails of blood lead down from his eyes and ears. "Yes, it is damaging. And yes, it hurts to be in a mind as the body dies. And, yes, my nightmares will be all that much worse." He spits to clear his mouth then adds, "I also have a name: his Morbane is called Jean-Michel Lereau." He slips his mask back over his face. "And now, I am leaving." Still kneeling, his body becomes limned in silvery-blue light then fades away with a slight chiming sound.

Matt finds himself alone in the shop. He feels sick himself over all of this, this charred remains..in some way seems more horrific than the bodies that blew up in his face...somehow he feels just as responsible for this as he did that other time. His rage burns inside of him, angry..he should have done more..he should have....he drops to the ground and walks outside, just in time to see Sasha disappear, hearing only the tail end of his discovery. ((Jean-Michel Lereau...)) he imprints that to memory. It seems moot to ask now, but this is really the first time he has seen Grimm since she disappeared into that other dimension..."Gabrielle..are you ok?" his question is lame and poorly timed, but he felt he needed to make sure..

Ebon Star speaks without turning to face Matt. "Morbanes are senior members of DEMON, they run the organisation's affairs throughout the city. They are powerful, ruthless and intelligent. By now Lereau knows the fate of his acolyte and more than likely has images of who was present when the curse activated. He knows we're on his trail."

Grimm looks surprised as Harlequin just disappears after giving only that amount of detail. "Wait, shouldn't we get you a healer? Or to the hospital at least??" she calls out to him, but he's already vanished. "Damn!" She looks over to Matt. "Huh? Er. Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks to whatever you two did for me. Thanks, by the way." She looks over to Ebon Star, then jerks her thumb in her direction. "She knows a thing or two about DEMON and their organization. Whoever she is." She looks to Ebon Star and smiles. "Thanks for the assist."

Matt nods and more mumbles than says, "Ok..good..I'm glad you're ok, I was a little worried about you.." he feels stupid for asking now..teenage angst..he turns to Ebon, "Thanks for the info...and for taking care of that demon..and for trying to save that guys life. Sorry..I couldn't do more." he begins to lift off heading towards the Gym to be alone in his old room.

"Depending on his resources there may be agents or probes or scryings converging on us. I recommend we take what measures we can to avoid detection." She begins to gesture as though spinning a cylinder around herself. "I am Ebon Star, I use mind magics. This spell will last until you move out of sight of me or use an offensive ability to violate the sanctuary." As she finishes the spell all three of you become invisible.

Matt becomes invisible suddenly and his ascent into the sky untraceable.