Log:House of Vipers

The Madness of David Flyte 2020/03/15 Radical Grimm 40

It's 10 o'clock at the House of Vipers, a music venue in the bad part of the Upper East Side. The dimly lit marquee lists Darkness Between the Stars as the headliner with other unfamiliar bands as opening acts. There's layers of show posters, many peeling, on the outside of the dive venue. A bouncer checks IDs on the way to the inner lobby where tickets are given.

There's a short line outside. Mari and Deanna are already in the middle of the line waiting. Deanna's wearing a black crop top and gray jeans. Mari is dressed a bit more provocatively. She's in a tight strapless black dress that goes to mid-thigh, with lace-up slides going all the way down each side with grommets. She has a black choker around her thin neck, a leather cuff on her left wrist, and black high heels with red soles. The stretchy material is skin tight, and those lace up sides hint that there's nothing underneath. Scandalous! She looks cold, but suffers for fashion.

The music research went well. The music was...interesting. Moody. It struck a cord Radical didn't realize he had. Maybe he really has been loosening up.

Radical shows up in his modified appearance of his costume...no mask, but he has the goggles from it, which he ahs up on his forehead for the time being.

Grimm shows up as well, keeping separate from Radical for show, since his cover is being here on a date. Gabrielle disguised herself as a platinum blonde with dark roots, wearing an off-the-shoulder red band t-shirt french-tucked into black jeans. She looks a little taller than usually, the disguise affecting the minds of those around her.

Mari spots Radical and waves. "Hey, Connor! I got your ticket up here!"

Radical waves to Mari and walks over. He smiles. "Thanks. You look great, by the way."

Mari smiles. "So do you. Mmmm, I love the look." She pulls out his ticket from her clutch and offers it to him.

Radical smiles and takes the ticket, "Do I owe you anything for it? Maybe just drinks the entire evening?"

Mari's shoulder length brown hair has only one side french braided back into a half-mohawk. It gives a similar impression to having the side of one's head shaved without having to do the actual shading. Once again she has dark eye makeup and red lipstick. "I'll take the drinks for a start. Maybe something more after the show," she teases as the line moves.

Radical smiles and looks at her hair. "So cool. It must have taken you quite a while." He does use his magic sight to look at her...and the surrounding people as well.

"It took forever when I first learned how. It goes faster now, but still takes some time," Mari smiles at the compliment. There's no magic he can sense around Mari or anyone else. He can't even spot Gabrielle. Maybe she went inside.

Radical smiles. "I bet." While they're waiting in line, he looks again at Mari, "I'm curious...what is it you do for a living?"

"I'm a social media maven," Mari responds easily as they get up to the bouncer to show their IDs. "What about you? Most guys are stingy on buying drinks, but not you, it seems," she smiles. Connor can almost hear Gabrielle's warning from before they arrived. Don't tell her you're a professor! Make something up!

Radical considers his options. He could mention that he's a professor...and maybe even get away with it. Instead he decides to go with something else. "I'm a writer. Mostly about history...of things like the occult and the like."

"Ohhh, wicked," Mari says with a more intrigued, seductive smile. "That's hot. Do you do a lot of research into creepy things, like cults and haunted places?" They step inside and Mari presents her ticket to the woman. The music of the opener bands can be heard in the lobby (and a bit beyond). There's a double doorway leading into the darkness of the venue itself.

Radical nods. "I do. Also...ancient languages and myths. But cults come up pretty often in my studies." He shows his ticket as well.

They all get cleared to enter. Mari seems very excited by Connor's job, staying closer to him now. Deanna looks to them and is about to say something, but sees something with Mari and smirks. "I'm going to go see if I can find Biko in the VIP area. I'll be back in a bit." It sounds like an excuse as she splits off and heads for the stairs along the side.

Mari leads the way to the club proper. There's two bars that can be seen. One straight ahead with a pill-shaped bartop that blocks the view of the stage from the lobby. And another off to the left side. It's pretty spacious inside, but also crowded. "So you're good looking -and- smart. I'm interested in the occult as a hobbyist. I've never met someone who could make a living out of it."

Radical smiles. "You can make a job out of...just about anything."

"Sure. The question is more of whether you can actually make rent with it," Mari grins.

Radical chuckles, "That's true. It helps to know people in publishing. Sometimes...it's not what you know..."

"...but who you know. Very true," Mari smiles. "So, shall we get some drinks before Darkness Between the Stars plays?"

The crowd here is different than the crowd at Bar Sinister. There certainly are the goths and more extreme types here, there's also some oddly plain-clothes type people. Still dressed for the club, but they don't look like they fit in to this place. Connor may be able to relate, as they do remind him of how he was at his first show of this type.

Radical again looks around with his magic sight. He finds himself wondering...since he's suspecting some kind of magical cult effect here. He nods to Mari, "Sure, souinds good. What would you like?" He walks with her over toward hte bar.

"A cosmo," Mari answers, keeping close with Radical. So far, no magic yet. Half the crowd is into the band, while the other half is socializing, getting drinks, and hanging out waiting for the band.

Radical smiles slightly at the choice of a slightly complicated drink. He gets one for her...and a scotch and soda for himself.

True to a dive bar, this place keeps drinks simple. The only custom menu is a shots menu with red bull mixes or suggestive names. The drinks get served up in clear plastic cups.

Some of the lighting at the bar is green, which is in theme with the House of Vipers, but it can be a bit unflattering when reflected off skin tones of people waiting for drinks by the bar. It's not too bad reflecting off Mari, though.

Radical gives Mari her drink, and smiles. "Hmm. What do you know about hte opening band?"

Mari smiles at Radical and lifts her drink to him before taking a sip and turning towards the stage. "Without An Out? They're...okay. The vocals are a bit rough, but maybe that's the sound equipment. The singer's vocals are almost getting drowned out by the band."

Gabrielle can be spotted across the room in her disguise, leaning up against a wall and paying attention to the show. Occasionally she moves without looking to make room for someone passing her by, so she's probably using those strange senses of hers to keep tabs on things for now.

Radical nods. "I've never heard them before. Yeah, the audio seems a bit unbalanced."

Two more sets later, Without an Out wraps up their set and heads off stage, grabbing some of their equipment while roadies come to set up new stuff. "Oooo, I think Darkness Between the Stars is next." Others are rushing the bar between sets.

Radical moves with Mari to get out of teh way of the bar...and to get a good view of the stage. He half-expects Flyte to show up here someplace, so he keeps an eye out. On a lark, he tries his dimensional sight with his goggles very briefly before going back to just using his magic sight.

As Radical peels into this dimension, he realizes this place isn't at all what it seems. He sees the walls, ceiling, pillars, an floors are all adorned with winding, tangled tendrils. The bigger ones are covered in red inhuman looking with slit pupils. There are a few human eyes in some spots, but they're even more discomforting.

It's hard to track any sort of source or epicenter for the tendrils. Many of them are wound about Gabrielle as she watches, more than ever before. Some of them slowly slide as they move like a constricting snake, gradually trying to tighten its hold.

Radical finishes his drink and smiles to Mari, "Be right back. Need to hit the bathroom." He then heads to the bathroom down a hall and makes a point of sending a quick text to Grimm, letting her know what he saw...and suggesting that she watch from outside the club.

<> Gabrielle offers as she leaves her post against the wall and starts heading out of the club.

Radical replies back, << Good idea. Don't go too far. >>

Gabrielle makes it outside in less than a minute. << Okay, I'm outside. Pretending to hang with the smokers. >>

Radical heads back to where Mari is, just before the band comes out.

Mari has since finished her drink and got a spot closer to the stage. The floor is more crowded, and there's cheers as the band walks out. Mari cheers, her friend Deanna there clapping but not as enthused as Mari is.

When Mari sees Connor's back, she smiles at him and leans in as she reaches to touch his back. "You're just in time!"

The band themselves dress...well, a lot like the way Gabrielle does. Monochromatic, though at least the drummer has a white t-shirt.

Radical smiles, "Good timing on my part." He scans the crowd again, looking for Flyte.

With certainly, Radical doesn't see Flyte in the crowd. The drum starts the first beat and the crowd cheers at the first strum of guitars. They're much more buttoned down than their opening act. Even the people who don't seem like they'd be into this style of music are paying attention to the show.

Radical pays a fair amount of attention to the band...looking for something woven into the song.

The music is dark, some bits rock and some bits industrial. It starts with "The End Begins in Twilight", which from Radical's studies, is the first song of the album. The interpretation of the lyrics follow the story of a plain girl with a special gift, about to be gifted greater things.

Exalted or Denied is these second song. It's a song on the dangers of romantic pinnings and self-delusion.

The third song is Deepshadow Demise. It has some orchestral portions with haunting vocals. There's tones of sacrifice and Prices to be paid. The song crescendos in tones of rising anger, "...then ends all light, her soul takes flight!" The song ends abruptly.

So far, all is as Radical remembers from studying the album. Though hearing it live does seem to resonate with him more on some level. He's feeling the music more.

The fourth song, Not I Now, starts with vocals that feel like some dark hymn. It's almost coaxing and the crowd goes quiet. Some sway slowly with the gradual rise in volume. There are no words at first, only vocals with softly played instruments. Eventually the lyrics tell the tale of rebirth and change, of something else coming back from beyond the shadowed veil.

No magic so far. Another song, and then next will be Sacrificial Heart. Again from his studies, Connor knows that that song seems to allude to the protagonist's (antigonist's?) sacrifice for the Great Destroyer. So far he hasn't had to worry about being asked to dance by Mari, as she, like most, are just swaying or headbobbing to the music.

But when the song before Sacrificial Heart ends, the lead singer speaks up. "So we have something very special for all you fans out there. We're premiering a new b-side to the album tonight!"

People cheer. Mari gasps and smiles, cheering with the rest.

Radical tries to keep his focus as best he can, especially when they talk about the new song starting.

The lead singer introduces the song. "This one's called Destiny Proceeds." The drummer starts off at a frantic pace and the guitarists join four beats later. It's a high energy song about the futility of interference. Of someone trying to deny Deepshadow's destiny.

"Can't deny

embrace the change

Your obsolescence we arrange!"

People are head banging away and really feeling the music. Radical sees the tendrils pulse an eyes go on him in that other realm. It's strange. He doesn't sense magic. And yet, people start to twitch. Shudder. Bend in unnatural ways as their bodies distort, stretch, warp, and tear in their clothes. Not everyone, but a good size of the crowd.

Connor feels a tingle and a shudder of his body like the others, briefly, but his mind asserts itself and he regains his senses.

The more bookish people who seemed out of place are all changing. There's 4 of them on the ground floor, but there is an upstairs VIP area. There are a few other concert attendees changing, but there isn't normally-dressed person who isn't changing.

At first, the crowd hasn't noticed the changes, thinking it's just spastic dancing. But then someone notices and screams.

Radical blinks from where he is, to appear in someplace else...to a place he can maybe take a shot at the sound board. Take that out, and the process will stop, hopefully.

The sound board explodes...and cuts the power to the amps...causing the music to switch to just acoustic. That would at least cut down on the number of people affected.

The music dies. People look around. The crowdgoers who looked like they fit in who were changing begin to slow their twitching and return to normal. The only ones who remain changed now are the people who looked out of place to begin with.

Some people begin to panic and flee as they realize what's transpired.

Radical pulls on his mask quickly and resets his goggles on top...and keeps an eye on the crowd, making sure they manage to get out. The crowd streaming out should be enouhg of a clue for Grimm that something is up.

The first person makes it out in a panic. They're soon followed by others who are screaming. It's hard not too notice as Gabrielle holds an illusion of a cigarette while talking to smokers outside. "What the...?" she utters.

Radical figures that Grimm will be able to sense what's going on inside. He looks to make sure Mari is safe as well. Hoping that she's beating it out of the place.

Mari is being swept out with the panicking crowd. She seems to be trying to look for Connor, but can't spot him as she's force along with the others as Deanna reaches her and starts pulling her.

The Changed Ones begin to stalk towards Radical. The floor is pretty cleared around Radical at this point as the crowd is pushing away from the changed creatures.

There's some dark, terrible whispers and Gabrielle materializes near Radical, still disguised as the blonde. "What's happen--whoa..." Gabrielle turns towards the changed people.

Radical says, "This is what the nurse looked like at the Asylum. They're transformed. I can heal them, but it takes a little time. And they're tough."

Radical scans around looking for Flyte someplace, and tries to get a count on how many there are.

Flyte's definitely not in line of sight if he's here at all. But it sounds like there may be one or two of the Changed in the VIP area above.

"You won't be allowed to change the story," one of the changed ones says to Radical, it's voice like gravel and glass getting raked over before they begin to charge.

"So what're these? Victims? Bad guys?" Gabrielle asks as darkness wreathes her hands.

Radical nods. "Both. Like the bugs were. They're fans of Flyte's writing...and transformed by it into his minions."

Radical points up to the VIP area. "Flyte's probably up there, I bet."

Grimm nods and looks up, balling up her fists. "I'm looking forward to punching that guy in the face."

The Changed all charge for Radical with their fingers--now much longer--brandish claws that they threaten to strike him with. They seem intent on Radical. As are all the eyes adorning the tentacled limbs that Radical can see overlaid with reality.

Radical falls into a defensive stance, and moves subtly in a series of moves. Each motion is just enough to actually block the strikes that are coming in = all four of them. "I hope they're slower than the other one I saw. They hit hard."

Grimm watches Radical move with calculated precision. Figures. She looks surprised and impressed. "Wow. I was going to ask if you needed help with these guys, but I guess not." Gabrielle holds out a hand towards one of the Changed, black mist swirling from her hand towards the once-man.

The mist swirls through the Changed, sapping away is strength and some of its life force, and it drops to the ground. Still breathing in raspy little breaths through those rows of teeth.

Radical looks to Grimm, "That just knocked him out, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Gabrielle says, glancing at Radical to reveal a wounding expression. "I wouldn't kill anyone..." she answers, though she sees a flash of a memory of Porter's eyes, temporarily lifeless when she had a panic attack and her powers were left unbound. She looks away quickly to look back at the opponents as the cracks in her aura spread a little.

Radical nods. "It looked kinder that what I'd have to resort to."

Radical raises both hands...and tries to create a larger singularity to encompass all three of the remaining transformed people.

Radical actually cries out as the shockwave travels down his arms. "Ow!"

The first Changed staggers back, its spine twisting with the blast in ways humans shouldn't twist. It turns around to hiss. The second one drops backwards and onto all fours, then turns about 180 degrees as its head twists up unnaturally to keep an eye on Radical. Plus a few extra eyes. The third one isn't so luck. He gets blasted back into the drumset on the stage and stays still.

The two remaining Changed regard Radical. The first tries to swipe at him. The second scuttles an tries to claw at his upper leg to go for an important artery.

Shadow tentacles stretch out from Gabrielle's dark aura. They're considerable in size and reach out to try and block the clawed strikes.

Two more of The Changed leap down from the Balcony and try to slash at Gabrielle's back.

Grimm hears the scuttling in time to duck and sidestep in a hurry.

Radical doesn't push his gear as hard this time, keeping the singularity more focused on the two that are attacking him for the moment.

The first one struck gets sent flying across the venue and into a wall, slumping down in a twisted shape. The one on all fours skids back but manages to keep its footing. And handing?

Grimm tries to help get the scuttler, waving her hand towards it as more mist-like energy streaks towards it.

The Changed flattens out on the ground once the energy passes through it, as its legs and arms give out.

The remaining Changed split up. One circles around Radical, the other circles around Grimm, before both spring to attack.

Those yellow-coated claws rake across Gabrielle's back, causing her to shout in pain. Four red lines are left across her back as her shirt tears.

Grimm pants and grits her teeth, then spins to face the one that clawed her. She manages to restrain herself and only sends a blast of that black mist when she could do so much worse.

Grimm turns too quick and tries to blast it in its face. But the Changed easily ducks out of the way. "Your plannnnsss will turn to ash, interloperrrsssss."

The Changed continue their attacks. The one before Radical also looks female, though it's hardly recognizable as one save for the torn skirt and necklace still on this distorted, stretched figure. The black hair has thinned out in patches and the skin is reminiscent of burn injuries. It slashes at Radical's stomach horizontally.

The changed attacking Grimm slashes down diagonally at her again.

Radical manages to deflect the attack upward and over his head, with some luck on his side.

Grimm tries to bring her hand up to block the arm coming down on her and misses. She's not very fast physically. She's faster with her mind. But she does manage to leap to the side in time to avoid getting scratched.

Grimm catches her breath, still in pain from the scratches across her back. She throws her hand out towards the Changed as more misty-like darkness shoots forth.

Grimm's dance partner goes down with a hissing rasp.

Radical fires a singularity at the last remaining transformed person.

Radical knocks the last one out, sending it sprawling. "I can heal them. But we also can't let Flyte get away, if he's actually here. Can you sense him up there?"

The Changed collapses after bouncing along the floor. It rattles as it passes out, "You'll nnnnnever ssssssuucceeeeeed..."

Grimm grasps the top of her right shoulder with her left hand, not really able to do anything for her scratches. "I don't. Not with my senses, but that doesn't mean he's not there. I'll go check." Without waiting, she vanishes in a swirl of darkness and whispers as she teleports to the balcony and out of sight.

Radical starts to works on healing the transformed people, placing a hand on each in turn, starting with the ones knocked out first.

Radical goes about healing the people, back into their normal selves. All of them look kind of bookish, with some bruises here and there, but they're alive.

Gabrielle teleports back down to the floor. "No sign of him. No sign of anyone," she frowns, then looks down at all the people changed back to normal. "Wow, that was fast..."

And that's when Radical's phone starts ringing.

Radical looks at his phone to see who it is.

The Caller ID is Randal's.

Radical answers the call, "Hello?" He has a sneaking suspicion about what he's about to hear, though.

Randal sounds out of breath. "It seems I'm about to have uninvited guests."

Radical says to Grimm, "Randal's in trouble. Can you get us there?"

Grimm gasps and nods. She doesn't waist time. She claps a hand on his shoulder and the pair of them vanish, appearing in the general vicinity of Green Acres. "Sorry, it's a long way to go blind--look out!" The pair are lit up by bright high beams and a horn honking. They've ended up in the middle of the street!

Grimm brings up a hand to blot out the light, almost blinded before she has the comment sense to dive out of the way of the vehicle. She ends up landing in a partial belly-flop on the ground with a grunt.

Radical dives for cover on the country road, and then picks himself back up. He looks around, trying to get his bearings, seeing where the house it.

The house is a ways down, and over to the left. About 200 meters. Gabrielle picks herself back up. "Sorry. I'm not attuned to Randal or his house," she apologizes, in a panic over Randal being in danger. She steps up to Radical again. "Shoot...which way? All these country roads look the same in the dark to me."

Radical points in the direction of the house. "That way. A couple hundred yards. It'll take me too long to cross that myself, I think."

Grimm puts a hand on Radical's shoulder, stretching out her shadow sight in that direction. "I sense it! Oh no..." she utters. She squeezes Radical's shoulder at whatever has her worried and teleports the pair of them. Darkness and haunting whispers surround them briefly in that time in between. The pair materialize inside the house near the back doors. The glass is shattered and one of those twisted Changed Ones is advancing on Randal, who is on his back trying to defend himself with his cane.

Radical raises his arms to point at the creature, and potentially blast it. But he has to make sure Randal's not in the line of fire, too. "I'm right here! I'm the one you want!"

Next: Log:Radical Creative Differences