Log:Faire Firsts

The Madness of David Flyte 2020/01/06 	 Amelia Jordan Xander Laurel Connor

2

Amelia gets Jordan deeply involved in a video game and quietly asks Laurel to stay with him. Then invites Xander back to the penthouse main room.

Jordan

This very mixed race boy seems to be about 10 or 11 years old. His skin is a coppery brown while his stunningly bright green eyes have epicanthic folds. He has jaw length black hair is slightly wavy and is a bit messy in a cute kind of way. The boy is also one of the most stunningly beautiful children you have likely ever seen.

The boy is dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a mostly clean black t-shirt. A pair of well scuffed sneakers adorn his feet.

The child seems to be in a good mood as he flashes a bright white smile at everyone he makes eye contact with. He seems full of life and joy which is probably part of his charm. ** Attractive Appearance 2: Incredibly Cute Kid **

Xander is reluctant to leave Jordan's side. He's kept a quiet watch over him the entire time they've been there, but eventually, he joins Amelia so long as it isn't far from Jordan.

Amelia gestures to a comfortable couch. "The guest apartments are air conditioned, Xander. The windows don't open and are toughened." She also routes the Will insisted camera image of Jordan to the large screen in the main room. "I'm not sure what to offer you for a drink. More strawberry fanta, or something harder? Which age counts? Physcial or mental?" She smiles. "Whatever you answer is between us. I won't report anything.. anything.. back to Sasha."

"Strawberry fanta," Xander answers in a hard voice, but saying those words just don't fit right. He looks to the large screen and seems to relax a little, now that he has a view of his charge.

Amelia far reaches for another couple of bottles of strawberry fanta. "Here you are. So, Xabder, how mush do you know about me? Because I didn't even know you existed until two days ago."

"You are the Lady of the house," Xander answers as he pops the top from the bottle. "You've seen me before. Amongst the Little Wolves."

Amelia is still smiling as she says, "Not any more. Sasha and I have broken up. And while I saw you among the little Wolves, I had no suspicion you were any different form them. I'm asking what you know of me because I'm hoping to..." She shrugs, "I was going to say 'have a chat' but really it's more like I want a question and answer session. It seems unfair asking you for answers without being willing to give answers about me if you're in the slightest interested."

"I only know that you have permission to enter the school, and the Little Wolves should be safe around you," Xander answers, then sips his soda. "Is there anything else I need know?"

Amelia sits on another couch facing Xander. "Need to know? Probably not. Want to know? Curious about? Only you can make those calls. Oh, one thing you might wisah to know. I can take you back to your home dimension if you wish - and - it would be safe for you to do so." That's again your call. Not Sasha's."

That seems to get Xander interested. He sits up a bit more. "Safe? Are you sure?"

Amelia leans forward, "No. No, I'm not at all sure it would be safe. Xander, I know virtually nothing about you, about what happened between Sasha and you, or about why he brought you here. He said if he hadn't you would have died. Well, I'm sorry to have to say this but after recent events I'm no longer fully accepting of his words."

Xander frowns slightly. "He technically spoke true. I failed in my mission, but it was due to his interference. The Order would have demanded my death as punishment for failure."

Amelia says, "The Order. This would be an order of assassins? And your mission was an assassination?"

Xander hesitantly gives a singular nod.

Amelia nods, "Then I won't fault Sasha for stopping you from killing. Or for taking you out of a situation where you would have been killed. I understand it. Although I suspect Sasha isn't as strict about not killing as I am. It was inferred that our Hunter was in a similar order from an early age. If that's the same for you, I can't fault you for what you were involved in. Morals are learned, not inbuilt."

Xander studies her as she talks, drinking his soda slowly. Maybe he suspects there's an interrogation going on. "All I knew was the Order," he finally gives out that detail.

Amelia nods. "There's a book you might find very interesting to read. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. It relates how young boys will develop terrible values if their peer group abides by those values."

Xander frowns faintly. "We're to read that in school later in the year."

Amelia shakes her head, "Read it yourself, first, Xander. Having a book assigned as class reading is a sure way to destroy all appreciation and meaning of the book."

"Appreciation of books?" Xander finally seems amused. "I only read them because the teachers require it, and I'm to stay in the same grade as Jordan to perform my duty."

Amelia says, "Then you're missing a valuable part of life's experiences. So what do you do for enjoyment?"

"I train," Xander answers stiffly. He comes across more like a soldier than a teenager. Where Hunter was good at passing himself off as a normal teen once upon a time, Xander is terrible at it.

Amelia nods, "... and..?"

Xander looks confused by the and. He shifts a bit. "And...eat ice cream."

Amelia chuckles, "Well, it's a start." She sits back on the couch, "How long have you been with Sasha?"

Artemis relaxes again and thinks on it. "I'm not sure. He explained he found me at a time when he was trying to save other versions of myself in other dimensions after his one died. I believe that makes it...two years? Most of which was spent under a spell."

Amelia nods. "A few minutes ago you said it was technically true Sasha saved your life. You were right. Technically he saved your life. But it's clear he never gave you another life to replace the one you no longer had. Well, hopefully it's not too late to start. Let's get Jordan. And then I'm taking to pair of you to the beach fair." She smiles, "It's closing the circle in a way, Xander. Because when I was a total nerd and did nothing but study, our Hunter took me to the same fair."

"It wouldn't have needed saving if he hadn't interfered," Xander clarifies grumpily. "He's made it go to school to have a 'normal life'. It hasn't interested me." He frowns faintly at the mention of their Hunter but says nothing.

Amelia hurumphs, "You're how old, mentally, Xander. In school with a buncl of pre-teens and barely teens? Not surprising it don't exactly rock your boat."

"16," Xander answers. Only a few years older than his smaller 12 year old form. "Jordan tries to include me on...'things'."

Amelia nods, "Which is good of Jordan because he thinks you're 12, same as him, right?"

Amelia sends a message to Laurel, "Can you drag Jordan off that video game and bring him here to the main room. Garb you coats. We're going to the beach fair."

Xander nods, though he doesn't seem certain. "He...knows there's more to me than that. He thinks I'm also another person." He keeps his voice down, "But he doesn't know I'm a hunter. The Little Wolves don't know any of that."

Amelia chuckles, "They won't learn it from me, Xander. Just as well for your sake. The little Wolves nearly drove Hunter crazy after he moved out of the school. According to him they were constantly coming up with any excuse to try and get him to go back."

Xander nods. "They saw him as a big brother. Some almost as another father figure. Of course they tried."

Amelia nods again, "I know. I don't think Hunter ever held it against them. Didn't make it less 'irritating' though since he was trying to avoid Sasha at that time as I recall."

Laurel puts 'Sugar Rush' on pause, and brings Jordan out, with his coat. She is already 'wearing' her leather jacket.

Amelia smiles, "Too nice a day for staying indoors. How do you feel about a trip to the north beach fair?" she asks Jordan.

Xander nods and sips his soda quietly. Jordan is reluctant to stop playing, but he smiles as he heads out in his coat. "Oh, there you are!" he says to Xander.

Jordan smiles at that. "That sounds arid!"

Now Hunter's body has been recovered Amelia has her watchers availabler for other tasks. She sends one to find a unobserved spot near the fair, and opens a gate to there. "Ice-cream first, okay?" she says, with an emcouraging glance at Xander. "Then choose your amusements. Rides? The shooting range? Your choice."

Xander stands up and fetches his jacket. There is a glimmer of eagerness at the mention of ice cream.

Jordan smiles brightly at the options. "Oh, this'll be great! We've never been!"

Amelia goes through the gate first to make sure nobody is able to see them arrive in magical style.

Xander makes sure he's the next to go through, just before Jordan. He looks about alertly and looks to be on guard. Jordan comes out right after him.

Laurel brings up the rear, making sure everyone gets through safely.

Amelia closes the gate, "You've never been to a fair before, Jordan?"

Jordan shakes his head. "Not the big fairs like this one. Just the school fairs. I'm not supposed to go out this far without an adult, Xander, or Morrigan around." She smiles up at Amelia. "And now I have both, so I can finally go!"

Amelia comments, "The food stalls are near the entrance if I recall correctly. Catch visitors before the rides roil up their stomachs so mush they aren't hungry any longer. Lets go see."

Jordan grabs Xander's hand and starts forging ahead for the food stores. Jordan seems a bit sweet on Xander in an innocent way, and Xander is shockingly tolerant of Jordan.

Amelia hurries to follow. Having invited thewn out she responsible for their safety. That starts with assigning a watcher to each teen to keep an eye on them."

Laurel has no problem keeping up with the boys, and knows that Amelia can follow wherever they go.

Jordan homes in on the ice cream stalls, dragging Xander along. "Ohhh, they got banana splits! Let's share!" Jordan says enthusiastically.

Amelia says quietly but loud enough to be heard, "You're all my guests. I'm paying for everything."

Laurel orders two banana splits, one she hands over to the boys, the other she keeps to share with Amelia (if desired).

Jordan's eyes are wide as saucers as they're handed their very own split to share. Xander even looks a bit surprised. He lets Jordan dig in first, then takes a scoop. Xander is methodical, loading a bit of every ice cream flavor and a bit of banana, whipped cream, and chocolate, making sure he has everything in a perfect bite.

Xander looks up to Amelia for a few moments. "Alright," he agrees, understanding the situation entirely.

Amelia grins as Laurel buys two banana splits. "I can't recall the last time I 'bought' ice-cream, Laurel. Far reaching becomes a habit."

Jordan and Xander indulge in sharing their banana split. Jordan is bright eyed and cheerful. Xander seems his polar opposite. Grumpy and vigilantely alert. Though the ice cream seems to have caused him to lower his guard.

Connor catches up to the group and waves. "Sorry I'm a little late. I had an unexpected class to teach. One of the other professors was feeling ill, so I had to take over a section to cover for him."

Xander is so entrenched in eating his ice cream that he is late to notice Connor. He quickly studies the new arrival, sizing him up.

Amelia smiles as Connor arrives. "Hi. We've only just gotten to the buying ice-cream stage anyway, Connor. Introductions. Connor, meet Jordan and Xander. Two of Sasha's wards. Jordon, Xander, this is Prof Duran. Connor Duran. A good friend of Laurel and myself."

Connor waves to the two kids, "Hey there. It's nice to meet you."

Jordan waves a spoon cheerfully, saying "'ello!" with a mouthful. Xander just eyes Connor a bit longer, then gives a single nod after deeming him not a threat to Jordan.

Amelia suggests, "While you're eating, let's take a walk around and make a list of the things you want to do while we're here. Okay with you two?" she says to the 'kids'.

Jordan nods happily. Xander is only interested in the ice cream for now, trying to achieve the perfect bite.

Amelia grins as she adds, "If the haunted house goes on the list you'll do it without me."

Connor nods. "Sounds good to me." He raises a brow, "Why would you not want to go in the haunted house?"

Amelia chuckles, "Conditioned Chosen One reflexes. I'd probably trash the place before I had time to think."

"You're not afraid of a haunted house, are ya, Xander?" Jordan teases.

Xander just eyes him and shovels another bite of ice cream in his mouth.

"That's the spirit! You'll come with me!" Jordan volunteers Xander.

Jordan looks up at Connor and Laurel. "What about you two?"

Amelia thinks .oO(Lets hope Xander has better control over his reflexes than I have.)

Connor chuckles quietly, "I umm...suppose I could? I don't usually find that kind of thing fun, but I can give it a go."

The mixed-race boy with the angelic face looks at Connor with disbelief. "What isn't fun about it??" he asks as he spoons in a bite that's too big for his mouth. He angles the spoon to make it work. Then yelps from brainfreeze.

Moonshadow says, "I see in the dark too well to get the maximum effect, but I could tag along as well."

Xander shakes his head at Jordan's greed causing his own discomfort.

Jordan tries to wince and chew through the brain freeze. "Seeing in the dark? That's cheating!"

Laurel says, I can't help it, I was born that way.

Connor shrugs and smiles. "I've seen enough things that have made me scared in my life that...well, scaring myself for 'fun' isn't really...fun? If that makes sense?"

Amelia grins, "Connor shaves," she says a bit cryptically.

Laurel says, "I grew up among dead folks, so they don't scare me." To Amelia's remark, she replies, "I shave too. More when the moon's full."

Jordan looks up at Connor with wise, knowing eyes for someone still so young. He's a bit of a runt, being shorter than Xander by a few inches. "Don't worry, Xander will keep you safe. Won't ya, Xander!" Jordan asks in his Harrisburg accent.

Xander eyes Connor again when Jordan volunteers him. He gives another single nod, then finally asks, "Shaves what?"

Xander is very keenly listening to the details given, watching the adults.

Amelia laughs, "I meant Connor looks into a mirror every morning. After that nothing much scares him." She nods cheerfully to Connor.

Connor raises a brow and looks at Amelia, "Har. Very funny."

Jordan snickers and finishes the lsat of his half of the banana split. Xander finishes his soon after.

Amelia grins, "Well it's technically true. You do look in a mirror every morning, and very little scares you. Q.E.D."

Laurel suddenly says, "Oops, I forgot to get us spoons, 'Melia. Give me a second." she raises her left arm, parallel to the ground, and reaches under it with her right, her hand disappearing as it passes under. A moment later, she pulls it back, holding a pair of spoons from Amelia's kitchen drawer.

Xander watches the hand disappear, then looks around them for something.

Connor smiles slightly, "I suppose that's true, Amelia. Not exactly a solid proof, but I'm not grading things right now."

Amelia bursts out laughing. "You're lucky. The first time I 'borrowed' from a mage..." She looks at the young teens.. "But that a story for another time. When did you learn that trick, Laurel?"

Laurel says, "Just since we got back. I learned so much about my cloak while we were gone, and I've watched you do your 'reach' so many times..."

Amelia starts to say something ot Laurel. Then stops. Looks at the young teens, "Sorry. The downside of being with a couple of magi. We can get distracted into shop-talk at the drop of a witch's hat."

Connor doesn't look terribly surprised by the conversation, so it's obvious to the kids that he knows about the other two mages' abilities. But he otherwise keeps quiet.

Laurel adds with a grin, "And sometimes we like to show off a little."

Amelia chuckles. She can't disagree with that. "I'll book you for a stage magic show at Vegas if you like, Laurel."

"You're -all- mages?" Xander asks grumpily, looking at the lot of them.

Amelia says, "Two of us are, Xander." Also technically true. Two are mages. The third is also but two are magi.

Xander senses a lie through omission. His eyes narrow ever so slightly at Amelia in suspicion before going back to his banana split to finish the last bites.

Amelia lowers her voice, "Just don't tell anyone else. We all have 'our' secrets, right?"

Xander looks up to Amelia for a few moments. "Alright," he agrees, understanding the situation entirely.

Amelia collects the empty wrapping and drops them into one of the trash bins, "So, haunted house next?"

Jordan gives Xander a bit of a nudge with his elbow. The two exchange wordless glances, but Xander finally dips his head after a stare-down.

Connor definitely gets the feeling there's something going on that he isn't really privy to, but he figures it will become clear eventually. He nods to Amelia, "Sure. Sounds good to me."

Jordan whoops excitedly and leaves Xander holding the banana split bloat as he looks about for the haunted house and starts heading that way excitedly.

Xander trots after him quickly, throwing out the empty container on the way. This may give a chance for Amelia to explain things.

Amelia lags behind, nodding to Connor.

Connor also hangs back to walk along with Amelia as they head to their destination.

Moonshadow puts the spoons in her pouch.

Jordan ducks under the line railing to cut past the empty parts of the line and runs to get in place. Xander vaults over and catches up to the boy and whispers something to him.

Amelia speaks very quietly, glad of the continual background racket of the fair, shouting music, the noise of the rides, laughter. "Connor, Jordan is one of Sasha's wards. Kids he looks after. Xander is a different story. He's a transmorphified Hunter from another dimension. Younger than our Hunter was and far less housebroken. He was an assasin, saved from death by Sasha and in the wrong circumstances highly dangerous."

Connor blinks slowly as he takes that in. "Hmm. I want more details, but we can talk about it another time, in a less public place. Thanks."

Amelia continues, ".. and somewhat mistreated by Sasha in my opinion. Sasha took away Xander's life as an assasin. No-one can disagree witrh that. But really hasn't given him any replacement life. Thus this trip."

Amelia raises her voice, "While you're in the haunted house I'm going to pop away to set up something for later. I should be back by the time you finish in the haunted house. If Im not can you wait for me, please."

Moonshadow says, "I'll stay with them."

Connor nods to Amelia, "No problem. We'll wait at the exit."

Moonshadow gets in line with the boys.

The exit to the haunted house is on the side of the building, in the rear. The haunted house is well-staged to look like a creepy, large, two-story derelict home with faded gray paint and boarded up windows. Screams are heard frequently inside.

Once the boys and escorts are in line, Amelia finds a quiet unobserved spot, easier said than done, and XDM's to her alt earth lunar dwelling. Then sets up arrangements for the final part of the boys trip out. Literally an out of the world experience form them.

Connor looks up at the building with a faint smile on his face. Oh good, some jump scares are likely to be imminent.

As the boys come up next in line, Xander says to Jordan, "I should go first to make sure it's safe."

Jordan rolls his eyes. "It's supposed to be scarey, not dangerous. It's all pretend. Acting?"

"I understand what acting is," Xander delivers in deadpan offense.

"Just don't hurt anyone, okay?" Jordan requests pleadingly. "Or break the scenery," Laurel adds.

Connor nods quietly as he listens to the conversation.

Xander nods in agreement, his face set and serious. When the next turn to go in comes up, he steps up and heads in ahead of Jordan. Individuals and groups are spaced out in timed increments for the attractions within.

Jordan rocks back on his heels as he waits for his turn. He's a little kid, but still wants to go on his own if they'll let him. He looks up to Connor. "You're half right, by the way. Lack of sleep is just the symptom. Just make sure her dreams don't take Flyte."

Jordan's eyes have a suddenly old and wise look to them. Or just cryptic.

Connor blinks a couple of times as he thinks about what Jordan just said. "Wait. How do you know about my conversations with her?" He's referring to Grimm, of course. But there's no way Jordan should know about that conversation.

Jordan offers a smile, but then the person tending the line calls, "Next!"

"Oh, my go!" says Jordan, already distracted and running into the haunted house attraction. Connor grimaces and follows into the house, after Xander and Jordan.

Jordan has already run ahead and turned a corner, just out of sight. It doesn't take too long for Connor's eyes to adjust to the the dark interior. What lighting there is is tinted red. There's a short scream and a laugh that sounds like Jordan up ahead. When Connor turns the corner, a guy in a black robe and hockey mask jumps out with a bloody knife. "YAAAAAAR!"

Connor jumps a bit. The scare is effective enough. He reflexively goes into a defensive stance, but doesn't strike out. He blinks a few times and then continues onward to try to catch up.

The actor stays close and menacing, but doesn't touch Connor. When Connor passes, the actor receeds back to his starting position for the next scare.

The next turn takes him to a living room with a woman tied up in a chair screaming and begging for help while menaced by another actor who is revving up a fake chainsaw. The next doorway has black cloth curtains to block out the view to the next room.

There's another shocked scream from Jordan. And then crashing through the curtains is another man in a robe with a skeletal mask, tackled by Xander. Xander lands on top of the robed person and draws a knife from behind. That kid was hiding a knife!? It looks like a balanced kunai.

Connor shouts at Xander as soon as he notices, "Knock it off, Xander! They're actors!" Well, unless this one isn't? But then again, stabbing the guy isn't the right thing to do, either way.

Xander puts his knife to the actor's throat, halting as Connor shouts at him. "He tried to take Jordan!"

"G-get this psycho kid off me!" the actor panics.

Connor catches up entirely, "Don't stab him. Where's Jordan now?"

Chainsaw actor and Chair Victim actor are genuinely startled, and the guy Xander is threatening to cut is panicked. "It's just a haunted house, man!"

Xander snaps out of it when Connor mentions Jordan. He looks further ahead past the curtains he burst through. "Up ahead."

Connor nods again to Xander, repeating "No bloodshed!" before he heads off to make sure Jordan's okay.

"Grrr. Fine," Xander growls.

The hallway up ahead is darker than the last room. There's still screams, and the creaking noises of the soundtrack pumped through the haunted house's speakers. The next turn is a door on the right, leading into a room that's a maze of mirrors and glass.

Somewhere in this maze, Connor can make out muffled attempts to yell.

And after the second turn into the maze, he can see three images of kicking feet disappearing along the mirrors' edges.

Connor intended to turn on his magic sight, but given that he doesn't have that kind of time, he just keeps moving forward, trying to make his way through teh maze quickly.

Amelia has completed her arrangements and returns to the fair, waiting outside the haunted house exit.

Moonshadow says, "Xander, put the knife away. You don't need it." Shadows form around her hand, and stretch out to hold the actor in place. "I have him."

The actor struggles as shadows grab him. "What's wrong with you people!?"

With the actor held, Xander certainly does not put away the knife. He keeps it held in a reverse grip. His eyes cut back towards the curtain. "Jordan..." he utters, then sprints through the curtained doors to the hallway leading to the mirror maze. His footsteps become inaudible as he goes on the hunt, moving unseen.

Amelia is waiting blissfully outside the exit of the Haunted House, unaware of what's happening within.

Connor is currently giving chase through the mirror maze, trying to find Jordan. He had caught a glimpse in a reflection not too far away.

It's close, but Connor almost runs into one of the glass walls in the maze. He catches a faint reflection of light in time to avoid it and see the path actually goes right. Though he can't figure out where the glimpsed reflection of Jordan is actually going.

Connor keeps going...after all, they wont' stay in the maze. They want to get outside at some point.

"Let go me, you pedo!" shouts Jordan in carrying voice. He sounds more upset than scared. "And why do you taste like Beezie?!? YUCK!"

Amelia hears Jordan's shout, all be it faintly. She summons up a messenger, "Find Jordan. Stay mind linked with me." she instructs it.

The sound is coming from Connor's left, behind him a ways and on the other side of the mirror wall on his left.

Xander hears it to, and uses his trained skills to close in unseen, starting to grow taller to deal with the threat.

"Gaak!!" It's a sound of pain, choked off suddenly as the robed figure holding Jordan stiffens with a 16-year-old Xander standing behind him with a cold expression. Jordan is released momentarily, one way blocked by a few other robed figures approaching from behind Xander.

Jordan, a bit of blood on his lips, scrambles out of the stabbed man's grasp. He runs back in the direction of Connor as he shouts, "Xander, come on!"

Connor looks up as he hears the sound...and tries to make his way around to where it is, using the maze rather than crashing through it.

The watcher unseen heads in a direct path for Jordan.

"Goons comin' in da exit!" shouts Jordan in a thickening 'Burg accewnt as he pelts through the maze. He comes to stop as he rounds a corner as the kid bumps into Connor. His knee raises for a moment as if preparing to impact with a groin then he just hops on one foot. "Help Xander! They're big!"

Connor nods to Jordan and tries to position himself to potentially ambush anyone hurrying through the maze to follow the kid.

The watcher drifts further, ignoring mirrors and walls as it stops at Jordan's location. Amelia is alerted that he is found.

Amelia breaks into a run toward Jordan. If needed she also breaks into the Haunted House through the exit. Blowing the door off its hinges if she has to.

Amelia starts running, casting a spell as she moves. By the time she reaches the exit door it isn't there any longer. A horde of beetles rose from the ground, eat away the door and then sank back into the ground.

Inside once Amelia breaks down the door, there's flickering lights and fake limbs hanging from the ceiling like some sort of serial killer den. There's a black curtained doorway 4 meters ahead.

Connor can hear the sounds of fighting and pained noises around the corner as he prepares. It's all swift and in a span of just a few seconds before a female voice rises above. "Enough of this." A word of power os spoken and a burst of green light refracts off of all the mirrors. The fighting stops. "Now go and get the boy!" Connor hears rustling and the first cultist rounds the corner...

Connor reminds himself that he's not armored. But at least he can make it difficult for people to go running after Jordan. He reaches out to try to grab the cultist's arm in an arm bar...and more importantly, drop the cultist onto the ground, making it tought for others to follow without tripping.

On the heels of the female's commands, Jordan shouts out in fear, "Xander's in trouble! Save 'im!"

The cultist's arm gets locked. Pressure applied causes him to grunt in pain. He's thrown to the ground, Connor's grip still solid on him.

Moonshadow calls upon the Terror of The Dark, targeting the guy she's holding down.

Connor continues to maintain the hold, wrenching on the cultist's elbow, and hopefully creating a potential traffic jam in the maze.

The cultist slams the ground with his free hand from the pain, as if tapping out would somehow work against Connor.

Amelia advances through the curtained doorway ahead and takes in the sight revealed in front of her in a fast gaze.

Through the curtain is a hallway. There are doors on the left, and an opening at the far end on the right. Standing two meters ahead of Amelia is a woman in a red-trimmed black robe with a hood with her back to you. Xander is standing two meters past her, frozen mid-swing with a kunai in a reverse group. Though at this point, Xander has dropped his child-like form and looks like Hunter did when Amelia first met him. Though the hair is a little longer, cut a bit differently, and he has the eyes of a killer. There are two cultists bloodied on the ground and unconscious, three more running up ahead, and one is flailing on the floor ahead of them as someone from around the corner grapples him.

Amelia attempts to summon forth the learned attributes of the physical adepts she trained under as she draws a short rod out from a sleeve. A sharp shakes later she's holding a 6ft long staff. Continuing her advance, and not concerned the woman's back is to her, she jabs one end of the staff at the womans's kidney area and then reverse swings it to attempt to whack the woman hard on the side of her head.

The robed woman remains standing as she's struck twice, the air rippling as some sort of field protects her from the worst of it. She maintains her footing. "Mmff. More meddling insects..."

Seeing Connor disabling one of their brethren, the cultists draw out wands from their sleeves. Each also wears a ring with a blood red gem that glows faintly in the darkness of the haunted house. One flings his wand at Connor. "Auferetur!" a female voice shouts, the tone rough with anger. The other two rush to try and grab Connor.

A streak of greenish light strikes Connor.

One cultist almost trips over his robes as Jordan evades, but the other one comes from behind and gets Jordan into a bear hug.

Connor is knocked away from the cultist he was holding, and blood is drawn. He manages to roll to his feet and he turns his attention to the wand-wielder. "That was a mistake."

The robed woman turns around. Her robe is more ornately styled, with the emblem of a DEMON on it. The red trim has faint gold threads woven in it. "Brute force is such a crutch, don't you think?" She smiles.

Something attempts to assault Amelia's mind, but merely brushes it for now.

Moonshadow's shadowy hand lifts the cultist into the air, upside-down, as she pours more fear into his mind

The actor is turned upside-down and is shrieking at this point.

"Th-they don't pay enough for thiiiiisss!" he shouts.

Moonshadow says, "Who doesn't pay enough?"

"Th-th-tha fair!" the actor trembles and squirms.

Amelia doesn't reply verbally to the demon cultist at this point. She jabs again, this time at the woman's eyes, side steps, and without gesture or incantation as warning. casts a webbing spell at her.

The webbing ties her up quickly. "Usually, -I- do the binding," the female cultist says sensually, her magical field protecting her eye from the jab.

Amelia then nods, "Magic has it's place." She changes to Raven. "This is not your lucky day. Did you really think you stood any chance to defeat a Chosen One?"

Connor goes after the wand-wielding cultist who hit him, getting it tight to make it difficult for someone else to take a similar shot. He steps over quickly and strikes with an elbow, attempting to knock the guy down.

The woman rolls her eyes and says drolly, "Really, you still cling to that title when you've achieved nothing towards it? Chastity is more of a thorn in my side than you, and she still thinks cars are horseless carriages."

The cultist falls down and rolls into the wall, clutching where they were hit. They're down, but not out. But that hurt.

The one on the ground regains their wits. The second with Jordan starts dragging the kicking child past Connor and towards the webbed woman, followed by another wand wielder who points a wand at the webs. "I'll help you, Mistress!" he shouts. The woman doesn't seem pleased by his suggested offering. Maybe she doesn't have any faith in him.

The wand spews out a white orb that hits the wall next to the female leader. She sighs a suffering groan. "What imbeciles."

"You're not instilling confidence that you're worthy to wield true power," the Lady sighs, vanishing into gray mist and reappearing just next to Jordan and the cultist. The webs still form the outline of her body. Amelia's mind feels another attempt to breach its defenses.

Amelia bits her bottom lip. She's not going to show how much that affected her.

Moonshadow pours more fear into the actor, while still holding him upside-down, "_Just_ the fair? WHO TOOK THE BOY?"

The actor dangles and trembles. "Uhhh uhhh....I don't know!! ADP? It's on the paychecks!" he starts to sob. "Somebody, heeeelp!" Alas, his coworkers (Chainsaw guy and his victim) have fled.

Amelia dips a hand into a pocket and brings it out with a number of sky blue marble sized spheres in her palm. She gently tosses them up so they flat a few inches above her hand and says in a commanding tone, "Quaerere!" The sphere glow with a bright light and dart off towards the cultists' eyes.

All the cultists and the Lady get struck blind.

Jordan struggles, still held by one of the blind cultists. "You're gonna git it now!"

Turning his head, Jordan shouts at Xander, "Why are you just standing there?! Run!"

Connor turns and takes a swing at the cultist still holding Jordan, bobbing and weaving a bit before lashing out with a fist. He calls out at the same time, "Moonshadow! Could use some help over here!"

The cultist is struck, some sort of magical protection blunting some of the blow, but it still hurts.

They keep ahold of Jordan, though. "I'm going to get advanced for sure!" he says, promising himself the pain will be worth the power he was promised.

The Lady reaches out blindly, hand dragging down the struck cultist and finding purchase on the struggling Jordan. She smiles darkly even though she is staring off at a wall with spots in her vision. "Oh yes. You shall get your reward," she promises, though there's something sinister to her voice. She and Jordan vanish in a swirl of dark mist, leaving the other cultists behind.

"Thank you, Mistress." No response, and then the Cultist suddenly finds himself empty-handed. "Mistress? I lost the boy!" He reaches about blindly.

Amelia says, "F&#! Sasha is going to kill me."

Moonshadow lowers the actor to the floor. "Lie there and count to 100, then leave." She then moves towards the sound of Connor's voice, using the shadow-hand to open doors and curtains.

The one blinded and knocked to the floor earlier tries to feel their way against the wall to stand up. Unable to see, they're all at a loss of what to do, holding out their wands like loaded guns. They try to listen, but don't cast spells for fear of hitting their leader.

Amelia's watcher whispers to her, "Southwest, 10 meters." That's just outside and through a wall.

Connor makes a point of grabbing the weapon arm of the guy that was holding Jordan and again wrenching with a joint lock. "Where would she have taken him?"

Moonshadow says, "What happened? Where's Jordan?"

Connor glances over toward Moonshadow, "There was a female cultist who grabbed him and teleported away, leaving her flunkies here."

Moonshadow says, "Can we track her?"

Amelia vanishes in a teleport. Attempts to grab Jordan's arm, and if she succeeds, teleports back to where she started in the room with Connor and Moonshadow.

The cultist cries out in pain at the joint lock, then laughs, sounding a bit unhinged. "I...hheheh..will never betray Mistress Lyssa. I will be rewarded!"

Jordan struggles and stretches, grabbing ahold of Amelia.

Amelia teleports back as soon as Jordan grabs hold of her hand.

Amelia arrives back in the room with Jordan.

"Nooo!" Mistress Lyssa shrieks angrily as Jordan slips through her fingers. Frustrated by her incompetent minutes, gray mist swirls around Mistress Lyssa, causing her to vanish.

Amelia shakes her head. "How did they know to be here? It was a spur of the moment thing. I only thought of coming here after talking to Xander remined me of the first time I met Hunter and we went to the fair here."

Moonshadow says, "We should probably return to the Tower."

Amelia points Xander ward, "We ought to disarm Xander and unfreeze him. I suggest in that order."

Connor knocks the cultist out that he's holding. He then winces and touches his arm, where's he's bleeding. "I have no idea."

Amelia helps with taking care of the cultists, heals those needing it. Including the cultists. Removes the knife from Xander and dispels the spell on him.

Xander suddenly moves again, following through with his swing. Knifeless, at lesat. He blinks as his opponent seems to have disappeared. Then looks alarmed. "Jordan!" He quickly steps to the kid and places a hand on his shoulder, inspecting the now younger looking boy. "Did they hurt you?" Something must be slipping. He sounds genuinely concerned.

There are four consious and captured cultists. Two more are bloodied on the ground after Xander got through with them, healed up by Amelia's magic.

Connor does check on the wounded cultists before bothering to deal with his own wound.

Amelia impulsively reaches out to give Xander a hug unless he avoids it in time, "Jordan is a bit shaken up but unhurt. Thanks to you. You gave us the time we needed to drive the abductors off."

Connor nods to himself, "They'll survive. And hopefully they'll be more talkative when they wake up." He then goes about treating his own wound as best he can.

There's blood, but not bleeding currently. They're still unconscious though.

Xander has made a deadly mistake and let his guard down, getting hugged by Amelia from behind. He immediately stiffens like he expects an attack, even holding his breath and bracing. He's surprised that it's a hug. "Of...course," he says, sounding uncertain now. "He's my mission."

Amelia smiles, "He's also your friend. Having friends is not a weakness, Xander. It's a strength."

Next: Log:Caught Sleeping in Class