Log:Putting the DEMON in Church

2020/11/09 Felix Blockbuster Kid Tengu Blink Phantom 1

Phantom is seated at the BIG table at Cosmos, arms folded over his chest. "So which do we go after? They're both pretty crooked."

"No, one is crooked and one is corrupt. Well, corrupt in my opinion," says Evan. "It's certainly not Christian in any case. More like a cult of hatemongers." He quirks a grin. "But hey! They've got a soup kitchen and food pantry!"

KT continues playing with the kitten, shifting from kawaii alien-cat humanoid to someone who could easily be mistaken for a cardinal or priest of some sort.

An awfully troublesome smirk spreads to the man's face. "Well- considering who's on the table, I don't see any reason why we can't make both plays. My question is- how do we play one against the other? That ought to make things a bit more interesting..." He drums his fingers on the table before turning them right side up and using them to charge the adorable kitten and tackle it playfully.

The Unnamed One, the mentioned tuxedo kitten, falls for the attack once again. It growls in a squeaky way and chews and claws at its attacker. The Unnamed One either hid in the car and rode over here or it can teleport since it's normally at the house.

"I think trying to set them against each other is kinda out of our objective? Which is to get money for the holidays?" says Evan.


 * BLAMPF*


 * CRUNCH CRUNCH*

Someone's in the chips. Again. Still?

"Could just firebomb them both. Leave an asbestos note of 'Happy Holidays!' from the other one?"

Phantom brings up a point, "We don't touch the food pantry stuff. I almost wish you hadn't mentioned they were doing at least -some- good."

"Seems like a perfectly seasonal objective to me." KT says, though this is his first actual Christmas outside of a simulator designed only to allow him to pass for a human on their old world. "But fine- cash for Christmas. Or Hanukkah or whatever. I should probably decide what Earth 1-B deity he should believe in- and now that they are at least faking it... no firebombing either I guess." KT sounds a little disappointed.

"Well, if we're going to go for arson, it's a good thing then the food pantry and soup kitchen aren't in the main building, huh?" He then looks over at each of you. "Maybe just stick to fruad and robbery? And do we have to hit both right now? We don't even have plans of any sort for the church. We still need to scout it out. 'Cuase if there's no money or valuables, what's the bpoint?"

"I thought you jsut gave us a list of points- a bunch of anti-this, anti-that nonsense." KT reasons but shrugs aloofly as he leans back, stretching his arms out to leave them as is in the throws of kittenastrophe.

The red headed teen sighs. "Yes, they are @ssh@ts but there are lots of @ssh@ts out there. We'd have to burn down a /lot/ to get inconvience them all. But the thing about religious @ssh@ts is not to make martyrs of 'em. Instead, hit them where it hurts. And this is one of those 'prayer makes you wealthy' cults, so, we take their money." He shrugs. "See, nice and neat."

The Unnamed One does note the tempting arms, but it also hears food. It makes it way down the tabletop towards Tessa, mewling piteously as it eyes the chips.

Blink crunches another mouthful. "So we steal from the rich a$$holes, to give to the poor. Fine by me. We're poor. Might get their attention more than burning anything down, anyway. Rich people seem to flail about their money even more than the poor."

"Well, no matter what we do, we'll need to know the layout of the church." He looks at Tessa and Travis then Tyson. "So, I wonder who could do that?...Hmm...Or work with others to do that..." His attempt to sound like a teacher falls flat but you get the idea.

KT shrugs as his arms retract. "Well I suppose it seems like a good excuse for a team-up. Blinky runs transport. Phantom can keep us synced up. Felix can call the play & do logistics and I'll play the ignorant neophyte with more money than sense..." He returns to shifting through forms to find one that feels guilible enough for the job.

"Travis can maybe also explore all ghost-zoned as well. But we can work that out later. So, street clothes I guess for the rest of us? No reason to stand out, I guess," says Evan.

"I can check the layout," Phantom confirms. "And keep lookout, guide you guys along. I'll stay nearby when we hit it in case I need to make people forget we were there."

"OK, so, Tessa and I stay in the car nearby with your body when you do that, Travis? And Tyson goes in the front door as a lost soul looking for help?" asks Evan.

"And are we scouting and hitting it at the same time? Or just scouting for right now?"

Phantom chuckles. "I could scout layout right now. So long as that one," he points a finger to Tessa, "is kept from drawing mustaches on me."

"Yes!" Tessa volunteers. Loudly and merrily. "I just need to grab my Sharpies first!"


 * BLAMF*


 * BLAMF*

She leaves and promptly returns.

Phantom emphasizes, "See?"

"Well if it counts, Travis, you look very handsome with a neon green mustache." KT says kindly.

Tessa blinks, having blinked out just in time to miss Phantoms caveat. she looks between the others innocently. Well, somewhat so. "What?"

"Travis says no sharpie mustaches or no Christmas present," says Evan in a bald faced but unverifiable lie.

KT doesn't give away the ruse and sits patiently as Phantom takes a moment to scout the target location through his mind's eye.

Phantom doesn't confirm or deny Felix's statement.

Travis gets a sense of vague menace as he approaches a shadowy building. The unease grows as he crosses the threshold and it's as if he's walking through tar. He approaches a door near the back of the church and it opens like a lightless maw trying to suck him in!

Or so the vision goes.

Phantom tries to get a sense for what lies ahead. As he feels like he's getting sucked in, he suddenly sits up and plants his hands on the table with a loud sound, eyes wide.

"What?" snaps Evan.

"I, uh..." Phantom starts, then sits back again, trying to sort out what he foresaw. "I dunno. Just got a weird feeling about the church. I'm going astral to check it out." He sounds shook and uncomfortable.

Evan looks likes he about to ask more, but just nods in the end. "We'll be here," is all he says.

Phantom nods and leans back in the chair, getting comfy before astral projecting. His mind separates from his body and begins flying its way to the church while he's still mentally connected with the others.

"Hey- maybe you shouldn't do that, Trav." KT says, sitting up and sounding serious. "I mean- 'weird feelings' is your bag and all, but if something happens- we're too far away to do anything but slap you around til you come to, right? Aaaaaaaaaaand... He's already doing it." He sighs and shapeshifts into Travis with a Butt for a face.

It's a quick trip as you know where the Church of Christ Washed In The Blood of the Rigtheous is located. It's right next door to Peretti's Pawnshop with its neon golden sign of three balls brightly lit. The church, on the other hand, is very dim from the astral. The afternoon 'sunlight' on the Astral barely touches it.

As you come to the front door, you note that up close, while it looks very well put together, it's like the building itself is rotten somehow.

Evan laughs at Butt Face Travis, then the laugther trails off at what Travis' is projecting back to the three who remained behind.

You do note that the church, while only one tall story hight, has a basement given the few small windows at ground level.

It's as dark and as creepy as it was in his vision. << There's something wrong about this place. It's so dim...like a dark spot on the astral>> Phantom says to the others as he floats before the front door. << It's...rotten. Guess the place reflects the toxic culture inside. I'm going in.>> His ghostly form drifts through the door.

Phantom's physical form takes a breath.

Inside the church, you note the lack of anything resembling Christian symbols. Even behind the altar is just a stained glass window that has a vaguely manshoped image surrounded by golden rays that seems to fade into blood red at the end.

The entrance hall opens into the main sanctuary where the stained glass window is. The furniture is of the highest quality, there are silver and gold altar candelbras as well as other overt signs of money, from plush carpets and fabrics to expensive padded pews and chairs. Everything here reeks of wealth, everything here reeks of hatreds and fears. There is nothing sacred about this space.

And there is a door near the back of the church. By its location, it shuold lead to the church's sacristy one would think.

And, of course, the safety doors in case of fire...which you note are padlocked closed.

Phantom shares what he sees over the BrainWave. <> He floats along, noticing the safety doors. <> he swipes at the lock uneffectually. He starts to drift towards the back door. Was this the one he saw in this vision? He slows as he draws nearer.

Evan takes out a pad of paper and does that thing where he draws what he's seeing with incredibly stright lines and perspective real quick. It's like he's a human printer. Well, not quite that quick, but very precise.

The door seems utterly normal on the Astral. Well, underpined by a rotten core like everything here, but otherwise normal.

KT sighs in response to Evan's laugther and the rotten look of the church's astral form- a sigh which naturally only comes out as a series of fart-like sounds that make his butt-face dimples quiver.

He too falls silent and even resumes a more standard form.

He tries to take in everything for his own ventures into the physical location. He tries noting exits and pathways out and anything that might look like it might lead to a Blink-way out as well.

Phantom takes a moment to look at the door. He braces himself, then floats through, just enough to poke his head through.

From Tyson's perspective, there are the two restrooms in the entrance hall. One for men and one for women. Those'd be good spots to 'pop' into. And maybe the sacristy, but Travis hasn't gone through that...oh there he's trying.

Well, you try to pop your head through the door but bang it on it insread. It's like hitting lead. And, in fact, rings like a leaden bell when your astral head hits it.

After a moment, you hear a bestial voice growl out, "Who wakens me?" It sounds quite...inhuman.

The voice also comes from behind the door.

Phantom holds his nonphysical head as he rebounds off the door. That's...new. As is the voice that causes Phantom to suddenly freeze in place. He doesn't make an astral peep just yet.

A face forms out of the door. It's vaguely human with horns and cruel features, but few human faces have fours eyes or a mouth filled with needle-like teeth. It blinks its overly large eyes, it's hourglass pupils somehow seeing. "Ah..." it rasps to Phantom. "A visitor. It's been so long since I've had a visitor. Come, step closer so I can see you better?" it says in an attempt at a croon. A croon betrayed by the bifurcated toungue that likc sover it's lips.

No way in heck he's getting closer. "Well ah, hah...I seem to have woken you, no need to wake up completely. I can let you rest a bit more and come back later," he starts to draft backwards. << Oh shick. Guys. Guys!>>

<> shouts Evan over the Brainwave. <>

<> Tessa asks. Speaking (or thinking) of demons. She adds a pair of purple horns to Travis' physical forehead. It's not a moustache, so it's not a rule violation!

Phantom doesn't need to be told twice. He starts flying backwards at top speed. Hopefully the front doors are still immaterial to him.

<< I'm going to smack you.>> KT says helpfully as his buttface deflates and returns to normal.

He looks to Tessa and says aloud, "Maybe we should jump in and run distraction?"

"Yeah, I've changed my mind. Go throw a firebomb into the church. NO, wait, gah! What if there's people in the basement...." Evan pulls at his hair. "No, um, phone call to the police. Random public phone. Tell them...tell them that you saw someone kidnapped into the church," says Evan.

Travis has no problem escaong the church. But he does heare the door demon laughing, "I'll see you soon! My Master will give me your heart!"

KT stands up and bulks up instinctually but doesn't move to smack Phantom despite his threats. He's just bulked up because he's defensive about the members of his adopted family and he'll do anything to see them home again, even if they take a route he can't travel himself.

 Phantom says, "Whew. Safe. I say we burn that place down. I'll be back to my body soon."

Phantom slips back into his body and sits up slowly. "I need to trust my visions more. And learn how to interpret them better. Yikes. I think the head of the church is the master that demon mentioned."

The red headed teen looks over at Travis then shrugs. "Probably. I, um, think this is something for the nups to handle. I'll go get them on it." He looks over at Travis. "And, uh, keep this by you. At any sign of weirdness or demon, set it off the alarm, OK?"

And he hands Travis an old style wind up alarm clock with two bells between a ringer on top.

KT shrinks back down to an amalgam of his most typical shapes- as close to a 'base form' as any. He looks visibly relieved once Phantom returns to himself.

"Well- we've already dealt with a haunting. So its Demons & their Masters or the Pawn Shop grab bag. Seems like the bigger score is in the Church to me. Are we really going to alert the 'nups to this? Who even?"

"I don't know! But if we're going to hit the church, we better do it fast before the demon tattles on us to its Master, 'kay?" says Evan.

"I suppose I could leave a message about the demon and the church for Ms. Steinberg? She a witch and a hero after all."

Phantom nods curiously as he accepts the alarm clock.

Last time on Code Dark: The Series: Tyson, Travis, Tessa, and Evan met around the big metahero at Cosmos to plan a heist. Grift the pawhshop or steal from the Church of Christ Washed In The Blood of the Rigtheous. Evan favored the pawhshop 'cause 'Look., 3D model of building interior. We've scounted it out. KNow the security.' The others favored hitting the noxious church since they are awful. Travis said he'd ghost it and check it out. But first, he scryed the future and got a pad feeloing. Being Travis, he ignored it and said he's socuit it out. He left his body behind while keeping everyone in a audio visual link via his Brainwave power. The church from the Astral looked solid but rotten underneath. Upon entering it was richly furnished and appointed but oddly lacking in Christian icongraphy of any sort. (During all this Tyson assumed a butt headed Travis appearance after Travis just takes off astrally; looks still has dimples. Meanwhile, Tessa uses sharpies to draw hrons and goatee on Travis' body. Evan, starts drawing out the church as Travis shows it throiugh the link.)

Travis approached a door at thye back of the church he'd gotten bad vibes from in the scrying. Turns outs, the vision was right as a demonic face appears on the door and tries to tempt him to step into munching range. Upoin hearing the wise advice of Evan (RUN, YOU IDIOT! IT's A DEMON!), Travis retreats back to his body. And now a debate rages, quietly, over burning the church down, wether before or after robbing it, what to do about the demon, and whether to inmform any nups. The Unnamed One, the tuxedo kitten, Travis brought back to the new house a week or so back, seems unconcerned by any of this and plots to steal snakc foods from Tessa. And the story continues!

The alarm clock on close inspection is covered in all sorts of odd symbols among which are a crescent moon, a cross, a mogen david, a book, and a candle.

Summer comes floating into the War Room within Cosmos. Grumbling to herself about how lead singers never change, even in other dimensions, Summer looks over at Phantom for a few seconds before rolling her eyes. Pulling a bag of wet wipes out of her purse, Summer wanders over to Phantom so that she can quietly set about cleaning the Sharpie off of Travis' stubborn face.

"What are you guys talking about? Did you go scout a Satanic lodge without me? Did the security situation at the pawn shop change? Why would we change up the target?"

KT looks around at the room and then the alarm clock in Travis' hands.

He smiles upon Summer's arrival but he still looks a bit worried.

"We were talking about Satanic Lodges and hitting them instead, BB." KT says to her as he smirks as she begins rubbing away Tessa's handiwork. "No change at the pawnshop, but the people running that 'lodge' are hatemongers who'd probably fit in better back home than here. So- new... better target... that may be being run by a demon that jsut set his sights on the BMOC over here." He points to Travis.

"We didn't know the church might actually be a satanic lodge, Summer," puts in Evan. "But, yeah, there'a demon insdie the church and it saw Travis when he went to scout the churhc out astrally." He then grumbles a bit to himself as he mutters, "Of course, if we'd stick with an already set plan...."

"Travis! Tell the B. Mac to be more careful," complains Blockbuster while she rubs at the Sharpie marks. She offers a roll of her eyes at Tessa before looking back to the others. Frowning a little bit, Summer replies, "It's a church with a demon inside. That's, like, totally close enough to be considered a Satanic lodge."

Phantom doesn't react for a bit as Summer wipes his face. And then several seconds, he suddenly squirms in surprise as something wet is smeared over his face. His mind must've been elsewhere. "Pffft! Hey, what!?"

Felix deadpans. "You got some drool on you. Summer as cleaning it off."

"I guess what ic comes down to is, do we want to fight this thing ourselves or, I don't know, get help with dealing with it? Or we could just hope it and its Master can't find us, I guess," says Evan as he finishes off his drawing of the church's interior.

Phantom closes his eyes and relaxes with a sigh, just letting it be. "So what do we do about a demon? That's like what we faced with that coach, right? We got this!"

"I told you to tell the B. Mac to be more careful," scolds Summer. She frowns a little bit and returns to work, rubbing Sharpie off of Travis' face with her wet wipes. The cleaning continues as Summer scowls at Travis, not that he can see it.

"Well, hmm, the clockwork there," he points to the alarm clock he gave to Travis, "uses a series of..." He trails off. "It can make summoned creatures go back to where they came from. But it builds up the power, it's not all one single shot. So, we'd need fight it off /and/ keep it from running away."

"Who's the B. Maahhc--ack!" Phantom starts to sputter as his face is aggressively wiped until all sharpie is remove.

Summer sighs heavily, looking to Tyson.

"Can you help him? I think he left part of his, like, brain on the Astral Plane."

Evan looks over then rolls his eyes as he says, "You are, Travis. You a nice big juicy piece of beef everyone wants. Like a Big Mac."

"I think he is beyond help, BB." KT says with a laugh. "Even with my senses he'd probably be clueless." He laughs.

Phantom laughs a bit as it's explained to him. "Maybe we could use some help with it. It did take some of the other teen ros to deal with that ...male succubus? Whatever that thing was."

"Coach Cubus?" offers Summer, punching Phantom in the shoulder lightly.

Phantom rocks a bit with the punch. "The old football coach. The one that was behind....some really sick shick. I hear he escaped police using mind tricks. Can't believe they fell for that."

"An incubus which some claim is the male form of a succubus. Of course, as we're dealing with spirits in flesh..." He trails off again. "Never mind. This demon looked a bit more direct with the mouthful of needle teeth."

"But it was a coach," complains Summer to Evan, "So shouldn't it be a coachcubus?"

Phantom nods along. "Yeah, lots of teeth. Not sexy at all."

"No, no it shouldn't, Summer. Never. Unless it turns into a seductive and soul sucking coach-sied bus. And no, I don't know if that possible, but this is CB, land of weirdness, so who knows," grouses Evan.

"And we're getting sidetracked. Do we try to deal with this demon on our own or get help? Whether from a magickal nup like Ms Steinberg or that Radical guy on HeroNet or others pups like, I don't know Golden Girl and Bran?"

"Like anyone would be better than nothing," Phantom says. "Throw it up on a private HeroNet message and tag all of 'em?"

Evan gets out his PDA and turns it on. (I know, a nup who's not always online. And he's a nerd even. Totes weird-zoned.) As his fingers fly, he says, "OK, I'll send out pings to tag all four of 'em. Though Bran is probably at work right now, right?"

Summer pouts at the rebuking she gets concerning etymology and demonology. Folding her arms across her chest, Summer sinks into a seated position in the air, a pillar of light supporting her as she sulks and contemplates.

"So are we still heisting the pawn shop? Or are we just laying the smack down on, like, the first national church o' hate?"

"I think the church is more important right now. Though maybe we can just burn that whole place to the ground," Phantom grumbles. "They'll still spread hate without the demon there."

"Unless burning down, like, the church just frees the demon to go do demon things around town," suggests Summer.

Evan points a finger at Summer then thumbs up as the finished sending out the message on HeroNet..

At which point Ghostfist kicks open the doors and shouts, "Where the **** is this demon that needs killing?!"

"So we slay the demon, THEN burn down it's evil church. No big," Phantom says as if this is simple to accomplish. He has no clue.

Evan responds to Radical's inquiry with, which he reads out loud so all Code Dark knows, 'In scouting out a hate-zoned church, team member encountered demon in a door. Not experts on demons and need help dealing with it. If interested, please come to Cosmos if you know where that is. If not, will meet you outside Oceanarium.'

"And let's get out game faces on? UNless we want the nups to know it all about us?" suggests Evan.

To set a good example, Evan touches that amulet he always wears with the weird symbol on it and in a glimmer of light is clad in Felix's normal outfit.

As directed, Summer lifts a hand to brush both her palm and the trailing sparkles of light across her form. Blockbuster sets about loosing her hair from its usual (civilian) bun and getting her hair properly coiffed for possible combat.

Phantom motions to himself. "I'm already prepped." He's sheathed in dark psionic energy already.

Felix foess upstairs to get Amelia Steinberg. "So, um, this is the base we're using. We got permissio from smeone who used to be on a team that uses it," he explains to her as they enter the hiddewn elevetor and head down under the sea to Cosmos.

Amelia looks around, "Impressive. No wonder you weren't overly receptive to basing your activities out of the Tower."

Phantom is seated at the large meeting table still, staring straight ahead and leaning back a bit in his chair.

Blockbuster, when Felix and Amelia (and Radical?) enter the Cosmos, is cheerily singing Unda Da Sea.

"It's nice and all and the tech is good. Makes a good place to relax-zone as well." He makes quick introductions of everyone to Amelia and Radical. "This is Ms Amelia Steinberg and Radical everyone. They're experts on magick and similar shick. Ms. Steinberg, Radical, this is Code Dark." In order he points to, "Phantom, Blockbuster, (Blink who is surprisingly silent), Kid Tengu, and me, Felix."

Amelia nods and greets each as they are introduced. "I met most of you at my party I think. Glad to see you are getting set up in here."

Radical waves to everyone. "I think we've met once already. If I'm not mistaken?"

Felix looks over at Phantom. "So, you wanna tell them what all is going on, B Mac?" says the grey and black clad Pelix with a slight Scots brogue.

Blockbuster smiles and waves. "Like, hi! Thanks for coming by to help with our little problem," cheerily intones Blockbuster. Her costume is gently pulsing with light as she sits in the air.

Phantom raises a hand to wave to people over his shoulder. Once he gets a feel for where people are, he turns his rotating char towards the group. << Me? Well...great. I barely understand this stuff>> he says over the Brainwave. "Um, so I was cruising along the astral plane and found something really wrong with a church there. When I checked it out, I encountered a demon that woke up from my presence. I think it's corrupting the church there. It's one of those not-so-tolerant ones."

Felix adds, "The church. It

Felix adds, "The church is real hate-zoned. Anti-alt, anti-feminist, anti-meta, anti-alien, pro-prosperity and pray and claim Christian. It's called the Church of Christ Wased in the Blood of the Rigtheous."

Amelia tilts her head and glances at Radical, "So our mission, should we accept it, is to rescue the demon from wht sounds like near enough earthly hell?

Amelia says, "More seriously, I'm female, a meta, and jewish. How much cooperation am I likely to get from the church people? I can't go tresspassing on another faith's holy ground without permission."

"What do you mean you can't go on holy ground?" Phantom asks, clueless.

Blockbuster tilts her curiously to one side. "Um, like, for certain definitions of "rescue", I suppose you could look at it like that." She pauses again at the follow-up clarification, momentarily uncertain of how to answer.

"Well, we considered just burning the church down, but, uh, that might free the demon, maybe? None of us know for certain. And, well, why not? It's an actual demon inside the church. Of course, don't know if they know it's there. Phantom was astral after all..." He then looks over at Phantom, reaches up to his head, and rubs his temple.

Phantom thinks to the other teens <>

Felix thinks. o O (She means she can't just break in and fight the demon 'cuase it)

Radical thinks about it. "So...if I understand correctly, this demon is causing the church to be more intolerant in general? Or is it that the church's attitude has effectively given it some kind of safe haven?"

Felix thinks. o O (She means she can't just break in and fight the demon 'cause it's illegal to do so. I think.)

Phantom thinks on that. "It said it had a master, and that its master would give it my heart. That worth breaking in and dealing with? I think someone at that church knows its there. Or is the reason why it's there."

Felix adds, "And Phantom mentioned that astrally the church looks solid but is rotten under the surface. And even on the Astral, there were no signs of Christian iconography. Closest was a vaguely man shaped image in a stained glass window surrounded by golden rays that faded to blood red at the ends."

Amelia nods, "Can we go take a look? If the church is as intolerant and corrupted as you suggest it might be, there's a good chance any blessing or scarification of the grounds has been voided."

Radical nods. "Is that an issue for you, Amelia? WAlking onto holy ground, I mean?"

Amelia says, "Walking on, no. Using witch abilities on Christian holy ground. Potentially, yes."

Phantom holds his hand palm up and projects a psionic image of the iconography he saw. "Does this mean anything to you two?" he asks Amelia and Radical. It's the image Felix described. It bobs slowly, clearly a projection of some sort.

"I thought only vamps and demons had issues with holy ground. 'least, that's what the movies say," Phantom comments.

Felix murmurs, "Some holy sites, hmm, dampen magicks not related to their religion I've read.:

Amelia nods to Felix. "That's correct."

Radical looks at the symbol. "It's similar to other standard Christian iconography. But...there are some changes made. The symbol is kind of vague. And there are these changes at the edges." He points out some symbols on the edges. "Those are, if my memory serves, demonic symbols. They are about...taken power. Lust for the material and for the spirit."

Amelia's eyes widen as she sees the image. "It's a Lightbringer 'church'," she says in a digusted tone of voice. Demon worship. That's classic iconography of the Lightbringer heresy. That Satan/Lucifer is the true savior of Man. That he'll free Man from the shackles of God. Allow them wealth and power over the material and the spiritual. Used by demon worshippers in the past to lead people astray by dressing it up as godly."

Phantom blinks his pure white eyes. "Now I really regret it seeing me on the astral."

Amelia has bad recollections of the Tall Man. She looks long and intensely at Phantom.

Blockbuster cocks her head to one side. "I swear I have nothing to do with any churches like that," she states, hands up in peace.

Radical rubs his chin. "Well, any blessing on the grounds wouldn't likely be holy, I'm guessing?"

Amelia says, "Certainly not. Unholy gound if anything. Depending of city location they may not have risked that though. There's enough people in this city who would detect an unholy aura and raise questions."

"Why would you have anythin...Oh, cause you bring light. Got it," says Felix after a moment. "And no, you're a real light bringer, Blockbuster. Not a false god."

Felix adds after a mometn. "No matter what the mean girls say..."

Amelia says, "Phantom, you've been tagged."

Phantom shifts uncomfortable as Amelia looks intensely at him. "What?"

KT listens even if he looks a little distracted. He is midsnicker when Amelia says Phantom's been tagged. 5r

"Tagged how?" He asks, finally speaking up. "And how do we 'un-tag' him?"

"I have holy water, would that help?" offers Felix. "Or, hmm," he takes off his tactical backpack and rummages in it.

Phantom leans back in his seat. "I'm gonna make sure we're not being watched." He closes his eyes and his head lightly dips down as his mind slips back onto the astral plane.

Blockbuster blows Felix a kiss. "Haters gon' hate," opines Blockbuster as she looks over at Amelia and Phantom.

Radical takes a look with his magic sight. "I could try to remove it, but I can't guarantee it would work."

Amelia says, "You have been marked by the demon. So it can find you, Phantom. And untagging. That can be done at any true church. Father Thomas at St Augustans can do it. One of my friends got tagged ny The Tall Man when I was a new Chosen One. So I know how to deal with it. Thanks to Lightray, a local meta."

Radical nods to Amelia, "Let me give it a try first, assuming Phantom is willing to allow me to do so."

Amelia nods to Radical.

"Let's start there." NNS says to Radical, before adding, "Please." He sounds suficently worried- as he owuld if any of the Outworlder teens were in such a situation. "Then if that doesn't work we'll find a real church and have time to deal with the haters from there." He smirks to BB.

"Let's start there." Kid TENGU says to Radical, before adding, "Please." He sounds suficently worried- as he owuld if any of the Outworlder teens were in such a situation. "Then if that doesn't work we'll find a real church and have time to deal with the haters from there." He smirks to BB.

Felix gives the impression of blinking then says, "Um, he's out of his body right now, Radical, Ms. Steinberg," as he points at Phantom. "We really need a ouija board so he can easily comminucate with us when he's out of body."

Phantom can still perceive and follow along with the conversation on the material world. He psionically projects his voice where his body is, but it has an unearthly reverb to it. "Sure, if Felix vouches for you," he answers Radical.

Radical looks to Felix for said vouching.

Felix tilts his head to one side then the other. "So long as it's not invasive, sure. Just let me watch, OK?"

Amelia says, "Before you start, Radical..."

Radical nods. "It's not invasive." He moves over next to Phantom but looks over to Amelia.

Amelia says, "Demon can be very possessive. If Radical can erase the tag, and the demon is free to move, it may come here to attack Phantom before the demon's link to him is brojen. Be prepared."

Radical nods to Amelia, "So be it. I have a weapon to use if needed."

Blockbuster helpfully kicks off of the air at normal human height. She spirals upward into the air, forming a pair of cherry red spheres of light around her hands. "Let's get to cutting the link then!"

"Ah," murmurs Felix as he walks over to Phantom and takes an old style alarm clock from the table in front of him. As he winds it up, he murmurs, "Just in case it shows up..." To magickal sense the clockwrok seems like a focus of banishing magicks, quite potent, and that builds on itself.

Radical places a hand on Phantom's shoulder. By way of explanation, he says, "I'm using the magic of Order to try to return Phantom to his previous pattern, prior to the tag. I'm not sure if it will work, but we'll see."

The first burst of Order wends it way through Phantom and wears away at the taint. It's then that is becomes obvious that while weak, it's also lasting. It will take more than one attempt Radical thinks.

KT stands up and shifts into a Bigfoot... ebcause that seems like a good shape to face a demon in.

Amelia mutters, "Forgive me, Father Thomas. It's in a good cause." She far reaches for a silver cross from an alter display.

It's almost gone now. It seems that in the grand mystical scheme of things that third time may be the charm here.

Radical doesn't have any incantations. Or even hand gestures. Nothing like a typical mage. "A couple more seconds, I think. It does appear to be working at removing the mark."

Amelia says, "Any of you Christian?"

Radical nods to Amelia, "I am."

A tuxedo kitten hops up on th table and wends it way down towards Phantom, INtent on him.

Amelia offers Radical the 'borrowed' cross. "This will be more effective in your hands than mine."

"I went to chruch a few times," puts in Felix.

Radical waves off the cross. "I have a better option." He the continuees the spell.

"I'm a Bigfoot." KT says unhelpfully.

Amelia thewn offers the cross to Felix.

On the Astral, you get a sense of something hurtling towards you, searching, seeking, like a shark who smells blood in the water.

Blockbuster shrugs. "I played a born again Christian in a made-for-TV special one time," she helpfully(?) offers.

Felix takes the cross and holds it against Phantom's chest, alarm clock in the other hand.

KT reaches across the table to pull the kitten away and protect it in case things get crazy.

Whether is was the imposition of Order upon, the silver cross being added to the mix, or the Unnamed One, the kitten, leapingt into Phantom's lap to take a nap, the taint burns away like a vampire in the sunlight.

At the same to those who might be on the Astal Plane, you hear a scrrech of inhuman rage and get a sense of line being broken. A line you didn't even notive.

Phantom's ghostly voice echoes without his body moving, "Something's coming....but now it's screeching in rage."

The Unnmaned One, denied it proper lap, looks up at KT in kittenish dismay. Then decided this is good enough and goes to sleep in the young Bigfoot's big hand.

"Yay? So, um, get back physical before I get the sharpies," mutters Evan.

Radical nods to himself. "The mark is gone. That might explain the anger."

Amelia says, "It's done. The link is broken. Good job, Radical."

"Thank you, Radical," says Felix in a respectful tone. "So, uh, one problem we didn't even know of fixed. Arid."

Phantom's mind slips back into his body. His pure white glowing eyes blink open a few times. "Thanks. It was coming right for me," he sighs in relief. Then looks down at Felix's hand on his chest, then up to Felix. "Umm. Felix?"

Radical nods to Felix, "You are welcome." He sounds...more formal now than he did previously? He steps back away from Phantom.

KT grows and extra right arm since the kitten has taken up residence in his other right hand. He promptly offers it to Radical and says, "Thank you."

Then he turns to Amelia and offers yet another right hand. He seems to have spares. "Thank you both."

He turns to Felix and nods. "Way arid. Now we have to get thsi demon guy right?"

Amelia shakes a right hand of KT's. One of them anyway.

Felix looks down at the silver cross in his hand that is pressed agaisnt Phantom's chest. One can hear the roll of his eyes as he grouses, "Get over yuirself, B Mac. I;m nae one of yuir cheerleaders." He does remove his hand though and step back.

Radical shakes KT's hand. "You are welcome." He doesn't seem to be bothered by the extra hands, either.

Amelia smiles, relieved the tag has neem untagged. "Now just pro forma, I'm going to suggest you tells us the name and location of the church and leave it to the 'nup' heroes to deal with."