18 - The Devil's due a soul, I'd say

[sonotahunter]

[Private to Tony]

[Whatever was here is so deeply scratched out as to be completely illegible]

[Filtered to Irene, Bruce, Facilier, Sark, McCullen... ...BASICALLY IF YOU'RE SOMEONE BELA CONSIDERS A FRIEND WORTHWHILE ASSOCIATE, YOU'RE ON THIS FILTER.]

Come to my room. I don't care where you are. Do it.

Comments

Voice

[amagicalmystery]

[well THAT isn't like her at all, and also Facilier isn't blind, so cue impromptu journal-as-communicator as he leaves his own room]

What floor?

If you've got those bugs, I already tried chasin' them out in my room, those suckers jump.

[this is his weak attempt at lulz, because really he just keeps wondering why we all cannot have THREE NORMAL MINUTES]

Voice

[sonotahunter]

Fifth floor, room ten. Unfortunately the locust swarm seems concentrated nearby.

Spam

[amagicalmystery]

Good, you're close. Let-

[as he passes by the library there's a wave of cold and an unbearably loud buzzing]

What the hell-

[he is at her door even quicker and does not bother knocking, though he does note the sigil on the floor]

Spam

[sonotahunter]

[Bela looks up when he enters, midway through crafting a braided bundle of plants. She nods, her gaze flicking past him to the hall before the closes.] Facilier.

Spam

[amagicalmystery]

Bela.

[his eyes glance at the sigil again and then back up, not saying anything, face smoothed back into its usual calm]

They're eating the whole damn library. Beatty must be happy.

Spam

[sonotahunter]

[She ties the bundle off and gets up, climbing onto a chair near the door to place it on the lintel.] Hopefully the Admiral can use his apparent control to put things to rights. I would hate to see one of the few decent escapes in this place ruined indefinitely.

[Bela climbs off the chair and crosses her room again, opening one of her desk drawers and pulling out a pendant that's, more or less, a miniaturized version of the sigil on the floor.] You're well enough on this side of the door, but if you need to leave, you'll need this as well.

Spam

[amagicalmystery]

[Facilier's jaw tightens as his hand closes around the pendant, fingers cupping it like he's used to handling such objects with reverence, and like he knows exactly how precious such a thing is]

Much obliged.

...Locusts are Biblical, right? God's wrath and sea turned to blood and things?

Spam

[sonotahunter]

Yes. [She glares down at a locust that just crawled under the door and crushes it under her heel with rather more vehemence than is strictly necessary.] In this case, combined with the storm that blew up while I was taking a turn around the deck, the cold spots I felt on my way down and the...

[She grimaces, glancing at a small, shattered plaster figure in the corner of her room. It appears to be smeared with blood.] Other signs. I believe we're in the middle of a demonic incursion of some kind.

Spam

[amagicalmystery]

[he isn't as well-versed in the Christian mythos as she is - it crosses with voudou quite a bit, but with power as his main concern he never did see a use for it. so it does confirm only vague suspicions, enough for Shadow's "gaze" to dart around the room frantically, and for him to allow himself a look of panic when he turns his head from her to look at the shattered statue]

They can't come here. ...Right? They can't - not when we hold at least one of 'em for an inmate, it don't make sense.

[he's trying to convince himself more than anything else, and poorly]

Re: Spam

[sonotahunter]

They can go many places one would think them incapable. Churches included. [Bela fights the desire to pace, instead studying his shadow for a moment before shaking her head.] At the very least, they can't come in here. Not with that in the doorway.

[She jerks her chin at the red symbol.]

Re: Spam

[amagicalmystery]

[He studies the indicated symbol, memorizing it with his eyes, learning. Maybe it'll keep the loa out too. Or maybe it's - but he can't sit and linger on that thought just yet, especially not with her watching.]

"House of God" won't hold 'em, but a bit of drawing will if we don't mind cabin fever. I'm not sure if that's a boon or it's real sad.

[He looks over back at her, trying to keep his face calm. Seeing her so unsettled makes her a kindred spirit of sorts, and also makes him wonder.]

...you've tangled with this before. Haven't you.

Spam

[sonotahunter]

I find myself wondering how much God has to do with anything, sometimes. [A tiny, vicious smile curves over her face for a moment, not directed at him.] And in various ways over the years, yes. Banished a number of lesser demons back to the pit during that time as well.

Re: Spam

[amagicalmystery]

Depends on which god, I suppose. There's loa that operate the way they do, too. [He smirks, thoughtful, as he realizes.] Good news is that if they ain't easily turned back, this place is a walking banquet of lost souls.

[Assuming the seance hasn't called them straight to him, but freaking out in front of a pudgy, effeminate lacky is one thing. Doing it in front of Bela is...quite another.]

I got no doubt you can take care of yourself. But you look too worried for this to go down easy, Bells.

Spam

[sonotahunter]

True enough. [She looks briefly thoughtful, takes a step into pacing again--and then catches herself at his comment. Her expression takes on a dark, warning edge.] Anyone who's dealt with demons as frequently as I have would be concerned at such a sudden, violent flare-up.

Spam

[amagicalmystery]

[She isn't telling him something, but with someone like Bela that means absolutely nothing. And might well be his own paranoia talking, because it's in fine form right now.] That mean something extra?

Spam

[sonotahunter]

Power. Or numbers. [She gives a tiny, ironic laugh.] Hopefully not both.