Leaving for Radley Hall

[a_crumrin]

Some time in the night, Aloysius thinks to put the radio on. Sleep will not come and the endless cups of tea are keeping him up regardless. Courtney's parents have spent days ensorcelled to not notice her absence, hardly for the first time. This is hardly conducive to changing a habit that was established years ago, and he's aware of it, but can

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[maylookatkings]

Before he gets very far down the path, a ragged grey shape slinks out of the bushes and trots along at his side. Hobbles, at least.

[a_crumrin]

Aloysius glances down, raises an eyebrow, and pauses. "I thought you'd left town. You probably should. There's an evacuation and I can't tell you how all this is going to... work out." He narrowly catches himself from saying 'how this is going to end'. There's no point going at all if he's going to submit to defeat before he's started.

[maylookatkings]

"You're going to confront her, or something?" If Aloysius is pausing then Fisher is going to sit and groom himself. These storms and all this wild energy flying around can be hell on the fur.

[a_crumrin]

"...Or something, yes. At the very least, you should wait here. I won't presume to tell you where to go since I doubt you'd listen, but if you won't leave Hillsborough then you'd still be safer inside the house."

[secretarybird]

Djehuty, pallid but three-dimensional, lurks somewhere past the edges of Radley Hall. He had felt his paperwork take effect, and had fortified himself with incense and ink--and with Ruthven's belief. Many of the Moon's knick-knacks have faded away, too much work for the tired god to maintain.

The humans...well, mortals need to take care of mortal problems, mostly, as painful as that can be; but there's a goddess here at work, and Djehuty doesn't like what she's done. At all.

((I'll probably have to go to bed before too long, but I wanted to establish that Djehuty was around.))

[a_crumrin]

When Aloysius approaches Radley Hall, he appears to be alone. He is more collected than when the god saw him last, but certainly no less grim. The amulet from Nadezhda hangs on a chain around his neck, ready for the moment of need.
On seeing Djehuty's wraithlike form he pauses, and gives a bow. "Good evening. I... wasn't expecting you. I still have no idea if she'll let me in." He looks up at the shields, invisible to the naked eye but sizzling with power to anyone with the senses for it.

[secretarybird]

"I hope she will. I....at first I assumed that the goddess had taken her over entirely; but I do not know whether that is true. But if her goddess can be brought to speak, I am at your service." He bows, a low inclination of his head.

[a_crumrin]

"No... no, my niece is still very much there, although it's possible she will become gradually... subsumed." He closes his eyes briefly, pained by the thought. "Thank you. I really don't know where things will go, but if she can be brought out for a round of diplomacy, I will be badly in want of your expertise."

[cold_hope]

A shadow thickens not far off from him, and solidifies, and two red eyes look out of the darkness at him.

"Mr. Crumrin," says the shadow. "I'm ready, if you still want my strength."

[a_crumrin]

He nods and takes a slow breath, eyeing his sword cane in debate. The intent is not to outright attack her and he does not want her to misinterpret things that way, but should it come to that he does not wish to be without means to defend himself. "Do we go in together, then? Or will you wait here and keep a link to me through the shield?"

((We were looking for you on AIM...))

[cold_hope]

"I was thinking more along the lines of you taking what strength I have to give, and using it as you see fit," says the shadow, and offers a hand. "I can't guarantee it will do you any good, but I can say true that if I go in there I will do foolish things. I love the child, and I am....in some ways aligned with chaos myself; but I have worked hard to subsume the old demon blood in me with more temperate strength."

Her hand, in the darkness, fizzes and crackles with the strength she has spent the day drawing from her books and amulets.

[a_crumrin]

"That... might be the best course. Thank you." He really would prefer to go in alone, for reasons he'd rather not have to explain. This is somehow a worse situation than the Templeton affair, and he's having a flash of comprehension for what Woodrue might have felt, wondering where he failed so disasterously.
The can has a fairly sharp metal tip, and he plants it firmly in the ground beside him before taking her hand in his. He is not magically drained, but physically he is operating on adrenaline, and perhaps this enables him to take her power with more ease. Aloysius opens himself to whatever she will give.

[maylookatkings]

There's a little grey shadow lurking in the bushes close by, watching. Silly humans and their delusions of superiority. He's coming. Those shields aren't designed to keep out a cat.