The Riddle of the Bells [[ Open ]]

[secondcity_mods]

Characters: Anyone interested in figuring out the mystery behind the church’s chimes
Time: Throughout the day (Currently post-dated to Sunday, February 13th)
Location: St. Peter's Church to the café at Barnes and Noble on East Jackson
Content: The bells of churches in the northern part of the Loop have been ringing all day - even for churches that

Comments

[legallygreen]

The last time she had been here, an innocent man who tried to protect her had died

[secondcity_npc]

"Such hostility," Nicodemus chuckled, not moving any closer to the group. "A shame that our reunion is tinged by distrust." His smile was friendly without being warm, his dark eyes sharply watching ever single member of the group as his shadow bubbled and boiled beneath him. The girl, her lovely features marred by the complete lack of humanity in her own eyes, looked from the group in front of the bookstore to the man by her side, a look of childish excitement crossing her face

[spellsbackwards]

"Polite and classy evil," Zatanna muttered. "Because Lex Luthor wasn't bad enough."

She rolled her eyes, and looked over to Charity. She seemed to be the most in-the-know of the bunch here.

"Spare a quick run-down for a gal who's new in town?" she asked quietly, leaning towards the armored woman.

[sonof3lions]

Galahad's frown deepened. "Mistake not readiness in the face of the unknown for temper," he admonished, tone serene. He did nod to Charity, pleased with her prayer. One that he would have echoed in Latin were he not waiting for an explanation of what was going on.

That the two they faced were evil was not something he questioned. It was something he knew, as he knew his own heart.

[charityandfaith]

Charity's glance at Dean was sharp, but she only said implacably, "He's here, and he's listening," her mental energies focused on trying to think of a way out of the situation

[hatsandespresso]

Neal grimaced underneath that dark gaze, but didn't tear his eyes away. There was something, something indefinable in the air that whispered to him that things were going to be okay, that Nicodemus was powerless here, that he wouldn't harm any of them.

Neal didn't much like "voices" murmuring in the back of his mind.

"I don't either," he said flippantly. He spared Deidre a quick glance and there was a flash of a snarl on his face that was inherently not him. "I don't see why you had to bring her."

[chosenfreedom]

Dean just shook his head, but this wasn't the time or place to explain that God just didn't give a crap. That they were expected to take care of things on their own. Unfortunately, from his experience, it was in some ways the case, but he didn't understand all of it.

He did wish he had access to an angel sword. There was one in the Impala's trunk which of course was not here. And he didn't know how he could get his hands on one here. But he had a knife that he could use to cut away the noose if he could get close enough. Though if they were fallen, would the banishing sigil even work here? They had to get permission for their vessels too so maybe?

He did make a brief gesture to his gun to indicate that would likely be a futile gesture here to Charity.

Dean also remarked, gesturing to Galahad, "Yeah what he said." He step away slightly to try to discreetly cut his arm, and start drawing a sigil in his blood anyway.

[legallygreen]

"The way most of us remember it, you were the one who fled from the battle first." Jennifer said calmly, not allowing Nicodemus to anger her in any way.

She eyed Deidre for a moment, wondering what her demonic form was like, though she was more than certain She-Hulk would want to know if she could come out and play. Jennifer pushed that thought aside for now, frowning a bit as she saw the expression change on Neal's face. It would be a hard decision if she had to try and block both of the fallen angels from harming the group.

[secondcity_npc]

Nicodemus gave Zatanna and Galahad an amused smile at their comments, a glimmer of darkness shadowing his features at Jennifer's bold statement. "Such hardy words to be spoken after your own foolish actions nearly ended a half dozen lives that night." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Remember that young man whom you may as well have killed? Today, I only wish to meet an old friend, but...perhaps I should resort to violence to prove a point."

Deidre's eyes gleamed at the prospect, moving away from her father with wide-eyed excitement not unlike what was seen in children. Her form rippled for a brief instant and the dark-haired girl was replaced by a nightmarish creature, her skin erupting in metallic green scales and legs popping into backwards joins with a sickening crack.

But it was her hair that saw the most disturbing change. It lightened from dark brown to a bright metallic green shade, becoming as hard as diamond and a dangerous as any well-sharpened blade. It kept growing too, longer and longer until it reached nearly

[spellsbackwards]

A breeze stirred around the group as Zatanna incanted. "Tcetorp!*"

Okay, not the most elegant-sounding of spells, but backwards-speak wasn't always the prettiest thing in the world. It was also a lot simpler than her usual spells, but a little nudging of probabilities and energies around them would have to do.

Should things come to violence, be it from the demons in front of them, or some other unseen force, they'd find themselves safer and more protected than they'd be on their own. Whether it took the form of the unseen magical armor Zatanna wore herself, or just a second wind that would make things a little easier for her allies to dodge attacks, or just some inexplicable good luck, that remained to be seen. The magic would likely act a little differently for everyone.

[*ooc: Protect. Think of it as a buffer spell, whatever protective effect each player feels would be best for the character and scene.]

[sonof3lions]

Galahad had, honestly, been perfectly willing to settle back and just let the others do the talking. He wasn't certain what was going on, really, and it was best to avoid speaking out of turn when that much was obvious.

However, once the woman they faced began to change, Galahad shifted his stance. The sword rang slightly as he unsheathed it smoothly. The spell settled around him as unseen armor as well. But it did change his tunic, bleaching it out and adding a red cross over it all. His coat of arms. Maybe it wouldn't offer any real protection, but it made Galahad feel more settled.

[charityandfaith]

Charity's own power might have faded, but plenty of time spent around wizards and their spells gave her an idea of what Zatanna was attempting. When she saw no offensive measures as a result, she assumed it had been a protective spell. That decided, she noticed slightly increased strength, both in her arms and her heart. The Denarians had very nearly taken Michael from her. Her anger overpowered her fear, and her faith took precedence over either. They would get through this. She would not allow them to take anyone else. Michael was not here and no longer bore his sword, but she would do everything in her power in his stead. "Thank you," Charity murmured to Zatanna.

She stepped beside Galahad, angled so that she was ready for a threat either to Neal or from Neal, hoping that the knight was prepared to cover Dean. Charity's alert gaze sought for the slightest shift from either Denarian, her warhammer still held ready in her hands.

[hatsandespresso]

Everyone else's reactions - none of them registered in the sudden maelstrom of emotions in Neal's minds, only half of them truly his. Anger, nervousness, jealousy, fear...he wasn't sure where Belias's emotions began and his ended. He only kept his eyes on Nicodemus and the monster that had once been Deidre and still had her eyes...

Fury. That conniving, selfish...

Nicodemus's cold, calculating frown fell on Neal, as if easily reading the thoughts running through his head. He shook his head. "Temper. Deidre, if you would...?"

A snarl escaped the fallen angel's throat and in a flurry of lethal, whip-like strands of metal, she launched herself at the group, too fast to even react, deadly ends already aimed at the hearts of Charity, Dean, and Zatanna...it would be over before it even beg-

A sudden flash of silvery light, and the crack of thunder.

And the demonness was crumpled on the ground, shrieking in surprised agony.

[chosenfreedom]

Meanwhile Dean felt something shift, and he smirked a little. He felt good. Really good, lucky even. Hadn't felt anything like since that Hunt with the rabbit foot. He quickly ducked down on the floor near a wall, hoping the characters wouldn't include Neal in getting banished as well. He finished the bloody symbol and slammed his hand down which also briefly lit up.

Whether it could work with their type of fallen angels or even at all here remained to be seen.

(ooc: Banishing sigil that includes Enochian symbols designed for banishing angels away from an area. Canon hasn't stated where exactly angels are banished however.)

[legallygreen]

If Nicodemus's attempt to guilt her into silence had any effect on Jennifer at all, it did not show. Instead, she adjusted her glasses for a moment, looking him over as if he were more interesting than anything she had seen recently.

"Amazing. Murderers, fallen angel or otherwise, are always so eager to lay guilt on the shoulders of others." She commented, her tone almost bored, more confidence in her appearance than had been in her before. Shoulders back, head up, and arms crossed, more so that she could tear off her coat if necessary.

When Deidre shifted forms, she watched with some interest, and most would think with a little too much calm, unless they were close enough to see her eye color change, ready to shift her own form as necessary. She was not quick enough to get any closer than Neal when the demoness attacked, and then the bolt of lightning. Instead of changing, she shoved into Neal instead, trying keep him from getting fried as well if any more were to fall.

[spellsbackwards]

Zatanna brought her arms up, and and incanted "pots!" Stop. The razorblade-hair from the demon met a spere of shimmering light surrounding Zatanna, and anyone close enough to her to be encircled within it.

Demons inside their heads. The man couldn't be killed. Maybe... maybe she could at least cut them off from their demons? Or weaken the connection. It was worth a try.

She took a deep breath, and gathered up will and energy. "Snomed, eb decnelis! Peels nihtiw ruor tsoh!" Demons, be silenced. Sleep within your host.

If she were back home, she could do this in her sleep. Here... just doing that spell was making her unseay on her feet, and... she had no clue if it would even come close to working.