Participants:
| Scene Title | Mysterious Languages |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Gene and Maia have a discussion and Scott proves why he's Blue Ranger. |
Strawberry Fields. The portion of the part dedicated to John Lennon, a legend himself in a city full of them. The touch of spring has brought lige to the trees surrounding the area once more, hanging boughs stretching green fingers to the paved area about the Imagine mosaic. Pigeons hop about searching for crumbs dropped by pedestrians, and the benches stretched along one side of the plaza are home to seated couples, tired workers in suits on their lunch break, and one Gene Horkos.
A camera's dangling around his neck today, and he's eating a hot dog wrapped in a napkin - no bun, so it's a little messy - and watching the passers-by with a thoughtful eye. His shades are against his chest neck, their tether a thin string that wraps about his neck.
Mmm. Lunch. Maia's out and about having just left the Tavern on the Green for a bit of food herself. She's dressed casually with a simple white blouse and a pair of snug fitting jeans. Her blue duffelbag is slung over her shoulders as she wrinkles her nose and looks around the area for any familiar faces.
And look, there's one! She heads on over, beaming brightly as she wriggles her fingers towards him in a friendly wave. "Seems like I keep on running into you…it's fate.." she says, sounding quite sure of it.
David has connected.
"Probably." Another bite of hot dog, and then Gene wipes his mouth with one of the napkins settled in his lap—crumpling it up, he drops it onto the bench beside him, flashing over a rogue's smile to Maia as she meanders across the plaza, "Glowbug. How's it going with you'n your friends?"
"It's going. Just ya know..the usual. Trying to fight for all our lives and saving the world.." she says with a soft chuckle under her breath as she grabs the crumpled up napkin and tosses it into the trashcan not too far away. "And yourself?"
"Can't complain," Gene admits with a shrug—watching her dispose of the napkin with a low chuckle of his own, shaking his head, "Goodie-two-shoes. So you all work out your problems, or're you still feeding my mother?"
"Still feeding your mother, I'm afraid." Maia admitsruefully as she crosses her legs to get a tad bit more comfortable, sitting on the bench as she looks him over.
"Ah." The last of the naked hot dog is finished off, and the remaining napkins are crumpled up and… dropped back down beside him once again. Gene stretches his arms up and over his head, folding them there, legs stretching out before him as he sprawls back on the bench comfortably, looking over to her with a crook'd smile, "Well, I suppose it keeps things interestin'. Any news?"
"No. Just finding new people on the mirror every now and then. and more Scions are coming to town it seems. We met another band..or at least, a member of another band.." Maia says matter of factly, idly running her fingers through her hair. "Haldor's half brother to be precise."
"On which side?" A curious look over, Gene's brow raising, "Seems like there's a… lot've scions in this city lately. Must be somethin' big on the horizon."
"We're at the origin of the Dark Hour. If the gods arent worried and sending their children here, then well..yeah. And they're on our side. Most definitely god. Quite hot too..I think Haldor got a little jealous.." she admits ruefully, her cheeks flushed a bright tinge of red as she lets out an impish giggle.
"I haven't heard from mother lately, but she's not really the 'firm orders' sort," Gene admits in wry tones, his head shaking a little, "Definite recipe for chaos. I love it." He arches both brows at her, lips twitching a bit, "So does everyone in your band want you, glowbug?"
"…." She just stares for a few moments and her cheeks flush a bright tinge of red and shakes her head. "Ha! What gave you that idea?!? Rupert has too many groupies to ever think Jolie and I are worth going for. Jolie isnt into girls, and she has a major crush on David. Besides, Haldor and I..are kinda sorta..ya know.." and she lets out an impish giggle.
"Mmhm." She's given a rather dubious look, before the scion of Eris shakes his head with a chuckle, "If you say so." Gene's head tilts back against his arms, gaze sweeping to the sky, "So tell me 'bout this other band?"
"Only met one of them..a really hot redhead named Eric.." Maia says matter of factly, grinning the entire time. "They were sent here to help us out..apparently, our parents arent amused with our own antics I think.."
"Which antics would those be?" A subtle tilt of his head, looking at her from the shade of his tilted-forward fedora, "It's not as if they have much room to talk really."
"That's my take on it. We don't get along, I think. Rupert is too caught up in well..his materialism. Haldor still needs to learn about well..everything. David keeps on alienating everyone with his assholeishness. Jolie..I dunno what she does.." Maia admits ruefully, scratching the back of her head.
"I haven't really gotten much of a chance to know them," admits Gene easily, "And, really, I'm the last person to ask about making people get along. I take it your parents want you all working together…?"
"I don't know about that. I know why David is antagonistic. Our parents..don't get along due to World War II. Mom kinda sent a really snarky and bitchy, but yet classy missive to the Jade Emperor when Japan was trying to invade China back then. And David's quite nationalistic so..um..yeah." Maia says, furtively glancing around just a bit.
"Also seems kind've fatalistic," the reporter-scion observes, one brow lifting, "All about the 'we're all gonna die, you fools' and all. No big surprise that people aren't too thrilled 'bout him."
"He's just paranoid. He's a sooper speshul snowflake that way. Annoying, but he's useful if you want him to sic on something.." she says firmly and resolutely, knowing everyone has their niche and all. "At least people are finding their place..it's just a problem that no one is stepping up to be..well a leader. In the end, that's what we need."
"We're godlings," observes Gene, waving a hand vaguely through the air, "We all want to know who's better than who, and we all secretly want that to be us. Until one've you steps up as leader, you're not a band - you're a directionless mob."
"We have just been kinda working together serendipitously." Maia admits as she hrmms for a few moments, pursing her lips just a bit as she takes a deep breath. "I couldnt try to be leader even if I wanted to. I'm the oungest one in the band, and I don't think anyone takes me seriously.." she says with a soft chuckle of amusement.
"What about your boyfriend?" Gene quirks a brow, "Nobody seems t'have any problems with him. You could always set him up as leader, and then give him a lot of 'advice' behind the scenes." A shrug, "Lot've leaders work that way."
"That could work. No one does have a problem with Haldor.." she muses softly under her breath, hrmming for a few moments as she wrinkles her nose while stretching her arms in the air. "He just doesnt know a lot about well..the war and all. But we could teach him. That's a good idea! Thanks!" she chirps merrily.
"Sometimes the only requirement for leader is, 'Can talk really loud'," he replies with a shrug, "He seems the sort that could bellow pretty fuckin' loud to me, Glowbug."
"If loud mouthed is what a leader needs, then David should be it.." Maia says, snerking just a little as she shakes her head and runs her fingers through her hair. "But, yeah, I'll talk to Haldor about it then.."
"I said 'loud'," Gene replies dryly, "Not loud-mouthed. Different thing." A pause, and he suggests cheerfully, "Alternately, you could become a democracy and vote on everything."
"No. Too inefficient, especially in the heat of battle.." she says firmly and resolutely, running her fingers through her hair. "I havent been fighting long, but mother did teach me a thing or two about strategy. Or rather, she had Hachiman tutor me back then.."
"Well, I had to try," Gene shrugs easily. A curious look, as he admits, "I don't know much about your pantheon. Honestly, I can't even fuckin' pronounce them half the time. Too many vowels."
"It's pretty easy. It's Ah-Eh-Eee-Oh-Oooh sounds for the vowels. Nothing overly complicated I think, but then again, it's my first language.." Maia says as she lets out a soft chuckle under her breath and shrugs her shoulders once more. "So how about you? Keeping an eye out? Finding anything new and interesting?"
"So I just have to hoot like a monkey?" A thread of humor in Gene's voice, a grin cracking his lips before he admits with a shake of his head, "Nothing since the other night. It's been kind've quiet, honestly, which is never a good sign. Makes me nervous. I should go start a gang war to relax."
"Mmm, it was too quiet last night.." but then again, she wasnt paying attention to anything that night. "We did find another one though. The mirror lead us to some guy, about my age. Scion of Thoth, pretty smart, but I think it's a good thing.."
"Thoth, Thoth…" Gene's brow furrows, "…Egyptian guy, bird head? I think I saw a picture of him in a museum once." A pause, "Smart guy, eh? Maybe I should run some've my notes past him."
"Really smart guy. New a lot, so I think he'll be an invaluable resource.." she admits ruefully, beaming brightly the entire time as she yawns once more. "So it looks like we're finding more people. Hopefully that's a good thing and not a bad one."
"The more of us there are in this city, the more possibility for treachery… and the more Fate's loom will shift and heave with the weight," replies Gene with a smile curving to his lips, gaze lifting back towards the skies, "It should be abso-fucking-tively wonderful."
"The Loom of Fate is already broken. That's probably what brought everyone here..destiny's calling out and people are coming to answer her plea.." she says matter of factly, sighing as she looks up towards the sky for a few moments. The silhouette of the dark towers can be seen, even from here, though it fades in and out every once in a while.
"If it's broken," notes Gene, "It couldn't call out to anyone. Damaged, maybe, but broken?" A shake of the other man's head, and he regards the half-real skyline with a thoughtful expression, "I don't think so. You have to ask what the purpose of that is, though. Making Rupert face a mirror of himself? What sort of ploy is it?"
The pair are sitting over on a bench just amicably chatting, hrmming over at what he said. "Well, okay, guess it's not broken, but it can't do what it needs to do. I remember Kali's big booming voice saying that. That's why they couldnt help, and we had to do it.." Then at the questions, she hrmms, wrinkling nher nose for a bit. "And well..to make us face our inner demons? To improve? To get better?"
"Exactly." Gene slides one arm from behind his head, reaching over to lightly tap the tip of his finger against the asian girl's nose, lips twitching in a faint smile, "Why, exactly, would the Titans want that? There's something here that doesn't add up, Glowbug."
Crossing the park on a better-weather day than yesterday is a young plain-looking guy toting a backpack over one shoulder, and a plastic-covered cup of Starbucks coffee-type beverage in another. Scott Cornwall sways a little to one side, trying to clear the cobwebs out of his head, but the sound of at least one familiar voice threatens to wake him up fully. When he sees Maia, his path automatically shifts, his steps taking him closer to the girl.
Now that is a good question. It's one that even takes her b surprise as she hrmms and wrinkles her nose as she ponders over nthe answer for a bit. "I don't think they would want that. Unless, it's some weird metaphorical and psychological thing..like you know…Joseph Campbell-y" she muses, under her breath.
"That sounds like something our parents would do, though," Gene points out, leaning forward a little, the fedora shadowing his face as he frowns across at the mosaic, "You said there's a demigod working in the city, though, yes…? His band did the crucifixions? Maybe they did this so they could improve themselves with it?"
"There's a ton of good theories out there on what they hope to gain," says a voice approaching Gene from behind. Scott hasn't quite learned to wait, just yet. "There's a good number of paths they could take using that much power, and it depends on who's harnessing it. If it's…the rather powerful foe Maia mentioned last night-" Pause. "-after meeting me and another one of us and high-tailing it back to her apartment to talk until four in the morning." Hence the coffee-zilla he's drinking. "It's going to be really freaky, no matter what." He looks over to the Japanese lady. "Afternoon, Maia."
"Hi Scott! This is Gene Horkos…his mom is Eris.." she explains as she nods andhrmms for a few moments, wrinkling her nose as she runs her fingers through her hair. "That's a very good theory, but if they did it to improve themselves, then we're in HUGE trouble.." she says matter of factly. "They trounced us the last time.."
"What, did you expect your enemies to just sit on their ass and wait for you to get your act together? You really are naive," Gene observes in ash-dry tones, before the sound of the man's voice causes him to twist a bit, looking back over his shoulder to the approaching fellow. "Hi. Gene Horkos," he repeats the introduction, producing a card and an easy smile, "Associated Press."
The smile fades for just a moment after Gene says something, and Scott seems to bristle. However, he forces it down as the influx of new information is enough to catch his interest. "Scott Cornwall, Scion of Thoth," he says, taking the card politely. "Eris? Okay, I admit, that is completely fascinating, right there. I've met more of you folks in the past twenty-four hours, I swear, and the Goddess of Discord in the Greek Pantheon is an uncommon one heard in the ancient tales." Pause. "Save Xena, but I'm sure liberties were taken."
Maia can't help but snerk just a little at themention of Xena as she stretches her arms into the air before she shakes her head at Gene. "No, I didnt think that, but I'm just saying, if they're improving just as we are, then we are in trouble.." she says matter of factly.
"Anton Wilson, too," Gene's chin bobs in an easy nod, admitting with a vague gesture of one hand through the air, "I think Mom does it on purpose. She'd rather people forget what she really represents, I think. She's picked up a lot of worshippers in the past couple years with that trick - she loves the Internet, let me tell you." The card's handed over, and he looks to Maia seriously, "Well, then you'd better get your band working together like a unit pretty quick, shouldn't you? Hm. Tell me about these guys you're up against?"
"Him too," Scott replies with a chuckle. "But after the past year, I'm not sure most of the young neo-Pagans are really aware of what they're working with. But, they're usually a good source of esoteric knowledge unless someone's trained in it." He's trying really hard not to add the 'like me' at the end of that sentence, but it's written all over his face. He flashes a smile. "Maia gave me the rundown last night, with the half-brothers along to listen. She tells it so well."
Maia awwws, her cheeks flush a bright tinge of red as she runs her fingers through her hair. "Well, as far as I know, there are six of them as well, though I've only personally run into five of the six. First off is their..well I would assume he's the leader considering he's a demigod. He's a bokor..and can summon ghosts and whatnot…looks like Michael Clarke Duncan."
"Oh, right, she said you were the 'knows stuff' guy." Gene reaches into his jacket, pulling out a small hand-pad and flipping through it, listening to Maia as she speaks. "Ghosts, got it. Wonderful. Call Venkman. We know anything else about the big black cheese?" The pad's flipped to the glyphs he was transcribing in the spire, and he holds it out to Scott, "You make anything've these?"
"A bokor, and not a Zande Witch Woman around anywhere." Scott runs a hand across his forehead. "Zande Witch women were an african society of women who were set to hunt down the bokor specifically, but they're based on that continent. I wonder whose' Scion he was, might give me an idea of what he wants with all the power." However, there's /glyphs,/ and Scott's attention is suddenly arrested. "Let me take a look," he says, pulling an actual monocle out of his shirt pocket. It's crystal-lensed, with a gold chain and wirework, the frame in the shape of an Ibis head. "Let's see…"
"Jolie in our group is a mambo. She kinda hates the guy, but there's another necromancer in their group, though just like us. Colm. Then there's a fiery redhead. I'd say he was second in command..Mordred. Fights as good as David..and perhaps even slightly better, who knows…but they definitely held their own. It was the redhead who wanted to sacrifice me to one of the titans before.." she continues, wrinkling her nose a little as she continues filling the other two in.
"Mordred? There's a name out've mythology for you," considers Gene, scratching under his chin after he's handed over the pad to Scott, "So that's three so far, two of them necrophiliacs and one of them with the mystical power to sense potential virgin sacrifices. Next?"
"Oh. Ohhhhh," Scott says, trailing off into a chuckle. "They're trying to be clever here, and this is damned sneaky, flat out. Look at this." He waves the others over, using his finger to trace things and patterns he sees. "See this? This doesn't scan, but imagine writing in multiple languages, on top of each other, and trying to pass it off as an unknown language. It's pretty slick, so I'm surprisingly not offended." He traces some of it. "Here is the Japanese kanji for 'The Unconscious.' There's the same phrase in Nordic Runes." Another set is pointed out. "Chinese Kanji here. And even in Sanskrit. Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese…they wanted someone to figure this out if they used that many languages." He can read it, it seems.
"His name is Mordecai from what we've gathered, then there's Helena.." and the news of the glyphs catches her attention, wrinkling her nose as she looks over and blinks blankly for a few moments. She play punches Scott in the air before ruffling his hair playfully. "You /are/ the Blue Ranger."
"That fits," Gene admits, reaching out a hand for the pad once more, "It goes along with the whole… mirror of self thing that Rupert had to deal with. It must be psychodynamic, conforming to the minds of those inside it — if it's even entered, properly." A pause, "Still doesn't answer why it's there, though, or its purpose. Or who the kids' father is."
"Unless it's targeted," Scott says. "It could symbolize the collective unconscious, racial memory and the like. It's why a lot of creation stories, between our own pantheons and even the Judeo-Christian creation myths, have some similar themes to them. And-WAIT A SEC," Scott exclaims, as his eyes go wide. "Gene, may I borrow that pad for about five minutes?" he shuffles around in his backpack for a pencil and a notebook. "One of those was in a language I don't recognize," he adds, shock in his voice. "I want to copy it, and give you your pad back, so I can research it."
"You mean the little boy? I have no idea. He kept on speaking in riddles.." she says, scratching the back of her head as she sighs softly and stretches her arms in the air. "But well..I guess we just have to keep on exploring if we're gonig to figure it out.." Then there's the bit about a mysterious language and she peers on over. "What's the mysterious language? Looks like a huge mess to me."
The pad's heading back to Gene's jacket, he pauses, then shrugs and offers it back, "… go for it. And it seems more personal than collective. It went right for Rupert's personal demons, which apparently involve fucking every female in a six mile radius - not that I'm judging, or anything…"
Given the pad, Scott crouches down to start copying it. He's had a lot of practice being his dad's apprentice for a year. "Once I get this copied exactly," he says, with a nod. "I'll take my time, but I'll write out the kanji and runes, since they're like puzzle pieces to this, and then show you what's left over, that I don't recognize." He's actually smiling, here. Grinning, in fact, as he speaks to himself. "Swear I love being the son of a god I would never get to see stuff like this otherwise…"
"Well, if it was a collective unconscious type of thing I imagine the whole place would've been constantly shifting around and whatnot. That would be just a huge mess.." she says matter of factly, hrmming for a few moments before she beams brightly towards Scott, ruffling his hair again. He /is/ older than her, but hey, she can still do that right? "Good job, Billy!"
"Are you going to give him a scooby snack now?" Gene asks the question a bit wryly.
"I'm more of a cherry Twizzler type, actually," Scott says off-handedly. Copy copy copy write write think think think.
"I don't have drugs. Rupee would be the ones to giveout the scooby snacks.." Maia says with another soft snicker a little as she continues to look down at the scribbling and hrmms for a few moments. "You guys wanna head back in and see what we can find? Oh yeah..and Scott, you havent actually been at the mini Terra Incognita yet, have you.."
"Do we have any idea when the next Dark Hour'll fall?" Gene slides a questioning look between the pair, before admitting with a shrug, "I wouldn't mind another chance to get back inside, though. Maybe we could scrounge up a few more answers…"
"I wish I knew," Scott says. "I haven't heard of anything like this before now, and I haven't been to the mini Terra Incognita, and I wish I had a hundred days to research before I went anywhere, but life's not going to be that easy." Once done with the copying, Scott reverently hands back Gene's pad. In fact, he never looked at any of the other pages. "/Thank/ you," he breathes. "It should be a help."
Her cheeks flush a bright tinge of red as she raises her arms in the air for a bit. "Um..I think I know when it happens. My power went out and yeah.." well, she and someone were too busy making out to notice and be heroic.
A single brow lifts as Gene notices the blush, leaning a little closer, "Power went out… and…?" He grins, gesturing for her to continue, "Keep going…?"
"The power went out?" Scott asks. "Really?" Apparently, he wasn't paying attention or making out. "So weird…" He stands back up, putting his own notebook and pencil away while marking the page he has the copy on, for later reference.
"It was after you left.." she admits ruefully, wrinkling her nose as she takes a deep breath. "Everytime the Dark Hour occurs, everything outside the terra incognita changes. The electricity crackles and the lights go out. Regular people turn into coffins.." she explains. "So..I assume when my power went out, that's when it happens. Just didnt do anything bout it. Um..cause of..yeah.." And she goes all shiftyeyed.
Gene exhales a low chuckle of breath at that, hands bracing to the edge of the bench before he pushes himself up to his feet. The shades hanging around his neck and brought up, slid onto his face, "Well, we could go take a look, at least. Make sure your enemies aren't hanging around in there…"
"I'm game," Scott replies, though there's a touch of quiver in his voice at the prospect. "But, maybe if we're going to look, we should find a few more? I'm not exactly Haldor when it comes to heavy lifting, for example."
Maia eases on up from the bench and stretches her arms into the air before flipping out an iPhone. She dials and leaves a quick message. "Haaaaallldor. Blue Ranger, Mr. Brokovich and I are going to the Terra Incognita. Meet us up there when you're done doing your male bonding with your brother.." she chirps before hanging up and she looks back towards nthe pair.
"There we go. Left him a message. Now he knows where we'll be. Besides, you're talking to a Shrine Maiden of Ise. I can fight monsters in my sleep.." No, she really can't, but it doesnt hurt to put up a little bravado afterall.
"Mister… Brokovich?" A single eyebrow quirks up over the edge of Gene's shades, as he gives Maia a somewhat bemused look. A snort of breath, then, "Funny, Glowbug. Funny. Also, you really are going to have to watch that whole 'maiden' title, if you're not careful…"
"Mr. Brockovich? That's kinda cool," Scott admits, dusting himself off as Maia makes her phone call to Haldor. "Blue Ranger's fine. Just no tights, please, is all I ask." He hefts his backpack, puts his monocle away, and looks around after Maia hangs up the phone. Silent, he wits his index finger and holds it up to the air.
"I am a sweet and innocent maiden of Ise.." Maia says with a wry waggle of her brows as she lets out an impish giggle and wrinkles her nose before starting to motion towards Times Square. "It's off adventuring we go. Maybe we'll be let in or something..who knows?"
Log continues at Horsemen of the Spire.
