Sabriel January Catch-all

[bindsthedead]

WHO: Sabriel and everyone else
WHERE: The Porter Cities
WHEN: Throughout January
WHAT: Sabriel Does Stuff
WARNINGS: None, will edit if that changes

De Chima Outskirts, Magic

Whenever Sabriel can find the time, she takes her books and notes and heads to the woods outside of De Chima, heading along trails and darting past hikers until she can find an out-of-the way clearing, a place no on's likely to look. There, she reaches deep into the Charter and draws out mark after mark, weaving them together in elaborate patterns, then letting them fade back into the Charter before starting all over again. Soon, Sabriel's gaze is fixed solely on the Charter, rather than the world around her, and she keeps going, not entirely caring that she's sending up a beacon for anything or anyone senstive to the supernatural. She's found a space where she can practice without worrying about causing a blackout if she draws on anything too powerful.

Besides, she's looking for other magic users anyway. If some of them come to her, so much the better.

Maurtia Falls, Helix Station

Sabriel throws herself into her work. She conducts interviews, tracks down criminal metahumans, and seems to be constantly scribbling in her notebook. What she's writing is hard to understand- mostly symbols meshed with the occasional English word in something that looks halfway between a blueprint and some kind of immensely complicated equation.

She takes the training seriously too- she's already good with a sword, but she throws herself into learning hand to hand, and how to fire a gun, even if she's skeptical about how useful it will be. There's no telling what threats she might face in this world.

De Chima, Work

Sleight of hand and stage magic can be impressive, but working at a store that's dedicated to them is considerably less glamorous. There are orders to place, customers to placate, displays to be arranged, and occasionally products to be demonstrated, and Sabriel is currently showing a small crowd one such product, her tone full of a sort of forced enthusiasm.

"There- As you can see, there's nothing in the clay, but when I put the figure made of it on the ground- why look, it's moving around!"

De Chima, Home

Domesticity is not exactly in Sabriel's nature. She doesn't really know how to cook, but she does her best to keep things tidy, and do her share of the chores, trying to avoid any technology she's not familiar with, until a large enough load of dishes piles up and she decides to try the dishwasher, puts some dish soap in the compartment, and heads out to run some errands. What could possibly go wrong?

When she's not trying to do chores, she can often be found in the backyard, practicing with her sword, or occasionally casting minor Charter spells, being careful to stop as soon as the lights start flickering. The last thing she needs is to upset her housemates or her neighbors by causing a blackout.

Jeopardy, investigating

Sabriel's never been to Jeopardy, and has never known deserts except for in films and travelogues back in Ancelstierre, and if she hadn't thought to check the weather forecast, she would have dressed for a much warmer climate. She still not entirely sure what to expect, and packs a large water bottle just in case, as well as wrapping a scarf over her mouth to keep out any dust.

Whens she arrives and steps out of the Porter, she finds a city much like any of the other Porter cities- just drier, and with far less greenery, and much of what there is is alien to her- Sabriel's never seen a cactus in person.

Well, there's also the humming, and the Dead spirits that she first sees out of the corner of her eyes, then in front of her as she refocuses, and Sabriel stiffens, her hands reaching for sword and bells before she takes a deep, steadying breath and turns to her companions.

"The Dead are here. I don't think they're hostile- but there are so many of them!"

[ooc: This is what characters investigating with Sabriel will be able to learn.]

Anywhere, recruiting

This might be someone Sabriel's met in person before, or it might be someone she's only spoken with over the network. In either case, she's picked a quiet, out of the way spot- a bench in the park, a quiet corner of a diner, a nook in a library. Sabriel's dressed inconspicuously- no sword or bells, wearing entirely modern, inconspicuous clothes. Only the unnatural pallor of her skin and the faint mark on her forehead distinguish her from the people around her.

She skips most of the small talk, her expression deadly serious and her tone grave, an odd mismatch for someone who can't be much older than eighteen.

"Before we start- how much do you know about the entity called 'Atropos' that the OTO is apparently consorting with?"

Comments

Jeopardy

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Well, that's not an unsettling thing to hear at all. Jacob looks around himself, seeing nothing but the neon-lit streets of Jeopardy around them. He hears the humming though. He always hears the humming.

"Where are they?" He asks, not sure whether he wishes he could see what Sabriel does or be grateful for it. "What do they look like?"

Re: Jeopardy

[bindsthedead]

"All around us. There's one in front of you right now."

There's something deeply unsettling about the way Sabriel turns to regard an empty space, and the sound that comes out of her mouth when she whistles. It echoes strangely, and doesn't entirely sound like it should be coming out of a human mouth.

"What's your name?" She tilts her head, writing something down in her notebook, her eyes still focused on something only she can see.

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

'Deeply unsettling' is definitely a good way to describe it, all right. Jacob is absolutely not at home in this world, a realm of the unseen and of mystic portents, and he shuffles his feet awkwardly for a moment as he looks from Sabriel to the empty space and back again. He wonders if he's being rude to a ghost right now by not acknowledging them, and hates that his life involves asking that question.

"Should I... do anything right now?" He asks softly, not wanting to interrupt whatever spectral interview Sabriel is conducting at the moment. At least he has a friendly necromancer with him to help guide him.

[bindsthedead]

Sabriel shakes her head, gesturing for him to stand back, her eyes never leaving the space in front of her, her attention focused on something only she can see. She's frowning thoughtfully.

"And when did you die? Of what?" More scribbling.

"And are the names Atropos, Clotho, or Lachesis familiar to you at- Yes, that certainly sounds unpleasant, but I need to know about something else." Sabriel's tone is impatient, and a little frustrated, and she reaches towards her chest, to the bells currently in her locker at Helix Station.

Jeopardy

[jadus]

Darth Jadus has been split in his attentions. Plans for his infiltration were under way now, and did not require his personal oversight. For now, he could focus on gathering more information on the new city, unmoored from its own reality and stranded on foreign shores.

He had sat in meditation for a full day. A common enough occurrence that his body no longer pleaded for his attention. Instead, he felt unburdened. Weakened, maybe, he would tolerate that for its benefits.

He walked without direction now, simply observing the spirits he could see more clearly around him, and absently replying to the voice nearby.

"They are not. But what binds them may be."

Jeopardy

[bindsthedead]

"Do you know what it is?" Sabriel made a deliberate effort not to jump as the much taller man spoke. He had an- unsettling aura about him, but she wasn't in a position be be picky. He wasn't a necromancer or Free Magic sorcerer at least.

"They aren't being used, they're just- there. And I can't-" Sabriel hurled herself at the boundary between Life and Death, a the sound of the river, only to hit that wall again.

"Perhaps it's an attempt at warding that was too successful?"

[jadus]

"Only the Fates have demonstrated the power to remake this world." And Jeopardy's appearance was the product of just such an event, his readings on the subject had only confirmed this. "Their presence alters existence itself. That they affect death is only to be expected."

He recognized this one. He'd made some note of them in his files. A sorcerer, of their own kind. Specializing in quieting the dead. Pity that Marr had already left. It would have been interesting to watch the conflict that might have arisen.

"You cannot send them on. What do you feel in that failure?"

Jeopardy

[fireandhoney]

Finn and Jonathan might not have found anything during their trip to check out the spider church, but Finn's not one to call it quits after that. He's a very inquisitive sort, and is always up for solving a little mystery. It can't be any worse than the adventures he had back in Skyrim.

He's dressed warmly today, in a fleece jacket with a hood. Finn turns to Sabriel.

"I'm not afraid of a few ghosts."

Re: Jeopardy

[bindsthedead]

"There are more than a few," Sabriel tells him, here eyes tracking something only she can see for half a minute before she spots a cactus and she kneels down to look at it, poking at one of the parts that doesn't have thorns.

"They don't seem hostile, or much changed from their living forms, which is reassuring."

[fireandhoney]

Finn watches Sabriel curiously. He's always interested to see how different magicks work, and how they compare to the spells and magic of his own world. Necromancy isn't exactly his field.

"Anything at all out of the ordinary? I mean, besides being dead."

helix

[h2no]

[archie catches sabriel when she's on break. or maybe she's just vaguely walking near one of the breakrooms? he's not really paying attention. he's carrying a stack of his own folders full of notes and cases-- he's reading over one of them for a metahuman that was recently taken down, trying to ensure he's covered everything before it's submitted.

it's because of this, the anime hallway trope comes into play. archie is going to walk directly in sabriel, unless she actually uses the two eyes in her head and avoids him.

let at least one person here be a functional adult.]

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel sidesteps Archie easily, but raises an eyebrow at his reading material as she steps behind him, and speaks close to his ear, because occasionally she has stupid ideas about what's funny.]

Interesting reading material?

[h2no]

[her voice pulls him out of it-- he'd known she was ported back in with no memories but they haven't... spoken much. he jerks a little, almost dropping his files.]

I, ah... [he flushes a little, sheepish.] Just, uh. The first metahuman I dealt with on my own.

[looking around a little awkwardly, he's not sure how to... do this properly.]

It's... nice to see you. Again.

De Chima, Home

[plentystrong]

Catra's been in her house, napping, and upon waking, pretty much immediately decides to venture out again. She doesn't feel too comfortable spending too much time in this place she's been all but ordered to call "home". It's too big and empty and even after having had her own room for a while now, as a Force Captain, she's still not used to sleeping alone.

So she spends most of her time outside, exploring this new world she's landed in. She walks down unfamiliar streets, observes people and occasionally talks to the locals. Rarely the latter, though -- people still get weird about her appearance, so there's quite a bit of dread involved in making conversation.

All of that is far from her mind, though, as she leaves the house and passes by the neighboring house and sees someone in the yard, going through what are clearly training motions, with a sword no less. And then, at second glance -- oh. It's the person who bought her a drink at that festival after she arrived.

Catra is curious enough to stop and watch for a while.

[bindsthedead]

Sabriel may have no great love for combat itself, but she takes a certain joy in the precision and effort of practicing something she's been learning since childhood. Her movements might be graceful, but something about them is a little too efficient and brutal to be compared to a dance.

But after finishing one of her forms, she stops and looks over her shoulder- that girl she met in Jeopardy. Her expression shifts from intense focus to something far more friendly.

"Hello there! Were you assigned to housing in De Chima, or just visiting?"

[plentystrong]

The routine of training, of efficient moves meant to prepare you for battle is something Catra recognizes at least. It's almost a little comforting. It invites Catra to be a little more forthcoming than she perhaps might otherwise be.

Nevertheless, she's hesitant to reveal her home address, but she figures if they're neighbors, Sabriel will find out sooner or later.

"Uh, I live right next door actually."

Jepordy

[ambasciatore]

This was not what he was expecting when he decided to go back to Nevada. As long as they don't end up in a hotel called Lotus? He was fine. Still, this place really unnerved him and not because he was surrounded by the dead. Maybe he'll get over his hatred for Vegas (or Vegas like areas) eventually.

For now, he reaches for his sword, sticking close to Sabriel as he moves out of the porter behind her.

"Well not hostile is a good thing. Do you think we'll be able to talk to them?"

[bindsthedead]

"We won't know until we try." And they don't feel hostile, or look much different from how they presumably did in Life- no slavering jaws or shadowy forms, just slightly odd clothing.

Sabriel steps towards the closest ghost, whistling as she does. The sound is tinged with necromantic power, just enough to get its attention and force the elderly-looking lady to look at them.

"I have some questions for you." Sabriel's tone is is businesslike and curt.

[ambasciatore]

He's thrilled to see Sabriel's abilities in action. He's excited, but he's managing to keep it under control. He carefully releases the grip on his sword, not wanting to startle they old lady as they approach her.

He can't help but wonder if she knows she's dead. He does, however, politely wave to the ghost, trying to be friendly.

"Anything you know would help use immensely."

De Chima, Home

[janus_scholar]

[The flickering lights do not go unnoticed. Walter leaves his study-like bedroom in search of the source, expecting a broken fuse or neighboring power surge. Instead, he's surprised to find Sabriel in the backyard, practicing magic out in the open. It shocks him a bit, he's still not entirely used to seeing people who are so upfront with their abilities.

He opens the door and steps outside, knocking lightly on the doorframe to catch her attention.]

Sorry. I don't mean to interrupt, but- [He gestures to the house behind him with a slight turn of his head.] Was that you?

Re: De Chima, Home

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel's eyes dart to the house- and then she carefully forces her mind to go blank, letting all the marks flow back into the Charter before speaking.]

Yes- I'm sorry about that. I got a carried away, and it won't happen again. [Her tone is that of a schoolgirl caught going out of bounds, and it's how she feels, even though she's annoyed at herself for feeling that way.]

Re: De Chima, Home

[janus_scholar]

[It's that teacher energy. He holds up his hands in a placating ‘its alright’ gesture.]

You're fine, truly. I can survive a flicker or two. Though I am curious as to what you were doing?

De Chima, home

[a_good]

After seeing Sabriel through the window, Norman comes out to sit on the back steps, watching curiously as she casts spells. He knows he wouldn't be at all suited to swordfighting, but magic's become a point of interest for him.

"What kind of magic is that?"

It's clearly not the same as what Angus is teaching him.

Re: De Chima, home

[bindsthedead]

"Charter Magic- it's from my world," Sabriel glances over at Norman, but most of her attention is on the symbols she's tracing out, her movements precise and delicate.

"I reach out to the Charter, draw out the marks I need- then assemble them into a spell- this one's for healing a burn."

[a_good]

The Charter? Worlds seem to have such different words for referring to sources of energy (that's what it must be, right?). Charter is an interesting one - it implies rules, an agreement.

"So the shapes focus the energy into what you want?"