Chapter One: Sing, Goddess [Darkness Visible]

[Chaka]

Everything has to start someplace. They say there are no beginnings, not really; such philosophical conversations are largely irrelevant in the lives of the gods and monsters who fight the war behind reality, a war that spills over onto the streets of earth. As Scions, you have been tapped, made Heroes to hold the line on earth whilst your parents fight the great battles in the heavens. You've all been aware of your true parentage and lineage for some time, however, none of you have felt the true call to arms.


Until this evening.


This evening, all of you were messaged. A piece of paper turned up in pockets or on tables, all saying the same thing.


"The Angel Underground. Midnight."


You have less than an hour to go to Islington and enter the tube station, but that should be plenty of time. Outside, the weather spits rain bitterly on London's streets and footpaths, as though the air were filled with spite.

 

[Mei]

The daughter of Manannan Mac Lir read the scrap of paper and quickly crammed it into her pocket with a small, mischievous grin on her lips. "Well, no use piddlin' around here when I have stuff to do." Sheila Kennedy, though she prefers to go by Kenny, gathered up her ring, necklace and camera quickly as she put on something a bit nicer. Before now she was just wearing a pair of old jeans and a black shirt. She rummaged around in her drawers and found something decent to go out in. Pair of black pants and a deep purple shirt, complete with a nice black sweater.


The intrepid young Scion locked her door as she left her appartment, surely making her way to the destination on the slip of paper.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Well. It would appear that a studying binge will have to wait. Toshio quickly pulls on shirt and jeans, grabs his jacket and heads for the door of his campus apartment, putting on a hat against the rain. His flatmates are not apparent as he steps out the door. There will,presumably, be hangovers and loudly expressed regrets later. Time to go.

 

[Coyotekin]

Given being in the new environment and his orders to better blend in as he was no longer in Hong Kong he dressed in something that spoke dangerous, feral, sensual, and mysterious. Mind you, his thick Chinese accent needed cleaning up on so he could sound more like a local. Regretful Ancestor went to his shoulder holster, and the Claws of Xiwangmu went to the other, specially-made, shoulder holster. His permit for concealed firearm was in his wallet, along with plenty of money for one of his connections. He gave a brief prayer to his ancestors and the gods, with focus toward his mother, and then he was gone.

 

[Sarky]

Max:


Max rolled his eyes at the mysterious cryptic message (all this showy magic was very much not him.), and shrugged on his motorcycle gear. Getting to Islington and finding a parking space at this hour would be no trouble, although the bloody rain wouldn't make the ride much fun. "World better be sodding ending for real, if I have ta get fookin' soaked."

 

[Chaka]

To All


The Angel, Islington, is garishly lit with that too-bright flourescent lighting people seem to insist using in public indoor areas, lest one get too comfortable. The long escalators down are surprisingly quiet, with only a few late-night commuters and one drunken trio of students (complete with a furtive traffic cone) to be seen. You all arrive at roughly the same time.


The escalators' quiet hum seems to call to you, the descent yawning out with the sort of gravitas one doesn't usually find in the Underground.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Toshio stands over near the barriers to the platforms, firmly upright, a neat, proper young gent, spiky hair tucked away under a cap. Almost certainly has nothing to do with the traffic cone now riding the escalator.


He coughs and looks around.

 

[Mei]

Oh, Sheila was so tempted to do all sorts of mean things to those three drunked college students, but sadly, she had places to be and people to meet. Damn it, that would have been freakin' hilarious, too. Ah well.


Being drawn to the escalators, Sheila made her way to them. She watched the traffic cone go up the escalator. What the hell?

 

[Coyotekin]

Fu Shen


He kept alert, aware, and completely nonplussed by the late-nighters. He couldn't relate to them even if he wanted to. And sadly, as even in Hong Kong, his heightened senses picked up the scent of alcohol, bad hygiene, and spilled food here and there with kids. Nonetheless he pressed on and downward while noting the others nearby who seemed to be just hanging out.

 

[Sarky]

Max nodded at the others and joined them, snorting at the drunk students. Lightweights. Pfft.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Right. We have: a large, hairy, potentially quite dangerous looking man in leathers, a beautiful woman holding a camera, and a muscular, fit looking guy dressed to (sigh) kill, all converging on the escalators. I may need to have a word with the scriptwriters.


Toshio walks briskly over to them and says, in perfect English, "I know the usual etiquette is to be wearing a brown trenchcoat and to be visibly carrying the Daily Mail at your side, but the newsagents were closed."


He pauses. "I have gotten the right group, yes?"

Sorry Coyotekin, I just went back and read your character description more thoroughly, I had thought Fu Shen had asian features but caucasian colouring, not the other way around.

 

[Coyotekin]

Fu Shen,


The large caucasian man looked like he came possibly from Wales, Ireland, or Scotland, although his demeanor was not what would normally be expected for such. His attire looked more like someone that always dressed with the intent to be noticed, with a somewhat intimidating, professional, and hungry air about him. In short, he looked about as relaxed as he could, if you could call it that. Nonetheless he raised an eyebrow at the man's comment apparently not getting the joke.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Toshio raises both of his eyebrows slightly in return. "This is an arranged illicit rendezvous, right?"

 

[Coyotekin]

Fu Shen


He looked from one person to another and back to the original speaker with a slightly questioning expression before pulling out a slip of paper. "Something like this?", he asked, with a accent strongly Chinese which seemed very out of place given appearances.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


"Yes, although mine neglected to mention any sort of reason or who else would be coming along. Was yours more specific?"


Toshio says this as he takes the first step onto the escalator, going down.

 

[CameraObscura83]

Shannon


Shannon sits in the library reading, idly toying with the fringe on a ratty burberry scarf as he flips through pages in dusty books related to palmistry and other archaic arts of fortune. He checks his watch, eleven, plenty of time. "Well no time like the present i suppose." Shannon stands and closes his books putting them into his satchel and picks up a large long bag containing his bow and quiver. In time he arrives to the appointed location and quietly waits. His wardrobe is expensive but slightly unkempt and hsi hair in a loose tail falling down his back and he responds to Toshio.


"I think it is the nature of all our parents to be as cryptic as possible, how else are we to learn?" he smirks and extends his hand. I am Shannon, son of Cailleach. He nods to the others in turn seemingly unaware of his beauty, weather this is feigned or in fact truth remains to be seen.<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2010_06/Shannon.jpg.4f19ba02257f216d4bff9c6a9736a227.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="23504" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2010_06/Shannon.jpg.4f19ba02257f216d4bff9c6a9736a227.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Toshio turns and shakes Shannon's hand, the grip being broken by the fact that he is, in fact, already riding the escalator down.


"My father was less than subtle. I imagine if the message were sent by him it would be torn along the edges and written in some poor fool's bodily fluid of choice. Nevertheless. Coming?"


The last question drifts back up from halfway down the steps to the next level.

 

[Mei]

Sheila watches them all from bellow, as she had already stepped onto the esculators. "Geez, what a sausage fest. And not the kind you find in Germany, either." She said to herself with a slight giggle.

 

[CameraObscura83]

Shannon





Shannon blushes deeply and follows, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear and touches the torc around his neck. He looks to the gathered group.


"So.... what do you all do....." there is a hint of nervousness to his question but also curiosity.<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2010_06/Shannon.jpg.8a08027ab2a0140a30c319225694e0c9.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="23505" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2010_06/Shannon.jpg.8a08027ab2a0140a30c319225694e0c9.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Mei]

"Freelance photographer, I usually work for tabloids and the like." Sheila looked back over her shoulder at Shannon. "Is that what you needed to hear? Or should I go on?" The daughter of Manannan Mac Lir gave him a sinister grin, one filled with mischief.

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Stepping off the escalator, Toshio slips his hands into his pockets and begins ambling off in the direction of the platforms. Presumably something horrible is there waiting for him to happen to.

 

[Coyotekin]

Fu Shen,


He simply looked about as he descended, to Toshia he said "A simple location and time, nothing more. And one doesn't question much in my family.


Then to the young woman, "Yes, well, a sausage fest perhaps, as you would call it, but it is such the way things are. That aside I would rather know the purpose so that we may accomplish it and move on."

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


Glancing back as he idly hops over the turnstile, (what do you mean, ticket?) Toshio replies, "The summons could have been a little more specific. I'm missing out on valuable damage limitation time. My apartment is full of layabouts, and I'm expecting some sort of inspection or official complaint any day now."


He glances up and down the platform, looking for any other late night passengers.

 

[Mei]

"Why are you guys so serious? If it were gonna be so dangerous here, I'm certain daddy would've given me a warning or somethin'." Sheila said in her usual, half-hearted way. "Of course, he's one to play pranks... Not deadly ones, but pranks nonetheless. Might keep your eyes out for those."

 

[The Fuzz]

Toshio


"While I am certain your father has someone's best interests at heart, there is also the counter-argument: shit happens. Besides, are you sure that the message was sent by your father? We have, at present, the following information."


Standing on the edge of the platform leaning out, Toshio counts off on his fingers.


"The note I received was unsigned and unspecific, and did not bear any markings of my father. Either all the notes are the same, in which case we have no idea who sent them, or they differ, in which case, multiple supernatural actors are working together, or the one is using different methods, for unknown reasons.


"We do not know how many people received them. This could be all of us, or we could be just one random group, either early or late. If others have received them, we do not know if they were ordered to come at the same time, or to the same place. The subway system could have multiple meeting points.


"We do not know why we were asked to come. We may have an inkling as to why we each were chosen, but that is unreliable."


He smiles cheerfully and lowers his hand to his side.


"Put simply, we have no idea why we are here, or what's going on. Betting between some sort of danger versus a surprise party, my advice would be to wear a helmet, not a funny hat."