Out of time, Out of mind

[Seer]

PROLOGUE:

<< the skies turn night gives way to day....or is it the other way round?>>

<< we move BACKWARD in mainstream time, Away from Greece, away from everything that we know to be true NOW to another far less certain time.>>

FLASH

<< a burning hot, EVIL night in New York City. innocents scream, demons cheer, magick radiates and BLOOD RUNS. The INFERNO.>>

<< that traumatic event unleashed by a truly MAD Spellbinder given over to the "darkchild" persona of her soul as she rains fire, magick and vengeance down upon the city and intends to bring LIMBO TO EARTH.>>

<< it was a different time for the Six. A different roster but it was the FIRST of many times they would face a mortal threat from one of their own!>>

<< Only hours EARLIER Spellbinder was pushed over the edge by Black Widow and Prophet. She snapped and her response was to MURDER Black Widow outright. Alison, then known as Guardian and ORORO attempt to contain her before she can assert herself in her new "Dark" aspect but its too late she moves the battle to LIMBO and attacks her team, her "friends" in ERNEST. Striking at Prophet especially as she seals him in AMBER and then brings forth his SKELETON from his still live body!>>

<< Alison nearly lays down her own life shielding the rest of the team from Spellbinder's wrath before Ororo finally manages to CHECK HER long enough to cause her withdraw for the time being. The outcome of this nightmare took place in NYC, atop the now demonically warped Empire State bldg.>>

FLASH

<< A story well documented and well remembered by those who survived it...those who were NOT affected by the combined efforts of Ororo & Guardian's to reset TIME and SPACE so that no one else BUT the Six & Ororo would remember the actual events that took place!>>

<< It should have ended there....the dark, bitter memories contained among them. It SHOULD have ended there...>>

<<ZOOMING down one of the sides of the empire state bldg., to the 95th floor, Ceasul-Malta’s offices. What was supposed to be a normal, if not productive day for a young woman, another innocent, became a truly horrific nightmare that ENDED HER LIFE.>>

<< across the office, screams were heard as inanimate objects came to LIFE, enchanted by the dark magick, and attacked the hapless workers. No one was safe...and blood shed was plentiful. the blding rocked....and GREW to impossible heights...the temperature raising to HELLISH levels and those who could see outside....couldnt believe their eyes as they saw winged creatures and other things...the stuff that sci fi...or NIGHTMARES were made of!>>

<< another example of innocents caught up in Spellbinder's wrath...and yet not just ANY other example.>>

<<flashing in closer onto the woman who hides in her office, under her desk...too shocked to be terrified...but still very afraid for her life as she realized she was one of the VERY few left still alive.>>

<< she doesnt see the battle raging atop the bldg. between Spellbinder vs. Ororo, Guardian and her own mother Karen Victoria as they fight to save her...themselves AND the city. THe battle reaches its violent fever pitch as Spellbinder attempts to bridge Limbo to Earth via NYC. The firefight/power struggle between the witches & ororo AGAINST earth's modern day sorceress supreme reaches its breaking point as their colliding energies backlash out in every which way, including spiraling down/striking the building at various levels. Spellbinder had opened this horrific gap and now Ororo, Guardian and Karen were prepared to use their very LIVES to close it and STOP Spellbinder.>>

<< in that final moment of no return...the EYE of the storm seems to be upon them...upon that lone woman in her office as a BOOMING explosion is heard...but it fades out almost as soon as it rocks the air around her...there's a bizarre bright LIGHT...and everything EXPLODES...and yet FREEZES in mid motion! The battle for the city is OVER...as the Ororo, Guardian and Karen successfully turn back the demonic invasion and close the mystic gateway.>>

<< they eventually manage to REACH MORGAN within her mad darkchild aspect and she subdues HERSELF allow them all a brief respite before Ororo and Alison set about the delicate and difficult task of resetting time.>>

<< You know how the story ended for them...but as always...there is someone...something overlooked that eventually manifests itself sooner or later.>>

<< back down on the 95th floor....the young woman known as Bianca Ceasul's life ENDED in that explosion...and yet it did not! she was impossibly caught in the riptide of opposing magicks...pulled out of "synch" with time and space JUST enough to allow her to slip through the proverbial crack just as the rift was closing. Nothing else that happened mattered to her. She thought she was DEAD. Maybe she was and this was her HELL? No...it was something else. Something beyond even HER wildest imagination.>>

<< Awareness would soon return to her as she realized that she was still somehow ALIVE...but forever changed. She was now "one step outside of time and space"....a walking temporal ANAMOLY.>>

<< But the six never knew of her, what had happened to her and so...she was left to try to make sense of things...to try to pick up the pieces of her life. A life now filled with impossible circumstances and outcomes. Just when she thought it couldnt be any worse...she was noticed by someone ELSE who had a SIMILAR status in physical reality that SHE did. A woman who had an odd, small but no less important connection To the Six AND Spellbinder's cross time alternate, DARKCHILDE. Another temporal wayard in the form of Barbara Minerva. From the MOMENT Bianca was displaced in the timestream....Barbara Minerva, a world reknowned archeologist, huntress and adventurer who had PURPOSEFULLY moved through time and space and now had a similar status to Bianca, became aware of her. Indeed, Barbara was aware of the INFERNO and recognized the energies that affected Bianca, but these were energies associated with DARKCHILDE from the MoE timeline, as she had always known. She set out to discover the source of those energies in THIS time that she was now in.>>

<< Barbara, in true expert form began to seek out and track the young woman. It was only a matter of time before their paths would cross.>>

zooming away from this previously unknown part of the Inferno history, and moving FORWARD in time, still not to the present but a year or so beyond the Inferno.

<< The young woman, having survived a series of freak and what should have been FATAL accidents, is STILL alive and now sailing across the stormy Aegean. Her ship was destroyed and she drowned, her body washed up on the very shores leading to Barbara Minerva's magnificent, curious mansion...and landed Barbara's "quarry" very nearly on her doorstep.>>

<< Barbara found the young woman, who was once again reviving and took her in, caring for her over the next few months, helping her to TRULY understand her "condition", how it happened and what it meant. The one thing Barbara COULDNT tell her was exactly WHO was responsible. Barbara had not yet encountered THIS timeline's crosstime alternate of Darkchilde, whom was a close, respected ally.>>

<< time passed and Barbara continued to care for her Bianca and with knowledge and understanding came some mental healing for Bianca from the the trauma that changed her life. Still...memories would not leave and SOMEONE was at fault for this and needed to account for it.>>

<< soon, with no word or explanation, Bianca abruptly LEAVES Barbara's mansion and the entire island itself and soon Barbara herself would be involved in her LAST adventure in this timeline as she had a truly impossible reunion with one of her FRIENDS from the MoE timeline, PERSEPHONE, before laying down her own life to help her and the Six stand against CIRCE in this timeline, providing them with a KEY item to help them on their path to victory against the rogue goddess sorceress.>>

<< and moving forward, back to the present...the SAME mansion but with a new mistress and new situation. the legacy of Barbara Minerva is never forgotten or diminished in the Mansion, but the unknown secret of BIANCA goes unnoticed as well. What does this mean for The Six and Harbinger NOW as they sit on the eve of another uncertain situation?>>

 

[Seer]

over a month passes

<< Time passes as The remaining members of the Six take time to recover from the ordeal of Viper and the pain of haunting ghosts from their past with Mystech. The WORLD at large may be safe from Mystech, but would The Six...even in "death", aspects of that entity continued to pop up in their lives prooving that the oldest wounds, the most primal traumas that shaped them and ultimately brought them together would never TRULY be "finished." What or WHOM may lay in wait after Viper was anyone's guess, but for now, they had another very real situation they were dealing with.>>

<< Not a villain or a disaster, but another sign that old wounds still haunted them as a team , a family and individuals. A month after Delilah's suicide attempt even with the help of Ororo and an as yet to be defined bit of assistance by Hecate, Delilah rejoined the Six at Minerva's Mansion.>>

<< Alison was reluctant to let them return to L.A....not until they could be SURE Delilah was okay and ready to move on with life and despite what she said to them, how she now felt...Alison, Haleigh, Ava and even Morgan all knew something was different...CHANGED. They knew Ororo had done what she would and nothing more and that Hecate had been involved as well. They'd no reason to DISTRUST Hecate, but knowing Morgan, the modern day descendant of the goddess and having dealt with Hecate herself in ancient Greece, they knew that the goddess of witchcraft did things HER own way regardless of what anybody else thought.>>

<< the team and their hostess pulled together, watching and waiting as Delilah seemed to recover and enjoy her R&R from "daily life" while staying at Minerva's Mansion.>>

<< days and nights passed, each person taking the time to pursue different past times...be it training, exercising, reading or reconnecting with loved ones [Zach & Haleigh], Ava seemed to be more at peace about staying with the team and had come to soften her stance on Alycia a bit, Morgan had been in contact with her mother, Mike & Firebird on Aerie to inform them but to assure them they need not come and that everything was "okay." Cameron came to terms about Sharon and other issues he had and was now attempting to return to a proper role in the Six. >>

<< there were dinners, nights of fellowship, even a few trips to markets in Greece mainland. for the first time in a WHILE, the Six were just "being human". No immediate threats loomed anywhere and they all seemed to be getting along better. Sharon - who was now living at the Hellfire Mansion, exercising her full rights a hellfire club member- even surprised them when she sent word to Haleigh that she been keeping an eye on Melrose Place to make sure no outsiders suspected the complex was virtually vacant now. She also informed them she was keeping an eye on Nicolas and Dominique and that everything was in order. Nicolas was "off limits" to Malice and Enchantra, Dominique had made that clear and Sharon and Nicolas had begun to repair their own relationship at the urging of Dominique.>>

<< indeed, the time that passed, seemed to bring about healing across the board without them even knowing it.>>

<< but one should always remember that old adage, "what you dont know CAN hurt you!>>

<< fast forwarding the skies swirl and turn. the sun and moon rise and set many times over.>>

<< Night time, present day. The sky outside is unusually disturbed and a fog has rolled in, now all around the island and the massive, sprawling mansion.>>

<< in the past week, a serious of strange events has occurred around the mansion. things moved...or disappearing all together. members of the staff reporting sounds like someone was in their room and yet no one was there...and no scan could reveal there ever was. guards on various shifts reported strange sightings including animals in gardens around the mansion reacting as though someone was there and yet no one could be seen! and the worst thing was that guards to the path leading to the underground catacombs reported they felt like they had been PHYSICALLY SEARCHED or touched by someone and yet...no one else was present. It was a growing mystery, one that even Alison could not unravel with her power. Haleigh's technology, Morgan's mystical scans, Ava's senses...nothing. Morgan asked Nicolas to join them at the mansion to see if his TK scans might avail anything and if there WAS some unknown threat stalking them, it would be better to have more of the Six on hand to battle. But even HIS scans availed nothing.>>

<< It didnt sit well with Harbinger, who not only guarded the "secrets of the world" and time itself on earth but also Pandora and her legendary box.>>

<< Harbinger, the mistress of this domain, is in her study...combing through several ancient books of spells and parchments intently. she looks rather unhappy yet focused. It is now midnight and as the ghostly, mysteriously designed, large grandfather clock she once kept in Illustra ticks on...the chimes and bells toll a haunting melody at the stroke of midnight.>>

<< Harbinger looks up for a moment...and then back down. She had grown quite edgy and agitated lately and everyone could see that. They understood why too. Pandora was placed under extreme protective surveilance and security detail around the mansion and island was on high alert.>>

<< Morgan, Nicolas, Haleigh, Ava, Delilah and Cameron were all present and accounted for, in their suites. Delilah....who seemed uncharaterisically CALM throughout all of this. She was supportive and involved, but with every day that passed, she seemed so UNLIKE herself. What had she asked Ororo to do that Ororo refused but HECATE indulged? She "Saw" the events but what was the TRUE consequence of it? THAT was bothering her now more than ever as well. Could the temproral anamoly, the strange events at the mansion and Delilah's "change" all be connected? A stretch perhaps, but its not like Harbinger or anybody ELSE on this team hadnt seen WILDER things come to pass before in their lives.>>

<< the fog was now in full effect around the mansion and the precog didnt quite feel comfortable to retire to her own chambers just yet and so, she continued to search in her executive study for some clue about any strange events from the Mansion's past, or any creature that might be behind this now.>>

------------

Elsewhere in the mansion

<< "home again"...for someone that had more of a connection to the Six than they ever could have known. a woman JUST outside of time and space. There werent many like her, but the Six , particularly Persephone had known one before. Barbara Minerva, who hailed from the MoE timeline as did Persephone and had found herself in THIS timeline shortly before the decimation of MoE. She didnt meet the cross time alternate of Darkchilde [Spellbinder] until the Red Moon, which would be her last adventure before she sacrificed herself to ensure Persephone and her new team would succeed in stopping Circe. BUT unknown to the team she HAD been in New York during the INFERNO. And one of the casualities of the Inferno would eventually wash up on the shores of this very island. A woman named Bianca Ceasul aka "Millenia". The woman was one of many who lost their lives the night of the Inferno's climax, but by some unimaginable twist of time, space, fate and MAGICK, she was ALIVE again...ALIVE but not ever the same.>>

<< Bianca, like Barbara was now “out of time” – a moment out of sync with the rest of the universe.and that created a whole new set of problems and challenges for the woman who knew in her heart she was supposed to be dead many times over.>>

<< When found by Barbara Minerva, Bianca was not only nursed back to health but was taught a clear explanation of what happened to her and what her status now was. During her original time at this mansion, Bianca was taught how to fight, hunt/track and use swords, blades and other hand held weapons by Barbara herself. Barbara had become her mentor and "mother" in many ways but when Bianca finally knew the truth about what happened to her and WHO was responsible, what she wanted more than anything ELSE was REVENGE and so...when she found that life at Minerva's was no longer enough, she left...without even a goodbye. It would be the last time Barbara saw her before her own death and passage into Amazonhood.>>

<< But even with the changes at the Mansion, Bianca knew it like the back of her hand. She had the knowledge and the know how to get in to the mansion and KNOWING she couldnt be SEEN or detected she NOW had no problem using this to her advantage as she took the time to survey the changes, new occupants and such. What a SHOCK to her to stumble upon THESE of all people instead of Barbara, whom she had not known was dead.>>

<< Still the WHY or HOW they were here didnt matter...no only ONE thing mattered, and Bianca had nothing BUT time on her side to get what she wanted...WHATEVER it took.>>

<< and so...in the mansion, among them all, the temporal anamoly itself...HERSELF closed in with no way for them to know, much less stop her at this moment.>>

back in the study

<< the knob on the double door turns and opens! as SOON as it opens and makes that sound, Harbinger immediately STANDS UP from her desk and gestures a'la Prue Halliwell! A rushing chiming sound is heard as she sends the INTRUDER flying across the room into a wall!>>

<< Only...its NOT an intruder...it was JUST Haleigh.>>

 

[Harbinger]

Mansion- executive study

:: she had a look of grim determination on her face, ready to deal with whomever had just brazenly entered her study. But as she attacked, sending her target flying across the room, she quickly realized she had OVERreacted.>>

HALEIGH!

<< Alison exclaims as she comes out from behind her desk, running over to the hybrid to help her up off the floor.>>

I'm so sorry!...

<< Haleigh doesnt happily receive Alison's help and would rather get up on her own.>>

I ...I thought you were an intruder! With all the bizarre things happening around her and my power being unable to get a fix on this temporal anamoly....

::sigh::

It's making me so edgy...

:: everyone could see that for the past week now.::

What are you doing up? Is something wrong?

 

[Spellbinder]

elsewhere in the mansion- morgan's suite

<< Morgan was relieved that she was here now at least while they waited to see how Delilah was shaping up. In the weeks, month that passed, she found time to think about things...some of which she had pondered on Aerie.>>

<< More than anything, she knew now that she wanted to return to the world of fashion. her time as a "hot" runway model might be considered nearly over due to her age but certainly not her looks or her body. that didnt mean she couldnt do something else though...like push the door she opened years ago for women in the industry. "Illustra" was the beacon of fashion on the east coast and around the world. But all of that ended thanks to BISHOP.>>

<< everything else that happened since...good or bad...Morgan had to keep in mind one thing, she was ALIVE. She'd been given chances to survive most people would never know of and what she knew in her heart now more than ever thanks to her time on Aerie was that there was ALWAYS a chance, ALWAYS a possibility. It was easy for her to forget that her heritage, her power allowed her access to the "time stream" where literally ANYTHING was possible. >>

<< as she lay in that large, comfortable bed, she slowly turned on her side, now her violet eyes gazed out through the double doors leading out to the balcony and the rolling fog in the dark of night outside.>>

<< her mind churned. why couldnt she and her team mates return to new york? enough time had passed and things had changed. for all the damage mystech and bishop did...they unknowingly helped bring a new level of awareness, tolerance and understanding toward mutants and metahumans as well. they inspired ordinary humans to learn how to better protect themselves from "bio terror events" as many of the events of mystech were now called. Alison still owned the Parthenon hotel which was doing very well in New York. That could be the first step back HOME.>>

I could sell Melrose Place...its a hot property and with the updates i made to it...I'd make a FORTUNE. I still have assets overseas that went unnoticed during the whole "outing" thing caused by Bishop. I still have valuable contacts. I could get something going!

<< so many ideas, so many possibilities and she knew she could TROUNCE Claudia Zacchara in the fashion world if she got right down to it. A Fashion War....east coast vs. west coast. the thought of it made Morgan smile a bit as she lay on her side quietly.>>

<< she knew she could balance her career with that of being "sorceress supreme". she'd given her life more than once to make up for the inferno, save her team, her city and the world and there was no reason why she could get that life BACK...they ALL deserved that chance.>>

<< but speaking of the others...there was DELILAH. They had to make sure SHE got her fair chance to LIVE again, free of the torment that drove her to suicide over a month earlier. They had to be sure whatever changes Hecate wrought in her would not be a detriment to her or to her team. It wasnt that she suspected Hecate of wrong doing, it was just that what she had done was CLEARLY outside the realm of "natural" even beyond what they as a team had come to know through the years.>>

<< She worried for Delilah who seemed almost TOO liberated and carefree at times now. >>

<<sigh....>>

<< she turned over now laying on her back and running her hands through her blonde hair.>>

what to do....what to do....

<< and then there were the weird happenings around the mansion! nobody, not even ALISON could pinpoint the source of these occurrences. If it wasnt technological for haleigh to detect, if it wasnt magickal for Morgan to detect, if it had no mentality for cameron to detact or form for niciolas to detect and it wasnt some kind of animal or rogue diety that Ava could detect....then WHAT was going on!? It was wearing on Alison, who had become more agitated and edgy and Morgan was really at a loss.>>

Barbas...for all I know...

<< she lightly thought as her mind began to wander with speculation. she shut her eyes for a moment, images of the fog still flowing in her mind's eye before Barbas' twisted face....then Nicolas, in the form of SET flickered in the fog...and then BISHOP. three of the most hated beings in her born days.>>

Malice?

<< no...not even her style. besides, Sharon was at Hellfire Mansion. If something was up, if the Sisterhood had decided to end the truce, Sharon would tell them. Morgan trusted her on that...>>

<< Morgan was tired. all of the things on her mind had finally lead her to being sleepy...and so, with her last thought being on the mansion and delilah's wellbeing...Morgan soon drifted off to sleep, unaware of what was going on elsewhere in the mansion or that someone could be in her room at that very moment!>>

<< pulling away and up toward the ceiling, we see Morgan falling asleep, with Tinkerbell curled up next to her side. through the ceiling and through the walls and innermost workings of Minerva's Mansion, we zoom through and around to another place in the mansion With Ava, Nicolas, Cameron and Delilah...along with their sight unseen guest.>>

 

[Millennia]

She wasn’t nostalgic for this place. Bianca didn’t feel attachments to places. Or people, for that matter. Yet, it was strange to be back here after so many years, a place she had called home for a time. Barbara was dead – that she hadn’t known. If she had, she might have come earlier – taken all of this that should be hers. But now there was this…other woman. Alison – “Harbinger”. Bianca scoffed. What kind of name was that to choose for oneself? She was a cheap replacement for a woman that in another lifetime Bianca might have respected. If she didn’t find the idea of respecting anyone other than herself utterly ludicrous.

It infuriated her that she had been here a whole week. If only she had known it was here before… But of course she hadn’t known it existed then. And now, now she was left to search and search, through the seemingly endless hiding places and vaults that Barbara had used to protect the things most precious to her. The things most dangerous…

It amused her that the island’s new inhabitants were being driven mad by her presence. It was absolutely comical watching them run scan after scan only to come up empty. But they would know her soon enough. Barbara had shown her every inch of this island, and so it was only a matter of time before – as always – she got what she wanted.

 

[MorningStar]

Delilah was in her room. She sat cross legged on the floor, doing some yoga poses. Her breath was shaky as she sought to control it, breathing deeply in and out.

I can't lose control. I must focus. Why isn't it working? Hecate removed my guilt...she did...I'm fine...

As much as Delilah told herself and everyone else she was fine, over the past month it had become very clear that Delilah's guilty feelings were still there. She knew Hecate had helped her but the feelings were there, underneath the surface of calm. She pretended they weren't there, she kept her mind still, she was able to behave normally. But it troubled her in the few moments she allowed it to - she hadn't forgotten what she had done, as she had hoped to.

But she could handle this, she told herself. Hecate's words had helped her. She was fine, she told herself. After all, the feelings weren't crippling her as they had before. So she buried them, and pretended there was nothing wrong. And if you asked Delilah, there wasn't.

 

[Millennia]

Barbara had been a master “hiding in plain sight”, and clearly not ALL of her secrets had been passed on to her so-called successor. The missing objects only served to perplex Harbinger, when they should have alarmed her. Ordinary items were keys to doors hidden to prying eyes who didn’t possess them. BUT increasingly it became clear to Bianca that what she sought was probably not in the mansion itself, but in the mysterious catacombs below. This was the one door that was locked to her, that Minerva had not allowed her free reign in. And though she’d been there with Barbara, how to enter them specifically had always been hidden to her. It made sense, though it perturbed Bianca. But she had never backed down from a challenge or accepted defeat, and she wasn’t about to now.

So as she continued to search the crevices of the mansion, she was ever seeking entrance to the holy grail. The guards didn’t appear to have access, which left Alison as the most likely. But try as she might she hadn’t been able to get Alison to open the door – but she would have to, eventually. And then again, Bianca had all the time in the world to wait.

Not that the island was without amusement. The beloved pets of that hag Persephone that thought she was an actual “goddess” were a favourite target. Making her way back up the path to the house from her nightly assault on the catacombs’ entrance, she came across the panther. She made a face at it and it started making a frightful racket. Laughing, she headed back into the mansion.

She wanted another look at Barbara’s study – there had to be a clue somewhere in this place and it might take Alison ages to decide she needed something from the vault. Arriving at the door, however, she saw that it was occupied by Alison and that Terminator reject Haleigh. She listened at the door in case they said anything interesting – but she doubted that very much.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh pulled a silk creme-colored, mid-thigh length robe over her black silk chemise, tying it in front with nonchalance, not caring to wrap it particularly tightly or to acquire any specific amount of modesty. Firstly because the mansion was mainly populated with women who were basically family, so there was really no need to bother. Secondly because at present there were only three men in the compound --aside from the guards, who hardly counted-- Zach, Nicolas, and Cameron. Zach saw every inch of Haleigh quite often, and Nicolas had seen her before, so there was no reason to pretend to be demure with either of them. And Cameron.... well. Cameron had his chance and squandered it, many times over. If he caught sight of her now, he'd get a good look at what he missed, and that was just fine by Haleigh. Cameron had gotten over Sharon and was trying to reinsert himself in all their lives again, and Haleigh had made a pointed decision to NOT live and breathe on whether Cameron stayed or went. He was going whichever way the wind blew him, and Haleigh was determined not to care. She was managing to be polite, she could look at him without a scowl, and she could speak his name without swearing in the same sentence. Signs she would soon be okay with his presence. Or his absence. Or whatever.

Zach: WHY are you putting more layers on? I was just thinking of relieving you of THAT layer.

Haleigh smiled as she gently pulled her hair out from under the collar of the robe, tossing a glance at Zach, who lay on the bed with a book in his lap. She crossed the room and leaned over him to give him a parting kiss.

"Save the thought, I need to do something first."

With the backs of his fingers, he gently grazed the exposed skin along her plunging neckline and pleaded that she hurried back. She marveled that he could still send a shiver down her spine and promised that she wouldn't be gone long before wrenching herself away.

The halls were quiet. Haleigh was on alert for this mysterious 'disturbance' that the guards kept reporting. Her scans turned up nothing, time and again. But objects were being removed, animals were acting strangely. No one could identify the source. It had everyone on edge. Haleigh was mostly just irritated and annoyed that she didn't know the cause. As soon as they figured that out, they could make it stop. She wasn't afraid of it... or nervous about it. Anxiety didn't help. There was no sense in getting all wound up about something if they didn't know what exactly to get wound up about.

Alison was still in her study, as was typical lately. Haleigh had the fleeting sense that someone passed her in the hallway, but again, nothing on scan. It only lasted a moment anyway, and then the feeling was gone. Maybe she was letting her imagination run away with her. Alison's paranoia was rubbing off. Haleigh carefully transfered the empty wineglasses to the hand with the bottle so that she could twist the door knob. She knew Alison insisted on hemlock, but if Haleigh couldn't talk her into this vintage, then maybe she could still talk her into her poison of choice. The idea was to distract and relax. Haleigh opened her mouth as she opened the door, ready to announce herself and start insisting on a nightcap when she was properly UPENDED and slammed into the far wall with a crash and a shattering of glass.

[in a heap on the floor] "ALISON, what the FUCK?!?"

Alison immediately realized she'd jumped the gun and rushed over to help, but Haleigh brushed her off indignantly. By some stroke of luck, the premium wine hadn't been spilt but both glasses were now in pieces. Haleigh picked up herself and the bottle, turning her gaze to Alison with exasperation.

Alison: I'm so sorry! ..... I..... I thought you were an intruder! With all the bizarre things happening around here and my power being unable to get a fix on this temporal anamoly.... [sigh] It's making me so edgy.

[Shaking her head] "I can't even come up with a response sarcastic enough for that one."

Alison: What are you doing up? Is something wrong?

"Well, I just came by to say I was going to go to bed soon, and came to insist you do the same. You can't stay up all night searching for answers that you can't find. You'll drive yourself crazy. I thought you might join me in enjoying a nice Bordeaux blend before we BOTH call it a night. Now I KNOW you prefer Hemlock.... but this a really good year. And you just slammed me into a wall, so humor me, please."

 

[Harbinger]

Minerva's Mansion- sitting area on the 2nd floor

:: Alison bowed her head a bit and slowly exhaled, placing one of her hands on her forehead before running it through her blue/black hair.::

:: Haleigh was right. Alison couldnt stay up night after night trying to piece together a puzzel of a mystery she didnt have all the pieces for. The hybrid insisted Alison call it a night soon. Alison was used to running the entire estate and calling the shots. It had been a while since she'd been apart of her family dynamic in the six, but even SHE needed someone to keep her from wearing herself out needlessly.::

::she looked at the bottle of wine and then at Haleigh with a softer expression on her face.::

I suppose you're right. How good can it be when I'm so wound up that I didnt even know who was on the other side of the door and then attacked without thinking?

:: Haleigh asks Alison to indulge her with a nightcap, considering the precog just slammed her into a wall. The precog looked a bit sheepish before looking at the glasses , shattered on the floor. Alison smiled a bit briefly. Her time at Minerva's Mansion seemed to soften her exterior JUST a bit.::

A night cap does sound nice. I'll take care of the glasses.

:: pointing down at them and then turning her hand up, a rushing chiming sound is heard but its duration is slower as she "beckons" the pieces of the glasses up toward her with her hand. they rise up, "dancing" as they come back together whole courtesy of her power.::

I guess...

:: looking back at her desk across the room::

there's nothing more I can do here. I'll deal with this tommorow.

:: she said in a quiet tone::

:: and with that, she walks Haleigh out and turns back... hold out one of her hands and pointing down with her index finger, a rushing chime sounds as the candles blow out and desk drawers close and lock.::

:: as the double doors close behind her and they take a step beyond to the hall...Alison stops. she looks to her right. There's nothing seemingly out of the ordinary, just a white marble STATUE of a woman. There were other beautifully detailed statues and sculptures tastefully dispersed throughout the mansion...so there wasnt anything terribly special about it....was there?::

:: she pauses for a moment and looks at the statue. she doesnt realize that this had NEVER been there before but yet it seems as though it always had been. Haleigh didnt even take notice of it on her way IN. ::

Haleigh: Alison?

Alison:....oh yes. Sorry. I just ...had a lingering thought. Okay, I'm ready.

:: and off they walked, along the path overlooking the main first floor far below where guards were posted at strategic points.::

This fog...itll make for good sleeping weather i suppose. The Omega shift coming on duty are on high alert and even if my precognition doesnt anticipate whatever this anamoly is...if there's a problem, I'll be notified immediately.

:: off that main walking path path of the 2nd floor, there's a small half circle seating section that faces the massive crystal chandelier that is one of the center pieces of the mansion's decor. the seating section was carved from the main walkway and so its almost "suspended" in the air high above .::

We can sit here. Id rather be out in the open for now just in case...and after then i can head up to my chambers.

:: sitting down, Haleigh opens the bottle and pours for them both. Alison hands her a glass.::

Its kind of...different. having everyone ...well almost everyone together again and things being relatively calm, peacefull between everyone. I almost feel like I'm back "on the team" full time instead of just being your hostess.

:: she takes a sip of the wine. not bad at all for a mortal concotion.::

Delilah...I was "okay" with what happened a month ago, with Hecate...but now I dont know. Delilah is doing VERY well on the surface it seems. But I can't help but worry like there's something else....something WRONG. Not that Ororo or even Hecate did something bad or messed up. Just that even HECATE couldnt truly FIX what Delilah asked her to. Some things are too primal....too etched into our SOULS.

Morgan and her dark persona are one example. Delilah and her heartbreaking guilt over BISHOP. I dont think its something any of us could have realized or understood, and whatever Hecate did, it was significant but was it ENOUGH?

I can't be sure. Hecate works in her own way...

and I KNOW Morgan is worried. She watches Delilah constantly via her scrying pools. She's waiting for ANY sign that Delilah might break down or become distressed. She was like this when she rescued Blaze...the original one...from the vampire that attacked and raped her. After she dealt with the attacker and brought Blaze back to Illustra, she wouldnt let her sister go ANYWHERE without her following. She wouldnt let ANYONE outside of me or her mother get near Blaze. I'm sure you've noticed how adamant she's been that Nicolas stay away from Delilah. We know that interferring with Morgan's attempts to protect someone can be a BIG problem.

Thankfully, Nicolas understands the delicate situation. He's been doing very well with it but we're ALL so afraid for Delilah right now...and I sense that there's that "other shoe" that still needs to drop.

 

[Persephone]

Walking out of her steam filled bathroom, Ava was wrapped in a plush terry cloth robe having just gotten out of a bath. It was late, but time really didn't matter anymore. With all eyes on Delilah's mental state, the phenomenons that had been plaguing the mansion, and everyone on edge because of the lack of answers, no one could rest easy. Ava's nights were filled with restlessness. The atmosphere around the island was dark and uncertain; the animals were all on edge. It was taking a toll on her emotionally. With her powers to closely tied to both elements, it was impossible to truly relax.

Walking bare foot across the dark stained floors, Ava ran her fingers through her damp hair in an effort to comb out of the knots. Reaching the french doors that lead out to her private patio, the thick fog was already making it's way into her bedroom. This fog wasn't natural, and everyone was well aware of that fact. Bracing her hands against the railing, Ava was enveloped in the white mass, disappearing from sight. Though she couldn't see through the thick cloud, she could hear. The waves were very unruly, crashing violently against the rocky surf. But aside from that, it was silent....no crickets, no frogs, no noise at all. The wind was even still. It was unsettling even for her. The past month had been the closest to normalcy the six had experienced in forever. There were no catastrophes, no looming threats from MysTech, no interferences from psychotic foes who wanted to destroy the world. For all intensive purposes these recent anomalies were like a damn walk in the park for the six. However something just didn't settle well with the goddess. Alison was on edge....and that was HUGE. For someone with foresight into the future to be so wound up and stressed, it sent a clear message to Ava that this wasn't going to pass. Something or someone was toying with the six...and it was only a matter of time before they made their appearance.

Lost in her own thoughts, the sudden spike in Onyx's anxiety and fear from the mansion's garden made Ava gasp and jump. Looking towards the East where she could hear her panther growling, it was obvious that SOMETHING was out there. Animals were very acute with their senses, and from what she could feel from Onyx the past few weeks, her cat was very threatened by whatever presents was "haunting" them. Taking a deep breath to try and slow her racing heart, Ava made her way back inside her bedroom before shutting the french doors.

"Calm down....you need to get a grip Ava."

Scolding herself for being so jumpy, it was hard NOT to feel a little ridiculous for being on edge over something like this. After everything she had been through in her life you would figure a B rated movie scene like this wouldn't phase her. However her senses were on overload; this anomaly was fucking with the two elements that Ava had the strongest sway over. It was seriously getting on her last nerve.

Climbing into bed with her robe still on, Ava propped herself up against the mass of pillows lining her headboard and grabbed her laptop. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

"YouTube it is..."

 

[Prophet]

Minerva's Mansion

Alexis Quatermaine: You know, Cameron, you can't keep going on like this....

Cameron sighed heavily from his bed, as he rose up from a somewhat peaceful slumber to see the visage of Alexis Quartermaine, sitting in a chair in the nook that overlook the ocean, her body almost silver looking against the moonlight.

[rubbing his eyes]

"Don't you think I know that, Lex?"

[appearing in her original body]

Haleigh Davidoff: Well if you KNOW that, Stud, Why aren't you doing anything about it?

Every night for the last three nights this had happened. A reminder of all the failed relationships of his past, seeming to egg him on. He knew he was doing this to himself with his own ability, punishing himself, but he couldn't stop it.

"I'm TRYING Hales... I'm.. trying. I just.. I just can't figure out why I can't seem to get anybody to stay. Why am I such a bad guy? Why can't I just love somebody and that be enough?"

Sharon Kelly: Oh Cameron, because you don't have it in you. Look at your mother, your sisters. Nobody loved you growing up... and for the most part, they all just TOLERATE you now. How many times have you LEFT them when they needed you?

Haleigh Davidoff: We could be MARRIED by now. It could YOU in my arms right now INSTEAD of Zach.

Alexis: I might still be alive. You maybe could have been the one person to help me out... and you were gone.

Sharon: You didn't even have the balls to STOP me from leaving the Six. Not that you COULD, but hey, sometimes a girl enjoys a little effort. Face it, Cameron.. the person you love the most is yourself.. and we're your psyche, we know how much you DESPISE you. Doesn't leave much room for love...

[Cameron rolled his eyes his chest heaving]

"Then WHY THE FUCK are you guys here? If i'm seeing you, if i'm.. creating you with my mind you must have SOME purpose to serve besides telling me how worthless I am, and how i'll never love or be loved?"

[all three women laugh in synch]

Haleigh: Hey, we're YOUR thoughts. Don't get mad at us. You are the one doing this, and YOU are the one who can stop it... You know, Malice probably doesn't sit in bed at night talking to figments of her imagination..

"KNOCK IT OFF!!!"

Cameron grabbed the vase next to his nightstand and THREW it against the opposite wall, watching and hearing it smash with a loud BANG! as the women evaporated before him. What the fuck was going on with him? Ever since Sharon had left, something hadn't been right. He'd been recounting past relationships, past mistakes, and he was exhausted. He WAS a MUCH better person than he used to be, but no matter what, in EVERY situation, he always got in the way of himself. He ALWAYS lost, which was WHY he was trying to throw himself back into the team with FULL FORCE. He didn't want to lose anymore, he didn't want to entertain the ideals of LOVE or ROMANCE or SOULMATE.. THAT was what always got him in trouble.. THAT is what threw him off his game.

"God, why wasn't I there for DELILAH!?! Am I THAT self absorbed?"

He could have stopped her.. He COULD have talked her down from it. He KNEW he could have helped her.. instead, engulfed with his own pain and hurt, he missed the opportunity to be there for a teammate when she needed it the most, ESPECIALLY when she had gone out of her way to look after him since his return. He felt like a failure, even after being successful in the Viper caper, in using his abilities in ways he didn't even know possible, in STOPPING Viper from ending the world... he felt useless.

Cameron collapsed back into his pillows and attempted to calm his mind, but not before completing a mental scan of the mansion, making sure everyone was alive and alright, and also looking for any signs of the recent "disturbance" that had seemed to seep through the walls of the mansion. Something was not right, and the fact that Cameron couldn't figure out what that was? Well.. that just made him feel all the more worse. He lay face up, his eyes staring at the ceiling, trying desperately to find something to concentrate on, to calm his mind, to be able to SLEEP.. peacefully for the first time in days...

It wasn't working.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas was high above the island...looking far above into space.

He had been settled in at the Hellfire Club, much closer with his aunt Dominique who had become rather protective of him. He had managed to repair his relationship with Sharon one day at a time, and he had DOMINIQUE to thank!

In related news, hell just froze over, he deadpanned to no one in particular.

He'd changed a LOT physically and mentally...and after meeting his Grandmother Nut he felt much more at peace concerning his role, his lineage and his destiny. He was training his new powers when he received the call from Morgan. Apparently they were sensing...something, but had no way to scan it. THAT got his attention as the scans he could do could largely be duplicated, though not with the strength he could bring to them. He came immediately and it was like family again, though he was avoiding Delilah at Morgan's request. And he was having no luck, none at all, pinning down this unexplained presence.

It was DEFINITELY a presence, the animals and all of their training and intuitions screamed it. But he could find NOTHING...NONE of them could. It was weirdly macrophysical example of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: once you tried to measure what you sensed, it was gone...NOTHING. The time and character could not be defined at once, and the conundrum was endlessly interesting to him.

He looked upon the stars and thought about it as he relaxed suspended in air....carefree and wondering if he should pay a visit to Morgan. He was ALMOST convinced that she could use one of his patented backrubs when he heard Onyx challenge something...out in the courtyard. He immediately went for a scan and...as always...the EFFECTS of a presence were noticed but the presence ITSELF could not be located or quantified.

He decided to return to the island, make his way around in case his new quarry got sloppy...a sonic boom in the distance heralded his return as he landed in the courtyard, deciding to comfort Onyx before proceeding. He rubbed under the big cat's chin, soothing her by making a low growl deep in his throat. He looked out into the waters of the harbor and pulled a small fish ashore still flopping as he served it to the panther.

Have a snack Onyx, and then go to bed...got me?

She rumbled in her chest uneasily as she snacked upon the treat...Nicolas still scanning as he watched over her.

 

[Black Widow]

Alison: I suppose you're right. How good can it be when I'm so wound up that I didn't even know who was on the other side of the door and then attacked without thinking?

"Well.... I can still recall a time when had you KNOWN it was me on the other side of the door, you'd still have attacked. Old habits die hard, don't they?"

She smarmed, giving one theatrical toss of her hair and a shrug of her shoulders to show she wasn't going to be holding it against Alison. Alison agreed to a nightcap and fixed the glasses, retiring her efforts for the night. Haleigh gave a pleased nod and a smile as they left the study. Alison stopped for a moment and stared at a statue as if it were going to wake up and talk to her. Haleigh didn't get the fascination. Tastefully done and beautifully nuanced, but one of MANY scattered throughout the mansion. It was just another statue, and it didn't look out of place or recently tampered with.

"Alison?"

She prompted gently, and then the seer seemed to return to the present and they walked towards a sitting area. Alison mentioned the fog, and Haleigh's brow creased ever so slightly. Ava didn't think the fog was quite natural. But how much of this was actually wrong and how much was their collective paranoia running amok? They sat side by side on the sectional, and Haleigh pulled a bottle opener literally out of thin air to serve them both.

Alison: It's kind of... different. having everyone.... well almost everyone together again and things being relatively calm, peaceful between everyone. I almost feel like I'm back "on the team" full time instead of just being your hostess.

"I think it's nice. Just relaxing and being together again.... like old times. Except better, because no one wants to kill me. That I know of. Yet."

She mused, taking a healthy sip of the wine. Alison mentioned her doubts about Delilah being really okay, and it was all Haleigh could do to purse her lips and keep the 'I told you so' from escaping. Delilah's 'recovery' had NEVER sat well with Haleigh, and time had not improved her opinion. Delilah functioned normally, she remained calm and she insisted she was fine, but Haleigh wasn't sure if Delilah was trying to convince everyone else, or herself. Delilah could pretend all she wanted to, but Haleigh was the MASTER of 'the calm and collected facade to disguise the torrent of inner torment'. If Hecate had helped Delilah do ANYTHING, it was simply get a handle on what was bothering her. But Alison was right:

Alison: Some things are too primal... too etched into our SOULS.

"We're ALL worried, but hovering isn't going to help. I'm afraid she simply hasn't DEALT with her demons, and until she does... we'll ALL be awaiting that other shoe, unfortunately."

She paused for a moment, pensive and then sighed heavily.

"I hate that she's faced with this. I wish that anything I said could help her. Logic guides me through everything, and yet; things aren't so succinct with her. Even when I break it down into the most black and white pieces, she still feels she's done wrong, and who am I to tell her that the way she FEELS is wrong? Illogical, sure, but that doesn't change anything."

She noticeably didn't say anything about Nicolas. He was being tactful about things, and Haleigh HAD made ammends, but she wasn't about to lavish praise on Dominique's influence. Haleigh was a proud woman, after all, and she had been SO against the whole setup. She didn't exactly like calling attention to the fact that she'd slightly overreacted or been a little mistaken.

 

[Harbinger]

Minerva's Mansion- the sectional

"I hate that she's faced with this. I wish that anything I said could help her. Logic guides me through everything, and yet; things aren't so succinct with her. Even when I break it down into the most black and white pieces, she still feels she's done wrong, and who am I to tell her that the way she FEELS is wrong? Illogical, sure, but that doesn't change anything."

Even Ororo, a woman who was a human mutant and rode the winds on the earth and is now an immortal weather goddess in limbo charged with guarding the Dark Trinity, tried to explain to Delilah the absolute justification of her actions...how she SAVED lives not only of her team but of countless others.

Ororo had to KILL to protect herself and one of Morgan's crosstime alternates in Limbo when that alternate was a child..and Ororo once viewed herself as the caretaker of all living things. She killed Erika to save Cameron.


None of us can understand because we have learned that sometimes violence...or KILLING IS the "RIGHT" thing to do. I physically battled my own mother as a PRE TEEN to protect my brother and sister from her abuse. Morgan battled her father to protect her mother from his abuse...we all learned at early ages that violence and even KILLING are sometimes the way you protect those you love. But Delilah was ALWAYS fundamentally different than her best friend, Morgan. It was never an issue...never a "bad thing". We respected her for standing by her beliefs.

But UNLIKE Ororo, Delilah has not been able to accept the change in reality and adapt. She just DIDNT have it within her to see that killing Bishop was the RIGHT thing to do. She really IS the most noble of us all...maybe to a fault. But thats okay....:: pausing:: we should be able to pick up her slack.

"We're ALL worried, but hovering isn't going to help. I'm afraid she simply hasn't DEALT with her demons, and until she does... we'll ALL be awaiting that other shoe, unfortunately."

:: As Alison drank more of the wine, she looked over at Haleigh rather grimly.::

I don't think you understand.

I'm not talking about any inner demons...i'm talking about something EXTERNAL. Something that manifested ACROSS time threads from the most remote to the now IMMINENT.

Something that isnt supposed to BE at all!

This isnt like anything I've sensed or "seen" before, Haleigh. Its something all together different. Something that impossibly appeared but I can't even get a clear "view" of what it is. It's NOT what's happening around the mansion either, that's what makes it more of a concern for me.

:: bowing her head and sighing, Alison places her hand on her forehead::

I just...I need to figure things out. I need to be ready. I dont JUST have Delilah to worry about. I have this mansion...these artifcats, PANDORA to protect as well. Barbara Minerva was my predecessor, and she did an EXCELLENT job, so much so that she was even acknowledged by the Olympians. She was an ALLY of Darkchilde and Persephone's in the MoE timeline. She did all of this WITHOUT being a precog...and then...to ensure that WE'D have a chance to stop Circe and save Pandora...she sacrificed herself.

:: she sits back up and looks over at Haleigh.::

Part of what makes me effective, what marked me for this destiny as Harbinger is to KNOW what is coming...be it an object, event, person. If I can't assess what is coming and prepare...then this entire mansion, its contents and Pandora are all in grave danger. That's ON TOP of the issue with Delilah and the "haunting" we've been experiencing.

If things go wrong...if they go CRAZY...

:: for a moment she flashes back to the day when the six's lives were ended by being OUTED by BISHOP and their final fight to save their own lives::


...if this..."thing" that has suddenly manifested in the time threads is as deadly as i cant help but feel it is...I AM ready to do whatever I must to ensure that contents in the catacombs of this mansion and pandora are NOT taken and used for evil...even if it means giving my life.



I think right now...what I'm experiencing is high anxiety...

:: she said in a low, weary tone.::

Ever since the haunting began...its been messing with me. I feel like if I could just find a clue...SOMETHING, then I could start to figure out what is really going on with that. and then there's Delilah...and this temporal distortion that is moving toward us...toward HER.

 

[Black Widow]

Alison:None of us can understand because we have learned that sometimes violence...or KILLING IS the "RIGHT" thing to do. I physically battled my own mother as a PRE TEEN to protect my brother and sister from her abuse. Morgan battled her father to protect her mother from his abuse...

[amused aside] "And then you have me, who has killed many people for many reasons, and only recently have I begun to apply any sort of code of ethics to it. Perhaps I am the LAST person on earth that should try to talk to Delilah about killing."

Alison: we all learned at early ages that violence and even KILLING are sometimes the way you protect those you love. But Delilah was ALWAYS fundamentally different than her best friend, Morgan. It was never an issue...never a "bad thing". We respected her for standing by her beliefs. But UNLIKE Ororo, Delilah has not been able to accept the change in reality and adapt. She just DIDNT have it within her to see that killing Bishop was the RIGHT thing to do. She really IS the most noble of us all...maybe to a fault. But thats okay....:: pausing:: we should be able to pick up her slack.

I should have picked up her slack when it came to Bishop in the first place. It wouldn't have cost nearly as much. Haleigh brooded silently. there was nothing she could do about it now, though. She might as well accept it.

Alison: I don't think you understand. I'm not talking about any inner demons...i'm talking about something EXTERNAL. Something that manifested ACROSS time threads from the most remote to the now IMMINENT. Something that isnt supposed to BE at all!

"Oh. [chuckles] I was only thinking of what she's going through right NOW. Do you think this anomaly is tied to her Bishop baggage, or is it a trouble entirely independent?"

Alison: This isnt like anything I've sensed or "seen" before, Haleigh. Its something all together different. Something that impossibly appeared but I can't even get a clear "view" of what it is. It's NOT what's happening around the mansion either, that's what makes it more of a concern for me.


Her brow furrowed, she crossed one leg over the other, shaking her head gently.

"You know I find I'd much rather be sucker punched by something, than subject to this vague sense of foreboding that has us constantly circling the wagons in blind paranoia. [looking upon Alison with a great deal of compassion] I know this much be TEN TIMES harder for you."

Alison: ::bowing her head and sighing, Alison places her hand on her forehead:: I just...I need to figure things out. I need to be ready. I dont JUST have Delilah to worry about. I have this mansion...these artifcats, PANDORA to protect as well. Barbara Minerva was my predecessor, and she did an EXCELLENT job, so much so that she was even acknowledged by the Olympians. She was an ALLY of Darkchilde and Persephone's in the MoE timeline. She did all of this WITHOUT being a precog...and then...to ensure that WE'D have a chance to stop Circe and save Pandora...she sacrificed herself. Part of what makes me effective, what marked me for this destiny as Harbinger is to KNOW what is coming...be it an object, event, person. If I can't assess what is coming and prepare...then this entire mansion, its contents and Pandora are all in grave danger. That's ON TOP of the issue with Delilah and the "haunting" we've been experiencing.

Haleigh reached out gently, resting her hand on Alison's arm with sincerity.

"You know, Alison, you may not be officially a part of this team anymore, but that doesn't mean you're in this alone. We're STILL here for you. You don't need to shoulder this burden by yourself. I know I'm not the only one who would be willing to step in and help. It may be YOUR responsibility, but I'm sure it can't be against the rules for you to solicit help if you want it."

Alison: If things go wrong...if they go CRAZY... ...if this..."thing" that has suddenly manifested in the time threads is as deadly as i cant help but feel it is...I AM ready to do whatever I must to ensure that contents in the catacombs of this mansion and pandora are NOT taken and used for evil...even if it means giving my life.

"Don't talk like that. YOU are the one entrusted with this place, and if you don't survive.... there is no one to take your place. This is your destiny and it WOULDN'T be so, if you weren't up to the task. You WILL survive whatever is coming. You MUST."

Her tone had a hard edge to it, and it was clear that Haleigh would not hear of the possibility of Alison's death. Alison admitted to experiencing anxiety, and Haleigh seemed to relax again, nodding and accepting Alison's desire to find something, anything that would clue them in on what was coming.

"I know it's hard, but don't worry, Alison. Everything will turn out alright in the end. It has SO FAR... and I'm not ready to break the habit, so by sheer force of WILL, if nothing else.... I will see that things are okay."

She replied, smiling winsomely at the implication that she had such control over the universe and the way things ended up.

"And if something is coming for Delilah... it's going to have to go through US first, and that's no mean feat."

 

[Seer]

a week later - in the observatory

<< and so with even with the uncertainty, the comfort of support and reassurance from Haleigh offered a small but much needed relief from the burden of Harbinger.>>

<< soon their night cap came to an end and both women retired to their respective rooms. the night wore on and the ghostly fog held steady.>>

<< Minerva's Mansion mysterious visitor continued to prowl, moving from place to place as she searched for what she believed to be her's and making sure to leave little calling cards to keep the inhabitants guessing and off balance.>>

<< but even as she delighted in what she was doing to them, soon she'd find herself on the receiving end of unwanted scrutiny. just as she represented an unresolved piece of the six's past...she too had a past.>>

<< time and space have a way of responding to the things that happen, making sure that everything is accounted for...one way or another. As dawn breaks, the fog seems to finally roll away and disappate.>>

on through the night, into the next day....a week passes.

<< it is a breezy afternoon and the skies are flowing, churning and rumbling. A late summer storm is coming across the waters.>>

<< during the week, more wierd happenings have occurred but any investigation prooves fruitless and anytime one of the six or anyone else happens to actually LOOK right at the woman known as "Millenia", they only see a beautiful statue, in keeping with the others around the mansion and it appears that it was always there, never out of place.>>

<< the woman continued to search for a way to reach the catacombs and though she hadnt come up with anything yet, she had the advantage of TIME and being sight unseen...for now. Her going out of her way to preplex the six , the animals on the grounds and the guards was her amusement as she found her visit here wouldnt be as brief as she'd like.>>

<< Harbinger hadnt found anything yet in her research, she began to wonder if she shouldnt look into the HISTORY of Minerva's Mansion, perhaps something during the time Barbara was here. Barbara, a master of hiding in plain sight, had set up many strategic, puzzel like places in the mansion to hide things of importance. Even in the executive study, there were secret places and passages connecting from there to other areas of the mansion internally etc.>>

<< and so, while Morgan, Ava, Haleigh, Nicolas, Cameron, Zach and Delilah enjoyed lunch in one of the stone gardens of the mansion facing the west they were on a much higher part of the island giving them a beautifull endless view of the sea and sky. Alison asked them to enjoy lunch with out her as she insisted on continuing to do some more research and she would join them soon enough.>>

<< Having uncovered a part of the floor underneath the carpeting in the study, Alison finds a panel of the floor that is removable and underneath, an opening to a passage that descends to a small chamber where documents including floor plans of the mansion and its complex structure along with some maps leading to various secret out posts and escape routes around the island, several journals and personal logs of Barbara's adventures and conquests,- a few of the journals were recent...up till the time of her death; some photos and the original uniform she wore during her career as a world reknown archeologist and historian.>>

<< Unbeknownst to her or the others, she was being followed, by a silent, unseen stalker. Bianca was hoping Alison would lead her closer to her true goal. This may have been the moment Bianca was looking for, but the day held much more in store for her than that....for all of them.>>

<< Alison brought a few of the items back up to the study and concealed the entry way and passage once again. she set at her desk, resuming her research.>>

<< she misses lunch completely. The rest of the six are now inside as the weather has grown very violent. the mansion is readied for powerfull storm and the team sits in one of the observatories. >>

<< it is the first time in a while that nearly everyone has been able to gather together for something other than danger or drama. they all have a chance to look amongst each other and not have any obvious issue or drama hanging between them. it was the perfect time for them to talk. Talk about how there hadnt been any threats, no psychotic enemies or bio terror events etc. to talk about Sharon and whether she would ever come back, talk about the weird happenings around the mansion including the restless weather they'd seen over the week, and what they may mean...all of these things, but no one would discuss DELILAH, certainly not while she was there in front of them even though they ALL had her on their mind.>>

<< Delilah for her part continued to seem calm, collected and refreshed. She was able to function and ready to talk or ready for action. But as Alison had told Haleigh, some things are too primal and etched into one's soul...even for magick to completely erase.>>

 

[Persephone]

Standing by one of the large windows in the observatory, Ava's arms crossed casually against her chest while she rested her shoulder against the glass. The storm outside was building in intensity. She felt this cell passing over Athens earlier in the day knowing it would eventually make it's way toward them, but she didn't feel the need to sway it's course. Honestly, she was too damn tired to even care at this point. Without having to look around them room she already knew how on edge everyone was. It wasn't the type of stress that was felt before a huge caper. It wasn't the type of stress that they felt knowing they were in a life or death situation. It was the stress of the unknown. The questions unanswered. The feeling of inadequacy.

Lightning flickered afar, but the storm clouds were already over the island that Minerva's Mansion laid residence to. Some found storms scary and unpredictable, but Ava found them calming. Closing her amythest eyes, the rumbling of the thunder reverberated throughout her body causing an almost euphoric feeling. It was definitely the most relax Ava had felt in a few days. Adding that to the fact that furry woodland creatures tended to hide during storms, definitely meant that whatever poltergeist was screwing with them wouldn't be causing Ava any unnecessary anxieties.

"I think I may head to bed early."

Ava said quietly before turning to look at the others in the observatory.

"Attempt to get some rest during this storm..."

 

[Spellbinder]

Minerva's Mansion- the observatory

<< Morgan had been looking less severe and more radiant, more serene ever since her return to Aerie. The fact that she, like alison and her mother did not age (in appearence/physically) the way mortals did was not lost on the others...but there was something else. She seemed more calm, more centered. With the team having benefited from a time of rest and no apparent threats bearing down on them, they all seemed more refreshed and able to move in the more positive aspects of their personalities and the group dynamic had become much more stable. Even Nicolas was pleasantly regarded by those who were not fond of him before (though Ava maintained a cool distance and Delilah kept her responses brief and to the point).>>

<< Morgan had been watching over Delilah like a hawk. when not shadowing her from a distance, she would use her scrying pool to observe her. It was just like with Blaze (Foxfire) years earlier. Morgan wouldnt to do her best to make sure nothing ELSE happened to her. They ALL wanted to be there for Delilah but for now, all they could do was watch, wait and see.>>

<< with the apparent HAUNTING of the mansion and no way to discover its source, it left them more than a little confused, if not bothered or downright anxious. it was more than a passing nuisance, it was an ongoing mystery that was getting more pronounced, and then there was this strange weather that even Ava couldnt account for. It was as if the environment itself along with the pets of the six and animals around the mansion was also reacting to what was haunting the mansion.>>

<< after a nice afternoon lunch with the others the weather took a turn for the worse. they quickly moved inside while the staff hurridly broke down the dining area in the garden and the mansion was prepped for a powerful storm that had moved across the ocean and now reached the island.>>

<< inside the observatory, the storm's muffled sounds were rather soothing to Morgan and the breath taking views outside offered a clear view of mother nature in full effect. Morgan sat on a luxurious sectional, with one of her long, smooth flawless legs crossed over the other at the knee, and a purring Tinkerbell curled up in her lap while she lightly brushed over Tink's head with her finely manicured nails.>>

I talked with my mother. She, Firebird and Mike are doing fine on Aerie and Sharon has been doing me a big favor traveling back and forth to LA to keep things looking normal at Melrose Place.

<< she looked among the others for a moment as Ava announced she might head to bed for a nap.>>

A nap would be nice. Stormy weather is good sleeping weahter. Outside of my time on Aerie following Barbas...I can honestly say i have not had THIS much time to actually REST in ages! This mansion is truly amazing.

Someone should go and see what Alison is up to. She never did come to lunch.

<< she looked back to one of the large high reaching windows.>>

She's been so agitated since this....this haunting began. And I must admit, it's annoying me too. Nothing any of us has tried reveals ANYTHING but the guards, and the animals especially seem to be reacting like something or someone is around here. Even last night, I woke up to Tink growling and hissing like she was confronting another cat or animal but I couldnt see or sense any presence in the suite with me. She's my enchanted familiar...so I KNOW she can perceive things even other animals cant. I've found my make up opened or in some cases even moved, thrown on the floor in a way that I know that Tink wasnt responsible for it....seven some of my clothes have disappeared!

<< she looks over at Delilah who was sitting nearby.>>

How about you? any weird happenings in your suite?

<< she thought about asking something ELSE, but she decided not to...at least not in front of everyone else.>>

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas ate in silence, doing his best to honor Morgan's wishes that he not raise Delilah's ire. It was easy actually. He had a decent rapport with everyone and honestly felt much more centered and calm than ever before. if she needed to hear him a bit less, he was now comfortable in doing that.

His mind moved all around, turning and tossing the issue at hand as he ate. He could not help but feel that the solution was available if only they knew the questions to ask.

He'd ordered that all of the pets on site be fed at the same time near them outside to help them relax. The kitten was herded by Onyx as she ate, protected by her...a new behavior borne of recent events no doubt. Nicolas watched them and then, as the storm came in quickly, he gathered up the kitten and carried her inside in the crook of his arm.

Someone should go and see what Alison is up to. She never did come to lunch.

<< she looked back to one of the large high reaching windows.>>

She's been so agitated since this....this haunting began. And I must admit, it's annoying me too. Nothing any of us has tried reveals ANYTHING but the guards, and the animals especially seem to be reacting like something or someone is around here. Even last night, I woke up to Tink growling and hissing like she was confronting another cat or animal but I could see or sense any presence in the suite with me. I've found make make up opened or in some cases even moved, thrown on the floor in a way that I know that Tink wasn't responsible for it....seven some of my clothes have disappeared!

My bad Morgan...I planned to put those back when I was done.

It was a good joke, but under these circumstances, it fell flat. Nonplussed, Nicolas moved on to Morgan's suggestion.

I'll check her out Morg. Go to Mommy...

He let down the kitten and it climbed up by Morgan as Nicolas made his way to Alison's room. He held out a hand and teleported a plate of fruit there, holding it as he knocked on the door and entered...

KNOCK! KNOCK! You failed to eat and even YOU cannot continue to do that. Have a snack and let me help you work on this if you must press ahead.

Nicolas had no intention of allowing Alison to continue to bear this alone. He walked in with the fruit and an open mind.

Do you have any leads?

 

[Spellbinder]

Minerva's Mansion- the observatory

<< Morgan's facial expression was blank (on purpose) when Nicolas made his little joke no one else seemed too tickled by it either, but he meant no harm. >>

<< he offered to check on Alison.>>

Okay. Let me know what she says. If there's anything we can do.

<< she looked over at Delilah, still waiting for a reply as her small white kitten climbed up onto the sofa and mewed a bit as she nestled in next to Morgan's thigh.>>

you know, I was trying to remember if we'd ever had anything like this happen at Illustra. Strange weather, yes...but this "haunting"...I dont think so. Even before the Six was formed I can't remember Illustra being vexed like this. I suppose with a place as mysterious as this mansion though anything's possible. Still, we need to find out what it is and deal with it. Alison has hosted us for nearly 2 months now. If there's ANYTHING we can do to help her with this...we really should. But where to begin...

<< not that they hadnt been trying already, but Morgan was definately bothered by this. and of course there was Delilah. She knew something was "off" but she wasnt able to figure out just what. She'd talked with Alison about it, and Haleigh and Ava came to her with their concerns after Alison assured them she would be open to hear what they had to say. They understood Delilah's choices regarding her life were her's to make and they knew Hecate and Ororo hadnt harmed or mistreated her but they all knew that with somethings, you couldnt just "make them go away", even with magick and no one, not even Alison had realized that what was going on in the mansion was more than a little connected to what was going on w/ Delilah. >>