Tytonidays and Nights - Group 1

[Velveteen]

Round 1 is over. Well done guys.
As the group lost a member, Zakar has been assigned to join the group and brings new orders. There will be no further day events.

You are free to begin round 2.

[Zakar]

Zakar had been enjoying an evening with his wife when a call came from Micah and Velveteen. He’d drained the last of his beer, well, the last of several bottles he’d indulged in, kissed his wife goodbye and toddled off to meet with the leaders. After listening carefully to the instructions they had for him to relay to the others, he smiled and returned to the hut he shared with Aysel, and managed to shove most of the things he thought might prove useful into a carrier bag to take with before he felt the sickening twist in his gut that came from being summoned. Thankfully, Zakar had thought to arm himself before attempting to pack.

The room came into focus before him as the darkness faded away, though he felt slightly disoriented and dizzy from not having had any time to prepare himself mentally or physically for being summoned. He looked around at the others then cleared his throat loudly, taking care to speak slowly in order to keep the faint slur from his words, “I have a message for all of you from Micah and Velveteen. Due to Doc’s departure, no one is to use any type of powers. Rituals will be allowed, provided an altar can be found in this place.”

As he went to find a spot to sit down, he stumbled, now starting to feel the full effects of the numerous beers he’d had. A stumble that took him head first into a cage of some sort. He stood up, cursing under his breath as the door to the cage shut behind him. Turning, he grabbed the door to let himself out and was rewarded with a shock that had him jerking as all his muscles contracted at once before he managed to release the bars and slump to the floor of the cage. Fantastic.

“Would somebody be kind enough to let me out of here, please? I do not feel it is in the best interests of the group if one of us is caged like an animal.”

[Phoenix]

Phoenix didn't have any issue with Zakar; he was quiet and generally one of the people in Tytonidae she thought of as sheer dead weight. Perhaps it was a product of her dark mood, but it was an opinion he did not improve on from his first drunken steps out of the goddamn room and into the cage she'd set. How the **** was he that incompetent!? She could have screamed her frustration, but that would have done nothing other than alert the Lionelli. Not that they weren't already alert enough.

From the point Zakar made his appearance and spat the vitriol about powers, to the time he caged himself, Phoenix remained completely still. She could have warned him about the trap - and probably should have - but she'd seen the way he stumbled. She'd seen how competent he would be with that stumble, and so she kept silent. The only movement was that of her eyes tracking the man's form - what were normally warm honey brown were now twin pools of molten rage. Beneath the rage was a thin layer of frustration, and beneath that, exhaustion. 'Why me?,' they said.

"Doppel," she snapped at a seemingly unoccupied corner. "Go raid the lockbox; I'll need another set of traps. The works, this time. Actually, make that three sets. Just in case. And bring my tiny laptop; the one I hack with on the go." Her voice was curt and clipped, but betrayed none of the annoyance she felt. That betrayal lay only in her eyes, the twisting of the shadows and the occasional shudder of the floor itself.

"No, Zakar. You can stay there and think about what you've done or you can use your tome. That'd be ideal, actually - you're in plain sight and we don't need you ******* up the rest of the traps." This evening, Phoenix was very short on pity. That was all the attention she paid Zakar before turning to the others gathered.

"Alright... Change of plans. We'll set up traps so that whatever we catch ends up damaged as ****, then go in and beat the **** out of it. It'll be caged and wounded already, so that shouldn't be too difficult. We'll need wraiths on high alert relaying information back and forth. Any objections?"

Dear God, if Doc were still here, they'd have spent a few hours discussing safety first before actually getting anything done. At least the others were likely to listen.

[Karina]

Rina's eyes opened as soon as the 'sibling' appeared and delivered the dreadful news. No powers. Zero. Zip. Zilch. They were fucked. She rose instantly to her feet in rage as she processed everything. Her face showed all emotion that she was feeling while her eyes rested upon Zakar as she watched him clumsily stumble into the shock cage. She wanted to facepalm right there but it would have done absolutely no ******* good to help the outcome. He acted as if he was drunk and currently displayed himself to be a waste of space to get the task complete. She had hoped that he was joking but when it came from her sire...this wasn't one kind of joke that she would play.

Taking a step toward the cage, her rage seethed as her eyes never pulled away from Zakar. Nix had already told him that he could stay there or use his tome and that was exactly what he would have to do. Her voice slithered out as she spoke. "I probably would have loved to help you get out of the seemingly sticky situation that..." She leaned forward and took a deep breath to smell the man in front of her. "...your drunken self has gotten into but you see...you just told us that we don't have our powers and well, I don't know a thing about traps. You just took away my ability to help you. Sorry." She gave a gentle shrug and turned on her heel to face the rest of the group. Doc was gone but she needed to get him back. Maybe they wouldn't be so fucked if he was back with the group. Rina didn't know anything about what Zakar was capable of doing or how he worked. She didn't know it either of Em but she quickly learned that he was a careless, over-enthusiastic cheerleader that was going to get them all killed.

Listening to Nix's newly adjusted plan, she nodded her head. Lovely wasn't in reach and she frowned, how in the **** was she going to get Lovely. "Erm...Nix...without my powers...Lovely's out of the question. It's not like she can carry a cell phone." She began to pace as her mind moved a million miles a minute. They wouldn't be in this situation if Doc hadn't teleported and the group seemingly voting him off, no matter what she tried to do to keep him there. Was it wrong that she wanted him back? Was it out of need or her feelings? She wasn't entirely sure but he was needed. In almost an instant all logical thought slipped from her and rash decisions were at the front of her mind. Pulling her gun from its holster, she held it up, not aiming at anyone in particular.

"I want Doc back. I think we are better off with him. So who is going to get him or do I start shooting?"

Rina was clearly on edge as she looked at everyone. Her thralls weren't with her as Mrs. was off collecting chicken feet for Micah and Lovely...well who the **** knows what she was doing outside of guarding the damn tree house. Her hands gripped to the gun so tightly that the gun shook, making her ability to shoot proper sloppy. Her teeth gritted as she looked between them all, wondering who would be stupid enough to make the first move against her. People were going to get shot...just depended if they would be rendered useless or even die. Only time would tell.

[Dulce Periculum]

Dulce said nothing as Zakar moved in their presence with the loose stumble of his feet and faint but unmistakable scent of a man who had just been rolled out of the last bar willing to take him in. Liquor was always a strong detection of the blonde allurist. It was something she depended on as a clue when she first woke in that alley several years ago and taught herself to hunt. Perhaps it was the scent of the man who put her there that marked it permanently in her subconscious. Either way to her it signaled weakness, unpredictability and the stench of prey more than predator.

All of these points summed up the reasons Zakar needed to be counted out of doing something grand and glorious from where he now sat poised stuck in the cage. He was safe there delivering his message from Vel and Micah. Oddly, she felt scolded as she listened and didn't know why. No powers? Well that was not a condition given to a group who had impressed their leaders. It was feeling more like a consequence of an unfavorable performance. Her thick lips pressed into a tight line as most of her better judgement confirmed that sinking feeling within.

Karina and Nix were equally pissed off. So was Dulce the more she gave the whole situation thought. That would not get anyone anywhere. Doc leaving proved that. Nix was ready to roll with Plan A while Rina was ready to tear the world apart to bring back Mr. Wonderful. The man certainly didn't help with his display either. Their inner bickering as a group had only added to the issue with Doc leaving to begin with. Usually the man considered such like parties. His bailing was the last thing she actually expected. The second to last thing was the message that their powers were now considered null and void for this stage of their mission.

It was time to do what they had not successfully done prior when given the assignment. They needed to be focused on what was expected of them and ignore the obvious distractions sent their way while utilizing what was salvageable from each one. Otherwise their weaknesses under pressure were far more in play than their individual and group strengths. She wondered if Vel and Micah were watching them and keeping tabs. Of course they were. that is how Zakar came strolling into the picture. That thought alone had her eyes assessing the man of the hour perched in the cage. Her mind was at work taking inventory of what they all had as a group, including the man in the cage, to work with.

"What is in the carrier bag?" Her icy blues drifted from Zakar to look at her watch quickly then glance back to Nix at work on the traps. She thought of Emeritus. He was being awfully quiet and she was holding out hope he had a brilliant idea or two to add to this scenario that could burst into fruition for success. "Emeritus? Still with us?"

Dulce all but ignored the gun rising in Rina's hand and instead took to dealing with the woman holding it instead. Rina actually using it would be as brilliant as Doc pulling out his tome and using it. The group would shrink fast if she chose to make the mistake of pressing her curled finger where it was dangerously poised. "Think again, Rina. Do you really want to go there?" Her eyes moved confidently from the woman back to Zakar for an answer to her question. She had been blocked from using her powers but she had no issue with removing a gun from a hand misguided in the blink of an eye.

[Emeritus (DELETED 4718)]

He barely took notice of the arrival of Zakar, his drunken stumble would have proved a moment of amusement had he not bore upon them the news that they were not allowed their powers. His mind drifted momentarily to the amount of dissonance their little party had experienced; though he adored every single one of them it was hard not to vocalize his anger at their inability to work as one. Leaping to his feet he paced about, they had failed their first attempt, bitterly he could accept this even if he would not admit it.

His attention fell first upon Nix "At this point I just have to say **** it and let's do it. Not the worst plan ever, it's certainly very direct." Though he was not at all thankful Doc had left them, he was glad for lack of time consuming bickering that surely would have followed. He was never eager to use force over manipulation but given the circumstances he saw little alternative.

Rina drawing a shaking hand remained oblivious to him until he heard Dulce speak up. For the first time in what felt like ages a smile pursed his lips, obviously sarcastic. "No offence love, but you seem to let your emotions override your better judgement." he did genuinely feel empathy for her, she had fought hard on both sides to ensure Doc remained "We do still have a task at hand, yeah? Focus on that cherie."

He went back to silently pacing, his thoughts running amok. There was surely another way to acquire their prey with less risk, even if he didn't immediately see it. The lack of cohesion bothering him slightly more than the loss of Doc and only a little less than his personal failure. Only the slightest bit of reassurance could be found as he again eyed his companions, even at their worst he knew none of them would take failure with a smile on their face. "Well what the **** are we waiting on ladies, let's get this **** done."

[Doc]

Doc knew that the team dynamics had been decided randomly.. but ****! He could not get away from Phoenix. She was at -Work-.. She was in the -Faction-.. and even when he should be off.. she would be texting him. And now.. NOW.. in a competition, that should be ******* fun,.. he was saddled with her again! And in the competition, she had to devil him, dig at him, question -every- ******* word he said. She pushed and prodded and made his life miserable!

Did Phoenix care how she was pushing his buttons, making him want to choke the breath out of her, even though he knew it wouldn’t kill her? Did she care, that He was trying to look out for them all? That She was the one pushing them recklessly? No. Would she ever see it? No. That meant, ultimately, he was beating his head against a brick wall. Nothing he could say, or do, would get Phoenix to see reason, and he was ******* tired of trying.

So when Phoenix said the magical phrase, that lovely, magical set of words, ‘that someone had to go’, and she meant it was him or her.. Doc jumped at it! Hell yes! He would throw his proverbial body on the sword for the good of the team! Without a second thought, He did it. He took the way out. He saluted and read his tome before anyone could talk him out of it.

Coming to rest in the Eyrie, he knew he better deactivate any summons post haste. And he did! It was only after a few moments, that he realized he should inform the game masters. doc winced as he texted both Vel and Micah.

*text* Yes.. I was voted off.

A quick set of texts came fast and furious. He was now out of play. He was not to have any contact. Did he understand? Texting back that he understood and would not contact his ‘old’ team, Doc headed to Mortll’s. He was a bit disappointed when he arrived and found her place empty. Mortll wasn’t there. It was ...empty.. except for that lovely warm hot tub. He took a quick shower; afterwards, he indulged in the ‘special vintage’ that Ari’s winery produced, while he soaked and relaxed in the hot tub. All thoughts of the teams progress.. and lack there of, was not even a blip on his radar. He soaked all those petty woes away...

[Phoenix]

Out of all that happened since she'd slumped herself against the wall, Karina's reaction was what surprised Nix the most. When had the Mystic become so damn attached to Charles? What she was displaying now, brandishing that naked gun, was entirely ridiculous. It almost seemed like separation anxiety, but that couldn't be right... could it? Giving her head a minute shake, Phoenix stayed back and let Dulce deal with Rina's outburst. Between the caged moron and Emeritus practically farting rainbows and happiness, she had enough on her mind without preoccupying herself with Rina going off the deep end.

"Alright, no Lovely or human bait," was all she said in response to Rina. Doc wasn't coming back and it would do no good arguing the matter.

Taking a deep breath, Phoenix zoned out of the conversation to take stock of their present predicament. Karina's wraith and thrall were out of the question; she couldn't reach them. She was sure Dulce would have volunteered her thralls were they available. Emeritus was too busy agreeing to whatever was proposed and offering nothing of any substance to have bothered responding to her question. God forbid he take a stand or offer up some useful information. And then there was the drunkard; whether he had thralls available or not, they wouldn't be used. 'I can't tell if we're being practical or snide anymore, old girl...' she thought to herself, trying to hide the rueful smirk on her lips.

All that left Impy and Doppel... she'd have Impy play relay between groups while Doppel monitored the traps from the shadows. As soon as Doppel returned, she'd assign the positions and give the orders.

When those honey brown eyes reopened and her focus returned to those present, she caught the tail end of Emeritus' mini monologue. Those eyes narrowed a split second later and she had to bite her tongue lest she lash out. Who was he to demand what the **** they were waiting for!? After his reckless, careless show running straight into the castle. Who the **** was he to start demanding things get done!? Moreover, who the **** was this upstart little ***** telling the 'ladies' to get moving? As if being a lady was some kind of insult. Something they should be ashamed of - ironic, given the two men were the weakest suckers in the room. **** him.

Phoenix's hands balled into fists and the shadows in the room coiled and twisted like living serpents lurking in the corners. What little lighting there was flickered ominously and something off in the corner shattered. Whatever it was had been glass by the sound of it, and now reduced to a hundred shards skittering across the floor. The pulse subsided as Nix pushed herself to her feet and slowly reigned in that anger. If nothing, the leak of her power served the purpose of garnering their goddamn attention.

Just as she opened her mouth, the air shifted and her shadow returned. Despite Doppel's perpetual silence and difficulty to spot in the darkness, the creature's present caught her attention immediately, as it always did. Nix sighed, "Lets get **** done," she muttered in reluctant agreement with Em. Still - **** him and his sexism.

"Doppel and Impy will be in the hall - further down the hall than planned, just so Zakar doesn't get in the ******* way. Maybe we can toss a tarp over his *** or something. Anyway. Doppel's going to keep the traps on her, stay hidden and wait until the target wanders by. She knows what they look like and she can hide better than any of us right now." Powerless as they were. What the hell was Vel thinking!?

"Once the target is in sight, she'll set the traps as quickly as she can directly in its path. Impy relays the message that our target is on its way. Once it's trapped, we pounce - I'm sure we'll hear the muffled scream. We hack off its limbs and someone tomes back to the Eyrie with it."

Phoenix paused there, her eyes flicking between those gathered. She felt Doppel leave to start her duty as watcher. Imp followed. They knew their tasks and they knew how their mistress operated - moreover, she knew they'd listen.

"Dulce, you and I will handle the first hits. Blades only; I don't want to alert them any more than necessary. Rina, you're on the attack as well. With a sword. Em, your one single task is to grab the Lionelli and tome with it once it's sufficiently incapacitated. Got it?"

If Emeritus fucked up toming, she'd murder him herself. He had a simple task and she was sure he could accomplish it. Not to mention it'd get him out of their hair to deal with the overlord without having to worry about him cocking it up.

Vote off Zakar

[Zakar]

The shock had served to sober him up some and as he listened to the group’s words, anger began to well within him. Normally calm and polite Zakar went right out the window as he eyed the one who called herself Phoenix. He had no appreciation for being spoken down to, not by Micah, and certainly not by anyone else. His temper snapped as he addressed Phoenix first, “Listen to me, you red-headed thunder ****, I do not know where you think you get off talking to anyone like you just have, but that **** needs to stop right the **** now! You are supposed to be working together as a team and so far, I have seen nothing that REMOTELY resembles any kind of teamwork. What I see is you giving orders to everyone else like you are someone special to be listened to, and frankly, you are no better than anyone else here, just bitchier.”

Karina was the next one to earn his ire, though he tempered it down for her since she had always been very kind to him in the past, “Karina, I understand you are upset about my clumsiness and the message I bring, but I am not the one who made the decision that no powers could be used and your irritation with me is misdirected. Have you lost touch with the human you once were and come to rely so heavily on your powers that you are crippled without them now? You are an intelligent woman who can manage a mission without such things, all of you can, otherwise orders would not have come down as they did.”

A deep breath, unneeded as it was gave him a few seconds to gather his thoughts before he continued speaking to her, “If you want to shoot someone, then you can shoot me. Doc will not be rejoining your merry band so the only thing that shooting me will do is unnecessarily tip off the Lionelli that something is amiss by making noise to draw their attention. Unless your gun has a silencer, then by all means, fire away.”

Zakar looked away from Karina, not particularly caring if she decided to shoot him or not. Instead he now focused his attention on Dulce since she seemed to have a cool head on her shoulders in spite of the situation, “Dulce, I would apologize, but the damage is already done it would seem and the words would mean little. As for what is in my bag, a few things, extra ammo, blood packs, cameras that could be placed to monitor the comings and goings of the Lionelli, which could make it easier for optimal trap placement with minimally wasted time. By using cameras it would be far easier to see where the most trafficked spots are and ultimately, save time while still keeping each person as safe as possible. The cameras can do what those with shadow powers have been forbidden to do. There is also a tablet to monitor them with.”

Emeritus...Zakar didn’t care for the man for personal reasons, but he was able to put those feelings aside easily enough. He had little to say to him tonight, but that was simply because Emeritus seemed so eager to follow whatever plan was on the table, or so it appeared. “Emeritus, while they might be ladies, they are also your peers and possibly betters. It would behoove you to address them a bit more respectfully. I would also encourage you to start thinking for yourself and offering some ideas so the plan to take hostages actually goes smoothly rather than turning into the clusterfuck it seems to have become.”

Completely sober now, he once again fixed each member of the group with a hard look in his espresso eyes, “Get it together instead and do so quickly, time is wasting.”

[Karina]

Rina was seeing red as her anger flared with the sad anticipation of what was to come and what had happened so far. Nix and Dulce where two other than Doc that she was semi close with and two that had known her for so long. The confusion and feelings that she was feeling was more than she had expected and she didn't know what was going on, she just knew that Doc needed to return. What the hell was going on with her that she was impaired by Doc's leaving? How could he leave them to begin with? What was wrong with him to leave his team mates...his family behind while he went off to do what ever Doc did. Hell...Rina couldn't help but think that he teleported off to that Hag Bag that he called his companion. Seriously...who in the **** turns their back on their faction and family for a quick lay? Mortll was probably bad in bed but what man cared if they were getting their dick wet. Pinching her eyes closed as she tried to fight off the hideous thoughts in her mind as that was the last thing she wanted to think about and picturing Doc and Mortll, naked, romping in the sack...that was definitely the last thing she wanted burned to memory. Why in the **** did Vel have to take their powers from them...a mindblock would be amazingly accepted right now even if she had to do it to herself. Rina wouldn't hesitate to mindblock herself if she could make all of the imagery vanish but who could really escape their own mind? Maybe death would be better....who really knew?

Dulce seemed to kick her back to reality a little bit but her question only made her want to pull the trigger all the more, especially now that Emeritus had addressed her. Love? Who the **** was he calling 'Love'? He didn't know her other than the fact that they shared a sire and were both Andras...they had barely if at all spoke more than a few words before tonight and his words were all soft and cozy as if they were coupled or if he was ultra familiar with her. **** him. Her focus turned to him as he continued to speak, gun facing him and aimed right at his head. Rina thought that she could actually make the shot if she focused enough. Maybe...but it was at least worth a shot, especially as he carried on with his cocky attitude and talking down to Dulce, Nix, and herself by saying 'ladies'. Who in the **** did he think he was? Lions was an allurist and wasn't this cocky or disrespectful to women, especially women that were older and far more experienced than himself. Em fucked up in Rina's mind and she was going to let him know it.

Zakar was almost a voice of reason but she didn't want to hear it, her mind was set on a path of destruction. The world could rain death down upon them all and she would be fine with it as it would be justified, at least in her mind. It was when he mentioned the fact that she seemed crippled without her powers that bugged her. She perked a brow at him as she took one step forward toward him. "And that is where you know nothing about us...Yes, I would seem lost and crippled, your words by the way...not mine, by not having my powers. My strengths are my powers. I am a mystic and my best skill is rituals, powers is all that I know and they were just taken from me unless we can find a ritual table."

It was Zakar that bounced her mind back to their surroundings...using her gun would be the worst thing for her to do at this moment given that it would tip off the Lionelli more than they already had with Dulce, Em, and Zakar's actions of not being able to hide very well. Rina was sure that the fighting wasn't helping matters either. With a grumble to herself, she accepted Zakar's warning. Slowly she popped out the clip to her Broussard Custom and then removed the bullet from the chamber to ensure that the gun wasn't loaded. After placing her gun back in its holster, she removed Steelheart from her back. In a quick graceful and very ballerina filled turn, she swung out her blade towards Em, instantly slicing into his neck. Her turn stopped as she faced Zakar and Dulce with her back to Em. After a few minutes, she stood up straight and gave a deep sigh. It was unneeded but it helped her center herself once again. Looking down at the blade, her eyes grew wide as she noticed the blood. Swords were her worst skill and everyone knew it. Quickly turning around to look at her sibling, she noticed the blood flow from his neck. Her eyes grew wide with shock even though excitement was quickly filling her and her body started to feel as if she was bouncing. Looking back down at the blade and then up at Em before looking at everyone else. Rina looked as if she was glowing and her spirits had definitely been lifted almost instantly.

Her eyes met up with Nix as she nearly began to giggle. "OMG!! Did you see that? I hit him? I landed a mother ******* hit on him! On Em! I landed the hit! I suck at blades! OMG!!!" Then the giggles came from her as she looked at him and smirked. "Now you can keep your degrading words to yourself since we don't have powers...you can curse my existence with words on my mind if you have that ability." Nodding her head in a matter-of-fact motion. "I think we are ready to continue. Zakar...I think you will be let out of that thing soon, try not to get too hurt."

Listening to all that Nix had to say as she laid out the plan in detail as she watched Dopple and Impy move out of the room to do their jobs. Nodding her head occasionally as she took in the instructions that were given. Rina had already switched to swords and the whole room knew it so she was ready there. Moving to the door, she carefully looked out to watch. Dopple had the traps in place and Impy was quickly returning letting them know that the one that we wanted to acquire was moving into place. Nodding her head once again as she watched the out come but nearly let out a raging sentence that was nothing but profanities when the Shifter walked around the trap without even realizing that it was there. Stepping back, she wanted to punch the wall as she looked at Nix and Dulce. "We need to lure them into the trap somehow, I think...it was completely missed. Have to continue waiting."