Jack Pine
Archduke of the NDC
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2021
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 30
Eselberg Station:
It was another long day of seeing patients for Tarkus and Verena. "Why are people so unbelievablely stupid…" Tarkus grumbled as he passed a cup of tea to his sister.
"How many times do I need to remind you to be nice!?" She said sternly, before laughing and taking the proffered cup. "I don't know why I try."
"I don't know either." Tarkus quipped before he felt something. It was a strong spiritual presence, like when his sisters appeared. It was at that moment that Verena's cup crashed to the floor.
"No no no…" She muttered as Lotara burst into the room.
Moving to Verena's side, she began speaking quickly. "This bad Tarkus. Very bad… We thought we hid our tracks, but it wasn't enough. She's here…"
"Who is she?" Tarkus cursed under his breath. If whoever it was could scare even Lotara, then they were all in serious trouble. Tapping his comm sent a message to the resident witch. "Elenor, I think we have a major problem inbound. If you can't feel it yet you will in a second."
Elenor was glad for the buzz on her comm, if only because it meant that the extremely slow time manning the store stall for her coven's work to be sold to passerbys. Listening to the content of the message, she sighed. "Great. What kind of problem?" She asked, ignoring the glances sent her way as she spoke.
Of course, she didn't wait very long to realize it, since she could begin to feel the overwhelming presence approaching the station. She still hoped to get some kind of detail from Tarkus, because she didn't want to assume anything just from the pressure upon her magical senses she felt coming.
Tarkus was already dawning armor as her message came back. "Unknown. Holyer than thou in nature. But whoever it is has both my sisters in a state of panic. And nothing scares Lotara…"
"You mean to tell me one more of the Heavenly Host is coming? Great. Just what we didn't need." Elenor grumbled, and flicked the switch that declared the store was closed. Standing up, she began to walk through the corridors towards the docking ring.
"Can either of them tell us anything of actual use to be ready for our guest?" Elenor asked, pressing past people in a slight hurry.
Tarkus began moving, his sisters following closely behind. Looking to Lotara he passed her the comm. "It's Lotara. The Angel that's coming belongs to the Order of Repentance. She 'helps' sinners repent their ways, and she's the most sadistic one there is." She explained.
Verena nodded meekly. "Lotara and I have earned her attention a few times. The sessions weren't pleasant."
"Oh. So Heaven's HR department. Got it. So, she got a name?" Elenor asked, finally reaching the dock control station and standing behind one of the workers manning her terminal as a shuttle craft began its final approach to the station.
Lotara took a deep breath before replying. "Her name is Temperance." She replied as Tarkus continued to Elenor's location.
"You don't have to come with me. You two can go back to the hospital." He said looking to Verena.
"No, we're coming too." Verena said with more confidence than she actually felt.
"Temperance huh? Typical." Elenor muttered, leaving her comm off. "I'd rather none of you come in. At least not without my calling for you." She instructed into the comm. "Let me try and deal with her first. If only so I can emphasize that this station is neutral ground."
Tarkus grimaced "Understood. We'll wait outside and try to mask our presence." He replied as he and the sisters moved down an adjacent hallway and attempted to shield their presence from the unwelcome guest.
The shuttle smoothly descended onto the landing pad and began spooling down its engines. As it did, the ramp came down to reveal a tall woman with platinum blond hair tied in a ponytail. Her halo and wings were already on full display as her heels clicked on the metal of the ramp. "My my… what a 'charming' little station." Her melodic voice could easily be heard over the machinery and techs who hurried about the bay.
Elenor crossed her arms as she observed the angel step off alongside some dozen others as well. She wasn't impressed. Sure, she was concerned, but she had no intention of letting this angel push her or anyone on the station around.
This whole situation looked like something that could easily spiral out of control depending on what the angel did.
Temperance stepped forward off the pad and looked around the bay. Locking eyes with Elenor, the newcomer smiled. "You seem to have an air of authority around here, don't you? I'm looking for a pair of angels who seem to have gotten themselves lost. Could you point me in their direction?"
Elenor had merely nodded to the other passengers passing by but had raised a hand to stop the woman approaching. She wasn't hard to stop since people were giving her a wide berth to begin with.
"I am Elenor Herrick, one of the co-owners of the station. I want to emphasize first and foremost, before you step any further into my station, that this is neutral ground. I don't want any spats over domains and places of origin." She stated bluntly and simply. "That includes potentially attempting to attack and/or force the people who have decided to not only live here but work for me to do something against their will." She finished, waiting to see what this angel had to say.
"You see that's the issue, Ms. Herrick. Those two belong with us, and we just miss them so terribly." Temperance said, a hand held over her chest in a semblance of longing. "It's just that evil brother of theirs. They were supposed to collect him and bring him to us but he must have brain washed them."
"They chose to stay here." Elenor pointed out. "All of them. And I don't shackle them to the station. So if they want to leave, they can when they so choose. And they haven't given me any indication that they are soon." She continued. "So unless they make it clear, without coercion, that they want to follow you away, it ain't happening."
Temperance's demeanor shifted after she didn't get her way. It was supposed to be simple! Take the girls back and capture the blood devil. "You are disrupting a holy mission from the gods! They must be taken for atonement." She demanded.
"There are no gods here. Only those who reside here. You want to bring your conflict here, than you can turn around and walk right the fuck back to the shuttle and leave." Elenor stated without even being the slightest bit intimidated by the angel. "Clear?"
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Why must this be so difficult?" She said to no one in particular. "You don't want conflict on this station? Then you will hand them over. Final offer."
Elenor snorted. "Fine. Leave. Now." She said straight faced and unbothered by Temperance's anger.
It was then that Verena appeared from where she was hiding. Fear was written plainly across her face. "We don't want to! Leave us alone."
Temperance's lip quirked. "Verena, you have been quite naughty. You better come back or you and your sister's punishment will be much more severe."
"You've been told to leave. You can either do so on your own, or I will have to bring our security personnel to force you off." Elenor instructed, beginning to pull out a few of her ritual circles she tries to have prepared to avoid the 5 minutes it'd take her to do them on the fly.
"I'd listen to her if I were you." Tarkus said, stepping in front of Verena, pushing her back towards Lotara. The elder sister grabbed Verena and shielded her from the intruding angel's gaze.
"How dare you dain to speak to me, filthy mutt!" She then turned to Elenor. "You think your security can…"
Before she had the chance to finish her statement, an arrow of blood shot past her cheek. "We will not be separated again. Try it, and see what happens." He snarled.
"My security isn't getting involved at this point. This is above their ability." Elenor pointed out, having selected her chosen spell for this kind of situation. It was a binding spell, not quite going full familiar, but it should at least make her easier to grab ahold of to tie up.
"And honestly, as I said before, this is a neutral station. Everyone living here is doing so of their own free will and are all well aware of what this station is about." She finished, ready to throw the spell into effect the second the angel who was barging in acting all queen of the world began to fight.
Temperance's face screwed up in indignation. "Well then, I don't need to bring them back alive." She replied, launching forward towards Tarkus.
Tarkus did the same, dashing forward. A scythe made of blood forming in his hands.
Tarkus's scythe slashed down into Temperance's path at the same time a golden whip flicked out towards the station's resident doctor.
Both would find their path halted as a bookshelf’s worth of tomes arose from the deck, their pages amalgamating, congealing together in black ink. Their main ancient letters formed a large archaic ritual circle that formed the wall of literacy into one imbued with energy meant to block. “That is enough Temperance! Or have you forgotten the pact of rightful domain. Someone of your position has no right to meddle in the realm of mortals.” came the voice few had ever heard raised.
Lucas stepped from the shadow cast under the disembarkment ramp of the shuttle, obsidian eyes glaring at the high angel. Sparks of black trailed between his fingers, tense digits ready to act in casting their owners' next spell. “Still as brash and arrogant as always I see.”
Elenor was just about to throw the scroll forward and halt the whole thing when Lucas did much the same but in a far flashier and impressive manner. "I had been hoping to handle this myself, but it's clear that some in Heaven really don't get the memos, do they?" She growled, but took a moment to calm herself, getting her hackles to lower.
"I take it you've met before Lucas?" Elenor asked, looking to the demon with whom she was pacted to.
The two combatants lept backwards, but continued to stare daggers at each other, while Verena held tightly to Lotara, both staring on in horror.
"Ah, Lucas. It's been so long." Temperance replied as she continued to stare Tarkus down. "You wound me with your spiteful words." She mocked. Her eyes glanced in his direction, before lowering her weapon. "Did you hear why I'm here or must I repeat myself yet again." She drawled.
“I’m well aware of your reasons, but it does not alter the fact that you are overstepping your reach. I am the other owner of this station, and therefore you are within my domain. So you will mind your manners when making threats towards my people, property, and kin.” His words were even and calm, yet his tone could not conceal the edge each word offered. Lucas’s steady stride brought him around to see either side of his barrier, so that all witnesses were within his field of view.
“I’m certain the gods would not be pleased to find you run amuck, threatening the balance with such foolish actions again. Surely you remember what admonishment you brought upon yourself for your actions the last time we met. Especially with both sides trying so hard to cause yet another war.” The tone this time was chastising, yet also with a slight mocking phrase, as if lecturing a child who had done a naughty. Though in his eyes, she very much was, and a mistake that lead to the downfall of many like himself.
Temperance sneered, at Lucas's condescension. "Fine, you've made your point. However, that doesn't change the fact that those two "She said, pointing towards Verena and Lotara. "are the cause of all this. They must return with me or there will be consequences."
Tarkus took a step forward. "They will go nowhere with you!" He roared in defiance as globules of blood orbited around him.
"I don't think you listened, Temperance. If they have no desire to leave with you, of their own free will with no compulsions or geas upon them, then they will not leave with you." Elenor said, stepping over to stand in front of the sisters. "Either you can accept that and leave, or you can answer to whatever higher authority you report to that you decided to break a neutrality pact to get your way. I don't usually like talking to your people Angel, but I knew if I wanted this place to be seen, entirely and completely, as a neutral site that will not be dragged into one faction or another's little spats, I would have to. IT was hardly easy, owing to whom I am pacted to, but it was done." Elenor explained, treating Temperance like an idiot since, at the moment, she was acting the part.
"I'm quite sure you don't want the Demon Lords to be marching upon your lovely little bit of clouds, now do you?"
Temperance crossed her arms. "Fine you've made your point, I'll leave." She replied turning and sauntering back to her ship. Turning back to the Zorens she smirked. "Better watch yourselves. If you set foot on holy ground, you're mine." She cooed, before turning to Lucas and Elenor. "I'd say it was nice to see you again Lucas, but then I'd be lying." As she spoke, the ramp slammed home and the engines began spinning up.
Tarkus looked back to his sisters, finding Verena clutching to Lotara like she were a life raft. Lotara nodded shakily to Tarkus. "I'm gonna take her back to our room." Her brother nodded in agreement and the sisters left the compartment.
Elenor nodded, and sighed, watching the shuttle begin to lift. "Well, this is proving to be more of a headache than I expected. And well worth the way too many hours of dealing with both sides of the aisle to make sure we don't get undue trouble here." Elenor muttered, looking at Lucas. "If no one else needs me, I'm going to get utterly plastered over in the bar. I need it badly."
Tarkus's shoulders slumped and he released a long sigh. "I think I might join you. I'll need a drink or two before I try and puzzle out whoever the hell that was. Plus I should give Verena and Lotara some time to calm down…" The doctor replied.
“I’m going to wait at home for when you get back plastered, maybe run a bath and roll out the fine sheets. Otherwise I can’t trust Lucina if I go with you. Call me if you need me to walk you back dear.”, Lucas replied before finding the nearest door and tossing an enchantment card on it. His way of skipping the long walk back to the hab block for their door. The chosen one opened to reveal the interior of the house before he stepped through, the card burning up once the doors shut once more, returning to normal.
It was another long day of seeing patients for Tarkus and Verena. "Why are people so unbelievablely stupid…" Tarkus grumbled as he passed a cup of tea to his sister.
"How many times do I need to remind you to be nice!?" She said sternly, before laughing and taking the proffered cup. "I don't know why I try."
"I don't know either." Tarkus quipped before he felt something. It was a strong spiritual presence, like when his sisters appeared. It was at that moment that Verena's cup crashed to the floor.
"No no no…" She muttered as Lotara burst into the room.
Moving to Verena's side, she began speaking quickly. "This bad Tarkus. Very bad… We thought we hid our tracks, but it wasn't enough. She's here…"
"Who is she?" Tarkus cursed under his breath. If whoever it was could scare even Lotara, then they were all in serious trouble. Tapping his comm sent a message to the resident witch. "Elenor, I think we have a major problem inbound. If you can't feel it yet you will in a second."
Elenor was glad for the buzz on her comm, if only because it meant that the extremely slow time manning the store stall for her coven's work to be sold to passerbys. Listening to the content of the message, she sighed. "Great. What kind of problem?" She asked, ignoring the glances sent her way as she spoke.
Of course, she didn't wait very long to realize it, since she could begin to feel the overwhelming presence approaching the station. She still hoped to get some kind of detail from Tarkus, because she didn't want to assume anything just from the pressure upon her magical senses she felt coming.
Tarkus was already dawning armor as her message came back. "Unknown. Holyer than thou in nature. But whoever it is has both my sisters in a state of panic. And nothing scares Lotara…"
"You mean to tell me one more of the Heavenly Host is coming? Great. Just what we didn't need." Elenor grumbled, and flicked the switch that declared the store was closed. Standing up, she began to walk through the corridors towards the docking ring.
"Can either of them tell us anything of actual use to be ready for our guest?" Elenor asked, pressing past people in a slight hurry.
Tarkus began moving, his sisters following closely behind. Looking to Lotara he passed her the comm. "It's Lotara. The Angel that's coming belongs to the Order of Repentance. She 'helps' sinners repent their ways, and she's the most sadistic one there is." She explained.
Verena nodded meekly. "Lotara and I have earned her attention a few times. The sessions weren't pleasant."
"Oh. So Heaven's HR department. Got it. So, she got a name?" Elenor asked, finally reaching the dock control station and standing behind one of the workers manning her terminal as a shuttle craft began its final approach to the station.
Lotara took a deep breath before replying. "Her name is Temperance." She replied as Tarkus continued to Elenor's location.
"You don't have to come with me. You two can go back to the hospital." He said looking to Verena.
"No, we're coming too." Verena said with more confidence than she actually felt.
"Temperance huh? Typical." Elenor muttered, leaving her comm off. "I'd rather none of you come in. At least not without my calling for you." She instructed into the comm. "Let me try and deal with her first. If only so I can emphasize that this station is neutral ground."
Tarkus grimaced "Understood. We'll wait outside and try to mask our presence." He replied as he and the sisters moved down an adjacent hallway and attempted to shield their presence from the unwelcome guest.
The shuttle smoothly descended onto the landing pad and began spooling down its engines. As it did, the ramp came down to reveal a tall woman with platinum blond hair tied in a ponytail. Her halo and wings were already on full display as her heels clicked on the metal of the ramp. "My my… what a 'charming' little station." Her melodic voice could easily be heard over the machinery and techs who hurried about the bay.
Elenor crossed her arms as she observed the angel step off alongside some dozen others as well. She wasn't impressed. Sure, she was concerned, but she had no intention of letting this angel push her or anyone on the station around.
This whole situation looked like something that could easily spiral out of control depending on what the angel did.
Temperance stepped forward off the pad and looked around the bay. Locking eyes with Elenor, the newcomer smiled. "You seem to have an air of authority around here, don't you? I'm looking for a pair of angels who seem to have gotten themselves lost. Could you point me in their direction?"
Elenor had merely nodded to the other passengers passing by but had raised a hand to stop the woman approaching. She wasn't hard to stop since people were giving her a wide berth to begin with.
"I am Elenor Herrick, one of the co-owners of the station. I want to emphasize first and foremost, before you step any further into my station, that this is neutral ground. I don't want any spats over domains and places of origin." She stated bluntly and simply. "That includes potentially attempting to attack and/or force the people who have decided to not only live here but work for me to do something against their will." She finished, waiting to see what this angel had to say.
"You see that's the issue, Ms. Herrick. Those two belong with us, and we just miss them so terribly." Temperance said, a hand held over her chest in a semblance of longing. "It's just that evil brother of theirs. They were supposed to collect him and bring him to us but he must have brain washed them."
"They chose to stay here." Elenor pointed out. "All of them. And I don't shackle them to the station. So if they want to leave, they can when they so choose. And they haven't given me any indication that they are soon." She continued. "So unless they make it clear, without coercion, that they want to follow you away, it ain't happening."
Temperance's demeanor shifted after she didn't get her way. It was supposed to be simple! Take the girls back and capture the blood devil. "You are disrupting a holy mission from the gods! They must be taken for atonement." She demanded.
"There are no gods here. Only those who reside here. You want to bring your conflict here, than you can turn around and walk right the fuck back to the shuttle and leave." Elenor stated without even being the slightest bit intimidated by the angel. "Clear?"
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Why must this be so difficult?" She said to no one in particular. "You don't want conflict on this station? Then you will hand them over. Final offer."
Elenor snorted. "Fine. Leave. Now." She said straight faced and unbothered by Temperance's anger.
It was then that Verena appeared from where she was hiding. Fear was written plainly across her face. "We don't want to! Leave us alone."
Temperance's lip quirked. "Verena, you have been quite naughty. You better come back or you and your sister's punishment will be much more severe."
"You've been told to leave. You can either do so on your own, or I will have to bring our security personnel to force you off." Elenor instructed, beginning to pull out a few of her ritual circles she tries to have prepared to avoid the 5 minutes it'd take her to do them on the fly.
"I'd listen to her if I were you." Tarkus said, stepping in front of Verena, pushing her back towards Lotara. The elder sister grabbed Verena and shielded her from the intruding angel's gaze.
"How dare you dain to speak to me, filthy mutt!" She then turned to Elenor. "You think your security can…"
Before she had the chance to finish her statement, an arrow of blood shot past her cheek. "We will not be separated again. Try it, and see what happens." He snarled.
"My security isn't getting involved at this point. This is above their ability." Elenor pointed out, having selected her chosen spell for this kind of situation. It was a binding spell, not quite going full familiar, but it should at least make her easier to grab ahold of to tie up.
"And honestly, as I said before, this is a neutral station. Everyone living here is doing so of their own free will and are all well aware of what this station is about." She finished, ready to throw the spell into effect the second the angel who was barging in acting all queen of the world began to fight.
Temperance's face screwed up in indignation. "Well then, I don't need to bring them back alive." She replied, launching forward towards Tarkus.
Tarkus did the same, dashing forward. A scythe made of blood forming in his hands.
Tarkus's scythe slashed down into Temperance's path at the same time a golden whip flicked out towards the station's resident doctor.
Both would find their path halted as a bookshelf’s worth of tomes arose from the deck, their pages amalgamating, congealing together in black ink. Their main ancient letters formed a large archaic ritual circle that formed the wall of literacy into one imbued with energy meant to block. “That is enough Temperance! Or have you forgotten the pact of rightful domain. Someone of your position has no right to meddle in the realm of mortals.” came the voice few had ever heard raised.
Lucas stepped from the shadow cast under the disembarkment ramp of the shuttle, obsidian eyes glaring at the high angel. Sparks of black trailed between his fingers, tense digits ready to act in casting their owners' next spell. “Still as brash and arrogant as always I see.”
Elenor was just about to throw the scroll forward and halt the whole thing when Lucas did much the same but in a far flashier and impressive manner. "I had been hoping to handle this myself, but it's clear that some in Heaven really don't get the memos, do they?" She growled, but took a moment to calm herself, getting her hackles to lower.
"I take it you've met before Lucas?" Elenor asked, looking to the demon with whom she was pacted to.
The two combatants lept backwards, but continued to stare daggers at each other, while Verena held tightly to Lotara, both staring on in horror.
"Ah, Lucas. It's been so long." Temperance replied as she continued to stare Tarkus down. "You wound me with your spiteful words." She mocked. Her eyes glanced in his direction, before lowering her weapon. "Did you hear why I'm here or must I repeat myself yet again." She drawled.
“I’m well aware of your reasons, but it does not alter the fact that you are overstepping your reach. I am the other owner of this station, and therefore you are within my domain. So you will mind your manners when making threats towards my people, property, and kin.” His words were even and calm, yet his tone could not conceal the edge each word offered. Lucas’s steady stride brought him around to see either side of his barrier, so that all witnesses were within his field of view.
“I’m certain the gods would not be pleased to find you run amuck, threatening the balance with such foolish actions again. Surely you remember what admonishment you brought upon yourself for your actions the last time we met. Especially with both sides trying so hard to cause yet another war.” The tone this time was chastising, yet also with a slight mocking phrase, as if lecturing a child who had done a naughty. Though in his eyes, she very much was, and a mistake that lead to the downfall of many like himself.
Temperance sneered, at Lucas's condescension. "Fine, you've made your point. However, that doesn't change the fact that those two "She said, pointing towards Verena and Lotara. "are the cause of all this. They must return with me or there will be consequences."
Tarkus took a step forward. "They will go nowhere with you!" He roared in defiance as globules of blood orbited around him.
"I don't think you listened, Temperance. If they have no desire to leave with you, of their own free will with no compulsions or geas upon them, then they will not leave with you." Elenor said, stepping over to stand in front of the sisters. "Either you can accept that and leave, or you can answer to whatever higher authority you report to that you decided to break a neutrality pact to get your way. I don't usually like talking to your people Angel, but I knew if I wanted this place to be seen, entirely and completely, as a neutral site that will not be dragged into one faction or another's little spats, I would have to. IT was hardly easy, owing to whom I am pacted to, but it was done." Elenor explained, treating Temperance like an idiot since, at the moment, she was acting the part.
"I'm quite sure you don't want the Demon Lords to be marching upon your lovely little bit of clouds, now do you?"
Temperance crossed her arms. "Fine you've made your point, I'll leave." She replied turning and sauntering back to her ship. Turning back to the Zorens she smirked. "Better watch yourselves. If you set foot on holy ground, you're mine." She cooed, before turning to Lucas and Elenor. "I'd say it was nice to see you again Lucas, but then I'd be lying." As she spoke, the ramp slammed home and the engines began spinning up.
Tarkus looked back to his sisters, finding Verena clutching to Lotara like she were a life raft. Lotara nodded shakily to Tarkus. "I'm gonna take her back to our room." Her brother nodded in agreement and the sisters left the compartment.
Elenor nodded, and sighed, watching the shuttle begin to lift. "Well, this is proving to be more of a headache than I expected. And well worth the way too many hours of dealing with both sides of the aisle to make sure we don't get undue trouble here." Elenor muttered, looking at Lucas. "If no one else needs me, I'm going to get utterly plastered over in the bar. I need it badly."
Tarkus's shoulders slumped and he released a long sigh. "I think I might join you. I'll need a drink or two before I try and puzzle out whoever the hell that was. Plus I should give Verena and Lotara some time to calm down…" The doctor replied.
“I’m going to wait at home for when you get back plastered, maybe run a bath and roll out the fine sheets. Otherwise I can’t trust Lucina if I go with you. Call me if you need me to walk you back dear.”, Lucas replied before finding the nearest door and tossing an enchantment card on it. His way of skipping the long walk back to the hab block for their door. The chosen one opened to reveal the interior of the house before he stepped through, the card burning up once the doors shut once more, returning to normal.