Encounterlogs
Seamuss Odd Encounter Sr Peter 250227
In the heart of the stormy afternoon, Seamus, accompanied by Siofra and later Liesl, embark on a perilous journey through the sewers beneath Paine and Elm, guided by cryptic texts and the allure of an underground auction hosted by the Golden Shadow. Their mission: to secure or outmaneuver rivals for a rare artifact known to amplify supernatural abilities. Amidst the blending of modern convenience and ancient mystique within the tastefully masculine living room, Seamus receives a message tipping him off about the auction. He teams up with the unpredictable Siofra, whose arrival in a noisy car and the subsequent exchange signify the beginning of a quirky alliance. Siofra, with her cavalier attitude and lack of filter, along with Liesl, weave their way into the sewers, navigating the dark and the unknown. Their journey, not without its eccentricities, marks a convoluted path through the bowels of the city, driven by Siofra's unorthodox methods and the enigmatic guidance of snippets of information on the supernatural auction.
Their descent into the sewers transforms into an audacious incursion into the realm of the Golden Shadow through a nightmarish traversal facilitated by Siofra. The trio encounters an illicit auction seething with anticipation, greed, and the occasional absurdity as artifacts of questionable origin and immense power are paraded before an audience of the ambitious and the desperate. As Siofra engages in disruptive shenanigans, involving a makeshift pepper spray bomb, tension escalates. The serenity of their undercover mission fractures amidst chaos as security guards become hostile following Siofra's provocations, leading to an unforeseen confrontation with a summoned creature. Seamus and Liesl find themselves in an awkward predicament, attempting to blend into the crowd of bidders, their presence questioned amidst the unfolding anomaly. Their claim to interest in merfolk artifacts is met with skepticism and a veiled threat from the auctioneer, hinting at a simmering conflict beneath the veneer of civility and commerce. The story concludes with the trio embroiled in the dynamics of the underground auction, their intentions murky, their alliance tested, and the true nature of the artifact they pursue shrouded in mystery and danger.
(Seamus's odd encounter(SRPeter):SRPeter)
[Wed Feb 26 2025]
In A tastefully masculine living room
Smoothly polished hardwood floors stretch between pale white walls. At the center, a dappled rug of emerald green and gentle gold spirals softens the floors. Arrayed around it in a loose collection, a sofa and matching chairs surround a coffee table of gleaming birch wood. Polished oak boards form a gleaming field, the subtle grain of the hardwood standing out intricately against a honey-hued background. The floor is framed with matching baseboards, the walls rising a pale alabaster above it. These, in turn, stretch towrd a vaulted ceiling, drawing the gaze up and giving the room an airy feel that belies the solid and near spartan colorscheme.
A rug bedecks the center of the floor. Swirling patterns of emerald green and a pale grey intertwine over it. The carpet softens the step, and grants the room a lived in, homy aspect that offsets the harshness of the wall's stark whiteness.
surrounding this rug, a collection of seating forms a U shape. A wood framed sofa of grey leather takes pride of place, flanked by end tables of walnut. A fainting couch graces one side, with an overstuffed armchair taking the other. The collection is charmingly eclectic, but comes together to form a comfortable spot for relaxation and conversation with guests.
It is afternoon, about 26F(-3C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. It's snowing outside.
(Your target and their allies have been tipped off about a black-market auction taking place in Haven, run by none other than the Golden Shadow. A rare, powerful artifact with the ability to amplify one's supernatural abilities is up for grabs, and it's already caught the attention of several unsavory characters. The characters must infiltrate the auction, navigate a room full of dangerous mercenaries, and either outbid their competitors or find a way to steal the artifact without getting caught. The Golden Shadow is not above selling to the highest bidder, even if they have nefarious plans for the artifact. The stakes are high, and the room is filled with tension as the characters try to outmaneuver their rivals and avoid attracting the attention of the Golden Shadow's ruthless enforcers.)
Seamus sits on his couch texting away with someone, a slight smirk spreading across his lips and a shake of his head. "Alright, I need something to drink if I am going to deal with more of this bullshit."
Another text happens to blip itself to life on Seamus' phone, for good or ill, for minor inconvenience or blessing. "Auction," it reads, "Beneath Paine and Elm intersection." There's links plastered right after these messages, and if the older fellow were to click on them, they would lead to photos of artifacts, seemingly ancient and indescribable in origin, though, no doubt, related to the supernatural. Beneath all this, in the final text message, perhaps the only hint that this isn't any sort of scam, there's a symbol. A golden dagger plunged through a shadowy globe.
Seamus takes some screen shots on his phone and texts them to Siofra. The texts are of some artefacts and invitation to some sort of aucton underneath Pain and Elm with a symbol of a globe with a sword through it and just the word "What?"
Siofra's car is the delivery trumpet of her royal procession. The lack of a muffler, in fact, can be heard from anywhere in the small town- looping down the desolate roads like a banshee's screech. Such a sound echoes now, closer and closer, following a text that reads simply
That shite is too blurry.
Siofra pulls up, none the less, near the apartment complex lacking its celestial rooftop guarding on this particular moment, slamming the door with malaise seeped into her bones. "Sodomus." She greets, twist a finger's flesh around 180'.
"Why do I trust an Irish Fairy," Seamus mutters somewhat annoyed before texting out, a little aggressively when he hears her voice. He has grabbed his trench coat and cap and looks at her with a squint, "You didn't hear that... Anyway why am I being invited to some weird auction underground?" He leans in and adds, "I have been to underground auctions before but not ACTUALLY underground. They tend to be in warehouses with burly guards of questionable ethnicity."
Siofra shrugs as she pulls out a ash-hafted spear from her trunk and waggles it, "Did they mention a dress code?"
Another blip occurs on Seamus' phone, from the same number. "Fifteen minutes left!" it reads, "Before bidding starts for the Ancient Greek Fire Dome! It has the capabilities of lighting an entire small town on fire!"
"Oh apparently it is an ancient Greek fire dome capable of lighting a small town on fire," Seamus says looking over his phone, "Oh no sorry that isn't the only thing... Just the first one. Apparently we have 15 minutes if you want a fire dome." He looks up and says, "No mention of dress code. You are the expert."
Siofra leaves the spear in the back of her trunk with a sigh, tip toeing to grab it and sake it back down. Instead, she prepares a set of civilian ordinances from the arm's locker of her trunk and sets to shunting them in various pockets. "Grand, grand. Well, we'll see what Hand profits can buy."
Siofra says "Where's the craic, then?"
Seamus squints at his phone, "Under Paine and Elm. So maybe under the swear cover?" He pauses and adds, "Hand profits? Is that like..." He makes a crude gesture with his hand before stopping, "No you know what? I don't want to know. You can tell me later."
Seamus says "Sewer even."
Siofra keeps a bounce in her step, keeping contrary to the hard sigh out of her nose as she strolls over to the middle of the street, glancing at Seamus, to the cover, and then back to Seamus.
Siofra says "Well pick her up, will you!"
Seamus goes with it and attempt to pries up the sewer cover and grumbles the whole time about needing better help.
Siofra could be of help in this matter. Instead, she 'oversees' the project.
And, of course, Seamus is given a photo, in addition to the line about Greek Fire Domes (whatever that is), to a bronze, almost trash-lid looking object. It doesn't look too special. The sewer lid is a bit difficult to pick up, at least for Siofra or Seamus alone. But together, they can manage it. And down into the sewers they can go, supposedly to where this auction is taking place. It's dark down there, and it doesn't seem like the auction is happening immediately beneath Paine and Elm.
Siofra squirms in her oversight, a little too excited by the mundanity as she texts a compatriot.
Seamus groans and looks around, "Alright, well..." He cracks his back and pulls out his smokes and lighter. Is this to cover the smell of sewer or to calm his nerves, the world may never know. Maybe both. He looks around and points up one side of the tunnel then the next, "Alright... Time to think like a detective" he mutters before asking Siofra, "Ok, which way should we go?"
Siofra waves down the distant moped like a runway flight traffic director- or whatever those men getting hit by planes are called. "LISA!" She yells above Seamus, who is laboring to pull up a sewer cover, and perhaps finishing, given that they are currently stepping unto it. "We're g'wan to a craic! Get in!"
Siofra's head ducks into the tunnel system thereafter.
Liesl sadly has had to walk to reunite with her bestie. She crashed her moped after a tragic run-in with the mist. Either way, she's drawn in towards Siofra and Seamus and trails after them, no questions asked.
Siofra sniffs at the air and, to her own lament, sneezes with a pitiful mewling growl that echoes both ways, announcing to all her acute failure "I can't smell things. I don't know."
Upon entering the sewer, stinky sewage is flowing past Siofra and Seamus in a rather rapid fashion. Dark it is. There's chittering in the shadows and depths of the almost ancient place, probably rats huddling up in a nest. Maybe worse, considering this is Haven. As the Irish woman continues to scream towards the manhole above, the sewer water 'strangely' slows, at least for a moment or two, barely noticeable. And then it goes again, skittering along with a pace rivaling river rapids. As Liesl enters the manhole and climbs below, beneath the intersection of Elm and Paine, she notes, too, that it is dark, the sewer water is running rapid, and that there's chittering in the dark. Somewhere in the distance, or perhaps even below the trio, there are voices that arise. Laughter, yelling, a microphone augmenting someone's raspy voice. Rapid fire speech. The roar of a crowd. The older man of the group also gets another picture of the 'Greek Fire Dome' sent to his phone. It still, just kind of looks like a brown, old-school trashcan lid.
Seamus blinks a few times looking up and down and starts inspecting the direction of things and decides on a course of action. "This way," he decides, apparently Columbo now, and heads off in the direction of where he thinks the voices are before glancing back over his shoulder to the pair making sure they follow him into the darkness
Siofra follows the sound of the sewer siren call, of an explosive trashcan bidding with an unhealthy bounce just short of a skip.
"Alright, alright Lisa- ye' do not need to know nothin fer this, probably."
Liesl makes her first bad decision of the day by following Siofra and Seamus into somewhere very dark and wewt. And smelly. "This is pleasant," she remarks, sticking close to the pair ahead of her. Safety in numbers. "Hi," she properly greets after getting her bearings. "Mao wants to talk to you, by the way," she tells Siofra.
Siofra glances at Liesl for a short moment, "I know, who cares?"
"He does, I guess. He keeps," Liesl she motions to her phone for emphasis. "I told him tough luck and if he ever shows his face again he's dead," she lies, trying to act cool. She does the whole cutthroat motion to show she really means business.
It's not that hard for Seamus to realize that the water flow is, somehow obscuring the entrance to whichever auction is happening below, however, there's no sign of how to get the entrance open or part the water around it. At least, none he can see without a cursory glance over his surroundings. Traveling further away from Paine and Elm may not bring him any closer to the auction, however.
Siofra sets a bonecharm around her neck and outstretches her hands. "Shall we? Nightmare walk, probably an enclosed space."
Seamus looks over his shoulder at the pair, "Mao? You know what..." He walks back to the pair, "Night what now?" He sighs and waves his hand, "More Twin Peaks bullshit. Lean on MacDuff do whatever you are going to do."
Siofra licks her lips for the words, "That's right there, lovely Lisa. Manky cunt can shunt his bloated egg-dick into a sheep and stir if he wants to rape things."
Siofra's accent entrenches, arms still outstretched on her business proposal to walk through the wall, "Ne'er a bother t'me where he sets his swill-seed if he do not mither o'er the details. A sheep's got six titties, and prime puss, I say!"
Liesl hugs at her sides and shivers dramatically. Talk of this and that probably gave her the willies. Like Siofra, she whips out a charm from a pocket, brushing her fingers over it. She sort of blanks everything out in preparation for the sensations to come with traversing the Nightmare, merely sparing Seamus a bit of a sympathetic glance.
Seamus stuffs his cigarette into the corner of his mouth and folds his arms waiting for some sort of explination from the two as they pull out dodads and dohickies that do things he doesn't understand. He doesn't even try to parse Siofra's rant. Not enough coffee to decypher but lets her take the lead on this little adventure
Siofra slaps a hand over Seamus, with a scowl and a sigh, and with a wave of static black grain- the world pulses into a diminishes version of itself and he drags him into the wall.
Liesl stares at Seamus expectantly. When he doesn't pull a charm out, her lips move to say something, but Siofra takes care of that business. Making a face, she drops into the nightmare and bumps into Siofra. "What are we looking for again?" She finally has the capacity to ask what's what.
"A bid war." Siofra mumbles as she steps into the wall and into finite spacial blackness.
Seamus shakes violently, "I feel sullied and unusual." He shifts his weight under his coat and adjusts it, buttoning it down a moment, "Some time you will have to tell me what the fuck that was but... are we ghosts now or something?" He looks around then and shows his phone to Liesl, "Some sort of auction of rare and quote magical end quote items. Being somewhat new to this space, I contacted Siofra to help."
"We're having a Nightmare, we are." Siofra explains unhelpfully, "It's a yoke."
Siofra proceeds! Mostly rambling, mostly just taking directions and peeking into new sewer systems until an auction is found!
Entering the Nightmare and passing through the wall reveals a large room, composed of glass displays with artifacts set up on cushions. It generally ranges to what looks like legitimate artifacts from practically every era of human history, to items that look counterfeit, nonsensical, unreal. Including the trashcan lid looking 'Greek Fire Dome' that was sent to Seamus. A crowd is seated on a rotatable circle in the center, with an auctioneer settled at the crowd's fore. Currently, they appear to be bidding on the femur of a large creature, an oddity of some sort. There's a mirror to the rear of the circle that all of the trio can use to enter the auction, and luckily enough for them, all sorts of people in all sorts of dress or undress have attended. It seems the Golden Shadow doesn't care too much about its clientele, so long as they have money. The oversized femur eventually sells, some people cheer, and apparently, the final bidding price is a couple thousand dollars. A woman in a business suit cries out, "That femur could've helped me in my alchemy!" Someone else throws a tantrum, with similar verbage and eventually, similar results. Security, two burly looking fellows, escort the couple of dissenters out.
"AH, HERE, GET FECKED!" Siofra heckles, naturally, with the crowd, pointing at the woman lacking her alchemical fever and laughing.
"It's the Nightmare," Liesl stresses for Seamus, though she doesn't really elaborate. Just tells it as it is. She doesn't know how to explain it. Only that it works, and in this case helps them get from one point to another as a handy shortcut through an obstacle of theirs. Or so she hopes. Siofra leads the way, and like a good duckling follows after mother goose, giving pause once they chance upon the auction. Her vacant stare suggests she doesn't really know what she's seeing. She just nods along, clutching at her bone charm and clicks her tongue. "Yeah. Su-."
Siofra happily takes a station, digging her way through bidders to get proper sight of what is to be sold- short and slipping into taller patrons of the crowd's social circus. When she arrives, her expression is glib and posh; Miss Gatsby, here to lavish in only the finest of luxuries in the supernatural world.
Seamus looks like a defeated dad trying to herd children through a toy section. Carefully he pulls the marlboro from his mouth and blows out the smoke in a heavy sigh and lingers back with Liesl. "Well. Shall we see what she brings back? I am surprised she left her skin suit on, if I am being honest."
The moment Siofra escapes from the Nightmare, the crowd, naturally, neither includes nor bars her from participation. Despite her good looks, she does receive odd looks. On the other hand, she is able to peruse the new ware being shown off. All of a sudden, machinery causes the circle they stand on to slowly turn clockwise. And voila! On display, in front of them, is that very same brown, trash-can lid, bronze device. The Ancient Greek Fire Dome! To which the presenter and auctioneer announce with starting bids at one thousand dollars. It's described as a 'bomb like device that mirrors Byzantine Greek Fire, and could very well be the last replication of such a thing prior to the invasion and conquests of the Turks. "Shall we start bidding?" the portly auctioneer asks.
"She takes it off when it really matters," Liesl determines, holding an arm out, palm raised before Seamus. The universal signal she wants a cigarette to. She, like Seamus is a little out of her element here. But part of the fun is following after Siofra to get into hijinks. Such as searching for a powerful artifact that has the potential to turn you into the world's next superhero or villain. Just here to take notes and learn from the pros. She takes one look at the Fire Dome and grimaces as the starting bid is named. "Hopefully your bank account. Has more money than mine. I just bought a property." Translation: She's too poor for this.
Seamus taps the package to knock one loose then holds out the package for Liesl, allowing her to take one from the pack as his hand fishes around for his meremaid decorated zippo, lighting it for her when she is ready. "Yeah, I am going to need a demonstration before I bid on it," he mutters holding out the flame. "It looks like a trash can lid that some one spray painted bronze."
"Mmm, yes-" Siofra holds a tiny bottle of pepper spray and swishes it like a wine glass. She proceeds to take a paper funnel and then wrap it in a spiral into the straw extension on the nozzle of the bear-grade pepper spray. She waits for the beginning bids to start, then, at the raise of volume, takes a strip of duct tape and spreads it over the release, dropping it innocently, crop-dusting the space of nobility she was at as she places herself elsewhere from the horrible peppery doom.
"I've got no money." Siofra admits as she slinks back to Liesl and Seamus.
Liesl takes the cigarette from Seamus, lets it get lit, and immediately snuffs it, pocketing it in her cardigan for later use. She just might have a planned use for it down the line. "We have mortgage to pay," she expresses to Siofra miserably. "Uh. Maybe we just." She's using her brain to think, and seems to be struggling with that function. "Wait and see who wins it then. Unless." She eyes the makeshift bomb Siofra spun up. "What's that?"
"Does this qualify as going south," Seamus wonders to Liesl as he takes another puff, watching Siofra return after committing at least one violation of the Geneva Convention.
Siofra ducks a little further behind Seamus. A moment of beautiful attention giving way to a blinding haze of red behind her. "No. But they mayhap reschedule on account of the craic minus she just dropped."
"This sounds nice," a man cries out, rising swiftly while extending a paddle into the air. "Four thousand!" That's his bid, apparently. "I'll light Haven on fire! Or maybe that other town! Boston, yeah!" Despite the fallacies and the logistical nightmare of attempting such, the man still seems to stick by this reasoning. Perhaps emphasizing the fact that not everyone attending the auction may be that intelligent. Or perhaps they're putting too much faith in some of the objects on display.
As Siofra manages to taint the space of the auction, with the peppery powder, it doesn't, at all, go unnoticed as she walks through the crowds. And while the aforementioned crowds may be less intelligent, they can certainly put two and two together. People most certainly try to stop the Irish woman after she builds her strange contraption from within the crowds. And more certain to do so after she dusts the hazardous mixture around, causing some of the folks there to cry, scream, rub their eyes, or bellow. Security though, isn't too far behind, though, they're not using their hands for this, this time. The duo is instead, unholstering pistols, and, seemingly, reaching for earpieces. Probably to call backup or some such. The auctioneer and presenter seem mildly annoyed, but eventually, continue on with their dealings. It seems the Golden Shadow isn't going to stop for much.
Siofra nods at this turn of events like it's all going to plan.
As two men goes for pistols, Siofra takes a good backwards step into the nearby wall. Suddenly, through the Nightmare, a scream of three voices runs in a tritone. A man with a flesh suit set on backwards, very calmy screams through his eyes- eyes blinking through his scalp as he charges in a long, long sprint through the walls.
"Yep, this counts as going south," Seamus agrees with himself. "Should have guessed the demon fairy would make this go south." He looks at the women and says, firmly but not panicking, "Let's get out of here. Use your doohickies and let's bounce."
Siofra does not know the creature that stalks her. She does not pretend to- for she does not yet see the muscle following her every action through Haven- only know its battle cry.
Siofra sprints back whence she came, high on laughter- leaving the halls of the Nightmare Echoing with mania and insanity both.
As Siofra escapes through the Nightmare, the creature that, looks plenty awful, is immediately shot at by the two security guards. They don't seem to care about Seamus or Liesl, at least not for the moment, nor do they seem to be too interested in following the 'demon fairy' anywhere. Like loyal dogs, they protect the auction, which, ironically, is still ongoing even while the chaos happens around it. One display case is certainly shot to bits, ruining the artifact, more than likely. One patron is even nicked by a bullet. The fight draws on, with the presenter, annoyed and frustrated, calling out, "Worry not about the flesh-formed creatures, we'll kill them later. We'll continue the auction shortly afterwards, bar the nuisances of strangers. You two, in the rear," he calls, "Are you here to participate in the auction, or be an inconvenience to us?"
Liesl chews on the inside of her cheek. She stiffens as the spotlight is thrust onto them, and after dealing with a bit of separation anxiety from Siofra's absence, careen's her gaze on Seamus. "Probably. The former," she determines in a decidedly awkward tone.
Seamus glances to Liesl and then shrugs nonchalantly. "Ah yes. We are looking..." he starts then feels the lighter in his hand and lets out a soft breath, closes his eyes, and looks up with a winning smile. "My sister and I are interested in your merefolk artifacts. Do you have anything of interest to us, or have WE been inconvenienced?"
"Sir," the presenter grunts, "We watched you come in with the woman who summoned a fucking ugly ass monster, who's still screaming over there." He points at the ongoing battle between Security and the creature screaming from its eyeballs. It's certainly eating many nine-millimeter rounds. "We'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this, but, this is an auction, not some black market antiquities store. You can either participate or leave, so we don't inconvenience ourselves and our current participants who..." A little murmur comes in as someone in the crowd steps forward and whispers into the speaker's ear. "Apparently she dusted them with pepper-spray? Anyways, all money is good money. You're free to participate, but if you're here to be a nuisance, please leave, or be escorted out once security is done dealing with that creature over there."
"We do have merfolk artifacts," he intones in some sort of concession, "However, we're currently selling this ancient explosive first."
Their descent into the sewers transforms into an audacious incursion into the realm of the Golden Shadow through a nightmarish traversal facilitated by Siofra. The trio encounters an illicit auction seething with anticipation, greed, and the occasional absurdity as artifacts of questionable origin and immense power are paraded before an audience of the ambitious and the desperate. As Siofra engages in disruptive shenanigans, involving a makeshift pepper spray bomb, tension escalates. The serenity of their undercover mission fractures amidst chaos as security guards become hostile following Siofra's provocations, leading to an unforeseen confrontation with a summoned creature. Seamus and Liesl find themselves in an awkward predicament, attempting to blend into the crowd of bidders, their presence questioned amidst the unfolding anomaly. Their claim to interest in merfolk artifacts is met with skepticism and a veiled threat from the auctioneer, hinting at a simmering conflict beneath the veneer of civility and commerce. The story concludes with the trio embroiled in the dynamics of the underground auction, their intentions murky, their alliance tested, and the true nature of the artifact they pursue shrouded in mystery and danger.
(Seamus's odd encounter(SRPeter):SRPeter)
[Wed Feb 26 2025]
In A tastefully masculine living room
Smoothly polished hardwood floors stretch between pale white walls. At the center, a dappled rug of emerald green and gentle gold spirals softens the floors. Arrayed around it in a loose collection, a sofa and matching chairs surround a coffee table of gleaming birch wood. Polished oak boards form a gleaming field, the subtle grain of the hardwood standing out intricately against a honey-hued background. The floor is framed with matching baseboards, the walls rising a pale alabaster above it. These, in turn, stretch towrd a vaulted ceiling, drawing the gaze up and giving the room an airy feel that belies the solid and near spartan colorscheme.
A rug bedecks the center of the floor. Swirling patterns of emerald green and a pale grey intertwine over it. The carpet softens the step, and grants the room a lived in, homy aspect that offsets the harshness of the wall's stark whiteness.
surrounding this rug, a collection of seating forms a U shape. A wood framed sofa of grey leather takes pride of place, flanked by end tables of walnut. A fainting couch graces one side, with an overstuffed armchair taking the other. The collection is charmingly eclectic, but comes together to form a comfortable spot for relaxation and conversation with guests.
It is afternoon, about 26F(-3C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. It's snowing outside.
(Your target and their allies have been tipped off about a black-market auction taking place in Haven, run by none other than the Golden Shadow. A rare, powerful artifact with the ability to amplify one's supernatural abilities is up for grabs, and it's already caught the attention of several unsavory characters. The characters must infiltrate the auction, navigate a room full of dangerous mercenaries, and either outbid their competitors or find a way to steal the artifact without getting caught. The Golden Shadow is not above selling to the highest bidder, even if they have nefarious plans for the artifact. The stakes are high, and the room is filled with tension as the characters try to outmaneuver their rivals and avoid attracting the attention of the Golden Shadow's ruthless enforcers.)
Seamus sits on his couch texting away with someone, a slight smirk spreading across his lips and a shake of his head. "Alright, I need something to drink if I am going to deal with more of this bullshit."
Another text happens to blip itself to life on Seamus' phone, for good or ill, for minor inconvenience or blessing. "Auction," it reads, "Beneath Paine and Elm intersection." There's links plastered right after these messages, and if the older fellow were to click on them, they would lead to photos of artifacts, seemingly ancient and indescribable in origin, though, no doubt, related to the supernatural. Beneath all this, in the final text message, perhaps the only hint that this isn't any sort of scam, there's a symbol. A golden dagger plunged through a shadowy globe.
Seamus takes some screen shots on his phone and texts them to Siofra. The texts are of some artefacts and invitation to some sort of aucton underneath Pain and Elm with a symbol of a globe with a sword through it and just the word "What?"
Siofra's car is the delivery trumpet of her royal procession. The lack of a muffler, in fact, can be heard from anywhere in the small town- looping down the desolate roads like a banshee's screech. Such a sound echoes now, closer and closer, following a text that reads simply
That shite is too blurry.
Siofra pulls up, none the less, near the apartment complex lacking its celestial rooftop guarding on this particular moment, slamming the door with malaise seeped into her bones. "Sodomus." She greets, twist a finger's flesh around 180'.
"Why do I trust an Irish Fairy," Seamus mutters somewhat annoyed before texting out, a little aggressively when he hears her voice. He has grabbed his trench coat and cap and looks at her with a squint, "You didn't hear that... Anyway why am I being invited to some weird auction underground?" He leans in and adds, "I have been to underground auctions before but not ACTUALLY underground. They tend to be in warehouses with burly guards of questionable ethnicity."
Siofra shrugs as she pulls out a ash-hafted spear from her trunk and waggles it, "Did they mention a dress code?"
Another blip occurs on Seamus' phone, from the same number. "Fifteen minutes left!" it reads, "Before bidding starts for the Ancient Greek Fire Dome! It has the capabilities of lighting an entire small town on fire!"
"Oh apparently it is an ancient Greek fire dome capable of lighting a small town on fire," Seamus says looking over his phone, "Oh no sorry that isn't the only thing... Just the first one. Apparently we have 15 minutes if you want a fire dome." He looks up and says, "No mention of dress code. You are the expert."
Siofra leaves the spear in the back of her trunk with a sigh, tip toeing to grab it and sake it back down. Instead, she prepares a set of civilian ordinances from the arm's locker of her trunk and sets to shunting them in various pockets. "Grand, grand. Well, we'll see what Hand profits can buy."
Siofra says "Where's the craic, then?"
Seamus squints at his phone, "Under Paine and Elm. So maybe under the swear cover?" He pauses and adds, "Hand profits? Is that like..." He makes a crude gesture with his hand before stopping, "No you know what? I don't want to know. You can tell me later."
Seamus says "Sewer even."
Siofra keeps a bounce in her step, keeping contrary to the hard sigh out of her nose as she strolls over to the middle of the street, glancing at Seamus, to the cover, and then back to Seamus.
Siofra says "Well pick her up, will you!"
Seamus goes with it and attempt to pries up the sewer cover and grumbles the whole time about needing better help.
Siofra could be of help in this matter. Instead, she 'oversees' the project.
And, of course, Seamus is given a photo, in addition to the line about Greek Fire Domes (whatever that is), to a bronze, almost trash-lid looking object. It doesn't look too special. The sewer lid is a bit difficult to pick up, at least for Siofra or Seamus alone. But together, they can manage it. And down into the sewers they can go, supposedly to where this auction is taking place. It's dark down there, and it doesn't seem like the auction is happening immediately beneath Paine and Elm.
Siofra squirms in her oversight, a little too excited by the mundanity as she texts a compatriot.
Seamus groans and looks around, "Alright, well..." He cracks his back and pulls out his smokes and lighter. Is this to cover the smell of sewer or to calm his nerves, the world may never know. Maybe both. He looks around and points up one side of the tunnel then the next, "Alright... Time to think like a detective" he mutters before asking Siofra, "Ok, which way should we go?"
Siofra waves down the distant moped like a runway flight traffic director- or whatever those men getting hit by planes are called. "LISA!" She yells above Seamus, who is laboring to pull up a sewer cover, and perhaps finishing, given that they are currently stepping unto it. "We're g'wan to a craic! Get in!"
Siofra's head ducks into the tunnel system thereafter.
Liesl sadly has had to walk to reunite with her bestie. She crashed her moped after a tragic run-in with the mist. Either way, she's drawn in towards Siofra and Seamus and trails after them, no questions asked.
Siofra sniffs at the air and, to her own lament, sneezes with a pitiful mewling growl that echoes both ways, announcing to all her acute failure "I can't smell things. I don't know."
Upon entering the sewer, stinky sewage is flowing past Siofra and Seamus in a rather rapid fashion. Dark it is. There's chittering in the shadows and depths of the almost ancient place, probably rats huddling up in a nest. Maybe worse, considering this is Haven. As the Irish woman continues to scream towards the manhole above, the sewer water 'strangely' slows, at least for a moment or two, barely noticeable. And then it goes again, skittering along with a pace rivaling river rapids. As Liesl enters the manhole and climbs below, beneath the intersection of Elm and Paine, she notes, too, that it is dark, the sewer water is running rapid, and that there's chittering in the dark. Somewhere in the distance, or perhaps even below the trio, there are voices that arise. Laughter, yelling, a microphone augmenting someone's raspy voice. Rapid fire speech. The roar of a crowd. The older man of the group also gets another picture of the 'Greek Fire Dome' sent to his phone. It still, just kind of looks like a brown, old-school trashcan lid.
Seamus blinks a few times looking up and down and starts inspecting the direction of things and decides on a course of action. "This way," he decides, apparently Columbo now, and heads off in the direction of where he thinks the voices are before glancing back over his shoulder to the pair making sure they follow him into the darkness
Siofra follows the sound of the sewer siren call, of an explosive trashcan bidding with an unhealthy bounce just short of a skip.
"Alright, alright Lisa- ye' do not need to know nothin fer this, probably."
Liesl makes her first bad decision of the day by following Siofra and Seamus into somewhere very dark and wewt. And smelly. "This is pleasant," she remarks, sticking close to the pair ahead of her. Safety in numbers. "Hi," she properly greets after getting her bearings. "Mao wants to talk to you, by the way," she tells Siofra.
Siofra glances at Liesl for a short moment, "I know, who cares?"
"He does, I guess. He keeps," Liesl she motions to her phone for emphasis. "I told him tough luck and if he ever shows his face again he's dead," she lies, trying to act cool. She does the whole cutthroat motion to show she really means business.
It's not that hard for Seamus to realize that the water flow is, somehow obscuring the entrance to whichever auction is happening below, however, there's no sign of how to get the entrance open or part the water around it. At least, none he can see without a cursory glance over his surroundings. Traveling further away from Paine and Elm may not bring him any closer to the auction, however.
Siofra sets a bonecharm around her neck and outstretches her hands. "Shall we? Nightmare walk, probably an enclosed space."
Seamus looks over his shoulder at the pair, "Mao? You know what..." He walks back to the pair, "Night what now?" He sighs and waves his hand, "More Twin Peaks bullshit. Lean on MacDuff do whatever you are going to do."
Siofra licks her lips for the words, "That's right there, lovely Lisa. Manky cunt can shunt his bloated egg-dick into a sheep and stir if he wants to rape things."
Siofra's accent entrenches, arms still outstretched on her business proposal to walk through the wall, "Ne'er a bother t'me where he sets his swill-seed if he do not mither o'er the details. A sheep's got six titties, and prime puss, I say!"
Liesl hugs at her sides and shivers dramatically. Talk of this and that probably gave her the willies. Like Siofra, she whips out a charm from a pocket, brushing her fingers over it. She sort of blanks everything out in preparation for the sensations to come with traversing the Nightmare, merely sparing Seamus a bit of a sympathetic glance.
Seamus stuffs his cigarette into the corner of his mouth and folds his arms waiting for some sort of explination from the two as they pull out dodads and dohickies that do things he doesn't understand. He doesn't even try to parse Siofra's rant. Not enough coffee to decypher but lets her take the lead on this little adventure
Siofra slaps a hand over Seamus, with a scowl and a sigh, and with a wave of static black grain- the world pulses into a diminishes version of itself and he drags him into the wall.
Liesl stares at Seamus expectantly. When he doesn't pull a charm out, her lips move to say something, but Siofra takes care of that business. Making a face, she drops into the nightmare and bumps into Siofra. "What are we looking for again?" She finally has the capacity to ask what's what.
"A bid war." Siofra mumbles as she steps into the wall and into finite spacial blackness.
Seamus shakes violently, "I feel sullied and unusual." He shifts his weight under his coat and adjusts it, buttoning it down a moment, "Some time you will have to tell me what the fuck that was but... are we ghosts now or something?" He looks around then and shows his phone to Liesl, "Some sort of auction of rare and quote magical end quote items. Being somewhat new to this space, I contacted Siofra to help."
"We're having a Nightmare, we are." Siofra explains unhelpfully, "It's a yoke."
Siofra proceeds! Mostly rambling, mostly just taking directions and peeking into new sewer systems until an auction is found!
Entering the Nightmare and passing through the wall reveals a large room, composed of glass displays with artifacts set up on cushions. It generally ranges to what looks like legitimate artifacts from practically every era of human history, to items that look counterfeit, nonsensical, unreal. Including the trashcan lid looking 'Greek Fire Dome' that was sent to Seamus. A crowd is seated on a rotatable circle in the center, with an auctioneer settled at the crowd's fore. Currently, they appear to be bidding on the femur of a large creature, an oddity of some sort. There's a mirror to the rear of the circle that all of the trio can use to enter the auction, and luckily enough for them, all sorts of people in all sorts of dress or undress have attended. It seems the Golden Shadow doesn't care too much about its clientele, so long as they have money. The oversized femur eventually sells, some people cheer, and apparently, the final bidding price is a couple thousand dollars. A woman in a business suit cries out, "That femur could've helped me in my alchemy!" Someone else throws a tantrum, with similar verbage and eventually, similar results. Security, two burly looking fellows, escort the couple of dissenters out.
"AH, HERE, GET FECKED!" Siofra heckles, naturally, with the crowd, pointing at the woman lacking her alchemical fever and laughing.
"It's the Nightmare," Liesl stresses for Seamus, though she doesn't really elaborate. Just tells it as it is. She doesn't know how to explain it. Only that it works, and in this case helps them get from one point to another as a handy shortcut through an obstacle of theirs. Or so she hopes. Siofra leads the way, and like a good duckling follows after mother goose, giving pause once they chance upon the auction. Her vacant stare suggests she doesn't really know what she's seeing. She just nods along, clutching at her bone charm and clicks her tongue. "Yeah. Su-."
Siofra happily takes a station, digging her way through bidders to get proper sight of what is to be sold- short and slipping into taller patrons of the crowd's social circus. When she arrives, her expression is glib and posh; Miss Gatsby, here to lavish in only the finest of luxuries in the supernatural world.
Seamus looks like a defeated dad trying to herd children through a toy section. Carefully he pulls the marlboro from his mouth and blows out the smoke in a heavy sigh and lingers back with Liesl. "Well. Shall we see what she brings back? I am surprised she left her skin suit on, if I am being honest."
The moment Siofra escapes from the Nightmare, the crowd, naturally, neither includes nor bars her from participation. Despite her good looks, she does receive odd looks. On the other hand, she is able to peruse the new ware being shown off. All of a sudden, machinery causes the circle they stand on to slowly turn clockwise. And voila! On display, in front of them, is that very same brown, trash-can lid, bronze device. The Ancient Greek Fire Dome! To which the presenter and auctioneer announce with starting bids at one thousand dollars. It's described as a 'bomb like device that mirrors Byzantine Greek Fire, and could very well be the last replication of such a thing prior to the invasion and conquests of the Turks. "Shall we start bidding?" the portly auctioneer asks.
"She takes it off when it really matters," Liesl determines, holding an arm out, palm raised before Seamus. The universal signal she wants a cigarette to. She, like Seamus is a little out of her element here. But part of the fun is following after Siofra to get into hijinks. Such as searching for a powerful artifact that has the potential to turn you into the world's next superhero or villain. Just here to take notes and learn from the pros. She takes one look at the Fire Dome and grimaces as the starting bid is named. "Hopefully your bank account. Has more money than mine. I just bought a property." Translation: She's too poor for this.
Seamus taps the package to knock one loose then holds out the package for Liesl, allowing her to take one from the pack as his hand fishes around for his meremaid decorated zippo, lighting it for her when she is ready. "Yeah, I am going to need a demonstration before I bid on it," he mutters holding out the flame. "It looks like a trash can lid that some one spray painted bronze."
"Mmm, yes-" Siofra holds a tiny bottle of pepper spray and swishes it like a wine glass. She proceeds to take a paper funnel and then wrap it in a spiral into the straw extension on the nozzle of the bear-grade pepper spray. She waits for the beginning bids to start, then, at the raise of volume, takes a strip of duct tape and spreads it over the release, dropping it innocently, crop-dusting the space of nobility she was at as she places herself elsewhere from the horrible peppery doom.
"I've got no money." Siofra admits as she slinks back to Liesl and Seamus.
Liesl takes the cigarette from Seamus, lets it get lit, and immediately snuffs it, pocketing it in her cardigan for later use. She just might have a planned use for it down the line. "We have mortgage to pay," she expresses to Siofra miserably. "Uh. Maybe we just." She's using her brain to think, and seems to be struggling with that function. "Wait and see who wins it then. Unless." She eyes the makeshift bomb Siofra spun up. "What's that?"
"Does this qualify as going south," Seamus wonders to Liesl as he takes another puff, watching Siofra return after committing at least one violation of the Geneva Convention.
Siofra ducks a little further behind Seamus. A moment of beautiful attention giving way to a blinding haze of red behind her. "No. But they mayhap reschedule on account of the craic minus she just dropped."
"This sounds nice," a man cries out, rising swiftly while extending a paddle into the air. "Four thousand!" That's his bid, apparently. "I'll light Haven on fire! Or maybe that other town! Boston, yeah!" Despite the fallacies and the logistical nightmare of attempting such, the man still seems to stick by this reasoning. Perhaps emphasizing the fact that not everyone attending the auction may be that intelligent. Or perhaps they're putting too much faith in some of the objects on display.
As Siofra manages to taint the space of the auction, with the peppery powder, it doesn't, at all, go unnoticed as she walks through the crowds. And while the aforementioned crowds may be less intelligent, they can certainly put two and two together. People most certainly try to stop the Irish woman after she builds her strange contraption from within the crowds. And more certain to do so after she dusts the hazardous mixture around, causing some of the folks there to cry, scream, rub their eyes, or bellow. Security though, isn't too far behind, though, they're not using their hands for this, this time. The duo is instead, unholstering pistols, and, seemingly, reaching for earpieces. Probably to call backup or some such. The auctioneer and presenter seem mildly annoyed, but eventually, continue on with their dealings. It seems the Golden Shadow isn't going to stop for much.
Siofra nods at this turn of events like it's all going to plan.
As two men goes for pistols, Siofra takes a good backwards step into the nearby wall. Suddenly, through the Nightmare, a scream of three voices runs in a tritone. A man with a flesh suit set on backwards, very calmy screams through his eyes- eyes blinking through his scalp as he charges in a long, long sprint through the walls.
"Yep, this counts as going south," Seamus agrees with himself. "Should have guessed the demon fairy would make this go south." He looks at the women and says, firmly but not panicking, "Let's get out of here. Use your doohickies and let's bounce."
Siofra does not know the creature that stalks her. She does not pretend to- for she does not yet see the muscle following her every action through Haven- only know its battle cry.
Siofra sprints back whence she came, high on laughter- leaving the halls of the Nightmare Echoing with mania and insanity both.
As Siofra escapes through the Nightmare, the creature that, looks plenty awful, is immediately shot at by the two security guards. They don't seem to care about Seamus or Liesl, at least not for the moment, nor do they seem to be too interested in following the 'demon fairy' anywhere. Like loyal dogs, they protect the auction, which, ironically, is still ongoing even while the chaos happens around it. One display case is certainly shot to bits, ruining the artifact, more than likely. One patron is even nicked by a bullet. The fight draws on, with the presenter, annoyed and frustrated, calling out, "Worry not about the flesh-formed creatures, we'll kill them later. We'll continue the auction shortly afterwards, bar the nuisances of strangers. You two, in the rear," he calls, "Are you here to participate in the auction, or be an inconvenience to us?"
Liesl chews on the inside of her cheek. She stiffens as the spotlight is thrust onto them, and after dealing with a bit of separation anxiety from Siofra's absence, careen's her gaze on Seamus. "Probably. The former," she determines in a decidedly awkward tone.
Seamus glances to Liesl and then shrugs nonchalantly. "Ah yes. We are looking..." he starts then feels the lighter in his hand and lets out a soft breath, closes his eyes, and looks up with a winning smile. "My sister and I are interested in your merefolk artifacts. Do you have anything of interest to us, or have WE been inconvenienced?"
"Sir," the presenter grunts, "We watched you come in with the woman who summoned a fucking ugly ass monster, who's still screaming over there." He points at the ongoing battle between Security and the creature screaming from its eyeballs. It's certainly eating many nine-millimeter rounds. "We'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this, but, this is an auction, not some black market antiquities store. You can either participate or leave, so we don't inconvenience ourselves and our current participants who..." A little murmur comes in as someone in the crowd steps forward and whispers into the speaker's ear. "Apparently she dusted them with pepper-spray? Anyways, all money is good money. You're free to participate, but if you're here to be a nuisance, please leave, or be escorted out once security is done dealing with that creature over there."
"We do have merfolk artifacts," he intones in some sort of concession, "However, we're currently selling this ancient explosive first."