Orpheus: the Time Shift, part 32
Nov. 25th, 2004 07:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eveglassThis week's session was a little different from normal. If I have time tonight, I'm going to write it up as a short story. Right now, though, I'll just give the bare-bones summary and hope that satisfies people.
The session began with Lakuna lowering herself into a bathtub. Lakuna the aquaphobe. She was attempting to use her fear (ie: spite) to channel her Forebode power to see further. The question: how she was connected to the cycle the Spectre Queen spoke about.
The rest of the session shifted between three milieus. The first was present time, with the rest of the crucible (Lakuna wasn't there, but she was somehow able to watch). The other two were Lakuna's visions, one a "crucible" from 1888, one a spectre group.
1. The rest of the crucible:
- after Chet believed Lakuna had gone to bed, he gathered the rest of the crucible to essentially hold a vote of no confidence against Lakuna. He said that she was unfit to lead us at this time, because of sleep deprivation and the spectre in her head. He wanted to give her time without the pressure of leadership to deal with things. In her place, he nominated himself as leader.
- Charles and Benoit both agreed that Lakuna was unfit to lead, but didn't want Chet taking over. Much argument ensued. Charles wanted Stacey to lead, if Lakuna couldn't. Ripley and Dave said that Chet was the best choice, having been trained for the position. Stacey's a good soldier, but not a leader.
- Finally, the group decided that they would tell Lakuna that she was being temporarily removed as leader. As usual, the group would make decisions in common. In the case of a tie, Chet would have the deciding vote.
- Other things were talked about, such as Charles trying to use his occult knowledge to channel more power into the house.
- As the group is arguing, Ripley asks why there's water running down his staircase. Everyone leaps up and runs upstairs to find Lakuna nearly drowned in the bathtub. They take her out, Chet does resussitation, and Lakuna says she's had a vision.
2. Victorian ghostbusters
- Lakuna finds herself standing on a cobblestone street, with four people staring at her nervously. She quickly learns that her name is Leslie, and that she's in charge of them. They are (or were supposed to be) hunting ghosts, and she was in the middle of telling them important information.
- The four others are: John Merrik, a huge looming man who blends into the shadows and hears voices (which, strangely, often speak the hidden truth). John Colt, a brash American with pistols strapped to his waist and an almost steriotyped cowboy outfit, right down to the spurs on his boots. Lysander, a well-dressed Britishman with a silver sword strapped to his back. Madamoiselle Zoe, an occultist who actually seems to know what she's doing. The group was apparently formed by a man named "Ripley", who is not present.
- (Note: Merrik is apparently Chet's mother's maiden name.)
- These four are waiting for Leslie to tell them whether they are going to go hunting at the docks or in the old city. They are all increadibly concerned at her apparent rapid personality shift.
- Finally, after much argument about what's going on, they decide to head to the docks.
- Leslie (Lakuna) realizes that they are going to face Gabriel (based on knowledge from situation #3), and that she is leading the group to their death. The year is 1888, and Gabriel is a recently-dead spirit, who died by being decapitated in one of the new "airships", and has been on a killing rampage since.
- When they reach the docks, the group separates and Leslie is left alone. She feels the spectres approach her and yells vainly to speak to the Queen. She wakes up next to a bathtub with Chet giving her CPR.
3. Spectre hive
- Lakuna finds herself in the role of the Spectre Queen, again surrounded by four people, this time all spectres. They all seem nonplused that she doesn't remember who she is or what she was just saying. Apparently this has happened before.
- The four are: Gabriel. Amin. Klein, a shapeshifting jester. Pat, apparently the voice of reason, who looks a little like an older, evil-tained Trish.
- Through the course of the conversation, Lakuna realizes that the spectres don't know where the crucible is, but that they want to find them to drive them out to another hive. Amin says that he can probably find the group, if he was allowed to do so.
- On reflection afterwards, Lakuna realizes that Amin isn't part of the hive mind, since she couldn't feel the echoes of his thoughts in her mind, as she could for the others.
- Apparently the group has hunted similar crucibles before. Once was in Victorian London, with a group "more powerful" than the current crucible. Gabriel killed them, and the Queen and the others tortured and then reaped the souls of the group, merging them with themselves. The Queen had taken Leslie. The group of spectres seems eager to do it again, and Gabriel is upset that the Queen has been holding him back. The spectres had also done something similar in Egypt "not long ago." Pat says that they have done this "a number of times".
- The group is annoyed that they allowed the crucible to leave, and hopes they come back so they can kill and torture them. (probably in that order) They ask the Queen why she chose Chet as the man to talk to, but no one has a good reason to offer the obviously-lost Queen (Lakuna).
- The Queen commands that they not hunt for the crucible for the time being, to the obvious disappointment of the spectre group.
- The Queen finally dismisses everyone and, since Lakuna realizes that her time is running out, begins to rifle through the Queen's files. As she opens the first file cabinet, the titles of the folders read: "You. Do. Not. Belong. Here. Get. Out. Of. My. Head." And Lakuna is forced into blackness and wakes up next to the bathtub. The last thing she hears is "Don't play games with me, because I will win."
*****
After Lakuna wakes up, there begins the long process of argument and discussion. Much of what Lakuna has seen is revealed. They start making plans, until Stacey notes that none of them (except, apparently, Benoit) has rested at all and they need sleep. Well, everyone but Lakuna needs sleep. Stacey leaves, followed eventually by Charles. Chet and Benoit stay with her, each vainly waiting for the other to fall asleep so they can have a private conversation with Lakuna.
And so the session ends in a stoney silence.
As I said, if I have time, I'll write this up in nice prose later. For now, this will have to satisfy you. Crucible members! If I have forgotten anything, please post it in the comments, and I'll add them to the list.
The session began with Lakuna lowering herself into a bathtub. Lakuna the aquaphobe. She was attempting to use her fear (ie: spite) to channel her Forebode power to see further. The question: how she was connected to the cycle the Spectre Queen spoke about.
The rest of the session shifted between three milieus. The first was present time, with the rest of the crucible (Lakuna wasn't there, but she was somehow able to watch). The other two were Lakuna's visions, one a "crucible" from 1888, one a spectre group.
1. The rest of the crucible:
- after Chet believed Lakuna had gone to bed, he gathered the rest of the crucible to essentially hold a vote of no confidence against Lakuna. He said that she was unfit to lead us at this time, because of sleep deprivation and the spectre in her head. He wanted to give her time without the pressure of leadership to deal with things. In her place, he nominated himself as leader.
- Charles and Benoit both agreed that Lakuna was unfit to lead, but didn't want Chet taking over. Much argument ensued. Charles wanted Stacey to lead, if Lakuna couldn't. Ripley and Dave said that Chet was the best choice, having been trained for the position. Stacey's a good soldier, but not a leader.
- Finally, the group decided that they would tell Lakuna that she was being temporarily removed as leader. As usual, the group would make decisions in common. In the case of a tie, Chet would have the deciding vote.
- Other things were talked about, such as Charles trying to use his occult knowledge to channel more power into the house.
- As the group is arguing, Ripley asks why there's water running down his staircase. Everyone leaps up and runs upstairs to find Lakuna nearly drowned in the bathtub. They take her out, Chet does resussitation, and Lakuna says she's had a vision.
2. Victorian ghostbusters
- Lakuna finds herself standing on a cobblestone street, with four people staring at her nervously. She quickly learns that her name is Leslie, and that she's in charge of them. They are (or were supposed to be) hunting ghosts, and she was in the middle of telling them important information.
- The four others are: John Merrik, a huge looming man who blends into the shadows and hears voices (which, strangely, often speak the hidden truth). John Colt, a brash American with pistols strapped to his waist and an almost steriotyped cowboy outfit, right down to the spurs on his boots. Lysander, a well-dressed Britishman with a silver sword strapped to his back. Madamoiselle Zoe, an occultist who actually seems to know what she's doing. The group was apparently formed by a man named "Ripley", who is not present.
- (Note: Merrik is apparently Chet's mother's maiden name.)
- These four are waiting for Leslie to tell them whether they are going to go hunting at the docks or in the old city. They are all increadibly concerned at her apparent rapid personality shift.
- Finally, after much argument about what's going on, they decide to head to the docks.
- Leslie (Lakuna) realizes that they are going to face Gabriel (based on knowledge from situation #3), and that she is leading the group to their death. The year is 1888, and Gabriel is a recently-dead spirit, who died by being decapitated in one of the new "airships", and has been on a killing rampage since.
- When they reach the docks, the group separates and Leslie is left alone. She feels the spectres approach her and yells vainly to speak to the Queen. She wakes up next to a bathtub with Chet giving her CPR.
3. Spectre hive
- Lakuna finds herself in the role of the Spectre Queen, again surrounded by four people, this time all spectres. They all seem nonplused that she doesn't remember who she is or what she was just saying. Apparently this has happened before.
- The four are: Gabriel. Amin. Klein, a shapeshifting jester. Pat, apparently the voice of reason, who looks a little like an older, evil-tained Trish.
- Through the course of the conversation, Lakuna realizes that the spectres don't know where the crucible is, but that they want to find them to drive them out to another hive. Amin says that he can probably find the group, if he was allowed to do so.
- On reflection afterwards, Lakuna realizes that Amin isn't part of the hive mind, since she couldn't feel the echoes of his thoughts in her mind, as she could for the others.
- Apparently the group has hunted similar crucibles before. Once was in Victorian London, with a group "more powerful" than the current crucible. Gabriel killed them, and the Queen and the others tortured and then reaped the souls of the group, merging them with themselves. The Queen had taken Leslie. The group of spectres seems eager to do it again, and Gabriel is upset that the Queen has been holding him back. The spectres had also done something similar in Egypt "not long ago." Pat says that they have done this "a number of times".
- The group is annoyed that they allowed the crucible to leave, and hopes they come back so they can kill and torture them. (probably in that order) They ask the Queen why she chose Chet as the man to talk to, but no one has a good reason to offer the obviously-lost Queen (Lakuna).
- The Queen commands that they not hunt for the crucible for the time being, to the obvious disappointment of the spectre group.
- The Queen finally dismisses everyone and, since Lakuna realizes that her time is running out, begins to rifle through the Queen's files. As she opens the first file cabinet, the titles of the folders read: "You. Do. Not. Belong. Here. Get. Out. Of. My. Head." And Lakuna is forced into blackness and wakes up next to the bathtub. The last thing she hears is "Don't play games with me, because I will win."
*****
After Lakuna wakes up, there begins the long process of argument and discussion. Much of what Lakuna has seen is revealed. They start making plans, until Stacey notes that none of them (except, apparently, Benoit) has rested at all and they need sleep. Well, everyone but Lakuna needs sleep. Stacey leaves, followed eventually by Charles. Chet and Benoit stay with her, each vainly waiting for the other to fall asleep so they can have a private conversation with Lakuna.
And so the session ends in a stoney silence.
As I said, if I have time, I'll write this up in nice prose later. For now, this will have to satisfy you. Crucible members! If I have forgotten anything, please post it in the comments, and I'll add them to the list.
