??? THE STREETS - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

((I edited Patti's response in slightly earlier. Gillsing, if you wanna RP Ben talking with anyone present - Beau, Kyle, Seth, Stevie - go ahead. Stevie has the radio in one ear. The sun is shining and the world smells deathy.))

[Gillsing]

((Looks like Ben has something to talk about after all!))

Ben approached Kyle with a question.

Ben-
"So, you really think there are magic books at the library? I would've thought that anything 'authentic' enough would've been nabbed by private collectors."

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Kyle turned from Seth and dropped his axe from his shoulder to the concrete, letting the handle rest on his leg. He spoke in a quiet, somewhat nasal monotone, like a non-aggravating Ben Stein.

Kyle-
"You're probably right. But then... There's all these monsters over here, that's kind of a deterrent. And there's different magic traditions. Maybe someone was only looking for Wicca and looked right past the Hermetic stuff. What do you think, man?"

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Stevie kept the radio in his ear, but walked over to Seth.

Stevie-
"Hey, pal. Whaddya think? We about to bust this shit open? Or is this gonna be a waste of time?"

He was interrupted by a radio communication.

Joe' Voice-
"Scout to Rear, do you copy?"

Stevie-
"Yeah, copy. Whaddya need?"

Joe's Voice-
"We're in. Can't secure the place, but can proceed with caution. Going to look around more. Over."

Stevie-
"Uh, yeah. Thanks for the report. Over?"

Joe's Voice-
"We might lose you with interference. I'll try again when we get deeper. Over."

Stevie-
"Copy, over."

Joe's Voice-
"Over and out.


Stevie-
"Ennyhoo..."

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Seth-
"Man! Does this mean we gotta wait around more? I wanna get in there damnit!"


Beau-
"I don't think they find much, but I am worried. It's dangerous inside..."


Stevie-
"No way. I know it's FUBAR, but those guys all have a lot of experience running like hell. No sweat."


Seth-
"Yeah, you got out okay Beau, and those guys got the big guns!"


Beau-
"...Yes."


Stevie-
"OK, you're skeptical, I get it. Anyhow, how bad do you wanna go in there, Seth? Startin' ta feel a bit itchy myself."


Seth-
"Oh for real! So I'm thinking, the mummy's probably not there yes. But, there *was* a mummy there, so we could find mad clues and that's exciting. We might be able to find out where it went, where others of them are, what their next sheisty plan is.. Good stuff."


Beau-
"If we find something, what will we do next? If we know where the mummy goes, do we go there?"


Stevie-
"You know it, navy!"

[Gillsing]

((Still talking to Kyle...))

Ben-
"Oh, I meant before the the monsters. Like in that movie, The Ninth Gate, where rare books were hot commodity. I mean, magic is rare, isn't it? So magic books would be rare. And people interested in either rare books or magic would probably want those books badly enough to get them from the library, either legally or illegally."

Ben imagined that private collectors always hogged the best stuff. Like all those rich villains in stories, presenting their small, private museums of various historical and possibly magical artefacts. If there were any magical books to be had, those guys would have them!

Because surely movies were just as real as magic?

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Kyle-
"The Ninth Gate... I don't remember that one. Well.. One thing is, like, did magic work before? Because the mummies did some, it seems like it must have. But I tried it, believe me, and never noticed anything like I do now. Which makes me think most people tryin' magic wouldn't have been able to tell if it was real or not, which would make the books seem less cool.

Though not much less cool. I remember lookin' up the Demonografia on eBay once. That shit was pricy. Anyhow, I hear they have private collections at libraries, with rare or antique stuff. If anywhere's gonna have it, the fancy new library will."

[Gillsing]

Ben-
"Oh, okay then."

Ben didn't really know what sort of collections libraries might have. Maybe some rich people simply left their collections to libraries in their wills? "You can have my stuff when I'm dead."

"But it's interesting that you mention magic suddenly working. Because it would seem as if the mummies needed magic to do whatever they did. So it sounds a bit like magic pulling itself up by its own bootstraps. Maybe whatever they did just made it easier for everyone? Meaning that magic always worked, but now more people can do it?"

Even people without formal training, which Ben assumed applied to Kyle. Then again, Luke didn't appear to be a formally trained wizard, so who knew what counted as 'formal training' for mages? Maybe Luke was in fact a formally trained mage who'd sacrificed his sanity in some deal made with the supernatural?

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Kyle-
"Yeah... Maybe all magic was kinda weak, but something or someone extra powerful was still able to work in the weakened state, where me and a tarot deck wasn't very exciting at the same time. Whatever they had that worked, they did it, and here we are. And if we can put it back the other way, will we lose the useful magic that we have now? Hell if I know.

What I do know is this: Right now, the same magic I was trying before went from not working to working. And that stuff is out of cheap paperbacks. So I don't think we need the Necronomicon to get something done, y'know?"

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

((When I said we're done for the night in Columbia Center, I didn't mean here. Gillsing, continue whenever you're available, as you like.))

[Gillsing]

Ben-
"Cheap paperbacks? Well, I guess the library should be able to beat that. And I suppose that information from the rare books could've been reprinted in cheaper books not worth 'collecting'. Makes a lot of sense, actually.

I wonder if whatever that mummy did is still active? Did anyone tell you what we found out about this place? How a big cloud of dark ghosts exploded out of one of the upper floors? I'm kind of thinking that there might be a portal up there, and it might still be open, just not letting through as many ghosts, because after the initial rush they'd be much less concentrated on the other side. But who knows?"

Ben shrugged.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Kyle-
"Well damn... That about scares my shit out. I wonder if those guys are gonna come out puking up ectoplasm."

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Stevie-
"Jesus! They found something."

They heard three very fast shotgun blasts from somewhere in the building (down?)

Seth-
"Damn! So how long do we have to wait before we go? What if they need their bacon saved? What if it's the damn mummy and I don't get to get a shot in?!"


Beau-
"No it's probably just talking zombie. To use guns inside seems like bad idea, doesn't it?"

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Kyle-
"You're right, dude. Ghosts can probably hear and this building has to have a thousand of 'em, right? How about we stay outside and hope for the best?"


Seth-
"But-but the mummy!"


Beau-
"I don't think-- well if they are shooting, it's not a good idea."


Seth-
"Stevie, the radio!"


Stevie-
"You got it..."

He picked up the radio.

Stevie-
"Rear to Scout, do you copy? Rear to Scout!"

A few seconds later, they had heard no reply and no further shots.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Seth-
"Dudes, we have to go in there. They could be in trouble and we have no way of knowing!"


Beau-
"I don't know, it seems a bad idea. Maybe if you have to, we should stay some people out here. I don't think they let me go inside..."


Stevie-
"Bullshit, we should go, now!"


Kyle-
"Who's gonna live to tell them we're all dead?"

They heard more gunshots.

Seth-
"OK, Ben, you stay with Beau and the rest of us go in. Sound good?"