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PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2020 10:28 am 
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The threatening hues of grey hid the fact that it was only early in the morning. As the harsh, cold sea wind ravaged over the gentle slopes, rain swept down like needles piercing everything in their path. This November morning was arguably one of the worst moments to be here, in Callanish. Though according to the weather forecast it was still about 3 degrees, the wind and rain made sure to bring the apparent temperature down to nearly -10 degrees Celsius. Though his long navy trench coat was thick and meant to protect him from this God awful weather, he was still wistfully recalling the snowy landscape of Lithuania. His 18 hour journey from Lithuania to Callanish via Copenhagen and Edinburgh had been anything but pleasant. Ike Marvin did not like aviation as a means of travelling. Being trapped in those little metal death coffins was not one of his hobbies, especially not as Ike possessed more knowledge on all possible doom scenarios than people in general did. Though Ike's knowledge was often very useful, in certain situations it was a heavy disadvantage for the fellow as it would weigh heavily on his own mental health.

Ike adjusted the high collar of his trench coat as he peered around, his dark eyes inspecting the township Callanish. It wasn't a big town, but it was clear to see that some tourists had helped this town get around. It had the basic facilities to sustain itself: a bed & breakfast, a café, a small supermarket, a tourist information centre, an apothecary, a small DIY store and a chapel. Even in this type of weather, the old town had a certain charm. It was tempting to move over to the small café on the corner and get himself a nice steaming hot cup of coffee. Surely, he could use the warm embrace of the magical hot liquid, however a deal was a deal. Right here, in front of the small chapel, was the place they were supposed to meet. Luckily, his trench coat and fedora kept most of the rain away from his clothes and skin underneath, but the cold was still quite palpable. Somehow the white blanket of snow in Lithuania had not felt this intense. Ike hoped his travel companion would hurry.

If the circumstances had been any different, Ike would have taken his sweet time to get here, making it a nice little road trip to travel across different ancient sites. However, unbeknownst to many, the forebodes of the long awaited apocalypse were taking place. The ancient Goëts had written extensively about these aspects. Unfortunately, most of it had been lost in time as younger civilizations had classified the written warnings of the Goëtium civilization as no more than folklore and superstition. In all truth, a lot of old societies had predictions about the end of times, and unfortunately, most of these predictions had some baseline of truth in them. The Verbintenis, one of the secret organizations investigating the dark arts of the world, amongst which the ancient civilization Goëtium, had long ago noticed that Goëtium had the most accurate predictions, of which some had already taken place.

One of the many predictions had been the following:
Vogels vliegen als gekken,
om van de leylijnen vertrekken.
Dood in de lucht,
door deze angstige vlucht.
Wanneer het onzichtbare openbaart,
is de apocalypse verklaard.


This ancient prediction warned about the situation that was currently taking place. In many cities, around the Ley lines, birds were going haywhire. Their irradical behaviour meant that they were flying in odd patterns in the air, gathering in huge groups and in their panicked flight killing each other as their flights bashed against each other. For the Verbintenis, it was clear that the birds were now able to see wavelengths they had previously been unable to see, which caused chaos in their small brains, slowly turning them insane as their brains got stuck in the 'fight or flight' pattern. Common folks had merely seen this as a warning that the long years of shameless industrialization were not without consequence. Though their conclusion was incorrect, the Verbintenis would not stop the public from trying to better the way they interacted with nature while the Verbintenis would work on trying to prevent the apocalypse before the final signs would come to be.

From the ancient writings, it was unclear if the apocalypse would mean that the world would be rewritten or undone. The only element that was without question, was that the apocalypse was bad. It would end life as everyone knew it, changing it. Though the Verbintenis was curious about the details of the apocalypse, the scientific urge for discovering the truth was not worth potentially sacrificing all life on Earth, and perhaps even beyond Earth.

The unfortunate predicament had brought Ike to the remote isle of Lewis of the Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. Out of all ancient sites that revealed the past presence of the Goëtium empire, this one was most likely to shed new light on the predictions. Callanish was one of the corner stones of the Sacred Pentagram of Scotland, which was based on ancient Ley lines of Scotland's key sacred sites. Moreover, Callanish was famous for its megalithic sites: Callanish Stones. These standing stones were arranged in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle in a time long passed. Usually, these were quite a tourist attraction. Ike guessed that this nightmare-fuel weather was suitable for one thing at least, as it would enable them to inspect the ancient site without having nosey tourists around and about. Next to this horrendous wind and rain, the predictions mentioned that a thunderstorm would likely pass over soon as well. Ike hadn't decided yet if it would be best to wait that storm out, or to see what the storm would do to the site, if it would do anything with it. Though, common sense would dictate that it would be highly unwise to stand in an open field during such a storm. It had Ike conflicted, and thus he would await the opinion of his travelling companion to decide upon the best course of action.

In all honesty, Ike didn't know who he was waiting for. It had all been arranged so quickly after the fast increase in signs, that many small teams had been sent out to visit as many old Goëtian sites as possible. Though Ike had received a message with the phone number of his partner, his cell phone reception was an abomination. It was uncertain to Ike if the lack of signal was due to the barren location, the energy radiating from the Ley lines, or perhaps from the storm. Though, another option was that his cellphone carrier had no coverage here.


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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2020 10:48 am 
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With lumbering steps, Gaelen waded through the lows of the swamped road leading into the hamlet. His only salvation from the incessant downpour had been the thick wool cloak he acquired from one of the seemingly countless local sheep herders, though in hindsight, perhaps his expeditionary allowance would also have been well spent on a more generous cab fare. A stroll through inclement weather certainly has its charms, but he found it much better enjoyed from within the warmth of a hearthlit study. That said, his newly obtained tartan garment did an admirable job of keeping him and his cawing companion somewhat comfortable and dry, waterlogged boots notwithstanding. Besides, he figured, all I need now is a smoking pipe and a dastardly nemesis, and perhaps I’ll finally have a decent get-up for parties. Well, that’s assuming next year’s Halloween isn’t off the table due to world-ending circumstances.

After all he knew- or so he thought, what he was getting into. In fact, he had been ecstatic to be granted a new Verbintenis assignment. No sooner had he carefully unsealed the Oxford Chapter’s message than his luggage was assembled and Alice’s cage dusted off. The magpie too, appeared to be excited to begin journeying again, and seemed endlessly willing to entertain Gaelen’s eschatological ramblings during their travels to the north. The nature of the upcoming Goëtian cataclysm was still quite the pressing mystery after all, though his rainy journey to Callanish certainly appealed to the possibility of a biblical flooding.

Sauntering onwards, he captured the gaze of a curious villager looking on from behind streaming windows. He smiled back apologetically, only to be met with a raised eyebrow and a closing curtain. Gaelen realised he must be making quite the silly silhouette, keeping the cage and his luggage under his hooded cloak as he did, and traversing the flooded road like a particularly boorish stork. At least Alice certainly seemed to enjoy the scene, judging by her amused chattering. Gaelen wasn’t about to let her soar free here quite yet though. Considering the possibility that the local megalith truly was placed at a major crossroads of Ley lines, she wouldn’t necessarily fare very well here. That’s to say, still better than most of her kind. Alice had the distinction of being a survivor of a particularly nasty EM disturbance in the Vale of White Horse, and was serendipitously found by a Verbintenis initiate, who consequently brought her to be studied at Gaelen’s college. Gaelen quickly discovered the corvid’s increased resistance to similar effects and took the creature in his care, fostering both a genuine friendship and a unique working relationship, as Alice proved adept in performing the role of living dowsing rod.

Meanwhile, the torrential storm only began to worsen as the tapestry of grays overhead grew ever grimmer, aided by increasingly powerful winds that seemed insistent on guiding the pelting rain into Gaelen’s face. Before long, his round glasses became a surrealist window into the Hebridean landscape, often guiding him off the obscured path and into the marshy roadsides, quietly hissing at himself whenever he did.
Soaked, slightly muddied, increasingly irate, but no less determined, Gaelen finally made out a figure near what appeared to be the chapel mentioned in the letter. It was just past what he surmised must be the local cafe going by the neon-lit shapes reflecting on his glasses. They better serve early, he thought, and if that isn’t my contact, they better serve late too. Closing his eyes, he tried to summon the enthusiasm with which he started his journey here, and approached the blur which he hoped to be his partner.

“Good morning!”, he exclaimed with his best semblance of a sincere smile, and released his luggage to the cobblestone path leading up the chapel before grabbing the Verbintenis seal from his waistcoat. “Or whatever passes for that on days like these, I suppose.” The lean man took off his water-stained glasses, so revealing his serpentine emerald eyes, and offered his free hand. “Gaelen Woodley; at your disposal. What say you we find someplace dry?”


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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2020 1:26 pm 
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Backwards Ike shuffled a bit closer to the wall of the chapel, trying to use the building to partially shield him from the weather. It worked, to some degree. He made sure to keep his gloved hands in his pockets, for additional warmth. A deep sigh came from the man, who glanced up at the sky. In the distance Ike could hear the beginning of soft rumbling, which told him that the thunderstorm was on its way. With a disapproving frown sketched into his forehead, Ike grumbled "They better be here soon...". His dark eyes moved over the landscape once more, observing it and hoping to spot his travel companion. Just as Ike was about to give up on waiting and give into his desire for a hot cup of coffee and a nice seat in a warm environment, his eyes spotted a figure muddling through the weather. It's movements told Ike that this person was unfamiliar with these roads, as the weather seemed to be tricking them, having them slip off the path now and then to plant their feet into the marshy roadsides. Ike kept his position as he watched the blurry shape become more pronounced as it got closer to him. At first, he had wondered if the Verbintenis had sent him a giant of some sort, as the figure seemed relatively tall and rather wide. Suspiciously wide even so. However, as the shape got closer and closer, the rain obscured less of his sight and it became clear to Ike that this person was of regular proportions but had simply been using their cloak to protect their luggage. It was quite a relatable choice, however, Ike had opted for an easier choice, as he had arranged for his luggage to be brought here, to the bed & breakfast. It was due to arrive somewhere this afternoon. As Ike had already rented a room there, it had been no problem for the owners to receive his luggage via delivery service. As Ike had only communicated with them by phone in the waiting time at the airport in Edinburgh, he knew next to nothing about these people. The only obvious information he had gathered, was that the owners were probably between their 50's and 60's, and they were very acquainted with tourists. This was a good situation for Ike and his travel companion, as it meant that they were less likely to ask questions. Now and then it was a bit insulting to be seen as just another tourist, and perhaps as just another wacko with lively conspiracy theories, nevertheless Ike knew it was better to be viewed as such, than for them to know the truth about it all. A global panic about the oncoming apocalypse would not be in their favour at all.

The footsteps of his -suspected- travel companion, which splashed water about with each step, brought Ike back from his thoughts. It seemed some moments had passed on their own, but it was quite alright. The figure in front of him greeted him and easily showed the seal to him. Ike gave a nod. He would tip his fedora to greet the other if it would not mean getting more water in his face.
"Hardly visible it's morning, isn't it?" Ike contemplated, glancing up at the sky shortly, then back at the figure in front of him. His years of experience easily helped him identify that this person was not human either. Certain factors simply didn't add up, like the generally unhealthy colour of his skin, the missing or perhaps oddly positioned ears... and a general feeling of connection, one that he only felt with fellow non-humans. A joyful moment this was, to be paired up with another non-human, as it meant that the other likely had very useful talents as well.

Ike moved his hands out of his pocket and used his right hand to undo the glove of his left hand, and with that he showed the silver ring with a blue seal in one smooth move. As Ike did not like having to carry along letters and such if he did not have to, he had arranged for a ring with the seal of the Verbintenis on it, so he had no need to show any seal of any letter. Though, if he was entirely honest with himself, which he wasn't always, he had also chosen it because its design looked splendid and such a design did add a certain level of class to one's outfit. After showing so, Ike slid his glove back onto his hand.

"Mhm. What a pleasure this is to meet another fellow." Ike stated contently. His voice was smooth, of a rather average tone but with an apparent accent. Even after many years of communicating in English, it was clear to hear that he was not a native English speaker. It was way less apparent when he spoke Scandinavian, Baltic or Slavic languages, however he had learned the basis of those back when he was a curious child. The English language had arrived later in his life.

Either way, the waiting was finally over. Finally they could start their mission. Ike was extremely curious about these megalithic structures and what they might reveal to them. He had never been on this specific site before. However, considering that the fellow was carrying his luggage, it would seem that they ought to make a small detour. He highly doubted that the luggage only contained items that were crucial to the inspection of the Callanish Stones. More feasible was that the luggage contained clothes and such for the coming days, along with research material to use their off hours effectively by comparing them alongside the notes that they would be taking. The idea that this mission would be finished today was quite inconceivable, as they needed to go over all details of the site, and if their research would not yield fruitful results, it was even more likely that they would venture out to the other Callanish Stones, as this site was just one of several in the near vicinity.

As the fellow took off his glasses and exposed his eyes alike emeralds, Ike's previous assumption was confirmed. This brought the smallest of smiles to his face, as the man enjoyed being right. When the travel companion reached out his hand, Ike met him with his right hand. "Ike Marvin" he replied now introductions were due. "I'd love to do so, however, a thunderstorm is on its way here. It is likely to arrive within minutes, thus we first need to decide if we wish to visit the site during the thunderstorm or after." Ike declared.


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PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2020 9:31 am 
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Though there was no lack of it in the literal sense, Gaelen could already tell that dealing with mister Marvin would prove to be an absolute breath of fresh air. The man seemed to have an air of dignity and class that Gaelen deeply admired, though where certain characters displaying similar qualities often also exhibit a degree of arrogance, Ike seemed at least somewhat genuinely amicable. A true professional? Perhaps this dreary day is to be salvaged after all. Besides, meeting someone seemingly far less dismayed by their travels here than himself helped to swiftly ease his frustrations. And he was right; the overcast skies made it impossible to tell the time. Had it not been for the digital clock above the voracious fare-counter in the cab before, his, let’s say, ‘playful’ sense of time would have utterly unraveled during the walk into the township.

Gaelen deliberated, far less concerned with his dripping attire as he was a moment ago. The mysterious man had made an interesting proposal, instantly refocusing his attention on the task at hand. The satisfyingly deep overhead rumble should be a warning, but only helped to convince him to head to the ancient site directly, especially as the heaviest of the rain seemed to make way for the oncoming spectacle. Alice, seemingly unto his train of thought, began a brief cawing protest. She’s right, of course, and probably stressed enough as it is. Gaelen gave the bird a reassuring nod. And Faradayan protection or not, no way I’d take you to that place until you had some rest.
The thought did spark an idea in him though. The notion of visiting the Callandish Stones by this weather seemed outright dreamy; very much in line with the romanticism of ancient and powerful places that had pulled the Englishman to his esoteric studies in the first place. Being (even potentially) struck by lightning would rather put a damper on the whole affair however. And that-, he thought to himself, would make for a very poor, if spectacular impression on my new companion indeed.

Collecting his belongings, Gaelen stepped to join the Asian man under the slight shelter of the chapel and straightened himself out. He had encountered countless students and professors of myriad backgrounds and ethnicities, but found the gentleman beside him curiously difficult to place. His accent, for one, had already proven to be veritably enigmatic. Then again, the languages Gaelen studied weren’t exactly the most conventional ones, and even then he doubted he’d recognize an Enochian accent if he heard it.

“Mister Marvin, I don’t suppose that by any chance, you share a rapport with the couple running the B&B here? As you likely inferred, my companion and luggage would be better off left there. And to make up for lost time, I was hoping that we might persuade them to lend them their automobile for this occasion? The thought of visiting the site by thunder and lightning is very alluring- and knows what we might witness!” Gaelen was broadly smiling by this point, uncovering some of his needle-like teeth. Realising he’d just raised his voice, he tried to recover from his outburst by taking on a more placid tone.

“Nevertheless relying on the safety of a car does seem a prudent course of action as to observe such an event in, and even if that doesn’t pan out, I will have to relinquish myself of these regardless.” he spoke, lifting the cage and luggage up somewhat. “If you have no objection, I suggest we be underway?”


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PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2020 1:55 pm 
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Once Ike had presented the options to Gaelen, he could see that his travel companion was visibly doubting about the choices. It seemed that the other had taken along a bird. A crow of some sort, or so it seemed. Ike had not specialized himself in the field of ornithology. Quite simply, Ike cared not for such simple matters. Anything deemed normal was boring to Ike, with the mere exception of languages and plain black coffee. However, considering a fellow from the Verbintenis had this bird, it was imaginable that this mere bird was more special than it seemed. Perhaps it was one of the few birds that had not gotten upset at the Ley lines. Though, as the bird was seemingly getting rather upset, Ike wondered if that was the case. Of course, it could be the journey or the weather that caused the bird to be agitated. It had almost seemed as if the bird had understood what had been said. This would not be entirely implausible, yet it was something Ike had not seen before, thus he preferred not to assume it was so unless he had valid proof.

As the fellow moved closer to join Ike against the chapel wall, Ike stepped aside to offer a bit more space to him and to retain his own personal space. "Just Ike is fine." Ike mentioned casually as his travel companion called him 'Mister Marvin'. Truthfully, he didn't quite mind being called such, but it took more time to constantly call each other mister, and he didn't care much for this social pretence if it were just the two of them.
"However, I must disappoint you. I have merely communicated with them via land line to acquire a room and arrange for my luggage to be brought there. I know them not, and truthfully, the odds of them allow us to use their car are extremely small. I would not let tourists use my vehicle, thus I doubt that they would." Ike considered. Perhaps there was a car rental nearby, however, the paper work to arrange such would probably take more time than the they could afford if they wished to view the thunderstorm.

"Though indeed, who knows if perhaps the site will respond to the thunder and lightening. These weather conditions cannot be mimicked easily. It's a marvellous chance." One that he would like to take, which perhaps the enthusiasm in his own voice gave away already. However, he took no effort to hide such, as it seemed that the other was quite enthusiastic about this matter as well. At least, if his broad smile and raised voice were to be seen as signs of such. In that curious moment Ike had been able to catch a glimpse of the other's odd teeth. Slowly he began to wonder if perhaps Gaelen was of a snake-like race. The green eyes, those teeth, the slender figure and odd skin colour.. Yet, there were more races that had traits alike that, and despite Ike's extensive knowledge of the supernatural, his knowledge on supernatural races was lacking a bit.

"Yes, you do have a valid point. A car would offer additional safety, which would be very welcome. We could try. However, alternatively, I could set up a forcefield. I cannot guarantee that it will hold if lightening were to strike it full force though, as I have never experienced such." And thus, Ike did not know how powerful lightening would or wouldn't be. He had mainly trained himself to use it against physical harm by weapons, traps or magic. Not natural forces such as this.

With a nod, Ike began to lead the other over to the B&B. He kept his head at an angle, so the rain would hit his fedora instead of his face. Genuinely happy he was at the fact that he had chosen to wear his waterproof, black leather boots. Though it was quite a hassle to tie the boots, they had kept his feet warm and dry. The knowledge that his boots nor his pants were ruined by this muddy weather was quite comforting in its own way.

"Have you rented a room already?" Ike asked his travel companion. "If not, you are welcome to deposit your items in my room in order to save us some time." It was his choice though. Ike could understand if Gaelen preferred to rent a room himself first, instead of temporarily placing his items in his room. After all, there was no telling when they would be back here, at the B&B. Research could take quite some hours.

After trotting over to the B&B, Ike pushed open the old fashioned but well kept wooden door, which caused a small bell to chime. The pleasant warmth from inside B&B immediately met him, along with a lovely scent of English breakfast and strong coffee, which almost convinced him not to go outside again. Ike pushed the thought away as he stepped into the B&B and swiftly wiped his boots on the welcome mat. After that, he turned around the door, keeping it open so his travel companion could follow quickly. He considered it would be unpleasant for the fellow to opened up the door with that baggage.

In the moment that Ike waited for Gaelen to enter, he glanced around. The B&B was quite traditional in all its aspects. It felt like stepping back in time nearly 100 years, if not for the electric appliances here and there. Nearly everywhere he looked, he saw wood: wooden floors, wooden walls, wooden furniture. Only the path from the door to the staircase had faded red carpet on it. It had a very cosy and classical mood to it, especially with the landscape paintings on the wall, the frequent use of candle light and the fireplace setting with the well-used vintage leather couches. Though some aspects of this B&B were a bit out of date and needed some refurbishments, all in all Ike quite liked what he saw. It was nice and quiet at first glance, which would mean that his research would not be hindered here. Ike did hope that the rooms were a bit more up to date, with electric lights, a bit newer beds and hopefully proper bathrooms. He hadn't had the time nor the proper internet connection to check on any photos of the rooms.

At the bar, which had a direct view of the door and was the reception of the B&B as well, stood an old man polishing glassware. The man was only visible from waist up as the wooden bar obscured the remainder of the man. The fellow was dressed in a washed-out, long-sleeved, green lumberjack shirt, of which the sleeves were rolled up. The aged man sported a well-kept silvery beard and moustache. Whereas his hair had become devoid of colour, his pink skin betrayed he was a rather habitual alcohol consumer. Though, his beer belly was a hint too. The man's curious blue eyes were set on the newcomers. At first glance he seemed to expect regular customers. However, observing the two that came in and concluding they were tourists, his eyebrows moved down into a somewhat judgemental frown.


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PostPosted: Tue May 19, 2020 7:00 am 
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“Why-” Gaelen breathed more than spoke as he heaved his leather suitcase over the café’s raised door sill, “That’s a very generous offer of you, Ike.” Though his enthusiasm would be enough to carry him through another ordeal or two, he was quite happy with the thought of resting his weary arms from bearing his belongings. His mood was also helped by the delightfully rustic cafe and its extensive woodwork. It reminded him of his own office back in Oxford as it had similar wood panelling, and he found himself wondering if these walls also contained their share of hidden messages and risque sketches.

Gaelen proceeded to hang his cloak on the wrought-iron coatrack, and cleaned his boots as much as was reasonable before entering further in. Without the cloak on, his attire consisted of a white blouse paired with a burgundy tie, which disappeared in his well-fitted tweed jacket. His high boots had also seemed to protect the accompanying umber dress pants against the worst of the elements. His tail was also visible now, and seen to be adorned with a small variety of intertwining leather and copper bands. After taking a deep breath, he approached the bartender, whom he was already convinced of didn’t seem like the type to freely loan out much of anything to a tourist, much less his car.

“Good morning, sir.” Gaelen spoke kindly, hoping to instill a sense of cordiality with the grumpy looking keep. “May I assume you are also the proprietor of the Bed & Breakfast service offered?”
His manners did not seem to affect the man, who already seemed to grow oddly irritable. “Aye, that’s right. And before yer asking, I cannae help ye with a room; we’re all full-up. Got lots o’ people staying in, waitin’ oot the weather.” The man turned to a forced, impatient smile, and Gaelen felt increasingly guilty about not reserving a room in advance. It seemed this wasn’t the first time a traveller had come knocking without inquiring about vacant rooms beforehand. “That’s, ehm, rather unfortunate. Would you mind if I stored my belongings at my friend’s room in the meanwhile then?” The barkeep raised a disinterested hand. “Keek, that’s none of mah business. As long as the bird’s quiet, eh?” Gaelen glanced at Alice, who lifted her wings as if to compliantly shrug. “Shouldn’t be a problem, sir. Thank you.” “Aye. That’s yer last room on the right then.”

After facing away from their host, Gaelen’s face briefly displayed a much more annoyed look, though solely directed at his own negligence. How could I be this foolish? Of course this place ‘d be packed with tourists at any time during the year, even during these godlessly cold months. Bloody typical of me. But at least there was plenty to like here, too. The smells of food and drink promised that the barkeep’s Burgundian physique was likely due to quality of their cuisine. Before long, the dark clouds outside weren’t the only things rumbling. But there was haste to be made first.

“I’ll just be a minute.” Gaelen informed his companion, and rapidly ascended the well-lacquered staircase with his baggage and cage in hand. The narrow, high corridor of the first floor was equally lavish in examples of fine carpentry, though a soft carpet kept Gaelen from making too much of a racket as he paced his way through. A series of cast-iron lamps illuminated a series of paintings of the surrounding landscapes in warm, orange hues. They weren’t exactly of tremendous quality though, with most painted with sloppy strokes and overly muddy tones. As Gaelen felt the heat of the lamps shining over the works of art, he hoped that this place didn’t still use actual gas lighting, as that didn’t seem particularly safe so close to the aging pictures.

Though not explicitly loud, he could hear the muffled sound of old tv-sets through some of the doors in passing. As he arrived at Ike’s room, he felt briefly blessed about not overhearing any bickering- or overly romantic couples at the neighbouring room. With a sigh and a twist of a key, Gaelen entered the room.
And indeed, the place did not disappoint. It was more spacious than he expected, and Gaelen was relieved to find a cozy living area with a sizable couch and a pair of reading chairs facing an ornamented stone hearth. Perhaps his rooming issue might be temporarily solved then. His only immediate irritation was a stylish, but rather loudly ticking clock, but that was nothing that couldn’t be helped. It did help remind him that time was of the issue though. Placing his luggage near a chair and the cage on the coffee-table, Gaelen wished Alice a good sleep, and switched off the light before quickly making his way back to the building’s entrance.

Gaelen felt a lot more himself now that he was warmed up a little, and his mind began pacing as he nearly fled down the stairs. An idea had formed, something to compliment mister Marvin- ..Ike’s use of a forcefield. He hadn’t worked with any such technology by himself, but understood the basic principles, and was eager to see the device in action.

“Mister, eh, Ike!” he elated as he descended. “Such a lovely place you’ve arranged here. Thank you very much for letting me store my things there. Say, I’ve had a little thought in the meanwhile. Is there any way you can polarise your device to emit exclusively negatively charged ions? If I recall correctly, most lightning should be repelled by your device then. Do you think that would have a chance of working?” Gaelen was once again smiling broadly, this time a lot less bashful after having witnessed Ike’s earlier enthusiasm. Before Ike had a chance to respond, Gaelen had already grabbed his cloak again, and seemed eager to venture to the site.


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PostPosted: Tue May 19, 2020 4:48 pm 
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A simple nod came from Ike, as he watched his travel companion move through the door and enter the Bed & Breakfast as well. Ike waited for him to have fully entered before he closed the door again, which once more caused the bell to sound. Ike took a few steps further into the Bed & Breakfast, merely so he would not be standing in the doorway if anyone else were to wish to enter or exit the premise.

As Ike waited, he set his eyes on Gaelen as he watched the other converse with the bartender. It was clear to see that they were not the favourite type of customer of this fellow. And Ike fully understood it. Though he himself could still pretend to be human, Gaelen was obviously not human. Especially not when one would observe that tail. Casually Ike wondered how much control the other had over the tail. Would it mostly move on its own, based upon instinct, or could the other also move it on his own command?

It was very unfortunate to hear that the whole place was filled up. It would mean that Gaelen would not have a place to remain tonight, unless Ike were to be as kind as to allow the other to remain in his room as well. This was surely not a preferred situation for Ike. The shadow person had a healthy dose of distrust in others. It was highly unlikely that his travel companion and fellow member of the Verbintenis would harm him in any way, but that did not mean that it was any less unfortunate to have to share the room. After all, as a gentleman of class, Ike could not force the other to find shelter elsewhere, knowingly that his own room had two beds and that this place was the only Bed & Breakfast nearby.

Briefly Ike's attention had drifted off as he had stepped aside, inspecting some of the artwork that actually portrayed the sight they were about to behold, when suddenly he heard his travel companion. Ike turned his head and gave a short nod as the other declared to be just a minute. Ike listened to the quick steps on the chaircase, which occasionally creaked at the weight. Ike turned his focus back to the painting as he was waiting. He could hear the weather outside, and he was itching to be going out there, to explore the ruins and see what mysteries they would behold.

For a moment Ike wondered if perhaps he should take off his fedora and coat, but as they were going to leave again soon anyway, it felt rather a waste of time to do so. And he would probably risk getting his clothes underneath wet if he were to handle his wet coat too fast. However, it seemed that it was useless to contemplate this idea any further, as Gaelen's voice called for him. Ike turned to face Gaelen, as he stood steady with his back and shoulders straightened as a man of honour.

"Device?" Ike tilted his head for a moment as he considered Gaelen's words. "I must truly disappoint you. Though I do have quite some useful devices with me, I do not have a device with a force field. I am capable of magic, you see, hence I was intending to use a magic force field. I have not trained my force field in such a manner that I could emit exclusively negatively charged ions with it." Ike admitted. That was a highly interesting idea though, and Ike would make sure to test and train himself in it once he would be back home. It would require some more instruments though, to measure what exactly his force field was emitting and when it would change. A very curious idea indeed. It made Ike enthusiastic to return home to start experimenting. However, there was important work to be done and thus he had to push the idea to the back of his mind and hope it would reside there until he had time.

Ike waited for the other to be done with his cloak, then Ike headed for the door. The sounds of the storm were urging them to hurry up. There was no telling how long this storm would be, and thus no telling how much time they truly had to make their way towards the site and get a safe spot.


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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2020 7:23 am 
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Gaelen stepped outside through the door his companion so gallantly opened, hunkering back down in his trusty cloak. The rain might’ve died down but the blackening clouds brought strong gales, and so his garment billowed with every gust of wind. It was impossible to keep him down his hood either, and so his auburn braid danced along in the wind behind him. Luckily, the winds had also made the roads a bit more accessible again, and the lessened rain really improved their visibility of the surrounding area.
It was an increasingly gorgeous sight. The roiling cloud cover overhead lit up with premonitions of the thunderous display to come, while down in the darkened rolling hills Callanish’s rustic cobblestone houses ignited their lights and lanterns, surrounded by the faint fog of frigid drizzle. All the while, the Stones of Callanish await on the hill at the end of the village’ road, their jagged silhouette at times contrasting with the horizon’s glowing heavens.

But despite the scenery, Gaelen’s thoughts had largely been redirected to Ike’s apparent abilities. He knew, of course, that the Verbintenis employed agents with a large variety of magical know-how, but this sounded rather impressive. Then again, Ike’s intended use of magic made a lot more sense than a portable device, as that’d probably require a lot of power. But what’d Gaelen know; this was hardly his expertise. Whatever the case, he was certainly impressed.

“That’s quite something!” he bellowed against the wind. It seemed the louder Gaelen spoke, the more British his declination became. “I do wish I could provide the same sort of shelter, but I fear that’s an area of study and ability rather outside my own. But perhaps..”
Slipping a small booklet from his jacket, he flipped through pages of sigils and strange mathematics, all while bent over to prevent the misty rain from damaging it too much. “Ah, yes! How perfectly fitting to our predicament!” he exclaimed as he rested his finger upon a particular symbol; a Neptunian trident surrounded by arcane geometry, and turned the sign to display it to Ike. “It’s not quite Goëtian theurgy..” he paused for a moment to remove a strand of hair from his eyes- “..but it might give us an edge against the elements! I’ll only need a few moments to establish it once you have your barrier raised. As they say; nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

A few villagers had come out to close their wooden storm shutters, with some shaking their heads as the Verbintenis researchers strode past. Gaelen couldn’t really blame them for their judgemental look, how would they know he was accompanied by a potent magic-user? At least, he sure hoped he was. Ike did exert a level of confidence that didn’t leave much room for such doubt. “I’m very curious to see the extent of your abilities, sir. I’ve had a passing interest, but capable mages- is that the right word?- are few and far between at the campuses I frequent, so hope you don’t mind if I study you somewhat as well.” he warmly laughed as he finished speaking, and turned back to studying the sigil he had been searching for.
It had been quite a while since he practiced applying any sort of invocation, let alone one belonging to this particular system. He searched his pockets for accompanying books and documents, but it seemed most of these were still back at the inn, safe for his copy of the Mathēma Theanous- but that one required some more midnight fuel to be properly applied.

Though, if the time of day was ambiguous before, the dark overhead and the warm lights of the village made it seem like evening had fallen very early, so perhaps midnight would have to be a flexible concept today.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:13 am 
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Just a mere step outside of the domestic comforts the Bed & Breakfast offered, and Ike could already feel the wind tearing at his fedora, trying to take it away from him. A frown swiftly dug into Ike's face, as his hand reached up to clutch his fedora in place as they were making way towards the Callanish Stones. He was unsure of whether this change of weather was an improvement. Indeed, it was quite pleasant that the rain had decreased, but the rain had not threatened to take away his beloved hat, unlike this God awful wind was doing. Even more so, the wind affected the apparent temperature negatively. This situation made it tempting to complain about the weather, however Ike did not approve of doing so, as he believed that a proper gentleman should not complain about such trivial matters. And thus he proceeded to push the complaints to the back of his mind as he fully emerged from the Bed & Breakfast, following Gaelen over the wet stone path that splished and splashed underneath their footsteps. Though Ike could conceal the sound of his own movement, he could not conceal the sound of the water with the same ease.

Ike gazed ahead, admiring the natural beauty of the landscape. Regardless of his opinion of the weather itself, he had to confess that the menacing, grim clouds above them did add a lot of character to the picturesque country village and the stupendous ruins ahead, of which Ike could just see their outlines. A sudden deep rumble, along with the clouds and the pressure in the air made it clear that the thunder was not far away. It would be best if they were to hurry, and thus Ike picked up his pace.

"That's quite all-right." Ike declared. He was relatively certain that his own forcefield should be enough. Gaelen's words made Ike curious though, as it seemed that the other was trying to find an alternative way to be of aid. Ike glanced aside, observing his travel companion as the other was rummaging through his clothes to find a small booklet. Inquisitively Ike peered at it. The contents of the booklet was ambiguous to Ike. Though Ike could clearly conclude that it had something to do with magic of some sorts, he was not quite sure what the symbol and its accompanied geometry were meant to mean. It was quite an enigma to him, and he was not sure yet if he liked the fact that Gaelen wished to use it. He would not question it for now though, as he did not want his own suspicion to come off as distrust towards his esteemed colleague.

"I reckon we shall experience in due time if it does or does not aid our cause" Ike mentioned, trying to contain his own curiosity and carry on as usual. As he set his glance ahead of them again, feeling his enthusiasm increase once more as the beautiful structures were nearly in their reach. If not for the horrible reality of their visit, this would be a marvellous vacation. It was always a great honour to see objects left behind by this great old society. It was once more a great reminder of how they were not the only ones that had called Earth their home, and sometimes it made Ike wonder what they would leave behind for future generations if this apocalypse were to unfold. Would people in 10.000 years respond the same way as Ike and Gaelen, as they would unearth the remains of sky scrapers or would perhaps none of their civilization be left to withstand the test of time? Whereas some ancient structures were sometimes looked down upon as being from 'less modern' civilizations due to the style of the structures and the overall writings and depictions found on them, one had to respect the fact that these structures such as the pyramids had held their grounds and protected their heritage for so many years.

Gaelen's sudden comment pulled Ike back from his own contemplations. "mhm?" Ike tilted his head and eyed Gaelen, who spoke of his interest in magic users. "Well, quite honestly, I would not classify myself as such, but I guess it is a mere matter of perspective to some." The idea of being studied by the other was not something Ike really appreciated. He understood it, as he too had some curiosity towards Gaelen and Gaelen's background, however the chosen wording made it sound as if he were to become a study object to Gaelen. However, as Ike was quite against conflicts and preferred to bypass them in any way possible, he did not voice his disliking.

Instead, Ike decided to focus on their mission. The rumbling of the clouds was getting closer are nearly the same pace as they were moving towards the stones. It seemed they might get there just in time, before the thunder and lightening would unleash their full potential upon them. Ike increased his pace once more, as he scurried over to the edge of the Callanish Stones, tracing his way over to the most important centre part of them. The feeling and sound of his boots sinking into the wet marsh-like ground was awful, and it honestly made him a little bit nauseous as it was gross. However, Ike did not let it stop him. Once he had procured the right position, Ike got into a strong base pose and got out his glasses. Ike's glasses looked like regular glasses, but were in fact high tech sunglasses which marvellously shielded his eyes from bright lights, whether they be constant or instantaneous. He was rather certain that he needed them with the natural disco that was about to take place. Once Gaelen was close-by enough, Ike raised his left hand and cited a spell, of which the words seemed to be of a demonic tongue. Once the spell finished, a see-through dome formed over Ike, in a rather broad circle which allowed the both of them a little bit of movement. The force field stopped the rain and wind from reaching them, which instantly made the temperature feel a lot more pleasant. "The force field is in place." Ike declared, even though it was probably apparent to Gaelen already.


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