[Again, there's that alien consideration for him. Out of nothing more than what he suspects is kindness and perhaps a familiarity that borders on-- What?
Friendship?
He wonders. (A thought that tugs on every neuron in his brain, but he sets it aside for now.)]
Every day, I'm more and more in your debt for every little thing you do.
[He smiles but then turns to head back towards his room.]
[They leave the house and make their way to Ivory Park. Gradually, it becomes noticeable how Henry is turning heads or at least receiving a second glance. Amelia just continues to look straight ahead as she leads him through the park and to the peaceful Ivory Church.
Though it isn't a grandiose and heavily decorated place of worship, the surrounding trees, and flowers more than make up for its humble visage. Other park guests are milling about and it looks like there are even some couples who are scouting out the area as a possible wedding venue.
Amelia pauses before they go inside.]
So you've never been inside the church yet, right?
[Henry's observant enough to know if he pulls a few more glances than usual as they wander about town, and he meets those eyes with a smile and a little quirk of a brow. Again, he never really thought of himself as handsome, finding different attributes more worthy of his attention.
Still, it’s funny how a single haircut can make the difference. Heaven save these people when he gets a new wardrobe, perhaps…
But for now, here they are at the church, and Henry stops beside her, shaking his head.]
[As soon as she closes the door behind them the noise from the outside suddenly sounds more muted. The flow of the air is soothing and envelops them like a blanket over their shoulders. The sensation is akin to magic but much more consistent and constant. There's no one else inside at the moment.
Amelia walks down the aisle and stops in the middle.]
The Praying Man is a bit of an odd duck since I've never seen him leave the church. And as far as safe havens go, this is the safest place you can be in aside from my house.
[Now, this is not a feeling that Henry feels often. The bristling of anger inside of him churns, as though to rail against the blanket of serenity that tries to lay itself across him like a veil. He's the sort of man who refuses to let go of that core, no matter what; but at least he has enough awareness to realize that it's the church's doing more than anything else, so his offense is muted.
He looks around as they walk, then stop at the middle of the aisle. This place paints him in a more amicable light, at least, everything about his body language completely affable, and he clasps his hands behind his back.]
So if something ever bad happens, and I can't get back to your house, head to the church? I can see what you mean. Everything in here has a... quietness to it.
[... Even though Henry now knows of Brar and that he was gone, Amelia can't quite yet broach the subject of the how. But being in the church, for all of the serenity it offers, reminds her of the darkness that enveloped the town and what it led to.
But she's grateful to this day for the Praying Man and what he managed to do for her and Blackgale and what he continues to do presently.]
Let me just... [She takes a few steps to the left as her eyes scan the back. Steadily, both she and Henry can start to hear low and deep murmurs that echo off the ceiling from the back. Amelia snaps her fingers and points.]
There he is.
[The Praying Man is dressed like some kind of priest in humble black robes. Unlike the other supernatural entities that Henry has encountered in this world, nothing about him stands out; he looks entirely human from head to toe. It is the fervor that radiates off of him that is something else entirely, an unmistakable power that is part of the fabric of this house of worship.
He sits, head bowed, eyes closed, and hands clasped together, in the farthest pew in the back where the corner is most obscure.]
He blinks in and out of your vision type of being but even normal people can see him every now and then.
[He slides his look over to the "priest" in question, and perhaps it's his own abilities that allow him to see the man without any issue off the bat, though he can... sense something strange from him. His telepathy itches to be used, met with something unusual, but he restrains himself.
For now.
Because, again, the first thing he asks is:]
...Can I try to get a read on him?
[Just to make sense of this entity that looks human, but clearly isn't. Kind of like him!!]
Oh, no, I wouldn't do anything like that. I just want to skim the surface, see what's going on in mind of someone inhuman -- if there's anything I can read at all.
[Henry loves diving in, and he is fairly confident of his own psychic powers, but he isn't reckless for the sake of it. Not unless anger takes the reins, but thankfully, they've not had to deal with such a thing since his first day arriving in this world. Small blessings!]
[Up close, and it really does seem like this Praying Man is exerting more than just peaceable prayer. Henry can see the sweat beading down the side of his face, as though he's praying so fervently that the effort seems to be taking its toll.
He gives her a sidelong glance first.]
And the last time this happened, what was the cause?
[Not that he's refusing to dip into his head, mind you.]
[Amelia reaches into her tote bag she has hanging on her shoulder and takes out some tissues to lightly dab away the Praying Man's sweat. His fingers tighten but again, he is immoveable.]
The cause is usually if there's imminent danger that can bypass his prayers or strain against it.
[Like what happened with... The Hive of Thorns. But that's not a subject to breach currently.]
It might help if you can glean his mind for an image of what's to come. If he's already concentrating this hard it might be closer than we think.
[Imminent danger? Henry's brows shoot up at this information, the realization that today might prove to be far more interesting than either one of them expected.]
Well, that's not good. [Echoing Amelia's thoughts.] Give me a minute, then, and let's see what we can dredge up.
[He'll reach out, at first, to just brush against the Praying Man's consciousness to see what baseline imagery he might can pick up. After that, Henry will indulge himself in a bit of a deeper dive if required — a task he makes clear by closing his eyes in concentration.
Alright. I'll fortify the walls while you do that.
[Amelia stands up and starts tracing her magic in the air. The runes are etched and each line she creates floats down to the floor, stretches, and fills the perimeter.
As for the Praying Man, he shows little resistance to Henry entering his mind. It may be because he is aware of Amelia's presence and thus he inherently understands that she's trying to help and that Henry is assisting. So with that, what Henry should see...
It's a sea of stars that exist in the dark expanse. At first, there is nothing, no other sign of life. But the stars begin to blink. Slowly at first, one by one, but in no time at all, the starlight flickers rapidly to signal some sort of emergency.
The point of view changes to the top of the church roof; the Praying Man's point of view. He protects this place because he finds it precious, and appeals to the higher power that he is an extension of. But sometimes there are cracks where others will worm their way through.
He looks up at the sky. Such a beautiful day with not a cloud to be seen —
No there's a blot, a stain, it hovers in front of the son. The humans think there's just a slight change in weather, they pay it no mind, they do not have the insight to see it coming closer, and closer (large, gigantic, a creature covered in feathers, some sort of avian/humanoid hybrid) ...
Something lands on top of the church outside and the walls and ground beneath them shake. Amelia whips her head around to make sure Henry and the Praying Man are okay.]
Oh, goddammit —
[But she doesn't move from her spot and listens closely to the outside. There were no major reactions from the park visitors... If anything, everyone is going about their business with only one or two floating voices wondering if the tremors were an earthquake. It's California, that's not unusual.
The witch won't break Henry out of his mind diving yet, though she may not need to if he's able to notice the juddering.]
[Oh, he doesn't need anyone to break him out of his mind-dive, since he's hardly crept in deep enough to lose all outward awareness. It's hard to miss the ways the wall shake, and so soon after borrowing the Praying Man's perspective, it's not hard to guess at what it could be, either.
Henry's frowning a little when he returns to reality. That creature is far from the strangest thing he's seen—in fact, a demogorgon has a face that opens up in a similar way—but it’s been a long, long time since he’s come across such a monster that was not already under his control. And this one seems to have already honed in on them.
Well. He shouldn’t be too worried, should he? Maybe this will be fun.]
It’s a huge monster that looks part human and part bird. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you… [He points a finger up, to indicate the roof of the church.] It’s already here to say hello. I’m guessing its target is our friend here?
[Henry can have fun, Amelia can be fussy and get stressed out. It's a good balance!
The witch grimly looks upwards and then back at the Praying Man. He's leaning his forehead against the pew in front of him, hands clasped tightly together like a vice.]
Well, it's more likely than not. [She's frowning as she tries to listen for any audible reactions from people outside; there is none.]
Let's... Go outside and check it out. I'm done setting up my wards here so whatever we're dealing with, it can't get in without some trouble.
[No, from what he saw, outsiders appeared completely oblivious. He wonders how big of a scene this is going to entail, and is that’s going to remain the case where they’re through.]
This creature must be powerful, though. Do you want to try to reason with it first, or should we go straight to bone-breaking?
I don't have high hopes for reasoning with it if it's going after the Praying Man but you make a good point in trying that first.
[She moves to the door and pushes it open cautiously and peeks her head out.]
The only saving grace we have is that no one can see it.
[But... Oh boy. As people pass by or walk down the path leading away from Ivory Church, the giant shadow being cast from above is very hard for her to ignore.]
He follows and leans out just enough to poke his head out, too, to the point where it looks like a scene from a movie -- two detectives trying to sneak about. In this case, a witch and a psychic tracking with their eyes a giant shadow cast along the ground.]
I've only ever tried with humans.
[He supposes there's no point in lying about that right now, and he somehow doubts Amelia would be all that surprised. But there's a small smile both on his face and in his tone.]
But I like a challenge. I'm powerful enough to try.
Amelia takes a cautious step outside and then turns around to walk backward for a few more steps before stopping to stare at the horrifying human and bird hybrid. It's the size of a truck and it has the head of a bird, including giant wings and talons in place of arms and legs. It crawls on the roof from side to side examining the humans that wander to and fro that take no notice of it at all.
And she just. Stares at it. And then pinches the bridge of her nose to fend off the impending headache as she mutters to herself.]
I still have two months left of vacation, just two more months...]
Henry should be more concerned about the size of that creature, having followed Amelia out and craning his neck upwards to truly take in the size of it, and he is conscious of the fact that it is, indeed, a dangerous-looking thing.
But he, too, is a dangerous thing, he just lacks the monster aesthetic right now.
So, of course, Henry just looks eager, eyes a little bright from anticipation.]
Come on, Amelia. It's not so bad. I bet between the two of us we can make short work of it.
Henry, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were excited.
[Amelia sets her hand down and glances around their immediate vicinity. The amount of people has lessened so she could set up some more boundaries to obscure the view of both of them. It's a little risky spellcasting in public so she'd have to keep watch for wandering eyes and Henry just in case she needs to tag in.
Well. At least the Blue Moon Belly will have a good meal the next time she visits.
The witch kneels down and starts tracing runes on the ground and while doing so, says to Henry:]
Don't make a mess and if I see that you're having trouble, we'll switch places.
[The sound of their voices makes the bird monster whip its head their way and stare at them keenly. But it goes back to scratching its talons on the roof of the church. It really wants to get inside.]
I'm always excited to properly use my powers. The opportunities have been few and far between over the years.
[Which is half true, at least. His time spent in that hell dimension afforded him plenty of opportunities, but his time in the lab, after they deemed him too dangerous, was less so.
While Amelia busies with etching runes on the ground, Henry happily turns back to look up at the monster. It seems so very determined to get in, he wonders how it'll react to a sudden invasion of the mind. Might as well find out.]
So, let's start with the usual, then.
[-is the only indicator he gives her regarding what he's doing, and he focuses his telepathy directly at the monster above. Assuming it's susceptible, he isn't gentle about it this time, not like with the Praying Man. His abilities are like a lance, skewing through. What's going on in that head of yours, bird-monster, and can he scramble things up a little to make it easier to start?]
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sunfloras2023-04-20 07:42 pm
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Friendship?
He wonders. (A thought that tugs on every neuron in his brain, but he sets it aside for now.)]
Every day, I'm more and more in your debt for every little thing you do.
[He smiles but then turns to head back towards his room.]
I'll get ready to head out. See you in ten.
time skippy
Though it isn't a grandiose and heavily decorated place of worship, the surrounding trees, and flowers more than make up for its humble visage. Other park guests are milling about and it looks like there are even some couples who are scouting out the area as a possible wedding venue.
Amelia pauses before they go inside.]
So you've never been inside the church yet, right?
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Still, it’s funny how a single haircut can make the difference. Heaven save these people when he gets a new wardrobe, perhaps…
But for now, here they are at the church, and Henry stops beside her, shaking his head.]
I never thought there was a reason to.
[And he certainly isn’t the religious type.]
What can I expect?
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[There's a beat.]
That wasn't a joke for the record. I've dubbed the person we're checking on "The Praying Man." Not the most creative but he has no real name.
[She has to make the disclaimer just in case!! Amelia approaches the doors and pushes them open, gesturing for Henry to step inside first.]
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[Peace and serenity.]
I'll be quiet if that's what you're worried about.
[It's probably not; Henry is always quiet-toned (except when he's angry), and he's more than curious about this "Praying Man" who has no real name.]
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[As soon as she closes the door behind them the noise from the outside suddenly sounds more muted. The flow of the air is soothing and envelops them like a blanket over their shoulders. The sensation is akin to magic but much more consistent and constant. There's no one else inside at the moment.
Amelia walks down the aisle and stops in the middle.]
The Praying Man is a bit of an odd duck since I've never seen him leave the church. And as far as safe havens go, this is the safest place you can be in aside from my house.
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He looks around as they walk, then stop at the middle of the aisle. This place paints him in a more amicable light, at least, everything about his body language completely affable, and he clasps his hands behind his back.]
So if something ever bad happens, and I can't get back to your house, head to the church? I can see what you mean. Everything in here has a... quietness to it.
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[... Even though Henry now knows of Brar and that he was gone, Amelia can't quite yet broach the subject of the how. But being in the church, for all of the serenity it offers, reminds her of the darkness that enveloped the town and what it led to.
But she's grateful to this day for the Praying Man and what he managed to do for her and Blackgale and what he continues to do presently.]
Let me just... [She takes a few steps to the left as her eyes scan the back. Steadily, both she and Henry can start to hear low and deep murmurs that echo off the ceiling from the back. Amelia snaps her fingers and points.]
There he is.
[The Praying Man is dressed like some kind of priest in humble black robes. Unlike the other supernatural entities that Henry has encountered in this world, nothing about him stands out; he looks entirely human from head to toe. It is the fervor that radiates off of him that is something else entirely, an unmistakable power that is part of the fabric of this house of worship.
He sits, head bowed, eyes closed, and hands clasped together, in the farthest pew in the back where the corner is most obscure.]
He blinks in and out of your vision type of being but even normal people can see him every now and then.
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For now.
Because, again, the first thing he asks is:]
...Can I try to get a read on him?
[Just to make sense of this entity that looks human, but clearly isn't. Kind of like him!!]
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I'll be surprised if you're able to read his thoughts though.
[Amelia starts to stride towards the Praying Man.]
And just don't break his concentration or else he'll vanish.
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Oh, no, I wouldn't do anything like that. I just want to skim the surface, see what's going on in mind of someone inhuman -- if there's anything I can read at all.
[Henry loves diving in, and he is fairly confident of his own psychic powers, but he isn't reckless for the sake of it. Not unless anger takes the reins, but thankfully, they've not had to deal with such a thing since his first day arriving in this world. Small blessings!]
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[Amelia moves down the pew so that she's sitting next to the Praying Man. He keeps murmuring and makes no indication that he notices her presence.
Up close she can see his face and before she can greet him, the witch frowns as she studies his side profile.]
... He's sweating. That's... Not good.
[There's an urgency in the Praying Man's voice as well as a bead of sweat drips down the side of his head. Amelia looks towards Henry.]
You're in luck. This is a good time to see what's on his mind. I haven't seen him in this state in a while.
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He gives her a sidelong glance first.]
And the last time this happened, what was the cause?
[Not that he's refusing to dip into his head, mind you.]
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[Amelia reaches into her tote bag she has hanging on her shoulder and takes out some tissues to lightly dab away the Praying Man's sweat. His fingers tighten but again, he is immoveable.]
The cause is usually if there's imminent danger that can bypass his prayers or strain against it.
[Like what happened with... The Hive of Thorns. But that's not a subject to breach currently.]
It might help if you can glean his mind for an image of what's to come. If he's already concentrating this hard it might be closer than we think.
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Well, that's not good. [Echoing Amelia's thoughts.] Give me a minute, then, and let's see what we can dredge up.
[He'll reach out, at first, to just brush against the Praying Man's consciousness to see what baseline imagery he might can pick up. After that, Henry will indulge himself in a bit of a deeper dive if required — a task he makes clear by closing his eyes in concentration.
What you got in there, sir?]
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[Amelia stands up and starts tracing her magic in the air. The runes are etched and each line she creates floats down to the floor, stretches, and fills the perimeter.
As for the Praying Man, he shows little resistance to Henry entering his mind. It may be because he is aware of Amelia's presence and thus he inherently understands that she's trying to help and that Henry is assisting. So with that, what Henry should see...
Something lands on top of the church outside and the walls and ground beneath them shake. Amelia whips her head around to make sure Henry and the Praying Man are okay.]
Oh, goddammit —
[But she doesn't move from her spot and listens closely to the outside. There were no major reactions from the park visitors... If anything, everyone is going about their business with only one or two floating voices wondering if the tremors were an earthquake. It's California, that's not unusual.
The witch won't break Henry out of his mind diving yet, though she may not need to if he's able to notice the juddering.]
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Henry's frowning a little when he returns to reality. That creature is far from the strangest thing he's seen—in fact, a demogorgon has a face that opens up in a similar way—but it’s been a long, long time since he’s come across such a monster that was not already under his control. And this one seems to have already honed in on them.
Well. He shouldn’t be too worried, should he? Maybe this will be fun.]
It’s a huge monster that looks part human and part bird. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you… [He points a finger up, to indicate the roof of the church.] It’s already here to say hello. I’m guessing its target is our friend here?
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The witch grimly looks upwards and then back at the Praying Man. He's leaning his forehead against the pew in front of him, hands clasped tightly together like a vice.]
Well, it's more likely than not. [She's frowning as she tries to listen for any audible reactions from people outside; there is none.]
Let's... Go outside and check it out. I'm done setting up my wards here so whatever we're dealing with, it can't get in without some trouble.
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This creature must be powerful, though. Do you want to try to reason with it first, or should we go straight to bone-breaking?
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[Henry, are you excited about breaking bones...]
I don't have high hopes for reasoning with it if it's going after the Praying Man but you make a good point in trying that first.
[She moves to the door and pushes it open cautiously and peeks her head out.]
The only saving grace we have is that no one can see it.
[But... Oh boy. As people pass by or walk down the path leading away from Ivory Church, the giant shadow being cast from above is very hard for her to ignore.]
Henry? Are you good with breaking giant bones?
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He follows and leans out just enough to poke his head out, too, to the point where it looks like a scene from a movie -- two detectives trying to sneak about. In this case, a witch and a psychic tracking with their eyes a giant shadow cast along the ground.]
I've only ever tried with humans.
[He supposes there's no point in lying about that right now, and he somehow doubts Amelia would be all that surprised. But there's a small smile both on his face and in his tone.]
But I like a challenge. I'm powerful enough to try.
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[calm down henry
Amelia takes a cautious step outside and then turns around to walk backward for a few more steps before stopping to stare at the horrifying human and bird hybrid. It's the size of a truck and it has the head of a bird, including giant wings and talons in place of arms and legs. It crawls on the roof from side to side examining the humans that wander to and fro that take no notice of it at all.
And she just. Stares at it. And then pinches the bridge of her nose to fend off the impending headache as she mutters to herself.]
I still have two months left of vacation, just two more months...]
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Henry should be more concerned about the size of that creature, having followed Amelia out and craning his neck upwards to truly take in the size of it, and he is conscious of the fact that it is, indeed, a dangerous-looking thing.
But he, too, is a dangerous thing, he just lacks the monster aesthetic right now.
So, of course, Henry just looks eager, eyes a little bright from anticipation.]
Come on, Amelia. It's not so bad. I bet between the two of us we can make short work of it.
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[Amelia sets her hand down and glances around their immediate vicinity. The amount of people has lessened so she could set up some more boundaries to obscure the view of both of them. It's a little risky spellcasting in public so she'd have to keep watch for wandering eyes and Henry just in case she needs to tag in.
Well. At least the Blue Moon Belly will have a good meal the next time she visits.
The witch kneels down and starts tracing runes on the ground and while doing so, says to Henry:]
Don't make a mess and if I see that you're having trouble, we'll switch places.
[The sound of their voices makes the bird monster whip its head their way and stare at them keenly. But it goes back to scratching its talons on the roof of the church. It really wants to get inside.]
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[Which is half true, at least. His time spent in that hell dimension afforded him plenty of opportunities, but his time in the lab, after they deemed him too dangerous, was less so.
While Amelia busies with etching runes on the ground, Henry happily turns back to look up at the monster. It seems so very determined to get in, he wonders how it'll react to a sudden invasion of the mind. Might as well find out.]
So, let's start with the usual, then.
[-is the only indicator he gives her regarding what he's doing, and he focuses his telepathy directly at the monster above. Assuming it's susceptible, he isn't gentle about it this time, not like with the Praying Man. His abilities are like a lance, skewing through. What's going on in that head of yours, bird-monster, and can he scramble things up a little to make it easier to start?]
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