confronting Evandau

[gistful]

Characters: Evandau, Anton, Hawke, Septimus, whole bunch of others
Date: August 28th, 2014
Location: The Midnight Hotel, may move to outside one of its entrances in one of the five sectors
Situation: It’s time to confront Evandau.
Warnings/Rating: Probable violence, will update accordingly.

By the time Hawke calls Evandau out, the Hotel is as prepared as it’s possible to be. The radio set has been brought in so they can communicate with the teams outside using the portable WWII handset Akito jerry-rigged. Anton has warned the gang-kedan, particularly the Dust-user and distributers, most of whom are hiding upstairs. The commons aside from the lobby have their doors closed; judging by the rowdiness in the living-room still filtering through the door, ‘noise pollution’ is the going excuse. Anton wants his current patrons as protected as they can be, which is why he encouraged a couple of those present to guard the stairs up.

There are a fair few people in the lobby, which isn’t unexpected, but Anton has warned each and every one of them about the Hotel rules and the fact that, if any of them jumps the gun, he will be forced to defend Evandau. Nothing would ruin the plan more than Anton being obliged to stand up against those with whom he would rather be allies. He doesn’t know most of them, but it’s clear that they’re friends of others who are in on the plan; the only person who worries him is Wreath, sitting quietly in a corner behind the entrance.

Anton himself is behind the reception desk, going through his ledgers and waiting quietly for Evandau to arrive, and keeping Daisy the shotgun close at hand under the counter. Just in case.

Comments

looking to speak with Anton, but OTA for anyone else that wants to chat up the hippie

[raavashing]

Wan arrived from the wood sector, dressed as he usually was for warmer weather - though he had taken Hawke's sarcastic advice and brought a small satchel full of stone chunks he could easily bend if he needed them. He set the satchel down to one side of the lobby and then sought out 'Anton'. Hawke said he'd need to speak to him first about the availability of certain elements.

[gistful]

The way the man wandered about indicated he was looking for something or someone in particular, so Anton couldn't assume he was simply part of the group intending to speak to Evandau--though certainly, the man's bulging satchel was a tad strange.

Anton caught his gaze and said with a gentle smile, "Hello. I am Anton Shudder, proprietor of this establishment. How may I help you?"

[raavashing]

Wan's face brightened visibly at the introduction, "Hello! I was looking for you. Hawke said I should talk to you about what elements were easy to get a hold of here."

And ask him personally why he decided to put a stick up his own ass, but Wan figured that could wait until the important stuff was done being spoken about.

[gistful]

"Certainly," said Anton. "I presume when you say 'element' you refer to fire, water, earth and air?" Scientists used the same word for very different things nowadays, but this man didn't give off any indication of being a scientist whatsoever.

"The Hotel is made of both timber and stone." He nodded toward the floor and then the walls. While some of the walls had been painted, particularly upstairs, some were basic brick and some were slabs of stone. "I use sigils to generate water for plumbing. Depending upon your use of the elements, it may be possible for you to utilize that. May I ask why you wish to know?"

The likeliest answer was that the man was there to help with Evandau, but if that was the case Anton wanted to know whether his talents would result in damage to the Hotel.

[raavashing]

"In case things get out of hand with Evandau," Wan affirmed the suspicion as he gave a heavy sigh at the answer. "I can't do anything with wood. The brick I can work with, but if it's under the wood, then that will just tear up your floors and walls."

Wan's hands went to his hips and he frowned, giving it some more thought, "Hopefully if I have to do anything, I won't need more than the rocks I brought with me. I'm not sure what you mean by the sigils providing water, but as long as there is water, I can work with it. Are there any fountains? Anything you could start running water out of so I don't have to pull it out of the pipes? Even a filled bucket would be good."

[gistful]

There were numerous patches of uncovered brick and stone in the vicinity, but Anton would really rather someone didn't have to compromise the integrity of the Hotel in order to defend it. "There are too many wards in the walls to risk their compromise," he said. "Water it will have to be, then. Just a moment."

The plumbing sigils were among the spells that had taken him the longest to develop. He still used pipes and plumbing to translate water into a useable resource, but the water itself was captured from the air the way Elementals summoned it, and then stored in tanks. That meant the sigils were spread across the whole of the Hotel.

Anton found the written spellwork he had been adapting for a fountain in the turtles' hostel and turned to a patch of wall behind the counter but to the side of his shelves. With a touch he illuminated the sigils, which glowed as scrolling, unbroken spellwork across the wall from his shelves to his office door. The position was somewhat protected, so the man would be able to use the resource without being in the open.

With an oil-based marker Anton changed some of the plumbing sigils. As soon as he was done moisture began to collect on the all, on the places where the sigils were, and when he turned the sigils off the stones glistened with trails of water making tracks toward the floor.

"I hope that will suffice for you," he said. "Allow me to fetch a towel." No need to leave a wet patch on the floor, after all.

[raavashing]

Wan was fascinated by the magic of the sigils and stepped up to the wall to touch it after they stopped glowing. But his attention wasn't so focused that he missed Anton's offer of a towel.

"Don't worry about it," Wan replied and wiped his hand across the wall, gathering the water to him. His arm moved in the other direction as he moved backwards, imitating the back and forth of a gentle tide. The gathered water followed his hand, rising off the wall and the floor, leaving both completely dry. Meanwhile, the decently sized bubble of water was suddenly and forcefully collapsed in upon itself until it was the size of a baseball. And then it froze. Wan grabbed the now super-compacted fist-sized hailstone from the air and smiled at Anton, "Thanks. This will work great."

[gistful]

It was at once extremely similar to the tricks Anton had seen the Dead Men Elementals pull, and somehow more fluid. Either way, it was good to know that even if a wet patch developed Anton would have a means of clearing it up more easily than with a dry mop.

"I am glad," said Anton, and he even wore a smile. "I do, however, request that when the situation has been resolved you help me in drying whatever patches may be left. The wall will continue to produce water to a specific degree of moisture, and maintain that level once reached."

The wall was already glistening again. They weren't going to be flooded out if the man chose not to take advantage of the resource in time, but the wet patch was going to remain even when Anton reversed the sigils.

[raavashing]

"Sure," Wan gave another nod, agreeing easily. For now, the lone ice ball would be enough. But if it came to needing more, he knew where to take it from. "And I'll try my best not to burn anything or knock too much down, too. I'd really prefer this to be happening in a more open place. Away from the city."

But, alas, that wasn't really an option.

"Oh, I'm Wan," he said with a quick bow, remembering his manners.

[gistful]

"The Hotel's interior is warded against flames," Anton said, "though its furniture is not, so I appreciate your discretion." It may not have been the optimal location in terms of being an enclosed area, but it gave them cover and a place to which to retreat.

Anton returned the bow with a smile. "Master Wan. Is there anything else for which you need help?"

[raavashing]

Wan started to shake his head, but stopped. Now that the important stuff was done with, he could ask about that stick.

"Hawke said I should ask you myself," he started, voice going lower and with obviously genuine and earnest concern. "But he said you put a stick up your ass about this place. Why did you do that? Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

[gistful]

The sheer earnestness of the question told Anton that it was genuine, and rather endearing, if misguided. "It was the only place I had to put it," he said absolutely deadpan, and then tilted his head. "You haven't heard that phrase before." It wasn't a question. "It means that someone is rigid and unyielding regarding specific matters. In this instance I presume Master Hawke is referring to my no-violence policy, correct?"

[raavashing]

"I-" Wan straightened, blinking fast for a moment as he looked around to see if Hawke was watching. The way the man had laughed at him suddenly made a lot more sense. "That is probably what he meant, but that is not what he said. He just said you had a stick up your ass about this place. When I asked why, he laughed and told me I should ask you. I thought it must have been this accident that was funny to watch-"

Wan put a hand to his head and looked back at Anton, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I really didn't know."

[gistful]

He was endearing. Honest and innocent in a way that avoided being naïve. Anton almost smiled. If he wasn't considering this a mission of such high importance, he probably would have.

"No harm done," he said, "and to a given degree, Master Hawke is correct. However, he may not know my reasoning. I contain a demon within me, one that is created of all my bad thoughts. If I indulge those thoughts, it will take control of me and I will be contained within it instead. For that reason, I must maintain a strict policy of behaviour regardless of my emotions on any given matter."

Anton may have appeared peaceful--but he wasn't, not really. It wasn't that it was a cover; it was just that stability and balance managed to make him seem as though he had an inner peace others lacked.

[raavashing]

Wan raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what a demon is. But, it sounds bad. I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

He paused and lifted a hand to his chest, lightly fingering the cloth at his collar, "Is there any way for someone to help you with it? Maybe pull it out of you or contain it better?"

[gistful]

"It's a being of evil, hatred and fury," said Anton, "with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. You are very kind to offer, but the gist is a part of me. I could no more be part with it than my head, and were I to try it would end as badly." Anton hadn't pursued the breaking of his geas before--but he'd seen the result, and he had heard a few stories from Hopeless regarding Mevolent's knowledge on the subject matter.

"However, it makes my policy paramount. If I were to begin making exceptions for my rules, I would soon lose any sense of objectivity. I cannot afford to do so. So, yes, in that sense, Master Hawke is correct. I do have a stick up my arse."

[raavashing]

Wan's shoulders straighten and his entire countenance shifted. He was serious, direct, solemn. That sort of creature was what Raava was meant to balance, to hold in check.

"Darkness cannot exist without Light. Light cannot exist with Darkness," he said firmly. "You maintain a strict balance within yourself. I hold the Spirit of Light and Peace within me. If ever you find yourself slipping, I will be here to help you. I cannot make the darkness disappear, but I can make it yield to my light."

[gistful]

"Yin and yang," said Anton. He was familiar with the concept. Very familiar. He'd been struggling even with Larrikin's help for quite a while, before they went to the Orient centuries ago. It hadn't been Larrikin's first time, but it had been Anton's. It was there he had finally managed to find what he could call some measure of balance.

But even still, Wan's serious and firm assertion made him quiet. Very, very rarely did he find someone so willing to help Anton with his gist. Seven of them had been his best friends in the whole world. Wan didn't even know him as well as they had, and he hadn't hesitated. "Thank you," he said quietly, holding Wan's gaze. "I will hope that will not be necessary, but I will hold that offer close."

The gist wasn't a magic that could be mastered. Sooner or later, he'd lose to it. He didn't think it would be soon, but in case it was, perhaps Wan would at least be able to help Skulduggery stop the gist before it stopped everyone else.

[raavashing]

Wan bowed his head, accepting that. He could do nothing more without Anton's request. To try would be wrong when he knew so little about it. The creature - demon - was not one he was familiar with. It was only the balance he could truly identify with.

Wan stepped back and then offered a proper bow, "Thank you for your aid with the elements."

[gistful]

Anton returned the bow, more deeply than he had before. "Of course. If you have a need for anything else, I will be at the desk to assist you."

He had to return to the counter then, to check-in a kedan who had wandered in and looked surprised at the Foreigner's convention apparently occurring in the lobby.