NationStates Jolt Archive

Underwater, off the coast of the nation calling itself the 'Resurgent Dream', a hole opens in space, and three dark forms tumble out of it amidst the rushing waters. The hole blinks shut behind them, and the three forms fall steadily to the floor, righting themselves to begin a steady but cautious pace, scurrying on hand and foot toward the shoreline. Carefully pulling themselves up with the surging water and flattening as it recedes, they make their way out of the water to the beaches of the Dream, doing their best to remain unseen.

The underwater area surrounding the Resurgent Dream was by no means unprotected. Mighty submarine fleets and patrols of Merfolk moved through these waters, protecting against enemy attack or infiltration, keeping up a respectable sweep on a fairly regular basis. Nonetheless, the island was too large to patrol all the water all the time and Lady Luck, who has a strange penchant for favoring more interesting storylines, smiled upon the intruders. They entered the water with no patrols of any kind nearby.

Once they snuck onto the shore, they found themselves in a more difficult situation. It seems they had come onto a public beach during local daylight. The population displayed on the beach was truly diverse. Sidhe noblewomen, who shined with gold and silver radiance and were beauty almost beyond the telling of it, spread their perfect, bikini clad bodies out beneath the suns rays. Rotund, bushy browed Boggans scurried about, sharing trinkets and refreshments they'd made themselves. Eshu, who looked like Elves would look if they were black, moved up and down the beach, seeming just to enjoy the wandering. Countless other sentient beings could also be spotted, the embodiment of diversity. Just as surely, there were dozens of perfectly ordinary humans, showing the classic features of European, African, Amerindian, and Asian extraction, as well as countless combinations thereof. Unfortunately, this monument to diversity did not contain a convenient target, not yet, not in daylight. They did, however, manage to come up behind a rock outcropping from which to view it. It hid them from sight while they planned, but did not remove the need to somehow cross the crowded beach without cover.

With the patience of the dead, the triad is content to maintain an unseen position on the ocean side of a partially enclosed coral reef. Wedged into the shadows in absolute stillness, they blur into the background and wait for the welcome enclosure of darkness.

The beach is filled with laughter and joy for the rest of the day. Nockers, gnarled little men, curse as they try to create the perfect miniature seacraft. Pooka, fairies with animal features, joke and play pranks upon one another. Redcaps growl and feast upon massive banquets of seafood. Satyrs sing and play nude in the sun, shamelessly making out and striving to seduce the other races as well. Trolls stoically enjoy walks in the open air, towering over the other beach patrons. Sluagh hide in the shadows, watching all others. Nekos roll and play in feline glory. Lithe Piskeys dart from group to group, occasionally being caught picking pockets or wandering off with things that are not theirs. Selkies swim in the waters, basking in their kinship with the seals. Clurichaun drink heavily, despite the disapproving glares of Troll lifeguards. Sindar stand quietly, listening with rapture to the sounds of the sea. Nanehi sing songs of unsurpassed beauty in Amerindian tongues.Rock Giants move their grating, stone forms about as they glare at anyone they deem suspicious or challenging. Green, dwarf-like Tunghat run across the beach, crying out for the animals. Eventually, the sun does set and the crowds disperse.

The three draw on a common soul to scamper silently to the top of the coral, holding, blending, watching to see that they are alone. When satisfied, one of the three leaps into the air in a long arc that allows him to clear the sand and vanish into brush on the other side of the sand as the others observe for watchmen. When the first is clear, the second follows; when the second is clear, the third follows. In this way, they slowly make their way across a park bordering the beach, making a straight line that connects the coral reef to the home of their intended target.

Arsenic Allgheri woke up at sunset, reaching over to annoyedly turn off her alarm clock. She didn't want to go to work. Not tonight. The lovely woman tossed her raven black hair from her face as she slipped out of bed. As beautiful, female victims have a habit of doing, she walked to the shower in her lacey undergarments. After showering, she brushed her fangs and got dressed for the day in a dark black pantsuit, heels, and white blouse. She took a moment to settle down in front of the TV and flipping the channels, having a few moments more than she had initially thought and being in no great hurry. Her mind went through some fairly shallow and idle thoughts: That cute Sidhe boy in the next office, shopping, where she would take her next vacation. If she knew anyone was approaching her townhouse...well, she didn't know.

The trio entered the residential area containing their assigned quarry. The three stealthily assessed the ground, each remaining still and viewing in a different direction, quietly watching for motion. Without warning, one of the three springs from its crouched position on the ground and whips into the air, making a graceful arc that lands it on the rooftop of the nearest home, where it lands without a sound. Flattening immediately, it turns to watch for prying eyes as its second brother takes to the air, and so forth. Once all three have attained the rooftop, they begin to scamper across in a manner reminiscent of rats or squirrels, but without all the commotion.

Within minutes, the target's townhouse comes into view. At this point, the three split apart, each taking a rooftop that affords a different view of the home.

((OOC: Visual description of the things? The readers would probably like to visualize them even if other characters can't see them yet))

Arsenic continued to watch television for another thirty minutes or so. No one seemed to be around the immediate area. They were, however, in neighboring houses and not likely to leave anytime soon. A scream while still in the residential neighborhood might be fatal to the capture.

The triad sat on their perches, housed in blackness as they assessed their final barrier to target. An observer who saw them would be hard-pressed to do so again and even more hard-pressed to describe what he thought he had seen, as they seem to reject observation and reject memory just as well. Their outlines blur into the surfaces behind them, and their colors shift as easily as the world itself. If one were trapped, a viewer would be able to describe them as hominids, at least, and the hazy outline of some sort of protuberances appear to either sides of their heads, as out of focus as a nearsighted man without his glasses trying to find a needle on a desk.

When Arsenic moves into view of one of the trio to view her television, one of the others instantly takes off, alighting soundlessly on the roof of the porch to the other side. It investigates a window, finds it to be securely closed, and returns through the air to its perch without hesitation. The third brother follows suit, landing on the sill of another window, which it finds to be less firmly shut. It quietly slides the window open and slinks into an upstairs bedroom, allowing its brothers to follow suit.

OOC Edit: I was thinking that the nondetection spells that shroud them would work on devices as well, in case of alarms. We can go either way on that, though.

Arsenic continued to watch television, oblivious to the entry of the strange beings into her home. She was watching the news: Danaan Embassy destroyed by terrorists in Pantocratoria, Radical Party accuses Danaan allies of anti-Orcish racism, Grand Duchess Vicotira on a state visit to Lavenrunz, trade negotiations opened with Tarlachia, Danaan missionaries active in Excalbia, and so on.

The one of the three nearest the door slid on cat's paws out into the hall, stealthily working his way toward the sound of the television. The other two followed suit behind, readying something from their belts, rendered invisible by their shrouds. When the three enter the room, they do so with great care, staying to the wall behind her and remaining stock still as they assess whether or not they have been detected.

((OOC: Sorry for crappy, one sentence post but there was nothing else to say. She's just going to be sitting there until they make contact or step into view.))

They have not.

One of the three begins to advance toward the back of the sofa, his hands out in front of him, holding something hard to make out. The other two creep in opposite directions along the walls, also readying something in their hands.

The one behind the couch slipped its indistinct hands to either side of her head and a curtain of darkness falls across her vision, as it tightens a cord at the base of the hood it has placed over her head. Muscles in her head and neck fall slack and useless. Her jaw hangs limp. Her vocal cords refuse to obey. Even her eyelids drop closed and refuse to open.

As the first gets clear, the second hurls what comes into view as some sort of net toward her.

That spell is mostly effective. Her vocal chords are weakened to the point that they cannot speak clearly or loudly. Her eyelids seem heavy. Her jaw is largely slack and hard to move. Her body flails wildly. Long legs kick in front of her, knocking her coffee table forward. Her hands fly up, trying to pry the chord tying the hood loose with one hand while the other bats at the creature with incredible strength, not not greater strength than three of the things have.

The net envelops her, layering its paralytic magic on top of that of the cord, weakening her control over her muscles still further. The triad sees that she is still able to move, an unexpected problem. The two begin delivering sharp, surgical blows, taking care only to strike when the thick fibers of the net are clear, to keep her 'occupied' while the third brings over his rope.

As she squirms under the pain of the blows, she manages to say something quietly through the hood. "I surrender. I won't struggle if you stop kicking me. If I break my promise, you can always start kicking again as soon as..." she trails off, muffled by a more effective moment on the part of the magics holding her. She does, however, still, hoping they accept.

The blows do stop, but only after Arsenic stills, making it difficult to discern whether her attackers were actually responding to her words or merely satisfied when she stopped moving. The third begins to bind the net in place with a rope that makes the paralyzing effect even worse. When the rope is tightly in place, one of them hauls her up onto its back, and she fades from view. They begin to return up the stairs.

They might note there's still enough muscle tension in her arms and legs to work the ropes if she thought that was a wise move. She managed to speak once more. "At least tell me what it is you want with me."