HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES
In which Tracy goes umbrally exploring..
deemelody - Friday, March 12, 1999, 9:43 AM
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Melody calls you one night.
Tracy answers the phone, "Hello?"
You say, "Tracy, hey. It's Mel. You busy?"
Tracy says, "Oh hi Mel, no actually I am not. What's up?"
You say, "I wanted to know if you wanted to evaluate something for me.
Bring one of your little toys with you?"
Tracy says, "Okay, I will. Where do you want to meet?"
You say, "University, maybe?"
Tracy says, "Sounds good. " he sounds a bit excited, "Evaluate huh...now
you've got my curiosity piquesd my friend."
Melody's voice sounds like she's grinning. "Yeah, well, I'm hoping you're
better at this than I am. Say this evening about..seven?
Tracy says, "I'll be there. University entrance, or elsewhere on campus?"
You say, "Mmm. Student center caf?"
Tracy says, "Okay. Sounds like a good place, we will need to find some
pleace where I can work too, though, but we can talk about that when we
get there."
You say, "Oh, you'll be able to work there. See you there tonight!"
Tracy says, "Okay, good bye my friend."
Tree Circle(#8733RJUh)
A small clearing in the grove, the pines cutting the wind and
making it seem quiet and lonely. The ground is covered in moss and fallen
leaves with grass growing in scattered patches, making it actually fairly
comfortable to sit or lie on. Above, the canopy opens up to let moonlight
or sunlight filter through, and gives a nice view of the stars or clouds.
It's quiet here, the wind whispering through the trees almost...
mournfully.
Obvious exits:
Out
Melody meets you at the student center, buys you a juice or something, and
then leads you back over the Quad. After a while, you get to a more
secluded place, when she abruptly turns and almost vanishes into the
trees.
Tracy gasps, "Intriguing...M...Melody? Are you still nearby?"
Melody nods, sticking her head out of the brush. "Be careful. There's some
thorns in the brush."
Tracy nods and puts his hand sin his pockets, letting his duster protect
him from thors as he passes through the opening where he sees you. The
thick leather likely doe snot even recieve a scratch.
The area opens up before you into the tree circle. The campus noise is
almost inaudible here.
Tracy murmurs, "Wow...this is beautiful..." His mismatched eyes scan the
area in wonder.
You say, "I think so. I stumbled on it wandering around campus one day."
Tracy nods and murmurs, "This...is what you wanted me to evaluate? It is
certainly as strange as it is beautiful...such a secluded little place
cut off from the bustle of the campus. It does not look unused though...
I'll bet this is where couples come to..." he blushes a bit, "Be
together."
Melody shakes her head. "It doesn't have that kind of Resonance. It's an
almost sacred spot, but there's something...I don't know. I thought maybe
you could use one of your toys and pin it down?"
Tracy nods, "Something outside your areas of expertise? I feel very at
peace here...it just..." he keels down and lays out an array of three
tools. All are his trademark chrome and black, a techno-gothic stylization
of science-fiction gadgetry. One instrument actually looks like a tri-
corder, only, it is far too sleek and looks more advanced.
Tracy says, "It seems so odd..."
Melody nods. "My teacher couldn't teach me Spirit. Greg has offered, but,
well. He's Hermetic." As if that answered everything. "I saw you had
something that let you access that on one of your toys the other day."
Melody looks at the tools with interest.
Tracy nods, "Spirit is my main field of study. Have you checked the life,
prime, and matter patterns of this glade?" He pulls an alan wrench, yes,
from his sleeve. The tools sem to have modular components and he is slowly
combining them with quick hands whose fingers dance more nimbly than any
dancer.
You say, "Prime and Life, yes. There's a buzz here for sure, and things
seem straight enough in their patterns. I don't know how to use matter."
Tracy nods, "Then I will get a matter ressonance pattern readout as well."
The Unit is now about half the size of a laptop. It has a 4X5" screen in
the center and as he powers it up i thas several small sensor needles that
swivel to take readings. There is a soft hum of electricity an da few
lights play over readouts.
Melody grins. "That looks almost silly, but I know it works. I just could
never use it."
Tracy grins sardonically, "Looks better than a Gieger counter doesn't it?"
You say, "Those just look boxy."
Tracy says, "And this is nice and sleek to keep the ressonance patterns
from hitting the unit instead of its sensor needles."
Melody sits down on the ground, petting the soft mosses, and let you do
your work. "Getting anything yet?"
Tracy turns around, looking like something straigth out of a Sci-Fi
thriller. "Just taking my time in correlating the data from the
dimensional ressonance..."
There is a definite dimensional resonance here. Maybe even worth checking
out with a specialized device! Anomalous readings across the board, but
similar to some you get when Iris is being bothered. The Matter needle
sticks, and the reading gets all wonky. Interesting, however, is that this
appears to be a minor Prime upwelling in the earth's crust.
Tracy scans for quite a while, adjusting the scanner manually at a couple
of points. His breath catches, "Oh yes...this place definitley has soem
strange Dimensional Ressonance activity. But...with this prime
upwelling...Melody, did you get the idea this might be an Ether port,
I..I mean a Node?"
Melody nods. "Yeah, but I wanted a confirm. It's not a strong one, if it
is. It's just buzzing a little, not vibrating. But you think so too?"
Tracy nods, "I would say it is a definite prime source. That explains why
it is so secluded and so tranquil."
Tracy says, "I would say more advanced setup fo rresearch here migth be
necessarry..."
You say, "What would that entail?"
Tracy says, "Well, I think I have he apparatus in my bag to actually do a
more in depth Dimensional study since my laptop and ressonance pylons are
wired to carry me accross the Gauntlet if I need them...The only thing I
am afraid of is that I might attract attention even with this place's
seclusion.""
Melody chuckles. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Tracy raises an eyebrow, "Oh?" he asks curiously
Melody only smiles. "Go ahead and give it a whirl."
Tracy nods, "First, while I still have this out, I am going to put what
the other side of the Gauntlet looks like here on the screen."
Tracy touches the screen, his eyes have a faraway look. He murmurs softly
to himself, "Ohh....Iris...I wish she had come along..."
Melody watches you curiously. "Why? I WAS kind of hoping to see her.."
Tracy shakes his head, shutting the scanner down, "I just...suddenly
really wish she was here at my side." he clears his throat, "Sorry..."
You say, "No, that's no problem..if you could have your own umbilical
cords to each other, you would. Are you feeling all right?"
Tracy hangs the, now dormant, scanner at his belt and bends to dig in his
bag. The first thing he pulls out is a laptop with an extremely advanced
but home made feel to it. He wipes at a tear and murmurs, "This place just
has a strong emotional ressonance..."
Melody opens her arms, offering.
Tracy sets the computer down and immediately takes the offered hug. He
really should not play at trying so to hide or ignore his emotions, he
seems so sensitve that they could overwhelm him. His hug is very warm,
almost fierce. He lets out a soft sigh, his breath touseling your hair
lightly.
Melody strokes your hair back, not saying anything, just letting you feel
the warmth of her hug.
Tracy remains in your arms for an indeterminate period of time, secods
perhaps, minutes most likely, ages and no time at all. Slowly he
disengages and smiles at you, "Thankyou my friend."
Melody strokes your cheek and smiles. "You're always welcome, brother. Why
do you hide how kind you are from everyone?"
Tracy closes his eyes and lets out a soft sigh. He murmurs, "Kindness is
often viewed as weakness. I have taken alot for being weak and I am not as
kind as you may think..." brushing his hand over the back of yours where
youstroke his cheek then opens and boots up his computer. Several multi-
faceted plates slide out of its sides and front. They have the odd
appearance somehow that they might be sails for a ship.
Melody watches you for a long moment. "You know, I know a lot of young
Verbena like you.." She pauses as she blinks at the machine.
Tracy pulls from his bag three metal rods. They are about two inches in
diameter and a foot and a half long. That is, until he hits the button on
th eside and a sharp poin extends from each of them, making the m telecope
to three times hteir orriginal length. He slows to his feet and gently
places them in a triangle pattern like stakes. The screen at the top of
each of them seems ot tell him the exact distance from the other pylons
as he places them.
Tracy says, "Young Verbena like me? How so..."
You say, "Afraid of the power of their own emotions."
Tracy murmurs as he sits in an open lotu position, laptop in hand in the
center of the triangle "I do not think I...fear the power of my
emotions..." As he types soemthing on the computer the top foot long
portions of the pylons split into fourths and extend sails identicle to
the ones on the computer..
You say, "What is it you fear, then?"
The pylons' and computer's sails begin to ressonate and vibrate. There is
a light humming in the air from it, it is like a swarm of bees in the
distance, yet it is an oddly beautiful, almost music. Already a dome can
be seen forming, blue-white electricity arcs from the computer to the
pylons and Tracy's hair begins be blown upwards. It is not so much blown,
however, as it seems to fall upwards. He murmurs a single phrase in answer
to you "The nature of humans themselves."
Melody frowns slightly, but lets you work. Plenty of time to talk about
this later.
Melody closes her eyes, shielding you both with Mind from casual eyes.
You're Not There.
Tracy sits amidst a maelstrom of swirling energy. The Corona that forms
from this could only be called a Halo and sitting on the dimensional
divide you can see very faintly clockwork wings with silver feather
extending from Tracy's back wiht the faintest hint of a woan's hands
around his waist. Within the blue sphere of energy as he taps away on
his computer, everything seems to fall upwards. His hair, even the couple
of trickles of sweat here and htere. You hear amidst the humming the
faint lub-dub of a heartbeat. Litle black specks fall downwards inside the
bubble of energy like a slow rain. Like bubbles they burst against Tracy
and the ground becoming more Ether amidst the flow.
Melody isn't seeing any of this with her eyes, but every hair stands on
end.
There is a sense of longing here...as if someone here often years for what
was, and will never be again.
Tracy vanishes from sight.
Melody loses track of you...and it seems like forever...
Melody is frowning, eyes still closed, then as you find yourself back in
reality she gasps.
The dead ressonance pylons suddenly flare back to life and the massive
globe of bluewhite energy crackle sinto being agains wiht a swirl. Tracy
appears in the center on his knees shivering. hsi eyes are wide, his
cafe-au-lait skin is sahenly pale as his hair falls back downwards
rather than upwards. He is griting his teeth and and as soon as he is
ther ehe seems to be holding back a scream, panting hard.
You mindsend to (Tracy) with: <>
Tracy mindsends to (Melody): <>
Melody gasps again and scrambles toward you, and you can feel her hoping
that the machine doesn't need to be turned off first as she crosses the
barrier of the pylons.
The machine is slowly shutting down anyway, having finished its return
sequence. A little blue electricity leaps to you and has an oddly cold
feel rather than hot electricity but it does nto hurt or harm. He looks
up at you wiht his eyes wide in terror and shame.
Melody gathers you into her arms, falling to her knees. No judgement, no
slap in the face, only relief as she whispers "What happened?" aloud.
Tracy puts his arms around you shakily and murmurs, "I thought the gate
was open enough...so I stepped through. M...my re..ressonance calculations
must have been off...I...I did not get enough power to pierce the
Gauntlet and got stuck between worlds..."
Melody is real. She is there. She is real. You can feel the solidity of
her, and you know she was looking, and that she would have kept looking
until she found you. "No more tonight. No more. Just relax."
Tracy's waves of terror pass quickly an deven more so wiht your presence.
He relaxes against you and lets out a soft sigh, "It is not like this is
the first time this has happened...I shoul dbe used ot it by now. But I
have not been Umbral exploring as much since coming here...I had forgotten
how alone..that place...feels.
Melody whispers fiercely "You are never alone."
Tracy's voice whispers in yur ear like a soft breeze, overwhelmed with
emotion "Thankyou...my sweet sister."
Melody nuzzles your cheek gently. "Do you wwant to talk about it?"
Tracy lets out a soft, shuddering, sigh. He knows what 'it' you are
referring to "I have only ever spoken to Iris about it. R..right now I
can't...but later..maybe?"
Melody nods. "When you're ready, brother. Why don't you go home and curl
up with Iris?"
Tracy nods, "I think I will...thankyou Sis"
Melody releases you, helping you gather up your intruments and seeing you
to the bus stop. "Always welcome, brother."
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