The City of Durem - A GM Thread ♦ WALK-IN/OPEN

[Lady Sierra]

arrow || The World of Auln'th || The Royal City; Private Quarters

She drew the curtains, and walking to the front door, she checked that it was locked. Satisfied that it was, she turned and crossed the room to the bookcase.

"Hghhn!"

Throwing her shoulder into it and pushing, the shelf gave way, sliding to the side with a creaky groan of protest. Kneeling down, she ran her hands over the floorboards, long delicate fingers spreading outward.

"Release!"

Her command cracked through the silence of the small room as she spread her palm flat, a layered sigil flaring brightly out around her hand as she poured her energy into it. A breeze stirred from seemingly nowhere, causing the garnet strands of hair that framed her delicate face to dance across her pale cheeks. The sigil cracked and then shattered at her touch.

The spell was something she had put in place to guard her work, and as it vanished, her snake-like, arrow tipped tail struck at the boards, lodging between the planks and prying one loose. Removing two planks she reached down beneath the floorboards carefully, tenderly even-- withdrawing a collection of tomes, and scrolls. Her hands reached down to pull more from within the depths of the hiding spot; Several trinket looking baubles, and a whole stack of papers covered with notes and diagrams. Measurements, coordinates and sigils. At a glance or to the untrained eye the papers would look like the scribbling of someone who had gone quite mad. The notes even varied in language. It was a collection of knowledge gathered over many worlds. The culmination of all these years of work and the countless battles. It had all lead her here to this realm of Auln'th where she had learned of a magi who could teach her the ritual she had been so desperately seeking. Again her hands reached into the darkness at her feet as she pulled out a small satchel of dried ingredients, painstakingly gathered across planets and realms. Lastly, she pulled out a dusty leather bound parcel. Hugging it tight to her chest she breathed in the dusty scent of it, and smiled. It was almost as if she could smell the worlds she had visited, as if it carried some scent of her travels seeped in it's leather.

"It has to be tonight."

Circumstances for such rituals varried from world to world. But she had learned that the barriers between worlds surrounding Auln'th, were thinnest during the holy week. A week that celebrated the deity Llewellyn; goddess of Divination and Magic. And the elements needed for the ritual to open a portal to another world would be provided for the Ceremony of Offering to receive Llewellyn's blessing, in an ancient and sacred circle, in the heart of the Imperial Gardens, as the focus of the royal celebrations.

He's not going to change his mind you know...

"It's no matter. I am not asking permission; he had his chance."

If this goes wrong...

"It won't."

[Lady Sierra]

arrow || The World of Auln'th || The Royal City; Private Quarters

As she did with many of the worlds she'd been to; She spent the first year on Auln'th learning the language and working as a sell-sword, earning enough coin to exist and to purchase information where she could. By the time she found the Magi Ver'uhn, and had proven herself to him, two more seasons had passed. It was a year and a half after her arrival that she was brought before His Royal Majesty, King Rosphiel the IV, To ask permission to access the sacred circle and journey home.

A bargain had been struck. For the King had long since received reports of an elven Vagabond wandering from village, to town, to city, with foreboding eyes of black and red, and a tail most demonic; carrying two exotic looking swords. The reports said she sold her skills to peasant and Lord alike; more often than not, seeking knowledge over coin. Before she arrived he had been inundated with reports of the dark races crossing into his kingdom and harassing citizens and burning villages. He had lost many troops to their increasing numbers. And intel suggested they were on the verge of an invasion. Those reports had dropped by more than half, as the mysterious swordswoman fought up and down the border taking job after job tirelessly. Rumours claimed that she fought like a demon, and often talked to her swords in a strange tongue as if possessed.

So when the strange woman in question appeared before him needing something from him... he saw an opportunity.

She would agree to fight for his kingdom and help defeat the invading army. Once they had achieved victory, he would grant her access to the circle, and the Royal Artifact that acted as the cornerstone of it's power.

The war had only lasted just over a year, and the countryside ran red with blood. It was a short war in contrast to the past conflicts of their country. And the more adversaries the woman slaughtered in his name, the more Rosphiel began to think he couldn't lose her power and the security it afforded his kingdom. He proposed to her that she stay with him; offering title, wealth and luxury, but she had adamantly refused. After she returned to the capitol he put her off, again and again. Finding reason after reason why he could not fulfill his promise to the deadly beauty just yet. He was stalling as his best mages searched for a spell that could bind her to his service.

She had long since grown suspicious, and knew of course he was lying. He began to have her followed and insisted it was for her protection-- She who had lead his army to victory.

'Another lie.'

Tonight he had insisted that she be his guest to the royal festivities. He wanted her to personally receive the blessing of Llewellyn on behalf of a grateful nation, and to show her off to all the visiting nobles. His champion.

She broke out of her memories as her gaze fell coldly on the gown once more and flicked to the politely worded invitation that she knew was not a request but a command.

A king should know...

...The importance of an oath.

"Let's remind him, shall we?"

[Lady Sierra]

arrow || The World of Auln'th || The Royal City; Private Quarters

The woman hurriedly shed her clothing, slipping instead into the dusty garments she had so lovingly pulled from their hiding spot. She pulled each article of cloth and leather into place with could only be described as reverence as she secured them. When everything was in place, she looked in a long mirror with a satisfied quirk of her lips. They weren't fancy. They weren't worth much coin. But for her, they carried with them a priceless history; Her story. It was a hodgepodge; Each mended tear. Each patch. The leather that had been stiff and a bit rough against her skin, but had long since been worn into a soft and comfortable suppleness from so much use. Spots that had grown darker than their original colour from repeatedly being drenched in blood. Hers. Her enemies. For years she had traveled with no real place, and these clothes had been the closet thing she'd had to a sense of home in these foreign worlds. Bits and pieces had been replaced and modified, added to as they wore out beyond repair. Not everything was original to when she'd first embarked on her journey, but that just added to her tale.

The skin that they covered too-- was a similar mess of roughly stitched patch jobs. Some better than others, as her skill with sewing her own wounds shut, and blending shadow and flesh had improved over time. Though she was nowhere near the level of perfection and skill as the one who had first given her this shadow shell. In comparison her work would look like a child's clay art held up against a great master sculpture. But she was on her own. And had to rely only on the skills she possessed to survive. And survive she had.

She allowed herself the brief moment of reverie before turning away from her reflection, she picked up a satchel and busied herself with wrapping up some specific items from the pile she had pulled up from the floor boards. Picking through each thing it either went into her bag, or was set in the middle of the room. When she was done, she stood and stared at the pile intensely.

"Something is missing--"

She looked around the room, and her eyes came once more to the gown and the invitation. And she smiled darkly, "Oh yes."

Crossing the room she stuffed the invitation into her bag, and tossed the gown atop the heap.

"There!" She said with a satisfied nod.

And spread her hands wide. Purple flames leapt from her finger tips, and blazed to life amidst the pile in the center of the room, before spreading outward rapidly. She would leave no trace, only ash where she had been.

She picked up the Brothers and slid them into their sheaths on her back. She watched a moment as flame raced up the bookshelf. The room filling with smoke-- She plucked a cloak from it's peg just before the flames could catch it, throwing it over her shoulders before walking out of the house and shutting the door behind her forever; and swiftly vanishing into the holiday crowd.

[Heras Box]

DeSeer Estate


Life seemed to stir within the walls of the estate. Well, activity anyways. The youngest of the clan was in residence. Her small figure was sitting at the large dining table and seemingly staring at nothing. Those pale blues of hers would have bore holes into the wall if they could. Nostrils flared and her chest began to rise as she forced air into her useless lungs. In truth Fenra was tasting the air around her and trying to figure out who was close or had been within the past few days. Seeing her around was a rare thing but here she was and with a desire to see her sire and Maman.

With each scent being analyzed her eyes rolled ever so slowly to one side, allowing her to now stare out the window. All she caught sight of was dense woods. At first she was disappointed but as her mind cycled through a few things she slowly began to think of familiar things. Fenra didn't feel human at all. No surprise there since she wasn't, but even the little mannerisms were gone. She didn't bother to blink or pretend to breath. Her movements were either too fast or deliberately slow, like a statue moving. There was a stiffness in her, like she had been frozen for a long time. To any outside eyes she would be the picture of a life-sized porcelain doll, only with street clothes instead of a pretty dress.

The sight of the woods compelled her to move, turning to the side so that she could look out the window properly, but when the thought of nature penetrated her mind fully she thought of flowers and that in turn caused her to think of roses. In an instant Fenra was up and out of the seat and across the room, standing in the doorway and staring out at the 'sun porch' that overlooked the gardens. With a clatter the chair she had been in just seconds earlier hit the floor. Her movements hadn't been controlled at all. Now she stood perfectly still as she watched the rose garden. A low rumble, a frustrated growl, left her throat and seemed to fill every corner of the first floor.

[exp. 99]

DeSeer Estate

The staff were used to the eccentricities of the family. Each of course had been hand selected and groomed by one of the clan to serve in some capacity. From the crack security chosen by Corbin to keep the most sensitive and secret chambers safe, to the groundskeepers tapped by the Lady herself for their impeccable work ethic and love of horticulture, each had firsthand understanding of the nature of their masters and employers. So it was of little surprise to them that the youngest would be in such an unusual state of being. The boys before her had all endured their own trials and adjustment periods, with each experiencing mental turmoil to reconcile what they had become and what they were to be.
As such, day to day business in the estate continued on. The walls circling the property were marked by periodic patrols as the guards did their rounds, and one of the gardeners was enjoying the evening whistling an off-key tune as he pruned the hedges.
Yet none of this was really what the childe was looking for, was it? These people bore the scent of her kin in what could be an almost maddeningly tantalizing reflection of the elder clanmates. But it was diffused into their being, rather than distilled.

Yet Fenra was not alone. She could note the scent of her sire as being about the manor, though he had not been found as yet. It was almost as if her voiced, grumbled frustrations conjured him, as a most familiar voice broke the mood from the door at her back.

Welcome home, childe.

Framed by the portal stood her sire, as youthful looking and casual as he had always been. Loose fit cargo pants and a snug fit sleeveless shirt painted him in the same posture as he had ever struck, demonstrating the stasis that gripped their kind in the end. Pale fingers brushed a long, silky lock from his face and neatly tucked it behind his ear.

[Heras Box]

DeSeer Estate

It was beyond frustrating for her to smell her kin and yet not. Normally it would have been comforting but at the moment she wanted to see them as well as scent them. Heck, Fenra was sure that at this point she would settle for seeing the elusive brother that she'd not really met. Not that he was any less family to her, she simply was not as relaxed around him as she was the others. There was even a moment where she considered going out and rolling in the roses to see if Roan would appear to beat her senseless. Thankfully, that was not needed as Iden seemed to pop up as though summoned.

She turned her head to look back at him, at first her expression blank, and within another second she was grinning and half leaping across the room at him. Provided he didn't move or stop her then Fenra would embrace him in a bear hug on steroids. Since she was a wolf first she did as wolves would do to one of their pack and lazily rubbed her head against Iden's shoulder. Due to a shared ability to change into a beast she didn't worry about him getting the wrong idea or being thoroughly confused. "Hey old man."

When she was through greeting her sire Fenra eyed him a bit. "Where were you and where is everyone else?"

[exp. 99]

It was always a delight watching a spectrum of emotion wash over someone's face. The dawning recognition in his childe was heartwarming, and Iden mirrored it with a stoic antipathy that blinking into a ever growing broad smile. Of course he did nothing to stop her from sweeping into his open arms. Bones popped quietly under the forceful affection, but it hardly bothered him. He could (and did) return the favor by hoisting her off her feet on impact, and taking a staggered step backwards as the welcome gesture was returned with equal aplomb.

Hmm He purred contentedly, and idly scratched with a gentle touch behind her ears.

Good to see you too, kiddo.

With his chin resting on her shoulder, his grin couldn't be wider; it remained such for the whole of their embrace. He knew the questions were coming though, and they were of a far less joyous nature. The first one dampened his mood a bit, as it brought home the reality of their lives. With that, Iden sighed and pulled back, enough so that they could look each other in the eye.

Honest answer? Here. If not here then cleaning up Auria, given its my home away from home. It's always one of those two, either monitoring and tending to the family estate and Durem, or standing the long watch over a dead city.

Another sigh. This one brought signs of the cracking of his demeanor, giving hints of a life that would have put wrinkles to his eyes if he weren't forever immune to such things.

I'm the only one, Fen. At least, until you came home.

[Heras Box]

DeSeer Estate

The scratching behind her ears caused her to close her eyes and enjoy the touch. Many things may be different since she was changed but there was no getting rid of old habits and joys. Fenra loved affection of the sort when it came from family, especially when she was a wolf rather than person. As Iden answered her she leaned her head against his hand, not wanting the scratching to stop. Of course learning that he had been here or his other home made her wonder if they had always missed one another by mere moments or if it were days. It wasn't until he mentioned that he was the only one that she stood straight and still.

"What?" Fen had to have heard him wrong. Instantly she looked around again as if expecting someone else to come out of the woodwork and say 'gotcha!' When no such thing happened she could feel the panic rising inside her. Where were her brothers!? Where was Corbin? Will? And what about Roan!? None of those questions left her lips though. Fenra couldn't bring herself to ask them. If she felt alone and upset then Iden must feel five times what she did, easily. So instead she hugged onto him again. "It's okay. We're both home now." Doing her best to comfort him and herself she buried her head against his neck and forced a deep breath so that she could enjoy the scent of kin.

Iden had been like a brother to her before he changed her and being brought into the family by him made the bond stronger, so she didn't want to see him upset or saddened by anything. As her sire he was supposed to be invincible, much like a father would be to their child. "Could you not leave me...?" Maybe if she stayed with him then he wouldn't disappear.

[exp. 99]

And there it was. He hadn't been sure what the reaction would be; truth be told he wasn't sure how any of this would play out. After the initiation they had spent some time together, but nowhere near the bonding period he would have liked to bring her into the fold. That such loyalty was present was heartwarming, but the newly reinvigorated embrace now had a little less warmth to it than before, as the truth of it all just stung unpleasantly close to home.

His hands held up, open palmed and hanging where they had been before she buried herself into his arms again. A moment passed, punctuated by a heavy sigh, then he gently patted his childe's back with open palms.

Easy there kiddo. I'm here, I'm going to stay here. There will always be a DeSeer in Durem.

Where she had planted her face into his shoulder, she couldn't see the sad smile on his own. He could empathize with Fenra, and lamented his own absence from what was ultimately her second childhood and formative years. But when she would in the end pull away, the smile was gone, the sadness banished for her sake. It seemed it was his turn to be the big person of the house.

[Heras Box]

DeSeer Estate

There was something different about this hug. Fenra wasn't sure she could say exactly what it was but.. it wasn't the same as the first one. Then there was something to the words he said that brought up the panic again. "Always be a DeSeer in Durem..." Did that mean that if one of them was needed to take care of things else where then the other had to stay put? Suddenly her grip on him tightened even more. If the others were gone then she didn't like the idea of not having Iden around. What if he left and didn't come back? What if she was all that was left?

No! She had chosen this family. It wasn't supposed to disappear! "So.. if you have to go back to Auria... I have to stay here?" Could she do that? Physically, sure. In the end though she wasn't so sure how well she would fair mentally. Being with the others, even if they were simply in the same house and not speaking, brought peace to her and kept so much calm. Oddly enough the DeSeers were her anchor. "When you have business to take care of... I will be... left behind.." Fen knew that her brothers did certain jobs for associates of the clan. She had yet to pick any of those jobs up since well... she lacked their skills. So it left Fenra feeling useless sometimes. If what she was thinking were true then she needed to get used to not having that comforting strong scent of her kin around her.

[exp. 99]

Now things were just getting awkward. He could understand attachment issues, considering his own state of psyche, but...
Iden sighed, and chuckled softly at Fen's borderline panic and protest. Taking matters way too literally? He used to do the same, fairly regularly. It was something he could relate to.

Think it through, childe. Have your comings and goings ever been restricted? You've been Unfortunately lucky with that unkindness of mine. Ease off.

While Iden was gentle in now placing his hands on her shoulders to peel the pair of them apart, he was firm. Her clinging was a pleasant greeting, but now was a time for explanation and a bit of sense, and that was harder to do when she was buried in his chest. He needed her at arms length to fix his even gaze upon.

You're misunderstanding me. There will always be the clan in Durem, even if we are all away on business. Someone always returns, someone always makes sure the estate is managed. No-one is forcing you to stay in the house against your will, so calm. Down.

[Heras Box]

DeSeer Estate

He told her to think. Fenra tried and at first she had difficulty but as he told her that she had never been restricted she seemed to nod and relax a little. Though there was something he said that confused her. "Unfortunately lucky with that unkindness?" What did he mean by that?

With Iden pulling the two of them apart she didn't try to stay where she was. If it came down to brute strength then the rest of the family likely had her beat anyways. With farther explanation of what he meant she calmed even more until she finally let go. It made more sense to her now and didn't give her any reason to panic. Of course that didn't tell her where everyone else was but she didn't ask.

[The Kaijumancer]

Downtown Durem

It was a light rain that fell on the man, slowly bringing the chill of the spring shower from around him to his bones.
As he walked in the crowd he reflected how ironic it was he was back here, living in Durem once again. The last time he was here he almost died fighting an Ork, but one hadn’t been seen in about as long. Gaia Primus had a way of calling wayward souls back to it. It reminded him of a song his late father used to have on the radio a bout a hotel that you could check out of, but never truly leave.
Finding a covered bus stop, he checked to make sure it was one that was on his route home before pulling out a damp pack of smokes and a small jar of glistening black oil. Opening the jar he dipped one of the cigarettes into it about halfway up before resealing the jar. Lighting it with a puff of blue flame from his lips he took a long drag letting the oil infused smoke fill not just his lungs, but an emptiness in is soul he had been trying to fill for years.
Phyresis was the new drug in the city, and unsurprisingly Joseph had taken a liking to it. It fit with what problem he realized as an adult, a predisposition to addiction. It had started out with an addiction to power, one he was able to beat, but only after he had killed his own mother as a teenager. While he regretted the act, and had come to terms with it, it was a stain that pained him still. Following that and coming to Gaia Primus, it was fame and attention that drew his addiction. Entering high end fighting matches and picking fights with people in the hopes of being one of the big players, but it only left him alone and isolated.
Now he just settled for being numb to it all, and Phyresis in its many forms helped with that.

Outskirts of Durem, Joseph’s apartment complex.

Joseph fiddled with his key ring to get to the key for his apartment. It had taken longer than usual for the bus ride home and he was tired of being cold and soaked. Finally unlocking the door he walked into the small studio apartment he called home.
Meagerly furnished as it was it had everything he needed. Tossing his keys on the counter he headed to the shower.
He had barely finished washing his hair when a banging at his door drew his attention.
Jumping out of the shower and Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he called out “Give me a bloody second, Jesus.”
Swinging his front door opening with an irritated “yes?!” He was met with a bat to his face.
He staggered back surprised and feeling the blood drain from his nose. Opening his eyes he saw three figures entering, all masked though only one seemed to have a weapon of any sort, that being the bat that probably broke his nose.
He started to channel his aura into a weapon in his right hand, but noticed that the figure in the back raised his hands in a purple glow.
“Nice try old man, but we know you’re a meta human, and we know you have a stash of Phyresis. So we brought a friend who can suppress your powers. Though we didn’t expect that you’d also lose an eye when we did it, that just makes you easier to deal with.”

“Old man? From your voices you lot can’t be that younger than me, a decade at worst. But to go through all this trouble for a small jar, seems excessive.”

There was no reply from the one who had spoken up, but it had distracted him long enough for the one who didn’t have a weapon to get to the edge of his blind spot. It was all over before he knew what happened. It had been a long time since he had been in a brawl, longer still that he had to brawl unpowered. The last thing he felt was a pain in the side of his head and the laugher about how easy an old HoH washout was to take down.


Durem General Hospital

Joseph woke up in a hospital bed, an unusual thing considering how fast he normally healed.
“In other news, the string of break ins continues in Durem, with an apartment complex on the 600 block of Nowhere being the latest hit. Local authorities where called to the scene after a resident was found beaten inside their own apartment. They where identified as 31 year old Joseph Walsh. He was taken to Durem General for his injuries. Investigators currently don’t have a motive for the break in nor are they sure if it relates to the other outbreak hitting our city, Phyresis.”
Joseph found the remote and turned off the tv. The last thing he needed was his face plastered over the news. After all, he still wanted his Phyresis, and being a person of interest in an investigation would make it hard to buy. It would also make it hard to find out what was really going on in the background. Perhaps he found a new addiction, one that would help him get off the other.

[Sins of an Angel]

The Kaijumancer

The harsh, jarring sound of her phone’s alarm startled her awake, tearing unwelcome through the comfortable, fuzzy veil of liquor-induced sleep. A groan sounded from beneath the heap of blankets as she willed her body to move in order to turn it off. Finding the effort to do anything but glare at it through narrowed, squinting eyes was the first of many challenges the day would throw at her, much to her own ignorance right then.

Zandra Regan was not an impatient sort, for the most part, and there was usually good money in coming out this way. Today’s adventure involved picking up some schmuck’s throttle-hopper, a street bike that had seen better days. Her old beater of a truck was apparently far more reliable than that thing, considering how many times the man had brought it ‘round the shop. She could count on both hands for how often it ended up in her care. At least he was a loyal customer and never balked when handed a hefty bill.

Durem boasted a varied selection of hotels and inns, yet most were too posh or the concierge too nosy for her liking. The Stardust Inn was hardly a four-star resort but it suited her needs just fine - it had a bed, a clean shower, and a door that locked. What more could someone like her want for? She was only in town for as long as it would take to pick up the damn bike, grab some grub and get out. So was the plan anyway. Which required dragging her sorry a** out of bed to start with. Right. C’mon Z, let’s get a move on. Her own self-coaxing was not much of a motivator but with no one else around to play the part, it would suffice. And suffice it did, since she made a worthwhile effort to draw the covers back and swing her feet around to the edge. Zandra roughly scrubbed her palms over her face, further inviting a semblance of wakefulness. Grabbing the television remote, the screen flickered to life with the push of a button and cast light out over the dim room. The morning news might not have been her first choice, but noise was noise and it was as good of a backdrop as any while she showered.

Phyresis.

What a name. Not that it held any specific sort of meaning to her, but it certainly sounded like the sort of thing you’d call a psychotropic substance that turned you into a suped-up super-human, or just a paranoid schizophrenic looking for their next hit. And this was exactly why she didn’t like coming to this gods-be-damned city. Not lately anyway.

“In other news, the string of break ins continues in Durem, with an apartment complex on the 600 block of Nowhere being the latest hit. Local authorities were called to the scene after a resident was found beaten inside their own apartment. They were identified as 31 year old Joseph Walsh. He was taken to Durem General for his injuries. Investigators currently don’t have a motive for the break in, nor are they sure if it relates to the other outbreak hitting our city, Phyresis.”

“********. Really? ********!” She knew she shouldn’t give a damn, rightfully so. It wasn’t her problem, but the idiot had shown up at her door just last year with one foot in the grave and bleeding all over creation. His piss poor attempt at a mugging a couple years before that in Sigil hadn’t exactly endeared the man to her, but the stupid little voice in the back of her head called a conscience was nagging at her to go pay him a visit. If only to make sure he wasn’t going to shuffle off this mortal coil anytime soon. Due diligence and all that. Someone had to look out for the fool, and somehow Zan didn’t think he had anyone else to fill that role…

Durem General Hospital

"Walsh? Joseph?"

The receiving nurse barely looked up as she typed, and her manicured nails clacked noisily against the keys. "Mhm, and you are…?"

Nobody important, Zandra almost retorted, sighing. Just some sucker who had zero obligation to this man but that wouldn't fly. She knew that. "Niece." Obviously a big fat lie, but who the hell was this woman to question? When she got a skeptical eye in return, Zan doubled down. "Look, I'm from out of town. We don't have a close relationship but I'm the only living relative he's got so when I saw the news I hauled my a** up here because like it or not, we're family. So unless you're going to take a genetic sample, just tell me what room and I'll be out of your hair."
--
Damn, she hated hospitals. They were cold, sterile and reeked of death and sickness. Remembering her visit with Izzy all those years ago, finding out about her condition - then the whole deal with Reggie…

"Knock knock. Morning, buttercup. You look like s**t," Zandra snarked as she rapped her knuckles on the open doorframe of Joseph’s room.

[The Kaijumancer]

Joseph looked around his hospital room and sighed. Since his last fight that left him on an acquaintance’s couch he had avoided getting into fights. It seemed as though that hotel was checking him in too.
Getting out of the hospital bed, and slowly removing the IV, he moved towards the dresser hoping to be rewarded with the clothes he was probably admitted with.
Finding them washed but still a bit worse for wear thanks to the blood, he exchanged the paper thin gown for his normal attire.
The kaijumancer headed into the bathroom and just stared at his bruised face. It might not have been another meta human that had suppressed his powers. After all once he got out of the range of them after he had left, his regeneration should have kicked in and not left him as bruised. Magic then? It would explain why he was taking longer to heal.
A nurse entered the room and caught him looking in the mirror, “Mr. Walsh, you shouldn’t be up yet.”
“I’m fine, your tests should show I’m healing faster than most. I’ve been through worse and lived. I’ll be out of y’all hair shortly.”
“There is another thing sir, the police will want to speak with you now that your up.”
“Well let them come up, sooner I can get this over with the sooner I can catch my next shift at work.”
The nurse waved the cops in and he gave them
His provided a statement, leaving out the important bit, as he planned to get to the bottom of this himself.
He spent the next two hours thinking over who he might know that could help him get to the bottom of it.

Sins of an Angel

"Knock knock. Morning, buttercup. You look like s**t," Zandra snarked as she rapped her knuckles on the open doorframe of Joseph’s room.

The man looked up in shock, standing in the portal to his room was someone he hadn’t expected to see again honestly.
“Ry” he started before clearing his throat, “Reagan, I mean, I didn’t expect you here even in a billion years.” He recalled from the last encounter that the name he remembered was a older nickname that she had made clear was dead.
He got up and walked towards her offering his hand, “I suppose you came to collect on the new furniture I probably owe you from the previous meeting.” He gestured around the room, “Take your pick.” He half heartedly joked.