September 16th, 1999 Thursday morning

Arabis is at the library working with Giles to get rid of some dissonance. She asks Giles if he can look for information on the Seller of Souls reference, and whether or not he can find the man who threw his parking ticket away -- Giles says he will try on both counts. So Giles sets Arabis to work reshelving books, assuring her that Adrienne will remain oblivious to Arabis' presence.
    And imagine the Ofanite's surprise when, as she is deciphering the wickedness of the book numbering sequences, she glances down and aisle and sees her fugitive from justice. He is speaking with a young woman -- say, freshman, 18 or so. Sneaky Arabis creeps through the stacks and gets close enough to read his i.d., carelessly flopping out o his backpack -- Jackson White. She notes that his eyes do not reflect the warmth in his voice or his smile. . . and she hates him instinctively. The girl to whom he speaks, however -- is very clearly a fresh-faced innocent. They are discussing a trip to the mountains and an upcoming party at his house. When they go their separate ways, Arabis stages a clumsy moment and slams into Jackson. . . hard. He inquires after her well being, but does not help retrieve her fallen books. Then she follows him round campus to see where his classes are, and uses the student directory to find out his address for a later visit.
    Matt, after healing the tree wounded by the Calabite, returns to the Tether with coffee for himself and Adrienne. Giles magnanimously tolerates the presence of 'bean juice' in his Tether, no matter how awful it smells. Matt, as usual enjoying the discomfiture of the Seneschal, demonstrates his new kung fu skills. Punch punch, kick kick.
    Arashiel finally calls poor Sean the lonely in Colorado Springs, and plans are made for him to visit the next day. Then comes knock to the downstairs door, and Rashi realizes she is quite alone at the Painted Pot. No Jael, no Matt, no Bob. Hmmm. Not at all daunted, Rashi finds a trench-coated man with slicked back blond hair at the door. He looked, um, reluctant to be there.
    Rashi, unafraid of strange men in trenchcoats, opens to the door to him. She only *looks* small and fragile.
    The blond man turns mirror-shaded eyes on her. "You Jael?"
    Blink, blink.
    His voice gets the faintest shades of impatience. "No? Then you must be the other one. Look, Kedar says you were asking questions about Cariel. I'm Mahariel, Malakite of Creation is service to Dreams. I knew Cariel."
    Arashiel graciously invites Mahariel inside. Information is traded: it's fairly clear that Mahariel and Cariel were, um, quite close in that way Creationers can be once, and that there had been a nasty falling out at some point. Grim-faced Mahariel: "I don't know what happened to her. She got kind of loopy there toward there end. When the Purity Crusades happened she went off the deep end. She helped whether the recipient wanted it or not. She thought she knew what was best. You know. . .Cherubs. ' I know what's best for my attunements. ' Yes, that Tapestry definitely looks like her work. There used to be many of the creatures of the Tapestry in the world and in the Marches."
    Mmmm. Arashiel remains noncommittal about what this particular Cherub thinks about attunements or Purity Crusades. She inquires about the Fate-linked cloth. She only *looks* innocent, really. See that gleam in her eyes.
    Mahariel sighs. "No, but then I didn't even know about this Tapestry and I . . .well, I thought I knew Cariel pretty well there for a while. If that's the real Cariel in that tapestry of yours. . . If she made this as a place to hide I would watch out about messing with it. She had a temper! Anyway, if you ever find out what happened to her . . . would you let me know?" His face is strained as he asks. Old wounds. "She, uh. She never told anyone where she was going. We assumed she'd been killed someplace."
    "Of course. I wonder if Michael has some specific purpose in mind when he says I can use the Tapestry. I mean, if I opened this up and all of these creatures came out then that would repopulate all these species. Is Michael looking for Soldiers? This would great turmoil. How could we contain them?"
    "How do you contain a dream?" Mahariel retorts gently. "Many of the people that Cariel was trying to help were Ethereals, and they don't work the same way as Celestials. This would bring back a lot of them . . . could really change things."
    After more pleasantries, Mahariel leaves. Arashiel settles down over video games to do some serious thinking. Would the various Arch-Angels approve of an unraveling? Would this create a new Purity Crusade? Worse, would this play into The Bad Guys' specific goals?
    Meanwhile, at the Board, lately become haven for new lovers, Rook consults with Sangeeta briefly again about his Internet plans, promises to return for is afternoon classes, and cleverly mentions visiting a Bazaar to look at a rug so the unsuspecting secretary won't 'get it' but she'll still know where he is. Then he and Jael go to the Painted Pot and find a contemplative Arashiel. A briefing ensues.
    ". . . Cariel may be very protective of the Tapestry," Rashi concludes.
    Well duh, she's a Cherub. . . Rook, however, merely counters mildly, "I understand that, but we still need to work on it. We must determine what it does so that we may use it or not use it, according to what we have found. But we cannot simply keep it when it is the source of such contention. -- By the way, where is Bob?"
    Blink. Bob?
    "I thought he was at work," Arashiel suggests.
    "At this hour of the morning?" Jael snorts. "I thought he worked only at night."
    And then everyone's favorite lunatic Elohite breezes into the room. Mad Matt was happy and interested in everyone's research. However -- "
    At that moment, Matt arrived. He was as happy as usual of late and interested in what the others had learned. However -- "I can't stay very long. I am going to go take in Adrienne's class," he chirps.
    Rook gets that Look. "The Lilim is still teaching? There is two thirds of a Game Triad in town and she is going about her duties? She should cease immediately and remain in the Tether. Her safety cannot be guaranteed otherwise."
    "She has a Role, Rook."
    "She could take a sabbatical . . .something. That Role won't be of much good to her if the game gets her."
    And this is true. But one cannot *force* a Lilim to be sensible.
    "I'll talk to her," Matt offers.
    Sigh. "At any rate, we are getting ready to work on the Tapestry. It would behoove us to have Arabis here. She might have some insight." Rook uses the Phone of Ofanite Summoning (if she remembers how to answer it. . . ), and Arabis soon appears at the Painted Pot.
    And suddenly (in a rare event that the GM marked on her calendar) the PCs were all in one place, all working on one thing. The Tapestry. (Well, Jael plans to heal up Arabis' raven vessel, but she can multitask).
    The experiments begin. No, none of the creatures can be resonated. Should the Tapestry be unraveled? Rook, of course, votes yes, because any information at this point would be a boon. Should it be done in the Marches? Will the creatures in the Tapestry be real or representations, corporeal animals or Ethereal? Would they want out? Had they wanted in? Eventually, the group decides that they need to try this on the corporeal plane, as a true animal released would die in the Marches.
    On the way to this conclusion, the angels consider that Arashiel may not be the best person to conduct experiments after all since she is a mythical type -- what if the Tapestry sucks her in? (GM arches an eyebrow. What an interesting idea.)
    Meaning to use one of Jordi's Tethers to descend to a remote location, the angels ascend to Arashiel's Heart. This means that Rashi now has an appreciative audience for her Japanese sword collection -- Rook's eyes get all misty-googly. Arabis and Jael look at each other. Sigh. Jael, who loves both of them, tolerates. Arabis, who hates to sit still, orbits around the room impatiently.
    Finally -- to the Savannah! Rashi has an idea to find some deceased creatures of myth -- like a unicorn or a ki-rin. Eventually they spot one. Rashi approaches alone -- the others suspect that dragons and Malakim may unsettle it, and Arabis could care less about talking to unicorns. Rashi Sings Ethereal Tongues to facilitate communication, and discovers that the unicorn had died by human hands while defending its offspring. It knows nothing about Cariel, but it recognizes Rashi as ki-rin-angel, and thinks there are ki-rin in the mountains. Then Rashi's Song runs out, and she thinks the angels need a Servitor of Jordi to guide us around. Arabis finds an Ofanite who is willing, and they travel till they find some ki-rin.
    As happens, these particular souls are familiar to Rashi from her days when she lived among them. They are happy to see her, and are willing to help -- because "when you bring a Malakite along we know that we had better be serious."
    Ki-rin smirks are hard to read. Unfortunately, though they are willing to help, they do not know anything about the Tapestry. The Animals Ofanite, though, *is* interested. "Does the Great One know of it?"
    Hmm. To everyone's knowledge, no. The Ofanite says she will tell her Bright Lord when she can see him, and escorts the angels down a Tether into a remote part of Yellowstone National Park. Ready for unraveling now, the angels select a bird along the border. Rashi picks the threads, but no attunement sounds warnings. The bird image unravels itself rather abruptly once the process begins. . . and it's a really, really *big* bird.
    Oh my. Good thing Arabis has her raven vessel on, and has some understanding of bird speech after so many years as one.
    Croak, squawk. "Why am I here? Are the Wars over? Are we free?"
    The OfanRaven bobs her head. "The Purity Crusade is over."
    The roc gives Rook an unhappy glance, then launches itself up and away. Arabis flies after it and does some fast talking to convince it to return and talk to the angels.
    Arabis then acts as translator for the barrage of angel questions.
    "How did you get in there?"
    "I was woven in there by Cariel. This is my vessel but I am an Ethereal."
    "Can we speak with Cariel?"
    Somewhat menacingly: "I will not be rewoven."
    "Perhaps you could take on a less conspicuous vessel, like a raven or --"
    "I am not a sparrow! I am a roc!"
    "Well, things are very much different here. The War is over but humans have gotten much better at killing. They could come after you."
    Mmmm. Humans. "I can *kill* humans."
    "They have weapons that can kill from a distance and great machines that you could not fight," Arabis presses. "You must remain hidden. Please, we want you to survive."
    "I will consider it," the roc says and, its patient exhausted, flies away.
    See the bewildered PCs. Now what? Jael, at least, is not in favor or releasing dragons from the Tapestry (Jael : "Have you seen what dragons *eat*?" Rook, deadpan: "Yes." Jael: *blush*) -- and though she tries several reasons, the real one emerges. Irad. She is embarrassed that she has not told Rook about him yet. Rook, of course, doesn't have a fit when told. The angels cannot think of a safe place to release the Tapestry's denizens, though, so they elect to return to Boulder via the Tether and eave an urgent message for Jordi in the meantime.
    Once home, Matt heads for Adrienne's class with the news from Giles that Dinhabah has been hunting him up to apologize.
    The rest remain to chat.
    "I'm worried," Arabis begins. "These actions with the Tapestry could reopen old wounds in Heaven."
    "I'll make us some tea," Jael offers, and heads to the kitchen. A split second later, a teacup meets its end on the floor and she bolts out, panic in her eyes.
    She offers no explanation, but Rashi does: "Bob." They follow her, leaving the Tapestry with Giles.
    The angels end up at Bob's house, following Jael's otherwise uninformative resonance. They hear absolutely no Symphonic disturbance, which bothers them. No Songs. Hmmm. Rook becomes SparrowMalakite and the angels check the door -- open -- and go in. Bob's very dead vessel is there, a small bullet hole between his eyes. Arabis goes celestial and checks for an Insidious Presence -- nope. The front door is unforced. Hmmm. Arabis and Rashi ascend to check his Heart, and finds the Elohite wrapped peacefully around it in the Halls of Creation. . . in Trauma.
    Eventually the angels all reunite in heaven (and think of the fortune Giles would make if he charged a toll!). Time for a Plan.
    They decide they need a Song of Memory to reconstruct the events of the murder, and o winging off to Gabriel's volcano to find someone to help (Arabis' idea, obviously). A Seraph named Cureton knows the Song and has the time to go help them, so it's back down through the Tether. . . again. . .
    Cureton manifests as a small redheaded woman with grey eyes. After several tries, she finally gets a reading describing someone who sounds like the man who so weirded out Bob at his workplace. Hmmm. Rook asked Cureton if she can have a drawing made of the man from her mental image of him; she agrees to try and ascends. Rook then summons Matt over to interrogate the local flora -- and Arabis gets to drive and play chauffeur!
    Matt arrives, a bit more pale than usual (Arabis has been driving for a few days, recall) and asks the plants what's happened. It is discovered that dandelions are terrible gossips and geraniums are rather dim-witted. Then Arabis takes Matt back to the Tether and promises to return forthwith for the other two. Rook and Jael wait patiently on the curb -- well, Rook is patient, and Jael is crying inconsolably on his stoic shoulder -- for Arabis to return for them.
    Matt returns to Lilim Guard Duty just as her class is finishing -- and he is not forthcoming about his reasons for his abrupt departure. He rushes her back to the Tether, and no sooner does he get her safely upstairs than who should appear but Dinhabah. The Judgement Elohite apologized for losing his patience the day before. Matt apologizes too -- and drops the news that Bob is dead and in Trauma. Dinhabah naturally has questions, but is firm in his convictions that the Game is not responsible.
    Matt, apparently also possessing the paranoid disease, demands to know what Dinhabah knows about it.
    "You don't trust me. . . why should I trust you?" Then, reconsidering the consequences of illogical temper. . . . "He was Word bound once and responsible for more than one fall. The last angel Bob caused to fall worked for Flowers."
    Matt, revealing his knowledge of Mafia movies: "This is so gangster!"
    Enter Arashiel, stage left. "Could it have been revenge?"
    Dinhabah does not blink at the new arrival. "Revenge of this sort is not the Game's style."
    Rook and Jael arrive on scene, finally, with Jael about three beats calmer. Dinhabah glances at her and both eyebrows shoot up. Guilt. Lots and lots of guilt. Rook takes charge and debriefs Dinhabah in a logical and linear fashion, a pleasant relief for the Dominican. Dinhabah suggests that this does look like revenge of some kind, but all agree that acquiring a new vessel and Role will help Bob hide once he's out of Trauma. Then Rook calls 911 and reports the body, so that human police can have something to do.
    Now it's time for. . . Fun With Judgement!
    Arashiel inquires whether Dinhabah knows what a roc is.
    Elohite eyebrow. "The creature of legend?"
    Cherub imp. "Yes . . .well, the term 'legend' no longer applies."
    Dinhabah's other eyebrow joins the first, and Rook rejoins the conversation to explain -- again, in a logical fashion so the Elohite's head would not spring from his body.
    Dinhabah does not freak out. Then, changing direction, he asks if he, Dinhabah 'should' know who Matt hid upstairs.
    "She is somebody's ward. I will leave it to her warden," Rook answers, clearly put off by the entire thing.
    Then Rook rescues the obviously upset Jael and goes to a different room to comfort her (Not *that* kind of comfort). Jael expresses a need to get the s.o.b. who killed Bob. Then Cureton delivers the artist's rendition of the killer, and Jael turns her attention to memorizing every detail. . . almost obsessively.
    Meanwhile, Dinhabah's words have provoked Mad Matt to go find Adrienne.
    "How do you feel about Judgement?"
    She gives him a 'duh' look. "I prefer to avoid them."
    "Well, since you are protected here and might be in the Tether a while, maybe you should meet our local representative. He'll find out about you eventually."
    Adrienne is. . . so thrilled. Crazy angels. Still, Giles said she'd be safe, and Matt swears to stand between her and all danger, so she agrees.
    As Matt leads Adrienne downstairs, Jael and Rook return to the room. The place is filled with angels! Adrienne boggles. Then she notes Rook's new stern demeanor and comments on it. Rook, no longer wishing to be Flower Boy (someone else might kiss him!) admits to being "Rook, the local Malakite." See the Lilim have heart failure on the spot. She is terribly upset, but Rook, having other needs on his mind besides smiting a protected Lilim, takes Jael back to the Painted Pot.
    Arabis, meanwhile, has not returned to the Tether, since it has a Lilim in residence. Instead she searches out Jackson White's house. . . a frat house. Oh happy day. She discovers where his car resides, and that there will be a party at the house later that evening. She makes plans to return.
    At the Painted Pot: the culinarily challenged Rook tries to outsmart the tea pot to prepare something soothing for Jael (having decided that tea cures all ills after years of observing Giles in action). As he wrestled with the willful teapot and stove he noticed the door to the back shed was ajar. . . odd, that. Bob had worked on the tapestry case back there. . . Rook investigates. He nudges the door open and sees a man rummaging through things. . . .a man who looks suspiciously like Cureton's drawing of the murderer.
    Rook becomes Cool Man. Ultra polite, he inquires of the man: "Oh, I'm sorry. Did one of the attendants let you in here?"
    "Yes," guiltily. Shifty eyes. Bad man!
    "Sorry to have bothered you then," Rook answers, and backs out. . . and locks the door behind him. Immediately loud commotion ensues from behind the door, and Rook rushes upstairs to get Jael.
    "It's him!" A vacuum is created in the wake of one really angry Cherub. . . Rook calls Arashiel and requests her presence.
    Jael, all subtlety (not) and dissonance, promptly unlocks the shed door -- and is shot in the chest. Rashi's attunement *pings*. Rook, all fury, leaps upon the man -- and the Symphony shrieks. Drat! A human! Rook switches from "kill mode" to "stun mode" and fights to incapacitate the man as he continues firing and struggling. A swearing, livid Jael suffered herself to be led upstairs while Rook carries the unconscious Bad Guy like a sack of meal after her. Rashi arrives, and after ascertaining that Jael's vessel is tough enough to withstand the wound, goes down and scours the shed for anything else. Once established that indeed, the shed is empty of Bad Things, Rashi tries to stop Jael's bleeding and curses her lack of healing Songs.
    Rook, attaining a measure of calm, sits on the Bad Guy's face and rings up Arabis -- both to inform and request any aid she might be able to provide. Then: resonate! Huh. The Bad Guy is a *Soldier of God* whose greatest sin to date has been to traffic unknowingly with Hell for revenge. A quick search of pockets produces a wallet and an identity: Kelvin Hastings of Miami. And Arabis arrives.
    Kelvin awakens to find an angry angel sitting on him, another angry angel on the couch bleeding, and two more less than happy angels watching him. Hmmm. He is not helpful at firs, but does answer Rook's very. Calm. Questions. (GM has decided that Rook gets more and more controlled the madder he gets.) He is a Soldier of Trade, and Bob was responsible for corrupting and killing his Ofanite partner some ten-plus years ago -- Ofanite never came back from Trauma. Kelvin has been tracking Bob this long, is unaware of his Redemption, and when told does not seem to care or show remorse. He admits to having met 'a guy' who offered to help him get even with Bob -- the guy asked what Kelvin wanted more than anything, and when Kelvin told him, the guy helped him out. He does not remember what he was looking for in the shed. . . he really cannot recall.
    Jael has an attack of Cherub and rather than asking Rook to kill him, or doing it herself, suggests he be handed over to Judgement. Since we have one handy, and all.
    Arabis leaves again, refusing to enter the Tether.
    Back to the Tether then -- where Dinhabah conveniently remains. The Elohite agrees to hear the case, but is unwilling to pass judgement or sentence. And then Rook tries to re-resonate and rolls another bloody Divine Intervention. In a Tether.
    A shiver ripples across the Symphony. Giles' eyes get really wide as a slim, immaculately dressed bond woman glides into the room. Her eyes carry the weight of ages: Dominique. She glances to her servitor -- "I will sit in Judgement, Dinhabah" -- and Kelvin gets a trial on the spot. Verdict: guilty of betraying an angel and Heaven itself. He has achieved both Destiny and Fate. But Dominique stops just short of punishing him herself, and whisks him off to the Trade Tether for Marc's sentencing on the matter.
    Blink.
    The angels are left bemused. . . and the Lilim is left terrified.

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