Glory and Silver find sanctuary at Sanctuary

Characters in this scene: Glory, Silver, Tiyo

Locations: New York, Sanctuary

Immediately follows: Silver and Glory Collect Erectus

"So, Stirge is offering us to stay in Sanctuary? Can it keep us safe from Grey?" Glory asks, as they start heading back to the van with Erectus.

Silver wrinkles her nose. "I mean, only temporarily. But... better to give ourselves some time to think than just... depressing ourselves. I've only appealed once. There's some room to manoeuvre." She shrugs. "It's Sanctuary. They can probably get in, but... they shouldn't be able to break the terms of Hospitality, at least."

Silver looked around, nervous and wary. It was evening, they weren't far, surely they couldn't do much?

Glory notices Silver's nervousness. She takes a quick look around, and quickly whistles. The goblin's they brought with them quickly scattered and searched around the area, keeping an eye out for any passerby's or others around.

Pointless nerves. The damage was already done, Spring absorbed into Silver's Glamour. Not damaging, no. But inclining her towards slip-ups, mistakes, foolishness.

And these Faerie weren't planning direct attacks anyway. They were going to take their time with this.

Not that there weren't people hanging around, but nothing that goblins couldn't redirect. Maybe a few people caught a glimpse of them and the tree, but... surely, surely nothing dangerous? (Hah.)

They reached the van without seeming incident. "Maybe I should mention to Stirge that we've got a passenger," Silver murmured.

"Technically, we got a lot of passengers," Glory gestures to all the goblins, as they head inside. But, just out of the corner of her eye, Glory sees something: a police car starting to come around the corner.

Silver's ushering the tree inside, at this point, and she misses it, distracted.

Glory rushes over to the driver's couch, and immediately starts it up. She didn't know if it was Ted, or the Faeries, but she wasn't risking it. Soon, the van was already on the road, ahead of the police car. Glory glanced at a screen on the dashboard, showing the back of the van. The police car was following behind. "Where do we go to get into Sanctuary?" Glory called back to Silver.

"What -" Silver finally glanced at the screen, and she swore. "There's a warehouse..." Silver fidgeted with her phone, tossing the location to Glory's phone - presumably the technomancer could handle something about that. "Damn it, I wanted to pick up our stuff."

"Can we do it on the way? I might be able to lose him, if it's just one." Glory began to speed up a bit.

Silver dumped the dead drop location on her too. "I don't know, can we?" Silver made a low, grumbling noise. "Fucking... Can we change the outside of the van? Is that a thing we can do? How did I forget the van has an outside, fucking hell." She shook herself off, making herself calm down, and petted Erectus. "Sorry, sweetheart. Ah... we should still have your pot, if you want, or you can just wander?"

Glory snapped her fingers, and one of the front windows opened. "You go on ahead and pick up the items. In the meantime, I'll try to lose this guy, and meet you up later there. Shatbraggart and the others can take care of Erectus. They helped grow him too, you know?"

Silver eyed the goblins distrustfully, but for the first time in ages Silver had a good amount of Glamour available to her. It was hard to resist the chance to abuse it. "Take care of yourself," Silver warned, already skimming her hands over herself. She was breaking the rules that she'd told Octane, completely uncaringly, top to bottom and taking shape as a nondescript bird. Slower than she'd once been, but still efficient, and she took flight out the window. "Don't take stupid risks!"

Glory gave her a thumbs up, changed the street light ahead of her green, and sped on ahead, as Silver took to the skies.

Silver had missed flying. She wasn't as fast as a van, but even in New York's mess of buildings she could still skip over space that a car couldn't, moving direct.

She landed in an abandoned building, the address she'd been giving out to various people for deliveries, of late. It hadn't been a small amount of things either. That soul Isi had given out for her, grekhaus' deliveries...

Which...

Weren't there.

Silver had a moment of uncertainty; had she mixed up the address somehow? Had they mixed up the addresses?

She swooped down, in, and...

There was one, single bottle.

Even as a bird Silver could smell the nasty stink of distilled ass-haggis juice.

Silver swore violently, but shed the bird shape to grab it.

Meanwhile, Glory was still speeding down the streets, dodging around corners and cars. She glanced at the screen behind her, and swore. The police cars had multiplied, and were gaining on her. She yelled for the goblins to start slowing down their pursuants.

The bottle... exploded. Well, that was a misnomer. The top popped off. And the nasty, horrible, disgusting stink of a juice which had been made by fermenting and distilling several hundred pounds of unwashed donkey intestines... got all over her.

Silver wasn't even angry.

"Fuck," she told the bottle. "Fuck. Ing. Hell." She considered that for another moment. "Fuck."

Somewhere nearby, Silver thought she heard musical giggles.

Erectus' Glamour, thankfully, could stand this nasty bullshit, even if all the other Glamour she had was hiding inside her skin away from the prospect of experiencing it. The bird was back in flight, winging its way towards the warehouse.

Meanwhile, a thought just came to Glory's mind. She pulled the brakes on the van and it came to an immediate halt. Most of the police cars in pursuit of her drove past the van, except for the one right behind her. That one smashed right into the back of the van, and coming to a sudden halt. Through the screen, Glory could see the police officers sitting inside either unconscious or dazed at the unexpected crash.

Nope. Not made of Glamour. Definitely a real police car (well, this one was, at least). Glory immediately made a quick turn and drove off in the other direction, before the other police cars could completely surround her.

Tracking Glory in relation to Silver's target was about as easy as it got, for Silver; Connections were growing as familiar as Glamour, and the Connection to Glory was something Silver had to try not to pay attention to. Figuring out the right angles to intercept the van was harder without accidentally missing though.

(Thankfully, even intoxicated, Silver wasn't so stupid as to try and just catch up directly.)

The bird went ahead, more directly towards the warehouse, hoping to get ahead in a way that meant she would get to get into the van before reaching the warehouse, but somewhat resigned to the possibility that she wouldn't.

Glory could feel Silver flying near the van, as the both headed toward the warehouse. But she couldn't quite keep up with them, as Glory had the drive the van even faster as more police cars were on her tail. She opened the window to give Silver a chance to fly through, right as she was about to crash right into  the warehouse's large wooden doors.

Silver tumbled in, right as they went *crash* through the doors. The Glamour spun off her and Silver landed hard, though the demesne's protections kept her from any serious injury. "There'll be an elevator," Silver got out, standing by the van door. "We need into that elevator, then I'll hit the proper buttons, then we need to sing." Silver messaged that to her, just in case. "Apparently, we need to be a proper duet."

"I fucking suck at singing," Glory says, exasperated. She looked through the windows, around the warehouse, searching for the elevator. Meanwhile, outside, she could hear the police cars stopping, and the officers getting out and yelling for them to come out.

The elevator was pretty big, over-sized for the van, quite easily identifiable and open across the way. There was the distinct impression that the place had been set up to allow them easy access, actually - doors aside, it was an open space, all cargo put aside.

Well, it should have been. Apparently sometime recently some utter nutcase had spilled something slick and stinking across the floor and tossed large crates in the way to make an obstacle course. Because of course they did; why would anyone just make it impassable when instead they can make it difficult?

"I was taught poetry not music myself, but we're doing it anyway," Silver snarked.

Glory positioned the van right in front of the elevator, right in front of the obstacle course before them. She whistled, and the goblins came up to the window and threw something very brown and sticky onto the floor in front of them, covering over the slipperiness of the floor. But they didn't cover all of it, and that combined the large crates could easily throw them off their aim. So, they needed momentum.

Glory took out the bottle of combustion spirits she traded to Condor earlier for a jammer, and poured just a bit of it into a specially-prepared hole for it. Behind the van, she could see the police starting to approach. Glory stepped on the acceleration, and the next thing she knew, they were now facing the furthermost wall of the elevator.

No, correct that. They were inside the furthermost wall of the elevator. The van went at a speed fast enough that the van ended up going through the elevator, lodging itself halfway into the concrete wall. Glory hurriedly pulled on some lever, desperately trying to back the van out.

Silver... could not be bothered trying to deal with this. The van could handle it. Painfully, probably, but it could handle it. Silver stepped out of the van door and hit the elevator buttons for the ground floor and floor 2. A single gunshot went past; Silver swore and threw herself back into the van, shutting the door firmly. Warning shots time, apparently. Or maybe someone had panicked.

Silver was betting that someone had panicked, in some private, quiet part of her brain.

"Sing-along-time?" Silver asked dryly.

Glory nodded, and tried to follow the lyrics that were sent to her phone with Silver. She was horribly off-key.

Silver was on-key... ish, easily keeping time with Glory. When she'd said she was better at poetry, she meant it.

♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬♬♪♫♪♫♪♬

It was highly questionable whether the music Glory and Silver sang counted as a duet, or a song, or even music at all, but whatever spirits existed out there that governed the Paths, they didn't seem to care.

As the elevator moved from the ground to the 2nd floor, it groaned and seemed to twist counterclockwise in a sort of rhythm to the song.

After two and a half rotations, the doors slowly opened, and a gentle darkness crept into the elevator.

The Path seemed like it could barely fit the van, but it would fit. There's traffic cones (recently placed) outlining a vague path towards what you assume would be Sanctuary. Most of that main road is partially shrouded in darkness, with points of light to your left and right in orange and red hues.

There's a feeling of safety like a gentle breeze emanating from the 'road' the cones line up

"Is... this it?" Glory asks, driving the van forward.

"Think so. Hope so?" Silver sits down next to Glory, still stinking of ass-haggis. "Feels like it, at least." Silver's voice was full of nerves.

(The sound of the van is a little muted compare to the 'real world')

"Hey by the way, did you get the items? And why do you smell like goblin?"

"They weren't there." Silver's voice turns bitter. "I'll... need to message Isi about it." She grimaces. "One of the things I ordered was goblin drinks. There was one left. It exploded."

"Dammit. You alright?"

"Wouldn't say that. I stink." Silver pauses. "Uh. Okay, I refuse to face the Lady while smelling like this. One sec." Silver basically dived for her room. Glory heard a very loud splash.

After about a minute, Silver crept sheepishly out of her room, much less stinky. Not entirely unstinky. But much less stinky. "How're you at?" she asked.

"I'm well. Luckily, the cops didn't start shooting. And I confirmed that they weren't made of Glamour either."

Silver paused. "How?"

"I hit them. With the van, of course," Glory said, in a very as-a-matter-of-factly manner.

“Glory,” Silver said patiently, “Do we need to have another discussion about karma?”

"The cops inside survived. And it was worth checking if they were really there."

Silver sighed. “Karma isn’t just about deaths.” She padded over to Glory and hugged her. “Bloody hell,” she muttered.

"I'll try to be better," she said, snuggling up against her.

“Please. Some good luck would be nice.” Silver nuzzled in, letting herself relax for a few moments, then shifting back a bit. “We there yet?” she murmured.

"Uh, I think so, yeah," she says, peering into the darkness, and just barely making out the outline of a building ahead of them.

The path brightens considerably as Sanctuary comes into view. It looks grand, opulent even - but also as if it's been preserved in amber from another time, and only recently let go of it's confines. In particular, to the Sight it is brimming with power. It feels like an aspect of the mythical Triplicate Goddess - the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone - all their wisdom and fierceness in service to Life.

It doesn't feel like this power has suffused the air for a long time, it must have just started when Silver and Glory's van first entered the path. It ripples in the air, distorting it like a hot midsummer's day.

In front of the building is a large garage with an open door - it does it's best to match the exterior of the hotel, but there's simply no way a modern type building could ever comfortably fit with the opulence of the hotel behind it.

An androgynous being wearing a black butler's uniform, stands in front of the doors and seems a little comical waving two flags in the standard, 'This is where you can park' motions.

Glory nodded, and crookedly parked the van mostly where the flags were placed. The goblins didn't waste any time getting out and excitedly checking out their surroundings, gleefully already marking their territory.

Silver facepalmed.

The butler must have gotten to an impeccable school, because they only let the slightest of flinches show.

Silver stepped out of the van, gloves folded together contritely. “Good day to you.” Silver glanced at the goblins. “Do we, ah, need to reign them in?”

Glory stepped out and stretched her arms and legs, seemingly not even noticing what the goblins were doing.

"And good day to you, Miss Silver. That won't be necessary, though we do have a 'Wreck Room' inside, should they like to roughhouse with each other in a...environment meant to be destroyed," the butler says.

"My name is Tiyo and I am a butler in the service of the House of Lim. I am also an Other, of a species Practitioners would often call Psychopomps." As they say this, you notice their heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one green.

"Good day to you, Princess the Glorious. I apologize for my rudeness, but today's situation is one that merits more caution than we usually ask for at the start of a guest's stay."

"You have two preferable options, you can go straight to a room set aside for the both of you - I believe you will find the accommodations hospitable but if you don't, the room itself is metamorphic and can be shaped to your will. You can rest and recover as long as you would like - up to your stay of a week and a day."

"Should you wish to venture into the rest of Sanctuary, besides your room and this garage, you must speak with the Lady first.  In fact, I recommend you speak to her sooner, than later, given the circumstances of your situation. She is in tacit support of your safety and well being.

That said, she respects whatever boundaries you may have and if you wish not to see her and only stay in your room and the garage, we will protect you the best we can, just as if you were any other guest here.

And finally, ahem, the Lady specifically told me to wish you both a happy Famulus 'honeymoon.'"

Glory gives him a thumbs up. "Cool. Thanks for having us."

“Thank you, Tiyo,” Silver says, with a slight bow. She glances at Glory. “Maybe we should see her now.”

"You're most welcome, madams." Tiyo shows no sign of 'noticing' Silver and Glory talking to just one another. Taking up nearly zero space.

"Well, lets go in," she says, as they begin heading inside. Shatbraggart yells for the goblins to follow behind them.

"Pardon, shall I show you to your room or to the Lady?"

"I guess, it would be proper manners to see the Lady first, right?" Glory asks, looking over to Silver.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but the Lady has done the equivalent of 'screwing propriety' with her action of standing for you both, now. She expects you to have time to rest and heal, if you want it," the Butler says. He seems super uncomfortable interrupting but does it anyways.

Silver sighs. “I do want a break. But if she’s put herself this far out for us I’d hate to leave her uncertain about our situations.”

"This place is for young Practitioners like yourselves. In some ways, it is as much your place as it is hers.  If anything, the talk is so how all three of you can decide how to move forward from here - and ideally, she would like you at your best for that conversation. If that means rest first, by all means, rest."

"Well, if she insists we rest, then we must rest!" Glory says. "Take us to our room, Butler Tiko!"

Silver nods, visibly relaxing and shifting closer to Glory. “Our room, please.”

"Very well. Then, by the Rules of Hospitality the Lady of House of Lim takes you both into Sanctuary as honored guests."

The garage begins sinking into the dirt, slowly. "The garage will be accessible to you, but the Lady expects...potential unwanted company. It would not do to leave your van out in the open. It will be transported to Sanctuary's basement and accessible to you whenever you wish."

"The Lady has also moved the entrance to your room through a side door that will lead to the basement and to her office only, for the time being. I apologize I cannot bring you in through the front doors at this time, but the Lady believes your presence being kept hidden as best as possible is in everyone's best interest right now."

The Butler walks calmly, briskly to the side of Sanctuary, where there is a door waiting

They open it, and gesture for Silver, Glory, and their goblin retinue to go inside.

Also the tree. Silver tugs Erectus along.

Glory whistles as she looks around. "Nice place you got here."

Tiyos eyes rove over Erectus and the butler has a faint twitch again. They schools themselves well, "Indeed, Princess the Glorious."

The door leads to a small, almost mudroom. Past that point is a staircase that goes up (into Sanctuary presumably), another staircase that goes down (Glory senses their van in that direction), and a door that leads to a very, very spacious room.

"Your suite is currently located on the ground floor - should you decide you need to make a hasty exit - this is not a foreseen circumstance, just something the Lady thought you might appreciate. This external door is barred to all but myself, the Lady, and you and your retinue."

"Later, you can choose to have the suite be moved to an upper level, for a better view if you like. It contains all the basic amenities including a variety of food from our kitchens - I apologize again but the Cafeteria is off limits until you visit the Lady. New food and towels and such will be delivered on the daily."

Silver’s section reminds one of a garden, shaded and gentle and full of muted colors. It’s mostly just piles of pillows and soft carpet, but there’s a desk where one can sit comfortably and work if need be.

Glory's section reminds one of a mad scientist's abandoned workshop, with lights and button beeping about from the wall, and soft, warm, fur-like floor. There were many pillows and blankets as well. but they were stained in unidentifiable substances, and carried a particular odor with them. There was a table perfect for tinkering and crafting on.

"The buzzer is by the door should you need to get ahold of myself or Lady. Lady may not be accessible at all hours - but she will get back to you as soon as she can. Try not to buzz her unless it is an emergency between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM. If that is all, I shall take my leave." Tiyo says.

“Thank you, Tiyo,” Silver murmured, bowing to him and then stepping inside. She promptly curled up on a massive, soft pillow.

Glory did a swan dive on her furry bed as well, right next to Silver's pile of pillows. She glanced over to her curling up into her pillows, and smiled.

Tiyo bowed low, "You're welcome Miss Silver. Good night to you both." As he closed the door he saw Glory dive into her furry bed and gave a small smile.

*It is an honor to be in your service Lady. Even should you find yourself unable to protect these two as much as you'd like, you will at least give them this one night of safety.*

Silver got off her pillow just long enough to shove it over next to Glory’s. “This place is nice,” she murmured, shifting to get the pillow and snuggle up to Glory.

"Yeah." She snuggled into her too, and pulled the blanket over them. She promised her a place where she would be safe. And she would keep that promise. Whether it was from Grey, or her hometown, she would do it. Soon, Glory found herself fading off to sleep, peaceful and restful, with Silver in her arms.