The Zen and Fury in Healing

[TennyoCeres84]

Miranda smiled encouragingly. "I've noticed that myself whenever I've passed by Mr. Wormsworth's office. The atmosphere smells so vibrant and happy. There's a lot of great potential for demons and the world in general. I hope everything works out for the better for everyone," she responded.

She adjusted her ponytail as it had loosed since the spar and sighed. "Like the Chimeras, the demons trying to improve their lot have an uphill battle. There'll be some prejudice for a while, but things will get better. They just take time and effort."

She then seemed to recall something. "You and Mom do share being in Chimera Row in common. When she was acquitted and was able to leave, she headed off to Japan for a couple years or so, and then she returned to Hope. That surprised Dad at the time. He told me he figured she would have went elsewhere to start over, but nope, she came back and started working at The Last Round. When you'll have some leeway in your freedom, volunteering somewhere would show the community your earnestness to help the demons' reputation. That applies action to your commentary."

She glanced at Valtiel and Menoth and grinned. "Though, you might be able to do that sooner, depending on how much of a hardass the warden is," she said with that same slightly cheeky tone and a shrug. "Good behavior and all."

[Karl the Mad]

Marius nodded his thanks to Long and stood up to follow after, popping the top off the bottle and swilling the chilled liquid down as he listened to Enlil. "That's a good idea," he replied, although he wondered just how many plurimillenial types Long worked with regularly. "No, stay in China for now, I'm sure Long knows someone who can handle my fists. I'd hate to become dependent on you..."

Outwardly he knew he was still a wreck, shaky and pallid, and he was glad he had a reinforced smartphone that could withstand the force he was no doubt putting on it right now. Hell, just holding this bottle of water was a minor chore; he watched his hand shake against the ice inside as he listened to Enlil's account of his day.

Having a problem to focus on did wonders for his overall focus, he realized. Energy vampires that had to be bound and restrained... very interesting. "Perhaps they were normal vampires in some previous life?" he suggested thoughtfully, sipping the water again. "For a given value of life, anyway... How similar are they to liches? I'm guessing the drain effect is more proactive, as opposed to the passive field? I'll send you some diagrams I made a while back if you like, for runes designed to counter liches."

Personally he was rather proud of them. They worked in a similar fashion to the normal anti-magic effects he could evoke, although more strongly, by sucking away the ambient via and feeding it back into the leylines, and thus, denying a lich its usual sustenance. If one got too close the runes would sap away the very power keeping it intact, even. Naturally such runes were not for passive background security, but lay dormant until activation. And the part he was most proud of was that they could be integrated into mundane security! One didn't even have to be a practitioner to use them, just passably proficient with a console or smartphone.

For now his most powerful runic designs were only deployed at high-security vaults held by his company, but some others existed out in the wild under a patchwork of false inventors and tangled patent applications. He knew it would all have to be sorted out in time, but the epiphany from earlier still hovered at the edge of his thoughts; if he could work through the obstacles he'd have a decent living as a security consultant ahead of him. And if his designs could be adapted for rejuvenating the blasted leylines...

But he didn't explain any of this out loud yet, having no wish to casually discuss corporate affairs in surroundings like these. "Why don't you send me your observations and data on these new creatures, and I'll see about adapting some of my designs to help out? And a recording of this dialect would be interesting as well; if I had ever spent any time in ancient China it may be a way to trigger those memories."

The Noise was quiet for now, as he had a new problem to gnaw at which took up more brainspace. Ah, if only he could find new problems more often... but that could easily turn into a new obsession, as the Noise had been pining for his drawing board earlier. If only he could ever learn more than to just manage it...

[IamLEAM1983]

Enlil could be heard chuckling. There wasn't mockery in it, so much as the Babylonian's empathy sharing in Vlastos' own interest. "Settle down, bucko, as the Americans say!" he replied, a smile touching his words. "You're still frazzled and this isn't a problem you need to tackle right away. I'll send you whatever Holden does authorize me to send, but it probably won't be much at the onset. You're still covered by the Accords' transitional authorizations, but you'll need to either register a legal business first, or find employment with a firm of some kind."

There was the odd crackle of the phone's mic picking up a blur of clothes being shucked on, perhaps too fast for any individual sound to be made out. What did come through clearly was Enlil grunting as he likely set the phone in the crook of his neck while tying his shoelaces - the cords whispering in the background as he moved them.

"It'll be a while before Vienna trusts anyone with Li Si's case, to be honest, so you've got some time to gussy yourself up and put your best foot forward. We didn't tell the Prime Minister, but the plan is to keep the seal that's been placed on him until we can assess his security risk. His name's come up in a number of old records Sima Quian wrote, back during Qin Shi Huangdi's rule. He didn't want to confront the fact that the Emperor was dying after being treated with pseudo-magic and was in favor of astroturfing the Forbidden City's activities for all outside ministers as well as looking for a way to bring him back in a way that wouldn't involve necromancy's usual setbacks. If that's true, this means we have to broker with Chinese officials for some way to crack the guy's mercury-laced tomb - which I am not looking forward to..."

Keys were heard jangling. "Anyway, I don't want to keep you if you're in good hands; I've got Guildmates with degrees in Anthropology and Warlocks that only work at night to keep their chi aligned to debrief."

A door opened and he stopped himself. "Don't hesitate, alright? Call me again if you need to. Only reason I won't pick up is if something scarier than the both of us is pinning me down, somehow. Remember to go easy on Long's décor, at least - whoever volunteers as your punching bag's likely to know what they're signing up for. Can't say the same for lacquered support beams and shoji sliding doors."

He then clicked his tongue. "Oh, um, almost forgot - if you're serious about submitting a proposal, try pitching the situation to Jameson, if you can reach her - and have her get clearance with Forsythe. She's a Hong Kong native and the Sin Seven have surprisingly deep connections to the local folklore. I was surprised at the sight of fungus-covered corpses snapping between mannequin poses and Shaw Brothers-esque Kung Fu nonsense; she probably won't bat an eyelash. You could use her perspective."

In the meantime, Shen Long gathered a gust of air below himself and propelled himself to his penthouse's immaculately lacquered rafters. His beam-balancing didn't seem to need much work, at least, as he casually padded along the length of wood and opened a round sunwell with a slight push.

"You'll reach the mast's base through here," he said, looking back down at Marius. "You'll have to scale the suicide barrier first, which will be right above you, but the emitter's base is right past it. You'll have a bit of a square walkway to pace about, if you want. It's good that your friend opted to finish his phone call here, the winds up there are particularly noisy."

The way having been opened, he stepped aside on the small bit of wood trimming that lined the top of the wall. "Take all the time you need," he said, bowing slightly.

* * *

The demon and his angel handlers shared a smile. "Well, I do happen to be working on a publishing deal," noted Allocer, adding a bit of chest-thrusting and the buffing of his right hand's short claws on his tracksuit's neck lapel, his false vanity giving way to a more earnest smile. "I'll probably get to do a little bit of good even before I leave prison, seeing as I'm looking to expose all the hooks the Goat and his cronies used, in planning America's invasion. It'll probably be damning for anyone who's even a little like my infamous would-be neighbour, Greg Rendell."

Valtiel sniffed. "I read his first draft. He really drives home the fact that politics are supposed to further the greater good, not be used as some kind of shell game for short-term benefits. The first ones to fall, apart from Ephesian, were lobbyists with strong corporate ties. Nobody has any real issues with how America is run, as far as systemics are concerned, but it's like any other country in that it needs a clear set of ethical guidelines at the legislative level. Anything that lets Avarice or Envy through, anything that peddles baseless Wrath - is suspect by default. He's focusing on America, but the entire world cracked open, two years ago. There isn't a single corner of the globe that isn't due for some serious soul-searching."

Allocer shrugged. "It's just one book at the end of the day, and I have to stride a thin line between denouncing obvious excesses and avoiding presenting any ideological opponents as having a concrete answer to these problems. No system is ever perfect, and I'm not in any position to cast blame on anyone other than the Goat's collaborators."

Kevin interjected with a soft cough, at that point. "Um, guys? I think Vlastos' simmered down enough to maybe not flip out if Allocer stepped in. Your mom's still in there, Miranda - you wanna get back inside?"

The demon grunted. "I don't mind pushing someone's buttons if it helps them work through things, but Miranda and Aspasia are still due a full session," he told Kevin. "If Marius thinks I'll have Shen Long let you wait outside," he explained, looking back to the younger Faun, "he'll be a little disappointed. He has to learn that not everyone is going to be willing or able to give him the space he needs to process things, and having your mother and you watch a supernatural gong show would be boring as all Hell - pun not intended. It'll be just a few blows, and then we're moving on to something more constructive."

[TennyoCeres84]

Miranda looked back at the door and nodded. "I can head back in; Shen Long did say to wait about five minutes. Hopefully, Marius won't mind the additional people, and you all can't sit out here forever, either."

She shrugged and went towards the door, quietly slipping in to see what the vampire's current situation was. The girl glanced over at Allocer to see if he wanted to come in or not.

[Karl the Mad]

He was disappointed, but Enlil's refusal made perfect sense, so he wouldn't press it. "What could be scarier than you or I?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, keep me in mind anyway if something less risky comes up; I like myself more when I have projects to focus on, you know? Something productive to do with my time." He mentioned Jameson, and he hesitated. "Hm... maybe I'll send an email first? I've heard her story before, probably best not to just drop in on that one unannounced."

They both hung up, and Marius joined Long on the rafters with a crouch and a long jump into the air, catching the beam and hoisting himself up. "Thanks, I'll keep it it quick," he said, nodding to the old dragon and stepping outside.

It was a nice view from up here, and the winds weren't terribly strong at the moment. He reached the walkway and paced back and forth a bit, breathing in and out, enjoying the brief solitude.

At least until the Noise started up again. Jump, it said, jump down there, get out of this place, you can handle the landing. Get back to your vaults, your boards, your treasures...

"Do you EVER shut up," Marius muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and scowling. How did that even make sense, jumping off from here? He wasn't that irrational, even in the throes of this shit.

...if it was nighttime he might jump. But only because he could fly at night!

You can fly right now! Use the Speech, cushion your fall, get out!

Oh. That was probably true. He leaned forward and looked down. It seemed a long way down. Maybe the thrill of falling and the rush of survival at the bottom would silence the Noise for a while? That was an altogether too tempting thought.

He was lingering, he knew, but... He stood there, leaning into the breeze, thinking about the math involved in jumping off and not splattering. If he used the Speech at the right moment... or maybe if he hardened his arms and slowed himself against the building... or hell! What if he just hardened his whole body and took the full brunt of the impact??

"I'd probably be a stain on the sidewalk," he said with a laugh, swaying back and forth, still looking down at the street far below. What if... what if... what if? Way too much fun. Who needed therapy when there was shit like this to do?

[IamLEAM1983]

Allocer and Shen Long made small talk for a few moments, the deposed Duke stretching as he did so. His large, V-shaped physique more or less guaranteed he'd never meet Miranda's levels of flexibility, but he still certainly did have the frightening levels of speed and stamina his muscle mass conferred. Noting that the demon was watching Miranda's routine, the dragon couldn't quite repress a chuckle.

"Somehow," he said, "I doubt you have all of the required range of movement to attempt some of these stances." Allocer grinned in response and added a shrug. "Not a day goes by where I'm not keenly aware of my mortal weakness - a sticker placed against my back, straight between my scapulae."

Both men shared a laugh, Allocer then glancing above and calling out. "HEY, VLASTOS! YOUR YOUNGER SPARRING PARTNER TELLS ME YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH SOME ADDED TORQUE! AS LONG AS WE DON'T THROW FURNITURE AROUND AND YOU DON'T SPRAIN MY WRISTS, I'M YOUR MAN FOR A FEW MINUTES!"

He paused, a bit of a chuckle hiding in his words. "I'VE GOT SOME WRITING TO DO, SO I CAN'T EXACTLY LET YOU SNAP MY ARMS OFF! BEYOND THAT AND THE WARDEN NOT LIKING IT WHEN I HEAD BACK TO MY CELL COVERED IN BLOOD, I'M FREE GAME! OH AND, UH, I'M GUESSING SHEN ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HIS SCHEDULE, BUT WORMSWORTH'S ALSO INBOUND! HANG AROUND, YOU MIGHT SEE WHAT THE NEW PRINCE OF PRIDE IS CAPABLE OF!"

That said, Allocer settled with trying his best full stretch with his knees locked, which might have seemed a bit amusing to Aspasia or Miranda. Blue Chimeras and the repatriated Fauns that had been called forth from Hell tended to be fairly limber, regardless of how stiff their leg tendons might have seemed. Aspasia's version of a stretch would obviously have looked more graceful than Allocer, who looked like his horns' added weight was a bit of a disadvantage in getting back up.

"Ooof," he sighed, panting as he smiled at the Faun commander. "You're looking well, Mrs. Robertson. Are renovations over at the Last Round?"

[TennyoCeres84]

Aspasia nodded with a smile. "It has. The plumbing was repaired, and the walls and roof have been fixed or replaced. We started receiving paying customers a few weeks ago. Up until that time, we were helping feed the community. Thankfully, our staff members survived the incursion, so we were able to pick up from where we left off," she responded.

[Karl the Mad]

Allocer's words floated up through the sunwell, and Marius shook his head. Always with the jokes, these people... The Noise didn't like jokes, though. The Noise was serious, bleating about vaults and treasures, guiding his hands away from the railing. He growled and held onto it again. "No jumping," he told himself firmly. "Jump with someone else, like the Drake boy or someone." Someone who would enjoy or appreciate it, at least.

Best not to keep them waiting. He climbed back down and slipped through the sunwell, closing it behind him and dropping lightly to the floor below. "Greetings," he said to the others, a little awkwardly as usual. He thought he recognized one of the angels, but he wasn't sure from where. "I'm Vlastos."

Allocer, now... that one gave him the impression of a stunted and clipped Balrog. He glanced at the shackles curiously, but didn't comment. "But yes, I was looking for someone a bit sturdier, just now. You certainly look the part, but so did Grish." A reference to Grishnakhal, the Keeper he had so thoroughly humiliated during the invasion. He cracked his knuckles and did a few more bone-crackling stretches, then settled back and put one foot forward. "So. We shouldn't wreck the place, so no magic and nothing fancy? Just a few moments or so for me to burn off some embarrassing emotional build-up, and for you to get a workout in. I'm already feeling a bit better now, anyway, so it shouldn't take TOO much."

He put a few paces between them, and stood ready. "Do your human worst."

[IamLEAM1983]

The demon nodded. "That's good to hear," he said, smirking as he finished limbering up and slowly placed himself in position for a starting stance. "I'm just glad most serious Greed contingents rejected jobs in the insurance industry, I don't know how we'd have been able to kickstart the economy or put roofs over people's heads again, otherwise."

In the meantime, Shen Long gestured to Aspasia and Miranda, to take both of them aside by a few paces. "We'll all need to adjust," he said. "Never before has the entire global economy needed a supernatural bailout like this. Bad faith actors claim this ties us to the hip with Melmoth's new International Development Bank and that if it weren't for both Heaven and Lucifer's combined good wills, the world would have collapsed even if we'd won and prevented the planet's via network from briefly collapsing."

Allocer raised his fists in a boxer's stance and opted to keep things simple in the immediate, sending a few short jabs and hooks intended to test what Marius defined as his human best. Even if his eyes were on the vampire, he still did have enough awareness to follow along. "Still going to put these two through a routine, sifu?" he asked, which made the dragon smirk. He looked back to the Fauns with a smile and an open-handed gesture.

"We can stretch and relax for a bit - keep talking while we're at it. If you'd rather, Miranda, we can also test out your form."

He didn't finish, but the glance he sent the girl was obvious. Marius had been a good test, but he was on edge. Yes, the old dragon wasn't at the top of his game, but his mildly-inconvenienced self could still be counted on to be a more composed adversary or complement to the girl's stances or katas.

Having since then grown a tiny bit more confident with Marius' responses, Allocer pressed forward by a smidge, adding movements that were less conservative than a boxer's, more in keeping with what Marius had seen in Hell, if only adapted for an unarmed stance. Pride Knights were as supernatural as they come, of course, but Grishnakhal the Keeper had shown Vlastos a multitude of weapon stances and angles of approach in the span of a single bout. Allocer kept his element of strength well leashed, but generally came to feel like a mixed martial arts specialist, unafraid to show just how quickly his apparent bulk allowed him to move, just how methodical and flowing his approach was.

Block a hand? A knee came up. Throw his balance off? The forced change of posture that followed was exploited as efficiently as the spar allowed. Where Grish had used his remaining mental acuity to gloat or accuse Vlastos of disparaging Pride's honor, Allocer used it to keep tabs on the social aspect of things, making it seem like managing multiple angles of attack, defending oneself and discussing current events while taking punches were all entirely compatible concepts.

"He's got more than just his hip or his arm as weak points, Mira!" advised Allocer between a punch and an attempted roundhouse. "Free piece of advice from a former enemy - this Chinese dragon can be thrown off with a koan lobbed at the right time! He won't stop and answer it - he's not Jabberwocky material - but you'll throw him off, guaranteed!"

Long couldn't quite repress a chuckle as he observed the two and looked back to the Fauns. "Am I that transparent to you, Your Grace?
- Crystal!" replied Allocer with a chuckle of his own, while still doing his best to negotiate Marius' approach. "Oh, and don't call me that - the former Vice's entire court was dissolved! Drake wants Duke to be my callsign for when I get out, but I haven't given it much thought for now. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just Allocer!"

[TennyoCeres84]

"I'll stick to stretching and relaxing for now," Aspasia stated. "However, we can keep talking."

Miranda ventured back to the mat and bowed to Shen Long. She resumed her position and lunged at the elderly dragon. Allocer's provided advice didn't enter her movements, at least not yet. As she had with Marius, her punches and kicks had a dance-like quality to them. She struck at his right arm and then left leg.