No.3257
"The ways of divination are esoteric, and not always reliant on magic, often times the future of an individual is not divined through arcane means, but instead by understanding the movement of their spheres." ~Head Seer of the Department of Mysticism, Earth-2
————————————————
>Date: September 23rd, 2017
>Location: Manhattan, New York City
>Time: 11:30am
>On an unimportant corner of a busy street of the big apple, a lone tent interrupts the flow of people going about their day, its dark colours and star patterns making it look like it could easily fit in with a circus if not for it being alone.
>The owner of the tent, a woman using an old crate of some kind to grant herself some extra height over the crowd, also looks like the type to fit in with carnies, with an outfit that almost appears to check every possible box for a performer wishing to create an image of being a witch.
>With a dramatic flourish, the woman clicks and summons a trail of small sparkles that look like stars, earnign a reaction from the crowd.
"Welcome! Welcome! I am the great magus Sybillus! Trained in the ancient mystic arts by ancient masters from near and from beyond our stars! Capable of reading the fate of any being with a mere glance! Enchanter of-"
>The speech is interrupted as a cop car screeches to a halt behind the crowd, and a police officer steps out.
"Oi, lady, we already told you you can't-"
>On her stand, the woman does a flourish of her wrist, and a piece of paper appears in her hand with a puff of smoke.
"Why of course, good officers, you requested that I obtain a permit to perform, and in fact I have."
>The woman flourishes again, and the paper flies from her hand, landing perfectly in front of the officer.
"Now, good people, who wishes to step forward, to learn what awaits them in their future?"
No.3258
>>3257>A young woman steps out of the crowd, her groomed, pale hair separating her from the crowd as she steps closer to the "stage", each step seeming oddly fluid."I love street shows, pick me!"
>The woman's accented voice indicates that she's either not native to the city, or is somewhat new in town."Of course, of course, if you'd like to step right up. . ."
>The performer leans slightly and offers out a hand, helping the newcoming up on top of the box, the two being left with very little room to stand before the performer steps aside, still keeping hold of the pale-haired woman's hand."Hmmm, yes. . . I'm sensing that you're from far away, a land in the sea, is that right?"
>The woman nods."Excellent, excellent. Now. . ."
>The performer lets go of her hand and raises a hand, snapping her fingers, a card appearing in it, which the woman reads."Ah, Temperance. . . reversed. . . tell me, young woman, have you perhaps come to this city to find yourself?"
>The woman looks surprised at the question for a moment, then speaks up:"Well. . . I mean. . ."
"Worry not worry not! This is an easy fortune to reverse, you just need to relax and enjoy your vacation and. . ."
>The performer pauses for a moment, closing her eyes.————————————————
>Location: The Axiom - Nexus of Magic>Time: Indeterminate
>In the great Nexus of Magic, an unwanted alert sounds off, indicating a potentially dangerous manifestation of some kind.————————————————
>Location: Manhattan, New York City>Time: 11:33am
>The performer opens her eyes again.". . .I see it now! You must seek sanctuary for yourself, there you will find something to help what ails you!"
>The woman on the "stage" looks down at the performer for a moment, then smiles."Then i will find fun in Sanctuary?"
"If that is in fact what ails you, yes."
>The woman smiles even more and jumps off the "stage", rushing over and hugging the performer, who seems shocked at the gesture, before letting go and disappearing into the crowd."Well. . . I. . . huh. . . I didn't see that coming. . ."
>The performer pauses for a moment, hoping to earn a chuckle from the crowd as she steps back up on the box."Still, I suppose those results are self-evident! Any who wish to have their fortunes read should step forward! And any who wish to have a more in-depth reading of their fates can book a slot in my tent for only $10!"
>The performer does a dramatic gesture, summoning a cloud of confetti behind her that scatters in the wind. No.3259
>>3258>Location: The Axiom - Nexus of Magic>Time: Indeterminate
>A set of large, ornately-decorated tomes slowly orbit around Doctor's body as he hovers upside down in mid-air. The air around him is controlled to an atomic level, as a small aerial barrier surrounds him. Doctor also passively screens the spell tomes for their information. Psionically, he aggregates all of the information in the tomes at a rapid rate."Orthogonal reality projection? Matrix spirit fission? Transduction siphons? I suppose that these will do for further instruction of-"
>As he swipes away a dozen tomes with his fingers, he then looks up, immediately sensing the 'warning alert' given off by the Axiom's core consciousness. This abrupt warning signal breaks Doctor's train of thought, as he then speaks."Oh? What do you have for us now?"
>Lowering himself down, Doctor then disperses the rest of the tomes - as he instantaneously moves space around him, leading towards the Observation Deck of the Axiom.
>As a large multi-layered and dimensionally transcendent 'spatial matrix' of otherworldly design, the Axiom's Observation Deck allows Doctor and others to instantaneously observe any part of their Universe in real time.
>Placing his hand on one of the main control panels, Doctor uses it to calibrate the dimensional apertures built into the large Observation Deck - honing in on a specific location.
>After a few moments, Doctor gives a rather surprised expression behind his mask."Lower Manhattan? That's surprising."
>Thinking to himself for a moment, Doctor then hears a soft rumbling emanate from the very walls of the Observatory Deck - the sentience of the Axiom making its voice known."You already know what my decision is. I'll wait for Stephanie first, before taking action. It's her job too, isn't it?"
>Another pulse of soft rumbling emanates from the walls of the Observatory Deck, as Doctor says:"Of course. I'm usually not wrong, aren't I?"
No.3260
>>3259"More than you like to admit."
>Stephanie leans against the doorway, having just arrived. She watches the Observatory Deck."So, Manhattan huh? That's new."
>She stops leaning against the doorway, and walks closer to Doctor. No.3261
>>3260>Doctor, not even looking over his shoulder, keeps his gaze focused on the Observatory's major controls."Have you been to Manhattan in the past? That is, before you first arrived here?"
>Adjusting the controls with his fingers once more, he then continues."If not, I could take you there once we're on break. Great city."
>Thinking to himself for a moment, Doctor then speaks up once more."I never want to second guess The Axiom and its judgment - but I'm
slightly hesitant regarding their alert; at least in this specific occasion."
>A loud rumble can then be felt rippling through the Observation Deck."Hey, I said that I never
want to second guess you. I still trust you, don't worry."
>Another ripple of sound can be heard, only more subdued and muted this time around."Of course, I'm happy to reach an amicable compromise as well. We've done it for decades after all."
>A set of mana particles begin to manifest around Doctor for a moment, imbuing his body with magical power as he then states:"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I'll tell them later."
>The mana particles then dissipate around Doctor's body - a clear message from the Axiom itself. No.3262
>>3261"I've been there before. The tall buildings are…"
>Stephanie pauses, looking almost lost in thought"Well, I may have caused one or two windows to need replaced. Let's leave it at that."
>Stephanie looks at Doctor. "What was that about? Planning something?"
No.3263
>>3262>As Doctor uses the Observation Deck's controls to manually hone in on the phenomena in question, he replies to Crepido's question."As much as I would love to tell you that I prepared for this
exact scenario? That's obviously not the case."
>The large mirror panels then begin showing different angles of a specific area of Lower Manhattan - as Doctor then begins to slowly manipulate the perception of time in the area."Now let's see what led up to this warning of yours, Axiom….."
>Doctor then rewinds time - allowing both him and Crepido to witness the events of the street corner. After seeing the woman in arcane clothing hand a paper towards the police, Doctor then states:"Street magic, it never goes out of style, does it?"
>He says, one hand on his hip as he looks at Crepido.
>Turning back towards the observation feed, Doctor then focuses on the rest of the scenario. He then notices the woman with pale hair."Tarrot Cards aren't raising any alarms quite yet…."
>Then, as the woman in the arcane clothing closes her eyes, the synchronized Axiom alarm starts."Oh, there it is. Our little supernatural anomaly."
No.3265
>>3264>From her box stand, the performer continues her routine, producing another stream of sparkles as a card appears in her hand, which she hands over to a child."Thank you, you've all been a lovely audience. . . guess it's true when they say New Yorkers are the best."
>The comment earns her a chuckle from the crowd."That said, all this is getting a little tiring, so I'm going to have to take a quick break - remember, you can get a private reading for only $10!"
>With a bow, the woman disappears in a cloud of smoke and the entrance of the tent closes. No.3266
>>3265>Hands now in his coat pockets, Isaac looks at the distinct cards, given out by the performer to her participants. Although seemingly normal on the surface, Isaac can't help but feel somewhat uneasy when focusing on them. His mind instinctually begins to assume the worst, as he turns his attention back to his side. "I'll see if I can clear the area, then put up a perception filter around this tent."
>As Isaac begins walking forward, he makes the faintest of hand gestures - as dozens of people begin slowly walking away from the area. Their minds seemingly preoccupied with new thoughts, that direct their attention elsewhere in the city.
>Now walking up to the tent itself, Isaac then snaps his fingers - as a subtle perception field surrounds the area involving the block. The filter is magical in nature, but low level - as if to test the natural defenses of the tent itself.{"This should keep people away, in case the tent really is the source of the anomalous readings. If not? It's still better to keep people from getting scammed."} No.3269
>>3268>Isaac adjusts the metallic band around his wrist - watching as it slowly pulsates with energy. With a somewhat quizzical look, his ears perk up for a moment - seemingly entranced by some invisible sensation."…….Hmm."
>A moment later, Isaac turns to walk towards the stools. Seemingly harmless and inert, he observes the stools for a few moments, casting a cursory glance towards the more ornately decorated table between them."I'd say I'm at least a little impressed by this. Presentation is always a good quality to emphasize with the mystic arts, right?"
>Isaac says, giving a somewhat amused look towards Stephanie. He then flicks his finger quickly in the direction of the tent's back wall."Yes, I noticed. I was wondering if you would want to do the honors."
No.3279
>>3269"Well it's a fortune telling tent. Those tend to look nice to attract customers."
>Stephanie steps towards the back wall, studying the illusion. "Haven't seen any projections like this in a while. Most of our business has been with magic being used as a hammer, hasn't it?"
>She outstretches her hand, commanding the illusion to dissipate. No.3281
>>3279>Isaac looks at the fading projection, turning his attention back to Stephanie."I wouldn't know - you were the one who took charge in most cases."
>He says, giving Stephanie a look of satisfaction."I don't know if I've ever had the chance to say this before - but I really believe that you're growing into the role."
>Walking up to Stephanie, Isaac gives her a quick peck on the cheek as he says:"Sorceress Supreme."
>Isaac then whispers something in Stephanie's ear, before pulling backwards. No.3285
>>3284>The illusion peels away to reveal an open doorway, only protected by a simple ward that is also simply dismissed.
>Beyond the doorway is a larger space than would be possible under normal circumstances, containing lines of bookcases and various mystical-looking devices. Within the centre of the room is a large sphere, glowing with a faint energy, that slowly rotates and twists over time.
>At the other end of the room, the performer from outside sits in a chair, a cup floating in the air besides her with a spoon stirring itself, reading a book.
>As the pair of Sorcerer Supremes enter, several cards fly out from behind the performer's chair, splitting into two groups that form a matrix around each of them, a set of faint lines between the cards creating a cage."Look, I told Elks before, this is nowhere near Ohio, I'm not cutting in on his territory, so he can stop hiring you guys."
No.3286
>>3285>Stephanie casually waves her hand, dispersing the cards and getting rid of the cage."We don't work for Elks."
>She steps closer towards the performer, ignoring the cards as they fly around her and back towards their owner."So, you're a fortune teller. But also something else, maybe? Been in contact with anyone or anything… unusual?"
No.3287
>>3286>The performer catches the cards casually dismissing them in a puff of smoke."Far too skilled for what Elks would pay for unless he was
really desparate, so I can believe it. . ."
>The woman closes her book, letting it float back to a shelf."It's only naturally that a Sybillus does fortune telling, it's the family trade, and it's not like the unenlightened can catch onto it actually being magic - it's all party tricks to them."
>The woman stands up and steps towards Stephanie, attempting to measure herself against her, coming up rather short."So really there's nothing to catch me over here, spatial magic might be useful for making an atelier like this, but it doesn't help pay for land on a leyline, does it? Which means I have no reason to stop."
No.3288
>>3287"I have no problem with your business, or the size of your tent interior."
>Stephanie is now looking down at the shorter woman."But, it seems you've made contact with
something dangerous. Which is why we're here. I would advise you to make this easy and explain to us what you're doing. Then when the situation is worked out, we'll be on our way and you can continue enjoying your peace."
No.3289
>>3288>The woman narrows her eyes."Oh, so you're trying to steal my research, is it?"
>The woman glances over at Isaac, then back at Stephanie, clearly weighing some odds in her head, then closes her eyes, an odd feeling of some ancient and foreign entity gently peering in from Outside settles over the room for a moment before receding."So if I try to resist, you can easily overpower me, if I simply stay silent, you can try and peer into my mind. . ."
>The woman sighs, walking back to her chair and sitting down in it, and summons another pair of chairs with a gesture."Take a seat, I suppose, we can negotiate."
No.3290
>>3289>Stephanie raises a brow."I'm not stealing your research. But alright. Let's talk."
>She moves forward, and then sits down in one of the newly summoned chairs. She crosses her legs, getting more comfortable as the chair cushioning seems to adjust itself more to Stephanie's liking."I have no problem with making contact with foreign entities. There's no rule or law against it. And we aren't claiming authority over others. However, this being you've called, it's cause for concern."
No.3292
>>3291>The woman raises an eyebrow."
Them, a threat?
Really?"
>The woman snorts and waves a a cup to her."I'm pretty sure your average New Yorker is more dangerous, but. . ."
>The woman waves and a book flies out in front of Stephanie."There's a spell for reaching their domain in there, if you want to talk to them in person. I couldn't cast it myself but going by what their readings said, you'd probably be able to."
No.3295
>>3292"Deceit isn't a concept unique to us."
>Stephanie looks at Isaac."Sure."
>Stephanie stands up from her seat, her hand glowing with colorful particles as she does a little flourish activating the transportation spell. No.3296
>>3295>Location: ???
>Reality fades away around the pair and reconstructs itself in a very different image, an ancient-looking villa made of well-preserved marbles, intricate mosaics lining the floors. A stillness in the air betraying how the archtitecture survives the passive of time despite no signs of anyone to maintain it.
>Instead of a regular sky, a vast field of starry bubbles fill the heavens, all set against a vast, empty void, the stars within shifting and turning in ever-expanding orbits.
>As the last of the magic fuelling the spell fades, an odd feeling washes over the newcomers, a feeling that, if they were sure in their understanding of the mystic arts, their magic would not work at all, a feeling seemingly fuelled deeply held belief engraved into the very nature of the place itself that the only magic that should work in the place is the magic of its occupant. . . No.3298
>>3296>Isaac looks around nonchalantly for a moment, examining the structure of the historical villa. The general composition of the marble catches him by slight surprise - and further piques his interest."Now we're starting to get somewhere. I was almost worried that this trip would've been caused by a false positive reading."
>Looking over to Stephanie, Isaac then gestures to his head."Feel that? It's been a while since we had something encroaching at the periphery of thought."
>Assuming a thinking position, Isaac then says to himself:"I wonder if this is a byproduct of the area itself, or somehow related to its construction?"
No.3304
>>3298"No. There's no probing feeling. I don't think this has anything to do with our minds."
>Stephanie takes a look around, studying the spotless architecture."It's something magical in nature. Likely a form of anti-magical protection from outsiders."
>She looks at Isaac."But we aren't normal outsiders."
>Stephanie taps her foot against the ground, creating a vibrant blue pulse of energy, shimmering with a chiming sound as it quickly races across the area, scanning for any inhabitants. No.3310
>>3304>Isaac gives a shrug and a sheepish grin as he states:"It was only a suggestion after all. Maybe I've gotten rusty over the past few months."
>>3308>>3309>Making note of the presence that was detected, Isaac then looks at Stephanie and says:"After you, Madam."
>Isaac walks after Stephanie, hands in his jeans pockets. No.3312
>>3310>The route given by the spell takes the pair through a set of equally still streets, their architecture indicating that they are designed for many more people than are currently present, creating an lonely air to the entire place.
>As the pair nears the entities, they begin to hear a pair of voices talking as the street opens up into a forum, with a stone table placed in the centre, where the two entities sit."I understand, but. . ."
"If you understand, Nous, then you know you have to accept these terms, I made sure to get good ones for you."
"I. . ."
>The smaller of the two entities, wearing a deep blue hood that hides all but a few locks of blue hair, stops for a second, one of their ears twitching."You what, Nous? Are you hiding things from me again? You know that's dangerous. . ."
"I. . . no, it's nothing, Are. . ."
No.3314
>>3313>The blue-haired figure, startled, jumps back off their seat, scattering in a way akin to a cat being caught doing something it shouldn't, earning a sigh from the pink-haired figure, who takes a sip of her drink."Nous, you really shouldn't do that at your age. . . Besides, you're the only one who can use magic here, you could easily defeat them in a duel."
>The blue-haired figure, Nous, thinks for a moment and then collects themselves, shifting into an awkward stance that looks nowhere near convincing."G-greetings visitor from. . ."
>Nous looks Stephanie up and down for a moment."292021.12-17. You have done well to enter my domain. For what purpose have you ventured here?"
>The pink-haired figure rolls her eyes."They're trying to ask who you are and why you're here, sweetie."
"A-Arete. . ."
No.3315
>>3314>Stephanie walks closer towards the pair of women. "A fortune teller on our Earth was in communication with you."
>She continues."And it seems that there might be some form of risk in that."
>Once she's close enough, Stephanie holds out her hand - using her Meta-Human psionics to pull the now open chair towards herself. She sits in it, watching the blue haired woman. "Do you have anything to say? What are your intentions with our Earth?"
No.3328
>>3315>The pink-haired woman, Arete, puts her cup down. Speaking up with a much darker tone than before."Yes, Nous, why don't you elaborate on that."
>Nous shrinks back a bit at the tone of voice taken."I. . . have no plans with your universe besides observing it. . ."
"But you have been in contact with someone from that universe."
"I-I. . ."
"I have to apologise for them, sweetie, they've had this nerves problem for too many aeons now, I'm sure they weren't planning anything
untowards to your home, isn't that right,
Nous?"
>Arete shoots a glance that could kill at her blue-haired companion."I. . . no. . . I may have simply been. . . undercautious in my observations."
"Good. . ."
>Arete turns to Stephanie properly, giving her a sweet smile."Now, you mentioned a fortune teller. A magic user? Would I be correct in saying 'like yourself' as well?"
>Nous stiffens up even more at the question, clearly reading a hidden meaning to it. No.3329
>>3328>Stephanie returns the pink haired woman's smile."Yes. You would be correct."
>Her eyes shift towards Nous. "We just wanted to make sure the fortune teller wasn't getting in over her head with something, or someone dangerous.
No.3330
>>3329"I see. . ."
>Nous slinks back, their ears drooped low, and quietly starts talking under their breath."Well, that
is a serious concern, although I must unfortunately tell you that your fortune teller has gotten herself involved in something very dangerous. . ."
>Arete picks her cup up again, and takes a sip from it."Magic is far too dangerous for young ones such as yourself to be using, without proper supervision, of course."
No.3333
>>3332"Oh no, sweetie, I'm not worried about them at all."
>Arete's tone is so sweet that the sentence almost seems to verbally contain a smile."They may have made a very regrettable mistake, but they are a known factor. You, however, represent a culture in need of protection from itself. That, is, simply put,
Truth."
No.3334
>>3333>Stephanie stares at Arete, studying her body language. "Oh. I see."
>Her eyes narrow slightly. "You're with Aletheia."
>She lets out a sigh."Well it was only a matter of time for you to find us. You've been moving in on some of our neighbors recently."
"You're going to report this immediately, and nothing I say here will sway you."
>Stephanie puts her finger to her chin, thinking. "Simply imprisoning you now would be… immoral. And even if I were to do it, a search party would likely come in our direction at some point anyway, making it meaningless…
No.3335
>>3334>Isaac looks at Stephanie and gives a light shrug.
>Finally speaking, he then says:"I don't want to say that she gave off a bad vibe from the start but……"
>He then makes a partial 'half-and-half' gesture with his hand out, before continuing to speak to Stephanie."Well, the good news is we definitely found something interesting throughout all of this. Bad news is - the interesting stuff also seems to have found us, as you stated."
No.3336
>>3335"Ah, our reputation precedes me."
>Arete puts her cup down, gently moving it away from her."But I assure you, any rumours you have heard of us being controlling conquerors are simply untrue, we simply wish to ensure that magic is used correctly, across all of infinities. So this need not end with any violence and meaningless losses on your side."
>Arete stands up, taking out a small stone."Unlike other. . . more aggressive members of my rank, I will report your universe as requiring a gentler hand to reach out first, no blood needs to be spilled if you just agree to join us."
No.3337
>>3336>Isaac thinks for a moment to remember what Aletheia was again."…..Uh…Right. You guys are…..uhh…."
>Thinking more intently, Isaac maybe, sort of remembers what the group was."Well in either case, I'm not really thrilled about forced signups - especially with promotional pricing. I doubt she is either."
>Isaac says, pointing his thumb at Stephanie. No.3338
>>3336>>3337"I'm not joining you. And I can't speak for others on my world, but magic where I come from tends to be purposefully hidden from the world at large. So others might not be thrilled to have restrictions imposed upon them."
>Stephanie stands up from her seat as well, eyeing the stone. She grimaces."That's not something I would expect you to have."
No.3339
>>3338"The chance for a peaceful transition will still be given, for you, and all other magicians in your home reality, including your talking monkey over there, before you destroy yourselves, like so many others have. . ."
>Arete trails off, a certain sadness in her eyes as she does."Still, be a dear, make sure to tell the others in your universe that we are coming."
>Arete disappears, the stone clattering to the ground uselessly.
>With her gone, Nous starts to speak more clearly"Not good. . . not good. . . Arete is mad. . . she hasn't been mad at me in several billion years. . . need to decouple this universe from the weave, no more visitors. . ."
No.3340
>>3339>Isaac raises an eyebrow after hearing Arete's statement."And there's the casual disregard. Predictable."
>Looking at the remaining blue-haired woman, Isaac then says:"I would suggest something involving theatrics or sleight of hand - but I know that'll never work on your magic cabal friends."
>Thinking for a moment, Isaac then looks at Stephanie and asks:"Anything you're curious about trying? Or do you want to handle this the blunt way instead?"
No.3341
>>3339>>3340>Stephanie lets out a sigh. No longer hiding her ability, she uses her magic to pull the stone from the floor and to her hand. She inspects it for a moment, before causing it to vanish - storing it back home."Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out."
>She turns to look at Nous. "Don't forget, I'll be watching. So don't go trying to endanger my Earth."
>She waves a hand over the table, conjuring up what appears to be a floating orb. The orb remains still for a moment before glowing, producing an almost smoke-like aura of color around itself as it activates."Just a little reminder so you don't forget. And don't bother trying to get rid of it. You can't."
No.3342
>>3341>Nous shakes their head."No, no, you won't watch, you won't be able to, no eyes will reach here. . ."
>Nous looks up, sighing, and waves their hand, causing the sky above to start fading away."Observations will have to be delayed for a few aeons, just for safety, there can be no contact with the wider multiverse."
>Nous looks at Stephanie and Isaac."Leave, now, before you can return to your home. . ."
>Nous starts moving their hand up, but stops."This will buy you time, at least, none understand the mapping of the weave like I do."
>With that comment, Nous waves their hand, and Isaac and Stephanie find themselves back in their reality.
>Alone again, Nous looks up at the rapidly fading sky and sighs once more, a sad smile on their face."I wonder what these will look like in their next kalpas. . ."
No.3344
>>3343>Isaac looks at Stephanie for a moment, before placing a hand on her shoulder."You did fine today. Probably better than I would've done, given my penchant for sarcasm. As for Ceridwen…."
>Isaac looks on at the city streets of NYC, as he removes his hand from her shoulder."She's already got a lot on her plate. I suppose another morsel wouldn't chip it. Even though I'd rather that we handle this for her instead."
No.3345
>>3344>She turns to look at Isaac."No Isaac. They're sending people no matter what. And knowing Ceri, she would prefer to be informed ahead of time rather than taken by surprise."
"You might also want to mention it to Aiden and Stella. Aletheia isn't going to just stop. They're
massive. If a group falls, they'll send more. This is something the Earth is going to have to deal with as well."
No.3346
>>3345>Isaac gives Stephanie a somewhat wistful look, as he locks eyes with her. Closing his eyes, he then sighs as he rubs the bridge of his nose."I was agreeing with you, Steph."
>Opening his eyes again, he then states:"I might as well then, though I'll wait for the most opportune time to inform them. I can sense that they're all a bit preoccupied at the moment."