This Session is hereby called to order.

[darkheart]

*~As the large beasts sat beside him, his lips turned up in a slight smile. Patting both behind the haunches, he nearly felt guilty about his sharp comments earlier brought on by his aggravation. They were magnificent beasts, and the lull and rise of their powerful breath within their ribs was a predatory music to his ears. He ruffled their scruffs before they turned to vacate to the kitchen, patting Sera's knee as she sat beside him. He could nearly smell the coolness of Teagen's spirit, and her discomfort with him. While their respect for each other's skills was mutual, the tension of their relationship was always a bit strained. ~*

*~Pulling his mind from such things, his black leather gloved hands reached forward and poured the green tea into cups, smelling the aroma of ginseng and honey within. Arranging them upon saucers with one teacake a piece, he offered the tray to each, letting those who would partake do so, and lastly taking up his cup. He smirked slightly at Aine's somewhat forced arrival, and thought it strangely fitting in a way. Sipping his tea as Lilith began her monologue, he leaned over to Sera quietly and whispered of her tea, "delightful." As the warm liquid passed his lips, he turned to the pair as Malcolm made his say in the matter, marking quietly the information he belied for later transcription and record. Watching as the bear of a man exited into the night, his eyebrow arched as Donnalbane spoke~*

"Typical..."
~Donnalbane snorted.~

"So... where do we start?"

*~As his teacup came to rest upon his saucer, the drow spoke quite pointedly, though reservedly for once. It was clear his own thoughts and opinions were laid aside by his tone, denoting that he had become about business...his most empirical self~*

Why Donnalbane, that is the simplest of questions to answer, though the hardest to achieve....

It would be my assertion that since the source of dear Illyana's heartache stems from the lack of presence or communication from Mr. McCarrion, and since Illyana has thusly sealed herself off from interaction entirely, logic would forbear that the most intelligent course of action left to us would be to simply find Rift....though, as I said, not so easily done. Even my information on his last journey is sketchy at best...though I think if I applied a little pressure, I could dig some things up.

But I must say, and I hope I'm not being too droll or long winded, Malcolm does bring up a point. It is not only nature that is remiss with the recent magickal activities...the streets and alleys are abuzz with rumors of "mutants" and "warlocks"...organized crime and government labs are seeking individuals like our young Joseph to either train to become human weapons, or dissect like some oddity...I need not remind you all of the dangers this poses...especially when people act out in public....

*~At this he shot a glance toward Aine, though it was brief. She had not done any lasting harm, though opening fire in public was a good way to draw attention to oneself. Sipping his tea once more, he sighed. He'd said his piece, now it was time to weigh other's opinions.~*

[Teagan]

She sighed softly to herself listening to the Enforcer of Elysium. There were things that she was privvy to also being a Silent to the ArchAngel. Jaeden would know of the passing of the mantle to Donnalbane, but, did She approve? And if not, what would be the repercussions of that action?

Questions ... unanswered.

Malcolm returning home to seek out the dragons to see if he could become one. Had he been asleep so long that he forgot the four Aeries that settled within the confines of the mountains of Elysium and along Gryphons Ridge? Filled with the very things he sought?

Questions ... unanswered.

Malcolm leaving with what had transpired with his Awakening. Would he have that which he said he needed to sustain him within the waking world? Would she be alright with his absence? Would Donnalbane?

Questions ... unanswered.

The planet knew what was happening to it and was not happy. Why did it wait to correct what it perceived as being wrong? Or would it allow things to continue to bring magic back to the lands?

Questions ... unanswered.

The awakening of the elven gene. Should it be stopped? Or should it be allowed to grow? And if so, who would be the ones to nurture it?

Questions ... unanswered.

Where was Rift? Was Yana, in her grief, the cause of the elven gene awakening?

Questions ... unanswered.

Her hand went to the bridge of her nose, rubbing the area lightly, the headache pounding as she leaned back in the loveseat, wishing that she could have gone with him. But, then, could she have really been of any help to him?

Questions ... unanswered.

[lizardfx]

~Donnalbane frowned slightly... he could sense Teagan's distress.~

"Right, we find Rift... and things may just work themselves out. I'm afraid I'm at a loss in that regard however, I've only met the man a handful of times myself, and that was ages ago... In a different life."

~He flashed another brief glance at Lilith~

"Teagan, I know father leaving like this troubles you, but, this is something he feels he must do. A final test so to speak... I'm sure he'll be fine, he comes back every time... that's one thing I've learned over the ages, he always returns to those he cares about the most. After we are finished here, I must speak with the ArchAngel, it has been far too long and I think I need to speak with her now more than ever."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Meanwhile somewhere within another fold of the multiverse Malcolm reached up to rub a pair of nubs protruding from his forehead as he looked up to the stars, two moons staring right back at him~

"I'm sorry Angel, I'll face your wrath when the mission is done... everything the dream has shown me has thrust me here and I must do this... Donnalbane is more than capable... I simply hope you and the others can accept him."

~He turned away from the heavens and down to the valley below which was the sanctuary of all sentient life on this world, the kingdom of Eden.~

"Well... here we go again..."

[Lilith McCarrion]

::Lilith had listened quietly, munching on the teacake, offering a glance in Malcolm's direction with a slight inclination of her head upon the mention of Eden, and then again, she would glance in the way of Donnalbane at his rather uncomfortable admonition. Yet Lilith was too preoccupied to remaniss, there were things that needed to be done.::

Seeing as these....magic enabled mortals are only now beginning to appear upon our radar would lead me to believe one of two things. Either their mutation, or adaptation is relatively new, and only now beginning to surface or we have seriously lost touch with ourselves and become too involved in these modern times. In any case, as far as my knowledge stems there have been only two reported cases. This Martina woman and our local Joseph Martin.

Now then, I do not want to distract from our main objective, which Kil'atha has already pointed out. To relieve most, if not all of our problems we need to find Rift. Then balance will be set back to what it was and we can deal with the remnants.

::She would finially move to sit, shoving the rest of the teacake in her mouth and chewing, speaking again once she had finished::

Kil'atha, would you mind terribly to find out all that you can about this, Martina? I don't need nor do I want to know specifics, just where she is from and if anything tragic has happened in her life. I'd like to know if what triggered Joseph Martin and Martina are one in the same, if not then we're barking up the wrong tree and Joe was just a coincidence.

::Then she would look over to Sera, who sat neatly between Kil'atha and Donnalbane::

What can you tell us about your grandmother's condition? You were one of the last to actually visit and sit with her, this and you tend to visit on a more regular basis.

[darkheart]

*~ Nodding quietly to Lilith, he pulled out his cell phone and placed it to his hear, whispering Armond's full name into it. Speed dial kicked in, decrypted his voice pattern, then the secure signal, and bounced it off his satellite down to his personal phone. He talked briefly to the man~*

Armond...I am fine, thank you. Forward the De la Cruz file to my PDA, if you would be so kind. I thank you.

*~Snapping his cell phone shut, he pulled out his palm, waiting a few seconds for it to beep, then set it on the coffee table. Pressing a button, a digital holographic projection sprang forth of the woman's face, circling slowly before them all as he began to speak~*



As my twins and I have only known about Ms. De la Cruz for a short while, our knowledge is limited. Her name, as stated, is Martina De la Cruz. Credit reports taken have listed her primary income sources as Baltimore News American, Baltimore, MD and CNN: Washington, D.C. Given her travel records according to airline and credit card tracking, her mobility and pay scale denotes she is likely freelance, and not permanently employed. Cell phone records indicate she has called CNN recently, and digital decryption Armarant performed on the signal was sketchy due to solar spotting, but the words Taylor, presumably her boss, Silver Lady, presumably our Illyana, and Joesph Martin, our recently deceased, were all recovered.

Further inspection has denoted that since arriving in New York, she has attended Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on 3 West 65th Street, though for religious purposes or contact information is unclear, as we have not had time to set up an appropriate tail on her. Re-con I performed myself during her interaction with Martin, Joseph involved her stating she was covering a story some nine years ago in Ireland when there was an explosion - her encounter with "The Silver Lady". Armond is working on uncovering the news footage. Since then she has been bestowed with magickal powers, though I was not in a position to note what her particular gift or gifts are - only by the context of her conversation do I know that she has practiced to control it...so at present I would denote her a Class 2, possibly Class 3 user...and potentially dangerous to encounter. Her last known meeting was to be with our own Aine, though it did not go particularly smoothly.

*~Clicking his PDA off, then replacing it in his pocket, he resumed his place next to Sera, pouring himself a fresh cup of tea and sipping it quietly~*

If you have further need, all, of any information, contact can be arranged...though I have a feeling Aine hasn't particularly made friends with her at this point, so unless you wish a violent, bullet-ridden encounter, she should be left out of it.

That, dear Ridre, is all I know at this juncture.

[Seraphina De'Asandir]

-Sera would sit patiently, leaning somewhat into Donnalbane, legs crossed and fully focused on the...presentation Kil'atha was showing them all. It was interesting, to think that somehow, the traits of their ancestors....or more pointedly...themselves, could still be lingering on in this lifetime. When Kil left the floor and returned to his seat aside her, she would then lean forward, sitting up straight on the edge of the couch to respond to the question asked.-

Before any of this was brought to my attention, I would not have believed Illyana capable. I visited her once, maybe twice a month. She seemed fine, at least, mentally sound. Depressed, yes. Preoccupied, extremely. But she was trying to stay busy. Some of you may or may not know this, but my younger brother is staying with her. She was taking great strides to keep herself preoccupied with him. It's what you would expect in her situation, mortal or no.

If... IF she is responsible, it's an unconcious act, because there is no way she would leave my brother unattended, even in the safety of her realm. And a nine year time span between when Martina evolved, and when Joseph saw this "Silver Lady" a week or so ago, does not constitute a consistant pattern.

I think Illyana will be okay for now. She's a strong woman and has been through much in her years that we can only imagine. If we find Rift she will make a full turnaround. Lets just hope he's in trouble....or he's gonna be just that.

-She would end her little ramble with a light hearted grin and half a chuckle before sliding back into the couch and crossing her legs to become comfortable once more.-

[Teagan]

Distressed would be putting it mildly. She had no idea if Donnalbane was aware of what had happened when she had awakened his father in Elysium. But she nodded her head when he said that Malcolm always came back and in her heart she prayed that he would. She also nodded when he said that it had been some time since he had seen the ArchAngel and that he needed to speak to her now more than ever.

She listened closely as Lilith considered the notion that the Martina woman and the boy were just a coincidence, but somehow, she, Teagan didn't quite think so.

She watched the holographic presentation of Kil', precise and to the point, as always and his pointed jab at Aine did not go unnoticed, but even she had the feeling that the woman would not be agreeable with speaking to the younger Fae anytime soon, she knew under the same circumstances, she wouldn't and a violent bullet-ridden encounter would not be in their best interests.

She took Sera's reassurances that Yana had not left her realm as a good sign considering that the young girl felt that she would not have left her brother alone in her realm and she had to agree with that ... if ... it had been a conscious effort. But what if it had not been?

"Lilith, I think, under the circumstances, that perhaps I be the one to meet with this reporter. It is a good possibility that she in her job capacity knows me and what I do ... did ... for a living and she'd probably trust me somewhat since I am not known to be prone to violent behavior. Kil', if you could set that meeting up, I would appreciate it. And once I do meet with her, what would you have me tell her, if anything since Kil' considers her to possibly be dangerous?"

She turned her head slightly toward the drow. She had one more question to ask of him, but, not at the moment, but she would make a point of it before they parted ways tonight.

[darkheart]

*~ He had little care or concern for the awakening mortals themselves, so long as they did not gain the publics notice...or worse yet, fear....and once more bring persecution and death to the forefront with public panic and witch hunts. He might have been a drow, but he was no follower of Lloth, and had no real pleasure in mass, random genocide. ~*

*~That aside, he sipped his tea quietly, attending Sera's words with interest. When last he'd seen Illyana, she'd been agitated and upset, though as Sera noted, completely sane and logical. Wanting to be left alone was a sentiment he could appreciate, and while her actions were out of character with her typical hospitality and warmth, such were the worrisome ways of wives of wayward husbands. Sera's logic was sound, and trusted her assessment~*

*~As Teagan asked him to arrange a meeting, he noted an atypical tension in her body...an anxiousness of sorts. She wanted something of him, though what it could possibly be he was ignorant of. He nodded in agreement to her request, though looked to Lilith for authorization to do so. He didn't particularly take cues from Lilith, but in circumstances such as these a team leader of sorts was necessary, and she fit the bill...thus he would take the first step toward accepting and promoting that through his very actions. He offered:~*

I can arrange that, if you think it wise, Lil...and I can accompany Teagan for protection, if need be. If you think it worth the time, I can also arrange to have Armond and Amarant to dragnet for data concerning where Rift have been, or have been looking for. The trail will be pretty cold, but we have a good shot of turning up some plausible leads. Your call.

[Lilith McCarrion]

::and with that, Lilith would look to Teagan and nod.::

I believe that at this present point and time that would be the best arrangement, considering....this is what you do.

Kil, go ahead and arrange the meeting. If Teagan deems it necessary, accompany her, though you may appear threatening. The last thing a reporter is going to do is attack or threaten a US ambassador, it would be the end of her career. However, given her position, we should quench this fire before it turns into a witch hunt to find out what we're hiding.

As for finding Rift, Kil you would probably be better off speaking to Charion first. He has some personal affects of Rift that would probably come in handy. In my last meeting he showed me these items, but details I did not gather. Once he returns from his trip to try and make another attempt to contact our mother, I am sure he will not be difficult to find.

::She would release a pent up sigh and fall back into the chair, running her fingers through raven hair and allowing eyes of jade to travel about the room::

Is there anything else? Are we all on the same page...same wave length? Are there any more bitches, moans, gripes, whines, or complaints? Or anything else that I might have missed that we need to look for or take care of before it explodes?

[Detective Stargazer]

She would stand up and look to those gathered and just head for the door. At this point she would have just rather ed been at home sleeping but it was nearly time to go back to work.

Once at the door she would stop and speak softly to those in the room., but mainly toward Lilith. I know what i am and why we hide but you have missed the biggest lesson this day. he killed a boy and while we complain about persecution and rebut ion you need to think to what he just did. Then to go back and defile a body and destroy police evidence is even more of black eye than me firring in public. This is new york a shooting happens every day. What he did will be on the news for weeks and yes i still have the evidence as do others were not stupid were cops. people sworn to protect and serve.
He did nothing to serve us but give these humans a reason to backlash against us if the truth is ever learned. May yanna have mercy on our souls for this crime of killing one of our own. " Closing the door once she stepped out she slowly headed down the hall and back into the world of new York only to vanish among the people once again as if she had never been there.

[Lilith McCarrion]

::Lilith would stand quickly before Aine left, before she had a chance to walk out the door::

Aine. I understand your reasons, and I will make no attempts to stop you returning evidence, whatever it is you have, as the subject and feelings on this boy seems to be completely divided within this room. All I ask is to sort through WHAT you return.

I do not worry about Kil'atha, I am sure he covered his tracks well. However, the last thing we need is someone getting ahold of physical evidence. In this day and age, all we need is someone to get ahold of his DNA and find something strange.

As far as I am aware, Martina is the only one left. But should there be more that we do not know of, it would make their lives even more difficult than what, I am sure, they already are, not to mention putting un-needed attention on us all.

::and Lilith would leave it at that, returning to her seat and watching as Aine left. As far as she was concerned, the subjects were over, and were already beaten like a dead horse. Joseph Martin was dead, Martina had been shot at, nothing any of them can do to change it::

[darkheart]

*~It was hard to keep the wolfish grin from splitting his lips at Aine's little tirade. It was such a terrible thing for him to have killed that poor little boy capable of blowing up water mains with adolescent temper tantrums, and yet it was perfectly alright that she had attempted to splatter the reporter with an automatic weapon in public, and would have succeeded had it not been for his intervention. Snorting distastefully, he uttered "Pathetic," but left it at that, as Lilith closed the topic for him. Sipping his tea, he shook his head to himself. To holistic, legalistic types like Aine, what he did was Terrorism, murder, and heresy, while when she performed the same acts it was patriotism, justice, and law. It all mattered what side of the coin you slept on...but then, hypocrisy was the spice of life. Those who are dependent on rules needed those who were dependent on breaking them...it was what kept the delicate balance of the zoo the world considered society. He was comfortable in being hated for his role, as he knew just how necessary he was...even if they didn't.~*

*~He was roused from his thinking by his PDA beeping. Flicking it on with the stylus blithely, his wolfish grin deepened. His Internet kernels had decrypted, broken down, scattered, re-encrypted, and compiled the message sent to him, leaving it completely untraceable , yet delivered to him. Reading it, his eyebrow went up incredulously. What sort of cryptic crap was this? He wasn't sure what person was infatuated with the mythic mystery of the underworld, but it certainly wasn't someone adept in the ways of negotiating business, else they'd have kept it short and sweet. Sighing, he pondered the message again, then quickly pressed a couple of icons, starting the tracing process. His incredulous smirk slowly faded to a mild interest when the user of the account came up as one "De la Cruz, Martina." Nodding slowly with an appreciative grin, he took out a small fold-able keyboard and plugged his PDA into it. Hacking her computer, he replied directly to her DOS screen through encrypted signals. Removing the PDA from the keyboard, shutting it off, he ended the signal. Had it been traced, it would have been rerouted to the Brooklyn Zoo's Bird House...a little joke for the Lurking Raven. Turning to Teagan, he whispered softly~*

The meeting is set, if she wants it....tomorrow at Il Cantinori...it's a Tuscan place in Greenwich Village...I'd recommend the creamy papardelle with pesto and beans...delightful.

But I am weary...I am not used to this much....company. Teagan, if you'll accompany me to the balcony, I wish to discuss in private your meeting tomorrow. Lilith, I will look up Charion after the meeting tomorrow and see what I can find on Rift....I'll contact you when I know something. The rest of you, be well.

~*~

*~Once on the balcony, he waited for Teagan. Turning to her, he offered pointedly. Whatever this burden you bear...now is not the time for it...so I will be brief: Ask of me whatever it is that troubles you so deeply that you cannot help but let it cloud your eyes...I will be honest, you can be sure...though I cannot promise you will like the answer. In that, I offer you one courtesy....before you ask, considered what merit any answer I might give would grant you...and if it is worth whatever you're willing to risk to ask it.~*

[Teagan]

She walked to the balcony after Kil, noting that Donnalbane remained seated next his daughter. She knew that she would get a terse account of what he had set in motion with the reporter, and she was used to that. And she nodded slowly when Kil said that the burden that she bore should not be discussed at this time. And perhaps under different circumstances, she would have just dropped it. But, she had to know ... no matter what his answer.

She took a deep breath.

"I shall be as brief as I can, Kil. The deaths of my husband and daughter left me a basket case... common knowledge. And due to recent events, you and I are once again in each other's presence working towards the same goal. And, due to the ArchAngel because of this mission to find Rift and protect Yana, that grief has been lifted from me and placed on the broader shoulders of Malcolm."

She leaned against the unbroken section of railing, looking down over the city street below them, her voice still fairly calm.

"A few months after their deaths, I began to look outside myself. I wanted those that caused their deaths to be brought to justice.....and not particularly in the "proper" manner. I would have killed them myself ... IF ... I had found any of them alive."

She turned her head to him, the blue-white eyes clear at this point, her expression calm.

"At each turn, I found those involved, or suspected to be involved dead ... each death more gruesome than the last ... and the leader of the group ... well, I'd rather not say what I found. Were -you- the personal cause of the murderers' deaths ... or did you arrange them?"

She quietly waited for his answer.

[darkheart]

*~He listened to her question, then turned to stand next to her, looking out over the city's lights. Removing his sunglasses quietly, he took out his handkerchief and began to rub the lenses in slow, counterclockwise circles. He was silent for a brief moment as he did this, then offered in his usual dispassion~*

I do not know how familiar you are with the unwritten rules of the 'underworld,' as it is so commonly called....but there are rules. One of the cardinal rules is protect your allies, crush your enemies. A more important rule is: Never get emotional....

You are an emotional woman, Teagan...retribution needed to take place...but not stemming from revenge or emotion. Those who make peace cannot have blood on thier hands. I have made sure that you need not....what your family would wish of you was to maintain your grace and position...not slaughter those two-bit, would-be terrorists. Your husband was a military man...one of honor...he would not have wished you besmirch yours to satisfy his.

But, if you wish a clear answer....I slaughtered them like the diseased dogs they were....and I made them feel your pain.

*~He held his glasses up to the light, checking them for spots, then replaced them~*

Now, if you'll excuse me....it's been a long day full of......people. Tea will not cut it...I feel the need for a pint. Good eve, Teagan.

*~Not feeling particularly inclined toward further conversation he melted into the shadows. She had asked, he had answered...as far as he was concerned, that was it~*

[Teagan]

She listened to his words, once more thankful that the man was on her side in his own way. She nodded her head, knowing that words were not necessary at the moment and never would be.

"Fair journey, Kil'.....may your path home remain clear."

Once he stepped into the shadows and vanished, she turned and walked back into the living room to see if Lilith had any further instructions on what she might want said to the woman at lunch tomorrow, if she showed up.

But, Kil' would find one trait that was not well known about the diplomat. When he undressed for the night, he would find a thin gold chain around his neck, the almost weightless square locket would be hanging from it. It was one of two that she possessed. And inside, he would find the family portraits of Kendall and Deirdre, her silent thanks for what he had done.