Dinner with Maloker ((group thread))

[slayers_desire]

Some may consider that all the 'Big Guns' that April has called together is overkill … but not really, not when it comes to the fact that many great minds are needed to find a way to prevent The Three (Discord, Disharmony and Cacophony) from their evil plans.

And the Big Guns are needed... when they have no idea where to start looking for The Three.

When other Keys (such as Dawn Summers) are being drained of their existence.

When the clock is still ticking on Lorne... and his battle with his disease.

Invitations were extended to Clark Kent/Superman; Harry Dresden; Sheriff Bigby Wolf; Edward Elric; Cipher Nine; and of course Spike, Angel, Buffy, Willow and Wes.

April is waiting in the planning room, for each person to arrive, going through some books as she does. For many... this will be a familiar encounter, as they had to come to fight together before. But there will be some new faces. And new ideas.

((forgot a posting order. Since multiple characters, Kat/Ael/ me))

Comments

[fmalchemist160]

Ed continues to glare at her. "If I thought of you as objects, I wouldn't have called you 'people'," he points out. "I'm blunt like that. Way to take a phrase meant to refer to you as a group of people way out of context." He sits back and crosses his arms. "We come with you and April. Period. End of story." Cipher Nine nods his agreement.

[big_bad_sheriff]

"Enough," Bigby growls. "Either you can sit around arguing or we can do something about this."

[slayers_desire]

"And you placed me into a pre-defined group of others..." Ember stated simply to Ed in return. She then turned to address Angel.

"Her protection won't last. And the Trio will take her next." And left the room.

"Wot sort of deal were you aiming for Angel?" Spike addressed the other man.

"No deal." Angel turned out his hands.

April touched her head, a flurry of voices and commotion in her mind.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed stares after Ember with an intensely frustrated look on his face, something like, 'Everyone does that! That does not equate to objectification!' going through his head, but he doesn't say anything. Instead he takes a few deep breaths, spots April's apparent distress, and immediately starts to worry. "What's wrong?" he asks.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark can sense her distraction over the bond, and while he can't hear the specifics, he can tell at least some of what's going on. "What are they telling you?"

[slayers_desire]

"It doesn't make much sense... a large bat circling music notes. Trying to get closer to them, but it is prevented.."

"The bat is starting to disintegrate. Piece by piece... it hurts."

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Well, that doesn't sound good by any stretch of the imagination," Cipher Nine notes quietly, a definite note of concern to his voice. Ed's expression of worry deepens noticeably at April's description of what her Voices are telling her, wondering if maybe he messed this up (what with his temper issues and everything).

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark reaches over to touch April's hand, a little worried. Vague visions are nothing new, but it bothers him when she's in pain.

[slayers_desire]

"It was a bat wing I saw when the voices protected by from the Three before..."

As sensitive to emotions she is right now, April gently speaks to Ed. "And this isn't due to anything you said. There is a bigger plot here..."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed exhales, relieved. "Good to know," he breathes. He frowns. "Maybe the bat wing represents Maloker's protection?" He's always had at least something of a knack for symbolism (the practice of Alchemy is full of it, especially in the drawing of transmutation circles), he's definitely gotten better at by simple virtue of knowing April.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Then what are the music notes?" Clark wonders.

"We saw the same kinda notes in the Conduit," Harry says.

[slayers_desire]

"Discord, Disharmony and Cacophony are all musical terms. The names of the Three." Wes added his thoughts.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine nods his agreement. "I was already leaning towards the notes representing the Trio, but that definitely cements that idea for me," he tells Wes.

"Seconded," Ed agrees.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark frowns a little. "So... if that's the interpretation, Maloker's trying to get close to the Trio, but can't?"

[slayers_desire]

"Even if that is the interpretation... I do not know what it means."

"Where are the Trio?" Buffy twirled a stake when she spoke.

"We don't know..." Wes answered her.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine exhales slowly, briefly running a hand through his hair while he contemplates. "We may have to go find Maloker," he says. "He wanted to see April for a reason, and if we're right about the bat symbolizing him, then April's Voices definitely seem to have something to say about him as well. Maybe he has information we can use."

[thepizzalord]

"We have to do something sooner rather than later," Harry agrees. "My containment spell isn't going to last forever, and even if did, it wouldn't do Dawn much good."

[slayers_desire]

Buffy takes a moment to stare at the woman surrounded by the magical ward. The spell has effected her the worst... and she is having trouble even recognizing the woman. And she wonders who she is, and why she is important.

"We had an emissary to Maloker here. But other ideas to find him?" Angel crossed his arms.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed catches sight of Buffy staring at Dawn, and a little pang zings through his heart. He tries to imagine being made to forget who Al is, and why he's important to Ed. It's difficult to even contemplate, partially because he can't really picture it. For the moment, he doesn't say anything, not wanting to intrude on her. After all, he doesn't know her very well. At all, really.

"That emissary left because—apparently—she was unwilling to agree to even the perfectly reasonable precaution of not allowing April to see Maloker without back-up," Cipher Nine notes. "But if what Ember said was true, and April's Voices come from Maloker, then she should be able to use them to contact him, or at least to find him, correct?"

[big_bad_sheriff]

"Will that work?" Bigby asks, frowning. He's not super familiar with April's powers, and they don't follow a strict storyline in the way he's used to, so it's harder for him to predict.

[slayers_desire]

"Nothing that was said to Ember was reasonable." Angel stated simply. "You all jumped down on her so fast... you didn't even give a chance for reason to be used."

April waved any further comments from Angel off, not wanting another argument to be started. "I have had friends channel through my voices before... I am not sure if they can find Maloker or not."

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine nods a little and twitches a shoulder up in a nano-shrug. "It's worth trying, I think. If it doesn't work, we come up with a new plan."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"We don't seem to have a lot of other options," Clark agrees reluctantly. He's not sure he likes this plan, but what else can they do?

[slayers_desire]

"Well I guess we all need to sit in a comfortable place. And I will open a channel into my mind." April is a little nervous too. She is not sure what they will find...

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine nods solemnly, and glances back at Lorne. "Have you got someplace we can use for this purpose?"