Brief Title:
Characters:
Sandman and Topaz NPC: Wong
Scene Runner/Watcher:
Sandman
IC Date:
2013/06/25 10:30
Location:
Inner Sanctum - Santcum Santorum - Greenwich Village
Summary:
Topaz and Wong attempt to 'fix' Sandman…Bill and Topaz are finally reunited.
Social or Plot:
Plot
TS:
No
Log:
Having spent the last few days scoping out the home of Dr. Stephen Strange, Sandman has made no real attempt to try to break in, knowing the mystical defenses are enough to stop the likes of Dormammu and Mephisto. So he opted for something a bit different. Studying the times, Wong, the manservant, runs errands, Sandman opts to do this the old-fashioned way
Easily subduing the manservant, Sandman forces the manservant to lead him to Dr. Strange. Wong, with a knowing expression on his face, as if he is simply allowing this to happen, acquiesces to Sandman’s request and leads him into the Inner Sanctum. Once in the room, Wong easily frees himself from Sandman with his minor mystical abilities. “Dr. Strange is not here, but defenses are in place. . .and one in particular, for you . . .Flint Marko!” Mystical alarms, spells, the whole she-bang go off, alerting a particular for disciple of Strange’s and one who knows this opponent well enough.
Topaz might not be on Strange's good side at the moment. But the Sorceror Supreme is a busy man, and despite his mighty powers he can't be all places at once. So he uses his resources and his former apprentice and mystical neighbor falls into that category.
She's a bit surprised, she figured she would have been removed from the defense protocols when she was kicked out, but considering her vicinity to Strange's Sacntorum it makes sense she would still be alerted. Certainly Wong and/or Rintrah's doing. She wastes no time and takes the quick way to Strange's place, teleporting into the Inner Sanctum.
Upon arrival, Topaz will see Sandman in a completely pssamic form, “So this was a little trick, should figured Wanda would alert all of you! Well, I’ll just have to kill you instead.” Wong takes a defensive martial arts stance, but is also starting a chant, “Flint Marko, it is clear you are hurt. . .and it is time for you to face what has pained you for so long!”
When she is fully in the room. Flint Marko shakes his head, “Lady, I told you, you were gonna die. . .and Bill won’t help you this time!” His arm extends out elongating in an attempt to grab the witch.
"Yes, eventually I'm sure, but it won't be at your hands." Topaz replies. She doesn't bother to evade the sand tentacles reaching out for her, all she will do is try to keep her arms free. "I'm not the one in this room that is going to need help."
“You already need help. . .even if. . .and it ain’t gonna happen, but even if Bill were to come back. . .you abandoned him.” With his elongated sand hand wrapped firmly around Topaz, Sandman begins to squeeze, Topaz, may feel some pressure, but she would also recognize that Sandman is capable of greater strength and so something is keeping him from going all out on her. As this happens Wong continues to chant a spell. He takes a seated position on the ground, closing his eyes and it seems as if he is not there. Mentally reaching out to Topaz via magick, he telepathically offers, <Bill is trying to gain dominance, but find himself unable to. . .your link with him. . .may give him some strength.>
Placing her hands on the appendages around her torso, Topaz shakes her head at the accusation "No you are mistaken." she sends Wong an affirmative response and her eyes begin to glow. Physical contact with her target makes gestures and chanting unnecessary and she reaches out mentally "But I have nothing to prove to you." once contact is made she will use her telepathic abilities to search for the personality divide between the two consciousnesses.
As the chanting starts and Sandman seems to freeze up. His grim firm around Topaz, in his mind, Wong and Topaz will note two figures. That of Bill, represented as a boy dressed in garb similar to Sandman and That of Flint, represented by a stern older adult, also dressed as Sandman with darker tones. Flint stands over the child who is rolled up in a ball as Flint kicks the child in the back. “Why won’t you die already?” Flint shouts at the smaller Bill, “I won’t let you hurt her!”
Topaz has seen similar before, in her own mind when she was dealing with her own personality issues far in her past and in those suffering from lycanthropy. In each of those situations merging of the personalities usually fixed the problems. This one is different, merging isn't wanted, dominance is.
Channeling the energies from Wong she begins to weave her spell, her chanting grows louder the language of her magic at times harsh and at others musical. With the final sylabble of the incantation she reaches out to place her finger on
Sandman's temples and releases the spell the spell of reversal and binding. The reversal part switching the places between bully and victim and the binding part to mentally connect her to the Bill personality.
With the spell complete, the boy seems to gain strength while Flint seems to get weaker. The mental representation of Flint seems to grow older as does the boy. Standing up and pushing Flint down to the ground, Bill gets ready to attack, but stops himself short. “I’m better than you. I always have been. Just die.” Flint yells out and screams, “Nooooo!” Trying to find and must strength, but the aging increases until the astral image simply starts to wrinkle and crumble apart, falling into a pile of sand that withers off into the recesses of Bill’s mind.
In the real world, The sand hand holding Topaz puts one bit of pressure and then yanks the Indian witch towards the body of Sandman. The eyes, the expression, Bill is back as he looks at Topaz. If her empathic talents are aware a plethora of emotions fills Bill, oddly enough a sense of sadness. But finally gratitude comes to the forefront. “Thank you.” He offers her. Wong’s astral form returns to his body as the manservant opens his eyes to see the two.
her hands drift down, one to his shoulder and other remains on his cheek, "Welcome back." Topaz smiles with releif that her spell worked. She leaves his emotional state alone for the moment, messing with it will just prolong the healing process "I'm sorry this happened. Dorammamu will have a lot to answer for next time I have to deal with him." ultimately she things this is all the Hell Lords fault. If he hadn't off kidnapped her she could have fixed this problem long ago.
Looking confused, Bill tilts his head as he looks at her. It has been three years since he has ‘seen’ her. Memories flash to the last time he saw her. He blinks, “Dormammu?” Confusion, feelings, aside his mind races and despite the hurt due to their absence, he finds his feelings, in this moment, match what they were when he last saw her. The sand hand changes, as does his body, to a more human fleshy appearance and with the change he pulls her closer to him and kisses her. Three years of anger and guilt and love backed behind the kiss.
For his part, the Asian manservant shows a slight smile and slowly gets up making quiet exit and whispering, “Perhaps you should take this somewhere more private. The master shall return soon.”
Three years is a long time to be apart willing or unwilling. Certainly long enough to get over someone, or so Topaz assumed, now though she isn't so sure, especially when she is able to feel the emotions of Bill, even more clearly than she did before in part to the binding she put on him. She puts her arms around his neck and shares the passionate kiss totally oblvious to the audience the two have in Wong. Only the warning that Strange will be returning is enough to make her pull away, concern flaring up in her, which can probably be felt by Bill "I can't be here when Strange gets back. He is mad enough at me already.
“What?” Sandman shakes his head, “Then let’s get out of here. Want to teleport us away, somewhere more private?” He gives the intonation that he wants to do something more physical for their reunion, but catches himself, “Let’s just go anywhere but here.” He looks around the room at the various artifacts and trinkets and does not want to discover what they are capable of.
"It's a long story." Topaz says as she makes a quick gesture with a hand and keeping hold of Bill with the other. Like most teleportations its instananeous, first one spot and then suddenly in another. The two appear in the basement of the Voodoo Lounge, where Topaz has her own sanctum set up, though it is a lot barer than in was previously.
After the teleport is complete, Sandman looks around and those the room is sparse, he knows where he is. He gives the room a quick once over and then his eyes settle on the ground. He lets out a sigh, “Flint is still in me. I can feel him. It’s like the tiniest of whispers, but he is still in me. He and I are still connected.” Then looking to Topaz, “Like you and I. I’m your burden now, huh?”
Stepping out of the inlaid pentacle they teleported into Topaz disables the magic ward around it allowing him to move about freely "I do not have the power to banish him completely. That is going to take a combined effort." she reaches out to put a hand on his arm, "If our roles were reversed would I be a burden to you? If not how could you assume you would be a burden to me?"
“You know the answer to both those questions. Poor choice of words. . .” Bill exhales, “3 years. . .3 years of my life. . .In that time the only thing that even kept Flint from completely subverting me was you. In the few moments where I was in control. . .I searched for you. I couldn’t find you. I thought many things. I thought you gave up. I thought you had heard about my turning evil. But I knew and know how I feel. I take it Dormammu and Strange had something to do with us being apart.. I know that now, but. . .” He lets loose pent up emotions in the form of verbage. “I was at my happiest moment with you, the last time we saw each other. The Wizard attacked and me and unleashed Flint. But that spark of love and happiness and hope of reuniting with you.” He half-smiles, “I know if you had the chance you would have helped me or found me or done something. I know that. . .but. . .but what happened?”
"Was it? This whole situation has me out of sorts. Things are getting lost in translation." English isn't Topaz's first language and while she may be fluent, she has been known to slip when she is under emotional stress or focusing on things "Dormammu sent the Brothers Grimm after me. Neither my magics nor the self-defense you taught me worked against them with Dormammu's backing. He took me to the Dark Dimension to steal my power. I was is captive for over a month before Doctor Strange located me and rescued me. I was bound to his service in exchange. I wasn't released until a month ago."
Nodding his head, “Ok. . .” Bill moves forward to embrace her tightly, “Ok. I just wanted to know what happened. . .” In his mind, he offers, “We should probably figure out some things, but I am just glad to be back. You have saved my life.” Offering another kiss, he smiles, “Thank you.”
"I did not abandon you, like your other half says." Topaz tries to pick her words carefully not wanting to make another verbal faux pau and make things work. Something she is saved from by another kiss she lets her willing reponse and recicprocation do her talking for her.
