The Girl from Nowhere

[Rod Stafford]

There was dust on the mantle and sheets on the chairs. A fire burned and incense hung in the air. Drums pounded and music played. And about the furniture, Rod danced semi-naked, covered in paint. He panted and gasped, his face damp and his hair matted with sweat, and between drum beats he attempted to sing the lyrics to Light Bright Wavey Thing. The song came to an end and so did the album. The room was silent save for the crackling of the fire.

He stood still in the centre of the room, the light from the fireplace flickering on his painted face. His chest heaved and he sighed. From a dusty coffee table, which had been dragged to the edge of the room, he retrieved a cell phone and used speed dial. It rung in his ear for a moment and then he heard a familar voice.

"Eddie, it's not working. I've danced and drummed through two of your albums now and I'm getting nothing. No. Nothing!"

He paced the wooden floor with his bare feet while he took in Eddie's instructions, nodding and grunting. He stopped before a mirror and frowned: two thick lines of blue paint streaked down his face; from his forehead, over his eyes and down his cheeks. Two white squares were painted on his chest and from it, lines of thick red paint stretched out across his torso. On his wrists and ankles were beaded bracelets with a colourful feather attatched to each. There were beads around his neck and a bongo drum cradled under his arm.

"I'm not smoking that rubbish. I don't care if it is legal. More incense? More?"

He shrunk, defeated.

"Okay, but this is the last time. I don't care. I'll call you back. Bye."

He lit several more incense candles and positioned them strategically around the room. While the candles burned, he sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the fire. He breathed steadily and closed his eyes. In his mind, he attempted to visualise the mystical tapestries and beyond the gauntlet. Calmed, he stood and started up the CD once more. The guitar strummed steadily and he attempted to drum the bongo in time with the rythmn of the song. He hopped gingerly about in a desperate attempt at a dance, a thick pale haze filled the room from the candles. He coughed and started to sing.

"Open your eyes and see the colours in the skies, let me hold you close and take you on a magical love ride, because I can see clearly... Damn!"

Failing to see the coffee table through the psychedelic smog, Rod stubbed his toe on it and fell forward, he threw himself out of harms way so as not to damage the table and crashed into the ground, breaking a floorboard. He cursed and pulled himself to his feet. He siezed the bongo in both hands and cried out.

"Confound it all!"

And he launched the bongo across the room at the stereo still playing Eddie's music. It missed, hit the wall, and fell to the floor with a resounding bong. Finally defeated, Rod collapsed unceremoniously onto the couch behind him, sending up a thick cloud of dust into the air.

"I give up."

[Vivien Galati]

:: The music from the stereo took on a weird distortion, and there seemed to be a series of cacophonous gremlin voices mingled into it. This was followed by a long keening scream, then an unearthly howl as the air above the ceiling ripped, bright light pouring in through the tear. Something spilled out from within the rift. A woman fell into the room, landing upon the coffee table with a heavy wet splat. Something large and spidery attempted to descend on top of her, but it hesitated, staring at Ron with a pair of human eyes within it's obsidian head. It gave a hiss, and a howl as the rift closed up to bar it's entrance into the room. The woman lay unconscious on the coffee table, her naked form glistening with pinkish-white ectoplasm ::

[Rod Stafford]

Slouched in his seat, Rod stared at the girl on the coffee table and then looked cautiously up at the ceiling. He half expected another gaping hole to appear. There was a crack and the stereo cut out, leaving the room in silence once more. His attention returned to the girl and he quickly stood. He approached her and knelt down by her side.

"Hello?"

He reached out to touch her hand and suddenly jolted back from an electric shock. He shook his hand then leaned over her to see her ooze-covered face. Hesitantly, he reached out once more and touched her cheek. This time, there was no shock. He tapped her face gently to bring her around.

"Hello? Can You hear me?"

Still nothing. She was breathing but gave no response to his touch or voice. He stood and slipped one arm behind her shoulders and the other beneath her legs, and lifted her up. Making extra sure not to innappropriately look at her exposed parts, he stared straight ahead until he could settle her down on the couch. He then wrapped the sheet around her until she was decent and snug. The pink ooze seeped through the white cloth.

"Wake up. You are strong."

He crouched down by her and gently stroked her face, whispering in Enochian.

[Vivien Galati]

:: Vivien groaned, murmuring something in her weakened condition, then she fell silent again ::

[Rod Stafford]

Rod stared at her for a moment in wonder. He turned and scopped his phone from the pink residue left behind by the unexpected arrival and dialed.

"Eddie, I think something has gone wrong..."

He paced the room, constantly glancing at the unconcious girl while he explained what had just happened in his living room. At first, Eddie was as lost as he was, he suggested he might have accidently summoned her but that didn't explain the hellish black thing. He asked Rod about her condition and he explained that she was breathing and that she was very warm.

"Okay. Are you sure? She's not in need of medical treatment? Yeah, I know they don't, I just... right. Okay. Thanks. Bye."

Rod attempted to put the phone in his pocket and realised he was still in his boxer shorts. His clothes were piled up in the corner of the room. He took off his necklace and tore the feathered bands from his ankles and wrists. He slipped into his jeans and pulled his t-shirt over his head. The pink ooze on his chest and arms stained his shirt and seeped through it. He cursed and hurried back to the girl, forgetting about the paint on his face.

He blew the candles out but left the fire burning. When he knelt down, he winced and rubbed his back where a large bruise still ached. He took one last look at the girl then closed his eyes. In vigil he remained by her side, chanting a prayer of healing, and occassionally, he bathed her face with a warm, wet towel. Time trickled by and all the while, all he could think about is who she is and where she came from.

[Vivien Galati]

:: Vivien's eyes opened, and she looked at Rod as the world came back into focus again. She lifted her head, to find he had covered her, then looked at Rod again ::

"Thank you."

:: She was still very weak ::

[Rod Stafford]

He smiled, relieved that she was awake. Her voice was feint, barely a whisper.

"I'm going to get you something to eat. Don't speak. Save your strength."

He rose and left for the kitchen. On the stove was a pot of homemade chicken soup, he'd picked up the recipe from a cookery program and found he could practically live off the stuff. He didn't bother lighting the stove, instead he stood over it and stared intently at the pot's contents. Suddenly, steam billowed up from the pot and the soup bubbled steadily. A ladle hung from a rack on the wall, he took it and filled a bowl with it. From the bread bin, he sliced some slices of bread onto a plate and put both the plate and bowl on a tray. He returned to the girl in the living room.

"I hope you don't mind chicken soup. It's all I had readily available. Here you go."

[Vivien Galati]

:: Vivien raised herself up on the couch a bit more, smiling at his kindness. She gazed about the room, taking in the surroundings fully ::

"Where am I?"

[Rod Stafford]

"You're in London, somewhere to the north, I'm not sure exactly."

Rod glanced about the room and frowned.

"Sorry about the mess, I've only just moved in."

He watched Vivien start on the soup for a moment.

"Now, this might be a ridiculous question to ask but... are you alright?"

[Vivien Galati]

"I'm alright." she replied, ignoring for the moment that she was covered in viscous slime.

"What happened to the Anasasi? Did you destroy it?"

[Rod Stafford]

"Anasasi?" he repeated, then remembering the great black beast in the void, he looked up.

"So that's what that thing was."

His gaze fell back on the girl.

"I didn't destroy it. It hesitated before following you through and the portal closed upon it. Why was it after you?"

[Vivien Galati]

"It's an agent of the Marauder who wants me dead."

:: she paused then ::

"What's your name?"

[Rod Stafford]

"I'm Rod. Rod Stafford. Please to meet you."

He shook her hand still wet with pink goo.

"And who would you be?"

[Vivien Galati]

"Vivien Galati bani Shaea." she replied, sticky strands of goo clinging as she withdrew her hand.

"Sorry. Do you have a bath?"

[Rod Stafford]

Rod withdraw suddenly with shock in his eyes. Then excitement.

"You just gave me your craft name! You're a Hermetic mage!"

He flashed his teeth with a broad smile, this was the first time he'd met a fellow mage from the Order of Hermes. Despite his joy, he suddenly remembered himself.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself properly and allow me to do so in kind: Asha Vahishta Draconis, bani Flambeau."

He chuckled, "But you can call me, Rod."

Absently, he wiped his sticky hand on his jeans then his eyes bulged. He snapped his fingers.

"Your bath! I'm sorry, I just haven't met... it's been... I'll get your bath ready!"

And with that, he darted upstairs.

[Vivien Galati]

:: Vivien watched him hurry up the stairs with a smile, wiping some slime out of her hair as she stood up to test her balance ::

[Rod Stafford]

Five minutes later, Rod descended the stairs, and this time his face was devoid of any paint. Vivien had her back to him, she was navigating the room on wobbly legs.

"Your bath is ready, Vivien. I've also left some clothes up there for you, I didn't know what you'd like so I pretty much emptied an entire wardrobe of its contents."

He smiled sheepishly.

"Would you like a hand?"

[Vivien Galati]

"I think I can manage it." she replied, taking a few steps before becoming light headed. She fell forward ::

[Rod Stafford]

Rod saw it coming and was there to catch her. She fell into his arms and in one motion, he swept her up off her feet and carried her over to the stairs.

"Baby steps," he smiled, "If you're having trouble with level surfaces, I'm not going to let you try to conquer the summit of a staircase."

He carried her up sideways until they reached the top. He took a left and carried her into the bathroom, steam billowed through the door and spilled out into the hall. Gently, he set her down on the edge of the bath and made sure that she was steady.

"I'm assuming you don't want me to bathe you too so I'll take my leave. Enjoy your bath and if you need anything, give me a shout."

[Vivien Galati]

:: She nodded, then settled into the bath, washing away the ectoplasm and letting her mind drift. Sometime later, she rose from the bath, feeling stonger and dried herself. Putting on a robe, she called out ::

"Rod?"

[Rod Stafford]

"Yes?" he responded immediately.

Rod had been sitting in the next room, waiting for her.

[Vivien Galati]

:: Vivien entered the room and leaned in the doorway ::

"Do you live here by yourself?"

[Rod Stafford]

"I do, although technically it isn't my home but more on that later."

He thought now was not the best of times to inform Vivien that the building was an unused haven for vampires, given the ordeal she'd already been through. He was sat on a very old fashioned bed, the sheets were peach and vulgar.

"I'm not quite sure how long I'll be living here for just yet but a bit of decorating wouldn't go amiss as long as I get permission from the landlord."

He looked from the mint coloured wallpaper to the mahoganny wardrobes to the peach curtains and finally his eyes fell on Vivien once more.

"What about you: where are you from when you're not racing through the Deep Umbra?"

[Vivien Galati]

:: She took a seat in one of the chairs ::

"I have a small chantry, here in London."

[Rod Stafford]

"You do? That's excellent! I've been trying to contact the Order for some time now but in these modern days, mage society keeps itself well hidden."

He gave her a curious look.

"You said you were from House... Shaea, correct? Well, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about it. I'm not exactly clued up on things these days."

[Vivien Galati]

:: She ran a comb through her hair as she spoke ::

"My Sisters and I came to the Order in the year 1412. We needed protection from our enemies, and they granted us a place in Ex Miscellanea as a minor house. It was only recently the Seshati were promoted to full status as a great house."

[Rod Stafford]

"Well, I'm glad to hear it."

He offered her a smile but it was evident his mind already on other things.

"How are things within the Order?"

[Vivien Galati]

:: That question made her arch a brow ::

"Where are you from, Rod?"

[Rod Stafford]

"Leicester originally. Then Liverpool."

He could tell by her expression that his answer failed to satisfy, and added: "Why do you ask?"

[Vivien Galati]

:: She shrugged, uncertain of how to answer ::