Chicago

[gone_byebye]

The door opens onto a construction scene as the sun is setting. "This is Navy Pier," says Ray. "The Robert Mackenzie was supposed to come in here back when it was still a serious commercial facility. We're kind of assuming that's where it's trying to come back to."

Comments

[gone_byebye]

"If I can muster up enough time, I'll try," Ray says. "Between the busts, the analysis of bust results, the overall studies I'm working on, and training my nephews, plus the sword lessons and practice, I'm kind of overbooked- but once busy season's over I should have a chance."

[mago_sonriente]

"Well, you know you've always got me, man," he points out. "And I am the best."

[gone_byebye]

"That'll go a long way," Ray says sincerely. "Thank you."

It's not much farther to the Palmer House from there. Any idiot with the least amount of magical sensitivity could tell that something is leaking here- spewing and sparking like a worn wire on an overloaded extension cord.

[mago_sonriente]

And Carlos is no idiot. He's been feeling it as they walk, not making assumptions though since Ray's an admitted mystical cheese slice when it comes to detecting thist stuff on a gut level.

Carlos points at the Palmer House.

"That it?"

[gone_byebye]

"Got it in one," Ray says, and grimaces. "The staff reported green flames coming out of the basement after Peck fled the scene. The fire department managed to put them out, but things haven't been quite right since."

[mago_sonriente]

His head tilts to the side and he holds up a hand as he puts out his feelers. No Sight here, not when there's a chance of getting psychically blinded.

[gone_byebye]

The dimensional rift idea was a good one, but it wasn't right. The Black Door in the basement of the Palmer House is made of iron- solid, purpose-wrought iron- for a reason. Thanks to one thing and another, the geography of the Chicago area in this world led, long ago, to the confluence of multiple ley lines within the city limits. In older times, they used to shift and move about, but with the growth in population and infrastructure they became less and less mutable. The last time any of them moved was when that door was installed. Nothing was sealed behind it- the seal was in it. All three of the major ley lines that intersect in this Chicago do so in the physical matter of that Door, and they've been pinned there by the mass of iron and the glyphs that ward it ever since.

It's just that some fool tried to jimmy the damned thing open and managed to damage several of the glyphs in the process, and the line that runs most directly into Lake Michigan's shifting again, trying to move to reflect the changes in the city since the binding. Hence the furious spewing of sparks; it's what happens when you get that kind of aborted motion of mystic energies, at least around here.

[mago_sonriente]

"Well, shit," he say with a shake of his head. "Peck's a fricking moron."

He looks to Ray.

"Can you get me in there? Cause I can get us in there otherwise, but I figure, do it the legal way first if possible, you know?"

[gone_byebye]

"Sure, not a problem," Ray says. "Can you use the elevator or do we have to take the stairs?"

[mago_sonriente]

"Elevators are older than you'd think," he points out, gesturing for Ray to lead the way.

[gone_byebye]

"Fair enough," says Ray, and heads into the hotel.

The front desk people are a little baffled, and so there must be a manager summoned, and quite a lot of talking done. Venkman can schmooze his way into nearly any situation he needs, but he's not here. Ray's approach is a little different. It usually involves talking so much, so fast, that the other person agrees to whatever he asks just to make the constant stream of sounds stop. In this case there's also the presentation of New York City IDs and a letter from the Mayor of Chicago, and then more talking in excruciating detail.

It ends, eventually, with a somewhat rickety old elevator normally only used by the laundry staff quietly easing the two men downwards.

[mago_sonriente]

"This whole place is buzzing. Jesus Christo..."

He's very glad he didn't try his Sight on this place.

[gone_byebye]

"My PKE meter goes bugnuts just approaching the place," Ray confirms. "Okay, the door's supposed to be down this way..."

It looks, for all intents and purposes, like a bog-standard corridor. People come here, just like they come anywhere else in the hotel, but the linoleum on the floor hasn't been scuffed and worn down the way most of the rest of the linoleum has on this level. There's just no reason to, except when the staff has to clean up. It's not like anybody ever opens the huge black iron door at the far end.

We don't advise anyone of the fae persuasion to come any closer than this.

[mago_sonriente]

He's pretty well gotten that on his own.

"Fucking hell," he swears now, taking a look around.

"What was this? Amateur night with the magical equivolent of a switchblade to pick the lock?"

He looks at Ray.

"You didn't mention he was a moron."

[gone_byebye]

"He got a court order to shut off the containment grid of an ecto-containment unit that was already crammed to capacity with angry spirits at a time when the ambient PKE level of New York City was practically through the roof," Ray says. "And he learned his magic from books he bought at Amazon.com. I thought it was obvious."

[mago_sonriente]

"I know," he says with a sigh. "But this is the kind of cock up I wouln't expect out of a first year apprentice. Dios mio."

And he holds up a hand.

"You, uh, might want to leave the room. I'm good, but I have to concentrate, you know?"

[gone_byebye]

Ray nods. "Not a problem. Around that corner over there okay with you?"

[mago_sonriente]

Carlos gives him a thumbs up.

"Yup. This shouldn't take too long."

He grins at Ray.

"I've got a steady hand. This kinda stuff is what I live for. You know, other than the ladies."

And then he turns and sets his sights on the door and the ley lines surrounding it, the glyphs and the enchantments.

And he goes to work.

[gone_byebye]

Ray nods and hastens off down the corridor.

The glyphs are... how do we put this... mangled. The original enchantments laid when the door was first hung were well crafted, meant to last for centuries before needing renewal, but Peck was of the belief that the level of power he required for his plans could only be accessed by opening the door. He didn't try to reroute the ley lines, or shunt any of the energy anywhere. He just went about trying as brutally as he could to get that door open. Carlos is going to have to do some rerouting, unless he's capable of restoring what had previously existed.

[mago_sonriente]

He's not. He doesn't have the power for that. His strength lay in manipulation of more subtle energies, of using what he had with extraordinary skill for someone his age. Harry was a cannon, but he was a sniper and this was a sniper's job.

He pulls out some chalk and starts working.

[gone_byebye]

It's a bit like trying to grab hold of a garden hose that's been hooked up to a too-strong flow; there's a feel of thrashing to the energies here, a certain spasmodic sense of almost-direction to the flow. Fortunately, it's only a constant flow of power. It doesn't increase its strength or add to the fight as Carlos works. Picks up speed, maybe, since a good straight course will do that to any flow.

[mago_sonriente]

A good thing he's used to fighting, and that he's gotten used to wild and whacky magic flows from dealing with the trainees this summer. Plus, he's something of a water specialist.

His middle name is flow.

And Alejandro, but the point stands.

He has to clench his teeth a bit, pull out his unfinished gloves for a bit, use his staff and the sword for a few spots (redirect here, cut there... it's like surgery except without the high fees)--











"You can come out," he says, sounding a little weary. "I got it."

[gone_byebye]

Ray pokes his head out from behind the corner. "Are you okay?" he asks. "I had the PKE meter out and the readings plummeted all of a sudden."

That would be because the backscatter's gone, really.

[mago_sonriente]

"That's because things are back to how they should be," he explains as he shakes off some of the fatigue. "And I've put my 'guns' away, so to speak."

[gone_byebye]

"Oh good," Ray says. "Thank you. Can I get you anything? I mean, do you need a drink or something before we go back to the lake? You look like you could use it."