(2020-01-29) Missing Pieces
Missing Pieces
Summary: A group of students, overseen by Professor Swarm, aides Besa in the search for pieces of his sarcophagus.
Date: 2020-01-29
Related: Various.
NPCs: Misc. students, Swarm
Scene Runner: NA
Players:
besa..grace..swarm..

Shady Cove Beach
Wed Jan 29, 2020


The beach forms a semi-circle around the outer edge of the mainland edged with sand that turns lighter as it reaches the water. A swimming area is cordoned off with buoys and orange rope, clearly designating it for visiting tourists and the sea craft further out. Off down near the rocky area further along the beach is a lighthouse that remains lit up despite it serving as a restaurant.

It is a winter evening. The weather is warm and sunny.

===

Besa put an all call for any students who would be willing to help search the beach for the missing piece of his sarcophagus. The spell he cast narrowed one of the pieces to this beach, and with Professor Swarms supervision the students leave after last class and have regrouped at the beach. Some are there to actually look, others are there for just goofing off on the unusual warm winter day.

The ancient teen is seated, legs crossed. He's been trying to meditate, getting ready to cast the rune again, but everyone keeps coming up and asking him questions. On the map's edges are the 3 pieces of his tomb that he already has. It's a local map of the area, hopefully detailed enough to help.

A one Grace Halleson was on board with helping Besa in his search. The Egyptian boy was always so sweet and kind to her in the past, especially on her awful days when she was kinda frothing at the mouth and || this close to 'wolfing' out. THAT and Besa kind of… understands her now, whether he wants to or not. He had her powers for awhile, afterall!

So when the call gets out to help the boy search for the missing pieces of the sarcophagus, she's there. The tiny girl strides past a cluster of students who are taking advantage of this time to slack off… her blood red eyes give each of the slackers a dirty glare. Grace is far from the sniveling, nervous thing that she had been as a Freshman… almost to a fault. If she wants to give you stinkeye, she will damned well do so.

That done, she makes her way toward Besa and eyes the people pestering him, "Will you all just leave him be? He's trying to concentrate!" The brunette snaps out, and if this map is within easy access Grace will gesture toward it. "Let's have a look.. he needs to do his thing. Give him like, ten minutes."

Besa does understand, more than he wishes. But that just means Grace's orders are appreciated more. He smiles crookedly up at her, his beautiful bangs falling into his eyes. "Oh! It is alright Grace. I would rather everyone understand…." A soft chuckle and eh rearranges himself to look down better t=at the map, "The last casting showed a piece here, on the beach." Hopefully not in the water or buried too deeply. "I will cast again and try to cast it strong enough to make it glow, yes?" Thin strong fingers tap at the map, "I do not know the size of the piece, it could eb large or the size of a pebble. But they are all important to making her whole again."

The girl managed to find time to change into something more conducive for a 'beach search'… because Grace sure A.F isn't going to muck around in a school uniform. She listens closely to Besa and sadly, all talk of magic and casting — ALL of it — is lost on her. Grace is basically a cute offshoot of a 'Hulk' type, so magic and concentration is not her thing. Need something beaten to a pulp or ripped to shreds? The wolf is taking numbers. But there's something else: standing there, Grace is aware of every nuance on the wind. The smell of sand mellowing in the mid-winter air, the brine of the water, the funk of humanity and the smell of something rotting… likely fish, or crustaceans… it's all there. She breathes deep and holds it, categorizes it…

Red eyes watch Besa as he indicates the map, "Who is 'her'? She? Is she.. someone you knew?"

Besa blinks and Grace knows him well enough to catch the slight darkening his his cheeks, "No…well, yes, She-it is my sarcophagus…I have laid in her protection for many centuries. I feel it is only right to make her whole after what was done to her, yes?" He smiles a touch sheepishly, "Not everyone agrees, but I know that the more is found, the more I know in my heart," he touches his chest as he speaks, "that she is meant to be whole."

Even with the boy's sheepish explanation, Grace knows enough. There's that instinctive pack mentality that was bred into her; it skipped a generation, overlooked her selfish mother and found it's way smack-dab into her heart. To be without the ones she loves and honors? Worse than death. Grace may be intense in her views re: connections but it serves her well in TRYING to understand Besa's inexplicable experience with the sarcophagus. A couple of the slackers snort before Grace can offer her thoughts, and at the SLIGHTEST sound she wheels 'round and blasts them: "I-if you're not going to take this seriously, then just GO AWAY."

They giggle quietly, her tiny stammer egging them on.

"… Constantine will warp your devices. They're metal, right? Go ahead and laugh, I will tell him—" Grace retorts.

More posturing, and some of the 'slackers' step back. Now most of what remains are the ones who are true to the cause. Grace turns soft eyes back to Besa, "Did she have a name?"

Besa is sometimes blessedly unaware of people's snickerings. A soft smile, It is alright, Grace. Do not have Constantine break anything." He turns to smooth out the sand to his right side, "….no. Not a name, she is more…a feeling. Safety. I knew I would always wake up in her embrace. It was a small comfort, which is much." He smiles again, almost bashful, "I know it is foolish, but I am a foolish man, yes?"

The small werewolf just understands.. even if she, herself, cannot fathom the words. Sweet sweet Besa, how he explains his cause… AGH. Yeah if someone snickers, Grace will knock their teeth out. But she knows that FEELING, that safety: she feels it with Uncle Vince and his husband Gun; with Con. She shakes her head fiercely, "It's not foolish. So her piece is on this beach? You point and I will look.. I promise…" Suddenly Grace just NEEDS to look, to find. She crouches alongside Besa, "We will all look. We'll find her, ok?"

Besa laughs, "Some would argue my intelligence." More bouncing hair as he nods, 'Yes…a piece of her is." Again he reaches to touch one of the hunks of stone on the map, about as big as his fist. Again he smiles, "It is alright if she is not found, it is the searching that is important."

She watches every one of Besa's movements… though red eyes flit in the direction of Swarm as he deals with the jilted numbers who were, indeed, seeing this as an easy spare. Back to Besa; "Anything… anything yet.." Asks Grace, as she looks to the sea. CAN she be useful here? What can she do!?

<FS3> Besa rolls Rune Magic: Good Success.

A deep breath and Besa closes his eyes, hand drifting to his side. His finger drops into the sand and starts tracing the complex rune . As always, there's a long pause where nothing happens after he swipes and destroys the complex symbol, but then a flicker and a small flame appears on the map, indicating a spot down the ways closer to the pier. It seems to be on shore at least.

The wolf girl is taut, watchful; even if she hasn't a hope in knowing what is happening, her scarlet gaze watches the lay of Besa's hands. The flame arising causes Grace to flinch, just barely… but she keeps to the cause. "It's.. over that way, right?" She gestures toward the pier. "S-should I go look? What should I be on the look out for?" She asks nervously, but she is half-a-footstep away from trudging her way toward the docks.

Besa stays seated, eyes closed. Without even looking he nods. "It will….should….be golden." He's focused on channeling the magic, so his voice is quiet, slightly strained. A soft nod, indicating it's up to grace now.

As she makes her way along the sand, there is an odd feeling int eh air. Not an auntie humming, but there's definitely something in the air.

<FS3> Grace rolls Alertness: Great Success.
<FS3> Grace rolls Enhanced Senses: Success.

The girl pads off, regardless of who is balking or hesitating or otherwise struggling to understand what is happening. Of course Grace cannot smell pieces of an ancient container but she is diligent enough to just… strike out to look. Sensitive senses, even where scent falls short, speaks to Grace vaguely of 'something'. Again: she can't smell signs of what she seeks but there is a…. well. It's in the manner of how animals can sense storms or natural disasters? This here is not typhoon-worthy but Grace is ambling senselessly toward something. Feet plod across the sand and save for the odd glance over her shoulder, Grace is true to her trajectory…

Golden…?

She follows that weird 'sound' that is not QUITE a sound, kneeling upon a spot to delve her fingers into a portion of sand. Grace seems to be a girl possessed.

Besa stays where he is, meditating on the magic. The sun is starting to set.

And with that, going on her gut instinct… the werewolf begins to dig! Dundundun..

The sand spreads through Grace's fingers, slowly piling to each side as she digs. It's a few minutes of steady digging, with several other students following her lead (As it seems she knows what she's doing). Soon the sand starts to take a gentle golden glow as Grace gets closer.

Honestly? She has no feckin' clue! She's going entirely on instinct and by the weird non-sound that her ears are picking up on. Dig, dig… the sand is soft and yielding and it doesn't take Grace long to—-wait. What's this?!

She pauses, calls out: "T-there's something! A glow…!" She cries, and hastens to dig even deeper. That careful swiping at the sand becomes something faster, more insistent.. palms full of sand, being tossed sideward. "Besa! Yuo may want to come over here—" She asides to one of the flabbergasted students, "Get Besa!" Dig, dig.

The glow flickers as Besa's eyes crack opens nd he turns his head towards hr, "Yes?" There's a hint of hope, he wasn't actually sure this would work. One of the younger students rushes over to Besa as Grace's fingers uncover the glowing ragged rock, about the sizeof a quarter.

The wolf girl eases back, unable to believe herself to have been capable of finding this on a whim. Of all people… Grace? She ceases her digging, reaches down to fiddle with something; to bring it into her hands. She is still and thoughtful as the student runs to notify Besa. Eventually Grace will stand, looking down at what she has managed to (unexpectedly) uncover.

Something tells her that this is important. Another grounding breath; she flips her ponytail over a shoulder and backtracks, following her own footsteps in the sand to return to Besa. The quarter-sized rock is held close to her chest for a moment, until Grace holds it out to Besa.. sand still filtering between her fingers. "U-uhm.. is…. uh…"

Yeah, she could've said something smarter… but who can blame her?

Besa blinks and starts to stand up, "She is found, yes?" Hope, that's definitely hope in his voice. His hand is hand out, eyes wide. When Grace stumbles over her words, he smiles and waits. The rock , as soon as it touches his skin glows again, as do his eyes, briefly. Golden and warm and full of whatever magic makes Besa possible. "It is."

Eureka! Grace isn't one to fill silences — especially revelations — with needless words. As Besa takes that which he seeks, what gives him comfort… the dark-haired girl smiles shyly. She has such small hands… she handled that piece with the utmost care. She watches the reaction in Besa's expression, hears it in his voice.. and nods gently. "Take your time. I-I will let the Professor know… that we succeeded. At least, here.. ok?" She asks tentatively. Red eyes look from the boy's hand, clutching the piece… back to his face.. and around to the few other students who linger. The rest of this is beyond Grace.. but she gives Besa a kind, shy smile before she prepare to go speak to Swarm.

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