MX Dia de Muertos 2019!

===> COH <===> 11/10/2019, 8:06:08 PM <===
Botanica Luz Divina - Botanica(#3983R)

	La Botanica Luz Divina - one of Mexicali's best known and oldest botanicas -is a retail store that sells folk medicine, religious candles and statuary, amulets, and other products regarded as magical or as alternative medicine. They also carry oils, incense, perfumes, scented sprays (many of which are thought to have special properties!) and various brand name health care products in addition to serving as a dispensary of medicinal herbs.

	To say that the shop is a mess would be to speak rather generously. There /might/ be some rhyme or reason to the layout of the cornucopia of goods held within these walls, but if there is? Its known only to the botanica's brujo. Narrow aisles are stocked floor to ceiling with a hodge-podge of items. A long counter near the back holds an old fashioned cash register as well as a digital iPad for electronic transactions. Behind the counter on a shelf are large glass jars containing both fresh and dried herbs and other assorted items, along with a display featuring a variety of products used in Roman Catholic religious practice such as rosary beads, holy water, and images of saints.

	 *** PLACES AVAILABLE ***

Contents:
Billie
Alzbeta
Gillian
Ghost_18
Jordan
Angel
Zua
Hyousuke
YinFung
Noa

	Welcome to the Mexicali Dia de Muertos festival!!!

	The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and helping support their spiritual journey. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle. Mexicans view it not as a day of sadness but as a day of celebration because their loved ones awake and celebrate with them.

	 Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using calaveras, aztec marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

	The festival is in full swing in the street outside the Botanica Luz Divina! There's live music - with both mariachi and aztec instruments and stylings! There's street fair food - pan de muerto and sugar candy calaveras and the like! There's revelers dressed up in costume as skeletons, complete with painted skull faces and carrying baskets of aztec marigolds!

	A loose parade of revelers make their way to and fro - altars to the dead are carried aloft by teams of two to four skeleton revelers, each altar replete with mementos of the departed. In addition? There are stationary altars dedicated to various national, regional and local saints situated in the street! Bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque and jars of hot atole and champurrado or ice cold blood red hibiscus tea are available for both the dead and the living to enjoy!

	Steps into La Botanica Luz Divina with no clue about what is happening inside. She sees all the trappings of the festivities and seems to have come in here to take some refuge from being jostled by a bunch of people she does not know wearing painted skull faces, hefting skeletons through the streets and drinking and eating.

	In the eye of the storm of activity, literally and figuratively? The ringleader of the chaos - a one Pablo Balamob, aka Pablito, aka Pabs! He's the owner of the Botanica. Nearby is a burly bearded man who many locals will recognize as his Tio Hector.

	WRAITH: The space is also fairly full of mexican and mesoamerican wraiths from the dark kingdom of obsidian. Many of them have come to visit family, as well as socialize among themselves on their side of the Shroud.

He's not one to go against the customs of the holiday! Jordan is here, face painted with the likeness of a skull. Sure, a bearded skull, but a skull! The big man glances around, taking in the decor.

	A mob of ragamuffin children run down the street, carrying little lanterns blazing with light and laughing and screaming as they take sugar skulls and then go and leave them at the various grandparent altars that have taken up spots on the sidewalks.

Gillian appears amongst the crowd and blends in easily. She looks to be comfortable with the throngs of people and watching the revelers with a smile. A skeleton passes by and hands her a marigold, and she accepts, "Gracias." She stops at one point to listen to the music off to the side.

Zua is here, partaking of the celebration as well. However like most of the local adults she is not painted up.

	Pab's employees wander the streets handing out shots of tequila or pulque to those that wish it, or for the teetotalers - small bowls of chocolate porridge or hot chocolate. Others hand out cups of blood red hibiscus tea.

Zua quite happily partakes of the hibiscus tea.

YinFung 's attire certainly seems out of place to say the least here and her face is not painted either. If anything, she moves around La Botanica Luz Divina looking a bit lost and confused as others speak in a language she does not seem to understand. Her features do mark her as a possible foreigner or quite possibly someone from Mexico's Chinatown.

	WRAITH: Always flanking Pablo? Two mesoamerican wraiths, moliated into the shapes of a werejaguar and a werebat for the evening! They stand at well over 6' tall.

Alzbeta wanders the street, wild eyed, looking between faces, masks, and the moon.

	The crowd will speak mostly spanish, but a few will speak in quechua or nahuatl, or even english. Its a veritable patois of sounds, interspersed with the din of the music!

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 -After a few long minutes, G18 stands to one side for other locals to pass in the shadowlands. He offers a wave to them and a "good evening". Being here is important to him and the Heirarchy. For too long, bad blood has been spilled and its time to become allies.

Hyousuke is wearing white face paint, with black lipstick. His body is completely wrapped in caution tape, almost as if he was a mummy. His costume fits the theme of his surroundings, but he isn't quiet at all. He is by himself, dancing in the middle of the street.

	 " Yeah, they say when we grow up
 You'll understand when you're older
 Guess I'm still a kid, I don't know it

Gillian is a normal looking woman in the crowd. Her ginger red hair makes her stand out but she doesn't let it bother her, or doesn't seem to notice. She moves along from the music makers and purchases some candy to try. It's not half bad, because she keeps nibbling on it. She glances over at Hyousuke dancing, and looks excited to see everyone painted or in costume.

YinFung looks out towards the street to view the chaos from a semi-less chaotic distance. Her eyes come to rest on the noisy dancing Hyousuke in the midst of the crowd and she raises her eyebrows.

	Pabs and his wraith entourage head on over towards G18. An eyebrow arches but then he offers a friendly wave. His face is made up like skull, with plenty of eyeblack around his eyes. "Hey, welcome to our little slice of the deadlands."

Jordan makes his way towards the drinks - never can resist a good tequila! He takes up a shot, passing cash over to cover a few more rounds as well. His eyes glance over the people celebrating, clearly happy to be a part of it.

	The music in the streets shifts from mexican mariachi style, to aztec, with shells as noisemakers and conches as horns. Sage is burnt and the pungent, heady smoke wafts through the air!

	Among those who celebrate is Billie. In her hands, a loose gathering of Marigolds. Does she look like a tourist? Maybe just a little, but the warm colors she wears might help her blend in. Hair drawn up in a loose gathering, she moves past the candy display and ...almost makes it. Smiling, she glances towards the Mariachi as they shift in style.

Hyousuke continues his beat, as he strolls down the street, "Yeah, handouts create lazy people I'm not impressed with
You want something in
life, then why don't you go and get it?
Actions speak louder than words do, it's
pretty quiet, isn't it?
Look at the world we live in, defined by comment sections
Surround yourself with people that challenge how you think
Not people that nod their head and act like they agree
Those people will cut you open just to watch you bleed"

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 G18 replies to Pablo and his friends, "Thank you, I am honored to be allowed here to take part in your traditions." He gives a slight bow of respect and then continues. "I am Mr. Spriggs and I represent whats left of the Emerald Legion in the Drowning Shore." He smiles a bit.

	Pabs nods to someone in the crowd. "Pablo Balamob, agent of the flayed." Flayed? "Have a good time, plenty of pathos to be had. These are my primos - Mando the cat and Nacho the bat, they can help you if you need anything." Then he turns and heads back into the crowd to seek out other familiar faces.

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 says, "Again, I thank you all." He then watches you three walk away and then turns to the crowd.

	Angel can sense the spirits in the area, even though he can't see them -- and to be honest, he's a little jealous. He's sticking away from the crowd, occasionally investigating things, but not being a part of things. Perhaps it's simply his nature not to be the center of the party.

Dancing to his own beat, his own rhythm, Hyousuke, draped in caution tape like a mummy, continues his song, " Always be yourself, not the person that you pretend to be, no! These people gonna tell you that you will never make it
Then when you do, they gon' say they knew you were goin' places
That's just how it works, next thing you know you'll be overrated
Hearing people say they miss the "old you," it's crazy, ain't it?
And perfect people don't exist, so don't pretend to be one
I don't need pats on the back from people for my achievements
When I die I wanna know that I lived for a reason
Anyone can take your life, but not what
you believe in, no!"

	A group of rowdy drunk college kids bump into the ragamuffins over at the hibiscus tea station. And are then given a look by an older gentleman. Still no harm, no foul.

Alzbeta stares at the moon with mad eyes, then looks to the crowd like a woman possessed. She moves slowly from person to person, sharing with anyone who will hear the 'good news,' as she sees it at least. Many turn away, obviously annoyed or disturbed by her rantings. "The silver of the moon is bright tonight, but soon dark clouds approach." Smiling at a stranger, she adds, "Can you not smell it in the air? The scent of sage will give way to cordite." Grabbing a random child, she's practically screaming now, "Believe in the gifts the dark father presents. Slap him and see if when he turns, he presents his light side or dark side." The parents quickly pull the child away and disappear into the crowd. "Dark clouds approach ..." she mutters, as the sounds and crowds seem to swallow her up, as if this outburst had never happened ... or is yet to happen.

	Billie lingers there, finally there is a small exchange between her and a woman. "Gracias." She says quietly, tucking wayward hair out of face and behind her ears. Sauntering her way closer to the music, she inhales deeply, her smile contagious. If she realizes it nor not, a single foot taps to the beat. Unwrapping a sucker she purchased, she glances to this person and that, crowd watching. As the drunken college kids pass, they get a glance as well. Her expression says, go home, drunk kids.

YinFung notices prayers and the ambient energy of the area build. For now, she finds somewhere that she can sit down without hopefully having someone drunk tumble over her. Her attention is unavoidably drawn to Alzbeta as the woman momentarily gets up in her face and seems to ramble.

	WRAITH: The various mexican and mesoamerican wraiths in the area are happy to enjoy the /very/ low Shroud rating on this night, and soak up the ambient pathos as it builds from the powerful emotions the various family members and revelers bring with them on this night. The Shroud will be thin and tattered enough (DUE TO MAGICKS! Awareness checks can auto-succ to detect necromantic fu) that folks will manage to catch glimpses of the departed from the corner of their eyes as the night wears on!

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 finds a place to sit and overlook the festivities while managing to stay out of the way of the families visiting. This is thier night and the last thing he wants is to be in the way. From time to time he seems to concentrate as if looking at other things in the skinlands.

	The ragamuffins scamper from altar to altar, paying their respects while munching on pan de muerto (sweet brioche bread) and sipping on champurrado (hot chocolate).

	WRAITH: One of the nearby wraiths smiles at the ragamuffins from across the Shroud: "We've passed on all we know, one thousand generations live in you now."

	Its a montage of sweet and tender moments - out here? DEATH is but one more stop on the long journey home. Or it can be. Which is why what's about to come next is all the more jarring!

Zua wanders over to enjoy one of the many musical street performances, with her tea in hand.

	At first, Billie thinks that Alzbeta is panhandling. Pausing, fingers on the stick of the sucker in her mouth, she looks at Alzbeta thoughtfully. Weaving her way through the crowd, she dares to approach with a kind of head-on concern that most people don't display. With her free hand, she nearly reaches with a hand of consolation, but thinks twice of it and withdraws her hand gracefully before contact. "Are you alright?" She asks rather quietly, concern noted in her voice. For just a small second, a sweeping look of anguish washes over Billie's face before she manages to pull it together and smile. Leaning gently she says to Alzbeta, "Not today."

YinFung thinks she sees someone who looks exactly like a younger version of herself out of the corner of her eye but when she turns her head to look directly at the girl, the crowd has moved and the younger version of herself has disappeared. A raggamuffin in a skull mask comes to stand in front of Yin Fung and waves, saying something in a language she does not understand.

Alzbeta once again emerges from the crowd. "Dark clouds tonight. Some here will meet their end when the sage is less sweet. Yet one will never meet their end." She smiles at a child, "Which of those do you think will actually know peace?" The crowd swallows her up once more.

Hyousuke slows his sing along to what is apparently only in his head, as if he spots something familiar. Something important, out of the corner of his eye, perhaps. Indeed, he collapses into silence as he approaches a familiar face - Angel.

Angel looks up, perhaps pinched and uncomfortable about the crowd, perhaps wrestling back a sense of inordinate jealousy -- He gives Hyousuke a look, and then a thin smirk, before he shakes his head. Not feeling festive.

Zua chuckles softly at Alzabetta's comment replying in lightly accented spanish, "The endless never know true peace, it is not something this world can offer."

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 continues to sit quietly, actually enjoying his surroundings. Something seems strange though, perhaps its how different the afterlife is here in the Flayed Lands.

	A group of older kids, teens really, come running down the street. They light and toss out firecrackers, adding to the din and noise. RAT_A_TAT_TAT_TAT! Smoke from the firecrackers lingers in the air as some of the older and younger denizens startle a little bit from the sudden noise.

Alzbeta smiles to Billie and puts a finger over her lips. Shh. "Watch the dark clouds with me."

YinFung catches words on the wind, 'the endless never know true peace...' but when she looks around for their source she can not find the one who spoke them. The youngster in the mask is led away by the hand by an adult and Yin Fung watches them disappear into the bustling crowd.

	The music in the street festival switches once again! Shifting from tribal aztec to the more traditional mexican mariachi - rattles and shells and conches give way to guitar, bass, and horns, drowning out the sound of fireworks.

	Billie cracks into the sucker she's got in her mouth and for a moment there is the smallest tremble in her hand as Alzbeta speaks. Tucking the stick that she's left with in the pocket of her old coat, She looks again at Alzbeta. But this time however, there isn't quite that soul searching look she had last time. As if once was enough. A rather slow, careful nod as she is once again invited to look at the clouds. A furrow of those finely crafted brows appears. "Is that all you can see, the clouds?" Asking Alzbeta.

Jordan is happy drinking and people watching! The big man's eyes turn towards Billie and Alzbeta, just observing the exchange. Another shot of tequila goes down.

Alzbeta smiles and shakes her head, "I see all. Did you miss those dark clouds? Maybe the next ones."

YinFung had at least found the sound of fireworks familiar. Now the music changed again from one alien sound to her ears to quite another. Yin Fung is slow to stand as she begins to make her way over towards some of the stationary altars. She watches others come and pray without necessarily understanding any of the words.

	More fireworks are lit and tossed out into the street by the teens! They laugh as more of the younger ragamuffins startle and scatter.

Hyousuke continues his beat, as he approaches Angel, "I'm the guy to fuck you up, then walk you
off to emergency
Just to impersonate as
the
doctor
promptin' the surgery
Knuckle up to maturity
Toughen up to authority
I don't want to kill all of 'em
Just the fucking majority
Run a muck on the orderly
Motherfuckers ignoring me
I might even be wearing a button up, do it
formally..."

 Then he straightens his posture, "Are you ok?" Offered to Angel stopping only a few feet away. Close enough for Angel to see Hyo bloodshot eyes.

	There are a great many reasons that Noa Socorro might have to linger around the Botanica, in the wake of recent events. However, the Day of the Dead is an especially good one - especially since it's one of the /very/ few nights each year, where she can blend in nearly seamlessly with the mortals, given her post-Apocalyptic Comanche appearance. There's a macabre skull mask, bound up within her faded keffiyeh bandana, that could be pulled down over her sunset-kissed features, though for now is pushed up, where it helps restrain the overwhelmingly messy mane of her raven black hair.
	She glides silently through the crowds, remarkably adept at going unnoticed, studying those around her with darkly glittering eyes. It's only when she draws near in the general direction of Pablito, Alzbeta and Billie, that any are apt to have a chance of noticing her!

Alzbeta watches the fireworks and their dark clouds, then looks to the moon and whispers, "I know, if they didn't see those, they'll notice when they hide you. Few pay attention to the future until it's the past."

	Pabs dances in the street, in his shaman regalia (which is mostly a LACK of regalia!), handing out cups of pulque and muttering in mayan.

	Angel glances toward Hyousuke, and then he says, "This whole thing makes me feel like a gigantic fraud." He says. "The life I've lived, and what do I have to show for it?" He flings his arms out to his sides.

Zua moves on from the band her tea finished. Shee deposits the now empty container in a trash receptacle, before making her slow way towards some of the stationery altars.

	A white noise fills the air for a brief second, coming from one or more speakers. A mysterious voice overtakes it and says, "There is danger in this place, I repeat..." and then it fades out.

Alzbeta smiles, "Two voices, different words, but both your vision."

	Some of the revelers look up when they're addressed in ... English? But ... they're safe over here, aren't they? They look around at the various speakers on the soundstages, confusion screwing up their faces.

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 gains a concerned look on his face and then stands and seems to disappear into a nearby speaker. A voice of warning sounds on them afterwards.

	The firecrackers make her stiffen, but it's more of a brief irritation than anything. This is, after-all, a celebration. Distracted by the cloud watching woman, she nods, "I saw them." Although she says it quietly, because you don't want to sound crazy, right? "Do you see ever the sun?" Asking Alzbeta with something like a pang of sadness. But something else distracts her, and she lifts her eyes away from the conversation with Alzbeta and up towards the roads. As if searching for something. Eyes move across the main passage of people, frowning. Again Alzbeta distracts her, and she looks down, "Who's hiding?" She asks, with almost a laugh. Then, as if struck and presses her head to her temple. Stepping away with almost a stumble. "Oh." She groans.

	The teens light up another pack of Black Cats and M60s, tossing them out onto the street and filling the space with noise and smoke. Its loud. Smoky. Then more RATATATATATATATATAT. Who's throwing out those fireworks? The sound of tires squealing and engines roaring suddenly grow closer. And then? More fireworks? NO. NO, THESE ARE NOT FIREWORKS! GUNFIRE SUDDENLY ERUPTS BETWEEN THE TWO CARS AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS THE FESTIVAL.

Hyousuke leans into Angel to drop his arms, covered in caution tape, much like his entire body, embracing Angel in a hug. He whispers on his ear.

YinFung looks up from one of the stationary altars where someone actually finished praying in broken English. She noticed the return of fireworks if only temporarily, set off by the hands of young mischievous children. Yin Fung paused and listened as words came across the loud speakers interrupting the unfamiliar music playing on stage. Yin Fung hears more Black Cats and M60s exploding now.

With all the festivities, the crowds, the confusion, it's no surprise that some people might get lost. Even a child. Luckily Alzbeta has found the child. Crouching by him, she whispers sweet reassurances. She seems eerily calm and focused.
Gunfire isn't good - Jordan ducks a bit, glancing around to see the source. A growl from the big man. "Get down!" He shouts out to any near him. "Get behind something!"

	Ah, life in Mexico and on the border! Two stupid cartels have decided tonight was a good night to settle scores. And the young narcos forgot to ask Pablo and his Uncle for permission to crash the festival. HOW. RUDE. The crowd screams and bodies scatter as bullets from submachineguns fly!

	Pablito suddenly stops dancing, if only to look over at the rude display of a rival cartel firefight in a fit of pique. "Th' fuck. Who do these mocosos think they are.

	WRAITH: The two moliated wraiths at his side leap into action. As a hail of bullets fly towards the altars and ragamuffins and YinFung? Time stops and slows as Pandemonium takes effect! Its just long enough for the kids to scatter.

Hyousuke shifts instinctively to place himself between Angel, and whatever the hell is going on all of a sudden.

Alzbeta takes the child by the hand and begins to lead it away from the crowds. The child looks back at the festivities one last time. Then in the confusion of people running and screaming, where the two went becomes unclear. They both seem to ... disappear. Dark clouds obscure the full moon.

Angel looks up, and then he glances at Hyousuke. A snake's slippery survival instincts kick in, and rather than letting Hyou act as a human shield, he grabs him by the arm and roughly yanks him out of the way and off to the side.

	The two cars bob and wave down the narrow streets, continuing to shot at each other indiscriminately. Were it not for the Pandemonium that timeslowed the bullets earlier, there'd be a half dozen dead street urchins at one of the altars. Still, the narcos seem to be giving it their best and show no signs of stopping the score settling!
Ghost_18 pages: that was for the ride, now to inhabit and crash the front car.

	Gunfire erupts near the crowd and at first, there is probably a lack of reaction. With the rattle of the fireworks, it /almost/ blends in if you aren't keen to the different in explosion. Billie covers her ears out of reflex, and moves to back up, not entirely sure where the shots are coming from. If she can put her back to the wall, she will. There are cries of 'get down!' and she drops down without even thinking about it. Frantically her eyes search the crowd, for the source of the bullet. Then you realize what she's whispering is just, 'stop firing' over and over.

YinFung 's eyes grow wide and she turns towards an altar in time to see an old woman between herself and the gunfire. "Close your eyes." She wraps her arms around the woman, pressing her old woman's face against her chest. Yin Fung's white hair fans out around her hair and while she is facing the altar, her eyes turn white. Her skin takes on a silver hue as the bullets fly towards the altar, herself and the old woman. She actually grows in height, becoming thinner, her facial features becoming almost skeletal.

	It is going to be with viper-quick reflexes that Noa leaps into action - rapidly closing the distance between her, and where the dancing Pablito, Alzbeta, Billie and a couple others are. She then lashes out with her hand and seizes Billie - seemingly at random - and then draws her close and spins her around! She laughs softly as she does so, though it's likely to be intensely startling for Billie - to be 'playfully' used as a human shield! It's while using Billie such, that she'll waggle an eyebrow over at Alzbeta, "Did you prophesy this?"

Zua's eyes harden and she springs in to action. Dodging between people running to get out of the way, to intercept the oncoming vehicle closest to her. She faces the vehicle, the look in her eyes is not that of a deer in the headlights with no where to run. but something angrier, who intends to end the rampage by whatever means possible.

There is a meaty crunch as she is hit, the vehicle reacts like one would expect, however there is no body, and no sgn other than the damage to the front of the vehicle that any one had ever been there.
A disembodied voice seems to float by in answer, "Of course." It is quickly drowned out by the panicked screams of a mother, "nino? nino? NINO?"

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 The white noise in the speakers was drowned out and ends abruptly with the gunfire and zooming cars. A strange noise comes from the engine of the front car.

	The street parade devolves into the ol' pandelirium in short order! People are screaming and running, trying not to get shot! Some people? Are charing narco cars! Zua's gambit works, causing one car to stop when it hits her and airbags deploy. The other car full of narcos? They're having their own problems - the narco driving screams as the wheel jerks out of his hands and his car wrecks into a wall. Airbags deploy, and more guns are fired in the confusion!

	Ever seen an 'oh shit' expression? Billie is wearing one. One moment, she's crouched down, whispering her words over and over and the next she is... dancing? Muscle reflex is amazing because for a split second, as the two move and Billie is spun around, it's a Dancing with the Stars Moment. Except for Billie's surprised expression tho. "Nonononono!" She says it, briefly struggling against Noa's actions, like she's trying to do something important. "I have to stop them!" Now she's really confused. "You're going to get me shot!" Fear is rising in her voice.

Jordan step-squats closer to the commotion between Billie and Noa. "Are you fucking crazy?" The big man asks, keeping himself between the wrecked cars and the paired women. "You're going to get her hurt!"

Hyousuke grunts as Angel refuses to be protected. People are screaming and running to avoid the bullets. Hyo, instead is placid. Calm among the storm he begins to step into the street to get a better look.

It is not just a mother screaming for her child, the father has joined in as well. Gunfire might be loud, but it almost seems to pale in comparison to the panicked screams of parents searching for a missing child that may well be lost.
Zua has left.

	Smoke from the wrecked cars and the gunfire lingers in the air, turning the sage smoke acrid. The music has stopped, musicians joining the crowd in running for cover. Lanterns strung up above the crowd fall to the ground, casting the entire block in flickering shadows. Welcome to the Official Clusterfuck!

	Pablito frows, "Motherfuckers ruined dia de muertos," he mutters. Suddenly? There's a primitive looking knife with an obsidian blade in his hand as he makes his way towards one of the wrecked cars. WHO BRINGS A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT? "Hey! Its me, Pablo!!!" Did Pablo just announce himself to the narcos in the wrecked car??? Yes. Yes. He. Did.

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 -In the shadowlands, G18 seems to be standing in the center of where the car is in the skinlands! He looks around and begins to ball his fist and (when allowed by the ST) will use outrage 3 "Stonehand Punch" for lethal damage on one of the gunmen.

	Each (now wrecked) car has 4 or so narcos in it, and they all have cheap submachineguns. They begin to recover and slowly attempt to exit their wrecked vehicles.

YinFung can hear the old woman in her arms praying in some language she does not understand to some deity with a name unfamiliar to her as her body jerks with each bullet which stikes it and ricochets off. She grunts and lets out the occasional hiss between her teeth as some seem to land harder than others.

	It would seem that Noa is intensely amused, both by the nature of Billie's struggling and her assertions - as to the way her darkly glittering eyes alight upon Pablito amidst all the screaming, shouting and pandemonium. She seems fond of the little oddball that the boy is, in her own way! She doesn't seem to be particularly disturbed the sight of him going after some narcos with an obsidian knife.
	Instead, she's going to be briefly distracted once more by something Billie says! She returns her attention to the girl, even as she keeps her held in a grip that is just loose enough to encourage her to struggle (even though actual escape is a forlorn impossibility!). She queries her in Spanish, "Claro? And just how would you do that?" She simply smiles at the protestations of getting her shot.

"What are you DOING?" Angel says, incredulous at Hyousuke. No hero here, apparently.

Apparently it is a large family, now slightly smaller. The parents with tios y tias, abuelos y abuelitas, hermanos y hermanas, all move around the crowd in a panic, searching and screaming for a lost child. They are oblivious to the gun fire and wrecked cars, while it seems that everyone else is oblivious to their pain. Now the family knows more pain as one of their teens falls to gunfire in the frantic search. Smaller again. "NINO?"

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 balls his fist and strikes one of the gunmen in the head dealing 4 lethal as he exists or tries to exit the car. He follows the man and prepares a second strike in anger.

Hyousuke takes notice of Pablo for the first time of the night. "Oh. That's whats going on." in a hushed tone that is drowned by the cartels airing out laundry around him. As if violence is typical when Pablo is around. "Protecting you, my love." His focus shifts to the vatos getting out of their car now. His lips picker to allow a high pitch whistle to fill the air. An attempt to gain the narcos attention, probably drowned by the noise that fills the street.

	Billie is struggling, but in the way a parent wanting to save a child more than to actively escape the woman who holds her. "Stop!" Trying to pry her limbs loose, until the woman speaks directly to her. For a moment, the struggling stops and Billie blinks stupidly. It takes her a moment, that elementary Spanish kicking in. "I..." Struck dumbfounded by the woman's words in the same way a smack her face would have been. Again, she attempts to jerk herself free. "I just..." Moving, trying to see the chaos now, her eyes widening at the man wielding the knife. Heavy breaking makes her tremble a little, as fear for others grows to fear for herself. "He's going to kill them!" She shouts, as if she can't stand by and watch this chaos without some sort of explanation. Why are you holding me!? There is violence taking place! "Let go!" Again, that pull that seems to get her exactly nowhere.

	A narco stumbles out of the other car not near Pablo, face smashed in. Did the airbag do that??? He spits out a mouthful of teeth and collapses, dropping the gun.

	Pablo spins the obsidian knife in his hand as he waits for the one car full of narcos to unload. He's singing to himself as he waits???

	"Unaware, I just did what I always do
	Everyday, the same routine
	Before I skate off to school
	But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
	Instead of taking a test
	I took two to the chest
	Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming
	Everybody was running
	But I couldn't hear nothing
	Except gun blasts, it happened so fast"

	It is going to be while Billie is demanding that Noa let her go, that the post-Apocalyptic Comanche will sneak her hand up to cover the girl's lips, muffling any sound she might make. It is then going to be while everyone around them is reacting to the chaos of the gunfire and the drive-by that she'll draw Billie back and away from the pandemonium...whereupon the two of them will simply cease to be there.
	Indeed, by all accounts, most will forget that either of them were ever there at all.

Angel looks momentarily taken aback. "...What?" He looks incredibly puzzled by everything that's going on.

Crowds behave like liquids, and in the midst of one is something like a whirlpool. Alzbeta stands in the eye of this movement, calm, alone, now dressed in black robes whose fabric faintly glistens in the moonlight. She looks up to the moon with a smile, her hands clasped behind her back. Screaming people rush by, fear of the bullets, fear of a missing child. They obscure her momentarily, and after that, her position becomes ... indeterminate.

YinFung could feel the older woman's knees give and she starts to lower her towards the ground, while continuing to hold onto her and shield the woman from any incoming bullets. The screaming and the gunfire around her sounds distant and she can see the obliterated statues of Saints setting on the near demolished altar in front of her now. Yin Fung thinks she can hear someone screaming in English, "Oh my Lord Jesus! What the hell is that?!"

	Well, Pablo must be singing prophecy because he will indeed take two to the chest when one of the narcos leaves the car and sees the crazy kid with the obsidian knife!

	WRAITH: The two wraiths flanking Pablo use the old Lifeweb and Usury combo to make sure the kid survives the gunshots!

	Pablo grins and then next thing you know the obsidian knife flashes out and there are narco innards on the street!

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 stands over his initial victim in anger and smashes his head completely in with his fist. The blow is fatal and his head explodes.

<WRAITH> Ghost_18 -Afterwich, G18 fades out of existance in the shadowlands and is gone...

	At this point - bashed in narcos, wrecked cars, strange mojo and juju flying around, narco guts lying in the street - its a royal mess! The cherry on top? The one narcs with the smashed in face? HIS HEAD ... EXPLODES?! Viscera splatters all across the windshield of the wrecked car. The crowd will now /thoroughly/ disperse, leaving the remnants of the festival behind - broken statues, demolished altars, shattered musical instruments. WHAT. A. NIGHT! THANKS ALL FOR COMING!

YinFung helps the old woman, who has fainted, lie flat on the ground. Resting her head against the woman's chest, she checks to make sure the woman's heart still beats. Her features begin to soften and her limbs begin to return to their normal length.

A child's heads rolls bye, and screams turn mournful.

	Pablo sighs as scores were indeed settled. The obsidian knife in his hand disappears and he makes his way over towards YinFung to see if he can help. "Hey - you ok? She ok?"

YinFung has her face turned away from Pablo but her eyes are still very much white and her complexion silvered. She lies still as though pretending to be just as unconscious as the old woman beneath her. Her Hanfu has several bullet holes in the back of it and the smell of cordite permeates the stationary shrine. Closing her eyes tightly, Yin Fung concentrates on shifting her form the rest the way back.

	Pablo does his best to make sure whoever lingers is ok, or at least on the way to ok before he goe son over to drag bodies into his shop before federales arrive. The payoff money only stretched so far, after all!

YinFung allows herself to be picked up with the other dead and hauled off into a shop. Someone brave enough to look out their window down at her as she is being moved shouts down in Spanish something about her being an Angel of Death and that they think the older woman under her is dead. However, that is not the case when the older woman's pulse is checked. Also, there seems to be a noticeable lack of blood for someone who has taken so many shots in the back. There are no wounds on the older woman at all.

===> Log ended by user <===> 11/10/2019, 9:58:23 PM <===