10300/A Winter Wonderland

A Winter Wonderland
Date of Scene:	23 December 2019
Location:	Jackson Heights, Queens
Synopsis:	A winter storm leads to Andi and Vorpal meeting, and a very unexpected encounter with a witchy neighbor.
Cast of Characters:	Andi Benton

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Andi Benton has posed:
Snowpocalypse 2019. The late December Snowmageddon. All right, so the NYC area was only forecast to get /maybe/ half a foot of snow at most, with suburban areas a bit higher. Still, in a city with as many people as it has, not to mention neighboring Gotham City and Metropolis, the traffic snarl is a bit of a mess as people get back into the workflow following the weekend.

In Andi's case, she's had some long hours at the Hot Topic in the Queens mall, but that next paycheck should be good in spite of how tired she is of standing aroud here, moving around there, fielding all sorts of questions from customers, some good, some very, very bad. It was fitting that she had on a 'Sarcasm is just another service we offer' t-shirt today, but that's currently hidden behind a big winter coat, gloves, and an extra layer of leggings as she trudges up the steps from the subway stop closest to home. It's cold, it's late, and she just wants to warm up with something in the apartment, then sleep.

"Ugh. I hate this fucking weather," she complains to herself, tugging her coat closer, then when she steps in a slushy puddle of snow that's yet to fully freeze over, she frowns behind the scarf over her lower face. "Shit."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal sometimes takes the subway. This is primarily because many crimes, from petty to large, happen in the subway, and many heroes can miss them when they're looking for the freaks jumping between skyscrapers or flying across the sky.

He looks like a regular human teenager, rather unremarkable under a hoodie and jacket, thanks to his powers of illusion- the better to observe while being unobserved.

He avoids stepping on the slush, coming up right behind Andi, but it's clear he's not too keen on the current weather either. Hands in his jacket, he appears to have overheard Andis' comment, as he adds one of his own:

"I hear Death Valley is lovely this time of year."

Andi Benton has posed:
At first, Andi has no response to the voice behind her. Just ignore the stranger. Get home. It's only a few doors down. He could be a creeper. He could be looking for something. He could be a kidnapper - she grips the pepper spray in her pocket more tightly. He could be a lot of things, and most of what's going through her mind right now are not favorable ones.

But, strangely enough, there's nobody else in their immediate vicinity. No one, at least who got off at the same stop, nearby but him. "I don't have any money on me," she says, a tenseness to her voice as she avoids looking back. "So..go bother someone else." Please? Careful steps avoid any icy patches on the sidewalk, but things have already been salted fairly well.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Wha-? Oh." Vorpal rolls his eyes at himself for a moment. He is so accustomed to the company of metas who can kick people through doors that he sometimes forgets. He's a man walking behind a young woman, with no-one around them. He just *said* something to her. That's how a lot of horror stories start.

"Er, sorry. I'm not a mugger. Just shooting some friendly banter in the event of a snow Armageddon." He pauses. "... you get mugged often here? I don't usually travel like this."

Andi Benton has posed:
He's. Still. Talking. Damn it. Usually that gets them to leave her alone. "..I have pepper spray," Andi warns, still not turning enough to get a good look at him. "And..no. Because I don't stop to talk to strangers. I'm nobody. Really."

She must be paranoid. Maybe it's because she knows she has to pass a 'bad block' on the way to the apartment complex she lives in. "I had a long day at the m...at work. I just want to get home where it's warm." Her voice is cautious, as if trying not to provoke.

She finally turns to look over a shoulder, and her eyes widen while the rest of her face remains hidden. Why? Because she was expecting to have to look up considerably to see the face of whoever's bugging her. Instead, she's looking down. She must have a good half-foot on him! "Holy shit, you're short!" she exclaims.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
A sigh. "... well... yes. Yes, I am." He smirks, "I represent the Lollipop Guild. The pepper spray is kinda redundant, isn't it? I mean, even if I tried something, you could just... you know. Step over me or something."

He scratches his forehead, causing his hoodie to fall back to reveal flame-red hair falling in disheveled waves. As if anticipating the reveal, he adds "And no, you can't have my lucky charms."

He huffs, puffing out a cloud from his mouth, "Now you see why I'm talking to you. If the snow gets worse you'll find out way before me and I've got, like, five minutes to prepare for it."

Andi Benton has posed:
This has Andi at a momentary loss for words. This might have been the last thing she was expecting to see, in terms of who would be trying to talk to her. It almost makes her forget about trying to get home as quickly as possible. "Actually, if it gets much worse you'll probably know first because you'd get buried in it faster," she points out, gesturing at him.

The hair? Not a big deal to her. She's got her own color, which he hasn't seen yet thanks to the knit cap she's got on beneath the hood pulled up to shield her from the falling snow as much as it can. Either way, for someone barely over five feet tall to 'tower' over anyone that isn't a kid...that's something new.

"I don't like Lucky Charms anyway, so you're fine there. And what do you know about Death Valley, except for it having a fucking wicked name?" She's got a mouth on her, doesn't she?

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Lots of things, actually! I was involved in a case there once- I kid you not, there was this opera singer lady who was a recluse in this ghost town there called Death Valley Junction. She built herself an opera house and painted people on the walls and sang to them, like, every other day or so." The short teen smirks, "And she was the sanest thing about that place. But it's nice and hot and deserty and you can feel your brains start to boil."

He starts walking, hands in his jacket, "I take it you don't see guys this short most of the time. We're a bit thin on the ground. Most of the time we're up in trees baking cookies."

Andi Benton has posed:
The hand in Andi's pocket that remains wrapped around the pepper spray begins to relax, if only slightly. "That's nuts," she declares, after hearing the brief story of the crazy singer. "I don't really like deserts either," she adds. Why is she even talking to this guy? What makes it so she doesn't just get back on her way and let him go bother someone else?

"I stick to myself. It's safer that way," she claims, moving again now that he is, if only to keep a little space between them. But, it also brings them a block closer to her apartment before long, and she might not want him to know exactly where she lives. Eyes dart in that direction momentarily before returning to him. "Yeah, right. Cookies."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"They have their charm. They're great for sunbathing. Or so I hear." Tommy smirks, and then he frowns.

The air around them is suddenly thicker with snow, and the breeze seems to have picked up. Visiblity is starting to drop.

"Okay... the forecast said nothing about white-out conditions," He says, genuine worry in his voice. He takes out a phone from his pocket and frowns at it, quickly pulling up the weather report. He frowns. "Okay... that doesn't look natural..." the image from the satellite doesn't make much sense, for such an area to be suddenly so concentrated without so much as any evidence of what is feeding the activity, like a sudden front...

"You might want to look for cover, this is getting nasty fast."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi scoffs, "I don't do sunbathing." It may be tough to determine just /what/ she's into, aside from what appears to be a healthy dose of brooding and suspicion. The way the weather picks up, however, leads to her bracing herself against the wind and swirling snow. "What the fuck.." She's checking her phone as well - thank goodness for those gloves with the fingertips that still work with touchscreens - and she blurts, "This isn't possible!"

And yet, it certainly appears to be, because it's happening. It's very localized as well, and she makes for some safety at least by moving toward an alley. "What the hell is going on here?" she asks, sounding a little worried by now.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"My question exactly." He reaches for the communicator in his pocket and freezes.

It's not there.

"Mot----" a swear, "Someone must've pick-pocketed me at the subway!"

Looking visibly flustered, he looks around at the whirlwinds of snow and says "Probably be a good idea to stick together. Wandering off alone in this might be bad for everyone involved. This doesn't -feel- right..."

He sniffs the air, his brow beginning to crease. "Smells like..."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Smells like someone is mucking about with things they don't understand... better stay close." Tommy frowns and walks a few steps, noticing how bad visibility is getting.

"Okay, we need to get you to a safe place. Can you tell where you're going in... this?" He gestures.

Andi Benton has posed:
"I had nothing to do with that," Andi is quick to say when he comes up empty with whatever it is he's trying to find. Meanwhile, a gloved hand goes up to help shield her eyes from the whipping wind and snow that is still rapidly building up.

Maybe they'll have to duck into her apartment complex after all. At least she'd be able to get them inside. "Of course it doesn't feel right! And what does it smell like? I can hardly see a thing!"

Andi Benton has posed:
"I can see the wall about a foot in front of me," Andi deadpans. They haven't even had the chance to give their names yet. So much for simple introductions.

She goes on to say, "I wouldn't even know how to respond to that, either. What do you mean someone is fucking around with things they don't fucking understand?" Now she's getting flustered, and the swearing picks up as she hunkers down slightly, eyes widening with a sign of fear present.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"I mean this storm is ready made by somebody. Stay close and let's try to find somewhere to find shelter." He holds out a hand, "Don't be afraid."

He is trying to put up the bravest front he can, but while he is not afraid he is chilled by the temperature, even through his fur, and worried at the evident (to him) weather manipulation.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi looks toward the shorter guy with a confused expression that doesn't really show through with the way she's bundled up, the way the storm is getting more intense. But, it's in her voice, her words. "Ready made? How?" The temperature feels like it's dropping around them, and she hesitantly extends a gloved hand - the other still grasps the pepper spray within the coat pocket.

She finally admits, "We're almost at my apartment, but.." The young woman hesitates, adding, "My dad should be there. He could be in trouble if this isn't normal stuff!"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"I'm afraid you're probably right," Tommy says. "Let's head there right now. Lead the way."

In view of what is going on, Vorpal sees very little reason to continue his charade. But it was best to prepare the girl, as she seemed to be getting overwhelmed enough as it was. "I should probably tell you that I deal with this sort of... unusual stuff on the regular. My experience may come in handy for your family. If I am not mistaken about this storm, there's some sort of magic behind it. The sooner we get out of its path, the better."

Andi Benton has posed:
If the gloves had come off...well, Andi would have realized something unique about Tommy's hand. For the time being, that's off the table. As she leads the way toward the correct building, she brings her other hand up - finally letting go of the pepper spray which remains in her pocket - to shield her eyes. "It's..just up ahead."

She still pauses long enough to give Tommy a long look. "What do you mean, there's magic behind it?" Everyone's heard of magic, right? Some can even apparently do it. She wouldn't know. this is all new.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"You know, that bit where people think really, really hard at reality and reality goes 'Oh, *all* right, then' and rolls over obligingly?" Tommy gestures dramatically into the air in a Doug Henning homage, "You know. Maaagic."

At this point he has started shielding his eyes as well, blinking furiously. "Okay... do you see your building at all?" he has to ask because... well. He can't really see any buildings. What he can see when the blanket of snow thins here and there are outlines of edifices... but the hazy shadows are the wrong shape. They vanish quickly enough in another blast of winter, far too often for him to make a definite impression of what's going on.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton admits, "Not..really. There are those magic shows, but..." Her experience with this sort of thing is, it would appear, nonexistent. "All I know is I'm cold as hell and this is worse than any blizzard I've ever seen, and even my /piercings/ are feeling frozen!"

Soon she points ahead at a place, the outline of which can barely be made out. "That one, I think. If we can just get out of this for a minute, maybe we can warm up." She does not seem to have noticed anything else that looks any more out of place than what's been seen so far. The hand is a little shaky, as held.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy nods, grateful for the fur that is isolating him, even if all she can see is pale skin. "Lead the way, I'm right behind you."

He's also trying to think of a way to use his Rabbit Hole to get them out of the situation... he is reticent, though. If this is the work of magic, opening a Rabbit Hole would be like sending out a flare in the middle of a moonless night-whatever is causing this would immediately hone in on them. on him. And that might not be attention they want to attract.

Andi Benton has posed:
Under a different set of circumstances, this encounter could see Andi in a position to do more than just seek safety and shelter. But, the current situation means there's nothing fantastic or special she's capable of, at least as far as the stranger she's met knows. "Almost..there," she grunts, straining through a few snow drifts that have already nearly reached knee-height. It should be way too short a time for that to happen!

"Here. Just..just a second," she adds, letting go to fumble with the door handle with the gloves she's got on. It seems to want to stick, perhaps frozen in place, then it finally opens. "I hate this stupid door. It doesn't even fit the frame." The young woman gestures to follow, and as soon as they're inside she slams the door shut and leans against the nearby wall to catch a breath.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy pants as well. By now, he is thoroughly soaked, those snowdrifts are certainly far too tall, unnaturally so. He takes advantage of the protections from the snow to take a few breathers. "Well, if this is your place, you can stay back here. I probably need to go and find out who is responsible for this bull..."

He casts a dismaying glance at the door, and the prospect of all that cold, wet misery outdoors. It does not look enticing at all... if only one of his other teammates were here. Like Raven, who could probably make the snow retreat in shame upon encountering a being even colder than itself...

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton pulls back the stuff hiding most of her head, revealing dyed hair and those piercings she'd mentioned before. "I could really use a big bowl of ramen right now, but we need to figure out how to stop this if it's magic like you--" She cuts herself off, listening more to what he tells her. "Yeah, that's probably a way better idea. I don't even know what I could do except call 911."

All the same, she's watching him with open doubt. Doubt, and skepticism. "But what makes you think you can do anything about this? You could get yourself killed out there!" A gesture follows toward the door, as if there was any other 'there' there to speak of.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Well... you might say that it's a mad thing to do. But then again... we're all mad here." With those words, the illusion falls away, and Vorpal gives Adi a grin, still holding on to the door but not quite working the gumption to open it just yet. "It could be said that this is my bread and butter. Except I don't get paid to do this stuff." He pauses, realizing what he just said, and hmms. "Note to self: Talk to Robin about this arrangement."

Andi Benton has posed:
As she digs around for her phone, Andi glances up one moment, then back down, then immediately back up again with her eyes widening. "What the f--" She cuts herself off before finishing, blurting out instead, "Are you some kind of furry?" The reaction may not be the greatest immediately, but she didn't turn and run or call for help, either. Rather, she's staring, perhaps to try to determine if any of this is real or not. "This is a dream," she tells herself. "Just a dream. If I yank on this I'll just wake up and...ow!" No, tugging at the piercing through an eyebrow does not, in fact, cause her to awaken. It does make her wince.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
A heartbeat, and then Vorpal asks, "What is a 'furry'?" He hesitates, and then brings his hands up, "Wait. The way you said it, I don't wanna know... please don't maim yourself just because I'm too incredible for words, okay? Here's the low-down... you ever heard of the Titans? Please tell me you have 'cause Robin will sulk for a week if I tell him you haven't."

Andi Benton has posed:
"It's someone who..wait, why would I maim myself? I don't do that kind of stuff. Just because I'm...nevermind. It's not important." Andi handwaves what she was about to say. She certainly has the look of a certain sort of underground segment of society, but she's looking up and down the costume, the ears, the tail, the fur and other coloring. "It's just a term. And..yeah, I've heard of them. I've heard of a lot of stuff, but I never saw anyone like you so close back in Philly." A strong gust of wind rattles the sticky door, which must be pretty powerful to do. The mention of Robin draws a glance back, but nothing more.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal frowns and looks at the door. Time to speed this up. "Long story short. I'm one of the Titans. Robin gets the press because he's Batman's protege. Beast Boy gets the press 'cause he's a movie star- I'm more like the one skulking in the shadows. I'm also the Cheshire cat, if that rings any bells. But long story short- too late - is that this sort of stuff is the kind of stuff I do."

He reaches over to open the door and take a look at what is outside...

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton chews at her bottom lip as the quickest of quick rundowns are touched on, a nod and a swallow coming afterward. "Yeah, I know about them, and of course I know about that, but there's no way you...that was just a story," she says, struggling to put together how such a thing could even be possible. She's seeing something that could actually fit: a humanoid cat. At that point, when the door is tugged open again it swings hard, sending a blast of cold air and snow into the entryway. "Careful!" she shouts, and voices can now be heard from a floor or two above, questioning what the heck is going on, only in a more colorful way. She moves to help get the door back under control. It's one of those older, heavier ones.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"It's... crazy!" Vorpal says, observing the strength of the winds, and then pushes to help Andi close the door. "Too crazy. It's almost as if. Well. Doesn't it look like the system is at its most savage here, of all places?"

He perks an ear and pays attention to the howling of the wind, and frowns, "Just on the off chance... have you ever seen anyone... eccentric in this building?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton puts her whole back into getting the door closed again. By now a few more voices are beginning to register from up above, a couple doors opening and slamming shut again. They aren't the only ones aware of the strangeness going on outside. Truly, it's as if it's centered on their building.

Brows tug together. "There's old Mrs. Glenn on the top floor, but I never go up there. I'm just on the third one. I heard she's supposed to be kind of crazy, though. I've never seen her coming or going." Andi looks directly at the cat..boy, or man, or whatever. Hard to tell how old he really is. "Why?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Just a hunch. It could be a coincidence but... when you're me, coincidences aren't really coincidences." Vorpal frowns for a few seconds, and then shakes his head. "Can you show me where she lives? I'd rather eliminate all possibilities in here before heading out there. If anything, at least it'll give my fur time to thaw." He offers a weak smile.

Andi Benton has posed:
"Yeah, come on." Andi leads the way over to the stairs and peers back at the mention of the fur before taking the steps. The building is outdated enough that there's no elevator. She stops on the third floor and says, "Just a second. I have to check on my dad."

A key is produced for her to duck inside her apartment, coming back out no more than thirty seconds later. "Somehow, he's sleeping. I don't know how this hasn't woken him up yet." In her right hand, she also holds a monkey wrench. "What? I might need it."

She resumes the approach to the top floor, fingers tightening around the wrench. "Apartment 7 is hers. Down there." And, just beyond it, the stairs to the roof.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal nods and starts walking towards door number seven. He briefly looks over her shoulder and gestures for Andi to stay put as he reaches over and tries the lock. He frowns and looks inside. "Nobody home?" he says quietly, and steps in.

A few seconds later, his voice can be heard exclaiming "Jackpot!"

He peers out and gestures Andi in, and the inside of the apartment is definitely... eccentric.

Old books strewn about everywhere, between old newspapers and cans. That's not terribly unusual.

It's the skulls, jewelry, ceremonial daggers and other paraphernalia. Not to mention the candles that are burning with an odd, green flame.

"Okay... I think that theory checks out," the Cheshire cat says, hands on his hips. "Houston, we've got ourselves magic."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Hey, wait. You can't..that's breaking and entering!" Andi calls out, before realizing the door isn't even locked. "Or at least trespassing!" A neighbor across the hallway opens the door enough to look past the chain latch, then slams it shut again. By then, Vorpal is already inside.

There Andi waits with the wrench, out in the hallway, but it isn't long before she's beckoned inside. Frowning, whe warns, "If the cops catch us in here we're toast! The NYPD arriving is soon forgotten as she stares around at what's laid out in the small place. "The fuck?" she reacts to what she sees, including the candles that should not be burning green flame. That's totally unnatural. "I don't like this."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"And those are very good instincts, because this is magic." Vorpal walks around the living room, flipping open this book and that one. One is a bona-fide grimoire of the darkest and most eldritch forbidden arts. The next one turns out to be a Danielle Steel novel, "Same thing," he muses and puts the book back.

"But we are missing something in this picture, and it's our witch. Witch mea- WHICH means that she's..." he looks at the door. "Up up up to the heavyside lair, it is." He starts walking out the door with the clear intention of heading to the rooftop.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton just gives Vorpal a flat look as he goes from the spellbook or whatever it is, on to the novel. The 'no comment' really /is/ no comment, because she says nothing. Not. A. Single. Word.

Goosebumps form along her arms, hidden beneath the layers of her clothing and coat, but she does rub up and down the arm on the wrench side. "You think she's upstairs?" she questions, glancing that way. "What if she's, I dunno, got some spell up that will keep us from leaving? Or she could freeze us in blocks of ice. Or sacrifice us to some weather god. Or just blow us off the edge of the building so we go splat."

Frowning, she makes her way after him but eyes a set of green-flamed candles. They give her another chill, and she leans closer to blow them out. "I don't like this, either."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Well, considering she seems to be in the process of summoning the icy end of the world on us right now ,I'd say that's the least of your worries..."

Vorpal turns around just as Andi blows out one of the candles. The protest come out way too late. "No-- o." He pauses. "Admittedly, that was my fault. You see, you don't tinker with a witch's toys when she's using them because-"

There is a sudden change in the air pressure, and a shriek from above that echoes even over the howling of the storm, "She might take notice of you. Okay... no matter what, whatever she is doing HAS to be stopped, okay?" He says, and then quickly turns around to run up the stairs to the rooftop, before she decides to come down here herself. Up there, he reasons, there's enough room to maneuver.

He bursts onto the rooftop, shivering at once under the howling wind and snow.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton visibly flinches as it feels like some sort of weight begins to compress around them after the candles are out, just as Vorpal is giving her the warning that comes a few seconds late. "Unnf. Would have been..nice of you to tell me that /first/, don't you think?" she retorts, even the words a little strained from what she's feeling. The sound from above is more chilling than anything else so far.

"I'm gonna throw it out there that I think she knows we're here now." Against her better judgment, she tags along. The sight they enter into looks like it could be from something out of Ghostbusters, with the sky above just seeming..angry. And yet, beyond their immediate area, say no more than a block or two, it appears to be nothing more than a normal storm.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Duly noted for future reference," Vorpal says, squinting hard against the epicenter of the storm. "Okay, witchy witchy... where are you?"

It stands to reason that he needs to make himself visible. And the best way to do so is by making a display of power. He trots ahead several steps and... opens up a Rabbit Hole. One that leads to a desert, bathed in scalding sunlight.

And he takes a deep breath, waiting for the reaction...

Andi Benton has posed:
"What the hell is that?" Andi questions as the Titan displays what he's capable of. The brightness of the desert through the hole would suggest a location on the other side of the world, and the heat? Even from where she stands, Andi can feel a little of it. "Shit.." she manages.

Vorpal's hunch is shown to be correct as someone steps out from behind a metallic box that looks much newer than the building, some sort of HVAC unit. It's the witch, only she looks very..un-witchlike. White hair, spectacles that might be trifocals, a sweater with 'I Heart New York' in big letters, grandma pants, and clunky shoes that must have some sort of arch supports in them. She looks like she ought to be serving cookies to them rather than this. "Why are you trying to interrupt my spell?" she demands, and while the voice is kindly and sweet, it carries a threatening undertone to it, one that suggests a terrible fate should they test her patience any further.

Andi's jaw just sort of drops a bit.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Ah, yes! Mrs. Glenn, was it?" the Cheshire cat takes a smooth step forward, closing the Rabbit Hole and stepping in such a way as to attract attention to him, leaving Andi behind, "Yes, the woman I was trying to contact. I am agent Dogdson. Department of magical weather fronts, abnormal phenomena and urban planning, council of Mages sub-chapter C421? It looks like you did not file the proper forms for a class four weather disturbance."

He tilts his head, "I brought the forms. It won't take any more than... say, fifteen minutes."

Glistening in between the sheets of solid snow there is a structure. It seems to have been put together out of disparate elements- pipes, worn down pieces of furniture, string, cutlery... but while the materials are haphazard and shoddy, the form of which they take part is decidedly arcane, and decidedly magical. By the way the snow whirls around the central spire of the spider-like structure, it also seems to be the source of all of this.

Andi Benton has posed:
"You lie, stray," the woman tells Vorpal, adjusting the positioning of her glasses so she might see him more clearly. "And you are interfering with my plans. I have lived here for decades and the new owner is trying to run me out by raising my rent. He wouldn't listen to reason and I was going to show him another way, but giving him you as a new ice sculpture will prove to him I am not a woman to be trifled with."

Andi stares at the scene before her, uttering a quiet, "/Fuck me/" at the sight of whatever it is the old woman has built. She knew the lady was a few sandwiches short of a full picnic, but this is beyond anything she could have expected. Just as she begins to take a few steps, the woman points a bony finger her way.

"Don't think of getting in my way, dearie. I've heard the way you all talk about me. I could freeze you and shatter you into so many ice cubes," Mrs. Glenn warns.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Please!" Vorpal laughs, his laughter is piercing and loud for effect and attention. "You? Freeze anyone? If you could master that kind of power on your own, you wouldn't have to depend on fancy structures like that!" Vorpal gestures to the strange structure, guessing as to its purpose. "Yeah, everybody is going to be so intimidated by the witch who can't even freeze water without a LEGO tower." He crosses his arms and looks at her, tilting his head, "I bet you can't even fight a proper magic duel. You know, like -real- witches do."

Andi Benton has posed:
Mrs. Glenn glares icicles at Vorpal. "Why, you uppity, furry little whippersnapper. When I finish my summoning spell, you'll see what true power is." It can't be said the old hag doesn't have the cliches covered. So what if she isn't strong enough to do this without a catalyst of some kind?

The winds and snow howl above them, still localized enough that others probably won't have any way of knowing what's truly going on here, but Andi is moving as the witch places all of her focus on Vorpal. By design? The resident of the third floor does not have the knowledge to pick up on that aside from perhaps seeing something like it in movies or on TV. While the young woman eases her way past another big metal box on the rooftop, Mrs. Glenn gestures...and a snowball flies toward Vorpal with the potential to *paf!*

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The snowball goes for him, and the Cheshire cat ducks- normally, he would be able to have ducked that... but it's snowy. It's icy. His bare foot slips and instead of moving away from the ball, he ends up actually getting into its path. "Augh!" the ball makes impact and sends him twirling in the air, making him land on his back.

"Foul!" he says, scrambling, trying to brush snow away from him, "Environmental hazard! Not a show of skill!"

Andi Benton has posed:
Before Granny Witch Glenn even has a chance to scoff at Vorpal's misfortune, Andi's making her move.

"Bitch," is the only warning that comes before the woman may turn in time to see that monkey wrench being swung at the construct. It's a good thing her father leaves some of his tools laying around from time to time.

She /does/ add, while taking a second swing, "I thought cats always landed on their feet."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
As the construct feels the impact, the magic in the area changes. Pressure, tension, and density.... it's as if a plug had been pulled in a flooded bathtub, and the water had started to drain out.

"Oh hush!" the Cheshire reaches for snow and quickly throws a hastily-formed snowball at the creepy old lady, to distract her from what Andi is doing, "We're not done here, Wicked Witch of the West!"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton shivers and takes a step back as the witch screams, "No! Stop!" But, there's nothing she can do once Andi's begun to dismantle it. She looks all around as some unseen force can be felt, but already it's looking like things are beginning to subside above and around them, growing closer to a normal storm again.

Now the witch is dotted in the back of the head by Vorpal's own snowball, which knocks her glasses off, which leads to her stepping on them in confusion, which leads to them crunching under her shoes. "You..you brats!" she wails. "You ruined everything!"

Andi points out, amid another swing, "Uh, cat-guy, we're back East."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"East, West, whatever." Vorpal starts walking towards the witch, "You ruined everything, ma'am. You're a goddamned witch and instead of, I don't know, using your magic to trade in free rent for keeping the building in good condition, you decide to go I Will Rule The World And All Will Love Me And Despair. Sounds like a personal problem here."

The cat sighs and raises his eyebrows, "Please don't make me have to subdue you. I don't relish taking in senior citizens as it is... Andi, make sure that thing is properly banged up. We don't want any further magical activity..."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton swings again. It feels kind of cathartic, to destroy something with a good reason behind it. "Doing that, yeah. So how do we make sure she doesn't, you know, try to do this all over again? I doubt the cops are gonna believe this."

The woman now looks less menacing witch (though did she ever really in the first place?), more sad old woman, as she realizes her plan is falling to pieces around her. Literally, in fact, as a bit of metal flies off of the structure and skids to a stop in front of her. "You don't understand! My whole life is in that apartment! My books, my pictures. My husband died last year and I've been all alone since then. I can hardly get out, the bingo hall won't let me back because I won too much, and all the new landlord cares about is how much money he can suck out of us! I can only afford another two months without my bingo!" Perhaps she was using her magic to impact the numbers.

Andi stops the swinging of the wrench, reaching to rub at the back of her head uncomfortably. "The way she went about this is all fucked up, but..she's not wrong about the landlord. Even my dad has talked to a few neighbors about it." She frowns. By now the weather has returned to normal, just a typical snowstorm.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal sighs, and looks up at the sky. "See, this is why I prefer to deal with cut-and-dry megalomaniacal madmen." He rubs his forehead, and then he looks back down. "Okay, Mrs. Glenn, how long did your landlord give you? And is he a sole proprietor or is this building owned by a property service?"

Wheels are starting to run in Vorpal's head. A plan is forming, and there's a favor...

Andi Benton has posed:
"I'm already a month behind," the woman says, fumbling around for those glasses she stepped on. No, her plan was not smart at all. There were probably dozens of different ways she could have sought help rather than resorting to this, modern witch or not.

Andi puts in, "It's this guy who has a few places, and all I ever hear him talking about when he's around is how much he can flip this place for if he slaps a little paint on some walls and replaces a few appliances, and he wants as much money as he can get. Back in Philly, dad got a deal at the place we lived in because he was good with fixing stuff up, but the landlord said no to that. He's kind of a dick." She wraps her arms around herself, rubbing an elbow now.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
He frowns. "Alright, I am getting the picture. Mrs. Glenn... just go back to your apartment. I'm not going to tell anyone you were behind this, but you leave what's to come to me, and nobody's going to kick you out. Especially not some sleaze landlord with no regard for his residents."

He gets a certain look in his eyes, and then glances at Andi. "... how would you like to dispense some delicious justice?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton chews at her lower lip. This has gone far, far away from anything she expected to deal with this evening. She knew Mrs. Glenn was..strange..but a witch? And a witch who was about to summon some sort of, well, she doesn't know /what/ was about to happen if they didn't stop it. "I, uh...what?" she asks Vorpal, a dumbfounded look crossing her face. "What do you mean?"

Mrs. Glenn comes off as more contrite now. "Oh, dearies, maybe I was wrong about you. I was in a bad place, and I..I just lashed out. Little girl, would you help an old woman back to her room? I can barely see out here, and it's cold. I should offer both of you some milk and cookies."

Andi heaves a long, slow breath out, giving Vorpal one of those uncomfortable glances that suggests she doesn't know what to do about all of this. "Yeah, sure. I'll give you a hand, but maybe another time with the cookies." The trust isn't really there.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The Cheshire cat hmms, and looks at the remains of the structure. Wouldn't do to have that lying around for someone to find. A quick wave of his hand and a Rabbit Hole deposits it on the rooftop of the Titans' Tower. They'll take care of it later.

For now, though, there was planning to do. "I'll be right there. I need to make a call."

He would place his call, and then join Andi. There were preparations that needed to be done...