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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zubkavich" data-source="post: 889017" data-attributes="member: 8810">Session Seventeen: Echo Of The SkyOnan pulls up the van beside the drainage ditch and heads down to survey what’s happened. While calling magical sunlight to dispose of the snake woman’s body, Karen fills him in on how it went and how badly hurt Tupilak is. When Onan looks at Tupilak’s face, he chokes at the sight. Calling upon his healing powers, Onan is able to clean and start the healing process, but Tupilak’s face is still quite ravaged. Taking Karen aside, Onan has some distressing news for her.“Look, I can fix the flesh, his nose and even his mouth, but I can’t grow back things that aren’t there anymore.” he says grimly.“What do you mean?” she asks with concern.“His left eye... it’s burned right out. The spirits’ magic enhances a person’s natural healing to phenomenal levels, but it can’t regrow things that are gone. Skin and muscle is relatively easy, missing limbs or organs is right out. There may be more powerful spells that can do it, but I don’t know them.”Karen can feel tears welling up. If Conroy ever regains control of his body, he’ll be blind in one eye through no fault of his own. She walks over to the van and her anger gets the better of her.“Dammit Tupilak, you have to protect that body! Conroy doesn’t deserve to be torn apart while you run around on your spirit crusade s**t!” “My mission is more important than this one man.” he says without emotion.“F**k that! That ‘man’ is my friend! He never asked to be possessed, he doesn’t even know the supernatural exists! He doesn’t deserve this!” she says through gritted teeth.“You do not understand the way of spirits. This battle scar proves that I have fought with courage and honor.” says Tupilak, looking into the night sky.“What?! You are f**king healing that thing as soon as Onan finds a way to do it, got that? I may not know spirits, but you don’t understand the importance of human life! You’re gonna have to learn it if you want to work with me!” she threatens.The ride back to Dog-Eared Pages is filled with silent tension. When they finally arrive, Karen heads in first and explains to the others about Tupilak’s injury. She doesn’t want them to comment on it, or give him a chance to brag about his ‘battle scar’. After everyone settles in, she relays the information she learned from the snake-woman and the potential for trouble amongst the ranks of the Shadow-Borne.After heading to her bed, Karen broods for a while, trying to calm herself down so she can finally get some sleep. The black scar on her arm throbs slightly in the darkness of her room, and she finally falls asleep with a lamp shining down on it and a pillow on her head to block the light.Waking up the next morning, her arm aches with intense pain and she can see that the flesh around the scar is discolored and bruised looking. Realizing that she’s ignored it too long, she immediately gets on the phone and starts to call around to jewelry stores to see if she can purchase a raw emerald. After making several inquiries, she sets up an appointment at a jewelry store. Looking around for Onan to let him know about the gemstones, she asks Setakawa where he is. He tells her that Onan went to his job to make some arrangements, probably for taking more time off. Karen invites Setakawa to accompany her for the ride and they head out.“Have you thought of a way to stop these Shadows?” Setakawa asks as they drive.“Well, I’ve got the start of a cunning plan forming, but I’ll wait until we get everyone together before I go into too many details. Suffice to say that I’m sick of being on the defensive.” she says. “If we’re able to save the world, what will you do afterwards? Will you go back to being a thief?”Karen laughs.“Yeah, probably. I mean, if the world didn’t owe me a favor before, they sure would then, wouldn’t they? I could pretty much steal whatever I want and justify it, couldn’t I?” she says with a grin.“Don’t you think it would be better to leave the karmic scales balanced in your favor?” he asks.“Maybe, but that’s the kind of debt that I don’t think I could screw up.” she says with a broad grin.At the jewelry store, the clerk is surprised at Karen’s request and indicates that they may be able to arrange a raw emerald to ship within a week. Wanting it faster, she socializes and talks to the manager. Eventually, she’s put in touch with a Mr. Finley, a jeweler who mounts gemstones on rings and necklaces. She negotiates with him for the biggest emerald he has in his possession and they arrange for a transaction after a high-class dinner at a nearby Manhattan restaurant.Heading back to the bookstore to get some better clothes, Karen is surprised that Onan isn’t back yet. Calling his cel phone, she can hear the sounds of him driving his car as he picks up the phone.“What are you doing? I’ve been running around all day trying to get my hands on an emerald and you’re gallivanting around town. You’re going out for an expensive dinner tonight, so I wanted to make sure you made it back in time.” she says.“High class meal, eh? Okay babe, I’m up for it. I took care of work stuff and now I’m on my way to my house to pick up some supplies and more clothes.”“Are you sure that’s safe? We don’t know if these Shadow guys have tracked down our homes or anything like that.” she says with concern. “It’s fine. The house is safe. If it wasn’t, I’d know. So... where are you stealing the emerald from?” he asks, obviously amused.“I’m not stealing it! It’s all legal... I’m buying it from a real jeweler with some of the investment money my Dad left me.” she says, bristling with annoyance.“Yeah sure... is this jeweler guy Italian by chance? Some mob guy you’re paying off with Dad’s blood money?”“F**k you!” she yells as she hangs up the phone.session be continued...</blockquote>

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