"I can protect us better if we walk out. Teleporting would exert myself, and would compromise my usefulness if we happened upon more violence." Caster wraps his robes around himself and follows Oz.

Imani shares a look with Sarai and Dream then hustles to catch up with Oz. "I didn't mean anything by it, Oz. My mouth gets out in front of me some-" she stops herself with a snort. "That was just about the worst apology ever, wasn't it?" She stops and places a hand on Oz's shoulder. "Oz, mage of the Tower and champion of the Holy Grail, you fought bravely and well today. You have my gratitude. Thank you for watching my back." She grins (a rare genuine smile). "When we get settled into our suite I'll buy you a round."

She glances at Caster. "Same goes for you, mysterious stranger. How are you feeling? Any... echoes of wolfiness?"

“It was disconcerting,” says Caster. “A different kind of madness...but the voices were silenced. I’m glad they have returned. For what it’s worth, I believe I am still me. As much as I can be.”

Sarai notes the humans making small talk and moves ahead of them. "We should try to move unseen through the first responders," and sprinkles a little something, murmurs some words, and casts Pass Without Trace to encompass the party.

OOC > +10 to Stealth checks for the duration, which is one hour or concentration.

Here's a Stealth roll, just in case it is needed: 36
(And because I like rolling +18 when I can... :)

Imani experimentally flexes and relaxes her fists as Sarai's spell washes over her. 

OOC: Heart of the City- When you are not in combat, you can travel between any two points in the city twice as quickly as your speed would normally allow

Stealth: 27

The young warlock arches an eyebrow at Caster's response, but says nothing. 

...She thinks a couple of things, though.

The group begins to slink out of the area under the cover of Sarai’s magic. Shadows seem to cling a bit tighter to the group. Meanwhile, the servants can simply vanish from sight. It would be impossible for a normal human to see any of you. Well... It would be if a young portly teenager didn’t trip over a piece of rock a mere 5 ft away from the building and face plant into the floor. Imani and Sarai are still hidden in the shadows, but as Oz biffs it, a couple of first responders shout, “Hey, there’s a kid over there! He looks injured!” They begin running toward Oz.

Oz immediately puts on a bewildered face, which isn't that hard to do with a bloody nose. "How... How did I get here? What happened?"

Deception: 11.

Sarai touches Imani and indicates they should continue, lest someone bump into them. She moves until they are less likely to be encountered by chance, and also evicts Oz from the aura of stealthiness. No need for the normies to wonder why he seems to hard to perceive.

Cursing, Imani allows Sarai to pull her along as she weaves her hands in the air. She bends the light around Oz, casting misty visions to create facsimiles of large puddles of water and sparking power cables on the ground around the young mage. Any competent first responder would know to keep a wide berth!

Quote from Ozelotl >>

Oz immediately puts on a bewildered face, which isn't that hard to do with a bloody nose. "How... How did I get here? What happened?"

Deception: 11.

 One of the first responders speaks up, “There was a bombing, took out the whole building. Who are you kid? What’s your name?” He begins walking toward you, but...

Quote from Aveiro_ >>

Cursing, Imani allows Sarai to pull her along as she weaves her hands in the air. She bends the light around Oz, casting misty visions to create facsimiles of large puddles of water and sparking power cables on the ground around the young mage. Any competent first responder would know to keep a wide berth!

 The other responder stops him, “Hold on, look.” He points to the newly formed image, “We almost missed that. Can’t be getting fried. I’ll get the gear, you stay with the kid.”

The man walks off, leaving only the first... first responder (Gotta have a better name...) with Oz, while separated by the “water.” However, as he looks closer, “Hey kid, are you alright? Are those... bite marks?”

A look of sheer horror clouds the boy's face as he points behind the first first responder. Deception: 27. (rolled 14 on discord).

As the first first responder turn to look at where Oz is pointing, he casts invisibility. Then after 6, most likely puzzling, seconds, he misty steps away. Still invisible, he makes his way toward his Ferrari. 

Assuming that works, Sarai lets her held breath out, and moves herself and Imani away.

The guard stares at Oz for a moment, “Are... are you ok, kid?” The long silence continues before he turns slowly and confusedly behind himself, “What? What is it?” He then turns back to an empty space, devoid of water. His eyes go wide and he just kinda sits there for a moment.

Meanwhile, Oz is now comfortably in his insectoid Ferrari. It chirps merrily. Sarai and Imani find him shortly after. The hotel is a short drive, and you are all exhausted.

Sleep! Level up! Sarai will turn into a sparrow (with all her stuff) and find a spot to sleep in Imani's room.

Indeed. You all are free to rest. Or summon Virgil back to life. But who cares, really? ;)

(ahem)

Imani dumps the bag of broken frog stones on the floor at the foot of her bed. It's difficult- she's had a long day, and she's almost completely tapped. If Virgil were here to provide her with the roadmap... She shakes her head. Stupid, she thinks. You're trying to bring him back, remember? 

Somehow she pieces together the fragments of the ritual and finally, the stones rattle and reform into Virgil's familiar, winged shape.

She plops back, exhausted. "And with that, I'm officially done. Glad to have you back, little buddy- you missed the main event."

Once rested, Imani orders room service and, after an hour of mental preparation and waiting for room service to arrive, she calls Oz into the common area. She lays out (about 25GP worth of) food and drink, and she cracks open a beer for the wizard and passes it to him. "Oz, you were truly great. All of that craziness- the wolves, the dead thing - it's starting to feel like some kind of horrible dream. But you saved my butt more than once, and you have my gratitude."

She raises a bottle in salute. "I have been wrong to treat you like a child; you are every bit the mage as anyone else in this stupid war. Let's show them what fresh blood can do."

(Imani cast Coming of Age! Oz can add 1d4 to every ability check for the next 24 hours.)

The cracks in the little stone figure seal as the stone reverts back into an organic form. Light flashes briefly in Virgil’s eyes as his consciousness reawakens. He blinks and rubs his little frog neck. He lets out a croak-like sigh. Imani then turns to relax. Virgil does the same on a little notepad.

”So, that’s two deaths for me in the past six months. I really would like to avoid a third.”

Which is something that only Imani and Assassin hear.

Quote from JcAndD >>

The cracks in the little stone figure seal as the stone reverts back into an organic form. Light flashes briefly in Virgil’s eyes as his consciousness reawakens. He blinks and rubs his little frog neck. He lets out a croak-like sigh. Imani then turns to relax. Virgil does the same on a little notepad.

”So, that’s two deaths for me in the past six months. I really would like to avoid a third.”

Which is something that only Imani and Assassin hear.

(Flashback) Imani stares at the little frog, opens her mouth, then closes it with an exasperated huff. "Yeah, no problem. You ready to go? I'm doing a thing for the kid and I could use your help getting my mind right."