July 28, 2005
.07.28.05. - info swap [eagle pack] *ul

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(hyde)(
As they regroup from the attack Hyde’s low deep voice is projected to the Eagles.

I know the legends of the name La Llorona…… a pause there while he lets each get to a point where his words wouldn’t distract them. Be it driving or what ever. Mourning for a lost love perhaps? RIP Tacoma.

The legends start down south of this country. In Mexico… where I picked them up, don’t ask me.. I read a lot as a pup. Being a theurge I read a lot of spiritual shit. Some is true, some is total bullshit but here we go…

La Llorona is a sort of.. archetypical boogie woman for the Spaniards and Mexicans that came to invade the new world. The versions of the story are many but here are the main points. The Girl herself was a young beauty.. and she fell in love with a man. Some say she seduced him. Some say she was the one Seduced and even one version says she was a virgin. Regardless she had a child or children.

Now here’s where the stories split.. In some the husband cheats on her.. in some the guy won’t marry her while she has “watching eyes”…. In others the incensed father does it… but the unifying force is that the children are killed. In a river. “The river” in the stories.. In the ones where she thought the guy wouldn’t marry her because of the kid, she drowns it herself, then she finds out the guy ment her mother. She wigs out… in the one where her father didn’t believe the virgin birth he kills them in the river, and she wigs out. In one her husband had disappeared and she was thought to have killed him, a year later she heard of him in a neighboring town with another woman and kills the child herself. When she sees what she’s done she wigs out..

Again the points seem to all come back together at the death of the child in the river and the resulting freak out of the mother. Causing “The Wail”. The woman goes mad.

Here legends diverge again.. some say she wandered up and down the river looking for her children for the rest of her days. Wailing like a banshee, repeating “Where have my children gone” over and over. Some say she threw herself into the water and died with them…

A beat.. a pause.

She then became a sort of boogie woman, like I said. Some thought she was a witch before, a Brujah. They started to spread the tales about her… be faithful to your wife or La Llorona will come for your children or you… be good children or La Llorona will come and take you…. Be pure or La Llorona will come for you… as with many Spanish legends much was perverted and wrapped around the church so she did take on aspects of those as well…

Now this spirit we’ve seen twice.. both times the wail was heard… the twining hair.. like it was in water… the skeletal hands.. like she’s a witch…. The direct naming of her. La Llorona… then think of the routes.. the first time she came out of a fountain.. a water source.. the second time…. We were in a werehouse on the RIVER….

The second thing that’s come out is the Mirrior Witch.. this is a different legend.. The avenging spirit goes by many names: Bloody Mary, Bloody Bones, Hell Mary, Mary Worth, Mary Worthington, Mary Whales, Mary Johnson, Mary Lou, Mary Jane, Sally, Kathy, Agnes, Black Agnes, Aggie, Svarte Madame.

Summoning Mary requires the right chant. "I believe in Mary Worth" is the key phrase according to one version, but others require the shouting of "Kathy, come out!" or the repetition of "Bloody Mary" into the mirror as many times as the ritual demands. Sometimes Bloody Mary gets more of a script and is summoned by calls of "Bloody Mary! I killed your baby!"

The precise requirements of the ritual vary. Some specify that the mirror must be illuminated by a single candle; in others, there must be a candle on each side. In some versions, the message to Mary is repeated by just one girl who is either a volunteer or one selected by the others to summon up the mirror-witch. The number of chants needed to fetch Mary also varies.

What the mirror-witch does upon arrival varies too. She may strike her summoner dead, drive her mad, or fiercely scratch her face. She may merely peer malevolently out through the mirror, or she may drag one of the girls back through it to live with her.

The origins of this vary as well but the research into Bloody Mary goes back till 1978, when a folkloreist published an essay on the legend. Belief in summoning the mirror-witch was even at that time widespread throughout the U.S.
Mary is summoned whenever squealing girls get together for a sleepover, but boys have been known to call on her too. She's said to be a witch who was executed a hundred years ago for plying the black arts, or a woman of more modern times who died in a local car accident in which her face was hideously mutilated.
Some confuse the mirror witch with Mary I of England, whom history remembers as "Bloody Mary." An expanded version of that confusion has it that this murdering British queen killed young girls so she could bathe in their blood to preserve her youthful appearance.
Mary I of England who ruled 1553-1558 was anything but a famed beauty terrified of losing her looks -- she was a matronly, fortyish woman who had about as much sense of style as a dust mop. The idea of her bathing in the blood of slaughtered virgins to preserve her loveliness is ludicrous. She came by the moniker "Bloody Mary" because she had a number of Protestants put to death during her reign, as she tried to re-establish Catholicism as the religion of the land after the reigns of her father and her brother. Mary was a devoutly religious woman who saw what she was doing as the saving of her subjects' souls from eternal damnation, and in those times -- as crazy as this sounds now -- the eternal wellbeing of a soul was deemed far more important than the comparatively fleeting life of a person. That bringing the country back to Catholicism would also safeguard her throne was also a major consideration.
Mary I was the half sister of Elizabeth I ,1558-1603. Both were daughters of Henry VIII, but Mary's mother was Katherine of Aragon and Elizabeth's mother was Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth I became Queen when Mary died, and she reigned for many years, coming to be called "The Virgin Queen" because she never married.
Some muddlings of this "murdering queen" variant claim that Mary, Queen of Scots 1542-1567 is the "bloody Mary" of mirror summonings. Though this Mary was indeed a vain and foolish woman, history does not know her as a murderous one. Well, okay, she did have a hand in doing away with a husband. But she didn't go after her subjects en masse, as did Mary I of England.
So, although there was a British queen known as "Bloody Mary," no connection between her and the mirror witch has surfaced, save for their both having the same name. Likewise, the "Mary Worth" appellation of the malevolent apparition doesn't appear to be drawn from the lead character of a popular comic strip of the same name. In lore, as elsewhere, coincidences occur. The "bathing in blood" detail is traditionally attributed to Elizabeth Bathory, but of course her name was not "Mary."

It's possible these "mirror witch" games have their roots in oldtime divining rituals involving unmarried girls and future husbands. There are a number of variations of these divinations, some involving chanting a rhyme in a darkened room on a special night and then quickly looking in the mirror to catch a glimpse of the bridegroom-to-be.
The concept of mirrors as portals between this world and the realm of spirits shows up in other beliefs, namly OURS which we know to hold to be true.


Now how these two are together I don’t know.. but often spirits in the umbra… can assume lives of their own based on BELIEF of what they are.. they can also be seen by different people in different ways but be the same spirit…

Hyde pauses and lets that sink in.

(kemp)
Kemp sat there listening and for several long moments he didn't say anything when Hyde paused. A frown slowly formed on his face like he licked a lemon. Finally blurting out.

"Well fuck me orange. Ya mean we got two of these bitches we're dealing with, or what?"


(hyde)
Possibly two working together.. possibly two that are strengthened by the other's action, or possibly one large one that has in the past gone by both names. With spirits, they arn't always what they appear. People in Mexico might have seen this spirit and given it one name and somone in Mennisoda could have seen the same spirit and given it a different name, never knowing of the one in mexico.. but they could be one in the same... or... as you put it two of these bitches.


(james)
[ technically posted july 31, sunday ]
each Eagle goes their own way to recouperate from the nasty Tacoma-killing battle

Hyde recollects, Decker mourns, AnneMarie watches, Kemp guards
James is perhaps the most distant from the group
sequestered away in the kinfolk's posh River City Condo
recovering from his direct intersection with the pack's former monstered out truck
though after the first night passed by while others took watchman shift
the Gnawer Elderman was recovering from something far more detrimental

a guy can get over a cyclopsian beast bitchslapping him into the pavement with a 4x4
a guy can even get over the fact he'll never live down breaking his Alpha's beloved truck
what the raggedyman couldn't get over where the horrors unfolding throughout the night
the relentless phantasms that marked him with dark shadows beneath umber eyes come morning
the half-heard notions and mistaken sounds swelling til he's left no choice but to wake with the force of his own raw voice drowning out the rest

chittering rat spirits that followed him all the way from a near-forgotten night in Newark years ago
wailing howl of La Llorana ringing to fill the silence of unconscious mind
its echoes even haunt him well into the brightening hours of this new day
errant sunlight slash tickling warmth over flesh like the ghostly touch of lambent flame

he's never known such blind. terror.
there's not been once before that he can remember such utter lack of control
it's far easier for a predator to lose their mind than live with the perpetual spook of one hunted
Gaia's ultimate weapon bridled with the weight of inarticulate weakness
(.... don't dare speculate what's leaked out over the Totem Line as you slept, do you, Jamey-boy?)

the Ahroun will not be satisfied until he sees the bitch dead, himself

few hours spent occupying himself at the nearby library uncovers a select bit of information
books carted back to the apartment as now he's free reign with newly approved clearance past the guards downstairs
much preferred circumstances compared to the glares and suspicion of few days past
the stack of tomes gives him reason to think of the lingering images in a different, productive light
at least he's working to assemble the frightening pieces
some sense of security with the inevitable return of dusk half the day away

luckily, Roxy's high-speed internet access provides welcome distraction
and the afternoon hours pass with Gnawer and Walker stationed in the living room
Peroxide Fox manning slimline keyboard, patiently introducing James to the world wide web
lanky dreadlocked Fullmoon tucked crosslegged by the foot of her chair
Camel hanging out of the corner of his mouth, dark eyes tipped towards flickering screen
idly skimming the webpages she diligently brings up for his query search
pointing out the ones here and there that contain enough fact over apparent fiction to warrant print
by the time he's got a stack or twelve organized on the carpeting around him
James' voice notches in his own addition to Hyde's commentary
rifling through the papers and notations in order to keep all of it straight
deep down there's a flickering thought his Frankenweiler mentors would be proud

Been digging with Rox for more on it both over the web and at the library. The Bloody Mary urban legend's been around for about thirty years. Name Mary Worth comes up constantly in reference, among others Hyde mentioned. I remember it as a cub. That myth kids would dare each other to do as a rite of social passage, or whatever. Basic ritual goes along the lines of repeating her name or a phrase some number of times in various situations to call her forth. Most common are "Bloody Mary I killed your baby" or "I don't believe in Mary Worth." She's portrayed as having blood on her face, black eyes.... few drawings and sketches we found hit the mark on what it is we saw at the fountain and factory. or that James sees everytime he closes his eyes Also often referred to as the Mirror Witch.

La Llorona is a known myth based on an Aztec or Mexican ghost called the Weeping Woman. She supposedly killed her own children by drowning them in a river then disappeared.

Then things got really interesting when I talked with Mother Eldridge from Tampa's Sept. She gave me the name Bl'Dye M'ree. Seems that a pack of Furies attempted summoning Bl'Dye M'ree by folklore's steadfast method of chanting the spirit's name before a mirror in a darkened room. They reported failure, and then vanished several days later. No explanation. Gone like the were never there. Just that the spirits became really defensive and evasive when asked about it. Most disturbing thing about it was that several of the children that vanished appeared to have been lost cubs. Stories say she bursts through mirrors to snatch up her prey. Strikes children about the face with a red rosary. Sets the skin of young boys on fire with pain. Destroys the will of young girls to reward her followers... ruthless criminals who wreak havoc for her delight with pliable slaves. as well as murder innocently bystanding trucks, no doubts Seems the apparition is very common among children of Garou relations. Most recurring aspect about it is the children give one chilling warning - once Bloody Mary's seen your face, she will haunt you until you're dead.

thankfully Roxy's still staring at the computer's monitor and can't see the Ahroun's slight shudder
though the impression may unconsciously translate along the pack's open frequency
James was having a hard enough time coping with one night's repercussions

Sounding familiar yet? Far as I can tell, La Llorona, Bloody Mary, Mary Worth, Bl'Dye M'ree, and all the rest are pretty much the same seriously wigged out spirit - just seen in different ways by different people like Hyde pointed out. Connects what multiple names that bane jabbered at the park, and Andrea's spitting out Spanish in the factory, religious iconography and verse, constant presence of water close by, whole nine yards.

a pause, here, as connection distances for a few moments
gives his packmates time to assimiliate their finding's with Hyde's offering
weed out the fluff, confirm the best prospective tale, figure out what they're dealing with
in reality, it serves as James' partial distraction when Roxy offers him a fresh beer
though his prattling on continues once first amber swallow is over with

Touched base with the Green, too, and Mother Larissa filled in some blanks about the Jersey killings that set this whole thing off. Few spirits were convinced to talk and said seven children were sighted at the house. A spirit that fit the same description as our problem was described as being there, too. Said the sight of it threw a kid into his first change, and he sounds a lot like the Crinos we found with Andrea at the Bronco. That'd be Judas. The Stag spirit was killed defending him and the two remaining girls - our very own Andrea and Molly. It wasn't Judas' kinfetch, though, the Stag was the guardian spirit for Molly. Four that didn't get away were three mortal boys and a girl, not enough left to even ID them through dental records, but Mother Larissa thinks they were all Judas' friends and I've little reason to doubt her theory. Without Andrea's wallet getting left behind, there'd be no connections or leads whatsoever.

it must be amusing, for Roxy, to watch him internally converse should she glance away from screen
randomly gesturing a half-hearted point by bottle's float this way and that through the air
dark eyes rapt on the research collected... he's probably not even aware of doing it

Turned up a few local bits that fit into the story, too, Roxy caught these from the news archives. Few days ago an eight-year-old named Kevin Bowen was killed at the women's shelter. Kid's father Russel found him and two other boys, one injured with severe burns. As of tonight's primetime news, Russel's been charged with murder of his own boy, and assault on the other two. A lady named Vivian Tate was killed by apparent vicious animal attack in South Side about the same time. Imogen's probably best lead for more, ME's Office is quoted in the article. And some lady named Lopez was charged and convicted for beating and burning her three daughters to death last Saturday night. Seems she practiced Occult and Santeria rituals and previously threatened to sacrifice her own kids though allegations are denied as vicious rumors by Norman Throper, pastor at the mom's home church.

now, the pause spanning a rather hearty draught off the bottle signals intermission
that's the summary of his busy-worth thus far instead of momentary distraction
legs uncrossing so a foot reaches out to nudge the base of Roxy's chair
stretching himself, waving to the kinswoman to take a break while Eagles collaborate amongst themselves

What's next?

(decker)
There's a long open silence at the Modi's end. Then:

OK. This's what's out there fer us ta look at. If I miss somethin', bring'it up.

One. One Tris's kid sister, watched over by some rats. 'S under control, don't want nobody loiterin' around on this.
Two. Two fuckin' sleepin' beauty gunmen. Let's see if tha rats kin watch 'em too til they wake tha fuck up. 'til then, this's low priority.
Three. One fuckin getaway van -- 'm on it.
Four. Dead 'rabiesbitten' body in tha morgue.
Five. Two dead bodies near Mad'son Plaza - Annemarie's there.
Six. Two parents -- Lopez 'n some other guy -- in jail fer killin' they kids, 'cept it sounds like maybe Bloody Mary had somethin' ta do with it.
Seven. Shelter shit.

Sound off on whatcher gonna look inta.

R'member we ain't in this alone. Tha Mad'son Plaza shit's on Fang turf. Let 'em run point. Help 'em. But don't waste too much time retreadin' here. Touch base. If they got it under control, move on.

Meanwhile I got tha Mischief Alpha askin' us fer a meetin'. We got beef with 'em but we ain't gonna be so fuckin' childish as ta bitch 'n moan when there's a war goin' on. My guess is they's on tha shelter shit down in southside, but ask 'em. James, wantcha ta go. Offer help. If that Fianna'a theirs starts sniveling, kick his face in 'n then offer help to tha rest. Same shit though: touch base, move on. Don't waste time doin' what a whole pack's already doin'. We'll come back 'n ketch up if they fall too far b'hind.

'll ring up Imogen, see if she kin git us inta tha morgue, 'r closer to tha bodies in Mad'son. 'N Josephina might be able ta sneak someone inta jail ta question the two parents.


(OK folks, this is my attempt to put some order into this mess. now i'm out the door and southbound for LA! i might be on my cellphone-AIM, or even online once or twice (like at buttonwillow, heh), but for the most part i doubt i'll be able to seriously concentrate on this SL. so, yeah. be back on monday to catch up on what slack i've let build up.)

(kemp)
Brows furrowed as he listened to the chatter across the totemlink.

~Rabies? What rabies? Fuckme, I missed something somewhere. I don't remember hearing nothing about rabies and shit.~

Fishing back through his memory with an increasing frown.

"Awfuck Kemp, ya missed something in the translation somewhere."

Grumbling to himself.

(decker)
Some chick got bit by a rabid animal 'r somethin' a while back. Ain't sure on tha details. Think Imogen was lookin' inta it though.


(hyde)
Hyde's mental voice reaches them. A bit distant. He'd been doing alot of umbral work latly and well Theurges are a bit spacy to begin with. Talkin' to shit noone else can see, muttering in tongues as they sleep. That sort of thing.

We should take care not to overextend Silence's mate... the ways of the humans arn't our ways and too frequent uses of her abilitys in their arena will draw questions. If too many questions are asked answers might be demanded. If such happens she might loose her position and thusly we loose the resource.

Over the past few weeks she's been called on greatly.

I'm not saying that we should stop asking for her aid. Instead just urging that we're aware of just how far and how frequent she sticks her nose into things for us or her neck on the line....

Hyde was one of the pack more prone to think of the Kinfolk. Maybe not the "most" but the ol boy had his days.

[in progress]

Posted by james at July 28, 2005 12:00 AM