Post by Wonder Woman on Oct 26, 2013 18:20:17 GMT -5
Circe: It is another beautiful morning in paradise. The birds wake up in the cool morning and start their songs to greet the day. Inside Hippolyta's palace all is still dark and quiet, except for a faint purple glow, almost reminding one of a sunrise occurs. As the Queen of the Amazon wakes up she sees a purple haired woman, clad in a silky green teddy, in bed next to her, grinning slyly. "Good morning Lyta, miss me?"
Hippolyta: Her eyes shoot open, her dreams had been filled with the recent reunion between herself and her long lost consort, and to have her in her bed when her eyes opened. "Circe," she managed to spit without too much venom. "Why are you here?' she narrowed her eyes, pushing back a little, her right arm still tucked under the pillow. Her fingers curled around the hilt of the dagger kept there for just these kind of situations.
Circe: Circe smile and looked at the amazon queen amused as her hadnd went under her pillow. "Now, now Lyta. You don't need to get out your little toys." she said dismissivly. "I'm not even really here, this is just a projection." she teased. She got up and looked about the room. "I had some fun with your daughter recently and it got me all nolstagic." she gave an expression that she was going to shed mock tears. "I miss the days of our little parties, all the fun and laughs." she goes to pick up a bobble from a table and her fingers go through it, she shrugs. "Don't you miss it?" she grins.
Hippolyta: The Queen felt a mix of rage and fear wash over her as the witch mentioned her daughter, her child and light. Her blue eyes narrowed and her grip around the blade tightened, but she was correct; the weapon would have no affect on a projection of Circe's self. "I have more important things to do than reminisce about locking you away," she said, her tone bitter and eyes narrowed as the Amazon pushed herself out of bed, grabbing a dressing gown and wrapping it around her form. "I miss the silence your imprisonment bore," she qualified her original statement. "Diana told me about what you did; to the mortals and to her. Were you not a coward and had come here yourself I would show you what I truly think of your actions. Imprisonment in molly would be the least of your concerns when bound in Lord Hades' realm."
Circe: The goddess rolled her eyes at the Amazon's bitter tone and enjoyment of Circe's imprisionment. She started grinning smuggly as Hippolyta told her about knowing of her latest actions. She watched the queen cover herself. "Aw, sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." she said in a mocking grouchy tone, like parents do to kids who don't like waking up. "You take things far too seriously and personal Lyta." she grins as her illusion sat down on the corner of the bed, lounging on it. She sighs, "That's the problem with you amazons, all work and no play. That is why I'm here actually. To help you lighten up." she grins. "I have made a little game for you, a treasure hunt. You follow the clues to specific locations and then you get the next clue.? And oh what prizes you can earn!" she grins.
Hippolyta: "I'm not one for games, Witch," she said, tying the chord around her waist and adjusting herself. She had no desire to interact with the woman's apparition; she found sinking to Circe's level detestable at the best of times, and with her reunion so fresh it was unlikely that Hippolyta's mood would be what it needed to be to focus on Circe's contests. "Your problem is your arrogance," she noted, ironically, as Hippolyta was nearly as full of herself as the witch was, though the Goddess' had blessed her with beauty inside and out, as they had every Amazon, so her arrogance usually showed its face as confidence rather than a selfish, out right claim to anything.
Circe: The witch seemed to be enjoying the detestment rolling off the Amazon Queen. "Arrogance is fine as long as one can back it up, and you know I can." she polished her nails as if she needed to. "And I think you misunderstood me, this is one game you don't want to pass up..." she grinned. "You know, the Gods you praise so much are rather sloppy kids, they never put their toys away. Sure they saved lariots and bracers for their favored daughters, but they lesser things they leave behind... forgotten to the ages. I have been collecting them, slowly, patiently. And I realized as I was doing some Spring Cleaning, they needed to be used again. I have scattered them all about that country you and your daughter adopted and they will cause quite a stir, if you don't collect them." She acted like she just remembered something, "That's right, I think one of them is doing something right now to your friend the old bird." she laughed at her own inside joke. "The Oinochoe of Hebe is filtering her drinking water right now. I hope she doesn't drink more than one glass of water... She will also have your first clue. Good luck." she teased and the apperation was gone.
Hippolyta: Her eyes went wide and then cold and narrow as Circe spoke of hiding divine artifacts within the grasp of mortals. Even she couldn't think such a thing was wise, could she? And Dinah Drake? No, she couldn't! Hippolyta knew that Diana was teamed with Dinah's daughter, and had even met the horticulturalist, who helped them break Circe's hold on New York and the United Nations. Lyta was proud that her daughter would find a friend in this generations Black Canary as she had in her own, but unlike the Amazons, Mrs Lance would have aged over the years between whens he was the Black Canary and now, how could Circe think to bring someone like that into the conflict. She dressed in her armour, different than that of her daughter's. A skirt with the stars of the night sky, the golden bodice of the Queen, a helm for the same, and a red cloak. She attached her sword to her hip. When she reached the US, she would be able to change her armour for civilian clothes befitting a woman of her age, blending in with the others in Dinah's neighbourhood. The elder Amazon would knock on the woman's door, waiting a response.
Black Canary I: As amazon flew into the suburb of Star City she would notice how strangely empty the streets were. As she neared Drake's home she saw the flourishing Amazon tree in the yard and molly surrounding the house. As she knocked on the door it opened unlocked and ajar. There was a broken coffee mug on the livingroom's wooden floor. She could hear rustling in the kitchen and would see a face she hadn't seen in so many years as if it hadn't changed a day. A very shocked and youthful Dinah Drake stared as the Amazon Queen entered. "Hippolyta?! What's going on?"
Hippolyta: Her eyes went wide. "Dinah..." she gasped. "Circe is working her tricks again; our daughters may have been able to defeat her in New York but she is back to her old tricks. She wishes revenge upon us," Lyta continued to stare at the woman's face. "How... how much water have you drank?" she said carefully, her brows drawing together. She understood that the Greek Goddess of Youth was not the most careful woman on the planet, and it probably was the easiest artifact for Circe to get her hands on. It then clicked... The jug was turning the water of Star City into a vertible fountain of youth! Of course, this was the Greek Goddess though, which meant there was no limit of the regression. "How long have your streets been quiet?" she asked.
Black Canary I: The blondes face shifted into scowl hearing about Circe. "The witch? Well you have to admit she is patient..." she started to add things up. "She made me young? why would she do this?" she looked curiously at the Amazon. "my water? I had a cup of coffee... until I changed and dropped it. so about a third of a cup, why? Is there something in the water?" she asked. Dinah thought about the second strange question. "Oh, I hadn't really realized, I guess about an hour, when I made my coffee..." her look turned concerned. "Should I be suiting up?" she smirked.
Hippolyta: "She said she was filtering the water through Hebe's vessel... I don't think she intended to bring you back into fighting form so much as turn you into an infant," she smiled, looking at the perfect image of what Dinah -used- to look like when the two fought side by side. "But since you are in fighting form, I'd say suiting up would be a good idea. I imagine this isn't localized just to your house; while she likes people to know it was them she was targeting, she also likes to see her work on a broader scale; delusions of grandure and all."
Black Canary I: Dinah's eyes widen, "Hebe... isn't she? oh wow." She smirked glad she hadn't had her usual two cups of coffee. "Hehe, Circe did love to show off, why make one pay when you can make affect thousands. Yeah you're probably right." she smirked and winked at the amazon as if time hadn't passed since their team up days. "it will be fun fighting at your side again. One moment." she goes to a wall and turned the wall lamp. the wall opened up and inside looked like a very dated room of radio equipment and items. On one wall in a window box was the Black Canary costume. She pulled it out. "I never thought I would be wearing this again. Let me get dressed and I'll take you to the water plant, probably the best way to spread enchanted water." she said as she started to change.
Hippolyta: Hippolyta nodded, her own garments fading away as the queen simply spun, her "every day" clothing turning into her armour in a very easy manner. While she didn't quite understand it, and the answer of "magic" didn't cover it either, the Amazons had the ability to change from their armour to what would pass as normal garments in the Patriarch's world easily enough. When Hippolyta was living among man, she had never over used this technique, and had cautioned Diana the same. If it were magic, it would never to do to be disrobed in front of prying eyes should a powerful sorceress, such as Circe, enter the arena and use her powers. Lyta looked at the room where Dinah had been hiding her past, smiling at the fond memories the radios, seemingly ancient by today's standard equipment. Simpler times indeed.
Black Canary I: She smirked at Lyta as she rolled up her fishnets. "I wish I could do that trick, would have made fighting crime a lot faster back in the day." She finished putting on her uniform and smirked at the Amazon looking at her hidden past. "hehe, don't you go getting nostalgic on me. We have a water plant to fix." she paused. "Did Hebe used to carry water in her vessle?" she asked taking the scenario on like an old case.
Hippolyta: "Sometimes," she said. "More often it was Ambrosia. She was the cupbearer of the Gods," Hippolyta knew the occassions where the Goddess carried water it was not meant to drink, but rather to bathe, and the one whom she bathed most often was of intimate knowledge of the Queen, her consort Ares. An irony not lost on Lyta, for this as the first of Circe's clues, was that Hebe was also the Patron of Forgiveness, something Lyta had issue with when it came to Circe on many levels. Perhaps that was part of the witche's game, but doubtful; Lyta did not think a pardon, at least not one from Hippolyta, was part of Circe's end game. "Nostalgic?" she chuckled. "Well, between a recent visitor I've entertained, and one you have, I should think nostalgia is back in vogue. So, lets make like the old days and get this witch back in her chains."
Black Canary I: Dinah thought about Ambrosia. "Hrm, I don't think i have any of that in my pantry. I was thinking we could reverse it if we used what Hebe used. Although being water maybe it will just wear off when the water leaves our systems." she smirked as the amazon mentioned nostliga. "hehe, I think you're right! Let's go show that witch she has two generations she needs to worry about." she strode out the back door and smiled at the Amazon. "Mind giving me a lift? The water plant is about 3 miles to the east."
Hippolyta: She smirked as they walked outside, moving to the well tended and cloistering garden, dotted with the plant which shielded the mortal from Circe's knowledge. Tucking an arm around the shorter woman's waist and crouching so she could loop an arm over her shoulders, and with that, the Amazon took to the air. It was a short flight, and they touched down in the oddly deserted parking lot. There were cars parked, but no signs of activity; for being mid afternoon one would expect workers and company trucks to be moving in and out on service calls, and office staff enjoying lunch in the fall air. Lyta readied herself mentally for what they might find inside, after all this was Circe they were dealing with, and almost anything was possible.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked as she was hoisted into the air, she had missed this. Two friends helping each other again. She was glad that Lyta remembered she didn't like being fireman carried, it made her costume ride up. She looked about at the full parking lot, but surprisingly quiet facility. As they walked in they heard children arguing and some crying. Dinah stealthily went down the hall and peered about the corner. "Lyta? You need to see this." There was a young male teen surrounded by kids and a few babies. "Wonder Woman and Black Canary? You look just like I remember!" said the teen. "Thanks for coming. I tried calling for help, but just got automated recordings. I miss the old switchboard operators." sighed the teen. Dinah tried to surpress a smirk.
Hippolyta: While Dinah could find the amusement in what was going on, an over exaggeration of the US' search for eternal youth and beauty, Hippolyta found it a grim reminder that the Oionchoe of Hebe could not only make one younger, but keep making one young until they reached birth. Her mouth formed a grim line as this crisis may be worse than she had first anticipated. "It is an enchantment caused by an ancient artifact. Prior to today, do you remember seeing any strange women? Overly beautiful? Or any men that smelt like barnyard animals?" She didn't put it past Circe to flirt her way in any more than she believed she was capable of sending one of her machinations, her half men half beast slaves, to do her dirty work. The witch was crafty.
Black Canary I: The teen scratched his head. "I am... well was the security guard here for 30 years... and I haven't seen any farmers around here... but there was a rather pretty woman her the other day, she was the regional water quality inspector though. she didn't do much, she inpected the tanks, even the back up one. Nothing unusal about that. Only strange thing happened today, the main tank had to be shut down today, it got clogged and nearly blew." Dinah looked at Lyta. "It sounds like she has been planning this for days." she looked at the children. "Do you think we will all keep getting younger?" she bit her lip as looked at the little girl who couldn't have been more than 6 months old.
Hippolyta: "That is the risk," she said to Dinah before turning her attention back to the security guard. "You said the main tank was shut down earlier today?" There was hope in Hippolyta's voice; if the curse had only been active for a short period of time it was possible, even highly likely, that the effects could be completely reversed with no permenant damage to anyone. "Does that mean that the supply is coming from the back up tank?" she questioned, further pushing the man with the tone in her voice. Even though she remained rather unchanged in appearance, looking to be in her late thirties, and well preserved at that, her true age was nearly infathomable. Her soul even older. Hippolyta was rarely pushed to a sense of immediate urgency, but now was one of those occassions. If the guard would nod yes, she would continue, insisting that he show them where the tanks were.
Black Canary I: Dinah frowned not liking that answer. The guard blinked. "I don't know the systems well... and the engineer is 1." he said pointing to a young boy. "But yes, I remember they switched it to the back up tank." he said nodding.
Hippolyta: "What are the chances you know anything about the water filtration systems?" she asked Black Canary, not confident even a little that between the two of them they'd be able to figure out the complexities. "Is there a manual?" she asked the teenaged guard, her brow furrowing together as she looked at the one year old who had a rather strange expression on his face before the smell hit her. He'd pooped. While she loved children, and was anxious for Diana to have some of her own, the scent reminded her why living a life with adults might not always be such a bad thing. "We need to hurry."
Black Canary I: Dinah gave a shrug. "I know how to fix a sink and that's about it. The guard thought about it. "There might be one in the old copy room. Let me go look." he dashed off. Then the scent hit Dinah. seeing the one year old in a saftey pinned man's pants that had been cut with sciccors. apparently the guard had tried to make the best of what he had. "hey little man, did you make a mess?" the one year old wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's too bad we don't have diapers..." the teen ran back. "here I got it. It looks like greek to me though." said the guard confused by it.
Hippolyta: "I haven't changed a diaper in longer than any one here has been alive," she said, looking over Dinah's shoulder then to the blonde. "Well, I guess that's good news to me," she knew the guard was joking, but took the manual anyways. "C'mon, let's get down to the back up. Hopefully once we get this all settled, the enchantment will wear off and any damage we do can be fixed when this little guy gets back on his feet." She tried to lead DInah and the guard away with her. "You said there was a blockage reported in the main tank? Do you think you could find out if there was an actual blockage, or if something went wrong with your system?" Hippolyta had a feeling that there was no blockage, or if there was, it was something simple. "Dinah, you go with him. I know what I'm looking for in the back up. If you two can get the blockage resolved we can switch back to the main tank and then whatever I do to the back up won't cause too much of a problem." Truth was, Hippolyta had no intentions of being gentle with the backup tank in order to get the urn out.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked at Lyta, thinking about how that was true. She wondered if she even rememberd changing the princess' diaper. and gave a soft laugh at the amazon's joke. They walked off with the teen. The guard nodded, there had been a reported blockage. "I'll see what I can do, it's not my usual job." Dinah grabbed the teen's hand and he blushed red. "Sure we can do it. We can probably figure it out. You see if you can stop the water from being more contaminated. Good luck" she smiled, obviously enjoying getting into the action again and ran off with the guard. Opening up the tank the amazon queen would see the urn at the bottom of it, weighted down with river stones that had markings on them.
Hippolyta: "Just like digging hair out of your drain, Dinah," she called down the hall as she moved to the back up. When she pried open the lid she was presented with murky water, but she could clearly see the urn. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath, pushing away throughts of how the magic might effect her, and her powers. Luckily, if it deaged per year, she would have lots of time. The mortals had ingested it, however, Hippolyta was about to be entirely submersed in it. Her hands gripped the seal, breaking it open wider so she could get through, and took off her metal breast plate and the rest of her armor. She was bare as she plunged into the waters, which felt rather frigid but not so cold as to put her dense system into shock. There was a powerful current, but nothing Lyta couldn't fight on her way to the bottom. The Stones were marked, so she made sure not to leave any in the bottom of the tank, bringing the urn and its contents, upwards, praying that the Goddesses protect her from the negatives of the urn's magic. The seal was already leaking now, and because of that there would be no way to reattach the hatch and reseal and re start the tank. Canary and the guard had to succeed in their end of the mission as much as she had to with her own.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked and roled her eyes at the amazon and dashed with the teen guard. She opened the lid and peered in. "yeah something is blocking the inside, like paper or something. is there a trap for catching things?" the gaurd looked rather distracrted. The canary realized that her beant over a metal opening would be rather distracting. "hehe, Hey I'm up here. Is there a trap?" the guard blushed and ran over to the side and started to undo some hand screws to pull out a filter trap assembly. The canary helped him pull it out. It was coated in colored paper, just plastered like someone had dumped paper into one of the pipes. "This is the problem. Just like hair in a drain." she peeled back the paper and found some dry in the middle, it had printing, she gasped. "We need to see lyta." they ran back to the back up tank and saw a large whole torn in it, the tank was leaking horribly. The cold waters swirled about the amazon, she could feel the magic in the water it seemed to want to soak through her bare body. Lyta would easily be able to lift the urn and set it back down on the ground full of water and smooth stones. Just as she was placing it down, Dinah and the Guard appeared. The guard's jaw dropped. Dinah grabbed the amazon's hand like she saw her like this every day and helped her out of the tank. "You dont look any younger, the gods must be blessing you today. or you have a lot of years to shed." she teased. Despite her looking normal the amazon felt surprisngly rejuvinetated and energetic, maybe the water did affect her some.
Hippolyta: "Aye, perhaps the eternal youth of the Amazons had something to do with that," she said, stepping bare as the day she was plucked from the Agean by the Goddesses, inhaling deeply with a smile. She did, however, feel less restless, less nervous about the impending nature of the events, but she would shrug it off as a matter of the urn being out of the water. "Did you fix the main tank?" she asked, casual as her eyes turned to the man standing agape, looking at her. "Oh, of course," she chuckled, pulling her cape around her for the time being, tying it off at her shoulder in a make shift chiton. Her armour could be put on when the man gave them some privacy, for his sake rather than her own. Lyta had never felt shame of her form, either in this life or that of the past.
Black Canary I:? "hehe, I bet." Dinah found some towels from the janitors cart and gave them to the amazon to dry off. "Yep, we did. It was full of flyers for some club in Gotham, looks like one of those Gothic Clubs, Hades? haves you heard of it? We just need to get it switched back over." The young man blushed as he amazon look at him as she covered herself up with her cape. It took him a moment to get his wits about him "I.. I better go check on the kids." he ran off. Dinah smirked amused. "All I can say is I hope I don't have to go through being a teen again, the first time was bad enough and I don't want to look like my daughter's daughter." she smirked.
Hippolyta: "Why? Afraid she'll impose the rules you had on her when she was your... visual age?" When the man left she redressed and wrung her hair out. "Gotham? Isn't that where Dinah's flower shop is now?" she asked. "I haven't been in the United States since just after the war, but Hades... He's the Lord of the Underworld. He and I are well acquainted, unfortunately. As part of our punishment, the Amazons are the gate keepers to one of the portals to the Underworld. I wonder why Circe wants us in Gotham?" she said, taking the paper.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked. "Hehe, I don't think Dinah will give me a curfew. I know the hours she keeps." she teases. She nodded. "Yeah, it is. Same shop that I used to run. Gotham has changed a lot since then, it is pretty bad." she said sadly. she thought about it. "Hints to a club with the ame name as the lord of the underworld?" she looked at the urn. "Probably not a conicedence. I don't know why she wants us there, but who knows what surprises the next item might have." she peered into the urn. "rune stones?" she asked, making sure to not touch the water.
Hippolyta: "It would appear so," Lyta said, carefully dumping the water onto the concrete where it was harmless, doing little more than making the surface look new again. She plucked a few of the stones out of the now empty urn. "We should bring this back to your house and make sure it safe before we head off to Gotham," she advised with a sage nod. She had no idea what the runes meant, but Circe was a meticulous planner, and every step of her revenge, Hippolyta imagined, had been planned over the time of her isolation. They meant something; she just didn't know what yet.
Hippolyta: Her eyes shoot open, her dreams had been filled with the recent reunion between herself and her long lost consort, and to have her in her bed when her eyes opened. "Circe," she managed to spit without too much venom. "Why are you here?' she narrowed her eyes, pushing back a little, her right arm still tucked under the pillow. Her fingers curled around the hilt of the dagger kept there for just these kind of situations.
Circe: Circe smile and looked at the amazon queen amused as her hadnd went under her pillow. "Now, now Lyta. You don't need to get out your little toys." she said dismissivly. "I'm not even really here, this is just a projection." she teased. She got up and looked about the room. "I had some fun with your daughter recently and it got me all nolstagic." she gave an expression that she was going to shed mock tears. "I miss the days of our little parties, all the fun and laughs." she goes to pick up a bobble from a table and her fingers go through it, she shrugs. "Don't you miss it?" she grins.
Hippolyta: The Queen felt a mix of rage and fear wash over her as the witch mentioned her daughter, her child and light. Her blue eyes narrowed and her grip around the blade tightened, but she was correct; the weapon would have no affect on a projection of Circe's self. "I have more important things to do than reminisce about locking you away," she said, her tone bitter and eyes narrowed as the Amazon pushed herself out of bed, grabbing a dressing gown and wrapping it around her form. "I miss the silence your imprisonment bore," she qualified her original statement. "Diana told me about what you did; to the mortals and to her. Were you not a coward and had come here yourself I would show you what I truly think of your actions. Imprisonment in molly would be the least of your concerns when bound in Lord Hades' realm."
Circe: The goddess rolled her eyes at the Amazon's bitter tone and enjoyment of Circe's imprisionment. She started grinning smuggly as Hippolyta told her about knowing of her latest actions. She watched the queen cover herself. "Aw, sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." she said in a mocking grouchy tone, like parents do to kids who don't like waking up. "You take things far too seriously and personal Lyta." she grins as her illusion sat down on the corner of the bed, lounging on it. She sighs, "That's the problem with you amazons, all work and no play. That is why I'm here actually. To help you lighten up." she grins. "I have made a little game for you, a treasure hunt. You follow the clues to specific locations and then you get the next clue.? And oh what prizes you can earn!" she grins.
Hippolyta: "I'm not one for games, Witch," she said, tying the chord around her waist and adjusting herself. She had no desire to interact with the woman's apparition; she found sinking to Circe's level detestable at the best of times, and with her reunion so fresh it was unlikely that Hippolyta's mood would be what it needed to be to focus on Circe's contests. "Your problem is your arrogance," she noted, ironically, as Hippolyta was nearly as full of herself as the witch was, though the Goddess' had blessed her with beauty inside and out, as they had every Amazon, so her arrogance usually showed its face as confidence rather than a selfish, out right claim to anything.
Circe: The witch seemed to be enjoying the detestment rolling off the Amazon Queen. "Arrogance is fine as long as one can back it up, and you know I can." she polished her nails as if she needed to. "And I think you misunderstood me, this is one game you don't want to pass up..." she grinned. "You know, the Gods you praise so much are rather sloppy kids, they never put their toys away. Sure they saved lariots and bracers for their favored daughters, but they lesser things they leave behind... forgotten to the ages. I have been collecting them, slowly, patiently. And I realized as I was doing some Spring Cleaning, they needed to be used again. I have scattered them all about that country you and your daughter adopted and they will cause quite a stir, if you don't collect them." She acted like she just remembered something, "That's right, I think one of them is doing something right now to your friend the old bird." she laughed at her own inside joke. "The Oinochoe of Hebe is filtering her drinking water right now. I hope she doesn't drink more than one glass of water... She will also have your first clue. Good luck." she teased and the apperation was gone.
Hippolyta: Her eyes went wide and then cold and narrow as Circe spoke of hiding divine artifacts within the grasp of mortals. Even she couldn't think such a thing was wise, could she? And Dinah Drake? No, she couldn't! Hippolyta knew that Diana was teamed with Dinah's daughter, and had even met the horticulturalist, who helped them break Circe's hold on New York and the United Nations. Lyta was proud that her daughter would find a friend in this generations Black Canary as she had in her own, but unlike the Amazons, Mrs Lance would have aged over the years between whens he was the Black Canary and now, how could Circe think to bring someone like that into the conflict. She dressed in her armour, different than that of her daughter's. A skirt with the stars of the night sky, the golden bodice of the Queen, a helm for the same, and a red cloak. She attached her sword to her hip. When she reached the US, she would be able to change her armour for civilian clothes befitting a woman of her age, blending in with the others in Dinah's neighbourhood. The elder Amazon would knock on the woman's door, waiting a response.
Black Canary I: As amazon flew into the suburb of Star City she would notice how strangely empty the streets were. As she neared Drake's home she saw the flourishing Amazon tree in the yard and molly surrounding the house. As she knocked on the door it opened unlocked and ajar. There was a broken coffee mug on the livingroom's wooden floor. She could hear rustling in the kitchen and would see a face she hadn't seen in so many years as if it hadn't changed a day. A very shocked and youthful Dinah Drake stared as the Amazon Queen entered. "Hippolyta?! What's going on?"
Hippolyta: Her eyes went wide. "Dinah..." she gasped. "Circe is working her tricks again; our daughters may have been able to defeat her in New York but she is back to her old tricks. She wishes revenge upon us," Lyta continued to stare at the woman's face. "How... how much water have you drank?" she said carefully, her brows drawing together. She understood that the Greek Goddess of Youth was not the most careful woman on the planet, and it probably was the easiest artifact for Circe to get her hands on. It then clicked... The jug was turning the water of Star City into a vertible fountain of youth! Of course, this was the Greek Goddess though, which meant there was no limit of the regression. "How long have your streets been quiet?" she asked.
Black Canary I: The blondes face shifted into scowl hearing about Circe. "The witch? Well you have to admit she is patient..." she started to add things up. "She made me young? why would she do this?" she looked curiously at the Amazon. "my water? I had a cup of coffee... until I changed and dropped it. so about a third of a cup, why? Is there something in the water?" she asked. Dinah thought about the second strange question. "Oh, I hadn't really realized, I guess about an hour, when I made my coffee..." her look turned concerned. "Should I be suiting up?" she smirked.
Hippolyta: "She said she was filtering the water through Hebe's vessel... I don't think she intended to bring you back into fighting form so much as turn you into an infant," she smiled, looking at the perfect image of what Dinah -used- to look like when the two fought side by side. "But since you are in fighting form, I'd say suiting up would be a good idea. I imagine this isn't localized just to your house; while she likes people to know it was them she was targeting, she also likes to see her work on a broader scale; delusions of grandure and all."
Black Canary I: Dinah's eyes widen, "Hebe... isn't she? oh wow." She smirked glad she hadn't had her usual two cups of coffee. "Hehe, Circe did love to show off, why make one pay when you can make affect thousands. Yeah you're probably right." she smirked and winked at the amazon as if time hadn't passed since their team up days. "it will be fun fighting at your side again. One moment." she goes to a wall and turned the wall lamp. the wall opened up and inside looked like a very dated room of radio equipment and items. On one wall in a window box was the Black Canary costume. She pulled it out. "I never thought I would be wearing this again. Let me get dressed and I'll take you to the water plant, probably the best way to spread enchanted water." she said as she started to change.
Hippolyta: Hippolyta nodded, her own garments fading away as the queen simply spun, her "every day" clothing turning into her armour in a very easy manner. While she didn't quite understand it, and the answer of "magic" didn't cover it either, the Amazons had the ability to change from their armour to what would pass as normal garments in the Patriarch's world easily enough. When Hippolyta was living among man, she had never over used this technique, and had cautioned Diana the same. If it were magic, it would never to do to be disrobed in front of prying eyes should a powerful sorceress, such as Circe, enter the arena and use her powers. Lyta looked at the room where Dinah had been hiding her past, smiling at the fond memories the radios, seemingly ancient by today's standard equipment. Simpler times indeed.
Black Canary I: She smirked at Lyta as she rolled up her fishnets. "I wish I could do that trick, would have made fighting crime a lot faster back in the day." She finished putting on her uniform and smirked at the Amazon looking at her hidden past. "hehe, don't you go getting nostalgic on me. We have a water plant to fix." she paused. "Did Hebe used to carry water in her vessle?" she asked taking the scenario on like an old case.
Hippolyta: "Sometimes," she said. "More often it was Ambrosia. She was the cupbearer of the Gods," Hippolyta knew the occassions where the Goddess carried water it was not meant to drink, but rather to bathe, and the one whom she bathed most often was of intimate knowledge of the Queen, her consort Ares. An irony not lost on Lyta, for this as the first of Circe's clues, was that Hebe was also the Patron of Forgiveness, something Lyta had issue with when it came to Circe on many levels. Perhaps that was part of the witche's game, but doubtful; Lyta did not think a pardon, at least not one from Hippolyta, was part of Circe's end game. "Nostalgic?" she chuckled. "Well, between a recent visitor I've entertained, and one you have, I should think nostalgia is back in vogue. So, lets make like the old days and get this witch back in her chains."
Black Canary I: Dinah thought about Ambrosia. "Hrm, I don't think i have any of that in my pantry. I was thinking we could reverse it if we used what Hebe used. Although being water maybe it will just wear off when the water leaves our systems." she smirked as the amazon mentioned nostliga. "hehe, I think you're right! Let's go show that witch she has two generations she needs to worry about." she strode out the back door and smiled at the Amazon. "Mind giving me a lift? The water plant is about 3 miles to the east."
Hippolyta: She smirked as they walked outside, moving to the well tended and cloistering garden, dotted with the plant which shielded the mortal from Circe's knowledge. Tucking an arm around the shorter woman's waist and crouching so she could loop an arm over her shoulders, and with that, the Amazon took to the air. It was a short flight, and they touched down in the oddly deserted parking lot. There were cars parked, but no signs of activity; for being mid afternoon one would expect workers and company trucks to be moving in and out on service calls, and office staff enjoying lunch in the fall air. Lyta readied herself mentally for what they might find inside, after all this was Circe they were dealing with, and almost anything was possible.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked as she was hoisted into the air, she had missed this. Two friends helping each other again. She was glad that Lyta remembered she didn't like being fireman carried, it made her costume ride up. She looked about at the full parking lot, but surprisingly quiet facility. As they walked in they heard children arguing and some crying. Dinah stealthily went down the hall and peered about the corner. "Lyta? You need to see this." There was a young male teen surrounded by kids and a few babies. "Wonder Woman and Black Canary? You look just like I remember!" said the teen. "Thanks for coming. I tried calling for help, but just got automated recordings. I miss the old switchboard operators." sighed the teen. Dinah tried to surpress a smirk.
Hippolyta: While Dinah could find the amusement in what was going on, an over exaggeration of the US' search for eternal youth and beauty, Hippolyta found it a grim reminder that the Oionchoe of Hebe could not only make one younger, but keep making one young until they reached birth. Her mouth formed a grim line as this crisis may be worse than she had first anticipated. "It is an enchantment caused by an ancient artifact. Prior to today, do you remember seeing any strange women? Overly beautiful? Or any men that smelt like barnyard animals?" She didn't put it past Circe to flirt her way in any more than she believed she was capable of sending one of her machinations, her half men half beast slaves, to do her dirty work. The witch was crafty.
Black Canary I: The teen scratched his head. "I am... well was the security guard here for 30 years... and I haven't seen any farmers around here... but there was a rather pretty woman her the other day, she was the regional water quality inspector though. she didn't do much, she inpected the tanks, even the back up one. Nothing unusal about that. Only strange thing happened today, the main tank had to be shut down today, it got clogged and nearly blew." Dinah looked at Lyta. "It sounds like she has been planning this for days." she looked at the children. "Do you think we will all keep getting younger?" she bit her lip as looked at the little girl who couldn't have been more than 6 months old.
Hippolyta: "That is the risk," she said to Dinah before turning her attention back to the security guard. "You said the main tank was shut down earlier today?" There was hope in Hippolyta's voice; if the curse had only been active for a short period of time it was possible, even highly likely, that the effects could be completely reversed with no permenant damage to anyone. "Does that mean that the supply is coming from the back up tank?" she questioned, further pushing the man with the tone in her voice. Even though she remained rather unchanged in appearance, looking to be in her late thirties, and well preserved at that, her true age was nearly infathomable. Her soul even older. Hippolyta was rarely pushed to a sense of immediate urgency, but now was one of those occassions. If the guard would nod yes, she would continue, insisting that he show them where the tanks were.
Black Canary I: Dinah frowned not liking that answer. The guard blinked. "I don't know the systems well... and the engineer is 1." he said pointing to a young boy. "But yes, I remember they switched it to the back up tank." he said nodding.
Hippolyta: "What are the chances you know anything about the water filtration systems?" she asked Black Canary, not confident even a little that between the two of them they'd be able to figure out the complexities. "Is there a manual?" she asked the teenaged guard, her brow furrowing together as she looked at the one year old who had a rather strange expression on his face before the smell hit her. He'd pooped. While she loved children, and was anxious for Diana to have some of her own, the scent reminded her why living a life with adults might not always be such a bad thing. "We need to hurry."
Black Canary I: Dinah gave a shrug. "I know how to fix a sink and that's about it. The guard thought about it. "There might be one in the old copy room. Let me go look." he dashed off. Then the scent hit Dinah. seeing the one year old in a saftey pinned man's pants that had been cut with sciccors. apparently the guard had tried to make the best of what he had. "hey little man, did you make a mess?" the one year old wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's too bad we don't have diapers..." the teen ran back. "here I got it. It looks like greek to me though." said the guard confused by it.
Hippolyta: "I haven't changed a diaper in longer than any one here has been alive," she said, looking over Dinah's shoulder then to the blonde. "Well, I guess that's good news to me," she knew the guard was joking, but took the manual anyways. "C'mon, let's get down to the back up. Hopefully once we get this all settled, the enchantment will wear off and any damage we do can be fixed when this little guy gets back on his feet." She tried to lead DInah and the guard away with her. "You said there was a blockage reported in the main tank? Do you think you could find out if there was an actual blockage, or if something went wrong with your system?" Hippolyta had a feeling that there was no blockage, or if there was, it was something simple. "Dinah, you go with him. I know what I'm looking for in the back up. If you two can get the blockage resolved we can switch back to the main tank and then whatever I do to the back up won't cause too much of a problem." Truth was, Hippolyta had no intentions of being gentle with the backup tank in order to get the urn out.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked at Lyta, thinking about how that was true. She wondered if she even rememberd changing the princess' diaper. and gave a soft laugh at the amazon's joke. They walked off with the teen. The guard nodded, there had been a reported blockage. "I'll see what I can do, it's not my usual job." Dinah grabbed the teen's hand and he blushed red. "Sure we can do it. We can probably figure it out. You see if you can stop the water from being more contaminated. Good luck" she smiled, obviously enjoying getting into the action again and ran off with the guard. Opening up the tank the amazon queen would see the urn at the bottom of it, weighted down with river stones that had markings on them.
Hippolyta: "Just like digging hair out of your drain, Dinah," she called down the hall as she moved to the back up. When she pried open the lid she was presented with murky water, but she could clearly see the urn. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath, pushing away throughts of how the magic might effect her, and her powers. Luckily, if it deaged per year, she would have lots of time. The mortals had ingested it, however, Hippolyta was about to be entirely submersed in it. Her hands gripped the seal, breaking it open wider so she could get through, and took off her metal breast plate and the rest of her armor. She was bare as she plunged into the waters, which felt rather frigid but not so cold as to put her dense system into shock. There was a powerful current, but nothing Lyta couldn't fight on her way to the bottom. The Stones were marked, so she made sure not to leave any in the bottom of the tank, bringing the urn and its contents, upwards, praying that the Goddesses protect her from the negatives of the urn's magic. The seal was already leaking now, and because of that there would be no way to reattach the hatch and reseal and re start the tank. Canary and the guard had to succeed in their end of the mission as much as she had to with her own.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked and roled her eyes at the amazon and dashed with the teen guard. She opened the lid and peered in. "yeah something is blocking the inside, like paper or something. is there a trap for catching things?" the gaurd looked rather distracrted. The canary realized that her beant over a metal opening would be rather distracting. "hehe, Hey I'm up here. Is there a trap?" the guard blushed and ran over to the side and started to undo some hand screws to pull out a filter trap assembly. The canary helped him pull it out. It was coated in colored paper, just plastered like someone had dumped paper into one of the pipes. "This is the problem. Just like hair in a drain." she peeled back the paper and found some dry in the middle, it had printing, she gasped. "We need to see lyta." they ran back to the back up tank and saw a large whole torn in it, the tank was leaking horribly. The cold waters swirled about the amazon, she could feel the magic in the water it seemed to want to soak through her bare body. Lyta would easily be able to lift the urn and set it back down on the ground full of water and smooth stones. Just as she was placing it down, Dinah and the Guard appeared. The guard's jaw dropped. Dinah grabbed the amazon's hand like she saw her like this every day and helped her out of the tank. "You dont look any younger, the gods must be blessing you today. or you have a lot of years to shed." she teased. Despite her looking normal the amazon felt surprisngly rejuvinetated and energetic, maybe the water did affect her some.
Hippolyta: "Aye, perhaps the eternal youth of the Amazons had something to do with that," she said, stepping bare as the day she was plucked from the Agean by the Goddesses, inhaling deeply with a smile. She did, however, feel less restless, less nervous about the impending nature of the events, but she would shrug it off as a matter of the urn being out of the water. "Did you fix the main tank?" she asked, casual as her eyes turned to the man standing agape, looking at her. "Oh, of course," she chuckled, pulling her cape around her for the time being, tying it off at her shoulder in a make shift chiton. Her armour could be put on when the man gave them some privacy, for his sake rather than her own. Lyta had never felt shame of her form, either in this life or that of the past.
Black Canary I:? "hehe, I bet." Dinah found some towels from the janitors cart and gave them to the amazon to dry off. "Yep, we did. It was full of flyers for some club in Gotham, looks like one of those Gothic Clubs, Hades? haves you heard of it? We just need to get it switched back over." The young man blushed as he amazon look at him as she covered herself up with her cape. It took him a moment to get his wits about him "I.. I better go check on the kids." he ran off. Dinah smirked amused. "All I can say is I hope I don't have to go through being a teen again, the first time was bad enough and I don't want to look like my daughter's daughter." she smirked.
Hippolyta: "Why? Afraid she'll impose the rules you had on her when she was your... visual age?" When the man left she redressed and wrung her hair out. "Gotham? Isn't that where Dinah's flower shop is now?" she asked. "I haven't been in the United States since just after the war, but Hades... He's the Lord of the Underworld. He and I are well acquainted, unfortunately. As part of our punishment, the Amazons are the gate keepers to one of the portals to the Underworld. I wonder why Circe wants us in Gotham?" she said, taking the paper.
Black Canary I: Dinah smirked. "Hehe, I don't think Dinah will give me a curfew. I know the hours she keeps." she teases. She nodded. "Yeah, it is. Same shop that I used to run. Gotham has changed a lot since then, it is pretty bad." she said sadly. she thought about it. "Hints to a club with the ame name as the lord of the underworld?" she looked at the urn. "Probably not a conicedence. I don't know why she wants us there, but who knows what surprises the next item might have." she peered into the urn. "rune stones?" she asked, making sure to not touch the water.
Hippolyta: "It would appear so," Lyta said, carefully dumping the water onto the concrete where it was harmless, doing little more than making the surface look new again. She plucked a few of the stones out of the now empty urn. "We should bring this back to your house and make sure it safe before we head off to Gotham," she advised with a sage nod. She had no idea what the runes meant, but Circe was a meticulous planner, and every step of her revenge, Hippolyta imagined, had been planned over the time of her isolation. They meant something; she just didn't know what yet.