Teskaska furrowed her brow, shifted in her seat once or twice as she listened to her colleagues. She hadn't planned to get completely involved in whatever this meeting was about, but this - this was different. Awful. This demanded her attention. Her eyes met those of each person in the room discreetly, reading their faces. At least they all seemed to be taking this seriously. And the plan, though it did not deserve the rate of confidence Blackvein seemed to have gifted it, was not a total wash. There were still a number of things that could go wrong. As with any plan.<br/>But in this case, a misstep could mean the total end of life in their world and beyond.<br/><br/>Teskaska drew her bottom lip into her mouth - a habit she had while thinking - and did not realize she had done so until it began to hurt.<br/>Awful indeed.<br/><br/>Her dark, pulling gaze turned abruptly from her colleagues to the sketch of the stone. It seemed large on paper, but there was no definite scale. So many questions.<br/>How big was it really? How heavy? Would Rasputin himself not have men with him to carry it, and how many? Would the Blood Fountain not have other allies? Perhaps ones they didn't know about? They couldn't afford to discount the unknown. Even gathering an army to surround Old Zendar was risky business. There wasn't a doubt in Teskaska's mind that the Fountain had ears bloody everywhere, and a single tip off could mean a devastating counter.<br/>Then there stood the business of the Stone's creator. Was it truly crafted by...Lucifer?<br/><br/>A visible chill ran down Teskaska's spine. Her eyes widened, if only briefly. Lucifer. She had never been heartily religious, but a couple of books concerning the Gods had fallen across her lap from time to time. Enough books to know that the Gods drew power from their believers. If the Lifestone was destroyed, all mortals would die. All believers.<br/><br/>If the believers died, the Gods would perish as well.<br/><br/>Was that what this was? Lucifer's revenge against the Gods? And if it was, did that mean he would get involved? If he was real?<br/>She doubted a war on the bloody Fountain would be totally satisfactory should...Lucifer...involve himself.<br/>If he were real. But the Lifestone proved his existence, if the stories were true. That they could summon Demons even pointed in that direction.<br/><br/>Awful stuff indeed...<br/><br/>Them four against the Mad Monk was difficult enough, but not impossible. Them four against Lucifer and the Mad Monk was a different story entirely. Teskaska absently grabbed Quinn Plait's arm, her thumb making smooth movements against his skin. Punching it in odd gestures, soon followed by her other fingers.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">----</div><br/><br/>Quinn nearly flew out of his skin when Teskaska touched him. He wasn't the most attentive man on the best of days, and now, ill as he felt, shocked as he was, nervous as could be, he had been all but floating in a void.<br/>Teskaska?<br/>She seemed buried in her own thought. Her head was bent forward and her curls spilled out onto the table even as she signed against his arm. She did not look up.<br/>Well.<br/>He better relay.<br/>This new communication tactic they had roughed out was fairly new. Quinn still did not quite have a grasp on it. Even now, the young necromancer wasn't sure he had gotten it right. The question did not make sense to him.<br/>He spoke nonetheless.<br/><br/>"Doctor Blackvein, Clais. Doctor Azathur, Lazarus. Do you truly believe in Lucifer?"<br/><br/>Teskaska signed something else against his arm. Her touch this time was soft. She was unsure. Quinn changed his tone to fit that.<br/><br/>"My Lady is concerned that he may have reason to confront us himself."