Before Going To Horizon-Downtime Scenes IC Thread

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

(OOC: This is a thread for the downtime scenes between the end of the Seattle Mission and the start of the Horizon plotline. Feel free to tart little scenes of charactr interactions here to your hart's content. We will have all the scenes in oe thread so mark them with place and scene name so they can be foud. Have fun.)

[Warpmind]

[Colin's apartment, after work]
Colin leaned back, looking down at his notes, "So, Nicole, I've got two things I'd want to go over with you; first, there's the matter of smoothing things over with the Worcester Chantry, after the Flavian incident, second, I have some thoughts for earning you some advancement in the Society that you might want to give some thought to... The order they're addresses isn't important, and anything you might have to bring up can be taken afterwards. But first, this is not to scold you, so before we begin, can I offer you a drink? Gin and tonic? A good Speyside? Screwdriver? I'm afraid that's about the extent of the range of spirits I can offer..."

((OOC: What updates have there been regarding Flavian and the Worcester Chantry by this time?))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Colin's apartment, after work]

You have gotten the following message from Chantry Golden Rose.
"To Chantry Steelhaven Hall
Regarding Former Adeptus Flavian
"From Chantry: Golden Rose's Deacon Coucil

Salutations.
We have been made aware that the hedge wizard formally kown as Adeptus Flavian have been found working with demons and that he was in fact a Invested Infernalist, We are writig to inform you that a Tribunal will be held at Chatry Golde Rose to determine the fate of our former Sodalis. Senior Quesitor D'Angelo will sit in judgement. W would appriciate it if Deciple Bouchard, Adeptus Wainwright and Deciple Roth Hicks could be made available to testify during the trial. For now Flavian is being kept in our custody. We hope this letter find the members of Chantry Steelhave Hall well.
Best Wishes
Deacon Argente bani Bonisagus Cominications Chief at Chantry Golden Rose.

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Mon 19:00]

Warp's Post:

The Etherite had been absent from the Chantry for the day on tasks unknown, though it wouldn't have been for her work. Heavy duty cargos, long-sleeved base layer and an old worn field jacket which she'd shed on entering. Demeanour cautious, suspicious; which increased on being offered a drink [though would accept a whisky and cola]. Gave a slightly mocking tone on sitting down, complaining that "she'd not gotten the memo for this beforehand". The news about Flavian was a clearly expected topic and scored no reaction, the second not expected and got a reaction. On the issue of preference, she gave a gesture that it was up to him.

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, Mon 19:00]
Colin smiled thinly, pouring a modest measure of 18 years Glenlivet, and made himself a light gin and tonic, "I'm afraid I'm a bit short on cola, unless Anna bought some - and I do try to discourage drinking too much of the stuff... I can check the fridge, though, if you insist. Ice?"

Returning to the table, he held up the letter, "Golden Rose sent us a message, they're not making any formal complaints against you at this time, owing to Flavian's status, but you, me, and Adley are requested to show up for his tribunal to testify. I'll also make sure Lady Crexia is informed of it, but that's besides the point. Now, the interesting thing here is that Senior Quaesitor D'Angelo will be sitting in judgment, and I need to warn you, she's a malicious, vindictive bitch who has it in for Steelhaven in general, and for Beatrice and Kyle in the specific, and, well, I sort of earned her very personal ire through some very unusual shows of defiance against her schemes. I hurt her, both her dignity and her soul, and it was sufficiently legal that she couldn't do anything about it... but make no mistake, she will try something sneaky to lure out some pretense for digging deeper into our affairs in pursuit of the slightest justification for harming our widderslaintes. Now, to make sure our testimonies will be unassailable, I'd like to hear your explanation - how did you figure out something was off about Flavian? This is quite important, because if the most beloved Vittoria D'Angelo finds your answer to be flimsy, she's sure to start digging until she gets an ironclad answer she can't pick apart, or she has an excuse to raid Steelhaven Hall."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Mon 19]

Warp's Post:

'Eh... just some tonic then. No ice.' she'll reply, sitting rather stiffly, as though refusing to let herself be lulled into any sense of security.

Warp's Post:

''Course Worcester ain't causing waves over that; we can easily turn round and prod how fucking lax their security was.' Nicole replied, on accepting the drink. 'But... testify what, exactly? The hows and whys of Flavian is nuffin' to do with us, like.' taking a sip of her drink. 'And you know sod all 'bout this... your calling makes even less sense than mine. I get the old pin the blame game, but I can't see no way we're holding this one when the music stops. And this being a Hermetic doing the questioning, the "ironclad answer" they'd get from me is "Nick is a dumb grunt".' a note of annoyance poking through here.

'As for how did I work out about Flavian... which truth do you want? The one that happened, or the one I'll tell the panel?'

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, Mon 19]

'Eh... just some tonic then. No ice.' she'll reply, sitting rather stiffly, as though refusing to let herself be lulled into any sense of security.

He nodded and added the tonic, handing her the glass before fetching his own ice cube, "Very good. Bear in mind, this is not a reprimand, not anymore. The letter made that unnecessary."

''Course Worcester ain't causing waves over that; we can easily turn round and prod how fucking lax their security was.' Nicole replied, on accepting the drink. 'But... testify what, exactly? The hows and whys of Flavian is nuffin' to do with us, like.' taking a sip of her drink. 'And you know sod all 'bout this... your calling makes even less sense than mine. I get the old pin the blame game, but I can't see no way we're holding this one when the music stops. And this being a Hermetic doing the questioning, the "ironclad answer" they'd get from me is "Nick is a dumb grunt".' a note of annoyance poking through here.

He chuckled, "Flavian's infiltration was... very, very good - under virtually any other circumstances, his cover would have remained ironclad, but under the circumstances... he found a way out of the bondage he was in. As for why I am called in - I am the Cabal Leader, I helped smooth over the initial dispute Flavian caused, and I was the one who interrogated Flavian and released him from his Investment Mark. Very painful business, for him, but ultimately cathartic, I should think. But don't try to sell yourself short here - you may be a gem in the rough still, but you're no less a gem. You have remarkable instincts, and I won't want to dull those, I just want your temper... tempered a little."

'As for how did I work out about Flavian... which truth do you want? The one that happened, or the one I'll tell the panel?'

He arched an eyebrow, "Be very careful, they have ways of determining whether you speak any untruths - and depending on the Quaesitor casting the spell, that can be very, very painful. At least that should probably not be Vittoria's work, I believe the poor dear still is rather... limited in her power while recuperating from trying to grope me. But never mind that, start with the one that happened."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, 19.00]

Warp's Post:

'I'm more likely to say it was easy to do to Worcester. Something wrong with that place, like. Toxic environment.' she replied with a little sneer, playing with her drink. 'But you saying he did it deliberately to like, get your attention?' giving a frown.

Warp's Post:

A snort to this. 'Yeah, like I've never spoken to cops before. Or bosses. There is no fucking way I'd be honest to a public panel. Even if it was a fair one. Which is unlikely.'

'What happened? Nothing more to tell on that front. Group from Worcester teleport in, I was sent to do the meet and greet. I jump the gun by trying to suss out who we'd been sent combat-wise and organise them, which they resist due to me not outranking them all. Ringleader in complaining being Flavian. After group decides standing around like a bunch of forgotten Sims with free will turned off better idea than actually doing something to prepare for battle, I leave.'

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, 19.00]

'I'm more likely to say it was easy to do to Worcester. Something wrong with that place, like. Toxic environment.' she replied with a little sneer, playing with her drink. 'But you saying he did it deliberately to like, get your attention?' giving a frown.

Colin shook his head, "He's a direct magical relation to the most beloved Seat of Forces. Casting suspicion on him without proof would be as advisable for a Hermetic Chantry as, say, going around to claim Admiral Hastings' personal protegé was failing in mathematics and paid classmates for their work. But yes, Flavian was an unwilling Infernalist, and not all that keen on helping the Nephanda who'd infiltrated the meeting to stab us all in the back at the worst possible moment - but he was under dreadful compulsion to play along. He literally could not say anything to someone not already in the know... but we managed to puzzle things together with the Fallen infiltrator who died after... questioning and being extricated from her infernal pact. Same patron for the both of them, and a certain Meajin Incarna doesn't like me much. Less so after we ran into one another and I gave him a facefull of excruciating pain before he could even touch me... but I go off on a tangent... The important thing here is that he was indeed fishing for suspicion, to either give himself an excuse to get out of the fight so he couldn't betray us and doom the world, or get caught and arrested for the same result."

A snort to this. 'Yeah, like I've never spoken to cops before. Or bosses. There is no fucking way I'd be honest to a public panel. Even if it was a fair one. Which is unlikely.'

He nodded, "I'm not asking you to say everything, I'm saying that stating an untruth is going to be extremely dangerous, and will be seen through right away. Half-truths, on the other hand... do give answers a bit of consideration before you give them, and only say as much of the truth as you deem necessary, but don't embellish or lie outright."

'What happened? Nothing more to tell on that front. Group from Worcester teleport in, I was sent to do the meet and greet. I jump the gun by trying to suss out who we'd been sent combat-wise and organise them, which they resist due to me not outranking them all. Ringleader in complaining being Flavian. After group decides standing around like a bunch of forgotten Sims with free will turned off better idea than actually doing something to prepare for battle, I leave.'

He nodded, "That... sounds good so far, though you will be pressed on the, hm, shouting match. Though stating that you took initiative in surveying the various tactical assets is probably the best way to frame it, as you did not actually attempt to command anyone... right?"

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, 19.00]

Warp's Post:

Nicole shook her head to this. 'When Flavian started kicking off, I saw the other's reactions to. Not disgust or disagreement. No surprise either. They expected things to run like that, for him to kick off and thought this was normal. Bitching about how we should be ever so grateful for their glorious help, like if we failed they'd be fucking safe fifty mile odd away!' the derision clear at this point. 'I've seen workplaces like that. Pointy-haired bosses, poisonous gangs, backscratching, fucked-up priorities and bloated egos. My gut says, Flavian ain't the only issue with that Chantry.' running some of her drink over her tongue.

'Interesting... he like used the chance of pissing off outsiders enough to blow his cover? That raises the question why he had to wait for outsiders to do it. My theory; Worcester sufficiently fucked-up in leadership that it wouldn't work there.'

Warp's Post:

The Etherite gave Colin a "no shit, Sherlock" look to this.

Warp's Post:

'Let them press - if this D'Angelo wants to make me look like a "bad person" for trying to avoid allies being killed in battle, I think I'll live with that stain on my rep.' she replied, with a faux-upset tone. 'Anyhows... Flavian was ranking. He should have been doing it. If he wasn't, another of that party should have been. And time was short. If I tried to "command" anyone, it was 'cos there was an absence of it from my "betters" at a point which was of life and death.' a short pause before continuing.

'Anyway... she cannot judge me on a Hermetic reading of the Protocols, for the obvious point I ain't one. Our reading of the "respect knowledge" rule ain't that fucking anal.'

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, 19.00]

Nicole shook her head to this. 'When Flavian started kicking off, I saw the other's reactions to. Not disgust or disagreement. No surprise either. They expected things to run like that, for him to kick off and thought this was normal. Bitching about how we should be ever so grateful for their glorious help, like if we failed they'd be fucking safe fifty mile odd away!' the derision clear at this point. 'I've seen workplaces like that. Pointy-haired bosses, poisonous gangs, backscratching, fucked-up priorities and bloated egos. My gut says, Flavian ain't the only issue with that Chantry.' running some of her drink over her tongue.

'Interesting... he like used the chance of pissing off outsiders enough to blow his cover? That raises the question why he had to wait for outsiders to do it. My theory; Worcester sufficiently fucked-up in leadership that it wouldn't work there.'

Colin nodded, "The Order has a... problem with stratified stagnation. This in part stems from the corrupt, bloated spider at the top. Well, that's opinion and hearsay, I suppose, but Flavian is nevertheless the grandapprentice of the Seat of Forces. I suspect Flavian's prior status was more important than outright problems at Golden Rose, specifically."

The Etherite gave Colin a "no shit, Sherlock" look to this.

He just smiled wryly and sipped his drink.

'Let them press - if this D'Angelo wants to make me look like a "bad person" for trying to avoid allies being killed in battle, I think I'll live with that stain on my rep.' she replied, with a faux-upset tone. 'Anyhows... Flavian was ranking. He should have been doing it. If he wasn't, another of that party should have been. And time was short. If I tried to "command" anyone, it was 'cos there was an absence of it from my "betters" at a point which was of life and death.' a short pause before continuing.

'Anyway... she cannot judge me on a Hermetic reading of the Protocols, for the obvious point I ain't one. Our reading of the "respect knowledge" rule ain't that fucking anal.'

He nodded, "There'll not be much of a leg to stand on for such accusations - and as you were indeed on home turf, merely taking care of an administrative task, I doubt even Vittoria would be able to give much weight to the idea of disrespect. Doubly so as it turns out Flavian was never an Awakened Mage, but it is a wiggly issue. Hum, I wonder if Master Steelhaven will be here to attend?"

He put the letter aside and looked at his notes again, "Well... I think you're aware of the most important dangers, as well as the request for your testimony. I would suggest you write a letter to the group from Golden Rose, and formally apologise for losing your temper at the time. Not phrased to assume responsibility for the argument, but an appropriate expression of regret that the incident soured relations. Do you think you can write such a nonpology?"

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

Warp's Post:

'You mean no more than being a Hermetic Chantry, that is.' she replied wryly. 'And simply removing the top won't work, and you know it. You see this in, like companies; new boss comes in, says all nice things, "new broom" and all that - but down at the store-floor, nothing changes 'cos it's the same old shitty line managers, who teach the old lessons and recruit the next generation of assholes.'

Warp's Post:

'Nah... more that she knows if she tries to pin me, I'll run off to Hadermann and ask for the Ethics Council to deal with it.' she replied lazily, relaxing a little. 'And I'd love hear the response if D'Angelo tried to fix that panel.' ending with a chuckle; knowing that while many of her seniors might not be members of the Bouchard fan-club, they were hardly going to throw her into the pit to satisfy yet another case of overweening Hermetic arrogance and presumption.

Warp's Post:

A short silence. '"A mistakes were made, unfortunate events happened" BS letter? S'pose so. I assume we'll be getting one from Worcester in return?'

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, 19.00]

'You mean no more than being a Hermetic Chantry, that is.' she replied wryly. 'And simply removing the top won't work, and you know it. You see this in, like companies; new boss comes in, says all nice things, "new broom" and all that - but down at the store-floor, nothing changes 'cos it's the same old shitty line managers, who teach the old lessons and recruit the next generation of assholes.'

Colin nodded, "Stratified stagnation... The next Seat of Forces will help turn a new leaf, but that's a little while off yet."

'Nah... more that she knows if she tries to pin me, I'll run off to Hadermann and ask for the Ethics Council to deal with it.' she replied lazily, relaxing a little. 'And I'd love hear the response if D'Angelo tried to fix that panel.' ending with a chuckle; knowing that while many of her seniors might not be members of the Bouchard fan-club, they were hardly going to throw her into the pit to satisfy yet another case of overweening Hermetic arrogance and presumption.

He grinned, "I like the way you think here, and that could well work."

A short silence. '"A mistakes were made, unfortunate events happened" BS letter? S'pose so. I assume we'll be getting one from Worcester in return?'

He shrugged, "Bit of a toss-up, depends on where their Deacons' pride falls. An equally sincere letter of regret, or one of forgiveness, most likely. If the letter is sufficiently well-written, they'll not be able to simply ignore it, and they'll be unlikely to just reject it outright."

He looked over his notes, "Well, on to the second matter. Dr. Hadermann expressed concern for your ability to earn promotion in the Society, as there's a strong 'Publish or Perish' ideology disfavouring your type, so I have a proposal: I have some modest articles I am working on for Paradigma, following the article on my novel Quintessence funnel. I'd like to recruit your help in properly translating my work from the Mystic vernacular to Technomantic terminology - and to test the hypotheses my technological means. You'd get a fair cut - say a third of what the Paradigma offers, plus equal authorial credit. As an Orphan, I'm not eligible for such rank among the Childr... Sons of Ether, but it would give you a much-needed academic boost."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

Warp's Post:

'Or not. Sometimes the frame is simply too shot with rust for repair. The Hermetics might only be fit for stripping for spares.'

Warp's Post:

'I do have the right to be tried by my fellow Scientists, after all...'

Warp's Post:

'No. For sending a Fallen agent into our Chantry. Ignorance is no defence, just a mitigation - so they say. Wait... didn't the other Fallen come from there too?'

Warp's Post:

Nicole gave a little laugh at change in topic; clearly unexpected. 'That would help... a bit. But not much, to be honest. It ain't the publishing itself that gets you promoted, it's that it like, attracts seniors in your field who thinks you're something worth watching. They then start helping with all the usual handshaky, nod-and-wink shit to make sure you get to the right symposiums, lab socials and finally to the right promotion board. In short; I need a patron, in my field. And there ain't any in New England.' ending with a deep draft from her glass.

[Pedantic point of the day: it should be Justice D'Angelo. A Quaesitor only has jurisdiction within the Order of Hermes, while Justices have authority everywhere.]

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

'Or not. Sometimes the frame is simply too shot with rust for repair. The Hermetics might only be fit for stripping for spares.'

Colin shook his head, "The Order will survive, it must survive... but there's rot at the top. There is a purge coming, and it will be... rejuvenating for the survivors."

'I do have the right to be tried by my fellow Scientists, after all...'

He frowned, "Well, that depends on what the charges are... For some, only one of your fellow Scientists will be sitting in judgment, next to eight others."

'No. For sending a Fallen agent into our Chantry. Ignorance is no defence, just a mitigation - so they say. Wait... didn't the other Fallen come from there too?'

He nodded, "She'd replaced one of their members, yes, to come with the team that was sent to us... In Golden Rose's defense, it was a very skillfully done impersonation, only discovered when Lady Crexia quite cleverly looked for connections from herself to the others in the room. Imagine our surprise when we found someone with no connections to anyone else in the chain..."
He grinned, "Actually, if you have any skill with the field of space-time, I can probably help you cobble together a way to check for such, if you're interested. In any case, any response from Golden Rose will likely be dependent on the outcome of the trial, to see how sincerely apologetic they need to present themselves as to avoid losing more face."

Nicole gave a little laugh at change in topic; clearly unexpected. 'That would help... a bit. But not much, to be honest. It ain't the publishing itself that gets you promoted, it's that it like, attracts seniors in your field who thinks you're something worth watching. They then start helping with all the usual handshaky, nod-and-wink shit to make sure you get to the right symposiums, lab socials and finally to the right promotion board. In short; I need a patron, in my field. And there ain't any in New England.' ending with a deep draft from her glass.

He scratched the side of his nose, "I know it's not a direct path to promotion, but having a body of published work is still pretty crucial to the Society, according to Dr. Hadermann. And publication through the Paradigma would certainly help casting a wider net to look for patrons than just New England. Plus, I think working on such projects with me, could help you relate better to Mystics' way of thinking, and help you with the... shall we say rusty diplomatic skills you've exhibited on occasion? Then there's, hum... One moment..."

He stood up and fetched a small binder from the bookshelf, took out a few pages, and placed them before Nicole; copies of finely penned drawings of ships that Nicole would likely not have seen before - labeled The Shara, Heart of Horizon, and St. Victoria's Blade - and Nicole will have heard him comment how he's terrible at drawing things from his imagination, but he's very precise at drawing things he's seen recently, so he must have seen these ships in flight, "I've got an audience with the Admiral once we get to Horizon, pertaining to the future defense of Concordia. If you'd like, I could try to put in a good word for you as a person who might be of interest in the near future. I would, of course, not presume to suggest that she take you under her wing personally, but she certainly would be in a position to know someone who knows someone who might be inclined to keep an eye on a competent field tech."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Serge's Apartment]

Serge remembered his meeting the creature. Outside the villa. He remembered feeling excited. A monster that only he could defeat! Adley couldn't out-smart it. Nicole couldn't out science or out punch it. Mr. Wainwright couldn't swoop in and solve the whole problem on his own through a cunning amount of social ingenuity and luck. And none of them could out-magick it. Only he could see it. Experience it. Like it was justification for his inclusion in the team. He wasn't a waste of space. His cabal needed someone like him to deal with problems like that....right?

How quickly that excitement turned to shame, then anger, guilt, and finally empathy to end the suffering of a poor tortured soul.

He sighed as he continued to draw at his desk, sorting through the maelstrom of thoughts floating around in his head. He knew the time was coming. The last time he had seen his mentor, she had gone to contact his grandmother in order to recruit her for the plan. He knew that time was fast approaching. They had scouted forwards in time to when the Banshee would next appear. So there wasn't much wiggle room in the time they could leave.

So Serge waited in his room. Drawing. Thinking. Waiting for someone to call on him and tell him what to do. As he always did.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Serge's Apartment]

He sighed as he continued to draw at his desk, sorting through the maelstrom of thoughts floating around in his head. He knew the time was coming. The last time he had seen his mentor, she had gone to contact his grandmother in order to recruit her for the plan. He knew that time was fast approaching. They had scouted forwards in time to when the Banshee would next appear. So there wasn't much wiggle room in the time they could leave.

So Serge waited in his room. Drawing. Thinking. Waiting for someone to call on him and tell him what to do. As he always did.

You sat thre drawing when indeed the phone rang and you notice it was your Mntor calling you. The time the Banshee would again appear was drawing evr closer so perhaps she ahd found a solution with Mastr Babu.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Serge's Apartment]

You sat there drawing when indeed the phone rang and you notice it was your Mentor calling you. The time the Banshee would again appear was drawing ever closer so perhaps she had found a solution with Master Babu.

Serge answered the phone quickly, not wanting to leave his mentor waiting. "Hey Angie! Is it time to go?" he said.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Serge's Apartment]

Serge answered the phone quickly, not wanting to leave his mentor waiting. "Hey Angie! Is it time to go?" he said.

"Yes me and my Mentor are on our way ad should be at Steelhaven in two miutes ad you do not want to keep Master Babu waiting, be aware tis will be dangerous but there is a chace we can hlp the Banshe, if you are still willig to try."
Your Mentor said over the phone.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Serge's Apartment]

"Yes me and my Mentor are on our way and should be at Steelhaven in two minutes ad you do not want to keep Master Babu waiting, be aware tis will be dangerous but there is a chance we can help the Banshee, if you are still willing to try."
Your Mentor said over the phone.

"I'm fairly certain everything I've done in the last 48 hours have been incredibly dangerous. What's one more?" Serge said dryly, "Besides. She deserves the help. After what she's done....Heroism should be rewarded. So yeah I'm absolutely willing to try."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Serge's Apartment]

"I'm fairly certain everything I've done in the last 48 hours have been incredibly dangerous. What's one more?" Serge said dryly, "Besides. She deserves the help. After what she's done....Heroism should be rewarded. So yeah I'm absolutely willing to try."

"Very well thn if you bring your sketch book and come down to the front door, Master Babu and I will pick you up and we will go to where the Banshee are likely to show up ad we will try to help her."
Your Mentor said.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Serge's Apartment]

"Very well thn if you bring your sketch book and come down to the front door, Master Babu and I will pick you up and we will go to where the Banshee are likely to show up ad we will try to help her."
Your Mentor said.

"I'm on my way." Serge said.

He hung up the phone, took his sketchbook, and then immediately left his apartment and rushed to the front door. While his mentor may have warned about keeping Master Babu waiting, Serge was much more concerned with keeping his Angie waiting.

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

Warp's Post:

'And the middle, and the bottom. And with an organisational system which encourages rot.' the Etherite replied with a wan smile. 'Sometimes, the skill is knowing when not to fight, 'cos that victory is impossible, like. "Purge" makes the assumption one faction holds the majority of cards, and you make the assumption the majority shall be the faction you like.'

'Personally... I'd say have a chat with Hadermann about that.'

Warp's Post:

'Not many. But it don't mean "my fellows" would agree with me... just that I wouldn't be railroaded 'cos a pissy Hermetic demanded it.'

Warp's Post:

'Eh, don't care that much. But it's a point which I think needs to be made to Worcester; that a bit of sass means fuck all when compared to actual spies and traitors. You talk about Hermetic rot - this is a example of where they can learn what is really important. And before you do the hallowed fence-sitting shit which leads to you to rolling your eyes and saying "yes I understand, but..." consider the wider message you'll be sending.'

Warp's Post:

'If it's accepted by Paradigma, that is.' Nicole retorted, tone making it clear this was a serious hurdle. 'Depending on what this funnel thing does, another inky might be better fit... and way more likely to print. It's why I'm going to put in my plague report to Helmsman, and my vamp-staking drill to Cavalry Monthly. Yeah... speaking of... erm, could I ask a favour?' looking a bit flustered and embarrassed at this point.

Warp's Post:

Nicole looked at the drawings with mild interest, while listening to the explanation. Then gave a cough, pulling a bit of a face. 'Shit... you don't know why I'm here, do you?'

[Serge's scene needs a time/date stamp; may I suggest Monday, 12.00?]

[Warpmind]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

'And the middle, and the bottom. And with an organisational system which encourages rot.' the Etherite replied with a wan smile. 'Sometimes, the skill is knowing when not to fight, 'cos that victory is impossible, like. "Purge" makes the assumption one faction holds the majority of cards, and you make the assumption the majority shall be the faction you like.'

'Personally... I'd say have a chat with Hadermann about that.'

Colin smiled thinly, "In this case... it's having the evidence of which factions are the corrupted ones; doesn't matter if the compromised groups hold more cards than me, if I'm sitting with four aces. There are incorruptible individuals already in place to start the cleanup, all that remains is to bring the dirty laundry to light at the right moment, in the right place. It will be soon, and it will be... for lack of a better term, glorious and ugly. Not quite an October revolution, but it will be tremendous, all the same."

'Not many. But it don't mean "my fellows" would agree with me... just that I wouldn't be railroaded 'cos a pissy Hermetic demanded it.'

He nodded, "Thing is, the Protocols aren't Hermetic, specifically. They apply to us all, the Hermetics just have a lot more rules, each one founded in some monumental cock-up that should never be repeated. The Hermetic Code only applies to you and me insofar as we're living in a Hermetic Chantry, and extend to such fairly obvious courtesies as not spying on chantrymates, that sort of thing... though it's overall a good idea to look at their rules to see what sort of mistakes are more inadvisable, such as working with vampire blood, or harming the Fair Folk."

'Eh, don't care that much. But it's a point which I think needs to be made to Worcester; that a bit of sass means fuck all when compared to actual spies and traitors. You talk about Hermetic rot - this is a example of where they can learn what is really important. And before you do the hallowed fence-sitting shit which leads to you to rolling your eyes and saying "yes I understand, but..." consider the wider message you'll be sending.'

He nodded, "I agree; it is a point that needs to be made. And I'm not saying you shouldn't address it in the letter, just be very, very careful with phrasing. Don't make it a blatant insult, or accusation. I believe you've grumped about 'tone police' at times? This is exactly the moment to exploit the 'tone police'; plain text is a wonderful tool for tonal ambiguity, if you can handle it. A more in-depth discussion with them about their security protocols could well be handled in the back room at another time, whether before or after the tribunal."

'If it's accepted by Paradigma, that is.' Nicole retorted, tone making it clear this was a serious hurdle. 'Depending on what this funnel thing does, another inky might be better fit... and way more likely to print. It's why I'm going to put in my plague report to Helmsman, and my vamp-staking drill to Cavalry Monthly. Yeah... speaking of... erm, could I ask a favour?' looking a bit flustered and embarrassed at this point.

He chuckled, "I've got a good feeling about its acceptance, in part due to the generous publication exclusivity deal I'll be offering them - I've had my work confirmed as a novel spell and patented, and it's presented in an as methodology-agnostic manner as possible, to be adaptable to most Paradigms. And I believe the Paradigma publication is the most widespread throughout the Traditions as a whole, even for the less technologically inclined. As for the plague report, why limit your submissions? If one refuses, the others might yet be willing to lend an ear, or a page."
He took a sip of his drink, "Favour? Do go on?"

Nicole looked at the drawings with mild interest, while listening to the explanation. Then gave a cough, pulling a bit of a face. 'Shit... you don't know why I'm here, do you?'

He arched an eyebrow, "I believe Dr. Hadermann had asked if Steelhaven Hall had room, due to a lack of available lodgings? Or is it some... broader sense of 'why you're here'?"

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Colin's Apartment, Monday 19.00]

Warp's Post:

The Etherite gave a laugh to this. As in, clearly laughing at Colin. 'And I thought you were smart. You fucking think the same strategy which will "clean up the police" will work here? All you'll be doing is skimming off a few of the worst offenders, leaving the majority of the not-quite-dumpable to continue as is, juiced-in and protecting each other. Just like the cops.'

Warp's Post:

'Protocols ain't Hermetic, but there sure as hell are Hermetic interpretations of it - you've danced that line with your dalliances with vampires. And I have little faith in getting a fair shake off a Hermetic judge.'

Warp's Post:

A moment's consideration, then a shake of the head. 'Nah. They won't listen. Chalk it up as more sass or some shit. Now, if the Chief pointed it out... that's another story. After all, he is the "offended one" on this. And he's too big to ignore.'

Warp's Post:

'First, I want folks to read it this year, not in like 2020. And I said; I don't have the pull to crash Paradigma. Plus, Helmsman is the standard read of all who are in cybernetics, robotics, bionics and so on. Their editors will say my report is worth printing even if I'm just a nobody.'

'Oh, I have an ask from Prof Baynes to relay; can he have a genetic sample from Freddie? Says he's cracked most of the story now, but needs to do a few tests to prove it.'

Warp's Post:

'Well... can you...' clearly looking uncomfortable at this. '...sorta, do a proof-read of my report before I submit it? Gotta to a speech on it too...'

Warp's Post:

'Yeah. And not with a posting with the Fleet, or one of the off-world bases.' looking even more uncomfortable than before. 'Well... basically, I weren't good enough for that. Y'know, full Cavalry training. Without that patch, good fucking chance finding a Cavalry officer to take me on to show I've got the skills for a promotion. 'Cos Hadermann is kinda right and wrong here; every field has their own testing methods and shit and my one it's mainly practical tests in the field.'

[Sponsored content]