Re: Daggers in the Dark, Two Suns and New Friends IC Thread 58

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"I was born five hundred years ago Mr Wainwright, in this life. I would believe I have some knowledge of patience seeing that I am still alive. The question is more what are the safety reasons for not checking these locations now?"
The old Verbena said raising an eyebrow.

Colin smiled thinly, "You know that lesson well; that line was more for the benefit of Serge. As for present safety reasons - on the off chance we're under some measure of surveillance, I'd rather put the recovered items in a safe location before going out to find more. It's the pieces we have, more than the potentially conspicuous round trip, though."

"Or she will just assume there is some mathematical formula or going faster that light or whatever it is Etherite explain Time Magick with."
The old blood witch said raising an eyebrow.

He grimaced, "Considering her... opinion of my own foresight, I'd be slightly less optimistic. Only slightly, mind."

"Henry Arovju is a former nobleman, he is intelligent, refined and cultured so not like your Labyrinth Mr Wainwright."

He nodded, "I meant no slight, of course, but the 'unless he eats you' line seemed rather... comparable."

"It is nice to meet you Adeptus Wainwright. I am Rosemary James linear witch member of the Verbena, ah yes Miss Coldstreet is an old friend."
The herb shop owner said with a smile.
"So what can I do for you Sir?"
She asked as the customer with the oils waved and left the shop.

He nodded to the tea shelves, "Well, I just arrived in Concordia today, and I don't believe the small supply of tea I brought to tide me over until I could find a local supplier will last very long... So what blends might you recommend a half-pound or two of?"

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin nodded, "As am I, but curiosity must be tempered with patience sometimes, for safety... It is often better to pause and take stock for a moment, rather than press on, heedless of your surroundings."

"I was born five hundred years ago Mr Wainwright, in this life. I would believe I have some knowledge of patience seeing that I am still alive. The question is more what are the safety reasons for not checking these locations now?"
The old Verbena said raising an eyebrow.

Colin smiled thinly, "You know that lesson well; that line was more for the benefit of Serge. As for present safety reasons - on the off chance we're under some measure of surveillance, I'd rather put the recovered items in a safe location before going out to find more. It's the pieces we have, more than the potentially conspicuous round trip, though."

"If we were under surveillance then we just revealed a rather large secret to the enemy." Serge said taking a glance around to see if they were being followed or not. "But yeah I get it. We're not technically in a rush."

"I mean it is not like the Sons of Ether completely discount the possibility of there being such a ting as foretelling the future they just have a scientific explanation for it."
The old Verbena remarked.

He nodded, "True, Nicole's made of stern stuff, but she is also remarkably stubborn, and quite dismissive if not contemptuous of Mysticism. I'm not saying seeing the picture would change her entire worldview, but it might force her to... reevaluate some particularly stubborn prejudices."

"Or she will just assume there is some mathematical formula or going faster that light or whatever it is Etherite explain Time Magick with."
The old blood witch said raising an eyebrow.

He grimaced, "Considering her... opinion of my own foresight, I'd be slightly less optimistic. Only slightly, mind."

"It's likely just a field of study she's not too familiar with. Predicting the future is a very popular subject in scifi and in regular science. There's a none zero chance that this will inspire her to study such a subject in the future."

You got into a small shot that smelled of herbs. There was racks of teas, paper bacgs and gall jars of dried herbs, shelves of oils, boxes of incense. A chubby woman with dark brown skin and darker brown hair hidden by a scarf was helping a gentleman choose a bath oil as your group entered her store.

As his cabal leader talked about tea with the shop owner, Serge simply wandered the shop looking at the various ingredients. He went to each of the shelves and tried to find the most interesting sounding names and ingredients.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin smiled thinly, "You know that lesson well; that line was more for the benefit of Serge. As for present safety reasons - on the off chance we're under some measure of surveillance, I'd rather put the recovered items in a safe location before going out to find more. It's the pieces we have, more than the potentially conspicuous round trip, though."

Amadeus nodded at that.
"Fair enough Mr Wainwright."

He grimaced, "Considering her... opinion of my own foresight, I'd be slightly less optimistic. Only slightly, mind."

"I guess we just have to wait and see what she says rather than speculate about it."
The old Verbena replied.

He nodded, "I meant no slight, of course, but the 'unless he eats you' line seemed rather... comparable."

"Many things eat you without being the same as a rotting piece of flesh...lovable as he is."
The blood witch said raising an eyebrow.

He nodded to the tea shelves, "Well, I just arrived in Concordia today, and I don't believe the small supply of tea I brought to tide me over until I could find a local supplier will last very long... So what blends might you recommend a half-pound or two of?"

"Well Sir I am fond of rose hips and peppermint with white tea but it really depend on what tastes you have, do you like your teas sweet or bitter for example."
Rosemary replied.
"I have a nice jasmine, vervain and black tea blend which is good."

If we were under surveillance then we just revealed a rather large secret to the enemy." Serge said taking a glance around to see if they were being followed or not. "But yeah I get it. We're not technically in a rush."

"I guess we have to show patience then eh kid."
Amadeus said wryly.

As his cabal leader talked about tea with the shop owner, Serge simply wandered the shop looking at the various ingredients. He went to each of the shelves and tried to find the most interesting sounding names and ingredients.

The herbs was given with their Latin name, and their common name, the common name was often interesting, such as eye of newt or crow's feet or dragon's blood.

(OOC: Sorry for the late reply, our regular GM suddenly could not run his Friday game yesterday and I had to prepare a one shot in a very short time.)

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"If we were under surveillance then we just revealed a rather large secret to the enemy." Serge said taking a glance around to see if they were being followed or not. "But yeah I get it. We're not technically in a rush."

"I guess we have to show patience then eh kid."
Amadeus said wryly.

Colin mused, "I don't think we're actively observed right now... I haven't felt my, hm, Spidey-sense tingle, and we are all familiar enough with spatial manipulation to have a decent shot at noticing direct scrying attempts... plus, my Parma hasn't bounced anything off that I've noticed, either. But yes, we might find the time for another stroll in the afternoon or evening, barring an urgent summons..."

"It's likely just a field of study she's not too familiar with. Predicting the future is a very popular subject in scifi and in regular science. There's a none zero chance that this will inspire her to study such a subject in the future."

"I guess we just have to wait and see what she says rather than speculate about it."
The old Verbena replied.

He nodded, "True, but the Mystic nature of visions like this, and the unreliability of them, is quite sure to irritate her. I'd not be entirely surprised if she were to try to build a helm or earpiece or something of the sort to try to record my little temporal jaunts, or try to make them show up at more predictable schedules..."

"Many things eat you without being the same as a rotting piece of flesh...lovable as he is."
The blood witch said raising an eyebrow.

He nodded, "True, but relatively few beings have the distinction of being interesting on the specific condition of them not eating you first. I'm sure you'll have to admit that list is rather short. Not to worry, I wouldn't liken Henry to Toby in the presence of either."

"Well Sir I am fond of rose hips and peppermint with white tea but it really depend on what tastes you have, do you like your teas sweet or bitter for example."
Rosemary replied.
"I have a nice jasmine, vervain and black tea blend which is good."

He nodded, "That sounds like an interesting blend for lunch. Hm, do you perchance have a peach blossom white tea blend? It happens to be Old Man Wrinkle's personal favorite, and I shall admit, I've come to like it myself, as well - very good for a soothing cup in the evening. The rose hip and peppermint white does sound good, too."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin mused, "I don't think we're actively observed right now... I haven't felt my, hm, Spidey-sense tingle, and we are all familiar enough with spatial manipulation to have a decent shot at noticing direct scrying attempts... plus, my Parma hasn't bounced anything off that I've noticed, either. But yes, we might find the time for another stroll in the afternoon or evening, barring an urgent summons..."

"I do not believe we are being spied on either, there are little reason for it. Now one can never be sure but there are no good indications for it."
Amadeus replied.
"You what you found gets known though that is another matter, that people will know something is there."

He nodded, "True, but the Mystic nature of visions like this, and the unreliability of them, is quite sure to irritate her. I'd not be entirely surprised if she were to try to build a helm or earpiece or something of the sort to try to record my little temporal jaunts, or try to make them show up at more predictable schedules..."

"Why don't we just talk with Miss Bouchard rather than speculate about what her reaction may or may not be."
The old Verbena suggested again.

He nodded, "True, but relatively few beings have the distinction of being interesting on the specific condition of them not eating you first. I'm sure you'll have to admit that list is rather short. Not to worry, I wouldn't liken Henry to Toby in the presence of either."

"That list is longer than you would think."
Amadeus replied.
"And just make sure you do not make that comparison to Henry to his face."

He nodded, "That sounds like an interesting blend for lunch. Hm, do you perchance have a peach blossom white tea blend? It happens to be Old Man Wrinkle's personal favorite, and I shall admit, I've come to like it myself, as well - very good for a soothing cup in the evening. The rose hip and peppermint white does sound good, too."

"Is that so, well most do not entertain Paradox Spirits Mr Wainwright."
The clerk replied raising an eyebrow.
"I do have some peach blossom and white tea indeed, would you like me to measure you up some?"

[Meridia Porter]

[Morgan's House]

'Yeah, I'll just pop down the BestBuy and pick one up. They're by the cellphones, right?' she retorted with a sarcastic edge. Then gave a tiny inward sigh, realising perhaps the kid needed some clarification on the subject. 'This gear is still not Mundie-issue. Would have to pay, and pay well an Adept to mod the vanilla cell or tablet so it did all the things this relic can. That is if I can find an Adept who is both willing and able to do that...'

Meridia shoots her an inquisitive look. "What makes something Mundie-Issue or not?"

She wonders a few things after that.... Who made the first non-mundie tool? Do you need special tools to make the tools? What makes them special?

Of course, she doesn't ask these questions, she's already uncomfortable with tech and knows well enough that whatever answer she receives would be accurate for the specific way Nicole used her Magick. She wonders how that sort of Paradigm would fit into her own perspective. Perhaps Nicole simply interacts with the spirits of an awakened piece of tech, she thinks. Or believes in the sanctity of technology, some machine god out there.

'Okay... 44% wallemia sebi, 26% yellow mustard, 17% brown mustard, 7% table salt... 2% human skin, 2% dust and the rest are spices.' she replied, after squinting at the screen for a moment. 'I don't know what the first one is, but it's got the "do not eat" star.' wondering for a moment whether that actually applied to her.

"That's a lot of... People in there. A whole two percent? And then whatever portion of that dust is made up of people too." Meridia shudders. "Mustard then, we'll add it to the list, if it's so treasured to have been kept this long."

[Concordia]

You saw a shop down the street located in a green painted building which looked like it came from the 1920's. A sign outside declared it to be Paul's Grocery and General Store. Further down from the bodega you saw the lights and shine of glass and steel of a more modern supermarket. The woman out walking her dog gave you and Nicole a polite nod as she passed you.

Meridia returns the nod with her own little respectful dip of the head. People do seem to be living life in a pretty normal way up here. It feels bizarre to her, but she doesn't know what the alternative would be.

'Sounds fun. Long hours labouring, a tiny cold cottage and constantly being knocked-up 'til your death. At 24.' the Etherite quipped faux-cheerfully.

"I guess I was assuming I would still be me, awakening and all." Meridia shrugs in defeat. The cynicism wasn't wearing on her, but it did make her feel a little sorry for the Etherite.

A silence to this, then a sigh. 'You might want to make a mess of that approval. You aware of what a shit-storm you're walking into?'

"You don't know the shit storm I just crawled out of." She retorts, half in good humour.

"I'm not some blushing nun."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

'Course you do. Show and tell don't work if the display don't turn up, does it?' Nicole quipped. 'Anyways, I have stuff for you. You gonna make the reception, or gonna spend your time fussing over the setup of your [display] booth?'

Merdiia's Post:

'The Union does - with their "Timetable".' the Etherite replied, one hand fiddling with the keyboard. 'Personal tricorders ain't been cleared for general release yet. Until they do... or one of us manage to fuck up the plan by getting them out early-' a smirk at this '-it means the only working models are either made by us or them.'

Anja's Post:

'Dunno. This only scans matter, not life.' she quipped. 'And you're the one with the garden; can life come from ancient mustard powder?'

Meridia's Post:

'Nah, it divides the two. So four percent dust, of which 'bout half is old skin flakes.' she replied, giving a nonchalant shrug, starting to power down the little device. 'Almost everything contains something which you'd like, prefer it not to.'

[Concordia]

Meridia's Post:

A moment's silence, another drag of the cigarette. 'Why? Your backstory is why you are you. Change the one, so does the other. Assuming that you even survived to adulthood, that is.'

Merdiia's Post:

'Didn't say you were. But there's a difference between the shitstorm of your own making and the one of another's. Or when that another desires more bodies for their cause.'

Anja's Post:

A short pause as the stores came into view. 'Try this one, or move on?' giving a little frown to Meridia.

[Just out of interest; do you know how (in very general terms) how scientific conferences (or conferences in general) are organised, Great One?]

[The answer is; Terminator 2 (John Connor's Atari Portfolio). I said the idea, not the literal machine. I liked the idea of a borderline obsolescent technomancer toy, looking even more obsolete than it really is. I think I could almost hear it complain "But I'm still useful!" when Meridia suggested getting something newer.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

Course you do. Show and tell don't work if the display don't turn up, does it?' Nicole quipped. 'Anyways, I have stuff for you. You gonna make the reception, or gonna spend your time fussing over the setup of your [display] booth?'

"Oh...reception...ehm...yes I will be there I am sure the rest of the display will not explode so I should be close to done."
Baynes said, he did not sound to sure about the exploding part.

That's a lot of... People in there. A whole two percent? And then whatever portion of that dust is made up of people too." Meridia shudders. "Mustard then, we'll add it to the list, if it's so treasured to have been kept this long."

"I mean there is a Japanese legend that a loved item become self aware, and it tend to actually be true, but in this case I think it is more that no one have ever thought to throw it out."
Amadeus said sounding amused.

'Dunno. This only scans matter, not life.' she quipped. 'And you're the one with the garden; can life come from ancient mustard powder?'

"Some plants will grow in anything but...yeah no very old, moldy mustard seed is not my favorite fertilizer."
The old Verbena replied with a chuckle.

(OOC: This one is open to the public so yes I am going to run it like a tech expo, talks and presentations in rooms set aside for it and stalls and displayed on a show floor.)

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

'I'll see you then, sir.' allowing the Professor to mention any other issues before ending the call.

[Put reply in the OOC for IC]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

'I'll see you then, sir.' allowing the Professor to mention any other issues before ending the call.

"See you then Scientist take care."
Baynes replied before the call ended.

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"I do not believe we are being spied on either, there are little reason for it. Now one can never be sure but there are no good indications for it."
Amadeus replied.
"You what you found gets known though that is another matter, that people will know something is there."

Colin nodded, "So, secure the package first, then explore more."

"That list is longer than you would think."
Amadeus replied.
"And just make sure you do not make that comparison to Henry to his face."

He smiled thinly, "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Is that so, well most do not entertain Paradox Spirits Mr Wainwright."
The clerk replied raising an eyebrow.
"I do have some peach blossom and white tea indeed, would you like me to measure you up some?"

He chuckled wryly, "True, but if you first get a visit from one, it's far better to be visited by the one who is willing to talk things out over a cup of tea, than one that is... less inclined to talk things over in the first place. But regardless of who one hosts, willingly or not, it is a delicious blend. I'll take, hmm, a pound of each, I think - both the peach blossom white and the rosehip and vervain black. Any good interesting rooibos suggestions? Oh, and I don't suppose you have coffee, as well? My Security Chief is... particular."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin nodded, "So, secure the package first, then explore more."

"Very well Mr Wainwright."
Amadeus replies.

He chuckled wryly, "True, but if you first get a visit from one, it's far better to be visited by the one who is willing to talk things out over a cup of tea, than one that is... less inclined to talk things over in the first place.

"Certainly Sir."
The woman said she clearly thought you where quite insane but she was polite.

But regardless of who one hosts, willingly or not, it is a delicious blend. I'll take, hmm, a pound of each, I think - both the peach blossom white and the rosehip and vervain black. Any good interesting rooibos suggestions? Oh, and I don't suppose you have coffee, as well? My Security Chief is... particular."

"I do not have any rooibos blends at the moment."
Rosemary said as she scooped teat into paper bags, measured them and gave you a bit extra on top.
"I do have rooibos though so I can custom make a blend for you if you tell me what you would like it mixed with, as for coffee, my store do not specialize in it, I have two types of roasted coffee beans I am told they are good but I do not know much about them, one is a bitter mix and the other is a bit more sweet."
She said and pointed to little cloth sacks on one of the shelves marked with a print of a steaming coffee cup on them.
"I can recommend a good store who have more options for coffee though Sir."

[Meridia Porter]

[Morgan's House]

'The Union does - with their "Timetable".' the Etherite replied, one hand fiddling with the keyboard. 'Personal tricorders ain't been cleared for general release yet. Until they do... or one of us manage to fuck up the plan by getting them out early-' a smirk at this '-it means the only working models are either made by us or them.'

"Using their own gear against them, nice! I imagine they don't mess up too often, must be a nice haul when they do. Do you think your big cybernetics convention will have some new gear?" Now that she's in a room with active technocracy gadgets, she has slightly moved away to shuffle some objects around idly, looking busy as far as she can be.

'Nah, it divides the two. So four percent dust, of which 'bout half is old skin flakes.' she replied, giving a nonchalant shrug, starting to power down the little device. 'Almost everything contains something which you'd like, prefer it not to.'

Meridia just acknowledges this with a short nod of the head. "True enough, and widely applicable."

"I mean there is a Japanese legend that a loved item become self aware, and it tend to actually be true, but in this case I think it is more that no one have ever thought to throw it out." Amadeus said sounding amused.

Meridia smiles a slightly dark smile for just a moment. "Now, you just have to wonder what happens to all those poor little objects that people hate."

Meridia has a good idea of what happens to those kinds of things. Her experience with Spirit Magick and natural sense for resonances has given her a few interesting experiences in the past.

She rubs her fingers against a bead of her rosary, willing good thoughts into it.

[Concordia]

A moment's silence, another drag of the cigarette. 'Why? Your backstory is why you are you. Change the one, so does the other. Assuming that you even survived to adulthood, that is.'

"You're right. It would be better to fix what is broken here anyway, rather than just wishing myself away to another time."

'Didn't say you were. But there's a difference between the shitstorm of your own making and the one of another's. Or when that another desires more bodies for their cause.'

"From what I've heard, we have some common interests and goals at the moment. You may have had a brief run-in with the same group who attacked my people. Your cause is my cause, if that's the case."

A short pause as the stores came into view. 'Try this one, or move on?' giving a little frown to Meridia.

"I thought our plan was the small store, but if we're looking for more choice..." Meridia shrugs and pauses in place. "We were in a slight hurry, and getting stuck wandering around for ages or getting trapped in a queue wouldn't be ideal. Let's just pop in and get back if we can. If there's anything important missing we can try the other place?" Meridia finishes with a questioning tone, giving Nicole space to disagree with her plans without feeling like she is completley taking over.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

Meridia smiles a slightly dark smile for just a moment. "Now, you just have to wonder what happens to all those poor little objects that people hate."

Meridia has a good idea of what happens to those kinds of things. Her experience with Spirit Magick and natural sense for resonances has given her a few interesting experiences in the past.

"That Miss Porter is how we get inanimate object horror films with cursed objects who want to murder you."
Amadeus joked.
"But yes strong emotions will have an effect on the things around you for good or for ill."

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"Certainly Sir."
The woman said she clearly thought you where quite insane but she was polite.

Colin chuckled wryly at her expression, "Now, now, living on Earth, Paradox is something of a nuisance, but I don't make it a habit to invite Paradox Spirits... they come at their own convenience. Wrinkle is right, though, it is an excellent blend."

"I do not have any rooibos blends at the moment."
Rosemary said as she scooped teat into paper bags, measured them and gave you a bit extra on top.
"I do have rooibos though so I can custom make a blend for you if you tell me what you would like it mixed with, as for coffee, my store do not specialize in it, I have two types of roasted coffee beans I am told they are good but I do not know much about them, one is a bitter mix and the other is a bit more sweet."
She said and pointed to little cloth sacks on one of the shelves marked with a print of a steaming coffee cup on them.
"I can recommend a good store who have more options for coffee though Sir."

He nodded, "Hm, if you have some hazelnut, honeybush, and citrus peel, that's a good blend. And... I'll take a pound of the bitter coffee, then. Make the Chief happy."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin chuckled wryly at her expression, "Now, now, living on Earth, Paradox is something of a nuisance, but I don't make it a habit to invite Paradox Spirits... they come at their own convenience. Wrinkle is right, though, it is an excellent blend."

"I see Sir that is nice."
The clerk said clearly not knowing what to do about that information.

He nodded, "Hm, if you have some hazelnut, honeybush, and citrus peel, that's a good blend. And... I'll take a pound of the bitter coffee, then. Make the Chief happy."

Rosemary nodded.
"Very well Sir..."
She said and she went to get a wooden bowl and gathered the requested ingredients in it, mixed it together with a wooded spoon and handed it to you.
"See if you like the smell or if it is any of the ingredients you want me to add more of, and when you are satisfied I will put it in a paper bag for you."
She said before she went to get the coffee.

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

'Remember to send details of the secondary entry to everyone, yes?' she reminded before the call ended.

Meridia's Post:

'Yeah. Don't scan take-out food, for starters.' giving a little laugh.

Meridia's Post:

'This ain't theirs - think this was originally an Adept's.' the Etherite replied, sounding a little offended. 'But that's what the Syndicate is for. Embrace, extend, exterminate.' closing the PDA's case with a click. On the sympoium part, the woman gave Meridia a look before replying. 'Well... duh. Almost every team worth looking at will have a booth, touting for business. And at least one Union spy, documenting it all.' putting the device back into it's carry case.

'How did you know 'bout that?' giving a frown.

[Concordia]

Meridia's Post:

A respectful nod to this.

Meridia's Post:

'Attack... what attack?' she shot back, halting and looking straight at Meridia.

Meridia's Post:

A short silence, then a shrug. 'Meh. Green ain't an issue and don't think we have that fussy eaters.' continuing towards the stores.

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Rosemary nodded.
"Very well Sir..."
She said and she went to get a wooden bowl and gathered the requested ingredients in it, mixed it together with a wooded spoon and handed it to you.
"See if you like the smell or if it is any of the ingredients you want me to add more of, and when you are satisfied I will put it in a paper bag for you."
She said before she went to get the coffee.

Colin took the bowl and gave it a deep sniff, "Perfect, you are truly a master of your trade. A pound of this, as well, then?"

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"I guess we have to show patience then eh kid."
Amadeus said wryly.

Serge chuckled at that statement.

The herbs was given with their Latin name, and their common name, the common name was often interesting, such as eye of newt or crow's feet or dragon's blood.

"The first step to making something cool and powerful is to give it an awesome name." Serge mused to himself as wandered throughout the shop, feeling a lot like a child waiting for there parent to be done with the 'boring' part of grocery shopping. An experience he was familiar with from television watching and not from real-life.

"Though surprisingly little visible magick. The herbs are just sitting there in their jars not doing anything."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

'Remember to send details of the secondary entry to everyone, yes?' she reminded before the call ended.

"Ah yes certainly."
The older Etherite replied.

[Concordia]

A short silence, then a shrug. 'Meh. Green ain't an issue and don't think we have that fussy eaters.' continuing towards the stores.

You got to the small supermarket, it looked really like any small town supermarket and convenience store other than that some of the vehicles parked outside was horses and carriages and there was even a broomstick. A sign informed you get pig cutlets was on sale and that a limited supply of newspapers from Earth was for sale. A woman with two kids hurried out of the store, a bag of groceries in one hand and a crystal ball in the other.
"Yes dear I am leaving the store now, I will be home in ten, chicken casserole ok?"
She spoke into the piece of quartz.

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin took the bowl and gave it a deep sniff, "Perfect, you are truly a master of your trade. A pound of this, as well, then?"

The clerk put the new blend in a paper back and put that, the two other bands and the bag of coffee in a bigger paper bag with the store logo on the front.
"You are to kind Sir...anything else you require?"

"The first step to making something cool and powerful is to give it an awesome name." Serge mused to himself as wandered throughout the shop, feeling a lot like a child waiting for there parent to be done with the 'boring' part of grocery shopping. An experience he was familiar with from television watching and not from real-life.

"Though surprisingly little visible magick. The herbs are just sitting there in their jars not doing anything."

"Did you say anything young man?"
Rosemary asked.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"

[Warpmind]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

The clerk put the new blend in a paper back and put that, the two other bands and the bag of coffee in a bigger paper bag with the store logo on the front.
"You are to kind Sir...anything else you require?"

Colin grinned, "No, I believe that will last me a few days. How much?"

"The first step to making something cool and powerful is to give it an awesome name." Serge mused to himself as wandered throughout the shop, feeling a lot like a child waiting for there parent to be done with the 'boring' part of grocery shopping. An experience he was familiar with from television watching and not from real-life.

"Though surprisingly little visible magick. The herbs are just sitting there in their jars not doing anything."

"Did you say anything young man?"
Rosemary asked.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"

His amusement was clear on his voice, yet his authority firm, "Serge, if I hear Higitus Figitus or The Sorcerer's Apprentice, or anything of the sort from you while in an innocent shop, I will be amused for a very brief while before I will be compelled to put you in magical time-out for the rest of the day. Please refrain from animating the tea supplies."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

"Did you say anything young man?"
Rosemary asked.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh no please ignore me. I'm just talking to the herbs while I wait for my Cabal Leader." Serge said absentmindedly.

His amusement was clear on his voice, yet his authority firm, "Serge, if I hear Higitus Figitus or The Sorcerer's Apprentice, or anything of the sort from you while in an innocent shop, I will be amused for a very brief while before I will be compelled to put you in magical time-out for the rest of the day. Please refrain from animating the tea supplies."

"If I could animate object like that I would literally never stop doing that! You'd just see a bunch of objects following me around constantly. Who wouldn't want that!" Serge said excitedly.

[Meridia Porter]

[Morgan's House]

'Yeah. Don't scan take-out food, for starters.' giving a little laugh.

Meridia winces slightly, though whether this is at the idea of scanning the food or just the take-out food in general is hard to tell.

'This ain't theirs - think this was originally an Adept's.' the Etherite replied, sounding a little offended. 'But that's what the Syndicate is for. Embrace, extend, exterminate.' closing the PDA's case with a click. On the sympoium part, the woman gave Meridia a look before replying. 'Well... duh. Almost every team worth looking at will have a booth, touting for business. And at least one Union spy, documenting it all.' putting the device back into it's carry case.

Meridia makes a number of mental notes. "Spies... It's that bad, huh?" She considers her own use of instruments and snorts at the idea of some shady guy in a trenchcoat hovering over her shoulder while she checks out new pieces.

"I'm lucky there's no super evil organisation trying to stop rosaries and bibles falling into the wrong hands, I guess."

'How did you know 'bout that?' giving a frown.

"Deacon Nassa gave me a rundown of the day's events earlier. Probably to make sure we didn't get stuck buying chemistry sets or funny looking plants on our way over here."

[Concordia]

A short silence, then a shrug. 'Meh. Green ain't an issue and don't think we have that fussy eaters.' continuing towards the stores.

"Whatever's easiest, path of least resistance all the way here."

You got to the small supermarket, it looked really like any small town supermarket and convenience store other than that some of the vehicles parked outside was horses and carriages and there was even a broomstick. A sign informed you get pig cutlets was on sale and that a limited supply of newspapers from Earth was for sale. A woman with two kids hurried out of the store, a bag of groceries in one hand and a crystal ball in the other.
"Yes dear I am leaving the store now, I will be home in ten, chicken casserole ok?" She spoke into the piece of quartz.

"Looks like we made a good choice, hm! Pig cutlets, and newspapers too so we can catch up on things."

'Attack... what attack?' she shot back, halting and looking straight at Meridia.

"I guess I'd have to share this with you eventually..." Meridia took a long moment in thought, her eyes seeming to gaze somewhere way beyond for some seconds before she can piece together an answer.

"Myself and Tragedy were members of the same Chantry. A short while ago, we joined a larger group and later managed to find a place that hadn't been secured yet, somewhere with rich magickal resources. In hindsight, this should have been a massive red flag from the start but I guess we were too excited to think it over. We built our home around it under the guidance of much more powerful and knowledgeable mages than ourselves." Meridia's mind goes back to the extensive rituals, all the days of chanting and clumsy dancing that she had done as part of the workings.

"We formed the Spring Chantry in secret, not wanting to get involved in politics or possibly lose everything we'd invested. We had a lot of hope, lots of bright ideas about the things we could do and what we would eventually bring. Mostly Verbena and Dreamspeakers, I was very much the odd one out as a member of the Chorus, but Tray vouched for me, so it worked..."

"We built it all ourselves, a really beautiful sanctuary, tucked away. Nearly Edenic." She seems to be recounting this clinically as if she's recalling a long-distant memory rather than something recent. There's something steely about her as she talks, not so much an act of covering up her emotions, but outright not allowing them to settle on her.

"And then came our comeuppance. We'd barely started on the wards, so when one our rituals ended up being crashed, there was no chance for most of us. Our strongest got taken out right away while finalizing something with a meditation. Those that survived got flooded with the paradox of such a massive working falling apart so violently. I wasn't invited for that one, it was a non-chorister ritual, but Tragedy got caught up in it bad."

Falling further into a monotone as she speaks, Meridia continues. "I picked her up, pulled her in with a strength that I'd never had before, in through the doorway and down, straight to the deepest part of the Chantry. There was still fighting but no one else could be saved. I heard them die. Their bodies couldn't scream, but I heard them." At that, something breaks through, although it's far closer to anger than sorrow.

"They weren't done with us. They were going to come down and finish us off. Tray can't pass through to the Spirit yet, but the Chantry had been Awakened by some of the more powerful of our Mages. It had just enough juice left to bring her through, then used the last of its power to hold the the Fallen at bay. So... I carried her broken ephemera in my arms and let the spirits take us to somewhere I could help her cross back over, to make a start on healing. I wasn't in good shape myself either. I burned through most of my own pattern for the strength, and on top of that I'd had to make like a Garou, and we're not... Built for that like they are, if you know what I mean." She looks to Nicole to gauge a reaction to everything she'd said so far, and to make sure that she was still with her.

"Anyway, it turns out we didn't get too far away. The massive burst of paradox in Boston brought some other Awakened swarming in real quick. The assault was over after that. We got swept up, asked a load of questions, dragged up here, asked a load more questions, taken to the clinic and then Tragedy's old mentor came to collect us. That's how we ended up with the Deacon." Meridia slumps a little upon finishing.

"Look... Amadeus let me in that your people had recently suffered because of the Fallen too, possibly even the same. So... This is my fight. No one else should have to die."

((OOC: Augh, that was a long one. Let me know if any details need correcting Anja.))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Two Pleasures Bookstore and Tea House]

Colin grinned, "No, I believe that will last me a few days. How much?"

Rosemary gave a reasonable price for high quality tea.
"Would you like to pay in Nerids, Tass or Earth currency Sir?"

His amusement was clear on his voice, yet his authority firm, "Serge, if I hear Higitus Figitus or The Sorcerer's Apprentice, or anything of the sort from you while in an innocent shop, I will be amused for a very brief while before I will be compelled to put you in magical time-out for the rest of the day. Please refrain from animating the tea supplies."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at that and looked at Serge.

Oh no please ignore me. I'm just talking to the herbs while I wait for my Cabal Leader." Serge said absentmindedly.

"Very well, let me know if you need anything."
Rosemary said in a friendly tone of voice.

"If I could animate object like that I would literally never stop doing that! You'd just see a bunch of objects following me around constantly. Who wouldn't want that!" Serge said excitedly.

"I believe most people would not want that young man unless there was a good reason for it, like getting your luggage to float after you so you did not have to carry it. Also remember that in Sorcerer's Apprentice things do not go well, there is a lesson there."
Rosemary said sounding amused.
"Not that is is my business."
She added.

(OOC: Nice write up, take an extra exp for it. I really like it. Good job.)

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Meridia's Post:

A poignant silence as the Etherite looked at Meridia again before replying. 'Not that. Spying to see what is worth stealing.'

Meridia's Post:

'Ah.' she replied in a nonchalant manner, though shot Nassa a "I know your game!" look.

[Concordia]

Meridia's Post:

The Etherite listened to this in silence, with a level of attention not seen before. An internal war within; her professionalism versus her "don't care, look after self" which was her core programming. The latter won, causing a little shrug. 'You're honoured. The New England Tribunal normally can't find their hands and the map, let alone use them for locating their ass. And has the general opinion that if Mattapan was destroyed Charlestown would be fine.' tone clearly sarcasticaly sour. 'I would tell you this won't happen again and your friends will be avenged...' ending with another shrug and a sigh, obviously not one to tell lies to make people feel better. While her mind made an internal note; 'Prepare escape gear, ASAP.'

[Don't they have 'pork' as a different word in Norwegian or was this deliberate, Great One? Plus, are you describing "Paul's Grocery" or the more distant supermarket?]

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