Re: Jodi Blake, Green Scales and Hidden Plots IC Thread 61

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

He smiled thinly at the cane and nodded, "A gift from a certain old man. A wrinkly one. I took out a rather nasty Fallen Chronomancer, by his request... a cane is a bit more inconspicuous than a many-branched staff on the streets of Boston, and a massive brass cane makes a girthy mace in a pinch."

"Old men tend to be wrinkly."
The medic said not getting it.
"I agree a cane is a bit more modern that a huge staff though so it would be more practical."

He shook his head, "But please, if you have the time and opportunity, my shirt and jacket sleeve, as well as my trousers, could do with a bit of stitchwork. And I'm glad no-one seems to suffer lasting injuries."

"Yeah we where all pretty lucky, the way I understand it if the spirits had kept coming sooner or later it would have gone badly."
The medic said as she found a pen from her pocket and shone it at you like a pen flashlight, only the light was a soft pink and everything broken on your person started mending until it was good as new.
"There...that should do it Mr Wainwright."
The medic said she gave you and appraising look and put her pen back into her pocket.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Colin nodded, "Something to keep in mind, is all; helpful though your magic may be, Magi tend to have some wards up to make them harder to hit with hostile spells - and those wards don't distinguish between friend or foe. Hum, I think we might be able to work out a small bypass, perhaps - a small trinket enchanted with your Resonance, to permit your personal spells through. But it won't be an easy thing to make..."

"Honestly that would be really handy. Usually I can't affect enemies so my best bet is to help allies. If I can't help allies then I'm stuck doing nothing." Serge mused, "Though this fight I was lucky. The enemy didn't have any mental wards. Only Scry Wards. If there wasn't a bunch of people being attacked I would've just concentrated on brain blasting the enemy."

'Oh... thanks.' she replied, giving a little smile, while taking the bundle. Serge might notice that part of the palm of the 'skin' he'd decorated had been ripped off.

"Damn, They really did a number on this huh. Oh well. I can always make another one." Serge said seeing the damaged 'skin'. "Give you a good opportunity to try out new designs."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Honestly that would be really handy. Usually I can't affect enemies so my best bet is to help allies. If I can't help allies then I'm stuck doing nothing." Serge mused, "Though this fight I was lucky. The enemy didn't have any mental wards. Only Scry Wards. If there wasn't a bunch of people being attacked I would've just concentrated on brain blasting the enemy."

"Note to shelf get some mental wards."
Sophie-Ann muttered.

"Damn, They really did a number on this huh. Oh well. I can always make another one." Serge said seeing the damaged 'skin'. "Give you a good opportunity to try out new designs."

"I can fix it if you want."
One of the medics, now that everyone was healed was walking around lighting a pink candle from the pen light on broken things, repairing them.
"I am getting a bit tired but I can fix a few more things."

[Warpmind]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Honestly that would be really handy. Usually I can't affect enemies so my best bet is to help allies. If I can't help allies then I'm stuck doing nothing." Serge mused, "Though this fight I was lucky. The enemy didn't have any mental wards. Only Scry Wards. If there wasn't a bunch of people being attacked I would've just concentrated on brain blasting the enemy."

"Note to shelf get some mental wards."
Sophie-Ann muttered.

Colin grinned wryly, "It's a relatively fair bet the culprits would shrug off most mental attacks, twenty dollars say the two are Hermetics with the Parma Magica up. In most cases, catch-all wards are more cost-effective than more specific ones, it seems."

"Old men tend to be wrinkly."
The medic said not getting it.
"I agree a cane is a bit more modern that a huge staff though so it would be more practical."

He grinned, "This old man is remarkably wrinkly, and terrifies most Mages, I'm afraid... Understandably enough, given he's not a human anymore..."

"Yeah we where all pretty lucky, the way I understand it if the spirits had kept coming sooner or later it would have gone badly."
The medic said as she found a pen from her pocket and shone it at you like a pen flashlight, only the light was a soft pink and everything broken on your person started mending until it was good as new.
"There...that should do it Mr Wainwright."
The medic said she gave you and appraising look and put her pen back into her pocket.

He nodded and checked the jacket sleeve, and his watch, "Excellent work... hum, the wristwatch is still burnt out, alas - no shade on your handiwork; it was hit by an impressive gout of primal fire a little while back. I suppose I need to have all the components replaced by new parts. Regardless, thank you, and here, any custom work you need done, labour's on me."
He smiled warmly, handing over a business card, "There might be something of a queue, but I can guarantee all items are made from real, mined silver, as opposed to synthesized metal. Unless you want artificial silver, of course."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

He grinned, "This old man is remarkably wrinkly, and terrifies most Mages, I'm afraid... Understandably enough, given he's not a human anymore..."

The medic stopped and looked at you.
"Ok...I do not mean Mr Wainwright but whatever or not it is true you have contact with this entity the only reason why you casually throw it out in conversation have to be to get a rise out of people and freak them out, is there a reason why you feel the need to do that with those who is just trying to help you?"
She asked sternly.
"It is like I have seen some horrendous injuries I do not just causally bring them up in conversation just to get a rise out of people."

He nodded and checked the jacket sleeve, and his watch, "Excellent work... hum, the wristwatch is still burnt out, alas - no shade on your handiwork; it was hit by an impressive gout of primal fire a little while back. I suppose I need to have all the components replaced by new parts. Regardless, thank you, and here, any custom work you need done, labour's on me."

"Yeah something burn by Primal fire is not something I can fix with my little device here now."
The woman said.
"But your clothes at least should be whole now Sir."

He smiled warmly, handing over a business card, "There might be something of a queue, but I can guarantee all items are made from real, mined silver, as opposed to synthesized metal. Unless you want artificial silver, of course."

"Ah yes I did see the quality of the work you did on Aunt Alice's candlesticks, very impressive I will remember to call on you if I need custom silverwork done."
The medic said taking the card and putting it into her pocket.

[Warpmind]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

The medic stopped and looked at you.
"Ok...I do not mean Mr Wainwright but whatever or not it is true you have contact with this entity the only reason why you casually throw it out in conversation have to be to get a rise out of people and freak them out, is there a reason why you feel the need to do that with those who is just trying to help you?"
She asked sternly.
"It is like I have seen some horrendous injuries I do not just causally bring them up in conversation just to get a rise out of people."

Colin smiled thinly, "Because he's being unfairly judged, I think. Oh, he's absolutely an entity of terrifying power, but he's compassionate... if you're sincerely trying to do the right thing, and cross his path, he's the most likely to help you sort out your mistake, rather than punish you. No other such spirit will do that. He's... well, he is a mortal Mage who sacrificed everything to protect everyone. I'm not trying to terrify people, as such, just, hm, thinking a bit too loudly about temporal ethics, perhaps."

"Yeah something burn by Primal fire is not something I can fix with my little device here now."
The woman said.
"But your clothes at least should be whole now Sir."

He nodded, "Indeed, I can't make out the tear on my jacket, I doubt my tailor would even notice. Splendid work."

"Ah yes I did see the quality of the work you did on Aunt Alice's candlesticks, very impressive I will remember to call on you if I need custom silverwork done."
The medic said taking the card and putting it into her pocket.

He smiled, giving the cane a small twirl, drawing a perfect circle in the ambient light before dismissing the momentary illusion, "And do give your aunt Alice my regards."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Colin smiled thinly, "Because he's being unfairly judged, I think. Oh, he's absolutely an entity of terrifying power, but he's compassionate... if you're sincerely trying to do the right thing, and cross his path, he's the most likely to help you sort out your mistake, rather than punish you. No other such spirit will do that. He's... well, he is a mortal Mage who sacrificed everything to protect everyone. I'm not trying to terrify people, as such, just, hm, thinking a bit too loudly about temporal ethics, perhaps."

"He is a Paradox spirit and no matter if he can be negotiated with his very existence is to enforce the Consensus."
The Medic replied firmly.
"It is not about doing or not doing the right thing it is about keeping the Consensus and stopping the Awakened from messing with it. That have nothing to do with temporal ethics it is a system to keep reality shaped the way the majority want it to be."

He nodded, "Indeed, I can't make out the tear on my jacket, I doubt my tailor would even notice. Splendid work."

"Not a problem it is just a modification of matter disintegration and reshaping to recon....eh it is a Matter and Entropy rote."
The Medic said with a bit of a grin.

He smiled, giving the cane a small twirl, drawing a perfect circle in the ambient light before dismissing the momentary illusion, "And do give your aunt Alice my regards."

"I will do so I am sure she will like that. Well then I will go and see where else I can be useful."
The medic said packing up her kit.
"Have a good day Mr Wainwright."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Note to shelf get some mental wards."
Sophie-Ann muttered.

"Get bullet wards first. Those are usually a more pressing issue."

Colin grinned wryly, "It's a relatively fair bet the culprits would shrug off most mental attacks, twenty dollars say the two are Hermetics with the Parma Magica up. In most cases, catch-all wards are more cost-effective than more specific ones, it seems."

"You sure? It felt like most of my spells hit them. I sensed their hostile intent. They were confused by the illusions. They were damaged by the illusions. If they had parma magick then none of my spells would've worked." Serge said thinking back and trying to remember if he felt any résistance against his initial spells, "And aren't catch-all wards incredibly rare? Most regular mages wouldn't have access to them."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Anja's Post:

Nicole gave a nod to this, mentally making a note to reload it when she got back later. 'You were the help, I just provided the tool to do it.' tone making it clear she was genuinely respectful of the guy's skill with it and said assistance.

Anja's Post:

'Eh, it's all modular, so I can simply print out new plates as-when.' she replied, looking at the sleeve's damage with a slight sadness. 'Thanks for the fix-up.' finishing off the energy gel.

Colin's Post:

'Why? You think a better buddy system would have stopped all this?' casting an eye over the wreckage of the cafeteria.

Serge's Post:

'Not really, 'cos it's got to match the other arm.' she replied, looking at a sandwich critically. 'This is why I have like, high running costs; every damn battle ends up with me and a bill for a few hundred bucks for ink touch-ups.' a short sigh at this.

Anja's Post:

A moment as she looked at it critically. For obvious reasons, she tried to avoid thinking about it as much as realistically possible. Half of her wanted it done so she didn't have to think abot it again, the other feeling that the demand would be selfish and petty. Finally, she comprimised. 'Only if you feel up for it and there's nothing important needing to be done.'

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Get bullet wards first. Those are usually a more pressing issue."

"It would then again one have to make it creatively because most kinetic shields I know of would not be a good idea crawling around in a small air ventilation shaft."
The medic said with a chuckle.

"You sure? It felt like most of my spells hit them. I sensed their hostile intent. They were confused by the illusions. They were damaged by the illusions. If they had parma magick then none of my spells would've worked." Serge said thinking back and trying to remember if he felt any résistance against his initial spells, "And aren't catch-all wards incredibly rare? Most regular mages wouldn't have access to them."

Jonas was working his elbow after his arm had been healed, testing it.
"I doubt they had the Parma Magica, one of them where ritualists but it did not sound Hermetic but just wards in general is not rate, if we are going to call this magick, though I think it is the wrong term but let us call it that, most who study Prime would be able to make a ward to protect them but a ward is never absolute. Have you ever considered that you might have overpowered their defenses kid?."

Nicole gave a nod to this, mentally making a note to reload it when she got back later. 'You were the help, I just provided the tool to do it.' tone making it clear she was genuinely respectful of the guy's skill with it and said assistance.

"I guess an old dog still know a few tricks, but you could handle yourself as well Scientist."
He said using the Etherite respectful term indicating he had experience with the Tradition.

'Eh, it's all modular, so I can simply print out new plates as-when.' she replied, looking at the sleeve's damage with a slight sadness. 'Thanks for the fix-up.' finishing off the energy gel.

"Not a problem. "
The Medic said with a nod.

A moment as she looked at it critically. For obvious reasons, she tried to avoid thinking about it as much as realistically possible. Half of her wanted it done so she didn't have to think abot it again, the other feeling that the demand would be selfish and petty. Finally, she comprimised. 'Only if you feel up for it and there's nothing important needing to be done.'

"Everyone's wounds have been taken care of so I am just fixing what I can."
The womans aid and she pulled out her pen.
"What this do is that it record the Ether impirnt of the whole item then restore it to that using similar tech as a basic matter converter."
She said as she started working, where the pink light shone things repaired, knit together and was returned to being good as new.
"There we go, neat little invention if I do say so myself."
The young medic said sounding rather proud of herself.

[Warpmind]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"You sure? It felt like most of my spells hit them. I sensed their hostile intent. They were confused by the illusions. They were damaged by the illusions. If they had parma magick then none of my spells would've worked." Serge said thinking back and trying to remember if he felt any résistance against his initial spells, "And aren't catch-all wards incredibly rare? Most regular mages wouldn't have access to them."

Jonas was working his elbow after his arm had been healed, testing it.
"I doubt they had the Parma Magica, one of them where ritualists but it did not sound Hermetic but just wards in general is not rate, if we are going to call this magick, though I think it is the wrong term but let us call it that, most who study Prime would be able to make a ward to protect them but a ward is never absolute. Have you ever considered that you might have overpowered their defenses kid?."

Colin gave Jonas a nod, "As I said, general wards are more overall cost-effective than multiple specific wards. That doesn't make specific wards worthless under specific circumstances - if you're going into malaria-infested swamps, for example, a ward against sickness is going to be a lot more valuable than a general ward that blocks fireballs and bullets, at the same investment of time and effort. As for our two friends... you may be right, we need to find out more about them."

'Why? You think a better buddy system would have stopped all this?' casting an eye over the wreckage of the cafeteria.

He shook his head, "No, but if you had not been here... there's a good chance we could have lost Serge. Plus, chief's orders are still in effect."

"He is a Paradox spirit and no matter if he can be negotiated with his very existence is to enforce the Consensus."
The Medic replied firmly.
"It is not about doing or not doing the right thing it is about keeping the Consensus and stopping the Awakened from messing with it. That have nothing to do with temporal ethics it is a system to keep reality shaped the way the majority want it to be."

He nodded, "He is an enforcer of Consensus, true... but at the same time, he was a Mage, he cares for people, and has a personality, a very human perspective. He has... wiggle room, unlike other Paradox spirits who only exist to punish us."

"Not a problem it is just a modification of matter disintegration and reshaping to recon....eh it is a Matter and Entropy rote."
The Medic said with a bit of a grin.

He nodded, "A touch of temporal backtracking could perhaps improve on it, restoring any prior repairs or such, as well, or patches or pins that were lost in the damage? Effectively 'remembering' the prior state."

"I will do so I am sure she will like that. Well then I will go and see where else I can be useful."
The medic said packing up her kit.
"Have a good day Mr Wainwright."

He nodded, "And I shall see what else I can do, as well, though I hope to be able to attend the Big Reveal later."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Colin gave Jonas a nod, "As I said, general wards are more overall cost-effective than multiple specific wards. That doesn't make specific wards worthless under specific circumstances - if you're going into malaria-infested swamps, for example, a ward against sickness is going to be a lot more valuable than a general ward that blocks fireballs and bullets, at the same investment of time and effort. As for our two friends... you may be right, we need to find out more about them."

"Indeed general wards give general protection, sometimes you want something more specific but it is hard to ward against every eventuality."
Jonas agreed.

He nodded, "He is an enforcer of Consensus, true... but at the same time, he was a Mage, he cares for people, and has a personality, a very human perspective. He has... wiggle room, unlike other Paradox spirits who only exist to punish us."

"Well that matters exactly nil when he lords over you and will attack you unless you undo your magic. He might have a human perspective but he is at the end of day a manifestation of Paradox and Paradox is not good for any of us."
The medic replied firmly.

He nodded, "A touch of temporal backtracking could perhaps improve on it, restoring any prior repairs or such, as well, or patches or pins that were lost in the damage? Effectively 'remembering' the prior state."

"Agreed but I lack the knowledge to do so, I do scan the prior state of the item I repair just before it was broken but that is as far as it go and that is mostly just working with Entropy, I have very limited knowledge of Time."
The Medic said with a nod.

He nodded, "And I shall see what else I can do, as well, though I hope to be able to attend the Big Reveal later."

"Yeah me to, there might be a slight delay but chances are the program will continue mostly as planned."
The woman said with a smile.
"I hear they are revealing a whole new type of Umbraship."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"It would then again one have to make it creatively because most kinetic shields I know of would not be a good idea crawling around in a small air ventilation shaft."
The medic said with a chuckle.

"Well unless you live a very exciting lifestyle I doubt your going to be crawling around small air vents anytime soon." Serge said chuckling as well.

Jonas was working his elbow after his arm had been healed, testing it.
"I doubt they had the Parma Magica, one of them where ritualists but it did not sound Hermetic but just wards in general is not rare, if we are going to call this magick, though I think it is the wrong term but let us call it that, most who study Prime would be able to make a ward to protect them but a ward is never absolute. Have you ever considered that you might have overpowered their defenses kid?."

"That's impossible. At least I think. The spells I cast weren't nearly powerful enough to overpower anything. Even the most minor wards would've blocked them." Serge said, though his cabal leader may realize that Serge's unrealistically high standards for himself may have skewed the cultist's definition on what was 'powerful'.

Colin gave Jonas a nod, "As I said, general wards are more overall cost-effective than multiple specific wards. That doesn't make specific wards worthless under specific circumstances - if you're going into malaria-infested swamps, for example, a ward against sickness is going to be a lot more valuable than a general ward that blocks fireballs and bullets, at the same investment of time and effort. As for our two friends... you may be right, we need to find out more about them."

'Why? You think a better buddy system would have stopped all this?' casting an eye over the wreckage of the cafeteria.

He shook his head, "No, but if you had not been here... there's a good chance we could have lost Serge. Plus, chief's orders are still in effect."

"Yeah speaking of that. You mind filling me in on what exactly those two were after. Cause the fact that you guys barged in here as soon as something happened indicates that you two are way more informed than I currently am. But based on context clues I don't think I'll like the answer." Serge said, still in the dark about the fact that he was the target of the attack but slowly piecing it together based on things he had heard his Cabal Leader say here and there.

'Not really, 'cos it's got to match the other arm.' she replied, looking at a sandwich critically. 'This is why I have like, high running costs; every damn battle ends up with me and a bill for a few hundred bucks for ink touch-ups.' a short sigh at this.

"Well at the very least I'm not going to charge you for anything." Serge replied.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Well unless you live a very exciting lifestyle I doubt your going to be crawling around small air vents anytime soon." Serge said chuckling as well.

"Well the people we where actually discussing, the ones who attacked the conference was in the ventilation shafts."
Jonas replied raising an eyebrow.
"The point is if something repels a bit of led it tend to also repel a glass of water, the walls around you or anything else physical you get into contact with, ergo few have such kinetic shields active at all times."

That's impossible. At least I think. The spells I cast weren't nearly powerful enough to overpower anything. Even the most minor wards would've blocked them." Serge said, though his cabal leader may realize that Serge's unrealistically high standards for himself may have skewed the cultist's definition on what was 'powerful'.

"If you say so kid."
Jonas replied which a shrug.
"But perhaps you are more powerful than you think kid."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Anja's Post:

'Should do; security's my gig. Just seems nobody expected such a big attack here...' tone clearly a little reproachful towards the lab security.

Anja's Post:

'How does the device know what "previous state" to restore the item to?' Nicole replied curiously. 'Some things have aftermarkets [parts/mods] on them. Might restore them too far back. A plain rubber sheet is even less use to me than a damaged sleeve.'

Colin's Post:

A raised eyebrow to this.

Serge's Post:

A moment's frown, then answered. 'Temporal incursion was a distraction. A successful one on learning lab security hadn't locked down the place. Then we got a call of hostiles in here. So we teleported in. Hung back 'cos I wasn't really armed and you don't want too many people in a FISH situation.' continuing to inspect the sandwich.

[That's something Nick has been vaguely wondering; whether while on Horizon she might get a bit of sneaky anti-ageing work done.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Should do; security's my gig. Just seems nobody expected such a big attack here...' tone clearly a little reproachful towards the lab security.

"Well we are on Horizon and this is a pretty guarded building so attacking this place would take serious...commitment but yes the problem could have lessened by installing security measures in the air vents."
The large man said with a nod.
"Thick walls help little if someone can get into the walls...hum security you say interesting. I work in the same I am hired to handle security at Chantry Welkingrove of Seattle."

'How does the device know what "previous state" to restore the item to?' Nicole replied curiously. 'Some things have aftermarkets [parts/mods] on them. Might restore them too far back. A plain rubber sheet is even less use to me than a damaged sleeve.'

"It is based on radionics and it never go to far back it base itself on the theory of complete units. It is the same idea why teleporting someone's heart out of their body is quite difficult because the body is a complete unit even if it is made up of billions of individual cells, or teleporting a gun teleport the whole thing as it is a complete unit. I have to admit not to be an expert on the theory I tend to just use what works."
The medic replied.

A moment's frown, then answered. 'Temporal incursion was a distraction. A successful one on learning lab security hadn't locked down the place. Then we got a call of hostiles in here. So we teleported in. Hung back 'cos I wasn't really armed and you don't want too many people in a FISH situation.' continuing to inspect the sandwich.

"Always suspect a diversion."
The large man you had leant yoru gun to muttered to himself as he stooped over to help the elderly woman with the cane locate her glasses she ahd lost during the fray.
"The bigger and flashier somethign is the more of a chance it is a distraction. I mean when I was in service we had to try to get a comptuer located in an enemy base, we managed to do so by setting of several grnades behind the camp and when most of the enemy rushed out to check on the noise we could just sneak in, get the computer, and a few other useful things and leave again with no shots fired...well other than the grenades that is."
He said with a chuckle.

(OOC: Yeah she can do that, several places would offer such a service.)

[Warpmind]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"That's impossible. At least I think. The spells I cast weren't nearly powerful enough to overpower anything. Even the most minor wards would've blocked them." Serge said, though his cabal leader may realize that Serge's unrealistically high standards for himself may have skewed the cultist's definition on what was 'powerful'.

"If you say so kid."
Jonas replied which a shrug.
"But perhaps you are more powerful than you think kid."

Colin smiled thinly, "You have a combination of raw power and precision, son - there's a reason you've been picked for that inheritance. You got that on merit, not just by virtue of proximity and lineage."

A raised eyebrow to this.

He frowned, "But the Chief's orders aside, there are things you and I need to discuss - Admiral Hastings gave me a hint as to a project we'll be developing, and while we're not quite able to accomplish it yet, we should start considering the fundamental aspects. Finding a quiet moment for that tonight would be... expedient. And I do owe you a few drinks."

"Yeah speaking of that. You mind filling me in on what exactly those two were after. Cause the fact that you guys barged in here as soon as something happened indicates that you two are way more informed than I currently am. But based on context clues I don't think I'll like the answer." Serge said, still in the dark about the fact that he was the target of the attack but slowly piecing it together based on things he had heard his Cabal Leader say here and there.

A moment's frown, then answered. 'Temporal incursion was a distraction. A successful one on learning lab security hadn't locked down the place. Then we got a call of hostiles in here. So we teleported in. Hung back 'cos I wasn't really armed and you don't want too many people in a FISH situation.' continuing to inspect the sandwich.

"Always suspect a diversion."
The large man you had leant yoru gun to muttered to himself as he stooped over to help the elderly woman with the cane locate her glasses she ahd lost during the fray.
"The bigger and flashier somethign is the more of a chance it is a distraction. I mean when I was in service we had to try to get a comptuer located in an enemy base, we managed to do so by setting of several grnades behind the camp and when most of the enemy rushed out to check on the noise we could just sneak in, get the computer, and a few other useful things and leave again with no shots fired...well other than the grenades that is."
He said with a chuckle.

He frowned, "The distraction outside, and the assassins inside, were already in place. The temporal incursion was a pair of vampires, one here, one at Horizon Chantry, and the sudden reveal of the vampire here was nothing more than a convenient pretense for the agent provocateur to ignite the powder keg that protest presented... but the temporal incursions were in and of themselves not the distractions, I think - they were last-ditch attempts at stopping us in 2015, from Wallace Jace's ultimate defeat in 2035. They were certainly taking advantage of - and supporting - the already-present assassination attempt."

"Well that matters exactly nil when he lords over you and will attack you unless you undo your magic. He might have a human perspective but he is at the end of day a manifestation of Paradox and Paradox is not good for any of us."
The medic replied firmly.

He smiled thinly, "He won't lord over you, though... that's rather the thing, he'll approach you in a friendly manner to let you resolve any causality breaches, and I've even seen him forgive Paradox in people. Any other Paradox spirits can be assumed to go for the throat, figuratively or literally, but he... he'll give you a chance to tidy up your messes, so the playground can stay useful for us all."
He frowned, "He won't force you to undo your magic, either - unless that is the only way to resolve the paradox you've created. Finding a different route for the causal relationship you've broken up will be enough to keep the timeline stable. That doesn't mean there won't be a price to pay, but you'll have the choice."

"Agreed but I lack the knowledge to do so, I do scan the prior state of the item I repair just before it was broken but that is as far as it go and that is mostly just working with Entropy, I have very limited knowledge of Time."
The Medic said with a nod.

He nodded, "It won't require deep understanding of Time, either - an Initiate-rank ability to look at what the item looked like an hour ago would be all that's necessary to copy the appearance thereof. Mind you, that's a very different way of doing it than actually, hm, rewinding the object's time. Well... I suppose such a more complex variant would be more relevant for less predictable designs than fabric patterns."

"Yeah me to, there might be a slight delay but chances are the program will continue mostly as planned."
The woman said with a smile.
"I hear they are revealing a whole new type of Umbraship."

He smiled, "Yes, The Heart of Horizon, I believe. She's a beautiful ship in flight, I've seen her in the future. Her captain's a good man, too."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

He frowned, "The distraction outside, and the assassins inside, were already in place. The temporal incursion was a pair of vampires, one here, one at Horizon Chantry, and the sudden reveal of the vampire here was nothing more than a convenient pretense for the agent provocateur to ignite the powder keg that protest presented... but the temporal incursions were in and of themselves not the distractions, I think - they were last-ditch attempts at stopping us in 2015, from Wallace Jace's ultimate defeat in 2035. They were certainly taking advantage of - and supporting - the already-present assassination attempt."

"Ok Sir let us say this person you talk about somehow can send agents back in time, you think he can do that but not communicate with the past and set up someone to stand by when the distraction happen?"
The large man who had been talking with Nicole asked.
"Because that mess outside was far to much of a coincidence for this not to be planned."

He smiled thinly, "He won't lord over you, though... that's rather the thing, he'll approach you in a friendly manner to let you resolve any causality breaches, and I've even seen him forgive Paradox in people. Any other Paradox spirits can be assumed to go for the throat, figuratively or literally, but he... he'll give you a chance to tidy up your messes, so the playground can stay useful for us all."

"Someone politely saying they will make you cease to exist unless you do as they say are no less lording over you Mr Wainwright. Yes Wrinkle might be more open to negotiation but at the end of the day he is a Paradox spirit and they are there to stop mages, they are the immune system of the Consensus and we are the virus so to speak and we are the virus."
The Medic said sounding rather unconvinced.

He frowned, "He won't force you to undo your magic, either - unless that is the only way to resolve the paradox you've created. Finding a different route for the causal relationship you've broken up will be enough to keep the timeline stable. That doesn't mean there won't be a price to pay, but you'll have the choice."

"Listen man I do not know why you want to defend this Paradox Spirit but he is not going to say please and then go away if you say no, he will kill you, or make sure you where never born there is a reason why he is feared it do not matter how polite he is about it, but honestly I would rather meet one of the others, those I can at least fight."
The Medic said firmly shaking her firmly.

He nodded, "It won't require deep understanding of Time, either - an Initiate-rank ability to look at what the item looked like an hour ago would be all that's necessary to copy the appearance thereof. Mind you, that's a very different way of doing it than actually, hm, rewinding the object's time. Well... I suppose such a more complex variant would be more relevant for less predictable designs than fabric patterns."

"Well I do not have the knowledge to do so, and while it would be useful if the thing I want to repair had been destroyed further back in time, generally my device works just fine as is, but if I ever start seriously studying Time I will consider it."
The medic replied with a shrug.
"I mean I can repair more than fabrics, I can repair most that are not what you call magickal."

He smiled, "Yes, The Heart of Horizon, I believe. She's a beautiful ship in flight, I've seen her in the future. Her captain's a good man, too."

"In the future...I see."
The woman said raising an eyebrow.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"If you say so kid."
Jonas replied which a shrug.
"But perhaps you are more powerful than you think kid."

Colin smiled thinly, "You have a combination of raw power and precision, son - there's a reason you've been picked for that inheritance. You got that on merit, not just by virtue of proximity and lineage."

"Man I hope that's true. I have been stopped by so many wards in my life. I'm just glad this one time I wasn't."

A moment's frown, then answered. 'Temporal incursion was a distraction. A successful one on learning lab security hadn't locked down the place. Then we got a call of hostiles in here. So we teleported in. Hung back 'cos I wasn't really armed and you don't want too many people in a FISH situation.' continuing to inspect the sandwich.

"Always suspect a diversion."
The large man you had leant yoru gun to muttered to himself as he stooped over to help the elderly woman with the cane locate her glasses she ahd lost during the fray.
"The bigger and flashier somethign is the more of a chance it is a distraction. I mean when I was in service we had to try to get a comptuer located in an enemy base, we managed to do so by setting of several grnades behind the camp and when most of the enemy rushed out to check on the noise we could just sneak in, get the computer, and a few other useful things and leave again with no shots fired...well other than the grenades that is."
He said with a chuckle.

He frowned, "The distraction outside, and the assassins inside, were already in place. The temporal incursion was a pair of vampires, one here, one at Horizon Chantry, and the sudden reveal of the vampire here was nothing more than a convenient pretense for the agent provocateur to ignite the powder keg that protest presented... but the temporal incursions were in and of themselves not the distractions, I think - they were last-ditch attempts at stopping us in 2015, from Wallace Jace's ultimate defeat in 2035. They were certainly taking advantage of - and supporting - the already-present assassination attempt."

"Ok Sir let us say this person you talk about somehow can send agents back in time, you think he can do that but not communicate with the past and set up someone to stand by when the distraction happen?"
The large man who had been talking with Nicole asked.
"Because that mess outside was far to much of a coincidence for this not to be planned."

"So it was a Time Heist. That's such a cool idea...." Serge murmured to himself. "This guys right though. Time Travel adds whole other layers of strategic planning. And that timeline trickery probably let them know where I was. After all there's not an easy way for those two to know I would be in the cafeteria unless they knew about it beforehand. There was too much chaos cause of the dragon. Either that or I'm being tracked somehow."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Man I hope that's true. I have been stopped by so many wards in my life. I'm just glad this one time I wasn't."

"Sometimes one is just better than the ones that one is trying to fight and other times luck is with you."
Jonas said with a chuckle.

So it was a Time Heist. That's such a cool idea...." Serge murmured to himself. "This guys right though. Time Travel adds whole other layers of strategic planning. And that timeline trickery probably let them know where I was. After all there's not an easy way for those two to know I would be in the cafeteria unless they knew about it beforehand. There was too much chaos cause of the dragon. Either that or I'm being tracked somehow."

"Listen I am no mage but I have plenty of mage friends and from what I have heard affecting the past is risky at best due to Paradox, but if you are going to risk sending someone back then sending a massage as well would be pretty minor in comparison I recon."
The big guy who had been talking with Nicole said.
"So yeah a time heist if you like kid."

[Warpmind]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Ok Sir let us say this person you talk about somehow can send agents back in time, you think he can do that but not communicate with the past and set up someone to stand by when the distraction happen?"
The large man who had been talking with Nicole asked.
"Because that mess outside was far to much of a coincidence for this not to be planned."

"So it was a Time Heist. That's such a cool idea...." Serge murmured to himself. "This guys right though. Time Travel adds whole other layers of strategic planning. And that timeline trickery probably let them know where I was. After all there's not an easy way for those two to know I would be in the cafeteria unless they knew about it beforehand. There was too much chaos cause of the dragon. Either that or I'm being tracked somehow."

"Listen I am no mage but I have plenty of mage friends and from what I have heard affecting the past is risky at best due to Paradox, but if you are going to risk sending someone back then sending a massage as well would be pretty minor in comparison I recon."
The big guy who had been talking with Nicole said.
"So yeah a time heist if you like kid."

Colin shook his head, "I'm not saying the two were unconnected. But the sender in the future is a vampire with temporal powers, and he sent two agents to this point in time; he had prior knowledge of things happening here - I am saying I don't believe the rioters that created the distraction, and the assassins inside, knew of the vampires being sent back through time in advance. They were already present from, well, the present, likely working with Jodi Blake, and merely waiting for the opportunity to create the distracting riot. Anything could have been used as the pretense to trigger it, the vampiress here became it. It's... a little complicated, but an important issue is that the mastermind is not subject to Paradox. He's a vampire. But he can still be stopped from rising to his full power..."

"Someone politely saying they will make you cease to exist unless you do as they say are no less lording over you Mr Wainwright. Yes Wrinkle might be more open to negotiation but at the end of the day he is a Paradox spirit and they are there to stop mages, they are the immune system of the Consensus and we are the virus so to speak and we are the virus."
The Medic said sounding rather unconvinced.

He nodded, "He's there to protect against breaches of causality, but unlike the others, he'd rather guide Mages to clean up their messes than to hand out cruel punishments. That's rather an important distinction - I'm not arguing he's a harmless teddy bear, but if he can teach Mages to not break things while we work, he'll prefer that to stopping us."

"Listen man I do not know why you want to defend this Paradox Spirit but he is not going to say please and then go away if you say no, he will kill you, or make sure you where never born there is a reason why he is feared it do not matter how polite he is about it, but honestly I would rather meet one of the others, those I can at least fight."
The Medic said firmly shaking her firmly.

He smiled wryly, weighing the cane in his hand again, "I suppose you could say... I owe it to the man he was. He saved my daughter from a terrible brain injury, enabling her to grow up to be a healthy adult who'll come back in time to save my wife-to-be from a different ailment... A stable time loop, a closed circle. He'll protect that. The others, they're just ruthless predators, and I wouldn't be so certain about being able to fight them..."

"Well I do not have the knowledge to do so, and while it would be useful if the thing I want to repair had been destroyed further back in time, generally my device works just fine as is, but if I ever start seriously studying Time I will consider it."
The medic replied with a shrug.
"I mean I can repair more than fabrics, I can repair most that are not what you call magickal."

He nodded, "Indeed, it is an excellent device, and adding temporal backtracking to the mix would add mostly unnecessary complexity to it. At most, it would be an improvement for mending things you no longer have a comparison match for - like, say, restoring the arms of the Venus de Milo, where the entire arms are simply gone, and the original positioning of them is unknown. A niche application."

"In the future...I see."
The woman said raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged, "Being sent to the future to see what is coming is... a mixed blessing, I assure you. But I did see the ship in flight, and the ship's architect, Master Telar, did confirm it after the fact."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Colin shook his head, "I'm not saying the two were unconnected. But the sender in the future is a vampire with temporal powers, and he sent two agents to this point in time; he had prior knowledge of things happening here - I am saying I don't believe the rioters that created the distraction, and the assassins inside, knew of the vampires being sent back through time in advance. They were already present from, well, the present, likely working with Jodi Blake, and merely waiting for the opportunity to create the distracting riot. Anything could have been used as the pretense to trigger it, the vampiress here became it. It's... a little complicated, but an important issue is that the mastermind is not subject to Paradox. He's a vampire. But he can still be stopped from rising to his full power..."

"No I believe the rioters where not in on it they where used, however this is to well timed, and my point stand if you can send someone back in time you cans end a message back as well and tell agents to be ready for a riot you plan to start by sending someone to start it."
The large man replied.
"It makes no sense this is just a coincidence, vampire or no vampire."

He nodded, "He's there to protect against breaches of causality, but unlike the others, he'd rather guide Mages to clean up their messes than to hand out cruel punishments. That's rather an important distinction - I'm not arguing he's a harmless teddy bear, but if he can teach Mages to not break things while we work, he'll prefer that to stopping us."

"No sorry no, to me there is no distinction, in fact that sound very much like the Christian God, oh but he do not want to send you to be tortured for eternity he just want to guide you but if you do not accept the guide then he will torture you, this is the same shit and sorry no that do not make him any better than other Paradox Spirits."
The medic said shaking her head.

He smiled wryly, weighing the cane in his hand again, "I suppose you could say... I owe it to the man he was. He saved my daughter from a terrible brain injury, enabling her to grow up to be a healthy adult who'll come back in time to save my wife-to-be from a different ailment... A stable time loop, a closed circle. He'll protect that. The others, they're just ruthless predators, and I wouldn't be so certain about being able to fight them..."

"Yeah ok I am glad your kid is ok Mr Wainwright but I am not going to sing the praises of a Paradox Spirit, sorry if you want someone to be on the side of a creature that exist to harm our kind you have to find someone else."
The medic said firmly.

He nodded, "Indeed, it is an excellent device, and adding temporal backtracking to the mix would add mostly unnecessary complexity to it. At most, it would be an improvement for mending things you no longer have a comparison match for - like, say, restoring the arms of the Venus de Milo, where the entire arms are simply gone, and the original positioning of them is unknown. A niche application."

"Mostly I repair the things my patients have broken when they got hurt so they do not have to walk out of the clinic naked, also the loss of a valued item can add stress and stress can impede recovery, if I ever have to repair priceless works of art I will look into it."
The Medic replied.

He shrugged, "Being sent to the future to see what is coming is... a mixed blessing, I assure you. But I did see the ship in flight, and the ship's architect, Master Telar, did confirm it after the fact."

"I guess the rest of us will have to see it at the revealing."
The woman said sounding really skeptical she had a ok over sharing look on her face.
"Well I should see where else I can be useful...ehm have a good day Mr Wainwright."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

Anja's Post:

I wonder when was the last wargame they ran...' Nicole mused, suspecting that Horizon might be more 'spit and polish' and less actual capability. Wouldn't be the first time; hell, Boston herself was worryingly close to that... then the rest of the guy's words sank in. 'Seattle? I hope you lot didn't have a rough last few weeks with the vampires.'

Anja's Post:

'Oh, I can answer that one. Transporters lock onto a life-sign and will transport anything attached to that through solid touch. That's why you need to hold your tool-box if you're being beamed over and you don't end up on the other end in the birthday suit.' Nicole replied. 'Perhaps it can only like, repair recent damage?'

Colin's Post:

A moment's hesitation, then the tiniest of sighs. 'Might as well be now, then. It's gonna be some time before they start up the stalls and I now need to change.' giving a little shrug and took a bite out of the sandwich.

Colin's Post:

Another suspicious look to this; she was a woman of Science - a land where there are theories which are put through the rigours of the scientific method and then, and only then accepted as facts. 'Because I said so' just didn't cut it, even if you were say, Spence.

Serge's Post:

'Self-fulfilling prophecy. Like The Terminator; Arnie was sent to kill the mom of the resistance leader, which meant the bodyguard who was sent to save her also knocked her up with same resistence leader.' Nicole replied through a sandwich. 'Your presence here, the moves you made today will be noted in shit like the lab security report, which later on can be easily accessed, then relayed to the past.'

Anja's Post:

'Too many moving parts to be, like a coincidence. Distraction was a dragon attacking and also needed the lab security to fail to lock down the building, which is like, basic SOP.[standard operating proceedure]If they were already present in the building waiting, that makes even less sense, unless they have perfect move history. Which they don't, 'cos if I did I would ice you while you're on the can or something - not by trying to blow through a damn vent system.'

Colin's Post:

'Polite don't mean reasonable.' Nicole muttered suspiciously, more to herself than anything else. 'Or "in your interest".'

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

I wonder when was the last wargame they ran...' Nicole mused, suspecting that Horizon might be more 'spit and polish' and less actual capability. Wouldn't be the first time; hell, Boston herself was worryingly close to that... then the rest of the guy's words sank in. 'Seattle? I hope you lot didn't have a rough last few weeks with the vampires.'

"I can not remember they have run an actual wargame but they do a safety drill twice a year."
The old lady who had swatted at the Shadow Things could inform you. The large man raised an eyebrow.
"Vampires...they have been irate for the last few weeks but not actual fights have broken out, they are causing a bit of noise though so we had to increase our security. That is why I am on Horizon actually I was sent to buy ingredients for wards and since my transport back do not leave before tomorrow I wanted to use the day to check out the conference...you know anything about the vampires Miss?"

'Oh, I can answer that one. Transporters lock onto a life-sign and will transport anything attached to that through solid touch. That's why you need to hold your tool-box if you're being beamed over and you don't end up on the other end in the birthday suit.' Nicole replied. 'Perhaps it can only like, repair recent damage?'

"That is true but there is also a theory of units, so once something have become a unit in the Ether it tend to stick together. I mean it is why some say you can see a complete leaf sometimes if you use Kirlian photography on a thorn leaf."
The Medic said.
"But yeah my device her only go about about 30 minutes though the Englishman over there suggested adding a time element to it, and I might once I learn more."

A moment's hesitation, then the tiniest of sighs. 'Might as well be now, then. It's gonna be some time before they start up the stalls and I now need to change.' giving a little shrug and took a bite out of the sandwich.

Bee had packed three sandwiches, one peanut butter and jam, one with chicken and mmajones and one with egg and bacon. There was also two jice boxes in the package, one for nick and the other Bee had scribbled on.
"Please give this to Serge he forget to drink when he gets existed."

'Too many moving parts to be, like a coincidence. Distraction was a dragon attacking and also needed the lab security to fail to lock down the building, which is like, basic SOP.[standard operating proceedure]If they were already present in the building waiting, that makes even less sense, unless they have perfect move history. Which they don't, 'cos if I did I would ice you while you're on the can or something - not by trying to blow through a damn vent system.'

"Well let us assume the one who hired these folks was from the future if they have a record of problems with a dragon and some protestors and also that their target would be here, they could send some agents to wait until other agents stir the pot with the protesters and dragons and then the first group could crawl into the went, just specialization off course but it makes more sense than coincidence."
The large man said, he eyed Nicole's stack of sandwiches for a moment but made no comment.
"But yeah I am butting in. I am just a regular Joe passing time until my transport arrive looking for a better hearing aid so yeah don't mind me."

Polite don't mean reasonable.' Nicole muttered suspiciously, more to herself than anything else. 'Or "in your interest".'

"Talking with a polite person is pleasant."
The female Medic said.
"But I would rather have a honest asshole than a polite liar any day."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[TimeStop Lab, Cafeteria]

"Sometimes one is just better than the ones that one is trying to fight and other times luck is with you."
Jonas said with a chuckle.

"Damn that's so true. Do you know how many times back on Earth we've had to fight end-game level bosses? Granted we have end-game level allies on our side usually."

"Listen I am no mage but I have plenty of mage friends and from what I have heard affecting the past is risky at best due to Paradox, but if you are going to risk sending someone back then sending a massage as well would be pretty minor in comparison I recon."
The big guy who had been talking with Nicole said.
"So yeah a time heist if you like kid."

Colin shook his head, "I'm not saying the two were unconnected. But the sender in the future is a vampire with temporal powers, and he sent two agents to this point in time; he had prior knowledge of things happening here - I am saying I don't believe the rioters that created the distraction, and the assassins inside, knew of the vampires being sent back through time in advance. They were already present from, well, the present, likely working with Jodi Blake, and merely waiting for the opportunity to create the distracting riot. Anything could have been used as the pretense to trigger it, the vampiress here became it. It's... a little complicated, but an important issue is that the mastermind is not subject to Paradox. He's a vampire. But he can still be stopped from rising to his full power..."

"No I believe the rioters where not in on it they where used, however this is to well timed, and my point stand if you can send someone back in time you cans end a message back as well and tell agents to be ready for a riot you plan to start by sending someone to start it."
The large man replied.
"It makes no sense this is just a coincidence, vampire or no vampire."

'Too many moving parts to be, like a coincidence. Distraction was a dragon attacking and also needed the lab security to fail to lock down the building, which is like, basic SOP.[standard operating proceedure]If they were already present in the building waiting, that makes even less sense, unless they have perfect move history. Which they don't, 'cos if I did I would ice you while you're on the can or something - not by trying to blow through a damn vent system.'

"Well let us assume the one who hired these folks was from the future if they have a record of problems with a dragon and some protestors and also that their target would be here, they could send some agents to wait until other agents stir the pot with the protesters and dragons and then the first group could crawl into the went, just specialization off course but it makes more sense than coincidence."
The large man said, he eyed Nicole's stack of sandwiches for a moment but made no comment.
"But yeah I am butting in. I am just a regular Joe passing time until my transport arrive looking for a better hearing aid so yeah don't mind me."

"I'm still a little confused about the vent play. Disguising yourself as a civilian and simply walking into the cafeteria would've been effective. After all the chantry as a whole was the protected part not just the cafeteria. Unless they entered the chantry through the vents which is....mundane. But that sort of speculation is useless." Serge commented, "Hey Mr. Wainwright. Do you have any plans to questions those two? I wanna join in on that, like last time."

'Self-fulfilling prophecy. Like The Terminator; Arnie was sent to kill the mom of the resistance leader, which meant the bodyguard who was sent to save her also knocked her up with same resistence leader.' Nicole replied through a sandwich. 'Your presence here, the moves you made today will be noted in shit like the lab security report, which later on can be easily accessed, then relayed to the past.'

"That's a perfect way to describe. Man Terminator was also Time Heist wasn't it. Damn, everythings been done before." Serge said, "That would make this a pretty good place to attack. It's a big event. Lots of eyes and documentation flying around. Not to mention this is one of the few time where I was alone...."

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