Re: Mia's Mirror, Basement Cells and Node With a View IC Thread 12

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin accepted the card back and tapped the number into his phone, "Good - at least one can warn the other to get clear, should the shit hit the fan."

"Yes indeed, though I would rather rush to your aid Mr Wainwright if there is trouble than run, we are soldiers in the same war after all."
Mark said and looked rather determined.

He nodded, "Hopefully, it will be some time yet before the Nephandi leader realizes the child's father has gone rogue, and ideally, she doesn't know he had a kid..."

"We can hope but in my experience every time we wish and enemy not to know something, they always do know exactly that and three other things even more problematic."
The young Hollow One groaned.

He grinned wryly, "Your expression was almost, but not quite worth the pain of it... One of the Nephandi at the post office tried to use me as a hostage. It... didn't work out too well for her; she's dead and my Avatar has, of all preposterous things, molted and become stronger. On the other hand, I was unconscious for two days in a time bubble afterwards, and using magic itches like nothing you could imagine, but yes... I can afford a cavalier attitude about it since I was unharmed by the magnificently failed attempt."

"I am glad you are unharmed or as you say stronger than before Mr Wainwright but holy shit that is scary as fuck."
Mark said and shock his head.
"It is not pleasant to think that our enemies might use something like that against us in battle either, in fact I prefer to pretend such things are not possible."
He said and sigh.
"But damn you sure know how to...grab the attention in a conversation, perhaps that story is not one you should tell at a Traditionalist dinner party though."

He chuckled softly at his incredible dumb luck and headed for the stairs, for apartment 74...

You move through the building and it is a neat, clean apartment building, well as neat as a building full of lower middle class families with children can be, there are muddy boot prints, bicycles in the hallway, and a candy wrapping paper here and there but it was fairly clean and tidy. Here and there you see the residents of the building, a elderly woman with her graying hair in rollers stood with a cup of coffee in her hand and gossiped with another lady the same age across the hall. A young man was opening the door to another apartment and from a third you heard the sounds of two siblings arguing about who's turn it was to play their playstation game. You walk past a somewhat odd duo though, one was a man in his late thirties and the other a young girl in perhaps her early teens and they where having a whispered conversation and argument and it seamed like the man was trying to convince the young girl about something and she was hesitant, both turns to look at you when you pass them though and you see that they have far to much Quintessence in their systems to be sleepers and both where rather Entropic in their Resonances, the man also had two spells active on his person but exactly what they do you are not sure about.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "True enough, and I appreciate that - but depending on the amount of trouble, I'd rather you get clear to alert Chief Joakim than risk us both and leave him oblivious. I have a rather impressive track record for surviving, without a shred of modesty, and while I could probably get clear and go to ground before finding my own way back, it would be time-consuming and risky to not let him know immediately."
He sighed, "So it is... some days it would seem the Fallen know what we're up to almost before we're done planning, almost as though they had ears inside the Traditions... Of course, that could be a touch of paranoia, right?"
He shrugged, "It is scary - however, the one who tried was a Master of Spirits, and I'm merely an Initiate of Prime and Entropy, as the Spheres go. The fact that she is dead and I am better than ever just proves that trying to pull something like that in battle is... a very futile course of action, likely driven by desperation. It seems very much not viable to try without a circle of half a dozen Masters or more... and yes, I've stood and watched how it is done from too close for comfort... it was... horrible to behold..."
A darkness passed across his eyes for a moment, "If the whole damn ritual is done away with forever, I won't shed any tears over it..."

He gave a brief nod to the couple and fished out his phone, digging into the messages and glancing at the apartment numbers before moving on peacefully, gambling on not being worth more attention than a random visitor to one of the apartments. Once just out of sight, he tapped out a quick message to Mark, "Two awakened, entropic resonances, one male around 40, one teenage girl. Stay alert. He has active spells going on, nature unknown."

((OOC: I'm assuming Colin won't have to pass them too closely to get in the right direction, or are they in fact in the way? ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "True enough, and I appreciate that - but depending on the amount of trouble, I'd rather you get clear to alert Chief Joakim than risk us both and leave him oblivious. I have a rather impressive track record for surviving, without a shred of modesty, and while I could probably get clear and go to ground before finding my own way back, it would be time-consuming and risky to not let him know immediately."

"If you insist and I guess you are right in that we need to inform the Chief about any trouble as soon as possible, even so I would not want to leave you alone and in trouble if I could help it."
Mark said then he sigh again.
"Hopefully though we will get lucky and this project will just go smoothly."

He sighed, "So it is... some days it would seem the Fallen know what we're up to almost before we're done planning, almost as though they had ears inside the Traditions... Of course, that could be a touch of paranoia, right?"

"Well the Fallen could be the only faction without any sort of spies, but somehow I doubt that."
Mark said with a sigh.
"But yes it is important not to get to paranoid I think while at the same time not forgetting that the possibility that they might indeed have spies among us."

He shrugged, "It is scary - however, the one who tried was a Master of Spirits, and I'm merely an Initiate of Prime and Entropy, as the Spheres go. The fact that she is dead and I am better than ever just proves that trying to pull something like that in battle is... a very futile course of action, likely driven by desperation. It seems very much not viable to try without a circle of half a dozen Masters or more... and yes, I've stood and watched how it is done from too close for comfort... it was... horrible to behold..."

"It is a pretty powerful spell so doing it alone can not be easy no, however can you imagine the terror it would spread among those you where fighting against if one could pull it off."
Mark said and shuddered.
"Still that this person failed is a relief it is certainly not common to use in combat."
He said then he looked at Colin wide eyed.
"You have seen...that? Hell I hope I never have to witness something like that, it is horrible."

A darkness passed across his eyes for a moment, "If the whole damn ritual is done away with forever, I won't shed any tears over it..."

"I guess we need something to deal with the Fallen or they will just come back, but even so...Gilgul just seams to cruel at times..."
The Hollow One muttered.

He gave a brief nod to the couple and fished out his phone, digging into the messages and glancing at the apartment numbers before moving on peacefully, gambling on not being worth more attention than a random visitor to one of the apartments. Once just out of sight, he tapped out a quick message to Mark, "Two awakened, entropic resonances, one male around 40, one teenage girl. Stay alert. He has active spells going on, nature unknown."

You get a reply back from Mark.
"Do you want me to come up and give you a hand, or do you have it under control. Also I will pass the information along to the Chief, just to be sure."

The pair glared at you as you passed, then they turned and walked after you, following you up the stairs, they where keeping some distance and did nothing aggressive but they clearly where following you.

(OOC: Yes they are in a regular apartment building hallway so you can pass them.)

[Adley]

"That is not good mea filius...for the Nephandi though that is only a bonus I would presume...such a sacrifice would be potent."
Jeffry said then he added sounding a bit concerned. "And what about you mea filius, how do you feel about this situation that so closely touch on what is probably a past life of your Avatar?"

He had not really been expecting to delve into his emotions about Carmon, not that he'd been allowed much time to digest them or their implications. He frowned a little to himself. Maybe his pater was worried his resonances were off or his avatar was giving him some upset. "We need to stop that ritual before he's turned into a shit-ton of tass. As for how I feel about it, I feel...that he does not deserve to die that way. He's was a warrior once even if he's a vampire now. We did not spare him his House's fate but he should at least die with a sword in his hand, not turned into a raving monster under the sunlight for the amusement of his Prince and in aid of the Nephandi's goals. But however we feel about it, the need to stop this remains."

"I see, and how much of this do they already have?" Your Mentor asked, then the line of questions came...

"Do you want me to give Names over the phone, pater or delicate details? If not, some other method?" he asked, thinking of a way to tell him without outright saying so-and-so. "They do not have the instructions but they have leads of what they are looking for, nor do they have their host but they know the attributes." He wondered if he knew about Joakim's situation. It might have been well known, in fact his pater might know the man very well, from back when he was in the House. "They are working on aquiring the tass.

"I agree that dragging this Abigail out is better than having to dig her out, the question is only how to do that with what little time we have, do you have any plans on that mea filius?"

"One of the only things she seems to honestly care about is her own apprentices. Much as I hate to use such a tactic, I was asked to look into the possibility of luring her out with hers. However...it rather depends on the situation there."

"It is easier but not that much easier, if we are going to store them, we will need blood for them, and while that might be the safest option, it is far easier to get them out of Chicago and sent to some other city." Jeffry said and sigh. "Let me know what your contact chooses for her...ehm, relatives."

"I will do that and try to get some timeframe on it."

"Yes I called one of the members of Riverside, the mentor of your Cabalmate the good doctor in fact...I have set plans in motion to get the woman out, worst case scenario we will fetch her through the Umbra."

"I see. What became of that person who got hurt in Mattapan? Are they linked?"

"Our youngest Deacon have said himself willing to help deliver and bring correspondences until things settle down." Your Mentor said, he was a little vary of names over the phone. "But off course I do not want him to get to much Paradox, I do trust the kid though, even if he is a technomancer.

"Very well" He'd just see what Mr Harris had said and then go from there. They needed a point B for their Points A.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He had not really been expecting to delve into his emotions about Carmon, not that he'd been allowed much time to digest them or their implications. He frowned a little to himself. Maybe his pater was worried his resonances were off or his avatar was giving him some upset. "We need to stop that ritual before he's turned into a shit-ton of tass.

"Agree, we can not allow the Nephandi such a resource, no matter if we want to show mercy to this vampire or not, that amount of potent magickal power can not fall into the hands of Lisa Larson."
Your Mentor agreed.

As for how I feel about it, I feel...that he does not deserve to die that way. He's was a warrior once even if he's a vampire now. We did not spare him his House's fate but he should at least die with a sword in his hand, not turned into a raving monster under the sunlight for the amusement of his Prince and in aid of the Nephandi's goals. But however we feel about it, the need to stop this remains."

"I agree, this man was once a magus of the Order he deserves a better end than that, for whatever else he have become he deserves to die with honor for what he once was...but I was more concerned about...well meeting someone from a past life can be a powerful experience..."
Jeffry said but he did not speak everything on his mind, he did not want to embarrass you or snoop in your private affairs, but the old mage was clearly worried about you.
"Yes we need to stop this sacrifice the Nephandi are planning, we agree on that mea filius."

"Do you want me to give Names over the phone, pater or delicate details? If not, some other method?" he asked, thinking of a way to tell him without outright saying so-and-so.

"Bloody phones...I do not trust them, no do not give me the names over the phones, I will send one of my imps to you, tell him the details."
The old mage instructed.

"They do not have the instructions but they have leads of what they are looking for, nor do they have their host but they know the attributes." He wondered if he knew about Joakim's situation. It might have been well known, in fact his pater might know the man very well, from back when he was in the House. "They are working on aquiring the tass.

"Hum...we need to make sure they do not get a suitable host then, give the details to my imp when he gets to you, I do not like how close our enemies are to their goals, how go the plans of taking down this Abigail and her bloody Labyrinth?"
Jeffry grumbled.

"One of the only things she seems to honestly care about is her own apprentices. Much as I hate to use such a tactic, I was asked to look into the possibility of luring her out with hers. However...it rather depends on the situation there."

"You are thinking that the woman in the hospital are one of these apprentices...well your plan is not a bad one, I can make it a priority to get the woman out of there and send someone to deal with that once we are done talking. As I said the hospital are run by sleepers so it should not be to hard, once we have this Nephandus, whatever state she might be in, do you want me to send her to you so you can use her as bait, from the information that I was given earlier she can be an invaluable witness so keeper her alive are of some importance, but that do not mean she can not serve a double purpose."
Jeffry said then he sigh.
"But yes it is not tactics I like to use, but it is better than letting these Nephandi have their way."

"I will do that and try to get some timeframe on it."

"Good do that, we will manage in either case but keeping four vampires well fed will put a strain on our resources, hopefully they will choose the option of going to another city as that is far easier to arrange."

"I see. What became of that person who got hurt in Mattapan? Are they linked?"

"We will need to examine the woman in the hospital to know for sure, but there was found several shards from destroyed Avatars in Mattapan..."
Your Mentor was silent for a moment with the horror of it.
"At least three our expert tells me, all of them Fallen...she sent your new Cabalmate to clean up the shards so no one else will be hurt, who they have belonged to though we do not yet know."

"Very well" He'd just see what Mr Harris had said and then go from there. They needed a point B for their Points A.

"You should call him and arrange for any deliveries you need made. In addition for just messages where nothing physical need be delivered we have my imps, they are trustworthy little spirits."
The old mage said fondly.

[Adley]

"I agree, this man was once a magus of the Order he deserves a better end than that, for whatever else he have become he deserves to die with honor for what he once was...but I was more concerned about...well meeting someone from a past life can be a powerful experience..."

"I don't think that's going to be something that I can anticipate with exactitude before I am met with the challenge. We shall just have to do our best and prepare for the worst." Hearing the concern in his tone, he now found himself wondering how he was going to find the rest of the news that he had.

"Hum...we need to make sure they do not get a suitable host then, give the details to my imp when he gets to you, I do not like how close our enemies are to their goals, how go the plans of taking down this Abigail and her bloody Labyrinth?"
Jeffry grumbled.

"As I said, we have details and are currently working out a strategy."

As I said the hospital are run by sleepers so it should not be to hard, once we have this Nephandus, whatever state she might be in, do you want me to send her to you so you can use her as bait, from the information that I was given earlier she can be an invaluable witness so keeper her alive are of some importance, but that do not mean she can not serve a double purpose."

"It might depend on her state after she is extracted. Please let us know how that goes down and we'll see about things here; we don't have a lot of time. And though you think it is a mundane institution, there is something I don't like about it besides the obvious ramifications. Please be wary of assumptions, we keep finding the Nephandi have put their hands in everything."

"We will need to examine the woman in the hospital to know for sure, but there was found several shards from destroyed Avatars in Mattapan..." Your Mentor was silent for a moment with the horror of it. "At least three our expert tells me, all of them Fallen...she sent your new Cabalmate to clean up the shards so no one else will be hurt, who they have belonged to though we do not yet know.

"Three? That is not good." Someone was acting quickly now, perhaps trying to destroy their evidence...

"You should call him and arrange for any deliveries you need made. In addition for just messages where nothing physical need be delivered we have my imps, they are trustworthy little spirits."

"Very well. Does the poodle know the trick for taking a message without recall?" he asked, still watching the candle.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"I don't think that's going to be something that I can anticipate with exactitude before I am met with the challenge. We shall just have to do our best and prepare for the worst." Hearing the concern in his tone, he now found himself wondering how he was going to find the rest of the news that he had.

"Just be careful mea filius, you are under allot of stress, we all are, and with meeting someone from your soul's past, well I do not doubt you will handle the situation well, you have been trained to control your emotions, but do be careful."
The older mage said still sounding concerned.

"As I said, we have details and are currently working out a strategy."

"Very well I will send my imp for the details. Now are there anything you need from me or Steelhaven in hatching out such a strategy?"
Jeffry inquired.

"It might depend on her state after she is extracted. Please let us know how that goes down and we'll see about things here; we don't have a lot of time.

"If what we suspect have happened to her is true and then being thrown into a hellhole of a hospital I think it is safe to assume that her state will be poor, though how poor remains to be seen."
Your mentor said and sigh.
"Yes I will take care of this matter as soon as we are done speaking."

And though you think it is a mundane institution, there is something I don't like about it besides the obvious ramifications. Please be wary of assumptions, we keep finding the Nephandi have put their hands in everything."

I agree the chances that the Nephandi have their fingers in this pie in some way or another is rather significant, it do not seam they have a presence there at least, or at least did not when the good doctor visited though off course this might have changed since then. I am always wary of assumptions mea filius and I will be careful."
The old Flambeau promised.

"Three? That is not good." Someone was acting quickly now, perhaps trying to destroy their evidence...

"No that is not good. I am considering sending an imp to Cerebus and one to Horizon with warnings, through they have to be somewhat vague as we do not know who to trust, for Senex's apprentice and the young man you got the paperwork to save your Cabalmate from, they might be in greater danger than we first assumed."

"Very well. Does the poodle know the trick for taking a message without recall?" he asked, still watching the candle.

The candle was not flickering more than any candle would.
"Yes he do know that trick, but he do not like it, I can usually talk him into it, but it takes a bit of negotiation, and as his mind is rather simple, those negotiations are not always easy."
Your mentor said and sigh.
"I do not like asking him to do something that makes him uncomfortable but I can see the point of it in this situation."

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "I had to hold my Cabalmate upright as they started... It was awful, nothing short of horror... And then Adley came rushing in and stopped the ritual. Thank God, the sentence against her got overturned before it was too late, and she's on the mend."

He took a few more steps and typed in a quick "Backup would be good; beware of many sleepers. Best confront them right away before I risk the others."
He pocketed his phone and gripped the gun he'd borrowed from Adjan, shifting it around in his pocket to make sure it wouldn't catch on anything if he needed to quickly draw it, and halted, turning around to face the two Magi, "Alright, you two, before anything unpleasant for you happens, I have incoming backup and I'm prepared to offer you a clean escape. You look like you belong in a Labyrinth, but I can't tell which one - though under the circumstances, I would guess you are of Abigail's lot."
He quickly turned his signet ring toward the two, and started silently preparing a reflective shield, the phrase "Præcantatio repercuto" repeating at the back of his mind.

((OOC: So, Arete roll for preparing the shield, for a simple "Right back atcha" effect with Prime 2/Correspondence 1 (to find the path of the spell to bounce it back along), 2,5,0.))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "I had to hold my Cabalmate upright as they started... It was awful, nothing short of horror... And then Adley came rushing in and stopped the ritual. Thank God, the sentence against her got overturned before it was too late, and she's on the mend."

Mark looked quite shocked for a moment then he muttered.
"It seams you have had far to many brushes with...that ritual...than any man should Mr Waonwright...poor thing, will your Cabalmate be ok? I am not sure who this Adley is but it is good that he stopped it then, I can not imagine how the woman you are speaking about is feeling though, I do not want to imagine it."
He said his voice shaking a bit.

He took a few more steps and typed in a quick "Backup would be good; beware of many sleepers. Best confront them right away before I risk the others."

"I will let the Chief know and hopefully he will send back up, be careful, do not get yourself killed."
You get as a reply back from Mark, though given your situation you might not be checking your messages before later.

He pocketed his phone and gripped the gun he'd borrowed from Adjan, shifting it around in his pocket to make sure it wouldn't catch on anything if he needed to quickly draw it, and halted, turning around to face the two Magi, "Alright, you two, before anything unpleasant for you happens, I have incoming backup and I'm prepared to offer you a clean escape. You look like you belong in a Labyrinth, but I can't tell which one - though under the circumstances, I would guess you are of Abigail's lot."

"What a well informed fellow you are."
The older of the two magi said and glared at you, his eyes darted around the hallway, clearly considering his chances in a fight, and it might not be you he was worried about but rather the massive amount of Paradox someone like him would get in a place like this, sleeper witnesses was not a Nephandus' friend.
"Then again we are capable of inflicting a bit of unpleasantness ourselves, so you might want to consider taking your own offer."
He said then he grinned. The girl who might be younger that she first appeared just looked scared but she still grabbed at something inside of her jacket and stood ready, she looked at the other mage though and said something to him in the Nephandi language and the room was filled with the usual sound of cats being roasted alive, language itself being tortured. The older Nephandus never took his eyes fully off Colin but he snapped something back to the younger girl in the same language.

He quickly turned his signet ring toward the two, and started silently preparing a reflective shield, the phrase "Præcantatio repercuto" repeating at the back of his mind.

As you begun your rote you saw the girl's hands flash, she let go of whatever she was holding and whispered something while her slender hands moved quickly and while you feel reality beginning to respond to your will, suddenly that stopped and your beginning rote was blocked by this little slip of a mage. The girl only stood as tall as your chest, her hair was dirty blond or very light brown and it was about jaw length with a bit of curl to it and it fell into her eyes as she moved, one day the girl would be pretty but right now she was in that awkward middle point between a petulant child and a good looking young woman, her lips where full and pouty, her eyes where large and brown, her skin was pale and her button nose had a silver ring in it. The girl was wearing a tshirt with the picture of a black cat chasing a butterfly, a leather jacket and thorn jeans with a multitude of rings on her fingers and three silver hoops in each ear. The older man had very short, buzz hair that was dark, graying brown, a scar split one of his eyebrows and another marked his sharp lips, his eyes despite his dark hair and golden skin was ice blue. The older Nephandus was wearing a black coat over black pants and solid boots.

(OOC: Excellent spell you got there, to bad counter magick is a thing. )

[Adley]

"Just be careful mea filius, you are under allot of stress, we all are, and with meeting someone from your soul's past, well I do not doubt you will handle the situation well, you have been trained to control your emotions, but do be careful." The older mage said still sounding concerned.

Be careful. Those words again; he used them himself now. They stood for other words that they didn't want to say, or have time to say or frankly knew how to say plainly. He'd already parsed the first meaning of them, which was born of fear of loss. "As there may be only so much I can do to shift the orbits upon which this hinges, for good or ill, I would welcome advice if you have any. Elsewise, there is more to do than worry about something I will have to face that is not something easily prepared for in advance. I will be as careful as I can be," he said. With it came the feeling that he was still walking

"Very well I will send my imp for the details. Now are there anything you need from me or Steelhaven in hatching out such a strategy?"
Jeffry inquired.

"Not yet, other than the situation with the apprentice. I will keep you apprised if I do."

"If what we suspect have happened to her is true and then being thrown into a hellhole of a hospital I think it is safe to assume that her state will be poor, though how poor remains to be seen." Your mentor said and sigh

"Yes. Well, it seems that they think its us doing it to them...or so some of the gossip goes."

I agree the chances that the Nephandi have their fingers in this pie in some way or another is rather significant, it do not seam they have a presence there at least, or at least did not when the good doctor visited though off course this might have changed since then. I am always wary of assumptions mea filius and I will be careful.

Be wary. Same as be careful and the reply was like his - a reassurance that despite the danger, things would happen and precautions met as best possible. "Good."

"No that is not good. I am considering sending an imp to Cerebus and one to Horizon with warnings, through they have to be somewhat vague as we do not know who to trust, for Senex's apprentice and the young man you got the paperwork to save your Cabalmate from, they might be in greater danger than we first assumed."

He frowned. "Yes, I agree, there could definitely be danger for them." And it clicked why Madam Bachmier may have been targeted...to get to her son...it fit their preferred modus operandi and he should have made the connection already. Another thing to add to the message. They probably didn't expect her to fight them off, which was fortunate. He hoped Greg's Flambeau friend was standing vigil, at least if he was truly his friend. He hated to think that way, ill of anyone in his own House - and he did think the man seemed honestly protective of him.

"Yes he do know that trick, but he do not like it, I can usually talk him into it, but it takes a bit of negotiation, and as his mind is rather simple, those negotiations are not always easy." Your mentor said and sigh. "I do not like asking him to do something that makes him uncomfortable but I can see the point of it in this situation."

"It might be safer for him if he is not able to know; some protections for him might not go astray," he said, concerned that some other mage with an agenda might try to wring him for the message. "If you work that out, I will work on the other arrangements so that we can proceed."

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "You are wise not to want that knowledge..."

Colin smiled, "Oh, I'm sure you can inflict unpleasantness. However, with all the people present, there's a limit to the amount of unpleasantness you can create without some pretty horrid things happening to you."
He arched an eyebrow, shifted the gun in his pocket, and squeezed off a shot at the girl, "Very nice work, but I'm afraid I just ran out of acceptable options."

((OOC: Damn, she countered my counter. Clever girl. Too bad she's got no wards or anything up, unlike the man probably does... Dex + Firearms: 5,7,8,9 - four successes should suffice for a good hit. Hopefully, they accept the escape option now. ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley:

"As there may be only so much I can do to shift the orbits upon which this hinges, for good or ill, I would welcome advice if you have any. Elsewise, there is more to do than worry about something I will have to face that is not something easily prepared for in advance. I will be as careful as I can be," he said. With it came the feeling that he was still walking

"There is little advice to give, there might be strong emotions when you see him or there might be none, you might feel your Avatar shift in recognition or you might feel nothing and there might be throwbacks. My only advice is to steel yourself, be prepared for any emotion to come and accept that it is there but do not let it control you, if this had not been in the middle of a crisis I would have advised for meditation and calm to hear the voice of your Avatar in the matter but as there is little time for that, be prepared for just about any reaction, including a physical one, and try to stay on top of it."
The old mage said softly.

"Not yet, other than the situation with the apprentice. I will keep you apprised if I do."

"I will keep you appraised of that situation mea filius."

"Yes. Well, it seems that they think its us doing it to them...or so some of the gossip goes."

"It is an understandable conclusion especially since we would if we had caught them, though at least we would not do it on the street, nor leave them to linger in some hellhole of a hospital afterwards."
Your Mentor muttered.

He frowned. "Yes, I agree, there could definitely be danger for them."

"Yes...well it seams it will be a busy night for my imps."
Your mentor said but you could hear that he was concerned, he might not yet fully believe that a way to cleanse the Fallen could be found, but he did not want the two Traditionalists to be harmed, he had come quite a way in a couple of days from admitting to placing you with Beatrice in the hope you would win her trust and manipulate her into allowing herself to be Gilgulled to sending warnings to protect two others of her kind.
"I will increase security for you Cabalmate and brother as well, just to be sure."

"It might be safer for him if he is not able to know; some protections for him might not go astray," he said, concerned that some other mage with an agenda might try to wring him for the message. "If you work that out, I will work on the other arrangements so that we can proceed."

"I agree, and yes I will protect him."
Jeffry said then he sigh.
"I will try to convince my little friend then while you work on things in your end, you should probably inform someone at Morningstar that you are expecting a spirit messenger from me so no one see him as hostile and try to take him down."
Again your Mentor sounded concerned but there was little time for such sentiments.
"Is there anything further that needs to and can be discussed at this point mea filius?"
He asked you.

Colin:

Colin nodded, "You are wise not to want that knowledge..."

"Wise or scared shitless of, take your pick, wise do sound better though so let us go with that."
Mark said and grinned.

Colin smiled, "Oh, I'm sure you can inflict unpleasantness. However, with all the people present, there's a limit to the amount of unpleasantness you can create without some pretty horrid things happening to you."

The Nephandus groaned in acknowledgement at that, in a magickal fight with you in a place like that Paradox would soon overpower him while it would affect you far lighter.
"There are physical unpleasantness to be done as well you know Traditionalist."
He grumbled.

He arched an eyebrow, shifted the gun in his pocket, and squeezed off a shot at the girl, "Very nice work, but I'm afraid I just ran out of acceptable options."

You hit the young girl in the midsection, and she was thrown backwards like a ragdoll, screaming. As the shots go off you hears people shout in their apartments.
"What was that?"
"Shots where fired, honey hide in the bathroom with the kids I am calling the police!"
"What the fuck man did someone scream?"
"Fuck Mrs Brandson and her wonky shelf this is the third time this month it have fallen down delivering her pots and pans to the floor!"
"Ehm...that was not Mrs Brandsons pots and pans Monica that was a gun...I am calling for help."
At least you managed to get the attention of half the apartment building.

The old Nephandus pull out a weapon on his own, a gun that looked like it was home made out of pipe and whatever mechanisms had been tinkered together, the piece did seam to be quite deadly though, but not that accurate as the man squeezed of a shot at your head but it flew past it by about five inches and made a nice hole in a wall instead, something that earned you the pleasure of listening to some swearing in the Nephandi language, the man kept his weapon pointed at you though and he begun to pull away from you, police would soon get here so getting out was now a priority. The Nephandus moved back towards where the young girl lay on the floor to check on her condition.

(OOC: Poor little Nephandus, you can roll damage, also the Nephandus' firearms roll was just atrocious so he is very good at missing it seams.)

[Warpmind]

Colin smiled, "One of yours tried to gilgul me earlier tonight. You no longer scare me..."

After the shots were exchanged, he quickly ducked around the nearest corner, hissing at the ringing in his ears, "Get her out and try to save her, or stay and watch everything unravel... your call."
Then he sprinted away, up the stairs and made for number 74 as soon as he was fairly certain the Fallen wasn't following, and knocked on the door.

((OOC: Assuming I hit with three successes to spare - Jesus... 4, 7, 8, 8, 9, 0, 0. Let's just hope Tamara can be easily swayed, so we get out before the police make it...))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled, "One of yours tried to gilgul me earlier tonight. You no longer scare me..."

"Fucking Warden she always have to paw at everyone else's Avatars stupid bitch use a gun instead it is far more effective."
The Nephandus grumbled and made a pretty good guess as to who had attacked you.
"You are one of those responsible for the disaster at the Post Office then...well played asshole, my boss will skin you alive and then rape your dying carcass before hanging that ugly face of yours on the wall, but still, well played."
He muttered.

After the shots were exchanged, he quickly ducked around the nearest corner, hissing at the ringing in his ears, "Get her out and try to save her, or stay and watch everything unravel... your call."

The Fallen man grumbled as he checked on the wounded girl, you only hear little mewling sounds from her and not the screaming you might suspect so she was probably pretty badly wounded. You duck around the corner and the Fallen man is not following you it seams.

Then he sprinted away, up the stairs and made for number 74 as soon as he was fairly certain the Fallen wasn't following, and knocked on the door.

You get up to apartment 74 fairly quickly and no one appear to be following you, though there was quite a bit of a commotion in the building now. You knock on the door and after a while you hear a scared woman's voice from inside call out.
"W...who is it."
A single mother with a small child, she was not about to open the door for a stranger when there had been shots fired in the building.

(OOC: Again poor Nephandus what is it with Colin and shooting Fallen very effectively? )

[Warpmind]

Colin steeled himself, "Tamara? My name is Colin; Tian sent me - he's in trouble with some dangerous people, and he wants you and Egypt taken to a safe location. There's little time, you've got to hurry... He told me to tell you that you fell down the stairs while pregnant, and that Egypt was born with a broken leg. She had surgery when she was five days old, and you and Tian sat in the waiting room, playing cards for hours... Hurry, get your daughter and come with me; I'll take you to a safe location."

He quickly fished out his phone and read the message from Mark, then replied, "Get the car ready; police inbound, Fallen probably fleeing, persuading targets now."

((OOC: Perhaps the dice don't like their reality being torn apart?))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin steeled himself, "Tamara? My name is Colin; Tian sent me - he's in trouble with some dangerous people, and he wants you and Egypt taken to a safe location. There's little time, you've got to hurry... He told me to tell you that you fell down the stairs while pregnant, and that Egypt was born with a broken leg. She had surgery when she was five days old, and you and Tian sat in the waiting room, playing cards for hours... Hurry, get your daughter and come with me; I'll take you to a safe location."

The door slowly opened by a slender, pretty black woman with short, curly hair, a oval face and very large dark eyes, she was wearing a pink top and white skirt and she gave you a scared look.
"He really is in trouble is he not?"
She muttered.
"It is true I fell down the stairs just a few weeks before my due date and Egypt was born with a broken leg and had to go into surgery just a few days before she was born. I do not know what Tian is involved in...but one day he told me that if he ever had to send anyone with a message from him to me, he would tell that story but he would change one thing, and say we where playing cards for hours while we where waiting, while in reality we were playing that stupid dice game where you use five dice and try to get as many as possible...never mind that is not important, he said he would change that part of the story to let me know the one he sent really where from him...I always thought it paranoid, what the blazes are he involved with?"
Tamara said then the situation suddenly dawned on him.
"Fuck...are we in danger here...I need to get some things for the baby, some clothes and..."
The pretty young woman started to rush frantically around her apartment showing a blanket, clothes and other necessities into a bag.
"Come in...close the door...I will get Egypt..."
She muttered looking scared.

He quickly fished out his phone and read the message from Mark, then replied, "Get the car ready; police inbound, Fallen probably fleeing, persuading targets now."

You get a reply back with.
"Great, just our luck, very well I am ready to go here, be careful."

(OOC: Paradox dice. )

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "Lethal danger, and worse... No time to fetch supplies, just grab your wallet, Egypt, and to quote Arnold Scwharzenegger, come with me if you want to live..."
He listened carefully outside for commotion or police.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Tamara stopped her frantic search for blankets and clothes and for a moment she looked like if she was going to protest but then she nodded and rushed into another room and came back with a fuzzy toddler that had just been woken up. Egypt was cute as a button with dark curly hair in a ponytail held with a pink bow, her skin was golden brown and her eyes where large and unusually for someone that dark, green, the little girl was wearing a Disney Princesses pink nightgown and she was rubbing one eye sleepily with a plump fist.
"Mama I am sleepy."
She protested in a voice that still could not properly pronounce s sounds.
"You can sleep soon sweetie...just be quiet now."
Tamara said before she grabbed her keys and wallet of the hallway counter.
"Let us go..."
She muttered. From outside you hear the sound of sirens.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "Is there a back door - a fire escape or something, or do we have to go by the front entrance? The police are here, and I'd rather not bump into them right now."
Looking at Egypt, he smiled, "Hello, sweetie. Your dad wants you to be safe, that's why he sent me."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"There is a fire escape...but we can not climb down that with Egypt."
Tamara said then her eyes narrowed.
"The police, what did you do? What am I getting myself involved with here?"

Egypt looks at you and give a sweet smile.
"Where is my Daddy?"
She said slightly mispronouncing words then she looks at Colin more closely.
"You have coloring in lines in your face like in my books."
She announced she looked curious and reached out with a cubby little hand to touch Colin's face.
"And you are like my Daddy and me, you can wish for things."
She said and giggled.

[Warpmind]

Colin frowned and grimaced, "Bugger, then we'll have to sneak by... Ah, there was gunfire a few moments ago. The people Tian is in trouble with were here, too, and... shots were fired. If the police stop us, we'll risk being exposed to those same people..."
He sighed, "It would take too long to explain, suffice to say Egypt is her father's daughter, and that makes her a commodity for those people. You... would be considered excess baggage, I'm afraid - and that's an attitude I can't abide."
He patted Egypt lightly on the head, "Your daddy is hiding, I don't know exactly where, but he's safe for now. And yes, yes I do, I suppose... and yes, I can. And right now, I wish we get out of this without being noticed... do you think you can help me wish for that?"

He looked up at Tamara again, "Follow me - I may do some things that seem strange right now, but they'll make sense soon."
He fished out his Chaos Wand from the pocket and swapped the Prime monocle for the Correspondence-oriented one, mumbling off a quick incantation to show the best, lucky path to avoid trouble on the way, "Via libertatem exhibit..."

((OOC: Thank the Oracles for Coincidental magic, even if the tools are blatant... Arete roll for the Correspondence 1/Entropy 2 rote to find the quickest, safest lucky route outside comes to... 5,0,0. Awesome. ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin frowned and grimaced, "Bugger, then we'll have to sneak by... Ah, there was gunfire a few moments ago. The people Tian is in trouble with were here, too, and... shots were fired. If the police stop us, we'll risk being exposed to those same people..."

"Did you shoot someone Sir?"
Tamara said and raised an eyebrow then she sigh.
"Well I guess that is a thing to discuss when we are safe, Tian would not have sent you if he thought you would be a danger to Egypt, you can say many things about the boy, but he is a devoted father, that none can deny."

He sighed, "It would take too long to explain, suffice to say Egypt is her father's daughter, and that makes her a commodity for those people. You... would be considered excess baggage, I'm afraid - and that's an attitude I can't abide."

"Tian is...different is he not Sir? I do not know how but things happens around him, things I can not explain and...now the same things are starting to happen around Egypt."
The young mother said then she looked around fearfully and added.
"Thank you Sir, for helping us."
The young woman clearly did believe that they where in danger at least.

He patted Egypt lightly on the head, "Your daddy is hiding, I don't know exactly where, but he's safe for now. And yes, yes I do, I suppose... and yes, I can. And right now, I wish we get out of this without being noticed... do you think you can help me wish for that?"

"Yes I can Sir...I can...help you with that."
The little girl said and squeezed her eyes shut and made fists of her little hands and did an overly show of concentrating, just like some children did and she said.
"I wish for us to not be noticed."
Or that was what she was trying to say, probably, her speech was not that clear yet but she did have a good number of words for a three year old.

He looked up at Tamara again, "Follow me - I may do some things that seem strange right now, but they'll make sense soon."

"O...ok..."
Tamara muttered and she followed you out into the hallway.

He fished out his Chaos Wand from the pocket and swapped the Prime monocle for the Correspondence-oriented one, mumbling off a quick incantation to show the best, lucky path to avoid trouble on the way, "Via libertatem exhibit..."

You do feel just a little bit like a Dune navigator looking for the safest path but you start to get a strong intuition about where to go to be the least noticed, you notice as you get down a few flights of stairs that the older Nephandus have just abandoned the young girl and you see two cops gathered around her, one was on the radio to dispatch calling for an ambulance. Tamara gasped and put one hand over Egypt's eyes, luckily though the police officers where to busy with the wounded girl to see you and the young mother, you pass a few tenants around the hallways, but for the most part they where just turning around a corner or looking at their friends as they where fearfully asking what was going on as you passed them. Outside of the building there where two more police officers, but one just got a call from dispatch as you passed them and his partner was busy telling a group of scared tenants to get back to their apartment and lock the doors. By some lucky strike you manage to get through the building, choosing your steps exactly the right way so that you get to the car and Mark without the police noticing you. Apparently your rote works but you felt a little boost to it, a little boost from Egypt that had no idea about how to work in concert, but her little wish had helped.

Mark had the engines on the car running and he waves at you as you hurry towards him, at least he was ready to go so you could get out of here.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "Tian made a... terrible choice when he was twelve or so. He was in an incredibly bad situation at the time, but he's still a good kid. And yes, he and Egypt are a little different. Not in a bad way; far from it... but it means danger until she learns to protect herself. Danger from which you can't protect her on your own. And... ehh... yes, I'm afraid I did shoot one of those bad people. Terribly regrettable, but I had no option if I wanted to keep you two clear of them."

As he got to the car, he gently ushered Tamara into the back seat, sat himself down in the front and exhaled slowly, "Let's get back, Mark... Ah, Mark, this is Tamara, and her brilliant little daughter Egypt. Tamara, meet Mark, your driver for the night. Egypt, you did wonderfully."
He fished out his phone and called Joakim as Mark got the car in motion, "They're with us, safe for now... heading back at best speed, but there was a complication; one of Abigail's lot was shot, possibly still alive and being taken to hospital. The other... fled, it seems. He made a few empty threats, and apparently ran. Will be cautious of pursuers."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "Tian made a... terrible choice when he was twelve or so. He was in an incredibly bad situation at the time, but he's still a good kid. And yes, he and Egypt are a little different. Not in a bad way; far from it... but it means danger until she learns to protect herself. Danger from which you can't protect her on your own.

"I do not understand any of this Sir..."
Tamara said sounding confused.
"Tian is a good man, he is kind to his daughter and have always done right by me even if we where never together in a real relationship...what...are going on?"
She asked softly.

And... ehh... yes, I'm afraid I did shoot one of those bad people. Terribly regrettable, but I had no option if I wanted to keep you two clear of them."

"We better not get tangled up by the police then."
Tamara said but her eyes where big with fear and worry.
"Shit if I go with you I am going to be an accomplish..."
She muttered as she hurried after you.
"Shit...shit...shit..."

As he got to the car, he gently ushered Tamara into the back seat, sat himself down in the front and exhaled slowly, "Let's get back, Mark... Ah, Mark, this is Tamara, and her brilliant little daughter Egypt. Tamara, meet Mark, your driver for the night. Egypt, you did wonderfully."

Tamara got into the back seat and got Egypt into a seatbelt.
"Hello Mark."
She said and Mark nodded to her.
"Good evening ma'am."
He said and started their car and drove away from the apartment building and the police cars outside of it, one of the police officers glanced in your direction as your car left but there where just to many people coming and going, they could not stop them all.
"Hello Egypt..."
Mark said and the little girl waved at him then she giggled at you and strained to stretch so she could look out of the window as you drove. Tamara eyes you from the back seat.
"What is going on...that...kid you shot...she was just a girl...just a child...how could she have been any danger to me and Egypt?"
She asked angrily. Mark glanced at you and raised an eyebrow.
"You shot a kid?"

He fished out his phone and called Joakim as Mark got the car in motion, "They're with us, safe for now... heading back at best speed, but there was a complication; one of Abigail's lot was shot, possibly still alive and being taken to hospital. The other... fled, it seems. He made a few empty threats, and apparently ran. Will be cautious of pursuers."

You got a line in Greek that while you did not speak the language you had heard it from Chief Morgan plenty of times and you doubt it was something decent Greek mothers taught their daughters.
"Ok...so the kid and her mother is safe...that is good get them back here but yes be careful of pursuers. Do you have any idea about what hospital that Nephandus is being taken to? We are going to have to go and get them then before the Technocracy gets involved as they will just kill the Nephandus and then we have the same problem again a few years down the line. First things first though get the kid and her mother to safety."
Joakim ordered.

[Warpmind]

Colin sighed, "It's a larger, complicated world you are about to step into, Tamara... Normally, you would have been sheltered from it, but little Egypt makes that no longer possible, I'm afraid. Tian... was pressured to quite literally sell his soul to spare his teacher from torture. He's still a good kid, but he has not been treated well. As for being an accomplice, I don't think so. If anything, you'd be considered an abduction victim at most; the only significant difference being whether the subjectively good guys - me and my faction - or the objectively bad guys - the ones with whom Tian is in trouble now - reached you first."
He grimaced, "Nephandus, maybe fourteen or fifteen... but quite clearly sold on their cause. Tamara... I'm an RAF war veteran; one of the things I have been very well taught is to avoid violence if a better solution is at hand, but to execute the necessary course of action as completely and swiftly as possible. That girl was... to put it this way, how old does a child soldier have to be to fire a gun or throw a grenade? That's the sort of people we are up against; they have no hesitation to put brainwashed children on the front line, no second thoughts about kidnapping a little girl to pressure her father into killing and spying for them, and they are out to destroy everything. I... had no good options at that point whatsoever. Shooting her was merely... the least awful."
He nodded grimly to the phone, "I didn't have the luxury of lingering at the scene. As it is... I doubt the Union will get to her, either. To be honest, I don't think she could last until the paramedics arrive... We should meet you at the garage in... a little over twenty-five minutes, I think? You may have to, ah, explain the whole of the situation to the mother then."

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