[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: -
[07:24am] Quaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WrruFyhtVw
[07:28am] Quaker: Frances and KJ probably didn’t notice when Tommy kind of slumped over and stopped moving. He’s not the talkative type, after all - what’s one more night of not speaking up?
[07:28am] Quaker: They probably noticed when his chair started to scoot across the floor with an awful metallic scraping noise, though, since everyone started to look. So KJ might have seen the glazed over look in his eyes.
[07:29am] Quaker: They definitely noticed when his chair suddenly flung itself sideways, and he sprawled on the floor…next to Cav and Wilson?
[07:29am] VoxPVoxD: Hooboy.
[07:30am] banana: What, what are THOSE guys doing at the auction?
[07:31am] Crion|: Yo.
[07:31am] VoxPVoxD: That's a, uh. Where are we, exactly? What's going on?
[07:31am] Quaker: Some chairs go skidding out of the way when they crash onto the floor. A soft red spotlight descends on them from the ceiling. The Auctioneer taps his throat, and quickly mentions that sales will resume in a moment, please bear with us as we sort things out.
[07:33am] tom: Tommy Saldana wakes up on his back.
[07:33am] Quaker: Cav finds himself looking up into a familiar face.
[07:33am] Crion|: Yeah?
[07:33am] Crion|: Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhh.
[07:34am] Quaker: Trubee gently prods Tommy with her foot to see if he moves. “Hm.”
[07:34am] Crion|: Well, this is awkward.
[07:34am] tom: "Guh."
[07:34am] Crion|: "Hey there, kid."
[07:34am] Quaker: Then, she motions at Frances and KJ to come over.
[07:34am] banana: Well, it's not the face of KJ Valentine. She's invisible, because some shit is going down, and you want to start shit on your OWN terms.
[07:34am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson groans, mainly for effect, as he stands.
[07:34am] tom: "What the fuck," the nosferatu mumbles.
[07:34am] banana: She'll still follow the gesture, whether it was directed at Frances or whether this.. girl? can see her..
[07:34am] VoxPVoxD: "You should see the other guys."
[07:35am] Quaker: Frances: “Should we go-“. She realizes KJ has vanished. “KJ?” Frances walks over to the little crowd.
[07:35am] tom: "I think someone spiked the punch."
[07:36am] Crion|: To Wilson: "Ha. That's funny. You should see the other guys."
[07:36am] Crion|: "Anyone ever tell you you should go into TV?"
[07:37am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson snorts.
[07:37am] Quaker: Trubee: “Don’t call me that. You should come with me. You look like you could use someplace to recover.” She glances around at the annoyed faces of the other patrons. “Like, now. All of you. Including whoever’s cloaked themselves that I’m not remembering to address.”
[07:37am] tom: Tommy Saldana knows when he's been beaten, and so does not attempt to get off the floor.
[07:37am] banana: Just outside of the spotlight, KJ is trying to read this woman's aura as fast as possible.
[07:37am] tom: "What the fuck," he repeats, "just happened."
[07:38am] Crion|: Yeah, that sounds good to Cav. "Lead the way."
[07:38am] Crion|: To Tommy: "You ever see a show called the Magic School Bus?"
[07:39am] tom: "Yeah?" The Nosferatu sits up, rubbing his temples.
[07:39am] Crion|: "Real popular when I was a kid on public television. Sort of like an educational thing. Conceit was instead of using textbooks, the teacher was a wizard and her school bus would take them into outer space or inside a volcano or whatever."
[07:40am] Crion|: "Anyway, there's one episode where they get really, really small, and go inside the human body."
[07:40am] Crion|: "And long story short, it's alien and disgusting and they all want to get out as soon as possible."
[07:40am] Crion|: "Wilson and I just did that, but with my soul."
[07:41am] VoxPVoxD: Are we out of the big room now or are we having this conversation in front of all the weirdos?
[07:41am] Quaker: KJ can see the woman’s aura pretty easily. In the excitement, she hasn’t bothered to do much to hide it. Valentine can see swirling patterns of red and brown shift slowly into a light blue…all the colors are emphasized by bursting and tiny constellations of sparkles.
[07:41am] VoxPVoxD: All the not-us weirdos.
[07:41am] tom: "So what the fuck happened to me?"
[07:41am] Crion|: Cav won't start in on the PBS explainers until they're clear and it's just them and Trubee.
[07:42am] VoxPVoxD: I knew I should've stayed home today.
[07:42am] Crion|: Cav: "Well the good news is, you weren't with us. But that leaves a whole lot of other places you could have been."
[07:42am] tom: For his part, Tommy crawls over to something steady enough to support his weight before trying to prop himself up.
[07:42am] banana: That's not how auras work. What the hell kind of emotion is 'starbursts and swirling'?
[07:42am] Quaker: In front of all the weirdos. “Hang on,” says Trubee, bending over the new arrivals. She fastens plastic wristbands, the kind you see at carnivals and music shows, to their wrists, and the red spotlight goes away. Then, after having pulled Tommy to his feet, she leads them over to the side of the room, in front of a door that reads EMPLOYEES ONLY.
[07:43am] tom: "Thanks," is about all the nosferatu can muster.
[07:43am] Quaker: There’s a caged light next to it, glowing red. She takes out a key and puts it into the door’s lock, turning it. The light goes green, and then she pulls it open and motions for them to go through.
[07:44am] VoxPVoxD: Hopefully she actually works here and didn't lift that key off somebody.
[07:44am] banana: Ultimately, in the Brilliant Court you learn to kind of go with it. KJ's not going to bother remaining hidden since Frances and the others are clearly being.. collected.. for some purpose that likely includes her anyway. There's too many of them to actually be in danger, except from their own Beasts snarling.
[07:45am] VoxPVoxD: How many of us even have audible Beasts? Like, two? One of whom is Ma's kid?
[07:46am] banana: KJ, appearing as she passes through the doorway: "This should be more surprising."
[07:46am] Quaker: Trubee: “Watch your step.”
[07:47am] Quaker: They should, too, since it’s a very short flight of metal stairs from the door leading down to asphalt, and a…parking lot.
[07:48am] tom: Tommy stumbles down the steps after Trubee, pausing for a moment to collect himself before continuing: "So uh, what.. what the fuck was that?"
[07:48am] Crion|: Cav: "Magic."
[07:48am] Crion|: To Trubee: "It was some kinda magic, wasn't it?"
[07:48am] banana: "She's no Kindred."
[07:49am] banana: "..of ours, anyway."
[07:49am] tom: "Okay, yeah, but is it bad form to come back into a party after everyone's seen you passed out in a closet?"
[07:49am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Depends on the party."
[07:49am] Quaker: Trubee: “Huh? How should I know?” She waits until the last of them have passed through the door, and then closes it behind her.
[07:50am] Crion|: Cav rolls his eyes.
[07:51am] banana: KJ: "Have we participated in some sort of spiritual rescue? What were we, homing beacons? What are you?"
[07:51am] Quaker: The little party is standing in an empty parking lot, lit only by a distant set of streetlights running down its center. A good half-mile off, they can see the beach and ocean. It’s very quiet out here. The only sound is crickets and waves.
[07:53am] Quaker: They’ve just come out of what looks like an enormous and run-down RV. On the back, items like folded card tables and bone white plastic patio chairs are held in a big rope net. Someone’s nailed an amateurish painting of the beach at sunset next to it.
[07:53am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson looks back at the RV.
[07:53am] VoxPVoxD: "So, uh..."
[07:53am] Crion|: Cav: "I guess my main concern is figuring out just how far out the ripples from what just happened in there are gonna go."
[07:54am] Crion|: "Unfortunately, I've got no fucking clue what that is."
[07:54am] Crion|: "And my guy who knew those sorts of things skipped town a few months back."
[07:54am] Crion|: "So I'm flying blind."
[07:54am] banana: You know what would be a good accompaniment to crickets? Answers!
[07:55am] VoxPVoxD: How's the mortal girl holding up? She seem stressed? In over her head?
[07:55am] tom: Tommy stares back at the RV: "You know what? I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of being weirded out by this."
[07:56am] Quaker: Trubee: “Hold on.” She puts her key back in the door, and - another caged light is out here, and it turns from red to green again when the key is inserted - grabs hold of a lever next to it. She pulls, and a little icon next to the keyhole spins, going from a bag of money with a dollar sign on it to a picture of two swords crossed. She pulls again, and the icon changes from swords to a stylized hamburger. She pulls another lever next to the first.
[07:56am] VoxPVoxD: That's pretty good.
[07:57am] banana: KJ: "'Howl's Moving Castle'."
[07:57am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Ha."
[07:58am] banana: A brief smile. "Okay, does anyone know who she is?"
[07:58am] tom: Tommy, bent over, clutching his stomach: "No."
[07:59am] Quaker: The panels of the RV closer to the driver’s window start to spin like a slot machine, whirling and blinking until they slow and settle on a glass screen plastered with pictures of food and menus. WE TAKE DEBIT is pinned up next to the window for the cash register. Immediately, they can smell onions cooking on a grill. Trubee takes the key back out and puts it in her pocket. “Okay. Sorry. Chairs are back here if you want to sit down.” She points at the chairs and tables in the rope net.
[07:59am] Crion|: To KJ: "Yeah. Yeah, we've met."
[07:59am] Crion|: "Played pool against her once."
[08:00am] Crion|: "She's human, but she's not mortal. Or she's mortal, but she's not human."
[08:00am] Crion|: He shrugs. "She's a wizard or something."
[08:00am] tom: Finger guns. "Into it."
[08:00am] banana: KJ sits on a table. "You know some really weird people, Cavanaugh. Like, you realise this is why half the city is having you watched, right?"
[08:01am] Quaker: The mortal seems fine. She sits down in a patio chair. “So…feel free to chill out here for a while. I can’t let you back in to the auction tonight. But you’re not banned or anything.”
[08:01am] tom: "Why," croaks Tommy as he collapses into the plastic chair across from Trubee.
[08:01am] Crion|: Cav: "I could do without people telling me how great my social life is right now. No offense to present company."
[08:01am] tom: "I mean, it's like.."
[08:01am] Crion|: Cav: "Speaking of which. Been awhile, Trubee."
[08:01am] Crion|: "You, ah, been in touch with Rollie at all?"
[08:02am] Quaker: Trubee: “Hello.” She doesn’t seem especially happy to see him. But she doesn’t seem unhappy, either.
[08:02am] tom: "What grim shit just happened to me? Am I having visions or am I being hazed on night one of the monster mash auction party?"
[08:02am] Quaker: “Oh. Um….not really. Just letting each other know we’re okay, occasionally.”
[08:03am] Crion|: Cav's smile is polite but forced. "Glad to hear it."
[08:03am] Crion|: "So that auction in there, was that one of ours or one of yours?"
[08:04am] banana: To Frances: "I hope there wasn't something you really wanted to buy."
[08:04am] tom: "I didn't even get to see what was for sale."
[08:04am] Quaker: Trubee looks at Tommy: “What? We don’t haze customers.” She looks back at the window where aromatic smells are coming out. “There’s food if you guys want it. I, uh…well, they just have tacos and stuff. No blood.”
[08:05am] Quaker: Frances is startled out of thought. “Oh, no!” she replies, excited. “This is much more interesting.” She grasps Tommy’s arm. “Did you see something?”
[08:06am] banana: KJ: "I prefer avec-sang, but thanks."
[08:07am] Quaker: Trubee: “It’s just a job. I’m pretty sure my boss has all his paperwork in order. But they’re not, um…they’re not wizards. I am, though, yeah. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. We get all kinds, though. You saw.”
[08:07am] banana: If this is the degree of answers the wizard(?) is going to share, she's getting a phone out to look up where they even are on GPS.
[08:08am] Quaker: They’re on a beach between San Clemente and Dana Point.
[08:08am] tom: Tommy looks down at his arm and very gently attempts to tug himself free without allowing any of his skin to slough off in the woman's grip. "I mean, look, that's pretty personal."
[08:08am] Quaker: Trubee: “So…why did you suddenly appear in a private auction? It’s warded against teleportation pretty well.”
[08:09am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson sits down with a tray of tacos. He hasn't eaten solid food in a while, and not sober since he died. "Tommy let us in. Would be my guess."
[08:09am] Quaker: Frances lets him go but stays close. “But…you did see something, didn’t you? Like in- oh! Your hands…they’re bleeding…” She motions at his wounds.
[08:10am] tom: "Holy fucking shit."
[08:10am] VoxPVoxD: Does Tommy have stigmata?
[08:10am] banana: Could be worse. WHAT is happening to Saldana though? Has he caught this same weirdness-magnet issue?
[08:10am] Crion|: Cav just stares at Trubee. "You know I don't want to appear ungrateful but as it turns out I'm feeling a little bit ungrateful. I don't mind if you're running game in my backyard -- you've got no cause to respect our territorial ambitions -- but given that none of the dead people in this room know how to Star Trek ourselves around California, I'd like a straight answer to this
[08:10am] Crion|: question: are your people fucking around with forces you don't understand in my neighborhood?"
[08:11am] Quaker: It looks like someone has taken a giant three hole punch to his palms at the moment. Or he ran into an accident with a hydraulic press that wouldn’t quit.
[08:11am] Crion|: "Because you're right. People don't teleport."
[08:11am] VoxPVoxD: Yikes.
[08:11am] tom: "Gahhhh," the nosferatu burbles, his hands shaking, stumbling out of his chair.
[08:11am] Quaker: Trubee: “By ‘my people’, do you mean other wizards? Or the people I work for?”
[08:12am] VoxPVoxD: "Deacon?"
[08:12am] tom: "It's okay, I'm okay, just a second here folks." He takes one hand in the other and massages his palms. "Should be going away any minute now."
[08:12am] VoxPVoxD: Is he getting worse or is he just still recoiling from how unbelievably fucked this all is?
[08:12am] Crion|: Cav: "I'd please ask you to answer the first, then the second."
[08:12am] Crion|: "A straight yes-or-no will do."
[08:12am] Crion|: "But it's been months since we've seen each other and this is a hell of a reintroduction."
[08:14am] tom: The Deacon somehow didn't seem to notice the injuries on his hands until Frances pointed them out.
[08:14am] tom: "Okay, so, that part of the vision was real."
[08:15am] banana: KJ: "The rite you used to still whatsisname's blood. Can you perform it on yourself? Maybe with help?"
[08:15am] banana: "You know, the fucker with the sack head thing.. like, the dead birds in the bowl."
[08:16am] tom: He continues to press his palm between thumb and forefinger as the holes shrink and fill into a twin set of divots on the Deacon's palms.
[08:16am] Quaker: Trubee: “I mean. I’m not the wizard police. But I think I’m the only one south of Anaheim and west of Corona at the moment. So no. And I don’t think my bosses are doing anything they don’t usually do. But who knows? They’re pretty private.”
[08:17am] tom: "I'm gonna have to talk to my boss about this," Tommy grumbles. "I'm pretty sure I just had some sort of epiphany."
[08:17am] Crion|: Cav sighs and closes his eyes. "Okay. Thank you."
[08:18am] Crion|: He pauses. "Should probably talk to the werewolves, too."
[08:18am] tom: Looking at KJ: "What, the thing with Sponger?"
[08:18am] banana: "Yeah, is this.. not the same kind of perpetual bleeding as that?"
[08:19am] banana: KJ: "It's getting hard to keep track."
[08:19am] Quaker: Trubee: “How’s the whole Vampire Cop thing going?”
[08:19am] tom: "I don't think this is the same thing." The divots in the man's palms shrink and smooth over. "I... I mean, maybe?"
[08:19am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "That was a curse. This was a blessing."
[08:19am] tom: "Probably not."
[08:19am] Crion|: "You know what's really fun though, you guys."
[08:20am] Crion|: Cav's voice doesn't sound very fun.
[08:20am] VoxPVoxD: It'd be worse if it did, probably.
[08:20am] Crion|: "If it turns out that was all us -- just pure weird vampire horseshit -- you've got a case of a Chrysalis crossing streams with what I assume is either Theban Sorcery or some second-order sort of blood magic."
[08:21am] Crion|: "I mean, right? We were able to see and hear Tommy in my soul, looking out."
[08:21am] Crion|: "He was the door we left by."
[08:21am] Quaker: Trubee: “Sorry, I’m being rude. Who are all of you? I’m Trubee. I’m a w-“ She thinks. “Well, I guess you could say I’m a wizard. But that’s, you know…” She waves her hand. “Other people’s names for what you are. I’m sure you know” She gets up and returns a few moments later with a styrofoam cup of horchata.
[08:21am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I guess the soul is the soul no matter how you get there."
[08:21am] Quaker: Frances: “What’s a Chrysalis?”
[08:21am] VoxPVoxD: To Trubee: "Wilson Frost."
[08:22am] VoxPVoxD: He'd offer her a hand but he's dual wielding tacos.
[08:22am] VoxPVoxD: Instead he offers her a taco.
[08:22am] Crion|: To Trubee: "Hey there, Trubee. I'm Baron Clinton Cavanaugh. Yep, got a promotion."
[08:22am] tom: "Tommy. Tommy Saldana," He's rubbing his palm absently. "Can you even eat those?"
[08:22am] Quaker: She takes it. “Don’t worry about the bill, by the way. On the house. Get whatever you want.”
[08:22am] VoxPVoxD: "That's kind of you."
[08:23am] Quaker: Trubee: “Can I?” She shows him that yes, she can.
[08:23am] banana: KJ: "KJ." She's trying not to be jealous of this woman's spotlight-grabbing capabilities, but they're so literal.
[08:23am] Quaker: Frances nudges KJ. “What’s a Chrysalis?”
[08:23am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson's already eaten one. "I don't usually eat sober. But it's been a long night."
[08:23am] Crion|: To Frances: "You know how caterpillars turn into butterflies via coccoons? It's a coccoon for the soul. Specifically, the Beast -- when you're in Chrysalis, you're like, directly editing the nature of your vampirism."
[08:23am] VoxPVoxD: "Carnitas here are pretty good."
[08:23am] Crion|: "Beyond that is probably above your pay grade."
[08:24am] Quaker: Trubee: “Now who’s doing stuff they don’t understand?”
[08:24am] Crion|: Kind of remembered the whole "secret society" thing a bit too late.
[08:24am] VoxPVoxD: Eh. It happens.
[08:24am] Quaker: Frances: “So what did you edit?”
[08:25am] VoxPVoxD: "That's kind of a personal question, isn't it?"
[08:25am] Crion|: Cav: "I'm constantly doing shit I don't understand, Trubee, but you have my cellphone number and you know where my office is if you have questions about it. I'm just asking that we keep our lines of communication open if we're going to be bumping elbows in Dana Point."
[08:25am] banana: KJ mumbles a blatant falsehood about all being on the same paygrade, but listens.
[08:25am] tom: Tommy, for his part, returns from behind the RV with a burger.
[08:25am] tom: "Fuck it, man."
[08:26am] VoxPVoxD: "There it is."
[08:27am] Crion|: Is there some secret codephrase or sign that LA Ordo members know to give each other to tell who's in and who's out?
[08:27am] Quaker: There isn’t, as far as Cav knows.
[08:27am] Quaker: Trubee shrugs. “I just work here.”
[08:28am] Crion|: Seems like we should work on that.
[08:28am] Crion|: To Frances: "What's your rank?"
[08:29am] Quaker: She hesitates. “Hey, it should go both ways, right? What’s going on in San Francisco? I keep hearing weird stuff, but nobody really seems to know what happened.”
[08:29am] Quaker: Frances: “In what? I’m a Baron…”
[08:29am] Crion|: Cav: "Yeah, well, you and me both."
[08:30am] Crion|: To Frances: "Not the answer I was looking for, I'm afraid. If you can answer that question, then I can answer yours. Until then, I've already said more than I should."
[08:30am] banana: KJ turns her attention back to the 'wizard' sharply. "San Francisco?"
[08:31am] Quaker: Frances nudges KJ: “What’s he talking about?”
[08:31am] Quaker: Trubee puts her feet up on the card table, which falls over. “Yep. Frisco. The Big Easy.”
[08:32am] banana: To Frances: "I don't know, I haven't managed to uncover all Cav's secrets yet. Should've kept his wifi password."
[08:32am] banana: To Trubee: "Well, do you want to know anything newer than four years old?"
[08:33am] tom: "Didn't the Carthians roll into S.F. a few years back?"
[08:33am] tom: "Dunno, haven't been."
[08:33am] Quaker: Trubee: “No, I mean what happened like…last month. Maybe more recently.”
[08:35am] banana: "No idea, then. Hopefully it was disruptive."
[08:36am] Quaker: Trubee: “That’s the sense I got.”
[08:36am] Crion|: Cav: "When it comes to court business, they might as well not have invented telephones yet, let alone the internet. We don't hear what's happening in San Francisco until months afterwards."
[08:36am] Crion|: "Could try asking the secret police, if you can find them."
[08:36am] Quaker: She sips her horchata for a moment. “Oh, you meant like in the tech way. No, I mean like…bad disruption. It was bad.”
[08:37am] Quaker: Trubee: “Are any of you in the secret police?”
[08:37am] Quaker: Wilson’s phone rings.
[08:37am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson checks it.
[08:37am] tom: Tommy: "Uh yeah, got me."
[08:37am] VoxPVoxD: Who's calling?
[08:37am] Quaker: It’s Blythe.
[08:37am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I gotta take this. Excuse me."
[08:38am] Quaker: Trubee: “Okay. So what happened in San Francisco?”
[08:38am] Crion|: Cav: "He's not being serious."
[08:38am] Crion|: Cav turns to look at Tommy. "Tell me you're not being serious."
[08:39am] banana: "We'd be talking, like, the Carmelite secret police."
[08:39am] Quaker: Trubee: “Are they still a thing?”
[08:39am] banana: "That's not VERY secret, or at least not very police. But if you know something cool and want to share, we're basically having a weird nightanyway.."
[08:39am] VoxPVoxD: He'll head around out of earshot (unaware that some people can just psychically spy on cell signals). "Evening."
[08:39am] tom: Tommy has a burger half-wedged into his mouth, revealing an entire row of needle-like upper teeth. "Nhhh, shhry."
[08:40am] Quaker: Blythe: “Hello, Wilson. Are you having a pleasant evening?”
[08:40am] tom: "I wanted to be the one dropping bombs for once."
[08:41am] tom: "Nobody tells me anything, man! I live in a basement, dude."
[08:41am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Not really. You could call it 'interesting', maybe. How are you?"
[08:41am] Quaker: Trubee: “Oh. I’m getting the sense that maybe I know more than you do about this.”
[08:42am] tom: "I'm dumb as shit, friend."
[08:43am] banana: KJ: "I mean. You seem to be basically aware that we're undead vampires, right."
[08:43am] tom: "Yeah uh, we're cool, right?"
[08:43am] Quaker: Blythe: “I’m doing well, thank you. I have good news!”
[08:43am] tom: "You're not gonna like, tell anybody about that, right?"
[08:43am] Crion|: Cav meanwhile is on his phone, texting Santiago, the last guy he has who passes for a friend in court life that isn't in the room here with him.
[08:43am] banana: "Due to various vampire things, we have pretty segregated territories and SF's a long way away. Also it hates us."
[08:43am] Crion|: He's trying to run down this San Francisco thing. Has Santiago heard anything?
[08:43am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I would love some good news."
[08:44am] tom: "I'm just saying that like, officially, we're not supposed to talk to people about that, y'know?"
[08:44am] tom: "But if we're all on the level, here.."
[08:44am] banana: KJ: "I think tonight is a holiday from normality."
[08:44am] Quaker: Trubee: “Huh? Oh, yeah. No, I know about it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone.”
[08:45am] Quaker: Santiago: <Hold on let me ask teresa. weve both been kind of keeping our heads down so idk if shes heard anything>
[08:45am] tom: Tommy raises his arms. "It's cool, you know. I mean.. I've always wanted to just tell someone, you know. Be all just like, 'Psyche, assholes!"
[08:46am] Quaker: Blythe: “You sound like you could use a vacation. Somewhere tropical, with nice beaches.”
[08:47am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Ohhhhh yes."
[08:47am] banana: KJ isn't interested in eating tacos but the smell is kind of nice. Reminds her of college. "So how did you become a wizard exactly? Do you have to get bit by another one?"
[08:48am] tom: "But ah, you know," murmurs the Deacon while wiping his chin with a napkin. "Frowned on,"
[08:49am] Quaker: Blythe: “Well, that’s the good news. I might have volunteered you for some relaxing sinecure duty.”
[08:50am] Quaker: Trubee: “Nobody knows. It’s kind of a lottery thing. People have their theories.”
[08:52am] tom: "Lucky."
[08:52am] banana: KJ: "Is it? Surely there are some mystical drawbacks, deadly banes and stuff like that."
[08:52am] Quaker: Santiago: <some kind of comms blackout? they haven’t assigned a new ambassador up there since abigail gannon came back. thats odd>
[08:53am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "When and where? I'll start walking on the highway now if I have to."
[08:53am] Quaker: Trubee: “Well, kind of. Reality doesn’t really…mesh…with what we can do. Well, you know. ‘Reality’.”
[08:53am] Crion|: Cav: <yeah, seems to be the case all over. i've got our old wiz kid friend Trubee here asking what we know. caught me flatfooted>
[08:54am] Quaker: Santiago: <oh nice. tell her me and teresa say hi>
[08:54am] VoxPVoxD: "What's the bad news? That affects whether I walk into or with traffic."
[08:56am] Quaker: Wilson can practically hear Blythe wind the landline’s cord around her finger and smile. “Don’t joke. There isn’t any bad news, for once. But that’s all I’m going to tell you. The rest you’ll have to find out. Oh! Don’t forget to ask Modjeska for help once you’ve gotten the job. You should be hearing about it any second, the meeting just ended. I have to run, actually.”
[08:57am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Aww. Alright. I'll talk to you later."
[08:57am] banana: KJ: "You've got scarequotes on reality there. We kind of need that stuff."
[08:57am] Crion|: Cav: <sure thing>
[08:58am] Crion|: Cav: "Santiago Aguilar and the Baroness Modjeska extend their greetings, Trubee."
[08:59am] Quaker: Trubee: “It’s just that…you know how after you were embraced, you kind of gained a new superstructure for understanding the world? It’s like that. Oh, nice. How are they?”
[09:00am] Quaker: “Hey, by the way, you said you were messing with your soul earlier? Were you, uh…what exactly were you doing? Like, did you expect certain effects, or…”
[09:01am] Quaker: KJ, Cav, and Wilson’s phones ring.
[09:02am] Crion|: Cav: "Yeah. I was--"
[09:02am] VoxPVoxD: There it is.
[09:02am] Crion|: He looks around the room.
[09:02am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Wilson."
[09:02am] Crion|: "Well, shit."
[09:02am] banana: To Frances: "It feels like a glimpse of an alternative fraternity, doesn't it? Some loose grouping of weird and arcane people which doesn't center solely around our rites and factions. I wonder how many have glimpsed this-"
[09:02am] Crion|: Cavanaugh: "Cavanaugh."
[09:02am] banana: KJ: "Anaheim."
[09:03am] Quaker: Trubee whispers to Tommy while the others take their phone. “Did Cavanaugh and that one-“ she indicates Wilson - “have some kind of…bond, before?”
[09:04am] Quaker: Rosa Isaacs is on the other end of the line. “Good evening, Barons. Are you able to speak freely at the moment?”
[09:04am] VoxPVoxD: Are we all being conferenced?
[09:04am] Quaker: Yeah, it’s all one call.
[09:04am] VoxPVoxD: In that case Wilson'll walk over to the others, still on the phone.
[09:05am] Crion|: Cav: "Trubee, we need the room. Sorry."
[09:05am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "What's the call, Seneschal?"
[09:05am] tom: Tommy glances at Trubee, then at Clinton Cavanaugh before shaking his head.
[09:05am] Crion|: To Rosa: "Frances Yuan is here with us, is that acceptable?"
[09:05am] banana: KJ is trying not to laugh. "Just a sec, we'll get to somewhere private."
[09:06am] tom: "Should I, like.." Tommy offers to leave.
[09:06am] banana: She MUST be able to hear us through each other's phones. What an absurd night.
[09:06am] Quaker: Rosa: “Yes, that’s fine.”
[09:06am] VoxPVoxD: It's not the least absurd night we've ever had.
[09:06am] Crion|: Cav shakes his head to Tommy. "We've also got a Deacon with us."
[09:06am] Crion|: "Tommy Saldana."
[09:06am] Quaker: Trubee gets up. “Okay. We’ll be over there.” She takes Tommy and walks out towards the far side of the parking lot.
[09:06am] Crion|: "We'll send him out."
[09:07am] Crion|: "...Okay."
[09:07am] mattbaby joined the chat room.
[09:08am] banana: "Sorry about the echo, Rosa."
[09:08am] Quaker: Rosa: “I have a request for you the three of you. It comes from the Prince. It will take anywhere from one to two weeks and will require travel to another city. Is that something you’re all comfortable with?”
[09:09am] Crion|: Cav: "...What city."
[09:09am] Quaker: Trubee pulls a joint out of her pocket. “You want some?”
[09:09am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I could use a vacation."
[09:10am] tom: Tommy: "Hell yes."
[09:10am] tom: "Trust me, these people-" the Deacon gestures back over the beach toward the conference call- "they somehow find a way to make being dead even worse."
[09:11am] tom: "Don't get involved in it."
[09:11am] Quaker: Trubee: “Oh, right, fire. Um…hold on a sec.” She taps it with the tip of a finger and Tommy can feel the air superheat itself around the joint’s end. Without any visible flame, it starts smoking. Trubee takes a hit and passes it along.
[09:11am] Quaker: “Yeah? How’s the whole, uh…religion thing going? You’re with the Vampires for Christ, right?”
[09:11am] tom: "Can I pay you to follow me around."
[09:12am] banana: The Prince. Then either it's something KJ doesn't need to report or, she's suspected more recently, something she shouldn't report. Depending on who really works for whom. There's the other side of all this shit. ..she forgot to actually answer! "Yes, it should be ok. Particularly if we've got time to delegate ongoings."
[09:14am] Quaker: Rosa: “San Diego. I won’t bore you with the details before you accept, but we’d like to have more representatives at the signing of several treaties and the following social engagements, as a gesture of trust and goodwill. You’d only need to stand there and be polite at a party. And in the meantime, you’ll have diplomatic status and the rest of your time to yourself to do as you like.”
[09:15am] Quaker: Trubee: “Sorry. I should be more respectful.”
[09:16am] Crion|: Cav: "Yes, that shouldn't be a problem."
[09:16am] Crion|: The last time Cav was in San Diego he shot up an office building.
[09:16am] tom: The Deacon exercises iron discipline as he hits the rollie, having reached the decision that he'd rather die than allow himself to show weakness in front of Trubee. He doesn't cough, but instead shudders and clenches his fists. "Oh, you know," He gasps, taking another hit.
[09:16am] tom: "It's going."
[09:16am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Are they gonna make me pray rosaries?"
[09:17am] tom: "We're trying to see if there's any appeal for, you know, basically the same gospel but with less murder."
[09:17am] Quaker: Rosa: “They certainly can’t make you do anything. You’ll be traveling as representatives of the Prince and the Court. It might be prudent to observe some local customs, of course.”
[09:18am] Crion|: Cav: "I'll look out for any helicopters."
[09:18am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Long as they don't burn me at the stake for being Jewish, I'm in."
[09:18am] banana: The three of us.. we were all frontliners in San Diego, weren't we? Nice message to send. "What is it, left shoulder-right shoulder-heart-forehead? No problems here."
[09:20am] tom: Saldana lets the wizard's words sink in: "You know about us, though?"
[09:21am] Crion|: Nah, Cavanaugh was, uh, special forces.
[09:21am] Crion|: Currently he's trying to remember if he left anyone alive that might hold a grudge.
[09:21am] Quaker: Trubee: “Just the basics. You meet all kinds of people around here.”
[09:24am] Quaker: Rosa: “Good. Of course, you’ll be allowed to take any retainers or helpers you wish. The Ambassador’s office will make all the necessary travel arrangements once you contact them. I don’t know if you’ll be comfortable bunking together in the Residence downtown. If you aren’t, you’ll have to find lodging on your own. What else…bring your armor, and formal dress. I’m sure you remember how they are down there. Oh, and…”
[09:24am] Quaker: Rosa: “The reward for this.”
[09:24am] Crion|: Bring his armor. Right.
[09:24am] VoxPVoxD: Is getting out of town not its own reward?
[09:26am] tom: "Figures," Tommy concludes. "You have any stake in that, or just curious?"
[09:27am] Quaker: Trubee: “Not really. I wasn’t raised religious.”
[09:27am] banana: KJ minimises her dialer app for a sec to tap out 'Surprised theres a reward tbh' and wave it at the others.
[09:27am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson just nods.
[09:28am] tom: "Shit, me neither." Tommy returns Trubee her joint. "But then, y'know, this happens."
[09:28am] tom: "I mean, having this happen to you is a bit of a shakeup."
[09:29am] Quaker: Rosa: “You’ll be given a permanent nightly stipend for three. And, because this trust carries certain responsibilities on your part, a tour of the Ventura facilities. As a promise of mutual confidence.”
[09:29am] VoxPVoxD: At this, Wilson looks at Cav, eyebrows up.
[09:29am] tom: He looks down at his mottled skin.
[09:30am] banana: "I appreciate it, Seneschal." We're great people to keep confidences and don't just go around telling secrets to 'wizards' all night.
[09:30am] Quaker: Trubee: “I guess. It’s hard to…” She looks down at the joint. “Different wizards have different ways of waking up. Some are less…agnostic than others.”
[09:31am] Quaker: “Do you know any sorcery yet?”
[09:33am] Quaker: Rosa: “Of course. The reward is conditional, though. I don’t expect you to have any problems, but the Prince also would like you to refrain from any kind of antagonistic actions. No blood if you spill blood unnecessarily. Self-defense is still perfectly acceptable.”
[09:33am] tom: Tommy is sullen: "We don't have a lot of people that can teach me, and they're pretty busy."
[09:34am] banana: KJ: "It will be interesting to meet some of the Sublime Court's people on dealing terms."
[09:34am] tom: "But I mean, that's... that's internal affairs, you know? Not supposed to spread that stuff around."
[09:35am] tom: "This is all off-record."
[09:35am] Quaker: Trubee touches her ear. “Sorry guys, you have to stop recording.”
[09:36am] tom: Tommy laughs. "For real?"
[09:36am] Quaker: Trubee: “No, not really. You guys are kind of paranoid, huh?”
[09:36am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson asks the question off the first page of the Invictus handbook. "Who's in charge? Are we reporting to someone or is it just us down there?"
[09:37am] tom: "Yeah."
[09:37am] tom: "You could say that."
[09:37am] tom: "I mean," Saldana continues, "I hear a couple guys we got can do real, no-shit miracles."
[09:37am] tom: "But if they could do that, we wouldn't be getting pushed around by the court, right?"
[09:39am] Quaker: Rosa: “Abigail Gannon has been the ambassador since relations have been re-established with the Sublime Court. Baron Cavanaugh met her predecessor. But her nightly administrative duties take up most of her time, so she rarely leaves the city’s downtown for anything except engagements where her presence is required. You can look to her and her staff for guidance and support.”
[09:40am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Gannon. Alright. Anything else?"
[09:40am] banana: KJ: "It's a show-of-status thing, so I'm guessing retainers are encouraged."
[09:41am] banana: Wilson had a Dora or something? She's never seen Cavanaugh with cronies..
[09:41am] Quaker: Rosa: “That’s it. Her people will inform you in more detail. I’ll send you all the number. Yes, retainers are welcome. Bring who you’d like, as long as they can wear a suit and behave.”
[09:42am] Quaker: Trubee: “Miracles are less effective than you might think.”
[09:42am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Sounds good. Thanks for the opportunity."
[09:43am] Quaker: Rosa: “Leave either tomorrow night or the night after. Have a good trip. Goodnight.” The line dies.
[09:44am] tom: Saldana chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so."
[09:45am] tom: "Why, you have firsthand experience?"
[09:45am] banana: KJ's already talking the moment the connection dies. "This is too many coincidences."
[09:46am] banana: "Don't get me wrong, you guys are great. I'm kind of looking forward to the trip. But there are.. factions acting here. Groups. Seeing us as a group maybe. Looking for sides to be taken."
[09:46am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson'll shoot a group text to Nora and Cora, who will (in zero and two minutes respectively) grab their phones off their nightstands to see the message and then let out a sigh of relief that Wilson didn't wrap his car around a telephone pole or something before going back to sleep. "It's a lot of coincidences."
[09:47am] Quaker: Trubee: “What’s a miracle? Being able to throw fire around? Lightning from your fingertips?”
[09:48am] banana: "Yeah, like: it's cool that you were hacking your souls or whatever-" actually it is not cool- "but that just happens to get some wizard's attention? Following on from this diary thing, and now we're being caught up in something which will keep us out of town and unable to pursue that?"
[09:48am] mattbaby left the chat room. (Connection closed)
[09:49am] tom: "I mean, yeah?"
[09:49am] VoxPVoxD: Next, Wilson is thumbing down his contacts list for TESS OKIENKA. "Assuming this order really is coming from the Prince, my guess is he's moving us out of the city for what he's decided is our own good."
[09:49am] VoxPVoxD: Aaaand call.
[09:49am] tom: "Although it's usually something more momentous, like... uh... fire that burns without heat?"
[09:49am] tom: "A bush that burns but never exhausts itself?"
[09:49am] banana: "Out of town while Cavanaugh has Count Long Beach's amnesiac-sycophants tucked away. It's not even- not even good or bad luck."
[09:50am] Quaker: Teresa picks up. “-Santiago, turn it down - Hello?”
[09:50am] banana: Is Frances still here? Fuck it, KJ has to trust someone to not be watching her.
[09:50am] banana: Well technically she doesn't. Keep that option open.
[09:50am] Quaker: Frances is still there, good-naturedly eating a burrito.
[09:52am] tom: "I mean, it's not about how it looks, it's about what it does."
[09:52am] tom: "Most miracles are meant to signal that, like, there is actually a heavenly father and He does, in fact, give a shit about us."
[09:52am] tom: "It's not just about being able to do cool shit, although it very much is."
[09:53am] tom: "You haven't seen anything like that?"
[09:53am] banana: KJ: "Hey. If someone storms Disneyland while I'm away, would you mind calling with a heads-up?"
[09:54am] Quaker: Trubee: “I have. Maybe. It might have been a hallucination from blood loss.”
[09:54am] tom: "Hey, well, that's at least as sane as what I just went through."
[09:54am] Quaker: Frances nods. “Do you want me to hide Bren’s lackeys for you while you’re away?”
[09:55am] tom: "I mean, like, I just remember feeling really.. at peace, like I was wrapped up in a big comfy blanket, and then there's like, holes in my hands."
[09:55am] tom: "I'm a member of the Church, so, obviously I have to take this seriously."
[09:57am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Tess! How are you? How's the fiance?"
[09:57am] Quaker: Trubee: “I know the feeling. Perfect belonging. Perfect understanding.”
[09:57am] banana: Seems like Cavanaugh's call, but KJ's definitely nodding at the idea. It'd totally do Frances some good to have something more dangerous to do than interior decoration!
[09:58am] Quaker: Teresa: “Both excellent, thank you. How are you, Baron? What can I help you with?”
[09:59am] Crion| left the chat room. (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[10:00am] tom: Tommy is quiet for a little while. "Yeah, well.. it's been real nice. Lot to think about, y'know."
[10:00am] tom: "Say uh.."
[10:01am] tom: "Why.. why didn't anyone tell me that you guys exist?"
[10:03am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I'm doing just fine. I got a call from Rosa just now. The Prince is sending me and two of the new barons down to San Diego as a diplomatic envoy. You heard about this yet?" He looks up at KJ and sees her intently focused not on Wilson, so he saves her the trouble and puts his phone on the table on speaker. "You know Barons Cavanaugh and Valentine, right? Laguna and
[10:03am] VoxPVoxD: Anaheim?"
[10:05am] Quaker: Trubee puts out the joint. “‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.’” She shrugs. “We don’t cross paths that often, I don’t think. Maybe we’re both too wrapped up in our own things to care about every other weird secret hierarchy.”
[10:05am] banana: KJ: "Hey." Who's Frost got on the line?
[10:06am] tom: "Hey, I can appreciate it. We all up in our own shit."
[10:07am] Quaker: Teresa: “Hello. Yes, I know them. No, I hadn’t heard about this. Why you three?”
[10:07am] tom: "Well..." Deacon Saldana stands. "If you ever need to talk to someone in our order, drop me a line?"
[10:07am] tom: "I got shit I need to do tonight."
[10:07am] Quaker: Trubee: “Sure. Are you guys hiring? I kind of hate this job. It’s just a bouncing gig, really.”
[10:08am] hrolf joined the chat room.
[10:11am] VoxPVoxD: "I couldn't guess, honestly," Wilson says. "Maybe he picked our names out of a hat. Anyway, we're going to be representing the Brilliant Court down south, and with Cavanaugh and Valentine being less established and me being me, a gesture of support from an old and respected family would go a long way to boost our credibility."
[10:12am] tom: Tommy chews his lip. "You know? I bet I could find you something."
[10:12am] tom: He lifts his cell phone. "Trade numbers?"
[10:13am] Quaker: Trubee waves her hand and his phone dings. “Done.” She checks her watch. “Shit. Can you guys get a Lyft or something home? I gotta get back to work.”
[10:14am] tom: Tommy is already gone.
[10:15am] hrolfy joined the chat room.
[10:15am] Quaker: Before he goes: “Just put the chairs back in the net. Oh, one more thing. Tell those guys to get that thing checked out. I don’t know if they know it, and I’m no expert of Fate, but it looks like something’s stuck their souls together. Might not be great for both if something were to happen to one of them.”
[10:16am] Quaker: She throws her cup and plate in a trash can, and then walks back to the RV, sticking her key in. The light goes green, she pulls on the lever until the icon shows the money bag, and then the RV shutters itself and she steps through.
[10:17am] Quaker: Teresa: “It might. I have family down there.”
[10:17am] hrolfie joined the chat room.
[10:18am] hrolf left the chat room. (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[10:18am] Quaker: “I mean, most of us do. Most of our luminaries spent time scraping by in San Diego at one point or another before establishing ourselves here. Of course, *my* family has always been established.”
[10:19am] hrolf joined the chat room.
[10:19am] Quaker: “Not literally always. But you understand my meaning.”
[10:20am] hrolfy left the chat room. (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[10:21am] hrolfie left the chat room. (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[10:23am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson winces. Hopefully whoever her family down there is is more like Tess than her sire. "Yeah?"
[10:26am] Quaker: “Yes. What does ‘a gesture of support’ mean?”
[10:28am] Quaker: “Wait, where are you staying in San Diego?”
[10:28am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "If you could get us an in with your relatives down there, a place to stay that isn't us all bunking in the Ambassador's residence, that'd work wonders."
[10:30am] Quaker: Teresa: “Hm.”
[10:31am] Quaker: “It might come with strings. Things are…complicated, down there.”
[10:31am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Any idea what kind of strings? I don't want to make commitments for the other Barons that get them pissed at me for the whole trip."
[10:33am] Quaker: “You know my sire. And my aunt and cousin. My relatives in San Diego are less straightforward. You might find yourself caught up in some plot. Or not. I don’t know. My…other aunt is a bit hard to predict.”
[10:33am] Quaker: “She’s a bit of a grey sheep.”
[10:34am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Weird's not so bad. Is she nice?"
[10:35am] Quaker: “Oh, don’t misunderstand - I love and admire her. But she has this maddening drive for intrigue and revolt. It can be a bit exhausting. She’s very nice, though. Not at all like the San Diego stereotype.”
[10:36am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "Well, I'll run it by the others, but that's no problem for me. I'm good at staying out of trouble."
[10:37am] VoxPVoxD: Not like he's ever consorted with traitors before. Haha.
[10:39am] Quaker: “How much do you know about San Diego, anyway?”
[10:39am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I know what everybody knows, I guess. It's never been my business to know more."
[10:42am] Quaker: “Mm. What ‘everybody knows’ often turns out to be hopelessly provincial. I suppose my aunt will get you up to speed. It’s a bit more complex than our caricatures. They have about half a dozen Princes and Princesses, to start. They answer to the Grand Prince, Iago Morales. In theory, anyway. If we’re neofeudal, they’re just feudal.”
[10:43am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "See, now I'm jealous. We should have princesses."
[10:44am] Quaker: “My aunt controls La Jolla, which is a rich little suburb north of the city. You’d be staying with her there. It’s a very pleasant place to relax. I was split between there and somewhere more exotic for the honeymoon, actually.”
[10:44am] VoxPVoxD: "That sounds nice. What's her name?"
[10:44am] Quaker: “How many do you want?”
[10:45am] VoxPVoxD: "All of em."
[10:48am] Quaker: “Elena Ignacia Maria Figueroa de Solano y Medina. I only ever called her ‘Elena,” or ‘Tia’, or “Princess Solano.’ Or ‘ the Princess La Jolla’, if we were being formal.”
[10:50am] Quaker: “Pretty exhausting. I only ever use two of mine, and I don’t regret it.”
[10:54am] VoxPVoxD: "Whew."
[10:59am] Quaker: “Of course, if something *does* happen, I’d hope that we could rely on you to help protect my family’s interests.”
[10:59am] Quaker: “Not that it would. But if it did.”
[11:00am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I figure that'd be the least we can do."
[11:00am] VoxPVoxD: "Especially since if we didn't, the Marquise would have words."
[11:00am] VoxPVoxD: The word 'swords' contains the word 'words' so this isn't technically a lie.
[11:01am] Quaker: Teresa laughs. “I don’t think she would. My mother and my aunt don’t get along very well. My *other* aunt, on the other hand…”
[11:03am] VoxPVoxD: Wilson: "I really appreciate this, Teresa. Can I call you back in a little bit?"
[11:04am] Quaker: “Well, I’ll call her and see if she can host a few visiting friends on an important trip. She has the space, certainly. Maybe not the time, though. We’ll see. I’m sure you’ll want to talk to the others. Call me back when you’ve made up your mind.”
[11:04am] VoxPVoxD: "Thanks a bunch. And hey, let me know the next time you're getting a movie night together. I miss you guys."
[11:05am] Quaker: “Of course. Goodnight.”