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 Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree As much as it would have been my preference to leave Leonard in an impenetrable array of wards, spell formations, and within an isolated plane of existence, I must, unfortunately, admit that I am attending the function tonight with him. The Soiree is already one of my least favorite of the Lighthouse's... strongly encouraged social events. But, being as I'm both on thin ice with certain wizards in good standing and also trying to prevent one of the founder's idiotic scions from getting abducted by one of the seasonal courts for his poor choice in writing material, it's particularly unpleasant this year. The sole saving grace is that my status as Leonard's plus-one has saved me from a night of sitting with stuffy, hidebound old men who don't understand the first thing about magical innovation and treat it as if its some sort of heresy. Instead, I'm to be sitting at a table of mortals. Artistic types, if I understood Leonard's hurried explanations in the car. I can't imagine my Magister would miss the event. Despite my... disregard for some of the Lighthouse's more formal approaches to magic, he is quite well regarded within the organization. He'll probably be sitting up near the leadership and other important persons of the city. Will I actually interact with him tonight? ...Perhaps. I'd imagine that will depend on how poorly everything goes. If there's nothing but interminable small-talk and socializing, likely not. Once I get inside... Hm. I suppose I'll need to work on — ugh — talking with some of the fae that my ward seems to have enraged. I'm sure I can get him out of my life by providing a protective talisman, but it will likely require items of personal import from the Summer and Winter courts at least. I'll likely want to get something from the Spring and Fall courts as well, just to be safe. I should also take a quick look at the table before Leonard decides to sit down on something that turns out to be a one-way passage to the Fae realm. You wouldn't think that they'd be bold enough to strike in such a public way, particularly at the Soiree, but his script is, apparently, the single most offensive account any mortal has ever penned. I realize, suddenly, that Leonard has been babbling about something while I was busy thinking of ways to save his life. It looks like it's almost our turn to be seated. I give him a long-suffering look and say, "I'm sorry, I must have been distracted. What were you talking about? Tricky fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Nov 30, 2017 |
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Nov 30, 2017 03:07
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:48 |
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree I make a vaguely agreeing sound as the rest of the group laps up his bullshit. I'm not terribly concerned as to whether he's as much of a self-absorbed ego freak as I figured him for or if he's being vaguely accommodating of my... foibles. Whatever. He's a job, I'm on the clock. He has all these hangers-on to stroke his ego and I'll be fine keeping him free of any faerie entanglements. Speaking of which, I still need to get my hands on some items of import from the courts. I suppose I could work on that another time, but wouldn't it be such an elegant solution to my problems? I could go socialize with people who are at least marginally capable of intelligent conversation and put this guard job even closer to being over and done with. I do let him do his chivalry... thing... and sit down without complaint. Small talk continues around me for a few moments while I tap out a quick message to one of my contacts on the Tribunal side of things. Carita was a handmaiden — though I wouldn't use the term to her face — in the Autumn court. She wasn't quite as fanciful as most of the seasonal fae tended to be and, more pertinently, she had quite a tidy business in acquiring fae items from their owners and distributing them to a more appreciative customer. If there was any chance of getting the items without — ugh — talking to faerie royalty, it was through her. quote:SidekickBOT - Last Sunday at 2:16 PM My phone buzzes immediately after. Excellent. It sounds like she's as sick of this nonsense as I am and can meet immediately. She suggests a bathroom firmly on the Fae side of the hall, I counter with one on the mundane side. We eventually agree on the one closest to my table. Stuffing my phone back into my purse, I say, "I'll be right back." I lean in towards Leonard's ear and add, "Important lead on a more permanent solution to your problem. Don't eat or drink anything until I get back. That might prove a one-way trip into the Hedge." With that, I get up and head to the bathroom.
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Dec 8, 2017 05:14
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree I laugh humorlessly and say, "Him? He's a job. Speaking of... Word is that you can get just about anything, Carita. What sort of personal bric-à-brac can you source me from Fae royalty? I need Summer and Winter, at least, but all four seasons would be ideal. Payment in pending favors or services rendered is preferred, but I can be flexible if you have something in mind." It would be ideal to get something of real personal power and import, maybe a token of a lost love or the metaphorical Key to their realm. I can be flexible, though, and cannot hope for too much. The door opens. Alex. Hm. It might be a bit of a problem for my clandestine dealings, but she may prove quite useful if a move is made tonight on Leonard. I look between Carita and her and say, "Can you give me a moment? I have something to ask you after I finish this conversation."
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Dec 16, 2017 02:17
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree There's a few things stopping me from completing the deal right now: First, Carita is clearly gouging me. I'm fine with a mark to get this guy out of my life, but two? That's simply irresponsible. Second, I don't have the proper tools with me to analyze what she's offering. I could likely stretch my considerable talents to properly identify the bark and ensure that it will suit my needs, but Carita is an acquaintance who I have no interest in demonstrating any hint of confusion or weakness in front of. I shake my head, "It's not that urgent. One mark for a more leisurely delivery? The personal request is fine regardless." I meet her gaze, my expression almost hinting at a smile. Almost. "I have no doubt of your sources or their veracity. You have always come through in prior arrangements, after all."
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Dec 20, 2017 02:48
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree The wording of her statement is of some concern, yes, but the situation precludes digging into the verbage with exacting detail. I will deal with whatever trials arise as they arise. In the meanwhile, I need to quickly liaise with Piper and return to my — ugh — ward. It would have been nice to be done with him sooner than not, but not at such a steep price. I will simply have to survive his company a while longer and ensure that nothing untoward happens to him. How hard could it be? I gather my things and step back into the corridor where Piper awaits. I say, "Piper. Here on work as well?"
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Dec 26, 2017 23:46
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree I shake my head, "Probably not." Piper was always a bit of an idealist. Not likely to understand the necessity for backroom — or bathroom — dealings with goblin smugglers. Still, handy enough with a gun. And given that something weird seems to be up... that may come in more handy than I would like. I motion at the hallway the guard disappeared down, "I don't like that. It doesn't feel right." Maybe I am being paranoid now, but that's part and parcel of guard work. I need this idiot to live through the night, at least long enough to give him the protective talisman, and get me back into the Lighthouse's good graces. "Where are you sitting tonight?" I slip my focus out, the reassuring weight of the fountain pen settling into my hand, and channel power into it. Not the usual display of might you might want to cow an enemy or potential threat, but something more subtle. I'm not about to wreck the Gala, even if I do think it's stupid, but if someone else does...? Let's just say I'll be ready. quote:SidekickBOT - Yesterday at 2:06 PM
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Jan 10, 2018 07:32
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree And then the shoe drops. I look over at Piper and say, "...Yeah, I think that's a little too exciting. I need to find my 'date' and make sure he doesn't get killed. Or worse. You're good in a fight. I don't mind if you want to team up, but let's keep this quiet for now. I'd rather see them than get surprised and caught in some crossfire." Putting action to my words, I begin moving back towards my table. It's a little rude to just assume she'll follow, but I suppose I can make it up later. If she brings it up. Lurking through the hallways, I make it back to the door that will lead out to the party proper. I open the door a crack and see what I can figure out without betraying my presence to whoever... or whatever... is out there. quote:SidekickBOT - Yesterday at 10:18 PM Tricky fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Jan 25, 2018 |
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Jan 25, 2018 22:45
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree poo poo. No time for a clever plan. I tug at the threads of fate surrounding Piper. I don't have time to explain the deeper theory behind it, but suffice to say that people will find their luck turning when they attempt to confront us. I don't know what these creatures are, nor why they seem to be interested in assassinating two harmless-looking idiots, but I have a job to do. I pull my glock out, thumb off the safety, and begin spraying fire at the one above Leonard. Spending all of my channeling hold on two uses of Area Shielding to give myself and Piper 2-armor for the remainder of the scene. quote:SidekickBOT - Today at 10:52 AM
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Feb 1, 2018 21:18
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree I bite out a very technical, very vehement oath when I see who's ended up next to Leonard. The poor bastard must have pissed off some ancient deity, as well as the Courts, because it was rare for someone's luck to be that bad. Trust me. I'm an expert. I need to think fast. I need to turn this steaming pile of excrement into an opportunity. In a voice that's not quite a shout, but very audible despite the din, I say, "Great Prince of Summer! Lend me your blade as we vanquish this foe!" Honestly, I don't care what he does as long as he gets away from Leonard. It'd be optimal if he dedicated himself to eliminating the doppelganger threat, of course, but I'm quite confident in Piper's capacity for violence... particularly when cloaked in my shielding. quote:SidekickBOT - Last Thursday at 9:48 AM
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Feb 20, 2018 00:46
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☐☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree Rolling with the brunt of the blow, Fate having intervened to make the flat of the blade the bit that impacted my defenses, I bring my pistol up, take a quick breath, and unload a series of shots into the amalgam beast. Of course, I'm more focused on taking it down than getting back up... and who knows where the next blow will come from. quote:SidekickBOT - Last Monday at 2:58 PM
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Feb 28, 2018 23:34
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree I spare the demoness a lingering glance as I slap home a fresh magazine in my Glock. It takes a moment, but I remember hearing a few people in the Lighthouse proper talking about her. Strangely complimentary about a low-level cartel enforcer. I don't know if she'll live up to the hype, but at this point... I'd rather have someone straight-forward like her in my corner than against me. I bring my gun up and say, "Please. If I was planning on slipping away, I'd have already done so." quote:SidekickBOT - Last Sunday at 5:14 PM I fire a few rounds into the horde, more for effect than anything. I don't think a pistol is going to be what takes them down. No, indeed, it would be magic that carries the day. My magic, probably, though the Fae courts did have their own mysteries. Now... I'd put a few clues together and come up with something approaching a workable theory. That invasion I'd been worried about? This was as close to the vanguard as anything else I could imagine. So... let them see what I'd become. Let them see what the Fatebreaker could do. They might just realize that they've awoken something that they'd really rather wish they hadn't. Opening my mystic senses to their limits, I can feel how wrong our opposition are. Perhaps someone with a less analytical bent would leave it at that, but I'm reasonably sure that this instinctual revulsion stems from some sort of base incompatibility between our plane's rules of existence, physics and the like, and their own. Perhaps that incompatibility is even what lets them shrug off so much punishment. Now, then, if I were to tie their fates inexorably to this plane, it may well cause them no little emotional distress to find that they are suddenly subject to rules as antithetical to them as they are to us. The actual working is simple enough. Though their lines of fate are almost as much of a wound as mine, I can weave the frayed ends into something of a binding line despite that. It may not hold forever, or even for long, but it doesn't need to. I call out to Sera, "Thin one, 3 o'clock!" Bringing my gun up in time with hers, I squeeze the trigger. quote:SidekickBOT - Last Sunday at 5:24 PM
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Mar 8, 2018 05:57
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree Alright, so my hypothesis was correct... at least as of this testing. The changelings, the invaders, seem to have largely isolated themselves from our laws of physics and other conventional truths. So it wasn't that our guns were ineffective so much as their own paradigm seems to have a very tenuous connection between physical trauma and decreased bodily function. Ideally, that working will give them second thoughts about relying on that sort of pseudo-invincibility. Though I must admit the work was of greater effect than I had anticipated. While I intended nothing more than an escape from the cordon, I seem to have started a rout. Blocking one path of egress: Piper. Blocking the other: my Magister. The philosophical underpinnings of this choice strike me like unto the trolley problem. Where, if I do nothing, one will live while the other dies. Or I could choose to intervene and shift the outcomes to the opposite. Here is where that conondrum fails: I can work wonders with Fate. And... have you had the opportunity to see Piper in a fight? I'd pity the crowd that took her for the easier path to survival. I'll just need to recharge my personal stores and ensure that my Magister shares the same reinforced defenses that I and Piper are still wrapped within. quote:SidekickBOT - Today at 10:49 AM The fabric is weak, now, and I doubt I can manipulate it any further without consequences that are best left unvoiced. Still... I clawed enough power away to bolster his defenses. It shall lie in their hands now, I've done all I can to help. Immediately spending both hold to give Dmitri +2 to whatever Armor he may have.
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Mar 17, 2018 20:05
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree At this point, it cannot be understated how little the Prince has endeared himself to me. I make a mental note to approach Carita or one of my other contacts about the possibility of securing materials necessary to create something of a magical restraining order. The lack of his presence around my person would be worth the cost. I move over to Piper and quickly ask, "...Did they make it out? Are they safe?" This isn't to say that I'm ignoring the Prince, no, but I have no doubt that Sera and my magister can handle him. The enforcer seems reasonably well inclined towards me after I helped them rout the shapeshifters and, naturally, Dmitri won't sell out a member's relative. Even if it would likely be the expedient choice.
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Mar 26, 2018 06:24
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: The Soiree Dryly, I respond, "I think he's somewhat disappointed that he couldn't run my... date... through in the chaos." Tricky fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Mar 28, 2018 |
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Mar 28, 2018 20:12
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +2 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel -1 | Tribunal +1 Harm: ☒|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: Back at the Sanctum Alright, so, I must admit... that went worse than I had expected. Leonard didn't die and I probably wasn't directly responsible for unleashing a plague of shapeshifting monstrosities working on an utterly foreign set of natural laws. In fact, I'll upgrade that to 'almost certainly wasn't.' Trust me, I'm an expert. ...That's my measured opinion if anyone asks, anyways. I can't maintain that same opinion in my own head. They knew me. They spoke to me. And the sheer scale... I don't think we have as much time before a full-scale breach as I'd believed. Ensuring Leonard's safety and regaining my standing in the Lighthouse is increasingly looking like a lower priority compared to, say, finding some method to repair the torn fabric of causality and fate that our visitors seem to be creeping in through. So, while I wait for my delivery of Fae supplies, I certainly investigate potential avenues and methods for repairing said breach. I cannot imagine it will be easy, but if I have some idea of how to accomplish it... Well, I'd imagine that would help move the conversations at this coming meeting towards being more productive than acrimonious.
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Apr 11, 2018 06:34
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:48 |
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Blood -1 | Heart +0 | Mind +1 | Spirit +3 || Lighthouse +1 | Queens Guard +1 | Brighton Cartel +0 | Tribunal +0 Harm: ☐|☐☐|☐☐ || Corruption: ☒☐☐☐☐ || Hold: None || Location: Back at the Sanctum The actual construction and enchantment of the protective talisman is hardly worth mentioning. I mean, I'm sure I could bore you with the finer points of the sympathetic magic that, functionally, repels Fae of the Seasonal Courts from the bearer while minimizing unnatural phenomena in their surrounds, but it'd really be better for everyone if you just take my word for it. It works, it's fantastic, and Leonardo's Fae troubles are a matter of the past. Now, as one may recall, it seems he has some issues with our changeling plague as well. I suppose that would be another, different job. Our terms are satisfied. I repeatedly drive that point home as I instruct him on the operation of the talisman. Don't submerge it fully in water blessed and/or otherwise sanctified by any religion followed by more than one-hundred thousand people. If you are taking iron supplements, stop. Don't expose it to temperatures in excess of 750°F for more than sixty continuous seconds. Don't, for that matter, get set on fire. And, most importantly, never take it off. Ever. For any reason. If you experience symptoms suggesting a transcendence of your mortal flesh, call me. Leonard's job has been completed and he owes me a debt. Once that small matter is taken care of, I can fully focus on the more looming matter of our impending extradimensional invasion. Certainly more personally intriguing than the construction of a warding talisman. Now, as much as I believe I am revolutionizing the study and practice of magic with a modern understanding of basic principles, I cannot help but suspect that others have walked this path before. Call it a hunch, as unscientific as the term is. Now I already know the Lighthouse doesn't have the resources I need. The Tribunal's motives are suspect at best, their antipathy also quite evident. That leaves the hedge magicians and the more down-to-earth types of the Queen's Guard. I've been in contact with a man who owns a shop near Corona. Warren Eden is a disreputable sort, a smuggler of the bizarre and arcane, but his stock hasn't failed me yet. He claims to have a tome written by pre-Hermetic religious scholars. Some sort of heretical sect of monks, if I'm understanding his attempts to upsell the material correctly. The treatise portends to tell of ways to manipulate the divine plan assigned to each as they enter this life. Normally I'd view that with no little skepticism, but my own experiences have aligned quite closely with the portions I've inspected for authenticity. And, of course, there is the matter of the coming meeting. While I certainly cannot count on my Lighthouse compatriots or those of the Tribunal, I do have a somewhat surprising new ally. Sera, that Cartel enforcer, has proven quite level-headed. And willing to return my calls. That counts for quite a bit these days. quote:SidekickBOT - Last Sunday at 6:49 PM At end of session, shifting Cartel up and Tribunal down. I'd say that finding out that the Fae were interested in stealing Leo for some sort of trade with the other side is pretty significant! Also, taking +1 Spirit as my advance.
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Apr 20, 2018 23:11
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