Announcement

**crapcarp** · 10-14-2016, 10:22 AM

[Before exiting Duel room]

"I know Moonstone's an... interesting character. But honestly, don't mess with him. He obviously doesn't take well to being manhandled. And if he can take on somebody as skilled in magic as Mathias and win. It might just be posturing, but something tells me he could eff any one of us up badly without laying a finger on us. Call it a hunch or Fate, but something tells me that he's got a Destiny with a 'D.' And those kinds of things are rarely preordained to end just for good or ill. But if you, Binder, Lynx and I work together, I think we can swing it in favor of his Destiny turning out well."

"I understand your concern, considering what happened," I whisper back, "But I was able to take out a spell of his right after it was cast. If he really was truly talented, wouldn't he be able to easily counter it or something? I think he got lucky, and the victory's gone to his head in either case. Maybe he does have a destiny or something. Don't you know Fate magic? Maybe you could try to find out."

-----

[After exiting Duel room]

"It has the makings of a solid weapon, and a useful Tool. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." I reply as I scooch over to give her room for a seat.

"Look, Phoenix, I've watched you since you came in here. I think you and I have a lot in common. You've got passion, and strength, and I respect that. You aren't afraid to say what you feel is right. And yeah, you could maybe still use some work on restraint when being provoked,"

I chuckle at that. She ain't wrong. I'm a 100% certified hothead.

"But you were standing up for others being challenged or trying to stop people from causing harm. I think it's wiser not to throw a punch at someone who may join your cabal, but I think it shows restraint for you to come out here instead of giving in to his jabs."

"To be honest, after hearing about the significance of the Duel Arcane, it seemed like it would be a big low blow if I hit him for his victory," I state dryly, "That, and I just wanted to get away from the bastard."

"If you're interested, I think you might be a good fit for the Adamantine Arrow. I don't know what your personal goals or interests are, but I think you'd find yourself in good company. Just wanted you to know."

"Hmm, the Adamantine Arrow..." I repeat as I ponder about it, "Protectors of Awakened and Sleepers alike who master the self..."

"Definitely something worth thinking about," I say with a nod and smile, "So if I wanted to, where would I need to go?"

**Caladriu** · 10-14-2016, 06:52 PM

"You're being a dick," Boomer says bluntly. "Savor your victory. You're a skilled mage to beat Mathias, and I think you knew exactly which buttons you were pushing to goad him into that Duel. He should've seen that for what it was. But keep it to yourself. Gloating and antagonizing is a piss-poor move, and it's definitely not the Arrow way."

Well- he doesn't have a lot to say to that. He is kind of being a dick. Somehow, being called out on his bullshit by a more experienced mage resonates more, especially an Arrow. He frowns as he puts the Cloak back on. "I guess it isn't. It just feels good to win for once. I thought the Arrow was about honor and victory, but...maybe it looks different from the outside. What Mathias said about Alux- this doesn't feel like the best way I could be using my magic. It didn't feel good when he kissed my hand." That's something to think about, isn't it? "I made my point, I'm done. I'll, um- stay out of you guys' way for a while."

But throwing shade on Nicki? That's too much. He calls back: "Haters give me strength! What do you want, Black Flag?"

What she wants is probably for him not to Duel over stupid shit. Message heard, may or may not be internalized.

**rwknoll** · 10-16-2016, 12:25 AM

Lynx
Valentine blinks and then laughs unexpectedly at your first question. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not actually reading your mind. I'm just making educated guesses. Being able to read people is a strength of mine. As for the meeting, you are allowed to do anything that won't set off others' magical senses. So, yes, you may use your Sight as needed at the Consilium meeting. Excellent question."

In response to your third question, Valentine shakes his head and smiles. "Absolutely not. I suppose Mathias will be quite humbled and irritated about the outcome of today, but such is the case for anyone who loses a Duel Arcane under such terms. Even with that, he believes he needed to be with you tonight or he wouldn't have sought you out. I can't speak for Boomer, but she has always worn her emotions on her sleeve, and she seems pretty pleased with tonight."

Moonstone
"It is about honor and victory," Boomer replies, "but winning a conflict doesn't inherently make it honorable. Self-discipline, which cultivates enlightenment and harmony, may mean having restraint rather then fighting in some cases. And victory without consideration of the means to obtain it can be dishonorable. Honor comes from mastering oneself and, in turn, mastering all." Despite some of the lecturing words she uses, her voice is softer than before. And when you mention Nicki Minaj, there's a small grin accompanying that middle finger.

After Boomer leaves, Valentine crosses his arms and finishes drinking the Scotch he has been holding since you met him. "I know you think the Arrow is the right choice for your Order, but the Guardians could use someone with your temperament," he suggests. "I know you used your knowledge of Mathias as a tool and leveraged it against him. That shows you can read others and use that knowledge to your advantage. I know you have a greater appreciation now for the risks of releasing Paradox. And I also know you aren't afraid of Supernal conflict with mages whom you believe are engaging in unsavory or immoral actions." He shrugs. "Think on it. If you want to talk more, we can discuss it on Saturday."

Phoenix
Boomer nods as your summary. "Yes, great question. Any prospective mage who wants to join needs to pass a thorough series of assessments and testing. First, I would suggest you think on it or talk to me more over the next few days. If you want to move forward, you'll need to make a petition before a ranking Arrow at a Consilium meeting. From there, you'll be evaluated on a number of skills, including magical and physical prowess -- not to determine if you're in, but to figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and what remedial areas need to be improved, if any.

"Then, you'll get training to flesh out your skills, and then tested over a prolonged period. If you pass, you're in. If you struggle, you go back to more training, or possibly let go. The Order can't afford to be too choosy -- there are only so many mages, you know? -- but they need everyone to meet minimal standards."

Boomer leans back and smiles. "Frankly, I think you'd do great. And I'm a Thunderbolt Guardian, one of our ranking officials, and I help oversee recruitment and some other Order business. So I may be your sensei if you decide to move forward with it. Just let me know by noon on Saturday if you have a clear answer."

**rwknoll** · 10-20-2016, 12:43 AM

* NEW SCENE *

Everyone
Your meeting with the Shields of Dawn draws to a natural close. After you each have the chance to get answers to your questions, Valentine and Boomer escort you back to the foyer where you first entered. You briefly see Mathias look down at you from a balcony upstairs, but he quickly walks away as you approach.

Boomer reminds you to contact any of them with any questions before the meeting. "If you do text or call," she instructs you, "be smart about it. Don't talk about magic where someone might overhear you. If you think you're in danger for some reason, go to somewhere public -- it's your safest place to be if another mage is trying to harm you. But that means you need to be careful about your own spells, too," she reminds you. "Crowds of Sleepers strengthen the Lie, which means Paradox is increasingly stronger."

You feel two quick pulses of energy on your Periphery as Valentine raises his hands, which he uses to smoothly make rapid synchronized motions before pointing at the door. "This way will lead you back to Chicago, out to the alley where you first came here. With enough advance warning and preparation, I can help relocate you to other places." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small stack of business cards, and gives one to each of you; they are plain, with nothing but the word "Valentine" written on one side. "Holding onto this will make it easier for me to find you in an emergency. We'll see you on Saturday, if not sooner. Try to get there around 11 am, if possible. Contact us if you require any assistance."

With that, he opens the front door and nods to each of you as you walk through the door. You find yourselves in the streets of Chicago, exactly where you first entered the mysterious mansion. When you look behind you, there is no sign of a door, just a plain brick wall.

Lynx
When you return to your apartment in La Grange that evening, you find the door locked and assume that you're alone. The place is quiet and peaceful as you enter. As you set your things down and lock the door behind you, however, you hear someone walking down the hallway. You turn around to see your roommate, Ewan Byrne, walk out of the bathroom naked. He's drying himself off with a towel when he suddenly realizes you're there. He quickly covers himself with the towel and ducks into his bedroom as he shouts out angrily, "What the fuck man, didn't you ever hear of knocking or something?" He comes out a minute later after throwing on a muscle tank-top and some jeans.

Based on your limited interactions with him to date, Ewan is a friendly enough guy. Like you, he is a freshman at the University of Chicago, except that he grew up in the greater Chicago area. You arranged to rent an apartment together via email and social media before you came here. He has shared interests in hiking and sports, but you've quickly realized that he gets very angry in response to awkward roommate situations like this.

Ewan's temper tends to cool off pretty fast, however. Within a few minutes he acts like nothing has happened. "So what's up?" he asks nonchalantly.

---

You realize that you don't have any contact information for Dr. McCallister besides her work phone and email. When you call her, it rings several times and goes to a voicemail. Email attempts to reach her don't get a reply, either. This isn't out of the ordinary for many professors, who can get bogged down with administrative or research obligations.

When you show up to your next FYS class on Thursday, however, you and Ragnar see an unfamiliar face at the front of the room. It's a middle-aged man who explains that he was asked to fill in unexpectedly for the rest of the semester, as Dr. McCallister has unexpectedly requested emergency medical leave.

Moonstone
You are able to reach each of the surviving members of Hakim's old cabal. The Knights of Alhambra communicate with you via phone calls and texts, but prefer at this time not to meet with you in person; they suggest instead to meet at the upcoming Consilium meeting. You can tell from their language that they are shocked to hear of your Awakening, and they are certainly cordial and polite, but you get the sense that you're not sure how they feel about talking to you. Your connection to Hakim brings up old hurts for them, and you made your choice to follow Hakim rather than serving the cabal. They haven't forgotten that. Still, they help facilitate your request for an Arrow sanctum for a few days.

You spend some time crashing for a few days at an Arrow safe house, a sanctum available to traveling Arrow members who come into Chicago for local Consilium business when a caucus meets here. You have the place to yourself for the next few days. The sanctum is located in the upper level of a duplex home in La Grange. It has a few wards in place, mostly some basic Mind spells, that make Sleepers feel an urge to avoid the entrance to your floor.

You don't manage to make any contact with a Mind Adept who is immediately available to see you, at least one who would be willing to help. But Rose of Sharon does know of someone, an Arrow colleague and old friend, who might be willing to help you. She suggests talking more about it at the Consilium meeting.

Rumors Nightclub is a modern, upbeat LGBT hangout. With a little bit of persuasion (and possibly some Mind magic?), you're able to arrange for a brief meeting with the club manager on duty. It's an attractive African American woman in her late 30s or early 40s named Erica. She seems open enough to the prospect of seeing what you have to offer, but she's very business-like about it. "We have a lot of people coming here interested in work," she explains. "Make a good case for why I should consider you, and I can give you a call if we have an opening or if I have any other questions."

Ragnar
You return to your small La Grange apartment and find your roommate, Patty LeBlanc, a UofC computer science major. She's in the middle of heating up some leftover pad thai and has her laptop open on the kitchen table, where she's rapidly typing away.

(Is this close to what you had in mind for her appearance?)

Patty looks up and smiles. "Hiya Simon, how's it going?" she asks in a cheerful tone. "How'd things go with your FYS class? Any cuties in there?" she winks.

After the day you've had, you feel an urge to pull out one of your hookup apps and look for some casual, refreshingly uncomplicated sex. Part of you wonders if the pleasure will feel as good as your newfound appreciation for magic, though.

---

You receive a phone call on Wednesday from Dr. Gray, the Dean you briefly ran into at school yesterday. He explains that Dr. McCallister has unexpectedly requested emergency medical leave and won't be able to continue with the class. He seems irritated and a bit stressed from the sudden change of plans. He apologizes profusely for the change in plans, but says not to worry -- they've found a replacement who will be willing to help out for the semester in a pinch. When you show to class on Thursday, he's there at the front of the room.

Ouroboros Ophis
Dr. Marvin Bates receives a phone call early on Wednesday morning from Dr. Gray. You don't know him personally, and it's been a while since you were in contact with someone at the undergrad side of UofC. But Dr. Gray knows from talking to his network of colleagues that you have enjoyed working with and mentoring students early in their academic career, and he is reaching out to you specifically for that reason.

He explains that the precious instructor unexpectedly filed for emergency medical leave, which has left the class and department in a very difficult spot, as the students need the class to graduate. He says that he knows it is a very large favor, but he offers a salary bonus and emphasizes how much it would help the students. He asks you to start coming to the classes on Thursday, emails you the course syllabus Dr. McCallister had created, and ultimately thanks you repeatedly for your willingness to help. "This means so much to me," he says to you. "Really, thank you for your help."

Binder
Shortly after leaving the mansion, you pull out your cell phone and realize that you have two missed calls and several texts from your wife Daisy. Your phone says that it's 4:30 pm, but you were supposed to pick up Forest from elementary school a little before 4 pm. Her messages have a mixed tone of fear and irritation, asking why she's getting calls from the school asking who is going to pick up Forest. The later messages are asking whether you're alright and urging you to call her when you see this.

Phoenix
After you depart from the group for now, you find yourself in downtown Chicago and once again wonder where Anubis is. A number of people eye you and the staff you're carrying, most of whom give you a wide berth; no one wants trouble, and it's easier to not ask questions. The encounter with the Gulmoth and subsequent meeting with the Shields of Dawn cost you the better pat of the afternoon. Rush hour is going to be here soon, creating waves of people that Anubis could easily hide in. You know enough about Supernal magic, real magic, to know that he could probably hide in plain sight -- which makes you wonder if invisibility is out of the question.

Still, you're a Hunter. At least, you used to be. You aren't one to quit just because the mission is hard. You don't quit until justice is served, the rival vanquished. And so you keep looking for Anubis.

---

The staff sings in your hands.

It feels right to you. You flow through your staff kata, and the staff swings swiftly through the air to your rhythm. It feels well-crafted, more so than the average bo staff you've used in your classes. None of your students seem suspicious or overly curious about the weapon. A few give compliments on it, ask if you made it yourself or where you found it, and several ask to use it themselves for a little while to test its balance.

The longer you train, the more you feel the tension in your body slowly melt away, as if you're working out aches in your bones that you didn't realize were there. This is what you're good at. This is your calling. Decisive, efficient action.

When you go home from training, there's another bill notice in your mailbox. Electricity is past due. The letter has some very unkind words in it.

**Caladriu** · 10-20-2016, 04:46 AM

[duplicate post]

**Caladriu** · 10-20-2016, 12:11 PM

Moonstone
Conditions: Divergent (Passive), Guilty, Triumphant
Health: LLOOOO | Willpower: 8/8 | Mana: 2/10 | Beats: 3/5 | Arcane Beats: 0/5

Moonstone thinks hard on Valentine's words about the Guardians, and is tentatively open to talking more about it on Saturday.

Things are tense and awkward with the rest of the Nameless, and he's relieved to have a portal opened for them so they can be on their way. He's not ready for apologies yet and he doesn't provide his contact information or anything for right now, but expresses that he'll see the others on Saturday. He does take a minute to thank Marlin/Binder sincerely for his Clear Thoughts spell earlier that day, and requests to stop by the bookstore this week if he's available.

Briefly thinks about destroying Valentine's card in the name of security, but decides that it would be rude, and a more powerful Mastigos could easily get Sympathy to him anyway.

He goes straight to the sanctum in La Grange for now, doesn't even go back to the apartment. That's too big for today. Once he gets settled in, he immediately sleeps for 12 hours straight and dreams fitfully.

Wednesday

He does a Divination to find the best date and time to visit Rumors this week if he wants an audience with a manager.

But it doesn't work. He throws up his hands in frustration and almost gives up, but writes down what he's thinking to get it out, and eventually decides he'll just go in tomorrow when they open and wing it. For now, he has some acquaintances to hit up.

He visits a middle-aged white woman who goes by Seldarine in occult circles, an artist (and frequent patron of Marlin's bookstore) who split from the local Dianic Wiccan coven over an obscure but deeply felt theological dispute and now acts as an independent "low pracitioner." She knows him as Moonstone, a ritualist from a different enough tradition to not be a rival. As far as he knows, she has no knowledge of the Awakened. But she does have knowledge of ritual trappings, which sometimes reflect the Supernal.

Here's what I'm thinking for the sacraments. I'd like to use my Contacts (non-Awakened Occultists) to find some good sources, then harvest some immaterial stuff and just steal some physical stuff.

Moonstone straight up tells her that he's looking for sources for "found/secondhand" ritual material resonant with Mind, Space, and Time. But he presents it more as props for a performance art piece than an Awakened magical working. Manipulation+Subterfuge+1 because this seems highly relevant to the Contact area: 2 successes.

I'm just going to run with this myself if you don't mind, feel free to adjust or edit anything. I'd like to say that she gives him the name of a curio/antique shop in La Grange, and a paranormal message board.

First, he posts on the message board and requests that people post their dreams. He makes it clear that he intends to glean mystical significance from them, but posters will not be harmed or touched in any way. His theory is that this will work better if people give him their dreams directly, rather than him reading some other dream journal passively. Manipulation+Occult: 1 success. Presumably he gets one good detailed response to the thread, and he writes it out with pen on fine paper and folds it away for later.

Second, he scopes out the curio shop. This is far, far from the first time in his life that he's committed mundane theft for personal gain, although he's a little out of practice and his days of pawning Mom's jewelry are long behind him. He (barely) justifies today's crime to himself on grounds that they're Sleepers and he's using it for a better purpose than they ever could, and besides, it's not like he's robbing them blind. Then he casts Incognito Presence.

1 reach for instant, 1 reach for scene duration. Paradox 1, -2 from dedicated tool, chance die: no success

Gnosis 1, Mind 2, personal tool 1: 2 successes. Spending 1 Mana from the Cloak (now 5/10) to activate.

Once he's made himself forgettable, he goes in and peruses the store for a bit, savoring the sensation of invisibility, and picks out a handful of interesting but cheap curios that "no one will miss." Old maps, vintage watches, dusty spyglasses. Wits+Stealth: 2 successes.

If it's alright, I'll assume that Moonstone has one +2 Time, Space, and Mind sacrament each.

After he's quite unethically and illegally acquired some knick-knacks and occult curios, he's still in a Yantra-contemplating mood, so he heads back to the duplex Sanctum and thinks about Sympathy for a while. He knows some things secondhand, but wants to feel out Space himself. After hiding Valentine's card in a closed book, he spends about an hour in front of a floor-length mirror trying on clothes and accents and ways of walking and moving. He's trying to caricature Mathias, and develop a recognizable impression of him, even if it's a broad one. When he thinks he's got something, he stares daggers at his iPhone and says in an affected accent: "I, Mathias, Adept of Fate, Disciple of Time, Apprentice of Forces, théarch of the Silver Ladder and sworn to the Lunargent Thorn of Arcadia, accept your challenge to the Duel Arcane."

Then, he snaps a selfie.

**Caladriu** · 10-20-2016, 12:12 PM

Moonstone - Thursday

Without the benefit of Divination, he's going to Rumors the old-fashioned way: early evening when they open. He briefly stops by his and Hakim's apartment to get some of his more comfortable and appealing dancewear, a mix of the skintight and the soft and flowing, veils and bangles and the like.

When he gets to the venue and asks around a bit- perfectly polite, it's really very sweet- he's eventually pointed to Erica, the manager on duty. He surreptitiously snaps a pic of her on his phone, just a quick shot. But still enough for the camera to capture a piece of her soul, as cameras do. He looks down at the picture and attunes himself to the environment of the club as he walks toward her, smiles sincerely, and completes his Imago of warmth and good feeling as they shake hands. "Erica? I'm Roger. Lovely to meet you."

He gives a bit of semi-true, semi-false background that makes him sound only a little older than he looks. Did a Modern Dance program at UCLA, lived in the area for a little while, used to perform with "a small artistic troupe, kind of an experimental performance cabal" but now looking to get out of his comfort zone and meet and perform in front of new people. He's not a good enough liar to hide the implication that he recently lost a loved one and he's trying to cope with the grief by exploding outward instead of retreating inward, so it just sits there between his smile and pleasant laugh and carefully applied makeup and nervous need to do something with his fingers. He doesn't really talk to Sleepers about himself like this, it's been a long time since he's been part of their world.

"I'm sure you don't have the time for a full routine. Is there an open pole I could work with, just to give you an idea of my skill level?"

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-20-2016, 12:57 PM

LYNX
Active Sight:
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 1/5 (4/5 at the end of Downtime). Mana: 6/10
Conditions/Tilts: Steadfast
Beats: 2 - Arcane Beats: 2

TUESDAY AFTERNOON - HOME

"What the fuck man, didn't you ever hear of knocking or something?"

"I live here," Oscar replies flatly, pocketing his keys. "And the door was locked."

With a shrug, Oscar goes to his own room. In one corner on a study desk stands his laptop, a cup of pens, a lamp, a mess of papers and a geography textbook. His bookcase has a small assortment of statuettes and idols of various miniature animals, some computer paraphernalia, and some of his other textbooks. He throws his backpack on the bed - a mess of two pillows and a duvet - his body eager for some rest. Yet his belly grumbles, and with a sigh, he goes to the kitchen.

"So what's up?" Ewan asks nonchalantly as he returns from his own room, now dressed.

"Long day," Oscar shrugs as he starts preparing a sandwich. "Classes. New people. Still getting used to the world and this life. What about you? How'd your day at Uni go? You want one?" He gestures to his food-in-progress.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY - FYS CLASS

"Simon!"

Oscar hurries over to Ragnar - Simon in public, Ragnar when ... alone? That doesn't sound right... - and claps him on the shoulder. "How're you today? Have you heard from Dr. Asp... Ah, McCallister?"

Faen.

"I'm a little worried," Oscar says quietly as he looks down to the podium, at the middle-aged man. "I mean... Do you think something's bad happened? I mean, Tuesday-kind of... bad?"

**Haberdasher** · 10-20-2016, 10:27 PM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: OOOOOOOO I WP: 0/4 I Mana: 5/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 2/5 I Arcane Beats: 3/5

Ragnar waves at Patty wearily. Suddenly, he feels very, very tired. "Oh, hey Patty. Well, there is... one guy. He's pretty interesting." But he needs something quick and easy right now. Once he eats, he hops on a hookup app and solicits the first non-creepy guy he can find: some muscly closeted guy who's going to UChi too. They meet in an isolated spot on campus and Ragnar lets himself get taken for the first time in ages. And it feels good, damn good, to surrender and feel overpowered again... but its the first time he's been with somebody since he Awakened, and part of him feels disappointed with himself. Anonymous, up-against-the-wall flings were how Simon Collins satisfied himself. There's no need for Ragnar to subside like this. And two thoughts sully the encounter further: one, that sex, at least with Sleepers, doesn't seem to satisfy like it used to. Not that he knows magic now. And second, that he more than anything right now to hear somebody to whisper his real name in his ear while doing this. They hardly speak throughout the encounter, and the other guy is vague about meeting up again. Ragnar's not sure he wants to.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Wednesday, Ragnar spends some time looking around the apartment complex in the morning, and then in the afternoon after classes. He opens his Sight to Fate and Time, examining every nook and cranny of the exterior and interior.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday comes, and he reunites with Lynx- Oscar, for now- and meets Dr. Bates. He considers Lynx's question. When they have a second, he whispers, "We'll have to ask at the Consilium meeting. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that Dr. Asphodel was a Moros; Mathias mentioned that the mage he wanted to join our cabal is one. We'll have to be careful how we ask. We might be able to ask if 'Dr. McAllister' is okay, but we can't just clue everybody in to Dr. Asphodel's sympathetic name."

After class, Ragnar decides to review the events of the fight with Alux, and their immediate aftermath.

Ragnar pours over the events of the fight and the conversation after, watching it from the perspective of everybody present, trying to glean some information that he may have missed in the confusion and chaos of Monday. He winces every time Mathias throws Moonstone up against the wall, and he stupidly snarks at him immediately after. Moonstone seems like he has some talent at Time. Hopefully he's reviewing this, too. And the next time we fight that thing, Lynx really does need to take a look at it with Spirit.

**Thorbes** · 10-22-2016, 08:18 AM

WEDNESDAY

Thunder.

Lightning.

"Wasn't the other way around?"

Thunder.

Lightning.

-"MAAARVIIINNN!!!"

That silent thunder again, followed by a flash of dark lightning.

-"Melissa? Melissa. MELISSA!"

Thunder.

Lightning.

Marvin Bates woke up in his appartment covered in cold sweat, his heart racing and his eyes red with tears. It took him a good couple of minutes to focus himself enought to realize that the phone was ringing.

-"Bates speaking" - he listens in a daze to a certain Dr. Grey mumbling about a sudden medical leave and a syllabus that needs to be taught. He agrees to do it without really thinking about it, still recovering from the nightmare.-"This means so much to me,"- he says-"Really, thank you for your help."-Marvin doesn't remember even hanging up.

Was it really a week since all that happened? It seemed like ages. It seemed like yesterday.

He gets out of bed and goes straight to the shower, letting the cold water clean away his skin and his nightmares, numbing his muscles and conscience. He looks in the mirror and barely recongnizes the man looking back to him. He sighs and takes a comb and sccisors, trimming his beard and moustache, and cutting what hair is left in his balding head short. Much better, he allows himself a quick smile of something resembling satisfaction before he suits up and goes to his laptop.

How efficient. As expected the notes from Dr. Mc Allister had already been sent his way. He starts reading while his cofee starts to boil in the kitchen.

THURSDAY

He really thought it would be harder to adapt, but Marvin could feel himself getting better the moment he entered the campus. The loud activity and life filling the air, lifted his spirit, he was starkly reminded why he loved to teach the young generation.

He was early so he could afford a walk. He barely even felt the snake coiling around his heart.

Once he humored himslef he went to what would be his department for the time being and made the last preparations for his first class.

He entered the classroom and was greeted by a chorus of whispers and some confused looks as he put his papers on his table and wrote his name on the board.

-"Welcome. My name is Marvin Bates, Dr.Bates if you wish. As some of you may already know, Dr. Mc Allister had to take a leave unexpectedly due to medical complications. Nothing particularly grave, I was asured. I will take over her class until she is ready to resume teaching herself, and I hope we all can make this transition as smooth as posible. I know all of you need this class to graduate, and I will make sure all of you do if you are ready to work with me".

He decides to make a quick recap of what they had seen up until now, to be sure he can move forward with the syllabus next day. He tries to make things as simple and comprehensible as posible, making sure no one is left behind and that all possible doubts are dispelled before they actually start with the meat of the course.

It goes well. Better than he expected giving his latest circumstances. But the slithering is still there on the background, Ophis wants to take a look at the class too. He figures that there's nothing wrong to Open His Eyes, just a little bit, not that he expects anything relevant to show up.

**rwknoll** · 10-22-2016, 08:33 AM

Moonstone
Your sleep is indeed fitful. You fall asleep quickly out of sheer physical and mental exhaustion, but find yourself tossing and turning during the night. Most of your dreams include Mathias, Alux, Hakim, or some combination of the three. In some, you conquer Alux; in others, your body and mind are ravaged by the Gulmoth while the other mages watch with disgust, apathy, or eagerness.

---

Your inability to read the future places a crack in your calm façade. You find yourself growing irritable, as it brings up thoughts about your encounter with Mathias yesterday.

Your meeting with Seldarine is as fruitful as you expected, if not as much as you could have possibly hoped for. Her advice leads you to resources that can provide some useful sacraments. You ponder the significance of the dreams, and nature of dreams themselves, as you write down the journal entry.

You definitely are comfortable with taking things from others, whether out of necessity or when you've found ways to justify it. Something's a little different this time, however: The act of using Mind magic to intentionally take things without drawing attention from Sleepers, however, gives you a thrill that you haven't felt before. You think once again about the things you can do now with magic that society has kept out of your reach.

Later, you snap the photo of your impression of Mathias and immediately review it. Studying the picture evokes a mixture of accomplishment and annoyance towards the mage who dared to humiliate you in public. When you flip over to the picture you took of the actual Mathias, the emotional reaction is stronger. You can sense that your impression of Mathias is symbolic enough to work as a Yantra, but the actual photo of him is clearly a more powerful connection.

Next, you study your own Sympathetic connections to Alux by casting a weave of Space magic around yourself. You sense a Medium connection to the Gulmoth, and know that Alux is its true sympathetic name.

---

On Thursday, you head to the club and use your burgeoning mastery of the Mind Arcanum to sway the mood around you. You snap the photo of her, which you then subtly delete on your phone just as you cast your spell, as you know that you must destroy the sacrament you've collected in order to fuel your magic. You can actually see the spell settle on her; her pupils dilate just a little, and she smiles at you as she speaks in a tone that's a little more pleasant than it had been a few moments ago.

Erica seems impressed enough with your background and outfit; combined with your spell, she seems somewhat impressed. "Sure, let's see what you've got." She walks you over to the main stage in the club, which is currently empty of patrons; there are miscellaneous bartenders and staff members washing dishes, setting up decorations, and overall making the place ready for another fun night.

Lynx
Ewan shrugs. "Eh, about the same," he replied. He nods at your offer for food; he's been eyeing your sandwich and is quick to take up your offer to make one for him. "I've been doing this new work-out routine that kicks the shit out of me. Feels fucking great, but I've been crazy hungry, you know?" Ewan wolfs down the sandwich and grabs some extra helpings of protein out of the refrigerator: some hardboiled eggs, beef jerky, and a protein shake. He plops down on the living room sofa and goes to town on the rest of his food. Between bites, he shares random thoughts about his day. He talks about a cute girl he saw at the gym earlier whom he's convinced was checking him out. "Not my type, though. Too easy for sure." He's mostly taking a few general classes for graduation requirements, as well as some business classes -- he's planning to major in business administration.

Ewan pulls out his phone and gets a bit distracted. He's tapping away for a while, and a little after dinner time, he shares that he's going to meet up with a friend and says he'll be back later. He leaves abruptly, leaving you in an empty apartment.

---

You never realized how strange the zoo could feel when you look at it from a completely different view. You're at the Brookfield Zoo northeast of La Grange, a popular tourist attraction in the area. Even before you cast your spell, you feel things on your Periphery, as if the hairs on the back of your neck are rising in response to being watched.

Instinctively calling upon the Spirit Arcanum, you Unveil your eyes to the ephemeral quality of spirits around you. You see them, really see what's there in a way you haven't before. There are...creatures...around the zoo in Twilight. There aren't as many active spirits as you might have suspected -- but then again, you probably aren't sure what a "normal" population of spirits in any area might be. Either way, this is the first time you've been able to truly study spirits without being pressured for time.

Some you can identify immediately, because of their reflection in nature as you know it. Spirits of several animal types roam the zoo: A bear spirit chases a trout spirit, a lion spirit prowls in Twilight chasing down other smaller prey. Most seem to lack any clear sentience beyond instinctive behavior to "eat" Essence or avoid predation. Some "sleep" within things. You touch an old tree and sense a dormant spirit of life within it; you're not sure why or how these things hibernate, but some are. As you watch, the bear spirit outpaces the smaller trout one, and it claws away at the thing, stealing its Essence. It's a very primal experience suggesting that in the world of spirits, you hunt or are hunted.

Some of the spirits are hard to identify, weird mixtures of colors and shapes. They remind you of primal urges, of symbolic representations, but you don't always know what they are just by looking. One, resembling a chain in loops, evokes a sense of sadness that you interpret as a spirit of captivity. It seems to be feeding on the emotional qualities of some animals nearby.

When you approach them, the spirits seem very cautious of you. Most ignore you entirely or quickly scuttle away as you approach. But the lion spirit you saw earlier studies you curiously and is willing to speak to you, uttering sounds in a flowing language that sounds only very loosely related to High Speech -- the language of the Supernal Realms that you have learned through Awakening.

The lion spirit seems to be sizing you up, determining if you are predator or prey. "What are you seeking, little cub?" the spirit says to you. As you watch, it suddenly pounces on a minor, unintelligent spirit and consumes its Essence.

---

Later, you go to the woods in La Grange. After your experiences at the zoo, you are surprised to see an even greater population of spirits here. You suspect that it has something to do with the Gauntlet, that barrier between the Shadow World and the Fallen World, but you can't tell without exploring things more with your magic.

You again have the sensation of being watched. And then, more clearly, you feel a pulse of energy, of something odd happening on your Periphery.

Ragnar
Patty is quick to pick up on your mood. She smiles warmly and pats you on your arm as she walks by. "I know that look, sweetie. Take a break tonight, do something fun for yourself. Or get some sleep. Either way, take it easy tonight."

And so you find yourself hooking up with the muscle head, who's got a firmly toned body with a broad chest and shoulders, and thick biceps and calves. You realize quickly that he is very paranoid about being seen; he's wearing dark clothing and insists on not using any names. He also insists on being the dominant partner in this encounter, which you oblige. Despite his nervousness, once you start he is eager to perform for you, and although he's awkward about it and hardly says anything, he seems to enjoy himself. He takes off shortly afterward.

---

You open your Sight to the influence of Arcadia in this Fallen World and begin to study the apartment. You're tentative at first, but quickly find yourself intensely curious and excited. With no urgency or time limit to your efforts, you can finally study Fate and Time at your leisure.

Most of the building is disappointingly boring, although you find a few things interesting. You can discern which parts of the building have been recently repaired; you hadn't noticed with your mundane vision, but a few sections of the walls here and there are newly patched and painted.

At one point, you see a young man walk by, probably 15 or 16 years old. You don't know who he is, but as you look at him you see his Destiny -- that's the only way you can describe it. You sense that he is destined to invent something, a tool or device that could be incredibly influential and helpful for millions. He's carrying a backpack, and you see a math textbook in his arms. You also see a potential Doom in his pattern of Fate, a cloud of depression looming in the future that could dash his dreams and cripple his ambition. The boy is smiling right now, though.

You're almost done exploring when you notice a door in the apartment complex basement that carries a touch of the Supernal. You see wisps of energy around the door through the lens of Time, but you're not sure what to make of it. They seem frozen in place.

Ouroboros Ophis
You find that you're naturally able to build rapport with the students. Because this is only their second class period of the semester, and you don't have Dr. McCallister's stutter or dry personality, you're able to quickly review the basic info in the course and draw the students in.

When you open up your Sight, you can quickly tell that the students seated before you are all, thankfully (and expectedly), still alive.

But in the back of the room, seemingly ignoring all of you, is a ghost. She appears in Twilight, not moving, staring around the room. She looks like she is wearing clothes from the early 1940s, very conservative dress, and thick frames glasses.

**crapcarp** · 10-22-2016, 11:10 AM

Tuesday

Ho, I'm seriously late for work. In fact, I've missed the entire day by the time I get there. This is not gonna end well, but I'm gonna go there any way and receive my punishment. Least I could do, honestly.

"Sorry, Master Jeon. I won't let it happen again," I apologize, bowing my head. Glad to have that over with. Unfortunately, I forgot to change my clothes, my newly hole-ridden clothes from the fight with the Abyssal. It's also stained with blood, too. So naturally, many of the staff inquired about it. I gave them the hint that I really didn't want to talk about it. All that is, except for one of the instructors ((OOC: Not Jeon, though)). They keep pressing, trying to find out what happened exactly. They wouldn't let up, either. I know they were simply trying to help me, but the prying got a bit much after awhile.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, ALREADY!" I snap in their face. Everything's silent for a minute, then I just finish my duties and leave.

I come home to find a not-so-good letter for the electricity. Welp, no TV for me for awhile, and I'll have to skimp on meals as well.

Wednesday

First order of business, find a roommate, I can't support the bills on my own. Not without working at another part-time job, and that'll eat up my time for more important things. I network with some people in the streets to find someone. Takes all day, but I actually manage to find someone who might be interested. Now I just need to convince them.

Thursday

The trail's almost cold, but I've still got a few places to check, especially with my new-found Sight.

I manage to get a lead, but it's not much. I'll definitely need to...get some help with this tomorrow.

Friday

Alright man, you have to swallow your pride to these assholes. You need their help with the lead, and that means stroking their egos. Just take their jabs and jives. For your comrades. You owe them that justice be served.

"I got a lead, but...I can't find Anubis...on my own," I choke up to the Hunters, "I...need, really...need your help.,,please.,,"

Damn, this is painful.

**rwknoll** · 10-23-2016, 12:43 AM

Phoenix
Your outburst creates a deafening silence in the martial arts dojo. Students and colleagues alike stop in the middle of their exercises. Some look at you with shock, others with anger or irritation. A few avert their eyes, obviously not wanting to get involved or incur your anger. Master Jeon shakes his head slowly but says nothing. He doesn't need to; his face speaks volumes about his disappointment and disapproval.

---

You track down some leads on a roommate by surveying a few local shops and restaurants, as well as searching ads online. You find a sign in a coffee shop down the street from your apartment with a description and phone number, and set up a meeting.

Ken Tanaka is a second-generation Japanese American young man going to college at the University of Chicago. He is currently an undergraduate sophomore pursuing his Bachelor's degree with double majors in economics and political science, but he explains that what he really loves is music. He is a talented viola player and often plays as a street performer in Chicago and downtown La Grange. He says his income is limited but that he is good enough to make rent, and he works a stable part-time job at the university bookstore. But he is looking for someone who won't mind if he practices in the apartment, and he's a little shy. He's looking for a new roommate because his last one unexpectedly dropped out of classes for the semester at the last minute.

---

You've been searching all over for any signs of Anubis. The desperation to find something, anything, has long since settled into your bones. With limited ideas on what to do, you decide to retrace your steps (again) and return to where you first found the lich who attacked you, and where your Hunter allies met you. As you walk outside of the building where you nearly died, you open your Sight -- and freeze as you see a mage casting a spell of the Death Arcanum. He's walking out of the building, fingering something small in his right hand that you can't see immediately, and you have a feeling like you've seen him before.

If you're right, there's a possibility that this mage has some association with Anubis, or the lich cult you tried to take down while you were a Hunter. Or he could be someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. You realize that you know enough about magic and mage society now to get yourself in trouble, but you aren't fully sure what to make of this event.

**Haberdasher** · 10-23-2016, 10:39 AM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Focused (Fate, Time)
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: OOOOOOOO I WP: 3/4 I Mana: 5/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 2/5 I Arcane Beats: 3/5

It takes some mental effort to keep his Sight active for more than a minute, but Ragnar carries through with it. The frozen wisps pique his interest, and he attempts to investigate further, dropping the lens of Fate to channel all of his attention into Time.

**rwknoll** · 10-23-2016, 11:13 AM

Ragnar
You're surprised at how quickly you are able to make sense of this Mystery, at least at a surface level. Perhaps your practice yesterday helped you to better hone your basic understanding of how to use your Sight effectively.

You glean a few curious things from these wisps of magic. First, they are definitely the source of the Time Arcanum, and clearly created by Supernal magic. You believe that they are due to the Ruling Practice, based on how they rest around the door frame: There appears to be another spell, a second Time spell, intricately woven in the wisps before you. It makes it hard to see what it could be without further study.

You also notice that you can't recognize a distinct Signature Nimbus to this spell. You've noticed even in your brief time Awakened that virtually all spells carry a uniquely personal quality corresponding to the mage who cast it. This one doesn't.

Announcement

[IC] [Mage: the Awakening 2E] The Supernal Suburbia

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