A New Light is Kindled

[Pulp Noir]

I'd driven around to pick up Lux from her place mostly because I felt that we needed to talk for a minute about this whole thing. While both of us we're fine with how things had seemingly turned out, group wise, I couldn't help but feel a bit saddened at the notion of the expansion. Don't get me wrong, I am totally cool with the group that is forming up, it's just that well back in the conversation I had with Lux I really kind of got excited about working with her. Not in that way either, nah it was just ... refreshing ... to be around someone with such shinning ideals, even if I don't agree with all of them. The girl is like Red Bull for your soul, spending time with her could turn even the most bitter burnout into someone willing to stand tall for their ideals. I just kind of felt like, like, well like I was letting her down a bit.

For most of the car ride we just made small talk, neither of us really saying anything much about anything really important, until we arrived at the Rage and I parked the car. After taking a deep breath I turned the car off and turned my head to look at the Thearch in the passenger seat, a bit of a serious look on my face. Well serious for me anyways. "Hey Lux I just wanted to say that, regardless of our group idea really expanding and all those things between us, Order, Path and your love for a certain French Canadian hockey team, I meant what I said back at your place." Order and Path are easy to accept but Habs fan ... that is me really making an effort there. "I gave you my word that I would work with you and look out for you and I meant that. I just wanted you to know that."

[Lux]

For the Thearch of the Mighty, this day would spell the first step she would truly take on her path, the first voyage into the turmoil that was the Consilium, the first chapter of her War against the Lie. This would be a day of building alliances and forging ideals, and in Lux's mind, there was no possibility of failure. The very air seemed to thrum with a resonance from On High, a vibrant pulse that washed over her, buoying her, sweeping away all stains of doubt and fear. It was time to join a Cabal, she was more than ready for this, and the truth of this echoed like the silver peal of Destiny's bell in her ears, a reminder sitting in the back of her thoughts.

Nevertheless, she didn't give voice to what lay in her mind, not wishing to lock her thoughts in a cage of words, and was content to banter amiably with Pulp as they drove to the meeting. She was dressed simply, wearing a cerulean blouse and a black skirt, but she only had one piece of jewelry, Reflexio, which adorning her right ring finger. Lux brushed the magical tool subconsciously when Pulp mentioned the oath they had sworn and turned to look at him, her gaze serious.

"I meant what I swore, Pulp, and I never doubted that you weren't serious and I still don't doubt that," she assured him. "I'm sure the Cabal will have a different oath, and different ideas, but the spirit of it will be the same. It won't change what we said, it will just add to it. That said, keep this in mind: ne rien dire sur ma Habs, et nous allons être d'accord. D'accord? Now come on, we don't want to be late," she finished, smiling mischievously. Even though she knew Pulp didn't speak French, she knew he would remember what her words meant; many of their debates back in Toronto had ended with that sentence.

Translation

Don't say anything about my Habs, and we'll be ok. Ok?
(note, the french above may not be correct. an online translator was used.)

[Pulp Noir]

I smile at Lux's words, both the serious ones and her little tease that reminds of our days back in Toronto. Two Awakened kids debating political ideals, hockey and pretty much anything else over coffee, the whole damn world at their finger tips. Of course we'd taken different paths since then and mine has been a real rough ride, at times resembling an old country song. Still we'd both ended up here and it was up to us to make the best of the situation, meaning I needed to pick my ass off the ground and get in the fight, the War against the Lie wasn't going to wage itself. Hell this Cabal wasn't going to found itself. Still I couldn't let that last little line of hers stand uncontested.

"How many Habs fans does it take to screw in a light bulb?" I ask with a wink as I exit the car, waiting until she also exited before offering up the answer "Ten. One to change it and nine to sit around and talk about how great the old light bulb was." I smile in a playful manner. "I can also make fun of my own team. In fact did you ever hear of the CHUM contest in the mid 80's? They'd play the first 3 seconds of a bunch of songs and had a competition to see who could guess the most correct titles." I'm grinning now. "First prize was a set of Leafs tickets. Second prize was two sets."

Having gracefully, I hope, settled that argument, I make my way toward the door of the establishment and hold it open for Lux. Now I'm fan of feminism and all that jazz but I still enjoy doing nice little things like holding a door for a pretty girl. I know I can be a bit of a difficult asshole at times so I try sometimes to go a bit out of my way to do some of those nice little things for the people who put up with me, you know show them that I might actually be worth their affection. I mean you can't go around living that Denis Leary song all the time.

"After you Madame."

[Mike Tamwood]

Mike was in a good mood today. He had spoken his ghost about the whole situation, well, he didn't object. At least if you don't count the threatening with being more annoying, but then to everyone. Stevie was about to have the time of his... life? Of course there was always the death hoodoo to use against him if thing got out of hand.

The moros wasn't sure if they should make the Rage their main meeting place, since the place is crowded and with a lot of noise. But with some GOOD memories in the back of his mind Mike heads to the appointed place. And with a big grin on his face. 'Hey there...' There's a lustful glow twinkling in his eyes as he waves to Qadesh. After stepping closer he continues, 'How are you tonight?'

[Iblardora]

Ahriman had been sitting near the stoop, blending in and watching people enter. He was dressed in an old suit with a hat over his head. He kept his eyes down, instead studying the world around him from under the brim. First Qadesh then the two Canadians, and finally Mike. The only two that would be missing were himself and the Mysterium. He would wait for the other to enter, watching for others that might intrude into their conversation.

It honestly hadn't been his first choice when he had been approached. He wasn't sure he wanted to go along with a cabal that seemed to be very much political, but he had seen and talked to the other three enough to know that he could at least like them and trust them at his back. Still even now as he played with a small stick he had picked up to mark people passing by he felt nervous. He hadn't been in a cabal, just a fostering of one of the more prestigious ones in the Hollywood area. He had seen the way the other cabals worked and he knew that if you didn't get the right people cabals could be poisonous.

[Pulp Noir]

After holding the door like a proper gentleman for Lux, I followed the Obrimos into the club and looked around at the empty place. It made for an interesting juxtaposition from the other night, the lack of a crowd, lack of music, the fact that I'm sober and all of the other things that are missing when a bar/club is closed. Of course there is always the echo of memories in a place like this, something that is only increased as I see the others who'd already arrived. Flashes of a song that was playing at a particular moment, or the way light reflected off someone's hair and made it appear green or purple, little images that are pieces of a puzzle, the end result of which is a big picture of the night most of us met for the first time.

Or Big Ben, because you know sometimes puzzles could be a real bitch.

Still I made my way into the club, a small but genuine smile on my face as I nod to acknowledge the others who'd already arrived.

"Hi Everybody" I say as both a form of greeting and a way to break the ice since I am lacking Tequila this time around to properly loosen tongues.