(1112) Pulp and the Newly Arrived

[Pulp Noir]

I smiled and nodded goodbye at Four as he left the room, mentally reminding myself that I would need to introduce the giant to Toby and Idun if possible. Maybe they could get together and do some good work offering medical care to sleepers and making a difference in the city. At the very least with a pair of Arrow Cabalmates it was nice to be on good terms with some Awakened medical professionals. Life would always be the first choice but it was always good to know friend back up just in case. Also maybe the Kings were in need of another big man.

The leaving of the giant left me alone with Kite who introduced himself and offered a hand, which I shook with a firm but not assholicly firm grip. The kid looked lean and hungry, and not hungry in the manner of the old boxing/sports metaphor but like it's been at least a month since the guy has had a meal that included all four food groups. I notice something when he speaks: he's afraid. It's as if he's worried about saying or doing the wrong thing and being exposed before the entire world, even though it's just us in the room. I made sure that I listened to everything he said and then took about ten seconds to make sure I got everything sorted out.

"I'm Pulp Noir, a Herald of the Sacramento Consilium." Still felt odd saying that. "None of the active Cabals in the Consilium have actively claimed territory in the city, so you don't need to worry about trouble on that specific angle. If one ever does it'll be publicly made clear what area they seek to claim and how any other Pentacle Mages may safely cross it." My voice is still quote unquote "official" but there is more than a bit of sympathy present in it. "The main safety issues in the city right now are Banishers and Seers, however there are safe places such as this store, the Hostel Hi which is operated by the Free Council but open to any Pentacle Willworker and a few other locations mainly connected to individual Orders." I half smile, mostly to reassure the guy. "The best way to keep safe is to develop contacts and friendships, work together with others for mutual benefit and security."

At the notion of presenting himself to Consilium authority I reply a bit more quickly. "I'll give you the number of your Councilor before you leave here. Also don't worry about a formal presentation to the Consilium authorities, you've made yourself known to me and there will be an official Meeting early in the new year."

The last question he asked is by far the hardest one to answer. Still considering the impact that Lux, Ahriman, and before he left, Q had on me it's probably the most important one. "Well what are you looking for? A new Cabal to join up with? To be fostered by and learn from a more established group? I can point you in the right direction but I first need to know what you are looking for." My voice is my best honest attempt to convey the empathy I feel for his situation. "Are you a member of an Order?"

[Gallows]

Gallows saw that the rest of those he had come in with were making their way out--clearly, this meeting was over. He too left the room, already planning when he might have the chance to meet this Morris and Lux that he had been told of.

Gallows has left the thread

[DaveJ]

“I’m Free Council,” Kite responded almost silently, his head turning back and forth, watching the remaining room occupants slowly process out the door to the cafe. His face contorted slightly in concern “Are you certain I am not interrupting any… um, never mind.”

Kite slumped back in his chair and stared into space, brow furrowed in thought once again. After a few seconds, he suddenly stands up from his seat “Here is my problem: At the moment, I don’t have enough information to ask relevant questions,” Kite frowned, clearly flustered. “Once a few months pass, once I acclimate, I’ll be in a position to ask more intelligent questions. However, I want to feel as though I will survive those next few months.”

“There is also something else.” Kite starts to pace back and forth, getting more agitated. “We…. people like us… we adopt new names because true names hold power.” Kite stops suddenly, and turns in place to face the city herald, hands out to either side as if pleading a case. “How do you transition from your old life to this new one, without publicizing your old life and revealing your old name?”

Kite sat down in his chair again, sweating, clearly agitated. “I do have resources, accounts, which could make my life a bit more comfortable. However, I haven’t touched them in a while - I am afraid that it might compromise my old name.” Again, Kite stared into space, concentrating as if trying to figure out a puzzle. “It’s not like I am famous or anything, far from it, but I definitely have no wish to be put in that situation.”

Kite paused a moment, and then seemed to visibly will himself to calm down. “These funds I have access to are completely legitimate - a mixture of savings, plus some money I received for … a workplace compensation incident.” Again, Kite clearly chose his words carefully there. “How do… people like us… gain access to their old resources without compromising their old names?”

Kite’s voice trailed off at the end of his last question – his eyes continuing to stare through the wall, as if into some far off distance. Brow furrowed, left hand rubbing his chin, it looks as though he is pondering some sort of arcane, esoteric enigma.

[Pulp Noir]

With just the two of us in the room I felt like it was okay to just sit down and lean back on the comfy couches provided by this establishment. I focused my attention on Kite and remember back to what it was like to be a rookie Mage, unsure of the world and my place in it. It was not a good feeling and while Kite seems to have had some training, it seems like it was wham, bam, thank you ma'am as if the kid were a greasy burger at a fast food place. Someone needed to explain the basics to the kid, help him out and make a real Willworker out of him.

Well that's what we're suppose to do right? That was the mission statement.

"Regarding your True Name, I'm not going to lie. Someone knowing it does make it easier for them to cast sympathetic spells against you, if they have the ability to cast sympathetically. Of course unless they have a relatively recently taken piece of hair or skin, or a bit of blood, then it's still hard as all hell to target you. Knowing you exist or having seen you once makes it extremely difficult, you need to actually have a personal and emotional connection to someone to have a good chance at pulling that sort of work off." I shrug and smile, saying something that probably should win me the award for most Ironic Statement of the Year. "Trust me, I'm a Mastigos."

The more mundane aspects of the question still apply however. "Regarding your funds in the bank, well just go into a branch or an ATM and withdraw or deposit like anyone else." I pause and make my voice go all reassuring. "All Mages live double lives to some extent. The vast majority continue to work under their old name or attempt to establish new identities, I mean we all still have to deal with the Sleeper world. We have jobs, eat at restaurants, have polite conversations with the person next door. Generally most Mages are sort of paranoid about their private lives and Shadow Names and respect each other's privacy, at least in a Consilium." I lean forward a bit. It's still a big room but perception has to count for something. "You should be safe to visit the bank and get a job."

Okay there Pulp, still time to run from this whole thing.

Yeah didn't think so.

"I am also a Libertine and I am in a Cabal with a pair of Arrows and a member of the Silver Ladder. One of the goals of our group is to assist Mages of all Orders who are new to the city." I pause for a second. "At some point this evening, if you wish, I can introduce you to the two who are here and we can discuss the possibility of you being fostered by our Cabal for a period of time."

[DaveJ]

Kite pauses for a moment, considering the situation. Paradoxically, he simultaneously looks surer of himself while still managing to look substantially overwhelmed. “I appreciate the offer, thank you.” He responds in a weak voice. “I’m still… getting the lay of the land here, I guess you could say. May I have a little time to think about it?” Kite gets up from his seat, putting his papers under his one arm, while grabbing his cane with the other.

Apparently with no further questions to ask, Kite walks over to Pulp and shakes his hand one final time. Then, silently and awkwardly, Kite turns towards the exit to the cafe. His hand starts to reach for the doorknob, but suddenly stops short. Kite turns around “One last question: Is there anything else I should know that I didn’t ask about? Is there anything that I should start on? Or perhaps there is something that I must avoid doing?”

[Pulp Noir]

"That is fair, take your time and give some real thought on what is the best course of action for yourself. As long as you make the decision that you feel is best for you, I can accept that." What else was anyone going to expect a Libertine Warlock to say in this situation? I mean the offer was there but if Kite felt that he needed to find himself, then I could not stand in the path he was going to choose for himself.

So I shook his hand again with the same grip when he approached again, taking out one of my mage business cards, the ones with just PN and a phone number of them, when the contact was broken. I quickly jotted down a number on it and handed to the new guy. "That is my number on one side and Rosh's on the back, we are the two senior Libertines in the Consilium. If you need a place to crash, call or talk to Rosh, he's here tonight. He runs Hostel Hi." I pause for a second and frown. "The Councilor of your Path is Triquetra, however I do not at this time have her contact information. She is a Guardian however, so if you speak Epopt Ariadne, who is the other Herald, she should be able to get you in contact with the Councilor. The Epopt is a redhead and hard to miss, however there were a couple of Guardians in the group that was in here and thus she might a bit busy if she is in attendance this evening."

I leaned back against the seat for a second, pondering the last question. Was there anything that he needed to know? Hell considering the state of things and the list of enemies this Consilium had, that would be a proper question for the Hierarch to asking someone. There is a bit of temptation to simply reply 'Do Not Talk About Fight Club' or 'No Matter What a Stripper Tells You, There Is No Sex in the Champagne Room'. It's a temptation I resist. Probably just heard seven hundred million too many Christmas songs.

"Respect people. Don't be an asshole." I say with half a sigh, given that sometimes that simple advice could be too much for some. "Basically talk to people, don't judge a Willworker based on their Path or Order, judge them on their actions. Make contacts, work to make friends and allies and if you get involved dealing with major issues, don't go at it alone. Work with others and try to be constructive." I lean forward, any weariness in my posture vanishing as my voice goes firm. "There are a lot of dangerous things out there that wish to take this Consilium down but there is nothing we can't overcome if we're smart and willing to work together."

[DaveJ]

Kite took the business card and stared at it a moment, his mind considering and digesting all the information he was given. He then puts the card in his inside pocket, looks up at Pulp, and nods in understanding.

“Thank you again.”

With that last statement, Kite leaves the room in a sudden, swift motion, closing the door behind him.

<<<Kite has left this thread and has reentered ‘Meet and Greet 7’>>>

[Pulp Noir]

I nodded at Kite as he left room and waited for the door to close before leaning back against the comfy couch with a sigh. My right hand reached down to the table and gripped the still mostly full large coffee I'd bought when I arrived however long ago I arrived. I take a gulp and swish the now cool liquid around in my mouth, the bitter bite causing a moment of reflection and sparking internal thoughts. The advice I'd given had been good, especially that last bit about being able to defeat anything if we work together. Sure I believed it, a Consilium rises up, five Orders form a fist, we slug the Followers of the Lie, stand over them and pose like Ali after he knocked out Sonny Liston.

If it were a movie the couples would kiss, music would play and the credits would roll. Of course all this basic stuff never gets mentioned, unless as part of a montage set to some upbeat 80's song ... or the South Park Montage Song. There needs to be a Consilium capable of rising up, five Orders actually functioning and working together to make a fist, enough knowledge of where the Followers of the Lie to land the blow and enough good Mages to be able to knock them out so we can all pose. Of course all of this stuff is in the abstract.

No Montages in real life. Just the knowledge that we're all going to have to work together and build a Consilium that can do what I just promised that tweaking kid. Hell fuck "can", with the way things are right now we're probably in need of "will".

I made promise to myself, at the founding of the Cabal, to be there for them during times like this. I just never expected it to be in this job. Still I've got it and the only thing I can do is give it everything I have.

Pretty sure I can do that.

At least with fresher coffee.

I pulled my ass up off the couch and moved to the door. Opening it with a confident smile. A genuine one.