Sanctuary

[Ariadne]

Jeans and a loose button down help Ariadne feel just a bit better as she walks to the Circle. Meeting a Seer in her favorite suit was probably not the best idea for staving off paranoia. The Epopt shakes her head as she gets close to the Circle. Useful but how to implement it...

She hums quietly to herself as a distraction.

So you want to play with magic (50seconds in)

Opening the door to the Circle she steps in before fully taking a look inside. Then stops mid step. People, lots of people. Lots of new people. Shit shit...ok no calm. Not dead yet.

"Hm hello, I don't believe I've met any of you before."

Ariadne has uncloaked active spells which will set off unseen senses on mages who don't have spells on themselves or have only cloaked spells on themselves.

[Avis]

Great. Now they were getting into an academic pissing contest. Avis was tempted to draw upon the Akashic Records so she'd have a better chance at keeping up with the two Guardians but she didn't want to load her pattern with anymore spells. Oh, and it was kinda like, ya know, cheating. It would probably be bad for the two new guardians to think she wasn't trustworthy. Or to have "proof" confirming any paranoid suspicions they might have.

Thankfully, she was saved from the impromptu competition by the arrival of a new mage. Avis had never met the woman before but she was guessing this might be the Epopt from the brief description Leo had given her.

"I don't think so either, ma'am. I'm Avis. I recently transferred to the Arrow caucus here. I believe these two have business with you."

[Star]

Eyes widened slightly and eyebrows went up in an expression of bewilderment at Mandy's quote. Handy, Mandy. Book smarts could be useful. He knew some people got into that stuff.

This is not the scholar you're looking for.

He thought he'd said something like that, about poetry and all, but maybe she thought he was being modest. True fact: he did not know anything about poetry. He kind of liked "If" and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", but that was it. And quoting actual, real, poetry? He knew the 'water, water' bit from "Rime".

"If that's your way of saying you don't listen to Deadmau5, it's cool," he laughed. "Like your quote, but I've never heard or read it. Seriously, that trivia about the Shelleys? I was 'all in' on my Dead Poet Society application. Unless that was some Guardian code where you're from? Code for, hey we're both new in this city -- want to get something to eat later. Then, sure."

File away 'wild but seem tame' for future reference.

"And if it wasn't? Hey, we're both new in this city -- want to get something to eat later?"

Eating alone sucked. Getting ambushed alone sucked worse. He wasn't sure if Deadmau5 and Dead Poet's Society would save them, but safety in numbers and all that.

He turned as Ginger appeared. It made the situation go weirder just another degree. Seriously. Was he the only Awakened guy in the city? That wasn't a bad thing. Much. Ginger looked pretty good for an older lady. He wasn't looking at her like that, but it was a nice change of scenery from the Smiley's People he was used to. She'd said hadn't met any of them. So she didn't know Avis. But Avis said they had business with her. And the 'ma'am' bit. He hoped that meant she was the Epopt.

Don't stare. But the hair. It was like a flaming crown. So Mighty. Stop: Epopt Time.

"Hi. No, ma'am, I'm new. Are you... Ariadne?"

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

[Zodiac]

Mandy couldn't help the little smile that crossed her face at Cut's words, leaving her to chuckle lightly. Brushing her hair behind an ear she tilted her head as she contemplated his words, before giving a small nod. She didn't know the first thing about Deadmau5 or whatever else he was on about, but she at least appreciated his knowledge of the Shelleys. And if she was being asked to get something to eat with another Visus she could consider it getting a lay of the land. She tended to do the 'alone' thing more often than not, but building a series of contacts was hardly against her nature.

Plus, he'd sort of asked her out, bizarre as that notion was to her.

"... perhaps once business here is completed?" she suggested, as she looked to the newcomer. Best not to think of it that way, though. When was the last time she'd actually been asked out, anyway? Doubtless if he'd meant it that way he'd have asked one of the other girls... it was business. That made much more sense. Business.

The Epopt? She wasn't going to be the one to ask, as Cut had already done so, but she did incline her head politely to the woman in greeting. If she was going to introduce herself, she'd wait until after this newcomer had identified herself one way or the other, as clearly no one here could vouch for precisely who she was.

[Ariadne]

"I am." Ariadne responds monotonely as her eyes jump between the gathered mages. The damn Seer knows her Shadow Name too. She follows Avis's statement towards the awkward man and a silent women. A moment later a small smile breaks.

"Sorry, things have been rough lately and so many new faces is surprising. I am Ariadne yes." She looks back at Avis. "Have you met Leo? He's in charge of the Arrow at the moment." Blue eyes move back to the two, probable, Guardians.

"I am the Epopt for Sacramento, I'm going to guess the red hair is a give away?"

[Avis]

"Yes, ma'am. Would be creepy if I hadn't, since I'm living here," Avis replied, looking at the Epopt cautiously.

"I'm squared away. We were just getting acquainted before you arrived. Do you want me to clear out of the sanctuary while you do your 'welcome speech' or will you take them over to the Guardian side of the building?" she asked, hooking her thumb toward the door.

[Star]

Mandy gets the thumbs up: it's a plan! The thumb turns into a finger pointed at Avis , making a small circle. You in on that?

He was fresh off the boat, and had no idea where to eat. He wasn't an Acanthus -- he couldn't just walk off in a random direction and find a restaurant tucked away. Besides, Arrows were handy, particularly for someone acutely aware of their own mortality. They could get the lay of the land from 'boots on the ground'. Thank goodness for buzz phrases.

Those were all pretty good reasons. He totally wasn't dragging out his personal guest appearance in Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls".

Oh, damn.

She got a little lippy with the Epopt. The hand falls limply by his side. Spectacular timing. That definitely did not sound like ice-breakers there. Was there A Story?

"She called you ma'am, and said we had business with you," he explained to the Epopt. He stood marginally straighter. Like he was in the principal's office. No, he wasn't the one that put smoke bombs in the ventilation system. Who would do such a thing?

"I'm Cut..."

The word hung, and fell off. There had been a moment when he was going to introduce Mandy, but he wasn't sure if she was going to do the 'Mandy' thing or the full-meal-deal Ozymandias on her name. That, and he didn't want to seem presumptuous. Those thoughts, and wondering about offering his hand, furrowed his brows below the mop of hair.

Nope. Principal Epopt didn't seem like the touchy-feely sort. Hands stayed where they were. Even the pen was motionless.

[Zodiac]

Watching the shifting gestures of the man's hand, she raised a brow for a moment before seeming to understand. Just as she expected - business, or some such. It wasn't like he was asking her out. That was likely for the best, she didn't intend to be around for too terribly long. A mental sigh came of that before she offered a little bow to Ariadne.

"Epopt Ariadne," she greeted politely, offering a hand to the woman herself. "My name is Ozymandias. My acquaintance Eclipse suggested that you would be the person I ought to check in with here before conducting my business," Mandy explained with a smile. "Mandy, of course, is just fine." Sleepers didn't tend to ask what Mandy was short for - they sure as hell asked what Oz was short for.

[Ariadne]

"Nice to meet all of you." Ariadne makes her way over to the group, looking around as she does. "I never really get over this place." She says with a smile.

"We should head to our side. I can show you around then." Ariadne says with a nod towards the guardians half of the building. "As.. I'm sorry I didn't ask for your name.. Well there are bunks that you can all stay in if you don't have anywhere to live in Sacramento yet."

The Epopt nods back to another young women who joins the conversation. "Ariadne, with the Veil." as way of introduction.