We See Dead People

[Premsyl]

The sun was setting as Darkslide rounded the corner of 2nd onto Riverside. He ollied up onto the sidewalk from the road with practiced ease coming to a stop outside of Masullo Pizza. He steps off his skateboard, stepping down on the back of the board so that the other end pops up for him to catch and carry the board at his side. He looks across the street at the graveyard. Behind a fence made of metal rods and across a grassy lawn he could see the headstones lined up in various shapes and sizes. He was guessing they probably closed to the public around sundown, which made perfect sense, but didn't interest him except as an obstacle to overcome. That was just fine with him, though. Anyway, talking to ghosts was more than a little awkward when Sleepers were about. And metal fences were hardly a problem for a Disciple of Matter.

He was distracted from his thoughts regarding the cemetery when someone opened the door of the restaurant to walk out and the smell of food wafted out to find him. He'd skated by this place a few times before but hadn't been inside. He'd heard it was good. Sure smelled good.

He checks his watch - he's a couple minutes early - and looks around to see if he catches sight of Truce coming either which way down the sidewalk before glancing inside to see if he's already arrived and had a seat.

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Pre Scene Magic

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-08 21:53:20		Darkslide rolls 5 to Unseen Aegis (Gnosis2+Matter3) (10 Again)		1, 3, 3, 9, 3		1 success

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-08 21:52:40		Darkslide rolls 4 to Pre Scene Grim Sight (Gnos2+Death2) (10 Again)		10, 6, 4, 2, 4		1 success

Vassagon

[Truce]

To ensure he isn't late, and because he usually doesn't have time in his schedule for walking to his destinations, Truce shows up in his Chevy Impala. He parks it neatly, unbuckling his seatbelt and performing a few gestures to bring forth the memorized Imago while he has the privacy. He exits the vehicle, locks it, and heads to the front of the pizza establishment. He isn't familiar with Masullo Pizza but he imagines most pizza parlors share enough similarities to be the same.

Truce comes in a few minutes after Darkslide, visible through the window for the few second before he enters, letting the door shut behind him. He stops and assesses his surroundings, looking for the man who he has only met once and attempting to allow for the variation in attire within his memory. The dinner rush has brought a few other patrons and it's a moment before he spots Darkslide sitting at table.

"Hello, Darkslide. I'm not late, am I? I'm glad you decided to meet up," he says in greeting after walking over and taking a seat across from his fellow Moros. "Have you ordered yet?"

  Death/Mind Sight, 3/1 suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-08 22:20:31		Truce rolls 7 to cast Third Eye rote at pizzeria [WIT+Emp+Mind] (10 Again)		10, 6, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 2		1 success
2014-12-08 22:19:54		Truce rolls 7 to cast Grim Sight rote a pizzeria [WIT+Occ+Death] (10 Again)		9, 5, 10, 4, 2, 2, 2, 9		3 successes

[Premsyl]

The place was crowded, it being dinner time, but Darkslide had managed to score a table that was somewhat solitary where they could talk. He had just ordered an ice water and was going over the menu when he noticed Truce walk in. Seeing him, he grins, and waves him over "Sup, Truce? Late for what? We're just chillin." he looks down at the menu, looking it over as he speaks "But nah I ain't ordered yet. I wanted to wait until you got here. Thought we'd go half on a pie. What do you like on it?"

The server comes over and drops off Darkslide's ice water then asks Truce if he'd like something to drink.

[Truce]

"Ah, yes. Right." affirms Truce, considering this. While Darkslide did seem to suggest they were just 'hanging out', Truce has a habit of treating things with propriety, as if it were an appointment. "Thanks. Half then? Alright, umm..." Truce considers what he might be in the mood for. "Mushrooms, I guess. Peppers? Anything is fine I suppose. What do you want?" The ordinary banter allows Truce to relax and treat their meeting more informally. When the server comes to collect their drink order, Truce also get ice water, with lemon.

Once their server retreats from the table, Truce looks to Darkslide, smiling softly, his hands resting on his legs. "So, you grew up in this city? That must be nostalgic, coming back to your home town. Has anything changed much from how you remember it?" Truce remembers Darkslide mentioning the fact when they first made introductions. It seems a safe conversation point to start out at.

[Premsyl]

Darkslide addresses the server [color=#4E9258]"We'll get a large going half peppers and mushrooms and half bacon and hamburger." The server takes their menus and goes off to put in their order, returning a moment later with Truce's drink.

"You know how it is. Some things change others stay the same. Lot of people I used to know moved away. Sometimes I'll see a new building, or find that one that I remember being there's been torn down. It's a trip for sure. Still, it's the same old city, no doubt about that, even if I feel a world apart from the way things were for me before I left, ya know? In any case, it's nice. I'm glad to be back, for a while at least."

"How about yourself? I hope you're liking Sacramento so far. You said the other day you were here for personal and professional reasons, right? Weren't you saying you're a shrink or something?"

[Truce]

Truce averts his eyes to the tabletop as he listens to Darkslide. "Ah, well, I suppose I was a bit overzealous in that conversation. I'm not exactly a practicing psychologist, not yet anyways. But I have enough experience where it might be of merit." He looks up again and pulls his water glass closer, placing a straw into the water, if provided. "I've started classes at the Professional School of Psychology on the north side of the city to finish my masters and doctorate. I suppose it won't hurt to tell you that much since you mentioned you were schooling at Sacramento University, unless I'm remembering incorrectly."

Truce takes a short sip from his water, idly wondering what this new companion was studying, but not wishing to pry too much. "But to answer your question, I'm liking Sacramento quite a lot. The people are friendly and the scenery is lovely along the riverside. Yet despite its appearances, I've found a few instances of instability. I suppose being in a mental health profession tends to create that bias."

The tone of his voice changes subtly, somehow more cold and serious. "There are some who can't seem to shake their burdens even after they've become burdens themselves." Truce isn't sure if Darkslide will pick up on his meaning, referring to the lingering specters that inhabit the Twilight realm overlapping their own.

[Premsyl]

"Right? I feel like that, personally, when I die that it will finally be the time to say to hell with everything. Maybe that's me, though, and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I dunno. It's one thing to talk to them, but it's hard to put yourself in their shoes." he shrugs "I guess that's probably where the psychology bit comes in handy."

"But, yeah. I'm over at the University. Finished my AS online and gonna get a bach degree in Chemistry. It's not as much fun to talk about as ghosts but Matter and the way things are made up really interest me, especially now that I can get a good intimate understanding of it. I'm sure I'm not the only guy who Woke Up and came back wanting to go to science classes, but whatever right? Anyway, I always liked school okay but if you'd have told me before I'd be going back to school to study Chemistry of all things I'd have probably looked at you like you were crazy."

He glances around then leans in a bit, his voice softening so as to better talk shop. There were a lot of other conversations going on so Darkslide wasn't too worried about being overheard, and he wasn't planning on screaming out anything specific, but still it was good to be a little bit discrete "So what are you in it for? You're not with a group so its not easy to typecast you, though I know I don't exactly fit the stereotype of my Order. You mentioned burdens earlier. You trying to unburden the dead? Put them at ease? Or are you trying to unburden the living from the dead? Is it more Sixth Sense or Ghostbusters? Or is it something else entirely?"

[Truce]

Truce follows Darkslide's meaning rather easily. He seems accustomed to masking his speech well and had a very casual way of speaking that makes it seem as though there is nothing of significance in the content to the layman. Truce's smile widens as Darkslide shares his revisitation to academics. Chemistry does have plenty to offer in understanding the make-up of the Fallen World and how to manipulate it without the Supernal's influences.

"I'm sure you'll be successful in your schooling. As for myself I've always been rather awake in my education. If you ever are in need of a study partner, I'm sure I could find some time for it."

As they lowered their voices, Truce's expression loses its softness, the subject matter becoming more close-to-home. "I don't mind telling you, though I'll save the details for later. To put it simply, both. Neither the living nor the dead should have to suffer their burdens. One carries over to the other, after all. I see no better way to aid my fellow man in their plight than to offer perspective and clarity."

Only after he's answered Darkslide did he consider the narratives of Sixth Sense & Ghostbusters. Certainly the fiction is a more relatable summary of their experiences. Though Ghostbusters, as he recalls, doesn't quite capture the empathetic understanding he hopes to achieve with the deceased. "I suppose Sixth Sense fits it better," he comments as an afterthought.

[Premsyl]

"Good flick. That director hasn't done anything decent recently, though. You ever see The Happening? Nothing fuckin Happened the whole movie." Darkslide laughs "And have you seen Haley Joel Osment these days? Looks like they took the kid from the Sixth Sense and stapled his head onto some awkward grown up body."

A little while later their pizza arrives and they engage in banal small talk as they share a meal. Afterward they both pony up on their half of the bill and emerge outside onto the sidewalk.

Darkslide zips up his hoodie jacket against the brisk dry California air. He resists the urge to drop and mount his skateboard, electing instead to walk with his new buddy. He hikes his heavy backpack into a more comfortable position on his shoulders, glances back and forth for cars, then walks across the street to stand before the fence dividing the road and the graveyard. "City Cemetery. Oldest graveyard in Sacramento. Closes to the public at 5."

He looks over at Truce, with a smirk on his lips and a glint of mischief in his eyes, wondering what he thinks of closing times.

[Truce]

"I rather enjoyed his performance in A.I." remarks Truce, sipping once more on his water glass.

Dinner continues with Truce conservatively eating his half of the pizza between making small talk regarding their tastes in film. Afterwards he tips generously and heads outside to cross the street with Darkslide.

Noting the sign, Truce sighs. "I suppose a graveyard during the day just doesn't have the same appeal?" But seeing how they were Moros, experiencing the burial sites at night when it was easier for troubled specters to manifest might yield something of interest. Older ghosts meant more powerful ghosts usually.

Looking at the fence, Truce finds the prospect of scaling the tall obstacle discomforting. "I don't suppose your familiarity with the Matter Arcanum could provide us an easier entry?"