Sacramento Visitor Center

[Teeramus]

Striker instinctively reached for his pocket as Gyges began to light up. Then he remembered that the only packet of smokes he had was under his bed back in the sanctum. At least that's where he'd left it two months ago. He screwed up his nose as the other man spoke. "Yeah, I think I know what ya mean. To be honest I didn't think it was a big deal, but Avis is... Well I think we musta got our wires crossed or something 'cause she got real upset when I tried to hit her. So yeah. I coulda prob'ly done somethin' better, but you live an' learn right?" He said before pausing.

"So are you not recognized then? Do you get all the so-called benefits of being a member? I mean we pretty much have to fend for ourselves anyway, it's not like the consilium's given me any handouts since I got here. An' the Arrow's fine. Well it is now we've got a proper leader again. I mean you've gotta get your direction from somewhere right? An' they do good stuff looking after all the other mages who can't be arsed learnin' to protect themselves." He said curiosity mingled with confidence in his voice.

[Gyges]

He shrugs, there wasn't a whole lot he could add to what little he knew about the fight. He'd already gotten his ass kicked and socially slapped down from it, there didn't seem a lot of point to thumping him on the head about it. Wordlessly Gyges offers the man one of his and a light. He recognized the gestures of someone looking for a smoke who didn't have one, the Warlock might draw his power from a realm of spiritual torment that forces him to either be tormented himself or to torment others, but he wasn't a monster. He wondered what it was like to try and light one with only one had, was it awkward forever or did you adapt?

He took a drag off his own and decided to let it lie and deal with the other topic. "No, I've spoken with Crowley," referring to the Herald. "And some others. I'm recognized under the law, such as we've got. Theoretically I guess I've got the right to call on the Sentinels if someone is on my ass or get in touch with my Councilor if I need to talk about something, but in my experience my kind we get bumped down to the bottom of the list as far as priorities go." Another shrug, Gyges wasn't going to loose sleep over it. And really his kind of thinking applies to Apostates and Solitaires equally.

"That's nice," he says about the Arrows getting proper leadership. "I've always had success when I get my direction from myself, but not everyone's on that same wavelength."

[Teeramus]

Why hadn't Striker had a smoke in over 2 months? Plenty of reasons really, but it wasn't because didn't like the social aspect of it and he tried to recall the last time he'd enjoyed standing around having a cigarette with a relative stranger. "Cheers mate." He said with a little surprise as he planted the cigarette between his lips and lent forward to light it, focusing a little too long on the flame in front of him before taking a drag.

"Hmmm? Right, so you're not independent like your separated from the consilium, just not part of an actual order. Gotcha." He reflected for long enough to take another drag on his cigarette before continuing. "Yeah, the doc who saved my life after I awakened an' this happened," He began, cocking his head toward his missing arm, "he brought me into the Arrow back in Oz and it worked out pretty well. Haven't really thought about it since then I guess. So what do ya do then?"

[Cryotic]

  Cast beforehand

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-31 15:00:19		Apollo rolls 6 to Fortunes Protection Round 2(Fate+Gno+Hs -1Mana24Hr) (10 Again)		6, 8, 6, 2, 10, 5, 9		3 successes
2014-12-31 15:00:00		Apollo rolls 6 to Fortunes Protection (Fate+Gno+Hs -1Mana24Hr) (10 Again)		7, 2, 4, 6, 4, 1		failure
2014-12-31 14:59:31		Apollo rolls 7 to Sybil's Sight (Wits+Occ+Fate+HS-24hr Adv. Dur.) (10 Again)		8, 6, 1, 5, 1, 7, 9		2 successes

Apollo had found himself with time to burn, and before he'd be able to spend any of it on a pasttime, he needed to figure out what was around. For any normal person that was usually a few google searches on the internet, but well, Apollo's phone didn't really do internet, and he wasn't about to ask Crowley if he could use his computer.

And besides, with two hundred and thirty days of sunshine annually, why wouldn't you want to go outside?

Apollo had entered, and been meandering about the sports section, hands in his pockets and just sorta wandering really. He'd glanced over the bits about the sports teams. He'd never been as much of a sports guy as the other guys in his division or his own dad for that matter. The rafting he could probably get behind, though.

Aimless steps led the Acanthus towards the winery when he noticed two men talking, spells active. I'm nowhere near the university, so probably not Banishers? One of them was missing an arm, which concerned the Talon a bit. How'd he lose an arm?

Figuring that there was no where to go but forwards, Apollo approaches the two, and from a distance starts "Hey, you guys new in town too?"

Great start, man.

[Gyges]

"Figuring out ways to make money, the occasional faith outreach program, you know basic stuff." The internet was great for meeting new people, he had hooked up with the sweetest little coven of baby Satanists earlier in the week. Regardless, he wasn't going to just give this Striker a run down of his itinerary or anything.

The arrival of another person makes asking questions a little problematic. Once his question is asked Gyges looks him up and down, then looks around the room with a shocked expression. "Well considering the location? Yeah. I'm Gyges, this is Striker."

[Teeramus]

Striker looked as another unfamiliar voice reached his ears. Another mage? They're comin' out of the woodwork.

"Church stuff ay?" he asked rhetorically to Gyges before turning back to the newcomer.

"G'day mate." he began before beginning to extend his hand for a hand shake. He stopped himself, looking down at the blood soaked wadded tissues. "I'd shake your hand mate but I had an accident just before. I'm six months new, so I'm starting to get settled ay. Where ya from?" he replied.

[Gyges]

"Yeah well Satan ain't gonna hail himself," Gyges says with a noncommittal shrug. Seeing as how Gyges has his back to the counter and is facing the door, he notices the newcomer who silently watches them. "Come on in, we don't bite."

[Cryotic]

Apollo shrugged "Don't worry about it." He grinned slightly, passing Gyges a quick quirk of the brow at the "hail satan" comment, figuring he was trying for a joke. Guess I just missed some context.

"Just came in from LA, t" He turns back to Striker. "Had a chat with Crowley recently. Starting to dig my talons in I guess you'd call it."

After the low-hanging euphemism, Apollo takes another quick survey of the room, noting the man Gyges' had just addressed, and the telltale strains of destiny's strings around him. Another of their type evidently. He also notes, however, the absence of literally anyone else. "Do we..." He starts "Permission to speak freely here? Where're the staff?" He felt a little ashamed he hadn't noticed it earlier actually, such a stress in life on situational awareness both pre- and post-awakening and he'd simply missed that not-so-little detail.

[Teeramus]

Striker cocked his head at Gyges in an unasked question, but then when Gyges addressed the bloke by the door, the shaman turned to look at him and gave a brief nod of greeting before turning back to the conversation at hand.
"L.A. huh? I don't know much about the States ay. Jeez, Crowley must be run off his feet with all these new people showin' up." He said before looking at the man discerningly. "So you in the Adamantine Arrow too?" Striker asked, his guard already down, before realising he was in an empty room with three unknown mages. If this is a setup and they're Banishers I'm screwed. Can I take down all three? How close am I to the uni?

"There's a um. Banisher problem thing goin' on. At the um. The uni there. It's um. Were doin' stuff. To um. To deal with it. But you should prob'ly just be careful near there. You know. For now. Because of the, ahh Banishers you know." Striker said his voice still confident and loud, but he stumbled over his words and was clearly suddenly troubled by something. It was a great plan in Striker's mind, make them talk about banishers so it would be obvious if they were banishers or not.

Maybe Avis was right. Maybe bein' able to lie would be useful after all.

  fail subterfuge roll

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-01-04 03:01:58		Striker rolls 1 to Don't freak (Composure+Subterfuge-1 Unskilled) (10 Again)		4		failure