Messy Aftermath

**Avis** · Jul 13th, 2015 06:54 AM

Only one of two things could happen once a conflict had begun. Either the opposing forces engaged with each other in that state of contestation reached an equilibrium, a harmonized state of balance, or one force overwhelmed all others and swelled like seeds of cancer within organs and bones, deadly growths that did not lend strength but rather self-destruction. There was no other option. Either balance was reached or destruction was sown. Any action or inaction not geared toward ending a conflict just encouraged the conflicts growth and its eventual destabilization. Its eventual blossom into apocalypse, into suicide, even if neither side realized it.

That was a Truth that Avis believed in, and that was why, after months of letting a conflict perpetuate between herself, Star, and the magus known as Tyria, that she finally decided to put an end to it. To balance it. There were more important conflicts to worry about. Conflicts whose stakes were already higher, already deadly, already escalating beyond control, and no longer could she afford to have this one at her back. Maybe Star didn't agree, but this was something Avis needed to do. Or, at least the first step towards that.

So, after calling and arranging a meeting room at the Bismark Hotel, she set a meeting between her, her lover, and the woman they had apparently offended so. Currently, Avis was sitting inside that meeting room, idly spinning in a lazy circle in one of the plush leather office chairs which adorned the room around the conference table. The others would arrive soon, hopefully.

**Star** · Jul 13th, 2015 08:40 PM

Everyone Lies to themselves.

It's okay. Illusions are okay. Necessary, even. Some Illusions are things you know and some aren't. Sometimes it takes a while to pull back the curtain. Zoey had said things like this would happen. Curtains without windows, and wizards behind them.

Sometimes you take the long way.

The long way had been through the park. Jeans, t-shirt, backpack. Just another day, right? The closer you look, the less you see. Step back. Then you see the curtain.

Cold lobby hair raised goosebumps; a self-conscious hand brushed at the concert t-shirt. Eventually, sneaks padded over carpet to The Room. Woo-Sah. The thing is, things change when things you Care About are threatened. Maybe, just maybe, that's not where the story began. Maybe it began with you threatening something someone else Cared About.

"Hey."

A hand wafted up, and bluish eyes swam over the chairs.

Because office chair races.

**Avis** · Jul 14th, 2015 07:38 AM

"Hey," Avis echoed in reply, her chair making one more lazy rotation before she set her running shoes down and let friction pull her to a full stop. The left corner of her mouth twitch.

"You doin' alright?" she asked after a moment. He hadn't wanted to come, after all. Or that's what Avis suspected. No matter if he was just there for her, or for other reasons, she was grateful either way.

Jul 14th, 2015 05:28 PM

On a burst of cold, air-conditioned air, comes Tyria Primoria alongside Gina who carries a couple of things beneath her arm. Gina is sharply different from Tyria: blonde hair, cigarette pants, printed blouse. The 'daughter' that never Awoke glances skeptically at Avis and Star as she sets those things down on the table. “Do you need me to keep the phone?” Asking a question Gina already knows the answer to as she pockets the smartphone away.

Apparently, making sure the infernal thing works is the Sleepwalker's job.

Tyria Primoria is sharply dressed. Knife pleats only seek to make the sharp image, sharper and hair the color of cinnamon is pulled up into a bun. A cold, intense gaze falls on both magi as she doesn't wait for an invitation to sit down. It is a gaze that doesn't come up often, Sleepers and Sleepwalkers alike all divide their attention between the now and their gadgets. The watch on her wrist is analog.

Boundaries were crossed and the former Curator and current Hierophant will see it through. It is one of the last things she has to do as Tyria begins her own journey.

A look of expectation washes over the Arrow and Guardian across from Tyria as Gina closes the door to the meeting room behind her.

**Star** · Jul 14th, 2015 10:32 PM

"Sure, I..."

Words trailed off as the door opened. Two by two. Some people say that everything is about numbers. That math is proof of divinity. The assistant? Maybe it was to even things up. Maybe not.

There's no hands of blue.

Just like numbers, some people think that Where You Sit is a big deal. Head of the table, foot, side. If We sat together, it would be a united front. Or sit on the opposite side, dividing attention. Toby would know where to sit.

In the end, it was the nearest chair that fingers latched on to, pulling at it awkwardly. Pop Quiz: When does a gentleman sit? After all the women. Eyes flickered at Gina's shoes before slowly settling on a decision, and the seat was occupied.

Shoes? All the shoes. Gina's shoes. Tyria's shoes.

Because Pretty Girls Are Mean.

**Avis** · Jul 16th, 2015 01:11 AM

So Tyria was happy to sit in silence now, was she? Well, she'd been doing a lot of that, lately, it seemed, so fine. Avis would begin.

"Now that all of the concerned parties are gathered together," the Warlock opened, "why don't we begin the conversation again and see if we can resolve it. Since you're the accuser, Tyria, why don't you begin, and then we'll go from there."

Jul 16th, 2015 06:02 PM

Tyria Primoria levels a stern look at the Warlock, clearly not pleased to be here. Clearly not pleased to have to explain herself and make apologies for telling someone else 'no.' Instead of getting directly to the meat of it, however, Tyria starts from another place. “Do you know the History of the Consilium you live in, Councilors?”

Eyes slide to Star including him, “I have defended the Mysteries from a Seer incursion of my Museum. And I have also directed a group to stop the mad Ananake and to put an end to an Obelisk ritual that would have destroyed all of the magi in this Consilum. I will continue to defend those mysteries while the rest of you squabble about who this month is trying to take over your fledgling Consilium.”

Those eyes return to Avis, “Remember that next time you speak about things you have no idea about.”

Now, she returns to the present, “I invited the Consilium to the Museum, as a show of solidarity and trust in it. You both breached that trust by crossing a boundary. The pair of you left intimate sympathetic connections in my museum – connections you can use to spy on my people. I am a Wraith of the Epoch. I can touch things and see their history.” And when that Mage cleans the bathrooms and passages herself, to lower exposure, a person can see a whole lot.

Tyria pauses as she leans back, “I asked for a favor as recompense for that breach of trust and lack of respect for a fellow mage, either sanctified by a Geas or by a ritual Right of Requite. Star, stood up and yelled, making something I wanted to resolve privately into a Consilium-wide-affair.”

**Avis** · Jul 18th, 2015 04:51 AM

"Ah. Well. Now that I've heard your reasoning, I can better understand why you would feel offended," Avis admitted. "My question, though," she added, ire fueling her will as she met the Mystagogue's eyes. "...is why you chose to speak only to Star, and why you chose to do so during the Consilium? Wouldn't it have been better to speak with both of us, in a private location, like we're doing today?"

It was more than just an attempt at an Iron Voice, the asking of those questions. They had been questions which had stewed in the Warlock's mind ever since that fateful, fuck-up of a day. Once they'd been answered, then she'd better be able to move towards a resemblance of harmony.

**Star** · Jul 19th, 2015 06:18 PM

Allll-righty, then.

Chill, lady. It's not the end of the world. Want proof? Not even gonna argue. There's some pretty wack things being said, easy pickings, but it's all good. Funny, though. Like Gattaca eyelashes. Paranoia Will Destroy Ya. Quit hittin' the Seerbucks so hard.

Everyone knows the answer to the question. Zip those lips.

Take the shot Iceman, or get out of the way. There's nothing wrong with falling back and letting your wingman have a go at the mess you made.

Jul 24th, 2015 11:14 AM

Eyes remain leveled on Avis as she speaks, but her eyes are devoid of any discernible emotion. “You were working, Councilor.” Is the immediate answer given by Tyria Primoria. “I'm not going to be chasing you down and Gina has better things to do than to run around this city looking for you.”

The Mysterium's woman continues to speak, “And I believed that since you both are mature enough to be intimate, you can be mature enough to make decisions that you both would support. Besides,” the Acanthus states not moving, not shifting in her seat for comfort and barely blinking, “if he agreed, he could have spoken to you after the meeting and from there, a Herald would be within arms length. It would have been far more efficient.”

Tyria Primoria makes a show of looking around, “Instead, Star stood up and yelled, derailed your meeting, caused this to be dragged on for months and we will probably have to wait for a Herald to be available even when we come to a conclusion. Less. Efficient.”

Messy Aftermath

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