(Blue Octavo) Reflections

Dec 10th, 2015 03:44 PM

on Sin, Suffering, Hope, and the True Way

Even the Awakened cannot stop the Night's sudden arrival to the world. The long months are on them and the lazy, long days of Summer are only a memory. Five-thirty is no longer the 'afternoon,' it's the evening. Stars twinkle merrily above, uncaring about the tiny spec of blue below them.

The steeples of the Community Center spear the blue-black sky. Marks of a farmed-faith, that has since left, remain in the engravings that decorate the former church.

Outside, there are stragglers: people looking for the courage to share themselves with complete strangers. Each person a representation of a cross-section of society: men, women, white-collar, blue-collar, prostitutes, and mothers. Each and every one of them carrying with them their own crosses of addiction and depression. Each of them carries a tiny flame of hope in their hands that life will get better, that together they will have the strength to move on, move forward.

'Ever Forward.'

They just have to descend into a basement that smells like the mothballs and sugar-cookies of a finished Bingo Game and among holiday decorations acquired at the Dollar Store.

**Star** · Dec 10th, 2015 10:05 PM

"...And then the judge gives me this speech about all the money I owe? Like ninety-nine percent of that isn't overdraft fees? Talking to me like I'm the criminal, who's the criminal, I'm buried under all debt the banks just made up."

The words are soft, almost soothing, punctuated every now and then with Shatner emphasis. The mop bounces, talking to no one in particular but nodding at anyone who looks.

"And they just keep making stuff up, you know? These bus tokens from the halfway house are supposed to be worth twenty bucks but when I asked the guy at Valero to give me two packs of cigarettes for them he won't do it, so how are they worth twenty bucks? It's like when you get Mirandarized and they're reading you your rights but they don't want to talk about all your rights, how about your right to the pursuit of happiness? How can I pursue happiness when the bank is breathing down my neck and I can't even get a time out for a cigarette break."

Accuracy by volume. For the military, it's about dropping enough artillery that some of it will actually hit it's target. You can do the same with conversation, yo. Throw enough of it out there, someone's going to identify.

"I can't even breathe, it's like everything is just crushing me and sucking the life out of the air and I can't breathe. And I probably actually can't breathe because of greenhouse gases because I can't breathe carbon this or hydrogen that, like they turned the whole planet into a Vegas casino with no oxygen so I can't think and all I want is to just get a breath of air, you know?"

Sneakers scuff with light pacing. Personal space. Once someone accepts you in their space, even accidentally, you're in.

It's all about blending in. Blending in, and key words. They're like magnets.

And donuts.

Let's get to the donuts part, yo.

Social Chameleon Activate!

Dec 11th, 2015 08:18 AM

Addicts like coffee. It's almost like these programs want you addicted to caffeine instead crack or meth or whatever your thing is. July was filling his cup of coffee as he listened to Star, er, Jack, talk. He knew the man could spin a yard, but this was almost too much.

July did not look like his usual self. He did his usual routine of shield and sight, but he wasn't wearing his hat, his hair looked greasy and unkempt, and part of his shirt was untucked. He didn't have to try hard to look like a man suffering from a hangover, he had spent many mornings, and some nights with the burning headaches alcohol is so fond of leaving. He almost got himself drunk last night just to help the effect, but he figured that might be too much realism. It would certainly impair him for today.

Having gotten his coffee he found a seat away from Star or any of his other team members, waiting to see what would happen next.

1 suxx for Shield, 1 suxx for Sight

Dec 11th, 2015 12:28 PM

Faust sat in a chair off to the side half paying attention and half looking around the room. He was doing an excellent job looking like he was nervous about his first time in a support group meeting; problem was it wasn't an act. His hair and clothing were disheveled from having spent the previous evening going back over what he had learned in his research over the message at the crime scene, he was slouched down into his chair with one leg tapping up and down from nerves. One arm wrapped close over his chest, holding a leather bound book close like a child might a stuffed animal in the waiting room of a doctor's office, and the other came up from the book and ended with hand covering his mouth. Concealed inside the book was a page containing a copy of what Star had provided him of the message left at the crime scene on the off chance he might be able to determine some sympathy between it and someone in the room.

While Star spoke the demonologist kept his eyes peeled, paying particular attention to the strength of the Gauntlet, and shifting his attention between the local Twilight and to anything that might be lurking in the Shadow.

4suxx for sight, 2suxx to see spirits, 3suxx to see across the Guantlet; -1 mana for improvised casting

@%1;Casitive, can I get the results of the research Faust did in Hitting the Books?

**Arthur** · Dec 11th, 2015 11:02 PM

Black coffee stares back at Arthur as he looks down into his cup. The collar is popped up but its ruffled and hapzard. Dirty jeans with a convincing knee scrape of concrete and dirt. Convincing because it's real, tequila is dangerous. Arthur bobs his head absentmindedly as Star goes down the deep end into whack-o-land.

Arthur sniffs openly as Jack finishes his tale. Where are those cookies? The Theurgist takes effort to not glance at his Cabalmates or the new guy. Hell of a way to piss off the community, ya took the new bookworm to a help meeting and he got ritually sacrificed. Arthur leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. Eyes going over the other people, hoping he doesn't recognize anyone.

Unseen Shield, Read Matrixes

Dec 13th, 2015 07:18 PM

A support group for those facing addiction, there aren't that many people paranoid about chem-trails, the President's citizenship, the Illuminati, or the way America is going. However, there are a couple of people – namely an older gentleman who nods and mutters to Star in passing, “Keep your chin up. Remember, if the flag got the fringe it's not a real court.”

For the demonologist, the veil is a thin, fragile, and diaphanous thing. Suddenly another noise sneaks into Faust's senses: a gaping, sucking sound like an open, bleeding wound. To really understand, he has to perceive, and knowhazy shadows that shamble listlessly around the struggling addicts.

Faust Gauntlet Rating is 3, you gotta give me perception rolls per Peer Across the Gauntlet, even if the peering is Reflexive. Results will be PM'd.

A lady breezes past the group and claps her hands. “Hello everyone! Thank you for coming, especially with the Holidays fast approaching. The Holidays are a tough time for all of us, after all, and I just want to remind you that we're here for you.”

A man sits behind the lady, looking pointedly at the group of newcomers.

“Take a seat, please and we'll get started. I see we have new faces,” the woman continues to chirp, “welcome to Ever Forward.”

Some of the more indoctrinated are the vanguard of those who take their seats first. Others, with some reserve, follow on their heels. Cheap former church chairs scratch against linoleum and the air rushes out of the cushions from small holes in the pleather.

Dec 13th, 2015 08:35 PM

Faust was noticeably on edge, his nervous ticks increasing in their fervor and the beginning of a quite mumbling into his hand as he started to stare intently at apparently open space. Under the circumstances it may have been fortunate in that the man appeared to be in a bad state, possibly mentally ill or suffering from withdraw of some substance. On the other hand his attention was focused far more across the Gauntlet which kept him from reacting when the woman began the meeting and people began to sit down.

2 successes to see what's in Shadow

**Star** · Dec 13th, 2015 11:25 PM

Thank the Towers for real coffee.

It's all the rage now, those gourmet beans hundred dollar grinders, but there's no coffee like the pitch black sludge from a steel drum in a styrofoam cup. The kind that'll stain your teeth, acid-burn your tongue, and give you carrion breath.

"Dude, really, who took all the coconut flake donuts?"

See? There's a couple of flakes, right there. There were totally some in the box. Oh, right. It's business time. As in, weave up some foreign goggles and Handle Business time. When people are moving around is the best time, glitter shielded or not, you just never know.

"Hey, can I sit here? I'm gonna sit here."

Right next to the Court Flags Guy. Making friends already. Sitting next to someone is totally A Thing. Nothing screams New Person like sitting in the back, all alone. True story. When in Rome, be part of the Herd Mentality.

Over the edge of the styrofoam cup, the Angel studied The Man Behind The Lady. These Eyes? They've seen blue, oh so blue, blue like the sky reflected in a swimming pool, but tonight, they're looking for Murder.

3 successes to Cloaked Aura Perception

Casitive , any rolls required in Mage to study an Aura for colors?

Dec 14th, 2015 08:11 AM

July held the coffee in one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. At the mention of new people he nodded his head and then looked around. He remembered the description that Crowley had given them so he was looking to see if this Jason guy was here. Would there be something off about him? Was he the guy behind the speaker? He hoped his training would come in handy in finding who he was looking for.

6 successes

**Arthur** · Dec 14th, 2015 11:28 PM

Eyes flick to watch the busy women bring the meeting to order. As the others move forward Arthur rises and moves to a seat somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Though not next to anyone. After taking a sip of coffee he looks towards the talking women and throws a long glance at the guy staring. Yep whatup guy. Everyone has problems.

Some people think ritual murder is cool. Which it's not.

First though the one talking. The fingers on Arthur's left hand tap against his thigh as the Theurgist calls upon Pandemonium to see true colors. Though nothing comes. Suppressing a frown Arthur waits for the women to continue.

failure, -1M

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2015-12-11 08:16:48	July rolls 6 to Time Shield (Time+Gnos+HS) (10 Again)	6, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4	1 success
2015-12-11 08:16:31	July rolls 6 to Time Sight (Time+Gnos+HS) (10 Again)	2, 8, 7, 4, 2, 5	1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2015-12-11 12:18:04	Faust rolls 8 to cast Peer Across the Gauntlet (Gnosis + Spirit + HS) (10 Again)	10, 7, 4, 6, 3, 2, 5, 8, 8	3 successes
2015-12-11 12:02:40	Faust rolls 9 to cast Spirit Tongue (Presence + Socialize + Spirit + HS) (10 Again)	10, 2, 3, 2, 10, 5, 7, 3, 4, 4, 1	2 successes
2015-12-11 12:01:52	Faust rolls 11 to cast Second Sight (Wits + Occult + Spirit + HS) (10 Again)	5, 6, 2, 9, 10, 9, 9, 5, 7, 2, 1, 7	4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2015-12-11 22:53:54	Arthur rolls 7 to Reflections - Read Matrixes (10 Again)	8, 1, 1, 8, 6, 5, 8	3 successes
2015-12-11 22:53:38	Arthur rolls 7 to Reflections - Unseen Shield (10 Again)	2, 8, 2, 9, 8, 2, 6	3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-12-13 20:20:25		Faust rolls 6 to Perceive past the Gauntlet (Wits + Composure -1(Gauntlet Str)) (10 Again, WillPower)		5, 1, 5, 9, 9, 1		2 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-12-13 23:12:19		Star rolls 5 to Aura Perception -1 Contagion (10 Again)		9, 9, 2, 3, 8		3 successes

(Blue Octavo) Reflections

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