(1609) Star, Tuesday & Friends

[Campanella]

"Lone unicorn... Ah! Of course. That makes sense." Campanella's face lifts lightly as he gains understanding. "Thats an unusual position to take. Self taught or simply an independent spirit?" His face remained animated while he asked his question.

As was his apparent custom, he inclined his head to the Mastigos Councillor. "Councillor. Thank you."

He paused while he turned the options over in his mind. "Temoins du Sud appears the smaller of the groups. I would most likely start there... Unless there are any solitaries who wish to combine their efforts in a Cabal?" He let his attention return to Faye. There must have been some hovering in the wings, surely?

The Temoins did at least boast his Councillor and one other - Faye. Besides... At first blush he could not see himself fitting in with the Veiled Threats: they appeared much more laid back than he. It was true that his identity was just another layer - a skin he could slip out of at any moment, but that would be a waste given the time and effort spent crafting it.

He let the conversation flow around him for the moment. Being seen, learning who was who - that was important. Small talk, less so. He could, he supposed, venture something about the Consilium's current structure and the proposal to elect a new Hierarch. Perhaps presumptuous. So he tried a different tack.

"I am surprised the Council did not form a Cabal of its own, given the limited membership here present."

[Star]

Murid?

Okay, note: Fisher is a walking mammal thesaurus. At least, probably. Because some people have no clue what a Murid is -- but that's what Google is for. If, you know, you don't don't think Google is a Seer-driven replacement for the Akashic records; redefining and limiting belief-states for the curious of mind. So. Yeah. Webster's.

A hand popped up at the mention. That's right. The Last Starfighter. Beware the Obrimos Death Blossom. You staring, bro? A subtle orchestra began, small movements as nostrils flared every so slightly, a brow lifted a fraction of an inch, and an ear wiggled. Yeah, just one ear. It's weird. Then a muscle at the jawline and a lip quiver before it all slowly began again. Hypnotic. Keep staring, yo. Staring at a legit magician? Next thing you know you're hypnotized and clucking like a chicken.

"Yeah, totally, what's up with all the Mo..."

Cue the bow-chicka wow-wow music. And slow-mo. At least, that's what it always feels like is happening whenever Varyx walks over. Like she's walking straight towards you and any minute the water spray and hair shaking is going to start, followed by...

"...ros. The Moros. All of them. In the city."

I am Jack's Leanining It's Almost A Step Backward.

"And Crowley, but he's not here." The skateboard shifted in the Angel's hands. BuhBuh Bah-Bum. Oh, that Addam's Family song is there to stay. Snap snap. "Fisher's like Brad Pitt. You ever notice that? How he's always eating. Every movie. Eating. It's weird, like he writes that into his contract, or, I dunno, it's like his version of sticking his hands in his pockets. I bet he jogs. A lot." BuhBuh Bah-Bum. Snap snap. Damn that unicorn. Bluish-eyes bounced back to Faye after darting away at the smirk that had threatened to boil over laughter. "Right, right, you had your own beer at the, you know, barbecue."

All the Councilors in one cabal? Ewwwwww. File under Nous' Master Plan.

"Why? The Councilor Cabal. Why would they do that? Or, actually, why does it, you know, surprise you that they didn't?"

Because Throne-dar.

BuhBuh Bah-Bum. Snap snap.

[Benji]

He's just happy to be here

failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-09-12 20:18:39		Brother Rat rolls 5 to Wits 2 + Empathy 3 (10 Again)		1, 6, 1, 2, 2		failure

Brother Rat shrugs. "I guess I could have gone with something short and snappy like Asphalt because I do a lot of walking or Rebar because I want to be the support for a structure or Dog because they're Man's best friend, but I didn't. And I haven't met many Awakened who weren't at least half convinced that they were the cleverest person in the room. If there is an emergency I'm sure someone will think of something suitably pithy and appropriate, Councilor The Last Starfighter."

"The Shadow is... the Shadow. It's always going to reflect it's material counterpart." Brother Rat says, resigned to the fact that this particular topic was the Cul de Sac of topics to those who weren't already involved somehow. Like the obscure underground Hokkaido rock scene, model train enthusiasts and lepidopterist periodicals, going on about the Shadow at length just weirded normal people out. So he is entirely pleased when the conversation moves away from it.

"Councilor Varyx, pleasure to meet you." He made the effort to not stare, because come on. He wasn't an animal. He nods as she describes the Cabal situation, chipping in with a cheerful "Isn't that interesting!" And it was! Apparently two cabals splitting the city between themselves? He glances over at giving Claviger Faye as he says it, recognizing that the Ladder putting all it's eggs in one basket was never what you'd call a winning idea.

With that in mind, Brother Rat steps in after Campanella asks about solitaries. "You know, we could always hook up and see if anything more permanent shakes out of it. Best case it works out, worst case we just don't fit together and have to figure something else out. I'm handy to have around and I can make a mean dishwasher salmon, so there's that going for me."

[Varyx]

There's an amused grin that plays across Varyx's face at Star's comment about the number of Moros. "Seems to me that's just the way of things. Yesterday, it was Acanthus. Today, Moros. Maybe tomorrow the Mastigos path meetings will finally begin to consist of more than just Avis and I going for sushi," she quipped, chuckling.

The Councilor cabal idea was... interesting. There were a number of reasons why it wouldn't be her first choice. From Star's tone, it seemed like he was in the same boat. Or maybe not? He was always a little difficult to read that way. Though, thinking about it now, wasn't it sheer chance that saw that hadn't happened? With the way the positions were tossed from head to head, who was to say it wasn't, one day, going to happen that all of the Councilors would end up in a single cabal? Purely by chance? After all, Truce's was the only seat that hadn't passed to another mage in her time here so far. With that kind of regular change...

Well. It wasn't something to concern herself with until it happened, was it?

Turning her attention to Brother Rat, she smiled at the suggestion of creating a temporary cabal of the new mages. To see if it would work. It was the third time she'd heard the idea. But perhaps third time was the charm?

"Of course, you're free to do that as well. I believe some of our other, longer-standing members are in need of a cabal. You may wish to speak with them, if that's your interest."

[Campanella]

Campanella returned his attention to Star.

"Why not? It would demonstrate the unity of the Council, allow the council members to develop trust and understanding between each other. And, in a small Consilium such as this, allow the Council to take point on issues of importance very easily. In addition, such a cabal combining the full five Paths would be aesthetically and ritually pleasing, would it not? Harmony. Unity. Leadership. All in one."

A pause while he takes his fragrant handkerchief and applies it lightly to his lips.

"Given the small numbers and the relative danger the Consilium appears to be in, I would have thought that the Council forming a Cabal would have been an obvious choice. This is a Concillium at war, is it not? Does there not need to be a chain of command? That would be easier to organise in one group as opposed to having the Council spread over two: there is a danger more local - Cabal based - concerns could colour vital relationships at the wrong time, when a single front is needed against our common enemy."

The ghost of the failed D.C Consilium, perhaps. Cordoba and the others had painted a picture of complacency and political infighting; of how an internally divided Consilium had sleep walked to disaster. Or at least, that was the version he had been told.

Patting his pocket, handkerchief returned to its favoured place, he turned his attention to Brother Rat. "I'd be happy to lend my assistance to your project, Brother Rat. We stand to learn much from each other, whether or not we can establish a third group." He inclined his head slightly. "At the very least I can offer you some comfortable accommodation."

[Fisher]

"Hey ya!" Fisher said grinning and waving to Varyx when she came over.

Fisher didn't realize it but with all the names and titles floating around it seemed like everyone was so important and respectable. She certainly didn't feel respectable, and certainly didn't feel important. Ranks and ratings were important for chain of command, especially in her order, however, she wondered how much of it was the wise acting all proud and haughty.

Fisher followed Tuesday's gaze and instead got a completely random comment and she couldn't help but laugh at the other woman's comedy act.

"Well duh," Fisher said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That see food diet...you see food...you eat it. But, seriously yeah I diet. Count calories and stuff, it is all about balancing out what you take in with what you burn off. That and lots of little meals to hold off hunger is better for you if you are working out. See?" she said emphasizing her thin form, "tight and skinny as a rail...well except the caboose...I don't talk about the caboose."

"However, maybe I am hiding some more things," she said with a mischievous grin. "I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out what's pierced for example." She winked to Tuesday and then turned to Star's comment about her and Brad Pitt.

"Brad Pit is cool! I'll have to start working on my Pikey speak and bare-knuckle boxing though...hey...that sounds kind of like fun there." Fisher said actually considering it for a moment.

"Exactly," Fisher said to Varyx. "I'm still waiting for the day when the Thyrsus have their day in the sun! It could happen!"

When Star and Campanella started talking about a single mega cabal...a ruling cabal it rubbed Fisher the wrong way and she couldn't help but speak up.

"In the words of Tolkin:
'Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne.
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.'"

Fisher grinned amused for a moment to let him know she was joking, but perhaps her meaning would be clear...she hoped.

"Seriously though, a ruling cabal has all kinds of bad potential. Easy for them to lose touch with the population at large and start making sweeping declarations to better their cabal's position instead of focusing on representing the members of their path in the city, which is their real job. I don't like the smell of a Seer parallel there either." Fisher shrugged. "Not saying you are or they would be, but it feels wrong to me."

[Aurora]

A bright smiled was offered to Varyx as she joined the conversation.

Faye accepts the paper, and quickly enters it into her phone, “Great! I’ll gave you a call.” She hoped July would appear, and make their numbers three instead of two. It would be new to her to only have two Acanthus.

Blue eyes look to Campanella, still not sure what to make of him. Merit of clothing? Meh, whatever.

“I was referring to the Path of Thistle, our numbers haven’t grown.” She says with a slight frown. “I believe my Cabal is open to fostering should you decide to want it. I would be more than happy to set something up where you, and whoever else may need one, can meet with Truce and I and we can see where it goes.” She offers with a smile while she hopes VT wouldn’t snatch each new face. “We might be small, but I think that’s a good thing, we work well together.” They were small cause VT poached every new face they saw, but she keeps that opinion to herself.

A Cabal of the Councilors? That just seemed like a really bad idea. And when Fisher mentions a ruling Cabal was a bad idea, she almost laughs out loud. VT was clearly the ruling Cabal in Sacramento, anyone who didn’t see that was blind as fuck. It still remained to be seen if her Cabal and VT would work well together.

[Tuesday]

Deciding against going into the lack luster Order recruitment speeches that needed more explanation then Tuesday wanted to give right now she just hummed. "Yep. That's me. Independent spirit."

So was this a thing that was actually going to happen. Or was it going to be a Bastion's Ascendant thing. Make a cabal and be lured/bribed/seduced away into VT or TdS...only Time will tell.

The that snowballing thing happened when people were talking. Only it was about heavy and not any more funny.

"Thank god! It would be really, really weird if I didn't see you or Brad Pitt with some foodstuffs somewhere. Entering the mouth region."

When Fisher started reciting Tolkien, Tuesday had to give her some help in the oooooh wiggly finger department. It totally helped.

"FisherFisherFisherFisher!" spoken like a hyper unicorn fed sugar and rainbows, "Shirts and skins....or would that be bras and shirts? Meh..." a shrug. Then a finger pokes the basketball meaningfully.

[Star]

"You know, we tried that before."

That's right, Camper Van Beethoven the Obvious Starer. Words inbound.

"Back when I was out in Miramar, with the Navy? That whole unity and chain of command thing? Sure, it's peachy keen and all negative-G pushovers and Polaroids and volleyball until one day a little jet wash sends you into a flat spin."

Picture aviator mirror shades and a shaved mop. Call Sign: Starfighter.

"Anyway, whatevs. I got this totally sick idea about cabals and stuff and things I was gonna bounce off Truce, so."

A pair of long fingers threw the group a deuce, turning into one pointing at the basketball. That's gonna happen. Maybe not now, but it's gonna.

Star returns to the Main Thread !

[Benji]

Brother Rat inclines his head to Campanella in return. "I appreciate the offer, I've got an apartment on a month to month, so there isn't a rush to figure out co-habitation details instantly. What do you think of 'Aileron' for a name? They're the little flappy bits on plane wings that control the up and down motion of the wings."

"I'm as much against the Seer philosophy as the next Théarch, but all this ooga booga against centralized authority smells an awful lot like, well, Libertine rhetoric." Brother Rat wrinkles his nose in distaste. "But the point of the Council is that the wisest among us take their seats on the Council to lead the Consilium in the proper direction, not to rule it. And if we want to engage in a little bit of realpolitik here," Brother Rat says, continuing into the topic with a gesture, "having the seats being spread out across the city's cabals means that those cabals are more likely to be invested in following the rule of law. Not to mention the Councilors might simply not get along well enough with each other to function as a Cabal, which would be messy if it spilled over into official buisness. Which it would, sooner or later. Nobody is perfect." He flips his hand in a gesture to bring up another point. "And as you said Campanella, we are in danger. What happens if a standing Councilor needs to be replaced for some reason? Is it worth disrupting their old Cabal and the Council's Cabal to integrate the new Councilor during a crisis? It seems to me that fracturing Cabals over the Council would cause more harm than good in both the short and long term."

He returns Councilor The Last Starfighter's wave of farewell as he leaves.