(Alien Call) The Alchemist's Return

[Cynthia Weiss]

Thoth? Ibis? Dying stars? Cynthia was not entirely sure what those reagents were or where one could get them. Sounds kinda Egyptian at least. "Your acquaintances don't have any faith in the Operation?" She inquired the tall alchemist. She did her best to play along even with such a loose grasp of the situation.

The haunt eyed Alice. She put a reassuring hand on the dolls shoulder. "You'll have to forgive Alice. She's just eager to finally see the Operation at last." Cynthia tried to reassure them with as much effort she could muster. It seemed for once the toxic bouquet that followed the haunt did not interfere with her words. The tall dark goth woman seemed almost trustworthy. "But as she said, it'll be tricky to get those reagents. They are not exactly easy for anyone to get their hands on. Even for us" How the hell one gets the light of a dead star was beyond her.

  5 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-06-09 09:05:23		Cynthia Weiss rolls 7 to Speaking lies (With the right dice) (Manipulation+Subterfuge) (10 Again, 1s Subtract, WillPower)		9, 4, 8, 10, 2, 9, 4, 9		5 successes

[Yumyumcrow]

The Alchemists remained unmoved. The younger woman folded her arms while the thin man simply raised his eyebrows in a look of puzzlement.

"It should not be that hard. The chosen among you would decided what the reagent's are."

Looking from one to the other he appeared to nod.

"It has been some time so you may have forgotten: the reagent's must be chosen by the one who will ultimately use the Water of Life. Other's could use the Water of Life... but as I understand, the effect would be lesser. You must search, for the reagents are here in this city. And all around you. Don't you understand its a mystical quest - one that will give you a tool that will help you at the end of your journey... Your Great Work?"

The last bit was added with a sense of hesitancy and a spike of hope.

[Alice Hart]

"Oh ah yes!" Alice nods, "I remembered, this is just....so important that I-I just haven't been able to truly decide....I don't want to make any-ah-mistakes."

The Doll nods once more, nerves twisting, rubbing raw, gnawing hunger and Wraith thrashing. Focusing was a problem.

"And...I know I'm interested in drinking," upon you, tender flesh, hot delectable- "...but to be selfish enough to take it from-from someone else-who-has ah-labored longer...on their-uh Great Work...if there is-a to-ah only be uh-one elixir...." Alice shakes her head. That seemed to be the right thing to say. Maybe. Hopefully.

  failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-06-09 18:15:29		Alice Hart rolls 5 to lying! (Wits 3 + Subterfuge 2) (10 Again)		2, 4, 1, 5, 7		failure

[Robert Cross]

A scarred eyebrow lifts at Cynthia's performance. She's smooth--and Cross can see the value in that. Their Family isn't typically so socially adept.

And it's helpful right now. Because Alice is having a hard time holding it together. Which Cross understands. Because each pair seems to be speaking a different language. The Breathers are communicating in riddles, innuendo, code. And Team Pale is trying to piece together something that approximates the lingo of the Alchemists--except even more vague given their lack of knowledge.

The Water of Life? A mystical quest? The Great Work? All of this would sound like bullshit to the Burned Man, if there wasn't something slightly menacing about it. Maybe it's the bit about the end of your journey.

Cross finds himself wishing this interview would end, so they could get the fuck out of this garage and discuss matters. But there'll be time for that later. For now, he forces himself to focus on the conversation. Keeping a close eye on the Alchemists for any tell-tale emotional tics. Making sure that they're not getting suspicious, spooked, or frustrated.

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-06-09 19:25:58		Robert Cross rolls 2 to Breather Feels Wits3 + Emp0 - 1unskilled (10 Again)		8, 2		1 success

[Alice Hart]

Alice's phone rings, suddenly, loudly. The Doll jumps, reaches for it - Ale?

To the Alchemists, "I'm-I"m sorry. But it's one of the uh-others....I need to take this...sorry."

The words tumble out as the Doll, already frightened and off her game, stumbles her way out of Joe's Repairs.

Alice is in Torpor and so must Exit the scene!

[Cynthia Weiss]

Cynthia's face was a stone cold smile while within she just wanted to start screaming. Alice Harts continued stuttering was making this meeting more complicated. It feels more like she was here to keep her on track. It seemed like a complete one eighty from the composed monster she had met before.

And now the one person here that had an idea as to what was going on had just decided to bail on her for reasons that were left a mystery to her. Fuckfuckfuuu-

"Hm. Maybe one of them found something." The artist said as she her eyes followed after the scampering doll. The smiles and serenity were gone for a moment, replaced by face painted with panic worry. "Might not take as long as I thought after all." She turned back to them and continued with a shrug and a smile like everything was no falling apart. "That reminds me. How are things going on your end? From the look-" She cast a sidelong glance at the mannequins set up in the room. "-and sound of things you are having quite a few problems." Her previous question had not been answered. Something seemed to be up.

[Yumyumcrow]

The Alchemists were confused.

The woman, arms still folded, is now starting to scowl. The tall Alchemist's face is running through a number of emotions, none of which are particularly calm. There is confusion, doubt, puzzlement, sudden suspicion followed by jolting shock... and something that might be called being caught flat footed. Especially when Cynthia speaks.

"Ah. Yes." He begins, frazzled. Sighing, he added: "So you may have heard my old colleague and I have gone separate ways. It does not change anything in the slightest. I have a laboratory and I have the knowledge to accomplish this task. So does my apprentice -"

"Do you... People... Even want our help? Doesn't look like it from here." The 'Apprentice' blurted. Or was it spat?

[Robert Cross]

Alice's sudden departure comes as a surprise to the Burned Man. Though her performance thus far hasn't helped things. Is this a ploy for her to get out of the way, let Cynthia do the talking? In any case, Cross doesn't like it. Cynthia is keeping up her end of things admirably, though. Even if the Alchemists are starting to show some strain. When the 'Apprentice' speaks, the Burned Man decides it's time to make a move in case things get ugly.

Slowly, carefully, he picks his way behind the two Breathers, where he can ambush them if need be, and settles in to wait again. If things go wrong, he can easily drop his cloak and take them from behind. The Man in him wants nothing more than to leave this place without such violence. If only for pragmatic reasons. But the Beast? Well that's a different story...

[Cynthia Weiss]

Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose. Irritation, confusion, anger. All can bring out the worst of the Beast and now this mere mortal that likes to play around with mysterious forces is giving her lip? She could snap her neck for giving her lip. destroy her. Rend her to shreds and leave nothing but a torn husk of a-

Deep breath. Count to 3. It did nothing for her physically, but the memory helped a little. "Yes. Despite how my friend has been acting all night." The Nosferatu would need to have a word with the Priscus. Few were that socially isolated, even by the clans standards. "We just have... concerns. You call to us one night offered your help. We turn around and now...this happens." She gestured around the room, Indicating everything that seemed strange and out of place in a garage. "Things are getting stole, your colleagues are turning against you and these fucking mannequins are all over the place. We have no idea what you two have been up to for this to happen." She was walking around them as she spoke, much like a shark circling prey tossed overboard into the ocean. She avoided the cloaked Cross subconsciously as she continued on. "We would like help, but a few of us are having doubts and doubts make them...nervious." She stopped right in front of them, eyes locked onto the apprentice. "Which is not a good thing." A little of the Beast itself seemed to seep into her words and it was compounded by the faint, poisonous air that will follow the Nosferatu to her final night.

Her narrowing gaze jumped between the two. "So can you actually help us?"

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-06-13 03:52:14		Cynthia Weiss rolls 4 to Subtle threats (Manipulation+Intimidation) (10 Again)		5, 10, 7, 2, 2		1 success

[Yumyumcrow]

"You called us. After some six months. This was the only place we both knew." The tall Alchemist began.

"An associate and I set up an Azothic beacon here last year, and it drew... Well, some of you." His eyes lingered on the space Alice had vacated. "Unfortunately our first meeting did not go as good as planned. And that was how things were left till a few weeks ago. I - uh - thought you - there was some interest in what I offered."

A pause. A breath. Note, he made not one mention of his 'associate'.

"I haven't been here in more than six months. We uh felt it best not to return... So I have no idea as to why there are mannikin's here, or why someone would scrawl alchemical symbols on the walls. I fear some charitable contemporaries have been through the place: cleaned out what we left behind and threw in some joking insult into the bargain."

His mouth firmed.

"I helped build an Azothic beacon. Its a feat not repeated in centuries. I know my worth. If you don't think what I offer is genuine, I'll leave. And we can speak no more of this. Or we can move ahead. Track down the reagents - and I shall craft for you the Water of Life. Use it at the moment when the Dawn comes for you and it will ease your passage. If you want to know why I want to do this: it will prove my skill. To myself. To my apprentice. And to my old associate when the word gets out."