Picking up the pieces of Crystal?

[Kaze]

Kaze gets up to answer the door when he hears Crystal. It's night and there is a breeze moving the leaves and branches of the trees in the planned, gated community.




Kaze's condo is a second floor walk up in a gated community called, 'Woodside' nearby the University of Sacramento.

"Hey, 'Chris'." Kaze says with a grin. "Come on in." He invites.

Inside the floor plan is spacious and airy with a private balcony and vaulted ceilings that make it feel open despite only being a 1 bedroom; 1 bathroom unit. The living room has two fairly nice oak chairs with a coffee table in between. In one corner is a large cage holding a number of pigeons, 8 to be precise if one takes the time to count them. The cage is about five feet square and about four feet high, with boxes mounted inside for roosting pairs. The cooing of the birds is omnipresent though not particularly loud. A 55 inch flat screen television has been mounted up on the wall above the cage with a glass media shelf under it with a sound bar of speakers and a cable box and what looks like a camera aimed down at the cage.

There are stacks of books on the floor and on the counter of the kitchen area; the books in the stacks are mostly non-fiction, of

various authors and topics.

The bedroom door is open, and the bedroom itself is visible with a high king sized platform bed with a desk underneath with a computer on it, and a swivel chair. Beside the bed, there is a padded mat on the floor and a wooden post with dowels projecting out that might be recognized as a Kung-Fu training equipment, or just look like something for cats or maybe the pigeons. There is a holder on the bedroom wall for various staves and a set of two sheathed swords, one with about a three foot blade and another with about a two foot blade, both of them slightly curved.

On the counter are two unopened bottles of whiskey of two different types, two each. The look like they have been there a while, like at this point they are more for decoration than libation.

"So, are you up for a drink?" Kaze asks with a gesture to the whiskey bottles. "I gotta use those up sometime, and I don't ever drink by myself." He says with a wistful smile.

[Crystal]

Even with the threat of starting their 'training' Crystal was glad to see Kaze and talk things through. Frankly, last month's Consilium meeting had rattled the Mastigos - and he wasn't even sure if that was an entirely bad thing.
On the one hand it took him back to San Francisco and the heavy handed way of dishing out judgement there. Sure, considering everything he got off easy himself, but there was a certain fatalistic arrogance he'd just witnessed again in Sacramento. The kind of power tripping he hoped was a SanFran-Original. On the other hand, the size of this community meant that he could actually make a change for the better.

Which of course meant cleaning up his act and getting over his issues with the Supernal. That would be where Kaze came in.


Learning from last time he swung by (and got shitfaced), Crystal ordered an Uber to drop him off a block away and walked the rest of the way to Kaze's gated community. He wore something light and classy: a linen combo of pants and a jacket with a cheeky blue top beneath it. You had to look real close to notice the sheer quality of the lace-like fabric. If his host had a problem with that they'd at least get somewhat even when it comes to being uncomfortable.

Whatever reservations the Warlock might have, he didn't show as Kaze opened the door. There was a big friendly smile on Crystal's face. "Hey Chris! Thanks for having me." As if they had just met to watch a game together instead of scheming for a mystical power play.
He let himself in and wandered around the living room, giving the pigeons an appreciative look. Okay, maybe he was stalling a bit. Kaze's invitation to start drinking couldn't have come more conveniently. "You bet!" He waited for his host to pour some before sitting down on one of the chairs and toasting at the Obrimos. "To the weirdest fucking wench thrown into our plans imaginable." And down it went.

"So, where does that leave us?"

[Kaze]

Kaze grins, "You got it."

He goes into the tiny kitchen and pours two shot glasses with the whiskey, and brings the bottle back with him when he brings their drinks.

"Yeah. I guess we just have to decide if it's worth trying to do anyway. I mean, honestly, I don't know if we might not be better off joining up as a Cabal without Anima. It was his idea, and he was going to provide the place, but...I did have kind of a vibe from him from before like he could do something if we were in a situation, that could get someone hurt. I was on a mission with him once, like a house clearing thing, and he kind of decided to use some improvised explosives without telling anyone first." Kaze muses.

He looks at Crystal. "How about it? Are you interested in the basic idea, of us and at least one other person committing to help each other learn to use magic better? And...keep an eye on the city, or at least the area around wherever we decide to set it up? You know, kind of like, investigate anything weird, magic wise or dangerous?" He asks.

Kaze sets Crystal's drink down in front of him on the small coffee table and sets the bottle down next to it. Then he sits down and sips his own drink, letting Crystal think about it.

[Crystal]

The alcohol was good - for someone who claims not to be a big drinker the Apostate had a great taste. "Frankly, between him and you you can probably imagine whom I was more in tune with." Crystal cocked his head slightly and raised an eyebrow. The second one joined when Kaze talked about the improvised explosives. Fuck, he probably should have led with that when he pitched the idea the first time. "But yeah, I'm still game. You're right though: we need at least a third person, else it'd look very sad."

He tapped a steady rhythm with his fingers while thinking. "Let's get through them one by one. I guess we kinda agree that we're not too hot about Winter, right?" Last thing he needed was an actual Guardian this close to him. "I haven't really warmed up to Phoenyx yet, but with your history she's probably out too. Then there's Guru, but he got vetoed if I understood you correctly. While we're at it, Puck gets a no from me."

The tapping stopped and Crystal looked longingly at his empty glass. This didn't leave that many alternatives. "There's Corn.. who is fine, I guess? I mean, I like him but I don't know if we're on the same wavelength. Apparently you're vouching for Eulogy, and much like with Anima I'll just have to trust you and reach out to that one myself. I could also see us asking Aurora." She impressed Crystal at the Consilium, although she always seemed so guarded.
Well, but now he was just being a pot calling the kettle black.

"Unless I'm missing someone this leaves us with Corn, Eulogy and maybe Aurora? As for the purpose: I.. can get behind the working together thing to improve and look after one another." He made a big deal to roll his eyes, mostly to tease Kaze a bit. "And yes, if there's evil afoot we can also investigate together." Although judging by the last few months that'd be the least of their concerns.

"So yeah, you can count me in. Can I get a refill?"

[Kaze]

Kaze grins and pours Crystal another shot of whiskey. He's learned from experience that no matter how smashed Crystal gets, he remembers and keeps the promises that he makes while he's under the influence.

"Awesome!" Kaze exclaims when Crystal says he's committed to the idea of a Cabal. If Crystal is still in, the rest will work out; he's sure of it.

"Yeah...I think I might have been wrong, even unfair with Guru." Kaze says. "I mean, we're different. I'm obrimos so you know, kind of law and order, and he's thyrsus, and I want to follow the laws, and he wants the laws to just be a thing that doesn't mess with his life and what he wants to do...the you know, not the Lex, but the regular laws." Kaze has been reluctant to say 'Sleeper', Crystal might notice.

"Now though...I guess I feel like, being willing to stick around is a big deal. Guru seems like he's committed to sticking around, at least. And he's handled himself pretty well whenever I have been around him. I mean, I don't feel like I trust him, but a lot of that is because he stays in control in pretty much every situation, and that's not a bad thing. I kind of like that he's an apostate too, actually. I just...as long as it's not at my place. I don't want drugs stashed at my place...."

He nods soberly. "Yeah. Winter...just, yeah. Not." He doesn't say anything about Crystal's rejection of Puck. He feels like he maybe made a mistake about Anima that might have affected how he saw Puck, and he needs to have an open mind now. But Crystal's objection is enough to not try to connect that to the plans for a Cabal.

"Corn is a great guy, and I love that he's got a regular life, but...he seems like he's not high on the list based on who is going to stick around. Or be around day to day at least. I think we should hold off and see with him, at least until after he's married."

"Eulogy seems like a good guy. I mean, I like him, and I feel like I can trust him, at least his intentions. I love that he seems to know the Lex pretty well too, and honestly, I always did want to be in a Cabal that had a commitment to the stability of the Consilium that pretty much goes with the Ladder approach, at least what I know of. I first had the idea of a Cabal as a way to get an alliance with a Ladder, as an apostate, you know?" Kaze admits.

[Crystal]

Crystal listened to Kaze's explanations. It was no surprise whatsoever that Guru didn't take the law that seriously - hell, their only shared evening basically started and ended with drugs. Crystal could handle that, although they probably should have another chance at getting to know each other.

Luckily the Obrimos seemed to agree with a lot of Crystal's opinions. That would certainly make the process going forward easier. "I mean between all of us finding a neutral ground to become a Sanctum for our Cabal should be easy - that way we wouldn't have to deal with anything we wouldn't want near our private homes." Drugs for the Apostate, mad Magical experiments for the Mystagogue. "Tell you what: I'll try to get in touch with Eulogy and you'll try to get a hold of Guru. We listen to our guts and if things check out we ask them about joining. I mean, even in the case that both agree to join and we are fine with it we'd just be more influential the bigger our Cabal gets." Although they'd maybe also have to consider how well Eulogy and Guru got along. Ugh, this was like setting up a small orgy. The Mastigos sipped at his whiskey, savouring the taste this time.

"I guess you have Eulogy's number?"

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles thoughtfully as Crystal takes charge, proposing a plan.

He nods, "Okay. That sounds really good!" He says enthusiastically when Crystal finishes sharing his thoughts!

"Oh yeah, sure. He was handing out his business cards..." Kaze says, taking it out and handing it to Crystal. "If you don't mind, tho. I want to hang on to the card. So, could you just put the number in your phone or take a picture of the card?"

He starts thinking about talking to Guru. "We should tell them who we're inviting." He says. "And that we're thinking of, what, getting a place together that wouldn't be where any one of us was necessarily living?"

Hm...shared Sanctum is kind of the plan?

[Crystal]

Crystal noticed something that had been buried for a long time and had just recently been rediscovered: he could be quite focused if he saw purpose in something. Plus, Kaze's enthusiasm was contagious.

Business cards? He wasn't that versed in Space, but that didn't strike him like the brightest idea. Then again, hadn't he been telling Kaze his real name? "Yeah, don't worry." He took the card and memorized the number - if you can't show off with your eidetic memory, are you really using it to its full potential? - then gave it back. "I mean if everyone agrees to it we at least have a colorful cast of characters in our little group. In case anyone is asking: is the Scooby Do thing still a given for you?" His tone was slightly teasing, but after the Consilium he wondered if they would lose some respect by representing the only Cabal of the city with that name. Then again, his ego was healthy enough to not really care.

Kaze's question about the shared space was answered with a nod and a pointed finger. "Correct. Obviously I'm well off, and I suppose you're earning more than a usual aspiring actor right now. Even if neither Eulogy nor Guru were able to chip in I guess we could go for a place to do whatever. This way we wouldn't have to compromise anyone's home."

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of - we don't have to get one right away, but I'd be willing to spend some xp on it.

[Kaze]

Kaze laughs, and shrugs. "Yeah, I guess I should hold off mentioning the 'Scooby' thing, at least until we have another person, and we can all decide together." He says, grinning. He doesn't want to use the word, 'vote', not right now at least.

"Oh, and I didn't say anything about Aurora, but...she's incredibly cool...just...she seems to me to be kind of close to Winter, and to trust him more than I do. She's actually talked to me about giving him a chance or something. I don't know what he'd need or want from me. And...honestly, I need a mentor, a Thyrsus for Mastering the Life Arcana, and I asked her, and she said 'no'. I mean, she wasn't harsh or anything, she kind of said it like she's...I don't know, not up for the responsibility. So yeah, between that and just, honestly being a little intimidated at asking her, I feel like I'd want to hold off on asking her. But, hey you probably have more in common or at least have a different kind of relationship, since you are both in the same Order. If you want to ask her, I'm not saying 'no'!"

Kaze sighs. "I'm just kind of chicken to do it myself." He laughs!

"So...how about talking about magic? Are you ready to talk about planning it out? Like, what's the hardest thing for you to do? We don't have to start out there, but that should be a goal...right?" Kaze asks gently.

[Crystal]

"I'm with you on that - this should feel like a group effort and not like we're adding some meat to our power fantasies."

Aurora's case seemed unfortunate enough for Crystal not to consider her further. "I mean if she's not willing to collaborate she gets a pass from me. The point of this is to help each other, right?" He suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of: isn't Guru walking Aurora's Path? Maybe he can help you with those studies." It felt kind of weird to talk about those things as if they hadn't bothered (and frankly scared) him for quite some time now. Fuck, maybe Kaze's pep-talk did something to the Mastigos. The Obrimos admitting to be scared just made Crystal's eyebrows shoot up. "Don't worry, I won't subject you to your panic-triggers if it's not necessary." Would he remember this for future teasing though? Most definitely!

Then Kaze brought up the Mystagogue's own trigger. Crystal took a sip of liqueur - mostly by reflex, since he knew that this was due when he came here. "As ready as I'll ever be." he sat up a bit straighter and looked his friend in the eye. "Listen, don't make me regret this. I know you're not some random Sleeper, but I'm putting a shit-ton of trust in you and I really hope this whole thing won't go haywire."

He waited a beat for the Apostate to really hear what he said, then continued. "I guess.. like, telepathy? I mean, it's not hard, but I guess that's one of the more sophisticated things I could- can do." Because somehow Mind just came easily to the Warlock. Lucky him!