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Bearing with the Warlock

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  1. #1
    Crystal's Avatar
    Striking Looks
    (Captivating)
    Manipulation
    (Disarming)
    Resources
    Barfly
    Eidetic Memory
    Crystal

    Nimbus

    Walls and the Floor become slightly tilted, there's a sickly sweet and sharp smell in the air. Faintly, the sound chains (and even fainter: the sound of leather) can be heard. More powerful spells make the sounds more pronounced and colors seem to pulsate.
    Active Stats

    Astral Dive II
    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +/-0
    Active Spells: 1/4
    Personal Spells: 1

    [2] Third Eye
    [4R] Misperception

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Crystal sat at the bar of the Bear Dive. At some point in time it might have been a gay bar, but the tasty snacks and the cable sports showing firmly put the place in the 'ally' territory over the last few years. He wasn't looking for anything per se but maybe a interesting conversation would come off of it. And hey, he wasn't exactly a stranger when it came to drinking alone.

    For now, the Warlock nourished his beer, dressed in a simple black pants and blue shirt and deflecting most of the usual advances. A lot had been going on, so resetting his head seemed like a good move. Until maybe someone would tear him out of this strut.
    Health: Willpower: Mana:


  2. #2
    Belle's Avatar
    Rose Among Thorns
    Matriarch
    Presence
    (Friendly)
    Direction Sense
    (I Know The Way)
    Danger Sense
    (Spidey Adjacent)
    Occultation
    (Blinded by Thorns)
    Belle

    Nimbus: Cracks in space appear just over her skin, shaped like toothy, hellish maws. If she's extra and especially angry, those maws will speak.
    PRP Stats

    2/5 Personal Spells
    *Incognito Presence (1 suxx)
    1/3 Vulgar Spells
    Health
    Mana: 9/9
    WP: 2/3

    Equipment: Knife, Minivan, Shoulder Bag (magnifying glass, flashlight, plastic gloves), Smartphone, Wallet ($50), Artifact (see minisheet)
    Combat Stats

    Defense: 2 (Wits/Dex)
    Initiative: 4
    Speed: 9

    2
    OCC
    2
    PRE

    Belle was restless yet again, and found herself looking for someplace to grab a drink and immerse herself in her new hometown. Though as she enters the Bear Dive, she quickly realizes that she's not as alone as she thought.
    1 success

    Belle catches the tail end of Crystal rebuffing someone. He seems...not reserved but...sad?

    She hated to see a friend upset, especially since Crystal had done so much for her when she was new. She makes her way to the bar and flags down the bartender. "Gimme a Bud Light. This guys tab's on me." She boldly takes a seat by her fellow Warlock, daring anyone to try and push their luck with her friend. "Hope I'm not interrupting. Just was in the neighborhood and thought I'd say 'hi'." She gives him a bright but empathetic smile.

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  4. #3
    Crystal's Avatar
    Striking Looks
    (Captivating)
    Manipulation
    (Disarming)
    Resources
    Barfly
    Eidetic Memory
    Crystal

    Nimbus

    Walls and the Floor become slightly tilted, there's a sickly sweet and sharp smell in the air. Faintly, the sound chains (and even fainter: the sound of leather) can be heard. More powerful spells make the sounds more pronounced and colors seem to pulsate.
    Active Stats

    Astral Dive II
    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +/-0
    Active Spells: 1/4
    Personal Spells: 1

    [2] Third Eye
    [4R] Misperception

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    2 successes


    For all Belle could tell Crystal was just his usual life-of-the-party self. If anything, he seemed more focused due to the clientele of the place. Similarly, he had only the briefest looks of surprise before returning to a more open and positive expression. "Whoa there, first of all: bud light?! I thought you were always down to party." he returned her smile with at least double her wattage and somehow managed to not make it feel fake.

    "Second of all. Hey, come here often?" He sighed overdramatically, then sipped at his beer. "Just thought I'd open with the line I've heard a dozen times tonight. How are you?"
    Health: Willpower: Mana:


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  6. #4
    Belle's Avatar
    Rose Among Thorns
    Matriarch
    Presence
    (Friendly)
    Direction Sense
    (I Know The Way)
    Danger Sense
    (Spidey Adjacent)
    Occultation
    (Blinded by Thorns)
    Belle

    Nimbus: Cracks in space appear just over her skin, shaped like toothy, hellish maws. If she's extra and especially angry, those maws will speak.
    PRP Stats

    2/5 Personal Spells
    *Incognito Presence (1 suxx)
    1/3 Vulgar Spells
    Health
    Mana: 9/9
    WP: 2/3

    Equipment: Knife, Minivan, Shoulder Bag (magnifying glass, flashlight, plastic gloves), Smartphone, Wallet ($50), Artifact (see minisheet)
    Combat Stats

    Defense: 2 (Wits/Dex)
    Initiative: 4
    Speed: 9

    2
    OCC
    2
    PRE

    Confident that Crystal doesn't need a sharp-tongued defender, Belle relaxes considerably. "Two words: fiscal responsibility. New job is a little slow on the fun money, especially now that I'm adding bird feed to the budget." Her drink order, being admittedly basic, comes quickly and Belle clinks her bottle gently to Crystal's glass in a makeshift toast. "Besides, I don't know how many you've added to your tab already. In medias res isn't the most favorable arrangement for a drink patron."

    The pickup line is so gratingly obvious it almost convinces Belle to punch Crystal out of reflex. But she contains herself just enough to channel her embarrassment into a snort and a shove. "Wow! It's been like THAT tonight, huh?" She takes a sip of her beer, grinning through it. "Been pretty good. Been hanging out with some more new city friends. Hoping to get a gal's night with Alice and Maddy set up sometime in the near future." She was genuinely excited to have some time with her new badass lady friends. "Mostly been hanging out at the new place, making my own slowly but surely." She's confident Crystal will recognize the hint that this gal has her own Sanctum now, bro!

    "So, is this where you like to spend your nights? Or is tonight a special occasion?"
    ​She pries just a bit, eager to learn a bit more about her Counsilor after-hours.

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  8. #5
    Crystal's Avatar
    Striking Looks
    (Captivating)
    Manipulation
    (Disarming)
    Resources
    Barfly
    Eidetic Memory
    Crystal

    Nimbus

    Walls and the Floor become slightly tilted, there's a sickly sweet and sharp smell in the air. Faintly, the sound chains (and even fainter: the sound of leather) can be heard. More powerful spells make the sounds more pronounced and colors seem to pulsate.
    Active Stats

    Astral Dive II
    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +/-0
    Active Spells: 1/4
    Personal Spells: 1

    [2] Third Eye
    [4R] Misperception

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    "So," he looked at her with half a smirk and a raised eyebrow, "if the spending money is tight why don't I pick the tab up? Promise I won't make you feel bad about it." Still, he returned her toast and drank again. "Let's see, my vision isn't blurred, I think I'm still making sense when I talk and I'm still sitting here instead of somewhere more seedy so I'd say you came just in time."

    Now, hearing Belle talk about a girl's night out with Sacramento's First Talon was somewhat surprising. "Huh. Well, let my know how it went once it happens - I think getting Alice out of her tower and into this city's bars has been an ongoing effort from several people I've met so far. But I can tell that you've got moxie, so I'm sure you'll succeed where others failed." And luckily he had that topic to distract from the little sting he felt when Belle talked about her new living space. Crystal drowned that feeling in another sip. "Yeah, I've heard you're playing house-sitter for Steve now. Lucky girl, that place rocked." If he got her intended meaning he didn't show.

    "Well," an exasperated sigh, "usually I find my preferred kind of men here but as you've said: it's one of those nights. What brings you here?" She did mention how she liked to let lose every now and then, but apart from that he didn't really know her m.o. Maybe tonight was a chance to change that.
    Health: Willpower: Mana:


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  10. #6
    Belle's Avatar
    Rose Among Thorns
    Matriarch
    Presence
    (Friendly)
    Direction Sense
    (I Know The Way)
    Danger Sense
    (Spidey Adjacent)
    Occultation
    (Blinded by Thorns)
    Belle

    Nimbus: Cracks in space appear just over her skin, shaped like toothy, hellish maws. If she's extra and especially angry, those maws will speak.
    PRP Stats

    2/5 Personal Spells
    *Incognito Presence (1 suxx)
    1/3 Vulgar Spells
    Health
    Mana: 9/9
    WP: 2/3

    Equipment: Knife, Minivan, Shoulder Bag (magnifying glass, flashlight, plastic gloves), Smartphone, Wallet ($50), Artifact (see minisheet)
    Combat Stats

    Defense: 2 (Wits/Dex)
    Initiative: 4
    Speed: 9

    2
    OCC
    2
    PRE

    Belle makes a comically drawn-out 'thinking' face for several seconds before she finally relents. "Okay, fine. But only because I trust you to be a responsible adult." She wasn't about to try and pull rank on her own Counsilor, but she was glad Crystal wasn't blowing her off. At least, as far as she could tell right now. "Well, you know what they say: 'precisely when she means to'."

    "Damn right I've got moxie!"
    She raises her voice just a bit, allowing Crystal's praise to puff her up just a tad. She was here to loosen up, after all. "She's just so fun to be around, and I honestly want to see her loosen up a bit. Even if alcohol isn't involved. Hell, I'd settle with seeing her laugh at a romcom with a bag of popcorn." She lets the mental image coerce a chuckle out of her, wondering what Phoenyx's choice romantic comedy would be...

    "You knew Steve for a while before I came in, right? He seems like a really cool guy." She's genuinely curious, even if she knows there are certain details Crystal can't divulge here and now. But Steve...Kaze wasn't just a Mage; he was a flesh-and-blood man who lived a life outside of spells and planes.

    Belle wrinkles her nose as she ponders Crystal's question, as if she hadn't thought to articulate the answer before now.
    "Exploring mostly. I've always been fascinated by what people you can find where." Space stuff. "But also just trying to broaden my horizons. New town, new tricks." She takes another sip, wondering if she's letting the general atmosphere get to her or if she's just eager to put her money where her mouth is. "You know, I've never really gone out with the idea of getting picked up. What draws you to it? Companionship? Escape?" There's no hostility in the Warlock's voice, just curiosity.

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  12. #7
    Crystal's Avatar
    Striking Looks
    (Captivating)
    Manipulation
    (Disarming)
    Resources
    Barfly
    Eidetic Memory
    Crystal

    Nimbus

    Walls and the Floor become slightly tilted, there's a sickly sweet and sharp smell in the air. Faintly, the sound chains (and even fainter: the sound of leather) can be heard. More powerful spells make the sounds more pronounced and colors seem to pulsate.
    Active Stats

    Astral Dive II
    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +/-0
    Active Spells: 1/4
    Personal Spells: 1

    [2] Third Eye
    [4R] Misperception

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    "You know what I like most about you? Your quick wit." Crystal raises his glass for another toast. It was true, Belle really was an excellent addition to the city as far as this Warlock was concerned.

    The image of Phoenyx 'loosening up' with a bag of popcorn was puzzling and more than a bit funny. "Man, you need to make photo-evidence of that or something. Then again: have you guys considered that the way it is is just the way she wants? Don't get me wrong, I'm the first one to say that Alice is going to work herself to death but just to play devil's advocate let's say she doesn't want to loosen up any more." It really was just a mind experience. The Arrow was so tightly wound up that Crystal feared for the Seer that made the mistake to ever step foot into Sacramento. "Well speaking of: what RomCom do you think would be the best fit for out friend? And while we're at it: would Die Hard be considered one in this context?" He raised an eyebrow and soon enough a shit-eating grin spread over his face.

    There was no sign of a smile when Belle dug deeper though. At least Crystal could safe face by exaggerating the sigh that got out when she asked about Kaze. "He was. He always believed in the best of people. Hell, if it wasn't for him who knows if I had stayed." He picked up his glass, swirled around the beer and downed the rest of it. "One of those people that refused to give up hope and somehow he managed to make you buy into that. I hope he's doing all right." What he really hoped is that Kaze would return soon, but without the Obrimos around there was just all this cynicism left that convinced him of the opposite. "You know, I was really fucked up when I got here, afraid to utilize my talents. He helped me out of that." Because fuck it, if you couldn't open up to a fellow Mastigos whom could you open up to?

    Crystal only listened with half an ear when Belle gave her reason for being here, because right then a cute ginger bear entered and joined a table of previously evaluated men. "Mhm. So did you find the people you've expected to find here?" Another moment of looking over there, just to see if he could make eye contact by any chance - meh, this wasn't his night. He reluctantly turned his attention back to Belle in earnest.
    And got busted immediately. "Jeez, you're going straight for the jugular, aren't you? And for the record: most of the time it's me who's doing the picking up." Why was he talking about this without a full glass in front of him. He got the attention of the barkeeper and ordered another from the tab. "You still good? Remember, my treat."
    He figured that Belle probably wouldn't be satisfied with a non-answer or a mere diversion. "I mean, if you want to get all psychological about it it's probably about of both. On the other hands it's just fun to get a little bit of intimacy no strings attached. Ask Jacob how committing to a steady partner is going for him." But to be fair, it seemed to be going pretty well. "So I'm fulfilling the male stereotype of the hunter who claims a trophy and moves on." He grinned and fully turned to Belle. "Makes me sound like an asshole, huh?" There was no self-deprecation in his voice. It was clear that he was pretty comfortable with how things were going so far. Plus, she started with the blunt talk.
    "How about you? If you are not looking to get picked up, how are you going to find yourself a partner?" He quickly held up his hands. "Let me guess: you're not looking. You know what I mean."
    Health: Willpower: Mana:


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  14. #8
    Belle's Avatar
    Rose Among Thorns
    Matriarch
    Presence
    (Friendly)
    Direction Sense
    (I Know The Way)
    Danger Sense
    (Spidey Adjacent)
    Occultation
    (Blinded by Thorns)
    Belle

    Nimbus: Cracks in space appear just over her skin, shaped like toothy, hellish maws. If she's extra and especially angry, those maws will speak.
    PRP Stats

    2/5 Personal Spells
    *Incognito Presence (1 suxx)
    1/3 Vulgar Spells
    Health
    Mana: 9/9
    WP: 2/3

    Equipment: Knife, Minivan, Shoulder Bag (magnifying glass, flashlight, plastic gloves), Smartphone, Wallet ($50), Artifact (see minisheet)
    Combat Stats

    Defense: 2 (Wits/Dex)
    Initiative: 4
    Speed: 9

    2
    OCC
    2
    PRE

    Belle nods in appreciation at Crystal's compliment. "Tough childhood'll do that to ya." If he liked the wit, she was gonna keep it coming.

    "Of course!"
    Belle seems genuinely offended that he would consider his fellow Warlock a manipulator. Even if we totally are by design. "Not at the expense of herself and her duties. Just enough that she smiles a bit more, and tells a few jokes that aren't stab-related." She actually thinks long and hard about the RomCom question. Like, a good minute and a half, complete with a 'hold it, I'm thinking' gesture. "Die Hard, no. But Miss Congeniality, yes! That's a classic and it has a kick-butt female lead. Oh! Or maybe Charlie's Angels? That counts, right?" She'd never really been a chick-flick kind of gal.

    She's impressed again at the level of connection Kaze had built with his fellow Magi; Crystal really seemed to care about him.
    "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you stayed." There's no wit here; just genuine thankfulness. "And yeah, I could see that. And I'm sure you know that's a good thing?" She takes another sip. "Hey, we're all fucked up someway. What matters is that we lift each other up. And I for one think you're doing a great job making me feel welcome and lifted here."

    It's dangerous to let your guard down around a Warlock, especially when she's had alcohol in her system. She catches Crystal's wandering gaze and she snaps her fingers a few times, like trying to alert a wayward dog. "I found you here, didn't I? Who expects the Chris Inquisition?" She lets the joke soften the blow, hoping he doesn't get too defensive.

    "Whatever you say, Casano-Vanity." Chris offers, Belle takes. "Fuck it; one more please." Belle WAS one of those angry, competitive drunks. Not that she was anywhere near drunk yet, but she was letting her hair down with her fellow Mastigos. ​"But doesn't it get weird though? That's what I can't get with the whole 'one-night-stand' culture: you take somebody home, then a week later you bump into each other at [insert local supermarket]. What do you say? 'Hey! How's it going? Remember how we tongue-wrestled until sunrise? Anyway, how's the price of gas?'". She comes down a bit from her rant and pats Crystal sympathetically on the shoulder. "I don't think you're an asshole. Asshole's aren't afraid of commitment...okay, maybe they are. But they're assholes about it. You're not."

    She swirls her glass again, a contemplative look on her face. "I mean, maybe I'm afraid of commitment too. But more like, I'm afraid of getting attached. To the wrong person, I mean. I've never really been in a position to look for...entanglements..." And yes, she was going to let Crystal's imagination run with that. "...But now that I am...new town, new people, remember? I guess I'm kind of considering it. But there's that nagging sensation that I'll mess up and pick some loser who gets hurt because of me." She lets it loose with her Counsilor. That's got to be healthy...right?

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  16. #9
    Crystal's Avatar
    Striking Looks
    (Captivating)
    Manipulation
    (Disarming)
    Resources
    Barfly
    Eidetic Memory
    Crystal

    Nimbus

    Walls and the Floor become slightly tilted, there's a sickly sweet and sharp smell in the air. Faintly, the sound chains (and even fainter: the sound of leather) can be heard. More powerful spells make the sounds more pronounced and colors seem to pulsate.
    Active Stats

    Astral Dive II
    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +/-0
    Active Spells: 1/4
    Personal Spells: 1

    [2] Third Eye
    [4R] Misperception

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    He could go on - maybe 'smiling more' wasn't what some people wanted - but he wasn't here to argue for argument's sake. Instead he just mostly-nodded-but-also-shook-his-head-slightly at Belle's assessment. At least her movie recommendation was spot-on. "Fuck, you're right. Miss C. is a perfect fit - and I honestly could Alice play the part." Right down to the social obliviousness shown in the beginning. "Although I would argue that Charlie's Angels doesn't have enough romance in it." Or maybe he was just misremembering things. Eidetic memory or no, action flicks really never caught his attention.

    He wasn't really one to get affection close to him at best times. Now that Kaze left? Crystal just shrugged and briefly raised an eyebrow at Belle's compliment. "I mean, whatever gets you through the day. Optimism, pessimism or the kind of pessimism those pessimistic assholes call 'realism'. Call me bitter, but in the end it's about action and what makes the way into reality." Whichever reality. "But I'm glad to hear that you're settling in just fine. I think Madison really needed some more female company. You know, since Alice isn't really on board with that so far." Beneath the layers of cool Belle could probably find the honest words of endearment.

    Damn, he just might have to call any ambition to leave here with someone off as long as Belle was around. She got his focus well enough, but that pun only got her a groan. "You know, I take offense in bad word-plays." But he was grinning and she got his full attention again.
    There was a brief moment where Crystal wondered if Belle might have to deal with her own kind of impulse control problems - better not poke that bear lest he wanted to catch some hands, then. "Well here's where you're wrong: you don't engage in small-talk with people you've had one night stands with. It's part of the 'no-strings-attached' agreement. Sure, sometimes people catch feelings, but unless you're a total asshole that's dealt with within one conversation between adults." And she was right: he wasn't an asshole - playing with guys' emotions was just too much of a hassle in the long run. "It's about setting and managing expectations. That guy, who just entered?" Another short glance at the ginger - nope, still no luck. "Do you think he'd expect a life-long commitment once I offer to buy some drinks and later offer a night-cap?" He sipped at his drink and let her come to her own conclusions.

    He listened to her side of the story and couldn't help himself: "Do you mean they're going to get hurt because of your job," there was barely any special stress on the word, but they both knew what he was talking about, "or because of you? How exactly do you think you could mess up?" Was there a part of him that wanted to have some fresh tea served right here? Yeah, maybe. But the question was asked out of at least 90% concern.
    Health: Willpower: Mana:


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  18. #10
    Belle's Avatar
    Rose Among Thorns
    Matriarch
    Presence
    (Friendly)
    Direction Sense
    (I Know The Way)
    Danger Sense
    (Spidey Adjacent)
    Occultation
    (Blinded by Thorns)
    Belle

    Nimbus: Cracks in space appear just over her skin, shaped like toothy, hellish maws. If she's extra and especially angry, those maws will speak.
    PRP Stats

    2/5 Personal Spells
    *Incognito Presence (1 suxx)
    1/3 Vulgar Spells
    Health
    Mana: 9/9
    WP: 2/3

    Equipment: Knife, Minivan, Shoulder Bag (magnifying glass, flashlight, plastic gloves), Smartphone, Wallet ($50), Artifact (see minisheet)
    Combat Stats

    Defense: 2 (Wits/Dex)
    Initiative: 4
    Speed: 9

    2
    OCC
    2
    PRE

    Belle can't tell if it's just the alcohol or if Crystal is genuinely a pessimist, but she sees a challenge there. "A-holes are a-holes because they can be. I for one look at the bright side because it's by default the hardest choice, and the most satisfying. Even if we're messed up people living in a messed up world, there's still happiness and things that buck the trend of 'life sucks, people are jerks, c'est la vie'." She was really getting into this? Nothing like a few beers to invigorate philosophical debate. "I plan on just punching reality until it spits out my happy ending." She pauses a bit after this, then gets a bit shocked. "You know what I mean right? Like fairy tale happy ending not...you know what, never mind."

    "I mean, our circle is kind of a boy's club."
    She smiles playfully. "I'm kind of surprised Madison hasn't gotten more attention. Alice too, she's got that Matrix vibe where she's stoic but not unapproachable." She muses a bit over her drink. "I had a step-sister growing up, but she was mostly on trips with my step-bro or we were in lessons. She was a lot like Alice: really focused."

    Belle barks out a laugh at Chris' embarrassment. "Ha! So would you say they're off-off Broadway?" Yes, she's going to ride that train.

    As he explains his philosophy on relationships, Belle seems to get a bit distant. Like she's trying to process what Chris is saying academically, but something keeps souring it for her. ​"But don't we all have strings? I mean, even if we say 'no-strings attached' there are still strings." Oddly enough, the alcohol is helping her be vague about what they know about sympathetic connections. "I guess that makes sense. The setting expectations and all. I just...it's so weird to think of that detachment when it's all there." She spreads her hands out to indicate a vast, invisible web.

    ​She can hear the concern in Chris's voice amidst the small-talk. She appreciates it, though there's a part of her that just wants to snap at him. But he was her Counsilor; if they couldn't trust each other with these things, who could she trust? "A little of both, I guess?" She waves over another beer from the bartender. "I just get so into what I'm doing, and I worry about shutting people out or getting them in harm's way. It's why I've been so active in getting to know people here and try and expand my horizons." She has both hands on her bottle now. "I care, you know. But I think sometimes I care too much about the wrong things, so I push everything else to the side. Like the Juggernaut, but with feelings?" ​She hopes the Marvel reference lands.

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