(2112) Crystal's aside

[Crystal]

Continued from (2112) Sanctuary...

With how people flocked around the newcomer Crystal thought it was best to create some space. He knew that as a Councilor it was expected of him not to leave without hanging out for a bit, so he settled down on a pew a good distance away from the main group. If someone wanted to join him: fine.

[Winter]

The Guardian follows the Acanthus, carefully standing a few feet behind. He ends up occupying a chair right besides the other man.
"Seems the city is getting popular again"

[Crystal]

Did he expect Winter to actually engage? Not really, but that way he got a pleasant surprise out of it. He turned towards the Guardian and smiled. "Seems like it, but you know how things go." His eyes went back to the larger group. "Probably won't see two or three of them anymore by April." But he was preaching to the choir there.

"Anyway, I've noticed that we really haven't had the chance to talk, like, ever." For the moment the Mastigos left it at that. It gave Winter the opportunity to politely decline starting now.

[Winter]

"I'm a man of few words", he deadpans, "more often than not, I find that the best course of action is to listen, offer my opinion only when it's absolutely necessary", he points toward the Obrimos councillor.
"What about you, settled in?"

[Crystal]

Crystal grinned. "You know what? I can appreciate that. It beats those who only talk to hear themselves talk." Lord knew he remained silent during most of the Order meetings. "But let's assume this is an 'absolutely necessary' kind of situation: do you ever socialize or have fun?" It absolutely didn't sound like an accusation, more like polite curiosity. And if one wanted they could sense the slightest hint of invitation in the question.

As for the Mastigos himself? A shrug and a lopsided smile. "I mean, yeah. As well as one could settle in I guess. I think I've connected with a few people who might not jump ship within the next few weeks, so there's that." Although Kaze showed that you could never be too sure about that.

[Winter]

"Everyone can jump ships on a moment notice, or without one, even. That's the transitory nature of the Lie itself", he shrugs, then he looks sideways, "I read quite a lot, I play basket, play pool, exercise. Not much of a social butterfly", he's not lying, rehearsing perhaps.
"There's been a few important departures. How's your Order coping?"

[Crystal]

Damn, Aurora was right. One could almost, almost forget that Winter was the big bad Guardian of Sacramento. Crystal had to remind himself not to let his guard down too much.. at least for the time being. But he still tried another time to extend an olive branch. Plus, it couldn't hurt to be on the not-so-bad-side of Winter. "So I take it you're not interested in a night out when some folks decide to let their hair down a bit? I heard there is a mean pool hall which Aurora has basically claimed as her own by now."

Ah, there was a delicate question. Campanella had been the leader of the Mysterium, so it was probably whom the Obrimos was talking about. "I think the Order is doing fine. Some new faces have shown themselves lately, so I think we'll have to make sure everyone is on the same page." Vague, but not too vague to be considered rude. Crystal couldn't tell on the spot whether Corn's position as leader of the Mysterium was publicly announced or even public knowledge yet, so it felt most correct to stick to facts with little meaning. "How about you? Doing well on your own? I mean, for all I know you're the sole reason there aren't any Seers or wayward Sorcerers going haywire." The Mastigos smiled, but the lighthearted jab hit a bit close to home. Why, hadn't he been driven out of San Francisco by the very same Order?

[Winter]

"I know that place", he nods, "but no. I'm not particularly fond of social events. I prefer smaller groups".
The Mystagogue's question prompted a pensive silence. Different mages would read and understand the same page differently, put more than one in the same room, and just wait for a spark to fly.
In a certain sense it explained a lot of the Guardians' skepticism of the written word. It tended to create Bibles, stuff you couldn't dispute.
"Sole reason? Who told you I'm the only one?", he meets the remark with a raised brow.

[Crystal]

"Gotcha. Well, if you ever find yourself in a group that's just one handsome person short, you can give me a call." Well now Aurora couldn't say he hadn't tried.

Crystal didn't know whether it was the intended effect, but his blood ran a bit cold when Winter posed his question. Yeah, they were all assuming that he had been the only active Guardian for some time, but what if the Order had fooled all of them? What if they had tabs on every other Mage in Sacramento? This Warlock thanked his lucky stars for being ever so careful since coming here. And he thanked his poker face for not totally falling apart at Winter's answer. "Heh, good point. Well, tell your buddies that they're doing a mighty good job then."

Still, now he was kinda at a loss for words. He quickly glanced at the other Awakened gathered here, but nobody seemed interested in joining their one-on-one. "So.. read any good books lately?"

[Winter]

"I've been reading some sci-fi novels lately. You're probably familiar with the Three Bodies Problem", any other mention of the other Guardians is left unattended. In a certain sense, he's enjoying the other man's reaction.
"What about you?"