Minutes for a Minuteman

[Puck]

Puck's sanctum was brightly lit and ready for the new Obrimos. Pristinely clean, a few books were laid out on the counter. One such book was open, and should Nevermore look at the writing he would find mention of a mage named Abramowitch describing various theatrical performances that pushed the boundaries of pretentious indulgence.

Puck for his part was sitting on the couch. The tv was turned on to local news, and the hallow's curious resonance kept the enchanter's desire to learn on it's peak. The door was left slightly ajar, all Nevermore needed was to show up.
Nevermore @JakeT

[Nevermore]

The suit screamed subtle money and bespoke tailoring – but the body under it seemed to indicate that such tailoring was no mere fit of fashion or whim but almost a requirement. Almost painfully slender, the libertine looked like he might cut glass simply by existing, though the tailored suit did a lot of work to make it a much more fashionable look and much less like malnourishment.

“Councilor Puck?” The softly accented voice said as he entered, giving an easy and relaxed smile. “Pleasure to meet you. Name’s Nevermore.”

He extended one hand to shake, a Piaget watch on his wrist and an almost understated gold class ring-style signet on his hand as he did so.

[Puck]

Nevermore was a professional and slick looking contrast to Puck's blue jeans and black hoodie. What? Puck's at home, he ain't pulling out the tux to sit on his own couch.

"That's me." The Enchanter hopped to his feet as Nevermore entered. "Nice to meet you too, and welcome to my humble abode."

When Nevermore extends his hand, skeptical eyebrows raise skeptically. "Yeah, no thanks to the free sympathy, but can I get you a drink? I got bottled water or rum if you're looking for something a bit more fun."

Should he be mentioning the rum? The guy looks like he hasn't had a solid meal in... a while....

Puck moves around to close the door, making his way to the refrigerator shortly after.

"So, Nevermore, What brings you to Sacramento?"

[Nevermore]

Cagey lot, he mused, lowering his hand and leaning against one of the counters.

“Change of scenery, mostly,” he admitted. It was close enough to the truth, though it did occur to him that he should probably elaborate more.

“Just finished a set of jobs for the Free Council in Florida,” he added a moment later. “Decided getting scarce and avoiding Sleeper authorities would be a good idea. So other side of the country it is.”

The obrimos shook his head to the offer of a drink. “Cheers, mate, but I don’t drink,” he noted, though a wry smirk crossed his face. “My life’d probably be easier if I did, but bob’s yer uncle.”

[Puck]

"What kind of job?"

Puck cracks open the fridge and grabs a pair of water bottles, placing one on the counter near where Nevermore chose to lean.

"Not to be nosy, just thought it might be worth mentioning we have a communal meeting ground with the Diamond at the Circle of Creation. I haven't added anything to the lorehouse, but the whole building is warded against sleeper detection. Or any detection for that matter. So great for a low profile."

First Moira was worried about her stealth abilities and now Nevermore is running from the cops? Fate just sends Puck the most colorful characters.

"I assume you know the basics of mage society before you go? Watch the Lex, concilium has councilors, that sort of thing?"

Gotta get the little things out of the way before the fun conversations start.

[Nevermore]

Nevermore cracked a wry smile, taking the bottle and cracking the seal on it to take a swig. "I've been 'round the block, yea. Anythin' strange stand out in yer Lex? I took a look over it before I hit town, but always better to ask."

He gave a bit of a shrug. "As to the job, I'm an agent. Sleeper Law and I don't get along too well, most times, and I tend to stay under the radar as a result. Had a job rooting out some suspected Clockers, and it went a bit pear shaped so I got more exposure than I really wanted."

He could still hear the sirens, his mind reminded him. And the screaming. They hadn't been members of the Doomsday Clock cult, but they'd been their own brand of crazy. Explosive crazy - the kind that took most of a city block with it.

He ran a hand over his beard, obscuring the scowl that was threatening to bloom there and put a much more reasonable face back on. "So... what's the local low down?"

[Puck]

"Same laws different city."

The Enchanter shrugged. He listened as Nevermore mentioned his job and difficulties, positive he should have invited the Agent to the lorehouse and not his own home.

"Feel free to lay low in the Lorehouse at the Circle of Creation. I'm sure you'll get a run down from the locals, but the short version is we've had a wave of spirits causing trouble. Some summoned, some from the abyss, but it's basically all I've been doing since I got to town to try and contain them all. There are also pending charges against a mystagogue named Guru for breaching the precept of secrecy. I already brought forward the charges against the First Talon of the Arrow, and I'm pretty sure the head of the Mysterium is trying to practice eugenics on his family. Or maybe just get the concilium's consent? I dunno, but the guy was way to calm about the idea."

He was still trying to forget the mental masturbation of the previous concilium, and how many of the other Mystagogues seemed to sign off on it.

[Nevermore]

What kind of shitshow did I just walk into? Nev thought to himself, listening as Puck laid out some of the local issues.

“Right. Well. That’s a proper mess then,” he replied, though his mind latched onto the eugenics part. “So are we a leadin’ voice here or are you just the local gadfly?”

There wasn’t any heat in the question as he sipped from the water bottle and shifted his lean on the counter; instead, it was clearly from a mindset of trying to understand the local lay of the politics before putting his foot in the wrong ant pile.

[Puck]

"I'm currently the only recognized Libertine, so you are doubling our presence here. I'm having a chat later with two apostates in hopes of recruiting them. I'm hoping with larger numbers we can be more vocal about holding these more radical elements in check and focus on common enemies."

He pauses for a moment and stares at the Obrimos for a second before continuing.

"Are you an Acanthus? I'm their councilor, but you should also meet with yours at some point. Depending on your path I can point you to them or at least a member of your path at the next meeting."

Because yeah, it's complicated for certain paths right now.

[Nevermore]

“Let me know how you need it played, and bob’s your uncle,” Nevermore replied sincerely. “Need me to play the calm and cool or play the radical? However we need to best get the job done.”

It was part and parcel of the Citizen Agent gig, he mused, wryly. He’d been recruited out of SAS but his skills at blending in, at playing to a crowd or becoming lost in the middle of it, that was all his Free Council training.

“Obrimos, actually,” he noted. “That going to be an issue? Not used to hearing of a Consillium organized by path instead of Order.”