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  1. #1
    Nos's Avatar

    A'keira Lim
    Striking Looks (Almost Silver Screen)
    Nos

    Nimbus:

    The smell of gasoline and rubber fills the air. Metal and machinery rattle and feel strained and engines roar to life. Unoccupied vehicles might appear to have shadowy figures within them.

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Tucked away on Acoma Street, between Arden Way and Del Paso Boulevard but past enough turns and side-streets as to avoid casual traffic, Nos' garage sits baking in the Sacramento sun. It is a simultaneously ugly and nondescript building, with a pale tin roof and walls that are a little faded and a little rusted, toeing a miraculous line between being unpleasant to look at but no features so truly unappealing as to give a clear answer as to just what inspires such dislike. It isn't even unique, as it sits at the end of a row of nearly identical buildings in the same parking lot. Empty, of course, save for Nos' outlandishly obtrusive purple Dodge Viper with its lime green wheel rims and decals. The "grassy" field next to the lot was little more than a large patch of dust with a couple tenacious, cantankerous weeds growing in it. A wheelchair ramp leads to a brown, heavy fire door on the side, a pale illusion of invitation if there ever was one. What is ostensibly a fence but can truly only be described as a cage wraps around the left side of the building, sealing of the electrical and water systems from the public. The only thing that can be considered decoration is a traffic light that seems to have been hung up front... still working, apparently, and shining a familiar bright green color. Underneath the green light, a sliding hangar door is currently open to reveal the garage interior.

    It isn't aesthetically any better than the outside, with one large, open room and a small, sequestered office in the back visible through its one window. The floor is a single slab of concrete, fairly smooth but stained with various brown-to-black fluid. Like the exterior, the walls are sheets of thin, corrugated metal. The ceiling is nothing more than sheets of plastic holding up the insulation, apparently suspended by the wooden support beams. Industrial lights hang by cords. Even brighter floor lamps are placed strategically around the edges of the room to aim inwards, with only about half on at the moment. The rest of the walls are lined by markedly new and modern tool cabinets, all painted in bright, solid colors and possessing wheels instead of legs so as to be easily moved around. To her credit, aside from some stains on the floor, the inside is remarkably clean, a stark contrast to the woman herself. No visible tool is out of place or left lying around, each precisely placed where it belongs on its rack. A single, bright red cabinet has been wheeled closer to the center of the room, where a lot of disparate vehicle parts seems to be scattered on the floor, and the aforementioned, grease-stained Nos is just standing up from. She shuts one of the drawers of the cabinet, having just put away whatever tools she was using, and wipes the back of her filth-covered glove across her forehead, removing the sweat up replacing it with something more obvious. Whatever she was working on appears to be taking some kind of shape... an engine, perhaps? At the very least, it looks more like Nos is building something from scratch than performing repairs.

    The Sacramento heat inspires Nos to strip off her overalls and gloves for her break, down to a pair of athletic shorts and a sports bra. She glares at an apparently defunct AC unit set into the right side wall, before looking down at her abdomen and legs. Spotting seemingly impossible grease stains where her skin had been protected by her clothes, Nos exclaims, "What the fuck?!" before stomping over to roll of paper towels and ripping a wad off, angrily scrubbing at the stains and making no progress except to dirty up the towels as well.

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  3. #2
    Corn's Avatar
    Presence
    Status (academic)
    Corn

    Nimbus: Light purple aura and a scent of freshly dug earth after a rain.
    Status (Academics) 1.
    Corn Scenes
     
      Duplication cost
      Analyze life
     Improvised out-of-path, 

    2
    PRE

    Corn arrives in his car, that has a small dent to the back. Perfect excuse if anyone sees him coming in or out. Checks the light... green. All good. He gets out of the car and grabs a box of cookies and a bottle of chilled cider. The day is hot after all. He walks to the shop and the first thing he realizes is that the AC is broken. Also, that insulation on the roof is not going a good enough job. Good thing the Cider is chilled.
    The next thing the married man becomes conscious of, is that he is going to have a discussion, alone, with a pretty girl that is not shy about showing skin. Good thing I made that dent on the car in case anyone I know ever sees who works that place, he thinks to himself before saying
    "Hello, Nos . How are you? " He takes a look around. "Nice place you have here... It does have its charm."
    Then after a moment of taking in the room, he asks, " forgive me if it sounds rude but... any reason the AC is not working?"
    For scene effects, see Minisheet. No monthly rituals at this time.
    Occult 4 because Mysterium is about the knowledge!

  4. #3
    Nos's Avatar

    A'keira Lim
    Striking Looks (Almost Silver Screen)
    Nos

    Nimbus:

    The smell of gasoline and rubber fills the air. Metal and machinery rattle and feel strained and engines roar to life. Unoccupied vehicles might appear to have shadowy figures within them.

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Nos looks over her shoulder and waves, paper towels scrunched up in her greeting hand. "What's good, Corn? Thank ya kindly... It could use a bit o' work, but uh... well, I'm just lazy, I guess, hehe." She gives a self-deprecating smile and a chuckle before scrubing for one more second. Confident in her inability to remove the stains from her legs without soap, she groans angrily and tosses the dirty paper towards a waste bin. It misses, landing outside, and Nos notices just as she's about to walk towards Corn, taking a quick moment to walk over, pick up the oily towels, and properly dispose of them.

    Finally joining Corn, Nos gives a proper greeting. "Welcome, make yerself at home best ya can. Let's pop over to the office, it's got AC. I got some sodas in the fridge back there - I didn't know what everyone at the Circle liked, so I got a bit of everything - and there's a filter on the tap if you prefer water. Couple beers, too, or a bottle of some cheap liquor, if ya prefer that sort of thing. I'll drink whatever, and I'll match you." Nos takes the bottle of cider and the box of cookies as she leads Corn towards the back. The cider, she opens, and is about to take a testing swig, before she thinks that maybe Corn would prefer to share, and stops herself. "Well, well, I see we've brought out own beverages. I thank ya kindly." Then she opens the cookies and grins wide. "Hey, snacks! You remembered! You trying to compete with Aurora for most loved fellow mage? I'll put you in the running, brother." Nos winks, and her smile softens to become a little more genuine. She enjoyed being friendly, but the gesture was genuinely quite sweet. She gives a gesture to the garage itself, then opens the door to the office, letting Corn enter first. "I appreciate it. Place needs work, but that makes it cheap, and I'd like to do the work myself. Bit of a redneck, if ya couldn't tell by my accent. I like to zone out while I work. Before, I'd think about... well, engineering stuff, I suppose. Sometimes life, if I'm high. Now? I think about magic. It's been about a..." Nos pauses. Probably best not to give too much personal info. "...a hot minute, since I awakened. But it's still a trip. And from what I've heard, that's kinda a Moros thing, to like alone time and just... vibe out, I guess."

    The inside of the office is just as pristine as the garage, if not more. Most notably, perhaps, it is much cooler... although decidely less professional. Nos has a mattress without a bed frame on the floor in the corner, with sheets on it so precisely made that it might as well be military, but decidely... rustic, to put kindly. There is an old desk with a scratched top near the window facing the garage floor. A post-it note on the top says 'Remember to refinish the desk, dumbass!' but it hasn't been followed. The pale wood is scuffe3d and scratched to hell, but it's been laid out very precisely. A stack of notepads in one corner, just below a small cup of pens and pencils. The cup reads, 'Baddest Bitch' in blocky letters, and a motorized pencil sharpener sits to one side, dust free and unused as of yet. To the other corner, a scented candle as well as a small incense tray in the shape of a tiny gold dragon. Two sticks are sitting in it, half-burned. The office smells slightly of herbs, but mostly of grease and oil. A torch lighter in the shape of grenade sits just below the incense and the candle, and Nos takes it up and activates it, releasing a truly inspiring gout of flame into the air before vulgarly lighting both incense sticks and the candle. She even opens the top left drawer of the desk - which Corn can see is literally filled with unopened candles - and takes one out, setting it next to the other, lighting it as well before putting the fake-grenade down. "I apologise fer the smell... I just cannot shake it. Or these goddam stains. That ain't normal, right? Like, I figured it was some kinda nimbus thing, but it just. Doesn't. Go. Away. I can take a shower and scrub all the grease off, but the smell just stick around. And as soon as I work on anything, the stains come back. I bought those fucken overalls just to try and keep clean, but I swear those mutherfuckers just appear." Nos glances at Corn as she sets the cookies and the cider down on the clean desk. "I apologize fer my language, I never asked if you were okay with that. I swear like a sailor on my own, but I can clamp down on that if you ain't a fan. No bother to me, I promise."

    Nos reaches into another drawer, one with an assortment of dishware - three cups, three forks, three knives... all sparse in quantity but neatly arranged for the tiny space - and pulls out two dainty cups with detailed patterns of flowers and small insects, in some semi-Japanese art style that was frankly quite difficult to place chronologically. She sets one in front of Corn, and the other in near herself, before moving the rolling chair towards her companion. For herself, she takes a simple stool, and pours herself a cup of the cider Corn brought. "Like I said, anything you like, just say the word. Check out the fridge if ya wanna take a look, fam." She forks a thumb towards a miniature fridge in the corner, which if Corn checks is stocked to the brim with all kinds of sodas, vitamin waters, and any other kind of drink. Sets of six, the lot of them, as if Nos hasn't drunk a single one. Most are still in their plastic ringlets. Next to the fridge is a small sink with a baby blue dish towel neatly placed on the counter, and only a single plate, and a single fork placed on it to dry. The sink itself is immaculate, glistening in its silver, polished glory. Not a single speck of food can be seen, and the faucet itself is too modern to have been included in the building. An AC unit - much smaller than the industrial one on the garage floor - hums above the desk, keeping this one, tiny room quite cool. "About the AC, that's my bad... I got all these parts in fer a project just last night," Nos explains, gesturing out the window towards the half-finished engine on her floor. "An' I got real excited. Makin' me a bike, by the way... reckoned it be able to zip around and isn't as heavy and dangerous as the Viper. But One of my parts got lost in the mail, and I was impatient..." She takes a sip of the cider, and a face that was a grimace on account of the lost mail brightens instantly. "...so I figured I could at least take a part from the AC to test to make sure I was doin' things right, and I... well, I was thinkin' it's almost autumn and it shouldn't get too hot, as if I ain't lived in Southern Cali fer ferever. I swear I'll get 'er fixed in no time." The more she talked, the more there was an odd quality to Nos' voice... her accent was more pronounced in her own garage than it had been at the Circle of Creation, as if she'd relaxed more and let her true colors show. "That's on me, but the baby in here works just fine, so no worries."

    Nos takes one of the cookies and her eyes roll back in her head for a moment. "Oh, hell yes!" she exclaims. "I'm sorry... I'm a slut fer sweets, and these cookies are the best. You make 'em? Yer significant other make 'em? If you bought 'em, please tell me where. I swear, between you and Aurora, I'm gonna get out of character... outta shape, too. Sacramento got some fire baked goods, oh my gawd."


    Taking a moment to savor the cookies - and yes, she does scarf down a second - Nos pauses and then points out the window at Corn's car. "I noticed ya got a ding in that baby. She's pretty well maintained otherwise - and I pegged you as the diligent type when we met, so that tracks - but I can fix that fer ya. No charge, it'll take ten seconds. I kid ya not, I've literally got a tool that's just a suction cup. I manually pop it back into place. So long as the dent ain't old, the metal wants to go back... just needs a little push to get there." Nos thinks for a moment. "Kinda a beautiful thought, really. Cars are like people... no matter what happens to them, the wanna function like they did. Just takes someone to take a little time and give a little gentle coaxing. Too rough, and you make things worse, too gentle, and you don't do nothing... but just the right amount of cajoling? Right as rain." For a moment, Nos spaces out, her eyes focused on something other than the car she was talking about. There is an uncanny tension to her face, as if she's just simply lying about whatever philosophical nonesense she's saying, followed by a widening of her eyes - a recognition that Corn is still there, listening - and a couple of rapid blinks before she returns to reality. Nos looks at Corn.

    "Sorry, got lost in thought, fam. So yeah, I'll get that chassis lookin' like new, no charge. Want me to give your baby a look-over... just make sure nothin' is outta place? I promise, I won't make ya pay unless it's a fix that takes me a long time, and even then, we can work it around yer schedule. I'm keepin' myself wide open fer mages, and you'd be my first customer."

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  6. #4
    Corn's Avatar
    Presence
    Status (academic)
    Corn

    Nimbus: Light purple aura and a scent of freshly dug earth after a rain.
    Status (Academics) 1.
    Corn Scenes
     
      Duplication cost
      Analyze life
     Improvised out-of-path, 

    2
    PRE

    "Don't worry, Nos , I am an easy-going fellow. " Corn said as he followed the excitable mechanic to her office.
    As Nos talks about beers and her shop, Corn takes a look around.
    Mattress on the floor but very well made sheets. And then the desk, scratched and laid out precisely. The Spartan kitchenware laid out precisely too. That mix of carelessness and precision seems to be a pattern. He thinks to himself.

    "it just. Doesn't. Go. Away."
    Corn became more attentive at this. That was odd. Nothing truly alarming, but odd. And Nos mentioned she thought that's a nimbus thing. So they appeared after her awakening? It could be a bad paradox hit, depending on how long she is having them - and how well she walks the path of the Wise. And if Nos was hit by a Branding, it could mean she is a bit careless with the Abyss. But... busted AC. A table that could use a polish. If Nos was a magic happy as he is, her life would be much easier already. Thinking on that mystery, Corn nearly reached for the supernal realms to give himself mage sight to check before he realized he was in another mage's inner sanctum.
    Then, she reached the part about asking about her language, but Corn was still puzzling over the persistent smell and stains.
    "Well, if it is no bother, just tone it down a bit; not that I am offended or anything but toning it down would probably make the discussion easier. But if that's the way you feel comfortable talking, then by all means put dockhands to shame with the language. Now, back to what you said earlier...
    You said that this smell persists whatever you do and the stains appear as soon as you start working on something. It very probably is ... nothing but stubborn grease. Still, we are supernatural creatures. So it could be something.
    "
    Trying to not alarm her, Corn offered an easy smile and a handwave. "Even in the tiny chance that it is something, it is much better than curdling milk or killing flowers."

    Pouring a bit of his cider in the offered cup, noticing the neatly put he takes a sip and asks. "Did that smell and stains became much more stubborn soon before or after your awakening? Or they were there as long as you work on things and if you take a break from such activities, they go away?"

    As the discussion moved on again, Corn raises an eyebrow impressed as he takes another sip of his cider.
    "You are making your own motorbike? That is impressive. The consilium could certainly benefit from people with your skills, Nos. I am glad you joined us and I hope you stay. "

    " these cookies are the best. You make 'em? Yer significant other make 'em?"
    Corn can't help but have a small chuckle as he thinks of Maria's attempts to bake a cake for their breakfast. It is must not be easy to make a cake that is burned on the outside and still raw inside. Poor Maria could not become Nos' favorite but he doesn't say those things out loud.
    As her foodgasm subsides, he replies with a shrug "These ones?Nah, neither I nor my wife made them. I bought them from a store my mother in law suggested. " After Maria's paradoxical burned but raw cake.
    "But really, if you like cookies I could pass you some of the cookies my aunt makes. She lives in a town a couple hours from Sacramento, she grows her own peach and makes them to jam. Her cookies are baked with that jam and they are well sought out in our extended family, so I can't spare many of those treasures when I get them but I can make an exception for my necro-sis here and share. "

    When she gets to the part of the dent on his car, Corn raises his hands apologetically. "Weeell... you see, as I mentioned before, I have a pretty significant Sleeper life. I pretend to not believe in ghosts and such too, by the way. So, I kinda needed an excuse to show up in a garage in case anyone from my sleeper life saw me or asked where I was heading.
    I try to keep Sleeper life and Mage life separate but I need them both. As a mage, I am very magic-happy compared to others and I believe that humanity has a greater potential that the Fall of Atlantis keeps us from. As a Sleeper, I have loved ones that I do not want to leave behind. Friends, relatives, a wife. I am happy. But it is a difficult balancing act.
    Which brings me to... if I see you on the street and I am with my relatives or wife and I pretend to barely know you, please forgive me. I just don't want to risk dragging this world
    " he waves his hand around as if that garage is a mysterious, supernatural place instead of a garage like dozens of others just in Sacramento "in the lives of my Sleeper loved ones."

    Then he returns back to his interlocutor. "So, Necro-sis, are you not too comfortable with your magic? I ask because, you know... I would have fixed that AC with a spell when my wife was away - she's travelling often - and take the credit for being the dutiful husband that called the workers to fix it.
    I am in no way saying you should magic your way when mundane methods work and you honestly seem to enjoy it. I am just making conversation.
    And I have been known to put my foot in my mouth and either confuse people or offend them and it is not my intention to do either.
    "
    For scene effects, see Minisheet. No monthly rituals at this time.
    Occult 4 because Mysterium is about the knowledge!

  7. #5
    Nos's Avatar

    A'keira Lim
    Striking Looks (Almost Silver Screen)
    Nos

    Nimbus:

    The smell of gasoline and rubber fills the air. Metal and machinery rattle and feel strained and engines roar to life. Unoccupied vehicles might appear to have shadowy figures within them.

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    "Did that smell and stains became much more stubborn soon before or after your awakening?"



    Nos scowls, more at her grease-stained legs than at Corn. "After. Although it was a hot minute before I actually touched anything, so I didn't notice anything immediately. But even machines that don't have grease with leave the stains, even stuff that doesn't use gas will make me smell like gas. I don't even need to fix anything; I get dirtied up just by driving my dang car!"

    "The consilium could certainly benefit from people with your skills, Nos. I am glad you joined us and I hope you stay."



    Nos raises her cup of cider towards Corn and grins. "Appreciate it, brother. I really hope to help out. Really do." She takes another sip, but when Corn mentions his wife, Nos nearly spits it out again she's so excited to speak.

    "Eyy, I knew I pegged ya fer the family type. Congrats, brother, that's the dream right there. Good to meet someone that made it work... gives me hope I can do the same. Later, though... gotta figure how to make this life work before I start plannin' a sleeper life again." She waves her hand causally at him when he brings up keeping his two lives separate. "No worries, fam; I'm not planning on talking to anyone from the Circle outside of known spots, unless it's on a job or something. We got phones and things if folks wanna chat, and I don't wanna risk makin' a mess fer folks."


    "So, Necro-sis, are you not too comfortable with your magic?"


    At that, Nos grows oddly quite, her smile fading. She begins to nurse the cider, wringing her hands uncomfortably around the cup. "I mean... it ain't a matter of being uncomfortable, per se. I... know I'm a rather impulsive person. And I got a recent lesson in how much trouble that can cause others, even without magic. So while I agree with you that magic is a beautiful thing, and that people are too, and we really should use magic... I think maybe I should take things slow. Rewriting reality ain't something impulsive folks should have the ability to do, ya know?"

    She raises her cup in the general direction of the window looking out onto the garage floor. "That's why I got this. You pass any cars on the way here? Heck no. It's dead out there. Not another living soul for at least a quarter mile. That way if I mess somethin' up practicin' - and knowin' me, I will mess up - there ain't no one to suffer except me. Like it should be."


    Nos turns away and sniffs loudly, briefly and quickly wiping her face, before looking back to Corn with a smile. "Hey now, don't let me ruin the mood with my nonsense. Tell me more about yer philosophy on magic... OH! Or better yet, tell me about yer wife! Sorry if I'm bein' nosey, I just think married couples are cute."

  8. #6
    Corn's Avatar
    Presence
    Status (academic)
    Corn

    Nimbus: Light purple aura and a scent of freshly dug earth after a rain.
    Status (Academics) 1.
    Corn Scenes
     
      Duplication cost
      Analyze life
     Improvised out-of-path, 

    2
    PRE

    " I think maybe I should take things slow. Rewriting reality ain't something impulsive folks should have the ability to do, ya know? "

    Ouch, that strikes too close to home... Corn thought.
    She lets her vent until her mood improves.
    "I will do better than tell you about my philosophy on magic and I will tell you a thing or two about my wife; she is an interesting topic for many mages," he said thinking of Kaze .
    He rolls his chair close to her and turns on his phone. Scrolling quickly, he gets to a picture of his wife, with her brown hair and warm smile. Nos could see that Maria is not exceptionally pretty and could probably be better if she lost 10 pounds or so. Corn scrolls a bit more showing a different set of selfies of himself and Maria making silly faces at a beach near sunset. "These are from our wedding anniversary in Mexico." He says. "A couple of months ago. "

    "About impulsive people and magic... I get what you say, I really do. You see, it was all much easier when I was less connected to the Watchtower and I had access to less powerful magic. I could do things around the house, like clean spilled coffee, dust and such, or repair any glass or plate I broke, or make the painkillers stronger if I had a headache with practically no issue. Now? Now there's a much greater risk for the Abyss hitting me! In fact, it has come to the point where I actually have to physically clean the house, with brooms and all, even when my wife is away. I just mage-clean the bathroom and the dishes. "


    "Now, about impulsive people and magic, allow me to tell you a story. A sad story of a mage that right after unlocking mastery of matter thought that he could have his cake and eat it too..."
    Corn took another swig from his cider as he told the Necro-sis his first failed attempt at mastery spells - just leaving out the parts about him allowing paradox happen.
    He explained his vision and the dream of many women and men alike: A delicious cake that doesn't make you fat, doesn't rot your teeth and replicates itself so you can eat and eat and eat without filling up, like a decadent Roman Senator.
    And then, he went into the amount of mana he had to spend, how hard the Abyss fought back regardless of that mana spent and how his body mishandled a lot of sugar disappearing at once; how he found himself weak, beaten and hungry on the floor.

    Assuming they have broken the ice, after the discussion about cakes, paradox and matter was finished Corn said to Nos .
    "Nos, that smell and grease stains that appear miraculously do make me think of... the supernatural. I am a Mystagogue. This could be a long-lasting branding paradox, perhaps or a kind of witch mark. You see, I study superstitions, I know a lot about Witch marks. I would like to ask your permission to look into this matter of the stains. "

    Aeolus

    Intelligence + Occult roll to see what Corn can guess about those stains and smell. Corn has specialty "superstitions" that I didn't add and the roll probably has penalties that I am not aware of.
    2 successes
    For scene effects, see Minisheet. No monthly rituals at this time.
    Occult 4 because Mysterium is about the knowledge!

  9. #7


    I don't really know what to tell you. A Nimbus doesn't affect Sleepers or the mundane world. Corn's guesses area as good as mine here.
    Nos, not to bee a stick-in-the-mud but you might want to tone down the miraculous things without having any reasons for them ready lest that opens a can of worms.

  10. #8
    Nos's Avatar

    A'keira Lim
    Striking Looks (Almost Silver Screen)
    Nos

    Nimbus:

    The smell of gasoline and rubber fills the air. Metal and machinery rattle and feel strained and engines roar to life. Unoccupied vehicles might appear to have shadowy figures within them.

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Nos begins gleefully rocking back and forth on her stool when Corn pulls up pictures of his wife on his phone. "Aw, yer cute together. I like yer lady's smile... and yer newlyweds? Congrats, brother! Yer a lucky man, and she's a lucky woman."


    "Now? Now there's a much greater risk for the Abyss hitting me!"

    "Ah, yer too powerful fer yer own good, then,"
    Nos quips with a teasing grin. "Humble brag? I'm kidding, I'm kidding..."

    "...no, I get it. Magic ain't a straightforward process, is it? Sometimes learning more, getting stronger, it also means you gotta give up something. There'll be twists and turns and sure, it's progress... but you can't get careless. I feel you."

    She listens to Corn's tale about his cake, thinking at first that it was some kind of metaphor, and slowly becoming comfortable with the fact that Corn really did just want to eat sweets without any repercussions. She got it; He liked his creature comforts. It was probably also a little about just the simple joy of testing out a crazy idea. At the end, when he finished, she lets out a little giggle.

    "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make fun... I'm sorry it didn't work, and I'm glad that all it got you was a stomach ache, a faintin' spell, and maybe a bruised ego. I gotta ask, though... you ever plan to try again? And I'm not just askin' cus I love sweets. I more curious to see if you think it's a lost cause, or if you just learned one wrong way to do it?"



    That's mb, I conlated elements from ascension with awakening and I didn't double check when I really should have. Didn't mean to throw you under the bus, Aeolus.

  11. #9
    Corn's Avatar
    Presence
    Status (academic)
    Corn

    Nimbus: Light purple aura and a scent of freshly dug earth after a rain.
    Status (Academics) 1.
    Corn Scenes
     
      Duplication cost
      Analyze life
     Improvised out-of-path, 

    (maaagic)Mana 2 Spent
    2
    PRE

    "It was more than bruised ego. That I can deal with. It gave me a big scare and the Abyss gave me much more than a stomach ache. I also had to cough up a lot of mana. It is just a reminder that I have been where you are not long ago, and a cautionary tale, Nos . To not reach too far for... "
    And then she did it. She asked the question that Corn didn't want to put out of his mind or actually ponder. He looked at the spartan place and recalled the woman has left everything behind. And the unsaid connotations of wanting to be alone for when bad things happen. She could use a boost and she liked sweets.
    He bit his lips as his gaze returned to her.
    He slowly reached under his t-shirt and pulled out a leaden coin-like necklace while his eyes were on her, questioningly.
    "What is your favorite flavor of Icecream, Nos? Sorbet."

    Once it was clear what the woman wanted, and that he had her permission to use magic, he reached for one of the plates on the sink and put it on the table.
    "This will not be a very smooth sailing. Mana will be spent and the Abyss will probably have a go on me. I hope you will appreciate this and put me above Aurora in the running. " he said to lighten the mood. Mostly for himself. It would cost him a beating or two.
    "You may want to put up matter sight for this..." he said and he started speaking in high speech. Soon after he waved the leaden medallion over the plate again and again...

    1 success

    As predicted, Corn has to grind his teeth to keep back the Abyss from warping his imago and it was a very unpleasant feeling.
    However, the result was what Corn has imagined and his awakened will has brought into existence. Nos could feel his Nimbus flaring up as Corn's will took form.

    4 successes

    A large block of her favorite icecream flavor, easily 4 pounds of sorbet but with stevia, not tricky, evil sugar, and large enough that the corners were sticking out of the plate was on the formerly empty table.

    With a smile, a satisfied smile, Corn turned to her "We are not done yet..." and started speaking in High Speech again, turning his medallion to face the icecream.
    Another hit from Abyss ravaged him as he held his concentration and brought the second imago to the fallen world.
    Paradox:
    1 success

    Self-repairing machine:
    4 successes


    Corn threw back his head and laughed loudly, proud of himself.

    "BEHOLD!" he called as if heralding the 8th wonder of the world. "This is self-replicating ice cream of your ladyship's favorite flavor!"

    In much more measured voice, he explained. "Specifically, Sorbet with Stevia to minimize the impact it would have on our bodies when it disappears... in about half a day. Tomorrow, everything from this icecream will be gone. For today, it will be unending. Unending.
    Every 15-20 minutes or so, the icecream would regenerate. Soooo... make sure to NOT eat more than half of it, or the rest of it will regenerate in your stomach and the acid won't dissolve it.
    The Icecream WILL melt if you leave it out of the fridge. It will regenerate its mass and only that. So I hope you have room on the fridge.

    The regeneration works by
    grabbing nearby molecules. This will not make more icecream than it was originally. The relevant molecules would supposedly disappear from your body within 10-20 mins to return to the icecream. Hopefully, this will give enough time to your metabolism to adjust, if you don't eat too much of it. So I would go with 3-4 ounces of icecream per hour, to be sure that I wouldn't wake up with my face on the floor.
    And this is the first time I try this, so take whatever I said with a grain of salt.

    Those small-print clarifications given... if you don't mind, after all that that beating, I think I am entitled to some icecream...
    " Corn said and putting his medallion back under his shirt, he pointed to the sink asking permission to grab a spoon and another plate to have some icecream.

    The icecream will be around for 12 hours; I took a -4 for duration.
    For scene effects, see Minisheet. No monthly rituals at this time.
    Occult 4 because Mysterium is about the knowledge!

  12. #10
    Nos's Avatar

    A'keira Lim
    Striking Looks (Almost Silver Screen)
    Nos

    Nimbus:

    The smell of gasoline and rubber fills the air. Metal and machinery rattle and feel strained and engines roar to life. Unoccupied vehicles might appear to have shadowy figures within them.

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    "What is your favorite flavor of ice cream, Nos? Sorbet."


    Nos tilts her head, placed on the back foot by the seemingly sudden change in topic. Regardless, she thinks about it for a moment, then says, "Huckleberry. Momma tried to get me and daddy to eat healthier, but he loved them. Used to go for drives with me when I was a girl about once a week, and we'd sneak out to this middle-of-nowhere fast food shack in the mountains, sold some of it. Never found anything that tastes quite like it, but I got a lot of good memories from those drives."


    "You may want to put up matter sight for this..."

    It clicks for Nos that Corn was about to answer her question in the most definitive way. "Wait, weren't you just talkin' 'bout how that's dange-" Too late; Corn was a faster caster than Nos anticipated. And quite honestly... once the High Speech pops out, Nos' curiosity began to outweigh her nervousness. As quickly as she can, she attempts to peer past her normal senses and witness the magic as it's being cast.


    1 success



    As the spell takes hold, Nos is struck with the realization of just how far beyond her Corn actually is. She had known he was powerful, but she hadn't the context to actually measure the gap until now. The idea of the ice cream might have sounded trivial or frivolous, but actually seeing the spell being cast, the mechanic gets a small glimpse as to just how hard the Mystagogue is wrestling with the Abyss, and just how far he is tearing back the curtain on reality. She feels like when she first started learning about cars - how to check their oil, how to add coolant, how to check tire pressure - and she is then suddenly shown an entirely dismantled car and given a front row seat to watching it being put back together. She is flooded with rolling waves of admiration and awe, but most of all what she feels is... fear.

    Corn isn't a bad person. By all accounts, he seems to be uncommonly good. But on a primal level, that knowledge doesn't help. He could destroy her in an instant, if he truly wanted... and it was only by his own choice that he didn't.


    But simultaneously, thinking about Corn in that way - as he silently asked for a plate and a spoon to eat some of the sorbet he conjured just to cheer her up - was incredibly silly. And so Nos lets out the tension of her fear by laughing.

    "Yessiree, I think yer the favorite, Corn. You shouldn't have done that... but thank you." Nos gets up and grabs a plate and a spoon for Corn, and as he takes the plate she points her finger accusingly at him. "But no more taking beatings in my shop. Cast spells all you like, but I don't wanna learn magical first-aid just because you wanna be the sweetest human being on the planet." Taking the spoon, Nos carves a large hunk of the huckleberry brick, sticks it with the spoon, and places it on plate, leaving the spoon behind. Then she fetches her own helping and bites in before even returning to her seat. She doesn't say anything at first, taking several bites before she gives a verdict, all the while reaching into the back of the bottom drawer of her desk and pulling out a mason jar filled with a clear liquid and some assorted fruit. She places it on the desk within Corn's reach. "Engine-cleaner," she says with a sly grin. "That's what daddy liked with his."

    She takes a small sip and her face scrunches up in a mix of pain and pleasure, before she whistles. Nos then sits back down and takes another bite of sorbet.

    "It ain't the same as I remember, but it's damn good. Sorry, but I gotta swear for that one." She smiles and takes another sip of the moonshine, her face flowing through the same series of motions. "You better be careful, brother... yer meetin' me when I've just been kicked down. But normally, a man could break both their legs climbing up my ego and jumping down to my IQ. Keep showin' me magic like this, and I might just get too excited to start slingin' spells." A half-joke, really... said out loud more to keep her own piqued fascination in check than for Corn's benefit. He'd peeled back the curtains, and that same itch that she'd felt as a little girl when she was learning about cars - the itch to know everything - started rearing its head.

    But in any case, all that could wait. Right now, she had only 12 hours to make the most of the most miraculous gift anyone had ever given her, given by someone she hardly knew. It was odd, but Nos already felt a drive to do right by Corn, make him proud, even. Not for the sorbet, no... more as a thank you for just being... him.


    "No, it definitely ain't the same... I think I like this one better, brother."

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