PRP: DYLF: Back to the lounge

[Philip Crosen]

Corn`s change of clothes was appropriate, if somewhat surprising considering he already entered the bar once. And his words on the state of Mothisa and the anchored and possessing spirit got him thinking more deeply about the connection and meaning of the letters I T B U R he saw being written in the basement at the morgue. While he didn`t know for certain, he felt that the being hadn`t finished writing. But yet it stuck with him, if only because of the sharing of information with Corn when he had a moment alone to reflect on the situation as he was walking back towards the entrance of the Lounge.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-02 06:32:24	Philip Crosen rolls 1 to Enigma (Int 3+ Inv. 1 -3) (10 Again)	10, 6	1 success

That was, in between his thoughts about the arrogance of Corn. After all, his silent implication they were now even per his `Right Exchange` was not lost on him. In fact, internally, he was seething. I spent days researching and hacking, even almost being hacked in turn. And I warned him of the danger presented by the walking veil breach. And he thinks now we`re even after telling me a tiny bit about his opinions on possessed persons and a quick spur-of-the-moment Death analysis of Mothisa?! And how possessed people mostly but also somewhat don`t count as sleepers and the fact that Mothisa is one?! Granted he got me thinking, but still, there`s the Mysterium side I hate! On top of that, to Philip, this attitude was in stark contrast to some of the things he revealed in the Circle, where he simply didn`t stop talking. With that thought, he got even more annoyed. There we go again! `Right Exchange` only applies whenever they want. Cooperation only when it suits them, always on their terms. And they use it as a weapon to hoard knowledge for their own gain and to the detriment of the other orders! Way to show gratitude! But this wasn`t the time or place to explode on him. And he knew such a time or place would never come. And after all, he still needed him and so he`d have to live with his attitude.
But it didn`t take long for shock to register and jump him back to reality after being lost in his thoughts after he re-entered the establishment with his last remaining cash, and going to where they were before. Why is it I`m always right about these things? he thought, as Mothisa wasn`t to be found at the same place. A brief moment outside had been all it took to lose her, but he would not be denied. So he scanned the area as best he could, relying on his wit to see where she may have gone.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-02 05:28:48	Philip Crosen rolls 6 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3 -2) (10 Again)	2, 10, 6, 3, 2, 3, 6	1 success

Accidentally pressed roll with 6 dice, on the perception roll. Sorry about that.

[ReubanBrightwood]

With the Vulgar cast Corns car fills with the purple aura and scent of freshly dug earth as his will is made manifest and his clothing dramatically alter to better accommodate the clubbing scene.


Both mages individually puzzle over the letters. Corn brings to mind that Itburnu is sometimes a name used for the plant rose hip, While Philip knows that very same word is the name of a city in Turkey but neither fact seems to link to anything immediately pertinent to the case at hand. Both mages being fairly academic have little trouble rearranging the letters to form the word bruit, the action of reporting an unusual sound. That might matter , it could be a stretch but is possible.


However both mages also reach a similar and far more likely conclusion. Corn from his knowledge of ghosts, and their varying levels of awareness and activity draws on the knowledge of anchors, locations (a crematorium, specifically the furnace)and likely causes of leaving a ghost and Philip from his first hand encounter with the burnt charred thing and the way heat rose so quickly to such intensity and how it messed with all the electronics in the room. They add just a few letters. IT BURNS. seems a very reasonable solution to the question.


Philip first into the club is first on the trail, Corn picking up on smaller clues and aided by the grim sight that helps him pick what he is looking for out of the scene the anchor itself cannot hide from his vision if he gets eyes on it. And between them they do. The figure is a few inches taller, a little broader, has longer light brown hair and very clearly Caucasian but is wearing exactly Mothisa get up for the evening, a few sizes to small on the body it now adorns and the ring, the tell tale ring clamped around the same finger.


To Corns sight this is the anchor, and the ability to speak with ghosts now shows him something the deadly thin fragile ghost of the women walks in immediate pursuit right up behind and just to the right of this figure, only the ghost is missing an eye, well missing is the wrong term it is very clear where the eye is, it is still over/in/is the eye of the figure now attempting to casually flee out of the restaurant at the back of the club.

[Corn]

Sorry, I am pressed for time; this will be a short one.

Corn blinks in surprise, not believing his eyes. He can't help but stare at the ghost for a moment but he quickly turns his gaze away trying to not notify it. A ghost that is in two places at once... that's a new one. So probably the ghost can see through that woman's eyes.
How to explain to Philip the situation? And how do we deal with that woman that is probably insanely confused?

Man, back door. The assets we were talking about are out of the subject but lingering nearby. I will follow your lead. I have no idea if the woman has any idea of what happened to her. But now she is not co-habiting with Mothisa. No roomate. But the roomate is very close. I suspect, and can't be sure, that the roomate cannot go far from the woman leaving now, or specifically something in her hand. But the roomate may try to sneak in YOUR home if you get too close and I have no proof that the roomate CANNOT move far enough. There are very strange things I cannot convey even on text; let's say there are parts, I kid you not, of said assets that are still with the woman trying to leave from the back. The roomate has left an eye on the woman despite being next to her. I suspect the roomate - Mothisa- can jump to another place but again, that is a theory. Be careful. Roomates that can force themselves in your house and take control are not joking stuff.

[Philip Crosen]

They`d followed them. And not lost them, thank god. If there even was such a being, but Philip certainly took it as a sign that Fate wanted him to succeed, at least in part. And Philip`s food for thought about the crematorium led him to the disturbing conclusion that the creature was most likely trying to write `It burns!`. A truly disturbing statement, if accurate, for such a gruesome-and-burnt-out-looking being, indicating some form of horrific, silent, sentience and awareness at their situation, to Philip. Corn`s cryptic info on his phone about the spirit `assets` hitching a ride and making things difficult was clear, despite the code. It seemed the Ephemeral situation had truly taken a turn for the bizarre, after just such a short time. And it was surprising he told him anything at all, let alone such a lengthy cryptic text about the new situation in the Ephemeral. Well, that was considering he only minutes earlier had seemed to imply they were even, causing Philip`s annoyance of Corn to die down for the time being. That was, as long as he didn`t demand any favors from Philip in the future for his role in this. That was something he was sure he`d have to keep an eye on, going forward.

This did however have the effect of giving him the opportunity to really thing about the challenges currently facing them, at least for the time being, without interruption. After all, a cool, level head was needed.

"Really? Well we gotta be quick to capitalize on the that new crypto then, before we screw up again. What was its` name again? Oh, never mind. You know, that new one with the weird name that just came out. Just gotta make sure the reviews aren`t over-inflated like last time, ya know?"

he said, leading the way as Corn had requested, following the now changed being quietly and unobtrusively.
Granted, he was sure he could protect himself partially against mind control at his level of understanding of fate. But it was still a very serious situation. This ghost had clearly demonstrated it was agitated with the change of body shape, and was trying to make a subtle getaway. Not on my watch! But gotta play it smart. Philip thought, agitated himself at the tense and dangerous situation. After all, Corn`s warning was appreciated. But still, they were a walking veil breach and Philip and Corn had a person to save. (And Philip had his client meetings to rescue from stupid gossip about this.) After all, at the moment it seemed it was him and Corn vs. the abyss and they were not winning, despite managing to locate them again. So he moved to follow the creature`s attempt to exit the premises through the back door as unobtrusively as possible. Using the cover with the conversation with Corn to approach, his last words in that conversation were:
"Man, that other side of that crypto creator is really inspiring, you know? I never knew he had it in him."

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-04 03:10:42	Philip Crosen rolls 6 to shadowing (Wits 3+ Stealth 1 Additional shadower(Corn) +3 +1 party clothes -1 unfamiliar subject -1 poor visibility) (10 Again)	4, 7, 8, 8, 4, 9	3 successes

After all, if Corn was right. And given the Mysterium protocols he knew, he expected Corn to not be a liar and be right on this at least as far as he knew. Then they would have at least ever-so-slightly more leeway here than against a regular sleeper. And while they`d have to be subtle, they might be able to use mundane means to either trap or follow the entity, and assist the person in overcoming their confusion at their situation in a way that didn`t compromise the veil. Not much, but enough to blur the lines of good and bad, most likely.

Mothisa is no longer around at all, I take it, having been replaced by the shape of this other individual, wearing the same clothes Mothisa wore moments earlier, in the `real` fallen plane of existence Philip is perceiving? So the only identifying features are the clothes, the anchor and the fact that Corn can identify the ghost with Grim Sight and the body shape is different and there is simply no Mothisa in sight anymore?

[ReubanBrightwood]

Corn allows Philip to take the lead as the person

(Ther person is definitely not Mothisa, there is no resemblance. You can both make perception rolls if you want more or/and wits empathy to read their body language/emotional state

Leaves out the back of the restaurant a few of those dining do give stares the odd comment but nothing major it seems they have no desire to leave their meals at any rate. Philip looking far more the part slips through not getting a glance just another patron making his exit.

Out the back on the street it is dark the light from the restaurant spills through glass panes and the odd still working streetlamp offer enough illumination to get by but the night presses in around these feeble safeguards.

Philip can see the figure barely twenty feet ahead of him walking with as much haste as possible, which is not that much, down the sidewalk, checking the road for something. The figure walks very awkwardly in heels that clearly do not fit and seems unpractised at doing so.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-04 11:51:10	Someone rolls 4 to remain in shadows (10 Again)	3, 2, 3, 4	failure

Philip also becomes acutely aware that he is not alone another figure stands in the gloom, The shadows cast by the restaurant lights that would allow someone to stand by the window and look in unnoticed if they had care. The door swinging open however has shifted the shadows in just such as way as this figure becomes noticeable. Heavy set, average height, rough face and a cauliflower ear make this man look thuggish. Hair pulled back into a functional but not fashionable ponytail. Wearing Dark blue jeans, running shoes and a light fabric jacket, also dark blue with a turn up collar. This figure was trying to hid judging by how still they are, their position.

The figure in blue looks from the Figure walking away awkwardly in heels to Philip, nods casually. And begins to walk away slowly in the same direction as the figure in heels.

[Corn]

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-05 12:49:43	Corn rolls 4 to Wits + Empathy (Blue-jean dude's body language) (10 Again)	4, 9, 3, 6	1 success

Corn, suspicious of that person in blue that talked with the-one-that-was-Mothisha tries to discern his intentions from his body language, or whether he knew Philip .

Is the ghost still visible?

spells and effects

Armor 5
Spells active: 4/7
Spell Tolerance: 4/3 (I am at -1)
Vulgar spells: 1
Mana: 8





[2] Grim Sight
[3] Matter shield
[2] Speak with ghosts
[5] Alter Raiment




Cellphone
Lead Medallion (dedicated Tool)
Wallet, includes his ID, credit cards, some cash
His cross and his wedding ring
A bottle of water and a candy-bar
pack of hankerchiefs
pack of gum

[Philip Crosen]

Straining his eyes after leaving the establishment, he tried to make sense of the darkness around him. But to no avail, try as he might he simply could not find anything out of the ordinary, except the guy who turned to walk towards the person who had transformed from Mothisa and was making a sloppy getaway on Mothisa`s heels. That person, with the blue jeans, he tried to get a read on. But he was oblivious to the rest of his sorroundings as he tunnel visioned, albeit stealthily, towards whoever-was-now-no-longer-Mothisa.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-05 13:50:14	Philip Crosen rolls 6 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3) (10 Again)	1, 2, 1, 2, 4, 5	failure

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-05 13:51:06	Philip Crosen rolls 2 to read person(Wits 3 -1 (untrained in empathy)) (10 Again)	6, 8	1 success

A few moments later, he discreetly looked around again, trying everything he could to ease the gnawing feeling something wasn`t as it should be. Sybils Sight, as well as whatever he could see besides in the mundane plane, were both complete blanks to Philip. There was absolutely nothing amiss to Philip besides the two people he could see, and he was beginning to be convinced there were less problems than he thought. This seems almost too easy. Perhaps Corn was overexaggerating. he thought smugly and somewhat arrogantly. But there was still the feeling in the back of his mind, urging him to be cautious regardless. They were after all entering unknown waters and the persons around them were still sleepers, with a single person-that`s-only-mostly-a-sleeper, being the only exception he knew of.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-05 13:50:40	Philip Crosen rolls 5 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3 -1 second try) (10 Again)	4, 4, 5, 4, 1	failure

[ReubanBrightwood]

Both mages quickly realises things are escalating as more twists to the mystery work in, more moving parts make themselves known.

to act casual 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-05 15:50:26	Blue jeans guy rolls 4 to to act casual (10 Again)	10, 4, 5, 6, 4	1 success

The presence of a new person complicates things. His appearance, his interest in the person in heels ties him to this mystery in some way. Unfortunely neither mage can get a strong enough read to determine if this new person is friend of foe.

He could easily over take the target in heels but is choosing not to, clearly. Instead trailing much as the unseen Philip is through the shadows and behind what cover there is for him to use.

The person in heels puts out a hand complete with stick on nails and calls. ''Taxi.'' in a voice that on hearing it sounds rather masculine, deeper, a little more bass and bit raspy.

[Corn]

Corn looks for the ghost itself. "Friend," he says to Philip, "I will try to speak to some things we don't usually see. As we are mostly alone. It is obviously a risk, if this perceives me as a threat. So... be careful."
Corn tries to make "eye contact" with the ghost and get its attention, make the ghost know he can see her and he even beckons to her. He does this a few steps away from Philip and taking care to not approach the ghost too far, hoping she has to remain close to the anchor. If the ghost is not there, he will inform Philip about it.

[Philip Crosen]

Philip gave Corn a surprised look, but nodded, unsure of what to do. He did not expect him to speak so openly of things sleepers were not meant to hear, although his warning to cover him delivered in no uncertain terms was certainly welcome.
He calls me by a pronoun to disguise my identity while also stating too directly that which sleepers were not meant to hear so close to our targets? That was too direct even for the fewer sleeper eyes and ears here. Granted I don`t see anything, but you are the one being the risk right now! You said yourself the person who used to be Mothisa should still mostly be treated as a sleeper!

"The creator of that new crypto may notice our accounts and try to buy back the stake. Be careful who you tell this, we`re too close to losing our investments again."

he told him sternly, but quietly and matter-of-factly, annoyed at Corn`s carelessness, despite his belief that Corn was overexaggerating the Ephemeral sitution. He also couldn`t get a read out of the guy with the blue jeans.

Can Philip roll to try to recognise the guy with the blue jeans as someone from his research?

Although that, aka his inability to read him, was causing him to start drawing conclusions about him as he seemed interested in their primary target one way or the other. So for the time being, he considered him a threat too. After all, some ever so slight doubt remained that there could be additional trouble, and so far this had been too easy. All these things together combined to make him look around again, paranoid that someone else heard them or something else was amiss.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-04-06 13:13:10	Philip Crosen rolls 4 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3 -2 third try) (10 Again)	1, 1, 8, 8	2 successes

And then there was the issue with the person-who-wasn`t-Mothisa and her companion, who he`d now ruled an accomplice? trying to get a taxi and make a getaway.
"Tell me, how good are you at steering the market? You know, where you dropped your credit card last time?"
he asked him, curious how good his driving skills were, for his own weren`t good, at least not for that kind of driving. After all, it was a growing possibility they might have to follow the taxi in the car and time was running out. Somehow, they`d have to be prevented from reaching the taxi they were looking for, or the plate of the taxi would have to be photographed and the location traced.