Out and About

**Orphan** · Jul 7th, 2009 05:44 PM

Cutting short his own morning workout - only 2 1/2 hours today - Orphan takes a shower, then recasts his triggered and delayed Self-Healing rote, a habit that has saved his life more than once.

Self-Healing

Then he goes out to watch West and Zilker's morning workout. He's not at the level where he can really keep up with them, but he learns a lot just watching, particularly a lot about strategy.

Strategic thinking was an area Orphan had been working on a lot lately... rereading The Book of Five Rings (of course) and The Art of War, and more recently studying Civil War battles. Later he planned to go check out some bookstores to see what he could find along those lines, but for now he went to watch and learn, and hoped he might get a chance afterward to talk to Zilker, something he'd been wanting to do for awhile now.

He took a drawing pad and some pencils with him, as trying to capture what he saw on paper required him to process at a different level, and to cut his observations down to their essence.

**West** · Jul 7th, 2009 08:08 PM

~~Narration~~

Orphan watches, and notices a few things.

Zilker is a gifted martial artist, possibly the best Orphan has ever seen, and far better at hand to hand than any of the Arrows have shown themselves to be. He also seems to be able to hit harder after he's been hit, and at times seems to cast a spell when striking.

West seems to be far more comfortable using spells and firing his weapon than he is using them to bludgeon people, and appears to have a remarkable capacity for storing and maintaining spells.

Both are obviously capable of wielding Mastery level spells, and have powerful Nimbi.

They wound down, and Orphan could see Ankh Healing both and then drawing West aside to speak to him.

**Orphan** · Jul 7th, 2009 09:46 PM

As Orphan sees Ankh draw West aside, he sees an opportunity to talk with Zilker. He carries his sketch pad as he approaches.

"That was neat to watch, like always. If you have the time some time, I'd like to ask you some questions about your martial arts techniques, but right now, I was wondering if you might have a couple minutes to talk about something else."

**West** · Jul 7th, 2009 10:00 PM

Zilker gave Orphan an appraising look as he pulled on a polo-style shirt over his t-shirt. It made him look oddly preppy, but he didn't seem the sort to walk around in t-shirts.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" he asked. Looking at Zilker was like looking at a Zen master; one just got the impression that few things suprised him.

:zilker:

**Orphan** · Jul 7th, 2009 10:18 PM

Orphan makes eye contact - not staring, definitely not confrontational, just showing a willingness to own up to a mistake - as he replies.

"Well, I was wanting to talk about that stuff from my first night in town, with Val and all that. Just wanting to let you know, our not staying to wait for you - and in the state she was in, I think I have to take more responsibility for that than Val - well, that wasn't meant to show any disrespect to you or the Guardians. I was new in town, I didn't know the lay of the land, and Val was pretty shaken up, so my 'protect your fellow mages' instinct kicked in.

"I'm not making excuses. I did what I did, I accept responsibility for that. I just wanted you to know where it was coming from, and that it wasn't about any sort of disrespect. The Guardians do good, important work."

**West** · Jul 7th, 2009 11:00 PM

Zilker considered Orphan's words, and all the confusion that had resulted from them leaving the scene. Unrecovered bodies, no information on the attack, just a beat up, lonely little bug.

"You were new, she's naive," he said, instead of enumerating the consequences. "It happens. Part of why she had been 'assigned' to Ollie." He shrugged. "Part of why we need a Herald, too. It's been difficult for everyone, with the Consilium in a state of flux, and us practically at war with rival Mages."

He glanced at West. "In that regard, it's good to see an influx of Arrows, and that the Plotski situation didn't damage relationships between Orders." Zilker smiled, "There's nothing to apologize about for protecting another Mage. For what it's worth, I didn't agree with the Hierarch's punishment."

He left it unsaid, however, that it was a memorable --and therefore effective-- one.

**Orphan** · Jul 8th, 2009 06:36 AM

Orphan decides to not get into the politics of discussing the Heirarch's punishment, but instead just says "I'm still trying to get a sense of the local Consilium and the lay of the land, but I can tell it has been difficult for everyone. I just want to make sure I'm part of the solution, not part of making things difficult, and that's part of why I thought it important to say what I just said. The last thing Sacramento needs is people doing less in the way of working together."

Orphan considers asking about Val, but knowing she's working with Zilker, probably taking the Guardian path, he figures he probably won't get much in the way of answers. "Like I said, I'd really, really like to talk to you about your hand-to-hand skills. Some amazing techniques there, and casting while striking... well, I've heard whispers of that sort of thing, but not much more. Today, though... well, like I said, I haven't had a chance to get the lay of the land in Sacramento, and that can be a big, big mistake strategically, so I was planning to go out and have a look around town. Is there any particular place you'd recommend I acquaint myself with?" And, smiling, he adds "Or a really good but easy to miss restaurant?"

**West** · Jul 8th, 2009 03:58 PM

"Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppe is a can't miss, according to West," Zilker said with a smile. "Other than that, I honestly don't know -- I cook for myself most of the time."

"As far as the city goes, it depends on what you're looking for. Granite Park has been a bit of a hotbed, but is also definitely has an 'urban sprawl' energy to it. We've found that Avalon is a place for vampire activity... if you care about that sort of thing," he added, trying to think of what else might be interesting.

"Ah, and Bismarck and Hostel HI. Both remain a bit of mysteries," he concluded.

**Orphan** · Jul 8th, 2009 07:41 PM

Orphan listens carefully, taking in the information, then nods.

"Dagwoods. Got it. I was already planning to take a quick run by Granite Park just to get a feel for it before we go in there in force. The other places you mention, though... what sort of relationships exist between us and the vampires? And, what's mysterious about Bismarck and Hostel HI?"

**West** · Jul 8th, 2009 10:37 PM

"Not much of a relationship," Zilker mused. "Basically, we've met to discuss a mutual threat, and that's it. The official word is that they're not to be interfered with."

Zilker motioned to the figures of Ankh and West as they left the parctice yard. "West has ID'ed over a dozen, so we know that they have a significant presence here. He's also found Fae, or Changelings," Zilker added.

"As far as the Bismarck goes, no one's caught Cartright's killer yet -- and Calligan Wellmer was attacked at Hostel HI by an unknown Mage. I think a few of the Living Stones were there at the time, or shortly thereafter," Zilker concluded.