Shadows of San Francisco: Opening moves

**ReubanBrightwood** · Mar 2nd, 2026 09:54 AM

Thirteen makes her way through the fading light towards the Starbucks keeping to public and well used streets. Arriving she fortunately knows what Skye looks like in the her disguise and while the arrow is making no effort to stand out her efforts to not be seen are also minimal allowing the two to meet and converse should they so wish.

Likewise Skye can pick the stylish and fashionable Thirteen out on approach with little difficulty.

Now do they want to use their time to get their story straight and a plan together or to scope out the building some ahead of time.

**Thirteen** · Mar 2nd, 2026 10:52 AM

Deleting the texts? Was the Thyrsus always this paranoid? There was nothing incriminating in them. Given how the Arrow had gone to the trouble of that disguise, though, Thirteen had to conclude that, yes, she was indeed just that paranoid. With a roll of her eyes, she played along and deleted the older texts. Might as well placate the woman. One less thing that could go wrong.

And there was Skye. Jinx had spotted her first and lurked on a nearby power line. Thirteen made her way over... and walked right past the Arrow, only stopping a few feet away to pretend to window shop in front of a shoe store. Without looking directly at Skye (reflections in the glass are handy for that), she waited until any passersby were out of easy earshot. Then she spoke in a low voice, while holding her silent phone to one ear.

"So, how bad will it be if you go in there? I got no better ideas. We need to either pay a visit, or go home."

The Enchantress wondered if James Bond ever did this sort of thing. She'd only seen some of the Daniel Craig ones.

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**Skye** · Mar 4th, 2026 06:37 AM

Keeping her position relatively still, phone in hand waiting for a response whilst trying to keep her eyes on the surroundings without looking away from the phone much, expecting others to potentially walk by the area or start converging around the place before the meeting.

Skye sees nothing.

Eyes only momentarily locking upon the woman, waiting a moment after her words before placing a finger to her ear with a soft tap through her hair as the phone gets whiskey away, a lack of an actual earbud sure but better than seeing them both on the phone that close to one another. Soft voice as eyes look straight ahead trying to keep Thirteen just in periphery vision at best.
”Best case scenario suspicion, worst case hopefully quickly thrown out with some threats and damning for us, we should be able to avoid hostility. As a corporation I cannot guarantee a lack of backlash though, but I have one leverage of a peace offering I have held on to, its a 70/30 disadvantageous it will be a good one though.” Not the most favorable of odds but having little else, and not wanting to hide the potential they would be found out to having sent in a spy to their meetings.

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Mar 4th, 2026 09:20 AM

Given the day and time two people on their phones would hardly look all that suspicious technology being as prevalent as it is, especially among those with wealth and comfort. The two mages covertly begin to confer trying to for form the foundations of a plan.

As the fingers of the setting sun continue to withdraw and dusk marches on activity around the Starbucks begins to intensify all the more, people getting off of shifts, needing a pick me up to face the evening neither arrow nor libertine have a great sight of the place from their secluded spot, however both pick up on a figure of a grumpy, no, angry, middle aged man with receding hair salt and pepper hair and burn scars across his face and left hand, more then this two golden glyphs in his pattern mark him as a mage ... or someone a mage has cast upon. This figure unknown to both of them makes his way towards the coffee chain.

**Thirteen** · Mar 4th, 2026 10:53 AM

The Enchantress kept up the window shopping while yakking on her phone act, bending forward to peer at a particular pair of shoes in the shop front window.

Skye confirmed her theory on the likely outcomes of entering the Starbucks. If the worst these foreign Pentacle Mages did was yell at them and toss them to the curb, than she felt more confident about attending the meeting.

"I don't foresee much backlash. The meetin's openly advertised, so it's not like we'd be bargin' into a private party. And I got an idea that might mollify them a little." The Arrow's announcement of her estimated odds almost made her turn and give the blonde an incredulous look. 70/30? Seriously?

Thirteen was about to say some sarcastic, but then she caught sight of Mr. Burnscar and his golden glyphs, reflected in the window glass. She knew grumpy. She idled at grumpy. That was definitely not grumpy. That was raging. The face and hand made her think an Arrow, because proud battle scars, but one could never be certain.

"Friend of yours?" she inquired into her phone. The fellow's attitude was giving her second thoughts.

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**Skye** · Mar 6th, 2026 05:50 AM

Slowly shaking her head, keeping in place whilst placing her fingers to her ear whilst looking up towards the skies. Again taking a moment before answering.
”Thats good, and I hope you are right, yet we know little of how they might think. I do not think we should dismiss the thought of if they know what company you or I work for so can they turn that on us later with words of corporate espionage or rude behavior, setting a precedence with a story they twist to suit their own narrative.” That very much feeling like the basis for their entire spiel against the current Consilia to begin with, given the long silence though who knows if it had just not gone over well or if they were just gathering ammunition.

Not ready to put anything past these people, it was far to easy to play the offended card. Suddenly interrupted in her thoughts, having to force her eyes to not look towards the glyphed man to rapidly to stand out. Scanning his walk, his gaze, gait, walk, spine positioning, where his center of gravity lied, and movements of the hips. All changes that came with either extensive training or endless hours refining oneself for battle.
”Never seen em before, but if they are so are they either overconfident, a fool or dangerous.” Or a tactical warning which would explain his demeanor.

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Mar 6th, 2026 06:18 AM

Nearly at the 30 day mark! One more round of prep/investigation posts before I open the new scene which will start in the Starbucks meeting!

Indeed neither mage recognises the burnt man he is not from the Consilium nor is he one of the five golden mages Skye met previous. Either they have called in reinforcements or the message has slowly gotten out to apostate living in Sacramento. Is this something they can use?

The man with the burn scars walks sullenly up to the Starbucks and enters without much breaking his stride, arrogant? confident? definitely unbridled aggression in that stance. As Thirteen beholds him, make him the momentarily topic of conversation her senses open to the fullness of fate hold heavy on the man, she feels a terrible heat coming from, a sense of brokenness and the rattle of chains. A man whose destiny has been burnt, broken and shackled.

**Thirteen** · Mar 6th, 2026 08:57 AM

So he wasn't one of the Goldies? At least not one of the known ones? A knot began tying itself in her stomach.

The unconcealed glyphs, like he was geared up for a fight. The hostile attitude. And now this feeling of... a shackled, broken fate. Why? Was it a geas?

This was a man with nothing left to lose.

"I got a bad feelin' aboot this. Somethin's about to go down in there." Thirteen's eyes stayed on Burnscar's reflection until he disappeared inside the Starbucks. She could be wrong, but assuming the worst had kept her alive in the past. Were the Goldies about to come under attack? Who was Burnscar with? Was he a Seer? A Banisher?

Most importantly: Was he alone?

A turn to do a scan of the area. Just because the angry man was being obvious with his magic didn't mean he didn't have more subtle partners. She looked for anyone appearing to make their way towards the coffee franchise.

1 success

Regardless of what she spotted (or didn't), the Acanthus's stomach continued to tighten as her mind ran through possible scenarios. Naturally, she landed on one of the worst.

Once more speaking into her phone, she voiced her concern to Skye, "I think we need to go in there. If there's aboot to be a fight, we need to show we're not responsible. We don't wanna get blamed."

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**Skye** · Mar 8th, 2026 05:27 AM

Unable to contain a grin from forming upon her lips, something about to go down now that sounded like a melody she could play into, where her talents could come to be of use.
”Allow me to enter first, make sure to put any possible pathway of escape into your mind immediately after entering and keep a mental pathway out at all times.”

Straightening herself with a creak of the neck.
”I found clear safe passage markings starting from our first place of encounter here, nothing else.”

Throwing an eye around as she begins make a walk over towards the Starbucks, not wanting to miss a potential backup would this be some kind of attack playing out.

1 success

Flipping up her phone and turning it off, taking a deep breath and trying to put some distance between herself and Thirteen to not give the impression of them walking together.

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Mar 8th, 2026 11:38 AM

Both mages keep an open eye of the traffic of people moving in and out of the Starbucks as the day and operating hours draw to a close. More people are leaving then approaching that is for sure.

Angry burn man has stayed inside.

They spot a certain watchdog having given up his post. Anubis mage of the golden Consilium approaches. Stride confident, that kind of entitled slowness only the obnoxiously privileged have.

Of the others approaching one more has a golden glyph in their pattern. Another unknown at first glance to both mages. Heavy and rotund the man is middle aged and fleshy but clearly comfortable with his weight based on the ease almost, flamboyance of his gait. Straw coloured hair neatly plied into a braid falls down his back, and he his suit is ill fitting, while dressed for the occasion it seems the garments might have been from a time before he put on a few pounds.

If other mages are in attendance they have hidden their presence well. Or arrived earlier.

If the plan is to be upheld Skye is to enter first and Thirteen a little behind to disguise their allegiance. The time has come to see what they can manage.

the next scene shall open shortly

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-03-04 06:07:18	Skye rolls 4 to Perception (wit+com) (10 Again)	2, 5, 4, 5	failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-03-06 08:56:12	Thirteen rolls 6 to Perception: Wits + Comp (10 Again)	1, 6, 8, 7, 4, 7	1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-03-08 05:19:01	Skye rolls 4 to Perception (wit+com) (10 Again)	7, 2, 8, 7	1 success

Shadows of San Francisco: Opening moves

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