(Night Lightning) Illuminating the possibilities

[Matamune]

Vassagon , Dark Passenger , SoraLow

Sorry for the delay, guys. Now that I'm back in health, let's do this

For reference

The girl is Pre2 (cheerful), SL2 (next-door girl). The guard is Pre2 (bored)

Laura blushes cutely at Richard's attention but doesn't attempt to berate him. She instead answers with her own appraising glance: briefer and more coquettish but no less obvious. She, however, stays silent while Blake does his thing. Chris passes without issue after Tom opens the bag, looks inside and determines that there indeed no shotguns or big ticking bombs there. He hands the bag back to Chris. Richard also doesn't have any difficulty as the small amount of metal he has on him barely registers. It's one of them new metal detectors with a bar showing just how much you have on you.

Konrad is another story. The machine beeps and glows with the enthusiasm of a bell that has been hit by a body-builder at a country fair.

And just like that, all the sleepiness is gone from Tom. His right hand comes to calmly rest on the handle of his side-arm at the right hip:

"Do you have anything that would give such a reaction, sir? Please take off your jacket", - pat-downs are for when you have a suspected malfunction. This is a different story: it seems like Konrad is carrying a fucking axe. Which is weird because Tom doesn't see anything.

[Chris Wooding]

Chris smiles while accepting his bag back. He puts the usual stuff back in his pockets, puts his belt on, and... he does something else.

The guard may have seen "weird" stuff in the bag - there's enough of it - but he wouldn't see Chris taking it into the lab. The Mekhet uses his shadowy touch on the athame while it's still in the bag. He hides the sheathed weapon in his left sleeve.

Just in case.

Then he puts the bag on the floor somewhere, leaving it with the guard - as promised.

  Touch of Shadow

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-04 11:06:10		Chris rolls 7 to Touch of Shadow on the knife (10 Again)		5, 3, 5, 1, 5, 9, 9		2 successes

[Konrad Roth]

"Hmm," says Konrad in reply as if thinking to himself, playing innocent. "I don't think so." Konrad does as instructed and takes off his thick leather jacket, handing it to the guard. His glance flickers over to the woman, Laura, and the looks being shared between her and Chris. Ah, the beautiful people. he thinks with an inward sigh.

Konrad continues to act relaxed. Whatever prize Blake seems to be missing in his search doesn't worry him, though he would have rather the pat down had been sufficient. The possession of a prybar would certainly raise some eyebrows and would not carry with it an easy explanation. But it wouldn't really fit his claimed persona of an investor. Konrad is more than willing to part with his jacket if an explanation can't be reached.

"If it's a problem, you can just hold onto that for now," he says to Blake, wanting to move things along.

[SoraLow]

Richerd has stepped through the detector. Now that the others have stepped through as well he waits for the issue of Konrads crowbar to be resolved

[Matamune]

  Found 'ya!

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-07 00:59:38		Blake rolls 5 to find the prybar (Wits + Comp) (10 Again)		4, 10, 8, 7, 5, 3		2 successes

After seeing that Konrad doesn't resist in any way, Blake relaxes somewhat:

"Hm. Kinda heavy", - he waves it through the metal frame and, surely enough, there's beeping and noise of all sorts. Furrowing his brow, Blake pats down the pockets from the inside and outside. It takes him entire ten seconds to find the metal bar. And to take it out:

"Huh. A prybar".

Laura looks kind of confused for a second as her eyes try to focus on the object that her brain denies being there before the obvious drawing of attention makes the Discipline fail allowing everyone to see the prybar:

"Gotta start sleeping again... I can swear it wasn't there a moment ago."

Blake finally seems to come to grips with the fact that he didn't see the bulge under Konrad's jacket somehow and puts the prybar on the counter:

"You can pick it up on your way back: it's not illegal or anything but we don't allow this sort of thing on premises", - the jacket is returned, - "Move along".

The guard's eyes wander to an iPad lying near the monitors: apparently Laura interrupted something with her arrival. The girl herself turns attention to Konrad, as if seeing him for the first time.

She motions for the Kindred to follow her through the checkpoint and once they are out of the guard's earshot whispers loudly:

"So. You guys some kind of professional thieves?"

[Konrad Roth]

"Huh, must have forgotten about that," says Konrad as a blanket excuse. "Works for me," he responds to Blake. It is always interesting to watch as Kine try to overcome the effect of the Blood, but still disappointing that his ability to manipulate the effect has failed. I'll have to work on that at some point, he thinks grimly before taking his jacket back and putting it on. He follows along behind Laura, noting her sudden appraisal of him. As she poses her question, Konrad tries to get a read on her, wondering where the question might be coming from. A sudden excitement or is she trying to flush out some sort of ulterior motives?

  Read Motive, 0sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-07 08:19:39		Konrad Roth rolls 1 to get a read on Laura's motives [WIT+Emp(-1 untrained)] (1s Subtract)		1		failure

[Chris Wooding]

'Professional thieves? Damn, are we that obvious?' She's joking, right? Chris shakes his head with a laugh, 'I suppose we're not that professional then.'

He walks further inside the building. If Laura stops, Chris would take only a few more steps. But he doesn't know where to go to.

'We're only here to meet a professor, to hear more about Tom's project. And then we can come to a deal.'

Nothing but the truth. The deal might involve someone's life, but all this is probably nothing serious.

[SoraLow]

Despite having lived for over a century Richard still resented the assumption that he was a thief. He gave her the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe that she was only joking in her accusation, however that didn't change his distaste at the notion. If he were not accompanied by Chris and Konrad he would have pointed out to her that labeling a black man as a thief even in humor was a no no in his book.

But he let it slide, there was no need to jump to such conclusions, especially not over a social misstep from a lowly kine bitch. At least she had given him the curtsy of referring to him as a professional and not just a common street thug. "If I were a professional thief, you wouldn't even have seen me to ask me that question." he said while pacing behind the group. 'Just get to the professor and see exactly what the fuck is going on' He thought to himself.

[Matamune]

Vassagon , Dark Passenger , SoraLow

OOC

Seems like hell at my work has finally ended.

Laura giggles at their denials:

"Fair enough. But, and I'm being honest here. Not that I was dishonest before... Okay, I'm rambling now, the professor tells me I should stop doing that", - she shakes her head, letting long auburn hair wave all over the place, - "You look nothing like scientists. Or students. Or anything that belongs here, really. You should get a cover next time, like, I don't know, a team of plumbers?"

As they banter amicably, the girl leads them into one of the buildings and through well-lit empty white corridors with an occasional member of the faculty passing them and greeting Laura. A sleep-deprived male teacher complaining of having to grade papers, a slightly drunk young woman asking the redhead to join her at a party that's going on somewhere... Here, the night is a quiet shadow of the day, allowing the events that couldn't be crammed into the day unfold.

At least it is like that until they get to the laboratory: the group needs to go into the basement first and turn a few corners but they are greeted by a bustle of activity: at least five people dart between several rooms with papers and non-transparent containers. Laura goes on to one of the doors and opens it without knocking, letting their guests inside.

What they see is something out of science fiction. There are two tables here. No, that's not it. There are two Tables here, cluttered with all manner of weird devices. A couple computers stand by the wall: one is displaying code, the other - a computer game on pause.

Professor Aurora Hitwick, SL4 (perfect body), Pre4 (graceful and fiery)

A woman is bent over one of the table, adjusting something. When they enter, she straightens her back and is immediately identified as Professor Aurora Hitwick by her badge.

What Tom neglected to mention is how beautiful she is. Chris got a glimpse of her through Tom's eyes before but even without the sunlight and the adoration, she still looks great: the labcoat is thrown over her tan, fit body, the movements are graceful. She seems to be one of those rare people whose appearance is impervious to critique. And her eyes have a fire in them that goes very well with her looks.

After making sure she won't knock anything over, Aurora crosses her arms and leans on the table, showcasing her physique either by instinct or intent, cocks her head to the side a bit and takes a long look at the people one of her young proteges has picked as the ones that might help them.

  1xx to Empathy

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-10 23:59:48		Aurora Hitwick rolls 4 to get a read (Wits + Emp) (10 Again)		10, 6, 1, 4, 7		1 success

She nods slowly and smiles. It is a brilliant display of even white teeth and welcoming warmth:

"I am Aurora Hitwick. For you, I think, Professor Hitwick or Miss Hitwick, whichever you prefer", - she pushes herself off the table and walks a few steps toward the Kindred, - "And you fine gentlemen are?.. Tom says you are interested but he wasn't very clear on who you are and how and why you might help".

Possible rolls

You may roll Perception to take the room in. You may roll Int + Science - 2 to identify the equipment. You may roll Pre + Manipulation to resist Aurora's Empathy roll. Finally, you may roll anything else you'd like to roll

[Konrad Roth]

"Got any leaky faucets we should know about?" jokes Konrad in response to Laura's suggestion. Being the only professional thief there, Konrad is more than willing to let Chris and Richard answer her question.

Considering the size of the place and the many turns they might take, Konrad works to memorize the corridors, noting which doors seem locked and which aren't. Whatever went down tonight, he wants to have a clear sense of the building schematics. As they made their way deeper into the facility, Konrad realizes why there is a need for security. The equipment looks expensive, the computers and other devices Konrad wasn't familiar with. A prybar wouldn't have been much use here anyways.

In the lab, Konrad can't help be notice the specimen Professor Hitwick turns out to be. He let out a low whistle in his surprise. That's something I'd like to invest in. No wonder Tom was so sensitive about his friend badmouthing her. She had him wrapped around her finger no doubt.

Rolls

  Memorization, 1sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-11 16:14:46		Konrad Roth rolls 6 to memorize the route in/out [INT+COMP] (1s Subtract)		3, 10, 9, 1, 1, 9		1 success

  Perception, 3suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-11 16:15:28		Konrad Roth rolls 6 to perceive his surroundings [WIT+COM] (10 Again)		3, 10, 7, 2, 8, 7, 9		3 successes

  Identify Equipment, Fail

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-11 16:16:37		Konrad Roth rolls 1 to identify equipment [INT+Sci(-3 untrained) -2] (1s Subtract, Chance)		9		failure

  Resist Empathy, 2suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-10-11 16:17:56		Konrad Roth rolls 4 to elude Aurora's read on him [PRE+MAN] (10 Again)		9, 9, 5, 2		2 successes

Konrad is the first to answer the professor. "My name is Konrad Roth, Miss Hitwick. I'm a businessman and we met Tom as he was...explaining the highlights of your research to his associate. Life extension, if I understood it correctly. I can't speak for my colleagues here, but I'm very interested in local research in that field. We told Tom we are investors but we want to see what exactly your research involves."