(PRP Fire Heart) Kindling

[Yumyumcrow]

No worries. All good. Thank you for clarifying

[Puck]

"Definitely ours."

He knew the signs even if he didn't know the words. Also? Right behind Phoenyx. She was at the Astral Dive. She knew his desire capacity to follow orders.

"And you assume something needs to be done, rather then having already been done."

And that's when the lightbulb went off, visible in the sudden widening of eyes.

"Hey, it's connected to us somehow. Me more then you. What if it's related to that thing we did for Campanella? I got the front row seat, so maybe that's why I'm the stronger link?"

Pure conjecture from left field, but the closest to true he could think of. Unfortunately, that was as far as he could go. He was suddenly distracted as two borderline strangers decided to mount spells onto his pattern without his consent. Had Puck been around a year earlier, some very bitchy comments about erroneous onions would be flying at a volume inappropriate to the current circumstances. Fortunately, Puck wasn't that guy. Well, he was, but he had the self control not to scream in unidentified territory with an active countdown.

"Get. Your spells. Off me."

The last two words are more of a hiss then a normally spoken sentence. The supernal static mounted and he felt his connection to Arcadia being obscured in the noise of their unwelcome acts of will. This was Mage 101. Don't cast on someone without knowledge and consent. Most mages prefer their own tricks and flexibility to the undismissable acts of foreign agents.

Assuming the mages dismiss the spells, he would continue searching for the threads and following where they led. Eyes pealed for danger, he moved undeterred into the building.

6 suxx on interconnections if it's required to follow the threads, 1 suxx perception to watch where he's going.

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2021-07-29 19:05:47		Puck rolls 8 to Perception (Wits+Comp) (10 Again)		7, 8, 6, 1, 4, 7, 3, 4		1 success
2021-07-29 19:04:34		Corn rolls 3 to Gnosis+life -2 (duration) (10 Again)		10, 2, 8, 6		2 successes
2021-07-29 19:04:03		Corn rolls 5 to Gnosis+Death-2 (10 Again, WillPower)		7, 6, 4, 6, 7		failure
2021-07-29 19:02:34		[03] Puck rolls 11 to Interconnections scrutiny (Wits+Empathy+Fate) (10 Again)		6, 7, 5, 4, 1, 9, 8, 6, 5, 2, 4		2 successes
2021-07-29 19:02:34		[02] Puck rolls 11 to Interconnections scrutiny (Wits+Empathy+Fate) (10 Again)		8, 9, 6, 4, 4, 5, 4, 1, 7, 1, 4		2 successes
2021-07-29 19:02:34		[01] Puck rolls 11 to Interconnections scrutiny (Wits+Empathy+Fate) (10 Again)		6, 3, 9, 4, 3, 6, 4, 5, 4, 9, 6		2 successes

[mta]Spellz- Winds of Chance, Interconnections, 2E Fate Sight & Shield
Spell Tolerance 6/3
Spell limit 6/6[mta]

[Kaze]

Kaze nods and says, quietly, "Got it." acknowledging Phoenyx's direction and his understanding and agreement to accept and follow them.

He nods slightly at what Guru says, too.

He gives no expression to Puck's objection, neither showing agreement or disapproval.

He keeps his eyes up and alert, following Phoenyx, watching in the mundane plane for any mundane threats or concerns.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-07-30 00:15:51	Kaze rolls 6 to perception (Wits 3 +Composure 3) (10 Again)	9, 2, 5, 9, 4, 7	2 successes

[Phoenyx]

The Arrow nods to Guru. Sounded sensible.

Puck was also given a nod. If he was sure, he was sure.

She didn't look behind as she went in. She trusted people behind her did that. Group tactics. But the Acanthus' comment earns a shrug without turning around. "If you're sure it's your friends, why would there be a connection to something taken from enemies? Either way we don't know until we go in, and then something happens."

Then... well. things began to go sideways.

The hiss doesn't phase the Arrow. Dark eyes focus in Puck intently. "I don't know how many buildings you have broken into," Phoenyx retorted levelly in a low voice, "or how many investigations you have done, but it is prudent to prevent possible veil breaches and this is the most practical way - especially if there is the possibility of hostile contact. It is more important than our personal discomfort. We are of the same group, on the same side. We have to trust one another to work to our collective best interests. If you cannot do that with us, leave, and I can give you a summary later."

Invading a marked territory and possible Haven without planning or forethought? If Puck was going to demand his own agency over caution, this was field ops 101 and he could suck it. This was how trust was forged or broken. In fire.

Looking around the room, Phoneyx reaches into the bag and pulls out the pistol, slinging the bag back on her shoulders. Seeing little of interest towards the front, she quietly begins making her way towards the side door.

Again standing to the side, pistol ready, she opens it.

Equipment: Mini backpack containing a Ritual knife (Magical tool), smartphone, purse (ID, Gun permit, $17) and a waterbottle, Baretta pistol (+2, drawn)
Spells: Ritual spells as minisheet (Cloaked Life Shield and Cloaked Supernal Sight), Invisible to machines (Herself, Guru, Puck & Kaze)
Tolerance: 4/2 (-2)
Mana: 6/6
Willpower: 3/3

[Puck]

"YO!"

The Enchanter shouts at the top of his lungs.

"ANYBODY HOME? BACK DOOR WAS OPEN."

The thin veil of courtesy that Puck hid behind was done. Never mind that Puck had said this was a Libertine deal and they were probably breaking into Libertine turf. The shear number of logical fallacies that lead to Phoenyx's hubris was more then Puck could take.

"I don't know if you've ever read before, but the breach doesn't happen because you were identified. It happens because you did a thing, like talking about veils and breaches. Meanwhile? You still have a thing that completely disarms me of my thing when you already did a different thing that alone is punishable with jail time. So drop it or you're little fantasy of raiding my folks goes even further south."

Guess who doesn't appreciate being disarmed by his self appointed guardian? Rendering the mage invisible to machines (Which Puck hadn't even seen any of) did nothing for resonance or the visible effects of their actions. It did have the fun side effect of disarming Puck of the totally legal ways he deals with people and supernal trouble.

So guess what? Time to pop the bubble of fiction Phoenyx manufactured to make this a good idea.

Spells- 2E Fate Sight and Armor, Interconnections, Invisibility to machines, Evidence Shroud
Spell Tolerance-5/3
Spell Limit-5/6
Puck drops his ritual Winds of Chance to make room for a spell.

[Guru]

He took a step back and looked Puck up and down before shaking his head before dismissing the spell entirely. Looking between the two of them as they argued, he couldn't help but agree with Phoenyx. "Man, you were the one that was being all esoteric and vague you weren't even sure it was your people until a second ago. Is this shit connected to you for that thing you did or is it a raid, you gotta pick one.


"Either way I catch your drift." He looked back at Kaze and shrugged "so should we go get a coffee then?" Puck had just made it clear this was a Free council problem and they weren't to trespass, he clearly didn't trust any of them and seemed quite confident he could handle it on his own.

Active spells:
Pulse of the Living World / Sense Life (Pot:2/2)
Organic Resilience Pot: 5
Invisibility to Machines Pot: 2
Spell Limit: 3/6
Spell Tolerance: 3/3

[Yumyumcrow]

Puck sallies forth as the Shaman's spell forms - and then melts away - from his Pattern and those of his companions.

Phoenyx readies her pistol and carefully opens the side door, revealing the corridor of empty office booths (as previously described). At the far end the corridors turns into a very tight stairwell that leads to the upper level.

The Libertine's voice cuts through the silence like a knife through butter. From the upper floor comes a surprised squark as though someone - no, some people! - had been deeply focussed on a task and suddenly surprised.

Puck continues to scrutinise the threads as they fan deeper into the building (up to the next floor, probably on the mezzanine level over the foyer) and also as they spread away to the south and south-west. Without seeing anyone he is limited to fixating on the threads themselves, but his study is deep.

The trio above are bound together by an Intimate connection that ties them to a Choice and a Purpose - something with is tightly connected to the Destiny collapsing into place on this very spot.

As he yells, a pulse ripples along one of the threads from the Intimate connections as a final trigger falls into place. Puck manages to catch the pulse, briefly, as it shoots up the thread of fate: something malignant and harmful. This was the Destiny set in place for those above; a Destiny they strove for. Going by what flashed through the Acanthus' vision... perhaps not what they bargained for.

And as Puck yells...

The Uncanny Senses jangle.

There is a fwoosh of air in the floor above. And a smell of burning.

[Kaze]

Kaze drops his Transform Aura to allow Phoenyx's spell to rest on him without comment. He follows Phoenyx to the side door without engaging in Puck's objection or assertion. Plenty of time for yelling after the mission is over and everyone is home safe.

And then there's yelling. Puck. Yelling.

And then fire, from inside, a rush of air and burning.

Kaze sighs and prepares to follow Phoenyx's lead. You can't always know who's right, but you can at least know who's in charge. Right now, for him, that's Phoenyx.

[Phoenyx]

Yelling? Phoenyx had tried using to reason. She looks back at the Acanthus. Questioning her motives? That was severly pushing her limits. Her Pride was always a weak spot, and she had to focus her concentration on holding her rustling Nimbus in check.

"You are unbelievable. Twenty seconds ago you said this was connected to your friends, but five seconds later suggested it was connected to us via known enemies. You cannot keep your facts straight, which makes your assertions lack consistency and thus reliability. I have done nothing illegal. I took a reasonable preventative measure because prevention is easier than cure. You cannot prove this is Free Council site any more than deny it is a Seer locale...."

She looks up at the sounds overhead.

"And the spell I used means these terms cannot be recorded. This is not a raid. It was supposed to be intelligence gathering. I do not steal or cheat my allies, of whch the Free Council are supposed to be. The only suggestion this is a friendly location being your interpretation of woefully ill-formed symbology that, by my reckoning, could just as easily belong to our enemies. You expect complete trust and grant none in return. You have thrown away our element of surprise. This has already 'gone south'."

Puck's whole attitude was garbage. She had tried to be reasonable, to be understanding, but both the astral dive, Concillium and this had proved Puck was so determined to be adamantly independant he would threw a fit when there were things in his best interest he didn't like.

"I will not remove the spell until I consider it safe. Dispell it if that upsets you. Or you can acknowledge there are more important factors at play than your ego." The irony of the statement utterly lost on her in a way that the sure of purpose always are.

She sniffs the air, glances upwards again, and looks to the Guru and Kaze. "If you want to leave, you should do so now. I am going to investigate upstairs."

The Arrow turns away to head through the door.

[Puck]

Neat.

Someone lit a bomb and Phoenyx is lecturing.

Puck does what any self respecting millennial would do in a crisis and pulls out his phone. Once If(?) he can see the time on his home screen he'll return his attention to the threads of fate. It's not like he was taking a selfie right? He could press a button still right?

"I'm literally looking at the sympathetic connection between the mural with Libertine accents and the three people that painted it right now."

Did Phoenyx really miss the memo on the astral dive? Puck sees things, that's his thing. It's why he had a front row seat to Jurassic Park and Phoenyx and Crystal missed it. Because gathering intel is this Acanthus's bread and butter. The First Talon is a fish out of water. A bull in a room of fine porcelain. or just the Talon bickering while the building catches fire.

"I know the libertines are here, but I don't know why two of the four of us are connected to them. That's why I asked a question. But since two of the three of you can't see past ego and fragility to recognize the difference between a statement of fact and an inquiry I'll keep my thoughts to myself moving forward."

Thoughts like where was Campanella and what happened to the artifact they had used to access the astral realms? Puck didn't know, Crystal asked at concilium if the Mysterium could look after the artifact, and he'd bet money Phoenyx had no idea where either were. So who could say if more Libertines could or could not be tied to it and them? Puck couldn't, and neither could Phoenyx.

"There are no electronics in this clearly abandoned-until-recently building." Puck heads to the door. "It's not just about trust but my ability to improvise spells, which now have your static interfering with them. Something is burning, and if I'm in danger I'll be sure everyone knows my tools were broken by your hypothetical mental masturbation."

Guru isn't even acknowledged. Puck is running towards the stairs and he could follow or not.

Spells- 2E Fate Sight and Armor, Interconnections, Invisibility to machines
Spell Tolerance-4/3
Spell Limit-4/6
Puck drops his ritual Winds of Chance to make room for a spell.