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Post by thevoiceofgod on Dec 2, 2015 19:06:31 GMT -5
The phenomenon you just encountered; Mummies are souls attuned to eternity. They resonate with it. The Rite of Return by which they are resurrected ensures this. No one - save perhaps figures like, oh I don't know, Caine or Merlin - knows how to prevent the Return. So when a mummy uses their supernatural powers, this resonance radiates outward. This can cause anything from slight unease to mind-shattering terror in minds unprepared for exposure to the infinite weight of time (read: nearly everyone). The effect is called Sybaris, and while it mostly affects mortals, supernaturals such as yourselves are not completely immune to its effects.
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Post by crux on Dec 4, 2015 12:51:12 GMT -5
[rolled a 19 on fucks given, and a 17 on thankfulness. The gifs are just cause I can. ] As soon as they step foot into Gloria's safehouse, Crux grabs Johann and kisses him super dramatically. "You helped save us and you are the best!" Then, she turned on her heels and hugged everyone in the group one by one, ending at Joseph with a big, cheesy grin.  "Gloria has a spare room, and we made 'if we don't get totally dead' plans, will you join me?" Her face peered off from the side of Joseph to give a slow, hopeful smile and a grin to Gloria as her method of asking permission. "Iiiiiiif that's okay?" |
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Post by thevoiceofgod on Dec 4, 2015 14:53:02 GMT -5
Gloria rolls her eyes and smirks. "Yeah, go, you crazy kids. That means you, big boy." She literally pushes Joseph in Crux's direction. After they disappear into the side room, Gloria starts pouring drinks. Not just for getting drunk, though; she also peels off her shirt and pours a little vodka on her bullet wounds to sterilize them, hissing through clenched teeth. Visible on her shoulder is a pattern of lines and angles that resemble printed circuitry. It looks like a fresh tattoo, and it certainly wasn't there before.  Its appearance doesn't concern Gloria - not directly anyway - but she starts to check the rest of her body. As she searches, uncovering nothing new, she starts to get agitated. "Shit." She gets up and does a few slightly odd things; she walks in and out of the door to her room a few times, opens her fridge and checks all the liquids and leftovers, looks in all the drawers of her kitchen. "Shit!" Whatever she was looking for, she didn't find. She takes a long swig right from the vodka bottle. "My Cover's been compromised. Now I have to figure out how. Fuck me... oh well. At least we're alive."
"Yes. About that." Johann pours himself a whiskey on the rocks. When he picks up the tumbler, the condensation beginning to form immediately turns to vapor; It looks like the glass is smoking. A rasping edge creeps into his voice. "What exactly was your plan in all this?" He is intentionally taking slow, deep breaths. When he lights his cigarette three nearby candles also auto-ignite, as well as a stray washcloth left on the counter, which Gloria quickly smothers. "Well, we didn't plan on hitting it when we went out tonight," Gloria can't entirely keep her agitation from showing. "But we're not stupid. Cass killed the cameras and I overloaded the locks. Unfortunately the alarm system circuit was untouched. Crux ran ahead to break into the lab while the rest of us occupied the guard; acquiring the target just took longer than we had to give it. But we got the thing. Which reminds me," Hopping up on a bar stool, she cracks open her laptop and starts typing away. "I'm gonna see what the Agency has on Masonic architecture." Johann is silent for a long moment. "Tactically sound, then. Fine. But what were you after in the first place?"
"An effigy, I think was the word Joseph used. Something of his Lost Kingdom." Gloria stands up and grabs her phone. "I've gotta make a call. One sec." She ducks into her room. "Irem. Yeah. I remember that place." Johann's brow furrows. "Potent stuff, their relics, no question. But what good will it do you? Why chase this stuff in the first place?" Last he heard, after all, you guys were on a completely different track.
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Post by cassidy on Dec 4, 2015 23:04:29 GMT -5
Cass came into the house last. He held a backpack this time. He made it just in time to receive a hug from Crux. Odd, but welcomed. Was this a good sign? He over hears Gloria and Gutenberg's conversation. He stares a long time at Gloria's circuits. It was a ver fascinating thing... Anyway... As they spoke he began to make a smoothie for himself from the ingredients in his bag. "Anyone want a Dead Kunook? It's my best specialty drink."Some Canadian Whiskey, crumbled bacon bits, maple syrup, and pomegranates. Yum. Cass had finished the drink by the time Gutenberg had asked his question. "Well, funny story that. We got the mummy and decided to bring him to the mage girl as a peace offering. She wants to fix the paradox, he wants the paradox fixed. Win win, right? Well Joey over dere couldn't do anything till his business was finished, eh? So we had to help him nab the relic. As you saw, much easier said than done."Cass digs into his bag and pulls out a scented candle. His favorite.  "Helps me relax."He lights the candle and breaths deep. "So, that's the short version. Other cliff note of the day: I got my synergy curse lifter, but now we need to get Gobin Hedge Fruit to the pardoner that fixed me. All things to be fixed later of course."He sits. "Though I do need to fill up on plasm. I'll be useless with such a shallow well. That curse. Damn, I'm not used to taking such a beating. Guess this was learning a lesson the hard way haha. Maybe I'll head down below in the morning while Crux has to sleep and Cin has to work..."He said to no one in particular. He's thinking out loud at this point. This is the first time in a bit Cass has fully relaxed. He allows himself to show how tired, and drained he actually is. However, he does still keep his smile wide. The self pit and depression have been lifted from his spirit. He is still cautious though, he still has a lot to make up for. |
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Post by thevoiceofgod on Dec 8, 2015 2:52:57 GMT -5
For the second time since you've known him, Johann's eyes fade to black. "... yeah. The Brujah got Temporis from somewhere, Carthage was in the right place to inherit Iremite secrets, and they had to have some knowledge of chronomancy to make the Rite work... not to mention the pyramids. That all add up" His eyes return to normal. "Still, I've never seen a quick and easy solution to a paradox, not even in lost Irem. Then again," Shrug. "Not my field. So! A 'peace offering', huh?" He snickers. "Do I even want to know?"
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Post by cassidy on Dec 8, 2015 7:03:37 GMT -5
Cass seemed relatively unfazed by the eyes. Maybe a little in ae. Was that awe he felt? Awe was such a strange thing to feel. He drank from his cup.
"Yeah, we pissed esoda off pretty bad. We hope that a lead on the paradox will be enough to make up for my blowing it."
Cassidy finishes his drink. He looks at the empty glass. He felt satisfied with it. There were other people out there not satisfied. It had been awhile since the vapire food truck was out and about. Cass felt a deep need inside of him. The same need he had felt after becoming a sin eater. No one should feel hunger like he did. He must feed the masses. Well, who he could anyway. He opens his phone and logs into the type o negative social media outlets.
[Starting now! Come back special! Recive a 25% discount to all smoothies! 50% after sundown!]
He put the phone away and rinsed his cup.
"I need to go. I have a duty to serve."
He looks to Gutenberg.
"Mr. Gutenberg? Thank you for the tough love. I was being an ass. I needed some perspective to pull my head out of my ass. I really appriciate it. I'll be more myself from now on. Maybe minus some old grudges."
He turns to leave.
"Gloria, thank you as always. Will everything be ok here?"
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Post by crux on Dec 8, 2015 7:49:14 GMT -5
[rolled for sexytime quietness and sexytime acrobatics: only a 12 on quietness, 18 on sexytime acrobatics. 17 on sexytime quality.] There was, as last time, an occasional profane loudness coming from Gloria's spare room, and the more-than-occasional sound of a wall or something being knocked into or used as some manner of gymnastic support. After a decent amount of time, Crux walks out in.. not much, really, after touching up her eyeliner, proving that she always has emergency makeup on her person. She made it out just in time to see Cass get ready to go, and languidly draped on her Hobby in her underwear.  [whenever she's showing this much skin, other than tummy bats, it should be known she's got this tattooed betwixt the titties and under the boob:  ] "See you later, Cass, eh? Do a blood drive just in case. Supplies and the like, yanknow," she says with a characteristic grin, but a satisfied laziness. Then, the mad vampire looks around the room as she waits for Joseph to come out dressed. [rolled a total 19 on auspec to check out the demons for damage. should I int+occult as well? also, anything else she'd see?] "Is there a way to help you guys? I have my usual shift when I wake up, so if I can..get anything. Or if Karen can figure anything out..? Or do anything?" The woman was concerned still, and... sniffing Johann. She still wondered greatly if she could drink his blood. In her fractured mind, she'd figured if she could, then maybe some of his tormented condition could be channeled into her "many gifts" and make her more vicious in battle. Or, at least, take the edge off him. In that same vein, pun intended, she wondered if she could feed on Gloria, as well. That was mostly just to see if Gloria liked it. She'd read that some people were into that, and figured it could make hot pictures and maybe give Crux some super cool demon chill. [pun also intended there] |
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Post by cassidy on Dec 8, 2015 8:08:16 GMT -5
Cass grinned as Crux walked out. The customary eh was nice. When blood was mentioned he pointed to his back pack near the kitchen area.
"Got a few bags of O negative for ya if ya need it buddy. I'll be doing a drive this evening before the after dark shift. Just hoping I can catch some of the vampires before sunrise."
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Post by cassidy on Dec 8, 2015 8:12:01 GMT -5
"Also on the subject of blood."
Cass pulls put his phone again.
[Hey kid, mind if I swing by? I'd like to borrow our relic.]
"I'll try to stop by the kids house and get the needle. Might be a good idea to just keep it in the van. Just in case eh?"
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Post by thevoiceofgod on Dec 8, 2015 18:01:27 GMT -5
Johann's only response to Cassidy is to raise his glass in a sort of salute. Gloria re-enters - apparently her call was a quick one - and starts right back on her laptop. "No problem, Cass. We'll be fine, you watch your back out there."
Under Auspex, the 'tattoo' on Gloria shines an electric blue - so, both new and not of natural origins (Unless you have an Occult Specialty in Demons, this is simply something you would not know about, so Int+Occult is out of the question. You could attempt to puzzle out what might be happening with a Wits+Occult roll, or you could simply ask nicely). Johann's bullet wounds glow from within, the red orange smolder of embers in a fireplace. He also smells faintly and intermittently of brimstone (nothing really special here; these phenomena are simply in the nature of Devils recently afflicted by Torment).
Johann shrugs. "I've had worse. These will close up in a few hours, then I'll hit the streets... do my good deed for the day." For the moment he is content to drink and smoke.
Her bullet wounds visibly closing, Gloria responds, "Thanks for offering, kiddo," She spares a small smile for Crux. "But there's nothing to be done about my Cover just yet. Though I think you'll be a great help in fixing the problem once I isolate it - assuming the offer still stands." She furrows her brow as she navigates through pages of data. "Right now, let's just focus on what to do about this relic." You don't even need an Empathy check to know she's intentionally trying to distract herself from her current problems.
"Indeed." Joseph enters, a throw blanket wrapped around his waist in the style of an Egyptian shenti; he looks like he could have literally stepped out of a carving from the pyramids or temples of the area. When he catches sight of Crux, he looks somewhat confused by her 'inconsistency', but shrugs it off. "The locus was disrupted when the keystone was moved to that laboratory; now that we have removed it entirely, the nexus of Sekhem has now collapsed entirely. Such a thing was inevitable from the moment the mortals took the effigy, but we have accelerated it." He crosses over to the fridge, gives Gloria an inquisitive look, and after a nod from the hostess starts rummaging through, eventually settling on a dark beer and some figs. "If we find a suitable site, we can inter the keystone and I can establish a new nexus."
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Post by crux on Dec 8, 2015 18:28:25 GMT -5
Crux moved to sprawl on the couch and looked to her friends staying in the room, huggling Karen and patting the sofa for Joseph to join her as her pillow. She's not adverse to postcoital cuddling apparently, she's just not cuddly without provocation, and is utterly unused to any sort of decorum. His slightly affected stare made her realize she'd made a boo-boo. It was only her third time, after all, and her guilt was low.
"Yeah, Gloria, I will help in any way. What might you need? Like, one of my snacks to stick around maybe?" she'd responded, and then turned her attention to Johann. "You could always help little kids ice skate. That's a good deed... Umm, Joseph, do you need anything? Anybody else? So I know when I wake up to do stuff while at the shop? Oh, also, any news on if I can eat any of you?"
She yawned. She wasn't fully tired yet, and wanted to get all the information she needed. Now that things were calming down, keeping everyone healthy and generally pleased was back at the forefront.
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