2023.03.21 Sketches Part II - So Who IS This Guy?
| 03.21.23 Sketches Part 2: So Who IS This Guy? | |
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| Irsa, Trey, Jackie and Mercy discuss the sketches, and the Wyrm minions attached to them. | |
| IC Date | 03.21.23 |
| Players | Irsa, Jackie, Mercy’s-Messenger, Trey |
| Location | Sept of the Enduring Spirit |
| Spheres | Bastet, Garou, Kinfolk |
Smoke and Barley - Private Dining(#9526RAM)
Wood paneling shines in warm tones from the walls, the large stairway leading downwards into a large expanse. Glyphs are etched railing, giving texture as one's fingers graze over the wood. Full spectrum lighting brightens the room and keeps the plants that fill the corners lush and full.
In the center of the room is a large, round fireplace that burns merrily and bright. The flames leap high, and are tended regularly by staff. Thick oaken tables are laid around the fire pit for those that would enjoy the dance of the flames. The tables have large leather seats and are set for the barbecue feast to come, with a bucket that holds bottles of spicy sauces and piles of napkins.
Dark green walls add color to the lounge area, with a red throw rug in the middle of it, and a smattering of furniture including two couches, and four recliners, with occasional end tables for drinks about. The couches are both beige in color, and rather comfortable, while the recliners are green leather, and the end tables dark stained oak.
Opposite this wall is the bar, a rich and dark stained wood set low with red and beige colored chairs seated in front of it. Behind the bar are three large kegs on their sides each holding 4 taps. The reddish wood of the bar's counter is inlayed with glyphs, carved with care and polished to a shine.
http://www.cityofhopemush.net/index.php/Smoke_and_Barley
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Irsa has had a long, crazy week, and she's treating herself to something fancy, damn it. She's not an Adren and tribal leader for nothing. She's already claimed a nice, cozy table near the fireplace, making herself right at home.
Irsa takes a seat at the square table. Table 2.
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Trey comes down the stairs, wearing a worn leather jacket over his tee, stretching absently as he reaches the bottom. Hopefully, this time he'll be able to discuss this with Irsa and show her the sketches. He waves affably to Irsa and heads over, smiling. "Hey! Good, I can talk to you without the multitudes..."
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"Good timing," Irsa replies to Trey. "Watch, any minute Rat'll appear in the flames." She's sitting at a nice cozy table near the fireplace, speaking to Trey. "Hope you're hungry, I intend t' order a shitload of food."
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Trey ohs and grins. "I'm always hungry," he says with a chuckle. "You let me kick in on the tab?" He watches the flames with a curious air, waiting to see Rat pop up. "I don't know how happy I am about having to share all that info with everyone last night, but... I was hoping to be a little more subtle than that." He's seated with Irsa at a table by the fireplace, having just arrived to meet the Gnawer theurge.
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From out of the Women's Bathroom bursts Mercy! Probably moon bridged into the place in the designated moon bridging stall. But here she is, and she enters with style, straight throwing that door open and leaping out, yelling, "I AM HERE!" before mimicing the sound of a party horn. But she doesn't have a real one of those, so a foot or so of String shoots out from between her lips to wiggle in the air and make up for the lack of an actually party horn.
Soft little sounds can be heard from the fire as someone feeds it little wood chips.
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Jackie comes down the stairs like a normal person, then waves and heads over to the table. "Did I hear someone say hungry?"
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Irsa slides over to make room for the others. "I hear ya. Secrets are somethin' my pack values, but sometimes you gotta share when you can." She fishes her cellphone out of her pack and sets it down on the table. "Don't think they charge Gaians here for grub. What's th' word, mentor of mine?" She's seen Mercy burst out of that bathroom before, clearly.
The fire dies back briefly and then the image of Fenris appears in the blaze.
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Irsa says, “Yeah, me. Have a seat, Jackie. You gonna join me in hot wings?”
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Trey scoots over to make room for the new arrivals, cheerful. Hey, he's gonna get food, so what's to complain about? He pulls out his phone, and then takes an envelope with two sheets of paper in it, handing that over to Irsa. "I got printouts of these, too, we have a setup at Kitten Itza for it." Now, it may have taken him half an hour to figure it out, but he managed. "Evening, Mercy, hi Jackie!"
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"The word is 'Verisimilitude'." Mercy answers while bounding over to claim a seat and drop into it, waving stupidly at Irsa, Jackie, and Trey while grinning. "It means something that merely SEEMS to be true or real. Perfect word of the day for the new moon."
The fire swirls again, into the shape of a wise, blinking Owl.
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Jackie laughs as she scooches into the booth. "Hot wings? Try and stop me! Or don't actually, I do actually want to get some. The hotter the better, and I should probably get extra napkins too."
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Irsa reaches for the menu, skimming her gaze over it. It's been months since she's been here, she needs a hot minute. "Prime rib for me, medium rare, Dr. Pepper t' drink. Pulled pork nachos, bacon wrapped sweet potato bites, and Lava wings for th' table," she tells the Kinfolk waiter who approaches. She doesn't reach for the envelope yet: she's waiting for that Kinfolk to take other folks' orders and jet off.
The fire dips and swirls and then Unicorn appears in the flames.
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Trey says, “Verisimilitude means it only *looks* like I'm a complete idjit most of the time." He beams toothily. "Man, I am thinking ribs. I love gnawing a good rib. Yeah, I'll do a rack of those and a draft beer, whatever's good on tap.”
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Jackie looks up at the server. "Just double the lava wings, and bring me a mug of beer and a bigger mug of water."
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Irsa grins at her packmate. "That's the way. If you ain't burnin' the shit outta your mouth, you're living life wrong. Better triple them napkins," she adds for the waiter. "And bring like, a flagon of milk for Mercy." She's completely serious.
The fire dies back briefly and then the image of Fenris appears in the blaze.
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"Your dorkery is mere verisimilitude." Iris agrees with a sagely nod. "And water!" she requests on top of the order. Milk and also water, that's totally a meal, fight me. "Thank you!"
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Trey tilts his head to one side in that weird cat way he has, and then chuckles softly. "I'll have to try those. I like spicy, but 'lava' sounds like a revisit to that pizza burn from the other night. Then again, I regen in this form so it's all good." Damn you, kittycat. Only when the kin waiter heads off does he motion to the envelope. "That's both of them in there. I haven't met the second guy, but the first one, I encountered once."
The fire dies down, almost seems to go out before it blazes to life again as the mighty Wendigo.
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Jackie leans back and covers her good outfit with napkins over the shirt and lap in preparation for the coming feast. She eyes the envelope. "This is about that business from the other day?"
A waiter roams around with huge skewers of meat, slicing off a bit for anyone who wants it.
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"Better add strawberry creme horns to th' order," Irsa adds for the waiter. "Gotta feed your Elders something they'll love. And thanks, I'm hungry." The man departs to place that order and Irsa finally reaches for that envelope on the table. "Yeah, Jackie, it is. Two guys in this? Who's th' one you encountered?" she asks Trey. She slips the pictures onto the table, so everyone seated there can view them.
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Mercy is quiet while orders are placed and banter about the pictures is passed, and she of course wants to see them but she doesn't interrupt! Instead, she works on seeing how well she can balance on just the back legs of the chair. She's pretty good at it!
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Trey nods to Jackie and says, "Yeah. Did Sable ever get with you about the sketch? I asked her to, but... no offense, but she doesn't seem like the brightest candle on the cake." He nods and points to the first image. "That's Riptavian. I met him briefly at a coffee shop, one where I'd been talking to the mage contact I mentioned. The other one is Josh, who is... an associate. Possibly a sexual interest. Him, I have not met. The picture there of Riptavian is pretty accurate. A little broader in the chin, a little more creepy around the eyes."
The fire crackles, jumping about, growing until Falcon is shown in the flames.
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Jackie can't help but let out a small snorting laugh at Trey's comment about Sable, then covers her mouth with her hand and looks away without saying anything.
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Irsa snorts at Trey. "Course she didn't. That'd be sensible. Best watch yourself, by th' way. She was definitely checkin' out your ass." She peers down at the pics and stabs a finger down at Riptavian's picture. "I've met this asshole," she rumbles. "Pancake, d'ya remember those tickets you bought for me, so I could attend the Planetarium opening? He approached me there."
The fire trembles and then Uktena appears in the flames.
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Mercy snorts out a little chortle, but that could be for anything, anything at all! She's totally not laughing at a kinfolk! "Hey, those are great drawing skills!" she declares happily. "So, who're these guys, like Fomori, or Spirals, or whatter we lookin at here? Assuming anyone knows."
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Trey eyes Irsa. "Why my ass? That's not the part that's relevant for mating." He shrugs and adds, "No offense, but that's all crazy two-foot shit." Back to the topic. He points to Rip. "He's believed to be a Spiral. Big dude, bout six and a half foot tall. The other one is apparently an associate, some sort of hedge magician from what I was told. Could be Fomor too, but I don't know for certain. Was just warned about them encroaching on this contact of mine's business, and she's... worried."
The bus boy throws another log on the fire, sending fresh sparks up into the air.
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Jackie shifts in her seat, glancing around at the others. "Encroaching? Like with threats and trying to muscle in on her business?"
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"I dunno, honestly," Irsa replies to the Elder Black Fury. "I stuck to th' back of the arena on account of the Curse, and he sat down right next to me. That was right after he noticed how tall I was and said 'I like your face'. Then he complimented all my scars." She cracks here knuckles, thoughtfully. "It was weird, th' musician who was performing came over to speak to us. They knew one another, that was clear. Musician said t' pass on his well wishes to Riptavian's kin." That narrows down the list of suspected Wyrm types a bit. "I was gettin' skeevy vibes, told th' asshole I didn't bat for no team. That's when he said he had a boyfriend." She taps Josh's picture. "I'd say you're right on th' money with your guess, Trey. And that's a GREAT question, Jackie. Thoughts there?"
The fire crackles and little flaming Cockroaches skitter across the embers
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"Hey I read your stars, I *told* you you're dripping with sexiness for some folks." Mercy tells her apprentice with a sagacious nod of her head, which nearly upsets her balancing act. "Sorry that it was a bad guy that got all hot and bothered for ya though." This isn't an emergency council or anything so she keeps her nose out of these earthly things so Trey, Irsa, and Jackie can unravel this puzzle and figure some stuff out about it.
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Trey answers Jackie, "Well, no threats *overtly*, but showing up there in groups when she's there, making her really uncomfortable. She described him to me as 'really evil,' in those words. She's also pretty vulnerable at the moment, being pregnant and ready to give birth within a month or so, so I am sure that comes into play." He asks Irsa, "You know who the musician was? Also... according to my contact, Riptavian has a kid at home. She was worried about the kid." He exhales softly.
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Jackie takes that in and processes it for a moment. "Alright, well, she's not exactly kin from what I understand, but the enemy of our enemy is our friend, right? I mean, helping her hurts the goals of our foes?"
The fire crackles, jumping about, growing until Falcon is shown in the flames.
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Irsa snorts at her mentor. "I mean, I don't blame him none," she says dryly. "Check out these guns." She doesn't flex, that'd be so dude-bro. "I dunno about th' musician: he looked familiar, but I ain't into the rock scene. Sang a Queen song I recognized with no problem at all, so I reckon that's his jam. Weird choice for a Planetarium opening, but that ain't my look out. Those fancy rich folks lost their shit over him." She picks up her cellphone and takes snaps of both pictures. "It's circumstantial so far. Could be a Black Spiral Dancer, or one of their Kin. Could be a fomori one of 'em made, or even an old one who's bred true. That can happen, ya know. Especially in places where they got a lotta land and privacy."
The fire swirls again, into the shape of a wise, blinking Owl.
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"Perhaps some Gnawer kin might be available to station themselves around this expecting mother's shop." Mercy offers, "Maybe she doesn't need body guards or bouncers, per se, but maybe a look out wouldn't go amiss. In case anything happens, then it's a phone call and a moon bridge away from saving her. The Wyrm is unkind to women and children." Understatement, but she doesn't elaborate. People are trying to eat in here.
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Trey adds, "She's been upping the security on the place quietly, magically and mundanely, but an eye on her couldn't hurt. I know she's pretty powerful, but nobody can work magic while unconscious." He nods again. "If anyone's willing to keep an eye out, I'm willing to offer some compensation. I don't have a lot, but I think she does." His lips twist. "I was having thoughts like yours, Mercy," he concludes. "She's not defenseless by any means but... I told her I'd look into it, at least, and tell her what I could. Also ensured she was cleansed, just in case, not that I think he was around her long enough to cause an issue, but better safe."
The crackling of a sizzling steak on a platter draws attention as the waitress passes by.
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Jackie looks just a little out of her element. "So, is there anything we can and should do? I can help with watching out, but not with fighting big nasties."
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"And here's where I hit you up with some questions, Trey," Irsa remarks. "One: why ain't she cut off all contact with this asshole already? You said she's treating him for something -- what, exactly?" She looks up as food begins to arrive, and holds the rest of her questions until the waiter leaves. "Watchin' hiden from a distance is always good, Jackie. And hell yeah, stay outta this dude's way. We don't know what he is yet, exactly. Corruption takes all kinds of shapes an' forms."
Irsa means Riptavian right there. The other guy is likely next.
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Mercy rights her chair with a quiet thump when the front legs hit the floor and says "Thank you!" to their waitstaff. While alternating between milk and water, she digs around in her Bigass Purse and finds a notebook, getting it open to some page and scribbling with a pencil, 'evil zoological expedition' as a reminder to herself for stuff to do later.
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Trey explains, "She's cut him off, she referred him elsewhere. She's a psychiatrist. And why someone like that would go to a shrink... only thing I can think is he wants to tell her evil shit and have her forced not to tell by her own code of conduct." He falls silent as the first food gets to the table. Once they're alone again, he explains, "I can't tell you for sure he's a Spiral, but I'd say it with 99 percent certainty. *She* told me he was a werewolf, few weeks before this happened, and warned me away from him. At one point he approached us at a coffee shop and inserted himself in a conversation, started talking about birthing hogs on a farm or some shit, but it sounded... off. I just got... like, all the fur on my back woulda stood up, if I was in my breedform."
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Jackie gives a shudder in her chair, then distracts herself by piling lava wings on her plate. "Sounds like some pretty bad news to me."
The fire trembles and then Uktena appears in the flames.
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Irsa utters a low growl. "Fuck. He's bold as brass, showin' his face up in public. What about th' other dude here, what's his name? Mage cut him off as well." She eyes the lava wings and follows jackie's lead, loading up her own plate.
The fire dips and swirls and then Unicorn appears in the flames.
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"Possibility that he's Ronin, but to be honest, those guys don't last long before they become Spirals." Mercy says, "Fortunately it doesn't sound like things are... Like super dire, which is good. I mean, bad guys at all is bad, but you know."
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Trey takes a sampling of the 'table' items and considers the plate before answering. "Josh. He was a tagalong from what I understood, when Riptavian showed up at her business. Not her office, mind you, she owns a couple of restaurants too. Yeah. I mean... I intend to try and find out what I can 'round the sept, and then see what I can dig up outside as well. But I definitely want a sense of what level of asskicking it would be if I got found out."
There is crackling sound, not unlike Thunder from the fire.
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"For real. I get why that rite exists, but it just kick the trouble can down th' road for other wolves t' stomps flat," Irsa remarks to Mercy. "As for what kinda ass-kicking you'll get? He's an arrogant fuck, and looks pretty built. Can't guess at his auspice, not without using a Gift. But that tribe trains for unending war, so expect him to be able to do some serious damage. Don't be seen, is my advice. And find out why th' other Mages ain't helping here. They should be."
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Mercy sticks with her dual drinks and leaves the food to the growing kids at the table! She nods her agreement to Irsa's words, all of them really, "Yeah. Hopefully she does have some allies in her corner there, though."
There is crackling sound, not unlike Thunder from the fire.
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Trey nods slowly. "She has people on her side, too. But she figured I would know more, or have access to more information, than she would. Which is not a bad assumption; if I had a mage who was a problem, I'd ask her for info. But, I can't guess how many allies she might have. Mages in this town are pretty disorganized, from what little I've been able to glean about it, and some of 'em are... not subtle. And there's a lot of internal struggle." He exhales, and nods at Irsa's assessment of Rip. "Yeah. I don't particularly want to find out how much hurt I can take without dying yet."
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Jackie looks up from her plate, her lips already smeared in hot sauce. "Ok then, so what do we do next?"
The crackling of a sizzling steak on a platter draws attention as the waitress passes by.
The clinking of glasses and the sound of beer being poured comes from the bar.
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"How'd she find out what you were?" Irsa asks Trey. "Did she use her magic and find out, or were ya introduced?" She munches on a hot wing while she frames an asnwer for her packmate. "Get th' word out, to our pack and th' Sept," she replies. "I gotta get word to Bad-Before-Ruin and Acacia, so we can batten down th' hatches, get the word out to all the Bone Gnawer and city packs. Our Kinfolk are vulnerable with Black Spirals around, 'cause they're street folk and ain't gonna be missed in most Garou septs. And we GOTTA let Hushed-Blaze'rhya know th' score. She's got two new dudes in town who'd be easy pickings for this asshole."
A Griffin blazes to life in the fire, mighty wings spread.
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Trey says, “Who, the mage? She's smart, and I don't have a way to stop them from checking me out magically. Least not yet." He twists his lips with that, and then reaches for a wing. "But we met by chance, I didn't give it much thought until she talked to me again a different time and... well, made overtures toward looking for allies. And me, I like having those, so." He nods and listens to Irsa's summary of the next plans. "I agree, your kin definitely need to watch out most." He winces at that and says, "She'll be passing me whatever she knows too, but I need to try and find out more of the people these two hang out with, and where."”
“You want I should give the Frog Brothers a heads-up? I'm friendly with them, and they should be careful."”
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Mercy offers to Trey a nod, "Good call, you know them and can pass the info, and that's one less contact for Irsa to add to her already extensive list of people to update. I hate the 'wait and see' game, but sometimes it's for the best. Subtlety and all that good stuff."
The fire swirls again, into the shape of a wise, blinking Owl.
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"You might want t' wait on that scouting until y' can speak to Lyric and Mirror Shadow," Irsa suggests. "They know all th' major players in town, and they'll have a lotta valuable info and insights that we can't offer to you." And so they would, being much older Bastet. She thinks over the offer, nodding in agreement with Mercy. "That'd be appreciated. Thanks. Let me know what th' Mage shares with ya, if you can."
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Trey says, “Yeah, I agree. Anything I can do to help out. I mean, I don't expect to handle this problem myself, but I don't want t'see anyone out there without warning and at risk. Ultimately, I'll help my contact if I can, but... my first priority is helping out the sept." A slow nod follows that, and he says, "I can just ask Mirror-Shadow at the house. Lyric, I'll have to catch up with. And yeah. I will definitely pass it along; you know what to share. I'm not gonna play it coy when it's shit like this. We cats like our secrets but we like having a world to get them from, too.”
The fire slinks down low and then shows Rat scampering across the flames.
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"Less running around trying to pin point stuff!" Mercy says with a grin, and then asks, "Oh hey, have you found the cat goddess temple yet?"
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"Solid," Irsa says, offering fist-bumps to her companions. "Sounds like we got a game plan. Might be worth speaking to th' Denfather, and see what happened when he ran off this asshole." She pokes that print-out of Riptavian and turns her attention to her prime rib. Medium rare goodness.
The clinking of glasses and the sound of beer being poured comes from the bar.
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Trey half-grins. "I know where it is. I didn't want to go until I had the time to give it the attention She deserves." He reaches for the ribs and begins to cheerfully gnaw meat from bone, making happy little noises. Mmmmeaty!
