2024.03.08: Bomb discussions and chicken in a garage

Bomb Discussions and Chicken in a Garage
Ceilia invites Bob and Grayson over for chicken and they discuss the library bombing, among other things
IC Date	March 8th, 2024
IC Time	evening
Players	Ceilia, Bob and Grayson
Location	Ceilia's Garage
Spheres	Mage

Ceilia's Home - Garage

Where there was once a garden, has been built a semi-attached garage unit. Just enough room to fit two cars comfortably, but this building's purpose is anything but. No cars are ever actually kept parked in here.

Instead, the floor is kept immaculate with a professional work surface from wall to wall. Workbenches ring the walls, with room for various tools, work areas, fabrication equipment, and materials storage in the cabinets below.

The lighting is bright daylight LED based. Shining fresh on the whole work area, making it easy to see every project in progress.

The walls themselves are unfinished, bare studs with no drywall, but pegboards line every wall for easy access to important implements of science, engineering, and crafting.

---

Ceilia invites the pair over to chat. She has put out some containers of chicken tenders, onion rings, and wedge fries. With a few sauces. And a copule six packs of cokes. She sits with some of the orange chicken dip upon inviting the pair in.

---

Bob arrives.

This twenty-something man wears a retro vintage tweed blazer sport coat. The coat is brown and herringbone, with two buttons. Underneath the coat is a blue tweed check retro vintage vest, single breasted with a notch. His pants are grey slacks, tapered. He is wearing brown loafers. Over his left shoulder is slung a Glenn leather briefcase bag.

This man's face is oval, longer than it is wide, with a strong angular jaw. A light stubble carpets his face. The face is framed by long dark hair with a middle part and curtain bangs. He has a thin mustache and an aquiline nose. His grey eyes are small and his gaze is keen.

He holds a walking stick in his right hand, a large and lacquered oak shillelagh.

"Hello friends! How does things tonight?", he says.

---

California is not at all cold enough for Grayson to stick with his wool attire, so he arrives at Ceilia's garage in a UC Prospect hoodie and comfortable khakis. Jeans? Never. Never ever ever until he must. The hoodie is absolutely the most leisurely anyone in the colonies has seen him dress.

"Explosions?" Is the question asked immediately upon his arrival and bypassing all manner of polite greetings.

---

Ceilia settles in on a stool, a paper plate in her lap with her serving of the food. "I'm doing fine." She looks tired though. "Made some good breakthroughs in the ability to interact with the boundary conditions between physical dimensions, and actually project force into neighboring dimensions, as well as... make direct contact with apparitions."

---

Bob grabs another stool and plops down, setting his messenger bag on the floor with care. He rests his shillelagh across his legs, and leans back stretching. He then looks at Ceilia and Grayson.

"I've improved my ability to work with forces too, as well as gotten to the point where I cann draw quintessence from a node and create tass. So much to learn still though. Working with extradimensional AIs is something I am interested in learning how to do as well. Pardon, spirits. Ehh, Toe-may-toe, too-mah-toe, just different ways of looking at it.", he pauses.

"Though, I do wonder if how our paradigms differ affects how well we can work with different spheres. Food for thought."

---

Chicken though, its such a wonder what this place has done with chicken. He'll scoop up a tender or two atop a paper plate and bring it with him towards Ceilia and Bob. "I've been warding my home lately, more or less. Laying down some brass ritual circles and the like." Silly magic scientists, rituals are for mages!

"Is that what we're going to talk about today? Our studies? Or was there something more?" Not that he was opposed the discussion, the easy smile on his face as he reaches between his legs to pull a stool beneath him isn't signally that he feels his time is being wasted.

---

Ceilia is eating her food as the two talk about what they're doing, and all that. She's not saying ONE WORD about it. She just lets out a happy hum at the food, and cracks open a cherry coke. "So what kinds of sauces are we grabbing? I took the orange chicken. And I do know we have the whole library thing to look at. Bob, I know Leigh did some modeling. Were you able to check for, you know, monitoring or traps?"

---

Some food is grabbed by Bob but only a little, as Bob already had dinner. Still, the food looks good! Once he gets back to his stool he'll settle in and take a bite before speaking.

"Well, I did finish my scan of the Deepak Chopra library for hidden mages and magical effects, as well as the damaged area. I found none, so I think the coast is clear for a more close investigation."

A bite, then he continues.

"I did manage to narrow the explosion location to a particular shelf next to Eat Pray Love. And I've got a search running to find out what books were there, if I can. Once we know more we might be able to peek back through time. I just absorbed several books yesterday through mental osmosis, I imagine I could do the same to books in the past if someone else could collaborate and handle the temporal aspects. Are either of you disciples of time?"

---

"I am sure she very fine modeling, but I'm not so sure it is going to be relevant, Ceilia. Unless she took modeling pictures at the same library?" Grayson sounds somewhat bemused by Ceilia mention of Leigh.

"Were we worried that the library's explosion was magical in nature? Or worried that our investigation of would rouse that sort of attention?" The Crisp Sound of a soda can opening punctuates his questions. "Um. I took the American Sauce." Its called Ranch here buddy. "I have not as of yet. Perhaps it would be a thing to think on. Useful."

---

Ceilia has her mouth full, so it takes her a moment to jump in and answer Grayson first. "Leigh modeled the explosion and got a lot of details of the shape and size of the blast. It was actually very well done." She explains this in a very matter of fact way, not scolding, just calmly elaborating. Then a nod.

"Disciple? I mean. In a sense I am a disciple of Captain Valiant, but not really, he's off in space. And Bob, you searched for Magic, but did you search for the Technocratic stuff? They wouldn't use Magic would they?"

---

Bob picks up a packet of honey sriracha sauce and pauses, realizing he hasn't answered Ceilia's question.

"Well, honey sriracha. I like spicy." He pauses to consider Ceilia's and Grayson's questions.

"Ceilia, I mean I searched for magical effects. I am used to calling it magic because it's a common term. We use our wills, and our tools, to impose a new order on reality. The technocratic stuff shows up the same way to scans as the hermetic stuff, just different flavors of the same thing. Valiant?" He looks puzzled for a moment, but continues. "Perhaps I should have phrased it differently. Are either of you able to view Timing in an extra-ordinary way? Are you also able to manipulate it minor ways, or even major ways? The Hermetics I believe call those able to manipulate and create things disciples. Maybe etherits ahve different terminsologies for the ranks, such as student, assistant researcher, researcher, perhaps?"

Giving Ceilia time to answer he'll turn to Grayson. "I am perhaps a bit paranoid. I wanted to make sure there were no ambushes or traps, or that the explosion wasn't itself a trap. I don't think the explosion was magical, but might have been used to cover up something from our world. Either way, we don't want a serial bomber running around. But my instinct says there is something else."

---

"No. Paranoia is probably the best way to stay alive. I've.." Chomp. Grayson interrupts himself with a bite of chicken and thinking. "I've had to deal with magical traps quite a few times, and I'd rather be thinking of them before I see them."

"I cannot. Ars Temporis. Ars Potentiae, and Ars Essentiate." Time. Prime. Forces. "I believe I'm treading in your direction academically. Alchemy of late. I'm willing to stand in defense of nearly any library anywhere." He'll nod along with Bob's thoughts. "I don't think something like that is a fluke or random occurence...You'd need an adept or adept major to do what you're inquiring. In Hermetical terms."

---

Ceilia looks at Bob. "I don't do any of that," regarding wills and imposition of reality. "I study the world as it is, and act within the universal laws of nature." She nods. PAusing to eat some more. "I don't now anything about, say, temporal mechanics, if that's what you mean. So you checked for Technocratic interference. I Can do the same when I go then, and then look for traces of dimensional interference, dimensional residues, parakinetic resonances, and just a basic materials analysis of what was used."

---

More sriracha goes on, and another wing bites the dust. And another one gone. "Right. That would be helpful. Let's see. How to describe it, since we don't have common terms. I can sense and touch space, I can control minor forces, I can sense thoughts and emotions, I can sense spirits, and I am most versed in working with simulation base code, what some mages call Prime. That I can channel to and from a node. I've no skill yet in the other areas."

---

"I've a smattering of knowledge along the way. Ars Vitae, Materiae. The composition of things both alive and inert. Ars Potentiae, the power amid the universe and how to supply it to others. Nodes, yes. I've my own somewhere. The understand and control of elemental forces as well. An Adept of Potentiae and Essentiae."

There is at least some general ways to communicate what they do and know. Describe the effects and uses of it. The two chicken tenders left to the man have been devoured now amid others talking. "Is it my turn to host next? The house is not as creaky as it was, and Shazia has been anticipatory of visitors."

---

Ceilia tilts her hand. "I'm happy to host people. It's kind of been fun inviting people over for food and conversation." She's definitely huntry and taking time to eat. "Well, I mean. I've kind of lost the thread of what we're talking about here. I'm definitely going to go down to the library and I Will report back, alright?"