02.26.2020: Sorcery and Science

Sorcery and Science
Two willful people have a strong worldview conflict
IC Date	02/26/2020
Players	Arumi and Vasily, featuring Lisde, Kesta, and Vance
Location	Prospect Roasters and Arumi's house

Vasily taps at his phone, sending a short message off before setting his phone down onto the small table he sat at. "It is early, unlike Kaiya, wonder is awake for the twilight.." Shugging his shoulders slightly, the large Russian shifts in his seat to open the flap of his messenger bag and pull out a journal, letting it rest onto the table before opening it. An order for small apple pastries along with his usual sweet dark tea was made as he awaited his guest.

Arumi answers "Was working all night... still up. Hi!"

A sleepy lookie purple haired girl steps in, barefoot and in what would most probably be her PJ, shouldn't be living too far to leave home like that...

Vasily rolls Perception + Awareness + 2 vs 6 for 3 successes.

Vasily checks back on his phone a short time later. "One doesn't sleep the other always sleeps.. Hmm.." Tapping out the message: Join me at Roasters, I would like to place a new order.. Vasily sits back just in time for his tea to be placed on his table. Smiling at the server, the burly Russian hands her his phone to take to the reader. Turning his head to one side, Vasily looks towards the door when it chimes, wondering how his guest arrived so quick only to smell raw essence flowing from the oddity. "Hmm.. Not what I expected.." With that uttered, Vasily begins to fish around for his vape pen.

Arumi takes a good 10 minutes to get here, but shedoes, pulling up in her red car, getting out, stretching as she wanders in. Seeing Vasily, she waves and approaches his table to sits carefully.

Lisde is getting near the counter, getting scolded by Nina for leaving home dressed like this -and- barefoot again. Still she gets her cappuccino after promising to try and not to be too, whatever, "please, can I just get my coffee", she whines to Nina, "I'll be a good girl, I promise"... Warming her hands around the provided cup, she walks away from the counter, looking for a suitable table to park her bottom at.

Vasily rolls Intelligence + Psychology vs 6 for 2 successes. Vasily rolls Arete vs 4 for 3 successes.

Vasily closes his eyes for a moment as he lifts his vape pen to his lips while watching the oddity first plead, then mange to get her way. Exhaling slowly as Lisde began to find a seat. At the last moment, Arumi began to distract him causing the man to silently mouth several words before a smile appeared on his lips, not a word was said to Arumi.

Arumi does sit, looking across the table to Vasily. When he doesn't say anything, she tilts her head, and giggles. "Hi?"

Lisde sips from her cappuccino and freezes for amoment. She swallows and glances around her, blinking a few times as she forces her purple eyes to focus on the surrounding. Her eyes find the couple at the nearby table but she doesn't linger, scanning onwards. Once she finishes her lookaround, she leans sideways to look under the table as if she might have dropped something.

Vasily rolls Intelligence + Psychology vs 6 for 4 successes. Vasily rolls Arete vs 3 for 1 successes.

Vasily grins at Arumi as he starts to take another breath of his vape pen. "You need me to tuck you in cub? You shouldn't stay awake all night long.. I can see about a tea for you." Extending his hand to Arumi, his fingers curl and unfurl, beckoning her to take his hand.

Arumi glances at thepen, then sits up, leaning forward a little on one elbow, placing her hand to Vasily's. "Tea? Absolutely not. I want a double americano because it's cold outside and I want the extra hot water."

Lisde frowns and flashes a glance to the couple again, not a scan, a direct glance, eyes narrowing a little as she exhales, cappuccino still in hands but she doesn't sip again. It's not nice to stare so she looks away and back to her table while reaching with one hand to the pocket where her phone woud, she's still in her PJ and she left her phone at home.

Vasily curls his fingers around Arumi's chilled hand, bringing his thumb to gently stroke along the back of her knuckles. "Unlike coffee, a true brew can help you, not only give fake energy." Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Vasily takes another puff of his vape pen gently before exhaling softly through his nose, causing the smoke not to linger. "I have a different project in mind.. if you don't mind smithing.. do you?"

Arumi tilts her head and smiles. "But I like coffee. That said, I wouldn't mind grabbing a coffee and hearing what you want to do with metal working. Not sure how that would help though..." Giggling, letting him hold her hand. "I did come EXPECTING coffee though, else I'll want to drive through and get some."

Standing up, the purple girl takes her cup of cappuccino and makes her way to the table where the couple are seated. As she approaches, she asks softly "umm, hello, is it okay for me to join?"

Vasily rolls Arete vs 4 for 3 successes.

Vasily chuckles softly as he looks up towards the young Lisde to say, "I did invite you. Sit, sit" is uttered though the Russian accent was rather prominent rather than a slight flavoring. "Arumi, be nice to the sleepy one, I'm happy she's not asleep though as for your drug habbit.." Tapping the back of her knuckles with his thumb, "Why not work on making a special brewer though after that we can talk more about the bow?"

Arumi grunts and shifts on her eat a bit. Taking a deep breath, she gestures from one to the other. "Hi, you two know each other? And... What bow? What brewer?"

Lisde shakes her head in response to the Asian girl's question. She reaches to brush a lock of her hair away of her face and says "I, umm, he invited me over, I think"... She glances to Vasily and blinks with confusion, then looks down to her coffee suspiciously, sipping a bit more to sense if there's an odd taste to it.

Vasily tilts his head slightly to one side, "You give yourself too little credit. Umm.. 'Coffee maker', you should work to make one better than any sleepy one can. As for the job.." Vasily turns the journal towards Arumi, letting her see some of his sketches.. it was clear he wasn't skilled with drawing at all. "I will be hunting soon, is is this too simple for you to gain much interest?" Not looking from Arumi, Vasily used his right thumb to point towards Lisde but said nothing openly.. /There we are.. now I can speak to all at once.. This is more complicated than I thought.. I wonder if the noise is too much../

Arumi looks to Lisde, one brow cocked as she finds Lisde's behavior and ress to be really unusual, especially for this time of year. She then looks to Vasily. "I'm not... I Wasn't building a coffee maker, though. I just like, buy coffee? Are we not getting coffee?" She giggles, still slightly puzzled. Then looking to his drawings. "Oh you're making one. That's cool but.. yeah I mean, if you want to hunt, there are more powerful ways tohunt."

Lisde glances between Vasily and Arumi, still trying to jumpstart her brain so it may try and figure out who are these people, what are they discussing and why on earth is she sitting with them at the table when she barely slept 3 hours last night with all the material she needed to study for the coming test. Thank goodness for coffee, she thinks to herself with a slight shake of her head, at the situation ofcourse and sips some more.

/Hard to hunt leeches.. with guns.. Do you know how.. to hunt them..?/ Vasily smiles softly but then shrugs his shoulders slightly. "Was thinking you needed something strong or stronger.. not just the taste. But.. what would cub like you suggest for hunting 'anything' without being too loud?" With that said, Vasily looks at Lisde and tries to see if she was just asleep on her feet. "Do you know much of this place sleepy one?"

Arumi tilts her head, glancing from on eto the other. "What is going on?" she murmurs, taking a slow breath. "Excuse me I'm going to get some coffee. Maybe when I get back things will stop being weird." She then gets up, and goes over to get her double americano."

Lisde blinks at Arumi and shrugs, after all Arumi was already there when she juined so if someone's supposed to know what's going on, that shouldn't be Lisde. Her eyes follow the Asian as she makes her way to the counter before glancing questioningly at the Russian, saying with ahard to miss English accent "It's a coffee shop, I know it because I study at the university and live, very nearby".

Vasily gently shook his head slightly. "Why she didn't use her phone, I don't know.." Shaking his head once again, the man taps a finger against the table. "Your guardian should tell you about down stairs.. the second Cafe.." is quietly said as Vasily looks at Lisde for a moment before looking towards the counter for Arumi. "If you live there, than you will get to know that one, Arumi quite well. All of you live in a joint hostel, yes?"

Arumi doesn't take long to get a her very simple, coffee, though her movements as she walks are a little awkward, squirming a bit. Cupping the coffee in both hands on the winder morning, she wanders back over to where Vasily and Lisde are seated at a table. "There, better," she snickers.

Lisde glances to Arumi when she returns to the table and shakes her head at Vasily, "I have my place to stay at", she says, quickly adding "with a friend". She finishes her Cappuccino and puts down the now empty cup on the table, looking a bit out of anything to say.

A short eclipse occurs. Oh wait, no, that's just Vance aproaching the front of Roasters. He ducks and twists to carefully enter so as not to bang into anything or anyone. The massive man must be a regular as Nina waves at him in recognition and gets one of the mugs most often used to serve soup in and begins his order even as he makes his way to the line.

Vasily seems to yield to Arumi's return with a bows head but then he slightly scolds, "You could have used your phone. No need for cards, they bring it to you and saves time in line." Turning to nod towards Lisde he asks "Are you like Arumi here, studying the stars and wishing to become a cosmonaut?"

Kesta heads through the door while tapping a bit on his phone. He pauses a moment to look around and get his barings before heading to stand in line to order.

Arumi sits, sipping on her coffee. Apparently she sits wrong, and lets out a squeak, standing up then sitting down again. "Oops," she giggles, glancing around, and then back to the people at her table. "I don't have their app. I didn' trealize this place had an app. I thought only chains had that. Oh, a student?"

"Art", the purple haired girl in the PJ says softly with a nod to Arumi. "Umm, I seem to have left my phone upstairs, can you please tell me what time is it? I didn't mean to stay here for long, I still have to finish some studying before eight", Lisde asks as the coffee finally starts kicking in and releasing her from her drowsiness.

Making it up to the counter Vance pays with his card and picks up the soup bowl mug before looking around the room. As he steps out of the way he addresses the bigger uglier couch "We meet again.. Nemesis." before sharing a laugh with Nina at what is likely an inside joke before he sits down. Furniture creaking in protest. The talk of cosmonauts and stars from the window tables does get head tilt and some interest from Vance. But for now he's sipping his bowl.

Arumi takes steady, long drinks of her large americano. Downing it and warming up, but the girl remains fidgety, making a few little squeaks and shifting on her seat, before leaning in to speak at her table, a confused look on herface.

Lisde shrugs at Vasily, saying softly "Hardy, River and Norton sort of", she rolls her eyes and whispers a soft 'sorry', "they /look/ after me. I guess they'll let me in on things when they think it's time for me to know about them. Anyway, right now I have a test coming and a lot of /other/ things I'm supposed to know". She stands up, offering a smile and a nod to both at her table and says, "I really have to go, have a good morning and a great day". With that, the barefoot purple haired girl in the PJ turns away to make her way to the door.

Arumi does give an wave to the departing Lisde, still not sure about what's going on.

Vance hmms as something beeps at him and he checks his phone. Shaking his head he downs the coffee and returns the bowl mug to the counter and with a wave starts towards the door. Then he pauses and wanders over to Arumi and Vasily's table. Taking a card from his pocket he slides it over to Arumi "If you're working on a degree, the fastest course into space programs is with the Navy or Airforce. Specially with Space Force spinning up. You might consider it." Sure enough it's a card for the local military recruitment station. "Serving your Country is only one step before serving mankind." before he starts to head for the door.

Arumi looks up at Vance's arrival. Still squirming slightly, she snickers. "Hi. Dr. Arumi Hanada. I design sattelites," the girl explains with a wink. "Thank you for your service."

Vance retrieves his card with a wink and sorts through his wallet before taking out a different one and setting it down with a chuckle. "Don't mind me. They don't breed marines for brilliance. Gunnery Sergeant Vance Hunter. USMC stationed here at Prospect. So now knowing you're a Doctorate science type instead have a card to some of the DARPA guys I know. Building Today for Tomorrow for Today." Vance chuckles "Also building exciting new toys for guys like me."

Vance nods "I've gotta go drag a boot out of something they've gotten themselves into. But you have a great day. If you need any help making inroads with the government contractors my number is on that card." before he ducks, literally, out the door.

Vasily slumps forward, his elbows resting onto the edge of the table while his palms cradle the sides of his head, using his thumbs to massage his temple slowly. "The backlash is getting worse.. Don't want it to spiral turn to a cancer.." the man sounded not as if in pain but simply.. tired. Slowly shaking his head from side to side gently, Vasily turns still once again.. /Touching.. Talking.. once more than one memory.. so much static../ The voice continues to whisper, though now more clear in the back of Arumi's mind.

Arumi tilts her head, looking to the man.She takes a deep breath. "I don't understand anything of what you just said, or what's going on. Why did you bring me here? Who was that? What are you doing?" she whispers.

Vasily shrugs slightly, /She stank of.. Life essence.. Quintessence.. Primal Energy.. I wanted to know why.. She seemed ignorant../ Looking up slightly, Vasily offers a slight smile at Arumi when he says, "I wanted a bow from you.. I cannot make things like that.. So I looked for someone that could.." The voices alternate between his mind and his lips, almost holding two conversations at once, but slowly. "Thought a reward would help you focus.. not let your mind wander.."

Arumi nods to Vasily, slowly, smiling faintly. Yes, she's miling and nodded. "So why am I hearing you without you talking? And why are you talking in circles? If you wanted a bow, you could have asked for one. I'm not sure how to make one, but I could try."

Vasily looks at Arumi and squints slightly, causing her to feel a hand tightly wrap around her throat, almost as snuggly as the unseen choker at the hedonistic festival. "Because.." /I own your mind.. We cannot speak too freely.. in public.. How can I ask.. for a bow.. to hunt Vampires.. around sleepers..?/ Tilting his head slightly, "Because.. complicated reasons.. You should think louder.." /I can hear them../

Arumi takes a deep breath, before it's choked off, and she quirms again. Feeling it around he rneck. "Hunting... vampires?" she squeaks, glancing around, then back to him. "I feel like... the more you say the less I understand."

Vasily brings a finger to his own lips before making a shushing sound. "You are wasting breath.. relax.." Relaxing the grip slightly around her neck before his voice returned. /Close your mouth.. breathe through your nose.. Relax your jaw.. Think.. Imagine your concepts.. I can hear them.. Understand?/

Arumi quirks. Back off man, she's a scientist. He's asking for faith in magic. She doe breath through her nose, but then she tilts her head. "NoI don't understand."

Vasily sighs as he fails to explain anything. "You.. What is there left to explain? You now confuse me, with your.. confusion." The statement itself almost confused Vasily as he tried to make sure he spoke English correctly. "Let's solve this before the bow matter.."

Arumi tilts her head, and giggles. "I don't even know how to approach what you're even saying. IT's like it was in the forest. I don't even know where to begin," she explains, her face a little animated, but keeping her voice soft. "But yes, we can talk about the bow, if you prefer."

Vasily lifts his head from his hands and stares at her. /This first.. Bow second../ The hand around her neck loosens. "Why don't you ask questions? I will answer all.. I promise."

Arumi sighs, resting her face in her hands now, putting down her coffee, and leaving her face over it. "What first?" she whispers.

Vasily moves his right hand to tap his temple gently before slipping his fingers around his cooled tea. /Speaking without words... Hearing your thoughts.. You did not understand.. or do you?/

Arumi squints, and shakes her head. Clearly flustered by this whole thing. "Vasily,"s he whispers. "Can you ever give me a straight answer? What do you want to talk about?"

Vasily closes his eyes while leaning his head back, the man continued to enjoy his tea before it grew to cold. /What I am talking about.. is speaking in your mind.. Simple.. Next question little cub?/ Lowering his cup slightly, a smirk spread across his lips.

Arumi sighs. "Stop it, it's weird, I don't understand it, and I feel like you're being obtuse on purpose. Why did you invite me here? Just to mess around and talk to other people?"

Vasily chuckles softly, "What would make you understand? I ask and ask.. and explain.." Closing his eyes and shrugging gently and then points towards Arumi to ask, "Will you tell me how you 'think', what makes you think I can't mimic that?"

Arumi takes another deep drink from her coffee, finishing off the mix of dark coffee and warm water. She sighs, and giggles across the table. "What is your point? What are you hoping I will say? That I'm going to go to Wizarding school and fly on a broom?"

Vasily taps a finger against the table but as the taps continue, Arumi might notice a feline claw began to extend, sharpening the sound. "Lower your voice.. While I care little about the 'Seat's' rules, you should care more.. understand that part?" /..If any school.. I would teach you.. I do not understand your space science.. I understand your Alchemy though../

Arumi wasn't raising her voice. "Fine, if you don't want to talk, we won't talk. Good day." Exasperated, and tired of being shushed, the teen finishes her coffee, and starts getting up.

Vasily doesn't stand up nor does he seem to speak. /..When you have Master Magi.. several.. yelling at you for too casually speaking.. when you have a paranoid maggot.. preparing to preach to the Council.. about your loose tongue.. You will understand.. I twisted my pattern and mind.. until this was birthed.. I only offer aid.. I cannot force it../

Arumi sighs, and shakes her head. "Well I genuinely don't understand why you brought me out here today, to scold me for getting coffee, to scold me for talking to you, to talk to some random freakshow wihtout any shoes on, and to talk in riddles without making any sense."

Vasily says "I asked you here to look over designs of a bow.. A bow to hunt something special.. You then say there's something better so I'll listen to your case, but you never made it.. You said you don't understand my trick so I spend last.. hour trying to explain it to you while you only say 'I do not understand'.. Is this far off?"

Arumi bites her lip and barely doesn't roll her eyes. "Then come on. Let's talk about your thing., Someplace where we can actually talk then."

Vasily glances up towards Arumi for a moment then shifts his tea. "From now on, will only meet you where noone not half awake is. Seems that is only way sit to speak with you.." With that said, Vasily brings his tea back to his lips, drinking it nice and slow, drowning his frustration.

Arumi snickers. "If you want to talk about confidential things, yes, that's a good idea."

Vasily shrugs his shoulders, "If only you had the mind to listen and not question too much, then it could have been here but.. suit your own thoughts and security."

Arumi stands up straight, puts her hands on her hips, and gets a faint smirk. "Back off man!" she says aloud. She then fixes her dress, and shrugs, voice going softer. "I'm a scientist."

Vasily lifts a finger, and waggles it gently from side to side without looking at Arumi. "You say that, but I question that.. Isn't the rule for science to study the unknown, not run from it? Not reject it?" Lowering his hand, Vasily sets his tea down, content with staying where he was. "Maybe only.. junior scientist then?"

Arumi snickers at that, sighing and shaking her head. "I DID ask questions. You didn't asnwer them. Come on, I'll give you a ride."

"I answered each question asked.." Turning his head towards Arumi, Vasily looks at her then the door then back towards the young woman. "To where? Thought you were tired of being here and of me."

Arumi rubs her forehead. "Don't make me change my mind." She then gestures for him to follow, and goes outside to her car.

Shifting from his seat, Vasily leaves his pastries behind as he gets up and begins to follow the young woman that had half steamed off and out of the coffee-shop. Glancing at the young woman, he lingers beside her car, not quite sure what was going on.

Arumi pulls the remote out of her bag, and unlocks both sides "Come on to my place?" she asks, then getting in, and seeing if he follows. Assuming the big guy does climb in, she snickers. "Okay. So, from the top," she says as she starts the engine. "Why were you um, doing that ventriloquism there? Talking to me without moving your lips?"

"No," is said in a somewhat tired tone as Vasily settles into the car, buckling himself in and making the seat slide out very far back and almost down to the floor of the car. "I told you.. it is your mind. If you leave the car, walk a block away, and put on your 'phone air' for music.." trailing of, Vasily's voice returns not to Arumi's ears but the back of her mind with his accent significantly lessened, /I will still.. be here../

Arumi is driving, but she clearly twitches at what the man says. Taking a deep breath, glancing at him after she stops at an intersection. "Okay. Let's, put that aside for a moment. First off, stop that for now, please. IT's distracting and unnerving. Second, why bother?"

Vasily couldn't help but chuckle slightly, not seeming to even worry about the idea of Arumi crashing. "I will only use my lips for now, I will not make your heart flutter so hard.. As for why, it is simple. No matter when, where or how many sleepers are near.. A meeting secret can be shared, a phone can be hacked or stolen. Whispered words heard. Lips read.. Tell me, how do you steal a thought?"

Arumi resumes driving when the light switches. "Okay, please, slow down. No metaphors, no extended allusions. Can you just answer the question instead of answering my question with a question?"

Vasily lifts his hands up, showing his empty hands before lowering them back down into his lap. As he closed his eyes, the large man settles into the seat and repeats himself. "Again.. 'Why'? To have a secret way to speak noone can listen into. To speak freely no matter where."

Arumi sighs, turning a corner off of the main road, going toward a more suburban development. Slowing down. "Thank you Vasily. I appreciate it. Now, since I'm not a junior scientist..." she teases with a snicker, turning again onto her street. "So what's sos ecret about this bow, that you have to use tricks to try to keep it so quiet?"

Shaking his head, Vasily opens his eyes and turns towards Arumi, looking at the young woman for a moment before answering. "It is not a secret to see the sketch.. The secret is what I am hunting, Vampires.. Leeches.. Fangs.. I need bolts or arrows to pierce their hearts like in the old stories."

Arumi slows down, and pulls into a driveway, then reaching up to hit a button on a gadget attached to the visor above her, which causes the door to start opening up. "Vampires," she says simply. "Are you sure they werne't just hippies like the one at your party?"

Arumi pulls in, and hits the button again to close the door. "Welcome to my house Vasily. Please let's go inside." She nods, getting out, and carefully closing the door behind her. The garage is sparse: washer, dryer, water heater, not much else. Very clean. No garage science here. "So why a bow and not a gun?"

"Arumi.. Do you believe in Vampires, Garou, Elementals and Wraiths?" As she left the car, Vasily took a bit more time to get out of the vehicle as he was barely able to get into the position in the first place. Moving a hand to the side of his neck, before stretching it to apply force until a deep crunch pops, and realigning it into proper positions. "This is important.. I need to know how free to speak with you, and to know what will be an argument of existing or not.."

Arumi walks to the door to the main fo the house, and stops. Raising her hand, fingers splayed. "Things I believe in: Science. Myself. The laws of nature." she explains, ticking fingers one by one. "Things I don't believe in," she resumes, holding up the other hand, and ticking fingers on it. "Sparkly vampires, spooky ghosts, whatever those other things you said are, pretty unicorns, and unlucky numbers." She then holds the door open to let him into the main of the house.

Vasily follows Arumi into the main section of the house but then starts to gently smile. "Then do you believe in me? I am something that is not 'human' anymore according to your 'science'." A soft chuckle vibrates within Vasily's chest as he looks at the small woman, waiting for her reaction. "I haven't following human laws of science and nature for many years. Do you not see how?"

Arumi has finished off the house by now. The floors are all immaculate, dark hardwood, spruced up with rugs throughout. The rugs are soft, monocolored, different ones of various oranges and reds, some veering near white, others quite saturated. There is a large television set up, with two gray couches of the softest leather set up. The walls are a light gray, decorated with posters: A London Underground Roundel reading VICTORIA, a print of a vintage daguerreotype of a dirigible in flight, and a night view of California from space.

The teen flops at one end of one couch, and gestures "Please, have a seat. I think you exist. I just don't know how you do what you do yet. We have a word for that. Fortean. You're doing things unheard of, hard to understand, at the very fringes of human understanding. The difference between a scientist and a priest, is the scientist freely admits when she doesn't know something, but a priest has all the answers."

"Arumi, what would you say if I told you a bullet does little to the creatures I call leeches?" Tilting his head slightly to one side, Vasily doesn't sit but looks down at the young woman. Shifting forward, he leans towards her while describing, "Small piercing tools don't wound them much, it passes through their numb muscles.. Blades and heavy ballistics ruin their bodies, even if they do not have many vulnerable organs. If you have a bolt throwing gun, or design I will listen to it."

Arumi kicks back a bit, letting her sandals fall off her feet, stretching out some. "Vasily. Sounds like they're wearing body armor. Well, there are ways around that. Well, around it or through it. So what would a bow do that a bullet can't?"

"You fail to understand what is in front of you.." Closing his eyes and nodding once, Vasily walks over to the sofa and kneels down in front of Arumi to ask, "I know a guest should not make a request like this but.. Will you shoot me please? It will make explaining things much easier. Something large would help the most." Just like that Vasily asked in a level, if not apologetic tone. "I promise, there will be no mess."

Arumi looks at him, getting comfortable. She lifts up her head, looking at him. "I don't have a gun here. The only weapon I do have is a plasma rifle, and it's at present dangerous to use that outside of my lab. So.. I Actually can't shoot you."

"Plasma Rifle..?" Tilting his head off to one side, Vasily looked at Arumi somewhat confused. "Plasma as in a electric spark rifle?" The confusion was starting to bleed into curiosity, and already forgetting the last topic being spoken about. "If that could set a leech on fire that would be very useful, not as good for capture, very useful to turn them in a group to ash though.."

Arumi giggles and sits back again. "It'll set anything on fire. IT's basically... it's setting the AIR on fire, and shooting that flaming air at whatever you point it at. It IS fire. But not uncontrolled and crude like a flamethrower. Think Star Wars."

"Those used lasers, slow movie lasers but just lasers." Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Vasily adds, "Nothing was set on fire, your's will be useful to kill, not hunt." Moving his right hand over to his heart, he taps it gently twice. "Vampires are a living spell, if you stab the heart with wood, it makes the spell pause.. Stasis. Do you understand now why I wanted a bow, not a gun?"

Arumi lifts a finger. "Star Trek phasers used special plasma-generating lasers. Star Wars blasters used plasma bolts. My plasma core in my rifle shell generates plasma bolts. If your vampires burn, my weapon would burn them."

"I.. know a little of your Star Trek, but not too much. That's the one with the interesting outfits that all look the same." Shrugging his shoulders gently, Vasily stretches out his right hand to lightly tap at her nose. "Focusing on first question.. So you know why I want bow now more than simple gun?"

Arumi shakes her head. "No, not really. There are lots of kinds of guns. Ordinary bullets might not stop body armor, But there are different kinds of bullets. Bullets that can pierce armor, and explode inside the target. That should shred an ything that a bow can."

"Silly girl.." Vasily lowers his head and slowly shakes his head. "Do you not realize the point? I said it needs wood to stop the spell.. Do you not understand that point? Do you also not believe in enchantments and spells now as well?" is asked as Vasily arches a brow, looking at Arumi without having any clue of how to cover THAT hurdle.

Arumi snickers. "Spells. I can't help you then. I'm not a wizard." She shrugs. "Sorry. You want a coke or something, while you're here?"

"Arumi.. 'Spells' is what we call twisting reality.." Vasily looks at Arumi for a moment and moves his right hand to rest on the young woman's stomach before she stood up again. "A 'Spell' is like at my node before the party.. What would your science call that if not a 'spell'?" Tilting his head slightly, he watches her eyes but he doesn't make it easy for her to get up.

Arumi takes a slow, deep breath as she sits up, Looking at him, down to the hand on her stomach before she rises. "It's physical phenomena I Can't yet explain. I don't twist reality. I study it, and I operate within its laws. Coke? Water? Juice? Coffee?"

"Bring me a.. 'Coffee'," is called out while Arumi disappeared into the kitchen.

Carrying two prepackaged bottles of coffee, she brings one to Vasily, and with a sigh, flops out with the other. "You're crazy..."

Vasily rolls Intelligence + Biology vs 6 for 4 successes.

"No.. I am quite sane." Turning to Arumi, a soft smile appears on his lips as Vasily explains. "I am a hunter, a predator. I will hunt every other predator and take from them what makes them strong, and take it into this vessel.. That includes 'Knowledge'.." At the last word, Vasily flexes his hand as he takes his bottle of coffee. "You are a kind host little one."

Arumi snickers, as she cracks open her bottle as well, taking a gulp. "That's... not why I said that. So... for the sake of argument... why are you fighting vampires?" she pants.

"They are predators.. They are stronger than humans.. I will put them in stasis.. Ravage their minds for secrets, then harvest them.. Their fangs, blood, organs.. and some? I will weave into this body of mine, making me better.."

Arumi takes a moment to consider him. She does drink more coffee, then snickers. "Well, um, Vasily. I guarantee you anything I built to kill a vampire, hypothetically, would not leave you many parts to harvest."

"I can tell.. Which is why it is not worth worrying." Standing up fully, Vasily shifts his coffee from his right hand to his left. Using his free right hand, he slips his fingers under her chin, trying to guide her view upwards to look at himself. "You need to learn moderation.. If you kill everything you find, you will not learn much. Will you?"

Arumi Takes a deep breath, downs the rest of her coffee, and sits up. "Vasily, the biggest thing I've ever killed in my life was a spider. I've never actually fired my plasma rifle outside of my lab. I'm not sure it's safe to. I built it while I was musing about oging into space, and thought I'd better be armed in case I run into hostile aliens."

"I'll be your test Dummy if you let me practice these 'tricks' on you. Does that seem.. 'Fair'?"

Arumi folds her arms, and looks to Vasily quite seriously. "I don't want to fire that on you. I mean it. It's very powerful and dangerous. I'd never fire that on you. I'd only fire it on an alien if I were absolutely sure it were trying to kill me, and I didn't have an option to nuke it from orbit."

Lifting his right hand from Arumi and to his own face, and begins to gently rub along the side of his face causing his refined skin to weaken and instantly scar. The series of strokes reveals scars not just on his cheek but across the Russian's brow, within his hairline, along his collarbone line before it appears that those scars go much deeper within his shirts. "Trust me.. things you don't believe in tried to kill me. They failed.. but you caring so much makes feel.. 'Special'? I will need a trip to Roasters but.. I will not force you to attack me, I will have some things for target practice.. Moving. If you do.. you will feel this good each time you defeat one of the warriors I twist and shape for you. Is this incentive to make a good rifle?"

Arumi smiles up to theman. "I'll give you a ride. I can't... I can't amke you a rifle. Yet. Mine is... a prototype."

"I don't want one.. You need combat practice before you meet an alien.."