Bishop's Stone (IC)

[JamesCray]

"In that case, vive la révolution." Robert said, smiling earnestly. "Thank you for your candor, and to answer a question already posed, Kyoto was lovely, there was fascinating culture, great scenery, rich history, the people were quite friendly, and the endemic mistrust toward gaijin seemed to be largely isolated to older individuals. The hospitals are very clean as well, if the one I ended up in after I broke my leg on Mount Inari was anything to judge by. As for further questions, I believe I've exhausted the immediately pertinent ones, and I suspect you wouldn't have brought me here if you didn't have a number of your own, so please feel free to ask them. I am, largely, an open book."

[Inumo]

The Fool

Marci's journey to Stross and Seventeenth, though peppered by people of the paranormal population, is relatively uneventful. At last she comes to the intersection, where she (as noted on her assignment sheet) meets a woman wearing baggy dark clothing that seems to reveal just enough of the figure underneath as to be enticing. There's a quick exchange of code words, as requested, before the delivery is finalized. "Yes, the final piece!" She exclaims as Marci presents the parcel, greedily taking it with a hunger in her hazel eyes. Glancing around, she quickly resumes a more casual posture as she asks without looking at Marci, "Hey, can you keep a secret?"
((Since this is now a full convo, send me a PM with your response.))

Judgement

"Well, Robert, how long have you been in Joneswark?" Pao asks with an air of nonchalance. The conversation quickly transitions to light, fairly uncontroversial topics as the meal proceeds from soup to entree, then from entree to dessert, and finally to some after-dinner drinks. As the evening winds to an end and conversation seems spent, Jacob declares, "Robert, I think we've heard enough to get a decent judge of your character, and I believe you can help us out. At the least, we should properly introduce ourselves without any 'Puck' glamour, though you've no doubt figured out our names for yourself. My name is Jacob, and obviously I'm one of the Fair Folk."
"I'm Haru, and I'm a kappa, though our reputation hardly applies anymore," Haru states with a wave.
"I'm Pao, a vampire," Pao says. "And trust me, it takes a long time to get enough make-up on to make me look living," he adds with a gesture towards his face.
"I'm Mary, a huldra from one of the Scandinavian countries, I never can remember which," Mary picks up, making a brushing motion in the air as she gestures to "Scandinavia" in general.
"And of course, I'm Marcus, a satyr," Marcus finishes. "What would be the best way to contact you, if we ever want to ask for a more 'human' perspective?"

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Marci would watch in wonderment now that she knew she wasn't hallucinating from anything she gave polite smiles to any who were to take note of her. She did seem a tad nervous, thinking to herself. 'Just gotta remember, anyone magical asks, i'm a werewolf...'Finding this woman though did seem to unnerve her just a little more, once she mentions a 'final piece.' Her thoughts running along like she may be building some kind of doomsday device. Though knowing this is foolish of her she seemed to get that idea reaffirmed when she is asked if she could keep a secret by this woman. Keeping an air of professionalism she nods. "Of course i can Madame." She does seem genuinely interested in what this secret could be and why this woman would want to tell her though.

[JamesCray]

Robert chuckles, then pulls out his billfold, taking out a pen and scrawling a number on one of his University business cards. "Just let your fingers do the walking. This is my cell number, I only use my landline for emergencies or in the odd case I need to fax something. Normally, I prefer a phone call, but if I don't answer, or if there's something you would rather I not answer aloud, a text message would likely be the better choice." He places the card on the table, and tucks his billfold away.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

"Good, good," the woman replies. There's a moment where she pauses, then suddenly turns to Marci again with a radiant smile, as if she's a good friend. "Well, if you're Enchanted you won't get this, but assuming you're a werewolf or something, what's your position on this upcoming election?"

Marci smiles gently in turn, listening intently. She was feeling rather unnerved still but gave a light chuckle. "Oh, that old chestnut. I'd rather stay out of politics really. My only thoughts on the matter would be whoever could make things the most peaceful." She thinks back lightly remembering something Robert had said. "If i really had to choose though, i'd probably say Puck has my support."  She said, hoping that she was right about her guess when her boss had mentioned said Puck having a platform of some kind.

Hearing Marci's response, the woman pulls her phone out of her pocket and turns her head towards it, though her eyes remain locked on Marci. The smile disappears for a moment, flashing back to full brightness in an instant as she straightens. "Well, I do suggest you check out the Langdon Gate on Thursday," she declares as she puts her phone away and settles the package under her arm. "I hear there's going to be a local werewolf band playing. By all accounts they're quite good. Have a good one!" With that, she heads to the nearby building, dragging her hand along the brick wall and pausing just before she turns the corner into a back alley.

Marci blinks a little seeing the phone being pulled out and with the woman staring so intently at her while using it made her uncomfortable, especially when the womans smile vanishes, she tilting her head a little for the briefest of moments but straightens up herself once that smile returns. Blinking softly at the suggestion of heading to that gate on thursday. "Uh, yeah. I'll do that if i get the time to do so." She takes a moment to brush some dust off her clothes. Then when the woman moves to leave, Marci gives a small sigh of relief before speaking back to her. "Sounds like a fun time, you have yourself a pleasant day Madam." She watches the woman go, having ideas about following her to see what was up with her, but shakes her head dismissing it. She felt like she should tell someone about the encounter. But who could she tell besides Robert?  She mentally shrugged and headed back for the shipping office. Once there she gave a soft sigh as there was yet another package to be delivered, though hidden just beneath it was the gate cheat sheet her boss had mentioned earlier. She taking a quick glance over it to see where Langdon Gate was exactly before hiding the sheet on her person and quickly heading on with the next delivery. Thankfully for Marci, the rest of her day was quite uneventful. She only stopping to get a coffee once she was done with her deliveries. Preparing to head home and get some well needed rest.

[Inumo]

((Good lord, I'd say I'll just start updating Mondays instead of Sundays except I'm pretty sure then I'd just end up updating Tuesdays. >.>))

Page of Cups

Marci walks down the city street, waving casually to the mayor of Joneswark as he passes by with a package of his own under his arm. The spot between her shoulder blades starts to hurt, but the package she's carrying on her back keeps her from checking it. It's for the attractive woman, but she's got time. The friendly cashier from the coffee shop, now with a green horse head and a mane of seaweed, comes around the corner and asks, "Do you have any water?" The desert sand blows hard on Marci's face.

Three of Cups

"Thank you," Marcus says as he tucks Robert's number into a pocket. "Now, if we head back the way we came, we can get you back out of here..." Marcus takes the lead as they return to the salon through which they first entered, then gestures to create the acid trip that is teleporting back to the university parking lot, right next to Robert's car. "You'll find that there's a full tank of gas. Have a pleasant evening." With a slight bow, Marcus seems to move in an unnameable direction and is gone.
The rest of Robert's evening is uneventful. The next day arrives, and with it an abnormal work request for Robert. "Neuroscience needs hands to set up experiment. Take one or two people; Patricia could use the experience, but I'll understand if you don't take her. Head to Neuro building, rm 243. You were requested specif. Ask for Krilthympr." At the experiment site, a... "man" with a squid-like head, a mass of tentacles for a mouth, blue-ish skin, more tentacles in place of each hand, and a small pair of squishy-looking wings of a darker blue shade sprouting from his back raises an arm, the artificial lights reflecting dully from his skin. "Ho there!" his British accented voice calls, loud enough to be heard without being disruptive to the work elsewhere in the building. "Are you the men from the IT department?"

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Marci gave a light groan at the ache in her shoulders. Idly rolling them on occasion to try and keep some of the pain out of them. She sighs a little and gives her head a shake. Seeing the coffee shop cashier she gives a soft gasp for a moment, then chuckles. "My goodness, you startled me." She grunts softly shifting the package on her back. She moves a hand to shield her face from the wind. "Oh, lemme check..." She said moving a hand to the satchel on her side. She smiled seeing her usual bottle that she drank from. "Oh! Here we are." She said pulling the clear plastic container from it's place and offering it to the horse headed girl with a kind smile, her hand on the very bottom of the bottle which would allow the cashier to grab it from the top with ease.

[JamesCray]

Robert heads for the Neurosci building, stopping to grab Pat along the way. The person waiting for him being straight out of a Lovecraft novel is a bit of a surprise, but at this point, he was starting to get worried if things stayed normal for too long, and the British accent made the whole thing feel slightly whimsical. "Ah, yes." he affirmed, offering a hand to shake. "Well, near as makes no difference. We are indeed the people from IT. Ms. Detral here is fairly new to the department, but at this point she knows everything I do, and I swear she works absolute magic with the equipment. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Krilthympr. I'm Robert Charles. I'm told you asked for me specifically?"

[Inumo]

((No way, a post that's actually still in the Sunday night region of time! ))

Six of Wands

The cashier drinks deep, and Marci moves on, trekking along the tops of the desert's sand dunes until she walks off a cliff in the mountains. Step by step, she goes down the rocks, saying her greetings to Robert along the way. "The screams are from the north!" He shouts over the banshee-like howl of the easterly wind, walking up the cliff face himself. It's a quiet, peaceful walk as she comes to the forest's ground, and finds the pretty lady a few steps into the trees. "Oh, thank you!" she coos as she runs behind Marci and takes the package. The pain between Marci's shoulders intensifies. "Do come see Langdon Gate Thursday!" She calls, walking off into the distance with a triumphant, toothy smile as the bloody knife sticking out of the package drips red, Marci's red...
Marci drifts towards wakefulness, at last waking up a few minutes before her alarm goes off. Her legs and shoulders are sore, a sensation she's woken up with for a long time. Perhaps some day she really would wake up relaxed and calm, like Paul says he always does.
((Today and the days leading up to Thursday are due to be normal days; if you want to start something feel free, otherwise you have the okay to timeskip to knocking off work on Thursday/where you're headed.))

Page of Swords

"Yes, yes, I did, Robert, I did," Mr. Krilthympr replies, awkwardly covering Robert's hand in a mass of cold, slimy flesh and giving it a few good pumps. Fortunately the muck evaporates quickly as he continues, "I heard tell that you're a Knower, and, well, it's rather easier to explain why I need help setting up my own rig if, well..." He shrugs and waves his "hands" about vaguely as a closer to his explanation. "Oh, drat-- and you can call me Stanley, Krilthympr is from the days when my fathers were priests, you see. A rather gloomy religion, really, but it was surprisingly popular beyond the stars. Oh, but here I go rambling on, anyways, it's surprising how few tech-savvy Avalonians there are. I just need you to give me a hand plugging in the interfacing bits from my machine to the computer it all works with, if you'll just come in here you'll see..." Beckoning Robert into a nearby lab, he heads directly for what can most accurately be described as a throne of cables. Thick bundles of ropey black wire cover what looks to be an old dining chair, with new armrests made entirely out of cords stacked one atop another. A set of metal arms and springs suspend an oversized neural net over the seat, completing an overall menacing image of Stanley's research. "I drew a diagram so it'd be easier to see how it all comes together, hopefully," he calls as he pulls out a whiteboard. Remarkably clean lines and writing come together to depict a long scheme of wire bundles feeding into various instruments before coming together either at a computer at one end, or a strange box labelled "TK CTRL" at the other. Pointing, Stanley finishes, "The final computer's over there, and I can rig up the chain from throne to TK, so... You ready?"

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Marci smiles lightly moving on with a notably weak smile on her face she shuddering again at the pain in her back. Grunting as she steps down the rocks of the cliff, giving  silent nod to Robert after their greeting and his shout. She looking to the forest with amazement at it's beauty. Soon she is taken from her reverie by the sound of the lady's thanks. Her eyes widen and she gives a pained groan once she feels the package and the knife are taken from her back. She gives a polite wave to the woman, calling back through grit teeth. "You got it!"  She then turns to walk off as well, returning for what she considered civilization. After waking that Thursday morning she gives a deep groan, once again the soreness in her limbs was the first thing she woke to, mentally jealous in remembering of how Paul spoke of how relaxed he was when waking, even though he was trying to be kind when he said it. Marci was glad that today was uneventful though like the previous ones since she found herself with that back pain.  Punching out after hours she gives a sigh and goes home to change clothes. Giving a small glance at the cheat sheet she had, even after committing it to memory she deciding to at least double check Langdon Gates location. She Put the cheat sheet back in it's hiding place and left for her destination.

[JamesCray]

"Understandable." Robert nods as Stanley's gestures make it obvious why he needed assistance. When the subject of Avalonians and electronics comes up, he can't help but praise the young woman he'd been put in charge of training. "Well, when it comes to tech-savvy Avalonians, you just met quite possibly the very best, Pat hasn't no problem keeping up with me and I've got a Master's."

Upon catching sight of the mass of wire that seemed to have overrun a dining room chair like so much kudzu, his first reaction was to glance over and make sure there was a fire extinguisher in place in the lab. His second was curiosity, but that was interrupted as he was presented with the diagram on the whiteboard. When asked if he's ready, he nods. "Couldn't be worse than my dad's old MG," he accedes, before adding "The only question being if we're talking about before or after he fell asleep at the wheel. If you don't mind me asking, what's the study? It so happens neurological disorders run in my family, as do brain aneurysms, so neuroscience has been an interest of mine for a while."

[Inumo]

((Aaaaand super-late post from me. I blame midterms, even though they really haven't had much influence. >.>))

Seven of Swords

Marci arrives at a small farmer's market out on the street, where half of the shoppers are clearly Avalonian, the other half being rather more mundane. For such a small place, it seems unusually busy, though the reason becomes quickly clear: a steady stream of people flows in and out of Langdon's Gate, down a back alley just past the market. Through the gate, more stalls line the Avalonian street, and across the way seems to be some sort of music stage. Today must be some minor local festival. The back alley, in keeping with normal appearances, is hardly clean, but that doesn't seem to bother the festival-goers. Overall, the produce seems fresh, the wares sold on the Avalonian side are decently priced, and the place looks and sounds lively with the mixed voices of Avalonians and normal people.

Strength

"Wonderful, it's always nice to see someone who understands looking outside Avalon," Stanley remarks of Patricia. When Robert asks about the experiment, he jolts back into motion and starts rigging up cables. "Of course, of course, here, I'll explain as I plug in my part. You see, my people, and honestly I have no idea what we're referred to as nowadays, just that we have a very bad reputation, but my people have some latent enhanced neurological abilities." He finishes plugging a bound mass of cables into a box, then moves on to the next one. "In the natural state, these abilities allow us to simply interpret nearby biochemical signals to form general impressions of active neural pathways and the broad-spectrum meaning associated with these patterns. However, I've found that the stuff that we naturally seem to excrete can be used as both an insulator and conductor of minor electrical charge, which in turn enhances our innate capabilities." Another box done, and he keeps talking. "Now, this enhancement is twofold. In the immediate vicinity, our interpretive ability is improved, and we can even influence the biochemical pathways to a minor degree. However, more importantly for this experiment, our abilities are greatly improved beyond simple interpretation capabilities along the flow of the electrical current." He shows no signs of stopping talking as he proceeds to one last final box with its bundle of cables. "In truth, most of the wires on the throne are simply there to increase the amount of electrical current flowing around a person without creating such a high concentration that it overcomes our natural safety measures and becomes potentially lethal. You see, with enough energy motion, we are able to generate enough neurological force as to impel motion in an object so long as it is within a certain region surrounding the high-energy flow." At last he finishes, and goes to the chair. Taking a seat, he pauses to make sure Robert and Patricia have finished, then gestures towards the computer and says, "Here, let me demonstrate. Click the 'Run' button, would you?" Patricia, already near the console, starts the program, and the lights flicker as power starts to hum through the system. "Head next door, it's where the wires all lead so you can see," he directs. Sure enough, on the other side, just in sight of the wire-covered chair, is a wooden disc flying in small circles over a striped track, a similarly striped wall standing to one side. Cameras record the event, silently measuring the experiment for later review. After a few loops, the disc stops and starts to slowly rise, until at last it stops once more.
Robert, Stanley's voice suddenly sounds from an indeterminate place around Robert. Don't react, but be warned: people are looking for you. People that aren't open to the idea of Disenchantment. Be careful of your humanity. The wooden disc suddenly starts to wobble, then fall. From the main lab, the sounds of some shuffling followed by the abrupt silence from the numerous machines can be heard. "Whew," Stanley calls. "Thank you for your help, Robert and... Pat, right? I should be able to get a few experiments out of today thanks to you. My interns and grad students usually help, but I figured after working with me for a couple months straight they probably deserved a day off. What do you think?"

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Looking slowly around the farmer's market, Marci grins gently to herself as she too walks through the gate, not seeming to mind the alley itself. Waving politely to people and Avalonian alike who greet her. She goes along to some of the stalls looking over the wares being sold, still smiling to herself as she peeks over things and even decides to make a couple purchases. Though soon she was heading through the alley, moving to the music stage, she grins a little and gives a soft sigh, she'd always loved music even going so far as to learn to play the guitar. Looking around gently she lightly moved towards the back of the stage to look over some of the equipment that might be getting ready for use.

[Inumo]

Page of Pentacles

Behind the stage, there's little for Marci to see; being a street fair of sorts, the organizers ensured the speakers and wires were off the ground and under control, leaving only a pair of strange, over-sized crystal balls with power cords plugged into them behind the curtain. On stage, the last chords of the performers' rock ballad resonate as the singer says, "Thank you very much, Avalon, that was, 'But I Wasn't One', written by our lovely drummer Lily, give her a hand, yeah?" The audience gives a light smattering of claps as Marci heads back to the front, the female satyr behind the drumset bowing before settling back into her seat. "Yeah, she's a great one," the extremely pale man at the microphone continues. "Special thanks goes to our good friend Lord Ashenborough, as well, without whom this event would be a lot less successful." More applause as the singer gestures over towards the gate towards some person who's just out of sight. "Alright, this next one's going to be--"
The next song's title is drowned out by a man's scream. Panic erupts in the crowd within moments. "What is it? What's happened?" A light female voice to Marci's left asks. "Where's the Gate gone?" another woman's voice questions of no one in a thick Scottish accent. "The man, the man, is he alright?" A male throat utters, concern lacing with fear. Confusion spreads as the outside of the crowd presses towards the Gate, while the other half pushes out. Those with wings make good use of them as the sky fills with men and women leaping away, while blue-uniformed Fair Folk jump inwards. "Make way! Emergency responders!" A voice booms, rapidly creating a general exodus of the street fair's attendees. In the rush, Marci's carried by the crowd away, stumbling but never quite falling.
When at last she regains control of her direction, the crowd has stopped a couple blocks away, milling about shoulder to shoulder. News slowly trickles back: the streets have been shielded, and officers are interviewing people as they leave. Oaths are being made, adding to the time spent waiting. "It's great and all that we get true answers," a flustered male voice argues off to Marci's right, "but I think we all agree that we just want to go home! I saw nothing and did nothing, why should I have to wait in this ridiculous queue?"

[JamesCray]

"So TK stood for telekinesis. Fascinating." Robert murmurs as he catches sight of the levitating disc, eyebrow raised in subconscious imitation of Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock. When he receives the message from Stanley he freezes briefly, but otherwise does as he's instructed and remains impassive. "Thank you, this was quite illuminating." Robert adds as Stanley thanks him, then chuckles upon mention of his interns and grad students having the day off.

"I think working with anyone for a couple months straight would be wearing on one's sanity, so yeah, a day off seems like it would make sense." Robert replied, heading back into the other room. Taking out his wallet, he pulls out one of the business cards he keeps in it, scribbles his phone number on the back of it, and leaves it on a table. "This number goes direct to me. if you need help again, it's a lot easier to get in touch with me that way than trying to get a message passed through the IT department."

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Marci perks a brow at the pair of  crystal balls and smirks a little wondering if they were like those little globes that if you touched it the electricity inside would head for your hand. She wasn't about touch something she knew nothing of though so she moved away just as she heard the song of the performers finishing. She stares up in wonderment at the performers. One of her dreams was to be recognized as a good guitar player. She hadn't written any songs of her own but she did know a couple by well known bands. She looks to the satyr once she stood, she pondered a moment and gave a glance to the others, wondering if one were a werewolf, recalling being told by the woman who let her know this event was even going on that one band were made up of them. Marci clapped happily even putting her fingers to her lips to make a loud whistle once the group had bowed. She perks a brow at the gesture towards someone who was hidden a good deal, then back to the performers when that singer announces they were going to play another song. Suddenly she heard that scream and then the panic of the others set in. Marci looked as hard as she could to see what happened, even as the woman shouted the question about it.

Her eyes shown nothing but shock when someone shouted about the gate being gone and looking, she noticed it was indeed gone. 'Oh, bollocks! Am i gonna be able to get home now? Wait...of course i am....this gate is gone but, that doesn't mean the others are right? It's just a matter of getting to another maybe.... She thought all these things and more a show of worry and fear on her face just like the others around her. Then she had a guess as to what it was that happened just by hearing the question of that male voice utters. 'Shit! No, this isn't good. Someones been harmed. or worse, Killed! I might get the blame too if they find out i'm not Avalonian...' She looks up again in a mixture of amazement and that fear from before once the men and women with wings take wing like rats deserting a sinking ship. Then she gives a number of audible grunts being taken off balance by the crowd as the E.M.T.'s or at least the Avalonian version of them came along. Stumbling and giving a few growls even before regaining her footing. She looks about once she was standing shoulder to shoulder with the others, though she did check to see exactly 'what' she were standing beside. She remained silent, now trying to mask her panic at being discovered for what she was. Waiting patiently though, she looked towards the front of the queue and gave a tentative sigh. "Oh boy, what next?" She whispered to herself.

[Inumo]

((Homework stole Sunday night from me, so... ))

King of Wands

Over the course of a couple hours, Marci slowly inches away from the block, gaining a little bit of personal space as she goes. Standing amidst a couple satyrs, a pale-skinned woman, a tanned man, and some gossamer-winged faeries who kept their wings politely close to their back, the heat and smell soon grew to be exceedingly uncomfortable. At last she can see empty space in the street beyond, then the metal barricades and evenly-spaced Fair Folk in uniform signifying the end of the crowd. The process of the officers carries over the crowd's murmur. "Next... Full name? ... do you swear that you will answer my questions truthfully at least until you cross this barrier? ... What manner of myth are you? ... Did you see anything related to what occurred at the Gate? Just yes or no, please. ... If we need more information, how can we contact you? ... Thank you, you may be on your way. Next..."
Eventually, Marci nears the edge of the crowd. "You there, siram!" One of the officers calls, gesturing to Marci. He appears rather young, perhaps in his early twenties. Brushing his short, wavy red hair back, he smiles, revealing his perfect white teeth as he says, "A pretty lady like you shouldn't be left waiting in the smelly heat of the crowd like this! Here, let me help you on your way." As Marci approaches, he asks, still smiling, "What's your full name?" Around the two, the noise of the crowd subsides, like a glass dome had been placed over them.
((Conversation time!))

Three of Cups

"Of course, Robert," Stanley replies, carefully pocketing the business card with a handkerchief. "And feel free to find me if you ever want to talk; I'm always happy to talk about my research, and it certainly would be... useful, to learn something of the computers of today." With that, he waves goodbye before turning to the computer, presumably to start analyzing the data he'd just collected.
Once outside and back in an area with cellular reception, Robert's phone buzzes with a voice message. "Oh, before I forget," Patricia says, "Some friends of mine are having a little get-together tonight in the city. Er, slightly older friends, not undergrad ones. We're gonna meet at one of their apartments at five thirty before heading out for wings. You in?"

[JamesCray]

Outwardly, Robert attempted to remain calm, but inwardly his mind was racing. His identity was out there. What did Stanley mean when he said to he careful of his humanity, and moreover, what could he do about it, and moreover, what, if anything, could he do about it? However, he knew himself well enough to understand that if he allowed himself to, he would fret endlessly that if he allowed himself to, he would become so preoccupied that it would paralyze him. Besides, there were more immediate concerns to tend to.

"Sounds like fun, now watch this voicemail be something that's going to make me have to say no." Robert chuckled darkly, and pulled out his iPhone to listen to the voice message.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Gave a light sigh for a moment, she pondered starting a small conversation with one of the others in the queue with her. Perking a brow at the types of creatures standing around her and then looked to that ever approaching metal barrier she looked nervous for a moment or two as she got closer. Taking a deep breath though she gave a small sigh again and listened carefully to the questions asked of the one in front of her. Then her mind is brought back to focus on more than just the questions but to one of the officers asking them. She blinks softly seeing this red-headed officer, she had to admit that he was rather cute. She blushed lightly, cheeks turning a soft crimson when he called her cute. Her ears seemed to twitch a little as when she approached and things went silent but the two of them, she figured more magic so she didn't pay much mind too it. Upon hearing the question she smiles back. "Oh, my full name is Marci Ellene Kensworth and you are?." She practically facepalmed when asked the question to go with her answer, having felt so flustered it was more of a reflex than anything. Chuckling gently, her cheeks had flushed an even deeper shade of red.

[Inumo]

The Lovers

The voice message on Robert's phone is a reminder that he has an interview coming up on Saturday for a technology firm. Robert has a hazy memory of maybe applying to work there, but the details of it are fuzzy and lack a time frame that would make it sensible. Beside him, Patricia continues, "Well, if you can swing it, we'll be meeting at the Newman Apartments on Jackson Street, they're just off the west side of campus. I'm sure we'll have some space in our cars if you don't want to use your car to get to wings. Fair warning, though, two of the folks that will be there are going through the whole 'new couple' stage, so... be ready for PDA, I guess? Sorry, I'm rambling at this point. Anyways, you don't have to answer right away, just let me know when we get off work so I can let them know."
((Feel free to respond/summarize through to work's end and doing as you will at home before heading out to do whatever you do next.))

[JamesCray]

The day continued without incident, and toward the end of work, Robert gave an affirmative to Patricia. He headed home to change and when the time came, Robert arrived at the apartments. Or rather, about five or ten minutes after he was supposed to get there, he arrived on foot.
"Sorry I'm late, my car decided to break down a few blocks down the road," he said, looking rather chagrined at the delay.

[Inumo]

Page of Swords

A female voice buzzes back through the intercom to Robert. "No worries, I'll be right down to let you in!" Perhaps half a minute later, a satyress greets him at the door, wearing a slim black dress that's been cut to let her brown-furred legs move freely. "Hey!" she chirps, opening her arms wide and gesturing Robert within. "Welcome, welcome, come in, come in, Pat's told us a fair bit about you! Here, this way, we're up on the fifth floor." She leads him back to the lifts and presses the call button, unsurprised when one of the doors immediately opens. With a fanciful twirl, the satyress enters the polished steel elevator, holding an arm in front of the door as he follows. The fuzzy image of the duo reflect off the door as it closes and the satyress presses the button marked "5". "I'm Tanya, by the way, nice to meet you," she says brightly, shaking Robert's hand as the lift starts to rise. "I met Pat while she was in high school; she did an internship -- unpaid, much as I loathe to admit -- at the office where I work during her senior year. In my opinion she's surprisingly mature, though perhaps it's more that I'm surprisingly immature," she laughs as the elevator slows to a halt, giving a single chime. Out in the hall, the walls are painted a light shade of tan from about hip height up, while a bold green color fills in the bottom portion. "Here, to the right," Tanya directs, heading down the hall a few doors before opening the door on the left marked "517". "Hey guys!" She calls through the door. "I've got Robert!"
When he enters the apartment, Robert's greeted by a general chorus of greetings. Patricia waves from the couch in the living room beyond the kitchen, still wearing her work clothes. "Hey Robert!" she calls, before pointing to the other members of the small party and introducing them, one by one. Kristoff is a jackal-headed fellow in a grey sweater and jeans, Marley's the mage in the slinky red dress straight off Mrs. Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the girl wearing shorts and a tie-dye t-shirt is the werewolf Naya, Paul is the Fair Folk in business casual leaning against the wall, and Will the nixie and Jane the other mage are the couple reclining in the beanbag that's resting in the corner. A few bottles of beer have already been opened and are mostly on hand to their respective drinkers as most of them, Will and Jane excepted, watch an episode of a crime drama while chatting.
"So, Robert," the faerie eventually begins. "How's Pat been treating ya? Heard she was pretty happy to meet a Knower." Taking a sip of his beer, a concerned expression crosses his face as he asks, "You are the Knower friend, right?"

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

The red-head gives another winning smile at Marci's fluster as he replies, "Good afternoon, Miss Kensworth. My name's Jack. Now, a nice lady like you surely wouldn't lie to me, so I think we can just skip the binding oaths. If you could just raise your hand for a moment..." He pauses, mouthing words as he scribbles on a clipboard in front of him before continuing, "Alright, go ahead and lower it again. Now, I'm sorry if this question happens to offend, but it's required, you know how it is: what manner of myth are you?"

Marci nods softly and seems to calm herself down a little when he continues to smile after her little flustered moment and then she blinks softly though doesn't show her confusion about the term binding oaths they weren't that hard to figure out after all. She raises her hand as she was told. She watching him intently, especially when he mouths those words before perking back up at his next direction and continues to smile. She nods gently to him and chuckles. "Oh, myth? I'm a werewolf." She said in as much of a nonchalant tone as she could muster.

"And quite a lovely werewolf you are," Jack replies, marking something down on his clipboard. "Did you happen to see anything going on at the Gate? No need to say much, a yes or no will get you out of here quickly and I'm sure you want to get home."

Marci couldn't help but blush at the compliment and chuckles to him. "Thanks a lot." She said with a small smile. Then she became a little more attentive when he asked his question. "I didn't see anything at all i'm afraid." She rubbed the back of her head a little wondering if the man that had been motioned to by the singer would have had anything to do with what happened. Though, noticing the marking of the clipboard she didn't want to say something that'd cause her to be asked to take additional questionings elsewhere and risk being discovered as a human instead of what she had told him.

"Alright, thank you," he says, writing some more on his clipboard. With a crisp fold and tear, he hands Marci a small scrap of paper and continues, "If you remember anything, or just want someone to talk to, feel free to contact me at this number." Smiling one last time, he gestures to the opening in the barrier behind him as the crowd's noise level resumes its previous pitch and says, "Have a nice day, Miss Kensworth!"

Marci nods and continues to smile her cheeks still a slight crimson from the earlier compliment. She looks to the clipboard once again upon hearing the sound of paper tearing. Taking the aforementioned scrap of paper she nods again. "I'll do that." Her eyes then fall upon the opening in the barrier when it was motioned to. She lightly scratches at one of her ears when the sound of the crowd returns and then smiles again. "You too Jack." She said before casually exiting through the aforementioned gap in the barrier. Sighing softly she rubs at the back of her head again as shewalks wanting to get a good distance away she shudders. Soon curiosity to what had happened was slowly getting the better of her, figuring it may be something of a political scandal, she was going to have to head back and maybe check things out when she got the chance. Sighing yet again Marci decides to see how far the news of what happened may have traveled already. Thinking back she pulls her cell phone from her pocket, finding Robert's number in her phone's contact list, dials.  "Hey Robert, hypothetical question for you.... You hear anything about Langdon gate recently?"

[JamesCray]

"You and me both, but don't tell anyone, I'm pretty sure that I was supposed to turn in my sense of humor when I got my Master's." Robert replies to Tanya's self- deprecating estimation of her maturity with a conspiratorial wink and grin. As they arrive at the apartment itself, and introductions are made, he greets each of them in turn by name, with a slight bow that had become habit over the years, particularly after his semester in Kyoto.
"Quite well. A joy to be around, and more than competent. Quite the pleasant surprise compared to the last time I got put in charge of training someone. And yes, that would be me," he confirms.

[Inumo]

Five of Swords

"Marci? Is that you?" Robert's voice is short and hushed in Marci's ear. He doesn't wait for a response before he continues. "Look, things are going down here. Don't come back until Tuesday, at least. I'll call you if that changes." With that, he hangs up.

Two of Pentacles

"How could you forget?" Patricia jumps in after Robert, playful indignation in her tone.
"That's true," Paul replies, a smirk appearing on his face. "He is the only person who'd be your friend." The group shares a small chuckle and look to Patricia, waiting for her response.
"I guess that means you're not a person, huh?" She cuts back, a counter smirk coming to rest on her lips.
Paul lets out a bark of laughter. "Hah! Of course not!" he retorts, swelling his chest and assuming a haughty expression and snooty voice. "I'm one of the Fair Folk. Clearly I'm better than everyone here." The bunch of friends laugh again.
Bringing Robert into the fold, they sit and alternately chatter and watch the crime drama on TV, one half of the room frequently filling in the other half on some important detail they missed from talking amongst themselves. As the show comes to an end, Tanya remarks, "Well, everyone's here. Sounds like wings time!" Everyone assembled stands and starts getting their things together. "Everyone have their coats? Hats? All that jazz?" the satyress asks as she moves to the door.
"Yes, mom," Naya drones from the back of the group, smiling as they file out into the hall, pack into an elevator, and split off into cars once they hit the street.
After some confusion about who's driving who and how to get to the wings place, Robert ends up in the back left seat of Naya's old sedan, the floor covered in a thin layer of discarded fast food detritus, old papers, and even a few articles of clothing. Jane is sitting immediately (and rather closely) to his right in the middle seat, with Will just beyond, while Kristoff rides shotgun. "Sorry about the mess," the werewolf says for the third time.
"Don't worry about it," the jackal-headed fellow responds. Turning to face Robert without putting on his seatbelt, he asks the only human in the car, "So, do you get your clothes tailored?"
((Convo time!))

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Marci's eyes go wide for a moment when she hears Robert speaking in such a hushed voice. She begins thinking of what she could do now. This isn't something she's had experience with. But she felt she had to do something though. Looking back the way she came she just was at a loss. Hanging up her phone, sighs and continues walking. Rubbing the back of her head again and slowly heading for home. Hopefully she'll be able to talk to someone, talk to robert even about what's going on tuesday. For now all she can think to do is head home and on tuesday head into the office.

[Inumo]

The Hermit

When Marci arrives at work on Tuesday, Robert is nowhere to be found. In fact, there seem to be a lot of people missing from the distribution center; the front lady seems to have been replaced by a temp, and the place practically echoes with how few people were running around picking up packages. Suddenly Paul bumps into her, carrying a stack of boxes for the assignment shelves. "Oh, Marci!" He says, quickly setting the stack down on top of a filing cabinet. He talks without waiting for Marci to respond as he continues, "Glad to see you're here. I completely forgot how many people were going on vacation this week. Robert said you'd caught some stomach bug or something; how're you feeling? Actually, since you're here, d'you mind delivering some of these packages? There's thankfully not too many things this week, but it still ended up being more work for each of us that's left." Lifting the stack, he makes two stacks out of it by placing boxes down in alternating piles. "Here, their destinations are all on the boxes," he finishes, patting the top of one tower before picking up the other. "See you around!" With that, he resumes his journey to his shelf - presumably to organize the deliveries and start them off - and leaves Marci alone in the hallway.