Bishop's Stone (IC)

[Inumo]

Two of Wands

It's a minute or two before Luke responds. I'll... think about it. As to the nightshade, put it in your microwave. I think we have the same model. Kevin glances up from draining the pasta as David does so, but refrains from commenting. After a moment, Kevin starts, looks at the microwave, and says, "See, this is why new mages are perfectly acceptable in my book," just as Luke texts, Got it. Yay Google. I'll make the potion tonight. Inside the microwave, the nightshade is now gone, apparently magicked away by Luke. "I think your brother will do just fine," Kevin says as he pours his dinner into a bowl, before leaving the kitchen with food in hand.

Six of Wands

With a bit of wandering, Lorelei finds herself in one of the more popular restaurants of the city, Sylvan's. Well known for its quality shepherd's pies, Lorelei manages to come in as the dinner rush is tapering off, leaving her with an empty table with chairs for two, but setting for one. The waiters are prompt, albeit a tad slower than might be considered ideal thanks to those who prefer to dine later in the evening. After the pleasant meal, a familiar face approaches Lorelei. "Good evening, Ms. Evans," Jeremy says. "I can't say I'm surprised to see you; you seem more at home here than in the park. How are you tonight?"

[JamesCray]

As he made his way out, Robert kept an eye out for a bookseller or somewhere else he could find some reference material. He felt as if he had tuned into a TV show half-way through. A war? A king dead? He wasn't getting the whole story, and nothing frustrated him more than knowing there was something out there that he didn't know.

He did know two things, however. First, not only his fate, but the fate of the human population of Joneswark was in the balance. If he were smart, he would pack his things and book it while he still could, but although he was gifted with intelligence, fate had been nowhere near as generous with common sense. Second, and perhaps as consequence of the first point of knowledge, he was nowhere near drunk as he would like to be at the moment. Perhaps, he thought, he would pay the Sparrow and Quail a visit. It would make it less suspicious if he ended up there on the day of the solstice festival. Something about the train of thought caught him, and he paused.

"The Summer Sun Festival!" he laughed to himself. Truth was stranger than fiction indeed. He just hoped this one went smoother than the one on the show.

[justacritic]

"Just keep calm" Lemick took that advice to heart. He went about his daily life and job with that emotion in mind. Eventually the summer festival will come and Lemick would set a good example of a human. Hopefully this would help prevent a war on humanity.

[Azlan]

Ever the polite, social type, Lore politely smiled and responded in a cheerful tone, "oh Mr. Stevens, how delightful it is to see you again.  I am most well, thank you for asking, how are you this fine evening?"

She demurely took a sip of her pleasant tea, "hmmm?  Oh yes, the park is nice, but I am from the north country, as such there is always something comforting about warm tea and shepherd's pie."

[Inumo]

The Empress

Unfortunately for Lemick, today is perhaps the worst day for keeping calm. As it happens, someone has decided to bring their pets to the bank, "their pets" being almost an entire menagerie. Fur and scales; shrieks, woofs, and hisses; and of course, waste of every horrible smell imaginable. Amid the din, however, is the sound of... laughter? It cannot be attributed to one singular animal; alone, they sound normal. When taken as a whole, however, there is a mad cackle spread between the beasts, a single syllable stated one at a time by every cat, dog, lizard, snake, and monkey. There is more to this menagerie than meets the eye.

Five of Swords

"I'm doing well, thank you," Jeremy replies to Lorelei, still standing. "I took your advice and called Marcus out on the duel, and while he admits to the illegitimacy of the duel, he insists that I still accept it. I've taken to ignoring him, and have simply been spending time with Marianne as we both are able. I understand Marianne spoke with you about a week  or so ago? She said it was quite enlightening, and I must admit I'm curious as to what was discussed."

The High Priestess

Robert can find the odd newsstand and the like as he left, but each one he passes had no papers left to sell, and the TVs in the windows are all focused on the latest fashion trends in the Eastern city of Binan. Meanwhile, at the Sparrow and Quail, while the patrons' discussion is no more elucidating, there was plenty to enjoy. The classically-styled tavern serves spring water and a wide selection of wines. In addition, they serve a historic half meal, half drink known as kykeon, an old peasant's drink of barley, water, and rye ergot that induces mild hallucinations. As Robert takes a seat at the bar, the bartender asks, "What'll it be?"

[Azlan]

Lorelei smiled warmly and dabbed at her lips with her serviette.  Gesturing to the open seat at her table she quickly and politely added, "oh but where are my manners, please, please sit down."

Pausing to allow Jeremy to do so, she again took a sip of her tea before continuing, "well, she and I had a nice discussion about relationships, duels, and what would be best for everyone.  It would not do for a lady to speak of someone without them being present, but you should speak with her as soon as you can about the both of you."

[justacritic]

Lemick's eyes turned into little slits. While there were "take your pet to the bank" events once in a blue moon, people normally kept their pets on their best behavior. It was almost as if someone was trying to provoke the bank. He checked up on his employee handbook because while problems like this were normally handled by security, people had the idea that janitors were the go to guy for everything. This was true, to a point Lemick was expected to do some odd jobs now and then. However he wasn't hired to do someone else's job for them.
      If security wasn't going to show up then Lemick would try to politely inform the owner of this collection of animals of bank policies regarding animals. Until then he would try his best to clean up as much of the mess as possible. As for the hint of laughter among the animals, well it was a free country and if they did not have any manners then it was their problem.

[Inumo]

The Heirophant

((AmberCross let me know that he had no reaction to make.))

The next day, David wakes to find Kevin studying in the living room. "Hey David," he calls as the "werewolf" enters. "So you know, my family decided to come by later today to try and subtly find out more about your brother. After all, he's managed to hide himself away, and apparently him and his fellow churchgoers decided to go on a no-contact retreat. Also, as a reminder, the full moon's tonight, so you'll want to lock up and try to sleep before it gets full dark. Sheets might get shredded otherwise, I've seen it happen."

Queen of Pentacles

"Wha-- Oh, God dammit," the pet owner, a woman in a fine suit, says to Lemick. She quickly sets to work pulling bags out of her pockets as she returns from the side room where she was speaking with a banker to the lobby. Using a spare set of bank forms as a disposable scoop, she begins cleaning up alongside the janitor and even applies some liquids that she says are great for the stains the animals sometimes leave behind. "Sorry, my pet sitter was in a car accident, so I couldn't leave them at home safely. I'll get them outside, hang on." Between sharp commands, an extendable fishnet, and some very quick hands, she removes the menagerie from the bank and into a variety of kennels and cages in her car. "I don't know why I got so many of them, honestly..." she says as she works. "Just they all kind of called to me, if you understand the feeling. Here, if you need to charge me anything..." She draws a business card out of an inside pocket as she returns and hands it to Lemick. "Maria Zrinka, mechanical engineer," she says, though her business card appears to be little more than scribbles and a couple toll-free phone numbers. "Again, sorry. Have a nice day!"

Queen of Pentacles

Jeremy nods at Lorelei as he sits, saying, "Well, she has shown me Avalon, though I must admit it's hard to believe. I'm not sure how to feel about the whole enchantment thing, since it means I could spend thirty minutes talking to someone about it and they'll fill in some kind of gobbledeygook memory they didn't ever have." He grimaces, then continues, "Fortunately, I don't need to worry anymore about leaving the city since the duel was invalidated, though at the same time I worry about the politics she's mentioned that might not be necessarily in our favor. She did promise that she'd take me out of here if they get too hazardous, though; her tree can survive some transportation, I hope. However, having seen Avalon, I worry about, well, you. You helped me, so before I forget, is there anything that I can do to help you?"

[AmberCross]

David was oddly cheered by the idea that his brother had managed to give the mages the slip, not only magically but also physically and without having to run away. He nodded to Kevin's reminder, "I know. Even before all this I was an amateur astronomer and tended to keep the phase of moon in mind." David contemplated admitting to Kevin that he was not actually a werewolf, but stopped for two reasons. Firstly, he was just way too used to keeping secrets, even ones that weren't true. It would feel weird just outright telling his roommate that he was a 'normal' human. Secondly, he was still irrationally irritated at Kevin for no particularly logical reason so he really enjoyed the idea that he was pulling a fast one on him. The fact that Kevin was a mage and thus probably had a built in lie detector just made the feeling even more delicious. Plus, his rational side cautioned, better to sate his irrational irritation with something harmless like this than something serious, because it was just bad form to allow unbased feelings to cause serious harm.

[Meany]

Nanabi wanted to go out and find a forum of some sort.  Where people gathered just to talk.  But that would wait, as there was business to attend to.  For one, some information on the city itself; finding a place that sold maps and bus schedules (did the fey use buses, the old woman wondered), what they used for currency, and what the conversion rate was.  If there was a tour service anywhere in the city (perhaps fey from other cities visited, Nanabi speculated), she would certainly elect to attend one.

[justacritic]

Lemick gave a deep sigh as the woman helped in cleaning up the mess of her pets. It was nice to see some people taking responsibility in this day and age. He left Maria's card to his superior and informed them of her offer to help pay for any damages and such. Thankfully that seemed to be the worst of the day and his shift soon was finished. As Lemick headed home, he thought about what to wear to that Summer Festival. He needed something that gave a good impression but unmistakably told everyone around him that he was human. So Lemick decided to search through his pitiful excuse of a wardrobe and storage chests.

[JamesCray]

"Well, I've certainly never had Kykeon before, and I'm always up for a new experience." Robert said, both curious about the effects of the beverage and fairly certain that Doctor Bishop would be terribly disappointed in him if he ever skipped the chance to try a hallucinogen. He thought for a moment, and asked "Before I partake, is there anything I should know, or expect when it hits me?"

[Azlan]

Lorelei gives a polite, little laugh as she responds, "oh there is no need for that, I shan't require anything of you.  Love is an important thing, more than anything I dare wager.  I can not put a price on you or Marianne's happiness."

Taking a sip of her tea, she considers something briefly before responding, "I do urge you to be careful though, do not allow others to know of this perception, there are others in Avalon that would not take kindly to us mortals being aware.  If you wish to repay a kindness then I would ask that you be friendly and helpful to those of the fair folk that need it and stay away from the politics of either side."

[Inumo]

((FYI, I'm going to be out of the country starting the 21st, so I won't be able to post up another GM post until August 12th.))

King of Cups

At around two in the afternoon, David hears a knock at the apartment door. "We're here!" Comes a feminine voice as the door opens.
"Hey Mum. Hi Dad," Kevin says as he greets them with affectionate hugs. "How was the trip?"
"Oh, you know," a more masculine voice replies. "Same as always. May we come in?"
"Of course! Here, let me start some tea."
"Wonderful. Is your roommate home?"
"Yes, he's right there."
Kevin's parents come into view shortly after. The mother is a thin, aged woman wearing a blue blouse and skirt, while the father a sharp gray suit that brings out the gray in the hair over his wrinkled face. "Hello!" Says Kevin's mom. "How's Avalon and the like treating you?"
"Mother..."

Page of Pentacles

There is little of substance in Lemick's wardrobe, unfortunately. Aside from a few pairs of boxers and a couple well-worn shirts and jeans, there isn't much that would make a good impression. Fortunately, there is almost enough for one decent outfit. All that's missing is a shirt that doesn't have a few holes in it. The question is, what style should he be looking for at the local thrift store?

Page of Pentacles

"Of course," Jeremy replies to Lorelei. "Though doing something I already was planning to do doesn't particularly feel like I'm repaying you properly. I'll just owe you a favor in the future." He glances towards the door, than moves to get up. "It was nice seeing you again. If you'll excuse me... Have a nice night." With that, he bows and takes his leave, exiting the restaurant arm-in-arm with Marianne.
On the way home, a child runs up alongside Lorelei. "Excuse me, mum," the little boy asks. "Can you help me for half a minute?"

Three of Cups

The maps and bus schedules are easy enough for Nanabi to find, and it is clear that money changes hands in dollars and cents, just as in the city. Tours, however, are scarce. It isn't until she's sitting in the central plaza that a faerie walks by and says, "Hey, lady. You don't look like you're from around here. Need some people to show you around?" Not waiting for an answer, he hops onto a ledge and calls out, "Hey! Giving this lady a tour of Avalon! Anyone wanna help out?" Within moments, an excited group has gathered around Nanabi, all edging her onto her feet. They all shout their suggestions of first destinations at her. "The Midnight Market!" "Mushroom Alley!" "No, the psychic's place!" "Wait! What about the Shinto Quarter?" Place after place is named, until at last the first faerie shouts, "Enough! Let the lady decide! Where to, ma'am?"

Queen of Pentacles

The bartender, a woman satyr wearing a blue vest for modesty, answers Robert. "It's not as strong as acid, but you should still be careful about doing anything until it's completely worn off," she starts as she begins mixing the ancient drink. "The floor and walls will still 'breathe,' and you might get some distortions in sound or sight, but in my experience it's not strong enough to cause a bad trip." After a few moments, she passes a mug of the half-drink over the counter to Robert. "Normally I'd serve it in some kind of goblet, but everyone else is using them. Hope you don't mind, and enjoy your drink." With that, she wanders down the bar to another customer, leaving Robert to try the kykeon on his own.

[AmberCross]

Apparently, The Fool

(warning: since Inumo and I talked this out in chat, this post is really freaking long)

David internally grimaced. Kevin's parents were clearly anything but subtle. Still, they couldn't make him tell them anything and with his brother safely hidden away they were not really a threat so there was no reason not to be civil. "No, it's fine," he reassured his roommate before answering the question. "Aside from.... the obvious issues... Avalon is quite nice." As he said this, his hand slipped to his pocket where the rosary chord was visible. In his mind he meant having to pretend to be a werewolf. In their it probably sounded like he meant BEING a werewolf. He probably needn't have bothered however as they seemed completely oblivious.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Kevin's mother. "I remember Kevin's first trip to Sanctuary back in our hometown. Even with the guides, he was so-" whatever she was going to say next was cut off by Kevin's quick interjection, "Mom, could you *not* reveal my embarrassing past to my roommate?"

His father chimed in, "Oh, but it was so funny watching your reaction!"
"Maybe to you, but I was downright horrified," Kevin replied.
His mother completely failed to take the hint as she continued blithly on, "Very well, dear, we'll not talk about you hiding behind my skirts when you saw your first Satyr. How was your first trip, David, was it?"

Thinking a moment, David answered, "It was... surprising. I suppose. But at the same time, I guess I knew it was there anyway? It might have been wishful thinking, but I have always felt there was something... else."
The man in front of him nodded sagely as if he knew what David was thinking. "Ah, one of those people! It must have been quite the wish fulfillment getting to see that other world."

David frowned, not liking this assumption not only because it felt dismissive, but also because it just didn't seem to fit. "Not really. Wish fulfillment would be sunshine and happyness everywhere. This is more like... normal life, but now there's just more to it."
Kevin's mother sat down on the couch primly. Knees pressed together and the very picture of politeness. It reminded David uncomfortably of his own mother's primness and proper behavior. "Ah," she said. "That makes sense, I suppose. Will tonight be your first full moon experience?"
David grimaced. Tonight was in fact the first full moon since he had started pretending to be a werewolf. "I guess you could say that... people keep saying it will be violent if I'm not careful." He stopped a moment to consider. From here out it could get harder pretending since he couldn't explain any slipups in knowledge or wording with the fact that he hadn't changed yet. "I guess I'm a bit apprehensive," he admitted finally.

"You'll be fine," Kevin reassured him. Obviously misinterpreting that last statement (as David had intended) to refer to the change itself. "I'll make sure you're in bed by the time it gets dark."

For a moment David interpreted that as something else entirely and found himself blushing slightly before realizing Kevin was of course referring to the werewolf thing and not any sort of seduction or anything like that. David really wasn't even sure why he thought that in the first place or why he had been embarrassed by it. After all, if Kevin was gay (which he probably wasn't) then it was his business and David wasn't gay so it hardly mattered anyway. Right?

Though apparently, David wasn't the only one to get that impression as Kevin's mother cleared her throat. "Dear, you know how I am about modern conversations. Are you hitting on your poor roommate?" This did nothing to make David less embarrassed.
Kevin sighed, giving David a consoling look of shared pain. "No mom, I'm making sure he doesn't make more werewolves."

David again had a moment where he interpreted that to mean that by taking him to bed, David would have sex with him instead of a girl and therefore not have children that would also be werewolves. He knew this was not what Kevin had meant at all, but the thought ran through his mind anyway and David blushed all the harder for it while reminding himself that neither he, nor Kevin, were gay and that he should stop thinking about this.

Kevin's mother arched an eyebrow at him, and then at David before replying, "Just saying, we're ready to accept you if you turn out gay." Similar to before, this was really, really not helping. Thankfully Kevin's father had, it seemed, decided this was enough for the current topic and decided to change the subject. "SO! Ah, David. I understand you have family?"

David took a moment to thank the god he did not believe in for this change in topic, leaping on it with all the ferocity of a small child given ice cream. "Yes!" he exclaimed, a little too loudly perhaps. "Yes I do!" It was an obvious lead in to trying to get information about his brother, but right now he really didn't care.
"Nice, nice. How's your mom and dad?"
David paled a bit. In retrospect, perhaps this wasn't as good a topic change as he had hoped. He really didn't like talking about his parents.
"I'm guessing they don't know you're a werewolf yet?" Kevin's dad prompted further.
"Oh... they're... alright." David replied noncommittally. "I don't see them often at college, but no. I haven't told them anything about Avalon, werewolves, and stuff."
"Right, right. We're able to meet Kevin a lot for a meal or something thanks to our magic, so I suppose we have a bit of a different dynamic."
Kevin muttered something about their amazing sense of timing as David replied, "Yeah... I'm not sure my mother would notice magic if you hit her in the face with it."
"Of course not!" Kevin's mother chimed in. "That's what the Fair Folk's enchantment is all about!"
"Well yes, but I mean even without that, I'm pretty sure she would ignore it."
"Not if we set her house on fire with it." Kevin interjected to his mother's dismay. "Kevin!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, just making a point. I'm not actually going to go and burn her house down," he replied, although David kind of wished that he had meant it. The look on his mother's face would probably be quite worth it.
Kevin's father cleared his throat, "Anyway, Kevin said you have a brother?"
David smiled to himself as Kevin's mother whispered something to her husband and he whispered back. Honestly, these two were hardly subtle about anything. "Ah, yes I suppose I do," he said, allowing his smile to turn wistful. "I've only seen him a few times since moving to college though. Like my parents we didn't really keep as much in contact as we should have."
Kevin's dad once more nodded sagely, as if he knew exactly how David felt. Actually in this case it was possible that he did. "That makes sense," he said. "I remember forgetting all about my family when I left for college too."
"Which I'd like to do as well sometimes, you realize..." Kevin added.
"Oh hush," his mother replied. "We'd like to hear your voice a least every once in a while."
"Once a week though? It feels more like my vacation in Utah than actually being in college." Kevin countered.
David looked awkwardly back and forth not sure how to react as Kevin's father said, "Please, save it for next time. You know what they say about dirty laundry and all that."
Kevin trailed off, "Yeah, yeah..." and the conversation lulled.
"So, uh... Anything I can help you with before you head back?" he continued.
His mother nodded. "The tea is sounding like a good idea about now."
"Crap! The tea!" Kevin exclaimed, hurrying to the kitchen.
David sighed inwardly, disappointed they hadn't just decided to leave. But apparently they weren't going to give up and the moment Kevin was in the kitchen, his parents exchanged a glance ladden with enough hidden meaning to level a cornfield. "Kevin mentioned your brother visited you recently with the rest of your family?"

David had to give her credit for being persistent, if nothing else. "Oh yes," he replied. "It was really sudden."
The conversation continued a bit longer as Kevin's parents asked more questions, and David answered them implying he knew nothing while dodging verbal traps and avoiding implications that he was dodging familial duties. Really the whole conversation felt almost nostalgic, like family dinner at home. As Kevin returned with tea and the conversation petered out as the two mages eventually ran out of ammunition or decided that maybe David really didn't know anything about it, they made their farewells. David felt particularly proud of himself for managing that without even a single lie.

Kevin returned after seeing his parents out and leaned against the counter. "Well that was... awkward."
David smiled, "Yeah, your parents are just as bad as mine are!"
"Hey now, your parents are pretty horrible. Mine just have magic."
"Which I say evens it up. At least mine don't barge in once a week after all."
"True, true..."
David paused a moment as they both took a sip of tea. After tossing a few things back and forth in his mind he decided it was time to trust Kevin as well as find out for sure if his running assumption that mages can hear lies was true.
"Hey Kevin? Do mages have an innate sense for when someone's telling the truth? I've been trying to be really careful about how I word things, but if this happens again it might be easier if I could flat out lie."
"Oh we have our ways to tell, but they all require like a day of prep, so it's rarely worth it. Generally you're safe."
"Oh good..." David took a breathe. Now it was time to drop the big one. "I guess I should tell you then. I'm not actually a werewolf."
Kevin was at a loss for words momentarily. "... Wait, what? Really? Why the rosary then?"
"That's so people will THINK I'm a werewolf. I figure you're my roommate though, and since you're not trying to kill my brother after all, I don't really have a reason not to tell you."
"How do you know about magic and all that, then?"
"You know, I'm still not sure. I think someone was experimenting with breaking that enchantment for limited numbers of people to make a point that humans and fae can live together without conflict. I wasn't paying too much attention though because I was preoccupied with other things."
"So, what, you just happened to get pegged by it? How'd you find Avalon then?"
"Oh, he introduced us to it. He explained everything and something about the politics. I just wasn't paying attention. Bartholomew... he's a totem crow, he was the one who suggested I pretend to be a werewolf and has been giving me actual information."
"Oh, so that's why that crow made a nest in that tree outside... Huh."
Kevin seemed to consider this a moment, almost saying something once or twice before evidently settling on, "Well, I'm gonna... go... get started on next week's Asian History reading..." and heading into his bedroom.
David decided to do the same, saving any further fallout from this conversation for another time and turning in early that night, even though he didn't have to because of the moon.

[justacritic]

Lemick was rather put out and resolved to go to the local thrift stores when possible. Surely they would have clean affordable white dress shirts at affordable prices. Then when he would go to that festival, he wouldn't be too ashamed about his appearance. Still Lemick wondered what the days that will follow would bring. hopefully he thought the fey won't elect a leader that wants to declare war on us.

[JamesCray]

"Hmm..." Robert swirled the drink experimentally, looking nervously at the mug, before sighing. "Well, you only live once. Allons-y!"
He took a sip, and quickly came to the conclusion he didn't particularly care for the taste. Not wanting to waste it, however, he took the rest in one long pull, slumped forward against the bar, and waited for the effects to... well, take effect.

[Inumo]

King of Cups

The next morning, David wakes to find Kevin sitting at the table with two mugs of tea. One sits at his elbow. The other is across the table. Its implication is clear. When David enters the room, Kevin half-turns his head and says over his shoulder, "If you'd prefer to save this for later, we certainly can. I don't doubt that you know as well as I that this will happen eventually."

Page of Pentacles

A simple white button-up is easy for Lemick to find at the local thrift shop. Finding one that not only fits, but is clean too, is a bit trickier. However, one turns up with enough looking, with an interesting quirk. Somehow written on the inside without showing through to the back are the words, "For you." Inside the breast pocket is a business card for a cleaning service, apparently within Avalon. Bold black lines written in a quick, pointed hand declare, "Wanted," on its back.

Queen of Pentacles

Further down the bar, one of the bar patrons smirks as she catches Robert's process. After perhaps ten minutes, very little seems to have happened, but the patron approaches. "Y'know," she asks, "do you ever feel like you're being watched?" Goosebumps prickle across Robert's skin, and perhaps that snake on the bar looks a bit too leery. "C'mon," she says with a more genuine smile. "I've got something to show you." She pushes off from the bar, pausing a few steps away to see if Robert will follow.

[AmberCross]

David looked from the coffee table to Kevin, and back, eyebrows raised. It seemed Kevin had something on his mind, though David didn't know what it could be. Rather, scratch that. He knew too many things it could be, from not being a werewolf to knowing about avalon to the whole fiasco with his brother. Still however you sliced it, David saw no reason to forestall the discussion as Kevin had suggested so he picked up a mug and leaned against a wall, sniffing it speculatively. He wasn't exactly a fan of tea, though it was certainly better than coffee. A small sip confirmed that it was a decent flavor so he mentally shrugged and addressed his roommate. "Not sure what's up specifically, but go ahead. I'm listening."

[JamesCray]

Of all the bizarre things that had been happening to him as of late, Robert thought to himself, it was a bit pathetic that he found the fact that a woman approached him at a bar the most surprizing. However, despite his timid nature he had a predisposition toward trusting women, and this was no exception. He stood up carefully, initially unsure of his balance while under the influence of a new psychotropic, and made to follow where she led.

[Inumo]

Four of Wands

Kevin leans back, studying David carefully. He takes a moment to think, idly tapping his thumb on his hip, before speaking. "When I figured you for a werewolf, you wouldn't believe how excited I was," he begins. "You know my opinions on the mage family's traditions, and as you can no doubt imagine, they are not exactly popular with many people of my ilk. College life did little to expand my social circle; I chose grades and sleep, not society, so most of the friends I have are only friends to the classroom door, perhaps slightly beyond. The remaining few friends are only humans, and though they think they know me, they can only know so much of me thanks to the enchantment. I cannot tell every story to them. Finding out that you knew this world, though, that you saw it for what it really was? I thought, 'At last, someone I can be good friends with. It won't be hard to find time here and there to talk with him; after all, we live together. Our schedules may not line up very often, but it's more often than never, right?' And yet, it seemed a bit too good to be true.
"I was worried that it might turn out that there was something that would turn this hope into a missed opportunity, or worse, a sham. Some detail I was overlooking in my exuberance, some twist of Fate that would prove her cruelty. Sure enough, I was right. You aren't a werewolf, but a human. And I'm not sure I know you enough to trust you as such.
"Tell me, have you heard of a man named Duke Orphenthal in your experience with Avalon? He is a great man, one with wealth, influence, and most importantly, a cause. Once, he had a son named Len. Len Radley Orphenthal. Len was a good man. He went to college, became a doctor, made his own path in life without forgetting those who helped him carve it. Most importantly, he was compassionate. He always looked at the good side of a person before the bad. Ultimately, his compassion got him killed. You see, he fell in love with an engineer he met while at college, and in time, they got married, despite many people warning of the dangers of a faerie marrying a human. Their honeymoon was to be a road trip across the country, sightseeing along the way. A cautious man, Len mapped their trip so that they would hit some of the Havens along the way, so that she wouldn't lose the enchantment and see the truth, just in case. However, their car broke down between here and Bastion, and it wasn't repaired in time to reach Bastion. His body was found in a ditch, stabbed seven times in the back. The investigators found his wife dead in a motel bathroom a week later, having committed suicide by slitting her wrists. It's believed that she was driven to that point after no one she called even recognized that she was telling them that her husband was a faerie."
Kevin pulls out a stone from his pocket and leans forward again, placing it on the table. He stares at it for a moment, silent. Thinking. "The Duke's story is a perfect example of why my kind and your kind cannot get along. You cannot handle the stress we create. It is for your own good that we keep you under the enchantment. I had hoped some that you might be busy, and would put off this talk. I wasn't sure if this was the right choice. To be honest, I'm still not absolutely certain. But my desperation for friendship cannot be placed above the safety of the lives of all who live in Avalon. I am sorry." Deliberately, he grips the stone between his thumb and index finger and traces a circle on the table with it. A light male voice comes from the stone.
"Avalon non-emergency hotline, how can I help you?"
"I need to report a Knower."

Ten of Pentacles

Thanks to the kykeon, Robert's balance is slightly unsteady, but with the woman's aid he is able to walk fairly normally, though perhaps not perfectly. Outside, she leads down the street, then into one of the many alleys of Joneswark. As they walk along, it feels as though she is leading down more right turns than should be physically possible, when suddenly it opens up onto a well-lit side street Robert doesn't recognize. In the bright light, he can now see that the woman is wearing a black leather jacket over a white tank top and khaki slacks. A fox perks up as they approach, while a satyr wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt and baggy cargo shorts pushes off from a wall. "Aw yeah," the fox says in a feminine voice as it stands. "Gotta love the Sparrow and Quail."
"Considering it's the only place that serves kykeon anywhere near here?" The satyr rumbles as he tosses a bundle of clothes towards the fox before discreetly turning away. "Definitely gotta love it."
"Hey, you gonna cover his eyes or something?" The fox asks of the woman as she starts tugging at the bundle. "I have a sense of modesty, you know."
"Oh please, Nin," she replies. "Like you have modesty. You've been in much more compromising situations and haven't cared." Still, she places a hand over Robert's eyes. When she removes it, the fox is replaced by a young woman tugging a shirt with a tree drawn on it in sharpie into place over a pair of skinny jeans.
"Yeah, well, you're a chick, so I don't mind so much." Grinning, she turns her attention to Robert. "Kykeon's one hell of a drug, ain't it?"
"I will never understand how you can get those jeans on so quickly," the satyr remarks off-hand.

[justacritic]

Well it seemed like the shirt that Lemick had in his hands was the only suitable shirt in the store. Except for that little "For You" note written on it. Not only that but a business card to a cleaning service? Did that cleaning service need customers that badly that they put advertisements in clothing? Then again this did seem too good to be true but it appeared that this was the only possible wearable shirt in the entire thrift store. He bought the shirt, made plans to see this cleaning service, and hoped that they didn't charge ridiculous prices. If they were advertising in a thrift store surely they would understand the budgets of those who frequent there.

[Azlan]

Lorelei starts briefly considering the time of night she found herself walking in.  She glanced about quickly, looking for suspicious sorts.

"It is a bit late lad, what can I help you with?"

[AmberCross]

A thousand replies whirled through David mind. Possible conversations flitting through the potential to occur ranging from the rhetorical, "What so I can handle the stress of being attacked by a wolf, thrown into a whole new world, and having to turn into a wolf myself but you can't trust me not to go crazy just because I'm only going through half that?" to the reasonable appeal, "In the weeks I've known about all this have I ever done anything rash? You say you can't trust me because I'm human and I'm not going to even start to figure out why that matters. Who I am is not a human just like who YOU are is not a mage. Despite what 'you all' tried to do to my brother you don't see me not trusting any mages do you? Hell, I trusted you just by letting you know. I'm disappointed Kevin." There were even a few options where he plead, made a fool of himself, or went into denial when the impact of having his memory erased hit him, but in the end what happened was this:

After a brief stunned silence, David put his mug of tea down with a small 'clank', a disgusted look on his face. "Oh get off your high horse, trust runs both ways," he said, standing up and stalking to his room to grab a coat and his music player. "I'm going for a walk," he called into the other room. He always went on walks when he was in a bad mood. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding me," he finished, tone scathing. Maybe that was why humans couldn't handle the fae. That sense of powerlessness. What could he do if Kevin or someone else from that world decided what David should do? If they wanted to kill him, he had no real defense except attacking back. If they wanted to put him under a spell again there was nothing he could really do except prove their fears right by defending himself.

This world was stacked against humans in a way they simply couldn't defend against without going on the offensive. David found himself sympathizing with the woman who killed her husband. Had she really loved him or had he just used glamor to make her think she did? She must have been thinking the same thing when she panicked and attacked him. He soon found himself in a nearby park, leaning against a tree while staring at a lake as he flipped through song after song until he found something more moody. He realized he was fiddling with the rosary he had bought a few weeks back for camouflage idly, he hadn't taken it off before leaving and seeing it made him remember everything all over again, flashing through the important bits. Suddenly angry, he hurled the rosary into the lake before sitting down against the tree and starting to cry, glad that the park was mostly empty.

For a few weeks magic had existed, and he had used it up too worried about his brother to enjoy it for himself. Granted he would have done the same thing if given the option to do it over (without telling Kevin this time of course, but assuming Kevin found out some other way) because his brother was worth it, but it still stung. The worst part of it was that David knew now that the fae were right to keep humans out of the loop. Perhaps people could handle it on an individual basis, but as a society there would be too much resentment towards a race they could never live with equally.

[JamesCray]

For about a minute, Robert just stood there dumbfounded. He had imagined any number of things, but this was one of the last things on the list. After all, in the words of John McClane, how many times can the same thing happen to the same guy?

"It is indeed. One moment, please let my brain reboot." Robert said, his voice unsteady, a bit of shock evident on his face. Now that he was in this situation, he didn't quite know how to deal with it. If he lied, and acted like this was his first go-round, it could easily come back to bite him on the ass, but then, laying all his cards out immediately could prove just as problematic. In the end, he decided he needed more information, and he wasn't going to get that by standing around looking like a moron. Taking a deep bresth, he steadied himself, and tried to keep as much straight in his head as the effects of the kykeon would allow.

"Uh, hi, I'm Rob. I'm sorry to have to ask this, but is it possible someone could please explain to me what's going on?"

[Inumo]

((Ergh, my bad. I remembered that I needed to post this morning, but put it off in case of last-minute posters, then forgot before it was Monday. ^^;))

The Tower

The park was too peaceful for what had just happened to David. The few ducks that had stirred in the wake of his rosary calmly return to their routines, and a gentle breeze stirs the boughs overhead into a soft sussuration like a mother calming a child. In the distance, a man in blue approaches; as he nears, it's clear that he is one of the Fair Folk. His dark blue robe is belted about the waist with a wide black leather belt, while a lighter blue post-boy cap rests on his head. Pinned to his chest is a silver star, from which a gold apple hangs by a brass chain. He looks young, though appearance is hardly a good way to tell the age of a faerie. Oddly, despite his clearly official purpose, he strikes no fear or desire to run. At last he reaches the spot where David sits. "Nice day out, isn't it?" He asks pleasantly, taking a seat beside the young man. Gazing into the leaves overhead, he says, "I've always loved this kind of day. You don't look like you're particularly enjoying it, though." He grins, then continues. "Ah, if only this was possible even a century ago. I miss the fresh air. But, I don't doubt you just want me to get this over with. It's been quite the morning for you, hasn't it?" With that, he turns his attention more fully towards David. "Here's the deal. You're a Knower; you're human, but you know about our world. Now, many see you as a threat. Heck, if you banded together with more people, and even a few of them were particularly panicky, you would be. But you, you had some preparation before you were dropped in, didn't you? Maybe not anything official, but that's beside the point. You didn't panic; you welcomed this life. And I'm here to keep you that way, though the others may not know it. Of course, you can't go back without having at least some semblance of a mind-wipe; your roommate will be asking questions, all sorts of things like that. So, here's the plan: I'll give you a... temporary mind-wipe, of sorts. It'll block out your interactions with our world for a couple of days. Then, when the heat's off, you'll return to normal, and you'll have all your memories back. It should be in time for the festival, so in return, just be a good guy when you deal with us. Sound like a deal?" He searches David's eyes for a moment before nodding. "Well, you may not think it right now, but I'm seeing a 'yes.' Good luck, and don't tell anyone." He presses a finger to his lips, and time seems to skip forward.
The next few days are a blur, punctuated by decently-sharp memories of classes, notes, studying, and one test. Suddenly, David wakes up in his bed. One day to go before the festival.

Queen of Cups

It's the next day before Lemick can make time in his schedule to head to the cleaning service. "Good day to you, siram," the woman working the front desk says. "May I scan your thoughts? It will make this business much faster."

((justacritic, I expect this scene to have a lot of dialogue. If you want to PM me or find me on llearch's IRC, we can speed up the process by having the conversation more than once a week.))

Page of Pentacles

"Follow me," the child says to Lorelei. "My pa needs help." As he runs down the street, his feet make a rhythmic clip-clop noise; clearly he was a satyr. Slowing to let the woman catch up, he leads Lorelei down a few back alleys, rapping his knuckles against the wall as he goes, until at last the two reach a park. The boy speeds ahead to a bush, where he drags an unconscious man out from a small shelter. "We need to get home, but I can't drag my pa all the way to his apartment, and all the people 'round here get nervous 'round him this close to the full moon, even though it's still a day away. Please, mum, can you help?"

Seven of Swords

The satyr and normal-looking woman both clearly stifle a laugh, while the once-fox grins at Robert, explaining, "Oh, don't worry, we're just going for a bit of a walk. 'Course, the kykeon might make things seem a bit strange, but--"
At that point, she can't help but burst into laughter, so the satyr picks up where she left off, hiding a grin behind his hand. "Trust me, speaking from experience, everyone's really a human."
The once-fox, having taken a few deep breaths, reaches a hand out to the satyr. "Hey, pass the bottle, will you? This stuff's more fun when you're drunk." A bottle of cheap wine passes hands, and the trio start leading Robert through streets that are clearly not Joneswark's, and thus by deduction must be Avalon's.

[JamesCray]

"Ah." Robert sighed, crestfallen. This wasn't going to be near as easy as he had thought it was going to be. "Nose buried in too many urban fantasy novels I suppose. Here I had a delightfully terrible joke worked up for you based off what I was seeing since I've not got your names, too." he said, looking to the foxy lady.
"Although I suppose you'd have heard every possible variation on it and I'd have sounded a bit silly, so no big loss. By the way, just tell me to shut it if I get annoying. When I get inebriated I tend to ramble. Speaking of rambling, are we off at random or do we have a destination? I've no idea where we are, as usual."

[Azlan]

Lorelei slipped the unconscious man's arm over her shoulder and lifted herself to a standing position, "of course I will help.  I would not want to leave a man in the park at night like this.  Though I do hope I am not aiding and abetting anything too severe.  How did he come to be this way and what name should I address you and your father?"

Gesturing for him to help lead the unconscious man, Lore regards the child with her strikingly blue eyes, known for piercing the obstinate demeanor of old NCOs.  She expects an answer, though it will not likely stop her from helping in any event.

[Inumo]

Ace of Cups

As Lorelei picks the man up, the first thing she notices is that he quite reeks of booze. "'Aiding and abetting?'" The child says as he turns to lead the way, not noticing her glare. "Mum, you're confusing a poor kid like me. I just want to get my pa outta here. He always said he felt better when he had his metal thing full of his drink, but when he passed out I didn't think that meant he was feeling too good. I'm just glad you walked by when you did; something bad sure woulda happened if you hadn't. Here, this is our door." The two stop in front of a nondescript apartment building, and he stretches to punch a code into the keypad. The door clicks and unlocks, and the kid bounds inside, holding the door for Lorelei before clip-clopping his way to the elevator and pressing the up arrow. A few moments later, the door rattles open and he beckons Lorelei into the lift, punching the sixth floor as one of the light bulbs flickers. "Thanks for doing this, mum," he says on the ride up. "I appreciate it." The elevator creaks to a halt slowly before letting its passengers out, and the kid guides Lorelei to the end of the hall. "Thanks again, mum!" He says as they arrive at the last door. "I got it from here. I think you'd just trip on some of the bottles if you came in, anyways." Giving her a last wave, he starts rummaging through his dad's pockets, looking for his key.

Knight of Cups

"Oh, pfft," says the regular-looking woman in response to Robert. "Destination, shmestination, we just like walking, right Nin?"
"Yes ma'am, walkin's what we do best, Liz," the once-fox answers. "Though it's tough to keep up with Adrian, the big lug."
The satyr plays up the joke, crying, "I take offense to that! I'm not just a big lug, I'm a big smelly lug."
"Oh god," groans Nin with a smile, as Adrian proceeds to monologue about how he's failed his upbringing by not smelling, and how he might go sleep in a dumpster overnight so he can correct such an error. In Nin and Liz's slightly tipsy state, they find it funny all the way from the mushroom-lined streets where it started to its end in the central square, though to Robert it starts to get annoying about two-thirds of the way through as the kykeon starts to wear off. Though they keep passing the bottle of wine around, it never seems to quite empty.
After the trio stumble over to the fountain in the middle, they all take a seat on one side and Liz, who's carrying the bottle, offers it to Robert. "Well, you've listened to him ramble on long enough," she says, her speech slightly slurred by alcohol. "You could prolly use a drink, yeh?"
"Where are we off to next?" Asks Nin, leaning further and further back towards the water in the fountain.

[JamesCray]

Robert nods and accepts the bottle with a quiet smile and nod, having grown a bit introspective walking through the mushroom-lined streets that had seemed so alienating his first time visiting Avalon, but much less so when he wasn't alone. With the proper perspective, it seemed like despite the obvious differences, Avalonians weren't that different from humans in general. They were just people trying to live their lives in happiness and peace more or less, and somehow that didn't make things any less interesting. "A swim, if you're not careful Nin." he says with a lopsided grin, throwing out an arm to help steady the former fox as he took a swig of the wine. He may have thrown a little bit more flourish into the latter than perhaps was strictly necessary, but it seemed to be appropriate to the evening's pleasantly Bacchian mood.