The Clockwork Mansion

It takes a moment for everyone to clamber down from the Stone. Some jump, some carefully climb, but in the end they all end up on the ground by the mysterious figure before a doorway in what was previously seamless rock. A ways below it, you can see faint light shining out from another unseen light source. "Come on, then!" The shadowy figure says, stepping through the doorway and down a short slope towards the other light. He quickly drops out of sight. When everyone looks back on the scene in memory, they remember a slight hesitation, but it was never really sure who went first. Undoubtedly, though, whoever did start it initiated a mass movement through the doorway, past the entryway, and into the bright light.

After a few seconds spent blinking and trying to get their eyes to adjust, the group at last looks about their new surroundings. They've been dumped onto a major thoroughfare, lined with buildings and filled with a crowd of all sorts not ten feet away. Skin ranging from porcelain-white to the darkest black can be seen alongside fins, fur, feathers, and the odd pair of gossamer wings. Your guide is nowhere to be found, yet the allure of the crowd draws the group in, and soon they are all separated, blending in with the menagerie of Avalon.

Six of Swords

Through a series of decisions some might deem unlucky, David Matthews suddenly finds himself in the seedier parts of Avalon. The brilliant houses have become tall apartment buildings, their facades peeling and starting to crack from ages of disrepair. Rubbish is piled along the walls, and a pair of men grin wickedly at him from a street corner, revealing pairs of unnaturally sharp teeth. One spits a disgusting glob of translucent red mucous at David's feet as he passes by, missing by a few inches. A few streets later, the faint beat of some club drifts from behind a doorway covered in silhouettes of mythical beasts in all sorts of poses, guarded by a menacing guard. His feathered head is marred by a jagged scar passing over his missing left eye and continuing onto his beak, an injury he flaunts with a few red feathers surrounding the old wound. A pair of bird legs support his upper body in front of the rear legs of a lion as he sits, watching David pass and silently daring him to cause trouble. The slums go on and on in much the same way, everyone passive-aggressively daring him to prove his worth with a fight.

Six of Wands

Lorelei Ainsley Evans is forced to follow the flow of the crowd to a wide road, where an upbeat yet mournful tune suddenly peals out from the bells of unseen cornets. A hush falls over the milling people as a vast parade passes by, led by a black-cloaked figure riding a skeleton horse. Shimmering wings stick out from the back of the cloak through a pair of slits running to the hem that are buttoned shut. The sole noise as the parade passes is the eerie clip clop clip clop of the skeleton horse as many more in black cloaks follow behind, carrying enormous stretchers laden with carefully arranged bodies between them in a long, silent march. Following behind them is a crowd almost equal in numbers to the bearers, each figure cloaked in pure white. As Lorelei watches, men, women, and those of indistinguishable gender of all kinds, from blue-tinged people covered in scales to jackal-headed figures to people sporting sheer wings like the front rider, don white cloaks of their own and join the parade amid those behind. When at last the parade passes, the crowd disperses, though no one ever crosses the street.

Four of Wands

The strength of the Avalon residents push Robert Orin Charles into a vast market. Pennants and banners hang across the street, and street vendors suddenly sprout up like weeds along the fronts of businesses and hotels, each advertising their purpose and prices with bright paint and bold lettering. The incessant chatter of bargaining fills the air, practically drowning out thought itself. Seaweed, seawater, jade necklaces, onyx necklaces, granite charms, wood totems, speckled ice disks, cloth voodoo dolls, and feathered fetishes are sold alongside DVDs, music albums, candies, blankets, Asian cuisine, bags of salt, furniture, and TVs. More than once the stall owners and tray-laden hawkers yell at Robert over the din. "Meat pies for a fine werewolf like you!" one shouts. "Bag of blood, 'O' negative on my mother's honor!" cries another. "Pretty necklace for your other shape, siram!" a third declares over the row. Suddenly, at the sound of a clock off in the distance, the hubbub quietens and those perusing the wares dissipate talking amongst themselves as the vendors pack up their goods. By the time the clock finally strikes one after an extensive song beginning with the classic pattern, the streets are empty except for the occasional passerby, purposefully heading off to some other destination.

Nine of Swords

By happenstance, Daniel Nevans is carried into the slums in time to catch a dramatic development between two gangs. A collection of animals, from crows to wolves, are gathered on one side of the street, slinging insults across the way at ponies with glistening black skin and a constantly dripping mane. In turn, the ponies retaliate with taunts of their own, filling the air with tension as things appear to be leading towards a fight. The shrill shriek of a whistle interrupts the barrages of slander as blue-uniformed people rush onto the scene from above with the flutter of gossamer wings. As the men and women in blue usher the two gangs apart, they threaten future action in the near future.. When they're at last out of sight, another crowd slowly comes out from the degrading buildings, a mixture of the species found in both gangs approaching the sole remaining authority figure and passing on their thanks. The odd snippet of their discussions as they return home sometimes carries to Daniel's ears, from which he can infer the scene. It seems that these two gangs, the Dreambearers and the Baby Eaters, have been slowly escalating their actions against one another, and the people living in the slums have begun to worry that perhaps, next time, the officers won't be there in time.

Page of Wands

In the better district of Avalon, Nanabi Tybalt slowly finds herself wandering the clean streets of a residential area. Couples walk down the street, arms linked and nodding as they pass by. A bell-covered teen, his face serene as he twirls and steps, performs for an avid crowd of similarly-aged girls, enjoying his fluid movements and the faint, rhythmic tinkle of his dance. A pair of young boys, one with the head of an owl and the other a lion with the head and shoulders of a human, enjoy ice cream in a park. Out in the street, a mixed crowd of winged lizards with long legs, seemingly human children, and goat-legged kids are batting a ball back and forth along the street. As one of the players misses stopping the ball, it rolls towards Nanabi and comes to a rest only a couple feet away as the kids call for her to pass the ball back and join in on kicking it back and forth.

Page of Swords

Out on the edges of the crowd, Lemick Faust is suddenly spit out of the crowd and onto a street corner where a young woman stands, asking for help from the impersonal crowd. Spying him, she approaches quickly and pleads for advice, suddenly bursting into almost a short biography of the last month. The woman speaks of her husband, who she gives every indication of loving deeply, yet has been distant and running errands at odd hours and staying out for much longer than she feels is necessary to run the errands he claims. She isn't sure whether she should contact a friend to help find out what's been going on, or trust that he is in fact doing as he says and try to stop worrying, appending to her plight that she doesn't want some stranger to track him personally, just to offer their advice. At last, she falls silent and looks at Lemick with a mixture of hope and despair.

Ace of Cups

Amidst the hustle and bustle, it's a few moments before Damien Stryfe realizes someone is trying to get his attention by tapping his shoulder. The woman that comes up besides him waves, smiling, and gestures towards the patio seating of a cafe, indicating that they might talk there. When at last they make it to the miniature sanctuary, the woman sits down and calls for a waiter, resting her elbows on the edge of the table. "Aren't you the rare sight," she banters when she's ordered two mugs of coffee and a salad. "A real, flesh-and-blood human in Avalon. It's not often we get your kind down here, hidden as it is." She lets out a light chuckle. "Don't worry, nobody but me and our mutual friend knows you're human. He told me to check the Stone Gate at midnight for wanderers, and sure enough, after those three furry folk and he came through, your group showed up. I must admit, you seemed the most approachable." Holding out her hand, she says, "My name is Vitia Rophenthal. What's yours?"

Lemick Faust looked at the woman who desperately sought out his advice. Love was not a concept he was familiar with, so he drew upon the only source he had, fairy tales. In most stories a love that has turned cold and wandering usually meant either a good or bad thing. The good thing might be her husband was attempting to spring a surprise for her and it was taking more effort than it needed to be. The bad thing might be that the woman's husband was cheating and taking a paramour. It depended on what signs there were. So Lemick asked five questions of the woman.

"Was this a marriage of love from both sides?"
"Do you have any children?"
"Is your husband evasive when you ask about his behavior?"
"Has he lost any interest or happiness in your relationship?"
"Has he ever witnessed him possessing some "inappropriate behavior" before?"

The first two questions if answered yes would show how positive the relationship was before while the other three questions if answered yes show any negative influence on behalf of the husband. If the majority of the questions answered depict a relationship breaking apart then Lemick would advise her to ask for help from a friend and prepare for the worst. However if the answers lead to a positive conclusion of the relationship then Lemick would tell the woman to give her husband the benefit of the doubt but be a little cautious.

Lorelei quietly berates her curiosity at the stone and the wisdom of having jumped into the rabbit hole as it were.  The pale haired lass considered the path behind her and the throng of its crowd, also before her was the road along which the somber progression had traveled.

She closed her eyes, seemingly in thought for a brief moment before she spoke in a low voice, mostly for herself, "Who dares, wins."  With that she progressed onward down the road, though she did not enter or cross it, seeking their mysterious guide.  Foolhardy as it might be to blindly wander in this strange city, some small part of her wished to be impulsive just this once.

The Fool

David wandered down the back alleys of this city that could not possibly exist. All science and logic he had ever known told him that he was dreaming, or perhaps high though he didn't recall when that could have happened. Yet at the same time he could not deny what he was seeing, and if it was a dream... it was unusual for a dream of his. Not because of the seedy alleyways or impossible creations, or even that it felt so real... but rather that he couldn't fly or summon lights or cause the wind to blow or anything. Nearly all his dreams had some sort of ability he didn't normally have and right now he had none of them. He had been trying them one by one as he wandered. Sometimes they only worked when he was in the right frame of mind which might most immediately be caused by being in danger, fighting. But perhaps not just yet.

David felt he wanted to take a bit longer just to keep looking, taking in what he saw. Whether this was a dream or somehow real, David just wanted to see what else was around. He felt like he was walking in a haze, only half believing what surrounded him was real and passive aggressiveness was certainly not going to change that on its own. So instead of becoming uneasy at the gryphon stared at him, he waved and smiled. Instead of glaring at the demon who'd spit what might be an acidic glob at him, he danced an impromptu jig around it and began to hum to himself with a skip in his step. The rubbish he ignored and the grime he overlooked, because in his current mood he felt that every day was a wonderful day, even if sometimes they pretended not to be.

The market was fascinating, easily one of the most remarkable experiences in his life just to view, and Robert relished it, drinking in every detail, trying to burn it all into his memory as permanently as possible. However, although those who didn't know him well often described him as a bit dull in personality, no-one could claim he lacked a sharp intellect, and as the avenue emptied he rapidly came to the conclusion the street-side bazaar was coming to a close. Weighing heavily in the back of his mind was the fact that he was not supposed to be there, and he knew that hanging about would only serve to draw attention to himself. Lacking any sort of guidance, he simply picked a direction and headed in it, attempting to project the attitude he knew EXACTLY where he was going and what was going on. After all, getting caught in a situation like this in the novels he read often meant getting into quite a lot of trouble...

Damien didn't last long with the group.  Due to his body type being far closer to '98 pound weakling' than 'body builder', the hustle and bustle of the crowd quickly shunted him off to the side and away from the others.  Fighting down a quick moment of panic, he started to duck through, calling out soft "Sorry!  Sorry!"s every time he accidentally stepped on a foot.  Or tail.  Finally, though, he found a decent sized, slightly raised alcove in the front of a building that let him step out of the crowd and breathe a soft sigh of relief.

After catching his breath, the young man's expression became positively giddy, and he had to make a definite effort to keep from hugging himself in glee.  It was REAL.  He felt like a kid in a candy store as he breathed in the sights, sounds, and even smells.  Even though it was nighttime, it still seemed to be well-lit down here (wherever here was), and he had a fairly good view.  The small step up didn't allow him to see over many heads (Stupid brothers taking all the tall genes and leaving him the short ones), but what he could see had him beaming.  People of all shapes, sizes, and colors flowed past with the crowd; colorful banners waved from where they were strung across the street (was there a festival going on?); and he gave a soft, excited laugh when a few kids (at least, he thought they were kids.  The fact that one seemed to be a gryphon, another a centaur, and the last had wolf-like features threw him off a bit) raced by with mischievous looks on their faces.  Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in a long time.  Smells hit him more strongly with his eyes shut... The scents of living creatures, of fur and scales and the occasional unwashed body, of food and books and other items, and interwoven with all of this, a scent that stayed just out of reach, first bringing to mind snow and ice and cold moonlit nights, then fire and warmth and companionship, then long stretches of old forests...

Maybe it was the smell of magic.

He was so occupied in trying to pin down that smell that it took him a moment to realize that someone was tapping his shoulder.  When he did, he gave a yelp and stumbled backwards, back fetching up against the outside wall of the store, his eyes comically wide.  He found himself facing a... woman?  Maybe?  He wasn't going to assume anything here, especially what species someone that looked human actually was.  With everything going on here, Damien wouldn't be surprised if there were those with more than one form that lived here.

She looked nice enough, so he followed when she beckoned, soon finding himself sitting across from her in the outdoor seating of a cafe.  He was still looking around in wonder, but at least had the courtesy to quickly pay attention when she started talking.

"Um, well... My name's... Damien.  Damien Stryfe."  Now that he was having to interact with someone, his characteristic shyness and timidness started to come to the forefront.  "Um, miss... if you don't mind me asking... What is this place?"  That seemed to be the most important question to get answered.  Well, that and if he could get home again, but he'd wait to ask that one.  It would probably be rude to ask that straight off the bat.

With the Page of Wands
Nanabi was afraid, though she would not admit it to anyone.  But...she had enough to regret in her life, so she wouldn't let fear stop her this time.  Not that she was being stupid.  She had Ignacio's old stun gun in her purse with her, wishing her late husband had been more of a gun person.

When suddenly.

What is all this?  Nanabi repeatedly asked herself this as she walked down the streets...she had never seen any of these parts of town.  She had never seen...people like this.  For a moment she regretted not taking any self-defense classes in her youth, but remembered that as old as she was, they would do no good.
Looking around at the strange creatures, Nanabi called back on the legends she had heard as a child, of yōkai.  The memories were faded, and broken in places, and ultimately useless as she could not recall any of the things she was seeing now being among them.
When suddenly, a ball came to rest at her feet.  Instinctively, she reached down to pick it up, and heard the cries of the children to come play.  At first her reaction was going to be a scoff but...

Come play, Mommy!
Mommy, wanna play today?

She winced at the memories that came from the train of thought.  Muttering to herself, "Well this is supposed to be a change in pace..."  Slowly, and with clear unfamiliarity, the elderly woman kicked the ball back to the children, and hesitantly began approaching the group.

He had gotten turned around, and seperated from the group. Granted, that may have been a good thing as he didn't know them from Adam but, given the scene he just witnessed, they were tame. As the groups of, "people" were being dispersed, Daniel had stepped off to the side. He pinched himself to see if he was dreaming, the jab of pain confirmed that he wasn't sleeping. He waited for the throngs to disperse before approaching the one person who remotely looked like an official. The surreal nature of what he was going to do bemused him, though he was thoroughly not sure what was going to happen to him. "Excuse me, I don't know what happened here, but I was wondering if you had seen a group of," he glanced around him hesitantly, "well I guess humans is the best description of them. Also, I noticed that there seems to be a dispute going on here. With not being from here, is there anything I need to be aware of?"

((Apologies for the interval between posts. I wanted to keep the plot moving, which required everyone's post. I'll aim for a weekly schedule from here on in, or sooner if everyone is ready for the next major plot point. In between plot points will be all the character development. Also, sorry for the short sections most people are getting here. I'm still playing around with how to handle the cards, especially when I need everyone in a specific place by the end of the post.))

Nine of Wands

Vitia withdraws her proffered hand, her smile faltering for a moment before she answers Damien's question. "This, Damien, is Avalon. It's one of many cities for all sorts of creatures you've probably only heard of in legend. Kelpies, trolls, spirit animals, the odd giant, elves like me, you know. The faeries hold most of the positions of power, mostly thanks to the enchantments they've cast over the area to ensure that humans discount any and all accidental sightings of our kind. Lots of hammed up string-pulling comes from their 'sacrifice' you'll find." She murmurs a "thank you" at the waiter returning with the coffee and salad. Taking a dainty bite, she gestures to the coffee set by Damien's right hand. "Thought you looked tired," she says, covering her mouth with a hand. "Feel free to relax; you look stressed. I'll finish up my lunch, then we can get going. Silver said he'd get everyone you came with rounded up somehow back by the gate. Always one for theatrics, that one." With that, she turns her attention to the food in front of her.

The Heirophant

"Humans? Hah!" The officer barks at Daniel's comment, misinterpreting the awkward glance. "Did your pups want you to ask me about them? Well, you can set them at ease, no humans are in Avalon." Giving Daniel a critical eye, he continues, "You're new around here, aren't you? Just come from Bastion, maybe? Well, not to worry, the Baby Eaters are just a name those kelpies gave themselves; your pups are safe. And don't worry about the Dreambearers either, those rambunctious youths'll settle down soon enough. Just go home, keep your door locked, and make good use of your peephole. We Fair Folk have got you protected, as always." The officer walks off, mumbling, "Humans! Kids these days..."

Page of Wands

David's walk through the rest of the slums is eventfully uneventful. A couple of shirtless goat-legged people, a man and a woman, follow him for a short while before breaking off at the sight of a man in blue. A while later, a humanoid pile of rocks asks for a name as he passes, its posture speaking of its despondency. In time, he exits the other side of the slums and finds himself on the major thoroughfare once more as it sweeps him along to who-knows-where.

Ace of Swords

Lemick's questions fell on deaf ears as the woman is suddenly distracted by some sight behind him. Biting at her fingernails, she at last says, "Look, sorry, I'm sure you could have given me advice, but I'm just going to be safe rather than sorry. Thanks for your time, anyways!" With that, she plunges into the crowd, calling a feminine-sounding name. As she passes, she bumps Lemick back into the surging mass of people which carries him off to somewhere else.

Eight of Pentacles

Lorelei soon finds herself at an enormous stone gate, one half covered in carvings, sealing a tunnel entrance. A large, hairy man is chiseling away the stone at the base of the gate as she approaches, paying her no mind. Upon closer inspection, the carvings resolve into letters, then clearly names. Beside each name is a set of eight numbers, many of which are shared among a vast number of names. Along the very bottom edge of the gate, the words "For all those lost" are carved in flowery lettering. The large man grunts as he finishes the most recent name and goes off to the side, withdrawing a package from somewhere on his person. As he sits down, he unwraps the parcel to reveal a meat-filled sandwich, and begins to eat.

The Devil

For a minute or so, Nanabi and the kids are able to play in peace. Soon, however, a goat-legged man with horns sprouting from his head appears around a corner, a leash in hand. The kids immediately pick up their ball and start running for their homes as the other end of the leash follows: a three-headed dog as tall as a man. The dog glares at Nanabi, and before she knows it she's running, rounding a corner and getting sucked back into the crowd as the man behind her scolds the dog for its misbehavior.

Three of Swords

As Robert distances himself from the now-gone market, he finds himself in a distinctly odd district. Mushrooms and trees provide the housing materials, shifting occasionally as the turtles upon which they grow shift in restless slumber. It is here that the outlandishness of the city strikes home. It's a vastly different world that he has stepped into. A far cry from any understandable culture or known pure humans, this place makes him feel isolated, almost. Alone in an alien world, which is simultaneously not as alien as it should be. The doors he passes are all shut.

After a long while, the group which entered all find themselves back where they began at the Bishop's Stone gate. Squatting on the sidewalk is a pale shirtless man with goat legs covered in purple fur. Piercing green eyes survey the group from beneath bushy eyebrows, while his dark brown hair is drawn back into a pony tail that reaches down to the middle of his back. A loincloth preserves some decency as he stands, addressing the group. "Welcome to Avalon, my friends. I was the one that brought you hear, in case you weren't sure. My name is Argentum Lingua, though you can just call me Silver. This," he says, gesturing to a beautiful red-haired woman beside him, "is Vitia Rophenthal. She's a friend of mine, an elf, with a bit of bad blood against the Fair Folk, same as I." Vitia smiles shyly as the spotlight is shone on her, the smattering of freckles across her lightly-tanned face disappearing as she blushes. "Oh, come off it, Vitia, you can stop with the coy little girl act. I know you better than that, and these people need the truth."
"Says the one named after the ability to deceive," she replies, sticking her tongue out at Silver. Her blush disappears in moments as she stands up straighter. "For those of you that don't know your mythology, Silver here is a satyr. I highly suggest you start reading up on mythology if you want any chance of surviving here in Avalon."
"Anyways," Silver interrupts, "we brought you to Avvie to poke a stick at the Fair Folk. They've been holding their anti-human enchantments over all our heads for too long, so I - that is, we - decided it would be a good way to get payback if we brought some humans into the mix. Up the ante, in a sense. Now that you've been initiated in our fine city, you'll start seeing a lot of us in your day to day lives. At least, we hope so. Assuming you do, don't worry about it. Just don't call attention to it unless you absolutely have to. In the mean time, there's a few gates back into your own little city nearby. One leads to Plymouth, another leads to the Spire. Two lead to some parks in the middle-class ring, and you can always take the gate behind me back to Bishop's Stone. We'll lead you to them so you can always come back, and send you another note when we want to ask you guys something." With a mocking bow and joking courteous tone, he finishes, "Thank you for visiting the Jamythbalaya. Have a nice night!"

((Now is your time to explore the city with new eyes, with or without sleep. I'll have a rough layout of the city written up in the OOC thread in short order.))

A Stranger In An Even Stranger Land


"Turtles all the way down..." Robert murmured, as seemingly everything he knew about the world crumbled around him. His mind reeled as it scrambled to contextualize what he has experienced, and he subconsciously clutched himself as he folded his arms against a perceived chill. He was not one to go from the gut, as it were, and yet he had no previous experience, or even knowledge to pull from the deal with the bizarre sight of... Turtletown? Yes, he could call it Turtletown, at least until he had some idea of what it was actually called.

Here he was, in the middle of just the kind of adventure he had dreamed of, and yet it was nothing at all like he had dreamed. Yes, he was now privy to knowledge that he was sure few other humans had, but he had been given no mission, and so was left to ponder the meaning of it all. He wandered in a daze, torn between awe and alienation in a world that was, but was not his own. It was just too much, and by the time he arrived back at his origin he simply felt numb in a way he had only felt a few times before in his life. Then he was back with the group, plus two.

"Silver tongue..." he mumbled involuntarily as the Satyr introduced himself by name. As the supernatural beings explained their situation, the information gave his mind traction, something to grip to in order to start making sense of things. He had realized this was some sort of underground(in both senses of the word?) supernatural community, but now he was getting a grip on the dynamic of it. The majority, it appeared, preferred to keep up the masquerade so as to not compromise their position. They had been brought here by these two to shake things up, thus they were a threat to status quo, thus they were all in danger, especially with the fae in the mix. Once the group started to disperse, he approached Vitia, both curious and afraid.

"I think we need to talk. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, this has been without a doubt one of the most memorable nights of my life, but I need to know more. I'm... I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a mythology aficionado, so I've a fairly solid background in that. This, though, it's like jumping in on Star Trek First Contact without having seen The Best Of Both Worlds. The faerie maintain the masquerade, and I assume that's because humanity is viewed as a threat. I can understand that, we don't exactly have a spotless record when it comes to dealing with people who are different. I have no doubt you could get in trouble for bringing us down here, and I'm sorry if I'm coming across a bit forceful, but with what I now about the faerie I'm a bit frightened to be on their bad side," he said, pausing to catch his breath and collect himself a bit.

"I need more information in order to act appropriately. I need to know what drove the two of you in particular to bring us down here, and why us. I need to know about the faerie, since even when the terms faerie and elf aren't being used interchangeably their depiction in mythology ranges from mischievous nature spirits to vicious, vindictive beings with no empathy and near as makes no difference no limit in magical power. I need to know what to expect from them and I need to know how far they're going to go to keep us quiet. Most importantly, I also need to know about the cultures, the social structure down here. I could know a great deal more about mythology than most, but if I don't know how people are supposed to behave I'm going to stick out like Kuzunoha's tail, and I'm fairly certain that would'nt be in either of our best interests."

The Magician

With much to ponder, David found himself wandering aimlessly continuing to pass this oddity or that. To the golem looking for a name he said "Bullwinkle". To the pair of satyrs (were they all supposed to be male?) he ignored mostly. To the man in blue he tipped his hat (or he would have had he been wearing one) and wondered if he was like a policeman or just someone dangerous. Eventually he made his way back to the main group by luck and chance. Someday he would have to test his theory that this city mirrored his own, but not today perhaps. Instead he went back to the stone and decided to hold off on sleeping. The last thing he wanted to do now was to fall asleep and wake up uncertain of how much he imagined, how much was dream. So he turned his attention to what he had witnessed, and the people he had seen.

Some he had recognized, some he hadn't... and David decided he was going to fix that. Research was never really his forte, but where there's a library there's a way and whatever else could be said about the Edwards University, it had a very good library. Even at this hour, students could enter as long as they were quiet about it. He had never really figured out if this was because they were allowed to or because security was pretty terrible. So he set to work taking out marginally related books and honing in on interesting topics looking for information on anything he'd seen tonight, hints that anyone else had managed to find this Avalon, and any other places that might be around.

He had already known about satyrs, and half recalled that Avalon was a King Arthur legend, and who wouldn't recognize a gryphon at first sight, but he hadn't known that they were actually classically known for guarding things. He focused mainly on greco-european mythology, but branched into several other cultures and some modern research looking for clues of others who'd found this place. Shortly before dawn he set down the book he was reading and looked out the window to watch the sun rise. In his opinion they were usually less impressive than sunsets, but still worth watching.

Leaving to get some air, he wandered around nearby scenery posing questions to himself. Had that bush always had such impossibly green flowers? Had he always imagined it that way and now it turned out to be true? Was he still just imagining it? After last night, a lot of what he had taken for granted was now thrown into question. He wondered if any magic he had pretended to see had actually been real, and if so how much of it. How much real magic had he been unable to see all this while? David sat on a bench to ponder these questions and found himself spacing out, lost in thought...

Lorelei could not help but wonder of the significance of the stone gate and favoring the direct approach attempted to speak with its carver, "pardon me sir, I am rather lost as it were, but I could not help wondering what it is that you have come to be carving here."

The question was met with the impacts of a hammer to chisel and said chisel to stone, "I say, pardon me.  If I could be so bold as request a moment of your time dear sir?"  This was answered with a grunt, a shift in position, and eating of one's lunch.

With a simple sigh, a toss of her silvery blond hair, and a small flourish in her step, Lore left the stone carver to his lunch.  She struck out in the direction of the main thorough fair she had arrived on and eventually made her way back to the Bishop's Stone gate, no wiser for her time among the folk.

Lorelei listened intently, observing the satyr and elf, and got a sense that somethings have been left unsaid.  Lost in thought with the revelation Silver and Vitia had given, she missed his mock bow, and wandered off towards the Plymouth gate.  Subconsciously she was very curious about a place that was named after the very town she was attending university in.  She had already achieved egress by the time she snapped herself back into reality.

"Oh bother, this is going to be quite the problem if I get so lost in thought I wander without first considering the consequences."  Stopping her line of reasoning, Lore thought to herself, For that matter, why am I talking to myself?

Without consideration for rest, Lore did not feel tired at all and instead just being here seemed to rejuvenate her, she began to take in the upper class of this strange place.  However, in the back of her mind, the logical Lorelei was yelling at herself for not asking about the important things.

The Tower

Sitting on the bench, David's reverie is interrupted by the passage of a dancer swirling through a cloud of mist along the sidewalk. Here and there, he can glimpse the face of a young woman in the mist, until suddenly she notices him, gasps, and disappears while the dancer abruptly sighs and walks normally. From his recent research, she was likely an elf maiden. Later, a too-pale man walks alongside a woman, a bottle in hand that smells like blood, even at this distance. By the way she's flirting with him, it's clear that he's a vampire and not some strange demon. On and on come the supernatural beings, far more than seems possible, until David realizes they're all just one or two at a time. Such must be the power of the faerie's spell, the anti-human enchantments Silver mentioned. One thing is clear, though. This could change a lot of things.

Six of Wands

Lorelei enters Plymouth by way of a rarely-used public water slide, just in time to catch the end of a fencing match to first blood. On the sidelines, a young woman demurely sits, responding minimally as the young victor claims his right to court her. As the official couple leave the pool, the woman glances back at the defeated, and their gazes lock for the briefest of moments, sorrow filling their eyes. Suddenly, they're gone, leaving the loser standing on the poolside, rapier in hand, and bleeding from a small cut on his cheek. Turning on his heel, he returns his rapier to its case and takes it out the gate opposite the one the couple left by. With the energy Lorelei still has, she could still catch one of the two parties if she so wished.

The Star

Vitia listens calmly as Robert lays forth his concerns. "Well," she begins when he finishes. "First, I'd like to dispel the old stories and their portrayal of all supernatural beings. We've become much more civilized since then! We developed, just like you, from our violent past. I doubt you believe me, but trust me. There would be many more dead people in the city, if you listen to some of the idle chatter in the streets. Second, why you're here. The 'generosity' of the fae is really starting to grate on many peoples' nerves. A decade? Fine. A century? Pushing it. A century and a half? We wanted to prove that we can, in fact, show humans our lives and not be in danger of their 'violent tempers spurred by fear and emotion.'" She says the last bit gesticulating like some politician on the pulpit. With a huff, she continues, "Anyways, the social structure is British-centric, and that's about it. The Irish-born and American-born always rub against each other some, the Chinese-born like to seclude themselves, yadda yadda, but they generally treat each other as equals when it gets down to it. And, behaviorally? Don't worry about it. Just don't ask what they are, and you'll be fine." With that, she smiles, and says, "Now, where are you off to?"

((Edited to get everything in the intended tense.))

Swept away by the crowd, Lemick was carried off by the shove. He wondered if the lady had found the answer that she needed. As for now, he was in a spot of trouble. It would be dangerous either way to move out or with the crowd. Considering the safety in numbers. Lemick just let the currents of people dictate his movements.

When he was driven back to the Bishop Stone gate, he witnessed others of the group already there. Explanations were given, and then he made a decision, explore the world around him to the fullest. But the lady named Vitia had some good advice. He needed to brush up on the myths of the past. Being unprepared in stories was a horrible track to a bad ending. So Lemick chose to borrow that particular genre of books from the library.

Daniel was furiously jotting down notes in his dogeared pocket notebook. It was usually reserved for any ideas he had while walking around town, but this was a once in a lifetime event and he wanted notes to remember it by. It might just save his life, who knows.

"So, why did the fae separate themselves from humans? What purpose did that serve?" he asked anxiously. "Has anybody else, other than us, been 'initiated' in this fashion?" he kept rattling questions as they came to his mind, "Is there some agency like MIB or, I guess, FIB that is going to hunt us down?"

Seeing that his litany of questions was drawing some odd looks from the two fae before him, Daniel took a deep breath and slowed himself down. "Sorry, I'm studying to be a writer, and I have so many questions. It might take a while, so I was wondering if there was a place where we could sit down and talk?" He didn't know the extent of how interested the other people would be with the minute details he'd ask about in his research for his book.

((Sorry for taking so long to reply, all.  I recently started a forum and between work and getting said forum up and running, I've been too tired to post here.  Also, I apologize if this post is short, typing it from my phone while at work.))

Damien gave an appreciative nod to the woman as he liberally dosed his coffee with cream and sugar.  Only then did he take a sip, a little disappointed that he didn't have a packet of hot chocolate mix to stir in as he liked to do, but then, he hadn't exactly expected this.

He filled a little time with Vitia by engaging in idle chit-chat (which he was uncomfortable with, Damien tended towards being increadibly shy, and his social skills were win-par at best).  Thankfully, it wasn't long before he was following her back to the entrance to meet up with the others that had come through at the same time as him.  As Silver (a Satyr, apparently) spoke, a small frown began to form on his face.  As nice as this place was, he didn't much appreciate being used as a pawn.  And what would happen to himself and the other humans if the proverbial dung hit the fan?

It was these concerns that had him stay back to talk to Vitia, although it seemed another boy around his age had the same idea.  Still, it didn't hurt to listen, and when they seemed to be finished, he stepped forward a little to get the elf's attention.  "Vitia?  I had some concerns..."

Damien hesitated before continuing.  "First of all... I'd just like to make it clear that I don't appreciate being used as a pawn, and that does seem to be what you and Silver are intending for all of us.  Second... What exactly would happen to us humans if the fae or anyone else DID discover what we are?" That was a question that she had seemed to neglect answering for the other boy.

A public water slide was not a very dignified way to enter any area short of an amusement park, but even there one did not use a slide in their casual clothes.  It was by the grace of her own dexterity that she did not end up a soaking mess and the water was a tad refreshing.  Upon landing, she was witness to the end of a rather formal duel between two individuals.  Dueling had long been banned where Lorelei was from, but here the practice seemed to still be in use. 

Lorelei quickly chooses to follow the defeated duelist through his portal, dashing after him.

"Pardon me sir.  I did not mean to intrude, but that seemed rather intense for a moment.  Is dueling a common practice here?"

((My turn to apologize for the late post. The reasons are ultimately pointless, but I should be able to at least keep up a Sunday schedule.))

The Star

Damien's questions fall on open ears as Vitia listens. "You're not pawns, Damien," she replies. "You're more... an introductory community, I suppose. As I was just saying to this man right here," she says, gesturing to Robert, "you're a test group to prove that you humans can live with the reality of us and won't go on some witch, or rather, faerie hunt. As to your worries about discovery, you can set them at ease. You may be the first group of humans to have been brought here intentionally, but you're not the first ones to have ever arrived. The Fair Folk just give you a stock supernatural mind wipe and send you on your way. All the time spent here or dealing with us is just... filled in. Reading a book, watching TV, trying and failing to get a date, stuff that has no real consequence on your life. Now, if you'll hang on just a moment, I'll lead you to wherever you need to go in a moment."

((Daniel Nevans' section on hold until I find out what's going on with him from Squirrel. It seems a few people didn't realize that everybody was present for Silver and Vitia's talk.))

Page of Wands

Lemick wakes up on a bench outside the local library to the morning staff unlocking the doors, officially opening for the day. Looking about inside, he discovers little of significant interest due to the library's impoverished surroundings. There's a battered copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream that's missing half its pages, a couple of idealistic children's tales, and a gloomy poem about a vampire enthralling a woman only to leave her carved onto a shelf, none of which provide decent insight. The staff, however, directs him to try one of the libraries further in the city, assuming he can make it there. He'd have to go fast to make it before it closes for the day.

King of Pentacles

"You saw us?" The young man gets a panicked look in his eye as Lorelei makes her inquiry. She had caught up with him as he was passing through a park. Upon closer inspection, he looks no older than seventeen. "But we were so sure nobody was around! Please don't tell my parents! They'd kill me if they knew that I'd lost a fencing match, let alone in an unofficial duel! That prick, Marcus, it was his idea! He invited me to the pool and told me to bring my rapier, and when I got there, Marianne was sitting on the bench and he challenged me to a duel! I was going to refuse, but then he said that if I didn't duel him I was giving up my rights to date Marianne! She doesn't like him at all! I had to do something, so I dueled him." With a heavy sigh, he leans his rapier case against a nearby park bench and sits. "And now I've screwed it all up, and I'll never get to see Marianne. All because I had to come here, in the middle of the night, and accept that duel." Burying his face in his hands, he says, "Go, please."

High Priestess

Curiouser and curiouser as the saying went. David decided it was time to take it up to the next level. Having gathered information it was time to meet one of these fae. He waited until a solitary fae went by that was not obviously engaged in some other activity such as seduction, conversation, etc. Avoiding any which looked particularly skittish or surly, he found someone likely approaching so he got up and started to walk in the same direction but at a slower pace than his target. When the fae was about to pass him he looked over as if just noticing them and said, "Nice night for a walk."

This wasn't the first time he had contrived a casual meeting with someone interesting, but he had to admit to himself that human psychology was probably different from fae. This had a chance of going tremendously wrong, but David felt it was very important to try meeting one. There is only so much a person can learn about a culture from books without firsthand experience and he felt it was high time to learn from immersion. Honestly, sometimes he just had to wonder why he didn't major in psychology or anthropology. Yeah it didn't have much in career prospects, but it had to be easier than some of the physics classes he was taking.

"No, it's alright.  I can find my way home from the Stone." Damien frowned to himself, still not quite trusting the elf's answers, but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.  "I need to head home and get some rest anyways, I have work in the morning." The young man fought down a yawn, even as he turned to make his way up the way they had come in.  One of the other entrances may have been closer to his apartment, but he had ridden his bike here, and needed to take it home.

*****

The next morning, Damien was up early, as it was his turn to open the music store that he worked at.  Still tired from a lack of sleep the night before, he had to work to keep from yawning as he swept the floor.  The store he worked in both carried musical instruments and everything a musician would need, but also had a large selection of CDs, and even a shelf full of old vinyl records.  Thankfully the store seemed to be quiet so far, since he was the only one there and he honestly didn't feel up to handling a large crowd of customers.

"And that is what happens when they suddenly realize their life is not entirely under their control." Robert murmured, an eyebrow raised as he watched Damien leave. Turning back to Vitia, his first instinct was to smooth things over a bit.

"He'll come around, I expect. Some people are just more attached to the idea that they decide what happens to them than others. If I'm honest, I want to believe you. This sort of thing... My entire childhood was spent waiting for the madman with a box to show up and take me on adventures, and even I'm not fully prepared for it. In one night my worldview has been upended, it's going to take a bit to get it screwed down again. As for where I'm headed, I live in the middle class ring of Charleston. Was going to drive out to the Stone, guess I should be glad the bleeding battery in my Alfa's flat, now I get to find out where the nearest entrance to my place is."

Lemick tried to see if he could have the books with what he was looked for transferred. Some libraries had inter-library loans. It wasn't used too often, but Lemick was sure that some sort of system existed. While using this he would not be able to get the books immediately, he might be able to get the books without it taking too much time or effort.

Was any of it real?

Nanabi stopped, and considered her stance.  The Fae, the Faeries, the whatever.  It meant nothing to her.  She knew yokai, not faeries.  At least, she vaguely remembered yokai.  She recalled a few, at least.  The chance to explore this world was so tempting...  She wanted to stay, but the energy she had used up through out the day was catching up to her.  She'd need to rest soon.

She waited until other people were done talking.  Too afraid to speak up over the young people, in this country where elders were not so heavily respected.  Once the youngsters had their business concluded, Nanabi would speak up.  "I...I would like to come back.  But I need sleep soon....So...how exactly do we return here?"

Three of Wands

The quiet of Damien's morning is interrupted by the tinkle of the wind chimes hanging from the handle of the front door. A couple, both apparently of college age, enter hand in hand before separating, the man to browse the Irish Traditional CD selection and the woman to Damien. "Hey," she says as she approaches. "Do you guys sell fiddles, maybe know a guy that could give me lessons? My boyfriend, over there, he loves the fiddle, and I want to try my hand at it." She looks over her shoulder, smiling at her boyfriend as he looks up and smiles back. As he turns to look at the opposite shelf, Damien spots a pair of translucent wings sprouting from two slits in his leather jacket. "So," the woman says, returning her attention to Damien. "Do you?"

Page of Pentacles

Silver listens attentively to Daniel's barrage of questions. "A writer, eh? Well, keep your curiosity in check, or you'll wind up like the proverbial cat." Beckoning Daniel to a nearby bench, he sits and continues, "After one too many faerie hunts, and many other hunts for supernatural beings besides, the Fair Folk decided to create their own sanctuary separate from the human world. As humanity expanded, so too did our society, growing to encompass more mythological beings in more places. Combined with the fae's magical talents, they found as much safety as any human." Answers flow as freely as Daniel's questions. "Locally, you're the first, though there may have been others at the other Havens. No agency will actively hunt you down unless you become a problem." Looking sidelong at Daniel, he suddenly asks, "I can trust that you won't share this information with the general populace as fact? It would be the surest way for you to be discovered, tracked down, and killed, your memory wiped from everyone in the city. You risk much with publicity."

Ace of Wands

The faerie, clad in a pair of brown slacks and a buttoned-up beige overcoat simply grunts at David's remark, idly playing with his knit grey scarf as he walks. The grunt is indifferent, neither inviting nor denying conversation with his grey eyes and ethereal brown wings, the few features David can see defining him as fae. There might still be an opportunity to talk in this.

Ten of Cups

The eyes of the librarian look tired as he answers Lemick's inquiry about transfers. "I can try, but I doubt it," he says. "We don't have the best record for book return or maintenance. Check back the day after tomorrow; we're closed on Sundays. If you don't want to wait, the streets seem fairly clear of any activity, so you should be safe enough to go there, get your book, and go to wherever your home is."

((Nanabi on hold until updates are made. Hopefully this will be the last time this is necessary.))

Ace of Swords

Vitia screws up her face in mild confusion at Robert's comment about free will. "Well, he does decide what he wants to do. We're not going to force him into anything." Shrugging, she leads Robert to an empty door frame set in the wall. Knocking seven times on the frame, it suddenly becomes a portal to an empty street. Set into the wall of an office building, it's marked by a red star. "If you want to come back this way, just knock seven times on the wall and it'll let you through," Vitia explains from Avalon as Robert passes through. "People will ignore you when you use it, so no need to worry about being seen, and it'll close once you've passed through. Have a nice night!" With that, the portal disappears and Robert is left alone on the street, five blocks away from his house.

((Nooooo, I totally didn't just research this five minutes ago.  ^_^'''))

Damien stared for probably a little longer than was necessary at those translucent wings, but at least he snapped his attention back to the girl quickly enough.  "Actually, ma'am, the fiddle is a slang term to refer to any bowed string instrument, such as the violin, viola, or even the cello." Poor Damien, but he couldn't help himself when correcting her.  "Most people think of violins when mentioning it, though, and I so happen to play the violin myself, so I can get you started and give you lessons if you want them."

The young man set his broom out of the way before heading to the instrument section of the store, immediately starting to browse through the violins and point out the differences.  It was rare that he got to gush about one of his favorite instruments, and it showed with how he lit up in delight.  "If you really want to get started on the violin, it would be best to get a practice one.  The more intricately carved ones are beautiful, but if you get frustrated easily they're more likely to break.  Practice violins are a little more sturdy and can take a little more abuse." Another glance over at the young... Man?... Browsing the shelves, and he leaned in to murmur softly "In a month or two, if you're dedicated, I can start teaching you simple Irish tunes."

"Okay, Rob, you've just found out that all the fantasy stories are real, what do?" he murmured to himself as he stepped out of the alley, glancing around to get his bearings and starting to head back to his apartment. He would have to be quiet getting in, he was sure his neighbors would just LOVE getting woken up so late at night it was early in the morning. At least he wasn't on call tomorrow.

When he woke up the next morning, or rather, afternoon, he only believed what he remembered from the night before once he got out of bed and into the kitchen. Overall, he wasn't sure if it was the note on the counter or the caffeine in the PG Tips that helped make his mind up more. Once it was made up, however, he couldn't help but start chuckling.

"Who'dve thought, there really are faeries under Bishop's Stone!" he laughed, before something clicked in his head. "Wait... Bishop! I bet he'd have some good reference material, his game is too good for him to be playing straight out of the sourcebooks!"

The rasp of an Italianate exhaust note soon split the day as Robert made his way to Jones U. He had a professor, and more importantly, a GM to see!

"It would seem to me that such a duel forced under duress should not be so binding, nor should it be binding without an officiate."  Stated out loud, though she was merely mulling thoughts to herself.

The daughter of a duke was not without her social graces and bowed respectfully as she apologized, "forgive me for intruding as I did, it was dreadfully rude of me, but entirely accidental I assure you.  If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask."

Out of reflex, Lorelei offered a business card.

High Priestess Take Two: Hierophant?

Well that was hardly encouraging. In the normal course of events, David would have walked slowly here allowing the stranger to outpace him to avoid a possibly awkward situation. Unfortunately he couldn't really do that here. He figured he would give it one more try and if it didn't work he'd leave it be. Forcing an acquaintance could be even worse than not meeting them at all. As frustrating as it would be to know magic to be real but be unable to take part in it, trying to force magic was a really bad idea. Even beyond possible curses, or magic screwups... magic that's forced just really isn't magic anymore, and even worse to David than not being able to have magic would be to screw it up. Like having ice cream every day or being able to make a rainbow on command, they become less special because they aren't spontaneous.

So he tossed the metaphorical dice once more. "Do you come here often?"

Lemick thanked the librarian for all the help. He noticed that it was getting late. With all these strange events happening it was too short a time to come to any useful conclusion. Not to mention that he'll have to get ready for work. He decided to go home and sleep on everything that he had learned. Maybe something would come to him as he slept.

King of Pentacles

"That sounds great," the woman says, looking over the violins in stock. "Er, which one's a practice violin?" As Damien helps her find the right violin, she proceeds to inundate him with information on her boyfriend. "We've been going steady for a couple years now. I don't think he's ever failed to be there for me, and I've done my best to return his dedication. I don't know what I'd do without him. It's like he can do anything if he sets his mind to it, which really helps him with his inventor spirit. Our little house in the middle ring is probably supported more by things he's made than the original things. He's made a business out of it, and no joke it's like he's a work magnet. We're not super rich, but we haven't been left wanting anything for ages. I mostly work just to be able to get him surprises like this, since we still have separate finances." By now, Damien and the woman have wandered back to the counter and gone through the process of checking out. Taking the violin case in hand, she says, "I've got classes and work from about eight to five each weekday. When are you available to teach?"

Nine of Pentacles

David's luck with this particular faerie is ambivalent at best. "Eh," he replies, before picking up his pace and outdistancing him. As he walks off, David can see his fingers faintly glowing, though it fades in short order. Up above in a tree, a crow lands and caws, "Be glad he's a decent fellow. A lot of the Fair Folk would have just knocked you out, mucked with your head, and let you 'wake up from a nap' back on that bench. You could do with some proper training." As it cocks its head, it continues, "Of course, if you're not the special human I think you are with such persistence, you aren't hearing any of this." Ruffling its feathers, it keeps its eyes on David, waiting for a response.

Ten of Wands

An uneventful night later, Lemick wakes to his phone ringing. It turns out that, thanks to some hoodlums, the bank needs a couple of their places cleaned, and Lemick was chosen to do it. The man on the phone is quick to tell him that the extra hours have been cleared by his union, and that failure to do the cleaning is punishable by termination in his position.

Queen of Swords

The man glances at the business card, setting it aside on the bench as he shifts to rest his chin on his fists. Looking at Lorelei, he says, "You seem to know quite a bit about this. Perhaps you can help. You know my goals from my little... outburst..." His face flushes as he recalls the brief break in decorum. "I fear I'm too naive to properly handle the issue alone. What do you suggest I do?"

Ten of Pentacles

Vitia smiles at Nanabi, saying, "Don't worry, we'll always be here. You can get back here through a number of Gates spread all over the city. If you'll tell me where you need to get to, I'll lead you to the Gate nearest there and tell you how to use it before you leave. So, where to?"

Justice

Professor Bishop is in his office, sipping at some likely spiked coffee as he pores over a book that nears the definition of a tome. Looking up at Robert, his eyes light up at his request for reference material. "You're in luck! Here, look at this!" Beckoning him over, he gestures at the book resting open on his desk. "I found this in the archives the other day. It seems to be some old encyclopedia from the colonial days, all about the defining attributes and abilities of all sorts of supposedly local supernatural beings, mostly totem animals and some faeries that the author suspects were brought with from Europe. Fascinating stuff, really." Glancing at his player, he suddenly asks, "Say, why the interest in reading material? I thought I was doing a pretty good job describing all of this at the game."

"Oh, you do a brilliant job of it!" he exclaimed. "It's why I thought to go to you rather than hit the stacks when I came over all Twilight Sparkle in the first place. I actually had an idea for a book. Not sure if it'll come to anything yet, you know how half the time I get hung up on the planning and never actually get anything going, but it occurred to me that with the town laid out in a big circle with five segments for the districts, like a pentacle. It's like some sort of big seal, with the Spire at the middle. It's as if it's a great large summoning circle with the Spire as a focus, the question being for what? Mind if I borrow this? You know I'm a quick read, I should be able to get it back to you in a day or two." he added, suddenly glad he had come up with a story on the way over. Robert was many things, but a good liar was not one of them, particularly if it had to be done extemporaneously.

Damien shot the clearly supernatural young... Man? Maybe?  Yeah, he'd go with that.  Where the young man was still browsing CDs.  Well, he didn't know the person, so he'd have to take the girlfriend's word on it.  Still, he wasn't sure whether the girl knew exactly what her boyfriend was, and if she didn't... Well, it probably wasn't his place to tell her.  At her question, he thought a moment, pondering when he was freee.  "I have Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings open, if you want to schedule sometime for then.  I charge $25 an hour for lessons, just to warn you, and I give them here in the store."

Realizing that he was being rude, he gave a sheepish grin and offered a hand for the girl to shake.  "My name is Damien Stryfe, by the way.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss....?"

Baaahh.... Fuck this tarot journey thing.

David found himself feeling like a dog who had somehow managed to catch a squirrel. It was fun to chase, but now that he'd gotten what he was looking for, he had no idea what to do with it and suddenly felt really cautious. Abruptly recalling how little the fae liked to be seen [see quote below], he decided to play it safe and hold on to plausible deniability.

"Ah well, guess he's not the friendly, talk to strangers sort..." he said, apparently to himself. Then turning towards the crow he looked up at it and said, "Wow, you're not something a person sees everyday. I hear you guys are pretty smart, bet you even understand me, huh?". He put a smile on his face similar to one he'd seen his mom use when she would occasionally talk to flowers when she thought no one was nearby (she believed it would help them grow better).

Looking thoughtfully at the crow, he continued, "It would be really neat if I could understand you too, but I suppose that if I did it would probably be wiser to pretend that I couldn't. Claiming to understand birds could attract all sorts of unwanted attention after all. Ah, but I ramble. How are you this morning? Looking for anything special, or am I interesting enough to stick around for? Though I profess, I have to wonder what a bird would want with me!" He concluded with a self deprecating sounding chuckle and mentally crossed his fingers hoping this wasn't offensive. He also made a note to pay attention to the bird's apparent body language so he could pretend he was trying to read its mood off of that for any further responses he would have to make.

QuoteThere is irish folklore that if you see a fae you must pretend that you cannot. They are wiley creatures and will often try to get a reaction out of you by means of trickery such as suddenly appearing in your face or standing in front of you when you walk. If you startle or move around them, they know you can see them and will act to render you incapable of continuing to do so, usually by blinding you. If ever a fae asks you 'which eye can you see me with?' you must not answer because they will pluck out whichever eye you say (you can lie and keep your fae sight, but it still hurts a lot). Only by not answering at all with the fae think you cannot actually see them and will leave you be.

Sighing about people not really appreciating the importance of cleanness, Lemick requested confirmation on which places he needed to work on. If he was going to have to work overtime than he would like to understand the scope of how much he needed to work. After he received this information, he quickly went through the early morning motions and set out to work. If it was those graffiti wise asses again, he was going to mutter darkly, hoping that they one day accidentally cover themselves with their spray paint.

Lorelei sighed inwardly, this was not something she was especially good at, but had some passing knowledge with.  Purely academic of course as the practice has been banned for good on a hundred years or more.

She raised her gaze a bit over the horizon focusing on some distant point only she could perceive.  With a careful and practiced voice she ventured with a few ideas, "your traditions seem to still hold to the Renaissance ideals of dueling.  Where I am from, two more traditions have progressed from this code duello, each supplanting the previous.  The Irish code came into favor in 1777 and generally revolved around the firearm as a tool for duels.  In 1865, cultural luminaries of the time had come to the opinion that this was far too deadly to govern matters of social position among the social elite.  A system based around pugilism was developed too be far less deadly, but still viscerally satisfying for matters of dispute."

Twirling a lock of silvery blond hair, she paused bringing her eyes to lock her gaze with his, "my experience is purely academic, but it would seem you could exploit the nuances of the Renaissance practice of dueling to your advantage.  Granted you will still need to duel if you wish to operate mostly honestly.  He challenged you, which gives you right to name place and weapons to be used.  By forcing you to his terms and weapons, he invalidates the legitimacy and lowers it to a mere street brawl.  You could use the fact that he cut you as an elaborate and slightly stretched example of previously mentioned challenge, as a common practice of said challenge was to strike one's opponent, normally with a glove, to extenuate the gravity of the offense suffered.  For the actual duel, you can name the weapons, and here there is a little known way to manipulate the circumstances to your advantage by either choosing something you are better skilled in than your opponent or to insinuate into this a competitive activity to achieve success over your opponent such as driving railroad spikes, racing fast cars, a lifting exercise, and so forth."

Gesturing wide she continued, "the place is best kept secret with only official witnesses.  However, if you are sure of what you choose than it is best done publicly.  However, if it is common practice to be so very Montague and Capulet about it, than you have little choice to be martial about the duel and will likely need a champion for you stand in.  However, if you wish to be sneaky, and can convince your lady friend than we can go back to what I said about it being a street brawl and attempt to bring in authorities.  I don't recommend such things, as it is rather damaging to a reputation.  The only other option I know of is to secretly arrange with your lady friend and sneak away to live far away and never return here.  This may put you on the run though, depending how determined this Marcus is."
   

Five of Wands

"Jackson," she replies. "Elizabeth Jackson. I'll see you Friday at seven, then, alright?" As she makes ready to leave, her boyfriend comes up behind her for a hug.
"What're you up to Fridays now, Liz?" he asks, arms draped over her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, Erik," comes the response as she lays a finger on his nose. "It's just a surprise for you."
"Oh?" He smirks as he spots the practice violin. "Does it have to do with that violin there?"
"Maaaaybe."
"Will it mess with getting to dinner on time, at least?"
"Shoot, I forgot about dinner. Here, Damien, I'll start the week after, okay? I'll be sure it's clear then."
With that, they leave the store, arm in arm.

Ten of Cups

The crow lets out a raucous laugh as it flies down to perch on David's head. "I'm no old Irish faerie, silly man. You need not worry about appearing conspicuous with me around humans, and it is not uncommon for werewolves and totem animals to get along. You can talk to me directly." Fluffing its feathers, it continues, "Now, my name is Bartholomew. It was better than Stick-Too-Far-Up or Johnathan Reginald Francis, the Third. You'd think my parents would be kinder to their first son, but apparently not. Let's begin with the first step of your faerie education: They're pretty much human too. When they're walking alone early in the morning, and trust me seven is pretty early for some people, they don't want to be bothered by some homeless street performer in the park. They get wasted, they do work, all those clean and dirty things you humans do. So don't treat them specially. Now, before we continue, we need to make you look a bit more stereotypical. To your house!" With that, he carefully clings to David's hair as they walked.

Five of Swords

Lemick makes it to the first site barely in time to avoid penalties. The location is covered in graffiti, a pair of boxers hang from the ceiling, red plastic cups are scattered about the floor, the glass from a couple broken bottles fill a couple corners, toilet paper is everywhere, and the walls are covered in numerous declarations that some person or another "was here" written in permanent marker. The other two sites are reported to be much the same. It looks like by the time he finishes, it'll be too late for Lemick to do anything else with the day without being tired for the next day of cleaning. The question is, does he care?

The Empress

"Whoa, hang on there, Lorelei, was it?" The young man glances at the business card to confirm before continuing, "Dueling is illegal. Marcus is just infatuated with the Renaissance, and my parents don't care about legality when it comes to fencing so long as I win. But if I can use that infatuation to make the duel null, then awesome. If I'm hearing you right, the duel is invalid because he challenged me wrong, there were no official witnesses, and he named the terms and weapons, right? If so, great. I can throw his own belief in dueling in his face." He sits back, a thoughtful expression on his face, before looking down at his watch. He sighs as he notes the time before continuing, "However, none of this can be done right now, seeing as it's about 12:30 in the morning right now. Can I call you in a day or two and let you know how this all goes?" As he speaks, he stands, tucks Lorelei's business card into his pocket, and picks up his rapier case. Offering a business card of his own, reading "Jeremy Matthew Stevens" and listing a pair of phone numbers labelled "Landline" and "Mobile", he says, "This is so you know who's calling." He waits hopefully for an answer.

Knight of Wands

"You kids and your ponies..." Professor Bishop murmurs as he sets down his coffee and starts shuffling through the papers on his desk. "The book is only available to professors at the moment, though I'll ask about getting a copy made for you. However, I do have... somewhere... Aha!" He lifts a thin spiral-bound notebook into the air triumphantly, having just extricated it from beneath a three-foot pile of crumpled paper and vending machine snack detritus. Brushing the cheese dust from the cover, he continues, "This was the first research notebook I made for the game. Feel free to borrow this, I've got all the information in here either memorized or written down in version two, over there. The thick one, with all the printouts sticking out of it. Anyways, hope this thing helps you out." Handing the battered thing to Robert, he grins and says lightheartedly, "And just so you know, I might be stealing that idea for an adventure coming up. No credit for you, of course. That's how us professors roll."

Lemick just sighed, when he was hired he was told there may be days like this. It was a part of his job though so he set out to work. However it didn't mean that he had to be totally happy about this. First off he had to remove the most hazardous materials, that is to say the broken glass, cups and someone's underclothes. Once that was done, he had to carefully make sure to use the proper cleaning solution to get the stubborn permanent marker off. Each and every name he saw written down, got a wish directed to them and it wasn't for good health and fortune. He repeated this for every place that was vandalized. At the end of the day when he was finished, he was drained to the bone. What he really wanted to do was to sleep now.

Lorelei accepts the offered business card and slips it into her pocket, "my apologies, I am rambling on as it were.  Happens when I'm tired.  Yes, Jeremy, please do give me a call on my mobile.  Best not call my house line as you would likely reach Bryce before myself or my other staff and he takes a dim view of his ladyship receiving calls from strange men he does not know."

Lore brought her right hand to her mouth and sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling again, call me later for now I must get back and get some sleep."

With a polite and respectful nod, the slightly flustered and very tired Lorelei attempts to maneuver back to the Bishop's Stone gate and hopefully home to her flat.

"Considering the kind of money a doctorate costs versus the kind of money professors get paid, I figured there had to be perks to make it worth it." Robert retorted with a grin matching the biochem professor's, thumbing through the notebook absent-mindedly. "Seriously though Doctor Bishop, thanks, I really appreciate it. I'm to the point of developing characters and well, I wasn't quite sure where to start, so this is going to be seriously useful. I'll pull PDFs off of this and have it back to you by game night. I've got somewhere to be shortly, but I'm planning on grabbing some lunch at the caf beforehand, you want to go with with?"

Damien nodded and agreed, and once the couple had left, went back to cleaning the store.  Thankfully it was cleaned daily (by him, of course), which meant that it wasn't as hard as if it were a once a week thing.  After he finished dusting and sweeping, he pulled down one of the display brass instruments (a trumpet) and got out the polish, sitting down on a stoll at the counter as he got to work on removing all fingerprints and dirt from being handled in the week since he had last worked on it.

Polishing the instrument gave him some time to think.  Mainly on whether he should head back to the Avalon that night.  While it was sorely tempting to go and explore, he also didn't wish to be in trouble when the proverbial poo hit the fan.  While he wasn't an expert on mythology, he sometimes would read stories when bored or when caught up on a wiki walk, and he knew one thing:

You do NOT want to mess with the Fae.

So, was it worth the chance of getting caught?  It was clear that he would probably be picking out the supernatural in his day to day life now.  However, no matter how much he was reassured, he felt no want to get on the wrong side of the Fae.

This would take further observation before he made a final decision.  Of course, in the end it would all boil down to:  Is it worth the risk?

To his credit, David didn't actually flinch when the crow landed on his head though in all honesty he probably should have. 'Well so much for caution I guess,' he thought to himself with a mental shrug. Something about what had been said nagged at him though. "What do werewolves have to do with the situation? Are you trying to say that... oh. Nevermind, I get you now. What's stereotypical for a werewolf? If I'm going to pretend to myths that I'm one, wouldn't they notice I don't act right? Having never met one I can't be sure but aren't werewolves kind of... primal and pack oriented to boot? I'm not terribly good with primal and I'm also kind of a loner." He asked these and other similar questions about werewolves (and totem animals too for that matter) including if there were other weres than wolves and if totems could assume other shapes. He also paused in between questions to allow Bartholomew to answer him. As much as he wanted to just rapid fire ask questions, it would defeat the point of asking if he asked too fast for the raven to answer.

All the while David was navigating towards his apartment while avoiding people. Something luckily easy to do in the early morning. Also luckily, his roommate had an early schedule this day and wouldn't be home until later. Probably. Anyway, he opened the door and went inside and after checking they had the apartment to themselves, he spread his arms and said, "Well this is home! Sort of. It's where I live during the school semester. So what now?"

Page of Pentacles

Halfway through polishing the trumpet, a young man wearing a simple white button up shirt and beige slacks entered the music store. A silver rosary hung from his neck on a chain. As he came up to the counter, his hands idly tapped out a tattoo on his thighs, labeling him as a percussionist. "Hey," he said, drawing it out. "I need someone to accompany a performance for my parents soon. Do you happen to know anyone particularly... special?" The word "special" gained new meaning under the weight of the night before.

Nine of Pentacles

The crow patiently answered the questions David asked. "Stereotypical falls under two categories, pack and loner. They're fairly self explanatory in terms of behavior. Pack werewolves often dress to match their friends, while loner werewolves will dress without much regard to their surroundings. It's only really if you are in too many social circles that it becomes a problem. Each social circle has its own rules, after all. Consistently, though, werewolves are the most under control in a situation, and can survive without their friends if necessary." As David continued to ask more, Bartholomew continued to answer. Werewolves were the only natural weres, though talk of crossbreeding has been brought up from time to time with totem animals. Totem animals can assume human forms, though they prefer their natural forms. When they at last reached David's home, Bartholomew took no time looking through everything in store, reserving his comments until he'd finished his inspection. "Well, you're close to being a loner, but not quite. We need to make it a bit more obviously different, so..." He trailed off, then took his claws to a couple shirts and jeans, opening some holes here and there like it was something rebellious. "There. Now, first opportunity you get, buy a cross and a rosary. Hang the cross over your bed and always wear the rosary; they help werewolves keep control when they change, though they stick to their beds. Speaking of, start taking full moons off from everything after dark. If any other werewolves ask, just say something bit you in the park a month or two ago, and a few days later someone explained that you'd become a werewolf. Not every werewolf can make it back home in time, after all. After that, you should be good. I'll make a nest somewhere outside so you can reach me."

Ten of Pentacles

Sleep was easy for Lemick, though the next week was mind-numbing. The events passed in a blur, the routine of wake up, clean from morning to night, go home and sleep. It felt like it would last permanently, forever. At last, Saturday came, and with it a day off from work. The day was warm and bright, and full of possibility waiting to be explored.

Six of Swords

It was a long walk back to Bishop's Stone on the other side of the city, perhaps even two hours. Dawn was breaking when at last Lorelei made it to get to her flat, and all the while thoughts of the poor couple filled her head. Jeremy and Marianne. Star-crossed lovers, or maybe just foolish infatuation at least. It was quite the damper on the night's events. Nonetheless, she made it home. Her bed called, but so too did the sun. It was up to her to decide her course of action.

Nine of Swords

"Um..." was Doctor Bishop's first reply. "Hm. Well, ah... Hrm. Maybe... No... But then again... Eh, to hell with it, sure, I'll join you." Together, Robert and Bishop headed to the cafe. The professor ordered a simple sandwich and a cup of coffee, sending a couple text messages along the way, and sat with his pupil in short order. "I hope you can read my handwriting," he said by way of conversation. "It's always been an atrocious mess, and a lot of those notes are stream of conscious. If you have any questions, feel free to ask as they come up." As they sat, a youthful satyr wandered by, munching on a salad he held in a bowl. "Well, isn't he an interesting fellow..." said the professor.

"Heh, I appreciate the concern, but my handwriting's so bad I literally had to type my class notes otherwise I couldn't read them, I can't imagine yours being all that bad." Robert laughed as he tucked into the grilled chicken salad he had gotten. On reflection, he was glad the professor had taken him up on his offer, although it was initially made merely out of courtesy. Doctor Bishop was pleasant to be around, and what few friends Robert had when he was still a student at the college had moved on after college.

Then he commented on the satyr passing by, and Robert's poor brain stripped a gear. Was he commenting on some peculiarity in the satyr's disguise, or was it possible he could see them too? What should he do? If Bishop knew about them, he could help a great deal, but if he didn't, Robert still didn't want him to think he was a nutter. Panicked, Robert racked his brain, trying to think of something related to satyrs to say that would still seem normal in the context.

"Indeed. Do you think he plays the pipes?" he asked, his attempt at subtlety and calm nonchalance doing a remarkable impression of American Airlines flight 191.

Damien looked up and quickly plastered on a professional smile that he usually reserved for work.  "Good afternoon, sir." Ah, a new customer.  Those were always fun.

To the guy's credit, his question sent Damien's brain into a Blue Screen of Death for a whole 5 seconds before it managed to reboot.  Okay.  Maybe he had meant that innocently?  In a totally non-supernatural-I-just-want-people-die-my-band sort of way.

Although, if he hadn't, Damien didn't want to offend him.  Best to play it neutral.  "What do you mean by special?  Also, what instruments would you prefer they play?"

The week was a hard one for Lemick but now the weekend was here. He said hello to his downstairs neighbor Glenda as she was leaving to showcase more cosmetics to those who wanted to buy them. He swung by the library to see if any books had come in. Lemick wouldn't if the library couldn't reserve any books from his request but it didn't hurt to check if anything came in. He was only going to check and borrow the books if the library did manage to reserve any. He also planned to visit Avalon the rest of the day. Textual information was useful but experience was another way to learn and at times easier to remember.

Lore's weary blue eyes sparkled in the bright light of Earth's majestic celestial orb as she beheld the oasis of paradise known as her bed.  Her eyes sparkled in the sun light, the sun's bright light.  With a small groan bordering on a growl she cursed the hated bringer of searing glare.

In a partial daze, she settled on her comfy chair in the flat's main living room.  As tired as she was, Lore was unable to sleep in the presence of the sun's light.  The preternatural senses of butlers being what they are, a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea with cream and two cubes of sugar found itself on the stand next to her.  A plate of fresh fruit as well was provided, as was custom for her breakfast.  With a pleasant smile she nodded to the ever attentive Bryce.

Briefly she reviewed the night's activities, running the strange events over again in her mind.  Producing her new One X, she briefly regarded the time before placing a call to her best friend Beatrice, "ah, Bea, good morning to you.  I was wondering if you could perhaps come by my flat, and, bring every book and piece of information you have on the Fae.  Recent events have placed me in a position to need to know as much as I can.  Thank you dear, see you soon!"

Placing her phone back in her pocket, she went about finishing up her fruit and tea before Beatrice arrived.

David winced a bit as some of his more favored jeans got torn but overall didn't mind. Though he wasn't about to admit it, he kind of liked the holes in the knees style with jeans, he just had never really gone through with it. He was less enamored of the shirts getting ripped, but most of his shirts seemed to fit the quota as they were so it wasn't too drastic a style change. After all, a person can only take so much at a time...

It took a moment to sink in since he was still preoccupied with his wardrobe change, but something Bartholomew said suddenly registered. "Wait, you mean there's something to religion after all? How does a cross help a werewolf keep control? And what happens if one loses it? Control I mean, not the cross. Would a jewish werewolf have to use a star of david or whatever other religious equivalents there are? Does it matter that I'm atheist? Or I guess I mean would it if I actually were? A werewolf I mean, not an atheist. I'm definitely an atheist."

'Blah, just one talking crow and I suddenly lose all coherency...' David thought to himself, wincing internally (and maybe a bit externally) at his inability to verbalize properly when he got a hold of some interesting topic. Whenever this happened he would often trip over his own questions from the shear volume he ended up asking.

Nanabi nods to Vitia, and lets the others speak, giving her address and city district when no one else is talking.

Upon returning to her home, the elderly woman sat in the den and thought about what she had seen.  Was it real?  Really real?  Was she simply delusional in her loneliness?  "No," she told herself, closing her eyes forcefully.  "That way lies the path to madness."  From an outside  perspective, an elderly woman speaking to herself in an unlit room of an unlit house was quite the sign of madness.  But Nanabi had spent so many years in the abode that she knew it front, back, sideways, diagonal, upside-down, and spiraled.  She had no need of lights except to read things.  Nanabi briefly considered going back right as soon as the sun came up on the morrow.  But no, moderation in all things, as her late husband had said.


When Nanabi returned to the strange world she had visited, it would be in the afternoon, when she had packed her purse with snack bars and water bottles for a longer visit.

Queen of Wands

Damien's customer is crestfallen for a moment, before some thought seems to perk him back up. "Right, I don't need to beat around the bush with the enchanted, they'll ignore the faerie crap. I need someone that knows about Avalon and all that. They also need to be able to deal with some rather critical people; being self-assured, energy and cheer in the face of harsh words, you know what I mean. It'd also be nice if they were an attractive woman, just so I can get my parents off my back about finding a mate, at least before they start asking for pups. I have a marimba and drumset set up, so maybe a flutist? That way we can duet with the concert and do some jazz after. Do you know anyone that might be able to help?"

Seven of Wands

"So many questions!" is all Bartholomew cries at first. He makes a couple more cuts before flying to a bedpost and answering David. "Have patience! Trying to give you the right style and teach you about werewolves and the rest of the world you missed is hard work! In a sense, yes, there is 'something to religion.' Belief and words hold a fair amount of power. If people believe a cross will hold back a werewolf with all their heart and soul, then it will, even if it would have done nothing to old Bisclavret. Generations of that belief have mounted up behind it, so it's got staying power. So, the cross presses them into bed when they wake, and suppresses the transformation in the early stages, though I hear it's extremely uncomfortable. Now, your wardrobe should look stereotypical enough to work. Just get the cross and rosary, and you should look well enough like a werewolf." With that, he makes his way out of David's apartment.

Eight of Cups

The weight of the week rests on Lemick's shoulders as he checks the library, receiving a disappointing no-go on new books. Trying to enter the Bishop's Stone Gate, he finds that it won't open either. They day looks to be a waste when a scaly green child in a suit, a turtle shell on his back and a water-filled dent in his head, tugs on his sleeve with a webbed hand. Looking at Lemick without moving his head, he says, "You aren't gonna get back in this way unless you want to wait until midnight. You from Bastion or something? Seem pretty new, neh?" He gives a small laugh, then beckons as he turns away. "Come on, I'll show you another way in. You only need to use the Stone Gate on your first pass. The rest of the time, you can use the smaller Gates." With that, he leads Lemick to an opening in the Joneswark fence, kicks the nearest post three times, and walks through as it turns into an opening into Avalon. "Pretty neat, neh? Ever need to get back in, just do as I did. If you need any more help, go talk to the city people in the big intersection in the middle of town. All the thoroughfares lead to it, you can't miss it. Have a good one!" He walks off into the depths of Avalon as the gate closes.

The Empress

Beatrice comes through the front door with a file box full of books just as Lorelei finishes her breakfast. "Hey Lore! What's the fuss about? I know the fair folk are interesting and all, but I haven't ever seen you hit the books over a topic I follow." Quickly unpacking a couple stacks, she gives a quick summary of their histories, all from Medieval England and Ireland and presumed relatively high accuracy, before handing one to Lorelei titled The Faerie Realm. "It may seem like an adventure novel, but the way this guy wrote makes a lot of my classmates think there's more to it than meets the eye." Giving Lorelei time to read, she twiddles her thumbs and looks out the living room window at the front driveway. "Hey, Lore, you expecting visitors?" She asks as she spies someone coming up to the porch.
Moments later, the doorbell rings, and a tentative women's voice calls from the door, "Hello? Miss... Evans? Jeremy said this was your address." There's a short pause before she finishes, "It's Marianne. You came out of the poolside Gate, so I was hoping you could help me with something. I need to figure out how to let Jeremy know I'm a dryad."

King of Pentacles

Nanabi makes her way home from Avalon via a small tarp covering a pile of lumber at the new housing project. "Just make an X and duck under," Vitia says as the Gate closes. "We'll be in touch." The next day, however, proved to be the wrong day to try and return to Avalon. "Miss Tybalt?" A man says as he runs to catch up. Handing her a business card, he says, "My name's Nathan, of Protech Industries. We're a small start-up ship designing and, hopefully soon, manufacturing company. We've managed to get a fair amount of attention lately, and it's come with some problems. Your son has started asking about acquiring our business. Any suggestions as to how to deal with him?"

Ten of Pentacles

"Pipes?" The eccentric professor looks at David questioningly. "What do pipes have to do with all this? Say, you alright there, David? You're looking rather pale. Here, let me get you some water." He stands, now concerned for his gaming friend's health, and heads off, returning soon after with a Dixie cup filled with water. "See, I just thought his pants were rather neat. They looked pretty warm, what with that fur from calf height down." Glancing at his fob watch, his eyes suddenly widen as he spots the time. Gathering up his things, he says, "Thank goodness for instincts. I've got a class to teach in a couple minutes. Hope that notebook helps you out, now I need to skedaddle. Have a good one!" In short order, he's off, with his only trace left the square of rumpled saran wrap from his sandwich.

'Enchanted?  What exactly does he think I am?' Thankfully Damien had the sense to not say this aloud.  He nodded as he listened to what his customer wanted, then mused over it for a moment.  "So, attractive woman who knows about the Avalon and can play the flute or similar instrument." He frowned.  "Afraid that no one comes to mind." The young man gave a soft sigh. "I'm sorry.  I know what it's like to have your parents on your back." Granted, Damien's parents were unhappy with him for an entirely different reason.  Mainly the fact that he was only attracted to men.  "Are there any points that are negotiable?  If not, maybe I can help you figure out another way to get them to leave you alone."

Robert couldn't help but grin as the professor beat his hasty retreat. Perhaps that LSD he was so fond of really was mind-expanding after all. Considering his situation, he could think of no better tactic than to tackle it head-on. Closing the notebook and tucking it in his jacket, he drained the Dixie cup in one draught and headed for his car. Briefly, he thought to speak to the young satyr that had passed by, but randomly approaching someone he'd never before met didn't seem wise.

Before long he had returned to his apartment and scanned the notebook into a PDF on his iPhone, and shoved the original into a drawer of his massively overburdened Ikea desk. Then came the moment he had been waiting for all day. He threw on a hoodie, locked up his apartment, and headed back to the nearby Gate. Who says you have to go to space to seek out new life and new civilizations?

Lemick thanked the child as quickly as he could before the child ran off. The janitor made a mental note to keep the idea and location of smaller gates in mind. He stepped into Avalon and had a look of wonder on his face at the newness and energy in the air. Then something hit him, if he needed to buy or pay for something here would his money be good here? Lemick then went searching for some institution that could tell him if dollars were accepted here and if not what the exchange rate was. 

As Lorelei attempts the best sheepish grin she can devise in response to the quirked eyebrow of her best friend, the door is attended by the ever steadfast Bryce.  Gracefully the front door is rendered ajar and the butler patiently ushers the newcomer in, "this is the residence of Lady Lorelei Ainsley Evans, Countess of Darlington.  She is meeting with a friend, but I am sure she will see you.  This way please."

"My Lady Lorelei?  A Miss Marianne to see you."  Bryce stated with a polite nod.

"Thank you Bryce, please have Jonathan prepare another round of tea and some of those nice watercress tea sandwiches."  Gesturing to an unoccupied seat, Lorelei spoke calmly to Marianne, "please take a seat and tell me what I can do for you.  I am afraid I am a bit new to all of this, and am not too sure specifically what a Dryad is."

Lore silently hoped that Bea would hold her tongue in regards to Dryads.

Well that was certainly educational. David wasn't sure how he felt about religion actually having any real merit aside from helping people who need it feel like their life has worth, but decided that was really an issue for another day. In the meanwhile he set about following some advice from Bartholomew. He actually had quite a number of pendants with various designs, several of which were also crosses. Part of that was from growing up in a religious household and part of it was not being overly discriminating in design choice so long as it looked neat. Either way it was no big issue to just grab one and toss it onto a bedpost. For the sake of camouflage he also tossed the rest of his pendants (including a few more crosses) on as well and a dreamcatcher on the post nearest the pillow. That way it looked like he had just changed his mind where to keep his things and not suddenly gotten religious again. It seemed a little bit pointless since who was going to be looking at his bed and think 'oh he doesn't have a cross on it so he is not actually a werewolf' but it was easy enough to do and the extras were as much (more really) to make him feel less awkward for just having a cross on his bed than for any purpose of making it not blatant to anyone looking that 'hey, werewolf sleeps here' which would not matter anyway cause anyone knowing what it meant wouldn't care and anyone not knowing what it meant wouldn't notice.

'Bah,' thought David to himself, shaking his head. 'I'm thinking about this WAY too much.' So instead he just went out to downtown where he should be able to pick up a rosary pretty easily, calling a farewell to the crow in case he was around to hear. Despite all his remnant religious paraphernalia from childhood that was something he didn't actually have. He wasn't too enamoured by carrying around a rosary, but whatever worked. Maybe he could find one in a more Buddhist flavor. Well, even if he couldn't find what he was looking for, the markets always had SOMETHING interesting.

Five of Swords

The man pauses, then tells Damien, "Well, I suppose the 'woman' part of it is ultimately negligible. Pretending I'm bi would get my parents off my back pretty quick too. Aside from that, it would work if they played clarinet, trumpet, or trombone. Really it's just needing an instrument that does melody in both jazz and symphonic music." Pausing a moment more, he suddenly says, "Wait, why'd you call it 'the' Avalon?" He starts looking at Damien warily. "Where you from?"

Five of Wands

As David reaches the nearest commercial section of Joneswark, a voice calls out, "Hey, David!" From a cross-street comes Kevin, David's roommate, with David's family in tow. "What a coincidence! I was just heading back to the apartment. Your family was having trouble getting there from their hotel. What brings you out here?" By then, Luke, David's brother, and his parents have caught up.
"We thought we'd check in on you, see how you were doing," his father begins, "and show your brother here the city. We heard that EJU had a great church, along with a good law program." He looks meaningfully at Luke as his mother continues, "How have you been? Have you been eating well? Have you ever thought about being a doctor? I know you've said you didn't want to, but really, scientists don't get paid all that well. Do you have a girlfriend yet? Oh, reminds me, you should meet Martha some day, she's Christian's daughter, you know, the friend from Minnesota? Well, they just recently moved into our area, and you should see Luke and her together--"
"Mom." Luke suddenly cuts in, rubbing at his tired eyes. "Please. I'd prefer my social life be under my own control. I will meet Martha in due time. May we focus on other things at present? I'd like to spend some time with my brother alone, if possible."

Justice

Eventually, Lemick finds himself at a bank. Making his inquiry, a teller with a wary look counters, "Before I can answer that, I need you to tell me what you are for security reasons."
Before Lemick can answer, however, a well-dressed man with unnaturally red skin intervenes, saying, "Don't worry, I'll handle this. I vouch for him." As the teller nods acceptance, the man turns and says, "Well, Lemick, fancy seeing you here. Let's walk, shall we?" As he ushers Lemick out of the building, he continues, "Don't worry, the Havens keep their currency consistent with the surrounding area's, so your dollars will be accepted. You might not have them when the time comes to make a purchase, mind, but that's your problem, not mine. Or, rather... Eh, nevermind. Have a nice day, Lemick." With that, the man disappears into the crowd, leaving Lemick in the middle of the city.

The Empress

Beatrice idly pulls a textbook from her bag and begins reading as Marianne speaks. "Ah, somebody made a werewolf out of you, didn't they? I'm sorry to hear it. The new ones are always a bit... negligent of security measures until they've done something they've regretted. Better keep your cross over your bed and another around your neck, I say, and stay home on full moons. I can't imagine that you want to make the same mistake. Ah, but I wander. Jeremy has talked of leaving Joneswark, but, as a dryad, my home is my tree in the nearby park. I can't just up and leave it on a whim; I'd have to bring it along somehow, and I worry that he would start asking questions once we're out of range of the enchantment. So, I need to tell him I can't go because I'm a dryad, but if I try to bring it up it'll be like I never talked to him about it. I need to bring him in somehow, and I was hoping you might have ideas."

The Empress

The walk to the Gate is hearty, and in short order Robert finds himself back on the streets of Avalon. A crowd is forming around a disturbingly pale young man whose arms and legs appear tattooed with vines and ivy. He sits on the sidewalk, holding a hand to his side, as he says, "Don't worry about me, this happens all the time. Tss! Ah, that was a big barrel of chemicals. Look, it's just another landfill. PCJA -- ow! -- is always clearing out some of the surrounding forest and dumping their waste in. Ergh, I liked that tree. Here, just go on about your business. It'll take more than just a landfill to kill me." As the crowd disperses, Robert manages to catch a whispered, "At least, I hope so," come from the man as glistening sap starts to leak out from under his hand.

David smiled to himself when he heard Kevin call his name. They hadn't been roommates for long but he was was funny, hot, friendly, and had quite a few interests in common with him. For a moment as he turned around he felt something about that was off about that last part. 'funny, friendly, stuff in common... was there something else in there?' he thought, trying to recall, but couldn't quite pin it down before he saw his parents behind his roommate and all thoughts scattered as the smile froze on his face. He waved stiffly at them and a bit more loosely to his brother as he collected his resolve and headed over thinking, 'Kevin, I will get you for this...'. His relationship with his parents had never quite been what most people would call spectacular but since declaring he was atheist and refusing to go to church any more, they had at least backed off a bit. Not because they respected his decision or anything, but more that they had mostly given up on him aside from the token attempt to get him to make something of his life. David was actually a bit surprised they hadn't threatened to disowned him yet, but perhaps that would have been even more of a spectacle than just having him go his own way. If there was one thing his parents were big on, it was social appearance.

His brother on the other hand, he got along with just fine. Yeah the kid was as hopelessly religious as their parents, but at least Luke was sensible about the whole thing. He cared about religion for the right reasons in David's opinion, or as 'right' as you can get when religion itself is pretty flawed anyway. So when Luke mentioned he wanted to talk privately and David spied a nearby pawn shop with a selection of religious paraphernalia, he also spied an opportunity to hit three birds with one stone; get that darned rosary, get away from his parents, and get Kevin back by sicking his parents on him. "No problem!" he exclaimed, draping his arm around Luke's shoulder with a smile (more natural now) as he guided him towards the shop. "Kevin, why don't you show my parents around while I catch up with my little bro here? I bet mom and dad would love to get to know you better, thanks I'll catch up later!"

When he got into the shop he ducked out of sight and collapsed against a wall. "I can't believe you guys are just here! I was so not ready to deal with my parents today, why can't they ever call ahead?" He sighed and started to idly look around trying to find a rosary that wasn't tacky or terribly religious looking. "So I know it's pointless trying to find out what put it in their heads to visit this time, but why did you want to talk to me so badly? Usually you just wait until they get distracted by something like last time when that homeless fellow asked mom for spare change and she spent the next hour ranting to dad about the dismal state of today's world when 'just anyone can walk up to you as if the world belongs to them'. Surely you didn't miss me THAT much?"

"It's just not right..." Robert found himself intoning as the crowd dispersed. When someone's in pain, you help them. Even if it can only be simply being there for them, you do what you can. That was how Robert was raised, and that's what he believed, even once he started to form his own opinions. Being alone and in pain was a situation he was all too familiar with to let someone else go through it. He sat down next to the young man, on the side where he was bleeding. And as far as he was concerned, whether it was blood or sap, he was bleeding. Barring bizarre supernatural issues, this was something he could at least try to help with.

"Hey," he greeted the nature spirit. He couldn't be sure exactly what he was without checking his iPhone, and even then there was no guarantee, so he didn't bother. He dug a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and reached out to use it to apply compression to the wound. "You shouldn't be alone right now, not when you're hurting. How do I help?"

Daniel kept jotting things down. The revelation that there was another world merely a step to the side was big, and normally he'd probably be a bit more cautious. Instead it was like he stumbled upon the fabled city of El Dorado, he was scrabbling around to remember the details of what he saw rather than how he got there. "To be honest, I'd be concerned if my writings were taken as fact as all the work I do is aimed at fiction. I mean, I could pull tons of ideas from this. It's actually kind of difficult to get things straight though. There are so many variables and history, and I doubt we have enough time to cover it now." He glanced back up at Silver. "I have two real questions though. First, obviously, is what is the quickest way home. Second though, is what do the supernatural people get out of their world being revealed to us humans? I mean what we know of your kind is purely limited to conjecture and fiction. If you bring us into your world, then that means you are going into our world. How prepared are you?"

Of all the days for business.
Nanabi did not like being asked to work against her son, even if he did deserve it.  Michael was a tyrant, like so many in the field these days.  She had been little better, merely severe rather than openly manipulative.
"He will attack you where your defenses will be strongest, to break them and dissect your enterprise at his leisure."  Nanabi's tone was crisp as she walked and pocketed the man's card.  "Find a way to gain a premises overseas, preferably in China.  Make it a chore for him to buy up every scrap of your company.  Barring that, privatize your stocks so he cannot just out buy you.  Have a scandal, or involve yourself with the federal government; of this or some other nation.  Any one of those strategies should, at the least, by you time; and at the most render him a share holder but not owner of your company."

It could be odd how she didn't even bother to confirm the man's identity before spouting this tirade of advice; but Nanabi was well acquainted with her son's habit of buying any company that made the news.  Or at least trying to.  She'd once had to confront him about trying to buy a shell company of the TTC.  And if his habit had grown worse with age, this company would need all the help it could get.

Lemick was bustled out of the bank, and that strange red colored male told him of the exchange rate. However that man vanished into the crowd before Lemick could say any words of thanks. Yet when Lemick went over the conversation from before he suddenly realized some statements from that red colored man were strange. It seemed that he knew of Lemick though Lemick had never seen that man before. Also how did that man know of Lemick's frequent problem with money? Lemick checked to see that his wallet was still in his possession. He then considered going into a shopping district to pick up some sort of gift. Maybe sweets? he thought.

Lorelei sputters on Earl Gray, "a werewolf, oh heavens no, not I.  Though I suppose they would have to be real too what with all this faerie and all."  

A very soothing sip of tea later, as well as some watercress sandwiches, Lorelei took a deep breath before continuing quietly to her new guest, "Marianne I am just a human, aware yes, but just a normal sort.  I was just made aware of all you lot just last night."

Taking another sip of her tea, Lorelei began to ease back into her high society demeanor, "I consulted with Jeremy over matters of an unofficial duel and expected to contend with issues of the heart.  However, the oldest adages still hold strong.  Honesty is still the best policy and if you truly desire a relationship with the lad, then you will need to tell him what you are, make sure he remembers and that he understands."

((Sorry for short post, muses have been evil lately.  Also, imminent Damien mauling.))

"I..." This was bad.  For a brief moment Damien contemplated lying, but... No.  He didn't want to start this off with lying just to save his own hide.  And if this all did blow up in his face and he ended up getting his memory wiped, or worse...

He'd take the consequences.

"I'm from here, actually.  The city, anyways.  And I only found out about Avalon last night.  I'm human." Damien raised his hands in a placating gesture, palms out.  He would really prefer to avoid being mauled over this.  "First, yes I know that everyone from Avalon apparently doesn't like humans knowing, and I know you don't know me from Adam, but I DO swear that I have the sense to not discuss it with anyone that doesn't already know, and that I intend no harm whatsoever to anyone there, or the Avalon itself.  I honestly think it's the coolest place I've ever seen or heard of.  If you want to be mad at me for that, then go ahead." Belatedly realizing he hadn't answered the werewolf's question, he added "Also, as I haven't had the chance to talk to anyone but you, and I'm currently learning the trumpet, I'm really the only one that fits the parameters of what you need, although I'll fully understand if you don't want me to."

((Plot post! The last section is in addition to any of the personal sections!))

The Wheel of Fortune

The percussionist contemplates Damien for a moment. "You better learn to lie fast," he finally says, "or find a werewolf or vampire that's willing to bring you in. Things are going to get messy in Avalon with the death of the king, and you don't want to get caught in the crossfire without someone or something to protect you." With that, he heads towards the music store door. "I'll find someone else to help with my predicament. You're going to have enough on your plate as is."

The Heirophant

There's a short pause from Silver as he thinks. "The shortest way home?" Silver gives Daniel a quick look over, then says, "You look like you're from the public university. Head down this street, make a left at the wall, and go until you hit the painting of two trees. Touch the right one thrice, then the left one thrice as well, it'll dump you out into the student center's plaza. Do the same thing if you want to get back in that way, only to the actual trees. As for your second question..." He trails off as he sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Looking at Daniel, he begins, "You know, I--" Suddenly, something catches his eye behind Daniel. "Looks like your answer will have to wait for another day," he says calmly. "They're doing a sweep for Sanctuary spies, and they'll be more thorough than a quick glance. You might get found out if you hang around. Act casual and start heading off, you can make it to your Gate if you go now." He gets up and starts heading towards a group of faeries in blue uniforms.

The Fool

"No, David, it's more than that..." Luke follows along as David scans the aisles, apparently preparing himself for something. "Simply put, I'm starting to feel... uncomfortable... training to be a priest. As you know, I can't really voice my concerns with mom or dad, but I don't think God's plan was for me to be a priest. Since you're the only other family member I could talk to, I was hoping you might be able to help." Looking around, he suddenly says, "Here, you're looking for a rosary, right? What about this one?" In his hands is a five decade rosary made with jade beads. An ostentatiously large cross hangs from it, which, as Luke studies it, causes him to say, "Never mind, this seems too Christian for your tastes." As he sets it down on a nearby shelf, it suddenly disappears as he turns away. David can see where it now rests, on the end of an aisle three aisles away. Magic. "Sorry," Luke murmurs, "I thought I might help. Funny, how even as I ask for your help, I offer mine." As the brothers continue on, David spots Kevin looking at Luke from the window, apparently part way through talking about the pawn shop to the brothers' parents. In a few moments he wanders off, and the brothers are free to leave.

The Moon

Heading into one of Avalon's markets, Lemick is bombarded with all manner of sights, sounds, smells, and even the occasional ghostly taste. Numerous men and women jostle him back and forth, causing him to stumble and struggle as it pushes him in all manner of directions. In short order, Lemick is completely and hopelessly lost. Faces blur past, the smell of some kind of stir fry is followed by the scent of brownies, and it all seems to be too much. A hand suddenly catches his arm, a black blob beneath a nose moves, spindly pinkish lines pass over Lemick's face from a similarly colored circle, and suddenly he's in a bed. His bed. He's home.

Queen of Pentacles

Marianne looks at Lorelei in shock for a moment, but quickly recovers. "I see. This... is not something you want widely know, I hope you realize. Many would quickly report you to the Fair Folk for this. The war with Sanctuary has everyone jumpy and quick to pull the trigger." She pauses, then withdraws a business card from somewhere in her dress. On it, Marianne's full name, Marianne Cristiana Chrysopeleia Tarmin, was written out above a mobile number. A picture of a tree was placed in the lower right corner. "If you would, please, ask your contacts to get in touch with me. Their assistance would be wonderful. In the mean time, I will show myself out." As she starts towards the door, she suddenly stops and turns about. "And don't worry, your secret is safe with me." With that, she leaves.
As soon as the door shuts behind Marianne, Beatrice looks up from her reading. Glancing after the departing dryad, she says, "Honestly, I don't see what's wrong with leaving your favorite park behind. It's not like there aren't other nature activists to keep it in shape, and I'm sure they do just as good a job as she does." Glancing at her watch, she suddenly gives a start. "Oh, dear, I'm late for class! Feel free to keep reading, I'll show myself out." Gathering up her things, she quickly takes her leave. "Call me if you have any questions!" She says just before the door slams behind her.

The Lovers

"I see," Nathan says to Nanabi. "I'll initiate a stock buyback to ensure that we have a majority holding. Thank you, Ms. Tybalt." He heads back in the way he came before being intercepted by a young woman of his age. The distance is too far for Nanabi to hear what exactly is going on, but it is clear that they are intimately close as they share a quick kiss and walk off with their arms around each other. As she continues to the housing project, it becomes an even less pleasant day. Standing around the Gate are two menacing-looking faeries, appearing to look over some blueprints while giving off a suspicious and watchful aura. It's clear that they don't want anyone going through this Gate, forcing Nanabi to return home.

Queen of Pentacles

"Don't worry about it," the man says, waving Robert off between winces. "Unless you can somehow stop PCJA from creating waste that they can't recycle or dispose of safely, you won't do me much good. I've got a friend coming anyways." Looking up, he suddenly says, "Ah, here she is now. Hey there, Grace."
"You really should start researching their dumping schedules, Nick," Grace says as she bends down to help the man up. A woman satyr, she wears a rough-spun tunic belted at the waist with a breaded leather belt. "You know how you earth spirits are when the forest is cleared." As Nick slowly gets up, leaning heavily on her shoulder, she turns to Robert. "I got it from here, stranger. You, though, might want to get going. You don't look like you're from around here, and with the king's funeral only yesterday, people are going to think you're from Sanctuary. Wait a week or two for suspicions to die down. Now come on, Nick, let's get you home." They both turn and slowly make their way down the street, leaving Robert to follow the satyr's advice.

Time passes. For some it's only a couple days, for others it's a couple weeks, but though everyone sees evidence of Avalon frequently, nothing significant happens in the interim. Eventually, another note appears in everyone's mailbox.
When at last everyone has gathered, Silver and Vitia bring them into a corner cafe. "Our apologies for taking so long in meeting with you again," Silver begins. "We felt it was unsafe to hold an obvious meeting too soon after the king's funeral. While the ongoing power struggle certainly isn't much better an atmosphere, we all should be safe for now. If you don't mind, we'll get our piece out of the way real quick, then answer any questions you have." With a nod, he passes it off to Vitia.
"Right now," she begins, "there are a few groups trying to gain control of Avalon after the war with Sanctuary took our king. Between us and our friends, we've been able to figure out their opinions on you folk. Duke Orphenthal is in the lead, but he's also rabidly anti-human. He's been drumming up support outside of his extensive connections by saying he'd essentially turn you all into mindless wage-slaves and make Joneswark practically an extension of Avalon to eliminate 'the threat of human violence.' Duke Niffleheim is a close second and is in favor of the status quo. It's what's been keeping him in the running for so long, as many are put off by Orphenthal's policies. There's a dark horse floating around, though, who calls himself Puck. He's in favor of revealing Avalon to Joneswark and doing away with the secrecy, trusting that both of our societies, yours and me and Silver's, have grown enough that they can get along. Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong, but we've found a way to at least remove some of Orphenthal's support. The Summer Festival is coming up, and people love to share their stories of drunken revelry in Joneswark with their friends. If you guys can give as many people as possible a good story to tell their friends at home, one that casts you guys in a good light, then some of Orphenthal's campaigning seems less well-founded and it might knock him out of the lead. Keep it in mind as the summer solstice approaches." Taking a quick breath, she then asks, "So, how are you all holding up with your new eyes on the world?"

Lemick was shocked, he had no memory of getting home and panic set in as he checked his house to see if anything was missing. Nothing seemed to have vanished.

Several days later he found a letter under the mail slot of his door. Silver and Vitia were going to meet with the group again. He set off early and found Silver, and Lemick asked him if he knew any well-dressed red skinned men in Avalon. That man might know something about his weird return home. The human also mentioned this event to Silver and waited if he would answer.

Later when everybody was in the cafe, Lemick listened what Silver and Vitia had to say. It appeared that the king of the region was dead and some sort of war was responsible. The candidates for the next king were listed but when the last one was mentioned Lemick couldn't help asking "Puck? As in that Puck, Oberon's emissary?"

 

"That merry wanderer of the night..." Robert quotes to himself, listening to Silver speak. When the question of how things have gone comes up, he shrugs.

"I must admit, it's not gone as I expected it to. My expectations were shaped by the books I read, and although those were admittedly fiction, I'm still surprised by how uneventful things have been. The only things of real consequence to happen to me have been meeting an earth spirit in the process of being injured by landfill dumping and finding out that not everything strange you see on LSD is a hallucination. Somehow I expected something a little less Hayao Miyazaki and a little more Dresden Files. Regarding the solstice, what kind of stories do you think would paint us in the best light? This Duke Orphenthal sounds like a proper berk."

Damien waited until the werewolf had left before slumping back with a gasp of relief.  He still had all his limbs.  This was a good thing.

***

Damien was one of the first to arrive at the meeting, and was rather glad to see that everyone seemed to have gotten through okay.  Even if he didn't know the others, he didn't wish ill upon them.

Still, he found himself taking a hesitant step back.  Revolution?  Politics?  He was a simple college student and aspiring music teacher, not someone who had any interest in those things.  He never even paid attention to elections in his own world.  Now to influence one here in a world he was just starting to learn about?

Not for the first time, he wondered if he was in over his head.

At the question, he replied "Well, I've managed to avoid being mailed so far.  I do have one question, though." It has occurred to him as he listened to their description of the situation.  "Do you guys work for Puck?"

Back at the store

"You didn't want to talk to our parents because they have strong views on religion, so you came to talk to me instead? Luke, you are one messed up child." David chuckled a little. Still at least he was willing to consider the other side of the issue which did put him a step up from the alternate and his little brother probably didn't have that many options. It was at that point when Luke managed to pick a rosary up from the other side of the store. Had he been drinking coffee (or any other beverage), David would likely have spewed it into a nearby silly looking coat rack in comical fashion. As he had no beverage however, he had to settle for a sudden coughing fit to which Luke prompted, "Brother, are you alright? You seem... surprised by something."

David shook his head replying in a somewhat dazed manner, "No, I mean... yes, I'm fine.... it's just... I mean... you can do magic?!?"

Luke affected a surprised reaction of his own. "What? No. I mean, how could I?"

David's brain began to catch up with the situation. First, his little brother could do magic. He knew better than to question his perceptions. Second, his little brother did not KNOW he could do magic. Either that or he was pretending not to. David couldn't recall Luke ever lie-ing but that might just mean he was really good at it. So confronting him about it would either be useless or he'd sound crazy with talk of magic. Which brought him to what he should do.

"Hmmm... nevermind that for now. You know my opinion about religion and things god means for people to do, but putting that aside for now... if you don't feel like this is what you want to do with your life, than you probably shouldn't be doing it. But... hold on... Miss, do you have a piece of paper I can have? Thank you. Anyway, as I was saying, you probably should not cut your ties without a safety net to catch you. So see what you can find before doing anything too rash. It worked out for me but I got lucky. Anyway here, take this and read it if you start noticing anything... weird. You can read it sooner if you want though it might not make sense, just please hold on to that if only to humor me."

While he'd been talking he had gotten a piece of paper from the shopkeeper and with a pen from his pocket started writing down information Luke would probably need. A brief rundown on fae and magic being real, the fact that religious paraphernalia could sometimes be an effective defense, and most importantly that this hidden world was somewhat paranoid about humans and the mages especially had a habit of killing competition (stuff he had learned from talking to Bartholomew) and that if Luke had magic his life was probably in danger but being in the priesthood might protect him for a while. Furthermore he'd managed to come up with a good normal reason for Luke not to leave the priesthood just yet. David estimated this had the best chance of convincing Luke in a reasonable manner though until he came around David would probably be nerve-wracked around the clock. In the meanwhile he just had to hope that no one saw anything and be really really glad of the enchantment that stopped random passerbys (and snoops like his roommate Kevin apparently) from noticing anything weird. He didn't know how far the enchantment extended however making him extra glad sound didn't travel through walls or else Kevin might have heard a very strange conversation.

Time passes and eventually David's family goes back home and life moves on. David was finally able to track down a decent looking rosary which he started to chain from a beltloop to a pocket in a vaguely 'rebellious' way and eventually another trip to Avalon gets scheduled. David had been to Avalon once or twice during the intermittent time period, but had mostly been trying to keep his collegiate career above water. In the meanwhile he had learned a bit more about the political situation, gotten a feel for the geography, and overall gotten a bit more firm footing about the whole thing. However, after the meeting (and a bit later to hear what other people had to ask), he pretty much headed straight home figuring he'd work on a way to be a good ambassador later. Right now he was just about ready to crash.

The Fool

Silver turns to answer Damien's question. "No, we're just... concerned citizens, I suppose, is the best way to put it. While we like Puck's ideas, there are plenty of paranoid trigger-happy crazies in the world that there might be some in Avalon, and we certainly don't want them running around killing random people. Besides that, Puck is elusive, and most certainly an alias, so we don't really know who or what he is." He pauses a moment, then continues, "If you'd like, you could go looking around for him on your own."

King of Pentacles

The next day, David wakes to find a text message from Luke on his phone. Weird people hanging around the church. One looks a lot like Kevin, only older. Read your sheet. Really worried they might be mages. Help?

Eight of Cups

Silver politely delays answering Lemick's questions until after announcements are made, and Vitia deftly answers when they've finished. "That is certainly who he or she is alluding to by taking his name, but the name Puck fell out of fashion a century or so ago. Nobody registers themselves under the name anymore, so it's undoubtedly just an alias. I believe I also overheard you asking about a red-skinned man? That was likely one of the Christian devils. Also, from the sounds of it, I think you went into the Porphyry Mall. It's such a hotspot of people it's not uncommon for people to get disoriented. It's considered polite for those with magic to send the disoriented home when they come up. Anything else?"

Five of Cups

"Well..." Silver sits back, thinking about Robert's question. "Orphenthal loves to spread his story about how his son, a faerie, had gone on a road trip with his wife, a human, and was murdered by said wife when the city's enchantment wore off. However, you can't really counter that without a few years' work, and by then this struggle will probably be over thanks to Puck's influence. However, since he's been casting it as 'human's are violent, bloodthirsty creatures who want nothing but fighting and destruction', try just being polite towards everyone for the night. If you see a fight, break it up, and if they're too drunk and broke to make it back to Avalon, just give them a place to sleep for the night. Ultimately, it's about minimizing conflict. Anything else?"

Lorelei was rather relieved that Marianne was amiable about the whole human in the know situation and she was rather pleased with herself for having taken her first steps to having a friend among the Fae.  As far as she was concerned the ship was still out on Silver and Vitia. Despite what they had both said and reassured all of them of, Lorelei still felt the two of them viewed them as tools of convenience.

Taking her time with her tea and sandwiches, Lore relaxed and read, she still had a few hours until class. When it was time, she made herself ready for class and drove herself in the Aston. The days passed rather normally for a bit seemingly with little change, until she received the letter.

"A letter, that is very much old world. Why not an email, text, tweet, or post it on my wall. Maybe this whole perception obfuscation does not function over electronic media?" She mused to herself as she readied for another visit with the strange duo.


Later


Lore was a little surprised at the political state of Avalon and was a bit concerned to say the least. She quietly listened to the questions and comments of the others before adding inquiries of her own.

"That is rather disturbing to hear regarding the politics and all. Does this mean your king died without Issue? IN the peerage, of say Great Britian of which I am very familiar, such a death would be very tragic, but succession is rather well documented and very well tiered."

Clearing her throat, she prepared for a long speech, "take myself for example, I am the Countess of Darlington, which usually means little more then people use 'My Lady' or 'Countess' in front of my name and I have a rather nice house in the City of Darlington, but in the case of succession it means I am sixty-third in line behind my mother and ahead of my younger siblings as well as my father, the Duke of Cleveland (ooc: the Cleveland in North Eastern England). Though I use only my father's family name, Evans, for personal reasons, I am still a Lorraine. One of the only branches left of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine which is nominally related to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. King George the Fifth, Queen Elizabeth the Second's grandfather, changed it to Windsor.  So if by some significant tragedy all members from Prince Charles to my mother Rebecca were to suddenly die, I would be the Queen of England."

Taking another breath and wishing for some water, Lorelei continued, "so there should be some documented line to fall onto, for good or ill.  Oh and one other thing, it sounds very much like you wish us to be chaperons to the whole of irresponsible faeries during the Summer Festival.  It sounds rather boring to have to be the sober friend with the nice flat to crash at. I'm sorry to sound a bit entitled, but this whole enlightenment process seems to only spell danger, responsibility, and work for us.  It seems like you merely need humans in the know to be around to clean up irresponsible fairfolk messes. What exactly are we to be receiving for all of this except the benefit of working to not be killed by this Duke Orphenthal chap?"  

Daniel stood up and stretched as Silver left him. He scribbled down the directions he had been given on the back of his pad. He kept his head down and meandered through the streets till he found himself in front of the mural that Silver had told him about. He tapped the tree in the prescribed order and the paints before him seemed to meld and swirl together. With a final deep breath, he stepped through it.

The trip through the portal was like being stretched and squished together at the same time. Daniel stumbled and caught himself on one of the trees back in the "real" world. Glancing around he saw that it was still nighttime (as to which night he wasn't sure) but at least he was in familiar surroundings. When the squirmy feeling had dissipated, he started heading off towards his appartments; the thirty minute walk would give him some time to mull over what he had just been through.

David read his phone with a sense of dread. He briefly wondered how the past week had gone by so very quickly without him being prepared for this yet. Sure he had learned a few new things about the fae world, but none of it about mages or how to counter them. Well that's not true, he had learned (or rather suspected) one thing, and that was that his roommate Kevin was probably a mage himself and the reason they were in this mess to begin with, but that was hardly conductive to a solution and didn't count as a plan. He had some ideas, but nothing truly solid so he had turned to the best (and really only) resource he had once he was certain Kevin was away for a bit (though at the time he just hadn't wanted to sound crazy for talking to a bird). The answer he received had hardly been convenient, but hopefully would work, so he now sent his brother an email with a spell and texted Luke to check it.

Quote from: emailOkay. I'm not sure why this works, but from what I've found... if you mix nightshade, lavender, and rosemary with some strands of your hair in a cauldron (or a pot, something iron) and water and a piece of sponge (sea sponge, not manufactured) and you boil it until it looks kind of goopy, you get a potion that will somehow make you not visible to other mages. You don't drink it. Seriously, don't... I'm pretty sure nightshade is poisonous and I'm not sure what ratios you need, but try a fistful of each maybe? You might actually know that part better than I would. Anyway, there will probably be enough nightshade to be bad if you drink it. Instead you say (chant?) "hide and seek" and that should work... somehow. I don't know how close you have to be to the potion, but to be safe you should either hold the pot or stand next to it. Apparently if you make it in a cast iron cauldron (small) it works for a month, regular household pot works for three weeks. Not sure if it's the volume or the shape or the materials or what. I know you can find rosemary easily and lavender isn't much harder but I've been a bit stumped for nightshade. I'm going to try to find some in the meanwhile in case you can't find any on your own, but see how far you can get and in the meanwhile try to stay closer with the church which I really hope will protect you for a bit longer. Once you manage to hide your aura, they might know something is up and try to move in before you slip the net so you may want to be ready to move quickly. I don't have anything planned for that and you might have to run away, but not to here because this would be the first place they look, plus I'm not sure I trust my roommate. Do you remember the hide-aways I used to go to? I never told anyone about them so you might be able to use one still if its not run down.

David pushed away from the computer and grabbed his rosary from its hook. It was time to go shopping in Avalon for nightshade...


Edit note: this post edited based on additive information from GM

((Daniel is on hold for recognition of plot))

The Emperor

David easily finds the apothecaries in Avalon. Nightshade is a frequent reagent, it seems, and is loosely controlled. However, forms must be filled out, giving contact information so poisonings can be investigated easily. As David finishes filling out the paperwork, the shop door opens behind him with the tinkle of a bell. "Ah, Lord Orphenthal! How are you today?" the store clerk asks, turning away from David.
"Oh, just fine. This 'power struggle' will be over quite shortly, I think, and then the humans will finally be safely contained. We won't have to worry about them finding Avalon by accident and leading a crusade against all things beyond their ken. It is only a matter of days."

Seven of Cups

Vitia's shoulders slowly tense as Lorelei's speech runs on and on. "That's very interesting," she says as she rolls her shoulders back in an attempt to loosen them. "However, can you name a time where power has been peacefully transferred? When there's been no objection from anyone? What if all those people had weapons and people to support them in challenging the new power? Now, add to the mix the son, the only clear lineage, missing out on the field of battle. Tell me, do you know the tale of Odysseus? If Penelope wasn't there to save a place for Odysseus, what do you think would have happened? Do you really think--"
"Calm, Vitia," Silver says, finally stirring himself. "If she doesn't know after that, she won't ever." Sighing, he leaned forward and continued, "As to being a chaperone, no. It's outright rude to ask you for that. Just... make a good impression, is all. I'm sure your life is at least worth that much. Of course, if you don't want to be a part of this world, and live life more fully, I'm sure the cops will be happy to give you a mindwipe. There's a station right around the corner for you."

"One of the Christian Devils?" Lemick said "But I don't think I've done anything to warrant attention, I mean I have done things I'm not proud of, but nothing that would attract interest and that Devil gave the impression that he knew me personally." The man was nervous. "What could he possibly want?" He asked Silver.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Moving on after the meeting, Lemick wondered what he could do to improve the general thought about humans to the residents of Avalon. After discarding hare-brained ideas as he seen from experience that they never worked except for those with exceptional luck and he wasn't one of them. He came to the conclusion to just be his normal polite self. Lemick was rather drab and was not fantastical in any way or form. If he gave the impression that there are humans who just minded their business and weren't normally people who would do something crazy such as war on things they didn't understand or hate things for no reason maybe Avalon's mood would be better disposed towards humans. Now there were people who were exactly the sort of human that possibly many fey held the idea of but he could change their minds even a little, that would open doors between the two. In stories, prejudging a person until you know them rarely works out well so Lemick made his decision, to let fey know more about humans then they did before.

"Does anyone remember when we were explorers?" Robert intoned, having listened to Lorelei's little speech. If it were anything to judge by, he didn't think he was going to like the toff.

"Most of that's standard operating procedure for me anyway. Breaking up fights is usually for people less a coward than me, but it seems this thing's gotten bigger than any of us now," Robert said. "I do have two more questions. First, are there any particular establishments you would recommend going to increase likelihood of us being useful? I'm not exactly one for partying, and my local, you're more likely to go there for a curry and a pint than a booze-up and a punch-up. Secondly, this Orphenthal  fellow, is he simply using his son's death to lend his position legitimacy, leveraging people's innate fear of the other, or is this something he really believes in? The former is a regrettably common and effective political tactic, but the latter... Well, if he believes in it, he's a lot more dangerous."

"I would expect one to learn from the past instead of making a real hash of it again and again.  However, you are right, historically power transfers poorly and it is only fairly recently that there are examples of peaceful successes."  She raises an eyebrow to Silver, "so, put a sock in it and do what you are told or sod off?  Thanks for that."

Lorelei sighed, "right, I've gone at this blinkered or I'm nattering too much for someone to quote Star Trek.  On an addendum to his questions, are there places or folk we should avoid?"

Well now, this was certainly interesting. The very lord that apparently wanted to enslave humanity, if only on a local scale and maybe not so dramatic. Still, David's curiosity was burning and this seemed important so he decided to pursue the issue a bit.

"Lord Orphenthal? Didn't expect to meet someone so important in this part of town! Sorry if I'm a bit behind on the times, but... what happens in a few days?"

Three of Cups

Duke Orphenthal turns to David, beaming. "Oh, you'll just have to wait and see," he says. His eyes dance over David's clothes, taking in the style and noting the rosary. "Trust me, the day after the Summer Festival won't be one to forget. Any pups you have will be safe here evermore." He turns back to the store clerk and says, "Some rosemary and lavender, and... what they hey, toss in some orchids with it. It's a time for celebration!" The clerk disappears into the back room to fill out the order, returning after a few minutes. With a wave, Duke Orphenthal leaves as the clerk takes David's now-complete nightshade forms in exchange for a small package of the deadly plant.

Queen of Wands

"Lemick, I'm trying to answer your questions if you didn't notice," Vitia says as Silver turns to answer Robert's question. Her smile seems genuine, at least, as she continues, "It wasn't uncommon for people to make deals with devils prior to the Enlightenment. Okay, well, it was uncommon, but it still happened. Likely one of your ancestors made a deal with that devil, and he knows you as a former client's kid, in a sense. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I doubt you have any import on whatever deal there was way back when."

Three of Cups

"No, just--" Silver sighs, clearly re-centering himself before responding to Lorelei. "I'm not trying to tell you 'shut up or screw off.' Everyone's just a bit stressed without a King, though, and the fact that we haven't learned from our past is certainly part of it. Just... bear with us, alright?" He pauses to answer Robert's questions before turning back to Lorelei. "As to avoiding places, just use your common sense and you should be fine. After all, our society isn't much different from yours, so just do as much as you're comfortable with and go on from there."

Two of Pentacles

Silver turns to Robert and says, "Near as we can figure, Orphenthal does believe in the danger of humanity, but I doubt he cannot be swayed. It seems he's just running with his first experience and skewed research. And, you asked about where to go to see more of our kind? I know the Sparrow and Quail is a popular haunt for werewolves. It's an old-school tavern over in Roanoke where they play all sorts of drinking games, run by a rather jovial werewolf. Satyrs tend to Italian and Greek restaurants, though Olive Garden is a definite no-go for them. You wouldn't believe just how many jokes we have about the place. Thrimwalde Park is popular with the elves, dryads, and nature spirits, and they love to dance with anyone who comes by. Don't feel like you have to though, they'll feel awful if they accidentally dance you to injury or worse. I'm afraid I don't know about the other peoples, though."

David looked after the departing faerie lord. That was certainly ominous, not to mention uninformative. Still, rosemary and lavender... maybe they were a clue? Still, David really didn't care at this point whether or not the fae enslaved the local human population or not as long as it didn't affect him personally, which by all accounts wouldn't. The enchantment had already been broken for him and while not actually a werewolf, his disguise of one was fairly effective. No, what was far more important was the issue with his brother, so David took the nightshade and headed home where he could hopefully hand off the supply to his brother soon enough. Though since he did have the time he decided to see if he could figure out magical properties of rosemary, lavender, and maybe orchids.

Lorelei sighed and all but face palmed as she replies, "no, no, it is just," she pauses with another sigh, "I am sorry, but somehow I had thought, hoped, that the fairfolk would be more enlightened, would have a solved these petty problems we mortals seem to struggle with."

She closes her eyes and with a sigh lifts her gaze skyward, "stupid, I really am that naive."  After a moment Lorelei returned her gaze to Silver, "enough of that.  Do you expect any hostilities or faction conflicts that we should be aware of?  I am trained in all first aid and paramedic procedures so I can be on-call, so-to-speak, if needed."

((I was hoping for more people to write for, but... apparently I delayed a bit too long.))

King of Swords

It's about mid-day when David returns to the apartment, Kevin lounging in the living room. "Hey David," he says, flopping his head in the general direction of the door. Research into the herbage Duke Orphenthal ordered brings some odd results: rosemary's for protection, lavender's for lovers, and orchid is for love invocations. An amusing video of bees getting drunk on a particular orchid's nectar also springs up during the search. As David works at the computer, he can hear Kevin stand up and head to the kitchen. Amidst the clatter of dishes, Kevin calls, "So, uh, David... when did you turn? Into a werewolf, I mean. I've got some friends, they might be able to find out who did it to you, if you'd like..."

Two of Swords

"Fortunately for you," Vitia says to Lorelei, "there won't be any particularly magical fighting. People are... well, I wouldn't exactly say passive, but they're at least smart enough even with alcohol to not start a fight that could get their powers excised for wanton magic use. Beside that, I doubt there will be any group fighting between factions since they're so widespread, they're kind of in a universal stalemate. Besides, it's something of a tradition to set aside hostilities for a night when the Summer Festival comes around."

"Olive Garden? My uncle Tony's from Italy, you wouldn't believe just how many jokes I'd believe you have about the place." Robert replied with a brief grin. "Actually, this whole thing is a bit fortuitous really, Zach's been on me about using some of my vacation days, and I suppose you know you need to loosen up when your boss is pushing you to take some time off. They all sound interesting, I suppose I'll just have to see where the day takes me."

House Work

Nanabi did not enjoy being alone, yet surrounded by people.  To the servants who kept her home tidy, Nanabi was just a moving piece of furniture, that could potentially ruin their lives if she started to move in their direction.

Thus, the ancient woman was left to read books she had all read before, listen to the radio, or to sit and contemplate.  She would endeavor to find a way into the strange new world on the morrow but today...

Today, Nanabi turned on her trusty old computer, and began to look up information about various types of these fey creatures, while also investigating youkai.  The ancient businesswoman would take careful time to research Inari Okami, for her grandfather had tended an shrine to the fox-kami.  Perhaps she could make an offering to the kami, and receive some protection from creatures like...like that demon.

Time would tell.

~*-*~

A story?  To put her and hers in a good light?  Nanabi frantically twisted her hands.  Hers was not a good story, and the stories she knew were at best grey.  She would think, and look for something to tell come the solstice.

When her turn came, Nanabi spake.  "I greatly enjoy visiting...but I feel so removed from this world, that I do not find it easy to interact with the people here."

Lemick apologized to Vita and tried to let what was told to him sink in. So it was likely that devil knew him only by an ancestral encounter if for any reason. Hopefully Lemick didn't have to worry unnecessarily. "So Vita, about what will happen a few days from now, I was just thinking that I should just be myself. But do you have sort of general warnings? It'll be nice to avoid any blatant rudeness that humans don't know about."   

David sighed. He had been hoping this could be put off, but he supposed it was inevitable. So he put a note on the bag of nightshade asking Bartholomew to deliver it to his little brother if he wasn't able to and left it outside on the window sill while he went to the other room where Kevin was. It occurred to him as he walked that as a mage (almost certainly), Kevin could probably notice if David were to lie, so he decided to change the subject instead of directly answering. So when he got to the living room, instead of entering he leaned against the doorsill, crossed his arms and asked, "How long have YOU been a mage?"

There, that should hopefully throw Kevin a little off the scent while not actually saying he was or was not a werewolf. He also had to force himself to keep his tone from being hostile (although it still ended up sounding accusatory) because all he could think of was how Kevin was probably trying to kill his little brother while at the same time being 'casual' and trying to act 'friendly' with this approaching the subject 'gently' and offering to 'help'. Kevin would probably notice he was angry anyway, which would actually help distract from the whole werewolf issue, but as long as David kept himself under control he might be able to walk out of this still able to get the nightshade to Luke before it was too late instead of making his roommate try to stop him. Maybe it would have been wiser to play his hand closer to the chest, try to be 'friendly' back and see if he could garner what the mages were planning, but David just didn't have it in him to do so. Maybe it was because he felt extra betrayed since it was his roommate whom he had been on good terms with, maybe he was just tired of tiptoeing around hiding what he knew, maybe it was something else entirely... but David decided he was going to toss the dice and see how they fell.

Lorelei nodded to Vitia, "that is one thing then.  However, I have been mistaken for a recently created werewolf by a rather nice dryad with a romantic issue she needed help with.  Many may see us as such.  That can impact how these stories are received."

Taking a short pause of silence, she continued, "are we revealing ourselves as humans in the know publicly at this point?  Well, at least in the scope of this operation?  If so, that will increase the size and scope of the reticule upon us.  How swift will retribution be and what might it entail?  If we are not, then do not worry about this question."

Four of Swords

As a pot of water starts to boil on the stove, Kevin turns to David, leaning on the counter. "Since birth, though I'm assuming by your angry tone you're asking instead about how long I've known." With remarkable calm, he shrugs and continues, "Unlike your brother, I'm from the Travonis family of mages. I've known since I was, I dunno, six or so? Sorry to hear that you're brother's a mage, by the way. I never was part of the watch crew, so I only really found out when he did his manifestations at the pawn shop. 'Least I wasn't expected to kill the guy. I mean, family is family, but when it involves killing the brother of a good friend? Too much bad blood comes from that, especially if they're aware like you. By the way, sorry to see you got turned. At least someone was kind enough to let you know about the necessary security measures. It gets sketchy whenever someone gets turned; they aren't always the safest people to be around the first few months." The rolling boil of the pot catches his attention, and he hurriedly pours in some pasta. The water froths as the noodles enter the water, but it hits an invisible wall along the top of the open pot. "One of the benefits of magic. Who knows, maybe your brother will someday learn to do this. He goes fast enough and has a kid, the mages will just have a new family to accept. Happened before, with the Silouac family maybe a century ago." Turning back to David, Kevin lifts his hands apologetically. "Sorry, I tend to ramble a bit. Go do whatever you were doing, I wish your brother the best of luck. Might whip up a charm to pass some of mine his way."

Two of Swords

Vitia takes a moment to think before answering Lemick. "Best bet, don't let emotions get the better of you. A story about some pissed off human starting a fight won't help your case in the slightest. Just keep calm, and..." Vitia looks over Lemick's head for a moment before turning to Silver and whispering something. Scooting her chair out from the table, she finishes as she stands, "Sorry, but we've got to get going so we make room for more cafe guests. The proprietor's getting a bit pushy. If you need anything, just leave a note in Evergreen Park under the big boulder in the middle and I'll find it, alright?"

The Fool

Vitia is halfway through standing up as she answers Lorelei. "Thank whatever you pray to, then, that your dryad friend tends to Puck instead of Orphenthal. If you let it be known that you're human that's disenchanted, you're doomed and we can't help you, so don't. Not without knowing they won't kill you or report you for it. Now, I'm sorry, but we need to leave. The proprietor's starting to get pushy so the other cafe guests can use our table. If you have any more questions, write them on a note and leave it under the boulder in the middle of Evergreen Park, I'll pick it up there." She waves farewell as she walks out of the cafe.

Nine of Pentacles

Silver turns to Nanabi as she makes her comment. "Look, I've heard of you from your glory days at the head of the business world. I don't doubt you had to deal with vastly different cultures than your own, with numerous barriers and discomforts. So, think of our culture in the same way. We're still people, after all; just people that are a bit different from yours. We're not going to make everything fall down around your ears now that you've found us. Simply treat us like we're a new culture you're immersing yourself in." Silver leans in as Vitia whispers something in his ear. "Alright, I'm afraid it's time for us to leave. Vitia can handle any emergency contacts you need; there's a boulder in the middle of Evergreen Park she hangs out at, so just leave a note under that and you'll get to us eventually."

The High Priestess

"Sounds like a plan," Silver says to Robert, standing from the table. "It's been nice talking with you, Robert. If you need to ask me or Vitia anything, leave a note under the boulder in the middle of Evergreen Park and we'll get it. In the meantime, it's time for us to leave. Have a nice day, I trust you can find your way out."

David found himself a little dumbfounded. Of all the possible ways for this to turn out, he had not expected this one. "So... wait. You aren't trying to kill my brother? I thought..." he paused as the full implication of what Kevin told him set in. "Wait, there's a way out? He doesn't have to be on the run forever?"

Five of Wands

Kevin focuses again on his dinner. "Yes," he begins, "he can get out, though I think it's kind of silly. While I disagree with the idea of killing mages just because they aren't part of the main families, I also disagree with the inconsistency of the rules. I mean, really, some guy has a kid and suddenly he's accepted like he's a family with serious history? But y'know what, if it keeps them from killing the lucky few, hey, all the better. Means we can get some fresh blood into the genetic pool without having to go through some serious hoops to get the right people in on the story." He pauses to scoop out a single noodle, rinsing it under cold water before taking a bite. "Hm, not quite done yet. Anyways, all he needs to do is start a family legitimately, though that might be hard with mages attacking him 24/7. Then again, he looks pretty handsome; almost as handsome as you. Might not be hard to find someone to start a family with if he can accept the idea."

Lorelei was more than happy to be leaving, horrible cafe did not serve a proper tea nor could she get cream for it.  She settled what she needed to and exited after Vitia.

Lore figured she would go visit Thrimwalde Park when it was time for the Summer Festival, for now she decided to seek out an acceptable evening tea.

"Huh..." David muttered, completely missing Kevin's subtle hitting on him. "I... need to go..." he continued, not even bothering coming up with an excuse like laundry or something similarly innocuous. That ship had definitely sailed. Instead he went back into his room to text his brother:

Quote from: text messageHey, I just learned that they will stop going after you if you marry someone and get a kid. Not sure how you'll do that, and sorry to join our parents on trying to get you married, but good luck. I also have that last herb if you still need it, but I'm not sure how I should get it to you. Do you want to meet up somewhere or should I leave it someplace for you to find?

He briefly worried about the possibility of being followed before he remembered that any mages looking for Luke would be able to just sense him anyway. Until this potion was done that is... and for David, that could not come soon enough.

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?"

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.

"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.

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."

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?"

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."

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.

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?"

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.

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.

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.

"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?"

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."

((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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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?"

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.

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?"

((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.

"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."

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.

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.

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.

The Fool

Lemick shrugged and trusted that this procedure was safe. During the sequence when the woman was scanning his mind, his thoughts kept turning to those strange coincidences that just seemed to constantly occur to him. The man in red, the sudden loss of consciousness in that bazaar, the sudden animals in the bank, and the shirt in the thrift store with its advertising. The only thing that didn't seem strange these past few days was the vandalism at the bank. Things that like happened occasionally, more if the building was in a bad neighborhood. Still Lemick thought it did seem much to have a mind scanned just to have a shirt cleaned and wondered some reasons why. The woman closes her eyes for a moment, giving no indications that she is doing anything. A few moments later, she opens them and says, "Just the shirt? Most people come to us for more thorough cleaning jobs, such as houses or businesses. However, we do have a dry cleaning room here. If I may see the shirt...?"

"Yes, I need it to be presentable for the festival soon." Lemick said "So somebody seems to favor this business enough to leave adverts in the most useful places. How long has this store been operating?"
"Not for long," says the clerk as she takes the shirt, "so we're still looking for people that know how to clean, if you're interested." Pulling it open, she gives Lemick an odd look, glancing between him and the shirt before turning it around. "I believe you thought there was a 'For you' on the inside, correct?" Lifting one of the sides, the shirt is as clean as if the writing had never existed. Lemick had a thoughtful frown "I remember seeing it when I brought it from the thrift store, and I would hardly come here to get it clean if if was just my imagination." He then shrugged again "Better to have it cleaned than risking that writing being a tricky little prank. I don't suppose you have the facilities to clean off 'magical' writing as well?"

"Of course, sir," the woman said, putting the shirt under the desk. "We'll have it done in less than an hour. Is there anything else I can help you with?" "Well what do you think about this upcoming festival?" Lemick said "I've heard some politics have been surrounding it, nasty thing to do when people are trying to have a nice time." "There are politics in everything," the woman says with a sigh. Behind Lemick, the door tinkles as it opens and shuts. "Good day to you, sir," says the clerk before going into the back room.
"Lemick, right?" Says a voice from somewhere behind and to the right of Lemick. "Mind if I ask you something? It'd be better if we were walking."

"It depends" Lemick said "I don't mind being asked and I do like walks. However there's been a lot of strange coincidences around me and it seems like you are another one of them Mister?" Lemick turned to see the speaker. Upon turning around, Lemick sees a bearded man with wiry brown hair and stern, dark eyes looking at him. He's wearing a roughspun green tunic belted at the waist, below which is a pair of horses legs. In fact, it appears that he has the upper body of a man, but the lower body of a horse. "You could say that," he says, slowly maneuvering to face the other way in the small store. "But I'm probably the only truly lucky thing that will happen to you in your lifetime." Pushing the door open, he politely holds it and gestures out to the street. "Shall we?" "Well you must be very confident to make a statement like that" Lemick said following the man outside "I don't believe I got your name. " "You can call me Mr. Smith, Lemick," he said as he set off down the street, confident that Lemick would follow. The rhythmic clopping of his hooves filled the short silence as they walked along. "You see, your life isn't what you think it is. Even with your recent evolution into a Knower, there is more going on behind these scenes. Do you remember some recent strange incidents? Someone you don't know vouching for you? Trust me when I say he, nor any who look like him and speak with you, have your best interests in mind. I, however, am here to help you. What do you know of your ancestry?"

"Very little in truth, Mr. Smith" Lemick said "I have seen that person you've spoken of and strange things have been happening. I don't understand what that means to me. Lemick then shifted his voice to a whisper "and about being a 'knower' does that mean you know that I'm human?" "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Mr. Smith says. "We only know because we've been watching out for a situation like this. The devils had always kept an eye on your family, and so in turn did we. You see, your history has a dark secret, and you are its fruit. We're here to prevent you from being the last fruit it bears. Know that you have friends here in Avalon, though they may not all be so obvious as I." Stopping, he finishes, "I must go now, before your overlords find me. We will speak again when the time is appropriate. Farewell, Lemick." With that, he bows, then gallops off out of sight.

Lemick waited around the city until the shirt was clean and went back to pick it up then he paused as his hind-brain suddenly wrote giant flaming letters in his mind. "What did he mean by 'overlords'?"

((Plot post! Read the last chunk as well as yours!))

Queen of Wands

Out in the living room, Kevin is laying about next to a woman that David vaguely recognizes from the past few blurry days. She's sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch near Kevin's chest and typing away on a laptop. Her brown hair has been highlighted with a dark red as it falls in an a-line haircut over her shoulders. "Hey David," she says, taking a moment from whatever she's writing to wave. The smile on her lips appears natural, though it quickly turns into a frown as she notices the time. "Crap," she murmurs as she starts packing up, raising her voice as she continues, "Sorry Kev, I gotta run. Asian Lit's in fifteen minutes. Going clubbing tonight, right?"
"Right," Kevin replies as she starts out the door, her laptop tucked into a slightly bulging canvas messenger bag. Kevin seems... tense, despite his rather relaxed position. After a couple moments, he sits up and levitates his bag from where it sits across the room, remarking, "I'd better get going too. Diff EQ's soon. See you around, David." Then he, too, walks out the door.

Judgement

Lemick receives his freshly cleaned shirt beneath a blank job application. "We're looking for employees with experience," the front worker explains, "and we heard you'd be good for the job if you're interested. Think about it, please." With that, she ushers him out the front door. As Lemick pauses, there's a glimpse of red passing into an alley way, though upon further inspection there's nothing there. It isn't long before he finds himself back at home.

Page of Cups

At last, the young satyr pulls a key out from his father's pockets, letting out a small exclamation of triumph Lorelei can barely hear. Reaching up, he unlocks the apartment door and swings it wide before turning around to drag his dad inside. Lorelei gets a clear look inside as the grunting kid tugs away; the dark, dingy apartment floor is littered with all sorts of glass beer bottles and ruined paperwork, while a tattered old couch sits just beyond, with a shadeless lamp sitting beyond that. A hallway goes off to the left just before the couch, and the child leaves his dad their long enough to turn on the lamp, which gives off dim yellow light as he returns to the front door. "Have a nice night!" The kid says with a smile, waving goodbye as he shuts the door. The sound of clinking glass and shuffling paper can be heard as Lorelei starts back home.

Three of Cups

((Meany, I know you said you were going to get a post up, but I can't wait any longer.))

The brief lull in chatter is broken when, suddenly, someone shoves Nanabi to her feet while another shouts, "Come on, this way!" Soon enough, Nanabi is taken on a rather rapid tour of all of Joneswark, though with the speed at which everyone is moving (and pushing Nanabi to move) and the noise of everyone talking and chattering with the spontaneous event, she learns little. When finished with the tour, they leave Nanabi back where she began and disperse with kind words and a few notes giving tips for finding her way around, leaving her to go back home in her own time.

The High Priestess

"Aw, but isn't that the fun part?" Nin says, before scooting over to catch her legs on Robert's outstretched arm as she dunks her torso into the fountain. Coming back up, she shakes her head and shoulders back and forth, spraying everyone present with water.
"Oh, dear lord that's cold!" Exclaims Liz, laughing as the droplets hit her. "Stoppat! Stop! Whew, I guess that's one way to try and sober up, you lousy wet fox!" Hooking Nin's head under her arm, she gives Nin a quick noogie before letting go. Laying down around the edge of the fountain, she looks up and bats her eyelashes at the satyr of the group. "Aaaadriaaaaan?" She starts, grinning. "Could you take our new friend here home? I don't think either of us two are sober enough to do that without getting ourselves into a bit of trouble." Nin giggles at that, causing her to tip over onto Robert's shoulder.
"Anything for a charming lass such as yourself," Adrian says as he stands, giving a wavering bow. "Come along, my good fellow! We have a destination, and I should certainly request your phone number in case you are interested in later nights of revelry among us, agreed?" Reaching out, he gently pulls Robert to his feet and starts off with a parting wave to the two women. Though it takes more than a few minutes to not only leave Avalon, but also to find Robert's home, the duo do eventually find their way. Along the way, Adrian manages to get Robert's number, promising that the three of them would contact him soon as the night ends outside Robert's door.

Time passes, and eventually the Summer Festival arrives. Out in Joneswark, in addition to many pubs and restaurants having a higher-than-average supernatural attendance, a street fair has taken over a few blocks of Main Street, supposedly as a small event for the city folk. However, the majority of those in attendance are residents of Avalon, and a nearby Gate is almost constantly open with the traffic passing in and out. In Avalon, lanterns hang over the streets as the festival has taken over the entire downtown, resulting in an almost Mardi Gras atmosphere. Bands ranging in size from a DJ with a couple speakers to a full jazz group are parked on numerous corners, and dancing is present in front of most in various styles, from Chinese to Irish to modern Pop. It's hard not to feel energized by what's going on even left as the group is primarily on the Joneswark side of the event. After all, it's the Summer Festival! Why not have some fun while you try and give a good impression?

Fresh Air
It had been so long since people had spoken to Nanabi in such a helpful way, not asking anything just being friendly, that she didn't realize what was happening at first.  When she did, the old woman smiled for the first time in what felt like years.  Her face hurt faintly from lack of practice, but Nanabi didn't care.  The people were kind, and showed her around.  Even though she learned little from the walking, and watching, she hadn't expected to once the people started to get involved in numbers.  She would do the serious learning on her own time, and at her own pace.  But know she knew how the city fitted together, where everything was, and more importantly, how to get to places.

Regardless of the less than productive tour, Nanabi went home happy, and would return the next day, with a map, some potential offerings in her purse, and would make for the Shinto district with a bit more confidence.
When the time for the festival came, Nanabi made herself useful around Vitia Thrimwalde Park, watching children for brief periods of time while their parents chatted, or went to buy things, or just needed a break from kids on a sugar rush.  She entertained them with stories, poems, teaching the youngsters games that she had learned as a child if they showed interest.  She was taking a risk, going out of the Shinto district which she was coming to know.  A risk she hoped would pay off.

Lorelei was, to put it simply, having a ball.  The simple fact of attending a public event without all the necessary rigamarole and responsibility her family placed upon her would have been enough, but the sheer energy of the Summer Festival was intoxicating. 

The Chinese interpretive dance was quite acrobatic and flowing, the wonderfully fine silk outfit, with long and flowing ribbon sashes were simply divine.  It was a wonder she did not tangle herself up in the stream like sashes as she twirled and twisted about.  How she acquired it, or changed clothes so quickly amid the crowds will remain an untold mystery.  It would remain as her chosen attire for the remainder of the night.

Celtic music she had a fairly strong familiarity with, and the fiddle was her weapon of choice in the music arena.  Like the Chinese outfit, it was wonder were she managed to acquire it, but it was completely legal.  Playing and dancing, she was a sight to behold that is for sure.

Modern pop was an interesting change and rather entertaining, for both her in participating and for those witnessing the English lass in fine red Chinese silk with streaming sashes, carrying a fine fiddle.  Her singing was not professional, but pleasant as she was well trained in the art of karaoke.  Somewhere among the many street corners, she managed to acquire a kitsune mask.  During the night's festivities she mingled among as many of the groups as she could, partaking of small bits of various cuisine and a taster's share of drink (i.e. a bit for flavor if spirits, more for non-alcoholic).

She keeps an eye out for any area she can lend a hand with, but otherwise is good company for all manner of folk.

The beginning of the summer festival found Robert wandering the street fair as a reassuring and quietly amiable presence. Although he was a little tall, and a lot broad in the shoulders, the feeling he gave was not one of intimidation, but of safety, that if there were trouble he would put himself between you and it. Indeed he came equipped to do just that, a Derpy Hooves messenger bag over one shoulder half-packed with a canteen of water, a first aid kit, an Epi-pen, an asthma inhaler, a glucometer, and a small selection of sweet treats just in case he or another diabetic were caught out overextended.

Of course like all street fairs, there were vendors, and as the evening wore on, their wares and the influence of an ale or two took the edge off, and negated the impression that he was there as some sort of undercover medic. He unbuttoned his indigo floral-print shirt, bought a snap-brim fedora straight out of a film noir, and sat down to people-watch at a stand where he bought a small bowl of kitsune-udon, heavy on the aburaage, his favorite part.

A week ago David would have been enjoying the fair and looking around like a country boy in the city trying to see everything, but last week's encounter with his roommate had left him jaded, perhaps even a little bitter. He was hardly a buzzkill, and he wasn't being sullen or attracting attention with a negative mood, but there was an air of sadness to him that mildly flavored the otherwise festive mood. Really he shouldn't have been surprised, all stories of the fey world had built in warnings of tragedy, but he had naively gone along anyway blinded by the glamour. Beneath the celebration and the happy crowd, David could not forget the danger that lay here. Couldn't forget just how much power these people had over him and other humans. Couldn't forget that once the festival ended, something terrible was probably going to happen. A new leader was going to be elected, likely one who was on a crusade against humankind. And that knowledge lurked beneath every booth he visited, every festival treat he ate. And despite his previous optimism, he did not think anything he or the other humans could do would change that.

Still, there was a kind of freedom in knowing that you can't change the way things are. Yes there was an air of sadness and resignation to him, but David knew there was really nothing he could do so he may as well go about business as usual. So even tinged with the taste of regret, David allowed himself to savor the other flavors that floated in the miasma around him; a happy child who had just won a teddy bear, a couple who couldn't seem to let go of each other as they passed fond looks like notes in homeroom, a proud grandfather watching as his grandson bought that toy he'd wanted with his own money he'd worked all summer to get. It didn't even matter what species they all were, because even beyond that they were all people. Some of them were stupid, or selfish, and many of them could be about to do something terrible once the festival was over because they were scared, but that's just how people were. David just wished more people could see how similar they all really were.

((Sorry I'm posting so late. Re-learning how to do redox reactions took a lot longer than I thought.))

Page of Pentacles

((I'm assuming you meant David, AmberCross, and not Kevin in your post.))

As David passes by a modern-looking bar out in Joneswark, two men burst out of the front door. "What did I say? What did I say?" pleads the first to come out with his hands in the air as the second, a minotaur, follows him onto the sidewalk. "Is there something wrong with complimenting the burgers here?"

Two of Swords

Though Lorelei does her best to be eye-catching in the Mardi Gras atmosphere of Avalon, none seem to take particular interest. There is the odd observer who politely applauds before moving on, but the more focused performances prove to be more eye-catching than hers. When out and about sampling, her arrangement of Chinese, Japanese, and Irish cause her to seem too strange for most, like a world traveler that doesn't realize how unkempt his souvenirs make him look. Fortunately, the night is still young, and there is time yet to change.

The Heirophant

Though at first business is slow at Thrimwalde Park in Joneswark, once the first woman lets Nanabi keep an eye on her child, many more follow suit. Though the majority appear to be elves just based on their appearance and presence in the park, there are a couple of satyrs and even a kappa in the group of children. They listen raptly to the stories Nanabi tells (and rather less attentively with the poems), but perk right back up at the mention of games. As soon as the rules are explained, they start to play with a passion for perhaps fifteen minutes before getting bored and deciding to play tag instead. One of the boys shouts, "Tag! You're it!" and before long the entire group has scattered, shrieking, out into the largest field of the park. It's going to be a long day.

King of Pentacles

In the street fair, Robert watches as more mythological races than he knew existed walk right before his eyes. As he munches away on the kitsune-udon, the atmosphere of the place makes it seem almost like he's in Avalon itself. Suddenly, out from the crowd comes a minotaur woman, carrying an unconscious member of the Fair Folk in her arms. Setting him down on the stool next to Robert, she pats him on the side of the face, calling in her deep voice, "Hey, buddy. Buddy! You alright? C'mon, you don't just collapse onto me and not wake up to give me an explanation." With a sigh and a curse, she looks at the kitsune noodle vendor and asks, "Any idea what's up with him?"

Robert freezes for a moment, his standard response to any sudden emergency, but after that moment is up, he's in motion without a thought to consequences.
"Call for help." Robert says to the noodle vendor, before turning to the unconscious Fae to check for pulse, unobstructed breathing, and any visible signs of illness such as a rash, swelling or flushing. Given those are present and in proper range, his attention turned to the Minotaur woman, issuing questions in rapid-fire while he pulled out and prepped the epi-pen and glucometer from his bag.
"What were you doing when he went unconscious? When and what did he last eat and drink? Is he diabetic? Does he have any allergies?"
He didn't know how much of human medicine applied to the Fair Folk, but he certainly wasn't going to just stand by and watch as another person's life was in danger.

The application was another strange thing to say the least. However that centaur like person's warning stuck in his head. Lemick worried about it all the way to the festival. He wouldn't be able to enjoy anything with this looming over him. He needed advice but didn't know where to get it. Then he had an idea wasn't there a Shinto shrine near here? He heard that those gave out fortunes, maybe that would tell him what decision should he make. He headed over there slightly hopeful.

(Yes, I did. I got the names mixed up for a post, but realized pretty quickly. You probably saw it after I made the mistake but just before I fixed it because you hadn't posted yet by then.)

David chuckled silently to himself. A minotaur working at a job serving burgers? Even knowing minotaurs existed, he would not have expected that. The poor fellow being escorted out had no idea what he had stepped into. David considered a moment before figuring he may as well clear this up before it escalated so, as he passed by he gave a smile with a wink to the the minotaur and said to the man, "Well that depends on how you compliment them! You would be amazed how easy it is to accidentally insult people sometimes. What did you say, word for word?"

The cynical, melancholy air from before had cleared up somewhat and wasn't affecting how he acted, but if someone were to pay close attention they would still see a sadness behind his eyes that gave the impression of someone too old, too early.

Lore had her fun, a bit awkward as it may have seemed, but it was time for work.  That is, if you could call what they were instructed to be doing 'work'.  She slipped away from the crowds in Avalon and made her way into Joneswark and set about looking for some means to be useful.

Unlike earlier, she refrained from too much merry-making for herself, and instead focused on those that reveled.  If something could catch her attention, she would be there post-haste.

The High Priestess

When David interrupts, the minotaur first glances, then gives David a prolonged, studying look before shaking his head and returning his focus on the slightly hysterical human. "What, you think telling someone that they look like they eat a lot of good burgers is insulting? Those things gotta be buffalo burgers, seriously, tons of protein. I mean, look at him! He's so beefy, how could he not have had those burgers regularly? I've never seen anyone get so buff off salads and beans." The minotaur in question just crosses his arms over his chest, his thick biceps on display beneath his snug white shirt.

Three of Wands

As Lemick reached Joneswark's admittedly small Shinto shrine, it was clear that o-mikuji were popular among the Eastern mythological creatures. Kappa, Eastern dragons, khon tun, and many more steadily enter and exit through the small gate. It takes time, but eventually Lemick reaches the donation box with a customary nickel in hand. Dropping it into the box, he dips his hand into the mass of paper slips and withdraws one, before being ushered out of the shrine to make way for the continuing crowd. Once back out on the street, he can at last get a look at his fortune, but unfortunately enough it's in Japanese: 末吉旅立ち商い. Some of the exiting crowd heads towards a nearby tree, where a chicken-wire fence ripples in the slight breeze from all the paper slips tied onto it. The rest smile, tuck the fortune into a pocket, and walk off into the city.

The Hermit

Though little seems to be the matter as Lorelei walks, she soon comes across a silent pub that is filled with somber-faced men and women. Aptly named The Lonely Medusa, the patrons all stare into their cups or up at the ceiling, apparently thinking and reflecting on their lonely night. They don't appear to be deliberately pushing each other away into silence and solitude, but neither are they particularly inviting.

Knight of Wands

"I don't know," replies the minotaur woman to Robert. "I don't even know the guy, he just collapsed onto me. I know he dropped some spaghetti, and I think he might have also had a bottle of the local root beer they're selling around here, but--"
At that moment, the faerie suddenly wakes up. "--to him, I hardly... Oh god dammit, where's Michael? He's supposed to be there in case something like this happens!" With a heavy sigh, he pulls out his phone and starts dialing a number. "Sorry if I scared any of you guys; it seems my caretaker lost me or something. I've got narcolepsy, you see, and it makes street fairs a bit of an interesting experience, to say the least." Glancing at Robert's readied epi-pen and glucometer, he gives a slight smirk and remarks, "At least you were around. Looks like you were ready for whatever came up." Looking out into the crowd, he starts talking into the phone. "Hey, Michael! I passed out somewhere you didn't see me, it seems. I'm at the noodle vendor near Lawry's. Look for a kitsune. Yeah, yeah, I know, there's a lot of kitsune noodle vendors in the city, but this is the only one I see in the-- nope, wait, there's another one. Alright, I'm in between a t-shirt stall and the Berak's Jewelry thing. You know where I'm talking about? Alright, see you soon." Hanging up, the faerie puts his phone away and turns his attention back to the people around him. "Again, sorry. I'll hang out here until Michael arrives. The name's Johnson, Johnson Ryker."
"Aella," the minotaur replies. "Aella Wyoda."
"Nice to meet you, Aella," Johnson says, shaking her hand. Turning his attention to Robert, he asks, "And you are...?"

"Robert Charles. Pleasure to meet the two of you, it's definitely made the day a bit more memorable than usual. " the human said, smiling and offering his hand as well after he repacks his medical supplies. "Sorry for grilling you like that, by the way, Aella. I have medical problems myself, the first thing they drill into you is figure out what's wrong before you go trying to fix it, or you can make it worse. Johnson, I'll refrain from the endless list of Star Trek references that come to mind, since I'm sure you've heard them all before."

David covered a wry smile. So that's how the poor fellow had gotten a hold of foot in mouth disease. "It sounds like you need to meet more vegans. You would be amazed at how 'beefed up' some of them can get for people who never eat beef. Now I don't know why a vegan would be working at a job selling meat so maybe I'm making an assumption too, but I get the impression he's not upset you're complimenting his burgers but that you made an assumption about him that isn't true. I'm guessing he doesn't actually eat those burgers and is proud of it for some reason or other so you insulted his pride by suggesting he must have. Am I on the right track?" David directed this last question to the minotaur himself.

"Way I figure it, we're all three to blame for this. You for assuming too much, you for letting yourself be offended when he had no way of knowing what the problem was, and me for sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong!" He ended on an upward note, hoping that the self defacing joke would help clear up the tension and ease any sting his last words may have caused. Yeah this guy had essentially accused the minotaur of being a cannibal in essence, but the minotaur really reacted too harshly as well and no one likes hearing that they're in the wrong. David mentally crossed his fingers and hoped that this was going to resolve without things getting any worse.

Lemick panicked, he couldn't read the language and he felt nervous about asking for help translating. He wandered the shrine pacing back & forth worrying when he spotted an elderly lady, dressed with the aura of authority yet possessing joy from the children she was keeping amused. Lemick walked up to her and quietly asked "Excuse me Madame, could you tell me what fortune I got, I can't read the language, please?"

Nanabi looked up from returning a child to its mother quickly to look at the fortune.  "Future blessing, travel, business dealings.  May you be blessed in business while traveling.  A good fortune."  She answered quickly, with a breath of the energy the children were drawing out of her.  "Oh, I'm sorry, I must be off.  A game of tag has started!"  And off the elderly woman went, tottering off after the hyper children partly out of keeping them watched, and out of the thrill of the moment.

Three of Cups

The minotaur glowers at David and the poor human next to him for a moment. "... I don't work here, either," he mutters, before turning to go back inside.
"Hey, wait up," the man calls to the minotaur's retreating form. "Sorry for making assumptions. Can I at least buy you a beer to make it up to you? Order whatever one you want and have 'em put it on my tab." As the minotaur grunts and walks off, he turns next to David. "Look, thanks, man. No idea he would react so violently. The name's Johnathan, though my friends call me Johnny. Wanna come in for a drink?" He gestures in the direction of the bar doors.

((Lemick and Nanabi on hold until I'm sure their scene is done))

Knight of Pentacles

Before Johnson can respond to Robert, a stormy-faced man comes out of the crowd. "See, Johnson? See?! This is why I said we at least needed a cloth or something tied on your wrist so you wouldn't be lost if you collapsed! God damn, you Fair Folk! Always think you're able to do whatever you want without repercussion! This wouldn't have--"
"Calm down, Michael," Johnson sighs. "Look at this logically. How many more people would we have disturbed by having a rope between me and you? And am I hurt, right now? You just came through the crowd, could I have collapsed without falling on someone first? I'm fine, nobody's hurt, and look, I've even made a couple friends. Michael, meet Aella and Robert. Robert, Aella, meet Michael." Looking at Robert for a moment, Johnson suddenly asks, "Say, Robert, are you introduced to Avalon?"
"God, Johnson, you know he won't respond if he hasn't," Michael sighs right back. "It'll just be all, 'I'm sorry, what was that?' and we'll all be sitting here, looking the fools."
"Now now, Michael. Some first hand observation of human behavior won't be the end of the world. According to Duke Orphenthal, no human would have come here so well prepared and been so ready to help, regardless of my humanity or not."
"Ergh, fine, just make it awkward for us, then." Michael sat down next to Johnson on the far side of Robert. "One bowl of kitsune-udon, please, heavy on the aburaage."

"Madame, you seem winded, let me assist you in watching over the children in thanks for reading my fortune." Lemick said, the lady seemed very happy surrounded by the glow of youth. He was grateful towards the lady and wanted to do something in return.

Lore approaches the counter and motions to the bar keep.  Keeping her voice somewhat low to avoid offending or breaking the introspective air, "oui mate, seems a bit somber 'ere tonight of all nights."  Lore gestures a little to the quiet crowd, "'ken ya help a lass out an fill me in?"

The minotaur didn't work here? That actually made a lot of sense. "oh..." he trailed off, now wondering even more so how this guy hadn't realized how his words might be offensive. If he thought he was complimenting the fellow it would make sense to be confused if he got insulted instead. As it was, the fellow should have realized what was up a lot faster. And it had been the fellow's confusion that made David make his own assumption. Or so he justified to himself anyway, it was a bad habit of his and maybe he WAS to blame for not paying attention to everything instead of focusing in on that. Thoughts whirling around in his head, David's mood landed somewhere near 'jaded bemusement'.

"All right then, I'll take you up on that offer. Only for a drink or maybe two maybe. Bars are not where I'm used to hanging out and I may want to move on later. But for now, why not?" And so David joined the fellow for a short while.

"Hello Michael, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Robert Charles, I work over at Jones University. Your concern for your companion is commendable, but right now you needn't worry about anything. As he said, the only harm to befall him is he's out some food and a beverage, nothing too serious." Robert said, attempting to placate Johnson's friend before he potentially shocked him again.
"When Aella brought Johnson here I couldn't care less if he was one of the Fair Folk, or whatever anyone is. You're thinking, feeling people, and I don't believe in the concept of someone else's problem. If someone needs help I will always, ALWAYS do my best to help them. It's how I was raised, it's what I believe in, and it's just the right thing to do.
I was introduced to Avalon for the first time not that long ago, and I count it as one of the best things to ever happen to me. I can't say I actually know all that much of the overall situation, but I feel bad for Duke Orphenthal. However, he's wrong. Saying no human would... Well, do anything, really, would be like me saying no car can go two months without breaking down because I happen to drive an Alfa Romeo."

(This post brought to you by Sorkin Flakes. Have you had your idealism today?)

"Well, if you can keep up, be my guest.  But mind that you don't do anything untoward, or their parents will object."  The woman was suddenly distracted by dramatically chasing a rather chubby child, who was enjoying not being it constantly for once.  "Oh no, some of the children are trying to climb a tree.  Get them for me, would you?"  Perhaps the younger man could be useful other than for conversation.

Lemick nodded and went over to the tree. The kids were all over it trying to reach the highest boughs. At first he politely asked for them to descend from the tree. The ones who only climbed because of others would most likely seize any reason to come down. There were still the adventurous types though. It never paid to scream or threaten kids about something. It just made more appealing. So he morbidly & seriously explained just what would happen to them. Maybe they'll slip or a branch break and they'll tumble down. In the worse case they'll be rushed to the hospital and undergo painful healing, they'll be forced to lie in bed and the only things on the TV will be talk shows & infomercials. They'll be held back a grade and see all their friends move up instead. All the money that went to hospital bills would cause their holidays and birthdays to have fewer gifts. They'll never be allowed to do anything fun again. This speech of tree climbing leading to life condemned to the fate of boredom stated as a fact was probably very different to the kids who more or less heard only the silly sounding warnings of adults & their parents.

King of Swords

When David enters the pub behind Johnny, it's clearly a popular joint by the din alone. Numerous screens are showing something sports-related, though many of the patrons seem to be ignoring it in favor of their own conversations. In fact, it seems to be a trend among the residents of Avalon that they ignore human sports, and tonight over half of the pub-goers come from the hidden city. Johnny takes a seat next to the minotaur and gestures to the bar stool next to him before ordering a drink for the trio. Once a few minutes have passed, Johnny asks the minotaur, "Y'know, you ever see some of those TED talks? Saw one recently about how everything that matters, scientifically at least, is invisible. Thought it was kinda interesting. What do you think?" The minotaur grunts in reply, a grin curling one corner of his mouth, as if to say, "You have no idea." Johnny, clearly taking that as a good sign, smiles before turning to David. "And you? You a bit more verbal than our new friend over here?"

The Lovers

While a few kids happily drop down from the boughs of the tree, the rest stare at Lemick dumbfounded at the extensive lecture on the future, all for climbing trees. "What are you talking about?" asks one girl that's about fifteen feet up.
"I think he's telling us not to climb the tree," answers a boy a few branches above her head.
"But they're doing it, too!" a second boy cries, pointing one tree over. A teenage couple can just be seen nestled in a sturdy crook of the branches, obliviously exploring each others' mouths with their tongues. "If they can do it, why can't we?"

Judgement

"Sh, not so loud," the centaur bartender whispers to Lorelei, so quiet that it almost seems like she's lipreading more than hearing him. "Tonight, for some people, is a night for judgement. The folks here are trying to decide something, or maybe have something decided for them. A few, I suspect, are praying in the hopes that some decision they've made won't be judged harshly. We've got some pretty high up people here tonight, but it's general policy not to name names here. If you're here to do some soul-searching, just raise a hand, I'll get you the drink of the night."

King of Pentacles

A few moments after the young man Nanabi knows from Silver and Vitia's recruitment leaves, a kappa walks up. Looking to be in his mid-fifties, the most notable feature about him is the post-boy hat which stays on as if by magic as he bows to the older woman in front of him. "My wife said you were handling all the children, and I must say, it's quite admirable for you to handle so many kids at once! I'm guessing you've had your own share of trials with children of your own? Or is this just practice for a business venture of yours?" He manages to grin at Nanabi somehow in spite of his beak-like mouth.

King of Pentacles

There's a pause as the surrounding company parses Robert's statement. There's a good few moments where the only proof that life is going on is the crowd still wandering obliviously by with their loud talk and laughter. "So, are you saying you're a Knower, or just a recently turned werewolf...?" Aella finally asks, making clear the confusion Michael, Johnson, and the noodle vendor are also feeling.

David accepted the drink, choosing a whiskey malt and drinking it slowly because that stuff burns. At the man's words, David also had to suppress a smile, even more so when John asked him if he was more talkative than their other acquaintance. Seeing as how anything spoken would count as that, David had to also suppress the urge to say 'Yes, but only a little.' and nothing else. Instead he allowed himself to smile as he took another sip before saying, "Science... is a strange thing. Everytime you think you know all the answers, something comes along and you realize that you're still just stumbling about a dark room and fumbling for the light switch. If you had asked me a year ago even I would have told you that science could explain everything. Now? I am not so sure. It's a path to explaining everything, but I suspect sometimes I am climbing up a mountain with no peak."

David trailed off a moment as he mulled over everything he had experienced in the past month or so. He also took a moment to realize how cliche'd it was, him drinking in a bar while morosely thinking about his past. Still, he was getting a bit close to the truth. No sense tipping his hand that he was human and dealing with the mess that would probably follow all over again. Deciding it was time to throw off the scent, he swung back, finishing his whiskey and saying, "I mean take quantum physics for example? That stuff is crazy and I don't think we'll ever figure that one out. And I'm not even going to get started about dimensions beyond the third or what happens when you get near the speed of light."

Lemick's eyes shifted over to the couple and then back "Oh those two they're in love. They're practically required to do that I thought you of all kids knew that. How did that rhyme go again? Sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G First comes love then comes marriage then comes baby in the baby carriage. Shouldn't you be singing that to them? I'm an adult and I should know better but really why waste time climbing in a tree?" The man tilted his head "Unless you guys are in love and want to give cooties to each other." Lemick said "Then everybody else has to sing that about you."

"Oh, um, right." Rob suddenly found the countertop of the stand very interesting, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Sorry, I, uh, tend to get a bit wordy at times. To err is human and all that. If by a Knower you mean a human who has no magical properties but is aware of Avalon and the nature of people such as yourselves, then yes, I am. I'm afraid I've yet to entirely learn the vernacular."

Lorelei lowered her voice considerably, "I see, I am not without introspection and contemplation myself.  A few out there probably desire to hold me to task for some judgement or other, one incorrigible, beastly ol' arse fairly recently in fact, but none have any account to call."

Lore sighed quietly, this was certainly more difficult a task then she had first thought, "still, I am lending myself to aid as it were.  If you or anyone here require help with things on this night of nights."

Lore was prepared to respectfully exit if nothing was apparently needing doing.  The issues that many are considering here are likely deeply personal and private, she had no business forcing her way into things.   

Six of Wands

((AmberCross, if you can I'd like to do this conversation over IRC (I forgot that conversation mode = lots of back and forth last week), since that seemed to work pretty well last time, though I understand if PMs are more convenient.))

"Oh, you're a scientist of some sort?" Johnson asks David. The minotaur had flicked his ears over for a moment, but seemed to have returned to focusing on his drink. "You doing anything particularly noteworthy at the moment?"

The Tower

Lemick's statements come across as distinctly off to the kids due to their run-on manner, almost like the musings of a mad man. If anything, it drives the kids further up the tree out of fear that the rambling man would do something violent suddenly. The few kids that have stuck around after climbing down quickly disperse. Suddenly, one of the children, an elf perhaps, slips and falls to the earth, landing in a rather uncomfortable position before standing up, crying. Still, he's careful to walk around Lemick as he stumbles off to find one of his parents.

Six of Pentacles

The bartender folds his arms across his chest and studies Lorelei, taking a moment before responding. "You look pretty human to me," he says at last, "but then I'm bad at picking out elves and weres. Look, if you know Avalon, I might have a job for you, but if you're human..." He pauses, clearly counting the seconds to make sure his next statement gets past the enchantment. "I got nothing for you."

The Empress

Almost immediately, Aella grabs Robert by the lapels and pulls a fist back to throw a punch. Michael follows up by knocking over his stool as he moves to place himself between Robert and Johnson, and the noodle vendor starts digging around behind the stall, looking for something. "You seem like a nice enough guy, Robert," Aella starts, her nostrils flaring. Behind him, Robert can hear the noodle vendor stop digging with a few words from Johnson. "Most humans seem that way, in fact. Maybe it's part of nature, that humans seem nice. But then you guys go do strange things, things that aren't very pleasant to the people of any Haven. I'm not one to take chances here. What's your angle on this? Here to find out more about us so you can learn the best way to kill us? Hoping to ingratiate yourself with us so you can manipulate us somehow? Your consciousness depends on your honest answer, and trust me when I say our Fair Folk friend can find out real easy if you're telling the truth."

Lemick sighed "Such misfortune, you better get that checked by your parents. " He said to the elf , Lemick didn't blame the child for thinking he was crazy sometimes Lemick thought so too. "Alright then are the rest of you children going to climb down or are you all going to fall out of the tree?" The man ran his hand across his hair. "I can't climb up to bring you down,nobody allows that anymore. Now are you lot going to come down or are you waiting for your parents instead?"

Robert didn't resist. He knew from long experience that struggling when someone's got ahold of you generally just aggravated the situation. Besides, he'd taken beatings before, another would hardly make a difference.
"If it'll make you feel better Aella, go right ahead and hit me! I guarantee it'll never be easier, I don't fight back when I'm the only one who'll get hurt, and I've been used to it since I was in grade school. What's my angle? The ones with an angle were the ones who brought me in on the whole secret. Angry kids who thought the Fair Folk were milking the fact they keep the enchantments up to keep humans from finding out, no offense Johnson and do check me on this. Then they fed me a doom and gloom story about Duke Orphenthal to keep me in line that may or may not be entirely true because despite being in the know I'm still not being given the full picture! You think I want to learn how to kill you? I can't bring myself to squish BUGS! Manipulate you? That was their idea but I'm not that guy! The only thing I've done differently is take off a few days of work and actually go out! You know, maybe I do have an angle, now that I think about it. My angle is knowing there's still something fantastic to the world, some mystery and excitement left, because before this the only reasons I left my apartment were to go to work or go meet up with some other geeks like me once a week and pretend to be a crime-fighting werewolf!" he ranted, loosing all the frustration of an embittered idealist, and not a word of it falsehood.

"Fair enough sir, I shan't trouble you any longer then."  Lorelei stated quietly.

With a brief nod she withdrew from the bar in search of other locations to be of better use at.

The fellow got David another drink as they continued to talk about mundane things, however as David drank, he got less sober and as he got less sober he got less cautious about talking about avalon. Which is to say he started talking about it via metaphor, pretending to actually be talking about politics. Okay, so it was kind of close to election season, but not all of his statement could really be applied to real politics. Then again... he was slightly drunk, so who could tell for sure? Still, anyone listening who knew of avalon might notice that certain things like "And then people without the magic... whatsit... heritage get treated like second class citizens because they're less important somehow or people think they're all hoodlums and dangerous..." or when he said specifically to the minotaur, "Look, you can vote for whoever... it's your choice... don't blame you..." but with the slurred words and overall incomprehensibility, it would be far too easily dismissed as paranoia. After all, surely he was talking about economic class and not you know... real magic. Cause that would be silly.

David didn't drink anything past that, he could tell that he was over his limit even though he'd only had two. He muzzily suspected there was something extra in that second drink because the alternative would be admitting to himself that he really was that much of a lightweight. Barring any further incidents, he grabbed his coat and said his farewells, shaking off the worst effects of the drink as he left the bar.

Four of Cups

After David speaks directly at the minotaur, who ignores the drunken babble, Johnson just chuckles, "You, my friend, seem quite well and drunk!" Handing David his coat, he continues, "Go, hie ye hence before you do harm to yourself. Better not be driving home!" Waving goodbye, he leans back against the bar, idly watching the sports game as David walks out and back into the city.
In his influenced state, there are more than a few stumbles as David walks along until at last he comes to rest a moment next to an alley. Around the corner, a faerie who appears to be in his forties leans against the brick facade and asks, "How the hell do any of the three help me?"

Ten of Pentacles

The children all look down at Lemick, silent, before collectively inching closer together. Periodically one or two will glance in the direction of the parents that are relaxing away from the whoops and delighted screams of the other kids who are still playing. Keeping their grip tight onto their tree branches, the air is filled with an awkward feeling paired with a sense of waiting.

The World

In time, Lorelei's wanderings take her to a small garden which, while normally public, has been closed off for the evening so a marriage could take place. A well-dressed man with elfin features rocks back and forth on his heels, looking up and down the street. Spotting Lorelei, he calls, "Excuse me, ma'am? Think you could help real quick? The groom's gone missing, said he was going for a walk before up and disappearing." Pointing towards a small set of trees further along the lane, he continues, "He went thataway. I'd go after him myself, but the wedding organizer's asked that I stay here in case something starts going wrong on this end. Think you can go find him, make sure he knows that his loving fiancee's waiting for him to get over his cold feet? Her words, not mine, trust me." The man doesn't look particularly hopeful that he'll get a "yes," but neither does he look pessimistic.

Nine of Pentacles

There's a tense moment that stretches into five, but at last Aella relaxes her grip on Robert. Her motion prompts a small commotion behind Robert between Johnson and the noodle vendor, but it seems to be resolved quickly. As Robert turns around, he finds Johnson quietly talking into what looks to be a small rock, saying, "Sorry, sir, we accidentally dropped our Callstone among some rocks and weren't sure if we'd picked up the right one. Have a nice night. Happy Solstice to you too." Setting the rock back onto the noodle vendor's stand, he gives the kitsune a meaningful look as Aella starts to speak.
"I'm sorry for reacting so... tersely," she apologizes. "Orphenthal has just enough facts and conviction to his words that it's difficult to tell if what he says is fact or fiction. Maybe between the three of us, we can fill you in on what's going on in Avalon?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Johnson chimes in. "Michael?"
"... Fine," he finally answers, uncrossing his arms to lean on his knees.
"Thank you," Johnson replies. "Now, what's going on... Well, as you've said, you've heard one perspective, but it seems rather limited. Most importantly, it's keeping its scope to the largest political issue going on in Avalon. The debate over humanity is ongoing, with Duke Orphenthal, Duke Niffleheim, and Puck taking major positions, but there's more to the situation than that. This is also why Puck is only really getting support among the less knowledgable; they don't think about the current war with Sanctuary, the repeated flip-flopping on economic policies, or the degradation of many public services, to name a few issues that Puck has no answers for. Duke Niffleheim is a status-quo person, planning on matching the old King's policies as closely as possible. However, the effectiveness of his policies are certainly up for question, especially his insistence on continuing our war. Meanwhile, Duke Orphenthal strongly advocates for peace at any cost, and says that one of the first steps to achieving that is to remove our need for secrecy by upping the enchantment on your society.
"I won't deny, a lot of the political power in Avalon is centered among the Fair Folk, and many use our origination of the enchantment as a major argument, though I don't think we use it to hold the other races over a barrel. Granted, that's my opinion as one of the Fair Folk, so it's likely more than a little biased, but I don't know of any recent events where the faerie nobility voted as one bloc against the mage nobility, the kitsune nobility, the Greek nobility, the totem nobility, and the Officials of the Commons. Usually it ends up being more of a mixed bag, where it ends up based on family policy lines and not racial lines.
"Back to Orphenthal, he's made it a campaign promise that he will end the war quickly, and will return the enchantment to its current state as soon as he can, but us Fair Folk have significantly longer lifespans than most other races, so sometimes 'quickly' can be upwards of fifteen years. Meanwhile, Niffleheim has declared that he won't end the war until Sanctuary surrenders and falls under the control of Avalon. He wants to follow the vision that the old King set forth of an Avalonian Empire that spans the entirety of North America. Meanwhile, when it comes to economic policies, Orphenthal is suggesting going back to the King before the latest King's policies of government funding, similar to the United States' democratic party. Meanwhile, Niffleheim wants to stick to a more privatized, investment-oriented economic policy akin to the republican party. Ultimately, the nobility will make the final choice and those of us outside of their families will simply go along with it and hope our Officials of the Commons vote with our interests in mind. Does that help clear things up?"

((Whee, exposition~))

As David stumbled along trying to clear his head, he happened to overhear someone apparently talking to himself. Were he completely sober and thinking clearly, he would probably realize that the number three refers very conveniently to the impending vote and that this person must be an avalonian trying to decide last minute what his vote should be. However, at the moment David was neither thinking clearly nor sober and so he looked at the fellow in confusion. "Did you say something to me?"

"It's okay, Aella, you were frightened, it's understandable." Robert said, putting a hand on the minotauress' shoulder to reassure her. He sighed when the full complexity of the situation was laid out for him.
"Yes and no, Johnson, yes and no. It helps clear things up in the sense that I have a much better understanding of the situation now than I did beforehand, but it certainly doesn't help clear up my opinion on the subject. I had a feeling this was more complex than it was being represented to me as, but I wasn't anticipating Orphenthal coming out sounding like the reasonable one. I don't know the background of the war, but endless conflict, aggressive expansionism, that only ends with attrition. I won't even go into economic policy, since I'm so far left I'm practically Swedish. If Puck's the non-starter he sounds like, I don't know what to think. Granted, the argument could be made that it's not my business in the first place, but I do not tolerate willful ignorance, particularly in myself."

The Magician

The faerie looks over as David pipes up. Rolling onto one shoulder, he adjusts his Joneswark University letter jacket and says, "No, but maybe you can help me. Y'see, I'm in this... game. A really big one, that's really confusing at times. Now, in the game there's this built in political system where players can take power and change a bit of how the game's played, and right now there's three people going at it. One's this mysterious guy going around using an alias while he suggests getting really good tutorials made for the newbies so they can know what's going on, even if they themselves can't do any of it. Won't say a bean's brother about the rest of the game, though. Then there's this other guy, he wants to put the newbies into lockdown of a sort. Nothing they'd realize, but just out of harm's way while he handles an economic crisis and this long-standing war with another... we'll call it a server. He just wants things over, but things are dug so deep in it could take a long time to resolve from a newbie's perspective. Then there's a third bloke who wants to keep it where it is, where the newbies can sometimes join the upper echelon, but for the most part they still act as peasantry. At the same time he's hoping to fix the economy using some of the same things that got the game into the toilet in the first place, and he's determined to win the war unconditionally. Now, honestly I don't care about the newbies, I've got a stable job, and I don't really care about the war, but I still feel like I should at least pick one side to support. What do you think?"

The Fool

Johnson shrugged at Robert's remark before turning to lean against the noodle stall. "If it makes any difference," Michael grumbles, "nobody knows how much any of the three candidates are going to stick to their campaign promises. Avalon media's banned from reporting on local politics thanks to a King a few reigns back, and while the Fair Folk have long memories, they use it more for grudges than political issues that don't affect them. For all intents and purposes, each of the candidates are dark horses. Just a matter of which face do you trust more." Next to Robert, Aella nods slowly in agreement.

"I suppose I could be of assistance, tell me his name and I'll see what this is all about then."  After receiving her answer, Lorelei will head toward the set of trees.

"Well kids I don't blame you for being scared so I'm going to turn around and draw in the dirt. If you're still in the tree, I don't know what'll happen next. " Lemick turned around and scribbled in the dirt. 

The chill air was definitely clearing David's head, and after that explanation even he was able to pick up on what was going on. Problem was, he didn't really have much in the way of advice that would sway the fellow in a direction he cared about. Then again, he also realized he didn't really care about the outcome too much either so there was no reason not to.

"Sounds like it's an issue of the problem you know vs. the problem you don't. The guy already in power is definitely bad news. He may mean well, but he's not doing a very good job. Question is, will one of the others do better? If you personally don't care one way or the other, you should decide if you want to keep going the way things are or give someone new a chance at the wheel. If the former then your decision is made. If the latter... well I guess you could flip a coin or something. Then pay attention to how you feel about it. Having rate, random chance, or someone else make your choices for you is one of the fastest ways I've found to figure out how I truly feel about something. There are few things more annoying than having someone make your decisions for you."

Ten of Cups

"Fair enough, I guess," the Fair Folk man replies to David as he digs out a coin. "Seriously, sometimes it feels like I just shouldn't get involved in this whole mess. I'm a simple man, all I want is to find a nice gal, settle down, raise a family, y'know. Idyllic life and all that." Flipping the coin into the air, he catches it and slaps it onto the back of his hand before looking at it. "Huh," he mumbles. "Well... but... huh. Interesting technique you've got there, bud. Thanks for the advice. Have a nice night!" With that, he walks off down the alley, disappearing through a Gate halfway down.
Meanwhile, from across the street comes Duke Orphenthal. When he spots David, he raises his hand and calls out, "Hello there! I remember you from the herbalist's. How's your evening been so far?"

The Empress

A few moments after Lemick turns away, the kids that were sitting up in the tree all start running around him, screaming. "Moooooooom!" seems to be particularly common as they all book it across the park towards their parents and the quasi-babysitter. When they arrive, Lemick can see them looking up at their parents and periodically pointing at him, frightened expressions on their faces. The parents, meanwhile, comfort their children with smiles and calm words, while flashing worried looks in Lemick's direction. After a bit, a father detaches from the group and walks over to Lemick. "What'd you do that got our kids so upset?" he asks with a concerned, yet unassuming expression.

Ten of Cups

((I don't know how you want to approach this, but if you want to do a conversational approach, go ahead and send me a PM and we'll do the conversation there instead of a post each week.))
As Lorelei approaches, she can easily see an apparently human man pacing back and forth among the trees. He looks to be in his early- to mid-twenties, his blonde buzz-cut crowning a worried face. His blue eyes stare at the ground as he walks back and forth in a tuxedo, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. Aside from the quiet clicking of his dress shoes hitting the pavement, he's surprisingly silent. At last he stops and turns to face the street, first crossing his arms, then placing a hand to his chin, then wringing his hands, before clasping them together behind his back once more and resuming his pacing. Judging by the wrinkles at his elbows, he's performed the sequence quite a few times tonight.

Lemick turned to the father with a calm face and spoke each time raising a finger with a reason. "One they were climbing a tree which was rather dangerous so someone had to get them down. Two this isn't like the old days where you can get a child out of a dangerous situation, people think you are up to no good. Three, kids rarely listen when you scold them or shout so the only other thing I could do was scare them by telling them exactly what could happen if they didn't get down. Four, eventually one child fell down but the rest were too scared of me to actually want to climb down, so I had to turn away so that they felt safe enough to go to you. I'm not that lucky actually so I am rather sorry that this was the only thing that I could think of doing. That child that fell down earlier, is he alright?"

Robert literally does a double facepalm, sighing and leaning on his elbows on the noodle stand counter. "Lack of freedom of the press, rampant disenfranchisement of a large portion of the population, politicians acting out of petty grudges rather than for the good of the people... I was expecting, at worst, a situation equivalent to the national political system, and this doesn't even have the pretensions of it. I was thoroughly misinformed. There's nothing I can do. I wasn't prepared for this." he rattled out to no-one in particular, the last sentence practically a whimper. Shortly after, he looks up to the kitsune stand proprietor.

"You know, when I was a kid I sort of latched on to Jean-Luc Picard as a replacement father-figure since my dad was gone, so my criteria for what constitutes a person have always been wider than most, and I've never been the type who could willfully hurt people. But then, I picked up the taste for kitsune-udon on an eight month study-abroad in Kyoto when I was in college. I went to the Fushimi Inari shrine on weekends, walked the paths. One day I followed an old trail because I thought I heard a voice. I slipped and fell down a ridge, woke up in the hospital with a tibial plateau fracture. They said I must've crawled back to the main path, but all I remember is blacking out from the pain when I hit, so I had always suspected I had help. I think it should be obvious why you and your kind in particular have nothing to fear from me."

(ooc: conversation handled over PM with Inumo and assembled in one post with his consent.)

Lorelei moved cautiously, but with normal footfalls and posture as she had no desire to sneak up on the poor chap.

Clearing her throat to announce her presence, she spoke clearly and with much less refined mannerisms, "good evening sir, your mate back there asked me to pop over and ask ya over to yur wedding."

She paused for a moment and added, "I ken understand a bit of the jitters, but tell me, is there anything bothering ya?  Tis supposed to be a grand night."

The man looks up as Lorelei approaches. "My-- Oh, yes, Don, my best man. Anything bothering me? No, well, yes, I suppose so. I'm just not sure if I'm getting ahead of myself here with the marriage and everything. Second thoughts, and all that, you know. I've been able to brush it off, reassert, all that stuff before tonight, but it isn't working right now. Lord, is it not working. Do you think twenty-five is too young to get married? I don't know. I mean, it's barely a quarter of the way through life, but it's also when we're in our best form, at least supposedly. Then again, maybe getting married this young is what's leading to such a high divorce rate, or maybe that's just my fear trying to talk me out of the best decision of my life. I don't know. What do you think?"

Lorelei sighed slightly as she processed his words, "my gran da would have had a ol' gaelic proverb for this like, Bidh an t-ubhal as fheàrr air a'mheangan as àirde, or some such.  He was old an wise like that.  I am a year yet younger than you and single."

Pausing briefly she continued falling into her more proper speech, "however, I believe that if love is true and you are meant to be, then in your heart of hearts is the answer you seek.  Look deeply, past all the jitters and worries, and gaze deeply into what is there for it will show you what you must do."

"I take it you got your 'being mysterious at inappropriate times' from your grandfather as well," the groom snorts when he hears the mass of weird syllables. "And trust me; you don't think I've been doing since before we were engaged? I've been looking deep for a heck of a long time, and it just keeps going deeper." Taking a deep breath, he rolls his shoulders back and puts his arms to his sides. "Well, I've thought this was good before, might as well get this over with and put my thoughts to the test." He strides off back towards the garden with a purpose, leaving Lorelei behind beneath the trees.

Following him back to the garden and stopping just before reaching it as he meets up with his best man, she smiles and cheerfully announces, "good luck there.  My name is Evans, Lorelei Evans, I'm more of a medical student than counseling, but if you need any advice or help, look me up.  Now off with you."

Hoping for the best and having done all she could, Lore took her leave and set off in search of interesting events to intercede in.

Oh come on, was it really so much to ask for a normal night? Thankfully the other fellow had already wandered off as trying to explain what he 'a normal human' had been doing in a shop in Avalon. Still, of all the people to run into tonight, the duke himself was the one he least expected. He sighed, but kept his game face on. "You have a good memory." he remarked to the duke. "Most people would not recall a chance encounter with a stranger on the street from a week back. I at least had the advantage of already knowing who you were after all. My evening has been well enough, though I've been a bit too preoccupied with what happens tomorrow to properly enjoy myself. Hopefully you've been having a better time."

((My apologies for not getting this done on time. Excuses could be made, but the point is it's getting done now.))

Three of Swords

"I... wouldn't be preoccupied about tomorrow," Duke Orphenthal sighs to David. "My wife left me this morning, and she was one of the major helpers with the plan. Since no one can do what she did without a lot of time to practice, tomorrow's due to be a normal day, just like any other." With another sigh, he finishes, "So, I guess I haven't had a better evening. I'm sorry, I must be ruining your evening. Have a pleasant Summer Festival!" He smiles like an old grandfather, then moves on along the sidewalk.

The Fool

The father nods as Lemick lists off his points. "Yeah, yeah, he's fine, don't worry about it," he answers when Lemick finishes. "I'm glad to hear your side of it all. The kids are all weirded out about you, but I'm sure they'll be fine soon enough. Next time, though, you might want to try more traditional methods, if only to keep them in a more normal state. Have a nice festival, yeah?" Giving Lemick a light tap on the shoulder, he walks off. To his right, Lemick can see a boy of perhaps ten start dancing in a clearly deliberate manner, despite the apparent wildness of his arms and legs. As he dances, a faint glow starts to shine from him.

The Magician

Don ushers the groom inside as Lorelei makes her comment. Turning his eyes to the heavens, he says, "Look, lady, I'm hoping you mean well, but that was unnecessary." Looking back at Lorelei, he continues, "Whatever you did to get him back, I'm glad you did it. But trust me when I say we ain't calling on you, alright?" Gesturing with his hands, Lorelei suddenly finds herself turned around and sturdily shoved away from the garden. "Now, off with you, savvy?"

Ten of Pentacles

The noodle vendor nods as Robert tells his story. "Of course," he responds. "Inari protects those who seek worldliness, and find it. It is the first step to success with Inari. I trust you."
"I think all of us here do, after tonight," Johnson adds. "And while the system looks like it won't change for a while yet, one never knows. Perhaps it will after this change in power. If nothing else, I'm sure I can get a petition together and see how many people want to be more politically active. Especially after all the stuff that's happened with our last King, I imagine there are quite a few who want our monarchy to be a bit more parliamentary, y'know?"

Nanabi tried so very hard not to go rigid at the presence of the Kappa.  Such water spirits were potentially very dangerous; especially given the apparent workaround he had found for the water-pool on his head.  Nanabi carefully moved forward, solidly putting herself between the children and the Kappa, then returned the bow.  "Yes.  I had a pair of children in my day; roudy creatures, but always interesting."  Nanabi smiled, not as easily or as wide as the Kappa, obviously, but enough to be polite.  "I am regretfully retired; I do what I can to help the young people out, then get out of their way when I'm not needed anymore.  Nanabi Tibalt, and you are...?"

Lorelei turns back around briefly, "perhaps, perhaps not, but it is not your call to make.  It is obvious that you have endeavored to honor your fore bearers and those that have taught you the ways, and it is with one gesture that you undo it all.  Vous savez certainement cela.  Bonne nuit."

The english lass exits the garden area without allowing a rebuttal from the rube and seeks something less rude to do.

Chris wasn't sure how to feel about that. All of that workup and in the end it didn't even matter. It actually felt... anticlimatic. Ah well, with a shrug, David set off once more, heading home due to the late hour.

Page of Pentacles

David walks home without further event. Kevin's still out, but there's an unidentified woman sleeping on the couch, barefoot. She's snoring lightly with her hands folded beneath a brown beanie, trapping her dark, straight hair as it spills over the edge of the couch cushion. Underneath her denim jacket, she's wearing a maroon tank top with the physics of Angry Birds printed on it, while a pair of khaki cargo pants cover her legs. A note on the coffee table explains, "David - Meet Christina. She's a friend of mine, and needed a place to sleep for the night. Hope you don't mind. She's from the School of Engineering, and no we aren't sleeping together, so don't even ask about it. We're just decent friends. I'll be home around 1, considering you I guess you'll be home earlier. See you in the morning! - Kevin" Christina seems to have something coming out from under her jacket, but the light from the windows isn't showing what it is.

Four of Cups

As Lorelei walks along, she's accosted by a rather young man in a tan leather jacket over a dark green shirt and blue jeans. "Hey, lady," he calls as he cuts her off at the corner. "You up for a debate? Riddle me this: why should I care about your well-being? In the grand scheme of things, you don't got fame, fortune, or anything special about you. You ain't nobody. If you's nobody, then you don't matter. Am I right, or am I right?" He punctuates his points with various hand gestures as another man, this one in a dark blue suit, comes up from across the street.
"Yo, Johnny," he placates. "This is between you and me, you don't need to get no outsider involved here, 'specially not some human."
"Zip it, Roscoe. I wanna hear this lady's rebuff. She gives me a good answer, then maybe I'll consider your opinion, and if she don't, I don't. So what'll it be, huh, lady? Why care?"

Queen of Pentacles

The kappa laughs as Nanabi moves to place herself between him and the children. "Ah, you must be a recently turned werewolf with an education in Asian mythology, neh? Don't worry, us kappas have changed much since the days you've read about. My name's Kasegawa Huro. Wait, no, Huro Kasegawa. I fear I live in the Asian Quarter far too much, I've grown accustomed to the old custom of stating your surname first. How long ago did you find out you were a werewolf?"

David wondered idly if this Christina was another mage, or at the very least some sort of decoy to throw off his parents about wanting grandchildren. He still hadn't forgiven Kevin for being so closed minded, but then David still knew about Avalon and Kevin no longer knew that he did, so in a way the last laugh was his. When he saw that something was sticking out from under her jacket he almost wondered what it was, but then decided not to. If she was friends with his roommates than odds were she was avalonian somehow and recent experience showed that they only seemed to bother him if he bothered them for the most part. Not to mention, if she was avalonian and woke up which he was checking what it was, it would be just about impossible to explain without more trouble than he really cared about right now. For instance he could go back to the entrance and walk in again, turning on the light 'without noticing her there' to get a better look, but David was tired of the cloak and dagger stuff at least for today, so instead of some semi-elaborate plan he decided to just turn in for the night. The girl on the couch, his roommate, the election... he'd deal with it all tomorrow.

The child was something interesting, Lemick thought. He quietly stood to one side watching the boy, dance perhaps? When the glow appeared though the man wished to question the child on his actions he held his tongue, waiting for the boy to finish.

"Thanks, Johnson. I like to think that the point if a government is to make life better for it's citizens, and as long as there's a will... Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has." Robert put a hand on Johnson's shoulder, a smile returning to his face as he paraphrased Margaret Mead via Jed Bartlet.
"It's funny, I got into this with people who were being all cloak and dagger, they put notes in my mail and if I want to get in touch with them I have to put a note in a dead drop." he said, reaching into his bag and withdrawing a handful of round-cornered midnight blue business cards inscribed with a stylized Graham escapement and text in periwinkle and white proclaiming him an 'Information Systems Consultant' and bearing a phone number and email address, and handed them out to the assembled group. "Personally, I've rarely seen paranoia do anything but hurt people, so I'm a little easier to get in touch with."

ooc: the irony in asking me to answer this question, luckily there is a Lorelei filter in use.


Lorelei is momentarily taken aback by the forward assault and personal space violation and just manages to not execute her trained self defense reflexes on the young 'man'.  Taking a step back to give herself better maneuvering room, and to assess the threat levels, she backs her tactical mind down to address the street side philosophical debate.

"I'm not the best person to ask about such things, perhaps it is because I am in possession, no matter how transitory, of some of those things you mentioned.  I am studying to be a doctor so that I can help people, to heal, to make the pain go away.  Not vanity procedures for rich nobs, or Hollywood celebrities, but South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan.  Perhaps it is a guilty conscience that drives it for those things I have for merely being born."

Lorelei pauses to narrow her eyes on the first accoster, "however it is not about fame, fortune, or even some grand scheme of a greater plan.  It is because I can, it is the right thing to do.  Much of the way I see things is based on values and virtues taught, pieced together, and learned from experience, but there is also a level that is fundamental that operates outside of such things.  We not all rowing a boat of fate with waves to guide us if we lose our way, nor are we architects of our own story in some cosmic story.  Those things you mentioned should never be a measure of the worth of a being, whether they be 'some human' or something else entirely.  All beings deserve equal measure at existence, and no life is worth any more or any less than another."

Lore's eyes shifted to the ground, "that being said, I never want the responsibility to have to decide who should live and who should not.  That is not, however, what you are asking me is it.  I matter because I am me, we all have equal measure of worth.  You should care, not because of some temporal worth I could provide you, but because all have equal stewardship of existence.  Though if you have some ability to decide this, then I stand to defend those that are innocent.  And if some sacrifice must be made, than I shall make it for those that cannot.  Because it is the right thing to do."   

The Emperor

The next morning, David wakes to hear the sizzle of something cooking coming from the kitchen. There, Christina is humming an aimless tune as she fries some eggs, a plate of bacon already off to one side. Looking up, she jumps as she sees David, placing a hand to her heart as she catches her breath. "Ah, good morning," she says when her breath is back to normal. "I keep losing track of time when I'm cooking, I just get so absorbed, you know? Sometimes I wonder if I should have chosen Culinary Arts as my major, but then I remember how hectic a kitchen is." She shudders, then continues, "I, uh, rearranged your spices and cleaned up a bit. I hope you don't mind." A quiet alarm goes off on her phone, and she quickly moves to pull the eggs off the heat and onto a plate before turning to grab another pair of eggs. As she turns to do so, David can clearly see a cow's tail swishing around her ankles before she turns back to face David, eggs frying once more. "Anyways, I though I'd thank you and Kevin for letting me borrow the couch by making breakfast. Want some?"

Knight of Cups

The boy spins and jerks, glowing brighter and brighter as Lemick watches. A child wandering by calls to the boy, "You look stupid," breaking his concentration.
"No, you look stupid!" He yells back.
"No, you do!"
"No, you!"
"No, you!"
"No, you!"
The argument looks like it might be escalating dangerously.

Four of Cups

The man called Johnny snorts at Lorelei's counter. "Values and virtues, where they gonna get you, huh? All they do is make life harder on you. If I didn't have a jacket, and I took one from you, what says you had the right to the jacket in the first place? I'm clearly better suited to benefiting from your jacket than you are. And really, equal worth? You're saying a dime-a-dozen hollowed out pothead is worth as much as the President? C'mon, you're gonna have to gimme somethin' new if you want me to consider your position properly," he says, beckoning with his fingers. Jabbing a thumb towards the one called Roscoe, he finishes, "I've heard this all before from the hunk of meat over there."

Seven of Cups

"Yeah, well, here's to hoping it all turns out well, against all odds, eh?" Johnson replies to Robert, lifting the consultant's business card. "Oh, before I forget, I heard there was a great handmade furniture stall just around the corner... shall we, Michael?" With that, Johnson and Michael disappear into the crowd, while Aella departs with a simple "see ya" and the noodle vendor mentions that he's going on break. In moments, Robert is left at the empty stall four business cards shorter and four acquaintances greater. Off to one side, space has been cleared as a street juggler has started dancing with glowsticks on strings, while further down the street it sounds like a jazz combo is beginning to play. At the same time, the discussion has taken energy, and it's clear that more than a few people are already heading homewards.

"No" Lemick said to the two children "the one here who is stupid is me."

Lore blinked rapidly for a moment before sighing noticeably, "I am not sure how to go about this, but, um, you would need to possess some, moral characteristics, in order for us to have an intelligent conversation on this topic.  If you truly believe as you have spoken, then your mind functions differently than most others.  Those views reflect a sociopathic tendency, and my only recommendation would be for you to see a professional and talk out these thoughts.  If everyone thought this way, than we would have no order, no society, and no culture.  There is always going to be someone smarter or stronger, and those victimized and oppressed will eventually band together and topple the tiny minority that alone holds more might than any one of them.  You, nor I or your friend Roscoe have the right to assign value to any other person or life beyond our own."

Pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off the headache that was brewing, Lorelei continued, "might never makes right, and the ends do not justify the means.  It is all very cliche, but true.  We now select those in our society, as a whole, to make decisions in the best interest of the majority.  That hasn't always gone swimmingly unfortunately, but each one for themselves and might makes me right ways will not provide for a stable society.  Most change their mind on this view the minute someone stronger comes along and takes what they have.  We have an impasse though, because those set in their views are not going to change views based on words alone, I propose we agree to disagree."   

David looked from her to the bacon in mild surprise. He didn't really have an explanation or rational reason, but for some reason he had pegged her as the vegan type. When he saw her tail as she turned around, that really only reinforced his surprise and part of his mind idly wondered what she might be. Some sort of minotaur? Perhaps just a side effect of magic gone wrong? He didn't really wonder for long or very hard, he was more surprised that she was making breakfast than that she had a tail. A thought flitted through his head wondering what that said about him that he accepted such things as essentially normal by now as she offered him some of the results.

He paused a moment looking at the plate she held before shrugging. "Sure," he said in reply. "I don't normally eat breakfast type foods, but that's mostly cause I don't care enough to actually cook them myself." David grabbed a fork from a drawer, hesitated a moment and then grabbed two more as well as some extra plates and put them on the counter near the stove before clearing off a section of the table. He grabbed some bread, put them in the toaster and transferred two eggs to his plate with some of the bacon and sat down, getting up to fetch the toast when it was ready and putting two more slices in for the next person. He looked at Christina thoughtfully as she supervised the next batch of eggs. "So, are you Kevin's girlfriend or just his girl friend?" he asked her, wondering how she knew Kevin and why she was staying here tonight. Kevin may suffer from elitest tendencies about being a mage, but in purely mortal matters he was still a pretty decent person and a thougtful roommate. If it hadn't been sudden he would have warned David about it much earlier than leaving a note after the fact.

Six of Swords

"Oh!" Christina exclaims at David's remark, blushing. "Oh, no, no, nothing like that. Kevin... helped me with one of my projects, I guess is the best way to put it. I was in a bit of a rough spot, you see. We've been friends since, though, you know?" Serving up a plate of breakfast food, she puts it into the oven before starting to make the last plate. "Honestly, if he did feel about me that way I wouldn't know what to do. He's a good friend but, well, not like that. 'Sides, last I heard he was-- wait, I should probably let Kevin tell you that himself." Her tail swishes back and forth as she looks apologetically at David. "Sorry, I've probably only made you more curious. Quick, what's Kevin done that's embarrassing lately? I need to have some counters ready for when he brings up my klutzy history to retaliate. Assuming you ask about it, of course."

Nine of Cups

"Who are you?" The boy asks Lemick, screwing up his face in disgust. Meanwhile, the other child tugs on his arm.
"Run!" the kid exclaims. "Joshua said he's bad!" A look of terror takes over the boy's face and both children run off as fast as they can.
"Well, aren't you quite the terror," an Arab woman in loose silk pants of a shimmering blue and a similarly-colored vest teases as she drops from a nearby tree. "The name's Ginnie. Looks like you might need some help with handling kids. I might be able to help you out with that... for a price." She draws a business card from a hidden pocket inside her vest. Handing it to Lemick, she finishes, "Call me if you're up for it."

Ace of Pentacles

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, lady, where did that come from?" Johnny responds to Lorelei, splaying his hands towards the woman in a pacifying gesture. "You've completely misunderstood my intention. You're assuming that I actually live by this philosophy, but you gotta understand, I do have morals. But from an entirely survival perspective, I'm arguing that humanity is logically Hobbesian. When there is no social structure to create morals, when it's either you survive and prepare for the days ahead or the guy or gal next to you does, you're gonna choose yourself over them, you got me? Geeze, Roscoe, you were right, talkin' to a human wasn't so good an idea. Let's bail."
"Ha!" Roscoe exclaims triumphantly before leading Johnny off. "C'mon, heard there was a good street act through this Gate..."

Nanabi was truly offended that a -kappa- was questioning her knowledge of Japanese myth.  She had forgotten many things, true, but one did not forget a -kappa-.  But of course she didn't let that show.  Werewolves?  That she truly didn't understand; a western creature, she knew they were shapeshifters, tied to the moon, and nothing beyond that.  "I was born in the homeland, but it has been a long time since I visited, and my memory of the old stories has faded.  Some things stayed, however."  Nanabi's voice carried a trace of steel near the end.  "And..to be truthful, I do not recall.  I am... old, I forget things.  A nice man tried to explain everything to me, but I admit I didn't..quite understand all of it.  And I have been afraid to ask again; preferably with someone who speaks Japanese."  Years of work in the field of business went into that lie, partial it may be.  She had no idea what the stance on werewolves was within this mythic place, but a Kappa stood before her now; perhaps a perfectly nonviolent one, but one without the major weakness used to save humans from their grasp, and with a crowd of children near her.  A gamble, then.  She could well lose; but what would be would be.

It was indeed getting later, and Robert was not in the habit of having lengthy conversations with individuals he didn't know well, much less being nearly pummeled and then segueing directly into political discourse. He had somewhat known the latter was coming, but as much as he wished differently, he was more Reg Barclay than Jed Bartlett. The decision to head home came on the heels of Semisonic's "Closing Time" creeping into his head unbidden. It had been a good day, he had made new acquaintances, had good food, and come into more than enough food for thought for him to take with. Absently, he headed homebound, whistling the tune.

David briefly wondered what sort of 'project' she may have been referring to and concluded that it was something Avalon related and thus not a topic worth pursuing. "Don't worry about it," he said instead. "He's welcome to his secrets. It's not like I don't have my own after all. Although come to think there was another girl I've seen him hanging out with... red highlights, brown hair. Don't really recall much else about her. As for embarrassing stories I can't say I know any off the top of my head. I guess I don't interact with Kevin that much? Come to think I don't remember much of anything about him except the basics like his major. And that's really more embarrassing for me than for him. All I've got is that his family visited a while back, I don't remember what we talked about, but they seemed really interested in me. Kept asking questions about my family. If I weren't male I'd think they thought *I* was his girlfriend."

David shook his head ruefully, but decided to change the topic. He really wasn't sure how much of this he was supposed to remember. That was perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the enchantment, it made his whole life fuzzy as a side effect of blotting out the magic stuff. If it worked by reinterpreting everything as mundane stuff and deflecting curiosity David would have been okay with it, but instead it just sort of made any memory surrounding magic stuff hazy. He wondered just how much of his life he wound up missing by living in close proximity with a mage this past year or so. Right, time for that subject change, "So do you go here for college or are you just visiting?"

OOC: I pulled this interpretation of how the enchantment works based on conversations we've had and how you've described experiences passing when I was temp mind wiped. If I'm drastically off could you correct me? Cause you've really never given me a straight answer on this.

Lore shook her head and sighed, arguing with racists was not what she wanted to be doing tonight.  She headed off in search of something more interesting, preferably with cute, fluffy animals or reasonably decent alcohol.

Three of Cups

Christina sighs in relief when David declares his intent to let alone. "Oh, I go here," she replies. "To tell you the truth, my first thought was to go somewhere a bit more central. JU was my fourth choice before I made a campus visit, but I loved the people I met so much I decided to go here instead. Everyone seems to be really polite and open. I'm kind of surprised you don't know more about Kevin, he certainly wasn't one to be reserved when he met me at least. Maybe it's just your schedules, y'know? I don't know many people outside of where my daily routine takes me, after all." She serves up the last plate of food, then takes a seat with David at the table. After taking a few bites, she continues, "Anyways, I don't really know the other girl you mentioned with the red highlights and all, but I know his family and I certainly don't envy you that experience. Can you believe his mother actually asked about when she'd have grandchildren? Actually, I suppose that isn't too surprising, but still. They are some weird people, it can't be denied." Suddenly sitting up, she starts fishing through her pockets and asks, "Can I get your phone number before I forget? Any friend of Kevin's is a friend of mine, however unknown to me they may be. Besides, sometimes things need to be asked about that, well, Kevin isn't very good at answering. You know how it is, right?"

Seven of Cups

Wandering through the streets of Joneswark, Lorelei comes across a smaller version of the main street fair downtown for the festival. Set up in a park, it's populated largely by hipsters and poor-looking families, who wander among the small selection of unknown craftspeople and microbrewers to enjoy the petting zoo and bounce house, the only real fair-like attractions in the mini-fair. Though people still pass through, it looks like the hour is starting to grow late and more seem to leave than enter.

Eight of Cups

The kappa sighs at Nanabi's edge over his mythical status. "Yes, well, I've yet to meet a werewolf who properly takes care of new converts, especially in that the old and new mythology are only mildly linked at this point, like the War of the Roses and the United Kingdom." With a shake of his head, he continues, "Anyways, my wife and I were planning on heading home now, so I've come to grab my daughter. If you'd be so kind as to get her..." Looking past Nanabi, he notices that there are multiple kappa children in her care. "... Or, of course, I could go pick her out. Some people find it hard to distinguish one kappa from another, I know."

Two of Cups

Robert's walk home passes without incident, and in due course the next morning rolls around. As he walks into the university's IT department, Mr. Cameron calls him over towards the front desk. "Robert, meet Patricia Detral," Cameron says, introducing Robert to the young woman standing next to him. She stands about five-foot-eight in her blue flats, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a fashionably loose magenta shirt. Clutched in one arm is a tablet, its stylus perched behind her ear.
"Nice to meet you, Robert," she responds automatically, brushing an imaginary stray brown hair back towards her ponytail before extending a hand.
"Ms. Detral here is a new hire to the IT department," Mr. Cameron continues, "and I want you to train her. She's a computer science major here at the university, and will be interning for the school year to offset tuition, as is accepted by school policy. Best of luck to you both!" With that, he turns and walks back into his office, leaving the two by the front desk.

"It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss. Do you prefer Ms. Detral, or some variation of Patricia?" Robert asks, bowing slightly in a courtly manner as he shakes her hand. With his light blue polo shirt, black slacks, and Ebony Ronsir Revelation eyeglasses, he could be mistaken for someone respectable, if not for the fact the polo shirt bore Rainbow Dash's cutie mark embroidered on the left breast.

"Welcome to IT. First lesson, the sole reason we ever get called by anyone outside the department is if something's gone wrong. Don't take it personally when they're angry, there's a decent chance they either caused the problem themselves or there really is no problem and they're just doing something wrong. There's a cube open right across from me, so let's get you set up."

Robert led her to a door at the end of the room, which he unlocked with his smartcard and opened the door to. Inside, rows of shelves lay scattered with electronics ranging from brand new in box back to Apple ][-era. He pulled a flatbed cart from the end of the room and began loading it up with equipment.
"Welcome to the Cave of Wonders, or as those with less sense of humor call it, the supply closet. Mister Cameron said you're a CS major, what's your track, software engineering, network security, or systems administration?"

Seven of Cups

"Software engineering," Patricia replies to Robert. "And please, call me Pat. The way I figure, software engineering gives me the most options in the future, though I gotta admit, game development? Fun stuff." Gesturing at the pile of electronics, she asks, "I'm guessing that's all stuff I'll need to know how to work on...?"

It seemed that if this kept up Lemick should take up business card collecting as a hobby. The things just kept falling into his lap. Still it was a nice feeling getting these cards. Maybe this was worth pursuing, after all with all these cards coming at him again and again, maybe it was sign to take action. He hoped that fortune would come true then. He went to a phone and dialed the number.

The night appears to be getting a bit late and Lorelei, after a brief consideration, decides to call it an end.  She makes for the route home, keeping an eye out for anything else that might come up, but planning for a nice bath, a good book, tea, and then bed.

Nanabi visibly relaxed.  "Yes, the kappa children were all dropped off by their mothers, so I don't know their fathers.  Go ahead and find your daughter."  The old woman deftly reached into the tree and pulled another child off the branches, while she watched the kappa move, if he did at all.  She now had lots of things to do, since she had successfully lied.  She'd need to find out about werewolves, how they walked and talked.  Admittedly, she had easy access to the lore of this place, since those fey creatures were still talking to her...she'd just need to find one.  And in that instant, she realized she had forgotten their names, but not their faces.  She'd just need to find one, and hope it wasn't a shapeshifter.  -After- the children were seen too of course; the little devils seemed to live for making Nanabi chase them.

((Blech, again with the late post. I would think that being on Winter Break would make me less distracted, not more. >:|))

Judgement

The phone rings into Lemick's ear for a few seconds until someone picks up. "Foundation for Better Living," a male voice says from the other side. "My name's John, how can I help you?"

King of Pentacles

Sleep comes easily to Lorelei, leading to a calm next morning. A quiet knock on the door breaks the early silence, caused by a young man in a suit. "Good morning," he calls softly through the front door. "Is anyone awake? I'm working on a community project as part of my graduation requirements and wanted people's opinions..."

The Wheel of Fortune

The kappa father retrieving his child marks the beginning of the end, as parents quickly come to the same consensus as the kappa and head to Nanabi to retrieve their loved ones. With thanks and the odd tip, the count of children under Nanabi's care dwindles, until at last they're all gone. From a nearby tree, a crow caws, its call forming words. "You're not really a werewolf, are you. Others might not catch your tells, but I do. You're in luck, however, 'cuz I'm on your side. I was also on one of your friend's side until he got caught out and mind-wiped." With a flutter of wings, it swoops down to the grass in front of Nanabi. "The name's Bartholomew. I'm guessing you need help?"

"Indeed! Your first lesson is setting up your workstation on an empty desk, and I suggest you pay attention, as this is probably going to be what you'll be getting the most panicked support calls over. We're in the midst of swapping all the old Dells over to these Sun Ray 3i clients." Robert says, gesturing to the only thing on the cart still in a shrink-wrapped box. "Think of it as a really really thin client. Just enough brains on board to see the network so it can display a virtualized desktop running on the server farm. They're completely solid-state, just plug in the mouse and keyboard, network and power, and it should be ready to go. All you have to do is put your campus ID card in the card slot and it'll pull your session to you on any client on-campus. Any questions?" Generally, Robert would be a great deal less confident, but he was speaking in his area of expertise and he lived to be viewed as knowledgeable.

Lorelei has always been an early riser, even on a day such as this after a major festival.  As such she is already awake and enjoying her morning repast.

She is in her entry hall as Bryce answers the door, so she waves him away and speaks directly to the one soliciting, "good morning, what can I do for you sir?"

Eight of Pentacles

The young man straightens and smooths out his suit as Lorelei addresses him, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. "Good morning, ma'am," he begins. "My name is Cristoff Verboknen, I go to High Water High School over in the Plymouth district of Joneswark. As one of the requirements to graduate, we must create and perform a community service project. In order to ensure that my project is viable, I'm asking around today to see if people in this area would use or support the service I would provide." Handing Lorelei a brochure, he continues, "It's no secret that it often helps to have an extra pair of hands around, yet few can afford the time or money to hire a manservant. I propose creating a reputable organization for the screening and hiring of personal assistants for two hour blocks, particularly for the elderly. Would you use or support an organization for this purpose?" The brochure itself displays effort, research, and attention to detail. Notable sections include "Cost Estimates," "Man-Hours Required," and "Differences From Current Services."

The Chariot

"Right then," Pat answers, slipping by Robert to grab hold of the cart. "Guess I'd better get started. Where to?" she asks as she heads towards the exit, equipment in tow.

The old woman was not as surprised with talking birds as she should have been; the relearning of the Shinto tales reminded her that all animals could talk after they grew old enough, but perhaps this was not the case with this one.  It bore a Western name, so perhaps the rules were different.  Nanabi pondered if she wanted to risk what may well be a trap, versus doing her own research... no, pride was not something she could risk here.  She looked the little bird in the eye, and nodded.  "Yes, I do.  Would you help me?"

Lorelei spends a brief few moments reviewing the brochure and considering the proposal as presented.  "I, myself, would not have need of these services.  I would support the enterprise, but I would need to know the criteria used for hiring the personnel."

The Lovers

"Hm? I could have sworn I put that section in there..." Cristoff takes the brochure from Lorelei for a moment, scanning through the paragraphs of information. "Let's see... Ah! Here it is," he declares, handing the brochure back with one finger on a section labelled, "Qualifications." Suddenly, he jumps and digs into his hip pocket, pulling out a buzzing cell phone. Looking down at it, he sighs and says, "Excuse me a moment, I'm afraid I have to take this..." Heading a few meters down the walk, he puts the device to his ear. Snippets of his conversation drift to Lorelei's ears: "Hello? Oh, hey there... not the best time right... While that sounds very exciting... I'll be there soon..." Cristoff slips the phone back into his pocket, and his shoulders rise and fall to his deep breath. Returning to the door, he says, "Thank you very much for your time and opinion, ma'am. Have a nice day." With a small nod and a half-bow, he walks back to the sidewalk and hangs a right, disappearing into the next-door neighbor's hedge.

Ten of Pentacles

Bartholomew cackles at Nanabi's forward approach. "I like your style, miss. Of course I'll help you." Flapping onto the woman's shoulder, the crow continues, "Now, you look like you've got some money to throw around... I think I know just what to do so you blend in better. Even the loneliest of the upper class still feels camaraderie for their wealth-mates. Head back to your house, and ask me any questions you want along the way. I'll answer them as best I can."

"You tell me how can you help me?" Lemick asked, after all he got the number from a random person off the street.

"Okay, we're going to be heading down the hall and to the left, then second door on the right. Once upon a time this part of the building was dorms, then they converted it to offices, and they put the servers in the old common room in the basement." Robert explains, and then chuckles before adding "We call it the dungeon, since it's dark, cold, underground, and full of racks." When they arrive at the former dorm, now divided into four rather cramped workstations by beige, fabric-covered panels, it's lady's choice. "I'm the only one in here, so you have a choice of window or not. Personally, I recommend the inner one, the windows turn the outer cubicals into a greenhouse in the summer and they let the cold in in the winter."

Lorelei was certainly concerned.  Mr. Hammond might travel a lot for his work, commuting all the way to London, but he certainly would not appreciate some random solicitor busting through his hedge into his side yard without cause or at least calling ahead.  It was her neighborly responsibility to dissuade this Cristoff from using an improper shortcut through her neighbor's private yard.

Quickly following after him, she calls out rather sternly, "now see here sir, you cannot just dash through someone's hedge like that."

((Lemick's story is being worked out via PMs.))

Knight of Pentacles

Lorelei's calls are left unanswered as she approaches the hedge. As she stands there, a voice comes from behind her, "Um, ma'am? Could you please, um, move for a moment? Just for a moment, I swear." Turning around, she can see a teenage guy of perhaps thirteen or fourteen looking up with a polite, but distracted face. His upper body seems normal, insofar as his head and shoulders are normal for a human, but that's where it ends. Sticking out from his baggy green shirt, a lion's legs and lower body have replaced a normal person's arms, waist, and legs. As he stands there, his tail still, he soon averts his eyes, uncomfortable, and clicks his right front paw's claws on the pavement. "One, two, three," he breaths almost inaudibly with each run of his claws. "One, two, three."

Six of Swords

Pat chuckles at the nickname Robert proclaims for the basement server room. "Punny," she replies, a small smile settling on her lips. When at last they arrive at their destination, she listens intently to Robert's advice. "Good to know," she comments before pulling the cart to the remaining inner cubicle. "I'm guessing it's a fairly standard setup process?" she asks, setting her tablet aside to wipe the dust off her new workstation. "Put all the cords where they fit in?" She pulls out a small pocket knife, at most an inch and a half long and thus well under the university's restrictions, to cut through the shrink-wrap on the Sun Ray 3i.

"Eeyup," Rob affirms. "USB keyboard and mouse, Ethernet and power to the wall. It's like that old iMac commercial with Jeff Goldblum, there's no step three. The fun part comes once it's up and running, we have to get your ID reclassed for staff access, bump your user account to Admin 1 level, and then get your VOIP account put together. I'm also the de-facto Apple guy around here if you want to learn about that, but I have a sneaking suspicion you aren't going to actually need a whole lot of training since your background seems more than solid. Out of curiosity, you from here, or come here for school?"

Lorelei sighed to herself, "there is one of these right near my flat?"

She steps through the hedge to satiate her curiosity on the matter.

Page of Pentacles

Two steps into the hedge, Lorelei exits from an empty doorframe inside Avalon. Behind her, the teenage sphinx follows, spinning in place a full circle before heading off to the left. "Have a nice day, ma'am," he says as he turns away. The Avalon is as normal: the door frame is set into a stone wall behind Lorelei, a few buildings lie straight ahead, and the street she's on extends to either side. It appears that one of the shops ahead is holding a going-out-of-business sale on "Guaranteed Lucky Charms!!!"

Six of Wands

Pat grunts at Robert as confirmation before quickly setting up the rig. "I actually am normally from a state over, in a town called Cael. Weirdest name, spelled C-A-E-L despite the fact that it's pronounced like 'sail.' Guess that's what happens when the Irish found a city or something. Can't say my parents were too happy with the move, but I wasn't really a fan of Cael's computer science programs." In only a few minutes, her workstation is sitting pretty as she presses the power button. As the screen pops to life, she lets out a sigh of relief. "Despite having set up more than a few computers, I still get anxious until it starts up," she chuckles, her campus ID appearing in her hand with a flick of her wrist. Sliding it into its proper slot, she looks over her shoulder at Robert and asks, "What now?"

Wow, been away a while... Anyone get the license plate on that bus?

David had been nodding understandingly at most of Christina's comments, but her question gave him pause while he considered it for a moment. He wasn't typically in the habit of giving out his phone number to people he had only just met, even if they were good friends of good friends which, come to think, Kevin hadn't really been recently anyway. In terms of asking questions that Kevin wouldn't answer... well David's mind of course went straight to Avalon since most hidden meanings seemed to be related to that these days. However, to ask Avalon related questions would reveal he knew of Avalon and David had already been burned pretty heavily by that recently. Still, this wasn't likely to inconvenience him later and he couldn't think of a way to decline without being at least a bit rude and since it was hardly Christina's fault that Kevin had been a jerk, David acquiesced to her request and told her his cell number.

Knight of Pentacles

As Christina noted down David's number, Kevin lumbers his way into the room. "Good morning," he groans, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"G'morning, Kev," Christina replies. Jerking her head towards the kitchen, she continues, "I made breakfast. Your portion's in the oven."
"Thanks, Christi." Taking a seat, Kevin's plate of food appears in front of him, his fork appearing in his hand as he grabs at where it would normally be. "Ugh, I keep telling myself I'll never drink that much ever again, then something like that festival comes along and I do stuff like this." Massaging his forehead, he pauses as if concentrating, then gets up and goes to get a glass from the cupboards, filling it with water from the sink. "Be glad you're such a lightweight, Christi, you don't get hangovers."
"No, instead I do really stupid things," Christina answers, burying her face in her hands. "Seriously, did I do what I think I did last night?"
"You mean kiss Mary, or flash that satyr bouncer?"
"Both. Ugh..."
"Hey, if it makes it any better it was really funny watching that satyr's reaction. You could see him 'pitch a tent,' so to speak."
"No, that doesn't make it any better, in fact that makes it worse."
"Well, flashing him only made it worse. I almost thought he was going to--"
Christina groans again, dropping her hands to check her watch and revealing her furiously blushing cheeks. "Alright, I'm going to go help Craig out with his math homework. You guys... do what you do."
"See ya, Christi." Kevin gives her a quick hug before returning to his seat. When the door has shut behind her, there's a moment of silence before Kevin asks, "David... Can I say I'm sorry? For reporting you?"

She smiles and waves briefly at the sphinx, "um, yes.  You as well."

Curiosity is strong with this one.  Lorelei decides to visit the shop selling the charms.  Not intending to buy any, but interested to see what might be in such a place.

"Now we go downstairs, the only account with the privileges to reclass your VM as admin is on the main console for security, bring your card. Also, the wiring trunk's down there. The ethernet's solid and always connected, but the phone system's a bitsa, most of it goes back to when phone numbers had letters in them. Hopefully we won't have to resort to eldritch Fae enchantment to get you a working desk phone." Robert says, taking a pair of small gadgets from a desk drawer and plugging one into the phone jack nearest Pat's desk, before heading out the office door humming the intro to "Come Sail Away" by Styx.

King of Pentacles

A bell hanging over the door tinkles as Lorelei enters the charm shop. Placed here in there on the shop floor are pillars, around which glass display cases have been set up to display a variety of pendants, amulets, fetishes, bracelets, and more. To someone educated in some of the more occult traditions, many of the jewelry pieces are clearly traditional good luck charms. Towards the back, behind a glass counter, a Chinese man opens his eyes as he hangs from a sturdy bar, calling in a strong Oriental accent, "Hello! How are you today?" With a quick flex of his stomach, he flips off the bar and onto his feet, dusting off his beige trousers and satin tai chi jacket. "Can I help you find something?"

((At this point, it'd probably be good to switch over to PMs for expediency.))

Page of Swords

Patricia blushes slightly as Robert explains the next step. "Whoops..." she murmurs, her ID card jumping into her hand as she turns to follow Robert. With a glance at the phone line gadgets, she asks, "Should I know what those are as well?" She pauses to let Robert answer and then some. After a few moments, however, she queries, "So... you know Avalon, right?"

"Line tester. Think of it as a flashlight in two pieces, we put the bit with the battery in up here, it puts DC through the phone wire. When we get downstairs we plug the part with the light into the jacks on the panel downstairs, and it lights up when we find the right one." Robert explains, before she asks after Avalon. "Indeed. I suppose that makes two of us then, since you sort of have to know about it to ask about it."

Card: Six of Swords
"The Foundation for Better Living is a for-profit organization to assist in fulfilling the dreams of anyone," John begins, "so long as they do not directly harm another person. We are here to help you with whatever you want. At the Foundation for Better Living, it is not a question of what can we do, it's a question of what do you want? Whatever your heart desires, we will find teachers, speakers, and material to give a short seminar on your topic of choice to you and people with similar dreams. So, how can we improve your life?"
Lemick's mind raced, this sounded too good to be true. The key words "fulfilling the dreams of anyone, help you with whatever you want, not a question of what we do, and what do you want" made this very appealing but then caution came forth with the phrase "for-profit organization" even though the add-on "do not directly harm another person" was added. Be careful what you wish for seemed to be an appropriate saying for this situation. Thus Lemick ran through his head as to what he could want and an appropriate response. "Well all my life, I haven't been the most fortunate of people, luck rarely seems to head my way. I've tried to cope by seeing the best in everything but it'll be nice to actually have something to be optimistic about. I don't suppose you have anything of the sort? Another thing, how much do your services cost? I don't want to benefit and find out later that I'm unable to pay you back."
"Don't worry, sir," John replies. "We can certainly do something about your luck, and we have plenty of affordable payment plans to help you pay for our services when you can. While we may be for-profit, we do not believe in extorting people for a better life. So long as we are paid at some point, we do not mind. When are you available to come in for a seminar?"
"Are there any Sundays free?" Lemick asked.
"Of course, sir," the man replies over the phone. "Let me see when the next seminar is... Well, what do you know, we have an opening for you this Sunday. Shall I pen you in?"
"Yes please" Lemick said.
"Alright, then, sir, you're now listed as an attendee of the Sunday seminar. Be at our building by two o' clock in the afternoon; we'll have signs to direct you to the right place form there. Have a nice day!" With a click, the other end of the line shuts off.
Lemick placed the phone back and sat down, maybe there was something to hope for after all. 

((Lemick's portion pending alterations or lack thereof.))

King of Swords

Patricia murmurs an assent at Robert's response, saying, "So I'd heard. Do you mind me asking what you think of it?"

((This probably should have happened a while ago, since this has all been a conversation that just happens to move around, but: I think it'd be good to move to PMs for expediency's sake.))

Lorelei quirks her right eyebrow at the small acrobatic display, but shrugs it off to being on "this" side of things.

Politely and with a warm smile, she returns his greeting, "I am well thank you for asking, and hopefully this day has found you right off as well."

Spending a few moments to peruse the various curiosities, she replies, "I am not truly looking for anything in particular, and I have always had a strong interest in the occult as it were.  I find myself on the path of medicine though.  Any recommendations, sir?"

"Oh, yes, I have just the thing!" The bat scurries off towards one of the display cases, beckoning for Lorelei to follow. "Right here," he says, pointing at a collection of amulets made of every organic material imaginable. "Charms for health, guaranteed working, and no black magic involved. Normally twenty dollars, but you very pretty, and won't look good if sick, so I give it to you for fifteen. Good?"

"I suppose that is quite quaint.  I will take one."

Producing the required amount of American funny money, Lorelei lets her eyes wander as the shop as the keeper processes the sale, "on a side note, you wouldn't happen to have some type of charm with a fox in it?  I always thought they were kind of cute."

The bat unlocks the cabinet and pulls out a charm, handing it to Lorelei as he takes the money. Turning to ring up the sale, he pauses as Lorelei makes her next request, looking over his shoulder to ask, "You sure you want a, fox charm?" After a moment, he shrugs and walks back to the glass counter. Reaching in, he withdraws a small clay red fox hanging from a short length of black yarn. "I give it to you for twenty."

Lorelei nods and pays the proprietor the money for the extra charm.  "So, any recommendations on the best way to employ these charms for maximum effect?"

"No, no real best way," the bat replies before glancing at his watch. Smiling politely, he comes back around the counter and declares, "Okay, closing time!" He ushers Lorelei back out into the street before shutting the door and flipping his "OPEN" sign to display "CLOSED" before locking the door and turning off the lights.

Shrugging and waving a bit as she walks back towards the hedge gate, Lorelei heads back to her flat to set up her new charms before getting ready for a nice day on the town.

((yeah, I'm not sure what to do now :P))

David froze for the briefest of moments mid-bite before forcing himself to keep chewing. Was this some sort of trap? Another test to make sure he was still enchanted? Or did Kevin already know? If so, what gave him away? Was Kevin really so prejudiced against 'mortals' that he had to be so sure David truly remembered nothing? As traps went, this was a pretty good one. If David was somehow unenchanted, it was a question designed to sound apologetic and lure out a response of some sort, but to respond would reveal his hand since if he was still enchanted he wouldn't notice anyway.

More than anything, David wished he could just punch Kevin in the face, yell at him for being so thick headed, so insecure. He wanted to pack his bags and just leave, find a roommate that was less of a bigot. But to do any of these things would show his secret and keeping it secret was his only defense against Kevin who as a mage could do who knew what. Without magic of his own, there was nothing David could do that Kevin couldn't easily ignore, overpower, or strike back against except a sneak attack... killing him while he slept. However despite Kevin being an ass, David balked at the idea of murder and besides, despite what he'd done he hardly deserved to die because of it. Plus Kevin hadn't ratted out his little brother and David supposed that had to count for something.

So with murder being an unacceptable option, really all he had was secrets. Thus after a moment of forced chewing and swallowing his food he allowed a bit of concern to creep into his voice, just a little, as he turned slightly towards his roommate with a slightly furrowed expression. "What do you mean? Reported me for what?" And then, from a stroke of inspiration, he added, "Do you mean for pirating? Do... do they take that seriously here? I'm not going to get a fine or something, am I?"

Four of Wands

Kevin laughs lightly to avoid upsetting his headache, telling David, "Eh, never mind. Sounds like you already forgot." He picks up his silverware and at last starts eating his breakfast. When he finishes, he stands slowly, grabbing his dirty plate and offering to take David's over to the sink as well. Heading into the kitchen, he sets the dishes in the sink before coming back out, heading back for his room. "Oh, David," he says at the last moment. "A friend of mine's having a party tonight, since it's his birthday. You want to come with?"

The Hermit

As Lorelei starts freshening up, she starts to hear... whispering. While it's too quiet to make out exactly what's being said, it certainly isn't a figment of her imagination. After a few moments, it becomes clear that it's coming from one of her new charms. As she approaches, the sussurating whispers resolve into words. "Finally! Yes, that way, the fox charm, that's it, come on. I've spent fifteen years alone in this house of my own free will, but I'm not going to stay silent any longer! Alright, lady, help me out here, I need you to get something done for me. Can you do that? Hello? Is this thing on?"

Hmph. So it WAS a test then. David wasn't quite sure if he'd passed or if Kevin was just pretending he hadn't failed. This guesswork was rather nerve wracking and David promised himself that next chance he got he would find a 'normal' person and start talking about Avalon to them to properly see how they reacted. Still, Kevin's reply was pretty terrible. Just because someone doesn't remember (or even didn't know) you did something wrong by them doesn't mean you don't have to apologize for it. If anything, it made it worse than the original wrong because it meant you couldn't own up to your mistakes which bespoke a personality flaw beyond making mistakes.

Then again, David had come to expect the worst of his roommate recently. Problem was, as far as Kevin could tell they were still friends and any indication otherwise would hint that David had remembered and that was knowledge Kevin could not be trusted with. Before this all happened David would have gone to this party without issue, but now the idea of going to an event where the only person he would actually know was Kevin just seemed terrible. So time to find a reasonable complaint, "Didn't you just go to a party last night? Anyway, I probably won't know anyone there. It may be better if I stay home and get some work done."

Now to hope that Kevin didn't have a reasonable counter because if he did, David couldn't think of any other 'good' reason not to go. But if he did, he sure wasn't going to spend the party with Kevin. At the very least he would spend it talking to other people.

((Sorry for the late post. >.>))

Nine of Pentacles

"Mm, good point," Kevin replies to David. "I am a little behind on my classwork... Hrm." He turns and continues into his bedroom. Sounds of shuffling emanate from the doorway, punctuated by the small ping and clap of a coin being flipped. At last, Kevin comes out again in a fresh change of clothes, in this case a pair of jeans and a graphic t-shirt. "Well, I'm headed out for the day," he declares as he grabs his bag from by the TV. "I'll see ya tonight, probably."
Once Kevin's left, David spots a shape in the window; specifically, a crow, one that he recognizes as Bartholomew.

Lorelei eyes the fox charm warily as she approaches.  Once the voice becomes clear, she kneels down eye level to it, "who are you and what do you mean that you have been in my flat for fifteen years?!"

A dawning amount of embarrassment brings a small measure of blush to her cheeks as her mind runs through the implications.  The voice's request is lost among such thoughts.

Previously, on The West Wing

"Can you be more specific?" Robert asks, before giving an opinion anyway. "Honestly, overall I'm not entirely sure. I've met people of all stripes from there, it's not really that different from the rest of the world except for the fact that the people there happen not to be human. I consider myself a scholar above all, so the suppression of knowledge rankles me, but I can understand it, if not agree with it. Politically, it's a mess, but what else is new? There are factions all over the place, from hawks with visions of Manifest Destiny, to people who just want to be left alone, to single-issue-wonks who want to drop the Masquerade altogether. Why do you ask?"

"A friend of a friend mentioned you," Patricia replies. "Said you were a decent enough fellow. I was kind of curious what a Knower thought of the whole chicanery going on with this new king stuff." Watching David closely, she adds, "Don't worry about getting reported, by the way. I started leaving my Callstone -- that's with a C, not a G -- at home a long time ago. I've introduced a couple Knowers myself, if you can believe it. I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm curious: if you could choose the next king, who would you go for?"

Robert chuckles. "Wow, you don't go for the easy questions, do you? If I'm honest. It feels like a bit of a Kobayashi Maru. From what I know of the scenario, you've got Orphenthal who wants to up the enchantment on human society, and I'm not sure he's objective on it's necessity. However, he's claimed to be actively seeking peace in the war with Haven, and from what I'm told his economic policies are progressive, favoring more public programs. On the other hand, you've got Niffelheim, who doesn't want to change the enchantment, but wants to sell the farm to private enterprise and wants to conquer the entire North American continent. Of course, there's always the third option, Puck, but he hasn't really addressed fiscal or foreign policy with any substance or consistency, which has alienated much of the electoral base. Each of them has their own proverbial poison pill. If I had to choose, I just can't condone Niffelheim's warmongering, and I agree with Orphenthal's fiscal policies, so given the information I have now, I would vote for him. However, if I could find out what Puck's policies are, there is a distinct possibility I would pick him."

Pat lets out a short laugh before checking something extensively on her phone. "Yeah, it certainly does have a touch of a no-win scenario," she says at last. "Here, a bit lighter of a question: What surprised you about Avalon?"

"You mean beyond the fact that I haven't been under the influence of recreational hallucinogens? Well, at least, most of the time... If I'm honest, I'm a bit surprised at how little difference there really seems to be. I mean, despite there being this whole parallel society going on, once I got over the initial bizarreness I felt less out of place than when I did my study-abroad in Japan. People are basically the same regardless of what species they may be. I suppose it makes sense, Avalon isn't isolated so the mentality can't diverge too far, but I kind of expected to feel like Chihiro in the bathhouse. Too much sci-fi and fantasy, I guess."

Patricia murmurs understanding. "I suppose we aren't all that different after all. Then again, considering that's what the enchantment relies on to keep us from view, I suppose that isn't too surprising." At last, the pair reach the main console. "So... Before I make more of a fool of myself, what's next?"

"Okay, what we're going to do is put your card in this slot here." Robert says, gesturing to a slot in the keyboard on the desk. "That'll give us access to your virtual machine at the console so we can change your permissions to admin-level. Also, you'd have to make a fool of yourself in the first place, Pat," he adds, smiling warmly and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short, you're doing great. You seem to have a solid skills-base, and you're asking questions when you don't know something rather than trying to fudge it. That's better than I did when I started, if I'm honest."

"I'll take your word for it," Patricia replies, slipping her ID into the slot. While everything loads up, she asks, "So, considering I've grilled you for your opinion on Avalon, do you have anything you want to ask me? Fair's fair, after all."

"Not off the top of my head. If something comes to me, I'll ask, but in the mean time, let's show this computer who's boss. Namely you." Robert replies with a chuckle, and they proceed to do a number of technical things too boring to bother recounting here.

David started upon seeing Bartholomew. Probably too late to hide his reaction, but even so he double checked Kevin was gone before opening the window. "Geez," he said to the crow. "Have you been here the whole time or did you just come back now? It's probably better if you don't hang around too much or Kevin will get suspicious again. I think he may be suspicious anyway, but ah well. What news?"

((And once again, my memory decided to go, "Peace out," as soon as a school break started. >.< Sorry guys.))

King of Pentacles

Bartholomew franticly jumps to a nearby branch as soon as David starts opening the window, letting out a startled caw. "Geez yourself, kid!" the crow replies, hopping back to the windowsill and walking inside. "Since when did you remember who I was? One day I tried saying 'Hello' and you ignored me like you were Enchanted again. I'd heard you'd gotten picked up by the police and had a mind-wipe." Letting out a sigh, he continues, "Truth be told, there hasn't been much going on. Word has it that Duke Orphenthal was planning on some mass enchantment to demonstrate what life would be like under his rule, but his wife bailed and she was the one who was providing most of the belief support for him to pull the magic off. I'm more interested in how exactly you managed to avoid the mind-wipe."

Ten of Swords

After a moment, Lemick gets up off the ground and heads home. Time passes without anything noteworthy, and Sunday comes around in, if not short, than certainly not extremely long order. When Lemick heads to the Foundation's building, friendly faces and helpful signs guide him and, apparently, quite a few others to something like a classroom, with complimentary pens and notebooks at all the desks. When the thirty-odd people have all settled in, a man in Middle-Eastern garb walks in, shuffling some papers on the podium placed before the assembled people. Silence falls upon the gathered attendees quickly. At last, the man says, "Now then..." Looking down as if to check his notes, he waves his right hand in the air and says, "Let's begin."
Suddenly, Lemick finds himself getting gently lifted out of his desk by friendly faces, swirling around him and giving only glimpses of the room. The man in the Middle-Eastern garb up front is slumped over on the podium. Three men in suits, one white, one grey, and one black, stand in the corner opposite the door, glaring darkly at the friendly faces surrounding Lemick. The friendly faces guide Lemick out of the classroom and into a waiting car, which drops Lemick off at his home before driving away. At last Lemick finishes waking up, yes, that must be it; the men in suits having slightly red skin must have been a holdover from a dream.

The Fool

"Ah, finally!" the voice cries as Lorelei starts talking to the charm. "Now, listen, my name..." The voice fades into the background as Lorelei is lost in thought, until suddenly it cries, "Are you even listening?! You're worse than my mother. Women, God. Now see here, if you want me out of your house, and trust me when I say I want to be out of your place too, I need you to get the book out from the third brick up from the center of the fireplace and burn it. Don't even think about reading it, either, or I will haunt you for the rest of your days, got it?"

The Empress

As Robert and Patricia finish up in the Dungeon and return to their workstations, Patricia stretches and says, "So, I know this might seem a bit odd to be getting a contact from an intern, but if you need another Avalon contact, Forrest's pretty much free year-round." She hands Robert a picture of a tree, with "Durdanham Park" written in silver sharpie in one corner. "Just sit by that tree and he'll show up soon enough. He's not so old that he's forgotten how time works for humans." Glancing down at her watch, she lets out a low whistle and continues, "Just in time, too. I've got class to get to; I'll be back after that to finish up any last training bits and start working proper, alright? See you in a couple hours!" With that, she breaks off down a hallway, leaving Robert to get back to work alone.

David thought back to that day by the pond where he had been skipping stones when the officiate came up to him and explained what was going to happen. "I guess I got lucky," was what he said instead. "I think someone took pity and unwiped me or made it temporary or something. I wasn't really paying attention at the time. I saw the duke the other day though, he looked very sad and said something about the whole thing not happening so I wouldn't be surprised if that was why."

David considered a moment before adding, "Anyway, the mindwipe happened in the first place because I told Kevin. He's a mage, as you might know. He didn't even freak out or anything, he just reported me. He's been testing me ever since. Either I'm a good actor and he thinks I'm still under or he's a good actor and he knows. If he knows and isn't saying then there isn't much I can do, but if he doesn't, having you hanging around too much might make him suspicious so could you be careful about that? Still, it's nice to see you again. Aside from being able to save my brother, you've been the one part of this whole supernatural thing that hasn't sucked so far."

"Be seeing you!" Robert calls after her, before she disappears around a corner. Pulling out his phone, he snaps a picture of the photo and adds a waypoint to his navigation app, before tucking both away again. Grabbing his jacket and hat, he heads for Mr. Cameron's office, ducking in briefly to let him know that Pat was doing well, and he was going to take his lunch while she was in class. The purpose was, in fact, threefold. He was indeed hungry, he wanted to meet this Forrest, and there was an intermittent short somewhere in his Alfa's electrical system that had drained the battery a couple times on him in the past week, so he wanted to run it and charge the battery so he didn't need to worry about needing a jump to get home at the end of the day. After a quick spin through a drive through, he heads for the park. An arborealist, Robert is not, so he pops in his earbuds and cues up some music so it doesn't look too odd that he keeps checking his phone's screen.

((Cue :ipod))

Lorelei muses to herself, did he really just tell me to not read it?  That is absolutely the worst way to do that, now I want to read it.

"Well, there isn't anything else I need to know?  No three words of power in sequence or such?  What exactly is this a book of?  I am afraid you will have to satisfy my curiosity or I am likely to read it anyways.  There is a reason I choose a fox charm and all, mischievous and curious."

((Okay seriously I shouldn't be allowed to go on any vacation lasting longer than two days.))

Page of Pentacles

Bartholomew cackles at David's response, compliment and all. "David, I think you're worrying too much. This isn't my first time back, and trust me when I say he tested you for a while after you were 'wiped.' He has to be pretty sure you're Enchanted again, or he's the most paranoid family mage I've ever seen." Re-settling his feathers, he says in a calmer tone, "I'm glad that you at least don't think I'm horrible. Anyways, do you happen to know a woman named Nanabi? She's a Knower too, and since you were wiped I started doing for her what I've done for you. Granted, now that it turns out you weren't wiped I guess I'm mentoring the both of you." He glances over his shoulder. "All of this is a roundabout way of saying I need to dash at the moment. However, since you're here, I should ask: do you happen to know anyone that I could talk to for help, now that I seem to officially be in the mentoring business?"

Ten of Pentacles

The ghost huffs at Lorelei, "Typical woman. Always putting your nose where it doesn't belong. That book is my family photo album, and I don't want any no-good sneaks rifling through my life. Privacy is privacy, even beyond the grave, and that goes for you too or you can expect to die within the month! Now burn what's left of me so I can finally move on from this wretched place!"

The Empress

Though it takes a few minutes of walking (or, rather, grooving) around the park, Robert soon finds the tree from the picture. He waits, still grooving to the music in his ears, until suddenly a male tenor voice asks from behind him, "What're you listening to?" Turning, he finds that a man in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties in a bright purple t-shirt and European-styled jeans is grooving much like he is, grinning at their shared silly appearance in the middle of the park. "The name's Forrest Birch. You?"

"North, the new Matchbox Twenty album. Pleasure to meet you, Forrest, I'm Robert Charles." Robert says, sporting a similar grin as he offers a handshake with one hand and deftly pauses his iPhone with the other. "I got picked to train Pat Detral now that she's interning at the IT department of the university, what little training she actually needs. She suggested that I come out here and meet you, so I took my lunch hour and, well, here I am."

"Well, now we are threatening as well as insulting."  Lorelei huffed, "I was inclined to help you, now I am not so sure."

Thinking for a moment, she smiled wryly, "what do you propose to pay me for assisting you?"

Page of Wands

The ghost scoffs at Lorelei's inquiry. "You expect payment? From a ghost? Don't play games with me, woman! What, do you think I'm able to interact with the physical world? 'The fairer sex,' yeah right! Always demanding more, more! Consider this experience your payment, because otherwise you'd have gone through your whole life never talking to a ghost! Now burn! that! book! And if I don't see you moving in the next fifteen seconds I'll give you a taste of what your life will be like with me haunting you!" The ghost refuses to respond to any more of Lorelei's comments.

Wheel of Fortune

"Nice to meet you, Robert," Forrest replies, accepting the handshake gracefully. "I'm glad to hear that Pat is doing well, but I'm afraid you've caught me at a rather inconvenient time." His grin turns apologetic as he continues, "A friend of mine is planning on giving a rather rousing speech in favor of the fae from the dream one July evening. I have promised to attend and, given that you're currently on break, I'm guessing that you aren't exactly available at the moment to take an hour and listen to some youngsters share their vision of Joneswark." He pauses and cocks his head, then continues, "Although, I could probably video tape it, if you'd like. Would you?"

Nanabi had spent a lot of time getting used to the information the speaking Crow had given her.  She lingered in her house, researching what materials were available to the mortal world, finding out how much was accurate and useful.  Historical facts, sightings, killings.  She doubted there was a registry of such things, but if there was, she wished to be ready.  The lunar calendar had not been difficult to learn; Nanabi had nothing in her life to distract her.  And she never ventured out close to the full moon nights, and always appeared on the New Moon in the hidden city to apparently enjoy it.

She had learned that werewolves were created mostly through accident.  She need not worry about her advanced age putting off werewolves she might meet.  Crosses weakened the werewolf's powers, so she dusted off Solomon's old rosary.

It had been a gift from his mother; the great cross was carved crystal, likely zirconium, while the beads were coral.  It had been passed down through the family from mother to daughter, and since Solomon had no sisters, the ancient woman had passed it to Nanabi.  But Nanabi had never worn it, so Solomon kept it, and told his mother that his wife enjoyed the gift.

She wore it now, every day when she went out to the hidden city.  She wandered the Shinto district, looking to find comfort in the culture of the homeland.  Perhaps find a tea shop she could meet friends at; or an antique shop.  A place with good chi.  Bartholomew had nested in her front yard's pine tree, and Nanabi brought him baubles and such to make his nest attract many females; and took care not to disturb him when he was...occupied.

The ancient woman had long ago admitted that magic fascinated her, and that she wished to learn more, but was afraid.  She passed many times by shops she suspected carried materials relevant to the field, and kept the longing out of her eyes and off of her face.

One time, during the week, the loneliness got to her, and she had called Michael.  It had been a brief chat; he was cold as ever, but allowed Nanabi to speak to his wife, and learn they were adopting children after troubles conceiving.  Nanabi had ended the call briefly happy, then sat in the empty house for an hour, before going back to the hidden city.

Perhaps today would be different.

Robert pauses to check the clock. "Well, Mr. Cameron might be a bit bothered by me getting back late from lunch, especially with my doing Pat's training today. Then again, Pat said she'd be away at class for a couple hours when she took off, I get two additional fifteen minute break periods a day, and I do drive an Alfa Romeo with known electrical issues, so me being delayed would hardly be an unprecedented event. I suppose it really comes down to how long you think it'll really take. If I can get back in a reasonable time I'd love to join you, if not, I definitely want to see what they have to say anyway, so yes to the video.

Lorelei could not help but face palm at the belligerent attitude of this 'ghost'.  With a roll of her eyes and an exaggerated sigh, Lorelei picked up the fox charm and luck charm as she spoke, "I was very inclined to aid you, but I can not say that I desire too any longer.  I am not some embodiment of kindness who will permit herself to be spoken to in such a manner.  I do hope you can acquit your self better in another fifteen years if someone is so unwise as to bring some conduit for you to speak through."

Spying one of her old antique curio cases, this one iron and shaped like a heart, she opened it and removed the three old keys to her ancient jewelry boxes.  She then placed both charms in it, closing the lid and latching it securely.  The fair lass went to retrieve this book from behind the brick in her fireplace for investigation.

Three of Pentacles

With the light crumble of old mortar and brick dust, Lorelei easily withdraws the book from its resting place. Though it had been greyed slightly by the smoke of fires burned after its internment, the brown leather album seemed rather well off, resting in her hands with a comfortable weight. Repeated heating and cooling had done little to damage the exceptionally-tanned leather, and the black leather corners and spine were still firmly attached. Brushing the cobwebs off the old hide and neatly trimmed pages, a sure grip found the comfortable squish of a well-loved photo album as red dust puffed from between its pages. The front and back were unmarked, while the spine had a shallow groove worn down the center. Upon closer inspection, a hint of the Greek letters alpha and omega, one at the top of the spine and one at the bottom, can vaguely discerned, so faint that they could simply be a trick of the light. On the right side of the front cover, a strip of lighter leather was hooked loosely over a metal stud, the hole keeping it held closed ragged and stretched from repeated opening and closing. Embossed upon it was a symbol reminiscent of ancient representations of a gust of wind. Setting it on the table, it landed with a solid thud and let out the slightest waft of a musky cologne, oddly sickening despite its commonplace scent.

Nine of Cups

When Nanabi enters Avalon, she soon runs into a rather interesting gaggle of youths. One, a handsome young man with a fox tail swishing through the air, is leaning on an oddly blurry-looking young woman who is grinning goofily. ",ydal yeH" the fox-tailed man says, holding out a translucent blue orb. ".tuo ffuts siht yrt attog uoY"
"Dudedude," the blurry woman says, her voice oddly reverberating. "Carecarefulful withwith whowho youyou showshow thatthat toto. Notnot allall ofof thethe copscops mightmight knowknow howhow toto rereactact ifif theythey seesee thisthis stuffstuff. It'sit's calledcalled exexperperimimententalal forfor aa reareasonson."
",puddahs ,hA" the man replies. ".deaherof ruoy ot siht ecalp tsuj ,ereH" He offers Nanabi the sphere once more.

Ten of Pentacles

Forrest pauses to think, before answering Robert. "In that case," he says at last, "I think you should get back to your work in time. Here, this way." He heads off towards a section of fence bordering the park, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Robert was following. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do that involves Pat?" He asks as they approach the weathered wooden slats. With one finger, he traces an inverted star over one of the knots, then walks straight through the fence. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the wood has become naught more than a smokescreen, as the busy streets of Avalon show faintly through the mirage. Once Robert has passed through, Forrest continues through the clearer areas of the crowd until at last they reach a small courtyard, where a young woman has set up a small refreshments stand selling water, lemonade, and Italian sodas. As Forrest gets a glass of water from the stall, he starts as though suddenly remembering something. "My apologies, these next fifteen minutes might be a little dull for you," he says to Robert. "I make an effort to be punctual and ensure that I'm always early to every event I attend, but given that I'm going on ninety, I forget sometimes that 'early' has an entirely different meaning to me than to you. You should still make it back to your work in time."

David smiled slightly at the crow's words, but then frowned in thought at the question. "I can't say anyone comes to mind..." David trailed off. He really hadn't interacted much with anyone who had given him any advice. There were a few people he had interacted with, but none that really struck him as 'mentors'. "Yeah," David said, shaking his head. "I can't even begin to think of anyone who I've met that would be good at that. Anyway, if you've gotta go then I won't hold you. Good luck with your search though!"

"Not a lot, if I'm honest. I'm a technician in the Information Technology department at the university, and Pat's interning there, so my boss asked me to train her. Now I know what the guy who trained me felt like. She's a bright spark, picked up on most of the things I've been throwing at her all on her own, so all I've had to do is sort of point her in the right direction on a few things, really." Robert says in answer to Forrest's questions regarding what he's doing with Pat, and procures a lemon Italian soda after they arrive.

"Ninety? You don't look a day over seventy-five!" he exclaims with a lopsided grin after his age is mentioned. "You needn't worry about me getting bored in fifteen minutes. I don't get out a lot, and even if I didn't have company, I tend to keep at least one unread book queued up on here at all times. Just finished the latest Dresden Files book, actually. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know an earth spirit by the name of Nick, would you? Maybe keeps company with a satyr named Grace? I bumped into him a while ago, he seemed to be in a bad way and it kind of stuck with me."

Lorelei spends a few moments examining the cover of the book before picking it up and heading out the door.  Lore heads for one of the close little cafes for a nice cup of tea and a thorough perusal of this book.

((Sorry if this post is kinda meh. Just got back from college visits and I'm writing with a pesky dehydration/exhaustion headache.))

Six of Wands

Bartholomew nods to David, then flaps off and away. Time passes, and classes come and go. After one class, George shows up at David's side, looking at his smartphone. "Aha!" he exclaims after a few seconds. "I got a sixty-eight on that last test. How about you?"

The Magician

As Lorelei reaches for her front doorknob, immediately she collapses as a crippling migraine crushes any hope of action. Once her thoughts focus away from exiting the house, the migraine dissipates, though any further thoughts about leaving cause it to return. It's clear that she isn't going to be getting out of here with the book.

Temperance

"You've met Nick?" Forrest replies to Robert's inquiry. "Ah, poor fellow. He's been in a bad way ever since they opened that landfill; all those chemicals and other nasty things leaching into the soil, you see. We're trying to find a better solution, but between a lack of our involvement in Joneswark's government, the fact that we're still producing trash, and the health of the other local nature spirits, we're in an overall losing battle. Humanity, if nothing else, isn't really nice to Gaia."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, that's all too true, and even if you want to be, you don't exactly have the clearest path set out for you. Why make it easy for you to reduce, reuse, recycle when what they really want you to do is buy, buy, buy." Robert replies, a disgruntled note in his voice. "I hope things get better. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you don't have a voice in Joneswark's government though, you have the option of playing the long game," he adds.

((Apologies for the delay, lately I've been battling writer's block on ALL THE THINGS!))

((No worries, I'm apparently an equal amount of derp. >.>))

Queen of Pentacles

"It's an old decree," Forrest replies to Robert's curiosity as the courtyard slowly starts to fill with people. "Back from the eighteen-hundreds I'm told, at the end of the time of the First Faeries. So far, no later King's revoked it, in part because pretty much everybody loved King Phrates, the one who made the decree. He was an excellent mediator." Taking a sip of water, he continues, "Personally, I'm for the decree. We may not be able to protect ourselves as well, but neither will we harm your folk as easily. But here, now, this is why we came." Gesturing with his glass, he directs Robert's attention to a young woman dressed in a simple black skirt with a white blouse standing on a small dais. Despite her heels, she still stands no taller than Robert's armpit, but she commands attention from the crowd of middle-class spectators as she clears her throat.
"Good day, everyone," she begins. "My name is Sharise. Before we begin, I would like to ask, how many of you have friends who are human?" About half the audience raises their hands. "Thank you. Sirams, especially those of you who raised your hands, you all know the suppression of information that covers our lives. Our society is intrinsically linked with that of the humans, and every day we must, and sometimes are forced, to lie to them in an effort to maintain our perceived safety. As you no doubt have seen in our media, every mugging or incidental casualty of our kind is clearly a hate crime." A collective chuckle is released, and a few people start to lean against the walls or take impromptu seats. "It is this safety with which we have grown up. For many of you, you have a plan laid out for how you want your life to proceed. Work for half your life, and along the way find a sweetheart, buy a house, have a kid, send them through college, then retire wealthy and die from old age surrounded by loved ones. I'm telling you right now, that is the exact same plan as seventy-five percent of the people you will see today, and I'm asking you, do you want to be a number? Do you want to be a face in the crowd, or do you want to give meaning to your life? Do you want to be remembered, and become immortal? History forgets Harold From Accounting when he's passed. You'll never read a book called The Life and Times of Jane Doe, Real Estate Agent. There are, however, fifteen biographies on King Phrates. College courses on the history of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Books on Len Radley Orphenthal." Sharise pauses, looking down as she holds a moment of silence, then returning her gaze to level. "My heart goes out to Duke Orphenthal for the loss of his son. His grief is felt by every parent in Avalon. I do not, however, believe that poor boy was the victim of a Cold War between us and humanity. Instead, he was a victim of the system. He tried to go against standards, to show that life was okay outside the tight confines he had been told were the ends of the world, and he died for it. He died for freedom of information, and for love. If his life had gone as expected, he would have been nothing more than an entry in his family tree; now he will be remembered forever. Avalon will never let his sacrifice fade into history like a bank teller in Poughkeepsie.
"How many of you know sacrifice? Do you not eat chocolate for a month, and call it sacrifice? Do you donate your blood, and call it sacrifice? Do you work at a homeless shelter seven days a week, and call it sacrifice? I am not belittling these noble causes, but I am telling you they are not sacrifice. Sacrifice is giving your life to a cause; Jesus Christ sacrificing for the betterment of humanity, Abraham Lincoln sacrificing for the unification of society, Gandhi sacrificing for the freedom of India. None of them wanted to die, but they believed in something more than themselves. A cause. Every generation has their cause, and ours is humanity. We must be willing to accept the risk of fear, to accept the sacrifice of forty years to humanity adjusting to the truth, for the sake of what is right. Are you willing to follow our cause? Are you willing to risk life and limb to do what is right? Are you willing to try and become immortal?
"Then fear not the Knower, but embrace and create them. Thank you."
With those two words, the crowd begins their applause, and Sharise steps off the dias, heading for the courtyard exit. "What do you think?" Forrest asks Robert as he drains his glass. "A bit heavy on the selfishness of being immortal, but if it gets through to these kids I suppose I don't mind."

Robert finishes his drink as well before rendering his opinion, which veers rapidly from a technical analysis of her technique to something a bit more opinionated. "Her heart seems to be in the right place, although her message was a bit scattered. As for the guilt, it is one way to get her message across, though does run the risk of alienating some of those as yet uncommitted. Others, though, will without doubt take it to heart. Some people need a bit of a nudge at first, but ultimately there is no more powerful motivator than your own conscience. When it comes down to the desire to helping other people versus fear of consequences, I have to believe that helping other people will win out more times than not. Wait, I'm rambling again, aren't I?" Robert says, before it occurs to him that he's got to be back to work sooner rather than later, digging out his phone to check the time.

Page of Pentacles

Forrest let's out a soft laugh as Robert checks the time. "Don't worry, Robert, you aren't rambling. You should probably start heading off if you want to get back to work on time," he says, confirming Robert's estimate of the time. After making sure Robert knows the way out, he bids Robert farewell and wanders off with his water to talk with some of the other audience members. As Robert exits the courtyard, he spots a bulletin that has been posted right next to the empty doorway. Labelled The Avalonian Bedrock, it headlines, "PUCK RELEASES PLATFORM STATEMENT! After a month of no news, word has gone through the grapevine that Puck has cemented a platform outside of his appearist position on the Enchanted that's popular among today's youth. This anonymous competitor..." It goes on to describe an odd amalgamation of liberal and conservative policy, including an increase of Avalon police forces, a reduction of welfare, and a method of reducing Avalon's outward flow of money through local business grants. A small hubbub has grown around the broadsheet, though few seem particularly talkative about the matter, letting Robert head back to the university in peace.
In short order, Robert returns to work with a minute to spare. By now, Pat has returned from classes, popping up at Robert's side and asking, "So, now that I'm set up, what's the process for actually, y'know, helping folks?"
((Back into conversation mode we go; if you could PM me your response it'll speed up the matter.))

The Tower

When Kirrin steps through the opening below Bishop's Stone with the rest of his small group, he is immediately greeted by a pale, slender woman in a plain green t-shirt and close-fitting khaki pants. "Welcome to Avalon," she says, her full lips parting to release the fluid tones of her voice from beneath her high, angular cheekbones. Her dark eyes look out from under her thin eyebrows and full head of red hair as she continues, "My name is Vitia Rophenthal. I'll be your guide tonight. To start, I'd like you to take a look around." Behind her, a veritable menagerie of people walk along a major thoroughfare, if they can be called people. Skin colors from porcelain-white to ink-black speckle the crowd; fins, fur, feathers, gossamer wings, and more run the gamut from red to green to blue and back. "Soak it in," Vitia remarks. "This is the world you've lived in since birth. This is the world you'll see tomorrow, and the day after, and the next. Now, if you could come this way, we'll meet up with your other guide tonight..." Beckoning, she walks backwards like a tour guide as she leads the small group of people to a nearby cafe.
"Silver!" she calls over her shoulder as she backs through the open doorway. "The latest group is here."
"Good, good," a man by the counter replies without looking, his dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that reaches towards his tailbone. His bare shoulders and back are pale, though apparently healthy. Below his waist, however, purple fur sprouts from goat-like legs, cloven hoof and all. Turning around, he slips a phone into a pocket on his loincloth as his piercing green eyes survey the assembled humans from beneath bushy eyebrows. "Alright, short version. I'm Argentum Lingua. Call me Silver. This is the world. The real world. You're being shown this so you can see it and prove to those here that humans aren't dangerous despite issues of paranoia."
"Silver--"
"We won't call on you unless we think it's important, but when we do it'll be the same way we brought you here: a note in your mailbox. In the meantime, you need to go home, now. Head back out this door and through the Gate you passed through. If anyone. Anyone. Asks about what you were doing at Bishop's Stone this late, tell them someone was having a party and had sent out random invitations."
"Silver, what's--"
"Shh, Vitia." Silver glares at the stunned gathering, Kirrin included. "What are you waiting for? Move it!" He starts waving them towards the door like he was herding geese before turning and heading towards the back of the cafe, gesturing to Vitia as he does. In moments, Kirrin finds himself before the opening in the wall that brought him to this strange place, ready to take him back to Bishop's Stone if he wishes.

Kirrin blinks a moment seeing all these strange new things. His mouth goes agape upon seeing Avalon, the Cigar he had been smoking falling to the ground and cinders lightly cascade from the point of impact. Then he couldn't help but stare at Vita even as he was ushered about. Though he did glance away at the various 'creatures' surrounding him. "Well I'll be..." Is all he can say at the moment. Then upon seeing silver he whispers to himself. "A goatman..." It would seem for once in his life he was speechless. He gives a little scowl at being herded back toward the gate, that was used to get here, fists clenching for a moment. Then upon being left at the gate, he turns and begins to walk, crouching down to pick up his Cigar again Since no one had stepped on it. Taking a long drag from said cigar he begins to explore. "Wonder what kind of fun and Drinks they got here."

(Here you are, hope this is adequate if not I'll edit it.)

Justice

As Kirrin walks deeper into Avalon, he spots a group of blue-robed men and women with gossamer wings sprouting from their backs, all running back towards whence he came. Further along, a few women, one rather turtle-like in a black-belted tunic and tights, the other two normal-looking in skirts and long-sleeved shirts, giggle helplessly as they lopsidedly walk out and away from a nearby storefront. Labelled the BO2ze Bar by a neon sign surrounded by bubbles, paint on the mirrored windows depict hookah-like apparatus. Inside is dark, lit sparsely by hanging lamps centered around the structures depicted on the windows outside. Each is roughly seven feet tall and ringed with stools, a circular bar placed at a comfortable height to lean on when seated, as many varied patrons are doing now. A cheap, stained velvet rope separates the front door from the rest of the room proper, the opening into the area manned by a pale woman with the head of some wild black dog. "Cash or plastic?" She asks cheerily, a smile of some sort on her lips.

Kirrin grins a little, puffing on his cigar. His eyes widen a minute seeing the men and women with wings, wondering lightly what had them in such rush he decided he'd ignore it for now, after all he could always look later. Then his attention turned to the bar, after seeing the women giggling like they were. "Must have some really good 'stuff' in there." His thoughts turned a moment to the types of bars that usually had the looks of this one, especially when once in a blue moon a fight would break out. Looking to the dog-headed woman he exhales a little smoke away from her general direction and reaches into a pocket pulling out some crumpled paper bills. "This currency accepted her babe?" He says with a light chuckle taking the time to tap the ashes of his cigar onto the street, it now resting in his grasp, the end still smoldering.

King of Pentacles

The quasi-gatekeeper watches, suddenly expressionless, as Kirrin hands her rumpled bills, asks about their validity, then walks outside to tap ashes into before walking back inside. Glancing at a rather burly man hidden in the shadows of the doorway, she asks, "Sir, before I can accept this, I'm required to ask, what is that cigar made with?"

Kirrin blinks a moment, seeming to be a little confused at first, though he does make his own glance toward the shadows when he see's her do so. "Huh?" Then when it finally hits him what she meant, he laughs softly. "Oh, nothing special, the usual tobacco, really." He extends the hand holding the cigar towards her, the smoke gently wafting upwards. "Check it if ya want, i don't go for that 'love child' stuff, if you know what i mean." Kirrin smirks a bit, lightly sticking his tongue out towards the fellow in the shadow if and when the gate-keeper decides to check his cigar, straightening up if she should glance back his way.

Lemick groaned holding his aching head. He felt like he'd been snoozing for weeks... Just what had happened during that meeting? The man looked up to the calender. 

"Eager, aren't you?" Robert says with a small grin. "C'mon, let's get back to the office, I'll take a couple of calls to show you what to do, and then I'll watch you for a couple just to make sure you've got the general gist of it. With the way your account's set up now, you can remote into pretty much anyone's user account to fix things, or you can talk them through it over the phone. Also, try not to get too frustrated by the fact that the first few minutes of each call are scripted, you can get in trouble if you skip it, speaking from experience."

"Alright, then," Patricia replies. After the demonstration calls, she tries her hand and does well with the script, though her unscripted skills aren't as proficient. Even so, she does well enough that she can work on her own. After a time, when both Robert and her are free, she mentions, "I'm just waiting for that one call that I can't fix." She sighs and stares at her screen, idly playing with a deck of cards and practicing sleight of hand.

"You're doing fine. When that call comes, you pass it off to me or Mr. Cameron. This may be the pot calling the kettle black here, but you can't be expected to know every single thing." Robert says, trying to follow the sleight of hand with his eyes, to spectacular failure. To compound that failure, he broaches an awkward topic and trips over his words doing so. "You mind if I ask something that may not be entirely tactful? Outside of nimbler hands than I could have hoped for even before the, uh, well, I was just wondering, you look, well, normal, so I was curious exactly what you are..."

Shooting the deck from one hand to the other, she lets out a short laugh and replies, "No worries, it's a rather subtle thing. I'm a mage, see?" Holding up a hand, a card springs from the top of the deck into each space between her fingers. Flourishing them to put them on display, she reveals that they're a jack of each suit, with a stylized picture of James as their faces. Another flourish, and they're back to normal jacks. "Of course, with proper preparation, I could have done that without the use of magic, but it makes for a good demonstration." Turning her attention back to the deck of cards in her hand, she separates it into five parts as she continues, "My family has had mage blood in it for God knows how long; we can trace our lineage back to the Dark Ages, or so my dad says. Can't say I mind the prestige it carries, to say the least." Restacking the deck to take the next call, she quickly resolves the issue before continuing, "Of course, I can't say I don't mind the baggage it also carries, but that's life. Say, you ever see that one film, about the people who are all genetically perfect and there's the one guy who's genetically impure but wants to go to outer space but can't until this genetically pure guy gives him enough stuff to cover for him?"

Robert is suitably gobsmacked by the card magic demonstration, suddenly very conscious of his own lack of dexterity. When she poses the question regarding the movie, he spends a minute or so with his brows furrowed, tapping his temple with one finger.
"Hmm... Sci-fi is usually my genre, but that one doesn't ring a bell. If I'm honest, I've not actually seen a lot of movies, we only had the one TV with rabbit ears growing up, I spent most of my time reading or poking around with the old Mac we bought from my school when they upgraded to PowerMacs. Why?" he asks.

"Well, it's a bit of an easy way to describe my situation. The genetic purity part, not the blood-samples-and-pee-cups-for-others part. In my family, it's expected that I maintain the superiority of the bloodline, because apparently old blood is better than new blood, but that means I can only marry men from four other families. If you were to look at our family trees side by side, we'd look like like a Chinese finger trap, we're so interwoven. I've tried bringing up the whole inbreeding issue, but they counter with the fact that our magic can purge such problems with minimal fuss. Personally, I'm tempted to just accept being that-one-relative-we-don't-talk-about if it means I can choose who I marry from more than Abusive Dudebro, Ugly McCreeperstalk, In-The-Closet Fireman, and Dull Doldrums."
She pauses to take a sip from a mug of tea suddenly on her desk. "But yeah. If you want to check out that movie, it's called GATTACA. Pretty cool story, if you ask me." She sneaks a glance at the clock on her computer screen, absentmindedly rocking back and forth. "On a completely unrelated note, how was sitting 'round here while I was in class?"

"Oh, Gattaca! I have seen that one, actually, it's been quite a while though, so I guess those particular neurons didn't fire." Robert says, slightly embarassed that he had missed a reference to a classic. "As for being that-one-relative-we-don't-talk-about, you'd have me for company, on my father's side at least. I'm in sort of the reverse situation really. You see, my father worked down at the docks, and his father worked down at the docks, and so did his, and so forth. I'm the first in the line NOT to go into work that requires a strong back, and despite the fact my father did want better for me, I wasn't even able to escape comments about 'getting an honest job' at the funeral." he scowls, rolling his eyes at the memory of that.
"As for sitting around here while you were in class, well, I couldn't tell you, 'cause I didn't. I've always been the curious type, and I've never been all that patient, so I went to meet that fellow that you gave me the Polaroid of, Forrest Birch. Seems a nice guy, we ended up attending a speech given by a friend of his, Sharise was the name, I think. Coincidentally, at least as far as I'm aware, Puck released a more complete platform statement around the same time."

"Sharise, Sharise... Oh! Sharise! I've heard a few of her speeches, though she's hardly a friend to anyone I've seen. Very reclusive, socially speaking. Good speaker, though. She has a way of attracting Puck, I've noticed; announcements, when they are made, seem to be made around speeches made by her and speakers like her. Pretty sure it's just because they attract crowds that are agreeable with their platform, though."

"I could definitely see the plausibility in that," he replied. "Coming out does seen to be Puck's tentpole, and a pro-knower advocate would definitely draw a crowd with a more or less open mind to it. Honestly, I can understand reclusiveness. Interacting with others has never been my strong suit in the first place, and when you've been doing essentially the same thing week in week out for half a decade... Well, there's a reason my sole regular social engagement before I got clued in was hanging out where I got to play at being a normal guy turned werewolf turned vigilante dating a kitsune." Robert chuckled and blushed as he admitted that last bit. "I, uh, suppose that sounds a bit silly now, and I'm rambling..."

Page of Cups

The angular brows of the woman furrow as she recoils from Kirrin's offered cigar. "Thank you, sir," she strains out as she holds her breath, gingerly taking the smoking drug. Turning, she puts it out in a handy ash tray, from which a sign declares, "NO SMOKING BEYOND THIS POINT." With practiced ease she draws back the velvet rope, commenting in a detached tone, "Though perhaps it might do you well to learn some humility and study up before you travel to a new country, sir." Offering Kirrin a card, she continues, "Here is your card, loaded with the money you gave me. Oxygen costs one dollar a minute for a maximum of twenty minutes per hour; alcohol prices are available at the bar. Do not cause trouble, or you will be removed from the premises, forcefully if necessary." The bouncer in the corner glares particularly hard at that last statement, emphasizing its importance.
As Kirrin gets settled, a bubbly, giggling redhead roughly his age bounces up by his shoulder. "Wotcher upter?" She asks in a clearly goofy voice, pointedly smoothing out her forest green tunic over her chest as she leans against the counter. Something caresses Kirrin's calf, though the woman's arms and legs are all clearly accounted for.

Three of Swords

According to Lemick's calendar, it's still the Sunday he left for the seminar on luck. Later on in the week, however, someone with unfamiliar handwriting has scrawled, "New Understanding." It looks like this Thursday might get pretty interesting, though there was still the matter of what in the heck happened...

((If you're going to do anything between now and Thursday, do so, otherwise PM me and let me know; I'll do a timeskip.))

Page of Pentacles

"Ah, don't worry about it," Patricia comments, waving at the air like she's brushing away the notion of such Robert's activities being ridiculous. "Sounds like it could be quite the fun time." The rest of the shift passes with, if not ease, at least no extreme difficulty.
As Robert leaves the IT center, a satyr dressed in a graphic t-shirt - one depicting a stylized forest in dark green on light green fabric - and blazer approaches him. "Mr. Charles?" He asks, his hands politely folded behind his back. "My name is Marcus Cirio. I was hoping I could talk with you for a bit this evening; are you free?"

Kirrin smirks, affording a little chuckle it not hard for  him to notice the woman holding her breath. Then he blinks when she snuffs out his cigar but notices the sign with a sigh, thinking to himself. 'guess I'll have to light another when i leave or something.' He then blink again at the little lecture. "My mistake lady, didn't know this country had brochures..." Taking the card he is quick to put it in the right hand front pocket of his jeans. He then grins at the warning. "Really now, do i look like a troublemaker...?"

Kirrin laughs softly to himself as he heads in, perking his brows at the bouncer in a playful taunt. Sidling up to the bar he is taken by surprise when the redhead turns up albeit confused at what she said, the goofy voice not helping but indeed eliciting a chuckle out of him. "Huh? I'm just here for a little fun is all, little drinkin' maybe I'll see what the whole serveing Oxygen thing is about later...." Finding himself a little confused yet again he glances down lightly towards what is touching his calf while he speaks, thinking that there may be a cat roaming about.

"Good evening Mr. Cirio. Or do you prefer Marcus?" Robert says, greeting the approaching satyr with a smile and a nod as he slips his car keys back into his pocket. "I didn't really have anything planned that couldn't be put off to another time, what can I do for you?" he asks, surprised to be actively approached but feigning nonchalance.

Knight of Pentacles

Looking down, Kirrin finds a roan cow's tail, tipped with a tuft of blonde hair, lightly rubbing against his leg. Its other end comes out from the redhead's tunic. "Oh, I understand," the woman says airily, her head lolling back to stare at the ceiling as her long, curly hair falls onto the bar. "I figured you didn't have many friends, considering that cigar smell around you. Not real friends, anyway. I suppose you don't mind, though, do you? Love 'em and leave 'em, all that what not. Like my last few boyfriends. I guess you could say I have a type, huh?" She giggles, lost in her own world, apparently. "I'm guessing you're a construction worker of some sort? Most people's jeans look cleaner, but not yours. You must not have caught many huldra's eye, either, but then maybe you didn't know, so, werewolf or vampire?" She rolls her head to look at Kirrin, then past him. Flailing an arm out over the bar, she calls to the bartender farther down, "Hey, can I get a whiskey on the rocks over here?"

Justice

"Marcus is fine. Now, consider this a formal invitation..." the satyr replies to Robert, taking his trilby from behind his back and putting it on his head. "Two," he states to the air, and suddenly the world... twists. Colors seem to run together and turn slightly pinkish, save for Robert and Marcus. Robert's muscles feel incredibly stiff and slow to respond as things start to compress towards him, then expand again with a whole new palette. Browns, yellows, and greens start to fill the surrounding space, slowly resolving into a luxuriant salon that would easily be at home in Versailles. Verdant potted plants occupy the corners, and couches loosely surround Robert and the satyr's new location as easy movement returns. "I hope you don't mind that we simplified things like this," he says, doffing his hat again. "Don't worry, we have people taking care of your car." Heading towards the only door, a massive oak piece covered in a stylized grape vine, he hangs his hat on a handy rack before opening the door. "You've doubtless heard of Puck," he continues, standing by the doorway. "Suffice to say, I work for him, and he has taken interest in you. He was hoping to speak with you over dinner, but you can't exactly say that in a public place, or even necessarily a 'private' one. You'd be surprised how rarely they're actually private, even by your own security. However, I know for a fact this room is secure, so I now extend this offer quite openly. If you'd prefer, I can have you returned to your car, and life can go on. Otherwise, if you would come this way..." He gestures to the open doorway.

Kirrin blinks yet again, finding himself amidst another person that seems to be part animal in nature. Smirking lightly his eyes follow the tail all the way to it's starting point from the girls tunic, Then they refocus on the redhead directly, watching her move in such a 'carefree way as she speaks. "your right, i don't really have many i can call friend...." Kirrin seems to look away wistfully for a moment, possibly thinking of times he tried for friends and possibly indicating he's a bit softer than he seems. Soon though, he returns to watching her. "..but in regards to the smell no one sticks around me too long while i got one lit." He then finds himself a little taken aback at the love'em and leave'em comment, not seeming to mind the 'last few boyfriends part.

"Not my style really, but i do have a 'type' of my own just never been able ta find someone who likes me enough though. I mean i've paid for 'it' but those kind of girls, i usually don't wanna stay around'em long." Kirrin smirks softly at the observation of his attire though realizing his jeans still had a bit of mortar and brick dust among other on the job stains he reflexively tries to brush them off with the back of his hands, his Calloused palms quite visible. He then takes another moment to rub at the red A-shirt he was wearing to go with it, remembering just today he had been needed to carry a small pallet of bricks because one of the others hadn't been smart enough to keep a good hold on it, one might also notice the pair of thick, rough leather gloves sticking out of his left hind pocket and the tan work boots on his feet.

"Uh, yeah a foreman actually, i don't tend to keep up on my clothes sometimes." He was about to ask about what a huldra was but then the other question popped up and with out really thinking he answered. "Oh, uh Werewolf. Always liked those, even got a big collection of movies about'em." This had been one of the most interesting conversations kirrin has ever been in, when ever she looked at him, it seems he couldn't help but look her directly in the eyes, then she placed the order he turns to the same bartender. "I'll have myself a 7&7 more alcohol than soda.." He then looks back at the girl. "Oh, by the way. My names Kirrin, Kirrin Shaddix." Out of habit he offers his hand for a handshake. 

(Just in case your wondering  a seven and seven is a number seven sour mash whiskey mixed with 7up or soda of equal flavoring. Also, damn what a wall of text! Hope it isn't a grammatical eyesore, but i think i'm managing to shake the rust off my rp skills.)

"Well, that was an experience...Can't say I've ever travelled by acid trip before," Robert chuckles, with a slightly bewildered look on his face. "And I don't mind at all. makes things easier on everyone... My goodness, how very Baroque," he adds, once he manages to take in his surroundings. Indoors, he doffs his own somewhat more utilitarian, broad-brimmed fedora and hangs it alongside Marcus' trilby. "As for the rarity of truly private places, I am extremely well aware of how many ingenious ways privacy can be circumvented conventionally, and I daren't guess what can be done with magic. Thank you." Pausing to wipe his glasses, he steps through the doorway.

Ace of Swords

"Ceira," the woman replies as she accepts Kirrin's hand, still sideways. "Everyone says sierra, or say-ra, but it's Ceira. The Irish are weird, y'know." Glancing back past Kirrin, she calls, "Oh, don't worry, this is just O2, not C2H6O!" With a giggle she explains, "Chemistry joke. Don't worry your simple, rugged head." She rolls onto her back, hands now clasped calmly over her stomach as her hair splays out a touch. "Must be pretty lucky to turn into a werewolf when you like 'em, you know. Bet you'll hate it pretty quick, though. Full moons are where all the fun's at! Ever been to a full moon party?" She sighs, not expecting an answer. "'Least you have a couple weeks until you turn next. Oh! Oh! Where's your bite marks?" At last the bartender serves up the two drinks. Ceira slips her card out from somewhere and hands it over with a sweet smile, sipping at her drink as the purchase is processed.

Ten of Swords

Robert passes on into another hallway, as gilt as the salon save for some concessions to modern technology. A flat television set into one wall softly plays a sensationalist news broadcast headlined, "VAMPIRE HATE CRIME: BOSTON MUGGINGS." "... the last home for the historic Malkav bloodline," a professional female news anchor says as the duo passes, "known for their in-depth histories on the supernatural through the colonial era. Again, the attacker frequents dark alleys, seems to prefer striking late at night, and consistently hides his or her face. Reports vary on his or her height, build, skin color, and voice, though knives are known to be a preferred weapon. Vampires in Boston should be on the lookout as the local Haven's police forces seek out the Knower who is enacting these muggings. The latest victim..."
"Pah, ridiculous news feeds," Marcus spits with disgust before quickly regaining his composure. "On the bright side, if the enchantment is lifted, there's nowhere for the media to go but up in terms of accuracy. At least then stories of hate crimes could be honest, though I pray humanity is tolerant enough to keep such occurrences to a minimum." At last Robert and Marcus come to a pair of heavy oaken doors which swing open as they approach. The baroque dining room is lavish in its luxuries, from candelabras and chandeliers to fanciful silverware and decorative medieval arms hanging from the walls. The sizable rectangular dining table is set for six, draped with a pristine white tablecloth. The place setting at the end of the table towards the door has a card labelled, "Robert," in elegant script. Marcus stands behind the chair just to the right, and with the chime of an unseen bell, a suit-clad woman with a white cow tail sprouting from under her suit jacket enters from a door on the opposite side of the room, followed by an extremely casually dressed man, a vaguely turtle-like woman in a shimmering red dress, and finally a Fair Folk dressed in a blue robe that could best be described as "uniform casual."
"Please, be seated," the faerie says when everyone has taken their positions around the table, before sitting himself at the end opposite Robert. Subtly scooting his chair in, he comments, "I'd use a round table, but unfortunately this place was designed when round tables were unheard of." Everyone shares a light chuckle as glasses of wine and water are poured. "So, Robert, correct? I imagine you have more than a few questions, so let me simply state before you ask anything, I am Puck, or at least the primary man behind the name. Now, what can I answer for you? Feel free to ask anything; you are amongst my finest counsel."

"Either way, its nice to meet you Ceira." Chuckling again at the name explanation. "Heh, Irish are alright if you ask me, hardy bunch with a good jab." Kirrin did find himself lost at the joke but then nodded, lightly rubbing the back of his own neck for a moment. When she rolls onto her back he grunts a little as it is quite the sight. Then he coughs a little when she next speaks. "Wait, I'm not a.... There are actual werewolves?!"  Kirrin leans against the bar. "I'm just a normal, albeit somewhat strong human." When the drinks are served he grasps his and takes a gulp. "What..what led you to believe i was more than just a man and led to the vamp or werewolf question?" Kirrin sighed, wondering what she may think about him being 'pure' human. "Oh and just so ya know, I've gone to a few full moon parties..though i wasn't exactly invited..." He then thought to himself. 'And none involved werewolves, cept that Halloween one, but those weren't real.'

Delicately, Robert takes his seat, not caring to damage such fine furnishings. When the fae in blue identifies himself, he briefly has to suppress a smirk as his suspicion that Puck was just a little too apropos a name to not be a pseudonym. Given the opportunity to ask questions, however, he freezes. Up to that very moment, Robert had quite a number of questions lined up in his head, but as soon as answers were available, they all toppled like an upset Jenga tower, so he had to start over from the beginning.
"Well," he said, "First, I believe that you all have me at a disadvantage. Beyond that, there are two in particular that come to mind. First, what is the etymology of 'Siram', and second... Well, why me? I'm kind of surprised you picked me out of all the Knowers there have to be out there, I don't think I'm anything particularly special."

Six of Pentacles

The area around Kirrin falls eerily silent. "Well..." Ceira says, breaking the stillness. The clack of small round pebbles hitting tables fills the space. "It was nice talking with you, though you won't remember it."
People start talking in much tenser tones than before. The word "Knower" is always present as the chatter starts up. The bouncer moves in and swiftly restrains Kirrin, easily blocking or soaking any response the human tries. Within minutes a pair of blue-robed women with gossamer wings and grim faces arrive on the scene and approach Kirrin. "Keep still, sir, or you'll have memories of getting bruises along with the rest," one declares as the other waves her hand in front of the helpless human's face.
The alarm clock starts beeping. Ugh, I swear I'm never going to drink again, Kirrin thinks for the umpteenth time as he reaches over and slaps it off. He got up, took a shower, got dressed, went to work, went out with his buds to a bar where he got drunk, maybe got into a fight, then came home and fell asleep. Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat...

((So, uh... take two or no? PM me and let me know.))

Page of Swords

Puck laughs as Robert asks his first question. "Ah, I forget sometimes that we use different slang," he responds as an array of waiters simultaneously serve a small plate of fried grasshoppers and crackers. "Siram's something that came out of shapeshifters. After all, if anyone could be a shapeshifter and could be any sex, while still holding one gender, many found it smart to play it safe and just use one pronoun for polite situations. Break down 'siram,' and you have 'sir' and 'ma'am,' see?" His smile doesn't leave his face at the second question, though he does straighten in his seat. "To put it simply, most Knowers aren't as lucky as you. When Knowers are found, or declare themselves in some rarer cases such as yours, those that find or hear them are almost always pro-Enchantment. You were fortunate, in that you were among sympathizers. I'd like to think that my own campaign has had a hand in that, if indirectly." Looking down at his plate, he picks out a grasshopper and places it atop a cracker as he continues, "As the grapevine goes, we heard about you, and felt you might be a good man to contact in relation to the mundane perspective of the world. One can never have too much information when it comes to war, whether it's fought on the field or through the media, after all. Anything else?" He quickly eats the bug-cracker combo in two bites, returning his focus to Robert from across the table and around a gilt candelabra.

Kirrin was confused when things turned quiet. He looked around a bit looking a bit confused. Looking to Ceira he balks at her for a moment "Wait...did i say something wrong? I don't...."  He looks around at the mumbling folks. Confused again he blinks. "What is this knower shit?!" He was getting mad at them now forgetting Ceira for the moment, clenching his hands and gritting his teeth, he took a spare cigar from a case he had in his hip pocket and with the strike of a match he lit it. The end glowering as he took a long slow drag, making a rather devilish grin through grit teeth. "Alright, be that way...I'm gonna have some 'fun' then." With that, he sucker punched the nearest guy to him, knuckles cracking on impact. "Come one, bring it!" He said, throwing a few more punches and maybe receiving a few of his own. The moment the bouncer grabbed him he shouted. "Turn me loose asshole! I'm not done yet!" For the bouncers trouble Kirrin managed to bring his foot up in a high kick, said bouncer receiving a steel-toed work boot to the forehead even though he had grabbed Kirrin from behind it seemed he had a little flex to him. Though he seemed a little surprised when the bouncer was able to take it. Then seeing the two women he scowls at them. "Well if it ain't the merry sunshine bunch...what's wrong with me being hum-" He was about to try something else as he spoke when he suddenly went out like a light from the woman's spell and he awoke in bed. Etc. 

(heh i kinda imagine some rock music starting when he decided to start a fight.)

Three of Pentacles

Joneswark seems to always have a surprise for Marci. Despite her line of work, she's still managed to find herself somewhere she doesn't recognize. The streets are largely empty as she carries her parcel in the messenger bag slung over her shoulder, thankfully making it easy to read the street signs. Of course, looking constantly for street signs isn't conducive for proper walking technique; a surprise crack in the concrete catches the toe of her shoe, causing her to stumble just long enough to push her bag behind her as she falls face first on the concrete. With a pained groan, she pushes up off the sidewalk and stands, brushing herself off before looking again for this elusive Crown Street so she could drop it under the bus stop bench and get home. To her surprise, however, the entire city has changed around her. For that matter, so have the people. No longer are the gridlocked streets sparsely populated with down-on-their-luck minorities and majorities; now, men with gossamer wings, women with goats' legs, bull-headed folk, and more varied and impossible forms occupy the winding streets before her in decent quantity. Cookie-cutter middle-class housing lines the sidewalks. A nearby intersection is marked Lily Ave & Crown St.

Marci slowly walks toward the sign at first. She seemed unsure of herself, wondering 'Did i hit my head?'  Then turning, begins walking down the street marked Crown St. as that was the one she was looking for to begin with. Now she simply hopes nothing else happens that will delay her from delivering her package to the bus stop bench. She feeling like she should go see a doctor, having a hard time believing what she sees.

Queen of Pentacles

"Oh, thank goodness!" Marci hears someone, a male, exclaim as she searches for the bus stop. A pale man in a crisp, dark suit approaches, carrying a violin case. "You must be from Black Crown Parcels, right?" He asks, brushing his damp black hair out of his eyes. "Nice to meet you. You're a new face to this particular job, I must say. Do you know where Bridget is? Ah, no matter, you probably actually don't see each other at all from what I remember of her talking about your work. Here, I'll take that..." He gently takes the package from Marci, dripping a few cool drops of water on her arm from his sleeves in the process. "Oh, where are my manners? My apologies, knowing that in here is a bottle of my home waters tends to make me rather rude. The Pothoge is a wonderful river, but it's just not the same... My name is Alfred, nice to meet you!" The man shifts the parcel into the same arm as his violin case and extends his now free hand, smiling warmly.

Marci seems to perk up a little in surprise hearing the voice at first. Eyeing the man curiously she nodded. "Yes, Black Crown Parcels is indeed where I'm from sir...." Watching him, she would give a small confused look at why he seemed so damp then Nodded. "Yes, it's nice to meet you too..." She blinked a bit seemingly cut off as this male continued to speak about the girl who had this delivery regularly before her. But She would give over the package with no problems. Marci lightly rubs her arm a moment when the water hits it. She thinking to herself. 'What's with this guy? Is he sweating or something?' Then he mentioned the contents of the package. She smiles politely when Alfred extends his now free hand. "Oh, yeah. My names Marci." All things considered, Marci thinks that water in the package must really taste good or something. This fellow being so eager to get it and all. She having missed what he could have meant about home waters or possibly living in a river.

Shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, burning sensations in the face and neck, sudden sweating, the sensations were as familiar to Robert as they were dreaded. He clamped his eyes shut and slid back from the table rather rapidly. "I'm terribly sorry to be rude, I would love to continue the conversation, but I'm rather severely entomophobic, and currently experiencing a panic attack. Is there somewhere I can go while you all finish your meal so we can continue later?" he stuttered out rapidly, his voice weak and trembling, almost in contrast to the rather formal diction that his speech defaulted to when he didn't have the mental resources to spare in order to try to sound more normal.

((Holy cow, moving into college is involved. o.o Sorry for the delay!))

Page of Pentacles

Alfred rocks on his feet for a moment, before saying, "Well, it was nice to meet you, Marci." After a few more moments, he returns to the bus stop bench. Marci traces her steps back to a doorway-shaped hole in a rough-hewn stone wall, on the other side of which is the street she was stumbling down not long ago. The people have changed, though; the creatures from the bus-station side of the hole have suddenly appeared out on the street, walking and talking as if they were any other human. Eventually, Marci returns to Black Crown's headquarters, where the once-unmemorable distributor has suddenly sprouted gossamer wings. Marci's manager, who has suddenly grown hooves in place of feet and shaggy red fur on his legs, happens by at that moment. "Aw, crud," she hears him mutter before reaching into his pocket. "You alright Marci?" He asks, his face concerned.

Six of Swords

"Oh, dear, that's my fault," Marcus declares when Robert finishes speaking. Clapping twice, he continues as waiters come in and remove Robert's full plate and everyone else's half-empty ones. "I thought to check for food allergies when preparing this meal, but phobias didn't cross my mind. I assure you, this problem won't happen again. If you need time to recover, feel free to use the salon where we came in."
((Not sure if I'm making a bad assumption on how long Robert will take to recover here (35-40 mins), if I am PM me and I'll rewrite this next bit.))
When Robert returns, the diners appear to be a little less than halfway through a bowl of dark soup, clearly miso based on Robert's sense of smell. They are politely yet heatedly discussing when, where, and what to release next about Puck's platform, though they call Puck "Jacob" and seem only to use "Puck" in relation to their platform. After a few moments, the suit-clad woman spies Robert and says, "Ah, welcome back, Robert. How do you feel? Any more questions come to mind?"

Marci gives Alfred a polite wave and nods. "Nice meeting you as well Sir." She'd say a little Embarrassed that she let things get silent for so long. She turned and After walking back the way she came, she'd stop and blink softly. Shaking her head she thinks she must really need that doctor. She idly avoiding most people till she got back to Black crown. Seeing her manager, she gives a soft and almost inaudible gasp, wondering why he said what he did, though nodded. "Yes sir, I'm fine...I just tripped while delivering that last package. Don't worry though i delivered it safe and sound." She says carefully, wanting to change the subject, she asks. "Are there any other Packages you need me to take out?" She rubbed the back of her head and chuckled gently.

((That is a reasonable amount of time to medicate himself and ride out the most severe and visible effects  there would be after-effects, and in my experience the only way to really shake then is sleep, but he would probably be pushing himself a bit because he would be feeling a but guilty for being disruptive.))

"Much better, thank you. I do in fact have a few other questions, yes." Robert replies upon his return, smiling gratefully, although he was still slightly pale. He hadn't wished to delay for too long, but the time he took calming himself down had also allowed him to gather his thoughts a bit. He slipped back into his seat, made a note of Jacob being Puck's actual name, and took a breath before launching into Aaron Sorkin mode.

"First, there was something I noticed in your general platform statement that struck me as worrisome, but I don't actually have enough background in the economy of Avalon to comment on. I'm not entirely certain of the state of Avalon's economy vis a vis the economy in general, but wouldn't cutting welfare spending while simultaneously making grants to businesses be seen as favoring those already in a better situation at the expense of Avalon's most vulnerable citizens? Not to mention the potential chilling effects on liquidity of shifting funds out of the hands of the group who by necessity puts the largest proportion of their income back into the economy due to living expenses? I try to be open minded on this, but I have to admit, this is a subject I'm somewhat sensitive about since my mother and I lived on public assistance for a period after my father got himself killed." he asked, broaching what he thought would be the most complex topic first.

"Additionally, I'm curious as to how you would plan to go about revealing Avalon without causing a panic among both populations, as well as the populations of other Havens, as I'm certain Avalon coming out would put them under increased scrutiny as well. Oh, and speaking of Havens, how do you intend to handle the ongoing hostilities with Sanctuary?" he added, wanting to get the questions out there while he had them in his head. That done, he finally lets his attention wander to the soup. "Oooh, Miso. I grew quite fond of this when I lived in Kyoto."

The Magician

"Oh, don't lie to my face, Marci, I've seen that look before," Marci's manager says. "Look, can you keep a secret? Who am I kidding, you can keep a secret. Follow me. I'll be back in a moment, Jane," he remarks to the distributor. Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he leads Marci towards the back, continuing, "You're doing better than the last person to stumble on Avalon. I'll admit I don't know much about how the Enchantment works, but everybody reacts differently to having it broken."
"Hey there boss," one of Marci's coworkers, Paul, comments as he passes. At least he was still normal-looking.
"I told you, Paul, call me Robert! Anyways, Marci, as you probably noticed I'm not exactly run-of-the-mill as you might expect." At last, the two reach a conference room. Robert holds the door as Marci enters, before shutting it behind him, cutting off most of the sounds of management outside. "Alright, here's your crash course on Avalon. Rule number one, no humans should know about Avalon, at least in theory. Obviously you're an exception, but you've gotta be careful. Lotta paranoia around humans knowing about the place, we can talk about that later. Rule number two, it's really not that different from the normal world. Start getting that internalized, because it'll make jobs there a lot easier if you can just treat it like you were heading to an outlying suburb or something from Joneswark. Rule number three, and this is just one for BCP, if you know about Avalon, you work about Avalon. You won't stop getting jobs in Joneswark, but now that you're a Knower, you're working Avalon too. Trust me, it's easy stuff, I can give you a cheat sheet on accessing the Gates while you get used to it all."
With a deep breath, he leans against the table, remarking, "Man, it's been a while since I had to give that speech. Any questions you have before I give you the rundown on Enchantism?"

Queen of Pentacles

"How is Kyoto, by the way?" the woman in the red dress asks Robert. "It's been some decades since I've had the chance to return."
"A moment, Haru," Jacob interrupts. "I'd hate for it to appear that we are dodging his questions. Let's tackle the most difficult one first, on the welfare spending and such forth. Mary, would you be so kind as to answer? You're certainly the most skilled at explaining it."
"Certainly, Jacob," the suit-clad woman answers, looking up from a notepad. "Firstly, I should note that perhaps we were unclear about what we were cutting. In Avalon, welfare is often used to refer to our social security system, though it's hardly a proper one. Historically it was used to ensure that the nobility would continue to support the ruling monarch by tying their purses to the throne, wherein applicants fill out a few particular forms which are tedious and designed for error, before which they are set in a queue to being given a very large sum of money to support them for the year. Obviously, the nobility has access to practiced form-fillers and the connections to put them at the head of the queue, meaning the money spent on welfare goes to the nobles. By cutting welfare, we are cutting the amount of money the nobility earns for doing nothing, so that we can perhaps create some social mobility as the laziest of noble houses go bankrupt and fall by the wayside.
"As to the business grants, we have been in a period of high unemployment and low economic output for some time now. Our hope is that by writing grants to independent businesses, we will be able to increase the number of successful businesses in Avalon while reducing unemployment. It cannot be denied that we are trusting our people to remember their own hard experiences and help those in trouble out of their poverty, but our platform espouses the good will of the people, as we should if we're to successfully integrate with Joneswark and beyond. As to the reveal, Pao...?"
The man in the t-shirt and jeans sits up straighter, clearing his throat as he sets his soup spoon down. "The reveal is something we've been planning for some time, though we still don't have a plan that we're willing to reveal to the public; no doubt you've heard some media talking about our platform making the very same point on our opacity. It's a delicate matter, to make an understatement, but the current idea is to begin with a series of PSAs and a gentle easing of the enchantment on Joneswark, acclimating the people to our existence over the course of a few generations. This will also give us time to handle the Enchantism problem in Avalon. If all goes well, other Havens in the area will follow suit, though if that fails our disenchantment shouldn't affect their lifestyles." With his bit done, he picks up his spoon again and goes back to stirring his soup, idly resting his elbows on the table.
"Oh, and as to Sanctuary," Jacob picks up, "it began as a disagreement between our Haven and theirs, or more rightly our king and theirs, from at least a century ago. This new election will be the second time our management has changed since the beginning of the war, matching their second time around, so we should be able to call a peace between us so long as we agree that we disagree over the morality of the death penalty. Surveys from both Havens say that people have stopped caring and just want the war to be over."
"It should be said," Haru adds, "We're not exactly seeking to get the support of the centuries old and relatively small nobility. Rather, if we're to compare to the French Revolution, we're seeking the support of the Third Estate, and hoping the threat of the people will push the First Estate into supporting us. If naught else, we're bringing topics into political discussion that haven't been talked about before, and that's an acceptable starting point. Any last questions?"
((Edited because I mysteriously added a Clarice to the dinner party, who doesn't exist.))

Marci's eyes go wide for a moment when her manager calls her out on the lie and gives a soft sigh, figuring she was going to be fired or possibly even something worse. Though a small look of surprise would play across her face when she was told to follow him. Clutching her delivery bag against her chest a little she would follow, listening intently. She'd give a polite wave to Paul in passing. She couldn't help but give him the once over with her eyes and continued walking. She then rubbed the back of her head lightly. "Yeah..definitely something different." She slowly walked into the conference room and turned to face Robert. She nodded intently to each rule as they were given, she seemed slightly lost on a couple subjects but nodded when he asked his question. "Yeah, since i'm going to be heading to this Avalon place, is their any creature or beings i should avoid in generally because they are dangerous?"  She smiles politely, watching carefully. Marci still seemed slightly nervous with all this new information. "Yeah, that cheat sheet would be appreciated too."

Six of Wands

Marci's question is answered with a derisive snort. "Dangerous denizens of Avalon? Only if you find 'em in a dark alleyway. They're the same people you've been living with all your life, just... a little bit extra that you never knew about, and now you do. Now then," Robert declares, clapping his hands once before spreading them out on the conference table. "Enchantism. Prolly doesn't make sense until you realize that the entirety of Joneswark is under a spell, called the Enchantment. Yeah, super creative, I know, but that's beside the point. Anyways, in case you didn't already figure it out, the Enchantment keeps your average human being from catching the 'I can see faeries', and to the folks in Avalon and indeed pretty much every Haven it's with very good reason, that reason being 'you're going to murder us all'. Their thoughts, not mine. Personally, as undefined as Puck's platform is, I support him, but that's a discussion for another day and probably your own personal journey. Back on topic. Don't reveal you're a human. Easiest way to do that is to just fake being a werewolf when you're in Avalon, and make sure you don't go out on full moon nights. I know plenty of werewolves that honestly forget they're werewolves because they go to bed early and don't wake up until it's daylight again. Oh, but you might want to get a few crosses to hang around your house like in front of your door and over your bed, just to keep up appearances." He pauses to take a deep breath, then continues, "If you honestly want to know why people have it in against humans, imagine if a mob of people suddenly discovered that a good half the population of Joneswark had magic powers or were otherwise just generally better -- wait, that's not the right way to put it -- more capable of doing harm than they were. But think really cynically about it too. See? Rioting and murder gangs. Not a good time for anyone. Hence, we keep ourselves tucked out of sight from you guys, and let you think we're all just like you so you don't get scared." With a pause, he glances at first the conference room's wall clock, then checks his watch with a look of consternation. "Alright, enough of me blabbering, you've got to get back to work. Grab the package from your assignment shelf and take it to... I think it was Stross and Seventeenth. Yeah, that was it. Stross and Seventeenth. Don't worry, it's here in Joneswark; you'll be told if it's in Avalon, or your work order slip will be marked with a crown, you'll see what I mean. Off you go now! I'll have that cheat sheet waiting for you on your shelf when you get back." And with that, he exits the conference room, answering his phone and flagging down an intern along the way.

The girl blinks a little at the snort sighing softly at the explanation. It's true she only had to go on 'foolish old legends' that apparently had a kernel of truth to them. Marci simply mumbles a "Sorry." Figuring she had unintentionally insulted him. She leaned stood rather uncomfortably, one hand rubbing her arm as she listened to his explanation. Though she seemed just visibly shaken at the mention of werewolves, though she nodded in agreement. She adding crosses to the small list of things she planned to purchase when she had the free time. She gave her head a light tilt at the term 'better' though wouldn't interrupt on such a small matter, especially when Robert corrected himself. Though not able to add much to the conversation except for a nod or so on his more finer points of advice. She stood still for just a couple seconds after Robert left the conference room. She had a lot of new things to get used to and possibly a couple of questions that would have to be taken care of later. Though she was concerned on whether or not she would have to get herself something stronger than the pepper spray she had to protect herself with. Exiting the conference room herself she was quick to adjust the carrier bag she had still draped over her shoulder and grabs the package from her assignment shelf and walks for the exit, giving a quick glance over the delivery sheet that went with it. She then looked up with a soft sigh. "Okay, Stross and Seventeenth. Why do i feel I've still got one hell of a journey ahead of me?" She said to herself as she walked along for her destination.

"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."

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?"

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.

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.

"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.

((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?"

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.

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?"

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

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?"

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.

"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."

((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?"

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.

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?"

"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."

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.

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

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?"

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.

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.

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.))

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.

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?"

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?"

"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.

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!))

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.

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.