A Dream of Quiet (IC)

[Recaiden]

Laurel shrugs as she steps towards the small living room, which is filled with big furniture. Among the decorations are a dartboard, a series of paintings that quite clearly are the four Daughter-Winds of Malfeas, and an Earth calender.
"Yes, I petrified him. Had to be done, you know?; he was too good of a spy. Besides, it's nothing to be angry about; he'll be better off in his next li- well, perhaps not, given, well, you know how things are, don't you?" The Scourge winks at Orchid the Defiler ( he does have a name! ) and motions for them to take seats in the chairs.
"And the Dragonblood does has a name. He may be a bit pretentious but that's no reason to be rude."

[aetherialDawn]

Once Laurel starts speaking, Orchid immediately starts verifying; Nothing outwardly betrays his concentration, but the essence flowing through his mind is momentarily forced into new configurations - ones through which only truths can pass without being torn apart by the perfection of She Who Lives in Her Name, an array of crystal sphere much like the Hierarchy of Perfection in miniature, and like her, they have only the fires of destruction and purification for anything less than that Perfection.

"True; I suppose there's no reason not to just say Pyrus..." Orchid answers Laurel back to front to allow himself a little time to consider what she's said.

Spoiler

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Using Factual Determination Analysis (2m) to determine whether Laurel is telling (what she thinks is) the truth. Notably, I can detect both half-truths and lies, so weasel-words are pointless. If she has a charm which opposes mine, then I get my Essence in bonus successes to the roll-off.

Using it on the whole of 'Yes, I petrified him. Had to be done, you know?; he was too good of a spy.' - though I may have to go again if it comes up false, since it could mean that he wasn't a spy, that Laurel didn't do it, or that the reason given (he was a spy) is not the reason it was actually done. Personal Essence, of course.

EDIT: Using it two more times on 'he was too good of a spy' and 'had to be done, you know?' to determine the individual truths... which both come up true, leaving me with the odd result that the only lie is that Laurel didn't do it!

Essence
Personal: 3/16
Peripheral: 23/33
Commited: 10 (10 Mind-Hand Manipulation)

Once Orchid has determined how, exactly, Laurel's statement breaks down, he needs a few seconds to think, after all.

"But... you didn't actually do it? I have to say, of all the answers there could have been, that wasn't what I was expecting." He ignores the fact that she did technically lie; right now, there are more important, if less confusing things to clear up.

"Oh, er, thank you for dealing with the spy." Orchid sits for a few moments more, still semi-dumbstruck and silent. Apparently, he was completely wrong, which is important - but not only did Laurel have a good reason, but it's a friendly one, not just an acceptable one, not to mention that she found that out... before suddenly sitting straight up with a start and saying, all in one breath, "Ah! Excuse me, we thought you were sending a threat or something so we were worried and came here prepared for a fight and I need to tell them all that it's not like that I'll be right back."

He rushes outside, and says, or shouts it if he can't immediately find at least Pyrus, "<Don't start anything, it's fine, there's, ah, Jing-Se. Was a spy. I'll grab Amelia and Wing, but I don't think this is going to be a fight, at least not with Laurel.>" If Drake isn't there, of course, he asks Pyrus to find him before he goes in. There's no rush to fight anymore - the only rush is making sure someone doesn't start attacking. Explaining well can wait.

[Drascin]

By then, Drake was already hiding - it's surprising how much you can meld out of sight in such a colorful outfit - and he tenses on seeing Orchid get out... then stumbles when the Defiler talks.

What

He comes out, hands in nondescript pockets. He's frowning. He doesn't trust this. Not at all. But Orchid just gave up their position anyway.

This goes completely against what Fate suggested and has all the trappings of a trick. Well, we are boned. Nice meeting you, world

Still, he steps out, glancing around surreptitiously to see what Pyrus will do. He knows he ought to poke his precognition again, but at the moment he's just too startled to word stuff well enough to get anything out of Wise Choice that merits the expenditure of Essence that he's going to need if a fight breaks out. This is not a good idea... screw this.

He breathes deep, to collect his ideas, then his frown gets more pronounced as he makes himself a schematic on his head. No time to be flowery, time for engineering questions.

Okay, so. Precog, trace on.

Objective: Keep myself and my companions alive, while not attracting's Laurel's murderous urge - and bettering our chances in conflict with her as secondary priority.
Options considered:
- Enter, talk to the person who says to be Laurel, try to extract info
- Enter, try to excuse ourselves as soon as possible
- Enter, surprise Laurel with a sneak attack
- Enter, be careful of ambushes, expect real Laurel
- Not enter, find real Laurel
- Not enter, run like hell, call reinforcements from the Bureau.

...nnnnrgh...dammit, what else? What else?

Indeed, Drake groans, frustrated. He knows he's forgetting a few options, and if he survives today it's going to eat at him forever. But he's already stood there three seconds. No time to think further without looking suspicious. So that'll do. In the meantime, he heads for the door with a bit slower pace, so that the Charm has time to expand its threads on the future before he enters...

Spoiler

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Going for another Wise Choice for 6 motes. I was going to use Efficient Secretary Technique, but then I remembered it can't tell me out-of-fate stuff, which here is likely to be half everything. So I put myself to a Wise choice, listing only the options that occured to me in a measured ten seconds for veracity

[Recaiden]

"Well, no, it-" Laurel breaks down into laughter as Orchid runs outside. The poor Defiler didn't even wait for her to explain. And apparently they had been waiting to ambush her? Not good at all. If this gets her killed so early in the game...

Across the street, a kid playing marbles glances up as Orchid comes out of the house yelling in some strange tongue. He then shrugs and looks back to his friends and their game.

Laurel settles back into her chair, and turns to the Malefactor. "So, Raziel, how is your flock? The current atmosphere is not so desperate as elsewhere, and you know how faith and interest flag in good times, eh? Speaking of which, what are all your friends? Not ours, clearly, but Exalted, if I recall dear Orchid's words correctly?" She gives him a smile that is certainly not meant to scare.

[Leliel]

"Oh. Um, the usual. Immigrants hoping to gain a foothold when they discovered the classism of Gem, the usual."

"And, I-ah-ah would tell you, but it's kind-of-of-a private thing."

[Recaiden]

Laurel nods slowly. "Ah, I know. Little harm in asking, though."
A short period of looking curiously/suspiciously at Raziel follows, and then she shrugs.
"So did you really all come out here just to find out about Jing-Se? Aren't there bigger and better things to be doing?" The Scourge inquires, voice heavy with sarcasm.

[Leliel]

"Wh-wh--whaaa?

"....I have no idea what you just said. I was sent here because Mistress Kimbery thought that she needed to "rain her love" on the desert, whatever that means."

Probably to muscle in on Cecelyne's turf, now that I think about it....

[Rhyvurg]

This is getting frustrating...

Pyrus walks in, stepping slightly in front of Orchid. "Who killed Jing-Se?"

[Drascin]

(Couldn't post before - hope you'll excuse me for interjecting a little?)

However, before Pyrus goes in, Drake catches his arm and approaches his ear, looking around for spies before locking eyes on the Dragonblooded, serious. "Pyrus, I've touched the future again. If we want this to work, I have to be somewhere else quickly - butterfly effect kind of deal. I don't know how it'll come out exactly, but I know it's the way that brings less chance of failure and death for all six of us, short and middle-term. So I'm going - but wanted to tell you, because you're probably going to end up leading the rest, since you have actual commanding experience, and you should know why I'm going and that I'm not running away and leaving you guys screwed" he speaks quickly, rushed, but with decision and sincerity obvious in his eyes and voice.

Then, assuming Pyrus doesn't have anything to add, he'll nod, get into the closest shadow so that nobody sees him, shed his gaudy clothes (he does allow himself a second of mourning for the hat) and resplendent destiny for the simple silk shirt underneath, and runs. Runs like hell indeed, knowing that nobody is going to remember him anyway, now, and even if someone did, a perfectly normal guy in perfectly normal clothes running through the street rates somewhere around a pigeon in interest to the average person. He then goes through the gates and outside (slowing down, so as to not seem suspicious) and, watching his back for anyone following him, heads for the Gem Celestial Gate...

(Leaving the others time to do stuff, since this will take Drake a few minutes!)

[Recaiden]

Drake is noticed, but no one really cares. He passes a caravan coming into the city by the same gate, and the way over the rocks and sand seems clear enough. The hat rests discarded, though perhaps it will find a good new home.

Laurel sighs and shakes her head. "As my good friend Orchid can no doubt inform you, he was killed by the one I serve. He was working for the enemy. I could have let him be - the response to his killing will be unfortunate, but it felt right, she said, and such hunches haven't yet led her astray. Or at least, not that I remember."

Other than a momentary beatific smile, Leliel is not responded to.

[Rhyvurg]

"Working for your enemy maybe, not mine. Have you really been here so long that human life means so little to you? I still remember my home, my real home, where lives aren't so cheap. And the one you serve is a fool twice over, killing a spy means his masters know you were on to him, and denies you the chance to feed him false information. You would be better off seeking employment elsewhere."

[Recaiden]

"You would number the Shadow Of All Things among your allies? But quicker: you were ever, even on Earth, weak enough to value a human life?"
Laurel laughs madly, but a bit awkwardly.
"So was I, and I still am. But I'm also aware enough to realize that sometimes they must be taken away, for the Greater Good. Also to realize that they're delicious."
"Now, I could serve no other, but my mistress assures me of the necessity of temporarily blinding one of the enemy's eyes. Gem is not just a place for money or even 'rains of love' from the acid sea, it's important. Somehow. And we couldn't risk Jing-Se discovering why and how. Admittedly we have only a little time for our own plans, but what fun is life without a little risk?"

[Leliel]

"You would number the Shadow Of All Things among your allies? But quicker: you were ever, even on Earth, weak enough to value a human life?"
Laurel laughs madly, but a bit awkwardly.
"So was I, and I still am. But I'm also aware enough to realize that sometimes they must be taken away, for the Greater Good. Also to realize that they're delicious."
"Now, I could serve no other, but my mistress assures me of the necessity of temporarily blinding one of the enemy's eyes. Gem is not just a place for money or even 'rains of love' from the acid sea, it's important. Somehow. And we couldn't risk Jing-Se discovering why and how. Admittedly we have only a little time for our own plans, but what fun is life without a little risk?"

It was at that point that whatever fear Raziel had, it was replaced with rage at this little, self-absorbed witch.

It was at that point that a strange transformation took hold of him. From the moment he got up and strode over to Laurel, picking her up by the collar, it was a different person at the wheels of his body-one that never knew fear.

"...Too weak?"

"You're standing there, talking about the Greater Good, and you have the temerity to call caring about people other then yourself weak!?"

"Well, let me tell you something Miss Oh-High-And-Philosophically-Mighty-Darwinian, I'll tell you what's "weak" about altruists. We're too weak to flee when faced with social problems. We're too weak to ignore the suffering of out fellow man. And above all, we're too weak to not improve the life of the world, since where do you think all the scientists, the social workers, the leaders of the world comes from."

"And you know what? I just thought of a way we aren't weak-namely, we aren't cowardly, conniving, and petty little rats like your precious Ebon Dragon, because unlike him, WE ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ON OUR OWN!"

He tossed the Scourge to the ground with all his might-admittedly, it wasn't very hard-and left in huff, disgusted with the miserable sycophant.

[aetherialDawn]

Orchid finds a strange desire to mediate on behalf of Laurel welling up. He can't deny that he disagrees, but at this point there's just a fight waiting to happen, again, and he isn't tuning out Melodies' mental yelling about his recklessness in running out just to have the fight start a different way.

But before he can open his mouth to speak, Raziel... bursts. That's the only word he can find to describe the sudden change over the Malefactor, a welling up of feeling that's suddenly turned into words and action.

In the end, he's left with his mouth open anyway, staring amazedly at Raziel. He can just barely notice even Melodies falling dormant within his mind, leaving only the quiet whining of the Solar...

"I think..." Orchid swallows, and speaks again with a little more volume. "I think that this isn't Laurel. There are a lot of ways to make disguises, but we're fairly sure that Laurel killed Jing-Se, that this person introduced herself as Laurel, and I know that this person did not kill Jing-Se. So at this point...” he nods to ‘Laurel’ and asks, "Where is the real Laurel? She can answer for what she's done, or..." Orchid turns back questioningly to Raziel. What he had originally thought was simply making clear that Laurel was to stay out of their business, that she could pass on information but not intrude... But it's clear that Raziel is right. Even if Laurel thought that it didn't matter, even if Jing-Se was willing to give his life for his cause, that doesn't make his death empty...

So Orchid's words and thoughts remain unfinished.

[Recaiden]

Laurel is tossed down to the ground with a crash, and slowly, in obvious pain, gets back up in time to see Leliel departing.
It takes a few moments of breathing deep and quick to get her wind back. "I don't know. Sorry, Orchid. She's out in the city looking for something. If I don't know what or where, no one can get that information from me. We are, loosely, on your side, you know?" 'Laurel' asks, afraid. These crazy Exalted, always solving their problems with violence just because they're strong.

[Rhyvurg]

Pyrus kneels down. "Where are they?"

[aetherialDawn]

Laurel is tossed down to the ground with a crash, and slowly, in obvious pain, gets back up in time to see Leliel departing.
It takes a few moments of breathing deep and quick to get her wind back. "I don't know. Sorry, Orchid. She's out in the city looking for something. If I don't know what or where, no one can get that information from me. We are, loosely, on your side, you know?" 'Laurel' asks, afraid. These crazy Exalted, always solving their problems with violence just because they're strong.

Orchid frowns. All that for no answers, just a bunch of anger and recklessness? And it's painful, too, to know that this Laurel isn't a threat and still getting treated this way...
"Pyrus, stop. I can check that in a better way."

He's not totally sure he trusts real-Laurel at this point, good intentions or not, so a fake one isn't exempt from scrutiny, sympathy or not - his stare gets rather intense for a few moments as he ensures that she's being truthful... or not.

Moving back to the ambiguous reality of more-than-facts, Orchid nods with conviction born of certainty and says, "Pyrus, she's told the whole truth. She doesn't know, Laurel's out looking for something, and she is on our side. And remember... She's also not the one who killed Jing-Se."
And she's sorry, too...

Spoiler

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Using F.D.A. on "I don't know. Sorry, Orchid. She's out in the city looking for something. If I don't know what or where, no one can get that information from me. We are, loosely, on your side, you know?" at a cost of 2 motes, spent from Personal again. The Despot's guards might get the wrong impression from the 'evil flames of determinism' motif. If I want to do that again, it's going to start to get interesting, but it's pretty important to know if that's all true.

EDIT: And it is, indeed, all true.

Essence
Personal: 1/16
Peripheral: 23/33
Commited: 10 (10 Mind-Hand Manipulation)

[Rhyvurg]

"Is Laurel coming back? Is she going to contact you in any way?"

[Recaiden]

"Yes, and yes. Might only be to kill me. Anything else, oh important Dynast?" Laurel sounds quickly angry and then bored, as she sits back down in her seat.

[LauWren]

Amelia stretches out a kink in her neck, and resists the desire to start singing to keep herself company.

[Rhyvurg]

He pauses a second. "Do you need a place to stay?"

[Recaiden]

Laurel is completely taken aback by the question, and takes a while to respond. "Not really, but that might be better than how things are now. If you have a place...?"

[Rhyvurg]

"Since Laurel knows where I live, I can set you up somewhere else."

[Recaiden]

"I'm not in danger from her, but I couldn't refuse such a gracious offer, Pyrus. Thank you. If there's any way I could help you in return?"

[Rhyvurg]

"Don't worry about it. What did Laurel tell you about our former home?"

[Recaiden]

"Only everything. It's more recent events that I'm less than well informed about."

[Rhyvurg]

"Do you know how long it's been since Laurel's other half came to Creation?"

[aetherialDawn]

Orchid wonders, silently, what Pyrus is looking for. Just information? He can respect that, at least, and he can certainly be glad that there's less threat of violence breaking out... If he had a way to slip out, now would be a good time to go and get Amelia and Wing, since they've probably been standing ready this whole time...

[Recaiden]

"Yes. A few weeks, maybe two months. Have you all been around similar times?"

[Rhyvurg]

"Actually, we all merge at the moment of Exaltation, and Pyrus was chosen by the Fire Dragon when he was 10. I've been here for almost two decades."