In Nomine: Los Angeles (IC)

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos liked being a pigeon. He knew he was smarter than most humans (er, all humans? Wasn't that what the other angels told him?), but it was an unimaginably different feeling to be that strong in the body of a pigeon instead of the body of a man. His superb, agile flight, combined with the immense strength of his wings, was simply exciting. A few physical sensations made him as wide-eyed and gleeful as the children his mind was so often compared to, and being in a pigeon form was one of those.

It was also fun to see the surprised look on the face of an imp when a pigeon pecked its arm off. Most of the fights back in his first city weren't good memories. Sometimes fun in a challenging way, but not exactly pleasant. But that one was a fun memory.

But now wasn't a time to fight. He simply landed and listened, letting out a couple encouraging coos. And tried to remember the details in case this mattered. Woman not like brother. Not like fear. Has a daughter. Cop named Ryan.

Spoiler: Roll

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Resonance
@ TN 8: (2d6)[9]
Check (1d6)[2]

[seatyger]

The crow let out a shrieking caw, to the ears of any passerby’s, but to Mel the words come through distinctly clearer.

”Son of Eli, you are needed. You must go to the Howitzer. Meet the others. There is a storm growing in the sky. The beasts are restless. The Demons are crawling from their dens and hunting.” When it came to Morgannin, visits were – often – not for pleasure. She gained her fulfillment soaring through the sky, tending to the feathered things of the city and surrounding areas…and collecting shiny things, of course.

Mel nodded, understanding the warning. He wasn't familiar with the Howitzer, though he had heard of it and knew the seneschal.

Morgannin fluttered her wings, seemingly perturbed, and snatched a few more sunflower seeds in her beak.

”The Angel of Litheroy is gone. The Shadow of Death and the Bloody Hand of Baal made sure of this! I heard his essence ripped apart. But he was crafty, yes. He left us secrets that must be revealed.”

The Elohim furrowed his brow, the only outward sign of his concern over the news. "I knew Thatch, and assisted him in the tuning of an artifact recently. Do we know where he kept his base of operations?"

[Anyr]

Faith is an essential part of being an Angel. Each Choir is only attuned to a specific wavelength of the Symphony. They have to trust that the less audible parts are nonetheless part of a divine plan. This principle is essential in moments of chaos and crisis: Like letting an Ofanite drive.

"Gah! Ack! Lookoutlookoutlookout!"

Intellectually, Sarah knew that her car was in good hands. Adele could read the road like a phone book. Sarah reminded herself of that fact many times during the journey. The whole thing was a harrowing, frantic mess. In other words, it was exactly what she needed. Life had been too predictable lately. She was so grateful that this wonderful whirlwind had come to visit. The concert ticket called to Sarah from its place in her pocket. There had to be some way to (legitimately) use it! A weekend vacation with Adele would give Sarah enough energy to do a whole mountain of boring paperwork.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the police car passed by. Dealing with cops could be a real headache. It was also nice to see Adele keep her promises. During this brief lull before the next breakneck dash, Sarah took the opportunity to give her friend some encouragement.

"Thanks for avoiding the law's long arm there. And if there's anything I can do to make your day better, don't hesitate to ask. Want some music? Snacks? Another hug? Just say the word."

Bright Lilim are sometimes known as 'the Gifters'. Once you realise that other people's happiness can also make you happy, generosity becomes much more appealing.

[Erulasto]

Ramiel

Malcolm nods at Sam’s assessment of Brody’s life choices. ”I almost asked him to come jam a couple times, but he’s always around Agatha these days. Gotta pick your battles, am I right?”

The young musician yawns, before shuffling and sorting some of the half-filled pages on the table in front of him. With a side-eyed glance back up to Sam, he chuckles darkly. ”Maybe I’ve been looking at this too long. Fresh pair of eyes, and all that.” He hands the stack of papers to Sam. ”Feel like taking a look? Take it for a couple days and see what another musician thinks?”

He stretches a bit and glances down at his phone, starting a bit with shock at the time. ”Dammit. It gotta run. I promised I’d take the dogs for a walk before my Dad gets home. Here….” He grabs his pencil and scribbles his cell number down on the corner of a scrap of paper before handing it to Sam. ”Never know when it’ll come in handy. Thanks again man!”

And with that, Malcolm is tucking his guitar into its case and scrambling out the door to make it home.

Spoiler: OOC

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There isn’t any skill for musical instruments as far as I can tell. The Singing skill has a special application in-game for celestial communication, but not playing like…a guitar or anything. Considering how the setting revolves around the idea of a Symphony, I’ve always liked the assumption that every angel can play something if they’re so inclined.

* * * * *


Jathiriel

Through the Balseraph’s tirade, Mercy simply stood there – shock upon her features, and a wetness gathering in her eyes. She took the intensity of his voice in stride it seemed, at least, though she was always an overly emotional being – so if a couple tears escaped at his words, none would blame her. Perhaps Jason would assume that the tears were as a result of the beratement, but in actuality, Mercy was somewhat more hurt by the sudden realization that perhaps he was right? She had after all seemingly made light of the challenges he would face dealing with the other Angels. While she had acknowledged that walking the road to redemption would be difficult, she may have glossed over the nuances of how those challenges would affect an individual.

The flower shop was silent for many a long moment after the door of the storage closet slammed shut behind Jason. There was no laughter, despite what his assumptions might be. Mercy did not need to use her Resonance to see with her own two eyes what this broken Balseraph thought of himself. What his estimation of his own self-worth was.

After those long moments, in which Jason came to the realization that the sense of warmth, and love and compassion that suffused the flower shop had not fled – this was a divine Tether to Flowers, after all - there was a soft knock on the storage room door.

”Jason.” Came Mercy’s soft voice, muffled as it filtered through the door. ”I’m sorry. When you’re ready, come out of there and we can talk? Please? I won’t push you. I promise. I just wanted to let you know that I hear what you’re saying. I know I can’t possibly know exactly what you’re going through, but I do know forgiveness and mercy and love.”

Mercy sighs heavily, and the shuffling sound of her lowering herself down to sit cross-legged on the floor next to the closet door filters through the cracks in the door.

”When Uriel instigated his Purge of Earth and the Marches, many beings were destroyed unfairly. Uriel acted outside of his mandate, and was recalled for that breach in His Plan. Now, we have Dominic and Laurence to carry on whatever form of his Crusade they can. But even those two do not control the entirety of Heaven. Even fiery Gabriel would help burn the corruption from your heart to give you peace.”

For a moment there is silence once again.

”Raphael loved you, even in your darkest moments. She died for you, and me, and all of us. She saved us all – Angels and Fallen alike – from Legion. Hers is the greatest example of love that I can think of, and from a Mercurian of Flowers you know that’s saying a lot.” Her soft laughter rises for a moment. ”You have to want to find Redemption for yourself, not for her. Not for me. Not for anyone. Raphael would have wanted you to be strong enough to do it because it was right. I know that is not an easy thing to hear, and I don’t mean it as a meaningless platitude or to make light of your reasons. I can’t promise you that you won’t stumble, or face intolerance amongst even those that you seek to redeem yourself to, but I CAN promise you that you will have the love and support you need to make your way through to the other side. From my lady, from all her servants. From me.”

* * * * *


Haralambos

It takes only a few more moments before the police officer – Ryan – is heading back into his car with a heavy, resigned sigh. The car sits there for a few minutes as Ryan radios his Sergeant to let them know that he couldn’t convince Elizabeth to take the extra security.

With Ryan’s departure, Elizabeth makes her way back inside – it’s only then that she allows herself to slump down on the inside of her front door and begin crying.

And in Haralambos flies through a conveniently open window, alighting himself atop a tall book case and tucking in behind a rather dusty pile of books – the Complete Encyclopedia Britannica, volumes X, Y and C.

As Elizabeth sobs into her hands, the Angel hears another set of footsteps coming down the stairs. It’s a young girl with curly red hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She couldn’t be more than sixteen. Her skin is tanned, and she’s wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants with Brighton Academy on the left thigh and a light gray tank top. The most distinct feature she has is a rather obvious case of heterochromia. One eye is deep, royal blue, the other a deep emerald green. It’s quite striking, if a touch out of the ordinary.

”Mom?” The young girl asks as she shifts to kneel down next to Elizabeth. There is no family resemblance whatsoever. ”What’s wrong? I saw Uncle Ryan outside. Is this about Louis again?”

Elizabeth nods slowly before speaking with a broken voice. ”I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Hanna!” The sobbing intensifies for a minute, while the young redhead rub soothing circles on her mother’s back. ”I thought it was safe to bring you back after Louis was arrested. Now…with this appeal? What if he gets out? He’ll come after you again, like he did before! I won’t let my brother kill you like he did your parents. The Pierse’s were good people. Too good for this world. I’m so sorry!”

Spoiler: OOC

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That was one very successful Fly Silently roll. Hehe

* * * * *


Malchiel

”Apartment near Pasadena. Ransacked. Stunk of Demons.” Morgannin fluttered her wings again, and cawed loudly. ”But Demons are not as clever as Sons of Eli. Solomon knows where it is. Seek Solomon and shine a light on the secrets!”

With that final statement, the Servant of Jordi takes to the sky once again, and soon a veritable murder of crows rises from the trees of the park, a swirling black cloud of feathers that rises in the air before spiraling away. A few tourists stop to take some photographs of the murder of crows, murmuring their surprise at witnessing such an event.

It wasn’t too late in the evening. Barely 8:00 pm. The Howitzer would be hitting its full stride within the hour. Thatch always was a crafty one, and it’s distinctly possible that he left clues behind in his apartment, and around town, for those following him to find.

* * * * *


Sarah

Each exclamation of shock, surprise or horror from Sarah brought a bubbling laugh from Adele. The Ofanim knew, of course, that Sarah trusted her precious car in Adele’s hands. But still, it was immensely enjoyable to bring some chaos to the Bright Lilim’s life. If Sarah was bound by her Duty to Marc – just and good as it was – Adele took it upon herself to ensure her friend was shaken out of lethargy and stagnancy whenever she could. After all, she thought with a manic glint in her eye, what are friends for?

The Ofanim kept her grip anxiously on the ten and two positions on the steering wheel, staring oddly at the police officer as they passed. As soon as the cop drove off, the tension leaked from Adele like someone emptying the drain in a sink. She flashed a smile at Sarah. ”Just watching you get your panties in a bunch over my driving was worth it all. Buuuut….I’m in town for a couple more days. Depending on what happens tonight, maybe we can get together again before I have to leave. I haven’t been on a roller coaster in a while…”

Adele was about to continue, when Sarah’s cell phone rang rather abruptly. Caller ID immediately displayed that it was Liam Ellington, Sarah’s boss and all around good guy. For a lawyer.

Adele shifted her gaze off the street for a moment as they careened down towards Long Beach, and the mischievous glint she held spelled trouble. Chaos, remember?

[Anyr]

Sarah was definitely in favour of another outing. Roller coasters were fun; And less frantic than Adele's driving. Then her phone rang. Even here, professional life was always waiting to pounce. She motioned for her fellow Angel to stay quiet during the call. She didn't want Liam to overhear anything that'd provoke awkward questions.

"Hey boss. What do you need?"

[Erulasto]

Sarah

The Ofanim gave Sarah a mocking pout when she was ushered to silence, but after a heartbeat made a sign like she was zipping her lips and turned her attention back to the road.

When the call connected with Liam, his pleasant sounding voice rang through with only marginal background noise. The honking of cars and distant yells of angry drivers.

”Hey Sarah. Sorry to bother you.” He always said he was, but it certainly didn’t stop him from calling her when he needed to. ”We’ve got Bethany Caulfield coming in for an initial interview tomorrow morning. Bruno was planning on taking it, but we got a call from the Blackwater Studio lawyers and they’re demaning a meeting at the same time. I need you to take care of the interview with Bethany. She’s bringing in one of her friends for moral support, but I don’t think that should be too much of a problem. She’ll stay out of your way. Once the interview is done we’re taking a few days to get our ducks in a row. Need to talk to the talent agency as well. We’re going to put the interns to work on getting the paperwork done up so once you feel confident in your ability to negotiate the contract give anything you need to Quentin and Daniella. Take a couple days to get some rest or whatever. You’re going to need it. The lawyers from Blackwater are right nasty pieces of work. Anyhow, I’ve got to run. Jennifer has a swim meet tonight, and I promised I’d be there this time. Ciao!”

Liam barely let her get a word in edgewise, which was not atypical for him when he got going. He was the kind of man who would dominate conversations and steam-roll over everyone else. But he was a good guy, all in all – and most importantly, he was fair.

[EarthenRite]

Sopholael nodded and then went over the facts he had been given to make sure they were accurate.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me, or that you feel I should know? I will leave you with my cellphone number. I know your grandfather would probably not wish to use it, but it seems as though you’d manage. If there is anything that happens, or you find out more, or you feel as if you are in any sort of danger, call me.”

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos stays hidden, resisting the urge to give a reassuring coo to the young girl. He liked the times he had made a child smile by coming up to it and making happy bird sounds. But that wouldn't help now.

He listens for a while more, trying to memorize the names and faces. At least the girl's eyes would be easy to remember. And if someone were trying to kill her... maybe he'd ask his fellow Michaelite, the Cherub, to keep an eye on her. Or he could stay around here, when no other work was needed. He didn't like how noisy killing a human was, and he hadn't killed anyone who wasn't actively working for a demon before, but someone trying to kill a girl... well, he'd be willing to do what was needed. Maybe just maim the guy, so he'd have a chance to repent. Yeah, that sounded Good.

Not for the first time, he wished there wasn't the need for secrecy. It felt like lying. Well, not the sick-to-the-soul-and-stomach ickiness of a real lie, but similar enough. But he'd do what Michael said. Still, part of him wanted to fly down and tell them that at least one angel would try to protect them.

If nothing else of import comes up, Haralambos flies out, tries to memorize a few landmarks nearby, then heads to the Howlitzer. On the way, he flies by Lee's restaurant to see if it looks extra busy or empty, or anything unusual that might hint at what or how Lee is planning to contact his Superior.

Spoiler: EDIT: OOC question

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While in a vessel, there's no way to tell me apart from a normal person/bird unless I act obviously supernatural or spend Essence/do something else that makes 'noise'. Correct?

If yes, I'll fly down next to Lee's and look through the windows. Not go inside or get too close to anyone, but get as good an idea as I can as a bird snooping around for a few minutes.
Also, I reckon I can fly really fast with Str 11 and Agi 9. I forget what the book said about flying speed, but, well, point being I reckon I can spare a detour on the way to the bar.

By the way, feel free to roll Resonance for me if I ever need it for something and haven't rolled. Either use the forum or, if it's easier, feel free to use real dice & tell me the result. I'll trust you not to fudge my dice.

[Anyr]

Sarah just managed to squeeze in a 'goodbye' before Liam hung up. That man had an admirable work ethic. He just needed a few lessons in listening. It was amazing how much you could learn by just letting people talk. She put away the phone in higher spirits than when she'd answered it. No more paperwork! Instead, she'd get to actually meet Bethany. Meeting humans (even the nasty ones) was far better than reading about them. Things were looking up. With a playful hand, she reached over and 'unzipped' Adele's lips.

"Okay, boss is gone. Feel free be loud again."

[Erulasto]

Sopholael

Tyne seems to consider Sopholael’s words for a few minutes, humming thoughtfully while scribbling down the provided cellphone number. Eventually, he chuckles. ”I think that’s all we have at the moment, but rest assured. I’ll contact you if my Grandfather comes across anything more that may be of use to you. I don’t think we’re close enough to be in any danger, but I’ll be sure to pass on any concerns we may end up having. I’ll talk to you later.” Tyne hangs up with a click, leaving only dead air for a moment before the tell-tale beeping of a lost dial tone.

* * * * *


Haralambos

Spoiler: OOC

Show

While in a vessel, there's no way to tell me apart from a normal person/bird unless I act obviously supernatural or spend Essence/do something else that makes 'noise'. Correct?

If yes, I'll fly down next to Lee's and look through the windows. Not go inside or get too close to anyone, but get as good an idea as I can as a bird snooping around for a few minutes.
Also, I reckon I can fly really fast with Str 11 and Agi 9. I forget what the book said about flying speed, but, well, point being I reckon I can spare a detour on the way to the bar.

By the way, feel free to roll Resonance for me if I ever need it for something and haven't rolled. Either use the forum or, if it's easier, feel free to use real dice & tell me the result. I'll trust you not to fudge my dice.

You’re correct. There isn’t any overt way of detecting another Celestial in a normal vessel. By normal, I mean a regular human or animal vessel. There are some vessels that don’t have to be one of those, but they’re distinctly troublesome to use. For example, Baal is known to have a massive, brutal war-form vessel that he uses when he’s in the thick of things. Bedecked with spikes, and claws, and horns and multiple limbs.

And with perceiving disturbances in the Symphony, even at high check digit successes, you still won’t be able to figure out if it was an Angel or a Demon making the disturbance. But you will know what caused the disturbance.

If you want to fly down to Lee’s, go ahead!

After a few moments of comforting Elizabeth, Hanna helps her into the kitchen and begins making some tea. When it’s obvious there won’t be much more gleaned from listening in to these poor, unfortunate ladies, Haralambos makes as stealthy an exit as he had an entrance. The Power of a Pigeon!

It doesn’t take him long to fly past Lee’s restaurant. It’s a non-descript building, with a large inflatable sumo wrestler tied to the roof with a dozen thick cables. The rather bland décor, visible through large picture windows looks something like you would expect at a Denny’s or an IHOP, save for a full half of the restaurant being filled with row upon row of buffet-style tables. It’s rather packed at the moment, with huge line ups of people waiting for their chance to hit the tables full of greasy ginger beef, fatty pork-on-a-stick, and a mountainous pile of deep-fried wontons.
The back door is cracked open, and the stench of deep fryers and old grease roils out in waves. A single young man in a oil and sweat stained apron leans against the brick wall having a smoke while a bag of garbage sits next to him, waiting to be stuffed into the overfull dumpster.

Lee is, in all his corpulent glory, standing near one of the buffet tables talking to a couple of his cooks while waving stubby-fingered hands around wildly as he animatedly regales them with whatever he's discussing.

* * * * *


Sarah

The minute Sarah had freed Adele from her self-imposed silence, a giggle erupted from her lips – swiftly turning into a full-bellied laugh.

”He….like….he talks..”snort”….Oh…Oh my God! He talks almost as much as Adam does!” Adele manages to eventually make it through her sentence. An open-palm is slapped against the Italian leather steering wheel, making the car jerk and swerve slightly with every hit. The giggles continue for a few more moments, before she begins to settle and wipes a single tear from her eye with a wide, Cheshire grin.

”I feel like a cheeseburger.” A rather abrupt change of pace, it seems, though not unusual for the Ofanim. “Do you want to hit a drive-thru, or just grab something at the Howitzer. We should be there in a few minutes.”

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos lands close to the young man, his pigeon head shifting one way than the other in a quizzical fashion. He contemplates trying to sneak in to mess with the place, but such might cause noise if he actually damages something or tip Lee off that Harry's coming for him.

The demon appeared to just be working for now. Hmm... well, good enough. It felt bad to leave him on Earth for even a few hours longer, but Michael had taught him to choose appropriate times for his fights. A crowded building full of innocents was not a good place to attack.

Once the man finishes his smoke break, Haralambos will poke around the dumpster for any anything unusual that might hint at collecting extra stuff for the summoning. If it won't count as damaging stuff to generate noise, he'll peck holes in the bags to see if anything unusual is there. Then, he flies off towards the Howlitzer. If he finds anything really strange, but not gross like a severed human limb, he'll take it with him in his beak.

He'll also stop at some bird bath, pond, or stream to bathe. He doesn't want to show up stinking like a demon's gluttonous food.

[seatyger]

”Apartment near Pasadena. Ransacked. Stunk of Demons.” Morgannin fluttered her wings again, and cawed loudly. ”But Demons are not as clever as Sons of Eli. Solomon knows where it is. Seek Solomon and shine a light on the secrets!”

With that final statement, the Servant of Jordi takes to the sky once again, and soon a veritable murder of crows rises from the trees of the park, a swirling black cloud of feathers that rises in the air before spiraling away. A few tourists stop to take some photographs of the murder of crows, murmuring their surprise at witnessing such an event.

It wasn’t too late in the evening. Barely 8:00 pm. The Howitzer would be hitting its full stride within the hour. Thatch always was a crafty one, and it’s distinctly possible that he left clues behind in his apartment, and around town, for those following him to find.

As the murder of crows disappeared into the afternoon sky, Malchiel looked down at the abandoned half-full bag of sunflower seeds, allowing a slight smile to come through and linger for a moment. He remained there for a time, tossing small handfuls to approaching birds until the bag was emptied.

So, it was to the Howitzer, then, that he carried himself...by way of the metro. It had been so long since he last drove, he wasn't sure he'd be safe behind the wheel. Besides, he didn't think he could find his last car, a '73 Mach 1. As Malchiel rode along, he considered its potential fates. Beltway winters were often unforgiving, and the salting of roads less so; if the Mustang remained unrecovered for some time, it would've succumbed to the elements. Pity.

Mel was drawn from his musings when the bus reached his stop, and he exited through the rear doors. The Howitzer was just a short jaunt from there, and he soon found himself in the warrior's bar. Entering, he sought out Jerichael.

[Anyr]

"He's much less annoying than Adam. No human can beat the pomposity of a Seraph."

Sarah had trouble tolerating the Seraphim. They tended to act as if they were superior to the 'less divine' Choirs. It's a trait they share with the Balseraphs. Naturally, Sarah always kept this observation to herself. Bridging divides was a big part of her job. So no matter how arrogant people like Adam acted, she'd do her best to get along with them. That included being punctual.

"We'd better go straight to the Howitzer. His Holiness wouldn't be pleased to learn that fast food ranked above him on our list of priorities."

[Erulasto]

The Howitzer

Located at South 19th Place and East Ocean Boulevard, the Howitzer stands out amongst the other colorful locales of Long Beach. It’s a rugged, two-story building lacking more than small, narrow windows every ten feet or so along the walls. It’s build like a bomb shelter. The walls have been washed with several layers of ash grey paint in an attempt to cover the graffiti that inevitably ends up there. The roof of the Howitzer has been converted into an open-air patio, with a large industrial barbeque and several cheap, plastic patio tables and chairs. Wooden posts placed along the walls and set locations across the roof have speakers wired to them to play music, and all contribute to holding up a truly gargantuan tarp to keep the rain away. The tarp, it turns out, has actually been sewn together with dozens upon dozens of flags – everything from the major Allied nations, United Nations, Central Intelligence, and loads of others. It makes for a rather colorful display of diverse national pride.

In big, neon letters above the solid oak door – painted a dark shade of forest green, which has a CLOSED sign hanging upon it – is the word ‘HOWITZER’, next to a cartoonish mural of an old USMC M-198 Howitzer Gun firing an anthropomorphic beer bottle.

In front of the bar, standing at the door is a solid slab of meat. He’s easily six and a half feet tall, with shoulders like Atlas. He wears a simple white tank top and a black leather vest. A neatly groomed black goatee meshes well with black mirror-shades and short-cropped hair is worn slicked back. Upon one bare shoulder, is the rather detailed tattoo of a horned skull leashed to a large cross with barbed wire. Under the cross are the words: In Gladio, et Inimicos Dei, or To the Sword, the Enemies of God. For those who have been here before, or closely associated with Jerichael – this is Roman, Soldier of God and one of the bouncers at the Howitzer. The carved, ivory handle of a hunting knife sticks out from the boot sheath worn against the thick-soled, steel-shod biker boots he wears.

Inside the Howitzer, it seems rather nice – as far as veteran and biker bars go. One side of the room is dominated by a few pool tables, and several dart boards rest nearby. The bar is tucked against the north wall, shelf upon shelf of alcohol rests behind it. A few boots dominate the corners of the rooms, while the rest are simple, round wooden tables and squat stools. Each table – be it the booth or the more common ones, contain a deep plastic bowl of peanuts. An old jukebox sits next to the bar, the washrooms and a stairwell leading up to the roof, or down to the basement store rooms.

* * * * *

The parking lot is relatively empty, which means the Ofanim driving Sarah’s car is even more excited that one would expect as she drops to a lower gear and slams on the brakes while twisting the steering wheel. The beautiful car screeches into a classic bootlegger turn, the back headlights nearly clipping both a passing bus and a light post before sliding perfectly into a parking spot.

This is, of course, witnessed by the handsome looking pigeon that lands on the roof of an old Ford F-150 extended cab sitting near the back, staff entrance.

The bus that was nearly involved in the collision had just begun to drive away after depositing Mel onto the sidewalk in front of the Howitzer.

The last remnants of the earlier days storm were dissipating in to dark wisps on the evening breeze rolling off the ocean. The sun was low on the horizon, and both the beach just down the street and city itself were bathed in the golden-red glow while the ocean glittered like diamonds.

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos flies up to the bar. If he could smile in this body, he would be as he sees Sarah's car spiral into a parking space. He waits until they walk in, flying in with them with an appreciative coo towards Roman. Better to wait to talk until inside.

Assuming the meeting doesn't seem to be in earnest yet, he flies up to Jerichael and reports on what he heard. A cop named Ryan offered extra protection to that woman, the sister of the murderer, or to get her to a safehouse. Not sure. After he left, the woman cried to her adoptive daughter, the kid of people that bad guy killed before. Named Hanna Pierse, or at least had that last name before her parents were killed. One blue eye, one green eye. Had Brighton logo on pants. Hanna's mom said her brother would try to kill Hanna again. Hanna called the cop Uncle Ryan.

Also mentions that Lee is still working as usual at his restaurant. Nothing odd seemed to be happening as he flew by on his way here. He also recalls and adds that the imps he offed were cooking humans. "Do you have time to tell me what Songs you know Lee knows?"

After that, he flies and hops around to socialize with some of the other angels. He avoids Adewale and the other servitors of Dominic, though he's polite if they speak to him. At one point he flies down to the armory and tests carrying a long sword in his claws or beak. Again, if he could be smiling, he'd be smiling at the thought of dropping a long sword near Lee right before his pigeon form dives into him. Let Lee waste a few essence hurting the pigeon body. Then watch the guy panic as the pigeon turns into Madman Harry and picks up the sword.

If Morgannin is already there, he lands next to her. Maybe she'd like to help take down someone who needlessly cooks so many animals every day. No, not just needlessly, but actively nefariously. (A small part of Haralambos' mind is happy at remembering that word. One of the angels back in his last city used it. Harry thought it sounded kinda funny, but it was a helpful descriptor.)

Spoiler: OOC

Show

With Numinous Corpus: if I shift vessels while under this Song's effect, does the Song's power end (since it was on the vessel itself) or persist to the new vessel (since it's on me)?
Hoping to cast Tail before showing up in pigeon form, but have it under effect when shifting to human form. But I can see the Song just impacting the vessel itself, so I'd have to recast it in-combat to use it as a human.

[Anyr]

"EEEEEEEEEEE!"

Sarah actually closed her eyes during the final approach. Grabbing onto the nearest convenient surface, she braced for an impact that never came. When it became apparent that her limbs were still in their proper places, she hesitantly took a peek; Then sighed in relief. Once again, order had emerged from chaos. Miracles came in many forms. She took this opportunity to exit the car, before it had a chance to start moving again.

"No matter how many times you pull off a stunt like that, the next one always scares me. But I'm guessing that if I ever overcame that fear, you'd try something even more outrageous."

Together with Adele, Sarah made her way towards the Howitzer. Every local angel being summoned here didn't exactly bode well. But on the bright side, it was a great opportunity for networking. She looked forward to catching up with all the local news. There were plenty of Angels she didn't often get the chance to see. Maybe there'd even be some new faces!

[seatyger]

Malchiel exited the bus, watching the auto-acrobatics of the vehicle swerving its way into a parking place. If he had to guess, he would say an Ofanim was behind the wheel.

He dismissed the observation and turned toward the door. He was unfamiliar with the bouncer, though he (and his very rusty understanding of written Latin) suspected this was a soldier in Jerichael's service.

Within the building, Mel took a moment to note his surroundings, then sought out the seneschal tending bar. As he approached, he noticed a pigeon cooing at Jerichael -- Haralambos, was it? Mel had few interactions with the seraph, but, by all accounts, he was steadfast and competent -- and decided to wait patiently until the bird finished his conversation.

[Failed Phantasm]

Following Mercy’s response, he found himself leaning against the door with his vessel’s face buried in its hands. ‘Am I really reduced to acting no better than a human child?’ He had never known forgotten how to speak the Truth with tact – the Most Common of failings among the Most Holy – but when had he ever needed to? Why should he have? How could it be painful? What reason could there be to avoid it? Who would rather hear anything else? It was the Truth. Why had it taken him so long to learn otherwise?

How typical of him, how damningly indicative of how selfish he had become, that it was the truth about himself that he couldn’t stand to hear. Today was far from the first time he’d learned that particular lesson; the realization that he couldn’t run from himself was all that was keeping him from Singing himself miles away – maybe even into the Pacific Ocean and the safe, insensate embrace of Limbo once more. But she was right: Limbo was no peace, and running was no way to Redemption.

His vessel’s jaw worked helplessly for a moment, its mouth moving but producing no words. “I’m sorry,” he finally said in a tiny whisper that was, to him, deafening in the silence. “I’m sorry for being so…” he paused, rubbing his vessel’s face as he looked for the right word. “Petulant.” Yes. That sounded right. “I know I shouldn’t constantly be expecting the worst in everything and of everyone around me – even myself,” he admitted, after a long pause. “I just can’t—” He laughed. It was sudden and bitter and wry, with a note of self-loathing, as he realized what he was about to say. “I can’t handle the truth,” he said, knowing just what he was inviting by saying it. “Especially the truth about me, for better or worse.”

He searched for something – anything – to say next, but found that he was spent after the earlier outburst; his words had finally failed him. “I’m sorry if I’m cutting you off but I don’t think I can continue this until later,” he said quietly. “So we should get going or we’ll be late.” He leaned back against the door and looked up at the ceiling of the closet. “Just, please do me one favor first?” He reached up and rattled the door handle helplessly. “This closet’s the one that doesn’t unlock from the inside.”

---

Spoiler

Show

CONDITION
Health 96 / 96, Essence 10 / 10

➜ Body 12 / 12
➜ Mind 24 / 24
➜ Soul 60 / 60

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Truthfulness/6: Roll (Will – Truthfulness) whenever you attempt to lie or use the Balseraph resonance. Failure obligates you to tell the truth instead.

[Erulasto]

The HOWITZER

Sarah, Haralambos, Malchiel

The interior of the Howitzer wasn’t packed persay, but there were a number of people present. Anyone who entered, of course, was given a once-over glance by Roman at the door but he wouldn’t interfere with their entrance. It would make entirely too much sense for Jerichael to provide all his Soldiers with a dossier on the local Angels so they could be recognized on sight. Would make for less….misunderstandings.

Jerichael is leaning against a pool table, arms resting atop a pool cue with a scowl on his face. He is a tall, broad shouldered man in a wife-beater and pair of stone-washed blue jeans. His head is bald and his chin is covered in salt-and-pepper stubble. There are a pair of old, beaten dog tags around his neck with the name Jeremiah Howser upon them.

Leaning across the pool table, lining up a shot is a Solomon, a handsome looking man of perhaps Levantine descent. His long, wavy hair is tied back in a loose ponytail and the most distinctive thing about him otherwise is the old, patchwork green longcoat he always seems to be wearing. Come to think of it, no one can really remember him ever not wearing it.

A trio of Angels are sitting in one of the booths near the bathrooms. A matronly woman, a short Japanese man and a lanky black man in a fitted, and well-tailored navy suit. This is the Triad of Judgement: Fortisima, Rezzael and finally, Adewale. Adam has a briefcase open on the table, and is sorting through a substantial pile of hand-written documents while Fortisima is busy enjoying a pint of some dark, frothy stout beer. Rezzael simply sits impassively, watching the room with a slightly pinched expression on his face.

Standing in front of a dart board is an older gentleman with sharp, hawkish features and a full head of grey hair. He’s wearing a uniform of the Los Angeles Police Department, and the epaulets upon it denote his rank as Captain. This is Gaspariel, and his aim with the darts is impeccable – scoring three bullseyes in quick succession.

Morgannin has relented to taking the form of a tiny, waifish human for the meeting, but still retains some alieness to her behavior. For starters, she is literally perched in a crouching position upon the back of a chair in the corner of the room. It’s almost gravity defying to see her so precariously resting, only the bared toes of her feet resting upon the old wooden chair. In one hand, she holds a small handful of peanuts while the other furiously pops them into her mouth. She’s wearing a simple black dress, and her hair is extraordinarily long and unkempt – a glossy black like a crow’s feather. The wild strands are falling in front of her face, obscuring her eyes.

A handful of bikers are sitting around one of the tables near the bar, their own drinks half-finished on the table. Each of the bikers is obviously packing heat, and based on the religious iconography they’ve all got tattooed upon their bare skin, it would be a good assumption they were all Soldiers.

A pair of new visitors are present. One leans against the bar, in a tweed suit that looks like it came straight from a Huckleberry Fin novel. His hair is frizzy and white-blonde, and his features are narrow but friendly – he couldn’t be more than forty or fifty years old in human years. Upon a hooked nose sits a pair of circular spectacles, and below is a large bushy mustache that covers most of his mouth. He’s got a bright red briefcase sitting next to him on the bartop and it – strangely enough – is covered in yellow polka dots. To finish the image, is a rather well-tended lily tucked in the lapel of his suit over his heart.

The other is a young man in a bright blue polo shirt and black slacks. Upon the breast of the shirt, within a bright yellow embroidered tag, are the black letters BEST BUY. He’s got a pair of wire-frame glasses – sort of trendy – and short hair spiked and neatly styled. He’s got a sleek looking tablet in hand, and is furiously typing away at something on it with a small smile on his face.

Neither of these individuals have been seen before in Los Angeles, though it’s obvious the younger of the two has a role of some sort.

* * *

Haralambos

Jerichael glances towards the pigeon as it flutters down to land on the side of the pool table suddenly, surprising Solomon and almost making him scratch his shot.

”Haralambos. Welcome. Glad you could make it.” Jerichael speaks gruffly, before listening to the report from the Seraph on his encounter with the Dancourt family and the police officer. Solomon seems troubled by the news, brow furrowed, though he remains silent for the moment.

At the mention of Lee, both Angels scowl and Jerichael shakes his head slowly. ”That pig is doing his Prince’s work too effectively for my liking. You may be right that we should do something about it, even if it’s a temporary solution. Though, with the news we’ve got to share, I’m not sure if it should be as high a priority as I’d otherwise suggest. We can open it to discussion after we’ve had the meeting, is that sufficient?”

Solomon pipes in at this point. ”I’ve had a couple encounters with Lee before, but for a greasy Demon of such ridiculous size, he’s a slippery thing. He’s tough, resilient, but the only Song I’ve ever seen him perform is a couple variations on Motion. Not sure if that helps.”

After Harry’s departure from Jerichael and Solomon, he lands his pigeon form near Morgannin and finds himself meeting the pitch-black gaze of the Friend of Beasts. He head tilts to the side with a small scowl, but none the less she offers him a single peanut broken from the pile in her palm.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I’d say that since the Song of Numinous Corpus affects the vessel itself, changing vessels would end the prior Song. But if anyone can offer a good reason for it, I’d be willing to consider it.

* * *

Sarah

When Adele exited the car, she did it by hopping over the door instead of opening it – though she was careful not to step on the fine, leather upholstery of the seats for leverage.

”Oh yeah!” Adele croons sweetly. ”I have to try and get your blood pumping somehow!” She snickers softly, that manic glint in her eyes again. ”I’ve already got a few backup plans in mind, dontcha know?” She tossed the car keys back to Sarah, after a moment or two of longing looks at the silvery, shiny metal in her hand.

When the two of them walked in, offered a genuine smile from Roman, the first thing Sarah noticed was that there was, indeed, a couple new faces. But there were also a few conspicuously absent. Solomon glanced up from a quiet, huddled conversation with Jerichael after they had spoken to Haralambos. When he saw Sarah and Adele, he excused himself for a moment and headed over to them with a wide smile.

”Sarah! How good to see you again, and you Adele. A pleasure as always.” The Angel of Faith would dip into a low, sweeping bow before them, before taking both of their hands and pressing a kiss upon their knuckles.

Adele scoffed slightly at his flamboyant greeting, and took a subtle step closer to Sarah, giving Solomon only a brief, curt nod.

Unpreturbed, Solomon continued. ”I’m glad you both were able to make it. We’ve received a message from Thachael from the day he vanished. It was encrypted, so we brought in some….outside assistance. It took a while and…well, I won’t bore you with the details. But the contents of the message were….startling, to say the least.” He gestured to the young man in the Best Buy uniform, who glanced up and waved sheepishly.

* * *

Malchiel

Mel was correct as to the driver, as he saw the Ofanim vault out of the expensive car to follow the local Angel of Trade into the Howitzer.

He received a nod from the bouncer, regardless of recognition, and stepped aside slightly to allow the Angel easier access – perhaps with a touch of deference.
When the Haralambos-pigeon had taken it’s leave, Solomon had abruptly departed as well to greet the Ofanim and Bright Lilim, leaving Jerichael at the pool table. He offered a hand in greeting to Malchiel, with a small smile.

”Malchiel. Thank you for coming. Morgannin isn’t much of a people person – and I’m sure it chafed her to be a messenger for us, but the matters of import on the agenda for tonight are significant enough to sway even her unpleasantness to our way of thinking.”

* * * * *


The TETHER of FLOWERS – Mercy’s Flower Shop

Jathiriel

Mercy’s soft laughter floated through the quiet of the flower shop, and it was swiftly followed by the click of the lock on the closet door to allow him out.

When he emerged, she wrapped him in a brief, but tight hug. ”Of course, Jason. We can continue when you’re ready.”

She gave the Balseraph a curious once-over with her gaze, before brushing some lint from his shoulder as a mother would her child on school picture day. Then, without another word she gestured for him to follow her to the back door and the old, rusted pick-up truck sitting in the back, its yellow paint faded from the years and exposure to the weather.

Once she was in the truck, she clipped the seatbelt on and smiled at Jason once he was in. ”Don’t forget to buckle up, Jason. I read somewhere that motor vehicle collisions account for something like half of all travel-based fatalities….and I like your vessel too much to chance it.” The engine turns over on the fourth attempt, sputtering and coughing and wheezing like a dying buffalo.

Unless Jathiriel wants to continue his conversation on sensitive subject matter, or debate the statistics the Mercurian had offered, the trip to the Howitzer was relatively uneventful. By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the Howitzer, the clock on the dash of the truck showed 8:10 pm. There were a few other vehicles present, including an incredibly expensive looking convertible and a big, beefy Ford truck that looked like it could have hauled the Ark by its lonesome.

[EarthenRite]

Sooholael packed up his bag and notes from the discussion on the phone, and threw on his overcoat. He locked the door to his office and then the library in turn and drove towards the Howitzer.

It was most definitely not, on the surface, his sort of place but he prided on trying to make himself comfortable wherever he went. And, in turn, to make others as comfortable as he could.

He pulled his car into one of the spaced and got out, walking to the door and smiling at the bouncer. “I hope you haven’t had call to be overly busy tonight.”

He adjusted his glasses and continued inward, getting the lay of the land before choosing a direction.

[Erulasto]

Sarah

Spoiler: Results of Resonance

Show

Tweed Suit: One of his clients - he's a therapist - lost a particular stuffed bear that her father got from her at the Los Angeles Natural History museum. It was the last time she was able to see her father, so the bear holds a lot of sentimental value. He's hoping to try and acquire one if he has time in town. But it's not looking good.

Best Buy: This gentleman has a lot of needs, but it seems his most pressing need presently is the use of a USB charger so his iPad doesn't die - considering he's the one who will be showing the Angels at the meeting the message from Thatch, having his toys die on him would be....problematic.

* * * * *

Jathiriel

Spoiler: Results of Resonance

Show

Solomon likes Jerichael, Haralambos, Tweed Suit, Sarah, Fortisima, Gaspariel and Rezzael. It seems like they all respect him as well. Adele is uncomfortable around Solomon, and he loves to egg her on. He strongly dislikes Adewale and the feeling is mutual - more it seems because of their opposing support for mortal faiths. He is indifferent to Morgannin and Best Buy. He greatly respects Malchiel.

Jerichael is friends with Solomon, Gaspariel, and Rezzael and respects Haralambos. He thinks Fortisima is dangerous, but respects her abilities and her non-confrontational way of doing her duty. He dislikes Morgannin, Adewale and Best Buy. He is indifferent to Tweed Suit. He believes Sarah is very honorable, and believes she is the picture of what a dutiful angel is.

Adewale distrusts Solomon a great deal, is annoyed by Adele, and respects the other two members of the Triad - even if they were lax under his predecessors leadership. He respects Malchiel and Jerichael and Gaspariel. He dislikes Morgannin and Best Buy - who he's watching!!! He's indifferent to Tweed Suit.

Morgannin feels all the angels here are too busy dealing with humans to take care of the natural world around them. She doesn't really mind Haralambos - when he's a pigeon at least - and Malchiel, and maybe Adele just a bit. But everyone else is too tied up in the human world.

Gaspariel likes Jerichael and Solomon, as well as Adele due to the elemental natures of their Superiors. He respects Malchiel and Sarah - as strong foundations upon which the mortal world is build but he dislikes Morgannin, Best Buy and Tweed Suit. He finds Haralambos effective, if a bit odd. He respects the Triad.

The Triad share some similar views. Each respects Jerichael and Gaspariel. Rezzael and Fortisima like Solomon, but Adewale despises him. They try to have as little to do with Adele and Morgannin as possible - especially Rezzael (he has trouble understanding the Ofanim way of thinking). They are suspicious of Best Buy, and indifferent to Tweed Suit. All of them respect Sarah, and Fortisima even likes her. But its a professional respect.

Tweed Suit only knows Solomon, and is a bit uneasy around most of the rest. He's pretty shy.

Best Buy is even more nervous if you can imagine, and he is downright fearful of the Triad, Jerichael and Gaspariel. He likes Solomon, but doesn't know anyone else well enough to form an opinion yet.

Adele dislikes Adewale, but doesn't mind Fortisima. She's not overly fond of Rezzael, but only because he's so SERIOUS all the time. She respects Gaspariel and Jerichael because they do their duty well, but she finds Solomon incredibly vexing. She doesn't know Tweed Suit, but she's bumped into Best Buy a couple times and while she is indifferent to him, she feels he's got the short end of the stick. She likes Morgannin as a fellow Ofanim, but doesn't understand why she'd rather eat birdseed than a cheeseburger. Adele really likes Sarah and has the utmost respect for her and the duties she performs (but where's the fun in letting her know that).

Mercy respects Jerichael and Gaspariel for what they do, but doesn't particularly like either of them. She enjoys the company of Solomon and Fortisima, but finds Rezzael and Adewale repugnant and jerk-faces. She knows Tweed Suit, but isn't familiar with Best Buy. She gets along with Morgannin the best out of the Angels, and likes Adele even if she thinks she's a bit too chaotic for her own good. She likes Sarah and Malchiel, but she's a but leery of Haralambos - Novalis and Michael do not see eye-to-eye.

I think I got them all. Phew.....message me if I missed anything and I'll try and flesh it a bit more.

* * * * *

Sopholael

Roman smiles at Sopholael as he approaches, and gives a small chuckle. "Naw, boss opted we'd be closed for renovations tonight on account of you lot having your meeting. Still waitin' on a few, but go on in. Most 'er there."

And indeed, Roman was right. Most of the Angels were there now, including one in a Best Buy uniform Mel had never seen before. On a cursory glance, the only one really missing was the Malakim of Gabriel - Khalil Dhali. Knowing him, however, it's likely he was bringing the fiery wrath of Gabriel to the wicked and cruel.

However, there was one in the crowd he did not expect to see. Lophiryne, a Mercurian of Blandine, was resplendent in his usual choice of attire - a tweed suit and rather comical mustache. His vessels always tried to give a gentle, if amusing, grandfatherly quality.

When Lophiryne catches sight of Malchiel, he wiggles his nose - the mustache nearly dancing in excitement - and scuttles away from the bar towards the Elohim. "Oh Malchiel! I am ever so glad you're here!"

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos accepts the peanut gratefully. He is not one to usually eat--feeling wasteful eating food a human could benefit from--but he does partake from time to time in bird form. And hospitality, accepting or receiving, is a virtue, so one of the angels told him.

He speaks, a mix of chirping and words.
"Lee is trying to summon his Prince sometime soon. I'm hoping to kill him tonight, at least if whatever this is about doesn't mean I have to do something else. I was thinking about all the animals he nefariously cooks each day, wasteful, disrespectful of God's creation. I admit I care more about ending a demon's presence on Earth before he does more bad, but I think we both hate what he does. Would you like to help me kill his body and shut down his restaurant?"

To be clear, he's not trying to be manipulative. Rather the opposite: he's openly stating why he thinks she'd want to fight him, then admitting his motivations differ somewhat. He does put something of an emphasis on the word 'nefariously'--it'd probably confuse most people not used to him, but he's simply happy to be using a big word probably properly.

Spoiler: Resonance, mostly out of habit, also from being unsure how to read her response to him, whatever it may be

Show

(2d6)[9] @ 8
check digit: (1d6)[4]

Also, I agree with your assessment of Numinous Corpus. That ruling seems the most metaphysically consistent with how the Song works. I'm disappointed, I admit, but agree.

[Anyr]

Sarah paused to greet Roman on her way inside. Soldiers sacrificed some of their God-given freedom, for the sake of the highest cause. She liked to reassure them that their service was appreciated. Then Sarah entered the Howitzer proper. A quick scan revealed that this really was 'all hands on deck'. Nearly everyone was here: Along with a few newcomers. Even Morgannin had deigned to show up. This room was like a tempting buffet of opportunities. Sarah was already pondering which to approach first: When the decision was made for her. Solomon suddenly swept in, kissed her hand, and made with the sweet words. Sarah returned the greeting with a warm, yet formal manner, tuned to Solomon's specific tastes. She didn't have the luxury of following Adele's lead.

"I hope the day finds you well, Solomon. A startling message, you say? Then I look forward to seeing it."

The talk of Thachael being missing worried her a bit. This was the first she'd heard of it. Sarah quite liked Thatch. He was good, honest company. But his inability to take a Role made him too conspicuous. She hoped he hadn't gotten the wrong kind of attention. Once Solomon took his leave of her, Sarah would make a beeline for the two newcomers. Meeting new people was so important. She took her first measure of them with a simple glance. Their shallowest Needs called out to her from across the room. Good, those would do nicely. Some simple, easy ways to improve their lives.

The man in tweed had already greeted someone by the time Sarah got there. So she strolled over to Mr. Best Buy instead. The poor guy seemed a bit nervous. Maybe she could ease some of his tension.

"Hi there! Good to see a new face around here. I'm Sarah, from Trade. Helping newcomers is part of my job. So please, let me know if there's anything you need. Even something trivial is fine to mention."

She already knew what he wanted, of course. But she wasn't so crass as to just say it. Besides, being vague could sometimes coax out a Need that she'd yet to sense.

[Siegemonkeys]

"Sure, I'll take a look at it. See you later man!" Sam tells him as he goes. Taking the sheets of music and the slip with Malcolm's number, he pulls out his phone and adds Malcolm to his contacts. He thinks for a moment after adding the number, then looks through the rest of his contacts for Jerichael. They didn't work for the same Superior, but Jerichael was the seneschal for one of the city's biggest Tethers, so Ramiel made sure to get in touch with him back when he arrived in LA. If something was going on in Malcolm's dreamscape, it was possible that Ramiel was going to need help from one of Blandine's subordinates, and while Jerichael worked for Laurence, if anyone would know where to find an angel in LA it'd be him.

Looking around to make sure no one was around to eavesdrop on the call, Ramiel dials the number and waits, taking a look through Malcolm's music sheets for anything peculiar while the phone rings.

[Failed Phantasm]

He spent the car ride in silence, his vessel’s head resting against the cold window and its knuckles bone-white against the armrests as he braced himself for a meeting whose proceedings and participants he could not predict. He even let Mercy’s maternal manner go unremarked, too spent to protest. If she was listening to the radio as she drove, he never noticed; with one ear pressed to the window, the only thing he cared to listen to was the sound of the wind as it whirled past. And when they had finally pulled into the parking lot, it took a few minutes for him to notice that they weren’t stopped at a light.

With a sigh and a stretch, he straightened up and looked out at the Howitzer, feeling a vague sense of wry amusement at finding himself at yet another seedy public house. How they had sprung up like daisies since the so-called Middle Ages. Everything from the smells to the sounds to the state of repair were familiar; whether the sameness was simply skin-deep remained to be seen.

“I’ll follow your lead,” he said. “I’ll not speak unless spoken to. I’ll do no violence in either word or deed, to angel or human, nor will I do anything else anything motivated by anger. But,” he turned his vessel’s head to look Mercy in the eye; “I reserve the right to Sing myself back to the flower shop if the situation warrants. I will not do so lightly, but if I must, I'll make the determination on my own judgement.” He looked back out at the Howitzer, one hand on the door handle. ‘Here goes nothing.’

---

Spoiler

Show

CONDITION
Health 96 / 96, Essence 10 / 10

➜ Body 12 / 12
➜ Mind 24 / 24
➜ Soul 60 / 60

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Truthfulness/6: Roll (Will – Truthfulness) whenever you attempt to lie or use the Balseraph resonance. Failure obligates you to tell the truth instead.

[seatyger]

”Malchiel. Thank you for coming. Morgannin isn’t much of a people person – and I’m sure it chafed her to be a messenger for us, but the matters of import on the agenda for tonight are significant enough to sway even her unpleasantness to our way of thinking.”

"She was well compensated for the inconvenience," Mel responded as he took the proffered hand, sparing a brief glance at the waif-form across the room. "It's good to see you well, and that this tether is in capable hands. It's been, what, a century-and-a-half since we last worked together on that affair at the Crystal Palace in London?"

[Erulasto]

The HOWITZER

Sarah

The young man in the Best Buy shirt glanced up nervously at the approaching Lilim, and he caught himself giving her a veritable once-over, cheeks suddenly tinging red.

When Sarah introduced herself, he cleared his throat and tried to plaster a calm and collected façade over his face.

”Hi Sarah. Nice to meet you. I’m Valarniel. Heavenly Tech Support.” He chuckled as if it were some inside joke. ”You don’t happen to have an iPad charger kicking around, do you? I didn’t have time to grab mine when I was practically manhandled out of my apartment by Mr. Muscles over there.” he flicked a hand almost dismissively in Jerichaels direction.

While Sarah is making her introductions, Adele has slipped behind the bar, softly whistling to herself in an attempt to look innocent, before suddenly ducking down for a moment. The sound of clattering rose in a cacophony of noise before she popped back up a moment or two later with two bottles of wine in one hand, and a couple glasses in another.

* * * * *


Haralambos

The Ofanim of Animals stares down at the Pigeon with unblinking black eyes for several moments longer than would otherwise be considered polite in casual conversation. It’s a little unnerving, and definitely goes to show just how little she knows of social cues.

When she finally speaks, her voice is coarse from lack of use. ”You need help with killing a pig-demon? Ask a warrior. Lee is vile but a human evil. He will fatten up the humans. Make them easier to cull if needed. Jerichael or Solomon would help you well in this task.” The usually impassive face of the Ofanim twists into one of disgust at the thought o the humans being fattened up, but there is a predatory gleam in those alien black eyes at the thought of culling them.

She reaches out with a pale finger and, assuming he lets her, softly strokes along his feathered wings – the first twist of a smile upon lips that do not look like they were made to bear such an expression.

”You are a pretty bird. You should stay like this.”

Spoiler: Resonance Results

Show

Morgannin thoroughly believes what she is saying – Jordi and many of his servants believe that Humanity failed the test put to them in the Eden Experiment, and have pushed the Seraphim Council time and again over the years to wipe Humanity out. Unless Lee is damaging the environment in significant ways, or really – truly – harming animals (especially birds in Morgannin’s case) you likely won’t get too much help from her beyond maybe scouting the restaurant out.

* * * * *

Jathiriel

Mercy remained - unusually - quiet during the ride to the Howitzer, though she cast many a nervous glance towards Jathiriel as if struggling with whether to make small talk, or offer more words of comfort and encouragement. In the end, they had arrived before she had even sorted out what she would say to him at this point. There were many conversations they would have in the future, but none seemed so relevant at this time.

She did pause, however, before they entered the bar and turned to give him one last smile. "You're doing the right thing, Jason. I am proud of you." And then she turned and they passed Roman who only gave the two of them a curious glance and a small nod, and were inside.

There was a mingling of people, and - apparently - animals, for a pigeon sat upon a bar stool while a frightening, wraith-like young girl perched precariously on another. An attractive young business woman was speaking to what appeared be an employee of Best Buy, while a young lady in a University of California hoodie helped herself to a couple bottles and glasses of wine from behind the counter. A pair of older men in suits were talking - one looking like he stepped from a Charles Dickens novel with all the tweed he wore. A broad, intimidating man in stone-washed jeans and a wife beater was talking to a dignified gentleman, and a handsome man of middle eastern descent was milling about himself. It was the trio in the booth, however, that made his hair stand on end. They carried themselves with a righteous indignation and arrogance that could only be born from serving Dominic.

When the two of them had entered fully, the young girl in the hoodie bounded over to them with a spring in her step and a manic grin on her pretty face.

"Hey! Mercy! Who'se your friend?!"


* * * * *

Malchiel

Jerichael smiles thoughtfully for a moment, pondering Malchiel's timetable and finally nods his approval.

"You're right. It was a long time ago, and we certainly had some good times then. You have been keeping yourself out of trouble, I hope?" He glances away from the Elohim for a moment, letting his eyes wander across the assembled Angels with a small frown. "I am a bit concerned that Khalil has not joined us, though he did send me a message that he was going to the nightclub nearby - Oblivion. I hope he is being cautious, for it is a den of depravity. He may be finding more trouble than it is worth. Though..." He sighs softly. "You try telling that to a Servant of Gabriel."

Jerichael notices the newcomer with Mercy, and quirks a brow darkly. "Mercy has made herself a new friend. I do not know this one." The Servant of Laurence, motions for Malchiel to join him as he makes his way across the bar towards Mercy and Jathiriel.

He barely makes it half-way before his cell phone rings, and he chuckles. "Excuse me a moment, my friend." Pulling the cell from his pocket, he turns to the side and answers it....

* * * * *


Ramiel

The coast was clear - the music room sat silent and abandoned now that Malcolm had taken his leave. The majority of the school was now closed up with only an errant janitor doing his rounds, and the single portly security guard on the evening shift most likely sitting in his office watching the exterior camera feeds.

While Ramiel waited for the call to connect, he let his gaze sweep over the sheets of half-worked music with a growing sense of unease. There was something [i]familiar[/b] about the music, though he could not place it. In his mind, he could hear the tune that Malcolm had intended and while parts of it were obviously interpretations or his own take on the sound, the underlying sequence of musical notes held a strange significance.

It took him only moments longer, humming the tune to himself in thought, before the revelation struck him like a Calabim with a sledgehammer. The realization was enough to give him a chill, and cause a cold sweat to break out on his back. How could this be? It was....impossible?

Malcolm had transcribed the song from his dream and it was, while a poor translation, chords from the Symphony itself. Only the Angels were privy to hear the blessed music of God's Creation - even the Fallen were unable to truly perceive it as they once were. How was a MORTAL able to do so?

A heartbeat passed in what seemed like an eternity, before the line on the call connected, and the gruff voice of Jerichael came through. "Jerichael speaking. What can I do for you Ramiel?"

* * * * *

Spoiler: OOC for All

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I broke this post into two, as I realized that there needed to be at least another quick round of introductions to be made - as well as Jerichael needing to take Ramiel's call. Once we've seen some reaction to everyone now present, I'm going to continue on with the meat of the meeting, so to speak.
Thanks for your patience and your hard work!

[Siegemonkeys]

Ramiel reads through the musical notes, tapping his foot while he waits for the line to connect and hums to himself. His humming slows down, as does the tapping of his foot, when it hits him just what this song is supposed to be. What the hell? That's not possible, Ramiel hadn't ever heard of mortals that could hear the Symphony in all his life, and he'd been around for a long, long time. He'd wondered if something funny was going on in the kid's dreams...but not something this out there.

The line clicks, and the voice of Jerichael snaps him out of his stupor. Ramiel stands up, slings his backpack over his shoulders, and starts to walk and talk towards the school's exit. "Jerichael, I need a favor." He starts, his voice taking a serious tone that clues the seneschal in that this is something big. "I need to meet up with one of Blandine's angels, as soon as possible. Like, 'drop everything else' soon as possible." Unlike Adewale, Ramiel wasn't the type to tell others to drop everything for him, anyone who knew him would know that. Whatever was going on, it must have been deadly serious.

[Anyr]

Aw, poor guy. Sarah already felt sympathy for Valarniel. He'd clearly been forced out of his comfort zone. The Triad should probably have sent a less intimidating emissary to fetch him. Sarah had great respect for Jerichael's bravery and valour; But he wasn't exactly a master of tact. People like Valarniel needed a gentler approach. Studiously ignoring his roaming eyes and reddened cheeks, Sarah gave him a reassuring smile.

"As a matter of fact, I do have one. Getting a flat battery at the wrong time can be fatal in my business. Here you go!"

After a bit of rummaging, she extracted a plug and cable from her bag. Sarah handed them both to him; And at the same time, though Valarniel didn't know it, he gave her something back. She felt the satisfying weight of a new business card in her celestial wallet. This partnership was off to a promising start.

[JeenLeen]

Haralambos coos at the petting, then speaks. "Thank you. I am glad you are honest. Even of those angels that don't lie, a lot use words that are so... tricky it's hard to understand what they really mean. I do really like this body. It's harder to get some things done -- like cutting an imp in half -- but it is a really nice to fly. And stuff like eating and baths are nicer.
With Lee, I heard he knows some Songs of Motion. I'm fine fighting him, and can probably take him on my own, but worried he'll run away like a coward. Would you be willing to have some birds nearby to caw if they see him after he moves? You'd be able to see this body fighting. It's pretty cool how much strength I can pack into a nosedive peck."

By the end, he's speaking with some playful enthusiasm, sort of like a kid happy about, but a little embarrassed to talk about, a new toy.
With a slightly embarrassed ruffling of his feathers, he adds, "I understand if you have other stuff, or just don't want to. I know a lot of angels don't like fighting demons as much as I do. I am glad you're willing to tell me instead of... fancy-wording around it."

There's no judgement in his words. Haralambos does feel critical of warrior-angels who don't fight because of politics, fear, or other stupid reasons, but he understands all angels are made for different purposes. He'd definitely prefer it if more wanted to fight as a fun or useful thing to do, but if they don't, well, it's not their purpose so no reason to judge.

---
Haralambos gets a little distracted seeing Mercy and her companion enter. A Seneschal of Flowers is... well, on the same side, but an odd force. Michael and other Michaelites had told him about servants of Novalis, Blandine, and the others who don't really fight. Same side, but not really pulling their weight. He reflected a moment about his non-judgement of non-militant angels, verses ill feelings towards those archangels. His shakes off the confusion, leaving it to the archangels to figure out. He'd work with Mercy if needed, and gladly help if it was something good. Just... a tad worried she'd push against the fighting that's needed.

Some part of him feels like it'd be nice to talk to her companion, though. Maybe there'd be time later.