Folly and Dreams

[Jahkin]

::This is the beginning thread for the Mage game set in modern times. The players are made up of a fantastic set of people that tolerate me as a Storyteller. Spectate as much as you want, but unless you are playing, please refrain from commenting::

Ash and Dreams. That is how it occurs to your mind as you gather wool and other emphereals from your psyche. Not to be funny, or asinine; you merely lost focus for a few minutes and are coming back to yourself. Where you are: Twice Sold Books. A friendly place, on the surface, that has tea and reading available as well as the protection of wards that some of you can perceive. To the proprietress, you might carry a vagabond annoyance, but all of you are ostensibly members of the same Chantry, a Chantry that focuses on unity and protection. Whatever else, your lazing about is good for business; at 8am on a Sunday, the store is relatively busy with dabblers and other sensitives, probably thanks to your collective resonance. Amber and lavender tint through the heavy glass at the front of the store with the rising sun, while the store is already alive with the scent of strong coffee and exotic teas.

::Please post an intro to your character, at least insomuch as the others would know about them. Keep in mind that you are guests here, guests of one of your own.::

[Theofreeman23]

(Forgive me If I mess up I'm new at this...)
Adol enters the bookstore with some apprehension, still new to the whole idea of his "new worldview".
He looks around looking for the farthest table purposely out of the view of any other customers. The last thing he needed was attention right now, and with the way he looked
With an all black suit and royal purple tie, he may have looked really out of place. He was told this would be the chantry where he would need to go, but he still didn't have a clue what really he was supposed to do there. Adol walks up to a worker after finding a optimal seat.

" Excuse me." He said with his very obvious south African accent "I was told to come here, but I do not know for what... can you help me please. My name is Adol Masters. Maybe some one told you of my arrival?"

[riff.freelance]

Rachel at a glance is what happens when a goth grows up. Dark clothes in blacks and reds but more casual than someone dressing to impress youths, contrast a cheerful adult in the prime of her life. While the store is still staffed by local college “kids,” Rachel is buzzing around the little cafe section of the store checking inventory and prepping the next order... on the surface at least. A personalized greeting welcomes any who enter, with an extra nod to any awakened who grace this establishment with their presence.

[Jahkin]

Rachel at a glance is what happens when a goth grows up. Dark clothes in blacks and reds but more casual than someone dressing to impress youths, contrast a cheerful adult in the prime of her life. While the store is still staffed by local college “kids,” Rachel is buzzing around the little cafe section of the store checking inventory and prepping the next order... on the surface at least. A personalized greeting welcomes any who enter, with an extra nod to any awakened who grace this establishment with their presence.

::Rachel gets a natural additional die in any social rolls that occur on the premise, unless the opponent in question shares her paradigm to a reason degree.::

[Holy Goat]

It is rare for Kai to be up this early. Granted it's not exactly early by society's standards, but it sure as **** is early by his. He rubs his eyes as he lets out a large yawn, shaking his head as he finishes, trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain. Why the **** am I up this early again? He complains to himself as he approaches the counter. A groggy smile stretches across his face as he makes eye contact with Rachel, the proprietor of this bookstore. He doesn't know many people here yet, but Rachel has always been friendly and welcoming, especially to street trash like Kai. Though one wouldn't likely peg him as such by looking at him. He always made an effort to dress stylish and chic, as a matter of both pride and practicality.

"The usual, Rachel, if you don't mind, love." He says as he makes his way over to a window-side table, setting the cash on the counter as he does so. His usual was a complex espresso drink, the specifics of which never fail to bore anyone but Kai. It's a vice, he reminds himself; one of many. Of course, this morning he refused to tear himself down over such a frivolity. It was too early, and he had work to do. Learning about all of this magick stuff was taking more focus and effort than Kai was used to. However, ever since he had Awoken, it was about the only thing he could focus on. His usual hustles or cons just didn't hold their appeal for him anymore. Was that the influence of his Avatar, or had he simply found something more interesting? Hard to say really. Granted, he is also lying low to avoid Sergeant Douchebag, who had been on a particular tare recently.

As he passes the counter, he notices a well-dressed man in a striking purple tie; someone he hasn't seen around before. He smiles and nods a hello as he passes, hesitating only briefly as he hears the question the man, Adol, asks. Normally Kai would be the type to stop and help out, either out of a genuine sense of assistance or in an attempt to size up a mark. This isn't that kind of day, so he merely smiles and passes by. Besides, he wasn't exactly sure if he could even be of assistance. When he finally makes it to his table by the window, Kai let's out a long sigh and cracks open the large volume he'd been clutching: a book on assorted esoterica from Boston's history. He knows he should be researching his magick or his Avatar right now, but honestly, this was more interesting to him. I can always get to that other stuff later. he tell's himself as he settles into his seat.

[Lee Kirby]

Lee sizes up the crowd as he enters the bookstore. For an early Sunday morning, the joint is jumping, which catches him a bit by surprise. If he took the buzz he heard on the net seriously, most awakened, or whatever they called themselves, were secretive, loner types. He figured not everyone here was one, but still, this seemed more public than he was expecting. He pauses for a moment just inside the door, mindful to not be in anyone's way. He notes the folks in the place, the fellow with the lilting accent and suit. The purple tie is cool, but Lee figures if this is a chantry, he and the stranger may be inappropriately dressed. If that guy's over dressed, Lee might be under dressed, but the Hawaiian shirt and jeans motif had been his jam for long enough that it felt like a second skin to him, and damned if he was going to sacrifice comfort for rules he didn't know. He notices the nod from the lady in black and red, and pegs her as someone who might be in charge, she seems to be working, but not necessarily fielding orders from customers. He returns it with a smile. Listening to the guy who just sat down next to the window rattle off a novella sized coffee order, Lee, torn between perusing the books or grabbing a cup of joe, finally decides. He approaches one of the college kids, who are all a little older than he is, and asks, "Can I get a large something with an ungodly amount of caffeine in it?"

[Danicus]

Patrick is in his mid 20’s, average height and build. Blue eyes, sandy blond hair desperately in need of a wash and a trim. A week’s worth of beard that’s pretty patchy. He wears an offwhite T-shirt with some kind of stain on it, faded blue jeans with frayed cuffs and classic black Chuck Taylors, one of which is wrapped in duct tape to cover the hole in the sole.

He has set himself up at his usual table in the corner with his back to the wall and a full view of the door and all the other patrons. The corner is dim compared to the rest of the store but his face is lit by the blue-white glow of his laptop screen, to his left sits a half-eaten croissant on a plate along with a half drunk coffee in something the Twice Sold calls “The Bucket”. Both have long gone cold. To his right sits a mobile phone, plugged into the laptop which in turn is plugged into the wall and a wireless mouse.

He sits hunched over the laptop, mumbling to himself and pecking away at the keyboard, pausing only to scan new arrivals or take a gulp of coffee.

Patrick’s attention is dragged away from the laptop for a moment at the arrival of a stranger. With that suit and tie he stuck out like the proverbial amongst the crowd of regulars.

[riff.freelance]

“One of those monstrosities for Kai!” Rachel hollers as she continues tallying some syrup counts. She rises from her crouch and cracks a large grin.

“Adol, unfortunately the answer is the same as when you first asked that question: I’m still new-ish here and while Scott might have been able to pull you a life path out of thin air best I can do is listen.” She drops the clipboard off in one of those little bins labeled half done.

“Any luck finding those bearings you’ve been looking for? Settling into what’s what around here?”

[Jahkin]

“One of those monstrosities for Kai!” Rachel hollers as she continues tallying some syrup counts. She rises from her crouch and cracks a large grin.

“Adol, unfortunately the answer is the same as when you first asked that question: I’m still new-ish here and while Scott might have been able to pull you a life path out of thin air best I can do is listen.” She drops the clipboard off in one of those little bins labeled half done.

“Any luck finding those bearings you’ve been looking for? Settling into what’s what around here?”

In many ways, this normal morning bussle is something to be savored for most of you; many if not all of you are terribly aware of the precarious state the world is in, much more so than the Sleepers. Still, this is a relative moment of peace, which deserves to be savored. [the current resonances of your location are peace and readiness, which you are all Awake enough to let affect you to the extent you will it.]

[Jahkin]

[Quest Update!] All of you have ties to the Lost Mithras Chantry; there is a considerable amount of knowledge and power to be gained by exploring the under-city that the Chantry calls home, but there is also significant danger.

[Quest Update!] The mystical politics of Boston are in turmoil and there are deep concerns about the encroachment of the Undead into Awakened matters. You are generally renegades, sure, but this has a sense of foreboding about it that merits involvement.

[Quest Update!] The mystical/scientifical lines of force and power are shifting like they never have before; something is happening, but you have no direction or inclination were to start, aside from the nightmares you collectively experience. [Warning: this plot line is very lethal.]

[Quest Update!] Things are changing and all of you, sensitive to the ebb and flow of Quintessence, know that momentous events are in the offing. Pagan theurges rant about Fimbulwinter; Christian magi talk of the Tribulation. All you know is that something is coming.

[Theofreeman23]

“Adol, unfortunately the answer is the same as when you first asked that question: I’m still new-ish here and while Scott might have been able to pull you a life path out of thin air best I can do is listen.” She drops the clipboard off in one of those little bins labeled half done.

“Any luck finding those bearings you’ve been looking for? Settling into what’s what around here?”

"No. I am no better off then when I first learned about all... this." Adol said frustrated. "Maybe it was wrong for me to come here. Well while I am here, I would like a coffee. Black. If I cannot find the knowledge I seek I can at least enjoy a cup of coffee." He scans the room and sees an individual reading a book on.... something magical? Maybe he may be better able to go into depth on his situation

Adol sat at this individual's table across from him and waited until
1.) His coffee arrived
And 2.) He was done reading. It was rude to interrupt someone in the middle of reading. And it's not like he was really in a hurry to do anything...

[Morgan Enright]

: What is seen:: :: A five foot eleven inch woman 21 years old with short black hair, dark blue eyes and wearing a pair of google glasses wearing a black duster, retro marvel tshirt and blue jeans and sneakers appears in front of twice sold book store. She has what appears to be a bluetooth ear piece in her ear and what appears to be a canvas book bag on her back.:: As she looks through the window of the shop she says is this the place? It looks really crowded. The voice on the bluetooth says yes it is. Please becareful. Don't worry I know what to do if things go bad. :: As she looks through the window see spots Lee and smiles to herself. Alright boys now remember boys we stay quiet and in the bag until its clear okay? She opens the door and enters. She works her way through the crowd and approaches the girl behind the counter. Hello

[Lee Kirby]

Lee drops a couple of crumpled ones into the tip jar, and grabs his mug with both hands, savoring the warmth and the smell of hazelnut from the coffee. He turns from the counter, so pre-occupied he almost bumps into Morgan. He barely manages to avoid colliding with her and spilling his coffee. He knows Morgan, a little, at any rate, and likes her well enough. As far as Virtual Adepts go, she's friendly, willing to talk, and most importantly to Lee, willing to listen without trying to sell the party line. "Good morning," he says, "Wanna join me me after you get your coffee? If you're not meeting anyone, I mean?"

[Holy Goat]

Kai glanced up as Adol came over and sat down at his table. He smiled again in greeting and, seeing Adol was content to let him finish, glanced back down to finish the section in which he had been engrossed. This chapter was all about Quintessence, something Kai found endlessly fascinating. It's a concept that he had come across in various forms over the years, but only recently had come to understand in any workable way. Granted none of Kai's knowledge could really be considered exhaustive, or even expansive. Aside from collecting scraps of esoterica over the years, all varying degrees of bull****, he had never received any formal training in magick. Though through what he had gleaned, he managed to cobble together some practical use.

Upon finishing his current chapter, Kai slid the bookmark between the pages and gingerly shut the tome. Looking up at Adol again, he took a long sip from the admittedly excessive drink one of the baristas had just brought him. A playful smile tugged at his lips as he set the comically large mug back down onto the table and leaned back in his chair, unabashedly sizing up his new tablemate.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this is all pretty new to you?" Before Adol got the chance to respond, Kai dismissed the speculation with a friendly wave of his hand. "Don't sweat it, we're all new to this at some point." He glanced down at the large book on the table, the one clearly about magick, and let out a little laugh. "Don't let the book fool ya, I just carry it around to convince baby mages that I'm some big smarty-pants when it comes to magick. But I'll let you in on a little secret." He grins and leans in conspiratorially. "I have no ****ing clue about any of this." gestures around him, clearly indicating the larger magical world. "I'm a newb like you, I just have a thing for learning stuff I probably shouldn't." He says winking exaggeratedly. "But I am happy to help in any way that I can."

::OOC I'm playing around with which tense I am most comfortable using. Apologies if it is at all confusing.::

[Morgan Enright]

Lee drops a couple of crumpled ones into the tip jar, and grabs his mug with both hands, savoring the warmth and the smell of hazelnut from the coffee. He turns from the counter, so pre-occupied he almost bumps into Morgan. He barely manages to avoid colliding with her and spilling his coffee. He knows Morgan, a little, at any rate, and likes her well enough. As far as Virtual Adepts go, she's friendly, willing to talk, and most importantly to Lee, willing to listen without trying to sell the party line. "Good morning," he says, "Wanna join me me after you get your coffee? If you're not meeting anyone, I mean?"

::Morgan orders some black tea with nothing added to it and pays for it and picks it up and turns to Lee:: ::As she turns there is a rustle in her bag and two little noses peak out and go back in quietly:: Hi Lee. Sure I would love to join you. Shall we find a table? It looks like there's one over there away from the crowd. What do you think?

[riff.freelance]

To the observant Rachel appears to be tallying something more than coffee supplies. She finishes her tasks and moves over to a side room, a little space usually used by local “youth” as a meeting space for whatever passion is driving their lives right now. Many a table read has happened here, and many a lich king over thrown. She props the door open and flips the sign to reserved.

“I suppose these are my takers.” She mutters to herself, as she starts to make her way to the various players. A subtle tap of the table, a nod of her head, perhaps as much as direct eye contact as needed, but she has clearly invited Adol, Kai, Morgan, Lee and Patrick to something a little more private.

[Lee Kirby]

Just as Lee's about to sit down with Morgan, Rachael comes by and gives them a nod to the room. He picks up his coffee, and as he passes Morgan, he says, softly, "We'll have our conversation in a moment? I want to see what's going on."

[Morgan Enright]

okay, ::follows Lee and Rachel into the room::

[Jahkin]

okay, ::follows Lee and Rachel into the room::

::The morning continues on, full of the bright cheer and optimistic character it took on, but all of you are gripped with a chill, as though someone has walked over your grave. [Characters that pay this any mind can roll Perception+Alertness in regards to noticing everyone else that feels the same; you can also roll Wits+Awareness to ascertain if the nature of the emotion is external to you.]

Peace is upon this place, so generally you feel no anxiety about your life and find your current local to be comfortable, like that one time you could just read in a warm summer field uninterrupted, or the time you curled up under a blanket with your mother and watched a thunderstorm::

[Jahkin]

::For anyone that has a dot in Prime, but especially Ben, you can make an additional roll of your Perception+Arete, difficulty 8. Unless you think you have a reasonable chance of a success, I would recommend not rolling since the result would likely not occur to you::

[Jahkin]

:: if anyone has Entropy at 2 or higher, you are also entitled a Preception+Arete roll, although the result will be different; let me know if you qualify for both rolls::

[Jahkin]

::if anyone has Spirit 2 or higher, PM me here or DM me on Facebook. You are having a very different experience.::

[Danicus]

To the observant Rachel appears to be tallying something more than coffee supplies. She finishes her tasks and moves over to a side room, a little space usually used by local “youth” as a meeting space for whatever passion is driving their lives right now. Many a table read has happened here, and many a lich king over thrown. She props the door open and flips the sign to reserved.

“I suppose these are my takers.” She mutters to herself, as she starts to make her way to the various players. A subtle tap of the table, a nod of her head, perhaps as much as direct eye contact as needed, but she has clearly invited Adol, Kai, Morgan, Lee and Patrick to something a little more private.

At Rachel's signal Patrick scrambles to pack up his laptop and chargers, crams the half croissant into his mouth and takes a sip of coffee to help with the chewing then follows into the side room with everyone else, mug in one hand and backpack in the other.

[riff.freelance]

:: if anyone has Entropy at 2 or higher, you are also entitled a Preception+Arete roll, although the result will be different; let me know if you qualify for both rolls::

::No success, but not a botch I think: (6d10)[1][10][4][7][3][1]::

[Lee Kirby]

Perception and alertness

(5d10)[10][5][2][6][7](30)

::Lee feels a chill, and looking at the other people, notices he's not the only one. After seeing what happened to David the other night, after the nightmares started wrecking his sleep, he doesn't pass it off as being nothing, but not knowing what to say, he opts for silence and wariness::

[Holy Goat]

Just as Kai finished saying that he would help Adol, Rachel indicated for a few of the people throughout the room to join her in the back. Kai didn't know Rachel well, but he knew enough to recognize this for the opportunity it was. He looked back at Adol and casually pointed toward Rachel and the other room. "Well, I think that's our opportunity to figure out what the hell is going on around here!" He winked and scooped his book up into his arms, motioning for his new friend to follow.

::
Perception + Alertness Roll - (4d10)[10][4][5][6](25)
Wits + Awareness - (5d10)[7][10][6][3][2](28)
Perception + Arete - *see following post for actual roll* (I'm not sure what a reasonable chance of success is, but I think 4d10 has a *fairly* reasonable chance of success, even at an 8 Difficulty)
::

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Holy Goat]

::Roll3 messing up trying again here - (4d10)[4][8][10][4](26)::