Scion: Hero (IC)

[DeTess]

"I'll handle the observation." Liliana offered. "I don't lack academic skills, but lack the... earnesty... to properly pass as a scholar. I could fake it, of course, but my skills are better put to use elsewhere."

[Kaworu]

- I hava a degree in computing, I can take care of Google, computers and the like - Mateusz has said - As to the academic stuff, hm... I'm not that bad with humanities, but I kinda prefer "hard" science. However, my friend Helena has a master's degree in religious studies. Maybe we should bring her to the university?

[Justanotherhero]

- I hava a degree in computing, I can take care of Google, computers and the like - Mateusz has said - As to the academic stuff, hm... I'm not that bad with humanities, but I kinda prefer "hard" science. However, my friend Helena has a master's degree in religious studies. Maybe we should bring her to the university?

Julian turns to Mateusz and asks in a quiet voice:
"If you were close enough to the suspect's Wi-Fi, phones or even computers. Could you find out who they are contacting and access things like calendars?"

[Benoojian]

"I am quite sneaky if you permit me to be a little immodest. My father is basically a dark shadow after all." Max ponders, "I still find this quietness about the frat odd and was considering sneaking in to the university offices to see if I can find evidence of someone covering for them. I'm not the best with computers though, unless someone wanted to come with me...or teach me the basics?"

[Kaworu]

- Em... - Mateusz kinda did not know what to say - I am not opposed to teaching other people what I know. But, uh... I would like to not break any laws and not to trespass on university property, you know? I'm a nice, law-abiding citizen, not some kinda... super spy? - he made a crooked smile - I know that we can be sacrificing some... important assets, but morality is very important. Especially when you have superpowers.

[Benoojian]

Max gave a little shrug, "If we're facing I don't know, a male Medusa who is turning the frat's victims into stone and smashing them into rubble, they're not exactly going to follow the law." He didn't have the highest opinion of Titanspawn, with only cops and politicians lower in his estimation of their morality. "Laws and morality aren't nearly the same thing, but I don't know that we have the time for that argument so I'll just accept the hacking lessons."

[Kaworu]

- This I could do - Mateusz nodded his head in agreement.

[Justanotherhero]

"The question I have, if I may say so, is more practical than theoretical."

Julian paused, a look of open distrust crossing his face.

„ We find ourselves guided by the narrative of a woman unknown to us, her origins and intentions shrouded in mystery. It is our duty, borne of righteousness, to embark upon a thorough investigation prior to the contemplation of reclaiming assets from those who may, in truth, be rightful guardians of said artifact. Might this object have been bestowed upon them as a farewell token in times long past? Our understanding of the accused is solely painted by the account of this single informant, her credibility hinging on her singular success in reaching out to us. Is such evidence alone sufficient to cast the shadow of guilt?
While interpretations of justice may diverge, we must acknowledge a timeless wisdom: amidst strangers, caution is prudent."

Julian paused, aware of how his words sounded. Since the visitation, there were moments, despite not having spent every waking moment together growing up, when he found himself echoing his father, Osiris. The visitation left him with memories that were not his own. It seemed Osiris's distrust, had been passed down to him. He wondered if others had similar dreams. Regardless, it served as a reminder of an important task still at hand.

„I apologize. Yes morality is a essential point. That drives towards more investigation.“

[DeTess]

Liliana kept her face carefully neutral through Julian's explanation. In truth, she could not care less about who the item's rightful owner was, but kept that observation to herself.

"You are right about the need of caution when dealing with strangers." She picked her reply carefully to be entirely truthful. "Yet I believe our two living lie detectors did not catch her in any lies. That is not entirely foolproof as I doubt they can catch on to lies of omission..." Liliana looked for a moment to Max for confirmation. "But it means that either she deliberately spoke to avoid abilities like that, or was being upfront to us. The second seems more likely to me, but I see no reason not to do our due diligence, as long as we don't confuse paranoia and caution."

[Justanotherhero]

Julian listened to the rational statement made by his new acquaintance and decided it was best to silently agree with that assumption for the time being.


Internal monologue:

Yet, he found himself wondering if he was truly the only one at the table skilled in Sutekh's Tongue. He knew that, if necessary, he could persuade a mortal of many things, and Sutekh's song, if wielded correctly, might even confuse the divine momentarily. However, divulging to a group of strangers that he had mastered the art of lying to protect himself and his family was not part of today's plan, especially since he had very little information about these individuals.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"While our employer did speak truly, she also spoke very carefully, almost as if dancing around a 'living lie detector', as you put it. I smelled no guilt from her, though, so I am inclined to take her at face value for the moment." Brand left unsaid that this stance would flip should they uncover evidence of treachery.

Now he turned to Mateusz. "I understand your desire to avoid crime. We possess a great deal of power, and men have been corrupted by far less." It certainly hadn't taken much power to corrupt him, before his mother's intervention. "Trespassing and information theft, as long as the goal is intel on supernatural threats, doesn't cross my thresholds for abuse of power, but I'll respect if your line in the sand is drawn differently than mine."

[Justanotherhero]

Julian is gearing up for the drive to Atlanta with Zahir. While organizing equipment to ensure a smooth operation. For local commutes in Atlanta, Zahir is borrowing a second, smaller car to facilitate mobility and discretion. He's managed to secure a Honda Civic.

He packs gloves, non-permanent Markers, ski masks, binoculars for surveillance, and walkie-talkies for discreet team communication. Acknowledging the need for digital security, Julian includes in ear headphones , unused USB drives and a cheap new phone and laptop. A first aid kit is ready for minor emergencies, while compact flashlights prepared for low-light conditions.Anything bought new is paid for in cash.

For extended stakeouts, he adds lightweight snacks and water.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Brand was very aware of his own limitations. The odds of him noticing something useful while wandering around campus were slim to none.

Instead, he was the backup. The library was positioned close enough to the center of campus, and nobody would question a student-aged individual quietly sitting on his computer all afternoon. If something went extremely wrong (or extremely right) with one of the others' investigations, he'd be able to reach them fairly quickly. And if not, well, he was in the middle of a school library with free internet and hours on his hands. The perfect opportunity to get ahead on his own coursework.

And so the days passed. Teaching the teammates that showed up the basics of martial arts and surviving a fight in the morning. Finishing his homework, working ahead on assigned readings and projects, and trawling YouTube during the afternoon. Reconvening with the team for dinner. Volunteering at a local soup kitchen for an hour or two before sleep.

It was a pleasant enough way to spend the time. But the fire inside of him itched for more.

[DeTess]

Liliana had come to Atlanta by motorcycle, preferring her Harley's flexibility over the extra carrying capacity a car could offer. She'd left her suits at home, bringing some comfortable clothes that would let her blend into the student crowd. She spend two days touring the campus, getting a feel for the local mood, as well as spending time on stakeout near the fraternity house, though doing so in shorter stints to avoid drawing too much attention to herself.

She also stopped by Brand's studio in the mornings to get a bit of martial arts practice in. She was very much a novice, but could at least apply the lessons on adjusting and manipulating her posture she'd picked up elsewhere to pick up the basics of how to stand and move.

[Benoojian]

Like a shadow, Max slips from darkness to darkness, ever closer to his goal of more information.
He gathers his Conviction when he is nearly caught by a security guard but sit still for nearly half an hour before the guard leaves and he is moving on to the offices and the computers with all that tasty data.

[Kaworu]

Mateusz went to Atlanta by train, having bought tickets for himself and Helena. He supposed her intelligence and experience in field of religions and mythologies could come in handy. Plus, she was really well suited to play the role of “PhD candidate in ancient religions”, such a need would arise.

He also accepted the offer of learning martial arts. For him, as a huge nerd, it was more about spirituality than anything else, but it also would feel rad to be able to defend himself (or others!) in case of need.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Max, Wednesday night

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You're able to sneak into the office, disarming a security camera. When you're alone there, rifling through the desk, you find the username and password of someone who doesn't follow good security protocols and are able to log into the computer. Unfortunately, as you're going through the files, you're painfully aware that if anything is hidden in a place a dedicated hacker would know to look immediately, you're not finding it.

There are no obvious indications of anything below-the-board. You do note that the Phi Alpha Nu fraternity has the highest rate of property damage of any fraternity or sorority, with an impressive lead of 30% over the next contender, but it all seems to have been straightforwardly paid for, and there are no accounts of injuries, lawsuits, or felonies.

Spoiler: Liliana, Julian

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Observing the fraternity house is pretty easy, depending on how much effort you're putting into staying hidden. It seems to be open most of the time.

Spoiler: Julian

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You're able to use the Hidden Eye on its door, but detect no magic.

Spoiler: Liliana

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You do observe three different creatures fitting the description of satyrs--hirsute, husky men apparently around 20 years of age, with obvious goat features--coming and going from the frat house. From the lack of response to their prominent hooves, large curved horns, and rather extreme hairiness, you're pretty sure the human students they stroll past aren't seeing what you see.

Spoiler: OOC, all

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And let me know if, with that information, you plan on doing anything else before crashing the party Friday night.

[Benoojian]

Max returns to the erstwhile hideout, arriving as silently as the grave. "All I was able to find out is that they have higher property damage than any other frat, but that they pay every cent of restitution. And no one was hurt in finding it out, in case you were worried."

[DeTess]

Liliana struk gold during the afternoon of her first day observing the frat house. A creature very much matching the description of the satyrs left the house, on his way to who knows where. Liliana waited a moment to create some distance, then started following along.

While she did so she got out her phone and send Brand a message. "I'm following a suspect, currently heading east on Ellis street. If you aren't busy, can you try following me, just in case something happens? Don't approach me, just stay near the location I'm sending you." She activated a feature that allowed the app to share her location for the next hour.

The message send, she continued her tail. Whenever line of sight to her target was temporarily broken she'd make slight adjustments to her appearance, wearing or putting away her sunglasses, moving her jacket to her waist or wearing it over her shoulder. Slight changes, but hopefully those measures, combined with her plain face, would stop the satyr from realizing it was the same person following him, even if he did occasionally notice her.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Ah, here we go, Brand thought as he received the text from Liliana. He stood up, an audible series of pops coming from his back and sternum as he stretched. After a moment's consideration, he texted the rest of the team currently on campus that he would be out of position, on the off chance that this would factor into their own decision making. Couldn't hurt.

As he walked out of the library, he queued up his playlist and hit shuffle. Hah, not sure whether I should hope that's an omen or not, he thought, and started to sing along softly as he walked towards the location blinking on his map app, his rich voice easily swallowed up by the bustle of students traveling between classes.

♪They fall in line, one at time, ready to play♪
♪I can't see them anyway♪
♪No time to lose, we've got to move, steady at helm♪
♪I am losing sight again♪

Spoiler: OOC

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Yep, that's the song I got by shuffling my playlist ("Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin). Very appropriate opening lines, very concerning chorus if it's an omen (it goes "Only the strongest will survive/ Lead me to Heaven when we die").

If Brand loses Liliana, or becomes suspicious that something's wrong (which would probably happen if her phone stays in the same spot for more than 5 minutes, or suddenly starts moving at vehicular speeds), he tries to use Vigil Brand proactively to determine her location and condition. This costs no Legend, but does require an action and a roll.

[Kish]

Liliana follows the satyr for a few hours, almost all of which he spends on-campus. He never appears to notice her; other students seem to recognize him fairly often, sometimes friendly, sometimes indifferent. The one time he leaves campus, he goes to a liquor store and comes out a few minutes later with a rather sizable case, which he takes, carried over one of his shoulders, straight to the fraternity house. He does not emerge.

Spoiler: OOC

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My current understanding is that all five of you (plus Helena) plan on crashing the party tonight. Let me know if any of you are doing something else instead, if any of you are not trying to pass for students there, or if you're making other preparations I should be aware of.)

[DeTess]

The tail ended up being very uneventful, yet that itself was noteworthy. Once Liliana had seen the Satyr back to the frat house she let Brand know the potential for danger should have passed, then composed a slightly longer message to the other scions.

from: [email protected]
to: [email protected], 4 others

A short update on our investigation, I have confirmed the presence of our suspects at Phi Alpha Nu. Tailed one, though the tail was uneventful. I don't think I was noticed.

The suspect appeared integrated well into student society here, seemingly fairly well known. The suspect did not do anything unusual, which is unusual for them in its own way, but confirms my earlier research that suggested that Phi Alpha Nu was not too exceptional among the student societies. I don't think our upcoming plan should change, but we should keep in mind that something a bit odd seems to be going on with the suspects.

[Kaworu]

Mateusz received the message and went quite close to the place where he should have been. He was no spy and wanted to not directly follow anyone - too big a chance he would screw up - but still, he preferred to be in close vicinity just in case.

When he got the email, he went back home, glad that nobody got hurt.

[Justanotherhero]

Subject: Re: Update Investigation

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected], 4 others
Liliana,

Thanks for the update. Good work tailing the suspect.
I concur, no change in plan needed, the building door did not demonstrate anything unusual.
Let’s keep a keen eye for any subtle signs moving forward.
Best,
Julian

[Kish]

The party starts at 7 PM; let me know if you show up early, exactly on time, or late. Either way, there are at least some people there when you go in; there are more if you show up later, and yet the later you show up, the fewer eyes go to the door when it opens.

Around ten minutes after seven, a satyr lowers the ambient light and another starts loud dance music playing. You do notice that everyone doing any sort of arranging seems to be a satyr; all the humans present are acting more like guests than fraternity members. The satyrs appear obviously inhuman to you, but the humans apparently do not see their goat features.

There is a sizable bowl of punch and plastic cups at a table to one side. On the other side of the room, unobtrusively against the wall, are several bottles of different alcoholic beverages. Some students stick to punch, but others go casually over to the liquor section and fill their plastic cups there. (Which does, of course, render this party quite illegal as you're pretty sure no one is checking ID.)

You notice that your inhibitions are lower than usual--nothing strong enough to make you do anything you wouldn't want to do, but you feel mildly buzzed without touching anything intoxicating.

Spoiler: Julian, and anyone else who has Epic Appearance which I missed

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Given your character description I suspect I know the answer to this but I don't want to assume. Is your Epic Appearance positive or negative?

[Kaworu]

Mateusz was there shortly before the time of the beginning of the party. He didn’t bring with him Helena this time – it would be possibly too risky and reckless, being honest.

Inside, he kept away from the alcohol. He did suppose the satyrs could do something with the drink, so he did keep an eye on it, but stayed away.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Once Liliana told the group that the satyrs were instantly recognizable to scions, the mission became much simpler. Brand wouldn't have to cast as wide a net as possible in hopes that someone in his audience would be titanspawn; he could target them directly with his social manipulations.

Of course, if the satyrs could also spot scions at a glance, that could complicate things all over again.

Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he had some experience dealing with titanspawn. His adversaries back in Dublin had all, to the best of his knowledge, been purely mortal (albeit ruthless and occasionally well-armed). Except, perhaps, for her... but that was neither here nor there. Brand pushed aside the sudden rush of memories, forcing himself to refocus.

The plan was fundamentally unchanged. Brand mingled at the party, telling jokes, spinning stories, flirting with the girls and boys, and generally charming the crowd as best he could. And once he had a few of the satyrs paying attention to him, he launched into a story featuring Carnwennan.

Standing on a table, gesturing wildly, raising and lowering his voice, varying his speed of speech; Brand used every technique he had picked up in his... previous profession, every tip and trick to keep the audience hanging on his every word. The story was a heavily abbreviated and modified version of Hunting Ground, a book he'd found last night when looking for myths about the white-hilted dagger. Probably pure fiction (though he could never be completely sure about that nowadays), it featured Carnwennan being found, stolen, hidden away, used for extortion, wielded to slay a powerful supernatural being, and ultimately handed off to yet more powerful supernatural beings. If any of those things caused the satyrs to reek of guilt, he'd know he was on the right track, and which part or parts of the story triggered the guilt could also be very informative. From there, he could decide whether to approach the satyrs more directly.

[DeTess]

While Brand worked the crowd, Liliana mingled with and silently observed his audience. She blended in well, her clothes neither so flashy that she'd stand out nor so drab that she'd seem out of place at the party. She sipped a drink, but made sure she didn't get properly drunk as she kept an eye on the crowd.

She paid attention to the satyrs, but not just to them. She also watched how the other participants of the party responded to the tale Brand was weaving. After all, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be any other people in the know mixed in with them.

[Justanotherhero]

Before heading to the party, Julian makes a detour to the local liquor shop, aiming to pick up some supplies that would add a his contribution. He browses the aisles, selecting three bottles of affordably priced whiskey.

Alongside, he gathers the ingredients for a whiskey sour: lemons, a small bottle of simple syrup, and a jar of cherries for garnish.

Arriving a bit late at the party, Julian is dressed in the understated style of : a comfortable t-shirt, a pair of well-worn jeans, and sneakers. And a reflecting purple pair of sunglasses while wearing a white and black fedora. A horrible fashion foul all in all but well being best dressed is not part of the mission.

Balancing the whiskey and ingredients in one hand, he uses the other to swing open the door, stepping into the lively atmosphere of the gathering.
"Hey!" he greets, with a warm and friendly tone, a glass of freshly mixed whiskey sour in his hand.
Afterwards placing the whisky sour mix in the common area downing the first one and starting to mix his second. He appears to be liquor focused for now.

For now during the party Julian drinks the whisky he bought himself. If anyone asks his answer is :

„Whisky sour is the greatest drink believe me. Wanna try?“

Afterwards heading to the dance floor a drink in hand. Most of the time capable of balancing it but hey spills happen and if they do:
„No problem, you got something for clean up?“

[Justanotherhero]

It is an odd fashion set up. In fact it is an odd set up all in all , yet there's something undeniably relaxing about it.

Being the Scion of Osiris carries with it certain images and expectations, both from oneself and from others. Currently, enjoying whiskey sours, embracing social awkwardness, and accepting the liberating feeling of being a disappointment—even to the point of being kicked out—strangely feels good. Thus, Julian allows himself a few minutes to serve as the diversion his team needs, taking a step back from divinity to embrace his very very human side.