[The Four Horsemen] It was snowing in Chicago tonight - a light flurry of white that descended from the dark sky and danced on the shifting breeze before landing atop the blanket of winter that was already in place. By now the bumper-to-bumper traffic of rush hour had eased up, and most people were home eating dinner with their families (or by themselves.) In Bronzeville, the streets were fairly quiet, but for a few of the grittier sections of the neighborhood where people stood smoking together on street corners. This wasn't one of those spots, though. If anything, this street might be more accurately termed historic. The houses here had been well-kept and renovated, and an old warehouse nearby had been painted with a huge mural depicting Chicago culture. It wasn't the richest neighborhood in town, but it wasn't the worst, either. A lot of students lived out here.
One of the houses lining the street had its door open, and the shadow of a figure stood on the darkened porch with a cigarette in its hand, pacing slowly back and forth. None of the lights were on inside.
[Molly Quincannon] [[How Aware is Molly?]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 10, 10 (Failure at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] [[No. Seriously. Curious people aren't allowed to be this oblivious.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 7)
[The Four Horsemen] On a normal day, Molly might pass by this house and not think much of it or the silent figure on its stoop. But there was something marking that figure as unique, and though she didn't notice it immediately, the sensation of it would gradually dawn on her as she drew nearer. There was resonance here. A lot of it.
Wisps of something cyclical and shifting (waxing, waning), of something ardent, triumphant and commanding... and something else that felt like a shiver lifting the hairs on the back of her neck - something spectral, like a ghost, and inexorable, unavoidable... certain.
The strongest by far, though, was the one standing outside. This one shifted and burned. Chaotic, destructive, vengeful.
to Molly Quincannon
[Molly Quincannon] Most people probably wouldn't be out walking in this weather - it's cold and dark and sensible people are having dinner and watching TV or playing Warcrack or something. But it's long been established that Molly isn't sensible. She had a bojutsu class earlier and chose to walk, and to take the long way home, through the not-so-crummy areas of Bronzeville. She's got a lot on her mind at the moment (decisions, decisions...)
But there's not enough pondering in the world to stop her curiosity from kicking in. Pacing people generally get the attention - they are generally waiting for something (What are you waiting for?) or upset about something (What's got you so riled?) or... Well. Interesting things. And after a second or two of watching the figure, slowing her pace so as not to walk out of visual range too soon, that weird little sixth-sense kicks in and the resonances hit her upside the nervous system. At which point she stops in her tracks and just watches the pacing for a moment, curious. Wondering how to approach.
Not if, note; how. She's got her quarterstaff and she's a freakin' mage. She can defend herself if she has to. She doesn't think she'll have to, though. So goes the Overconfidence that survives despite what happened the last time she approached unknown quantities on her own with known danger kicking around the city.
So after a moment of pondering opening gambits, she simply walks to the end of the walk - still on the sidewalk but facing the porch on which the figure paces - and says, "Hey. Not allowed to smoke inside?" It's friendly. It's curious, and interested. And if he's on the ball, he'll know what she is as much as she can identify him.
[The Four Horsemen] [(War) Awareness]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 4 (Botch x 2 at target 6)
[The Four Horsemen] [(Death) Awareness]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 7, 10 (Failure at target 6)
[The Four Horsemen] [(Famine) Awareness]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[The Four Horsemen] [(Conquest) Awareness]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Failure at target 6)
[The Four Horsemen] [(Conquest) No seriously now, +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 (Failure at target 7)
[The Four Horsemen] [Ok fine dice, have it your way.]
[The Four Horsemen] The figure stopped pacing and turned around when Molly addressed it, gazing at her silently from the shadows. Given the extremely utilitarian manner in which the figure was dressed (its face was obscured with the hood of a dark sweatshirt,) Molly couldn't really be blamed for assuming that it might be male, but as the Cultist drew nearer, she might re-evaluate her opinion. The figure was about 5'7", agile and athletic (at least, it seemed so from the way it moved - the details of musculature were difficult to make out.) And when it finally stepped out into the ambient glow of the streetlight, its face would be identified as... feminine.
The woman pushed her hood back, and dark hair spilled out, framing her face in the breeze. She took a final drag off her cigarette and dropped it on the cement step, crushing it out with her foot absently. There was a gun strapped to her leg.
"You have... three seconds to tell me who you are, and why you're here, before I kill you."
Luckily for Molly, this woman was not the only person in the house, and a moment later a second figure appeared in the doorway - another woman, this one more clearly identified as such. She had dark skin and long, dark hair, and looked rather a bit more slight of build than her companion. There was a snap of something angry in her voice when she spoke. "Anya! Relax. She's one of us."
The first woman turned and narrowed an irritated gaze at the second, but made no attempt at a rebuttal. Instead she snorted and stepped back onto the porch. The second woman stepped out of the way as a larger, more definitely male figure came to join their little gathering. He glanced over at the brooding Anya, then at the second woman, who... may have rolled her eyes. Then he turned his full attention to Molly, striding across the porch and down the steps to greet her.
"Didn't expect to run into any of the locals so soon. Hi, I'm Gabriel." He smiled and held out his hand. "Though, I am a bit curious as to why you're here..."
[Molly Quincannon] For the record, Molly didn't flip out when given the ultimatum - just raised an eyebrow in a sort of a 'WTF?' kind of way and opened her mouth to say ... well, something, but she got interrupted by the second woman, so she decided, What the hell, I'll just let this play out until someone actually figures out whether they want to try to kill and eat me or what.
Being a mage means never having to say 'nothing exciting ever happens to me'.
Upon being approached by Gabriel, who at least looks friendly, she reaches out and shakes his hand with a wry little smile. "Molly. Hi. Good to meet you. As to why I'm here ... I live here. Well, in the area, anyway. I was just passing by and ... Anya-Armed-and-Dangerous over there was pacing. Caught my eye. And a few other senses. I could ask you guys the same question, really. New to Chicago?"
[The Four Horsemen] [(Death) Stealth]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6) Re-rolls: 3
[Molly Quincannon] [[Successes = my dice pool, but I can hope...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 4, 6 (Failure at target 6)
[The Four Horsemen] Now that the others had drawn closer, Molly would be able to distinguish the different resonances and apply them to individuals. The cyclical one was the woman on the porch with Anya. Gabriel's name was... apt. He felt like what one might imagine an archangel would be like. It was both stirring and unnerving, and the force of it, once he'd drawn near, radiated like the face of the sun. He was also extremely handsome, in the classical kind of way. Early 30's perhaps, tall (6'2"), athletic, short-cropped, sandy-colored hair and blue-grey eyes. When he smiled, it was hard not to like him.
(The other, quieter and more ghostly resonance was still just a whisper on the fringes of her awareness. Whoever that was, he or she hadn't come out to play just yet.)
Gabriel glanced back at Anya again, who continued to look on in the manner of a cat who'd just had its mouse taken away from it. "Ah... sorry about that. We're a little on-edge tonight." (Though he didn't say why.) "We're just passing through. Had some business in town. Here, we should make more proper introductions. You already met Anya. She's with the Cult. That's Nora, she's Verbena." Nora smiled a bit and waved, though she seemed a touch distracted.
"And that...." Gabriel pointed behind Molly. "Is Evan. Euthanatos."
If Molly indeed turned around to look, she'd be confronted with the sight of a smallish man (about 5'8") with pale blond hair and bright blue eyes standing silently... only about two feet away. Like Anya, he too had on a dark hooded sweatshirt under his coat, but he kept his hood drawn up.
"Are you affiliated at all with the local chantry?" Gabriel continued.
[The Four Horsemen] [Gah... I missed one! Please insert: "And I'm with the Chorus." Prior to his asking her that last question.]
[Molly Quincannon] [[A couple of for-my-own-amusement rolls. WP first]]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] A gun-happy Cultist. That's new. Nathan would be interested. Anya gets yet more of Molly's attention: "Tradmate! Hi!" Then, directly on the heels of that, as if by rote and so cheerful, "No-I-am-not-a-VDept-not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that-but-thanks-for-asking." Nora gets a wave in return, and she was about to ask a question even as she turned to wave at--
--some guy right in her personal space. She manages not to take a jump or three back, and even manages to stifle the impending 'eep!' noise that threatened to escape ... and then she laughs. "Hi, Evan. Dude, you need a bell or something. Though if you're on perimeter security, maybe not so much. So. Hi, everyone. Um."
She turns back to Gabriel, as he's at least smiling and talking to her. "So ... what's the 'on-edge'? I mean, business that brings any of us passing through Chicago is probably good to know for those of us who ... y'know, live here full time. 'Specially after all the shit we had to deal with as early as last week and don't get me started on the summer, seriously." And, since she believes in freedom of information (mostly, usually) and hopes for at least similar disclosure from this bunch, she answers the question. "You could say that, yeah. One of the spokesbods, in point of fact. Why?"
[The Four Horsemen] [Gabriel Awareness, one, more, time?]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 8)
[The Four Horsemen] [Evan Awareness +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 3, 5, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[The Four Horsemen] She said that she was a spokesperson for the chantry, and all of a sudden everyone seemed very interested (and not distracted at all,) with the exception of Anya, who had responded to her tradition-mate's friendly greeting with what seemed like a disgusted snort shortly before turning around and heading back into the dark house. Nora watched her go, then descended the stairs to join the other two with Molly on the sidewalk. She had a white coat on, with fur lining the neck, and pulled it around her more tightly now to block out the cold. "Don't mind her, she's got rabies," the Verbena offered by way of an apology for the other woman's behavior.
Gabriel glanced at Nora for a moment, furrowed his brows, but didn't say anything. Meanwhile, Evan stepped back to give Molly space. He didn't seem eager to talk, but he did watch her closely. It was difficult to get a read on him. Even the details of his face seemed to blur when not focused on directly. (And once she left them, she'd have a difficult time recalling anything specific about him at all.)
"It's... nothing you really need to worry about," Gabriel responded to Molly's question as he turned his gaze back to her. "We've already neutralized the danger, but there's... a loose element that we're trying to track down. A technocrat. We're on orders from the Council." He glanced back at the house. "He was here, but we missed him."
[Molly Quincannon] "Oh, great Google, which one?" At the word 'Technocrat', Molly's demeanour becomes entirely exasperated, though clearly not at the now-trio (and another one of those 'see-me-not' types; damn, the headache's gonna be epic) on the house's front walk. "It's entirely possible he's gone to ground with the ... pack? Bevy? Gaggle? Herd? ...Intrusion! Like with cockroaches!" She clears her throat and starts again. "Gone to ground with the intrusion of Mirrorshades we've got out on the edge of town, anyway. It's a possibility, but why--?"
Then another word in that statement from Gabriel hits, and her curiosity is well and truly pinged. "Council? Which one? Because if it's the one who sent me to, among other places, a defunct My Little Pony play-by-post RP site, you might already know a few things about what I have to say about local 'Shades." Oh yes. Now she's watching them as closely as they are her, at least.
[The Four Horsemen] There was a flurry of silent glances between the three magi (cabal-mates?) and one got the sense that they might be communicating somehow. When Gabriel turned his attention back to Molly, he said, in a more serious tone, "The Technocratic presence in this city is... large. I find that worrisome. The Awakened aren't safe. The Sleepers aren't safe. There's an iron hand clamped down on Chicago and it's tightening its grip."
There was something intense in his eyes - an old anger. Something that combined with his resonance and made him seem a bit like some kind of avenging angel. (But no, vengeance was Anya's claim.) "If you're familiar with the Rogue Council then perhaps you understand what I mean. Enlightenment is there. For everyone. But we have to follow it. We can't be afraid. I believe this is a message from God, and I'm not going to ignore it."
Nora coughed. Evan glanced up thoughtfully at the dark clouds in the sky.
Then Anya reappeared, shutting the door behind her. "It's clear. Are we leaving? We shouldn't waste time."
Gabriel sighed. "Yes, we're leaving." Then, to Molly, "We should exchange contact information. Do you have a cell phone?"
[Molly Quincannon] Molly sighs at the first bit. "Tell me something I don't know. We nipped some of that in the bud, anyway, and I need to thank those little nerf-herders for the migraine." Yeah, she's angry too, and she's kind of used to the whole 'avenging angel' shtick by now. She knows Solomon, after all.
But conversation's moving on from grumbles - it's enough that they know that the local mage contingent is aware of the situation. The bit about the Rogue Council gets a nod and a bit of a wry smile, but no more. Yes, that's who they're both talking about. Fine. Good. There's a need to ask questions, obviously, and she opens her mouth to do so but is interrupted by the rabid Cultist. She sighs; questions are evidently not for a 'now' moment, which is of the suck.
It's out of left field, the question about whether she has a cellphone. She blinks at Gabriel and then she laughs. "Dude, I have more than one cellphone. You can even have the number of one of the ones I carry all the time. Anyone listening in gets polka!" She reels off a number and waits for him to give his. "But yeah, keep in touch. No offense, but I think I want to know more about this. None of this 'Mirrorshades moving in' shit thrills me much, and questions of dogma versus enigma aside, I want to give them a good swift kick or five in the metaphoricals."
[The Four Horsemen] Yes, Gabriel and Solomon probably did have their similarities. They both had their faith, and they were both a kind of guardian. From the sound of things though, Gabriel's beliefs happened to land a little further down on the Enigma end of the spectrum. He seemed encouraged by Molly's response, and smiled broadly at her, which... seemed to annoy Anya, but thankfully she kept her opinion to herself.
"Excellent, thank you. I would... love to continue this conversation. But she's right, we are in a bit of a hurry." Gabriel had his own cell phone, and he entered Molly's information quickly before giving her his number. "I'm glad we met, Molly. It's good to know we may have at least one friend here."
And at this, the four of them turned and began to move away down the sidewalk. A few houses down, there was a driveway with four nearly identical motorcycles - each a different shade (white, red, black and silver) - and when they reached it, they each hopped onto one and fastened helmets. There was a bit of murmured speech, then the engines roared to life, and soon enough they'd disappeared around a bend in the road.
[Molly Quincannon] [[Curiosity!]]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 6, 7, 7, 7 (Failure at target 8)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Alertness, diff 8, + WP because she's actively looking for the memorisation.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 8) [WP]
[Molly Quincannon] Molly smiles and gives him a little salute. She doesn't write the number down. She doesn't have to. She has one of those memories. "Safe travels and all that. And likewise."
That memory serves her in more than phone numbers. Molly watches them go, takes note of as many licence plate numbers as she can manage in the dark before they drive off, and then heads for home. If she's going to scry out when they got here and what they've been doing in the interim, she'd rather do it after a good meal, a hot shower and a good night's sleep. Well, actually, the sleep bit is debatable. She hasn't got a raid on tonight; she can spare the time.
[[First set of rolls: Correspondence ward, just in case.
Second: Time/Corr for backward-scrying the house, throwing in Entropy to give her a better chance of finding the right point for when they arrived. She wants to know how long they've been there and what they've been up to in there. Mind added to mask resonance.
Third: Time/Corr/Forces; intercepting any signals that came in and out during their stay - phone, digital, whatever. Mind added to decode email in her head to something the human brain can understand, and to mask resonance.
Fourth: Wits + Hacking, DMV; details on the owners of the licence plates she got. Any further dirt can be dug up after she has more information to go on.]]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Corr ward. Coincidental, -1 focus, -1 time so diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 5, 6 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Building, diff up to 4, -1 practiced so back to diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 3 (Success x 1 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[One more time to be safe...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 4, 8 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Time-scrying the house as described below. Coincidental, -1 focus, -1 time so diff 3 again.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 5, 6 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Building successes; shouldn't need more than one more roll, diff 4 -1 practiced so back to diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 4, 7 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Actually, one more time as some of those successes are going to resonance masking.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 7 (Failure at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[Okay, now Molly's got her bolshy on. +1 diff, so up to 4, with WP this time.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 10 (Success x 2 at target 4) [WP]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Better. Now, assuming nap happened, moving on to the transmissions deal. As before! Coincidental, -1 focus, -1 time, diff 3]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 9 (Failure at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[*fumes* Diff up to 4, -1 practiced so down to 3 again]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 6 (Success x 1 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[This one is clearly harder. Maintaining diff 4, using up another WP.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 3 (Success x 1 at target 4) [WP]
[Molly Quincannon] [[One more time and that's gonna be all Molly has energy for. -1 for Quint so back to diff 3.]]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 4 (Success x 2 at target 3)
[Molly Quincannon] [[There. Now. Wits + Comp, reroll for Hacking speciality, -1 diff for 'I put in my own personal backdoors around about July']]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 5 at target 5)
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