[Arcanum] Ulysses Fredericton's home on Oakley Avenue in Lakeview is everything one might expect from "old money" in Chicago. A brownstone, more narrow than it is wide, with three living floors and five stories total if you include the basement and attic space, both of which are fully inhabitable. The sidewalks are tree lines; the lawns well maintained where they are visible and many hinting at private garden spaces, landscaped and manicured escapes. Despite being in the midst of the metropolis, this neighbourhood seems quiet and removed. Secluded. Exclusive is, perhaps, the better term.
The street in front of the home of the late Fredericton [turned to ash, though neighbours will tell you he died of a heart attack in his own home, his remains cremated as per his wishes] is rather obtrusively occupied, at the moment, by a white van with a decorative logo on the side, red Victorian script: Chicago Historical Preservation Society. The back of the van turned open, where a man in tan slacks and pale coral dress shirt is supporting the bulk of the weight from a sculpted, highly polished, damask upholstered loveseat with some assistance from a middle aged woman in a lilac suit trying the maneuver the piece of furniture out of the van, presumably to be taken inside.
[Alexander Liang] The three of them arrive together - and while the other two are under no real compulsion to follow his advice, as they draw nearer to the building he suggests it might be wise for them to at least spend a few moments scouting the lay of the land from a distance before blinding rushing into action. Preferably from a position where they aren't immediately obvious as casing the joint.
Alex himself is dressed somewhat impeccably (the man clearly loves his suits!), though considering the area, it's quite possibly the best camouflage he could have chosen. After all, when you're in an old money neighborhood, what better disguise than business attire?
The three have yet to formalize an actual plan, though options have certainly been discussed. Perhaps a bit more observation will show what plan might work best. Conversely, perhaps impetuous action will turn the whole thing into a rapid series of improvisations based on circumstance. Who knows?
[Nightingale] This kind of neighborhood was familiar territory for the model-turned-business-owner. One could imagine him growing up in a place like this (though in truth his actual childhood home would have outshone any residential neighborhood in Chicago - assuming one liked the look of sprawling Texas mansions) or perhaps even living here some day when he retired. Knowing the relative income level of the residents here, he'd shown up in proper attire: an expensive Prada business suit in black with a white shirt and matching black tie. In fact, he almost resembled one of the mirrorshades. He even had the sunglasses to complete the effect (though they were slim and black and not mirrored.)
He and Alex were a matching pair today.
As the three of them drew near their target, they stopped a reasonable distance away to talk amongst themselves and formulate a plan. This was how these things went, after all. Jarod gazed down the street at the brownstone and the van that was parked in front of it, contemplative for a moment.
"We could always just go inside and say hello. It's a museum, right? People are supposed to visit museums. If you like, I could be distracting while you two snoop around?" Naturally this was the first thought that came to mind, but he didn't seem particularly dedicated to it if someone else had a specific game-plan.
[McGowen] Ashley, who is oblivious to any spy jokes that might be made about the three of them, has also come in business attire. She too is familiar with the neighborhood, and given it and how the other two are dressed, it seems to be the best way to keep from drawing any undue attention. Perhaps it gave her a second's pause - she remembers the last time she wore a suit for magical affairs. She covered her mother's face with the bloodsoaked suit jacket and folded a sleeve over the bullethole. The shirt beneath the jacket she's wearing today (a different one, of course) is a deep red.
"That's all right with me," Ashley says, with a glance toward Jarod. Ashley isn't the sort of mage one readily brings to mind when thinking of the snooping sort, the detective sort, but she'll do.
"I don't even know if what we're looking for is mundane." She says that, but she's already begun to extend her perceptions outward, to hunger, to examine everything relative to herself in that way that she has. If it isn't, she'll probably find it. If it is, well, it'll be harder.
[Watch the Weaving, Prime 1. -1 for practiced rote.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 3)
[Alexander Liang] "Unfortunately, neither do I." He shrugs. "For that matter, we've got precious little to imply whatever it is we're looking for is even here, other than Lucien's implications and innuendos." Faint hint of a smile. "I was hoping one of you was somewhat more sensitive to spiritual feedback than I am. At least to the point where you might get a sense that you're looking at the thing when you see it."
He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Distracting them might be a good idea, if they're the only two here. If not..." Another pause. "Might be better to convince them that we all belong here. Maybe even get one of them to give us the guided tour." He lets out a deep breath. "I could make a case for them either being useful or more of a hindrance that way, honestly."
[Nightingale] "That's pretty much what I was thinking," he added, after Alex elaborated on his suggestion. One would imagine that Jarod's form of distraction probably didn't involve explosions and brightly colored confetti. "If we can get in, hopefully one of us will be able to recognize what it is we're looking for. Let's hope it's not mundane. It'll make it easier to find."
He paused a moment, reaching into his pocket for something that he then popped into his mouth and bit down on. It might have been candy. Might have been something else.
"Think if we ask nicely, they'll give us a tour?"
[Mind 2 - Cool Glamour - diff 5, -1(slow) (using tradition focus)]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 6, 9 (Success x 2 at target 4) [WP]
[McGowen] "You're probably better at asking nicely than I am," Ashley says, with a flicked glance between Jarod and Alex. The two of them are considerably more subtle, and she knows that; the two of them are probably also considerably better at smoothtalking other people. Ashley, well. She makes her way through the world through intimidation.
She doubts the historical society would appreciate that very much.
"I don't know very much about the Ars Manes, but as long as it isn't located solely past the Gauntlet I can probably find what we're looking for, if I have some time," she says.
[Arcanum] By now the two who were maneuvering the antique loveseat from the van have managed to get it up the dignified front steps and through the double doors with their vintage, custom stained glass windows depicting scrolls of vines heavy with red trumpet blossoms and twin hummingbirds amidst a sea of aquiline blue.
Some minutes later an older woman - her hair a graceful blend of streaks of milky white amidst silver shot onyx, twisted into a classic chignon and dressed in a rich umber coloured dress suit with tasteful, delicate gold thread trim - is stepping onto the porch, a clip board in one hand, her smartphone in the other, held up to her ear. Whatever the conversation it doesn't seem to please her overmuch, though the thin line of disdain may simply be how her features naturally lie.
[Alexander Liang] Alex listens to Ashley's words, responding with little more than a nod. Jarod's question, on the other hand, receives slightly more consideration.
"Think we'd be better off playing the role of aloof nouveau riche interested in a peek before the plebs get to see, or playing it a bit more official?" Another sly smile. "Could always take a page out of the Technocratic playbook."
[Nightingale] Alex and Ashley were discussing Spirit magic, a topic that Jarod did not as of yet weigh in on, in part because he was not entirely certain that he'd be capable of much Willworking once they were inside the house - assuming they did, in fact, get inside. Whatever he may have been concerned about though, he kept it to himself. There were skills that he possessed that did not involve the use of his Will.
Though at the moment, his Will was precisely what he was using. Every little bit helped, after all. He was quiet for a long moment as he chewed on the bit of herb in his mouth, seemingly contemplating the house and the people moving the furniture inside.
"There's a chance one of them might recognize me, and the best lies are always the ones that most closely resemble the truth, right?" There was a grin at that. "Besides, they might be more inclined to chat if they think we're friendly."
[Rolling to extend the rote for added awesome, and oh, why not, I'm a quintessence battery right now anyway: +1 diff for extending, -1 diff for quint]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 4, 6, 10 (Success x 3 at target 4)
[McGowen] Ashley listens to Jarod and Alex talk; evidently, she's content to let them do the chatting once they're inside. She's done things like this often enough to know that pretending to be something she's not isn't quite her forte, and regardless of her Tradition, it would probably be difficult for her to affect an air of wealth and sophistication.
She puts one of her hands in her pockets, waiting for the Verbena and the Akashic to be ready and then sliding a look toward the woman on the porch. "She doesn't look like she'll be very inclined to let us in."
[Alexander Liang] "Guess we're going to have to persuade her, then. Or we'll have to sneak back here later tonight after everybody's left, and that's probably a horrible idea unless you know any freelance catburglars."
He nods to Jarod. "You should probably take the lead, then. We'll be your friendly, vapid entourage. Clearly riding your coat-tails like the mindless followers we are."
[McGowen] "Don't encourage him."
[Nightingale] "If she doesn't, we can always just knock them all out and let ourselves in," he added in an off-hand manner that might have been dry humor and might have been a serious suggestion (but was probably a little bit of both.) The effect he'd been working settled in around him, and Alex and Ashley would feel the shift in his aura - a pronounced presence, something that fit with his usual charismatic mystique quite well. He pulled the sunglasses down and winked at Ashley after her comment, then slid them back up again and began walking in a relaxed but purposeful stride toward the brownstone.
When he approached the front steps, he glanced first at the van, as if in casual curiosity, then up at the older woman who seemed to be somewhat in charge of the whole affair. "Afternoon," he offered with a smile, as if he belonged here. As if he owned this entire damn neighborhood. "I was looking at houses in the neighborhood and a little bird told me that you're opening up a museum here. Are private tours available? I'd be more than happy to make a donation."
[Nightingale] [App+Intimidation+3]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 3, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 5)
[Arcanum] Afternoon, he says, just as she's cutting off the cell call and jotting down something or the other on that very officious clipboard [she has every look of a woman who like - who savours - lists and ledgers and all things neat and organized and just so]. Afternoon, he says, and as she's turning her face towards him there is the barely there sense of putting on her to-be-decided face. To be decided: Are you worthy of my time and attention or not? To be decided: Where do we stand in relation to one another.
She blinks, slightly taken aback. And almost immediately blushes slightly [some part of her is horrified: she cannot remember the last time she blushed!] though she recovers with a considerable aplomb. "Oh, ah..." she straightens; she holds herself with a natural grace not really at all impugned by age. Matured. Her smile befits her social graces for what she perceives to be both an equal -- but an unknown equal. Beneath it all there is a sense of.. treading lightly. [an urge to become a little breathless and anxious and fluttery-quick-to-it like a woman more than half her age. it is repressed but with effort: she manages dignity, though not rebuttal] "Good afternoon---"
She remembers himself [whatever has come over you, Nan?], a hand is extended. "Nanette Pierce, curator for the Historical Preservation Association. You heard right, but, well... at the moment..." Her eyes slip from him to those with him, seeking refuge more than out of curiosity really, though she finds the two with him rather, well... bland? No sooner is she looking back to Jarod than they've slipped from her immediate notice. "I suppose something might be arranged for you and your friends though we aren't really open yet, see, and, really, you might find it all so much more enjoyable when we're done fixing it up? Ah... Mister?"
Whether she consciously realizes it or not she's already moving back, beckoning Jarod [and, one supposes, Alex and Ashley] past the threshold with her movement, her stance, the subdued arch of a gesturing hand.
[McGowen] Jarod winks at her, and it's promptly met with an eyeroll. He's used to it by now: Ashley-speak for Don't look so damned pleased with yourself. The kind of expression that could have some contained affection, for all that it could be dismissive (and probably is, in a way.)
Other than the meeting with Lucien, this is the first opportunity she's had to see either Jarod or Alex in a more serious capacity. This isn't quite a crisis, but it is work, and one would be foolish to think that Ashley's casual demeanor means she isn't watching them. This, too, is much of how she forms opinions about the other people around her. About whether they're able to back up their words with Will.
She follows Jarod toward the house. She's not lurking, precisely, but behind a man like that, someone as blatantly small and ordinary as Ashley is quite easy to overlook. She's glad she doesn't have to offer up a name. Ashley hasn't stopped wrinkling her nose every time she offers forth the Sleeper name Molly's given her, grateful though she might be for the false identification.
[Alexander Liang] ((Just for the hell of it))
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Alexander Liang] Ashley hasn't known Alex very long, though she's almost certainly developed an impression of his personality over time. And any number of adjectives might be used to describe that impression - relaxed, amused, confident, focused, self-controlled.
So it might be somewhat interesting for her to note that he's currently slouching a bit, looking vaguely distracted and somewhat bored, and generally giving the impression that he has absolutely no interest in being here at all. Having moved into a position that puts the three of them into a rough triangle, he looks for all the world like he's only here because Jarod wants to be. And, of course, he's sycophantic enough to trail along, bored or not.
He doesn't say anything. Why risk throwing a wrench into the works when Jarod's already clearly doing well?
[Nightingale] Jarod behaved as if he didn't notice the woman's reaction (her blush, her momentary loss for words,) though of course it was precisely the kind of reaction he'd been aiming for. She introduced herself as she led them back into the house, and Jarod nodded before ascending the steps, offering his own in return. He could have lied, but she'd have been able to catch him easily enough, so he didn't. "Jarod Nightingale." He didn't explain why his name was important or if she ought to have heard of him. The assumption was that if she hadn't, then, well... she was simply out of touch. (Genuinely important people didn't need to assert their own importance.)
"Thank you. I never seem to have much time to spare for these things, so I'd just as soon take a look on my own time, you know? I have a bit of a personal interest in art and antiques and I heard that the previous owner had quite a collection. Besides, you look like you know what you're doing. Perhaps you can entertain us with some history?"
Everything about his demeanor suggested that he was interested, but not too interested. The way that people of his status often were. They liked to appear cultured without letting go of their air of aloof detachment.
He didn't attempt to introduce Ashley or Alex. They were with him, in whatever capacity. Clearly for the moment their role was unimportant (as far as Nanette was concerned.) And all the better to let them look around without being obvious. For his part, he followed along behind the curator, folding up his sunglasses and settling them neatly in his jacket pocket once they got inside.
[Arcanum] It takes a moment [more than a moment, really] for the older woman to place Jarod's name. She is dressed quite expensively and quite well, so she does have a care for fashion: But no particular interest in the models who act as living mannequins for clothing that will later drape the limbs of people with the suitable means. And it's doubtful that Jarod made a name in the sort of designer couture geared towards the older generation. What Nanette Pierce does have is ready knowledge of the who's-who of the cities elite: The ones able to dish out sizable donations to the Society, especially. And finally the tickle in her mind settles down, his name placed: Up and coming businessman with the commanding share in said endeavor.
Were it not for the name and the influence behind it, Nanette might well have pawned them off on someone else, while still allowing them their tour [after all, obviously this man was a 'Somebody']. Between the cool command and the dollar signs that dance over her head, she does deign to offer them a personal tour, conceding with [smug] grace that she is, indeed, well informed.
And so there is the tour: The first floor with its living spaces, dining room, enormous kitchen with period cabinetry, wall works and all manner of well-maintained turn-of-the-century finery. Fine silver cutlery and serving ware; pristine porcelain and exquisite china. Silver and gold frames around portraits, landscapes and still art. It's easy enough to see that the Historical Society had relatively little work to slave away on here: The home is already maintained much like a historic site, a lived-in museum. Their work here, Nanette explains, has largely involved cataloging, verifications and a few appraisals in the rare cases where documentation was missing or incomplete.
Up to the second floor: She speaks of the history of the home and its owners and particular items of interest. And if the trio themselves have a particular interest in such matters then the conversation isn't, at least, dull to the extreme. Neither has anything called to them: Neither in what Nanette has to say or the rooms they pass through, the objects and items observed. A few people come and go throughout the home, busy at their work [curious to see who's managed to get an early tour in]. The man and the woman seen outside the house earlier. Another man with an immaculately shaved head, black turtleneck and charcoal grey trousers: Fit him with a white undershirt and he's make a good stand in for Mr. Clean.
At one door their guide hesitates slightly... then shrugs, as is deciding something. [the trio are all young enough to no doubt be interested in such oddities] "This room is a bit out of place with the rest of the home, though no less of value and interest. It seems the late Fredericton had something of fascination with occult or mythological representations of the Feminine Divine. This is where he displayed his collection. Mostly statues and figured; iconographic jewelery. A few manuscripts and scrolls on various lore regarding female deities." Here she makes a sound one imagines is meant to be an amused titter, "Thankfully Mr. Fredericton was very thorough in cataloging and appraisals, I'm afraid none of this is my forte. Garret's been taking account of his room mostly..."
The words trail off [unlike her] as she moves into the room after them: A small room, appointed as a office as much as a place to display the items and finds Nanette spoke of. From the look of the desk [expensive as anything else in the home though with a look as though it was actually used on more than a rare occasion] it suggests that Fredericton spent some goodly amount of time in here.
[Alexander Liang] Alex trails along, for all the world looking like disinterested Eurotrash (or Amero-trash - it's not like anyone here's heard him talking yet). Just another spoiled rich kid, living off daddy's money, a hanger-on to Jarod like a moth drawn to the whiff of fame. Hell, those sunglasses are probably hiding eyes that show off a hangover of some kind.
Of course, what's really going on behind those sunglasses is eyes flickering back and forth as they walk, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Not that he necessarily expects to see anything. No, if they're going to find anything, it's probably going to have to be via means far beyond those employed by Nanette and her gaggle of worker ants.
If Lucien's hints and implications about fate or destiny were to be believed, Alex was supposed to be here. Which implies that Alex is supposed to find (or at least facilitate the finding of) the thing which is sought. But the annoying little man, for all he could supposedly see the ebb and flow of fate, never bothered elaborating. And Alex, while certainly a scholar of fate and probability himself (one almost has to be if one intends to be Shi-Ren), lacks the breadth of vision required to seriously examine the threads of the tapestry to any real degree.
Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. And maybe even a minor premonition or tug would be enough to make this entire scenario far more simple. And so it is that he begins to slow his breathing. In... out... in... out... almost like yoga. Calm... serene... open to feeling any disturbance or sense of the significant.
His concentration slips only slightly as Nanette describes the room she leads them into ("Where better to look for an object tied to a Chorister who loved a Cultist than a room full of religious artifacts?"), and he focuses even more. If what they were looking for was in this room, maybe it would be easier to find if it was MEANT to be found...
[Alexander Liang] ((Entropy effect - trying to sense the subtle vibrations of the threads of Fate, seeing if anything seems more blatantly destiny-laden than the other stuff))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 6, 9 (Success x 2 at target 4)
[McGowen] This is the kind of place Ashley might be in on an ordinary day - though, granted, she'd probably be in a place targeted toward people less wealthy than Jarod (she is far less wealthy than Jarod.) Thus, it becomes a little difficult for her to maintain focus on the task at hand sometimes, or at least to remember that they're there with a purpose in mind. Disciplined as her mind often is, it's generally the most disciplined when she turns it toward getting something she wants - which, when it happens to be all the world, leaves her torn in different directions.
Still, Ashley is trying to keep an eye out for anything that might look pertinent to what they're here for. Alex knows a bit more about it than she, but she tries not to shoot expectant glances in his direction.
Here: a room full of the occult and mythology, and who better to explore it than the resident Hermetic. Ashley turns a keen eye (well, she only has the one) toward the items in the room once they enter, still attuned to the threads of the Tellurian.
[Arcanum] [[Jarod Fate Check!]]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Nightingale] There was a fine art to bending the truth - to using it in such a way as to give a certain desired impression without ever actually having to lie. This was something that Jarod could be good at, and he'd employed it with Nanette in order to get them into the house. Stating that he held an interest in antiques was not explicitly false (there were many old things that he was very interested in indeed,) but in these particular circumstances, was a bit of a stretch. Under ordinary circumstances he'd probably find the tour, and Nanette's stories, more than a little dull. As it was though, his curiosity about this man was genuine enough that he didn't have to feign his interest. (And besides, there was a part of him that genuinely enjoyed these sorts of games - seeing how much information he could trick out of people. He did it often enough without even having a legitimate reason.)
And of course, he was his usual enigmatic-yet-charming self as he chatted with Nanette, doing his part to keep the focus on himself and not on the others. When they got to the room with the religious artifacts, he didn't give any outward indication that this was what he'd been hoping for (though certainly all three of them probably had a moment of: oh finally, something useful!) Instead he raised his eyebrows slightly and laughed. "The things you never know about people. Rather interesting though. I wouldn't mind taking a look."
And he followed Nanette inside when she opened the door, looking around with careful interest.
[First roll (more to follow) Per+Alertness, anything stick out?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 4, 6, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Nightingale] [Per+Aware - magic?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Nightingale] [Spirit Sight - diff 4 -1(focus)]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 5, 9 (Success x 2 at target 3) [WP]
[Alexander Liang] Alex sighs inwardly. Of course things couldn't possibly be as simple as he'd hoped they might be. After momentarily considering whether Nanette might be wearing the item they're looking for (maybe it's a locket, or a ring, and she palmed it at some point and is wearing it now?), he shrugs mentality and consigns himself to riding out whatever the intended pattern was supposed to be.
Hopefully, Jarod would continue to use his charm to draw out... whatever it was that might need drawing out.
Under other circumstances, Alex might instead hope for Ashley (and her Hermetic training) to notice something out of the ordinary, something mystical and occulty. But he suspects that the item they're looking for isn't necessarily magical at all. More symbolic than arcane.
Pausing for a moment to turn one of his deep breaths into a (fake) yawn, he keeps his breathing under control, his mind focused. Stilled. Like a pond, ready to sense whatever ripples might come.
If they pass some sort of threshold, hopefully he'll be able to notice it.
[Arcanum] Alertness: The first thing Jarod notices doesn't have to do with the room itself actually. But rather the woman, Nanette. And how her words trailed away and, he catches it, a brief moment where she looks... startled? Surprised? Confused? It is brief - but he is quick enough to follow where her eyes were set and is able to pick up on the fact that there's a space on a built-in bookshelf that looks as though there was perhaps a book end of some sort there: The book at the end is half fallen over, supported by one edge against the book shelf wall. And if he moves slightly he can see that there's a slight circle of discoloration on the shelf itself where something might have gone. It's also a dust free circle whereas the area around it and around the books has a fine, new-ish layer of it.
Awareness: Jarod barely feels this, but it's something for all that he can't quite grasp it fully. Majesty? It's a feel int he room though, a presence.
Spirit Sight: He makes out no distinctive presence of umbrood in the penumbra adjacent to this room, but he does make out a fraction of ephemeral miasma. Like some kind of spirit - or someone or something touched be a spirit? - recently passed through.
to Nightingale
[McGowen] Ashley's attention is jerked elsewhere, momentarily. Outward into the general feel of the room. She does notice the aura that's hanging around it, though she can't really draw either Alex's attention or Jarod's to it at this point in time. Not with Nanette there, with her suspicious Sleeper ears. Ashley isn't sure of how to frame things to make them seem mundane, so she doesn't try.
And instead her attention turns toward the objects in the room. She studies them idly, because it has occurred to her, too, that what is here might not be magical in nature at all. Fortunately she has a keen interest in symbols, too; she does, after all, have a decidedly artistic streak.
[Arcanum] Missed on Alertness: On the edge of the shelf - below where the slightly discolored/dust free circle is - he also notices that there's a bracket in place, the sort they've seen all over the home to hold information on assorted pieces on display. This one is empty, though, a blank sheet where the small label should be.
to Nightingale
[McGowen] [Alertness!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 5, 6, 6, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Nightingale] [Man+Subterfuge]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Nightingale] It stuck out at him almost immediately - mostly because of Nanette's reaction. His eyes rested on her a moment (contemplative - something is wrong) then followed her gaze to the spot on the shelf where a tipped book and a circle of absent dust marked the recent departure of a particular item. There was a very brief flicker of annoyance that crossed his face, during the span of a few seconds when Nanette wasn't looking in his direction. He shared it with Ashley and Alex, giving a flick of his eyes to the spot on the shelf that he was looking at so as to direct their attention there, if they hadn't yet noticed.
"Something wrong?" he asked, his voice sounding much more relaxed and easy-going than he felt. (No, this affair didn't concern him at all. He was just a curious bystander.)
[McGowen] [Int + Occult, Int specialty Abstract Concepts applies]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 7) Re-rolls: 2
[Arcanum] Something wrong?
Nanette smiles [a social smile: well practiced. it conceals with a veneer of social graces rather than bestowing real warmth] and shakes her head, "Wrong? Oh, no no." Waving a hand slightly with a jingle of the gold links of her pricey wristwatch. "In my profession you acquire something like secondary compulsive tendencies," self-deprecating without meaning it. She prides herself on her orderly ways; her trap of a mind when it comes to everything being 'just so'. "I noticed an item has been moved since I was last in here, nothing more. I'm sure it was moved for cleaning or reassessment. Perhaps when we're done here I can take you to the room we use: It's a lovely statuette of.. well, some goddess or another."
[Alexander Liang] His eyes flick towards the area in question, though he remains silent. If annoyed thoughts about being beaten to the object pass through his mind, they don't show on his face - perhaps another benefit of his deliberate state of focus. Ommmmmm...
For a moment, he does wonder whether or not the cult that seemed to enjoy the Sending's grace might have found the thing long before Lucien even arrived (and perhaps it's become a blind spot for him?). Or worse, if his connection to the spirit might actually have allowed it to feed him false info, getting him to send any potential opposition off on wild goose chases looking for things that aren't even where they're supposed to be.
Of course, the suspicious part of his mind suspects that the missing item in question might not even be the thing they're looking for. And hopes that they don't wind up chasing a false lead and missing the brass ring.
All of these thoughts flicker by in moments, however, and are banished almost immediately after, as they disturb the tranquility he's trying to achieve. No pond can reflect when it's filled with ripples, after all.
[McGowen] Something has moved: Ashley notices that even without Jarod's glance in the direction of that empty space, though she notices that the Verbena saw, too. She doesn't catch his eyes. She might otherwise have been tempted - Ashley, after all, is not as adept at hiding certain aspects of her behavior as the other two present - but she can at least be mindful of such things right now.
But she instead sees, with a sudden, intent gaze, how the cardinal points of the room are laid out. What is there, and what is Hidden. The sudden spike of fascination and curiosity (hunger) is almost laid bare, there in how her shoulders tense and how she has to keep control of herself in order to dash to the middle of the room right away.
She moves there gradually instead, drifting toward the center. Seeking out whatever remains.
[Nightingale] "Oh I know how that is," he grinned a knowing aside to Nanette. "I swear I'd notice if a single book was out of place, at home. Maybe we can talk to the other guy, too. What did you say his name was... Griffin?" (Of course he remembered perfectly well that she'd said Garret, but saying as much seemed to come off as a little too observant.)
There was a story to this room. Anyone could see that, even if they had no idea what any of it meant. Naturally a curious mind would want to know a bit more about it. (And the occult did so make for a good afternoon of fascinating entertainment.)
Jarod spared another quick glance at Ashley. (Casual, of course. Just a man keeping a loose eye on his companions.) She wasn't meeting his gaze though, so if there was anything he might have wanted to communicate with her, it wasn't going to happen in a subtle manner. So instead he continued his thought with Nanette. "Do you think you could get him?"
(Which would preferably result in her brief departure from their immediate vicinity.)
[Alexander Liang] ((Being completely oblivious to the Black Spiral about to wander in and disembowel him:))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 4, 6, 10 (Failure at target 7)
[Arcanum] "Garret?" Her smile falters slightly: All looks and arrogance and money and no mind for it. Oh, not that it means she has any intention of not continuing to cater to Jarod. Bored rich bachelor he may well be but rich and here and, well... no, Nanette knows how to pick her battles. She's not going up against this one, this... cat? [and because she is hardly all dried up inside she shivers slightly. adjusts the lay of her suit skirt over her hips.] "Mmm, yes, of course. Yes, we passed him downstairs, I'll just go find him."
The barest amount of hesitancy. An old habit and she's no fool, really. Well, not as much as others. But ultimately, well, ultimately Nanette never had a chance against the likes of Jarod Nightingale so off she goes with her graceful [well placed] smile and a nod that barely includes the other two.
[Alexander Liang] Crap. Crap crap crap crap crap.
A frown as Jarod is trying to send Nanette on her way, the better to pillage the room while her back is turned. And while Nanette is focused on Jarod, Alex does his best to catch Ashley's eyeline and makes a quick hand-gesture back towards the hallway.
God, how much easier this sort of thing would be if any of these savages knew a proper subtle hand-signal language.
And then Nanette is heading for the door, and Alex speaks for the first time, sounding almost plaintative. "Umm... is there any chance... you know... " He shrugs. "Are there any bathrooms around here I can use?"
[McGowen] [Eh?]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 1 at target 8)
[Arcanum] Nanette pauses [Alex feels the sense still, moving, though Nanette stands still.] and looks towards Alexander, really looks at him for perhaps the first time. It doesn't last long: He is well dressed and handsome, why shouldn't he be with someone like Nightingale? So she nods, "Yes, ah, of course," slightly put off [uncouth rich bachelors, les sigh] but recovering, "Just down the hall and to the left. The door with ivy carvings around the mantle."
[a roll of the dice. spin of the wheel.
or, no, is Alex more a statistics man?]
[McGowen] [Grargh. Stupid body language. What are you saying, Alex? Mind 3, -1 for focus, -1 for practiced rote. 1 sux for effect, 1 for duration, 2 to include Jarod and Alex, 1 to dampen resonance. Will extend if necessary, adding WP.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 5, 10 (Success x 1 at target 4) [WP]
[McGowen] [Augh, that was pathetic. +1.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 10 (Success x 3 at target 5) [WP]
[McGowen] [And once more...]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 4 at target 5) [WP]
[McGowen] Alex catches her eye. There's something in it that suggests the look ought to be meaningful, though more than that Ashley isn't sure. He gestures back toward the hallway, like they ought to be headed that way, but...
Ashley casts a lingering (longing) glance toward the floorboards, loathe to leave behind whatever is hidden beneath. Loathe to give in to whatever Alex might be worried about. She holds his eyes for a moment, enough to indicate that she understood him...
And then doesn't move. Ashley leans against the wall near the window, idly reaching up toward her collar as though to toy with a necklace. Apparently whatever interest she's had in the place has suddenly run out.
Of course, Jarod and Alex will realize that it has not; they'll feel the Hermetic's consciousness pressing in against their own within seconds. It's like being swallowed and pulled into the ocean's depths, it's like being devoured by flame, it's like being seized in a pair of jaws and held there, vicelike. It's not a friendly presence. It's not a particularly threatening one, either - not as long as one is at least moderately well acquainted with Ashley, at least.
[Nightingale] He wasn't surprised to note the slight disapproval in Nanette's faltering smile when he pretended to forget the name of her colleague. But that was part of the game - keeping his interest casual enough not to set off any red flags if anyone were to come asking questions later. Unlike Ashley and Alex, he'd given a name. He was attached to this. He could not simply wander off and disappear from memory. (Such was always the inevitable outcome of his getting involved in these things. Which explained, in part, why he so seldom did.)
But just as he'd hoped, Nanette did indeed leave them alone for a moment. At which point he turned to glance at Ashley, and he might have said something to her, but then he saw her touch her necklace, and instead he occupied himself by doing what people usually did in these situations - ambling around the room and looking at things.
[Alexander Liang] He's nodding and smiling somewhat politely as she gestures him down the hall, and off he goes, happily on his way to answer the call of the wild, bored simpleton that he is.
...or, at least, that's what he wants her to assume. After a short moment of assessment in the hall (damndamndamndamndamn), he's changed direction and is trailing after her, staying far enough behind so she doesn't notice him, but close enough that he doesn't lose her. Though honestly, he's almost not following her at all, as much as he's following that phantom, ethereal sense that something fairly important is just waiting to take place somewhere nearby.
He's not necessarily trying to be surreptitious (because, let's be honest, that's pretty much the most suspicious behavior you can ever attempt when sneaking around somewhere). Instead, he's relying on the fact that anyone he might bump into may have already seen him with Nanette, and hey, he's totally acting like he belongs here, so he must belong here, right? Hopefully, however, no one will notice him at all, and he won't have to resort to an embarrassed apology about how he got lost on the way back from the bathroom.
Idly, another thought occurs to him as he drifts along, though he puts it out of his head shortly after. For a moment, he had a potentially workable method for absconding with the thing if he finds it. A pity there's probably too many complications for that particular plan to work.
[McGowen] There are complications. Ashley thus far is not aware of them - though she's probably about to become so. The moment her effect completes itself, encircling around the other two magi present, they know it. Ashley is skilled enough to maintain some distance in the connection: she isn't sure how Jarod will take to it, and she doesn't know Alex very well. So what emotions they get from her are whispered things, flashes beneath the surface.
What is it? The words shape themselves primarily in Alex's mind. Two-toned, somehow: there's something beneath Ashley's "voice," something resonant. Sibilant, almost.
Someone used to Work here. It's lingering. And I think whatever we're looking for is hidden here in the middle of the floor. This style of communication is much more complex than speaking: at once they receive flashes of insight, the feel of some kind of magic that's seeped into the room, the objects located at each of the room's cardinal points. Attention paid to the tryptich at one end. A burning sense of curiosity.
[Nightingale] There's some spiritual residue in here, as well, Jarod added his thoughts to the mix once the link was established. Either a spirit passed through here, or someone who'd been touched by a spirit. It may or may not have been pertinent to their current mission, but he conveyed it anyway. From the look of things (and given everything that Ashley had found) the deceased former owner of this place had been one of them.
Do you know what it is? he asked Ashley, of the object in the floor.
[Arcanum] Nanette makes her way down the open hall/loft that leads to the likewise open, decently broad stairs that leads downward into the first floor foyer. Alex is moving along behind her, but for a moment or so she's out of view unless he keeps right on her heels. It's still enough to hear her when she speaks up though,
"Oh, Garret, good, I was just looking for you," her tone is controlled but tight at the edges.
"Oh?" a mans voice, a pleasant baritone but.. brisk.
"I still can't understand why you'd shave your head. Really, a man your age." It's the Nanette Jarod and Co have been spared, "Never mind. Jarod Nightingale is upstairs with some friends: He happened by and wanted a tour out of interest," cha-ching! Donations! "They are interested in the Goddess room -- which is missing the alabaster statuette: Did you remove it?"
"What? No, of course--"
Nanette suddenly cuts in again, "Are you going somewhere?" slight slips of annoyance. "I don't remember you mentioning taking a half day and Mr. Nightingale would like to speak to you--"
"Some other time, Nan. Tell him I'll be happy to make an appointment at a later date."
"I don't think--"
"I'm running late, Nan." Brisk... clipped. Something more.
[Alexander Liang] When Ashley makes her connection to Alex, she feels a trickle of impressions bleeding through (no door swings only one way, after all). A strong sense of concentration, and self-control. Something that it wouldn't necessarily be accurate to call serenity or tranquility, but a similar sort of stillness, without the implications of emotional well-being or inner harmony. It is not necessarily a sense of all things balanced, as much as all things turned towards a singular focus.
Something else comes through the connection, so faintly as if to leave her wondering if she even really felt it at all. A tug, a whisper, a scent. A sense that something very important is going to happen very soon, and not in the room that Ashley is currently standing in.
"I have a very bad feeling that your spirit-touched friend has already strolled out of the room with what we're looking for and is currently getting ready to make a run for it. Whatever's in the floor might be magic, but I don't think it's what we're here for." There's a pause, and Ashley can sense a touch of amusement. "Though if you want to come back another time and start pulling up floorboards, I'm sure it would make a lovely knick-knack for any budding occultist's collection."
And, without further ado, Alex starts trying to mentally map what he's seen of the house so far, and figure out whether or not Garret would be able to get to a door and be on the move before Alex can potentially "accost" him. The fact that his little mental floorplan exercises come across the mental connection fairly clearly is not entirely coincidental.
[McGowen] There's another glance toward the floorboards, and she doesn't say it, but Alex can still sense the regret: it might be gone by the time they have a chance to return. It's not so much that she wants to possess the object; it's that she wants, very badly, to know what it is. Because it's hidden, because that knowledge of it is something she does not currently have.
Then what we're here for isn't here? A beat. She can't see the spirit; she doesn't even know what it is. Wouldn't even have known it was here, if Jarod hadn't said something. Can we even do anything about the spirit?
[Arcanum] Nanette and Garret's voices are coming from approximately beneath where the second floor loft/hall juts out. This means that the man is equidistant - roughly - to both the front and back door. Both easily accessed within less than a minute at a brisk walk or sprint.
[Alexander Liang] The good news is that Nanette is arguing with him and he is arguing back - or so is how it sounds, both of "Pretty sure it's here, but being stolen as we speak. I think our friend Garret had a religious conversion recently." Pause, and there's a sense that he's considering the situation. "But I don't think tackling him and trying to shake it out of him right now would be the best of ideas, unless Jarod is no longer fond of his reputation. Plus it would probably ruin his budding relationship with Nanette." their voices have dropped but both sound tense, Nanette's near to hisses - not just bolting.
[Nightingale] Whatever it was, it was already gone when we got in here. There was a pause as he considered the information that Alex was relaying to them. Might have been Garret, then. I'm going to go down there and talk to them. We'll want to keep him in sight if he's got what we're here for.
And with that, Jarod left the room and made his way downstairs, affecting an air of mild annoyance. The sort that important people always seemed to have when they felt as though someone was wasting their time.
"Did I interrupt something?" he asked somewhat pointedly, arching a brow and looking at the two as if they were a pair of retail workers who'd just sneaked off to gossip in a corner rather than tending to customers.
[Also, App + Intim +3(from effect)]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 4)
[McGowen] If you can get something from him, I can use it to track him later, Ashley suggests, with one last longing gaze toward the floor. After that she'll set after the other two, looking like she's just realized she was left alone and should be getting back to the group.
[Arcanum] As Jarod approaches Garret and Nanette they both straighten.. back away slightly from each other [from what seems like a glaring competition] and their 'conversation' drops abruptly. But while Nanette caved quite easily in response to Jarod's aura, Garret doesn't seem as inclined [though certainly he feels the same pull, if in a different manner than the older woman]. Indeed, he tenses at the sight of the stunning Asian man, his lips pressing together, his neck shifting beneath the turtleneck cuff.
And shakes his head, "Not at all. I was just leaving. Good day."
And turns [stiff, but quick], Nanette's eyes going wide, "Garret!" then darting to Jarod as Garret walks [quick stride, it's near to a trot] for the door. "Mr. Nightingale, I'm so sorry about this, it seems a family matter has come up and Garret really must leave--" she'll go on about setting up an appointment for a latter date if left to do so.
Unless someone attempts to stop him, the man is leaving and quickly.
-----------
[[-1 WP for Garret]]
[Nightingale] [Awareness on Garret - just to see if there's anything he can pick up!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Arcanum] There's a dual sense to Garret: There's the Spirit impression Jarod felt before, but stronger. Need. It isn't absolute and Jarod sees no actual Spirit activity. It's a sense of a mark, of prior - and potent - contact with a Spirit. Need. Desperation. Wishes. Whispers of things Jarod has felt before embodied in a 'woman' who brought all sorts of trouble in her wake.
The other sense is also still subtle but just slightly stronger than it was upstairs: Majesty.
to Nightingale
[Alexander Liang] "Not at all. I was just leaving..."
Oh no you don't.
Sometimes, you have to know when to take a chance. And honestly, Alex wasn't incredibly emotionally invested in this whole fiasco in the first place. So if he's wrong, he's wrong. And if he's not, well, the risk will pay off.
Speed is of the essence. So he makes a move towards the door that will get him outside without being seen. Because if Garret has the thing, and he gets outside, and either makes it more than a few blocks away or gets into a car and peels out, it's going to become so much harder to catch him. And Alex has a very bad suspicion that Garret would run directly to the spirit, making this whole thing a total wash. If he's lucky, the fading sense of importance he was picking up from the object (or the man, or the man and object together) would hold long enough so that he wouldn't completely lose him by going out the wrong door and then heading left when he should have gone right (or vice-versa).
And, of course, if this doesn't work, hopefully Jarod or Ashley will be able to do something to stop him before he gets away.
[McGowen] [Dex + Ath]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]
[Alexander Liang] ((Dex+Ath, release the hounds!))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 6 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]
[Nightingale] He's definitely the one who took the object, Jarod relayed with a sense of renewed certainty, though by now Alex had already assumed as much through a combination of logical deduction and Entropic senses. But their target was heading quickly on his way out, and Jarod was left in the somewhat frustrating position of having to pretend that he didn't really give a shit about the man and was only irked because he'd been made to wait.
And there really was no good way to go after him without being obvious about it, at this point, which left that particular task to the others. It wasn't something he liked to do - trusting other people to get things done. Usually he avoided that. But the situation was what it was, and Ashley at least was a capable person. Hopefully Alex was as well.
"It's fine," he responded, dismissively, to Nanette's apology. "I should probably be going anyway. I have a dinner date to get to. Why don't you show me what your schedule looks like and we can set up another appointment."
His gaze flicked toward Garret for a moment, watching him walk off. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked after him. "You look familiar." Which would, hopefully, at least have the effect of slowing the man's progress for a couple of seconds while he responded.
[McGowen] Nanette presents a problem, and one Ashley isn't quite sure of how to get around. Attacking a man in the middle of the day in a residential area - well, given that the Technocracy knows there's an escaped Adept wandering around town, it isn't the most prudent course of action for her. Her inner debate, the quick analysis and weighing of pros and cons and risks and gains, is evident to the other two.
Pull something from him. I'll hunt him down, is the parting shot to Alex, before the Akashic disappears into the sun room. Speed is of the essence, and while Ashley might be nimble she's not particularly athletically inclined. Particularly not while wearing a suit. Somehow, though, she manages, and
She trusts Nanette to Jarod and takes off after him through the sunroom - certain now, at least, that the man should be stopped. Ashley could seize his mind, of course, but, mindful of the area, her focus shifts instead to the damp grass. Sprinkler system. The thought is quick: it's a trick she's borrowing from Bran Summers, but she doubts the Flambeau will mind much.
The grass doesn't change to outside eyes, but there's a place where she Wills away the friction, scrubs at it until that place, right where he's about to walk, is smooth and slick as glass. He won't be on his feet for very long. But wet grass is damned slippery, after all.
Hopefully it will leave Alex time to catch him.
[Forces 2, -1 for focus, -1 for practiced rote. Spending WP.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 7 (Success x 4 at target 3) [WP]
[Arcanum] Nanette is flustered. Normally pulling herself together again would prove easy enough: Calm under pressure, or at least able to appear so when needed. But Jarod has more going for him [against him?] than just the aura of cool glamour that renders him so hard to deny. It keeps her from recovering as smoothly as she'd like and, well, truth be told there's a visible touch of relief when he announces that he must be going.
Jarod calls a question to Garret... who barely looks over his shoulder before letting the back door close behind him: "Not until today, sir." Tight voiced: Maybe Jarod can even make out the sheen of sweat on the mans shiny bald head. Effort expended to walk away and already nervous as it is. [who knows the value of the item he's walking away with?]
Outside:
Alex is fast to the door the sunroom, making it out there just after Garret walks by. A brisk pace but still not a run and, for now [Arcane is a blessing at times like this] Garret remains unaware of Alex unless he hurls open the door or some such. Ashley is soon behind him while Alex moves on and...
...Garret slips with a sound very much like a squeak, all the stranger coming from a grown man of his size and build. Down on his ass now with grass stains that'll just ruin his trousers, he's looking up and around himself, now showing a first sign of open paranoia. Spotting Alex and cursing under his breath he tries to get his footing but still he slips... it'll take him a moment to try rolling away from where he fell and getting up from there where the ground doesn't seem as utterly slick.
[Alexander Liang] Paranoia. His emotions are obvious, and they spoil any real opportunity to try and pretend to be a concerned citizen and palm something under the guise of helping him back to his feet. And quite frankly, Alex isn't confident in his ability to "pickpocket" the man anyway.
So - direct approach. Defaulting to Ashley's mentally projected command, Alex focuses quickly on what might make a useful target to grab while rushing over to him. And even if he can't grab something, simply making the attempt might slow him down enough for Ashley to catch up, to make her own grab (or just to punch the guy)
Fortunately, Garret didn't see either Ashley or Alex come in with Jarod, didn't hear Jarod introduce himself. Garret also has very compelling reasons not to tell anyone they were involved even if they DO beat the holy hell out of him.
And so it is that Alex lunges forward, trying to grab the strap of his bag while he's still thrashing around on the ground and completely off-balance. Ideally, Alex snags the bag. Really ideally, Alex snags the bag and the thing they're looking for is inside it. And even moderately acceptable would be grabbing the bag and having things turn into a tug-of-war over it...
[Alexander Liang] ((Here's the climatic purse-snatching that may save the city. MAY THE ANCIENT CHINESE GODS SMILE UPON US!))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 5, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 7) [WP]
[McGowen] Alex grabs the man's bag. There's a momentary flicker of concern from Ashley - Jarod, after all, hasn't managed to conceal himself the way either she or Alex have - but it's too late now. It isn't a thought she would even bother to spare for most other people, and she doesn't linger on it long with him either.
Once Alex has the bag, Ashley makes herself scarce. They can track him later, if what they require isn't in it, and she doesn't know what kind of help he might have. Or what kind of friends he might have elsewhere.
Better take a look at it somewhere else. And with an indicator to Jarod that they have what they need, that he probably shouldn't stick around for very long (there's a slight note of urgency there), Ashley makes her way off.
[Nightingale] Ashley had a flicker of concern. Jarod's own thoughts on the matter were a bit more obvious. There was a surge of anger - disapproving and frustrated and worried all at once - that both of his companions would feel echoing in their minds. Be careful! And then, more specifically to Alex. If anyone identifies you and links you back to me, I will kick your fucking ass.
Well, in a metaphorical sort of way, perhaps. Jarod didn't really seem like the ass-kicking type. More like the I'll fuck your sister and orchestrate a hostile takeover of your workplace just to fire you type. (Or something along that line of thought, anyway.)
But of course, Nanette wouldn't know about any of this. As far as she was concerned, they were having a polite discussion about scheduling a follow-up visit. Which Jarod did his best to prolong without seeming obvious about it, searching through the calendar on his smartphone and checking off dates that wouldn't work. Whenever the coast was clear, he'd say his goodbyes to the curator and make his way outside. Presumably to meet up with his companions somewhere, after they'd gotten what they needed from Garret.
