New Orleans by Night: The Stroke of Midnight

[Dark Silver]

French Quarter, New Orleans
Saturday, Febuary 12, 2011
05:30 pm


Evening settles within the ancient, narrow streets of the French Quarter, as tourist begin to flock into them. The people mill about, visiting the various shops which open only in the evening hours. Slowly, the tourist and those who live for the nightlife of the city make their way towards Bourbon Street, to partake of the veritable party atmosphere which permeates the street when the sun goes down.

Jackson Square empties of the artist who open small booths along the sidewalk and cobblestone surrounding the ancient church and it's wrought iron fenced courtyard - in their place, a entirely different type of artist takes their place - readers of tarot cards and other fortune telling devices, street gamesters, and performers.

Throughout the Quarter, the more elegenat and respectable shops close - the collections of antique paintings and statuary, furniture shops and others close and bar their doors, metal gates sliding from hidden shutters closed over the windows to prevent break-ins.

It promises to be a chill evening, this night in New Orleans, but the sky holds not a single cloud, and the moon promises to shine brightly over the languid city by the River....

[Dark Silver]

Hermetica Esoterica - Purveyors of Antique and Used Books
Corner of Chartres and Toulouse Street
French Quarter, New Orleans

There had been few customers that day - on the best days the Hermetica Esoterica drew in a small amount of clientele, and today there were less than normal. That settled fine with the shop keep - the store did little business, but the business it did was enough in the few sales it did do to cover expenses, and the meager needs of the owner.

Normally, he would be open for a few more hours yet, before closing the door and locking up. But tonight, he was expecting. With practiced ease and routine, he shuttered the windows, locked the main door, and dimmed the lights, leaving only the one behind the counter. He was expecting guests tonight, the messages were sent out much earlier that day - all he had to do was wait for them to arrive.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson set his go-cup with its Marie Laveau's Voodoo Bar logo on it down on the table. It was only mid-February and the nights were still chilly, as evidenced by the people wandering by in their jackets and coats. Zipping his own leather jacket up higher around him he reached back and pulled the end of his ponytail out from beneath the collar. He picked up his Tarot deck and shuffled it a few times before taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out. He started dealing the cards out one at a time, six cards in a straight line face up. Temperance reversed, the queen of swords, two of wands, 5 of pentacles, 10 of swords, 9 of cups. He started reading the cards, frowning as he did. He could expect upcoming discord today, and an unexpected bitter woman, along with vague promises of a payoff if he stayed determined enough and pushed through it, though there would be some depressing events in the meantime. He kept staring at the cards, pondering their implications when a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Shouldn't you be over in the square with the rest of the con men?"

He blinked and looked up at the woman who was talking to him. She was attractive enough, about 5'5" with a small runners build and short cut brown hair. She looked down at him with a vague air of disgust. Maybe it was the attitude she gave off, maybe it was the way she emphasized the word men, maybe it was the way she held her own go-cup, sloshing it as she moved with her words. Discord and an angry woman already. Maybe it was the fact that she had passed up a fairly well known female card reader just two tables down. Hell, he didn't even need magick to read her, it was so damned clear she might as well have worn a shirt saying pissed off with men. She was obviously a few drinks in and by what clothes he could see under her coat she was dressed for a club. If he had to guess she went out looking for a man for something and either hadn't come up lucky or had driven all would-be suitors away with her attitude.
"Now, cher," he began, giving her a wide innocent smile. "Why you wanna think dat I be some con-man? Jus cause I be out here wit de's here cards?"
"So, what, you some kind of fortune teller then?"
"Sometimes."
"Huh. And I bet you wanna get paid for ripping people off."
"I dun try to do nothin' of the sort, cher, when readin da cards. I only tell you what da cards tell me. And normally I like to make a few dollars off mah services, but for you, cher? I make an exception. I see you be in a hurry and all so I do you a quick reading and you dun have to pay me a thing. How be that?"
"Uh huh. Whatever. Not like that junk works anyway."

Jax simply smiled up at her and collected the cards already on the table and began to shuffle the deck. He then passed the deck over to her and asked her to cut it however she liked. She took them, snorted and cut the deck before handing it back to him.
"Alright, cher, we gonna do a simple spread here. Five cards. The first," he said as he flipped over the top card. "is your past. The Knight of Cups reversed. You have trouble with your man at home, no? Maybe dat why you be out here tonight?"
He flipped the second card.
"Your present. The fool, reversed. You have a decision to make, but you're being indecisive about it. And now you not so sure coming out here tonight was the best idea. Not exactly what you were looking for, no? Now lets see what it is that is gonna be affecting you. Things you may not be knowin' about."
He flipped the third card. The devil reversed. Three reversed cards, not great signs.
"Tha devil. Indulgence in things that aren't always tha best for us. With it like this though upside down, it means that those indulgences aint necessarily gonna work out for tha betta."
He looked up at her. She was swaying a bit as she took another drink of whatever was in her cup. Her eyes were a bit distant and not completely focusing. He wasn't sure she was even really paying attention to what he was saying. He mentally shrugged and turned over the fourth card. The five of pentacles.
"Some advice to keep in mind. Dun give up so easily. You may be feelin depressed and lost but you're gonna need to try to work through your problem instead of runnin' from it. And finally your outcome."
He turned over the final card, laying out out before her. The nine of swords. He looked up at her again.
"You want some advice, cher? Put your cup down and walk away. Go home to your beau and you work things out. It be better off for you, no? I don't think you wanna stay out here no more."
"What's the last card mean?"
"Don't worry bout it. It aint important. After all, dis all fake, right?"
"Just tell me."
"It don't be good. Wit tha rest of your cards, cher, it say bad things happen and I think they gonna happen if you keep on wit what you doin out here tonight. So go home, sleep it off and things be better in da morning, no?"
"Whatever, asshole. Fuckin' loser, fuck you."

She took another deep drink from her cup before storming off. He watched her walk off, sighing. People don't listen. But they never did anymore. He could tell them they'd win the lottery tomorrow and they'd laugh at him. She quickly became lost in the crowd as he turned back to the table and began to gather up the cards. Was it going to be worth it to stay out here tonight? He took another drink from his cup and began to shuffle the cards again, thinking about heading over to the square proper to set up and see if he could make some cash. A moment later he heard the sound of tires squealing and brakes screeching. He looked up towards the street and the noise to see a car slamming on brakes as it plowed into someone who wandered into the street not paying attention. He caught a glimpse of the figure, a woman, as she tumbled over the roof of the car and into the street behind it. The woman he had just finished the reading for a few minutes ago. Already he could hear the screams of people, the yells for someone to call 911, to get an ambulance.

Jaxson stood up from the table and picked up his cards, sticking them in a small bag that he dropped into a pocket on his backpack. He walked away from the table, leaving his cup behind, already fishing the keys to his bike from his jacket. Yeah, it wasn't going to be worth it. Besides, the old man would want to see him soon anyway. He hadn't stopped by for his regular 'lessons' that week.

[LadyTevar]

At lot of things might be said about the NOPD, but the cops and ambulance do show up fast in the French Quarter. They have to protect the Tourists, after all. It was clear that there was nothing a hospital could do for the woman, and thus the police quickly and efficiently roped off the scene and started talking to witnesses while waiting for the Coroner to come fetch the body.

The low, dark wagon pulled though the crowds, waved forward by policemen. Two men got out, one starting to talk to the police in charge while the other walked to the back and opened it up to pull the stretcher out. "YAAAIII!! Dammit Allyson, Don't Do that!!"

The driver immediately started cracking up in front of the cop, knowing exactly who was in the back of the death-wagon, because he was the one she asked for a ride down here.

With a cheerful grin that was far too happy for the situation, Allyson Pauley pulled herself the rest of the way off the gurney and got to her feet. "Don't be such a wimp, Wes," she said teasingly. She was as tall as him, thanks to the high-heeled boots she wore over striped tights under a short school-girl kilt, topped by a babydoll tee that fit all the curves. "I'm meeting friends down here, so I asked Biggs for a ride." She looked at Wes's face and pouted. "Awww... do you need a hug to make up for it?"

Wes blushed eight shades of red and walked away, leaving Ally giggling to herself. Flicking her black-dyed twin braids back over her shoulder, she walked over to Biggs, smiling and waving cheerfully at the cops she knew. "Thanks for the ride, Biggs."

"No problem, ma cher. But dis ones gonna be all yours tomorrow."

"Oh goodie... always nice to know who's on the slab in the morning," Ally replied casually, finally looking over the scene where Wes was already starting the investigation process. "Nasty.. What happened?" The cop rolled his eyes, but at Biggs' nod gave a basic rundown -- woman walked out in the road, seemingly not paying attention. The few witnesses think she had a cup in her hand.

"Ok, Biggs, I'll need blood and tissue samples for tox screen, then. If you can get those for me tonight before anything vanishes, I'll do the autopsy first thing tomorrow."
"Sure thing, cher. You wantin ta sign this one off now?"
"Nah, let Wes do it, he's doing all the work." She gave Biggs a one-armed hug. "I gotta go, can't keep them waiting."
"Have fun, Ally."
"I will. Bye Wes! Bye Guys!" and the happiest goth loli in the world flouced away down the street towards a certain bookstore.

Wes walked over with a frown. "She's like one of the Addams Family," he muttered. This wasn't the first time Ally had played tricks on him.
Biggs laughed. "Jus watch out when she starts speakin' French. She might give you le petite morte." Wes frowned as the cop cracked up. "Come, Wes, let's go get this one to the morgue, an' next time remember if you smile more, she teases less."

[Dark Silver]

The other messengers had finished their errands earlier in the day, this poor messenger though, had not been able to locate the intended recipient.

This would have vexed most others, but the messenger knew the proclivities of it's target, and waited along the Jaxson's usual haunts, and just as the young Orphan began to pack up....it approached.

It drew no real attention to itself, from a distance, it looked like any other human being dressed for the New Orleans winter, it wasn't until it was near Jaxson, in close proximity that the differences were obvious. The voice was like something out of a crypt, and looking into it's eyes revealed them empty, black holes in the barely visible head.

"Your presence is requested, Master Jaxson. At the usual time and place..."

With the message delivered, without awaiting a reply, he messenger walked off, took a turn down one of the alley ways of the quarter, and disappeared.

[SirNitram]

Twilight had ended. With the end of the holy time of Setting Sun, Sleeps-On-Rocks slipped into the water and into the half-flooded mansion. Stepping out the front door, a few minutes later, came Eddie. He was shorter than some, with mediterranian features.. And that nose. Some would know to say Roman nose. Few, though. He started walking towards the Usual Place, as expected of him.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson had just finished fishing his keys out of his pocket and was getting ready to start walking towards where he had parked his bike in a lot up the street. Reaching down to grab his pack the 'man' approached him. He was getting ready to tell the man that he was done reading cards for tonight, to find someone else when he really looked at 'him.' He felt a small shudder rise up his spine as it opened its mouth to speak. He knew a little bit about the real things out there that went bump in the night in the city, the hidden world around him. And even knowing it was real he couldn't help but feel that tingle of unease from this thing. It, quite frankly, gave him the fucking creeps. It had paused just long enough to address him before moving on again, disappearing around a corner.
"Your presence is requested, Master Jaxson. At the usual time and place..."

Jaxson stopped where he was and repressed another shudder. If he was going to be driving anytime soon, he decided, he was going to need some coffee. The last thing he needed was to get hit with a DUI and have his bike impounded by one of the cops prowling the streets nearby. Fortunately the square was also home to Cafe du Monde, a 24/7 coffee house that served a pretty damned good cup. He figured he had time to grab some coffee before hitting the road to help him sober up some. One good strong cup and he'd be as sober as a judge again.

Unfortunately, however, getting to the coffee house required him to push his way through the growing crowd of onlookers that were gathering around the scene of the accident. Something he didn't really enjoy the prospect of. Dropping his keys into his jacket pocket again, he zipped it up, grabbed his backpack and clutched it to his chest as he turned to advance towards the crowd. Less chance of someone trying to pickpocket him if everything was in his bag and it was in front of him. Most people would have thought negatively towards his generally dim view of humanity but hey, he was out here on a regular basis fleecing tourists of their hard earned dollars in fixed shell games and hands of three-card Monte so he knew full well what type of people were around him. He was those type of people.

[Jans]

"Thanks for switching shifts with me man, you're a real life saver."

Cole shot a quick grin at the man who had just appeared from the back and used the opportunity to give the bottle he was pouring a few whirls. The patrons ooh'd and ah'd appreciatively at the fairly simple trick. It wasn't much, just a bit of slight of hand while his eyes were off the target, but any show was still a show.

"My pleasure Nick, needed the night off anyway. Going to finish up here and head down to the Quarter."

Some of the more shameless customers made noises of protest at this declaration. A few even went so far as to complain about how Nick must be watering the drinks down, but a quick roll of the eyes in their direction quieted the complaints.

With the last of the drinks served, Cole nods to the crowd and his coworker before heading for the back. He had places to be tonight and people to see, not that he necessarily wanted either. A frown quirks across his face at that thought. The bookstore... he didn’t know what to think about this occasion. Surprising indeed for one who prided himself on an orderly mental process.

He had always known that the other Mages in the city had had help weathering the storm as well as they did, but had never met the old man himself. It was less that he was avoiding the Chantries and other trappings of the Traditions and more... ennui. The creeping feeling of having no purpose, instead of active dismissal. He had been growing more apathetic over the past year or so, and receiving the message had been like a splash of cold water to the face.

He had worried at it all day, ran his duties on autopilot while his main attention was taken up by the problem it presented. Not the message itself, but how much it had made him realize just how stagnant he had become.

A shudder ran down his back. Stagnation might not lead directly to death, but there were worse things out there.

He shrugged on his jacket and spent a moment to adjust the plates. The pistols came next, belted high so they were within reach but far enough back that they wouldn’t be noticed at a glance. He had kept his knife in his pocket for the day shift, but transferred it to his coat for ease of access. Probably unnecessary, but he was a bit too disturbed by the day’s revelations to feel comfortable without it on hand. His prayer beads...

For a moment, Cole simply passed the beads through his fingers. He takes the time to feel each individual bead, and caress the feathers which had been interspaced seemingly at random. They hadn’t been, but that was one of the many intricacies of the piece that made it so personal. It anchored him. Kept him focused. Let him know what was reality and what was just a fleeting dream. While he held it, this was more than just a curiosity or an implement of faith. He could change the world.

Cole blinks, shaking himself from his daze.

He had places to be now, and with any luck the bad times were behind him. A grin, one that bore no resemblance to the cheerful things he had flashed around just minutes ago, slid across his face. Funny, he thought, how his definition of the bad times were so very different from everyone else’s. He knew, he had checked.

With a final pat to make sure everything was in its proper place, Cole left the bar and headed into the night. The beads were securely wrapped around his wrist.

--------------------------------------------

One didn’t need to be able to read minds to follow the mood of a crowd. It helped to be just one more face, some guy aimlessly wandering the Quarter while munching on his Po’boy. Deja Vu was less interesting at this time of night than it was at two in the morning, but the price was right and the food was good. It was on the way too, and he enjoyed meandering through the crowds whenever he was in the area. Fortunately, from what people were saying it sounded like tonight’s grim entertainment was down by the Market. He could simply follow the flow of traffic and be on time.

[LadyTevar]

There were Rules when one went to French Quarter, and the main one was Always Stop at Cafe du Monde.
At least, that's what Allyson always told everyone who asked her. It was totally not because she (like many other natives) was addicted to their cafe au lait. Ally also always bought extra: one for Prof. Steele, and the other for Rumor, because he was totally adorable.

As always the main shop was busy, not even a car crash could change that, so Ally was loitering outside waiting for her turn to get inside while indulging in her favorite hobby of Crowdwatching.

It was like Trainspotting, but more fun.

[B4UTRUST]

Jax started to shoulder his way through the wall of onlookers that had gathered to stare at the scene of the accident.
'The accident you caused,' came the voice inside.
"Shut up," Jax replied out loud.
'Hey, just being truthful. You're responsible you know. You're the one who killed her.'
"I didn't kill her! She made her own choices."
'You read her cards. She didn't neccessarily ask you to. You took up her time to do it. What if she hadn't have had that reading. She might have crossed earlier with no traffic and gotten across safely. You're the one who held her up. You took up her time. So in a way it's really your fault.'
"It wasn't my fault. She made her own choices. If she had listened to my advice she wouldn't have gotten hit."
'But she wasn't going to listen to your advice. You know that. They never listen to your advice. They can't listen to your advice. Look at your track record. Not really having much luck are you? How many deaths in the last year?'
"I didn't kill any of those other people. You know that."
'Y'know, talking to yourself all out in the open like this? Surrounded by all these people and cops? They're probably looking at you like you're some kind of crazy person.'
"Dammit, I am not crazy."
'Says the crazy person saying he's not crazy out loud while holding a conversation with a voice only he can hear.'
"You suck, you know that?"
'Uh huh. By the way, you might want to look up and stop paying attention to the ground. That tasty little morbid number is here.'
"She is?"
'Well, if you'd stop talking to me and look up and go talk to her you could see that for yourself. You really need to lay off the booze, it's really not helping you think.'
"Shut up."
'Oh, what a witty comeback. Please, quick, take us back to the ambulance. I fear that I have been badly burned by your scorching remark.'
"I hate you..."

Jax shut up and looked up as he finished elbowing his way through the crowd of onlookers, still clutching his backpack to his chest like a drowning man to a life preserver. His eyes scanned the crowd for a minute before picking her out by the entrance where people were standing around trying to get in. Of course it was packed. He sighed and shifted the weight of his pack to one arm and gave a wave to her, not knowing if she saw him or not.

[LadyTevar]

Waves get attention, because it was a motion not usually seen in grounds, unless someone was wanting to get attention. Surprising how few people in crowds actually *wanted* attention. Ally's response was immediate: a wide smile and a frantic waving back. "Hey! There you are! Get over here, I've been waiting for you!"

Ok, she hadn't expected him here, but it was a good excuse for getting him in line with her in front of the others. Most won't complain. Those that would could bite her.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson smiled a wide toothy smile at the perky goth girl and changed his direction to head towards her. As he approached he called out a greeting.
"Ma Chère! Where y'at? Why you no call me? You know I can't get to sleep without hearing your sweet voice readin me mah rights."

[LadyTevar]

"Aw, it's nice to be missed," Ally teased back, grinning widely at the male tourist behind her, who rather sheepishly made room for Jaxson to slip in line. Ally tucked her arm into Jax's as she rambled on. "I would call you but you keep losing your cellphone or something, because I always get a woman's voice giggling about you not being here right now."

An outrageous lie, just like his greeting, but all in good fun.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson leaned in closer to Ally, giving off a faint odor of leather mixed with smoke.
"Oh come now, cher, you know der be no uter woman fo me sides you. How could I resist such a tasty feast for de eyes, no? I really need me a good cup of coffee 'fore we hit da road. Gotta sober up some. Cus I dun think your friends over dere wit da flashin lights would take much kindly to me drivin' after I been drinkin. Course you look jus fine. To drive dat is. Now how much longer you think we gonna hav ta stand here to get somdat coffee?"

[LadyTevar]

Ally fanned herself dramatically, not just because of the sweetish smoke and hint of booze mixed in with the smell of leather and male pheromones. "I swear, sir, you do put on..." she grinned, the three-inch heels on her shit-kicker boots putting her within a couple inches of his height, even if she probably outweighed him simply because of her curves.

Before he could take advantage of the closeness, Ally looked to the line in front of them, her head tilting as she let herself see the Randomness of the Universe...
"Five minutes or less... if no one trips and spills anything. Remind me to get pure cream in Rumor's drink, ok?" she asked. "He really loves the pure cream, but Professor S. prefers plain milk." A blink, then she looks back to Jax. "You are coming to the bookstore, right? For the meeting? .... of the book club, you know."

Not the best cover, but the stream-of-consciousness speech pattern threw even her own co-workers.

[B4UTRUST]

Jax felt Ally pull away slightly and mentally shrugged. Couldn't win them all, unfortunately. And there was always later to try again. The cards said so after all.
"Alright, cher, I try to be patient then. Yeah, I got the word about the club meeting. Was gonna pass by the store but figured I needed to get me a little coffee fore I got on the bike. You need a ride," Jax asked, mentally enjoying the idea of her on the bike with him. Could be fun indeed.

The line began to move forward more and soon they were standing inside the doorway, the counter within sight.

[LadyTevar]

"On your bike?" Ally asked, eyes wide. "I've love it! ... but we gotta be careful not to spill the coffee. That would be bad." As she predicted, they got to the counter and she rattled off her order of four cafe-au-lait, one with pure cream, and snagged the last of the fresh beignets. Without asking, she paid for all of it, handing Jax the change and the bag of beighnets to carry. "Ok, where's your bike... and do you have a helmet? We really should wear helmets, we don't want to end up like one of the bikers on my slab this week. Didn't leave a crack on the braincase, but his grey-matter was a total bloody mush inside where he bounced off the road after laying the bike down. Skinned his back clean too."

[B4UTRUST]

Carrying the bag of pastries he lead Ally around the corner of the building to head over to St. Peter. It would take a few extra minutes on the walk but it was easier than trying to get through the crowd again and he didn't really want to deal with that accident again.
"Y'know, cher," Jaxson began, commenting on Ally's bit about the dead motorcyclist on the table. "You really know what ta say to get a man all excited to go on a ride wit a pretty lady. But for you I think I can dig out a helmet."

They got to the parking lot and Jaxson paused to find his bike in the sea of cars, trucks, and SUVs. Spotting it parked between a midlife crisis and a penis compensator he pointed it out to Ally. The bike was a mid-90s Honda Magna, a cruiser. It had definately seen better days and was paint thin in places and rough around the edges, but it ran solid and was mostly reliable. That pretty much summed up Jaxson most of the time too. Too thin, not the prettiest drawing on the fridge, but he functioned well enough even if he did have the occasional problem. Walking up to the bike he set his backpack on the seat for a minute, unzipping it to fish out his helmet to give to her and dropping the bag of pastries into the pack.
"Here you go. Only got one but you can have it. We gotta drive slow anyhow so you don't lose the precious cargo," he said, indicating to the cups of coffee.
"Speaking of," he began, reaching over and snagging his coffee out of the carrier and draining half of the near burning liquid. He could feel the heat tracing a line down his throat and through his stomach, the warmth spreading out to the rest of his body as he concentrated on the sobering qualities of the strong brew. It took a minute but he felt his head start to clear as the effects of the alcohol were diminished. By the time he hit any real traffic he'd be as sober as a judge. Finishing the rest of the coffee he reached over and set the empty cup on the roof of the penis compensator. Grinning at Ally he mounted the bike.
"I know, I know. We spose to be keepin Nawlins beautiful by not littering, but I figure I got you on de back of de bike so I be doin mah part for de night, no? Hang on, we go slow so you dun spill notin."

He started up the bike and walked it backwards out of the spot before dropping it into first and accelerating smoothly through the parking lot and out onto the street. True to his word he kept it at the speed limit and even a little under and slowed down heavily for turns, trying to make it as safely as possible across the quarter to the store. It'd take them a few minutes to get there but he wasn't in any hurry given the present circumstances.

[LadyTevar]

One hand held the remaining three coffees protectively as Jax guided the bike through the traffic. Ally's other arm was wrapped around his waist, her legs tucked tight against his to further keep her balance on the bike. "Next ride, we really kick it, ok?" she called over his shoulder, grinning widely. She rarely got to ride like this, and it was a special thrill. The purr of the bike, the vibration of the engine, the scent of smoky leather...

"Remember, go 'round and use the side door, Ok?"

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson parked the bike in front of the store and got off, lowering the kick stand. Grabbing his bag he headed towards the side of the house/store with Ally close behind. Reaching the door he gave it a few hard knocks before opening it. Holding it open for Ally he announced their presence further with a call up the stairs of "Hey, we're here and we've got coffee!" Jaxson didn't stand much on formalities and after all, they were expected...

[Jans]

Huh, alright.

Procrastinating wasn't what he would call what he had been doing, but that didn't change the fact that Cole had been... watching, and waiting for other people to saw up. To gauge the mood, he told himself. Not, mind you, because he was jumpy and and on edge and wracking his brain for anything that could have gained the attention of a hidden master. That'd just be silly.

With a rueful grin he levers himself off the wall and bounds across the street, darting through traffic towards the door. He slows the moment his foot hits the sidewalk on the other side and tosses a wave at the motorcycle duo.

"Howdy you two, going to the party?"

[Dark Silver]

When the door opened, Jaxson and ally saw no one inside, there was no indication of anyone along the stairwell at all - but it was brightly lit and well taken care of. The flight of stairs led upwards to a landing - one both of them at one point or another, had traveled well enough to know where it would lead - the wood and brass door to Steele's home above the bookstore. There was a second set of stairs on the landing, that lead down to the bookstore itself, though it was one more rarely used than this one.

As Jaxson called out their presence, the Unseen Servant made itself known, it's "eyes" opening, and the faintest impression of a body was suddenly half-visible in the air before them. It's voice was sepulchral - a quality that though they asked many times if it could be changes, the Archmage had always maintained it was unavoidable - and flat as it spoke, "Welcome, the Master is expecting you upstairs."

It stayed hovering there before the two, even as Cole made his way to the two at the door, it's passionless eyes turning on the approaching Akashik Brother, "The Master has been expecting you also...." the tone of the words made it sound as if the servant was expecting Cole to have come to the door long before, but didn't say anything.

With it's business done, the Servant closed it's eyes, and the half-visible body faded into nothingness, leaving the stairwell empty again.

[LadyTevar]

Ally was just going to ask a question, but the Spectral Servant appeared with its usual attitude. After it spoke in tones that could have come from a grave and vanished, she shivered. "I Hate that thing," she admitted, before glancing again at the new guy. "Come on, we'll show you up. Sorry, I'd have brought more coffee if I'd known you were coming."

The gothic girl lead the way up the stairs, opening the brass-bound doors and calling inside. "Professor, I brought coffee? Where's a saucer for Rumor's?"

[SirNitram]

Eddie jogged up to the side entrance. "Someday, I might consider one of these machines for hurrying around." He remarked. "Or attempt the bus system again." He added to himself. Like most Suchid, he was unsure of so much Designer artifice, but it did make life easy. He waited for the ghostly apparation to make it's greeting, before heading up.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson was somewhat glad for the lubricating qualities of alcohol. Otherwise he was sure he would have gotten whiplash from the rapid fire series of head turns that came about from the messenger appearing and speaking, the stranger coming up and greeting them and then the messenger speaking to the newcomer and disappearing again. He rubbed his neck absently as he followed Ally up the stairs to the actual house. He was heard to make a muttering that sounded something along the lines of people wondering why he drank. Those damned servant things were everywhere. Why in the hell the old man couldn't pick up a damned phone and send a text was beyond him. It's not like it was hard, anyone under the age of 50 should be able to do it by now. And it wasn't like he had to send something incriminating to get his point across. Would have to be a lot easier than constantly getting those... things... to do his bidding. Jaxson sighed to himself then shook his head picturing that particular text message.
'To: Group - Chantry
Where my mages at? Meeting at the house tonight, you know when. Be there or be Gilgul'd.
Love and Ascension - DS'

Jaxson admitted he probably should spend more time paying attention to the old man but he never really could wrap his head around half the concepts that he talked about. It was more than Jaxson really wanted to know, honestly. But he had learned a few of the key important things, the basics dos and don'ts to keep yourself breathing. One of those things was the Gilgul. He still wasn't quite sure what it all entailed or really meant and had only really learned of it in passing from one of the books he was told to read. But even with his lack of understanding he had gathered it wasn't super-happy fun times and that being Gilgul'd was bad.

Once upstairs he gave the man who had shown up out of the blue a once over, trying to figure him out. And then a few minutes later Eddie arrived. Eddie was... Jaxson wasn't really sure what or who the hell Eddie was, really. Eddie was Eddie. Eddie was different and nobody had really explained to Jaxson yet what exactly made Eddie different other than he wasn't a mage like Ally or himself or even the old man. Maybe one day someone would explain it to him. Turning back to the newcomer he stared at him. Obviously the old man had expected him since he had sent one of those half-dead things with a message. But that didn't explain who this guy was or what he was doing here.
"So, cap, who you be," Jaxson asked, addressing Cole.