Mage the Ascension: Rule of Shade

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:49 am

James wasn't asleep. Sleep was something he didn't do a lot of, it seemed. He was in a comfortable office chair, wearing a pair of cutoff jeans and a drab grey tshirt. It may have been cold outside, but inside his room it was on the hot side of comfortable, the excess heat created by the multiple computer systems constantly powered on.

The small grendel node was connected up to a half dozen monitors, all showing different segments of what might have been programming of some variety. Two of the screens showed the end results of these programs, the code forming and coalescing into what appeared to be a DNA double helix.

The backlit keyboards were staggered, the mice were somewhere around, but not readily visible in the gloom. The only light was from the monitors and keyboards. The window to the room had been covered with a heavy blackout curtain taken a step further by being stapled numerous times to the wall so not even a sliver of outside light could come in. All around the computer desk were empty cans of energy drinks and high caffeine sodas. The sound of a percolating coffee machine was audible over the dozens of computer fans and liquid cooling systems. Its warm nutty smell premeated the air.

The only movement he displayed was arms moving his hands from keyboard to keyboard as he coded in more data and his eyes flicking from one screen to the next.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:13 am

Tasha bumped noses with Mandalay. <Nothing yet> she replied. <Is that fool using soy milk? Disgusting>.

Arkady was looting the fridge, liberating some eggs, orange juice, and muffins. He set a pot of water to boiling for some hard boiled eggs. "Is there anything I can get for you Lady Mandalay?" he asked.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:40 am

<Soy milk smells better than Zoom, at least,> Mandalay answered, before looking over at Arkady. She gave him a very human shake of her head to say she was full, before looking back to Tasha. <You have him very well-trained.>

Her eyes roamed the table, and she realized two were still missing. <Boxer's not here? Not like him to miss breakfast.> She rose to all fours again, heading back out of the room to check on him. It was a short trip to his room. With the same casualness she displayed to James' privacy, she opened the door to Boxer's room and walked in like it was her right.

They should be glad she didn't show the usual feline casualness of invading their bathrooms. She did allow them -some- privacy, unlike domestic cats.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:49 am

<Magi like it when you eat their Paradox,> Tasha replied. Arkady sliced up a little beef and mixed it with some moist cat food.

"Here you go," he said, putting the bowl in front of Tasha. He fished the hard boiled eggs out of the water and cracked their shells, joining them to a few slices of pineapple. Masses of salt, pepper, and paprika went on the eggs. He sat down by his familiar and began eating.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:01 am

The hulking form of the Moor Cat padded down the stairs as Mandalay went back up it, giving a all to human shake of his massive head.

She was young and impulsive still, and with a very catlike yawn and shake of his body, Rumor padded towards the breakfast area in the kitchen. It was a odd setup, the Chantry was massive, with rooms upon rooms, a regular mansion...yet Gren and Rowin had set up a Breakfast area in the recently redone Kitchen. Infact..most of the lower level looked to be redone as a normal home. It bothered Rumor at first, he had grown accustomed to the old way of the Chantry house and he disliked change.

Of course Steele hated the rennovations, and gave his grumbling complaints. But he never undid any of it.

Most everyone was at breakfast by now, and Rumor plodded into the room. He gave his loud, rumbling purr/growl that would roughly translate to 'Good Morning, I'm hungry. Whose going to volunteer to be my breakfast today?" as he eyed Russell then Mark before moving towards the kitchen counter, then look back at Arkady.

Rowin had been acting in her aspect as the Mother of the Chantry, watching her "Children" as they went about their mornings. When Jason tromped in she offered a smile to him. Being raised at the Chantry Rowin had treated him like her own son. Or one of her own sons at least....none of her real sons had ever Awakened. Though she was hopeful when she and Gren had a child, it would.

Zoom, for his part, was tearing into his strange foodstuff, making a loud, almost offensive sound of chewing, and commenting on the texture of the oblong sheep-ball looking things, "These sweetbreads are absolutely excellent." Somehow though, as he ate, the smell became more tolerable, shifting from the smell of bad eggs and magnolias, to more like spiced potpourri. Odd how it did that.

"Doctor...mouth closed when you eat please," said Gren, who looked a lil green in the gills watching Zoom relish his meal. "That stuff looks almost worse than what Mark eats...."

Seeking to change the subject, Rowin cleared her throat and spoke up, Boxer and James could join them when they woke up. "Morning everyone...what are your plans for today?" It was a morning ritual, the plans could be entirely mundane, Rowin just liked to know what the "kids" would be up...

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:53 am

Tasha stared at Rumor with her luminous golden eyes as the moor cat looked at Arkady. Her tail uncurled itself and possessively tapped the human on the wrist. The House Flambeau magus reached over the scratched his familiar on the head.

"Will be seeing city," said Arkady. "Learning the lay of the land, yes."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:04 am

"With his permission, I will probably go with Arkady. Make sure he does not get lost, and see what kind of trouble a russian and an amnesiac can get into"

Russell had a certain humor about the pesky little fact that the earliest thing he remembers was waking up in a chantry in Providence Rhode island in a cold sweat. He basically laughed to keep from crying...

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:17 am

"Is good," said Arkady as he wolfed down eggs, washing them down with orange juice. "Cats have high powered meeting in our absence, da? Decide our fates."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:22 am

"I hope for our sake that they do not" Russell said with a chuckle. He liked cats, but cats did not seem to like him especially Rumor, who he thought wanted to eat him.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:29 am

"Shush," said Arkady. "Don't let them know they aren't running things. Illusion keeps them from making it reality. Your car or mine?"

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:31 am

"I would go with yours. Driving streets helps one learn them. Besides, I am terrible behind the wheel of a car."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:36 am

"Then mine," said Arkady. "See if we can find any interesting places, like Black Spiral Dancer Cairns," he joked.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:56 am

The other Hermetic laughed and took a bite of his cereal.

"The only problem is I have to resort to dip... lest you make my pack of smokes explode..."

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:07 am

"The chance of a Black Spiral Dancer being near Point Pleasant are astronomical against," said the high toned voice between bite fulls of what was left of his breakfast, "Between my Etherimian Co-locality Sensor network, and Marcus' own Technocratic derived detection methods, they could not perform their activities anywhere near the township."

Zoom popped the last of the "sweetbreads" into his mouth, and chewed loudly, "mmmm....compliments to the chef. Most exquisite. But still, you should take advantage of the town. Very nice I've heard. I haven't seen it myself mind you, I'm confined to the Chantry, but I've heard it was most lovely."

Rumor, in the interum, had given up looking at Arkady expecting breakfast, and padded up to Rowin and Gren. He gave a loud hrmphing snort, put his paws on the table, and started eating what was left of Gren's breakfast.

"What the fuck!"

Gren lept up from his seat as the near mansized cat was eagerly eating the eggs and bacon from the plate, pointedly leaving the slice of dragon fruit behind.

"KIBO DAMNIT! Rumor I wasn't finished with that!"

Rowin for her part, laughed and shook her head. "That's a very good idea for you both Arkady and Russell, enjoy the city, try not to get into to much trouble though.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:19 am

"Rumor one, Lord Gen zero... Victory goes to the cat" Russell said, chuckling

"I wont get him into too much trouble Lady Rowin, nothing we cant get out of anyway."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:22 am

"Never say that," said Arkady as he got up, taking his dishes to the sink. "Is bad luck. Still, magick is not for cowards. We shall go see the wide world, or the small town as case maybe."

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:45 am

After consuming the eggs, and Russell's announcement of victory for Rumor, the moor cat looked right at Gren with those very human eyes, opened his maw, and released a very loud, very clear and very long burp.

Gren, whose mouth was open about to chastise Russell stopped in mid tracks as he took a breath, and the burp filled his mouth and nostrils.

"I'm going to be sick......" Gren said before he rushed off to find a bathroom.

And Rumor, for his part, looked smug, and took his place in Gren's chair, haunches on the seat, with his paws on the table itself, looking rather smug as if he expected someone to challenge him.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:50 am

Tasha walked across the table towards Rumor, stopping in the middle to stretch, and then continuing on over to the Moor Cat. She stopped when her nose was all of two inches from Rumor's. "That wasn't very nice," said Tasha. "Shame on you for abusing humans in such a manner."

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:04 am

Rumor, for his part, looked down (quiet literally in this since) on the tabby, and smirked. His head was nearly her size alone, and he patted her on the head one one of his forepaws.

"Rumor, get down" said Rowin, as she got out her chair to go check on her husband. "Go see about getting Boxer awake..he was probably up all night again..."

Rumor eyed Rowin as she ran to check on her mate, then down at Tasha, and said in very plain, very well spoken English (with a faint Victorian accent) "If you weren't so small, I'd let you have my kittens," before sliding down from the table, and slinking off to go upstairs for Boxer.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:07 am

"Not for all the milk and beef in the Rodina," said Tasha. "Some of us have standards," she turned around and walked away, swishing her tail from side to side. She hopped off the table and headed outside.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:51 am

Russell could only chuckle through his breakfast. He really did like these cats.

He finally finished his breakfast

"Ready when you are."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:18 am

"Let us go," said Arkady, opening the door for Russell and Tasha. He headed for the silver Camry. "Time to see the wonders of America," he said as he unlocked the car and opened the door. He settled into the driver's seat and reached for the seat belt.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:50 pm

Jason had acknowledged Rowin's small wave with a very teenager-like bob of the head that could have meant anything. He'd sat quietly as the others made their plans and smiled as Arkady and Russel made their plans.

"You won't take him to any of the really interesting places." Most who'd lived in the Chantry for awhile knew that Jason considered the city beyond Point Pleasant to be where anything interesting ever happened, having grown up in a chantry, Jason still found the outside world to be far more interesting than the world of magic. As he finished his cereal Jason got up from the table. "I'm gonna probably head out too. Going into the city."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:24 pm

Russell got in the passenger seat and out on his seat belt

"So, any direction you want to head in? I am relatively new here myself, so this will be very interesting"

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:04 pm

"No where in particular," said Arkady. "Let us start with the center of town." He stuck the key in the ignition and started the engine. The car eased down the driveway and into the street.

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Mage the Ascension: Rule of Shade

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