Mage the Ascension: Rule of Shade

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:54 am

"Fine by me." Russell replied to the suggestion. This was going to be interesting. Of course, they were probably going to get into a significant amount of trouble. Probably because one or the other of them would shoot their mouth off to the wrong person, or do something visible to the wrong people. But that was life.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:13 am

"Relax," said Arkady. "Is small American town and we are big bad Hermetic mages, da? If ordinary people can handle live in Moscow with gangsters with Kalashnikovs, what is little town to us? Is nothing."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:35 am

Russell responded in Russian

"How you knew what I was thinking, without entering my mind, I would love to know" He grinned

"But you are correct. Nothing we cannot handle, unless there is some portal to some other realm in the center of town that occasionally spews forth demons" That last part was dripping with sarcasm, and could not, especially in Arakdy's native language, easily be taken as serious.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:09 pm

"Then best we find them before they find us," said Arkady as he pulled into the street. "Demons often have terrible manners and no sense of fair play. Attack while you are sleeping, possess family members.:

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:19 pm

The happenings downstairs hadn't gone unobserved above. A window on the laptop screen clearly showed the area everyone had congregated in, just a second prior to it disappearing. The command prompt opened and a short series of characters and command variables were entered, followed by the run button being pressed. The laptop was shut and grabbed as James stood, large coffee thermos in one hand. He grabbed the laptop with his other hand and disappeared.

He reappeared almost instantly downstairs in a clear area, transitioning smoothly. He took a sip of the slightly altered homebrew coffee, thinking again to himself that Kibo help whoever accidently takes a hit of his java.
"So what's shaking," he asked as he strolled over to the table to set up his laptop.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:08 pm

Jason waved to James as he appeared out of thin air. "Arkady and Russell are off causing trouble in town."

The Euthanatos sneaked to the frig and grabbed a bottle of Guinness, the things you could afford when room and board didn't have to be paid for. The young man stood back up then as he opened the bottle with an opener. "Probably going to head out and cause some myself."

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:57 pm

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.

Boxer was sitting at his desk, in yesterday's clothes, with a large book on his lap, a paper notebook on the desk and the statue glaring down at the top of his bent head. Boxer was muttering and flipping pages.

"No match with IndoEuropean or Somali. Maybe Nubian? I don't have anything on Nubian! Damn!"

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:45 am

The large panther made her way over to the him, her gaze taking in his day-old clothing, the jerky movements, and the scent that told her he'd not slept well. She gave a soft sigh, closing her eyes, and then triggered the change from feline to homid.

Two steps, and soft hands touched Boxer's shoulders, decorated with fading henna patterns. "You should take a moment to eat, Boxer," Supiyaw murmured softly with her usual faint Indian accent, a legacy of her parents despite her years in the States. "Empty stomachs give empty thoughts."

The silken sari, yellow with greens and russets and metallic threads, brushed Boxer's arm as she began massaging his shoulders. Should he turn to look, her top was a complimenting green, cut to fit just under her breasts and tied in back. Her face was as regal as any Brahaman, wide-cheeked, deep eyes, and a sharp nose that broadened slightly at the base, accented by a small ruby piercing. Her skin was cafe-au-lait, her hair nearly as black as her feline fur. In short, she was as lovely, graceful and exotic in homid as in feline, and knew it.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 3:48 pm

AS Arkady and Russell drove the 1/4 mile length of the drive, off of the Chantry's 10 acre grounds, the roads became slightly rougher. Nothing that Arkady's car couldn't handle with minimum of jarring though.

It would be a twenty minute drive to Point Pleasant from the Chantry, all the growth of the town in the last hundred years had actually occured towards the lake, and outward, but away from the Chantry, leaving it unmolested.

The town itself was busy, even for a Monday morning, being March the Universities classes were in session for the Spring Semester, students where going along the streets, to and from the campus, as classes went in and out. The deeper they drove into the city, the older the architecture got, till they would near the center of the city, affectionally called Old Town. Here the City Hall, along with a sizable park rested. The buildings here all resembled victorian stone structures, nothing seemed modern - even the streets were cobblestone. Various modern conviences had sprouted up in Old Town, coffee shops, bakeries and cafe's, small bookstores and antique shops.

Point Pleasant was a bustling college town, if nothing else.

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

Rumor heard the voices coming from Boxer's room, and stopped. The words of Mandalay's human form and Boxer reached his ears, and he decided to bypass them. Instead, he continued further down the hall, heading for the ancient ironwood doors which would allow him access to Steele's private chambers.

The doors opened as he approached, as he expected them to, and he strode in without a care, the doors not closing behind him....

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

Gren and Rowin came back into the breakfast area a few minutes after James had made it in. Gren had moved behind James as he sat, and ruffled the younger Adept's hair; "Wha'ya working on kid?"

Rowin, meanwhile, say Jason, and shook her head, "I swear Jason...it's only 10am....put that beer back," before she took her seat back at the table.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:43 pm

'Well, definitely the scenic route" Russell remarked during the drive

"I am rather happy that the Chantry has not been swallowed up by the town at this point. Though, I must confess the attempts at using Eminent Domain to take chantry property would, and probably will eventually, be amusing to deal with."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:49 pm

"Ha. Would be amusing," said Arkady. "Isolation has benefits. Let us look for places worthy of receiving our hard earned American dollars and illustrious presences."

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:18 pm

Jason grumbled and reluctantly returned to the fridge. Then smiled briefly as he looked back at Rowin and ducked into the fridge and rummaged around for a few seconds. The young man popped back up a few seconds later with a new bottle of beer in his hands and grinned at Rowin before he made for his exit to get cleaned up for the day.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:28 pm

Arkady parked the car and got out, intent on going window shopping.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:46 pm

The street Arkady had parked on was swarming with others who had the idea of "window shopping". Older couples, school kids either finished with high school or between university classes littered the sidewalks. People went along the various shops.

A group of young women was walking out Ivania's Chest, a fashionable lady's clothing store, loaded with heavy bags. Further down the way, a group of college aged men walked along, paper coffee cups in hand, from a local coffeehouse.

Indeed, Arkady had chosen well for a place to spend their hard earned American Dollars.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:49 pm

Arkady's eyes lingered on the young women. "God bless America indeed." He walked down the street, whistling as he went.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:16 pm

Russell walked alongside him. Checking out both males and females in equal measure. He was a bit more discrete than his friend however, and waited to see if his whistle would be met with shock, or anger. He may have to deal with the fallout if bad, or be able to act as a sattelite male if the reaction good.

He did however gently rib Arkady while chuckling lightly.

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:11 pm

A look of mild annoyance came across James' face at the ruffled hair and 'kid' comment. he popped open the laptop and restored the session in progress. With a few more key clicks, the data from the main system upstairs was streamed to his laptop. The double helix was growing more complex as more data was coded into the base model.
"It's a virus," he stated mildly, tapping a few keys and grabbing a green strand from the side of the screen with the mouse and attaching it into the helix, joining it to a blue strand seemingly at random.

"The virus is a multipart system with integrated stealth characteristics. This section here acts as an immunosuppressant in the host, taking the antivirus systems out of commission in the infected area. This gives it time to cycle up to speed, about twelve hours plus or minus two. At which point it multiplies itself and begins to spread with every cycle with the intent to infect as many areas as possible. Once its spread it buries itself and recodes itself into the waste space available. At that point it's become integrated, assuming it goes right, into the core neccessary parts of the host system.

"The host is going to realize something is wrong at this point due to the strong possiblity of other viruses and bugs infecting the system due to the weakened immunoresponse system. About twelve hours following the upcycle it ceases immunosuppression, letting it all come back online. The host then releases the hounds so to speak, trying to wipe out all the infections that are encroaching on it. Thats when it stumbles upon the original infecting virus, finds it embedded so deep into it that it has no choice but to act. And in the process of trying to kill the virus, kills itself by wiping out crucial parts. Within about three days, you've got a dead system.

"Fun, right? So do I get my cookie and gold star for the day yet?"

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:16 am

. "You should take a moment to eat, Boxer," Supiyaw murmured softly with her usual faint Indian accent, a legacy of her parents despite her years in the States. "Empty stomachs give empty thoughts."

The silken sari, yellow with greens and russets and metallic threads, brushed Boxer's arm as she began massaging his shoulders. Should he turn to look, her top was a complimenting green, cut to fit just under her breasts and tied in back. Her face was as regal as any Brahaman, wide-cheeked, deep eyes, and a sharp nose that broadened slightly at the base, accented by a small ruby piercing. Her skin was cafe-au-lait, her hair nearly as black as her feline fur. In short, she was as lovely, graceful and exotic in homid as in feline, and knew it.

Boxer jerked up and out of his chair at the unexpected contact, cats were just to damn quiet. He gave Mandalay an awkward charming little boy smile. The kind boys tend to give their mothers when caught out at something. He rubbed his head with a big scarred hand.

"Can't say I'm all that hungry, but I could use a shower and a change I guess. I know that thing means something but I got nothing right now. Guess that kind demands a break anyways." He said.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:38 am

The Idol sitting on Boxer's desk just sat there, covered, as it was, in it's various runes and scribbles of a time long past. It was odd that Boxer would seem so intent upon discovering it's secrets, if any.

Mandalay's own sense as a half Spirit creature would feel disturbed by it, not intrigued. As if a warning that the Idol was not quiet what it appeared to be. As if it shouldn't be here - it shouldn't have been found. Yet if she should try to read the scrawling runes and glyphs, she'd be as baffled as anyone as to what was written upon it. It was unlike any writings she had seen before in her brief life.

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

Out of the group of young women, a leggy brunette in a lil blue sundress turned to Arkady and smiled, her sunglasses sliding down her nose to reveal glistening hazel eyes. She winked at him, licked her lips ever so slowly, before turning back to her friends, as they continue off down the road.

A second later, another group, this time of males, passed by Arkady and Russell, talking of themselves, snippets of the conversation in their brief moment of contact could be heard; "disappeared three days ago...body just turned up in the middle of the quad..."

"Man..that sucks for Cynthia. Who'd wanna kill her?"

"No clue, but she was the campus bycy..."

The voices faded into the crowd then, but not before Arkady and Russell both felt someone grabbing their asses.

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

"Why would you wanna code a meat virus? Don't get me wrong, unlike most of our Tradition-mates, I love being in my meat more than anyway...but why are you wanting to code something like this? Did you ask Steele for permission to make that thing?"

Gren was disturbed James was working on something this deadly. Technically, as one of the Chantry Masters, he could tell James to discontinue the work...but he admitted his own curiosity. Bio-tech was never Gren's field, he was more of a weapons and stealth kinda guy.

Rowin, on the other hand, knew bio-tech, or at least when it came to the human body and disease. "You may work on it on your laptop, but you're not to Realize it. Understood James? Something like this should not exsist."

Rowin had listened in, even as she had scolded Jason about the early morning drinking. She had no rule over him as anything but Chantry Master, and herown viewing of him as her adopted son.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:40 am

frigidmagi wrote:Boxer jerked up and out of his chair at the unexpected contact, cats were just to damn quiet. He gave Mandalay an awkward charming little boy smile. The kind boys tend to give their mothers when caught out at something. He rubbed his head with a big scarred hand.

"Can't say I'm all that hungry, but I could use a shower and a change I guess. I know that thing means something but I got nothing right now. Guess that kind demands a break anyways." He said.

She gave him a smile in return, amused at how high he'd jumped. "Sometimes, walking away from a problem gives you time to clear your head so you can see what you've missed," Supiyaw suggested. "Food helps, and Lady Rowin is downstairs still. You might ask her for advice, like a book on Nubian, if you think that's where this is leading."

She leaned over slightly to look at the idol he'd been studying, careful not to touch it herself. The carvings over it didn't immediately trigger recognition, but that only fueled the curiousity. "I can see why it has captivated you..," she said, turning her head to glance up at Boxer. "You were in Ethiopia last," she added, her eyes half-closing as she thought about where he could have found this and what culture could have made it. She took a guess, hoping to impress him a little. "Axumite?"

Just looking at the idol made her feel uneasy. None of the symbols meant anything, nor did the image itself, but there was a vague urge to take it out back and bury.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:40 am

Jason had made his escape back upstairs and opened up this new bottle, taking down a few gulps before he set it down on a sheet of paper that had a bunch of numbers on it. Then he grabbed a towel off the floor and headed for the bathroom to get cleaned up.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:35 am

Arkady spun around.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:51 am

Russell jumped up slightly spun around

"Hey there, that's not yours!"

Post by **Dark Silver** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:19 am

Arkady and Russell both spun around, to nothing being there.

Well, not entirely nothing.

The sidewalk behind them was milling with people, any one of which could have grabbed their rears. Though what would draw their attention was one man, holding a newpaper "The Daily Point", and upon it's front page, a headline "Third Body foun" - the rest bent over in the fold.

The big of picture they could see of three girls, all sharing similar features - though nothing could be told without looking at the pictures clearly.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:10 pm

Arkady fished some change out of his pocket and bought a newspaper.

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Mage the Ascension: Rule of Shade

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