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Jeremiah Hamilton:
The seats in the consilium hall were mostly empty on this particular afternoon, barring one well-dressed Mastigos who had decided to linger after wrapping up a meeting. Jeremiah didn't dress up often these days but when he did he did it well, his suit jacket currently slung over the back of his chair as he sat and looked at the empty dais below, letting his thoughts wander.
Jane Murphy:
Jane had come to the Consilium Hall with no business in particular. She'd heard about a number of important places and was making her way through to see them and get familiarized. Her training and experience demanded this sort of curiosity, and so when she had free time, she ran there, dressed in jeans, black leather boots and a matching jacket over a plain white t-shirt. She looked around the place, taking it in; noting visual details, inhaling the smells of an average day, running her hand along a surface or two. Her study of the place eventually brought her attention to the well-dressed man, to whom she greeted with a smile and a nod.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jeremiah pulled himself from his reverie at Jane's arrival, giving her a bright smile as he looked her way. "Afternoon. First time here?"
Layla Eaves:
Sometimes it seems like, similar to cockroaches, if you see one Mastigos there are probably others lurking around somewhere just ought of sight. Sometimes those extra Mastigos don't actually stay hidden, and come out into the light, which is what happens when Layla steps in just behind Jane. She's somehow only a couple of steps behind, even though just a second ago Jane would have sworn there was nobody there.
Perhaps odder than the fact that she seemed to more or less appear out of nowhere is the fact that she's dressed in a nearly perfect Scarlet Witch cosplay. Aside from the fact that she's not Elizabeth Olson, she pretty much looks like she could have stepped out of the big screen, from the MCU into reality. Even then, the makeup job she did was good enough to make her look eerily similar, to the degree possible with the differences in their facial features.
She glances in the direction of Jeremiah, nods something that could be a seconding of his question or just a greeting, and then she flashes a perfectly friendly, cheerful smile at Jane. "Hello," she offers.
Jane Murphy:
"Yes, I wanted to take a look around and get a feel for the pla--" Jane was a bit startled when she took notice of the Scarlet Witch's arrival but she managed to compose herself rather rapidly, "If this is the part where you tell me the Marvel Movies were documentaries filmed in real time, I'll buy it, but I'm honestly starting to wonder if my medication's been spiked with DMT."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jeremiah looked equally surprised at Layla's entrance, chuckling after a moment as he stood from his seat and moved to be in proper conversation range. "That would be something, wouldn't it? Not as far as I know, though."
Layla Eaves:
"No," Layla says with a soft, amused laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Scranton Comic Con is this weekend, and I'll be heading over there after my stop here. I thought this costume would be a somewhat amusing joke, that's all." She pauses a moment before she extends a hand toward Jane. "I'm Ellie," she says. "Also known as Portia, here in these halls."
Jane Murphy:
"Good to hear," Jane remarked to Jeremiah before turning her attention back to Layla. "Never did one of those. Did an anime convention in high school." She shook the offered hand and smiled, "Jane Murphy." Her handshake was firm, despite her best attempts to keep it light. She looked to Jeremiah, "And you?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Jeremiah, Sirius if you want to get formal." He replied, offering his hand as well. "Good to meet you, Jane. Have you been with the consilium long?"
Layla Eaves:
Layla's a pretty skinny lady, and about as strong as she looks, so her handshake isn't anything particularly notable. Her hands are, perhaps, about as worn as might be expected from someone whose hobby is cosplay, meaning she uses them to do actual work fairly often, but aside from that, just an ordinary handshake. "I do quite a few anime conventions, too," Layla admits with a grin. "I'm definitely a huge nerd. Nice to meet you, Jane."
Jane Murphy:
"Well, I've only been in the city a few weeks now. Still trying to meet all the people I was pointed towards and figure out where I'm supposed to fit in." She shook Jeremiah's hand as well. With a look to Layla, she smirked and said, "If you're a huge nerd, then you're gonna love me," and gave a laugh.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
His own grip was firm but not too overbearing, a well-practiced motion by the looks of it. "Well, we're glad to have you. I'm a bit of a token nerd myself, although more of a music geek in general."
"That so..." He looked to Jane at her last comment, eyebrow arched in curiosity.
Layla Eaves:
"Oh?" Layla perks up at the suggestion that Jane's a nerd too, and then flashes a smile at Jeremiah. "Music nerds count! I'm a music nerd too, which is great, because it's something I can do while I also do many of the other things I'm a nerd about. It's a perfect multi-tasking nerdery, but also one you can completely focus on, which makes it a bit of a win-win." Still smiling she asks Jane, "what's your special interest?"
Jane Murphy:
"Oh, I mean, I like sci-fi stuff, movies and shows and anime and all." She chuckled and looked between them, "But I didn't quite mean that." She shook her head, "Heh, they gave me a list of names and didn't give anyone a heads up I was coming. Ellie, you're one of the people I was told to get in touch with. You ever heard of Lost Boys, or The Detail?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"True enough. Been able to make a career out of helping others enjoy it as much as I do, so I'll definitely take that as a win." He nodded with a smile, looking to Layla at Jane's question.
Layla Eaves:
"The vampire movie from 1987 directed by Joel Schumacher, and the 2018 TV series?" Ellie asks, in a tone that pretty much says she doesn't think that's actually what Jane meant. "I know the movie, but I didn't really watch the TV series, sorry." There's a slight quirk at one corner of her lips, not quite a smirk, and glances curiously at Jeremiah.
Jane Murphy:
"Yeah, I didn't pick the name, myself." She snorts, "Quick and short is I'm a cyborg, kind of Ghost in the Shell style. Even have a computer up here." She taps her head.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Didn't know there was a TV series..." Jeremiah filed that little tidbit away, looking Jane over anew as she explained. "Interesting...how'd that come about, if you can say?"
Layla Eaves:
"It's some cop show," Layla says with a wave of her hand. "It got canceled after a season, I think. And if you can't make it on American TV as copaganda, you're definitely not a very good show." She doesn't seem particularly surprised by Jane's revelation, just raises her brows slightly and lets out a soft, "huh." There's a slight pause and then, "I didn't know someone was out there doing that, to be honest. Is it a good computer, or like... a TI-83?"
Jane Murphy:
Jane first went to answer Jeremiah, "I joined the Army and didn't listen to the adage about not volunteering for stuff," she says, jokingly. "It was some organization that had deep ties into the military, I was told it was a special forces leadership program. The group that got me out after I figured out what they were having me do, they called the organization 'Delta Protocol', but since then I've learned it's probably connected to something called 'Hermes Protocol'?" She then turns to Layla, "It's a fast machine, at least as good as a threadripper."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Gotcha...glad you were able to get out of it, at least." He nodded quietly, eyebrows climbing upward at the mention of the Hermes Protocol. "That tracks, admittedly."
Layla Eaves:
"Yeah, it does," Layla agrees with a wrinkle of her nose. She considers the answers that Jane gave for a few moments before she remarks, "I guess it's good they gave you some processing power, since I bet that upgrades are a bitch. Honestly, I didn't know that the military had the technology and skills for that kind of thing. Interesting."
Jane Murphy:
"I assume the part of the military involved in this may have help from people like yourselves, with awareness of things beyond the mundane and the means to act with them. And the computer can actually be upgraded rather easily in a simple procedure; I was actually partially awake during one of those. The previous unit was something like a 7th Gen i9, so it was a memorable upgrade." She clears her throat and tries to remind herself not to be so proud of her computer. "I've always naturally healed fast, so I think that might be part of why they chose me for such extensive treatment."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"I can imagine." He smirked a touch at that note of pride in her tone. "What other augments do you have, if you don't mind my asking?"
Layla Eaves:
There's a moment of surprise, and then it clears. "Oh, I guess that makes sense. It's not that uncommon for people to be awake for brain surgery, which I will admit sounds like a fascinating experience, but I'm not going out of my way to pursue it." She shrugs. "I'm not quite that weird. I'd have to actually have a reason." She nods her head. "It would make sense if there were people with some kind of supernatural ability involved, whether it's people like us, or someone else. I suspect that's why you're here?"
Jane Murphy:
Jane nods to Layla, "Yes, apparently in the whole war of reality type thing going on, the guys behind the people who lied to me and tricked me into doing a lot of regrettable stuff, they're on the anti-You side. So, I'm here to pitch in because of the 'enemy of my enemy' thing, and also you all seem alright so far." She smirks and then gets to Jere's question, listing off: "Enhanced Strength, Toughness, and Senses, Armored skin and reinforced bone, special leg enhancements that allow me to jump very high and safely fall from pretty much any height I've ever tried to jump from, I have a built in taser that hurts like hell, and a cloaking device."
She smirks, "There's a few more things, like my ability to imitate the appearance of subjects I study, that aren't from implants."
Layla Eaves:
"I'm sure there are quite a few people out there who would argue that 'alright' is not a particularly good word to describe me," Layla says with a slight grin. "But that kind of comes with the territory of being a Mastigos." She gives Jeremiah a little wink at that. "That said, I mean well and devote myself to the service of others, so I guess those are probably marks in my favor." She listens to the list of enhancements and quips, "ah, they equipped you with the Ring of Jumping and the Ring of Falling. Only Jumping is a classic blunder, I'm glad they avoided it when they were figuring out your equipment."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Glad to have you on our side. Things are getting...interesting on that front from what I've heard, and the more the merrier." He listened intently at the laundry list Jane rattled off, looking rather impressed by the end of it. "Quite the set up."
"Yeah, true." He smirked as he glanced Layla's way. "Our reputation precedes us sometimes , warranted or not."
Jane Murphy:
"Well, it's a good thing I didn't give the full list if you have such a reputation." She nodded, "They pulled out all the stops with me, suffice to say."
Layla Eaves:
"It was mostly a joke," Layla admit with a smile and a sheepish shrug. "We Warlocks have certain tendencies, which include things like disdain for taboos and a love for challenging ourselves and others. Pushing boundaries, questioning everything." She stops to consider. "How much have you been told about mages, in general?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Mmhmm. Try to use that for good rather than running roughshod over people, though." Jeremiah nodded, taking the joke in stride, then looked to Jane at Layla's question.
Jane Murphy:
Jane winks and goes back to smirking, "I'm playing, as well, though I do keep a few things to myself. But, as for what I've been told, only some basics; not really gotten any vibes on reputations yet."
Layla Eaves:
"Wellll," Layla responds to Jeremiah. "Unless the people in question consent to being run over roughshod. Some people are into that." Her smile returns when her attention goes back to Jane. She reaches into a pocket on her costume and takes out a business card, which she extends to Jane. "I'll be happy to spend some time teaching you a few things, if you'd like, though I'll also be up front in telling you that some people might squint a little at you getting early education from me. I'm a Guardian of the Veil, which is a bit like saying I'm a CIA spook, only with magic."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"True enough." He chuckled as he replied. "Willing to help on that front as well. Helping others find their way on the Path is part of what I do for the community here."
Jane Murphy:
Jane accepts the business card and looks it over, scanning over all the details, front and back, before handing it back, "Contact saved; for security purposes, I hope you don't mind me returning this. Less paper, less trail." Another wink. "And I don't mind being squinted at, my fellow modded-up soldiers squint at me because of my role as an infiltrator. I'd like to learn whatever I can so I can maybe do some good."
Layla Eaves:
There's only a mononym "Ellie", an email address of "ellie@ellie-cosplay.com", and a phone number with a Philly area code on the card. It's not a particularly interesting and noteworthy business card, and that's probably on purpose. She takes the card back and returns it to where it was, though. "It's the card I hand out at conventions too, so it's all things I'm not as worried about the security of, but I appreciate you having a mind for that kind of thing." She smiles. "It sounds like we have some things in common, though, if you're an infiltrator."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jeremiah took a moment to pull a slim card case from his pocket and offered Jane one to peruse herself, the information for a cafe called the Green Room on the front and a second hand-written number on the back. "Number on the back's my cell, easiest way to get a hold of me."
Jane Murphy:
"What's the saying, 'It's only paranoia if there's no one out to get you'?" She chuckled and checked out Jeremiah's card, scanning it over as well before handing it back, "I'll have to check out your cafe some time, eh?"
Layla Eaves:
"I should probably be going," Layla says once the card is put away. "I did get into this outfit for a reason, and I don't want to miss all the afternoon's fun. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jane, and good to see you, Jeremiah."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Good seeing you too. Knock 'em dead." He replied with a grin, giving Layla a quick salute before nodding to Jane. "We'd love to have you. Feel free to come by any time."
Jane Murphy:
"Good to meet you, too. Hope you have fun. You're nailing the look!" Jane said, offering a thumbs up of approval.
Layla Eaves:
"Thanks!" Ellie says, and she spins around, which makes the cape part of the outfit billow out. "It has pockets!" She offers a little bow, then strides off with a bounce in her step. Once she's out the door she vanishes, since she doesn't do much walking around anywhere without hiding her presence, except when she isn't allowed to do so.
Jane Murphy:
Jane looked to Jeremiah, "So, what kinda cafe is it?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"We keep a pretty chill vibe overall; art from local artists on the wall for sale, a stage for performers, that sort of thing. I work with a number of local musicians and wanted to make a space where they can express themselves freely, and it's worked pretty well so far."
Jane Murphy:
"Aahh, an artists' kind of cafe. Sounds real nice, though I don't do much art. I can draw and make stuff, but it's usually for a purpose." She says, frowning for a second before snorting, "Maybe I can dance alright."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Right there with you on the physical art front. I'm a step or two above stick figures on a good day." He chuckled, smiling as she continued. "If you're ever interested, I can point you to some of the good places in town for a dance night."
Jane Murphy:
Jane clearly appreciated the offer, "I might take you up on that. But I think I'm gonna head on out now, myself. See you are the Green Room soon?"
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