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In Old City, down the road from Independence Mall, was an old red brick townhouse. It looked to be at least three stories, and also a basement. Modernized elements were certainly visible, but they were with the utmost care of the old home.
Cameras peaked from the eaves, or in the trees and bushes. The windows looked to be of high quality, as was the door. Highly reinforced but built for security and to appear historic.
Bones had reached out to Thespis, due to recent conversations, and wanting to extend an olive branch of trust. The Obrimos, femme and in one of their dresses beneath a winter coat and boots, waited for the Mastigos.
Thespis had parked his car, a 1980 Oldsmobile 442, out front and stepped out, walking to the door and knocking, he was casual which translated to a open suit jacket, dress pants, and sky blue shirt, when casual still had to look like your ready for business
"Hey Mister Agent," she beamed with a smile, "Ready to see my house? Just a reminder, Papi is a) sick, and b) a sleeper. He's currently out running errands, but please do not break my father," he opens the door and punches in the code with magic that isn't felt.
"I won't break your father." he chuckles as he walks in, "Nice place," he says looking around, "Love the brick, although I've gravitated towards modern myself, got a sweet two-floor apartment in Center City." he reveals, "You look nice." he offers
"Thanks... your card said... Adam?" she remembered from the diner earlier.
The inside is a mix of archaic, literally, decor, and ultra modern. The stairs are near the back. The first floor very much has a ‘family’ mixed with ‘European Dad’ vibe to it with the decorations. Some of it included Texan, Philadelphian, and American elements to it.
"Adam Harken," he nods, "That would be the name I go by on paper." he says, if it's his real name or not he's not telling, "Interesting mix, so, to what do I owe the invitation?"
"Well, we were talking about a cadre. I've shown Peri, and Kenzi the place. Thought I'd show you... this is mainly Dad's floor, or when we host someone for a big meal. Second floor is my living area."
"You sound close, it's nice to hear some people have close family." he nods, "Maybe I'll invite you all over one day," he muses, "So, may I sit?"
"Let's head upstairs," as he says that, doors slam, and steps are heard on the second floor, "Oh! We should head up to the third. You can see what I have for the sanctum space so far," and she wiggles a bit as she walked, excited to show off her magical space and library. They led all the way to the third floor, where it seemed like a dead end. Probably a very familiar effect of veiling to the Mastigos.
"Ok, so your Mysterium, let me guess, it's going to be like walking into the study of Indiana Jones," he chuckles, "No wait, Lara Croft and Nathan Drake feel like better analogy." he teases, "Still need to set up my own Sanctum though, should get to that soon."
"Well, you can rearrange this one, a bit, should you join a cadre with us..." Bones of Magic offered, and then unlocked the door with forces, still unfelt from the peripheral, and once it opened, it was obvious to Thespis once again.
"Come on in..." she escorted him into the library!
Inside the door, it's an entirely different place. It looks like a university library with shelf after shelf full of books, scrolls, even ancient tablets and vellum. A few shelves full of discs and thumb drives and the like. There was also a center space with tables and chairs. There are four rooms in the corners, currently set up as different study rooms, and in the back was the open ritual space, obviously full of Obrimos and Mysterium symbols and signs.
he looks around, having to turn 180 degrees, "Wonderful," he whispers as he grins, "It really should get old over time, but 'bigger on the inside' remains one of my favorite effects. . .let me ask, what was your biggest 'wonder and amazement' moment when you got started?" he asks
"When I got started? Seeing Angels, man. Just seeing them, being able to summon them... what have you," a laugh, "but from magic? The ability to see what rooms were like thousands of years ago, because they were sealed since then and unchanged."
he nods, "My master, Kirk, he taught me to be both Gaurdian and Mastigos," he remembers, "The man was a master of the Mind, like I'm a master but for him it was his life, one of those reclusive millionaires who no one knows how he got his money and used it all on psychedelic journeys of drugs and experience. . .of course with him it was real, so. . .yeah imagine if you where taught by a man who told the sixteen year old, 'your Awakened, take the Acid and it's going to help'." he laughs, "So yeah, magical drug parties, that's how you teach the newly Awakened highschooler."
"...Huh. I was in the middle of an Archaeological journey and dig for graduate school. Turns out there was an Obrimos close to the dig and he was of the Mysterium, and he taught me... taught me a lot. So I didn't really have a choice to join the Mysterium, but I don't regret it either."
he thinks, "Ok, so, How did you Awaken?" he asks, sitting down in one of the chairs, "For me. . .their was this cheerleader I wanted to impress and she seemed to love actors, so I tried out for the school play. . .Faust." he grins, Mastigos awakening to Faust, what are the odds
"I didn't have the mystery play or other various things. Mine was an Instant. I touched an item in Chichen Itza, the famous pyramid of the Aztecs, and suddenly I was in the Aether. I was studying the literal gods. Angels and Loa and Odin and Thor and Chernobog and Dionysus and more. I had that moment of Absolute Primal Truth. That They Are All Real! Then I had to decide if I wanted to keep the truth or run away."
SHe wanders the Library, talking with the Mastigos as they looked over various books and scrolls.
"So you kept the Truth," he nods, "So, for me it was also realizing the truth, my father. . .used to beat me and my mother," he begins, "But outwardly, we were the perfect white picket fence upper middle class family, but dad would get drunk and. . .well at least the neighbors thought we were perfect." he shrugs, "So, I got the part and was Mephisto," he nods, "I know, of course I awakened Mastigos, anyway, I started. . .dissociating, losing myself more and more into the part, I was no longer myself, I was Mephisto, during the play itself. . .that was when I was in Pandemonium, my fellow actors became marionettes on strings, the audience faded into the black as demonic eyes watched me, I was terrified but excited," he gains a wild grin, "Then it clicked, all my life I was playing a role put on me by the Lie, nothing is true except what we agree to be the truth, anyone can be anything, all they have to do is play the role, have you ever heard of Anna Sorokin?" he asks
"No. I don't."
"Anna Delvey was a socialite and heiress on the New your scene form five years, she was a regular on the party scene with many friends. . .Anna Delvey was Anna Sorokin, a con artist." he nods, "But she was Anna Delvey, that was the role she played and society bended to fit her role." he goes wide eyed, "That's the magic, if we are convinced we are something, who is to say we're not?"
"Sounds like a Guardian. One of the Masks."
"Yes. . .so you see how I joined them, just as it seems you where drawn to the Mysterium." he nods, "But we are all one dragon." he nods, "So at the end of the day, that's why I'm in the entertainment game, how about you, big time archaeologist, any stories to tell?"
"This is my first consilium, because I've been kept as either an Acquisitor or Savant, studying ruins around the world. Looking to see Atlantean stuff, if it was present. Looking to see if anything contained ancient Mage shit. Anything like that. So I've had a lot of practical lessons. An Obrimos that learns death because dammit, those ghosts are tough to fight otherwise. Learning Spirit because werewolves are scary, and so are their spiritual allies."
"I've met a werewolf once, yes they are very scary. . ." he nods, "I was, as you know, in the LA consilium, spent the first three years helping around Kirk's Labyrinth, went to college and he used some connections to get me into a nice Agency, Goetia are my speciality, had to interact with plenty of Demons with the Cult, supernal ones." he assures
"Mind, I learned for the language side, and to protect myself from Goetia and Mind effects mainly... Though two lines of thinking, telepathy and all are useful."
"Space I learned to travel out of body, Forces for self protection and some minor show stuff for cultists," he takes out the lighter, "Fate helps with clients and Time and Death seemed useful, I'm hoping to learn Life and Prime, need to find a teacher."
"Forces you say?" a grin, "I've heard you mention that. Though I consider myself a Prime primary, but obviously also a forces master."
he raises an eyebrow, "I hope to gain Mastery over it, one day, so maybe you can tutor me. . .Prime would also be useful." he shrugs, "But I am wondering, what do you get from our possible Cadre, what can I do for you." he asks, genuine in a desire to benefit them, his agent side showing a bit
"WEll, a Cadre's protection in the LEx Magica. If we unite in a theme, the yantra incorporation to my persona. More kinds of protection on the house, if this is the sanctum."
It might be odd to see Mysterium plotting so much, but Bones was quick witted after all.
"Besides, I have all this space. Why not use it."
"A theme," he thinks, "So, your philosophy seems to be Truth. . .while mine is Truth is subjective," he admits, "Is their anyway to reconcile that, do you know what Kenzie's outlook is?"
"Mine is that Truth is Fluid. Magic Is Fluid. Because without the Lie, people could be any age, any body, any where, that they wanted."
"The we are aligned!" he exclaims, "We should ask Kenzie what she thinks of it, then prehaps our theme can be that our mutability or such?"
"Peri," he points downstairs to the room to the left by the stairs, "May join us. Peri are Trickster Spirits from pre-Islam. There feels like some flexability there."
"The shadow name comes with connotations of mischievousness, benevolence, atonement, sometimes punishment of wrongdoers."
"I would like to met them sometime then," he nods "I hope an actual Cadre may come of this, resources work best when pooled together and sometimes you need someone to support ya in times of need, clearly you are much more entrenched in the community then I am, so you may already have such such support." he says, a compliment added in, "Mischief is something I can get behind, my workings with Labyrinths often found myself pushing people to push boundaries of experience.
"Well, if Kenzies for it. I am willing to invite you in, obviously, or you wouldn't be here. I can set up a meeting with Peri, they're usually at the Athenaeum. They lives there, literally. IT's part of why I offered the guest room to them."
"I would be interested in joining such a group, plus I'll be working with Kenzie with her career, so being in a Cadre with her makes sense, what Path is Peri?"
Their eyes roll back for a second, as if accessing a memory, and then he spoke, in an airy yet almost robotic way, Second Degree Master Peri
Mystagogue and Necromancer on the Path to Stygia, Supernal Realm of Death and Matter, and abode of Shades,Savant of the Mysterium of the Martyr's Tree of the Lesser Convocation of the Northeast, Master of Death and Time, Adept of Matter, Apprentice of Prime, Initiate of Spirit
"So an Obrimos, Mastigos, Acanthus, and Moros, one more and we'd have the full set," he chuckles, "So, wow would we run this, Kenzie seemed to think you'd be the leader," he smiles, "You seemed to made quite the impression on her."
"Oh, you noticed that it's almost a perfected path cadre?" a laugh, " I was happy about that. There are Thyrsus that I"m thinking about too.." and then they shook their head, "I just mentioned the Cadre might work for us. Am I a leader? I am not one for hierarchy, but rather meritocracy or democracy."
"Democratic might be a good way to run things," he says, "I'll say something and you all vote the opposite." he jokes, "But seriously, if we get a 5th member, then a voting system would work best, no way for deadlock and it would be fair," he takes out a flask from his pocket and takes a sip, "So, I have to ask, I'm a Gaurdian, I do plan on making a Mystery Cult, the Cadre can keep their hands clean of it and it can by personal side venture if such a thing does not vibe with the rest."
"From what you said of your secret society stuff, I don't wnat to handle that. If I were to do it, it'd be a different set of values. Hell, Phyx might be making something too."
he nods, "Understood, It'll be my little side venture, it'll support the Cadre should such a time come, but you may each stay clear of it otherwise, I respect such boundaries."
"However, if we are a Cadre, I will do my best to help protect you and your interests."
"Thank you," he nods, "So, my answer is yes, I wish to form a Cadre with you and Kenzie, I'll have to meet this Peri but if you recomend them then that's a good sign already," he smiles, "If you can speak to this Thyrsus then that would make a perfected path cadre," he thinks, "If you wish me to disclose the events of my exile in full, then I will, as a show of trust," he waves his hand, "Prehaps we can meet as a group sometime to see if we click right?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll work on it with the others, and schedule it. A neutral space. Perhaps the Consilium hall itself."
"Sounds fine." he nods, "If their's anything else you wish to discuss, non-cadre related, I'd welcome conversation." he smiles
"What do you do when you aren't killing sleepers and destroying knowledge and making cults?"
V
he is completely unfazed at that, smiling. "I work night and day for the needs of my clients, I also enjoy walks on the beach, excersize, 80's rock, clubbing, and watching classic B-Grade movies."
"Clubbing? SO you've bene to Vertigo? And bad movies are one of my jams. Especially since I can make it come from any stream in the world, just about..."
She cupped his cheek kindly before walking through their library again, "Walks on the beach? And you ended up in Philly?"
"I have not been to Vertigo yet, however it's on the list, understand the last two weeks have been setting up my life, maybe we can make a shlock-fest movie night for the Cadre," he shruged, "Yes, however Ocean City is a drive away."
"Even closer for a Mastigos."
"I like to drive," he admits, "Road trip with Mercury and Perry blasting on the radio, that's heaven."
"Hence the classic car? Have you met Phyx yet?"
"No I have not, should I?"
"He's the man behind Ars ARmory. He's also a Lost Boy, if you know what those are. HE runs a secret armory underneath a gas station, and is good with Cars, it seems. Can I see your phone?"
he hands it over, watching what they do with it, can't kill paranoia
A finger touched it, and a copy of the Ars Armory advertisement at Maddy's is downloaded to the phone, as is the phone number for the Armory, and for Phyx. It gave the address of the gas station and the like too.
"He might be able to supe up your car, and any other high tech shit you think you might need. Like super hero body armor."
"That is interesting, thank you." he nods, "Oh, now I feel like I've been shown every courtesy without offering anything." he chuckles, "You need something, a errand, favor?"
"Work your politics. See if there's anything among the council or order leadership that could be slowing down this investigation. And if they have any insight to Gaveston."
"Gotcha," he nods and stands up, "I'll put some feels and see if anyone is putting some blockers up, thank you for inviting me."
"Thanks for coming. I'll set up a meeting."
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