2020-03-20 Columbia University

*Our community needs more information on this page! Can you help out? Click here to add more.*

## Log

> **K. Malcolm Lawson**Lionsgate Apartments, 17th Floor, Apartment 17C - 11:54 PM
>
>
>
>
> Malcolm hadn't heard from either Nick or Shiloh all day, then he got a text from Nick about a family emergency, and asking questions he didn't know the answers to immediately. So he reached out to Shiloh first via text message to get some of the answers he needed, and see if she was up for another meeting.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hey Shiloh, didn't hear from you yesterday, everything okay? I've been trying to look into Nathan's going dark, but it occurred to me I didn't have his last name to search by. I want to help you find out what happened to him. And I'd also like to continue our conversation - a lot of big things to cover if you have the time. Let me know when you want to meet up. I'll tell Ralph\*\* to expect you.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> * + (OOC: The Doorman needs a name, so I decided it's Ralph)
> **Shiloh Young**He's hit with a prompt reply.
>
>
>
>
> "Hey. I met up with someone, and I figured out what happened with Nathan. I'll fill you in when I get there.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Tonight, Shiloh's tense as she thanks the doorman and makes for Malcolm's door. She was dressed nicely again, but that couldn't mask the nervous ticks in her gait, the way she fidgeted with her sleeves. She knocks twice, brow again in a knot.**K. Malcolm Lawson**(@Janothar - to read that nervousness is a Perception + Empathy, yes?)**Shiloh Young**[ I'm cool with him just reading her, she's not trying to hide it ]**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Works for me.)**Janothar**(that would be the roll)**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; ( 2 7 4 6 6, 3 successes) \&61; 3**K. Malcolm Lawson**@Shiloh Young, are you going to stand by the statement of not hiding it?
>
> Alright then.
>
> Malcolm met her at the door with his usual warm smile, which became a look of concern when he saw her fidgeting. He ushered her in, closing the door behind her.
>
>
>
> The apartment has been straightened up a touch. The laptop has returned to the desk, there are fresh streaks of cleaning on the breakfast bar, and the books have been put away, except for the leatherbound volume by Malcolm's chair from the night before. Some of the bookmarks in it have shifted positions.
>
>
>
> Malcolm seemed about to say something, but taking in her body language, something wasn't sitting right with the situation. With genuine concern in his voice, Malcolm asked,
>
>
>
> "You alright, Shiloh? You look like something's awfully wrong. Tell me what's on your mind?"**Shiloh Young**"I met up with your 'Order of Reason,' the Technocratic Union. She didn't have nice things to say about you and yours, but more importantly, she said she knew Nathan, that he's become 'enlightened,'" Shiloh makes straight for her customary chair, not even kicking off the shoes or taking off her coat, and flops back onto it.**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Shit"
>
>
>
> That was about all Malcolm could think, and Shiloh couldn't imagine him swearing until he did.
>
>
>
> "I should have told you to be cautious around them, but I didn't want you thinking I was bad mouthing them out of habit. I am going to explain how they had a very heavy hand in making the world what it is now, and you can make your own mind up about it, but make no mistake, they are powerful, and dangerous people, and if they have your friend, he could very well be in grave danger."
>
>
>
> Then he stopped and smirked. "You told them we were fighting the Order of Reason? That must have gotten you quite a look. We weren't done with the History, I was going to get to the part about them changing names at some point, but that happened in the Victorian Era, and we're about to get to the Renaissance."
>
>
>
> "Now, a serious question. Do you want help getting Nick back from the Technocrats? If he Awakened - their term is became Enlightened, they prefer that term, I believe, and use it extensively - and fell into their hands, they are most definitely indoctrinating him now. As they would argue I am doing to you, but I don't keep you here by force, and you can leave anytime and never come back. I doubt Nathan has the same options. If we were to attempt to help you get Nathan back, if that's even possible, it could break the ceasefire, and he may not even want to come back, but if you leave him there, they will indoctrinate him as one of their own, and he will not have any choices thereafter. So @Shiloh Young, think carefully before you answer - do you want me to see if we can help you get him back?"**Shiloh Young**Her head slowly turns, staring. "I already asked if I could meet with him, she said she was gonna try to make arrangements, or something. I'll know on Sunday."
>
>
>
> She sits up, hands on resting lightly on the armrests as she watched him, as if she was ready to jump if things went south. "You, uh, you're making a lot of assumptions, dude. If he's really being held against his will, sure, of course I want to help him, but if not?" There's a stretch of silence from her side.
>
>
>
> "...is it true, what she said? I know you mentioned your side making mistakes, but having all that power and hiding away during epidemics? Sacrificing people to your dragons and shit?"**K. Malcolm Lawson**"I cannot confirm or deny individual actions of individual members of the Order, and obviously we wouldn't probably write down incidences of our Order's members feeding individuals to dragons. The Black Death killed millions as a matter of historical fact, and many wealthy nobles and powerful wizards blocked their doors and left their people to die, but I wager just as many wizards also sickened and died using Ars Vitae trying to stop the plague. Though we are an organization of magi, we are an organization that tolerates, of both necessity and respect for individual freedom, a great degree of independence in our membership. So is it likely that mages of our Order did terrible things in the lands they ruled during the Golden Age of Magic? Yes. It is also likely that many also did great things to improve the lot of their lands and people and all prospered together. All we can do as a collective group is learn from our mistakes and try to better ourselves. That is the goal of every Hermetic Mage, when you get down to it, self - refinement in the pursuit of magical power. What is done with that power is up to the individual."
>
>
>
> "That is the difference between us and the Technocrats. They allow much less latitude for individual freedom than we do, as each member of their Union is expected to function as a part of a greater whole and perform strictly assigned roles and duties. No doubt they see it as part of a greater purpose, to make a better world, in their perspective."
>
> Warming to his rhetoric, Malcolm began to pace around the room, gesturing pointedly at evidence of the Technocracy's dominance of the world as he named them.
>
>
>
> "Indeed, we have wonders in this technological utopia they would create for us. A computer that can hold more information than all the books in my library, a worldwide web which contains all the information mankind has ever accumulated and bothered to upload to it, along with blatant lies, political slander, racial hate, and cat videos. Buildings that reach to the heavens, cities that contain millions of souls and cover the Earth in concrete and steel, and mechanization for everything."
>
>
>
> "It is ironic that they are working so hard to create a world where they themselves cannot exist."**Shiloh Young**She stares in silence, face drawn back, and as he paces she would bring a hand to her head, rubbing at her temples. Shiloh didn't interrupt, not yet.**K. Malcolm Lawson**"The world the Technocracy wants has no room for wonder, whimsy, or magic. No place for imagination, superstition, or faith. No use for traditions, no purpose for culture, no place for diversity. They want a sterile, predictable, orderly, patterned world where everything and everyone is exactly the same. If you've ever read Brave New World, that's the kind of future they want. I'm certain that Aldous Huxley was either a Technocrat himself aching for such a place, or, more likely, a Tradition Mage warning us against it. 1984 is also a good window into the kind of world that the Technocracy wants to create. Fahrenheit 451. Pick a technological dystopia where Man is subordinate to one great overarching Government - that's what they want, with themselves at the top."
>
>
>
> "The ironic thing about it is, if no one ever questions their limits, if no one ever tests the boundaries of reality, if no one every wants or needs or desires or dreams ever again, no one else will ever Awaken. I'm convinced they haven't noticed this possibility, and they are trying to stamp us and our methods out to preserve their perfect vision of how the world should be, but they'll end up exterminating themselves as well in the end, creating a world where no magic is possible, not even theirs."
>
>
>
> "And that will truly be the end of history. Not in the Atomic Fire of a post - apocalyptic nightmare - though I promise you, no Mage of the Order ever tried making a Fireball big enough to level a City and kill everyone within it, you definitely have a Technocrat to thank for that one - but in a sterile, antiseptic world of absolute clockwork uniformity, where nothing ever changes, because the Union says it's all perfect now, and if you disagree, well, you don't want to find out what happens then. I'm sure your contact didn't tell you want they do with people like us. That might be . . . unpleasant and not conducive to their efforts to recruit you."**Shiloh Young**Her eyes had gone shut by this point, face scrunched as conflicting arguments roiled about her mind. When he fell silent, too, she finally looked back up at him. "That does sound awful," she murmurs. Shiloh appeared more tired than anything else.
>
>
>
> "You make them sound even more monstrous than they did you all, but I don't know, man. All I've got is what you guys are flinging at each other, a lot of big words with nothing to back it up."
>
>
>
> She suddenly rises, arms crossing defensively, gaze directed at the floor by his feet. "But - say you are right, about them. How do we help Nathan?"**K. Malcolm Lawson**"That's where I talk to people wiser and more powerful than I about arranging a jailbreak. We'd have to know where they are keeping him, of course, and then we'd have to figure out if we have the resources to penetrate their defenses, both mundane and magical, though they probably used the term 'enlightened security' or something to that effect. Their facilities are well defended, so it may well be that we can't break him out, and have to wait for them to let him out into the world again, presumably fully indoctrinated and conditioned, and try to make contact with him, get him away from them and find some way to undo what they have done to him."
>
>
>
> "I don't know, honestly - most of my training to this point has emphasized the need to avoid the Technocrats at all costs. New and young mages like ourselves are often targeted for recruitment - willing or no - so I have done my best to keep a low profile and stay off their radar."
>
>
>
> "But if Nathan is in their clutches, he is most definitely being indoctrinated by them even now, and when you encounter him again, he will likely try to capture you for the same treatment."
>
>
>
> "Which is why I asked if you want me to call in reinforcements, because this is definitely not a task which I can manage alone."**Shiloh Young**She throws up her hands." No, no, no, I don't want you guys to go in there guns blazing, or thunderbolts firing or whatever it is you do. I'm gonna try and meet with him on my own, through their arrangements, see how he feels about everything. I know him. I'll be able to tell if he really doesn't want to be there."
>
>
>
> "I mean, they're not gonna like, kidnap me or anything, right? Not with that truce or ceasefire?" Another pause, a frustrated sigh. "But - maybe we should talk to others. I don't know, man!"**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm turns to her and gives her a sympathetic smile.
>
>
>
> "I know, Shiloh, this is a complicated situation. I wish Nathan wasn't already with them, it makes it a lot harder. And I would think very carefully about accepting any invitation to visit their facility. We might well never see you again, as I don't know if you are considered under the protection of the ceasefire as an independent magus. That arrangement, such as it is, is between the Technocratic Union and the Council of Nine Mystick Traditions."
>
>
>
> He pauses for a moment.
>
>
>
> "Of course, if you were a member of one of those Traditions, then it would definitely apply to you, but I wouldn't pressure you to make such a decision just for the purposes of this meeting. Just know that you are indeed taking a big risk going in there. You might not be free to leave as you expect."
>
>
>
> "I can call my friends in the Order, my own teacher and another Magus we both find trustworthy. They are more experienced in these matters than I, and might be able to give you better counsel. I can make the calls if you wish."**Shiloh Young**"They know I've talked to you guys. I think that'd be like, a real slippery slope for them to just up and grab me, right?" It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than to convince him.
>
>
>
> "Call them. I don't know where I stand, if I'm being real with you, dude, but," she trails.**K. Malcolm Lawson**"One thing I will caution you about, Shiloh - nothing, and I do mean nothing - is out of bounds for a determined Technocratic Magus. They already see themselves as the masters of Reality itself, its guardians and its enforcers. They would think nothing of snatching you if it suited their purposes to do so."
>
>
>
> "I'll text them, given the hour, though, they may well not respond. I know my teacher might not be available, he has a family situation to deal with that he didn't tell me about, and our friend may not keep our same hours. It is almost two in the morning. If and when they get back to me, I will text you to arrange a meeting of all four of us."
>
>
>
> Malcolm spends a few moments texting, then continues
>
>
>
> "There, I will let you know when they get back to me."
>
>
>
> He sighed.
>
>
>
> "I'm sorry if I went on a bit of a rant there. The Technocracy is a bit of a sore subject for us Traditional Mages. By most accounts, we have been on the losing side of the Ascension War, but we survive to continue to fight another day, and have for the last five centuries. But I was still telling you about its beginnings, and the development of the unified magical theory that shapes our Arts. Though a sad story fraught with tragedy in many places, I find it has a lot of meaningful lessons in it for us even to this day. Shall I continue with it, or would you like to discuss something else?"**Shiloh Young**She mumbles out a thanks, almost hugging herself as she meanders back and forth before the window, occasionally throwing a look out at the skyline. At his offer, she turns back to him.
>
>
>
> "I think I've had enough of the history lessons and hearing people spit propaganda," there's a twitch, and she quickly adds, "Er, no offense - you're a good lecturer! But I want to do something before I lose it. What about these 'Arts,' the nine spheres? Show me some magic. Like, how do I defend myself if these people try to snatch me off the streets?"**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm smiled and shook his head.
>
>
>
> "Ah, but I cannot promise what magic works for me will work for you. As I am sure you have no doubt noticed by now, our Arts are very much individual. I can teach you the forms that I use, the spells I weave and the instruments I use to work my will on the cosmos, and explain how and why they work for me, but only by internalizing those instruments that speak to you and making them implements of your will can you catalyze those forms into an effect with power. You seem naturally talented in the Arts, perhaps you will pick up the forms more quickly than I did. I hope this is true, for your sake - it is a dangerous world out there that has taken great notice of you."
>
>
>
> "There's also the fact that teaching someone not a member of the Order Hermetic magic would bring me into conflict with the Code of Hermes. The Master - Apprentice relationship originated within our Order, and is still held sacred. Until you undertake the oaths to initiate your training as a member of the Order, that is, and one of our number takes you on as their apprentice."
>
>
>
> "What I can do is explain the theoretical understanding of magic developed by the Order of Hermes that has become the dominant theory that governs our Arts, the Nine Spheres of True Magick."
>
>
>
> "Is that something you would like to learn, @Shiloh Young?"**Shiloh Young**Her arms flop to her sides, and she stares with pursed lips. "Fiiine. If your sacred oaths and fancy instruments leads me to getting snatched by men in black vans, that's on you. I'll figure out soul self-defense or whatever on my own."
>
>
>
> "But." More pauses. "...I would like to learn your theories. Please."**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm smiles at that.
>
>
>
> "I have been nothing but transparent this whole time in my hope that you will choose to become one of our Order. But I want it to be your choice and I want it to be by your will, not mine. Once that choice is made, though, I will happily either teach you myself if I am chosen to mentor you, or assist the one who is. Until then, yes, you are on your own, at least on that front, but you can choose to have allies at any time."
>
>
>
> Stretching a bit and cracking his knuckles, Malcolm goes over to a shelf and pulls off another old book, opening it up to reveal it has a cut away space in the middle of its pages, where a stack of cards is concealed. He pulls out the top nine, closes the book, then puts it back onto the shelf.
>
>
>
> "This is the sort of lesson that requires a few visual aids. All Nine Spheres have associated symbols, some of which have been used by other groups not familiar with their true meaning. I made the cards myself earlier in my apprenticeship to teach myself the symbols used by our Order, as I find good old fashioned memorization goes fastest with flash cards."
>
>
>
> "The Magical Arts can be subdivided into Nine fields of study, which each magus must learn independently of the others, though a magus who has a working knowledge of many different spheres may combine their powers for broader and greater effects. Each of the Spheres can be further subdivided into five ascending circles of mastery, beginning with perception, then to minor alterations, major alterations, powerful workings, and finally to mastery of the Sphere. One cannot truly be said to be an Archmagus without having mastered at least one of the nine spheres, and mastering all nine is a feat most magi cannot accomplish in ten mortal lifetimes, there is so much to learn about each one. The sum of a magi's knowledge about the field governed by a sphere enables them to perform effects that draw upon it, and each level of mastery is exponentially more complex than the last."**Janothar**(if he draws teh symbols, Shiloh will recognize "Prime" and "Life" which he's likely to call ars essentiae and ars vitae respectively)**Shiloh Young**She bit her lip from arguing further, speaking strained politeness instead. "I don't know, man. But - I guess - thanks for considering me?"
>
>
>
> As he reveals the card, she would gesture to one in particular. "That. The trident looking thing. I recognize that. It was at that house, and on the woman with the wild tattoos. That one, too, with the alchemy equipment,"**Janothar**(oops, my bad, Prime isn't Essentiae, it's Vis)**K. Malcolm Lawson**"The origins of the theory of the Nine Spheres are lost to history. Some explanations posit that they were derived from nine Nine Harmonic Principles mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts, and that would explain where the Craftmasons learned them from to spread them to the Order of Reason, as they were involved with Hermetic Houses deeply steeped in Egyptian Lore. That is one explanation. Another is that they stole them from us at a later time, through means unknown. What is known is that both sides of the Ascension War use this common framework, and that it seems to hold true for all Magi regardless of paradigm. Some of us think it was part of the fabric of Creation from the beginning, put there by God himself."
>
>
>
> "I should also note that the Hermetic who named the Spheres originally used Latin, but butchered it. We aren't sure how exactly someone with such a poor grasp of Classical Latin survived in the Order at all, but there is a movement within the Order to correct the sloppy scholarship used out of habit, and therefore I will use their corrected terminology, with proper Latin Grammar and Syntax."
>
>
>
> "We begin with Ars Conligationis, misnamed the Ars Conjunctionis originally - the Art of Connection. Using the knowledge of this sphere, the Magus opens themselves to the interconnected nature of all things, expanding perceptions and sending them to different locations, the classic 'scrying' spells, opening portals to other places, and expanding the senses to take in more of the world around themselves. It can be combined with other spheres to make effects occur at a distance as well, even enabling travel between vastly distant locales in the blink of an eye."**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Next is the Ars Fortunae, originally misnamed Ars Fati, which is a misnomer because it implies a fixed fate, where a skilled practicioner of the Art of Fortune would certainly tell you nothing is fixed about Fate or Destiny, certainly not when a practitioner of the Arts of Fortune is around. It is also known as the Sphere of Entropy, as it can be used to devastating effect to accelerate entropy's natural effect on the world. A Magus skilled in the Art of Fortune can predict the outcome of seemingly random events with the turn of a spell, and quickly learns how to change those outcomes as they desire. As their mastery of the Sphere increases, they can accelerate or slow entropy's effects, lay mighty blessings or curses, and even alter the course of fate for concepts and ideals at the greatest levels of mastery. I imagine someone skilled in the Ars Fortunae could be a casino's worst nightmare, but security would still be a problem if they win too much."
>
>
>
> "Then we come to the Ars Virium, originally called the Ars Essentiae by the Hermetics because it is the Art our Tradition most often specializes in, but Ars Virium speaks more truthfully to its nature, as it is the Art of Forces, which could also be translated as the Art of Vigor, Strength, or Energy. In classical times, it was understood to be a mastery of the Four Elements, but in the modern, we know it can be used to manipulate all sorts of natural forces, from X-Rays to Ultraviolet Radiation and more. With mastery of this art, almost any inanimate force of change can be commanded, from the raging inferno to the roiling thunderstorm, and it can be used to wreck considerable havoc as ones' mastery of its Art grows. It is a powerful art, but seldom a subtle one."
>
> "Next is Ars Vitae, once known as Ars Animae, though the corrected term is more apt, as it is the Art that has power over Life itself. With power over living things, including the Magus themselves, all sorts of wonders are possible, from the shifting of forms to the regrowing of lost limbs to the treatment of terrible diseases, and its penultimate mastery is to be able to create Life itself, an incredible feat of prowess for a master of the Sphere. This is the Art our forebears would use to treat the plague, and if any wizard is going to tackle Covid-19, they will do it using the Ars Vitae"
>
>
>
> "And for once, the erroneous Latin form of the old Hermetic who butchered it was more or less correct, when it came to naming the Ars Materiae, as Materiae was the word then commonly used to denote 'substance' or 'matter' in philosophy, and so the Sphere of Matter has to do with command of all non - living material, the alteration and transmutation thereof, and all that one can do to effect change on solid substances or objects. It is the Alchemist's art, and the Crafters, and with its power, you can with practice alter the properties of any material thing. As an aspiring Alchemist yourself, you might find this sphere to be a rewarding field of study."
>
>
>
> (Cat knocked over tea glass, brief interruption to clean up, BRB)**Shiloh Young**As he lectured, she sketched down each symbol revealed, commenting here and there for those she believed she could perceive. When he spoke of crafting life, though, she knelt forward with keen interest, tracing it's shape with great care before scribbling notes wildly in the margins. She points at him with the pen during the pause,
>
>
>
> "All of those, I think, I can See except for the fortunes. Only perceive, though. I haven't been able to shape or alter anything yet." Disappointment stitches itself across her face.**K. Malcolm Lawson**"The Hermetic with the terrible Latin guessed right again in naming the Ars Mentis, the Art of the Mind. It is the Art that grants its practitioner power over the thoughts and feelings of his fellow men, Awakened and Sleeper alike, and enables the wielder of its subtle arts to eavesdrop on thoughts, give silent mental commands, send dreams and visions, and untether the consciousness from the mortal form and ascend the heights of Heaven. It is a subtle but powerful expression of the Art, and easy to abuse if one is not careful."
>
>
>
> He paused for a moment to reply to her
>
>
>
> "Sight is the beginning of understanding, for how are you to affect the world if you cannot understand it? Truly see that which you wish to change for what it is, then concentrate your will on altering it."
>
>
>
> "I know, easier said than done, but each step on the path to mastery builds on the others. Start with sight, work up from there."**Shiloh Young**And that made her break eye contact, scratching at the back of her neck. Clearly, abusing Ars Mentis was a lesson she was already acquainted with.
>
>
>
> His next comment draws a hum and a nod, and she jots something down. "Right. Can't be impatient. Build your foundations, etc."**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Then we come to one of the most esoteric and difficult to explain of the Arts, once misnamed the Ars Vis, but better terms the Ars Potentiae, the Art of Power itself. It is the Prime Sphere, the Sphere that grants its user the understanding of the weave of magic itself. By itself, the Prime Sphere allows the Magus to see and effect the Tapestries of Power that interconnect all things, and to draw upon the mysterious Fifth Essence that empowers all of our arts. It gains its greatest power, from my understanding, when it is combined with other Spheres, enabling the Magus to fuel the creation of new patterns, to 'conjure something from nothing', and to draw upon sources of magical power when they can be found."
>
>
>
> "Then we come to the Ars Spirituum, once known as the Ars Manes though I don't know why, Spiritus is a much better Latin term to use to describe the Art of Spirit. Using this Art, we attune ourselves to the worlds beyond our own, where mysterious creatures and spectral entities of various breeds dwell, collectively known to the Order as the Umbrood. Using the power of this Art, a Magus can summon up an Umbrood to converse, to bind the spirit to the Magus's will, to physically step into the world of the Ephemeral and to open the passage back to the Material World. I do not personally understand this Art well at all, but the many admonitions in Hermetic Texts about summoning Umbrood without proper defenses prepared in advance suggest it can be a dangerous Art if not pursued carefully."
>
>
>
> "And finally, what I find to be the most mysterious and difficult of the Magus' Arts, the Ars Temporis, the Art of Time. I do not understand its principles well at all, but I do understand that those who command the flow of time can speed it up, slow it down, look backwards and forwards through it, and perhaps, at the greatest heights of mastery over this art, travel through Time itself, though I would not even want to contemplate the ramifications of doing so. Temporal paradoxes, I can only imagine, would be worse than any outcome ever seen on any science fiction show, especially with the Time Magus being in the center of altered events. All of the Spheres are dangerous to those who abuse them, but the Ars Temporis strikes me as a particularly tricky sphere to meddle in without risking, well, everything."
>
>
>
> "Now, you said you recognized the Sphere of Prime's symbol on some Alchemy Equipment at the house where you and Nathan Awakened?"**Shiloh Young**She can only shake her head when speaks of twisting time. "Jesus. And, uh, yes! That, and Life. It wasn't quite like how you have it, but it was super close. They were on the glassware we broke." A frown. "Maybe we can put it back together. I'm dying to know what that alchemist - that mage - was using it for."**K. Malcolm Lawson**"I admit, I'd be curious to know myself what the Alchemist's plans were involving that equipment. One of my teachers would find it very interesting to study in person. However, getting access to it again would probably involve another breaking and entry, unless you have a better idea of how to get in and get a better look at it?"
>
> It was at this point that Malcolm noticed his phone had buzzed, and then checked it, getting a message from an unknown number. It could be a wrong number - he would reply later, it was well after 2 AM when it was sent.**Shiloh Young**"I mean, it was clearly not being taken care of by whoever owns the place now. We can just walk right back in. Or go through the window - that's how I got around the door."**K. Malcolm Lawson**"That is a possibility, but not the only one. I'll bring it up with my teachers, I already mentioned your story about the alchemical equipment to them, they seemed interested, and probably are looking into it even now. I haven't heard back from them - I did get a text from a random number I don't know, but it's late, I'll respond tomorrow. May just be a wrong number."**Shiloh Young**"Alright." Her eyes wander to the clock. "Jeez. We really gotta start meeting at other times, your doorman's gotta be thinking things."**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Ralph probably already thinks you're my girlfriend, as you'd be the first I've ever brought up to see me at all, much less so often and so late at night. It's as good an explanation as any, and I don't intend to disabuse him of it unless you want to think up something better."
>
>
>
> Malcolm yawned, finally realizing himself how late it was.
>
>
>
> "Yes, I think that should definitely conclude the lesson tonight. Now you have some understanding of the potential and perils of the Art. You cannot get into so much trouble simply perceiving things, and such effects are unlikely to accrue much in the way of Paradox, but beware when using your Arts in the presence of others, whether Sleeper or Awakened, but be especially cautious around the Awakened, who can become quickly aware of what you are doing."
>
>
>
> He showed her to the door, smiling one last time in her direction.
>
>
>
> "Thank you for keeping me company again. I will text you when I hear back from my friends, and we'll talk about a lot of things, including if we can do anything to help your friend."**Shiloh Young**She gets caught up on something between a snort and nervous laughter, waving him off. "Yeah, yeah, I, uh, guess that's good. And I'll keep that in mind. See you, I guess,"
>
>
>
> Shiloh hurries off without another look back.