2020-04-03 A Flash of Light

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## Log

> **Janothar**Manhattan has been quiet for awhile. The Quarantine seems to be being taken seriously by most people (though there are still some assholes congregating in the parks, and of course, the supernatural denizens of the City tend to feel that they're above such things, hopefully they aren't infected. Tonight, like other nights recently, it's quiet, the streets are empty. The idea of a Friday night in Manhattan being silent, even a few blocks from Times Square, is just bizarre, it's completely outside of anyone's experience.**Kiera Donnell**One of the best things about the Quarantine is the chance to walk and enjoy the simple essence of life, even in such an Urban ......place. Kiera is slowing jogging around the park.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm couldn't stand being cooped up in his apartment any longer, and he had to get away from the tent city growing in Central Park that he could see from his window. With the new cloth face mask his mother sent him earlier in the week securely around his face, a long trenchcoat against the night's chill, Malcolm braved the empty streets for a late night walk.**Janothar**There's plenty of life in New York! Aside from the ubiquitous virus which may or may not count, macroscopic life is also around. There's the occasional tree, and the not so occasional pigeons, feral dogs and cats, raccoons, and of course, the infamous New York Rats.
> Malcolm doesn't see many people out, so even though he's got more space, the sense of isolation that this has engendered is far worse. On the other hand, his chance of getting COVID is significantly lower that it would be if there were people around, so it's a mixed blessing.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Naturally extroverted, Malcolm has been longing for some company. He saw a jogger slowly working around Central Park, and waved to her, smiling beneath his mask.**Janothar**(Quick question for @Kiera Donnell are you jogging around the outside of the Park or through the Park?)**Kiera Donnell**(through the park, want the grass and trees around me)**Janothar**(Central Park is currently being turned into a COVID-19 Field Hospital, I would recommend staying away from that)**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Exactly why Malcolm was walking away from there, and why I turned my chairs away from it in my next downtime report that I'm working on! I don't need a daily reminder of it from my upstairs window!)**Kiera Donnell**Noticing a tall handsome man the reminds her of home, Kiera jogs up to him and says "Your Malcolm right? Sean has told me alittle about you. What brings you out on this pretty evening" (ya staying away from the field hospital)**Janothar**(I believe they're mostly closing off Central Park, I would just stay away from it. There's much more likely to be police watching it and stuff, but running around the perimeter is doable)**Kiera Donnell**(perimeter it is)**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm was astonished to be recognized, though if she knew Sean, he knew where she met him, and that told him a lot about her already.
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> "That's right, how did you know? I've only been to the Lounge a handful of times, I didn't realize I made that much of an impression. I am Malcolm, Malcolm Lawson, and you are?"**Kiera Donnell**"Kiera, Kiera Donnell.... Recently arrived on one of the last normal flight from Ireland. Sean has been trying to educate me on the other awakened of the city"**Sean Caldon**(totally would have :wink: )**K. Malcolm Lawson**A quick look around to make sure no one was observing them, Malcolm lowered his tone a few decibels to whisper conspiratorially
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> "Then I should properly introduce myself as Malcolm Lawson bani Hermes. And you?"**Kiera Donnell**(I don't know if the Verbena have a neat call sign) will use the appropriate term..... As she is doing so she reaches up and lightly touches the pulse point at Malcolm's neck..." Oh sorry, I know that's taboo now but it is a traditional greeting where I come from"**Janothar**(they don't, Hermetics are just extra like that)**K. Malcolm Lawson**[OOC: It's common enough form, from my understanding, among the Traditions - but I could be wrong - to append bani (Tradition Name) to your name, but I'm the novice, don't take my word on anything.]**Janothar**(it's a thing that some Tradition mages do, because the Order pushed it on them, it'd be vaguely familiar, but many wouldn't use it)**Kiera Donnell**(nice)**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm flushes slightly, but also relaxes at human touch, a simple thing easily missed in these times of plague and pandemic.
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> "It's okay, I've been quarantining for the last three weeks, and some human touch is . . . welcome and refreshing."
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> "What a time to move across the world! What brings you to New York, Kiera?"**Janothar**Despite the streets being largely empty, there's a strange sense of potential in the air. Like something is about to happen, but there's no clue whatsoever as to what. Just...a tension.
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> (you can roll Per+Aware, and anyone who is lurking and has an approved character can have them be drawn out by this)**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Difficulty?)**Janothar**(If I don't say otherwise, assume 6)**Kiera Donnell**"I am a dancer and I got the chance to come to New York to dance.....and the coven here needed, or wanted another Gaelic speaker"**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; ( 2 2 7 8 9, 3 successes) \&61; 3**Kiera Donnell**/r 5d10<\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@Kiera Donnell: 5d10<\&61;6f1 \&61; (5 9 6 5 1 , 2 successes) \&61; 2**Sean Caldon**/r 5d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@Sean Caldon: 5d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; (10 5 4 3 6, 2 successes) \&61; 2**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Never tried my hand at any of the other languages of the Isles, but I love the sound of spoken Gaelic. Most of my studies have been in Romance languages, starting with the dead ones and moving to their living descendants. Though I've taken to trying my hand at German for something to do while shuttered in. Where are you staying?"**Kiera Donnell**irish "The green of the isle is everlasting and vibrant" english "It does roll of the tongue, I have immersed myself in the language almost as much as the dance" Kiera starts to slowly move around Malcolm in a slow deliberate dance, keeping in quiet speaking distance.
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> "do you feel.......something?"**Janothar**@K. Malcolm Lawson - That sense of foreboding tension is overwhelming, you can't shut it out, it's assailing your supernatural senses.
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> @Sean Caldon - Something weird is going on, or going to happen. You've never felt anything quite like this before, either
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> @Kiera Donnell - There's a weird tension in the air, and you don't know what's causing it**Kiera Donnell**Kiera stops moving....."there is just.....something.....what is it?"**K. Malcolm Lawson**The energy in the air is obvious to Malcolm, and he feels exactly what Kiera is talking about in the hairs standing up on the back of his neck, the tingling throughout his body, and the general air of foreboding all around.
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> "Indeed I do, I am curious to know what it is. I may risk using the Art to get a better understanding of it. A moment."
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> Closing his eyes and muttering something in a language definitely not ever in common circulation, Malcolm opens his Third Eye to see better the source of the disturbance.
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> (Rote spell, highest Sphere 1, 1 Specialty. Kiera is certainly close enough to sense what he's doing with Perception + Awareness.)
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> /r 5d10\>\&61;4f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;4f1 \&61; (7 3 4 10 4, 4 successes) \&61; 4**Kiera Donnell**/r 5d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@Kiera Donnell: 5d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; (7 7 7 9 3 , 4 successes) \&61; 4**K. Malcolm Lawson**(If I can analyze the disturbance further, @Janothar, would that be another Perception + Awareness check, at a much reduced difficulty?)**Janothar**(No, it would be at a higher difficulty or using actual magick)**K. Malcolm Lawson**(I just used the Third Eye rote that's practically become my go - to "What's this Wierdness" Spell)**Janothar**Malcolm detects no magick.**Kiera Donnell**Kiera takes a small pin from her sleeve and pricks her finger. (Rote Spell, highest sphere 1)
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> /r 5d10\>\&61;5f1**SidekickBOT**@Kiera Donnell: 5d10\>\&61;5f1 \&61; (5 2 8 6 5, 4 successes) \&61; 4**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Well, now that it's open, I might as well sustain it for reduced future Awareness roll difficulty.
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> Kiera is definitely close enough and has plenty of successes to get a strong scent of Malcolm's Energizing Resonance. It's kind of like caged lightning, electrifying and invigorating, and it's tamed by a calm, Confident Resonance keeping it in check)**Kiera Donnell**(I am trying to detect Prime which may be the same thing)**Janothar**Kiera ALSO detects no magick**Kiera Donnell**"Do you have a way to center this......whatever it is? I can't track it without more information or more work"**K. Malcolm Lawson**"I have no idea what forces are at work here, but I can sense no movements of the Fifth Essence to justify it. A more powerful working may be called for."
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> (Since Kiera also worked some magic in my presence, and I can definitely see her working with my Third Eye open, I would like to roll a Perception + Awareness on that if I could please.)
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> /r 5d10\>\&61;3r1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;3r1 \&61; (3 5 9 2 7, 4 successes) \&61; 4**Kiera Donnell**(From my point of view sure, I am not sure what my resonance is.....think I missed that somewhere)**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Assuming a base difficulty of six modified down by 3 due to ongoing rote magic.)**Janothar**Yes, you can detect her Resonance (...which I appear to have forgotten to make her write down, so pick a trait)**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Basically a one word descriptor, a magical 'signature', so to speak. A mage can be identified by their workings thus.)**Kiera Donnell**(thinking, but we can move till I figure that out and record it)**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm looks around with his enhanced senses for any sense of where the epicenter of this phenomenon might be, hoping to get a sense of the direction to explore to get the answers Kiera would need for a greater working.**Janothar**His sight doesn't indicate any phenomena whatsoever.**K. Malcolm Lawson**"This is beyond bizarre. I feel it, but I cannot by any means mundane or otherwise detect what or where it is. Any ideas?"**Kiera Donnell**"Maybe we should just move on, I can't stand still with this. Maybe if we circled the park we could get a better since of direction."**K. Malcolm Lawson**Keeping his voice low enough to be heard at an appropriate social distance, Malcolm nodded and continued.
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> "Agreed, keep moving, hope we find what is causing this disturbance. Another possibility suggests itself to mind, but I hesitate to deploy untested arts in an uncontrolled space, if you understand my meaning."**Kiera Donnell**(btw "alluring" for alot of reasons, and I need to head out)**Janothar**(I would prefer not to pause the scene, there are too many scenes on hold as it is, please find a reason for Kiera to exit the scene)**Kiera Donnell**(understood) "I need to ......move.... I am going back to the Lounge where I am currently staying. Don't stay out here......lets meet back here soon and we can figure something out" Kiera takes out a flip phone and shows it to Malcolm "here is my US number, call me and I will help you with whatever this is....."**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm nods
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> "I'm inclined to keep investigating myself, I will make a circuit around the park, see if I see anything."
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> Pulling out his old smartphone, Malcolm texts her from his number
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> "That's my number, if I find anything out, I will call you."**Kiera Donnell**"Thank you" Kiera jogs away from the park.... (thank you both, wish I could stay awake longer)**Janothar**Malcolm is left alone, but with that itch that something is going to happen.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Not wanting to miss out on whatever it is, Malcolm walks the perimeter, trusting his gut as best he could in hopes of his mundane or mystical senses leading him to the answer to this vexing feeling.**Janothar**Suddenly, he does start seeing a gathering of energy, farther away from the Park. It's gathering, something big, but the nature of the energy isn't something he can identify**K. Malcolm Lawson**Trusting his gut and his senses, Malcolm follows the trail away from the Park, taking close note of everything in his surroundings as well as remembering his route, as he may have to retrace it later.**Janothar**As he gets closer he feels an almost magnetic pull towards the energy, at some point he has to exert effort to not get pulled in rather than to move towards it.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm does so, exerting his will if he must to ensure that he remains in control of his desire to discover what this is, and not whatever is compelling him to do so.**Janothar**Roll another Per + Aware, diff is 7, that does take into account your rote**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5d10\>\&61;7f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;7f1 \&61; ( 4 2 8 4 5 , 1 success) \&61; 1**Janothar**That sixth sense of yours tells something very important. Close your eyes. NOW.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm does so, trusting his intuition, taking in a fleeting last impression of the scene as he does so before everything changed**Janothar**Even through his eyelids, the flash is so bright that he can see clearly through them for a moment, down to the outlines of buildings. The burst of light feels hot against his skin, but after a moment, it's over.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm blinks several times after slamming his eyes shut tight so hard, seeing the afterglow of the flash clearly even so. Walking briskly forward, Malcolm heads towards its point of origin as best he can feel, scanning the scene for what effects it had.**Janothar**The afterimages are burned into his eyes, he's pretty sure he'll recover overnight, but until then, he'll be seeing the outlines of buildings. In the meantime, as he moves towards the center he sees smoke rising from something**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Curiouser and curiouser" Malcolm muttered to himself as he followed the source of the smoke, again taking note of landmarks and street signs as he is now well away from the park and familiar territory.**Janothar**You're at 71st and Columbus. Per + Alert, diff 6 to see through the smoke at what's there.**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Does that account for Malcolm's Acute Sense of Sight?)**Janothar**(it does not, and it applies)**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5d10\>\&61;4f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;4f1 \&61; (6 5 2 2 7, 3 successes) \&61; 3**Janothar**At the center of the smoke there is a charred skeleton. There's not one bit of flesh on those bones, and the bones themselves are burnt very, very badly. It seems to be curled around something.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Looking around, Malcolm makes sure he is completely unobserved before doing anything at all to the scene.
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> (What do I check for that, Perception + Alertness?)**Janothar**Yep, you can roll Per + Alert, diff 8 to try to determine if you're being observed.**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Since the primary sense I am still using for this is Sight, would the roll benefit from Acute Sense of Sight?)**Janothar**Yes**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5D10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: Confundo!**K. Malcolm Lawson**/r 5d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; ( 4 6 9 5 2 , 2 successes) \&61; 2**Janothar**He has the vague sense that people are likely watching from the windows, though he can't identify anyone specific. The flash was pretty damn bright.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm pulls out his phone and takes a quick picture of the scene, making it look like he's about to make a phone call, which he does, almost immediately after, to 911.**Janothar**It takes awhile to get through...the lines have been overwhelmed completely lately. All the normal traffic, plus the pandemic.**K. Malcolm Lawson**While Malcolm waits on the line, he bends down over the body to get a closer look at what it's holding**Janothar**There's a book, which came through intact.
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> Oh, and your rote has ended, much earlier than you expected. It's been gone since the flash.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm looks around again to make sure no one sees him, then quickly slips the book out from the hands of the body and into his messenger bag**Janothar**Dex + Stealth to do it without being seen**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Spending 1 Willpower for an automatic success)
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> /r 2d10\>\&61;6f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 2d10\>\&61;6f1 \&61; ( 4 4 , 0 successes) \&61; 0**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Glad I spent the Willpower)**Janothar**You are now in possession of the book. 9-1-1 finally answers "What is your emergency?"**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Hello, I just saw this blinding flash of light while walking around 71st and Columbus. I came around the corner, and there's a pile of smoking bones lying in the middle of the street. Not really sure what else to do, so I called to report it."**Janothar**"We'll...send someone to check it out." the operator doesn't really know what to say to all that**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Okay, it's late so I can't wait up, but I thought I should at least report it."**Janothar**"Thank you for the report. Can we get your contact information?":**K. Malcolm Lawson**"Sure," then Malcolm gives his contact information, then thanks the operator for taking his report and hangs up.
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> Then Malcolm gives the scene one last going over, to make sure he didn't miss anything.
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> (A Perception and Investigation perhaps?)**Janothar**Yeah, let's go with that. Diff 8**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Spending another Willpower, because he is taking into account everything before leaving the scene)
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> /r 5d10\>\&61;8f1**SidekickBOT**@K. Malcolm Lawson: 5d10\>\&61;8f1 \&61; ( 1 6 1 8 5 , -1 success) \&61; -1**K. Malcolm Lawson**(Nothing. Stupid 1's.)**Janothar**He doesn't find anything else of interest.**K. Malcolm Lawson**Malcolm then continues on his walk, heading back towards his apartment, to examine his find later.
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> (Unless there's anything else, I can call it a scene there.)**Janothar**(nope, that's all I've got)