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Sat, Dec 19-21--High desert, Colorado
The 20-hour drive to Pavel's high desert cave in Colorado was long and uneventful. I shared my experience attempting to look back in time and being intercepted by what I'm fairly certain was an extraordinarily powerful mage who was heavily into atomic research. Pavel didn't have any insights, but he said he'd put feelers out with his contacts.
I offered another stash of tass to Pavel in exchange for whatever he felt was worth trading that might give me a leg up. He offered to do a ritual to empower Kargamis, my chimerling familiar he'd bound to me earlier this year, provided that I assisted and devoted my own store of quintessence to the effect. I agreed and did an Entropy-based pre-ritual to give us good luck. Pavel wove Spirit and Prime magic all through the night. I helped, but the level of skill and control he has over those spheres dwarfs what I'm capable of. Still, it was educational just watching. Plus? Kargamis had this tendency to be very literal. He was eager, obedient, and loyal; but not exactly... smart (at all) beyond being a useful guide in the umbra. He seems more intelligent now, and a little stronger, although Pavel cautioned me that I needed to work with him more closely for a while to help guide his intellectual development.
Naturally, I picked up some recreational marijuana on the way out of the state.
Mon, Dec 22-23--Phoenix, Arizona
I left Pavel's before the sun came up and drove to visit Walter in Phoenix, meeting up that evening for a few hours. I showed him what Rhys had accomplished by using social media to defuse riots and convert them to protests, suggested that Walter might be able to use an Awakened computer and/or Awakened code to automate that process and apply it elsewhere. He seemed interested and asked who the Virtual Adept was who'd come up with this idea. I... advised that he be cautious about contacting the source as it was a werewolf and not a VA. Walter seemed both shocked and surprised, and I ensured he wouldn't spread that knowledge around. He seemed intrigued, though. We'll see if anything comes of that.
I slept like the dead and headed out for San Fran at the crack of noon the next day.
Wed, Dec 24-25--San Francisco, California
I did not get a red carpet welcome at Tyler's chantry, despite my coming there to help. They'd fended off some Nephandi the month before--losing two chantry members while taking out four Nephandi. They were understandably on edge. I got the equivalent of a strip search, which included agreeing to having Tyler root about in my mind--with the agreement that I could shield the knowledge of node locations, names/faces, and that he would not pry into private relationships beyond the surface level--and that Tyler not share what he learned. Still? I shared FAR more than I was really comfortable sharing, but I think I gained a lot more respect from Tyler--and some raised eyebrows, too. (Yes, I'm in that deep with a horde of garou. Yes, I'm in a relationship with one. Yes, I have access to a substantial number of nodes.) Tyler at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
I gifted the chantry with the rest of the tass I'd brought with me, bolstering their depleted arsenal. Then I assisted them in re-weaving a defensive warding for the chantry, which involved.... Yeaaaaah. Uhm. Drawn out rituals that involved mostly Cult of Ecstasy mages? Giant. Fucking. Orgy. A couple years ago, I might have indulged, but I'm in a monogamous relationship. But I needed to be in an ecstatic state for the ritual. I opted to imbibe some of the Cultist's homebrewed mead. The hangover lasted the entire next day, but they've got a powerful defensive ward up now.
Christmas Eve with mental strip search and a substantial gift of tass; then Christmas Day assisting in assembling a defensive ward, while drunk, in a room absolutely reeking of sex and where I needed to be careful as to where I stepped. Yeah. They owe me, and they know it. Maybe if they survive I'll call in that favor someday.
Wed, Dec 26--A visit with the Hollow Ones in Portland
I slept in until noon before I left for Portland. Made good time and got there by 9pm. Had a late dinner with with Briar, Vlad, and Shade. Then I gave them some additional lessons with Forces magick after seeing what they'd been up to over the past month. They're keeping out of trouble, thank god. I stressed the importance of keeping a low profile, as the easiest way to not drawing shit down upon your head is for no one else to know that you exist. I feel a bit like a hypocrite for preaching that, but once the cat is out of the bag, it just does not go back in. They put me up for the night on their couch. I left after we went out for coffee the next morning.
Wed, Dec 27--A visit with Raul in Seattle
I met up with Raul in Seattle for lunch. I figured talking with a Euthanatos about having killed a second time might help provide some perspective. (Raul's a nurse: he makes an excellent Angel of Death for those without hope, easing their passings. I understand how his Tradition suits him and his profession, but death is not my profession--and I don't want it to be.) Raul seemed sympathetic to my situation, said it was never easy, and that death was never something to be taken lightly--even when it's the right thing to do. But rather than devolving into the usual "what must be done must be done" speech that I was expecting, we had a relatively quiet lunch. The talk was largely fruitless, right up until the end where he suggested that I go and rewatch the original Star Wars trilogy and seek the answers I sought there instead of from him. We've known each other for 15 years now. He knows I'd be more likely to listen to a movie than him. I guess it's time to rewatch the movies; it's been at least three months since I last viewed it.
Wheels up. Time to head home to Saint Claire.
The 20-hour drive to Pavel's high desert cave in Colorado was long and uneventful. I shared my experience attempting to look back in time and being intercepted by what I'm fairly certain was an extraordinarily powerful mage who was heavily into atomic research. Pavel didn't have any insights, but he said he'd put feelers out with his contacts.
I offered another stash of tass to Pavel in exchange for whatever he felt was worth trading that might give me a leg up. He offered to do a ritual to empower Kargamis, my chimerling familiar he'd bound to me earlier this year, provided that I assisted and devoted my own store of quintessence to the effect. I agreed and did an Entropy-based pre-ritual to give us good luck. Pavel wove Spirit and Prime magic all through the night. I helped, but the level of skill and control he has over those spheres dwarfs what I'm capable of. Still, it was educational just watching. Plus? Kargamis had this tendency to be very literal. He was eager, obedient, and loyal; but not exactly... smart (at all) beyond being a useful guide in the umbra. He seems more intelligent now, and a little stronger, although Pavel cautioned me that I needed to work with him more closely for a while to help guide his intellectual development.
Naturally, I picked up some recreational marijuana on the way out of the state.
Mon, Dec 22-23--Phoenix, Arizona
I left Pavel's before the sun came up and drove to visit Walter in Phoenix, meeting up that evening for a few hours. I showed him what Rhys had accomplished by using social media to defuse riots and convert them to protests, suggested that Walter might be able to use an Awakened computer and/or Awakened code to automate that process and apply it elsewhere. He seemed interested and asked who the Virtual Adept was who'd come up with this idea. I... advised that he be cautious about contacting the source as it was a werewolf and not a VA. Walter seemed both shocked and surprised, and I ensured he wouldn't spread that knowledge around. He seemed intrigued, though. We'll see if anything comes of that.
I slept like the dead and headed out for San Fran at the crack of noon the next day.
Wed, Dec 24-25--San Francisco, California
I did not get a red carpet welcome at Tyler's chantry, despite my coming there to help. They'd fended off some Nephandi the month before--losing two chantry members while taking out four Nephandi. They were understandably on edge. I got the equivalent of a strip search, which included agreeing to having Tyler root about in my mind--with the agreement that I could shield the knowledge of node locations, names/faces, and that he would not pry into private relationships beyond the surface level--and that Tyler not share what he learned. Still? I shared FAR more than I was really comfortable sharing, but I think I gained a lot more respect from Tyler--and some raised eyebrows, too. (Yes, I'm in that deep with a horde of garou. Yes, I'm in a relationship with one. Yes, I have access to a substantial number of nodes.) Tyler at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
I gifted the chantry with the rest of the tass I'd brought with me, bolstering their depleted arsenal. Then I assisted them in re-weaving a defensive warding for the chantry, which involved.... Yeaaaaah. Uhm. Drawn out rituals that involved mostly Cult of Ecstasy mages? Giant. Fucking. Orgy. A couple years ago, I might have indulged, but I'm in a monogamous relationship. But I needed to be in an ecstatic state for the ritual. I opted to imbibe some of the Cultist's homebrewed mead. The hangover lasted the entire next day, but they've got a powerful defensive ward up now.
Christmas Eve with mental strip search and a substantial gift of tass; then Christmas Day assisting in assembling a defensive ward, while drunk, in a room absolutely reeking of sex and where I needed to be careful as to where I stepped. Yeah. They owe me, and they know it. Maybe if they survive I'll call in that favor someday.
Wed, Dec 26--A visit with the Hollow Ones in Portland
I slept in until noon before I left for Portland. Made good time and got there by 9pm. Had a late dinner with with Briar, Vlad, and Shade. Then I gave them some additional lessons with Forces magick after seeing what they'd been up to over the past month. They're keeping out of trouble, thank god. I stressed the importance of keeping a low profile, as the easiest way to not drawing shit down upon your head is for no one else to know that you exist. I feel a bit like a hypocrite for preaching that, but once the cat is out of the bag, it just does not go back in. They put me up for the night on their couch. I left after we went out for coffee the next morning.
Wed, Dec 27--A visit with Raul in Seattle
I met up with Raul in Seattle for lunch. I figured talking with a Euthanatos about having killed a second time might help provide some perspective. (Raul's a nurse: he makes an excellent Angel of Death for those without hope, easing their passings. I understand how his Tradition suits him and his profession, but death is not my profession--and I don't want it to be.) Raul seemed sympathetic to my situation, said it was never easy, and that death was never something to be taken lightly--even when it's the right thing to do. But rather than devolving into the usual "what must be done must be done" speech that I was expecting, we had a relatively quiet lunch. The talk was largely fruitless, right up until the end where he suggested that I go and rewatch the original Star Wars trilogy and seek the answers I sought there instead of from him. We've known each other for 15 years now. He knows I'd be more likely to listen to a movie than him. I guess it's time to rewatch the movies; it's been at least three months since I last viewed it.
Wheels up. Time to head home to Saint Claire.
