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The talk I had earlier with Salem about silver bullets prompted me to re-evaluate not just the munition I was carrying, but also the weapons I was carrying. I've since downsized my ankle-holstered Kahr PM40 to a smaller and lighter Kahr PM9 model with two 6-round clips--one with rubber bullets and one with hollowpoints (god I hope I never need to use the latter). Hell, if I ever need to use the pistol, it's an easy enough trick for me to turn a 9mm round into something that impacts more like a .50-cal sniper rifle (silver optional) round. I replaced my old stun pen lights and stun cellphone (batteries were going anyway--good thing I checked) with two cellphone stun guns with built-in flashlights. I can easily tap a cellphone stungun's capacitor for a ranged/remote Forces effect if needed. Zot. Zot. They fit nicely in my coat pockets. One left, one right for balance. Lastly, a compact, keychain-sized thing of dog mace for my car keys. Feels like a good, compact collection of (mainly) non-lethal options.
I also bought a display freezer/refrigerator combo from a defunct convenience store, had it shipped to Kenward's Curios, and--after the movers left--I wheeled it into the Sanctum. It's now stocked with a variety of things I've collected over the years: a chert knife handmade by a cub nearly 16 years ago, a handful of ULUL pills made with vampire blood from about a decade ago, the pressed flower Val brought back from the moon's umbra this fall, etc. Everything's labeled with descriptions and cautions and warnings where appropriate. Charley ought to enjoy that. Maybe Ila in the future. I also did a few minor decorating tweaks to the Sanctum. So embarrassed that I'd left a Playboy magazine out when Charley first came over. Gah. Don't think he noticed it, though. But.... Now the place is cleaner and better suited for sharing and--if need be--holing up in.
Invited Ila over to the cabin to talk shop and get to know her a little better. (Too early to reveal the Sanctum.) I like her more each time we meet. She's got a good heart and good intentions. Interestingly, she's not a sex, drugs, and rock-'n-roll variety of Cultist. In a nutshell, I think she's really more of a "foodie." Different. But if she can do for chocolate cake what a run-of-the-mill Cultist can do for sex? Wow. (Her tea was pretty damn good, too. I'll have to share some of the Moroccan mint plant with her if Val manages to smuggle one back for me.) I'm also fairly impressed with the number of contacts she developed with other supernaturals--including vampires and fae. (Hell, I didn't even realize the latter existed save for folklore/myth.) I mentioned forming a cabal again and she seemed interested but wanted to know for what purpose. I suggested the primary purpose would be defending the nodes in the city from being weakened, destroyed, or tapped remotely by other non-resident mages. Also, try to make life better for people when we could. The latter is rather intentionally nebulous.
Ila seems more interested in revealing herself as a mage than lurking in the shadows and pretending to be kinfolk like Charley and I do. I'm a little concerned she'll get killed, injured, and/or tortured for information. I think she was concerned, too. We did a joint ritual that would theoretically have allowed us to chart out future outcomes of Ila revealing herself to Lefty (my pick as who'd probably be best) and then Lefty introducing Ila to the rest of the Bone Gnawers--who she'd prefer to be working with. The ritual bombed, though. We're too out of sync with our styles and it really needed a little more prep work. Fingers crossed, we'll have some success in about a week or two when we meet again.
If Ila has some luck, the garou behave, and things go well, I wouldn't be surprised if Charley reveals himself next. Me? I feel more comfortable in the shadows and overlooked. Not a fan of having a target on my back at all times. I sent Charley an e-mail explaining what's up so he can meet Ila and maybe even participate in our fortune telling of her fate at the hands of the Bone Gnawers. Beyond that one tribe though, there's too many permutations to see very far into the future--and the future tends to drift a bit like sand on a beach being slowly shifted by the waves.
Ran into Val around sunset in Harbor Park. Probably a good thing as I was half-tempted to cross over into the umbral glade and go exploring now that Nieve and the Lucent Witness are gone. Told her that Salem had mentioned that all her silver jewelry was potentially spooking some of the garou into not trusting her. She griped about it a bit, then said she'd get new jewelry. Maybe she'll get a little better relations and information from the garou now? I hope so.
Ila seems more interested in revealing herself as a mage than lurking in the shadows and pretending to be kinfolk like Charley and I do. I'm a little concerned she'll get killed, injured, and/or tortured for information. I think she was concerned, too. We did a joint ritual that would theoretically have allowed us to chart out future outcomes of Ila revealing herself to Lefty (my pick as who'd probably be best) and then Lefty introducing Ila to the rest of the Bone Gnawers--who she'd prefer to be working with. The ritual bombed, though. We're too out of sync with our styles and it really needed a little more prep work. Fingers crossed, we'll have some success in about a week or two when we meet again.
If Ila has some luck, the garou behave, and things go well, I wouldn't be surprised if Charley reveals himself next. Me? I feel more comfortable in the shadows and overlooked. Not a fan of having a target on my back at all times. I sent Charley an e-mail explaining what's up so he can meet Ila and maybe even participate in our fortune telling of her fate at the hands of the Bone Gnawers. Beyond that one tribe though, there's too many permutations to see very far into the future--and the future tends to drift a bit like sand on a beach being slowly shifted by the waves.
Ran into Val around sunset in Harbor Park. Probably a good thing as I was half-tempted to cross over into the umbral glade and go exploring now that Nieve and the Lucent Witness are gone. Told her that Salem had mentioned that all her silver jewelry was potentially spooking some of the garou into not trusting her. She griped about it a bit, then said she'd get new jewelry. Maybe she'll get a little better relations and information from the garou now? I hope so.
