Tis the Season
29th of November 2006 A.D.
You meet the thoughtful look of the woman in the mirror with one of your own. The fine print is not all she is used to, of that you are sure, she is used to chains and bargains, to working her way around the letter of any agreement and considering no spirit but those that she can crush. Thus you answer simply: "I think we have a common
interest in opposing the Knights of the Blackened Denarius, but we can talk about that when you have your body. The deal is freedom for you and Harry and I'll stick to it. If you ever stab me in the back, it will be for your own reasons, not because I tried to shackle you in the moment of your birth."
Her newly set smile sly and subtle, does not shift, looking for the next angle: "Well then that depends upon what power I might bring to bear once this... gift is given, for what is not power if not the difference between fight and flight?"
"Doing the right thing," Harry mutters sarcastically.
"Doing what
you think is the right thing my erstwhile host is a privilege of power. Even you who did not seek it have gained it just the same, if that not so
Warden Dresden?" She needles him back.
"Merlin says jump I ask how high," the wizard fires back.
"For a man so willing to faithfully answer the call of his superiors you seem to keep rather
grey company."
If you hadn't cleared your throat they might have still been arguing past sunrise. The reminder that you have school has Lash laughing again, though not quite in stitches and Harry looking briefly bewildered like a man who's having trouble focusing his eyes almost. Maybe he's seeing too Molly Carpenters at once.
With a reluctance that neither you nor she miss Harry proposes that you take the mirror back to Sanctuary, not wanting to risk bringing Lash in this state anywhere near her progenitor. Weighing the mirror in hand and the prospect of passage in mind you reason that it would be safe enough to do so and the good people of the Five Cities know how to deal with spirits without... a security clearance. At the very least the art and literature of a whole other world should keep her entertained while the remoteness of the Courts should keep her out of any scryer's eye.
***
1st of December 2006 A.D.
Cold fog off the lake clings to the ground as though autumn is reluctant to let go of its dominion to winter's grip when it had already been swindled out of a week by Mab, but Mom and Dad had fired up the fireplace anyway, its warm and toasty inside, the cabinets well stocked with hot chocolate packets from dark to minty to that
Lucky Charms abomination Hope likes and which she had even gotten Hank hooked on recently.
Why? Just why?
"It is not for us to wonder why," Dad answers with faux wisdom, having caught your most recent muttering of the day.
You just shake your head in disappointment at at the lack of support as you follow him out of the kitchen, though once you are out of jawa hearing range you add. "The thing Harry's been dealing with, hearing echoes... that's solved."
He stops dead, then remembering your first working of the old sorcery he asks: "Exorcism?" At your nod he offers a relieved smile. Another way to solve a problem the Knights face all too often, though you wonder what he would say if you told him that you could evict a true Fallen from a willing host. One question he does not ask is what had happened to the shadow, assuming you suppose than it had simply withered and died as they do when rejected utterly by the one who carries them.
As your thoughts turn to the promise you had made to Lash and sundry other plans and calls on your attention you are happy at least that you have more nights productive nights ahead of you. Neither you not your mother had come down with any ill effects from banishing the sandman from all but one of the hours of the night
What do you do?
6+2 AP Available (Extra AP from not sleeping may only be used to add progress)
School
Not that many months to go
[] Attend school you have friends at school and you would like the memories of senior year and graduation even if they won't be teaching you anything worthwhile (If neither School nor getting your GED is chosen Molly will systematically skip class)
[] Get your GED and get out, on the other hand you can think of better things to to with your time (Costs 2 AP, frees you from spending anymore actions on school)
Finances and Infrastructure
Though you are not tight for money you can think of places to make more
[] In the Sky a Thousand Eyes: If you see something you can stick a demon in it. It occurs to you that satellites are definitely something you can see with the right tools, though you are going to have to figure out which ones you want and what orders to give them.
[] A Big Score, your Crown isn't really made for picking out random numbers in a mundane draw, but it is still your power so you can push it that one time to win a lottery... any lottery. You will have to find the balance between payout and anonymity and some place to park the money but that seems reasonably doable with some help from mom and dad, and unlike some of your other plans they are unlikely to object to this form of cheating at gambling
[] Tools Redeemed: Thinking back on that paraphernalia you looted from the Fomori tantalizing insights come to mind... and more immediately relevant it will mean you can finally stop mooching of Harry's equipment. (Gain Alchemy Laboratory Halved XP price for reaching Alchemy 4)
Investigations
At least the cannibal isn't around here anymore. Progress?
[] Look into the Minor Talents of Chicago, so far you have been isolated from the supernatural scene of Chicago, now that you can get in touch with them without necessarily having your dad with you all the time the time has come to change that... though given how both Mouse and McCoy thought you were bad news at first maybe you should bring dad or Harry along to some of them just as an introduction
-[] Alphas, friends of Harry, close to you in age and they work to keep monsters off the street near the University, they sounds really cool
-[] Friends in Low places, she might work for Marcone but Grad was really cool and you are curious about her. Fortunately you remember the number dad dialed to get in touch with Marcone
-[] Spirit Speaker, Mortimer Lindquist is the real deal, a real medium among the fakes and unlike Pauline he is good enough at it, or just good enough at marketing to make a job of it. His books are pretty cool as well
[] A friend in need. You promised Rosie that you would help and so you will, with problems material and ethereal
-[] Dreaming True, Rosie is doing great so far, but she still needs more training before she can get a proper hold of her powers (2/10 progress )
-[] NEW Moving out, you are of age now and you certainly do not lack for funds, the sooner you get Rosie out of that house the better
[] Blackest Name: In the final ritual to help Arawn you invoked something old and hungry, something that seemed to resonate with the purpose of the ritual, its name writ in a long forgotten tongue. Thanks to Bob you now know it involves the would-be-Draculas of the supernatural world, the Black Court. Maybe Lydia can help
[] UPDATED Seek Siriothrax's hoard: Two decades ago your father was called to slay a Dragon, a being of incarnate power new mortals have faced and lived, by faith and by skill the creature was slain and your mother saved, but its treasure and its body were never claimed. Now... well now you have a place to stash said treasures out of sight of any who might look in askance of your claim to them
[] The Worst Wingwoman: Apparently Sandra had set you up to break the Laws of Magic as part of a plot against Harry and probably dad as well come to that. It's about time you find her and have a talk to her about that
[] NEW Higher Education: According to Od... that is Donar Vadderung Cambridge Massachusetts is in in a power void at the moment, one that given the power and influence certain factions of the unseen world could acquire by getting their hooks into the students early could be a lot of trouble down the road. On the other hand that very fact could be of great use to you. Check it out, see if you can establish a presence there. After all it is quite close by water.
Personal Training
You have been progressing in leaps and bounds in the study of the Qiao and you have been... exploding bottles less often in the study of alchemy. In both cases you are eager to learn more.
[] The Bridges of the Spirit, continue your training with Brother Divsimar not in the ways of the spirit but the mind, the Bridge of Dreams
[] Trading in lore, you have started down the path of learning alchemy from Bob... and revealing some of the deepest secrets of Yomi Wan, both very good things as far as you are concerned. (0/25)
Arcane Allies
For better or for ill you are starting to get a reputation in Chicago, best make sure it is more the former than the latter, at least with the more reasonable and trustworthy powers. As for the people who are neither... well you certainly seem to have an impact on them
[] Cauldron Bubble, your new friends in the Ordo Lebetis could use more help, maybe not as... enthusiastic as the last time, but they are small fish in a very big and scary pond
-[] See what's up with Helen, there is something eating away at Helen you are sure of it, something dark and strange, dark and strange is your specialty
-[] Online presence, one of the few advantages of minor talents over more powerful magicians is that they are more up to date with technology and less likely to make it explode. See if you can convince the others to set up a strong online presence, maybe even recruiting
[] UPDATED Contact the Librarians: Given that you are the sovereign of an interdenominational magical nation it might be worth having a talk with a branch of the federal government that is aware of magic, the one that
didn't introduce itself by trying to frame Harry right in front of you.
[] NEW A Chat with Lady Winter: Maeve does not have the best of reputations, but to be fair it is hard to imagine most beings possessed by He Who Walks Beside would and you did save her from that. The fey might not know gratitude as mortals would understand it, but they know hatred and the meaning of common foes. A chance to strengthen ties with Winter is not to be discounted
[] NEW Introducing the Fivefold Courts of Fate: Even though you do not strictly speaking have to be present to shepherd around the White Council fact finding and diplomatic mission it would make a good impression to do so and you are sure Harry would appreciate it
Crafting
Dreams filled with brass and smoke, soul artifice of an impossible city, you reach for tools and so are made things wondrous and strange unseen in this Age of the world (Crafting may have as many AP assigned to it as you wish, success will depend on the rolls made during the action. One week of crafting time is worth 1 AP)
[] NEW A Body Angelic: Having vowed to make the best body you can for Lash you you will not shirk the challenge, body and soul forged in geomantic alignment to bear a shard, a face of angelic lore twice taken. May it come to a better end than the last time
-[] Write in number of AP assigned
[] NEW Prodigious Artefact: Whether it be for Daniel or some other 'mere' mortal caught up in the world of vampires, warlocks sorcerers and demons you've had a thought for a working... a ring perhaps to grant a power both flexibile and strong
-[] Write in number of AP assigned
[] NEW Wheels of Fire: As cool as Black Rider is you are sure you can make him cooler, look at what you had done with Mab's car with mere mundane means
-[] Write in number of AP assigned
Family time
As much else as you have to do, it's nice to spend some time with your family and it is rarely boring hanging out.
[] Heart to Heart, talk to your mother about what you guesses and what dad told you about her history, better to try to get it all in the open than to constantly try to step around that landmine. There is a lot more magic in your future, that much is for sure.
[] UPDATED So about those studies: You promised your brother a chance to look around the Five Cities, perhaps to study from some of the warriors or magicians of that realm
[] UPDATED Just relax: It's Christmas time, a time of gifts and laughter, joy and peace on Earth. While you have not yet managed the last bit you can at least do the rest
OOC: I hope all the gold letters aren't distracting, I just figured it would be helpful to see at a glance what had changed.