Chapter 2B - By the seat of one's pants

[pringerbeam]

Jace

     A few days have passed since you left Lord Blackblade's home.  You have heard nothing from him but an installment of the stipend has arrived for you with information that the stipend will be made through the Royal Bank of London and that you should inform them should your address change.  It is later in the morning and most of the hostel's residents have already left to go find work in the city.  It is at this time that you are found by Constantine, who shows up at the hostel looking for you.  "Jace what have you done?  People are looking for you."

[Mysticsage]

"I took an invitation from a lord looking to do better in the world." He sighed telling the rest of the story from what had happened a few days ago. "So for the moment I'm waiting for things to cool down and maybe keeping some of the heat off of that oaf in the process. I was thinking about going to the library today and doing a bit of research. Unless you have something for me to do that's more pressing?" He was fully dressed at this point and getting ready to go out on the street and digging into what had happened on the boat.

[pringerbeam]

     Constantine takes in your story. "I didn't come here for working matters.  That Lord Darby fellow is looking for you.  Word is out for anyone that knows the whereabouts of someone with an arcane mark on their shoulder.  Even got a meeting from that Harper fellow at our agency looking to hire us to find you.  At least I think that was him judging from your description.  He only introduced himself as a proxy for Darby but I would say his features are pretty distinct. I didn'take them up on the offer but someone else is sure to."  He runs his hand through his hair.  "Look, I've seen the type before, this man isn't going to stop until he finds you.  I suggest you get in a better position for when when that time comes.  I'll let you know if I hear anything else."  With that Constantine takes his leave of you, disappearing into the crowds.

[Mysticsage]

"Well I suppose its time to go to the museum then and start doing some digging of my own." He moved throw the morning crowds of the usual Londoners making his way to the city's grandest museam. It was a bit out in the public but that had its own bonuses for his particular needs. Banners were strung along the old facades signalling the very reason why he waited so long to actual go there between jobs. The Museum was having an exhibit on the global impact and influence of the mystical arts. They even were said to have a special expert who was speaking on the functions of different magical systems. Miss  Amelia Kusinagi born from an English Noblewomen and a Japanese Imperial father if the flyers he had scene were have true she might just be someone who might be able to shed light on both sides of his current problems. She apparently spent most of her time abroad free from the larger social issues of the city. In the wilds and foriegn lands hunting for hidden secrets and slaying monsters if the rumors were to be believed. A beautiful but flower that perfered her own research rather then that of most schools. Thus gaining her the title of expert on her own merits.

He walked in with a thick crowd paying for a ticket with some spare change from his stipend. Somewhat in marvel at the myriad things that greet him this was the first time he had the chance to ever get inside without being thrown out later for looking like a bum. He had an hour or so before her first lecture was to be scheduled from what the signs said.
[info]
Spending a scripting die to make this something that can happen.
[/info]

[pringerbeam]

     You are greeted with displays of ancient Egyptian artifacts, a marvelous collection of ancient funeral finery and tchotchkes for ancient rituals stand on display.  The exhibit seems poorly attended but as the time of the lecture draws near, a small number of guild members in academic garb arrive.  However, their numbers are not too great and the lecture hall is barely half full once the lecture begins.  The attending audience chooses to fill the frontmost rows making the swath of empty seats behind them seem evermore vacant.

[Mysticsage]

Jason moves out of the lecture hall busying himself with an exhibit within earshot but so that he could not have to look when people left.The people in front reminded him a little too much of the people for his liking but he imagined anything to do with the mystic arts would be circled  by one group or another. But that didn't mean he had to leave himself open to obvious spoting at least this way he could wait until the lady was finished and then approach her privately. He only hoped he could by himself enough time to maybe buy himself another card to add to his hand.

To see how well he hides in plainsight looking like a faceless patron
Dexterity Hide & seek Act
Adding 1 fate dice
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 3d6 : 4, 5, 5, total 14 

[pringerbeam]

     A guard stares at you intently as you loiter about leading you to move further from the lecture hall and out of earshot of the lecturer's voice.  After some time though you are able to conclude that the lecture must be over when the pack of guild members leaves the lecture hall and begins to make its way out of the museum or dispersing to once again examine the exhibits on display.  However, you do not see the lecturer amongst them.

[Mysticsage]

Jason seeing them leave and his possible opportunity he rushed quickly into the lecture hall hoping to catch her before she had a chance to leave. "Miss Kusinagi, do you happen to have a free moment? I could really use your professional opinion on something." He purposely walked with his hands open and at his side unsure socially if he needed to do anything extra.  "So far, I haven't been able to find much information on this matter myself."

[pringerbeam]

     You walk into the lecture hall where Kusanagi is found talking to an unfortunately familiar face.  "Well, well, well...  Returning to the scene of the crime?  How audacious, I would have expected the next time we met would be with you face down in a gutter after Harper had found you."  Lord Darby moved to block your line of sight to Kusanagi.  "Have no fear madam.  I will protect you from this thug.  I suggest you make an exit out the back of the theater.  While I believe myself fully capable of protecting you, I am unsure to the full extent of this man's powers."  He turns his attention back to you as the worried academic begins to slowly back away down the aisle.  "Now, before I have you brought to the authorities for your crimes, I would like to have a chat.  Don't try anything, I am well within my rights to kill you on the spot.  First question: what were you trying to steal on my boat?"  He raises his hand to make an arcane gesture.

[Mysticsage]

Jace sighed, holding his hands out to his sides to show that he had no weapons once he recovered from the initial shock. "I wasn't there to steal anything. I was there for the man who did try to steal something from you who I stopped by the way. Lets not forget that he was pointing that knife at me first. If I hadn't been there whatever he or his master's were trying to steal would have likely gotten stolen. If you don't believe me ask Darby who was standing where and who was pointing a knife at whom. If I was really working with the man who was attempting to steal your things then I would have made a larger scene in the kitchen with Darby to make a distraction. Us fighting in the kitchen where he could not fire a gun without enangering others would have been ideal for a smoke screen. Instead I went willingly to be shoved in that closet thus compromising the plan of the other party entirely." He was glad at least without is cadre of guards that this supposed Nobleman would be less likely to be so brave to go into one on one combat especially with a witness. He stopped from adding more from his response reading the tense nature of the man and not wanting to make him more angry then he already was.

[Mysticsage]

[info]Bull+ Presence + High Sociey

[blockquote]Rolled 8d6 : 6, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1, 6, 3, total 23[/blockquote][/info]

[pringerbeam]

[info]Black Dice
[blockquote]Rolled 8d6 : 5, 1, 4, 1, 3, 5, 4, 2, total 25[/blockquote][/info]

[Mysticsage]

Explodinding 6s
[blockquote]Rolled 2d6 : 3, 6, total 9[/blockquote]

[pringerbeam]

     Lord Darby continues to stare you down.  "Fine, mayhaps you were not in league with whomever sent the corpse.  Yet, you have not offered your reason for being there.  What are the chances that one empowered by the maelficum would happen to be in the same place as another.  That dead sailor didn't jump into that closet on his own.  You claim the corpse to be at odds with you but you either helped it or left it unmolested.  Further, you happen to show up here, where a powerful artifact was stolen, a step on the trail I have followed from that night.  The coincidences are piling up.  Who sent the corpse?  Who gave you that mark?  What do they want with the fang of Anubis?  Phantasmis Vinculum"  Lord Darby's fingers contort and he sweeps his hands upwards.

[info]Spellcasting Roll
[blockquote]Rolled 12d6 : 3, 4, 4, 6, 1, 5, 5, 2, 6, 2, 4, 4, total 46[/blockquote]
Black Dice
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 2, 5, 1, total 8[/blockquote][/info]

[pringerbeam]

[info]Rerolls
[blockquote]Rolled 2d6 : 1, 6, total 7[/blockquote][/info]