Log:Lapse in Security

The Madness of David Flyte 2020/01/27 Amelia Radical|Connor Moonshadow Grimm

6

At Steinberg Tower...

Connor is seated on a couch in the living room, and there are some schematics of the tower displayed on a large wall screen currently.

Laurel is just returning from the kitchen with a tray of drinks and snacks. She's 'wearing' a white blouse and green skirt, with her hair loose around her shoulders.

Amelia is seated in a chair, screen remote in hand, pointing at the screen.

Grimm gets a summons just after her psychology class. She's more well-rested than before, and spent the night at a friend's place instead of Randal's. She frowns at the message. Demands. Again. She's not supposed to use her powers, but she's not about to go into the lion's den helpless.

A dark shadowy portal opens up and Grimm walks through. She's wearing a black t-shirt that says "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content", black jeans, black leather jacket, and black wedge-heeled booties. A messenger bag is slung over her shoulder. Her expression is especially sour as she eyes the people in the room. "What is it you want now? Did someone else die?" All seem accounted for this time.

Amelia laughs, "Another apt example of the need for security and wards." She smiles, "Welcome to you too, Grimm. Help yourself to a drink and snacks. Get comfortable in a chair, couch, or Connor's lap." A chuckle as she glances at Connor to see his reaction.

Amelia stands and goes to Grimm, "Seriously, thank you for coming."

Connor raises a brow at Amelia's comment, "Gabrielle is in one of my classes." He leaves it at that. But he does notice that Grimm used her powers to arrive.

"Pass," Grimm says dismissively at the offer of drinks and snacks. She raises a brow at the mention of Connor's lap, cheeks turning a bit red. "Hard pass. I'll stand," she says as she folds her arms over her chest. "Guess someone's been talking, or someone's been spying on me," she says as she looks between Connor and Amelia.

Connor shakes his head, "Nothing of the sort. Amelia was just saying that she had concerns about the building's security, from a magic and dimensional standpoint."

"And I should care why?" Grimm asks.

Connor takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I'm not sure. I suspect she was asking you for advice because she considers you an expert in this particular field? I mean...I consider you that."

Amelia shakes her head, "Spying? Not me anyway. I just have a weird sense of humor. And wasn't aware you were in one of Connor's classes. So apologies for that remark. The tower security isn't the reason I asked you to come. Grimm, you've made no secret of your dislike for me. But however much you dislike me now, I suggest you'd dislike me even more if I was under the control of DEMON? We had an encounter with a DEMON Morbane recently. She tried to control me, and even now I shudder to recall how close she was to succeeding."

Connor nods. "Now THAT, I did mention to you, Grimm. Lyssa."

Grimm raises a brow. "You didn't know I was his student, but thought I'd be interested in sitting on his lap? He's so not my type even if he wasn't my professor."

Amelia shakes her head immediately, "If I'd had the slightest impression you would have been interested in sitting in Connor's lap I would NEVER have made that remark."

Connor sets his jaw at the off-hand comment from Grimm. But he decides to not lash out. There's no reason to escalate the situation, after all. Instead he just keeps quiet. He's done trying to smooth things over.

Grimm decides to ignore the lap comments and tries to bleach that mental image out of her mind. "Yeah, Mistress Lyssa." Grimm sneers a bit at the name, her arms tightening in their folded position. "You're just as bad as them. Not sure it'd make much of a difference to me. You've never helped me once, but always think you can demand my help." She frowns, then glances to Connor. The frown fades a little. "I suppose since Connor is helping me, he wants me to repay it by helping you," her eyes shift back to Amelia.

Amelia has had enough. Yes, she shouldn't have made that foolish comment but, "Okay. Tell me one time, ONE TIME, when you have asked for my help and not gotten it?"

"You've never been available when I needed it. I don't bother," Grimm answers. "I also tend to deal with my problems on my own." Though now she's regretting letting Connor help her. o O (Frak. Should've known there were strings attached. There always is with magic users.) "Fine," she sighs. "I'll help." Then she's even with Connor and can get out of the debt she owes.

Connor says quietly, "I have helped you, Grimm...with no expectation of repayment. And there is a difference between a 'demand' and a 'request'. Neither of which I have made myself. I did not ask you to be here. I did not know your presence was requested. And your cynicism about my motivations is unwarranted." He looks...sad.

"Right..." Grimm says quietly. She doesn't sound enthusiastic. His sad look catches her offguard.

Connor gets up to head to the rest room. "I help people because they need help, Gabrielle. I don't do it in expectation of repayment. Please don't imply otherwise."

Amelia just shakes her head. It seems to be happening a lot today. "Never mind. I'll find another way. But... What happened to you, Grimm? You used to be helpful, understanding, sympathetic. Now you're none of those things. You can see your own way out I assume."

Amelia adds, "Just one last thing. If you never ask for my help, don't you ever say I refused to give it. That's simply not true and I'm sure you know it."

"That was then. Things change." The cracks in Grimm's aura grow, seeping more qliphothic energy before shadows swirl about her and she vanishes.

Connor sighs to himself and runs his hand through his hair as he heads down the hall to the bathroom. . o O (What the heck happened there? Why did she...?)

Amelia slumps into a chair. "Diplomacy 101. F-. That went even worse than I expected."

Connor comes back out of the bathroom a few minutes later and returns to the couch. "I spoke to Grimm regarding Lyssa a couple of days ago. We can talk about that after we discuss your security a bit more." He looks pretty melancholy now, but he's forcing himself to deal with the situation at hand.

Amelia puts down her orange juice and pours out a long tall glass of fae wine. Gulps half the glass down. "I badly mishanded that." she says. "Sorry you had to be witnesses to that."

Connor nods. "I'm not going to disagree." But he leaves it at that.

Amelia shrugs, "Probably a waste of time from the get-go. So... back to tower security."

Connor sighs, "That isn't true either. I was...becoming friends with Gabrielle. And I can already tell that's taken two steps backward. I don't understand her level of animosity, but...I think acting in an overly-familiar manner doesn't help."

Connor rubs his temple, "But...on the original topic, I can probably try to rig up something to help with the dimensional barriers. I did somethign similar with Apostate. I used my harness to strengthen the dimensional barriers to make it impossible for him to flee."

Connor. o O (Which is ironically also something similar to what I'm already working on in the lab. So...)

Moonshadow says, "I can research how to do the same for scrying and spying"

Amelia nods, "For the last few years she's been overtly hostile to me for, as far as I can tell, no good reason. To say I've never helped her when by her own admission she's never asked for my help is a misrepresentation verging on an outright lie. I'm extremely sorry if what happened has harmed your possible friendship with her. Very sorry. That never was my intent as I hope you know.

Randal will receive a text from Grimm. << I won't be coming over tonight. Thank you for all the help and the talks.>> The next day, a bottle of top shelf scotch will be delivered with a handwritten thank you letter. No postage, so personally dropped off at the doorstep. The letter will say: "A thank you for all your help and for putting up with the inconvenience. I won't be needed to impose any further. Take care, and enjoy." Connor will receive a text right about now (and checked whenever he decides to check his phone), "Thank you for your assistance. I will be seeking out help elsewhere. Your harness is still at Randal's and I won't be needing it anymore."

Later, Grimm will get a response back from Connor: "I'm still working on the project. And the offer still stands if you need it. I'm sorry you don't consider me enough of a friend to accept my help when offered. But I'm going to finish the project anyway."

Amelia sighs, "Okay. That leaves teleport and physical access. Anything else you can think of?"

Connor shakes his head, "The actual security staff in the building? Minds can be played with. Lyssa specializes in mental magic."

Amelia nods, "Maybe a psionic shield for the entire tower? Or just the top three floors and divert the conventional security systems up here to a stand alone system?

Connor nods. "Maybe. But that's certainly getting into things I know nothing about, to be honest."

Moonshadow says, "Me neither"

Amelia smiles, "You ought to. Remember the mage's credo. If it can be done, magic can do it."

Connor tilts his head, "I'm a specialist. And that's not my specialty. Maybe after I deal with the avenues of research I'm already working on."

Amelia nods, "We're all specialists in our ways. I'm a witch, not a mage. There are magics I cannot employ. Of the mages I know, Sasha is probably the closest to a general all-round mage."

Connor nods. "Makes sense."

Moonshadow says, "Indeed. I can research methods of blocking scrying, but unless it falls within my specialty, I can't cast them."

Amelia rubs her neck as she sums up. "Dimensional. That's you, Connor. Scrying, et al. You're looking at that, correct, Laurel. Teleport and physical. That's me. Likewise Psionic shield. Security systems. I think I might ask Xander. Give him something constructive to focus on. What do you think?"

Connor nods. "Well, Hunter dealt with your security previously. So...it does seem like a natural fit, if he's willing."

Amelia nods, "I'd like to keep this within a reasonable buget. I'm not made of money you know. Bare that in mind please."

Connor nods. "Well, I need to come up with a plan first. I'll let you know."

Next: Log:Lap Insecurity