Log:Tea and Thoughts on Lereau

The Madness of David Flyte 2020/02/19 Radical|Connor Grimm Randal 32

Grimm went home to do some research and down time, only to be surprised by Malcolm being in her house. It was a brief but comforting time together before he had to go. After the unsettling encounter with Lereau, Grimm feels uneasy. It's getting later in the evening, so she grabs her bag and teleports to Randal's place. She appears at the end of the drive way and walks up to knock on the door.

Randal comes to the door this time, and lets Gabrielle in. "Hello again, Gabrielle." Connor is seated in th front room. They were both apparently chatting. And there's a cup of tea for each of them.

"Good evening, Randal. Thanks again for still putting up with my visits," Gabrielle smiles warmly as she's allowed in. She looks to Connor and suspects, "Catching up on what happened in Geneva?" she asks.

Connor smiles. "Yeah, I was just letting Randal know what happened, and making sure my impressions of the guy made sense."

Randal waves off Grimm. "It's not 'putting up with you'. I like your visits. There's nothing to put up with."

Grimm nods, rolling her shoulders so it hides the shudder thinking of Lereau. "Well, he's got some heavy backup, that's for sure. I bet he likes getting into people's heads."

Grimm smiles over at Randal. "Thanks. It's nice to come visit, too."

Connor nods. "Those folks with him...could be fuel for his powers. He could drain their life force to power his spells, if he wanted to."

"Really? I thought they were just other DEMON acolytes. Or initiates, reading to attack or hold people hostage," Grimm replies in surprise. She frowns. "Still...he's some piece of work. I didn't expect him to pick such a busy place."

Connor nods. "I could see the magic connections between them. Sure, they were weapons for him, but also effectively ammunition, if push came to shove."

Randal nods, "I suspect our theory about who he was is accurate." He moves over and sits back down in the chair he had been in. He looks up at Grimm, "What was your impression of him?"

Grimm takes a deep breath and sighs it out as she thinks. "I think he was willing to help because he has an even worse plan for me down the line. He was dangling stuff in the hopes I'd agree. He seemed the most concerned about me surviving."

Connor nods. "He also was happy to sacrifice Gabrielle's allies. Or at least make that possible."

Grimm looks rather unhappy at that. "He seemed like he didn't care about anyone else, yeah. I think he only presented the options that would end with me alone and N'zrathol locked away so that Lereau could swoop in to use me for whatever his plans are."

Connor nods. "BAsically, presenting the options we already knew about. Oh...and tried to minimize people's opinions of my magical abilities." He chuckles quietly.

"Oh? I kind of ignored that part. I think he was just blowing smoke," Grimm smiles. "I'm a little worried about why he thought you would fail in time. Something about the qliphothic energy degrading your power over time?"

Connor shakes his head, "If he's referring to what's been done so far, I agree. If I don't reinforce the healing, it will get worse again. But if we can get this Elder God distracted, the rift can be healed entirely. I'd be returning your pattern to as it was prior to when the rift was made within you. That doesn't mean it can't happen again. Just that hte rift in you would be healed. And will not return."

Randal nods in agreement. "Unless...the rift was always there, Connor."

Grimm nods softly, then looks to Randal worriedly. "Always?"

Connor frowns. "Hmm. True. It would just return it to the 'base level' prior to Flyte's involvement, if that was the case."

Connor shakes his head, "I could try looking in the past to check, I guess?"

Randal nods, "It's worth checking." He nods to Grimm, "The spell retores things back to the way they were."

Grimm nods slowly as she understands. "I don't know about the rift. No one mentioned the cracks before. But...I've been able to cross dimensions ever since I got these powers. Jona--" she stops, shakes her head once to get the name off her lips, then starts again. "Price's ritual was intended to give him the power to break the locks on the Kings of Edom's dimensional prisons. There's always been some connection with them."

Connor nods slowly, "Then that connection likely would remain. We'd just be undoing the immediate threat. N'zzrathol's incursion. That might be for hte best, as it's also the source of your power, right?"

Grimm shakes her head slowly. "I don't think so. Well, not just N'zrathol. I've never heard of the entity until now." She thinks for a moment and rubs her chin. "I think once I ran into someone who said Pale Night was something connected to me."

Connor nods. "I meant...your connection to hte prison realm is likely part of the source of your powers."

Grimm nods at the theory. "Maybe? From what I understand, there are more than one prison realm these things are contained in."

Randal nods. "I concur with Connor's assessment. The spell would just undo what Flyte did. Nothing further."

"Well, that's still way better than where I'm at," Grimm says positively. "I wouldn't be cracking at the seams and mega-haunted any time I slept."

Connor nods. "Exactly. So...when Lereau said my 'magic would fail', he might have been referring to the long view. My spell won't prevent anything further."

Grimm rubs her chin at that thought. "That tricky bast---uhhh...bad guy," she corrects her language in front of Randal.

Randal chuckles at Grimm's language use. But he smiles and sips his tea.

Connor smiles. "Gabrielle, would you like some tea? I still have the water on. Non-caffienated, since it's so late."

Grimm smiles. "Yes, please. I can go prep it myself. No need to get up."

Randal smiles. "The tea is out on hte counter. Chamomile and a couple of other herbal teas."

"Thanks," Grimm says, heading towards the kitchen. She at least kind of remembers where things were from the breakfast with Randal. She can also feel around for which cupboard has the tea cups. She picks a chamomile and prepares herself a cup. She's begun to enjoy tea instead of the usual alcoholic drink before bed.

The two men continue chatting for a bit. The topic turns to the university and how things are going there.

Grimm finishes steeping the tea and tosses the bag in the trash. She adds some sweetener and cream before heading back out, grinning a bit as the two catch up.

Both of them look up at Gabrielle comes back out. Randal smiles, "I think I never asked you, Gabrielle. But what do you do in your spare time? Well, say in a normal week prior to running afoul of Flyte?"

Grimm finds herself a seat and settles in. "Hmm. Well...not counting my life as a meta? A lot of my time was spent between studying school, traveling to other dimensions, helping with missing persons cases, and doing some shows. I had a band and we played at the Underground and a few dive places." She takes a sip of her tea. "But, well, then I got more serious. Helped with some police cases from time to time, and joined up with Starguard Gamma. I barely have time for homework anymore. And I can barely keep up with what's happening here to go across dimensions as much as I used to."

Randal nods. "That makes sense. I think I didn't realize you were in a band. What instrument do you play?"

"I played a few instruments sometime. I used to play piano growing up. Mom insisted I take classes," Gabrielle mentions as she sips. "But I was mainly the singer. These days, I really only indulge in karaoke," she smiles.

Connor smiles, "I've never heard you sing. Were you still playing when Rira's band started playing locally?"

"A little. I was starting to to get really busy with Starguard at the time. I've performed at some of the same joints they have. I didn't really know her or her band really, but I think I heard them sometime," Gabrielle smiles back. "My band came together on campus originally when I first moved here. After a while, though, I kept missing practice. Kept getting tangled up in crazy cases. Finding lost kids, dealing with some thief possessed by Belle Geste, dealing with a guy called the Gentleman, Lampigui...it was rough. We ended up disbanding."

Connor nods. "Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you're still friends with them, at least?"

"Kind of. I mean, we're still on friendly terms, but we all grew apart to different circles," Gabrielle admits, seeming to regret it.

Grimm adds with a grin, "And I'm not surprised you've never heard me sing. I don't imagine it'd be the sort of style you're into."

Randal chuckles. "What type of music is it that you were singing?"

"Not Jazz?" Gabrielle chuckles. "More rock industrial. A bit of metal. Pretty dark stuff."

"And certainly not the sort of clubs I'd expect to see any of my professors at," Gabrielle smiles in amusement. "We couldn't afford crazy stage setups, so I'd use my powers to put on some wild shows."

Connor smiles. "Vurig's music is growing on me. But I certainly wouldn't have been listening to that kind of music at the time." Randal nods in agreement, "I tend to stick to jazz or classical, I have to admit."

"You into classical rock, Randal?" Gabrielle asks curiously, though she doubts it. "I'm into some of the classics. AC/DC, Led Zeppelin." She turns her head to Connor, grinning. "-You-? Into Vurig? That's some progress there," she chuckles.

Randal laughs. "Classical. Like...Holst. Brahms. You know...orchestras." Connor also chuckles. "Yeah, the music has grown on me. I have to admit...there's something really...ingtriguing about experiencing a world that I'm not that familiar with, if that makes sense?"

Gabrielle laughs gently at Randal's correction. "Oh, I guess I don't know," she grins. She looks to Connor and raises a brow, her smile turning amused, and perhaps mischievous. "Dr. Duran, experimenting with his darker, wild side? That's one way to rebel. But have you really experienced it?"

Connor smiles and shakes his head, "No, not really. And I stick out like a sore thumb at their gigs. But it's still interesting to go."

"You could fit in, you know," Gabrielle says suggestively. "I could help you blend."

Connor chuckles. "Even if I was dressed appropriately, I wouldn't fit in. I think you know that."

Randal smiles. "You don't know that, Connor. It's just a matter of...familiarity."

"Mmmm, I don't know about that. I think with some practice, the right look...you could at least blend," Gabrielle smiles. "It's 70 percent how you look, 20 percent how you sound, and 10 percent what you say," she winks. "And a little magic can help that along quite a bit."

Grimm points to Randal. "See? He knows. If you look like you fit in, you'll feel more like you fit in."

Connor chuckles. "Umm...maybe? But I'm not exactly confident I could fit in."

"70 percent of the trick is how you look. And if you got the look, it can give you the confidence." Gabrielle looks Connor over. "You don't go in dressed like that, do you?" she motions to his dress shirt and slacks.

Connor smiles. "Umm....I usually wear a jacket with it? Like...a suede sport coat?"

Randal chuckles and sips his tea.

Gabrielle's brows creep up in disbelief. "Whaaaat? Noooo. No wonder you don't feel like you fit in. Do you wear a tie, too?" she smirks playfully.

Gabrielle leans over to Randal and mutters, "'Suede'." She does it in a conspiring 'can you believe this guy?' manner.

Connor chuckles. "What? Of course I dont' wear a tie!" He laughs.

Gabrielle cracks up. "Thank goodness. Okay, that's something. So...what is it that makes you think you lack confidence to fit in? Is it...that you're worried someone will recognize their professor? Or something else?" She recalls him saying some related things when he was drunk. "I bet...I can get you to fit in with some practice."

Connor shrugs and takes a deep breath. "I just...well, feel uptight, I guess? Does that make sense? I don't feel relaxed."

Randal chuckles. "You could probably go in your costume, and you'd fit in better, I suspect."

"The guy who flipped off an elder god feels uptight?" Gabrielle asks in amusement. She smiles at Randal's suggestion. "He has a point. And you do seem more relaxed and confident in it."

"I mean...people may make different assumptions, but they certainly wouldn't think you were uptight," Gabrielle grins.

Connor sips his tea and chuckles. "I don't have to have a social interaction with the Elder God. Not really. That's just...a show of defiance."

Grimm chuckles. "You don't have to socially interact with people at a show, either. That's totally optional. It's about the music firstly. Also, alcohol is a great social lubricant. Helps you get out what you really want to say." And she knows it has that effect on Connor. "I bet you I could get you to loosen up and feel more confident at Vurig's next show. We could do a trial run or two at a different venue as warm ups."

Connor raises a brow, but he smiles. "Hmm. Alright, I'm willing to give it a try. I really would like to...get out of my 'comfort zone' a bit. Thank you."

Randal smiles, "Oh, you young'uns." He shakes his head and chuckles quietly as he takes another sip.

Grimm smiles as he's willing to take her up on her challenge. "I'm pretty good at enabling people to do that. Maybe it's a corrupting power of mine," she winks.

Grimm can't help but laugh at Randal's comment. "Randal, you act younger than he does sometime. I bet you'd kill it at the clubs," she winks.

Randal shakes his head, "I'm not younger. I'm just more comfortable in my own skin than Connor is in his. I know what I'm like, and what I like." He grins, "I'm reasonably sure that I'd stick out there too...but the difference is...I think I wouldn't care."

Grimm smiles thoughtfully at Randal's explanation and looks to Connor. "Hmm. Still learning what you like and who you are, then?"

Connor thinks about it. "I...guess so? I mean, I had been intending to be the Cartesian still by this time. My life kind of got upended, so I've been working at trying to establish what I want out of life. I have a few ideas, clearly...but not completely."

Grimm tilts her head slightly. "Well...what were you planning before you became the Cartesian?"

Connor smiles. "Well...nothing. I knew that was destined to have the role. I was groomed for it. And well, I chose to be a professor, but...well, that happened."

Grimm lets out a low, appreciative whistle. "Right. It ran in the family. I guess it only just hit that you'd be preparing for that for most of your life."

Grimm sits up a bit with a mission in mind. "Well, you're free now. Free of obligation and to experiment. So...time to get a bit wild," she grins.

Connor nods. "For generations, going all the way back to the American Civil War."

"All the more reason you need to get out there and live a little," Grimm states with certainty.

Randal nods. "I lived most of my life as the Cartesian. I took over when I was in my 20s, so I stayed with it for quite some time. The job...didn't change me much. I think Connor likely was changed by it more."

Connor nods in agreement. "The magic...definitely changed my personality in a noticeable way. So...I think you're right, Grimm."

Grimm looks to Randal with surprise. "Wow. That's wild. I can't imagine having my powers for that long. How come it changed you more than Connor? Was it because you were already kind of orderly on your own?" She looks to Connor, looking concerned. "I...can relate. My powers changed me a lot. Part of it was how I got them, but I know I'm not who I was," she says and sips her tea, not too comfortable with the admission. But she trusts them. "Are you fully back to the way you were before?"

Connor shrugs, "I think I am back to the way I was before...but...angrier? I felt like I was manipulated." Randal nods in turn, "I understand your reaction, Connor. But...to answer Grimm's question, I think...my personality is just orderly enough that it wasn't a large change. I'm more relaxed than I was as the Cartesian. Less anxious. But that's the only major change."

Grimm nods to Randal's explanation, intrigued. "Less anxious? I guess being orderly can cause some anxiety." She looks to Connor with understanding in her eyes. "Angrier. I get that. But they still couldn't control you entirely," she smiles faintly. "After all, you both found the strength to defy them to do the right thing."

Connor nods, "True." He sips his tea quietly, but he nods again. "It was...difficult, but my decision was...smaller scale than Randal's."

Randal smiles. "Don't sell yourself short."

Grimm nods and smiles a bit. "The ataxinate was a large scale thing, sure. You were saving a life. Still important. The 'small' things are still just as important."

Connor smiles. "I know. And I think I made the right decision. I just...sometimes brood about it."

"Why?" Gabrielle asks with honest curiosity, keeping her tone soft and kind.

Connor takes a deep breath. "It would have been so easy to just...follow orders. To make the decision to kill Rira. And I wonder...what I would have been like. What the current Anarch or Cartesian are like now. That kind of thing."

Grimm nods gently. "I kind of find it hard to imagine you as the broody sort, but keep that vibe for the clubs. Women in that scene dig that," she tries to make light of things to lighten the mood for Connor. "And following orders would've made you a killer. A murderer. I'm glad you didn't follow orders." She keeps a tight lip for a moment about the current Cartesian, then sighs and admits, "The current Cartesian is...reasonable to a point."

Randal nods, "I figured she might be, as long as whatever you ask aligns with what she wants."

Grimm mutters as she looks into her tea. "...and she makes me feel like I should hit the gym." She sips and then looks up to Randal. "Yeah. You just have to put it in terms that align with her interests. And leave out any association with you two..."

Connor chuckles. "Wise. I think that Order likely wants nothing to do with me, based on the few interactions I've had with them since."

"Yeah, definitely not. I...kind of enlisted her help with the bugs and lied a bit," Grimm admits while speaking a little faster than usual, just trying to gloss over those details.

Both men have a similar reaction. Both raise an eyebrow at that. Like they're clearly related to each other.

Connor smiles. "Lied in what way, exactly?"

Grimm looks up at the pair of them as they gang up on her. "What?" she says defensively, like there was nothing wrong with that. "I just lied about being friends with you two when she asked. She sounded like she wouldn't help if I said yes."

Connor chuckles. "Ah, I see. Okay. Fair enough." Randal just smiles and nods.

Next: Log:The Lorekeeper's Terms