Log:Princesses' Guard Revived, Scene 3

Princesses' Guard Revived 2014/04/02 	 Ghost Sasha Titan Lia Rift 3

Past Times Coffee Shop
The smell of fresh coffee is the first thing that assails you. The next is the very old style. It seems the owner has gone for the Edwardian style from early last century. Lots of imitation wood panelling and prints of old English countryside. There are many partitions between the tables, affording some privacy and the sound seems hushed in the room, this has been achieved mainly through very good design, which muffles sounds. At the counter service is quite quick and cheery, conveying a welcoming and friendly attitude. The menu boasts the fact that for a little extra real coffee is served along with light hot and cold meals and snacks. All in all a pleasant place to pass a bit of time.

Sasha
This youth stands about 5'10" tall and has a wiry, gymnast's build. His hair is raven black with a burst of red in the front. He has a warm clear complexion with a slight scar on his upper lip under the center of his nose. His eyes are a pale glacial blue. Overall, his physical attributes make him as pleasing to the eye as most professional models.

He is dressed in a black A-line shirt with black jeans tucked over a pair of engineer's boots. He has multiple tattoos on his left arm as well as his back (see +finger for image file). His fingernails are painted black and two thin leather bands circle his left wrist.

He seems very self-possessed for someone his age, but smiles easily as he meets people's gaze. His gaze is intense, but does not linger long on anyone or anything.

Revelations II
At the corner table Sasha sits with a slight frown on his face as he looks down at a circular spread of large cards on the tabletop. Beside him on the bench seating rests his messenger bag, skateboard, and a light grey trenchcoat. Given the chilly weather its not surprising the underdressed youth has a coat.

Ghost enters the cofee shop. A slight smile comes to her face as she sees Sasha at a corner table. "Good afternoon. May I join you when I have my drink?" she asks, glancing a little curiously at the cards.

The cards appear to be tarot cards with a cat based theme. They seem relatively new.

Sasha looks up and his expression turns into his normal smile. "Ah, yes, you may. And good afternoon as well." He reaches down and gathers up the cards as he speaks.

Ghost moves past going to the counter to order a hot chocolate, saying, "Thank you." She turns back after ordering, "I haven't seen cards like that before. What game are they used for?" she asks interestedly.

Sasha has gathered the cards into a deck. The youth chuckles softly then replies in his heavily accented English. "They are called tarot cards. They originally were used in a game called Triumph centuries ago. But now they are used to divine the future." He shrugs. "If one believes in such things of course."

Ghost collects her drink and returns to the corner table where you are seated. "Of course I believe in such things. And so do you." She says, "In fact I'm intending to visit a diviner in a few hours."

Sasha looks around at the light crowd in the coffee shop. It turns out none of them are sitting particularly close to the corner today. He then looks back to you. "Well, yes, of course I do." He adds after a beat. "A diviner, eh? This diviner is not the vampiric one who operates out of Greece is it? I hear she is quite, hmm, accurate."

Ghost shakes her head, "No. I hadn't heard of her before you mentioned her. I'll be seeing a diviner in Undermoon on Upper heartworld. She is also said to be quite accurate although I have no personal experience at this time."

Sasha nods politely as he listens. "So I imagine it not for some frivolous reason then. I cannot imagine you leaving the Princess alone unless it was important, no?" He idly begins to shuffle the cards as he speaks.

Ghost nods, "Very important. It is the Princesses' safety and future I will be asking the diviner about. She may be in danger shortly. Which is one of the major reasons we are seeking to revive the Princesses' Guard team. Might you know anyone who would be interested in joining it. Someone like a competent and skillful mage perhaps?"

Sasha's mouth quirks into a roguish smile. "Are you talking about Liam up in Pied-a-Ciel? I belive he may be a bit, hmm, stuffy to work with the Gentry well." He looks down at the deck in his hands for a moment then turns over the top card. It is the Fool.

Ghost says, "I was thinking of someone rather closer than that to me right now. I don't know much about you, Sasha, and I rather gather that in general you prefer it that way. I am half fae though and as such I have the Sight. So some of your nature is obvious to me, just as I assume my nature is obvious to you. In addition, Titan gave you quite a recommendation."

Sasha places the Fool back into the deck. "Well I am glad that I made a favorable impression on Titan." He looks over at you. "I am very tempted, Captain. The only true drawback for me is a rather personal one. I fear I have an acquired distrust of authority." He shrugs. "It is not crippling but it is there."

Speak of the devil. Titan walks in just after that, holding the door for another patron on the way outside.

Ghost is seated at a corner table talking to Sasha. She thinks for a moment, "The Princesses' Guard has two functions. One is to safeguard the Princess, her mother Princess Liandere, and her father Quinton Dallimore. Another is to function as a hero team to protect the Embassy and Colonial Bay City. Those are the official reasons for its existence. A third objective as far as I am concerned is to improve relations between Undermoon and Earth. Which is best done by assisting the Princess in overcoming the traditionalist isolationist fraction in fae society. Nominally the team is under the authority of Princess Liandere, the fae ambassador. In practice the team is largely left to get on with things. I don't.." she breaks off briefly to smile and waves to Johnathan, "don't know how strong your adversion to authority is, and whether it will be a problem I cannot say. Maybe Johanthan can put it better than I can."

Titan waves to Ghost, and then walks over, hearing his name mentioned. "Put what better, exactly?"

Ghost smiles and reaches out to take johnathan's closest hand in hers, "The command and control structure of the Princess Guard team. Not that there has been one up to now, really."

Sasha looks over at Titan as he enters, gives the man a wave then returns his attention to Ghost. "My distrust manifests itself in various ways, but most often in wondering what the true motives of those in authority are, Captain. A mild paranoia as it were. I at least came by it honestly during my childhood." He quirks a grin. "But, I can overcome it. It colors my thoughts rather then dominates them."

Titan takes a hold of Ghost's hand. "Well, Ghost here was the field leader, when things wound down last time. She's quite capable, in my opinion. 'Command and control' was a bit loose."

Ghost says, "Sasha, before I misjumped to Earth, even before I was adopted into the House of Nariliin, I was first a member and then the leader of shadow merc teams. If a team member didn't trust the leader and his or her fellow team members they would move to another team. If they weren't trustworthy themselves no shadow merc team would accept them. Trust is what teams were built from, and trust had to be earned and maintained. I would never deceive any member of a team I was in. Would I place them in danger. Yes, if needed. But they would know what the danger was to the best of my knowledge. And if they said 'I'm out' that was it."

Sasha listens to Ghost as she speaks but his gaze does drop briefly to the two joined hands of Ghost and Titan. He murmurs, "I understand the bond needed for a team to function, Captain. I have some familiarity with military and mercenary codes of conduct." He picks up the deck of tarot cards gain and begins to shuffle them again. He looks over at Titan. "May I ask what you said about me to the Captain?"

Titan shrugs, "Sure. I believe I said that you seemed extremely skilled, if a bit mischievous. You've struck me as very knowledgeable when I've seen you in action."

Ghost smiles, "I also asked you if you thought Sasha was a team player, if you remember, Johnathan." she says.

Titan nods, "Oh...right. I did mention that I thought that was the case."

Titan smiles. "Perhaps not explicitly, but you seem to complement others well."

Sasha runs a finger over the tops of the cards in his hands in a pattern. A hush falls over the table as background sounds are muffled. The youth looks at the two of you as he murmurs, "In full disclosure you must know some things about me. First, I am a thief who steals from worse thieves than I. I am a grifter whose prey are those who prey on others. I have many faces and few of them walk in the light. I live in the shadows of society but try not to be darkened by them." He adds after a beat. "My hands are not free of blood. But I do not regret the blood that is on them either. Monsters are monsters after all no matter their form. And last, not all the magicks I practice are, hmm, white magicks But my soul is still my own. If you can accepet these things, I will be happy to join you. I am fond of the Gentry and would enjoy helping them."

Ghost glances at Johnathan. Then looks at Sasha, "None of that should prove to be an insurmountable problem. Although lethal force is not likely to go down well with other team members. When I arrived here I had to change my ways in that regard. While on the team will you respect the team ethos with respect to that?"

Titan remains quiet, but glances toward Ghost in return before looking back to Sasha.

Sasha nods. "Of course I can." He holds up a hand. "With the caveat that I will not allow innocents to come to harm by doing so. I will accept any consequences that will arise should that happen though."

Titan nods. "Sounds reasonable to me. If it's the only way to save innocent people..."

Ghost says, "That is acceptable, Sasha. Johnathan, do you have questions for Sasha? We both should agree with whatever decision we make. Yes or no. Your input is equally as important as mine. And if it's yes, sasha's opinion will be as important as ours when selecting the next team member."

Titan nods slowly, considering that. He looks to Sasha, "Can you tell me in general terms where your abilities came from? I realize you might not want to tell me everything about how you came to get the skills you have. But just in vague terms."

Sasha nods slightly. "I have two sets of abilities in truth. Both come to me through my parents. On the one hand, I was born with the ablity to perceive, hmm, magic and spirits. I am a prodigy with magic. I cast spells before I could read and learned by watching at my mother's family's knees. Later schooling expanded my abilites beyond the, hmm, witchcraft of my family." He pauses then adds, "My other gifts are physical and come from my father. I a, ah, semi-immortal. I regenerate if slowly and have other protections from harm as his son."

Ghost listens but keeps quiet to let Johnathan continue.

Titan nods. "I think that's all I really wanted to know. Thank you."

Ghost looks to Johnathan while Sasha is making use of the restroom facilities. "I have a couple of names. First, Sukeban. She can be a real hothead. Setting fire to Dr Quirk's house was not a crowning moment in her career. But her firepower, literally, was very handy at Newport when we captured most of the world-walker boots. And she was effective against the chocolate bunny plague.

Titan nods. "She'd be a good choice, I think."

Ghost nods, "The second name is Anthony Quinn. I would imagine he wouldn't want to go to Undermoon. But in the city he'd be a great addition."

Titan nods. "Ah, right. You mentioned him before. Can you think of anyone else?"

Nobody says, "Not immediately. I've been away on the Twilit Worlds for a long time, Johnathan, both in subjective time, nearly sixty years, and also in Earth time. I don't know many of the metas currently active now. Oh, there's Ten. But she seems pretty committed to Starguard and her studies. I doubt if she'd have the time."

Sasha returns to the table and retakes his seat. "My apologies. Nature must be heeded." He quirks a smile. "Well, most of the time in any case."

Ghost smiles, "Johnathan asked me to make his apologies. He got a call and had to dash out. However we spoke before he had to leave. Welcome to the team." She puts out a hand.

Sasha takes your hand and gives it a firm shake. "Thank you." He adds softly. "Harlequin will be happy on your team I think."

Ghost lifts an eyebrow, "Another face?" she asks a little cryptically, referring to a comment made by you somewhat earlier.

Sasha murmurs softly to Ghost as they sit at the corner booth. "Yes, my heroic face as it were. I would ask that you only tell those members of the Gentry who must know that that face and Sasha are the same."

Ghost nods, "You have my word. In return, allow me to give you information that must remain confidential at this time. In a few days time the engagement of Princess Stephanie to Duke Vanatherion of Westmarch will be announced. If it goes off without a hitch, or do I mean with getting hitched? Sometimes the English language still confuses me. Anyway, if all goes well the union will consolidate the position of Princess Stephanie and Duke Vanatherion, the Princess as this will further build her integration into fae nobility, and the Duke due to his new connection to the royal family. Unfortunately there's a long list of groups and individuals who would rather that didn't happen."

Sasha nods slightly as picks up his tarot deck again and returns to idly shuffling it. "And is the trip to the diviner to narrow the suspect list?"

Ghost nods, "Hopefully, yes... The Princess wanted to revive the Princesses' Guard in any event, but the timing is being driven by the need to provide protection to the Princess and Duke Vanatherion. As much as possible I'll try to have loyal forces from the royal guard and from Duke Vanatherion's estate provide overt external security. The threat is not just to the safety of the principals, but also to the union. In addition, the disruption of routine may provide opportunity for those who already wish the principals harm."

Ghost adds, "I'm writing a briefing sheet in my copious spare time. As soon as I have it ready I'll distribute copies to all team members."

Sasha looks down at the cards in his hands. "Well, if I have any visions that touch on the matter, I will let you know." He looks back to you. "Of late, I have been 'gifted' with uncontrolled glimpses of what may be."

Ghost says, "My condolences. Such a gift can be disquieting. If you can think of any others who you feel would be suitable for the team, either let Johnathan or myself know, assuming we are contactable, or speak with them yourself."

Sasha smiles slightly. "Well, I would suggest my girlfriend but she is already working for a government." He continues, "But I will think on those I know, yes. Ah, which reminds me: my mentor may be of help as well in an advisory capacity. But I think you should meet him first."

Nobody says, "I'll look forward to it."

Sasha puts his deck into his messenger bag then stands as he slings the bag over his shoulders. He picks up his trenchcoat and skatebaord after a moment. "I should go speak to him them." He smiles warmly. "And thank you for this opportunity, Captain. It should be, hmm, interesting."

Ghost stands as Sasha gathers his things, "Thank you."

Sasha nods to Ghost then makes his way out of the coffee shop.

Ghost orders another hot chocolate to celebrate.

There is a reddish glow in the air just outside the coffee shop about that time. The armored figure known as Rift appears as the glow vanishes. She glances around and then moves into the coffee shop humming a bit to herself. The faceplate of the helmet retracts a bit, leaving her lower face exposed while the visor covers the upper half of her face still. She moves to the counter to apparently order.

Ghost is seated at a corner table in the coffee shop sipping on a hot chocolate drink.

Lia, floating and flying, comes into the coffee shop. It's been a while since Lia's been out and about, though she still seems to be in good spirits. She smiles as she spots ghost, floating over in her direction, "Hello there! It's been a while."

Ghost looks over towards the counter with interest when the black leather clad figure stands there. She was just saying to Titan and Sasha that she didn't know many of the metas in the city. And here's a case in point.

Ghost turns to Lia, "Yes. It has. Join me after you order. I'd be fascinated to hear how you've been doing."

Rift orders a hot chocolate with extra chocolate and then turns and glances around the shop as she takes a sip. She starts across the room.

Ghost glances over at Rift, and then gestures to a chair at her table, "Join us?" she invites.

After ordering hot chocolate with extra chocolate herself, Lia returns over to Ghost's table, sipping it, before smiling and taking a seat. "I've been alright. I've been working out how to restructure my magical specialties lately-I got tired of being good at destroying things and little else. How have you been doing?"

Lia offers a small nod to Rift, before looking back to Ghost.

Rift nods her head and then moves over and pulls out a chair slipping into it, "Hello." she says and then settles herself. "Thank you for the invite." she offers.

Ghost smiles, "Introductions are in order. I'm Ghost. This," she gestures to Lia, "is Lia. At least that's the name I knew her as last time we met. Still got the same name, Lia?"

"I am Lia, yes." Lia affirms with a nod, sipping more of her hot chocolate. "A little fairy mage I am. Who might you be?" Lia giggles a little, leaning on the table, looking towards Rift.

Rift nods her head, "I am known as Rift." she says and smiles a bit and then offers each a hand in turn, "A pleasure to make your aquaintance."

Ghost shakes Rift's hand, "A pleasure to meet you, Rift." Turning back to Lia, "It's been a busy time for me, Lia. The last time we were together was at Newport, wasn't it? A little after that Wyrnwood sent a shaman to Earth to try and kill everyone in the embassy. We captured the shaman, and released her to take a message back to the Goblin king. By the way, Lia, I never got a chance to properly thank you and Jo for rescuing the prisoners in Newport dungeon. That was well done."

Lia nods a little, tilting her head, "I vaguely remember that. And, thanks, I guess? It's been a while since I've been to the Undermoon Embassy or anywhere near it." Shrugging a bit, she adds, "And those prisoners already thanked me and Jo."

"So how goes adjusting to this world? I remember you were having problems because of its incredibly low mana?" Lia asks. Looking back to Rift, she hmms, "So, uh, what brings you here?" Lia squints a little, "You look vaguely familar, have we met before?"

Ghost gets a call on her PDA. The message seems to be brief and she responds with, "I'll return immediately, Highness." Standing she shakes her head, "Sorry to have to run out on you both but duty calls."