Scene Description : Several weeks ago you received a mysterious handwritten invitation in your home, in a location that no one else should be able to get to. It's inviting you to an evening holiday party for the local mage community at the Dave and Buster's in Lynnwood.

Scene Description : The Dave and Buster's has been rented out exclusively for this party. You are allowed to bring a plus one, but the invitation specified that they must be "in the know" to come.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : As one of the evening's financial sponsors, Lola understands well that she was expected to be one of the first on scene, and is thankful for the brief distraction from how much she misses having her parents with her for the holiday. Because it's a private evening for the Enlightened and those in the know, and because of the holiday's perennial association with Victoriana, she has come dressed accordingly, in a modern and finely made interpretation of an adventurous Victorian lady of Science. While her own paradigm is decidedly closer to Bubblegum Crisis than to Around the World in Eighty Days, she knows well how to dress the part anyway. Her narrow-waisted dress is a blue-grey that goes well with her Intensely blue eyes, her gloves go to the elbow, and her shiny, high heeled, lace-up patent leather boots (with buttoned spats) are simply to die for. The gynoid Scientist's hair is done up appropriately, in an almost Gibson Girl style, that still allows her to wear a lady's version of a top hat, with purple-lensed Ethergoggles perched on the brim. She hasn't worn them since the end of her days as a biological life-form since their functions are now built directly into her optics, but they make a fine accessory anyway and she's feeling nostalgic tonight. A harness with toolkit and several handy devices bounces on her hip, and a gleaming pocket watch hangs at her waist. It's an ostentatious look, but then the Society of Ether is hardly known for being low key.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Her synthetic voice is elevated to a sufficient volume to carry over the piped-in music as she talks to her plus one while awaiting the arrival of many of the other guests. That plus one, who is dressed in a much more conventional but still high quality outfit, is a clear-eyed, middle aged man who looks about a little anxiously. Long suffering attorney Joel Saperstein is the longest standing friend and business partner that Lola's got left outside her Tradition, and she needs that touchstone tonight.

Joel Saperstein : He sighs, expecting to be surrounded by the sorts of weirdos her dad associated with. He didn't even bother bringing business cards tonight. "Your father once made me wear a labcoat and pretend I was his coworker at one of these."

David Bartram : David is also there since before the invite time, wearing a black button up shirt, nice pants and shoes, and of course a Santa tie. He's also got a drink in hand most of the time that he's nursing, although it's non-alcoholic.

Maya Smith : A quick trip across town is made even quicker, by a red and silver motorcycle being pushed to the limits of sanity for city driving. Hopping off the motorcycle, Maya double checks the address on the invitation as she surveils the location.

Maya replaces her motorcycle helmet with a pair of glasses, and gently pats her leather jacket to make sure that she is appropriately armed. "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word," she prays, before crossing herself and heading inside.

Now surrounded by electronic lights and noises, Maya deadpans to herself, "Seems Technocratic." Then seeing Lola and David, she gives a quick nod and heads over.

David Bartram : David's face lights up when he sees Maya coming over. "Thank you for coming! Did you have much trouble getting here?"

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola chuckles at Joel's comment. "It wasn't entirely untrue, you know," she says and scoops up a drink, then loops his arm and leads him over to meet the others. She has a wide yet inherently artificial smile on her face as she does so; she's trying very hard to be cheerful tonight, despite the leaden weight inside her metaphorical heart. She's already introduced him to David of course, but Maya is a new arrival. "Maya, welcome!" She says brightly, "I'm glad you made it! Allow me to introduce my uncle Joel! It may be an honorary title, but he wears it well."

Maya Smith : "Easy enough," Maya assures David, "advantages to a motorcycle." While she doesn't seem unfriendly, her relaxed and blasé demeanor, is closer to a holiday chill than a holiday cheer.

"Nice to meet you," Maya says to Joel, seeming like she almost wants to offer him a smile, but in the end doesn't.

"What even is this place?" she asks, but instead of waiting around for an answer, she takes a few steps to the bar to get herself a drink.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "It is an absurd restaurant and play space," Lola says, her smile turning a bit robo-pixieish, "basically the equivalent of a Chuck-E-Cheese for adults. I have to assume satire was involved in the chain's creation."

Joel Saperstein : He nods to Maya "Likewise." she's hardly the strangest person he's been introduced to in his association with the Forsythes.

Neheb-Kau : The long walk, started the day before, is complete. Sleeping rough was nothing new to him, but he didn't enjoy being taken away from the heri-shi. Neheb-Kau stands before the doors of the restaurant and arcade, looking up into the bright lights and steels himself with a quiet prayer as his fingertips trace scars on his forearms. He pushes into the chaos of lights and sounds, long unfamiliar to him. Blinking he approaches the greeters, "You have asked for my presence here and I have answered. What do you need from me and mine?"

David Bartram : David smiles cheerfully, waves, and walks over to Neheb-Kau. "Hi there I'm David. I sent out an invite to the local mage community for a party, I hope we can be friends."

Maya Smith : "mm, rats," Maya responds to the explanation, as she returns with a cocktail. A small nod of greeting is given to Neheb-Kau, as she takes a sip.

Neheb-Kau : Neheb-Kau attempts, mostly unsuccessfully, to return the smile and lands on a grimace. It is, presumably, a grimace of friendship. "David. Yes, I believe we can be friends, gods willing. You must be a powerful Xeper to make your way into my home and out unseen." He turns to see Maya, his ally, approaching the small group. "Maya. Blessings upon you in this place. Had I known you were coming, I would have asked for a ride."

Tycho : Spotting a familiar motorcycle on the side of the road, Tycho parks his own and kills the engine. He sheds his helmet and glances at the garish blue and orange logo of Dave and Buster's. "...you've gotta be fucking kidding," he mutters, but sighs and glances down at the invitation again. Definitely the right place. He looks west towards the last hints of sunlight and murmurs, "Χαῖρε ἄναξ, πρόφρων δὲ βίον θυμήρε' ὄπαζε and get me through whatever this evening is supposed to be."

Once inside, he takes his time approaching the group milling around, eyeing them a bit warily and pausing for a swig from his bottle of water. The lingering odor of frankincense from his private solstice rituals wafts off his jacket and mixes with... mozzarella sticks? (It's weird, but not unpleasant.)

Maya Smith : "I brought the bike," Maya says to Neheb-Kau, "so you can always get one back if you like." She gives a quick nod and a knowing look to Tycho, before taking another sip from her cocktail.

A glance is given around the space, before she notes to herself, "This place is eerie."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "You are not wrong," Lola chuckles in response to Maya and sips her drink in what the gynoid woman hopes is an ordinary and carefree way (it's slightly unnerving and unnatural despite the honest attempt), "even to me. But it is certainly more or less neutral ground, and food and drinks are plentiful. If you're not offended at the idea, or even if you want an alternative to beating us at certámen, you could try your hand at air hockey or the arcade."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "The idea was a low-pressure evening of getting to know the broader community of, well, willworkers."

Jill Sparrow : She strides in like she owns the place, wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. As usual, her straight black hair is tied back in a ponytail. She glances around, clearly amused at the location choice. Following her is an exasperated younger woman, in her early 20s, probably a new college graduate, carrying a rather full bag looking very put upon, in the way that secretaries with particularly energetic and unpredictable bosses often do. "Amazing. Dave and Buster's. Last Christmas party was at the fucking Convention Center. Dude was phoning it in." She spots Tycho and grins, and immediately strides over to him and gestures. The secretary quietly pulls out a wad of cash and hands it to him. "You did great work, I bought us another year of peace and quiet with it." Her face currently has no piercings, not even her ears, no tattoos, nothing at all.

David Bartram : David walks up to Tycho when he enters, and holds out his hand. "Oh, hi there. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm David, thank you for coming."

Maya Smith : "I'm more a skee ball girlie," Maya admits to Lola, "but ... huh, I guess you eat and drink also?" There's a pause as she thinks about this, and then begins to wonder if she's being rude, but ends up just giving a small shrug and sipping her cocktail.

Jill's frantic entrance gets Maya's attention, slightly quirking an eyebrow as she watches Tycho get paid off. Her mouth opens slightly, and she almost cracks a joke, but instead she just sips more of her cocktail.

Tycho : Encountering her on his way across the room, Tycho looks slightly taken aback by Jill's appearance, but not surprised by her presence. He slips the wad of cash inside his jacket and nods. "I'm guessing this is the kind of thing where I shouldn't ask questions, but... glad it went well." In the back of his mind, he's canceling the follow-up session.

Moving a bit further in, he pauses again when David introduces himself, and shakes his hand a bit warily. "Tycho. You're the mystery host, I take it?"

David Bartram : David shakes Tycho's hand, and then answers back while chuckling. "I guess I am. Although we did almost run into each other about a month ago, at that whole incident at the park."

David Bartram : David continues talking to Tycho. "By the way, I've been following up on that kid you tried to save there. He's apparently still in a coma. I never did figure out who he is though."

Jill Sparrow : Her eyes narrow and she turns from jovial to focused in an instant as she focuses on David "What incident in the park?" Her tone indicates that if this is something actually important, someone will be in trouble for not informing her.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "There was a Fortean event of considerable magnitude," Lola answers Jill, her head cocking at an odd angle, and her wide eyes startlingly blue as she runs calculations behind them. "It was the epicenter of the storm that disabled the electrical grid."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : She had been about to answer Maya, but Jill's interjection cut her off in mid-thought.

David Bartram : David turns to Jill, holding out his hand again. "Hello, I don't believe we've met before. I'm David."

Maya Smith : "David was the one stalking me," Maya casually lets Tycho know, "but I pulled a gun on him, and we worked it out." With that explanation given, she turns her attention to Jill.

Jill Sparrow : "Jill Sparrow, I'm in charge of Evolvix Labs." she shakes David's hand, but then turns back to Lola "Fortean event? So you're an Etherite...WAIT A MINUTE, ARE YOU Henry's kid? Let's get a proper look at you, I haven't seen you since you were this big." she holds her hand about 2 feet from the floor.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola throws a thumb's up Maya's way at that comment, but keeps her attention on the new arrival.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola blinks. Twice in rapid succession. "Yes, I am Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, and Prof. Henry Forsyth is my father. How do you do?" She steps forth, offering a hand and flashing a mechanical smile.

David Bartram : David smiles and watches the android and this new woman talk, while trying to also suss out more about her. ((Rolling Perception + Politics diff 7))

David Bartram : roll of 4 dice at difficulty 7: 1, 10, 7, 2: 1

Jill Sparrow : "Doctor, well, looks like you're doing well for yourself." Jill ignores Lola's hand and goes in for a hug "You probably don't remember, but I brought you a teddy bear as big as your dad for your first birthday. Oh, how time flies. So you're following in Henry's footsteps, or did you pick a different direction to go in?"

Amanda Schenck : Jill's beleaguered assistant offers David her hand "Hi. I'm Amanda. You look like you're trying to figure her out. She's Jill Sparrow, fairly high ranking Syndicate associate. She's riding a bit high after successfully killing some bad Iteration X proposals at the annual symposium last week, so she's a bit more chaotic than usual." from her tone, Jill's level of chaos is pretty high to start from, and Amanda has to clean up a lot of it. Like doing proper introductions when she gets distracted by an old friend's kid being there.

David Bartram : David smiles and shakes Amanda's hand, trying not to let his surprise about Jill show on his face. "Hi Amanda, pleased to meet you. Do you get dragged out to a lot of these things with her?" ((Rolling Manipulation + Subterfuge to hide his surprise))

David Bartram : roll of 6 dice at difficulty 6: 3, 3, 6, 9, 8, 2: 3

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Oh yes, I remember the bear very well!" Lola replies, returning the hug. It's a very carefully calibrated hug, so as not to pinch or hurt. Though slender and shapely, there is a solidity to her heavily reinforced frame and steely muscle fibers, and she is far stronger than she looks. "Daddy named him Ursa Major! I am a roboticist and reality physicist, and my father and I have collaborated on many projects, though I focus on the materials sciences and mechanical and computer engineering side, while Daddy dealt with most of the human consciousness work, asking some other things."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : (*among other things)

Amanda Schenck : "Basically where she goes, I go. When I can manage to follow." she sighs. "She went and got her whole face done up by that guy" she glances at Tycho "The other day just to fuck with the leader of Iteration X. She gave me the slip...almost got in trouble with the head assistant for not keeping track of her better." everything in her tone indicates that her job is rough, and she takes advantage of the venue to order a drink. In fact, she orders two of them, in the way that only frustrated 21 year olds do.

Jill Sparrow : "Great! Well, if you ever need a job, Evolvix has some robotics projects and you'd just have to stay in the areas where most of the stuff is done by Sleepers. I promise, no kidnapping and brainwashing" she smirks "Nope, if you switch sides, it'll be for the benefits package, not coerced."

David Bartram : "Oh man, that's rough." David follows her to the bar to order a refill himself. "I know what herding cats is like, especially when they're more of a tiger than housecat." He pauses to get his drink from the bartender. "So how did you get into this line of work anyway?"

Amanda Schenck : "She noticed me when I finished an MBA at UW at 16." she shrugs and starts on her drink the moment it arrives. "And, frankly, hitching onto her has been taking my career places, I might even get to manage a proper project portfolio one day." she sighs wistfully at it. "So, David, was it? You're one of them?" she gestures broadly "The Enlightened types, I mean. Which group you with?"

Maya Smith : Sipping her cocktail, Maya glances between Tycho and Neheb-Kau as her joke about David and Busters being a Technocratic dystopia starts to come true. However, her face lets on nothing, and she just continues to eavesdropped, internally amused.

David Bartram : "Oh wow, that is impressive. Hopefully she's actually letting you use your skillset instead of just being her gopher." David smiles. "Yup, I'm in what are called the Virtual Adepts. It hasn't been that long though, and I'm still trying to figure out this whole new world." He sighs. "It's a *lot* to take in still."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "That is very generous and an intriguing offer, thank you," Lola replies. While she's not socially adept, she knows better than to insult somebody at a meet & greet, "perhaps we can discuss it another time. Speaking of, were you involved in some way with the ROEN sale in July?" ROEN was her most recent start up collaboration with her father, sold to an entity that she had suspected to have Syndicate ties.

Amanda Schenck : "Oh, I read about you guys in one of my courses after I joined up. You used to be with us, but reading between the lines, the old leadership was a big bag of dicks." she makes a face. "Not going to try to sell anyone on kinder gentler anything, though." she shrugs. "For me, the selling point was making all my loans go away, and being told that if things go well, I could manage an 8 figure portfolio someday."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Her eyes flicker toward David, logging the fact that he invited a Syndicate rep to this event. She had not been aware of that decision and it unsettles her, but she hopes that perhaps this Jill woman might have information on her father. And dreads the same.

Jill Sparrow : "I figured you'd turn it down, Henry never wanted to work for me either." she shrugs it off. "As for ROEN, I'd need to look it up, I acquired a bunch of startups over the summer to build some new departments at Evolvix. Amanda would know offhand, but I'm not dragging her over here for that. Next time I see you, I'll let you know."

Janothar : By now, a bunch of other people have arrived, a rather diverse crowd, though most people seem to be clustering with others who are pretty similar to themselves when they can, or at least towards other people they already know. ((I'm not going to run in and grab every local mage NPC here, but if there's a group that you want to make contact with, there's probably someone here, though I will say not a single member of Iteration X shows up unless a PC is approved and joins the scene themselves))

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Fair enough, and thank you," Lola inclines her head, her attention fully back on Jill, "I value my independence a great deal. On the subject of my father, have you heard from him, or anything about him recently? I have lost contact with him, and am concerned for his well being."

Jill Sparrow : She shakes her head "Not in almost a year. He was always the type to go long periods without staying in touch. You ask over at your club? They'd know more than I would."

David Bartram : "There's course material about us?" David smirks. "Now I'm curious about what might be in it." He takes a drink. "Luckily I was doing pretty well financially before that whole Awakening thing, so once I did and my former day job stopped really seeming that important, I was able to set up a nice nest egg for my 'retirement'" David makes the air quotes when he says retirement.

Amanda Schenck : "Oh, yeah. Basically when we join up, it's a lot like a grad program. Master's for me, PhD for the Enlightened types. I got a crash course in all the various sorts of 'reality deviants'" she rolls her eyes at the phrase. "The people who write the books are still bitter about you guys quitting, though they really have it out for the Etherites. You got like, a page and a half, they got six pages of rant. And like...the other groups got maybe a half page each. It had to mostly be propaganda bullshit, though."

David Bartram : "Honestly, even with the propaganda bias you probably know more about us than I do. I never even met another Adept in person until I moved to Seattle, and even then I've only met a handful."

Amanda Schenck : She takes a moment, looking upwards, before speaking, sounding like she's quoting something "The Virtual Adepts are the consummate traitors, having learning at the feet of the treasonous Electrodyne Engineers. They are fortunately unable to function without their mainframes, and obscure their text based communications using symbols to represent letters to stymie our most advanced algorithms." her tone shifts to more casual. "I'm pretty sure this book was written in 1970 or something."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "I have inquired," Lola advises, "though with little success. I will continue. Thank you, and enjoy the party." She moves to withdraw, making room for the Syndicate rep to mingle. Once clear, she glances to Joel. "Do you know her?" She asks.

Joel Saperstein : "Mostly by reputation." he shrugs as he watches her go "She's dangerous, but mostly on the up-and-up, is her reputation."

David Bartram : David laughs way louder than he planned. "Oh my god, sorry, but that's the most rediculous thing I've ever heard." He laughs a bit more before trailing off. "But seriously, and no offense, but traitor is really rich, given just how many laws all of us, including the Technocracy, breaks by just existing in secrecy."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Good to know," Lola murmurs, "she is like father and I, but her science is economics… and she is a leader in an organization with which we have a long and adversarial relationship. Best to be cautious with her, indeed. I had not realized how diverse the guest list is."

Maya Smith : The word 'traitors' gets an eyebrow raise from Maya, but she sips her cocktail and holds her tongue.

Amanda Schenck : "The Laws of Physics don't even apply to use, why would we give a shit about the laws of America?" she shrugs and finishes her second drink. "Shit, boss is on the move. Nice meeting you." she waves to David as she scurries after Jill

David Bartram : David waves back at Amanda, then heads back over Lola. "Looks like things have finally started picking up here. I was worried no one would show up."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Agreed, though some of the guest list is worrisome," Lola says to David, trying to keep her voice low and thankful for the ambient noise. "did you invite the Technocracy? That is likely to be trouble."

Neheb-Kau : Neheb-Kau approaches Maya, a glass of ice water in his hand, "Did I hear you say something about skee-ball earlier? It's been a lifetime since I played, but I was pretty good back when I was a kid." His eyes dart around the room before continuing more quietly, "And maybe you can fill me in on who all these people are while we play?"

David Bartram : David replies to Lola "There isn't a war on right now. And I think an important part of keeping it that way is for us all to get to know each other as people."

David Bartram : He adds. "Plus, they have different perspective than us, and if we can all find a way to work together maybe we can start actually understanding how all this works."

Maya Smith : "Yeah, it has been awhile since I've played Skee Ball," Maya notes to Neheb-Kau, "and I feel like I've learned a few tricks since then. Not sure if that might rob the fun from the game, but I'll definitely be bringing home a teddy bear, if I play."

A nod is then given as she sips her drink, and quietly adds, "I could try, but I might be as lost as you are."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola nods along, acknowledging agreement with her cabal leader as she guides him over to the Meddling Kids, feeling the need to do a little damage control there. "I apologize for not answering your question directly earlier, Maya," she says and takes a sip of her drink. "I allowed myself to be distracted with the Technocratic agents' arrival, which I did not anticipate. While I do not require food, I possess an internal reactor that can break it down for Quintessence. And I am game for skeeball if you are."

David Bartram : "Anyway, I should go mingle." David goes off to introduce himself to the various other new guests.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola gives David a little flutter-wave and sees him off.

Maya Smith : There's a moment when Maya almost looks confused, and then says, "don't worry, I understand busy." Looking between Neheb-Kau and Lola, she says, "Sounds like we almost have enough for a tournament." Taking a sip of her cocktail, Maya looks to Tycho to see if they will complete their brackets.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Her eyes expectantly track over toward Tycho also.

Eric Maker : Eric had arrived only a few minutes ago, he knew it was dangerous but curiosity got the best of him. When he see friendly or known faces. He waves, trying to be subtle. 'Might as well try to meet new people, do some networking' he thinks to himself He tries to mingle and join conversations in a non-disruptive way. He keeps his eyes peeled for any mentions of computers and similar things.

David Bartram : David spots Eric and walks over. "I'm glad you could make it Eric!"

Neheb-Kau : "Well, if the two of you are ready, I see three skeeball ramps free right over there," Neheb-Kau nods toward the gaming area. "Unless you would like to wait for a fourth, that is."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Lead on," Lola indicates.

Neheb-Kau : Neheb-Kau does so, winding his way across the floor and past the other celebrants, avoiding the newer and flashier games with the bright lights and loud speakers to a row of clearly very used but well maintained skeeball ramps. "Choose your machine!" he smiles toothily and indicates that the ladies have first pick.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Thank you," the mechanical woman steps over to one of the machines. "I haven't done this since... I have no idea when." With that, she takes her first shot.: roll of 6 dice at difficulty 6: 3, 4, 7, 9, 4, 3: 2

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola rolls the ball up the track and lands a couple of respectable shots, though not a bull's eye. Already considering some sort of physics analysis and targeting engine to run in her HUD, she steps back and gestures towards her spot. "First on the score board," she says and gives a mechanical smile. "Give it your best shot."

Maya Smith : Following along, Maya steps up to a skee ball machine. She lifts one of the balls, as she quietly prays to herself, before finally letting it go.

(rolling dexterity+athletics vs 6, to lower difficulty on an arete roll with correspondence 2 to do a light coincidental nudge as needed.)

: roll of 4 dice at difficulty 6: 7, 7, 4, 9: 3

Maya Smith : roll of 3 dice at difficulty 3: 7, 1, 2: 0

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Lola claps her approval for Maya's shot.

Neheb-Kau : Neheb-Kau, priest of the Ka soul of Sobk, crocodilian lord of judgment, defender and leader of the Heri-Shi of Seattle, approached the machine before him. Bending down, he retrieved the first polished wooden ball from the slot before him. He brought the orb to his face, inhaling the scent of long-ago applied lacquer, noting the scrapes and scratches on the otherwise smooth surface. A feral, primal smile split his face as he bowled the sphere up the ramp toward its home. (rolling dexterity+athletics vs TN6)

Neheb-Kau : roll of 7 dice at difficulty 6: 2, 7, 2, 7, 9, 10, 1: 3

Neheb-Kau : roll of 7 dice at difficulty 6: 1, 6, 2, 7, 3, 8, 8: 3

Neheb-Kau : Watching the skeeball jump up and land directly in the slot, Neheb-Kau pumps his fist in triumph! "THAT is how you do it!"

Maya Smith : The success of Neheb-Kau, has Maya looking down in silence for a moment. She glances to the tickets in her hand and mutters, "Still enough to get the stuffed elephant."

Then looking to Neheb-Kau, she gives him a genuine smile and says, "Congrats."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Well done," Lola says. She looks over her shoulder towards Tycho again. "What do you know of this Syndicate agent?" she says to the tattoo artist, keeping her voice loud enough to reach him, but hopefully not enough to carry much beyond. "You've clearly met."

Maya Smith : Hearing this, Maya raises an eyebrow, as she turns to hear Tycho's answer.

Tycho : Tycho shrugs. "She came in for some body jewelry a couple weeks ago. Seemed like one of those business types who hates being a business type, who wanted to fuck with decorum a bit. I could tell she had some talent—didn't even flinch with the piercing—but I've never met a Syndicate before." He shifts uncomfortably, as though the envelope in his inner pocket is suddenly a heavy, radioactive lump. "She's not what I expected, I'll give her that..."

As Tycho is talking, he's picked up one of the skeeballs and is casually twirling it in one hand, squeezing it, feeling its weight. After saying his piece, he turns and lobs it up the ramp.

[using Dex + Athletics to lower difficulty for a possible coincidental nudge, basically just like Maya did]

Tycho : roll of 6 dice at difficulty 6: 8, 9, 9, 1, 2, 10: 3

Tycho : roll of 2 dice at difficulty 3: 9, 9: 2

Maya Smith : (rolling perception+awareness vs 6, to see if she noticed that)

Maya Smith : roll of 5 dice at difficulty 6: 1, 7, 1, 1, 7: 0

Maya Smith : "I'm not sure how you did it," Maya says as she narrows her eyes and looks at Tycho, "but I feel like you must have cheated." There's a glance at the tickets coming out of the machine, before she looks at Tycho with a grin, and asks, "You getting the stuffed elephant too, or have your eye on something else?"

Tycho : Tycho smirks and tears off the tickets, counting them as he folds them up. "Nah, that's all yours. I'm getting all the pen toppers. Going to have a whole neon feather rainbow for my needles. Different color for every day of the week."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "That will be quite colorful," Lola chuckles, though the sound is awkward and unnatural. As they sort through tickets, she adds, "I did not know this Syndicate agent either, but apparently she knew my parents, and has since I was a child. That was unsettling to learn. Though it was encouraging that my father had rebuffed her various job offers, as I did tonight."

Neheb-Kau : "I'm sorry, but what do you mean by 'Syndicate agent'?" Neheb-Kau asks his fellow gamers.

Neheb-Kau : "I'm sorry, but what do you mean by 'Syndicate agent'?" Neheb-Kau asks his fellow gamers.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "A member of the Technocratic Union," Lola advises Neheb-Kau, "Financiers and economists among the Awakened."

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : The Awakened and other guests spent the balance of the evening socializing, eating, and engaging with the place's odd combination of entertainments. Somehow, the night passed and everything went home without violent incident. By the time it was all over, many of those that weren't too inebriated for such abstraction were left with a great deal about which to think.

Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : The Awakened and other guests spent the balance of the evening socializing, eating, and engaging with the place's odd combination of entertainments. Somehow, the night passed and everything went home without violent incident. By the time it was all over, many of those that weren't too inebriated for such abstraction were left with a great deal about which to think.