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[BerkaZerka]

Washington DC; Thursday Evening, February 8th 2018

The restaurant was a fancy one, which didn't really matter to UsdiYona, so long as the food kept on coming.

The Saint and Emend were meeting Robert Swane of Blume and Blumenthal to discuss an offer for the Heart of Flies. Mr. Swane had suggested the restaurant, offering to put the meal on his account as a business expense. Little did he know what he was getting into, when UsdiYona decided to tag along.

Just prior to arrival, the alarm Emend had left in the vampire haven under Club Perdition went off, indicating the two escaped vampires had just returned. Given the weight of the pending meeting, Emend sent out a text to Robor and Beats. They would have to handle it themselves this time.

Speaking of phone calls, Nicolette had returned Emend's call the other day. She was quite pleased to hear that Belial's Brood had been routed, but also seemed to hide some disappointment in her enthusiasm. Emend got the sense that the Camarilla had really been hoping the team had run into them - just for the obvious benefits such an encounter would mean for Nicolette's faction.

As for the Heart of Flies, Nicolette had no further info on it to give, other than suggesting that mages had always been trying to get their hands on it in one way or another.

"Will anyone be having desert?" the server asked, as she cleared dishes from the table.

While she did, Mr. Swane opened his briefcase. "I'm good," he smiled to the server.

Then to the rest he added, "Feel free. I just have to grab this file and we can get down to business."

[Drakilian]

Killer waves off the offer, confident that Usdi would be ordering more than enough to be polite regardless.

He casts a silent life sight just to confirm again that Robert was human

For obvious reasons he was unsettled at having to deal with an agent of a demonic corporation that they were at war with. Even an unwitting one.

All the more so due to his recent magical impotency.

"Of course, I appreciate you meeting us here."

He gestures to Emend, "This is Isaac, he's a co-owner for the antique and will be participating in any negotiations."

He does not attempt to explain Usdi-Yona's presence.

"Will you be verifying the legitimacy of the item yourself? I was under the impression that your client or one of his experts would be showing up to do so."

[LadyZerka]

UsdiYoni smiles at the waiter and says "I just can't decide. So I better just have one of each!"   

[BerkaZerka]

"Yes, I should be able to verify the authenticity," Mr. Swane replied to the Saint (Killer).

He then raised an eyebrow slightly at UsdiYona's order, cleared his throat, and then opened his file on the table. Looking down, he read aloud some of his notes.

"A very interesting legend surrounds the piece," he began; "Originally given to the Mesopotamian King Marduk, around 2,000 BC, by the demon Beelzebub - Also know as the Lord of Flies - the Heart of Flies is purported to be the actual heart of the demon itself.

The artifact is an anatomically accurate representation of a human heart with nine black motes inside, representing the flies. They say that its authenticity can be determined, by peering into the heart at the right angle, which creates the optical illusion of movement of the motes (or flies) within.

"The heart is also said to be indestructible, though only a fool would attempt to test such a theory on such a priceless artifact. Especially since it is said to grant the owner nine lives. One for each fly within."

"There is brief mention of The Heart of Flies in Russian folklore, surrounding the legend of Baba Yaga. While not directly mentioned in later texts, there also seems to be a link between The Heart of Flies and the Russian mystic, Grigori Rasputin."

As Mr. Swane spoke, the Saint (Killer)'s spell confirmed the man's humanity. It was also clear that he was a Sleeper - completely oblivious to the realities of the hidden world.

[Drakilian]

"Well then, you can confirm the authenticity of the heart but if your client wishes to buy it I will have to insist on negotiating with them myself. I'm not one for mysterious, impersonal transactions involving such rare and prestigious artifacts."

9 lives? Maybe another way to destroy it would be to kill its current owner 9 times?

Worth a shot at least. If it works we can even hold onto it.

[BerkaZerka]

"Of course," Mr. Swane replied, "If it is the genuine article, I am authorized to give you a number; but I can certainly relay your stipulations to the client if you wish."

"May I see the item?"

[BerkaZerka]

UsdiYoni smiles at the waiter and says "I just can't decide. So I better just have one of each!"   

The waiter stood waiting, giving a somewhat fake chuckle at UsdiYona's joke. After an awkward silence, with the young native girl just continuing to smile eagerly, the waiter dropped his jaw.

"Oh! Y... you're serious... OK then, I'll get right on that!"

He then hurried away - amazed at the hungry child's ability to seeming pack it all away without any indication of being full.

[killa_robot]

"Just as well, I wasn't hungry anyway," Emend replies, watching the waiter hurry away. Then, rather than answer Mr.Swane's question, he decides to ask another one.

"This client of yours, are they collectors of antiquities, or is there something about this piece in particular that they're drawn to?"

[BerkaZerka]

"I am under the impression that they are private collectors," Mr. Swane replied to Emend (still waiting for the Heart of Flies to be produced, so he could evaluate its authenticity).

"Their association has acquired a number of curiosities through our Firm over the years - though this is the first time I have been assignment to act as their intermediary."

[Drakilian]

Killer leans down and picks up his own briefcase and opens the lock before sliding it across the table to Mr. Swane.

"Here it is."

Killer secretly prepares a puppetry casting if Swane or anyone else decides to try and make off with the item, as unlikely as that would be.

[BerkaZerka]

"Wow," Mr. Swane remarked, picking up the glass heart - "the description, on paper, really doesn't do it any justice."

He then turned the artifact over in his hands, creating a stir among the flies within - though he didn't seem to notice. It was as if he couldn't even see the tiny creatures crawling around inside.

Satisfied with the angle, he then held the heart up to the light and peered through it, closing an eye to do so.
"Oh, yes!" he exclaimed with a laugh; 'Remarkable illusion! It really does look like the black inclusions drift and move around when you look into it haha! Amazing!"

Setting the heart back down into the Saint (Killer)'s briefcase, Mr. Sawne pulled out a paper and signed it. He then took his cell phone and snapped a picture of the heart, to attach it to a text - presumable to the client.

"I can safely say this is the real deal," he smiled, waiting a moment with cell phone still in hand.

A text alert then came in and reading it, Mr. Swane relayed the first offer - "The Client had made an offer for one million euros."

"Would you like to accept? Counter offer? Or should I inform them of your stipulation to meet first?

[Drakilian]

So little? They must think we don't believe it's really what it is, if they're going to lowball us like that. Maybe they really don't realize we're disciples?

"Yes, I would rather you inform them of our requirements before we begin any further discussion."

[LadyZerka]

"We're not leaving yet now are we?" UsdiYona asks, "I haven't had desert!" 

[killa_robot]

Emend shakes his head to the offer, but since Saint has already declined it for the moment, decides not to push the issue further.

"We can still remain and eat, even after the discussion is over," he reassures Usdi.

[LadyZerka]

"Oh phew!" UsdiYona sighs in relief. "I was worried there for a minute." 

[BerkaZerka]

Mr. Swane nodded to the Saint (Killer) and sent out another text, this one taking a little longer to compose. He then put his phone down.

"I'm sure, the client will respond in no time. Then we can set up a meeting between the two parties..."

Mr. Swane trailed off with a shocked look toward the direction of the server's counter at the front of the restaurant. There, an older women was walking in with an entourage of four men. Behind them, a small party of college-aged girls also entered and sat down in the foyer, waiting to be seated.

The feel of the room suddenly changed - as if a cold draft had been let in.

UsdiYona's keen senses alerted to a demonic presence, while Emend's supernal vision and aura sight revealed the women and her escorts to be awakened mages. The college girls behind them meanwhile, proved to be demons in human guise.

"Oh, Miss Smith!" Mr. Swane called to the group, standing up as the woman walked over. The four men meanwhile, spread out in a security detail-like fashion.

"I... uh... what a surprise!" Mr. Swane stammered, genuinely not expecting his client to have abruptly walked in. "Er… this is Mr. Moreau and his associate Mr. Isaac," he continued, trying to recover his composure.

"Yes, we've already met," the woman smiled; "I'll take it from here personally. You will of course be paid for serviced rendered. Thank you."

"Of course." Mr. Swane replied, gathering his things and making a space at the table for the woman - intent on heading out.

Ignoring Mr. Swane further, the woman turned to the Saint (Killer). "Mind if I join you and your friends Gilles dear? It's been a while since we talked. Sometime just prior to your father's passing if I recall..."

[Drakilian]

Kill her

For a second Killer can't tell whether the urging came from Saint or himself, perhaps both - since they had split he had never felt more perfectly unified with his kinder half.

Almost as if urging him to move on the action, Killer can feel his magic being more responsive - like it was on the verge of bursting from his fingertips to rend flesh and bone.

Calm down. We're out-manned, outgunned and in a public place. If we're lucky they won't want to risk the paradox and take the heart by force.

She's done too much

Yes, she has, and i'll know that better than you ever will.

If she's anywhere near as bad as Kark was-

Then she'll pay for it. Later. I don't want to die Saint, not here, and not like this.

Turning his eyes back onto the woman who used to be Theresa Moreau, Giles Killer speaks up.

"Well, it seems like I was wasting my time. No need to get personally acquainted when I know the buyer so well already."

Smiling, Gi Killer looks to his companions and gestures towards his mother, "Isaac, Usdi, this is my mother Theresa. I'm so glad that you two are able to make her acquaintance, even if it's just for a business transaction."

Looking back at Theresa, he gestures for her to join them.

"Of course, how could I ever refuse my dear mother?"

He enacts a silent casting of Lizard Brain to trigger her maternal instincts as he does so - mostly to see if it would work, or rather, if she was even human enough to have a maternal instinct left to manipulate.

[killa_robot]

I wonder why she brought such a large entourage. Surely she doesn't intend on confronting us in the middle of a restaurant, Emend thought to himself.

"A pleasure to meet you."

Even if she doesn't plan to make a public move, this was most certainly a trap. We're at a disadvantage. I should have ignored the vampires and kept Robor and Beats on standby.

[BerkaZerka]

Sitting down, Theresa looked quite amiable. Any sleepers glancing over would see nothing amiss in her countenance - though perhaps the same could not be said for the Saint, as he struggled with his inner demon.

Someone then unraveled the Saint (Killer)'s spell as it was cast.

Emend recognized the supernal dispellation that one of the woman's entourage had just cast in response to the Saint (Killer)'s subtle action.

"You don't need to do that," Theresa smiled at her son, "my maternal instinct is as strong as ever. That's why I'm here after all. A mother's concern for the mental well being of her son."

"You have been falling apart lately, and I'm here to help you pull yourself back together. Who else, but your own mother, knows how to best help you? Your friends don't even know what you're going through - and your angelic mentor Sarapheen hasn't been up front with you about what is really happening."

"That's a shame. I though angels weren't allowed to be deceptive."

[Drakilian]

"Well, demon's aren't supposed to be nice, but look at my wonderful mother, surrounded by hell's most benevolent entourage, the very image of kindness itself!

It's a rather strong lesson in the dangers of stereotypes."

Killer considers sending a prayer to Sarapheen but quite frankly she would just be destroyed the second she appeared.

If only Emend's mentor could teleport as easily as her, he might be able to help them deal with this lot.

I might not be the strongest mage out there but even Sarapheen, an angel, can't match me in Life spells. If they can stop mine from even going off I either got exceptionally unlucky or we've been massively outplayed.

We got too arrogant. We needed Beats, without him there's no escape route until I get better at space magic.

You still have a way out

The heart? I guess. Actually, maybe...

The heart undoes any series of actions that would end in its destruction. It's said to save its owner's life 9 times - I assume the owner takes it into themselves and the heart replaces theirs. Then whenever the owner dies the heart is "destroyed" and undoes the actions that led to his death.

Perhaps I could achieve the same effect by destroying the heart the second they threaten us? Their threat would lead to me destroying the heart. Even if the heart doesn't recognize their actions as the initiation for its destruction, I could stick us into an unending time loop, or until the heart is destroyed. Or maybe once the heart realizes I won't stop it will start pulling us further back in an attempt to save itself. It would be a matter of endurance between the three parties.

The heart leaves the destroyer with the memories of what led to its destruction. If it tells me in advance that my mother would show up to this meeting I can avoid it entirely.

Now the question is whether or not the heart can adapt to the situation, or whether or not my mother knows its powers enough to work around it.

Worst case, the heart has to have a limited amount of magical energy. It might even be massive beyond my imagination but it's still an item. Eventually it will just be destroyed and i'll keep mother dearest from getting her hands on it.

While he's thinking, Killer pulls out the case again.

"So as I take it, you're interested in this?" he asks, taking the heart out of the case.

The second he detects any sort of magic he will destroy the heart, knowing from Sarapheen's initial attempts that it could be physically destroyed.

[BerkaZerka]

"Not for me dear," Theresa replied, "That was always meant for you. But you failed to take the initiative yourself and brought your friends into it."

"No offense," she smiled at Emend and UsdiYona.

"You couldn't very well use the heart with the other disciples knowing," she then continued to Killer, "so I arranged this acquisition offer through Blume and Blumenthal."

"Had you not been so stubborn - just like your father - I would have purchased the heart and simply returned it to you in private, where you could employ its magic without the prying eyes of others."

"But here we are... water under the bridge now I suppose."

"I am not interested in the Heart of Flies, Gilles; I am interested in you. You sit on a fence. You need to get off that fence and onto one side or the other."

"It behooves you to know what lies one either side. So that your choice has meaning."

"Right now, you have the Heart of Flies, but not the knowledge of how to use it. You have the power of the Supernal Realm, but don't fully know what you are fighting for. The fact that Sarapheen allows you to continue in the delusion of the Church speaks to this."

"I am here to enlighten you to the realities of the cosmic order. Something your mentor should have done at the outset."

[LadyZerka]

"Ooh! Tell me!" UsdiYona perks up. "I wana know realities of the cosmic order! Tell me tell me!" 

[Drakilian]

A pawn for the angels or a pawn for the demons.

At least the angels let me keep whatever's left of my soul.

What the hell's so good about being on one side of the fence anyway? Angels can't go to the dark realm, and demons to the light. When they get even stronger they can't even get to earth. When they ascend they go into absolute light or absolute darkness. Seems like they're just making their worlds smaller and smaller at the cost of their own personal goals and pleasure.

Seems awful, to obtain all that power and become incapable of using it outside of the worlds inhabited solely by your own faction. One that your enemies cannot reach.

What must it be like for the greatest of demons, I wonder, to be such malevolent creatures trapped in worlds where they cannot kill? For the angels, with their godly power, to be trapped in worlds where they can only watch misdeeds be done from afar?

Must be a lot of in-fighting and resentment all around. If Sarapheen knows what i've been up to like my mother is implying then they might even be desperate enough to keep someone like me on the team if I'm doing more good than bad.

"You can't really expect me to believe that you thought a group of angels would really sell you a demonic legacy did you? Let alone for as little as a million, when you're also contacting them through a corporation well known for being run by demons. That was never going to happen.

I would have had no way of getting the heart myself either short of killing each of the other disciples and escaping with it, and if you wanted me to do that you would have approached this a little differently I imagine.

You knew this meeting would happen the second you made that call," Killer says, dropping the cheerful act.

Is she stalling? Maybe the heart can only turn back time a certain amount and she knows how long that is.

She's trying to force you into a choice

"You're pressuring me right? Tell me you know i'm on the fence, come in here with a gang of demons and schoolgirls, I have the slow hungry kid and the arrogant ass I don't even like that much on my side, team's split and the angel's missing, we can kill these two and walk away mother and son, demonic legacy in hand, everything's sunshine and rainbows right? You probably even have a plan to get the two halves of my soul back together don't you?
 
Or I could stick on the edge of the fence i've been on and see what my odds are like.

Not much of a choice is it?"

Killer smashes the heart against the floor. For now, to see how far back it will take him, and whether or not his mother and the others notice that time turns back.

[BerkaZerka]

(Time Loop to Original Post Here)

So little? They must think we don't believe it's really what it is, if they're going to lowball us like that. Maybe they really don't realize we're disciples?

"Yes, I would rather y..." Killer trailed off mid sentence. He was going to insist on his stipulation to meet the client before proceeding further, but an overwhelming sense of dejavu and impending danger took the words right out of his mouth.

Emend too sensed that something was wrong, and felt he had already been through this before. Given the nature of the Heart of Flies, it had to mean something bad was going to occur that would get the artiface destroyed and stuck in another of those paradoxical time loops. No telling how long they'd actually been running though it. Hours? Days? Weeks? Years?

As this went on, UsdiYona frowned, just knowing that she wasn't going to get any desert after all...

[killa_robot]

With the knowledge that something bad was about to happen, Emend felt he had to work fast. He slipped his hand into his pocket and used his Switchbox rote to trigger a dummy call. After letting it ring once, he addressed it.

"Excuse me," he states, standing up and moving away a few feet to take the call. After nodding while pretending to to listen to his phone, he finishes the call by saying "We'll be right there", before heading back to the table.

"Terribly sorry to cut this short, but we have a business emergency that requires our immediate attention. I'm afraid we'll have to pick up this conversation at another time," he tells Mr.Swane, while motioning for Saint and Usdi to get moving. "However, now that you've confirmed the authenticity of the artifact, I'm sure your client will have no issue meeting us another time, correct?"

[Drakilian]

Killer follows Emend's lead, taking the briefcase with him as he stands up, dragging Usdi by the collar as he does so lest she stay for the desserts.

"I can call and confirm a later date with you, I can assure you we are still interested in selling but if Isaac says there is an emergency it must be quite serious."

[BerkaZerka]

"Of course," Mr. Swane replied, picking up his phone. "I'll convey that to the client right away and await word from you."

With that, Mr. Swane began composing a text once again...

[Drakilian]

Killer looks to Emend while Robert is texting and whispers cut his signal.

If Emend doesn't take any action to stop Swane from texting his client he'll immediately puppet the man using a willpower point, and will have the man's throat convulse wildly and forcibly shut while he's typing, make him lose feeling in his hands and fingers so that he doesn't notice when he's forced to drop his phone, and just generally give him and others the impression that he's choking to death. He'd leave the man control of his body beyond those two factors and leave with Usdi, cancelling the puppetry as soon as they were clear of the building.

[killa_robot]

Emend will attempt to use his knowledge of forces to cause Mr.Swane's phone to lose its reception, or turn it off entirely if that's not possible.

[LadyZerka]

"Boy, someone is really going to pay for this," UsdiYoni says, thinking about all her wonderful deserts! 

[BerkaZerka]

"Oh," Mr. Swane remarked, tapping his phone as it suddenly went black - "Technology is great when it actually works. Oh well; I'll apprise the client of the situation as soon as I get back to the office."

[killa_robot]

Suspecting whatever bad thing is coming will come through the front doors, Emend leads the group through the back door, attempting to use his mood ring to calm Mr.Swane into thinking nothing is abnormal about them exiting through the back.

[Drakilian]

Killer follows Emend out while periodically casting Spatial Map to get a good picture of their surroundings.

[BerkaZerka]

"Hey! You can't go through here!" someone yelled, as the disciples stormed through the kitchen to the back door that would open into the alley.

The man wasn't standing in the way or actually trying to stop anyone, so the team just kept on going - UsdiYona snagging a couple of deserts on the way.

"It's on Mr. Swane's tab!" she smiled.

Saint (Killer)'s spacial map showed a decent amount of pedestrians and traffic still on the street - though nothing stood out in any way, except perhaps for a limo and two cars in front of the restaurant. There were five occupants in the limo and two in each car, yet they were parked and just sat there, as if waiting for something.

Heading out the far side of the alley the disciples could see the parking garage, where they had left their own vehicles.

The way looked clear.

[Drakilian]

"There's a limo parked outside the restaurant, might be the buyer or whoever causes the heart to be destroyed. Once Swane leaves the restaurant he'll probably let them know what's happened, we need to hurry."

Killer goes off at a light jog for his car.

[killa_robot]

Emend follows him. Once he gets to his car, he'll attempt to Scry the table where they left Mr.Swane, to see if the guests outside the restaurant went into to meet him.

[LadyZerka]

UsdiYoina goes with Emend, quickly scarfing down her deserts.

[BerkaZerka]

Scrying the area, Emend could see Mr. Swane pack up his things and wait for the bill. After momentarily staring at it in disbelief for a minute, he paid for it on a corporate card and got up to leave.

Outside, the limo with five occupants seemed to respond to Mr. Swane's departure - pulling away and driving off. The four people in the other two cars got out meanwhile, heading into the restaurant to wait for seats. They appeared to be nothing more than simple college girls, but Emends mage sight revealed their true form - demons in human guise.

[killa_robot]

"A group of four demons in human guise entered the restaurant. The other half of whomever was about to get the jump on us drove off." Emend states, explaining the situation.

"We might be able to learn from them who the client was," he suggests. "If we can get Beats and Robor back before the group leaves. Of course... we could always just wait for Mr.Swane to setup another meeting for us. But I don't think that will end so well given how poorly this one must have gone."

With that, Emend begins texting their situation to Robor and Beats, to see if the duo are finished with their vampires yet.

"Do you know what happened back there? I imagine the Heart of Flies was used in some way, but beyond that I'm not sure," he asks Saint, as he continues to write up his text message.

[Drakilian]

"No idea, just a vague sense that we were in danger if we continued to stay there. It seems that no matter what if we went into that meeting the heart gets destroyed. Could it be that the buyer's goal is to destroy the heart?"

"If Beats and Robor won't be available for a while we could try to slip a tracking item onto them like we did with the vampires. The danger they'll notice us is there but we could tip or possess a waiter, or slip something into their food, if they order anything."

[BerkaZerka]

Arriving at the cars, things seemed pretty normal.

"Why the sudden exit?" Miquel asked the Saint (Killer); "It must have been quite important to tear the girl away from her treats."

Emend meanwhile, continued to observer the fo college girls, who did indeed look like they were going to sit down to order something to eat. Two of them made like they were getting up to use the restroom, but were clearly searching the place - even going so far as to poke their heads into the kitchen.

[Drakilian]

"You didn't feel it?" Killer answers Miguel.

"The heart activated. I don't know how or exactly why, but me asking to meet the client personally probably resulted in the heart's destruction somehow, and there was no presumably no series of events where that meeting did not end in the heart's destruction, so it brought us back to before I asked to meet the owner. I can only assume that the person we're meeting with wants to destroy the heart without knowing that it can turn back time on its destruction, and is extremely stubborn."

[BerkaZerka]

"Ey? No," Miguel replied, "I did not notice anything unusual - other than the abrupt end to the meeting."

[Drakilian]

“Strange, Emend and I noticed, perhaps it’s only limited to the Awakened? Usdi, did you notice?”

[LadyZerka]

"Um, yeah," UsdiYona replied; "Something said I wasn't getting any of my deserts, but it turned out to be wrong." She smiled, licking the remaining icing off her fingers.

[BerkaZerka]

Continued from This Shouldn't Take Long

---

A text abruptly arrived from Beats, saying something about Robor... in a fire... and maybe he was killed or...?!? Followed by another asking if they needed a portal.

As the disciples tried to make sense of the strange message, Beats suddenly stepped out of the shadows near their cars.

[Forge]

"Didn't think it cud wait, we gotta move quick ta figure what happened. Also what da fark the army of flesh monster crap was dat chased me." he says by way of greeting

[killa_robot]

Emend resists the urge to facepalm as he's reminded yet again as to why he should never let the other disciples do things on their own.

"You'd think by now I would have learned my lesson," he thinks to himself. Then, outwardly he addresses Beats.

"Beats, where is Robor, and what are you talking about? I thought the two of you just went to take care of the two vampires?"

[Forge]

I summed it up in da text a min ago but basically went well at first. We got dere and I burnt one ta nothing with a portal den Robor went through da veil in case they fled. The second one hid inside da dirt so I tried burnin him out den dug him out and he jumped over to where Robor was. I think Robor tried ta force hi. back through ta be burnt up but dey both ended up in da fire and the vamp got dusted and Robor seemed ta disappear too." He pauses "Den a massive army of wierd giant flesh monters with extra limbs and a couple of ones bigger Dan da train car came after me"

[killa_robot]

"You... tried burning him out of the dirt?" Emend asked, stunned at this logic. He then tries to use his remote viewing rote to see Robor, incorporating his spirit arcana as well if need be to see him.