* Tuesday, December 23rd, 2070: Really late at night. Our Redheaded Cadre of angels managed to make it to the Lightning Tether in the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall without major incedent. And now, late at night, long after the regular mortal staff has gone home, said angels are helping out with upkeep duties in the Tether and trying to track down what information Gillian was able to obtain while waiting out her coffee craving. (The latter being appeased by the truly heavenly java provided from the secret coffee spigot hidden in the regular coffee machine.)
* Gillian wanders out of the washroom. Oh Heavens that feels good.
## Ayrie rolled 3d6 = 8 (1 4 3).
* Ayrie looks up from where she's helping to repair one of the computers. "Another visit to the little Elohim's room?" She smiles a bit, while fussing with a soldering iron.
{Gillian} I think when all this is done, I'll be answering the eternal philosophical question 'what's the bladder capacity of an angel's vessel'?
* The lingering scent of Divine Java continues to snake around the room, mixing with the aroma of flux.
* Gillian follows her nose. It always knows. She discards the cup she took to the washroom with her (ew) and fills another.
* Ithuriel, the Seraph Seneschal, clad in human flesh with balding white hair, pushes his glasses up on his nose. "Then once you are over your affliction, then you will likely be able to contribute another data point to the records in the Halls of Progress."
{Gillian} *m* I'll make the snide remarks around here. *she takes another cup*
* Ayrie rolls her eyes slightly. Seraph humor. She solders another wire, while keeping her hair tied up and glancing over at Kiddy to see how -she's- doing at the moment.
* Ithuriel nods. "As you wish, Luxastra." He then heads out into another section of the Tether.
{Gillian} *m* Seraphs. No sense of humour at all. *she sips another*
* Mmmmm. Coffee coffee coffee.... feel the tangy bite... taste the bitter brew... a tempting tease for all five senses, a polychromatic mix of pleasu--- ... er. Hrm. You know, you could -swear- just 10 seconds ago, Coffee was the center of your world. Now... it's just... coffee.
* Kid is sitting there with, sipping coffee *much* more sedately, still looking worried about Gillian but much, much calmer now that they're in a Tether and everything. She even isn't twitching. Are you shocked? I'm shocked.
* Gillian pauses.
{Gillian} Ayrie?
* Ayrie looks up. "Yeah, Gillian?"
{Gillian} Is there any rational reason for me to throw this cup at the wall? Any at all you can think of?
{Kid} Bug, third tile from the left, two tiles up, looks like a mosquito.
* Ayrie blinks at this. "I suppose you -could-, but it's still full, so it'd stain the walls and spatter on some of the machinery in the room...."
* Ayrie glances over at Kiddy.
* Gillian sighs and sets down the mug. "Never mind. It's done."
* Ayrie lets out a long sigh, relief flooding onto her features. "Thank the Lord." She then pauses, and glances at her watch.
{Ayrie} .... ten -hours-? Gluh.
{Gillian} *vq* Oy vedda.
{Kid} {q} That's a lot of coffee.
* Ayrie nods. *q* "... yeah. Too damn long. I'd almost suspect Tivoli of being a Glutton, but their Consume isn't -that- pernicious. And their Impudites, I recall, don't -need- to charm people to suck the Essence out of 'em." She frowns a bit.
{Gillian} *q* I think he was trying to humiliate me, honestly.
{Kid} {q} Besides, does she really want coffee bad enough for Consume to take hold?
* Gillian shakes her head.
* Ayrie considers, and shakes her head. *q* "Gill would be the best to answer that, but... right, not."
## Ayrie rolled 3d6 = 13 (6 4 3).
## Narnian rolled 3d6 = 10 (5 3 2).
## Frobozz rolled 3d6 = 10 (5 3 2).
{Gillian} *q* So.
* Ayrie purses her lips. *q* "mmm?"
{Gillian} *q* Given all of this... bets?
{Ayrie} *q* What other info were you able to get? *pause* And why are we whispering? We're the only other people in the room.
{Gillian} Form, I think. And who else might compell... or make me feel a desire?
* Ayrie thinks. "A balseraph or a Lilim, perhaps, but we've pretty much ruled Tivoli as being nothing but an Impudite...." Her eyes widen slighty, and she draws in a breath. "....Dark Desire." Her expression hardens, though with also a hint of worry.
## Ayrie rolled 3d6 = 7 (3 1 3).
* Ayrie relaxes a tad. Just a tad, but still. "... Lydia's still safe. For the moment."
* Gillian nods to Ayrie...
* Ayrie places a hand against her head. "... it all makes -sense- now... what perfect place for an _Impudite of Lust_ to hide out and promote his master's word than as a -Marraige Counselor-." Her words take a slightly bitter tinge, and her hands curl -just- a tad.
{Gillian} *q* Calm, Ayrie. *pause* no, get angry. It might be cathartic for us both.
* Ayrie nods slightly. *q* "I can't strike at him now... not when he has his 'own loving family' effectively held -hostage-... but once they're safe... I am -so- going to look forward to taking him down a few hundred notches." Her expression gets serious. "What other information were you able to obtain from his office?"
* Kid pauses and frowns.
*Narnian* Rolling to ping Attunement.
## Narnian rolled 3d6 = 15 (6 4 5).
-} *Narnian* Nope, still nadah for the moment for Bianca. Gomen. *wl* Again, 5 hours to wait until she can ping Bianca again.
{Gillian} *q* Kim?
* Kid sighs. "Still can't get Bianca."
* Gillian nods a touch. "*q* Do you need to go back?"
* Kid shakes her head. {q} "Not if Lydia's safe, probably...."
* Gillian nods again. "*q* But you worry."
* Ayrie rests a hand on Kid's shoulder. *q* "We'll check again later. I can understand the worry inherent in this." She hehs a bit, and fiddles with a nearbycleaning rag.
* Gillian nods.
* Ayrie lays her hands on the table. "Right. So in the interim..."
{Gillian} We need to find out what he's doing in the light of what we know.
* Ayrie nods. "Yeah. We know from his phonecall with Japeth that they'll try something within the week... did anything stick out at his office that might hint at it? I'm -not- relishing having to go back there again, given today's events, and I'd rather avoid it if at all possible."
* Gillian nods. "The date I got..."
{Ayrie} Hm?
{Gillian} The one I fetched from his schedule That's the date?
* Ayrie considers. "Could be..." She checks notes they managed to obtain while Gillian was in coffee-craving central. "The Rennaisance Marriot, christmas night... what could they be holding -then-?"
{Gillian} A dark ritual?
* Ayrie thinks. "That'd be damn public... unless it was down in the basement somewhere..."
* Ayrie rolls over to the nearest out-linked isolated computer.
* Gillian leans over to look at the screen!
* Ayrie starts websearching! Looking up the page for the Rennaisance Marriot, and seeing what they may have on the scheduled social calendar for the next week...
{Gillian} Check for religious holidays, too.
* Well, there's Christmas on that day! And hmmm, various and sunry events scheduled at the Marriot, including... a Holiday Awards Banquet.
{Gillian} Gluttony?
* Ayrie hrms. "Maybe... but Japeth was Theft, and if Tivoli's Lust, then he wouldn't be so keen on associating with them."
{Gillian} True... *she frowns*
* And fork.
* Ayrie continues reading the event schedule at the Marriot. "Hm. 'From seven to eleven PM, we are hosting the annual American Psychiatrist's Medical Association Awards banquet. Dinner and Dancing will be featured at this Holiday Gala Event. Donations and proceeds will be going towards Christmas Children's Charities.'" She blinks. She looks at Kiddy. "When we were at the mall, Lydia was buying a pretty fancy dress... you don't suppose..."
* Kid thinks.
{Kid} Nope. We don't have to suppose, we pretty much know. The party's gotta be it.
* Ayrie mms, and nods. "It fits, yeah. Within the time limit Tivoli and Japeth discussed, it could be 'played up', and from what we heard from Tivoli on the phone last friday about 'take them'..."
* Ayrie blinks. Her eyes widen. "Good god. You don't suppose they'd try a -kidnapping-? In the heart of DC?"
{Gill} Now that would be a bit of a daring move...
{Kid} And put a huge amount of pressure on their target.
* Ayrie nods. "And just taking the two of them while leaving Tivoli and the rest... that'd be suspicious. Perhaps a setup? Take a group of people, including Tivoli, and the 'Good Dr.' escapes later, bemoaning the loss of his wife..." And nods. "And yeah... having Bianca and Lydia would allow them to back up any threats to David Westminster. 'Don't squeal, or we hurt your family'."
{Gill} It's a good coup. Possibly well-planned if that's what they're doing.
{Ayrie} Which is the big 'If'. But given the timing, I can't really see many other opportunities for them to try something.
{Gill} Then let's proceed on BEst Guess data.
{Kid} Which means we've got a party to crash!
* Ayrie nods, and starts printing out the info from the Rennaisance Marriot webpage. "That'll be tricky, though... Tivoli's met Gillian, and Bianca met Kiddy... he might get suspicious if you both show up..." She hrms. "I suppose Philip and I could attend as a couple, and you two could sneak in 'backstage', as it were..."
* Gill nods...
{Ayrie} In any case, we're -definitely- not doing this solo... not after today. *she shudders a bit* I'll see what I can do for getting more information about this little shindig, and obtaining tickets and stuff.
{Gill} So who do we have to call in?
* Ayrie hrms. "I might be able to call in one of Ian's friends to help for backup... I'd have to check."
{Gill} Good enough then. Until we're ready... more coffee? *pause* Forget I said that.
* Ayrie blinks, and giggles softly. "Don't worry, we will. 'n we forgive you."
{Kid} Really. Honest.
* Ayrie nods, and does more information gathering in the Tether for Our Heroines... as we fade.