All Roads/Isis' Interview

Isis' interview with Gemini

ST: Gemini looks like she could be a bright, vibrant woman if her expression were not so strait for the moment. She wears a knitted jumper over her blouse, and skirt is a nice floral pattern. She seems a little hippy-ish, if you were to be shallow about it.

ST: She leads you into a fairly large room and sits you at a desk on one end of it. Pulling up a chair she sits beside you.

ST: "Your name is Isis, isn't it?"

Dakkareth: Isis sits down, draping her winter jacket over the back of the chair, unconcerned by the situation.

Dakkareth: Underneath she is wearing a checkered shirt that seems a little too large for her size. "I am called Isis," she confirms.

ST: "My name's Gemini. I'm just going to ask a couple of questions, okay?" Her tone is a little condescending, but she seems to mean well.

Dakkareth: "Hello Gemini. It's nice to meet you," Isis smiles. "You may ask."

ST: "Okay, but you just let me know if you want to stop sweetie. We don't have to do this all at once." She smiles in return, though it struggles to reach her eyes. "Now, how did you and your friends know the man you went after?"

Dakkareth: Isis thinks for a moment. "We were at Brewer's Hall when the manifestation occurred," she then says carefully. "I was among the people he attacked directly."

Dakkareth: "We all knew how he looked, of course. There were pictures after all, and the postcognition ritual."

ST: She nods. "I heard about that. I can't imagine how awful that must have been." Giving a sympathetic look she continues. "Why did you go looking for the scelestus after that?"

Dakkareth: "I wouldn't wish something on my worst enemy," Isis nods seriously. "Not that I have enemies. That I'm aware of at least?"

Dakkareth: She looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Of course, his acts of terror were bad enough to make us want to do something. But with that attack it became quite personal, too."

Continued the following session:

Dakkareth: Having answered Gemini's question Isis studies the sentinel in silence, unconcerned with any impression her frank and curious regard may give.

Dakkareth: She has been questioned before, back when she first found herself in London.

Dakkareth: There are all kinds of people and attitudes to the situation. Polite, patronizing, coldly professional, gruff, outright unpleasant ... from suspicious and afraid all the way to concerned and protective.

Dakkareth: It's always interesting to see where a new person falls in those spectra.

Pete: Gemini is quiet for a moment, as if considering what you have said. "How did you find him? I mean, how did you get the connections you needed to be able to affect him with your spells?" She then continues.

Dakkareth: "Oh, that." Isis nods. "We found someone who had seen him before and knew his name. Mostly by happy chance, of course," she explains brightly.

"Well, she had forgotten that she knew it, but I managed to help her remember."

"It wasn't easy, but I think she felt much better then." She pauses a moment looking into the distance. "She has passed on now." Her happy expression might seem a little bit at odds with the words.

Pete: Her brow furrows a little, "I don't understand, sweetie. Who was she, and where did you meet this person?"

Dakkareth: "Her name was Isabelle," Isis explains. "She was in twilight of course, in a place that doesn't exist anymore, but she manifested when she saw us looking for him."

"We talked and she was quite pleasant, though sad."

Pete: "Do you mean a ghost?"

Dakkareth: Isis looks Gemini strangely, before realizing. "Oh, I didn't say that, did I? Yes, she had died some time ago." She looks a little sad remembering Isabelle's story.

"Once I found the name in her memories a Scrying became possible, of course," she continues after a moment.

Pete: She nods, though looks no more illuminated on the subject than before. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that honey. Where in twilight did you meet her?"

Dakkareth: She looks at Gemini frankly. "I wonder, was there really not a single Master of Space in all of London who could have done the same even without the name?"

"I mean, since there were very clear pictures and impressions of him, it would have been very difficult but possible, wouldn't it?"

Pete: The woman looks slightly taken aback by the suggestion, uncomfortable perhaps. "Well, we certainly tried. He was well protected."

Dakkareth: (I'd like to roll Wits+Empathy to possibly learn more about why she might be uncomfortable?)

Dakkareth: (2 sux)

Pete: (It's difficult to tell. She seems uncomfortable at the implication that the sentinels were unable to do what you achieved relatively easily.)

"Our spells were, hm, misdirected." She hesitates on the word, as if selecting one you might understand better.

"We couldn't affect him somehow."

Dakkareth: Isis tilts her head. "That's very curious. It didn't seem like ... but then when we met him we didn't target him directly, only his clothes and his spells, so we might not have noticed."

She frowns, torn between the desire to know more and her revulsion against all things touched by the Abyss. "We may never know now."

Pete: "You didn't answer my question, sweetie. Where did you meet your friend Isabella?"

Dakkareth: Isis looks uncomfortable. "Is that important? I would really rather not talk about it."

Pete: "It's very important that you tell me." Gemini nods emphatically, "Don't worry, you're safe here with us, and we'll keep everything you say secret. I promise."

Dakkareth: Isis tilts her head. "Why? He is dead, he can't do anything bad anymore. Isabella has passed on and the place doesn't exist anymore."

Pete: "He might have been working with friends, and we need to know everything we can to be sure we're safe."

Dakkareth: Isis closes her eyes for a few seconds, her expression thoughtful. "I don't want to talk about it," she then says quietly. "Parts of it are private."

"And I am quite sure that not knowing will not impede that investigation."

Pete: She doesn't say anything for a while, her expression somewhere between uncertain and saddened.

"Okay." She finally continues. "Let's talk about something else."

From there she asks you for a detailed account, or at least what you'll reveal, about the events during your confrontation with Jean.

(Gloss over if you want, but let me know what you include or withhold)

Dakkareth: Isis' account is quite detailed, except for the conversation with Jean (which she summarizes as the cabal trying to get him to surrender peacefully and him ranting before pretending to agree).

She also does not mention her diving into the Sleepwalker' memories or her directed damaging of the same.

At no point does she speak falsely, though.

Pete: Towards the end of your recounting there is a knock on the door. A man you recognise as Rictus, who Kenan walked away with earlier, pokes his head in.

"Gem, could I speak to you a moment?"

She turns and nods, then looks back to you. "I'll be right back, honey." With that she stands and steps out.

Dakkareth: Isis nods serenely.

Dakkareth: (can you do sympathetic spells if origin and target are both within the same ward?)

Pete: It is a short while later when the door opens again. Gemini re-enters, this time with Rictus in tow. She retakes her seat while he leans against the desk you're sitting by. Her expression is a mask of concern.

"Honey, your friend Kenan just told us something important and I need you to be very honest about this." She begins, "He told us that on the night you were attacked at Brewer's hall, you were possessed by something from the abyss. Is this true?"

Dakkareth: (wits+empathy, just trying to exclude some sort of bluff and seeing how much they think they do know, 2 sux)

Pete: (You can't tell if they're lying. The concern in her voice is exaggerated slightly, but now has more of a note of seriousness about it.)

Dakkareth: Isis' face shows clearly her surprise and dismay, anger at the betrayal of a shameful secret and mortification at it's revelation. "Did he now?"

Pete: "He was concerned for you, he thought we could help you."

Dakkareth: She remains sitting where she is, both Gemini and Rictus in her field of vision. She keeps playing with the blacksmith puzzle in her right hand, flipping it through various configurations.

Pete: "We just want to make sure it's gone." Rictus adds.

Dakkareth: Isis tilts her head. "Interesting. Now I know you're lying," she says. "And you seem to be quite good at it, too. I didn't realize at all."

Pete: "We're not lying, honey." Gemini glances up at her partner then back to you. "This is really, really important. For your safety and everyone around you."

Dakkareth: (rolling to notice them noticing her reaction)

Pete: (Roll again with their composure as a static penalty. -4 for Rictus, -3 for Gemini.)

Dakkareth: (good point! actually that turned out better, 2 and 1 sux)

Pete: (Yes, you notice that both realise.)

Dakkareth: "Repetition doesn't make a thing true," Isis chides. "But lying or not, you do have come across a little piece of truth." She meets both the sentinels eyes in turn, her posture quite composed and dignified. "Still, you are nonetheless misinformed."

"A small amount of lingering poison remained with me following that incident, likely due to my desperate attack on the rampaging manifestation." Her tone is detached, clinical, refusing emotional engagement with the memory.

Pete: Gemini doesn't say anything, seeming somewhat surprised by your tone. "We need to examine you, to make sure you arn't still infected." Rictus speaks plainly.

Dakkareth: "It was swiftly detected, identified and every trace of it decidedly eradicated in its entirety. Nothing remains of that unfortunate injury save my determination to never be insufficiently protected again."

Isis makes a small dignified gesture. "You may invoke Soul Marks. It is the one imago that we have found capable of detection, if cast with sufficient focus."

Pete: He nods. "We'll prepare a ritual in the examination room. Gem, will you take Isis up to the kitchen and get her a drink while we do that?"

Gemini just nods a little dumbly; still obviously taken aback to hear a young girl speak so maturely.

Dakkareth: Isis stands. "You will treat this information with the necessary sensitivity, won't you?" Her tone is neither pleading nor threatening.

Pete: "No-one will know but us." He nods just before heading out the door. Gemini stands and gestures.

"Come on, we'll get you something to drink."

Dakkareth: (gauging honesty, 1 and 2 successes. And trying to see if there's anything underhanded about the offer of something to drink)

Pete: Seems honest.