The First Age

He sat back down easily, and she felt stupid for her haste. Most people almost sounded like derision, the way he said it, though she understood the sentiment. Most would recoil from her presence too if they knew she shared their emotions, let alone from the invasive nature of her touch. It laid people bare whether they wished it or not. She couldn't switch it off. 

Most wasn't all though. 

"You think I don't believe you?" Surprise registered. It shouldn't have, she realised that belatedly. He was trying to brush it off as nothing and in that moment his curiosity felt like a cage, like he was torn between it and self preservation. It made her feel wary, but it was only a reflection. She frowned. Elias would not be happy if she told a stranger what she was, especially one who looked as untrustworthy as Tobias. "Because I do. About the auras. Though I don't understand everything you said about what you saw. Do you--"

But whatever the question had been, it stuttered quiet as a piece of paper floated down from nowhere. Asha blinked, leaning back, not really willing to touch it. Though she read the words. "What the?"

Their conversation was interrupted by paper on the winds of nothing. Xander looked through the doors and then watched the proprietor and her playboy monkey on a string leave to go up stairs. She'd pulled information from that man, her toy, was it game? Xander wasn't sure he wanted to play.

He'd barely caught the words Asha had told him, she believed him. That was a first. The note was simple, come join us for a party. He looked to his conversationalist and frowned. "It seems the mistress of the place wishes us to join her and her play thing." Xander looked after her, as much as he played the partier there was no amount of drugs or alcohol he'd take when he was with strange voodoo priestess and men who bear fire with a thought. Much less when he was in the middle of the con. But sometimes you had to play the part. Though Tobias was nursing a hangover. Xander couldn't think of an excuse not to partake. Well only one.

"I'll go if you do." He gave her his charming smile. "I am not sure I want to share my conversationalist with others."

Uncertainty blanched her expression. 

Drugs and alcohol did not entice her. Her Sentiency required control to keep her sane, and her uncle had brought her up well; she knew her limitations. Being around drunk people was just as bad; she avoided clubs and bars, and even their vicinity at night time. Asha's brow furrowed. She pulled her sleeves lower, wrapped her arms around herself. This place was just that little bit side of strange that she wasn't sure what she was being invited to. She wished fervently that Elias were here. 

Tobias's grin was charming, and his words made her blush (his conversationalist? Was she talking too much again?), but the feeling did not translate the same. What she actually felt was reluctance that bled into her own, and something else too, but there was too much else going on around her to really pick it out. He had too many layers to trust at face value. If things did get too much up there, she had no one to anchor herself to. Especially if they were all smoking and drinking. 

But. 

She chewed her lip. "'We have much to discuss'? What do you think she wants?"

Xander saw the uncertainty pass through her aura and across her face and it made him just as wary to go upstairs. But it could be so much fun, the voice in his head told him. You need some down time, it said. There was never time to relax, Xander knew he was a workaholic but that was what he did. There was nothing other than the grift. Well, there was, Xander did like to indulge himself and he never could say no.

Xander swallowed the rest of his coffee in a large gulp and stood up. He flagged the waitress down. "I'll be taking the meal upstairs, per your lady's request." He tucked the little note into the waitress' apron like it was a strip club with a grin. His smile changed when he looked at Asha. "I imagine, she wants to know what we are. Her little eyes and ears told her we were special. Not like them mind, but special in our own rights."

Xander offered his hand to Asha with a bright, welcoming smile. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Xander wasn't sure why he said it. But her aura flickered with so many things he didn't know what was what, he wanted to understand her too. And he told himself it had nothing to do with her beauty. This was innocence in perfection, nothing should ruin it, that was when he realized everything he'd been seeing was muddied with her aura, hidden over, under and around everything was the sensitive indigo. He didn't know what it meant, but he'd at least make sure she was unscathed by the voodoo and her toy.

She wants to know what we are. A few people had blanked out since Asha had been sitting here, but these days -- in Moscow anyway -- it was not such an unusual occurrence, and she was used to the oddity of it now. She'd barely paid it mind. But that he knew stoked another little flare of camaraderie.  

She considered his hand.

The warmth of his smile charmed her. His promise made the burn of her curiosity seem a safer prospect -- and she was curious. Rumours flooded at the nature of the proprietress; they said she read futures in the cards, and maybe Asha might glean some clues for Elias's quest. She planned to go with him, so their futures had to be in some way entwined? And if Rowan found nothing, perhaps she could bring El here...

The indecision played out freely on her expression before she grabbed her bag and waved for the departing waitress's attention. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone here. If they come, will someone come to get me? I'm only going upstairs. My name is Asha."

At the woman's nod and sly grin, she eased out of her chair and slung the bag over her head. Her sleeves still fluttered low, protecting her bare skin. It was only a hand, but she looked at it shyly, a last moment's doubt breathing a moment of hesitation. Tobias wasn't stoic like El, who was like a lighthouse in a storm, but he had easy sense of himself, and a confidence she allowed to seep into her as she took his hand. If nothing else his touch quieted the buzz of everything else. Her gift slipped under his skin, though she tried not to pry too deeply as he led them upstairs.

Mik put his drink down. Tasty. Definitely might be a new favorite. He'd have to get the recipe or whatever from her. He doubted the Russian bars he went to were serving up stuff like this.

Yeah anyway, he needed a clear head. Girlie- Rowan- just about talked his ear off. Not that he had trouble following her. Well, ok, yeah he did, what with her going on about voodoo and the power and lunas or whatever. He was totally skeptical about her claim to make the dead speak. Yeah right. He didn't see how you did that particular trick.

Still, she did seem to pull something from his mind. Which was weird. And not particularly cool. He kept a lot of secrets. And always played a role. Wouldn't do him any good for everyone to know that a lot of his shtick was an act. He'd need to learn more.

He looked over at the two she pointed out. Girl was cute in a nice girl kinda way. Had a librarian look. (Yeah, like he spent a lot of time in a library. Books were not exactly his thing.) Anyway, where was he? Oh yeah. Figuring her out. Maybe a bit mousy. Not in the way she looked. More in the way she carried herself, all....shrinking in maybe? Huddled? He didn't know. Just an impression, you know? Guy she was with carried a sign that screamed douchebag. Maybe it was the smirk. Or maybe it was just that he had a punchable face. That was also on his sign. "I really need a broken nose!" Haha!

Which might actually be fun. Meet two cute girls and punch a guy in the face? Not as fun as the other night with Scarface and Oriena, but still something.

And more importantly, Mik- yeah, gotta remember the most important thing- he had the opportunity to learn some stuff with the power. Because up till know the only things he did with the power were mostly fire related fighting and tricks. If it did more, he'd like to know.

Lady Fate had brought him for a reason. And it wasn't too hook up with Rowan or the librarian girl. Or at least not just for that. Fate probably had some dangerous tricks up her sleeve. A cat, that one, always playing with her food. Well Mik might be her toy, but he was also her....not partner. But agent maybe. Those cracks weren't gonna widen by themselves, ya know?

He laughed. "Damn, woman, you talk a lot!" He winked and patted her arm, continuing the laugh. Maybe she'd know he was joking. Mostly. Either way though..."No covens around here that I know of. And I think i'd have heard something about that. Heard rumors of people like me gettin' together, though, but not sure if they are real. I know the regular folk- least some of them- are seriously freaked about us channelers. There have been some attacks and stuff." Yeah, let them try that with him! Hah! They'd see what's what.

He looked over at the douche and the librarian, earlier thought coming to him. "Party? Hell yes! Lead the way." He rose and let her do just that.

Tobias was a drifter, this was right up his alley, but Xander wasn't really in the mood to be plastered or even slightly buzzed in the mix of this girl, or the priestess and her toy. It was a dangerous mix. It was a good thing he could play the game well. Though he had no intentions of doing so. His lie - he had a late shift and couldn't afford to miss it.

With her hand in his he lead her up the stairs. Xander followed 'Rowan's' directions past the main entrance and up the stairs. The long white hall that seemed to stretch on for miles might have reminded him of the classic horror film the Shining. The only thing that offset the feeling was the jazz music from below drifting up the stairs. Xander had never really liked Bourbon Street. Sure it was a great place to drink and get laid and find all the things you wanted to take pleasure in, but the mass of people never appealed to him. He couldn't work a crowd if he couldn't read their individual auras. And sometimes those closest to a body were so skewed because of their drunkenness that it was pointless.

The party was obviously through the double doors set at the end of the hall. That wasn't ominous at all. Xander glanced back at Asha and blinked. Her indigio muddled with his own aura. He didn't have to try to see his aura extending around her while she kept her own...

Xander had so many questions. But he kept walking, he wasn't sure he wanted that little secret known. If she could mimic his aura, what else could she doo?

A long white-panelled corridor marked their way, huge candelabras hung from above. Asha's eyes crawled all over the place, so different from the room of the cafe they had been in downstairs. One hand rested loosely on the strap of her bag across her chest, while the other gripped Tobias's fiercely. The leak of his emotions shivered against her spine.

"Oh. Not creepy. Nope, not creepy at all." She was almost stepping on his heels she was following so close behind. He blinked behind him, and there was that studying look again, curiosity tinged with wariness. She nudged him with her elbow to keep him moving. "Stop looking at my aura if it creeps you out," she whispered.

"Do you see them all the time? I mean, can you turn it off? No, wait. Stupid question, it's never that simple. Is it distracting, whatever you see? Oh. Also possibly a stupid question." She was babbling again, glancing at the closed doors they passed on their path to the large double doors at the end.

Xander chuckled at her words, his thoughts had been echoing the same thing. "You don't creep me out, Ms. Asha, but when I saw my aura connecting to you..." Xander didn't know how to finish the sentence, so he answered her question. "I can tone it down but it never goes away. As a child it was a lot of work, I had migraines and went to slept as often as I could." Which was usually very little even then everything was all about the con. The next play for money or food. "Can you?" Another question he didn't know why he asked. He didn't know what she was much less what she could do, why her aura changed and why she held his aura mixed with hers, it hadn't been that way before.

He sighed. Should I knock or push the door open? He didn't know, so he donned the reckless adventure of Tobias Johnsen and grabbed a knob with his free hand and gripped the small hand in his almost as tightly as she gripped his. This was so very not Xander. "Here we go." Xander said as he pushed the door open...

Rowan opened the double doors and lead Mikhail into her parlor. It was one of her three private rooms at the café; her personal apartment as it were. The double doors opened onto a room decorated in the same fashion as the rest of the café. Gold and white wallpaper glittered on the walls, looking much like rich brocaded fabric. Gilded lamps were scattered around the room, most of which were carved into intricate figures of angels and saints. Round wooden end-tables with mother of pearl details, antique French furniture covered with lush pillows, all matching the gold and white wallpaper filled the center of the room. A large marble coffee table sat in the center of the encircling furniture; candles, white roses, and what appeared to be spellbooks covered its surface. Two large French doors sat opposite the double door; both of them lead out onto a balcony and the night sky shimmered beyond.

                Large gilded mirrors and various paintings in the Rococo style covered the walls. Everything here looked like it was plucked from the Palace of Versailles, save the large plasma television mounted on the wall across from the arranged seating area. An unseen speaker system played soft piano music; any and all sounds from the café did not seem to touch Rowan’s apartments. That was intentional. As much as Rowan broadcasted her abilities as a witch, there were things she’d rather stay hidden from listening ears and prying eyes.

                On either side of the plasma tv were two more French doors. The one on the left lead to Rowan’s private bathroom and the one on the right led to her bedroom suite. She hadn’t entertained in the apartments yet, the only other souls to see these rooms were the staff members of the Café.

                Sweeping into the room, Rowan closed the doors behind her and Mik. She said a silent prayer that someone had cleaned up for her. She had been in such a rush before the ritual, she had left it looking like a hurricane swept through. Must have been Maman Marie. She did hate messes, although cleaning was not in her job description. She was an old woman and didn’t need to be fretting so over Rowan’s personal quarters. That was what Gareth was for.

                With a clap of her hands, a dashing young man with dark brown hair and hazel eyes came from the bathroom and into the main parlor. He gave a slight, respectful incline of his head to Rowan, “Madame, I trust all went well tonight?”He then gave Mikhail a nod, “And Monsieur? Is there anything I can fetch either of you?”

                “Very well, Gareth. Thank you for asking. I have invited two of our patrons up here for a private gathering. We are not to be disturbed under any circumstances unless I specifically call on yourself or another staff member. Do I make myself clear?” She asked the younger man.

                “Crystal, my lady. Shall I fetch refreshments?”

                “Yes, I was about to ask you about that… Send up our finest champagne and four of my favorite fluted glasses. The crystal ones with the gold scrollwork… Also, a decent selection of other beverages. Wine, beer, whiskey, vodka, juice, coffee, anything that might perk my guest's interests… Have Galton send up a Buffett as well. Dinner and dessert, I should think… Oh! And the beignets! Mik, darling, you simply must try them. I swear they are like eating a sugary cloud. That will be all, Gareth,” Rowan said in a melodious tone. Gareth bowed once more and left without a word.

                Rowan walked over to the large, satin-covered couch and fell into it with a practiced grace. She stuck a hand under the table and brought out a large mirrored tray. Atop it sat a large bowl filled with fragrant marijuana, rolling papers, and other accouterments for smoking. She began rolling a joint with ease and looked up at Mik, a smile on her lips, “Do you partake? If not and if it makes you uncomfortable, just say something. I enjoy it myself. Helps with the nerves… So you know of no covens… Only rumors? I don’t suppose you remember where you’ve heard these rumors? It would benefit me greatly… All this talk of Channelers and you can’t find a single one! It took me the better part of the last year looking and I finally found one,” She winked at Mik, “And what lovely company he has turned out to be. You really don’t know any others? What of you? What can you do with magic? Besides the tricks you’ve shown me at the ritual. I don’t suppose it can be used for lethal purposes? Not that I am out looking to kill people… Still… I’d feel better knowing I can use my own powers to defend myself… Water and Earth are great, but how do you turn those things into a weapon? I’ve heard of these… ‘atharim’ assassins… I know we are not invincible. That is another reason we need to find more people like us. There is strength in numbers, Mikhail. Don’t ever doubt that.”

                Rowan was cut off as the door swung open to reveal the strange man and woman from downstairs. Rising from her perch on the couch, joint rolled, a wide smile erupted onto Rowan’s face. She put on her most graceful air and flung her arms open in welcome, “Friends! Do come in! Please! We have much to discuss, as I’m sure you know. Please, come. Sit. Make yourselves at home. We have complete and utter privacy here. My servant, Gareth, will be up in a few moments with drinks and food. Is there anything I can get either of you? Anything at all?”