Daily Introspection

[Legione Sumus]

Eliot Lagueux

Eliot made an appearance at the Almaz to 'woo' his finance in the public of the light. The opera had gone well. Rumors spread like wildfire as was the intent. The gossip rags detailing lude remarks even though they'd been completely discreet. But it was a gossip rag so what did it matter, they had captured an unflattering picture which told the wrong story.

He tossed the article into the bin on his wallet. It didn't matter really. He'd been sitting at the same table for the past few days waiting to see if anyone took him upon his offer. He didn't expect anything immediately, but he waited at the time and place and someone may show up. If not, well he'd seek them out. But for now he was content to sit and sip coffee for a few hours and watch people come and go.

[Jerry]

He hadn't been in Moscow for months and the later from the Baccarat heir. Security cameras were everywhere it's not like he was overly worried about being tracked down, he wasn't sure that the Atharim really cared about him. They'd kill him for sure, desertion the least of his crimes. Being a god was the most recent. Jer was surprised that his own family hadn't come hunting him.

Jer sat down across from Eliot sipping a coffee. "I didn't expect a former inquisitor to be the first to join me here."

"I'm not here." Jer said with certainty. "But I will listen. Though I don't know why I'm trusting you."

Eliot smiled. "What I have to say could be treasonous at best so I'm trusting you as much as you are trusting me."

"Treason could only be disastrous if you were talking about godlings."

"Or something like that." Eliot smiled and Jer might trust him a little more as he felt the power of the gods from another man emanating from the man in front of him. He didn't do anything, just reached into the power and then let it go. How many gods were in the Atharim?

[Legione Sumus]

Eliot Lagueux

Eliot chuckled. "Surprised? We aren't all as out going as the man who helped you find the power."

Jer frowned. "What do you know of it?"

Eliot shrugged "I read your report, Durante is not an easy hunt, a traitor in only that he is one of us. And if your reports are correct still been on our side using his gifts to take out monsters. He can help us. You and I bring a new era into the organization starting here in Moscow. I need someone to help me find someone to be the face for things you and I can't do around here. You know people. You have been looking for traitors among us, I need you to help me figure out if these traitors want the same thing as us. To live a life without fear of what we are."

[Jerry]

Jer wasn't sure what was really going on. The Lagueux Family had always been prestigious in the Atharim. And they held a secret so deep that it would rock the foundation of the family. This man was trusting his secret to him. He could out him in hopes that he could be given a free pass -- but Jer knew that was not likely the case. They would hunt him down just as much as they'd kill the man who held the Moscow Atharim in check. It was his home the Regus had chosen due to its closeness to the Ascendancy -- a little known fact at the time that he was a godling himself. And now it was known that both gods and the Atharim existed. The world had changed. And now this man wanted to change it even more and he wanted his help.

"What do you need my help for?"

Eliot smiled. "I need someone who is an excellent judge of character to take the knowledge I have and the knowledge you gain to determine who amongst the people on my list are worthy allies and maybe find someone we can assign to lead the cause in the limelight. We need to take our work public, but I cannot do it. Neither can you, our families have too much at stake. We need a face the world will trust and one that our fellows will follow. Under our guidance of course."

"And what about those hunting me?"

"In the very near future that won't be a problem. With the reopening of the Mansion we will have new rules. I just need to implement the safe guards."

"Okay. What do you want me to do?" Jer wasn't exactly sold on the matter, but if he could make it safe to remain in Moscow then he'd give it a try. At least for now.

[Legione Sumus]

Eliot Lagueux

Eliot pushed a folder at the former inquisitor. "Go through the files here. I want your unique and authoritative opinion on each one. First one you'll recognize. you've hunted him and he showed you the path forward. And after you've assessed them there is a questionnaire at the end I'd like you to answer."

Jer was about to open the folder when Eliot put his hand down on top of it. "Not here. In your down time. Take your time. We aren't in a rush. But I do have something I want to talk to you about. Hunter to hunter. We were both one once, right?"

Jer nodded. It had been years since he hunted anyone that was not already Atharim.

Eliot procured another file and placed it on top of the other one. This one was much thinner. "This is a new anomaly. He leveled several empty warehouses taking out what we can only assume were some thugs who attacked him. Two hunters have attempted to take him out, the first dying much the same way as his sparking event, and the second is in the infirmary as we speak nursing 3rd degree burns all over their body. As a hunter, what would you do?"

This was a test. A test every single person he talked to would be asked. They'd be given the same information and he'd access their reactions. There were of course no right or wrong answers, but he needed a base line.