[Sodium_noir] Hell is Other People

[FlameFlash]

> Aurora, JB, Jack
>
> [John]
> "John Black.  Occult dealer, antiquarian, and party
> crasher at your service."  He bowed slightly and
> smiled, his mood lightening slightly.
>
> "Your friend here was just telling me the reason for
> his celebration. I don't suppose your part of it too?"
>
> Again: Perception + Awareness = 5 - What is she?
>
> [Aurora]
> "A small part," she returns the smile shyly and nods
> in return to the bow.
>
> [Jack]
> Vigorously shaking his head, Jack replies. "No, no,
> no, no, no, no. That isn't true. You played a huge
> part." He spreads his hands wide for emphasis. "You
> saved my fucking life, darlin'. Would have been
> pushing up the daisies if not for you and your lovely
> companions."
>
> Jack takes the cigarette between his fingers and gives
> John Black the kind of serious and profound look only
> much liquor can provide.
>
> "Don't let her tell you otherwise, my friend. Girl's a
> heroine in my book."
>
> [John]
> John smiles, and raises his glass to Aurora. "To the
> hero of the hour. May your Ancestors return your
> generosity a hundredfold." He takes a drink of his
> beer, and then looks around for a waiter, summoning
> him over for more drinks.

[Aurora]
Obviously fighting a losing battle for any semblance of keeping her
involvement with Jack low-key with strangers she accepts a beer from
the waiter... her first true drink of the night, in fact.

[John]
> "So what will you do now? Your life has been saved.
> You've been given another chance. Some might resort
> to hedonism, and try to squeeze as much pleasure out
> of life as possible. Looked down upon by society,
> though I personally don't believe it's a bad way to
> live. Or will you become a hero yourself? And help
> others? Then there's always revenge."
>
> [Jack]
> There's a sarcastic edge to Jack's voice as he smirks
> at the man. "Hero? No, not I. Not me at all. Too
> interested in the continuing preservation of my ass.
> Revenge? Nope. No one to seek revenge of. Get revenge
> on. Be avenged for. However you say it. That first
> one? Hedonism? Yeah. There's a whole lot of pleasure
> I'd like to squeeze out of life, believe me. And the
> squeezing is going to start tonight, my friend."
>
> Jack glances over at Aurora, managing to wink at her
> and blush at the same time.

[Aurora]
At this, and she attempts to hide it as she returns Jack's gaze, at
least from John, her eyes' color shift from amber again to a
blue-green, here, at least for the moment, she knew she was safe with
her new friend... at least safe from harm, though that wink made her
blush and then look to John and sip at her beer again.

"You... you mentioned something of dealing with the Occult?  Such as
artifacts or magic?"

It is now Aurora's turn to look upon John, reaching out lightly with
Spirit and then Prime to understand this man better ((OOC: Arete 3;
Per+Aware:4)).

Tag the small group and ST