12:44 <banana> It starts in July, with a message at one of Badawi's drops. An online guestbook, commemorating the funeral for a fictional family man. 12:48 <banana> "Terribly sorry to hear of Mike's passing," reads the comment. "I won't forget the good times we had as friends of Walkden from '11 to '15. Our old bones were creaking but we did lovely things with ferns and mossflower. Best regards to Janie and the family." 12:49 <banana> This is tradecraft, a code well-known enough that all it really says about the sender is they're in the right business. This poster is asking Agostina to pick up a message from.. googling 'friends of Walkden' indicates it's the Walkden Gardens on Derbyshire Road; the message will be in place by the 11th, and removed some time after the 15th if she isn't interested. 12:50 <banana> The rest of it just gives directions, hints at exactly which stones to turn over. No exact dates, as the idea is to avoid direct contact. 12:51 <Quaker> It was uncommonly cold in the morning, when she went for her walk, first along the canal and then on a loop that took her to the different secretaries and bartenders that function as her mailbox. The cold makes her dentures ache, where the glue meets the gum. Good thing she ended up in fucking northern England. “Thanks,” she says to the man who turned the CRT monitor around so she could see the online message, and she slips 12:51 <Quaker> him a tenner. 12:53 <Quaker> She waits until the 11th, not going outside until then. The takeout containers pile up. She works on her tools. 12:53 <banana> Receptionist: "Doesn't hurt to help." 12:56 <banana> The message was from 'Jacques de Grise', who died six hundred years ago and had no connection with Walkden Gardens. It's a nice place, but not the most impressive botanical garden in Greater Manchester.. or even in Chorltonville. 12:57 <Quaker> On the morning of the 11th, she wakes up at six, meditates for an hour, eats, packs her elixirs in a satchel, and leaves her apartment. She’s still wearing her mask, and sunglasses and a battered Roma scarf. Her bicycle skips over cobbles, sending shooting pains down her right arm like always. Here’s Walkden Gardens, a big park. There’s an hour to kill, so she waits on a bench. When an attendant opens the gates, she stands up 12:57 <Quaker> and walks past, making sure the red bandana is poking out of her coat pocket. 13:00 <banana> The gardens mostly include shaped hedges and hanging trees, forming dense and pretty patterns. Low enough to the ground that even shorter people need to duck! 13:00 <Quaker> In the Yucca Greenhouse, there’s a simple square fountain with a hollow in its side. Badawi moves a rock from in front of the hollow and reaches inside. 13:00 <banana> A small messenger satchel containing a sheaf of papers. Just half a dozen pages, it feels like. 13:01 <Quaker> Well, she’s got time. She puts the satchel minus the papers back in the hollow, and moves down a bit to a bench outside to read. What do they want? 13:02 <Quaker> Lately, it’s been boring even for them. She’s not sure if they’re trusting her less or their regular underlings less, since she’s basically babysitting on transport jobs. 13:04 <Quaker> What is the most impressive botanical garden in Manchester, anyway? It occurs to her that she should look it up and go. 13:06 <banana> If Badawi expected something from Strangeways, she's disappointed. (Coincidentally, they get in touch the next day, asking her to come in and talk about an investigative job they'd like done.) The documents describe a business plan, and it's immediately obvious why this stuff got the two-level dead drop treatment: 13:08 <banana> In blunt and detailed terms, the sender details his knowledge of the city by night, its supernatural beings and conspiracies, and describes just how often they have problems that need to be solved by the careful application of force. Problems which they'll often pay others to deal with than risk the Masquerade, or the Veil, or political complications. 13:08 <banana> There's a sketched version of what a team would be like, specialists in various areas that the planner hopes to recruit, and a breakdown of the money that's available (Badawi's mooted share: £150,000 - £300,000 per job). 13:09 <banana> He identifies himself only as "Sourjack", concludes with a note asking you to consider it and indicates he'll be in contact again within the month. 13:09 <Quaker> Hm. 13:10 <banana> Details of her proposed role in things indicate that this is someone who knows Badawi's capabilities and history well. There shouldn't be many people like that. 13:11 <Quaker> She asks Strangeways, first. They pay the bills, after all. First: did they know somebody was using their dead drops? Second: can they vouch for “Sourjack”? Third: Would they be alright for her taking on more work for a third party? 13:15 <banana> They meet a few days later in the darts room of the Tower and Coin. Two of the relic-hunting mages turn up: "Vivi", her usual contact for things involving overt violence, and "Octocat", younger than the other man, some sort of archivist. 13:15 <Quaker> She also copies down the information from the drop in her journal, putting it in the back of her mother’s diary when it’s done. She had an unexceptional working knowledge of the strange social formations the supernatural took around here, but there’s some solid leads on things she hasn’t heard of. Vampires, sorcerors, she knows…but “star children?” Maybe it’s an English thing. 13:16 <Quaker> “So?” 13:17 <banana> Vivi's got beer for all three of them. He's probably going to get some on his beard again. "It's been a while, Miss Badawi. You've intrigued us and, I don't mind saying, made us think." 13:17 <Quaker> “About?” 13:19 <Quaker> She’s not unfriendly, though. She pats Vivi on the back and shakes the hand of Octocat, who she’s only seen a few times before. 13:19 <banana> Octocat has a notepad out, so they may expect to ask questions. He explained once that he would love to just memorise everything with magically-enhanced intelligence, but alas! being the only person who knows a secret puts a target on your back. The Mysterium's ideal number of keepers for any given secret is zero. 13:20 <banana> Vivi: "Well, first of all- nobody around the shop had heard of a Sourjack, and we weren't expecting anyone to share our means of communication. So that sends a message." 13:20 <Quaker> An infiltrator who doesn’t ask questions, and an employer who would prefer all things that could inspire questions be locked in a vault and thrown into the sea. What a perfect working relationship. 13:20 <banana> "I'm going to assume that this is a form of advertising for the mooted services." 13:21 <Quaker> “Does it worry you?” 13:22 <banana> Vivi: "That depends. Is this an increase of entropy, someone throwing a firestarter into a somewhat volatile underworld? Or is it a genuine attempt to calm, to profit from an arbitrage of conflict resolution?" 13:24 <banana> Octocat: "We're not going to say you shouldn't do it, but.." 13:24 <banana> Vivi: "At the same time, it's not a service of which Consilium would make use. Probably." 13:24 <Quaker> “To be perfectly honest…and meaning no disrespect…I was surprised that your organization did not already do similar work for interested parties. Or already have your own form of conflict resolution. Being the less distracted type of supernatural being that you are.” 13:26 <Quaker> “Are you speaking for yourself, or for your Order? I meant to receive your answer in an official capacity.” 13:28 <banana> Vivi: "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. We do need more manpower, but we could... intervene in more... situations. It's just a question of what's wise." 13:29 <banana> "'Sourjack' may be on to something.. truly neutral parties with the skills that you only find among, well, partisans could do quite well." 13:29 <Quaker> “Sure. Less distracted…more time to think about consequences. I understand.” 13:30 <Quaker> “But you would be alright with me taking on more work? For this person? You don’t think they’re dangerous, or…compromised in some way?” 13:30 <banana> Octocat: "You do have the official Voice of the Mysterium on this - we don't have any objection to the work being done. But we object to the use of our resources for the purpose, so hopefully no more of that." 13:31 <banana> Vivi: "Unless, of course..." 13:32 <Quaker> “You don’t give me any resources, Vivi. I buy my things from someone you said was a reliable vendor.” 13:32 <banana> They glance at each other. There's something they want to appear to not want to admit. 13:32 <Quaker> “And you want me to tip you off to any big jobs so you can take it before we do.” 13:34 <banana> Vivi: "No! Well... yes. But surely you wouldn't want that. Double-agency can really go bad in this business. Seriously, I'm not going to ask that of you." 13:37 <Quaker> The thing that makes the Mysterium predictable is that they need to convince themselves, even more than they need to convince you, that they’re doing you a favor. Or that everyone in the world wants nothing more than to learn more about them. 13:41 <banana> Vivi: "Sourjack, though." 13:41 <banana> Octocat: "Meticulously separated identity." 13:42 <Quaker> “Uh huh.” So you want me to find out as much as I can, and tell you. 13:42 <Quaker> “Uh huh.” So you want me to find out as much as I can, and tell you. 13:42 <banana> Vivi: "Uh huh. The name is part of a sympathetic cluster that's been used only for the purpose of this mooted resolution service." 13:43 <Quaker> “And you’re curious about who it could be.” 13:44 <banana> Octocat: "All our methods turn up more mysteries. He's far more than a name, but it's all constructed, coherent. This could actually be a real person who's come into being just to be a spymaster.. or something weirder than that.. or, and this is the possibility that worries Vivi, one of us." 13:44 <banana> Vivi: "Not us. It's something Janissary could pull off. Potentially." 13:46 <Quaker> “Vivi, just tell me what you want so you’ll sign off on checking this out. Stop trying to pay me in clues.” 13:47 <banana> You're the only ones in the back room of the pub, of course, but there's enough atmosphere left over from generations of drinkers to keep the air pretty thick. It's not really a place to hang out long-term unless you are actively imbibing, and everyone's done. 13:47 <banana> Vivi: "Alright, alright." 13:48 <Quaker> Oh, someone named ~Janissary~? They must be soooo ~mysterious~! 13:50 <banana> "Miss Badawi: There is a possibility that the man behind this job is a Seer of the Throne. Monstrous and corrupt mages who serve forces darker than you could comprehend, with the aim of enslaving all humanity." 13:50 <banana> "Janissary is a Seer, master of just the kind of magic that could do this identity-webbing, and he's incredibly dangerous. If you come across any hint at all that the Throne is involved we need to know, before you look further into it by yourself." 13:52 <Quaker> “No offense, Vivi. But I’m going to take that to mean that you have no idea if they actually are. Otherwise you would not sign off on this.” 13:52 <banana> Vivi stands tall and nods sternly: "We have... no evidence whatsoever." 13:54 <Quaker> Right. “Ok. I’ll let you know, habibi.” She gathers her stuff and prepares to leave. “If Janissary bothers you that much, you should try paying someone to kill him.” She winks, and goes through the door. 13:55 <banana> Octocat, who knows what that means, chokes on the last of his beer but recovers in time to wave goodbye. 13:57 <Quaker> It’s funny. Five years ago and she would have killed someone to work less. And now she has to remind herself to form her conditions before saying yes to anything. And that this person’s reach no doubt exceeds their grasp. It will not be four clones of her, working together in perfect happiness. More like whoever washed up in the surf…like her. Ah, well. Let’s see what it is. Hopefully not just some ambitious, inexperienced 13:57 <Quaker> kid in over their head and some hired dumb muscle. 14:09 <VoxPVoxD> The next time Badawi makes her rounds, she finds a handwritten letter in an envelope, both the sort of paper you custom order from a stationery store if you're enough of a snob to care but not rich enough to splurge. It has a time (a bit after noon) and a location: an upscale tea shop north of Piccadilly Gardens. If she has any interest in the offer made by Jack, she should go there, then, 14:09 <VoxPVoxD> and join the lady in violet for tea. 14:10 <VoxPVoxD> No date is given; the letter says she'll check in every day until [a week from now] and assume the overture rejected thereafter. 14:13 <Quaker> The lady in violet probably won’t see the other woman sitting in a cafe across the street from the tea shop, watching everyone who walks in and out two hours before the meeting time. But she’ll see Badawi when she walks in, though she keeps her glasses, mask, and scarf on. “Good afternoon. You’re from Walkden Gardens?” 14:19 <VoxPVoxD> The woman who responds in the affirmative is wearing a crisp suit of the prophesied color and sets a leather folder on the table before moving to sit down, unless Badawi stops her. "That's right. Good afternoon." 14:21 <Quaker> Badawi sits down across from her. “I got the offer from Sourjack. My other employers have cleared me to speak to you.” 14:22 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "You can call me Willie. What's your preference?" 14:23 <Quaker> “What names did you dig up?” 14:25 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I have the one on file with immigration and the one used to contact you. Susana and Agostina." 14:27 <Quaker> “Susana is a work name. You can call me Agostina Badawi. Or Miss Badawi. Or Badawi.” 14:28 <Quaker> They’re supernatural. They can get it out of you anyway. No point in playing games. 14:29 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Alright, Ms. Badawi. I'm here to discuss arrangements for the job offer you received, answer any questions you may have, note any concerns or conditions you wish relayed, and if you're amenable, walk you to a secure location to get a look for yourself." 14:30 <Quaker> How old does Willie seem? 14:31 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's in her mid-20s, though she might seem a bit younger given her enthusiasm and what must be an expensive or very sun-avoidant skincare routine. 14:33 <Quaker> “Sure. You want to get something for the walk? My treat.” She looks around. “Never been here before, though, so if you’ve got a recommendation…” 14:35 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Oh that would be lovely! Their Darjeeling is very good. I'll take a Chamomile, milk, no sugar." 14:37 <Quaker> “No problem, habibti.” Badawi raps the table with her knuckles, goes to the counter, and comes back with two covered cups. “Never had Darjeeling. What’s it taste like?” 14:39 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Often I find it a bit musky, but the stuff they brew here is much more delicate and floral. A bit citrusy, like fresh coriander can be." 14:41 <VoxPVoxD> How old does Badawi seem? 14:44 <Quaker> “Right.” She winks. “Cheers.” Not bad. “It’s good! I have to admit I never had much of a palate for coffee or tea. Too delicate and it goes straight over my head. You ever had the uh…” She tries to remember. “Iced chai latte with oat milk? Very good. Ready to walk?” 14:45 <Quaker> The mask uh, masks her face, but she’d be able to make out some graying hairs and lines around her eyes. Say around 40 years old. 14:45 <VoxPVoxD> "Oh yes, those are a treat." As they walk: "I must apologize on Jack's behalf if the way he reached out to you was an unwelcome surprise. He's made a habit of that, with the rest of us." 14:47 <Quaker> “Just a straightforward business proposal in one of my mailboxes. My employer hadn’t heard of him, but they hadn’t heard any bad things, either. Anyway, they said it’d be alright to hear you out.” 14:47 <Quaker> “Why, did he spring it on you differently?” 14:53 <VoxPVoxD> "Yes; he spammed my phone to Heaven and back. I came out of a meeting and my eyes goggled at how many missed messages I had." Willie chooses to elide the more dramatic gestures. "Jack is assembling a team to take for-hire cases of hunter work, on behalf of the sort of people other hunters consider their quarry. Our minimum asks works out to roughly $200,000 US, or £140,000 sterling per 14:53 <VoxPVoxD> head. We have a team of four specialists — five, if you sign on — as well as a share for upkeep and administration, and a share for Jack, who intends to be a silent partner." 14:54 <VoxPVoxD> "He's already secured multiple leads, so we'll be able to hit the ground running." 14:55 <Quaker> “You haven’t worked for him before?” 14:56 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "No, I was contacted to put the team together. This is an entirely new venture. Which is why your employers had nothing good or bad to say about him." 14:56 <Quaker> She thinks it would be a bit impolite to say that the more annoying, offensive, or thoughtless the initial contact, the more disposal you’re considered by the one doing the contacting. 14:56 <Quaker> “So you haven’t met him? Them? What do you know about them?” 14:58 <VoxPVoxD> Willie thinks it was a bit impolite to do. "He is a supernatural entity, or very closely interfaced with them. He seems to operate within a mechanical idiom, a certain comfort with machinery and the appearance of same. He has demonstrated capabilities as diverse as possessing technology, long-range telepathic contact, and folding space." 14:59 <Quaker> “Then why did you take the job?” 15:01 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "At first I went along because I was intimidated. He was not as gentle with me as he was with you. But the more work I put in, the more time I get with the team we're putting together and the kind of work we'll be able to do... I feel quite lucky. I was stagnating, and this is a unique opportunity to do useful and stimulating work." 15:02 <VoxPVoxD> "I cannot promise it will remain so. Only that Jack has promised us his full support." 15:02 <Quaker> Willie will be able to see Badawi’s lips go up in a smile behind her mask. “Stimulating, I’m sure. Useful…?” 15:02 <Quaker> “To who?” 15:05 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "This is going to sound unforgiveably naive, but: to monsters. They're not all world-crushing conspiracists. Many of them struggle on the periphery of society, outside the gaze or the protection of their neighbors. And they have far more to fear from each other than they do from us. So as we choose our jobs — and choose we will — we will be able to make a mark on the shape of 15:05 <VoxPVoxD> the night-city." 15:05 <VoxPVoxD> "And we will be able to measure that mark in blood, and years, and lives saved of those monsters' victims." 15:06 <VoxPVoxD> "And it is quite a lot of money." 15:08 <Quaker> Badawi walks in silence for a block or two. “It would hardly be my first time being useful to monsters.” 15:08 <Quaker> “The money would be the main draw. And the autonomy, if you can meet my conditions.” 15:08 <Quaker> “What did you do before this?” 15:13 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I work in the DPW, running the local DCS office. I came to Manchester from London quite recently to take the job. But that's not what you meant. I worked with a cell in London that operated as a sort of blackmail ring disguised as a gossip blog. I had three main jobs: to do research, to liaise with the press, and to command demons." 15:15 <VoxPVoxD> "I know a fair bit about your skillset, but very little about your history, Ms. Badawi. I assume that's your preference as much as Jack's." 15:17 <Quaker> Badawi: “I don’t know DPW or DCS, sorry.” She recognizes a deflection when she sees one. “What skillset is that supposed to be, exactly?” 15:19 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Infiltration, acquisition, smuggling. The fine arts of larceny. DWP is the Department for Work and Pensions. DCS is the Disability and Carers Service. I am a civil servant. I make sure people get their benefits." 15:22 <Quaker> Badawi: “My history isn’t especially exciting. I don’t have much to hide, from you.” 15:22 <VoxPVoxD> Willie nods. "You have conditions?" 15:24 <Quaker> Willie doesn’t seem like an especially ‘ard bastard. Badawi wonders why she got the call. No offense. Maybe the others are severely anti-social. 15:24 <Quaker> Badawi: “Sure. In a bit. What are the others like?” 15:28 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "There are two Americans. Mr. Goreman has a military background through the VALKYRIE Task Force. He's a sweet man, understandably paranoid. Specializes in ballistics and demolitions. He needs the money, but he will walk if the work gets unsavory. Mr. Aster, who recently left the Vanguard SCU, a private law enforcement contractor, is a very serious and capable veteran investigator 15:28 <VoxPVoxD> and analyst. He will walk if the work is insecure or irresponsible." 15:31 <VoxPVoxD> "We also have two exiles from the Human Office, which is Britain's VALKYRIE equivalent. Mr. Hughes is a distinguished combat veteran and... very old school. Not a kind man, but a canny one. He will walk if he feels disrespected or underpaid." 15:32 <Quaker> Badawi: “Leaving you.” 15:32 <VoxPVoxD> "And Mr. Haldane is our administrator. He handles our budget, our tech, logistics and so forth. Any special requirements you have in terms of tools or materials, you'll be talking to him." 15:34 <VoxPVoxD> Smiling ruefully. "And then there's me. Willie Wellesley. I studied at Christ College, and Lucifer's as well. I'm by far the youngest and the least-experienced of the team's primary agents. I think Mr. Jack hired me because he doesn't know how to talk to people, and doesn't expect the rest of you to care to." 15:35 <VoxPVoxD> "As for what will make me walk... I'll know it when I see it." 15:37 <Quaker> “Hm.” She lapses back into silence for a bit. Then: “What’s your impression of them as a whole? Do they strike you as reliable?” 15:39 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "In a crisis? Absolutely. Not a question in my mind. I think the venture will live or die based on how well we can cohere as an organization in the quiet moments when decisions have to be taken, and consensus has to be formed. It is a remarkably diverse set of perspectives and priorities, given how well our skillsets mesh." 15:40 <Quaker> Badawi: “Sorry if I am grilling you. I’m sure you have questions. Feel free to ask them.” 15:41 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "What are your red lines?" 15:43 <Quaker> “Well, I’m not particularly squeamish.” 15:43 <Quaker> “As for conditions, I have a few.” 15:45 <VoxPVoxD> Willie listens attentively. 15:48 <Quaker> “First, we don’t do any jobs without thorough planning. No rushing, no shortcuts. If it can’t fit in our schedule, we pass on it. Second, Sourjack gives us all the equipment we need. Work cars, specialty electronics, whatever. Third, legal support if we get caught. You end up with heat or in jail, no matter what. He needs to pay the cops off and have a good couple of lawyers. Fourth, money is paid on time and in full. I don’t do 15:48 <Quaker> IOUs. Fifth, this is on a job by job basis. Anybody can leave any time, after any mission. Sixth, we can turn down any lead we choose. Nobody but us picks what we take on.” 15:49 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I think you will find unanimous support for that among the rest of the team, and it's well within Jack's capabilities." 15:49 <VoxPVoxD> "Certainly if you put that forward and he says 'no', I would not be able to continue." 15:50 <Quaker> “Alright. Then you can consider me on board for at least one job, if he agrees to that.” 15:51 <Quaker> “You seem awfully eager to be useful to monsters, Willie.” 15:51 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Miss Badawi, I work for the British Government." 15:51 <VoxPVoxD> "It's monsters in every direction." 15:51 <Quaker> Badawi: “Not really joking.” 15:52 <VoxPVoxD> "But some monsters are monsters because they hunt the weak, and some monsters are monsters because we name them that to hunt them." 15:53 <VoxPVoxD> "I'm eager to see if it's possible to do good work for the latter." 15:53 <Quaker> Badawi stops walking. 15:54 <Quaker> “You seem awfully eager to do good.” 15:55 <VoxPVoxD> Willie stops too. One of the Free Buses passes by, 2/3 full, eyes within all turned downward, inward. "Yes. I suppose I am." 15:55 <VoxPVoxD> "I'm told that's a mistake of youth." 15:57 <Quaker> Badawi: “Are you...cómo se…posh, Willie? Comfortable?” 15:59 <VoxPVoxD> "My family is," Willie admits. "Very comfortable indeed. Why do you ask?" 15:59 <Quaker> Badawi: “I mean, are you? Has this calling asked you to sacrifice much so far?” 16:03 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I live on my salary. I pay my own bills. I've cut off or been rejected by dozens of friends and colleagues. I uprooted my entire life to move here, alienating the only two groups of people that ever really knew me. And if not for this accident, this opportunity, I would still be a friendless depressive, working quietly at home, watching takeaway boxes pile up..." 16:03 <VoxPVoxD> "But no. The Vigil did not force me to make those sacrifices. I chose them. And I would choose every one of them again." 16:04 <Quaker> Badawi: “I’m not trying to lecture you, Willie. Have you ever been arrested? Interrogated? A real gun to your head?” 16:05 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "No; yes; I've been shot at, but never from that close. Took a Molotov to the chest once." 16:05 <VoxPVoxD> "I've never killed anyone." 16:05 <VoxPVoxD> "I think I'm alone in that among the team." 16:05 <Quaker> Badawi: “Ever been tortured?” 16:07 <VoxPVoxD> A smoking brazier full of ash-white coals. A command, distant and smoke wreathed, to grasp and not let go, not when you blister, smoke, or char... not until the blood itself burns. "I wouldn't say so." 16:08 <VoxPVoxD> "Were you ever eager to do good, Ms. Badawi?" 16:09 <Quaker> Badawi: “Not really. I was eager to get enough money to not have to care.” 16:10 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Well... even if it's only for one job, 140,000 will help." 16:10 <Quaker> “But, funnily enough, when you get between powerful people and their things, they don’t really care what your intentions were. Steal it, save it, give it to the poor…you end up in a bare room sooner or later.” 16:11 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "So then the only person we have to justify ourselves to is ourselves, yeah?" 16:11 <VoxPVoxD> "In the end, no one else cares." 16:12 <Quaker> Badawi: “No one else feels your pain, either.” 16:14 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "...no, they don't." 16:14 <Quaker> Badawi: “Look.” 16:15 <Quaker> The thin, small woman takes her mask off, and then she reaches into her mouth and gently pulls out a pair of dentures. 16:16 <Quaker> She pulls her glove off so Willie can see her right hand, which starts to shake. 16:16 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's face gets a little tight. But only a little. 16:18 <Quaker> Badawi puts her coverings back on and her teeth back in. “I’ve had an electric cattleprod used on me, when I suspect they thought I really didn’t know any pertinent information and they just decided to have fun until I was dead. Jammed up in my skin, under my fingernails, against my teeth until they burst. I think at one point they even made me swallow some electrodes and turned a battery on for a bit.” 16:19 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Who?" 16:21 <Quaker> “Just regular gangsters. Be prepared for worse. I’ve made my peace with it. But don’t have any illusions. The people who are in this business are in the business of getting younger people feeling like they’re on the hook, in some grand crusade against some ancient evil. And maybe you can do some good here or there. But you’re not a superhero. Or a hero. Or a protagonist. Just be ready to walk away.” 16:21 <Quaker> “Anyway.” She starts walking again. “That’s how I met the alchemists, by the way. They busted me out, by accident. Turns out the gangsters had something they wanted, too.” 16:24 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "It was their good fortune, as it is now ours, that you were so capable." 16:25 <VoxPVoxD> She's keeping pace with Badawi, but she's stopped making eye contact. Her face is a bit red. 16:26 <Quaker> Badawi: “I already said yes, no need to butter me up more. Oh, by the way. You might see me use some techniques. Or ingredients. Or pills or salves or whatever.” She pats her satchel. “Don’t dig around in this thing looking to also turn invisible, too. If you eat them or use them, you’ll just get extremely, possibly fatally, sick. Alright?” 16:27 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "The thought would not have crossed my mind." 16:27 <VoxPVoxD> "Mr. Goreman might be curious." 16:28 <Quaker> “Well, if he’ll listen to you, tell him the same thing. Seriously, he’d just start vomiting and seizing.” 16:29 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I'll make sure he knows. I do have one more question, if you don't mind." 16:29 <Quaker> Badawi: “Ask away, habibti.” 16:30 <VoxPVoxD> "What do you eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions? I cook rather a lot." 16:31 <Quaker> Badawi: “Just babies. The fresher the better.” 16:32 <VoxPVoxD> Willie grins. "Ah, splendid." 16:33 <Quaker> Badawi: “You’re the demon master. I’m sure it will be a snap for you. And some virgin blood as well, on the side.” 16:33 <VoxPVoxD> Poor Mr. Haldane. 16:33 <Quaker> They arrive in front of a nondescript stone wall. “Want to introduce me to whoever’s around?” 16:34 <VoxPVoxD> Willie taps on the keypad. "Yes. Just this way..." 16:35 <Quaker> Badawi follows behind. “Wonderful tea, by the way. Darjeeling…”