2020-02-09 - The Veil For Beginners

Beth and Ciprian arrive together just as the meeting starts. The former of the pair has dark circles under her eyes that indicate many a sleepless night. She unbuttons her navy colored swing coat once they are in the meeting room properly and drapes it over the back of the chair she claims. The offer of coffee is taken up almost immediately. She goes to fix herself a styrofoam cup before she returns to her chair to sit down.

Esme had been reluctant, still internally fighting with the plausibility of everything. However, this was a real thing. It was happening. It was dangerous. It was...a little bit like a cold case. A mystery that has been around for a while likely and needed further investigation. She comes in from work, so she's in a pair of gray dress slacks and a thick white sweater, badge and gun still holstered underneath her woolen coat.

She also takes up the coffee offer and a pastry. "Thank you for putting this together Minerva. My name is Esme." She offers, never having actually met the woman before. A semi-concerned smile is given to Beth, "How are you doing?"

Hand in hand with Jonathan, Katy, wearing her black jeans and pink cashmere sweater, winter jacket draped over her free arm, allows herself to be led to the meeting, a meeting she’d heard about through the grapevine, and it made her curious. She’d only ever had a basic understanding of her...abilities. She hopes that learning more would help her learn to be prepared in case she’d had another unusual incident.

She waited for Jonathan to pick a spot for them before settling down next to him. She seems quiet, subdued.

Opening the door, Everett enters and then pauses, grabbing the lapels of his leather jacket and giving it a shake to bush off the dusting of snow he accumulated from the walk from his car to the building. Ignorant of the sprinkling of snow on his head, the gorilla enters into the meeting room he's growing accostumed to. Usually skipping refreshments, he stops for a half cup of mud, as black as the majority of his clothing, as his raven, long hair, grabs a stir stix and carries it to Minerva, the stick already finding its way to satisfy his oral fixation before pointing it at her. "I'mma want to bend your ear about this Asylum thing after. K?" he asks. Putting stix back in his mouth, Everet waits for the reply, then takes his usual position; at the back, leaning.

Jonathan smiles, "It looks interesting here doesn't it?" It's offered to Katy as he looks around. Starting to move for one of those places to seat themselves, he takes a seat, offering a nod to those he knows.

Ciprian does not have dark circles under his eyes -- he, in fact, looks very nice, possibly because he owns almost no clothing that doesn't button down or require ironing. But let's be honest, he might actually iron his T-shirts. "Hi, Riya," he says as he starts over toward Minerva, reaching to give her a hug. "How are you?" he asks.

Vyv arrives looking fairly standardly Vyvish, which in this particular case involves a perfectly tailored chocolate brown three-piece suit over a teal pin-dot shirt, with a peacock-feather patterned silk pocket square, long camel coat being removed as he strides in. A cursory look around, taking note of those already assembled; his gaze rests on Beth for an extra moment, and she gets a faint inclination of the head. Minerva gets a clearer one, as he claims himself both a coffee and a seat at the table. "Good evening," he greets the room at large, the accent making it fairly immediately clear that he isn't precisely a local.

Arriving just a little late, Nicole steps in and first smiles to Minerva before she looks to secure herself a pastry and a hot cocoa. Cocoa is the bomb! She's bundled up a bit, black and white skull scarf wrapped around her neck, black puffy jacket on, gloves on her hands, jeans, and boots. Quietly, she nods greetings to others as she walks past them, and finds a seat, following Vyv and stealing the seat beside him. She turns, flashing him a bright smile and a wink. "Good evening to you too, Pastry Magician."

Beth remains in her seat at the table and takes several small swigs of coffee in order. Sip sip sip. It's like she's tired or something. Esme's question and slight concern earns a gentle smile of her own. "Oh you know. I wish I could say I'm alright. But-" She has another sip of her coffee, "I'm alive." Her head turns a touch when she feels a gaze on her and her eyes meet Vyv as if she knows him from somewhere but can't quite place it. She returns his nod slowly.

"Alive is the important key word there." Esme muses before she takes a seat of her own and a long sip of coffee. After she polishes off the small pastry she'd get out her little notepad and pen. Oh yes, notes are being taken tonight.

Katy whispers to Jonathan, “Yeah, interesting.” She settles into her seat as Minerva speaks, and listens attentively. She reaches for Jonathan’s hand and squeezes it.

There is a mild, watchful presence in the room who hasn't made the rounds of greetings, so-to-speak; she's a bit too shy. But Meredith has a kind look for anyone who glances her way. She is dressed in a dark, navy blue woollen pea coat with fitted black tights and calf-high, sturdy winter boots. Hair is a long, swirling, old-timey mass of waves. She looks friendly but quiet, eyes and ears trained upon Minerva. One hand holds a mug of tea, the other is splayed across the face of a notepad.

Setting her chosen pastry and cocoa on the table before her, Nicole reaches up to unzip her coat and unwind her infinity scarf a little. Pulling arms out of the sleeves, she lets the coat just rest behind her as she pulls her bag onto her lap, pulling out a small notebook and pen. Jacket removed, the fuzzy, soft purple sweater she wears is revealed. Pushing up the cuffs a bit, preparing to get to work, she pauses and tips her pen towards Esme. "So true. Alive is one of the most important key words, I think." Her attention then turns to Minerva. Her head bobs along a bit and she sets her notebook down to write the date at the top of the page. Pen is set to rest there for a moment as she uses thumb and forefinger to pinch off a piece of flaky pastry, pausing to ask Vyv, "did these come from your place?" She pops it into her mouth, likely she'll be able to tell soon enough if it is or is not by the quality.

Jonathan smiles as his hand is squeezed, but listens carefully to what's being said. "Anything that can help us understand things," he whistpers back to Katy, before he nods a little as he looks around rather carefully.

Ciprian's small smile turns into a look of curiosity at His sister's words, his eyebrows raising, but he doesn't interrupt, and instead goes to pour himself some coffee, as well. He then sits down with Beth, settling in and leaning toward her to murmur something more quietly, though it's short, and soon enough he quiets again, listening to the others.

"Ms. Stein," Vyv greets Nicole in return, giving her a faint smile and a reasonably gallant sort of nod of acknowledgement. "Pleasure to see you again." The pastry gets a sharply assessing look of consideration, and a small shake of his head. "Mn, no. Not one of mine," he replies, though the odds are determining that didn't require any appraisal. Surely he knows his own. It's more of a look that's tallying up all visible strengths and flaws and weighing them in the balance. "But, yes, alive is virtually always the preferable option." He takes a sip of his coffee, and glances to see who might respond to Minerva's question.

"Agreed." Esme offers to Nicole and then settles in as Minerva begins the questions. She hesitates a beat before lifting her hand. "I...think at least? I woke up to a disaster area that no one but me could have caused. And I can...feel something is different. I haven't tried to experiment or anything further though."

Merry listens raptly to Minerva, but she does not indicate herself re: recent discovery of powers. It's been awhile. Bright blue eyes subtly rove the room, however, to see others' reactions. She gives those who do volunteer their experiences her complete, open-minded attention.

"Indeed." Beth says in agreement with Esme. But the meeting is starting and so she quiets down to pay attention. She reaches down to where her purse is on the floor to get out a notepad and pen and take notes herself. When Ciprian comes over and murmurs something to her she raises both brows ever so slightly in response. Then that question is asked. She hesitates a moment before she admits, "I've had something as long as I can remember. But it's getting stronger. I've accidentally shocked people..." A glance is given to Ciprian before she adds, "And /things/ keep happen more frequently."

“Strange events have happened in the past when I’ve been in town to visit family, but I’ve had a handful of strange experiences over the last month. They seem to be more commonplace now that way I’ve moved here permanently,” Katy explains.

Hearing Minerva speak about the bakery her parents own, and that this is where the pastry came from, Nicole lifts another pinch in a cheer towards her. "Mm. It's good. Thank you, and him." She smiles, nodding towards Vyv before her eyes start to scan the room, and those in it, after Minerva inquires about powers. Her only answer is a very soft, subtle shrug.

Like that student that always tries to sneak in unnoticed, the little gamer slides into the back of the room as quietly as possible to listen. She knew she was late and was definitely trying not to disturb proceedings. Abitha was still bundled up from the cold, she loosens her scarf and takes off her hat, leaning against the wall as she watches.

Pausing as he hears the others, Jonathan lets out a bit of a breath. "I don't know. Something started when I was recovering from concussions, but I haven't had a chance to try to figuring things out until... Well, now, more or less." He nods at Katy's words as well. "More commonplace these days," he agrees.

Finally, a soft voice... cast forth in a brief break in the discussion: "It happened fourteen years ago. I was only ten." Meredith supplies, looking around with a touch of color to her cheeks. "I felt everything... the emotions.... I have been trying my very best to maintain my calm as an adult but sometimes it's... well, it's hard, you see." Said in her fluting way. Abitha's entrance is noted and the gamer is given a quick smile, before Merry silences dutifully.

“I have bits and flashes of memories of recent events...some more vivid than others. I once woke up with an injury I didn’t have when I went to bed,” Katy volunteered the information though she didn’t give too many details, “And on a separate night, I feel like I had been beaten up pretty hard.” There was a pause before she added, “But weird things have been happening to me for years. The first time it happened, I had windows break around me when I was upset when I was 14...I could even feel my Dad being worried once. Like, actually feel his anxiety.”

Ciprian looks over at Beth when she says she's shocked people, and there's a little sound that escapes him, as though he's covering a laugh. It turns into a louder laugh when Minerva reminds him of all the times she shocked him, as well. "It's really not fair," he comments, but the amusement fades when Jonathan speaks, and then Meredith. His expression becomes more thoughtful, and he reaches for Beth's hand to squeeze it briefly before he releases it again.

Esme seems content to listen for now as others express their experiences and power levels. Making a few notes as Minerva elaborates on Dreams and 'Dark Men'. "That's what I keep being told." Esme agreed. "To not use the powers unless you absolutely must. Sparingly, carefully. Since bad things happen otherwise. I have only experienced a couple of these...Dreams...but it was pretty jarring. I'm a very logical person and all this." She makes a little motion with her hands. "Even though I know it's real...I'm still having trouble accepting it.

Frowning as he listens, Jonathan lets out a bit of a breath. "How..." he begins, going quiet again, before he adds, "How does these Dark Men look?"

Vyv listens quietly, though eventually speaks up: "Is there a particular way to determine 'excessively', aside from 'if you incur consequences, it was too much'? Indicators or guidelines before things got that far seem as though they'd be useful to determine."

It is the topic of Dark Men that gets Nicole writing again. Shaking her head, she murmurs, "not how I want to be a snack..." Her fingers wrap around her cup of cocoa and she lifts it for a slow sip, careful to not leave behind a cocoa mustache. "Dreams... I pretty much assume anything I can't explain was a dream...." She looks aside to Vyv and dips her head sideways. "Good question."

A little shudder at this mention of Dark Men. Merry's introspective, attentive manner takes on an anxious bent. Small hands knit into her lap, worrying the corner of a notepad page. She has nothing to supply re: dreams, for she has never experienced such. Her blue eyes drop nervously into her lap.

Beth's lips twitch upwards in humor and she says to Ciprian, "I don't blame her for that." She listens to the others with a thoughtful expression as they speak. To Esme she says, "You did something to that man-spider. In the house. When we were kids." Whatever that is supposed to mean. She squeezes Ciprian's hand back. At the mention of the dark men she gets a thoughtful expression on her face.

Legs crossed at the ankle, leaning against the wall, Abitha continues to listen to what Minerva explains and what everyone was passing around. This was pretty much everything Sparrow had covered in the e-mail she'd be sent. At this point it was more cataloging each person in the room. The druid and warlock were noted, but she conflated this to mean anyone in this room could be in a Dream with her in the future, and it helped to know friend from foe.

Speaking up again after a long silence, and a sip from the coffee in his left hand, the gorilla in the back of the room uses his basso voice, "From what it seems to me, these things," he nods to Minerva, "these Dark men, I would guess don't live in our world but, like, a plane that's over or under our own." He uses his large hands to illustrate. "And sometimes they wander and bump into us and then its a feeding time, like lamprey on sharks, following and feeding until full. But when you guys use your powers, it's like a flare in a dark room and sends more to you."

Jonathan nods a bit slowly as he listens, gaze going to Katy for a few moments, then looking to the others again. "When, in one of those... dream-like situations, when you're facing these Dark Men. What can you do to defend yourself?" he asks, after a few more moments of pause.

“More importantly, it’s not just them out there, is there? Are there other types of creatures that hunt us with special abilities?” Katy asks quietly.

Beth listens with a pensive expression on her face. She hesitates a moment, as if unsure if she should ask, before finally she inquires, "Is it common for things to leave the Veil to kill?" Another hesitant pause before she elaborates, "There is something that is ripping people's hearts out in town." A glance is given to Everett then as if she recognizes him.

Touching his lips with his free, sausage-thick fingers at the mention of Agents, Everett grimaces darkly. He lets Minerva speak, taking another sip, and shrugs. "I dunno. I've seen some weird things from Killer Clown collecting Kids, to the one that's out there now." He pauses and holds up a finger; Wait a moment.

Reaching inside his leather jacket, Everett withdraws his smartphone and fiddles with it for a moment before turning the volume up loud in time for the eerie, otherworldly cry that if any other person in the room recognizes, perhaps all to well, would be Beth. The other sounds on the clip, police shouting, a gun shot, and Devlin demanding to know who discharged their weapon, if you recognize his voice, before the ape turns the recording off, fiddles with his phone again and stuffs the phone back inside his inside jacket pocket one handed with a nod to Beth.

Staring at Everett after he plays that recording, Nicole looks to Minerva, shaking her head. "I should be going, really... but I am grateful for this, and hope to make many more."

Jonathan grimaces as he listens to that recording. "What the..." he mutters, mostly under his breath. There's a pause as he hears Minerva's words about wrapping up. "There's a bit to process for most people, after all," he offers.

The color drains from Beth's face as she hears the recording. She doesn't say anything else. Instead she leans forward ever so slightly to stare down at her empty coffee cup.

Ciprian hasn't said much up until now -- and actually, he doesn't say anything at the recording either -- but what he does do is look over at Beth, and he reaches out to take her hand again, squeezing it gently. This time he doesn't let go, and even the small smile from before is nowhere to be seen.

"Sorry," apologizes the thug in the back with a broad grin that suggests he isn't at all in the least. At least he hasn't said it's a bad kisser. With that information kept to himself, he hides his amusement behind his cup, poised to take a drink from it, while returning a weary gaze at Nicole.

Katy looks positively alarmed at the new information she’s gained and her hand squeezes Jonathan’s even harder. She gives a polite smile and says, “Thank you for having us, Minerva. I should be heading out. If I have any more questions, I’ll be sure to look you up.” Katy releases Jonathan’s hand and steps out quickly.

Jonathan pauses as he sees Katy head out, waiting for a few moments before he follows after her rather quickly.