Better late than never (Open) - 06/21/2013

Doctor Ion will arrive at the Manor. His beaten up Ford Fusion parked, he takes a deep breath, trying to purge himself of the anger and frustration of the day. After a few moments, he gets out and knocks on the door.

The door opened and standing in front of the Doctor was a woman dressed in a black Maid's outfit. Raven Hair was pulled tight in a very neat top bun with eyes as green as emeralds looking directly into the Etherite's.  The eye contact was intense and would probably be unsettling were it not for her engaging smile. 

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Hopefully this will go better, the young man thinks to himself. "Hello. My name is Doctor Ion. A pleasure to meet you." What he registers as a friendly smile picks up his spirits and he smiles back.


"I am here to see Mr. Covington. I'm rather late for an invitation of his."

The Maid at the door continued her stare. After the Doctor stated his name her expression lightens up even further.

"Ah, Doctor Ion!  Welcome! We were worried about you.  Come in, please"

She steps aside after bidding you to come in.  Once inside of the Foyer, she closes the door behind you.

"This way please." 

 From the foyer, she leads you to a well appointed parlor inside there are several chairs, tables, couches and a wide range of reading materials. 

In one of the chairs is a child no older than 14 or 15. His shaggy dark hair is constantly getting in the way of his eyes but he manages.  

"Harlan, Doctor Ion has arrived."

Looking up from the text, he sees the Etherite across the room and energetically places the book on the table next to his chair.  Standing and making strides across the room the Hermetic reaches out to shake the Doctor's hand.

"Doctor Ion, a pleasure to meet you.  I am Harlan Covington, bani Bonisagus bani Hermes.  I was becoming concerned. I was about to send someone to go look for you."

As the lady lets him inside Ion thanks her. Even indoors he keeps the umbrella with him. He grips the umbrella handle as if it comforts him.

He reaches out and shakes the hand of the energetic Harlan, a friendly smile on his face as he starts to feel comfortable.

"A pleasure to meet you too Mr. Covington. And apologies for my tardiness, I was lost. I do hope your invitation was not concerning something time sensitive."

He surveys the room around him, curious at what types of books there are here.

The reading material around the room is varied. With a trained eye, one can tell that these are all reproduction of much older texts. 

Francis Barret's The Magus
Excepts from the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Bible(In several translations)

In lighter reading there are copies of things like

Popular Mechanics
Time Magazine
The New Yorker
The Wall Street Journal
Wired


"No, nothing time sensitive. I am glad that you made it."

Harlan looks the the woman behind the Etherite.  "Mika, if you could please?"

With those words, the maid leaves 

"Please sit down. I asked you here to pick your brain.  How do things get along  for Mages in other parts of the country?"

The maid returns quickly with a rather large cart and wheels it next to the Doctor. There is a tea kettle and a plate of Vanilla Meringue cookies on it.

"Thank you Mika. Would you mind getting me a cup of ice please?"

Doctor Ion sits in the offered chair and puts down his umbrella and bag.

"There seem to be so few Natural Philosophers. I work in the Illinois area but travel quite extensively. In Illinois, until recently, I had only met three, and that includes my mentor Professor Argon. But last week we made contact with a few more and due to some recent events in the area we decided to form an informal council."

He pauses and smiles ruefully. "Let me add a preface. I may not be using standard terminology and I have yet to acclimate fully to Natural Philosopher society, so I apologize beforehand. A side effect of geographical and voluntary seclusion that I am attempting to correct."

"Back to Illinois. There are a handful of us and we are beginning to open up lines of communication and cooperation. Which, from what I have heard is a phenomenon occurring in several other locations in the United States with varying degrees of success."

"I'm quite confident there are Natural Philosophers in Georgia and Kentucky but have been unable to get in contact with any of them." (ooc: there are no mage games there)

"I met a group of people in Rhode Island who seem a friendly bunch. And there is a School in Milwaukee I think. Or at least they are calling it a school, I have yet to visit there. I have also met a few scattered Natural Philosophers who like myself do not have a lab group that they belong to."

He shifts in his seat. "Each geographic area seems to be its own similar but distinctly unique formula of sociopolitical maneuvering between the various groups of enhanced humans, as well as local planar creatures. So each group that I have met has had their own tales of trouble."

"Though I'm confused why you would ask me and not reach out to the various groups yourselves. There is a medium of communications that we have created designed for cross regional Natural Philosopher matters and general dialogue. I was at Midwinter when it began." Ion smiles, obviously proud to be a part of something greater than himself.

"Did you hear what happened at the Midwinter Gathering? Not sure if anyone named it but that is what I have been calling it."

"Yo, dis private?" Carlos pokes his head in, tattered pants and T-shirt hanging off his body loosely, hat turned backwards.

Doctor Ion waves in greeting. "Hello" and then turns to Harlan. "This is your house, though I don't mind the company."

Harlan nodded as the Doctor gave his story.

Carlos had a way of just walking in.  The hermetic smiled and looked at the cart.  

"No that's fine Carlos, please come in.  I was just speaking to a newcomer."

He stands up and reaches his hand out to shake hands.

"Doctor Ion, pleasure to meet you."

"Carlos Martinez," he says with rolled 'r' and thick accent, shaking the doctor's hand enthusiastically.
 
"Good ta meetcha." He looks for a place to sit and throws himself into it.
 
"Doctor? Etherite?" He looks to Harlan to confirm rather than the Doctor himself.

Harlan nods. Yes Carlos.

He nods as well. Looking to Carlos to see if he had anything more to say, Doctor Ion shifts in his seat so that he can talk to both of them at the same time.

"As I was just telling Mr. Convington, there is a global communications protocol for Natural Philosophers that we are establishing. I was also letting him know what I knew about other groups of Natural Philosophers in my travels."

"Whaddya mean, 'other groups'? We talkin' Chantries, Traditions, Cabals, what?" Carlos hardly seems to settle in, always having the appearance of being ready to jump at a moment's notice.

"The communications protocol is for all of us. Even trusted Specialists."

Ion offers a can of soda to Carlos and then takes a sip.
"As for my own travels, I have met several Chantries and Cabals."