Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She's lounging about at home, looking a little tired, drained. But happy, too. It's just been one of those weeks.

Terry O'Brian: *buzzes Michelle's apartment, and he'll even drop his Arcane*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: Over to the phone she goes, picking it up. "Hello?"

Terry O'Brian: "Hey, it's Terry."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "C"mon up, Terry." BZZZT.

Terry O'Brian: *and he heads on up, knocking on Michelle's apartment door as soon as he gets there*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She opens the door, smiling to him. "Hey, c'mon in, Terry. How are you?"

Terry O'Brian: "I'm great." *heads in, he's beaming...I mean, normally he's cheerful and all, but today he's outdoing himself completely*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: A bit of a smile, and he shuts the door. "Well, you're especially cheerful. Who's the lucky girl?"

Terry O'Brian: "Well, this actually has nothing to do with that. I managed to...I dunno, I guess probably best way to say it is cast a spell, except it was something I didn't know I could do before!"

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Awesome..." She nods. "What did you do?"

Terry O'Brian: "Well, there was this wolf a lot of people seem to know named Venus, and she was really making a friend of mine upset, so I got her to back off so my friend could leave...I mean, she was hyperventilating!" *grinning*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Venus did?" She blinks. "Who was the friend?"

Terry O'Brian: "Eh, I don't think she'd want me to tell you." *shrugs* "She's kind of private."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Samantha Jacobs? Abbey Randelle?"

Terry O'Brian: *shakes his head* "Nope. You probably don't know her. Anyway, I also wanted to talk to you about, like...what sorts of things you would teach me...like, how do you do things, and what do you believe?"

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She nods, smiling a little. "Cmon, let's sit." She heads into the living room, sitting on one of the couches.

Terry O'Brian: *heads over to a couch and takes a seat*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "All right. So. We're gonna get the very important but exceptionally dull part out of the way. The rules."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok." *nods* "Just to be completely honest, I want to make sure you know I'm still trying to decide where I fit...trying to get more information and such before making a decision...just seems like a good idea to me."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Makes sense." She nods. "My Tradition, the Cult of Ecstacy, have a set of rules set down by the founder of the Cult, Sh'zar. It's called the Code of Ananda. Consider it, like, the Ten Commandments of the Cult. There's even ten."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok." *nods, and goes into quiet listening mode*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Okay, so these rules are a little bit old sounding, so bear with me. I'll explain them all after I'm done listing them." She smiles a little and begins, repeating with far more then what would be considered rote memorization familiarity. It's said like someone who truly understands.
"First: Thou art mircaulous; so are we all.
Second: He who spits upon his good right hand will find the left one fails him in need.
Third: Each gold coin yields two like it; each stalk given creates a bundle. Yet each count taken turns the rest to dross, and one bundle gone creates a famine. Thus shall a Seer count his deeds.
Fourth: Some minds best rest asleep. Strie not those who would not waken otherwise.
Fifth: Truths foreseen are not always truths.
Sixth: If a man or woman would rend anothers passions, let him be as one torn by wild dogs. For passions are the seat of the Self, and if they bleed, so to does the soul."

Terry O'Brian: *keeps listening, she said ten, he's not saying anything until she lists ten*

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Seventh: Let each Seer acount his own deeds, and if those deeds should want for wisdom or kindness, let him be put forth to weep alone.
Eighth: Humor cooleth blood; wrath spilleth it.
Ninth: Even trees rent by lightning may grow new fruit.
And tenth: A fool feels no fear; a Sleeper remains shackled by it; a Master transcends it, yet recalls its wisdom. It is good to be afraid; it is folly to bow to terror."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok...I think I get a few of them. Some of them seemed very much the standard 'you reap what you sow' and 'treat people like human being' stuff."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She grins a little. "yeah, pretty much. Now, one at a time. 'Thou art miraculous; so are we all.' Yeah, this is a treat people like human beings rule. The idea here is that just because you can work magic, doesn't mean that those who can't are nobody. Every life is a miracle, capable of great things. The greatest things and most horrific acts in history had nothing to do with mages. They were done by Sleepers. That's something important to remember."

Terry O'Brian: *nods* "Gotcha."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: Rule the Second: He who spits upon his good right hand will find the left one fails him in need. This is an admonition to cooperate. Something us mages here in New York could remember. We may be magical tough-guys, but no one can handle anything and everything. Don't take anything for granted; if you do, then it won't be there when you need it. Especially allies."

Terry O'Brian: *and he nods again* "Of course...taking things for granted never ends well. People, places, things, whatever."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: "Yep. Next...each gold coin yields two like it; each stalk given creates a bundle. Yet each count taken turns the rest to dross, and one bundle gone creates a famine. Thus shall a Seer count his deeds." She looks to Terry. "You familiar with the concept of karma? Or the Wiccan's threefold law?"

Terry O'Brian: "Not really." *shakes his head* "In fact, I can safely say I've never heard of either."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She nods. "It's simple. The more you give, the more that is created. Thus, the more you have access to. But the more you take, the more that everything starts to die, unless you give more in it's place."

Terry O'Brian: *nods* "Ok. Makes sense."

Michelle Morgan [Earlier Today]: She nods, smiling. "Four: Some minds best rest asleep. Stir not those who would not waken otherwise." She sighs. "Some people are just not destined to way up wih theire on way. Those who are lead to our path must seek Ecstacy before they now it, you know?"

Terry O'Brian: "Ok...I think so." *hesitant nod* "Basically it's saying that people need to make a choice, you can't make the choice for them?"

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods. "Pretty much, yeah. The Cult is all about pushing the boundaries to rise above. However, we're also about personal choice. And only your Muse can tell you when you're ready to Awaken."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok. That makes sense."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods. "Beauty. Okay, fifth rule: Truths foreseen are not always truths. The wording of this has to do with the fact that the Cult are seers. We specialize in such things...seeing what came before, sometimes what will come ahead, too. Anyway, the whole point is that you can't just rely on your magic for insight. Or for anything else. A lot of mages get so reliant on their magic that when a situation comes up, the go straight to magic use. Ripping Life Patterns instead of throwing a punch. Teleporting instead of running. Scanning a mind before trying to read someone's emotions off the face. Bad idea."

Terry O'Brian: "So people let the coolness factor overwhelm the decision about what's the best tool for the job?"

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Not necessarily the coolness factor, but there's that, too." She grins as she stands up, moving to the entertainment center and pulling out some incense sticks. She selects a Sandalwood stick, lighting it and setting it in a holder on top of the televesion as she talks. "It's more the power thing. If you've got all the power in the universe, why not use it? Sadly, that's the equivalent of using a bazooka to kill a bug sometimes. Overkill, with all the nasty side effects overkill tends to bring."

Terry O'Brian: "Gotcha. It is a matter of the right tool for the job, but the problem is more an addiction to power than it is the coolness factor."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Exactly." She nods, taking a momnt to breath in the incense before looking back to him. "There's a more mundane aspect to it, too. It's a fancy way of saying when you assume, you make an out of you and me. Never take what you think you know for granted, and don't let your assumptions be interpreted as fact."

Terry O'Brian: *nods* "Alright."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She grins a little, moving back to take a seat. "See? We're all deep and shit, with our two meanings in one sentance."

Terry O'Brian: *and his grin widens a bit* "You've got me all impressed."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: A chuckle. "Rule number six: If a man or woman would rend anothers passions, let him be as one torn by wild dogs. For passions are the seat of the Self, and if they bleed, so to does the soul." She pauses a moment, shrugging. "Sh'zar was a great man, but he was a bit wordy from time to time. Basically, what he's saying here is, don't fuck with the Passions. The Cult is all about Passions. They're the seat of everything. By feeling them fully, we're able to expand our minds and ride those passions out until we find Ananda...enlightenment. If we turn a source of joy into a source of terror, fear, or pain, then we turn people away from wanting to feel joy again. Similarly, if we take the fear someone's and turn it into joy, then they no longer have that fear to draw upon. And thuse, they'll never be able to reach ecstacy, and expend their lives and spirits."

Terry O'Brian: "Got it. Let people feel what they're supposed to feel...sort of like the whole don't make other peoples' decisions for them thing."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods. "Every passion has it's uses, even ones like Fear, Envy, and Hate. Let people feel how they should...don't let them get consumed by it, mind you. Bad things happen then. But don't take a healthy feeling and turn it around."

Terry O'Brian: *nods*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: A smile, and she moves onward. "Seventh. Let each Seer acount his own deeds, and if those deeds should want for wisdom or kindness, let him be put forth to weep alone. Welcome to the law of accountability. We within the Cult are all about community. We're pretty social creatures, for the most part. We need community to function, and we have a drive toward being part of a community. You'll find that me and the other Ecstatic in town, Rachelle, are pretty close. You'll also note I'm consistantly trying to get all of the mages to HAVE a sense of community." She gives a slightly pained smile. "Which is why this is one is such a kicker. If a mage within a community risks us all with idiotic actions or behavior, then they tend to be shunned. Thus, the chance of being a pariah tend to keep most mages from doing dumbass things they'd otherwise do."

Terry O'Brian: "Makes sense though...do something retarded that endangers everyone, and no one is going to want to talk to you."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Yep...exactly." She nods. And moving right along...humor cooleth blood; wrath spilleth it. Rule eight. Basically, the idea of 'Stop and count to ten' before doing anything rash. Take life in stride...don't take things so seriously, and don't turn every slight into fighting words."

Terry O'Brian: *and again he nods*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Number nine...Even trees rent by lightning may grow new fruit. We're saying never give up, never surrender here, specifically with people. Even those who have had their Passions deflied...rape victims, drug addicts, burnouts...they can heal and learn to enjoy life. People make mistakes, and they get hurt. No one is a lost cause, with the exception of Nephandi and Marauders. And you should always try and help others find their way back to the path of wellness and Ananda."

Terry O'Brian: "Always good to remember that one." *nods, as he seems to be doing quite often in this scene, due to the player not being able to come up with a better agreement gesture*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: ((I know the feeling. Paris: "Looks. Watches. Listens. Nods. Smiles. GAAAH!" *G*))

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "And the tenth commandment...a fool feels no fear; a Sleeper remains shackled by it; a Master transcends it, yet recalls its wisdom. It is good to be afraid; it is folly to bow to terror." She pauses. "Damn, Sh'zar was wordy."

Terry O'Brian: "Well, he seems to have done a good job putting a lot of common-sense things into words so that people won't forget them."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She smiles. "No, he did. Sh'zar was the man. This is an admonition to avoid being crazy about your fears. Fear is one of those Passions a lot of people, even experienced Cultists, can't get their brains around right. Some people try to ignore fear...others try to confront every fear head-on. Both lead to a lot of dead people."

Terry O'Brian: *and, yet AGAIN, he nods* "Got it...I think."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods. "Balance wisdom with passion, basically. Be aware of Fear...it keeps you alive. Just don't let it enslave you."

Terry O'Brian: "Makes sense."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "And those are our laws. The Code that guides us toward Ananda." She nods with a grin.

Terry O'Brian: "Seems like they're rules to live by whether or not you're a Cultist..."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "That's how I like to see them, yeah." She nods. "The other Traditions have much more complex rules. Us, we like the 'rules to live by' method."

Terry O'Brian: "I was actually sorta expecting something a lot more complex." *nods* "But I like the sort of 'Just be a decent person and don't do anything stupid' feel these have."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Common sense is your friend." She chuckles. "So, let me ask you a question, Terry. What are you feeling right now?"

Terry O'Brian: "Well, still excited about actually having managed some magic while knowing what I was doing...and also I'm just not sure where I belong." *gives a bit of a shrug* "But I figure it'll come to me when the time is right, and worrying about it too urgently won't do me any good, so I'm just not going to."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Good philosophy." She smiles. "Now. Describe what you just said, in the form of emotions."

Terry O'Brian: "Umm...excitement, like I said or maybe happiness or something I guess it could be called...and um...a bit of uncertainty...errr..." *shrugs* "Best name I have for it is uncertainty."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods a little bit at that. "That's a start. There's a reason I asked you that. Mages...we're creatures of power, Terry. We literally shape the world around us. However, it's important to always keep yourseif grounded and knowledgable of your emotions when you access that power. We're also creatures of intent, and when you try to use your magic, your feelings will be a huge part of that. It's hard to heal someone when you're taken by Hate...it can get in the way. By the same token, if you don't realize how much Joy you're feeling when you try to hurt someone in defense, then the power of your magic may be skewed without your realizing it."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok...so even moreso than for normal people, self-awareness is important. Got it."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Absolutely. You'll find that I'm a very passionate person, as are most Cultists. We venerate the Passions as sacred things. No passion is truly without merit...they all can drive us to great things, or sink us low. Cultists define them into the Nine Passions. Joy, Empathy, Lust, Grief, Fear, Jealous, Hate, Rage, and Love."

Terry O'Brian: *nods, listening intently, apparently unsure of what to say next*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Like I've said, Terry...never hide from these emotions. They're good things. Just don't let them overtake you." She leans back a little. "Any questions thus far?"

Terry O'Brian: "Not yet...basically what you're talking about now is self-awareness and self-control, right?"

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods. "The things you need to know in order to safely practice magic. Exactly."

Terry O'Brian: "Then no questions."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Good deal." She grins a little bit, then watches him a moment. "So. You wanna feel what it means to be a Cultist?"

Terry O'Brian: "Uhh, sure." *seems somewhat uncertain though*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She smiles. "Relax, in won't hurt a bit. What I'm going to do is join our minds together. You'll feel what I feel, and vice versa. Leave our minds totally open to each other. It's an act of trust and understanding."

Terry O'Brian: "Ok..." *he waits for Michelle to do something*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods and rotates on the couch, to face him, legs going into the lotus position, and holds her hands out for him to take.

Terry O'Brian: *he mimics her action and sits in lotus position, then takes Michelle's hands*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: Her eyes shut, and she starts to hum a little snippet of a song. ((Mind 3; Mental Link. Cha+Perf with Perf. Aptitude to lower diff; 3 rolls. WP spent on last roll only))

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 5,10,2,8,7,8,6,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 5,3,4,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 9,2,4,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 8,2,9,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: ((8 successes. One put into affecting Terry; 1 put into making it last the scene. 6 successes to link their minds. Per+Awarness))

Terry O'Brian: 10,3,9,4,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: Terry feels Michelle's mind expanding as she sings, crossing outside of her pattern and finding his own mind, liberating itself from it's confines. It brushes up against his own mind, slowly pressing further, until their minds are linked as one.

Terry O'Brian: *and of course, with the niftiness of it all, he lets out a* "Whoa..." *and immediately wonders if he can do this sort of thing*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She smiles a little, letting the hum die off. Terry can feel her emotions, of course, and they are raw, pure emotions. She is currently feeling a deep calm. She's very protective of Terry, really viewing him as a student right now, and quite pleased he has taken to the Code so well...she really honestly likes him. She loves Samantha deeply, as well as Rachelle, though she feels a little Guilt over something that occurred between them. Tansy is also heavy in her mind, and that's a conundrum to her; she doesn't know quite what to do with the girl. She's tired, but feeling much better, and quite proud of herself for helping Rachelle come back to a good state of mind. And she's feeling much joy at Terry's eagerness to learn these kinds of things. She's hoping that he might be able to help her unite the mages, and even wants him to join the Chantry. ~TP~ "Whoa, indeed." A mental grin and wink.

Terry O'Brian: *Terry's inward sense rather closely mirrors his outward self - he's still rather proud of having managed to protect Elena from Venus, especially through magic, and he's rather impressed by this whole set up...those are the two dominant things right now. Beneath it is a mixture of brotherly and parental affection towards his sister, strong friendships with Arlett and Elena, and some uncertainty with Rene, who Terry seems to think is willing to teach him also* "Does this go both ways?" *and of course, there's quite a bit of curiousity*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: ~TP~ "It does, Terry, yes." She nods lightly.

Terry O'Brian: ~TP~ "This is, without a doubt, the coolest thing ever!" *a joy not dissimilar from that of a small child who was just given a new toy*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She laughs, both physically and mentally, revelling in his wonderment. ~TP~ "I'm glad you think so, Terry. It definitely has it's uses. It's a tool of understanding, knowledge, and communication. It can also be a healing tool...for without knowing what someone's thinking, you can't help them heal. It's never done to a friend without permission, of course...but when permissioin is granted, it's a wondrous thing."

Terry O'Brian: ~TP~ "Think I could learn how to do this?"

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "In time, yeah. I've been working on it for quite a while. I'll starting teaching you how later."

Terry O'Brian: "Great! You're certainly not as secretive about things as Rene is."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: "Rene is from a different culture. The Voudoun are very secret about their ways. I prefer openness and trust."

Terry O'Brian: "Definitely seems preferable to me." *nods*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She lets go of his hands, leaning sideways against the back of the couch and opening her eyes. ~TP~ "Do you know how to shield your mind, Terry?"

Terry O'Brian: *as she goes back to telepathy, he does also* ~TP~ "No idea. Never even thought of it before you brought it up."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She nods a little. ~TP~ "Let me show you. It's an important skill to have, particularly with some of the nasties around." Thoughts flash to a black man, and thoughts of Hate, but they're quickly brushed away. She starts to hum again, as she starts to build up the barrier around Terry's mind. ((Mind 1, of course; Cha+Perf, 2 rolls. No WP))

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 7,5,2,8,3,4,4,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 2,8,5,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: 4,6,6,

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: It feels very warm, inviting, as that liberating feeling flows over Terry, incasing his mind in a buffer of emotions, drawn out from his own psyche. She draws upon all emotions, not just happy ones, leaving them as a flowing barricade in his mind, protecting him from external influences.

Terry O'Brian: *he's trying to pay attention to what Michelle is doing so that he can reproduce the effect*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: Eventually, it's done, and she draws back, relaxing. ~TP~ "See how I did that? You can draw upon your emotion for great strength, protecting you from the effects of others, Terry. There's mind-control effects out there...that gives you a barrier, making it harder or impossible to break through."

Terry O'Brian: ~TP~ "I think I saw." *and he nods*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She smiles. ~TP~ "Good. Practice trying that a every now and then, try and perfect it. It's a simple, but incredibly useful tool."

Terry O'Brian: ~TP~ "I will...it does sounds useful."

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: ~TP~ "Good deal." After a moment, she lets both efects fade away, gradually, leaving them sitting on the couch together.

Terry O'Brian: *and Terry's now completely at a loss for what to say next, nothing quite seems to be appropriate*

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She smiles at him, leaning forward to pat his knee. "S'okay, Terry. A lot of people get that way, after their first mindlink."

Terry O'Brian: *he sort of nods dumbly for a moment, before finally getting out the awkward* "I think I need to be going...what time is it?"

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: She checks her watch. "It's fairly late...you want me to drive you home?"

Terry O'Brian: "If you don't mind." *nods* ((and mind leaving it off with that? I'm rather in need of sleep now))

Michelle Morgan [July 5]: ((No problem...thanks for the RP))

Terry O'Brian: ((and thank you as well! *heads off to catch up on his sleep*))