[September 20, 2020. Conveniently enough Mael called not so long after the Lonava research. After checking in (everybody's fine), Jonathon suggested a meeting and Mael somewhat hesitantly agreed.] [She went with the ruins of a keep in Whales, occasional tourist spot, but it's a bit of a hike and mostly in ruins, and any visitors can be seen coming a long ways a way.] [The building itself is in ruins, barely two stories tall although it was likely once at least four tall. There are signs warning against standing on the crumbling walls.] [The meeting time was set for 1700 GMT. Jon had a bit of transit time, although not too much if he took an express train and then rented a car. Although he could also just take a long fairly pleasant drive if he preferred. The hike is about two miles over mixed but not especially treacherous terrain.] [He can see the keep for a few minutes before he arrives, although he doesn't see a figure there yet.] [Start] * Jonathon comes! He's not in his usual business attire for once. It seems like he prepared for a hike. He is wearing much cooler clothes (and as an added effect, much less clothes). He pulls up to the lot in his rental car and steps out of the vehicle, tugging out a cigarette and squinting at the keep. [The keep at this point is pretty much just a mark on the horizon. The trail to it is fairly well marked, if not all that commonly tread. There's one other car in the parking lot.] [Low end family sedan. Has a "I brake for castles" bumper sticker. Which is probably a good idea all told.] * Jonathon hmms at the other car and walks over to check it out. A look on his face indicates he highly doubts that Maelstrom may need one, but doesn't hurt to check. (*snickers* Sadly the "I plow through castles" bumper stickers didn't sell nearly as well.) (Lets see, awareness vision roll.) (Jonathon is sadly unaware) [Its a bit messy inside with a map showing. Seems to be a car shared by a few people, maybe a kid in the back seat. He rather doesn't think that it’s Mael's.] * Jonathon shrugs and turns around, taking a moment to light his cigarette. He glances at the keep and then the trail, taking an even puff and sauntering over to there. [The trail, as afore mentioned, is slightly rough but fairly well defined. He going down it?] * Jonathon takes one last look around the lot for Mael. Barring seeing her, yes he heads a little down the trail. [He doesn't. Give me another awareness, sense of choice, roll.] [Jonathon hears people talking just over a bend in the trail, when he's about halfway there.] * Jonathon stops, half tempted to pull out his directional mike, then smiles to himself. Not on assignment. He heads around the bend casually. [A male, female, and a boy come around the bend. "I still think it was better than the last one." "You just like seeing things in ruins." "Maybe, but I told you it was under-rated and I think it I was right."] [Hikers look over to Jonathon. The boy says "Hello." the others nod pleasantly.] * Jonathon smiles and waves. "Hallo there. Beautiful day for a hike, isn't it?" He takes a deep breath and looks on the majestic beauty of the ruins. "I wonder if I should have brought my camera." * Female smiles and nods. "Quite nice. Are a few good shots." Particularly if you like ruins. And I think there's a black sheep or something out in the distance. I think you're seeing things honey. [The group walks past Jonathon as they talk.] * Jonathon smirks as he watches the family go and turns back to the ruins. Should be clear now. [He gets there without any trouble or noticing anyone else. The keep itself is interesting, if you like that sort of thing, but not all that fascinating for anyone else. No Mael in sight just yet.] * Jonathon checks out the keep while he's here. He makes a fascinating interest in just about anything! [He's looking over one of the stairways that actually partially survived when he turns a corner to see Mael waiting, sitting cross-legged on a stone hovering just above the ground. She is wearing hiking garb, shorts and a fairly fetching halter top, and her dark hair looks somewhat attended to. She does look like she's missed a few meals, but not to the point of being unhealthy.] * Mael smiles slightly and comments in a tone with a slight note of snark. "Greetings, benefactor." * Jonathon smiles and takes his fingers up to his forehead, giving her his usual salute/wave. "Weren't waiting long I hope?" * Jonathon then raises an eyebrow. "Benefactor you say?" You're right on time. And liberator seemed a bit much, can't have things I saw going to your head. * Jonathon smiles nervously and rubs the back of his head. "I don't know about either of those. Is asking you to call me "Jonathon" a bit much?" * Mael shakes her head. "So what's up Jonathon?" * Jonathon glances at her and puts out his cigarette on the side of the ruins, flicking it aside. "That's it? No pleasantries? No enjoying the scenery? I'd suspected you chose this place because you enjoy it to some extent." He looks around slightly. "It does have a certain appeal though...any particular meaning to you?" I've actually been enjoying the scenery for a while. But I chose this place mostly because it was out of the way." She frowns. "Or so I thought. But I did see castles with dad." She cuts herself off and frowns more. * Jonathon nods slightly and glances out the window calmly, folding his arms across the stone sill, or whatever may be left of it. "Well that family seemed to have left. Castle buffs...probably just as much tourists as anything else. Tourists are silly people. They don't see the spectacular that's happening around them all the time.." * Mael shrugs and comments slightly whistfully. "In the memories I have Melissa quite enjoyed herself." * Jonathon glances out of the side towards Maelstrom, then back out the window. "You have any regrets about that then?" * Mael looks at Jonathon oddly. "Regrets?" * Jonathon shrugs and turns around, arms back to the sill and proping him up a little. "Well I'm not sure how I'd feel in your situation myself." * Mael shrugs again and looks off in the distance. "I'm content with my choices, and I wasn't really alive back when those memories took place." The second part seems somewhat addressed to herself. Mmm-hmm... * Jonathon closes his eyes and looks at Maelstrom more seriously. "I have a friend I would like you to meet with if you are interested." * Mael keeps looking off in the distance, her tone has a slight note of suspision. "Oh?" * Jonathon nods his head slightly, speaking casually with his eyes glancing up. "It'd be unfair of me to suggest it without consulting you, so I figured now would be as good an opportunity as ever." He turned to glance at her. "Plus I thought it'd put you in good standing, but if you don't wish it publicized, I wholly understand." [Isn't much of a ceiling left, for the record.] * Mael nods. "Go on." * Jonathon flicks a possibly imaginary speck off his outfit and looks back upward. "Have you heard about the recent incident at the Chunnel? I suspect so. It's been on the news plenty." There was a terrorist attack I think. They collapsed it, but not quite. * Jonathon nods slightly and sighs. "I'm not sure how much of it was poor planning. I wasn't there. SAB was involved, but the extent of the personal responsibilities is of course being shifted." He chuckles slightly. "As governmental agencies are apt to do." * Mael nods in a somewhat disinterested fashion. * Jonathon chuckles. "I'll cut to the chase. I did mention to Lonava that I possibly had someone who could help with the reconstruction. I didn't give a name obviously, but I thought that it couldn't hurt to ask, right?" He looks over at her solidly and stares at her eyes. * Mael is still looking away, she seems slightly torn, but mostly she's deep in thought. "Who is Lonava?" * Jonathon shifts his position a little, looking at her. "Have you heard of the Templars?" Knights? I think they might have been French. * Jonathon chuckles slightly at that and gives Mael a faint smirk. "Perhaps. But I meant of the more modern variety." * Mael glances over at Jonathon. "Than you have me at a loss. Who are they?" They're an organization devoted to the rights of the supernatural. They mainly seem to be interested in protecting individuals who are persecuted due to their unusual nature, helping others, getting kittens out of trees, veritable bloody boy and girl scouts, you know the drill." (Or whatever the British equivalent of boy scouts would be ^^;) (Boy Scouts. Bayton Powell was British. :P) (There we are then!) * Mael looks out in the distance again. "Sounds suspicious." * Jonathon shrugs. "I don't deny that. That's why I'd like to find out more about it..." He looks over at her. "If you don't wish to meet her, that's perfectly fine. I wasn't even considering asking you to join the organization in the first place. If you agreed to help, everything you did would be on your terms alone. I could even ask that no one else be present that you did not explicitly allow." * Mael just looks thoughtful out into the distance, she's quiet for a while. * Jonathon shakes his head, smiling to himself. "It was silly for me to be so presumptuous. I apologize." He picks himself up off the sill. * Mael shakes her head. "Be sure they merit enough trust to reveal yourself as a contact. I'm willing to talk with her." * Jonathon smiles. "Lovely. I actually have an appointment to see her. Would you like to go with me or would you prefer for me to tell her your terms first?" I'd understand if you wouldn't wish to reveal yourself just yet I'll trust your judgment in this. * Jonathon raises an eyebrow as he looks at her, honestly astonished. "I never thought I'd hear those words coming from your mouth regarding anyone." I can't escape risk forever, Magnie's finally starting to come into her own, ::she closes her eyes for about a half second:: and we probably should have moved on already, but perhaps I've gotten too comfortable. * Jonathon nods a little. "Still, it doesn't hurt to remain at least somewhat suspicious. I must say I'm not entirely convinced of the "righters of wrong" spiel myself. Then again..." He smirks and sticks his hands in his pockets. "I wouldn't believe total unselfish motives on anyone's part." * Mael smirks slightly, she looks over at Jonathon. "I didn't say I'd believe them, or trust them, even if they do have good intentions. I just said I'd trust you to decide if I should attend a meeting." * Jonathon smiles. "Fair enough. I believe it best to proceed slowly. Announce that a certain individual is interested in assisting and see what exactly their intention is. On the other hand, it would be easier to see their reaction if you came right out but it would certainly be more risky if they had heard of you or the incidents surrounding you." There is no need to hurry, I can see their reactions at a later time. * Jonathon nods. "Would you object if I used your name?" Not certain if it will come up or not, but would like to be prepared in case it does. I suppose not. Isn't even a real name, although I have no other. * Jonathon nods faintly and takes a deep breath. "Well I suppose I should keep that appointment. It was a pleasure to see you again. Perhaps we should do this another time when it's not business." * Mael gives a faint smile and looks the reporter's hiking garb over. "And how exactly am I to interpret that, Jonathon?" * Jonathon opens up his eyes just enough to give Mael a smirk. "Come now, if I explained everything I said, where would be the fun in watching your reactions to your own interpretations?" * Mael smirks back slightly. "Of course, far be it from me to suggest that you also use vaguness to not put your vaunted opinion of yourself to the test." * Jonathon chuckles faintly at that response. "My opinions of myself are mine alone, Miss Maelstrom. If you'll excuse me..." He gives her a hearty wave and heads back towards the stairs * Mael waves from her rock pedestal. Next time he looks back, if he does, she's not there. (Poor boy just doesn't know how to have fun.) (But end that part at least I believe.) [End scene.]