We'll be skipping ahead to mid-October once this scene closes (which should be soon, I think).  I know there will be lots of stuff in the interim that will need to be addressed, so we can do that individually over PMs or simply reconcile them off-line.

Sounds good to me.

NIKOLAI, GIVE ME A DAMN DESCRIPTION OR ELSE I WILL BE FORCED TO USE WHATEVER I CAN GET, AND ASK THE ARTIST TO PUT YOU IN A FRILLY DRESS.

And have a Jack.  http://i48.tinypic.com/x3hjrr.jpg

Sorry mate, I've been busy with work, studying for exams, and trying to make sure that I'm 100% for the inauguration. That said...

Nikolai Gorschov is a walking twig, slightly over 6 feet tall with only around 165 pounds on his frame. A life of bicycling and cooking on a budget has kept him lean but far from unsightly.

The young Russian keeps himself professional and collected as best he can as long as he can. Pardoning excercise on the bike, he is never seen with less than dres slacks, oxford shirt and tie. Often times when "conducting business" it will be accompanied by a suit jacket as well. He's been known to carry a cane, for personal flair rather than for any kind of a walking disability. His light brown hair is kept short and straight, well parted from left to right. His default position is to be quiet, respectful, and attentive.

Thank you!  And sorry for the explosion on you.  Hopefully you do well on your exams; I'm dealing with finals next week.

Well, I missed it last time by 10 points. Hopefully with better (and real) Eval scores I can rock it out in February.

I don't know if I'll be able to find a SCIF to study in when I'm out in DC next month, but we can hope.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6440410/astra1asd.jpg  And a Sereno after the time skip.  (Mostly longer hair.)

Boooo.  The artist in question just sent me a refund for David and Nikolai.  I'll go looking for someone else, but there'll be a slight delay.

Talked to them, it'll be fine, just will be delayed a week or two.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:19, Fri 07 Dec 2012.

All right, kiddies, this is it. The big boss and I are going out to dinner with our fam, and then we will be sitting down and auditing goals and xp. We will then write out, for each character, what has happened in the down time. This is now officially tour last chance to put out any goals you have, if you have not already done so. Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, QB will pick upin November.

That is all. Keep calm and carry on. Or close your eyes and think of England. Whichever works for you.

There's probably more stuff beyond what I added, but I'm not sure.

I was going to say, there's a couple of minor things, but adding it all up?

--Help Casey assimilate and pick a tribe
--Work on improving David's territory
--Further investigation of Zathalok

Them's the biggun's.  Most other notable stuff intersects with other PC's (ie, surveying Chinatown's Shadow).

Uh... let's see, can't do the thing with Lily since she's "on vacation," already doing stuff with Palisades, got the campaign stuff going, need to finish the thing with Catherine...

Yeah I... think that's about it. For now, anyway.

There's the things that were previously mentioned (Hallow/Sanctum and cohabitation) but now that Gorschov is out of the pan and into the fire, both in terms of academics and Magic (having gotten as far as he can in his ruling Arcana without a huge investment in his Gnosis), his focus is going to be more participating in Awakened events, and particularly in the Free Council, though that's getting into events after the jump.

For now, young Nikolai is in transition to the next stage of his life.

To fill in some of the backstory of the jump:

He quarantined himself off from most of the world, as per usual, as it came time for finals, and especially for him to write a paper for his doctorate.

In the ensuing freedom between graduation and finding a job, Nikolai spent even more of his free-time in the work and care of St. John of Kronstadt, even inviting the Donnolly's (all three of them) to help give a hand for special functions and in preparation for Sunday School.

Fourth of July, while a day of quiet relaxation for most, was a day of honest reflection. Having a cookout with friends was a given (especially when you're one of few who actually enjoys cooking), Nikolai looked at a John Adams program from a few years prior for the first time, and quickly fell in love with it. When it came time for fireworks, he became misty-eyed in homesickness, as he usually did. For the rest of the month, he would wear a flag pin on his jacket.

As "election season" comes in for the people who aren't Jack or Sereno, Nikolai becomes more frustrated by the day in the divisiveness and illogical behavior everyone displayed. Despite his anger, as it came closer and closer he got more and more interested in the goings on.

 Nikolai did go Hellbent for Leather for Halloween. Getting sucked into the costume and portrayal of his immortal rock hero, Nikolai acted quite unlike himself, being oddly fond of the whip.

Anyone else got interesting/insightful tidbits to throw in, before "we all do the time warp again"?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:18, Thu 13 Dec 2012.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6440410/Astra3kahd.jpg  Have a David art.

Anyway.  During the time skip?  Appearance-wise, Sereno definitely grew out his hair, though it's only to about his ears now, instead of the basic crew cut he had before.  Still dresses fairly similarly, including the bright yellow apron, though he prefers more autumny colors over the pastels of before.  And calmer, with a serene smile on his face and not nearly as much fidgeting.

Over the months, he has been inquisitive as ever, and creative in trying to gather enough history for what he wants to do.  He's been doing fine with school, with essays being a breeze for someone of his... affinities.  On the other hand, he was pulling out his hair in regards to researching some parts of local supernatural history and even recruiting Kelli so he could talk to ghosts and interact with that side of things.

The research into certain things continued into June, and then he vanished for three weeks in July before coming back with something of a tan.  (And a bunch of gifts for different people, including a virtual mountain of photographs and notes from Mayan ruins, which Sereno compiled before giving to Kong-An.  Jack got Mexican candy, David an absurdly touristy hat, and Nikolai got some fireworks.  That Sereno casually mentioned he might want to be careful about using as he wasn't sure they were legal to use in California.)

The little bastard was calm about election season, beyond trying to keep Jack from having a nervous breakdown and losing a bet against the Sin-eater, leading Jack getting to name what the hell Sereno wore that Halloween.  In this case, Fluttershy.  The Wizened thinks he cheated.  Bastard.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:40, Sat 15 Dec 2012.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6440410/astra4akhd.jpg  And Nikolai, who doesn't seem too happy, it seems.

Jack has mostly been focused on the campaign, occasionally locking himself in his room to do research of various kinds. As the months wear on, he gets increasingly frazzled and reactive, as the constant barrage of politics gets to him. He still tries to maintain his normal appearance, but there are some days where he forgets to shave or brush his hair properly.

On the plus side, for him, Isabella moves in, which helps to alleviate some of his tension, but overall Jack is becoming an increasingly unpleasant person to deal with.

During the timeskip, David focused much of his attention on his territory; among other things, he started volunteering at the library's local branch.  Most of spring into summer was spent with Casey, teaching her about life in the Conclave among the supernatural.

At about the midpoint of summe (late June/early July), David's mood took a turn for the worse, and he seemed to disappear for the better part of a month and a half.  He only rarely showed up in public, and generally appeared either highly distracted or worried when he did.  However, his attitude improved greatly in mid-August with a weeklong visit from a lady friend.

As for politics, David has kept an eye on the local and national races.  In a sign of solidarity with his colleague, "Jack's Got Your Back" campaign signs have sprouted up throughout the area, and several slightly discolored signs mark the edges of David's claimed territory, for those who know to look for such things.

And for Halloween, he went as Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon.  He cleaned up surprisingly well in a three-piece suit and fedora.

> Makes soap operas look reasonable.

Will joked we've turned nWoD into Monster 91210 before.

In reply to Sereno Blackwood (msg # 926):

Most of my tabletop games have taken on elements of that.  I blame my RL group.

And Merry Christmas, if you celebrate it!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, etc.! ;)

As last year, the Storyteller Family grants a versatile gift of 15xp to everyone.  You can bank it with everything else, or use it as a "gift card" to purchase a Merit of your choice that we will work into the plot at the earliest sensible opportunity.  That should be enough for a three-dot merit with a little leftover (remember that you have to purchase every dot).

After tomorrow, the holiday chaos will subside and we will go back to a better posting frequency.

Hope everyone has had a good day! :)

In DC for the month. Enjoy the time-gap

Have fun at the inauguration, man, even if it is work.

Happy belated new year!

And the question that I'm sure will occupy everyone's minds IC:

What, exactly, does one get for a ridiculously wealthy vampire's wedding gift?  After all, I can't quite picture them registering at Target or such things.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Wed 09 Jan 2013.

The Twilight collection!

On Blu-ray!