Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - [Interlude] The Midas Gamble [Fin]

[Shosuro Miren]

N! March News Exclusive!

Part three in our series on the nova Puck, only a few months on the world scene. This article will focus on Exalt!, the nova's venture operates out of the former Jumeirah Essex House just off of Central Park in New York City. According to the flyers available in the lobby of the former hotel, Exalt! is not a business, but an organization of members pursing their own passions to "the edge of the limits you think you have, and beyond." The OpNet site for Exalt! goes into greater detail, explaining that the organization provides space and resources for members to pursue artistic, intellectual, spiritual, and athletic interests in order to bring themselves to their greatest potential as baseline or nova, and then help them push that potential even farther.

The organization, interestingly, has not been incorporated as a non-profit organization, though according to the claims made by the official OpNet site, it would qualify as one. This reported questioned the greeter at the hotel, a young woman who identified herself as Amelia Hart, she replied that the legal status of Exalt! as a business allowed the organization to pay taxes on any profits they accumulated in the course of their pursuits and thus support the infrastructure of the city, state, and country that resided in.

"We make use of the roads, the the power grid, the water pipes, the police and firemen services, the Coast Guard, and many, many other services that the government provides. Simply because our endeavors fall under philanthropic activities is no reason to avoid paying our share of support for communal services." The line sounded a bit rote, but the woman herself was articulate and perfectly mannered. Whatever else Puck might be up to with Exalt!, he knows how to place his people for the best first impression.

Non-members are not allowed past what would normally be the public areas of the hotel, Miss Hart citing that the higher levels were primarily used as homes for current members. The spa, restaurant, lounge, conference rooms, and ball rooms are still available to the public; even a gym membership is even offered, and at lower rates than any competitor in the Manhattan area that this reporter has been able to locate. Again according to Miss Hart, all these amenities are provided to members of Exalt! for free.

Gaining membership to Exalt! seems to be a multi-step process that can begin anywhere from a person wandering into the building and asking for an initial evaluation to set appoints for said evaluation, to a sort of odd recruitment from outreach programs sponsored by Exalt! that target the indigent, drug addicts, the destitute, and the psychologically unstable. An eclectic group, to say the least.

The initial evaluation is not the end of the process. According the Miss Hart, it took her six weeks before she was accepted as a member of Exalt!, though she allowed to begin staying at the former hotel after four weeks on as a probationary experience. She demurred on further details of the process, save to say that it while there was a general framework for membership, the method and progression of each member is always individual but always ended with a personal interview with Puck.

Critics of the organization claim that the unabashed Teragen member is merely using Exalt! as a cover for creating a cult of personality. Christians and other religious groups have condemned as a "silver-tongued devil", while socially conservative groups have accused him of literally seducing entire families into his organization. The Defence of Human Dignity and Free Will organization, a political group headed by Robert Ellison has formed against novas with high levels of social graces and appearance. The lobby group is attempting to get Washington to create laws that would require novas of overwhelming social graces, appearances, or powers to be segregated from the rest of the population or face criminal charges for the use of their abilities or nature on baseline humans. They have already filed multiple lawsuits against both Exalt! and Puck himself. Several of the lawsuits are being pursued on behalf of members of Exalt! on the grounds that their involvement and exposure to Puck on a regular basis has rendered them mentally incompetent to make their own decisions. The suits are still making their way to judges, but so far have gained little traction in the legal system and support from only the most radicalized politicians and political hopefuls.

Needless to say, Exalt! and the charismatic and controversial Puck will be the center of a grand deal of attention for some time to come. Come back next week for Part 4 as we take a look at the novas seen with Puck and try to dig a little deeper into the personal mystery of Puck's past!

Puck shook is head and laid his OpBook down on his desk. Good luck on that last part. Things aren't likely to go well for you if you come up with too much, unfortunately. He sighed and leaned back in the chair, stretching luxuriously, hands laced over his heads and popping his knuckles. Amelia did a great job, though. We should throw her a little thank-you party or something. Infinity will know what to do. Amelia was one of the few members of Exalt! that wasn't trying to get into Puck's pants, which sometimes made personal thank-you's a little more difficult for him. Not that she didn't want Puck, she did. It was just that the last time she'd had a lover, he'd addicted her to smack and had her turning tricks in alphabet city until she got pregnant. Her pimp beat her so hard that one of the other girls managed to pull out of the haze and screw up the courage to call for an ambulance before Amelia died. The hospital kept her for over a week, then moved her to a battered women's shelter across the city the specialized in rehabilitating former drug addicts and prostitutes; the city even payed for a therapist because she'd miscarried from the attack. She'd found Exalt!'s OpNet site on one of her bad nights, when she thought about all the psych pills she'd be given and the fact that no one considered her a suicide risk anymore so she'd been given back her shoelaces and moved to a private room. Therapy was helping, being away from that prick Frank was helping a lot, but it wasn't enough. She still felt empty inside, like a black hole that was slowly pulling her farther and farther in no matter how much she smiled or repeated all the right things people wanted to hear. Amelia had been shattered, but she was smart and sometimes, when you were trying to get better, your own mind was your worst enemy.

So she left. The shelter couldn't keep her, or keep her safe, forever and the state would only pay for a few more therapy visits a month or two more of the pills anyways. Why stick around just waiting to be kicked out on the street? Puck interviewed her personally; Exalt! had been running for less than a week and everyone that had already been screened and accepted before Exalt! went public had a million other duties they were doing. Puck - he wanted to be the first and last face prospective members saw until he was sure his people were well enough trained to deal with situations like Amelia. And that was the only reason she didn't run out cursing and weeping when she was told that it would take weeks before she could stay there, if she even made it that far. He gave her a bus and subway pass that was good for two months and told her to come back whenever she wanted to and could until a decision was made. And like she told that reporter, four weeks later she moved in, and two weeks after that she was made a full member. She still had bad days, but they were coming less and less often. Having a job, duties, something to make her feel useful, had started to fill that hole in her. She still had nightmares and startled if a man snuck up on her, accidentally or not, and sex was out of the question. It was too tied to humiliation and pain and that little twinge of need for smack that was doing its best to linger on in her mind. In time, she'll be ready to move on. To choose to love or not, instead of just being afraid. Dr. Sellas said she's making great strides and she's shown an interest learning and teaching martial arts as self-defense. We should start integrating that into her daily rou-

"Sorry to bother you, Puck," Rollin's pleasantly deep pulled Puck out of his musings as a the tall, dark, and dread-locked man stepped into the office, "but you said you wanted to know when we were getting close to the maintenance costs in the accounts."

Puck nodded and pushed his chair back up, motioning his chief financial adviser and accountant to sit in one of the chairs across the desk. He pulled up the accounts listings and short brief that Rollin had just mailed him before coming in. So quick? Well, I did buy a real damn big building in the heart of Manhatten. From a reluctant seller.

"Okay, well, it's time to start earning our keep, then." He smiled at Rollin and rolled his shoulders, settling in to "work" mode. "Any suggestions?"

"The stock market, first. It's volatile, but if you can play it right, we'll have a mostly steady stream of income from that." The large man mused, "I know we'll be getting into selling creations and services beyond the hotel stuff once we have enough people doing their thing, but that's at least a month or two down the line before we can begin. Still, I'll get with the lawyers and make sure we've got all the dots and dashes on the contracts for members that want to sell through Exalt!. Long term investments after that: bonds, steady stocks, real estate...."

Puck nodded and pulled up the stock market program they'd bought as part of the initial purchases for Exalt!. Orziaz had given him enough to buy a small island nation, but real estate in New York was just as expensive, and he had enough people on payroll and living expenses now that it was time to get to making money on his own. And paying the Count back. Nice fellow, but I'd rather not have debts like that hanging over my head. You never know when they're going to drop.

He and Rollin conferred for the next several hours, going over stock trends and picking out their favorites, allocating money from Puck's personal accounts so that none of it could be taken as a "profit percentage" by Count Orziaz. Puck doubted he'd be such a dick about it, but better to be careful. And better to keep the Exalt! accounts out of the depredations of the stock market until they were far more padded for the shivers and shocks of Wall Street. The list was slowly compiled and meticulously checked over before they both leaned back in their chairs again and Puck nodded.

"Alright, let's do it." He hit the 'send' button his OpBook and hoped for the best.

High Finance Roll

[Malachite] 3:53 pm: time stamp

Malachite *rolls* 14d10: 6+8+3+7+3+8+5+9+6+8+1+8+1+6: 79

3 on Mega-Wits are last as always.

7 suxx

+1 Permanent Resources, Resources 5 through April

That is, if this is enough to qualify for one high finance roll for the month of April, Krul. I do intend to do similar posts for May and June as Puck spends a good deal of time building up his resources to make Exalt! solvent. Let me know if I need to do more for this or the subsequent posts in this thread in order to make the finance rolls. Thanks!

[Shosuro Miren]

N! April News Exclusive!

Welcome to Part 4 of our series on the nova known as Puck! This month we'll take a look at the novas that Puck is often seen with, as well as delving into what little history is known about the Exalt! founder.

First up in our scrutiny of Puck's known associates is the nova known as Infinity. Black-haired and red-eyed, Infinity is Puck's most constant companion and lives with him at the Exalt! building. The familiarity of the two and their public displays of affection give the impression that two are quite close, but no formal announcement of the status of their relationship has ever been released to the public. Infinity's powers are unknown; like with Puck her history is nearly non-existent up until a few years ago. Since then, she has been a frequent patron of the Rainbow Room, according to nova sources; she is also a smoker, unusual for a nova as according to Utopia M-R clinic records their enhanced physiology generally prevents any natural narcotic from affecting their system. She is most often seen wearing in goth or punk outfits and has started a trend in baseline goth and punk girls for wearing red contacts.

Second in Puck's entourage is another new nova that is going by the name Brute. A beautiful brunette nova with sultry but girl-next-door looks, Brute popped up with Puck only last month. Comments overheard while Puck took the slim nova on shopping trips and a tour of New York restaurants seem to indicate that Brute is Puck's sister. Searches for information on Brute through the OpNet and normal nova-watchers channels have yielded even less information than can be found on her brother. Brute seems shy in public and always carries a large purse with an antique looking teddy bear propped up with his head out wherever she goes. The more avant-garde toymakers have begun stocking antique-looking bears in anticipation of the usual nova imitation phenomenon; because of safety regulations in the 1960's the bears cannot be made exactly like the one carried by Ms. Brute, so antique stores may find themselves swamped with requests for the teddy bear originals.

The third nova of interest seen with Puck is certainly not a nova caught in his pull. Chang Zha-Yang, world famous reclusive artist and Teragen member, has been seen coming and going from the Exalt! building. Nova sources from inside the Rainbow Room have confirmed that the two are on quite friendly terms, intimating that White Rain has taken the young Puck under her wing. Puck visits the Rainbow Room frequently, according to the same source, and is often seen leaving the main room with the many-voiced singer and artist. More information about White Rain may be found here.

Of Puck himself, his history can only be traced back reliably for about six months. His first public appearance was a brief stay in the Rainbow Room, then several days later he was circulating a soiree held by the esteemed Count Orziaz. He bought the Jumeirah Essex House a week after the soiree, and has spent the bulk of his time since then building his organization. He's still seen at the Rainbow Room on a regular basis, and since the appearance of Brute he has been seen out in public in New York more frequently. No other name for him nor his sister has been able to be located, nor any indication of other siblings or parents.

Several women have filed paternity suits in Ibiza, claiming that Puck is the father of their unborn children and seeking financial support for their pregnancies and the children once they are born, along with formal recognition from Puck that he is in fact the father. One of the suits is also suing for marriage under an archaic but still on-the-books law from her country of origin. The first two suits have already been judged against the two claimants once both women admitted to having numerous unprotected sexual relationships with other baseline men and novas during the window of conception. Although the subsequent suits are expected to follow a similar vein, as the nova infertility rate is nearly one hundred percent, it does give a titillating insight to just how Puck spends his leisure time. It is also of note that Puck has never explicitly stated that he was not or could not have been the father; to date, he has refrained from appearing in court himself or making any public statement about the suits. It has been rumored that he has met with both of the plaintiffs whose cases had already been decided, but no confirmation of such a meeting or any details of what might have been said have been uncovered.

The Defence of Human Dignity and Free Will organization is paying all the legal fees for the suits filed against Puck, as well as for DNA testing for the fetuses once the women are sufficiently along in their pregnancies to do so. Stay tuned for next month's expose, as most of the women will then be far enough along for the DNA tests to been taken and reported! Could Puck be one of those rare, lucky fertile novas? If so, what does that mean for his future and the future of his organization? Find out in part 5 of the Puck series!

Well, that should be interesting. I wonder if I can have kids? Wouldn't that be ridiculous. Me. With children. What would I do with them? I have no basis for empathy; I've never been a child. Hrm. Perhaps I should have that checked out. I'm sure Bounty and Scripture would take the kids to the Nursery, but it would be a bit awkward with the public attention. And the mothers.

"Sorry Rollin, I was just finish up some reading." He laid the OpBook down at his desk and smiled at the man who'd been patiently waiting across from him for the past minute. They'd agreed to meet a month from their last meeting to see how the stock portfolios were working out; the coincidence with the release of the N! articles on him were just a strange addition to the day.

The large man shook his head, "No worries, Puck. N!, huh? I read that earlier today. Are Marissa or Celine going to be joining us here?"

"Marissa's thinking about it, and I really do think she has potential. Her parents basically ignored her as anything other another mouth to feed and someone to get a job and support her younger siblings as soon as she could, but she's bright. Some actual education and space to be herself and I think she'll just...blossom is the term? Kra'enek. Become." He sighed pensively, "Celine, on the other hand, is a waspish social climber with far too much venom and not enough grace to be compared to a mule. She's got looks, which is how she's gotten invites to Pandaimoniom parties, but she's...vitriol inside and from I've seen, she has no desire to change that. I won't let her poison Exalt! just because she might be carrying my child. If I have to, I'll pay her off and find a way to provide for the baby. I might do that even if it's not mine. No one deserves a woman like that for a caregiver."

He waved his hand in the air, shooing off the conversation. "But enough, that's not the matter at hand anymore. How have the accounts been? I follow the numbers, but I'm still learning how it all fits together in the long run."

"Good," Rollin grinned, "real good. We've taken most of the profits and moved them over to debt fund in Exalt! accounts, which has put a small but satisfying dent in how much we have to repay. We'll keep running the stock portfolio system we have now and rolling over the profits into that account until we've capped it. But now I'd like to take some of the capital we held back and start looking at bonds, CD's, and some small real estate purchases. Mostly residential that can be rented or flipped. I have an agent set up to walk us through all the legalities and deal with the prospective tenets and buyers. It's more complicated in some ways than the stock market, but simpler and others and best to be added just for diversification."

He sync'd his OpBook Puck's and the two began the process of teaching/learning about how bonds, CD's, and real estate in New York and the surrounding states worked and would work for them. Rollin appreciated Puck's intelligence, his ability to grasp the complexities quickly and his patience when Rollin struggled for ways to explain concepts that his nova employer and friend had simply never encountered. Like all but Infinity within Exalt!, Rollin knew nothing of Puck's true age or upbringing; the gaps in his knowledge seemed odd to the accountant at times, but Puck was Puck and Rollin believed wholeheartedly in him and Exalt!. So he set his curiosity aside for other times and taught the young nova how to be a businessman and, for now, a millionaire.

High Finance Roll

Malachite *rolls* 16d10: 9+8+4+5+7+8+3+6+7+7+6+10+8+8+7+3: 106

[Malachite] 5:07 pm: Last three mega as always.

12 successes

+1 Permanent Resources dot come May in-game, and Resources 5 for the rest of that month.

[Shosuro Miren]

N! May INTERVIEW Exclusive!

That's right, folks, the original part 5 of our series on the nova Puck has been co-opted by an actual interview with the nova himself! Conducted by field reporter Justine Ramos, the interview was held at the Exalt! building in Puck's private penthouse residence on the top floor.

JR: Thank you for offering N! a chance to interview you, Mr. Puck. Our readership had been avidly following our series on you.

P: Just Puck, please. I dislike standing on formality, and I've been one of those avid readers! (laugh) May I call you Justine, or do you prefer Ms. Ramos?

JR: Justine is fine. Have you enjoyed the articles so far?

P: To an extent. I'm not a particularly private person, but it can feel a little strange to read about people looking into everything they can find out about you and your life.

JR: Well, I hope you won't mind answering some of our questions today. Folks are always curious about novas and their lives.

P: I'll answer as I may, though if I say no to a question I do ask that you respect that. Shall we start?

JR: Alright. One of the most common questions sent in by our readers is your relationship with the nova known as Infinity. Are you two an item?

P: We're very close friends, but we're not an 'item'. Infinity has been my companion through most of my life.

JR: You knew each other as children.

P: We've know each other for as long as I can remember.

JR: Well, I think you just made the day of many hopeful women out there, Puck. And probably some men as well.

P: (laugh) They know where to find me, although I'm not the steady dating type, just as fair warning.

JR: It's been speculated...well, that you like men as well?

P: (another laugh) Quite. I see beauty everywhere, Justine. Male or female, there just different flavors of people.

JR: Alright. Um, on to the next question. You've been seen around New York with another nova named Brute. The rumor is -

P: That she's my sister. She is.

JR: Any other siblings?

P: Not that I know of. Neither of us are close to our parents, so I suppose it's a possibility, but I find it unlikely.

JR: Your parents -

P: Are not a topic for discussion. I'll say only that my sister grew up with them while I was given to other caretakers because of a birth condition. She and I have only recently met and are still getting to know one another.

JR: ...Alright. Well, on the subject of family, all the of the paternity tests for the suits in Ibiza have come back negative. Yet several of the women have moved the United States, right here to this building on visas secured by your organization. Care to extrapolate on that? On your feelings about fatherhood and why those women are here now?

P: Well, nova infertility is a well-established fact, so the negative test results should not be that surprising. As for Marissa, Lelian, and Camilla, they applied for membership in the Exalt! organization and over the past month have come far enough in the process to begin the trial live-in. It's a simple as that.

JR: So you have no hard feelings over the paternity suits?

P: Not for them. They honestly believed I could be the father, and when that Dignity organization offered free paternity tests to any pregnant woman in Ibiza that would file a paternity suit against me or other socially-enhanced male novas, they took the opportunity. Both to identify the fathers of their children, which can be an expensive proposition when not court-ordered, I've recently learned, and to ensure that if they were pregnant with a child from a nova father that that child and any complications to their own health during the pregnancy would be taken care of. That's understandable, especially from women with limited means and support. The vitriol from the Dignity people seemed overly zealous to me, but to each their own. That is the heart of Teras.

JR: Teras. The philosophy of the Teragen.

P: Yes. And yes, I am a Terat.

JR: The Null Manifesto put out by the Teragen leader Divis Mal claimed that novas and baseline humans are two different species. Do you agree with that? Do you believe you aren't accountable to the laws of mankind?

P: The Null Manifesto is the belief of Divis Mal. He follows the philosophy of Teras, but Teras is not a religion. Each person that follows Teras does so at the behest of the only dogma it contains. Um, the paraphrase briefly: Follow your own path; be the only god of your universe. Does Divis Mal consider novas and baselines as separate species? From the Manifesto, I would say yes. Do I? I'm still debating on the idea. Novas are born from humanity; if we are not brothers and sisters, then we are at least cousins. As for 'the laws of mankind', I assume you mean the laws of governments and nations. I agree with supporting the infrastructure of civilization and creating rules for peaceful coexistence. Laws are generally created on those ideals, though of course there are issues that can occur to corrupt them at many levels. I do my best to support what I see that is uplifting and to discourage that which is demeaning. This mindset has kept me within the bounds of most laws and regulations. I do not believe in laws for the sake of laws, nor that all laws are capable of applying to all novas. But that is a long and intricate discussion and I've already spoken a monologue. In short, I hold myself accountable to basic decency and a person imperative to uplift both baselines and novas when and where I can. That is what Exalt! was founded for.

JR: Tell us a little more about your organization. Many religious communities have condemned it as a cult of personality, comparing it to everything from The Unification Chruch, also known as the Moonies, to a nova-led Scientology-like cult. What does Exalt! actually do as an organization, and does it have a common religion or ideology?

P: Exalt! is an organization dedicated to helping individuals discover and pursue their passions, their selves, pushing themselves to the limits they think they have, and then helping them break through to greater understanding and being. The philosophy of Teras is deeply intertwined in that process, but no member required to follow it or any other belief systems. Members are free to come and go as they please; no one is required to live here once they have reached full membership; during the membership process there is about a two week period at the very end when a prospective member is asked to stay here simply so that they have a fully immersive experience of the Exalt! process. After that, if they are not approved for membership, they are kindly asked to leave; if they are approved, they have space set aside for them to visit or live in.

JR: Why do you have a membership process? If the goal of Exalt! is to uplift individuals, to paraphrase, then why make it exclusive?

P: There are two primary reasons; the first is intent. There have been many applicants that have come to Exalt! because they believe it will provide them with a life free of living expenses and expectations. These are lazy people that seek the opposite of uplifting themselves or others. The second primary reason is capability. Some people are incapable of interacting well enough with others or of pursuing the advancement of themselves. This can be because of a personality defect or an incurable mental defect, or a simple matter of age. Children can live here, if their parents are members, but they are not members themselves; they enjoy nearly all of the benefits of membership simply by living here, but membership must be a decision made by a discerning and self-aware individual. A child is not capable of that.

JR: Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for the interview, Puck. I hope we can arrange for another in the near future.

P: Thank you for coming by, Justine. Feel free to come back whenever you'd like and though I can't always guarantee a public interview, I will try to come and see you myself.

There you have it, the first public interview by the nova Puck! Post your responses and questions, as it looks like Puck is open for further interviews, much to the delight of Ms. Ramos, N!, and our readers!

Puck had postponed the monthly meeting with Rollin by several hours after agreeing to the interview a few weeks ago. He'd set it for the same day out of a sense of artistic symmetry; the extra hours were for the benefit of Ms. Justine Ramos, were she so inclined to indulge in them. With utter discretion, of course. Puck was, in his own wanton way, still a gentleman; Justine on the hand, had been an absolute sex kitten once they'd shut the door of his bedroom. After she'd recovered enough to roll off the bed and collect her clothes, Puck had teasingly dressed her himself and left her a kiss and number to call if she wanted to see him on a purely...mmm...social call.

By the time he strolled back into his office, he was still fifteen minutes late. He grinned apologetically at Rollin, who was sitting patiently at Puck's desk, playing Bubble Popper on his OpPad to pass the time. "Sorry about that. 'Lost track of the time."

"Mmmhm," came back the deep-voiced non-committal replay. Puck slid into his chair and waited with patient contrition until Rollin finally lost his round of Bubble Popper. The two men grinned at each other and Rollin asked, "So, is she coming back or was that just a one-afternoon romp?"

The black-clad nova shrugged. "I'm not sure. She liked the sex, at least. I'm sure she'll give me a call next time she gets enough of an itch to see if the number's legit."

"Is it?"

"Of course it is!" Puck looked mortally offended at the mildly implied accusation. "I simply wouldn't have taken her to bed or given her the number if I didn't want to see her again."

"As an easy lay or a potential member?" The lilt of Rollin's voice was mostly teasing.

"Both? She's intelligent, passionate, and very personable. She seemed intrigued, but that could have been as much mental exercise and professional training as personal interest." Slender alabaster hands picked up his OpBook and Puck quickly tapped through the icons and menus to bring up the financials from May. "We'll see. And I see we're doing well on the real estate. Better than expected, in fact."

"Yes, we've made several advantageous deals, along with some new contacts that have expanded our areas of operation considerably. You're making waves, Puck. Money isn't anything difficult for a nova to obtain, but Exalt! is gathering a whole lot of attention. That's good for business right now because small to medium sized firms are seeing a golden opportunity to cash in on the publicity and the business." Rollin's tone deepened in warning, "But we're stepping out of their league pretty quickly, and the bigger fish are all sharks. Be prepared for backlash from companies that see you as a threat.They won't just go after your money, they'll come after you and Exalt! if they think you're cutting into their profits."

Puck nodded, but his expression was, well, puckish. "Then we'll just have to be that much better than them. What's the next step?"

Rollin scrolled the sync'd OpBooks down to a categorical list of actions. "Next, we finish expanding our real estate operations across the nation and look into international markets. We also look into acquiring profit-seeking acquisitions." At Puck's arched brow, Rollin clarified, "We look a buying or creating smaller profit-seeking companies owned by yourself or Exalt!, whichever you prefer. At this point all of the investment money and direct profits have gone from and to your personal accounts, with then donations being transferred to the Exalt! accounts."

Puck pursed his lips, "Let's keep it that way until I understand the legal ramifications better and the debt is paid off in full."

Rollin nodded and continued on, scrolling further down the list, "We have the revenues from the restaurant, spa, gym, and conference center here on the premises, but to take us past the next real step in wealth, we need more than that. A lot more. I have several documents for formalizing some of the sub-companies we discussed last week: the art gallery and auction, the theater, the private schools, and so on. With the profits we made last month, we can have most of them up and running shortly, though that does mean not putting much away in the debt fund. At this point, I'd rather forge ahead though. We're near a tipping point and if even half these endeavors turn an average profit, we'll be set to pay off Exalt!'s debt within three years, at a maximum."

Puck laid the OpBook down and pushed back from the desk. "I trust your judgement, Rollin, you haven't steered me wrong yet." He slid around the desk, landing on the finely finished edge of the wood just in front of the accountant. Sitting on the high desk, Puck was almost the same height as the tall, midnight-skinned man sitting in the chair; he leaned forward and gave the startled man an impish kiss on the cheek, holding back on the touches he used with lovers so as not to overwhelm his friend. "Thank you, sincerely."

The dark man blushed and swallowed. He'd kept himself strictly profession with the beautiful and mercurial young nova; he was straight and had a wife he loved, but sometimes that was hard to remember when sitting so close to his employer. Puck's expression was always a little salacious, but Rollin had learned to tell the subtle nuances between Puck's general presence and that particular gleam he had when he was deciding if you were going to join him the nearest bed or not. Right now, Puck was just being grateful in his way. Still, Rollin found himself wonder just what it might be like if he-

He cut the thought off and managed to stammer out something he hoped was polite and collect his things to leave with a modicum of decorum.

Puck sighed as the door clicked shut. He hadn't meant to overwhelm the poor man with something as innocent as a chaste kiss on the cheek. Still...he reminded himself that that was simply the way it was with him and he'd decided long ago (relatively speaking) that he wasn't going to change himself for anyone other than himself. Teras.

High Finance Roll

[Malachite] 6:34 pm: Last 3 are megas.

Malachite *rolls* 14d10: 7+2+6+10+9+4+4+6+3+10+6+5+8+8: 88

8 successes

+1 permanent Resources, now at 5 so extras don't really matter.

+2 Cult/Fan Club 1 size/1 devotion, +1 Media Exposure +1 Suitors

+1 Followers, +1 Reputation, +1 Contacts, +1 Influence

[Quantum Fire]

End of Thread

Some Good character development here, but as a singular pc thread, it doesn't gain the xp a regular one with character interaction does.

XP: 2 Standard, 1 Baseline