World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - The Prodigal Mage Returns.

[Graham Johnson]

Arriving back at LAX, Graham stepped off the breezeway, heading for the baggage claim. His demeanor seemed outwardly calm, but inside he was shaken, and troubled. He needed to talk to someone, someone who understood the dualities in his life. As he waited by the baggage carousel, he thought of the possible people to talk to. Morgan? Nope. Not sure where she is, or how she'd take it. John Mills? Nah, he's my boss. I got it. Lucien. He'd know how to help me get back to my normal life. His decision made, Graham picked up his bags, and headed for his truck that was in Long Term Parking.

After throwing his bags in the back, and securing them, Graham almost raced out of the parking lot. He turned and headed for the palace that was Lucien's home, or as some locals thought of it, Stately Hunt Manor. Graham's mood lightened and he almost managed to shake off the feeling that this was all going to go wrong somehow. When he pulled up out front of the house and got out, he shook his head and walked up to the door, ringing the doorbell. He listened to the sonorous tones of the doorbell and waited.

[Lucien Hunt]

Lucien skipped down the stairs from the second floor to the back hall across from the study on the first floor as the door bell chimed. His hands were tucked into his pockets and he whistled a tune that he'd completely made up as he enjoyed the stroll through a house so large he'd still not been in all the rooms in the two years he'd lived in it.

It rang a second time...

"Roz!" Lucien called out through out the house. "Doorbell!"

"Very good!" Came a columbian accented cry from the direction of the kitchen. "Step one is identifying the problem. Step two is taking some initiative! I'm busy!."

His eyes grew wide in both shock and awe. Stretching his mouth into a frown he 'huh'ed to himself and clapped the book he was holding shut. He didn't even know why he was holding it, apparently standing in a study alone and with a book in your hand made a mage look more prestigious or something. Shrugging he set out for the front door. "Tell ya what," he yelled. "How about I get it."

Although he couldn't see her, she hung herself about halfway out of the doorway of kitchen. "Aww, would you? You're such a sweetie! Thank you!"

Rolling his eyes with a half grin on his face Lucien opened the front door and there he saw Graham Johnson. A bit stunned for a moment the Mastigos was completely caught off guard. For once he'd prepared none of his usual sensory mind rotes or mental shielding, he'd decided to 'take the day off' from magic and so of course he figured someone was tugging the strands of fate a bit to tightly. Very funny, Morgan. he mused inwardly.

"Graham?" Lucien asked, a look of slight confusion crossed his expression as his currently mortal perceptions allowed him to be caught blind-sided. "Um, wow. Uh, come on in, please. What can I do for you?"

[Graham Johnson]

"Lucien, sorry to bother you, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I need to get back into the swing of things around here. I think I can handle re-enrollment in school without much pain, but I need help with getting my head back on straight. Both mundanely and supernally." He smiled in a sheepish grin. "Biloxi and New Orleans a strange trip do make. But I met some cool people, and feel a bit recharged. But I can't seem to focus like I used to. Let's go inside so I can talk to you a bit more about it."

[Lucien Hunt]

"By all means," Lucien smiled a megawatt smile and waved Graham into the home. "I must admit, I'm rather excited to hear of your exploits. You left rather suddenly, Morgan I remember, was quite worried. Do let us know when you plan on leaving town, there's not many of us in L.A. as it is, we feared the worst."

He led the Moros through the his home and as hey walked past the rooms Graham knew if these walls could talk they'd have a ton of interesting stories to tell, most probably started with "Dear Penthouse Forum, I never thought this could happen to me, but...". They arrived at the study, and Lucien escorted him in. "Rosalind will be on her way soon with drinks, she's my housekeeper and a sleepwalker who helps me with my Art," he mentioned for Grahams sake. "Please do not feel like you can not speak freely with her present, unless of course you wish for your words to be for my ears only."

He motioned to two overstuffed leather chairs. "Please, sit, be comfortable. I'm all ears." Lucien sat down and crossed his legs and folded his hands letting them rest in hi lap.

[Graham Johnson]

Graham sat down in the leather chair, looked right at Lucien and sighs, "I wish I had a good reason. But I just felt a need to get out of town. I haven't been doing anything terribly exciting. I've been helping the gulf coast rebuild homes and businesses. And I've been using subtle magic to help." He looks over at the door to the study, avoiding Lucien's gaze. "Now, it was for a good reason, but I get the feeling I shouldn't have done it as much as I did. At my most recent dwelling, I started losing my focus. I got sloppy. Almost cut myself with a circular saw. Thank god it had a finger guard. I realized I needed to come back here, where I had some people that could help, and finish up my plans for school. I just haven't been the same. It's like I lost a little bit of myself, somehow." He turns back to Lucien, "So, you got any ideas?"

[Lucien Hunt]

"Well, not many." Lucien said as his eye attentively watched the Moros speak. "From what you describe, it sounda like you exhausted yourself. Almost cutting yourself with a circular saw seems like more of an occupational hazard, not means for a complete life change."

There was a slight tap on the door before it opened quietly and Rosalind, Lucien's housekeeper, entered with a silver tray bearing cheese, crackers and bitter grape juice that mixed well with the snack. Her black heels were high and her black maid's skirt was short. In fact it almost looked like she was wearing the lingerie version of the traditional outfit, or a sexy Halloween costume than a serious maid's outfit. Her beauty was striking however and she certainly looked fabulous in it. She set the tray down, giving a Graham an alluring smile as she stood up. "Will Mister Johnson be staying for dinner?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." He looked to Graham but realyl didn't wait for an answer. "We could be awhile, why not set another place and depending on how long this takes we'll have our bases covered, hmm?"

She smiled and nodded slightly. "Of course." She left the room, the echo of her heels tapping on hardwood until the faded out.

"Wow, she must like you, because she hates that outfit. Usually only wears it if she hears Declan's coming by." He took a glass and sipped the tart grape juice. "Good stuff. Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes, life changes. Question for you, did your charity work involve a lot of will working? I don't mean to pry, just curious."

[Graham Johnson]

Graham smiles at Rosalind as she enters and deposits the tray. "The work itself usually didn't. It was just physical work. However, on some of the places I used magic to reinforce the buildings. I did it subtly, but I think I pushed myself too much. As for the saw, that was just one example. On the job sites out here, I never lost my concentration on what I was doing. Never. You can't afford to if you want to stay intact and alive." He took a sip of the grape juice and a bit of the cheese and crackers. He looks down at the floor as he awaits Lucien's response.

[Lucien Hunt]

"Well, you are aware that we, as Will Workers, should not be attempting to alter the patters of living or non-living objects. At least, not permanently. Lasting durations are dangerous, and vulgar. You must know this," He leaned a bit setting his juice upon the table and claiming a cheese and cracker snack for himself. "Buildings Graham. Buildings. Think about that a moment, what you were doing was, well, wrong. Arrogant even. Nature will have it's way, regardless of what magic we work. By your tampering with the buildings in such a way you were defying the natural course of things. Buildings must fall, eventually."

He chewed and savored the taste for a few moments before continuing. "Mmm. Love these things. Any way, Graham, defying nature is how we fell from grace to begin with. Remember?"

[Graham Johnson]

"I remember, but I just wanted to do what I could to help... and that I did by using magic. I know I shouldn't have, but I just couldn't help it. Nothing's saying they won't fall, it'll just be harder for them to be knocked down. I know I did something wrong. I just wish I knew how to fix it. But i think that part I need to figure out on my own. Anyway, enough downers, what's been happening while I've been gone?" Graham sighed and looked over at Lucien, and munched on his next cracker and cheese sandwich.