Valerie Rhodes's page

Fitting in it is!

Val keeps a very close eye on the doctor as she and Rook walk into the waiting room, seeming only to relax once the doctor leaves the area.

Can Val read the woman's nameplate/nametag? If she can, she'll say hello to the woman as though she's been there before and is familiar with her as she and Rook head past the desk and toward the bathrooms... or beyond?

"Hey [receptionist's name], hope it's a quiet one for you."

JSR - if there's no one visible in the hallway beyond the door that connects to whatever's behind reception, Valerie would choose to lead her and Rook that way instead of the bathroom.

The loud singing in the hallway only gives Valerie minimal pause, though she does keep an eye out for whoever's singing.

With the doctor moving off, that changes things a bit! Val would still want to head deeper into the hospital to find the name of a cancer patient, whether that's by helping Rook or by finding the cancer ward herself/themselves to get a name.

Composure and Stealth: 4d10 ⇒ (8, 7, 9, 4) = 28
Hunger: 2d10 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

Val is ready to Act Like She Belongs with Rook - whatever it is they decide to do.

Valerie's suggestion and preference would be to obtain cancer patient names first before trying to charm doctors. She wants to come across like a visitor of a cancer patient rather than anything else.

Val isn't stellar at subterfuge but she is very stealthy; my suggestion would be for both Rook and Val to head in like they're familiar with the place, maybe head to the bathrooms, try to get eyes on a floor map, and maybe just stealth back to the cancer ward?

JSR let me know if that's ridiculous.

Resolve awareness auspex: 4d10 ⇒ (7, 9, 6, 9) = 31
Hunger: 2d10 ⇒ (9, 1) = 10

Outside, before going in, Val would work out sleuthing with Rook. Not sure how Rook wants to approach stealthily obtaining a patient’s name, but I think they’d need to work that out before Val approached the desk!

Does the scent seem traceable to either the doctor or the receptionist? Or just like it’s getting stronger as I get further into the waiting room?

Let's say it's normal for Val to encourage Alex to sing, she's expressed in the past that she's a big fan, but she's never too pushy and at this point, is almost asking as part of a ritual whenever they're in the bar together. :D

Premonition time!

Rouse: 1d10 ⇒ 5
Premonition: 4d10 ⇒ (5, 2, 6, 2) = 15
Hunger: 1d10 ⇒ 9

"That's a good question. 'Cause when I first started writing, it was just general teenage angst, you know. Oh, life is so hard, ah, no one will ever understand this misery." She also pokes her pancakes a little. "There's something about a vague emotion that everyone can identify with, but I think something you write about a personal feeling, anger, sadness, whatever... it resonates a lot better, even if it's with fewer people. So, I dunno. I'd go with specific anger, even if it reaches a smaller audience."

Val thanks the waitress, watches the inevitable play out with Madison, and shakes her head with a rueful smile.

And she takes an almost-sip of the hot chocolate. Just enough to smell it, maybe get a little whipped cream on her nose.

"I will absolutely remind you to get a box," she says to Alex.

She settles in for the wait as well, as happy to make small talk with the folks at the table as she is to sit in silence and contemplate the hot chocolate and pancakes before her. She does make a show of maybe making it look like she attempted to eat the pancakes, so they aren't perfect and neat on the plate.

"I'd talk us out of it." Val says with confidence. "Probably."

She watches Sonny walk in, and keeps an eye on his behavior with the waitress. She's not watching him openly and obviously, but... her eye is wandering less to outside their window, now.

"Pretty boy was surfing, I ran into him. I don't think he's our guy for this. Which is a shame, because it would have made things so much easier."

Val checks her phone, and grimaces a little before her expression settles back into a neutral interested look. "I'm responding," she says to Alex, then types something out quickly.

Might be better to discuss our game in person, it's a lot to text. Is this time sensitive?

"Your hair is too glorious for subtlety," Val agrees good naturedly with Alex.

Once the others come in, Val makes a little room for anyone joining on her side of the table. "Indeed I did. He didn't have much to say, and seemed like he'd spent more time around Pismo lately than anywhere else."

When Ernesto complains, Val resists the urge to remind him that he was the one who suggested this place, and instead she says - "We could lower the lights here for you, if you wanted." She pantomimes shooting the light above the table, then blows smoke off the end of the imaginary barrel with a smile.

Val laughs. "I'll keep that in mind. I do love the beaches in Monterey. But I will say, Echo is a little easier to talk to than Ernesto." And once Madison and Alex order, she looks thoughtful. "Hot chocolate and just one pancake. A little of both of your good ideas." She acknowledges both of her companions as she says it, but finishes her order while looking at the waitress. "Thank you."

She taps her fingers against her phone.

"I think they're finding something, not sure if it's something we all need to be concerned about." She shrugs. "Our newest friend is very... proactive in checking all the nooks and crannies. Might have gotten lost in a nook somewhere. Honestly, sounds more interesting than my chat on the beach."

Assuming both calls came before Val made it into the Nite Owl - any subsequent calls after this one I'll break away from the Nite Owl scene to take them!

"Well, maybe she wanted to make a good impression for her first official hangout." Val sighs. "Glad to hear she's safe, and that you didn't need to call in Cailleach for emotional support."

Val sounds affectionately amused as she walks Echo through sending messages from her phone. "I swear, every single phone is different," she finishes. "It's like card readers. I think I mess up every time I use one and the cashiers look at me like I'm an idiot."

Val takes this all in before responding. "Sounds like babysitting." She chuckles a little. "If you don't call in 20 minutes, should I head your way? And yes, I did find our friend. He's been minding his P's and Q's and hanging out with some folks down south until last night or so. Think he's too busy enjoying surfing to be causing mischief elsewhere."

"No Brad at the boardwalk because there was a Brad at the beach. He was very Brad, Brad'ing around down in Pismo Beach until last night or so. Nothing out of place for me, either. Nice night to sit at the beach, but aren't they all?"

She puts her phone on the table to keep an eye on it. "Might be getting a call from Echo," she says by way of explaining the potential rudeness.

And yes, she is very aware that almost every interaction with Madison, historically, has included the other woman almost inseparable from her own phone.

Val is quick to pick up, and it's likely the call comes when she's in her car. "Hey, Echo. How's it going?"

Val slides into the booth across from the two.

"Long time no see. How's the night treating you?" She makes a little show of glancing at a menu if there's one on the table.

"The Brujah absolutely did get that right," she says it as much to herself as to Brad, and watches him poetry his way back out into the water.

She sits and watches the ocean for a little while longer, occasionally looking to see if he's still out there, but mostly just taking in the night.

She's not sure which situation would make her like him more - that he was a straight shooter and didn't feel the need to b+*%&~%%? Or that he hid a deeper cunning under the perfect surfer's grin and chiseled beach body? Maybe it didn't matter at all. Some art is just pretty to look at.

She checks her phone, then makes her way to the Nite Owl. She figures she's done what she set out to do, and it makes more sense to meet up there instead of trying to coordinate with the others and drive all the way out to find them when they're supposed to end up at the same place, anyway.

She chuckles. He's just done a fairly good impression of Alex, too, when he goes off on a rant.

"Yeah, well, it's easy to see the bars of your cage when you put them up yourself so you have something to protest." She hesitates. "Hoping it's nothing, but there's someone out there poaching in Salinas and Watsonville. So, maybe be careful for a bit, til this blows over? The powers that be are, of course, looking for someone to chew out or potentially chew on for it."

Valerie looks slightly disappointed, though it's more with herself than with Brad.

"I know there aren't beaches out there, it was a... well, anyway. Okay, so just catching actual waves, then." She nods. "How intense are we talking?"

Val admires the view on display and can’t help but smile at the hair flip. Not many men could pull it off without looking a little ridiculous.

”Hey, Brad. Good to see you.” Her posture, and tone, are both relaxed. Friendly. ”I’d love to catch up with you, but we can do that another time. Don’t want to keep you from her arms for long.” She smiles, right hand gesturing vaguely towards the ocean before she slips it back into the front pocket of her hoodie. ”Been catching waves in either Watsonville or Salinas lately?

She watches Brad from a distance for a while, admiring the way he moves, the way he looks as natural on the waves as a dolphin at play. Then she makes her way down to the beach, and is content to sit or follow as needed. She'll wave, but otherwise doesn't gesture that he should come back to shore.

At least not immediately. Maybe after an hour or so she'd gesture again if he doesn't come up to the beach, just so she doesn't keep either coterie waiting too long.

"See you there, Frannie."

Valerie takes off - ostensibly she drove down to Monterey and would probably take the car to check out Brad's possible surfing spots as it made sense to. She's got no problem with a little hike if the spots are a little far from where she could park.

"Sounds good to me. I'll let you know what I find, and either way, see you at the Owl."

"It makes all the sense in the world." She looks out at the ocean again. "I used to sit and watch the ocean at night with a sense of wonder, of feeling small in a big world. And now... well, yeah. Life looks a hell of a lot different when it doesn't have to end."

She looks back to Frannie. "I should probably head out and see if I can't find our resident nuisance. Really hoping it's him, so we can put this thing to bed quick. I'm sure I'll talk to you again soon."

Is Frannie a hugger? A hand shaker? Just a wave and a wander away? Whatever her style, Val would part ways with that.

I'm starting this flex now because I think I'm wrapping up the scene with Frannie, and Val said she'd give Echo a call!

After Frannie and Valerie have parted ways on the beach, she'd give Echo a call, as she said she would.

"Hey, just wrapped up here. Was thinking about cruising the beaches for a bit to check for Brad - I know a couple of his haunts, though there's a better chance I won't run into him. You know how he is, only found when you don't want to, usually. Want me to meet you somewhere after that?"

She's careful to stay vague on the phone.

"No offense taken, I thought the same thing when I first met her. I think maybe she's serial killer on the streets, mild mannered librarian in the sheets? Is that how that goes?" She grins. "Sonny sure would make a lot of hat."

After Frannie finishes her thought, Val nods. "Yeah, I mean, all things considered, and between you and me... I've never understood the chest-puffing, territory guarding. It's not like humans are in decline, and especially not in these areas. And you're right, Watsonville? Maybe clearing that place out is a favor for us." She shakes her head. "But the bosses wants what they want. So here we are."

She cocks her head. "How are you, though? It really has been a while. I'm not always great at keeping in touch."

"Don't really know what to make of Rook yet, if I'm being honest, so yeah, that gave me a real moment of concern there too. I was hoping she didn't come equipped with itchy trigger fingers."

Val chews on her lip and looks out over the ocean. "I'm hoping it's Brad for the same reasons. Something tells me it's not, but maybe that's the same edge you're feeling." She sighs and rolls a shoulder. "Thinking there might be anyone else we should be keeping eyes and ears out for?"

Val watches the ocean for a few long moments before responding. And when she does, her volume matches Frannie’s.

”Then I hope we find out it’s Brad. He’s a little more in our pay grade.” She chews on the thought. ”Is there anything you’ve heard that’s got you thinking in that direction?”