Do You Hear the People Sing? Team Les Mis: Part I (Session Summary)

**Do You Hear the People Sing? Team Les Mis: Part I** details the events of the March 2, 2022 session where the party moves to the Ebrian Isles to meet with the Resistance.

## Session Notes

***Backstory:** Four months earlier, King Simon and some Trafarnese soldiers went to Veitium in an effort to bolster peaceful relations by attending his cousin, Princess Eneuli’s, wedding. It was there the team met Chae, Lucius, and others sent by the Ebrian resistance to try to enlist Mbeni’s help overthrowing the tyrannical government overseeing the isles.*

*After meeting King Simon and building a relationship with Trafarna, Simon agreed to help the resistance only if the isles would agree to become a Trafarnese protectorate, with the king’s brother, Prince Theo, as its governing leader. Though the resistance wasn’t happy with the notion, they understood the need for the monetary and political backing, and agreed to it.*

*It has been six weeks since the ship departed Astrapolis with Theo and Chae. Joining them is a significant portion of the Trafarnese military, along with Mbeni leading the naval forces. That evening, they arrive in Grenmar Harbor, in the southern portion of the Beholden Sea.*

*Meeting them are Gideon, Ryder, Aldara, and Elina.*

* As the contingency from the resistance watches the ship pull into port, they start making their guesses about what the Crown Prince of Trafarna will be like and whether he’ll be able to handle the less-than gentle conditions of the isles.

* While conversations about titles and names are taking place, Theo and Chae are making their way to the group in a small boat and making a clear show of their ever-growing affection for one another.

* After Chae and Theo finally hit land, Ryder seems displeased by the crown’s offering of three ships and whatever soldiers may be on board, but Theo is quick to mention having numerous supplies available to them, thanks to a Fae gateway that will allow quick transportation between the Resistance’s headquarters and Trafarna.

* Ryder bristles about not having the resources to feed a large number of people, but Theo insists that everything is handled: though Ryder should expect to see new buildings around headquarters, they do not have to worry about a change to their standards of living.

* The group decides to make their way back to Headquarters and, as late night falls, they set up camp in the forest.

* Ryder, Gideon, and Theo split off from the group to share a drink and set up tents – one of which is a rather ostentatious tent for Theo and Chae – while Aldara, Chae, and Elina set to work building a fire.

* Chae and Aldara build a firepit, discussing Aldara’s romantic holding pattern with Gideon, while Elina gathers tinder and wood.

* While Elina is gathering wood, she overhears the conversation with the three men – Theo and Ryder are giving Gideon shit for not having made a move on Aldara, and for insisting that neither one has feelings for the other.

* Aldara rounds on Chae, inquiring about her relationship with Theo. Chae admits that he’s the first person to have ever caught her picking his pocket, but that it helped lead the two of them to the relationship they have. Aldara acknowledges his good character, and Chae seizes the opportunity to redirect things back to Aldara finally admitting her feelings to Gideon, offering to help her friend figure out a way to do just that.

* After depositing her collection into the firepit, Elina heads off to gather more and winds up returning with an unexpected addition: Puck, a member of the Fae, carrying a ridiculous amount of wood.

* Chae instantly recognizes him and, following an awkward hand-kissing introduction, sends Aldara to bring Theo, Ryder, and Gideon to join them.

* Puck admits that Simon was given the choice to send him or Peaseblossom and, inexplicably, chose to send Puck to the isles. Recognizing how terrible a decision that actually is, Chae wonders about getting Ti-Yo to help run interference – an admission that confounds Elina.

* Elina presses Chae about her friendship with the god, and she insists that he is neither responsible for the state of things and that he wants to help. Though Elina doesn’t completely understand, she is willing to trust Chae and promises not press the issue further.

* Aldara and the guys rejoin the camp, and Theo instantly moves to comfort Chae when he recognizes the telltale signs of her frustration. When Chae notes that there may be some discomfort among the group when she shares the news of her new friend, Theo promises Elina that answers will be given when everyone is gathered at headquarters.

* When Aldara presses for more information about these answers, Theo merely answers that there’s more afoot than everyone understands.

* Everyone gathers around the fire and Gideon asks Chae when she plans on marrying Theo. Chae turns it around on him, and he comes up with a poor excuse about not proposing marriage when someone close to him is already engaged – a ridiculous excuse that makes no sense to anyone.

* When Chae chides Gideon for not having made a move on Aldara, Ryder teases Gideon about first needing to find a woman who is patient, kind, organized and blind. Theo says that the woman doesn’t need to be blind — she just needs to have bad taste. The mention of bad taste prompts Chae to ask about the ridiculous tent, and Theo says it’s a bold strategic move to demonstrate his support and leadership, as well as something crude that he whispers in Chae’s ear.

* After an awkward back and forth between the two, Puck praises Theo for his remarkable restraint – something that Sorni and Anastasios and Simon and Aedryan hadn’t demonstrated. This leads to a recap of everyone’s respective relationships, including notes about Cecily and Talos’s game of *Romance Chicken*.

* Ryder and Elina alienate the group by talking about how pointless romantic endeavors are, but Ryder is quick to point out that Aldara may have love sooner than she thinks. Puck seizes the opportunity to create chaos by telling her that Gideon, who *clearly adores her like a brother*, will be happy to welcome Aldara’s paramour with open arms. Aldara, flustered, leaves.

* Everyone encourages Gideon to go after her and he finds her near a sequestered stream. Gideon apologizes for not making his feelings clear to Aldara and, in response to her confusion, he is immediately embarrassed over misreading the situation.

* Aldara quickly corrects him, saying she thought she was the only one who had feelings and that Gideon beat her to “it.” Gideon asks what “it” is, and Aldara dances around what she means, pointing out that Chae was going to help her figure things out. To Gideon, this obviously means that Aldara is infatuated with Elina for some reason. Aldara emphatically and politely tells him the conclusion he drew is stupid.

* Gideon finally admits that he has feelings for Aldara, and Aldara inexplicably thinks it’s a cruel Fae trick. Gideon tells her that it’s not a trick but that the situation is tricky because he’s her boss and Ryder insists that relationships are a distraction.

* Aldara says that if it’s too much of a hassle, they can forget their feelings for each other and Gideon says that he’s been absolutely, hopelessly, uselessly in love with her since they met but he didn’t want to force her. She insists that he is what she wants, not out of obligation, but out of genuine feelings. They finally kiss.

* After firing and un-firing Aldara, Gideon says that the two should head to sleep – and they head off to the tend they are now sharing, all while talking about the surprise of seeing Chae entangled with the prince