024a. The Life of the Party

Sophia insists Incisor takes her out "thrashing".

***"What do you think I do on weekends?"***

After having spent some time in Incisor's dreams, Sophia emerges to check in with her. She hopes that by inspiring Incisor to use her skills of observation to craft something in her dream, she can feel less like she "failed" the Spark in allowing the Dauntain Talus to live under their noses all this time. She seems to have been at least somewhat successful: Incisor definitely feels better than before, but is still beating herself up for her "failure".

Sophia and Incisor commiserate about Talus' betrayal, and when Sophia admits how hopeless the situation seems, Incisor insists that she never give up her optimism. "Talus will try to divide us, and we can't let him," she tells Sophia. In the spirit of becoming closer with Incisor, Sophia asks if there's anything she can do. Incisor leads Sophia around The Spark on her usual security rounds, and, at Sophia's insistence, they check Talus' office. Inside the spartan room (now somewhat menacing in its barrenness), they come across a patent application for a device meant to absorb and store Glamour: the rocket! This discovery all but confirms Talus' role in the Abford Pharma plot to attack the Dreaming.

Sophia wants to know what Incisor would normally do at this time of night, and insists on accompanying her out to "thrash". The redcap isn't convinced Sophia understands what it means to go out, and asks her to get into the right frame of mind: "put on some clothes you don't give a shit about, and meet me outside." Striding out onto Ste-Catherine street, Incisor begins to explain her need for these nights: she personifies hunger, but not just for food; Incisor hungers for new experiences and feelings as well. She uses these nights to achieve a state where she doesn't have to think, but can just *be*; Sophia wants to use this evening to understand her companionbetter.

Incisor leads Sophia to the Canadian Centre for Architecture, where one sculpture overlooks the river to the south. At the top of the sculpture is a chair, which Incisor invites Sophia to sit in: as Sophia takes in the nighttime view of the St-Lawrence, Incisor rocks the sculpture. She explains that one of things she lives for is the adrenaline she feels from fear and danger. When Sophia clamors down, scared she might fall, Incisor just laughs. She would never let Sophia get hurt: like the statue of David, she may be tough, but she was created to be perfect. Any imperfection couldn't possibly detract from her beauty, but it would destroy her very essence. Sophia challenges her to find an imperfection in a waterfall. It was created by no one, but simply by existing it is perfect. So too, is Incisor.

The two make their way to a house party in the Milton-Parc neighbourhood, very popular with McGill University students. Incisor quickly becomes the life of the party when she crushes back two beers and the glass bottles they came in. Sophia too rises to the challenge, using Primal to create a flame inside another beer bottle. Incisor gets knocked back by a rowdy party-goer, and on her way out, she tosses him directly into the crowd of students. She tells Sophia that she "did him a favour": not only did she scare him straight, but now he'll have an amazing story to tell! "I made him the life of the party." Sophia smiles, seeing Incisor's mischievous and Seelie side in a new light.

Incisor is ready to head out somewhere else, but Sophia tells her they have "one more stop". The Sidhe has a great relationship with one of the night-shift security guards at the Montreal planetarium, and they get let in after-hours. Laying back under the starry sky, Sophia tells Incisor that she uses the feeling she gets at the planetarium to remind her of her connection to everyone else in the universe… but also how insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things: "I can't ruin the universe, but maybe I can change our world." She tries to impart her optimism on Incisor, and is comforted to hear the Redcap admit that the world looks different than it did yesterday.

(Read more here about Sophia's thoughts in the immediate aftermath of this episode!)