016. Chess

Sophia's curiosity about Jacques Durocher's activities lead the motley to meeting some new allies.

## Chess

### Play of the Game:

Liz as Sophia, for setting that sucker on fire.

***"There is a certain amount of belonging we all search for."***

As Patches steps out onto the balcony for a smoke and Braum delicately packs up his and Kyoko's old tunics, Sophia calls the Baroness Akanthea back to apologize for Patches' bluntness. The baroness is understanding, but Sophia personally vows to take the lead on courtly interactions in the future.

Patches and Braum venture down to the Chateau's courtyard for some target practice with her lightning gun: upon slotting in the chip she received from Sybil, the gun tells her that "Battlefield Relocation Mode Activated". A half-second after firing in this new mode, a grappling hook shoots out, dragging Patches towards the target; switching back to "Fuck-Em-Up Mode", she and Braum both marvel at the possibilities this treasure weapon could offer her in combat. While this is happening, Sophia sleeps to recover some of her Glamour, and dreams of a woman with light-up sleeves, sunglasses, and a tight bun, asking if she can hear her. When Sophia tentatively says that she can, the mysterious woman exclaims that "Hey, it worked!", and promptly vanishes.

The motley reunites in their chambers to plan their next move before leaving Quebec City. Sophia decides that getting a meeting with Jacques Durocher will be an important task to accomplish, in order to discover what relationship he may have to Fala. Braum and Patches will accompany her into the tunnel, wait just around the corner and, using a monitor, make sure that they are just a quick code-word away in case things go awry.

Sophia opens the door to the private restaurant and is greeted by a very tall man with perfectly coiffed dark hair, dressed in an expensive Armani suit. He introduces himself as Ivan, also known as Jacques Durocher. He offers her a glass of wine, which she drinks while he asks how he can be of service.

Just around the corner, Braum and Patches are preparing for trouble when they discover a trapdoor, leading up into the ceiling. When they peek up into it, they are confronted by the sounds of *someone* coming down. Patches pulls out her weapon while Braum blocks the hallway. In the flash of an eye, a beast rushes Patches, shoving her up against the wall, disarming her and growling at her: "Is it the Wyrm I smell?" As he drags her upstairs, Braum rushes up to follow, wary of the coming battle against such a powerful creature.

Back in the restaurant, Sophia accuses Jacques of playing dumb about his knowledge of Kithain when he tells her he knows nothing of an assassination attempt in the past day. After telling her that she is important enough to him to cancel his other guests that evening, he lashes out: "You think you're a knight, but you're just a pawn." As he locks the door behind her, he reveals that he was under orders to only "let the assassin leave"… and tries to make eye contact with her in order to weave his magic as he threatens her.

Back upstairs, the beast has dragged Patches back to two other people who reveal how surprised they are to see them. A man with a large neck tattoo looks on as the younger woman in a trench-coat carrying a silver blade asks how they came to be there. "You messed up our operation!" she hisses, but talks the beast into letting Patches go. The two changelings, sensing their new companions are also more than human, explain that they are creatures of the Dreaming, and that their friend is currently negotiating with the creature in the restaurant. At this moment, Patches hears the code-word from Sophia: without another word, the beast rushes back down the ladder, with Patches, Braum, and the other two in hot pursuit.

Desperately trying to avoid eye contact with the vampire, Sophia retorts that Jacques is also a pawn, even if he doesn't know it. *Someone* ordered him to spare the assassin; who was it? The vampire only laughs in reply as he moves in to bite her. At that moment, the door explodes inwards as a werewolf bursts in, followed by Patches, Braum, and two others. "Care to tell me now?" Sophia asks. As the motley looks on, the werewolf claws the vampire once, twice, three times, inflicting massive damage. Sophia, her aggression amped up well past her usual limit, throws Jacques' wine back in his face, using Primal to turn it into fire as it splashes on his suit and skin. Shrieking with pain, Jacques begins to burn, until the werewolf simply tears his head off, leaving two smoldering pieces of meat on the floor.

Ascertaining that the "wyrm is dead", the beast shifts back into human form and introduces himself as Leads-the-Charge-Screaming, or Charles. The other werewolves also introduce themselves: the tattooed man is Pasebakhaenniut Dances-Beyond-Death, and the young woman, a cub, is simply known as Layla. This attack on Jacques was "meant to be her proving", but despite not having participated in the vampire's destruction, she is named anyway: "Layla Measures-Twice", for saving Patches' life by advising caution. The werewolves, admiring the Kithain's bravery, and especially Sophia's magic, invite them to take a ride out of town to be "cleansed of the Wyrm". Before leaving, Braum moves to clean up what is left of the body, but Sophia advises they leave it "as a message for the rest of them". Patches discovers that the wine Sophia had drunk had the smallest amount of blood in it, possibly as a way for the vampire to bind himself to his prey. They find no other clues as to Jacques' orders, instructions, or connections… but they do take the $3000 in cash he had on him.

A ways out of Montreal, the werewolves perform a cleansing ritual on the three. They ask if the Kithain have ever come across any of their kind before: Sophia and Patches mention their relationship to Kaylie, whom Layla knows. At Braum's questioning, they explain that Kaylie's Pattern Spider that she had once left for repairs with Zistor is a "servant of the Weaver", a tool that can be used to access information and people across "webs" (including the Internet). Layla also mentions off-hand that the "spirit in Braum's mind" has been cleansed, and that "he won't bother you any more". Floored, Braum tries to explain that Rick may have been keeping his mind from collapsing completely, but the Garou are sure that their cleansing will only ease his pain. They seem to know him from his past deeds: about 10 years ago, a great warrior had been brought to the wolves in order to be saved. "Do you still carry your sword?" they ask him. But it is not his current treasure sword to which they are referring, but rather (Braum assumes), Whisper, being kept for him by Sir Xaeron.

The motley, offering to buy the three Garou a drink when they all get back to Cross' Shadow (and with both Patches & Sophia taking a big interest in Charles), pack their belongings away. Braum takes a moment to call Kyoko to let her know that they're on their way back. She asks timidly whether Braum can find room anywhere inside himself to forgive, but Braum is firm in telling her she has nothing to apologize for. She asks him for a favour: soon they will meet one known as Places-the-Mark, and he should let this person know that she is sorry for snapping at him. Kyoko tells him to come meet him at a place that he will know, once he can remember it. And even though he will continue hearing that he is deserving of praise, "someone out there believes you deserve more."