Session 25

← Session 24 | Session 26 →

A film screening is attended, a handful of relationships have developments, and the party gets recruited to commit an act of terrorism.

## Characters

* The Party
* Naberius MacLaughagan
* Fiorella Fells
* Valencia Gray
* Derrik Greeves
* Benjamin Richards
* Nate (last name unknown)
* Neera Guinn
* Turret
* Hollis Tucker
* Na'arisiel
* 0-771534
* Legacy Byrnes
* Clovis Alcott
* Giles Winsett
* Zaida Loch
* Rain Caudell
* Lyric Uaithne

## Summary

#### **Paperwork and a Show**

##### **Saturday, March 13th, 543:**

The morning after everyone has made it home safely from visiting Hollis, Kuno goes through Morena's paperwork. It is mostly boring, if a detailed record of the Bratva's business dealings. One piece of paper stands out: a heavily redacted letter. There are only a few legible lines, including the date and a signature, as well as an icon that forms part of the letterhead.

Nyx texts MacLaughagan, with questions about his presence while she was recovering from being turned, but the demon responds with a string of heart emojis and nothing more.

With the VIP showing of *Shadestruck* tomorrow, the party has some planning to do. They meet at Kuno's apartment, where Colby patches up Sam and Asa from their encounter outside Hollis's apartment complex. After throwing around some ideas, the party remembers Fiorella Fells owes Colby a favor. Even though it's short notice, she manages to get three tickets to the VIP event.

#### **Historically Accurate Vampire Movie**

##### **Sunday, March 14th, 543:**

The next day, Kuno, Asa, and Colby go to watch *Shadestruck*. The event is in the arts district, so while the three are dressed well they stand out as non-native.

There is some time to kill before the film starts when the party arrives. Kuno uses this time to get a lay of the land, while Colby acquaints himself with the bar. Eventually, everyone is ushered into the theater, where Valencia Gray makes a toast before the film starts.

*Shadestruck* is a decent film, if one that appeals to a certain audience. The film's vampires have enough in common with upyr that the influence is obvious to the discerning eye, which is unusual in vampire films as a genre. After the film finishes, there is a reception, which the party sticks around for. They are approached at one point by a man that Kuno recognizes as Derrik Greeves, Gray's fiancé. Kuno makes conversation, and asks for an introduction to Greeves's fiancée, which the man provides.

When Gray finds her way over, Kuno introduces himself, and brings up Devereaux's death, acting the concerned colleague. Gray recognizes the name, but had never met him before the event. He got in contact with her, asking to meet. She asks how he died, and Kuno says he doesn't really know. Gray mentions she should get in touch with some friends of theirs, and after a few more pleasantries exits the conversation with Greeves.

Colby is recognized by a handful of minor socialites, and gets dragged off by them. He ends up drinking with the socialites and Greeves.

#### **The Paparazzi Get Their Interview**

Asa, having heard Kuno's conversation with Gray, isn't willing to let the issue go. Kuno finds Gray again later in the evening, when the party has picked up. Gray tells him Deveraux was interested in her career, and had the right connections to get in touch with her. When Kuno brings up the name Eldridge, Gray recognizes it. He was the one who connected Deveraux to her, she says, though she hasn't worked with him recently. She doesn't know how to get in contact with Eldridge, as he's a recluse and concerned with privacy.

During this chat, Asa has been scanning the room, looking for anyone who is obviously a upyr. He inserts himself into the conversation with Gray, threatening to make a scene about the fact she's a upyr if she doesn't give them actionable information. Unwilling to be the subject of scandal at her film premiere, Gray acquiesces. She explains that though people have mostly cut ties with Eldridge, she knows of a location owned by people who used to do his legwork. It's a hole-in-the-wall club, that deals in stolen antiques and live entertainment. Gray mentions specifically that Monday got a piano restored, because they play.

Mollified, and unable to murder Gray in present company, Asa exits the conversation. Kuno picks up Colby, and the three leave.

#### **Curse Your Sudden But Inevitable Betrayal!**

The same day, Nyx attends the service at the Children of the Lion. She is looking rougher than usual, but people are mostly just happy to see her. After the service, Neera invites her to get coffee, since it's been a bit since they saw each other. They pick up coffee from their usual place, and go for a walk. The two are making small talk when Neera cuts Nyx off and freezes, before swearing and sprinting a few blocks, eventually heading down an alley.

The alleyway is covered in glowing ethereal thread. Turret is cornered at the end of it, but manages to duck around to hide behind Nyx. Neera, now with one arm and half her face covered in a wood-like texture, complete with claws and horns, tells Nyx to get out of the way, since she has a soul to collect. Turret hasn't been providing his requisite souls, she says, so his is forfeit. From behind Nyx, Turret insists the Guide hasn't been holding their end of the deal either, but Neera doesn't back down. Nyx demands the name of the Guide in return for her stepping aside, but Neera isn't willing to give her the true name of a demon when she doesn't even know Nyx's name. Nyx dodges the question of why she needs the Guide's name, and tries to keep Neera from advancing on Turret, but isn't successful. Turret ensnares Nyx, threatening to kill her if Neera doesn't let him leave, mentioning that he's going to keep looking as long as there's a chance to save an unspecified person he refers to as "her". He slips away, and Neera cuts Nyx loose.

With Turret gone, Neera turns to Nyx, expecting her to explain. Nyx introduces herself properly, and says she joined the Children in order to help a friend. Neera put two and two together, accusing Nyx of being associated with the person who killed Anthony. When Nyx doesn't deny it or try to excuse her actions, Neera says Nyx has been using her, and threatens to kill Nyx if she ever sees her again before leaving.

#### **Can't Handle Relationships Gang Meetup**

Nyx spends some time on the street, stunned, before calling Sam, obviously distressed. Sam offers to meet her at her new apartment, and brings whiskey. Nyx explains the situation, starting with the fact she had something like a relationship with Neera, which Sam is astonished by. However, he keeps listening, and Nyx tells him everything that has happened in her infiltration of the Children. She talks for a long time, during which Sam keeps pouring whiskey--mostly for her. Sam makes sure she gets to bed, even though it's early, before leaving with a lot to think about.

##### **Monday, March 15th, 543:**

The next day, Sam calls Ben, and is surprised to get an answer. He learns Ben's parents were the ones who found his frantic voicemails, which they didn't take well. However, Ben isn't his parents, and offers that Sam can keep staying with him. He doesn't think very highly of Sam's friends' ability to house him. Sam, surprised but grateful, agrees, and shows up with supplies to make dinner. Ben doesn't flinch at Sam's new mechanical hand when he sees it.

Colby wakes up to a text from Nate, timestamped 2 in the morning, asking if they're cool. Realizing the last time they talked was a month ago when Nate told Colby about his mother's death, Colby apologizes, saying he's been busy, and invites Nate out. Nate is doing worse than usual, and the job hunt hasn't been going well. The power got cut in his apartment, at which point Colby offers that Nate can stay with him. The two end up at Colby's apartment after dinner, and have a nice evening, though Nate is characteristically antsy.

#### **A Glass of Time Juice with Dinner**

##### **Tuesday, March 16th, 543:**

Kuno visits Hollis at his apartment, having made a lasagna to share. Hollis is surprised to see Kuno, and welcomes him in as a nice change of pace. He puts on tea for everyone, and fetches the seraphim while Kuno starts laying out dinner. The seraphim is wearing different clothes, and is clutching Hollis's sword. He has bandages on his hands where they have been cut by the sword, as well as over his eyes. Hollis's best guess as to why the seraphim has taken a liking to the sword is because its a source of holy power. He isn't certain that's why, however, since although he's had the sword for a while he doesn't know much about it.

The three of them have dinner, and while Kuno does some picking Hollis's brain he mostly tells stories from his days as a PI. Hollis mentions they heard about the amalgam and the catalyst from the same place the party did, someone who could see possibilities, but doesn't elaborate further. He also tells Kuno the strange liquid oozing from the seraphim's eyes is his blood, which is essentially raw soul. It's messy, he says, but at least it fades back into the Axial Economy quickly.

Hollis, having appreciated Kuno's company, says Kuno can drop by whenever he likes. Kuno leaves a few of his business cards at Hollis's apartment.

#### **Shadow Monster Wilderness Reserve**

##### **Wednesday, March 17th, 543:**

Nyx gets the party together at her new apartment to tell them about the vision she had a few weeks ago. She was seeing from Pax's perspective, and he was in a large, flat space with coarse rocky ground and ashy yellow clouds, mostly engulfed in fog. There were occasional large silhouettes at the edges of the fog, but never for long enough to get more than a vague impression amounting to "big and terrifying". From what Nyx could tell, Pax was looking for the anchor, something vaguely metallic that he hoped to know on sight.

The party is understandably confused at this recounting. They throw around a few ideas, but end up with no solid conclusions. Kuno catches Nyx up on everything they learned from Hollis, including the fact she's an angel. He also mentions his most recent visit, and updates the party as to the seraphim's current state.

#### **Re: Re: Re: Terrorism Plans?**

##### **Thursday, March 18th, 543:**

The next day, everyone gets an email from Ollie, which was sent to his list of Affiliates and Resources. They are all invited to his apartment the following day, about a matter they might have an interest in. After learning food won't be rejected, Kuno makes an impressive amount of ravioli, and Sam (who is enjoying having access to a kitchen again) bakes.

##### **Friday, March 19th, 543:**

The party arrives, food and all, to an obviously serious occasion. The whole of the loose organization that is the revolutionaries is present, as is Zaida. Legacy brings the party up to speed on the revolutionaries' next plan of action, and offers them a proposition, since they need people who are effective in small groups. The plan, as it stands, is to raid Paragon Broadcast Station 2: they're organizing a protest on the streets outside so security will be focused there, leaving the skywalks exposed, while Legacy, Rain, and Giles get to a network computer and insert a virus written by Ollie to broadcast the footage from the Gala as well as their general findings on K&T. The party comes in at around this point, wherein they blow up the 11 skywalks to the building, keeping reinforcements from arriving.

Legacy explains the revolutionaries don't have the resources to blow the skywalks, and asks if the party will help. The party agrees, which the revolutionaries were only about 50% sure of, and starts hashing out a plan to take out the skywalks. While Giles will provide explosives to the party's specifications, this part of the plan is mostly left up to them. They also learn Zaida has volunteered to help, and while she isn't much of a caster does have the ability to create fairly sturdy shields.

#### **Dodging the Question**

With the general planning taken care of, Legacy makes a beeline for Kuno's ravioli, saying he hasn't eaten in two days. Nyx provides Legacy with Danny's phone number, so he can get in contact with the Dusk Radio program.

Kuno pulls Ollie aside to ask if he knows anything about the end of the universe, or about the concept of the amalgam. Ollie isn't familiar with those terms, and doesn't know anything about the end of the world. He tells Kuno that timelines are fickle, so it's not particularly likely the most prevalent timeline at one point is still the most likely at a different point in time, and thus doesn't see anything to worry about.

Sam approaches Giles, who has been keeping a close eye on Zaida, and asks what the relationship between the two is. Giles is cryptic on the matter, and Zaida apologizes that she isn't able to say anything. Sam does learn Zaida's fear stems mostly from the engineer's reputation, and not only because of a specific incident that is mentioned but goes unexplained. In an effort to change the subject, Zaida brings up the fact Sam was at the Gala, and the two make some awkward conversation.

## Quotes

**Kellen:** “Have thoughts out loud, then you can be right. Unless you’re being a fucking idiot.”

**Abby:** “Depression alfredo is a very important part of the problem-solving process.”

**Kellen:** “Asa buries my gays so I don’t have to do it.”

**Kuno:** “Remember where we are—chill.” | Asa: “No.”

**Abby:** “Gotta wait for the gay panic on the other end to subside.”

**Kai:** “It’s a death sentence, but then when has anything we’ve ever done not been.”

**Legacy:** “The odds aren’t *totally* against us.”

← Session 24 | Session 26 →