092. Wheel of Fortune

The motley's luck starts to change.

### Play of the Game:

JEV of the Game: Jon as Kyoko, for givign Braum a lesson in the power of necessary threats, and loyalty.

***"Enough strategy for the best player to win, but enough luck that the dunce can squeak out a victory…"***

Despite the excitement of being newly Chrysalized, Braum still insists that his sons Aidan and Gus attend school the following day; Gus is keen, but Aidan, less so. Patches wayfares everyone back to The Spark, except for Braum, who will spend the night with his sons. Back at the freehold, Sophia frets privately about her upcoming meeting with the vampire Veritas, and about whether to tell her motley: she settles on asking Incisor for backup. Meanwhile, Zistor and Patches talk about the new Kithain too. The old nocker isn't too keen on having them living at the Spark, but is interrupted by Patches learning that her father has made it to Montreal remarkably early; "good luck with him," Zistor snorts.

Back at Claire's apartment, Braum calls Kyoko to apologize again for leaving her high and dry, and while the pooka is upset, she understands that Braum has a duty to his family, too. After he hangs up, he discovers that Lauren stayed behind, having a cold shower. She tells Braum that she'll be leaving shortly, in order to be Sained in Toronto, but wants to have Braum again, one last time…. The troll lets her down as gently as he can, and the incarnation of his former love heads out into the night.

Patches finds herself getting unusually lucky in getting to Montreal's airport to pick up her father, Malcolm Chambers, hitting all of the green lights and bypassing traffic. When she picks up her father, he is excited to head straight to a workshop or maker's space to show her his invention. Patches is suspicious of his impulsiveness, and offers to get them some curried poutine along the way. Her father certainly isn't enchanted; what could be going on with him? At the maker's space, Malcolm is crushed to learn that his daughter didn't understand his schematics, but shows her the prototype. He introduces the briefcase-looking device as APEE: the "Advanced Probability Enhancement Engine" looks like a typewriter, constantly clacking and lighting up. Malcolm, grinning, tells his daughter that he's created a device that can manipulate luck! He tries to explain the way the device interacts with quantum mechanics, but is frustrated that she isn't "awakened". He does his best to explain that he is one of the few who has become "awakened" to magic in the world, as a Mage, and that he was able to build the device with the help of this magic. Patches tries to explain to him that she, as well, is special, and ends up enchanting her father: "the world is not as fixed as we thought," he muses.

The next day, Braum returns to the Spark after dropping his sons off at school. He goes to bring Claire back to her home, but his ex-wife tells him she wants to remain enchanted. Braum isn't having it, trying to explain that the divide between her world and his will always exist, but Claire is adamant: if she can't remain with Braum in "his world", she'll have to take Aidan and Gus away. Braum tries to convince her to at least let their sons make their own decisions, but she starts to leave. Kyoko stops her by the door, quiet but steeled. She demands that Claire reconsider, since "you can hate him now, but not forever,"; Kyoko tells Claire that Braum still loves her, and that he would never hurt her… but that the pooka is not bound by the same love. She intimidates Claire, telling Braum that "no one talks to you that way", pulling him into an embrace.

That night, Sophia checks in with Incisor: she will accompany her to the meeting with Veritas, but is to call for Werewolf backup if necessary. Sophia notes the suited guards outside of Veritas' "lair", and tells Incisor to keep a lookout. The sidhe and the vampire have a tense negotiation: Sophia doesn't want to have the Kithain become embroiled in a war, and would rather both groups go about their own business. Veritas agrees that the two groups will remain separate, but that Changeling blood "willingly given" is still fair game. She asks whether he can speak "on behalf of his kind," and Veritas simply laughs: "Soon."

He explains that soon he will be making a move to take control of the domain from the current elderly Prince. He asks whether Sophia wishes to assist him in making good on his promise: if she can truly turn her blood into fire, by letting the Prince feed on her, she can aid in his assassination. Sophia agrees to attend a party with the Prince that night, and, leaving on Veritas' arm, gets into his limo….