Session 14

← Session 13 | Session 15 →

Nyx ends up with custody of a child, and the party makes plans to attend the event of the year.

## Characters

* the party
* Emmett (surname unknown)
* Pax Furyk
* Kitty Vance
* Fiorella Fells
* Naberius MacLaughagan
* Milo Cooper
* Benjamin Richards

## Summary

##### **Firday, December 11th, 542:**

Nyx attempts to get in contact with Zacharie, and fails again. In the meantime, she listens to the Dusk Radio program, who have managed to attend one of the riots in the poor district, and note that they are suspiciously organized, as flyers and such have been handed out beforehand. The radio is asking for information on who this group may be, in an effort to give them a platform. Nyx is also on the lookout for news about the Sculptor, but that has become old news at this point, mentioned when a new body is found and then fading again.

### **Apparently we Didn't Learn the First Time**

##### **Friday, December 18th, 542:**

One evening, Sam shows up at Asa's work, and invites Asa to join him on a quest to check on Pax. Asa is reluctant, having acquired other resources that will help with his revenge quest, but goes along with it. Sam dropped by Asa's sci-fi Starbucks late in the afternoon, near when Asa was getting off shift, which means their search is taking place in the early evening into the night. The two comb the back alleys of the city, gradually getting closer to the district where the university is located, and in the process run into three ghouls. Between the two of them, they make quick work of the ghouls, though Sam does have a moment where one of them looks surprisingly human, and he has regrets.

### **Pax Isn't Home Right Now, Please Leave a Message**

In an alley in the district around the university is a Pax-shaped silhouette, wandering the streets. He is in a ragged hospital gown, and is notably lacking his backpack or any other supplies. He is almost nonresponsive when Sam tries to get any answers out of him, and does not recognize the party, though does claw at Sam when he tries to scoop Pax up to take him to Nyx's apartment. At this point, Sam calls Nyx, telling her the basic situation and asking her to bring supplies so they can get Pax back to her apartment. Nyx arrives, and is able to lead Pax by the hand through the streets of the City back to her apartment. On the way, she tries to read his mind, failing once and causing the two of them some psychic pain, which Pax does not react to. When she succeeds, she gets the mental equivalent of static, which reminds her of the split-second she experiences whenever she has a vision from the perspective of someone being murdered, just before the vision cuts out.

Back at Nyx's apartment, Nyx has a vision of what happened to Pax: she sees overwhelming darkness, and feels something in her hand, before she is unable to breathe. There is a flash of a vague impression of a room at the end of the vision. Nyx notices that the odd wound in his shoulder that wouldn't heal still hasn't healed, and is now infected. Nyx recognizes it as a bite mark that tore out a substantial piece of his shoulder. The party can't think of any particularly good ways to do anything about Pax, and in the end he stays on Nyx's couch, still unresponsive.

##### **Saturday, December 19th, 542:**

In the morning, Nyx calls Kuno, and asks him to watch Pax while she visits Kitty. Kitty is happy to see Nyx, as always, and says that while there are ways to leave someone absent, they are likely due to some kind of magic, and are difficult to both track and reverse. Her best guess is that Pax has some kind of magical brain damage, which is not something wizards will do, since there are easier and more effective ways to get rid of someone. She suggests that demons or the fae might be involved, but that it's very unlikely.

Kuno searches the news, and doesn't find anything mentioning a feral child escaping a hospital. He buys some high-strength antibiotics from the local drugstore, noticing in the process that they are lacking in food, and gives some to Pax. Without any good leads or options, and not willing to take Asa's advice and put Pax down, the party sets Pax up in the former Little Pleasures Cafe.

### **Grab Your Partner, Do-Si-Do**

##### **Sunday, December 27th, 542:**

Over the past week, Fiorella Fells has been attending every event Colby's church has put on, and has been donating heavily, including by commissioning a few portraits of Colby with assorted religious imagery. She hasn't been doing this in an attempt to usurp ownership of the church, merely enthusiastically, and has endeared herself to the ladies of the church. In a meeting with Colby, a few days after the party found Pax, she suggests that the church should be doing more outreach, and offers Colby an invitation to the VIP section of the New Years' Gala as a starting point, which he reluctantly accepts. Fiorella is overjoyed, and says she will handle everything, so all Colby need do is show up.

With this news, Colby texts the group chat, asking if anyone is planning on going to the Gala. Kuno is, as well as Nyx, since she had a vision of a gunshot at the Gala. Asa, after hearing that Nyx had said vision, is determined to attend as well.

##### **Monday, December 28th, 542:**

The party meets at Back At 'Za to talk about their Gala plans, which ends up takeout at Nyx's apartment since Sam is determined to keep Nyx from talking about possible murders in a public setting. Sam wasn't planning on attending, but offers to go to give Colby moral support, which Colby appreciates. Nyx wonders if MacLaughagan would be able to get the party access to the VIP section of the Gala, which Sam is not going to make any effort to do but will not stop the party from trying.

Nyx, after hearing this, says "hey, Mac!" in the general direction of nowhere in particular--at which point her (still broken) doorbell rings, and she opens the door to reveal MacLaughagan sprawled in the doorway. He has a conundrum, one that he hopes the party can help him with: something came up for Orias and he isn't able to attend the Gala, but MacLaughagan requires a plus one, otherwise he will be swarmed by "suitors," and doesn't care which one of the party it is as long as he gets someone. Sam offers, in order to be able to support Colby, but Asa reminds him that the VIP section of the Gala is often on the news, and that he has a boyfriend to think of, a relationship that MacLaughagan points out has been a bit strained recently.

With that, Nyx volunteers, which MacLaughagan is fine with. She gets given a business card in which everything has been redacted save for a phone number, and is told to call (or text) with dress (or suit, MacLaughagan isn't picky) specifications. MacLaughagan produces an invitation for her, which he instructs her not to lose, as well as an invitation that would have belonged to Tamson Jewel (who is deceased, and thus unable to attend), as consolation for imposing on the party. Sam takes this second invitation, to be able to provide moral support to Colby.

### **Mac Plays Dress-Up**

With business completed, MacLaughagan drapes himself across the closest piece of furniture and asks what the party has been up to. The party mention the places they've been recently, which MacLaughagan discards in favor of asking after gossip-worthy information, to which Nyx points out that Colby has met someone. Colby says that Nate saved him from being mugged and that they met at a coffee shop, which MacLaughagan accepts as properly acceptable fanfiction-worthy gossip, though he sees the party overall as very boring. He leaves, at this point, saying he has a party to get to, and wishes Colby luck with his relationship (though not precisely in those words).

##### **Tuesday, December 29th, 542:**

Over the next few days, Nyx texts over specifications: a purple and black dress, that is generally ethereal and mysterious. MacLaughagan clears red accents and feathers with her, to ensure the two coordinate, and schedules a fitting for Nyx.

Asa visits his fae contact who works in fashion, with Sam tagging along after asking to, to get clothes for the Gala. Milo Cooper has a boutique near one of the fae parts of the City, and is happy to provide.

##### **Wednesday, December 30th, 542:**

Sam mentions to Ben that he will be attending the VIP section of the Gala in order to "help a friend with publicity for his thing," which Ben is in support of, since it means Sam will be doing something other than sulking around the house, as long as he doesn't return covered in blood and half-dead again. Sam says he can make no promises, but that he will try not to.

## Quotes

**Abby:** "Pax has so many problems." |**James:** "Pax is a walking problem." | **Kellen:** "You be nice to my man. Be nice to him."

**James:** You've been hit by, you've been struck by--" | **Kellen:** "A train."

**Kai:** "You're not being indulged, you were going to talk about murder in a Pizza Hut."

**Abby:** "With all this talk of Zach, and Izola, I was not expecting *Mac*."

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