As Xavier wrestles with Ashton, a puff of blue fire starts to appear in his hand but quickly fizzles out when Ashton slams his arm into the floor. Xavier snarls angrily. “Let me go! If you knew what he did to me...”
Some of the hospital staff seem to have noticed the commotion and are headed in your direction.
Hayden: As you look around the room, your fae senses form a series of mental images. Suspicious glares, revealed secrets, a screaming argument over a set of books and tarot cards hidden under the bed. The vision culminates with Xavier being pushed down a set of stairs by what appears to be a younger version of the man in the bed.
Hayden: When you look into the room, you see an elderly black man asleep in the bed inside. He appears unharmed thus far.
Ashton, you get to choose one of the following:
they take -2 to their roll (NPCs either act at a Disadvantage or fail entirely);
deal harm to them;
give them a Condition.
Xavier technically hasn't attempted violence yet but if you choose the first option, I'll say that Xavier's next attack (if he makes one) will fail.
JJ: You recognize the car outside the nursing home; it seems your friends are already here.
There's no moonlight at the moment for Ashton's ability, but it stands to reason that Xavier is headed here (if he isn't here already).
When you head inside of the nursing home, nothing seems to be amiss... until you notice Xavier standing in the hallway, staring into one of the rooms with a piercing, enraged gaze.
JJ:
You get another text from Malphas:
Your friends are headed to Lakeside Nursing Home. I would recommend going there to ensure they receive the comeuppance they deserve.
Apologies for the delay, everyone, I've been a bit distracted with life stuff. I'm considering wrapping up the campaign after finishing up this plot thread (unless someone else would like to take over?)
Malphas texts back: I'm afraid that particular book is unique. We will need to recover it, but that can wait for now.
As for Xavier, you needn't feel responsible for what happens next. The boy deserves his revenge.
Everyone else:
You look up the address for Lakeside Nursing Home; it isn't far from campus. You drive there and arrive outside the building; it matches Deirdre's vision perfectly.
So, normally this would happen after a PC has taken their 5th advance, but since things are sort of coming to a head plot-wise and this feels pretty close to the end of a "season," I'm thinking of allowing everyone to take a Season Advance as their next level-up if they so choose.
These allow you to make more drastic changes to your character's concept or mechanics based on what's happened thus far (or things you would like to happen before the season ends).
Note that the "rewrite" advances will need to be worked out with me and if you change your skin, you're going to need some sort of justification for why your skin is changing (i.e. no turning into a vampire for no reason).
Also note that retiring your character means that the character is *safe*, I won't fiat that they die offscreen or something unless that is something you want.
The Season Advances are:
Change your character’s Skin.
Rewrite your Sex Move.
Rewrite your Darkest Self.
Retire your character and start a new one.
Gain 2 of the Growing Up moves.
Growing Up Moves
Make Others Feel Beautiful
When you make others feel beautiful, roll with hot. On a 10 up, choose two:
they carry 1 forward;
they remove a Condition;
they mark experience;
you carry 1 forward.
On a 7-9, you can offer them an experience point to do what you want.
Call People On Their Sh*t
When you call people on their sh*t, roll with cold. On a 10 up, choose one:
they lose a String against someone else;
they freeze up, break down, or bail.
On a 7-9, choose one, and they give you a Condition.
Intervene Against an Act of Violence
When you intervene against an act of violence, roll with volatile. On a 10 up, choose one:
they take -2 to their roll (NPCs either act at a Disadvantage or fail entirely);
deal harm to them;
give them a Condition.
On a 7-9, they choose:
take -2 to their roll (NPCs either act at a Disadvantage or fail entirely);
target you with the violence instead.
Share Your Pain
When you share your pain, roll with dark. On a 10 up, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
remove a Condition (from yourself or someone who listened);
carry 1 forward toward helping yourself;
those who listened carry 1 forward toward helping you
Yes, I'd say this counts as going down the rabbit hole.
Deirdre:
As you stare at the Ouija board, the world around you seems to melt away for a moment and the letters seem to float up off of the cardboard. Waves of white-hot emotion seem to envelop you; you sense Xavier's rage, resentment and pain. Mentally fighting your way through the cacophony, you watch as the letters converge and contract, twisting themselves into a phrase printed on the outside of a red brick building: LAKESIDE NURSING HOME
JJ:
Your phone buzzes; it's a pair of texts from Malphas.
Xavier grabs his own head with both hands. "Stop it! STOP IT, DAD!"
He screams. Xavier's entire head becomes surrounded by an aura of blue flame. All of the loose objects in the room rise about an inch off of their surfaces for a moment, and the room itself seems to shudder.
Then, abruptly, Xavier collapses into a face-down kneeling position. The room is still. The fire is gone. Xavier doesn't move.
JJ and Ashton each grab ahold of the bag simultaneously, holding it between them like a tug o’ war.
Xavier holds up his hands in protest. “Wait! Stop fighting!” His eyes flash with blue fire. “Why are you always fighting?!” His voice is becoming deeper.
Let’s do this: both Ashton and JJ make a Lash Out Physically roll. We’ll use that to determine what happens (you don’t have to do actual harm in this struggle if you don’t want to).
Xavier lowers himself to the ground and crosses his arms, frowning. "I was the one who asked JJ for help. And look, this isn't just about being powerful. People can see me and hear me again. Plus, I don't think I'm tied to the house or the Ouija board anymore... I can actually go places. Do you have any idea what that means to me?"
Ashton: Xavier seems a lot more confident than you remember him being when you last saw him in a corporeal form. There's an edge in his voice that wasn't there before.
Xavier nods and floats a few inches off of the floor. "I've been practicing a few things..." He puts his hands together and forms a small sphere of blue fire.
"I can also pretty much decide now when to be visible, and whether I touch something or pass through it." He eyes Eva's hors d'oeuvres warily. "I... don't think I can eat things, though. Things might get sorta messy if I tried."
A blurry, translucent shape begins to take form in the center of the room. Over the course of a few seconds, it solidifies into the form of Xavier, looking as solid as he did on the day that Ashton first met him.
7 PM approaches, and the group converges at the dorm's lounge area (which, for whatever reason, usually seems to be pretty secluded). Xavier is not presently visible to those who arrive.
Xavier suggests you set up a meeting with the rest of the study group the following day so that he can formally introduce his new corporeal self to everyone. He’s relying on you to send out the invites.
So, JJ, we don't really need to do a full post-coital scene with Xavier unless you really want to; I want to make sure we get everyone involved again as soon as we can.
I do want to establish the following, however:
1. Are you making any plans with Xavier regarding what you do or don't plan to tell the rest of the group re: the ritual and Xavier's new powers?
During the "ritual," the Ifrit turns back into streaks of blue fire and enters Xavier's eyes. Xavier blinks, and the glowing fire dulls until it's just a slight blue iridescence, only visible from certain angles.
"Huh." Xavier blinks and makes a fist, blue fire surrounding his hand. "I think... I have a lot to... process."
Your phone buzzes with a text from Malphas:
You've exceeded my expectations. The ball is set in motion now. Well done.
It seems your deal with the Ifrit was enough to fulfill Malphas's request.
Erase a total of 3 strings from Malphas, two for the Sex Move and one for setting Xavier on the path of confronting his past.
Ashton:
Shortly after your meeting with Hayden, something starts to feel off. It feels like something's missing...
The following morning, you wake up and you realize what it is. The spirit connection you had with Xavier has been broken.
The Ifrit considers your words. "We can bind the ritual to that candle, if you like. No need to keep it lit for me to remain here, but if you break the candle, I become separated from Xavier and return from whence I came. Fair warning, Xavier: you would lose my powers, but any latent memories or emotions I unlock in you would remain. They're yours, and I cannot take them away."
Xavier nods. "I understand, and... I want this."
"Well, then. All we really need to proceed is some... privacy." The Ifrit looks to JJ. "Unless of course... you care to participate? You wouldn't be a part of the joining, strictly speaking, or gain any new powers, but... well, it would be fun."
Xavier looks to you, uncertain at first, but slowly giving you an enthusiastic smile.
Your dark hunger pulses within you. The Ifrit's offer is certainly tempting...
Mechanically speaking, your Sex Move would transfer a total of two Malphas strings (one to Xavier, one to the Ifrit) if you decided to have a threesome.
You hear a single knock on the floor, which you may or may not know is Xavier's standard signal for "yes."
The Ifrit nods and exhales, breathing out a thin stream of blue flame. It expands and outlines the form of Xavier, who becomes visible. He looks at his hands in wonder. "Whoa." It seems you can hear him, as well.
Now that Xavier is visible, you can see that he has a medium aura.
The Ifrit nods to Xavier. "So. You wish to become more powerful. I have the means to grant you this, and it would be mutually beneficial for the both of us.
"There is... a ritual of sorts. A very intimate ritual. One that I don't mind telling you... I would personally enjoy very much." He looks over Xavier with a sultry smile. Xavier seems to blush (or the ghost equivalent thereof) and giggles nervously.
"We would... become one, in every sense of the words. Some would refer to it as a possession, but it's really more of a partnership. You would still be yourself. In fact, you might even become more yourself. It would unlock hidden desires in you and grant you the power to make them a reality. You would have my abilities, teleportation and fire magic, and you'd gain full control over your invisibility, incorporeality, and levitation.
"The exact terms of this agreement, however, the powers and level of freedom I would be granted, would be subject to the terms set by the summoner." He motions to JJ. "My presence would not necessarily be dependent on whether that candle is lit, either, if you so choose. I might recommend that, if you intend to keep this arrangement... covert."
Xavier bites his lip and looks to JJ. "This sounds... good, JJ. I'd have the power to protect Ash- to protect anyone who needs help. What do you think?"
This scene with JJ could potentially affect others depending on how it plays out, but if people want to describe anything in particular they're doing the following day, we can take it from there.
The Ifrit nods, then glances at the space next to you and pauses for a moment. "I see." He looks back at you. "With your permission, might I make your friend a bit more... solid, temporarily? It will make this conversation far less annoying."
You find a secluded area of the dorms where you're unlikely to be disturbed. After arranging the proper materials and reciting the incantations, the candle you're holding magically lights itself.
A thin stream of blue fire pours forth from it and takes the form of a handsome young Middle Eastern man in a simple, dark outfit. His eyes burn with a low blue flame, and his coiffed hair seems to sparkle with iridescent light.
"Mortal," the Ifrit says. "Why have you summoned me?" He turns to the empty space just next to you. "I'm guessing it has something to do with him?"
Sorry, been knee-deep in work this past weekend. If we want to jump to Ashton and Hayden's late-night conversation we can do that. Anyone else doing anything specific this night?
Gavin seems about to protest, then considers Hayden's words. "I... hmmm. Yeah, maybe we should talk sometime. What was your name again? Mel?" Hayden gets a string on Gavin.
Gavin seems to silently huff a bit before slowly walking in the direction of his car. Still a bit shaken, he seems to be mentally debating what to do next.
"Hayden!" Bonnie hugs back Hayden tightly. "And Eva, thank you so much! I'm so glad you're both okay! Oh my Gosh I was so scared! So were they vampires? Did the garlic work? Which things worked specifically?" She pulls out her phone so she can take notes.
Gavin give JJ and Ashton a look that's a mix of embarrassment and indignation. "I... I don't see that it's really any of your business. I wanted to come, so I did, and it was clearly a huge mistake. Can we go now?"
Hayden, Ashton, JJ, Deirdre, and Isaac all manage to meet up. "I don't know what you people did," says Isaac, "but... thank you. I came here thinking it was just some fun game, but they've been draining my blood for weeks now. I barely even felt like myself anymore."
---
Eva:
Following Clove, you see them join Lucinda, Blaze, and Sonoko in a circle of stones. Sonoko and Blaze both look badly injured.
"It went sideways," grumbles Blaze. "We're going back."
"Fine by me," replies Clove, glancing back in your direction. "That one's blood is... wrong."
Lucinda sighs exasperatedly, and waves her hand. All four of them vanish.
Ashton: The moonlight enters you and fills your mind with a jumble of confusing, contradictory images. Things you've sensed in the woods tonight, blended with stories and Disney cartoons you may have absorbed as a child. Mischievous sparkly blonde girls in green minidresses, beautiful women luring unsuspecting men into the woods, raucous dances under the moon, contracts signed in blood. Wanton chaos and strict, unyielding order.
All of it converges into one singular word: fairy.
Something we haven’t really been doing with Gaze Into the Abyss: it’s a very vague move, but technically you’re supposed to ask a specific question when you use it. I’m guessing that Ashton’s question here would be “What type of creature is Hayden” (correct me if I’m wrong). Something we should probably keep in mind going forward.
EDIT: Or not necessarily a specific question, but rather "what you're looking for." Which I guess y'all have generally been good about implying anyway. It really is a frustratingly vague move.
While we’re on the subject Hayden, do you see your father as belonging to a particular “species” of fae or position in fae society? I can improvise, just curious if you already had anything in mind. (Also a name for him, unless you want me to come up with one.)
That works for me if it works for Ashton; what say we pick it up from the top of the post where Ashton made a Gaze Into the Abyss roll, with the understanding that Hayden didn’t hear or bring up the shotgun thing?
