Chapter Four: The Flight of an Arrow

Scene One: The Rest of the Evening
James> alrighty- I'm ready.
* Gemma sticks her tongue out at Mike
Gemma> Banana bread hater!
Gemma> I'm ready too. Ahem.
mgrasso> Excellent. So we left off with a boxed FUBAR and a mortal-ized redcap.
Gemma> Did the redcap look like a wilder or a grump?
mgrasso> Grump, definitely.
mgrasso> In his mortal seeming, he was about 50, maybe older.
Gemma> Damn. He's ancient.
James> yeah- and selie- that was probably glorious or some other fucking shit
Gemma> As glorious as any man can be in rubber pants...
* Gemma eyes the guy
mgrasso> So, what do we do, leave him in the swamp or try to get him out of here?
Gemma> Does he have ID on him?
mgrasso> A cursory search: Nope.
Gemma> Any other personal information?
Gemma> A wallet? Phone book? Info on this Queen Mab person?
mgrasso> No, no, and no.
James> let's just call 911 and get back to the house.
Gemma> Keychain? Does he have pocket lint?
mgrasso> And all of his fae stuff is gone since he's been mortalized.
Gemma> (sorry... :) )
Gemma> All right... not much we can do for him anyway.
mgrasso> Where are you calling from?
Gemma> Where are we in relation to the house?
James> is there a payphone around?
mgrasso> Probably only about a mile or two.
mgrasso> Yeah, there could be one on the road at a scenic overlook.
James> (brb!!)
mgrasso> I'll say you guys drive to a pay phone, call, and then head home.
Gemma> All right.
Gemma> I take it it's an anonymous tip? :)
mgrasso> Of course. :)
mgrasso> And now we have to talk about the rest of the trip.
Gemma> Okay...
mgrasso> Waiting for James here.
James> I'm back
mgrasso> All right. With the FUBAR safely encaged, you make your way back to the house.
mgrasso> So, you get back home around... 2 am or so.
mgrasso> What do you do when you get home, guys?
James> You tired?
* Gemma shrugs
Gemma> Are you?
James> not even a little- but these are kosher hours for me.
Gemma> You're probably eager to start playing with your discovery, aren't you?
mgrasso> Let me explain about the void cube, James: the wooden box is what you're holding right now... the metal frame, downstairs, you theorize that it transfers the power from the FUBAR to power... whatever. The lab equipment, the analytical engine, etc.
James> Yes, I am.
James> - but I'm not going to.
Gemma> You're not?
James> I came here to spend time with you- not play around with some st-st-stup- oh fuck it, wonderful machine.
James> I'm concerned with how to get it home- and maybe I'll look at it later in the week- but not now
James> I'm not going to divert from my mission.
James> James smiles at you
* Gemma presses a quick kiss on James' cheek
Gemma> I'm going to go slip into my pyjamas. I'll be back. I'll leave Cupid to keep you company.
James> sure...
mgrasso> Cupid is lying on the ground, staring up at the void cube.
mgrasso> The void cube is sitting on a side table.
mgrasso> He seems... oddly fixated on it.
James> see that thing cupid- it has enough energy to power so much shit
mgrasso> After staring at it for a bit, he puts his little head under his plushy sheep arms and hide there.
James> James continues talking, to himself now
James> the possibilities are endless, and with what grandad did- a secrue building block...
James> and I belong to a legacy!
* Gemma heads upstairs. She comes back a while later in a snug grey tank top and baggy red flannel pyjama bottoms. Her hair's loose and she's stretching her arms as she wanders back.
James> hey sexy.
Gemma> Hey yourself.
* Gemma sits on the couch with her legs curled up under her
Gemma> Any of that wine left?
James> quite a bit actually-
* James scoops it up
Gemma> Be a dear and pour me some?
James> (hurah!)
James> of course
* Gemma bends down to look at Cupid
mgrasso> Cupid is very frightened of the void cube.
Gemma> Mijo? You okay?
* Gemma scoops Cupid up and settles him on her lap.
mgrasso> Cupid shakes his head no very quickly and pouts imperceptibly.
James> what does Mijo mean?
Gemma> Literally, a contraction of "My son."
Gemma> But more like an endearment... Like sweetie or honey.
James> oh...
* Gemma strokes Cupid and talks softly to him.
Gemma> Poor thing.
Gemma> How abuot that wine?
James> oh- yeah!
* James hands her a wine
Gemma> Thanks.
* Gemma settles back into the couch and sips the wine
* James strokes her hair
Gemma> So, dearest... talk to me. How are you feeling? What are you thinking? Where do you get your pants?
James> well- I'm feeling very excited about the computer- about the fact that I get the rest of the week with you, I'm thinking that you look hot and I want you, and I get my pants at structure, thanks for asking.
James> you?
Gemma> Me? Hm. I'm feeling nicely warm. Thinking about you. I get my pants in many, many places.
* Gemma finishes off her wine and sets the glass aside
James> what about me?
Gemma> Hmm... everything about you. Your eyes.
* Gemma reaches into the oversized pocket of her pyajama pants and pulls out her chimerical dagger
Gemma> Your hair.
Gemma> How about a lock of it? I admit this thing is kind of clumsy, but I won't leave much of a bald spot...
James> will you tell me what it's for?
Gemma> You don't trust me?
James> I'll do it either way, I'm just wondering if you *wil*
Gemma> If I will what?
James> tell me why you need it.
Gemma> I don't *need* it. I just want it... for a surprise.
James> you need me to go weird, yes, no?
Gemma> Yes.
James> aiit.
James> (how do I do this? can i take 10?)
mgrasso> (Actually, you don't, but that's cool. )
mgrasso> She can just cut the chimerical hair with her chimerical dagger and all is right with the world.
Gemma> (oh, good)
Gemma> (in that case...
* James takes off his glasses and puts his head near you
* Gemma gently pushes James down so his face is pressed against her bosom. Carefully, she cuts a lock ofchimerical hair from the back of his head.
Gemma> Marvelous.
Gemma> She runs upstairs with her "prize" then comes back down and sits on James' lap. Gemma> Thank you, thank you, thank you.
James> you're welcome-
James> You know, this "not knowing" is like trial by pooka-fire.
* Gemma starts nibbling on James' neck
Gemma> Oh, like you don't enjoy it.
James> baby, I live for it.
* James runs his hands over Gemmas body, strokes her hair
mgrasso> (okay, if you guys don't mind, I think we will take the inevitable conclusion as... read, thank you)
mgrasso> (if that is indeed your conclusion. I don't know. :D)
Gemma> (do a seduction roll and see. ;) )
mgrasso> (Ah, we don't need that. I just need a concurrence from each of you. :) )
mgrasso> It's like those movies with the nuclear bombs where they both have to turn their keys at the same time. :D
Gemma> lol!
James> :)
James> (well, I think we all know what James wants)
mgrasso> (Gemma? Are you launching your missiles?)
Gemma> (Er, well, she's had enough wine... sure.)
Gemma> (Damn it! *I'm* blushing! You made *me* blush, Mike. You suck. :) )
mgrasso> (Such a lovely, romantic statement.)
mgrasso> (heh!)
Gemma> (Hey, that was *your* logic last night....)
James> (let's just do some dex rolls and call it a night)
Gemma> lol!
mgrasso> Okay, that made me laugh. :)
James> :)
Gemma> As long as Cupid's not watching...
mgrasso> I have to ask one embarassing question.
Gemma> Another one? Okay...
mgrasso> Hah. Okay, sure. I just need to know if there's any precautions here.
Gemma> Oh my god!
mgrasso> Well, jeez, Mellie. It's kind of important. :)
Gemma> No way. Gemma's out to oops him.
Gemma> No, Im' kidding. Of *course*.
mgrasso> Yeah. Nice prank. :)
mgrasso> Fair enough. We can move on then! (Thank goodness)
Gemma> Phew. So no save vs pregnancy rolls?
James> ha!
Gemma> Does James need a stamina check?
mgrasso> Now, over the week, James, I need to see if you can ship your stuff. So that's going to be a Intelligence + Resources roll, diff. 6. Extended.
James> (no!!! dex check DEX chek!!!)
mgrasso> (uh, no thank you. :D)
Gemma> (What about *lasting*? Hmm? I'm sure you can use WP :) )
mgrasso> You guys, just keep coming up with house rules for sex, thank you.
Gemma> I want a stamina roll! Diff 8 since he had to wait so long. I want to know if my girl is sat-is-FIED. ;D
Gemma> Hey, if LARPS have them...
* mgrasso collapses in fear
* Gemma giggles
mgrasso> Do they, really? Gah.
Gemma> Yeah!
Gemma> Why do you think I'm not doing it?
mgrasso> (Note to self... never even think of LARPing... ever... again...)
Gemma> I don't want to walk around handing some dork a card that says we did it.
James> (well, he has a one stamina but a five dex- it's not long, but it's really good)
mgrasso> ::laughs out loud::
James> !dice 5 6
* DiceWell James rolls 5d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 2 successes.
* DiceWell 9 3 5 4 8
James> (again?)
mgrasso> One more roll, Mandy.
mgrasso> Yep.
James> !dice 5 6
* DiceWell James rolls 5d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 2 successes.
* DiceWell 3 4 4 9 6

Scene Two: Into the Fire
mgrasso> All right. Here's the deal. It's going to cost you quite a bit of money, but it can be done.
James> alright!!!
mgrasso> Essentially, your plan of sending empty crates is fine.
James> great
mgrasso> But you send them ground transport to save money, so it's going to be a month or so before they arrive. And with that, there is the fear that Banality might damage or erode them.
Gemma> Can he infuse the crates with Glamour just in case? Or is that going to wind up enchanting random UPS men?
James> ha!
mgrasso> Well, I think the Glamour idea is the best one.
mgrasso> But it might be a case of *both* of you having to donate to hold them together.
James> I'm Game
Gemma> Me too.
mgrasso> All right. I'm going to have to suck you guys dry of all Temp. Glamour.
James> okay-
Gemma> In that case, all of Cape Cod is going ot be majorly pissed or depressed by the time we leave... ;)
mgrasso> I'd RP some Ravagings, but I don't have time, so why don't I have you each roll a random Ravaging.
mgrasso> Heh, exactly! :)
Gemma> What's the roll for Ravaging?
mgrasso> Looking it up.
James> I'd actually like to plug in my laptop and hook up with my port-a-dreamer
Gemma> Hey, I should call Andrew. "Hey, guess what?!"
mgrasso> Roll dice equal to your Banality. Difficulty is 6.
Gemma> !dice 3 6
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 3d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 3 successes.
* DiceWell 10 7 7
Gemma> Hoody hoo!
mgrasso> Nice. You'll have three when you get back to AZ.
James> (can i use my dreamer?)
mgrasso> Yep. Same roll.
mgrasso> Plug in and flame away.
mgrasso> :)
James> !dice 3 6
* DiceWell James rolls 3d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 5 3 9
James> ::pout
James> ::
mgrasso> Okay, one for you.
James> (so we're actually assuming James and Gemma go a whole week with out arguing?!) :)
mgrasso> So, let's see, we need to drive back up to Boston after a week of sex and computers and UPS calls.
mgrasso> (What do *you* think? It's bliss. James has nookie and chimerical computers! He's happy for once!)
James> (ha!)
Gemma> Ew! Does that mean he's going to be Seelie?
mgrasso> Okay, so, you drive back to Boston, and back to Logan.
mgrasso> You're taking a late-night flight back to Tucson.
mgrasso> The two of you, after such a wonderful vacation, feel well-rested and recharged, especially after the emotion of Livia's kidnapping.
mgrasso> You touch down in Tucson at roughly 2:45 a.m. local time. How did you guys get to the airport? Cab?
Gemma> James drove.
James> yup
mgrasso> So your car's in long-term parking?
James> yeah
mgrasso> Awesome. Mellie, where is that in Tucson?
mgrasso> Close to the terminal, or is it a walk?
Gemma> Like, two feet from the terminal. :)
mgrasso> Ah, cool.
mgrasso> You walk out of the bright lights of the terminal and towards the long-term parking lot. It's about 12 rows back from the entrance.
mgrasso> The dull yellow lights of the parking lot illuminate the black (James' car is black, right?) hood of James' rebuilt Lincoln.
mgrasso> James fiddles with his keys, digging them out of his jeans pocket.
mgrasso> As he unlocks the driver's side, James looks up to smile at Gemma.
James> (grey)
mgrasso> He sees Gemma slumped over the passenger side of the car, chimerical blood staining the passenger window. A long, straight arrow has been shot clean through her.
Gemma> (ack!)
James> /me dashes over too her, panic striken
James> (grrr)
mgrasso> James whirls around to find a volley of chimerical arrows flying towards him. Too late, he thinks, as he is impaled several times and falls to the ground, the two new lovers... no longer fae, but mere mortals, lying unconscious in a cold and Banal parking lot.
James> (ack!!)
Gemma> (::sputters::!!!)
mgrasso> James, Gemma, I need you both to make Perception + Kenning rolls, diff. 8
mgrasso> Sorry! Wait!
mgrasso> Wits + Kenning, same diff.
Gemma> !dice 5 8
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 5d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 6 2 10 2 5
James> !9 8
James> oops
James> !dice 9 8
* DiceWell James rolls 9d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 4 successes.
* DiceWell 9 9 3 2 10 5 10 1 10
James> (chimera and insults... reroll any 10's?)
mgrasso> Nope.
James> (gah....)
Gemma> (how long are we unconscious?)
mgrasso> I will take care of that via email. :)
Gemma> ::sobs::
James> you
James> are
mgrasso> *smirk*
James> evil
mgrasso> Hee hee hee!
* mgrasso rubs his hands
mgrasso> I will take care of it all, don't you worry.
Gemma> That mere mortal... merely temporary, right?
mgrasso> Of course.
mgrasso> It's chimerical death.
Gemma> ::frantically looking up chimerical death rules:: :)
James> riiiight- page numbers?
mgrasso> The only bad thing is that you get a permanent point of Banality each.
Gemma> 248
Gemma> Ban ... aww, man.
James> mists charts...
Gemma> So, do we do the mists chart according to our old or new banality?
mgrasso> New. Yeah, it doesn't seem like you guys will be out longer than a day.
Gemma> Great. Maybe a security guard will poke us with his toe.
mgrasso> Something like that, yeah. :)
Gemma> Did you have the email prepared?
mgrasso> Nope. :)
Gemma> Or are we falling prey to sudden inspiration? :)
mgrasso> I'll send it, inspiration and all. :)
Gemma> Oh, man! I am so sending you an evil url...
* Gemma goes looking for those childbirth pages again
mgrasso> Heh.
mgrasso> Well, this should be a nice little mystery. :)
James> damn dog... any who, I gotta go- and attempt to study- as opposed to thinking about what just happened...:)
mgrasso> Sorry, Mandy. Don't kill my halfling tomorrow night. :)
James> oh, lyn just won't be defending you at par.:)
mgrasso> Noooo! :)
James> your silly little halfling ass...
mgrasso> Hah!
James> erica, do you know how many times he's almost died so far?
Gemma> Damn it, if I had a torch....
mgrasso> "She," first of all.
mgrasso> :)
Gemma> 80 times, Mandy?
James> oops!!!
* Gemma eyes Mike
James> damn near about
Gemma> I hope at least 80.
James> did you know that bill added 30 hp onto the hydra!!!
mgrasso> Oh, I give you sex and computers and red wine and you get miffed over a little Banality. Time you wilders grew up anyway!
mgrasso> he did? What a bastard. :)
Gemma> I'll not grump before my time!
James> I don't want hair in my ears
Gemma> I don't want grey whiskers.
mgrasso> Well, anyway, it was a good game, this Cape game.
mgrasso> And a lovely, innocent ending. :)
Gemma> Innocent?
mgrasso> Heh heh heh.
James> oh man...
James> i gotta go
Gemma> You call that -- man. I *knew* this would happen if Gemma had sex.
Gemma> God is punnishing her! Punish! ::catholic guilt:: :)
mgrasso> C'mon, it's not every day you get to die.
Gemma> Not in such a spectacular way, no.
James> it's not every day you get to die and live through it
Gemma> I mean, come on. An arrow right through her? sssssshhllllthunk. Message for you, sir!
mgrasso> Hee!
mgrasso> Read the book: chimerical damage is supernaturally gruesome. "Get medieval on your players' asses."
Gemma> Yeah... Did the car window stop that arrow? :)
Gemma> I mean, hell, poor James! How many did he get in him? 3? He's going to have some neat scars to show off.
mgrasso> Sure. Definitely!
James> maybe I'll have to swear revenge and become dauntain...
Gemma> I'm blaming Ingrid and Doug.
Gemma> More porn flyers!
mgrasso> No! No dauntain!
* James grins deviously
mgrasso> And no more bestial porn!
Gemma> hehehe
Gemma> I'm a *pooka*. I *am* bestial. Which means James got it on with a cat.
Gemma> That sicko. :)
mgrasso> Yipe.
James> tisk
mgrasso> Anyway, I hope you liked it, in total.