Dresden Files Las Vegas- Don't Come Around Here No More

It was a short night but very exciting. We managed to fit in quite a bit of action. There was chaos with pixies, a fight, and a quick trip to a hell realm. All that and we are only on the second day of the adventure. At this rate, by the end of the week, we are going to have Vegas in flames.

Before I begin, I have a change to make. Just like with Calvin! in the Mage game, I have decided to give a special option to Brandon and Neil for when they are together. I swear they are just like those old "buddy" movies- Martin and Lewis, Abbott and Costello, et al. The things they do and say have definitely earned them a special moniker. With that being said, when they are together, they will be referred to by their last names. That way they can go down in history as one of the great straight man/comedian duos.

The game started with Fine and Wall in Uri's bathroom. Not sure what to do, they started with the basics. First, they cleaned out the wounds and Wall then tried to bandage up Uri. His result was less then spectacular (frankly, with his roll, Uri looked like a deformed mummy). Fine, knowing that they needed help, placed a call to Patience at the Historical Museum. He left a message for her and waited. Not long after, she returned his call. After hearing what happened, she suggested that Fine and Wall get him to the Nevernever. Fine told Wall what she said as he left the bathroom.

Getting to a locked door that he assumed was Uri's home office, Fine attempted to break the door down with a coat rack. When that didn't work, he shot the lock out (even the straight man of the duo can have comedic moments). On the desk he found what he was looking for- a rolodex. He sat down and started calling the most promising numbers. Most of the calls resulted in insults. However, Fine eventually found some help. In answer to his carefully phrased inquiry (he basically said that Uri had been attacked and required assistance of his ilk), the man told Fine to look for a potion or elixir. He was sure that Uri would have something around for just such an emergency. Hanging up, Fine started tearing the room apart.

Back in the bathroom, Wall decided to take matters into his own hands. Casting a spell, he opened a rift into the Nevernever. Having been there before, it was fairly easy for him to pinpoint Uri's realm. It was just as Wall remembered- hot, scorched black earth, and on fire. He pulled Uri through the rift and closed it. It was a good thing he had his sword. With Uri unconscious, Wall was not being protected from the heat. The Sword of Air Conditioning helped (that's how Jason described it). He looked to see if being there was helping at all. The spread of the infection seemed to have stopped. While looking Uri over, Wall noticed some gray jelly-like gunk in his eye. Wall reached down to wipe it away and learned, to his surprise, it was actually Uri's eye. He wisely refrained from doing anything else (like poking at it).

With Uri settled, Wall called out for help to anyone or anything that might be listening. Not long after, he noticed that shadows seemed to be converging where the two of them were. He knew that something was there and listening to him. Sure enough, a voice spoke to him, telling him to give Uri to the shadows. Wall refused (he tried to use intimidate but wasn't really successful). The shadows became insistent and attacked Wall. Their touch was cold- spiritually cold. A brief fight ensued. Deciding that retreat was a viable option, Wall opened a rift back to Uri's bathroom.

Back in the apartment, Fine was busy redecorating Uri's office. He had managed to find a wall safe but didn't have the combination. A quick call to Christine hadn't helped (she was on her way over though). In an attempt to get what he needed, Fine dumped the desk drawers and pulled the books off the shelves. Deciding to wait for Christine, Fine headed back to the bathroom. He got there just in time to see Wall charging through the rift- sword in one hand and dragging Uri with the other (between the horrible bandaging job, the dumping into the Nevernever, and the dragging back to the bathroom, I am surprised Uri is still alive).

Meanwhile, Shade and Max had just exited the Fey realm. They talked for awhile about what had happened. Shade let him know that she wasn't thrilled by the sacrifice but it was needed for what the Fey were. She told Max to not think of the Fey as human; they weren't. It was best to think of them as physical manifestations of their seasons (frankly, Shade's description of them as adults with the emotional capacity of three year old children is about the best). They were about to head out for dinner when Max's phone rang. He stepped away to answer it. Shade didn't pay too much attention until Max's tone changed. Apparently something bad had gone down and his men needed him wherever they were. They really couldn't tell him just exactly what it was. With a quick kiss for Shade and a promise of dinner tomorrow night, Max departed.

Deciding that it was a good time to put her plan for the pixies into play, Shade went on a hunt for treats. She got pizza, chicken wings, Krispy Kreme donuts, and other foodstuffs. With everything in her work shop, Shade performed the ritual to call Janx. He eventually showed up. Once he spotted the food, it was on. He called a bunch of other pixies and her basement turned into a free for all (yes, putting no limitations on them was part of the plan. She knew it would get crazy but she wanted to see just what they could do as a group and with free reign. She was fairly impressed with the results). Once the pixies discovered Periwinkle upstairs, most headed up there to play with the kitten (just think about that- numerous hyperactive pixies and a six month old kitten. It's the definition of chaos). Satisfied, Shade called Janx and asked him to reign everyone in. He refused. She then cast a ritual trapping him in a bubble. It took the threat of permanent confinement but Janx finally told the others to leave. With things now quiet, they settled down for a talk. Shade put forth her proposal. She wanted them to work for her. She would pay them with food. Janx said that he would agree to the deal if she built them a fairy park, just for the pixies. If she did that, he would be king of the pixies. She agreed.

Christine finally arrived and joined Fine and Wall in the office. When asked if she knew of anything to help Uri, she answered  the blood of an innocent and wanted to know if they knew of any children. Passing on that option, Wall cast a spell to pry open the safe. Fine wisely headed for cover. With the safe door open, the three of them gathered around to inspect the contents. Among the items were a few potions. Taste testing each, Wall found one that simply felt unholy. They poured it down Uri's throat and waited. After a minute or two, Uri woke up. After being helped to bed, he told them what had happened. A Knight of the Cross was in town and had attacked him. He had barely escaped with his life. After some more small talk, Wall and Fine left. Fine went home. Wall stopped by Mason's place and left a note about what happened.

Back at his house, Brandon (going back to first names since Brandon and Neil aren't together anymore) was getting ready for bed when there was a knock on his door. It was Mason. Brandon invited him in. Once settled, Mason asked Brandon for a full report of the night's activities. He was not happy to hear about Davy. He told Brandon to keep an eye on the strangers. He also said that he had a person in mind to talk with Angelica about the Knight. Business concluded, mason left and Brandon went to bed.

It took some time but Shade finally got her place cleaned up (Periwinkle looked exhausted but very, very happy. He liked his new playmates). That done, she went to bed. In the early morning hours, she was woken up by a knock on her window. Not really awake, she opened the curtain and saw Mason hanging in mid-air outside. Being polite, she invited him in. Coming inside, Mason told about the Knight being town and asked her if she would go talk to Angelica. Shade agreed. Mason left and Shade, deciding to just stay up, made some coffee.

Neil's morning started with a visit to Wyatt. He asked him to locate this Knight of the Cross person. Wyatt told him that Davy was holed up in a church. Neil headed over. Just as he pulled up (in his Mercedes- not his Chevelle like I was hoping), he spotted Shade walking up from the other direction. They met and chatted as they walked into St. Michael's. Inside they saw Angelica talking with a priest. Shade walked up to Angelica and asked if they could speak privately. She said okay and invited Shade out to the garden. Neil talked to the priest and asked about his 'friend' who was staying there. Father John said that he would be happy take Neil to his friend Davy.

In the garden, Shade and Angelica settle down to talk but keep getting distracted by a man doing yard work- shirtless...with amazing abs...and blond hair...and amazing abs...and bulging muscles...and amazing abs (Davy has the stunt Animal Magnetism. Angelica had to keep reminding herself that he was a man of God and Shade had to keep reminding herself that she was engaged). Eventually, they were able to talk. Shade asked about Davy and told Angelica that it would be best if he left Vegas. A Knight of the Cross wouldn't be great for the city. Angelica answered that he was doing God's work and she didn't see a problem with it. Seeing that Angelica would not understand the problems with Davy, Shade chatted with her for a few more minutes and then left. Neil and Davy were having a discussion of their own. Although, their conversation wasn't nearly so polite. Neil told Davy to leave. Davy refused. The insults started flying and it ended in a fight. After all was said and done, a compromise was reached. Davy agreed to stay at the Church and only harm the person (Arthur Skavis) the group was there to get. He also told Neil to contact Jack or Michelle if he wanted more information.

Outside, Shade called Christine and asked her for a meeting with Uri. Christine wasn't sure at first until Shade told her it was about the Knight. Christine told her to come over and that she would clear it with security (yep, Uri is not taking any chances). Getting to Uri's house, Shade chatted with Kirk while he patted her down. Inside, Christine led her to Uri's bedroom (I thought that amusing. I always figured Shade would get into his bedroom for another reason. However, Max happened and I guess Uri will just have to wait a few more years). Uri still looked like hell. Shade was very concerned and offered to help him by using her tattooing skills. Uri agreed to think about it. They talked over the situation and possible solutions but nothing concrete was decided.

That ended the evening. See what I meant by being action packed. Some many things going down and so many ways this could play out. All I know is that I can't wait for Sunday to see what happens next. And it's not only the whole New Orleans situation. It's a whole bunch of other things. Just what changes are coming to Vegas and how will the three of them get on? Check back next week for some of the answers! Hopefully there will be some more of the Fine and Wall shenanigans as well.
 

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Things Fall Apart, It's Scientific

Oh dear, things are getting very interesting. In Vegas that is not a good thing. Last night's gaming session was filled with magic, violence, and more then a couple "oh fuck" moments. I wouldn't want it any other way. Also of note, this is the first time that I have carried a song over for two different sessions but it fit so well, I just had to. So much mayhem and chaos and even a cliffhanger. On to the recap and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed playing it!

Neil's day was winding down. He was eating dinner at a local diner when Mason walked in. Spotting Neil, he walked over, sat down, and got right to the point. He wanted to know if Neil had learned anything new about the Skavis attack. Neil answered in the negative. Mason told Neil that Fredrick and his hunted guest were currently at the Luxor. He wanted Neil to head over there and keep an eye on Arthur. Neil agreed to do so.

Brandon was closing his shop up when he felt...something. Turning around, Brandon saw Mason right standing right behind him. Brandon asked him not to sneak up on him. Mason said he had to since the door was locked. Pleasantries over, Mason asked just what Brandon knew about Skavis' guest. Brandon replied nothing. Mason then asked if he had seen any notable strangers (one nice thing about Mason, he always gets right to the point). Brandon told him about the visits from Michelle, Jack, and Sharee. He even had it on his security tape. After watching the footage, Mason asked if he could have it. After Brandon answered in the affirmative, Mason told him to head to the Luxor and get in touch with Neil.

Further up and just off the Strip, Shade was finishing up her day when she got a visitor. One of the Changelings, Laurel, burst through the front door and started babbling. Shade told her to calm down and tell her what was wrong. Laurel said that Harold was missing. They had a date planned for that night and she couldn't get ahold of him in any of the usual ways. She was sure something had happened to him. Shade asked Laurel to take her to Harold's place. Laurel agreed and they headed out. At his apartment, Shade proceeded to break in. There didn't seem to be any sign of a struggle. Getting some hair from his brush, Shade exited. However, their visit hadn't gone unnoticed. As the two women walked away, they noticed a neighbor's door closing (hopefully there won't be a police visit in Shade's future, especially considering the rest of her night). Back at her place, Shade cast a location spell. Harold was not in Vegas.

After his talk with Mason, Brandon stopped by his house and geared up. Done there, he made it to the Luxor and started looking for Running Mouth (if anyone would know where Neil was, it would be him). Luck was with him though. As he walked in, Brandon spotted Neil right away, talking to a very big guy. Coming up to the two of them, Brandon figured out that the big guy was actually a Ghoul. After a bit of douche baggery commentary to the Ghoul (of course Brandon couldn't help himself and if baggery isn't a word, it is now), Brandon and Neil decided on a course of action.

Failing to locate Harold with the spell, Shade went to call Helena to ask her if she knew whether Harold was in the Nevernever or not. Before she could, the phone rang. It was another Changeling by the name of Steve. When he had come home, he had noticed that his neighbor's door was ajar. When he peeked in, it looked like there had been some sort of struggle. He asked if she would come over. With a sinking feeling, she agreed (remember, it really hasn't been all long since the Winter Court showed up. Plus, the whole area was sort of a no man's land between the Fey and Skavis territory). With two situations needing her attention, Shade told Laurel to call all the Changelings and tell them to keep their eyes open for trouble. If anything bad started going down, they were to head over to Legends. Shade then cast the spell to take her to the Nevernever.

Still talking, Brandon was able to recall a few bits of information about Arthur. He had been in control of a city down South but had been forced out of power. That meant he was a major player. Needing to find out the room number where Arthur and Fredrick were holed up, Neil went up to the front desk and proceeded to charm the frazzled desk clerk. With his charm (and a 2000$ bribe), he was able to get the number. The two of them headed up to the seventh floor and staked out a position across the hotel where they could keep a watch over everything. In order to make their stay more pleasant, they ordered room service and charged it to Fredrick's room.

With the spell, Shade was able to get to the Nevernever with no problem. The Courtyard teemed with Fey and there seemed to be a buzz in the air. Not wanting to disturb anyone, Shade looked for one of the Knights. A quick word to the Knight who came to greet her answered the question of where Harold was. That being settled, Shade passed back through to Vegas. Laurel was not so happy when Shade told her that Harold was in the Nevernever. She basically flipped out- Harold hated that place, never went there, and she wanted Shade to go and get him. The strength of her anger caused Laurel to change into her Fey form, a Dryad (the Changelings usually choose whether to follow their human or Fey nature but the change can be forced. Remember that, it will come up later). She went off to find her tree. That left Shade free to head to Steve's. Meeting Steve at the apartment door, he introduced himself and showed her the broken chain. In the hallway (had to do it out there since trying it in the apartment would not be good. There wasn't much of a threshold but any amount would lesson her power). Shade set up and used her power to cast a scrying spell. With that she was able to see what happened. Steve's neighbor had been attacked and abducted by Helena.

Back at the Luxor, Brandon and Neil ate and talked. Brandon also spent his time leering at the cleavage passing below on the main floor. The only activity on their floor was when two guys went into the room they were watching. While watching the main floor, Neil saw a guy that could be described as a redneck. Breaking Brandon away from his pastime, Neil pointed the guy out and Brandon was pretty sure that was him. It seemed that the guy was heading for the stairwell.

With the feeling that bad things were happening, Shade once again prepared the spell to take her to the Nevernever. Once again, the phone rang (if she didn't have her own business, she would seriously consider getting rid of the line. Really, nothing good ever comes from it). It was Max. Happy to hear from him, Shade asked what was going on. Max, sounding more puzzled then anything, asked if she knew of any strangers in town. Uri had accused him of bringing some in that were causing trouble. He knew nothing about it. Shade answered that she hadn't heard anything either. Shade then let Max know that she would be heading to the Nevernever to take care of some Fey stuff. He told her to wait there for him; he was coming with her. She told him there was no need. It was Fey business. After a bit of back and forth, she agreed to wait (she seriously considered just leaving without him but Lana played the fate chip compel. So she waited and, secretly, Shade kind of liked that Max would want to come and protect her. Not that she needs it. Really).

Wanting to intercept the guy, Brandon pulled his sword out and waited in the stairwell. After about fifteen minutes (which was more then enough time for Jack to appear), Brandon walked back over to Neil. When asked, Neil said he hadn't seen anything. Neil then asked Brandon how he would get in if he didn't want to be seen. Brandon replied that he would use a veil spell. It would be the easiest. Not really wanting to, Brandon opened the Sight, trying to focus solely on the room door they were watching. The first thing he saw was a huge shaft of light. It was the power of the Ley line the Luxor sat upon. The next thing was that it was the Luxor but...wasn't. In the Sight, the hotel appeared as a true pyramid, complete with hieroglyphics. One interesting thing of note to Brandon was that each of the doors had the names of the guests using the room inscribed on them. Not seeing their target, Brandon shut the Sight down.

Just then, Neil's phone rang. It was Chumley the Ghoul. He had seen one of the people (Jack) they were looking for just leave the building. Neil told the Ghoul to stay where he was. He figured that the Jack seen leaving the hotel was a decoy of some sort. Deciding that three could play that game, Brandon and Neil made for the stairwell, as if they were leaving to follow. Inside, they moved a few steps up to the next landing and waited. Soon they heard the sounds of footsteps coming closer. Brandon warned the unseen person to turn back. Neil was a bit more direct. He simply dropped over the railing onto the unseen figure below. Surprisingly, the person cried out in a decidedly feminine voice. While Neil and the unknown person grappled, Brandon sauntered down and blocked the door. After a few seconds, the veil dropped, revealing a very disheveled Sharee. She got to her feet and demanded that Brandon move. Brandon replied that it would be best if she would just leave. There would be no violence in the Luxor (that would be very, very, very bad. Very bad). They argued about the matter for a few minutes until Sharee swore on her power that she was just there to talk to Arthur and would not do any sort of violence (of course the whole conversation was peppered with her usual cracker and white boy references). Brandon stepped away from the door and Sharee went through it. Brandon followed right behind. They both walked to Arthur's room and Sharee knocked. When the door opened, she asked to see Mr. Skavis. Fredrick appeared and was his usual charming self (in other words, he managed to insult and sexually harass Sharee in about two sentences). Sharee told him that she was there to see the other Mr. Skavis. Fredrick invited her in and closed the door.

In the Nevernever for the second time, at least for Shade, they walked into the house proper. This time she had come prepared. She had brought candy for the pixies. There was some intense negotiations with them, especially from one named Janx (Shade is going to remember that. She has a few ideas that involve Janx. Hey, Dresden has his pixie sidekick, why not Shade). Once the negotiations were finished, the pixies led them into the Maze. Getting to the clearing, Shade and Max saw about ten Fey there. That included members of the Spring Court. Philip was on the dais with the slumbering Kings. Harold was standing next to him, looking beat to hell. On another stone bier was a body. Shade assumed it was the kidnapped neighbor. His heart had been cut out. It seemed that the Fey were in the middle of making the sacrifice in the name of Autumn. 

Across the clearing, Laurel emerged from the trees, heading towards Harold. Knowing that interrupting Philip would not be a good thing (interrupting the ritual would likely lead to fallout or backlash and considering the power currently being channeled on the dais, that would not be good), Shade moved to intercept her. Using some of the power invested in the sickle, she managed to get to Laurel and grab her. Laurel managed to knock Shade to the ground just as Max came up. In a contemptuous tone of voice, he told Shade to let her go, that she was just wood and thus worthless, useful for only chopping down. Laurel turned to attack Max at that (Max has a stunt that basically allows him to infuriate anybody. Shade's and Max's fights are going to be interesting, to say the least). It took three hits with the apple but Shade was finally able to knock Laurel unconscious (she didn't want to kill her. She just wanted her out). Turning to applause, Shade and Max saw that the ritual had been completed. Shade's heart went out to Harold. He had changed into his Fey form and just looked confused. There were a few words between Shade and Philip having to do with Laurel and Shade needing to talk to him. Philip told her that he would be back in Vegas the next day. Max and Shade then left the clearing (Max was very upset at what he saw and so was Shade. Hopefully, this will not be a problem between them. At least, Shade hopes that Max will talk with her about it and not just condemn her for it or decide to leave her. She really does love him).   

The talk between Arthur and Sharee didn't take long and it wasn't too much later that the door opened and she walked away. As Brandon and Neil watched her go, Neil's phone rang. He answered it but he only heard harsh breathing. A quick look showed Neil that it was Uri's personal number. With a feeling of dread, Neil and Brandon headed over to Uri's house. Finding the front door locked, Brandon used a spell to open it. Once inside, they both started searching. In the rear of the house, they found a blood trail leading from the backdoor to the bathroom. Pushing the door open, Brandon and Neil saw Uri sprawled out on the floor, luckily still breathing. When they turned him over, they saw that he had been sliced to hell and the wounds looked to be putrefying. Brandon guessed that something holy had to have done that (looks like Davy came to Vegas as well. And here is where things could really get bad. Think back. Uri believes that Max brought the New Orleans group there. Once he wakes up, he is going to point his finger at Max and probably send Brandon and Neil to "take care" of things. Shade knows that Max had nothing to do about any strangers. So each has half the puzzle but not the whole picture).

Thus ended the gaming session. Once again, Lana lived up to her promise of things going to hell and I get the feeling we are only about half way through this arc (if that!). I cannot wait until next Sunday to see what happens next!   

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Like Sittin' On Pins And Needles

After a month, we finally returned to Dresden and Las Vegas. Lana gave us an early warning that this arc would be titled Things Go to Hell. I won't give any spoilers this early but the theme is totally appropriate- at least from the set up. This was a great start and it will only get better as situations progress. I foresee many OOC comments in this post.

September had come and tourist trade was winding down. Cooler temperatures and even cooler temperaments had prevailed over the summer heat. The mood in Vegas was more or less content. A break between disasters was very much needed.

In the downtime, Neil had been very busy. With his windfall, he had managed to buy the Baron's estate- house, land, and furnishings. Then came the daunting task of exploration and inventory. Even though he didn't move in, he spent many hours going through the entire house. There was an abundance of clothes, he found (the Baron did have good taste...and the money to indulge). He also figured out that the house was riddled with secret passages. He did find a few disturbing implements, mainly dealing with the draining of blood (the Baron didn't bite anyone but he did need to eat). The vibe of the house took a definite creepy turn when Neil went into the basement. It was filled with old furniture and more clothes. These clothes, however, seemed to come in many different sizes and for both genders. The sub-basement was ever creepier. It was set up as a torture chamber, complete with blood stained walls. In a small room off of it, Neil found the vampire's resting place. A search of the coffins turned up personal belongings- jewelry, journals, other keepsakes. As for Neil's dating life, since Uri's promotion, Christine had become even busier. Their weekly dates had turned into monthly booty calls. Neil didn't seem particularly devastated by that occurrence.

Brandon kept busy as well. He had a sword he needed to get to know. With time and proximity, he became attuned to the weapon. That earned Brandon the Marked by Power aspect. With use, he learned that carrying the sword gave him Winter Strength and using the sword conferred Winter Speed to him. Business was good. The summer tourist crowd had given way to the in town trade of local magicians. Besides playing with his sword (snicker) and running his business, Brandon spent time with Skip. He soon found out that Skip sucked at evocation but excelled at thaumaturgy (Skip's training in the hard sciences really enforced this). Of course, a fair amount of time was spent teaching Skip to learn from his mistakes. One incident involved the need for Black Court Vampire blood. Brandon told Skip to head over to Mason's and get some. Not long afterwards, Skip returned. Or rather, Mason hauled Skip back to the shop by his ear.

With the city quiet, Brandon and Neil didn't have much to do for their second jobs as Spades. They mainly had to keep the tourists safe from muggings and such. The only other thing on the Spade radar was the sudden expansion of the Fey into new territory and the influx of money that meant. It wasn't a problem yet but could lead to instability, something much frowned upon.

Shade didn't spend her time relaxing either. She continued to speak with the Changelings one on one (she is determined to get at least a couple to choose their Fey heritage). Business at her shop had picked up as well. Even with her work, Shade managed to spend time with Neil, Brandon, Skip, and Wyatt. One issue with Skip did come up. Once he learned that Shade's talent was in thaumaturgy, Skip showed up at her place asking questions. Once again poor Skip was dragged back to Brandon by his ear (Shade was not going to step on Brandon's toes when it came to his apprentice). However, Brandon gave his permission for Skip to learn from her. As for Shade and Max, they spent as much time together as they could, at least once a week. Work took much of their time but they managed (Could there be something brewing here? Possibly, they seem really into each other). As for the monthly Board meetings, they passed fairly uneventfully. There were a few snide remarks made about the Fey expansion but Shade ignored them (she saw an opportunity, took it, and made it a success. Perhaps she is a bit more capable then they thought).

The work day started off normally for Brandon. He and Skip were at his shop when the bell over his door rang. Brandon looked up and noticed two customers coming in. At first glance, the man and woman seemed like normal patrons. However, a quick check showed Brandon that the man had an aura of power and that it was very dark. Deciding that aggressive customer service was in order, Brandon walked over to them. The two focused on Brandon as he walked up. The man introduced himself as Jack, the woman as Michelle (For loyal followers, yes, they are the two from the New Orleans game and...they aren't. They are the same characters to a point but, since Lana is playing them, some of their actions will not be true to how we each created them). They were looking to talk to a Brandon Wall. Brandon told them they had found him and asked what they wanted. Jack suggested they retire to a private place for their chat. Back in Brandon's office, the three sat down and Jack started speaking. They were looking for a particular person- Arthur Skavis. They had information that he might be in the city. Brandon told them that he knew a Fredrick Skavis but didn't know an Arthur. He suggested that the two should head over to Luxor to check in and maybe get some better information. Asked why, Brandon tried to explain to them how things were in Vegas with the Board and how things were run. Jack seemed amused by it all. Michelle just looked impatient. She tried to push the Skavis issue but was silenced by Jack. Jack them brought up the other reason they were in Vegas. Jack was a member of the White Council and it had been brought to the Council's attention that the Warden was no longer there. Brandon said that the Warden was just on a vacation and would be back. Jack then asked Brandon if he would care to join the Council. Brandon politely declined. Business concluded, the two left.

While Brandon was getting the dubious honor of meeting Jack and Michelle, Shade was working. Her day was pretty normal. She and Max had a date planned for that night. Closing up, Shade went upstairs and got ready. Since it was a chance for them to spend more then a half an hour together, she dressed up a bit. He picked her up and they headed out. He took her to a Damian Demos magic show. They were sitting in the front row, enjoying the show when the final trick of the evening started. Damian came into the audience and singled out Shade as his "victim". It involved the usual pick a card and write your name down bit (by that time I knew exactly where this was going). She did so and, surprise, he pulled her card out of her pocket. However, what had been written on the card was "will you marry me". Shade looked down and saw Max kneeling in front of her with an engagement ring (the diamond was actually purple tinged and was ringed with amethysts- Tyrian purple is her favorite color). He spoke of his esteem and love for her and she formally accepted. As they hugged, she whispered that they needed to get the fuck out of there for a serious conversation. Max agreed and they left.

As they sat down to eat, Shade launched into her list of concerns. First, she wasn't Catholic, had no intention of converting, and refused to go through the mandatory counseling. Second, she absolutely would not move to Chicago. Third, there would be no children. Fourth, there was the very good possibility of their jobs causing conflict. She made it clear that she would not tolerate the Mob messing with the Fey territory. Max answered each point- she wouldn't have to convert, they would lie about her being Catholic, and the counseling would be a non-issue (in other words, there would be a nice donation to make that go away). However, a church wedding was non-negotiable. Chicago was not a problem as he was moving permanently to Vegas. Once they got all that hammered out, Shade brought up two more requests- she wanted to tattoo him and they would have to finally have sex-before the wedding. Surprisingly, he agreed to both (there is one other thing she feels a strong need to do but she is saving that for later. She figured that he had been hit hard enough, especially with the "have to have sex" request). After all that, they talked for awhile longer with Max being quite eloquent about his feelings for her (Shade does feel the same way but hasn't said so yet. Don't worry, she will). When they parted, Shade hightailed it to Legends and pulled Tess aside to show her the ring. Tess had a few reservations about the whole thing. She point blank asked Shade if she loved Max and Shade answered that she didn't know (that was a little white lie. She does love him but she won't say it until the still unknown and unnamed event takes place). They decided to go out and celebrate, which they did.

Blissfully unaware of the momentous events shaping up, Neil was at a casino doing Neil things (I am willing to bet that included handing out business cards. I figure by January everyone in Vegas will have one and then he will have to think of something else to hand out). His phone rang and he answered it only to hear Skavis shouting that someone had burned his fucking bar down. Neil told Skavis to calm down and explain what was going on. Skavis repeated the whole "burned my fucking bar down" and asked if Neil would meet with him. Neil said he would and hung up. Getting to the Crucible, Neil saw that the entire bar was in flames. Paramedics, firefighters, and police were on scene. Seeing Neil, Skavis walked over. He looked rough. Someone had beat the hell out of him. Finally calmed down a bit, Skavis told Neil what happened. Two people, a man and woman, he didn't know had come into his bar (one guess just who they were). They asked some questions about an uncle of his and, when he wouldn't give Arthur up, things went to hell. The woman started shooting and the man started to toss fire around. The end result was three bodyguards dead and the bonfire that used to be his bar. Always practical, Neil asked if Skavis had insurance. After calming down a little bit more, Skavis told Neil that he wanted to buy his services. He wanted to know just who those people were and where to find them. They agreed on the price of 25,000$ and two Ghouls as helpers. Skavis then said he would be moving Arthur to the Luxor. With that decided, Skavis left and Neil got to work. He first talked to the firefighters about the blaze but didn't get much more then it seemed odd. Before calling it a night, Neil called Drusilla Malvora and told her what happened. He wasn't sure if the attack was only aimed at Skavis or at all the Vampire Courts and thought it best to cover all the bases.

The next day, Neil headed out early to talk with the businesses surrounding the Crucible. He wanted the footage from all their security cameras. He was able to get what he needed and was able to put the footage together. He saw the man and woman arrive and go into the bar. After a bit, Neil was able to discern flashes of light behind the windowpanes. Then he saw the couple leave and Skavis come out a bit after them (is anyone really surprised it went down like that? Jack and Michelle are reasonable to a point and then after that, things tend to get...messy. Especially with Michelle. Skavis would piss her off just by breathing. One smart ass, sexual innuendo from him and she would not hesitate to shoot him). Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get the license number of the car. Figuring he had gotten everything he could from the footage, Neil started to leave to go visit Wyatt. However, before he could head out, he was joined by two guys- the Ghouls Skavis had promised him. Not wanting to take them on his visit, Neil sent them off on their own errands. The smarter of the two he sent to the police station to ask about the case so far. The second he sent off to guard the second most profitable of Skavis' holdings.

That taken care of, Neil went in search of Wyatt. Finding him at his job, Neil showed Wyatt a still shot of the couple and asked if he could get a location on them. Wyatt tried but came up blank. He told Neil that he would continue to try. Business concluded, Neil asked Wyatt how he was doing. Wyatt said he was doing great, even had a date with a showgirl. Neil gave him some money and told Wyatt to take her someplace nice. Neil's next stop was the Luxor where he looked up Running Mouth. After finding him, Neil asked him he had seen the couple. In the verbal torrent that followed, Neil was able to find out that no, they had not been seen by Jeremy. Asked why he was looking for them, Neil told him what had happened. Running Mouth almost was speechless at learning all that happened. Neil told him to keep the information quiet (not going to happen Neil. Think of who you just told the information to. That was a good move, by the way. Michelle and Jack will have everyone looking for them once Jeremy tells the story a few times).

After their night of debauchery and tequila, Shade and Tess weren't quite ready to face the day. Most of their morning was spent trying to recover and piece the previous night together. They were pretty sure there had been some table dancing involved. It took awhile but Shade finally was able to open her shop. It didn't take long for the events befalling Skavis to reach her ears. She called Skavis to see how he was doing. Skavis at first seemed to think she was calling to gloat a bit and he point blank asked her if the Fey had been involved in what happened. Shade told him that the Fey had nothing to do with the fire. Then he congratulated her on her big event and followed up with some very lewd comments (they were funny as well). After hanging up, Shade sent a message to Philip about what happened. She also included the news of her engagement in the note.

At Sleight of Hand, it was business as usual. Customers kept Brandon busy and a Homecoming visit from his parents kept Skip in panic mode (that poor boy is going to stroke out if he doesn't relax). Finally, the bell on his door ringing gave Brandon the chance to escape Skip's issues. Looking up, Brandon saw a young, black women come in. She walked up to the two men and asked for Brandon Wall. Brandon introduced himself and asked what she needed. She needed a few of his special supplies for a locating spell and possibly his help with the ritual as well. Brandon showed her downstairs to his workshop. She seemed very impressed with his selection of books and set-up. When asked if she had something personal of the person, Sharee produced a handkerchief. At first she wasn't impressed with how Brandon was putting the spell together. She basically told him to cut the crap and give her something that would work. Brandon assured her that if this spell didn't work he would cast something stronger. Mollified a bit, Sharee told him to continue. Brandon cast the spell and hit what seemed to be stone wall. However, he was able to recognize the ward. it was the Luxor. He told Sharee that.

That ended a gaming session full of fun and surprises. This arc is going to be awesome! Of course, the potential problems are growing. Will Jack, Michelle, and Sharee get Arthur? Will they be able to do it without burning half of Vegas down? Is Jack the only White Council member in town or are they there in force? How will the Board and Spades react to it all? Will Locke be called back? What about the impending wedding (and I really hope the wedding/reception does happen and we get to role play it through. Shade is my first character that is fairly normal and isn't borderline crazy. With Shade's focus and organizational skills, I am sure she would have the entire event planned in week...lol)? There hasn't been a celebration where something hasn't gone wrong or had a surprise involved. So many possibilities! And Lana said something about finding a picture that represents how Max looks. Can't wait for that either. I am 1 for 2 on being correct. I got it right with Locke but totally was wrong with how I imagined Uri.