Episode 34 - Off Duty

[00:00:00] Speaker A: You're listening to the all night society, an actual play podcast brought to you by Queen's courts games. Was it? I mean, it could have gone better, but it could have gone worse. [00:01:15] Speaker B: In very few ways could it have gone worse. [00:01:19] Speaker A: I think you're asterisk. Alive. That has to count for something. [00:01:26] Speaker B: Yes, well, I do like being not dead dead. [00:01:34] Speaker A: Well anymore in Chicago. I'm beginning to doubt that, Miss Leroux. Especially as your adventures have put your unlife at risk more than once. Calamity, this is a bit more in your wheelhouse, at least the werewolf part. But even then, you're slightly more accustomed to violence than your Shamir friend. How are you holding up? [00:01:57] Speaker C: I know, kindred. I know at the end of the night we can't trust each other, but the fact that that fucking thin blood was willing to sell out the city to the si. I can't. Son of a bitch. [00:02:10] Speaker A: It's a dark and lonely road when you are forced to choose to trust between a thin blood and a. [00:02:16] Speaker C: Well, storyteller. If I'm going to be honest with you, Ivy showed far more politeness to me than that bastard ever did. [00:02:25] Speaker A: It is perhaps a credit to Ivy's upbringing that she has not succumbed to the more imperious nature of the pyramid. [00:02:32] Speaker C: Well, I'd say Ivy is more proven or metal. And as a whole, I've never had a problem with the tremere. Rather useful. [00:02:42] Speaker A: As I understand vampire history. The entire camarilla feels the same way. The tremere are useful and we'll deal with the rest later. But the details of that conversation are certainly not appropriate for this moment. Ivy, remind me, how hungry are you currently? [00:03:05] Speaker B: Three. [00:03:07] Speaker A: And calamity four. Yes. Then we have a number of separate but related problems. You can't stay at the airport any longer. If your worst suspicions about flyboy are correct, then there is a federal strike team on its way to dust you. Even if they're not correct, there was a hand grenade that went off in the basement, and both of those things are going to attract the kind of attention that you do not enjoy. Also, Ivy, you might be slightly less hungry now, but both of you have the kind of wounds that your body will demand to heal when the sun rises. And it would be a dangerous thing indeed to go to sleep. This hurt and this hungry. The urgency is significantly more potent for calamity, Ivy. You might be able to contain yourself, but you were there for Malinkov and you were there with Rebecca. Calamity is one twitching vein throbbing at the surface from making a terrible, terrible mistake. [00:04:20] Speaker C: I know. [00:04:21] Speaker B: Yes, and we will deal with that in a minute. Right now, we need to get out of here, and if we can just get everybody back to the Ducheski manor. I'm not usually one to let folks feed at my house, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and we can take care of this. We can fix this. [00:04:44] Speaker C: I don't want to run the risk of hurting any of them. [00:04:50] Speaker B: They're not people, if that's what you're worried about. [00:04:53] Speaker C: That's not what I mean. With how hungry I am, I'm not sure if I can. If I start feeding now, I mean. [00:05:03] Speaker B: Look, I understand. I know very well what happens when you lose control. I am very much the person who needs to be in control of this at all times. Calamity. Trust me, I understand. However, maybe this isn't the time or the place to have this conversation. We should get out of this parking lot as soon as possible, and then we can start fixing this. [00:05:28] Speaker C: All right. Let's go. [00:05:31] Speaker A: Walking, of course, across the parking lot to calamity's car, or what remains of it anyway. Significantly more bullet holes than when you first met Ivy in that parking lot. And if I recall correctly, minus one door. [00:05:48] Speaker C: Yeah, honestly, I'm a little glad Martin's gone. He'd kill me if he's on the car like this. [00:05:55] Speaker A: To say nothing of the cargo in the backseat, because that is what Alex resembles in this moment. Cargo stacked firewood. [00:06:06] Speaker C: I know better than to drive around with what is basically a cadaver in my backseat. Fortunately, I do have a sunbag. You never know. When you traveling like I do, you might not get to shelter before the sun comes up. [00:06:20] Speaker A: Of course, you of all people would travel prepared. But I don't think that's going to change the emotional hit when you get the plastic out and as you're holding it over Alex Scott, you cannot help but be reminded of every scene from a movie when someone's zipping up a body bag. Alex isn't animated for once. You've only seen him a few nights at this point, but there's always been something bubbly about him. His skin still warm, lacking that waxy pallor of older vampires. And now he's pale, cold, stiff. And Ivy and Martin and Maya. When you look at them, knowing what you know, you can see a vampire. But there's something about Alex that has always made you wonder. Except for now. [00:07:20] Speaker C: Honest to God, I think the quiet is the worst part. Yeah, you're right, storyteller. It's only been a couple of nights. But in those couple of nights, I have come to realize that Alex Scott rambles when he's nervous. And it. Well, it's sweet. And I do hesitate for a moment as I start to put him into that. [00:07:43] Speaker B: Hey. [00:07:43] Speaker C: Hey, Cal. [00:07:44] Speaker B: And I hoist the computer tower up and struggle to hold it in one arm as I reach out for the plastic. Look, can you take this and you can put it in the back of the car, and I will handle. [00:08:09] Speaker C: Got. Yeah. Give me that. [00:08:11] Speaker A: I suppose it would be inappropriate for me to thank Ivy for jumping on that hand grenade. But the metaphor aside, does that make it any better? Because, Ivy. Yes, you're, of course, capable of an emotional detachment. But I'd like to call to mind one of the things Alex told you. After Elysium, the prince said, he is your responsibility. And you took that to be a negative. Like, Alex would make a mistake and your life would be on the line. But now, as you take the tarp and stretch it over the seat to cover up that smiling, joyful face, to cover up that ridiculous small horse t shirt. Alex is your responsibility. [00:08:59] Speaker B: Yes, I know. And he is my responsibility. Which is exactly why I am the one to cover him. And he's not dust. And he will wake up again, and I will make sure of that. [00:09:17] Speaker A: All that outcome is predicated on your ability to get back to the manor safely. It would be unwise to travel via the highways, given the condition of the vehicle. Nothing else. That would be attracting even more attention. People calling in the tip line, talking about that car they saw that looked awfully strange considering what the news has to say about what happened at the airport. Calamity, you are survivalist enough. I think that would come intuitively to mind as you slide behind the driver's seat, of course. [00:09:49] Speaker C: Snory teller. [00:09:51] Speaker A: Well, then it's only a matter of putting the key in the ignition, turning it over once, twice. [00:09:57] Speaker C: Shit. Come on, come on. But, baby, please, not right now. Not right now. Come on. [00:10:04] Speaker A: The quiet rumble finally reaching your ears. And then to the road. If you're the kind of person who has extra time, you can take county highways around the outskirts of Chicago, driving through a few suburbs before cutting east towards the downtown core. It will, of course, mean traveling on more two lane highways, the same kind of road that took you to the park where all of this started. But given the alternative, beggars can't be choosers. [00:10:38] Speaker C: Of course not. For once, I actually try to abide by the rules of the road. [00:10:44] Speaker A: What is the mood in the car? The conversation if any. [00:10:49] Speaker B: I'm fiddling with flyboy's phone. I need to get the sim card out. So unless calamity is trying to make any conversation to take her mind off things, I'm focused on this project right now. [00:11:03] Speaker A: Sounds to me like silence is the order of the day. In that case, it may be easier to perceive what happens next. Ivy, your head's down in the phone. Calamity, will you roll wits and awareness for me? [00:11:19] Speaker C: That looks like two successes. [00:11:22] Speaker A: Not quite enough to see the car that pulls up behind you. It is an ordinary suburban sedan, dark, navy, we'll say, with civilian plates. But that does not change the fact that the man inside has a very keen, some would say encyclopedic understanding of six two five Illinois criminal code, which relates to the condition of motor vehicles. Neither does it change the fact that, although he's not on duty, he has a firm commitment to upholding the law in his little chunk of the outskirts of the city. So it will be a bit late. You don't see him reach out from his dashboard to put the light on top of his car until he is within 50 or 40ft of your rear bumper. [00:12:19] Speaker C: God fucking damn it. [00:12:26] Speaker B: And I glance in the rearview mirror at Alex's lifeless body. [00:12:33] Speaker A: There are no sirens and there's no pa. You can tell by the headlights it's not an official police vehicle. [00:12:44] Speaker C: Son of a bitch can't mind his own fucking business. But I know better than to cause problems. So I will pull over onto the. [00:12:54] Speaker A: Shoulder, at least, so to speak. The outside tires are going to actually come off the road into the grassy gravel adjacent the highway. He stops 20ft behind you, headlights still on, light still whirling on the roof. The gentleman that gets out is wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt. You can tell he'd have sunglasses on if it were not the middle of the night. Calamity, you don't see a weapon on him as your eyes reflexively look towards the hips. If you had to guess, it's difficult in the dark, but you'd put him in his mid 30s, maybe early 40s, hair cropped close and his face clean shaven. He walks forward purposefully but a bit more urgently than you see other officers before walking past the missing door on the rear driver's side, pausing to cast a glance in and then, comically, considering the circumstances, wraps his knuckles against the window. [00:14:06] Speaker C: I think if I still had a pulse it would be in my throat. God, I know how this works. So one hand remains on the steering wheel, palm up, and the other moves very slowly, very smoothly, to open the driver's side window. [00:14:32] Speaker A: Every encounter with law enforcement has its own tension when you're a vampire, and doubly so in your case, calamity. But there's something maybe refreshing about the calmness he brings to the situation. We've all seen the officer who shows up and needs to assert dominance from the beginning, treating routine traffic stops like life and death situations where at any moment things could escalate. But there is a genuine look of concern on this man's face. Excuse me, ma'am. You seem to be having a problem with your car. You know this isn't safe to drive, right? [00:15:10] Speaker C: Yes, sir. [00:15:15] Speaker A: You want to tell me where you're headed tonight? [00:15:18] Speaker C: Home. [00:15:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Can I see your license and registration? Where is home? [00:15:25] Speaker C: City limits. Am I being detained, sir? [00:15:30] Speaker A: Oh, no, it's nothing like that. Like I said, you've got one taillight out and a door missing. Just wouldn't want something to fall off and cause a problem for traffic or anything else like that. Are you okay? Has it been an accident or something? [00:15:47] Speaker C: You could call it that. I'm just trying to get back in a decent amount of time. [00:15:52] Speaker A: Takes the flashlight in his hand and at this point casts it up towards Ivy, the beam of that bright circle just at the bottom, catching the bloody, smeared, twisted fabric, peeing as you are caked in both werewolf Gore and the aftermath of having been shot by Alex Calamity. You're closer. You can see the officer. He is an officer. Off duty. Tense up, ma'am. You and the passenger. Are you okay? You want to explain? And the flashlight tips down enough. [00:16:32] Speaker B: I glance down and realize what he's looking at because it had completely escaped any thought that I'd had, and I say, oh, yes sir. We're coming from one of the hunt clubs up north near Woodstock, and I gesture to the backseat, got into a little altercation with an animal. It's all fine, though. [00:16:57] Speaker A: I see. Coming hunting. Are there firearms in the car that. [00:17:00] Speaker B: I should be aware of? Yes, sir. In the trunk, locked away. [00:17:12] Speaker A: Okay. And if I were to ask, you'd have the correct permits for those, right? [00:17:17] Speaker B: Of course. [00:17:20] Speaker A: And what is it you said you were hunting? [00:17:23] Speaker B: Buck, sir. [00:17:24] Speaker A: The flashlight turns into the backseat and doesn't take an insight check to see the skepticism that washes over his face. I know that Ivy hasn't spent a lot of time in the wilderness, but something vaguely Alex shaped does not gel with the buck theory. The officer takes a step back at this point, creating just a little bit of distance between himself and the door. Okay, well, I appreciate all of that, but this vehicle is not safe to drive. You mind if I call you all a tow truck? We'll get someone out here to take care of that. Is there someone who can come and pick you up? Because I can't let you keep on the road with this. [00:18:13] Speaker C: You know, storyteller, on the best of nights, being questioned like this, in the dark on the side of the road is going to make me a little touchy. But especially tonight, with where my hunger is sitting and what we have just been through, it is something that makes my beast curl its lips and snarl. I don't like this. [00:18:38] Speaker A: There is something about the cadence of his speech, the way that he stands. You know a cop when you see one. Everything about the way he approached the car, the fact that he has a light, all of these things point to a suburban sheriff's deputy, probably, or maybe a sergeant in a department with 15 people and 300 citizens. This is the kind of officer who makes a living catching peoples from out of town speeding through his jurisdiction and funding municipal projects with $200 speeding tickets. I would say that you understand kind of what was probably happening when he stopped you. Easy $300 fine for driving a vehicle like this. Plus, he gets to impound it, and then the city gets all that revenue, too. That's how it started. But he has seen Ivy's wound. He has seen what's in the backseat. I'd hate to say it, calamity, but you know that if he turns back and goes to that car, it's not a tow truck that he's calling. It's backup. [00:19:39] Speaker C: I appreciate your concern, sir, as said, but I do want to make sure you said we are not being detained. [00:19:50] Speaker A: No, ma'am. As far as I can tell, you haven't committed a crime here. I just have to let you know that this vehicle isn't safe. And if you were to drive away in it, which is perfectly your right, that would be a crime. Look, I'm just trying to be helpful. I'm not going to write you a ticket. There's nothing going on here, Helen. I'm not even on duty. Just saw a car that looked like it was in trouble and trying to keep the road safe for both you and for other people. I don't want you ended up 20 miles down the road heading back to your house, and then something goes wrong, and then you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere. [00:20:27] Speaker C: Well, I can appreciate you just trying to do your job, even though you're not on the clock right now, sir. But I promise I kept up on my AA service, okay? [00:20:40] Speaker A: And they're on the way. [00:20:43] Speaker C: Be. [00:20:46] Speaker A: Well. Now, I'm a little confused, because when I stopped you, you were just driving. Were you driving to meet AA somewhere? Because normally they come to the side of the road to help you. Is there something going on here that you maybe want to let me know about? [00:21:01] Speaker C: Questions. Questions? Men like this. Always asking fucking questions. [00:21:07] Speaker A: He's looking to get you in that trap so he can say you lied to him. [00:21:11] Speaker C: It's what they do, isn't it? [00:21:14] Speaker A: Just another man on a power trip. Small dick, big badge, energy. [00:21:21] Speaker C: Takes a certain kind of man to pick up the badge. Some of them like to pretend. Pretend that they give a shit about that phrase stamped on the side of the fucking crown Vic, serving protect. I've seen what they can do. I've seen what they enjoy doing. [00:21:46] Speaker A: All right, so how about the two of you just sit tight in the car here for a second? I'll go call. I have a friend get a tow truck out here, we'll get that sorted out. You can have his number, call you an Uber or something. But I think this car needs to stay here for the rest of the. [00:22:02] Speaker B: No, no. And I reach out and I grab the door handle and hop out of the car. No, it's totally fine. [00:22:09] Speaker A: No, you get back in the car, ma'am. And he's got his hand out, 90 degree, palm up, classic cop, straight from the academy move. [00:22:17] Speaker B: Calm down. No, there's no need for that. Look, I'm just trying to tell you that this is not a necessary escalation. [00:22:26] Speaker A: Definitely don't. But I'm going to need you to get back in the car for your safety and for mine. [00:22:31] Speaker B: No, I'm perfectly safe on this side of the car, and you're on that side of the car, so we are perfectly safe away from each other. [00:22:38] Speaker A: And he's reaching behind his back with the hand. That is not issuing commands. So I'm going to need you to get back in the car. [00:22:46] Speaker B: Well, also, I think it looks like you're reaching for something. And that actually makes me feel way more unsafe than standing in this. And I turn and gesture to the completely empty road, the no cars that are around us, sir. But you know what? If my safety. If me being in the road is really such a problem and I'm actually going to start walking towards the back of the car, I will get out. [00:23:09] Speaker A: Of the road walking to the back of the car where you said you keep the guns. Which explains why the cop at this point draws the. 38 revolver from his back holster and levels it at you. Ma'am, I'm going to need you to stomp and put your hands in the air right now. You have told me there is a loaded weapon in the trunk. And for your safety and for mine, you will stay back. You will get back in the car. [00:23:35] Speaker B: I never said it was loaded. I said there were weapons. I never said they were loaded. [00:23:41] Speaker A: Do you want to argue, or do you want to follow commands? At this point, we're getting past a traffic stop. You have told me there is a weapon. You are currently moving in that direction. I need you to. [00:23:52] Speaker B: You told me to get out of the street. What do you want? [00:23:56] Speaker A: All right. And at this point, the hand goes down, reaching to the belt for handcuffs, and he is walking in your direction. [00:24:06] Speaker C: God damn it, Ivy. I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to run the risk of running my mouth, so I've been sitting here white knuckling the steering wheel because I know what happens in situations like this. And he keeps shouting and he keeps asking questions, and he keeps making demands. And I am so fucking hungry. [00:24:27] Speaker A: There's a lot going on for a calamity right now. I would like to think. I believe honestly, in my heart of hearts that you have a level of self control that will let you get through this situation. Maybe Ivy has a plan. She hasn't communicated it with you, but that hasn't stopped her in the past. Who knows what she has in mind? [00:24:47] Speaker C: And I know I pulled the same shit barely an hour ago. [00:24:51] Speaker A: That's true. Well, why don't you roll for frenzy, and we'll see if you pulled the same shit again here. The beast wants to survive. It hates captivity. It hates being challenged. [00:25:03] Speaker C: That is two successes. [00:25:08] Speaker A: That is, unfortunately, not enough. So as the beast fears for its life, knowing that a traffic stop can lead to a cell which leads to the sun, there's an animalistic, evil thing inside you that will not let you let it die. So your limbs are moving without your consent to solve the problem. Tell me how you solve the problem. [00:25:37] Speaker C: It's that gnawing, desperate hunger in the back of my throat, and then it's the click of the door handle and the crunch of gravel under my feet. And then I've got one hand in the collar of that stupid polo and the other fisted in that cop's hair, and his neck is bared to me in. There is nothing, nothing like that relief, though. [00:26:03] Speaker A: He doesn't even have time to swing the pistol in your direction. You are fast, supernaturally fast. In the milliseconds it will take him to realize what is happening. You will already be upon him as you close that distance. Why don't you roll strength and brawl for me? And because the beast is in control. You might want a rouse check. Because it is going to summon the power of the blood as you do so well. [00:26:29] Speaker C: I think it knows it's getting fed. That is a rousing success. [00:26:35] Speaker A: Excellent. [00:26:38] Speaker C: And then that is seven successes, Ivy. [00:26:44] Speaker A: I suppose this scene, then, makes the most sense from your point of view. There's a frozen moment where calamity reaches for the driver's side door and begins to step out. And you see just the eyes moving first looking left across the car to her, but at that point, she's standing up. Then you see the shoulder muscle twitch as he begins to rotate his body in that direction to issue a challenge. Frame clicks forward. Calamity's halfway there. He's got 1ft, turning on its heel to bring himself fully to face her. FrAme clicks forward and it's a disgusting football. Linebacker hit. Calamity takes him off his feet and through the air they go, sailing in slow motion to the pavement. The force and the weight of the strike causing them both to skid across the pavement for at least a couple feet before they come to a stop. That's enough time for him to scream. And then, calamity, your teeth find their mark. Or near enough, so far as you care. It's savage, that first bite. There's no arcing fountain of gore like you would expect in Tarantino films, but you can see the way her head moves. Calamity has relinquished control of this moment to the beast. And it doesn't feed politely. [00:28:21] Speaker B: I know better than to interrupt. She's hungry. She's going to eat until she's done. But I will walk over and I will try and get her attention, if for no other reason than to remind her that she's not all beast and she can stop if she wants to. If she truly wants to. [00:28:43] Speaker A: Well, there are two things that are going to happen as you do that. One, calamity, I'm going to need you to roll. Frenzy. [00:28:51] Speaker C: Zero successes. [00:28:54] Speaker A: Yeah, that sounds about right. So whatever chance you had, Ivy, of calming the situation becomes apparent very quickly that that is not going to work. Calamity is hunched over this body like a predator, and the scene that follows calls to mind a lion scaring off the predators that are circling its kill. What looks up at you from the neck of this man is not your friend. It is not calamity. It is the wild and terrible animal that lurks inside every single kindred. Wild eyes, fangs and claws fully extended. She hisses at you, that last syllable stretching into a low growl. There's 1 second, 2 seconds maybe, of eye contact. She's daring you to get closer. No. She's daring you to not back away. This is mine. [00:29:50] Speaker B: I finally follow orders and put my hands up. I'm not a threat to you or your kill. Calamity. He's all yours. [00:30:00] Speaker A: It's a shame that the parts of your brain that are responsible for cohering speech are otherwise occupied at the moment, or else you would understand what Ivy had said. As it is, it's just air wheezing through meat. And that's nowhere near as important as the meal that you need to finish. Ivy. You will watch helplessly. Calamity, this time will be lost to you. But when everything comes back into focus, we'll say it's a good news and a bad news situation. The good news is you're at zero hunger. The bad news is there's only one way for kindred to reach zero hunger. And you're pulling your lips back from a bone dry vein in a still, warm corpse. [00:30:50] Speaker C: Shit. [00:30:52] Speaker B: Calamity. Hey. And I reach out and I'll snap my fingers. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. [00:31:06] Speaker C: Shit. [00:31:07] Speaker B: You're fine. It's okay. It's okay. [00:31:12] Speaker C: Damn it. God damn it. I'm sorry, Abby. [00:31:17] Speaker B: There's nothing to apologize for. You're fine. It's okay. It's okay. [00:31:26] Speaker C: Except for the part where we now have two bodies to deal with. [00:31:30] Speaker B: Yes, it does put a little wrinkle into our plans for the evening. But it's okay. I had a little bit of time to think while you were eating. Take whatever time you need. Not too much time because we do the clock and all that, but we're going to stage a little scene here. I think that's how we're going to have to handle this. He was off duty, so unlikely that he called anybody, right? So we'll make it look like a car accident, right? I'll smash his car into that tree over there, and I point at one of the big ones just off the side of the road, and we'll get his body in there and we'll set the thing on fire. Hopefully the forest won't get. It'll be fine. I'm sure the trees will be fine, but we can make it look like a horrible, unfortunate accident. [00:32:30] Speaker C: I've got a canister gasoline in the car, if you'll just give me a second. [00:32:35] Speaker B: Yeah, I will take care of the car. And, yes, we'll go from there. [00:32:42] Speaker A: Yes, it's the kind of scheme they make true crime podcasts about. But given time, you can slide into the driver's seat of his vehicle, smash it into the nearest tree, position the body just so it looks like the seatbelt didn't work. Or maybe he wasn't wearing it. Then the smell of chemicals filling your nostrils as you pour accelerant over the scene, and then the strike of a match. [00:33:08] Speaker C: Amount of shitty roadhouses I've been to. I practically collect those old matchbooks. [00:33:13] Speaker A: Seeing the camera pauses. Then, as you look down the name of a cheesy motel on an Illinois highway. Can't wait to see you again. And a smiling thumbs up emoji, very clip art, standing in stark contrast to the burning car now sitting on the side of the road. I know that each of you have your own special relationship with sentiment, but if I can kindly suggest it might be time to leave. [00:33:42] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't need to be near fire anymore. [00:33:45] Speaker C: Thanks. [00:33:47] Speaker A: Thankfully, the remainder of the drive is uneventful, and you can arrive back at the Ducheski manor, take the car, put it in the garage where no one will see it, and then go about the undignified business of unloading a computer, a sim card, and a good friend, Abby. [00:34:06] Speaker C: I'll get him. No offense, but I don't think you could hoist that over your head if you tried. [00:34:12] Speaker B: No, I definitely can't. But I can take the tower. So I got that. [00:34:22] Speaker A: Well, one hand grenade, one off duty police officer, and 60 miles of backwoods highways later, we have finally arrived back at the Ducheski manor. Cars and vampires full of holes, some of you more than others, I suspect. Patience is running thin and the mood is anything but good. All that said, there's no safer place in the city of Chicago for either of you right now than the Duducheski mayor. So you seem to have earned a little bit of relief. With the car pulling into the covered garage adjacent this ancient house, what is the first thing out of your mouth as that door shutters behind you and you finally have a modicum of privacy, a modicum of defense against the outside world? [00:35:17] Speaker C: Fuck, yes. [00:35:20] Speaker B: My thoughts exactly. Now, let's get inside. [00:35:25] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. I'll pull the sunbag away and lift him up and get him indoors. [00:35:38] Speaker A: Don't have to travel too far. As always, the dutiful revenant head of the jesky household is arriving at the door leading just off the kitchen. You'll remember Brigor stands looking bored at first, perhaps not bored, that usual servile, but definitely possessed of his own motives face that you've grown used to over the last few months, but now, seeing what is obviously a torpid kindred, it might be. Honestly, Ivy, the first time you've seen anything approximating emotion on his face as his brow twists alongside his lip into a shape of concern. He's not so bold as to ask questions, but it's obvious he's. [00:36:26] Speaker B: Yes, yes, Gregor, I think that's quite enough, don't you? We need to get him upstairs and into his room, and if you could just do that as quick as possible, that would be great. [00:36:40] Speaker A: He's still standing motionless, looking first at calamity and then at Alex, and then at calamity and then at. [00:36:53] Speaker C: Uh. I can follow you up if you. [00:36:56] Speaker A: Gregor. I think the face that he's making is less about permission seeking and more about being a very old man. [00:37:08] Speaker C: I wouldn't expect someone of his stature to try and lug well. This Alex is a lot of things. Small is not one of them. [00:37:21] Speaker A: Depends on what part we're talking about. Brain cells, maybe. But dutiful as ever, Gregor is more than happy to go along with that plan. More so that it does not appear it will be his responsibility to lug Alex, lacking any dignity whatsoever, up the stairs. [00:37:38] Speaker C: It's a bit like toting a very large, very cold sack of grain and. [00:37:44] Speaker A: No doubt similarly unwieldy. Don't know if you've ever carried a person who's unconscious, but when they're awake, they can balance their own weight, they can shift themselves and kind of help you maintain that center of gravity. But not now. That's not something I think calamity had to worry about. Can't be much different from hauling a deer out of the woods. [00:38:14] Speaker C: No, it's really not. And besides storyteller too. I look like the kind of person who's unused to this manner of thing. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Maybe not used to this, but adjacent skill sets can be improvised upon. There are plenty enough empty rooms in the house, but I suspect you're going to want to put Alex, even in his current condition, back in what he has claimed is his bed. [00:38:40] Speaker C: Of course, when he does wake up, at least he'll be in familiar surroundings. [00:38:46] Speaker A: The small pleasures. Well, in that case, Grigor is happy to lead up the stairs, open doors when necessary, do what he can to assist without getting his hands too dirty. And you are able to deposit your Bruha friend in, quote, his bed, end quote. [00:39:07] Speaker C: I do think at the very least, I might try to get the ruined tactical gear off of him. [00:39:14] Speaker A: Brings you face to face with just how badly things went. I mean, this is high tech stuff. It wasn't cheap Kevlar, ceramic plates. It's a mess, and I'm sorry, but worse underneath, it's one thing to see. Torn fabric and shattered armor stained just a little bit with whatever Vita his body tried to force into the wounds before he was pushed to torpor. But when you take all that away, and you can see the gunshots, and you can see the claw marks, you can see the dirt and grime from where Geru claws sank into the waxy pallor of his skin, and then the little black marks around each and every entrance wound. And I mean, God help you if you flip them over and look behind. They're always bigger coming out the other end. I think. The injuries, though, aren't the worst part. It's that this stupid little man, who perhaps second to Anna among all of you, is the most full of life. The best reminder you have, night to night, that there's something more to you than a predator. And he's a corpse. It's as dead as he's ever looked. That even the warm and jovial Alex Scott, it turns out, is a vampire, just like the rest of you. [00:40:52] Speaker C: This is the risk. Dealing with the garou. Doesn't make it any easier to see, though. [00:41:00] Speaker A: Is this your first human body? Human in finger quotes, obviously. [00:41:07] Speaker C: No, it's not. But it's been a while. [00:41:14] Speaker A: An adventurer guessed that it's one of the few you've cared about. When it came time to see them. [00:41:20] Speaker C: Like this, there wasn't a body for Martin. I just got the news. Didn't have to see what the lupons had done to him. I don't know which is worse. [00:41:37] Speaker A: Well, if nothing else, you can find small solace in the fact that Alex is probably going to make it. The manor is the safest place he can be. The prince even gave him permission to stay alive. I would presume that you and Ivy could feed him so that night, overnight, his wounds stitched themselves back together. It'll take some effort, but you can make him whole again. [00:42:02] Speaker C: And I do intend to do just that. Told him he'd get out of this one way or another. So I am nothing if not a creature of my word. [00:42:12] Speaker A: Wouldn't want to let him escape the curse that easily. Still so much more vampire stuff that he has the opportunity to learn. [00:42:21] Speaker C: Curse or no, it is a whole new world for him. A lot left to see, a lot left to do. He hasn't even gotten to the good stuff yet. [00:42:32] Speaker A: Well, don't beat yourself up too much. [00:42:37] Speaker C: It's what I'm good at, storyteller. [00:42:41] Speaker A: It's not the only thing, but transitioning to things that people are good at, Ivy, your home. But I don't expect that means you're any less at work. Grigor and calamity disappear upstairs. Are you following them, or is there something else that needs done? [00:43:03] Speaker B: Well, to be clear, there's always something to be done. I am never not thinking about work. Unfortunately, I am still a little peckish. So, as calamity and greek ore disappear upstairs, I call in one of the other duceski so I can have a small snack before getting to that work. As you said, alex needs to eat, and I am the one who needs to feed him. The last thing we need is for a kindred to be bound to any of us. Creates a whole host of problems. And with my blood as it is, I know that I cannot. So, once I have my snack, I ask the other ducheski to grab one of my silver goblets, and I'm going to slice my own arm and pour some of my own vita into it to start that process. [00:44:07] Speaker A: I'm curious as to why you would choose to be the middleman. Would it not be just as nourishing to cut the duchesski open? [00:44:20] Speaker B: The ducheski are. Well, to put it frankly, they're incredibly frail, so far as appearances go. I'm sure anybody with eyes can see that. But also, the ducheski are mine. They're the tremeres. They're a closely guarded revenant family, and I'm not interested in putting their lives on the line in that way. There's a lot going on in their blood, and I'm not going to do. [00:44:58] Speaker A: That playing food tester, then, in a way. God knows what Abraham du Sable's done to that vita. At least you can filter it through yourself. And keep Alex safe from whatever is happening inside those ancient Ducheski hearts. [00:45:16] Speaker B: Exactly. The ducheski were bred for their service, essentially. And while they are loyal to the Tramir, I do not know what goes on inside them fully. [00:45:28] Speaker A: Those are mysteries and secrets kept quite close to the chest of the few who know them. Well. Thankfully, you have three at your disposal, one of which is busy, but two of which can provide their blood. More than enough for both of you. Given the occasion, I would expect you will not drink to excess in either case. Which would mean two points for you and two points for Alex. Split between the other ducheski, of course. [00:46:02] Speaker B: Yes, exactly. [00:46:05] Speaker A: And thankfully, you did not push yourself so hard as calamity. So when the first of that mystical blood starts to seep from their wrists, it won't be the kind of thing that we have to worry about. [00:46:20] Speaker B: A fact I'm sure they appreciate, whether or not they know it. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Can't imagine you spend this much time around vampires without seeing it go wrong a few times. Who knows? Maybe there used to be five ducheski and we just don't talk about it. [00:46:34] Speaker B: Oh, perhaps. [00:46:36] Speaker A: In any case, not something you have to worry about. You received four. That's what you're responsible for. Whatever happened to the other ones, that's a disabled problem. That's a Nikolai problem. Right. [00:46:51] Speaker B: Exactly. So long as I return four at the end of my tenure here, not a problem. [00:46:57] Speaker A: Makes me wonder if the Shamir have paperwork for that kind of thing. Some kind of blood contract. But that's not a conversation we have to delve into now. It shouldn't take that long for you to extract what you need. Which means you can be joining calamity not too much longer after. Call it. Ten minutes on both ends. A ten minute vigil, guilt wrapped with a little bow of hope, just in case. And then a ten point emergency preparedness plan executed minute by minute with the expertise we have all come to expect. Those two roads together lead us to ivy standing adjacent calamity, looking down at the mess that is Alex's chalice in hand. [00:47:49] Speaker C: So this is the plan then? [00:47:53] Speaker B: What? [00:47:55] Speaker C: Not much into the vita. [00:47:58] Speaker B: Well, of course. Do you have a better plan? [00:48:02] Speaker C: No. I wouldn't expect someone to willingly give over their blood like this. That's all. [00:48:11] Speaker B: Yes, well, until such time as he's able to feed himself. He does need to be fed. And we don't run the risk of any silly blood bonds if I feed him. So, here we are, and I hold out the chalice, but from the cup, obviously. [00:48:34] Speaker C: Bit less personal that way, isn't it? [00:48:38] Speaker B: Much, yes. [00:48:40] Speaker C: I will take the chalice, get Alex sort of balanced on my arm and my knee, and start feeding him. [00:48:51] Speaker A: It's a very curious thing, kindred physiology. The state of torper is equal parts paralysis and dreaming. I suppose it's as close as any of you can ever come to slipping into a coma. The result of feeding him while he's in this state. It drives home how eerie the forces that animate you are. When the kindred body is in so damaged a condition that it's forced to retreat from consciousness, the processes are automatic. You pour the blood into his mouth. It slides down across his tongue. And then, like a little machine, it starts to knit itself back together. And underneath his ruined clothing, you can see wounds begin to stitch themselves up. You can see those thick black veins scab over, turn just a little pink. And then it's like watching flesh decompose in reverse. In a way, it's almost like watching an inflatable mattress take shape as various collapsed parts find their form again and wounds seal. As impressive a sacrifice as it is for the duchesski to give up two points of their blood and then you to do the same, it has to feel a little deflating to watch that little happen. That for all the effort you've put into this, a few splotches of black disappear from his chest. A finger, maybe two, regain their human shape. But he remains so still and only barely closer to waking. [00:50:41] Speaker B: It is a little upsetting, but at the same time, it does confirm the strength of his blood. [00:50:47] Speaker A: Small victories. [00:50:50] Speaker C: It's a start, isn't it? [00:50:52] Speaker B: Yes, well, it's not your blood, is it? [00:50:57] Speaker C: Well, I'm not sure what connections you have, Ivy, but I imagine we could find an. [00:51:03] Speaker B: Yes, yes, I know. There is plenty of time to think about that tomorrow. [00:51:08] Speaker A: After all, Alex isn't going anywhere. [00:51:11] Speaker C: No, decidedly not. [00:51:14] Speaker B: No, he is not. [00:51:17] Speaker A: So we turn our attention, then back to the streets of Chicago, where after it may well be the first slumber party for vampires in all of Chicago in quite some time, you have reached the point where your own expertise, your own ability to disentangle the various themes and hints bouncing in Anastasia's brain will require outside expertise. You were driven to Anastasia's home. Thus, you are driven to the Ducheski manor, which means you will not have the benefit of parking in the garage, seeing the car, and getting advanced warning that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. You might get a hint of it when you approach the front door. And there are no eyes peering out from the window. There's no Grigor at the door to welcome you. In fact, none of the Ducheski are about. You don't know how long you would wait before opening the front door. But when you finally do, as far as you're concerned, the house is deserted. [00:52:19] Speaker D: Honey, I'm home. [00:52:22] Speaker E: Where is everyone? [00:52:25] Speaker D: No idea. Not great. [00:52:29] Speaker E: Shall we send out a search warrant? [00:52:31] Speaker D: No. Come on. And I'll grab Anna's arm. And we'll start moving towards the kitchen. [00:52:37] Speaker E: This is where we did the blood thing. [00:52:40] Speaker A: Indeed. And judging by what's been left on the counter, it's where someone very recently did a blood thing. [00:52:46] Speaker D: Less good. [00:52:48] Speaker E: Was there another blood thing? [00:52:50] Speaker D: God, I hope not. I do not like playing hide and seek. On the off chance there's someone here to murder us, could you just get it over with now, and I'll head back to the foyer? [00:53:02] Speaker A: Nothing. [00:53:03] Speaker D: God damn it. [00:53:05] Speaker A: Even the books that Anna was messing around with earlier, the ones that you're sure Ivy would have put back the way they were supposed to be. Still a mess in here. [00:53:17] Speaker E: Curious and curious, sir. [00:53:20] Speaker B: Is that how you say it? [00:53:22] Speaker D: That's how it goes. If no one comes out immediately, I will set fire to this very, very thick book. [00:53:30] Speaker E: Oh, let's do it now. [00:53:32] Speaker A: If only Ivy had powers of premonition, we'd be having a different discussion right now. But as it stands, your threats do not summon an angry goth, tremere viking. [00:53:43] Speaker D: I feel like seeing fresh blood probably indicates something not terrible has happened. But they are somewhere in the house. [00:53:50] Speaker A: There are a lot of rooms in the manor, but not so many that you can't search them relatively quickly on. [00:53:57] Speaker D: The off chance they really fucked up this werewolf situation. Let's start checking bedrooms. Maybe they're just asleep. [00:54:04] Speaker E: That sounds elementary. You know the detective dude on the british thing? [00:54:12] Speaker D: Yes, the detective dude on the british thing. [00:54:15] Speaker A: So Miss Lugasi and Mr. Watson head up the stairs to the second floor. This is where Anna keeps her bed. It would be where Alex keeps his. Not clear to me which part of the house calamity is claimed, but if it was a bedroom, it would also be on this floor. Likewise, Maya. Only Miss Larue and the Duchesski occupy the upper floor. [00:54:36] Speaker D: Is Alex's bedroom door open? [00:54:39] Speaker A: Ivy, did you close it? [00:54:41] Speaker B: No. [00:54:43] Speaker A: Well, there's your answer. [00:54:45] Speaker D: Well, I would assume the rest of us do closed doors, so we'll head there. [00:54:50] Speaker A: First of all, the immutable rules of kindred existence. One of them, I think, is that Maya doesn't travel anywhere quietly unless she's doing so on purpose, which means, I suspect, that calamity and Ivy would hear her coming. And if not that, certainly Anna. [00:55:14] Speaker E: Yes, I'm not subtle at all. [00:55:17] Speaker A: So then the follow up question is, you know that they're coming, but do you actually care enough right now to stop what you're doing or leave the room? I ask because we know that calamity already has certain feelings about this, but she's not the only one. Who's being reminded of things? This is three times in as many decades, Ivy, that some commando from the government with an automatic rifle has decided you specifically are a problem. And to your credit, it's three times that you've gotten away. Not sure how many more of those you have left in your pocket to pull out. Are you seriously capable of being the ice queen this long? Are you waiting until you're alone to let it crack? [00:56:07] Speaker B: I'm not one to show emotions in front of any of these people. Showing emotions is weakness. If you let people know the things that hurt you, they can use that against you, right? [00:56:23] Speaker A: I've heard rumors to that effect, yeah. [00:56:28] Speaker B: If I showed emotion, if I showed any amount of concern or worry, that's something that Maya would latch onto, and I would never hear the end of it. So for my sanity, I need to remain stoic, at least in front of her. [00:56:49] Speaker A: Do you wait in the room, or do you meet her in the hall? [00:56:53] Speaker B: Calamity is taking the time that she needs, and I would rather not have Anna's crass nature make some comment about Alex's current state or Maya's comments about our inability to perform our duties properly such that he does not end up in this place. So, no, I'm not going to let them walk into this room. And as I hear them get close, I stand up, and I will quickly make my way to the door, closing it just slightly behind me, leaving a small crack open so calamity can still hear what's going on, but I position myself between the door and the other. [00:57:41] Speaker C: Hello. Hello. [00:57:44] Speaker D: Hi, Ivy. [00:57:46] Speaker B: I I'm surprised to see you both home this evening, storyteller. [00:57:53] Speaker D: I feel like I've been locked out of enough boardrooms to know what it looks like when someone's hiding something behind a room they don't want me in. I don't need to act on it now, but I do know Ivy's acting incredibly suspicious as far as that's concerned. Or do you need me to roll an insight about it? [00:58:10] Speaker A: No, I think it's pretty obvious. I mean, you have a fairly good read on when Ivy's just being Ivy, and then when Ivy's being capital I. Ivy. And no offense to Ivy, but you were leaning pretty hard into that second one. I don't feel like you were going very far out of your way to hide your mood. Is that fair? [00:58:33] Speaker B: You don't need an insight check to know that I am absolutely hiding something, and there is something behind this door that I'm not interested in you seeing. [00:58:43] Speaker D: We'll put a pin in it then. You look great. [00:58:46] Speaker E: Are you wrapping Christmas presents? Sure. [00:58:50] Speaker D: Giving the punk look another try. What the fuck happened to you? [00:58:56] Speaker A: Werewolves, I would say. You probably also don't have to roll Maya to know that werewolves generally don't carry assault rifles. That's really not their preferred method of interacting with vampires. [00:59:10] Speaker D: That was my guess. Didn't want to make an assumption. The last time I checked, werewolves were all about teeth and claw, not antivampire rounds and shrapnel. [00:59:23] Speaker E: You look like cheese. [00:59:25] Speaker B: Yes, well, I imagine I feel like cheese. Would if cheese had human consciousness. [00:59:31] Speaker D: Happens to the best of us. And I wink with the side of my face that is only recently healed. [00:59:38] Speaker B: Yes, quite. No, you are correct. The werewolf fight attracted a little bit of attention. No, that is a lie. It did not attract attention. We had sought help, and the help turned out to be. And I look up towards the ceiling, as I say, through very gritted teeth, the si. [01:00:18] Speaker D: The second inquisition, they're sort of vampire hunters, but backed with what I'm going to assume government approval. So it's like a coup within a coup within a coup. No, it's more like bad history coming back to repeat itself. Who'd you ask for help from? [01:00:40] Speaker C: I know, I know. It is impolite to eavesdrop, but iva did leave the door open so I could hear. And I could hear the subject that is being discussed. And I will set Alex down, get him comfortable, and I guess peek my head out and say, hello. [01:00:59] Speaker E: Are you the present? [01:01:02] Speaker C: Am I the what now? [01:01:04] Speaker E: The present that ivy was. [01:01:09] Speaker C: Uh, no. [01:01:14] Speaker E: I thought you were wrapping presents. [01:01:17] Speaker C: Kind of give ivy a sidelong look. There's a little bit of what the fuck? Behind my eyes. [01:01:23] Speaker B: I just shake my head, oh, I've ruined Christmas. [01:01:28] Speaker D: Sorry. [01:01:32] Speaker C: I wouldn't say that, sugar. Hello? [01:01:35] Speaker B: Another stray, not astray. The help that Rosa Hernandez promised. [01:01:42] Speaker D: But the one not linked to the Si. [01:01:45] Speaker B: Yes, obviously. [01:01:48] Speaker D: Okay, if that's the rosa help, what is the help that got the Si involved again for the second time? I feel like once I'm okay considering an oversight or a coincidence, maybe, but two is a lot. Two is a lot in a place that didn't have it before. Maybe three for you. [01:02:07] Speaker E: I think. [01:02:12] Speaker B: Maya and I'm trying to stay as composed as possible right now. [01:02:19] Speaker C: Now, I may not know Ivy terribly well. It's only been a couple of nights, but at the very least, I have learned her need for control at all cost. So as I'm standing here watching that control start to crack, I imagine I'll step forward very carefully, touch her wrist, and say simply, we asked for help from someone in the kindred community, and they called in the big guns on us. We got screwed. [01:02:52] Speaker D: And who was in the community that called in the big guns would be that stupid. [01:02:59] Speaker C: That lovely, thin blood gentleman at the airport. [01:03:04] Speaker D: Fly boys are thin blood. Fucking course. [01:03:08] Speaker C: Yeah. Thin blood and a fucking traitor. [01:03:12] Speaker D: Thin blood and a fucking trader. [01:03:16] Speaker B: Yes, well, he was a traitor. He's not a traitor. [01:03:23] Speaker D: I really, really hope that means what I think it means. [01:03:28] Speaker B: I gesture at Calamity's chest. [01:03:32] Speaker C: Yeah, no, this is a great story, all of, um. I will tell it to you later if you want. Also, hi. You can call me calamity. [01:03:43] Speaker D: Hello. I like stories. I'm Maya, and this is Anna. Speaking of, where's the baby? [01:03:54] Speaker B: Asleep. [01:03:56] Speaker D: It's a little early for bedtime. [01:03:59] Speaker B: I lock eyes with Maya. No, Maya, he's asleep. He took a beating from the garu. He took shots from the Si. He'll be, you know, has to sleep it off. [01:04:17] Speaker D: I'm not thrilled with thinking about the amount of aggression that would put down a baby bruja. But he's not final death, is he? [01:04:28] Speaker B: No. He's not dusted. And for that, I think we are all very grateful. [01:04:35] Speaker D: Thank God. In that case, you killed flyboy. [01:04:43] Speaker B: In fairness, flyboy killed himself, in a manner of speaking. [01:04:49] Speaker C: And he technically tried to kill us first. [01:04:53] Speaker B: Yes. Which is how he ended up dead. [01:04:56] Speaker D: And the Si. Do you think they got enough of a good look at you to worry about that? Not you, Ivy. You're already a problem. But then I nod at Cal. [01:05:08] Speaker C: I honestly couldn't tell you. I had more pressing concerns on my mind. [01:05:14] Speaker D: We'll put that on a problem for later, along with all the other problems. [01:05:19] Speaker B: Yes, well, there are plenty of things to worry about, but I hope that your time is a little less eventful. From top to bottom. [01:05:31] Speaker E: It was so eventful. We had a sleepover. It was a lot of fun. You guys weren't invited. [01:05:38] Speaker D: Sorry. [01:05:40] Speaker B: I look at Maya with a small smile forming across my lips. A sleepover? [01:05:50] Speaker D: You could say that. [01:05:52] Speaker B: Anna, tell me, what was your favorite part about the sleepover? [01:05:59] Speaker E: We watched a mermaid movie, and we drew stuff and we talked, and it. [01:06:04] Speaker D: Was the best day of my life. [01:06:08] Speaker B: I clap my hands together and bring them up to my chin. A mermaid movie. That sounds so fun. Was it fun, Maya? [01:06:22] Speaker D: Oh, so much fun. I went looking for Anna's link to her dad. [01:06:29] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, that part wasn't that fun. I was, like, shaking my head vigorously at the first part. And now my shoulders are slumped over and I look a little bit more dejected. [01:06:41] Speaker B: I drop my hands and the smile at the mention of Newberry. I see. Well, what did you discover? [01:06:51] Speaker D: I can honestly say I have no idea. It's weird. It's haunted or something. It's not haunted. That's insane. There's drawings downstairs I don't really know. We have pieces. We have pieces which is actionable. We can do something with pieces. I just don't know what to do with them yet. And as resident Goth chick, I figured you would be useful in untangling that bullshit. Maybe change your shirt first. [01:07:22] Speaker B: I let out a very small, genuine chuckle. Yeah, change of clothes. Not a bad idea. I'll meet you downstairs. [01:07:34] Speaker C: As I'm watching this conversation happen, it feels like I'm missing a couple of parts here. I don't want to intrude if this is coterie business, unless you need an extra set of eyes. [01:07:46] Speaker B: Eyes are always good. [01:07:48] Speaker D: I don't know what we need yet. [01:07:51] Speaker C: Well, all right. Although I kind of looked down at the ruined everything that is my torso. I should probably change my shirt and get some of the shrapnel out of my belly. I'm just going to. [01:08:04] Speaker B: It's not a bad idea. Yeah. Well, let's reconvene in the kitchen in ten. [01:08:12] Speaker D: Sure. [01:08:13] Speaker B: Great. And I'm sure it goes without saying, and I glance at Anna. I'm going to say it anyway. Alex needs his rest, so unless you absolutely have to go into his room, best to keep the door shut. Okay. [01:08:36] Speaker E: My shoulders are still slumped over from before and I just mumble, okay. And my eyes don't meet Ivy. [01:08:43] Speaker C: I take a look at this other youngin and I try to give her a smile and I say, hey, he's going to be fine. Just needs a little bit of time to knit himself back together, that's all. [01:08:59] Speaker E: Okay. I have glue in my art supplies if that's helpful. But also I know that Ivy can teach him how to heal, so I guess he'll be okay soon. [01:09:14] Speaker C: Of course he will. He's in good hands. Don't you worry, nunsugar. [01:09:20] Speaker A: That, I think, depends entirely on who you ask. But we can set that question aside as Anastasia and Maya head downstairs for the kitchen. As calamity and Ivy retreat to their respective quarters to change out of their battle weary threads and into something a bit more appropriate for investigative work. And so we, as discussed, reconvene, I believe is the word you used in the kitchen. It's a little amusing. We know for a fact, this building has an actual office, and it has actual libraries and meeting rooms, but we've chosen the kitchen, and I like that simple, downhoming energy that we've injected into this home. [01:10:09] Speaker D: Weird way to describe calamity. [01:10:11] Speaker C: But sure, I am sitting on the countertop just because that is who I am as a person. [01:10:18] Speaker E: I take my normal spot on the floor, cross legged. [01:10:23] Speaker B: I stand like a normal human. [01:10:27] Speaker D: I stand like a normal kindred. [01:10:30] Speaker B: All right, Maya, you said there were drawings. [01:10:35] Speaker D: I take the drawings that Anna made over the last couple nights and spread them across the counter. [01:10:44] Speaker E: I didn't sign them yet, so they're not, like, super complete. But I did these yesterday. [01:10:50] Speaker B: I take a look at the three. Who are the ghosts? Are they supposed to be somebody? [01:10:59] Speaker E: It's me and Maya. We're hanging out and having a good time. [01:11:05] Speaker B: I glance at Maya again. Look at how much fun you're having. [01:11:10] Speaker D: I don't know why you think I am incapable of fun. I think that's a you problem. [01:11:18] Speaker B: Okay, so these are lovely, Anna, but, Maya, I'm not quite sure why you think they're relevant. [01:11:28] Speaker D: After we went to Lakeshore and whatever happened, happened, I was trying to see if we could inspire Anna to do something that would be more indicative of the situation, and this is what we got. [01:11:45] Speaker B: Okay. Like some sort of art therapy? [01:11:48] Speaker D: Yes, like some sort of art therapy. [01:11:51] Speaker B: I go from painting to painting, and then I turn to Anna. So what happened? [01:12:00] Speaker E: I hesitate before answering, and you can see that I'm clenching my hoodie really tightly at the bottom of the garment. I'm tight lipped like I was with Maya before, but I do manage to. I. Something happened that's never happened before. And for the first time ever, I think my dad was mad at me. [01:12:34] Speaker B: Mad at you? Why would he be mad at you? [01:12:38] Speaker E: I think maybe I didn't do what he asked. [01:12:43] Speaker B: What did he say? [01:12:46] Speaker E: With that answer, my mouth opens, but nothing comes out. And I instead say, I don't want to talk about it, but I think I'm in trouble. [01:13:00] Speaker B: Okay. I glance to Maya and then back at Anna. I need you to tell me what's going on so we can help you. Anna, I know you don't want to talk about it, but we can't help you. [01:13:16] Speaker E: I interrupt. Ivy and I just start with a big torrent of just. I think he wanted me to swim, but I didn't know how to swim, and he was mad that I didn't learn how to swim fast enough. And then I felt like I didn't know what he wanted me to do. And I'm just, like, tripping over my words. I don't know how I can learn to swim fast enough and make him happy. And I just repeat the I don't know. And I start crying and bawling on the floor. [01:13:48] Speaker B: I don't know how to handle the emotions. [01:13:54] Speaker D: I crouch next to Anna and put my hand on her back and give Ivy a pointed look. [01:14:02] Speaker A: I'm interested, calamity, what you're making of all of this. Feelings are about as much your strong suit as they are Ivy's, although for very different reasons. Nevertheless, the room is full of them. [01:14:16] Speaker C: Well, no offense to Ivy, but I think my discomfort is less marked than hers. But what I see is a very young kindred who is very upset and very afraid. And I know I don't have the full story here, and I doubt I will ever get the full story here. Shit. I'm not even sure how long I'm going to be in this house, but I will hop down off the counter and crouch next to Anna and say, hey, I imagine you're doing all you can. [01:14:53] Speaker E: I sniffle, and I look up to her, and I say, do you think if I cry enough, I'll be able to swim, sugar? [01:15:03] Speaker C: Yeah, it's possible. But you're just as like to drown yourself first. So will you cry? If you need to? But then you're going to have to pull yourself back together sooner or later. [01:15:18] Speaker E: I turned to the drawings that I had made. I hadn't even really touched them since Maya took them from my place. And I traced my hand over the last one around the shape of the glass bottle. And then I touched the vita. I think I'm supposed to save my dad. [01:15:41] Speaker B: At this phrase, I lock eyes with Maya again because I know that's not what Maya wants to do. [01:15:49] Speaker D: I look at Anna. Maybe we will. I stand up, and I start to pull ivy back into the hallway. Excuse us. [01:16:01] Speaker B: Yeah, just a moment. [01:16:04] Speaker D: I'm not sure what the connection is with Newberry, but I don't know that it's one way, if that makes sense. [01:16:15] Speaker B: Are you thinking he's using her like a beacon or something? [01:16:18] Speaker D: I don't know. I know that he was able to affect her in a way that I've never seen anyone do. I've never seen anything like it. [01:16:30] Speaker B: Storyteller with my experience with the occult and things of that nature, based on everything that everybody said, would this be something that my occult knowledge may have come across? [01:16:42] Speaker A: No. This is fucking weird. It's really weird. It's like malkavian weird. I mean, blood magic can do a lot of things. It's possible that somewhere in some chantry basement, there's something written down about. I mean, what are the ods that Newberry had access to it and get it. And then how does Anna fit into all of that? And no, doesn't seem like it should be a thing that can happen right now. [01:17:17] Speaker D: We don't have any other leads on what's happening with Newberry beyond Anna, and the worst case scenario I can think of is that she's wrong, and we waste a couple days looking and following whatever we get from her, however we need to do it. [01:17:34] Speaker B: Where do we even begin? [01:17:36] Speaker D: The drawings are a start. [01:17:38] Speaker B: The drawings are a couple ghosts in a boat and a bottle covered in Vita and a whole bunch of nonsense. [01:17:50] Speaker D: Is it? I will walk back into the kitchen now. Not before bobbing my eyebrows at Ivy. I'm really hoping she understood the two way connection. And if she didn't, well, fuck me. [01:18:06] Speaker B: As Maya turns to leave, I will grab her shoulder quickly and lean in and say, anna wants to find her dad and save him. And I know that that's not your game. So what is your plan? [01:18:21] Speaker D: Let's just find the body. [01:18:24] Speaker B: You know that there will come a time where you have to make a decision that Anna may not like. [01:18:29] Speaker D: Well, then I'm very lucky. Alex will be up in a few days, now, aren't I? [01:18:34] Speaker B: I let go of Maya's shoulder, heading. [01:18:37] Speaker D: Back into the kitchen. There's got to be some connection within the drawings. If Jason wants Anna to find him and help him, he might be leaving clues, right, Anna? [01:18:48] Speaker E: I look up. I'm still holding the drawings in my hand. My dad really, really likes puzles. He taught me how to play a lot of them, like my cat's cradle. [01:18:59] Speaker D: Well, what kind of clues do you think he would have left, then? [01:19:03] Speaker E: All three of these drawings look like they have one thing in common, like, even this one that's more abstract. It sort of looks like bubbles. Maybe we start with something with water. Are you guys going to help me find my dad? [01:19:21] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:19:22] Speaker E: I get the biggest smile on my face. The same one that you saw the slimber party, and I just completely light up. [01:19:32] Speaker B: Well, if we're thinking water, obviously the lake. There's the Chicago river, which is no small amount of land to cover the reservoir. There's a lot of water in this city. [01:19:54] Speaker C: Hey, storyteller. [01:19:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:19:57] Speaker C: Now, I've been kind of looking over Miss Anna's shoulder at these drawings, and do these scribblings kick anything around? In the back of my brain. [01:20:08] Speaker A: Well, that's a pretty open ended question. What are you thinking? [01:20:14] Speaker C: The circles on this here paper, it reminds me a little of things that I would have seen before my embrace on contract maps. [01:20:25] Speaker A: In the lack well with forewarning that trying to find meaning in the malkavian madness has ruined more than one kindred in this world. You know, if you stare at it, maybe close one eye just a little. [01:20:44] Speaker C: Bit, tilt my head. [01:20:46] Speaker A: Don't know that you have to go that far. Does kind of look like a tunnel. But mines, they're more jagged, right? As you're carving your way to the earth, sometimes the stone gives way and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you strike a seam and can clear it out. And sometimes you don't. If we are taking Anna's drawing at face value, this is smooth. Something man made, but not in the way that you're quite looking for. [01:21:25] Speaker C: Almost. It almost looks like a tunnel. [01:21:30] Speaker D: How do you mean? [01:21:32] Speaker C: The circles. Like a mineshaft, but not quite. That could just be an artistic license. [01:21:41] Speaker D: Going to be honest with you, calamity, I do not spend that much time in tunnels to know any better. A brief incident with a sewer, maybe, but considering the other two seem watery, I could imagine that being a connection. A broad one, but more specific than just the Chicago river. [01:22:01] Speaker B: Do I know of any tunnels in and around the city? [01:22:07] Speaker A: Well, unfortunately for the four of you, the whole city is full of tunnels. Tunnels built on top of tunnels built on top of tunnels built on top of tunnels. And then they built a city on top of those tunnels. 150 years of civil engineering. [01:22:21] Speaker D: If Shabendric were here, we'd be able to use her knowledge of what I assume is sewer behavior. I assume the Nosferatu inclination also reaches out to sewer adjacent activities. [01:22:35] Speaker A: It doesn't matter what city you're in. If you're curious about things tunnel related, the Nosferatu are a good place to start. The city also keeps fairly good records, depending on how far back you wanted to go. I know Ivy has academic skills. If you wanted to take a research angle, pretend for a moment you're writing a very boring book report on the tunnels underneath Chicago. Maya, I'm sure there are building permits abound if you wanted to go that. [01:23:04] Speaker C: Direction, I think that's a good start. [01:23:09] Speaker B: Yes. Unfortunately, my relationships with any Nosferatu began and ended with Schmendrick and Charles, neither of which are currently available. [01:23:20] Speaker A: Whether or not it's a good thing depends entirely on who you ask. But there are other nosferatu in the city. [01:23:26] Speaker D: I'm loathe to try to ask for more help, but it might be worth seeing if we can check in with Cedric. [01:23:37] Speaker B: Well, I would much rather exhaust as many options as we can. Unless you're not interested in doing the dirty work. [01:23:45] Speaker D: I just believe in letting experts do what experts do. Not going to pretend I know anything about the sewer system of Chicago or the tunnels that this horrible place is built. [01:23:57] Speaker B: No, no, that's true. Just the last time I asked for help, the Si showed up, so I'm a little hesitant. But I also understand why you are less so. [01:24:08] Speaker A: Surely it couldn't happen again. But if there's one thing we also know about the Nosferatu is they don't give away their services or secrets for free. [01:24:19] Speaker D: If we frame it as helping look for Charles, maybe we'll do something. [01:24:24] Speaker B: Well, the Nosferatu are information brokers. That's their big thing. I suppose there's a chance they would trade for a boon, but it'd be better if we had something to give them sooner rather than later. But I suppose that's up to the individual kindred. I can't pretend to speak for them. [01:24:44] Speaker D: The least we can do is ask. [01:24:49] Speaker A: If nothing else, you can exhaust the existing options you have. And if you can't find anything, then perhaps you might be willing to spend a little extra on some assistance. Sacrifices will have to be made. By whom is the question. But that's a story for another night. You've been listening to the all night Society, an actual play podcast brought to you by Queen's court games. If you've enjoyed your stay, consider supporting us on Patreon for access to exclusive art, audio, and private fan only games. For more content, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok at Queens court games or on Twitter at Queenscourt RPG.