[DFRPG] The Rainy City Book 1: Music Doesn't Lie

[Steel Mirror]

"That doesn't answer my question, Andro."
"He is saying something in our language. A kenning. It's . . . like a prayer. Please do not harm us."


"What better way to escape suspicion than to be attacked by the enemy."
"What can I tell you to prove us innocent? You know that my kind cannot lie. I have never seen the creatures that did this before today. I am not cooperating with them. I do not know what they want, but if they realized what we are they may have attacked us out of reflex. Like a dog and a cat. Or agents of Summer and Winter."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin blinks when Whitaker growls at her, but when she hears that smug voice she realizes that it wasn't meant for her, "Shut up, Chad. Get out of my kitchen."

She turned to look at him, rolling her eyes, "Is there something you want? Please don't tell me you're going to hit on me or something because I don't really think I could take it. Plus I'd like to keep what little food I've had today in my stomach where it belongs."

[Steel Mirror]

"Plus I'd like to keep what little food I've had today in my stomach where it belongs."
"So hostile! I'm just here to watch your back. With all these elves running around and what not, nobody is supposed to travel anywhere alone."

He nods at Whitaker, who is still growling. "So where did you get this charming guy? I'm guessing not at the adoption center for unwanted poltergeists."

[AvianMalkavian]

"He found me. Helped me out and so I did the same for him. Go find your own ghost dog if you're so interested. He's my friend."

"And I probably wouldn't be so hostile if you weren't so creepy," Yin got up, looking down at her spectral companion, "Come on, Whitaker. This guy's not worth it. Lets go look for that Lutin."

She lightly pats her leg to get Whitaker's attention, hoping he'll follow her as she moves to leave the kitchen and meet up with the others.

[Steel Mirror]

"Come on, Whitaker. This guy's not worth it. Lets go look for that Lutin."
Unfortunately, the ghost hound is locked in place, glaring and growling at Chad. He smiles widely. "Guess he doesn't like my aftershave."

"You know, I get Detective O'Reilly. Big man, sheriff of Seattle's seamy underbelly and so on. Your mom knows what she is doing here, she's an old school Han demon hunter, through and through. But what is your story? What do you get out of screwing up your life by getting involved in these things? It seems an odd hobby for a little slip of a girl like you."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin stops, not wanting to leave Whitaker alone with this guy, though not particularly wanting to be near him any more than she has to. He had that.. 'American Psycho' vibe to him, but didn't look anywhere near as good as Christian Bale. She sighed at his question, running a hand through her hair, "This is just my life, okay? It is what it is, and I'm making peace with that."

"And why are you here? Oh, right, potstickers."

[Steel Mirror]

"And why are you here? Oh, right, potstickers."
He shrugs. "Well, unless you're offering, I don't think anyone is going to be cooking me those potstickers. Right now I'm here because the Lothlorien chapter of the Hell's Angels is between me and my Jacuzzi full of underwear models."

"I came here to tonight to talk business, though. Do you think you and I could do some business, Yin? Because I'm more interested in why you are here."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin laughs, looking through one of the cupboards and grabbing a fortune cookie from a bag full of them, "Underwear models, huh? For who? Fruit of the Loom?"

That last part also made her laugh as she pulled the little fortune out before chowing down on the cookie, talking with her mouth full despite how many times her mother had told her to do otherwise, "Good for you, Chad. I'm not interested in doing any business with you. No offense, but you seem like a real sleazeball."

[Steel Mirror]

"Good for you, Chad. I'm not interested in doing any business with you. No offense, but you seem like a real sleazeball."
"It's a good thing you said 'no offense', or that would have hurt my feelings." He takes a shuffling step to the side, and Whitaker shuffles a step to the left. "And I understand your hesitance. I'm a strange man, you don't want to get involved in anything untoward. But I'm not trying to buy your first born here. Let's start with something simple. Say . . . the true nature of Sparky here?"

Yin looks at her fortune. "Remember the fate of the early worm."

[AvianMalkavian]

Remember the fate of the early worm in bed? That doesn't make any sense.

She looked to Chad now, her interest piqued, but she shrugged, "Definitely interesting, but I'll figure out what he is before too long, I'm sure. So, please leave me be, strange man."

[Steel Mirror]

"So, please leave me be, strange man."
"All right, all right." He takes another step right, and Whitaker takes a step to the left, near the wall. "One last try, then I'll shut up. What if I could tell you what happened to the White Bone Ghost? What if I could help you get to Bai Gu Jing?"

[AvianMalkavian]

"Bai Gu Jing is dead," There was obvious anger in her voice now, having gone from mildly annoyed to pissed in a matter of seconds. She had killed the demon and avenged her father's murder, had seen the monster die with her own eyes. Anyone who said otherwise was clearly trying to toy with her.

"How about you leave me alone now before I do something I might regret later. Get the #@$% out of my kitchen, Chad."

[Steel Mirror]

"Bai Gu Jing is dead,"
"Well of course she's dead, she's a ghost." He talks like he is explaining something to a particularly slow infant, but his smile slips when she makes her threat. "Death is only the beginning," he says in a fake ominous voice.

[AvianMalkavian]

"Its a name. Bai Gu Jing was a demon and a murderer, and now she's dead."

She rubbed her temples, sighing, "So, is this your plan? Hang around me and drive me crazy be being the biggest pain in the ass that you can be? Seriously? What do you want with me?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Its a name. Bai Gu Jing was a demon and a murderer, and now she's dead."
He smiles again. Rage makes the light in the room around Yin seem to dim. "Of course she was. Of course she is. My my, daddy dearest told you a few not-quite-the-whole-truths about that bitch, didn't he? Or was it your mother who told you that?"


"So, is this your plan? Hang around me and drive me crazy be being the biggest pain in the ass that you can be? Seriously? What do you want with me?"
"Ok, look. Maybe you aren't in the best frame of mind for business right now. And let it never be said that Chad Evanston Thurgood (Esquire) is the kind of guy who takes advantage of a woman when she's had a little too much." He reaches into his pocket and leans down slowly, which causes Whitaker to growl even louder. He pauses, then leaves something on the floor. A slip of paper.

"Give me a call if you ever get curious. I think we might have a lot to talk about." Then he takes another shuffling step to the side. Whitaker moves to counter him, walking straight into the wall.

There is a loud zap, and a flash of light. Whitaker yelps, and smoke and fire pours out of the electrical socket that he just stepped into. He jumps in apparent pain and shock, retreating behind Yin and leaving a trail of ectoplasm as he goes.

Chad tips and imaginary hat and begins to retreat from the kitchen.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin was about to let this man know how she responded when someone suggested her parents were liars. But then she heard the loud zap, looking to the electrical socket and quickly grabbing the fire extinguisher, spraying it and making sure the fire was good and dead, "Aw, Whitaker, you poor thing."

Instinctively, she tried to hug him and simply passed right through, wincing and shivering at the feeling after she pulled back. There, on the ground, she noticed the piece of paper, crawling over to it and picking it up. She let Chad leave, glad to be rid of him for the time being, and looked the thing over.

[Sanguine]

Connor considers Andro and Rolf for a long moment. They could be what they say they are, then again they could just as easily not be. "Andro, I'm inclined to believe you. However the only proof we have of your innocence is your claim that you can't lie. I trust you see the problem there. So, unless I can figure out a way to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you really are a Faerie, and not say, a Changeling, then I'm going to have to put both of you in solitary confinement. I can't risk everyone's safety on this."

[Steel Mirror]

"I can't risk everyone's safety on this."
"I agree. I would do the same in your place. But please, let us help you. We are as in danger as the rest of you. We can make armor, and I know how to fight the lutins. If you have to lock us away that is fine, but please put the iron away."

[Steel Mirror]

She let Chad leave, glad to be rid of him for the time being, and looked the thing over.
It's a business card. "Chad Evanston Thurgood Esq., CEO Excelsis Developement". It lists an email address and a phone number. On the back is a picture of Chad himself, done in some kind of holographic print. As she tilts the card back and forth, she can see his expression switch from a sober expression to his wide, ****-eating grin.

[Bunny of Faith]

The bark in front of his face turns and shifts into an elfin face with blank eyes. It blinks and stares up at him.

A lutin. This just gets better and better.


Andrew looks at the lutin with suprise, hesitantly raising a finger to his lips as he moves backwards slightly and stays crouched. He gives a small prayer to anyone who might be listening at the moment that the lutin doesn't instantly scream it's lungs off, giving the creature a pleading look.

[Steel Mirror]

He gives a small prayer to anyone who might be listening at the moment that the lutin doesn't instantly scream it's lungs off, giving the creature a pleading look.
It blinks at him again, still pressed up against the tree. "Yes," it whispers. "I recognize you. You were with Master Connor at the lake."

[Sanguine]

Slowly Connor puts the pan back down, without once taking his eyes off of the pair of dark elves. "Deal. Now what can you tell me about the Lutins?"

[Bunny of Faith]

It blinks at him again, still pressed up against the tree. "Yes," it whispers. "I recognize you. You were with Master Connor at the lake."

Andrew gives a quiet sigh of relief, whispering back, "This could have ended badly. First things first though, how do we get to the Dancing Dragon?" He points vaguely towards it, trusting that Chêne either knows where that is or that Connor is inside so he knows it as the place where his master is.

[Steel Mirror]

"Deal. Now what can you tell me about the Lutins?"
"Umm, ok. Just a second." He speaks to Rolf in the other language, and gradually Rolf relaxes his aggressive stance.

"Well to begin with, only pure salt hurts us. Salt water will tear down our veil and mess with our magic, but it doesn't harm us. A line of pure salt in doorways will stop us from entering the building, though."

He looks nervously up at Connor and continues. "And the being you have challenged. Their champion. If he is not their Prince, he must be their Marshall. That is a terrible foe indeed. You may not be able to defeat one such as him."

[AvianMalkavian]

She looked at the card for a moment, tilting it back and forth to look at the holographic before tucking it into her pocket, "Jesus, Patrick Bateman'd flip his lid if he saw this."

Getting up, she looked to Whitaker and decided it might be best to keep him away from electrical sockets, "Come on, boy."

Heading back out to where everyone else had been congregated previously to make silverwear armor, she is rather shocked by the sight of the two strange.. strange and somewhat familiar looking figures, "Uh.."

[Steel Mirror]

"how do we get to the Dancing Dragon?"
"They are patrolling the roads and rooftops. There are almost two dozen of them, and they are veiled in the trees."

His body is still blended in with the tree. "They also have their Marshall, a Sorceress, and woodwoses."

[Steel Mirror]

"Uh.."
One of the figures, wrapped in bandages and wearing some familiar looking clothes, winces.

[Bunny of Faith]

"They also have their Marshall, a Sorceress, and woodwoses."

"This would be a great time for you to tell me that you're able to teleport, and take people with you." Sighing, he glances around briefly.

"Have you seen any little folk or any creatures that aren't on their side around? I can't really magic my way out of this while it's raining."

[Steel Mirror]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]"Have you seen any little folk or any creatures that aren't on their side around? I can't really magic my way out of this while it's raining."
"Smallfolk are always around. But they would have to be insane to come out and play with such powers about."
You can still contact some, it's just more difficult now than at other times, and more difficult to convince them to do something that puts them at risk. Still, not impossible.

[Sanguine]

Connor finds himself grimacing when Andro tells him that salt water won't hurt the Lutins. There was one battle plan shot to hell, still it was good to know that his salted doorways idea would work. "Well at least I don't have to worry about conserving ammo."

Connor's expression changes to one of regal defiance as he hears about the Marshall. One look at him like this would almost convince someone that he would command the rains to stop, and that the rains would obey. His voice is calm and barely audible, but there is a clear undercurrent of anger within it. "I'll take my chances."

[AvianMalkavian]

The bandages and the familiar clothes were enough to make it all click in Yin's brain, eventually, "Andro? Wow, Kara's gonna be disappointed. She thought you were a werewolf."

Moving over to the rest of the gathering, she sighed, "So, salt waters no good then. What do we do now then? Cover Connor in all the iron that we can find? If Prince is as strong as you guys say he is, then we need to do everything we can to make sure we win. Grab every possible advantage. You know.. cheat."

[Steel Mirror]

"Grab every possible advantage. You know.. cheat."
"Yes, the Marshall will be very powerful. A master of arms. Stronger than any mortal, faster, with possibly centuries of combat experience. The Prince will likely be all that and more. Magical power and strength at arms. A direct conflict is . . . not ideal." He looks at Connor. "But then, crazier things have happened."

[Bunny of Faith]

"Smallfolk are always around. But they would have to be insane to come out and play with such powers about."

"Insane is better than nothing at all." He moves closer to the ground, whispering to it, "Hello, anyone home? I have sweets, and I've not given my firstborn away yet!"

Contacts, don't fail me now!
[roll0]+2+1=1
Well that was a fail.

[Steel Mirror]

"Insane is better than nothing at all."
The rain falls. The night wind blows. As the leaves rustle, a few are dislodged from the branches above, and spiral lazily down to the ground. One of them lands in Andrew's hand.

The leaf rustles, then flips over completely, revealing a tiny figure no taller than a plastic army man standing in his palm. The figure looks roughly human, but he can't make out details in the dim night. It smooths out the leaf, which it is wearing now like a cloak, and looks up at Andrew towering above it.

"Meepeep darup eep?"

[Bunny of Faith]

"Meepeep darup eep?"

"I've changed my mind." Andrew looks at the creature in confusion, sighing. He looks over at Chêne, "Any chance you know what it just said?"

[Sanguine]

"I think you underestimate our odds Andro. If it comes to a physical confrontation with the Prince I won't be the one fighting. It will be the Kings and Queens of the Tuatha De Danann, each easily as powerful as Mab. As for the Marshall...well I'm not exactly a normal mortal. Still it couldn't hurt to stack the deck. Yin you still got those iron knuckles I gave you?"

[Steel Mirror]

"I've changed my mind." Andrew looks at the creature in confusion, sighing. He looks over at Chêne, "Any chance you know what it just said?"
"I don't speak pixie," he sniffs. "Do I look like some common bush fae to you?"

The little fae on Andrew's palm turns around and makes faces at the lutin.

[Bunny of Faith]

"I don't speak pixie," he sniffs. "Do I look like some common bush fae to you?"


"It was worth an ask." He looks back down to the pixie in his hand, then up at the tree, "No chance there's like, fifty more of you up in that tree?"

[AvianMalkavian]

"Yup," Yin took them out of her pocket, tossing them over to Connor.

"Still, there's got to be something else we can do. Something to shift the odds in our favor." Turning to her mother, she shrugged, "Mom, do you have any ideas? You've been doing this longer than any of us."

[Steel Mirror]

"No chance there's like, fifty more of you up in that tree?"
"Tradoop roopaleep!" It finishes castigating Chêne and turns back to Andrew.

"Kalooloo brel dabeekeep," it explains, shaking its head. Then it points with both hands at itself and does a little dance.

[Steel Mirror]

"Mom, do you have any ideas? You've been doing this longer than any of us."
"In general, my strategy for not losing duels to the death has always been to not get involved in them. Is there some reason we cannot simply shoot him once he arrives? One of the benefits of not being a signatory to the Accords is not having to abide by their idiocy."

[Bunny of Faith]

"Kalooloo brel dabeekeep," it explains, shaking its head. Then it points with both hands at itself and does a little dance.

"Just great. Well, I suppose this isn't the worst plan I've ever had..." He says, mostly to himself, and withdraws a small sweet. Unwrapping it, he holds it out to the pixie in his other hand. "If I give you this, can you make a big distraction that'll lure all the lutins away? Do you even know what I'm saying?" He sighs.

[Sanguine]

Connor glares at Zhou Bae. "The reason we can't shoot him is the same reason why we let them go in the first place. He's not the head honcho, killing him gets us nothing. If I want to talk to the Prince, and I need to for my plan to work, then I need to defeat Mondfae in this duel. If we violate the duel we throwaway our only chance at getting everyone out alive. Sure if we are lucky everyone in the restaurant will survive, but what about the people already taken. What happens to them when we initiate hostilities?"

[Steel Mirror]

"If I give you this, can you make a big distraction that'll lure all the lutins away? Do you even know what I'm saying?" He sighs.
The little fae's body goes completely straight and rigid inn an exaggerated pantomime of fear. Its little leaf cloak wraps around it like a blanket and it hides its eyes behind its arms.

"I think that means 'no', Winter squire," Chêne says.

[Steel Mirror]

Connor glares at Zhou Bae. "What happens to them when we initiate hostilities?"
"Careful, detective. I defend my family and my people, first. We did not ask for this fight. I protect you because you are my guests, and because you and my daughter have cooperated in the past. But if some other people have gotten themselves in trouble with these spirits, through choice or through trickery, and I must endanger them to save my own people, then so be it. It is not my responsibility to save people from themselves, and it is not always possible to save everyone."

[AvianMalkavian]

"I agree with Mom on this one. Just seems a bit.. dumb to put all our eggs in the 'beat Super-Elf On Steroids' basket. Not that I'm saying you're not a good fighter, Connor. Its just.. the way Andro makes this guy sound this could really go either way and I'm not going to let you get killed by some Prince over a bunch of musicians."

She sighed, "Anyway, I'm not a tactical genius, so I'm just going to focus on the one problem I can maybe help with. Give me one of those waterguns and I'll see if I can't find the imposter and deal with them. If I do, how do we do want him? Dead? Alive?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Give me one of those waterguns and I'll see if I can't find the imposter and deal with them. If I do, how do we do want him? Dead? Alive?"
"The lutins are legendary tricksters," Andro says without meeting Yin's eyes. "Be very careful if you are going to hunt one. And if you do manage to find him, capture him or kill him before he finds a way to let his people in and take us all. And you may not have the luxury of mercy."

[Sanguine]

Connor screams in frustration at the two of them. "Killing Mondfae doesn't get us anything! If we violate the duel the Prince will just send more Lutins after us. Only now he won't be after the musicians he'll be after revenge. You won't have protected your people you will only be putting them in even greater danger! Not to mention signing the death warrants of dozens of people. Does that really sound like a good idea? Are you really that monumentally stupid!?!" The anger and frustration clear in Connor's eyes haven't calmed, but at least he has stopped yelling. Shoving a super soaker into Yin's hands he says. "Andro has the right of it."

[Steel Mirror]

"It is your friends who are in danger, so I will forgive your tone, Detective." Bae's demeanor and tone have become frigid. "But I could very well ask you what monumental stupidity possessed you to bring a war to my home, without warning, and to endanger not only innocents but my children as well. Were you not a sometime ally of ours, I would feel no hesitation in leaving you to your fate. And you have no children, so I do not expect you to understand. But yes, I would put others at risk, others who are adults who had some hand in authoring their fate, if it would save my children."

[Sanguine]

Connor grits his teeth, just as much a means to avoid yelling as it is a display of his frustration. "You aren't listening. It wouldn't save your children. Your Threshold has kept everyone safe so far, but it will only continue to do so as long as the Lutins want to take the musicians alive. Once that is no longer their primary concern, once all they are after is vengeance for Mondfae they will simply burn the restaurant down around us. That will leave your children with the two wonderful options of immolation or running into the hands of creature who would like nothing more than to kill them. So once again I ask. Are you so stupid that you would sign the death warrants of not only the taken but your children as well?"

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin takes the super soaker, shaking her head at the two of them, "How about instead of arguing you two try and come up with some sort of plan? Right now, all we're doing is wasting time." Making sure the water gun was loaded, she headed off in search of the lutin among them, deciding the best place to start looking would be in the private room with the musicians.

[Steel Mirror]

"Are you so stupid that you would sign the death warrants of not only the taken but your children as well?"
"Perhaps you miss my point. I will help you with your duel, if that is our best option. I will protect these people. But some day, you will answer for bringing this war to my house."


Making sure the water gun was loaded, she headed off in search of the lutin among them, deciding the best place to start looking would be in the private room with the musicians.
She makes her way to the door, leaving the feuding "adults" behind. For once, Whitaker seems content to follow her, still limping a bit where he collided with the outlet.

The door has been blocked with a chair, since it has no locks. Yin moves it aside and opens the door. Revealing singing. Several of the musicians have turned up the karaoke machine, and are singing a boisterous and not entirely unpleasant version of "Don't stop believing". At the table, a few others are playing a game of cards that apparently involves holding a poker card on their forehead, facing out. Others are sprawled out on the floor, or gathered in knots dancing and giggling.

Kim is sitting on the server cabinet, laughing under the attention of two guys whose body language makes their intentions clear. Drunken Casa Novas.

It reminds Yin of a couple college parties she's gone to, including that odd sense of being alone in a room full of chatting people.

[AvianMalkavian]

"Influenced by faerie mind control or not, at least they've got good taste in music."

Yin entered the room, closing the door behind her, and took another look around. Just like a college party, and just like a college party she was the only one not having any fun. She sighed, hefting up the super soaker before calmly beginning to spray everyone in the room, while also grooving out to the music, of course, "Streetlights! People! Living just to find emotion! Hidin' somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiight!"

[Steel Mirror]

"Streetlights! People! Living just to find emotion! Hidin' somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiight!"
She sprays the first few people, pretty much just getting them wet. The card players complain loudly, and the people sprawled across the chairs barely notice. As she turns to bring her weapon to bear against the guys flirting with Kim, the lights go out and she feels the presence of something rushing towards her.
Roll Alertness for Yin against this Stealth:
[roll0]+3= 3

[AvianMalkavian]

Everything seemed to be going fine, and she just smirked at the people that she was soaking. It was looking like the Lutin wasn't in here. And then the lights went off. That was bad. And then something was rushing at her. Even worse! Well, this sucks.

Alertness Roll: [roll0] + 2 = 1

[Steel Mirror]

Well, this sucks.
Something moving fast hits her on the shoulder and clings, like a monkey. It's small and light, but viciously strong and with wiry, strong limbs that streak towards her face, holding a knife.
Attack:
[roll0]+3= 3
Your defense is at +0 for this attack since you were caught by surprise.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin struggles with the thing in the darkness, along to the music, desperately trying to get it off so that she can beat it to death, "Workin' hard to get my fill! Everybody wants a thrill! Payin' anything to roll the dice.. just one more time!"

Athletics Roll: [roll0] + 0 = 0

[Steel Mirror]

"Workin' hard to get my fill! Everybody wants a thrill! Payin' anything to roll the dice.. just one more time!"
Apparently the power wasn't cut off to the whole room, just the lights. The music continues to blare as the knife flashes towards Yin's face. Oh the movie never ends it goes on, and on, and on, and on.

She hears some of the musicians scream and stumble around the room, but her main attention is on her assailant.
That's 4 stress since the knife is weapon: 1

Attack:
[roll0]+3= 3

Then it's Yin's turn. Defense in case she attacks:
[roll1]+3= 1

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin ignores the screaming, far more busy with the bastard who just stuck his knife in her shoulder, "Strangers waitin'! Up and down the boulevard. Their shadows searchin' in the night! Streetlights! People! Livin' just to find emotion! Hidin' somewhere in the night!"

"Steve Perry! Grant me strength!" She attempts to dodge another attack from her assailant before jumping and body slamming the bastard into the ground, "Don't stop! Believin'!"

Taking a Moderate Consequence of 'Stabbed Shoulder' to avoid the 4 stress.

Athletics Roll To Dodge: [roll0] + 3 = 2

Fists Roll For Attack (assuming I live): [roll1] + 4 = 4

[Steel Mirror]

Y"Don't stop! Believin'!"
Her blow lands solidly, but it's like tackling a tree stump. She loses a breath or two in pain when she lands on her lacerated shoulder, and the little bugger moves like greased lightning out of the worst of the blow. It scrambles up and around her to stab again towards her center of mass, chittering like a maddened chipmunk the whole time.

Don't stop, believing! Hold on to that feeling!

Yin took a 2 stress hit from that exchange. 1 stress, if she uses fists instead as the defense skill?

The lutin tags her consequence for its defense roll, improving it to a 3. It takes 1 stress from her attack.

It attacks once again:
[roll0]+3= 3

And then defense for Yin's next attack:
[roll1]+3= 5

You can use fists for defense in this fight, since it's all hand-to-hand combat.

Lutin Infiltrator:
[x] [ ] [ ]

[AvianMalkavian]

"Oh, gods, that wasn't smart," She clutched at her shoulder, hand coming away wet with blood. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the embarrassment though. One lutin was kicking her ass! One! She was supposed to be the god damn protector of Chinatown!

The thing comes at her again and she desperately tries to roll away to dodge it before thrusting her feet out to kick the thing away from her. She looks around for her dog, "Whitaker! Sic 'em!"

Athletics Roll: [roll0] + 3 = 6

Fists Roll: [roll1] + 4 = 4

[Sanguine]

Connor just rolls his eyes at Zhou Bae's statement and says in a much calmer voice. "Well I knew that coming in. So why the hell are we arguing?"

[Steel Mirror]

Connor just rolls his eyes at Zhou Bae's statement and says in a much calmer voice. "Well I knew that coming in. So why the hell are we arguing?"

"Why indeed. Is there anything else we can prepare for this duel, or shall I go back to preparing your suit?"

[Sanguine]

Connor considers that for a moment. Was there anything else they could do? He had, iron, armor and salt, or at least he would have that all soon. Was there anything else they could do. "I can't think of any other preparations we could make. Maybe if we knew more about Mondfae personally, but if wishes were steel-jacketed rounds...Anyway I think it's time I escort our elves to their rooms."

Using Guide my Hand to stage a Fortuitous Arrival at the scene of the fight.

[Steel Mirror]

"Whitaker! Sic 'em!"
Yin manages to get her wits about her and blocks the next stab of the knife with an almost instinctual counter-thrust. She launches another jab at the lutin's face, but it rolls out of the way so quickly that it seems to simply disappear from view.

She whirls around to find it again, but it is lost to the shadows and darkness. Whitaker is nearby, growling and staring at the table, where the table cloth and a thick forest of chair legs block the underside from view. The card players are gone, bunched up against the walls with the rest of the musicians in blind fear.
Stealth:
[roll0]+3= 5
Lutin Infiltrator:
[x] [ ] [ ]

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin climbs to her feet, dusting herself off and looking to Whitaker, "Come on, boy. Lets kill this damn thing."

She was fairly certain that lutin was under the table, and she didn't want to waste any time. The longer she stood there, the more time the thing had to plan its next surprise attack. So Yin simply threw herself under the table and started swinging wildly, "Come on, #$%@er! Let's go right now!"

Not entirely sure what to roll so I'll roll whatever makes sense.

Alertness Roll: [roll0] + 2 = 1
Athletics Roll: [roll1] + 3 = 1
Fists Roll: [roll2] + 4 = 7

[Steel Mirror]

Connor accompanies the two dark elves down the hall, once Andro is back in his wheelchair. As they walk by the room where everyone is holed up, Connor notices that the chair is no longer propping it shut, but the door is still closed. Curious, he reaches out to twist the door knob and feels a surge like an electric shock shoot through his silver arm.

Faerie magic, from the feel of it.

Inside, Yin dives under the table with a battle cry - and into a world of pitch blackness. It was bad enough in the room itself, when the light was off. Here there isn't even a glimmer of light. It's pure darkness.

"So much for the demon hunting Zhaos," a voice whispers in her ear.

When Yin was young, about Li's age, she had undergone her first real combat training. Until then she had done the exercises and practiced the forms, but it was more tai chi and general exercise than an earnest effort to learn how to hurt someone. It was about time that she begin, though, according to her mother, and so she had spent her first of many mornings exchanging softened blows with her father, and receiving his patient advice on how to improve her technique.

She was terrible of course, clumsy and overeager. Even then she wanted to skip straight to the finishing blow, and had little patience for what her father called the rhythm and flow of combat. Every strike of hers was a death blow, every maneuver aimed straight for her opponent's center. When defending herself, she committed her entire attention to the opponent's first motion, and was easily caught off guard with even the simplest feint or counter.

"You will find that your ferocity will serve you well, but it must be controlled. You cannot always attack at 100%, Yin. You must let your opponent defeat themselves, then strike at their moment of weakness."

Her father had made her wear a blind fold, and try to stop him from tapping her with a fun noodle that they had bought for trips to the public pool in the summer. It was a goofy kind of training, casting about in all directions and waiting for the inevitable thump of foam humiliation, but it taught her something important. Unable to throw herself completely at her opponent, she was forced to wait and sense it coming instead. By the end of the day, she had managed to block it three times, out of hundreds of hits.

It took her five more years to be able to block it reliably.

She still struggled with her temper, and her desire to cut to the chase in combat (and, to be fair, outside it as well). But it was a lesson that she always tried her hardest to use, that she knew her father would have wanted her to respect.

So when the little faerie gloated at her in the darkness, giving away its position, she smiled.
defense:
[roll0]= 2

Aiming for the source of the voice, she slams her fist into the little bastard, hitting it straight on and hard enough to send it splintering through the top of the wooden table. The table falls apart in two equal pieces, plates and glasses shattering and the veil of darkness falling to pieces around her. The form of the faeirie itself is sent sprawling across the floor, wrapped up in the table cloth. It thrashes under the cover of the cloth, and gets unsteadily to its feet.
Lutin Infiltrator
[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] Fragile Aspect All Tangled Up

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin gets up from out of the broken table, bruised and bloody and looking supremely angry. Raising her fists, she takes a deep breath, remembering her father's training, trusting in it. Now her focus was completely on the monster, not on the music, not on the weak musicians huddling against the walls in fear, and not on anything else. There was only one thing on her mind: beating this thing to death with her bare hands.

Rushing in, she grabs the lutin up while he's still caught in the table cloth, attempting to pummel the foul creature into the floor. Rather than being her usual ferocious self, she tries to keep her calm and fight smart, not leaving herself.

Fists (For Attack): [roll0] + 4 = 2 + tagging Lutin's 'All Tangled Up' Aspect = 4
Fists (For Defense): [roll1] + 4 = 4

[Steel Mirror]

Rather than being her usual ferocious self, she tries to keep her calm and fight smart, not leaving herself.
As she gets near, the lutin swipes the knife unexpectedly at her, apparently able to see her through the table cloth. The knife rips through the fabric as it arcs toward her.
Attack:
[roll0]+3= 3

Yin dodges the clumsy strikes and darts in to counter, ruthlessly pressing her advantage against the tangled up fae with a savage rain of precise kicks and punches.
Lutin's defense:
[roll1]+3= 3

Rolling out of the cloth with the momentum of her attack, the lutin screeches in fury and stabs once again, trying to cover itself as it backs into a corner of the room. An air conditioning grate is on the floor nearby.
Maneuver (defend with fists) to add aspect "Held at Bay" to Yin:
[roll2]+3= 4
Lutin Infiltrator:
[x] [x] [ ] [ ] [x]

[Sanguine]

As Connor feels the Faerie magic through his arm he moves on pure instinct, first he tries to open the door normally; no need to waist energy on excess effort. When that fails Connor call upon his wealth of experience breaking down doors. Every drug bust, every crazy cult, it had all prepared him for this. Taking a deep breath Connor takes a step back and drove his foot into the door with all of his strength, aiming for the spot that years of experience told him would be its weakest point.

[AvianMalkavian]

It seems she has the upper hand until the thing keeps her back with a flurry of crazy swipes with its knife. With no real means of being able to get in to strike at the horrid little creature, she decides to try something else. Turning, she grabs one of the knocked over chairs from the floor, spinning around and chucking it at the lutin, "Come on and fight me, coward!"

Weapons (Attack): [roll0] + 1 = -1

Athletics/Fists (Defense): [roll1] + 3/4 = 4/5

[Steel Mirror]

Taking a deep breath Connor takes a step back and drove his foot into the door with all of his strength, aiming for the spot that years of experience told him would be its weakest point.The door explodes in a cloud of splinters and silver motes. The room floods with fluorescent light from the hallway, revealing the musicians huddled against the walls, and Yin hurling a piece of furniture at a lutin crouched in the corner.


Turning, she grabs one of the knocked over chairs from the floor, spinning around and chucking it at the lutin, "Come on and fight me, coward!"
Defense:
[roll0]+3= 6

The lutin dodges with contemptuous ease, and sprints for the air conditioning grate.

[Sanguine]

Bursting through the doorway amidst a shower of splinters and silver motes Connor takes in the scene with a professional calm. Lots of frightened civilians in the room, gun would be a no go. Kim is unhurt, that's good. Yin however is less lucky, that injury will impair her fighting ability not to mention hurt like hell. But most importantly the perp is running.

Moving on pure instinct, reacting just like he would to any other fleeing perp Connor chases after the Lutin, not bothering to check his speed like he normally would Connor leaps upon the elf and attempts to wrestle him to the ground.

If I remember correctly this is a Fists roll. Does my Athletics supplement it? Athletics

[roll0]+4=4

[AvianMalkavian]

When the chair misses, Yin rushes after the lutin as fast as she can, jumping and trying to grab hold of it before it can get through the grate and escape, "You're not going to get away that easy."

Fists Roll (Putting 'Grappled' Manuever on the Lutin): [roll0] + 4 = 6

Fists Roll (Defense): [roll1] + 4 = 3

[Steel Mirror]

Dodging with all its might, it reverses direction without warning and tries to escape into the hallway once they are charging toward the grate.
Athletics block:
[roll0]+3= 6

Yin would just get a hand on it with her Fists roll, but it tags "Kept at bay" to just evade her and make it into the hallway.

Yin's fingertips just brush the back of the diminutive saboteur's back, but it gained just enough room to maneuver with its previous wild swinging to avoid her grasp. It sprints out into the hallway, and left just out of sight - but with both warriors in hot pursuit.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin glares at her ghost dog, "Thanks for all the help!" And then she's out the door, chasing after the lutin, trying to keep up with the thing and attempting to ignore the searing pain going through her shoulder. She frowned a little, realizing she'd ruined one of Kara's shirts, and decided that she would kill the little monster twice as hard to make it pay for that. Also, she'd buy Kara a new shirt.

Athletics [roll0] + 3 = 4

[Steel Mirror]

Yin and Connor burst into the hallway in pursuit, to see the lutin bowling Andro's wheelchair over and pushing past Rolf.
Athletics
[roll0]+4= 6

He rapidly outpaces his pursuers and turns right to exit the door, leaving them one last chance to catch up to him.

Roll Athletics again to catch up.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin jumps over the wheelchair, not having time to look back and see if Andro and Rolf are alright, "Sorry guys!" She just kept running, hoping that she might be able to catch the lutin before he could escape.

Athletics Roll: [roll0] + 3 = 2

[Sanguine]

Leaping over Andro and the wheelchair Connor redoubles his efforts at catching the Lutin, pushing the limits of even his speed, as his calm professional manner dissolved into out and out rage. This elf had sabotaged him from the get go, throwing out the salt, incapacitating Kim and the others, all while taking advantage of his desire to help people. And now it thought it could just get away with that? Oh hell no!

I might Invoke Righteous Fury here, I really hope I don't have to though as I want to have some Fate Points for Mondfae and the Prince.

Edit: I'm Invoking it

[roll0]+4+2 for Trouble=5

[Steel Mirror]

The lutin sprints past the front desk, and inside the restaurant the rest of the people have no time to react. Yin and Connor book it around the corner, too, knowing they won't make it in time.

Then Whitaker erupts from the wall between the lutin and the front door, bare feet before it attains freedom. Snarling, he forces the woody fae back a step. He is now trapped between the spectral dog and the angry pursuers. With an anguished cry, it launches a greenish flare out the front door to light the night sky above the parking lot.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin grins as Whitaker jumps out to intercept the lutin from escaping, "Good Bad Dog!" The flare is not surprising, and she doesn't bother letting it slow her down. When she's close enough, Yin launches herself through the air to kick the elf right in the face!

Fists (Attack): [roll0] + 4 = 6
Fists (Defense) [roll1] + 4 = 4

[Sanguine]

Connor curses virulently in Gaelic as the flare gos off. It wasn't a surprise, but damn it he had wanted to avoid that happening. Deciding that Yin and Whitaker could take care of the infiltrator Connor immediately changed direction and headed for the nearest salt shaker. They needed to salt the entrances now!

[Steel Mirror]

Previous disagreements forgotten, Bae tosses Connor a full salt container, which he catches deftly with one hand.

Yin launches a kick directly at the lutin's face while it is distracted.
Defense:
[roll0]+3= 4

Lutin Infiltrator
[x] [x] [x] [ ] [x]

[Steel Mirror]

In desperation, the lutin stabs at Yin, chittering fearfully.
Attack:
[roll0]+3= 2

Defense if needed:
[roll1]+3= 6
Lutin Infiltrator:
[x] [x] [x] [ ] [x]

[Sanguine]

Grabbing the salt container out of the air Connor spins back towards the entrance, yelling behind him. "If you haven't already, salt the back door!" Running with all he has Connor dashes toward the front entrance and begins laying down a line of salt.

[Steel Mirror]

Whitaker growls and snaps at the lutin's heels, trying to drive it towards Yin.
Intimidate maneuver to inflict "Corralled" on lutin:
[roll0]+3= 4

Lutin's defense:
[roll1]+2= 3
The fae scrambles forward, off balance, to avoid the dog's flashing, spectral fangs.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin is prepared, grinning like a madwoman as the lutin scrambles back right towards her. She spins, attempting to catch the little cretin with a roundhouse kick across the dome, "Looks like this just isn't your day."

Fists Roll (Attack): [roll0] + 4 = 2
Fists Roll (Defense): [roll1] + 4 = 5

[Steel Mirror]

"Looks like this just isn't your day."
The lutin dodges deftly to the side, then tries once again to finish off Yin as he edges towards the wide open dining room.
Attack:
[roll0]+3= 5
Hits for one stress (weapon: 1)

Defense:
[roll1]+3= 3

The knife passes way too close for comfort, almost digging into her ankle and her Achilles tendon, but she remembers her footwork in time and tumbles out of danger. Beating up this wooden munchkin is proving much more difficult than beating up that whole gang of racist windbags last night. She's really getting a workout.

[Steel Mirror]

Connor finishes laying the line of salt in the doorway, exhausting the salt shaker he had been given. As he stands up from his task, a hail of arrows shatters the glass in front of him.
Attacks (-1 for distance)
[roll0]+2= 0
[roll1]+2= 3
[roll2]+2= 3

Connor can tag "Plate Glass Barrier" for defense.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin hops back from a near debilitating cut, deciding that she isn't very happy about how this fight is going at all. Attempting to put this wooden thing down for good, she tries to plant her foot firmly into its face, "Just die already!"

Fists Roll (Attack): [roll0] + 4 = 4
Fists Roll (Defense): [roll1] + 4 = 2

[Steel Mirror]

It falls back drunkenly from Yin's blow, and shakes its head in confusion. It still has enough wherewithal to simply throw its knife at Yin's face and turn to make a run for the back door.
Attack:
[roll0]+3= 3
He'll run away next turn.

Defense:
[roll1]+3= 4

Lutin Infiltrator:
[x] [x] [x] [x] [x]
Surprised by the throw, Yin doesn't quite dodge in time, and the blade draws a thin line across her cheek and cuts loose a dozen strands of hair in the process.

[Sanguine]

As Connor lay down the last of the salt his ears perk up detecting the tell-tale twang of bows being fired. Connor freezes for just a heartbeat as fear courses through him. Ranged weapons were nasty, there was a very real chance of hitting someone you weren't aiming for if you missed. The moment of hesitation would have cost a normal man their life, luckily Connor was anything but normal. Moving with supernatural speed Connor threw himself to the ground, hoping and praying that the arrows wouldn't hit him or anyone else.

Defense Rolls:

[roll0]+3=3
[roll1]+3=4
[roll2]+3+2 for Tagged Aspect=4

[Steel Mirror]

Connor threw himself to the ground, hoping and praying that the arrows wouldn't hit him or anyone else.
The arrows pass through the air near Connor, and one does indeed hit someone else - Whitaker. The dog jumps a bit in surprise as the missile exits through his nose, but doesn't seem any the worse for wear.

Connor can see the elves crouching in the parking lot beyond, but they aren't making any moves for the entrance to the restaurant. Meanwhile, the lutin in the restaurant seems poised to make a break for the back entrance.

[Sanguine]

Connor felt his stomach sink as he saw the Lutin getting ready to dash for the back entrance. Sure, he had told Zhou Bae to salt that entrance, but there was no way to know if she had enough time or salt to do it. And if experience was anything to go on he would be able to catch the elf once he started running. All that left was taking out the little guy right here, right now.

With one swift jerk Connor sent himself rolling along the floor towards the Lutin. As Connor neared the elf he extended one leg bringing it down upon the Lutin's temple with all of his gathered momentum. Assuming he actually hit the thing, after all this wasn't the most practical fighting stance in the world.

Fist Attack.

[roll0]+1=3

Is that Corralled tag still around?

[Steel Mirror]

Assuming he actually hit the thing, after all this wasn't the most practical fighting stance in the world.

Fist Attack.

[roll0]+1=3

Is that Corralled tag still around?
Yup! I'll assume you tag it.
The detective and the fae crash together in a pile of chairs and shattering plates, but when the dust settles, the lutin is unconscious and Connor is merely picking a cold plate of cashew chicken out of his hair.

The sober servers look on in awe and fear, only just getting over their shock of seeing the battling people crash into view. Whitaker barks and growls at the crumpled form of the faerie, darting close and then backing away like it still might get up at any moment.

Bae eyes Connor's rumpled state before moving in to help Yin stem the bleeding from her shoulder. "How many of these creatures did you say we are facing out there?"

Nearby, panicked musicians are still stumbling out of the private room and into the hallway.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin finds a place to sit and attempts to deal with her bleeding shoulder finally, "If it was this hard dealing with just one of them, I'm kind of.. not liking our chances if they storm the place."

Scholarship Roll (for First Aid): [roll0] + 1 = 2

[Steel Mirror]

"If it was this hard dealing with just one of them, I'm kind of.. not liking our chances if they storm the place."
"I agree with my daughter. I will be honest with you Connor, should you lose the duel I may surrender the people here if it will save my children, but I will support you in this duel in whatever way I can."

She frowns when Yin bandages herself, and reaches out to finish the bandage with the practiced motions of an old hand.
[roll0]+4= 4

[Sanguine]

Standing up Connor grimaces a little as he pulls a piece of chicken out of his hair. He had just taken a shower for crying out loud. Flicking it away Connor looks at Zhou Bae and says with a sigh. "I don't blame you. If it was my family in danger I'm not sure I wouldn't do the same. I guess it just means I have to win. No pressure or anything." Striding over to the unconscious Lutin Connor gives it an experimental nudge with his toe before saying. "I don't suppose there was any salt left after taking care of the back door? I'd rather like to have this guy contained when he wakes up." As he waits for an answer Connor watches the crowd of musicians making sure none of them wander into sight of the archers outside.

[Steel Mirror]

"The rest of our salt is on the table." Connor looks at it. Maybe a quart of salt, total. Enough to contain the captured lutin and have a few handfuls left over, but not much more.

The female member of "Joke from Puberty" rushes over to Andro, who is still tangled up in his wheelchair, and begins fussing over him. Rolf looks on, apparently jealous. Meanwhile, one of the men who was hitting on Kim earlier comes out with her, sheltering her under his coat and supporting her arm. She looks totally drunk.

[Sanguine]

Connor grabs the container of salt and heads back towards the Lutin stopping in his tracks when he sees Kim and the other musician. Connor feels the familiar heat of anger as he thinks about the bastard taking advantage of Kim's inebriated state. Not even considering that he is probably in no better condition. Immediately changing directions Connor heads over to the two and bares his teeth in what someone might take for a smile if they were drunk as a skunk. Which, admittedly, the two were. "Kim, whose your friend?"

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin smiles to her mother when she helps to tend to the wound, glad for the assistance. She had some skill at it due to prior experience and training, but she wasn't as good at it as her Mom, "You're like my Alfred."

Hearing Connor again, she glances over and frowns, "Well, that can't end well. Those two.. I swear, they just need to do it and get it over with."

[Steel Mirror]

"Kim, whose your friend?"
"Oh wow, Connor. Good timing. You're a policeman officer. Your Chinese girlfriend got into a fight in there. You should stop them or something."

"Yeah," the guy on her arm says. "And I think there's a glow in the dark dog in there too."
I'll compel Connor's "Strength in Solidarity" here to make him look after Kim. He could just lock her up again with some of the sober servers to make sure she's ok, and looking after her in person will slow his preparations down. But he wants to make sure she stays safe, by keeping her under his supervision.

The following counts as a compel for Yin's "Anything for a Friend".
Yin's mother whacks her lightly on the back of the head when she speaks. "Ai ya. That is none of our business, Yin."

Li pokes his head out of the kitchen and catches Yin's eyes. "Umm, hi mom. Yin. I know I was supposed to stay in my room, but you guys were saying something about people acting funny?" He looks around at the mess, the collapsed fae, the savartalfen tangled up in the hall, and the inebriated musicans (at least one of whom is, for some reason, unclothed). He clutches his baseball bat tightly. "I think Kara is acting funny."

[AvianMalkavian]

"Ow!" Yin rubbed the back of her head, looking askance at her mother before simply shrugging it off.

Of course, the appearance of her little brother was definitely enough to catch her attention. The news he brought wasn't fantastic either, "Damn it, I bet she drank some of that beer while she was in there."

Getting up, Yin made her way over to Li and mussed his hair again, "Okay, you hang back just a bit and I'll check on Kara, got it?"

With that all said and done, she headed up the stairs for the room, "Hey Kara, bud, whatcha up to? Feelin' okay?"

How much stress did Yin take from the lutin's last attack? I think it was 2, I just wanna make sure.

[Sanguine]

Connor is dumbfounded by their "amazing" observational prowess. Trying not to think about what they might have been doing that kept them from noticing him breaking down the door Connor says. "Didn't I just explain that Yin is just a friend." Shaking his head Connor reminds himself that Kim isn't in her right mind and continues. "Anyway, that's all been taken care of. Well not the dog, but there isn't really anything for me to do about Whitaker." Connor looks the guy supporting Kim up and down and decides that he can't leave her with the likes of him. "Kim, there have been some developments with the case, and it would really help to ease my mind if you stuck close to me."

[Steel Mirror]

"Hey Kara, bud, whatcha up to? Feelin' okay?"

How much stress did Yin take from the lutin's last attack? I think it was 2, I just wanna make sure.
That's right, but this will be a noncombat scene so the stress track will clear anyway!
"I told Li I was fine. Little busybody midget." She sounds sullen. Like, upset. Yin hasn't heard her this upset since Peter and MJ got un-married.

"Ohh, the silly little white girl is freaked out by almost being shot and having bloody angry faerie biker gangs trying to punch her ticket. She can't handle it because she doesn't have superpowers and ancient Chinese magic like we do." Yin recognizes Kara's "Yin impression" voice. It never was very good.

"She got like this only a few minutes after you left," Li says. Whitaker comes up the stairs, and Li jumps a bit in surprise and holds up his bat.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin quickly holds out a hand to stop Li when he raises the bat, "It's cool, little bro. That's Whitaker. He's my new pet ghost dog and he likes to swim in soup."

When she was fairly certain he wouldn't try and ineffectually smash a ghost with a baseball bat, she made her way into the room to see Kara, "Hey, Kara, you don't need to be freaked out. You know why? Because you're awesome too. You're my Oracle, even got the red hair and the glasses. You totally help me out when I need it and give me super useful info. Plus, you're like.. the only person that keeps me from going insane. That's kind of like a superpower."

[Steel Mirror]

"Plus, you're like.. the only person that keeps me from going insane. That's kind of like a superpower."
"Come on, Yin. I'm your sidekick. I'm your token muggle friend. You know what happens to those people? They get kidnapped by the Joker, or tortured by Darth Vader."

Now that she's entered the room, Yin can see Kara sitting on the floor, surrounded by little rectangles of paper. Several of them are cards, including her school ID, driver's license, and other identification. Most of them are the little wallet pictures that Kara carries around with her everywhere.

In front of her is a candle, lit. She is burning a picture that Yin recognizes as one they took together in the mall uptown on Kara's sixteenth birthday.

"If I knew what was good for me, I'd get as far away from the superheros and superbaddies as I could. Side characters like me are just casualties waiting to happen at the dramatically opportune moment."

[AvianMalkavian]

"Come on, you know that isn't true," Yin rushes over, snatching the picture from Kara's hand, attempting to salvage what's left of it.

She sits down beside her friend, taking hold of her hand, "You're awesome, Kara. You're not just a sidekick and you know that. When.. when Dad died and I had to take over, had to deal with those things out there that I had been told were real but never wanted to believe were, it was you who kept me going when I doubted myself. Whenever I fall, you pick me up. Whenever I'm sad, you always find some way to make me smile. You're not a sidekick, Kara. You're my partner."

[Steel Mirror]

"Sidekick. Partner. Normal people don't have those things. You know what normal people have? Friends. Classmates." Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are widely dilated, but for all that her voice is steady and completely serious.

"It's not really the crazy abilities that worries me, or the lack of them, Yin. It's this world you live in. The one that I try to follow you into, but it's not meant for people like me. And even for people who belong there," she picks up a picture of the whole family, including Yin's father. "It can be deadly. Can you promise me you won't die, Yin? Or worse, that it won't change you into something you're not?"

[AvianMalkavian]

"You know I can't promise you any of those things, Kara. Dad couldn't make that promise even if he had wanted to. He knew what we do is dangerous, that it has risks, but.. there's good to it too. I've saved people, so many people, and, sure, they don't realize they've been saved, but that's not important. What we do? Yeah, its crazy and no sane person would ever sign up for it, but you and me have never been sane."

She also puts her hand on the picture that her friend holds, looking at it with her, "Normal people have a lot of things, but they don't have this. I'll admit that sometimes I stumble, sometimes I have doubts myself, but I remember that I have a purpose, a mission, and in some ways that's the most important thing."

Looking to her friend again, "Come on, Kara. Snap out of this. Someone put the whammy on you and is making you act very un-Kara. The Kara I know wouldn't sit here moping. The Kara I love wouldn't stand for it."

[Steel Mirror]

"Come on, Kara. Snap out of this. Someone put the whammy on you and is making you act very un-Kara."
The burden of duty placed on the Zhao family is a heavy one, but not without its perks. For one, there is the lifespan. Assuming she resists the temptation to gorge on pepperoni pizza or smoke opium (the former has been, ironically, much harder to resist than the latter), she can apparently expect to live for over two hundred years. That is, of course, if she lives through the night.

Less predictable, but possibly more powerful, is the power to sense and even channel the flow of natural power through the universe. You could call it chi, or faith, or fate, but to the Taoist master it is an incredible tool that can be called upon at will to aid him and counter the dark powers that the spirits of darkness can bring to bear.

Her father could do so, but for Yin it's always been a bit spotty. Sometimes she'll get a feeling that she really needs to be in a certain place at a certain time, or her fists will connect with an opponent with extra spiritual heft behind them. But she's not quite up to sending off kamehameha blasts with the power of her soul just yet.

As she touches her friend's shoulder, though, trying to talk her out of this funk, she feels that power stirring around her, flickering between herself and her friend and undoing whatever evil spell has been cast on her.

"The Kara I know wouldn't sit here moping. The Kara I love wouldn't stand for it."
Kara blinks up at her. Her cheeks begin to revert to their normal color, an a few deep breaths seem to help her focus on her surroundings a bit better. She loses her dazed look. "The Kara you love? Your teenage werewolf will be upset, girl. I didn't know you swing that way." She offers up a feeble smile.

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin laughs, ruffling up Kara's hair, "Oh please, a girl like you? No one's that straight."

"Also, Andro's not a werewolf. He's some sort of dark skinned pointy eared fellow. So's Rolf. Probably the rest of the band too," She hugged Kara to her, grinning, "Good to have you back, bud. I was worried I'd have to kiss you or something. I don't know how spells work."

[Steel Mirror]

"Good to have you back, bud. I was worried I'd have to kiss you or something. I don't know how spells work."
Kara's cheeks are red, but it's surely from the residual effects of the spell. "Yeah, that would have been awkward. Good thing the spell didn't work like that!"

"Hold the phone, spell? I've been enspelled? I thought I was just drunk! I mean . . . not that I drank anything . . ." She manages to look guiltier than anyone in the history of underaged drinking.

"Wait, did I just compare myself to Han Solo like it was a BAD THING?!"

[AvianMalkavian]

"Yeah, that's why I knew it couldn't be you talking like that. And, yeah, everyone that drank was acting all weird. Its cool, I won't tell Mom. Of course, she'll probably find out anyway. She's scary like that."

Yin blows out the still lit candle and gets to her feet, "So, you cool to keep an eye on Li? I'll check back on you, but I need to go make sure things haven't gone crazy while I've been gone from downstairs."

[Steel Mirror]

"Wow, so can you lay on hands the rest of them, too?"

She starts gathering up the pictures and other wallet stuff that she had scattered about. Whitaker comes in and sits near the candle, with Yin close behind, still looking suspiciously at the ghost dog.

Yin hands Kara the old picture of the two of them. It started burning from the top, but she stopped it before it more than singed either of their images. The char still got most of the picture above their heads, leaving it looking like the two girls are smiling while a massive storm gathers above their heads.

Definitely not an omen, Yin tells herself.

"I guess we'll be ok. I'll be sure not to drink any more suspicious beverages, at least. How are things going out there . . . are you bleeding?"

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin tucked the picture into her pocket, glancing at her own shoulder, "Yeah, I.. kinda got stabbed. Just a little bit. Sorry about ruining your shirt, by the way."

She looked to Whitaker, smiling at him, "Hey, Whitaker. How about you stay up here with these two and show Li how awesome you are so that he can respect you and your awesomeness."

"I'll try and use my chi power to snap them all out of it. Can't have Connor going crazy because his girlfriend is acting weird, you know?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Kim, there have been some developments with the case, and it would really help to ease my mind if you stuck close to me."
"Good idea. It's a good thing Sean here has been taking care of me. There's all sorts of untrustworthy types around here that could take advantage, you know?"

Sean looks unhappy to see her go, but can't really do anything to stop her. "You know, Connor, it's better to have a friend around, don't you think? I love my fans, but some of them can get really freaky and stalker-y sometimes. Oooh, maybe we should hire security guys! All big bands get big security guys, right? Do you want to be one of my security guys?"

[Steel Mirror]

"I'll try and use my chi power to snap them all out of it. Can't have Connor going crazy because his girlfriend is acting weird, you know?"
Whitaker barks happily in response and stays behind, apparently entranced by the flame. With little more conversation ("I really liked that shirt"), Yin leaves the trio behind and makes her way back downstairs.

[Sanguine]

Connor smiles as he and Kim walk away, partly out of a sense of triumph, but mostly just because he enjoys being around her. As he begins pouring the ring of salt around the unconscious Lutin he says. "Well that depends on if I would be payed. Honestly, I don't think I could fit another unpaid full time job into my schedule. However I think I could forgo sleep for the double whammy of supplemental income and more time with my favorite rock star."

[Steel Mirror]

"However I think I could forgo sleep for the double whammy of supplemental income and more time with my favorite rock star."
"Oh man, money." She makes a face. "Don't get me started on money. Between what I send back home and replacing the instruments that got broken last night, and the battle of the bands being cancelled, I'll barely make rent even with our big gig at the zoo this weekend." This time she actually sticks her tongue out and blows a raspberry. "My sister has it right. All she does is have pictures taken of her in silly outfits and they pay her bank."

[Sanguine]

"Oh Brigid rent...Maybe I should move to Undertown so I can pay my rent in youth. At least that way I'll know I'll be able to make rent. Or I could move back into O'Reilly's. Would that be more or less pathetic?" Connor's tone of voice was morose, but the smile hadn't left his face. Between missing people, drive by shootings, and crazy Faeries he hadn't really had a chance to really talk to Kim. He missed it. "Your sister's a model eh? Looks like I've managed to acquire one more piece in the puzzle of your family life."

[AvianMalkavian]

"You can always sing and wear silly outfits. Like Elton John or Lady Gaga!"

Yin returned from the upstairs, grinning with pride, "So, Kara was all messed up by the faerie whammy, but I fixed it. Apparently I've got magic hands."

Rubbing them together as she made her way over to the lovely young couple, she placed one on Kim's forehead like one of those faith healers on T.V., "Be healed!"

[Steel Mirror]

[COLOR="Silver"]"Your sister's a model eh? Looks like I've managed to acquire one more piece in the puzzle of your family life.""Oh, crap. I wasn't supposed to tell you that, was I?" She rolls her eyes. "It gets so confusing, all this secret stuff. You're practically like family, right? Like my awesome big little brother. You're like a member of my family that doesn't embarrass me or eat any of my friends, and you are actually there when I need you. So it's not really bad that I told you that."


[COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Be healed!"There is a snap, and the tiniest of flashes of light, like touching a doorknob after shuffling in socks across a carpet. "Ouch, you shocked me!" Kim takes an unsteady step backwards, rubbing her forehead where Yin touched her and pouting cutely. "That's really immature you . . you childish poopyface."

Yin felt it too, but it didn't feel like a static discharge. It felt like punching that skin-walker had felt: a reaction of her Taoist training to the presence of an unclean spirit. Even the lutin hadn't responded to her touch like that. But Kim doesn't look like she's a plotting unclean spirit. In fact, she still looks drunk.

[Steel Mirror]

Andrew takes a moment to assess his options.

First of all, there seems to be a gathering of the motorcycle riders in the street in front of the restaurant. There is also an old wood-paneled station wagon in the middle of the road there. If he had to guess, that's where the Marshall and the bulk of the lutin's strength would be. Maybe he could ask Chêne about that. In any case, if he wants to make it inside, it might be good to avoid that area.

Second, it's raining pretty hard and that reminds him that the drainage around here would have to be pretty good to prevent the area from flooding. This used to be brackish swampland, after all. Maybe the drainage ditches could provide some cover to move around - though the flowing water within them would make it next to impossible to work even tiny amounts of magic while within them.

Third, Chêne mentioned a sorceress and woodwoses. A woodwose is basically a European precursor to the bigfoot myth, a hairy wilderness man reported throughout the continent in the Middle Ages. They are also heavily associated with trees and not very intelligent. He isn't sure about the specifics, but they are almost male equivalents to nymphs and dryads, and they are fae. Iron and fire are good bets on combating them, but he isn't sure what surprises they might bring to the table. He should be very cautious, especially if he uses the trees and bushes for cover as he approaches the restaurant.

Fourth and finally, the little creature currently performing charades on the palm of his hand is one of the innumerable little folk that make their homes in Seattle, a type of pixie that has no more specific name that he is aware of. As small and unintelligible as it is, it's not a very powerful one, either. Little things like it don't have much stomach for direct confrontation, but are expert pranksters. If Andrew can think of a task for it that doesn't involve being directly observed (like leaving a note somewhere or scattering tacks in the street), he might get some use out of it yet.

Better act soon, though. That rider is pacing back towards his hiding spot.

[Sanguine]

Connor smiles as Kim rambles on. He had known her for well over a decade and in all of that time never really learned much about her family. He himself had gone through much the same reasoning several times in his life, wondering why she didn't share that part of her life with him. So this was really nice, even if it was brought upon by magical drunkenness. The big little brother bit was weird, Connor had always been under the impression that he was the older of the two, and he was definitely bigger. But Connor just accepted the fact that some paths of drunken logic couldn't be followed by the sober. Connor's smile takes on a wry tilt as he says. "Eat your friends, eh? Good idea, then I can have you all to myself."

Connor just rolls his eyes as Yin comes down and does her faith healer bit. But as Kim stumbles under her touch Connor's mix of mild annoyance and amusement is immediately replaced with concern. Wrapping his arm around Kim to steady her Connor glares at Yin and says. "What did you do that for?"

[AvianMalkavian]

"What the..?"

She looked at her hand, then back at Kim, blinking. Her attention turned to Connor's glare and she gave him one back, "Oh calm down. I was just trying to get rid of the glamour on her like I did with Kara. I didn't hurt your girlfriend. Much. Weird, though. That usually only happens when I hit something evil. Is your girlfriend evil, Connor?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Is your girlfriend evil, Connor?"
"Your girlfriend is evil," Kim says, sticking her tongue out at Yin.

[AvianMalkavian]

"I don't have a girlfriend!" Yin said, perhaps a little more defensively than she meant as she crossed her arms.

[Sanguine]

Shockingly Yin's accusation does nothing to lessen Connor's glare. In fact it becomes more pronounced. "I've known Kim for nearly as long as you've been alive. So when I say this know that there is not even a shadow of a doubt in my mind: Kim is not evil."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin sighs, shaking her head, "Okay, my bad. She's not evil. But I'd like to know what she is to make my touch do that. Last person that happened with was when I punched the skinwalker. She's already said her family and mine have history. I'd like to know what that history is."

[Steel Mirror]

"I'd like to know what that history is."
She wrinkles her nose up like a defiant toddler being told that she has to eat her vegetables or she won't get dessert. "The history is that your stupid family always jumps to conclusions and blames people for things they don't understand. And then they blame me when they get what was coming to them." She twists her mouth into a spiteful little smirk. "Your dad knows all about that."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin was dumbfounded. For several moments, the woman who always seemed to have a comeback, violent or otherwise, could barely manage to open her mouth just the slightest bit, gasp turning slowly into a grimace, voice coming out in a barely controlled whisper of rage, "You.. you.. You gods damned #@$%&! You talk about my dad like that again and I will kill you myself, you.. unclean spirit. Do you understand me?"

[Steel Mirror]

"You talk about my dad like that again and I will kill you myself, you.. unclean spirit. Do you understand me?"
Her face twists into a rage-distorted mirror of Yin's. "Don't call me that! You don't know what you're talking about!" Around her, tiny flickers of white blue light, like floating flames, begin to fade into sight, rotating around her slowly. The lights in the restaurant flicker, and in the half-light her eyes reflect like a cat's eyes in the dark.

[Sanguine]

Connor watches the fight erupting between the two girls with growing unease and anger. This sort of infighting was a vile poisonous snake slithering its way into everything and destroying all in it's path. This sort of infighting had cost him his home and in the here and now could very well consign dozens of people to a fate worse than death. Couldn't Yin see that, was she really that blind. That was an odd thought, why only Yin? But as he thought about it Connor realized that he did blame Yin. Yes, Kim's statement about her father had been out of line, but Yin never should have pushed Kim about her family. Besides, Kim wasn't in her right state of mind and Yin knew that.

Moving between the two Connor stares down at Yin and says in a frigid tone of voice. "Yin, I suggest you calm down. I can't sit by and watch as you threaten people under my protection. I won't sit by as you threaten my best friend."

Looking over his shoulder at Kim, barely taking note of the phantom flames, Connor says in a warmer voice. "Kim, you need to calm down too."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin was fuming, furious, desperate for a reason to tackle Kim to the ground and pummel her senseless. She didn't give a damn that Connor was friends with this thing, but she did realize that this wasn't the time or the place. They had enough to worry about right now without having to add infighting to it. She took a step back, breathing deep as she kept her anger under control, "Don't think this is over. We'll settle this, sooner or later. For what you have said about my father, about my family, I will pay you back a thousandfold, I promise you."

She turned and headed away, hands clenched so tight that her nails were digging into the skin and beginning to draw blood, "I'll go make sure the rest of the drunks are alright."

[Sanguine]

Connor glared angrily at Yin's back as she left. She was still threatening Kim, she was holding a grudge of something a drunk person said, after she had pushed her. It was just plain old stubborn foolishness. But as Yin passed from view he sighed forlornly and said. "Is it too much to ask for my friends to like each other?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Is it too much to ask for my friends to like each other?"
"Some people aren't meant to like each other," Kim says. The little flames fade from sight and her expression relaxes, though she is still clearly upset. "I learned that the hard way."


The rest of the drunks are all right, or at least not apparently a danger to themselves or others. Yin storms through their midst, her mood clear to them even in their inebriated state.

Everything is happening at once, and there's been no time to catch her breath. And this place is supposed to be her fortress, her shelter from the storm. Now these idiots had come and make her risk herself, and her family, to protect them. And they're almost as much monsters as the things she is protecting them from.

The rest of the preparation happens in a blur. The makeshift suit of armor is completed, and hastily fitted to Connor. He is pretty sure that it will help stop those nasty little arrows the lutins have been firing, and there are some iron fittings from the kitchen woven into the mix as well. Bae has also found a wrought iron bar, twisted from one of the spare security fittings for the restaurant's windows, for him to use as a club in a pinch. It's not exactly a flaming sword, but every little bit helps.

The sober members of the party outfit themselves with iron pots and what is left of the salt, except for Andro who has appropriated a wooden chair leg and is standing under his own power next to Rolf. Both of their disguises are back up, though they look a bit exhausted. Bae herself is clad in her practice robe, a loose-looking garment that allows for maximum freedom of movement. At her side is a traditional Chinese longblade, straight and sharp and clad in a jade sheathe.

Furniture is stacked in the various entrances, and everyone forts up in the shrine room that Bae had mentioned before. With only minutes to go, Connor and Yin find themselves alone in the front of the dining room, facing the empty-looking parking lot where they had fought side by side scant hours ago. Neither one breaks the tense silence.

The rain is coming down pretty hard, and is blowing through the shattered glass left over from the arrow attack on Connor before. On one of the walls of the restaurant, above a spread of colorful paper lanterns and pictures of famous Chinatown landmarks through the ages, the clock begins to chime. The time is here.


Outside, Andrew is huddled miserably against the wind and the rain. He and Chene have discussed their options in hushed voices, with nothing to show for it. He knows he wants to get inside, but not how to do so, or what degree of force he is justified in using against these fae. Sidhe politics is a deadly game, and a seemingly innocuous move here could have repercussions for his sponsors that he cannot foresee. So if he's going to kick over the hornet's nest, he needs a good excuse to do so.

It's been slow going. Even the little pixie he summoned has fallen asleep in his chest coat pocket, waiting for instructions.

Suddenly, the knot of lutins in the middle of the street begin to move. Somehow coaxing their bikes into motion without making a sound, most of them peel off from the main group and creep into the trees behind the restaurant, accompanied by several tall, indistinct figures which may be the woodwoses Chene was talking about. Meanwhile, a figure is revealed in the middle of the group. Taller than any of the others, and sporting long yellow hair that isn't blocked by the helmet that everyone else sports, he is holding a massive two-handed sword that looks like it came off the set of Braveheart. He walks proudly through the rain, sword clasped upright in front of him, towards the restaurant.

"The fat man who makes good food brought me here in that car," Chene remarks casually, gesturing at the station wagon in the middle of the street. Now only two figures are standing nearby it; everyone else has moved toward the restaurant. "He is the master's father."


The Marshall Mondfae emerges from the mist and rain of the Seattle night, cloak billowing dramatically in the wind behind him.

Which shouldn't be possible, actually. Or at least is really unlikely. Wet cloth doesn't billow like that, and the rain is coming down hard. Then again, despite their supposed alien natures and incomprehension at the very foundations of mortal psychology, the fae have always been good at making an entrance.

"Stand before me, Connor O'Reilly. Stand with me before the old gods and the spirits of earth and sky and meet me in honorable combat. Let our arms decide our quarrel, and let no member of either of our parties raise arms in the name of that quarrel until out duel is complete."

[AvianMalkavian]

Yin watched the one known as Mondfae approach the restaurant, arms crossed in an attempt to look unimpressed, though she had to admit he had style. Also, she was calling dibs on that sword if Connor actually managed to win this thing. Which reminded her... glancing to her friend, she sighed, "Hey, look.. try not to get killed, okay? I'd rather our last conversation not be one where we yelled at eachother. Also, kick him in the balls."

[Sanguine]

As the clock chimes the hour and Mondfae appears Connor takes a step forward. Any other man would have been scared out of his mind, Connor was clearly outmatched and would likely die. But Connor wasn't any other man he was himself. Perhaps if there wasn't so much riding on this, if his victory wasn't absolutely necessary, he might have allowed himself the luxury of fear. Then again, maybe not. Connor had never had a problem standing up to bullies, and that's exactly what Mondfae was.

Connor smiles, turning to Yin and says. "That's the plan." Then he turns back and walked out the front door.

Marching out into the rain Connor felt it as the water slid along his face. His entrance wasn't quite as dramatic as Mondfae's, though his position as Hand granted him many powers the ability to ignore reality for the sake of drama wasn't among them. Or at least not reliably so. As Connor walked through the rain it plastered his hair wetly to his head and soaked him down to the bone. But despite that his eyes were filled with a steely certainty. He would win this duel, he wouldn't allow any other outcome. "I stand before you Mondfae. Before the eyes of gods and spirits I swear that none of my party shall interfere in our duel. Let us begin."