Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV

[mmdeforrest]

November 2nd
John
Mimi launches into the Inquisitor’s disparaging headline and the article that cites their lack of assistance to citizens in the aftermath of the Bull demon’s rampage. It points out that an unknown vigilante had to assist Redline with several people trapped in cars and general evacuation. There’s a separate article that belittles both Mercury and Crowe for letting Marrow get away earlier in the day. That article praises North Side for their assistance, however.

Once Mimi finishes, there’s a quiet knock on John’s door.

“Full marks for consistency from the Inquisitor,” John replied as he glanced at the door. He had not expected a visitor this morning—especially so close to the start of the meeting. “Please tell me that there was not another Vibrato-associated theft at a jewelry store, auction house, or the like during their fight with the rasheka.”

If he opens it, a gray feather drifts into the mage’s room as Harbinger is revealed.

“Mornin’ John,” the angel says. He looks to be keeping a tight grip on his feeling of concern, but his shoulders are tight and some is showing through his eyes. “Just a quick question. How did last night go?”

John opened the door wide and motioned Harbinger in. “Which part of last night?” he asked sardonically. “The part where Valèdir and I verbally sparred and tried not to show how many hits we landed on each other; the part where I wrestled with Emi’s attachment to Grayson and, by extension, Valèdir; the part where my fatigue prevented me from healing Grayson or Keith; the part where Grayson pledged to try to keep his other half from trying to kill me; or the part where all of that led to another 3AM nightmare?

“Although I am kind of used to those,” he confessed more quietly.

“All things considered, it’s probably safest to say it went as well as one might hope,” John continued as he took his iPad Mini out of the Hover Bar. “There was no bloodshed and Mr. Shaw only shooed us away after the talk had reached its conclusion. I would have preferred it if he had permitted Keith to patch up Grayson’s self-inflicted wound, given the likelihood of his getting assistance from Emi.

“I should probably be more charitable about that,” he confessed, “but between you and me and Mimi, there are only so many times I can reach out to my rival and support him or take a deep breath and soldier on through the complexities of Emi’s connection to and sympathy and…and affection for the creature planning to kill me within a 24-hour period.

He glanced at his uniform. “I should probably add a more extensive first aid kit to my equipment. The basic one I have wouldn’t have been sufficient last night and probably wouldn’t be in aa real emergency in the field.”

He turned and regarded Harbinger seriously. “I’m almost afraid to say it, but why do you ask? THe set of your shoulders indicates more than a little concern.

“I wish I could say I didn’t share it.”

[InTheMachine]

November 2nd
Keith
“Like weird pixilated animals usually,” Ryker says with a nod. “Probably was Vi.”

Drake glances over at Keith. “My dad told me they put the four of them in protective custody. That should keep them safe for at least a little bit.”

Ryker doesn’t look convinced, but lets the subject drop as Yuki and Stella return to the living room. Yuki has a cup of tea in one hand and Stella has a plate with some kind of breakfast hash with sausage.

Spoiler: Notice TN 4

Show

As they enter the room, Yuki looks up at Drake’s back and blushes furiously before she takes a deep calming breath and continues to the couch.

The sorceress takes her normal seat in the chair on the side of the room and Yuki takes one corner of the couch.

John
Harbinger looks sympathetic to John’s mention of nightmares as he enters the room. “I had a few visions of your talk,” he says quietly. “Just little snippets, nothing I could make much sense of. But there was a lot of blood. I was worried. And then Emi asked me for a favor about ten minutes ago.”

His wings pull tight, betraying his tension. “She wanted me to ask Grace if she would see someone outside of office hours. Emi wouldn’t tell me who needed to be seen, so I was concerned that it was her, but based on what you said, it’s Grayson,” the angel continues with some relief. “Not that I want anyone to get hurt, but I’d rather it be him than Emi.”

“You’re a more patient man than me,” Harbinger says with a huff of a laugh. “I wouldn’t be trying to help anyone that had their sights set on my girlfriend. Grayson’s a good kid, but… I’m still not sure what Emi sees in him.”

The angel shrugs. “Anyway, Grace agreed to let Emi meet her at her condo. I just have an extra favor hanging over my head now and who knows what Grace’ll want.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 2nd
Harbinger looks sympathetic to John’s mention of nightmares as he enters the room. “I had a few visions of your talk,” he says quietly. “Just little snippets, nothing I could make much sense of. But there was a lot of blood. I was worried. And then Emi asked me for a favor about ten minutes ago.”

His wings pull tight, betraying his tension. “She wanted me to ask Grace if she would see someone outside of office hours. Emi wouldn’t tell me who needed to be seen, so I was concerned that it was her, but based on what you said, it’s Grayson,” the angel continues with some relief. “Not that I want anyone to get hurt, but I’d rather it be him than Emi.”

“You’re a more patient man than me,” Harbinger says with a huff of a laugh. “I wouldn’t be trying to help anyone that had their sights set on my girlfriend. Grayson’s a good kid, but… I’m still not sure what Emi sees in him.”

The angel shrugs. “Anyway, Grace agreed to let Emi meet her at her condo. I just have an extra favor hanging over my head now and who knows what Grace’ll want.”

“It sounds more like Grayson is the one that should be considered to be in debt to her rather than you,” John replied more darkly than he expected, “although I am not sure what he or Valèdir could offer her in exchange. As for helping him, it began as something for Emi and Keith but the dragon is making it increasingly difficult.”

As was his rapidly depleting supply of patience as he began to understand of how much of a threat Grayson was to his relationship with Emi.

Spoiler: Analysis. Yes, analysis is the logical thing to do right now. No need to violently react. No. No reason at f’ing all….

Show

Spellcasting — Illusion: 1d12o12 7 1d6o6 1

“The blood could have been more metaphorical than actual,” John replied, his brows furrowing as he conjured an image of Grayson at the end of their talk, “but that sounds like me desperately reaching for something uncomplicated. His self-inflicted wounds aren’t the kind of thing to be ignored but neither are they the kinds of wounds that I would expect your visions to have picked up on.

“Grayson was trying to reassert full control when he drove his talons into his arm,” John explained as he tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle before him together into something that made sense. “Valèdir had promised to behave so there was no threat at the time—both based on what I could sense and what he had promised Grayson. At the moment, he was trying to get under my skin by describing the hug they got when he returned. Fortunately, as it turns out, I already knew about that so could maintain my poker face.”

He glanced at Harbinger, half annoyed and half guilty. “When Emi did not respond telepathically when I let her know I had arrived, Moncrieff’s training kicked in and I began to magically sweep the base for threats. Emi had warned me that Grayson’s partially transformed state made him faster and stronger than one might expect and the threat of a Challenge loomed. While searching for him or her, I…saw her greet him on the roof. Upsetting to me, of course, but nothing that should have involved you.”

John frowned as he turned back to his image of Grayson and studied what he saw there, desperately trying to remain clearheaded. “In fact, there was nothing there that should have triggered a vision that I can recall—unless there is something that will only seem significant in retrospect. If the wounds were more significant than they appeared, I would have expected Mr. Shaw to have noted that while he was shielding our conversation from Emi on the off chance that it ended in violence.

“I really wish he had permitted Keith to play nursemaid to Grayson. Or that my healing spell had worked.”

She had kissed him, he reminded himself—not Grayson. She was traveling to Rhode Island this weekend—not Arizona.

“Does receiving the visions make any sense to you?” John asked Harbinger. “It seems like something small enough that it should be beneath your notice.”

[Roguewolf]

November 2nd
Keith
“Like weird pixilated animals usually,” Ryker says with a nod. “Probably was Vi.”

Drake glances over at Keith. “My dad told me they put the four of them in protective custody. That should keep them safe for at least a little bit.”

Ryker doesn’t look convinced, but lets the subject drop as Yuki and Stella return to the living room. Yuki has a cup of tea in one hand and Stella has a plate with some kind of breakfast hash with sausage.

Spoiler: Notice TN 4

Show

As they enter the room, Yuki looks up at Drake’s back and blushes furiously before she takes a deep calming breath and continues to the couch.

The sorceress takes her normal seat in the chair on the side of the room and Yuki takes one corner of the couch.

Keith nodded as Ryker confirmed who it was and reached for his phone. He started typing up a text and then stopped, a frown appearing on his face before he sighed and put it back in his pocket after deleting the text contents.

"She probably already knows and figured it out either way." He mumbled. It was an excuse to even just say good morning to Maeve, but he still had doubt in the back of his head after yesterday.

Guess he'd have to find another excuse.

He looked over at Drake and nodded again. "Hopefully." He noticed Ryker's silence, and figured if anyone knew how Marrow would react, it would be him.

The way it sounded, this wouldn't stop until either Marrow was down, or his target was dead. He let it drops when the others walked back out.

Spoiler: Food looks good! Oh and I suppose Yuki is distracted by Drake but Aeryn outdid himself on breakfast!

Show

Notice: 1d8o8 4 1d6o6 22

Keith sees Yuki blushing from the corner of his eye and smiles a bit. It was good they had made up. Even better that nothing else had seemed to have happened yesterday with their new arrivals.

Aeryn really outdid himself with the food too.

"Eh can continue more of this later. Have a feelin' it's gonna come up mid meeting too."

[PK-Leon]

November 1st
Movie Night

Sidney’s eyes brighten considerably. “Is that… actually something we could do? I don’t mind putting everything else aside if it is.”

"I don't see why not?" Louis answers, shrugging nonchalantly. "You'd have to wear a disguise while we're out in public but that part's easy enough."

With a snap of his fingers the illusionist transforms the couple into a pair of western outlaws with a few modern updates.

"I'd have to run it by the boss naturally but I doubt he'd say no."

Ryker looks at Louis with a slightly raised eyebrow, but stays silent. He glances back at Sidney and smiles at her when she meets his eyes. “So what’cha think? You can have that thing done by what? Thursday?”

“At the latest,” Sidney replies confidently. “Me and Louis 2 can work on it while the real Louis is at school.” She glances up at the high octane hero. “As long as you’re okay with that.”

"Works for me. And since I speak for the two of us that means we're all in agreement." He smirks. "If there's enough downtime maybe we can work in some sparring sessions this week too?" Louis asks looking to Ryker.

"Buuuut... all of that can wait until tomorrow. Monday nights are movie nights after all." The hero tips the black cowboy hat that materializes atop his head towards the two then turns to leave. "I'll see ya at sunrise." He says, putting on his best western accent. A tumbleweed rolls past the doorway as Louis moves out of sight.

"Now I'm trying to be funny!" He calls out from down the hallway. The sound of spurs rattling in step with boots echoes into the lounge but soon subsides.

"Thanks for the assist Mimi, the spur sound effects were a nice touch. Really added emphasis to my departure." Louis continues, concluding the detour.

[InTheMachine]

November 2nd
John
“Remember John, I see possible futures,” Harbinger says. “I think I saw… Valèdeir getting out. And Emi getting in between the two of you. That’s why I was worried, especially after she asked me to talk to Grace. But I also knew that Alistair would have contacted me or Seraph if something truly happened.”

“I also think that part of it is that I was told that you were going to be there. My subconscious was focused on it. What I know can influence my visions, and that’s probably what happened.”

The angel lets out a sigh. “Sorry to bring it all up again. Emi’s done a lot for me, so I just wanted to make sure she was okay. We should head to the living room. Meeting’s about to start.”

Harbinger turns and leaves John’s room, heading down the hallway to the living room.

[mmdeforrest]

November 2nd
John
“Remember John, I see possible futures,” Harbinger says. “I think I saw… Valèdeir getting out. And Emi getting in between the two of you. That’s why I was worried, especially after she asked me to talk to Grace. But I also knew that Alistair would have contacted me or Seraph if something truly happened.”

“I also think that part of it is that I was told that you were going to be there. My subconscious was focused on it. What I know can influence my visions, and that’s probably what happened.”

The angel lets out a sigh. “Sorry to bring it all up again. Emi’s done a lot for me, so I just wanted to make sure she was okay. We should head to the living room. Meeting’s about to start.”

Harbinger turns and leaves John’s room, heading down the hallway to the living room.

“It’s okay, Harbinger. I’m glad I could put your worries about Emi’s physical safety to rest,” John replied as he left his room and followed toward the meeting. “And if the good doctor sets you a task I can help with to even the score for Emi’s favor, don’t hesitate to ask.”

John entered the room and sat in his usual seat, scanning the room for his friends and for any new arrivals. He had only been there two weeks and was beginning to feel like a part of the old guard rather than a recent addition.

Despite Harbinger’s assurance that all he was seeing was a future that had been avoided, John could not shake the feeling that he should heed some kind of warning—whether it was the additional wrinkle of Emi trying to separate the two of them if blood started to get spilled or if it was the chilling reminder of how serious a matter it was.

One impossible thing at a time, he reminded himself as he tried to focus on the meeting that was coming up. He needed to be ready to support Keith, who had made a point of pledging his support to John last night if things got violent with Valèdir, as they discussed the Empire this morning.

If they discussed the Empire this morning. A lot had gone on in the last twelve hours—let alone 24.

[InTheMachine]

November 2nd
Morning Meeting- 7am
Once everyone’s assembled in their usual spots, Seraph enters from the hallway to the living quarters and kitchen.

Both Harbinger and Seraph take turns going over crimes from yesterday and the fight with the Bull and the shrieking white bird demons.

Once that’s wrapped up, the angels open the floor to anyone who wishes to speak.

[mmdeforrest]

November 2nd
Morning Meeting- 7am
Once everyone’s assembled in their usual spots, Seraph enters from the hallway to the living quarters and kitchen.

Both Harbinger and Seraph take turns going over crimes from yesterday and the fight with the Bull and the shrieking white bird demons.

Once that’s wrapped up, the angels open the floor to anyone who wishes to speak.

“I’ll start,” John offered as he reached for a nonexistent coffee cup.

He frowned. Perhaps he was still more tired than he wanted to admit.

“For those of you who weren’t there this morning, I summoned Zylas’ little sister to our base this morning. The Extat Princess Vrell is the equivalent of a human six year old.”

He leaned forward, putting his arms on his knees. “A frightened, traumatized six year old whose House fell to one of our enemies. Another of our enemies is her older brother — Jerek, who is likely the one who provided Zylas’ True Name to the individual who summoned and bound him so his ichor could be used in the production of Nova.

“Zylas’ older sister independently confirmed Zylas’ opinion of Jerek. They believes him to be ambitious to the point he is willing to sell out his own family. That is why it was necessary to bring Vrell here. She is of sufficient rank to be used as a blood sacrifice that would bridge missing Stones of Vashuuna — specifically, the stones we have obtained.

“She has agreed to abide by the terms of her brother’s kay’al. Her sister, who tells me we can think of her as we would a human child relative to her preferences and needs, has also consented to this arrangement.

“She is behind the wards Seraph is maintaining downstairs.

“Oh,” he added as offhandedly as he could manage, “Valèdir the dragon still wants me dead or broken up with Emi or both but we are unlikely to have a Challenge issued this week.”

He furrowed his brow. “I think that is everything from me. Mimi is still working on some theories about how we can track down Vibrato, who has been using some of the demon attacks as cover for her own pursuit of the Stones. I’ll try to keep everyone posted on that—although I think that project may be better handled by others.”

[Roguewolf]

November 2nd
Morning Meeting- 7am
Once everyone’s assembled in their usual spots, Seraph enters from the hallway to the living quarters and kitchen.

Both Harbinger and Seraph take turns going over crimes from yesterday and the fight with the Bull and the shrieking white bird demons.

Once that’s wrapped up, the angels open the floor to anyone who wishes to speak.

Keith listened in as the meeting went on, and then following John's assessment of event, he piped up. It certainly seemed like a nice bridge to use since the Empire was working with the demons.

"Guess that brings up as good a time as any. The Magatsuhi Empire is confirmed to be working with the demons and Crowns. Rin is behind Nova, and by proxy, Ben Burnley getting permanent powers. Granted if Rin is using her title, I can't tell if that means we have the full force of the Empire to watch out for or just her and her own splinter group."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I doubt the self-proclaimed heir would have trouble getting full support though. So long as Ozul doesn't show back up in town, we should be alright." He shook his head.

"Oh right, and may have to take a trip to North Side to speak with Cold Front eventually. Just in case I come back as a popsicle from that. Or from trying to date one of her proteges." He said with a shrug. He still wondered if he would hear back from her about either question yesterday. Maybe a quick good morning wouldn't be a bad idea.

At the mention of the stones and Vibrato, Keith looked over at John. "Oh right, that too. At some point also going to reach out to the mayor and try to find out why Vibrato keeps targeting him and his daughter. Sooner we can figure out the way, sooner that can stop. Hopefully."

[mmdeforrest]

Keith listened in as the meeting went on, and then following John's assessment of event, he piped up. It certainly seemed like a nice bridge to use since the Empire was working with the demons.

"Guess that brings up as good a time as any. The Magatsuhi Empire is confirmed to be working with the demons and Crowns. Rin is behind Nova, and by proxy, Ben Burnley getting permanent powers. Granted if Rin is using her title, I can't tell if that means we have the full force of the Empire to watch out for or just her and her own splinter group."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I doubt the self-proclaimed heir would have trouble getting full support though. So long as Ozul doesn't show back up in town, we should be alright." He shook his head.

"Oh right, and may have to take a trip to North Side to speak with Cold Front eventually. Just in case I come back as a popsicle from that. Or from trying to date one of her proteges." He said with a shrug. He still wondered if he would hear back from her about either question yesterday. Maybe a quick good morning wouldn't be a bad idea.

At the mention of the stones and Vibrato, Keith looked over at John. "Oh right, that too. At some point also going to reach out to the mayor and try to find out why Vibrato keeps targeting him and his daughter. Sooner we can figure out the way, sooner that can stop. Hopefully."

John regarded Keith steadily but kept his face still. Keith had left out the key detail about how he knew so much about the Empire. Yes, it was possible to infer, given his powers and his intimate knowledge of the organization—something Montcrieff had done.

As she always did.

In fact, her notes on Keith’s resemblance to his father might have raised his awareness enough to have noticed the familiarity between Stella and Cassie.

Only time would tell if Raphael chose to reveal that this morning. John suspected he would not, given the follow up questions that were sure to come after. Of course, those same problems would likely apply to him revealing information about Laura as well.

Regardless, those were Keith and Raphael’s secrets to reveal—not his.

[Kvard51]

November 1st

Seraph’s Office, Terrence
“I know we‘ve kind of thrown you into the deep end,” the angel replies. “I wanted to offer a quick explanation, if you want it. The team has uncovered some information about why we think the demons are attacking Iron Station and our current enemies.”

“To keep it simple, what we believe the demons are trying to do is summon the High King of Hell using ten demonic stones— the Stones of Vanuusha. These stones have somewhat of a will of their own and have been gathering in Iron Station.”

He turns his laptop so that Terrence can see the screen. A picture of a dark haired woman with amber eyes is visible. “We believe that Vibrato has been working with a man that’s been possessed by a Greater Demon, Matteo Boudreaux—“ he clicks to the next picture, a man in his late twenties with dark hair and eyes. “He’s the IT Operations Manager at Innovatech… and Stella’s older brother.”

The angel pauses. “Any questions so far?”

"I'm sure I will think of questions once I've digested this. But for now, go on." Terrence says, waving his hand to Seraph. "Oh wait! I did think of a big one. Dow we know why they are gathering here?" he asks, an earnest look on his face. "I mean, Iron Station just doedsn't seem like the kind of place you would choose to summon the King of Hell, does it?"

[PK-Leon]

Louis inhaled sharply. He could feel his irritation rising quickly but manages to fight the urge to interrupt the two as they speak to the team.

He exhales. It was too early in the morning to be processing what transpired less than a few hours ago. Too early in the week even. Today was only Tuesday and if the rest of the week followed suit then he wondered what kinds of revelations the rest of the week had in store.

"Before I get started is there anything else we should know or anyone wants to share? Because if you've got something to say now seems like the perfect time to say it. I figure it's probably in our best interest to start with everything on the table right?"

He glances at the faces assembled around the room.

[big teej]

Laura's Room:

Raphael stares at his boots for a minute before looking back up at Laura and saying, "John's good people, too smart for his own good, and rarely has his priorities in order."

"Don't---"

"Try---"

Raphael's face screws up in consternation, trying to figure out how to say what Laura needs to hear without inventing it.

"There isn't a short version." He says finally. "I, obviously, didn't agree with his decision, or his thinking, but I do believe, in that moment, he thinks he was picking a teammate over a stranger." Raphael points at himself with his thumb, but his thoughts go to the look he'd watched Dee give Menagerie.

Raphael shrugs, returning to the current puzzle, "I don't know if you'd heard, but Cassandra and some of her goons ambushed me at Amity Court last week and dusted me."

Raphael smiles and spreads his hands out wide, "Obviously, it didn't stick, but I think he was primarily motivated in not seeing The Darkwatch get another chance at me."

Meeting:

Raphael hovers at Stella's shoulder, arms crossed and mostly keeping a sour expression from his face as John tells the team of the morning's ritual.

His eyes narrow as he quickly loses the plot with Keith's description of 'The Empire'.

"I'm sorry, who the what now?" Raphael says when Keith wraps up. "I remember getting this 'Rin' woman's name out of that dude with the killer migraine, but what's all the rest of this?"

The vampire shrugs it off, his gaze growing distant. "There doesn't have to be anything special about the mayor or his daughter to warrant them being targeted. It's the mayor. Every time a meta sneezes at them it ties down more and more assets and more of our time."

After Louis opens the floor for other revelations, a toothy grin splits Raphael's feature as his hand rockets skyward. "Yo!"

He winks at his fellow OG before sweeping the ignorant with his eyes. "You might have noticed the room at the end of the hall near the roof access has been warded by Parental Supervision over there." Raphael jerks his head towards Seraph.

"John and I are working on a super special secret surprise, and it'd sort of ruin everything if you guys went in there before it was ready, so please steer clear of it for now."

Spoiler: OOC/Mechanics/Whatnot

Show

Occult on the empire: 3 -1 for 2 conditions = 2

[PK-Leon]

After Louis opens the floor for other revelations, a toothy grin splits Raphael's feature as his hand rockets skyward. "Yo!"

He winks at his fellow OG before sweeping the ignorant with his eyes. "You might have noticed the room at the end of the hall near the roof access has been warded by Parental Supervision over there." Raphael jerks his head towards Seraph.

"John and I are working on a super special secret surprise, and it'd sort of ruin everything if you guys went in there before it was ready, so please steer clear of it for now."

"You know, I'd normally be down for this kind of game but I think I've already exceeded my limit on surprises for today." Louis huffs.

"You mind just telling everyone what you've got locked up in that room before one of us gets a little too curious and we all get roped into a game of Jumanji no one wanted to play?"

"Also why is it that I'm just now hearing about a demon being summoned in our base and a shadow empire that I've never even heard of until today?" He asks looking between the magician and sorcerer.

[Roguewolf]

Meeting:[/B]
Raphael hovers at Stella's shoulder, arms crossed and mostly keeping a sour expression from his face as John tells the team of the morning's ritual.

His eyes narrow as he quickly loses the plot with Keith's description of 'The Empire'.

"I'm sorry, who the what now?" Raphael says when Keith wraps up. "I remember getting this 'Rin' woman's name out of that dude with the killer migraine, but what's all the rest of this?"

The vampire shrugs it off, his gaze growing distant. "There doesn't have to be anything special about the mayor or his daughter to warrant them being targeted. It's the mayor. Every time a meta sneezes at them it ties down more and more assets and more of our time."

"John and I are working on a super special secret surprise, and it'd sort of ruin everything if you guys went in there before it was ready, so please steer clear of it for now."

Spoiler: OOC/Mechanics/Whatnot

Show

Occult on the empire: 3 -1 for 2 conditions = 2

"You know, I'd normally be down for this kind of game but I think I've already exceeded my limit on surprises today." Louis buffs.

"You mind just telling everyone what you've got locked up in that room before one of us gets a little too curious and we all get roped into a game of Jumanji no one wanted to play?"

"Also why is it that I'm just now hearing about a demon being summoned in our base and some shadow empire that I've never heard of until today?" He asks looking between the magician and sorcerer.

Keith looks between the two and glances at Yuki, since she was the only South Sider now that didn't know the full story. He looked at John, Seraph, and Harbinger before taking a deep breath and summoning Stolas to his side.

"To answer your first question, Raph, the short story is they're an underground magical society bent on using corruption magic to reshape the world. I'm gonna preface everything else with, their leader, the current emperor, Ozul, is the one who killed my mom." He then turned to Louis.

"Louis, I'm sorry to say that you have fought them before. Well, Ozul at least and he nearly killed you. Just a little over a yeah ago, and Red Light managed to run him off. It was around the time I first passed through here, before starting at East Side." Keith shook his head and Stolas hopped down onto the floor in front of Keith. "Not yet, Stolas. But thank you." He glanced around to keep an eye on everyone's reactions.

"I don't know where Rin came from, but I know she is claiming to be the heir to Magatsuhi. And She is working with the demons and Crowns. It's my job to make sure she goes down, and not just because of her connection to the Empire. Thing is, Ozul is ruthless. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants and doesn't even feel the need to hide his face a lot of times. Hardly anyone sees him in the field with as many sycophants as his predecessors amassed. The entire organization goes back roughly three centuries ago, and start with a man named King Kaveri."

"King had found one day that he held a powerful magic and wanted to make it his duty to defend others, but knew that with how his magic portrayed itself, his actions would be misunderstood. He held a special connection to the Void. He was one of the few shadowmancers that understood his gifts. He started the Magatsuhi Empire to work in the shadows with the lofty goal of defending the world from within the darkness, taking on the battles that others could not. He took up the name from mythology he heard on his travels, specifically the story of Izanagi and Izanami and how corruption was brought back into the world when Izanagi cleansed himself after returning from the underworld. He didn't know at the time his magic came from the Void, and believed it to be a remnant of corruption."

"Eventually, he found out the truth and retained the name, since darkness is often misunderstood, and took the mantle of Emperor Magatsu, passing the name down to his son, and heir." He took another deep breath and gauged everyone's reactions. "Little is known about the son of Kaveri, except that his reign wasn't as strong as King's, and he was killed by his own son who took over the Empire and made it what we know today. That man changed his name to escape the Kaveri line, and blend in better. He was known as Edward at first, and then later Tyrant Magatsu. Fast forward to now were the Magatsu name has been thrown away, in favor of Ozul."

The mantle is usually passed down from Father to Son, in that exact line. There has not yet been an Empress. So the news of Rin claiming to be the heir is a bit of a shock to everyone that knows of the Empire, and their history. I haven't even gotten to tell my uncle yet." Keith stopped for a moment to take a steadying breath before continuing to the hardest part.

"And Louis, just for you, one last surprise. And please take my first statement about why I hate the Empire to heart in this. Ozul, is much closer to me than I want. My uncle showed me how ot use them for good, to keep alive a certain legacy of our family, and to uphold our connection to the Void. Ozul's real name, is Jason Karver, younger brother to Kenneth Karver, and m-" The words got caught in his throat for a second. "My biological father. No more secrets. I am the heir to the Empire, and I will see it dismantled and destroyed. I wish I could say that I will destroy it because of King Kaveri's legacy, but it is entirely for revenge."

He looked at Stolas. "Ok, now you can show them." Stolas nodded and started up an illusion, a man roughly 6 feet tall, with flowing black hair that is slicked back. His golden eyes are marked by a scar running across his left eye, wearing black, gold, and red. Keith's eyes glow red seeing the illusion. He could feel his hatred starting to bubble over and thought he had prepared himself emotionally enough for this.

He hadn't. He could only hope that Louis and Raph didn't try to kill him where he stood.

"I'm so sorry for keeping this from you all, but it's how I've survived for so long. I..... came to Iron Station to train to take them all down. And to try and make amends to you, Louis. If you want further proof that I'm not working with them, I will gladly get you my file and history from AEGIS. It should go back at least six or seven years now."

[mmdeforrest]

"You know, I'd normally be down for this kind of game but I think I've already exceeded my limit on surprises today." Louis buffs.

"You mind just telling everyone what you've got locked up in that room before one of us gets a little too curious and we all get roped into a game of Jumanji no one wanted to play?"

"Also why is it that I'm just now hearing about a demon being summoned in our base and some shadow empire that I've never heard of until today?" He asks looking between the magician and sorcerer.

“As to why you hadn’t heard about the summoning,” John replied after Keith finished, “we believed time was of the essence, given what we had learned in the last 18 or so hours. We didn’t want to give Jerek or his companions in the Empire an opportunity to grab her. I’d have considered bringing her here sooner if I didn’t need the time to rest and put together the material I needed for the non-standard summoning I completed. As it stands, Vrell was alone when I reached her—her bodyguard having been killed or captured sometime in the last day or two.”

John looked off to the side, away from his teammates, as he paled slightly for a moment.

So much blood—for either a proper summoning or available in her.

“It’s not the approach I would have preferred to take but neither could we have left her available to be used as a blood sacrifice.”

He shook his head as his complexion returned to normal.

“Perhaps I should have had Mimi make a general announcement. My apologies, Louis. My attention was elsewhere.”

[Kvard51]

Terrence stared, a little slack-jawed, as the revelations and frustrations flew around the room. He looked from John to Keith to Raph to Louis to Keith to John…. “I AM TERRENCE AND I LIKE PIE!” he yelled, unable to take the strain. “I mean it. I really like pie.” he repeated. “And I hope somebody made some, because this is just too much information for my second damned morning and I’m hungry.”

[big teej]

Meeting:

"As a matter of fact, I do mind." Raphael says with a saccharine smile.

He hadn't intended to leave it at that. He didn't know what sort of twisted tale his mouth might have uttered to satisfy Louis curiosity.

But whatever attempt at obfuscating humor he might have cooked up was strangled at conception by Keith's speech and confession.

He stares at his fellow west-sider with growing surprise, more at the breadth and depth of revelation, rather than it's contents.

"So. Wait. Hold Up." Raphael starts before being cut off by Terrence's outburst.

He blinks at the newbie a few times, his brain caught between gears.

He turns slowly to Sidney and Aeryn. "Pie's good." He deadpans. "That's your department. What's the good news?"

[InTheMachine]

November 1st
Seraph’s Office

"I'm sure I will think of questions once I've digested this. But for now, go on." Terrence says, waving his hand to Seraph. "Oh wait! I did think of a big one. Do we know why they are gathering here?" he asks, an earnest look on his face. "I mean, Iron Station just doedsn't seem like the kind of place you would choose to summon the King of Hell, does it?"

“Good question. Let me finish my explanation, then I’ll return to it,” the angel says. “We also know that the River King seems to be working with the two of them. We’ve seen Riverfolk guarding the place where the demon that inhabits Matteo was summoned, and they’ve also been hitting jewelry stores looking for more of the Stones.”

“Finally, the Crowns also seem to have been roped into assisting the demon. They’ve been manufacturing Nova and distributing it, and the higher ups seem to have Lesser Demons at their beck and call.”

He sighs with a small shake of his head. “That’s the Cliffnotes version. I’m sure Mimi will be happy to get deeper into any topics that you want to delve into.”

After a moment, Seraph leans back in his chair, rubbing his forefinger and thumb along one side of his jaw. “Now, back to your question. It’s one I’ve thought about a lot, but neither Harbinger or I have really come up with a definitive answer. My best guess is that perhaps the River King’s been plotting for longer than we know. One of the Stones was in a time capsule that was buried a century ago. I know that they call to one another, so maybe it was the catalyst.”

November 2nd
Living Room

"Before I get started is there anything else we should know or anyone wants to share? Because if you've got something to say now seems like the perfect time to say it. I figure it's probably in our best interest to start with everything on the table right?"

Ryker opens his mouth to say something and quickly gets elbowed by Sidney.

All of South Side listens intently to Keith’s explanation of the Empire. They all glance over at Terrence after his outburst.

“You’ll get used to it,” Drake says.

Aeryn glances toward the kitchen. “I umm… made some breakfast hash. That’s not really a pie, I know, but that’s what’s fresh on the stove.”

Sidney rolls her eyes at Raphael. “I’ll see what ingredients we have after the meeting’s over.”

Seraph reads the room and holds up his hands. “Look, guys, I know there’s a lot of information being thrown around here. John, Keith, I want the two of you to submit written briefings to share with the teams, so that everyone’s on the same page. I’ll try to be more on top of that in the future.”

Drake checks his watch and looks up at Harbinger. It was close to the time that everyone needed to leave for school.

The older angel nods. “Alright. Let’s wrap this up here. Everyone expect briefings in your emails later.”

November 3rd
Date Night, Louis
Izzy hops off the back of Louis’ bike a parking lot that sits just adjacent to the river. A large white steamboat with a bright red paddle wheel sits in the water attached to the dock. Bold letters identify the ship as Queen of the South. There’s a line of people waiting to enter the boat just before the dock begins where an attendant is manning a booth.

“A river cruise?” Izzy says, looking in wonder at the boat. “I’ve seen the ship before, but never this close.” She unzips her black leather jacket, revealing a white scoop necked shirt. Her jeans are artfully ripped and worn, and she also has on ankle high leather boots.

She pulls Louis into the line and they slowly make their way to the front. After paying the attendant, Louis and Izzy make their way onto the main deck of the boat.

Izzy leans agains the railing as the boat takes off into the main channel of the river. She laughs as the wind blows through her already wild hair. “This is gonna be a nightmare to brush out,” she says with a wide smile at Louis.

An acoustic guitar and be heard faintly from the upper deck, where the attendant said that dinner would be served in about thirty minutes.

[mmdeforrest]

An Announcement in Rhode Island, Tuesday Evening
“I know you’re excited about your mother’s spaghetti — I know I always am,” Joe Kelley said to Kate, Stephen, and Jefferey as his wife entered the living room,” but before you get your plates and we head in to dinner, we have a surprise guest joining us for a moment tonight.”

As they began to ask who, John walked across the foyer from the intentionally darkened office

“John!” Kate exclaimed, jumping up and running to give her older brother a hug — followed almost immediately by Stephen. “I was wondering why she had opened the side door.”

“You should have warned us,” Stephen said. “I still have all my music spread out across your bed. I thought I had another couple of days to clean things up.”

“It’s okay, Stephen,” John said smiling. “It would have ruined the surprises if I told you I was coming.”

“Boyfriend, you know you aren’t supposed to surprise me like that,” Jefferey said in mock disapproval as he came up to hug John as well. “How am I supposed to keep my side boy a secret if you pop in like this?”

“I have to keep you honest somehow, Jefferey,” John joked back as he watched his parents maneuver into the room and take their usual seats for the coming announcements.

“Now if you brought that Manny you told us about from London with you,” Jefferey continued, “all is forgiven. Manny and Emilia Shaw make two people we have seen displayed in fashion class at RISD. You are getting around.”

“Perhaps another trip,” John replied. “I saw him surprisingly recently so you never know. I’m not sure you’re his type, though.”

“More’s the pity, Boyfriend,” he quipped back. “All the good ones are taken or straight.”

“Um, I actually came back home to tell you something,” John said, becoming more serious. “You may want to sit down.”

He could feel the feeling in the room shift, as his siblings moved from joy at his unexpected return to worry.

“Are you okay, John?” his brother asked.

“It’s not that kind of an announcement, Stephen,” John said, smiling reassuringly.

“Well if you are coming out after all and are just using Emilia Shaw as a beard,” Jeffery joked as he led Kate back to the couch, “I suppose I should be sitting down so I can jump up and hug you. What do you have for us, John?”

“It’d be the first good looking beard he has ever managed,” Stephen quipped as he took his seat.

“Maybe he’s going to tell us about how he met his mystery woman,” Kate teased, a knowing look in her eye.

“We should be so lucky,” his mother responded. “Sit down, children, and indulge your brother’s sense of melodrama.”

John smiled at his mother’s gentle teasing but he could tell she and his father were watching their children like a pair of hawks. They knew what was coming.

He had made certain of that.

“Closer to the truth than you may think, Jefferey. It may be easier to show you,” John said once he saw them seated. He willed his uniform into place.

Stephen gasped and gawked as John reached up and drew down his hood. Kate smiled and simply said, “I knew it!”

Jefferey nodded knowingly. “Can’t keep secrets from little sister, Boyfriend.”

“Somehow, Kate, I’m not surprised by that,” John observed. “I learned a few new tricks in London. The TLDR version is that when I was in the British Museum, looking at Dr. Dee’s Mirror, it opened for me and I was taught how to do magic. You may remember the stories you asked me about with such concern at the time of the Windsor Incident. I was a little closer to the events than I let on.

“I now go by the code name Dee and am a provisional hero and consulting magician for AEGIS City of London and Iron Station West.

“Mom and Dad already know but I thought it best that the whole Family Plus One know my secret before Emi arrived. I’m sorry that I have to ask you to keep it a secret as well.”

“Boyfriend,” Jeffery said with a depth of emotion, “you and your family kept my secret until I was ready to tell my family — even if it turned out they already knew. You don’t have to worry about us.”

“Well,” Stephen observed, “at least we know why you insisted we not to judge the new mystery man based on what the tabloids wrote.”

“I have a million questions, John,” Kate said, her eyes softening. “But I have to repeat the one Stephen started with. Are you okay? You look tired.”

John smiled. “Yes, Kate. I am—both okay and a little tired. My world has changed a great deal and there’s more danger than before. But I’m okay. And I promise to try and get some more sleep in the future.”

“Good luck with that,” his father quipped.

He glanced up at his mother. “I suppose it’s only fair I try to satisfy some of your curiosity about Emi, now that I can say this in a more secure setting.”

“Boyfriend,” Jeffery said, looking at Mary Kelley, “I feel the need to repeat what I texted before: You better not mess this up. You may be worthy of anyone but no one gets a chance like this this side of a Hollywood RomCom.”

“Or something on the Hallmark Channel,” Stephen quipped. “Dark magician meets beautiful heroine on Halloween and she shows him the light.”

“The movie writes itself, Kate agreed. “So tell us the truth about how you met.”

“I did,” John said smiling a little bashfully. “It’s just that tea was set on the borders of her mind and mine.”

“I’d like to know more about the triangle that almost looks like a tattoo on the top of his left hand,” Mary observed quietly.

He had tried to keep the glyph hidden as he crossed the foyer by keeping his hand in his pocket. Given the size of his gauntlets, he had to take it out before the transformation.

Leave it to his mother to have noticed it in that moment.

“You can think of it as a marker of a non-aggression pack with an…entity I encountered in Iron Station,” he explained.

“What kind of an entity?” Mary pressed as the others in the room stilled as they sensed the shift in tone.

“A demon,” John replied quietly. “A greater demon. It isn’t a bargain or a contract.”

“It sounds closer to that than I would like,” she continued, her eyes narrowing.

“How many souls are you protecting with this…non-aggression pact, John?” Joe asked firmly as he reached out and placed a cautioning hand on his wife’s arm.

“My team’s initially,” John replied looking down. “Indirectly, all of Iron Station in the short term and potentially beyond if things had continued unchecked.”

“You’ll be careful.”

His father’s words were an odd mix of a question, a statement, and an order.

He nodded.

Joe Kelley frowned and glanced to Mary. “Well, that beats my stories about dealing with warlords and pirates.”

“Joe, this is different,” she began, concern mingling with sternness in her voice.

“No,” he countered firmly. “No, Mary, it isn’t. Oh, I will grant you that it is more dramatic,” he said beginning to smile, “but the temptation to fall in with that crowd or do what you can to mitigate circumstances is the same. Either would be a mortal sin and Father McNally’s sermons tell us that all such sins carry the same weight. You can’t any more be just a little damned than you can be just a little pregnant.

“I’m sure John would tell us more about this arrangement if he were permitted,” he explained to his wife in a more comforting tone, “and I suspect that those details would both help comfort us and also give us more cause for concern.”

He stood, kissed her on the forehead, and crossed the floor to where John stood, placing his hands on his son’s shoulders. “It’s a heavy burden for such young shoulders,” he observed, his voice threatening to crack. “But your mother and I raised you right and I’m impressed that you are taking up this challenge. Welcome to the IMM Club, son. I’m proud of you.”

During the hug that followed, John began to understand the unnoticed burdens his father had carried for them all these years.

He hoped he lived up to his standard.
———
John had stayed in Rhode Island long enough for a quick dinner with his family with the understanding that he was subject to immediate recall to Iron Station should circumstances require his return and so long as he was actually in the base by curfew. While his news had made the air in the living room tense, all of that faded—along with his costume—when the six of them went in to dinner. Yes, the dinner conversation had some decidedly unusual moments—doubly so since it was John talking about his girlfriend, which was a first.

Soon after the good-byes and this return to Iron Station, that feeling of emotional comfort and safety began to fade as he took up the work required of him that evening. Almost by an unspoken, mutual agreement, his and Emi’s conversations had been brief—given his trip to Providence, her taking Grayson to the doctor’s (Who else was there to take him? It wasn’t like Keith could drive and putting the two of them in Clea for the trip seemed even more dangerous than having Emi take Grayson there.), and Mastroiani’s arrival.

For several hours, he made his way through Mimi’s translations of Dr. Issac’s journals. John’s knowledge of alchemy could only carry him so far and he began to increasingly rely on Mimi to provide capsule briefings of molecular biology and genetics as he came across technical information that was well beyond what he knew.

He kept reminding himself that those technicalities were not central to his problem and an imperfect understanding of what Dr. Issac had done would likely be sufficient for his work. He would not, after all, be writing this up for publication in a journal. He was looking for red flags about things that could derail the approach he and Dr. Riviera had hashed out the night before.

He did not push it, however. There was more burdensome work that he needed to complete before the night was out and he knew he could not afford to be mentally fatigued while he did it.

Before heading back to his lab, John took a half an hour to follow along with one of Jessica Skye’s fast flow yoga sessions on Apple TV+ to help center and prepare himself for the work ahead.

[mmdeforrest]

HERE BE SPOILERS GALORE FOR PROVIDENCE!

Sort of. These are the things that Emi may be able to sense as she interacts with the Kelleys and Jefferey Novas.

Spoiler: The Kind of Things You Might Lean If You Were A Psychic

Show

The FPO (Family Plus One)’s Unified Reaction (in addition to the ‘Wow, she’s as painfully beautiful in real life as in her pictures’ thing.)
John has brought someone home — someone special, both in the generic sense and, more importantly, special to him. He is treating her differently than anyone they have seen him with and clearly cares for her. Is this the first step of the next step?

No one is anticipating an elopement or Vegas Wedding, in terms of what that next step might be. They are more thinking in terms of John alternating holidays (They have not thought through what teleportation would mean for that kind of thing.) or introducing Emi at a larger family event at some point in the near (6-12 month) future.

Nevertheless, they consider this a milestone.

If she is sensitive to it, the entire family has a strong potential for magic and may be instinctually drawing on it (e.g., Stephen’s prodigy-level playing).

Joe Kelley (Father)
While he, like most other males on the planet, admires Emilia’s face and figure, it is within the context of “That’s my boy” rather than it being personal interest, as he is sizing up a potential daughter rather than a love interest. He is also respectful of the mind that he knows lurks behind those dark eyes. He has built up what feels like a relatively accurate profile of who she is (in general terms) and likes what he sees. As someone whose emails, letters, phone calls, video calls, and online activity is monitored closely whenever he is in the field, his reaction to the possibility that she might read his mind is a shrug and to joke that it must be Sunday.

His mind makes associations and links — like a huge document (in a virtual three ring binder) with dividers, tabs, bookmarks, glossaries, and cross-references. His reaction to meeting Emilia, for example, not only has cross references with Berlin — where he shook her father’s hand in a very brief encounter — but links back to his own meeting of Mary’s parents for the first time and thinking about how important it is for him to go out of his way to make Emilia feel welcome and comfortable — especially given what he anticipates from his wife (He is accurately predicting Mary’s thoughts/reaction to John having brought home a very special girl but has no inkling of Mary plans — although he would not put it past her to be planning something.).

His three children and semi-adopted son have all interned with his consultancy firm. John worked on analytics and actuarial tables and, with appropriate plausible deniability, indirectly provided some mathematical support to the NSA for a code breaking algorithm. Mary worked the front office and some small-scale project management. Jefferey worked on a study looking at supply chain issues for getting large amounts of clothing manufactured and routed to emergency zones. Stephen is scheduled to start this summer and will be looking into how to get arts organizations support national identity as nations rebuild.

He is charming and a portion of this charm is his instinctual use of magic amplifying his good nature.

Mary Kelley (Mother)
Mary Kelley’s mind is one that weighs, categorizes, and calculates. There is a sense she has a mental dashboard pulling from a deep, well constructed database.

That database now includes most publicly available information about Emilia and has been sorted into a three by three matrix (Horizontal: Confirmed, Suspected, Debunked; Vertical: Hoped for, Noted, Feared) along with the research she has done on Enzo Mastroianni and very basic information on Grayson Radke (She suspects he is a meta but has not taken the time and effort to try and identify which one he is as she views Mastroianni as the greater threat.).

She is assessing Emilia with a fierce, careful, borderline ruthless calculation. She is weighing John’s reaction (He is the happiest she has ever seen him.) against the threat to his heart that Emilia poses.

She also has, with a mother’s instinct for these things, begun assessing what kind of a daughter Emilia will be — whether it be on a temporary or permanent basis. If Emilia probes, Mary hopes that things work out for the two of them as Emilia has — somewhat to Mary’s surprise — passed some kind of muster with her that she cannot quite put her finger on.

Unlike her children, Mary suspects Emilia can read her surface thoughts. She accepts this in a way one might accept someone has blue eyes or is tall but is deploying memories and thoughts to keep certain things masked.

Deeper down is another intuition: that Jefferey has accepted he is queer but not accepted he is pan/bi — although she accepts that may be wishful thinking on her and his mothers’ part, both of whom still hope that he and Kate will end up together.

Mary is a superb home cook (and is instinctually drawing on her magical potential to aid her in this realm).

Kate Kelley
Kate’s mind is closer to her mother’s than her father’s — although her mind is more like a Wiki than a database. She has come to the conclusion that John likes Emilia — a lot, given what she knows of her older brother — and is trying to determine the best way to get him what he wants. She knows that, as smart as he is, John is in way over his head — especially if Enzo Mastroianni were to take the field against him. That is why she (even before she learned about Enzo Mastroianni) decided she needed to take a hand in things and help ‘arrange’ this dinner.

She is immensely pleased with herself for having done so. She loves her brother but it has always felt like he has been one to three steps ahead of her — especially in their sibling games and interactions. That she maneuvered him into this — however willing he might be — is something she considers a win.

Unlike her mother, Kate has a sneaking suspicion that they should consider Grayson Radke a greater threat to John’s relationship than Mastroianni.

Just under these thoughts, close enough to to the surface that it has surprised her, is a more girlish hope. She has always wanted a sister and is hoping Emilia will fill that role in her life — even if she is likely to be a step or two ahead of her all the time like her brother is.

But then, she is used to that.

Unlike her two mothers, Kate is perfectly content with the state of affairs with Jefferey. She has always accepted him for who he is and knows they will always be there for one another. She has dated but has not dated anyone seriously because she has not found someone worth getting serious over and her splits have, by and large, been amicable.

Unlike her parents and brothers, Mary’s drawing on her magical potential is more varied, functioning more like Greater Luck than a bonus to any one skill or stat.

Stephen Kelley
Stephen’s mind weighs the world in terms of harmonies and dissonances. He hears the harmony between John and Emilia and is trying to determine how well she harmonizes with the rest of the family. Because their minds calculate more than his, he can never be as sure of his mother, brother, and his sister. His father is more sensitive to such harmonies.

He is also very impressed that his older brother is dating Emilia-frickin-Shaw. Sure, John could get a friendly date whenever he wanted, but romance was something that had perpetually eluded him.

John appears to have mentioned to him that Emilia comes from a musical family. He simultaneously is excited at the opportunity to impress her with his playing and nervous that he will mess up in front of her and Samantha, as he wants to set the right tone for the dancing. He is, in the back of his mind, still rehearsing — and will be even after the performance.

He still isn’t sure how to handle John’s insistence on paying the full large venue fee for their performance. His friends certainly could use the money and it was a generous act on his part. John and his father both asked him to focus on what it would mean to his friends rather than his own instinct to offer a ‘family rate.’ It was only when Kate suggested he could offer a part of his pay to his friends that a resolution they could all be happy with. (He did keep some of it — just in case he wanted to get something for Samantha for Christmas. He’s still trying to figure out if he wants to do that.)

Deeper down, he is watching John to pick up any pointers on how to act towards Samantha. Not that he thinks about her that way. Well, not very often, anyway.

He has been kept out of the research projects regarding John’s potential rivals.

Jefferey Novas
He is as much a part of this family as any of the biological children — just as Kate is a part of his family. (If she probes, she will note that his mother has openly accepted and embraced Jeffery’s homosexuality but has admitted to him that she is still disappointed that he and Kate will never wed. His father is fully accepting of him but is still trying to figure out what it means.)

His feelings for Kate confuse him — even if they are deep and profound.

John holds a special place in his life. His nickname for John grew out of a need for acceptance. Kate revealed to Jefferey that John worried aloud that he might be somehow giving the wrong impression while at the dinner table one night after Jefferey had called him Boyfriend a couple of times. Mary Kelley fixed John with one of her looks and told him Jefferey called him Boyfriend out of a kind of test of John’s acceptance — and, by extension, the broader world’s acceptance, of who Jeffery was. From that moment on, John embraced the nickname and never wavered in accepting it — even when it caused some ripples with Chaaahhd, who used it to browbeat John. (If she probes, John asked out his younger sister, who politely declined. Chad, however, made a point of informing John in front of an audience of his blue blooded friends that John was of an inferior social class and, as such, was not eligible dating material for his sister. John’s response what that he preferred Jefferey’s society to Chad’s anyway.)

He is starstruck by Emilia, Ian, and Manny. He thinks all three are gorgeous — although that carries an additional significance with Manny, who he fantasizes might be keeping secret that he is bi from John. He is trying to suppress his feeling that Enzo Mastroianni is gorgeous, too, as he has been classified by the FPO (Family Plus One — their own three letter agency) as a potential threat to one of their own.

[mmdeforrest]

Time in New England, Sunday, November 8
Joe Kelley was chatting amicably with one of the airport management when John and Emi entered the private arrivals terminal from the tarmac. He smiled widely as he watched the manager’s reaction to their arrival.

“I warned you it was a special sort of a surprise, Charlie,” he said, slapping the manager on the shoulder familiarly and stepping forward. That’s my boy, he thought with a mixture of admiration and pride at the sight of the two of them.

Joe said special, Charlie thought. He didn’t say spectacular.

“Welcome to Providence, Emilia Shaw,” Joe offered with a winning smile and an incline of his head. “We’re very happy you could come and join us for Sunday dinner. I’m John’s father but please call me Joe. Even after all these years, I still think of my late father as the real Mister Kelley.

Spoiler: Shaking Hands?

Show

NOTE: Joe will extend his hand to Emilia Shaw but only after she offers her hand to be shaken.

“Welcome home, son,” he added, giving John a quick hug before turning back towards Emilia. “This is Charlie Barrow, who oversees special arrivals at this terminal. He and I have worked together on occasion.”

“I’ll be sure to get everything settled with your pilot, Miss Shaw,” Charlie explained as he opened the gate for them and nodded to John. “I hope you enjoy your time in Providence.

“It was good to see you again, Joe,” he added, remembering an Afghan warlord he watched Joe help transit to Washington for talks. “You always bring someone interesting through here but seldom this pleasant.”

Joe lead them to a Ford F-150 Lightning parked nearby. “John’s mother drives something a little smaller and appropriate to the city,” he explained to Emilia as he opened the frunk and placed their bags within. “I got this so we would have a vehicle to help carry Stephen’s gear to various gigs.” He smiled at her mischievously. “At least, that’s what I like to tell myself. Still, the cab’s comfortable enough for Mary so she doesn’t complain too often about the Ford Company having successfully leveraged my male insecurities to their financial advantage.

“John, if you will help her in to the front passenger’s seat?” Joe joked easily as he moved to the driver’s side in order to save his son the the awkwardness of guessing as to who sat where. “Not that someone who can fly needs a hand up. But since I’ve gotten a preview your mother’s seating arrangements, this is likely my one chance to sit next to Emilia and chat this evening.”

It took just over fifteen minutes for them to make their way from the airport to the Kelley family home. Along the way, Joe fell into a familiar patter about the sights of the city and Narragansett Bay visible as they drove. While not polished in the way a speech would be, it was clear that he had covered this ground more than once.

Even so, it was also clear he was putting in a little extra effort for this particular visitor.

“Well,” Joe concluded as he slowed, “here we are!” He pulled the pickup into a driveway next to a blue Colonial Revival home. “It’s official name,” he explained with mock pomposity, “is the Goff-Hennigan House. We were able to sneak in during a dip in the housing market when we needed a bigger place and we’ve called it home since.”

It was only at the moment he saw his childhood home that the full enormity of what he was doing hit John.

He was bringing a girl home.

He was not having a girl who he might go out with (Not that they ever did.) happen to stop by or walk in to see people she already knew from before.

He was bringing a girl home.

[InTheMachine]

November 7th
Providence
“I’ll call you Joe if you call me Emi,” she says as she smiles widely at Joe and offers her hand for him to shake. “Thank you for having me and for picking us up. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you and your family. John’s been telling me about how delicious your wife’s Sunday pot roast is.”

John feels the faintest flicker of surprise from her, which she quickly hides as she releases Joe’s hand. She nods politely to Charlie, gives him a softer smile, and thanks him as they go to leave the terminal.

Once outside, she allows John to help her into the cab of the truck. You’re not the only one interested in electric cars, hmm? she projects to the mage as Joe talks about the sights on the way to the Kelley home.

“It’s a beautiful home,” Emi says as Joe pulls into the driveway. “I love the color.”

[mmdeforrest]

November 7th
Providence
“I’ll call you Joe if you call me Emi,” she says as she smiles widely at Joe and offers her hand for him to shake. “Thank you for having me and for picking us up. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you and your family. John’s been telling me about how delicious your wife’s Sunday pot roast is.”

John feels the faintest flicker of surprise from her, which she quickly hides as she releases Joe’s hand. She nods politely to Charlie, gives him a softer smile, and thanks him as they go to leave the terminal.

Once outside, she allows John to help her into the cab of the truck. You’re not the only one interested in electric cars, hmm? she projects to the mage as Joe talks about the sights on the way to the Kelley home.

“It’s a beautiful home,” Emi says as Joe pulls into the driveway. “I love the color.”

“Thanks! I’m glad you like it,” Joe confided, glancing back at John as he popped the frunk.“Truth be told, John and I have called it one or two other things but those were during some DIY projects and we really didn’t mean it. After I help John see you in, I’ll pull this into the garage and plug it in.”

It was a bit of a surprise that we both started looking into electric vehicles at the same time, John confessed. Like father, like son, I guess.

By the time John has handed Emi down out of the cab, Joe arrived with John’s backpack on his shoulder and carrying her bag. “Come on in, Emi. You are very welcome.”

The wave of excitement Emi could sense emanating from the house reached a crescendo as Joe approached and the back door opened.

“Come in, children,” Mary welcomed from the doorway, giving Joe room to pass. “It’s galant of you to keep her hand warm like that, John, but it’s no substitute for a nice fire on a day as cool as this.

“Welcome to our home, Emilia Shaw,” Mary briskly continued, unwilling to have John weigh who he should introduce to whom. In truth, she was uncertain which arrangement she was hoping for. “I’m Mary Kelley—not Mrs. Joe is rather insistent on that point. The rest of the children are inside, waiting excitedly to meet you.

She hesitated only a moment before reaching out to embrace Emilia, her surprise at herself giving way to acceptance. “You are very welcome here.”

And long awaited, she hoped, even when we did not know your name.

Be sensible, Mary, she calculated, they have only been dating two weeks.

Releasing her, she drew her son into a similar embrace, kissing him on the cheek. “Welcome home, son. We’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Mom.”

“Let me take that from you, Papa Two,” Jefferey offered from inside.

“Thanks, Jefferey,” Joe replied. “Stephen, you can take this up to John’s room once you are introduced.”

“Come in! Come in!” Kate called, almost bursting with excitement.

If Stephen has been handed my backpack, they are trying to divide and conquer, John projected with some amusement. Although I have no idea what their plans are. As usual, Mom is giving nothing away.

“Emi,” Joe offered as the two of them entered, “let me introduce John’s siblings, Kate and Stephen, and Jefferey Novas — who has been with us so often as they grew up he may as well be John’s brother.

“Come on!” Kate said, stepping forward and taking Emi by the hand, “Let us show you to your room. And since John has not sent us your measurements, Jefferey can take them while we are up there and show you some of his ideas.”

“John,” Mary asked innocently, “Can you help me with the salad while the rest of the children show Emilia upstairs?”

John glanced at Emi as Kate drew her up the back stairs, scribing his right hand over the empty air. Let me know if you need rescuing and I can speed the salad…

“And no cheating, Jonathan Michael Kelley,” Mary teased firmly as she put her apron back on. “I want to see those vegetables cut with a knife and not by magic.”

John glanced between Emi and his mother, whose attention was studiously focused on tying her apron.

…I’m sure I can think of something.

[InTheMachine]

November 7th
Providence
As Mary pulls her into a hug, the famous Shaw composure cracks ever so slightly. Emi melts into Mary for only a second before the older woman releases her and moves on to her son.

“Please, it’s Emi to everyone here. It’s a pleasure.”

She goes along with Kate and Jeffery upstairs with a soft smile. It’s obvious she’s enjoying their attention and excitement.

I think I’ll be okay, John, she projects. Have fun cooking with your mother. He can feel the smile in her mental voice.

[mmdeforrest]

November 7th
Providence
As Mary pulls her into a hug, the famous Shaw composure cracks ever so slightly. Emi melts into Mary for only a second before the older woman releases her and moves on to her son.

“Please, it’s Emi to everyone here. It’s a pleasure.”

She goes along with Kate and Jeffery upstairs with a soft smile. It’s obvious she’s enjoying their attention and excitement.

I think I’ll be okay, John, she projects. Have fun cooking with your mother. He can feel the smile in her mental voice.

“Oooo, all three of his names,” Jefferey bantered as the four of them passed the puzzle landing and climbed towards the third floor. A 3,000 piece puzzle, just started, is conspicuous on a table here. “You know Momma Two is serious.”

“Well, she did promise to keep him busy for a few minutes for you,” Kate replied, giving Emi a conspiratorial look. “He’s been excited about showing you the sketches.”

“John’s bedroom will be just across the landing from yours,” Stephen explained once they reached the top floor. “Math certificates and mystery books, all classified, neatly ordered, contained, and controlled — just like it’s occupant,” he added with an air of fraternal condescension that balanced real affection with in absentia teasing. “Tres, tres cool,” he added with an overly dramatic roll of his eyes.

Except, he thought, he’s dating Emilia Shaw now. Very not on brand but a welcome addition to Mr. Always On Top of Things’ repertoire.

“Stephen,” Kate chided him before turning back to Emi. “You’ll be staying here in the guest room,” she said opening the door in anticipation of the surprises within. “Jefferey uses this room when he stays over — hence the touches of Cape Verdean decor.”

The room was spacious and well lit by the windows looking out over the back yard. In addition to the furniture, three easels, draped with cloth, stood in the room. A gift bag waited on the bed.

“Are you up for playing a little joke on John?” Kate asked with a mischievous grin as Emi looked at the bag.

Spoiler: Opening the Bag?

Show

There is a fitted women’s tee from Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design along with a women’s night shirt from Salve Regina.

“It isn’t immodest but it would be wonderfully unexpected. The trick will be arranging it so that he sees you coming out of the bathroom wearing the Salve gear,” Kate observed. “I’d suggest coming downstairs in it when Dad is making pancakes tomorrow but it might be a little cold for bare legs — even if Dad has lit a fire. It will be above freezing outside but not by much and it can get a little cool by the patio doors.”

“The nice thing is at this time of the year,” Jefferey offers as he pats the wall in the direction of John’s room, “is that the chimney runs up through here and radiates some extra heat into the room. It doesn’t get cold, really,” he says placing her bag near the dresser, “but it does give an extra bit of comfort to the space.

“I have a meeting with my advisor tomorrow at 8:30 AM. I’ll be riding my bike home after dinner, so I won’t need the space.” He glanced at Emi. “My motorcycle, that is. Unlike John, I prefer the mechanical aid.

“Although,” he added appreciatively, “it has given Boyfriend a nice pair of legs. Maybe I should try it.”

“Jefferey, no trying to make Emi jealous so soon after her arrival,” Kate chided with mock seriousness before turning back to Emi. “We should give you a moment to refresh yourself after the flight up,” Kate apologized.

“Not that she needs it,” Jefferey notes admiringly as he fingered the measuring tape in his pocket.

Kate shot him a look. “The bathroom is out this other door and around the corner. But we are excited to show you Jefferey’s sketches. We can come back if you would like a few moments to yourself.”

“But don’t take too long. Boyfriend never did send me your measurements,” Jefferey added.

“So,” Kate continued, “since Mom would have my head if I did not offer you a moment, I am offering it now. Otherwise, I get to immediately play Vanna White while Jefferey takes your measurements and talks you through his sketches.”

She stopped and turned to face Emi. There was a pause in her mind as she weighed her hopes for what her future relationship with Emi might be. “Either way,” she says with a broadening smile, “we are so excited to have you here with us. Thank you so much for coming to Providence with John.”

“We can’t claim your coming means more to us than him,” Jefferey added as he glanced past her while trying to keep his composure, “but we are all excited — even Mr. Too-Cool-for-Fashion over there.”

Stephen paused as he walked past. “Has John asked you your opinion about a beard?” he asked, hoping to get some indirect feedback on how he might look with one. “He makes an attempt from time to time but never seems content with the results. Personally,” he offers with a glance to Jefferey, “I’ve been cultivating that casual jazz musician’s air,” he explained. “It isn’t a complicated look to pull together.

“Go ahead and cultivate it in the garage,” Kate corrected quickly, masking her frustration with her younger brother’s apparent lack of attention to detail. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for the dance part of the dinner and dancing?”

“Samantha and the rest of the quintet should be here soon, Kate,” he said with a good natured but exasperated sigh, “but I am on my way down to get some of the equipment set up and remind the neighbors of the impromptu-but-planned concert. You know how disappointed Mrs. Hudson would be if she didn’t know it was coming.”

Spoiler: Meanwhile, in the Kitchen

Show

“So what are they up to?” John asked his mother quietly as he reached for a cucumber and listened to Emi and his siblings reach the first landing and the expected stop at the guest room.

“I promised to give them a little time with Emi while you were occupied, dear,” she explained as she checked the potatoes for doneness. “Jefferey and Kate have been excited about showing Emi his concept sketches for the dresses he plans to make for her.”

She shifted slightly to make certain John was clearly within her peripheral vision.

“They want to keep the dresses’ appearance a secret from you. It’s an idea, I suspect, they are prepping you for.”

John lost his grip on the cucumber and grabbed it before it rolled off the cutting board. The knife clattered where is fell and he reached for it, initially grabbing it blade first but dropping it before he could harm himself.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he thought as his mother suppressed a smile at his unexpected jumpiness. I can’t even manage a salad.

He had managed to catch the cucumber, which had started rolling again when he dropped the knife, before it fell to the floor and he quickly put it back on the board as his father walked in.

“Having some trouble, son?” Joe asked quizzically as he carried the armload full of wood to the Franklin stove.

“No,” John replied tensely as he picked up the knife carefully. “I’m just failing to pass Mom’s tests.”

“Oh, it that all?” Joe asked as he opened the stove. “I’ve been failing those for years. No harm done, then.”

“You didn’t see him try to catch a knife blade first,” Mary observed calmly, closing the oven. “It’s very unlike you to be flustered, John. Were you expecting to hide from me that was the kind of thing you had in mind?”

“No,” John admitted, turning back to the cucumber and bracing himself for a reminder of the limits the house observed with everyone but Jefferey. “But I wasn’t expecting a pop quiz quite this soon. We haven’t been dating that long, after all.”

He froze, his mind catching up to what his ears had already observed. Emi had been taken to the third floor without interruption. Unless they had oiled some hinges while he was gone, they had placed her in the room Jefferey used and not the guest room on the second floor where his aunts and uncles occasionally stayed.

Only family stayed there. Not guests.

Joe, intuiting what they were talking about, kept his attention focused on the stove. “Oh, there’s a relatively new puzzle on the first landing — a Ravensburger one of a town in Norway.” He wouldn’t have broached the topic of how serious John was this soon but Mary’s decision to embrace Emi had signaled a surprising move up in the expected timeline.

“She seems like a lovely young lady,” Mary observed, pressing forward with her revised timetable as she lifted the salad spinner out of the sink. “Of course, we’ve only just met but I do like to think I am a good judge of people.

“Slice up the cucumber, son,” she reminded him.

“Blade-side down makes it easier and safer,” his father teased him.

John glanced down to confirm he was holding the knife correctly.

“I’m sure you two will be as appropriately behaved under this roof as you are under Eidolon’s,” his mother continued — although John was painfully aware he was well within her peripheral vision.

“Mary,” Joe reproved with a smile as John began to blush, leading him to suspect the two of them had snuck away for some personal time while at the East Side base. “The boy’s twenty-one, not sixteen, and has been walked across the creaky boards on the third floor more than you have. I’m sure he’s well aware of the challenges of trying to sneak around this house.

“Although,” he teased, remembering the games his children had played in their youth where they tried to sneak up on one another, “the temperature changes this time of year still make this place creak and groan like your Uncle Thomas as he tries to get out of his recliner after the Sox have gone into extra innings — so he would have some cover. That’s why I thought a fire in the stove might be wise. We don’t want our guest complaining about the cold on her first visit to our home.”

“No,” Mary agreed, accepting her husband’s changing of the subject. She had made her point and Joe had resisted reminding her in front of John of their own youthful escapades. His smile and the sparkle in his eye had been enough to remind her. “No, we want to make her comfortable and welcome here as possible.

“After all, if our John has found a keeper,” she observed as she tore the lettuce leaves and placed them in the salad bowl, “we want to do what we can to help. No need to rush things, though.”

There was something about the innocent tone of her voice that made John and his father exchange glances. With a look, they confirmed that while neither knew what she was planning, they were both certain she was planning something.

“Stephen’s friends will be arriving soon,” Mary observed to Joe.

“The outdoor heaters are already in place, Mary,” he observed patiently, offering a wry smile to his son. “The garage is warming up and will be ready to protect their instruments from the cold during their performance. Now we will learn if that brick patio is as even and level as we thought.”

“I’ve managed to not mess up dancing with Emi so far,” John said, thinking back to their waltz and tango. “Let’s hope our DIY skills don’t trip me up now.”

“Now, it is Emi or Emilia?” his mother asked him.

“She says it’s okay to use Emi, since you’re family,” John explained. “My family, that is.”

“Emi it is, then,” Joe said with an air of finality as he walked towards the back door before turning back to his son with a mischievous look. “Unless your mother has uncovered her middle name and needs to get her in line.”

He got out the door before Mary could give him a reproving look.

[PK-Leon]

November 2nd
Living Room

"As a matter of fact, I do mind." Raphael says with a saccharine smile.

His friend's need to keep the game going elicits a roll of the eyes and an annoyed sigh as Louis repositions his back against the far wall. It seemed that he'd have to take a look for himself if he ever wanted a straightforward answer.

Louis' attention turns to Keith when he speaks up and listens with keen interest as the sorcerer attempts to explain the history of the Empire and their hand in the recent affairs of Iron Station.

"Louis, I'm sorry to say that you have fought them before. Well, Ozul at least and he nearly killed you. Just a little over a year ago, and Red Light managed to run him off. It was around the time I first passed through here, before starting at East Side."

The heroes eyes narrow at the revelation though he doesn't allow for any words to escape his lips just yet. He'd never told anyone about that night and the only other person who knew about it was probably dead asleep on her couch right now. So how would Keith, of all people, know about it?

"And Louis, just for you, one last surprise. And please take my first statement about why I hate the Empire to heart in this. Ozul, is much closer to me than I want. My uncle showed me how to use them for good, to keep alive a certain legacy of our family, and to uphold our connection to the Void. Ozul's real name, is Jason Karver, younger brother to Kenneth Karver, and m-" The words got caught in his throat for a second. "My biological father. No more secrets. I am the heir to the Empire, and I will see it dismantled and destroyed. I wish I could say that I will destroy it because of King Kaveri's legacy, but it is entirely for revenge."

...

"I'm so sorry for keeping this from you all, but it's how I've survived for so long. I..... came to Iron Station to train to take them all down. And to try and make amends to you, Louis. If you want further proof that I'm not working with them, I will gladly get you my file and history from AEGIS. It should go back at least six or seven years now."

A scowl emerges across the protégé's features at Keith's confession. It wasn't his connection to the Empire that bothered Louis most but his need to hide it from the team. Keith had just admitted to working knowledge of a greater threat puppeteering seemingly unrelated incidents across the city for over a year and chose to wait until now to reveal his hand to the team.

“As to why you hadn’t heard about the summoning,” John replied after Keith finished, “we believed time was of the essence, given what we had learned in the last 18 or so hours. We didn’t want to give Jerek or his companions in the Empire an opportunity to grab her. I’d have considered bringing her here sooner if I didn’t need the time to rest and put together the material I needed for the non-standard summoning I completed. As it stands, Vrell was alone when I reached her—her bodyguard having been killed or captured sometime in the last day or two.”

John looked off to the side, away from his teammates, as he paled slightly for a moment.

“It’s not the approach I would have preferred to take but neither could we have left her available to be used as a blood sacrifice.”

He shook his head as his complexion returned to normal.

“Perhaps I should have had Mimi make a general announcement. My apologies, Louis. My attention was elsewhere.”

"Your attention was elsewhere?" Louis echoes in disbelief before Terrance's outburst cuts him off.

Terrence stared, a little slack-jawed, as the revelations and frustrations flew around the room. He looked from John to Keith to Raph to Louis to Keith to John…. “I AM TERRENCE AND I LIKE PIE!” he yelled, unable to take the strain. “I mean it. I really like pie.” he repeated. “And I hope somebody made some, because this is just too much information for my second damned morning and I’m hungry.”

His eyes dart to Terrance, confusion slightly tinging his expression. "Thanks for sharing T? You could always pick some up on the way back from classes."

Not like I can't understand where he's coming from though. We're heroes, our lives are anything but ordinary. But information like this wasn't something you drop out of the blue and expect everyone else to just roll with it.

Seraph reads the room and holds up his hands. “Look, guys, I know there’s a lot of information being thrown around here. John, Keith, I want the two of you to submit written briefings to share with the teams, so that everyone’s on the same page. I’ll try to be more on top of that in the future.”

Drake checks his watch and looks up at Harbinger. It was close to the time that everyone needed to leave for school.

The older angel nods. “Alright. Let’s wrap this up here. Everyone expect briefings in your emails later.”

"Wait, hold on a sec'." Louis starts as he removes himself from the wall. "So you really expect us to go our separate ways and review this in an email at our earliest convenience?" Louis asks, making no attempt to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"John willingly summons a demon and brings it into our base, while Keith's known about the shadow organization threatening our city this entire time and we're just supposed to accept that?"

November 3rd
Date Night, Louis

Izzy hops off the back of Louis’ bike a parking lot that sits just adjacent to the river. A large white steamboat with a bright red paddle wheel sits in the water attached to the dock. Bold letters identify the ship as Queen of the South. There’s a line of people waiting to enter the boat just before the dock begins where an attendant is manning a booth.

“A river cruise?” Izzy says, looking in wonder at the boat. “I’ve seen the ship before, but never this close.” She unzips her black leather jacket, revealing a white scoop necked shirt. Her jeans are artfully ripped and worn, and she also has on ankle high leather boots.

"You can't live in Iron Station without sailing the river at least once." Louis smiles as he pulls his goggles down around his neck, taking a moment to appreciate the ship and his date.

She pulls Louis into the line and they slowly make their way to the front. After paying the attendant, Louis and Izzy make their way onto the main deck of the boat.

Izzy leans against the railing as the boat takes off into the main channel of the river. She laughs as the wind blows through her already wild hair. “This is gonna be a nightmare to brush out,” she says with a wide smile at Louis.

"Or... hear me out." Louis starts, a smile playing at his lips. "You leave it as is, we find a nice tricorn for you to wear, and then we start filming 'Pirates of the Gulf'. Captain Castillo has a nice ring to it right?" The amateur filmmaker leans against the railing beside the Latina, attempting to find the perfect angle to frame her within his fingers. "I can already see it. All you're missing is a talented first mate with a great sense of humor and a knack for finding trouble. You know anyone?" He asks with a quick wink.

[InTheMachine]

November 7th
Providence
Emi’s smile curls up just a little wickedly as she looks at Kate. “I do always like making John blush.” She pulls the Salve shirt out of the bag and holds it up to her shoulders. It only covers the very tops of her thighs. “And this is sure to make him blush.”

She laughs a little. “I think this was meant for people a bit shorter than me.”

After Stephen asks about beards, Emi looks over at him. “Honestly, I think that short stubble on a man looks good. It has to be full though. Anything patchy is a bit of a turn off.”

“I’ll be back in a just a moment,” she says after Kate offers directions to the restroom. True to her word, Emi returns after a few minutes, ready for her measurements to be taken.

[mmdeforrest]

November 7th
Providence
Emi’s smile curls up just a little wickedly as she looks at Kate. “I do always like making John blush.” She pulls the Salve shirt out of the bag and holds it up to her shoulders. It only covers the very tops of her thighs. “And this is sure to make him blush.”

She laughs a little. “I think this was meant for people a bit shorter than me.”

After Stephen asks about beards, Emi looks over at him. “Honestly, I think that short stubble on a man looks good. It has to be full though. Anything patchy is a bit of a turn off.”

“I’ll be back in a just a moment,” she says after Kate offers directions to the restroom. True to her word, Emi returns after a few minutes, ready for her measurements to be taken.

“If he’s blushing as much as she is suggesting,” Jefferey opined to Kate as Emi freshened up, “I think it all but proves my point that his composure’s been cracking while he’s with her.”

Mary stared thoughtfully at the nightshirt, as if it would reveal the answers she was seeking. “Perhaps I overestimated his composure,” she conceded quietly. “It’s so hard to imagine him like that. I mean, he’s a literal super hero now — not just the big brother who swoops in to save my day.”

“Emilia Shaw’s a lot bigger a deal than your math homework, dance practice, or a skinned knee, Kate,” he replied seriously.

She glanced at her oldest friend in the world. “Or your need for reassurance?”

“That, too,” he replied with a playful smile and a glance toward the door to the front hall. “You don’t have to be a Kelley tell he’s acting differently around her. You think he is ready for this?”

“Absolutely not,” Kate replied with a wicked smile that matched the one Emi offered her, “whether you are talking about his seeing her in this or something longer term. He may be the smartest person I have ever met and one of the nicest, but he is out of his depth here. That’s why I’m sure he will need our help.”

“Momma Two approves,” Jefferey noted. “That’s a big hurdle cleared.”

“Ahead of schedule, too,” Kate observed, glancing at the door. “Here she comes.”

“So,” Kate began revealing the first of the images as Jefferey began to take Emi’s measurements. “We begin with a strapless black dress under a gold lace top. While I am sure you could pull it off….”

“What can’t she?” Jefferey added as he wrote down a measurement.

Kate smiled at him. “…well, I should withhold my commentary. This is about your choice and not my choice for you.”

Which, she thought, is to be with her brother.

Focus, Kate.

“Next is an off the shoulder green fishtail dress.”

“I could also produce that in a royal blue,” Jefferey noted as he recorded another set of measurements—double checking the numbers this time. “I selected the colors based on your coloration and on what material I know I have easy access to. Boyfriend may have mentioned being willing to scour the world for whatever you hint at but you did not hear that from me.”

“You can blame me, if you need a fall gal,” Kate observed as she moved to the next easel. “There are benefits to being the kid sister.

“I will say the next two are my favorites. First is this little number in white.”

“I took some design cues from your costume—although this is a little more daring and less practical than what you wear when you are out fighting crime.”

Jefferey gave Emi the side eye as he looked up from his tape measure. “Girl, you know that only a dressmaker’s mannequin is supposed to have measurements like this. Boyfriend better be treating you right.”

“I’d be shocked if he wasn’t,” Kate observed. Her voice tone betrayed nothing of the protectiveness toward John and his chances with Emi—although she knew Jefferey, of all people, would do nothing to hurt those chances.

“The final option is this strapless number in periwinkle. It’s a little more similar in cut to what you are wearing now.”

“I’m happy to make changes, based on your preferences,” Jefferey explained, trying hard to contain his excitement and remain professional. “Which one or ones would you like me to proceed with?”

Spoiler: Meanwhile, in the kitchen

Show

“FPO briefing,” Stephen said breezily as he walked through the kitchen with a smug smile. “She likes stubbly beards.”

“She what?”

“Stubbly beards—but not if they’re patchy—which may mean you should stay clean shaven.” He continued as he turned and faced John. His smile broadened as he opened the back door. “It only takes you two weeks to grow something out to respectably stubbly, right?”

“One and a half,” John replied a little defensively to the the door that had closed behind Stephen. “And I shaved just before our first date. Well, physical date.”

He turned and looked at his mother, who was regarding him with open amusement.

“It was a goatee,” he explained lamely. “You know — kind of the Steven Strange look? The bare patches don’t show that way.”

“If she wants it back, she will ask,” Mary reassured him. “Perhaps she likes the contrast with Mastroianni.”

“You know about…?” John started, a little slack jawed. “What am I saying? Of course you know about him.”

He was painfully aware that this was how his teammates must feel when around him.

At least he came by it honestly.