Arcade Adventures
16th of July 2006 A.D.
As midnight comes and goes written in red neon in the clock above the door you struggle with temptation, with curiosity. It would be so easy to ask one of a dozen questions to pull on those nagging loose ends: 'What is Lydia;s heritage?' 'What secrets are being kept from her?' even 'What are her intentions towards your brother?' That last one sounds like you should be asking it with a shotgun propped up against the door and worse still what if her intentions are... amorous as Usum would put it. You
definitely do not need to see that.
There is definitely something weird going on with the girl who seems to know at once too little and too much, but weird isn't enough to turn your sight on her you decide, not unless you have some sign that she is dangerous.
"But what if her father has enemies, might they not endanger your brother?"
"That goes the other way as well," you counter.
"Dad has some really bad enemies and God alone knows what enemies I've got."
For a moment the demon is silent then.
"Can you be certain she would not take the chance were she is your place and you in hers?"
"No," you admit.
"But if I were to only be principled to those who I know live up to some standard of purity, then that would not be very principled after all."
"Then principles seem to me to be an indulgence of those very mighty indeed," he replies at length.
You think to argue, but soon realize that you can't really argue someone into greater faith in mankind, not to mention that it is probably harder to do when the person in question is not part of mankind. Except maybe by proxy Usum is, he is a part of you and you're still human after all...
"Earth to Molly," Izzy's hand waving in front of your face starts you from your contemplation.
"We were talking about where to go now."
"The arcade, we can go to the Dancing Dragon, they are open all night," you answer instantly, much to your friend's shock. "Come on," you wheedle. "You heard Lydia, she barely knew what a video game was last year. I'm pretty sure that is
some kind of heresy for a fifteen year old not to know..." You glance at the girl in question to see if you guessed the age right. It looks like you have.
Izzy gives a startled laugh. "Isn't that breaking a Commandment or something?" she asks after a moment.
"It's not the Lord's name," you shrug. "The last time we took every little concept about doctrine as seriously as that the Reformation happened."
Even though you are pretty sure dad would have smiled at that one and not even mom would have said anything Daniel looks a little ill at ease. It's not even that you crossed a line, he doesn't like to be in sight of the line. How's he gonna take that his girlfriend is probably related to dark fey?
"So... Dancing Dragon?" you ask again.
"Not the kind of dancing I had in mind," Izzy grumbles as she looks around in her purse for the cash.
You would cover the whole tab yourself, but you know from experience than unless you have an actual reason to treat people Izzy doesn't take 'handouts' well. Being 'the kid from the Projects' all her life left scars where you couldn't see.
Fortunately Lydia seems to notice the byplay and just hands over the money for her pizza and shake.
Whether it is Izzy noticing her noticing or just your friend being a big softie at heard she finally gives in.
***
The Dancing Dragon is old, if someone told you the myopically blinking neon sign of the eponymous winged lizard was actually from the eighties you would believe them. Some of the stains on the off-off-green carpeting look older. The hall smells as much of cigarettes and booze as cheap candy. You never could tell if the old man at the door can't see teens sneaking said contraband or if he really doesn't care, What you do know for certain is that his son over by the jar of quarters
really doesn't. Once on a dare you had tried exchanging a cigarette for quarters and he had taken it with an only slightly less bored expression than he did dollar bills.
So it is with marked lack of worry that you add a dash of vodka into the various no-longer-soft drinks you had gotten on the way. Daniel looks like he really wants to ask where you had it from. Truth be told you can't remember... Nelson might have given you the last refill two weeks ago, but you don't want to think about what Nelson had done and what you had done to
him tonight.
Much more enjoyable to look at Daniel and Lydia having a stare-off over the flask. As a matter of fact you know your brother isn't quite so much of a boy-scout that he never drank and if Miss Cocktail Party Aficionado doesn't drink socially you'll eat the flask, but each of them is trying to look 'respectable' to the other and it's
hilarious.
Finally it's her that breaks the stare, giving the flask a quick sniff before pouring a little into her... purple juice. You are not sure what that is. Pomegranate? Mildly weird.
Daniel does the same without the sniff to add a bit of zing to his coke.
You end up crushing everyone at
Street Fighter, turns out actually hitting people with swords has a startling amout of crossover with fighting games where you have to manage wierd button presses. Supposedly back in the old days you had to memorize this stuff, but you all just googled it. Then you all end up playing
Turkey Shoot just because of his silly it sounds. The real challenge of that game in your opinion is not collapsing laughing when the words 'Turkey Terminator' flash on screen. After that the high score for
Speed Racer goes to Daniel prompting jokes about how he is ready for a car.
Through it all you watch Lydia to see how good she does... and the answer is pretty good, really good for someone who has never played an arcade game before, but nothing that even gets close to impossible
"That car is just slow, the red one is faster," Lydia insists as she comes out second again.
"It's just cosmetics... they aren't different," Daniel says.
"Red one's faster," she insists and then she takes red and wins.
After spending an indeterminately large pile of quarters and about four hours on the arcade you part ways in good cheer. Daniel helps Lydia into a cab and you head back towards home in another.
"Bye Lydia, see you around!" you say sincerely. The girl is strange and maybe tangled up in the supernatural, but she is also interesting with her reading old books in four languages.
From the looks she gives you as you exchange numbers you guess she feels much the same.
It occurs to you about halfway there that while you may have magic on your side getting out of there, you have none of it getting back in.. This is usually the part of the Disney Channel Original where the protagonist gets caught and learns a valuable lesson about honesty or something, you think confusing the heck out of Usum. Thankfully real life isn't directed by Disney just yet. You make it up the tree and through the house with no one the wiser through skill and luck and aten minutes after that you are back in bed with not a sign of any illicit outings in sight.
Arc One Complete
Triumphs
- Helped with the Red Court Ambush 3 XP
- Swayed Ebeneezar 1 XP
- Dealt with Gorfel and Company 4 XP
- Sniper Encounter 2 XP
- Gorfel Social Fu and investigation 2 XP
- Saved Tim Andrews 1 XP
- Duel with Michael 3 XP
- Night on the Town 2 XP
Banked XP: 2
Total XP: 20
You sleep and dream of secrets unraveled, secrets kept, the battles of blades and those of words. Whispers in a nameless tongue follow you into dreaming, the voice of the forgotten.
How does your power grow?
Plan Vote
[] +1 Appearance, with practice and with will you take on a guise less strange, less eerie 4 XP
[] Lessen Touch of Frost, rather than the killing frost your touch is merely cold, instead of killing plants your prorogued ministrations can at most wilt them 5XP
[] +1 Essence Gives two more motes to cap; May spent 2 Essence in one round; unlocks Shintai form 8 XP
[] Lanka Charm: By Rage Recast (••): Gives you access to another Shintai Aspect in your human form 6 XP
[] Kakuri Charm: Bloodless Murk Evasion (•••): Allows Shadow teleportation including to reflexively avoid all but holy attacks 9 XP
[] Kakuri Charm: False Springs Beckckon (•••) Allows you to suspect the torments of those who serve you, including the derangement caused the use of by Black Magic 9 XP
[] Wicked City Charm: Hollow Mind Possession (••): Invest a dark spirit in a into a smart device within line of sight, awakening it into an AI subject of your power within the limits of the device. Can be permanent with enough successes 4 XP
[] The Hell of Boiling Oil Charms Charm: Charred Sinner Renewal (•) : Regain Essence and Heal much faster when immersed in toxic liquids; Immunity to the harmful effects of such liquids when immersed 4 XP
[] The Hell of Burrowing Maggots Charm: Demonic Primacy of Essence (•): Lesser Creatures of Darkness recognize your dread majesty making it easier to sway them. All social rolls with such beings reduced by 2. 4 XP
[] The Hell of Burrowing Maggots Charm: Verdant Emptiness Endowment (•••••): Grant the prayers of any who would cast their wishes in the wind and in exchange if you should wish demand obediance
[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Calling the Calibration Gate: Opens a gate to the Nevernever, be it to the realms of the fey, the underworld or the Hells at the infernal command. Alternatively can be used to open a gate from any of these realms to the mortal world. No lesser power may bar the gate, though they can of course send their hosts to try and hold it more conventionally 10 XP
[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Disguise of the New Face: Perfectly transform the subject (which can be the caster) into the likeness of another used during the spell. This is not glamor that can be disbelieved or broken, but physical transformation including such elements as fingerprints, retinas and even DNA as long as the spell lasts 10 XP
[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Emerald Spirit Binding: Bind a spirit to your service for a year and a day, if a spirit has been recently defeated in battle it may not resist. A sorcerer may have spirits bound equal to her essence rating. 10 XP
[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Mists of Eventide: Conjure fog that brings forth enchanted slumber. Willpower difficulty 9 to resist 10 XP
[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Sapphire Ritual of Exorcism: Over the course of ten minutes banish
any possessing spirit or power from its victim/host. Not even the Fallen may resist the mandala of absolute reality 10 XP
[] Write in (Rules for XP spending can be found on the character sheet)
OOC:The reason night on the town got you 2 XP was one for not getting caught, stealth is really not your strong suit and one for making a new friend. 
