(PRP) Dark Rites of Summer

[Circe]

Circe opens her mouth then looks to Coco with a sigh before turning to Charming, "It is really weird I'm the diplomat here right?"

Her right ear twitches at James' latest whisper. She owed that boy so much right now. "Now now my Waspish Knight," she takes a sidestep back from the fire, trying to keep all three in her vision, "No need to go that far in the trash talk for Mr Goff. He has just been standing guard over a friend." Red and black eyes scowl as they turn on Charming, "The chef trying ta drug the soup on the other hand, does deserve trash talk."

Circe's free hand is now on the shotgun, "Ya boys might wanna be more clear in what yer doing here. I don't care fer roofies Mr Charming. And if yer flesh dealers," the shotgun's safety hadn't been on before.

Circe quickly clicks it back and forth, making sure the gun is ready to use. "Bad day. So Mr Goff? Do please be the one ta expalin yer presence here."

Not nice lady with gun

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2020-07-24 16:15:29		Circe rolls 6 to Come on and talk Goff Man 3 + Pers 2 + SL 1 (10 Again)		4, 7, 6, 5, 3, 3		failure

[Yamiyo Lillich]

Sighing a bit, walking up enough to be within view but still remaining behind the two offensive ones.
"Dear Queen I am sure this kind man will tell us and be honest without the need to fight."

Looking towards Goff with a warm kind smile.
"I am terribly sorry but this all seem quite a miss, won't you please be a dear and tell my dear friend here all she wants to know." Pointing towards Circe as she speaks, a quick wink as she tries to let her charm make him open up to them.

Charming 5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-07-25 16:54:27	Yamiyo Lillich rolls 13 to charming! Presence+Persuasion+SL+Kith+Spec (10 Again)	4, 9, 9, 3, 10, 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, 9, 6, 4, 8	5 successes

Hoping that her kinder warmer ways will make the man speak truly and be easier to work with, ready to fall back in case danger starts.

[Yumyumcrow]

Coco stands back and watches the altercation as Charming is forced from behind the cauldron to keep the Waterborn Ogre from exploding into anger. Charming succeeds for the moment... until Circe makes a move of her own which threatens to enflame the situation to lethal proportions.

"Flesh dealers? You think we're loyalist scum like Anne?"

The disgust is plain on the Fairest's face. So is the outrage.

The Onyx Ogre remains poised and positioned, his stance still a threatening menace which only seems to build once more now that Charming ins't actively trying to calm him down.

Poor Yamiyo Lillich . The succubus re-emerges from the mist at entirely the wrong moment. Or perhaps the right moment. The Ogre's head snaps around, his mouth now a grimacing more where all semblance of humanity had vanished. He growls loudly, head swivelling between the taunting Wasp, the angry blue Fairest with a blazing mantle and a shotgun... and a timid succubus with a soft voice.

"We owe you no oaths. For all we you know could be liars like Anne, too! Everyone knows the Freehold out here is small and weak! Its nothing! Not even a proper Freehold! For five damn years we work on this! This was the closest spot we could reach them. The only spot they'd come. The only spot we could perform the rite. And we've come to far to stop now! So stop asking questions and get out of our way."

A chill set in as the Ogre's mantle began to fizzle and flare with the depth of his emotion.
James Turner is ever watchful. Charming is too skilled for the Whisperwisp to see what trick the Fairest is pulling, but he can read the other Changeling's body language and posture well enough: Charming is tensing, preparing to spring.

And book keeping!

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-07-29 05:00:45	Charming is super sneaky! rolls 6 to Dexterity + Larceny (10 Again)	8, 2, 6, 8, 4, 4	2 successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-07-29 04:58:06	Goff to resist persuasion rolls 8 to Resolve + Subterfuge + Situation Modifier (10 Again)	6, 9, 8, 6, 2, 1, 2, 5	2 successes

Charming is being sneaky again but scored less successes than James' empathy roll Shane so I'm ruling that the Darkling can deduce that the Fairest is doing something, but he can't make out what.

As the situation is tense and spiralling out of control, I'm ruling that simple persuasion / charm roll won't quite be enough LadySin - not with insults flying and a shotgun being proffered. However, Yamiyo got 5 successes, so that would be enough to goad Goff into divulging more information.

As before, the dice roller jumped about a bit, so I took the second of Charming's rolls. Not that it mattered that much.

[Circe]

0 to pissed in 3 seconds, these boys had skill or Circe really, really, really didn't like Anne. "Cazzo pezzo di merda do not compare ME ta that bitch and her pet metal cannibal! That metal whore threatened ta eat my best bunny boy! You compare me ta that Fetch maker again and I will fancuo castrate you!"

A threat she'd commonly made back in the Bay, so if they were old enough they might remember the blue Fairest that constantly mouthed off at the Sovereigns. Loudly so. The shotgun is now in both hands as her Mantle goes full blast, "Castrate with this. Can't believe you Bay idiots didn't kill her when she got exposed! But no, she had ta become somebody else's problem. And a bitch and a half ta fancuo run down and blow her brains out too! Fancuo missed her once already!"

Circe scoffs, "Knew I should'a just set San Fran ta burn ta kill her but noooooo they just had ta get talk me down."

The elf isn't even trying to talk them down now, just venting her anger at the Anne's continued problem causing.

Do they hate Anne?

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2020-07-29 18:06:56		Circe rolls 4 to Wits 3 + Empathy 1 (10 Again)		6, 6, 9, 4		1 success

[Yumyumcrow]

le BUMP

[James Turner]

John pulled his knife tip pointing to the ground as things were about to pop off. A small shake of his head as the goading pushed Circe to and over the edge it looked like. Shame. He really wanted the answer to those questions too, Goff had fucked up and let spill just a little too much in that last tirade. He had a job to do, honeyed words into Circe's ears as she was the leader here hoping other pieces fell into place to stop this from exploding.

Whisper to Circe

"The Summer shows her heat as the winter says too much. Closest spot, them, five years? Press and keep cool."

The words slip into Circe's ears as his eyes remained fixed on Charming. Is it the pot? Are they brewing something not making stew? He couldn't really be sure. He really didn't want to leave the safety of the mists as he was no Fairest with their charming words and pleasant smiles but if he wanted answers he might have to take a risk.

[Yumyumcrow]

The tension spiralled as the Summer Queen exploded into a tirade of her own: arguing; no yelling at the two lost from San Francisco.

Goff was momentarily stunned by the display.

Charming was still tense, but instead of moving to violent action, he leaned forward with his face turning into a snarling, visceral, grimace.

"Then let us help! Let us by. There might still be time and the one we seek might still be around here. Our project involves Queen Anne. Secrets learned. Advantage gained. It might be of some use to you. But we have to make contact, first. Let us by! Let us finish what we started."

Goff is still stunned, but now he is stunned at Charming's admission, his ugly head bouncing from his comrade to the Crimson Queen, and back again.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-05 02:13:46	Goff to play along rolls 6 to Wits + Subterfuge + Mantle (10 Again)	7, 5, 2, 6, 6, 4	failure

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-05 02:10:41	Charming changes tack rolls 10 to Manipulation + Subterfuge + Spec (10 Again, WillPower)	5, 8, 10, 5, 8, 5, 5, 9, 2, 10, 5, 3	5 successes

[Yamiyo Lillich]

Still keeping behind the two more capable fighters in the group, not really daring to do anything else as she speaks in a soft calm voice. Raising her hands a bit and gently trying to gesture for calmness.
"Please it seems we all have dislike for the same person still you spoke of a ritual you spoke of things here would you kindly tell us more of this and who the person you spoke of are."

Taking a deep breath before carrying on her words aimed towards them both.
"If you do not have anything bad up your sleeves then we are most likely in an agreement, we all know that we are a naturally distrusting and careful group of people but there is no need to get physical here or to fight. Just kindly tell us what is up and happening here, who knows maybe we can even help each other. We should be the one group of people in this world that are actually there for our own right? We if anyone have seen the horrors, felt the nightmares and if we do not look out for one another then there is no one that will look out for us."

The high flying emotions scaring her a bit but she would do her best to try and calm the situation at least and to play to all the goodness she could hopefully find in these two strangers as well as her compatriots alike. True they were up to something that much was evident but still she did not want this to escalate any further and there was nothing she disliked more than violence between the Lost and she wanted to avoid that if possible.

Her eyes walking between the two strangers and back to her own group as she turns on her charms trying to make the groups talk in a calm and sincere manner hoping her earlier words were ones that they would listen to.
"Please let us all calm down now before things gets out of hand ok, lets talk about this nice and calmly please?"

Trying to calm things down and make the strangers trust her at least

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-06 06:51:34	Yamiyo Lillich rolls 13 to charming! Presence+Persuasion+SL+Kith+Spec (10 Again)	8, 5, 10, 8, 6, 10, 8, 8, 7, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 1	6 successes

She wasn't a skilled fighter but at least she did trust in her charms they rarely betrayed her they hadn't worked earlier true but perhaps at least the charming one would be more willing to listen here now and if he started to open up and tell them more so would that hopefully make Circe calm down a bit as well along with the clearly more angered stranger.

Sorry it took a while wasn't sure what to do about a plot thread when one player was away.

[Circe]

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-06 08:27:50	Circe rolls 9 to Wits + Subt + WP (10 Again, WillPower)	3, 6, 2, 4, 6, 6, 2, 10, 3, 5	1 success

Circe still growls even as Yamiyo plays the Spring diplomat. Fitting more a Summer then she has been for the entire conversation. "Anne will die, as will all her allies. Her foes however," she steps back away from Charming. His words having convinced her he hates Anne but the guy is still sketchy as fuck. And Goff looks like he has no clue what is going on. "I see no reason to fight her foes. Though do know that if ya do kill her before we do, I'll buy out a bar fer ya. If ya fail, then I shall avenge ya along with her other victims. With missiles."

A exaggeration, maybe, but also technically true for any projectile was a missile. Or Circe might actually try to get a bazooka.

"If ya'd like ta exchange warnings about what is known about that bitch Anne, that is fair enough. I don't see a reason ta fight ya over Anne," she nods towards the cauldron, "But ya still tried ta roofie a couple of ladies in the Hedge, so I ain't trusting yer cooking."

Dice dislike Circe, but she doesn't forget he spiked the soup

[James Turner]

John was doing his best to keep himself in check. He wanted to shout out, wanted to curse at Circe. His original opinion of her dropping as she was quickly played the fool by her own hand. Charming was being slippery and evasive and he was tempted to force the issue but his glamour was running low and there was more work to be done. He was about to give up on the situation let them eat the food and see what happened with the other two but his temperance won out in the end as he closed his eyes and steadied himself.

4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-06 09:15:30	James Turner rolls 8 to Reading Charming (Wits + empathy + Spec) (9 Again)	5, 5, 5, 6, 10, 8, 2, 9, 9, 4, 3	4 successes

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-08-06 09:15:58	James Turner rolls 8 to Reading Goff (Wits + empathy + spec) (9 Again)	8, 10, 4, 5, 8, 9, 2, 4, 6, 8	5 successes

Whisper to Circe

“Circe, stop being a fool. He’s pushing Anne because YOU brought it up. You keep giving him the way to win you over and lie to you. Goff is the weak link, listen to him Five years of work, this location, the only spot THEY would come. Who’s they, what are they doing, why here. Anne is not a they. FOCUS! Stop getting stuck on Anne, THEY are the problem!”

After that he sighed, that was his last message anymore and he’d probably have to get personally involved which isn’t what he wanted to do but It seemed his vantage from affair meant he was the only one who could see the bigger picture. He was probably more terse than he needed to be but there was only so much he could do from the shadows as his frustration mounted.