STORY: You drop something and lean over, whispering as you touch the spot below your neck that activates the walkie, and just as you’re getting through “Kahn, ev–” you are greeted with Ezio’s smiling face, bent down right next to yours.
STORY: He grabs you roughly by the arm. “Wouldn’t do that, Millie.”
MILLICENT: Millie glares daggers at Ezio. “You should leave now and forget you ever saw me. I know you don’t think you’re in danger, but believe you me, if you stick around you’re going to wish you hadn’t.” And Millie closes the channel to Kahn.
STORY: Kahn comes in on the earpiece. “Roger that. Alejo knows the all clear.” And he cuts out.
STORY: Ezio scowls at you. “Aw, and we were just starting to get along. Listen, this is going to go a _lot_ easier if you play nice.”
TUELLER: It was almost too late when Tueller realized the captain wasn’t fleeing the bridge out of cowardice. Jac, Alejo, Khan, and MacDougal, green though they were, had taken the ship with minimal casualties—Tueller’s newly developed policy of overwhelming and shocking violence had tamped down on resistance.
TUELLER: But they’d maybe been too effective. The captain was heading towards engineering, not an escape pod. There was only one reason to go to engineering on a captured ship. Tueller took off running.
TUELLER: The captain had disabled three out of four of the cooling rods by the time Tueller reached him and dislocated both his shoulders, and the pulse engine was at 150% of safe torque and climbing. As the captain whimpered on the floor, Tueller returned the engines to nominal temperatures. “What the hell is wrong with you, man? We just wanted the kobe; it’s not worth dying over, man.”
—
STORY: Okay! You’re at a wedding. There’s going to be a bit of artificial structure tonight, I hope you will find it fun as I have intended it to be.
STORY: The structure is this: You’re all in the same venue. Things are happening around you – lots of things! I’m going to break this into a handful of Wedding Events, and ask each of you what you’re going to pursue during each of those phases of the evening. You can only do one thing during each phase! Once in a while, you’ll be interrupted from getting done what you want to get done for story reasons.
TUELLER: Like, you can only be in one place per each event.
STORY: Right
TUELLER: Like, after the ceremony you can only be getting your photo taken, etc.
TUELLER: Ok.
MILLICENT: That makes sense
ALEJO: –Good by me.
STORY: You all have the ability in the opening minutes of the event to survey the room and recognize a number of guests. Of course there’s Esinam, and Alejo has now met and identified Padma and Tueller’s uncle Musimbwa.
STORY: As the guests arrive, Millie, Ezio points out the people you don’t know yet. Alejo, Padma does the same for you. Tueller, you know everyone.
TUELLER: Just to clarify, we’re not all in the same room just yet, but these are the people who we might run into.
STORY: Sure. There’s one big room that most of the events will take place in, but I assume you’re all spread out for now.
STORY: Also in attendance, arriving one at a time:
STORY: Admiral Randd of Erde-Maris, flanked by security
STORY: Dr. Ceinwen Gage, celebrated astrophysicist and philosopher
STORY: Ruma Bhattacharya, now visibly pregnant
TUELLER: —yay!
STORY: Sergio Ndrangheta, with date
STORY: Bilbo Bhattacharya, leader of the third CJH family
STORY: Charel Ya’Makasi, Tueller’s brother, chief geologist of Io
STORY: Dayana Ya’Makasi, head of the pilot’s council
STORY: Kojo Ya’Makasi, head of the Teamsters’ union
STORY: Nchekwube Ya’Makasi, ventures
STORY: Yetide Ya’Makasi, head of smuggling
STORY: And, to your great surprise, Calixta Soto, on the arm of Tormod Chandra.
STORY: Alejo, was Tueller on the Chandra op?
ALEJO: No.
TUELLER: And wouldn’t know him from stories?
STORY: All right. So Tueller, you don’t recognize him. Kahn and Jac didn’t often discuss old jobs.
TUELLER: Okay.
TUELLER: Wen has no one other than Tueller?
STORY: Wen has no one other than Tueller. Esinam is the only one on the bride’s side so as not to make it weird.
STORY: The first event of the night is a cocktail hour, nothing official, and without the bride and groom. It’s mostly guests getting comfortable, people greeting each other, various business arrangements being discussed and sorted. This is as much a work conference as it is a celebration.
STORY: Tueller, Esinam has asked you to meet her in the bridal suite.
STORY: It’s 5 pm. Alejo, Millie, what’s your plan for this part of the evening?
TUELLER: When’s the ceremony scheduled for?
STORY: The ceremony occasions start at 6, with the vows at 9. Congolese weddings stretch things out.
TUELLER: Tueller leaves Wen, promising he’ll return in time and not to slip his security detail even for a second.
STORY: Wen nods and continues to have a mild anxiety attack.
ALEJO: Alejo is going to try to catch Calixta without Tormond for a little chat.
STORY: Alejo, you catch Calixta’s eye while trying to get close enough to separate her. They flash urgently and she shakes her head very subtly. You don’t think you can get to her.
STORY: She laughs and puts her hand on Tormod’s arm as he, smiling, says something to her and another guest. His back is to you.
ALEJO: Alejo shakes his head, but stays covert and slips out of sight.
ALEJO: Let me know if and when Alejo sees Millie. Now that Tormod is in play, Alejo, who has just been enjoying the imminent weirdness of the night to this point, is going on high alert, so he’ll be very observant.
MILLICENT: Millie, meanwhile, is actively trying to avoid Tueller and Alejo and anyone else she recognizes, except the head of smuggling
MILLICENT: Millie wants to talk to Yetide Ya’Makasi.
STORY: Millie, you approach Tueller’s most stunning sister. What’s your goal here?
MILLICENT: Before we get to her, “Is her actual title “Head of Smuggling” or do they obscure it with some nicety?”
TUELLER: We do not.
STORY: In that case, they don’t bother
STORY: When you’re both the economy and the law, there’s not much of a point in lying
MILLICENT: Millie greets her in a respectful to Erde Meris people fashion.
STORY: What’s your goal with this conversation?
MILLICENT: Millie’s goal here is to learn a little more about the Ya’Makasi’s and to find out if there are any interesting alien cargos that are fetching high prices with humans or vice versa.
STORY: Okay! Give me an Assessment + Influence, please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6
STORY: josh rolled 4
STORY: She’s far too busy to talk to you. You end up stuck at the bar, again, with Ezio, who is generally pretty friendly though completely unwanted.
MILLICENT: Okay!
STORY: Alejo, give me an Assessment + Mettle please
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 8 + 2 = 10
STORY: You keep an eye on Calixta and Tormod, from far enough away that he doesn’t get a look at you. She seems comfortable, happy to be there, and definitely romantically entangled with Chandra. You can also tell, though it’s likely no one else can, that she’s working.
STORY: He seems a little on edge, looking over his shoulder a little. You catch a few people noticing him and communicating in hushed whispers. His attendance here is somewhat of a scandal.
STORY: You get a data point about Chandra!
STORY: Tueller, Esinam is sitting behind a small, ridiculously ornate mirrored dressing table when you come in, adjusting her shoe.
STORY: “Tueller.” She juts her chin towards a white fabric padded stool.
TUELLER: Tueller bows formally. “You called?”
STORY: She gives up on the shoe and takes it off entirely, digging at something inside the heel and not bothering to look at you. “This House Pleni thing isn’t paying out. You’re of more use at home. Collect the AI, keep the ship if you can. Do you think Soto is still loyal?”
TUELLER: Tueller freezes.
TUELLER: “Sister. Esi.”
TUELLER: “It is far too early, and the universe is huge.”
TUELLER: Tueller is very quiet.
STORY: “You’ve been gone six months with nothing to show but a fish business and a new scar on your neck. I’m bringing you in.”
STORY: “Make sure the doctor gets a ride home with someone heading to Earth. I don’t want Erde-Maris cranky with us.”
TUELLER: “Six months. It took Akello ten years to settle on Io, and he had help.” Tueller is trying mostly successfully not to show any emotion.
TUELLER: “And the fish business is a good business. The planet itself could be useful. Bilbo could definitely weaponize the psychics, if given time.”
TUELLER: “Call it Palantir, probably.”
STORY: “That’s a good point. Speak with Bilbo about the psychics, please.”
STORY: She gives you a long look, still digging around in her shoe.
STORY: Let’s have a Face Adversity + Influence!
TUELLER: “There’s good work to be done out there, and we don’t know until we find it. Until I find it.”
TUELLER: /roll 2d6
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 9
STORY: She places the shoe too heavily on the table in frustration. “I need results, Tueller. Now.”
STORY: She pushes the shoe towards you. “Fix this.”
TUELLER: “What is going on in the system that’s pushing this?”
STORY: “Nothing that you need to worry about. Business.”
TUELLER: Tueller takes the shoe and, his hand shimmering, bends the damascene steel buckle back so it’s straight again.
TUELLER: “You still have a taste for impractical earther crap, sis.”
TUELLER: “I am working, sis. I’ve seen things that no one in our organization has even dreamed of, much less seen. But it’s not the next step yet.”
STORY: “And you have until the end of this wedding to find me something valuable enough to send you back out there.”
STORY: She takes the shoe back.
TUELLER: “But Esi!”
TUELLER: Tueller stops himself, and composes himself.
STORY: “Go greet the guests.”
TUELLER: “Yes, sis.”
TUELLER: Tueller bows, with absolutely no hint of mockery this time.
TUELLER: Tueller leaves.
STORY: And so goes the cocktail hour.
TUELLER: Does Tueller see Millie?
TUELLER: Because that’s going to be a thing, at some point.
STORY: I don’t believe so. She’s avoiding you.
TUELLER: Or maybe nothing will come of it!
STORY: At 6, the guests are encouraged to take their seats. Tueller, you’re on usher duty, greeting everyone and directing them to the right place within the large hall. There are hundreds of guests to greet. You’ve got the help of your siblings and uncle, so it’s not hard work, it just takes a while to get everyone in and settled. You have the opportunity to chat briefly with any of the guests you like.
STORY: Alejo, are you planning on attending as a guest or staying under cover somewhere else?
STORY: Millie, what’s your plan for this part of the event?
TUELLER: So! Do Padma and/or Millie successfully avoid me in this process?
STORY: Padma isn’t avoiding you explicitly, so no, you see her. She smiles blandly and will proceed to her seat if you tell her where to go.
TUELLER: Tueller stumbles (verbally) upon seeing her. “You’re…back in the system?”
TUELLER: Musimbwa is helping?
STORY: He is! He’s currently helping a granny get her seat.
MILLICENT: Millie slips with her date into the ceremony, hoping to get lost in the shuffle. She always wants to ask Ezio a few questions, see if he slips
STORY: Padma bites her lip. “For the wedding, yeah. Musi wanted to come, so he brought me. You look… good.”
TUELLER: “When I saw Bwana back, I thought maybe, and hoped….but you seemed so set on the frontier. You look like deep space suits you.”
TUELLER: Tueller manages to recover enough to continue to direct people in while talking to her. Maybe missing Millie in the process.
ALEJO: Alejo will stay under cover and get someplace quiet to try to use the com with Millie, not knowing, of course, that she’s here, unless he sees her in the shuffle to the large hall.
STORY: Let’s assume that neither of you see Millie until Millie says that you do
STORY: She nods. “It does. It’s good work.”
TUELLER: “Well. I’m glad. For you.”
TUELLER: “I, uhh, was thinking about you recently. Wondering how you were doing. Out there.”
TUELLER: “I’m glad to hear…well, maybe we’ll catch up later. Enjoy the spectacle!” Tueller laughs a little too heartily.
TUELLER: Tueller’s not very centered right now.
STORY: She looks confused and smiles. “O.. kay?”
STORY: She gives you a kiss on the cheek and finds her way to a seat.
TUELLER: Tueller watches her go for a little, leaving a couple of guests to wander aimlessly as a result. Fuck ’em.
STORY: All right, Millie, you slip by Tueller and sit down with Ezio. He points out Tueller’s sisters to you, tells you what he knows about them, which is mostly basic information and people they’ve dated.
MILLICENT: Millie wants to know what the package she’s supposed to deliver and why, failing that, why he’s working for Sergio
STORY: Okay! Assessment + Influence please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6
STORY: josh rolled 9
STORY: You chat him up as you listen to the processional music, and he relaxes a little, and you get some information from him. He doesn’t know what the package is, someone’s going to bring it to him and he’s going to pass it off to you. He’s under the impression it’ll be handheld, whatever it is.
STORY: When you ask about Sergio, he smiles and offers his hand. “Ezio Calabria.”
MILLICENT: Millie rolls her eyes. “I know your name.”
STORY: “I guess you don’t study the border moons in your university, huh. Calabrias have been consiglieri to the Ndranghetas for hundreds of years.”
STORY: “I grew up with Sergio. We may as well be brothers.”
MILLICENT: Millie sniffs, “I suppose you can’t choose family. Still, you seem proud that your family has been playing second fiddle to his for generations.”
STORY: “There’s value in being over the shoulder of the guy.”
STORY: He gestures to the other guests. “Nobody here wants to kill me, for one.”
STORY: He scratches his nose. “Except maybe you.”
MILLICENT: “Oh, Mr. Calabria, I wouldn’t kill you.”
MILLICENT: Millie smiles a mean smile and apparently drifts off into the fantasies of cruel things she would do to him and Sergio
STORY: Hahah
STORY: Alejo, where are you hiding out?
ALEJO: Alejo has found a way to a balcony, sneaking past caterers and staff to get into a quiet position overlooking the ceremony. He can keep an eye on Tormod and Calixta from here, though at some distance.
STORY: All right! Calixta sneaks a kiss with Tormod as they sit in the rather large crowd. He seems tense, but relaxed regarding her.
ALEJO: Alejo shakes his head. “The fuck, Cali,” he mutters. He then tries his comm to Millie. “Hiya Doc. I know you’re pissed at me. Sorry about that. But I need you to listen. You need to get the ship and crew outta here. Please get a message to Kahn. He’ll understand. Tell him to go dark. Chandra is at the wedding.”
ALEJO: He has no idea if it will work, with all the countersecurity measures and distance.
STORY: Millie, you get the message. What do you do?
MILLICENT: Can I respond non-verbally using my virtual keyboard?
STORY: Nope!
STORY: It’s a walkie talkie. You can send a message back to the ship, but you can’t get anything to Alejo without speaking.
MILLICENT: So I can type a message that will get to the ship?
ALEJO: Alejo taps at his temple, as though that will somehow help. “Gods, damn it. I should have paid more attention when these things were installed.”
MILLICENT: Without speaking, I mean
STORY: Wait, no, you aren’t wearing your suit, are you?
STORY: You’re in a dress
STORY: So no
STORY: Are you wearing your visor in a wedding where, like, people can see you wearing it?
MILLICENT: I thought it wasn’t a weird thing to wear
STORY: Since it doesn’t have the concealed tag, it’s conspicuous the way that wearing armor would be conspicuous
STORY: It isn’t immediately going to start a fight or anything but people will have been side eyeing you all night
MILLICENT: Okay
MILLICENT: Millie’s not trying to draw eyes to herself
MILLICENT: If there’s an opportunity to engage in even a couple of seconds of dialogue without Ezio hearing then Millie will pass on that message to Kahn
MILLICENT: She doesn’t answer her comms at this point
STORY: How would you create the opportunity?
MILLICENT: Steer us nearer to someone who was trying to make Ezio’s eye, getting near the band, dropping something and whispering when I bent over to pick it up
STORY: Okay, let’s Face Adversity + Influence please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6
STORY: josh rolled 2
MILLICENT: goddammit
STORY: Oh no!
ALEJO: –Oh gods.
MILLICENT: —can I get a single goddamn non-Influence roll, please?
STORY: You drop something and lean over, whispering as you touch the spot below your neck that activates the walkie, and just as you’re getting through “Kahn, ev–” you are greeted with Ezio’s smiling face, bent down right next to yours.
STORY: He grabs you roughly by the arm. “Wouldn’t do that, Millie.”
MILLICENT: Millie glares daggers at Ezio. “You should leave now and forget you ever saw me. I know you don’t think you’re in danger, but believe you me, if you stick around you’re going to wish you hadn’t.” And Millie closes the channel to Kahn.
STORY: Kahn comes in on the earpiece. “Roger that. Alejo knows the all clear.” And he cuts out.
STORY: Ezio scowls at you. “Aw, and we were just starting to get along. Listen, this is going to go a _lot_ easier if you play nice.”
STORY: “Sergio’s not asking much. Just be patient. And don’t give me a reason to tell him to release what he has, all right? I kinda like you.”
ALEJO: Alejo sighs and taps his temple one last time. “Fucking comm. Millie, please get this. Please have gotten this.” He shakes his head. “You all are in serious danger. It’s my fault. What’s new. Fuck.” He turns off the com.
MILLICENT: “Aw, I bet you say that to all your blackmail victims.”
STORY: He smiles. “Hey, I’m just the advisor.”
STORY: All right!
STORY: Let’s move on to the third event of the night, which is something all of you are pretty unfamiliar with.
STORY: With Wen as the groom and Akilah as the bride, they’ve been forced to smoosh together Chinese and Congolese wedding traditions. Tueller, so far this has more or less followed the regular schedule of a Dot, with this exception – which you were alerted to: the Bridesmaid games.
STORY: You meet Wen at the entrance to the hallway, and see Esinam and your sisters lining up in the aisle. Esi looks absolutely miserable.
STORY: Millie, you look at your program.
STORY: When the groom arrived at the bride’s house, the groom’s party would be met by the bride’s friends, who would haggle with the groom or his representatives. They would make him perform stunts or tricks, and not “surrender” their friend until they were satisfied with red packets of money.
STORY: Tueller, you’d better have something good in mind.
STORY: Wen is sweating buckets.
TUELLER: I’m confused by the “satisfied with red packets of money” part.
STORY: You have to give them money! But also do tricks and bribe them.
STORY: The guests take the hint and get jubilant with it, some folks getting up and moving around, many chatting amongst themselves.
TUELLER: “Good evening, sisters. I have the honor of presenting to you the star of stage and screen, the apple of our extraordinarily picky sister’s eye, and my friend, who will be wooing each and every one of you with his closing monologue from his most recent holovid…” Tueller pauses, “Shit, what is it, Wen?”
TUELLER: “Electrosluts or something?”
MILLICENT: Millie face palms
TUELLER: The last sorta sotto voce, but not very well.
ALEJO: Alejo watches in horror from above.
TUELLER: “From his smash hit holovid whatever it’s called….while I carry him aloft through the crowd.”
TUELLER: Tueller, kneels down in front of a chair so Wen can climb onto it, and then onto Tueller’s shoulders.
TUELLER: “Any time, buddy.”
STORY: Wen plays along as well as he can, climbing up awkwardly. “Electrosluts?”
STORY: He does his best! I’d like to see a Face Adversity + Physique on this please
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 10 + 2 = 12
STORY: hahahaha
TUELLER: WOOOOO MOTHERFUCKA!
STORY: okay, tell me what you do
TUELLER: Tueller gets him onto his shoulders, and then just lazily strolls up and down the line with his sister urging Wen to do whatever stupid monologue he has memorized from his movie. Initially, just walking back and forth twice. Then, the third time through, putting a little hop and skip into it.
TUELLER: The fourth time, Tueller, does a deep knee bend, taking both of his hands off of Wen to give jazz hands while doing it.
TUELLER: The fifth time up and down the line, Tueller does a wide legged Russian-style dance leap with Wen up there, just barely managing that one.
STORY: You get applause with the fifth one, Wen on top delivering some half-remembered Shakespeare.
TUELLER: The sixth time down the line, Tueller can hear that the monologue is winding down, so he tosses Wen up with a little spin, and catches him in his arms, like Perfect Strangers doing the dance of joy.
TUELLER: “Put your arms out and say tada, Wen.” he says quietly.
STORY: Wen says, “Tada!”
STORY: All of your sisters clap joyously, Esinam even cracking a smile and gesturing for you to pass.
TUELLER: He does this right in front of Esi.
STORY: As you do, she leans in. “Good show, little brother.”
TUELLER: Tueller bows with Wen in his arms, and when he straights up, Wen is still on the floor.
TUELLER: “Rest is up to you, brother.”
STORY: Wen takes a deep breath and walks up to the platform where the officiant stands. Millie, Alejo, anything going on with you two while this series of events is happening?’
ALEJO: Alejo decides to use the ruckus to slip back into the fringes of the crowd and try to pickpocket a personal tablet. He wants to do a bit of news feed research and see if there’s anything about Chandra out there.
STORY: All right! Let’s have a face adversity + mettle if you please
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 2 + 2 = 4
ALEJO: –Ugh.
STORY: Alejo, you see Bilbo Bhattacharya tapping away at his tablet, working through this event, barely paying attention. You take a step towards him and are clocked by his security guy, who steps directly in front of him. “Back off.”
ALEJO: Alejo stops. Looks at the security guy’s chest, which is about at Alejo’s eye level, then up and smiles. “Sorry. Absolutely. Just looking for the loo.”
TUELLER: —You roll any worse than this you’re going to wind up married to Akilah by mistake.
STORY: He points to it.
ALEJO: Alejo nods and smiles again. “Appreciate it.”
ALEJO: He heads that way, muttering under his breath once he’s turned away.
MILLICENT: Millie is trying to scope Ezio’s deal. Is he armed or is wearing a communicator of any kind?
STORY: Millie, Ezio actually excuses himself, noting before he does that six guys are watching you and he will know if you do anything.
MILLICENT: Millie tries to spot them
TUELLER: Tueller has not been keeping an eye out for Sergio.
TUELLER: Tueller is, sadly, a little overwhelmed.
STORY: Millie, let’s have an Assessment + Mettle pls
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: josh rolled 4 + 1 = 5
STORY: Millie, you do your best and see nothing but wedding guests. At the end of this little playacting with Wen and Tueller, Ezio slips in beside you and grasps your hand, out of sight. “Don’t react.” He gives you a kiss on the cheek to excuse the hand holding.
MILLICENT: Hissed, “I think I told you once about touching me. Explain yourself.”
STORY: “You’ve got the package. I am at your disposal; what do you need to get it in his pocket?”
STORY: Millie, you feel something small and solid in your hand. It feels like it might be a flash drive, or similar.
STORY: With that, Esinam walks onto the platform and takes the mic, playfully pushing Wen down the steps and into the crowd.
MILLICENT: Millie tries to figure out what it is by touch while she says, “I just need to be close, I guess. I’ve never done this before.”
STORY: “Welcome, everyone. Welcome friends, associates, family. Thank you for coming.”
TUELLER: Tueller picks up Wen and rights him, brushing him off.
STORY: “Tonight we are celebrating the union of my dear sister Akilah, and Wen, who I have just unceremoniously dumped among you and who is quickly searching for a hiding place if he knows what’s good for him.”
TUELLER: Tueller waves back at Esi.
TUELLER: “Got him!”
TUELLER: Tueller puts his arm around Wen and walks him to the appropriate place.
STORY: “For those of you who haven’t attended a Congolese wedding before, at this point in the ceremony we must search for the missing bride and groom. They’re hidden among us,” she gestures down to Tueller to let Wen go, “and we must find him and bring them together up here so they can tell us all how much they love each other.”
TUELLER: “Fly, you fool!”
STORY: “Everyone, up from your seats, please. Let’s give Wen a chance to escape us and then, the hunt begins! Welcome! And Akilah, wherever you are,” she leads the crowd in a chant some of you already know.
STORY: “Make sure he’s handsome! Make sure he’s kind!”
STORY: This continues for a few rounds as the crowd stands and starts to search the venue.
STORY: Alejo, you hear this over the speakers from an adjacent room and are quickly overtaken by a crowd searching through the area.
TUELLER: Tueller gets up and downs a full drink, then starts participating in the party. Clapping with a boom after each sentence.
STORY: Millie, Ezio stands with you. “Get close. I’ve got your back.”
STORY: Alejo, as you are surrounded, someone in the crowd grabs your hand and pulls you into the coat room. You barely get a glimpse of where you’re going before you’re pulled through the door and it is shut behind you.
STORY: Akilah, in her silk wedding gown, turns to the three attendants in the room and gestures behind her. “Out, please.”
ALEJO: He starts to square up for a fight, before he sees who it is. He freezes.
ALEJO: Swallows hard.
STORY: They quickly slip out, closing the door behind them. You’re surrounded by coats and confiscated weaponry and tech. She stands a few feet from you, the door behind you, her arms crossed, reading your face.
STORY: “What’s the job?”
TUELLER: Doing this while everyone’s looking for you. That’s prime Akilah.
ALEJO: He shakes his head. “No job. And I’m not here to . . . interfere. I just wanted to be here.” He says this softly, not quite meeting her eyes.
STORY: She nods, continuing to nod longer than is necessary.
STORY: “You weren’t invited.”
ALEJO: He smiles awkwardly. “Yeah. I noticed.” He evades “You, ah, look astonishing.”
STORY: She rolls her eyes. “Sounds like you are here to interfere.”
ALEJO: He raises his hands, palm up. “Swear to gods. I’m not.” He meets her eyes now.
ALEJO: “I’m happy for you, Aki. Truly. I asked Tueller to bring me. I planned on staying in the shadows, until this hide and seek thing.”
ALEJO: “Which, I didn’t know about.” He rushes to add.
STORY: She doesn’t seem as solid when you finally look at her.
STORY: She scratches her eyebrow. “It’s less hide and seek than giving all these business assholes the chance to cut a few more deals. They won’t start really searching for me for half an hour.”
ALEJO: He smiles gently. “Always business.”
STORY: She looks down. “Why’d you leave.”
ALEJO: He swallows hard again. Sighs. “You want the truth?”
STORY: “No, I want you to lie to me for another three years.” She smiles.
ALEJO: He laughs. “Yeah. Hazard of the job, I suppose.” He shakes his head, frowns, obviously torn about what comes next.
ALEJO: “I should have told you this. I didn’t because . . . I didn’t know how. I still don’t. And I really probably shouldn’t.”
ALEJO: “I was trying to protect you. And myself.”
STORY: She sighs impatiently.
ALEJO: “I didn’t get caught, all those years ago. I chose to get caught.”
ALEJO: “I owed the RDG. I was owned by them. They planted me.” He sighs. “Fuck it. I was a double agent, Aki. I was trying to break free of them. I fell in love with you. Tueller. Not the business, but the two of you.”
ALEJO: “But if you’d announced us . . . they’d never have let it go.”
ALEJO: “And I couldn’t be used by them. Not against you. And I didn’t have leverage to get out.”
ALEJO: He drops his eyes.
STORY: She takes a step towards you, and touches your chin gently, nudging it up to get you to look at her.
ALEJO: He does. Sad. Hard. But he looks at her.
STORY: “Alejandro.”
STORY: “I would have protected you.“
ALEJO: He nods, ever so slightly, his eyes watering, his jaw tense. “I didn’t know how to trust anyone. But I wish I had.”
ALEJO: He takes a deep breath and tries to regain some composure. “Terrible fucking timing. I just am the absolute worst.” He smiles. “I’m not telling you this to . . . you know . . . interfere.” He emphasizes the word. “I’ve just created a lot of wreckage in my life. I’m starting to feel responsible for the ruins, I guess.” He shrugs, unsatisfied with how that came out. “I’m sorry.”
STORY: Let’s have a face adversity + influence please, I think the dice ought to have some say in how this goes
ALEJO: I’ll use my close up too.
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+3
STORY: ablair01 rolled 6 + 3 = 9
STORY: Alejo, Akilah takes your hand. She’s wearing a thin silver bracelet, one you gave her years ago.
STORY: “Forgiven.”
STORY: She doesn’t let go, and keeps looking at you. There is meaning in that look.
ALEJO: He swallows hard, fighting back an unexpected rush of emotion. He’s visibly shaken and at a loss. “Thank you,” he finally says softly.
STORY: Stiiilllll not letting go of that hand. Mayyyybe pulling you towards her juuuust a little.
ALEJO: He looks at her now, more uncertain, curious, longingly. “Aki?” This is barely a whisper. He leans in towards her a little. “I really don’t want to fuck this up for you.” He obviously really, really does.
STORY: She extremely goes for it.
ALEJO: He extremely reciprocates.
STORY: There are coats everywhere!