#I remember that kind of bad faith argument getting weaponized against stuff like got which has flaws but ‘depicts misogyny’ isnt among them

[chimerabal]

I think this is session 12?

We open the session in a small huddle talking about The Plan. We realize that Cassiel knowing all of this is probably a problem. We ask him to leave and he... doesn’t want to. I have “shenanigans at Aurelia” written here and I can’t for the life of me remember what exactly he said or did. Fox is pretty sure she had to flirt at him to get him to leave though so- yea. He eventually agrees to get outta here for a little bit and we PLAN.

Uriel tries to argue against The PLAN. It’s crazy, we can’t actually trust these people, life in Thraben is actually GOOD between missions... she’s pretty thoroughly shot down. Mikaela says that the church isn’t going to let this go, and that we can’t trust the church any more really- others agree. Sibyl says she has faith in the scientists (well... the necro-alchemists at least) and what they are working towards. She also gives us a rundown of the necro-alchemist’s side of their mission and all- building better tech and doing research to help protect everyone. Some doubt shows through in Sibyl’s expression though :eyes: :eyes: :eyes emojis:

Sibyl goes and relay’s our plan to Cleofe and is given the go ahead. She does mention that, although she cannot force Uriel to do anything, that without leaving a body for the skaaberens she cannot guarantee the party’s safety. This makes us all very nervous but Uriel is a piss and says she’s prepared for whatever. Shes not. She gets a look at the group’s monsters (one skaab with a design we fought before, Cleofe’s puppet nightmare, and the last skaap has a gross tentacle cape thats probably hiding weapons.... Margret kept her monster hidden... ⊃゜Д゜;;;)) just to see what we’re up against should the worst happen... it ain’t good. Sibyl and Cleofe also discuss what Romana had shared, Sibyl is intentionally secretive, though I wish I had written down what was said because it was slightly more than what we usually get outta her. When asked about codes she plays dumb successfully. 

Aurelia takes a moment to speak with Uriel. She says she cannot STAND Cassiel any longer, and that if forced to she’ll probably stab him. Cass offered to pay to ruin some guys that were making Aurelia’s life hard, and that’s way WAY too important to just... not deal with. IF Uriel could pay these people off- its the same money source right?- then no older brothers have to get stabbed. Well... stab was the Wrong Word to use, and Uriel is instantly pissed off by the whole convo. Uriel counters with her own deal, which is ‘how about you DON’T stab my family, accept Cassiel’s generosity, and I WON’T stitch all your fucking fingers together’. They go back and forth a bit. ‘We’re FRIENDS aren’t we???’ (I see what you did there- using the F word against Uriel- yoU TRIED) ‘Well I would LIKE to be your friend, you seem fun, but here you go threatening to STAB MY FAMILY’ ‘you KNOW he deserves it’ ‘>:(’. Mikaela intercepts and tells Aurelia to stop heckling her girlfriend- which is an interesting word choice being that in game time the kiss stuff happened probably two hours ago- tops. Uriel fails a wisdom save and has to end the argument b/c shes an emotional blushing mess ag a i n. Uriel tells Aurelia that they’re going to revisit the subject. 

The party, sans Sibyl, she wanted to stay behind and learn more about her colleagues, return to the Bleyhall estate with Cassiel. Cassiel brings up The Plan and how he doesn’t like that we’re faking deaths- ESPECIALLY his beloved’s. We try to just get him to drop the whole damn thing and let us handle it, and fail. Aurelia and Cassiel come up with an arrangement where Aurelia will use her experience in faking her own death and making a new identity to get a job in the Bleyhall estate as a maid- so they “won’t have to be apart” (a part of Aurelia died trying to plan this :’) it’s so fun to watch). She also get’s him to agree that the job is really only in writing and salary- and that she won’t actually be working. Not done being a nuisance, Cassiel starts asking about Uriel and Mikaela’s status. He thinks it would be hilarious to tell the parents; both highly disagree. Mikaela stresses that for now the relationship is a secret, the parents and more importantly the church doesn’t have to know, and that he should really just pretend nothing even happened- Uriel readily agrees. 

At the estate the party is greeted by a long time servant of the Bleyhall’s, Sigmund, who is introduced to us as ‘more of a father to Uriel and her brothers than their own’ :’). Sigmund is very emotional to see both Cassiel and Uriel, and uncharacteristic hugs are had between them all. Aurelia, while we’re all happy and reuniting, is making obscene hand gestures behind Uriel’s back and pointing to Mikaela. We don’t catch her. One day we will though- you’ve got it coming to you, you piss. He tries to insist we see Uriel’s parents Right Away, and, between the lines, tips us off that if we don’t see them right now we’re missing out on a Lot Of Cash Money. We are able to convince him into letting us see Michael first.

We find Michael in his room with this CRAZY ELABORATE C.S.I. style photo/string web set up detailing the skaaberen group and it’s members- although mostly Cleofe lmao. He had held onto one of Uriel’s journals and was getting all kinds of descriptors from it and he had... a stupidly large amount of info. He even did some illustrations, the ones of Cleofe were ‘very accurate, however like... 10% angrier than she usually looks”. In the mess of papers and string and all, he also had set aside some shiny new weaponry and animal traps for the ~hunt~ he had been planning. The whole damn party OOC is like, fuckin’ enamored with Michael. In character Aurelia is like, head over heels, super into this though. Uriel and Mikaela express their gratitude (Uriel also gives him a shot about Continuing To Take And Read Her Journals) but tell him that this really really isn’t necessary- please don’t go hunting them down Cassiel is FINE- we want them alive for a while. At some point their budding relationship is brought up again, Uriel gets teased about suspected necrophilia from her bros, it is stressed that we are keeping shit secret from the church please stop talking about it. Michael also mentions that the reaction the parents would have would be Fun- especially seeing that Mikaela is a church member... I didn’t mention it in game, but HOO MAN Uriel is not nearly as ballsy as her brothers are with prodding the parents (it’s not so much in fear of a bad reaction- which isn’t Great but she can deal with that- it’s that she’s SO SURE they won’t react at all and that kind of... nothingness just crushes her so she rarely even risks it any more). We go to return the weapons we borrowed, he lets us keep whatever we really feel like keeping.

But oh my god ok the important part: AURELIA. She goes into Full Flirt Overdrive at Michael. She compliment’s his “art”, how sophisticated the setup he has going is, his array of weaponry (again). She mentions that she probably has a new job lined up at the manor and that she cannot wait to ‘polish his weapons’ (I can’t even fuckin type this I’m dyin x’D). The flirts WO R K, which is a big deal considering the rolls she usually gets, and Michael is into it in his... own weird way, ‘I’d like to get them a bit... messy before polishing them’. I’m pretty sure the heir thing was mentioned again, which wasn’t enough to totally repel Aurelia this time so???

As a note: my character is deeply disturbed over Aurelia’s thing for Michael’s gleeful willingness to kill shit. She’s uncomfortable with how murder-y Michael is too, but like that’s just him, she’s accepted it by now. Sometimes he brings back nice dead things to stitch up. It’s Fine. The fact that Aurelia finds that trait desirable (a turn on even???) really REALLY makes Uriel question What The Fuck kind of person Aurelia is.

All of this happened right in front of Cassiel, who is just like... pissed and mortified and so fucking confused??? He snaps at Michael, asking why the only time he’s ever been interested in a living- breathing- actual woman is when it’s cUCKING HIM? He tries, and fails, to get Uriel to take his side on this (hell no I’m not touching this shit lm fa o). The brother’s argue for a bit, Cassiel tries to suck Aurelia in briefly which also fails. Picking up on Aurelia’s total disinterest in Cass, Michael asks if their ‘relationship’ is an actual thing Both of them agreed upon. Cassiel fumbles and gives some shitty non-answer- Aurelia is like... sweatin. Uriel calls Cass out on his crap answer and asks where he met her- he says it would be inappropriate to talk about that. Aurelia is fed up with all of this and tells some her tragic backstory as a poor stripper, that Cassiel is just gross and obessed with her stage persona, and that Cassiel was bribing her with funds to pay off/revenge on one of the noble families she is indebted to. She storms out of the room, Michael scolds Cassiel and follows, Uriel and Mikaela ALSO scold Cassiel (LMAO) and go watch Aurelia and Michael from the doorway all sneaky (but no so sneaky) like. 

Michael sorta half/not really apologizes for Cassiel’s behavior, and the two just McFuckin continue flirting. THIS IS WHERE THE HEIR THING WAS MENTIONED what bad timing, c’mon Aurelia that’s such a red flag. Pretty sure Michael offered a different kind of revenge, more... active... than the type is brother is experienced with, on the family Aurelia’s indebted to. Swoons. Uriel and Mikaela decide they’ve seen enough and take Cassiel down to speak to the crone and the deadman.

While bringing Cassiel down to the office, he shares with Uriel and Mikaela that he’s been doing some deep thinking about what just happened between him, Aurelia, and his brother. He has come to the conclusion that monogamy and romance are a scam, the absolute idiot. Uriel tells him that, it’s good he’s been soul searching, but that his conclusion needs some work. Cassiel in response tells Uriel not to make the same mistakes he did, and to get out of the thing with Mikaela before it’s too late, incredible. 

Uriel takes the lead to speak with their parents. It’s awkward, per usual. Uriel is prodded into actually asking for the money which... worked but still doesn’t feel too great. The party gets a couple thousand for bringing Cassiel back, and more money is on the table for the info we can provide. They ask for whatever we can give, who did the kidnapping, where they are, how long they will be there etc etc... Not wanting to give up the science camp’s deets, we say that because it was a part of a ‘church investigation’ our hands are tied for the time being. I... had also told something to Sigmund and also here that.... I don’t remember. I think it was that the kidnappers were skaaberens who we didn’t recognize and that they seemed mobile and are probably un-trackable? That doesn’t feel right? Whatever. Uriel tells her parents that, as soon as the info cleared, she will return and tell them everything, and that the families reputation is one of her primary interests here. They tell her she did well (!!!) and the party is excused with 2500gp. 625 gold PER PERSON. hhhhwow.

Off-camera, Aurelia and Michael had ironed out some details about Aurelia’s fake employment at the estate and her secret-identity-to-be. When Uriel and Mikaela go to get Aurelia, all serious talk is over with the two are drawing portraits of all the people at the clearing. The likenesses are spot on, and Aurelia is telling who can be stabbed and who cannot (for now), and are just generally having a great time making battle plans (xD). She also had drawn the skaabs at the camp; Michael was able to add what the probable functions of the monsters were as well, and circled some weak points- very useful. We wait until we’re outside and on the way back to the training grounds to give Aurelia her 625gp, she fuckin’ BOLTS with it to go find her family.

Back at the clearing with all the scientists, Sibyl has a talk with Prof. Ebner about the status of her old colleagues. I apologize Ollie, I had spaced out some, but what I got was: None are dead. Yay. Blair is excited to be doing science again. Otto is more somber than he was b/c of EVENTS but is still good for morale. Elodie did... something that didn’t sound too great. Something about ego and competition getting in the way of work? Ebner is super worried about Romana. He says she seems like she’s changed- which might just be a symptom of the church persecution and shitty-traveling-woods-camp living conditions- but still. She’s been super paranoid and very stressed and her plans are going slowly.... plans I think Sibyl knows but I don’t... Gathering forces was mentioned, the church being a pain in the ass was mentioned; apparently there is something that is a Bigger Concern than church persecution right now too and???????????? HHHHHHHHH??????

((I spend all this time excited to learn Sibyl backstory and just- zone the fuck out when it happens? I’m mad at me. >:( ))

At the training grounds, Mikaela and Uriel are really, REALLY GAY. Mikaela has to know if her feelings are mutual, and if the two of them are a couple or not- Well... yes. But before giving a proper yes/no Uriel has Mikaela confirm that she isn’t just using the kissing and feelings to manipulate her- Of course not. Mikaela’s anger with the church is mentioned (Uriel almost makes a lewd comment about that) and she say’s she’s not letting anyone make decisions for her any more and also makes it very clear that she is willing to dive head first into this ship like- right away. Despite this they agree that the church should probably not know; workplace/personal life conflicts and all... we’re pretty sure that the Lunarch will NOT like one of his clerics being involved with a criminal she was supposed to keep in check. The two make out for an undetermined amount of time, but DM implies that is was a long while b/c of some above average chr dice rolls... so long in fact that Aurelia had made it all the way back from giving her family the cash and walked in on the two. 

Aurelia, being herself, made a comment that set Mikaela off (which, isn’t too hard to do) and she gets chased out of the room. The two decide to just sit and talk and snuggle a bit after having the mood thoroughly ruined, and Uriel goes all 20 questions on Mikaela. The most important take away from the questions is that Mikaela feels SUPER betrayed by the church, she put in so much of her time and work and life and got what? Assigned to something she never wanted to do and then LIED TO? Whack. Mikaela asked 1 (one) question, which was why Uriel makes her ‘sculptures’ and got.... a less than noble answer; basically just because she likes doing it. Mikaela said that it’s cool Uriel does what she wants, and that she hasn’t done anything for herself in a really long time, which, set Uriel off a bit... Uriel asks what is something that Mikaela has been wanting to do- Mikaela said that a nice sounding day would be to take a walk and visit a bakery or smthn... so now they’re at a bakery and its like... midnight... and Uriel is bribing the baker to just.... let us sit here and give us whatever things he already has made. Note: The whole cuddle session was being watched by Aurelia who had decided to be a fuckin’ voyeur and peep through the window. She blew her cover by pointing out an accidental innuendo (what do you want to do- ‘YOU OBVS’) then bailed again; lbr she probably followed Uriel and Mikaela to the bakery...

Uriel is going to tip that baker like... an entire gold coin... next session.