Liam's options for meeting places was rather limited. But by that same token, two vehicles full of masked occupants meeting out-of-doors was far from a strange sight in these times.

They had opted to use Robyn's pickup truck. Outside the sphere of the fugue's influence, it would garner more attention than was practical. Liam and Robyn were the first to arrive. The lone attendant in the station could not have been less interested in the goings-on in the lot, especially as Robyn had already gassed up the truck and paid.

Robyn took a deep breath as the black towncar rolled up beside them. She hugged the book tight to her chest, and stepped out of the vehicle.

Miss and her matronly ghoul, both wearing masks, stepped out of the car and waited to greet them. Robyn and the Tremere locked gazes for a moment. Neither one moved, nor did they speak. There was an uneasy silence between them.

[Roll per + Subterfuge, DC9]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:36, Wed 23 Dec 2020.

Liam was the first to speak, nodding familiarly towards Miss and her attendant. He kept his mask on though he presumed the ghoul was aware of his identity. "Hello, Miss," he said.

Spent the WP to pass. 1 success.

08:30, Today: Liam O'Farrell failed (no successes) using 6d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed system with a target of 9 with rolls of 8,4,6,7,3,8.  Perception + Subterfuge + WP.

"Good evening, Liam," Miss said. "I'm glad to see you escaped more or less intact. I must confess I eavesdropped on your conversation with Flynn last night. I'm assuming you've been bound as well?"

Liam held his wrists out before him like a prisoner in shackles. "Rather effectively."

"You heard me slurring Keats, did you?" he smiled. "I'd wondered if you were there when I saw the light on in the library."

Kieran and I were cataloguing books," Miss said. "I would have intervened, but even if I got the drop on him, Flynn is an even match for me. Of course, that's because he knows things that I don't." She looked intently at the book. "To wit."

Robyn stepped forward, and handed the book to Miss. Liam noticed a flicker across Miss' face as she looked at the cover. Something about it startled her. She looked quizically at Robyn. Liam couldn't see Robyn's face from his angle, so he was unable to gauge any response. Then Miss' eyes darted to Liam, studying his expression. Then she relaxed slightly. All this happened in a brief few seconds. Then she spoke.

"Thank you," Miss said warmly to Robyn. "This should level the field somewhat. Though I'd prefer to teach it to my entire Chantry. But first I'd need to retake control." She turned her attention back to Liam. "Did you discuss my other request?"

"I know you would have," Liam acknowledged unhesitatingly. "Believe me, the thought crossed my mind. I have too many secrets squirrelled away inside my head to go quietly into their arms. But I'm glad I didn't have to involve you last night. The repercussions could have been too great."

"Hasan is paying for my misfortune though. Flynn bound him. Not as tightly as me, but enough. Once you have the hang of the path, I would appreciate your help in rectifying that. He risked a great deal for me last night."

"As for your Chantry," Liam turned and looked at Robyn. "Yes, we talked about it. Robyn wanted to ask you some questions."

Miss' eyes twinkled merrily when she heard of Hasan's fate. "Oh I'm sure he and I could come to some sort of arrangement," she said vaguely. She chuckled.

Robyn held out her own vial of the formula, out of Miss' reach. "So tell me," Robyn said. "If I give you this, what assurances do I have that you won't simply build an army and come take the book by force?"

"None whatsoever," Miss replied without skipping a beat. "Other than, as long as you hold the Tome of the First Tribe, I can keep no secrets from you." She narrowed her eyes menacingly. "Of course, if you assure me that you're on board with our plan to release Vamanando from Its prison, I have no reason to steal it."

"When the time comes," Robyn said. "Just get me to the site and I'll do the rest."

Miss looked at her watch. "How's right now? If we drive fast we can make it by sunrise."

Robyn smirked. "That sounds like a rush job. I would think you'd want to savour what's to come, given how long you've worked at it."

Miss laughed mirthlessly. "You know, I had you pegged all wrong," she looked at Liam. "You should really be protecting us from her."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:24, Sun 27 Dec 2020.

"I'm not even fully capable of protecting myself at the moment," Liam reminded both women. "But I know without asking that either one of you would step in to save me if the situation demanded it. We all want the same thing. Even if our reasons differ they aren't at odds. I'm not asking you to trust each other so much as I'm asking you to trust me."

"Unlike Book, I've been a very good judge of character and I trust you both."

The two women snorted derisively in unison, and then looked at one another.

"I guess we're stuck with each other," Robyn said. She handed Miss the vial.

"I certainly wouldn't be in a position to do much of anything if not for your help," Miss said. "So I suppose I owe you."

"Just make sure that you remember that once you've got your Chantry behind you," Robyn said. "This is a favour I intend to collect."

Miss looked at the book in one hand, and the vial in the other. "The Tome has certainly been good to you. I wonder what you do for an encore."

"You'll have to buy my next book to find out," Robyn quipped. "It'll knock your socks off."

"I'm glad that's decided," Liam said. "I look forward to working together. But I especially look forward to being able to fly again, so I wish you the best of luck with your studies. It'll make it far easier to meet as well."

He glanced at the gas station attendant who'd still taken scant notice of them.

"I better get to it, then," Miss said. "And I certainly hope this means you're finally going to be laying low for a while. You have my number if you need to reach me." The matron opened the rear door, and Miss climbed inside.

The attendant was still minding his own business. They were having what had all the outward appearances of being a typical socially distant visit. He was far more interested in his phone, and likely just grateful they weren't loitering inside the cramped storefront breathing all over him.

When they were finally alone inside the car again, Robyn removed her mask. "Well, that certainly could have gone worse," she said as she drove away.

Liam looked out the windows at the ranks of trees receding into a darkness his eyes could no longer penetrate. He too removed his mask.

“You know I actually think the two of you would like each other if you could get past the brooding mutual distrust,” he said with a grin. “You’d be quite the team, that’s for sure.”

“I guess I’m going to be making the trip to Bar Harbor by car, unless Hasan has any luck with the witch hunter we bagged. Any idea what the border crossings are like with everything locked down?”

"I mean, they're not great," Robyn said. "You need to have a good reason to get into the States, and a better one to get back out. You might want to consider asking Holloway to tag along. From what I understand his kind can browbeat people into looking the other way. Maybe Pockets has another solution, but I sure don't."

Liam nodded. "That's a fair idea. Jacob could use the change of scenery and I wouldn't mind having him there when I meet Flores - particularly while I'm at such a disadvantage."

"Its going to be a few days before we get back to the village. I trust you'll manage just fine without me, but let me know if I can bring anything back."

Robyn shook her head. "Nothing that I can think of," she said. "But, uh, you might want to take a detour on your way back. I did a little digging while you were away, and found your friends."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a small folded note. There was an address in Kirkland Lake, Ontario written on it. Quite a detour.

Liam reached for the paper and looked down at it dumbfounded. After a moment he looked back up at Robyn. "You found them?!" he asked, unable to disguise the excitement in his voice. "They're alive?"

He looked back down at the paper. "Kirkland Lake. Never heard of it."

"Basically once you hit Sarnia you keep driving for a couple of hours," she said. "Out on the corner of buttfuck and nowhere. They're both alive and well. Not the most glamorous surroundings, but they're making do."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:49, Tue 29 Dec 2020.

"Thank you, Robyn," Liam said, holding tight to the address as though it might fly away were he to let go even for a moment. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I've got some," Robyn said. "He's practically family. Just promise me you'll be careful. Northern Ontario is pretty much their country, and some others of their kind might not be so happy to see a Kindred. Let alone one without his powers."

"Of course," Liam replied. "I'll be careful."

He glanced up at the road cast in sharp relief by the glow of their headlights. "Robyn, what was on the cover of the book you just gave Miss? Something surprised her, and I couldn't see."

Robyn chuckled. "You picked up on that, huh?" she said. "Let's just say it's a ghost from her past. And an insurance policy for me. If the Tremere knew, she'd be dead by dawn. And if you knew? Well, sometimes I wish you'd trust me when I tell you to be careful around her. But that said, I don't feel right betraying a secret that may very well be none of my business. Or yours. Feel me?"

Liam nodded. "I understand," he said simply.

Happy to advance as you see fit

As he didn't press the matter further, there was little else to discuss on the ride home. Liam used the rest of the evening to prepare for the road trip.

[1 xp for the scene, +1 WP for achieving a milestone with the binding curse]