Logan blushed. "I, uhh, was playing dead for most of it," he said sheepishly. "Thanks for literally dragging my ass out of the frying pan. I owe you one. Several, really."

Liam broke into a grin. "I was pretty sure you came around while we were climbing, and I wasn't going to complain that you didn't want to stop for an explanation half way up the escarpment."

"I was just fortunate you were up in the air when the rest of the VFPD was otherwise occupied. If I'd had to break into the 3rd precinct it might not have happened."

"Maybe you can fill me in on what you saw on the inside sometime but it doesn't have to be tonight. I imagine you're still getting settled."

"I was 17 and in the air cadets when this shit all started," Logan said. "It's a lot to unravel." Grace put her hand on his knee as a gesture of support. "I don't know if I'll ever know how much of what my life has become was a reflection of my own talents and desires, and what was... Them, pushing me into what was useful."

"What matters is you're alive, and you're you," Joyce said. "Reflecting on the trauma we all suffered is important, but don't let the past define your future."

Logan nodded quietly. "I can't imagine what those kids are going through. This is all they've ever known."

"We'll have to show them there's something more," Liam said encouragingly. "Joyce is right. No one can give you back what was taken, but you're your own man now. What you chose to do with that is up to you."

"I'm just glad you made it here safe."

He turned a questioning look back over to Joyce.

"How are we doing for wants and needs? I think I've done just about everything that was asked of me, but I'm headed back into town tonight. If there's a list to work at I'll keep whittling away at it."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:17, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

"Eventually we're going to need power," Joyce said. "I'm guessing a spike on Robyn's hydro bill won't go over well with the powers-that-be, and her solar panels won't cut it. Might be something we look after for ourselves during the day, though. Food is running low, but the crops are growing faster than I thought possible. Some of the others want to arm themselves as well, but I'm not one of them."

"Put Caleb on a treadmill generator and he'll run for hours," Liam said with a grin. "I don't know how far that will go towards off-setting the draw on Robyn's power though. I'll give it some thought."

"I can bring back more game, although I'm guessing that's not where you're feeling the pinch at the moment. That moose should last a while, even with a few more mouths to feed."

"As for arms, I know a guy. But it would help to know what we're starting from. Brad can swing a hunting rifle, and that's a start. Small calibre firearms aren't much of a deterrent."

Liam rubbed the back of his head where he'd taken the bullet the night before. There wasn't even a mark.

"A rifle or a shotgun would be the way to go. But guns aren't the only way to defend yourselves, nor are they necessarily the best. Robyn has some thoughts on that."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Fri 28 Aug 2020.

"According to Brad, getting groceries was easy," Joyce said. "The police are making food deliveries during the day, so they just went in and took all they needed. Crated up, with receipts paid for with the regime's funny money. I think we'll be fine on that front, I'm just complaining."

She lit up on the topic of Robyn's self-defense methods. "Oh, we've spoken on that. And from what I understand, learning magic is like learning very difficult math. Some of us are going to be better off learning how to shoot."

Liam smiled. It looked as though Robyn had found a keen student already. "Makes sense to me. I'll help with the trigonometry class and leave Robyn to teach calculus."

Liam pushed up from his thighs and stretched. "Enjoy the rest of the evening. I'll check in tomorrow and see how things went with our friend."

After saying his farewells Liam headed towards the house, waving at Robyn as he passed. Retrieving his gear from her office he grabbed a beer and set the striker down on the kitchen counter to work. He popped the earbud in as he set to work cleaning the firearm.

"Jacob? Are you on again tonight?"

Robyn was hard at work assembling her notes, making the most out of her renewed vigor. She quietly closed her office door as Liam began his conversation.

"I'm here," came Jacob's reply. "You just missed Mik. He's healing up nicely."

"Good," Liam said. "I'm glad to hear it."

"There was an interesting development last night I didn't get the chance to fill you in on. Figured you ought to know."

"The ghoul I went up to find wasn't the only pilot in that helicopter. There was a yellow band by the name of Hector Cortez. He's one of mine out of the Bar Harbor enclave. From what he tells me the Tremere bagged him two years ago and they've been forcing him to sire more gangrel for the Redwatch ever since."

Liam paused for a drink from the neck of his bottle.

"There's more. He tells me there are two other gangrel of age to wean more childer. One is an old guard from the Redwatch name of Knoblich. The other is another yellow band. I don't have a name on that one, but I do know its not Beaumont. Beaumont made it back to Bar Harbor."

"And here's the icing on the cake. Flores is the alpha in Bar Harbor. I saw Cortez off tonight. He's murderous towards the Tremere and I expect Flores is going to feel much the same."

"That's excellent news," Jacob said. "Perhaps now the other independent clans will understand the threat this regime poses to their own. Did they leave any contact information?"

"Cortez has nothing. Not even a phone. I gave him my contact and told him to get a hold of me once he was settled. Once I hear back I'll schedule a meet. You should be there."

"Yes, I should," Jacob replied. "I think the time has come to begin forging a new Accord. One that includes mortals. If any of us hope to survive what's to come, we must have at least an idea of what coexistence looks like."

“You want my advice? Don’t just include mortals. Make sure they’ve got an equal hand on the reigns. It’s not coexistence if we’re still on the top rung pushing everyone else down. When the Masquerade comes crashing down, we only survive if they can learn to trust us. And that takes trust in them.”
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Fri 28 Aug 2020.

"That is welcome advice," Jacob replied. "I'm hoping that your new friend will continue to keep me honest. There's someone else we should tap, too. How do you feel about paying Jim Gordon a visit?"

The last time Liam had seen Jim, he had willingly given himself over to the Fugue. His family was already in the clutches of the occupation, and at the time no cure was available. He had remained a figurehead in the city, appearing on television whenever the nation's attention turned to the city. When the veil lifts, the city would need strong leadership to handle the ensuing panic and chaos.

"Jim", Liam said faintly. He stopped what he was doing and stared down into his bottle without really seeing it. "Yeah."

"Yeah I can pay Jim a visit. How do you want me to play it? The Cams wont notice if a security guard goes missing here and there. They'll know when Jim disappears."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:50, Fri 28 Aug 2020.

"I'm hoping that he will stay right where he is," Jacob said. "With access to the Alhambra, and the inner workings of the regime."

Liam nodded though Jacob couldn’t see it. “Any idea where they’re keeping him and Moira?” He asked.

"Right where we left him," Jacob said. "In his house in Rosewood. Living as well as any mortal can under the oppression of mind control. Security is lax, because of the zero crime rate, but last I checked he had a man on him. He's still an asset to protect, after all."

"One man shouldn't give me too much trouble," Liam replied. He started back to work on the pistol, methodically dissembling and cleaning it. "I was planning on doing a flyover of the docks tonight anyway to see what's come of it now that Deluca's been pushed out and Redwatch has moved in."

"I can add Rosewood to my circuit."

"Thank you, Liam. Please have Pockets provide you with a burner for him," Jacob said. "Do be careful, though. He's not going to stand up to scrutiny if his security detail ends up mysteriously decapitated."

“If all goes to plan they won’t even know I was there,” Liam assured. “Question for you, Jacob, and then I’ll let you go. The Sole Regret. It’s a tavern in the docks and so far as I can tell the last Kine night spot open in the city, in the midst of a pandemic no less. Seems odd, even if the Cams are just hoping to contain the merchant sailors to the district. I thought it must have been a front for Deluca but he denied any involvement. Is it Kindred run, do you know?”

"From what I could tell it was a concession made with mortal shipping concerns," Jacob said. "They are forever threatening to pick up and move their operations to Montreal. The city's economy has always come from the ports, and god knows I had to make more than my share of concessions during my administration to keep the city running. You've seen how our industrial concerns fared. The only thing that was profitable was the steelworks, and- well, I'm digressing here. The point is that if the sailors aren't happy, the unions aren't happy. And management's not happy. And the mortal crime syndicates aren't happy. After last night's fiasco, I must say I'm as eager as you are to know how things are faring down there. We might be looking at liberating a city right into a depression."

"The whole world's in a depression," Liam replied. "The pandemic is the great equaliser."

"I'll be sure to let you know what I find though," he added.

"Safe travels," Jacob replied.