Morning jog with Danielle, and breakfast when we get back. Afterward, I call my brothers to set up a lunch date to talk to them about Dad (though I don’t bring Dad up over the phone). My next call is to Donnie to confess to what happened last night. He’s ultimately okay with it, but tells me to play along the next time he’s over – he wants to have a little fun with Scott.
Around one I head to Olive Garden to meet my brothers. I talk to them about Dad, and they think he would come to a ceremony if I invited him. After we’ve eaten, I call Mom and she’s super excited to hear from me, and she and Dad both want to come this weekend. When we hand up, she calls Raph and I can literally hear her squeeing, she’s so excited and asking him so many questions (she had no idea we were together). Before my brother’s and I go our separate ways, Gabe hands me a manila envelope to give to Scott, and I invite them over that evening, seeing as how Scott will be having Iron Kitty company/practice anyway.
On the way home, I talk to Ben and get things set up for Saturday evening – seems like everything is good to go. Once home I hand over the envelope to Scott – it seems to contain a resume of sorts – one solely about gaming. I write Donovan a note, explaining that the Iron Kitties and my brothers would be there that evening, grab a piece of tape, and tape it to the inside of his bedroom door, being careful not to let in any sunlight. I also mention that we want to discuss Raul, as there was another incident involving Scott and his socks.
Around nine that evening is when Donovan gets up, and we all (Donovan, Scott, Danielle and myself) talk a little. He surmises about Raul that his mind has broken, and not taken well to the blood. He also states that he is going to see some people in order to try and do something about Danielle’s predicament (her catlike appearance). Something about Tremere (apparently a group of mages who became vampires) was mentioned. I will admit, I was a little intrigued by Donovan’s very basic description of them.
By ten he (Donovan) has left, and my brothers have arrived, with most of the Iron Kitties showing up a half hour later. Scott is home from work at his new job by 11:15, and comes in with Burtowski. They decide to try Gabe out, see how good he is since they want an alt for tournaments. Gabe trash talks them a little, and to test him out they do all Kitties versus Gabe. Raph bets me $200 that Gabe wins, and I take him up on it. At one point, after Raph gets a soda, I feel the kind of sensation I get when Donovan is using one of his abilities – something otherworldly is happening.
My first thought is that it’s Raph, so I ask to talk to him after the match. As for Gabe, he’s acting like a total tard – kind of rude, voice dripping with sarcasm, but ultimately wastes the Kitties (who are outraged and insist he’s cheating – even though he does it again on a different computer and uses no mods). Raph and I head back to my room to talk, and I tell him I can sense magic, for lack of better terminology, and ask if he did anything. He insist he didn’t. We discuss the bet afterwards, and he says I don’t have to pay, but I give him a $20 anyway. I do end up learning, through the course of talking, that Gabe has a few lucky charms he carries around with him, and has been studying Krav Maga lately.
Somehow, during the course of Kitty conversation, the topic of my sex life comes up. Scott blurts out that he has video, which highly interests the Iron Kitties, but upsets Donnie. I threaten to break his phone if he tries to show it, and he gets upset at that. Gabe distracts them with an honest apology, then Jeremy brings up whether to make Gabe an alt or a permanent member. It comes up that Gabe is gay, and there’s a small argument between him and Burtowski – it eventually gets settled. Once that’s over, I pull Gabe away for a talk to ask him the same thing I asked Raph…and end up learning that Gabriel is a true mage, as in magic, but Merlin style – no rituals needed.
Much later in the evening, after my brothers and the kitties have left, Donovan returns, and we inquire as to how things went. He was able to talk a way into helping Danielle, however it requires a fair bit of effort that he isn’t willing to do, favor wise. Finding the components that they need in order to create the talisman to allow Danielle to appear normal would be easier, however they are very specific, and the most problematic one would be the ten pints of vampire blood required.
Another option brought up is Ben, and we are given permission to tell Danielle what he is and to show her the basement. Scott and I take her downstairs, and start discussing Ben. As we tell her what he is, a ‘being’ appears. Eight feet tal, glowing beautifully, but with a sense of evil about him, and four tentacles sprouting from his back, almost like Lovecraftian wings. Saliva drips from his mouth, and claws drip as well, the liquid hissing as it touches the floor. It then speaks and asks “Who hath summoned me?”
Danielle starts to freak the fuck out. Ben shifts to his normal form and apologizes – he didn’t realize it was me, and thought it was Donovan. Danielle keeps going on about how this is a really bad situation, we’re evil, etc. Ben tries taking a different form, a more angelic one, and she passes out completely. Scott and I carry her upstairs as Ben follows us. It takes some time, but she comes to, thinking she just had a bad dream (but she soon learns that it was real). The specifics of what Ben actually is are discussed (not a demon after all, but a fallen angel). We then discuss what he could do for Danielle.
Ben thinks for a while, then says he’ll do this one as a freebie. He places a hand on her head and she shifts, appearing perfectly human. Ben explains that it’s a very good, complex illusion, and that she can shift back if she wants, whenever she wants, and then he leaves.
Danielle is beyond thrilled, and wants to go out right then. As the only place that is open is Walmart, Scott and I take her there, with Donovan handing over his credit card to get Danielle a few things. We do quite a bit of shopping for her, and some for me (as I plan on trying to do some yoga with her as well). When we get back, she models for us, then joins Donovan on the roof (Scott does as well). Myself? I wrote this post and am calling it a night.