[Icelander]

We ended last session just as Lucien Lacoste (PC) had invited Ailsa of the Aes Sith into the home they were having a New Year's celebration at. This is the home of a retired Detective Lieutenant of the local Sheriff's Office and his wife, who have from time to time offered their home as a safe house for fellow officers who have needed to stash a special witness somewhere there is a strong Threshold (Pyramid #3/58: Urban Fantasy 'Safe as Houses') to protect from uninvited supernatural beings and effects.

Just after he invites her in through an open window, but before he opens the door where she has to walk to actually enter, Lucien Lacoste has a rare moment of good sense and enough foresight to actually plan the next few steps. He gives a short speech about the Fair Folk, or at least what his Occultism skill can tell him about beings that have not been seen for centuries, ending with his estimation of how the rules of hospitality will bind their guest as well as them. Then, he tells them this:

Lacoste: "Most important at all. Under no circumstances is anyone to make a deal, pact, contract or agreement of any sort with the Fae."

---

After a formal exchange of guest gifts and considerable talking (about various plot-important, but not necessarily funny, subjects), Lucien Lacoste decides that all this is not contributing toward his awesome party. So he puts on a vinyl record of Motown hits and starts dancing, with commendable enthusiasm, but less expertise.

Lacoste: "Do you see these moves?" [hip thrusts] "Rhythm just comes naturally to me."
GM (rolling dice): "As Lacoste singlehandedly disproves any racist myths about all people of colour being born with innate rhythm, his considerable Carousing skill succeeds in drawing others to the dance floor. Seeing him dance like no one is watching, as indeed everyone tries so very hard to avoid doing, it seems that no one is worried about making a fool of themselves."
Teddy Smith [white ex-Rhodesian]: "As the real African-American of this party; I shall endeavour to show you how it is done."

Smith then proceeds to succeed by 5 against his default Dancing skill and put on a display inspired by Shona tribal dances. Soon, everyone is dancing, except, ironically, the African-American DUSM Shanna Rodgers and DUSM Frank Coleman, of the United States Marshals Service, who still remember that they are on duty, as a protective detail, for the witness who is dancing seductively next to Teddy Smith.

As the minutes pass and the good times roll, eventually, Shanna Rodgers says: "[Fornicate] it!" and drags her fellow Deputy Marshal out of his chair to dance.

Lacoste (as everyone dances): "Yes, yes, good. Give in to your feelings!"

Then Lacoste walks around, distributing the party hats he bought last session.

GM (OOC, with dread): "Do you put one on Ailsa of the Aes Sith, the first representative of the Fair Folk seen on Earth for centuries, if not millennia?"
Lacoste (OOC): "Uh, duh!"
GM (OOC): "Is it a..."
Lacoste (OOC): "Crown? Obviously. She's a pretty fairy princess."
GM (OOC): "Somehow, the world does not end. Ailsa beams her thanks for her new crown." [Sigh] "Because, apparently, the Aes Sith have the same fashion sense as pre-teen girls and Lucien Lacoste, all 300 pounds of brutal, rugged party animal that he is."
Lacoste (OOC): "Awesome. My party hat is a purplish-pink top hat, with more glitter than any other party hat."
GM (OOC): "Of course it is."

---

Ailsa of the Aes Sith seems very taken with Julian 'Dane' Winding on the dance floor, which doesn't really surprise anyone, because, as Lacoste made a point of mentioning (several times, actually), the man is extremely handsome. Tall, blond and built like the cover of a romance novel. He can even dance, although that might be the supernatural grace of his dance partner, which would make anyone look good.

About the only thing she doesn't seem to like about Dane is the iron amulet around his neck. He's not sure if it's only the fact that it is, well, iron, or if it also bothers her that it is a Thor's Hammer and his holy symbol, but, in any case, her body seems to want to be much closer to him, but every time she almost touches the iron amulet, she pulls away.

Ailsa: "That horrible thing around your neck, it hurts me. Can you take it off? For me?"
Dane (OOC): "That really doesn't seem like a good idea."
Lacoste (OOC): "This is a public service announcement: Don't stick your dick in crazy."
Smith (OOC): "Do we even know that she's crazy?"
Lacoste (OOC): "Have you seen how hot she is?"
Everyone (OOC): [Nodding and making voices of agreement]

So Dane Winding, with immaculate courtesy, explains about his religious scruples that prevent him from taking the amulet off. While he is perfectly charming, it is clear that he deeply hurt Ailsa with what she considers to be a personal rejection. After debating with himself whether he should comfort her, Dane ends up excusing himself a short time later, with considerably less sangfroid, ostensibly to look after his men on perimeter security.

Lacoste (OOC): "Good job, pretty boy. Now you made her sad."
Dane (OOC): "What the hell? You're the one who said 'Don't stick your dick in crazy.'"
Lacoste: "I didn't say you had to make that sentiment so clear to her."

---

Even later, Gisella Cortéz, the amnesiac, child-like, innocent, sweet former cult sorceress, who is about thirty biologically, but acts somewhere between 7-17, depending, and who is technically the witness in US Marshal custody, happens to mention to Teddy Smith that the nice fairy lady looks just like the poster in 'her' room.

'Her' room is actually the room she's been given to stay in, which is usually used as a guest room for two six-year-old girls, grandchildren of the couple who own the house. As she says this, she's talking with Smith, alone, in a different room than the rest of the party, holding a gin and tonic (which she makes a face every time she sips), leaning as close to him as possible and looking into his eyes with open adoration.

Teddy Smith: "Why don't you show me that poster up in your room?"

They then go up to her room, holding hands. Lucien Lacoste witnesses this as he comes into the room, but the player honestly doesn't know know whether Smith's player is trying to solve some kind of in-game mystery or if he's trying to seduce the naive amnesiac who seems to have imprinted on him like a baby duck.

Lacoste (OOC): "Can I tell with Body Language if he really means that he wants to look at the poster and I should join them for vital clues?"
GM (rolling dice): "Smith is very hard to read and you get no sense at all about it. Blind people in the next county can tell that Gisella absolutely believes that there were loud and clear air quotes around that 'show me the poster', though. And that she's thrilled about it."
Lacoste (indulgently): "You crazy kids! I'll not get in your way, then."
Teddy Smith (OOC, realizing): "Wait, what?"
Lacoste: "No, no. She's going to 'show you her room'. I'm clearly not needed here."
Smith (OOC): "I hate him so much."

---

Meanwhile, Lacoste has been hatching a plan, while also simultaneously trying to avoid offending Ailsa of the Aes Sith, making DUSM Natalie Garza jealous by too obviously displaying interest in the supernaturally good-looking Fae or doing anything that reveals to Garza's co-workers that they have a very inappropriate workplace romance going on (they're serving on the same task force).

While he can maintain a rapid patter of entertaining and witty banter going on (with a critical success of Fast-Talk), he has some success, but when Ailsa places her hand flirtatiously on one arm and Garza responds by enveloping his other arm possessively, Lacoste flees the room.

Lacoste (without a trace of conviction): "Oh, look! I'm being called away for something super important!"
GM: "Really? You're actually good at Fast-Talk."
Lacoste (OOC): "Let's just not roll her Sex Appeal and then my Fast-Talk with penalties and instead agree that this is exactly what happens."
GM: "I'll allow it."

While alone in the next room, Lacoste finalizes his plan. Garza joins him in the dining room and they have a conversation about feelings that wasn't funny at all, but turned out okay, but after that, we move to a part with more quotes. Because Lacoste decides to bound upstairs, to confer with his best friend, Teddy Smith, about his brilliant plan. He knocks loudly and just at that moment, he remembers that the last time he saw Teddy, he was going off, hand in hand, with Gisella to 'see her room'.

Lacoste (OOC): "They call me Lucien 'The Cockblocker' Lacoste."