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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 8366900" data-attributes="member: 16760">New Scene:&nbsp; Telling Jake and Dad the storyPreparations for the expedition proceeded apace.&nbsp; As they did, Pete began to feel more and more ill at ease... and not just because he was going into danger.&nbsp; There was still his penance to perform, and he dreaded it.[I don't know how this would work under Mythic rules, but a flashback just works here, so I'm going with it: ]-----------------------Pete remembered a family Labor Day gathering the previous year.&nbsp; He and Jake had been fighting one of their less-than-friendly fencing matches - with practice swords, of course.It'd been quite the battle-royal;&nbsp; both brothers took these bouts deadly seriously.&nbsp; Pete had put up an excellent fight... but he'd divided his studies with magic, while Jake was a natural with a sword.&nbsp; In the end, Jake had managed to feint in sixte, turn Pete's answering stroke aside, and lay his point against Pete's gut.&nbsp; Gloating, he'd said, &quot;You'd be dead if we were in the field, bro.&quot;Pete had completely lost it.&nbsp; &quot;In the field?!&nbsp; Are you kidding me?!&nbsp; In the field, I'd be wielding Invictus.&nbsp; In the field, I'd be using my full skill-set.&quot;&nbsp; Gloating viciously now too, he'd added, &quot;You'd be putty in my hands, bro.&quot;He still remembered how Jake's face had closed off all emotion.&nbsp; How he'd stalked off without a further word.&nbsp; His father had asked, &quot;What did you say to your brother?&quot; and Pete had replied, &quot;Nothing he didn't already know.&quot;---------------------------Finally he screwed up his courage and asked Jake and his father to meet with him privately.Thomas said, &quot;I saw the transcript of your interrogation of that 'Goat' fellow.&nbsp; You did well.&quot;&nbsp; Pete swallowed.&nbsp; &quot;Thanks, Dad.&quot;&nbsp; Jake just folded his arms and asked impatiently, &quot;What did you want to tell us?&quot;&quot;I, uh.&nbsp; I'm supposed to tell you why I left the Knights.&nbsp; And I guess I need to tell you, too.&quot;&nbsp; Jake's face closed off like a mask, but Thomas' softened. &quot;We're listening, Peter.&quot;Pete paused to collect his thoughts and still his pounding heart.&nbsp; &quot;I, uh.&nbsp; I was sent on a pretty routine patrol.&nbsp; We'd had word of a darkmasque feeding in the area, so we were checking out this apartment building for signs of activity.&nbsp; Sir Robert and I were keeping watch outside...&quot;[Here, have another flashback.&nbsp; I wrote up this scene for the original campaign, years ago: ]-----------------------Jon started awake to a sudden noise, reaching instantly for his pistol.&nbsp; He lay still, listening, when it came again - a creaking floorboard, followed by a whispered, &quot;Jon?&nbsp; Are you awake?&quot;&nbsp; (For once, someone didn't make the tired old 'Frère Jacques' joke!)&quot;Peter?! Is that you?! I nearly shot you!&nbsp; How-&quot; &quot;Shh.&nbsp; I kept telling you guys that your magical security wasn't up to snuff, but of course nobody listened.&nbsp; How you expect to set up decent teleport wards without any mages is beyond me.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;But why are you here...?&quot;&nbsp; Jon turned a lamp on, and only then saw the tears in his friend's eyes.&nbsp; &quot;Oh, brother.&quot;&nbsp; Without further words, he rose from the bed and embraced Pete's trembling form.&nbsp; &quot;Speak to me.&quot;&quot;I have to, Jon.&nbsp; I have to.&nbsp; I can't... talk about it with any of them.&nbsp; It's too raw, for all of us.&quot;&nbsp; Hesitantly, Jon asked, &quot;Is it... Jamie?&nbsp; I heard...&quot; &quot;You didn't hear everything. Because I'm the only one who knows it all.&quot; &quot;Tell me, then.&nbsp; I'm listening.&nbsp; And... I won't judge you.&quot;&nbsp; He hadn't been sure that was the right thing to say, but apparently it was, because Pete couldn't contain his tears any longer.After a long interval, &quot;Ever heard of Morven?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;The vampire?&nbsp; Of course.&nbsp; He's dangerous.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Yeah.&quot;&nbsp; Long silence, then Pete continued with an effort, &quot;He snatched Jamie out of a team on an unrelated mission, just like that.&nbsp; Nobody knows why him;&nbsp; maybe it could've been anyone.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Good Lord!&quot;&nbsp; &quot;It's worse, Jon.&nbsp; Morven... turned him.&nbsp; And sent him back, to kill us.&quot;Jon could only listen in mute horror as Pete described events in a dead, flat voice - a computer regurgitating data, except when overpowering emotion forced its way through.&nbsp; &quot;Sir Robert and I were watching the rear while the rest of the team checked out a building where we suspected a darkmasque was feeding.&nbsp; Something jumped down on Rob from the roof with no warning;&nbsp; messed him up bad, though they think he'll pull through.&nbsp; It gave me enough time to draw Invictus and fire off a Lumen Dei spell... the light showed me it was Jamie.&quot;&quot;It burned him, of course.&nbsp; He... howled... and jumped at me.&nbsp; And... And he said...&nbsp; 'Do it, Pete!&nbsp; Kill me!&nbsp; I can't live like this!'&nbsp; All while trying his best to tear my throat out.&nbsp; Oh God...&quot;&nbsp; &quot;And you did.&nbsp; You gave him the release he needed.&quot;&nbsp; Pete nodded, exhausted by the flood of tears.&nbsp; &quot;You did right, Pete.&nbsp; You have to know that.&nbsp; He'd have killed you if you hadn't, and more good men would be dead today.&quot; &quot;I know all that.&nbsp; I do.&nbsp; Really!&nbsp; But it doesn't make me FEEL any better!&quot;Jon said frankly, &quot;I can't even imagine what it feels like.&nbsp; I've seen men die, but I've never had to kill a... Well, I guess he wasn't a brother any more, was he?&quot; &quot;It was HIM, Jon!&nbsp; It was him!&nbsp; He wanted to die, he just couldn't.&quot; &quot;Maybe it was a trick, to set you off guard?&quot; &quot;If it was a trick, he...&quot;&nbsp; &quot;What?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;He wouldn't have said, 'Pray for me,' as he died.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;He didn't die then, Peter.&nbsp; Jamie was already dead.&nbsp; That thing you killed may have had Jamie's looks, his voice, his memories... maybe even some of his attitudes.&nbsp; But James, our brother, was gone.&quot; &quot;How can we KNOW that?!&quot;&quot;Peter, think!&nbsp; Jamie was your friend.&nbsp; He loved you!&nbsp; He wouldn't try to kill you!&quot; &quot;There's such things as magical compulsions. I know the theory, though I'd never TRY it.&quot;&nbsp; Jon winced. &quot;I know.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;And you yourself said I 'released' him, right?&quot;Harshly, Jon replied, &quot;I did, but I guess I just don't want to believe it.&nbsp; That alternative is too horrible.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Huh?&quot;&quot;If that thing WAS Jamie... then he was Hellspawn.&nbsp; Damned.&quot; Pete shoved Jon away violently.&nbsp; &quot;How dare you say that!&nbsp; HOW DARE YOU?!&quot; &quot;Would you rather I lied?&quot; &quot;Jamie was a good man!&quot; &quot;This isn't the time to argue about works-righteousness, Peter.&quot; &quot;F*ck you and f*ck your narrow, ugly, Calvinist... BULLSH*T!&quot;Jon sought desperately for a way to de-escalate. After a silent prayer, he said quietly, &quot;If I've been narrow and ugly, I ask you to forgive me, Peter.&nbsp; I'm your friend and your brother, and I love you.&quot;&nbsp; He opened his arms;&nbsp; Pete held back for a moment, then fell into them again, sobbing.&nbsp; Jon said quietly, &quot;I don't know what's the right thing to say.&nbsp; Maybe there isn't anything right just now.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;So shut UP, will you?!&quot;&nbsp; Silence reigned.After a long time, Pete pulled away and said with a ghost of his usual humor, &quot;I forgive you for being a narrow, ugly Calvinist.&nbsp; Though I'm not sure you have true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment...&quot;&nbsp; Jon took a bow.&nbsp; &quot;Thank you, brother.&nbsp; I forgive you in turn for being a superstitious, sophistical Papist, always confusing the plain sense of the Bible.&quot;&quot;You forgot 'jesuitical'.&nbsp; That's got the proper Reformation brimstone to it.&quot; &quot;Of course!&nbsp; I hereby forgive you for being jesuitical as well, unto seventy times seven a day.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;What if I'm jesuitical 491 times a day?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;See, now that's exactly what I'm talking about!&quot;&nbsp; They both laughed, Pete a bit feebly;&nbsp; all the same, Jon was relieved.&quot;Are you going to be okay, Pete?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;I... don't know, Jon.&nbsp; More likely now, though, I think.&nbsp; Thanks.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;I'm glad.&nbsp; And honored that you place your trust in me.&quot;Pete paused in the act of casting Mobility to return home.&nbsp; &quot;Who else could I trust more?&quot;&nbsp; Jon said quietly, &quot;I feel the same way.&nbsp; Go in peace, Peter.&quot; &quot;Amen, amen.&nbsp; I sure hope so!&quot;&nbsp; With that he faded from sight;&nbsp; as ever the magic tugged at Jon's perceptions, making him wonder despite himself if Pete had really just walked out the door or something.&quot;I hope so too.&quot;&nbsp; With that, Jon knelt to say a prayer for his friend, then for Sir Robert Bauman and the other Knights of St. Michael, then for the family of James O'Reilly.&nbsp; He started to rise, paused.&nbsp; Then, resolutely, he prayed for Jamie himself too.&nbsp; Catholic superstition?&nbsp; Maybe.&nbsp; But it seemed right, all the same.---------------------------With trembling voice, Pete described how Jamie, newly vampirized by Morven, had attacked him while begging to be killed.&nbsp; How he'd granted that request.He was shaking uncontrollably by the end, tears trickling down his face.&nbsp; He couldn't look either of them in the eye.Thomas looked upon him with wonder and pity. &quot;Oh, Peter...&quot; but Jake's flat voice cut him off.&nbsp; &quot;That's it?&quot;When both Pete and Thomas gaped at him, Jake bulled on, &quot;This is why you left your vocation and sullied the family name?&nbsp; Because you killed a vampire that was trying to kill you?&nbsp; Please.&quot;Pete flinched, but Thomas went hard and cold as ice.&nbsp; He said warningly, &quot;Jacob...&quot;&nbsp; Jake glared at him.&nbsp; &quot;What, Dad?&nbsp; I'm supposed to feel all sorry for Pete because he had to kill one of the Knights?&nbsp; If it'd been ME in Jamie's place he'd've been glad to do it!&nbsp; And he nearly got Mark killed - or worse! - so we can see what blood counts for...&quot;Thomas roared, &quot;SILENCE!&quot;&nbsp; Thomas had yelled orders for years in the Knights, but his sons had rarely heard him raise his voice:&nbsp; Jacob shut up.Thomas continued, &quot;It is no secret to me that there has been no love lost between the two of you for years.&nbsp; But I had no idea that your envy of your brother had brought you to this.&quot;Q(Unlikely):&nbsp; Does the penny drop at this point?&nbsp; YES.&nbsp; [Wow, that was a pretty darn unlikely roll at Chaos Factor 4!]Pete's eyes went round.&nbsp; &quot;Oh my God!&quot;&nbsp; They both stared at him.&nbsp; Thomas said, &quot;Peter, this isn't...&quot;&nbsp; &quot;No, Dad!&nbsp; I think I just figured Azazel out!&quot;All business once more, Thomas said, &quot;Tell me.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;It's obvious, now that I look at it from the right angle!&nbsp; Look, we know Azazel has something deeply personal against me, right?&nbsp; Mark said that I had something he could never have.&nbsp; And look at Goat, whom Azazel deeply influenced - he too envied me and what I had.&nbsp; And in the Bible, Azazel is the one who receives the scape-goat, the one the sins of the people have been laid upon.&quot;&quot;Where are you going with this, Peter?&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Come on, Dad!&nbsp; We know strong emotion can influence Shadow!&nbsp; It's why the public can never know about the place!&nbsp; And Jake, like all of us, has been there from time to time - that amplifies the effect.&nbsp; I'm saying that Jake's envy of me produced Azazel!&nbsp; Or no, he had to be a mage already.&nbsp; But it at least helped... energize him.&quot;Jake threw up his hands.&nbsp; &quot;How did I know you would find some way to blame all this on me!&quot;&nbsp; Pete shook his head. &quot;Nope.&nbsp; You may have gotten the ball rolling, but in the end you're a victim of all this as much as the Demons were.&nbsp; More so, even, because most of them chose it with eyes relatively open.&nbsp; Azazel's been ... feeding on you.&nbsp; He has a connection with you.&quot;&nbsp; Pete started pacing.&nbsp; &quot;Of course!&nbsp; That's how he forged a connection with Mark!&nbsp; Because both of us were right there in the room with him!&quot;Jake said in a strangled voice, taut as a bowstring, &quot;That's not the only reason.&quot;&nbsp; Blinking, &quot;Oh?&quot;&nbsp; Wrestling within himself, looking sick, Jake finally said, &quot;Mark's always liked you better.&quot;They both stared at him, appalled.&nbsp; Pete said almost conversationally, &quot;That's pathetic, you know that, right?&quot;&nbsp; Thomas was about to roar Pete down in his turn when Jake said in a dead voice, &quot;Of course I know that.&nbsp; Why do you think I've been confessing it for years?&quot;Pete admitted, &quot;I've been confessing hating you for years too. ... Aw man, I just realized!&nbsp; I'm one of Azazel's juice boxes too!&nbsp; That's how he got under my skin so easily!&quot;&nbsp; Thomas broke in gruffly, &quot;It seems high time the two of you forgave each other.&quot;Pete sighed.&nbsp; &quot;Easier said than done, Dad.&nbsp; But I agree the attempt has to be made.&nbsp; And it's clear enough that Jake has to come with us against Azazel.&quot;Jake said quietly, &quot;Are you sure that'll help?&quot;&nbsp; Pete nodded. &quot;Yeah, I am.&nbsp; Remember how Azazel's connection with Mark faded almost the instant you expressed the desire that it do so?&quot;&nbsp; [That was purely the dice at the time, but wow, did it sure turn out to fit in!&nbsp; Downright spooky!]&nbsp; &quot;When you showed your love and concern for Mark, that overcame the envy that made the link possible.&quot;Jake shook his head. &quot;Are you asking me to believe the bad guy can be defeated by the power of friendship?&nbsp; Shadow isn't a Disney movie.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;No, Azazel's got power of his own.&nbsp; He won't be a pushover by any stretch.&nbsp; But I'm suggesting that we can cut off a major part of his power, yeah.&nbsp; And I'm suggesting that love is stronger than death, as Scripture puts it.&nbsp; Do you believe that, Jake?&quot;Jake swallowed.&nbsp; &quot;Yeah. I guess I do.&quot;&nbsp; He took a tentative step forward, and Pete met him halfway.&nbsp; They embraced one another sincerely for the first time in... Pete couldn't even recall when.&nbsp; Thomas beamed at them both, full of relief.Pete finally said, &quot;Do you mind, Dad?&nbsp; I think Jake and I have a lot to talk about.&quot;[Two more threads resolved!]NPC List:&nbsp; Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius.Thread List:Free Ryan from the darkhound curse.Free myself, for that matter.Make ready for the trip into Shadow.Chaos Factor: 4 -&gt; 3</blockquote>

[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 8366900, member: 16760"] New Scene: Telling Jake and Dad the story Preparations for the expedition proceeded apace. As they did, Pete began to feel more and more ill at ease... and not just because he was going into danger. There was still his penance to perform, and he dreaded it. [I don't know how this would work under Mythic rules, but a flashback just works here, so I'm going with it: ] ----------------------- Pete remembered a family Labor Day gathering the previous year. He and Jake had been fighting one of their less-than-friendly fencing matches - with practice swords, of course. It'd been quite the battle-royal; both brothers took these bouts deadly seriously. Pete had put up an excellent fight... but he'd divided his studies with magic, while Jake was a natural with a sword. In the end, Jake had managed to feint in sixte, turn Pete's answering stroke aside, and lay his point against Pete's gut. Gloating, he'd said, "You'd be dead if we were in the field, bro." Pete had completely lost it. "In the field?! Are you kidding me?! [I]In the field,[/I] I'd be wielding Invictus. [I]In the field,[/I] I'd be using my full skill-set." Gloating viciously now too, he'd added, "You'd be putty in my hands, [I]bro.[/I]" He still remembered how Jake's face had closed off all emotion. How he'd stalked off without a further word. His father had asked, "What did you say to your brother?" and Pete had replied, "Nothing he didn't already know." --------------------------- Finally he screwed up his courage and asked Jake and his father to meet with him privately. Thomas said, "I saw the transcript of your interrogation of that 'Goat' fellow. You did well." Pete swallowed. "Thanks, Dad." Jake just folded his arms and asked impatiently, "What did you want to tell us?" "I, uh. I'm supposed to tell you why I left the Knights. And I guess I need to tell you, too." Jake's face closed off like a mask, but Thomas' softened. "We're listening, Peter." Pete paused to collect his thoughts and still his pounding heart. "I, uh. I was sent on a pretty routine patrol. We'd had word of a darkmasque feeding in the area, so we were checking out this apartment building for signs of activity. Sir Robert and I were keeping watch outside..." [Here, have another flashback. I wrote up this scene for the original campaign, years ago: ] ----------------------- Jon started awake to a sudden noise, reaching instantly for his pistol. He lay still, listening, when it came again - a creaking floorboard, followed by a whispered, "Jon? Are you awake?" (For once, someone didn't make the tired old 'Frère Jacques' joke!) "Peter?! Is that you?! I nearly shot you! How-" "Shh. I kept [I]telling[/I] you guys that your magical security wasn't up to snuff, but of course nobody listened. How you expect to set up decent teleport wards without any mages is beyond me." "But why are you here...?" Jon turned a lamp on, and only then saw the tears in his friend's eyes. "Oh, brother." Without further words, he rose from the bed and embraced Pete's trembling form. "Speak to me." "I have to, Jon. I [I]have to[/I]. I can't... talk about it with any of them. It's too raw, for all of us." Hesitantly, Jon asked, "Is it... Jamie? I heard..." "You didn't hear everything. Because I'm the only one who knows it all." "Tell me, then. I'm listening. And... I won't judge you." He hadn't been sure that was the right thing to say, but apparently it was, because Pete couldn't contain his tears any longer. After a long interval, "Ever heard of Morven?" "The vampire? Of course. He's dangerous." "Yeah." Long silence, then Pete continued with an effort, "He snatched Jamie out of a team on an unrelated mission, just like that. Nobody knows why him; maybe it could've been anyone." "Good Lord!" "It's worse, Jon. Morven... turned him. And sent him back, to kill us." Jon could only listen in mute horror as Pete described events in a dead, flat voice - a computer regurgitating data, except when overpowering emotion forced its way through. "Sir Robert and I were watching the rear while the rest of the team checked out a building where we suspected a darkmasque was feeding. Something jumped down on Rob from the roof with no warning; messed him up bad, though they think he'll pull through. It gave me enough time to draw Invictus and fire off a Lumen Dei spell... the light showed me it was Jamie." "It burned him, of course. He... howled... and jumped at me. And... And he said... 'Do it, Pete! Kill me! I can't live like this!' All while trying his best to tear my throat out. Oh God..." "And you did. You gave him the release he needed." Pete nodded, exhausted by the flood of tears. "You did right, Pete. You have to know that. He'd have killed you if you hadn't, and more good men would be dead today." "I know all that. I do. Really! But it doesn't make me FEEL any better!" Jon said frankly, "I can't even imagine what it feels like. I've seen men die, but I've never had to kill a... Well, I guess he wasn't a brother any more, was he?" "It was HIM, Jon! It was him! He wanted to die, he just couldn't." "Maybe it was a trick, to set you off guard?" "If it was a trick, he..." "What?" "He wouldn't have said, 'Pray for me,' as he died." "He didn't die then, Peter. Jamie was already dead. That thing you killed may have had Jamie's looks, his voice, his memories... maybe even some of his attitudes. But James, our brother, was gone." "How can we KNOW that?!" "Peter, think! Jamie was your [I]friend[/I]. He loved you! He wouldn't try to kill you!" "There's such things as magical compulsions. I know the theory, though I'd never TRY it." Jon winced. "I know." "And you yourself said I 'released' him, right?" Harshly, Jon replied, "I did, but I guess I just don't want to believe it. That alternative is too horrible." "Huh?" "If that thing WAS Jamie... then he was Hellspawn. Damned." Pete shoved Jon away violently. "How dare you say that! HOW DARE YOU?!" "Would you rather I lied?" "Jamie was a good man!" "This isn't the time to argue about works-righteousness, Peter." "F*ck you and f*ck your narrow, ugly, Calvinist... BULLSH*T!" Jon sought desperately for a way to de-escalate. After a silent prayer, he said quietly, "If I've been narrow and ugly, I ask you to forgive me, Peter. I'm your friend and your brother, and I love you." He opened his arms; Pete held back for a moment, then fell into them again, sobbing. Jon said quietly, "I don't know what's the right thing to say. Maybe there isn't anything right just now." "So shut UP, will you?!" Silence reigned. After a long time, Pete pulled away and said with a ghost of his usual humor, "I forgive you for being a narrow, ugly Calvinist. Though I'm not sure you have true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment..." Jon took a bow. "Thank you, brother. I forgive you in turn for being a superstitious, sophistical Papist, always confusing the plain sense of the Bible." "You forgot 'jesuitical'. That's got the proper Reformation brimstone to it." "Of course! I hereby forgive you for being jesuitical as well, unto seventy times seven a day." "What if I'm jesuitical 491 times a day?" "See, now that's exactly what I'm [I]talking[/I] about!" They both laughed, Pete a bit feebly; all the same, Jon was relieved. "Are you going to be okay, Pete?" "I... don't know, Jon. More likely now, though, I think. Thanks." "I'm glad. And honored that you place your trust in me." Pete paused in the act of casting Mobility to return home. "Who else could I trust more?" Jon said quietly, "I feel the same way. Go in peace, Peter." "Amen, amen. I sure hope so!" With that he faded from sight; as ever the magic tugged at Jon's perceptions, making him wonder despite himself if Pete had really just walked out the door or something. "I hope so too." With that, Jon knelt to say a prayer for his friend, then for Sir Robert Bauman and the other Knights of St. Michael, then for the family of James O'Reilly. He started to rise, paused. Then, resolutely, he prayed for Jamie himself too. Catholic superstition? Maybe. But it seemed right, all the same. --------------------------- With trembling voice, Pete described how Jamie, newly vampirized by Morven, had attacked him while begging to be killed. How he'd granted that request. He was shaking uncontrollably by the end, tears trickling down his face. He couldn't look either of them in the eye. Thomas looked upon him with wonder and pity. "Oh, Peter..." but Jake's flat voice cut him off. "That's it?" When both Pete and Thomas gaped at him, Jake bulled on, "This is why you left your vocation and sullied the family name? Because you killed a vampire that was trying to kill you? Please." Pete flinched, but Thomas went hard and cold as ice. He said warningly, "Jacob..." Jake glared at him. "What, Dad? I'm supposed to feel all sorry for Pete because he had to kill one of the Knights? If it'd been ME in Jamie's place he'd've been glad to do it! And he nearly got Mark killed - or worse! - so we can see what blood counts for..." Thomas roared, "SILENCE!" Thomas had yelled orders for years in the Knights, but his sons had rarely heard him raise his voice: Jacob shut up. Thomas continued, "It is no secret to me that there has been no love lost between the two of you for years. But I had no idea that your envy of your brother had brought you to this." Q(Unlikely): Does the penny drop at this point? YES. [Wow, that was a pretty darn unlikely roll at Chaos Factor 4!] Pete's eyes went round. "Oh my God!" They both stared at him. Thomas said, "Peter, this isn't..." "No, Dad! I think I just figured Azazel out!" All business once more, Thomas said, "Tell me." "It's obvious, now that I look at it from the right angle! Look, we know Azazel has something deeply personal against me, right? Mark said that I had something he could never have. And look at Goat, whom Azazel deeply influenced - he too envied me and what I had. And in the Bible, Azazel is the one who receives the scape-goat, the one the sins of the people have been laid upon." "Where are you going with this, Peter?" "Come on, Dad! We know strong emotion can influence Shadow! It's why the public can never know about the place! And Jake, like all of us, has been there from time to time - that amplifies the effect. I'm saying that Jake's envy of me produced Azazel! Or no, he had to be a mage already. But it at least helped... energize him." Jake threw up his hands. "How did I know you would find some way to blame all this on me!" Pete shook his head. "Nope. You may have gotten the ball rolling, but in the end you're a victim of all this as much as the Demons were. More so, even, because most of them chose it with eyes relatively open. Azazel's been ... [I]feeding[/I] on you. He has a connection with you." Pete started pacing. "Of course! That's how he forged a connection with Mark! Because both of us were right there in the room with him!" Jake said in a strangled voice, taut as a bowstring, "That's not the only reason." Blinking, "Oh?" Wrestling within himself, looking sick, Jake finally said, "Mark's always liked you better." They both stared at him, appalled. Pete said almost conversationally, "That's pathetic, you know that, right?" Thomas was about to roar Pete down in his turn when Jake said in a dead voice, "Of course I know that. Why do you think I've been confessing it for years?" Pete admitted, "I've been confessing hating you for years too. ... Aw man, I just realized! I'm one of Azazel's juice boxes too! That's how he got under my skin so easily!" Thomas broke in gruffly, "It seems high time the two of you forgave each other." Pete sighed. "Easier said than done, Dad. But I agree the attempt has to be made. And it's clear enough that Jake has to come with us against Azazel." Jake said quietly, "Are you sure that'll help?" Pete nodded. "Yeah, I am. Remember how Azazel's connection with Mark faded almost the instant you expressed the desire that it do so?" [That was purely the dice at the time, but wow, did it sure turn out to fit in! Downright spooky!] "When you showed your love and concern for Mark, that overcame the envy that made the link possible." Jake shook his head. "Are you asking me to believe the bad guy can be defeated by the power of friendship? Shadow isn't a Disney movie." "No, Azazel's got power of his own. He won't be a pushover by any stretch. But I'm suggesting that we can cut off a major part of his power, yeah. And I'm suggesting that love is stronger than death, as Scripture puts it. Do you believe that, Jake?" Jake swallowed. "Yeah. I guess I do." He took a tentative step forward, and Pete met him halfway. They embraced one another sincerely for the first time in... Pete couldn't even recall when. Thomas beamed at them both, full of relief. Pete finally said, "Do you mind, Dad? I think Jake and I have a lot to talk about." [Two more threads resolved!] NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius. Thread List: Free Ryan from the darkhound curse. Free myself, for that matter. Make ready for the trip into Shadow. Chaos Factor: 4 -> 3 [/QUOTE]

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