The Party

Everyone came, and some people brought friends. Specifically, Simone brought along her Weaver friend Prima, Gwyn brought Barry, a member of the Lacuna Union, Fynlyn brought a cool, satyr-like party spirit (I missed its name), and the Blood Prince brought an entourage. A few people brought gifts, which I must remember to thank them for; Fynlan brought an abacus, Tirinia brought some books and a casserole, Edna brought a gris gris imbued with a low-level Pale magic that keeps out spiritual pests.
 
I noticed that A'isha was careful to avoid the Blood Prince, and luckily seemed to have no real problems with Heironymous. Barry, the Lacuna, was quite sociable, and I was fascinated to have him there. The Lacuna are such an intriguing mystery, even though they're just right there... Gwyn is doing right by trying to build ties with them, and I should do so as well.
 
The worst part of the party was when people had merged into a single big conversation, and I took the chance to ask if anyone could put me on the path to deciphering the Black Cube... it REALLY sucked to have the Vances there snub me as a single body, probably the only thing they did together for the entire night.
 

Storytime

Then, the Blood Prince suggested that we take some time to tell stories.
 
Heironymous told a story about his childhood, when a friend of his was stalked and murdered in a corn field. (OOC note: Locke would, of course, know whether this story was true or false. If it even becomes relevant, we'll work it out then.)
 
One of the Blood Prince's mooks then tried to tell some incredibly stupid yarn about the time he made out with the Warden's triplet daughters, or something equally dumb and sexualized. Nobody believed a word he said.
 
Edna was next; her story started off with some pretty insane rambling. She was trying to set the background, and so included a ton of stuff that didn't matter to anyone. As she was telling the story, A'isha realized that we were out of wine and left to go get some more from her place.
 
Edna went on and on about a cat she once knew, and as time disappeared into the fathomless void of trying to be polite to one's elders, it dawned on us that A'isha had been gone for too long. Some of us (Gwyn, Simone, Fynlan, Tirinia and myself) decided to go check on her.
 
There really was nothing wrong with A'isha, she was just being indecisive about picking wine. We gathered her up and collected the alcohol, and headed back to the island.
 
Not long after we got off the boat, there was a shriek in the woods.
 

Actual Cannibal

 
In a flash, Gwyn flew into the dark woods. A'isha flew into the dark woods. I followed, and the others followed me. On the path leading up to the hill we found her... Edna, fallen and lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Above her, half naked, insane, dripping with blood...
 
SHIA LABOEUF!
 
We rushed to the aid. Simone tried to heal Edna, but it was too late. I tried to overpower the Shia Laboeuf, but he turned his cannibalism on me... I had no choice, I ate his memory.
 
Blood. Life. My god, there's blood everywhere. Killing for sport, Shia LaBoeuf. The monster's memories are mine...
 
While the Shia Laboeuf was stunned by my spell, Gwyn and Fynlyn gunned him down.
 
We went to search for Yute, and ran into a pack of sixty Shia LeBoeufs.
 
THAT fight... well. As we fought the Shias, others came. Tirinia fought to hold them off and the shore of the black-water lake. A'isha burned them with the fire of her magic. My companions gunned so many of them down... from my house, the Blood Prince's mooks provided covering fire, and the Blood Prince's tentacled magic held the Shias in place.
 
I saw that there was no point in fighting the many hands of the cannibal Shias, and instead turned my focus on the one at the center of it all. A forced my way through the throng, to challenge him to fight... and within minutes, was overwhelmed as the cannibal minions turned their attention to me and tore my flesh most painfully fron my bones.
 
I'm not positive, but somehow the others defeated the central Shia. The others melted away.
 
And the story ended... because it turns out that this entire thing was Edna's story. I... I'm still not sure what it all means, though maybe there was some bit of the future in this. Since then, I cannot shake the idea that these are the people who will stand beside me...
 
Simone, gentle soul. Gwyn, determined to do right. Fynlan, carried along by it all. Yes, I always knew these... but Tirinia, bold and true and quick to see to the defense of those who are practically strangers, A'isha who should never have forgiven me, but will always be the other half of my mind, the Blood Prince, whom I cannot begin to imagine trusting.
 
Was Edna trying to tell me something? Does she know something about the future, which now I have a light to see?
 

Experience Concerns

GIVEN: +1 JOY and +1 DESPAIR, +1 DESPAIR, +1 MageCoin, +2 Acumen
GIVEN: +1 Despair for being snubbed by even his freaking friends from the freaking order.
GIVEN: +1 JOY I learn something disturbing and jarring when I feed.
DESPAIR? Should I get despair for my guest being cannibalized?
JOY? NOT DEAD
 
Finished Restoration Arc:
Climax: The Final Act (worth 3 Acumen and 1 Joy or 1 Despair)
Resolution (worth 1 Acumen)
+1 Acumen