01:58 <Crion> The red-suited man: "What would it take to make you violent?" 01:58 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "An irreversible mistake." 02:08 <Crion> The red-suited man: "There's no such thing." 02:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I'd like to hope so." 02:10 <Crion> He stands up, and Lauren stands up too, moving away. "My dear," he says, "You're not even a real person anymore. Karen, however, is." 02:10 <VoxPVoxD> "Don't talk to her like that." 02:11 <Crion> The red-suited man turns. "Or you'll do what?" 02:11 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Not a sermon. Just a thought." 02:13 <VoxPVoxD> "Or I'll take her, and we'll run, and whatever awful thing you do to Karen will be between you and your bosses." 02:13 <Crion> He laughs. "My bosses?" 02:14 <Crion> "My bosses love cancer." 02:14 <VoxPVoxD> "Then you'll get a bonus." 02:14 <VoxPVoxD> "But when we leave we're not taking that poison with us." 02:16 <Crion> He smiles beatifically. "That's fantastic--" 02:16 <Crion> He dives at Lauren with the taser and she shrieks and scrambles away. 02:16 <Crion> "Hahahahahah!" He does it again. She does it again. 02:17 <Crion> Then he snaps back towards Stewart. "But that's not an irreversible mistake." 02:17 <Crion> "Since there's no gun in your hand." 02:19 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Is that what you're trying to do? Get me to pick up the gun?" 02:20 <Crion> He theatrically sighs. "Do you think I--no. Clever boy." 02:20 <Crion> "I will phrase it in the form of a statement: I didn't unload a gun and place it in front of you just for fun." 02:23 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You have to admit, from an outside perspective so far it kind of looks like that's exactly what you're doing." 02:24 <Crion> His smile broadens. "I specified just for fun." 02:24 <Crion> Then he spins to Lauren and raises the taser. "En garde!" 02:25 <Crion> "Here is my question," he says over his shoulder. "How many people you love would have to die before you took iron to your smug little search engine yourself?" 02:25 <Crion> "I'm just looking for a ballpark figure." 02:26 <Crion> "And average Major League Baseball attendance is somewhere around 26,000." 02:27 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You're looking at it the wrong way. The more people I love you take away from me, the less I have except my research. The more jealously I guard it. Why am I telling you this? You're a wizard." 02:28 <Crion> Lauren: "MOTHERFUCKER!" 02:28 <VoxPVoxD> Is she... yelling at Stewart? 02:28 <Crion> "Heh! Hah!" The red-suited man lunges at her. "ho!" 02:28 <Crion> No. 02:28 <VoxPVoxD> Whew. 02:28 <Crion> The red-suited man straightens. 02:29 <Crion> "You know." He points at Lauren. "I thought you'd like pizza more than this." 02:29 <Crion> From the corner of the room: "I would suggest we make our point and depart." 02:30 <Crion> The red-suited man rolls his shoulders. "No, I want one more shot at this. Okay. Okay. Hooooo. Karen's vomiting blood. Pretty much dead. Gotta get myself in the mindset of not caring about that at all." 02:32 <Crion> He charges the taser; it whines. "Stewart Reader! If that is in fact your name." 02:32 <Crion> He points it at Lauren. "How do you intend to keep her safe?" 02:34 <Crion> From the corner of the room: "We need to go." 02:35 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "She's giving you the run-around, and I'm faster than her. I can get in your face before you can close the gap. Maybe you'd kill her to get to me. Would you kill me to get to her?" 02:35 <Crion> He cackles. "That's not an answer! And I'd kill you for freeeeeee" 02:38 <Crion> Then he dives forward. 02:39 <VoxPVoxD> The red-suited man lunges for Lauren again, but there's a whirl of orange sparks and he's bumping chests with Stewart. Not a lot of meat on Reader's bones, but he's got an inch or two on the dark magician. At best, they'll go down together. 02:40 <Crion> The red-suited man lands on top of Stewart...but the fangs of the taser land in the floor. "Huh," he says. 02:40 <Crion> "Maybe I'd charge." 02:40 <Crion> The taser begins to whine--- 02:41 <Crion> The Counselor stands and walks out into the light. "We need to leave." 02:41 <Crion> Atop Stewart, Society giggles angrily. "Why?" 02:42 <Crion> "We've spent too long here, doing too much stupid shit," she says. 02:42 <Crion> "Okay," says Society, standing up, brushing off Stewart's shirt, walking back past the table, taking another slice. "Okay. Stupid shit." 02:43 <Crion> Counselor: "I've told you time and time again that--" 02:43 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's shaking all over. With fear or rage? Hard to tell. 02:43 <Crion> Society hits her across the face. 02:43 <VoxPVoxD> Could be both. 02:44 <Crion> "Now," he says, a smile curling over him, "say what you mean." 02:44 <Crion> Counselor straights and spits out blood. "You don't want these problems." 02:45 <Crion> The man in the red suit surges forward and seizes her by the throat. "You cannot conceive of the problems I want." 02:45 <Crion> Then he turns, and grins at Stewart. "We'll continue this conversation later. I look forward to meeting your pain." 02:47 <Crion> Still being choked, the Counselor waves her hand, and both of them fall into the floor. 02:47 <Crion> The door to the room...reappears. 02:47 <Crion> And someone knocks three times. 02:53 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart gets up , dusts himself off. Where's Lauren? He'll go for the door and, with a deep breath, open it. 02:55 <Crion> There are three people on the other side of the door. The first is Fireman, who will nod and sweep by Stewart into the room, examining it. The second is a grinning woman in jeans and a duster who gives Stewart an angry, apprising eye then shoves past him. The third is an incredibly handsome man greying at the temples, wearing white sweatpants, a white hoodie, and a priest's colar. 02:55 <Crion> *collar 02:55 <Crion> "Stewart Reader," he says. 02:57 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "They went through the floor." 02:57 <VoxPVoxD> Is the gun still on the table? 02:57 <Crion> It is. 02:58 <Crion> Pardon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKSu7RT2wN0 I want to be the very best, the best there ever is; the quickest draw, the toughest motherfucker in these lands. 03:00 <Crion> Jesuit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nak4OVJlhAU There will come a day my God will come, and put me in my place. 03:01 <Crion> The man in all white smiles beatifically. "I don't give a shit where Society went. I know that man." 03:05 <Crion> Lauren is upright and getting calm. 03:06 <Crion> Fireman is over near her, checking out the room and watching over her with no small amount of protectiveness. The woman with the guns is poking around where Counselor was. 03:07 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's beside her in an instant. He holds her, arms around her waist from behind like they're slow dancing, unless she waves him off. 03:07 <Crion> She does not. Lauren will, in fact, turn and kiss him. 03:07 <VoxPVoxD> He returns the kiss with interest. 03:08 <Crion> Sardonically, from the table: "Well that's not very Catholic." 03:08 <Crion> The man in all white is eating an untouched slice. 03:09 <VoxPVoxD> At some point they come up for air, and then Stewart remembers. "Karen, the server, he said she was--" 03:09 <Crion> "She's fine." 03:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart practically melts into Lauren's arms with relief. 03:10 <VoxPVoxD> "Who are you?" 03:10 <Crion> The man in all white finishes the slice. "I mean, we're going to have to a cancer scare and pretend she's had a miraculous recovery, and she'll have relatives worrying about her for the rest of her life." 03:10 <Crion> "I'm Jesuit." 03:10 <Crion> "You're Stewart. You're Lauren." 03:11 <Crion> "Are you still hungry?" 03:11 <Crion> "This place doesn't just serve pizza." 03:11 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart looks at Lauren. 03:11 <Crion> Lauren manages to make it so only Stewart sees her hand motion that means "a little bit." 03:12 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "We could eat." 03:13 <Crion> Jesuit nods. "Pardon!" 03:13 <Crion> The woman investigating the corners sighs and walks over. 03:14 <Crion> Jesuit: "Ask Steven upstairs to get us a Flag pizza, and grab a box for this while you're up there." 03:14 <Crion> She rolls her eyes. 03:15 <Crion> Jesuit: "And shoot anyone who looks like a Seer with a taser." 03:15 <Crion> Pardon: "You're lucky I like you." 03:15 <Crion> Jesuit: "Luck's fake." 03:15 <Crion> Fireman takes the door as she walks out. 03:16 <Crion> Jesuit to Stewart and Lauren: "If you want to keep eating, don't touch the pieces on this side. We might be able to do something with them." 03:16 <Crion> He indicates the pieces that are around the slices that Society took. 03:17 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I think I'm good on this one." 03:18 <Crion> Then Jesuit will just pick up the tray and put it over on another table. 03:19 <Crion> After doing so, he'll sit down again. To Lauren: "I was afraid, for you." 03:19 <Crion> Lauren: "I'm good at dodging, running away, falling on the floor, so on." 03:20 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart snorts. 03:20 <Crion> "Good enough, I guess." 03:22 <Crion> Soon, a crab pizza returns...delivered by... 03:22 <Crion> Karen! 03:22 <Crion> She seems fine. 03:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's hungrier than he realized. 03:24 <Crion> "Drinks?" she asks, pulling up the pitcher. The ice is all melted. All their beers are warm. 03:25 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's eyes flutter closed for a moment before he says, "Can I get a ginger beer?" 03:25 <Crion> Karen beams. "Of course!" 03:27 <Crion> Lauren: "I'll have another Golden Monkey. Thanks!" 03:27 <Crion> Jesuit: "Water, with ice." 03:28 <Crion> Karen nods and heads back upstairs. 03:28 <Crion> Jesuit stares at the pitcher that's there. "Room temperature water." 03:28 <Crion> "So it goes." 03:29 <Crion> He won't be the first to take a slice of the crab pizza. 03:30 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's got one. Well he did. It's gone now. 03:30 <Crion> Lauren digs in, too. 03:31 <Crion> So Jesuit puts on a bib -- white on white on white -- and takes up a slice. 03:31 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart supposes you get to dress ridiculous when you're that good-looking. 03:32 <Crion> He finishes the slice and smiles, then coughs slighty. 03:32 <Crion> He looks over at Stewart. "So." 03:32 <Crion> "This can't happen again." 03:33 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart nods in agreement. Rude to talk with your mouth full. 03:33 <Crion> Lauren: "How do we stop that?" 03:33 <Crion> She looks at Stewart here, not Jesuit. 03:35 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "We could take iron to the token after all. Though I don't know if that'd do it at this point. He seemed mad at the end there." 03:37 <Crion> Jesuit nods. "You could do that. There might be a better option, but it hinges on how often you want to see guys in track suits ordering crab pizza." 03:37 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You haven't taken a taser to my girlfriend yet, so I'm tentatively pro-you." 03:38 <Crion> He chuckles and eats another slice. Normally. Not like, inhaling it. 03:38 <Crion> "Here's my proposition." 03:39 <Crion> "You move the book -- or whatever it is, a computer? -- to the 13th Floor Lounge at the Belvedere. We put it in a side room right next to the restrooms. I've got it perfectly in mind. Very maintenance." 03:39 <Crion> "You or your designees have full access." 03:40 <Crion> "And if this man wants you to live in a Society, well. He can take it up with us." 03:41 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart looks at Lauren. Her face doesn't show any literal or figurative warning signs, does it? 03:42 <Crion> Nope, though she is sneaking looks at Stewart whenever she thinks he isn't--ah, now she's looking away. 03:45 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart chews the inside of his cheek gently to keep from smiling. He looks back at Jesuit. "I'm not opposed in principle. There are two things I need to know. One is, I need to run this by Kingsley and Santander. I'm sure they'll be okay with it when they hear what happened." 03:46 <Crion> Jesuit chuckles. "No, I don't think so." 03:46 <Crion> He pauses. "Not to the proposition." 03:46 <Crion> "They just won't be happy to hear Lauren was chased by a madman with a taser." 03:47 <Crion> Lauren: "Ugh." 03:50 <Crion> Lauren's moved her chair next to Stewart's. 03:51 <VoxPVoxD> "Right, which is why I think they'll back a plan that stops that from happening again. The second is, I paid for it. Goblin debt is kind of abstract, but if it's passing into your hands there's some risk of the burden transferring, I think? My Goblin Law's not great yet." 03:52 <Crion> Jesuit: "You bake it, you fake it, you slake it, you break it, or you Drake it, you buy it. Is what they say." 03:53 <Crion> "That said: Goblins don't care about real estate on this side. If we put it in a room, it still belongs to you, unless we try to use it." 03:54 <Crion> Jesuit gestures at the room, which is replete with singe scars. "And frankly we can ask our own dangerous oracles our own dangerous questions." 03:56 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Okay. Then unless Santander and Kingsley throw up stop signs I'm provisionally in favor of moving it over." 03:56 <VoxPVoxD> "So... there's a wizard war on?" 03:56 <VoxPVoxD> "Sorry if that's a super ignorant question." 03:57 <Crion> Jesuit laughs and eats another slice. "It is and it isn't." 03:58 <Crion> "I've got this guy who shows me these pictures from the internet. You know. The tiny brain, bigger, bigger, bigger, BIGGER. And ideological or theological positions right next to them." 03:58 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart nods. "Galaxy brain memes." 03:59 <Crion> Jesuit points. "Yes. Sure." 03:59 <Crion> "So the first one is always 'wizard war.' But the last one?" 03:59 <Crion> "It's also always 'wizard war.'" 04:00 <Crion> Lauren focuses on her pizza. 04:00 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "So it's like how the Civil War was about slavery, except it wasn't, except it obviously was." 04:01 <Crion> Jesuit sort of frowns and furrows his brow at Stewart three or four times before responding: "Yyyyyes." 04:01 <Crion> "The Civil War was about slavery. Yes." 04:02 <VoxPVoxD> "What's your war about?" 04:02 <Crion> Jesuit: "Reaching heaven through violence." He eats another slice. 04:04 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Is that... good or bad to do?" 04:05 <Crion> Jesuit pauses as he reaches for another crab slice, and smiles. "That's the war." 04:05 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah but, which side are you on?" 04:06 <VoxPVoxD> "Which side correlates with not trying to torture Lauren, I guess is what I'm asking." 04:06 <Crion> "Heaven's," he says, picking up the pizza. "And violence's." 04:06 <VoxPVoxD> "Is that why they care so much about the token? Because it's a source of knowledge?" 04:07 <Crion> Jesuit: "Yes and no. The main reason they care isn't the knowledge, because if they didn't think you could do anything with it, why should they? What they care about is agency." 04:07 <Crion> "They care about what knowledge allows you to do." 04:08 <Crion> "God loves," he says, downing the slice. 04:08 <Crion> "Man kills." 04:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "So they're fascists." 04:11 <Crion> Jesuit's laugh is more bitter this time. "They are, somehow, worse than fascists." 04:12 <Crion> "But they're in that set, yes." 04:14 <Crion> Lauren: "...How will we be safe?" 04:15 <Crion> Jesuit: "You never will, and you always will." 04:16 <Crion> He gestures around the room. "Deleting all the doors from a room and giving a woman ersatz cancer? That takes some doing. And then he still had to chase you around the room with a taser." 04:18 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah it was this weird spot where they seemed kind of hamstrung but also like overkill? Your magic seems real complicated." 04:19 <Crion> Jesuit: "It's a lot like religion. You want a lot of people pretending to do something else, alongside each other, for purpose." 04:20 <Crion> He waves a hand and downs another slice. When he's done: "Order whatever you want to take home from the kitchen. Your bill's on us. We should have seen this coming." 04:21 <VoxPVoxD> "Hey, can I ask you one more question?" 04:21 <Crion> He puts five twenties folded over on the table. "This is for Karen, and the parking ticket she's just gotten because she was asked to stay late." 04:22 <Crion> Jesuit nods. "Questions don't imply answers, so yes." 04:22 <VoxPVoxD> "...do you know Father Jesse?" 04:22 <Crion> Jesuit just smiles. "Surely do." 04:23 <Crion> "How's Jesse doing." 04:23 <Crion> "These days." 04:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart nods, as if this knowledge itself satisfies him. "Surviving, I guess. Ranting at God. He likes the grape vape cartridges." 04:24 <Crion> Jesuit nods again. "That sounds like him. I hope he finds peace. Or at least a better flavor." 04:24 <Crion> Then he stands. "Lauren, Stewart. God be with you both." 04:25 <Crion> "And to hell with the trappings of man." 04:26 <Crion> As he walks out, Pardon and Fireman will join him. Fireman makes certain to nod at you both before leaving. 04:26 <VoxPVoxD> When they're alone: "Fuuuuuuuuuuck." 04:27 <VoxPVoxD> To Lauren: "How are you doing?" 04:27 <Crion> She will answer by pulling Stewart into a kiss. Unless he's got pizza in his mouth. 04:27 <VoxPVoxD> He does not. 04:28 <VoxPVoxD> Man, if he'd known this was going to be the result he would've jumped in front of a taser-wielding superfascist wizard weeks ago. 04:28 <Crion> Thirty-some seconds later, she'll lean back in her chair (she pulled her's next to his awhile back). "A waitress got pancreatic cancer because of us. Then she got cured, and a 100 dollar tip." 04:28 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart raises a finger. "Hold on." 04:29 <VoxPVoxD> "She got cancer because of them." 04:29 <Crion> "I suppose," she says, reaching into her jeans. "I'm putting another twenty on here anyway." 04:29 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart watches her do it and then follows suit. 04:30 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "It's getting pretty late. I can take you home, or we could..." he trails off. 04:31 <Crion> Karen returns. They've only finished half the crab pizza. The other pizza -- the quattro frommagio -- has been mysteriously removed. She either doesn't see the tip or is ignoring it on purpose. "I'm so sorry. It got busy upstairs. You've been paid for, so should I just box this up...?" 04:32 <Crion> Lauren: "Please!" 04:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Thanks!" 04:33 <Crion> When she brings back the box and expertly puts the pizza away for the both of you, she then realizes there is $140 on the table in cash. She starts, smiles, and says, "Your bill has been paid." 04:34 <Crion> Lauren: "That's for you." 04:35 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You had to come all this way, and you never missed a beat." 04:35 <Crion> "I...I..." 04:35 <Crion> "Thank you so much." 04:35 <Crion> When you hit the air outside, it's crisp and clean. 04:35 <VoxPVoxD> Feels good to get out of that basement. 04:36 <VoxPVoxD> Feels good to have an arm around Lauren. 04:36 <Crion> Lauren breathes in, and breathes out, then leans into Stewart's shoulder. "Let's go back to your place." 04:37 <VoxPVoxD> Lauren's close enough that she can probably feel his pulse quicken. When he speaks, though, it's slow and deliberate. 04:38 <VoxPVoxD> "Next time we go out: tacos." 04:39 <Crion> "Mmmm." She drags her nose from his neck, across his cheek, to his own. Her eyes are lively and burning. "Deal." 04:39 <Crion> He's gotta carry the pizza, though. 04:39 <VoxPVoxD> Gladly. All else aside, she was right. Joe Squared is incredible. 04:39 <Crion> --Fin.