Modern Times (after Natural Order)

Session Summary

MODERN TIMES - quotes

Chase: "Well, does 'ladies first' still apply?"
Raveena: "What's that got to do with you?"

Gabe: "Let's go Alice. In the hole."

Gabe: "DON'T call me 'Manwich'."

Chase: "Hospital this afternoon, Lone Star tonight."
Raveena: "Well, don't cut up the customers and serve beer to the dead people. That's just a waste."
Chase: "You're right. Serious waste of beer."

Raveena: "It's not stealing. It's borrowing what's rightfully yours."

Gabe: Do you need to ? get your magic out?"

Raveena: "Chase, she's got a cute wiggle, but somebody watches it already ..."

Chase: "Brandon knows TV. He was watching it this morning."
Gabe: "And you left the house?"
Chase: "We don't get those channels, Gabe."

Deaver: "I'm not sure how you can have 'offensive joy'."
Chase: "Well, Rachel's really good at it."
Rachel: "... That's fair."

Geoff staggers into his apartment, looking haggard. The clock on the wall reads 6:00. AM. He snags the toothbrush that he keeps near the kitchen sink and begins going through the motions of proper dental hygiene. He looks up to see Brandon emerging from the spare bedroom, wearing a pair of Geoff's sweats and with his upper body covered by the bed sheet wrapped around him. Geoff quickly finishes brushing his teeth, and offers Brandon breakfast.

[Jen insert scene here]

Geoff slips into the bedroom, shutting the door quietly. Chase is fast asleep. He disappears into the bathroom and reemerges ready for bed. Just as he gets under the covers, the alarm goes off. He slams the snooze button and lies down, pulling Chase towards him. The alarm goes off again. And again. Finally Chase sits up, groggy. She rises and begins getting ready for her early morning review session. Half asleep, Geoff tries to get her to stay ... he'll review the material with her ... but Chase is determined to go. Staggering into the kitchen in her pajamas, Chase comes face to face with Brandon. She's mildly surprised, since he hasn't emerged from his room since they awakened him several days previous. She gets them both coffees with a sleepy smile, and idly tells him the channel for CNN (he seems to just be flipping around aimlessly) before disappearing to finish getting ready. Before she leaves, she makes plans to pick Brandon up after her class to show him the town sights.

* * *

Geoff is in bed, asleep. As he slumbers, a pale white mist descends from the ceiling, passing over him gently and continuing down through the floor.

* * *

Deaver, Raveena, Gabe, and Rachel stand outside the Body-Townsend manor. Deaver looks up at the mansion, a deeply sad expression on his face. Brandon and Chase amble up the drive, on their tour of McKennit. Brandon's eyes light at the sight of it - he recognizes the house. When his brother, William, married Margaret Boyd, they came to live here at the Boyd Manor. The group launches into an explanation of the current legal battle over the property. Nikki left the house to Deaver in her will, but the Boyd-Townsends want it back. Badly. And they have really good lawyers, and Deaver has been out of the country. So right now, no one has the keys, and the courts have locked all the entrances. Brandon can't help musing ? did they really know about all the entrances? With that, he moves around the perimeter of the house, lost in thought, until he comes to a gnarled old tree. At it's base, Brandon leans down and searches through the roots. He finds what he's looking for - a trap door, which leads into the wine cellar. Raveena opens it easily despite the roots that have started to overtake the door. The group drops inside.

A narrow earthen tunnel takes them straight to the wine cellar. Brandon begins to roam around, again lost in thought. Brandon moves up into the main house to continue wandering, noting the change in dcor as well as the portrait of his brother over the fireplace. He mentions offhandedly that the magic appears to have gone well. He then goes on to explain a bit further: he was the sacrifice that his mother used to bless his brother's wedding and to ask for wealth and prosperity for the family. As the younger brother who had always known his place was to support his older brother, Brandon agreed to this readily enough. He continues to look up at the portrait for a moment. Deaver, lost in thoughts of his own, moves out of the room. Chase suddenly realizes that she's in danger of being late for work - she's due at the hospital soon for her shift. She gives Brandon her key and makes arrangements for the others to take him home when he's ready (she's also working at Lone Star tonight, so she won't really be available), and then quickly jets out of the room.

* * *

The ER at McKennit hospital is moving at its usual hectic pace. Chase, clipboard in hand, makes a few notes while moving on autopilot towards the break room - source of all coffee. As she approaches the door, she overhears Richard and Owen talking inside. It sounds serious. She pokes her head around the door and asks what's up, the rest of her following when they ask her to come in. They immediately ask how Geoff is doing, and if he is coming in tonight. Surprised by the intensity of the request, she admits that they didn't really talk when he got in that morning. Richard and Owen reveal to her that there was a very nasty murder last night - someone from out of town visiting Brian Casey, a Phillipi senior. Deep puncture wounds and lacerations - a ton of blood. A look from Owen lets her know it was a vampire attack, and a particularly brutal one. The cops called the parents, but they didn't buy what they were being told, so they called the hospital last night and Geoff spent several hours on the phone with them trying to explain what had happened. He was really strung out and down when he left (it was only then that Chase realizes how late he had been getting home). Chase said she'd talk to him about it when she got home, but for now, she had to get back to work. Richard tells her he'll see her at Lone Star later. With a death grip on coffee, she leaves the break room.

* * *

In the kitchen of the Boyd-Townsend manor, Deaver is staring at a Waterford crystal lamp sitting on the table. Without him seeming to notice, a pale white mist descends from the ceiling, passing over him gently and continuing down through the floor.

Rachel and Raveena realize that they haven't seen Deaver in a while, and move back to the kitchen to check on him and offer what comfort they can. Brandon takes the opportunity to pull Gabe aside, out of earshot of the rest of the group. He somewhat uncomfortably confides in Gabe that he has an unusual magical ability - while he can't wield it, he produces it somehow. And unless someone who knows how to use it helps him siphon it off occasionally, it can cause a lot of problems (like melting people's apartments). He asks Gabe if he will be willing to help, and Gabe agrees.

Brandon continues to wander through the familiar surroundings with Gabe, and he begins poking in a few drawers upstairs. In one of them he finds a signet ring, which he identifies as his brother William's. At Gabe's urging, he goes downstairs to ask Deaver's permission to keep it. Deaver agrees immediately - the ring means much more to Brandon than it does to him. As the door behind Brandon continues to swing, the camera pans to the portrait of William visible over the fireplace.

* * *

Chase comes into the locker room at the hospital, looking tired. She unlocks her locker quickly and grabs her backpack. She pulls out a change of clothes to something more bar-oriented (leather works much better than scrubs for such things), and runs to change. She swaps clothes, tousles her hair, grabs her bag and hurries out of the room.

She comes back and shuts the locker.

On the way through the parking lot, Chase runs into Geoff, on his way to work. He looks concerned that she seems pretty worn out, and she is concerned over his experience the morgue last night. They start to talk about the murder, but Chase gets a quick look at her watch, and has to stop the conversation short - she's going to be late, and she's supposed to be helping Shannon set up at Lone Star tonight. Geoff tells her he'll come by the bar after work and gives her a quick kiss before they part ways.

* * *

The gang decides to take Brandon to the Lone Star that evening. They try to prepare him for the culture shock, but it really can't be done, so they just give up and take him through the door. He's a little awestruck, and still doesn't seem used to seeing so much female skin in "street clothes". Chase is behind the bar and gives Brandon a cheery grin along with a Guinness. Gabe and Rachel hit the dance floor, and Chase leaves the bar to make her rounds, collecting a tray of empty glasses and chatting and flirting a little with the patrons. Brandon watches her work. Raveena notices the direction he's staring and frowns a little. She takes him aside and attempts to explain that Chase is currently spoken for, but she gets her foot so far down her throat that she just ends up confusing him hopelessly and making him afraid to look at anyone or anything at all.

* * *

Chase takes the tray of empties into the kitchen. As soon as the door closes behind her, her face falls. She looks exhausted. She puts down the tray and just leans on the counter for a moment. Spying Shannon's ever-present bottle of tequila, she pours a shot, slams it, and pours another, carrying it with her. She kicks open the back kitchen door and sits down on the step, digging out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. She lights up, takes a deep drag, and wearily leans her head back against the doorframe. As she rests momentarily, a pale white mist descends from overhead, passing over her gently and disappearing into the ground beneath her feet.

* * *

Seeing that she's massively confused and probably upset Brandon, Raveena excuses herself to go to the ladies room, leaving him with Deaver at the bar. She lectures herself in the mirror but is quickly interrupted by a girl who enters, introducing herself as Elise. She can't help noticing that Raveena seems really upset. They chat for a moment, Elise does what she initially came in here to do, and when Raveena shows no sign of leaving the restroom she says a cheerful goodbye and tells Raveena she'll see her outside.

Alone again, Raveena leans against the counter as a pale white mist descends from the ceiling, passing over her gently and continuing down through the floor.

* * *

Exiting the bathroom, one thing on the dance floor strikes Raveena immediately - a ghostly figure moving between the dancing figures. She starts towards it, working her way between the couples. She tries to engage it in conversation, but it doesn't respond to her. It continues to move around the floor. She dances over to Rachel and Gabe, but they don't seem to see the apparition. She dances over to the ghost and tries to point it out using some modified "dance moves", but still no dice - Rachel and Gabe can't figure out what she's pointing at. The ghost next to her turns to look at the couple next to Raveena, who are in a heated discussion. The ghost grows and stretches a hand out over their heads. Raveena quickly tries to intercede using some more freaky dance moves, and severely pisses off the couple next to her.

* * *

Chase walks back into the kitchen with the now-empty shot glass. About that time, Geoff walks in, carrying a rolled up newspaper in his back pocket. They chat for a moment, and Geoff starts to reach for the paper, when a big-eyed Shannon interrupts with her soft Texas drawl. "We've got a problem, Chase." Chase starts out the door to the bar, and Shannon shoots Geoff an apologetic look before following.

* * *

On the floor, Raveena is confusing and upsetting patrons right and left as she uses her "dance moves" to keep the ghost from getting to close to anyone. Chase starts working her way across the floor to play bouncer and get Raveena out of there when she too spots the ghost. Geoff emerges from the kitchen and sees it as well. The ghost spots Geoff and starts heading towards him. Chase tries to get in its way, and apparently amenable to the change in plan, the ghost heads for her instead, reaching out a hand. She leads it steadily backwards in the direction of the bar, where Deaver notices what is happening. He muses that ghosts typically only haunt particular locales, so either the Lone Star just got a ghost, or this thing isn't really a ghost at all. At the bar, the ghost's attention is immediately drawn to a new target: Brandon, who is still visibly upset by his conversation with Raveena. The ghost heads towards him, and Deaver and Brandon get up and start moving towards the back door of the Lone Star. Chase tosses Raveena her key to the back gate so they can get out. Gabe and Rachel head for the front door to get the car and drive it around back, and Chase asks Gabe on his way out if he remembers that spell for making incorporeal things solid. Geoff and Chase follow out the front door, running around to the back so that they can help if needed, but to be sure not everyone is trapped in the yard on the other side of the back fence.

Deaver, Raveena, and Brandon successfully get the ghost to follow them out of the bar. Out back, many patrons are enjoying the night air, playing horseshoes and chatting. A small boy is on the ground crying, while his father berates him loudly. The ghost turns to the child and reaches a hand out over his head. Before Raveena can interfere, a pale white mist falls from its hand, shrouding the child and then sinking into the ground. The child quiets his tears, but looks at his father sullenly. Raveena has a BFO [Blinding Flash of the Obvious] moment, and realizes that the ghost seems to be drawn to upset or negative emotions in people. The ghost, having finished with the child, turns back to Brandon. Raveena runs to open the gate, accidentally tripping the alarm. Shannon comes out, frowning. She doesn't ask any questions, but resets the alarm, takes Chase's key from Raveena, and ushers them out the gate. She is oblivious to the ghost. The crew runs out of the yard, the specter following them. Gabe and Rachel (who is driving, since this isn't a skateboard) are there with the car, and Geoff and Chase are standing just outside. Raveena and Deaver get Brandon into the car and follow after him. The ghost reaches through the window and gets to Brandon, showering him in a white mist. Rachel hits the pedal and the car shoots out of the lot, leaving the ghost in the parking area with Geoff and Chase. They begin to back away from it, and once they are a short distance away, the ghost vanishes entirely.

Since Monday's are slow and both Chase and Geoff look dead on their feet, Shannon lets Chase off early. As they're headed home, Geoff gets a call on his cell and has to go in to work. She drops him off at the hospital and heads back to the apartment. She checks Brandon's room and sees him on the balcony. She spies a flash of silver mist moving away from him into the distance, and goes outside to talk to him.

* * *

Deaver, Gabe, Raveena, and Rachel run by the library to see what he can learn about the ghost. They discover that it does indeed feed on negative energy, and typically replaces it with apathy. Victims who are targeted by the ghost more than once have a tendency to experience suicidal thoughts, and many of them act on these emotions. The creature is driven off by mirth in any form. They stop at the local video store for a few dumb comedies before quickly making their way to Geoff's apartment, calling Chase to let her know they're coming. They have no idea how many people have been struck or how many times.

* * *

Chase hears the phone ring and runs to get it. Deaver fills her in. She grabs a couple of beers and heads back to Brandon's room. When she gets there, she finds Brandon sitting on the balcony railing. She suggests they move to the other balcony, which has chairs and a better view [it happens to be off the master bedroom, but oh well]. They change locations. Brandon begins to confess how out of place he feels, when Geoff comes into the bedroom. Before Chase can explain anything, there's another knock on the door - Deaver and Gabe. Chase asks Brandon to answer it, and once he's out of the room, she quickly explains to Geoff what Deaver has learned about the ghost.

The group assembles in the living room, and a discussion about how to dispel the ghost happens over the cheerful sounds of "Men in Tights" on the TV. Rachel and Gabe do some quick magical planning. Using Brandon's special abilities, Gabe can get enough juice to summon a scroll with the instructions for naming and summoning this particular ghost. Rachel can then cast a circle and perform the summoning, at which point Gabe will solidify the ghost and Raveena can do her thing. Brandon and Gabe shake hands, and the group sees electricity arc between them. Gabe's eyes go black. He summons the scroll, and gives it to Rachel. Rachel summons the ghost, who is trapped by the protective circle, and Gabe solidifies it. Rachel grants Raveena entry to the circle, and she makes quick work of the ghost. Gabe uses his left over mojo to clean up the messy aftermath [apparently solidified ghosts resemble smushy marshmallows. Who knew?].

The group decides to stay up and watch stupid movies anyway, and the camaraderie continues into the early morning hours. Exhausted, Chase falls asleep before the movie credits.

* * *

Chase wakes up in bed and rolls over to find a rose and a rolled up newspaper on the nightstand. She pulls out the paper and looks at it groggily. It's the rental section. She blinks at it a few times, before Geoff comes in with breakfast on a tray. He sets it down and sits down next to her. He suggests that they get a place together, and she smiles and says OK. He leaves for work, dropping a quick kiss on her head before heading out. After he's gone, Chase takes a deep breath and manages a small "Oh my GOD."

FINIS.