LIVE in Silver Valley: Nathaniel Gold's Benefit Concert 2016!

The woman is helping the man to his feet, and their son looks terrified. "I'll explain," the son offers. "Please, don't hurt us. Or put us in jail. We never tried to kill anyone, honest. We certainly never tortured anyone. I'm Adam Copper. Aah-uh." He stops shy of saying the name again. "She was my sister. The spirit who told us about this wasn't purple-headed like the one who told us that we'd never see her again. This was something else. She said if we helped her, she'd tell us where... where my sister went."

Wren's knuckles are getting white from how tightly she clenches her fists. In the distance, Nathaniel has moved on to another cheerful, buoyant song that has the audience dancing.

"Don't play dumb, you little shit." Wren is seething with hatred. "You knew. You never had a sister. And I'm missing the love of my life performing his heart out for this drivel, so spill it, or I'm going to knock you out, tie you up, and come back to question you after the show is over."

"I don't know what-" The woman begins to protest.

"Gwen, stop. They obviously know," the man grunts, looking very much like someone who does not want to be punched again. "Listen. We just wanted to tell our child that we're sorry. We miss her smile."

Every time one of them says "her," Wren looks an inch closer to drawing her sword.

"We never meant to drive her away, into the arms of that creature," the woman called Gwen shakes her head.

"Save it," Wren spits. "Your former child has been adopted by a new family. And they're not going to know that you were even here. So tell us about this other spirit, and then get the fuck out. And don't come back."

"It was a woman. She wanted our help," Gwen admits. "I'd never seen a ghost before, but she looked like one. Translucent and glowing with a yellow light. She seemed to be in trouble and was desperate for help."

"What did she ask of you in return for this information," Wren seethes.

"Just to swear a favor," the older man says. "We've been looking everywhere for-" He frowns. "For them. We don't know what the favor is yet. She has not come back. Please, let us go. We'll leave in peace."

"Thank you everyone!" Nathaniel cheerfully calls to the crowd after his second song. "Playing all my instruments is tiring work! I'm going to get a drink of water, then I'll be back in five!" The cheer from the crowd is deafening, and they chant his name.

"Nathaniel! Nathaniel! Nathaniel!"

The bard looks for Cecine, who has been watching him since Aydn's order. "Please," he tells her out of the view of the audience. "Go get Aydn and Wren, and tell them to let those people stay for the show. As... Strange as this may sound, I want them to see this. I'm going to change up tonight's playlist."

Aydn snaps at the son, "You certainly did. On both counts. Don't play stupid with me, boy. It's a losing game."

"Looking for whom? I said everything, not a half-assed attempt to skirt the answer," Aydn seethes back at the father. It sounds like he's very much on the verge of punching them himself. "And I swear to every god there is, I don't care what stupid whim keeps you saying 'her' and 'she' when you know the truth, but if you want me to keep my temper, you'll switch that up quickly. If you can't accept your child as he is, then you're not sorry, and I don't abide liars. Or parents who cannot love their children as they are." Ooh, that sound like a bit of a sore subject, there. Dangerous things, sore subjects in angry people. Or maybe it's the 'that creature' reference? "And the word is 'elf', or 'goddess' if you like, or hells, even 'woman'. Not 'creature'. Do you own reason, or are you just made of spite?" An ear tilts obviously out to the side, the movement intentional.

Aydn takes a step closer to them, eyes narrowed. "Looking everywhere for whom? I said everything." ((Intimidate 28 xD Screenie to Estelle))

----

"Nathaniel..." Cecine hesitates. "He asked me not to let you out of my sight. He's worried about something, but what it is, he didn't say. Who are they?"

"We're sorry," Adam recoils. "We- we didn't honestly know the word. We've never seen an elf goddess before. Please," he steps back with his parents, the three of them now completely terrified. "We were looking for him. For my..." He sighs, resigned. "My brother. I guess. Is... Is that really him on stage?"

--

Nathaniel takes a long drink of water and wipes his mouth. "They are the people I lived with until I met Whisper," he explains with a dark look on his face. "They are the Coppers. But look at me," he gestures to the suit he had made for the evening's fun. "And look at them," he extends a hand towards the ecstatic crowd, cheering and calling for him to come back on stage. "I once heard that the best revenge is living well. I could not possibly imagine a better scenario for them to see me in. I'm living my dream in every way, and I want them to see it. And I'm going to put them in their place with a little class. I've got to get back," he glances to the stage. "Please, hurry. Go bring them back. Let me have my revenge. And don't worry. They won't be able to speak to me afterwards. I have a plan to get away." He winks.

Aydn relents, now seeming satisfied that they genuinely didn't know the favor, and weren't looking for an unspoken third party for the spirit. His arms fold across his chest, and though he settles back onto his heels, the spymaster still glares at them. "Your brother, yes. And my best friend. You're lucky for that, because it's the only reason I've been this nice. You didn't just drive him away. He'd be dead, if it weren't for Whisper. You should thank her sometime." He glances at Wren, but doesn't name her relationship to Nathaniel on his own. After all, that's not his secret to tell, and she might not want it said.

A hand rubs at the assassin's face, as the wheels turn. "This spirit will have to be located. One has to wonder about the real motivation. Sounds like she gave you your reward suspiciously early. Was there a time when she was to reappear to you?" He glances up at Wren, "We might best bring it up to our Weird Shit Expert, too."

--------------------------

Cecine gives Nathaniel a little smile, though still worried. "All right, just don't run off without me in the meantime, okay?" she grins. With that, she leaves the side of the stage, rushing towards the four gathered around the Coppers.

"Oh, and Cecine?" Nathaniel turns to call over his shoulder as he walks back on stage. "Tell them I'm with my real family now."

---

"Surely dead is a bit much," Gwen balks, but fear is still in her eyes. "I-I would hope not. By the tyrant god..."

"Yes," Wren agrees. "We should definitely tell the expert."

Aurora has stayed quiet, still pretty confused, but like her fiance, she likes these strangers less and less every passing second.

Selathanael had, understandably, put most of the truly important pieces together now, and he now shared his goddess' vehemence on the core issue here. While he wouldn't let these peoples' ignorance press him to violence, he was all the same quite glad, for the Coppers' sake, that he wasn't armed. He holds Aurora a little closer and bends to whisper in her ear.

"It's clear to me that Nathaniel's happiness with we, his friends, has benefitted from us accepting his true self, which these people, his... birth family, seem to have an infuriatingly hard time doing. I will be embracing my good friend warmly when this has passed. In the meantime, we are doing the right thing by following Aydn's lead here... There are extraneous details, concerning a wayward spirit, which have not ironed themselves out yet. Above all, however, we must stand strong by Nathaniel throughout this trial."

"A bit much?" Aydn snaps. It would seem that these people - at least the parents - are running the spymaster's patience to the end of its rope. The mother's words seem to have snagged in something that demands attention. "Mother of- You're murderers," he hisses at them. The fingers of his left hand open and close tightly next to the grip of the sword Nathaniel gave him, resisting temptation. He tells the son, "I hope at least you have a soul and don't repeat their mistakes." Is that a warning? It sounds a bit like one. Knowing Aydn? Probably.

Thankfully, that's right about when Cecine reaches the group with a hand touched to the elf's shoulder. She gives Aurora and Selathanael an awkward little smile. Introductions would probably have to wait. This wasn't exactly the best time. "Nathaniel said he wants them to see the rest of the show," she tells the little group of the bard's friends, looking the other three up and down. She seems most interested in the mother. Eh, she could take her.

"Escorted," Aydn grumbles, looking at Wren for her thoughts.

To the family, though, Cecine adds at her friend's request, "And he asked me to tell you that he's with his real family now."

"Damn right he is," Wren sneers to the Coppers. She turns to Aydn. "If that's what Nathaniel wants, I say we defer to him. I'm sure he has a reason."

All three of them shrink when called murderers. "Why do you keep saying that? We never hurt h-im." The mother recoils.

"The details aren't important," Wren dismisses. "And not for everyone to know. What is important is not all murder happens the way I want to murder you. Sometimes, emotional pain can be fatal. Let's go, you callous shit-for-brains, savage excuse for a 'family.' You don't deserve this, but I am sortof glad that you get to see him like this. Look at this," she waves a hand broadly at the crowd. "This is who he is. He is loved, and he spreads love. He's an incredible human being, and all of it is in spite of you. Move. I've missed enough of his hard work for your sorry asses."

"You're... You're his girlfriend?" The woman asks as they start to walk. "Are you-"

"If you finish that sentence," Wren seethes, "I'll decapitate you in front of everyone here and deal with the consequences. Yes. We're in love, and he's the nice one."

"I won't stop her this time," Aydn makes sure to point out as they escort the Coppers back into the show, seeming to thoroughly approve of Wren's scolding. It's probably for the best that Aurora, Selathanael, and Cecine are there with them.

The redhead falls into place with the rest, helping to guide the little group back into the crowd, looming directly behind the mother with her same friendly smile, but as they draw closer she touches a hand to Aydn's arm. "It's... probably best that I'm not here. Will you be all right if I go back up front with Alice?"

Welp. One less witness, except that by the way Cecine's soft smile tensed, it seems she's offering to leave for the Coppers' sakes and not to get a better view of the show.

The assassin nods, setting a brief kiss on her cheek with an almost uncharacteristic gentleness. "Go on, we'll meet up with you after. Keep an eye on him for us."

Cecine nods, working her way back through the crowd to rejoin her friend aside the stage.

As the group heads back up to the front of the crowd, Nathaniel is singing his heart out.

((Song: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]  Sorry not sorry for all the P!atD songs but their singer is Nathaniel's voice claim. ))

As the song ends, he smiles at the applause and bows. "Thank you! Thank you everyone."

"It is him," Adam observes. "I can hear it in his voice."

"I've got just one more song for you tonight, and I'd like to dedicate it to three very special guests." He waves to his birth parents and brother with a wink, composed and not showing even a flicker of contempt, his stage presence ruling him. "I wrote this thinking about all the time we spent together and what it meant to me." He blows them a kiss, and then the applause dies back down to the slow pick up of piano music.

((Song: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]))

Aydn continues to lurk in place by the Coppers, arms folded loosely across his chest. The pleasant expression he'd momentarily spared for Cecine is gone, but at least the son's recognition and willingness to say the word 'him' are preventing the anger from boiling over... but he's silent. There's only the twitch of an ear, as though he recognizes the piano melody that starts the dedicated song.

Once she rejoins her friend, Cecine quietly whispers to Alice the shortest version of what she knows to be going on so that she's not left in the dark, "Nathaniel's former family is here. He said he has an exit plan, though I don't know what it is."

His family has the grace, at least, to hang their heads in sadness when the lyrics of the song he dedicated to them strike them. Nathaniel's parents look more embarrassed, but Adam at least seems to be legitimately stung by self-disappointment. "Did we really hurt him that much," he asks quietly enough that only those gathered around him likely heard. He turns to Aydn and Wren. "You certainly don't owe me any favors. But... I'm sure he won't want to see us when this is over. Could you tell him, from me personally, that I'm sorry? I brought something for him. Would one of you give it to him for me?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Adam," Grace frowns. "Don't give that to her."

"I want to." He crosses his arms over his chest. "And you won't stop me. They might, but you won't. Stop saying her. You're embarrassing me now. It's not that hard."

The crowd, mostly oblivious to the Coppers' personal drama, cheers as Nathaniel turns his back to them, acting like he is walking off stage. But, as Cecine and Alice would see from their vantage point, the look on his face is clearly expecting them to call for an encore, which they already are.

"Nathaniel! Nathaniel! Nathaniel!"

The bard locks eyes with Cecine, and with his back still to the crowd, he murmurs a whisper, and uses Message so that only she can hear him. "I didn't plan to disappear after my set, so when I'm gone, you'll need to take the stage and invite our guests to eat, drink, and be merry. The show being over doesn't end the party. Make sure they understand that. Thank you so. Much. Tell our family not to hurt the people they're detaining. Just see to it that they leave, so I can return in peace. Quietly. I don't want our audience to see people getting dragged out."

The crowd is still cheering hopefully for an encore, and the bard happily returns to the stage. "Thank you!!! Alright, everyone! I'm going to leave you with a more fun song. From the bottom of my heart, I can't thank you enough for coming out tonight and giving what you could to our soldiers and refugees. This, this right here, this love, is why we will win. This time, and every time."

The answering roar from the crowd unanimously agrees.

"Alright, one more time!"

((His last song: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]))

Once the song is finished, Nathaniel stands with his arms out and drinks in their wild applause, smiling from ear to ear. Then he takes a bow, and vanishes into thin air.

There's an upward twitch at what had been a scowl on the elf's face. Although he coldly ignores the parents, there's that little hope that maybe one of the three isn't a complete waste. He gives the Adam his completely focused attention, nodding. Although it would be impossible to erase all severity from his voice considering the circumstances, the tone is much softened by Adam's sincerity. "I'll tell him for you, if you'd like. What would you have me give him...?"

----

Meanwhile, Cecine nods her understanding to Nathaniel as he passes her the Message. Once the bard has disappeared, she steps back out onto the stage, smile wide and bright as she turns to address the gathered crowd.

"That's our show for tonight, everyone, but remember: the evening is still young! The party remains as long as there's spirit for it! There is food, drink, and the joy of friends from far and wide gathered, so please do enjoy the rest of the evening's festivities with us. And if you've planned to stay the night with us here in the new Silver Valley, there's a fantastic bakery you should visit while you're here! Thank you everyone for coming, and have a wonderful rest of your evening!"

She gives the crowd a grin as she closes out the show, but doesn't take too much time before she leaves the stage. After all, Wren is over there helping guard the Coppers...

With a quick, "I'll be right back!" to Alice, she rushes back off into the crowd after the little group. It would take her a moment to weave her way back through to them, but the first thing on her lips is Nathaniel's request. "He says to see that they're able to leave peacefully." She looks hopefully at the three, sounding politely as though she's hoping this won't be a struggle.

"I left it at a donation table for safe keeping," Adam tells Aydn. "You're welcome to go with me, but I need to go get it."

"We'll go," the older man sighs, resigned. "We don't have much a choice, do we?"

"No." Wren seethes. "Oh, hey look! I see my friend. I'll be back in just a moment," the rogue observes casually, waving to a blonde girl chatting nearby, still swaying to the last song. She's dressed in plain, dark clothes, and doesn't stand out in any way.

But Aydn would recognize her as the woman who identified herself as Wren's captain of the Viper Falls scout detail. They greet each other as friends, and whatever conversation they have is lost to the crowd's noise, but seems like they're just catching up.

Aydn nods, seeming agreeable to escorting Adam to retrieve the item. "All right, we can go get it, then." The casual way Wren leaves draws a glance, but the guildmaster draws no more attention to the moment than that alone.

Cecine offers to stay and help, whether the entire group travels to the donation table together or if the son is escorted alone.

Wren is quick to rejoin them, the seriousness blooming on her face again. "Sorry about that. I promised I'd meet her here, and I had to make an excuse as to why I hadn't socialized with her yet." ((Deception 23))

"We'll be right back," Adam promises his parents, seeming to want to go get his tribute to Nathaniel, at the least, without them. He leads the spymaster to a nearby table collecting donations, which has mountains of boxes neatly labeled behind them. The priest working there gladly hands over a parcel wrapped inelegantly in brown paper. It's roughly the size and shape to contain either clothing or a small blanket. Something made of fabric, for sure. "Please, tell him I'm sorry. I miss him. I... I wasn't much better than them when he was around. But since he disappeared, I've had a lot of time to think and feel ashamed of myself. I can't blame them for being my role models in this. I have a mind of my own. I don't expect him to forgive me, but I wanted him to have this. I'm sure you're going to check the package, so just to be transparent, it's a shirt. Just a regular old shirt of mine. I hope he likes it." Adam sighs deeply. "If that's all you need from us, we'll be going so we don't ruin his big night. Tell him I'm proud of him. Tell him I've changed, and that I hope he will speak to me again someday. They haven't, though." He points a thumb towards his parents. "He's best off staying as far away from them as possible. Don't tell him this part, but we've fallen on hard times, and the only reason mom and dad were looking for him was the spirit told us he's doing well, and they wanted to ask him for money."

Aydn nods, seeming to accept Wren's explanation at face-value. He follows along with Adam, and Cecine lingers behind with the rest.

As the brother explains, the spymaster does listen, and seems genuine about it. Adam has the right of it, though: The elf will be checking that package. He tests it gently in the hands, confirming the weight and texture of the contents. As it seems to fit the story, he continues listening.

Perhaps Adam genuinely did want to make amends...? On the chance it might be real, he wouldn't deprive Nathaniel of the information offered. In the end, he would let it be the bard's choice. "I'll tell him. And I'll make sure to tell him all of that for you, you've my word." The revelation about their parents' intentions comes as a clear disappointment, though, and Aydn sighs. He'd been holding out some tiny hope that they were somehow just stupid. "The warning is appreciated, thank you. If... he does decide to contact you, would the information he already has work to reach you, or would I need to pass something new along?"

Not that he wouldn't completely check out the answer either way, granted... but there would be time for that.

Selathanael has been quietly observant of the entire affair with the Coppers and approaches Aydn quietly, not wanting to disturb the flurry of events going on here.

1) Nathaniel has seemingly been living his preferred life with his friends, and his family life was terrible. This made Selathanael treasure his friendship with the bard even further.

2) There is at least one prominent face here (the tall redhead that seems so adorably close to Aydn, performing with him and bringing out a new, rather warm side of him) that he doesn't know, and given the flurry of friendships Aydn has amidst his agents, she could be anyone, and he didn't want to overstep or assume anything.

3) Nathaniel has apparently not only "won" the day in the best way possible, it seems one of his family is coming around to being... well perhaps salvageable.

"Aydn... I just want you to know that if there is anything I can do here to help, I am simply following your lead as, well, as always you are more informed of things than I."

He squeezes Aurora's hand and smiles back at her, offering her his strength. He hoped she wasn't as confused as he was.

Adam smiles nervously at the blonde elf. "I still live with them," he gestures to his parents, still in the crowd. "Same place as when he lived with us. He's from Rockton, if he hasn't said. But since I don't know of a way for him to contact me except to come to the house, and I know he doesn't want to do that, maybe send a messenger. If he wants to be covert about it, I regularly get messages from a friend who moved to Ferryville. Have him mark the letter as from 'Rob,' R-O-B, and they won't think anything of it. We'll go now. Please, enjoy your night. Don't let us ruin it."

Adam smiles at Selathanael and Aurora. "I'm glad he has you all. You've clearly been a better family to him than we have."

If allowed, he takes his leave, and makes sure his parents go with him.

Selathanael puts a warm, gentle hand on Adam's shoulder as he turns to leave.

"Sir, there is something I want you to know before you leave today. The goddess that Nathaniel and I worship is one of healing and of warmth. It has helped your brother find his true self, and it can help you perhaps have a place in his new, proper life. I will speak with him, carefully and warmly, of your healing here, early as it may be, and I will see to it that any bridges that can be mended see that done. My name is Selathanael, and I am the Champion of Whisper. Nathaniel is one of her most faithful, and he is my friend. I do not think you and he are necessarily done here." He smiles warmly. "This is my beloved, my Fiance, Aurora, and she can also vouch not only for the healing warmth of my goddess, but how well your brother embodies it. I believe we shall meet again."

As the group takes their leave, once they're out of earshot, there's a relieved sigh from Aydn. He looks appreciatively to Selathanael and gives his friend an apologetic twitch to the tense smile. "No, you've both been a fantastic help, just for sake of this much. It wasn't something we were expecting, either."

He keeps his voice low, offering some long-due explanation. "The only way any of us even knew about this was from the realities we'd seen in Jocasta's nightmare, and we'd sworn to him to keep it silent. He never wanted to relive it, so... we'd aimed to ensure that." Hands are shoved in his pockets, the package from Adam tucked under an arm. "Never thought they'd actually show up. Thought maybe some undead-hunters might, sure, but not them. Which..." He looks between Cecine and then Aurora and Selathanael, the smile a little more at ease. "I suppose there's introductions in order, too. I'd intended to, while we had the chance, and then the unexpected, you know? As it tends to happen."

"Cecine, this is Aurora and Selathanael, I know you've heard about them both from everyone, but..." He turns the introduction to his friends, "Aurora, Selathanael... this is mother of my children, Cecine." The elf turns a grin to his human wife, and she gets a sheepish blush to her face as though he does that quietly dramatic introduction often.

"It's good to finally meet you both," she sincerely offers, adding with a chuckle, "I'm not undead, I swear, just... previously dead."

"I'd like that. Adam Copper," he shakes warmly with Selathanael. "I love that he changed his name to 'Gold.' How fitting. You lot are definitely an upgrade befitting the moniker."

"I'm glad one of you hasn't taken leave of common decency," Aurora observes with the blunt edge of her tongue. "Try to knock some sense into those monsters."

---

After the Coppers are gone, Aurora's eyes are bright and happy to meet Cecine. "It doesn't matter," she says of her status as previously dead. "Un- or previously, welcome to Weirdale. We have all kinds here."

Selathanael finishes his interaction with Adam Copper, nodding with a smile at his Fiance's parting words, and letting the man keep to his important, seemingly evolving thoughts as he leaves.

Turning his attention back to Aydn and hearing Cecine's introduction, he truly wants to hug them both... but does not. Instead he bows over Cecine's hand with all the gallant grace of a the knight that he is.

"My Goddess' husband was a vampire before he was a god, Lady Cecine, there is no inherent evil in any brush with the powers that bridge life and death, even though that power often corrupts itself simply out of misunderstanding power hunger, which is certainly not your case. Anyone that can make the master of secrets glow, and sing, as you have, has my respect. I sense a mighty bond between you two, and it fills my heart with joy." He smiles at Aydn. "So many delightful details about you are retroactively brought to light in meeting your lady, Aydn. Your love betters the both of you, and I am so happy for you both."

He puts an arm around Aurora and hugs her close. "Today has been a great day for the power of love."

Tina walks up, yawning and stretching, having recovered her strength from performing by taking a very relaxing nap.

She looks around groggily and scratches her side.

"The fucks going on here?"

Cecine smiles brightly at Whisper's Champion and nods, happily accepting of his reassurances. "Mighty and very old," she nods to confirm his suspicions, adding, "It's actually your Lady Whisper and Mercy who we've to thank for its existence now." A little grin grows, "And Ezra too." The references to hints in the Spymaster's last log are a little more obvious, with that. She turns a glance back at Aydn, who...

He is still smiling, but he's watching his feet. Between Cecine's presence and Selathanael's observations, they've managed to get a red flush onto the pale Secrets Master's face. In public. He doesn't seem sore about it, though, and gestures awkwardly with a hand before hanging it at his neck, and mumbling appreciatively at the knight. "It does better both of us, you're right... and today has been precisely that."

As Tina walks up, Aydn clears his throat to straighten things a bit, though it doesn't erase all evidence. "Ah... Tina, this... Cecine, this is Tina Koffee, Legendary Warlock. Tina... I'd like you to meet my wife, Cecine."

She waves a bit to Tina, still wearing a smile. "Hello."

Aydn offers back to Selathanael and Aurora. "She's only been... alive?... for a few days, so we're still re-working things like muscle memory, but I've heard no end to how much she'd like to help, so if the chance arises once it's sorted. She does know her way 'round a sword rather well." Oh, now that's an adoring little brief look from him. People who get into fights for a living find the strangest things adorable.