After talking down a dangerous situation, Xaeron and Sophia enjoy their bachelor(ette) parties!
"You ever make a move and realize… you f***ed up?"
Sophia stands in the middle of Place Jacques-Cartier, surrounded by three werewolves in their war forms, watching Baron Velan limp away down the road, merging with the air around him. The sidhe calls upon the Wyrd to make her chimerical self solid and attempts to use her impressive magics and title to intimidate the Garou. The humans in the square are panicked, rooted to the spot or running in every direction; in the chaos, the werewolves don't notice Patches Flicker-Flash up behind a monument. Sophia, too, uses the cantrip to vanish and reappear behind the Garou. As one of the werewolves bears down on Sophia, Patches charges in to drag her out of the way.
Sophia uses Flicker Flies to try to calm their rage; one of the Garou shifts down out of his war form to try to parley with them. Knowing that their quarry is long gone, he offers to speak with them at a nearby café. Patches notices that they are being followed by both a large raven and a rat… possibly allies of the Garou? Or spies? Sophia calls Braum to have him meet them downtown, and the motley sit down with the Garou.
"You are in league with the Wyrm," the man begins. Sensing that they must be from out of town, Sophia and Patches tell them of the motley's deeds: helping Kaylie and her pack, and assisting in the destruction of the Hive in Angell Woods Park. The Garou is impressed, and introduces himself and his pack: Can't-Stop-the-Funk ("But you can call me Funky, everyone does"), Larry, and Dina… and their fourth, a Ragabash who "can't be found if she doesn't want to be". They are in Cross' Shadow to hunt the Wyrm and its agents, and "the thing" that they call Velan is actually a Fomorian! Unlike vampires/leeches, Velan may perhaps be an unwilling agent of the Wyrm, but an agent of death and destruction nonetheless. Sophia implores the Garou for a chance to see about curing his "infection", as Cross' Shadow is soon to be her responsibility. While Dina just snorts with laughter, Funky agrees to give her the opportunity: as long as Velan's corruption doesn't spread, he can live. The Garou set off, and the motley wonder how they're going to be able to find the Baron again after this….
Patches gets a call: her bright-yellow Lamborghini, one of her Samhaim prizes, has finally arrived in the city! The nocker isn't particularly happy about the vehicle, but is excited to show it off to her motley mates. Braum calls Kyoko on his way back to The Spark but rushes home when the call ends abruptly. He finds her once again sleep-coding, and the ice from the shield has spread all across their room! Braum shakes Kyoko awake, demanding she tell him what's going on and worried that she may be in danger from her coding, even if only subconsciously. When Kyoko asks him if he truly believes she would ever hurt him, he realizes that it's his own beastly impulses he's afraid of. She asks for another few minutes to finish the code that her Dreaming self wants her to complete, and the troll grants it. An hour later, the shield suddenly consumes all of the ice that it had emitted, and Kyoko awakens. She presents Braum with the shield, telling him that she started designing it almost fifteen years ago. She had Kay's help, which is perhaps why only her dreaming self was able to work on it. The shield, Absolute, is able to instantly freeze its target in place, although the user must remain attached to them until the effect is dropped. Braum is humbled by the incredible treasure crafted for him by his wife, and the two embrace, feeling the weight of their memories of Kay.
That Friday are Sophia and Xaeron's bachelor(ette) parties! Patches takes a treasure-hunt approach for Sophia's, presenting her with clues as to her various destinations. They relax at a spa, take high tea at the Ritz, attend a classy reception on Mount-Royal, and enjoy a speakeasy in the heart of the city. Sophia and the other guests (Kyoko, Incisor, Talus, Zistor, Marnie, and Sayley) pile on to a party bus and set off to a mystery destination.
Meanwhile, Braum drives Xaeron and the rest of Golden Braid (Fala, Helena, Claude, and MacAllistar) north into the Laurentians. There they have set up a campsite where the group play volleyball and enjoy a campfire. Braum takes Xaeron out onto the lake where they discover a treasure chest filled with photographs and articles of Xaeron's life and accomplishments. Around the fire later, Braum asks Xaeron how he sees his future. "Bliss," the sidhe replies, smiling. The final step is another treasure hunt, and Braum allows Xaeron to set off in search of his goal.
Coming over a small rise, a cabin in the woods with an incredible view of the Aurora Borealis has been transformed with additional rooms sculpted out of ice. Pulling up to the cabin is the bachelorette's party bus, and Xaeron and Sophia are reunited in their own private, magical cabin for the night.