2026-03-25 15:58 - 20:14 PST
Gabriela went to spy on Doctor Prescott. There she saw him offering his services to Irene Ducheski. Once she left, he went through a painfully dull preparatory routine and called Gabriela to him, seeing through her Obfuscate. She questioned him about his process, and annoyedly he explained that he used Vicissitude and a discipline called Obeah, which healed the body and soul. He was a doctor before his embrace, and he’d learned Vicissitude from an old friend in Switzerland, Marouth1, who had since left for America and gone insane.
Then, Gabriela met with Annette.
“SAME PLACE BY RIVER? - ANNETTE”
“THUMBS_UP_ICON.ICO - GABRIELA”
“MEANT TO SEND HAPPY_FACE_ICON.ICO. LOL (LAUGH OUT LOUD). NEW ABBREVIATION I LEARNED. - ANNETTE.”
“OK. - GABRIELA”
Gabriela proved herself incapable of reading a room as she immediately jumped into serious business. She informed Annette about Kabir and how he’d be recovering soon. Annette asked her to stop him, she said she couldn’t and changed the subject to the pipe dream of moving to Switzerland. Annette couldn’t leave, as Irene needed her for the next part of her plan, and she didn’t want to make an enemy of her.
Annette awkwardly changed the subject to favorite birds2, and music, and Gabriela abruptly left.
“You don’t have to go yet.”
“It’s fine. I know you’re busy.”
Then, she’ll stand.
“Sorry.”
“Okay.” Annette looks disappointed. “I hope to see you again soon.”
If she wasn’t in Annette’s life, maybe that would be easier.
“Yeah. Me too.”
She half mumbles, “Sorry,” as she leaves.
At home, she sat with Sam and watched the tail end of a romantic comedy, and Sam clocked that Gabriela was hiding something. Gabriela denied it, poorly, and Sam gave her some hypothetical relationship advice which she hypothetically desperately needed.