She does!

Fate Roll: 18 (Yes)

"I'm here!" Daisy cries, sprinting in. Ali grabs her shoulder and Phuong collapses into a chair in relief. "I'm so sorry, I ended up running out a side entrance and then I had to go all the way back around to the front and explain why I didn't have my ID - "

Phuong waves her off. "It's...ok. Glad you're...safe."

"Did you guys see it?!" Mike exclaims.

"Yes. It was awful! It looked like a totally new person, too," Daisy exclaims. "Some graduate-student-looking guy...but it was acting all weird."

"Tried to attack us." Phuong's mostly got her wind back now. "It knew who we were, guys. We have to kill it, or it'll just keep coming for us."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Daisy asks.

"I found something," Mike says. He spins the laptop toward them and shows them the tapestry image. "Apparently it's something known as a mycenoid...weird old German monster. Anyway, it says here swords can hurt it. Maybe all sorts of cutting things?"

"Great," Phuong nods. "I've got my dao back in my room."

"And I've got a pretty big knife," Ali mutters. "What about you two?"

Mike and Daisy glance at each other. "I...have the Whip," Mike says uncertainly. "But it's not really a blade."

"We'll just have to get you some weapons," Phuong says. "Maybe I can get the Beloved to lend us some..." She chews her lip. "Ali, did you find anything?"

"I did, actually," Ali says uncertainly. "I mean, it's all rumors and shit, but...from people I trust. More or less. One of them thinks that it's hiding in the city sewers somewhere near downtown...which I guess makes sense, sort of, for a fungus? The other one..." She swallows. "Well, the other thing I saw someone suggest is that the thing might be...using humans to reproduce."

There's a long silence. "What," Phuong says flatly.

"Not, like, fucking," Ali clarifies hurriedly. "At least...maybe not? But I think more like...an Alien chestburster thing. They think that's how the woman behind the bar died."

"That can't be. Can it?" Mike asks uneasily. Phuong is frowning.

"...It could be," she admits. "Some monsters do...do that."

"But what, like, do we think it would take for that to happen to someone?" Daisy asks, her voice high. "I mean, do we think that - "

"I'm sure you're fine," Phuong says, patting her hand absentmindedly. "But if that is what's happening, that means there's more than one of it."

"Shit," Mike mutters.

"Possibly an alpha and then its...brood," Phuong says disgustedly. "All right. We have to flush out the one that's here and kill it. If we can. At the very least, we need to injure it so it goes back to its lair. Come on."

"Where are we going?" Ali asks as Phuong begins to pack up her stuff.

"Back to my place to get my fucking sword," Phuong says grimly. "And then I'm gonna call that thing out."

Phuong's dorm room is, of course, obsessively neat. Her curved, single-bladed sword is hanging on the wall near the door - not on display, but hung up the same way a person might hang up a coat or umbrella. Phuong opens a locked drawer in her bureau to reveal a set of old-looking ceramic armor, which she carefully straps over her chest before slipping her cardigan back on to disguise it at least a bit. Then she grabs the sword and beckons the group to follow her out.

"Where are we going?" Mike asks cautiously. I've never seen Phuong quite so...focused.

"Somewhere...private," Phuong mutters, striding briskly down the hallway. "But where?"

"Hockey rink?" Daisy suggests. The others look at her, perplexed, and she shrugs. "I go by there a lot on my way to the gym. No one's ever in there this time of year...I don't think the ice is even down yet."

Phuong nods decisively. "That's the place then. Good call, Daisy."

"Thanks!" Phuong sets off again, the others following. "Um, what are we doing there?"

"What I should have done when this all started," Phuong growls. "I'm gonna perform the Rite of Alcibiades."

"Oh, good," Ali says dryly. "I was wondering when we'd finally do the Rite of...that." Phuong ignores her and keeps walking.

In the empty, ice-less hockey rink, Phuong draws her sword and begins to use the tip to scratch symbols into the concrete floor. Mike and Ali wince at the scraping sound. "So what does this Rite do?" Mike asks.

"It will summon the thing here," Phuong says.

"We sure we want that?" Ali mutters.

"We have to get this thing on the hind foot," Phuong snaps. "We have to take the initiative. Otherwise, we're just going to be hunted the whole time."

Daisy stands a bit off to one side, watching with folded arms and shivering slightly. I'm sure I'm fine...right? That thing wasn't...wasn't in me for all that long... She swallows. I'm fine. I'm fine! Wanting a distraction, she pulls out her phone. 9:30...wonder if Christine's date is done yet. Idly, she swipes it open and texts the other girl: "How'd it go? :)"

Phuong is kneeling now, holding her sword up, blade in both hands, and chanting something in what sounds like Greek. Daisy's about to put her phone away when it buzzes. She glances down.

Christine: "So gopd! We'r gonba gi bacj to my place. thx again"

Daisy frowns. Is she... She texts back, "Had a few to drink?"

Phuong cuts her palm, carefully and shallowly, and smears the blood on the first of the four sigils she's drawn. It begins to glow faintly with a blue light, and Mike and Ali both step back from her as though the ritual circle might blow up. Phuong ignores them and keeps chanting.

Christine texts back: "Nope. Just ferlin reeeewewweeaaassasl good. Like this guy. Feel happy."

Phuong smears the second sigil, and somewhere in the back of Daisy's mind, an alarm bell starts to sound. She hesitates for a moment, then texts again. "What's his name? Pic?"

Phuong smears the third sigil, and the circle is nearly complete. Daisy paces for a few moments, then her phone buzzes again. She lifts it up. Her eyes widen.

"He supper nice!" There's no mention of a name, but Christine has sent a selfie. In it, she's looking at the camera, glassy-eyed and slightly staring, and behind her at the table is an unsmiling, good-looking man who seems to be in his late 20s. He's leaning toward the camera, as though he's about to object. Daisy's heart hammers as she zooms in on his slightly open mouth.

There it is. Where teeth should be visible, there's a glimpse of white - but it's thin, uneven tendrils. Daisy lets out an involuntary gasp.

Phuong, finishing her chant, smears her blood on the last sigil, and the summoning circle flares to life.