Nikki Comes to Visit

You’re with me, so it’s okay.

We exit the Brubaker and are walking down Main Street, when you catch sight of a tall woman with short platinum blonde hair in a black leather jacket. She’s surrounded by a cloud of smoke emanating from the cigarette between her lips.

Before I can say anything to you, we’re within voice range of her, and she says, “Hey, Dad.”

We stop walking, and you look at me.

I put my hand up and say, “It’s complicated. It’s also, like, a turn of phrase sort of, like a nickname … a thing we have.”

Which isn’t entirely true, but. You can make an insight check if you want. [Ed. More on that in the play procedures at the end.]

She reaches us then, flicks her cigarette away, points at you. “Who’s this?”

I introduce you, then say to you, “This is Nikki. She’s from out of town.”

Nikki looks at me, then at you, then says, “Okay. Yeah, sure. I’m from out of town.”

She pulls a pack of smokes, knocks out another one, lights it up.

If you want one, you might be impelled to ask her; but if you do, I gently put my hand on your arm and give you a look that suggests you might not want to do that.

“So I’m here,” Nikki says. “Like you wanted.” She looks past us, at the Brubaker. “Is that the place? The Brubaker?”

“Yeah,” I say.

“Huh,” she says. “Not quite how I imagined it.”

“Yeah, well,” I say, “I’m not always great at describing things.”

She looks at you again. “So you’re, what … a reader?”

You say whatever you say. Or nothing, if you’d rather not say anything.

But she seems to read your mind, in any case, then smirks.

You feel however you feel about that.

“All right,” she says, “well I’m here. Around. I’ve taken care of that shopping list you gave me the other day, so we’re all good there. Got a couple of things to take care of tomorrow, but otherwise I’m at your disposal.” She makes a finger gun. “Just say the word.”

I smile nervously and say, “Okay. Thanks, Nik.”

She looks at you again, the walks past us, pats me on the shoulder and struts on down Main Street, smoke trailing behind her.

I broaden my smile and let out a little laugh. “So that’s Nikki.”

You say whatever you say. You may already know her—or at least know of her.

“I would not recommend being alone with her,” I say. “Like, ever.”

You can ask me what I mean by that if you’d like.

To which I will reply, “Just … don’t be, okay? Don’t ask her for anything, either. Not even a cigarette. It will cost you dearly.”

You ask if this is like the thing over at Time Out, then nod in that direction across the street.

“No,” I say. “No, it’s not like that. She’s much worse than that—wait, shit I don’t want to say it that way. I love her like she’s my kid …”

You ask about that again, maybe—about her calling me Dad.

“Right. Well … I sort of am? Not biologically. It’s more of a spiritual relationship, I guess … Yeah. Let’s go with that.”

You may have more questions, but I say, “Okay, okay, we can keeping talking about Nikki if you want, but let’s head out to Seth’s or we are never going to solve this effing murder.”

Play procedures:

• If you made an insight check when prompted, you can tell I am concealing something. You can question me about it privately, and I will tell you more. If you don’t have an insight score, you can assign yourself one now. Write it in your journal, if you are keeping one.

• From a game play perspective, Nikki is a nightmare. You automatically lose any contest, regardless of your roll or inventory item. She can (and will) read your mind without your consent. So long as you are with me, you are safe from her. But if you wander away and see her coming, you should run.

• If you are working the “Who Killed Wendy Glass?” mystery chain, then you can ask me more questions on the drive to our next suspect, Wendy’s final lover, Seth. If you are not working it, you remind me of that, and I say, “Oh yeah. Right. Well let’s get something to eat, then.” And you can ask me about Nikki then.

• If you are familiar with Nikki from other stories, write down what you remember about her without referencing those stories or any other documents that have info about her. Try to connect the dots and figure out who she might be and what her role is in my literary universes.