Winter our discontent (OOC)

Exactly. That is what I got from Emma's thoughts, it fits her personality to think that way. :)

We only need to worry about that when we put the characters together, so carry on until that time. There is a chance they might catch up naturally.
Yes, Benji is just finishing the day you met Chablis. But what do you want to 'update' him about? Do you have anything new? We can see if Benji does anything 'tomorrow' (that we need to see) else he might catch up on his own?
You want to do that before the weekend? We have deliberately not what said day it is 'now', but it feels like that is close?

Having a scene with Shelyna might give Persephone time to catch up for the weekend too, though we can fudge that and have her finish her seductions simultaneously with the retreat thread if need be.
Sure, though it is likely she is already looking into that, it was looking like the NPCs would have to resolve that on their own.
Sure. You can approach her, you have a contact number.

Do you think this will be a long scene? Or just a few pages of groundwork before the weekend?

I was planning to have Benji call the administrator at some point but I can easily put that off to quickly catch up in the timeline with Emma. I'll make one more post finishing off this scene and summarizing what he does 'tomorrow' and then we can have Emma drop by Benji's apartment or come find him at the train station or whatever you like @Delirium

It is also possible that Emma only has time to message Benji that 'something is up with Teddy'. Then that causes Benji to need to try to connect with Emma over the weekend... coincidentally putting him in the area when things go down at the retreat?

This assumes we want Benji caught up in the demon cult proceedings. If we don't, or if he has something else he would rather be doing, then we can have a quick meet and separate.

I like the scene Delirium set up so I’ll run with that. I’ll get a post up in a few hours :)

Hopefully we’ll find a reason to get Benji involved in the retreat, but it’s okay if not

This is happening right close to Byron's statue. If you give him the requested copy of your book (signed?) then he might just happen to be nearby when he is needed?

Agreed. But it is a serious problem for the city, so everyone who is anyone will be looking into it, the world needs to respond as though it is a real place, and they are not waiting for the PCs to arrive on the scene before they animate (well, not all of them, anyway:). If you don't solve it others might succeed... and they will reap the rewards instead of you.

I was more reminding you that things are proceeding. Also that you (a Status-1 nobody) coming Shelyna (a Status-3? big-wig) and 'getting her to help' solve this for you, may be met with incredulity ... but Emma gets lots of incredulity. :)
Realistically he is not overly involved in this, this part is Emma's story. Why would Emma ask him to be involved in any way? She does not think it is 'dangerous'. I am proposing a way that makes sense for him to get involved if and when something interesting (to outsiders) occurs, similar for Persephone, she has her own reason for interfering, and is not there because Emma asked her to be.

Benji need not even know about your weekend plans (no reason for him to), so he would not be 'standing by'. He just might be nearby, so he can get involved, if we so choose. Benji has his own things going on, things that Emma is not involved in, so he is his own protagonist.

This is not all about you. :)

I'd definitely prefer to be directly involved in the retreat somehow, but I don't mind doing my own thing either. Whether or not Benji can step in to help if things take a bad turn will, I suppose, depend on what Benji ends up doing

I can easily make complications on the first night that would get Benji involved.

True dat. You can make your own problems as well.
Perfect.

Do you want something to come out of this weekend's activities that gives you an 'in'? Or do you want to go in blind?

There was a chance it was going to connect back to the weather anyway. We will see how things pan out.

@vagueGM I have to compliment you on the characterization of closeted gay panic in Viviana and your spot-on depiction of Circe's hetero cluelessness. And the barista messing up her name was just... *chef's kiss* perfect.