Miss-Taken Identities
Setup
This Act assumes that the players initially go about their daily business as per usual, but since Buffy is aware of the dream at the start, her player might decide to skip classes and call the others together to discuss it.
If so, you may need to be creative in getting across the info contained in the incidents. Be careful not to let Spike languish in his crypt for too long. If the players pass up on opportunities to involve him early on, be ready to spring him via other means.
Action
Psych Class: Professor Tomlinson is giving a lecture to Buffy and Willow’s class on how people use their senses to build a coherent picture of the world around them, and how victims of strokes, as well as other types of injuries and aphasia, have to relearn all of the cues their confused brains are now sending them. Tomlinson writes the following on the blackboard: "Keywords: operant conditioning!"
Riley starts the scene sitting at the side desk, grading Tomlinson’s latest pop quiz. This doesn’t prevent him from having a good view of the proceedings, though, including whether Buffy and Willow are paying any attention at all to class, or are using the opportunity to discuss Buffy’s latest nightmare.
Buffy and Willow, however, are most likely being distracted by what they overhear the two girls sitting in front of them (Heather and Melanie) gossiping about—Riley! Heather says she saw him last night outside of the Student Union — making out with, "get this — a freshman!"
"No way!"
"Totally way, as in all the . . ."
"Isn’t that illegal?"
"What’ya mean?"
"Don’t be a simp. Against school rules . . . y’know, codes of . . . conduct."
"Yeah, I think so. "
While that sinks in we get the added spectacle of Jesse, the girl sitting next to Parker (the guy who dissed our pal Buffy early in season four), slapping him. A hush falls over the class as Jesse exclaims, "I can’t believe you’ve got the nerve to use that line on me... today... after coming on to my roommate last night. I saw you two." She storms off, and an embarrassed Parker grabs his books and slinks out as well.
But not before Professor Tomlinson adds (unless the others beat him to the punch), "Nerve perhaps, but not a lot of smarts. Next time try paying attention to the material during class. You may not impress the ladies, but you might just surprise your professors." After Parker leaves the room, he finishes with, "Well, spring is definitely in the air today."
If Parker is approached later, he sheepishly denies Jesse’s accusations. And he has an alibi for last night—he was over at the Espresso Pump with a girl from his philosophy class. A girl not Jesse’s roommate.
Riley of course did not have a tryst with another freshman — he just got in late last night.
Something strange is afoot.
After class, if Riley succeeds at a Notice roll, he’ll spot Graham and another of the Initiative soldiers (both of which he knows had been transferred out of Sunnydale) in civilian dress and concealing their equipment. If he confronts them, Graham will acknowledge that they were recalled to town to take care of a "code red," but that it’s "need to know." Graham will ask Riley to report any strange occurrences by phone to the man at the desk, and to be careful, but will reveal no further information.
Pizza Coupons: Xander has to spend the afternoon passing out pizza coupons on Main Street, picking up old flyers from bulletin boards at the various businesses, and stapling up new ones. Anya is tagging along because... well, she’s Anya.
While swapping out the flyers inside the liquor store, a successful Notice roll will have one or both of the duo catch sight of Spike on the close circuit monitor in the store. He’s walking out of the Magic Shop and down the street past the Espresso Pump—in broad daylight! If they rush out to confront him, he’s nowhere to be seen.
Checking at the Magic Shop, Mr. Bogarty confirms that a man of Spike’s description was just in, purchasing items for a ritual. He bought some very specific supplies for what he described was a cleansing ritual, though it didn’t sound like any type Bogarty had heard of before. Hearing the list of ingredients, Anya can, on a successful Occultism check, determine that they are better suited for an unlocking or unbinding spell of some kind. So Spike is walking around during the day, probably looking for a way to disable his chip!
If they do not go immediately, this info may be found later, if someone goes to gather spell components. For example, if Anya wants to use her demon contacts, and this info is still unknown, have her go to the Shop to gather supplies to contact them. A mirror behind the counter will fail to display her image, and Mr. Bogarty will comment that someone earlier in the day also failed to reflect, and . . .
Since Spike is still staying in his crypt, they may choose to go there immediately to check up on him while he is still "docile." If Giles is consulted, he’ll suggest this. Spike has no knowledge of the Magic Shop trip, and still smokes in the presence of sunlight, thank you very much.
He’s been watching "Passions" (and if being played as a Supporting Cast Member resents the implications of someone running around, looking like him, and dragging his good name through the sunlight and all. Someone must be impersonating him! Somebody thinks he’s the new big bad—well, he’ll just have to trounce the sod).
Alternately they may decide to take the info to Buffy, Willow and Giles to compare notes. On the surface it may look like Spike is trying to develop his own private cure for chip headaches, but this notion has problems. First, Spike has been known to rely on others to do his spellcasting (as in season three). Secondly, it doesn’t explain his non-combustionality in the sunlight.
Still, as Giles points out, magical messing with the mind is a dangerous endeavor, even if used on an undead. The odds are good that even if the chip isn’t removed, enough damage might be done to turn Spike into a raving, murderous lunatic. Well, a raving, murderous lunatic with no sense of pain for the chip to restrain him with. If early on, this line of thinking could possibly lead to battle plans, culminating in confronting Spike as above. Alternatively, this could stretch into Act Three territory, when Spike is liable to walk right in on their discussion.
If the players don’t draw Spike into the mess, he needs to be pulled in by other means. A slimy Jawralen demon, Nestor, enters the crypt, tape measure in hand, and starts measuring various aspects of the décor, dripping as he goes. He doesn’t notice Spike at first, but when he does, he gets very apologetic.
He explains he heard about Spike’s jaunt out into the daylight, and figured the crypt would be available. He can relate the story as it’s already made its way into the demon grapevine. Spike needs to bundle up under a blanket and dodge from shadow to shadow if he wants to leave the safety of the crypt right away.
