The Halls of Medeia - Chapter 1

[steveflam]

Alma laughs at George's question:

"Ahahah... Granny up here? No, she doesn't like the cold, she doesn't go out anymore. Indoors is warmer, you know. But my sister? Sure, she'll be around."

As she smiles to George, her focus shifts to a point above him and she seems to lose connection with the present and real world. Then she comes back to George:

"See? She's here, just behind you. In fact, she's even playing with your hair."

For the briefest of moments, George feels like a cold, moist hand brushing his face.

George shivers at the sensation, intrigued to say the least. "Cor that's the weirdest felling I ever had." He turns and looks up at where her sister would be and says
"Hullo, I'm George, nice yer meetcha."

[A G Thing]

Christine having enjoyed Oliver and her talk during the long walk to the pub smiles as they enter together. The various tales of his late experiments and studies in geology painted a picture of him she had not expected. At times she laughed and smiled enough that she seemingly forgot the tension of before. Her Scots-English accent slipped on as well as she spoke about many of her escapades as she was seemingly enjoying the change.

Still when they arrived at the pub she went with Oliver to the front to speak with the man at the bar. She gathered his attention though with her accent still in place and her warm smile still present.

"Excuise me guid sir. Me an ma freend need a drink an tae git aff oor fit. Dae ye hae a place we mey enjoy an lin for tae nicht?"

[Ail]

George looks around, unnerved, hoping to cross his gaze with a face from beyond. Try as he might, he only sees the night, the building, and a fog that begins to climb from the ground; instead of a new voice, only the wind reaches his ears.

Alma looks confused at his looking around:


"Anna can hear you, but why are you looking around? She's just in front of you, can't you see her?"

[Ail]

VIEW CONTENT:

1-bed rooms: [dice]0[/dice]
2-bed rooms: [dice]1[/dice]

[Ail]

VIEW CONTENT:

1-bed rooms: [dice]207367:0[/dice]
2-bed rooms: [dice]207367:1[/dice]

"What was that?"

The man is surprised at first by the accent, then returns


"Scottish, aye? I 'ave a bit of a Scott, meself, I do. Good ta meet ye, Guv'nor. Though ye're a bit young, ain't ye? Ye've asked fer a rooms. I have a few. Whad would ye lads want, I have one room with two beds, and a few with one room. Yer pick, the bigger room is for $1.00, the other ones for $0.70.

Would ye like som'thin' tae drink also?"


A man at the counter, looking at the pair, says to the man at the counter

"I don't know, Fitz, these mates here look to young to drink. Have you travelled from far, or have you escaped from the castle up there, have you?"

The man looks suspicious of their story.

OOC: AG, Bluff check

[steveflam]

George looks around, unnerved, hoping to cross his gaze with a face from beyond. Try as he might, he only sees the night, the building, and a fog that begins to climb from the ground; instead of a new voice, only the wind reaches his ears.

Alma looks confused at his looking around:


"Anna can hear you, but why are you looking around? She's just in front of you, can't you see her?"

"Oh, sorry Anna. I thought yer was behind me." He looks in front of him, concentrating. He is not expecting much
in seeing Anna, but gives it the ole "college try".

[Ail]

George whirls a bit more looking for Anna, until Alma has to step in and hold him in place.


"Careful, George, you'll get dizzy and fall off. It's a big way down. I guess you can't see Anna, so why don't you ask some questions, and I will ask her instead?"

[steveflam]

George whirls a bit more looking for Anna, until Alma has to step in and hold him in place.


"Careful, George, you'll get dizzy and fall off. It's a big way down. I guess you can't see Anna, so why don't you ask some questions, and I will ask her instead?"

"Awright then. Uh, sorry I can't see you, Anna."

He thinks a little.


"Okay. What can you tell us about them clean windows over there, Anna? Let's start with that. There been some weird stuff goin on ere at school. A boy is dead recently, some went missing. as well."

[Alastor]

Niles joins one of the small groups of teachers who have gathered to converse before finally turning in for the night. He isn't certain of which classes Gribble had been taking during the year, but if there is some group of students meeting secretly in the school, then a few of the teachers are likely to have a member or two of the society in their classes.

Past experience has shown that staff members rarely miss an oportunity to discuss, or rather complain about, odd behavior in their classes, so Niles is hopeful of hearing some relevant information.

[Ail]

Alma repeats the question aloud, and although George can not hear it, she receives a message, for she then says:


"You must forgive me, but Anna is only six and so what she sees and what she understands may not be the same. From what she tells me, I think that is a storage room. Miss Fairfax (one of them, or both, I can't be sure) goes there frequently, as one or two of the teachers. They study and organize old things and write a lot. Sometimes men come to help carry things. There's boxes, lots of them, most still unopened. Stacks of old clothes, furniture, paintings and books. I'm sure there are more things, but these are what Anna cares about. If you ask me, sounds like old relics from the castle."

[steveflam]

"So, okay. Thanks Alma." George smiles. "I doubt she'd know anything about werewolves, Alma. You know that dead boy, he had imself a medallion or somethin o tha like. It had some kind of I dunno, I guess symbol or somethin."

George tries to remember it and describes it to Alma. "Christine n I dint get lots of time to check out is body. Come ter think of it his wounds were nothin a bear or wolf would do, Alma. Noone knows we was there cuz we getted there first. Now I don't want ter be rude to Anna at all, so."

He looks where Anna is and smiles. "Anna, is it ok if we go see yer granny now? I promise I'll come back an visit ye next time Alma comes. Is that amenable to you? You can play with my hair some more then, if ye like. Do you want me to bring you anything the next time I come by?"

[Ail]

Niles joins one of the small groups of teachers who have gathered to converse before finally turning in for the night. He isn't certain of which classes Gribble had been taking during the year, but if there is some group of students meeting secretly in the school, then a few of the teachers are likely to have a member or two of the society in their classes.

Past experience has shown that staff members rarely miss an oportunity to discuss, or rather complain about, odd behavior in their classes, so Niles is hopeful of hearing some relevant information.

Niles joins the teachers on their post-prandial gathering. This night he seems more interested than usual in the conversations, scanning them for strange behaviours on the part of students.

Not wanting to give a clue about his concerns, he refrains from steering the conversation, although he could try it.

OOC: Gather Info check to Niles

[A G Thing]

"Aye, A git Scottish bluid guid sir." Christine says this with a bit of pride. "Ma name be Rob Taylor. Me an ma freend Olly be frae London an met while A war walkin back. He's juist bin giein me a haund as A thrawn me leg a bit. Wis tryin tae git back the nicht but teuk a stap in a hole in the derk. A mey be young sir but watter wad be eneuch an A been wirkin haurd eneuch at A want a guid meal an a room for me an ma freend."

At this she slaps down three dollars wadded in her pants pocket down on the bar and takes a seat. Her deeper voice is perhaps a bit odd for Oliver still to hear but she does not break character and hopes the boy can catch on and keep up with the tale she is spinning!

Bluff check

VIEW CONTENT:

[dice]0[/dice] +10

[Ail]

"Aye, A git Scottish bluid guid sir." Christine says this with a bit of pride. "Ma name be Rob Taylor. Me an ma freend Olly be frae London an met while A war walkin back. He's juist bin giein me a haund as A thrawn me leg a bit. Wis tryin tae git back the nicht but teuk a stap in a hole in the derk. A mey be young sir but watter wad be eneuch an A been wirkin haurd eneuch at A want a guid meal an a room for me an ma freend."

At this she slaps down three dollars wadded in her pants pocket down on the bar and takes a seat. Her deeper voice is perhaps a bit odd for Oliver still to hear but she does not break character and hopes the boy can catch on and keep up with the tale she is spinning!

Bluff check

VIEW CONTENT:

[dice]207385:0[/dice] +10

Ok, add a disguise roll for that, too.

[Ail]

Gather Information Check:
[dice]207388:0[/dice]

+ 9 = 29

Perfect score

Niles gets the impression that none of the teachers has heard of any conspiracy theory or secret society. But there are reports of some strange behaviours. One of the targeted students is Leander Alford, who in the last one or two months has gone from a star student, among the most brilliant in the school, to apathy, depression and general disinterest. In contrast, Georgina Sargant has been scoring the highest marks in her class and does not keep silent about it. She seems to have a need to take jabs at Leander, whom she has dethroned, but he very rarely responds.

Another student, in an older class, seems to have developed an obsession with the female figure, while some teachers refer to good students that seem to be exerting beyond their ability. Their grades have dropped, while their interests seemed to have shifted to discussions on politics, economics and history, directing their homework, whenever possible, to these areas. The teachers are only slightly worried about their health, not their grades: the quality of their work in these specialized areas has risen appreciatively, but how long will it last ? Of interest to Niles is that they're all of influential families.