[North Shore Nights] Chapter Three: Deepening Night.

[Madeleine]

Annabelle


She returns the smile. "Which is why next time Court is called, I'll be attending. Djomon has expressed his interest in seeing me at Court more often, and I think now is the perfect time to do so and work on garnering his favour. As for Lucrecia and Belham, I'll be talking to them soon about everything. I'll not go to them prematurely. Everything has to be perfect." She drains her glass, savouring the last mouthful. "All things in good time; something like this can't be rushed."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anna


Nodding, your lover agrees. "Sound strategy, really. I'm glad you're thinking it through. But I wonder if things are coming to a head soon with all this madness upcounty and here in the city. Strange goings on, especially with that fire. And even the fires years ago you told me of."

 

[Madeleine]

Annabelle


"I've almost no doubt they will. It worries me... This place balances on a hairpin trigger." She doesn't need to say it; it's concern for the kids she teaches more than concern for herself that worries her. Her eyes flick away from Adulio's, watching Jack as he works the room, charming and smooth and utterly false. She allows herself a moment of admiration; he is a great actor and manipulator. But she views him much as one would view a tyrant, no matter how outwardly flirtatious and agreeable she is with him.

 

[Grey]

Ourobouros


It glances up to say "Ah, welcome back Howard. If you can call them prizes..."


It gives the twitching body a kick to punctuate the point.


If the colour could drain from its face, it would now.


"Oh dear, I'm going to have to explain this mess to the Castellan..."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Ourobouros and Gavin


"Indeed, we all make our messes that we must clean up." He smiles that tight little smile of his, running a hand over his neatly combed hair. "Though I imagine good Elderton will not like that mess one bit." He shrugs. "I doubt he'll like the one I left earlier either. And the one just now. Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen."


Nodding to both you and Gavin, he ventures between you both to the door.


Wits + Composure roll, would you kindly?

 

[Grey]

Ourobouros


The Ourobouros has no reply to that. It watches Howard go in some befuddlement.


A man chooses, a slave obeys! Two successes

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Ourobouros


Truth be told, you made a mess of Elderton's foyer, but easily cleanable. But where the hell did that trail of grease and slime come from? A thick, meter wide path of viscous slime and what looks like clots of blood stretches round the corner...following Howard's path out. For a bare second, you catch a glimpse of something slithering out on the man's coattails. Oh God...

 

[Grey]

Ourobouros


It freezes. It stares after Howard for a long moment. Then at the trail. Then into a point somewhere five feet ahead. Finally, it turns to Gavin.


"Do you ever catch yourself wondering if you're going utterly insane, or if the world beat you to it and you're just playing catch up?"

 

[Hyrune]

Gavin


"All the time," Gavin replies gloomily, wiping at his eyes with rather...messy hands. Not that he's in any mood to notice. "Usually one or the other, anyway."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Gavin and Ourobouros


With a meaty, slithering sound, the thick front door will slide shut. Gavin, you'll finally notice the trail of...God knows what...that's leading from somewhere inside the main hall right to the door where Howard made his way out.

 

[Hyrune]

OOC: Whoops, forgot...


Gavin


He stares. And continues to stare for quite some time.


"There's no chance that the gentleman who just left was somehow some sort of giant slug and we were simply too polite to notice... is there..?"

 

[Chaka]

Valentine


Valentine meets up with Blake outside the room. "Alright. Now what?"

 

[Vanman]

Garrison Blake


"Well," says Garrison, his brow wrinkling, "I can update you on what we have so far. I think it might be prudent to speak with Ouro and Gavin. They've been doing some research on our wooden friends. They may have some new information. Shall we?"

 

[Chaka]

Valentine


Nodding, Valentine says "We may as well. I'd like to know what those things are."

 

[Vanman]

Garrison Blake


Blake nods and walks down the stairs, to where Ourobouros and Gavin are standing. "So. Ourobouros. I see by the mess that you've been examining these creatures. What can you tell us?"

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anna


He almost certainly knows you're here, but he makes no attempt to look over at you. Looking this way and that, a few words here, sharing a drink with a customer there (and disappearing for a few moments to vomit it all up), generally going out and about being a businessman. But he pointedly avoids the group at the back tables.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Blake and Valentine


As you're walking down and talking, you'll feel the greasy squelch as your feet step down into something quite thick and viscous. A trail of slime and what looks like blackened blood smeared like oil paint on a marble canvas. Right between Gavin and Ourobouros straight back toward the right wing library.

 

[Chaka]

Valentine


Valentine grimaces and steps clear. "Do I even want to know?"

 

[Madeleine]

Annabelle


Her eyebrow lifts slightly, her showtime smile showing a tint of malice. She is intrigued; she doubts greatly that Jack was avoiding only her. In fact, she'd put money on it. She steals another glance around at her fellow Kindred, pondering what kind of trouble Jack could be in to make him avoid them all so.


"I think it might be time to make a few friends, darling," she smiles at Adulio. She slides out of her seat and approaches Teegan and his companions. "'Evening, folks. Mind if we join you?" Her smile is a perfectly constructed work of art, infallible and flawless in its mimicry of genuine substance.

 

[Vanman]

Garrison Blake


Blake scowls at the mess. "Probably not. But this doesn't look like what Ouroborous and Gavin were working on. There was a mess. But more blood and gutty. Ouroborous? Gavin? Can you shed light on this mess? Or on the golems you were examining?"

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Anna


Teegan looks up, almost surprised that anyone has approached their little party. "Um, please, Anna. It's been a while since we last talked. I'm sure you know Kitten." The brunette nods, smiling without really meaning it, still watching Jack. Teegan scoots his chair over and looks around for more to nab. "Please. Sit."

 

[Grey]

The Ourobouros


It swallows hard, and shrugs.


"Honestly, Blake, I would rather not speculate about that trail. As for the wooden simulcra... They're powered by these."


It holds up one of the visceral engines to illustrate.

 

[Vanman]

Garrison Blake


Blake studies the "engine" and then looks at Valentine. "This looks about right, for the beast we encountered. Those two who were fornicating helped bring it. As for the slime, Ouro. For the sake of the Chapter House, it might be a good idea to speculate. Research is fine. If the Chapter House is destroyed, that research disappears. Along with everything else stored here."

 

[Chaka]

Valentine


If anything, Valentine goes slightly paler. "It's just as well I don't eat anymore..."

 

[Madeleine]

Annabelle


Annabelle sits and crosses her legs, smiling at those around the table as she does. "It's been a while since I ran into you, Teegan. We must be ships passing in the night, it seems." She studies the two unfamiliar faces for a moment. "I don't believe we've met," she offers her hand to shake, "I am Annabelle Jones."