The Halls of Medeia - Chapter 1

[A G Thing]

Disguise check!

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[dice]0[/dice]
+12

[Ail]

VIEW CONTENT:

Sense Motive:
Man at the bar: 1d20+3: [dice]0[/dice]
Barman: 1d20+1: [dice]1[/dice]
Bugger, this thing does not add modifiers!

The man at the counter, although suspicious at first sight, then seems to find Christine's yarn plausible and goes back to his ale. Soon his deep enough in it that he has forgotten about her and Oliver.

The barman, however, finds something strange in Christine's voice.

"It ain't ta me to ask questions, no sirree, but I can well see ye're not who ye say ye are. But ye 'ave the coin, and me house is open t' everyone 'ho pays, so Rob or no Rob 'tis the same: if it is a room ye want, 'tis a room ye get. Dressed like that, I might take you for highway men, but sum'thin' tells me ye look for other kind of excitement."

As he counts the money, he then asks

"Ye want the missus tae take a look at yer foot?"

[A G Thing]

Christine doesn't break character but does give him a nod and a bit of a smile!

"Aye guid sir. Gif she wad be sae kynd. A hurt hit something fairce!"

Of course she is a bit disappointed in her performance but it was nothing to worry about as long as they were not losing their room for the night! Speaking a little more silently and with a smaller amount of emphasis on male tone she leans in to talk only to the bartender.

"An yer richt guid sir... We're nae heichgate men." She smiles and nods to him a bit trying to show respect for his catching her in the act. "Juist oot i' the derk leukin for a place tae rest till mornin! Gled tae hae it an yer help guid sir!"

[Ail]

The barman nods and winks, sealing his part in the conspiracy.

"Won't tell a word. Here's yer keys, just go up those stairs when yer ready and take the last door on the left. Room 3.

Food'll be ready in half an hour. Margot will go up to yer room when she can."

He then ignores Christine and Oliver and turns his attention to the rest of his customers.


"That was a great display, er.... Rob",


Oliver says as quiety as possible as when they are far away from the counter.

[A G Thing]

"Thank ye... Olly!" His amusement at her chosen stage name for her recent act makes her hold in a laugh and give him a wink. "But it wis anely fair really. He spattit me act in me vyce A think. A am awee aff." She gives him a conspiratorial smile as they speak softly. "Weel-luckit he be freendly an be likin money mair 'an hearin the suith o it aw!"

Bracing herself as needed as she leads him on toward the stairs and heads toward the last door on the left hoping to get off her foot as soon as possible. Her cheery mood from their conversation had concealed it a bit but her ankle did need a rest and she her mind was wondering about how their nights adventure went so awkwardly but still interesting. She turns the key and enters the room handing it back to Oliver after and goes to sit on the nearest bed or chair once she looks over the accommodations.

[Ail]

VIEW CONTENT:

[dice]0[/dice], DC 12

[Ail]

"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?"


Alma nods. She remembers seeing a boy like that.
"Let me ask Anna. Since I know him, she might remember him as well."

Alma gasps at the response she hears.

"You won't believe what she said, George!
She has seen that boy, that and others... In the very room under this roof where we are now!"

She describes what Anna told her, with several hesitations to understand what her sister is telling and making it understandable.

"Some boys have been meeting with a woman down here, late at night. Once a week, maybe, always one at a time. It's strange, they talk much. They bring books to her, and show her written papers. She reads to them, and talks a lot while they listen. That woman must be a boring person, she's always reading when she's alone. But here what's more interesting. I'll tell you exactly what Anna told me.
A few times, these boys must be very sad, because the woman holds them and kisses them to make them happy. She also helps them when they are ill: they undress and she examines their body. But it must be cold, because then they embrace to keep warm. Sometimes she is ill also, because Anna has seen one or two boys examining her undressed."

Alma stops, her mouth agape.

"What do you make of this, George?"

[Alastor]

As each staff member lists the odd behaviors of their particular students, Niles joins the others in quiet comisseration, silently wondering whether any of it is related either to Basil's mysterious friendship or Frances' suspicions. Leander's depression might suggest him as one of Gribble's unknown friends, stricken with concern after the disappearance of the other student. Georgina was said to have wanted to belong to the secret society; could excelling in class be an attempt to elicit an invitation?

There was still too much mystery, but there was no way to learn more tonight. Niles retires to his room, but it takes nearly an hour of reading from the letters of Paul before his mind is clear enough to permit sleep.

[Ail]

Oliver and Christine enter the room, on the first floor, to find it well set and welcoming. There's two beds in the room, the one close next to the left wall, the other opposite it, by a window giving over the street. There is a small stove with embers still lit, that has warmed the room.


"Well, Christine, at least we won't freeze here. Tomorrow we'll worry with the gypsies and then our reception at school. I guess we'll skip tomorrow's classes, so that's another to add to the count. "


he shrugs.

A few minutes later, someone knocks at the door.

"Oy lads, I 'eard one a' ye 'ad a broken ankel. Let me in, that I can 'elp."

=======================================

Niles retires for the night, after reading some edifying letters of one of the great teachers of the Church. In his head, he plans what to do on the following day. There's the meeting with Frances, and maybe he can try to follow up on what George might be doing.

=======================================

The roof loses its charm after a while, and eventually George and Alma come down. Trying to stay unseen they descend again through the hidden stair and soon go back to the yard. After checking it will soon be time for the curfew, they decide to leave the visit to her Grandma to the following day, after they go visit the librarian in Ladymere.

[A G Thing]

Christine smiles at Oliver as she sits on the bed by the window and rests her leg.

"It is nice to be warm. Still, lets worry about getting in trouble tomorrow. I already have a few ideas on what we can do for that."

She stretches her limbs and adjusts her glasses back onto her face with a thoughtful smirk on her face.

"Besides... We had a good reason to be out this night. There is something out there, people are dying and no one is talking. So we have to look outside to figure out whats going on. So let's enjoy the room while we have it!"

She straightens her outfit a bit looking around at the room. She sighs but quickly puts on a gentle relaxed smile that makes her look rather contented.

"It feels nice to be out of the school for the night. Been too long since I had a real adventure!"

Of course a few minutes later when the voice at the door calls she answers in character once again.

"Thank ye mam. Please lat 'er in Olly."

[Ail]

Oliver opens the door, and a woman enters. She is maybe in her late forties, but it's hard to say. A hard life have probably aged her faster than her years.
She asks to see Christine's foot and look at her swelling. She takes a moment longer looking at her soft smooth skin, and gives a small chuckle.

As Christine lifts her trousers, Oliver curtseys and leaves the room. The woman looks in his direction him with interest:


"I'll just check the bar for drinks. Meet me down, lad, will you?"


"This will be just fine in a few days. A strong boy... like you should not have problems, but do not walk too much on it. Rest well tonight."

She applies a patch immersed in cold water to her ankle, saying

"It's a bit too late for this now, but maybe it can help. I'll leave you this mixture of willow bark here, so you can use it during the night. The dinner is almost ready, so come down when you can, will you?"

After she removes the cold patch, she fixes a bit of the bark with a band of cloth, tightening it as much as she can without asphyxiating the foot.

OOC:
Spot check for the landlady: 1d20+4, DC = 15
[dice]0[/dice]

Then she winks:

"Eloping, heh? Fine boy you have there, but keep your disguise well. And let him do the talking, maybe. I had my first baby when I was 14, so I won't tell anyone, but if you need any help later on, herbs or what... I know someone who can help."

She turns to leave, but as she is opening the door, she looks back, retreats inside and adds, sanctimoniously:

"Of course, a proper lady wouldn't do that, mind you. You might want to think where you want to go with your life."

[A G Thing]

Christine watches the small interaction between the lady and Oliver before he leaves. Of course she realized just as her pant leg went up that there would be no way to maintain her obviously flawed disguise with the woman. Still hurt pride in her craft did make her hopeful that perhaps she was playing the part enough to make the woman question.

"Aye A will... An thank ye mum! Ma leg be feelin better awready!"

For a few seconds as the woman still referred to her as a strong boy she questioned if the woman really did know. Of course after the woman speaks of the willow bark poultice and applies it the rather knowing wink is sure confirmation that her ankles surely betrayed her.

Of course the unexpected words that followed soon after left her quite shocked. Shocked enough to blush a rather deep crimson that would surely have matched her hair if it was exposed. Shocked enough that as her glasses slid down her face to hang under her chin she looked even more flustered! Shocked enough that her denial of the woman's words came far too late for her to hear as she spoke up just as she heard the door close as the woman left!

"Elope? Ba... Baby?!?! Ye... Ye got it wrong mum! Really ye do!"

If the woman even could have heard her somewhat quiet, stuttering and surprised reply she did not really know. Moving to rise however her foot gave a sharp jab of protest and she sat back on the bed. Maybe if she didn't think of how awkward things were getting she could play off to Oliver that her failed disguise was all part of the plan? Of course not knowing he would have been there would make the lie of her failure all the more apparent. The thought however just made her blush all the harder and consider turning in without dinner from the shear embarrassment of it all.

"Maybe I should reconsider acting!" The last she said with an embarrassed chuckle at the series of odd events as she laid back on her bed.

[Ail]

About 10 minutes pass after the woman leaves the room. Oliver wanders a bit around the bar after he sees her come down, but at no sign of Christine, he decides to go up to the room and knocks on the door.

"Erm... Rob? Dinner is ready. Are you coming down?"

[A G Thing]

Christine pushes herself up with the knock and hearing Oliver speak up she responds.

"A will come doun wi ye!"

She hobbles over to the door and opens it. She looks over to Oliver in his eye and gives a keen smile as she begins to whisper to him.

"Juist sae ye knaw, that wumman feegured me oot as a lass, but is bein quate. But she's thinkin we're tryin tae skirt (elope) acause she thinks ye pit me i' the faimily wey!"

She steps out and cleans her glasses with the smile still on her face.

[Ail]

Oliver blushes as soon as he understands the meaning in Christine's words. Then, he says

"I assure you, Christine, I have no such intentions! Let the woman think what she wants, but please keep your act. Maybe she has a keen eye, but not everyone does.

And now let's go down, I'm famished. Did your ankle improve, or do you need some help?"

Oliver and Christine sit then for dinner of roast pork and potatoes. They look around and scan the customers, but don't recognize anyone.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow now?"