The Halls of Medeia - Chapter 1

[A G Thing]

Christine following close to Oliver wonders at the sight of the girl on the hill, keeping it her mind she doesn't say anything at the time as they were not quite free.

Instead looking toward their destination from their position by the wall, she whispers to Oliver as they now observe the tunnel with the workers about it.

"Well... Should we wait for them to finish unloading to sneak in Olly? I can't say I know how long it will take them to finish, but I don't see what other choice we have."

[Ail]

Oliver bites his lip, trying to suppress his frustration. He speaks in a hushing tone:

"I guess we have to wait. It's not a good idea to go out there in the light now. I've heard dogs, they might be looking for us."


OOC: Hide check for Christine, DC 10.

If all goes well, the workers will stop for a pause at mid-morning, and leave the boiler-house to a brief rest. They come to the outside, and enjoy some relaxing time, having some bite or smoking some cigarette.

Christine and Oliver might be able to sneak through and enter the boiler house, but another Hide check DC 15 is required.

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

The student looks up to Fiachra, apparently unbalanced by the composure and calmness of the priest. It's as if Niles did not understand the seriousness of his situation.


"I can't just leave, you saw what happened to that boy. I'm sure it was her! Somehow, that must have been her! He spoke of her, didn't he? I'm sure he did, and she had her revenge on him..."


He might be calming a bit, but it will take quite some effort to bring him down to the level where an organized systematic discourse might be possible.

[A G Thing]

Christine questions for the moment whether or not that could work. True she was sneaky enough when the moment called for her to be but touching her ankle with her hand she questioned how well she could get past these men in broad daylight.

She did not think she could do it and to get caught in that way would be worse than another that had come to mind, especially for both her and Oliver sneaking about as thieves. But time was not on their side either. Speaking again in mumbles before they tried anything Christine tried to see if another perhaps similarly desperate plan could work.

"Olly... I don't know if I can sneak past these gentlemen without getting caught... I am willing to try... But I have one idea if your keen to listen and act a bit again... We might still be in trouble a bit... But they probably won't question why we were sneaking out in the first place... Though it is going to leave me in trouble in other ways at least you can walk free... Well mostly free..."

Waiting a short time to collect herself she lays it out while her hand unconsciously fiddles with her hair and a blush rises to her face. Though she sounds a bit nervous in her whispering her gaze seems confident.

"I could play the damsel in distress. That woman at the inn thought I was in the 'family way'... with you... I never corrected her. I could claim that is why I was out. I could have freaked out about it and you having suspected I was going, you tried to stop me. With me seeing a dead body and such I was in quite a state perhaps and not thinking clearly."

She takes a breath but continues as if not exactly thrilled with the plan but still sounding reasonably sure of herself... Oliver should clearly see from her cheeks and her rather timid glance away at the words 'family way' as to why this plan makes her nervous.

"You obviously in this regard, did not tell anyone because I told you not to. I obviously told you about it for... Obvious reasons... And since I seemed rather scared by this and what was going on. You correctly suspected my leaving and when I left in the night you chased after. You eventually calmed me down... And convinced me that this was a stupid plan after we made it to the inn..."

After mentioning this she looks him in the eye to stress the importance of the next part.

"Obviously, this is going to ruin my reputation if this gets out beyond the staff... I have no doubt it is going to affect yours as well. So that is why you have to make them take us both to Father Niles without it coming to that... You say I insist it and you must go too. You can imply something serious is wrong but you have to refuse we talk about it to anyone but the Father Niles. Unfortunately if they don't let us speak with him first I have no choice but to cling to your side and play at being quiet and scared."

At this her face gets a little more serious.

"We might be hauled off and questioned about it... Since we can't tell them were looking into the murder and the secrets their covering up this is the best cover I think we have but it still isn't going to be pretty if I have to use it. We have to refuse to be separated. We have to refuse to speak to anyone but Niles first. You don't say anything about me being pregnant unless they threaten you and me with expulsion or such and only if I pinch your arm while clinging to you. Until then you refuse them... Meanwhile I will try my best to convince them I am fearfully stupid enough to try something like this using anything I can to imply something drastic is wrong but not saying what I am pretending for our last resort and hope they take me and you to the Father Fiachara before forcing us to speak..."

She sighs...

"Fact is though... When we reach the father and if we are alone with him I will have to reveal to him a lot of this lie and hope he is on our side... I will have to ask him to keep it up and the staff will know about it... Rumors are going to fly no matter what among the students but without our answer to confirm that will be all they are. You and I will have to pretend to be very, close for a time after this... But this is all I can think of to do... Eventually, I will pretend... to lose the child... It will have been a false alarm. One we will never speak of... Unless we must."

She looks him in the eyes again and while nervously still fidgeting with a strand of her hair she seems to have steeled herself for it when she whispers again.

"There are risks... They could guess what happened and may still and if they do I have no idea what may come of it then. I think I could still work it so your not the father if you would prefer... Of course, if you have a girlfriend here or a prospective fiance just say the word and we will try something else... But we can't let them know why we were out last night... I figure that this would be best... Because if they question the lady at the inn then perhaps they might believe this story... But this way... They may not think we were snooping into their secrets... I know I can do this if you play along... But it is up to you Oliver."

She waits for him to respond with her eyes still showing her resolve is strong. Of course her hand is still fidgeting with her hair a bit.

OCC

VIEW CONTENT:

Christine does know when she is beaten a bit and them trying to sneak in while not impossible is a bit more of a long shot in some regards. Moving silently in daylight with a partially twisted ankle is hard enough, but hiding and sneaking past them as it is doesn't seem likely to work. Honestly I was surprised I rolled so well on the move silently and spot checks and the low bonus I have in hide doesn't make me very confident.

Being the actor that she is she thinks this plan might work better to blunt the suspicion but she is more or less unsure if Oliver is willing. She honestly is not thrilled about the fallout but as long as they make it to Niles and tell him she thinks perhaps she might be able to weather it. She hopes she can safely navigate all these problems but getting caught for any other reason doesn't seem to have as much sympathy behind it. Lying and acting seem to be her preferred methods to avoid trouble. But she does not want this to get back to her family. Still she would risk it to save lives if she could.

Still... If Oliver decides to reject the plan I will send you some hide rolls. I am enjoying the game Ail. I think it is going good despite the lack of other players! I hope you are doing well!

[Ail]

As Christine speaks, she can see Oliver's face blush more and more, and him becoming more agitated. As she finishes it, she is shaking his head and saying:


"Please, Christine, put that idea away! That is a calamity you would be bringing over yourself. You should never trust these men to keep secrets, especially one so damaging as that and false, on top of it!

No, we must try something else. We can go back as well, we can just go up the hill and try to act as if nothing happened. But I am sure they will have found out by now we were not in the rooms. And to be honest, I'd rather be caught sneaking out to see the gypsies than because I was going to do something to... to... a child!

Not at all!"


During this time, they're both lucky that the men seem to be making enough noise themselves to notice their whispers.

"Maybe if we use half of the story: that we stayed out a bit more than expected, and when we wanted to go back to camp you had an accident with your foot and were not able to move easily. In the night we did not want to risk and so we stayed in an improvised shelter. Maybe if they got a hold of Father Niles he could help us go back. What do you say? Wait for them to go back to work, then pretend you've been dragging yourself up the hill with me to help."

[A G Thing]

Christine listens to Oliver as he rejects her plan in part and in truth she is both annoyed and partially glad for his attitude. In fact she smiles quite bemusedly for a time while he gets flustered. Still at his mention of the gypsies being the reason they are out she begins whispering to him in response quite agitated.

"Sir Oliver! While I appreciate you trying to protect my and your perceived virtue! I will remind you that we still don't have much in the way of a reason to be out last night. Together might I add! The rumors will fly no matter what we say. I will not have my kin in the Gypsy camp being run out of the area or put in danger because of us taking such risks just to avoid hearing gossips speak stupid lies. I also don't want to tip our hat to the supposed murderous cult we are investigating them just so we might avoid embarrassment."

The irritation of her voice almost lends it volume but she seems to be actively holding it back.

"I would rather have another rumor spread about me by the stuck up girls and boys here then have either of us killed by some villain for foolishly revealing ourselves or to have any wrath pointed toward my wandering kinfolk... Believe me. I have already been accused in rumors only of worse than this before. And I did less than this to inspire it."

At this she gives a mirthless and silent whispered laugh before continuing on.

"But I get that it makes you uncomfortable. It makes me more uncomfortable. I am no more likely to do such a thing then you. I have never done anything of the sort. But if it is the part I have to play so be it. What else would you suggest we tell them we were both doing out alone at night? I, the young lady am in disguise as a boy. Before I met up with you I had a way this would work for just me but not if your here as well. Honestly the disguise at this point just makes things worse. So unless you have a girls school uniform in that full pack along with your grappling hook how do I explain this? We just happened to sneak out at the same time? That is the truth and even I don't buy it. I don't think their going to believe we did any late night rock collecting. And we both wandered out for what reason into the beast infested woods risking life and limb? I can't give them one that makes any sense unless its desperate."

She shrugs her shoulders a bit defeated by the logic of it.

"I don't want to say this either... But I refuse to throw my kin to wolves to shield myself. And I will never forgive you if you do... So what better story do we have? I can say you were not the father if it helps you. You would just be a good friend who came to my aid. But short of this I don't know what else we can do. Anything innocent is going to sound fake. But I am the one who looks guilty in all of this. It's just the best role I can play for now. I can protect you and my kin."

She leans to him and touches his shoulder. She tries to smile reassuringly as she tries to convince him she knows what shes doing.

"I appreciate it Olly. I really do. But I need you to help me do this... Just say you came there as my good friend and I will go it alone from there. It's my part to play and I don't want you or anyone I care about hurt because of our bad luck. It's not sticks and stones Olly. Words will never hurt me. I will be fine. Trust me. I can do this!"

[Alastor]

Privately, Niles doubts that this mysterious “she” killed Gribble herself. The wounds he saw when helping to attend to the funeral arrangements were like those inflicted by a starving beast, rather than anything a human could have done. Still, Basil’s death must somehow be connected with this secret society. Whatever hand the cabal may have had in the earlier event, would they hesitate to use deadly force against this student who stood so close to revealing their secrets?

“No, ye can’t leave unprotected, not if the others know ye came to reveal them.” Fiachra admits with great reluctance. "… and if the teacher who leads them can do as ye say, she surely knew your intention in coming here.” He pauses, realizing that this train of thought was not one to help calm his guest.

[Ail]

The student follows Niles' words nodding more slowly now.


"You understand, Father, you understand... Let me stay here for a while, let me pray here, for I believe Our Lord will not let her enter this place. Not even in her thoughts!


The student kneels to pray, and ignores Niles for a good while. He is fervent, but gradually his agitation diminishes.
More composed, he sits again and looks at the theologian with a more serene look.


"She's a teacher of humanities. She calls me at night, now and then, never on regular dates, and I go to her rooms. She gives me assignments, books to read, papers to write, journal articles. On everything from philosophy to politics and economics. I'm always alone there, I know there are others, but I never met with them in that position. But she gave me this medallion to mark me as hers... "


He begins to tremble.


"I received the invitation by letter in my room, asking me not to tell anyone. She selected me because of my grades, she saw potential in me and I could rise to greatness, she said. But I'd have to make it a secret.
I decided to go, see what it was like. She received me that night, very friendly and her chambers were cosy. I had never seen her before. She said she was doing important research for the college and that she had need of bright students. Her project is important for the country and the world, she said, and those who helped her would rise to become the leading figures of the future.

I would just have to study, and to assist her in her own research. But that being reasonable, she would like to make it worth my time. I could ask for anything that might be in her power to give, any knowledge I might wish, and her knowledge was vast. She spoke of the supernatural, of history, of sex."


He looked down as he recalled more of what went on.


"I asked about sex. I asked about women, we are very restrained here, you know Father. We're in the same school, but there is not intimate contact. But here she offered to tell me all about it, let me learn all about it, and explore it in her... After the study. And I accepted it gladly. I rose up to the clouds and that drove me back many times. But there was a pact... one that I accepted without thinking, inebriated in sleep and pleasure after hours mired in books and deep discussions.



"BAM BAM BAM"


A sudden knock on the door stopped the student, and he became pale and frozen in place at once!

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

This time Oliver relents. Christine is adamant, and has thought it through, and he sees there is not much of a point in arguing.


"Let us go then", he says pragmatically.


They come out of the cover and approach the workers, Oliver in front.

"Ahem!"

As the men notice them, one of them advances and says

"What are you boys doing here, shouldn't you be in classes? It's pretty early to be out, isn't it?"

OOC: Worker Int check 1d20+1 = 19
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824591/

"And where did you come by? I have not seen anyone coming down the hill except old Weir and his dogs this morning."

[A G Thing]

Christine is glad to hear Oliver accept her plan. Of course she was not exactly sure he was all that happy about it as he stood and caught the workers attention. She moves behind him and holding his shoulder clings to him, favoring her good leg and setting herself to looking the part.

Christine steeled herself and began to work her mind into the role. A role she would be playing quite naturally but also required quite a bit of emotion. Emotion she had some experience with to draw on.

Her fearful tone and the tears she began to weep were brought up to try and sell the part she had to play.

"Olly... Please... Just... (sob) Please... I can't...(sob) I need father Niles...(sob) Please?"

Her voice is clearly feminine despite the disguise and seems nervous and distraught. Tired and scared. Real tears being forced into her eyes as she takes on the role as personally as she could and tried to project it without saying it. Her eyes begin to look around at the men and away while she positions herself behind Oliver.

VIEW CONTENT:

Die roll for Christines Perform Acting

Rolled on: July 5, 2015, 12:54 a.m.
1d20+11 → [18,11] = (29)

Link
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4825673/

[Alastor]

Niles opens the door just enough to slip through, then closes it behind him.

"Hello" he says to the latest visitor, with slightly forced cheeriness.

[Ail]

Even before Oliver starts explaining their predicament, a couple of men rush towards Christine at sight of her discomfort. They lay her on the grass and ask her not to move. The man that first had answered to Oliver frowns a bit, even as the boy explains in an unsteady voice that they need father Niles.

" 't all seems fishy to me, but the lady is hurt. I've 'eard some rumours of missing students, but 'f 't 'ad been you then I guess 'tis all right now."

He looks at the clock on the facade of the boiler house and then hastens up the hill. He is back in under five minutes, surely not enough to have reached the main building, with a contented smile on his face.

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

As Niles opens the door, he sees a young lad, one of the younger students visibly on an errand.

"Please, Father, come quick. One of the men at the Boiler House says you have urgent business down there, someone needs your help!"

[A G Thing]

Christine tries to cling to Oliver and struggles as much as she can but as she is pulled away she becomes far more timid and afraid even as her voice is loudly cracking out her shouts through the sobbing. "Olly!!! (Sob) NO! Don't! Please! (Sob, Sob)"

Still as her objections to being pulled further from Oliver are made she reaches for the boy, but her weak and small body cannot resist two such men and with a feel of desperate fatigue to her she lets herself be forced to sit, though she cradles herself quite a bit as she continues to sob looking frightened between the two men. She won't lay down but instead sits with her legs pulled up to her chest and cries into them. The thoughts running through her mind to inspire these tears keeping her quite sufficiently fearful in tone. Her gaze only looks toward Oliver for long with timid fearful glances toward the others.

"Olly... Please... Don't leave... (sob) Please..."

She places her hands over her stomach as she keeps her knees up and rocks a bit nervously. The words nervously unsure as she keeps her head cowed but looking toward him.

[Ail]

Oliver comes protectively towards Christine, and shrugs the men away with protective gestures. It doesn't take much for them to understand the general meaning of Christine's cries, and they whisper among themselves, until one says:

"Perhaps we should send for a wife from the College as well. I think they will be more able to help you with that than any of us, Miss."

[A G Thing]

Christine leans a bit into Oliver but does nothing much other than continue to sob and rock while he is there... Though at the man's suggestion of a wife from the college she can only shake her head back and forth almost violently and begin to speak in her nervous and distraught tone as her eyes leap about frightened at the suggestion.

"NO! No! I can't... No... (Sob) Olly... No... You said... (sob) Don't... You can't let them... (sob) I can't... (sob) I can't..."

At this she takes out her cross round her neck and clenches it in her hand. Her eyes wince out tears though nearly shut tight and a tremble goes through her as she tries to choke out words.

"Please... God... (sob) Please... (Sob, sob)"

She seems to be mumbling a small prayer into the little crucifix as she presses it near her mouth.

[Alastor]

"Of course," the young chaplain responds. "Please give me a moment to get a few things."

Stepping back inside the room, Niles quietly tells the confessed former conspirator. "There's been an emergency by the Boiler House that I've been called to help with. If ye feel t'would be safer, ye can come along. Otherwise, ye should wait to leave until there is no one in the hall to see ye go."

As the other student responds, Niles takes the Bible off of the table. He tries not to think what kind of emergency might be taking place which would call for a student priest.

[Ail]

The young student in Niles' apartment looks confounded at first, then decides to go with the priest.

Niles goes down the hill as fast as he can.

Spot check: DC 15.