The Shattered City: First Interlude

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"So," Lia says in a quiet tone of voice. "All of Dementlieu is under attack. That does not narrow down the list of possible suspects for this horrendous act, I am afraid."

The mage, who had been perusing one of her books while waiting for the Blackwoods, now closes it with an audible snap and rises from her chair. "I am glad you have returned to us safely," she says, nodding to the Blackwoods.

[The Whistler]

Celeste looked very much as if she wanted to hug somebody. Seeing that the Blackwoods seemed to be their own support system, though, she forbore, contenting herself to helping Alice into the foyer as comfortingly as she could.

“There, there…were it not for the efforts of stalwart Ezrans as yourself, our state would be far the worse for it this night… I am certain that you have tendered aid to your fullest capacity! What remains now is to—“

"Get something to eat if you think you can keep it down...get some rest either way…"

“…Yes, yes, the very thing! There is a time for consideration, and there is a time for sustenance—at least, that is what my nursemaid had always led me to believe! Come: nothing would give me greater pleasure but to assist you in this task.”

She began to steer them toward the dining room, but paused after a second or two, a concerned look on her face.

“Though…oh, selfish even to think it! But then…” Celeste turned to address the Blackwoods more directly. “Forgive my conceit—I should not even ask, when others find themselves in straits still more dire! But I must know… did Favonious range as far as Fonquevilliers, in his travels? It is not five miles southwest of our City, and the location of my beloved Bienassis…it would prove an immeasurable comfort were I to be assured of her safety!”

[Kaitou Kage]

"What an astute observation, Professor," Cyrus muttered. "We all returned a while ago, most of us at or around the same time. It is good that you are safe. Even Ezrans should not be subject to the forces of Mytteri."

It wasn't quite clear if Cyrus meant that as an insult or encouragement.

"I doubt we will find anything until morning. As the servant boy says, it would be best to eat and try to rest."

He pushed his glasses up his nose and dourly returned to reading his holy text.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 1:50 AM
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“Though…oh, selfish even to think it! But then…” Celeste turned to address the Blackwoods more directly. “Forgive my conceit—I should not even ask, when others find themselves in straits still more dire! But I must know… did Favonious range as far as Fonquevilliers, in his travels? It is not five miles southwest of our City, and the location of my beloved Bienassis…it would prove an immeasurable comfort were I to be assured of her safety!”

"It's, it's good that all the rest of you are, are safe as well, at, at least," Richard agreed, thankfully, though a heavy worry still dogged at his eyes. "All, all but one of us, it, it seems."

"Forgive us," Alice said, with a tear-stained smile. "We didn't think to send Favonius to anyone's home. In truth, we barely know the specifics of the places he did visit, just the general state of things!" The last came out in a bit of a rush, and she dabbed at her eyes again.

"Favonius, you heard the mademouselle, get to it!" Evariste Lemercier said, making a gesture to Favonius. In a heartbeat, the little tendril of smoke had flattened out and was off, flying as quickly as the air and smog from which it had been crafted. Favonius, when it wanted to be, was fast. Lemercier watched him go. "Since the wind, as it were, lends swiftness of Favonius's non-existent feet, I expect my elemental valet to return in a quarter hour, barring a headwind. Never fear, young lady, we shall know about your charming Bienassis shortly."

[Nerit]

Nerit had returned downstairs early in the morning and remained in the Commons with a meager breakfast plate. Much of the hour was spent twisting her ring around and around her finger, like a cathartic worry-stone.

Her gaze was a distant, wandering sort. Perhaps thinking on the escapade down in the crypt, and Kerrian's visions?

Was it true? Would it be?


Then the Blackwoods arrived. Her veiled head perked up at the recognition of their voices. She practically floated into the foyer after Celeste.

"Alice! Richard!" she cried. "You are all right, thank the Lady." She had dropped the Mordentish formality in the moment, and it was quite clear how worried she had been about the Blackwoods.

At Alice's expression her relief faltered. She heard bits and pieces of the conversation, but she wasn't convinced that it was about Lessard.

Her voice dropped, and she spoke almost to herself. "What has happened?
"Ah, let us not crowd the newly returned, shall we?" she added louder, gesturing to the gathered.

Nerit came around to Alice and leaned by her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Mlle, I fear you are drained. Would you like to take morning tea with me? A rejuvenating cup of herbal, I think?" She smiled reassuringly and straightened, ready to lead Alice to the kitchen.


(Insight 24, reroll token used. )

[lostboy]

The mage, who had been perusing one of her books while waiting for the Blackwoods, now closes it with an audible snap and rises from her chair.

The sudden noise jerks Nicolas awake from his drunken doze in the chair. Looking around bleary eyed for a moment he decides the best course of action is to light the cigarette he's been holding for the past half an hour.
Blowing out a stream of smoke seems to revive him somewhat, certainly enough to almost focus on all the rest of the people in the room, certainly of which there are more currently than there was before. He offers a smile and a nod to the returning Blackwood’s but perks up considerably at the suggestion Nerit makes.

“Tea… a sterling idea, I might say my soul is parched on the demon shores of intoxication, and some sweet revitalisation is surely in order.” He drawls getting unsteadily to his feet. Then he realises he is addressing a nun, addressing a nun whilst drunk, half naked , with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and exhibiting psychotic body art. Even in Nicolas’ alcohol fogged brain that seems fairly wrong.

“Excuse me sister, if you indeed could make an extra cup I would be eternally grateful. Now I think I’d better get myself attired more shuitably.” With that he staggers off towards the stairs.

[DocBeard]

Nicolas can see, if he is paying attention, the back of Tomas Eisenwald, halfway standing in his room, fiddling with something. The faint smell of alchemy(which is to say, "Something vaguely suspicious you cannot quite place.") surrounds the Lamordian, who seems oblivious to any spectators.

[lostboy]

Nicolas unfortunately isnt paying attention, or rather he's paying too much attention to not falling over that he walks straight into Tomas' room.

Suddenly noticing the broad shouldered Lamordian in front of him he draws up short, then looks around suspiciouly as if judging whether he has fallen into some sort of parallel dimension where rooms and occupants have bene miraculously switched, or whether he's just drunk and wandered into the wrong room.

Finally deciding despite the weird smell that its more likely to be the latter, he apologetically dofs his gendarmes cap in Tomas direction "Apologies for the intrusion,.... Eisenwald wasnt it? I appear to be drunker than I thought."

[DocBeard]

Tomas blinks.

Nicolas may think it strange, that Eisenwald is sticking a long hypodermic needle into his exposed jugular vein; said needle was filled with an odd green solution that has a few bubbles inside of it. "Oh." Tomas says, trying not to panic. The best way, he knows, is to act like this is totally normal. "Sorry, Mssr. My allergy medication."

Tomas's eyes close and he sticks the solution into his bloodstream. "But ja, you are being down the hall, I think?"

[lostboy]

Nicolas stares hard at the needle for a moment then looks at Tomas and his faces breaks into a small smile. "Ah we all have need of medication from time to time eh mein Herr?" He says with a conspiratorial wink, obviously leaping to a very particular conclusion about what Tomas is up to. "Your secret is safe with me" he adds tapping his nose theatrically, and clapping Tomas on the arm.

"As I said forgive the intrusion, now if you could point me in the direction of the door I'll take my leave and attempt to find my own medication... or at least my room and a shirt."

[The Whistler]

"Since the wind, as it were, lends swiftness of Favonius's non-existent feet, I expect my elemental valet to return in a quarter hour, barring a headwind. Never fear, young lady, we shall know about your charming Bienassis shortly."

"Oh, thank you ever so much--and thank you, Favonious!" Celeste curtsied to the departing elemental, following a split-second pause in which she considered how one should curtsey to a departing elemental. This done, she turned to bustle off into the dining room behind Nerit.

[yalenusveler]

After seeing that the Blackwoods were home safe, Kerrian made his way upstairs, gone a few minutes, then returning downstairs with Cerise and Katja, and heading out of the Chateau without much else in the way of conversation, something of importance apparently very much on his mind.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 1:59 AM
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Her voice dropped, and she spoke almost to herself. "What has happened?
"Ah, let us not crowd the newly returned, shall we?" she added louder, gesturing to the gathered.

Nerit came around to Alice and leaned by her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Mlle, I fear you are drained. Would you like to take morning tea with me? A rejuvenating cup of herbal, I think?" She smiled reassuringly and straightened, ready to lead Alice to the kitchen.

"Oh..." Alice gave a bit of a laugh, dabbing her eyes dry. "No, I am fine, I assure you. It has simply been too long a day, and I am very tired! You musn't think me to be helpless, dear Sister, whatever the obvious evidence to the contrary." She smiled warmly. "Tea sounds delightful. I have some up in my room, although if you have some as well, I would love to try it. We could have some breakfast scones to go with it. With Favonius gone, I might actually get to make them myself."

She put a finger to her lips, looking at her brother. "Or perhaps we should band together and make Richard do all the work," she suggested with an amused air, turning to the other ladies in the kitchen.

"I, I, sure, sis, if you'd like," Richard said politely.

"He's terrible, isn't he!" Alice laughed aside to Sister Doherty, though it still felt empty. "My sisters and I have absolutely ruined him, he's no fun at all!"

[Nerit]

"Oh, my! Mlle, you are a delight. Come, let me make you some of my tea. Richard can come if he wants to, and we'll make enough for the poor lush upstairs," she added rather uncouthly, amused but indifferent to Nicolas' indiscretion.

She stood then, with Alice in tow.

"It is a little early for it, of course, but who can sleep now?" Her voice lilted, a very strange intonation, as if 'sleep' was an odd thing for her tongue to say. "Might as well have breakfast, and I'm ready for seconds or thirds after all this fuss."

The nun made her way to the kitchen, the previous brooding anxiety having left completely from her countenance.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 2:07 AM
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About an hour after the three had left the Chateau, Cerise and Katja returned, without Kerrian. Katja shrugged off her greatcoat, removing a variety of hidden knives from about her person. Cerise, having no such armaments, simply walked in and flopped down on the dining room table. Grimmalken, as if called, skittered downstairs and hopped into her lap.

"Something smells good," Cerise said, petting her cat. "Is that tea on the kettle? I could certainly use a cup, but only if whomever it is doesn't mind, it's been a really long night. I'd been reading a lot lately about the rejuvinating effects of tea..." The young woman stifled a large yawn.

"Kerry's staying with his parents," she explained, scuffling her feet. "Someone trashed his place. It looks like there was a lot of trouble over the the Verbreker district, and... well, anyway, it seems a lot calmer now. He decided to stay home tonight." Cerise chewed on her lip a bit. "Maybe I should have talked him out of it."

"He did what he had to," Katja said, having finally disarmed herelf. The soldier sat down on another one of the dining room chairs, pulling off one of her boots and examining it, looking for a loose pebble. "Family is family."

"Yeah," Cerise agreed, setting her chin on her hands. "I hope mine is okay."

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 5:52 AM
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Though at times it seemed this lunatic night would drag on forever, but by now you could see the approaching dawn. The horizon was noticeable lighter, and the sun would soon be in the sky once more.

Port-a-Lucine seemed quieter as well. Perhaps it was some arcane phenomenon, or perhaps it was simply that even people in the throes of madness still needed sleep. In any case, life was calming down.

It was in this growing calmness that one more figure approached the Chateau Malchance.

Professor Lessard pushed open the door to the Chateau Malchance, stepping clear over the doorstep by some arcane instinct. Not a single strand of his platinum blond hair was out of place. His blue coat had been buttoned up to ward from the chill, but he otherwise looked the very picture of what he had at the start of that ill-fated gallery showing. There was even a brown paper parcel tucked under his arm, tied with white string; Lessard looked more like an indulgent uncle returning home with presents than a survivor of unparalleled chaos. His white porcelain mask was in his other hand, matching the color of his face, save for the large, dark circles around the professor's eyes.

"I'm back," Lessard said, rather obviously.

"Someone shot Professor M," he continued quietly, as explanation for his absence. The pale professor took a moment to clean his glasses off with a handkerchief. "He'll be alright, the doctors say. I'd hoped to get some word back to you sooner, but there were just so many pieces to pick up..." Remy gave Eisenwald a rather wry smile. "You should have warned him not to get shot instead, Tomas."

Remy turned, looking for someone. He took the brown paper parcel and set it carefully on the table. Then, somewhat unusually, he went to find Lia and guide her over to it, as if it were her birthday and she were being led to a cake.

"At the very least, it distracted the Renier twins from announcing our wedding in the papers," Lessard said, sardonically smiling at the memory of a quieter evening, and much simpler problems than the ones he had now. "But I hope you don't mind that I got you a present anyway."