IC: CH2 - LONDON - Back at the Ritz

[Grafster]

Gwen faces Johnny, “Who are you people!? What are you involved in? And why have me and Nathaniel been dragged into it?”

Well miss. That's a fair question.
My name is Wong, but everyone calls me Johnny.
Johnny extends a small hand for a firm shake.

Honestly? We've stumbled into this ourselves really. A good friend of my employer, Miss Downing, died recently. In New York. He was... killed rather brutally. He'd been acting erratically and asked Miss Downing to meet him with some friends about two weeks ago.

We found the body actually, unfortunately almost immediately after the crime. As you probably ascertained these gentlemen have a bit of war service under their belts, and wound up in a bit of a fight. It made the papers.

After that we seem to be running into trouble everywhere.

But, that shouldn't concern you. You should certainly go home, or better yet to the house of your family or a close friend. He reaches out to give the woman a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. You've had a terrible shock. Some of our associates have very vivid imaginations, and haven't been getting much sleep; not the best thing for someone who's just experienced as difficult as you have to be around...

A good rest with family is the best for that sort of thing. One of us could drive you, or we could arrange for a taxi cab...

[jtull_84]

Gwen takes Johnny's hand and reintroduces herself.
"Pleased to meet you Mr. Wong. Gwen Everettson."
As Johnny tells of the groups discovery of Jackson Elias, Gwen extends her sympathies. When Johnny seems to downplay the significance of the party's supernatural encounters.
"Mr. Wong, what happened in the Museum was brutal and inhumane. And what happened in the alley was just as horrible and is not a reaction to stress. It was real. This is not Just an international gang of criminals, this is something more...
"And as for staying with family, they're all in Wales! I'm not going home alone. I would prefer to stay with someone I know, and Nethaniel fits the bill. This all seems almost like some of those ancient myth-cycles, like in some of the books I've read at the Museum."

[DSIGFUSS]

And Jackson was me mate. Poor ponce! I've en interest in finding out who killed em'

Nethaniel puts his arm uncomfortably around Gwen. Lacking the people sklls necessary to comfort a woman in distress, he pats her on the shoulder before quickly removing his hand.

Ummm...Perhaps some of those books Mister Zuckov was after might give us some insight into what we're actually dealing with now wouldn't they. Gwen... you must have a key to get into the museum?

[coffee demon]

"So we don't just have to be on the run from these people. We can protect ourselves. That's what you want to understand."

"Exactly! Jackson ran! Not us! Not only can we protect ourselves, we can understand what this is all about. There is some logic, just beyong the limits of our understanding, I can feel it. Can't you feel it? We're piecing something together! We're getting there! Maybe we'll be hatching our own Chimera, if we're lucky, soon enough! HA!"

"Well, what I meant was the club in Soho....you said you met a fellow with a card from there.....you said you wanted us all to go there tonight." Timour's eyes dance somewhat at the prospect of adventure, but he looks nervously at Elizabeth. "Why do you want us to go there, Andrei? Did you mean we should hide there....or is there something you're looking for?"

"Met a fellow! Yes, he tried to shoot me! He was wrestling with the librarian, Gwen, when Nathaniel, Maks and I went to the British Museum. There were three of them. One got away. They obviously wanted something from the Museum." Andrei looks away for a moment, and holds back from completing his thought aloud.

"They were Arabs. Well, dark-skinned folk, but not Asian. Not African, either. One had a card in his pocket for this Pyramid Club in Soho. The one that got away - I figured that we could find his description in Soho, maybe. He was a huge man, hard to miss. At the least, he would know what they were looking for in the museum."

"They MUST be associated with these Bloody Tongue fellows, don't you think?"

[Timour Rukov]

"So you're looking for trouble eh?" Timour rubs his chin and glances sideways at Elizabeth, cracking a smile at her, then leans in closer, "Between you and me, Andrei, I'd love to go see what the devil these fellows are up to. But not with the dames in tow. It seems everyone's tired and overwhelmed. How be we take the car for a midnight drive and find out ourselves? Maybe we can talk Maks into coming along."

[imme]

"Exactly! Jackson ran! Not us! Not only can we protect ourselves, we can understand what this is all about. There is some logic, just beyong the limits of our understanding, I can feel it. Can't you feel it? We're piecing something together! We're getting there! Maybe we'll be hatching our own Chimera, if we're lucky, soon enough! HA!"

Very quietly, Elizabeth says, "But that beast was evil ..."

Elizabeth looks unhappy at Timour's suggestion, but refrains from saying anything.

[jtull_84]

Gwen furows her brow in thought. "A key, yes. But that shoudn't be neccessary with your credentials Nethaniel. It would be a routine matter to admit you to the restricted section. During business hours, very easy and above board. Now if Mr. Zaitsev needs a look, you could copy materiel, but it would take days to get his papers sorted. Why don't we wait 'till tomorrow and you and I can hit the stacks, eh?"

[Decrepit]

"I need a lie-down," Caroline says to no one in particular. Maks's comment derailed her train of thought and shattered the clarity that handwashing with Nethaniel had seemed to bring her. Part of her wonders, What has happened to me?

[coffee demon]

"Between you and me, Andrei, I'd love to go see what the devil these fellows are up to. But not with the dames in tow. It seems everyone's tired and overwhelmed. How be we take the car for a midnight drive and find out ourselves? Maybe we can talk Maks into coming along."

Andrei watches Elizabeth as he speaks to Timour.

"If the bar is closed now, like they say, I don't think it'll do us any good tonight. Tommorrow, though... when it opens, maybe we should go by there and ask a few questions."

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel nods to Gwen while looking concernedly towards Caroline.

Well I do suppose it could sit till tomorrow then Gwen. I'll get a proper list from Mr. Zukov and then we'll hit the stacks... after tea coarse. I'm just a wee bit dodgy about that bloody bloody tongue cult. If Mr. Zukov believes these Tomes to be significant in any way, then what's to say this cult isn't on it too. They may have already nicked the bloody books. Poncey buggers!

Nethaniel turns back to Caroline and removes his glasses, wiping them clean a second time.

You Ok luv? You're looking a wee bit dodgy of late. Don't dismay though... You got all that grime and what not from under your nails I must say. You're the cleanest lady in the lot now aren't you! Not a spot on yah! A picture of prefect hygeine.... Most attractive in a young healthy bird such as yourself. Specially under these conditions in this bacterial frappe we're laying our heads.

[imme]

Elizabeth leans back in the chair, tension visibly leaving her body.

"Well, then. No more escapades tonight. Timour, if there is nothing else, may I ask you to let me speak to Andrei in private?"

[Laraqua]

"Yeaaah, normal," murmurs Maksim to himself for a moment. He eyes Caroline slyly, a taunt framed on his lips, but he changes it to bait, hoping for a bit of the old feisty "How-dare-you" of yesterdays. "Want me to take you to bed? Tuck you in and see you safe and sound?" He tries to keep the comment innocent enough to not set the Englishman off and with his handsome looks, that was rarely hard. Innocence or guilt, neither mattered when it came to Caroline and her assumptions of him.

In reality, he had an urge to play the drunken protector of one room or another. Prop his back up against a door and finish the bottle he had in his coat.

[Timour Rukov]

Timour's eyes flicker with disappointment at the prospect of leaving a midnight adventure to daylight hours, but he rises, nodding to Elizabeth all the same.

"See you in the morning then," he mumbles dejectedly as he leaves.

[coffee demon]

For the first time in a long time, Andrei maintains eye contact with Elizabeth, after Timour shuts the door. He tries to look calm.

[Decrepit]

"Want me to take you to bed? Tuck you in and see you safe and sound?"

"Sure, come along," Caroline says. "I could use the company."

[imme]

This time Elizabeth is the one who looks away first. "Well. It has been a long time since we've been alone. This hasn't been working for a while now, you know. You've been ... distant." She looks up to see his reaction.

[coffee demon]

Andrei's face falls into a dead expression. His heart feels lumpy and awful. He looks blankly at Elizabeth, waiting for her to continue, hoping she's not going to say what he thinks she's going to say.

[Grafster]

Johnny nods and listens politely to Gwen's introduction. He doesn't respond specifically to anything said. He seems to be working to keep his reactions deliberately neutral.

You seem to have a very brave spirit Ms. Everettson; I am glad to see you are so resilient. If it is not too difficult for you... can you think of why your friend would be killed? Was she seeing someone unusual, or did she have access to some sort of specific materials?

He coughs, and goes on before the young lady can respond, and.... have you reported her murder to the authorities?

[jtull_84]

Gwen laughs uncomfortably, and looks sheepish after doing so. "My, I'm sorry, that was awkward. Allison hasn't been seeing anyone. If her post graduate work was anything like mine I don't see how she'd have the time. I think she was killed to eliminate witnesses. They were trying to kidnap me I think. And yes, the authorities were alerted. Nethaniel, the Rusians, and myself were interviewed by a Detective, my, what was his name?"

[imme]

Andrei's lack of reaction strikes the wrong chord with Elizabeth. She leans forward in her chair, easily maintaining eye contact now. "See? This is exactly what I mean! Here I am, right in front of you, verbalizing what we both know to be true, that things have gotten strained, and all you can do is just sit there! You don't even care enough to respond!

"Damn!" Elizabeth blushes with her strong language, but continues on. "Do you remember the coffee shop before this whole mess started? Before we went to the hotel to find Jackson? Even then we needed to talk, and although quite a few horrible things have happened between then and now, we just cannot leave this unresolved. I cannot.

"Andrei, either show me that you are still the man I met in Paris, or tell me that we are done so I can move on."