IC: London: A Reunion?

[jtull_84]

IC: "Right Nethaniel. No sense in it at all. That's why it's bothering me. Things don't seem to make sense at all now. Right, lets roll the painting up and join them in that pub. They might need help with Andrei.

[coffee demon]

Andrei rushes to a booth at the far end of the bar - furthest from the windows. He sits with his back to the wall, facing the front door, chewing his nails, tapping his fingers on the table and swaying back and forth with excessive nervous energy.

At the moment, he barely notices the other patrons of the bar, or anyone following him. He intently watches the windows for any signs of movement that seem... inhuman...

[Decrepit]

"Andrei," Caroline says when she catches up to him, trying to gain his attention. "Andrei, I think we should talk about what's bothering you. Clearly, something is, and you behaving this way isn't helping anyone, including yourself." She has no specific idea about what prompted his outburst, so she's treating it as mental instability only.

OOC:

Spoiler:

LMK if a Psychoanalysis roll is called for.

[Raiko]

OOC:

Spoiler:

LMK if a Psychoanalysis roll is called for.

OOC:

Spoiler:

Andrei is temporarily insane. A successful psychoanalysis roll will allow Andrei to function "normally" for hours (which will probably be enough for temporary insanity).
So make a roll if you like.

[Decrepit]

Caroline begins to talk with Andrei, and what she says seems to be helping. "Andrei, you're right that there are some genuine, serious problems that we're facing, but your behavior is counterproductive--it's only calling attention to us, not keeping us safe." Attempting to stroke his ego, she says, "You're the strong one here, Andrei, the one keeping us together. We need you to be strong for us."

[DSIGFUSS]

Nathaniel rolls up the painting and puts it in his jacket. As he and Gwen head for the bar, Nathaniel continues to discuss the precognitive artwork.

I wonder how old this is Gwen. It would take months to paint such a piece now wouldn’t it? This describes the attack on your assistant in great detail. Absolutely fascinating! We should inquire as to the artist and if they have painted any others like it.

When they finally get inside the pub and spot the terrible mess Andrei is in, Nathaniel makes certain the painting is out of sight.

Is he all right? Andrei old boy! It’s just a painting. Would you rather we destroyed it?

[jtull_84]

IC: "Our foreign friends must know something more about it. They said they bought it directly from the artist, right?" Once she enters the bar she positions herself near Caroline. She seems to know what she's doing.

[imme]

Elizabeth enters the bar, but remains close to the door. She finds Andrei's behavior frightening, and is well aware of the curious eyes of the other patrons. She stands by the door, eyes fixed on Andrei, with her arms hugging herself.

[coffee demon]

Andrei covers his face and lurches further back into the bar, heading for the bathroom, until Caroline spins him around and confronts him.

"Andrei, you're right that there are some genuine, serious problems that we're facing, but your behavior is counterproductive--it's only calling attention to us, not keeping us safe."

"What?" He's barely listening to her, mostly looking at the ground, but occasionally glancing behind her at the windows, in case something comes through. He's stepping backwards and forwards nervously, wringing his hands, pulling his hands through his hair - he doesn't know what to do with himself. His breaths are quick and shallow.

"You're the strong one here, Andrei, the one keeping us together. We need you to be strong for us."

Something about this resonates for Andrei. Now he's listening. Still standing far back in the bar, in the hollow that leads to the bathrooms, he tries to slow down his breathing.
"You don't know..."

"Caroline, it's coming! I saw it, I keep seeing it! It's looking for me! It's going to get me next!"

Tears are streaming down his face now. He wipes them away, looking away from the bar so no one sees.

"It knows me! It's up there, in the sky. It's going to keep following me, forever. I'm so trapped! There's nothing I can do!"

[Decrepit]

"We believe you, Andrei," Caroline says. "God knows, we've seen enough strange and terrible things in the last few days to last a lifetime. But succumbing to our fears isn't the way to beat these things, Andrei, and I know you know that."

[coffee demon]

"It's NOT a fear!" Andrei's voice raises to a shout for a moment, then he lowers his voice and presses close to Caroline. His face is covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"This is real! It's real!" he hisses.

"I've seen it in the sky, I've seen it in my dreams, I've seen it chasing me, it's watching me wherever I go! This is real, Caroline! Believe me or not... you'll believe me soon enough, when you find me comatose, or with my belly slit open!

SHIT!"

Andrei pounds the wall again, in frustration.

"What am I supposed to do? Show me something! Show me something I can get my hands on, and I'll do something! I'll tear the bastards to pieces with my bare hands, I swear it! Just... give me something...!"

Andrei's fear is turning to frustration and anger...

[Decrepit]

"Andrei," Caroline says, trying to sound a bit sterner. "We're going to get the ... the bastards that did this. But whining and crying about it isn't going to help. It just makes things easier for them. Look, we need to get to someplace out of the way here; your behavior is just exposing us to more danger."

[coffee demon]

"Whining?!? Pfft!" He looks over Caroline's shoulder, at the crowds in the pub staring at them. He stares directly back at one patron until he turns away. Then he notices Elizabeth standing by the entrance, and turns away quickly, pretending he didn't see her.

"We can't hide. I refuse to hide." Andrei is convincing himself as much as Caroline.

"I have an address in Soho. If I'm going anywhere with you, it's straight to this place. I've had enough of this." He lets out a shuddering sigh and glances warily back up at the windows, and at Elizabeth, across the pub.

"Soho, then?"

[DSIGFUSS]

Nathaniel speaks to Elizabeth entirely uncomfotable with Andrei's extremely excitable mood swings.

What's in bloody Soho?

He straightens his tie and nods at the bar patrons as he tries to ease their suspicions.

One two many guiness! heh! heh! heh!

[Decrepit]

"Yes, Andrei," Caroline asks, "what's in Soho? Before I agree to go anywhere with you, I need to know what you plan on doing."

[imme]

Elizabeth replies to Nathaniel, her eyes still glued on Andrei. "I have no idea."

[coffee demon]

"The Blue Pyramid Club is in Soho."

By now Andrei is near the front door, near Elizabeth and Nathaniel.

"That's where the killers... one killer was a member there. He had a card in his pocket saying so - remember?" He cocks a glance at Nathaniel.

Andrei peers out a front window, looks upwards and shudders. He puts his hat on and pulls it down over his brow, shading his eyes from the night sky.

"We can't just go home and go to sleep, they'll get us. We need to find them tonight."

[jtull_84]

IC: Gwen feels uncomfortable. "Andrei, what ae we supposed to do when w find them? These poeple killed Allison and were probably going to do the same to me!"

[Decrepit]

"Andrei, be reasonable," Caroline says. "We can't just go charging in there."

[Laraqua]

"Reasonable, yeah, that'll work," mutters Maksim under his breath, taking a seat and trying to ignore the whole thing.