Play@YSDC

John agrees, "It'll be nice to get some shut eye in a room that isn't moving on me." He looked around the room for something - nothing in particular... and decided it was a good time to turn in. "Nothing seems to be going on anyway, might as well turn in and try to get an early start at it in the morning." He heads up to his room and bids the others good evening, then goes in. He locks the door, makes sure the windows are securely fastened and shuttered against the drafts, gets undressed, and goes to sleep.

You retire to your rooms and fall fast asleep...

That night, you all dream of a whitish human form which scuttle louse-like, spider-like, crab-like over the exteriors of the hurtling cars of the Orient Express. It is gazing in through curtain slits with dark-circled, hungry eyes. Thgouh the thing's eyes you see absent images of yourselves, discussing, having a nap, brushing your teeth, but as abstractly, as objectively as you in turn might look at turkeys or tomatoes - without a trace of sympathy.

Somehow eavesdropping on the thing as it is spying on you, you come to feel an overwhelming sense of appraisal, and the glimmer of amusement at things so weak, so yoked together by weakness that they must be obscenely dependent on one another to achieve anything, instead of being glorious in solitude, totally self-sufficient. And then the dream dwindles insensibly into blind anticipation, and even that passes into blackness.

Then comes another dream which only Felicity can remember in the morning...
Howard loses -2 magic points
Luigi loses -4 magic points
Felicity loses -4 magic points
John loses -3 magic points

Excelsior Palace
10:00am - Tuesday January 23rd, 1923

When you wake up, you don't know what has happened exactly, but you all feel tired, irritable, washed-out and depressed. Felicity remembers a strange dream of creatures moving in dark, swirling waters, and of a howling monstrosity moving towards her at impossible speed. She loses -1 San.
As you go downstairs for breakfast, you can hear that the bora continues to gust, though not as fiercely as the night before.

Felicity shivers, and not merely because of the weather. She is bundled up against the cold, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Her makeup hides her exhaustion well, but she still feels it. She yawns as though she hasn't slept at all.

"Good morning, chaps," she says when she rejoins the others at the breakfast table. "I don't know if it's this weather or what, but I feel like I've hardly slept a wink, and I had such a nightmare last night."

"Unfortunately, nightmares have been rather common for me lately. Last night I had a particularly odd one of a white pale man crawling eerily on the outside of the train, watching us."

No, the simulacrum is of some whiteish colour but not the same.

Felicity's eyes widen. "I had the same exact dream!" she exclaims. "And then I saw these creatures moving in the darkness, swirling waters, and some horrible monster howling and charging at me incredibly fast. Frightened me half to death!"

OOC,Shouldn't [b]Howard[/b] have been able to make Medicine rolls for his injuries last night?

"Felicity, I am not surprised we all shared the same dream. Ever since we began our..quest..strange things have been happening. I'm sorry, we should have been more upfront with how dangerous, and evil, this all is. We are in great peril.

"That being said, this dream may mean something. I'm just not sure what. Perhaps we are seeing the future, or the past. Being followed by someone, or perhaps something more symbolic. I'm a direct-type of person, so my simple assumption is we are being watched. But why, and who?"

"Oh, my!" says Felicity. "I hope that doesn't happen for real. I thought for certain I was going to die. Still, there's nothing else for it but to proceed. It - whatever it may be - has marked me. Getting to the bottom of this is the only way I'll be safe."

John found it all a bit odd, and very hard to believe. He also had the dream, but he remained quiet and drank some more coffee to overcome the weariness he felt that morning. "So let's say this ... man-like creature is the real deal. It seems to have made us all a bit more worse for wear. I'd like to find out if it was isolated to just us, or if other patrons of this hotel and passengers of the Orient Express were similarly effected."

He looked at the others and said, "Seems like it might be linked to the train judging from your description of the dream, and if that's the case... I'm guessing we can expect more of this. I, for one, value my shut-eye... so I'd like to know how we go about teaching it a lesson."

"I suppose by doing what we set out to do," says Felicity, "collecting all the bits of that statue. So, how shall we do that?"

"Well... if it's related to some piece of rock our friends happen to be carrying around, I can't help but wonder why you and I were effected. I mean, we haven't really done more than suggest we might be helping them from this point forth. Sure, I've laid my eyes on them... but you haven't, Felicity. Not sure how good intentions are tied up with being cursed by association," John responded. "Which is why I wanted to see if we were the only ones who had this weird dream. Maybe it's associated with something else on board the train?"

"I'm often cursed by association," says Felicity with a lighthearted smile. "If I'm seen with a man, reporters will automatically assume we're romantically involved. Why, there was even a rumour about me and Professor Smith at one point. They call me all sorts of things in the yellow papers: 'England's answer to Alice Roosevelt,' 'Wayward Miss Hayward,' and - my personal favourite - 'Felicity Haywire.' Come to think of it, it's more the chaps who are cursed by association with me. Not that some of them don't delight in the notoriety as I do, but some of them have wives and families. Sometimes the journalists actually get it right through sheer guessing and speculation. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. While sharing dreams is not something normal, and I've never heard the like before, this - thing, for want of a better term - may be much like those nosey parkers in some respects. Perhaps it thinks one of you is my lover...or all three." She has a playful twinkle in her eye as she says this. "When next we see our fellow passengers, we can inquire about any unusual dreams they've had."

John chuckled, "Wayward Miss Hayward..."

He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth, looking to the pretty Felicity and said, "Well... I don't mind if some bloke wants to start a rumor about us. On this train, I don't think I could do much better." He put on his best charming smile and gave her a nod.

"Hmpf. I don't think you could do better anywhere." Blushing and addressing Felicity, "Uh, I..uh mean that as a compliment of course."

Felicity giggles. "Thank you, both of you," she says. "I don't mind someone starting rumours about me, but I draw the line at invading my dreams. Of course, if any rumours start, they would probably be about me and the good doctor. I did spend the entire train ride to Trieste alone in his cabin with him." Again her eyes glint. "Of course, he was a complete gentleman. Still, my presence there alone might be enough for me to get the attention of whatever we're up against - well, that and my stunning looks." She playfully fluffs her hair.

"Let's seek out the most respected museum and see if we learn more of this Johann Winckelmann."

"That might work." says Felicity. "Even if he doesn't work at that one, the people who do may know of him and where he does work. Perhaps we should split up so we can ask at more museums and cover more ground. Museums that feature sculptures prominently would be a good bet, as we are looking for a piece of a statue. We can arrange to meet up at lunchtime so we can share what we've learned so far."

John shrugged indifferently.

"I'd like to visit a hospital today, to attend to my injuries. I'm thinking to be best prepared for our search."

"Yes, that's a good idea," says Felicity. "I'm sure the three of us can handle our part. I don't speak Italian, so the rest of us splitting up may not be such a good plan after all."