IC: The Penhew Foundation - Andrei, Caroline & Timour

[Raiko]

"Hello, dear, my name is Caroline. Is there ... is there something I can do to help?"

"No one can help it seems, not even the police!" she begins to cry again, "My fiancé has disappeared and no one will help. Mr Gavigan gave me the day off to get myself together, but it's no use, I just don't know what to do! I came back to ask Mr Gavigan for advice, but now he's gone to his country house. He's not been here all afternoon. And he would have been able to help, he's friends with the Home Secretary, so he can make the police look for Paul!"

"Oh dear! Caroline you must think I'm quite ridiculous, you wouldn't know what I'm going on about. Thank you anyway, it's so rare to find a caring soul in London, my name is Helen.

"I guess we can stand around here for a while until the streets clear. We sure stand out with that carpet, though, Timour..

So how do you think we should get in? I think we can smash in through the back pretty easily. Either through the coal chute or the shipping entrance."

Timour looks at his suit, "I'd prefer to leave the coal chute for another day. But I think we could bust open one of the other doors. What about that basement door? We should look in Gavigan's office as well though if we can."

"This carpet will save our lives if Tewfik al-Sayed is here"

[Decrepit]

"Helen, where was your finance last seen? Did he work at the foundation with you? And, please, don't worry about telling me anything that seems ridiculous." She puts her arm around Helen's shoulder. "Believe me, I've seen and heard some strange things in my time."

[coffee demon]

Andrei ignores Timour's comment about al-Sayed, preferring to maintain a mask of neutrality rather than exposing his ignorance.

He does a double-take when he sees Caroline sitting next to the woman with her arm around her shoulder.

"American woman are over-friendly, I sometimes find."

OC,Green means speaking in Russian.

He thinks longingly about Elizabeth - an American woman who is not over-friendly. He fondly considers her modesty, her reserved charm and distinctly high-bred mannerisms, and the pleasing contrast of her more unrefined qualities. He wonders if she is not too good for him; whether he is undeserving.

Pushing the thought out of his head, he flicks his cigarette to the ground, stubs it out with his toe, and sighs with impatience.

"Timour. The barrel is showing. Here. Let me arrange that carpet better. There. Damn it, I feel so exposed standing around like this. What the hell is Caroline talking about?"

[Raiko]

"Helen, where was your finance last seen? Did he work at the foundation with you? And, please, don't worry about telling me anything that seems ridiculous." She puts her arm around Helen's shoulder. "Believe me, I've seen and heard some strange things in my time."

"Yes we both work at the Penhew Foundation, I'm a librarian in the archives, Paul is an archaeologist. Yesterday he just didn't turn up at work and he's not at his flat either."

"Oh, do you know Mr Gavigan?"

"American woman are over-friendly, I sometimes find."

"I miss Anastashia, when this is all over I will find her. I thought that the Motherland was too dangerous, but now it seems that London and New York are no more safe."

"Timour. The barrel is showing. Here. Let me arrange that carpet better. There. Damn it, I feel so exposed standing around like this. What the hell is Caroline talking about?"

"We should be planning our next move while they talk. What have you learned from the books Andrei?"

Timour stares intently at Andrei, "If Tewfik al-Sayed is in there he will attack us with sorcery! It sound ridiculous I know, but I saw it with my own eyes! And the fog chimera and now this bat thing that you talk about."

"Do you know how to stop him? And what of Gavigan, is he a sorcerer too?"

"After we defeated the fog chimera, you said that you chased the sorcerer who conjured it! Was it Tewfik or was it Gavigan? Tewfik is much shorter than Gavigan."

[Decrepit]

Spoiler:

Sorry--looks like I was holding us up here.

Caroline tries to take in everything Helen has said. Looking intently at the woman, Caroline says, "Helen, listen to me. This is very important. I'm here with friends--" She nods toward where she left the other two. "--and I think we might be able to help, maybe not find Paul right away, but find some information about where he's gone to." She smiles. "What would help now is if you came with us and told us everything you know, and then perhaps we can figure out what to do."

[Raiko]

"You really think you can help? Thank-you!" Helen stands up, ready to accompany Caroline. She wipes away her tears again, and tries to put on a brave face.

[Decrepit]

"I can't guarantee anything," Caroline says, "but my friends and I will try. But you must tell us what you know and help us help you, if you can." She turns, hoping to lead her to where Andrei and Timour are, fearing that she might not be as persuasive as the task called for.

[coffee demon]

Andrei listens attentively while Caroline and Helen explain the situation, then eyes Timour and Caroline for a moment, trying to gauge their thoughts.

"Do you have any reason to be suspicious of Mr. Gavigan?"

It comes out a little abruptly, so he quickly follows with an explanation,

"I ask because we have reason to suspect him of... bad things. That's why we came here. To talk to him about it."

OC,Sorry, had a very busy week. I'll skip the conversation with Timour for the moment, if you don't mind, and add more to this post about our conversation later. I'll let you know when it's added. It won't affect anything that follows though.

[Raiko]

Helen looks really surprised and a little irritated, "No, I'm quite sure that you must be dreadfully mistaken. Mr Gavigan, Edward that is, is a very good friend of Paul's. He's always been most kind to both of us."

"I also came back to the foundation to speak to Edward, but unfortunately he's not here at the moment. He has been at Misr House all afternoon, that's his country house in Essex, on the coast."

[Decrepit]

Trying to rescue the situation, Caroline says, "I'm sure you're right about Mr. Gavigan, Helen. That's why we wanted to talk with him, to clear up these ... misunderstandings. Anyway, dear, it's rather awkward having this sort of conversation outside here. We're dead on our feet, and it also might help if we could just take a little look inside where Paul was working, see if we can see anything out of the ordinary, if he left any clues as to what happened."

[Raiko]

OOC,Please make a persuade roll. I'll make it for you if accessing Invisible Castle is a problem. Remember to enter your character name as [mon]Caroline

[Decrepit]

Spoiler:

Botched that badly enough:
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3298164/

[coffee demon]

Andrei files away "Misr House - up the coast" in his mind. His plan is evolving - now he needs to find evidence of Gavigan's guilt at the Penhew Foundation, then confront him about it at Misr House. A solitary estate away from prying eyes sounds like the perfect place to deal with the man.

He starts thinking about transportation, and is barely listening to Caroline and Helen.

[Raiko]

For a moment Helen looks genuinely excited at the prospective investigation, but then caution wins over her, "I really do not think that that would be allowed, I'm sorry Caroline you have been really nice, but the guard would never let us in out of hours. Not without permission from Mr Gavigan anyway. There is a nice quiet cafe nearby, if you'd like to talk more privately."

[Decrepit]

Caroline tries to hide her disappointment at having pushed Helen too far and finding that the woman's resistance was up again. "Yes, perhaps you're right, Helen," she agrees reluctantly, looking at Andrei and Timour for guidance.

[coffee demon]

With no attempt at diplomacy whatsoever, Andrei asks,

"Where is the Misr House? Can you give us directions?"

[SuAside]

"Caroline shouldn't even have suggested it, for it is not your place to make such a decision." Timour says as he steps in confidently with a thin & warm smile, without waiting for a response to Andrei's question "It is just that with the many deaths and disappearances lately, every moment could make a difference... Yet Paul's disappearance could be entirely unrelated and benign in origin."

"I'm afraid our group of friends have been affected by the recent turn of events, you see. Which explains their eagerness." he adds, musing silently, inlaying a fine sentiment of dread in his words.

"But discussing this in the streets with the oncoming chill and fog is not the right place nor time." he says as he carefully reassuringly places his arm around Hellen's shoulder and directs her in the direction of the café, yet leaves the way to the Penhew Foundation building open as well "We would very much like to hear your story."

[Raiko]

When Timour puts his arm around her Helen begins to cry again, burying her face against the big Russian's shoulder she sobs for about a minute before pulling herself together again.

"Forgive me, I feel so out of my depth, and you are all so kind. What do you mean deaths and disappearances? Do you really think Paul is in danger?"

"I am not really in any state to sit in the café, I would only worry the staff. Come with me, I shall see whether the night watchman will allow us in, we can chat in my office."

As they start walking, Helen suddenly remembers Andrei's abrupt question, "I'm afraid that I couldn't really give you useful directions to Misr House, I've been there twice, but Paul drove both times. I think I could probably remember the way if I went with you. Do you have a car? I'd really like to speak with Mr Gavigan myself."

"We can decide in the office."

[SuAside]

"Oh, I'm so sorry Helen, I did not mean to add to your worries. We currently have no reason to believe that Paul's disappearance is related to our own burdens." Timour says as he offers her his handkerchief "I will explain further when we are inside."

"I do not know the customs of your employer, but if you believe there's a chance the night watchman would not let us in on your word alone, maybe you could go in the front & we'll wait at the rear for you to let us in?" he suggests innocently.

[coffee demon]

When Timour steps forward, Andrei's face immediately darkens.

For a few moments in the conversation he looks like he's about to say something, but Timour seems to always be there a step earlier, with something better to say.

Eventually, he steps back out of the circle of the conversation and lights another cigarette.

. . .

"I'm afraid that I couldn't really give you useful directions to Misr House, I've been there twice, but Paul drove both times. I think I could probably remember the way if I went with you. Do you have a car? I'd really like to speak with Mr Gavigan myself."

Andrei turns back at this. It's incredible how much more deflated he looks than a minute ago. His shoulders are sagging and he doesn't make eye contact with Helen or anyone else.

"Yes. Yes, we probably have a car. We can get one," he responds uncertainly. Then he looks away again, his brows furrowed like he's puzzling through something.

OC,Good to have you playing Timour, Suaside! Poor Andrei is back in a land of continual torment again. :)