Rochelle's Journey: Breakdown

[Kallisto73]

Rochelle is moving slowly enough for the siblings to follow. She hears Lily walk behind her and makes straight for the bar.
She stops at the door and takes a look. Then, she tries the handle.

[Laraqua]

Everything is locked up tight, as could be expected.

Show,You may unlock the doors or do other things outside the bar but, when entering any building or room, remember to wait for my descriptions as you never know what may be inside.

[Kallisto73]

"Great! I don't have keys!" Rochelle slams her fist against the door. She turns to Charles: "We need to break in!"
She looks at the shutters: "We could force them open and smash the glass. Come on, help me."

Spoiler:

combining our two strengths against the resistance of the shutters, I'd need your stats for that.

[Seon]

*click*

The door opened. There was music playing from the jukebox, and orange glow of electrical lighting emnated from the open doorway. On the bar counter was a kitten, contently chewing on a piece of Salami. There was a trenchcoat laid out over one of the pool table, also clean. In fact, the room seemed to have an almost a glossy quality to it, serving as hard contrast to the hazy world outside.

"Oh, and..." Jack said, stepping out. He was in a clean change of clothes-where did he find that? He didn't even remember. "Look who decided to show up for work today. 'Oh Jack, could you keep the bar open for today? I feel sick so I'm going home. Oh and don't kill anyone and don't touch my teletubby collection or else I'll kill you and... Jesus Christ, what happened to your head?!"

His mouth widened in a mock concern. "Did you bang your head on something again? I told you to lay off that damn stuff, why won't you ever listen to me?" He sighed. "Anyways, I cleaned the bar. Also killed the skeleton in the closet and dumped out your pain killers so that you can languish in your pain. Come on right in. We gotta open up. Don't know why you showed up today but... sure. Oh Hey, you brought friends."

He turned to Lily and grinned. "Coming from the theatre, I presume? Nice dress, very Victorian... I don't know why you would want to come here to act in all the places in the world but..." he caught sight of Charles, frowned, and took a sniff. "Oh wait. I see what's going on here. Nevermind than."

He motioned the group to come in. "You all look like people who need a stiff drink," he said.

[Kallisto73]

Rochelle is stunned

Spoiler:

should I roll for sanity? After all, I believe Jack to be dead

"What are you...? You're dead. I mean, I saw them kill you. You died. You..."
Her eyes narrow "Who are you?" Her fists clench around the plank as she moves to put herself between Jack and Lily.

[Seon]

"You are dead?" Jack said, chuckling, turning around and shooting her with a look. "I could say the same thing." He trudged into the bar a few more steps and leaned on the pool table.

"But you know what, forget it." Jack yelled out, clutching his head. "It's always like this. You always say that you are sick, and when I come to check up on you later, you can't even recognize me because of the drugs."

He shook his head. "So how many doses this time, Rochelle? And does this guy," he said, pointing at Charles. "Need some drugs too? Think you are a big guy, hmm?" he said. "Moving from marijuana to stronger stuff?"

[Kallisto73]

"What do you mean? I have never taken any drugs, ever! No, it was you who had to get involved! It was you who dealt in drugs, it was you who thought he he would make quick and easy money, wasn't it? It was you they stabbed, I saw your body. I followed you. I watched you, I watched them. Don't even start with me!"

She shoves him to the side and goes into the bar. "Lily, Charles, follow me!"

[Seon]

Jack broke into laughter. "Oh, now you are calling ME a druggie? Hell, you think you are talking to a dead guy!"

"Them? You mean addicts? Of course I've been seeking them out. I got my degree just to help idiots like them and you. Why do you think I don't quit?"

He chuckled as he picked up his trenchcoat and circled around the counter. "Ha, me getting stabbed to death. Do you really remember it that way, or is that just what you wish it could be?"

"Door to the employees only area should be unlocked. Your Teletubby collection is safely stored there, although your coat is gone."

His face went completely blank. "Some weird lady stole it. Along with whatever was inside."

Chuckle.

"Dead peope coming back to life. Hah! Doesn't work like that. Dead people stay dead forever."

He suddenly took out a glass and started cleaning it. "Your office is unlocked. Take a break there. You need it, Roche. You can also grab something from the kitchen if you are hungry."

[Kadael]

Lily's excitement is only inflamed by the scene in front of her. Such a strange argument, not to mention the fact that it doesn't involve her. Still... maybe she should try and defuse the situation before Charles makes her leave.

"You're the most alive-looking dead person I've ever seen," she quips, walking around Charles and Rochelle. "You could be a revenant. Coming back from beyond the grave to carry out unfinished business."

She pauses for effect, then grins a bit too widely. "OoOoOoOo, and all that." With a giggle, she stiffly offers her hand for him to shake. "I'm Lily. What's your name? Is that your cat? Do you work here? I'm from Bellevue. Not an actress, I just dress this way because I like it. I'm actually a painter. The guy in the suit is my big brother."

Lily lowers her voice to a whisper that isn't very quiet. "Don't look him in the eyes, he'll think you're challenging him."

[Seon]

"Why thank you," Jack said, taking her hand. "My name is Jack. I'll be your bartender while Rochelle gets her act back together. No, madam, that is not my cat."

"And I am pretty certain that I am not a ghost, lady... But I can see that you are interested in the matters of the occult. In that case... I'm pretty certain that you are familiar with the Tarot?"

"Pick a card than," he said, pointing towards the face down deck spread across the table. "Any card."

[Kallisto73]

"Jack! Snap out of it. What is wrong with you? Have you gone completely crazy??? Why are there no guests here??? What the hell is going on here?" She grabs the deck of cards and throws it across the room.
She takes a soft drink and looks at Lily and Charles "What'll it be?"
She opens the soft drink and drains it, opens another can and does the same. She also rummages around for food. "Jack, get me something to eat before I steal your cat's salami."

[Laraqua]

The kitten mewls and paws at the air, as though for effect. It mewls again.

Charles just shakes his head, but is content to listen to the whole thing until Rochelle offers him a drink. "Whiskey on the rocks." Then he continues to listen, head cocked to one side and obviously interested. "What sorta drugs?"

[Kadael]

"Hey! I wanted a reading!" Lily throws a glare at Rochelle, then goes over to pick up the cards.

While glancing at cards such as the Five of Swords and the Star, she breathes a sigh of relief - Charles isn't going to force her out the door. Not until he gets his whiskey, anyway. And she has so many more questions to ask this bartender.

"If that's not your cat, whose is it? Is Rochelle always like this? Why does she think you're dead? Did you say teletubby collection?"

[Seon]

"Just a second Roche, a lunatic made a mess in the bar, so I'll have to clean that. Feel free to steal the kitten's food if you want, oh great and evil overlordess" he leaned down next to Lily and began picking up the cards.

"Well, first it was owned by this crazy little girl with the initials AG, and then me, and then the crazy lady who stole Rochelle's coat, then back to the crazy little girl, then back to the lady, and then back to the girl, and I decided to babysit it for a while they cooled off in the lake," Jack said. "I'm sure they'll be back. Eventually."

"Now Rochelle is a good person, don't get me wrong. Just simply confused of certain situations. Sometimes, she believes that she is... Someone else... Besides... She is... Dedicated... To keeping this bar operational. I just worry that she takes it too far."

"Here, see that?" Jack said, pointing at a random face down card. "Take it, don't look a it yet, that's your card."

[Kallisto73]

Rochelle prepares a whiskey on the rocks and hands it to Charles.
"Here you go. It's on the house." "What are you going on about, Jack, what's with my coat? With the kitten?"

[Seon]

"Oh, it's a long story, Roche. I won't bother you with the details," Jack said. Having picked up all the cards except one in Lily's hands from the floor, he took the trenchcoat from the table and wore it.

"Now about the drugs Charles, it is a compound made from white Claudia, a local plant. I guess closest way to describe it is Cocaine, except twice as addictive and destructive. We don't" he glared at Rochelle. "Sell them here, nor do we have it with us. Actually, that's a lie, here you go."

He picked up a sealed bag filled with white powder from the bag and tossed it in front of Charles.

"I found it," he said, staring blankly at Rochelle and turned towards the Employyes Only area. "I'm not going to say where I found it... But here it is."

He suddenly broke into laughter. "Hah! The look on your face right now... Do you want me to divine your future? You, Charles? Rochelle? No? Well, wanna hear a joke? Have you heard about the deer who walked into the bar? No? Well, you better pay attention because... You might easily miss the punchline. Not that either? You people have no fun."

"Now Miss Lily... What college are you going to? You seem too young to be a professional painter. In any case, there are 4 suits in Tarot. Pentagram for Wealth, Cup for Emotion, Staff for knowledge, and knife... I mean sword for power. Or for stabbing people. And then there's all sorts of crazy stuff with Major Arcana."

"But the point in this game is not abou finding out what you are... But what you are not. Are you the wealthy, arrogant type like Vincent?" he raised an eyebrow at Lily, holding out a King of Pentagram card.

"I don' think so. Well, you are obviously not like Rochelle here either," he held up the High Priestess card. "Nor the crazy lady," he held up a Queen of cups and threw it into the air.

"Maybe you take after your broher?" he quickly held up the Demon card for her to see and put it back. "No, I don't think so. Of course, these are all face cards. You have to earn the right to be one of those. You gotta have your Joes and Bobs..." he flung random cards in every direction. "The Butcher... the Baker... The Marijuana stick maker..." he flung the entire deck to the floor. "The undefined masses... What makes you you? What separates you from these chumps?"

"But of course... There is a card which can be anything it wants. It doesn't add or subtract from others. It can be either your greatest ally or your greatest enemy. It comes when you least expect it... And the simple fact that he exists changes the game entirely."

He pulled out the Fool from his sleeves. "But if you ask me, we need more wild cards in the deck."

[Kadael]

Lily's fingers tremble on the card as she clutches it to her breast, and the flush of excitement blooms on her face. "Oh, I... I don't go to college. I'm not a professional painter either - can I look at my card now? Please?"

"I love this town," she whispers, doing a silly little dance in place.

[Kallisto73]

Rochelle takes food from the fridge behind the bar.
Eating it makes her feel better. She has now had 3 cans of soft drink and several sandwiches. She feels much better. She turns to the sink and starts washing off the blood. "To answer your question, Jack, someone knocked me out, ferried me around in the trunk of a car for... days and then tried to kill me with a shovel, luckily, he just tore open a wound in my neck and missed the artery. I ran, and I ran into these two. We were on our way to the police. I was gonna tell them that you had been killed." She looks at him and gives him a menacing smile "But seeing as you're alive and kicking and only stark raving mad means I will just tell them about the drug dealers."

She picks up the phone and dials 911.

[Seon]

"I'm sure that you'll find that is quite impossible," Jack said with a smile. "But you are welcome to try. You've been fighint so hard for such a long time... what's just one more failure, hmm? You know, I had high hopes of you."

He folded his arms. "When I saw you in the forest in the car, tied up by them. I thought you reformed. I was proud of you, even. But now I see that I was wrong. "

"You look surprised. I saw the whole thing, the strange guy in the gas mask with the shovel. Even if the entire circumstance of that event was imagined, as I suspect, there's this depressing fact: even in imagiend universes, there's always a hint of truth. Do you know what's even more depressing? Miracles don't exist."

He grinned at Lily. "But enough depressing story. Before I forget, here's the answer to your other question."

He handed Lily a folded newspaper clipping. "You can read it along with the card. I'm sure you'll find the circumstance of the incident... very interesting... and contradictory to what somebody claimed."

He kicked aside the mass of cards on the floor and moved to the jukebox, apparently getting ready to play a song. "Speaking of which, do you know what a male deer is called?"

[Laraqua]

Charles simply sat down by the counter. "Demon, huh? Well, what's those face cards mean anyway? Don't know nothing about tarot." He puts the wrench up on the counter and waits patiently to be given his drink. He seems like he's in his natural element and simply gives his sister a satisfied smile when he sees her dance. "You're one crazy kid, but I'm glad you're still having a happy birthday. Who knows? You might even get to see somebody killed if one of them bastards comes in through the door."

Rochelle tries the telephone, dialling 911.

Show phone comments,"911, what is your emergency?" sneers a voice over the telephone.