Scene Three. The Maritime East Shipping Agents

[Priest]

Noble stares at the writer, suddenly aware of his precense, "No she didn't. She seemed totally aware of the location"

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson
.
"Yes, I believe we will need 6 tickets. Or is it only 5 Tony? While I've never heard of Naushau, I have heard of the Aokigahara Forest. A ghastly place I have heard." Ted opens his satchel to discover the book he had forgotten.
.
"Hey Tony, did Bridgett want to get another copy of the book. I still have the one from the Chadwick manor." Then back to Noble "Plesae send the bill to Ms. Chadwick at this address." Ted writes down the address and hands it to Mr. Noble. "How soon would we need to leave to catch this boat out of San Francisco?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I count six of us," says Tony. "I said I'd go to the ends of the Earth to find Veronica, and it seems we're going to have to do just that."

[DrVendetta]

Paul takes the notebook from Bridget to get a closer look and reply's to Bridget as he is looking at it "So what is the story with your friend Ms. Chadwick? She seemed very distant in her conversation when she was here before and Naushau is a odd area to request passage to." Paul thinks to himself and the Japanse that Veronica had spoke and says "It is on the edge of the Aokigahra forest now that I think of it if that helps, but I can't say that she specifically mentioned the Aokigahra forest in the two words that I picked out from her Japanse"

Paul looks up to Bridget and says "I would be glad to offer my services if you need help in locating Miss Chadwick, I speak some Japanse and could do a little more research for you on Naushau if you would like?"

Priest,Not sure if I know anything about the Japanse Character or anything else I see or notice in the notebook but here is a roll if needed [dice]0[/dice]

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson
.
"Ok, 6 then." Then back at Tony, "Swore I heard one of the young ladies saying she had done enough and there was no way she was going to Japan. But maybe I mis-heard." Ted thinks for a minute.
.
"Do you have a phone sir, we should contact Ms. Chadwick right away about heading to Japan and the expense. Now was someone mentioning lunch?" Ted says patting his stomach.

[jbibblesworth]

The young agent's congenial nature and seemingly earnest willingness to assist them in their search for Veronica puts Bridget draws the rare genuine smile from her.

"To be honest with you Paul, no one's entirely certain what to make of Veronica's behavior." she blows a curling plume of steam from her coffee cup and sips it tentatively. "She was fairly normal for a girl her age. She studies mathematics up at Miskatonic University...or at least she did until a few weeks ago. Then, according to her roommate, this sudden obsession with Japanese folklore cropped up. And now she's apparently halfway across the world..."

Bridget sighs and shakes her head sympathetically.

"Strange behavior indeed." her eyes find Paul. "Of course we would appreciate any help Paul. In case you can't tell, we're all a bit out of our element here. Any additional information you can dig up on where she headed would be valuable."

[Priest]

OOC:   Question: Did anyone bring the piece of paper from the desk pad upon which Veronica had been doodling?

In answer to Ted, Noble points to a black bakelite phone half covered by a collection of manilla folders, "Help yourself, six passengers you say? I'll work out a price, with a generous group discount of course"
By the time you have got connected to Mrs Chadwick, or Myers to be more precise, he has produced a price which seems fair and is quickly accepted by Myers, who assure you that he will keep Mrs Chadwick abreast of developments.

Paul Wellington (Dr V),You can confirm that the symbol in the notebook is indeed the Japanese symbol for [i]Tree[/i]. If there are other Japanese symbology or drawings forthcoming you will be able to translate them.

OOC:   Tilda Smith Chadwick has departed, so ther are five of you remaining. However Paul Wellington is the replacement so there will be six of you again

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson

Priest,yes I crumpled it up and stuck it in my pocket.

.
Ted thanks Myers on the phone and after arrangements have all been made. "I think we have just enough time for lunch." Ted heads over to the restaurant next door and joins Paul and Bridget.
.
"So we are all set, 6 tickets to San Francisco via train and then a ship to Japan. Oh yea Bridget, I almost forgot, I have the copy of the book you wanted to look at. I borrowed it from the Chadwicks." Ted says.

[DrVendetta]

Paul hands the notebook back to Bridget and says "This is the Japanese symbol for tree, it has no other special meaning. Any idea of what Japanese folk lore specificly that she became interested in? I just find it odd that she would seek out a remote location such as Naushau unless she had reason to, if you had any other information about the folk lore she had become obsessed with it may help when I do my checking on Naushau"

Paul looks at the book as Ted hands it to Bridget trying to eye the name of it now that he is becoming enthrawled with the upcoming adventure that awaits.

"6 tickets? Is it safe for me to assume that you will be taking me up on my offer of help then?" ask Paul as Ted sits down.

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson
.
"I bought 6 tickets before I found out Tilda was heading back home. So we do have an extra ticket, but we should contact Ms. Chadwick about you joining the group. This could be dangerous, are you sure you want to join?" Ted asks.

[DrVendetta]

Paul smiles at Ted and ask "Well I do speak Japanese and am intrigued about about going to Japan. I have become quite bored with my current position at Maritime East. It is nothing more than a paper pushing job. How would I be compensated for my expenses and such?"

[Mr. Handy]

"The Chadwick family is already paying us handsomely," says Tony, who had followed his nose and gone to Luigi's with Ted. "Now that Tilda has dropped out, I'm sure they can make the same deal with you, which will also cover expenses such as our tickets. In addition to researching Naushau, we'll went to find out more about the Aokigahara Forest. I think that's where Veronica is really headed, and she may have only gone to Naushau because it's close to the forest. We'll also want to stop by the boarding house and investigate that tree. She may have left something significant there."

OOC,If the PI didn't take it, I would have.

[DrVendetta]

Paul achknowledges Tony with a nod as he sits down and joins the conversation then ask to the group in general "What boarding house and what tree? Please bring me fully up to speed with what you know as it may help when I start researching Naushau and the Forest"

[jbibblesworth]

Bridget's jaw slackens and she is momentarily shocked into a breathless silence as the others plunk themselves casually into the empty chair around the table and offhandedly discuss traveling to the other side of the globe.

"Japan? As in going to Japan? As in we're going to Japan? Now?" she stammers, her eyes as wide as the saucers their coffee cups rest upon. "I can't just disappear to Japan! For how long? Who's paying? Who will we stay with? How do we intend to get there? What do we pack? I have cats that need food!

She cups the coffee in both hands and drinks deeply, trying to collect her thoughts and compose some sort of list of logistics. There was no question she'd go of course. She'd chase a good story to the depths of the Mariana Trench! But to just pick up and go at the drop of a hat...

[Mr. Handy]

"Veronica was living at a boarding house in Arkham," Tony explains, returning the nod. "There's a tree visible through the window in her room, and she drew one of those freaky long-haired Japanese girls - Yurei, I think they're called - on the window with a rope around her neck. If you look at it from the right angle, it looks like she's hanging from the tree's branch. She also etched the Japanese symbol for 'tree' into the telephone." He turns to Bridget. "Veronica's gone to Japan, so that's where we need to go to find her. If you don't want to come with us, that's okay. Nobody will think any less of you. Even Veronica's own cousin isn't coming. But if you do come, I'm sure that Mrs. Chadwick will pay for it. That's considered an expense. We're not leaving right away, as we've got a few things to sort out first, which would give you time to find someone to watch your cats. Maritime East Shipping Agents are arranging our passage, same as they did for her a few weeks ago. How long are we going? Well, I'm not coming back until we've found Veronica, however long it takes. We'll need to find an inn or a hotel or something there. We will need to think about what to pack. I definitely want to bring my piece, but I don't know how the Japanese feel about gaijin bringing firearms into their country. At a guess, I doubt they'll like it."

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson
.
Ted fills in Paul with the details to catch him up.
.
"We did find this drawing, its a bit disturbing, but feel free to look at it if you like." Ted pulls out the crumpled paper and holds it out to Paul.
.
"Yes we are going to have to head to Japan Bridget. But only long enough to find Veronica and get out," Ted assures.

[jbibblesworth]

Bridget nods compliantly as the two men attempt to reassure her.

"Okay. Japan. Sure." she says at last before falling back into her mental to-do list.

[DrVendetta]

Paul smiles slightly at how Bridget gets so shaken at the notion of traveling to Japan. That is one of the most exciting parts of this adventure that is falling into his lap just when he needed it most.

Paul takes the crumbled piece of paper from Ted and takes a deep breath to calm himself as he carefully uncrumbles it to get a view of the drawing, fearing the worst after hearing about the image of a Yurei hanging from a tree from the conversation he slowly smooths out the piece of paper and takes a look at the drawing trying not to show emotion to the others as he takes in the picture drawn on the piece of paper.

[kabukiman]

- I'm still puzzled for what started all this. You don't change in 2 weeks without a reason. Or was the madness inside here already and she only hide it from others?

[Priest]

Paul Wellington (Dr V),As you have already made a roll of 3 earlier, you are able to make some sense of the doodles. Included are frighteningly lifelike pictures of bodies hanging from trees; what appears to be some sort of shadowy-faced woman with long hair and a flowing gown; pictures of skulls; and a mountain rising up out of a forest The shadowy faced woman with long hair and a flowing gown, would appear to equate with the picture of a[i] Yurei[/i] as drawn in the book [i]'A Dream of Japan'[/i]. The gown would appear to be that of a [i]geisha[/i] from the classical period. The mountain rising above a forest looks like Fuji above the Aokigahara. The figures of hanging females evoke a distant memory, one to do with the forest. Please roll[b] Occult +10%[/b]. Also please make a [b]San +10%[/b] check (0/1)