[IC - SCENE 2] The Tea Room

[Overlord87]

When Andre is ready to walk, helped by Jean-Luc, they move away from the tea room, reuniting with Francois and Jacques. Andre is still pale and unsteady on his feet, but he's otherwise regaining his composure.

Spoiler:

OOC:   Time to move on

[Mr. Handy]

"Good heavens!" exclaims Jacques when he sees Andre's state, rising in a hurry. "What happened in there?"

[ghill]

Still unsure of events François hangs back following the others but separately from them in order not to seem part of the group to any casual observer.

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

Andre looks grimly towards his friend with a pleading look on his face;

"Not here my friend, let us retire somewhere more private whilst I relate this, for it is not something I would wish to revisit more than the once if it can be avoided."

Releasing his hold on Jean-Luc's arm slowly, he nods away from the cafe and goes to move in that direction, albeit unsteadily.

[Mr. Handy]

"Of course," says Jacques, walking with Andre and supporting him if he needs it.

[Overlord87]

You walk for a few minutes, putting some distance between you and the tea room. Then you enter a cafe and sit at a table in a quiet corner, keeping an eye on the front door for good measure. It seems you are the only customers sitting inside, with just a couple more on the tables outside.

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

OOC:   Sorry if this is a long post

Once there Andre relates the terrifying ordeal he went through as follows;-

"Jean-Luc and I went in to see what could be discenrned from the Sunflower Tea Room. I dimly recall there were similar paintings on the wall to the disturbing one at our late friends house. I inquired as to the painter's identity and found his name to be Edouard Savatier and further, that he may be found in the Latin Quarter. We sought to gently interrogate the proprietor of the tea room and to this end ordered some tea. I had a strange brew called Sapna. It was after the first mouthful, which was quite pleasant, that things went wrong for me. I was somehow encased in near-darkness all around me, not even the light of a moon or starlight, which in these days of blackouts is strange."

Andre pauses as though to gather himself, and despite the lessening of the terror he felt at the time, he could feel tears well up in his eyes ... tears of fear and of the shame associated with that fear. Taking a deep breath he continued:-

"I was being, pursued I suppose you would call it, by all the worms in the world, or at least that is how it felt to me. I could feel the very earth, which was as black as Satan's hobs, move beneath my feet, at a distance but constantly getting closer. They were getting closer to me all the time and I was afraid, no I was terrified that any sound I made would hasten their approach. Then I could hear some sort of strange voices, chanting some mumbo-jumbo - something like "Hakuu gath thathsun", or was it "Hakuu gatha thsathun" - yes that was it "Hakuu gatha thsathun". I just hope that my uttering the words now has no effect.

By now Andre was starting to sweat again and his hands took on a slight palsy but he continued after taking a copious drink of his coffee, (thick, hot and sweet, almost like Turkish coffee), some of which he spilt mindlessly due to his shakes. Wincing at the aftertaste and heat of the coffee Andre steels himself once more before ploughing on with his tale.

"Although I did not understand the heathen tongue, for it was unlike anything I had heard before, I knew the purpose of the phrase - to call forth those abominable worms. I had to fight the impulse to repeat the phrase myself, and by God was the coercion to follow and co-join the chant strong. I even got halfway through before I could arrest my tongue. I just knew in the very fibres of my being that to complete the chant, maybe even the once would invite the terrible worms to come and feast upon my flesh. For the fact that this was to be my fate was beyond any doubt in my mind ... in my very soul! The next I knew, my eyes slowly swam into focus and I discerned that I was in a stupour with my head upon the table in the accursed Tea-Room. Poor Jean-luc tried to comfort me and restore what little of my senses I have ..." at this point Andre grasps Jean-Luc's arm in comradeship and appreciation, "... but all I could see of you was worms covering your face and hands - worms that left their slimy ichor upon my skin. I am afraid that I did not even recognise you my friend - I take the liberty of calling you friend, for although we have only recently met, all of us, you proved to be steadfast in your resolve andsttod by me when the chips were down, and that is something I will never forget. I tried to make a run for the door, but for once the old leg saved me from making it through before my progress was halted by both the Tea-Room proprietor and Jean-Luc. Please forgive a stupid, weak fool who may have jeopardised our mission before it has even started". At this the tears that had been, to this point, glistening in Andre's eyes flowed freely down his face and he struggled to stifle his terrified sobs hanging his head in abashment.

[Mr. Handy]

"I consider you a friend as well," says Jacques. "Do not blame yourself. They must have put something in your tea. Perhaps they had some reason to be suspicious, some little thing that gave you away without you even knowing it."

[ghill]

François leans forward addressing Andre and Jean-Luc. "How did the proprietor seem to you, was he cautious, business-like, nervous, excited. How did he react when he brought the tea? How did he react when Andre started his episode?"

OOC:   The tea was on the menu and clearly, the waiter expected it to have some effect he simply seemed surprised by the effect? What we really should have done was to have someone enter separately to observe the tea room afterwards.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,It might not be too late. They've only seen those two, so we could go inside.

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

"Ah my friend Francois, I cannot recall, perhaps Jean-Luc may be able shed some light on your question." Andre responds trying to gather himself once more, not too successfully.

[ghill]

OOC:   Not really we needed to see the immediate reaction. It doesn't matter,we're none of us supposed to be au fait with this 'secret world' so it would be a bit unusual if we behaved like a bunch of hard core CoC adventures

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

"Sh ... shall we go back in then?" Andre asks hesitantly

[Mr. Handy]

"We may want to find out more first," says Jacques. "Do you think there is any relevance to the artist, Edouard Savatier? I have never heard of him, but I am no art expert."

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

Andre breathes a sigh of relief, perhaps not as subtly as he would wish it to be. "As you say, mayhap some further inquiries may be made first. Like you the name is meaningless to me, but I am left wondering if perhaps my friend Julien knows of him - after all he was the personal secretary of Monsieur Dupont."

[Mr. Handy]

"Then we should ask him," says Jacques. "When we do, we can also see if he has Monsieur Dupont's appointment book. We should have gotten it last night, but I did not think of it then. It may be helpful to see with whom he met recently - and with whom he was supposed to meet in the coming days but will never get the chance."

[krzyspmac]

Jean-Luc is awaken form his reverie. "Oh the proprietor... I must say I don't really remember. Funny isn't it? I was shocked by what was happening. But I do remember the waiter trying to tell us that it was all... normal, as if the tea, has a different effect on everybody".

[Mr. Handy]

"Did you happen to catch the proprietor's name?" asks Jacques. "It might help to look into his background."

[ghill]

François leans back in chair clearly satisfied with Jean-Luc's response. So not a trap set specifically for Andre. But surely not a sensible beverage to be selling to the public.

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

Andre can only nod mutely until he composes himself once more, coughing t he begins. "No, I do not believe that it was meant specifically for me, rather anyone who partook of that infernal brew. That being said, I cannot shake the propieters reaction to what happened. Perhaps I need to go back in and try and get some answers from him - after all, don't they say that facing one's fear is the best way of overcoming it?"