Play@YSDC

Peking East Side, Zhengyangmen Railway Station— 9th of July, 1920


The crack of morning dawn woke up some of our intrepid travellers. Being the attentive journalist that he is, Edward Carver had more than made use of his time by once again, re-reading the papers from last night. If only there was a more effective way of getting the news...He shook his head, and outlined his plans for the day on a napkin as he planned out how it will go. He'll arrive at the hotel, where he was arranged to stay, and then call in to notify his contacts of his arrival and the meeting should be organised in a matter of days. Perhaps, he thought optimistically, not even a day will pass by before he gets the kinks sorted out.

It was a different matter for people like Professor Endymion Porter, he has been an academic for much of his life, schedules revolved around him, not the other way around, and that's how things should be. He grunted and shuffled a bit. Breakfast is whenever he feels like eating, anyways. He knew that he'll be escorted to a beautiful residence by a Peking University staffer, anyways.

Vivienne Grey woke up as the screeching sound of metal clashing against the rails finally became too deafening for her to bear. You'd have thought that she's used to this by now, but she wasn't. A rude awakening, indeed. Bleary eyed, she at least had the opportunity to examine the beautiful Peking Railway Station as the train lurched into a state of inertia anyways. The building was good. Better than what she had hoped. Anyways. She could almost feel the air on the tips of her fingers as the train pulled to a stop. She started writing down a handwritten note for a servant of hers, Margery, was it? Fancy name.

Doctor Bernard Randall had ignored the party last night. After all, a devout such as he wouldn't partake in acts of temptation close to sin. Excess of food, wine, and indulgence? He shivers to think of anything as close to it. Though he had considered that he could acquaint himself with the other passengers. There's always an opportunity to discuss the lord. What better to serve his God than to promote his ideals? He could start with this train, after all.

Sir James Evelyn Gonville Henderson of Gravesham, 3rd Bart. MC paced within his cabin, impatient. He had an appointment today, and this train needs to arrive on time in order to have him arrive on time. If he couldn't be punctual, who knows what his business partners will think of him? The party last night would've ruined his sleep. After all, what's the point of fraternising with fake socialites that only pretends privilege? He knew that real men of privilege like him don't need to go to parties like these, parties go to them.

'Jack Kenning', had been invited to discuss matters at Peking University, excitement tingled in every part of his body. Yes. Yes. He feels alive. There's things to do, people to meet, and much much more...ah, interesting things to commit. He couldn't wait to step off the train.

***
Margery Cook was standing on the railway platforms feeling cold, rainy. Pale fluffs of white, tiny droplets of rain had been inconsistently falling down from the sky despite the obvious lack of storm clouds. A cruel joke of fate, she supposes, as she mentally went over how her first meeting will go. It will have to be perfect, nothing short of perfection will be good, obviously. She gulped, her heart beating so fast that she felt like dizzy just from standing. After all, it's not everyday that she gets to welcome an upper-class lady from the other of side o' the world. The pay would be good, and perhaps, even, she might be able to finally change her life around. Her tangle with opium and the horrid dens hadn't been the distant past at all, as much as she had wanted it to be. There's a long road ahead.

OOC:   Alright everyone, sorry for the irregular posting schedule. I'll try to balance quality and quantity somehow. It's been a chaotic week, and I still haven't got a lot of things sorted out, but i'll try to stop this campaign from dying. You're all pretty much free to do what you want. Meet with each other. perhaps head off to your individual callings.

Sir James finds himself entertaining the idea that some part of the reason of the current looming threat of lateness comes not just from the lacking infrastructure but also from some Chinese who fancy themselves some sort of 'resistance' that serves to moderately inconvenience the Westerners in their attempts to go on with their dail lives. A fact that would normally amuse him more than it would annoy him, but with the clock running short, he finds himself growing more impatient. The first meeting with a client was the most important and being late would reflect poorly on him, no matter what his CV or migitating circumstances like 'shabby train services' would have to say in that matter. No, this is not acceptable. Another glance at his watch doesn't help, it basically screams the current lateness of the train into his face. He forces himself to sit down again and lights a cigarette.

Jack looks around as he gets off the train, hoping someone nearby is selling something to eat. It's been a long trip, and the jostling of the train interfered with his appetite. Once he's gotten something suitable in him, he'll try to arrange transport to Peking U.

Dr. Bernard Randall gathered his things from his compartment as the train slowed and approached the station. It had been a long night and he suspected that the party had contributed to the lateness of the train. He straightened his collar and removed his camera from its case before opening the door to his quarters. He lingered in the doorway and took a picture of his living quarters before he closed the door and walked down the passage to the train exit.

This wasn't his first time out of the United States but he always marveled at how backwards the rest of the world always seemed to be. As he stepped onto the arrival platform, he walked to the front of the train and took a picture of the locomotive and the first passenger car. He'd be certain to include the line in his report back to the church. Once that was done, he observed his surroundings. He didn't have anywhere to be immediately and the first thing Bernard always did was to unobtrusively observe everyday life in any place where he was posted. Finding a bench to rest on, he put down his satchel and placed his camera in his lap and proceeded to watch the locals going about their business. He noticed the contrast between the train's passengers in their gay colors and finely tailored suits and dresses and the station workers in practical clothing and plain colors.

As usual, he thought of himself much more akin to the working class than the elites in the Occidental world who had been his fellow passengers on the train ride.

Edward Carver

Edward Carver exits the train and moves towards the area where the luggage will be placed once they have been disembarked.

While waiting for his things, he observes his surroundings, the train station, the passengers and the various train personnel.

So different, and yet so similar to countless other train stations around the world, he thinks.

Ebinthetropics wrote:Jack looks around as he gets off the train, hoping someone nearby is selling something to eat. It's been a long trip, and the jostling of the train interfered with his appetite. Once he's gotten something suitable in him, he'll try to arrange transport to Peking U.

Jack quickly found a bite to eat. At a nearby fast food vendor. A nondescript Chinese man with long hair served your food silently. Clearly not educated enough to jump-start a conversation in English.

***
Everyone else found themselves out of the train almost all at once. Sir James was annoyed, almost supremely so. But he bit down on his cigarette and smoked angrily as he looked around. Pondering whether he could hail a cab.

OOC:   Sir James, you're welcome to roll spot hidden.

Vivienne Grey looks around as she alights from the train, admiring the beauty of the station. She looks to see if she can find Margery, who would probably be holding up a sign with her name.

Margery finds herself being pushed gradually backwards by the hordes of people on the platform. She eventually ends up with her back against a vast pillar, near where the luggage is being deposited. She fumbles for a neatly-written card and holds it up above her head; even then, as she is so short, there is a danger of it being missed altogether by Lady Grey whose attention it is for.

Sir James Henderson spots three men making their way off the train without bothering with the ticket inspectors. He witnessed one step to confront the three, but after an inaudible exchange, the ticket inspector's face paled and stepped aside with an expression of barely contained fear. He knew this visceral fear anywhere, it's the fear of someone who have a secret that they want to keep. The emotion that he thrives upon. However, there's no time for any shenanigans.

A Chinese man saw Henderson's face and make great strides towards him. For a brief moment, he flinched reflexively, but then he realised that perhaps that this was a guide sent by his clients to prevent him from getting lost.

"Ah, Mister Henderson, yeah? Come come, you would not want to be late." the man said in broken English, a practised fluency that he had gotten used to hearing, never quite managed to bear for any longer than three sentences.

Henderson affirmed his identity and was escorted to travel with the three suspicious men. Perhaps there would be time to make an enquiry later...

OOC:   Alright, I'll be taking Henderson's story-line behind the scenes for now since he would be away on a dig. I'll start a new thread for him as soon as he gets back.

Vivienne catches a glimpse of Margery's sign and makes her way towards it through the crowd, tugging her luggage. "Margery?" she asks when she finally reaches her. "I'm Vivienne Grey." She extends a gloved hand.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (55% skill) to see [b]Margery[/b]'s sign: [dice]0[/dice]

Margery looks very relieved; she curtseys and then shakes Vivienne's hand gently. "How do you do, Maam? I hope you had a pleasent journey. I have a cab waiting outside the station and your luggage will follow on." She looks up shyly. "If Madam would like to come this way?"

"Thank you," says Vivienne. "Please, lead on." She follows Margery to the cab.

Bernard makes note of the people as they exit the train, making assumptions to himself about which ones are here on business, which ones are here for a longer or more permanent posting and which ones are here on vacation. He imagines that the vacationing ones were more likely than not to have attended the party the previous night.

Bernard takes another picture of the crowd of people before they begin to disperse.

Professor Porter got of the train with a load heave and moan and limped his way down the platform, arranging for a porter to bring his luggage to a taxi.

Mallet wrote:

OOC:   Edward Carver could be going to the same hotel as the others.

Oops, accidentally forgot about Edward. Altered the list. I'll wait for another while before starting the threads.