Track Four: Light My Fire

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Apparently taken in, or at least ignoring, the explanation offered by Liz, Mary instead confronts Zara.

"Who opened that dang back door? Thievin', are ya? Ain't got nothin' worth stealin' here anyway, so ya better just skedaddle 'fore I fetches the law on ya. Scarin' my little girl," she adds, indicating Ember, still apparently asleep, "and she's sickly."

(One might notice that Mary's accent grows thicker when she's excited.)

[jp1885]

"I suspect my friend is still a little worse for wear from the , er, party," Tony says, noticing Zara's intoxicated state and sighing inwardly. "No doubt she got bored waiting for us and decided to come looking. Isn't that right Zara?"

He cranes his neck around the others to get a look at Ember.

"Oh, I'm sorry. If I knew you had a sick child here I wouldn't have bothered you with these cravats. My friend Liz here knows a thing or two about medicine; maybe she could take a look at your daughter?"

Ignore this - made a mistake,[dice]0[/dice]

Charisma roll (13 -3 well spoken) to calm Mary down,[dice]1[/dice]

[SunlessNick]

Zara nods in response to Tony's story.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Mary seems to accept Tony's explanation for Zara's appearance.

"Drink's the Devil's tool, young lady," she says sharply. "Sent my little girl's Daddy to an early grave, and you'll wind up the same way if you don't watch out!"

However, she rejects the offer of medical assistance.

"She don't need no doctorin', just some good, honest rest. Now y'all better be on your way."

During this speech, Ember rouses slightly, so that her eyes are partly open.

"Must get back," she says weakly. "He needs me."

A wisp of smoke rises from near her mattress.

[jp1885]

Noticing the smoke rising from Ember's vicinity, Tony hold his hands out in a placatory manner.

"Honest rest is all well and good Mary, but it's a little different than that isn't it? Can you smell the smoke? Do you want her to burn you again? Let us help you... please?"

The playboy detective is unsure if he has the right to separate the child from her mother, but whatever way this situation goes, it cannot be guaranteed that the girl has control over her powers and he has no wish to be trapped in another burning building!

[Mr. Handy]

"I can help your little girl," says Liz. "I have experience in dealing with these sorts of phenomena. And it can't be all that restful for her to sleep on a mattress on the floor. She should sleep in a bed."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Alarmed by the smoke, Mary backs away from the child, who is slowly becoming fully awake.

"You think you know so much, then help me drive Satan out of her!"

[jp1885]

"Madam, I don't think ol' Satan would be quite so obvious as this," Tony sighs wearily, "there's no black and white, as I seem to recall saying recently. What's happening to your daughter is something currently unknown to science, but, I think something that's part of her - like red hair or a stammer. Is there a family history of strange fires and the like?"

[SunlessNick]

Zara kneels down beside Ember. "Shhh. It's ok."

[Mr. Handy]

"Very well, I shall," says Liz, taking out her chalk. She draws a circle around Ember with it while she carefully recites "Klaatu barada nikto" to protect the girl from evil.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Madam, I don't think ol' Satan would be quite so obvious as this," Tony sighs wearily, "there's no black and white, as I seem to recall saying recently. What's happening to your daughter is something currently unknown to science, but, I think something that's part of her - like red hair or a stammer. Is there a family history of strange fires and the like?"

Mary Fletcher seems to ponder this question for a while, her attention partly drawn to the ritual performed by Liz.

"They say my grandma was a conjure woman, back in Kentucky, but I never knew her. My pappy was the seventh son of a seventh son, so maybe that's got somethin' to do with the child's strange ways. Might be why my Fred ran to drinkin'."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Zara kneels down beside Ember. "Shhh. It's ok."

Spoiler:

CHA = 13; no Beautiful bonus, I think[dice]0[/dice]

The child merely glares at Zara and pouts. Meanwhile, tiny flames begin to appear surrounding her, not close enough to cause her any harm, at various places on the floor of the room, not yet within range of anything flammable, as if someone had tossed a handful of lit matches around the place.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Very well, I shall," says Liz, taking out her chalk. She draws a circle around Ember with it while she carefully recites "Klaatu barada nikto" to protect the girl from evil.

This appears to have some effect on the child, as she no longer says anything about getting back to the one who needs her.

[jp1885]

Tony keeps one eye on Ember as he talks to Mary, mainly to stop her interfering in Liz's work but also to try and fix this whole situation.

"That might explain it," he muses. "I sympathise - kids are hard work enough at this age, even without pyrokinetic powers. You need to recognise that this is her, not the devil. Show her a mother's love. Work with her; think how she feels with all this weirdness going on."

"A daughter shouldn't be taken from her mother unless there's something harmful going on. Hey, if you two can get along, think of how much you'll save on matches." He grins.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, we're all friends here," says Liz with a smile to Ember. "You're protected from the forces of evil, and there's nothing to worry about." She hopes that by soothing the girl, she will stop inadvertently generating flames.

OOC,Charisma roll (17 + 3[Charming] = 20) to calm [b]Ember[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

This seems to calm down the child, and the flames puff out.

"That's all fine and good," Mary says, "but what's gonna happen when she steps out of that hex circle?"

[Mr. Handy]

"It's possible that the evil influence has departed," says Liz, "but you're right, it could return once the protection ends. I know who the source of it is, though." She addresses Ember. "He was calling you to him. Do you know where he wanted you to go? My friends and I can go there."

[Starspawn338]

Lew watches from the doorway. There's not much he knows about kids and less about firestarters.

[SunlessNick]

Zara keeps her mouth shut too, since Liz and Tony seem to have chilled the mother and daughter out.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Ember seems calm, but a little confused.

"He was sick, but getting better. I could hear him calling me from a big building full of sick people and doctors somewhere close by. I can't hear him now."