Barnabas

[Mr. Handy]

"I guess we should go," Victoria says to the professor. "She's obviously not in there. But where else could she be?"

OOC, I had planned to hide outside.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Once at a safe distance from the House by the Sea, Professor Stokes pauses in thought.

"If that Loomis fellow is involved, there can't be anything good going on. And yet petty thievery and annoying women is more his style. From what I've heard of him, he hardly possesses either the intelligence or the courage to come up with some elaborate scheme on his own. There's more here than meets the eye, to be sure. But no matter, we have bigger fish to fry.

"Let me see. There are very few places in a village as compact as Collinsport with the necessary isolation required for a vampire without some privately owned retreat of her own. That raises the disturbing possibility that your employer, Mrs. Stoddard, is well aware of her daughter's condition, and is deliberately concealing her from prying eyes. It might be worth the risk of confronting her with what we know . . .

"By this time, the police must have been informed of the disappearance of Miss Stoddard. Whether to speak to them is a delicate matter to consider."

He snaps his finger, as if an idea has suddenly occurred to him.

"I almost forgot. There is one place rarely frequented by members of the community. The lighthouse. Entirely automatic in these modern times, visited by its keeper on very few occasions when in need of maintenance. The approach to it is hazardous, whether on foot or by sea, but fortune might favor the bold, so they say. I'm not as young as I used to be . . .

"I offer a few possibilities, none of them free from risk, and without the guarantee of success. What do you think, my dear?"

[SunlessNick]

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine," he mutters, while nibbling tiny bits of food. "Frustrated, I guess. I just can't seem to capture that special quality she has. I'm gonna keep working. Don't wait up."

The next day Maggie finds her father sound asleep, still wearing the same clothes he had on that evening, noticeably covered with dirt.

She can't wait too long before heading for her shift at the diner, so gently wakes him up and gets him to change while she makes breakfast. She's feeling weird, like she's in such a rut it's like nothing's happened outside of work and sleep for days. She makes a point of being extra friendly colleagues and customers, trying to shake out the cobwebs. On her break, she calls up Vix, wondering how she's doing, since they haven't spoken in a while.

Vicki,I figured this might be a side effect of forgetting about the vampires, since that's been consuming her life recently.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think the lighthouse is our best bet," says Victoria. "Let's see if Maggie wants to come with us." When Maggie calls, Victoria fills her in on what they've been doing and what they've discovered, and she asks her if she wants to join them.

[SunlessNick]

"I think the lighthouse is our best bet," says Victoria. "Let's see if Maggie wants to come with us." When Maggie calls, Victoria fills her in on what they've been doing and what they've discovered, and she asks her if she wants to join them.

Mr. Handy,More precisely, what does Victoria tell Maggie? (Not necessarily word for word, but in specifics).

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Overhearing the conversation between the two ladies, Professor Stokes notes that Miss Evans seems somewhat confused.

Spoiler:

Very busy so just a brief visit.

[Mr. Handy]

Maggie, [b]Victoria[/b] holds nothing back from [b]Maggie[/b]. She particularly tells her what she and the professor discussed, including how to turn [b]Carolyn[/b] and [b]Barnabas[/b] human again.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"I am not certain that your friend is fully aware of the situation," Professor Stokes remarks.

[SunlessNick]

Mr. Handy and Victoria,Maggie has no idea what Victoria is talking about. She remembers something about Carolyn having had some problems, but how do you get from that to vampires? "[color=#00BF40]I know you wouldn't lie to me, Vix, but I can't even imagine this. Are you sure someone hasn't... I don't know, slipped you something?[/color]" It's clear she has no memory of the events of the night at Barnabas's house.

[Mr. Handy]

"You don't remember any of it, Maggie?" asks Victoria. "I've heard that vampires can sort of hypnotize people by getting them to look in their eyes. Could one of them have done that to remove her memories, Professor? Maybe they could be restored through actual hypnosis. Dr. Hoffman could do it."

[SunlessNick]

"I don't remember anything you're telling me about." Victoria will be able to hear that Maggie's voice is tembling.

Victoria,Do I still believe that modern Barnabas and I are the reicarnations of old Barnabas and Josette? If so, I assume I'm still compelled not to mention that to Vix.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Maggie,It seems likely that you feel some sort of vague connection with Josette, reinforced by the undeniable resemblance to her portrait. Whether this means reincarnation or something else is difficult to say. You also feel a mixture of attraction and fear regarding Barnabas Collins, for no reason you can explain.

"The possibility of induced amnesia suggests itself," Professor Stokes says. "It may be possible to reverse it, if your friend is willing. I am not entirely without some small skill in this area, but I must admit that the procedure is not without a certain amount of risk."

[Mr. Handy]

"I think it's worth the risk," says Victoria, "but it's up to you, Maggie."

[SunlessNick]

"Maybe... she helped me out with my claustrophobia. Where are you right now... I can come meet you."

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria tells her.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Arrangements are made to have the three meet at Professor Stokes' home. He dims all the lights, illuminating the room with a single candle.

"Look into the flame," he tells Maggie. "Watch how it flows, changing shape with every tick of the clock. See the many colors hidden deep within its heart."

Spoiler:

Stokes WIS = 12. 1d20 to successfully hypnotize; failure causes a side effect, the higher the more serious. 1d20: 14 Hmm, not a terrible side effect, but of some importance . . .

Suddenly snapping out of her trance, Maggie fails to recall anything that the others claim has been wiped out of her memory. In addition to that, she is suddenly aware that enclosed places are once again a source of terror.

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe Dr. Hoffman can help," suggests Victoria.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

It takes a day or two to track down Doctor Hoffman, who is apparently busy with other matters, perhaps at Windcliff Sanitarium. During that time, Collinsport seems unusually quiet. The police are checking with their counterparts in Bangor, Portland, and even down in Boston for any sign of Carolyn Stoddard; Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins are considering hiring a private detective. The current thinking is that she has run away, having made idle threats to do so in the past. There have been no reports of violent attacks, such as that witnessed by Victoria. The vandalism at the cemetery seems to have ceased. The only strange event, it seems, is the fact that some folks claim to have seen a strange man, dressed in shabby black clothing, wandering around the town late at night, seemingly aimlessly. This would not be particularly interesting, if the stranger were not said to be well over seven feet tall.

At last, Doctor Hoffman agrees to attempt to hypnotize Maggie, in hopes of recovering her memory.

Maggie:

Spoiler:

Of course, she really wants to do exactly the opposite. Let's say that Maggie subconsciously attempts to resist Hoffman. Based on average WIS of 9, 1d20: 2 Success!

During the procedure, Maggie suddenly realizes that Doctor Hoffman was the one who erased her memory in the first place, and that she has no intention of restoring it.

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria watches to see if Maggie can remember anything.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Having had her role in Maggie's loss of memory exposed, Doctor Hoffman makes a hasty retreat, with some feeble excuses.

"'Oh, what a tangled web'," Professor Stokes muses. "This would seem to substantiate certain rumors concerning experiments at Windcliff Sanitarium. If Doctor Hoffman be not an ally, she may prove to be a formidable enemy. I would suggest discretion as the better part of valor.

"Meanwhile, shall we explore the lighthouse, as originally planned?"