Part 2 - The Heart Music

[Mr. Handy]

OOC, I can't think of anything else to do besides letting him go, but let's see what [b]Ellis[/b] wants to do.

[HoneyDog]

OOC, Agreed, let's just go to the next performance.

[SunlessNick]

Monday Night.

The Nest is a segregated club, with two entrances - the front one for whites, and one just into the alley to the side for everyone else (Italians have recently been promoted from "everyone else" but the Spanish still have to go in the side door with the black people).
The white entrance leads to a large space with tables around the three sides that don't abut the stage, and a dance floor in the middle. Your entrance leads to a much narrower area, to the left of the white one - the tables are rougher, and there's no room to dance. There's a bar beside the stage that crosses the barrier between the two, but they have different staff for each side.
Off of each side are two small pool halls - the one in the black side has four tables.
There are steps down from each of the two seating areas, which Jacqueline knows lead to a speakeasy - that's also segregated, divided into two rooms with two-sided bar linking them.

The place is crowded, although no one especially famous is playing tonight. The more affluent whites are all sitting at tables on the right side of their area, opposite from having to sit near the blacks. It's a slight you're both well used to, of course.

The first act is a couple dancing the Charleston on stage - a few of the patrons get up and join in.

The second is a jazz singer, who garners more catcalls than claps from the whites in the club.

Walter is the last again. He starts more slowly than the previous times he played - it's easier to follow the notes.

OOC,Ellis's Mathematics 80; Rolled 1D100 97.

Again Ellis is struck by a sense of commonality between this Heart Music and Covington's equations, but he can't quite put his finger on what.

As the music progresses, the now familiar narrowing of focus grows, along with the sense of more people being here than should be.

Somewhere behind you, you hear a voice muttering "No, no, no" followed by something in Spanish.

As Locke plays on, even the real people are beginning to look blurry - unless it something happening to your sight.

[Mr. Handy]

Jacqueline had been one of the patrons dancing the Charleston.

When things start to go weird, Jacqueline looks behind her to try to see who is muttering, though chances are that they're getting blurry too. "Maybe we should leave," she whispers to Ellis.

[HoneyDog]

"Something's happening" says Ellis. "I think we're going to that other place."

[SunlessNick]

OOC,Jacqueline's Spot Hidden 55; rolled 1D100 with penalty die 22.

Jacqueline is able to get a look at the mutterer, a middle-aged man (unsurprisingly Spanish-looking), who seems to have the same thought she just voiced, as he scrambles to his feet and makes for the exit. Then her vision blurs over...

For a moment, you can both see similar traceries of light to those you saw in the black limbo.

Then they're replaced with blazing bright globes, whirling around each other like stars - drawing close to you, or you to them - their voice ringing in your ears in time to Locke's music. No, the music is their music, their voice speaking deep into you.

Then they're gone.

OOC,SAN Losses (no roll - it was a momentary glimpse, so I'm going to rule that you automatically passed) Ellis 4, Jaqueline 10. Jacqueline's Bout of Madness roll 6, Faint.

Ellis,The club is visually gone back to normal, but half the people are screaming, and Jacqueline has fainted, along with others. A few fights are breaking out. On the stage, Locke looks triumphant, but turns and flees.

Jacqueline,Sorry, you're getting bad luck with the SAN rolls. You do get an insane insight out of the deal however: the Heart Music really is the heart of the being you glimpsed, as well as its voice.

[HoneyDog]

Ellis decides to get Jacqueline out, Locke will have to wait. He bends down to lift her onto his shoulder.

[SunlessNick]

Ellis is able to get Jacqueline onto his shoulders, though it's a bit of an obstacle course to get to the door.

OOC,Let's call it Dodge with a bonus die, because no one's actively trying to stop you, just careening around. Rolled 34.

You get bumped about a few times, by people staggering or looking around them in panic, and have to sidestep a fight - a few people jostle you around the exit, trying to get out too - but in the end you make it outside.

Jacqueline,Luck roll 58; your purse snagged enough to stay on your arm.

Once in the alley, the screams from inside have abated, though there are still sounds of chaos.

In the cooler air of the evening, Jacqueline revives to find herself on Ellis's shoulders (Ellis can feel her start moving).

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you for getting me out of there," mumbles Jacqueline as she comes to her senses. "I've always wanted to be swept off my feet, but that's not quite how I imagined it happening."

[HoneyDog]

"Why did you faint?" Ellis asks.

[SunlessNick]

People are coming out of the club now, both entrances. Some are walking, some staggering, some running - a few are carrying other unconscious patrons. From the looks of it, most if not everyone saw the same vision you did.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think my brain must have just shut down," says Jacqueline. "I couldn't handle it. That thing we saw - the music is its heart, its voice."

[HoneyDog]

Ellis looks at the people leaving the club.

"We need to find Locke" he says. "Find out what's going on."

[SunlessNick]

Ellis can clearly recall the triumphant expression on Locke's face as the chaos broke out.

In any case, almost everyone is out of the club now. Most people aren't sticking around.

It's only been a few minutes and there is a limited number exits - you could see if you can spot Locke, or look for anything he might have left behind - or you could skedaddle before the police arrive and come up with another plan to find him later.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's look around for him," says Jacqueline, "but we need to make it quick. The police will be along soon, and it's better if we're not here when they arrive."

[HoneyDog]

"Come on then, we'd better be quick."

[SunlessNick]

The interior of the club is littered with overturned tables and chairs, along with fallen bottles and broken glasses. Here and there are dropped purses and other belongings. There's a couple remaining within, a woman tending to a man with a gashed forehead - they both glance up at you, but don't seem to want to talk.

There's a white man lying in their seating area, though you can see he's still breathing. Mercifully there don't seem to be any large pools of blood that would indicate any serious injuries to anyone. None of the staff seem to be around, and there's nothing to prevent you getting to the stage.

Backstage has a small waiting area where performers can sit and watch whoever is onstage, and a side room where they can change clothes if necessary. The back door leads straight from the waiting area - both it and the changing room door are open - no one immediately appears to be in the changing room.

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe he went out the back," says Jacqueline.

[HoneyDog]

"Let's go! Stay behind me."

Ellis leads the way.

[SunlessNick]

The alley has some bags and bins scattered about - one of the latter, to the left, has been knocked over - there's nothing to indicate that it only just happened, but there's nothing else that looks like signs of someone's passage.