Play@YSDC

Maxwell's Sanitarium - London, England
9:00 AM - Tuesday, September 10, 1940

After Story, his companions, and Phyllis went upstairs, the others waited with Eugene for a doctor to arrive. She eventually showed up, a woman in her thirties with her brown hair tied back in a bun and wire-rimmed glasses. "You must be Mr. Thomson," she said to Eugene in a soothing tone. "I'm Dr. Agatha Sinclair, and I'm here to help you. I understand you have a fear of the dark."

"It's what's in the dark that's frightening!" said Eugene. "Jaegershrecks! The Father of All Bats!"

"Jaegershrecks? That sounds German? Is it the bombing that has you so frightened?"

Eugene shook his head. "No, that's not anywhere near as bad as the monsters!"

"Why don't you come with me, Mr. Thomson? We'll take good care of you."

"Thank you, Doctor." Eugene allowed her to lead him away.

About an hour later, as the clock struck nine, Story, Elizabeth, Brook, and Phyllis returned to the lobby and rejoined the others. At the same time, Anna walked in the front door with Madeline Steadman.

Phyllis is very glad to see Anna but concerned to see her companion. She walks up to them, "Is everything okay?"

Anna marches up to the others with a fixed smile. 'I have brought Mrs Steadman to see her mother.' She turns to Madeline, 'I will see if she is well enough to receive visitors, Mr Story, if you will join me'.

Elizabeth raises an eyebrow and looks quizzically at Story. She then turns and looks at Anna and Madeline carefully, trying to work out what is going on.

Story looks at Elizabeth and then to Anna, "Of course. How can I be of assistance?"

'Mrs Steadman, take a seat here please. Mr Story, walk with me. Tell me, how is Mrs Exeter doing after her ordeal?'. Anna takes Story back onto the ward.

Story,Anna explains to him that she has brought [b]Madeline[/b] to the hospital in order to provide an opportunity for the other two to break into her house and take a look. She tells him that Madeline has told her about [b]Mrs Exeter[/b]'s attempts to summon the black Pharoah but that she has not revealed anything of her current plans.

Madeline sat down in the lobby and leafed through a magazine lying on a table while she waited.

In an office upstairs, Dr. Agatha Sinclair wrapped up her intake session with Eugene Thomson. "Yes, Mr. Thomson," she said at last. "I think a stay here is precisely what you need. We have an excellent staff here, and we will have you right as rain as quick as can be. There's a war to be won, and we need every man we can get doing his bit."

Eugene Thomson,[b]Eugene[/b] has previously had a successful therapy session with [b]Anna[/b], I believe, so he derives no further game benefit from this one. His indefinite insanity is a fear of the dark. That is currently suppressed until 8:00 PM tonight, or eleven hours from now, but at that time it will return. It will take at least a month of care, and probably more, before it goes away, presuming no further shocks to the psyche (not a safe presumption). Note that you are currently at only 19 Sanity.

Phyllis looks carefully at Mrs Steadman to see if she is actually as nonchalant as she seems. She can't understand why they should be together unless Anna was somehow being coerced.

psychology,[dice]0[/dice]

Story looks at Anna and raises an eyebrow hearing her reference the Black Pharaoh. After a moment he says, "Yes, yes... so many years ago. You were curious how my companions and I knew Mrs Exeter. Believer me or not, but if it wasn't for me and my friends Nephren-Ka, the Black Pharaoh, would have been summoned and the world would be a different place. As far as her current plans with the Jaegerschreck, Catherine seems to think it's the only way to stop the Nazis... and she's hellbent on her insane plot, regardless of the loss of life." Story shakes his head, "Her mind is as cracked as Winston's was. No good will come of her evil plot. She must never leave this place."

'Is Mrs Exeter awake yet?' asks Anna. 'We need to find out what the Steadmans are planning but I've not managed to get much out of her. She seems willing to help her mother but hasn't told me of any current plot. As soon as she talks to her mother the cat will be out of the bag'.

Story nods at Anna's question and says, "Oh yes, she is indeed awake and spitting venom. Not literally of course. I can't say she was happy to see me."

'I seem to have developed a little rapport with Mrs Steadman' muses Anna. 'Perhaps if I accompany her to see her mother I can learn something more about their plans?'

Mr. Handy wrote:In an office upstairs, Dr. Agatha Sinclair wrapped up her intake session with Eugene Thomson. "Yes, Mr. Thomson," she said at last. "I think a stay here is precisely what you need. We have an excellent staff here, and we will have you right as rain as quick as can be. There's a war to be won, and we need every man we can get doing his bit."

"Thank you Doctor, I certainly hope to be do my bit for the war effort. When I get my call-up papers, I want to be ready - nothing can be as bad as what I've been through."

Eugene shivers, supressing memories.

"So how do I start? What is my first step?"

"You're quite welcome," said Agatha, "Well, if you feel you're up to it, perhaps it would help you to meet the other patients. Knowing that you're not alone here and that others have been through similar distress and are overcoming it can be helpful."

'And how is Eugene?' Anna says to Story. 'Were the hospital able to tend to his wounds? That was very...very...distressing to watch, I'm not sure I understand what happened to him, how Mrs Exeter was able to do that to him, almost like...well...magic I suppose'.

Story nods while saying, "Perhaps accompanying Mrs Steadman wouldn't be a bad idea. As far as Eugene, I'm afraid I don't really know. He seemed to be alright, perhaps some marbles loose. By the time we came back here he was already being seen by the doctor."

Mr. Handy wrote:"You're quite welcome," said Agatha, "Well, if you feel you're up to it, perhaps it would help you to meet the other patients. Knowing that you're not alone here and that others have been through similar distress and are overcoming it can be helpful."

Eugene nods.

"Right you are; I'll take a stroll around. I suppose there's a garden or a common room where I can meet people?"

Assuming there's somewhere he can mingle, the salesman goes for a walk, wincing occasionally when his healing sores catch on a seam. He nods cordially to anyone he meets.

"That would be the day room," said Agatha. "I'll take you there." She led Eugene to a room where bright sunlight came in through large windows, though the windows were crisscrossed with tape. One other patient was there, a white-haired man sitting in an armchair reading the morning paper.

"Good morning, Sergeant MacDonald," said Agatha. "This is Eugene Thomson. He's new here. Mr. Thomson, this is Sergeant MacDonald of the Home Guard."

The sergeant looked Eugene in the eyes, a shocked expression on his face. "Have ye seen it too?" he asked. "The red eye?"

Eugene supresses a gasp: this must be the lone survivor of the Home Guard raid on the Steadman's warehouse - a raid he himself was responsible for initiating.

"I-I'm so sorry..." he mutters. "If I'd have known... No, I did know... S-so very, very, s-sorry..."

He slumps down in a chair, head in his hands, and begins to sob.

"There, there," said Agatha. "It's going to be all right."

"Nae, we're doomed!" cried Sergeant MacDonald.

Phyllis is rather alarmed at the idea of Anna alone in the same room as Mrs Steadman and Mrs Exeter; she hasn't forgotten that Anna and Elizabeth were both on the Steadmans' 'To Finish Off' list. "If you're going to see Mrs Exeter then I'll come along too." She gives Anna a pointed look.

Story nods at Phyllis' suggestion and says, "Probably for the best. My companions and I will only cause her to be on the defensive."

Pulling himself together, Eugene breathes deeply. He looks up, giving Agatha a grateful smile.

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed Sergeant MacDonald. Perhaps we should leave him for a moment, though I could visit him another time if you think it'll help. Does he get any visitors?"

"I heard some people came to see him the other day," said Agatha. "Really, you haven't disturbed him. He's been like this since he was brought in. If anything, he was worse earlier. He likes it in the day room, I think because of the bright sunlight. I think it might do the two of you some good to talk, especially since your conditions are so similar."

Eugene nods. It'd be nice to talk to someone who'd witnessed the same terrible things as he has. The others have been very kind, but they weren't there when that thing coiled itself around him.

"Sergeant, I've seen it too: the three-lobed eye; the crystal; the terrible witch..."

"I didna see a crystal or a witch," said Sergeant MacDonald, "but I'll never forget that eye. It looked at me...through me!" He swallowed. "My men shot it, but the bullets did nought! I...I turned and ran...I left them to die..." He broke down in tears. After a moment, he calmed down. "You've seen it, and it's seen you!"

“Yes,” Eugene sighs, “I’ve seen it - it had me in it’s grasp. I discovered that it hates light - it was an anti-aircraft light that saved me.”

"Aye, the light will protect us!" said Sergeant MacDonald, nodding. "As long as there's light, we're safe. But when it gets dark, it will come for us!"

"Then we'll have to find some torches!" Eugene declares. "I procured a flare gun before I came here, no idea where it is now; but if we can find torches we'll have a fighting chance."

"We can't have any fires here," said Agatha. "It's far too dangerous. Don't worry, we have electric lights. You'll be safe here."

"Oh, that's all right then," said Agatha with relief. "No flares in here, though. We do have electric bed lamps, and you can use one. Sergeant MacDonald certainly needed one last night. And if we have to go down the basement to shelter from an air raid, which is likely, it also has electric lights. You'll be perfectly safe."

"Yes, a bed lamp - that's a good idea Doctor, thank you."

Eugene turns to Sergeant MacDonald.

"There you go - we'll be safe with our lamps."

He pauses for a moment, loathe to agitate the man further, before pressing on.

"Pardon me for asking, but how many people were in the warehouse? Can you remember what they said?"

"There were nae people that I saw," said Sergeant MacDonald. "Just that...that thing..."

Phyllis stands up and goes towards Anna. "Shall we go up to see Catherine Exeter; I've just come from her room so I know the way."

Anna signals to Madeline to join them, 'if you come with us Mrs Steadman I believe your mother is awake'.

Madeline followed Anna and Phyllis deeper into the hospital. Catherine Exeter was still lying in bed in the ward where Phyllis had left her. When they entered the room, Madeline ran over to her mother and hugged her. "Oh, mother, you're hurt!" she cried.

"Thank you, Madeline, dear," said Catherine. "I'll live. An old man stabbed me with a pair of scissors, but I got patched up."

Anna stands back and gives Madeline and her mother some time to reacquaint, watching them closely to see how they interact before gently saying 'your daughter has told me a little of your attempts to help the war effort'.

OOC:   isn't she called Catherine Exeter?

"What has she told you?" asks Catherine.

OOC,Thank you, you're right. :oops: I fixed it. [b]Catherine[/b]'s Psychology roll: [dice]0[/dice]

Anna looks sideways at Madeline and says carefully, 'well, about the Black Pharaoh for a start'.

Mr. Handy wrote:"There were nae people that I saw," said Sergeant MacDonald. "Just that...that thing..."

Eugene frowns at this news.

"That's troubling - I assumed the Steadmans were comtrolling the creature, but if they weren't there... I'll have to find the others and tell them... I'm sorry to ask this, but was there anything else you can remember?"

"The Black Pharaoh?" said Catherine to Anna. "That was a long time ago, long before the war, though had we succeeded, this terrible war would never have happened."

"No man can control that beastie," said Sergeant MacDonald. "It's nae a dog ye can slip a leash on. It's made of darkness, it is. If it isna stopped, we're all doomed! Doomed!"

Anna addresses Catherine, 'does Madeline know about the Jaegerschreck I wonder?' and glances to see Mrs Steadman's reaction to the name.

"She does now that you've mentioned it in front of her," said Catherine. "The RAF doesn't have enough planes, or enough pilots. The Jaegerschreck is a necessary supplement to our defenses."

OOC,[b]Phyllis[/b] and [b]Anna[/b], you may both roll Psychology.

Phyllis sits quietly, watching the exchange carefully.

Psychology,[dice]0[/dice]success.

Ooc,that Sergeant MacDonald is straight out of [i]Dad's Army[/i], I love it!

OOC,Thank you! Yes, he's inspired by Sergeant Fraser.

Phyllis Cruckshank,[b]Catherine[/b] knew very well that [b]Madeline[/b] had already been aware of the Jaegerschreck. She was also crazy as a loon.

Anna was not sure whether Madeline knew about the Jaegerschreck. 'And how could you control such a creature? Target the Germans and not our own' she asks Mrs Exeter.

"It can tell friend from foe," said Catherine. "The shapes and sizes of the planes and the markings on them are enough. It only targets bombers, which are larger than fighters, and we only have fighters in the air. The techniques used to control it are best kept secret. Only those who need to know should know them."

'Are you telling me that no British people have been killed by your creature?' asks Anna.

"I didn't say that," said Catherine, "but none of our planes were downed by it."

'How many innocent deaths would be acceptable to you?' asks Anna, looking for Madeline's reaction to her mother's words.

"No more than necessary," said Catherine. "In any event, is anyone truly innocent? Some are more guilty than others, so I'd rather that sort be lost."

Anna Jerkins,[b]Madeline[/b] looked uncertain what to think, as if she was hearing this for the first time. [spoiler]You previously rolled Psychology for [b]Madeline[/b] and got a critical failure, so that's still affecting your perceptions.[/spoiler]

Phyllis is about to say something about dross but keeps mum; she's interested how far Catherine will go in her persuasion.

Mr. Handy wrote:"No man can control that beastie," said Sergeant MacDonald. "It's nae a dog ye can slip a leash on. It's made of darkness, it is. If it isna stopped, we're all doomed! Doomed!"

“Yes, we probably are... But we have to try and stop the thing. Perhaps I’d better find the others...”

"Would you like to see your friends, the ones who brought you?" Agatha asked Eugene. "I think they're still around."

Agatha escorted Eugene back down to the lounge off the lobby, and then she let Story and the others know that he was ready to receive visitors.

'With you stuck in here, how can you control your creature now?' asks Anna.

"Obviously, I cannot," said Catherine.

Mr. Handy wrote:Agatha escorted Eugene back down to the lounge off the lobby, and then she let Story and the others know that he was ready to receive visitors.

Eugene waits for the others, hoping that that evil witch they brought in is under lock and key.

Phyllis kept quiet even though she had a few choice remarks she could have made; she didn't think it was her place to butt in.

'Well, is there anything we could do to bring it back under control, to help the war effort?' asks Anna.

"You could let me out of here," said Catherine.

Anna looks wearily at Catherine, 'I am afraid that is not within my power. You would need to apply to the superintendent of the sanatorium or appeal directly against your detention. But we might be able to help you outside of the sanatorium, perhaps with this creature'.

"You and I both know that Dr. Stoddard will not release me," said Catherine, "but it is within your power. If you were to pronounce me cured, he would respect your decision."

'I don't think your recent escape and apprehension are going to help with that' sighs Anna.

"Would a sane person trapped in an insane asylum not want to escape?" said Catherine. "It would be insane for me to stay any longer than I had to."

'Let us just say it has not helped your case.' frowns Anna. 'Nothing is going to come of trying to persuade me to let you go, but there is still a chance that we, Madeline and I, can take control of this monster before it hurts someone else'.

Catherine shook her head. "I have to get out of here," she said. "It's the only way."

Anna shakes her head in exasperation and turns to Madeline sadly. 'I am afraid there is nothing more I can do, perhaps you can talk to her'. She steps back and whispers to Phyllis, 'please see if the orderlies have searched her clothes and if anything was found on her'.

"Don't worry, Mother," said Madeline, going to Catherine's side and taking her hand. "You won't be here much longer."

"Oh, I wasn't worried," said Catherine.

Anna hovers in the background to try and overhear Madeline and Catherine's conversation.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here," said Madeline.

"If she really wants to help, she'll release me," said Catherine.

Phyllis looks hard at Anna and then shakes her head. She is not going to leave Anna alone with the crazy woman and her daughter. She worries that Anna has somehow been manipulated. Phyllis just sits, holding her handbag and umbrella.

. Psychology,40[dice]0[/dice]

"I suppose I could go and ask the orderlies if you like." Phyllis stands up and walks noisily across the floor. She opens the door and stomps out, pulling the door to but not shutting it. Then she stomps down the corridor to the stairs. Then she turns and walks back quietly to stand outside the door, listening in case Anna gets into trouble. This was an old method she sometimes used at a front door to catch sofa- hiders when she was out collecting for charity.

As Madeline and Catherine say no more, Anna steps forward again, 'you must understand, there is no way you're leaving here by conventional means'. She pauses for a moment, then smiles. 'How did you escape last time?'

"Magic," said Catherine, smiling back. "I could always escape the same way again. This place cannot hold me. But if I do, people will keep searching for me and interfering with my work. If I were to be released, however, I wouldn't have to hide any more."

Anna sighs, shrugs her shoulders, and turns to leave, 'let me know if you think of any more realistic way I can help'.

"Be seeing you," said Catherine as Anna left her alone with her daughter.

OOC,Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

Burning Daylight