IC - 2- Day 2 - Dame Marie Sunday - Everyone

[Mr. Handy]

"Merci," says Laurent. "We'll be on our way, then."

[SunlessNick]

"Merci," Florence says too. Outside, she says, "I'm going to try to find Pierre Labas, I think, but if you want to go out on the boat with Pierre and Fabrice, that's fine."

[Mr. Handy]

"D'accord, let's do that," says Laurent, looking forward to meeting George Benson.

[SunlessNick]

OOC,Florence is planning to go see M. Labas anyway, she just doesn't want to drag Laurent along if he'd rather go on the boat ride to see M. Benson.

[Mephistophilis]

Florence,Can you roll 2d6 for knowing where Pierre Labas might be found, extra die for being Dame Marie resident and barmaid

Laurent,Hmm, not sure they won't have left by now, you roll 2d6, first 1d6 for getting to the boat before it leaves, second 1d6 is me opposing that roll, you can add a third 1d6 if you want to risk Insight

[SunlessNick]

Florence,Can you roll 2d6 for knowing where Pierre Labas might be found, extra die for being Dame Marie resident and barmaid

OOC,2 and 4.

[Mr. Handy]

Laurent is not quite fast enough.

[Mephistophilis]

By the time Laurent arrives down in Pointe Pierre they have left. The Lavigne boat is one of the biggest in Dame Marie, which is probably why Benson asked them to pick him up. Rather than a traditional ceiba-tree dugout it is a 21ft wooden boat, now with an outboard motor. He remembers Pierre telling him it was handbuilt by his father and grandfather when they still lived in Port Roche. Laurent can just about make out the boat, out towards Ile du Vent, but they're too far for him to be able to pick out Fabrice or Pierre individually.

Florence knows Labas lives in the Hounfor district, but she's not sure where. In the afternoon and evening he's usually to be found in one of the bars of Dame Marie. She doesn't know what he does to make money, although he's a skilled musician. This early in the day she isn't sure where he might be found but suspects her best chance would be one of the cafés in Pointe Pierre, they tend to open early for the fishermen although it is Sunday today they won't all be trading.

[SunlessNick]

Florence makes her way to Point Pierre, reasoning that some of the fisherman may want a charm from M. Labas for their next voyage out.

[Mr. Handy]

Having missed the boat, Laurent goes to catch up to Florence.

[Mephistophilis]

Laurent sees Florence as she walks down to the row of shops along the shore of Pointe Pierre. Half of them are shut up as it is early on Sunday, and many of the fishermen will be having a rest day or going to church. A few stores are already open however, including Old Man Samuel’s shop. 'Early to open and late to close' they say about Samuel, although as they get a bit closer they see that it is one of his daughters or nieces who has opened up this morning.

At this time of day they serve coffee and other beverages inside the store while customers sit outside on various stools and benches. A couple of weatherbeaten fishermen are sipping coffees and smoking cigarettes. Perched on a stool is old Pierre Labas. He's strumming his battered guitar in the traditional méringue style, a wooden pipe clenched between his teeth. Seeing Florence and Laurent approach he tips his straw hat.

[Mr. Handy]

"Bonjour!" calls Laurent, smiling and waving to Pierre Labas. He lets Florence do the talking at first.

[SunlessNick]

Florence leads with some pleasantries, asking and answering questions about how things are (that's not a feigned tactic - he's a regular at the Sharktooth and someone to respect). Then she asks he saw her and Laurent pass by the vodun procession last evening - she doesn't bring up the state Marise was in unless he does first - "I wondered whether I should take part and pay respects to the loa, but I've not seen anything like it before, and thought it might be private."

[Mephistophilis]

Labas's thin, leathery face splits to reveal a wide yellowed smile. ‘Bonjou, commère. Kijan ou ye?’

After some small talk he answer's Florence's question, 'All welcome to celebrate the loa commère, that's how Bondye made it. Maybe you're asking which of the mystères we was celebrating? That be Agoué, and we took his offering down to the sea for him.'

He takes out his pipe, taps out the tobacco and slowly refills it from a little tin, leaning on his bamboo cane.

'We got a special place for Agoué in Dame Marie. Need to keep him sweet, keep him smiling on us.'

[Mr. Handy]

"That must be why the fishing is so good lately," says Laurent.

[SunlessNick]

"Can you tell me more about Agoué'?" Florence asks. "I have a shrine to Badessy, but I can never ask for too much help for Fabrice when he's at sea."

[Mephistophilis]

Labas laughs heartily, 'Yeah, see, Laurent gets it, but Agoué ain't just about messing with the fish. Badessy, he of the wind and the sky, a good loa for the fisherman. But in Dame Marie you gotta pray to Agoué, koki lanmè, the shell of the sea. Not just for the fishing, more than that. Agoué, he married to Lasirenn, keeps her and her children away from Dame Marie, from the boats, some things you don't wanna meet in the sea.'

They both notice, maybe for the first time, that Labas has a slightly odd way of talking, the rhythm or accent maybe, a bit old fashioned anyway, and not like anyone else in the village.

OOC,You want to pump Labas for more info I'd like some rolls - I'd say Florence gets 2d6 due to being a barmaid, Laurent gets 1d6 unless you want to add in the Insight die

[Mr. Handy]

"What things are those?" asks Laurent, his curiosity encouraging Labas to show off his knowledge.

[Mephistophilis]

Labas cackles, 'Don't be too curious ti gason. Agoué, he keeps away the sirèn, mermaids, they ain't all pretty like you heard. Seen one washed up in Anse Douce one day, all bloated and ugly, maybe it was just cos it was dead and swollen with water, maybe. The white men say they're lamanten, manatees, but what do they know? I ain't never seen manatees wearing gold jewellery like the sirèn does.'

He drops his voice and leans forward conspiratorially, his breath carries a strong odour, garlic. 'Last time people forgot about Agoué the sirèn rose up out of the water and took the village with 'em. Back twenty five year it was. They say it was a hurricane, washed away the village and everyone in it. That’s what they say…But people still lock up their doors at night in Dame Marie. They remember even if they don't remember, konprann sa mwen di? You gotta keep Agoué sweet so he tells his madmwazèl Lasirenn, "keep them ugly babies under control".'

'Only me an' Louis Clermont left from old Dame Marie, but we not gonna forget. Don't mess with the loa, they is deserving of your respect.'

He sits back, a more thoughtful look on his face, his brow slightly furrowed. He scratches his little black and white potcake dog behind the ears. It stops running around and turns to Laurent, it seems to be staring straight at him.

Strumming his steel strung guitar, Labas starts singing in English, Laurent recognises it as an old Delta Blues number, he can just about follow the words in English.

• 'I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
  I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
  Asked the Lord above, "Have mercy, now, save poor Bob if you please"'

He stops singing and strums away rhythmically for a few more bars and then ceases altogether. His face now looks troubled.

'You don't mess with Vodou, it no game for playing. You don't laugh at the loa, you don't take the Gede name in vain. Look at the stupid Americans with their 'Azagon Hotel'. You don't wanna call up Azagon Lacroix unless you know what you doing. A bocor, a witch doctor, a black magician, looking to make a zombi, not no pretty name for rich white men to have their arses wiped for them.'

He starts playing and singing again.

• 'Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' down
  Standin' at the crossroad, baby, eee-eee, risin' sun goin' down
  I believe to my soul, now, poor Bob is sinkin' down'

[Mr. Handy]

Laurent applauds for the song. "The sirèn, do they leave people on the beach without their clothes?" he asks.