Play@YSDC

Thinking she might be late home to make lunch Florence persuades Laurent to try and flag down a passing camion, rather than walking down the beach back to Dame Marie. Fortunately one is returning from Cap Matelot and they get back to Dame Marie with plenty of time. Given how long the passengers have been on the bus from Cap Matelot and with the midday sun beating down on them, the ride back is even worse than the one out and neither feel too hungry by the time they disembark.

When Florence returns home Lusette and her girls are already busying themselves around the fire out the back of the house. Fabrice and Pierre have returned and are sitting around talking to Lusette's husband Daniel, who's also a fisherman. Ginette is helping out the older girls while Rosalie flits back and forth between the women and the men, eavesdropping. Marise sits apart from the others, listless and uncommunicative.

Despite their queasy stomachs both Florence and Laurent feel their mouths water at the smell of the freshly cooking meal.

Florence joins Lusette - though she looks over at Marise first - and asks her sister how her day has been (as well as copiously thanking her for her help in watching everyone).

Laurent is glad that his appetite has returned. He has always enjoyed the Lavignes' cooking.

Marise looks very much as she did before Florence left, her usually lustrous complexion is flat and grey, her blank, staring eyes have that odd green hue Laurent remarked upon last night.

Looking over her sister with a look of sympathy, Lusette places a hand on her shoulder, 'Sè mwen, you look tired. Why don't you get yourself some rest. I can look after the girls, they've behaved themselves. But Marise doesn't look well, she's very quiet, and seems unwell somehow. Do you think she should see Dr Clermont?'

"That might help," says Laurent. "It might also help to take her to Auxian Ramses, if this turns out to be something unusual."

"Yes, I will take her," Florence says. She's also recalling that M.Labas said that the doctor was from the old town.

Lusette sucks her teeth at Laurent's suggestion, 'Ramses is a houngan who makes coffins, don't you be getting mixed up with him.'

What do you want to do now? I think you said you wanted to ask Pierre and Fabrice about George Benson

Yes.

Florence will start with innocuous questions over lunch, about how the voyage went. More serious questions can follow when she can and laurent can get Fabrice and Pierre alone.

Laurent also makes small talk with Pierre until they can get some privacy with him and his father.

Pierre talks unselfconsciously about the trip to Cap Matelot. 'We went past the Ti Maman on the way. There were four of them in Mr Benson's boat, a politician from St Joe City and his fat wife, he had this stupid captain's hat on and he was drinking beer first thing in the morning. And there were these white people, I think I recognised them, Mr Langer from the Plantation Margot and his wife.' Then he adds bashfully, 'She's pretty, too pretty for an old man.' He looks up at Marise as he says this but she doesn't show any sign she has heard him.

Laurent and Florence know that the Plantation Margot is a sisal estate near Dame Marie. Jan Langer is the manager there, he's a European from somewhere like Holland or Belgium.

Fabrice seems more tuned in to Florence's anxiety and laughs nervously at Pierre's talk. 'We picked George up just fine, he hadn't been waiting too long. Very grateful for the help.' Lusette can see that Florence wants to talk to her husband and busies herself tidying up after the meal, rounding up the girls to come and help her, and leaving Florence and Laurent with Pierre and the men.

"I had wanted to come with," says Laurent, "but I got there a little too late. Still, we learned some important things today."

Florence tells Fabrice about the day's events, including Pierre Labas's talk of Sirenes - she presents her fear as Marise having been drawn into some group of people who believe in these things (she leaves out her fear that they may be real).

Fabrice looks sceptical, 'Old Pierre talks about a lot of things but he's harmless. Don't pay his nonsense about sirèn any mind. I'd like to get my hands on that naked white man we saw, I'm sure he could tell us what went on, because Marise wont.'

Laurent says nothing on the subject, allowing Florence to decide whether or not to tell him that they had found the man.

"Laurent and I were able to find him," Florence says. "But he was confused. I don't think he knows what happened. But there seem to have been many more people there too, with the clothes we found. I'm so afraid one of them hurt her."

His fists clench and Fabrice's face flashes with anger. 'What are you saying woman? What do you think happened? Tell me!'

Daniel puts his hand on Fabrice's arm, 'The boys and me will go and help with the clearing up, leave you two alone' and he gestures to Pierre and Laurent to come with him out the back of the house.

Laurent nods and quickly follows Daniel outside.

Pulling himself up to his full height, Fabrice stands over Florence, he grabs her arm, too hard, it hurts. 'What happened to my little girl?'

Florence grits her teeth against the pain, and recounts everything she and Laurent found over the day. "I think Marise has fallen in with people who believe in these 'sirenes,' she finishes. "You're hurting me," she adds if he doesn't let go by the time she's done.

Fabrice is right in Florence's face as she recounts the day, she can feel him on her skin, his breath coming in rapid bursts, the faint sweet smell of alcohol. When she says he is hurting her Fabrice's face switches in an instant from one of anger to shame or embarrassment. He turns away from her.

'I'm sorry. What...what do we do?'

"I don't know. I've tried talking to her, but she's been different for months now - she won't tell me anything. And everyone else we've spoken to... I don't know who's guilty and who's innocent. And it's all been going on without us knowing. What else don't we know?"

Fabrice leans against the wooden wall of the house, studiously avoiding looking at Florence. 'I just don't know what to do. I want to hit something, hit someone, I...I just don't know.' He turns and slowly levels his gaze at Florence, his face is forlorn and his eyes are wet.

-----

Out the rear of the house, Lusette and the girls are cleaning and washing up. Daniel wanders over to talk to his wife while Pierre and Laurent perch at the edge of the yard. 'So where did you and maman go this morning?'

"First we went to George Benson's office," says Laurent. "He had already left, and I wasn't able to catch up to him before he sailed off. Then we went to Pointe Pierre. We went to the Anse Douce and explored a cave. Later we went to the Hotel Azagon. We met some interesting folks."

Florence keeps her eyes averted, so as not embarass Fabrice by seeing him cry. "I think we should speak to Dr Clermont. Pierre Labas said that he too lived in Old Dame Marie, but if that is so he keeps quiet about it. Perhaps he knows things he fears to speak of."

'I've always wondered what those crazy Americans do up in that hotel' says Pierre. 'What'd you want with Mr Benson anyway?'

-----

Averting his face again, Fabrice says 'I agree, we need to take Marise to the doctor. But sirèn? Old Dame Marie? What has that got to do with anything. I think we need to show those men from the hotel, those Americans, show them they can't just do whatever they want, to whoever they want, not in Dame Marie, not in St Joseph!'

"We wanted to see if anyone was renting out his boat," says Laurent. "As for the hotel, they're trying to help people give up drinking there."

"I'm afraid," Florence admits. "I don't know how many people are part of it."

'Give up drinking? Well good luck to them' says Pierre, casting a quick look at his father. 'You knew Mr Benson let those St Joe City politicians use his boat didn't you? He doesn't own it, it's owned by the government.'

-----

'So what now?' asks Fabrice.

Anything else you want to do here/ask Pierre or Fabrice?

"That's interesting," says Laurent. "What else do you know about Mr. Benson?"

"I want to ask Marise about these 'sirenes' outright. See if that makes her open up."

'What do I know about George Benson?' muses Pierre. 'He's a white man, an American, from, where did he say, from Massachusetts. He's a fisherman. There's some kind of agreement between the government in St Joe City and the US to help modernise our fishing, you know, those new nets he's been pushing and the motors, he's supposed to be teaching the Dame Marie fishermen and then he's moving on to Cap Matelot. He's been here six months, but your dad says he's made a real difference. You know his wife, Alice, I've seen you looking at her, she teaches English at the Dame Marie School sometimes, but she's not taught me yet.'

-----

'We could ask her. I don't know,' Fabrice looks back at Florence. 'I don't know, shouldn't we ask her about those men, those Americans?'

Want to go confront Marise about the sirèn?

"Well, she is pretty," says Laurent, whose dark complexion hides his blush. "I've also been working on the motors, when they need it. They're fairly reliable, though, so that's not too often. They sure beat rowing."

Mephistophilis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:01 pm

Want to go confront Marise about the sirèn?

Florence will go by herself, and sit down next to Marise. She's goiing to say it straight out: "I know about the sirenes."

Rolled 3 and 4 for interpreting her response - I rolled an insight die as well and got 4 too (I think my current level is 4).

At the mention of the sirèn Marise's eyes widen. But she says nothing and seems to shrink into her chair.

I'm gonna roll a failure die. FL1d6. Ah no. A failure. You can roll your 3d6 again. Risk of increasing Insight and also you need to beat 5. Narrate how you push the roll if you do. The first roll didn't risk Insight as you need to exceed all other rolls with the Insight die and there was another die with a 4.

Noticing his discomfort, Pierre slaps Laurent on the back, 'We've all got eyes Laurent, she's pretty for a white woman, nothing wrong with noticing that. Anyone's better than that old nun, Sister Joan, I think she's as old as Pierre Labas.'

Laurent chuckles. "Maybe she was pretty once, long before my father was born," he says, "but you wouldn't know it now. Of course, your sister is the prettiest. I am worried about her."

Rolled 3, 2, and 2, so failure, but no new Insight.

The widened eyes convince Florence that Marise knows what she is talking about, but she can't read anything else from her wayward daughter. She presses on, trying to provoke something besides withdrawl: "We found your dress and the other clothes. Tell me what is happening. Tell me who is trying to take you away from us."

'Yeah, I'm worried about her too' says Pierre. 'I don't know exactly what's going on but she doesn't seem right. She hasn't for a while but she's really changed since last night. I've heard she's been seeing Eddie Forbin, meeting up in Pointe Pierre, you hang around down there, how have they seemed to you?'

Laurent knows Eddie from the École Dame Marie and from Pointe Pierre but he hasn't seen Marise there for a few weeks. He knew Eddie and Marise had been close but he hasn't seen any sign they've been a couple for some time. And he'd have noticed.

-----

Marise looks at Florence, 'There's no sirèn, manmi. I was on the beach, naked, by myself. The lieutenant found me and wrapped his shirt around me as much as he could, so anyone who happened to see me wouldn't be too awfully shocked. I took my clothes off because I felt like it, I sat there and I looked at the sea. Is there a law against sitting naked on a deserted beach and looking at the sea?' Her voice is hard and slightly mocking.

"I haven't seen Marise at Pointe Pierre for a few weeks," says Laurent. "It's been a while since I'd heard of her being with Eddie any more. Maybe they broke up?"

"Why are you lying to me, girl?" Florence says, her own tone hardening in response. "Is that who you are now, a liar? I told you I know about them, and I saw it your eyes, you do too. You think they care a thing for you?"

Pierre shrugs, 'She doesn't tell me anything anymore.'

-----

Marise gives her mother a look of disgust or pity, 'Manman, there's no such thing as sirèn, that's just a story, you sound as crazy as old Mesye Labas. I went to the beach, I sat there, nothing happened, I met nobody.'

Her expression softens a little, 'I've been going there a lot recently, to think, to look at the sea. There's something about Anse Douce, it's calm, it's kind of beautiful at night. I've been feeling, not so good, headaches. They're better down by the beach, the sea air maybe. You worry too much, about me, about everything.'

"Around how long ago did she stop?" asks Laurent.

"If you're having headaches, we should take you to the doctor," Florence says.

Pierre thinks for a minute, 'I'm not sure, maybe the last month. I thought she was just mooning over that Eddie but now I'm not so sure.'

-----

The look of opposition and anger fades from Marise's eyes, 'Maybe manmi, maybe.'

Relieved to have gotten something out of her daughter, Florence leaves it there for now. (Would one have to go to the doctor to arrange an appointment, or do you just show up and wait to be seen?).

"Something must have happened then," says Laurent. "Something she won't talk about."

'Well that's what manman thinks, I don't know, I don't understand girls. Even my own sister.'

-----

Marise's expression is blank again and she returns to staring into the middle distance impassively. Fabrice rejoins Florence and looks at her questioningly.

SunlessNick, for the doctor I think it's a turn up and wait kind of place.

"She denies it - she says she just goes to look at the sea = but I saw it in her eyes," Florence says. "But she's agreed to go the doctor at least."

"What have you heard about the sirèn?" asks Laurent.

Pierre laughs, 'Sirèn? Mermaids? Beautiful fish ladies that swim around in the sea. Don't be silly Laurent, I think you spend too much time listening to Pierre Labas!'

-----

Fabrice nods at Florence's suggestion of the doctor, 'Doctor Cleremont will know what to do, Marise likes him, they get on, maybe she'll talk to him. The surgery should be back open for the afternoon by now.'

"I have been talking to him, actually," says Laurent. "I've never seen a sirèn myself, of course, but he says he has."

'That's not even the weirdest thing Labas says' laughs Pierre.

"What is the weirdest thing he says?" asks Laurent, curious.

"Oh, yeah, he did talk about that," says Laurent. "I thought maybe he was talking about something even weirder than that. Speaking of weirdness, have you heard of Auxian Ramses? He's supposed to be a witch doctor or something."

'Mesye Ramses makes coffins, creepy, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a houngan or even a bocor' says Pierre.

'As for weirder things, I'm sure there's plenty, do you know Labas says he can speak any language he's ever heard? And he says he talks directly with the loa. He's mad, don't pay any attention to him.'

Sorry for the absence.

Florence sees no sense in waiting, and resolves to take Marise to the doctor this afternoon.

When Florence is ready to take Marise to the doctor, Laurent will offer to come with them.

Welcome back! I've also been very busy.