New York: Dreams, Death and Denial

[Dhavaer]

Marcus and Nicole step out into the warm April air of the New Greyhawk night. The negotiations, the arrangements and the play are now finished, and there's nothing left to do but enjoy his last few hours in the City of Dreams. Nicole's arm is linked to his as she silently walks, apparently still thinking of the play they've just left. It was good, no doubt about it. The Cirque des Moitie were outstanding actors, with some truly marvellous special effects. The lighting as Puck delivered his speech to the audience was particularly inspired; the lights fading and cloaking him in darkness as the audience 'awoke'.

"That was an incredible show." Nicole murmurs. Like Marcus, she's not a New Greyhawk native. She came up from Portsmouth with her father, who Marcus hasn't met and what he's heard doesn't make the meeting sound desireable. Nicole isn't interested in her father's business, but from what Marcus has gathered he owns an oil refinery, which would explain the trip to New Greyhawk. Being a pharmaceuticals company, Vitan keeps an eye on biotech and the newest word in the field is SinCorp's new bioplastics, refined from GM plants. Between this and the experimental electric cars unveiled a few months ago, Mr Case must be starting to think SinCorp is gunning for him.

Before Marcus can reply, a brief scream rises above the noise of traffic before being cut off by a disturbing, wet snap. Looking around, Marcus and Nicole are alone in a small street; the other theatre patrons have already left or went the other way. The sound appears to have come from a dark alley some way up the street. Marcus' car is about halfway between them and the alley.
"What was that?" Whispers Nicole, moving even closer to Marcus.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus holds Nicole close as they continue to walk.

I don't know, he whispers, but it sounds like somebody might be in trouble. Are you okay if we check it out?

[Dhavaer]

Nicole shakes her head frantically. "No! I'll... I'll wait in the car. Be careful."

[Baerdog7]

Alright, hun. I'll be right back.

Marcus unlocks the car and gives Nicole the keys. He pulls his Beretta and flashlight out of the glove box and gives Nicole a kiss before heading down the alley.

Keep the car running. I shouldn't be long.

With that, he lopes off in the direction of the scream, clicking the flashlight on when he needs it. He keeps his Beretta hidden in his pocket until threatened.

[Dhavaer]

The alley is dark, the illumination from the streetlights not reaching more than a few feet in. Before Marcus can turn on his flashlight, someone steps out of the shadows.
It's a young woman. Despite her height, she stands over six feet tall, her face is extremely youthful, and Marcus places her around eighteen, maybe twenty. Her hair is a pale blond and her skin dark, dark brown. Like many of the people in New Greyhawk she is armed; the hilts of two swords are visible behind her back, and she has a large pistol on her hip. Despite the situation and her armament, she is smiling with faint amusement.
"Hiya." She says. "Having a good night?"

[Baerdog7]

I was...

Marcus sizes up the newcomer.

I heard a scream. I thought someone might have needed help. Did you hear or see anything?

[Dhavaer]

"I didn't, I'm sorry. Perhaps you've come the wrong way? Noise does strange things with all the hard walls around."
The girl gestures around at the buildings. Marcus can tell she's lying, at least about hearing anything, but she does it with such panache that it's almost charming.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus puts on his most winning smile. Years in the boardroom have taught him to be able to tell when people were lieing.

Are you sure you didn't hear anything? A pretty woman such as yourself surely wouldn't walk around at night without being aware of her surroundings.

((OOC: Diplomacy check, +2 for Charm.))

[Dhavaer]

The girl smiles at the compliment.
"I am sure, yes."
She looks back over her shoulder into the alley and turns back to Marcus, peering around the corner before addressing him again.
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be going. Have a good night with your femmefriend." She turns back into the alley and walks away.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shakes his head as she walks away.

Yeah, whatever...

Deciding that further investigation would probably be fruitless, Marcus turns and walks back into the car.

Well, I didn't find anything, Marcus says, as he opens the door to take the driver's seat from Nicole. Ready to head back to the hotel room?

[Dhavaer]

"Yes. Did you find out what it was?"

[Baerdog7]

No, I didn't. There was a woman in the alley, but she was unhurt and wouldn't tell me where the scream came from.

He shrugs.

I don't think there was much else I could do. If I went off gallavanting around dark alleys, it would have meant abandoning you here in the car, which wouldn't have been fair.

[Dhavaer]

"Oh. I'm glad you came back." Nicole reaches out and rests a hand on Marcus' arm.

[Baerdog7]

Me too.

Marcus continues to drive back to their hotel.

Maybe we can salvage this night after all.

[Dhavaer]

The flight back ot New York is calm and relatively free of turbulence, and they pass through customs on both ends without incident. Ken is at the terminal to drive Marcus home.
"Hello sir. How was the trip?"

[Baerdog7]

Not too bad, Ken. There was the usual feeding of the corporate wolves, but Nicole and I were able to get some nice time together. We saw a remarkable performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. How were things on the homefront?

Marcus puts his bags in the trunk, despite his butler, and takes the driver's seat of the car as he talks. When both he and Ken are situated, he heads off toward Black Manor.

[Dhavaer]

"Very little of note, fortunately. We did have a problem with the phones, but that was sorted out quite quickly. Wear and tear on the cables, from what the repairmen said."

[Baerdog7]

Ah, I see. Did I get any messages while I was away?

[Dhavaer]

"No, no messages."

[Baerdog7]

Hmm. Okay.

Marcus continues to drive, making smalltalk along the way.

((Fast Forward to next scene?))

[Dhavaer]

Katrina lives with her husband and son in a gated community. The guards at the gate wave Marcus through as he drives in. The houses look all more or less the same, the only real way of distinguishing one form another is by the cars in the driveway and the occasional toy left out on the lawn. Katrina's house doesn't have toys on the lawn, and the cars are safely secured in the garage.
Katrina herself is a short woman in her late thirties, just managing to hold on to her figure. Her husband David is about the same age, with a better grip on his figure but not so much on his hair. Their son Mikey, a skinny little kid about nine, goes off to bed a little after Marcus arrives. He looks like he needs it; he's got deep, dark shadows under his eyes, like he hasn't slept in a week.
The food is good, if a little bland; hearty might be the most accurate way to describe it. Katrina talks about her reading group and remenisces with Marcus about some of the places they've seen on business trips. David likes to hike, and listens with interest to Marcus talk about his more recreational trips, the mountains of Scotland most of all.
It's getting on to the end of the meal, when everyone is just picking at the scraps they have left, when a scream comes from Mikey's room. David and Katrina bolt upright, but Mikey seems to be okay; they can hear him running down the stairs. When he comes into the dining room he launches himself into Katrina's arms, crying. She holds him for a few moments, then asks;
"What is it, Mikey? What's wrong?"
Marcus can't quite make out what Mikey says, apart from the word 'monster'. David shakes his head.
"Poor kid keeps having nightmares, that there's a monster in his closet." He quietly explains to Marcus.
"Hey, Mikey." He says. "I'll tell you what. You stay down here with mom and Marcus and I'll go up and sort this monster out." David turns to Marcus. "Okay?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods.

Sure. Don't worry, Mikey, we'll take care of the monster for ya.

He sends a wink Mikey's way as he walks with David up the stairs to Mikey's room.

[Dhavaer]

Judging by his room, Mikey is a baseball fan. There are posters of players, a lot of the decorations are in team colours and there seems to be a Little League uniform among the screwed up clothes on the floor.
David picks up a bat from the floor and hands it to Marcus before going over to the closet. It's very large, certainly roomy enough for a decent-size monster.
"Ready?"
He opens the door. There is, of course, no monster inside. Marcus does spot something, though, caught on the screwheads of handles. Its small and dark in the dim light.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus turns on the light.

Hmm. Looks like we scared off the monster, eh David? What's that on the screw handles, though?

With the light on, he walks over to investigate.

[Dhavaer]

There is a strand of red wool caught on the screw. David looks at it, and rifles through the clothes in the wardrobe. There doesn't seem to be any red wool clothes.
"Strange. I wonder where it came from?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus does a sweep of the rest of the room, checking under the bed, in drawers and chests, etc.

It is strange. Lock your doors and windows tonight, David.

He pauses.

You think we should check the rest of the house?

[Dhavaer]

Marcus doesn't find anything else unusual in the room.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay." David seems a little disoriented, somehow. "I'll check upstairs, you take downstairs?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods.

Sounds good.

Marcus slopes off to check the downstairs.

[Dhavaer]

Marcus finds no more wool in the living room or the kitchen. On the next floor down, the doors are locked.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks back up to the kitchen.

Hey, Katrina. Do you have the keys to the basement?

[Dhavaer]

"The basement doesn't have a lock, do you mean the offices? I can go get the keys. Why do you ask?"
Mikey is sitting at the table with a bowl of icecream. It seems to have done something to cheer him up, but the shadows around his eyes seem even darker.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus answers in a low voice when Mikey is out of earshot.

David and I found a piece of red wool on one of Mikey's wardrobe handles. He doesn't have any red wool clothes, and we're just making sure that nobody was able to sneak into the house.

[Dhavaer]

Katrina's eyes widen, and she shivers.
"Okay, I'll go get the keys."
She lets Marcus into the offices. There's no-one in either of them. Katrian opens the door onto the balcony and shows Marcus the basement. It has a lot of wine, but nowhere for someone to hide.

[Baerdog7]

Hmm. Okay Katrina, the downstairs looks good. I think I'll head upstairs to see how David is doing.

He thanks Katrina and walks upstairs to find David.

[Dhavaer]

Upstairs, David is just coming out of the spare room. When he sees Marucs, he shakes his head.
"Nothing. I guess it's just one of those things that turns up."

[Baerdog7]

Hmm, okay. I guess you guys can send Mikey back up to bed again. Might want to have him brush his teeth again, though. He was eating ice cream.

Marcus walks back downstairs with David and plunks himself in one of the dining room chairs.

All clear. Looks like you're gonna have to go back to bed, slugger.

Marcus musses Mikey's head as he says this.

[Dhavaer]

Mikey looks up at Marcus. Closer up, Marucs can see that his eyes are bloodshot.
"Really? You got rid of the monster?"

[Baerdog7]

Yep. He apparently heard your dad and I were coming, and got so scared he left before we got up to your room.

He winks at David.

So you shouldn't have anything to worry about. If the naught monster does come back, just tell him I'm coming to get him.

[Dhavaer]

"Okay."
"C'mon Mikey. I'll tuck you in." David takes Mikey back upstairs.
Katrina watches them go.
"I'm getting really worried about Mikey. That's the third time in a week he's woken up like that."

[Baerdog7]

Have you talked to a doctor about it? I can hook you up with a good pediatrician or child psychologist if you don't have one.

[Dhavaer]

Katrina nods.
"I've made an appointment with a psychotherapist. Hopefully he should be able to help."

[Baerdog7]

Yeah. Hopefully you'll be able to figure out what's up with him. Hey, howabout I make some coffee?

[Dhavaer]

"That'd be great, Marcus."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks into the kitchen and rummages through cabinets until he finds the coffee and coffee filters and goes about making coffee. When the coffee starts brewing, Marcus comes back into the dining room and begins to clear dishes.

You okay, Katrina?

[Dhavaer]

"Yeah. I'm just worried. I'll be okay, and I'm sure Mikey will be too."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods silently. He clears the last of the dishes and brings out a cup of coffee for him and Katrina, followed by another trip to the kitchen to bring out cream and sugar.

Mmmm...I used some of Ken's home roast that we gave you a little while ago. I don't know how you can drink his stuff and then go back to Folger's.

((OOC: What time of night and what day is it?))

[Dhavaer]

[It's Tuesday and about 9:30]

Katrina smiles wanly.
"I can't really tell the difference, coffee all tastes the same to me."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus finishes up the rest of his coffee and starts to stand.

Well, thanks for the dinner, Katrina. I think that maybe I should be getting back now, though. My day's crammed with meetings and I've gotta get some sleep so I'm not yawning through all of them.

He starts to collect his coat and things before heading out the door.

[Dhavaer]

"Bye, Marcus. Thanks for coming. I'll get the gate." Katrina follows Marcus to the door and buzzes the electric gate open.

[Baerdog7]

Bye Katrina. Tell David good night for me. I'll see you tomorrow at work.

Marcus drives home and watches TV for an hour or two before finally hitting the sack and getting some shuteye.

[Dhavaer]

As Marcus heads home, shortly after passing the gates, he stops at a stoplight where an old man in a grubby overcoat is ranting to nobody on the corner. This isn't a terribly unusual occurance, but the old man's subject matter is so bizarre is captures Marcus' attention.
"The Coloured Knights! Yes! They're the only one's who can save *cough* save your children! With their robots and their *hack, wheeze* they'll keep 'em safe! Safe from Mr Rogers! Mr Rogers and his EVIL!"
The old man takes a swig from a bottle wrapped in a paper bag, and wanders off down the sidewalk.

[Baerdog7]

Riiiiight. Safe from Mr. Rogers, eh? Crazy old coot.

Marcus continues his drive home, dismissing the old mans ravings as those of a senile old lunatic.

[Dhavaer]

"Good evening, sir. How is Ms. Schultz?" Ken greets Marcus when he gets home.

[Baerdog7]

She and David are doing fine. Mikey's been having some night terrors, apparently, and David and I had to scour the house to calm him down. Other than that, though, the evening went well and dinner was excellent.

Marcus talks with Ken as he works his way up to the bedroom through the cavernous foyer well-lit hallways.

[Dhavaer]

VitanCorp New York Office
Friday 13 April, 1:00pm

The clock on Marcus' desk bleeps to mark the hour just as Sarah opens the door. She's almost the youngest of the directors, older than Robert by only two years, and looks it.
"Hi. Hungry? Katrina and I were just headed out."

[Baerdog7]

I'm famished, actually.

He quickly shuffles some papers on his desk into a manila folder and stashes it in one of his desk drawers.

So, where were we going to eat? he asks as he stands and puts on his suit jacket.

[Dhavaer]

"Delmonicos."

[Baerdog7]

Sounds good to me. We taking the subway, a cab, or someone's car?

Marcus walks and talks with Sarah, heading to meet up with Katrina and the elevator.

((OOC: What kind of food is served at Delmonicos? I'm guessing Mexican or Italian.))

[Dhavaer]

[Delmonicos was more or less the original resturaunt. In the real world it was closed down during Prohibition.]

"We were thinking of getting a cab."

[Baerdog7]

Sounds fine to me.

Marcus looks around.

Alright, where's Katrina?

[Dhavaer]

"She should be waiting for us in the lobby."
They take the elevator down, and Katrina is indeed in the lobby, waiting.
"Hi, Marcus. Busy day?"

[Baerdog7]

Yeah. I had meetings all this morning about a merger with a small medical supply company in New Jersey. I've got to finish up some paperwork about it this afternoon. Anyway, let's go eat. I'm starving

((Fast forward to Delmonicos?))

[Dhavaer]

The resturaunt is mostly empty, it doesn't really start filling up until dinner. Sarah sips at and puts down her mint water.
"How did your appointment with the therapist go, Katrina?"
"He said it's a little hard to say after just one session, but he seemed hopeful. He got Mikey to actually say what it was he was scared of."

[Baerdog7]

And what's that?

Marcus takes a sip of his iced tea.

[Dhavaer]

Katrina almost smiles, seeming a little embarrased.
"Mr Rogers."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus trys to contain a laugh and fails, squirting iced tea out of his nose.

Aw, crap. I got tea on my pants.

He busies himself cleaning up the tea before turning back to Katrina.

So...you mean the jolly old sweater and muppet Mr. Rogers, right? "Welcome to the neighborhood" and all that? What's so scary about him?

[Dhavaer]

"Apparently he lives in the closet and jumps out to scare Mikey. It sounds bizarre, but he is really, really scared."
"Have you thought about getting him an MRI? Maybe it's physiological, rather than psychological."

[Baerdog7]

Hmm. Or you could get him a slingshot. That's send him packing.

Marcus looks around the table.

You do know I am kidding, right?

[Dhavaer]

Sarah pats Marcus' hand.
"Probably not the time, Marcus."

[Baerdog7]

Yeah, sorry.

He looks slightly embarrased and plays with his napkin until another thought crosses his mind.

It is strange, though. David and I did find a piece of red wool, like from a sweater, that didn't match anything in Mikey's wardrobe. I also saw a hobo on the way home who was ranting at me about Mr. Rogers and impending doom or some such. Just coincidence, probably.

[Dhavaer]

"One bloody hell of a coincidence. You're sure there really isn't an old guy in a red sweater in his wardrobe?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus looks at Katrina and shrugs.

It wouldn't be the first strange thing I've seen. Of course, I'd be more willing to believe that it's all in Mikey's head first.

[Dhavaer]

"Wouldn't you have found them, if there was someone in there? It's not really a very big wardrobe."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods.

That's why I'm more willing to believe that it's in Mikey's head.

I hope so. If it's not just in his head, that could mean that there's a Shadow creature in Mikey's closet.

[Dhavaer]

"What kind of impending doom was the hobo ranting about?"

[Baerdog7]

Oh, let's see. What did he say?

Marcus blushes.

To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention. I do remember something about the Colored Knights being the only ones able to save the children from Mr. Rogers and his evil.

[Dhavaer]

"Coloured Knights? It sounds like another kid's show to me. Katrina, have you heard of anything like that?"
"No, not off the top of my head... listen, you don't really think this man knows what's happening to Mikey, do you?"
Sarah shrugs.
"Stranger things have happened."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus grunts an affirmation and takes a bite of his hamburger, washing it down with a sip of iced tea.

[Dhavaer]

"But... even if he isn't just crazy, there's no such thing as monsters in closets. It's just- just an urban legend, or a fairy tale, or something."
"I'm not saying there is a monster in Mikey's closet, just that it might be an idea to have it checked out a little more thoroughly."
As Sarah and Katrina argue about monsters, Marcus has a vague recollection of something. Toys, action figures in brightly coloured armour. He can't quite remember where he saw them; perhaps eBay, or a toystore window?

[Baerdog7]

Hmm, the Colored Knights...that does seem to ring some sort of a bell. I'll look into it when I get home.

Marcus looks up from his food to pitch in a comment.

I'm with Sarah on this one. If you want, we can get Mikey's MRI done at one of Vitan's partner hospitals on the cheap.

[Dhavaer]

"I suppose it couldn't hurt any... but what do you think we should do? Find this homeless man and ask what he meant?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shrugs.

I dunno. I might check up on The Colored Knights when I get home tonight. I wonder if Ken knows anything. He's usually into that kind of stuff.

[Dhavaer]

When Marcus gets home that evening, Ken is, as ever, waiting at the door.
"Hello, sir. How was your day?"

[Baerdog7]

Busy, as usual. I was tied up for most of the day with meetings about the merger. I probably would've skipped lunch, too, if Sarah hadn't invited me to go to Delmonico's with her and Katrina. Anything interesting happen here?

Marcus walks through the house as he talks, dropping off his suit jacket and brief case on a chair in the foyer and heading toward the kitchen.

Mmmm, something smells good. What is it?

[Dhavaer]

"I found a recipe for soup I thought you might enjoy, sir. Unfortunately, it recommended that fresh home-baked bread would be the best accompaniment, but hopefully bakery bread will do."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks into the kitchen and starts sampling bread and soup alike.

Mmm. Yeah, this bread'll be just fine. The soup is delicious, by the way.

He moves away from the stove and pours himself a glass of ice water from the fridge.

Thirsty?

[Dhavaer]

"No thank you, sir. The recipe recommended serving the soup like this." Ken takes a half-roll partly empty of bread and ladles some soup into the hollow. He passes the plate to Marcus. "It's called a trencher, I believe."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus takes the plate and sits down to eat at the kitchen table.

Grab yourself a bowl and eat with me Ken. I've got some stuff I want to talk with you about.

[Dhavaer]

Ken fills another trencher and takes a seat.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus sips his soup, talking between mouthfulls, yadda yadda yadda.

Hey Ken, you're into arcane lore right? Have you ever heard of a group called the Colored Knights?

[Dhavaer]

Ken considers the question for a moment.
"Well... knights used colourful heraldry to identify themselves, and added further symbols as theyachieved great deeds. Mordred, for example, had a plain grey shield, which was a signal of his lack of valour. I can't think of any particular group who identified themselves in that manner, though."

[Baerdog7]

Hmm. Maybe. I seem to remember something about toys in colored armor somewhere, but I can't remember where. Ebay maybe? Or a toy store?

[Dhavaer]

"I'm afraid I haven't been in a toy store for quite some time, sir. It doesn't ring any bells."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods as he continues to eat.

Same with me. Hey, would you mind looking with me tonight to see if we can't find anything about these Colored Knights?

[Dhavaer]

"Not at all, sir. Shall we start with eBay?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus finishes up the last bit of his bread bowl and knocks back the rest of his drink.

My thoughts exactly. Excellent soup, by the way.

He gets up and walks to the study with Ken, sitting down at his computer and logging onto the Internet.

Alright, let's see what eBay has...

After logging into his eBay account, Marcus does a quick search for "Colored Knights."

[Dhavaer]

Simply typing in 'coloured knights' gets only one hit; two small figurines in armour with extravagant helmet plumes. They aren't especially colourful, though, and they don't spring Marcus' memory.
After several more minutes of searching, Ken calls Marcus over.
"Not what I would call knights, sir, but they do have armour and they're undeniably colourful."
Marcus' memory springs as he looks at the screen. The toys up for sale are a collection of Power Rangers action figures.

[Baerdog7]

Oh, wow. Power Rangers. God that takes me way back.

He looks at both his and Ken's screens.

I'm not sure if those are the right ones, though. Let's keep searching.

[Dhavaer]

Several other toys turn up, but they all seem to lack something compared to the Power Rangers.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus scrolls through the list of new hits.

Hmm, these auctions don't...feel right like the Power Rangers did. Oh well, let's put up our bid, Ken.

[Dhavaer]

"The seller is in North Carolina, I see. How long would the shipping take?"

[Baerdog7]

It depends on what kind of shipping the seller is providing and how long he takes to get it in the mail. Hopefully not much longer than a week or so. We have to actually win the auction, though, first.

[Dhavaer]

"Might I ask the reason for your sudden interest in collectable toys, sir?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus drums his fingers on the desk. After a second or two of deliberation, he leans back in his chair, steeples his fingers, and begins talking.

Put your feet up, Ken. It's story time...

((Insert appropriate and complete description of the past few days' events, yadda yadda yadda.))

So there you have it.

[Dhavaer]

Ken takes a few moments to digest this.
"Do you think that perhaps Mikey might need the toy, assuming we have the right one, before a week goes by? Buying one straight from the store might be more expedient."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus thinks for a moment.

I think he should be okay, but I'll stay in touch with Katrina. I don't know if buying other Power Rangers would work, though. There seems to be something right about this particular set.

[Dhavaer]

The next day at work, Sarah enters Marcus' office with a thin folder.
"Contracting for 31-XS manufacturing. Sinclair's offering a great deal, so they've either found a new tax loophole or they have something else nefarious in mind. Jube's made a decent offer, too."
She places the folder on the desk.
"So, how did Ken go with those knights?"

[Baerdog7]

You're not going to believe it, but we found something.

He pauses for dramatic effect with a huge smile on his face, waiting for Sarah to ask what.

[Dhavaer]

"And what is it I'm not going to believe?"

[Baerdog7]

Power Rangers. The colored knights are Power Rangers.

[Dhavaer]

Sarah blinks.
"Huh. Didn't see that one coming."

[Baerdog7]

Neither did I. But, Ken found a collection for sale on eBay that just seemed...right. Hopefully we'll win the auction and be able to pass them on to Mikey.

[Dhavaer]

Sarah nods.
"Oh, William set Katrina up for Mikey to get an MRI tomorrow. When do you think you'll get the Rangers by?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shrugs.

I dunno. I can't remember quite when the auction ends, but hopefully not much longer than a week after that.

[Dhavaer]

Sarah frowns a little
"Let's hope that's fast enough." She says before leaving.

[Baerdog7]

Yeah, me too...

((Fast forward?))

[Dhavaer]

Katrina does not of course come into work the next day, as she is taking Mikey to the hospital. That evening, as Marcus is getting ready to leave the office, Sarah comes in, putting away her phone. She looks grim.
"That was Katrina. The results of the MRI weren't good."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus was just about to put on his suit jacket when Sarah walked in. He stops when he hears the news.

What's wrong? He asks, concerned.

[Dhavaer]

"She put me on to a doctor, who said they thought Mikey had a meurodegenerative disease, although they normally take years instead of days. They're going to try to treat him, but if it doesn't work he'll be catatonic in two, maybe three days."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus slumps down into his office chair.

Oh my God...

He slumps forward onto his desk, head in hands.

What caused this, Sarah? What could do this to an innocent little boy?

[Dhavaer]

"More things than we'd like to think." Sarah says softly.

[Baerdog7]

I've got to go see Katrina. Is she at the hospital?

[Dhavaer]

"Yes, they're staying there, at least for tonight."

[Baerdog7]

I'm gonna go see them. Call me if anything comes up here.

Marcus grabs his coat and briefcase and makes his way down to the parking garage, where he gets into his car and drives to the hospital where Katrina and her family are staying.

[Dhavaer]

The front desk tells Marcus where to find Michael Schultz's room. When he gets to the room, Katrina and David are inside with Mikey. Katrina is sitting next to Mikey's bed, holding his hand. David is pacing, stopping occasionally to glance out the window or touch his wife's shoulder. Mikey is lying back, looking at the ceiling. His head is moving as though following something moving on the ceiling, but there's nothing there.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks just inside the room and leans sheepishly on the door jamb.

He offers up a quiet Hey, kiddo...

[Dhavaer]

It's hard to tell if Mikey hears the words; he reacts, but looking in the wrong place, towards the foot of his bed. David looks around and gives Marcus a brief nod before turning back to the window. Katrina looks up.
"Marcus..."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks over to Katrina and puts a hand on her shoulder.

How're you holding up?

[Dhavaer]

"I could be worse. They said Mikey's hallucinating, to try not to give him any sudden input." She looks at the IV drip feed connected to Mikey. "The doctors said it's good we got him the MRI so quickly. Three other children in the last month had the same thing, they said, but..." Katrina turns back to Mikey and starts sobbing quietly.
"They didn't get diagnosed in time." David says quietly, his voice hollow. He stays facing the window.

[Baerdog7]

Do the doctors know what's causing this yet?

[Dhavaer]

"Not a clue." replies David.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus moves to stand next to David, staring out the window with him.

Listen, David. I may have to go out of town for a day or two real soon. Is there anything that I can do for you and your family before I leave?

[Dhavaer]

"Katrina won't be able to go to work."

[Baerdog7]

That's fine. She can take as much time as she needs. Is there anything else?

[Dhavaer]

He shakes his head.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods.

Alright. I have to go take care of some business. I should be back in a day or two.

Marcus walks back over to Katrina and Mikey.

I'm planning on leaving town for a day or two, Katrina. If you need anything, call Ken at the manor. I'll be back soon.

He looks at Mikey.

Stay strong, Mikey.

With that, he quietly turns around and walks out of the hospital room and toward his car. When he reaches his car, he proceeds with all due haste back to the manor.

[Dhavaer]

Marcus' mobile rings as he drives home.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus answers.

Black here.

[Dhavaer]

It's Sarah.
"Hi, Marcus. Where are you?"

[Baerdog7]

I'm on my way home from the hospital. Why?

Marcus puts the phone on speakerphone mode and sets it in his lap so he can concentrate better on the road.

[Dhavaer]

"I just checked the Toy 'R Us website. I can buy a Power Ranger and get to Katrina's in about sixty, seventy-five minutes. I figure it's worth a shot. Meet me there?"

[Baerdog7]

Meet you at the Toys 'R Us or the hospital?

[Dhavaer]

"Katrina's house."

[Baerdog7]

I'd rather just take the Power Ranger to the hospital since that's where they are at the moment. Neither Dan nor Katrina showed any indication of leaving any time soon.

[Dhavaer]

"You think Mr Rogers came with them?"

[Baerdog7]

Good point. On second thought, I'll head over to Katrina's house now. I just remembered I have a butler to take care of what I needed to do at the manor.

As he talks, Marcus starts heading toward Katrina's house.

[Dhavaer]

"If you buy the Ranger I can get there quicker, if you were going home from the hospital is should be about on your way. I need to pick up something from my place."
She gives Marcus the address, it won't extend the drive by more than five minutes.

[Baerdog7]

Sounds good to me, I'll meet you there.

He hangs up and almost immediately dials Ken at the manor.

Ken, it's Marcus. I need you to do something for me.

[Dhavaer]

"Yes, sir?"

[Baerdog7]

Mikey's in the hospital, and I need you to do some things for me.

He takes a deep breath.

I'm on my way to Toys 'R Us to pick up some Power Rangers. Sarah and I are going to meet up at Katrina's to see what we can do with them. I need you to pack an overnight bag for me and see if you can't get more information about the seller of that eBay auction. A phone number, preferably, so I can talk to him. If our storebought Power Rangers don't work, I'm going to take the corporate jet down to North Carolina and see if I can't talk the seller into letting me buy his off of him.

[Dhavaer]

"Very well, sir."

[Baerdog7]

Thank Ken. I'll talk to you later.

He hangs up and continues driving to the Toys 'R Us.

[Dhavaer]

Marcus pulls into Katrina's driveway with a Red Ranger in tow. Sarah is waiting outside with a sportsbag hanging off one shoulder. She waves hello as Marcus drives up.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus parks the car and waves to Sarah as he gets out.

Alright, let's get this thing done.

Marcus walks to the front door and tries it. If it's locked, he looks around for the spare key Katrina keeps around.

((Took some liberty here, assuming Marcus and Katrina's family are familiar enough for him to know of a way to get in should they not be home.))

[Dhavaer]

The door opens. when they get up to Mikey's room, Sarah puts down her bag and zips it open, taking out a sheathed longsword.
"Ready?" She asks as she draws the blade.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus lets out a low whistle.

Damn. I didn't know you know how to use a swor.d

Marcus takes the Red Ranger out of the packaging and draws his own weapon: his trust Beretta.

Yeah, I'm ready.

[Dhavaer]

"Uh-huh." Sarah takes a handle of the wardrobe door. "Coming, ready or not." She says, as she swings the door open. There appears to be nothing inside but clothing for a moment, but the air starts to ripple bizarrely until a small, twisted creature, disturbingly like Mr Rogers, appears floating above the rack. It glares balefully at the Power Ranger, then flies forward to slash at Marcus with its sharp claws.

Marcus easily dodges its first clumsy attack.

Initiative
Marcus: 13
Mr Rodgers: 11
Sarah: 7

[Baerdog7]

Marcus brandishes the Power Ranger like a vampire hunter might brandish a crucifix and fires at Mr. Rogers.

This is most certainly not a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

[Dhavaer]

Marcus' ducks Rodgers' claws as he fires. The wretched monster barely pinwheels out of the way. [3 damage, action point.] Rodgers' slashes Marcus across the cheek, opening a few shallow cuts. [4 damage]
Sarah moves forward and stabs Rodgers' doublehanded through the leg. [10 damage]

[Baerdog7]

Marcus remembers to get out of Mr. Roger's range this time and tumbles out of the way before firing again.

HP: 34/38

[Dhavaer]

Marcus' shot hits Rodger's in the back of the head, and he falls to the ground. [10 damage, massive damage] Sarah finishes the creature off with her sword.
"Nasty little ****er. Do you need a bandage for those cuts, Marcus?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus sheathes his pistol and feels his cheek.

Yeah, that'd be great. He says, wincing.

He looks back down at the dead creature before heading to the bathroom.

That seemed almost too easy. I wonder if it was really because of this Power Ranger?

[Dhavaer]

"Well, something made it visible."
The body on the floor is beginning to visibly soften, almost like melting icecream.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shrugs and walks to the door before turning to look at the body again.

Bastard looks like he's melting.

[Dhavaer]

"That's interesting..."
The rapidly liquifying body begins to turn black.

[Baerdog7]

Ugh...

Marcus finds it difficult to tear his gaze away from the rapidly decaying Mr. Rogers. He does manage, however, to pull a handkerchief out of a jacket pocket to staunch the bleeding on his cheek.

I wonder if all monsters decompose like that when they die.

[Dhavaer]

Sarah nods, as the black goo slowly begins to evaporate into a thick black smog, which rapidly thins and disappears.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shakes his head as the last of the smoke disappears to shake himself out of his stupor.

Well, that was fun and all, but I'm gonna go clean myself up.

He walks down the hall to the bathroom and goes about cleaning and bandaging his cheek.

[Dhavaer]

A minute later Sarah follows him in.
"I just had a thought that we should have brought a camera." She says, leaning in the doorframe. "I don't think anyone's going to believe us without a body."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shrugs.

I was planning on keeping it quiet, only telling Katrina and David about it. Mikey really doesn't need to know anything except that he's, hopefully, better and that Uncle Marcus and Aunt Sarah took care of the naughty Mr. Rogers.

Marcus winces as he hydrogen peroxide he was putting on his cuts takes effect.

Damn that stuff stings.

To Sarah: I do wonder if that was the only one, though. Katrina mentioned three other kids in Mikey's condition that didn't get diagnosed in time and died.

Marcus continues to talk as he finishes bandaging up his face.

Anyway, I don't think we should hang around here for too long. Let's get back to the hospital. Do you want to take my car, or your?

[Dhavaer]

"I'll take mine, I'd just have to pick it up again if I didn't."

[Baerdog7]

Sounds good to me.

Marcus walks downstairs with Sarah, opening and closing the front door for her. He makes sure to lock it before heading to his car and following Sarah to the hospital.

[Dhavaer]

Back at the hospital, Mikey is no better than when they left.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks over to Mikey's bed and places the Power Ranger in his arms.

Here ya go, buddy. I hope you like the Red Ranger.

He turns around and slumps against a wall, running his hands through his hair. He looks thoroughly deflated and nearly as miserable as David or Katrina.

****, he says to Sarah, killing the thing was the only idea I had left. I don't know what else to do...

[Dhavaer]

Mikey clutches onto the toy as soon as he feels it.

Sarah moves over to stand next to the bed.
"Remember that it took days for him to get this bad. Expecting instantaneous results might be over-optimistic."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shrugs.

Yeah, I guess you're right. He says, albeit unenthusiastically.

[Dhavaer]

Marcus dreams...

He sees a woman, her body swollen to grotesque proportions by pregnancy. Her body is covered by innumerable parasites, scuttling over her in a search for the juiciest patch of skin. Despite this, she seems in perfect health. Behind her, in the darkness, something whispers to her, but Marcus cannot hear what...

He sees a dragon with emerald scales, curled around and atop a pile of banknotes. Its eyes carefully survey its surroundings, standing sentinel over its vast hoard. There are many people sitting around it, cleaning and caressing its scales. All of them are beautiful. The dragon reaches out a claw and strokes the back of one of the six-legged, purple tigers that pace in a circle around it. The tiger turns toward Marcus, and grins a joyful, welcoming smile...

He sees a machine, clockwork stretching forever through the multiverse. The gears tick in perfect unison, filling the air with a sense of order and purpose. Somehow, the ticking of the gears is drowned out by the quiet sound of a girl's happy laughter...

He sees a man in armour, standing on the battlements of an indomitable fortress. In one hand he holds an axe, in the other a book. Both of his hands drip blood. A crude, ugly tattoo across his face declares him a murderer, but his eyes are calm and full of wisdom. Slumped beside him is a man, a long knife stuck through his heart. Both the dead man and the murderer have the same face...

He sees a woman, petite and graceful. Her lovely face is marred by a long scar across her cheek. She regards him with interest, and he becomes aware that he cannot move. Her expression does not change as she steps forwards, holding a scalpel. The blade feels like fire as she draws it down across his chest...

Marcus wakes, filled with nausea and a strong urge to urinate. A glance at his clock gives the time as 3:27 on Saturday morning.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus bolts upright as he wakes from his dream. A wave of nausea and dizziness washes over him and he has to sit there holding his head for several minutes before he feels right to get up. When the nausea and dizziness has passed, he gets up and heads to the bathroom to take a leak.

That has got to be the wierdest ****ing dream I've ever had. Jesus Christ, what did I eat last night before going to bed?

He shrugs and stumbles out to the kitchen for a drink of water before heading back to bed for, hopefully, untinterrupted sleep for the rest of the night.

[Dhavaer]

Marcus wakes again at his usual hour, with nothing worse than an odd tune looping in his head.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus

Marcus gets up and goes about his normal daily routine. He showers, brushes his teeth and gets dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen. The whole time, he either whistles or hums the strange tune, racking his brain trying to remember where it was from.

Morning, Ken. MMmmm...something smells good. What's for breakfast?

[Dhavaer]

"Eggs, tomatoes and raisin toast, sir. I trust this is to your liking?"

[Baerdog7]

Sounds excellent, Ken.

Marcus walks toward the front door to collect the morning paper, but stops when he sees it on a chair in the sitting room.

Ah, Ken brought it in already.

He collects the paper and heads back to the kitchen. He sits at the table, reading, while he waits for Ken to finish breakfast.

What's on the agenda today, Ken?

[Dhavaer]

Last night the FBI and NYPD pulled over seven ASL Transport delivery trucks, acting on an anonymous tip. A search found what is estimated to be eighty kilograms of cocaine. No arrests have been made as yet, but records from ASL have been impounded.
As ASL's deliveries are likely to remain disrupted for some time, Hermes Transport has offered to complete any outstanding deliveries not required as evidence by the authorities.

"Lunch with Mr Rousseau, sir."

[Baerdog7]

Eighty kilos of cocaine! Jesus Christ, that's a lot of drugs.

Marcus looks up from his paper.

Ah, thanks. I'd forgotten about that. Did he say where we were meeting?

[Dhavaer]

"The Dragon's Lair, sir."

[Baerdog7]

Ah, thanks Ken.

Marcus finishes his breakfast and his paper, making chitchat with Ken. He idles around the house until lunchtime before driving over to the Dragon's Lair to meet with Anton.

[Dhavaer]

The Dragon's Lair is dominated by a single, vast room, three levels high and capped by the enormous dragon statue that gives the place its name. The dragon's wings make up most of the building's roof, and it is thin enough to let the sunlight shine though. High-class restaurant by day and exclusive nightclub by night, being able to arrive at the Lair and walk straight in, as Marcus can, is one of the true signs of success.

Anton is waiting on the upper level, at a small table looking out over the dance floor. He raises his hand in greeting as Marcus approaches, and pours a small glass of wine.
"Marcus, it's been too long. How are you?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus enthusiastically shakes Anton's hand before sitting down.

I'm doing well, Anton. How about you? You must have something on your mind to ask me to the Lair. He says, either pouring his own wine or taking a glass from Anton, whichever is appropriate.

[Dhavaer]

Anton smiles broadly.
"Not at all, quite the opposite, in fact. I've had a string of quite good luck recently. How is Ken?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus returns the smile and picks up a menu.

Ken's been doing just great. I don't know how he does it, Anton, but he practically keeps the place together all by himself. I keep offering to hire more hands to help him out, but he keeps telling me not to worry. How about you? Tell me more about this string of luck.

[Dhavaer]

"Well, it's not so much luck for me as for my department. Parapsychology isn't really the most respected area of study, so normally keeping my budget is luck enough." Anton sips his wine.
"But a few weeks ago, someone emailed me about a haunted house, not far out of the city. I made enquires, and the house was empty. People normally don't like research students hanging around their house poking around at things, so that's the first bit of luck."

[Baerdog7]

Hmm, interesting.

Marcus strokes his chin as he glances over the menu.

What kind of disturbances were there supposed to be?

[Dhavaer]

"After the last owner left, someone found a secret room behind the basement wall. Nothing really special, but it's definately intended to be a room; about fifteen by fifteen feet, sheer concrete walls. They had to knock down a wall to get in there, though. Anyway, if someone says anything when they're in this room, something starts tapping-"
Anton picks up the ashtray and taps it against the table, with a steady but unsettling beat.

*tap*

*tap*

*tap*

"Normally I'd just think it was dripping water, or something ordinary like that. But the thing is, it only happens when someone talks, no other sound starts it."

[Baerdog7]

Interesting, have you experienced this yourself?

[Dhavaer]

"Certainly. Anyway, normally I'd just have had a student have a look, do a few ismple experiments, that sort of thing. But then we had a donation, quite a large one, specifically for the investigation of this one phenomenon. Enough to get some decent equipment, hire a few aides, so on and so forth. Strange, but nonetheless, very lucky, wouldn't you say?"

[Baerdog7]

Very strange. Who made the donation?

[Dhavaer]

"A man named Charles Fehrer. I've met him a few times at the site, I'd say he's simply eccentric. Very pleasant man to talk to."

[Baerdog7]

Interesting. Hey, when are you heading down to the site next? This sounds like something I'd be interested in.

((Knowledge: Business [roll0]
Knowledge: Popular Culture [roll1]
Knowledge: Current Events [roll2]

To try and determine anything else about Charles Fehrer.))

[Dhavaer]

"I won't be visiting again until Monday, but I think the student who volunteered to do the investigation is there today. I'm sure she'd be happy to show you around."

Marcus has not heard of Charles Fehrer before.

[Baerdog7]

Yeah, I think I'll do that. It'll be harder for me to get away on Monday anyway. Where was the house again?

[Dhavaer]

Anton takes a pen and a calling card from his pocket and writes the address down for Marcus.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus take the card and sticks it in his wallet.

Thanks, Anton. So, what else is new?

[Dhavaer]

"Ah, not too much. My brother's been calling a lot lately, complaining about his investments. I've no idea why, he never takes my advice. I might buy a tape recorder and play that into the phone for five minutes, see if he notices the difference. Mmm. Ah. Really? That's all it would take, with a little spacing. How about yourself?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus leans back nonchalantly.

I fought Mr. Rogers the other day.

[Dhavaer]

Anton blinks, and raises his eyebrows.
"Not very sporting of you Marcus, fighting a man who's too dead to defend himself."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus chuckles.

I guess I should explain. It was a monster, a...wight or shade, if you will, that looked like Mr. Rogers. It was actually haunting the closet of the son of one of my board members. Quite interesting, really, the creature was literally causing the kid to experience a neuralogical breakdown. Luckily it was stopped and reversed once the creature was killed. Oh, you'll never guess what it's weakness was, either.

[Dhavaer]

"I'm sure I won't."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus leans back, crosses his arms, and smile.

Guess.

[Dhavaer]

"I already said I wouldn't guess... You played Wagner to him, and he left to invade Poland."

[Baerdog7]

Close, but no cigar. We had to use a Power Ranger of all things.

He sips his drink.

Turns out the damn series was useful for something after all.

[Dhavaer]

Anton thinks a moment. "That TV show with the bright monocolour costumes? How odd. I don't suppose there's anything for me to study?"

[Baerdog7]

Not really. The corpse dissolved away after we killed it and I gave the power ranger to the kid. Not that there was anything special about it, we just picked it up from the toy store.

[Dhavaer]

The house in question looks rather ramshackle, with peeling paint and a heavily overgrown garden. Shortly after Marcus pulls up, the door opens and a young woman comes out to greet him.
"Hi. Mr Black? I'm Jenny Schecter. How are you?"

[Baerdog7]

Marcus shakes Jenny's hand and smiles.

I'm fine, thanks. Anton told me about the disturbances in the house so I decided to come check it out.

[Dhavaer]

"Cool. I was just doing some echo scans, do you want to come in and look around?"

[Baerdog7]

Yeah, that be great.

Marcus crosses his arms over his chest as he enters the house after Jenny to confirm that he was wearing his pistol under his jacket one last time.

[Dhavaer]

The inside of the house is just as decrepit as the outside; although it's not as dusty as might be expected, presumably due to Jenny searching the house. She leads Marcus into the basement through a heavy door with a surprisingly sturdy lock. It's pretty much just plain grey concrete, except for the hole knocked in the far wall. Through the hole is another room, similar but smaller, with a device about the size of a briefcase lying on the floor next to the walls. A pair of headphones and something Marcus doesn't recognise are plugged into it. It looks a little like a shocker paddle.
"Well, this is it." Jenny says. As soon as the words leave her mouth, something starts tapping. It's just loud enough to hear, sounds like metal tapping against stone, and is completely unplaceable. The entire effect is extremely creepy.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus continues to talk, remembering what Anton told him.

So it only happens when people talk? Interesting. What is that device over there in the corner?

[Dhavaer]

"It reacts to recorded speech as well as actual voices, but yes, it doesn't respond to anything else." Jenny walks over to the machine when Marcus asks about it. "It's an echo scanner. You put on the headphones and hold this against the wall..." she demonstrates. "and press this button here and it makes a very low pitched noise. Or maybe it's a high pitched noise; anyway, it goes into the wall and bounces back, and it can give you an idea of what the construction is like. I haven't gotten very far yet-" Jenny indicates about three quarters of the left wall. "and so far it's all been solid. Do you want to try?"

[Baerdog7]

Yeah, sure.

Marcus steps over to the machine, dons the headphones, and begins scanning the wall.

[Dhavaer]

Jenny guides him through the first few scans. The scanner sends out a pulse of vibrations, and the headphones recieve it back almost exactly the same, indicating solid material without gaps or cracks. Shortly into the far wall, the noise becomes distorted.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus waves Jenny over.

Hey, check this out. I'm hearing some different noises here.

He hands her the headphones and paddle so she can see for herself.

[Dhavaer]

Jenny checks the wall where Marcus scanned, then moves the scanner up to the middle of the wall, up to the end, then back to the middle.
"It sounds like there's a hollow about here. A big one, too."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus stands up.

You got a sledgehammer?

[Dhavaer]

"Not on me, no. I want to get some more accurate equipment in before we start smashing walls; this is mostly for preliminary scans. I can't wait to see what it is, though."

[Baerdog7]

Me neither, actually. Let's mark this area and keep searching for more.

[Dhavaer]

The rest of the wall in the room seem solid.
"I'll call Professor Rousseau later, to see if I can get a better scanner. That hole sounded pretty big."

[Baerdog7]

Sounds good. So, what do we do in the meantime?

[Dhavaer]

"We could have lunch. Have you had anything to eat yet? After that, I'll have to check the response to speech; see if it reacts to volume, position, things like that."

[Baerdog7]

Actually, I had a light lunch with Anton earlier, but I could eat again.

He checks his watch.

I don't really have any other plans this afternoon and Ken'll call me if anything comes up so, sure, let's go do lunch.

[Dhavaer]

"Okay. There's a sort of strip of resturaunts just a few blocks away."

[Baerdog7]

Sounds good to me. I'll drive

Marcus follows Jenny out of the house and leads her to the car, opening the door for her and waiting for her to get situated before leaving.

[Dhavaer]

As they leave the house, Marcus notices Jenny looking across the road. The apparent object of her attention is a long haired, leather jacketed man leaning against a tree. He is looking back, although Marcus can't tell whether at Jenny or the house itself.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus points discreetly at the man as they pull away from the house.

Recognize that guy?

[Dhavaer]

"Yeah, he's been hanging around here since I started studying the place. He came over on the first day, asking what I was doing in the house, and when I told him he asked me to stop, saying it wasn't safe. He said there was a monster in the house, and that he was worried I'd let it out. I said I wasn't going to stop, of course, and he just shrugged and stuck around. It's kind of creepy, but he doesn't seem to mean any harm. He said his name's Adam Swift."

[Baerdog7]

Adam Swift. Huh.

I'll have to look into that.

Turning his attention back to Jenny:

He might not be wrong, though. You should be careful.

[Dhavaer]

There's a short moment before Jenny answers, as though a beat has been missed. "Yeah," she says, a little distantly, "can't be too careful."

[Baerdog7]

Marcus nods and drives in silence for a few seconds.

So, hey! I know this subject is cheery and all, but where'd you have in mind for lunch?

[Dhavaer]

"Oh, right." Jenny directs Marcus to the shops; it's about two minutes from the house. It's just three small resuraunts in the middle of the residential area; a Thai place, a patisserie and a fish and chip shop.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus pulls into a parking space, gets out, and looks around at the shops before locking his door.

I'm thinking about fish and chips, you?

[Dhavaer]

"Sounds good to me."

[Dhavaer]

When Marcus leaves the house, Adam is still standing across the road, patiently watching the house.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus walks out of the house and over to his car. He is just about to get in when he notices Adam still watching from across the road. He thinks for a minute, then trots over to him.

Hey, I'm Marcus, he says, holding out his hand, Adam, right?

[Dhavaer]

Adam is a broad shouldered man with rather long, dark hair and the facial hair of a very unsklled shaver. His entire appearance can be summed up with 'unkempt'. He nods at Marcus.

"Yeah." He says simply, and turns back to the house.

[Baerdog7]

Marcus takes up a place next to Adam and follows his gaze toward the house.

Jenny mentioned that you've been hanging around here for a while. You warned her of something, right? What exactly is it that you're afraid of?

((Diplomacy and Gather Information))

[Baerdog7]

Marcus takes up a place next to Adam and follows his gaze toward the house.

Jenny mentioned that you've been hanging around here for a while. You warned her of something, right? What exactly is it that you're afraid of?

((Diplomacy and Gather Information))

[Dhavaer]

"There a monster walled up in there." Adam stays staring at the house.

[Baerdog7]

I've heard it. Or I've heard something that could be construed as one, anyway. What kind of monster is it?

[Dhavaer]

"Bogeyman. Real tough. Difficult to make sure it stays down, that's why it got walled up."

[Baerdog7]

Bogeyman, eh? Why does it only make noise when people are talking?