Haunting of Lucretia Blackback - RPLOG
Participants
Date
20/7/477
Log
It is early evening and Lucretia is standing on her porch, waiting for the beings that she contracted to help her to arrive. She has a modest home, for a mansion, meaning that it is only marginally larger than most public buildings. The noble skunk is dressed in what someone must have told her was a mystical dress. Scarves and beads and occult symbols practically drip from her dress. She seems more nervous than mysterious, though, waiting in the fading light.
Cassidy drops from the sky, landing with patter and a flow of her coat's tails, before standing up to straighten her coat and tie. "Good evening. I am here to assist you with your... Spiritual matters?" She raises her brow behind her mask and flashes a smile, before dipping into a bow. "It is nice to meet you."
Making her way up the street from the Freesword's Guild, Natska smiles to herself at a familiar sight falling from the heavens. She walks up next to Cassidy and raises two fingers to the brim of her hat, giving the noble a bow of her head in greeting. "Good evening," she greets. "What is the problem?"
Siyu is dressed in his finery and silks. The short kangaroo rat wasn't really considering what might be happening in "Spirital" matters. But with the Old ones working together and other random things happening he's investigating anything which might be a lead. He's had a lot of false ones lately. So desptie being dressed head to toe in his fancy silk creator suit he's alert. He bows his head, "hello everyone"
Clank clank clank... Curious metallic collisions echo into the air, growing louder and louder with each moment. Eventually, the disturbance reveals itself in the form of a golden leonine fellow jogging quickly towards the indicated area. Upon his back, a large travel backpack clinks about until he finally gathers around with the growing group with a few soft pants. "Phew," Dio exhasperates, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow. "I 'eared there was a bit o' trouble 'round these parts!" Picking his chest up, the lion grows a prideful look and smiles. "Dio the Traveler is at yer service! 'ow can I 'elp ya. Got some spooky spirits that need punchin'?"
"Oh, thank the Creators," the noblewoman says, wringing her graceful hands, "I was starting to think that you wouldn't come!" She catches herself, then tries to cover up her relief. "I mean," she lowers her voice to what she almost certainly thinks is a sultry whisper, "The stars are right! Let us gaze upon the infinite!" She opens the front door and leads the others into a finely furnished parlor where a small, round table has been decorated with a crystal ball (With a tag still attached to the stand,) and a sensible white table cloth.
Lucretia turns to face her guests as she takes up a spot on the far side of the table, her veil drooping over her face in a way that is maybe just a bit silly. Not the effect she hoped for, for certain. "For the past three nights," she says, "As the sun sets, my home is troubled by lost spirits!" She pauses for dramatic effect.
Cassidy tips her hat towards Natska, tail flicking behind her. "Hello! Good to see you today, friend! Sleep well last night?" She lets her question hang in the air as she looks back towards Lucretia, following the skunk in. "Lost spirits, huh? Why might that be? And what are they doing, exactly?" She leans forward to peer at the crystal ball, confusion written on her face, although it's not plain for anyone to see.
Natska shoots Cassidy a happy smile as she enters the house alongside her friend. "No," she answers, although her tone is quite cheerful. "Good to see you here, Cass." Siyu gets a friendly nod of recognition. The new face gets a tilted head, then a bright grin as Natska's tail flicks. However, business. She listens to Lucretia, ears perked, then glances around the room. "I see. What do the spirits do when they show up?" she asks. As she talks, she slips a couple of fingers into her belt pouch, fishing for something; a slight twitch and a muted hiss as she makes contact, even through her gloves, and she draws out a small ivory bone on a silver chain that she slips around her wrist.
Siyu is not looking all of that impressed, he raises a brow, tilting his head towards the crystal ball on the table, "uh...spirits, do you mean shadows, or the influences of cultists what exactly are you reffering to by spirits?" He glances again towards the other three, offering an incline and a bow of his head. He smiles at Cassidy and Nat, bowing his head politely. He looks over at Dio, "And Dio too? You know about spirits Dio?" he inquires
"Lost spirits ya say," Dio questions with hightened curiosity, an idle finger brushing ever so gently at his fuzzy golden chin. "An' they're lost! Let the mystery begin." In a rather socially awkward manner, the lion paces over towards the lady's side of the table rather than the opposite and nods to Siyu. "Ya know, I met a ghost once. I was out an' 'bout the forest ya see when I 'eard some kind o' ghastly flappin' noises o' somethin'," he claims with an air and tone of mystery. "I went to investigate, an' there I saw it. Up in the trees in the dead o' night, some white apperition o' sorts wielding somethin' sharp! It was almost like fabric o' somethin' the way it moved, but I got outta there quick."
Leaning closer and closer over the table, Dio peers at the strange ball with extreme interest. "Ooh, an' what's this, lass? Is this where we're gonna gaze into the infinite? I don't think ya could fit infinity in there, ya know? Don't think ya could fit it in anythin'! Not even a quarter o' an' infinity."
Seeing that no one is inclined to be impressed by the dramatic display she is putting on, the skunk noblewoman tugs off her veil and flops into one of the five seats at the little table. "It isn't shadows," she says, "but whatever it is, it has frightened all the servants away and I can't get anyone from the Manor to look into it for love nor money." She sounds much more believable now that she has dropped the mystic whispering. "Each night, a little after sunset, SOMETHING happens in this room!" she peers out the window to check the progress of the setting sun, "It is never quite the same, but there are strange lights and music and the sound of people speaking in words no one understands." She looks up and part of the reason for her veil becomes apparent as she shows that her eyes are bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. "I myself have not slept in four days now!"
Lucretia looks at the gathered beings, her desperation apparent. "I don't know much about spirits," she says, "But I thought if I held a seance, that maybe we could find out what they want and they would go away and I could have my house back!" She looks askance at Dio as he examines the ball. "Surely you must know that a Crystal is essential for contacting the infinite beyond!" she sniffs.
The front window has grown increasingly dark.
Cassidy frowns softly. "Sorry to hear that, Natska," she comments as an aside, though her attention remains on the skunk. "Well... I mean, I guess it's worth a try? If not, I suppose we could stay the night and see it for ourselves? I wouldn't mind camping out in this room for a bit, at least. I'm certainly curious, now! And hello there, Dio. Good to see you again. I missed your stories."
Natska's ear flicks, and the jaguar gives Cassidy a small reassuring smile. She listens to Lucretia's story, and then nods her head at the noble skunk again. "We are certainly the group to do things for pay, lady Lucretia," she replies. "If that is a seance, then of course I am willing to sit in a seance. I think between those of us here we can make some good observations as well, when things happen."
Siyu gives a little hum at the Blackback, "Well Lady Blackback, we're not exactly unwilling to belive you. We are Freeswords, the oddities of the world are commonplace to us. You didn't have to spend money on impressing us My Lady." he inclines his head, bowing politely, "We are more then willing to help." he considers "Hmmm...strange sounds..." he takes up a staff and begins to tap along the wall. Searching for panels or holes. Strange little things. The blacksmith knows a bit about building false walls and locks. He gives a glance at the crystal ball, "I am...not sure about the need for it..."
"Good day to ya too, lass!" Dio greets with energetic excitement directed straight towards Cassidy. After the miniature outburst, the lion shrugs his travel backpack upon the floor with a loud CLANK, finally allowing his shoulders the freedom they've been desiring. "Oof," he expels with a quick roll of his shoulders. "Can't carry that all like I used to. Now then..." Grabbing up a chair, the coat wearing feline drags it over to the lady's side and sits down right next to her with a blissfully ignorant and goofy smile.
"Now if it were up to me, I'd leave a bunch o' meat on this 'ere table instead, ya know? Ya see, the ghosts are wantin' somethin', probably due to their memories o' whatever. Once they smell that meat, ghosts will be flockin' to this room. I know I would if I were a spooky spirit. It should work out, 'cause the meat itself is dead, probably maybe. An' then after, we can eat the meat so it might be worth a try," he claims with a cough that does little to hide his intentions. "Either way, please tell this travelin' lion 'ow to gaze into the infinite. Do ya gotta touch the ball first? Can I touch it? I ask, 'cause most people don't want ya touchin' their balls without permission."
As the group assures her of their willingness to help, Lucretia strides around the room in a quick circuit to dim the few lights. There were not many lit, since the sun has only just set, but the room is gradually left in twilit darkness. The only light coming from a distant street lamp filtering through the room's lacy curtains.
The noblewoman settles herself back into her seat and invites the others to each take a seat themselves. She sets a pair of long, fat candles on the table and lights them with a small kelvinscope. The light flickers and bounces a bit off the crystal chandelier over the table and shadows fill the corners of the room. Lucretia sits in silence for a moment, then looks around the table. "I don't suppose any of you has conducted a seance before?" she asks, pointedly ignoring Dio's advice and desperately hoping that it is not repeated by any of the others. Though she looks a bit uncertain when he asks about the crystal. "Maybe we SHOULD all touch the crystal," she says, laying her hands on the big glass ball.
Cassidy watches Natska for a moment, deciding to inquire about it later. For now, there was a mystery afoot! "Well! Let's get this show under way, shall we?" She folds her hands behind her back and watches the skunk set the candles up, smiling softly. "I have not done such a thing, no. I've seen plenty of ghastly things, but this type of thing isn't my usual... Expertise."
A gloved hand finds its way to Natska's muzzle as she winces, and then rubs at the side of her nose. She fights down a small snerk, then regains her composure and folds her hands together in front of her. "No, I have not conducted one. I will defer to your expertise," she tells the skunk, inclining her head. "What do we do?" She looks over at Siyu, inquiringly, in case the rat had more experience with the matter.
Siyu watches as the lights dim and he tilts his head a tiny bit and he considers, "Did you have this room remodled lately?" he asks as he checks the metal work on the candleholders. The blacksmith enjoying some knowledge of how to properly forge and smith the fine metal objects for the nobility. He doesn't look as if he wants to participate in the seance, or any other such thing. Still looking for external causes. He glancs at Natska, "No, no I've never even heard of doing one, let alone know how to handle it"
Dio grumbles lightly under his breath as it would seem his advice was ignored. A steak dinner, and a noble on at that, wouldn't come so easily. "'fraid I 'aven't!" The lion exclaims, picking his mood back up with relative ease. He quickly thrusts a hand forward to grip upon the ball tightly and awaits further instruction. "Okay then, Lass O' Spooky Spirits. What's the next step? Do we start chantin'?"
"Yes," Lucretia answers Siyu, "I have been replacing all of metalwork in the hou-" The skunk woman is interrupted as Dio reaches out to touch the crystal ball and a brilliant flash lights up the room!
There is a whirring sound, like a flock of birds taking flight which is quickly swallowed up in some sort of strange music, using no instruments that anyone here has ever heard! Bizarre, distorted images float through the air and under it all, there is a strange hiss or buzz, like a waterfall, just at the edge of hearing. The music and sounds fade in and out, but the susurration remains constant.
Lucretia cries out and suddenly clings to Dio's hand. "It is you!" she says, "You must have the strongest connection to the spirits!"
Cassidy recoils slightly. It wasn't easy to surprise Cass, but the room's sudden reaction to Dio touching the ball certainly had her startled. Recovering quickly, she reaches up to adjust her tie and clears her throat. "My, my. That was... Unexpected." She glances around the room and squints. "And very unusual indeed..." She eyes the skunk from behind her mask for a moment before looking at Dio.
Natska's ears pin back, or at least as much as they can with her hat on. She rocks back in her chair a little and quickly glances around the room, but when it becomes apparant that whatever is going on isn't striking the same nerves that had been rubbed raw by the dead she begins to relax. She gives her head a little shake. "What *is* this?" she asks, under her breath. "They are no spirits of the dead, at least..."
Siyu blinks a bit, "Why would you be replacing all the metal work here..." he squeeks as he suddenly sees the bird and various flashing and lights, "What...what in the hells." he winces and pulls away. He's surprised too. What magic is this! Actual spirits? He was looking at the metal she replaced and if there was any sort of oddity about the new metal. Though he is now certinally distracted.
"AH!" Dio yells in a surprised fashion at the sudden sights and sounds, not expecting such an immediate and dramatic reaction to his touch. Leaning back further and further, the lion and chair both come tumbling backwards in a crash. Luckily however, the feline's head is cushioned by the travel pack he had sat down just moments before. After a few moments of catching his wits, Dio bellows a victorious laugh. "Ah ha! I told ya I was a ghost expert. Jus' like that ghost I saw in the forest. They love me ya see." Slowly but surely, he picks up his chair and settles himself upon it after giving his coat a good pat and smoothing with his hands. "Maybe it's all the steak?"
Cassidy narrows her eyes in thought for a moment before shuffling over to the skunk's side. A devious grin spreads across her face as she leans forward to whisper something to the skunk before standing back up. "Certainly is a curious situation, isn't it? Never quite what I expect in such a place as this!"
