Vote closed
- Pronouns
- She
Not Quite Lovecraft
- Thread starter Blacksheep
- Start date
- Fantasy Historic Mystery Horror
A Dance Across the Floor
- Pronouns
- She
It filled you with a mix of pride and nostalgia to hear what people thought of your human appearance. You had done well putting the details together, and it was nice to look back on what you had once been. It bolstered your confidence as you moved through the party.
You crossed to Erica Carlyle's side and dipped into a shallow bow. "Lady Carlyle. May I have a dance with you?"
"When I do not know your name?" Erica retorted. She eyed you with interest looking over your form.
"Oliver Heartwork. An artist of some small renown." You smiled modestly.
She accepted your hand. "Well Sir Oliver, a turn on the dance floor sounds delightful."
You weren't particularly graceful on the dance floor, but you had enough training to keep up with a basic dance. Erica flowed with you, managing to look like spun elegance despite being paired with you. Perhaps you even looked good with her aid. When the dance wound down she smiled at you. Her looks had not softened, but they were more welcoming towards you nonetheless.
"Thank you for dancing with me," you told her. "You are very graceful."
"Thank you sir."
[ ]Ask for a meeting
[ ]Casually mention modeling
[ ]Mention her brother
[ ]Pry to see what she may know
[ ]Write-in
You crossed to Erica Carlyle's side and dipped into a shallow bow. "Lady Carlyle. May I have a dance with you?"
"When I do not know your name?" Erica retorted. She eyed you with interest looking over your form.
"Oliver Heartwork. An artist of some small renown." You smiled modestly.
She accepted your hand. "Well Sir Oliver, a turn on the dance floor sounds delightful."
You weren't particularly graceful on the dance floor, but you had enough training to keep up with a basic dance. Erica flowed with you, managing to look like spun elegance despite being paired with you. Perhaps you even looked good with her aid. When the dance wound down she smiled at you. Her looks had not softened, but they were more welcoming towards you nonetheless.
"Thank you for dancing with me," you told her. "You are very graceful."
"Thank you sir."
[ ]Ask for a meeting
[ ]Casually mention modeling
[ ]Mention her brother
[ ]Pry to see what she may know
[ ]Write-in
Hmm this would take a careful approach I think.
[X]Pry to see what she may know. And..
-[X] Express your interest in the Egyptian arts. Has she by any chance come across your painting of Isis? Invite her to the gallery.
-[X] You are looking for your next muse, and there's just something that draws you to her. Say perhaps after seeing your artwork she might consider being a subject for your next painting.
[X]Mention her brother. But..
-[X] Show her the photograph of the Dark Mistress. Does this mean anything to her?
-[X] Based on her reaction Oliver confides to her that he suspects it's deeply tied up to the mystery surrounding her brother.
-[X] If she asks what Oliver's stake is in this, mention the Peru expedition in mundane terms and allude how you lost Larkin. What you saw there haunts you, and you want to help her find a resolution with what happened to her brother.
[X]Pry to see what she may know. And..
-[X] Express your interest in the Egyptian arts. Has she by any chance come across your painting of Isis? Invite her to the gallery.
-[X] You are looking for your next muse, and there's just something that draws you to her. Say perhaps after seeing your artwork she might consider being a subject for your next painting.
[X]Mention her brother. But..
-[X] Show her the photograph of the Dark Mistress. Does this mean anything to her?
-[X] Based on her reaction Oliver confides to her that he suspects it's deeply tied up to the mystery surrounding her brother.
-[X] If she asks what Oliver's stake is in this, mention the Peru expedition in mundane terms and allude how you lost Larkin. What you saw there haunts you, and you want to help her find a resolution with what happened to her brother.
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- Location
- Philippines
[X]Pry to see what she may know. And..
[X]Mention her brother. But..
[X]Mention her brother. But..
Vote closed
- Pronouns
- She
I hoped we would have some more discussion and add to the tactics of the approach. Our plans are really so much better when we all pitch in together - covering each others bases and sanity checking.
Speaking with Erica
- Pronouns
- She
"I hate to ruin things, but I must admit I had more motives than simply dancing with you in mind when I approached," you confessed to Erica.
The Carlyle head's eyes narrowed in distaste. "I do not discuss business ventures outside of appointments."
"No, nothing like that," you assured her. "I do wish to speak privately, not here, but it concerns evidence your brother is not as gone as it appeared."
She took in a sharp breath and stared at you. "What evidence?"
"I didn't bring it here, this isn't exactly the place to speak of such things. But I thought it was important to bring it to your attention." You pulled out a picture of the yacht. She accepted it and looked at it carefully. There was no sign of recognition, or even understanding of why you would show her such a picture.
"Meet me tomorrow, eight. I can squeeze you in in the morning at my estate," Erica ordered. "This better not be a game, Heartwork. I take my family very seriously."
You nodded seriously to her. "I will share with you what I know, I promise."
The rest of the party was a pleasant enough passage of time. You dressed with as much care as you had for the party when you headed to the estate in the morning. Erica welcomed you in and brought you in to a small office. She took a seat and looked at you. "Well, you have your meeting."
"I'm sure you heard of the attempted murder of Jackson Elias. He had been collecting evidence for another one of his books, and was drawn into looking into the Carlyle Expedition." You passed over the notes that Elias had scribbled and the interview with the witnesses in Africa about the truth of the massacre. "I suspect that your brother may be hiding in China, though I don't know why any of this would be done."
Erica scowled darkly. "I do. That harlot woman Bunay. She showed up in New York, and told him some sort of secret he became obsessed with. He spoke of her like some kind of queen, or priestess, to save him from his dreams."
"Bunay?" you asked carefully.
"An african woman that forced her way into proper society, Nichonka Bunay" Erica sneered.
This wasn't useful. Erica's racist bias would make determining the truth of what she spoke about more difficult.
"You said Roger hoped to get help from her about his dreams."
Erica frowned a twist of guilt flashing briefly over her features. "Yes. He started to wake up screaming. He wouldn't talk about it with anyone. When Bunay entered his life I recommended he speak to Dr Houston. I thought the good doctor would be able to stop the nightmares he had. Instead he joined up with the harlot to persuade my brother along on the expedition. I thought Roger would come to his senses when he saw that she truly had nothing to offer to him. Instead it seems the mess he's plunged himself into is even deeper than I thought. Faking his death? Well, he's certainly not getting control of the businesses back!"
"Something similar happened with an expedition I went along with in Peru," you informed Erica. "The man funding the expedition was ill. He went mad and tried to kill us."
"This is worse than my foolish brother simply being used for his money." Erica frowned and tapped her nails on the table worriedly.
[ ]Ask what she knows of Dr Houston
[ ]Ask what Roger did before the expedition
[ ]Ask more of Bunay
[ ]Ask about Roger's bodyguard
[ ]Write-in
The Carlyle head's eyes narrowed in distaste. "I do not discuss business ventures outside of appointments."
"No, nothing like that," you assured her. "I do wish to speak privately, not here, but it concerns evidence your brother is not as gone as it appeared."
She took in a sharp breath and stared at you. "What evidence?"
"I didn't bring it here, this isn't exactly the place to speak of such things. But I thought it was important to bring it to your attention." You pulled out a picture of the yacht. She accepted it and looked at it carefully. There was no sign of recognition, or even understanding of why you would show her such a picture.
"Meet me tomorrow, eight. I can squeeze you in in the morning at my estate," Erica ordered. "This better not be a game, Heartwork. I take my family very seriously."
You nodded seriously to her. "I will share with you what I know, I promise."
The rest of the party was a pleasant enough passage of time. You dressed with as much care as you had for the party when you headed to the estate in the morning. Erica welcomed you in and brought you in to a small office. She took a seat and looked at you. "Well, you have your meeting."
"I'm sure you heard of the attempted murder of Jackson Elias. He had been collecting evidence for another one of his books, and was drawn into looking into the Carlyle Expedition." You passed over the notes that Elias had scribbled and the interview with the witnesses in Africa about the truth of the massacre. "I suspect that your brother may be hiding in China, though I don't know why any of this would be done."
Erica scowled darkly. "I do. That harlot woman Bunay. She showed up in New York, and told him some sort of secret he became obsessed with. He spoke of her like some kind of queen, or priestess, to save him from his dreams."
"Bunay?" you asked carefully.
"An african woman that forced her way into proper society, Nichonka Bunay" Erica sneered.
This wasn't useful. Erica's racist bias would make determining the truth of what she spoke about more difficult.
"You said Roger hoped to get help from her about his dreams."
Erica frowned a twist of guilt flashing briefly over her features. "Yes. He started to wake up screaming. He wouldn't talk about it with anyone. When Bunay entered his life I recommended he speak to Dr Houston. I thought the good doctor would be able to stop the nightmares he had. Instead he joined up with the harlot to persuade my brother along on the expedition. I thought Roger would come to his senses when he saw that she truly had nothing to offer to him. Instead it seems the mess he's plunged himself into is even deeper than I thought. Faking his death? Well, he's certainly not getting control of the businesses back!"
"Something similar happened with an expedition I went along with in Peru," you informed Erica. "The man funding the expedition was ill. He went mad and tried to kill us."
"This is worse than my foolish brother simply being used for his money." Erica frowned and tapped her nails on the table worriedly.
[ ]Ask what she knows of Dr Houston
[ ]Ask what Roger did before the expedition
[ ]Ask more of Bunay
[ ]Ask about Roger's bodyguard
[ ]Write-in
- Location
- Philippines
So should they have her take a peek through the veil... or will it be a bad idea?
Should we ask her about Silas N'Kwane?
He's obviously tied to the current dealings of the cult. I am hesitant to learn more about Bunay through her.
Erica not being sucked into the occult like Roger could be useful. But on the other hand it could expediate matters.
He's obviously tied to the current dealings of the cult. I am hesitant to learn more about Bunay through her.
Erica not being sucked into the occult like Roger could be useful. But on the other hand it could expediate matters.
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[X]Ask what she knows of Dr Houston
What is the safest way we could quickly bring someone to speed to occult - without them incurring horrendous amounts of San damage?
What is the safest way we could quickly bring someone to speed to occult - without them incurring horrendous amounts of San damage?
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- Location
- Philippines
Hey just a thought should they ask her when her brother's nightmares started or what he was doing befor that?
I don't either, but we're going to get into conflict with Roger and it would be useful to have her on board to sway him back from whatever's got hook on him.
JayTar
Idea briefcase
Eh, it's been years right? It might be a bit too late for that now.
Hmm he might not even be fully human by now. But for whatever remains.. Even in Lovecraft world power of love is a thing 🤷♂️
A driving force that lets the characters plunge themselves in the abyss. Love often serves narratively as the thing keeping the characters going on in the face of insurmountable odds, for the people they have lost.
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Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]Ask what she knows of Dr Houston
I don't see the need to fill her in on that side of things just yet tbh.
I don't see the need to fill her in on that side of things just yet tbh.
Not immediately no, but if the situation gets dire we should have the possibility on hand.
She seems to have a sharpness of mind comparable to Jackson after Peru.
What I mean to say is instead of her inevitably getting San damage from an enemy action - and indulging in Carlyle family craziness, we can break it down earlier as a precaution and have it be controlled.
She seems to have a sharpness of mind comparable to Jackson after Peru.
What I mean to say is instead of her inevitably getting San damage from an enemy action - and indulging in Carlyle family craziness, we can break it down earlier as a precaution and have it be controlled.
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- Location
- Earth
[X]Ask what she knows of Dr Houston
I'm against introducing her to the occult. That has consistently gone poorly in this quest. The general initial reaction is fear or hostility towards the person doing the introducing.
If we want to break somebody's worldview gently, we ought to paint a picture that somehow does it slowly, over the course of a few hours or days.
Edit: I was wrong, and thought a few characters had already known about the occult before introducing them.
If we want to break somebody's worldview gently, we ought to paint a picture that somehow does it slowly, over the course of a few hours or days.
Edit: I was wrong, and thought a few characters had already known about the occult before introducing them.
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- Pronouns
- She
Jackson did well when introduced, as did your priest friend.
I am interested that you see her as an ally to bring in closer
I am interested that you see her as an ally to bring in closer
- Location
- Earth
Thanks for correcting me.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." I'm not convinced she's an ally, I just think she's the most likely option for one.
I'm hoping we can take things to the point where she can redeem her brother, in some capacity. Or find closure and let him go. That would make for such a great narrative. Or decide family comes first and join him in dooming the world, that works too.
JayTar
Idea briefcase
I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. She is at most an ally-of-convenience. It might be worth having a hard think about if she is the sort of person we want to have access to magic. Not everyone would use it for good. Of course we have only seen a very small sample of her so far. But what we do have doesn't make is seam like a good idea.
Her brother is likely too far gone, and even if he could be saved, would he want to be? This is the path he walked. Even if he was tricked or cajoled, he still has made his choices.
All of this is significantly premature too.
Her brother is likely too far gone, and even if he could be saved, would he want to be? This is the path he walked. Even if he was tricked or cajoled, he still has made his choices.
All of this is significantly premature too.