Online RP Thread (Lead up to Bloody Valentine)

Archive 33AR
#201

[quote=“mandersnz”]
Margaret wished she could somehow control this heat on her cheeks and neck. She could only hope the others were taking no notice of what must be furious blushing. She was surprised there had been no comment made, surely she resembled a tomato at this stage? A little voice in the back of her head reminded her that she probably felt worse than she looked, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

She’d almost missed Dr Swanhilde being called by her… her first name?! All of that time working with Dr Ashdown back in London and he still insisted on calling her Nurse Blake. And now, with only a short time having worked with Doctor Swanhilde and they were apparently on a first-name basis! Margaret had to turn her face away so no one would see her fume, however it only took a moment for her to regain her composure.

Was that… jealousy? She wasn’t sure. It wouldn’t do at all to have her lose her form, not when her duties were needed as a nurse here. She glanced over to Cailin, and her thought line was disrupted when she heard Dr Ashdown mention her name. Nodding, trying to keep a straight face, she sent a weak smile back at Dr Ashdown. Did that, and the tap on the shoulder mean something? It must mean something. Surely there was something between them, especially after all of that time in the hospital in London. All of their work together… She desperately wanted to believe this wasn’t just a silly school girl crush, although the sensible part of her was telling her that in this case, she was the silly school girl.

She lifted a hand to her neck, and a small wrinkle appeared in her forehead as she realised she was blushing. Still, or again, she couldn’t quite tell. Clearing her throat she nodded again, not at anything in particular. Maybe simply to clear her head and turn her focus back to what she needed to do. Cailin. Yes. Best to concentrate on her duties, now.[/quote]

Margaret seemed awfully flustered from what Dahlia could tell from the corner of her eye. She always seems to be acting strangely around Daniel. “Strange, but… seen stranger I suppose” she thought to herself, and shrugged it off.

[quote=“inhumangrunt”]
with all this on his mind Dray with a small food pack he had made up walks right past everyone into the med lab and starts to rumage around for some spear bandages that he can take with him. he had it set that he would stay for 2 days at most and then would leave for theebs.[/quote]

Dahlia notices the new addition to the room, and isn’t impressed with his over-familiarity with their supplies. She clears her throat loudly and disapprovingly before addressing him.

“Can I help you find something in our supplies?”

#202

[quote=“Bryn”]

“Yes Ms Flowers, that is the plan, are you still willing to join me? We could certainly do with your experience should we become delayed.”

“Just how long did it feel like you were there?”[/quote]

“You know everyone asks that!” she keeps smiling “and the answer is two months.” she thinks for a moment and the smile fades. “I got off lightly, the last person who came out of the portal to Skye had been trapped there for ten years. Poor guy. Though lucky in a way. The other way happens sometimes as well you know, and I think that’s worse.”

#203

[quote] BlackDahlia
"Can I help you find something in our supplies?"[/quote]

Dray looks up and turns to Dahlia
"sorry im just looking for a few things that i could pack with me when i leave"
there is a sudden headache that hits dray he cringes from the pain till it passes and then continues
" you don’t have any pain killers as well do you?"

#204

“Yes indeed I suppose it would be,” agreeing with the be-hatted woman, to have those you care for grow old whilst you’d had no time to try and escape, very much worse in many ways."

“You survived for two months, all alone, well asides from your hat,” he corrected himself. A member of the camp had told him her red head gear held some kind of special meaning for her.

“Someone who could do that, someone who like you said a few nights back knows where to find food and water, someone like that could prove very useful on our journey.”

#205

[quote=“inhumangrunt”][quote] BlackDahlia
"Can I help you find something in our supplies?"[/quote]

Dray looks up and turns to Dahlia
"sorry im just looking for a few things that i could pack with me when i leave"
there is a sudden headache that hits dray he cringes from the pain till it passes and then continues
" you don’t have any pain killers as well do you?"[/quote]

Dahlia raises her eyebrow, really wishing she could stand up. She hardly looks authoritative from the surgery bed.

“There are some mild ones I can give you. I’m afraid I can’t allow you to have the stronger ones”

Then thinking for a few seconds, she added “Why are you leaving?”

#206

“I’ll come if the Royal Mail lets me. I think they will, if I promise to bring back a report. It’s not safe for more than one person to go through per mission, so they don’t make us go in groups like you want to.” she pauses and corrects herself “It’s less safe for more than one person to go through, I mean. They’ll be interested in what the effects are.”

“Food isn’t so hard to find really. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.” she looks wistful “It’s quite beautiful around the temples. I haven’t seen anywhere on earth so green. Though I’ve been told most of earth used to look like that, before the demons burned it.” she shrugs. “The biggest problem’s you’'ll face in hell are, in order, the intense heat of the portals, the insanity, and the time displacement.” Jane smiles suddenly “And you said you’d fixed the portal problem right? So it shouldn’t be too bad.”

#207

Daniel listened intently to her words then came back to those that stuck in his mind.

“It’s not that I want to go Ms Flowers. Don’t get me wrong, I have to go, and not just because the Queen wants this war over. Here is where we find the first part of what we need to know.”

“If you’re keen to go and the Post Master won’t let you, perhaps I can have a word with him, explain the importance of what we’re doing.” The Englishman frowned, “One thing though, it would be best if you didn’t tell him where exactly we are going. Just let him know it’s important business for the crown, the more people who learn our destination, the more chance they’ll be prepared for us.”

“A passage way is all but finished,” he continued, “it works on a more stable basis than the demonic gates, we can step through safely and without the need for bulky suits and helmets.”

“We require a couple more small items before we’ll be ready to leave. Mr. Ptrov is helping me with one, I’m hoping you can help me with the other…”

#208

“Well the helmets aren’t just to protect us from the portals.” Jane frowns at him in concern “they’re to prevent us from going insane. The current theory is that you have to keep as much skin as possible covered. Sometimes it seems to help” Jane’s face goes blank for a moment “we have a special ward for when it doesn’t. People often recover” she hastily added to reassure Daniel.

“I thought you would just need me for survival advice and basic geography?” She looks uncomfortable for a moment “and I have something i need to collect from Hell, which is why I want to go with you, so that i’m not pursuing personal goals on work missions… oh!” She brightens up in understanding “Do you need an object transported?”

#209

Esther allows her self to be led outside and settle into a patch of sun.

Ivy’s right. Lewy won’t blame her, and the cold fact of the matter is that Harriet needs her more than he does.

Lovely, little, alive Harriet.

She doesn’t understand why she should be so lucky.

#210

Daniel’s forehead crumpled into a frown. “Ms Flowers, your experience will I’m sure be of great value, which is why I’d be very grateful to have you accompany us. However,” he paused for a second to bring an emphasis to what he said next.

“We absolutely won’t have time to pursue any personal goals. I am under no illusions that hell will likely be the most dangerous place I’ll have ever been, in and out as fast as we can, nine people entirely focussed on the matter at hand. No distractions. No hidden agendas, what we’re doing is too important for that and we only get one chance at doing it.”

“I’m certain you can appreciate that right?” he looked at her wondering what would be so important that she’d risk her life to try and retrieve it.

#211

Jane blinked at him. “I promise” she said, very formally “that I will not attempt it if it will put the rest of the group in further danger than whatever you are already doing there. If, however, I believe I can achieve my goal without endangering you, I will.” She frowned as she tried to find the right words “We in the Royal Mail frequently risk our lives for things that others often deem unimportant, but I wouldn’t ask that of you.” She tugged on the braids of her ridiculous hat “See, whatever it is you are looking for will be in a portal temple, what I need will also be in a portal temple. If we’re lucky we’ll find what we need in the portal temple we emerge into.” Her tugging pulled the hat down over her eyes, shielding her expression “I was unlucky enough to fall through a very active portal, with quite a few demons waiting on the other side, and it was rightfully closed behind me by Her Majesties Bodyguard.” The white knuckles on her hands betray that perhaps her emotions were not agreeing with her mind on the matter.

“I know you are planning on using a created portal, rather than one that is already active, so we won’t be able to predict what temple we come out of on the other side but…” she pushed the hat up out of her eyes and gave Daniel a hopeful smile “but we might get lucky and come out in one of the abandoned Temples and not have to face demons at all! That’s what I’m hoping for.”

#212

Lewy takes the bay leaf wordlessly. He looks at his friend, poor hurt and broken Zek. And yet, Zek somehow still finds a way to comfort a mourning friend.

“Thank you,” he manages. “I’ll keep it with me.”

Lewy places his hand on Zek’s shoulder and looks him in the eyes.

“I think we’re going to need all the luck we can get, if Jane was telling the truth about what we’re like to face in there. Still,” he grins, "if it means getting to hear you sing again, I’d face down Lucifer himself. "

#213

He appreciated her optimism, Daniel doubted what was required would be anywhere abandoned. He wished for a little more information about exactly where they’d be descending, but that would come. A ‘need to know basis’, a dreadful military term, worse still considering the exact circumstances.

“If we happen to stumble on what you’re looking for, that would be splendid, but the chances seem slim.” Pausing again for emphasis, “I’m deadly serious, we go in retrieve what we need and get out, no detours, no risks. Nine peoples lives rely on us all acting as one, following orders to the letter, working as a team.”

“What’s so important, you understand the only reason I’m willing to risk people’s lives is to retrieve what we need to close all these damn gates forever. Just what is it you’d risk your life for?” He was truly intrigued as to what might be worth such a price.

#214

Jane lowered her voice “Hell-Silver. For Zek. I think I can help him with it.” Then slightly louder “and the temples are BUILT out of the stuff, so it’ll be right there.”

#215

“If you find a piece lying around then by all means take it, we’ll need to be quiet though so there’ll be no ‘I’ll just hack this piece from the wall’… Do we have an understanding?”

“Besides, apart from a set of manacles to keep him attached to someone with a little more sense, how do you intend to use Hell-Silver to help him?” He looked at her enquiringly.

#216

Jane’s whole face lit up with enthusiasm “I’ll be able to use it to make him a tongue! I know exactly what…” she cuts herself off abruptly, and suddenly her face seems a little sharper, a little more certain “Look, I’m not asking what you’re going be doing there, and i notice you’re not telling me. Which is fair, since you never know what is listening and you clearly want it to be kept secret. You seem nice though, your helped a lot of people last weekend, and I trust you wouldn’t want to go to hell for anything not important. So I’m willing to go and lend my expertise and trust that you guys won’t get me killed and will do everything you can to keep me alive, and I ask that you’ll trust me to do the same.” she nodded firmly “You seem to think i am taking hell lightly, but I assure you I am not. I know the dangers, and I know what I’m doing.” she hesitated and her face settles back into it’s usual expression “as much as any other Infernonaught anyway.”

#217

“A tongue,” he looked astonished, “from Hell-Silver?” Shaking his head slowly wondering the many ways that could go wrong.

“We’re exploring some medical options currently that may be better than tainting the chap with demonically charged metal. Still it says a lot that you’re,” he considered the next few words carefully “willing to put your life at risk for a friend.”

“As to why we’re going, I’ve told you as much as I know, we’re going to get information that will lead to the closing of all the gates to hell. Permanently. If I had more to share with you, what information, where exactly we’re descending to, it would probably be unwise to tell anyone. Like you say you never know who or what is listening.”

He paused, “However as it happens I don’t know myself. Not yet anyway, as soon as I do we’ll talk about it.” He smiled again at the woman, grateful for her blunt honesty, he knew where he stood with her, somewhat touched, but seemingly honest enough.

#218

Jane smiled back, relieved. Her mind went over all she knew about silver to try and explain properly why she thought it would work, but she couldn’t find words that would reassure the good doctor. So she side-stepped the issue. “I risk my life all the time for perfect strangers, it’s my job.” She reminds Daniel cheerfully. “Just like every Robin. Which reminds me; you wanted help with getting some small object?”

#219

[quote=“DapperAeronaut”]

Lewy places his hand on Zek’s shoulder and looks him in the eyes.

“I think we’re going to need all the luck we can get, if Jane was telling the truth about what we’re like to face in there.”[/quote]

Zek frowns and starts tracing out another message, faster this time. He’s already attuning his spelling to the speed that Lewy can read it at (which is pretty fast - unsurprising, considering that Zek has watched Lewy taking research notes before. This just lets Zek transmit a longer message. He wonders how many people know Morse Code).

‘If you need luck, then you won’t want me with you,’ he spells. ‘They’re already calling me foolish and unlucky. Of course, if they knew what Moloch had said, maybe they’d think differently.’

#220

“Ah yes, thank you for reminding me.” His mouth twitched from one side to the other as her considered the best way to phrase his request.

“You told me a few days back that you fell into the portal whilst trying to harvest the crystals that grow next to the gates right?” he waited for her nod.

“Well my understanding is that they can be used as an anchor to speed our return to our world, I need to get hold of one. Money obviously is no object, but I’m not sure who’d have one for sale.” Daniel sighed, “If we can’t buy one perhaps we could borrow one, it’s not like we’d need it for long.”

His eyes were drawn through the hatch towards Jane’s communication device, before he snapped them back to her.

“Any thoughts?”

A whistling began from the boiling copper kettle, “Can I fix you a cup?” he offered.