Retreat! (RP)

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Jun 17, 2025 9:06 am
- Emma -

Henry just holds you, maybe stroking your back and head if you respond well to that. He might have made soothing noises, but you are in no state to notice anything but the comfort of another human being.

When you are finally ready, he asks: "What do you need?" He can feel you shivering.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 9:16 am
Finally pulling back, she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. She felt like a wreck, and she imagined she looked like one too.

"I need..." She struggled to swallow, and started again, a bit softer. "I need a shower"
She shivered as she said it, her teeth clacking together. She was starting to feel worse and worse, and she was hoping it was just from being cold and wet. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at them in a useless attempt to heat herself up a bit.

"Could you... just stay nearby? Not in the room, I just... close. In the bathroom. In case I..." She trailed off, hating the way her voice trembled again.
Jun 17, 2025 9:21 am
- Emma -

"Of course." Henry says walking with you into the bathroom and turning on the shower for you, it warms up fast enough that he needn't have bothered, but it is a nice gesture, nonetheless. There are fresh towels and robes in the bathroom.

Henry steps outside. "Do you want the door open or closed?" He calls back as he does. You hear the sound of one of the fancy, heavy chairs being dragged across the carpet to near the door.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 10:03 am
"Leave the door open. but no peeking!"
She didn't want to flirt with him this time, or imply anything. She only needed him near by as reassurance
"I just… I’m afraid I might faint. And I don’t want to be locked in if it happens. Or for you not to hear."

Waiting for him to sit just outside the door, she stepped behind the glass divide and, with a quiet breath, peeled the soaked dress off her body. It clung stubbornly in places, and made a wet slap when she finally got it to drop onto the floor in a crumpled heap. Then, she stepped under the stream, moaning softly as soon as the water hit her. The hot spray loosened the cold knots in her shoulders, her back, her thighs, washing away the mud, the sweat, the stench of demons and rotting carcasses.

Her body still ached with soreness in her joints and a tightness in her throat as a fever started to settle in. But she was feeling much better; when she finally shut the water off and stepped out, wrapped in a snug towel around herself, she felt almost like her old self. She grabbed another towel and started carefully blotting her hair as she stepped out of the bathroom, steam billowing behind her like a mist.

She stepped barefoot into the room, pink-skinned from the heat and scented with soap and conditioner. She didn’t look at Henry, but just brushed past him and headed for her suitcase, searching through it for clean clothes.

"I need to know what happened after I was gone" she said without turning her head at him "everything that happened"
Jun 17, 2025 10:42 am
- Emma -

"Of course not." Henry says, a little of his normal impatience creeping back into his voice. You hear the sound of his shoes hitting the carpet, as he finally starts to relax. "I will be here."

He sits patiently as you go about your ablutions, he obviously wants to pepper you with questions, but is waiting for you to show you are ready to talk.

When you emerge from the shower his eyes do a passable impression of a cartoon character's popping out at the sight of a pretty lady, and his concern is tempered with exasperation.

"Are you feeling better?" He asks before answer your questions. "Mind if I take a shower while we talk?" He is shivering in his wet clothes.

With your permission, Henry steps into the shower, avoiding your (expensive) pile of clothes, and turns the shower back on, the door still open. "I don't know what happened." He says, trying not to sound petulant. "You were gone, and Reginald was all: 'Go to your room', and 'they will only blame you'. And he is right, the police immediately started to question me. Reginald and the rest denied knowing what I was talking about. They said that I was the one to invite two women away for the weekend, and that they did not know them beyond a few names. 'Maybe' they suggested, 'he's having a affair with a married woman, and his girlfriend found out', 'maybe' they said, 'he arranged for them to murder each other.' I was so worried, why would they go there? Why talk about 'murder'? What did they know? Where is Persephone? I don't think she was at grad school with me, you know. The hotel won't say anything about her."

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 10:59 am
She allowed her towel to drop to the carpet once Henry went inside the shower, somewhat relieved she could dress in peace. She picked something practical from her suitcase; soft and comfy lounge pants and a gray camisole. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tugged some dry socks on as she listened to Henry's story

"I told you they’re all part of a demon-worshipping cult" she reminded telling him that explicitly, though he thought she was jesting "You did see what Persephone turned into, didn’t you? You must have."

She searched for an extra pair of shoes, because her previous pair was all soggy and wet. Good thing she decided on packing an entire suitcase for this weekend. She had a pair of running shoes she intended to wear for the treadmill in the hotel's gym. They'll do for now. "These are all very dangerous people, Henry. You should keep your mouth shut, else they might decide to make you disappear next"
Jun 17, 2025 11:07 am
- Emma -

"What? No you didn't." Henry says, having dismissed that part as a flight of fancy and forgotten it. "'Persephone'? What do you mean 'turned into'? Did she do this?" It is easier for him to blame the woman who wormed her way into his friend-group through lies than the people he is having a hard time continuing to look up to. He is not sure he wants to be in their group anymore.

"I can't say nothing!" He objects. "They hurt you!" You wound his manly pride, and while you may think him an overbearing ass, he does worry about you [c.f., your sheet].

It is late, and you are tired, and there is a huge, warm bed beneath you.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 11:23 am
Emma sat at the edge of the bed, toweling the last of the moisture from her hair, raising her voice so he could hear her over the water running in the shower. "Come on. You know what you saw. Stop lying to yourself"

He didn’t realize what he was risking by talking. She did, and it looked like she had to be blunt in order to protect him from doing something stupid. That was her job. "I’m fine. I got away before they could ritually sacrifice me. But if you’re serious about wanting to protect me, then do not go blabbing to the cops. Just drop it. They’ve got people in the force too. The fucking Commissioner is on their payroll"

She exhaled slowly, then looked up at the mattress. Going to bed was tempting, but she couldn't just yet.
"Can you hurry up in there?" she called toward the bathroom "There’s still some stuff we need to do tonight"
Jun 17, 2025 11:31 am
- Emma -

"Wait! Ritually ... what?" Henry say, popping just his head around the door-frame, the water still running. "You're being serious? You actually believe all this stuff?" He is trying real hard to avoid accusing you of being silly, but you sound like a child.

"'The commissioner'? Of the police? I doubt that, they did not seem too pally-pally when being questioned." He says, nipping back in to turn off the water and towel off, then popping back out at your last. "What do you mean 'stuff to do'? I'm not doing anything tonight!"

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 11:49 am
"It's not a question of believing it. I saw it. With my own eyes. So did you"
She didn't believe he could have missed seeing what Persephone turned into. She was standing right next to him, for god's sakes! The level of denial was incredible, but maybe she should have expected as much. It is easier to put the blindfold over your eyes and pretend like the world still makes sense.

She gave him a quick, appreciative glance when he stepped out of the shower in his towel. He was breaking one of her rules, but she was beyond caring right now. "Get dressed" her voice took on a sharp edge "We’re not going to bed yet. We’re going to talk to Sinclair. I want answers. And...reassurances"
Jun 17, 2025 11:52 am
- Emma -

"I don't think they will talk to us." Henry says. "They wouldn't talk to me."

He grabs some clothes and heads back to the steamy bathroom to get dressed, he will not be able to get properly dry in there.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 11:57 am
"He will talk to me"

She heard the bathroom door creak as he ducked back inside, fumbling with his clothes in the steam. Whatever problems he had drying off were the least of her concerns right now "You're coming with me because I need you there, but please keep your mouth shut and let me deal with it. Ok?"
Jun 17, 2025 12:01 pm
- Emma -

"Er... OK. Whatever you say." Henry says, sounding very unconvinced, but dressed and ready to back you up as soon as he has his shoes on.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 12:05 pm
Emma took a deep breath, steeling herself. She slipped on her shoes quietly and headed toward the corridor leading to Sinclair’s suite. A moment later, she was knocking on his door, waiting for him to open up.
Jun 17, 2025 12:11 pm
- Emma -

As predicted, there is no answer from 'Sin's door. It is late and most people are sleeping.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 12:14 pm
Emma tries the buzzer now, a couple of times. She can't believe they just went to bed after planning and committing a murder. The gall of some people!
OOC:
If there is still no reply, she will call Kat up on her phone and ask her to open up
Jun 17, 2025 12:16 pm
- Emma -

They might not have 'gone to bed' so much at 'they are ignoring you, the crazy people in the hall'.

When you call Kat's phone, you definitely hear it ring, 'Sin swear, and the phone cuts off.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 12:17 pm
In a hurry and without any witnesses nearby, Benji forgoes all pretence of humanity and takes the demon down in a violent whirlwind of fangs and steel. He sinks his teeth into the demons neck, intending to rip its throat out, when he hears an alarming cracking sound and feels a jolt of pain in his left fang. He recoils with a hiss, gingerly poking at the sore fang. "Owwww! Damn it…"

The demon he was attacking is dead or near enough as to not matter anymore. Crouched over its body and covered in ichor, he hisses at the remaining demons—the one that fell and the one that was sent ahead. He’d rather not have to fight them if he doesn’t have to, but Chaudry sent them after Emma and he’s not sure if it’s possible for them to disobey his orders. "If either of you takes another step down that tunnel, I'll be forced to kill you too," he warns them.
Jun 17, 2025 12:24 pm
- Benji -

The 'seeker' demon looks on nervously, not at all keen to tangle with you, that being completely outside it orders. The 'restraint' demon looks aghast, as if to say 'you just killed my friend', but it also saw how easily you did that, and the ichor of its buddy flowing from your fangs makes it none too keen either.

You know from Persephone's boyfriend that they have some leeway when it comes to 'obeying', but it still needs to do its best to 'get her'. It takes a hesitant step away from you.

What do you do?
Jun 17, 2025 12:33 pm
Emma wouldn’t let a door stand between her and a quarry. When the direct approach failed, she was always willing to try something a little underhanded.

Still dressed in her camisole and lounge pants, she pulled Henry behind her toward the Lanesborough’s opulent lobby. The staff were too well-trained to stare, but her appearance drew a few raised brows all the same. She didn't care. If anything, it would give credence to her story. Telling Henry to stay out of view first, she approached the front desk with just the right mixture of sheepishness and entitlement, and leaned on the counter with her elbows, a little bit more forward than was decent.

"Hi… sorry. I’m staying with Mr. Sinclair—Alastair Sinclair. I stepped out for a breather and forgot my key. Can you give me a spare so I can get back into the room? The Royal Suite? He dozed off after... anyways, he dozed off, and I wouldn't want to wake him up" She tilted her head slightly, giving a soft, awkward smile like someone embarrassed by her own carelessness.

Rolls

Let It Out (+Spirit) - (2d6+1)

(51) + 1 = 7

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