Seeing that Maybelle was preparing to leave, Grimsby slipped over to Captain Remi and said quietly, "We may want to fly before this actress leaves. She knows too much about us to be safe."

In reply to Maybelle Diggory (msg # 8):

OOC: I copied Bellgrove & Connors descriptions, then "played" with them a little...hope I didn't go too far, guys  ^_^

---

     "It was that and more, Miss." interrupts a man's voice with a distinctive American accent--Northeastern States, possibly from Boston, if Maybelle's trained actor's ear is hearing it correctly, "All the more so if you were only twenty yards away from the blast point, eh, lads?"

     Appearing from further astern of Le Falcon, a trio of men approach--two walking more-or-less side-by-side with a taller man behind them.

     The man who spoke was a bit taller than average, maybe 6-foot, and trim of build, with tastefully short-cropped, light-brown hair--mostly hidden by an age-worn white crusher-style cap with black patent leather band and bill, cocked back on his head.  Bright blue eyes twinkle over a moderately handsome, smiling face that's got a few days of stubble--as well as some impressive bruises and scratches--on his chin and cheeks.
     Besides the rumpled cap on his head, he's dressed in a white cotton Brookes Bros. shirt--with arms rolled up, revealing further bruising and scratches on his arms and hands--over khaki trousers (of which both items could use a few moments with a hot iron) and rubber-soled, gray deck shoes on his feet.  A flat knife hanging from a black leather belt finishes the somewhat nautical look of his outfit, though his bearing seems to counter-indicate any sort of common background to the man.

     The companion of the man with the Bostonian accent is one of those unique, truly average looking fellows--standing an average height of about 5-foot-6 or 5-foot-7 with a lithe build, well groomed hair and clean-shaven face, and a physical demeanor that, if one were not paying close attention, could be easily forgotten as soon as the eye passed by him--though he was in no way unpleasant to look at.
     Two things about him that did stand out, however, was that his pallor seemed slightly too pale for someone who was so well dressed for outdoor activity--that being a white linen shirt, a waistcoat of black-gray-blue plaid, plain but rugged-looking brown twill jacket and dark, black or navy blue corduroy trousers tucked into tall leather walking boots--also he stood out in that, if you could look close enough, his eyes were lavender in color.

     The gentleman in the back towered over the other two by several inches--maybe 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-7--and he was a little broader in the shoulder than either of the two men walking before him.  Even in the shadowy light it is obvious that the taller man is wearing a cap similar in style to that worn by the Bostonian--though the Bostonian's cap has a far rougher, beat-up appearance to it.
     As the three step into the better lighting, the tall man in the back is indeed wearing a cap--a black, leather-looking grease top railway-style cap atop a head of thick, well groomed, chocolate-brown hair possessing a few streaks of silver...

     But what's under that head of thick, lustrous hair momentarily takes her breath away.

     Though the hair atop the tall man's head (and under his cap) is trimmed in a most manly fashion, including fashionable sideburns, every other bit of exposed skin on the tall man is covered in fur--short, white fur with black stripes!  Violet-colored eyes with slit-irises seem to glow dimly from definitely feline facial features--including a broad smile of sharp teeth possessing an over-large pair of upper canine teeth.  As he raises a hand to casually wave at the group, it's seen his hand is shaped like a human hand, but it possesses feline fur and claws, even what look like rough pads on his palm and up onto the lower part of his fingers.
     The tall man is likely a Human-Animal blend, what the European newspapers have been calling a "Moreau" person--in this case, a Tigerman.  Now that he can be seen clearer, the Tigerman's wearing a pale sage-colored, band-collared linen shirt and black pin-stripe waistcoat over slightly-faded indigo denim workman's trousers with several pockets.  When the occasional opportunity presents itself, it can be seen that the Tigerman is not wearing any footgear, and that, unlike his hands, his feet more closely resemble those of a tiger, than those of a man.

     "Myself and Bellgrove, here..." the Bostonian gestures with a thumb towards the other Human-looking man, next to him, "We got a little shelter from the blast by way of some packing crates, but still got our noggins rattled.  Now Conner, here..."
     The Bostonian now hooks a thumb over his shoulder at the Tiger-Man, "He got blown sixteen feet through the air and slammed onto the ground.  That would have killed either of us..." this time he gestures back and forth between himself and Bellgrove, "But the Big Guy just gets up and tries to shrug it off.  Of course, we had to help him stay on his feet, but otherwise he was good to continue on to rescue the Professor."
     "Who we are looking for.  Anyone seen Profess--oh, there you are, Professor!  I hope you're feeling better, I have a question for you..."

---

OOC: we all got confused about this a couple of times--Dash, and thus Bellgrove and Connor--have been on board Le Falcon this whole time.  A couple times it almost seemed like we were thought to be aboard the Black Zep, but MSG# 937 in "Flight to Bourbany" Dash makes reference to brewing the last pot of the Italian Roast coffee that was picked up when Le Falcon stopped on the east coast of Italy.  Those coffee beans were stored in the galley of Le Falcon.  Later, in MSG# 945, same thread, Bellgrove had asked OOC which ship we were on, Dash responded OOC that we were on Le Falcon, and that comment was never challenged or corrected by the GM.
     SO...our sudden appearance among y'all is thus perfectly normal. Pfffffft! ^_^

And now, it's time for.... "Edu-muh-kashun wit Lord Vince!"

Above, a couple of "cap" styles are mentioned (go figger, Boys and their Hats, right?)  So anyway, being the resident Clothing Nazi ^_^ I thought I should explain the differences.  First we must look at what is called a "Peaked Cap"--like the US Marine Corps Dress Cap, to the left (actually, my USMC buddies would hit me in the shoulder for calling that a "cap"--Marines call their headgear "Covers".  ALL their headgear.  And I'd get hit real hard for such a snafu).  Note the stiffness of the upper part of this style of cap--that comes from the placement of a thin, circular wire ring holding the fabric stiff.  On some types of Peaked Cap there are even support wires from the headband to the circular ring that help hold the upper fabric even stiffer.
     This is the base style from which the mentioned caps come--a headband with a bill, usually these are both made of leather, but can be of the same cloth as the upper portion.  An upper portion that has a diameter wider than the headband, usually made of a fabric, but can also be made of stiffer materials like leather and felt, as well as the same material as the headband, whatever that mat be.  Keep this basic image in mind, as I move on to the kinds of caps mentioned, above.

The first cap mentioned was Dash's Crusher-style Cap.  This is almost identical to the Peaked Cap I just mentioned with only a couple of slight differences.  First, the headband & bill and the upper portion of the cap will always be of different construction--usually a leather headband and bill with something else above.  With a Crusher-style Cap, that "something else is always a flexible, breathable material, usually canvas, but other cloth styles are also popular.  Even when the headband and the upper cap appear to be made of the same material (like those fishing caps called "Greek Sailor" caps), the headband is actually a band of leather or some other stiffer material (cardboard, thin wood, folds of thicker cloth) covered in the same material as the upper.
     The other difference between a Peaked Cap and a Crusher Cap is that the wire that stiffens a Peaked Cap is not present in a Crusher Cap, thus the upper portion of a Crusher Cap often looks more collapsed, more relaxed, more like it's been rolled up and shoved in a pocket (which it probably has)--in other words, it looks more "crushed".
     Now in the case of the "Bos'n's Cap" that Dash wears, he's a Maritime Trader aboard a Clipper Ship and he serves as a Junior Officer on the ship, so that's a Merchant Marine cap he's wearing.

  Connor is mentioned to be wearing something described as "similar in style" to what Dash is wearing.  The similarity being referenced is a similar lack of rigidity when compared to a Peaked Cap.  Connor is wearing a cap that has a headband and attached bill, and an upper section that is not as rigidly defined as that of a Peaked Cap, however, the upper portion of this cap is not as "relaxed" as a Crusher-style Cap, either.  This cap is called a "Grease Top" Railway Cap (it's a cap worn by British Locomotive Engineers and Locomotive Firemen (the guy who keeps the fire going)).  These caps, like Crusher Caps, usually didn't have the stiffening wire, but they were made of leather or heavy fabric which kept it's shape a lot better than the Crusher Caps did.  They were called "Grease Tops" because they kept the grease that often dripped from underneath locomotive engines from getting into the wearer's hair, and sometimes even from running down their neck.  They were not, however, fire-proof, and when sparks or flying embers from the engine happened to land upon them...well...thankfully few railmen were truly harmed, but everyone had a good laugh.

  And these are examples of modern...um...of unique...uh...these're...
     Ah, hell, they're North Korean, who the fuck knows what they were thinking when they put these on.  North Korean Halloween, maybe...?  Hiding a Kalashnikov up there?  Contraband Hooch?
This message was last edited by the player at 07:46, Sat 09 Feb 2019.

Maybelle's eyes practically blew open at the sight of the two men. She had never seen anyone like them! Who knew America could possess such unusual looking people?

In reply to Maybelle Diggory (msg # 11):

OOC: Hey, now!  Bellgrove isn't that unusual looking!  He's just from New York City! ^_^

In reply to Denholm Hawkesbury (msg # 12):

Ooc: Well, the way that they're described sounds rather unusual.

In reply to Maybelle Diggory (msg # 13):

OOC: Well...yeah.  But's only because we're freaks! ^_^

"Madame, I am not from America," Connor comments. "I am from Ireland!"

"My condition is not natural. It is the result of horrible experimentation done to me. I have learned to accept it because it is not reversible... certainly not at this time and probably not within my lifetime."

"Besides, there are certain... benefits that accrued from it."

"Like Mercy, I am an engineer and inventor."

In reply to Connor Holmes (msg # 15):

"Oh, how terrible." Maybelle said, and continued, "You're from Ireland? How lovely!"

"Now that you mention it, Grimsby, I've been meaning to ask you about the other ship," Remi replies, also in a whisper.

"I'm half tempted to take the other ship and leave Le Falcon with you."

"On the other hand, if you took the black ship to Lakshadweep, it might give you an advantage on the approach, perhaps even after you landed."

"I be thinking this might be where we part company anyway. We stopped the killing of the names on the list... even a few other things. From here on, we're heading into the unknown."

"I'm not sure my path is still the same as yours."

In reply to Remi (msg # 17):

Grimsby looked thoughtful and replied. "Well, Le Falcon is your ship, captain. You have the right to take her where you will. We have valued your aid on this voyage, but if you choose to go elsewhere, I suppose we will proceed to Lakshadweep in the black ship."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:50, Wed 13 Feb 2019.

Marian listens to Remi with a little disappointment. He'd been such a good captain, but then perhaps it was for the best. It would probably be safer for him as far away from the rest of them as he could get. The black ship made the most sense Marian nods. Since we hunt Vril we may as well disguise ourselves as Vril, until word gets out we took their ship anyway. I've been getting so used to fooling them into thinking I'm one of them lately, we may as well have a ship to match. she laughs.

His keen hearing had no problem picking up the conversation between Remi and Grimsby, and Marian's comments. There was certainly a kernel of truth in what they all said.

"I do believe the group is continuing their mission... on to Lakshadweep... and probably beyond," Connor says to Maybelle.

"I will extend an invitation to you to join them, if you fancy a touch of adventure. I've heard it said that actors give better performances when they've actually experienced the scene in real life not just pretend."

"Unless you have some personal reason for performing here at the Exposition, Miss Maybelle, I would guess that your understudy would welcome the chance to play the lead."

"Bourbony has little impact on Europe, particularly the Continent, and less on London society except for the ever-expanding British Empire, so missing a performance here should not affect your career to any great extent. You can claim that you are not feeling well enough to perform. No one can fault you for that."

"In any case, while I can invite you to join, it is up to the others to agree to it if should choose to say yes."

He then moves over to where Grimsby and Remi were speaking.

"Rather than thinking of this as going separate ways, I have a suggestion that might please everyone."

"Mercy was expecting to attend the Exposition to show off Hugo. She even purchased a booth and set it up. Matthew is over there now keeping an eye on things. But, I know she will go with the rest of you on this mission. I suggest that he and I can maintain the booth for the duration of the Exposition, and then when it's over, we can implore Remi to take me, Matthew and Hugo to follow you, as you will take the black ship."

"Does that not sound like a sensible plan?"

In reply to Connor Holmes (msg # 20):

Maybelle considered the great opportunity that she had just been given. Of course, she'd have to get a note to her troupe to tell them where she was going, but this was the chance of a lifetime! She just couldn't pass it up.

"I'd love to join you for the rest of the journey, but let me just write out a note so my troupe knows I won't be returning for some time."

In reply to Maybelle Diggory (msg # 21):

Grimsby replied (with some relief, at not having to abduct a British subject)  "We would be glad to have a person of your talents with us, Miss Diggory.
As for Mr. Holmes' plan, I suppose it depends on what Miss Kincaid chooses to do. She can show off Hugo at the fair or travel with us as she pleases."

Rosabelle followed the others to the hangar, not only because she needed to retrieve her clockwork dragon from its perch, but she was also quite curious about the airships themselves. Despite her mechanical skills, Rosabelle had had no opportunity to see an airship close by.

As the tigerman offered the actress a place among them, she clenched her hands at her waist and had to almost physically stop herself from asking to go along. She couldn't. She mustn't. But she so wanted to!

In reply to Rosabelle Descant Tinker-Plumist (msg # 23):

"Listen, everyone, be careful entering the control cabin of the Black Zep!" Dash calls out, as he approaches Professor Cavor, "There was this clockwork bat, or something, left behind by the Vril, I think, as some kind of security device.  How Remi and I didn't activate it, when we took the airship, I have no idea."

A strange expression had come over Mercy's face at both Connor's suggestion and Grimsby's question.

She'd been so busy... so preoccupied with events that she hadn't even had a moment to think about what she was going to do next.

She now realized she was being pulled in two directions at once! What had she been thinking with getting a booth at the Exposition? Well, she'd expected it to take longer to save the Queen of Bourbony, for one thing. And they really weren't sure where the... trail... would next lead.

Even as Grimsby asked her, she realized that she was going to follow it to the end, wherever it might lead.

"Of course, I'm going with the rest of you!" she replied. "This is an adventure to write books about!"

As she said it, she looked at Marian as if to say that she expected her to write those books. It was only then that she remembered Marian hadn't been with them when they started in London.

"You will join us, won't you, Marian? Of all of us, you're the best qualified to write a book about the adventure! Though I'm quite sure Bellgrove's journalism is apt to make us all famous first. Then everyone will want to read your book, Marian!"

Dash's comment made her think of Rosabelle! Mercy suddenly felt bad for inviting Maybelle along when she hadn't yet invited Rosabelle along!

"That clockwork creature belongs to Rosabelle, Dash. She sent it up to the black ship for safekeeping while we dealt with the bomb."

"You are welcome to join us, too, Rosabelle. I think I took it for granted that you were now one of us."

In reply to Mercy Kincaid (msg # 25):

Rosabelle smiled gratefully at Mercy and added her own voice to assure Hawkesbury, Indeed, the clockwork dragon is mine. He's quite harmless. I call him Thorn.

My deepest apologies if he caused any distress or concern. I'm afraid I didn't consider how he might be perceived. As my greatest achievement, I could not allow him to be destroyed if we had not been able to stop the bomb.

My thanks for the invitation. I would be pleased and honored to accompany you. I do rather feel as if I'm part of your group already. I suppose defusing a giant bomb will do that.

Rosabelle's mind was racing as she spoke. She'd need to send a note to her her steward that could be delivered to her father. Rosabelle couldn't disappear without giving him some kind of word. What to say was the question.

I would welcome some assistance on crafting a short letter to explain my absence. I don't wish to give us away, and I am uncertain how much I should say.

Marian practically claps with delight upon hearing Mercy is going to continue with them, but as she continues and gives her an invitation she fights off a blush. She'd already been so used to traveling with these people it never occurred to her that she wouldn't continue doing so! Thank the stars Mercy extended the invitation, otherwise it would have been most awkward when she tried to board with the others. Phew!

Aloud she says, Oh yes thank you! I would love to travel with you all for some time! There are so many wonderful things for my story yet to come I'm certain. Besides, adventuring is turning out to be more fun than I'd realized!

In reply to Marian Holroy (msg # 27):

Maybelle watched as the other girls chose to come along, and began writing out the message to her troupe.

Grimsby remarked, "Since the ladies seem to form an important part of the Vril hierarchy, it is only right that we should have our own ladies to counter them, especially considering that our ladies have skills that may prove very useful."

In reply to Grimsby Baskerville (msg # 29):

"Surely you jest, ladies?!" Dash exclaims, "That mechanical beast is one of the reasons I leapt from the dirigible!  Well, yes, I did it mostly because I believed there to be a Vril weapon in the upper part of the tent--but that clockwork did contribute to my desire to get off the airship!  It kept ... staring ... at me ..."

In reply to Denholm Hawkesbury (msg # 30):

Rosabelle pressed her lips together to keep from laughing outright at the man. It wasn't funny, truly.

Finally, she composed herself enough to say, I apologize again. Thorn is...curious, for lack of a better description.

OOC: Sorry for the continued silence from here. (Nice job on the intro post for us, Dash!) As I ease back into things I'm going to just follow along for a bit, but luckily that suits Bellgrove's nature. ;)

The New Yorker has been quiet as those who have come to know him expect, but it is obvious that he is quite interested to see the Black Zepplin.

In reply to Marian Holroy (msg # 27):

Maybelle perked up her head at that. Miss Holroy was writing a book? She loved a good book!