[[3 wounds and out, but not actively dying.]]

Jake remained quiet, his eyes watching the goings on from a distance not wanting to get involved medically. He moved away from the door and into the hall, keeping an eye and ear out for whatever might be lurking.

Standing outside the library, Jake can see the puddle of darkening blood at the foot of the alcove stair where the Mayor fell (plus some little scuffs towards the main stairs down to the hall), the upstairs bathroom looking very dark without its mirror, and the unlit corridor beyond.

Flashes of lightning from the windows overlooking the foyer attest that the storm is still raging, but little can be heard from inside: only the murmur of voices from the library and the most distant breath of thunder. The hall clock downstairs slices minutes into fragile seconds.

[[gimme a Smarts roll, sneaky Jake.]]

OOC: Of course
14:19, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 7,3 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Smarts.

Jake realises that the hall below is very quiet, certainly too quiet for anything the clank's involved in. Moving over to the rail, he can see Dave down there, warily hanging garlic up to give the hole in the wall a little protection now the fire's out. Other than that, there's only the jiang shi, who might as well be part of the furniture.

Seems the others have found something fascinating in one of the lower rooms that's delaying them.

A frown forms on Jake's lips even before his mind can put any of the pieces before him together. He drew his pistol and made his way back down the hall towards the stairs. Stopping short he paused there a long moment to listen.

Jake becomes familiar with the hollow click and fall of the clock's mechanisim, the soft scuff of Dave's boots on the floor as he works and the occasional muffled bump from the goddamn watermelon in the cupboard under the stairs. After a little while he becomes aware he's listening so hard that he's picking up the dull noise of his own heart right on the edge of hearing.

Then there's a definite sentence from the kitchen:
"On three, but be sure to bend your knees with it. One, two...three...!" Mysterious scraping sounds.

Jake remained quiet, not one to stick his head out unless he was sure of things, and waited a moment or two longer. Who's left in the house ... clank ... Abraham ... that John fella ... who else? The huckster stepped quietly down the stairs, his feet working on their own device perhaps.

After a bit of armed sneaking, Dave notices Jake's wary stance and half-turns, automatically reaching down for a weapon. "Hear somethin'?"

The folk in the kitchen seem to be discussing something too softly to be caught - the priest sounds a little more native-Gaelic-speaker than usual, but Jake knows enough of the man by now to put that down to stress.

[[sorry, got distracted by adorable spiders, cooking and nōtan. If overtired Jake wants to recall exactly where everyone he knows is, take another Smarts roll, otherwise it is guessing...]]

Jakes memory was fuzzy on where folks were perhaps due to his own stress and crisis of faith. He took a few more steps closer to the kitchen and listened.

OOC:
09:11, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 2,2 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Smarts.

09:14, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled -1,0 using 1d4-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Stealth (Unskilled).
09:14, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 1,-1 using 1d4-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. White Chip.

09:15, Today: Jake Lawrence rolled 6,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Notice.

Perplexed by this behaviour, Dave crosses the hall - not without a backward glance at the hole and the severely damaged door - to come up beside Jake. "She ain't in there - everyone else is. We'd a heard screaming," the Dust Adder points out at normal volume, though his brow is creased and his right thumb is tapping the side of his  firearm.

The folk in the kitchen are clearly at the far side from the door.
"Should self tell it about Jesus?" the clank asks.
"Ah...I tink right now it'll be mostly wanting to hide and be quiet, mebbe best to leave it alone there for a while."
"I guess Ward'll at least have somethin' to show for this mess."
There's a response from the priest too quiet to hear, and a similarly soft response.
"...'ll do what I can for you, my son. Spare me two minutes to get these wounds fairly washed and I'll come to one o' the safe rooms with you." More quiet talk, a female voice this time.

"Hold on-" Some scraping, then nearer, like the speaker were crossing the floor. "David...?"

"Me'n Deputy Whatsisface," Dave replies. "Don't see nothin' out here, yet."

Jake glanced back at Dave with a slightly puzzled look in his eye, "Wasn't listening for the people ... never know where it might be." His eyes shifted from the kitchen to the ceiling of the room beyond.

[[where ya looking, Jake? Over at the dining room or the ceiling of the foyer? You'd have to be slightly in the kitchen to see beyond its main space.]]

Dave just looks worried and casts about for any movement, particularly on the far, shadowed side of the hall where the jiang shi destroyed the light.

"We've caught some kind of...leprechaun in the cold cellar," Abbie updates the pair, hoving into view.

OOC: Just the general ceiling ... we did see them crawling/climbing on them without issue before

[[Haha...you're too smart for me. Not quiiite on the money, though.

Actually, since all the other PCs (bar Alouette, technically) are in the library with the semi-soundproof door shut, I think I'll move downstairs shennanigans to another thread for tension's sake.

You can reply there once I've worked out how to do it.]]

"Can somebody shut that dog up?" he called out in irritation before walking over towards the Chinaman who had written up the prayer.

Leaning in, Adrian went to ask him a question quietly. "Say, you know how a feller gets turned into one o' them Chinese vampires?"

The old miner looks a bit wary of this quiet interruption, dark eyes flicking from Adrian to the scene behind. "Jiang shi? I was taught as a child that when a living person is touched by the Hopping Death, that one is injured and will die and become a jiang shi. It is a terrible death." The ancient scans Adrian for signs of injury, paling a little to realise it's dark blood on the huckster's chest.

"My grandmother said there was a way to fight the infection, but I don't remember. Maybe in the books." He gestures at the various occult tomes open at pages on the subject on the desk beside Adrian, himself and John.

"Are many injured?"

The dog remains firmly attached to William's leg, growling like an infuriated kazoo. "GrrrrrRRRRRRrrrrrRRrrRR..."

"That guy with the funny hat and the shiny black pants got attacked somethin' bad by one. I'm kinda worried he might turn into one o' them...jang sheeze," he said, attempting to say the word.

Taking one of the books, he asked the Chinaman first, "You mind?"

"Not mine," the miner shrugs.

[[*slightly distracted by mental image of Spades standing there in shiny pants during the instant between reading and remembering that Americans wear their pants on the outside* Knowledge: Occult check +2, please]]

Adrian picked up a book with the tacit permission of whoever didn't say he couldn't, and began to read it diligently.

OOC:
Well, shiny black trolleywags, as you might say.

Does Knowledge (Arcana) count? It's all I've got. Here it is:

18:01, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,5 using d4+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Knowledge (Arcana).

On the subject of jiang shi, the Witchfighter's Guide has things to say.


[[? /Thank you/, I will now struggle not to picture the already weirdly flamboyant Spades clad in naught but his leather pants and bra, funny (?leather) hat and remnants of leather coat...though that reminds me I've been a touch remiss: he hasn't talked about how much he loves sleeping with lots of very definitely female whores since the posse caught up with him...

I'm not even sure what that is, so...probably?]]

William tries to shake the dog off, careful not to hurt the little guy. It wouldn't help make him popular if he would hur the annoying little yapper.
Besides - he had no intention to find out if Alouette would object to kicking dogs the same way he.. she? objected to chickens getting the boot.


Agility?

10:15, Today: William Pierce rolled 9,1 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,1. Agility.

Meanwhile, Evans is working his skill at first aid on the Mayor, while using his precious remaining tonic to help ease the man's pain.

((OOC: Evans needs to heal the Incapacitated first before he can start on the actual wounds, but luckily he doesn't take any sort of penalty to this. He uses his normal healing skill.

08:25, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 3,3 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3. Healing.
08:26, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. red chip.

Total of 8, which will heal that incapacitation nicely but doesn't affect the actual wounds.

Now the hard part. Evans uses his All-Natural Snake-Oil power to heal the actual wounds. This is off his Mad Science skill, but at a -3 penalty because of wounds.

08:30, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 4,0 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Weird Science.

That will heal 1 wound. Given how close the mayor was to the end of the Golden Hour, do I have the time for another dose of Snake Oil, or is that the lot?))

[[Magic 8 Ball, do we have more oil?
19:45, Today: Alouette got the result "Very doubtful" on the magic 8-ball. Nope. You probably don't want him fighting fit anyway.]]

The blood-spattered mayor stirs and struggles for consciousness. "...Geneviève!"

Widow Bradshaw signals to Mrs. Bruebaker, then folds her petticoat skirts to kneel beside Evans. "She's all right, Glenn. We got her back. I'm so, so sorry she got hauled through the window like that, it was my fault..." The widow brushes away a fresh surge of tears at the thought.

A couple of paces away, Tao Tao weathers the shaking like a pitbull, latched onto William's bootleather like grim death.



[[Agility or Strength as preferred - I think we'll treat it as a grapple.

Alouette is currently downstairs, though that is a very good thought, and the clank'll likely be up soon.]]