Elsewhere.

BJ walked into the office and closed the door behind her, she was dressed in her 'school assembly' suit rather than her normal gym gear. She tapped a folder on her left palm as she walked over and looked at the person on the other side of the desk.

"I would say.. the board of trustees would be very interested in this." She said as she dropped the folder onto the desk and print outs and scans of several books out of the folder to scatter across the desk. "Questionable rituals, purchases from occult bookstores and hugely expensive rituals designed to do things to creatures like.. vampire. One could be excused for thinking you've lost your mind. Of course, we both know the truth apparently."

BJ has gotten an alert from her intel team, and a 'suggestion' from Command to put some leverage down. So here she was acting the heavy, showing the very big stick before offering a carrot. A few calls to Father Delgado back home had turned up a ritual that would possibly increase the foundation of someone's home. Personally she doubted either ritual would work without her kids but that was something she wasn't about to point out.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:07, Sat 23 Apr 2016.

In reply to Buffy Summers (msg # 457):

Luthien likewise follows along, a little quieter after inquiries into his secret keeping. Hopefully the girls will focus on the mission and quiz him...later.

Mrs. Van Tiel smiled at first, her face the usual pleasant mask that most of the school knew. However, the mask rapidly cracked when B.J. spread the evidence before the Assistant Dean. Her fingertips slid over the incriminating photos as she pored over the folder contents. When she finished, Mrs. Van Tiel stared coldly at B.J.. "You engage in some...extra-curricular activities, Coach Cordova. If I asked how you acquired that file, would you tell me?"

She spoke cordially, the smile back, even if it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I suppose the Board might very well question my sanity if you presented your file. Then again, whom would they truly consider the madwoman when you present your little conspiracy theory? After all, dear, I'm a member of the Savannah community in impeccable standing. You are a Coach who's barely washed the soap from your last undergraduate post-Soccer game shower from behind your ears."

Her voice oozed sweetness like a smooth sip of fresh Sweet Tea. Mrs. Van Tiel gathered the scans back into the folder and presented it to Bonita. "Really, Bonita. Which one of us do you think my peers will believe?"

OOC:

She's calling your bluff, B.J.! Your move!
This message was last edited by the player at 05:18, Tue 10 May 2016.

Melba calls Ronald Jackson's granddaughter.  Perhaps they can help each other.

"I'm not trying to blackmail you. I am pointing out that you aren't the right person to do this. And that your sources are.. lacking. The spell you're trying to use is for a fairly good sized house. Not a multi-acre school grounds and campus." BJ pointed out. "My statement was to point out that you're doing the same sort of thing I'm trying to do, protect the kids. I  came on heavy to make you be open about it."

"Besides.. if I wanted your goddamn job, I'd talk to a relative of a friend of mine who is on the board. Ten minutes later.. you'd be out on your ass." BJ shrugged. "And all in all, that would be bad. You care about the children, I'd rather you help me keep them safe."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

21:41, Today: B.J. Cordova rolled 10 using the Unisystem system (1d10+8).  Bluff.

---

Bonita's appeal seemingly penetrated Mrs. Van Tiel's cool exterior. The older woman sighed, the cares of the years showing on her face. "I became a teacher so I could help children bloom, the way my own teachers helped me. When you reach even one child, and see the light in their eyes...but the shadows encroach on them all, Bonita. Threaten that light with a darkness no child should ever know."

Her lower lip trembled, and for a heartbeat, she looked as though she would break. Then, the poised veneer slipped back into place. Mrs. Van Tiel stood straighter, facing B.J. with a gun snatched from her open drawer. "Nice try, Coach, but my connections yield more influence than your own."

Van Tiel aimed the gun with one hand, motioning for B.J. with the other. "Take a seat, young lady. Now, see, I've done a little homework myself. I thoroughly investigate all new faculty. Your background check proved quite...entertaining. You're quite accomplished in your own right, Coach Cordova. What I learned about you certainly showed a predilection for adventure that one rarely sees in even the most fearless athlete.

I was willing to overlook your phony cover because you protected the innocent from the monsters in California. I wanted that for my kids, and I would abide secretiveness and fabricated backgrounds, so long as my students were safe. However, I cannot abide intrusion into my own affairs."

She gave a small shrug. "An unfair double standard, I know, but certain secrets here must never see the light of day. Now. Why don't you tell me exactly WHY you're in my office? "

Outside in the halls, Chan turned a corner, and bumped into a taller man. A taller man with horns and red skin. The devilish interloper gripped her shoulders tightly. "What are you doing here?!"

Luthien's evasiveness bugged Chan, and she didn't like what that might portend for Buffy. Unfortunately, they couldn't help the restless dead girl and solve the mystery of Luthien at the same time. Sighing, Chan kept her focus on their primary concern. Too bad that took her attention off what was in front of her.

Chan walked straight into a tall man. The collision startled Chan, and she hastily mumbled an embarrassed apology. When she looked into the man's eyes to apologize, she wasn't expecting a horned devil. Chan opened her mouth and screamed!

In reply to Chan Simmons (msg # 465):

Luthien eyes the red skinned being and ask him...

"What, rather, are YOU doing here?"

Luthien steps forward to protect Chan.

The fiend only answered with a scornful glare. Then, he shoved Chan at Luthien and ran! A startled Chan stumbled toward the Man in White!

OOC:

Roll a Notice check, then whatever you feel works for a tumbling Chan!

In reply to Big Bad (msg # 467):


06:09, Today: Luthien rolled 21 using 1d10+12.  Dex+Acro (Catch Chan).
06:09, Today: Luthien rolled 12 using 1d10+8.  Per+Notice.

Luthien was far more worried about making sure Chan was okay then he was watching his opponent. And he caught her very smoothly indeed, with the preternatural grace they've come to expect of him. Which caused him to pay not quite as much attention to his fleeing opponent as he probably should.

But then, this is why one had partners.

"Get him."

To Buffy. He'd aid in pursuit in a moment.

Buffy and Chan had been discussing Luthien when they rounded a corner and bumped into a red skinned man with horns protruding from his forehead. This prompted a scream from Chan. "What the hell?" blurted a startled Buffy, "What do you mean 'What are we doing here'? We're students dumbass! What the hell are YOU doing here?"
As quickly he had appeared, the horned man turned and ran as Luthien caught Chan. "Hey, get back here! Don't you know how this works? You show up, I kick your ass, THEN you get to try to escape!" shouted Buffy as she took off after the demon.

OOC: 18:23, Today: Buffy Summers rolled 17 using the Unisystem system (1d10+9).  Notice check Notice + Perception.

"Well, I did say I have a bit more knowledge on the subject than you. I know your spell won't work, as it is..but I know to occulty gifted teen magical hackers who could do it. As for that gun,." She leaned over to look at the gun from one side. "You've got the safety off by the way." She said as she reached over to grab it from her.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

20:39, Today: B.J. Cordova rolled 18 using the Unisystem system (1d10+10).  Disarm (KF +Dex).
20:37, Today: B.J. Cordova rolled 24 using the Unisystem system (1d10+18).  Bluff Take 2.. with a DP this time.

---

"Ms Jackson?" asks Melba, wondering whether she is talking to the cold, dead aether.

Mrs. Van Tiel smirked incredulously, but a brief flinch betrayed her momentary distraction. B.J.’s dominant clutched the barrel of the gun. Her free hand bashed the older woman’s wrist and rotated in a whirl almost faster than the civilian eye could follow. “Oh!” Two seconds later, B.J. aimed the gun at Van Tiel.

The advantage gone, Mrs. Van Tiel limply held up her hands up in surrender. Her eyebrows raised, she nervously watched the coach. “Are...?” She swallowed and attempted to regain some composure. “Please forgive the cliche, but you have the upper hand. What are your intentions now, Ms. Cordova?”
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Tue 28 Apr 2020.

Buffy left her friend with the Mystery Man In White and chased after the Devil In Hugo Boss. If not for his cheap distraction with Chan, it wouldn’t even be CLOSE to a contest. That small head start help him, though, as The Slayer watched him turn the next corner, followed by a hastily opened stairwell door. She knew the school grounds well enough to remember that this particular exit opened into the maintenance service alley. He could escape into the downtown lanes and escape. Something about that suit bothered her, and not just the utter waste of designer way on an unworthy demon.

She felt like she’d seen that particular suit before...

Melba & Garrett

Somewhere else, Melba heard someone answer. “Hello?” Much older woman. Soft-spoken, a little raspy from a cold or habitual smoking.

“Have a seat, we need to discuss several things. The first one is that we have a problem that you created. I need to know what you we’re doing that caused this mess with mirrors and possessing spirits. Then I’ll see if my...associates can help to fix your mess.” She said as she took a seat and kept the gun leveled at her. She wondered which sets of ‘associates’ she’d be bringing in to help clean up this mess. “Afterwards we will discuss my quarterly evaluation and the ‘adequate’ marks for organization and planning.”

She motioned for the other woman to start talking.

Mrs. Van Tiel reluctantly sat behind her desk. Her eyes fixated on the door, losing any hope for an easy escape when she got another good look at the gun in B.J.’s hand. She let out a defeated sigh. Her hands brushed absent-mindedly over her desktop. They moved in a gentle flourish, as if smoothing bedsheets.

With another sigh, she talked. “This School was founded by families who go back generations to the founding of Savannah. These families are old, wealthy, and influential. They occupy positions in banking, schools, industry, and local government. Nothing happens in Savannah without their say-so. Certain members of these families also harbor connections with...otherworldly powers. Powers that they owe for the lucrative and privileged lives which they grew accustomed to.”

"Ms Jackson." said Melba.  "I am so glad to have been able to get through to you.  I was a friend of Shannon Moore the girl your... the girl Mr Jackson was SUPPOSED to have killed but we both know he didn't.  I'd be grateful if there's anything you think I could do to help prove Mr Jackson's innocence and better yet, find the steaming piece of slug slime who actually did it, along with the ..." she struggled to find words that weren't foul expletives, "...along with those who conspired to cover it up.  Was the teacher who found her even called as a witness at that sham of a trial?"

“My Ronald is not a violent man, he didn’t touch that little girl. He was always so gentle, woulda never hurt a soul.” Mrs. Jackson spoke with the steely restraint of one used to speaking calmly about an old, awful family tragedy. Her haggard voice hinted that she’d already cried most of those tears, if not healed from the enduring pain of institutional injustice perpetrated against family .

“Ronald always treated those children with kindness. He was a little slow, but gentle, and certainly never had no mind to imagine the awful thing that happened to that poor girl! Wasn’t much of a trial, though. That girl’s family were out of their minds with grief at the time. Back then, they didn’t mind taking my own child away. Guess they hoped it could ease some of their own pain.” Melba heard a deeper voice on the other end, likely male, asking questions. Mrs. Jackson could be heard shooing him away.

“Let me be! Anyone want to help my Ronald, I’m gonna hear them out!” Pause. “I’m sorry, my husband is protective of me. We used to get the nastiest phone calls. It’s only occasional now, but my family gets protective. That’s what you’re supposed to do, when one of your own is in trouble.”

“I do remember one of the teachers petitioned to save Ronald from the death penalty. She even helped him get a lawyer. They kept arguing that Ronald was ‘sick’, needed a mental institution. Except Ronald was never mentally ill. I don’t know why they kept saying that,  and mentally ill don’t mean you’re a murderer anyway...!”

Again, Melba heard hushed whispers over the phone. Then, Mrs, Jackson resume the call. “My husband asked me to ask you if you knew anything about the principal’s connection to the D.A.’s office...”
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:09, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Melba nodded into the phone, as people do but then she remembered you have to you know, move your lips and let air flow over your vocal chords.  "I've seen a little evidence," she said.  "Certainly enough to convince me and it goes wider." She paused and then asked, "Mrs Jackson, if you and he don't mind, would it be okay if I spoke to your husband?"

Melba heard the rustling of the phone exchanging hands. “This is Mr. Jackson. Can I ask who’s calling?” If his wife sounded haggard, Mr. Jackson sounded like the accumulated fire behind a closed door waiting on the inevitable backdraft.

"Certainly Sir. My name is Melissa Ellenberger.  I was a friend of Shannon Moore and I believe she would have wanted the correct culprit brought to justice rather than a scapegoat being used to prevent the most prominent families in this part of Savannah having to face the consequences of their crimes. This is why I want to do anything I can to help both Shannon and your son get the justice they deserve." Melba loved fire. Of course she did and if the older Mr Jackson knew about the knots of foulness binding together the souls of Mrs Van Tiel and her cronies then she was sure that knowledge could help Shannon find release.

“Did you say ‘Ellenberger’?” If Melba could have seen Mr. Jackson’s face, she would have seen it soften with cordial recognition. Perhaps even some respect? “I think your aunt (pronounced like “haunt”) represents Ronald’s new legal team. She been fighting for his amnesty since 1997. Never spoke that foolishness about Ronald being ‘crazy’ or a killer.

She a good woman. One of the only white folks around here even worth a damn.

Your aunt trying to get a mistrial. She never trusted Ambrose Jepson, either. Sonuvabitch went to Benedictine with one of the prosecutors. He know the judge from the Oglethorpe Club, too.”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 22:38, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Melba smiled a smile that glowed supernova bright as Mr Johnson put another weapon into her hands.  "Mr Jackson, you know that's immensely helpful.  There are so many little coincidences like that and this is a way I can help.  I'm going to track down all of those poorly hidden coincidences and map them out for my Aunt and for you so that she can get the case moved to Atlanta.  That's going to improve the chances of a fair trial and, since we know he didn't do it, his release.  I hope so anyway and I'm going to try my hardest to make it so."

OOC: Wow! I just googled Georgia Supreme Court and then clicked on the link only to find that I've been blocked as part of the protocol against DDNOS attacks.  Is it because I'm in England or is it because they know something about me? (Like maybe they think Melba is real?)