Ian looks surprised by the exchange but seems to trust that Penny knows what she's doing. You do have your way with people don't you? he mutters. How do you know you can trust him? He could turn on you in a second, or be using you to feed information to his superiors. We have a demon of our own by the way. Not quite sure what we're going to do with him. he shakes his head. Balen brightens at this.
What is his name? Is it Barik? he looks eager. Who's Barik?My brother! He was supposed to be going to that widow's place while I followed Miss Penny here he gestures. Oh I just know he'd be willing to deal with you too if you but spare him!

Alice's gun was suddenly in her hand, and pointed in the demon's face, "Take heed, demon, I will not hesitate to blow your darned head off if you so much as breath the wrong way, you understand me?"

Penny was glad to hear that Ian and Alice had captured the other demon, Balen's brother. Perhaps he would be the smarter one of the pair? 'Oh, yes, I did agree to hire the pair of you on a two-for-one basis.' she recalled for Ian's benefit.

She didn't wave Alice to put her gun down, but did step out of the firing line. 'Don't drop my umbrella now, there's a good man.' she advised kindly, then faced Balen with a more steely look in her eye. Between Alice's pistol and the devil's trap he might eventually notice, she had Balen quite literally under the gun. 'We have discussed your duties and fees, but now we really must talk of your conditions. First, when in my employ, you and your brother Barik will not harm or possess any humans whatsoever. Second, if you reveal any details of our arrangement or anything you learn to any one but me, I shall inform your fellow demons of how you betrayed them and in particular Prince Belial, and I imagine they shall then, ah, have words with you two about it. This is simply insurance, you understand, I really do wish we can have a long, healthy, and productive working relationship.' she ended, all sweetness and charm.


OOC: I already offered the carrot, so now the stick. :)

He looks at the gun warily and then back at Penny, licking his lips nervously and nodding. Of course, of course! If they found out about the deal we've made it would be our heads believe me. Between them and you lot, we are between something hard and something else hard! Isn't that how the saying goes...? he frowns, trying to remember. But how is Barik? I hope you've not hurt him!

ooc: Ok, go ahead and finish up here as long as you please and then we should move on to the seance. Let me know what you plan to do in the meantime too, especially with the brothers.

She put away her pistol and nodded her acceptance of this arrangement.

'Between a rock and a hard place, or between Scylla and Charybdis,' Penny supplied merrily. 'Or, if you prefer, between the devil... and me.' She ended, with steel in her eyes and in her voice.

She began fishing in her purse, saying to Balen 'Of course, you have already killed a man today, in addition to possessing two poor fellows. You must understand that I cannot let this go unanswered. Therefore, I shall be sending you and brother back to Hell and liberating your, how you put it, "meatsuits". But, rest, assured, I shall summon you or your brother when I have need of your services. Now, please, open wide and say "ah!"' Penny had produced her hexbag, tossed it under the umbrella, and immediately began muttering the words of the purgative spell, forcing Balen, or rather the man he possessed, to begin vomiting up black slime that was the material form of the demon. Soon he'd sunk away into the dirt and was gone.

Catching her umbrella before the man slumped over, unconscious or dead, Penny quickly retrieved her hexbag, then saw to him.


OOC: If the possessed man is alive, Penny will advise him to get out of San Jose for a while, because he's wanted for robbery. If he's dead, I guess we just get out of the area.

Next, we'll go to Barik and explain the terms of the deal, then deal with him the same way.

Otherwise, I'm ready to move onto the séance.

Alice didn't even know something like that was possible, she thought there was two choices: kill or exorcise. "What was that? Where can I get one? That was very posh! How did you do that?"

'Dēfīgere et Depurgāre, if I remember my Latin correctly: "to bind and purge". A quite handy bit of white-magic witchcraft. I learned of it through some scribblings of the seventeenth-century Scots hag Rowena, though I was only able to complete the recipe after my trip to the future and access to the Internet.' Penny showed Alice the hexbag, a small pouch inked with sigils and filled with obscure odds-and-ends. 'Mostly pure salt, poplar ash, and your typical magical fetishes. It purifies the body, binds the possessing demon to waste matter, and uses the body's own mechanisms to expel it. Unpleasant for the demon, but healthier for the victim...'

'Provided they are still alive of course.' Penny noted grimly, turning the man over and checking for signs of life in heartbeat and breathing.

Alice seemed confused, "Future? Inter-net? Is that like something you catch fish with?"

'Electric fish, perhaps. It is an international network of analytical engines communicating via telegraph in the year 2013.' Penny answered distractedly.

Alice's eyes looked like they might pop out of her head. "That sounds dangerous. I am glad I am here and not there."

You find the previously possessed man is somewhat worse for the wear but fortunately alive. When you repeat the process with the brother though, the result is a corpse unfortunately. They are both quite dismayed at having to go back to hell to say the least but you are confident you can smooth that over when the time comes to speak to them again.

Eventually it is time for the seance and you find yourselves again at the strange and exotic house. You knock for a few minutes but it does no good, the door remains unanswered. ooc: Roll a listen check please and then if you try to find another way in go ahead and roll a search/spot check too.

09:21, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 9 using 1d20+7.  spot.
09:20, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 21 using 1d20+4.  Listen.
09:20, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 12 using 1d20+2.  search.

Alice pondered and listened at the door, hoping to hear what might be going on. "If they are just asleep, remember I need a couple of hours. Tell her I am setting up equipment to debunk if this is a false seance. That way I can set up a good show, o.k.?"

'Mrs Winchester may balk at a new face in the team, after we already introduced ourselves. Therefore I shall introduce you as my assistant sceptic, alongside Mister Shaw. You were detained somehow this morning.'

At they waited and knocked at the door, Penny was prepared to be patient. 'It takes the servants a good few minutes to answer the door in this house.' But not too patient. As Alice listened at the door, Penny peered through nearby windows, then cast a keen eye over the front of the house, the entrance, the path behind, and the door itself. 'Perhaps they've already built over this entrance.' she tutted as she investigated.


OOC: Listen 10, Spot 25, Search 24
Find Clues: Search 20 if I come within 5 ft of a clue.
13:25, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 10 using 1d20+9. listen.
13:25, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 25 using 1d20+9. spot.
13:25, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 24 using 1d20+13. search.
13:25, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 20 using 1d20+13. find clues: search.

Alice looked at Penny like she was loosing her mind, "Built over? Who builds over their front door?"

Neither of you hear much but Penny does manage to find a side entrance fairly easily. Seeing Alice's confusion, Ian points out a door to her on the second story that seems to open into nothing but a nasty drop. The widow here is a bit off her head. Her house is like a labyrinth. A never ending bunch of madness really. She thinks it will keep vengeful spirits away. Even I think it's a bit much and I've seen an awful lot he shakes his head.

As you try the side door you find it unlocked, no doubt for easy access for the workmen. Indeed a seemingly endless hammering can be heard from the back of the place. You can't imagine living with such din. Should you enter you'll find yourselves in a study of sorts, though it is in a bit of disarray. Now inside, you can hear a man grumbling and swearing to himself from a few rooms over, catching something about being too flaming slow.

Alice nodded, "Well don't that beat all..."

Alice entered and upon hearing the grumbling man she shouldered her shotgun and slowly made her way toward the sound.

'Careful,' Penny warned Alice, 'One may become lost in here for hours without a guide.' She fished around inside her purse, regretting not purchasing a ball of string (the demon had interrupted her shopping expedition) and produced a piece of card with a thick wad of white thread wound around it. 'That should do, but my cross-stitch may suffer for it.' She tied one end to the doorknob, then ventured into the house, following the sound of the workman, and slowing unwinding the thread behind her. 'Remember the tale of Theseus in the Labyrinth?'

Alice nodded, "Yea, I remember something about a half man half bull who ate little girls. What does that have to do with..." Then it dawned on her, "Oh you are going to use that like bread crumbs."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Sat 18 Feb 2017.

'Yes, Mrs Winchester's housekeepers must work hard enough without having to sweep up breadcrumbs.' Penny answered, peering uncertainly through the halls ahead. 'Though I would not be surprised to find the Minotaur roaming these corridors.'

Should you wish to find the man you manage fairly after a few twists and turns. It is easy to see why one could become lost. There are no hallways, one room simply leads to another. A very poor design in Ian's opinion, who can't seem to wrap his head around the madness of the place.

After a few minutes you enter a room and startle a middle aged workman from the looks of him. He is apparently sneaking a drink from a flask and looks a mixture of guilty and alarmed at seeing you. Who the devil are you?! he demands, quickly stuffing his flask into his vest. Oh wait, you aren't the same folk who were bangin on the door just now? Sorry bout that, the housekeeper's gone missing. Oddest thing, that woman seemed like the most reliable old hen there ever was. Hm. So...thought you'd just let yourselves in eh? he arched a brow.

Alison had never been here before. She agreed with Ian, this place was just maddening. She was content to let others do the talking for now.

Gone missing? Very likely, the housekeeper was simply lost or trapped in some far distant drawing room, and that seemed bad enough, but Penny knew to fear the worst. Had it been Balen and Barik when they'd snooped around? Or was another foe on their tale. Stiffly, Penny answered the inquisitive workman. 'Forgive our intrusion, but we have prior business with Mrs Winchester. We met with her this morning and were to meet again this evening. We let ourselves in because of the very real possibility no one would hear our knocking or reach the door before nightfall.' She glanced behind her, wondering how far her thread would stretch. 'Are you able to direct us to Mrs Winchester?'


OOC: Do we know where Kate Piper and Emma Bently are? We were due to meet them here.

ooc: Nope, you don't know other than that they are hopefully around here somewhere :)

The man listens with a nod. Ah. Well that figures. She's only on the complete opposite side of the house he mutters. Alright, follow me As he leads the way he grumbles about that lazy Miss Adams shirking her work, clearly not happy to tromp about himself. A few times he has to pause and retrace his steps but at long last you are led to a drawing room near the seance area. The thread has most definitely run out.

When you arrive you find Mrs. Bentley and Kate both, sipping tea and waiting for your hostess. For some reason both of them seem slightly askew, as though their clothes are a bit rumpled and Emma's hair is out of place. A servant offers you tea as well, not really caring who you are, instead more concerned with her serving duties.

Who is this? Emma arches a suspicious brow at Alice.

ooc; roll a spot check please

09:44, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 23 using 1d20+7. Spot check.

Alice arranged herself behind Penny. She took in the room, glancing around and trying to see if there are any tells that other "magicians" had been here before. She will let Penny introduce her, and not speak unless necessary.