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[Dwarmin]

Beth is kidnapped. It didn't sound real. He found himself repeating it in his mind, over and over. She wasn't coming home.

He could feel something in his head rattling around like a coin in a washing machine. An irritant. What was that?

Gerald heard an inner monologue snapping somewhere, like in a movie. Sepia tone. Music swells. Lights dim.

The Hardboiled Detective Lynch-one of his favorite characters-was sitting at an endless bar, drinking back her misery one shot at a time, and leaving endless ashtrays full of dead soldiers. Her. A battered Fedora hat shadows her face. There's an aura of menace about her-something that's not male, female or anything. Something hungry.

He couldn't exactly see the face under that hat. Maybe it was him...a part of him, that Beth had helped him find. Willing to help do things Gerald might have normally considered unconscionable.

I'm going to get her back.
And, how are you are going to do that?
Anything I have to.
How far are you willing to go for this woman?
Anything I have to.
Well, let's see what you got, Kid. I'll take your case.

Gerald smiled absently. Detective Lynch was on the case.

....

Gerald shook his head.

Who was this woman?

More important questions. Could he trust her? She seemed to have knowledge of Beths kidnapping...and how would she know that, if it just happened. Unless she was in on it.

I wasn't born yesterday, darling.

It was almost to easy, he thought. Mysterious woman from nowhere offers to help. He was desperate, afraid, dammit. Vulnerable. Ready for any lifeline. She certainly timed her appearance well.

So. Logic.

There's a very good chance this woman is involved in Beths Kidnapping. Maybe not directly.
Why are they helping you?
They want something from you.
What do you have to offer?
I'm just...a normal guy. I live in a small house with a leaky roof, and I don't make waves. What could they want from me?
If you don't take the leap, you're never going to find out.

She was right about that. 'Eliza Heart' (the name sounded amazingly fake to him) was the only lead he had. He could ask her things, sure. He could almost hear the canned response-"Everythink vill be answered when you veet mine Employer, Meester Green.". It was odd he thought of her as a sort, what was it-A Russian Spy. Or maybe she was more like an Alien Invader-Martian Doppelganger from Beyond the Stars. In his fiction, the Hero always trusted the Imposters at first-but, always in the nick of time, their gut instinct would warn them of their true form-and they would always win.

He wasn't a Hero, though. His gut wasn't saying anything right now.

Time to take a leap of Faith.

"...Okay. Just, give me five minutes. I need to clean up, get a fresh shirt and pants. I was...fixing the sink." He held up his greasy hands as an example. He gave her a look that he hoped implied to her she needed to give him some personal space.

Just give me five minutes alone, he thought. He needed to get a message to someone.

[Ahra]

Guys... should i try to bolt the hell out of the cellar or atleast try to find the splinter?
My boss seems to absolutely hate failures, you stabbed in hand again hate.

[Dwarmin]

@Ahra: I think if your guy doesn't get the splinter, he's toast.

Either the Thing...something bads you...or the Trades shoot you.

Granted, shooting is better than whatever than Thing has in store for you, trust me on that.

And, if you survive, you might get Rakes job! Yay?

[Draignean]

My boss seems to absolutely hate failures, you stabbed in hand again hate.

Well, technically speaking, you were stabbed for disobedience, not failure.
Make of that what you will.

"...Okay. Just, give me five minutes. I need to clean up, get a fresh shirt and pants. I was...fixing the sink." He held up his greasy hands as an example. He gave her a look that he hoped implied to her she needed to give him some personal space.

Just give me five minutes alone, he thought. He needed to get a message to someone.

   Eliza looks irritated, but she nods and crosses her arms in front of her chest. It takes Gerald a second to realize that, for her, that position is what passes for relaxed and waiting. Her expression remains dour and impatient, either ignoring or oblivious to Gerald's silent request for some privacy.
   Subtlety, or the even the most basic grasp of body language, didn't seem to be among the woman's strengths.   

[Dwarmin]

"Um, can a get a moment of privacy? I'm not getting dressed with you standing there. It's the polite thing to do." Gerald says to her. It would be obvious to anyone else, he supposed...

[Draignean]

"Um, can a get a moment of privacy? I'm not getting dressed with you standing there. It's the polite thing to do." Gerald says to her. It would be obvious to anyone else, he supposed...

    Eliza looked at Gerald oddly, one eyebrow raised in a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "Do you normally change clothes in your living room?"

((The reason I'm not rolling for you is that you have no skill in persuasion or intimidate, thus you'd have to rely on success based only upon her failing worse than you. You can roll if you like, or you can attempt to manually convince her.))

[Dwarmin]

Gerald was somewhat bemused. Suspicion was to be expected. Curiosity, though?

"Not normal, no, but as you can see my living room is also my kitchen-the line between what room is being used for what is somewhat blurred."

He recalled, with a distant smile, the many and varied spontaneous uses He and Beth had found for their Kitchen table.

"...we don't exactly mind sharing the close quarters with each other, but it's annoying to have to share with a stranger.

Me and my Fiance live in very humble circumstances, Miss Heart, and while humble, they're still ours. I'm asking for a little privacy to wash up and change my clothes. Now, can you please step outside for a moment? I promise I won't...uh, jump out a window or anything."

For his part, he wasn't exactly lying-Gerald would often shuck his clothes in the living room when he got home, and end up scrambling in the empty umbrella case for a clean shirt when company arrived. Beth gave him no end of grief for it, and he loved every minute of it.

[Draignean]

Me and my Fiance live in very humble circumstances, Miss Heart, and while humble, they're still ours. I'm asking for a little privacy to wash up and change my clothes. Now, can you please step outside for a moment? I promise I won't...uh, jump out a window or anything."

For his part, he wasn't exactly lying-Gerald would often shuck his clothes in the living room when he got home, and end up scrambling in the empty umbrella case for a clean shirt when company arrived. Beth gave him no end of grief for it, and he loved every minute of it.

    Eliza appeared to struggle with herself, her impatient expression twisting further as her desire to get Gerald out the door as quickly as possible warred with her desire to not let him out of her sight. "Fine," she said at last, uncrossing her arms and stepping back to the entrance. "We're already late." She paused for with the door open, giving Gerald a hard look. "Four minutes. Don't try and chisel." Then she swung the door shut behind her, leaving Gerald alone in his house again.

[Dwarmin]

Chisel? Not any more than you're going to con me, sister.

Gerald didn't waste time wondering how, though. He knew of only one person in this town who would help him. It was a long shot, but he would take anything he could get,

He did three things, before he left. Time for multi-tasking. Something he was fairly good at.

1. Washing his hands, and putting on a new, less greasy pair clothes. Leave the sink running in case Eliza is listening at the door.

2. Placing a call to Professor Brooks House.

...This is Gerald Green, one of his students. Could you Tell Professor Brooks to swing around my house around Six this evening? I wanted to discuss our last assignment before the fire...I still owe him the paper about Lewis Carrol, Behind the Looking Glass? Sorry for being a bother, but I'm going to be stuck here all day fixing this cabinet.

I could use his help, I mean. Sorry, I have to go.

Gerald had finished that paper, actually-and he got a very good grade. It was not Lewis Carrol. Would the Professor remember, and catch onto what he was trying to say?

3. Writing a small message and hiding it behind the bathroom mirror.

-Professor Brooks, I hope you're reading this. If you were expecting to meet me here, and I'm not, I'll hopefully be at Founders Rock around two hours from when you were supposed to meet me. I need your help. It's Beth. She's missing.

Please, be careful.

Founders Rock was actually in Independence Square. He doubted many people would easily recall that, unless they knew the city well.

Action: Do these things, then exit the house and go with Eliza. Leave the front door unlocked, but closed.

[Draignean]

Chisel?

30's slang: don't cheat/con me. Consult Here if you're confused about an expression.

[SeriousConcentrate]

(Yay, interaction with a character that hasn't dropped out! XD Hopefully Helen will pass that along during my result and I can get on that next turn. :3)

[Dwarmin]

((@Draig: Oops. I thought she was talking some strange elder language.))

[Yoink]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chisel?

30's slang: don't cheat/con me. Consult Here if you're confused about an expression.

((Oh man, thanks so much for posting this! I shall happily steal it for my own RTD. So many hours spent researching old-fashioned slang... Don't mind me, just popped in to say that.))

[Ahra]

Beautiful... no? wrong? Yes? No? This real? Better check... bite my tounge, yes? maybe i can even get that thing for the boss
when ive seen enough... yes, doesent matter if its a little late... right ... ... damnit it does, better get back to work...

[scriver]

"Weeeeell..."

If Nobody wasn't going to speak about it, she could always try to find out where he had got all that soot on him while she was out looking for food. It didn't seem likely that he was going to make enough of a ruckus while she was gone to give away her hideout, and even if he did people would still assume it was his if he was found there. She'd have to remember to be extra careful when she returned, though. Really make sure nothing was up.

"I'm gonna get something more to eat, all right? If you stay here, you can't make a single peep. You got it?"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chisel?

30's slang: don't cheat/con me. Consult Here if you're confused about an expression.

((Oh man, thanks so much for posting this! I shall happily steal it for my own RTD. So many hours spent researching old-fashioned slang... Don't mind me, just popped in to say that.))

((Heh, yeah, that list is pretty great. Tahnkers.))