RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE, Doctor Ivo!

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d100 and gets 77."12 [1d100=77]
<El-Cideon> You depart Paris for Poland the morning after raiding Masha's apartment. Krakow is an old, old city, and the buildings range from everything from medieval castle remnants to modern apartment buildings. Utkin's residence turns out to be in one of the latter, in a middle class neighborhood mostly populated by working professionals and low-level government functionaries. (more)
<El-Cideon> It's a gray, dreary day, the sky outside overcast and pouring rain. Utkin's apartment is on the second floor of the building. You can hear the usual domestic noise from other apartments along the hall--crying babies, dishes being washed, that sort of thing--and the smell of someone's burnt lunch pervades the passageway. There is no obvious sound from Utkin's door.
* Nadia_Chekova marches up and knocks on the door. If he's in they can try to cajole information out of him. If he's not they can break and enter.
<El-Cideon> After a moment's wait, there is...no response on the other side of the door.
* Nadia_Chekova gives it another knock to be absolutely sure, not wanting to go to the trouble of breaking in only to find he's present but just didn't want to be disturbed.
<El-Cideon> Nope, nothing.
<Yomi> "Let's wait for him inside?" Yomi suggests.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Or just rob him," Nadia mutters, fishing out her lockpicks and getting to work on the keyhole.
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+12 disable device
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+12 disable device and gets 15."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> Actually, the door turns out to be unlocked. In fact-- (OOC: roll spot, Nadia?)
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20 and gets 7."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> --it swings open easily at your touch. there are no lights on inside the apartment; the curtains are drawn and the overcast sky outside doesn't get much light through them. The apartment looks like rather a mess, though. Just glancing inside, you can see overturned furniture.
<Nadia_Chekova> Uh oh... looks like someone beat them here. "Come on," Nadia hisses, hurrying inside and flicking on her flashlight as she scans the interior.
<El-Cideon> It does look like that. Books have been taken from shelves and tossed to the ground; a cloakroom by the entrance is open, coats tossed to the ground; even the kitchen cabinets are open. "Ransacked" is a good word to use here. At the back of the apartment is a door to another room, also open.
<Yomi> Unlikely though it is that the ones who beat them to Utkin's apartment are still within, Yomi maintains a bit of caution and approaches the door at the back of the apartment, glancing past it.
<Nadia_Chekova> Once everyone's inside, Nadia closes the door so passers by won't see their trespassing, and then follows Yomi. "I don't think this was a coincidental robbery. Someone really worked this place over."
* Erin (~carthrat@c122-107-246-130.eburwd9.vic.optusnet.com.au) has joined #HometownHeroes
<El-Cideon> It's a bedroom. The mattress has been shifted a bit, as if someone wished to look under it, and even slashed open and dug through. There's a desk with open drawers, and some handwritten ledgers open on top of it. In the corner of the room there is also a sturdy-looking metal safe. It's been opened.
<Yomi> "But did they find what they were looking for?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "That I could not say," Nadia admits, going to shine her light over the ledgers as she flicks through them for anything that seems relevant.
* Yomi gives the apartment a cursory check for the otherwordly and mystical, just in case.
<Erin> "If he was known for receiving many articles of high value, then robbers could easily have been drawn by greed alone," remarks Erin, waving a hand and attempting to discern the location of any remaining jewelry within the premises.
<El-Cideon> It looks like Utkin ran a small business of some sort. Not a very successful one. Just flipping through a few pages shows income decreasing over the past couple years and ultimately failing to keep up with personal expenses. Several months in the past is a a sizable sum of money labeled simply "Loan - N.W." This infusion of money was apparently used for advertising which seems to have resulted in an upswing of business for a short time, but ultimately the downward trend continued.
<El-Cideon>  resulted in an upswing of business for a short time, but ultimately the downward trend continued.
<El-Cideon> The final entries, made only in the last week, show him to be significantly in the negative.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Could have been loan sharks looking to recover their investment," Nadia surmises. "He was in quite a lot of debt to a person or group referred to as N.W." Turning away from the ledgers she takes a look in the opened safe for any clues.
<Erin> "I can't sense any jewels within the room. This must have been recent, so if you're right, they probably haven't sold off any valuables as of yet.."
<El-Cideon> There's nothing substantial in the safe. Only a few scraps of paper on the floor around it, mostly old envelopes and letters. They're all from Masha, primarily keeping Utkin apprised of the status of various objects she's trying to procure. The Aurora is mentioned by name in the most recent of these, which openly states it was to be sent here for storage.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Ah ha!" Nadia exclaims triumphantly as she grabs said letter. "My mother's necklace, it was definitely sent here!"
<Yomi> "We should find out who this N.W. is, then? Does anything give a clue as to where else Utkin could be found?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Nothing so far," Nadia shakes her head and goes back to looking around the apartment for any clues as to what happened to its owner.
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+2 search?
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+2 search? and gets 20."12 [1d20=18]
<Erin> "He could still return here sooner or later, but if not, then I would guess he's in hiding from this N.W. fellow- perhaps even fled the city, to bunk with one of his former comrades."
<El-Cideon> It takes a while before Nadia spots anything else of note, but...ah, there, almost behind the door on the wall in the bedroom. An indentation in the plaster, stained slightly with blood. Violence was perpetrated against more than the mattress, apparently.
* Nadia_Chekova points the mark out. "Someone had their head bashed against the wall here, I'd guess. Probably Mr Utkin, but whether it was fatal..." she shrugs. "In any case, I believe we should try to find out what we can about anyone offering loans in the city by the name of N.W. They will lead us to the Aurora."
<Erin> "Perhaps we can simply buy it back, especially if they don't know it's true value."
<El-Cideon> Rena shrugs. "We can always just hit them until they give it to use, otherwise?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "The jewels Masha provided in paris might well suffice for that," Nadia smiles, "And it would be pleasantly simple. Shall we go, then?"
<Erin> "If we don't need to use force, we won't use force. Violence begets violence," mutters Erin, nodding to Nadia.
<El-Cideon> "Only if the other person survives," Rena points out.
<Yomi> "Ah yes. I'm sure the nice criminals can be talked down nicely."
<El-Cideon> OOC: going to have Nadia do some intel-gathering, then?
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, yes," Nadia replies with a furrow of her brow. She's a nice criminal herself! Honour among thieves and all that.
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: yes
<El-Cideon> OOC: alright. Describe what you're looking for, roll GI at -2 penalty?
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+11 looking for a moneylender that goes by N.W.
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+11 looking for a moneylender that goes by N.W. and gets 22."12 [1d20=11]
<Nadia_Chekova> As they relax in a warm pub after a day of shaking down thugs and crooks, Nadia is somewhat concerned by her findings. "N.W. is apparently Nicolas Wlodarczyk, a man of fearsome and mysterious reputation who runs a mob out of the slums. It sounds like he has a hand in just about every crime in Krakow, but few have ever even met him, and even those who have give vague accounts."
<Yomi> "So how would you approach him for a loan, then?"
<Erin> "Intermediaries, I would presume. Or perhaps his people come to you when they perceive an opportunity?"
<Yomi> "Sooo... are we going to approach his intermediaries, then?"
<El-Cideon> "It would be faster than starting a business and then having it fail," Rena says, without any trace of irony.
<Yomi> "I can't argue with that."
<Nadia_Chekova> "That's how it normally works," Nadia nods. "We could go to the slums tonight to try and poke around and arrange a meeting with his organisation, but I don't think we should do so while carrying all our money - best to perhaps present ourselves as reprentatives of another organisation to appear less like isolated targets, and hint at future business opportunities to try and keep things amicable."
<Nadia_Chekova> "If we handle this poorly they might well decide to rob us and force us into prostitution," she concludes with a distasteful look.
* Yomi blinks in confusion.
<Erin> "If you and I dressed as men, then these... people... may be more inclined to take us seriously," posits Erin, mirroring Nadia's disgust.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Perhaps the good Doctor Ivo might return?" Nadia suggests, managing a smirk at that amusing possibility.
<Yomi> "He is a true criminal legend!" Yomi agrees readily, spirits lifted.
<Erin> "It can be arranged. Do you think they'll respond well to eccentric behaviour?" replies Erin, hiding a grin behind her palm.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Doubtful," Nadia shakes her head, "His reputation is most fearsome, I think we should keep our dealings short and to the point. Also I admit I would feel far safer having Yomi close to hand for any meeting."
<Yomi> "I'm not missing this for the world," Yomi assures Nadia, smiling in anticipation.
<Erin> "Shall we get started tomorrow, then? Since we're dealing with criminals, I'll have to prepare appropriate protection for us all. Just in case."
<Yomi> "If we wait too long, they might sell the Aurora," Yomi points out. "Why not try to meet them tonight?"
<El-Cideon> "Yomi and I have dates tomorrow," Rena points out. "I would not like to miss that."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Okay," Nadia thinks over the plan. "Let's get a hotel for now. Tonight Erin and I can go to arrange a meeting while Yomi and Rena can keep an eye on our valuables, then we all go to the meeting whenever it's set so we can do the trade and hopefully be well armed against double-crosses?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Dates?" she then blinks and looks between Yomi and Rena. That's unexpected!
<El-Cideon> "Yes. We met some French men at a club we visited with Selene."
<Yomi> "I'm sure it will be fine," Yomi assures Rena, finding herself quite amused.
* Erin scratches her head. "Uh, that's.. nice, we probably won't be able to get back to Paris that quickly..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Er... I think you'll have to stand them up," Nadia agrees.
<El-Cideon> Rena frowns. "That's disappointing."
<Yomi> "Don't worry! They're men, they'll wait!"
<Nadia_Chekova> Oh God, don't kill me! "Uh, maybe we can find you a nice Polish man while we're here?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, it is true that there a great many other men in the world." Rena shrugs.
<Erin> "...well, yes, and there's a time and place for meeting them, which is... not... Poland.. and not... Nadia, should we get going? It's only going to get colder outsider!"
<Erin> *outside
<El-Cideon> OOC: okay, first off, if Nadia's disguising herself as a guy, roll disguise?
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+15 and gets 21."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> So Yomi and Rena set up shop at the hotel, presumably settling in for more practicing, while Erin and "Ivo" head to Wlodarczyk's neighborhood to seek out a meeting. It's a foreboding part of town: narrow streets, close-set tenement buildings looming above, trash-strewn gutters. Most people on the streets don't give you a second glance, hoping to be ignored in turn as they go about their business. (more)
<El-Cideon> *Nadia and "Ivo"
<El-Cideon> The weather hasn't got any nicer; the wind whips through the streets and cuts at you as you walk. Making your way towards the territory reportedly run by Nicolas and his goons... (more)
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d100 and gets 88."12 [1d100=88]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+1 average spot check
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+1 average spot check and gets 10."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> ...you fortunately avoid any inconvenient misunderstandings with the slum lord's employees as you go about making your enquiries. Given the weather, not too many people are out tonight, and those who are don't seem eager to make trouble. A bouncer outside a seedy nightclub directs you a man in a secondhand business suit (you see him surreptitiously handing off a brown bag to a teenage boy before you approach.) (more)
<El-Cideon> The obvious drug runner, after some consideration, disappears inside a building for a moment. When he returns, he gives you an address a couple streets away and tells you to be there at 10 o'clock, suggesting with some force that you not disappoint during your meeting. but that's free advice, you know? For your sake.
<Nadia_Chekova> Armed now with a meeting place and time, Nadia and Erin go back to the hotel to retrieve their bosom companions and their money!
<El-Cideon> The four of you arrive at a three-storey brick building. It looks like any other from the outside, in a row of such. A wide front window (with curtains on the other side) and a faded outline of letters suggest this was once a shop of some sort. the left side of the building adjoins another; the right side leads into a narrow alley. (more)
<El-Cideon> You are ushered into the front door; the interior of the building belies its outward appearance. Fine hardwood furniture and old paintings decorate the brightly-lit, glitzy lobby. Four beefy men openly bearing guns or clubs watch you closely. (more)
<El-Cideon> There are two doors here: one directly across from you, and one to your left (which is open; you can see a handful of similar men playing cards). A young woman enters from the other door. She's young, pretty, blonde. Perfect skin marred somewhat by a rather hooklike nose. "You have business with Nicolas?"
<El-Cideon> *to your right, not your left. Argh.
<Erin> "Ja. Mr. Wlodarczyk has come into possession of an article of interest to us," replies Erin/Ivo, standing up straight and crisp. "We'd like to discussing trading for it."
* Nadia_Chekova is sadly not appearing like a pretty young woman, her hair bunched up under a beaked cap and her bosom tightly bound under the masculine shirt and coat she wears, some clever makeup disguising the feminine softness of her face to better appear like a young man. She remains respectfully silent as she protectively shadows the 'Doctor'.
<El-Cideon> She looks over each of you in turn for a moment. "We may be able to make a deal if you have something to offer us. Your names, please? All of you. I will need to know who you work for, if you are not independant operators."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Jurgen Kurtzmann," Nadia steps forward, speaking in crisp German. "This is Doctor Ivo, you will address him with respect," she glowers protectively, before gesturing at the other two. "These are Anna Komen, and Maya Yamato," she gives Rena and Yomi fake names of their own, implying by omission that aside from the good Doctor none of the others need that much respect.
<El-Cideon> The woman takes the cue and addresses "Ivo" as she continues. "You may call me Roza. Tell me what it is that you want, what you offer in exchange, and I will relay this to Nicolas. If he finds you of interest, perhaps he will consent to meet with you."
* Nadia_Chekova had thoughtfully drawn a picture earlier, since it may not be known purely by name alone, so she reaches into her breast pocket and hands a sheaf of paper to Roza, but lets 'Ivo' do the talking.
<Erin> "Very well. We are seeking a particular circlet, known as Catherine's Aurora," responds Ivo, nodding at Nadia. "In return, we have numerous valuables to offer; jewels and diamonds of the highest quality that could easily fetch a high sum. We represent a group of collectors; in the future, perhaps more trades can be made on similar terms."
<El-Cideon> Roza takes the sheet of paper and examines it as she listens to Ivo. "Jewelry for jewelry?" she says with a raised eyebrow. "This is not the most exciting of trades. But one moment, I will ask." She goes back through the door she came from and you're left standing uncomfortably surrounded by goons. After a couple minutes, she returns. "Follow me. Your weapons will remain here."
* Yomi feels fairly confident about their chances even without weapons, but decides to take her cues from Doctor Ivo all the same.
* Nadia_Chekova does not carry one, so is happy to follow along.
<Erin> Erin certainly doesn't feel especially reliant upon her pistol, and hands it over to a nearby goon.
* Yomi does wonder whether Roza is one of the demons, first!
<Yomi> "Treat it with utmost care," Yomi speaks at last, offering her wrapped-up sword to the locals.
<El-Cideon> Rena watches Yomi and Ivo, deciding to turn over her sword only after they've done the same. Once Roza is satisfied that everyone's been duly disarmed, she leads you through the door, deeper into the building. Down a hallway past a series of closed doors to a more ornate one. "You too will speak with respect," Rosa insist before opening it. (more)
<El-Cideon> The room is obviously intended for meeting audiences: several chairs are arrayed before a partition that crosses the room. In the middle of the partition is a glass section, mirrored on this side, and a door to the right. Two more goons are here, flanking the glass. Roza takes up station next to one. (more)
<El-Cideon> There is a speaker of some sort below the glass. It obscures the voice somewhat as words crackle out of it, so that the speaker sounds like a very neutral male voice. "Welcome to my home. Shall we talk business?"
<Erin> "Certainly. I trust no introductions or explanations are necessary, at this point?"
* Yomi can't do half the things Nadia can, but she can turn her entire body into a blessed weapon if the need for it arrives. And this situation seems like it just might be a test case for that.
<El-Cideon> "I admit to some curiosity: what is your interest in this particular piece of jewelry? It is indeed in my possession. It is, however, quite striking. I wouldn't part with it easily."
<El-Cideon> OOC: idly, anyone who wants to can make a listen check. -7 to the roll, though.
<Yomi> roll 1d20-7 hilarity
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20-7 hilarity and gets 12."12 [1d20=19]
<Erin> "We are part of a group of collectors," replies Ivo, clasping his fingers. "We have a particular interest in the belongings of former royalty; displays of such artifacts show the owners, themselves, to be great men, for to own the relics of the past is to inherit the prestige of the past."
<Erin> roll 1d20-5 hilarity 2.0
* Hatbot --> "Erin rolls 1d20-5 hilarity 2.0 and gets 3."12 [1d20=8]
* Nadia_Chekova is willing to go along with 'Ivo's' explanation for now, remaining silent and hoping this goes smoothly.
<El-Cideon> "Mm. Yes, I believe I understand that point of view. The question is what you have to offer me in return?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "We have other items of jewellery of similar material worth but less cultural significance," Nadia offers, unable to keep entirely silent this close to her goal.
<Erin> "Just so. We can determine the necessary values here."
<El-Cideon> "So you acknowledge that you offer me something of less overall value than that which I already have?" The voice tsks. "That is not much of an offer, you must admit."
<Yomi> "Less symbolic value, but a greater financial one to more than compensate that oversight," Yomi voices. "This is where you name your price."
<El-Cideon> "Wealth is useful, but something I have in abundance, as you may have observed. And it is uninteresting in and of itself. I wonder if you could offer me something more intriguing. If you could perform some service of use to me, perhaps, I would be more than glad to reward with you with the item you request. Because, I will be frank, you do not strike me as average collectors."(more)
<El-Cideon> "Historians do not request an audience with the leader of an underworld syndicate in order to carry out their business. Not in my experience, at least. Perhaps you are more enthusiastic about your duties than most," he says with some amusement.
<Nadia_Chekova> "What sort of service are you looking for, then?" Nadia asks, willing to consider it. Robbing him would be difficult from the security she's seen thus far, although a simple trade would have been best.
<Erin> "We are running on something of a timetable," replies Ivo, frowning into the glass. "It is our preference to have a light touch when dealing abroad, for reasons I am sure you understand."
<El-Cideon> "Nonetheless, Herr Doktor, only one of us is in a position to make requests." The voice sighs. "Perhaps you could tell me the nature of your talents, and I will know better what you might do to earn that which you seek?"
<Erin> "Most of your time is spending finding things," replies Erin. "If there is something in Poland that you want, we can get it for you."
<Erin> *our
<Nadia_Chekova> "The doctor has the finest mind in all of the Reich!" Nadia sticks up for her apparent boss. "The rest of us are merely here to support his greatness."
<El-Cideon> "Finding objects? Or information? The latter may be of some use to me."
<Erin> "Both. One cannot track down royal articles simply by smell. What is it you wish to know?"
<El-Cideon> "Hm. Very well. There is a woman, by the name of Paula Nico, who lives not far from here. She is a constant irritant to my operations and I would dearly like to see her removed from the city. If that is beyond your capabilities or beyond what you are willing to do for the Aurora, however, I would be content to be clear on her nature and purpose here. I will explain--" (more)
<El-Cideon> "She arrived here several months ago and took up residence near the church of St. Casimir, and immediately set to trying to sway the populace against my organization. Mostly through preaching, charity work, and youth education. I am convinced that she is not what she appears to be, however. There are many strange rumors about her--that she does not eat or drink, for one. What concerns me more is the apparent interest of an outsider in interfering with my affairs." (more)
<El-Cideon> What concerns me more is the apparent interest of an outsider in interfering with my affairs." (more)
* Yomi can't conceal a snort at his choice of words.
<Nadia_Chekova> "You think she's a vampire or something?" Nadia asks, putting more disbelief into her words than she really feels. Stupid supernatural popping up everywhere, the damn woman probably is one.
<El-Cideon> "If she is the agent of a rival syndicate seeking to infringe upon my territory, I need to know this. If there is truth to these rumors that she is something unearthly, however silly it might sound, I need to know this as well. I don't care how you go about confirming these things, as long as you do."
<El-Cideon> "She knows who my men are in this city. Approaching her with my own employees is difficult. You, however, may have more success."
<Erin> "A rather unusual method for a rival, to work through such hopeful institutions," remarks Ivo, with a faint smirk. "Very well. We will lay the truth out before you."
<El-Cideon> "Hearts and minds, Herr Doktor. Demgoguery can be a powerful tool."
<El-Cideon> Roza leads you back out to the front room, where your weapons are returned to you and you are shown the door. It's still a cold, lonely evening out in the streets.
<El-Cideon> "I wonder why he hides behind a wall," Rena says once you're alone. "Do you think he is terribly ugly?"
<Yomi> "It's because he's a demon," Yomi asserts. "Possibly a really strong one, too!"
* Nadia_Chekova suggests they return to the hotel and retire for the night. The would be saint can surely keep until morning. "He doesn't want anyone to know his face. It's the same reason I wear disguises so often," she explains to Rena as they travel through Krakow's streets.
<Erin> "A man who inflicts misery on others must seek to protect himself from retribution," replies Ivo, shoving 'his' hands in her pockets. "He- what? I had thought as much, but it was more metaphorical in my case."
<El-Cideon> "Is he, Yomi? Why didn't we go hit him, then?"
<Yomi> "I wanted to hear what he had to say, of course. And he helpfully directed us to his nemesis. Isn't that nice of him, Rena?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Can we make sure he hands over my mother's legacy before we antagonise him?" Nadia asks hopefully.
<El-Cideon> Rena nods. "It's very considerate, yes."
<Yomi> "It depends. If his nemesis is a good person, I'm not trading in her safety in exchange for your mother's legacy."
<Erin> "This Paula would probably like a double agent just as much as Nicholas himself would," replies Erin. "And there is no question that we would support her efforts, surely."
* Nadia_Chekova frowns. She can see the moral qualms of hurting an innocent bystander, but she's so close, after such a long and painful road to recovering that which her mother died for. "We'll see," she shrugs noncommitally.
<Yomi> "He was the only demon in sight, so it wouldn't be that hard to crush his organization," Yomi says brightly. "I'm sure you'll have the Aurora back, one way or the other!"
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+11 GI on Paula Nico
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+11 GI on Paula Nico and gets 14."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> It's a relief to get off the wet, wind-ripped streets and into a warm hotel room. It's still rather chilly the next morning, but at least the rain is gone, making your search for intelligence much more bearable.
* Nadia_Chekova returns to the others, still disguised as a handsome young man. "It seems like Mr Wlodarczyk told us all the readily available information about Miss Nico, I couldn't learn anything more from askin around," she reports.
<Yomi> "Let's just go and see her for ourselves?" Yomi suggests, rather eager. "It would be quite interesting to meet a Western priestess!"
<Erin> "Then we'll just have to pay her a visit after all," replies Erin, looking only like herself this morning. "Together, again? I'm personally interested, too."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Coming along, Rena?" Nadia asks the last member of the group since everyone seems so gung ho.
<El-Cideon> "Why not? Being with you all is better than being alone." So, you all head back to the slums. St. Casimir's is a small church, rather run-down, really. Not some grand cathedral this time, just a rather homey structure for the neighborhood parishoners.
<El-Cideon> There's a fair amount of activity around the  church, although these aren't the hours for services. Mostly women leading children to or away from the building.
* Erin heads into the church lobby, and looks around for any noticeboards or signs about recent or upcoming events.
<Yomi> As people seem to be going into the church regardless of the time, that's what Yomi does as well!
<El-Cideon> There's a bulletin board by the main doorway with schedules for things like adult literacy classes (in the evenings for workers), charity lunches, normal schooling for children...Usually Paula or a Father Leon are mentioned as running things.
* Yomi looks around for demons or strange priestesses, observing the church.
<El-Cideon> As you enter, you spot her quite quickly: there's a woman reading to a group of children in the front pews, apparently just using the church as a classroom. She's pale and willowy, with hair so lightly blond as to be almost white. Beautiful isn't the word to use, really, she just...stands out in a way that's hard to define. She's wearing a white dress.
* Erin (~carthrat@c122-107-246-130.eburwd9.vic.optusnet.com.au) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* Erin (~carthrat@c122-107-246-130.eburwd9.vic.optusnet.com.au) has joined #HometownHeroes
* Nadia_Chekova doesn't want to interrupt the woman while she's teaching children, so she settles for ambling around the church, trying to look vaguely pious and interested in the decor and notices while surreptitiously observing the striking woman in white.
* Yomi studies the woman in the white dress fairly blatantly, yet doesn't interrupt her class. The education of children is quite important, after all.
<El-Cideon> It sounds like she's teaching them mathematics. There's even been a chalkboard wheeled in. The church itself is, well, simple and plain. Functional, though it does have the requisite stained-glass windows of saints and the like.
<El-Cideon> As for the woman, she glances up you occasionally, but doesn't really divert her attention from the lesson. You could almost swear she glows a little when she's in your peripheral vision, but the effect is gone when you look straight at her. Must be a trick of the light.
<El-Cideon> Eventually, the lesson winds down, the children shuffle off (mostly with polite goodbyes; they seem to like her) and get shooed out the door to their waiting mothers.
<Yomi> This looks like a perfect time to approach her, and Yomi does so as soon as the last child had left to be reunited with his mother.
<El-Cideon> She notices Yomi approaching and smiles beatifically. "Hello. We're in-between classes right now, but is there something you wanted to inguire about?"
<Yomi> "A minute of your time, that's all," Yomi requests politely. "You could manage that, couldn't you?"
<El-Cideon> "Of course. What is it you need, Ms...?"
* Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-70-123-153-22.austin.res.rr.com) Quit (Ping timeout)
<Yomi> "Just call me Yomi. You're Paula, right?"
<El-Cideon> She nods. "Yes, I am. 'Yomi.' That is...Chinese? Japanese? You've come a long way to visit our little church."
<Yomi> "Japanese," she asserts. "And I don't know. I think I traveled less than you had, all things considered."
<El-Cideon> She looks confused. "Excuse me?"
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<Yomi> "Would I really venture so far away from my home if I were anything less than certain?" Yomi says with the slightest bit of chiding in her voice.
<Yomi> "But we can pretend I misspoke if you wish. The reason I am here is that I have good reason to believe that a certain black-hearted mob boss has taken an unhealthy interest in you, and seeing as you feel like a kindred spirit, I was wondering whether there was anything I could do to help, while I was in the area."
<El-Cideon> ~