Tanuchan

Cryptomancer and Mynx, this is a lovely idea As soon as my Muse gets hit awake by one of the lines, I may contribute also... (writer's block... meh... ) Meanwhile, would anyone like to try... Time flows around me ~~~~~ Edit: actually, that line (my own...) struck my Muse... It's posted below

Anne knocks softly on the door, and as Charles answers she enters with a tray. "It's getting late, Charles... dinner will be ready in a while. The children are restless with the witches' trial and hanging. " Reverend Arthur nods, thanking the tea his wife has brought. "Thank you, Anne. I have to finish this for tomorrow's service, but I will also talk to the children." She serves the tea, thoughtful. "I hope they were the last of them, God have mercy on us... " I do hope they were. There have been so many lately... the children are either scared or too curious, it is not easy to steer them into the right path when all they see are shadows...

Anne Arthur, right besides Amelia, pats her arm. "Our children will be safe, Amelia. God is merciful and almighty. He pointed out these witches, so that we can root the evil from amidst us." She looks at Elisabeth and Arthur, shaking her head. "Satan-worshipers... and they were so shameless as to be part of our activities. Remember how Peter volunteered to help with our last barbecue, dear friend? And Elisabeth, always chattering about how beautiful our children were, and how glad she would be when they could have their own." Probably wanted them for some ritual, she thinks with a frown. And they've been missing some of the services... all within good reason, but even so... "And if they are innocent?" whispers someone. Anne turns into the direction of the voice, saying in a soft tone, "If they are innocent, they haven't anything to be afraid of. But poor Abigail and Mary deserve justice, and no one can doubt they were victims of witchcraft." Having said that, she looks around, searching her husband amid those who lead the accused couple into the prison.

Something Merelas sent me, answering a doubt I had, and asked me to post here... Katz: Oops... didn't know about your name. Well, then I can be... hmm... Anne. Knitting circle... yup, agreed. As the Reverend's wife, I guess it's my role to lead that one, and maybe also a Prayer Circle twice a week? I would also help you with your children when needed. We can be good friends, as you're the wife to the Treasurer... A barbecue seems nice also. Good idea And maybe also some kind of campaign... mm... what would be adequate? Clothing and shoes for the poor? And besides the barbecue, how about being in the middle of the preparations for a jamboree? If that kind of stuff existed at 17th century... or a beneficent party, something like that. Dean I've sent you a PM to discuss some detailed background, just to not cluttler this thread... you can post the answers here, anyway. Do we have children? I guess it depends on how old we are, and how long we've been married... I'll let this up to you, unless I have to use something in the IC thread - sorry if I write something not exactly in your plans... RP note Please, I am not familiar with Protestant customs as I've grown up in a mainly Roman Catholic country. So bear with me if I say something incoherent in my RP... you can always point it out here, and then I'll correct in the thread. ~Tanny ~~~~~~ Edit: Meh... my first name, again. Hadn't noticed Elisabeth was the NPC witch...

Yay Merelas, just a (dumb) question... what exactly is an Usher of the Church? And, if we can choose first names... mine is Amelia Arthur, and friends could call me Amy - or not? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the adequate language for Salem at that time... No PM alliances allowed - but can we PM to set some character background, or you'd rather we use this thread and talk in the open? As I'm Dean's wife, I'd like to set a "common language" with him... and I think Katz/Vahk and Dragonqueen/Celes would feel the same... This will be fun to play - me, a Reverend's wife? ~Tanny

Certainly not, Cryptomancer I enjoyed your RP as much as Lady Celes, for you were really quick to pick up the scenes with Anna without any planning at all - it was really really fun for me! I hope you keep having a good time RPing here MTYFoolish, I'm glad to see you back!!! *hugs* ~Tanny

I am in, and as Katzaniel I'd volunteer to have one of the roles if you need it. ~Tanny

This was a fun game, Lady Celes... I really wish we could have one more like this, but now without restricting the number of players. I think it would be fun. Well, do we have time for a ww game before Halloween? Who's next to mod? As I haven't heard from either Jamz or Merelas for some time... maybe Vahk? [thread hijack ] We have some fun stuff planned for Halloween... take a look at my last post at Q&A [/hijack]

I am no more than an orphan, a lowly governess. I don't have anything to lose either. Anna shakes her head after recovering from the shock of finding Hunbe Kant a murderous psychopat. She fades back into her customary corner as the other guests speak and discuss how the events on the island will affect their lives. Mother Rania knew all my past... how mistreated I was in the orphanage, how I ran away when the fire came... why I was on the streets. She told me to accept this offer from Mr. Kant. I hope she'll also accept me back in her house once I leave... I don't have anything else. Lady Morrain's already moved to Spain, I guess... it's a shame, she wanted me to go with her. I survived the orphanage, and the streets. I can survive this horror-ridden island.

Luke speaks out to those gathered. "Ok everyone, lets not get carried away accusing each other just yet. If we turn on each other we weaken ourselves. Stand together, anyone could be on this island with us, we are not the only suspects." Anna nods, but sees in his eyes the sudden and certain suspicion as he looks at her. She holds that look, understanding its meaning. Of course... I was first to arrive. I had all the keys, I'm responsible for all the food and the rooms, and all the small arrangements of the Manor. Even if it was Mr. Kant who detailed all these things and I just followed those to the letter, there's little chance they will believe a lowly governess. I am probably the least guilty here... but my position is the most suspicious. Nicely done, Mr. Kant. You will have me killed... And even so, my conscience will make me do my best to help us through it all. Even if they suspect me. She sighs softly, saying, "I guess you're right, Luke. If we work together, we will have better chances of survival. And... how goes the next line? Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon; / One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven. We shouldn't be alone, I guess. Though I don't know how well it'll help us." He says not to turn against each other, but we already have. Even him. It's plain in the way he looks at me. I won't voice it, but I wonder also... Adelaide is so... indifferent to the accusation. Not indifferent like Mr. Erickson or Mr. Horton, just... she almost says that killing her sister would be justifiable... What she said... "The world should be thanking me for killing her..." Would she think that the world would thank her for killing murderers? "Can I help in any way?" Anna finishes, still holding Luke's eyes. What can I do to prove I'm innocent? Or have you already judged and condemned me without knowing what happened, as every nun at the orphanage did? ((OOC: vote for Adelaide Welsh/Dragonqueen))

Anna keeps to herself, still busy with the breakfast, but her eyes and ears don't miss anything that happens in the room. Was the medication changed? The bottle is *empty*.... And if it was, who had chance to do it? She supresses a small sigh. Guilty of murder or not, she did have good points about our safety. She was a good ally, and a dangerous enemy, I suppose...

Anna listens to Tom rather silently, exchanging a questioning look with Luke. Is he mad or just absolutely paranoid?

Anna hesitates, but nods. "I can see the sense in your suggestion, Mrs. Butler... I have all the keys, and I did have instructions from Mr. Kant about the house." She frowns, "Though I 'm not sure I can trust those instructions anymore... " Mr. Kant isn't who he says... my instinct says me that... but in that case, *who* is he really? What does he really want? If it is killing us, why not just sink the boat we were in when we came? She turns to Luke. "Luke, you probably are the most experient person here concerning this situation... you were military personnel, after all. I think you should choose who will go with you. I'm willing to, but it is true that I may be more useful in the house. "

Tanny nods, finishing her drink. "I think that would be a good idea, Katzaniel. But I have seem two leaving Scarlot's together, and I'm not sure who is the applicant - or if both are." She looks at the tigertaur, and grins. I like her... apparently a bit arrogant, but I wouldn't say that enough to make us really clash. "I want to test something... please, don't change shape." Tanny's form blurs, and a wolf appears in her place. She jumps to the floor, looking at Katz. *Katzaniel, can you hear me?* The tigertaur looks startled for a second, for the voice she hears is clearly feminine. And looks at the wolf, recognizing Tanny's voice. "So you can mind-speech?" *To some, yes.* Her tongue lolls out, giving to the wolf a grinning expression. *But don't worry, I can't read your thoughts. Now, could you change into a cat? * Curious, Katz agrees and soon there's a cat on the chair, looking at the wolf. *Can you still hear me, Katz?* *Yes!* *Great!* Katz hears the happy giggling, as Tanny continues, *My kin can mindspeech among themselves in animal form, but I wasn't sure about other shapechangers. I can't mind-speech to other animals, just wolves and tanukis, when I'm in tanuki shape.* A tanuki looks up to the cat sitting in the chair, chittering in tanuki-language and winking. OOC: Nice idea, Katz Now, if you don't like the idea of us being able to mind-speech while in animal shape, just tell me so I can edit this post

Luke's control, perceived by Anna, actually calms her. Don't panic... this is not the orphanage, Anna... and there must be people here you can trust... people who killed by accident. Not on purpose. Breathing deeply, she also looks around. After a pause to reflect, she whispers to Luke, "I do think it is our only hope. But you shouldn't go alone. I think... " She bites her lip, hesitating. He looks at her, keeping an iron control on his thoughts. "You think...? Don't be afraid of speaking, please." "When I was at the orphanage... we, the little ones, used to be beaten in the shadows. We usually didn't even see who did it... and we learned not to be alone in dark places." Luke nods, "Pairs..." "No." Anna's face suddenly becomes harder. "In threes. Sometimes, one of a pair appeared beaten and the other would say they had to separate. We, the little ones, learned fast... " She looks at him, saying with a certainty in her voice that surprises even herself, "Let's go, both of us, and one more. Maybe Mr. Baker, who gave the idea."

Anna gasps, shocked by the candid confession and horrified by Flats' sudden death. Her hand looks for the support of the chair, but it's Luke's arm that it grabs. Justice served... everybody involved in a death... "Dead..." she whispers, starting to tremble, "... so that justice may be served, he said... "

At Tom's suggestion, Anna remembers the lighthouse. "There's the lighthouse!" As several guests look at her, Luke also nods. Anna looks for her keys, picking one. "Mr. Kant left the key and wrote that, in any emergency, we could light it and Captain Grant would come as soon as possible. He confirmed it to me when he left me here. " She hands in the key to Luke. "You're here for the security... I guess you should keep this. Mr. Baker is probably right, and we should try calling Captain Grant back before the storm hits. "

The first kill... no roles yet, Lady Celes will assign that after the first kill - if I understood it correctly. Someone must die to start the witch hunt She's asked that vote specifically to be on PMs

"I killed my sister. Me, and nobody else..." Tears run down Miss Welsh's face, as she assures herself of a truth she has always accepted as true. Anna, just a few steps away, listens to those last words and looks at her with a surprised expression. She exchanges a look with Luke, who makes a small gesture as if to stop her. Shaking her head very slightly, Anna reaches out a hand to brush Adelaide's shoulder. "Miss Welsh..." she whispers softly, "I don't know you and what happened to bring you here... but surely you don't want to be accused of killing your sister? It seems whoever is accusing us just sees the fact that our actions resulted in someone else's death... without considering if it was accidental, planned, or with sufficient reason..." Adelaide looks at her, and Anna steps back once more. I shouldn't intrude... but I am innocent... others can be also... Luke is innocent in my eyes... What is happening here?

Glancing arround the room, Luke notes the reactions of the others, 'Looks like we all been set up." Anna nods slowly, forcing her memories away and resting her hand gently on his arm. She keeps her voice barely above a whisper, and it carries just to his ears. "Whoever set this up... we are isolated here, Luke. I know there's no one else here, unless hidden somewhere in the island. And you know it also - you have made rounds around the manor... " She looks at him. "I have ill feelings about all this. Guilty or not, we should all be careful. Why bring those things past, here? What for? And where is Mr. Kant, who none of us both has met or talked to?"

Anna looks in the direction of the voice, her face showing clearly her surprise and confusion. William "Billy" Rivers? Who's he? Then, something about the date insists on coming back to her mind. Around her, people start to murmur, and she backs into a shadowed corner to hide her sudden palor as she finally connects the date with facts. August 1922... I was... around nine... the streets... She puts a hand to her face, biting back a soft cry. A shadow appears on her side, touching softly her arm, and she steps back in surprise. "Is it true for you, then?" whispers Luke, his piercing eyes on hers. He... he was a soldier... he must know what it is to kill a person... he surely did it some times... "I... " she shudders, and nods very slightly. "I don't know, didn't know his name... but... I remember the date... " As memories flood back, Anna closes her eyes, her voice almost inaudible even for Luke, "I was just a small girl on the streets... a boy attacked me in a dark alley... I don't know how... but I got a knife... stabbed him. I saw him fall in a pool of blood. I ran away." She whimpers softly, "I still have nightmares about that... " But it was self-defense!!! ~~~~ (OOC Lady Celes, when's the deadline for the PM votes?) Edit: Eh... 24 hours, of course... that's what comes from being half-asleep when reading posts...

"That's interesting... I received a letter offering me a position here as cook and governess. When I arrived, there was another letter on the mantelpiece, giving me instructions about dinner and guests' rooms... And, like you, I arrived here and found some new clothes in my room, together with matching aprons and other accessories... and, like you, it seems I'm expected to behave like a guest, having dinner together and the freedom to use what the manor offers. " Luke nods, and Anna finishes, "I'm getting uneasy also, Luke. I did expect Mr. Kant here. And with the storm forecast, it seems we'll be isolated here for some days. I don't like it at all. " All my instincts say there's something wrong. And I learned to trust them... but can I say that to him, without looking foolish?

Anna smiles, motioning Luke to approach. "Sure, Luke. I'm glad to see you here." "I guessed you wouldn't want to talk with all the guests around." He smiles also, charming. "Yes... some of them seem uncomfortable to see a governess dining with them, and also picking books in the library." "So you enjoy reading also?" "Very much. I was brought up by a teacher... and she made me what I am today. She was the one who recommended me to Mrs. Bess, who apparently gave my name to Mr. Kant." She pauses, frowning. "Luke, have you met Mr. Kant? Or are you here like I am, upon a letter and the expectation of having him here with the guests?"

Anna enters the Library briefly, and as Tom asks she comes back bringing ice. "I'm sorry, Mr. Baker. I wasn't aware that there were things missing." She stops by a shelf, picking the book she had been reading the previous night. Tom observes her with a curious look. "I was given leave to use the manor as the guests would, provided that I don't neglect my duties, " she states in a soft voice , neither submissive nor defiant. "If you have any need of me, please just call. " She leaves unobtrusively, but her attentive eyes notice what each guest is doing and also Luke's eyes following her. Turning to close the door, she looks at him and gives a small nod. I know he wants to talk about Mr. Kant... but I won't do it near the guests. Some of them already look at me as if I don't know my proper station, and I'd rather not having them overtly aggressive... She shudders, remembering some bad times at the orphanage, and goes to the games room. After being sure that there's nothing needed there either, Anna goes upstairs, to the balcony, where there's a comfortable chair. She sits down to read, enjoying the soft breeze. If Mr. Jessen wants to talk, I guess he will find me easily enough.

Anna had dined in silence, keeping to herself though she followed the several conversations around the table with curiosity. She wondered why Mr. Kant had asked her to be at the dinner table, and had felt quite uncomfortable. At least they've ignored me... though I wonder why such different people are here. Some of them have second intentions... Mrs. Butler has a look in her eyes that tells of thoughts not shared. And the way she sometimes looks at Mr. Baker... She shrugs, sighing while she cleans the kitchen. Well, not for me to say anything. It's quite strange how those high-class people seem not to perceive things that are so clear. But then... one learns a lot when having no one to defend them. I would never have survived the streets if I hadn't learned quickly to read what people show in their face instead of just listening to what they say. And I'd never have survived the orphanage either. Distracted by her thoughts, Anna cannot avoid a small jump when Luke appears suddenly by her side. "Miss Raven, May I have a word please?" She looks at him, surprised and curious as to what Luke was after. "I apologize for startling you." He smiles, charming. "It seems that, between the two of us, we are to assist in the flow of this little gathering. I have my invitation in my quarters if you would like confirmation." "Oh... " The startled look in Anna's face is quickly replaced by a somewhat shy smile, and she stammers, "... M-mister J-jesson, right?" She blushes, making herself busy with the pans for some seconds while he explains what Mr. Kant has asked of him. Silly girl... he will think you've never talked to people before! "I'm glad that I'm not the only one responsible for the guests... I have to confess that I was worried. I'm used to the work, but not all by myself in a manor in an apparently desert island... and the Captain saying that we'll have a storm. I don't feel comfortable knowing that we'll be isolated, and with Mr. Kant's absence...." She stops short, blushing even more. "Ah... sorry, Mr. Jesson... I shouldn't be talking so much... " What is this, Anna? Talking to a guest as if he were your friend... I must take a grip on myself. There's no reason to be nervous just because I've been hired by a mysterious man, who brought you to his manor and leaves all instructions in letters... She smiles nervously at Luke, feeling quite unsure of herself.