WW XXIV: Winter's Heart

[Lord Panther]

John's nightmares had come true. They were not done with this killing, and the werebeast had once more struck in the night. This time, the beast had made its way inside a building, instead of killing in the open outdoors. This can not be good for anyone in the town.

 

After Annie's little stunt of trying to worm her way to seeing the body, John's shin was a little sore, but he didnt' think that a corpse was the best spectacle for a young mind.

 

Surveying the crowd carefully, wondering to himself who could do such things, and two nights in a row, John felt something itching at the back of his brain. Something begging to come forward, something that didn't sit right in his gut.

 

Work always helps John concentrate, so once again, he goes back to his workshop silently, leaving the gawking to the rest of the townsfolk. There was wood that needed shaping and thinking that had to be done. Maybe Tsal would stop by for some more chunks of wood, and the two of them could have a palaver about the happenings of late. Maybe he could convince Tsal to become an apprentice and use his skills with wood in a way that would touch even more people.

 

(OOC: no vote yet)

Edited January 20, 2006 by Lord Panther

[Patrick]

Cedric had trouble sleeping during the night, as his thoughts drifted around the revelation of just before dinner.

 

In the morning he was surprisingly not as tired as he would have expected himself to be.

 

"What can I get you this morning Mr. Fernsworth?" - his manservant asked, stepping into his room.

 

"I'd like you to deliver a letter to Susan Strongam, breakfast can wait." Cedric said, and handed the man the letter he had written during the hour before dawn.

 

As the manservant left Cedric sat up on the side of his bed, and tried rearranging his thoughts. He now took it as a fact that Susan was pregnant, for if what she had were to be a simple illness she would not have acted the way she had.

 

Cedric felt immense disappointment, and, he had to admit to himself, envy at the man, who had been able to win Susan's heart. Cedric's heart had been broken last night, and now he was trying to find its pieces and somehow put the complicated puzzle together again.

 

OOC: no vote yet

Edited January 20, 2006 by Patrick Durham

[Mynx]

After waking from her troubled sleep to find news of another death, Susan had retired to her bedroom after breakfast to try and sort out some of the turmoil racking her heart and mind.

One thing she was nearly (but not quite) certain of was Cedric's innocence of the killings.

If he had gone were, I'm sure he would have killed me last night after finding out that I'm not... Susan sighed unhappily.

She still couldn't shake the feeling though that Leif had something to do with this. She just wasn't certain how or why.

 

Susan's thoughts were interrupted by her mother banging heavily on her door.

"Susan! Cedric has sent a message for you!"

Cold fear gripped Susan's heart as she slowly opened the door to her mother. She could recognise her betrothed's manservant standing quietly in the background before her attention was turned back to her still speaking mother.

"Those dresses he ordered for you have arrived," she continued, handing her daughter the note. "And he wants you to stay for lunch. Timothy here will escort you, I've got too much on today." She paused and looked at her suddenly mute daughter in exasperation.

"Well come on then!" she cried, practically hurling Susan at the manservant who took her arm and began to lead her from the house.

 

Susan spent the entire trip wrapped up in a ball of nervous fear, barely paying attention to where she was going until they arrived at Cedric's house. Timothy left her in the foyer while he went to announce her to Cedric, before returning a few moments later.

"M'lord Cedric would see Miss Strongam in his office before the dressmaids arrive." Timothy bowed to Susan and led her to the door of Cedric's office, before knocking on the heavy door for her and disappearing.

 

"Enter!"

Swallowing her fear, Susan opened the door and walked in, curtseying to Cedric before standing there with her head bowed.

"You would speak with me my lord?"

 

OOC: Vote for Leif

[Azuran]

“No! Help! Don’t eat me!” Tsal mimicked a high-pitch voice for the small wooden carrot in his left hand while in his right, a second figurine, this one of a large yawning rabbit, bounced threateningly across the dusty table towards its vegetable prey. “Aiiiiii!!” The wooden bunny pounced on the carrot in victory, and Tsal returned them to the collection of carvings in the dirty cardboard box in front of him. Mildly amused but still mostly bored, he turned his attention back to the turkey sandwich he had been eating, and taking a large bite, he chewed thoughtfully.

 

“The werebeast has struck again…” He mused out loud to himself, “and all that’s been done so far is the lynching of an innocent man and a talented smith.”

 

Tsal had decided to trust what Lillen had told him the previous day, but if the beast wasn’t himself, it had to be someone else. The revelation had lifted quite a large weight from his mind but rekindled his determination to figure out who was responsible.

 

He hadn’t seen the grisly sight of the latest slaughter himself, but had overheard plenty enough about Johnathan’s death just walking through the tavern earlier that day. It sure didn’t seem as if there was any rhyme or reason to the two victims so far, but in fairness Tsal hadn’t known Mark or the old tailor very well. Who would have really known both of them …

 

“Granny Jammeez?” Despite the lack of any sign that his sandwich agreed, Tsal reasoned on, although not sounding completely convinced with his own reasoning. “Sure…is there anyone in this town that she doesn’t know well?“

 

Tsal looked over at the terribly small pile of wood in the corner of the room; he had already used up the few choice pieces John had given him before and the thought of wrestling with one of the gnarly remaining lumps was unpleasant. He hated to be a bother to the older man, but decided he would go see if John might spare another piece or two. Carving helped Tsal to relax and think, and he needed to do both badly. With a last sigh he grabbed his heavy jacket from the back of a chair and set off for the carpenter’s.

 

 

OOC: vote for Granny Jammeez

[Venefyxatu]

Nathaniel had been writing all evening. Some of it had been scribbling in his notebook but mostly he'd been writing in a big, blank book. He could write neatly if he concentrated on it, and he was definitely doing that; this book was too important to let it go to waste by scribbling.

When he eventually fell asleep in his chair, he did not notice the drop in temperature, nor the fact that several things moved around. He slept through the chanting that seemed to come from the basement, and through the fragile voice that seemed to be trying to drown it out.

 

In the morning, when he woke up, he blamed the hearth that had gone out for the cold air and quickly lit a fire again. After making sure that it was safe, and that his books wouldn't burn down in his absence, he once more put on his winter garments and returned to the town. There, the lips of the villagers told him everything about the death of Jonathan.

 

When he entered the inn, he had a worried frown on his face and was even more absent-minded than before as he ordered his stew. Even though he already loved it after tasting it once, he hardly tasted it, intent as he was on jotting down notes in his booklet. What did that boy from yesterday want with it, anyway? It's not like it'd be of any use to anyone here ...

 

 

 

OoC : Cast my vote for Leif.

 

Purple ninja edit : Roleplay stuff.

Edited January 21, 2006 by Venefyxatu

[Jammeez]

Marching the young Annie across the square, Granny Jammeez' hand on her shoulder was gentle but firm as iron, brooking no argument. Her other hand gripped her cane tightly. It certainly would not do for the girl to see that body...although Jammeez was a bit puzzled about the means of death. She wracked her brain for memories of years ago. How had the pattern gone?

 

Annie was watching her out of the corner of her eye. Granny gave her a kind smile and bade the girl sit at the table as they entered the cottage. "I'll get you a cup, dear. Why don't you tell me what you wanted to see this morning."

 

The girl was silent at first, odd in itself, but as Granny passed her a cup of steaming chocolate, she spoke. "I wanted to see what a dead person looks like. I've never seen one... And I'm not a baby!"

 

"Of course not, Dear! And soon, you will look back on what you've seen and perhaps wish there wasn't so much of it!" Granny winked. Annie scowled. Why did the woman say things that Annie didn't understand? It made no sense. Annie didn't think you could ever see or know too much... The girl's thoughts returned to that book of Nathaniel's.

 

"Granny..." The girl hesitated, and Granny Jammeez smiled encouragingly. "What is it?"

 

"I've been curious about Mr. Churnstone. Why did he come here? Why does he live in the haunted house? Is he really...? um...He really can't hear?"

 

"Ah, child. You have come to the right person!" Granny chuckled an old woman's chuckle. "Did you not know, he is my grandson! Yes! I see you are surprised. I had a husband and children, and I have grandchildren and several great-grandchildren...and even some great-great-grandchildren...hee-hee. They'd be about your age, dear!" Granny's eyes sparkled. "Mr. Churnstone was born in this village, but my daughter, Meredith left with her husband soon after, so he could find work. Apparently they did quite well, for Nathaniel has returned with a bit of means to support himself. I do wish the boy would spare a moment from his books to find a girl and settle down, though. It would be so nice to have little ones close to me before I die."

 

Granny's voice trailed off as her eyes took on a far-away look...again! Annie found the ancient woman's habit a bit annoying.

 

OOC: Vote in a bit...

Edited January 21, 2006 by Jammeez

[Katzaniel]

Karen walked up the path of the house and knocked. While she waited, she was surprised to hear Annie's voice inside. "Just a minute, dear. Let me grab the door," came Granny's own voice, just before she opened it.

 

"I... uh, I had a question for you, Granny."

 

"Well well, come in then, dear. Annie, do you mind if Karen comes in for a moment? I've already got a pot of hot chocolate on, child, would you like some? I've been wanting to talk to you about a boy I think you'd simply adore."

 

Karen glanced inside and saw Annie. She had never liked the girl, but she really wanted to speak to Granny Jammeez. On the other hand, she wasn't particularly looking forward to being matched, either. "Nono, I only had one question. I don't want to interrupt anything."

 

"Well, what is it then, child?"

 

"When the werewolves were here before - I heard you were there - did you learn much about them? Like, when they turn werebeast, do they remember being human?"

 

The old woman hesitated, and glanced thoughtfully at the child inside the house. She answered slowly, "The Were remembers, though it is unclear whether they retain the bloodthirst in human form. I suspect it depends on the person’s... er... natural disposition... if you know what I mean."

 

Karen glanced at Annie, too. "Yes... yes, I think I do." Her brows furrowed. Finally she nodded. "Yes, and I think I agree with what you're saying." She thanked Granny and bid her farewell, then walked down the drive, thinking hard.

 

OOC: Vote for Annie / Sweetcherrie

 

PS. The RP in this post was co-written with Jammeez and discussed with Sweetcherrie

[Sweetcherrie]

With her mind on the secrets of the book and a pout on her face Annie sat at the kitchen table. Granny had made her hot chocolate, but she hadn’t touched it yet. She thought she knew who had done all this, and now she was planted in a kitchen where she had no possibility to do anything.

 

When Karen knocked on the door, Annie saw her chance. She would single-handedly find those baddies, and maybe then her dad would be proud of her. Maybe he would even get her something to drink at the Inn.

 

She started slipping of her chair when Granny turned around. Quickly she skipped back on, and smiled innocently. She had lost her chance to be brave, now her dad would never be proud of her.

 

Annie swallowed hard and kept her eyes on the floor. Memories of the last time that she and her dad had done something together were only vague. Sure they bought her presents, but sometimes she simply wished that they were just….there.

 

Granny and Karen had finished their conversation and, as Karen left, Granny came back to the kitchen and sat down next to Annie.

 

“That Karen would be really good for Tsal, but what? Why are you crying dearie?”

 

No way on the world Annie would show her tears to anybody, but now she couldn’t hold them back. She was only a child, and all this had upset her more than she wanted to know.

 

Vote: Still Granny Jammeez - Jammeez

[Jammeez]

“That Karen would be really good for Tsal, but... what? Why are you crying, Dear?”

 

No way in the world Annie would show her tears to anybody, but now she couldn’t hold them back. She was only a child, and all this had upset her more than she would admit.

 

Granny moved around the table and patted the child's shoulder. "My, my...let it all out child...hea'en knows ye've got reason...there, there..."

 

Granny continued to comfort the girl as much as the girl would let her...

 

OOC: Not yet...

Edited January 21, 2006 by Jammeez

[Patrick]

Five minutes before Susan arrived the cook had come back from the market and brought the news of another killing. Cedric was sitting in his study, thinking about both the possible failure of the planned marriage, and this terror striking randomly each night. He knew no more about the killings than the previous day, and knew that he shouldn't be thinking about them, when he was going to have a serious talk with Susan.

 

Timothy knocked on the door and announced Susan, then left and led her in.

 

Cedric was once again stunned by Susan's beauty, and was about to remark on it, but then remembered why he wanted to talk to her, and bit back the remark. He stood up from the heavy wooden chair where he had been sitting and crossed half the distance between himself and Susan, then stopped.

 

He motioned Timothy to leave, and the man complied.

 

"Susan, I...." - he started saying, but the speech he had prepared was already long forgotten. He took a long breath and blew it out slowly. The silence stretched on. When Cedric finally spoke, Susan had to strain her hearing to hear what he nearly whispered.

 

"Who?" The question did not leave much uncertainty as to what Cedric was asking about.

 

Cedric wondered whether Susan still loved the man, whose child she was carrying. Would she have loved him even through the marriage with Cedric?

 

There were too many questions. Too many unknowns. Cedric awaited Susan's answer impatiently.

 

OOC: Vote for Katzaniel/Karen Zahn.

Edited January 21, 2006 by Patrick Durham

[Katzaniel]

Karen wandered around town for a bit, clearly not wanting to go home, but not sure where to go. "I never did like that girl," she muttered. "A werewolf, though? It's hard to picture such a little girl - but then she never liked being thought of as little, did she?"

 

The young girl paced. Toward the tavern, then away again. "No one would believe me. But Granny Jammeez was here when it happened the first time; she knows more than any of us. Unless it's Granny herself... but I don't think so. I wonder how one becomes a Werebeast, anyway? I mean, Granny's been around for years, what would cause this all of a sudden? Annie is young, but then again, the first ones weren't children, were they? I don't remember enough about the stories. I should have gone in, asked more questions. Too late now. It'd be silly to go back. And Annie's there... I can't just ask questions like that with her there, she's too smart. So should I tell anyone? We wouldn't want people reacting like they did yesterday, that's for sure. But we could lock her up. If the police believe me. Which they won't. But she's just as suspicious as Tsal - I can see her killing things just out of curiosity. She's always gotten everything she wanted, done everything she wanted."

 

A number of people passed her while she was talking, and most gave sideways glances at the monologue, but despite Karen's apparent indecision about whether to do or say anything, many wandered away thinking about her words. Finally, she stopped pacing, and stopped talking. "It doesn't matter if I'm right, does it?" she said, finally. "No one will believe me." And she went home.

[LeifTheBunny]

Leif wakes that morning and starts the day in the normal fashion of getting the inn ready. Upon hearing the news, Leif lowers his head in a moment of silence. "Poor Jonathan."

 

Leif puts his gear down after the accusations of his alleged part in the actions. "Very well, it seems that there is no love in this town for former adventurers. I shall take my hint." Leif then quickly prepares the inn for the transfer of ownership.

 

"Come, take me."

 

OOC: Vote for Leif. Go Wolves!!!!!

[Mynx]

OOC: Written with Patrick

 

Susan swallowed hard against the sob that threatened to choke her.

She bowed her head and took a few deep breaths before resolving herself to the truth. Susan raised her tear stained face to Cedric and held his gaze for a moment before she flushed and dropped her head.

"My Lord Breer," she almost whispered.

 

Cedric blanched at the name as if he had been slapped.

"James?" he spluttered. "My trading partner?"

At Susan's ashamed nod Cedric staggered to a nearby chair and sat down heavily in it, his mind racing.

After a moment he looked up at Susan's diminished form.

"Him? You love him? But he...he's at least ten years my senior!"

 

Susan blinked in shock. Love?

"N-no my Lord. I don't love him! I barely even know him! He...he forced me!"

Cedric sat up slowly in his chair and regarded the girl before him.

"That is a pretty serious accusation against a very respectable man, Susan. Do you have any proof?" Cedric's face was grave, and if possible he was even more confused than before.

 

Deep in his heart Cedric wanted to believe Susan. He wished that what she said was true and she had not done this out of love. For then the marriage would still be a possibility. But his mind hoped that what she said was false. The James he knew could never have done what she was suggesting.

 

“Proof? My Lord, I carry his child! None of this happened by my own free will I swear it to you!” Susan met Cedric’s eyes and tried to convey her desperation in the matter. “I had every intention of holding my side of the contract for this wedding my Lord. I did not mean for this to happen!”

 

Cedric winced inside at the mention of the contract. He wanted to marry Susan because he loved her. But she still seemed to see herself as something that had been sold.

 

"When?" - Cedric asked.

"About six weeks ago." - Susan replied. She thought back to that horrible event, then added. "Six weeks and two days ago to be exact. I remember it well."

Cedric was starting to believe what Susan was telling him. This presented him with a dilemma however. He still loved Susan, and after what she had just told him, and had possibly been through did not want to leave her alone, and intended to go through with the marriage. The child was the problem. Cedric had heard of certain, brutal abortive procedures, but would not have wanted to submit Susan to them.

 

"Susan. I have a confession to make. I chose you as my bride because I fell in love with you, not because of the simple social necessity of being married to someone looking good. I did not intend the money to be seen as me buying you. I gave it to your parents once the deal was concluded because I could see that they were in a difficult situation." He paused for a short time, and looked Susan deep in her eyes.

"From your reaction I guess that your parents don't yet know?" Susan nodded, and Cedric continued.

 

"It will certainly show before the marriage" Cedric murmured. He knew that something like this could not be disguised, and would soon become public knowledge. Cedric was aware of the social fallout that would hit him if it was revealed that the woman he was marrying was already close to 7 months pregnant at the time of the marriage. But he had never cared about his public image.

 

"Susan...if you so wish, in order to protect you, I shall admit the child to be my own, and take care of James Breer. I'm not sure your parents will like knowing that you are pregnant, but with time they would certainly learn, and then it would be better for you to be able to say that I am the father."

 

Susan suppressed a shudder. “I don’t want it. I don’t want his child…” she faltered, not sure how to continue. Cedric nodded to himself and got up from his chair, placing a hand gently on Susan’s shoulder.

“I think we need to talk about this later, Susan.”

 

He offered her a strained smile when she looked up at him and all of a sudden looked every day of his 52 years.

“The dressmaids will be waiting for you now. I’ll see you at lunch.”

With that, Cedric led Susan to the door where Timothy waited outside to escort her off, returning to his desk as soon as the door closed to try and decide what to do.

 

Cedric sighed to himself. He did know someone who could help Susan get rid of the child, and Susan on her own would never have been able to pay the price asked. Cedric decided that if Susan really did not want the child, he would offer her this opportunity. Then he started thinking of what to do about James, whom he had considered a friend for years.

[Lord Panther]

Deep in thought at his workbench, John almost didn't hear Tsal arrive, if it had not been for the sqeek in his door. Smiling at the young man, he welcomes him into the shop.

 

"Hi Tsal, how are you?" asked John, knowing full well that no one was themselves right now, in light of the events of the past couple days.

 

"Have you used up the scraps of wood you got for your carving already?"

 

"Yes sir, I have. I was just wondering if I could get some more" Tsal replied.

 

Tsal and John go through the scraps of wood that John has amassed over the different projects he has done. All the while discussing the events, and wondering to each other who had the capacity to commit such crimes.

 

About an hour into their discussion, John had a realization in the events that were going on. He didn't let this on to Tsal, who was explaining the finer points of who he suspected. John feigned that he had a lot of work to do, so that he could get Tsal out of the shop so that he could ponder his realization alone.

 

Once Tsal was stocked up with scraps and on his way, John went over with himself what he had come to realize.

 

The itch that was at the back of his brain had been scratched, and he now realized what had been bugging him. Karen had been way too cool at the scenes of murder. He knew that she was having training as a doctor, but it takes years to get rid of skiddish in the presence of death. The only way she could be so cool at those scenes, in John's mind, was if she already knew what she would be looking at...

 

OOC: vote for Karen/Katzaniel

[Jammeez]

OOC: vote Susan/Mynx (see OOC thread for explanation)

[Tanuchan]

Tsal left John's workshop quite satisfied, already eyeing critically the new pieces of wood and looking for the shapes hidden in them. Anxious to carve them out, he went straight to his rooms in the tavern's upper level.

 

Upon entering the tavern, though, he winced at the shouting going on in the main room. Some angry men surrounded Leif, who looked at them defiantly. A soft hand touched Tsal's arm, and as he turned he met Lillen's bright eyes.

 

"Oh Tsal... can't be him, can it? I've known him since I was a little girl. He's a sweet person, really..."

 

He blinked, unsure, but something in her eyes and the warmth of her hand made him unable to think of something more than a "What?", blurted out quite rudely in his surprise.

 

"They're accusing Leif! Because he's lived elsewhere for most of his life, and is an adventurer, or was..."

 

"I don't think it's Leif... " Tsal murmured, really hoping it wasn't anyway, for both of their sakes. "But as bad as it sounds, I'm afraid that if the townsfolk turn on Leif, we're better off not putting ourselves in danger by getting in their way."

 

Their soft talk was interrupted by Leif's firm voice as he put his gear down. "Very well, it seems that there is no love in this town for former adventurers. I shall take my hint."

 

His tone made his accusers hesitate a second, but he calmly planted himself in the middle of the room, a relaxed pose that should also signal how ready he was to fight.

 

"Come, take me."

 

As one, the men attacked. Leif held his own, using a broken chair as a club and showing the skill he had aquired while still adventuring in far lands. However, someone managed to hit and trip him, and in minutes he was buried under his attackers. Lillen screamed, Tsal instinctively holding her before she entered the fray herself.

 

Several men entered the tavern then, making Lillen scream in despair - but they were the sheriff's men, and in some more minutes they were holding the attackers off Leif's still form.

 

Lillen sobbed in Tsal's arms, while he looked on with a dazed expression.

 

~~~~~~~~~

OOC: Leif the Bunny was an innocent villager. It's now Night Phase. Wolves/Seer/Baner, you have around 24 hours from this timestamp (until about Sunday, 8pm EST) to PM me your targets. RP is free, but please no accusations/speculations .

 

Good luck!

 

 

(Sorry for the shabby post... I got late... thanks again, Azuran, for writing Tsal with me.)

[Tanuchan]

Another day, but a snowy one. There hadn't been more than a very light snow earlier in the night, but close to dawn the snow had started again to fall heavily. Not until midmorning the first people start leaving their houses, but they find the tavern already open and the stew ready to be served. Lillen, eyes shadowed, directs the other barmaids; her face is hard as she faces some of her customers, remembering how they had murmured against Leif. But he would have liked to know that the tavern was in good hands, and so she and the cook had did what was necessary to keep it running.

 

The boy stopped in front of Granny Jammeez' house, wondering at the closed window. With a blink, he wonders next at the door, slightly ajar. Wary, he kept an eye on it while approaching slowly, grabbing his shovel almost like a spear. A big lump of snow caught his foot, though, and he lost his balance. He hit hard the snow bank - but it didn't give in as it should have. Instead, something hard was hidden by the snow, and the boy knelt and dug it up carefully.

 

A gnarled hand. Then the arm.

 

The boy, already pale, almost sickened up, but kept digging in a mesmerized way. The sight of Granny's ripped throat, the blood frozen around it, finaly made him give a muffled cry, and he stood up unsteadily. Gasping, he turned slowly and, finally focusing his eyes on someone, he stumbled into Joseph.

 

"Granny... Granny's dead... help.... " he whispered.

 

Joseph grabbed his shoulders, almost shaking him, but got nothing more than another weak whimper. He shouted for help, and a few minutes later people gathered around Granny's house.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC: Granny Jammeez was, unfortunately, the Baner. Congratulations to the wolves! It's now Day Phase, and you have 48 hours from this timestamp (until Tuesday, 8pm EST) to vote and try to find a wolf.

 

Scorecard at the OOC thread.

 

Good Hunting!

Edited January 23, 2006 by Tanuchan

[Jammeez]

Ack!

[Katzaniel]

"Granny Jammeez?" Karen repeated when she found out, "But ... Granny Jammeez? Who would want to kill Granny? I knew her ... we all knew her ... she was just a nice old lady! She was related to half the people in this town! I ... I was going to go see her again today! Who would ... who ... Granny!?!" For the first time, Karen was visibly shaken. Not much, of course, but her skin had gone a little pale, and her right hand was twitching a bit. "I was supposed to be back at the school," she spluttered.

 

She paused, taking deep breaths. Every once in a while she murmured, "Who?" Finally, she went silent, and then a moment later spoke again. "I can only suspect the same person I did yesterday. In fact, this latest murder might be more evidence against her: The person who knew Granny least, the person who looked angry at her yesterday. Father told me that Granny stopped Annie from seeing the body, yesterday morning, and Annie hates not getting what she wants." Karen shook her head. "I just wish she wasn't such a little girl."

 

OOC: Vote for Annie / Sweetcherrie

[JDRollins]

"This has turned into a mob rule situation. Nobody wants the facts anymore." Joseph grumbled while cleaning his counter. A couple of his patrons looked up from their shopping but Joseph ignored them and kept mumbling. "Probably someone no one here even suspects I reckon. Probably someone right under our noses. A friend perhaps."

 

OOC: My vote is for Annie

[Patrick]

Cedric had slept much more peacefully, after that conversation with Susan. Last day he had sent word to his acquaintance, who could possibly perform the abortion. He hoped to hear back from him soon.

 

Susan had seemed to like the dresses yesterday and that had made Cedric happy. Seeing her happy was what made him feel joy. He hoped that a small sliver of hope existed that some day she could possibly feel love for him, or at least not resent him.

 

Timothy came rushing in, in the morning. From the shovel in his hands and the wet snow on his trousers Cedric guessed that he had been cleaning the snow in front of his home. From Timothy's expression Cedric knew that another kill had occured during the night.

 

"Granny Jammeez!" - Timothy announced, and he was close to tears. The old woman had clearly been liked by everyone in town.

 

Cedric donned his heavy overcoat, and left his home. He wanted to check on Susan. His first guess was that she would be at the murder scene, but he was wrong.

 

Karen was again at the murder scene, at the center of attention. Cedric did not say a word, as his suspicions about the young woman were beginning to be more and more confirmed. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to fear her.

 

He turned and made his way towards Susan's home. He wanted to inform her of what he had managed to do so far, and ask whether she wanted to have the rest of the clothes, she and Timothy could not carry back last day.

 

OOC: vote for Katzaniel/Karen Zahn.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Patrick Durham

[Mynx]

Susan sat at her window looking out at the scene of the crime. Her mother had all but put a padlock on the door since the news of the third murder had arrived their doorstep that morning. Susan was too caught up in her own thoughts to complain about the isolation.

 

She still could not get her head around the way Cedric had dealt with the news of her pregnancy. Susan was beginning to understand just how much Cedric actually cared for her and she was touched that after all he had found out about her he still wanted to wed her.

Maybe I will grow to love him, Susan thought to herself. At least I know he trusts me and wouldn't harm me. Not intentionally...

 

She was distracted from her thoughts by yet another shriek from Annie - God knew what it was about this time. Susan watched the child storm off by her window.

What a little beast, she thought, before reconsidering that concept in light of the village's gruesome situation.

 

Before Susan could think much more she heard her mother knock on her door and open it enough to poke her head in.

"Cedric's here to see you. Says he wants to talk to you about yesterdays arrangements?"

Swallowing nervously before getting up from her chair and smoothing out her dress - one of the new ones Cedric had sent her home with. Apparently it was a 'day dress' but for Susan it was the most luxurious thing she had ever worn and the only reason it wasn't stored away in a safe place was because Susan now had nearly a dozen like it.

 

Her mother left to do some work in the garden, leaving Susan to fix the tea herself and take it in to the living room to meet Cedric.

Rising from his seat as she entered, Cedric met Susan halfway across the room and took the tray from her.

"You didn't have to," he told her, before looking at the dress and adding with a smile, "it suits you."

 

Susan flushed before taking a seat opposite Cedric and reaching for one of the cups of tea. They sat in silence for a few moments before Cedric cleared his throat.

"I've sent word to a colleague of mine. I think they might be able to help you...abort the child."

 

Susan coughed and choked on her tea before looking at Cedric with frank astonishment.

"You can actually do that? I...don't have to have this baby?"

Cedric smiled softly at the look of hope on his betrothed's face.

"Technically, no. But the process is far from pleasant and I think you will need to have some time to decide once you know more on the matter," even as he said this, Cedric had a feeling the Susan had already made up her mind.

 

She blushed deeply and looked down at the cup resting in her lap, before looking up at Cedric for perhaps the first time without any kind of fear or worry.

"Thank you."

He held her gaze and smiled, before his glance over Susan's shoulder told her that one of her parents had returned to the house.

 

"So," Cedric quickly changed the subject. "I suppose you've heard of this morning's...news?"

 

OOC: Annie

[Venefyxatu]

Nathaniel did not enter the inn for stew today. He did not scribble in his notebook. Instead, he walked through the village, pale, even more quiet than usual, apparently absorbed in his own thoughts but catching snippets of conversation whenever he thought about paying attention.

 

"... has last seen her."

 

"But Karen was ..."

 

"Did you hear ... "

 

"Annie did ..."

 

"... didn't Annie last ..."

 

Annie? The little girl seemed to be on everyone's lips today. Now that he thought about it, he'd seen her storm through one of the streets in rage a few minutes ago. Maybe he'd have to have a talk with her ... but what could he ask? She'd probably not talk to him anyway, with him being new in the village and her foul moods.

 

The little girl vanished from his mind again as his thoughts turned back to his poor granny ...

 

 

OoC : Susan / Mynx. Because it's random.

 

Edit : Nathaniel. Not Cedric. That's what you get for posting while trying to pay attention in class

Edited January 25, 2006 by Venefyxatu

[Lord Panther]

News of the newest murder reached John in his workshop, through its way of the village grapevine. He was saddened to hear that Granny had been the target of the wolves. She had gone through the experience of werebeasts once before and survived, why did they claim her now? Did they, for some reason, fear her? Couldn't be, why would anyone fear such a sweet old lady.

 

From what he had heard, Karen was making a spectacle of herself once again at the scene. Throwing out accusations, right, left and center. John wondered if she would even accuse herself, if the circumstances were right.

 

John was still suspicious of her, something just wasn't right. And it wasn't the fact that murders were happening in this normally quiet town. That was never right, but was also very clear to everyone.

 

No matter who the killer truely was, John was not enjoying the sudden boom in business in the middle of winter. Coffins, although relatively easy, were not his favorite craft. Nonetheless, he put his time in, making sure that each one was something special, something fit for the person being put to rest in it.

 

(OOC: vote for Katzaniel/Karen Zahn)

[Katzaniel]

Karen sat by her window, peering out at everyone she had known since she was a little girl. In front of her lay a piece of paper, which she was going to some effort to conceal from either of her parents whenever they walked by, though that didn't happen often. Her father had left some time ago for work, and her mother was baking something in her favourite room of the house.

 

"Dear Mom and Dad," Karen had written. "Three days have passed and the Werebeast is not yet caught. Even if I should survive that, I have been catching bits of rumours that implicate me in the recent killings. I do not know how to protect myself from the Werebeast, nor do I know what I can say to convince these people of my innocence; I suppose they are uncomfortable with someone like myself, who is logic over emotion, who saw her share of blood before the age of ten and got over the fear of it then, someone who has been exposed to countless pictures of wounds, diseases, and dead bodies, not to mention a few actual cadavers, in the past year and a half. I guess it makes me look suspicious, but I cannot change who I am. At any rate, with what happened to the others accused befor me, and with each night a new victim, you can understand that I have little hope of surviving this ordeal.

 

"I guess why I am writing this, is to say goodbye to you. Look, I love you both. I always have. I know I have a funny way of showing it, but you mean the world to me." She went on for a bit in this vein, before adding, "Also, please, if I do die, I want you to make sure my body goes to science. When all of this blows over, and the winter ends, make sure whatever parts of me that can be used, are. I hope my death is not too hard on you ... I know it's foolish to say it, but it's true. Please get over me as quickly as you can, and get on to other things."

 

The young girl signed the note and then looked at it for a long while before carefully folding it and placing it in her pocket.

 

OOC: Same vote, obviously.