[d20 Cthulhu] What Rough Beast... (Part I)

[Isida KepTukari]

Julia, straining to look over Sam's shoulder, gasps a little.

"Oh Alan. I didn't know it was this messy!" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, if I knew it was this bad I would have called more people!"

"Don't worry Julia, I'm sure we can at least start to make a dent...

Um... do you have some extra boxes or folders or something we can use to sort with? I think we're going to need a lot. And maybe a garbage bag or two."

*Ray gives Randy and Sam a slightly exasperated look for scaring Julia, the goes over to the armoir and begins to sort.*

 

[Spoof]

Randy Morrison

Randy looks at Sam and just shrugs his shoulders in a well what can you do kind of way.

Randy will also scan the room looking for any other doors, or entrances to the room. He will also glance to see if there has been any evidence that anyone has been here, open drawers, furniture moved, pipe, warm ashes in the ash tray…

“Well it certainly looks like we will be here awhile, I guess we had better get started”

With that Randy moves and looks over any disturbances he might have found, if none were found then he will walk over to the desk and begin trying to sort through the papers.

 

[Karl Green]

Taking a deep breath Sam fixes a hard look on Julia, which softens in but a second...
"Ah Julia I know you are in pain and I don't mean to cause you any more... but there is something you're not telling us. Please Julia, I need to know what it is you are holding back from us. I promise that whatever it is I will keep it 100% confidential… I am talking to you know as a friend that I how we are, not as a cop."
I don't try to bluff her or anything else... just appeal to her better nature

 

[The Crimster]

Alex enters the room and looks around. "Man... what a mess! even my studio isn't this bad... Well... This is a pretty cramped space to be organizing things..." He looks at a few mathematical formulae and files confusedly. "Guess no one's here - He really did just forget to lock it." Alex, you do not see any of your paintings anywhere, sadly.

Randy enters as well, looking at the various piles of paper and whatnot. It appears to be quite a mess. This could be an all-nighter. He moves over to the table nearest the left wall - a good as place to start as any. Randy, there are open drawers everywhere. Papers - everywhere. It occurs to you that the condition the room is in, it is as if the last time Alan was here, he was looking for something. But something bothers you. You can't quite pin down what.

Dr. Silver comforts Julia, and then asks her for some boxes and garbage bags.

"Oh, yes. Good idea, Ray." Julia turns to leave and gather some supplies.

Sam gently places his hand on Julia's arm. Taking a deep breath he fixes a hard look at her, which softens in but a second... "Ah Julia I know you are in pain, and I don't mean to cause you any more... but there is something you're not telling us. Please Julia, I need to know what it is you are holding back from us. I promise that whatever it is I will keep it 100% confidential… I am talking to you now as a friend that I know we are, not as a cop."

Julia looks down, and there is an awkward moment. "Oh, it's nothing really, Sam. Let me grab some boxes, I'll be right back." Julia walks away from the office, looking older and more tired than ever.

You can hear the thunder outside, telling you the storm is getting closer. All of you are alone in the study now, everyone else is gone.

Dr. Silver moves over to the armoire, and begins to go through the contents. You find a shoebox, filled with letters. Primarily personal letters, from Julia to Alan during one of his many business trips. One letter however, catches your eye. It isn't written in Julia or Alan's handwriting. It is short, and written in an odd frantic style.


Oct12

Dear Alan,

Can we blame it on the wine, Alan? The beer? The tequila?
What happened that night I can never forget. What we did
together - what *you* did - was wrong, Alan. No other word can
describe it but *wrong*. I have had horrible nightmares ever since then.
I don't feel normal, I feel dirty.

The rest of the Club knows something happened - they're
just not sure what, and it's better off for them if they don't know.
Hell, I don't even know.

Alister isn't speaking to me. He's supposed to be my boyfriend
and he's not even talking to me. I can't concentrate on my school
work, and if you expect me to pick apart Rommel's theorem for
the test, you're dead wrong.

Tracy

At that moment, Julia walks back into the room with an armload of boxes. "Ok, here we go gentlemen." She gives a smile.

 

[Isida KepTukari]

*Ray casually puts the letter down on top of the others and calmly walks over and grabs a box.*

"Thanks Julia."

*He walks back over to the armoir, his stomach in turmoil. He hoped he managed to look appropriately nonchalant, because reading that letter was like a punch to the kidneys. If that said what he thought it said... or partially said. Did Alan have an affair with a student? And Alister, how's he mixed up in this? The Club... was Alan involved in a club at the university? Or was this something outside of that?

If Julia stays he'll begin sorting the letters in a box, and stick the errant letter into his pocket when no one's looking. If Julia goes off to do something else, he'll wait and see if anyone else finds something odd and speaks up. Either way, he's going to keep that letter

While they're sorting, he'll try to work his way over to Kristof, with the intention of asking him about the tree branch symbol on the door.*

[Bluff check to keep anyone from picking up on my freaked-out vibes +1, Sleight of Hand or Hide if necessary to put the letter in my pocket with no one noticing, +2]

 

[Spoof]

RAndy Morrison

Randy lets the unease feeling flow through him trying to get a fix on what is causing it. He is not Sensitive (Hell he is not even in touch with his feminine side), but he knows something is amiss, and trusts his instincts. Randy will look around and try to determine if the open drawers have been rifled through orderly of if the contents have been strewn about (papers scattered across the floor, where they might have been thrown out.) He will also look for dead cockroaches or their waste. Randy will also look for any locked drawers in the desk or shallow ones (hidden bottom) He will also feel the underside of the desk looking for papers taped there.

After this is done Randy will start going through the papers separating those that Alan wrote and those that were written by others.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Alex, lacking in anything better to do, will help Dr. Silver with the sorting. He looks at Sam with a slightly annoyed expression - Not hostile, but reproving. "I think we're all a little on edge after dealing with that Alister character... We should try and calm down a bit. I wonder what had him so worked up?"

 

[Isida KepTukari]

Alex, lacking in anything better to do, will help Dr. Silver with the sorting. He looks at Sam with a slightly annoyed expression - Not hostile, but reproving. "I think we're all a little on edge after dealing with that Alister character... We should try and calm down a bit. I wonder what had him so worked up?"

"Could be a lot of things. He looked like he had... how do I say this diplomatically... a lot on his mind."

*As he says this, Ray continues to sort.*

"Alex, I was going to start one box for personal letters here..."

*Points to the shoebox he's sorting through, and then to the box he snagged, which he's already thrown several letters in.*

 

[Anabstercorian]

[ Relevant rolls in case they come up: Sense Motive +5, Concentration (On Sorting) +1, Diplomacy +5, Search +1, Spot +2 ]
Alex nods. "Sure! Lemme see if I can find any - I promise not to read them." :: Rummagerummagerummage :: [He looks for personal letters to add to the box while trying to keep track of all of the other stuff at the same time.]

 

[The Crimster]

The long process of putting together the last of Alan's files and paperwork begins. It will most likely be a long and painful process - it is tough to categorize the detritus of a friends life. Julia begins bringing in folded boxes from the garage. Sam, you notice she's avoiding you. She seems embarrassed or something. Dr. Silver grabs a box and begins to assemble it. "Thanks, Julia." Julia nods and heads to the garage to get more. Dr. Silver watches her leave, and then takes the box and begins to put piles of paper inside. Ray, you slipped the letter into your pocket, and you're pretty sure no one saw.

Alex begins to assist Dr. Silver with the sorting. Quickly, a system forms - school paperwork here, term papers there, etc. Alex, as you begin to assist Dr. Silver with the sorting, you notice a sudden difference in his demeanor. You just met him of course, but you can't help but feel something has... changed. Perhaps Alan's death just hit him? Maybe... But there's something else there, some other vibe you're getting from him. Confused? Hurt? Angry?

Kristof and Sam are standing near the door, looking for someplace to start.

Randy stands in the center of the office, looking slightly troubled. He then moves from table to table, desk to desk, as if looking for something. He then begins opening drawers and closing them. Randy, you find no cockroaches. You do find quite a bit of paperwork, however. As you get to Alan's main desk, you see there are four drawers. Three small ones along the left, the other two on the right. One of the right-hand drawers is large, most likely the type that contains files and such. The other drawers contain little of interest. Paper. Books on math. Staples. As you reach for the last drawer (the large one), you spot something slightly unusual that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Drawn on the outside of the drawer in black marker is a complex math formula - written upside down. Something about the formula looks familiar, and reminds you of photos you've seen. Harsh and ugly photos - photos you'd rather forget.