Week 31 - Monday evening in Blackwillow, Valla and Novalin's room

[watchwight]

Vincent slips easily through the halls of Blackwillow, the halls of the dungeonous dormitory far more befitting his Sluagh nature than his home in Fairgrove. There is more than one way to accomplish things, he thinks to himself, I have not yet failed. But, oh, Ducos... what you have become in this day and age...With one firm hand, he knocks on

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[scathachtwins]

"Just a second," Valla's voice calls from behind the door. A few seconds later, she opens the door. "Hi, Vincent; what's up?" She steps aside to let him into the room.

Beyond the sidhe girl, one half of the room is done up in dark blues and deep greens. A CD boom box sits on the bookcase, and there is a black metal CD rack screwed into the wall above; its ends have been shaped into a whimsical cat's head and tail. The CDs inside range from movie soundtracks to New Age to filk; a number of the New Age ones have a Celtic flavor.

The bookcase is crammed with books; not just textbooks, but fantasy fiction and some scholarly tomes on the occult as well. More volumes sit on the desk, propped up by metal bookends.

The walls are adorned with a number of posters; chief among them a poster of Liv Tyler as Arwen Undomiel in Lord of the Rings.

The bed is covered by a forest-green comforter; propped up near its head are a number of stuffed animals -- a pair of unicorns, a white tiger, and a black cat.

On the desk, along with textbooks and a binder, sits a half-finished cross-stitch project; there is an embroidery needle stuck in it, and a few skeins of embroidery floss in rich, jewel-like colors lie nearby. On one end of the desk are four unlit votives in glass holders -- one green, one red, one blue, and one white; each of them gives off a faint scent (pine, cinnamon, hyacinth and honeysuckle, respectively).

The other side of the room is so covered with clutter that it's difficult to discern what is where. A thick layer of dust covers the floor, and there is a faint smell of decay about the bed.

[watchwight]

Vincent enters her room at a stately walk, bowing low to her once within. "Lady Vallaria. Thank you for receiving me." The Sluagh seems to gravitate just a hair closer to the other side of the room, and a far more appropriate backdrop it seems to be for him. "You are most gracious."

Standing ramrod straight, hands still clasped behind his back, he begins. "You are, I take it, familiar with the situation revolving around the Old Science Building?"

[scathachtwins]

It's a few minutes before she answers. "Some of it," she replies cautiously. "I mean, I'm not sure about exactly what's inside it, but I do know that it really did a number on a couple of people who sneaked in there early last semester." She can't suppress a shiver. "I don't think Silia ever really recovered." She looks out the window, just able to make out the squatting bulk of the building in question in the distance. "Darian and I have been doing some research, and the...whatever it is...seems to have a thing for negative vibes - it seems to cause nightmares, or, in the case of people like my brother, make them worse."

[watchwight]

Vincent files some of that information away in the back of his brain for later use.

"The entity within, and rest assured I do believe it to be a sentient being, is responsible for the deaths of some Kithain and even some mortals, I believe. The Lady Silia was most fortunate in her escape then." Vincent pauses before continuing, as if gathering his thoughts. "Rumor and scandal would have it that Baron Jackson has claimed some small part of responsibility for this threat, with the administration's permission. The Baron has been unavailable for comment for some time now. And Spindle Shanks, according to reliable testimony of witnesses, has some device capable of either harming or removing the entity. Goodman Shanks, backed by his rather formidable wife, can only be described as being reluctant in using this technology. He would not divulge his reasons to me."

Vincent cocks his head to one side, looking ever so much like a hangman's dummy. "Lady Vallaria, might you know the reason for his trepidation? It is said that Goodman Shanks and your brother are friends, and that he holds you in no small amount of respect as well."

[scathachtwins]

She chews her lower lip for a moment before answering. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I mean, he seemed pretty well set to use it before Yule...maybe Tommy Lee convinced him otherwise?" She frowns. "Of course, with both his lordship and Peri incommunicado lately, finding out if that's so is going to be difficult."

Her gaze falls on the votive candles on the desk. "There might be another way...I don't know if it'd work, though." She takes a deep breath. "I could try to scry for Tommy, or for that...thing..." she shudders. "Maybe it'll give us a clue." She casts a glance at the dust-covered bed on the other side of the room. "If I were on better terms with my erstwhile roomie, I might be able to afford some more possibilities, but..." she shrugs. "She might be in, oh, Dalriada now, for all I know."

[watchwight]

Vincent glances over his shoulder at the clutter. "Ah. Yes. The mysterious Miss Novalin. It has been said that Goodman Shanks was somewhat enamoured of her at one point."

Facing the Lady Vallaria again, he continues. "Forgive the topic change, but has she been gone long?"

[scathachtwins]

A bit startled by the question, Valla pauses to tally up the days in her head. "Almost...six weeks now." Mother of All, has it been that long? "For a while, I figured she was spending the nights with one of her friends - we never really got along." Especially not after she started spreading those noxious rumours about me and Ailan. "About two weeks ago, I talked to Dame Drusilla...she said she'd talk to the other teachers about it." A pause. "I haven't heard back from her yet." Okay, so maybe I haven't wanted to ask her....

She frowns. "My own theory is she left school to move in with her boyfriend. Though what she sees in him, I'll never know."

[watchwight]

Vincent ponders this for a moment, before shaking his head slightly. "I was wondering why she did not attend High Tea. To not attend is one thing. To not acknowledge the invitation..." He lets that thought trail off as his eyes scan across the assorted jumble of things on his fellow Sluagh's side of the room.

"Be that as it may, Lady Vallaria, there are more important concerns at hand. Namely the so-called Old Science Building and its contents." He faces he again, looking the Sidhe full in the eyes. "My request for his aide in dealing with the matter was met with great resistance, not only from Goodwife Shanks, but also from his wife and his friend, Squire Wilhelm. I do not believe they comprehend the dangers that are now present, dangers that are not only directly from the entity, but indirectly as well. As rude as it may be on my part, I was hoping for you to prevail upon Goodman Shanks' respect of you and convince him to reconsider."

He puts both hands in front of him as if in prayer. "I realize this may seem very well presumptuous on my part, your not not knowing me well at all. My only excuse is that I know in times of great danger and change, you and... your brother..." Vincent stops, checking himself. "I believe you to be wise and brave people, capable of inspiring great loyalty and following."

[scathachtwins]

The sidhe girl catches her lower lip between her teeth. A crease appears between those finely-drawn black brows.

After a perceptible pause, she asks, "You mentioned danger - can you tell me more?" She toys nervously with a strand of her long black hair. "You see, I think there may be something dangerous about Tiernan...Novalin's boyfriend." She shudders at the memory of her one meeting with that individual. "There's something about him...he gave me some really bad vibes."

[watchwight]

Vincent raises an eyebrow. "The danger within the building itself... the direct source, if you will... I have little enough information on, I will admit. All I have been able to glean thus far is that it is chimerical in nature, it somehow feeds off of negative dreams, it is responsible for the deaths of some Kithain, Kinain and possibly some mortals, and that Baron Jackson and Goodman Shanks have a more intimate knowledge of it than they will readily admit to in public."

"The indirect danger... and I am not sure how much of this you will believe... consists of those who have died and yet still have ties to this campus. It may be they are the ghosts of Kinain and mortals who have died here across the ages, defending their haunts. Or perhaps this place bore a special meaning to them in life, and so after death they return to watch over it in some way. Whatever the reason for their being here, the spirits dead wish the removal of this entity."

Vincent turns to examine Novalin's side of the room again. "If you recall the incident with the dragon, Lady Vallaria? At Miss Kali's Chrysalis? While others made use of sword and spell, I called upon the dead to aid us, offering my services in turn." His head pivots on his shoulders just a little further than a normal person should be able to, his chin hanging past his shoulder as he looks at the Sidhe. "They have come to collect. And if I am unable to carry out their wishes, I do not believe I shall be the sole recipient of their wrath."

The rest of his body steps around to join his face. "Do you believe this Tiernan is somehow involved?"

[scathachtwins]

Valla goes steadily paler as Vincent relates what he knows. "Dark Mother..." she breathes, one hand clutching at the crescent moon pendant around her throat.

His question about Tiernan seems to bring her back to herself a little. "I couldn't say for certain, but Silia seemed to think he looks an awful like someone she used to know...someone she apparently didn't get along with. And the way he looked at Ailan - that's Sir Ailan ap Gwydion; he's a friend of mine and Aidan's, and Silia's boyfriend - once...it gave me some really bad vibes." She starts pacing. "And I haven't seen Ailan or Silia in some time...." She stops, feeling sick with worry. "The trees...."

[watchwight]

"Not to add to your concerns, Lady Vallaria," Vincent continues on as though there was nothing amiss, gesturing once more to Novalin's side of the room, "But those of my kith do not generally cast their... collections... aside so lightly."

"So there may well be three missing Kithain the authorities know nothing about." He raises an eyebrow. "And... 'trees', Lady Vallaria?"

[scathachtwins]

She stops pacing for a minute. "Ailan and I were going to try talking to the trees on campus...he thinks there might be something they know that we don't about...that thing in the Old Science Building. And Galatea mentioned that Kali had a nightmare and ran out to check on the trees." The crease between her brows deepens. "And there was that vision I had while I was scrying for Ailan...."

[watchwight]

"Ah. Your visions have always been rather accurate, if not always clear at first." He says this as if its something they've both known and understood for some time. "Would you impart this vision to me, Lady Vallaria? If we have allies in and of the woods, best we be sure of this before anything else continues."

[scathachtwins]

The sidhe girl plunks down on her bed and nods. "Okay, I'll tell you waht I Saw...maybe it'll make more sense than it did when I told Ailan."

She recounts her vision in detail; when she's finished, she regards the sluagh with a pensive expression. "Does that ring any bells with you?"