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Jack was still looking into his options for law school. He was about 75 percent certain he'd end up staying in Maryland one way or another -- but it never hurt to have an up-to-date-exit strategy, did it?
He wasn't sure he could see himself in New Amsterdam. (New York, to almost any other universe, but Jack's world clung to the Dutch name still.) Oh, he liked the city well enough -- but the schools he'd toured all seemed impersonal to him and far too expensive, and the idea of trying to establish himself in a community as crowded with were-things as New Amsterdam made him tired.
Still, there would be fringe benefits to being in Manhattan. One of them, as it happened, was only a portal away. Jack sipped a cafe au lait and prodded at the remnants of his third muffin as he waited for Emma.
[OOC: Open to calls and suchlike, or if you happen to be in Jack's world!]
He wasn't sure he could see himself in New Amsterdam. (New York, to almost any other universe, but Jack's world clung to the Dutch name still.) Oh, he liked the city well enough -- but the schools he'd toured all seemed impersonal to him and far too expensive, and the idea of trying to establish himself in a community as crowded with were-things as New Amsterdam made him tired.
Still, there would be fringe benefits to being in Manhattan. One of them, as it happened, was only a portal away. Jack sipped a cafe au lait and prodded at the remnants of his third muffin as he waited for Emma.
[OOC: Open to calls and suchlike, or if you happen to be in Jack's world!]
Il Pollo, Saturday Afternoon
Feb. 2nd, 2013 08:19 pmSo this was what people did in the last few hours they had of being temporarily brought back from the dead: They sat around a white cloth-topped restaurant table with their loved ones and ate pasta and garlic bread and drank too many bottles of red wine. They chatted and mopped marinara sauce off their shirts and fed each other meatballs.
It made as much sense as a way to spend their dwindling hours together as anything would.
The conversation stayed light until they were settled in with coffee, biscotti, tiramisu, and even more red wine. Jack sipped his espresso and glanced across the table to Christian.
"So," he said, "tell me a terrible story about Emma when she was small. She insists she was perfect."
( In which we learn about the adorable nerd Emma Frost once was. )
[OOC: Preplayed with the illustrious![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
icecoldfrost. NFI.]
It made as much sense as a way to spend their dwindling hours together as anything would.
The conversation stayed light until they were settled in with coffee, biscotti, tiramisu, and even more red wine. Jack sipped his espresso and glanced across the table to Christian.
"So," he said, "tell me a terrible story about Emma when she was small. She insists she was perfect."
( In which we learn about the adorable nerd Emma Frost once was. )
[OOC: Preplayed with the illustrious
icecoldfrost. NFI.]The bed Jan woke up in was bigger and softer than anything he'd ever experienced, and there was a girl in it who wasn't any of his sisters. The room also had some funny windows in it, piles of what struck him as fine but oddly-cut clothes, and books. They were in English, but that didn't really matter; Jan couldn't read much in any language.
After he'd poked his fingers into every corner of the room and tried and failed to figure out what the computer was, there was only one thing to do: Jump on the bed and start jabbering at the girl.
//Get up, get up,// he said-slash-shouted. //Who are you? I don't know where we are. Get up!//
( Weetiny language lessons back here! )
[OOC: Preplayed withicecoldfrost. Open to the housemate should he desire, or to anyone who wants to stop by and doesn't mind SP!]
After he'd poked his fingers into every corner of the room and tried and failed to figure out what the computer was, there was only one thing to do: Jump on the bed and start jabbering at the girl.
//Get up, get up,// he said-slash-shouted. //Who are you? I don't know where we are. Get up!//
( Weetiny language lessons back here! )
[OOC: Preplayed with
icecoldfrost. Open to the housemate should he desire, or to anyone who wants to stop by and doesn't mind SP!]
The Park, Thursday Lunchtime
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:38 pmJack's spur-of-the-moment offer of lunch with Emma had lead to a spread of rather too much Chinese food in a shady part of the park.
He took his shoes off and stretched his bare feet in the grass, wiggling his toes a little. He wasn't happy she was going; he didn't think she was entirely happy to be going. But heading in different directions seemed to be their natural state of affairs, he thought wryly. Best to enjoy the picnic while he could.
"I hope you don't mind," he teased, as he reached into the bag for a carton of lo mein, "giving up your ledgers for this."
[OOC: For the girl named in the narrative.]
He took his shoes off and stretched his bare feet in the grass, wiggling his toes a little. He wasn't happy she was going; he didn't think she was entirely happy to be going. But heading in different directions seemed to be their natural state of affairs, he thought wryly. Best to enjoy the picnic while he could.
"I hope you don't mind," he teased, as he reached into the bag for a carton of lo mein, "giving up your ledgers for this."
[OOC: For the girl named in the narrative.]
Hotel, Moscow, Very Late Tuesday, 1902
Jan. 24th, 2012 11:06 pmThe interviews in Dyachenko's office had been slow, uphill work at first, even with Starkad helping as he could. They'd ruled out almost everyone in Starkad's old court for one reason or another before moving on to look at the people the wampyr had known but rejected.
It was the same story: This one had left town. That one had a perfect alibi. And so on.
After a few fruitless hours, Jack started in his seat at a sudden mental leap. "It's not about the vampires," he realized as he massaged his temples. "It's about Irina. Her lovers, her patrons, her friends. And the second murder only happened when we came back to Moscow and started asking about her. Someone must have thought she would be slipping away."
Emma nodded, easily picking up the train of thought as she turned to the girl. "Who wants you and cannot have you, Irina? And has for the last five years?"
Irina's eyes scrunched shut as she shook her head, obviously thinking hard about the question.
"If it helps," Dyachenko added, "we know it was someone left-handed. And someone who could make a good pass at forging Lesya's hand -- her employees got a message 'from' her after she died."
Something seemed to click into place at that. "Well," Irina said hesitantly, "I know a forger."
****
Jack and Emma almost did not follow along with the police as they went after Dmitri Sergeyevich, a professional forger. He wanted to be a painter, and failed at anything beyond copying; he'd also wanted to join Starkad's court and Irina's bed, and had been denied at those turns as well. And now he could add murderer to his list of failures.
They went, in the end, because Irina asked for the support, and Jack could not say no.
It was worth it. If they hadn't, Jack wouldn't have seen Starkad lift Dmitri by his throat to coolly inform him that he was nothing before stepping away, as if the slight effort to kill him would be wasted.
The scene replayed in Jack's head as they got back to the hotel. Soon, as soon as Sebastien was here, he'd go back in the 21st century with Emma. Tomorrow was for those goodbyes. Tonight he just wanted to rest.
[OOC: Loosely based on The White City. NFB. For SP withicecoldfrost and possibly one other. And this is the very end of Jack's canon for now yay!]
It was the same story: This one had left town. That one had a perfect alibi. And so on.
After a few fruitless hours, Jack started in his seat at a sudden mental leap. "It's not about the vampires," he realized as he massaged his temples. "It's about Irina. Her lovers, her patrons, her friends. And the second murder only happened when we came back to Moscow and started asking about her. Someone must have thought she would be slipping away."
Emma nodded, easily picking up the train of thought as she turned to the girl. "Who wants you and cannot have you, Irina? And has for the last five years?"
Irina's eyes scrunched shut as she shook her head, obviously thinking hard about the question.
"If it helps," Dyachenko added, "we know it was someone left-handed. And someone who could make a good pass at forging Lesya's hand -- her employees got a message 'from' her after she died."
Something seemed to click into place at that. "Well," Irina said hesitantly, "I know a forger."
****
Jack and Emma almost did not follow along with the police as they went after Dmitri Sergeyevich, a professional forger. He wanted to be a painter, and failed at anything beyond copying; he'd also wanted to join Starkad's court and Irina's bed, and had been denied at those turns as well. And now he could add murderer to his list of failures.
They went, in the end, because Irina asked for the support, and Jack could not say no.
It was worth it. If they hadn't, Jack wouldn't have seen Starkad lift Dmitri by his throat to coolly inform him that he was nothing before stepping away, as if the slight effort to kill him would be wasted.
The scene replayed in Jack's head as they got back to the hotel. Soon, as soon as Sebastien was here, he'd go back in the 21st century with Emma. Tomorrow was for those goodbyes. Tonight he just wanted to rest.
[OOC: Loosely based on The White City. NFB. For SP with
icecoldfrost and possibly one other. And this is the very end of Jack's canon for now yay!]Jack could not honestly say he was surprised when Dyachenko asked if he recognized a ring that had been found tucked into the dead woman's pocket. It was a vampire court ring (with an odd pale-blue sapphire that he knew belonged to Irina's former patron, Starkad. (Of course, Jack thought, slightly irritated. Someday he was going to help solve a crime that had nothing to do with vampires. Or werewolves, for that matter, hard as that might be to pull off these days.)
Dyachenko had named the woman as Olesia Valentinova Sharankova. Jack only dimly recognized the name -- he'd known her by the nickname Lesya, and only slightly at that -- but she'd owned the gallery where Irina most often exhibited her paintings.
The one unexpected thing about any of it was, the ring wasn't hers. Which made it look even more like the entire thing was a set-up.
After a day's fruitless searching, Emma had finally persuaded someone to get a message to Irina. A bit later, the response came: She would meet with them.
It was rather ingenious, the way Irina had holed up in Lesya's abandoned flat. The police were done with it, and no one else seemed likely to disturb the rooms for some time. Jack reminded himself to congratulate her as they tapped at the door late Tuesday morning.
[OOC: For she who is here and two NPCs. NFB.]
Dyachenko had named the woman as Olesia Valentinova Sharankova. Jack only dimly recognized the name -- he'd known her by the nickname Lesya, and only slightly at that -- but she'd owned the gallery where Irina most often exhibited her paintings.
The one unexpected thing about any of it was, the ring wasn't hers. Which made it look even more like the entire thing was a set-up.
After a day's fruitless searching, Emma had finally persuaded someone to get a message to Irina. A bit later, the response came: She would meet with them.
It was rather ingenious, the way Irina had holed up in Lesya's abandoned flat. The police were done with it, and no one else seemed likely to disturb the rooms for some time. Jack reminded himself to congratulate her as they tapped at the door late Tuesday morning.
[OOC: For she who is here and two NPCs. NFB.]
Moscow, Sunday, Jan. 22, 1902
Jan. 22nd, 2012 09:27 pm( In which we visit an apartment building and make a terrible discovery )
***
( In which a good detective is encountered. )
***
( In which future plans are made. )
[OOC: NFB, NFI. Preplayed with the adorableicecoldfrost. Still loosely based on The White City.]
***
( In which a good detective is encountered. )
***
( In which future plans are made. )
[OOC: NFB, NFI. Preplayed with the adorable
icecoldfrost. Still loosely based on The White City.]
Il Pollo & Beyond, Thursday Night
Aug. 25th, 2011 02:18 pmJack and Emma had their picnic, after which Emma scurried off to finish packing and Jack went back to watch the hands on the clock slowly inch around. Finally, he shut down the law office, locked the door behind him, and went off to the Italian restaurant to find Emma one last time before they went their separate ways.
"We don't do this often," he said, when he found her. "Not proper dates, anyhow."
He wished they had.
[OOC: For the telepath. but she knew that already]
"We don't do this often," he said, when he found her. "Not proper dates, anyhow."
He wished they had.
[OOC: For the telepath. but she knew that already]
Il Pollo & Beyond, Thursday Night
Aug. 25th, 2011 02:18 pmJack and Emma had their picnic, after which Emma scurried off to finish packing and Jack went back to watch the hands on the clock slowly inch around. Finally, he shut down the law office, locked the door behind him, and went off to the Italian restaurant to find Emma one last time before they went their separate ways.
"We don't do this often," he said, when he found her. "Not proper dates, anyhow."
He wished they had.
[OOC: For the telepath. but she knew that already]
"We don't do this often," he said, when he found her. "Not proper dates, anyhow."
He wished they had.
[OOC: For the telepath. but she knew that already]
Pall Mall, London, 1815
Jul. 8th, 2011 11:38 amJack wasn't dressed quite right to fit into 1815; his jacket was the wrong style, and he supposed he should have worn a cravat.
Still, he knew he was close enough to pass if no one looked too closely, and that would do for the day. He smiled at Emma, offering his arm. "I was hoping to start with Christie's."
Jack wasn't an art collector, but it would be nice to find something old and rare, and they were guaranteed some excellent people-watching.
Still, he knew he was close enough to pass if no one looked too closely, and that would do for the day. He smiled at Emma, offering his arm. "I was hoping to start with Christie's."
Jack wasn't an art collector, but it would be nice to find something old and rare, and they were guaranteed some excellent people-watching.
Pall Mall, London, 1815
Jul. 8th, 2011 11:38 amJack wasn't dressed quite right to fit into 1815; his jacket was the wrong style, and he supposed he should have worn a cravat.
Still, he knew he was close enough to pass if no one looked too closely, and that would do for the day. He smiled at Emma, offering his arm. "I was hoping to start with Christie's."
Jack wasn't an art collector, but it would be nice to find something old and rare, and they were guaranteed some excellent people-watching.
Still, he knew he was close enough to pass if no one looked too closely, and that would do for the day. He smiled at Emma, offering his arm. "I was hoping to start with Christie's."
Jack wasn't an art collector, but it would be nice to find something old and rare, and they were guaranteed some excellent people-watching.
( In which the police arrive, and things go south. )
[OOC: Warning for NPC death. Follows this, this, this, this this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantasticchose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome. ALMOST DONE SPAMMING.]
[OOC: Warning for NPC death. Follows this, this, this, this this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantastic
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome. ALMOST DONE SPAMMING.]( In which the police arrive, and things go south. )
[OOC: Warning for NPC death. Follows this, this, this, this this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantasticchose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome. ALMOST DONE SPAMMING.]
[OOC: Warning for NPC death. Follows this, this, this, this this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantastic
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome. ALMOST DONE SPAMMING.]Jack looked tired and pale as he shepherded the others into the living room to share the results of their investigations. He didn't have much fresh information of his own, and it wore at him.
"There was no magic there, but we couldn't rule a vampire out from the room alone," he said, crisply as he could manage. "We followed David for a bit -- Sebastien, don't pull that face, of course we were careful -- but there's nothing. His hotel is fine. He went to a club. No one else was watching him, and he doesn't seem to have a court of his own. Pray tell me the rest of you have something worth knowing."
( In which information is shared )
( In which Sebastien makes the papers )
( In which David is questioned )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this, this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantasticchose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
"There was no magic there, but we couldn't rule a vampire out from the room alone," he said, crisply as he could manage. "We followed David for a bit -- Sebastien, don't pull that face, of course we were careful -- but there's nothing. His hotel is fine. He went to a club. No one else was watching him, and he doesn't seem to have a court of his own. Pray tell me the rest of you have something worth knowing."
( In which information is shared )
( In which Sebastien makes the papers )
( In which David is questioned )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this, this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantastic
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
Jack looked tired and pale as he shepherded the others into the living room to share the results of their investigations. He didn't have much fresh information of his own, and it wore at him.
"There was no magic there, but we couldn't rule a vampire out from the room alone," he said, crisply as he could manage. "We followed David for a bit -- Sebastien, don't pull that face, of course we were careful -- but there's nothing. His hotel is fine. He went to a club. No one else was watching him, and he doesn't seem to have a court of his own. Pray tell me the rest of you have something worth knowing."
( In which information is shared )
( In which Sebastien makes the papers )
( In which David is questioned )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this, this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantasticchose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
"There was no magic there, but we couldn't rule a vampire out from the room alone," he said, crisply as he could manage. "We followed David for a bit -- Sebastien, don't pull that face, of course we were careful -- but there's nothing. His hotel is fine. He went to a club. No one else was watching him, and he doesn't seem to have a court of his own. Pray tell me the rest of you have something worth knowing."
( In which information is shared )
( In which Sebastien makes the papers )
( In which David is questioned )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this, this and this. Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the fantastic
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]A Morgue, London, Wednesday Night
Jun. 1st, 2011 03:30 pmThere'd been no one to claim the murder victims' bodies yet, which Sebastien was sadly unsurprised by. The times may have changed, but families were no more eager to embrace scandal than ever. Nor was he surprised that the morgue attendant was so easily distracted into admitting him and his guests by a folded bill and a glib story.
The two men were far from the only bodies arranged in drawers and on marble slabs; the chill of the room lessened the stink somewhat, but Sebastien suspected the wretchedness of rot and cloying blood was apparent even to merely mortal senses.
The bodies were slashed and disfigured, throats cut and faces, hands, torsos, buttocks, and thighs sliced open like badly butchered beef. But --
"There are no bite marks," he observed, and felt a sigh of relief even if he didn't breathe one.
( Which only means a vampire did not feed on the victim by biting... )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this and this . Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the amazingchose_humanity and icecoldfrost. NFB, OOC welcome.]
The two men were far from the only bodies arranged in drawers and on marble slabs; the chill of the room lessened the stink somewhat, but Sebastien suspected the wretchedness of rot and cloying blood was apparent even to merely mortal senses.
The bodies were slashed and disfigured, throats cut and faces, hands, torsos, buttocks, and thighs sliced open like badly butchered beef. But --
"There are no bite marks," he observed, and felt a sigh of relief even if he didn't breathe one.
( Which only means a vampire did not feed on the victim by biting... )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this and this . Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the amazing
chose_humanity and icecoldfrost. NFB, OOC welcome.]
A Morgue, London, Wednesday Night
Jun. 1st, 2011 03:30 pmThere'd been no one to claim the murder victims' bodies yet, which Sebastien was sadly unsurprised by. The times may have changed, but families were no more eager to embrace scandal than ever. Nor was he surprised that the morgue attendant was so easily distracted into admitting him and his guests by a folded bill and a glib story.
The two men were far from the only bodies arranged in drawers and on marble slabs; the chill of the room lessened the stink somewhat, but Sebastien suspected the wretchedness of rot and cloying blood was apparent even to merely mortal senses.
The bodies were slashed and disfigured, throats cut and faces, hands, torsos, buttocks, and thighs sliced open like badly butchered beef. But --
"There are no bite marks," he observed, and felt a sigh of relief even if he didn't breathe one.
( Which only means a vampire did not feed on the victim by biting... )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this and this . Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the amazingchose_humanity and icecoldfrost. NFB, OOC welcome.]
The two men were far from the only bodies arranged in drawers and on marble slabs; the chill of the room lessened the stink somewhat, but Sebastien suspected the wretchedness of rot and cloying blood was apparent even to merely mortal senses.
The bodies were slashed and disfigured, throats cut and faces, hands, torsos, buttocks, and thighs sliced open like badly butchered beef. But --
"There are no bite marks," he observed, and felt a sigh of relief even if he didn't breathe one.
( Which only means a vampire did not feed on the victim by biting... )
[OOC: Follows this, this, this and this . Inspired by "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the amazing
chose_humanity and icecoldfrost. NFB, OOC welcome.]The doorbell rang just as the sun dipped below the horizon, interrupting the group's conversation.
Sebastien was not at all surprised by what he found when he opened the door.
"Hello, David," he said to the man on the stoop.
( In which David invites Sebastien out to play. )
( In which Jack frets. )
( In which Sebastien returns and further plans are made. )
[OOC: Follows this and this. some bits borrowed from "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the scrumptiouschose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
Sebastien was not at all surprised by what he found when he opened the door.
"Hello, David," he said to the man on the stoop.
( In which David invites Sebastien out to play. )
( In which Jack frets. )
( In which Sebastien returns and further plans are made. )
[OOC: Follows this and this. some bits borrowed from "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the scrumptious
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
The doorbell rang just as the sun dipped below the horizon, interrupting the group's conversation.
Sebastien was not at all surprised by what he found when he opened the door.
"Hello, David," he said to the man on the stoop.
( In which David invites Sebastien out to play. )
( In which Jack frets. )
( In which Sebastien returns and further plans are made. )
[OOC: Follows this and this. some bits borrowed from "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the scrumptiouschose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
Sebastien was not at all surprised by what he found when he opened the door.
"Hello, David," he said to the man on the stoop.
( In which David invites Sebastien out to play. )
( In which Jack frets. )
( In which Sebastien returns and further plans are made. )
[OOC: Follows this and this. some bits borrowed from "Chatoyant." Preplayed with the scrumptious
chose_humanity, glacial_witch, icecoldfrost, and vanillajello. NFB, OOC welcome.]
