What Shadows Fear [VtR, Montreal, IC]

[TheCountAlucard]

The man does not shudder at the cold; alone on the street, he strides purposefully into nighttime Ville-Marie, eyes peering about as though looking for something. Dressed in a charcoal-gray waistcoat and trousers, he would be an odd sight in the midst of this January ice-storm, had anybody been on the street to see him. He finds his target, the new building, and walks up to the cheap aluminum fence that had been erected around it. Seconds later, he is on the other side of the fence. He smiles.

---

Though the weathermen had promised sunny skies and higher temperatures, Mother Nature seems to have disagreed. The sky has maintained the same cloud-covered, baleful look since before noon, though at least the freezing rain has stopped.

John

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Just because the rain has stopped, though, does not mean that the subzero temperatures have lifted. Thus, the homeless shelter is particularly crowded today. Rachel, one of the kind-hearted souls who volunteers each week, is almost overwhelmed with keeping on top of things. She looks like she might be on her last nerve, but nonetheless manages a smile as she passes by.

Gaston

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The sputtering heater is doing its best to combat the low temperatures, but it is clearly fighting a losing battle. As Gaston is making lunch for himself, a knock comes at his door.

"Hello? Gaston, are you in there? It's me, Laura!" The familiar sound of his neighbor's voice makes its way through the door.

Roma

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Thanks to the inclement weather, Roma's classes today have been canceled. Her roommate has a paper due in a few days, but has given up hope of making any progress on it today, and now sits in front of the television, changing the channel every minute or so. "Think any of the rental places are open?" Sarah asks, bored.

[Burnheart]

Gaston

"Laura?" Gastons calls back, setting aside his half made lunch and heading to the door "Is something wrong?" he asks while reaching for the latch, fumbling slightly as he pulls back the stiff icy metal to open the door

[Benson]

"Mmm, come again?" Asked the currently bottle blue Roma. She was currently lounging on the couch eating some potato chips in pajama bottoms and a tank top.

[Cashius]

"Rachel, do you need any help around here" John smiles, "looks like you could use some."

[TheCountAlucard]

Gaston

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Laura looks concerned as Gaston opens the door. "Oh, Gaston," she says, "it's about my daughter. She's been acting strangely for the last two weeks or so; I think she's been sneaking out at night." She sighs. "You know how teenagers are... do you think you could keep an eye on her tonight, get an idea of what she's doing?"

John

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"Oh, thank you, John," she says, "you're an angel." She hands him a box of blankets to help distribute to the chillier corners.

As John works to help Rachel get caught up, he observes that one of the older men seems to be cradling an injured wrist.

Roma

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"I kinda feel like watching a movie - do you think any of the rental places are open?" Sarah sits up, and then climbs slowly to her feet. She leaves the TV on the same channel, wandering over to the kitchen and staring into the fridge. After a few seconds, she leans forward, and though the refrigerator door blocks Roma's line of sight, she can hear her roommate noisily eating.

[Benson]

"Mmm, maybe?...What you want us to head down and see what they got? Oh...!...Maybe we can rent Sleepaway Camp haha," Roma lightly chuckled and popped a chip in her mouth. She watched her room mate pig out scooped up a handful of chips, almost feeling encouraged to gorge herself a bit here.

[Cashius]

Calmly, John walks through the crowd passing out blankets to those who need them and upon reaching the old man hands him a blanket, "Here this should help with the cold, you ok there old timer."
John trys to position himself to get a better look at his wrist, "Does someone need to look at that wrist of yours?"

[Burnheart]

Gaston

"Of course, i'm happy to help if you need me to" Gaston replies seriously before coughing in the cold air "Would you like to come in and tell me more about it? What exactly has she been doing that has you concerned?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Roma

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Sarah makes a muffled reply from behind the refrigerator door. As she straightens up, still chewing, she says, "Hm? What'd you say?"

Her face is spotted with blood and bits of raw meat, and the bloody plastic wrapper for a pound of ground beef lies on the floor. She doesn't seem to be aware of it.

John

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"You must be mistaken, John," quavers the old man, securing himself and his wrist under the blanket. "I'm just fine." Unable to get a proper view of the limb, John can't make any sort of diagnosis.

Gaston

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She steps inside at Gaston's invitation, her eyes flicking briefly to his incomplete lunch.

"Thanks, Gaston - the truth is, I don't know for sure what she's doing - she keeps slipping out of the house late at night, money's been disappearing from my purse."

[Cashius]

John places his hand gently on the old mans shoulder, "There's no reason to worry old timer. I just want to help. So, how about you to tell me what wrong."

[Benson]

Roma

"Ew...did you just eat that...raw?" Roma asked incredulously and grimaced at the rather groady sight of her room mate's face with raw meat and blood. She was going to make burgers later. Darn inconsiderate room mates.

[Burnheart]

Gaston

"Hmm the money disappearing started after Collette began sneaking out at night?" Gaston muses "Thats not a good sign" he looks at Laura and gives a reasurring smile "Well i'm sure its nothing too serious, just normal teenager problems"

[TheCountAlucard]

John

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"Just some old pains of mine," says the old man, "that the weather's gone and irritated. I'd appreciate some aspirin, if you've got it." He slowly draws his arm out from under the blanket, revealing that the limb in question is uninjured.

Roma

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"Eat what?" Sarah replies, confused. She looks down at the floor, bewildered. "What just happened?" she says, her expression turning a tad queasy as her roommate's words dawn on her.

Gaston

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She seems more than a little stressed as Gaston talks. "Do you think she might be in trouble?" she asks, concerned.

[Benson]

"Really?...Ya don't recall just scarfing down...raw meat..seconds ago?" She asked feeling confused here.

[Cashius]

"Sure?..... I think I got one or two" replies John, patting his pockets trying to find the bottle, "Here you go. My last two......I hope it helps."

[Burnheart]

Gaston

"No more so than any other Teenager i'm sure" Gaston replies firmly before looking to his unfinished meal "Would you like some lunch? I was in the middle of making it when you knocked"

[TheCountAlucard]

Roma

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"I... what?" she says. One hand reaches up to touch at her face, feeling the mess still smeared there. "Oh, I..." She suddenly looks very ill, and barely makes it to the sink in time. "Ugh, oh, God," she groans, washing her mouth out after she finishes. "How did I not know I was doing that?" she murmurs.

John

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"Thanks. Sorry about the trouble; I bet it's them flourescent lights, played a trick on your eyes." He gives a glare to the buzzing light bulbs overhead. "Never really took a shine to them, myself."

Gaston

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"I'd love some," she says, "but I can't stay long." She nonetheless decides to stick around for a few bites, pulling up a chair at the little table.

[Benson]

Roma


"Hon....you really don't remember at all? Want me to get you some Pepto bismo? Something for your stomach?" She asked moving over to her friend.

[Cashius]

Seeing how he was done passing out blankets and with nothing better to do, John takes a seat next to the old man. John stares up at the lights, "Huh, I guess so. Still pretty amazing technological feat how were able to ignite a gas into a efficient source of light. Although, now that I think about it"

Looking back down at the old man, "Progress always comes with a cost."

Offering him his hand "Names John Jones, I've seen you around but I'm afraid I haven't gotten your name."

[Burnheart]

Gaston

Gaston smiles and busys himself with making two plates of bacon, eggs and beans placing one infront of Laura "There you go." sitting across from her "I'll keep an eye on Collette for you tonight, what time do you think she'll be leaving?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Roma

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"Thanks, a little ought to help settle my stomach," she says, washing her face off. She gives a disgusted look at the sink, then turns and says, "I'm sorry - I'll buy you another pound of beef when we go out tonight."

John

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"Russel's the name," he says. "Been living here since the thirties, but I really only fell on hard times about ten years ago. You're that guy what worked for the city, aren't ya?"

He shudders a little, and pulls more of the blankets about himself. "Decent of you to have helped out Rachel like that," he says.

Gaston

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She eats, though her concern seems to have stymied her appetite some. "Most likely," Laura says around a mouthful of eggs, "around 20:00."

She pokes at one of the still-steaming eggs with her fork. "Thanks for the food," she says, effecting a smile for her neighbor.

[Benson]

"That's alright, I may just start considering a vegetarian diet, its very zen and all," She smiled and gave her room mate a playful wink. She comfortably rubbed her mate's back and then walked over to the fridge. She winced at the bits of raw meat and drops of blood on the floor, she'd have to clean that up. Blargle.

She shifted through the side shelves until she grabbed that bottle of pink liquid. Grabbing a tea spoon from the drawers she walked back to her mate and gave her the Pepto Bismo.

"Here ya go hun," She said holding it out for her. Of course this was all very weird, and rather disturbing, she couldn't help but wonder if her friend here went a little...mad for a moment. But freaking out over it wasn't going to help her mate. Two freaked out persons wasn't going to do anyone any good.

[Cashius]

"Nice to meet ya, Russel." John smiles, "Ya, I used to work for the city but I"

John pauses for a second and then continues, "I left due to a workplace disagreement. We didn't agree eye to eye on how things should run as it were."

John sighs and then turns and looks to Rachel fantically do doing her work, "Rachel does a great job here so I make it a point to help out when I can."

"I can't say the same about our city though. There are whole buildings that could be used as cheap or free housing so we wouldn't have to huddle together at a shelter just to keep warm but they are just sitting and rotting away because of some bogus law or bureaucratic excuse. If I had some power I would show those damn bureaucrats....."

John stops and looks at Russel and lets out a laugh, "Sorry, sometimes I get in a rant."

[Burnheart]

Gaston

Gaston says goodbye to Laura and potters about his home until the evening.

[TheCountAlucard]

Roma

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The distressed roommate takes the pink liquid gratefully. "Don't worry," she says, gesturing to the mess, "I'll get this." She manages a brief smile to Roma, and then ducks down to grab some cleaning supplies.

It's not long after before the kitchen is back to normal. "You wanna go ahead and go now?" Sarah asks, looking at the door. "The movie'll be my treat, too, 'kay?"

John

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"Call it a rant, but I'm inclined to agree with ya," the old man says with a nod. He then leans in a little closer. "Don't tell no one, but if you need a place, I've managed to jimmy open the back door on one of those empty buildings. Been there for a few days now. You can stay there with me, if you want."

Gaston

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Gaston's heater manages to sputter to life once more after a few minutes, allowing him some comfort as he awaits sunset. Of course, the largest indicator of its approach is the clock, as even with the passing of hours, the cloud cover does not abate.

Finally a street-lamp flickers dimly across the street, throwing a few twisted shadows across the icy sidewalk outside.

[Benson]

Roma


"Uh yea, lemme just go put on my pants and shoes, so, two minutes, tops," She said putting her bag of chips away. She put on a smile, a simple mask to pretend that what her roomie did earlier...was just some sort of...something that didn't happen. She headed over to her bedroom and put on her skin tight black leather pants and boots, and grabbed her purse. She returned to the 'living room' if one wants to call it that.

[Cashius]

"Thanks, I was looking for a place to stay. The last place I was staying got raided by the cops." John gets up from the seat next to Russel, "Just let me see if they need any more help around here and we'll head out after, ok."

Afterward, meeting back up with Russel, "Mind if I bring a couple of guys with me. They were in the same boat I was and I'd rather they not sleep outside with the temperture as bad as it is tonight."

[Burnheart]

Gaston

Gaston hauls himself up from his chair and headsout the door into the night, stepping into a shadowed doorway across the street to keep an eye out for Collette.

[TheCountAlucard]

Roma

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When Roma steps into the small room, Sarah is also dressed and ready to go. She tugs at one of her shoes, and then opens the door. "Brrr, let's make this quick," she says, giving a shudder as the wind blows in.

Luckily the nearest video rental place is open despite the earlier inclement weather. As promised, Sarah rents the movie, and even buys a couple of movie snacks.

John

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Russel thinks about it for a few seconds, and then nods. "The apartment ain't big, but there's room for a couple more. You all need to be careful, though, and not come in 'til after dark, eh? Don't wanna be seen and whatnot." The old man proceeds to give John directions to the place; it's a bit of a walk, but not unmanagable.

Gaston

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Gaston takes shelter in the shadows. It doesn't take long for the teenaged daughter to emerge from the apartment, dressed to the nines. However, she doesn't seem to notice Gaston hidden in the dark, and begins walking down the street.

[Benson]

Rental Shop

Roma huddled up towards her room mate and friend peered at the movie selection. "Aww...I guess a horror film wouldn't be palatable right now...I kid, I kid."