It's raining in London... again (RP)

- Benji -

You recall the name, Chaudry is a wizard —or call themself one— but you don't know much more detail.

• Where do you know the name from? Do you recall? What rumours have you heard about them?

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- Mark -

Do you let Jacob have the stave you picked up as per his request before the fireworks?

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Does anyone have any thoughts on the cross that seemed to interest the demon?

By now the dark grey sky is starting to become a light grey sky, and you hear the sounds of pedestrian feet on the puddled cobbles outside. Through the window you see a 'crocodile' of small figure snaking its way up the alley.

What do you do?

- Rhiannon -

It is early for it, but the alley is filled with children in school uniform and wellington boots. The teacher is trying to keep them away from the broken glass, but the orderly line has broken down a bit and the kids are busy picking up and playing with the stony bits of demon left on the ground.

What do you do?

Benji remembers Rhiannon telling him about Chaudry and the hell hound fighting circuit she shut down. He also recalls a rumour, told to him by a friend who works at the station, about a huge, mangy dog seen stalking the tracks at night. He hadn’t connected the two stories before now but now he wonders if one of Chaudry’s hell hounds might have gotten loose before Rhiannon shut down the operation.

He gulps down the rest of the blood bag and slings his violin case over his shoulder as he notices the sky is beginning to lighten outside. "I better go. The sun will be up soon and my audience will be wondering where I’ve gone! See you all later?"

- Benji -

The demons got off the first train from Green Park direction, the rumours about the demon dog were also on the Piccadilly line in that direction, possibly between Green Park and Piccadilly.

If the demons were aiming for Jacob's place, why did they get off at Piccadilly Circus station and walk for 10 minutes instead of waiting for Leicester Square? Leicester Square is only two blocks from Jacob's?

Maybe there is a connection?

What do you do?

Rather than return to the station right away, Benji takes a detour down by the Thames, hoping to find a friend of his — Lizabeth Greenback. She is an amateur historian and mudlark who occasionally asks for his help identifying the treasures she’s found washed up on the muddy shores of the river. Sometimes Benji helps her search for washed up trinkets and sometimes, if she’s in a particularly agreeable mood, she lets Benji feed on her. She usually likes to begin mudlarking as soon as the tide begins to go out in the morning so as to find all the best stuff before anyone else can get to it so, even though it’s early, Benji thinks there’s a chance he might find her.

- Benji -

Even though this looks like the perfect time to be combing the shores of the Thames, there is no sign of Lizabeth in her any of her usual haunts.

If you ask around, one of the bums who sleeps under a bridge tells you he thinks she was arrested, his hand held out for a donation for the information.

What do you do?

- Jacob -

Once your door is open so Benji and Rhiannon can exit, you spot a tattered figure lurking in the shadows across the alley. He gives you a nod of acknowledgement indicating he would like a word.

Everyone knows Slippery Jim, a small-time mover in the Beggars' Guild, (Faction: Mortalis). (They adopted the new name a few decades ago, after Pratchett made it whimsical and popular. They do not like their —more official— name, as it suggests there are thieves amongst their ranks, so don't use it if you know it.)

Slippery Jim is a broker and carrier of street-level information, and oft-times messenger between the Circles.

What do you do?

Benji shakes the outstretched hand, cheerfully oblivious. "Arrested? What for?"

- Benji -

"Aw, I don't know, man." The bum says, crestfallen that no silver greased his palm. "Blue lights and a commotion down by the water, then they put her in a van and took her away. I did not want to get involved."

To illustrate the point about not wanting to be involved he starts to wander off, out of the shelter of his bridge and into the rain.

What do you do?

"Okay, well, thank you for your help!" says Benji, waving to the homeless man as he wanders off into the rain. The closest police station is probably Charing Cross so he decides to go and see if he can find Lizabeth there.

- Benji -

"'Lizabeth Greenback'? ... Yes." The white-haired, old, duty sergeant confirms after checking her list. "You her barrister?" She asks, they are not going to just give information to random people.

What do you do?

- Jacob -

Jim's slanted, Chinese eyes, squint at you suspiciously when you offer tea. He looks around the destruction and shakes his head.

"Very kind. Very kind." He intones. "But I have things to do, you know." He knows you well enough to not bother with the fake Chinese accent he uses with tourists. "Just here to deliver a message:

"'Millicent Fawcett seeks the return of the Fiction book by Mary Wollstonecraft. Specifically the one annotated by Byron that she was reading before it was stolen.'" He chants as though memorised. "That's it."

He looks around again at the broken window and the Jacob-shaped shadow-outline on your ceiling, then leans in close. "You had a bit of bother?" He asks, conspiratorially. Slippery Jim is always looking for an angle, you may be able to tempt him in for tea with the suggestion of information he could sell elsewhere.

What do you do?