Member
Achronum
Morose
Stryder BC
Nameless Hero
IAmTheIsland
feferipeixes
Guardian Angel Haruki
Whoami
MaeB
Once Jo had exited his office, he fell onto his chair with a 'huff'. This job had come with all sorts of added stress he had not expected. Most of it comes from the looming threat of constantly having his funding pulled or the government deciding that Enlightened didn't need to be trained or educated and instead rounded up, locked away, or worse.
And now we have a missing man and a student worried about their father. That would not bode well. He had some sources he could pull or ask for, but it would be better to perhaps send someone over to investigate. Which means he would need to make contact with the one person who, he knew, never wanted to hear from him again.
Lady Rosemarie crossed the threshold of the school; something she had never expected to do again. She walked with the confidence of someone who could be accepted here, so students paid little attention to her. Perhaps she was a new teacher on her way to a lecture? Or was she a wealthy aristocrat who donated money to the school and wanted to see where her funds were being allocated?
She glanced around at the school, grown since she last saw it. She came upon the old, wooden doors and she took a moment, fleeting though it were, to reflect before she knocked. The doors opened quickly and she swept herself inside.
Lord Ingram Poe stood in front of his desk as Lady Rosemarie entered. "Lady Rosemarie, it is a pleasure to have you here. Would you like anything to drink?"
Lady Rosemarie didn't often let emotion play out on her face, but there was a small twitch of her eye as Poe spoke. Memory was a precious thing. "Do not do me a disservice by pretending this is a cordial visit, Lord Poe. I received your summons and found it intriguing enough to make the journey here, but this is not two friends meeting. This is business." She gathered herself up before she moved to the sitting area off the side and sat down. "Tea will suffice."
Lord Poe rubbed his temples as he summoned a servant to fetch them tea. He walked over and sat down. "Lady Rosemarie, I mean no disrespect. I would not have asked you here if I did not have a sufficient reason. I understand my father and yo-"
"Let me stop you right there, Lord Poe. Your father and I have history and that is not to be dredged up by you or anyone else. I will not speak ill of the dead, may he rest in peace, but you and I both know what your father did. So, please, be quick about why I am here or I will leave. I have my own matters to attend to."
Lord Poe understood. He knew of the Haven for Wayward Girls and knew it was a necessary...well was evil the right word? Wold he rather the girls be on the streets or in homes or orphanages that did not care for them? "Right, to business then. I have a matter with a student that I need looked into."
Lady Rosemarie watched as the servant came in, tea in hand, and set it down before her. She poured herself a cup and added some milk. She sipped delicagtely, elongating the wait before she responded. "And what can I do about this?"
"The student's father is Edward Montague. He left to visit Lord Sidney Campbell. By all accounts, Lord Campbell met with Edward and he left, but no one has seen of him since. And as I am sure you are aware, the authorities are not too keen on looking into this further."
Lady Rosemarie sniffed. "Yes, we either have those damned Bow Street Runners making a mess of things or those in the upper echelons of law who care very little about those who are not part of the gentry. I assume this student brought their concerns to you?"
Lord Poe nodded. "They did. I promised I would look into it, but I cannot leave my duties here."
"And you assume my duties are so cavalier that they can be dropped at a moment's notice?"
"I meant no offense, Lady Rosemarie. I do not expect you to drop everything for this, but I know you have connections where I do not. I know you have trusted sources that could look into this without it impacting our respective duties."
"I should say so." She took a moment, in thought. "Do you suspect anyone?"
"Well, either Lord Campbell is lying and he did not meet with Edward, or he did and did something to him afterward. Or someone knew where he would be. There's also the possibility of the Dark Embers."
There was an inkling of something playing on Lady Rosemarie's features at the mention of the Dark Embers. "They have not done anything for a while now. Why do you suspect them?"
"There's rumors speculating something coming. An attack, a threat, something of that sort. Perhaps they kidnapped him and plan to ransom him? Or use him as a means to an end. I would hate to speculate further." Lord Poe knew the Dark Embers were not shy in what they did for their cause.
"Some say the Dark Embers are a necessary force. You and I both know our kind is not accepted, even amongst those who claim otherwise."
"I do know, but that does not mean they can run around and cause harm. That is not how change happens."
Lady Rosemarie let out a small chuckle. A smile on her lips. A rare sight. "Oh, Lord Poe. You truly are your father's child. IF I may speak freely, that is a naive outlook. Look at any historical event and see that change did not come with a whimper, but a roar. Change in our history has often come hand in hand with radicalization, whether it was noticed or not. Now I am not condoning attacks or large-scale wars, but to think change does not happen without some blood being shed, figuratively or not, is silly at best and dangerous at worst. You would do well to consider this going forward, especially for your students. You prepare them for the inevitability that they will go out into the world and achieve their goals. And yet, the world sees them as villains, nuisances, dangers. While progress has been made, and I am not so blind to see that is in large part to your's and your father's efforts, we are not there yet. You do well for your students, but you also throw them to the wolves and hope they can fight back. Some will thrive, others will fall. How many success' do you share at meetings with financial backers? How many stories of those who do not quite meet those requirements do you hide from them? I am not the pinnacle of morality, but I never claim to be. I know what must be done and I do it because otherwise, the people in my care die. You and I both know being a woman today is dangerous in its own right, let alone a woman with Enlightened abilities. Men at least have a chance to be something, even when they lack all the skills necessary. So, Lord Poe, let us not pretend that change does not happen without a little bloodshed. At the end of it, I would rather my enemies bleed than my allies."
She stood up. "I will look into this disappearance. If you have any other information, please send it over. I expect this not to be the last time I set foot in your school. Perhaps one day we may see eye-to-eye on things, but you know I can never forgive your father. The sins of the father follow the child, or whatever the saying is. You have a good thing here, Lord Poe. I would hate to see it crumble before it can truly shine." With a turn, she exited the room and made her way out of the school.
Lord Poe sat there for a few moments, weighing the words.
The library was not a hub of social interaction. A few students were there, reading or writing. However, in a small corner of the library was a conversation. Rumors abound in this school. It was almost as valuable as money.
"Did you hear about the circus?"
"My mother said circus folks are not to be trusted."
"Aye, but it is so much fun to watch!"
"I heard it is a den of sin. That they do..unspeakable things with each other."
"I heard their leader has a whip and trains them like animals."
"I think you all are nutters. It is fun, pure and simple."
"Do not be naive! I heard the Dark Embers have members in their ranks."
"That does not surprise me. They are all freaks of nature."
Giggles and guffaws were heard throughout the library. Were the rumors true?
Big Bulma sighed heavily. She hated to hear any of her ducks put themselves down. She knew Alphonse was feeling it. If he needed to aid others to make himself feel better, she would allow him that opportunity.
"Well, so far as I can tell, the family is more or less ready. Genevieve could use some help with her act, I suppose." Genevieve was a contortionist and gymnast, able to perform great feats on the ground and in the air. She had been traveling with them for a while now since she was picked up my Lord Maleficar after a night at an inn where Genevieve was being beaten by her husband. Genevieve was beautiful, to be sure, but her Enlightened ability made her dangerous to touch. Skin contact can paralyze the other person. She often wore gloves to protect this, but her husband complained so much that he could never have her for fear of dying. He had wanted children and she could not grant him this. Big Bulma did not ask how Lord Maleficar handled this.
"You could also see Cassiel and Obasi. They are probably practicing in the storage area, if I were to wager a guess. Apart from that, I think everything is more or less settled." She looked at Alphonse now. "Lovey, please know you are a vital member of our family. If you need help, you know you can ask."
Skills Used: Stealth
Prudence kept an eye on Morris as he worked. She had long been curious as to what he got to when alone in his workshop. Or as alone as he could be. Lady Rosemaries trusted him almost implicitly. She watched carefully. He hadn't noticed her. She heard him work, move, and command...something. A vicar? And what were those tools and things he kept.
She peeked around before she heard someone coming. She nearly fell, but held firm. Melody had walked past. Prudence held her breath. What was she doing here? She never would expect Melody and Morris to have much interaction. Darkness and light were opposites.
But a visit to the circus? That was interesting. Prudence had heard some of the girls talking about it. She wasn't thrilled, but a night out could be fun. If anything, perhaps she could get some practice of her own in? She started to creep away when her foot hit something off to the side and she fell with a rather loud thump.
Her veil of invisibility faded. She looked up at Morris and Melody, who definitely would see her lying there. "I can explain!" But, could she?
