(1942-05-16) A Different Sort of Authority
A Different Sort of Authority
Summary: First instinct is go to the Sheriff, Lillie has other ideas.
Date: 1942-05-16
Related: A couple of hours after Kitchen Fiend
Players:
frank..lucietta..

The Gallows, Higsi
Wed May 17, 1942


Toward the back is the requisite wooden bar with a mirror on the wall behind it that has been polished to a nice shine. A line of cushioned bar stools sit in front of the bar just waiting to be used. Tables and chairs dot the rest of the bar.

Weather:
It is spring. The weather is warm and clear.


<FS3> Lillie rolls Empath: Good Success.

There's a morning for the books… even Lillie couldn't have expected that one, when she pulled herself out of bed at around 3am with about four hours' sleep to her name and wrestled her way into a uniform. She's lucky that it's not even inside out, or backwards. But you see, that had been the extent of her worries when she was dropped off in front of the Sister's Diner… then it quickly went downhill from there. Fast-forward through fearful realizations, an awful vision and a raccoon performing a pie heist…. then a visit to the jailhouse that the Empath honestly can't remember… and here we are, at present.

The sun that had been high in the Eastern horizon is now making it's way across the sky, veering into the afternoon as Miss O'Clery strides with exhausted purpose toward the Gallows. Knowing it to be closed at this hour, more-than-likely, she has to try. She is still dressed in that pretty little number that the waitresses wear in the diner, but she has 'wilted' some; she looks straight-up exhausted. Disturbed. Par for the course when coming to see Frank. Now outside the entrance to the old dive bar, the Empath lifts her hands with grim resolve and begins knocking on the door. Tentatively at first, then with a bit more fervor.

It takes Frank a few minutes, but eventually there's a loud, "God damn it! We're closed, Phil!" There's a jangle of locks and the door is yanked open to reveal Frank looking rather annoyed. That's quickly replaced with surprise, and then worry, "Lillie?" He glances behind her and doesn't even ask, just opens the door more and motions her in.

She can hear Frank through the door, and his annoyance is so strong that she feels it compounding with her own terrible woes. Lillie worries her lower lip and bites harder than she should have, as she listens to the locks being adjusted beyond the door. Her fists instinctively look for flouncy skirts to knit into, but she only has the slim pencil skirt of the uniform.. her nails slide uselessly over the firm fabric. Ugh. She can't even fidget properly. The door opens to reveal the cranky bartender —- he has right to be with what may have been a drunk pounding for entry — but no… it's just Lillie. Wan, pale, tired.

And as one expects, her eyes are big, dark and scared. Just one look at her will be answer enough, and Frank is knowing enough to just show her in before people take notice.

Compliantly, the Empath pads into the room, brow furrowed. "I'm so sorry.. something's happened. I told you I'd find you." She says gently, voice wavering.

Frank grunts, taking her by the elbow to the nearest seat. Once she's seated he moves towards thew bar, 'What happened?" Whiskey for both it seems as two glasses come out and he pours.

Thank God for grumpy Frank. Why oh why have grumpy people become so important to her, Lillie wonders idly as the bristly man gets the customary drinks poured. Lillie seats herself with little fanfare, her purse dropping between her ankles and hands coming to grip the edge of the stool. The full weight of minimal, bad quality sleep is starting to hit her hard now. One hand lifts to rub at her face, massage the bridge of her nose, slide 'round to toss her heavy braid aside and rub the back of her neck. Hastily she assembles the details in her mind, and elects not to keep Frank waiting.

"The Diner.. he, it.. went into the diner last night." Lillie says abruptly, her lips flattening into a tense line. "I arrived this morning to start work.. the door was /gone/. Two others were with me.. one of them went in to check things out. Clifton Walker, you likely know him." Lillie explains. "I-I was at the door with Miss Williams when a vision hit me.. swiftly, and clearly."

Frank slides the drink over to her as he listens. He wasn't certain if the demon was bluffing or not about Lillie specifically, but this is too much a coincidence. "Anyone hurt?" Clifton, huh? He'll talk to the mountain folk later. But a vision? Damn it all, "What did you see?"

<FS3> Lillie rolls Mind: Failure.

A slender hand catches up the drink and Lillie drains most of it. Lovely lovely burn…. the physical sensation levels her out some, but she's just so tired. Lillie meets Frank's gaze, the corners of her lips quivering once before she seems to catch it again. "N-nobody hurt.. the diner is closed today. There was a raccoon in the kitchen, eating a pie.. I was told.. it fled quickly. But.." She digresses, she needs to focus.

"Vision.. the vision.." Lillie starts, gripping the stool again. She's normally so much more composed, but her mind is just… shot. The empath glimpses that little quicksilver flash of knowledge and she needs to pass it onto Frank before she loses it altogether. "I saw the diner as it was, l-likely last night… that black fog formed in front of it and he was there. The demon." Lillie's breath comes a bit faster now, but she keeps it together still. "H-he was at the door, looking to get in. People never see me in visions.. it's like a reel, w-watching a movie… people never.. ever.." Her eyes glitter now, she sways. Knocks back the rest of the whiskey as she can't help herself and tears boil over. "It looked at me, acknowledged me… called me by name. H-he knows my name!" Lillie cries, voice giving over to true upset. "T-touched the door.. it disappeared.. he went in and…" Lillie rubs her face helplessly. "That was it." She exhales in a sob.

Raccoon eating pie! That could have been Frank's pie, damn it. He quietly listens, nodding indicating he's getting all the info. Although something isn't adding up, "He formed outside the door, or in the diner?" A slight head shake, he knows very little about demons, and even less about people with visions. "I'll go look and see what I can find." Where's all these young hunters when he needs them? He starts gathering stuff from underneath the counter, a shot gun is pulled out, some jars of clear liquid, some with herbs floating in them. a pouch with some kind of dried something.

"Outside the door… closed door. He touched it after he spoke to me, and the door vanished." Lillie says clearly now, slightly distracted as she watches Frank taking out all manner of things from beneath the counter. A little intake of breath as she sees the shotgun; just seeing that terrifying thing solidifies the realization that she will never, could never bring herself to use something like that. Sorry, Jesse… no guns for Lillie. One hand lifts to press against her heart as she feels it pounding away, before her eyes glimpse the jars and their odd contents. Lastly, the pouch.

"What are you?" She asks gently, now.. can't help herself. There should be booze under there, and only booze.. glasses… what is this stuff? Then what Frank did to her house… extra important, now, that the creature knows her name.

"D—do you have help?"

Frank eyes her as she stares at his supplies, hand going to reach for his own drink now. "It vanished?" huh, that's good to know. He takes a liberal drink before answering her, "Just a man that's seen to much." He snorts, "Sometimes, if anyone is in town." He's not going to out anyone. "I'm human Lillie, that's the most important thing for you to know."

Waiting for an answer, Lillie's tired mind speculates on all manner of things…. she is pinning Frank as anything /but/ human. Some sort of shaman / medicine man? Or… he answers her, and is blessedly honest. Her sense picks up on nothing that could allude to otherwise and the young woman can't help but be grateful. Her red-rimmed eyes soften with understanding and she nods slowly, her braid bobbing over a shoulder. She does not let on that she suspects others of not being wholly human, it's not her place.. nor does she want to uncover things that aren't meant to be uncovered.

"I… okay, I see. I-I won't press it." Lillie says gently, meaning it. "Vanished." She says again regarding the door, looking Frank straight in the face as she says it.

'Seen too much' … is that what this undercurrent of guilt means? It's always there, when she's in Frank's company; the Walkers have their anger and that sense of danger… Frank bears something formidable in his resolve too, but there's always guilt. "H-have you seen things worse than this? In Higsi?"

Frank's not going to burden this young lady with more to carry than she already has. Finishing off his glass. "There's always something worse, Lillie." He starts to gather his things, "I'm going to go look at the dinner, you can stay here or go home. Both places should be safe." Before she can ask/argue. "You're not coming with me."

She's just too tired to ask on a matter that has been driving her a bit mad, alongside other things. It shows in her face that it won't be a big battle; she simply nods again. "I'm going home.." Lillie says absently, fatigue now heavy in her voice. Frank won't have to worry in the least about her trying to follow along or investigate with him. For now, Lillie wants to be as far away from the diner as possible… to even go to Josie's is too close for comfort. She simply wants to get home, lock her doors, step over the carving beneath the rug and fall into bed. IF she doesn't sleep soon she may very well go insane.

Sliding off of the stool, Lillie is gracious enough to drop some coins down as payment for her drink. The bar needn't be open for her to support business. One hand hefts up the purse and she prepares to depart, ahead of or with Frank depending upon how soon he intends to set off.

"Thank you for hearing me out."

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License