New Orleans by Night: The Stroke of Midnight

[Dark Silver]

Steele pondered for a moment, before he replied, "As far as i am aware of Allison...no. There's nothing more, simply find out what occurred to the Vampire, then report back to me. If anything beyond that is required...well. We can cross that bridge when it is approached. Remember, try not to cause too much disturbance. The Rule of Shade must be upheld. We don't need to give the Technocrats a reason to go blowing up portions of Algiers...."

[B4UTRUST]

"So, uh," Jax began. His voice was calmer but still obviously laced with a bit of concern and fear and rightfully so. "We, uh, should go ahead and get going on dat missing, uh, person or err uh vampire or whatever, right? Do, uh... do uh we need to get another Cole before we leave? Or we takin dis one wit us?"

[Dark Silver]

"Yes, I would agree Jaxson.." Steele spoke, rising from the table. "You should all get going...and I think this Cole shall be sufficient."

"If any of you need anything, you know how to get in touch with me. I leave the rest of this in your capable hands..."

Rumor stayed next to Ally for a few more moments, tongue bathing her before padding over to Steele.

"Good luck young ones."

With that, Steele walked out of the room, towards the stairs to the third floor.

[LadyTevar]

One last scratch, and Ally watched Rumor follow Prof S. out of the room, before she looked over at Cole. "You are the most stupid fucking idjit I've ever met," she began, getting to her feet and walking around the table. "First, you call him Hidden Master, which pissed him off, and then you start talking about killing vampires ... well, we were all asking that question, but we knew when to sit down and shut up, but you, YOU completely miss the hint even with him crushing you and ask AGAIN where to find vampires to kill. No wonder he broke your rib!"

She blinked, pausing the rant as she stopped by Jax's chair. "That was a rib, lower right side. Wow, freaky I knew that. Anyway, we need to see who's taking what vehicle, because I left my car near Cafe Monde and rode with Jaxon, and I have no clue how Eddy gets around, he just shows up without anyone seeing him." A pause, a breath.

"Do you need me to wrap your rib, or was he nice enough to heal it before you go?"

[Jans]

Cole cocks his head at Ally's tirade, blinking and looking confused. He glances at Jax and Eddy as he stands and follows her out, but stops abruptly when she switches subject.

He does a quick check that most catholics and forgetful men would be familiar with, followed by tapping his ribs with his right hand. He flashes a radiant smile and a thumbs up, then makes for the door at a languid pace.

[SirNitram]

'My methods probably wouldn't be suitable.' Eddie said simply. 'And I never learned how to drive. Didn't need to back in London.'

[Jans]

Cole hits the street at a saunter, waiting as long as it would take for someone to follow him out so he could give them the universal "one moment" hand sign. He heads off down the street and doglegs into a storefront, emerging a minute later with a stack of notepads and a fresh package of pens.

He heads back to the group already scribbling away.

[LadyTevar]

"Oh, don't tell me he took your voice to teach you a lesson..." Ally said, watching Cole scribble. "I *hate* it when he does that. It really makes it hard to go back to work."

[Jans]

Cole looks up at Ally and blinks. He then starts a new note, scribbling it out faster than the other. He passes this new note to Ally and returns to the original, keeping half his attention on her for her answer.

Silence is a lesson.
Hurtle, not wall. Do you know where I could buy a scarf?

[LadyTevar]

"No, I don't know where you can buy a scarf. Why do you need a scarf anyway? we need to get out to 9th Ward, remember?"

[Jans]

Cole raises an eyebrow and gives Ally a speculative look. He glances at the note he had been writing for a long moment, but flips the page and starts something new.

Do we have a description, or a name, for this man we're finding?

[LadyTevar]

Ally opened her mouth to answer, then blinked, and looked over to Jax and Eddy. "uhh... did he tell us, or was he too busy with Cole?"

[B4UTRUST]

Jax glanced over at the note Cole was holding, looked at Cole then at Ally.
"Umm," he started, going silent for a minute as he stood there trying to think. The events of the meeting went through his head again as he tried to remember all the details.
"Uhhh," he began again, quite intelligently. There was another pause as he played the events through one more time.
"Umm," he said once more. "No. No he didn't."

He looked back over at Cole, frowning slightly.
"I'm not sure how this is entirely your fault... but I'm blaming you."

[Jans]

"I'm not sure how this is entirely your fault... but I'm blaming you."

Cole positively beams.

It isn't quite clear why this statement has Cole grinning from ear to ear, but he certainly looks like you've paid him the best compliment he has heard all year.

The next piece of paper is already ready to go.

Then I believe our first stop is Lafayette Square.

[B4UTRUST]

Jax peered at the next note and then looked at Cole, shaking his head.
"Nope. Our first stop is right here so we find out what da old man know bout dis guy we spose to be findin'. Like a name, or a 'scripton, something. So Imma make dis here call up to da man and ask him. Just try not ta piss off nobody else in da mean time, ya bra?"

Jax reached into a pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Pulling up his contact list he dialed the number he had for the house, hoping that the old man wouldn't be too pissed off. He put it to his ear as it started to ring.

[LadyTevar]

"If he's upset, hand the phone to me, he usually doesn't mind me as much," Ally reminded Jax. "If all else fails I'll grab some catnip and try to bribe Rumor."

[Dark Silver]

The phone rang a few times as Jaxson waited, on the fourth ring, it was answered.

But not by the voice Jaxson was expecting, the voice was low and rumbling, with a faint british-like accent to it, and a hint of a....purr?

"Yes Jaxson," it rumbled slightly, "Did you get drunk already and need a place to curl up again? You cant have my pad this time, I'm expecting company..."

There was a scuffle then, over the phone, as Steele's more familiar voice was shouting to "get off the phone" and "give me that!"

There was a few minutes silence, and what sounded like a cat-like hiss, before Steele's voice came through the connection, "Don't tell me your lost already? You just left the house." Steele's voice didn't sound annoyed, or angry, or even exasperated. Maybe he had gotten over his mood...

[B4UTRUST]

Jax nodded to Abby as he listened to it ring. What he heard on the other end though when it was answered? Definately not what he was expecting. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared blankly at the screen, making sure he had in fact called the right number. He had. But that wasn't the old man.
"Was that," he started when he heard the other voice come on the line after a few moments of silence, but halted mid-sentence as it dawned on him what he was really thinking.
'No dat couldn't be da cat. Cats can't talk...'
'Yes, cats cant talk. You can't tell the future. Steele can't conjure up apparitions to make your life bothersome. Any other things we're visiting an Egyptian river for?'
'Huh? Egypti-'
'Denial!'
'...I hate you.'
'Good, you deserve it. Now pay attention to the man on the phone line before he reaches through it and smacks you around like he did to Cole over there.'

Jax had the phone back to his ear and began to speak.
"No," he began, his voice cracking. He fell silent then cleared his throat to start again.
"No, no, nothin like dat. We... uh, we jus realized dat we forgot ta ask you his name. Ya know, da guy you want us ta find. Or even what he look like. I, uh, I guess in da, uh, da moment we forgot ta ask you. Sorry. But, uh, we would really like ta know dat stuff if it be helpin us at all, ya?"

He looked over at Ally, putting his hand over the bottom of the cellphone.
"He dun seem ta be pissed off at da man o'er dere no more," he whispered, nodding his head over at the silent Cole. He hoped that the old man would take pity on them and give them the information they needed. Otherwise this was gonna be a long night.

[Dark Silver]

"Oh...yes...I'm pretty sure you have the envelope on the inside pocket of your jacket....I know gave you the envelope earlier and you slipped it in there. You must be forgetting."

Even as Jaxson heard the words, he could feel the weight of the envelope there....wait...did he even have a inside pocket of his coat? One large enough to fit the envelope......

"It's all in there, even a picture to show around. His name though, is David Butler. Remember to report to me once you've obtained any information on him. There's a good lad."

[B4UTRUST]

"I," he started as he felt a weight appear in his jacket that he was fairly sure hadn't been there before. Had it? He didn't remember putting an envelope in his pocket. But then he hadn't remembered not asking for the name before hand so it was possible he forgot it too, wasn't it? His free hand went to pat his jacket over where the weight had settled. There was something there, definitely. He unzipped the jacket and switched hands with the phone to reach in. He unzipped the inner jacket pocket and reached in. He pulled out a manila envelope that was perfectly stored in the pocket. It was folded in half but not creased, just curved like a rolled magazine so it could fit in the pocket.

Pinning the cellphone with his shoulder he opened the envelope and fished out its contents, finding a piece of paper that contained the information that had been revealed to them in the meeting along with a name. He also found a photo of the man in question. He flashed them at Ally as he concentrated on the old man's words.
"Y-yeah. I got it. I guess I did forget dat you gave it ta me. David Butler, got it. We call when we find out bout da lost boy. Thanks."

He hung up the phone and stuck it back in his pocket and looked at the photo.
"He uh...gave me dis. Dun remember when he gave it ta me, but he said he did and der it was. Dat man be strange, no? He even try ta play a joke on me, makin me think dat da cat was tryin to talk on da phone to me. So, what now? We get some copy dat photo ta pass round?"

[SirNitram]

"Oh, that was Rumour. Put me on the next time he answers." Ever cryptic from the British sage. "You come to find the Professor is less wierd than many things in this city. Come now, we have a man and a place."

[LadyTevar]

Ally looked at the envelope, then at Jax, and shook her head. "He played a trick, on you, yes, but it wasn't the phone," she said wryly. When Eddy spoke, she grinned. "Oh! So you know too!"

[B4UTRUST]

Jax looked confused at Ally then at Eddie.
"I dun underst-.. yknow, just forget it. Aint dat important noways right? So how we all plannin on getin o'er dere to the square ta start lookin for da man?"

[Jans]

Cole sums up his opinion on the matter with a single note.

Demonshit

He carefully folds this note and places it in an easy to reach pocket for later.

Cole raises an eyebrow in Ally's direction. He raises two fingers and points them downwards, wiggling them back and forth. He then raises his hands clenched in fists about a foot apart, then shakes them up and down.

[LadyTevar]

"Oh, Rumor told me to keep it a secret," Ally said to Jax, knowing it will simply confuse him further. "My car can fit everyone, we just need to get back to Cafe Du Monde where I left it. So, Jax gets his bike, drives me to the car, and I pick you two up here, Simple!"

Cole's hands moved, and she stared. "Oookay.... walking I get, and if you want to walk to Cafe Du Monde, you can. Just stay on the main drag and I can circle back and pick you up, if you want." As he changed his hands to fists and started pumping them, she looked confused. "I ... uh.... umm... what is that supposed to be?"