In Bloom

In Bloom Chapter of Beneath Cold Boughs
A flower of the Garden
Chapter 1 of The Widening Gyre
Chronology
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-	Down Among the Worms

Four weeks have passed since the incident with the Tree, those involved have tried to forget and get on with their lives but nothing is that easy.

What Happened

Willowgate Arcade is experiencing a final hurrah before closing, most of the stores within running closing down sales to allow them to make as much as they can before they have to leave businesses that have been their only livelihoods. A notable exception is Mayfair Tobacco, which closed sudddenly several weeks agoo when Morris Mayfair had a sudden change of heart about selling up, took Diana's offer and thus forced the rest of the Arcade to sell for a pittance or risk losing everything. His name is mud, but a quarter million dollars in the bank assuaged the guilt. Among the bargain hunters, gawkers and occasional tourists are people who came back to see the Arcade for one last time before it is demolished. They spend much of the day sitting about the atrium under the stone tree, chatting among themselves, trading stories of the old days and sipping expensive Pequods coffees.

That evening the 18th floor penthouse of the Alabaster Building plays host to another party celebrating the arcade - a celebration by Ormwood Development upper management of the largest hurdle to completion of Phase One removed, on time and under budget. Diana is the toast of the occasion for her excellent work, praised before the assembled VPs by the president of Ormwood Development himself. Her new perceptions easily sense the greed and lust that drive him, enabling her to charm him with ease. More worryingly she also senses a faint ethereal thread descending from the sky, Coleman dancing like a puppet to its every movement.

As the evening draws on, Diana is finally able to make time for Melanie Roth, who congratulates her and makes an offer of further work for Condor both through gritted teeth. A minor matter, site management for a location in east Ormwood intended for Phase 2, and if others in the location were to decide to sell up then there would be bonuses. They arrange to do lunch to discuss things before escaping each others' company. Diana is partway through a bland conversation with an equally bland VP when things begin to go wrong.

It begins with the hedgerows in the roof garden, neatly groomed and equisitely kept borders begin to grow wild and tangled as roses grow toothsome and wail. Confusion spreads through the party, followed by unease and then fear as a gaunt and alien figure steps from behind one of the hedges with a razor-edged sickle in one hand. Coleman's security hurry him out and the room follows suit as they realise something very wrong is happening. Jane has arrived, unannounced and unintentionally, and the party is very much over.

Elsewhere, that evening, Morris is directing some of his new employees to put the finishing touches to his gym. It was Big Jimmy's idea, really more of a suggestion between friends, that he should use the money from selling up to open a gym. Hire someone else to manage day to day and Morris doesn't have to do anything except get in the ring when he wants to. A lot of Jimmy's guys are planning to sign up, many of them more than once and even those not planning to use the facilities. Jimmy takes a cut off the top, Morris keeps the rest and both turn a tidy profit. It's nearly the end of the day when there's a knock at the door, a wiry looking student asks if he does lessons. Morris takes a look at her, something in him stirs - she smells of adrenaline and moonlit nights, of family - and he figures she can get a free lesson today and maybe more. She says her name's Krystal and doesn't need to say more. The way she carries herself, the need to fight to defend herself and the bandages under long sleeves all say enough. "They had a dog" is about all she says, and knows he knows the rest.

Later on, as he's mulling things over, Diana calls after the unscheduled end of the party. The three of them need to meet to discuss things, set some ground rules and not cause any more problems. To the Arcade, the basement calls to them all and demolition doesn't start until tomorrow. Except when they get there, the place is lit up with halogens, a flatbed sits outside waiting for something big and the sound of cutting stone is audible from the street. They spot Hank among the work crew and ask what's going on. There's a work order to remove the tree tonight and ship it to a warehouse in the east of the city, all signed off and correct with an offer of triple time overtime.

Diana tells Morris about Jane's stunt once they are somewhere secluded, an alleyway has to do when the basement is gone. He is less concerned with her worries about what happened, says wierd stuff happens all the times and it will be written off as a conspiracy or fake news or a movie and that's exactly what the comments on the video say. That doesn't placate Diana but before she can properly answer her phone rings. It's Mel, finally replying to four weeks of missed calls and texts. They meet her in Sebastian Park and find her quiet, subdued and smoking, all of which are new. She apologies for being incommunicado, there were apparently things that had to be done after the incident with the tree, and now her master wants to meet the three of them.

Mel drives the three outside the city, up onto the hills to an abandoned school or college where they meet Suleiman for the first time. A quietly intense man, he wishes to know what the three saw when they encountered the Tree and offers to trade information for information. In exchange for their descriptions of the dreams and the beach, he gives them several warnings - that the world is home to many strange beings, most of whom try to keep their existences secret for various reasons and may be upset if approached the wrong way, and that they should beware vampires for they are real, territorial and the city is rife with them. He also suggested another information broker at a book shop in Harton who collects strange lore, she may know more about what has happened to them.

People Encountered

• Alan Coleman (First Appearance) - present at Ormwood Development cocktail party to celebrate completion of Willowgate Arcade purchasing.
• Megan Roth - present at Ormwood Development cocktail party to celebrate completion of Willowgate Arcade purchasing.
• Krystal Garner (First Appearance) - sought boxing lessons for self-defence at Morris' gym.
• Mel - finally answered Diana's calls, brought the three to meet Suleiman.
• Suleiman (First Appearance) - wished to know more about the three, warned them about some dangers of the world, talked about souls.
• Hank Torres - leading the work crew removing the tree from Willowgate.

Locations

• Willowgate Arcade
• Alabaster Tower, 18th floor penthouse - location of Ormwood Development soirée gatecrashed by Jane.
• Sebastian Park - small inner city park in west Ormwood.
• Abandoned college on the edge of Blackmouth - location where Mel brought the three to meet Suleiman.

Notes

• Morris gained 1 dot of Staff and 1 further dot of Allies ('Big' Jimmy Martin), representing the gym and deeper business involvement between them. Other bonus merit dots to be decided for the others.
• Suleiman has some more to say next time...