This is some of the interplay between a couple of the regular players in Pulp Nocturne 1930, the Savage Worlds Adventure RPG.
. . to soft noise which may momentarily prompt him to reach for his pistol. No need to follow through with such an action however, as what may have seemed like awaking to another nightmare quickly turns into a better reality . . . of sorts. He sees Rachel near the foot of his bed standing over an ironing board and moving an electric iron back and forth rather slowly. “Okay, cleaned and pressed,” she murmurs before setting down the iron and hanging Alphonse’s pants on a wooden valet. “So he rises! How was your kip sleeping beauty?” Rachel queries with a smile. He notices that she’s wearing a sleazy (but, sexy) dress. The skirt is more revealing than what Rachel is known for wearing (almost to the knees), and features spaghetti shoulder straps as well. Alphonse knew Rachel had a pretty nice rack but, this is probably the best view he’s seen from her. If her make-up was as sleazy as her dress then Alphonse would swear Rachel would make a perfect “lady of the night” but, her face is virtually devoid of it. It doesn’t add up. Rachel is still very attractive without cosmetics however.
Without effort, Miss Crosby silently walks over to the side of the bed and stands akimbo. Looking down over Alphonse with what seems to be a new vigor she says, “Get up my man! Much has happened since your well earned beauty rest!” Rachel hits him rather vigorously with a pillow. “We are going to need your expertise, and not just because Captain Nemo has reclaimed his ship!” she explains in her distinguished English accent as she removes a tress of gorgeous blonde hair from the corner of her mouth. “We have specimens for you to analyze Herr Cassel. Our visit to the Fortune and Glory was very beneficial. Where is your bloody detector? You’re going to need it my dear.” By now Alphonse can smell the overpowering effect of an excessive amount of cheap perfume coming from Rachel. He’s never known her to wear cheap perfume, let alone excessive amounts of any fragrance! “Get cleaned up and after your dinner you can start.” Rachel is bordering on being flat out domineering at this point. The groggy Prussian may not know whether to be put off, or turned on . . . he’s probably both, knowing Alphonse!
“Fraulein, Guten Morgan, it appears I had pushed myself harder than I thought… and it appears you have been in this country too long. My detector is sitting over there on the desk.”
The groggy German walks slowly towards the latrine
“I trust your time was well spent, can I get a report?”
“Alphonse!” Rachel hurriedly tosses Alphonse a garment and spins away from him long enough for him to appropriately cover himself.
“Um-Alphonse, good lord! Alphonse, make yourself presentable and I’ll be back in a moment with a meal!” Rachel stammers due to the apparent awkwardness or Alphonse’s lack of modesty. Darting out of the room, Rachel returns in about ten minutes with a couple of ham sandwiches and glasses of milk, setting a tray down on a table in the room. She begins setting a makeshift table.
“Have a seat Alphonse. I, the doctor, Monk and Renny gained access to the tramp steamer ‘Fortune and Glory.’ I’ve been meaning to pay a visit to this vessel for the bloody longest. On board we found a lot of surprises. Apparently, there are a lot of artifacts that were contained within, or previously shipped by this vessel that pertain to everything that’s been going on. We even found that Bala was there. I don’t know if you were acquainted but, we met her on Ba-, on Mars. The ship had a very unusual power plant, very advanced. You would have been fascinated with it. The ship captain claimed that it was a Tesla design.”
Rachel finishes setting the two places at the table and then sits down herself. Alphonse notices a small caliber pistol laying on the tray as if it was just another piece of silverware, as well as the fact Rachel is barefoot. “We found a crate of grapefruit sized oricalcum spheres there that possessed tremendous energy!” she exclaims as she sets her napkin in her lap. “Oh, pardon me for a moment but, how did the call to your university friend’s go herr Cassel, or did you reach them?” Rachel takes a bite of her sandwich and watches Alphonse’ for his response.
Yes, I spoke to him. He is perplexed at parts, but told us [insert DM EXPOSITION HERE]”
He also told me he thinks there is more, but he has to do some research.
He quiets down as he finishes his meal, slightly ravenous in his rate of consumption.
This meal is one of your better ones, Fraulein.
Now let’s get to work on seeing what you brought me to analyze, shall we?
“Alphonse…Al…Alphonse! You must masticate your food more slowly or you may experience indigestion! I know you are famished but, you must not bolt your food,” Rachel scolds right before leaning forward and dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
“We discovered some unusual crystal or glass like pins in one crate. They resonated in much the same way the tuning forks here do . . . the ones that cause us excruciating pain. We then found another crate…you may find it interesting that it was marked Bayer-many crates were Alphonse. We opened it and found spheres like the one I already mentioned to you. The doctor held one in his hand and it became unstable. We heard a strange sound. Monk grabbed it, ran and promptly heaved it overboard. There was a tremendous explosion which rocked the whole ship!” Rachel explains between modest bites of her sandwich. Momentarily stopping to check whether the small pistol is loaded or not, she continues. . .
“I surmised that those spheres are some sort of fuel pellet. In this reality there is a slower more controlled release of energy when used correctly but, by touching it the doctor triggered a quick and uncontrolled release of energy due to his being out of phase with this reality. I asked the doctor if the weight of the sphere seemed to intuitively correspond to its volume and felt texture. In his opinion it didn’t…And he did seem to be of the opinion that the cores of the spheres consisted of a different material than the outer layer.” At that moment, Rachel hesitates as she looks what remains of her sandwich. “You’re absolutely right herr Cassel. This sandwich is very scrumptious!” Rachel sips some of her milk before setting about to finish off the remains of her meal.
“Later, those…those things…those spheres came to life and attacked us. This may sound a bit bazaar herr Cassel but…they were filled with…with…madness and chaos…with actual SOULS if you will,” the blonde haired beauty explains with an eerie dread that overcomes her from out of nowhere. “We have an inert specimen for you to examine. We need to know more about it, and your research will be the first step. We have another lead as well…and after 2 PM tomorrow, maybe even yet another,” Rachel explains in her charming English accent, right before she dabs her mouth for the final time with her serviette. Without apparent thought, Rachel leans back, pulling out her cigarette case and crossing her shapely legs. Taking out a cigarette, she sets the case down for Alphonse. “You’re welcome to a smoke.” Rachel strikes a match and lights her cigarette up. “Are you ready to head down and look at what we’ve got for you to examine?”
Alphonse takes one out and lights it with a match.
“Well, it’s amazing what some rest will do, no? It sounds like you and the doctor had some fun. I trust no one was seriously hurt?
“Why didn’t you use my match Alphonse? It was already lit! Germans. I doubt I’ll ever truly understand you fellows,” Rachel whispers as she rubs her right leg with a grimace.
“Well, the doctor took a good wallop to the chin from the ship captain’s rifle butt…and I took a rather humiliating thrashing from those spheres.” With that, Rachel stops for a moment and exhibits a ‘1000 yard stare’ as she looks out of a window. . .
“Um, yes . . . you are right. That’s why I forced you to the last time I was here. Rest is very important and often underrated.”
Exhaling smoke from both her nostrils and mouth, Rachel continues.” Some of the ship’s crew was lost to those damned things. I don’t remember if you were with us when those things attacked us in the New York bureau office before all this bloody reality rubbish got totally out of control but, if you were then you are well acquainted with the lethality of those things.” By now Rachel’s brow is a bit furrowed and she’s shifting uneasily in her seat. Her hand reaches out to embrace the comfort of the small pistol sitting nearby but, not so gracefully as in the past. There is a barely discernible nervousness to her movement now. “The 1st mate’s head was dashed to smithereens, and other crew members met similar fates. It was ghastly Alphonse.” By now Rachel is folded up in her chair as if the temperature was below freezing. Suddenly, Rachel seems to snap out of her funk as she stands up with vigor. “Let’s go look at this specimen Alphonse. Ready? I think Monk or the doctor has it at the moment. I’ll take you to it.”
Yes, I believe I was there, or rather I remember fighting something in the office. Let’s look at the newest member of the menagerie of things trying to kill us, shall we?
Lead the way, Fraulein.
Rachel collects the dishes, leads Alphonse on a slight detour and drops off the dishes. She then takes her pistol, which Alphonse by now is sure to be a .32 caliber Remington, and sticks it in the left pocket of his jacket. From there she locks her arm in his and holds on firmly, almost to the point of discomfort. “This way please.”
Rachel leads Alphonse to a lab room in another part of the floor. “Monk should be around here somewhere but, the artifact is over there. Let’s get some simple measurements of weight, hardness, volume, and the like for starters and go from there. Is there anything else I can do for you now? I can assist if you would like.” She says as she fishes her pistol out of his pocket.
Yes Fraulein, let’s see what my detector has to say about our little friends, shall we?
Pulp Nocturne 1930 