Elias meets Madame La Déchante and Hen

A dead silence had settled into Bethnal Green, the thumping of barflies and gentlemen alike who had enjoyed more wine than they could handle finally dying down far past the dead of midnight. The Society's doorsteps were known to be flooded frequently by the steps of angry mobbers, but in a time as undisturbed as this, it would seem unreasonable that anything could break through the eerie peace that had settled upon the area.

''Thump. Thump thump.'' A hard, rapid pounding against wood.

Scratch that.

The only one on the streets now was a man amounting to a wiry-muscled 5'11 form, as he stood with an impatient scowl at the doors of the building. He shivered faintly, his arms wrapped tight around each other as he waited for his knocks to be identified. Clutched tight in his hand was a small card, and just behind his feet two half-heartedly packed luggage trunks. His breath left a stain upon the icy night air as his gaze remained fixed onto his feet.

Thump thump. He knocked again, with more force. His scowl deepened.

Madame La Déchante: ( The fervent knocks reverberate through the empty foyer, accented by a faint mechanical hum. ... Is that electricity? Something soft, nearly inaudible drums along like a metronome, adding to the textures seeping through the heavy wood. Click One of the doors swings inward to reveal the secrets it had held. One of them is a small plump woman. She is decorated in an elegant night robe, but her strangely manicured appearance is devoid of any other indications of an interrupted rest. She opens her mouth to speak, her voice lyrical and soothing. ) ''Bonjour. Bonsoir Monsieur. Si je peux demander, ce qui vous amène à cette heure tardive ?'' Decipherer:  Elias' look grows alarmed as it clicks with him what she'd said. He clears his throat and pronounces slowly and unsurely, "Uh... Veuillez accepter mes excuses mais j'ai été invité."

'''Madame La Déchante:'''  ( She leans against the frame of the door, batting her eyes. Beneath the flirty lashes, her bright green eyes hold a spark of something sharp and piercing. She sweetly bores into his soul as she speaks. ) ''Oooooo Avez-vous vraiment? Je suis d' être de bons amis avec notre co-fondateur. Je dois admettre, il n'a jamais mentionné que vous veniez .''

Decipherer:  Similarly to before, he has to pause to consider his words. They do not roll off the tongue, and he struggles to speak clearly -- especially since his accent is a mix of Greek and English. "La carte avait été donnée à moi par quelqu'un qui a été témoin de mon travail, mais je n'a jamais été donné un nom." Madame La Déchante:  ( She looks up to the sky, as if sensing the presence of someone else, and winks before shifting her gaze back to the newcomer. ) Mais sûrement, ils possèdent le vôtre, non?

Decipherer:  Elias follows her gaze if only for a moment. "Er, oui." He pauses and extends a hand, "Mon nom est Dr. Elias Castellanos."

'''Madame La Déchante:'''  ( Flashing a pageant smile, she extends one of her own tiny hands- adorned only with a glittering wedding band, and shakes it firmly. ) Madame La Déchante. Pourquoi je ne l'ai pas entendu parler de vous ?

Decipherer:  He sighs and runs a hand through his dark, unremarkable hair, looking back towards her with a subtle shrug of his shoulders. "W-- Je crains que je ne sais pas comment répondre à cela." He observes the Society's interior for a moment, his gaze eventually returning to meet hers. "Je ne peux même pas être sûr que l'homme qui m'a donné la carte réside même ici!"

'''Madame La Déchante:'''  ( She studies him, her eyes glinting coolly as he delivers his explanation. Finally she speaks, her tone even and lacking judgement. ) Vous avez nulle part où aller.

Decipherer:  Elias's hands fidget and he makes a strange gesture behind their folded position. He looks stiff, uneasy, as he clears his throat. "Qu'est-ce qui vous fait penser cela?"

'''Madame La Déchante:'  Tu mens. Vous avez probablement pas reçu une invitation personnelle si vous n'êtes même pas sûr qu'ils sont l'un de nos scientifiques . ( She looks to him thoughtfully. ) Les gens ne sont cependant pas attirés ici par ignorance. Qu'est-ce que vous étudiez ?''

Decipherer:  Elias blushes at the accusation and begins to protest with a small, "Bien --" but he is promptly interrupted by her continuing. He slowly responds, "... comment voulez-vous dire, chimie astronomique?" He eyes her with a touch of intimidation. Madame La Déchante:  ''chimie astronomique? Ceci est un nouveau champ dans notre famille. Quels types de tests faites-vous? Je ne peux pas imaginer qu'il y aurait trop de spécimens dans l'espace.''

Decipherer:  His expression quickly becomes bitter. "Peut-être -- il aligne étroitement avec l'astrophysique, mais il reste un champ rare, je le crains. Espèces non notre propre planète est une face de l' étude qui est à peine pursuable! Je peux seulement examiner ce qui tombe à terre." Madame La Déchante:  ( She pointedly ignores his sour expression, repaying it in kind with an amiable demeanor. ) Fascinant! (Seemingly satisfied with his answer, she opens the door wider and moves aside. ) ''Nous approchons de la capacité, mais nous 'd jamais détourner un collègue scientifique. Nous espérons que votre séjour ici peut donner des résultats utiles.''

Decipherer:  He looks to her curiously. "Mais je pensais que vous -- " He pauses, and in a rare display of gratefulness, he flashes a warm smile. "... merci, Madame Déchante."

'''Madame La Déchante:'  Il n'y a rien à lui. Besoin d'aide avec vos sacs ?''

Decipherer:  "Depuis que vous avez offert -- mais vraiment, ils sont plutôt légers." Elias hands one of the trunks off to her, and it would be found that he is correct: they are surprisingly lightweight for their size. He takes one in his arms himself and finally enters the building, his eyes widening with awe.

'''Madame La Déchante:'''  ( She accepts the trunk, pausing to observe his child-like wonder when the pair are approached by a tall elegant man. )

Dr. Jekyll II ( Mother Hen ):  ( He enters through the doors, his clothes slightly disheveled and decorated with spots of blood. His face brightens at the sight of the Madame. ) Hello dear! (He turns to Elias with the same smile. ) I see we have a new guest?

Decipherer:  Elias stops his awestruck staring and looks towards the new arrival, immediately returning to English. "Oh, hello."

'''Madame La Déchante:'''  ( She looks between the two boys, her eyes also resting on the newcomer. Surprisingly, she too switches to English steeped in a posh French accent. ) Good evening dear, busy shift?

Dr. Jekyll II ( Mother Hen ):  Dreadfully.

Obtained From
A Nighttime Newcomer