The play of emotions over Viveca's face are a sight, if fast-moving. Wariness, confusion, then a flash of surprised pain - like getting prodded in an injury that you forgot was there. Only one person called her Veevee and it's been a long time since she's heard that voice.

She hesitates, almost hanging up the phone, but then glances at Frank. Spirit world he's called this place. Her stomach tightens but her jaw firms and comes up pugnaciously.

"Who is this?" she asks, voice even - but she glares at the phone as if she might force answers out of it.

-- Edited by Viveca Moody on Tuesday 8th of September 2009 10:25:49 AM

"Viv are you alright?" Morris says leaning into the Office a bit more pressing against Frank, "Um sorry Frank. .." He says however he doesn't back off too much like he might be able to see who's on the phone.

Frank moves a bit - he really does not want to go into that tiny room, but he will if needed. He shushes Morris and mouths 'Wait.' He seems not bothered at all by being squished slightly by Morris.

Viveca strains to listen through the static, scowl deepening until the growling comes on.

"Lonnie?" she exclaims into the phone - but all she gets is dial tone.

Taking the receiver away from her ear she stares at it with a look of angry concern. Her hand's shaking as she puts it back on its hook and she looks at Morris, though it's unclear if she's looking for understanding or daring him to object or comment.

"So. Mr. Blackarrow," she says, her tone edged, though she's hardly looking at him - too busy glaring at the phone as if it's a recalcitrant suspect in a crime. "What sort of spirits do you figure are to be encountered here? Just fears and hang-ups? Or other types as well?"

"You talked to Lonnie? " Morris says, "You mean deadly disease Lonnie?" Oops that was a little insensitive but it really just kinda slips out of Morris' lips before he can take it back he's more worried about Vivi and how she's being effected, "I'm sorry I didn't think..." No he didn't and he moves farther away and into the hallway.

Viveca glares at Morris flatly and her lips press into a thin line.

"Yes," she grits out. "Dead disease Lonnie." Her voice is stiff and ragged as she looks at Frank. "Mr.... Doctor Blackarrow, please hit Mr. Sensitivity for me? I'd do it but I'd probably break something."

Viveca puts her hands flat on the desk and looks down for a moment, drawing a very deep breath. She holds it for several seconds, then lets it go slowly. When she continues the strain is mostly gone from her voice - shoved aside by force of will.

"Lonnie Nitta was my old boyfriend. He died..." she pauses, looking a little surprised and a little tired before she continues, "the better part of 20 years ago."

Reaching out, she taps the phone.

"That sounded like him - what I could hear through the demon dogs and the bursts of static. It sounded like he was warning me, but... well, it seems the reception from Shepherd's Glen is lousy."

She glances at Frank, a lost, bewildered look flickering across her face for a second before she schools it away and asks, "do you think that might have been him? Do you think he might be trapped in this... world, whatever it is?" Her lips thin again and her voice is hard as she continues, "or do you think it was just something else designed to mess with our - well, my - head, like Morris's maneaters?"

Frank follows and swats Morris on the ass hard enough to lift him on his toes if he does not prevent it. "It was a medicinal ass smack."

He turns to Viveca. "I'm no expert - i can't remember but a third of what my grandfather tried to teach me. He died too early. But ... this between world - it touches several others. well, if the stories are true. And one of those worlds - one of the places that a shaman can go - is where the Dead go on their final travel. It follows that they can come back - usually to cause trouble. ...but ... he's not here... just sending a message. Speaking to the spirits. Thats what this place is for. We're a step closer to the Deadlands. Maybe he's trying to contact you from where he is. Warn you, protect you. something. I'm utterly guessing."

"Maybe out the back if we wanna see the possible graffiti." Morris will say he does flinch when he's smacked but being hit just makes him quieter. He crosses his arms in front of his chest.

Viveca nods, scooping up the package of handgun ammunition and looking thoughtfully at the bottle of White Claudia oil. She looks at Frank.

"Got any use for this?" she asks, offering it over to him as she squeezes out from behind the desk.

you walks passed a locked cabinet it in the hall that leads to the back exit, through the back exit is a dumpster the radios start to crackle near the thing however it doesn't last long, there is writing on the wall in dark red pain.

"Kinda bass-ackwards, too. And what, Vampire sinners? I don't get it." Frank got the keys. "Lemme see if one of these fits that cabinet, you guys keep an eye out, 'kay?"

"Listen Viv, I." Morris leans against the one wall, "I just want to say I'm lucky that you and I are friends."

He will suddenly look down at her radio as the static begins to come from it, Frank's Radio is also belching static from inside the gas station.

Those horrible Roaches have begun to bellow out of the dumpster carpeting the ally and separating Frank from Morris and Vivi.

"Christ!"

Viveca's smile widens a little bit and she reaches out to Morris's arm to pat it, opening her mouth - then the bugs start to boil out of the dumpster.

Her head whips around and her eyes widen, freezing for a second. Then Morris's exclamation brings her back and she looks around desperately for something to use as a weapon - she might be a good enough shot to shoot these things, but she's not sure she has enough bullets or enough time. She needs a weapon of mass (bug) destruction.

The closest thing she finds, unfortunately, is a milk crate - hard plastic instead of weak cardboard, but making her get far closer to the bugs than she really likes. Still, she whips the top one off the stack and mashes it down on the nearest bug - or bugs, if she's lucky enough to nail more than one. Assuming she's lucky enough to nail one at all.

Morris will bring his pipe up and swing over Vivi's head working to knock the bugs out of the air. "Do you think we might want to start running away?" He asks and swings again when the next one flutters up.

He's been getting pretty good at this.

Viveca winces at the screams - being told about creatures is no substitute for listening to the howls of damned souls coming out of them as you squish the life out of them.

She has little time to reflect on that as some of them take to the air, flying towards her head. She starts to straighten - then sees the bat coming in and ducks again, going down on one knee to keep from falling over entirely. She tries to dodge any remaining airborne attacks, lashing out with a bare fist if nothing else - no matter how nasty those creatures are she'd rather take damage to her hand than her head.

At Frank's shout she hollers "watch that bat, Morris!" as she stumbles backwards, trying to move closer to Morris and away from Frank while avoiding getting brained by the Louisville slugger.

Morris will back up and make sure not to hit Vivi, "Anyone else getting the idea that these things just aren't dumb bugs?" Morris says and will put himself between Vivi and the bugs.

Viveca frowns as Morris, who doesn't even have the rather limited protection of a bulletproof vest, tries to protect her. She opens her mouth to squawk - then realizes that this way a) he's not going to brain her with the damn bat, and b)she's got a better angle to see if anything attacks him and make sure nothing succeeds.

With a sudden shiver she checks behind herself - just to make sure nothing's sneaking up on her unwatched side.

"Frank! Why don't we meet you out front!" Morris yells over the flames backing up holding the pipe ready to smack anything flying and flaming should it come out of the fire at him.

Viveca shudders at the screaming - but she doesn't let it derail her. She looks around when the men suggest splitting up, pulling out the handgun and making sure the coast is clear before she puts her hand on Morris's arm.

"Back up - you cover that side, I'll cover this one and guide you out."

She'll keep in contact with him as she guides him out the alley, letting him keep an eye out for flaming kamikaze screamer bugs as she watches for obstacles and anything leaping to intercept them. If they're not interrupted she'll stop once they get out of the alley but before they head to the door of the gas station.

"If he doesn't come out to meet us in fifteen seconds, I'm going back in to make sure he's coming out at all."

Viveca's seen her share of horror movies, she knows just how bad an idea splitting up can be.

The Cabinet itself has in it a Medical kit, and some more cleaning supplies, however as Frank does this he hears an odd sound in the distance, like war drums, but they seem to come for every direction drawing closer and closer.

The sound seems to be coming from all directions and its damn close, when Frank gets to the convince store section of the gas Station there is almost a trembling and the lights start to flicker, the walls begin to becomes covered in ice, it seems to spread out leaving frost everywhere.

Thick ice forms over the windows and the air becomes cold, cold like death.Frank can see that outside it’s not much better, and then the lights go out completely.

Continues for Frank Here

Viveca counts quietly under her breath, almost a mutter. "...thousand and eleven, a thousand and twelve, a thousand and thirteen, a thousand and fourteen...." She takes a breath.

"Alright, let's go in and find him," she says, grabbing Morris's arm.

Normally 15 seconds is a damn short time period to give someone - but Viveca figures with the caution they used coming up the alley to reach the front, they've actually given him at least a minute or two - and he didn't have flying flaming roaches to dodge inside. At least, she hopes he didn't. Her uncertainty is all the more reason to go charging in.

"Yeah, well, I'm fresh out of bullseye target round shields, with or without star," Viveca mutters softly. She doesn't let go of Morris's arm until he steps away to get the door, though.

Stepping in she keeps the handgun in one hand, looking around the shop warily.

"Frank?" she says, calling into the shop loudly. "Blackarrow?!" she tries again.

Viveca reaches out and takes Morris's arm, keeping in contact as she tries to open the door to the back hall. It's where they last saw Frank, after all - but Frank had the keys and she's not sure if this door locks automatically.