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
Category:Side Story
Category:Introduction Stories
Category:A Prank Too Far