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Post by Agrippa on Jan 8, 2021 15:08:36 GMT -8
"I think he's just protective. It's not about you. You're alright."
Agrippa mirrored Martinez's nod towards the spot vacated by Lancelot with an easy smile. Their tone, low and content, was almost sleepy.
"Does she respond to a name, or something else?"
The silver pen in the beast's right hand twirled lazily, and the notepad dropped to their stomach- it didn't look like they had any intentions of recording the answers. The rhythm of their voice was slow, and there was a notable but fitting pause between this first question and the next.
"Does she have a place she comes from, or a place she likes to stay?"
It was almost as if they were reciting poetic verse. A duet, waiting for response.
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Linden
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Presence (3) Steady
Posts: 325
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Post by Linden on Jan 8, 2021 17:59:36 GMT -8
Glass still held in the tips of their fingers, all but forgotten, Linden remained at the back as the others began working on Martinez. It didn't feel the moment to be looming over him, with how well he seemed to respond to Kai's words and kind smile. Besides, the conversation seemed to have started somewhere other than the beginning, to the Ogre's mind, and would require some catching up.
Lifting the glass to their lips to have something to do with their hands, Linden watched Martinez as he spoke. Scattered, foggy... whatever had happened to this guy, it seemed to have done a real number on him. Despite Buck's assurances about Martinez' current intention and state of mind, they couldn't help but look at him with a critical eye.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 8, 2021 18:13:43 GMT -8
Ivory... blinks as the conversation turns to talks of a haunting, her head tilting lightly as she listens to Martinez ramble and speak, her smile remaining.
"She arrived after your... encounter with Mr. Chasseur?" Ivory asked, genuinely curious and, somewhat, surprised. The idea of a ghost taking an interest in Buck Chasseur after his potential death was curious.
And if she wasn't the perpetrator... was she really a predominant concern? The activity of questioning the Satyr's staff said yes, but the addled man's story seemed to indicate that the ghost had appeared following his attempted murder of the Sundown Prince. And also before?
It seemed important to determine the length of this man's haunting.
"When did the specter first appear to you? Or the first time they spoke in your mind?"
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Post by Kai Rose on Jan 9, 2021 22:39:52 GMT -8
Kai Rose was not an occultist. The basics of Summer's hunt and her Contract training were drilled in deep, but ultimately, there were specialists who did this shit for a living. Fall was full of them, but the other Courts had their people. Still, she ran the evidence so far in her head. The ghost came and went, something somehow special, able to come and go. Chasseur was a benefactor, a Good Guy who had helped this fellow out. He was nervous about Lancelot, he was pushed aside like a servant, and then once he was isolated, a ghost... spy?
"The supernatural is never easy to deal with, my friend," she said with an understanding smile. "That's okay. We've got people who specialize in this sort of thing who can help us along. Ivory, Agrippa? We've got a haunting on this fellow. Does Spring have a ghost specialist we could ask to help us out?" She looked to the two Spring Courtiers, hoping they could put their heads together and Make A Few Calls while she and Linden continued with the interview. Without a Gravewright, they'd have a hell of a time.
Returning her attention to Martinez, she took a seat.
"We're going to help you out. Mr. Chasseur cares about you. You're obviously a good guy who has gone through a rough situation here, but you can pull yourself through." Like he'd said, Chasseur had made his life better, but you didn't just get picked up. You had to pick yourself up, too, and he must have tried. "We're going to need you to help us help you, though. What happened to you on the day you took the shot? Can you walk us through it?"
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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 10, 2021 0:49:45 GMT -8
Linden's pretty confident they could get a handle on the man if necessary, though his garden shears posed a threat. He didn't seem violent in the immediate, but definitely unstable. Usually that didn't guarantee violence: quite the opposite. They were taking the right approach by keeping him calm.
As specified, spirits were beyond Kai's knowledge of the supernatural. Maybe the man was cursed? She didn't have enough details to make an educated guess.
"Name...?" he had a blank look to his face as he got lost for a moment. "She didn't come from here. She followed him, I think." He was a little distressed by the order of questions, and Ivory had to repeat herself. "I don't...which encounter? After he hired me? Yes. She spoke to me a month after I started working for him."
His current state of mind didn't seem congruent with the situation he described. Being harass by a ghost asking questions didn't seem like it would result in him being such a space cadet, and Buck never mentioned any previous mental illness or substance-related psychosis. Someone's scrambled his head.
As the Unicorns listen, there's a silent conversation as Agrippa looks to Ivory. The Pale Dragon seems to mull it over, before shaking her head softly — her adventures didn't really expose her to the Emerald researchers, and who knows who the Archivist was now in her downtime. Agrippa had an updated roster, recalling the will and estate attorney. Being a shrewd businessman himself, and of the Emerald Court, Noir was never known to offer his services freely, even under pressure from the Crown. Normally, this would be alienating, but the Gravewight was a man after Agrippa's own heart, known to be affable nature and a shrewd negotiator.
He has known ties to the Wax Mask, though keeps any Pledges he may have with said members under wraps. He keeps his motley private as well, though many have attempted a bribe or two.
Martinez is clearly trying to focus, blinking a few times and rubbing his temple as a headache set in. "Mon...day? I was making sure the plants inside were watered properly," he laughed, relieved to pull the detail like it was a lifeline, "Yes, then the marble started cracking. Didn't know if it was an earthquake, got confused. But we had all those other strange instances...? I-I ran." His face twitched, shaking his head with a single jerk.
"S-she-" his hand hovered, pointing towards the balcony where Kai was with the Sunset Prince and the Magistrate. "There. One of the maids gave me a silver bullet. Said her brother killed an evil spirit that harassed their family when they were kids. I c-couldn't, everything was-" he blinked again, struggling. "I prayed? Guided my hand, but- then, it was dark. And," his hand went to his chest where Buck had cracked his ribs.
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Post by Agrippa on Jan 10, 2021 4:13:50 GMT -8
The pen froze mid-twirl. Kai was right, of course- just because Agrippa could go to a wraith, just because they could talk to one, didn't make them an expert. They let out a breath in quiet protest, hating to admit it. Not wanting to distract their haunted man any more than necessary, Agrippa looked away from Martinez before they allowed their relaxed expression to scrunch into a concentrated frown.
"...Noir."
They were answering Kai, though they were looking at Ivory as they said it. Their voice hadn't changed tone from before, though it was quieter.
"Noir could help. But we would need to make it worth his while."
The question of whether that was going to be a problem and whether they should proceed to contact him regardless was implicit in the look that they shifted, from Ivory to Kai and then to Linden. The pause lasted a tad too long, as something within Agrippa fought the urge to say something else. Whatever it was, it lost.
"In the meantime, if we want to check if she is hanging around I could always just-"
The unicorn quickly threw the notepad and pen into their front pocket so that they could press their hands together, evoking a diving motion. Something in their eyes betrayed an enthusiasm that was otherwise effectively hidden from their voice and expression.
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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 11, 2021 23:08:43 GMT -8
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 12, 2021 14:25:54 GMT -8
Ivory frowned slightly, lightly shaking her head to Agrippa when they thought to look to her. A slight blush of embarrassment cast upon Ivory's cheeks as she looked to the ground. She would need to integrate herself more it seemed.
With the conversation leading to diving and the need to communicate with Noir hanging in the air, Ivory merely stood by. Unsure of how to be of use, but nonetheless pleased to be included.
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Post by Kai Rose on Jan 12, 2021 22:50:01 GMT -8
Followed him? Buck? Kai glanced back toward where the Runnerswift had met them, a pensive look on her face as the fellow answered Ivory's good question. She lurked around the place thoughtfully, not interrupting. It was really, really unlikely that this guy was crazy from having been asked a few questions by a ghost.
Noir? Sure. That name rang a bit of a bell. She said, "Ivory, could you get Noir to join us, please? Let him know we've got some sort of specter here, and that helping Buck Chasseur deal with it might prove worthwhile to him. I think Agrippa's got the right idea with the diving, but that'll keep him busy for a bit." That seemed productive - have Ivory do the politics that she was good at, let the diver dive, and keep Linden to help her out.
Returning her attention to the gentleman, she smiled. "The maid. Okay, you were watering the plants. Can you remember what time it was? And which maid was she? What was her name? If it helps you remember, we can go up there."
The ghost, planting the bullet it wanted used, maybe? Or something more Lost-related?
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Post by Agrippa on Jan 13, 2021 15:52:34 GMT -8
Agrippa allowed themselves a small grin, somewhere between excitement and self-satisfaction. Deft hands flew back into their breast pocket, retrieving the notebook and pen from their laughably brief retirement.
"Here. The number, if you don't have it already!"
A blank page was found within a few flips, and the pen went to work as soon as it was. The page was torn and offered to Ivory nearly before the pen had a chance to lift from the paper. As promised, a number was scrawled in blue writing impossibly neat.
"I should go ask permission... I'll be back."
They started off in the direction Lancelot had disappeared, installing what they hoped would be a convincing expression of charismatic concern.
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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 14, 2021 22:02:10 GMT -8
The exchange was quick, the Wizened giving Agrippa the permission to shift into another plane, though a warning was given that apparently spirits were a common issue in Las Vegas, so he had erroneously learned.
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Linden
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Presence (3) Steady
Posts: 325
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Post by Linden on Jan 15, 2021 23:34:03 GMT -8
The mention of the maid finally sounded like something to Linden, something much easier to act on than a ghost. Unless she was the ghost, but whatever. As Kai's questions turned that way, they shifted to open their body language and allow more space to move past them if need be. At the very least, they didn't want to be a distraction.
Linden's eyes dipped to the shears, but unless he became agitated there was no reason to draw attention to them.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 17, 2021 12:00:59 GMT -8
Ivory perks up a bit as Kai gives her a task more in line with her wheelhouse. "Of course, I will do my upmost to ensure he arrives," the Pale Dragon says with nod. A smile is given to Agrippa as the number is provided, a silent gesture of thanks as the scenario inadvertently increases Ivory's understanding of their court. With Kai and Linden both present to pursue other leads and continue questioning Martinez, Ivory stepped away to grant both groups a modicum of privacy. Then, she fished out her phone and dialed the number.
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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 19, 2021 23:36:45 GMT -8
Martinez thinks for a long time, clearly trying at least. "S-September nineteenth? Fff-" his eyes tear up a bit, distressed, "I don't remember. The time. Lee...Anne?" The name was being sounded out.
He shrunk away from Kai at the suggestion of returning to the balcony.
Lancelot hovered nearby, busying himself with sharpening his blade on the bench.
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Post by Kai Rose on Jan 19, 2021 23:47:14 GMT -8
"Leanne. Thanks, my friend. You've been a great help."
Really, the name was just icing. She suspected something bad had happened to Leanne shortly after whatever she had done -- or she might have been someone who had infiltrated and wore her face. Crazy shit happened in the world of the Fae, and Mirror contracts were tricky. Still, that was fine. Rarely did her investigative contract require precision in timing -- rather, a general sense about a thing that had happened was enough. Martinez had done what he needed to. She gave him a nod, not wanting to infantilize the guy, and headed on over to Lancelot.
"I think we're good to go back up to the balcony. If there's a reflective surface up there, I can show us all what happened."
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