April the 3rd

A letter of invitation was sent to mediums chosen to represent the new SEO step-site of Seattle, dated April 3rd.

“To whom it may concern,

You have been selected by committee to work at a new step-site location due to increasing spiritual activity. You shall be compensated if moving is required, and as with all step-sites, food and board will be provided. Any necessary transport tickets will be enclosed with this letter.

On the date of April 10th, 2017, you are to report to the currently running Spero Seattle SEO step-site. A map will also be enclosed with this letter. For a period of no more than three days, you will be boarded in this step-site, until the Verum Seattle SEO step-site is fully constructed.

For this duration, you will be under the mentorship of the gold exorcist, and head of the Spero Seattle SEO step-site, Madam Vale. She will be your immediate supervisor for this time.

Many of her silver and iron ranked exorcist have had to be called away to perform other tasks, so you will be expected to perform certain duties for this time-period, some of which may also be assigned to your step-site when the Verum Seattle SEO step-site is fully operational.

Platinum Exorcist, Stephen Cabell.
Imperium SEO Branch-Site

Enclosed: A map of Seattle, Any necessary transportation tickets.”

April the 10th

For those who received the summons, and followed the directions on the map, they would be taken to a very strange place to the uninitiated. Between two apartment buildings stood what appeared to be an old family manor, enclosed by a brick wall.

Weirder yet, though something that only a medium could feel is that area felt devoid of any spiritual energy and that no power could see through the brick wall. It felt as though that area of space should simply not exist.

The brick wall made way to an arched entrance way blocked by a silver gate. The gate was not locked, but any attempts by the mediums to pass through was fruitless, as if they tried walking through the brick wall itself.

Sierra Lovehart

An audible groan of distaste left Sierra as she gave a stretch of her tired limbs. "Ugggh, that run yesterday seriously wiped me out." She grumbled to herself, scrubbing at her sleepy eyes with her fists.

The blonde forced herself out of bed, her hair in an unattractive mess of a bun and her pajamas pulled up in all the wrong areas. She went to the bathroom to fix herself up, lazily letting her eyes roll to the clock on her bedroom wall. "..."

"WAHH IM SO LAAATE!"

Her speed came in handy for getting dressed in record time, brushing her teeth and hair, sticking an apple in her mouth and raced out the front door with her backpack slung haphazardly over her left shoulder.

By the time Sierra reached the front gates, her ponytail was all sweaty and she was panting. The blonde straightened herself up after clutching her knees in a desperate search for air, glancing at the bitten apple she had somehow transferred into her hand on the way here. With a chomp of the fruit, Sierra's wide curious eyes darted around the place. It definitely was off. Not only for the fact it was a giant brick enclosed manor in such an urban area, but just the feeling it gave off— or lack thereof. She turned her attention to the others there, finding that she was actually among the first people there. Oh, right. That clock is broken...

Sierra stuck her hand in the air and waved as she got nearer the small group, calling out cheerfully to them after she swallowed the chunk of apple in her mouth. "Hey there! Looks like you're my coworkers for now! I'm Sierra, nice to meet you all!" she said, expecting them to return her extrovertion.

April 4th

The air hung anxiously in a sort of anticipatory quiet within the dark interior of the flat, rustling leaves of the dogwood tree outside casting dancing motes of light through the closed drapes. A still form laid sprawled across the couch, clad in Yogi Bear pajama bottoms and a pillow over its face in the tepid coolness of the Spring afternoon as the television cast the glow of its Netflix logo across the living room. Jingling of Christmas bells approached in a purposeful chime when a calico feline bounded upon the sofa, mewling and crying and climbing over the still-sleeping cadaver. Catori made her best attempt to ignore it until Mimi started kneading her side, stirring to consciousness and discarding the pillow carelessly onto the carpet.

"*siiiiigh*... I'm up. I'm up, I'll feed you," she groaned, lazily stroking her hand over the plushy fur of the cat. It was already one in the afternoon, on a Tuesday at that, but she hadn't had work that day. Or any day over the past two months. After leaving her job at ISCI she'd taken the time off to recuperate from her injuries and the medical compensation pay was nice and all, but there was nothing else to take up her time outside of binge-watching old sitcoms and taking care of her lawn. Cat wasn't in the right frame of being to go back to being a criminal psychotherapist, coming back to the Boise Police Department required her to pass a fitness test after her long separation (which frankly wasn't going to happen only two weeks coming off painkillers and a handful of years away from the gym), and her degree was too low to qualify for many of the psychologist's clinical positions. It was slim pickings unless she wanted to move to Canyon County and do something small time and the application process was depressing enough alone. The groggy woman shuffled her feet like a zombie toward the door, throwing on some unlaced boots and making her way to the patio to fill up her kitty's food bowl and check the mail.

Mostly spam mail, like always. Grocery store ads, a Cash4Gold mail slip she never asked for, a notice from the Toyota dealership that her truck was getting close to 50,000 miles, and an official letter marked URGENT and TIME SENSITIVE. Catori almost threw that one away if she hadn't recognized the government approval stamp on the front, spam can sneak up on you like that. Running an ebony nail along the lip of the envelope, the medium unfolded the offer letter and began to scan it with an unamused expression. She took a moment just looking at the letter, the plane tickets, and the dates and addresses before sighing loudly and running a hand down her tired face. She had a few phone calls to make.

Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ng... Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ng... Ri-i-i-i-i-

"...Idaho States Correction Institute, this is Jim Barnes speaking."
"April Fool's Day was on Saturday, Jimbo. You're a few days late," Catori croaked dryly.
"...Cat Ricci?"
"Yeah, it's me. I got the offer letter from the 3-letter organization you applied me for without telling me."
"You were looking for work and I floated your resume. I know you've got investigative experience under your belt and with those weird books you read I thought it would be a good fit. Get you back on the government payroll and all."
"They want me there on the tenth."
"...of this month?"
"Of this month, yes."
"They must really want you then, I knew your qualifications would get you through."
"No, I've already been accepted. Without interview. And they sent plane tickets. This sounds like a cult, Jimbo."
"Maybe a little, but they're the real deal. SEO likes to fly under the radar but they know what they're doing, you'll be taken good care of I promise."
"And what if I just don't go? I can't move all my stuff across the country and sell my house in less than a week."
"I didn't think the selection process would be so aggressive, I apologize for that, Cat."
"I'm gonna need favors, Jimbo. Lots of favors for this one."
"I'm sure we ca-"
"No no don't misunderstand, I'm not playing coy this time. You screwed me pretty hard intentional or not and I'm gonna need help."
"Alright, alright Cat I get it. I'm sorry. I'll help you anyway I can."
"Good. *siiiiigh* I'm gonna need someone to house-sit and get my mail when I'm between addresses, keep the place presentable until I can put it on the market-"
"Okay."
"-hand off my truck to the auto shippers and make sure the DCS people have access to the storage I need to go get-"
"Mm-hmm."
"-and I'm going to need a ride to the airport, I need to be there at 5 A.M. on Sunday."
"I'm not sure if I can help you there, Cat. Cassandra won't-"
"Screwed me, Jim. Bent me over a table, pulled my hair, smacked my ass and just had your sloppy way with me."
"Cat-"
"Raw dog. No lube, like all your life problems could be solved by sticki-"
"Cat ju-... just stop talking like that, please. I'll drive you to the airport on Sunday, I'm sure Cassie will understand if we're a little late to Mass."
"I knew you could be a gentle lover."
"Seriously Ricci knock it off, it's not funny."
"You're the only one in this conversation who thinks that," Catori prodded, a wry grin tugging at her lips, "I'll see you later this week after I make some arrangements. Mmmbye for now."

August 10th

It had been a long, exhausting week alright. Picking up around half a decade of life and lugging it to Washington State would do that to you. Catori hadn't even felt like going out and seeing the Soggy City after her flight had touched down, opting for chucking her baggage into her rented Fusion and making a beeline to the Best Western. The minor jet lag didn't help any and neither did the foreboding clouds that spoke of rain that Seattle was famous for, and the medium sipped her coffee as her tired eyes scanned the slick road. She'd been up since 5 that morning making sure that her pant suit was ironed, makeup done for a formal business setting, and slotting time to grab a "healthy" McDonald's breakfast with minutes to spare. Rob Zombie blared over the car radio louder than what could be considered reasonable as the compact crunched its tires into the adjacent parking lot at approximately 7:45, not too early and far from late. Through the drizzle-speckled windshield Catori could get a firmer look at her new headquarters and suffice to say it wasn't what she expected.

A manor in the city stood out enough, one with a large surrounding fence and gate even more so. It had a sort of ancientness to it, and while well-maintained it was clearly aged and worn. It almost looked like a historically preserved building and she wouldn't be shocked if it had been in fact. The style was clearly Victorian with the abundance of dreary windows that ran nearly floor to ceiling on all levels and the high-slanted roof with the flat top. The paled brick gave it a more official feel she thought, akin to a courthouse. But the most striking detail about the manner was that it didn't have any color. Completely translucent in almost a perfect cube, beginning at the fenceline and going back as far as she could perceive. Cat had never in her life seen that before. As she had driven up Route 99 all manner of spirits made themselves evident in a colorful display, even more so when she turned off into the more residential Roxhill where people, y'know, had residences to pass away in. She had seen at least one a block on her way to the manor yet the manner gave off absolutely NO aura whatsoever.
"...well that's not creepy at all..." remarked the psychologist to herself, pulling herself from her Ford.

With her coffee in one hand and purse and umbrella in another Ricci made her way toward the ornate gate at the entryway to the foreboding edifice, just a short trip down the sidewalk. The air was brisk for the spring, sitting just below 50 degrees with a biting wetness to the air and a healthy wind. It hadn't rained for about an hour but she wasn't about to take any chances. All except for the dampness it reminded her of Idaho. Emergent thoughts battled for attention as she made her short jaunt with moments before she was introduced to her new organization. The typical anxiety of starting a new job, the annoyance of the whole moving situation, worrying if her cat Mimi was going to be alright in her crate for a few hours. Orientation had better be short, Cat had things to do once she was either assigned a residence or found one herself.

Yet as early as she was Catori wasn't the first one there. It had taken her more than a moment to realize that a sunny blond girl with an aura to match belonged to the same organization. It was a bright goldenrod with orange tinges, like fresh-squeezed orange juice but more clear and bright. It denoted positivity, action, and extroversion, generally outgoing people. But you didn't need any special vision to see that from her mannerisms. Catori had initially thought she was out for a morning jog until she waved her down. Maybe... the SEO had some sort of fitness program like the FBI? That was probably it, the girl was dressed more to walk dogs than to work for a 3-letter agency, unlike the businesswomanly attire that Cat sported. She'd probably change once they got inside. To be honest it was a little worrying to know that she'd be working with someone so young. She looked like she just graduated high school! To have someone so far younger than her as technically her "senior" made her feel a little inadequate.

".....Heeeey..." the psychologist droned flatly in response to the chipper young woman's greeting. She wasn't in the mood to deal with people today, probably not all week with the crap she had to put up with. Moving her cat, getting her things shipped, phone calls, picking up her truck, more phone calls, learning the job... it was a lot to do. She circumnavigated the perky girl with a purposeful walk, cradling her umbrella and balancing her coffee in two fingers to tug on the gate. No dice. It wasn't locked though, but there wasn't a buzzer she could use to ring herself in or even a card reader by what she could see. Maybe it worked off RFID chip...? She'd need someone to let her in. Facing herself toward Sierra, Cat put on a more empathic, neutral, and professional tone than the dismissive and pessimistic droll she had first displayed toward her.
"Excuse me, my name is Catori Ricci, I was instructed to appear here today for in-processing? Oh, I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you as well, I'm not incredibly awake right now. Would you mind letting me inside, please?" she asked politely. To her chagrin Cat had almost left her tact back at the hotel. It didn't matter whether or not she was in the mood to deal with people, first impressions only happened once.

Mirela Zima

April 10th

This was the first time Mirela stepped anywhere outside of the Eastern Hemisphere, mainly Europe. The letter she received days beforehand detailing her new job was held tightly in her hand. The transfer came as a shock since she was just starting out in SEO when they offered her a position operating comfortably around Eastern Europe.
She stared out the bus window as it left the Seattle airport vicinity and towards the city.

Mirela started to feel anxious as the bus zoomed past the buildings. Her heart pounded at what awaited her at the location mentioned in the letter. What more were the people she'd most likely be working with. English wasn't her first language but she's no stranger to it. She actually preferred it since many in Europe spoke it as a 1st or 2nd language. Nevertheless, the words come out like smooth silk for her and to others with the slight Slavic accent that she had made it unique yet pleasant to the ears.

The hopped herself off the bus not too far from her destination. With a black duffle bag slung over her shoulder and the map in hand, she walked around taking in the sites and the spring of the city. She dressed rather casually donning a basic white t-shirt with a light nylon black jacket over it and wore dark jeans decoratively ripped at the knees and Chestnut combat boots.
After a short walk, she spots two women conversing outside what should be the building they were to meet in. Mirela held her chin up and approached the two hoping they were here for the same thing as her. One girl had a chipper tone to her while the other matched the mood of the rain that had occurred earlier.
Upon approaching them Mirela repeatedly ran over what she wanted to say in her mind and once reaching them the words came out chopped and her accent thicker than usual,
"H-hello my name is Mirela Zima. Nice to meet you, maybe ve... head inside now...?" She mentally kicked herself at the stumbling of words. She looked towards the wall between the two apartment buildings and found herself puzzled.

@Leotamer
April 3rd
Location: Deep Sea Fortune Telling, a small soothsaying clinic in New Zealand.

Shen-Mu was in her chamber meditating when she received the letter; she typically sat and meditated when she didn't have any customers. The man upfront, an assistant of sorts who ran the cash register, the customers coming in, and helped Shen-Mu with things that would require eyesight; such as reading paper or things out of Shen-Mu's "detection" range.

Interrupting her meditation, her caretaker walked into her booth with her mail. Reading it out loud to her, Shen-Mu ran the message over in her mind.

To be summoned... Shen-Mu said, not breaking her position. Shaking her head, the blind seer questioned the letter To pick me... What a choice. No matter, I will go. Will you accompany me on this, Emanuel?
Oh course, Miss. Emanuel nodded, Should I make preparations for the trip now?
Tomorrow. Changes of clothes. Some food for the flight. A spare cane. We will leave as soon as possible, but there is much to do in such short notice.
Then I'll find a person to watch the place. He was with a nod, Anything else?
That is all. You may leave, so that I may regain my focus. Shen-mu said, trying to get back into her meditation.

April 10th

Shen-Mu didn't enjoy the slight over. Overall, she didn't like flights or moving vehicles at all. Made her feel sick to her stomach. But, as she got off her plane, she grew in confidence. Just a car ride away now. Then, as she grew closer to the location, she spoke to Emanuel. Drop me off here. I can make it the rest of my way on my own. Enjoy the area, you deserve a vacation while I work.
Y-yes... He said with a nod, Call me when you need me, Miss.

---

Despite her disability, she made her way to the location just fine. Able to sense the world around her just fine, she could navigate surprisingly well, combined with her guidance cane to not bump into anything.

Finally, she made it to the designated location, arrived a bit late as the others had already arrived. There stood a young looking woman. From her pale skin and hair, she showed signs of albinism. Over her face, she wore a blind fold, keeping any tiny debris out of her eyes. Shen-Mu she said, introducing her name before going quiet. She listened to the people around her, how they talked, their mannerisms, down to the tiniest fidget. She planned on forming her opinions in time.

"Uuurgh, never again..."

The living room spun sickeningly around Mackenzie as she opened her eyes, instantly shutting them again when the light proved to be too much. With a groan, she pressed a hand to her throbbing head, feeling slimy day-old foundation under her fingers.

She stirred. Here went nothing. Letting out another moan, she propped herself up. Big mistake. Her neck and shoulders ached from the weird position she'd slept in, and she felt as if someone were striking at her forehead with an icepick. It was all she could do not to throw up on the couch.

Of course she'd go and let this happen again. The morning's payback was something she wasn't exactly going to think about at the time. Besides, she'd had to celebrate having been chosen for the new site somehow.

... The new site.

"Oh shit." One glance at the clock, and she staggered upright, ignoring her protesting head and stomach. She showered as quickly as her stiff limbs would allow, changing out of the party dress she'd fallen asleep in and into her frayed-jeans-and-vest-top combo, trying and failing to make her hair resemble something other than a bird's nest that had been hit by a particularly violent gale. There was no time for coffee or a bacon sandwich. Not that she wanted to think about food right now anyway. Gathering the belongings she'd need, she stumbled out of the door.

Despite nearly getting on the wrong train, she managed to make it to her destination. The damp chill to the air was starting to make her feel more awake, even if just a little. As she walked, she sang to herself, softly and off-key. If she could seem cheerful and carefree, maybe she could trick herself into feeling that way.

"But it don't make no difference, cause I ain't gonna be easy, easy, the only time I'm gonna be easy's when I'm killed by death, killed by death, killed by de-"

She stopped. That was odd. As soon as the manor came into view, it stood out. Not just because its old, forbidding appearance contrasted with the modern buildings surrounding it. The place didn't give off the same spiritual energy other areas did. Maybe her senses were a little thrown off at the moment, Kenzie thought. Then again, she'd visited a fair number of strange locations during her time in the SEO.

Just as she'd expected, the others had turned up first, a small group already outside the gates. She hurried, her headache spiking, the spring in her step turning into a wobble. Leaning against the wall, she gave her soon-to-be coworkers a somewhat strained smile as she squinted through the morning light at them.

"Hey! I know I'm late, but it's all part of my training - according to the movies, it's the job of every decent hunter of the supernatural to make their dramatic entrance at the last minute," she joked. In her current and rather obvious condition, it was the only way she could hope to save face. "My name's Kenzie. Good to meet everyone!"

Sierra Lovehart

Sierra took another scan over the group. They were all quite the character it seems. Sierra flashed them all another bright smile. While she was processing the different appearances and names, the first woman who had noticeably given her the cold shoulder spoke.

"Excuse me, my name is Catori Ricci, I was instructed to appear here today for in-processing? Oh, I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you as well, I'm not incredibly awake right now. Would you mind letting me inside, please?" The blonde cocked a brow, turning to the gate.

"Is it not open or something? Yeesh, you'd figure they'd at least unlock it if they were expecting us. Err, I'm only an Iron level, so I don't have any special key card or anything, but lemme try this! It's worked on every other gate or door before!"

Suddenly, a determination crossed over the hazel eyes, she staring down the gate as if it were here arch nemesis. Sierra got low, into a sort of fighting stance, drawing one right leg behind her. In a flash and with a smirk on her face, her leg shot up and kicked the gate door with such power it shook loudly, as if a bomb had gone off underneath it.

Still, no dice.

Sierra pouted childishly, raising her knee to her chest to rub her foot. "Owww. What the heck is wrong with that? It's not made of brick!" She whimpered, placing her throbbing foot back onto the ground and glaring at the gate. "... There's no way I'm waiting. This is taking way too long!" And just like that, the hyperactive girl was off again, now attempting to scale the brick wall and go over onto the other side. At least she was resolute, it seemed nothing daunted her. Of course, that will only get her into more trouble in the long run...

As Sierra started to climb the wall, a girl in her late teens rushed out of the door carrying a basket. While she was behind the brick wall, she didn't appear to have a soul, however when she simply pushed the metal gate out of the way and walked outside her soul became visible once more. However, it didn't show signs of any spectral power.

She huffed a few times before speaking, I am so sorry for being late. I been rather busy. And please don't climb the wall. Um, there is a barrier around this place. You need one these things if you want to get in." she said, extending the basket of what appeared to be charm bracelets towards the group before quickly pulling it back.

Oh, I am so sorry. But first I need to see your SEO licenses. she said nervously, internally kicking herself for her mistake. An observant person would realize that she wasn't wearing a charm bracelet.

@Cherrywitch @Leotamer

"Argh!" Kenzie winced, her head pounding as a girl in jogging clothes kicked the gate with an almighty thud. Loud noises were the last thing she needed in her current state. She pulled out of the way, causing her surroundings to lurch, as the girl nearly put her on the receiving end of one of those kicks by trying to clamber up the wall.

"Careful there!" She stared up at the hyperactive blonde, an uneasy look crossing her face. She wasn't just referring to having almost been stomped on. She was no stranger to watching people do dangerous things, but seeing someone climb that high, that recklessly... Her entire body tensed, her apprehension growing by the second.

She gave a rictus of a smile. "Wow... With that determination, I bet the spooks who get on your bad side regret it." Every word came out strained. "But it, uh, might be best to wait a little longer... At least it turns out we're all on time."

She breathed a sigh of relief as the gate creaked open, and a firm voice told the blonde not to climb the wall. Turning around, she saw a rather flushed-looking girl holding a basket. While the teenager had been behind the wall, out of sight, Kenzie hadn't noticed her approach - she hadn't seemed to emit any spiritual energy. As soon as the girl had stepped out, though, it had started emanating from her as if some kind of shroud had been pulled away.

Glimpsing the bracelets before the teenager pulled them back, asking to see everyone's SEO licenses, Kenzie rummaged through her bag. "Uh, it's in here somewhere..." Not quite being fully awake, she opened up the wrong compartment, but after some more searching, she pulled it out. "Here ya go!" Holding it towards the girl, she stumbled, nearly losing her balance.

Some first impression she was making.

To say the least, Catori was a little surprised and incredibly disappointed. She was the only one dressed for the job and everyone appeared to be far younger than she was. If she were being honest it made her a little self-conscious. As far as things looked everyone was applying for something entry-level, which would explain the young faces she'd seen. She was probably the only member applying for Silver, indoc must have been done all at once to save time which would explain the urgency for showing up on the date they were meant to. Still, it was incredibly unprofessional to appear for first assignment wearing whatever the hell you felt like. She could even smell the liquor wafting off one of the women from five paces away. Cat sincerely hoped that they wouldn't all be looked at for the same position, she found it said something that someone who decided that ripped jeans and combat boots were appropriate attire to a federal business function outright mocked her professionalism. Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Her blank stare tended to speak for her, sipping her coffee as she scanned the group with judgmental eyes.

"Would if we could," sighed Catori toward Mirela, "I can't open the gate. Sierra says she's an agent, though she can't-"

THWANG~!

"...open the gate either. Not for a lack of trying, of course." The psychologist sipped her latte lazily as the sunny girl attempted to kick the gate down, her expectations of how today was going to go plummeting faster every moment. When she saw Jimbo next she was going to slap the ever-loving shit out of that well-meaning bastard. She'd expected to arrive early and be met by a greeting agent and immediately taken to review her position, just the formalities, but her she was on a soggy morning watching a self-proclaimed federal agent attempt to scale the wall to her own facility. At least she wasn't the only one who had qualms about how bad an idea of jumping the fence to SEO HQ was, though for much different reasons than Kenzie did.
"*siiigh...* Please don't get arrested and ruin my first impression," she complained. Any other place she worked for someone would've already been out on the terrace with a weapon drawn against someone attempting to trespass into a government facility, detainment was a little lenient but maybe she could get lucky enough for a warning. Either way she suspected that some blame would be thrown her way for this irresponsible behavior.

"So I take it from the fact that everyone introduced themselves immediately without a clue about what's going on that everyone here's new to this facility," she commented, "Looks like we're off to a fantastic start." Her comment was directed at how everyone was... mostly on time except for the escort designated to meet them though it could be taken many ways. She sipped her coffee nonchalantly with her observation, unphased by the general madness and confusion around her. Wasn't her problem until it was assigned to be, Cat didn't consider herself officially part of the group yet anyway. At least not without a badge. Still, she had a sinking feeling that her fears would be confirmed and she'd be placed in charge of the band of misfits. The medium began to question her odds of how soon she could nail down paid-time off when someone scurried out of the grand oaken doors, another adolescent. Ricci was beginning to see a pattern. Maybe the questions about annual leave time could be put on hold to make sure that she wasn't about to shafted in the screening process. Anything less than LEO 10 Step 5 and she'd laugh in their faces, flip them off, and pay her own way back to Boise. Hush-hush or not the government had rules for federal employment, Cat was already intimately familiar with those rules and jaded enough to apply legal action if they jerked her around. Nothing was getting signed today until specific questions were answered in writing, that was a fact.

Cool emerald eyes tracked the younger woman as she hurried to the gate, asking meekly for Sierra to please not storm the grounds which caused a ghost of a smirk to curl at the sarcastic psychic's lips. Gotta find enjoyment in the little things, not like today's about to get much better anyway if that morning was a good omen. She'd noticed how the girl didn't have an aura until she passed through the gate, confirming her suspicion about the spiritual blockade. Made sense to have a defense against astral Peeping Toms and nefarious scryers. It made her wonder if it was a presence or merely a screen, but she'd find out soon enough once she was inside. Catori's heart sunk lower as Kenzie, the woman that smelled like a Jersey Turnpike, produced her official SEO license upon request. One of two things were clearly evident: either she had misjudged everyone around her a little too harshly and a little too early... or she was incredibly overqualified for this position. She really hoped it was the first one.

"Yes, give me just one seeeeec..." Cat muttered, putting on a balancing act with her umbrella, purse, and coffee before deciding to say screw it all and set the latte on the ground. Reaching into her purse the woman produced a dark leather work binder with various tabs, opening it toward the front to display her offer letter clipped to the second page.
"My name is Catori Ricci. I don't have a license, but I'm sure my offer letter will work. I also have a copy of my record jacket from the Boise Police Department which extends to my history in corrections and copies of my LEO background check if necessary." The psychologist had sold herself a bit short to be fairly honest. Basically her entire life history from birth certificate to Proofs of Residence lied inbetween pages of the smooth black folder, with a most updated copy of her resume for good measure. Even if she had less than a work week to hash everything out Cat made sure she had every conceivable document they could ask for neatly taken care of. There shouldn't be any surprises waiting for her. Well, unless they offered her some suspicious punch, but Catori was already half-expecting that.

Sierra Lovehart

A wide grin pulled at the sporty girl's lips, she hopping down from the wall immediately as the small girl came out. "Hah! Knew that would work! All you gotta do is start a ruckus and then they pay attention!" Now if you noticed, Sierra hadn't really even climbed up the wall at all. In fact, now that the immediate excitement was over, it was evident she wasn't trying at all. It was all just a plan to draw out the agent welcoming them? Well, it was short sighted and reckless, but you couldn't deny that the plan worked.

Sierra flipped her blonde ponytail to the side, gazing over the small girl curiously. "Sorry to worry you, I'm just kinda impatient." She stuck her tongue out in a childish happy-go-lucky way with a wink. As the bracelets were dangled in front of their eyes, Sierra's hazel orbs narrowed ever so slightly, pointedly at the girl's wrists. She isn't wearing one...

The blonde gave another huge grin, completely masking her inner questions and thoughts on the girl. She's probably find out soon enough, but for now she would keep an eye on this agent. Sierra patted her sport jacket pockets, finally locating her Iron level ID card and flashing it at the SEO agent. "Ta daaa." The cheerful spirit said, before tucking it back into her pocket haphazardly. It was a miracle she hadn't lost it yet.

The hazel eyes flashed back momentarily at the psychologist Cat, noticing the coffee, cold outlook and superior aura she had making her believe she was better. It didn't bother Sierra at all, considering people often saw her as nothing more than a spazz for her rushed actions and reactions, but it bothered her she was so quick to judge. Don't psychics need open minds? Hers seemed quite closed.

Sierra gave a stretch before holding out her hand for the bracelet. "Oh sorry, I forgot to say it's nice to meet you! You're our welcoming agent, aren't you?" She chimed, as friendly and bubbly as ever. For now, she planned to just keep her little observations to herself.

Taking the charm bracelet, having a bit of trouble grabbing it at first, the blind medium nodded.
I don't like this place She said, plainly, being up front with her feelings, I sense nothing but a void there. She said, turning in direction of the house, reaching out to touch the gate. What is this place? Something to mask the area?

She didn't acknowledge the others out loud, but in her head, she was paying attention to what they were doing. As everyone presented their SEO licenses, Shen-Mu reached into her coat pocket and removed a small, wallet. Opening it up, she showed the inside of it to her. There, inside where someone's driver's license would be, was her silver level SEO license. Putting it back, she adjusted her blindfold, humming, Surprised?

Mirela Zima

As Catori explained the difficulty of getting through the gate, Mirela remained passive when the more energized girl attempted a go at going in through the brick wall. She acknowledged new faces joining them as they waited for some administrative force to usher them in. What she didn't expect however was that "administrative force" to be a mysterious teenager.
As the teen waved a basket of charm bracelets towards them Mirela took a long look at the fact that she wasn't wearing one yet could pass through with ease.

Mirela brushed it aside, even though something was off about the girl especially since there was no trace of spectral power within her. She reached into a pocket inside her jacket pulling out her silver level SEO license. She places the license back in the pocket while taking a charm bracelet with the other free hand. Mirela kept an eye on the girl holding the basket, judging with caution especially when Sierra starts to converse with her.

She places the charm bracelet above a bracelet that Mirela has had ever since she was little. It was a small black leather string with a rectangular plate tied into the middle along with the Latin phrase - Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat (Fortune favors the bold) inscribed onto it. Mirela whispers the inscription to herself as she awaits with everyone else to pass through the gate.

The girl looked over to Cat, and skimmed through the load of documents she passed on her to her before looking at the letter about her assignment, This should be fine, it has the official stamp. Though you might want to hold on to this. I don’t know what to do with it.” she said frankly handing the folder back to her.

“Oh, and I don’t think I introduced myself. I am Jenny Johnson. I do some odd-jobs around here for my grandmom, Ms Vale. She is waiting for you in the first room. I hope you can see yourself in. I have a lot of work I need to do.” she said, handing the rest of the charm bracelets out before running inside.

Putting on the charm bracelets was like pulling a sheet from over the entire building. What once appear to be a void of spectral energy was overflowing with it, trapped by some type of force-field.

Going through the large double doors was a somewhat small greeting room that was mostly bare other than two large white couches and a large recliner where an elderly lady in a black robe sat. A necklace of various gemstones hung around her neck.
She spoke up when she saw the last person enter the room, Welcome, welcome. Please make yourself at home and sit down. It appears some of you are inquisitive about your current situation, feel free to ask me any questions you would like. I am Madam Vale, the gold exorcist in charge of this establishment, and I am already familiar with each of you. I was apart of the committee that gathered you all here.”

@Leotamer

As the girl in sports clothes jumped down, some of Kenzie's tension eased. Of course the other medium hadn't really been about to climb the wall, or so she told herself. It had just been... unsettling to see that, to say the least.

That reminder of why she was here brought her a little more to her senses. She had a duty. It wouldn't make up for the past, nothing ever would, but what else could she do?

Facing Jenny again and taking a charm bracelet, her hand shaking a little from the moment of panic, she noticed something she'd failed to spot before. "Hm?" The teenager had no bracelet of her own. Before Kenzie could mention anything, though, Jenny had rushed back inside.

Putting on the bracelet, the medium reeled back at the sudden assault of spectral energy. She was sure it would be overwhelming even if she weren't currently suffering from the mother of all hangovers. "Fair warning, everyone," she said, glancing around at the other exorcists, checking to see who had yet to put on their bracelets. "The energy here seems to be trying to throw a surprise welcome party for us."

Slowly adjusting to the surge as she would to a bright light, she staggered inside to the greeting room. There, on a recliner, sat an elderly lady dressed in black, who introduced herself as Madam Vale, the gold exorcist who ran the establishment.

At the mention of questions, Kenzie piped up. "Uh, yeah. Is there anywhere to get coffee around here? I could do with a good strong cup of joe right now." Probably not the kind of question Madam Vale had meant, but caffeine would make it easier for the woozy exorcist to think.

Sierra Lovehart

"Fair warning, everyone,"

Sierra vaguely heard Mackenzie's voice as she fumbled with the bracelet, particularly having trouble with the clasp. She put one end in her teeth, trying her best to use her free hand to close it around her wrist.

"The energy here seems to be trying to throw a surprise welcome party for us."

Click.
Too late.

"Hah, got y-aaah!" The sporty blonde fell to one knee, grasping her throbbing forehead as she winced from the bombardment of energy coming off the place. She thought the void was strange, but this was...

"Ow, ow, ow..." She mumbled, forcing herself back onto two feet to stand through the pain, planting both feet firmly on the ground. With a shake of her head, blonde ponytail bouncing in either direction, Sierra quite simply seemed to snap herself out of it. Fairly impressive comeback for an iron level.

Sierra, still halfheartedly rubbing her right temple, stared after Jenny suspiciously- though you couldn't sense her judgement from the way her expression looked. Why hadn't she warned them herself? Why didn't she lead them in? What work is possibly so important? Why wasnt she wearing a bracelet? Why did Sierra's head hurt so freaking much?! The blonde stifled a whimper.

Her hazel eyes flicked to the small girl with a blindfold, vaguely interested. She had quite an unique appearance out of everyone here... Sierra noted that she'd have to meet up with her later after everyone was settled in.

Sierra skipped in joyfully, as if the sudden burst of energy had completely left her mind. At being offered to sit, she contemplated for a moment, but decided against it. She preferred to look around anyway, and it was just what she did as she visually scanned the place. Yeesh, it was so empty it was depressing. Sierra pouted.

Questions? Questions.

She sat down quickly on one of the couches, though noticeably leaning towards Madam Vale and also on the very edge of the couch cushion. It was blatantly obvious she wasn't the type to relax into one of these things. "I guess it might be obvious to the silver levels, but I have a question!" Sierra said brightly. She held up her wrist with the bracelet, pointing at it inquisitively. "There was a void surrounding this place earlier, but as soon as a medium pops this baby on it has an almost excess of energy. The void is probably for security purposes, yeah? But who are you hiding this place from?" Quite frankly, it was a shock to see someone like Sierra be the one to deduce all of that, even if the language she used was a bit too casual towards the equivalent of her boss. Sierra wasn't necessarily smart, but she was observant.

Madam Vale chuckled a bit that the first question she got was about coffee "Yes, we have a coffee machine. However I hope your caffeine addiction can wait for a bit longer. My grand-daughter will give you a tour whenever she finishes a bit of paper-work. The poor girl keeps busy."

Then the iron-exorcist asked about the barrier, she paused and sighed. "This building also serves as a cold-storage for ghosts and haunted artifacts. The barrier is just as much a way to keep things out, as to keep them in. Should a ghost be freed from containment, they will be unable to leave the force-field. However, the same barrier to prevents ghosts from entering and leaving this place also effects mediums, though perhaps it is for the best. I hope that will never need the barrier, but it is also best to prepare for the worst in this line of work."

@Leotamer
A prison of sorts? Shen-Mu spoke up, breaking her silence. ...A high security one at that. Cannot be entered or exited. Pondering for a moment, the medium hummed, A place to rest will be good. I have had a long flight and car ride... A place to lie down would be good.

Mirela Zima

Mirela enters with the others to greet the elderly lady that awaited them. Questions started to fly and Mirela agreed with Shen-Mu about taking a break for those who had traveled such a long way. But one thing that Ms. Vale had mentioned bugged her,
"Why would it be for the best to keep out/trap in other mediums?" Mirela spoke with suspicion, she was still new to the world of "ghost and mediums" and didn't have a full grasp on it.

Ms Vale answered Shen-Mu, "If you wish to rest, the guest bedrooms are just to the left. We can get you set down in proper dorms tomorrow. I am sorry if this inconvenient for you, but a particularly nasty ghost is eating away at most of our man power. We have plenty of rooms since it isn't to uncommon to house exorcists from other stepsites, just lay down where-ever you feel comfortable."

Ms. Vale then look at Mirela, and a grim look came over her face. "The barrier keeps out all spectral energy, and as such, it simply keeps mediums out as a side-effect. I remember back in my youth, we would just hand out the bracelets you are wearing like candy, but after the incident in ninety-seven where some high-profile mediums went rogue, we had to limit who got their hands on those bracelets. And over time, the SEO made it so less and less people had access to them. If you want to know more about that incident, the computers have a lot of information about it. I just don't like talking about, not many of us older mediums do.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the day went by without much notice. However, they was warned to get some sleep very early, as they would start their first day of work very earlier.

The group was given an hour between waking up and being marched into a slightly larger than average black van that was otherwise nothing special on the outside. While in the van, the girls were explained their mission through a PA system by Vale, "You are heading to a small hotel on the outskirts of town. It appears that a ghost we dealed with once before has became active again. However, before the ghost was contained to a single room, now it seems she has free roam of the entire building. The building has been completely emptied of people and if you see anyone instead that is not apart of the SEO, get them away from the building as quickly as possible. This is a very dangerous ghost.

The profile of the women who spirit is roaming the building is in the van, as well as most anything you could possibly need to fight her. Priority one is to find out why she has returned to haunting the building and then priority to is to either capture or exorcise her. If you are unable to remove her, simply get everyone out of the building alive. The SEO will send specialist to deal with the building.

The ghost is a poltergeist, able to materialize and move objects. However, she only seems to be to materialize if someone sees her in a reflective surface. Be careful. We would send a more experience team to handle this matter, but this is a priority mission and all of are other agents are tied up in other manners. Do not be frugal in use of the materials supplied to you."