The Webb Family Coffee House

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“It’s death.”

That made sense. Really, Charlie should’ve expected that answer. It was just a bit morbid to explicitly mark on your map.

“Fine by me,” Charlie held up her hands. “I ain’t looking to go for a scenic swamp you anytime soon.”

Honestly Charlie’d never been near or in a real swamp before, she’d only ever seen them in the awful movies her dad liked to put on after a long day at work. There probably wasn’t any human sized piranhas in there, but alligators didn’t seem far fetched… Also just straight up getting lost seemed like a high risk. And getting trapped in a bog, which was a risk in some of the more marshy areas of northern Britain.

She didn’t really need a sign meaning death or superstitions to want to stay away.

Everyone was talking about splitting up and leads. Splitting up made sense to her, at least into smaller groups. A large group of outsiders going around asking questions would turn heads… whereas smaller groups would still turn heads, but at least they could get away easier?

She was still considering this when Jennifer dropped a whole bunch of leads on them, one after another. It was a lot of information to take in all at once… Especially with the talk of five other girls going missing. Charlie listened to this information calmly, lips turning down into a slight frown. Five girls going missing was a lot. Wasn’t necessarily to do with them asking questions but best to remember, and be careful.

Against whatever it was, that is. It made Charlie a bit unsettled - she dealt with a lot at work, wasn’t a stranger to injuries, aggressive people and even death but… A town where the last people had gone missing was something entirely different.

”I’ll go to the Doctor’s office,” Charlie said, after thinking about it for a while. She wasn’t really set on going one way or another, outside of not setting up the meeting with Mary-Jane, but she’d be well suited for talking to a doctor. Probably. “I’m a nursing associate back home- uh, not quite a nurse but training to be one eventually… Well, that doesn’t really matter. It gives me something to fall back on. Maybe pretend I’m looking for a job over here or something, say mu- Eleanor recommended me.”

It wasn’t great. Charlie had never been an ideas person. Hard working, yes, but smart ideas? Not so much.

”If anyone wants to come with me?” She glanced around the group.

She definitely wasn’t going alone. If no one else wanted to go see the Doctor that was fine, she’d tag along to one of the other leads. She was flexible like that… outside of not being alone. With all these dangers Jennifer kept going on about that just really didn’t seem smart.

"... Stay safe."

”Uh, yeah, you too.”

Was that a normal thing to say to people before going different ways? Really didn’t help with the unnerving feeling hovering at the back of Charlie’s mind, a constant sense that nothing felt quite right. It was probably just the jetlag, or the fact her mum had essentially gone missing.

Yeah, that was probably it.

Somewhere in swampass Louisiana.

---

A faint snort of relief passed through his nostrils. Clay was glad to be somewhere with actual paved roads and buildings, not just endless backwater swampland. Though it probably was only a little different back in Memphis, the humidity felt just a little worse here, a little stickier, a little more poisonous. Whatever possessed the French to set up shop here a couple hundred years ago, he didn't rate it much.

But he was here for a reason, which had gone by the name of Eleanor Black. The recent turn of his career had been a clusterfuck - the only thing he could figure of it, and from what he had actually heard, was that Black played a part in that.

His career was all but over, he was eighty-five percent certain. Granted, charges would be difficult to stick, and the Department would've been reluctant to pursue one of its own, but the shitshow that came after Black "resigned" and skipped town was enough to almost guarantee there would be too much heat on him. On the slim odds he kept his job, that the internal review of his conduct turned up inconclusive, well... he'd be looking over his shoulders until he stepped out.

Options on where he could go from here was anyone's guess. Go private security; that was one option. Ex-law enforcement, even those with murky stories, could find work there easy enough. He'd considered it, but he'd also made a share of enemies out in Memphis. The badge wasn't a shield he could rely on anymore. Become a private investigator, well it's not like he didn't have the credentials, but he wasn't sure he wanted to spend the rest of his days casing out cheating spouses and serving court papers. Assuming the past didn't catch up with him, he could go anywhere now. It's not like he was tied down anymore.

He eyeballed the wedding band around his finger. He wasn't sure why he'd even bothered taking it with him. That ship had sailed, struck an iceberg and plummeted to the depths of the ocean. He'd played his part in that breakup, but it stung nonetheless.

Death by a thousand cuts.

She wanted a family, and he'd been reluctant about the whole idea, at least at that point of his life. What did he know about being a father? He was a badge, and that was his limit. Was he even capable of being a half-decent father? What baseline point of reference did he actually have for fatherhood?

It wasn't just his old man giving him a couple lumps, though it didn't help. As a cop, he'd seen enough kids in a bad way, babies left in week old diapers next to crack pipes, toddlers sifting through and eating garbage because their folks were too busy shooting up to feed them. He hadn't realised at first, but he'd subconsciously built up a higher standard of what a parent should be - and he couldn't live up to that. Half-decent didn't cut it.

Part of him still hated her for the divorce, though. The way it was done. God dammit, he'd tried to make sure she was taken care of no matter what. They didn't lack for means, but it wasn't enough, and the extracurricular work had made Lisa suspicious. Fair, he hadn't always been at the bar like he'd sometimes said, but that didn't mean he was sleeping around. For all his failings, all his loose plays, he had been faithful to their marriage. If it wasn't for that, the house being sold off, and all the other hassle inolved, he wouldn't have even needed the money.

Frustrated, Clayton slammed a palm on his dashboard. It didn't matter. What was done, was done - and he'd not travelled all the way to bumfuck nowhere for the god damn sightseeing. Checking himself over, and making sure his things were in order, he climbed out of the car and eyeballed the sign not too far away.

"Webb Family Coffee House"

Right now, a coffee wouldn't be a bad idea. He'd missed out on that particular morning ritual for long enough.

---

@Fernstone
The Webb Family Coffee House

---

For a little while, he sat off to the side, nursing a mocha in one hand and a ring donut in the other. He was nothing, if not habitual, and a part of his old routine was as much. Others trickled into the place, meeting under this Jennifer. Most of them looked like they were kids, or close enough. And he was willing to bet they were all out of town. None of the crawdad drawl you'd get around this side of the Gulf.

Hearing the stories, for a second he considered just upping and leaving. Million dollar question - who was Eleanor Black? By the word of these guys, she'd been a mother, daughter, doctor, lover, friend - but not a cop. For a moment, he wondered if he'd been wasting his time. Maybe these people were just conspiracists on a loose trail, or Black had been playing some other game - but it didn't add up. This was the screwy thing. He'd known an Eleanor Black, and in broad strokes she shared some common factors with the others - foreign romance and parenthood excluded. As the story went, she'd come in on transfer out of Quintin, backyard swampland, and ingratiated herself with enough competency that she joined the MPD's Investigative Division. But these guys were, for the most part, describing a Black that was wholly different. But he was out of options and the alternatives weren't worth considering; either wait for the music and spend most of his remaining life in a cell, or go on the run with nothing but the clothes on his back. At least this way, he had some damage control. For now, he'd play ball, see what he could find out. Worst case scenario, he'd just delayed the inevitable.

The truth was that Black was the only other badge that knew about the money. Moreso, she was one of the only people who knew how they came across the money, and what they'd done to keep it. When he asked, nobody said a word to him. But at the same time, this didn't smell like witness protection, and witnesses generally didn't get to make off with a stash of several million dollars.

As the talk shifted to this enigmatic family matriach, Mary-Louise Black, he gulped down another mouthful of his caffeinated cocoa. It was unfolding into a wild goosechase. Haunted swamps and old slaveholder families camped out on their rotting plantations, exherting influence through some incestuous connections to the town. He got the impression, at the very least, that local law enforcement would be indifferent at best, and obstruct them at worst - he wasn't willing to play the MPD card either, just in case that pulled the wrong strings back home. Not to mention the locals probably were none too friendly, but there were a couple different answers to that problem. So speaking to the woman herself, he was willing to hold fire for a little while, let someone else tackle that alligator.

The other leads, his brow arched at. The butler wasn't a bad start. Might've had a grudge, but that might've played in his favour, having background of the family and all. The missing girls, on the other hand... how long had they been missing, one night? Something about that spooked him just a little. They were jumping to conclusions, possibly, in assuming this local doctor was involved - but he could understand some of the rationale that one might go to hit that conclusion.

"Sorry, didn't want to interrupt. I'm Carl," Clay lied, "Eleanor is... was my wife, I guess." He briefly glanced at the metal band around his ring finger, then pushed some air back through his nostrils, "And I'm just tryin' to figure out what's happened with her and us."

The best lies are grounded in truth. Mentally, he built up a small profile of this new persona - making sure not to stray too far from a real foundation.

"It makes sense what you're saying, hurts to say it, but there's a consistent trend there. The Eleanors we know walked out on all of us without a trace, as far as we can tell, so they... she probably doesn't want to be found. Same is probably gonna go for these people from the old families."

While he wanted to go after the butler, a pang of... something made him think back to the missing girls. He looked towards the English kid who claimed an Eleanor Black from Quinton, Louisiana was her mother - and her suggestion of going after the doctor. "It's not a bad idea, what were you thinking?"

Mention: Zeltzin@Bartimaeus

Ophrenia peeled her ears for Zeltzin saying her name again. "Right. Got it. Z it is then." She can say it in her head, but knowing herself like she does she'll likely fuck it up again. Mind to mouth don't translate well sometimes. She's happy Z made it easier for her. Jen went on to point out the different places on the map along with explain who was there and how they could possibly help. That's a lot of shit going on in such a small town. Got murder mystery vibes. Good to read. Terrible to participate in.

She caught Z looking at her. She wiggled her brows and gave her her creepy signature smile where the edges of her lips curve up a little too much to be normal. Yeah, it's gonna be fun hanging out with someone so no-nonsense looking.

"Stay safe." From Jen sounded like famous last words, especially with her wanting to go off on her own. Fair enough.

"Vamosing." She finished the last of her pie, drank her last gulp of water and pulled her suitcase from under the table. She would need to find some place to put this. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a quick picture of the map. That should help find where they need to go and know where everyone else is.

She knocked her knuckles on the table and addressed everyone. "Don't go out in the swamps, don't talk to strangers, and we'll y'all at 7. Oh and Jen, don't die." She shot finger guns and followed Z to the door.

"First order of business before going to the office is dropping off our stuff at the Summit Motel. You think they'll have singles? If they have doubles, want a roommate?"

---

There was an unusual amount of crows lingering in front of the small coffee shop. Wyatt thought about the old rhyme, ‘one crow sorrow, two crows joy,’ and wondered what a few dozen of the birds brought as he passed them. He spotted the large group already seated within the otherwise uncrowded coffee house from the large windows. Was he late? A pair who looked out of place in a small swamp town, about as out of place as him, were on their way out as he was walking in. Definitely late, but Quintin wasn’t an easy place to get to. He headed over to the crowded table.

“This the ‘I lost my Eleanor Black’ meet-up?” He asked, knowing damn well it was and took a moment to look around the group. “Huh, would ya look at that, someone’s already got clues, impressive.” He looked at the marked-up map in front of a blonde and nodded. Spending all day in a car didn’t leave him wanting to sit down again, but everyone else was so he pulled a free chair closer to the table. The chair legs screeched across the floor for a moment and he tossed his bag next to it and sat down.

“It’s like a free sauna out there and in here.” He tugged at the front of his shirt as if any amount of airflow would help. “Anyway, I’m Wyatt, met an Eleanor Black working the circus, and like a magic trick gone wrong she disappeared without a trace.” He offered up the short version unprompted before quieting down.

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Interactions: Clayton (@Zombiedude101]), Erik (@EpicRolePlay), & Wyatt (@Helo]).

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"Don't do anything too crazy, please."

Jennifer had to note with a twinge of irritation as she pushed her glasses up her nose again. Zeltzin and Ophrenia looked like the types to do something crazy... they were already like two buddies. Not the best idea to send after Mary-Louise but if they felt confident enough to tackle that task then Jen was not going to intrude... around this time, three new people had made an entry - Erik, Wyatt, and Clayton. Now, Jen had anticipated people would be late (even though she stressed on the forums to come on time) which was annoying but Jen had to swallow that for a second as she smiled and said,

"Welcome, I'm Jen Caspin... and these are everyone I gathered here today," Jennifer then introduced every person in the room and with a nice little point, summed up their relationship with Eleanor Black. Then she repeated the leads that she had gathered in hopes.

"... Any questions? We're gonna split up and tackle all the leads."

---

Interactions: Erik (@EpicRoleplay)

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"Wait! I knew you looked familiar! You're that girl who threw the World Cup for Germany! My Columbian neighbor was celebrating for weeks, I guess I gotta thank you for all the free desserts I got? You got some sense of humor saying you were a star player... I mean, you certainly were a star in your own way."

Holding her tongue at the Britis-gal was a hard task... Jasmine almost snapped at her on instinct when she said all of this. Rubbing it in her face, and all of that. Her positive first opinion of Charlie switched to a more negative one and Jasmine's face turned into a scowl for the rest of the meeting. She was quiet for the rest of the meeting, not happy that her ego took a bruise merely two minutes into walking into this coffee shop but that wasn't the point. Jasmine knew that she had to look at the bigger picture here - the reason why she came to this shit hole of a town - Eleanor Black. She would do her best to swallow her pride, find Eleanor Black, and get the hell out of there.

Though, as she listened to Jen... something felt off about her - it was almost like she knew something that the group didn't. All these warnings... stay out of the swamp, Quintin is cursed or something, stay away from the Black Manor, and most concerningly... the group of five girls that went missing last night who were also looking for Eleanor Black. That was what made Jasmine raise an eyebrow the most - So how long was it going to be until you shared this information with us, Miss Caspin? - because how long were they in Quintin? What did they find? Why exactly did they go missing?

And why the hell does it feel like there's something wrong about all of Quintin? Jasmine was the last person who liked horror movies but this was starting to sound more and more like a horror movie. However, one thing that she has over Charlie is that at least she kept up with her cardio. Now between all of the leads - she was probably the only one who felt this way - the one that interested her the most was the one about the missing girls. However, the last thing that Jasmine was going to do was go it alone... she looked to the left and right, while their group had a good number of black people, she was more than certain that the white people wouldn't so much as lift a finger if she went missing.

That was where Erik came in... he came in and proclaimed that he was an investigator and that was just about all Jasmine listened to. He was going to be more useful than the others here, who - as far as Jasmine could tell - were all a bunch of nitwits tripping over their own damn feet. So, Jasmine got up from her chair and walked over to Erik, and said,

"Hello, you probably missed all the introductions," Jasmine spoke, not so much as hiding her German accent, and extended her hand. "I am Jasmine Tsega, my Eleanor was my rival - but that's not important. I am hoping to track the lead on those missing girls... and hopefully no one else will interfere."

Jasmine was no detective but saw herself as a better fit for this job than the others anyway.

---

Interactions: Charlie (@FernStone), & "Carl" (@Zombiedude101).

---

Lily was oddly quiet... she was usually the one to try and take charge and lead but she could already tell that this was gonna be a shitshow. Jennifer was awkward as hell, and not just that, shady - a part of Lily wondered if it was just an act to throw everyone off, a way to make her seem more innocent than she appears. New York was full of scammers... most of them went after the tourists but they were always looking for someone gullible enough to fall for their tricks. The point was that many scammers came up with sob stories to hide the fact that they were stealing the money out of your wallet! Now, Lily didn't think that Jennifer was scamming the group for money, but there was possibly some end that Jen wasn't telling them. Lily had no clue what sort of evil ulterior motive Jen had, but even if she was completely innocent, she was not the right chica for this job.

What didn't help was the fact that she had all these leads after, like... what? A week of being here? Then there were the missing girls that went missing last night, and the doctor had something to do with it. Maybe, maybe not, but that British chick (Charlie?) said that she was training to become a nurse (Must be nice, Chica.) and wanted to go approach the doctor. Not the lead that Lily would track down, but after thinking about it maybe a Doctor would know more than she lets on. So, Lily got up out of the chair and walked over to Charlie and said,

"Gladly, chica," Lily started, putting a hand on her shoulder and that was when Clayton asked what Charlie had in mind. So Lily jokingly answers, "We are going to break her knees if she doesn't talk and waterboard her like it's Guantanamo!" She raised her fist in the air and had a damn near psychotic smile on her face...

... Before she broke out laughing.

---

So lost in thought was Gene that he initially didn't notice the outpouring of newcomers until the coffee house looked a lot more packed and the locals a lot more pissed.

The tough chick duo had already split to go and harrass Mary-Louise and the young British chick had already claimed the doctor's office, angling for someone to come along with her. Gene might've taken the chance too since she seemed more preoccupied with finding her mother and less inclined to question Gene personally before the cop chimed in to join her.

Oh yeah. The cop.

Gene suppressed a frown by examining the map more closely. Who did this guy think he was fooling? The way he carried himself, the way he summarised everything to try and find common threads, the fucking donut that he'd scared on like it was his last meal on earth. Gene could well be wrong but that was more out of hope he was rather than a track record against his instincts. Still, twelve seemed more interested in accompanying Charlie and hadn't so much as glanced at Gene which could suggest he was either here incidentally or Gene wasn't his main priority at the moment. If nothing else, he did seem like an out of towner on account of not looking and sounding like a mutant from The Hills Have Eyes.

A few more people entered, two strange looking fellas who Gene didn't have to even as much as glance at to know weren't from Louisiana or law enforcement. Nevertheless, their arrival and further introductions provided Gene with ample enough distraction to begin making his exit.

"I'll have a look at The Moss Motel." he said, putting on his hat and tapping once more on the map. "If I don't find anything which, frankly, seems likely. I'll poke my head around for a little chat with Mary-Louise's ankle-biters." That actually was likely to lead to something. There truly was no more malleable a mark than old money rich kids. Even if the conversation was brief, Gene was more than confident he could get something useful.

He near enough began power walking away after announcing this. If he were by himself, especially when it came to interacting with the Black family, this investigation would be over before lunch and Ellie's little scheme would be made clear to him. It also meant he wouldn't have to keep wondering if he were overdoing the whole "Texan" thing.

---

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"... Stay safe."

Normally those two words were a generic farewell that offered some welcome variance to the sea of shapeless 'see ya's, but given what had preceded it, Harmony couldn't help but feel that it was more of a warning. It made sense, there was something weird going on here. Harmony had heard of people disappearing all the time, she'd even met people one day that had vanished the next. Sometimes they showed up face down in the river a few days later, sometimes they were never seen again, but somebody else always missed them. There was always a reason for that, they stuck their nose where it didn't belong, they saw something they shouldn't have seen, they talked too much. There was no reason for Eleanor to have disappeared, and none that Harmony or her crumbling web of contacts had been able to dig up.

The conversation had continued apace, and Harmony struggled to catch up as people started to pair off. For a moment she considered going along with the nurse, Charlie, before she caught herself. The main reason she had managed this long sober was because she had avoided temptation. She had stolen drugs from a doctor's office before, testing her will seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Other people had joined the conversation, at least one of which she would have bet half her sobriety was a cop. She'd worked with enough of them to be able to almost smell them, not to mention spent some time in the back of their cars and in their cells. Harmony had been a good lawyer, and she'd spent most of her career opposite the boys in blue. As such a healthy distrust for them had been bred into her. One to watch.

She turned to the last one to speak, not wanting to be the last one left without something to do. "Spoilt brats never do know how to keep a zip on it. Mind if I tag along?"

Interactions: Olivia (@NoriWasHere)

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“It’s death.”

“Right, sorry. Stupid question,” muttered Neko.

For a moment, Neko thought that Jen was teasing her. She cupped her hand over her mouth, a consummate professional when it came to hiding disapproval, and nodded sagely—yeah, she fucking got that skulls symbolized death, kinda the whole reason she’d asked. It was only as Jen continued that Neko’s hand dropped, her dumbfounded expression too strong to be hidden behind a palm. She sunk back into her seat, her eyelids blinking rapidly in bewilderment. Haunted? Cursed? Sure, Jen was right: curses weren’t real, swamps were just scary.

She heard a shriek from down the hall. Full sprint, slam open the door, flip the switch. Her little girl is pointing at a blanket draped over a rocking chair, screaming her throat bloody: Swamp Grandma, Swamp Grandma!

Neko shook away the memory, reached for her drink, and realized she’d left it at her old table. She got back up and grabbed it, but her legs were too jittery to sit back down. She nervously paced behind the others, trying her best not to trip over the latecomers, and chewing upon the straw but never actually taking a sip. How old had Nora been when she’d started babbling about Swamp Grandmas and Swamptowns—two, maybe three tops? How’d her kid hear about this shit? The straw was in her hand now, her finger tapping droplets of cold brew on the floor like she was ashing a cigarette, her stressed mind fighting the urge to take a step outside.

“...group of five girls that went missing last night…I would be very careful around her. Don’t trust her…if something doesn’t feel right, just leave…stay safe…”

Naturally, Neko had been worried that her daughter was in danger. Now, as Jen hammered it in, Neko realized for the first time that by looking for her daughter she might be putting herself into danger. Fear wasn’t an uncommon feeling to her—she felt it when she walked the parking lot alone at night after work, or when she met for drinks with some random dude from a dating app, or even when she got up on a stage to perform. Hell, she felt like she was in danger almost every second of every minute. However, there was a difference between feeling like she was in it and actually being in it. It was just a difference that didn’t matter once her daughter was involved.

The group was rapidly splitting up amongst themselves and Neko began to feel the creeping dread she used to feel back in gym class when teams were drafting players for dodgeball. Neko wanted to go with the ladies to directly confront Mary-Louise, but she knew she was no actress and would immediately blow any kind of cover they’d adopted. She would’ve immediately tagged along with Charlie as an excuse to get to know her “granddaughter” (although really it was mostly out of fear of letting her wander around alone), but Charlie had a plan and Neko would only get in the way of that plan.

Plus, Charlie had Carl and Lily there to watch her back and there was another person in the group that Neko didn’t want wandering around all on her own. The mother found herself sliding into an evacuated seat near Olivia. She disposed of the straw she’d viciously shredded by jamming it under the lid of her cold brew. She offered Olivia a slight smile.

“Just between you and me, I have a good feeling that the butler clearly did it,” said Neko with a mocking eye roll that she hoped read as ‘I get it, splitting up is stupid but let’s do it anyway’ and not ‘I get it, I look like I desperately need the approval of a teenage girl’. Her gaze lingered on Olivia’s notes before looking back up.

“Still, I was thinking about going to talk with him since nobody else offered. It’d be nice if there was someone there who could take some notes,” said Neko, and then immediately she began backpedaling with a wave of her hands. “Not that you have to do what I say. I’m not trying to—I mean, you’re your own—what I’m saying is—um, what do you think we should do?”

Interactions: "Carl" @Zombiedude101 & Lily @Punished GN

The Webb Family Coffee House

---

"It's not a bad idea, what were you thinking?"

"We are going to break her knees if she doesn't talk and waterboard her like it's Guantanamo!"

"Yeah, that," Charlie laughed.

She had not one, but two people volunteering to go to the doctor with her. Good. Safety in numbers and all that... But not too big numbers cause that was suspicious. They both seemed... Relatively dependable. Probably. Charlie didn't tend to be in a situation where she had to judge people like this.

"But seriously... Since there's a few of us probably makes sense to pretend someone's injured or sick. Sickness is easier to fake, unless someone wants to break something for realism- wait, I'm joking, let's not actually do that." Charlie laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. Her hair was coming loose, frizzy (thanks weather) curls getting tangled in her fingers. "Maybe heatstroke. Though if anyone's getting heatstroke it's probably me... I ain't used to this sorta heat."

Back in Newcastle it only hit anything near this during heat waves... And everyone felt like they were dying when that happened. It sucked. Maybe she could buy a portable electric fan somewhere.

Probably not in this town, though.

"Anyway, someone pretends to be sick, the other two helping them to the hospital. Then we can somehow being up Eleanor... That's were my job can come in, I guess, I can say Eleanor recommended this place for a job. Dunno."

She really wasn't great at ideas. Or being in charge. She really hoped that the other two weren't going to see her as a leader just cause she'd suggested the doctor. That wasn't likely, right? They were both (probably) older than her. She had the energy and ability to work hard at anything, but she normally needed a direction. At least at work it was obvious what to do.

"Should we discuss it on the way? We might have to wait a while to see the doctor."

Unless doctors offices here were devoid of people... Back home it'd probably take weeks. Months. A long time.

The group that lay before him was not the one he was expecting, people from all walks of life coming together under strange pretenses. He shrugged it off as he almost made himself at home, yet the people who had arrived before them had already rushed off like they were off to some hunt. People were too eager to get to the bottom of their torment or joy. She had caused so much sorrow and love in other people's lives that it seemed strange to want to talk people out of it. The longer Erik stayed the more he released that she had been the reason all these people had come here, perhaps to unite them but for what purpose it yet to be seen. As the blonde nerd seemed to have her own ulterior motive he wouldn't have much time to investigate on his own. He was verbally accosted by a German, a very intriguing one.

"Pleasure."

Erik said soon enveloping her hand with a firm shake before letting go as he looked down at her. "Erik, nice to meet you Jasime." He didn't mention or note that she was Eleanor's rival it didn't really matter now. For some, this could be grief counseling, others a way of closure and Jasmine would not be his Marla Singer. The question on a plan of action came up quickly to look for the girls who went missing, Stuff like this usually spelled trouble, and if five could go missing what would stop a six? Erik was insurance, muscle, and a tour guide for a town he didn't really want to be in.

"I suppose that's a good place to start, but there's only two outcomes I can see happening here. We find them alive, or what's left." He didn't mince his words, he had seen some shit back on the west coast. Was it Vampires, Fae or shapeshifters it had yet to be seen but the paranormal was vicious. "It could be dangerous, life-threatening even. If you're willing to accept those risks, I'll give you a hand but be cautious of everyone and everything. Otherwise, we might end up missing just like them." It was serious like that, if he had to trust someone out of the dozen loners here he'd have to know they were down for the cause and more so, willing to watch his six.

@Punished GN

With that, the meeting ended and everyone went their separate ways. Stay away from the Black Manor.

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Interactions: Erik (@EpicRoleplay), & Gene (@Drag)

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"I suppose that's a good place to start, but there's only two outcomes I can see happening here. We find them alive, or what's left. It could be dangerous, life-threatening even. If you're willing to accept those risks, I'll give you a hand but be cautious of everyone and everything. Otherwise, we might end up missing just like them."

Jasmine smiled... it was an odd thing to smile at, but her response would probably bring everything together.

"You will find that I am up to the task."

Now, that wasn't to say that Jasmine wasn't the least bit worried but she knew that, at best, those goofy ass girls were probably off lost in the swamp or something. Though, it did feel a little bit weird that this was the first time that they heard about this... it was still, likely, a mundane explanation for all of this. No slasher villain was going to come out of the woodwork with a mask and a machete and hack them to bits, or a monster or whatever.

"You watch too many movies, ya? Let's just start with the motel and see what we can find on Eleanor first, that's why we are all here, right? Right?" Jasmine stated, "Those goofballs probably got lost, it's only been a day, after all - but, let's go. Seven will be here before we know it!"

That was when Jasmine grabbed onto Erik's wrist and pulled him out of the room.

---

Just like Jen said, The Moss Motel was merely a short walk away and Jasmine thought this place was spooky when she first got here. Every part of Quintin felt like there was something wrong going on here but this place made her heart sink. The worst of all was how quiet and empty it was... like it was abandoned; the parking lot was covered in weeds and the place was grown over and dirty. The lights being on in some of the rooms told her that there was some life here. The place just... didn't give her the best feeling, so maybe she was wrong when she said that was the best bet for this job. Jasmine walked over to room 105, which, thankfully, wasn't too far away from the entrance of this quirky little place. She looked to the left, as she whispered,

"... Anyone knows how to pick a-" Jasmine said as she looked to the right... and that's when she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a woman. She faded away into nothing before Jasmine could get a good look at her - all she saw was that she was feminine in shape. No other discernible details could be made out by Jasmine Tsega.

"... Did anyone else see-" Jasmine stopped herself as she said (not giving a damn about the volume anymore), "Does anyone have an idea on how to get in? Anything?"

---

Interactions: Charlie (@FernStone), & "Carl" (@Zombiedude101).

---

"But seriously... Since there are a few of us probably makes sense to pretend someone's injured or sick. Sickness is easier to fake unless someone wants to break something for realism- wait, I'm joking, let's not actually do that.

"Oh, maybe I'll tell her you got a tattoo on your ass n' ask if it looks infected, mami," Lily started chuckling, then stuck her tongue out. Much like Jennifer, she was trying to misdirect people... mainly to hide her suspicion of the Caspin-lady. The best way to do that was to joke and act a fool... and maybe build a bit of rapport with the new people that she's going to be working with for a while. Hopefully, she can trust Charlie and the others.

If not then this was going to be much harder than previously expected. "But, let's get a move on, mami, faster we find our... Eleanor, the better, mami." She gestured for Charlie and Clayton (and whoever else, she didn't know or care).

---

It was a short walk over to Doctor Harkness' office and Lily led the way... she noticed all the stares and looks from the locals along the way. To be fair, they stuck out like a sore goddamn thumb - long as they just stared and only stared: Lily had no problem with them. What she did have a problem with was that shit show of a meeting... once she saw the building with the sign Sybil A Harkness MD, she pivoted on her heel and turned around to face Charlie (and whoever else).

"Ah, mami, here's the place but there's something I gotta get off my chest," Lily looked to the left, and then the right, before she continued. "I can't just be the only one that doesn't trust our little fearless leader? There's something about her - especially with the little Bambi act she puts on - like she's up to something. Liiiiiiiiiiiiiike.... let's think... she drops all these fucking leads on us, waves in our fuckin' faces that she knows something, then insists she works alone then dips."

She placed a hand on her chin, thought for a second, then continued. "It's just a hunch right now, mami. But, if she's using us or something imma' bitch slap her little nerdy ass with a padlock...." Lily trailed off as she noticed something down the street that made her tilt her whole body to the side to look past Charlie to see it.

It was someone skipping down the street towards them... in an orange cloak. Now, that was odd because Quintin was hot as balls and Lily was wearing as little as possible to avoid having a heat stroke herself. She had something slung under her arm - some type of basket? As she got closer and closer...Lily finally got a good view of her as she just skipped down the street with a closed-mouth smile on her face. It was bizarre, like something out of a movie, and Lily was hoping she would just skip past her...

... naturally, she stopped and reached into her flower basket. She pulled out a rose and presented it to Lily as she said, "Oh, hey! You could use your day brightened!"

"Oooooooooookay..." Lily reached for the rose and the stranger held onto her hand for a very uncomfortable amount of time. Lily recoiled, with her brows furrowed as the stranger finally spoke.

"... You all need to leave Quintin," The weirdo in the robe said, "There are things here that none of you are equipped to handle! Just pack up and leave. Before you all get more in over your heads. Eleanor Black is not real. Repeat after me... Eleanor Black is not real." She then laughed.

Lily raised an eyebrow... oblivious to the fact that a ghostly woman was staring at her in the window of Dr. Harkness' office that would disappear when someone turned to look.

---

---

As per Jennifer's marker on the map, anyone who went after Blake Thorton, the butler, was directed to an isolated cabin on the very fringes of not just the town of Quintin but the itself swamp. It was a nice little cabin, and the lights were on... but those who looked into the water would see a brief image of a woman in the reflection that would fade away before they got a good look at it.

Those who looked in the windows would see some activity.

---

---

"... So why are we going into the swamp?"

Cody asked, wearing a white t-shirt and some jeans, with some boots... as per the suggestion of his twin sister. The two were walking side by side... both of them holding snacks that they bullied from the shopkeepers at the Quintin market. Cody was holding a soda cup, looking at his sister inquisitively as he held a plastic bag full of snacks in his other hand.

"I gotta show you something!" Genesis answered... she was wearing a black dress with combat boots as she let her hair hang.

"Please tell me that you haven't been experimenting with magic," Cody whispered.

"I have," Genesis flatly answered. "And I keep telling you... We shouldn't be afraid of it..."

The two headed out into the secluded swamp as Genesis looked back and said.

"... we should embrace it."

---

---

For Zeltzin and Orphenia, the Black Mining Co. office was a very ominous building in the middle of the town. There was a huge gap between the mining company's main office and the other businesses within the town of Quintin. It was a dingy, three-story, building with lots of tinted windows... and if they looked into the windows they would see a woman in the reflection that would fade away before they could get a good look at her features. If they walked in, the first thing they would see was a large wooden desk and a secretary lady wearing a suit behind it. She was playing on her phone until someone walked in.

Interactions: Harmony (@Nosuchthing)

---

"Spoilt brats never do know how to keep a zip on it. Mind if I tag along?"

"Ah. Well, I-" Not fast enough unfortunately, his escape halted by the tall, pale woman. Whilst his hopes were to separate from the group and make some actual progress himself, he was having real trouble coming up with an excuse that wouldn't offend. Even if his plans were to go it solo, he might need to glean more information from the group later and having them be suspicious of him would do no good.

"Well, I was goin' to check out that motel first..." A glance to his side revealed the haughty girl, Jasmine, dragging some wannabe tough guy by his wrist, and announcing her intentions to investigate the motel like she were born to do it. But that job seems to be drawin' a crowd." he added with a slight chuckle. If he couldn't go it alone he'd rather pick the smallest (and thus far least obnoxious) group possible.

"Sure then." He tipped his hat to Harmony and held open the door for her. "Let's see if we can't spill a few secrets from Mary-Louise's spawn."

---

---

Gene tugged at his shirt a little while they walked. He was used to the heat, or so he thought. In Texas, the air and type of heat changed fairly regularly throughout the day, but thus far in Louisiana it was like working out in the gym and then wrapping yourself up in a big thick blanket. The air was so heavy he could practically see it as it clung to his clothes. Nevertheless, the markets were where the grandkids of Mary-Louise Black could, apparently, be found most often. How exactly he was going to get something useful from them was another matter. If he were too guarded they’d likely just ignore anything he had to say, but if he were too elaborate or charismatic in his dealings it might be harder to sell the “average blue collar texan” schtick to Harmony and therefore the rest of the group.

Gene looked around while exhaling a warm cloud. The market looked pretty much as expected, cramped drab and depressing architecture maintained by cramped, drab, depressed people. Some market vendors appeared to be gossiping amongst themselves about something that happened recently but whenever they caught sight of Gene or Harmony they seemed to clam up sharpish. Gene tilted up his hat and narrowed his eyes as they walked through the square.

”See anyone who looks like they’ve never worked a seven hour shift?” He asked Harmony, though really anyone who didn’t look too emaciated and numbed by the sun would probably fit the bill as a member of The Black Family.

---

Wyatt mouthed a quiet thank you to Jen, who gave him and the other stragglers a quick summary of the group and the details of the goings-on in Quintin. His eyes lit up at the mention of a haunted swamp they weren’t supposed to enter. It was like Jen was trying to make that swamp sound more exciting than just a breeding ground for mosquitos. With exploring the swamplands off the table, the options all involved trying to interview someone who probably didn’t want to talk to them. Splitting up to search for clues while a haunted swamp lingered in the background, sounded a whole lot like Scooby-Doo, and made it all seem less like a bad idea. Why there were so many missing Eleanors from one tiny, barely worth marking on a map, town still made no sort of sense.

“I can help talk to the butler.” He chimed in to volunteer once Neko made a joke about the butler. The one who lost a daughter. Oof, now that’s gotta be a mindfuck. He got up to look at the location on Jen’s map. “Looks like it’s right near the swamp, very least I can give you some backup if the creature of the Black Lagoon pops out.” If this was a Scooby-Doo situation it would only be the butler in a costume. He could handle a butler. Seemed a better option than poking around asking about missing girls or chatting up spoiled teens.

“Looks like it’s gonna be a long walk unless you brought a car.” He added, grabbing his stuff.

---

Looming on the outskirts of both town and swamp, sat the home of Blake Thorton. The sound of insects buzzing, frogs croaking, and faint splashes from whatever lived beneath the swamp’s murky waters. It almost looked like a nice comfortable cabin, secluded enough to be peaceful. But it also looked like the sort of place where people get murdered with no one around to hear all the screaming. Especially in a small town where folks didn’t like outsiders poking around.

“Welcome to swamp cabin; come for the ambiance and never leave cause the butler fed ya to the gators.” Wyatt joked as he looked up at the cabin. Probably not the most helpful thing to say, given that there were already five missing girls in addition to the Eleanor mystery, but it did help shake the creepy feeling.

“Well, lights are all on, someone must be home. What’s our story? Guessing a straight-up ‘Have you seen any Elenaors around recently’ or ‘What’s her family hiding’ is gonna get that door slammed in our faces. Pretend we’re working on a podcast about Quintin?” He suggested to whoever else was on team butler.

He didn't even want to question it, he couldn't just meet someone and tell them that the supernatural exist. Vampires stalk among us in clans, werewolves hunt weak and we're just stuck in the middle picking up the pieces and trying to keep our heads about our shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak but he was dragged off, his wrist interlocked by her fingers as she pulled him towards their objective. A motel and a hunger for answers about the missing girls, all he knew was that this would not end well. So his feet picked him up and off the pair went, to the Moss Motel.

The place was barren and disgusting from a visual standpoint, it fit the aesthetic of the town of Quintin. Derelict, beyond repair and just dripping of dread. Jasmine seemed to know where she was going like she'd planned this out or knew more than she was letting on. Erik remained cautious, looking around as Jasmine spoke briefly. His ears almost perked at being asked to pick a lock, now Erik was no locksmith or career thief but being a less-than-legal investigator required you to squeeze in places you often wouldn't find yourself. Yet he had left his gear with Grease and Chomp.

"I could... But could we not knock?" He asked, eyes looking over to the horizon where Jasmine had peered for a moment, what did she see?

@Punished GN

Interactions: Lily & weird stranger @Punished GN

---

If Charlie was honest, Doctor Harkness’ office looked like it was straight out of a horror movie. Honestly, most of this town did. And it wasn’t just the swamp. Couldn’t they pay out a little to at least renovate their only doctor’s place?

Not to mention all the stares. Charlie was used to stares, cause there were areas of Newcastle she had to go through that were almost entirely white, but these were different. Well, they were quite clearly outsiders.

"It's just a hunch right now, mami. But, if she's using us or something imma' bitch slap her little nerdy ass with a padlock...."

Charlie hadn’t been thinking that deeply about Jennifer’s actions. Yeah, it was kind of suspicious, but this whole thing was.

”Yeah, it was pretty weird that she just went off after telling us others had died, but-”

Charlie didn’t get to continue because one of the weirdest people she’d ever seen (and she’d seen a lot, she’d been in Glasgow before) interrupted them. Ok, now this was even more like a horror movie. Who the fuck skipped? And that smile… so unnerving.

She half expected the strange person to pull a body part out of that basket. It was just a rose, but didn’t make the whole thing any less bizarre. Well, no point dwelling on it. Maybe it was normal in this part of the US? Approaching strangers with creepy smiles and handing them roses.

"There are things here that none of you are equipped to handle! Just pack up and leave. Before you all get more in over your heads. Eleanor Black is not real. Repeat after me... Eleanor Black is not real."

”Look, we ain’t in Quintin for the fun of it- Wait, Charlie tilted her head, furrowing her brow. ”How do you know why we’re here? How do you know mu- Eleanor Black?”

She shook her head at the last part. She’d spent the last month feeling like she was going mad and now that she was here, with other people who knew a Eleanor Black (even if nothing like her own), she wasn’t just going to agree with a stranger and move on. A stranger who clearly knew her mum! Or one of the other Eleanor Blacks.

”Just what’re you tryna do? Saying someone isn’t real won’t remove my memories of her. I’m not gonna leave cause of some vague bullshit. You clearly know her.”

Charlie wouldn’t leave even if there was clear danger anyway. Once she started something she’d see it through to the end. Either she’d leave with news about her mum, or she’d never leave at all.

---

Interactions: Charlie (@FernStone), "Carl" (@Zombiedude101), and the Cloaked Weirdo.

---

Lily was still at a loss here... she recoiled a bit with a raised eyebrow and stared at the cloaked girl as Charlie talked to her.

”Look, we ain’t in Quintin for the fun of it- Wait, how do you know why we’re here? How do you know mu- Eleanor Black? Just what’re you tryna do? Saying someone isn’t real won’t remove my memories of her. I’m not gonna leave cause of some vague bullshit. You clearly know her.”

The stranger had her hands (and little basket) behind her back as she hummed a little song - swaying her hips from left to right as Charlie spoke. Literally the exact second that Charlie stopped talking, the cloaked weirdo started, "I don't know her, actually." She looked off to the side.

She then put a hand to her lips and then she chuckled as she stared at Charlie... not blinking even in the slightest. Then she put a finger to her cheek and then thought. "But, in a way, I might as well know her... because like your fearless leader said, other people came to Quintin looking for Eleanor Black. What she left out - either due to obliviousness or something more... sinister - is that twenty-seven people came to Quintin - including those girls, who I also tried to convince to leave - and guess what?"

"Chica, who the fuck are you? I'm about to knock your teeth out." Lily tilted her head.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The lady had a wide smile on her face as she presented her hand. "Odessa Kayla Maxwell and I'm the trying to get to the bottom of this madness." No one took her hand and it was awkwardly silent.

"Soo...." Lily trailed off. "... What? What happened to them? Lemme guess they're all dead?"

"Twenty-six of them are missing... the body of one was found in town and umm... it's not pretty," Odessa snorted. "When I say that Eleanor Black is not real: something is luring you all here - and I suspect that something is killing you all."

"Actually, how the fuck do you know so much about what we talked about?" Lily put a hand on her hip.

"I was hiding in the bushes, listening to your whole conversation!" Odessa answered. "Next time, close the window!" Odessa laughed.

"That's not cute or funny at all..." Lily trailed off.

"But do you all have an idea of what's out here? Strange things that shouldn't be possible, but are!"

---

Webb Family Coffee House

---

Clay sat through the rest of the conversation without much else to say, only loosening a faint, exasperated chuckle to Lily's suggestion of enhanced interrogation techniques with the doctor. It made sense, they could probably take the British girl over, have her pass off as a tourist who had come down with heatstroke. He'd seen it back during some of Memphis' worst summers, particularly among those coming a good few hundred miles northwards.

The others had things in hand, but he couldn't get much of a size of them yet. His gaze briefly flecked towards the kid with the Texan drawl, among others, but he didn't keep his focus there. Too early to say what this group were like. He did find it strange, however, that this Jennifer was basically sending them to go away while she did something solo. One

---

@FernStone@Punished GN
Doctor's Office

---

The Doctor's Office was far from what he'd have considered welcoming, even by the low bar set by some of the rougher local clinics of his hometown. Paint almost looked like it was ready to peel off the wals, the wood halfway to rotting, or at least that was his perception - not that it would've been a surprise if it was, in this humidity.

He questioned what they were really going to get out of this, but it was as good a bet as any. Maybe there'd be some medical records they could peel out of Dr. Harkness' office. And the supposed missing girls.

For the most part he kept quiet, gesturing or nodding as Charlie and Lily conversed. He did offer a brief suggestion, "So uh, if you're wantin' to speak with this Doctor, maybe you can pass off as a tourist?" he idly gestured at Charlie, "I mean, none of us really from aroun' here, but I'm guessing you ain' used to this sorta heat, right? I used to see that a lot when I was a Fire L-T, humidity and heat gets a lotta folks down this ways."

"Ah, mami, here's the place but there's something I gotta get off my chest, I can't just be the only one that doesn't trust our little fearless leader? There's something about her - especially with the little Bambi act she puts on - like she's up to something. Liiiiiiiiiiiiiike.... let's think... she drops all these fucking leads on us, waves in our fuckin' faces that she knows something, then insists she works alone then dips."

Clay shrugged, letting her continue back and forth with the British girl.

"It's just a hunch right now, mami. But, if she's using us or something imma' bitch slap her little nerdy ass with a padlock...." It was difficult to tell if she was being sincere, but anything was possible in this day and age.

"Jesus, goin' heavy there, huh?" 'Carl' snorted, puffing out an almost exasperated chuckle, "I mean, I dunno, I kinda figure where you're comin' from, but this whole thing's a little weird, right? We're all-" He didn't get a chance to continue that line of thought, as some stranger wrapped in a clay-tone cloak skipped over, near enough thrusting a rose of all things into Lily's hands. In this heat? Probably methed out.

When he saw the stranger keep a hold of Lily's hand, he didn't like that at all, instincts about her being a junkie or transient paying off. He was about to physically intercede, when...

"... You all need to leave Quintin, there are things here that none of you are equipped to handle! Just pack up and leave. Before you all get more in over your heads. Eleanor Black is not real. Repeat after me... Eleanor Black is not real."

The mantra echoed at the base of his skull, contrary to all manner of logic - and he held back from grabbing her by the arm. For a moment, he wondered if this was a set-up, and he was at the center of it - a nice big fuck you from IA. He peered over his shoulder, briefly pulling his eyes from the girl in the cloak, but the only thing that caught his eye was a momentary glimpse of a feminine silhouette, peering out through the window at them. He blinked, and she was gone.

"Mhr," he bristled, rubbing at his jaw, attention flicking back to the laughing flower-girl.

"I don't know her, actually. But, in a way, I might as well know her... because like your fearless leader said, other people came to Quintin looking for Eleanor Black. What she left out - either due to obliviousness or something more... sinister - is that twenty-seven people came to Quintin - including those girls, who I also tried to convince to leave - and guess what?"

Flower girl's name was long-winded enough. Odessa. OKM. Even more long-winded was what she had to say

""Twenty-six of them are missing... the body of one was found in town and umm... it's not pretty," Odessa snorted. "When I say that Eleanor Black is not real: something is luring you all here - and I suspect that something is killing you all." if not for the mention of Eleanor, he was ready to believe she was just a transient coming off her latest bump, and even then he wasn't convinced that wasn't the case anyhow. The vague threat to their person rolled off him, for the most part - but his hands were a little closer to his side, a little more self-conscious of his surroundings.

Lily beat him to the punch, which he was glad for - how did she know about Eleanor?

"I was hiding in the bushes, listening to your whole conversation! Next time, close the window!" Fucking junkie, he quietly bristled with a certain inner contempt, before reminding himself that he was just a civilian here.

"That's not cute or funny at all..." Lily had trailed off, but Clay finished that line of thinking. "No, it's sick."

"But do you all have an idea of what's out here? Strange things that shouldn't be possible, but are!"

For all he knew, there could've been shades of truth in the apparent batshit crazy of it. Even junkies could carry fragments of a real story, however fucked their sense of reality was.
"Right, let's just back up" Clay stepped forward to firmly grasp and remove Odessa from within grasping distance of Lily, drawing on her wrist, "You're-... I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with someone. You can't be telling people they're gonna die, I mean how do you even know about all this, huh?"

Mention: Zeltzin@Bartimaeus

Ophrenia didn't feel a particular way about Z turning her down for a roommate. To each their own. She was trying to save money by going halves, but whatever. The walk from the cafe to the motel was short. In this heat it felt like forever and she was very disappointed when they arrived at the motel and that too didn't have A/C. Or at least A/C from this century. There was an A/C hanging out the window the lobby. She didn't expect anything less in their room with their two beds. She grinned at Z teasingly. Wiggled her eyebrows and resisted the urge to blow a kiss at her. That would be too much for a total stranger.

They were given a room on the first floor. Not ideal. She liked second floors, but Z had a limp and they had a lot of walking to do so it would probably be best for her leg at the end of the day when they came back.

*********

It was another short walk to the office building. It said public relations across the front. There was work being done on it. Considering how old the town is, she's surprised none of the other buildings seem to have work being done on them. They're probably in a line up. Black family buildings first, then everyone else gets their turn.

"Hope we don't breathe in asbestos or get lead poisoning. Speaking of, let's not drink the tap water." She didn't want to know what swamp tasted like nor did she want whatever illness causing microbes were in it either. Z suggested two ideas that had Ophrenia's eyebrows in her hairline. Neither of which would be a good idea for them, especially not with her in the picture.

"Thoughts, compañera?" Z said.

"Do you not see me? Do you not see you? We'd be clocked right away saying anything about business dealings. I know these types. We don't fit the part of business partners. I don't have a suit in my bag and I'm sure you don't have one either. Let's just ask about the old lady like Jen suggested." She snapped her fingers, something Jen said right before they left clicked into place. "Remember she said that the old lady love her kids and grandkids. The grandkids' names were Gen-something and Cody, right? And they're troublemakers. We go in say we want to talk to Mary-Louise about her grandkids. Something about one of them scratching your bike or spray painting it or setting it on fire. They might connect us right away. Could be a good strat to get our foot in the door."

She gave Z a once over, then moved her hand in a motion referring to Z's face. "You're going to have to do something about that to get it to work though. The stoicism is hot, but we need anger, righteous fury. Something that says 'Some little punks fucked up my bike and there will be hell to pay.'"