[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/f9bqQL2.png[/img][h1]Jennifer Caspin[/h1][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] Erik ([@EpicRoleplay]).[/right][right][b][code]Summit Motel.[/code][/b][/right][hr] Jen's eyes briefly went towards the piece of rebar at Erik's hand, and she tried to keep her facial expression neutral as he was [i]hoping[/i] that he wasn't relying on that. At the very least, he had a hidden card up his sleeve, as Jen could tell that the group didn't fully trust each other (or like each other). That was fair, but Jen hoped nobody stabbed each other in the back while they were out here... [quote=Erik]"Want me to show my hand? All I can say is there are a lot of unknowns in this world, and we only have scraped the service. While there are traditional unknowns, Eleanor's case transcends that." [/quote] "Yes, that is true..." There was a trace of thought that Erik was in the know; how he talked suggested he was a Paranormal... just like her! She knew this because [i]her[/i] Eleanor was Paranormal, and Jen knew that anyone Paranormal was instinctively drawn to others like them. Then he opened the book, and Jen's bespectacled eyes glanced up and down the page; he showed her... ... and her jaw dropped. It was some weird ass diagram featuring nonsense and rubbish that wasn't even [i]close[/i] to the truth (and she wondered if he got this from some tabletop game). Not a word escaped her mouth as she stared at the paper and saw things like "Satan," "Ben & Jerry's," and other nonsense... and suddenly, she felt a little bit stupid for assuming. [quote=Erik]"... All I know is this place is dangerous, but do you have my back Jen? I bet you don't cutely stutter when you're gaming, so I'm going to need your best when we go in there. Focused, on the ball and switched on. Like you're a Wolfhound, you know from Tyrant Shell? Best of the best, and nothing less. You ready to venture into the unknown?" [/quote] "... Uhhhhhhhhhh.... [i]sure![/i] Yeah, [i]suuuuuuuuuuure![/i]" Jennifer put on a chipper smile as she didn't listen to what he said and just agreed. She noticed that people were trickling in individually and found her easy way out. She awkwardly waved Erik goodbye as she quickly moved to the middle of the parking lot. She raised one hand straight into the air and said, "Um... Can everyone gather around?!" She shouted as she knelt down and gently placed her backpack on the ground. She turned around, bent forward, opened her bag, and rummaged through it, looking for her map; the second she found it, she picked it up and placed it on top of a silver Audi Q8 with a California tag [s](that was [i]definitely[/i] not hers)[/s]. She gestured for everyone to come closer and then pointed at the X she had scribbled with a red marker. "Okay, um, so... we're [i]here,[/i]" She started. From the X, a blue line through the swamp directly to a circle suggested a pretty quick walk. Then there was a [i]black[/i] line that followed the roads above the old black manor, then went straight down. "So, the blue line would be the quickest way there..." Jennifer started as her finger followed the blue line, then quickly shot back to the X and traced the black line. "However, [i]this[/i] one would be the safest." She looked at everyone as she said, "I'm... going to leave which route we take up to you all..." [hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EJE6DMY.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/fiZp2Yv.png[/img] [h1]Sybil Harkness & Odessa Maxwell[/h1] [/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b][/right][right][b][code]Webb Family Coffee House[/code][/b][/right][hr][center][hider=Marta - When Its Going Wrong][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuxK0BAfPqA[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr] It was a long day. Sybil Angela Harkness went on her usual lunch break from twelve to one PM... though, since she finished her last appointment a little earlier, she left about thirty minutes before twelve. She casually removed her Doctor's clothes and switched to her regular clothes because she didn't want to get germs on everything. What was notable about her outfit was the [url=https://i.imgur.com/6ZfItfu.jpg]leather duffle bag[/url] that she kept slung over her shoulder. It was a time-consuming process that Sybil thought was necessary, even though she would only walk down the street to the Webb Family Coffee shop to grab a coffee and relax for a little bit. Then, return to inspecting Old Man George's balls for the third time this month. Sybil walked in and scanned the coffee house as she always did... ... and saw Carl, Lily, and Charlie, with a giant ass group of people. Dr. Harkness turned on her heel and walked out of the coffee shop without hesitation. It was not out of disdain towards the trio that grilled her yesterday, but she was [i]not[/i] going to spend her lunch break getting examined by an even [i]more[/i] considerable amount of people about those girls that went missing (at [i]best[/i]). Keeping up this trend, someone should come to her office today to ask about them. She snorted and chuckled at her joke, uncaring that people were out here watching her. So, Dr. Harkness would spend her break in her house today, and she walked up her stairs and put her hand on her doorknob. She dug into the pocket for the key... "... Hi!" Sybil turned to the side to see Odessa Maxwell holding her flower basket in both hands with a wide and unnerving smile. Sybil put her keys back into her pocket and instead unzipped her duffle bag slowly, asking, "... Can I help you?" Sybil asked as she finally had enough of her duffle bag open to get at one of the glowing jars she kept. "You can!" Odessa stepped forward, and Sybil quickly pulled out a mason jar full of a glowing yellow liquid. "Alright, don't step any closer!" Sybil warned, "This stuff is acid!" "Relax, friend," Odessa stepped back. "I mean you no harm! I just wanted to ask a few questions!" "Oh lord," Sybil sighed, "Shoot." "Well..." Odessa's eyes trailed off to the side, then she giggled. "... When [i]will[/i] you stop leading people to their deaths like lambs to a slaughter!?" Then she laughed some more. "What do you mean?" Sybil lowered her jar. "Simple!" Odessa raised a finger, "You tell those poor five girls about the old Black Manor; they don't even make it to the next morning!" Sybil narrowed her eyes as Odessa just tilted her head. "... What do you [i]honestly[/i] think is going to happen to them?!" Odessa chuckled. "Eleanor Black is not real. And out there in the swamp is [i]slaughter![/i] And [i]death![/i] And [i]pain.[/i] And even [b][i]worse.[/i][/b]" There was a brief pause before Odessa continued. "Only a being like me can survive out there," Odessa began laughing before that smile went flat, "... And you know this, so tell me..." Then, there was another pause. "... Why did you tell them, knowing it was dangerous out there?" Odessa started, "That makes [i]you[/i] - and only [i]you[/i] - responsible for whatever happens to them!" Sybil was utterly silent during Odessa's rant... even after the rant, she was silent. Just a few moments before, the Doctor shrugged and said, "They asked for my help, and I gave it to them - I [i]told[/i] them how crazy things in Quintin were. If they get hurt, that's on them." Sybil said as she put the jar away and then adjusted her glasses. "Is it really now?" Odessa laughed at the notion. "You could have just - you know - turned them away! But you didn't!" She held her flower basket behind her back. "You can make excuses to try and convince yourself it's okay, that you had [i]zero[/i] part in it... but the truth is, your role was the most important of all!" Then she smiled, and Sybil was quiet. "... You're not human, are you?" Sybil asked, "What stakes do you have in this? Why [i]do[/i] you care?" Odessa hummed a little song as her eyes drifted off to her left, and then they landed on that peculiar ring on her finger, and she said, "... From a technical standpoint, [i]I'm as human as you are![/i]" Odessa began laughing, "You see, while I may have lost my humanity a [i]very[/i] long time ago, I still act in the interests of humankind across all dimensions. As the balance of life and death, magic and mundane, survival and [i]extinction[/i] is a very, very, [i]very, [b]very[/b][/i] fragile one." "I [i]am[/i] human," Sybil said. "Suuuuuuuuure, you are," Odessa rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to figure out the Eleanor Black phenomenon before more people die. Then, I'm going to move on to the next place. Maybe spend some time on an island; that would be nice, wouldn't it?" "Then..." Sybil trailed, "... We may have something in common. Because I don't want to see anyone else getting hurt because of this... Eleanor Black. Just [i]what[/i] do you think is going on?" Odessa shrugged. "I suspect it's an Apparition or Aberration luring people here with fake memories, then eating them!" "Why Quintin, though?" Sybil asked. "I grew up here and love this town... but if [i]that's[/i] the case, then wouldn't setting up shop somewhere like New York make more sense?" "Quintin [i]already[/i] has a reputation for people going missing, perhaps that manifested an Apparition," "True," Sybil said, "What do you think we can do about it?" Odessa shrugged. "Simple!" Odessa answered, "What we can." "I never caught your name," "[i]Odessa Maxwell![/i]" She answered and presented her hand, which Sybil shook... feeling how oddly cold her hand was. "Dr. Harkness, Sybil Harkness," Sybil said. Odessa turned around and then said, "I'm going to make sure your little group of lemmings doesn't run off a cliff!" Odessa chuckled. "Wait, here, take this!" Sybil said, rummaging through her duffle bag and pulling out a glowing green jar. "This will help if they need it." "Why, thank you!" Odessa held it, standing completely still for a moment before casually lifting her robe enough to reveal her stomach (showing she was not wearing anything underneath). Then, her midriff converted into a mass of vines and wooden roots. It parted open, and Odessa stuck the glowing jar into the space and then dropped her robe. She turned around and skipped into the swamp without another word. And Dr. Harkness just tilted her head as she watched this strange display. "... Ooookay.... [i]definitely[/i] not human."