[IC] Dark Streets - Urban Shadows

[rush99999]

January

When Colby finished speaking, January took up the documents but left the pen on the table for the moment. The Fourth Survivor had dealt with demons and their Tainted enough times to know that when one of them gives you something to sign, you would do well to look before you leap. Thoroughly so. And that was precisely what January did. He read every word of every page, taking care to fully understand what he would be getting himself into if he signed, and also to sus out any devilish details hiding in the fine print.

[Penny]

@XxFellsingxX

As you work your way around the building you get a glimpse into the rear of the restaurant through a broken window. You see hundreds of turtle shells hung up on strings, many of them inscribed with Chinese characters and broken in odd patterns. The cops seem to be in the process of gathering these up. You can tell that this is some method of augury.

You would need to snoop in order to figure out what happened to Madam Chang.

[Penny]

@rush99999

There do not appear to be any tricks or snares in the document. It is a straight forward request for you to serve as the executor of the will and attempt to abide by its terms. It also states that if you refuse, the executor role will be filled by Ellsworth, Colby and Dark.

[rush99999]

January

Once he had confirmed that there were no tricks in the paperwork, January considered his options. He could sign on the dotted line and take on the role of executor, a role that would most likely make him a target of everyone in Power who was gearing up to fight over everything of value Harold left behind and most definitely require January to put in no small amount of effort. Or he could pass up the request and let EC&D handle it, passing all that hard work onto someone who actually wants to do it and catching Colby in the web as an added bonus. But as much as January enjoyed the thought of avoiding work, he knew that doing so this time would mean disrespecting Harold's final request of him.

January was lazy. But he wasn't that lazy.

Taking up the fountain pen, January brought it to the papers and signed his name. He doubted that having the lawyer in his Debt would be of much use anyway. The partner between Ellsworth and Dark changed regularly enough to make any serious efforts to snag one of them a risky investment. "So what happens now?" January asked as he looked up from the freshly signed papers and back at Colby, carefully studying the man's reactions to the signing now that it has happened.

OOC

January figures Colby out some more. He rolls a 7 and learns what Colby was hoping to get from EC&D handling the will instead of January and what Colby worries might happen.

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

Knowing they'd have to get closer in order to confirm Madam Chang's condition, Kendra sent another text to Kim: "about to do something real stupid. if i don't show up or you don't hear from me within the hour i've been arrested pls text trinity to bail me out" Once the text was sent, Kendra attempted to sneak past the barricade.

OOC

Kendra rolls a 12 on Keep Your Cool.

[POOHEAD189]

Ǫlni The Forgemaster

---

'They' must have been waiting for her? Ǫlni was unsure of who would attack a Valkyrie, particularly in this day and age. Perhaps a demon, though such beasts wouldn't use bullets. He felt dread rise in his stomach when he theorized it was the Jotuns, who would enjoy nothing more than the bash the brains out of any servant of Odin. But they were not known for their firearms either. A mortal could do it, but how would they be able to see Valkyrie Cykali, much less use weaponry that could harm her?

"Keep the lass company," Ǫlni said flippantly to Harald, who seemed at a loss for words. The dwarf was too busy gazing at the slug that had pierced her body, the scrap now between two tongs. He hustled away and went into his forge so he may better utilize his metallurgical skill by letting it out. He would cleanse the bullet, and then see if he could recognize or deduce what type of projectile and metal this was.

Roll

I roll a 10

@Penny

[Penny]

@rush99999

Colby nods with a touch of resignation, then reaches into the briefcase and removes what appears to be a Native American dream catcher though it is strung with silver and gold thread and hung with small pieces of bone from some unknown animal.

"According to Magus Robinsons instructions, this will grant you access to his Tower. Inside you will find his will."

Colby snaps his case closed and stands up, giving you one last measuring look.

"Good Evening to you Mr January," he intones then walks briskly from your home.

You get the impression that Colby would much rather have opened the Tower himself and that he is worried that whatever you do inside might cause a great deal of trouble.

[Penny]

@XxFellsingxX

As you approach the restaurant you feel the gaze of something upon you. Turning you see one of the stone dragons. Its granite eyes seem to film and then a copy of it made of white light surges out and into you. The sensation is dizzying and warm, like walking into a steamy locker room and then it is over. For a moment, nothing seems different, then you very clearly see a crow flying backwards across the skyline. Time races backwards in a blur until you see an old woman taking a turtle shell from a string. She carves symbols onto it and then sets it on a table. Carefully she withdraws a hot iron from a brazier and touches the steel to the shell. It cracks under the heat and she bends down to observe it. Her eyes widen with shock but before she can do or say anything a blast of light and sound erupts as police come crashing through the kitchen doors, scattering people, utensils and fried rice everywhere. They are lead by an extremely handsome man in a leather jacket. There is a lot of shouting in chinese and one of the cooks lunges at the man only to be intercepted by the cops. The old woman is cuffed and lead away and the handsome man takes the two broken halves of the turtle shell.

If you choose to mark corruption you can add this to your sheet.

☑ Enter the Dragon
When rolling to keep your cool, you may mark corruption to send your consciousness a few seconds into the past or the future. Describe how this action benefits you and gain +1 on your next roll. You may make small changes in the past or future that are immediately useful to you in the present.

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

Well, that was new. Kendra's visions had come in many shapes and forms in the past, running on a scale from annoying to nightmarish, but it had never been quite like this. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, definitely light on the horror and without the splitting headache. Kendra did feel a little bit lightheaded. She better get out of here before anyone noticed, and try and think on what she'd just seen. Both Trinity and Kim had contacts within the police. Mayve they could shed some light on... whatever it was that had just happened here.

Kendra attempts to leave the scene so they can make their way to Kim's apartment.

[Penny]

@POOHEAD189

Slowly, reluctantly, the metal gives up its secrets. You detect the coiling enchantments of the fae have been burned into the led. Spells of seeing and of penetrating malice.

You suspect it was a normal bullet fired from a heavy rifle perhaps 7.62 or even heavier. The bullet was enchanted to slay a valkyrie and you can be pretty sure that they are still looking for her.

[Penny]

@XxFellsingxX you slip away without incident. Though once or twice you get an impression of shadows moving on the roof tops around you.

Fast forward to arriving at Kim's appartment.

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

When Kim opens the door to Kendra, the Oracle immediately pushes the bag of Chinese takeout into her arms. "Here, I brought food," they say. "It's probably a little cold by now, so you might want to bung it in the microwave or something, I dunno." Kim will notice that Kendra seems a little less tired than usual. In fact, they seem to be buzzing with a sort of nervous energy, like someone who's had too much coffee... except Kim has seen Kendra drink coffee, and it normally doesn't seem to affect her like this. The mixture of anxiety from possibly being followed and the elation at the discovery of a new power seems to have given the Oracle a slight adrenaline rush.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Kim

Upon seeing that Kendra was at the door, Kim unlocked the door and let her in. She accepted the Chinese food thrust into her arms with surprise, before closing the door and locking it behind Kendra.

It never hurt to take precautions.

She answered Kendra regarding the Chinese food, "Thanks. Let's split this,"

She quickly moved to throw the food in the microwave so everything is heated.

Once it was ready, Kim spoke to Kendra,

"Thanks for coming. Did...something happen on the way here? Or when I texted you earlier?"

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kendra says. "Turns out, you're not the only one who's seen some weird shit tonight." They immediately launch into explaining the situation: Lian's appearance at their apartment, who Madam Chang was and why it was strange she would reach out to Kendra, and what had happened when they had gone to investigate China Garden. They spoke quite quickly, though never to the point that Kim would be unable to understand what they were saying. They decided to leave out the weird vision they had had before Lian showed up - they'd almost completely forgotten about that and had no idea if it was related to anything that was happening. Besides, they didn't want to overwhelm Kim at this point, given that she had been through her own ordeal that night.

"But yeah, I don't know if this has anything to do with what you saw earlier, in that video you sent me," Kendra says as she came to the end of her explanation. "I mean I wouldn't rule it out entirely, but I'm not sure what a kidnapping in one part of the city would have to do with the police arresting members of the Powered community in another." They shrug. "I don't even know what to make of half the stuff I've seen tonight, but it does make me think twice about what I said earlier, about possibly trying to connect with someone in the know on the force. Like I said, I don't know Madam Chang or any of the people she associates with, but the timing of when she was arrested seems odd to me. Something just doesn't sit right." They pause for a moment, as if considering something. "I don't know if Lian is in any danger. I'm not sure how to contact her, or what I could say to her if I did. I suppose I could tell her that grandmother was arrested without having to bring up anything remotely supernatural, but I have no idea where I'd go from there. I don't know what I could suggest she could do, or what I'm supposed to do to keep her safe. Like, I can see the future. Big whoop. There are people out there who can transform into terrifying monsters, people who can command the elements themselves to do their bidding, people who can live for centuries and can shrug off wounds that would kill anyone else. What am I supposed to do against that?" They throw up their hands. "I don't even really know what I'm dealing with here!"

There is a long pause before they sigh. "Sorry," they say after a moment. "Just really agitated right now. I know you don't need this at the moment." This is likely the most talkative Kendra has ever been with Kim, and now that they've let it all out, they seem to be regretting it, as if they've said too much. They avert their eyes from Kim and start picking anxiously at their food.

[POOHEAD189]

Ǫlni The Forgemaster

---

When Ǫlni lifted his head from his labors, he blinked in amazement and worry. Whoever had made this bullet... No, no he would tell Valkyrie Cykali first. He stomped out of the smithy and entered the warehouse, where Harald was explaining to the Valkyrie exactly who he was.

"What is a... 'residency?'" The Valkyrie asked, but Ǫlni interrupted them by shoving between them.

"Harald, thanks for yer help. Ye may go now." The Dwarf said dismissively.

"Go? What? You drove me here!" Harald exclaimed. Ǫlni looked at him quizzically.

"It's just a few miles..." The Dwarf explained, but when he saw Harald wasn't going anywhere, he shook his bearded head. He wondered how man had become so soft in the centuries of his slumber, and decided to blame the country. "Americans!"

"I'm norwegian!"

Ǫlni ignored him, holding the bullet up in front of the Valkyrie's face. "Whoever made this thing knew fae magic. They enchanted it to see ye and penetrate yer armor and flesh, and I'll bet they're still looking for ye. One doesn't go through that much trouble to not finish the job. Do ye have any mortal enemies or mortals that might be in league with any foes?"

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Kim

Kim waves the apology, as though to tell Kendra to not worry about it. She listened to Kendra as she explained. She answers Kendra, "It's alright. If anything, I think talking to you is what I need right now,"

She then brings up, "Well, at least you have something in the form of seeing the future. You can prepare! Me? I've got nothing! If I got into a fight, I would be as good as dead if I don't have my taser. It's a good thing I held off on contacting anyone on the force though,"

It is clear that Kim has just as much nervous energy as Kendra. She continued, "I did get some information though. That kidnapper in the video is a Red Cap, if my research is right. And this took place on the border between Mortality and Werewolf territory. That woman was still alive, thankfully,"

She then pointed out, while taking out the laurel twig, "The weirdest part is that the crows led me to this. They dropped this and were saying Zeke's name. I wonder why though,"

She commented, "This mystery is definitely not something I can tackle alone. But the problem is, I'm not sure who I can contact. Especially now that it seems that something's going on with the force. Maybe January? But he'd probably use the opportunity to put me further in debt with him,"

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

Kendra gave a small snort at Kim's comment about being able to 'prepare for the future'. They hadn't shared their ability with many people, but the few that they had all repeated the same sentiment. She'd gotten tired of trying to correct them, trying to explain that her visions were rarely concise and clear enough to prepare for anything. Like her earlier dream: what was she supposed to gather from the sensation of someone cutting into her face, severing her optic nerve? She assumed it was from the perspective of someone who had died, but who? How did they die Were they already dead or was their death something Kendra was supposed to prevent? It was all a bunch of questions she wouldn't have had to deal with if she hadn't witnessed it, been forced to witness it.

Obviously, Kendra voiced none of this, merely sitting back and listening as Kim spoke. It was only at her mention of red caps that Kendra cut in. "Fae shit. Wonderful. As if this day can't get any messier," they mutter, shaking their head. "Well, that makes it even less likely that it's connected to whatever I saw which is... something, I guess. I'll figure out what to do about Lian after we deal with this."

They lean back in their chair as they continue listening to Kim. They weren't sure what to say about Zeke or the crows, so they just shrugged. Crows were weird creatures generally, but in Corvus Bay in particular, they seemed to be a power within their own right. Who knew what secrets they had, or whether they'd be willing to share them. They could be trying to help Kim locate her lost friend, or they could just be leading her on a merry goose chase... or crow chase, rather. At this point, Kendra had no way of telling one way or the other. She did agree with Kim, however, about them likely needing some form of help with this, though the Oracle wasn't sure who. They were just about to suggest they try and text Trinity again, see if she had any insight in what they could do, when Kim brought forth her own suggestion. "January?" Kendra repeated aloud. The name sounded vaguely familiar, something she may have heard in passing. It took a good couple of minutes rummaging through the darker recesses of her memory before she recalled it as a name associated with a string of missing pet incidents, specifically dogs from a certain district of the Bay. It was one of those things she had likely heard while at work and had promptly forgotten about. Until now, of course.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Kim

Kim looked up to Kendra when she repeated January's name, and she asked, "You don't know him?"

She explained, "He's a vampire with a lot of agents at his disposal. He's had one of them approach me and let me know about how he wanted to help me find Zeke and make a deal. Met him at his favorite diner,"

She then added, with a joke, "Honestly, he gave me less 'Dracula' vibes and more 'Ursula' vibes when we met. I half expected him to belt out 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' during our discussion and forming a contract. I recorded the conversation just to make sure I had a copy of said contract, just in case,"

[XxFellsingxX]

Kendra

"A vampire," Kendra repeats, making a face. "Wonderful." Well that explained the missing dog reports: he was a vampire who ate puppies. Exactly the person who they should trust in this investigation.

Jokes aside, while Kendra tried to keep a low profile in general and not engage too much with the supernatural community outside of what was necessary, the Night community - containing vampires, werewolves, ghosts and many other entities who had once been human - was the one they had least contact and knowledge of. Having access to a vampire's web of contacts might prove somewhat useful in this scenario. "Do you think he might know anything about this?" they ask. "I mean, worst comes to worst, if you're worried about falling further into debt with him, I don't mind taking up the slack. He might be interested in having an Oracle at his disposal."

[Penny]

@POOHEAD189

"What mortal would be an enemy of mine?" Sayeeda demanded, wings fluttering slightly in agitation and spilling a little more ichor around her bandages.

"I came for a warrior, but they were waiting for me," she muttered, face dark with anger.

"I must find the spirit before it is taken to Hel," she declared, forcing herself to her feet.

"Don't do that!" Harald shouted in alarm, though if the pain or leaking fluid inconvenienced the Valkyrie she gave no sign.

Before debate on the topic could commence, the roar of engines became evident outside. Motor cycle engines if Ǫlni was any judge of such mortal feromancy.