Kinjaav

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984

“How about we trade? You give me the pad and I’ll give you this.” Detective Merit withdrew a cheap-looking flip phone from her shirt pocket and slid it across the table to Hayato. “Go ahead and call whoever you have to call to pick up that kid from the morgue. No questions asked, no strings attached, completely untraceable and scrubbed from the record.”
She took back the pad and read over it carefully. “Think about the climate, Hayato. People don’t worry about the mundane; in a world where you could get eaten by a hundred-year-old satan spawn, your average Joe won’t be too worried about influenza and reckless driving. Do you understand that?” She looked up again to meet his eyes.

---

@Cio

Beck grabbed Aava by the shoulders and pulled her back from the equipment. “For the time being.” She replied, letting the näkki go again. She wasn’t too afraid of getting bitten, honestly; that kind of fear fades away quickly when you’re working every night tracking down covens. “Her name is Aava. She’s mostly non communicative, she got hit in the head with a rock.”
“Mostly?”
“She’s… something. Maybe a siren? The point is that she’s hurt and I told the state police I’d get her looked at.”
“The SAC doesn’t exactly transcend communication. Unless you want to get her an MRI, you might be wasting your time.”
“So what? You won’t do anything for her?”
“I’m just being honest. There’s probably no point.” He replied. “If she’s nauseous or in pain give her over the counter medications, if her condition worsens bring her back. Make sure she gets rest and doesn’t experience another head injury. But we can’t cure a concussion”
Beck grimaced; she supposed she knew that. “Alright. Whatever. We’ll just leave.” The nurse waved them off as Beck tugged Aava by the hand and lead her back through the halls and finally into the parking lot. With a frustrated sigh she stopped just outside the door, blinking in the morning sunlight. She cast a slightly harsh look at Aava. “What are you, man?”
A weak but hopeful cry rang out from across the pavement. “There you are!” A familiar figure came around the building; a young man with freckles and a mop of light brown curls, wearing tattered clothes.

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984 that’s what I figured, but Sher doesn’t know that yet.

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984

She rolled her eyes at Hayato's adamant declaration that he "didn't snitch." "I didn't see that. And I'll make damn sure no one else will see that unless you do exactly what I tell you to do." the detective replied cruelly.
Merit took a moment's pause to sigh and continued, apparently bored of taunting the lycanthrope. "Think for a second. Will your organization put it's neck out for you, on your word, when the state police are involved? In a shitty little American state way outside their stomping grounds? Risk and reward; that's all organized crime is, no matter what they told you those tattoos stand for." Sher leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head. "You're just not the one with power in this room. But I have good news for you; I want to make you a deal. If you tell me exactly who you are and what you're doing in Redhaven, I won't just let you go home to your organization, but I'll make sure your brother's body gets released to whoever needs to come get it. You never make it onto the record, your brother gets released to whoever you say he gets released to, this all goes away. I want to work with you here.
From another folder she withdrew a yellow legal pad and slid it across the table with a pen. "So how do you want to go home, cowboy? As the Yakuza who cracked the state force to work with your organization, or in a box after you die alone in prison?"

---

@Cio

Beck listened in quiet surprise to Aava’s new vocabulary… it wasn’t quite intelligible, but at least some of it was English. What was this woman that she could pick up languages so quickly? Was it just mimicking? Was she some kind of wendigo? Were there wendigos in Scandinavia?
”How about we go inside so the doctors can take care of your head?” Beck asked, gesturing to her own head and trying to incorporate some of what Aava had said; perhaps that would help her understand.
She led, or perhaps coaxed, Aava towards the hospital, letting her follow of her own accord but putting a gentle hand behind her shoulder when they passed the nurses smoking near the door. The room they came into was empty, thankfully, except for the receptionist behind a long desk.
“Hi, um, she needs to see a doctor. I’m pretty sure she’s concussed.” Beck explained. “Her name is Aava.”
“Do you have her insurance information?" The receptionist asked without looking up.
Beck rolled her eyes. "She was assaulted less than an hour ago by a crazy person who threw a rock at her head. I'm a vet, I reported the crime and talked to state police about getting her medical attention. Can you help me or not?"
Seeming a little annoyed, the receptionist finally looked up and was visibly very surprised at Aava's appearance. She tried to play it cool as she turned her attention to a very impatient Beck, and pointed to a few upholstered wooden chairs against the wall. "I-I'll see what I can do. Just wait over there."
Beck shrugged, feeling like she was wasting her time with all this. She walked away from the desk and took a seat, assuming Aava would follow her lead.

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984

“Neither, actually.” Merit replied, reaching for a manila envelope. “I’d just like to know what the Yakuza are doing so far out from a city center.” She opened the envelope and pushed it towards Hayato. Within were several printed pictures of Yakuza mugshots and tattoos, each dated and with a location written underneath. Most were from Boston and the surrounding neighborhoods, taken within the last year but there weren’t any from within the last two months. She then opened the iPad, and on it was a picture of Josuke’s tattoos and she swiped to a picture of his face, barely cropping out the deep wounds on his neck.
“A werewolf gangster kills his partner in cold blood and assaults the witnesses on dashcam.” The detective announced nonchalantly, locking eyes with Hayato. “He’s on ice down at the morgue. When the coroner autopsies him in a few hours, that’s the story the press and the investigators will tell.”
She locked the iPad and gave Hayato an evil smile. “Or something else can happen.” The detective crossed her arms on the table. “You tell me exactly who you are and who you’re working for, and maybe you and your friend won’t end up with your headshots in my little collection here.”

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Cio Okay! I wasn’t expecting such a prompt reply, I’m on may way to sleep lol. Will reply tomorrow. 💫

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Cio

Beck kept an eye on Aava as she started driving to the hospital. She didn’t respond to her inquiry except for a neutral, dismissive grunt, a bit like a parent trying to ignore their kid. She paid attention to the road for a while but laughed lightly when Aava tried to put her face into the thermos. ”Thirsty?” she asked, fully aware of the futility of making conversation.
When Aava just poured the whole cup out over herself, soaking the blanket and the seat she was sitting on, Beck flinched slightly, glad she had stopped at a red light. She was about to scold the näkki in frustration, but held back when she saw the innocent expression on her face. Aava had no idea what was going on, and that was… scary, in a way that was hard for Beck to imagine. So she kept her composure and turned the air conditioning off.
Redhaven’s hospital was on the northeastern end of the town proper, closer to schools and residential areas than the more stark business district that had rolling hills and dense Appalachian woods on three sides. In such a small town the hospital looked huge and bustling, with a few cars in it’s lot and some people milling about near the doors, even an ambulance returning with dimmed lights.
Beck parked in the hospital lot near the ER entrance and immediately realized that Aava needed clothes. The quiet (albeit odd) drive had given her some time to think about this ridiculous situation, where she’d wound up volunteering to help a naked water demon get a concussion diagnosis. Then what? Take her back to Evren’s cabin? Beck turned off the ignition and got out of the car, opening the trunk and rummaging through an open duffel bag. The cabin was probably the only place for her.
She retrieved a pair of fluffy pajama pants, an oversized tee, and some old flip flops. The women weren’t the same size, but the pants at least had a drawstring tie. Beck shut the trunk and returned to Aava, opening the passenger door and getting a look at the situation. Well, with the water’s help at least most of the blood was off her face now. Drying her off seemed very much above Beck’s paygrade, so she didn’t even bother addressing it.
”Clothes. Clothing. Get dressed.” she said, hoping maybe one of those phrases would ring true. When it seemed the words hadn’t been understood, Beck ste the change of clothes in Aava’s lap and tried something else. One by one, she gestures to what she herself was wearing and then to Aava. ”Shirt. Pants. Shoes. You too, in that.”

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984 Dammit!! I knew I forgot something!! Lol!!
I meant for the female cop to bring him a shirt and pants, but somehow i just completely left that out. I knew I was forgetting something!
I just added that into my last post. That was my mistake; he has some tasteful sweats now.

@Cio Yep, I knew she was going to just dump the water on herself lol.

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984@Cio

From Beck’s perspective, Aava’s reaction to the Volkswagen was… troubling. Was there something wrong with her? Surely she couldn’t have been isolated from society in the interim since Evren last saw her, right? How could she have gotten all the way to Massachusetts if she didn’t know what a car was? She decided it was time to go back to Boston, at least for a few days; the boonies were getting a little weird.
When Aava seemed to be settled, Beck walked around the car to get behind the wheel. She got into the car and turned the engine over, the car coming to life with a low growl that caused a gentle rumble through the vehicle.
Her mind kept returning to the tears, and the power this girl seemed to possess. Beck reached behind the console to a cupholder and retrieved a plain thermos, unscrewed the lid, and handed the container to Aava; it was full of water.

The detective pulled into the lot of a brick municipal building on the north edge of town, and parked in front of a large concrete planter with nothing growing in it. Another female officer was waiting at the door and came to the car and escorted Hayato inside, bringing him down a hallway to a larger open room with cluttered desks and leading him to a holding cell built into the far wall. She put him in the cell and, through the purpose-built slot in the bars, uncuffed him. Wordlessly she left him be, leaving back down the hall. The detective lieutenant followed shortly, now holding a manila folder and an iPad, seeming to flip through images as she walked from one end of the room to the other to reach another door, which she disappeared behind. Minutes later the two cops from earlier lead Evren into the same large room. He’d clearly given up any kind of resistance, being easily pushed by the younger Holt, who uncuffed him and let him into the room Merit had gone into. Holt flashed a quick glare at Hayato before leaving as well with his partner Booth. The female officer returned with grey sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt, and handed them to Hayato through the bars.
An hour passed before the female officer returned and retrieved Evren from the room, leading him over to the cell where Hayato was waiting. With a slight nudge he stumbled into the cell, righting himself with a step and darting his eyes quickly to Hayato. He looked quite different; raven hair gone in favor of short brown locks, skin still fair but now lightly freckled. His face was no longer gaunt, now full and even a bit rosy, with a small birdlike nose. A completely different person, but to the keen senses of a werewolf, still the same smell and energy.
Evren said nothing as he kept his eyes locked on Hayato but took a small, cautious step away from him. His eyes were blown wide, though he didn’t look truly fearful; rather he seemed high-strung, a bit too alert for his own good. The female cop pulled Hayato out of the cell and lead him by the shoulder to the same room, closing the door behind him. The room was plain, with only a simple white folding table and two light wooden chairs on either side. Sunlight was streaming through the blinds on the window opposite the door. The detective was sitting behind the table, now with a small stack of folders but still skimming through something on the iPad. She had taken her campaign hat off and set it beside her on the table, revealing her curly bright orange hair that came just past her ears. She looked up from the tablet and locked it, giving Hayato a sly look as she met his gaze. ”I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself. I’m detective lieutenant Sheridan Merit, with the Massachusetts State Police. Sit down.”

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Eviledd1984 That sounds good to me, writing a post now. I was trying to think of a way that Evren and Hayato could be in separate holding cells talking to each other, but every way I try to set that up feels really dumb? So I’m going to scrap it and finish writing something simpler.

✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

@Cio@Eviledd1984

Beck watched in quiet disbelief as Aava seemed to 'take' Evren's tears. She thought she'd seen something earlier, but now it was right in front of her. Officer Booth didn't seem to notice, more focused on keeping a firm grip on Evren and trying to ignore the taunting wave from the tattooed man as he was taken away by the lieutenant detective. She'd heard of elemental powers, mostly from old Orloks with a yarn to spin... like Evren.
Like a bolt of lightning had hit her she recalled a story he'd told her about a Finnish woman who lived in a lake; she thought he was lying or hallucinating, all of it sounded so ridiculous when she recorded the interview that she thought about wiping the tape afterward. Oddly she'd imagined a mermaid or something, Evren had described her as being like a fish and she didn't really know what that meant at the time. Metaphors from a thousand-year-old recluse sometimes didn't always ring true with the twenty-two year old veteran. Was this algal-haired little creature really the cannibalistic water woman Evren had told her about?
She suddenly had some reservations about letting her in the Volkswagen, but it was a little late for that. She didn't always trust Evren; he was very weird, a bit histrionic, and was very irresponsible about keeping fed. He was usually so starved that he couldn't think straight, and would go on like that until he would black out and end up killing someone without even knowing it. There was a time when she feared she'd be next, but it didn't take long to realize he wasn't much a match for anyone.
"Hannelore," Evren spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "... thank you. For everything."
She kept her expression neutral but nodded. It wasn't about Evren, not for Beck. It was about experience, knowledge, and helping anyone she could. "It's not a favor."
Evren seemed like he might respond to that, but the officers were getting impatient. He pulled him a few steps back, and lead him to the cruiser. "Time's up, sorry."
"Minun vesililja! Lupaan! Lupaan!" He called hurriedly as Booth forced him into the back of the cop car. Beck put a hand on Aava's shoulder, just in case she made a mad dash after him. The vampire stared helplessly at them as the car revved to life and took him away into the town, disappearing down the cobblestone road.
"My car is over here." Beck tried to gently lead Aava to the van, careful not to be forceful or evoke the kind of behavior she'd just watched Evren be subjected to. She opened the passenger door and held it, waiting for her to get in.

The detective drummed her fingers once across the steering wheel. "Reminds me of some folks I knew in Boston." she added, a bit thoughtful. Apparently bored with Hayato she picked up her radio to let the station know what was going on. "State unit 19 inbound with male suspect in custody following altercation on Hutter Way. Local unit 22 following with second male suspect. Female at scene released to a neighbor."
"Released to a neighbor?" a male voice crackled back.
"Noncommunicative, injured, neighbor took her to the hospital. Another unit can catch up with her later, if we need witness testimony or anyone presses charges. Altercation was caught on video." Sheridan replied, effortlessly glossing over the policy violations she'd made and distracting the other party with the good fortune of having a recording of the crime. There was a brief pause before the person on the other end gave a pleased 'over and out,' and the detective replied in kind before silencing the radio.