"Wait, so it can look like something totally boring until the right person happens to pick it up?" Cerise asked, puzzled. "I mean, I guess that's one way to hide things... but it seems really inefficient. The good stuff should at least highlight as you approach it." It was at that point Cerise realized she wasn't sure if she was still talking about games.
"No, it's totally highlighted!" Cottin replied. "For me."
The other, as yet unidentified man, replied, "Any weapon. And a masterpiece of its kind. But anything from a dagger to a cannon." Looking over Nurai, he added, "Sounds like whoever was in the car was responsible or wanted to watch what happened."
"No, it's totally highlighted!" Cottin replied. "For me."
Remington places his hand jovially on the man's shoulder.
"Well friend, it sounds like you need to stick with us for a while! Fever needs you!"
The other, as yet unidentified man, replied, "Any weapon. And a masterpiece of its kind. But anything from a dagger to a cannon."
"And we need to pick your brain a bit, if you please. What's your name, and how do you know so much about the sword?"
"Cannons seem like a bit much in this day and age. I mean, handheld stuff is more portable and can be about as effective." she observed. "Shapeshifting weapons should keep up with the times."
Nurai nodded in agreement with the dark-haired man. She looked around before she leaned forward, speaking softly even for her normally soft-spoken self, "With how many odd things are being reported, and filmed so clearly and put up so quickly, I do suspect that quite a bit is being pushed, someone targetting whatever other protections there are. I've been wrong about others' pride before, but I find it hard to believe one possible death is the entire cause, no matter how much power they had. I don't think by itself that would unravel what those who have lived or whose family have lived for centuries or more have done to blend in among..." she ended by gesturing her hands around slightly with mixed feelings, clearly meaning humans.
"Ymerson," the dark-haired man replied. "And a fair bit." He glanced at Cerise. "Point is to hide. Would you try using a Howitzer to crown a new king?"
Nodding at Nurai, the man agreed, "Yes. The effects of the King falling shouldn't be felt this fast. Someone likely," he glanced at a waitress approaching, "Dethroned them and are working against the wards that remain."
Auoura's pancakes arrived, the waitress glancing at everyone else. "Does anyone else want someone?" she asked in a clear tone of why would a group this large want a single stack of pancakes.
"Vanilla milkshake and chicken nuggets and fried and onion rings and sauce and beans please," Cottin asked for in a rush.
"A Hot and Spicy chicken meal and black coffee, thanks,"
Remington gives the waitress his third best smile, but doesn't say anything.
"I'll take a stack of waffles, with fruit on the top. Strawberries are good if they're available." Cerise opined from her own seat. After the waitress was gone, she added, "And I've seen weirder than Howitzers..."
Nurai nodded in agreement with Ymerson, glad to have someone who seemed local's opinion on her suspicions.
Nurai smiled up at the waitress and waited while the others ordered as she flicked through the menu, "Thank you for your patience, I always have the hardest time deciding in new places. I'll have the hot chocolate, large, and...oh...I think the lunch chicken roast special, please." Nurai said, figuring both of those were good ways to test out a restaurant, something she had been meaning to do more.
It was Nurai's policy to always be as nice as possible to those working in jobs that are usually low-paid and very frustrating, particularly those working with her food, though she was a bit distracted by the matter at hand.
Jim drummed his fingers on the table to the music playing in one ear. Or, rather, the music he pretended was playing in one ear. He continued to survey the crowd, both looking and listening. A cup of coffee and a small crock of onion soup gave him an excuse to stick around.
"There is always wierder," Cottin replied, "Always. You will never hit Weirdness Zero. It would be so weird it would be totally normal, like a carton of milk or a brick or something." Shrugging, he added, "I'll help if you guys want it, but it'll have to wait until this evening. I need to eat, nap and eat again before I'll be good for much." He shrugged, staring at the kitchen. "Maybe hunt down that car or see if you can find someone who knows the King or something first?"
Nurai nodded with a soft smile as Cottin talked as she thought on how strong a spell would be to drain turn such a bubbly young man into the raging creature she had seen not long before. No wonder the pair were so drained now, "Hopefully one of the videos caught the car well enough or there might by CCTV in that area, businesses usually have them these days..." Nurai says as she thinks aloud...
Aurora attacked the pancakes with methodical determination, alternating jam and maple syrup. "I can ask around a few of my mom's friends. They are in the business."
Cerise considered for a moment, then shook her head. If Miyu wanted her to know, the seer would just tell her... probably when she wanted Cerise to know it, and not a minute sooner. (It had been a bit weird adjusting to that, but by this point, she'd accepted that she just needed to trust her friend's judgement. If Miyu didn't want to tell her, there was a reason for that - and it wasn't like that was the only way to get information, either.)
Asking contacts and business owners to see if there were other other possible ways to get details on the car, the sword or the king were definitely viable plans. Working out the right businesses or friends might take a little time, but it was a viable avenue of investigation.
In the meantime, the food arrived. Cottin and Ymerson attacked their plates with gusto and the likelyhood of hunting down desert, too.
Jim noted that the others seemed to have things sorted with the two brawlers, and the diner crowd seemed mild enough, so he paid his check and took the opportunity to walk around the block and get an eye for the scenery. When he spots an innocuous enough stranger, he bothers him for a bit of advice.
"Hey friend, you know where a guy would go to get a flat fixed near here? I think I ran over a nail."
Nurai nodded to Aurora, "That sounds a good idea.".
She thanked the waitress as the food arrived. Paused in thought until the waitress left, she slowly stirred the cream into her drink and left it to cool a minute as she tried the chicken. Eating then trying to a walk around to see what she could find out seemed the best plan for now...
The diners food was suitably friend and fat-laden and had an invigorating effect on the former fighters. At least they didn't look like they'd never slept now. Cottin passed out his phone details, promising to get in touch once he'd slept off the lingering remnants of whatever had happened, and leaving you free to investigate your own ideas for the afternoon.
Nurai thanked the guys for their time as she put Cottin's details into her phone. After she paid, left a tip, and thanked the waitress again for her time, Nurai went outside to send a quick update text to Valda while she waited for the others.
"Alright, I'll go to see my friend. See you later."
Aurora walked out of the diner, softly whistling to the raven perched on the light wires. Reason discreetly flew on a nearby trash bin.
"Go tell Sven that I'm paying a visit, alright?"
"Aye. Remember to take him a drink. You know how svartalves are."
The tall girl took a bus heading home to grab a bottle of blueberry mead, then another, leading to the edge of town. Sven's blacksmithing shop had a large backyard, looking like a scrapyard would like, if owned by an obsessive-compulsive hygiene maniac. Broken cars, old washing machines, metal sheets were all sorted by material, shape and size, and not a trace of dust, dirt or rust was to be found on them.
The svartalf himself was outside in a swivel chair, uncommonly wearing a shirt. On his table, a TV was playing old western movies, and Reason was on the table, pecking almonds.
"Hallå, Sven. Aw, you got dressed up for me? You shouldn't have."
Aurora placed the mead in front of the dwarf with a smile. "Honeyed wine for honeyed words, my friend. Have you heard anything about the King of Fever dying, and his Sword being lost? I figure if anyone knows about a Sword, it'd be the best blacksmith in the Pacific Northwest."
Jim circled back around and spotted Nurai texting on the sidewalk. He smiled and waved as he approached. "Hey, you're one of the gang, right?" He asked rhetorically, as he already knew she was. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and sidled up next to her, looking out at the street. "So what was up with those guys, eh?"
For her part, Cerise considered her earlier opinion, then shrugged. It wasn't worth getting too caught-up on the maybes, and she hit speed-dial for one of the people she was most familiar with.
"Hey, Miyu! Yeah, the fight thing was fine. We fed them and they seem happier now. This whole case seems pretty open - any thoughts on what we should check next...?"
With everyone doing their own thing, and Remington being anachronistically out of touch with license plates, online videos, and digital card catalog systems, he buys a newspaper and peruses the obituaries for anything interesting.
Nurai shifted back from the man, eyebrows raised, her shadow placing themself between their summoner and Jim. While things were too often not what they appeared, and Nurai did usually lean towards giving the benefit of the doubt to those who approached her, the pair had long learned how to keep their boundaries without making a scene if provoked. The shadow was too protective of Nurai to see others so kindly, particularly humans and even more the males of the species, and was ready to push back if Jim approached again.
As Nurai tried to decide how to respond, the phone in her hand vibrated again briefly. She took another step back as she looked down at it. She chuckled for a second but she sighed in concern as she pocketed her phone. Looking back up to Jim, she considered once more before she said what as honest as she felt like being with a stranger, "I don't know any gangs around here...and you know how men can get hangry sometimes, I think they'll be fine. Umm...I need to go find my friend's friends. Сау болыңыз. she said with a nod as she went to inform Cerise and Remington what Valda had said and, unless they had a more interesting idea, ask if they wanted to join her in talking to local businesses near where she saw the car for information.
Jim cocked his head at the could shoulder, then decided she must not be the "people person" of the group. He leaned against the wall and waited for someone else more amicable to come out while whistling a relaxed tune.
The Newspaper reveals that Patrick Waymore, the Fire Department Chief, passed away during a fire three days earlier.
The funeral is scheduled for two days hence.
After her call with Miyu, Cerise flipped her phone shut, glancing at Nurai first (since she'd spoken). "Uh, is anybody here good at investigating magic wards?" she asked. Miyu could definitely do that herself, but if she wasn't, there was a reason. "If not, Miyu suggested we try the motive angle and look for whoever has the most to gain."
"You are a treasure, Sven." Aurora kissed the svartalf on a cheek. "And Geidihr is as sharp today as the day you forged it."
Heading towards Sven's address, she created a group conversation on a popular IM app, adding those whose number she had.
Aurora Goodberry created the group "Fever Scooby Gang"
Aurora Goodberry: Last known K dead in fire, 10yrs ago. Checking it out.
Aurora Goodberry: Anyone knows how to turn on encryption on this thing?
Nurai considered, moved her left hand in a so-so sort of way, "I'm okay at them, though it will depend on who set them up. Different groups use them differently but the basics should be..." she began as she thought out loud before her phone buzzed again.
Nurai pulled her phone out and the summoner chuckled again. She always felt more like Velma though her fuzzy clawed shadow was probably Scooby...which might make her Shaggy. She shook her amused childhood inspired thoughts as she responded.
Nurai Ayaulmkyzy<3: Chat is a good idea. Mine's already set up with encryptions but I'm not sure how to do it on other phones. V's usually best with tech.
Nurai Ayaulmkyzy<3:Concerned that the guys were repeatedly hit with rage...and the end result if that happened to one of us. Take care out there.
Jim texted Valda about the team, trying to make sure he had the right people.
"Hey V, I don't think your squad knows who I am. Give us a little intro, eh?"
Remmington spends five minutes trying to figure out why his "flip phone" that Valda "entrusted" him with keeps buzzing. He pushes the buttons around until he sees some messages.
He shrugs, and goes to snoop around Fever's fire house.
As a modern girl, Cerise was very much the sort to have a smartphone. In fact, she often used it for business matters and the like, not just browsing the internet and using Instagram. (What? She was a dancer. Visual appeal was about 95% of her thing.)
Cerise: If you think something's dangerous or mindscrew-y, let me go first. I'm tougher than I look, and even if it hits me, I should be able to throw it off pretty quick.
"Let's go check those out first, I guess... does anyone know where the wards are?" she inquired, hoping Nurai already did.
A text popped up on various phones.
The Big V - If you see a sketchy guy whose not big into sharing, that's Jim. He's a friend. Too paranoid for a people phone. Someone tell him I'll get him a burner.
The Big V - For now just don't post anything too incrimianting and I'll make sure to set up a proper set of security things later.
Remington was confronted with a large stone brick building, the massive folding doors hiding the engines inside.
Ditching his sword somewhere out of sight and holding his coat over his guns, Remington goes inside. He approaches the first person he sees. If he doesn't see anyone, he wanders around, looking for something office-like.
Aurora Goodberry: Roger, cya l8r.
Taking the bus again, something of a rare thing considered her large frame, Aurora headed to the address that Sven had given her.
Still...it's odd. There's no sign of the usual break ins or homeless activity, no unpleasant smell over the long dimed smell of burnt material. Despite the warnings, even the roof seems somewhat intact, and the heavy stone of the building seems solid, making it unusual for no one to be obviously squatting.
Nurai tilted her head at Cerise's question as she put her phone away again, "I'm not from around here so I don't know any specifically... most wards I know are entwined with common, easy to overlook places, like groves of trees in a pattern most don't notice, forks in waterways or really old but plain buildings... I'd like to swing past where I saw the car for CCTV footage, maybe we can ask them about old buildings in town or parks that have been damaged recently...and if they've seen Remington..." she said as she looked around and noticed she had lost sight of him.
Since he hadn't been in the phone chat that might be concerning. Maybe. Not enough to postpone finding wards or car footage, he was an adult, Nurai was pretty sure of that, but someone to keep an eye out for...like a sketchy man...though Valda's idea of sketchy was thankfully a lot more specific than Nurai and her shadow's which would include most males...
"Well, I suppose they'd be pretty shoddy wards if they were too easy to find." Cerise said with a sigh and a shrug. "Either that or they're on the internet. What're the odds there's a crazy conspiracy blog analyzing coincidences that actually points in the right direction?" Probably higher than the odds had any right to be, honestly.
Remington tips his hat at the captain, completely unaware of how anachronistic he looks, but his confidence hopefully impels people to not dwell on that.
"Hello!" he begins with a smile. "I have just recently learned that I missed meeting Chief Waymore by a matter of days. My condolences to those of you who were close to him. I wanted to meet him because I think that he may have been a fellow enthusiast of a rather obscure interest I have. Is there anyone around who knew him well outside of work?"
Nurai considered what Cerise said, "Place like Fever, probably be more suspicious if there weren't any, I'd put odds on there being a few with a couple of them being set up to avert attention...we can do an internet search in a bit, but we should probably be going now..." Nurai said, a bit uneasy standing around in front of shops as long as that had. Unless stopped, Nurai began to move back towards where she had seen the car...
Aurora moved one of the boards, entering the building. She made no effort to conceal her presence- she was looking to talk, and she never was any good at hide-and-seek anyway. Instead she spoke, quietly and clearly, to anyone who would be listening. "Denizens of this place, whether in the Twilight or this realm, if you can hear me, I seek to be a guest and I wish to talk to you. I am Aurora Goodberry, and by my name I swear that I mean no harm."
Cerise joined Nurai in heading back. She wasn't an investigator herself - she didn't really know where to even begin looking for things. Her purpose here was to protect others, and she'd leave the sniffing around to those most knowledgeable about such things. "Also, if you don't mind telling me, is there anything in particular you want me to jump in front of if you see it coming?" she asked Nurai.
Jim shrugged as he continued to be ignored. He texted Valda the plate # for the car and headed off to the garage he'd been recommended to by the stranger.
Nurai shook her head as she continued to walk, "I've nothing specific to be wary of beyond typical mortal stuff, feel free to trust your judgement on that. Speaking of...do you think that's the 'sketchy guy not big on sharing' Valda was talking about"? she said with a nod towards Jon though she didn't slow her pace towards where she was going....