"Yeah,..." Danny murmurs cleverly.
"THAT'S good, at least,..."
Sal gets the impression that it isn't his MOM's missing years he's thinking of at the moment.
Kenneth claps his hand to Danny's back, and says softly, "The one plus ay all this is that if the doorway be weakened, even a mite bit, 'tis possible we could pull your mother out, and nae the beastie. Won't give you back what you've lost, mayhap - but would certainly seem tae make for a better future."
Hope gleams in Danny's eyes, and is swiftly tempered by realism.
"Hey, if that's a possibility, I'm ALL in! But, I don't want to get my hopes TOO high. Yet. If I was responsible for setting free a monstrous version of the apocalypse, I'd never forgive myself. Even for family."
Kenneth nods, "Aye, well, I did say 'twas possible, nae that it was a given. But, from what Sven says, nae time passes in the trap - so that would mean that there doesnae need tae be anyone in there with the beast -- once he's in, that is."
Sal sips silently at her brew - not her favorite, but she doesn't want to insult Sven by abstaining. His "we had no way to kill it" keeps repeating in her head, and she glances at Edwyn to see his reaction to Kenneth's carefully conditional optimism. Personally, she thinks Edwyn's question makes a great deal of practical sense and hopes Sven has an answer.
Maybe being the earthly representative of a goddess gives one an optimistic viewpoint, but Sal has a sick feeling that her only skill - spitting lead pellets - is going to be pretty useless against some Cyclopean horror.
She continues to sip, content to listen and observe her companions.
As he awaits an answer from Sven, Edwyn glances over at Danny and Kenneth, quietly processing the revelation about the former's mother. He did not know either of them particularly well - hell, he barely knows Sal - so commenting on the personal matter did not quite feel right. Especially since his feelings were less optimistic than Kenneth's.
Hopefully the cork metaphor wasn't literal, he thinks, struggling to process what they are supposed to do about IT, or the D.C.O. as he now knows it. Because you're not supposed to stick it back in once you pop it off the bottle.
Sven pauses; "I think if we talked to the monks they could possibly open the portal, or allow it to be opened for a moment... But we'd have to talk to them. I guess that might have been one of the reasons the formorians attacked, for their power?"
"The Lindisfarne Monks hold great knowledge, ever since Cuthbert founded it."
Danny looks wide-eyed at Sven, even forgetting to feel sorry for himself for a moment.
"Wait, CUTHBURT founded the,...?!?! Nevermind. Of COURSE he did."
Danny shakes his head.
"Well, yeah, that would line up with what we know. Or at least THINK we know, so far. They most likely wanted the monks for their power. All this time we thought they were focused on others in the crowd, and wondering how they knew these people would be there. But the monks were their target the whole time. Everyone ELSE who was there, including us, were just the icing on the kidnapping cake!"
"Maybe," Sal admits reluctantly, thinking aloud. "Maybe they saw a chance to get some monks separated from the... monastery? abby? whatever. If that's the case, they don't feel confident in a head-on attack on Lindisfarne. That's probably not surprising. If the monks have been entrenched there for centuries, it's a sacred site. Those things probably wouldn't like it much."
She takes a deep swig of her drink before she remember she doesn't particularly like it, then finds that the bitter liquid was surprisingly refreshing and thirst-quenching. "I don't remember them making a beeline for the monks, though. Wouldn't it have been better for the whole gang to head right for their target? The attack seemed very broad and pretty damned bold." Another swig disappears as she draws in the condensation on the table in front of her, frowning as she tries to remember the setup of the park and the details of the attack.
"I wouldn't have done it that way. I'd have gone in with a focused team early or late, with less random crowd around. I'd have gone straight to the monks, taken as many as possible, and gotten out. They had time to plan, given all the junk we found in the boathouse." With a snort, she concludes, "Of course, these guys weren't the brains of the outfit. Obviously."
Danny chuckles.
"Clearly. They were the muscles, not the brains. But now that I think about it,..." Danny stops and takes a sip of his own mug, checking his memories.
"Yeah, not the most well-executed plan, fer sure. But,... while they WERE distracted with anyone with more than a smidge of power, sometimes with help. What? I LIKE attention! They WERE making a more or less straight line for the monks. I think."
Kenneth thinks aloud, "You're assuming they had perfect information an an ability tae sense monks specifically. Based on their behaviour at the attack, I dinnae ken that they have either ay those things."
He takes a pull, then adds, "Aye, they ken the monks'd be there - but once they were there, they didnae go right for 'em. And sae, either they cannae tell one type ay power from another, or the ither sources ay power act as a sort ay magical chaff tae interfere with thair senses."
He shrugs, "Mayhap we could even go so far tae guess that they're so alien tha' they cannae tell humans apart - nae really - which is why their attack was so confused."
Danny's head bobs from side to side a little as he digests what Ken is saying, (and his brogue).
"Yeah, THAT makes sense. I guess. I mean I'm no expert on these fish-faces. What I know about them would fill maybe one can of tuna. A small can." Danny admits wryly.
"They must have had some idea of who they were going after, asides from the bystanders," Edwyn reasons, testing his recollection of the festival.
"You mentioned Henri Miller before, yeah? Well, those things tried to drag him and his wife off. I can't say for certain that they were their primary objective, but there was definitely something strange going on with those two."
Sal sighs. "Well, we've got this local guy to check out... oh, hey, maybe Sven knows him?" She signs at Kenneth to show Sven the card.
"Maybe, who is it? I haven't been too involved in local supernatural politics but I know most of the players." he replies, taking a swig of the ale with a smile at the ruminations. "I'm not sure, but I think the portal can be opened without letting the creature out - I'm not sure exactly how, or else I would have done it."
"So, you guys where should we head?" Sven asks quaffing the pint of ale before getting another from the bar.
Kenneth arches an eyebrow, "We? Be you coming out ay retirement, then?"
"Well, whoever's going, I vote we check out that office. The businessman is always the bad guy, especially if he's a real estate developer." She drains her drink and blinks at the empty glass in some puzzlement. "I learned that from Scooby Doo."
Kenneth shakes his head, "Ach, Sal, I dinnae ken that I want tae risk pulling the face off ay one ay the fishfingers tae see who might be under the mask."
"Just so long as we're not in 'Scooby Doo and Zombie Island'" Danny pipes up, looking at whats left in his glass, trying to determine if he can drain it all in one swig like Sal.
"That was the first movie they had where the monsters were REAL. " He explains, deciding he can, and draining his own glass (in a couple of gulps).
Kenneth laughs and says, "Danny, I hate tae be the one tae tell ye, but our whole darn lives are 'Scooby Dae and Zonbie Island'"
Sal cracks a nervous smile, peeking furtively at Sven to see his reaction to the tomfoolery, though she relaxes some as Kenneth and Danny feel free to banter.
"I just figure we can knock off the office exploration tonight. The monks are a little farther."
During Kenneth and Danny's back and forth, Edwyn suddenly seems far more interested in Sven's gift, which up till now he has only been sipping furtively.
"I'm up for a bit of skulduggery. Just as long as we don't split up and look for clues," he says dryly.
"EXACTLY!" Danny agrees wholeheartedly, pointing at Edwyn.
"That NEVER works out well."
Then Danny rolls his eyes and blows a raspberry.
"And who did Fred think he was foolin' anyway?! 'Split up and look for clues' my arse. He wasn't looking for clues. HE was only trying to 'Make Time' with Daphne!"
"Guess we need to get Kenneth a neck scarf thing, then."
"Yep. I'M not wearing that thing. I'M the creatively-cowardly snack guy!" Danny snatches a 'pizza bone' from the platter, and shoves it in his mouth. He eats it as quickly as possible, then grins.
"Rooby Rooby Roo! Reheheheheehe!"
Kenneth shrugs, "I'm sure I'd be dashing in an ascot, but I refuse tae bleach my hair... though I dae heartily approve ay bringing a bonny redhead everywhere we go... and leaving most ay the clue finding and monster chasing tae our shaggier friend."
"Second that!" Danny declares.
"Well, Unless the Scooby gang really does show up to help us out of this mess, I guess we should get going." He sighs dramatically, then pauses,... dramatically,...
Danny pulls out his cell phone, and pokes and swipes for a moment.
"Just a thought. How bad do you think things have to be in your town for BOTH of these to show up? At the same time?" Danny asks innocently, Holding out his phone to show the pic he looked up
Kenneth smirks and says, "So it's settled then. Danny'll go dae all the finding ay monsters in his role as Shaggy and Scooby, whilst I'll spend some alone time with Sal."
He says, "'Tis the role you asked for, isnae it?"
He then looks at Danny's phone, taking a breath to keep his emotions calm before letting the high-tech thing get too close to him, and starts to laugh, "Aye, well, if that lot be showing up, I think we could all be using a proton pack, tae."
"I don't think I fit either of the female roles. Too dumb for Velma and too tough for Daphne," Sal says as she takes the phone and examines the picture.
"You know what it means if you see that in your town? The ultimate horror..." She lowers her voice confidentially. "A cosplay convention!"
Danny snorts.
If I'm Doing both Scooby AND Shaggy's jobs, Ima need a lot more Scooby Snacks!" He says, holding up his empty mug.
"All that running makes a guy thirsty! And FYI, your traps better work a lot better than in the TV show!" He smirks.
"I don't think I fit either of the female roles. Too dumb for Velma and too tough for Daphne," Sal says as she takes the phone and examines the picture.
"You know what it means if you see that in your town? The ultimate horror..." She lowers her voice confidentially. "A cosplay convention!"
Danny gives up on playing it straight and laughs out loud.
"Oh, the HORROR!" He grins.
"Oh I dunno Sal. I think your the perfect mix between the two. Your smart. I mean you can re-build a car. And Daphne was pretty tough. She survived everything the writers put her through. And in the movies she turned into 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. Literally. And looks? well, I'll just say 'be careful', or 'Fred' here will try to add you to his harem."
Danny says the last bit while chucking a thumb at Ken. And carefully edging just out of easy range of both 'Fred' and 'Daphne'.
Danny looks at his watch. (An honest-to-gosh, old-style, actual- manual-winding one. A requirement when you hang around High-powered magical-types.) And makes a face.
"Ruh-Roh! Rook at de Rhyme! Rotta run! Rhehehehehehe!"
Feeling that the shock of Sven's news about Danny's mother has made Danny's brain softer even than usual, Sal holds back on any pointed banter tonight. Distractions are good things.
"How we wanna check out this office? All go together or split up so we can watch front and back? I think all of us are moderately sneaky at worst," she offers, not quite believing Sven will join them.
"Like, Yeah man," Danny does his best imitation of Shaggy.
(It's pretty good, actually.)
"That's a great idea! Like, you all go ahead and sneak inside. And I'll stay outside and guard the snacks! I mean, getaway car!" Danny continues, unwilling to let the 'Scooby' joke go.
Hey, he's on a roll.
And like Sal thought, Danny isn't Reeeely in the mood to be too serious at the moment. It's been a weird night. He needs time to process.
Kenneth says, "Nae, I'd say you best come with, in case we've a sudden need tae be part ay a getaway crowd. Plus, if just Sal and I go, ye ken that the van'll be attacked by the beastie while we're making out in the ... er, while we're looking for important clues, I mean."
Sal asks for the check and digs out her keys. "Why don't you ride with me, Danny? Anybody else need a lift? And what was that address again, Kenneth?" She pulls out her phone to enter the office location.
Danny nods.
"Whatever you say Evil Knievel."
What? Danny's had his fair share of Ciders. And Sal drives better intoxicated than Danny ever could sober.
It's not like he's silly enough to argue with Sal,... He knows how THAT would inevitably end.
Edwyn immediately regrets his contribution to the Hanna-Barbera bit, his eyes glazing over amid the silliness at the table. Only when they start discussing transportation does life seem to return to them, despite the probability of the Mystery Machine coming up.
"I've got my own ride now," he says, sitting back and adjusting his tie. "Got tired of trying to max out my client's credit card with cab fare."
Looking at the tankards sitting on the table, the detective frowns. "Well, I guess we don't have a designated driver."
He looks over at Sven, wondering if he could just transport the lot of them there with a crack of thunder - or whatever he is the god of.
"We ate. We're fine to drive. And why are you worried about your client's credit card, anyway?"
Edwyn simply shrugs, taking Sal's word for it.
"My clients don't usually pay me to put them into debt," he explains sheepishly. "I'm more accustomed to checks and wads of banknotes."
Kenneth laughs, "As soon as I stand up, the Flame within me will burn the alcohol away. It isnae that I cannae get drunk, 'tis more than I cannae stay that way. On the plus side, though, means that I nae have tae worry about anything ruining my pretty face... at least, nae permanently."
He throws down the rest of his pint, then stands, "I'll dae a tour around the block on the bike whilst you try tae find parking... and we can see if we cannae plan a way in that won't alert the rent-a-bobbies."
"Right. Come meet us at the lot and brief us on the layout. We'll wait there. C'mon, everyone who's going. Caravan."
Sal will try to find a lot near the office that has other cars but is not crammed, like a pub or restaurant's overflow lot.
Travelling quickly, but within speed limits across town with Sven in tow. Sal is easily able to find either on street parking or a small Co-op supermarket to which she's joined by Kenneth from his quick scouting trip.
The office is off one of the main street, on the upper floor above an Indian take-away. There's a entrance at the front, shared with the Indian (a small atrium with a glass door to the left that opens into a nice Take-away & a locked solid door with a discrete sign on it)
However there is also a rear entrance, a steel fire escape above the bins of the Indian in a small back alley that overlooks other 2 storey buildings.
Sal exits the car and waits for the others to do so before locking it with the fob.
"What do you guys think? I'm not the best lockpick but might be able to get us in. We could boost up the back and try for an open window. I was hoping this would be a bigger building with a security guard and elevators we could use. Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."
Kenneth says, "I'd say the back way is likely a mite less visible. I didnae notice any cameras - but if ye see some, let me know and I'll see if I cannae just blow them a kiss."
"Aye, to be sure. I looks like the operation is small fry." Sven adds. " A boost for the window or break in through the back door off the escape stairs?
Kenneth says, "Was thinking the stairs, personally. I like being able tae get out in a hurry if we needed tae, ye ken."
Danny looks at the back of the building as the others quietly discuss various methods of breaking and entering.
"Yeah, I knew I should have paid more attention in Burglary class." He murmurs.
"Clearly, I am in the presence of experts here. I'll just follow your lead?" Danny says, all innocent smiles.