Department of Preternatural Phenomena: Act I

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

January 13, 2014

To: Future Employee of the Department of [odd...it just trails off]

We at the Department would like to congratulate you for your decision to become part of our extraordinary efforts. While we would love to tell you all about our organization in this letter, circumstances and conventions dictate that we can't do that. Can't be to careful in our...and your...line of work. Suffice to say, you've been informed that there are things going on around you that most people don't know about, and we'd like your help in dealing with them. Qualifications notwithstanding, we're shorthanded. It's that simple.

Anyway, you'll receive further briefing at our offices when you arrive. You'll find us at 3915 Main Street, in Queens, New York City. Simply walk up to the rear counter and ask to purchase a hpsjmmz. No, we're not crazy, and there's a check for $50,000 enclosed in this envelope to reassure you that this is, in fact, your new job. Unfortunately for you, it's unsigned...drop on by and we'll remedy that situation. 9:30 a.m. this Tuesday would be perfect.

Remember...nothing people tell you is necessarily true. 1 is 2, black is white, Z is A, and it's probably not as hard as you think. Well, the last statement is a lie, but you get the idea. If it looks incomprehensible, you probably just aren't looking close enough.

If you need me, my number is 323-725-2294.

-[the signature is impossible to read]

*****

3915 Main Street turns out to be a 24-hour Duane Reed drugstore, with a pharmacy counter against the far wall. The store is full of people, but an unusually large crowd is gathered about the clerk, each one holding a carefully folded letter...a perfect match of the one in your own hands.

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Short post to begin, since the exposition happens slightly later...if you figure how to get there. Yay government secrecy!

[Vikingkingq]

Csuscari Kamarsky slips through the crowd, an unobtrusive-looking man who might be Hispanic, or Eastern European, or Arab, or Indian, or any number of things. When he had arrived at the 13th Precinct to find his locker emptied out into a cardboard box and a truly bizarre letter taped to where his nametag had been, he had thought at first that the whole thing was a prank. At the time, he had been pissed, but not surprised. That last incident, where he chased a perp up the middle of FDR Drive in rush hour had not made anybody happy.

After his CO had informed him that the transfer was real, Chuck's mind drifted towards the $50K check, and what that check could bring him: a nicer apartment so that he didn't have to drag dates halfway across the Bronx and up five flights at the end of the night, a decent bankroll for the poker tables at Atlantic City so he didn't have to grind it out in the cheap seats to make the extras...well, needless to say he was feeling tempted.

Besides, the cards and leaves had both said that now was a time for transitions and new beginnings. Still, the whole thing had seemed odd, so the Romany cop had brought a couple of his favorite knives with him for good luck.

As he pushed through the crowd, Chuck felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to prickle, somewhat like before an "episode" but without the headache that usually preceded it. Finally at the counter, he motioned to the harassed-looking counterman and said, "Excuse me, hermano, but I'm looking for a "hpsjmmz"? Sorry, this letter...from my doctor...is a little bit smudged."

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

The clerk, a young man wearing a nametag that reads Dorian Summers, glances up from his paperwork.

"Sir, I don't have time for games right now. The morning rush is about to come in, and I can't deal with people making up names. If you don't know what you need, step aside and let someone else through, won't you?"

He seems rather put out.

[Verruckt]

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as a quick form of description of looks, something like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RnrXiaPVeHY but a bit taller, stockier, and of darker complexion. (Freddie Mercury, not the Belgian swordsman.)

The drugstore doors open once more, this time admitting a somewhat irritated looking police officer in full uniform. Officer Domingo Nieves is in a foul mood, under a month after his cross country transfer and he's already being moved again. At first he'd suspected a prank on the part of his CO at the precinct house, but the check made him hope otherwise. Fifty grand, he had thought, was a whole lot of money, enough money to fly his family out here every now and then, enough to but a new house for his parents in a year or two. If anything it was certainly better than what he made in 6 months in LA.

Still, if this were a prank, someone was getting a keyed cruiser tomorrow. Envelope clenched in one hand the statuesque officer waits his turn in the melee at the pharmacy counter. As soon as he spots an opening he takes it and hands the haggard clerk his letter "I'm sure you're busy, but I'm looking for a "hpsjmmz", if you could get that to me I can be on my way." he gestures at the pertinent line in the letter with one paw like hand as he speaks.

[JettWilderbeast]

Alex Thorn
Alex Thorn finds the place and takes his time looking over the others there; It seems people were being turned away asking for "hpsjmmz." <<This is a puzzle. A cleverly crafted one at that.>> He thought.
Alex Thorn was dressed in a grey pinstripe suit and his demeanour had something academic about him though he was clearly very focused he couldn't help drifting away into his own world while he thought about the "puzzle" scribbling absent mindedly on a notepad. After a short while he goes up to the clerk behind the desk and politely enquires as to how much "Skhqnna" they have in stock. <<Its worth a go...>>

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Just for reference;
NYPD Employment File

Name: Alex Thorn
Birth: 28/2/84, New York City
Ethnicity: White American
Sex: Male
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190
Eyes:Blue
Hair: Brown
Skin: White

Personality Test - Subject shows enthusiasm for any area of research into Phenomena though openly admits he is a skeptic. Well mannered and a pacifist Subject would do well in a team keeping members feet on the ground. Performed well in aptitude tests and very good at solving puzzles.
Evaluation; Though openly a skeptic the subject would fit well as would be able to give a critical eye over situations.

Academy Record - Good marks on written work on citing various sources and researches around the point, subject obtained a PhD in Pschology for his work on Mental Disorders and Reasearch into unexplained Brain Phenomena. Subject is capable of physical activity but is not nearly the best however under adrenaline rushes is capable of running with the best. Excellent driver and has full driving licence for many common vehicles. While a pacifist the subject still shows excellent marksmanship skills and only fires his gun when his or others lives are threatened. Evaluation: Highly suitable for in the field analytical work; would work well in a posistion of authority though would be equally be as happy working under someone.

Demerits - Skeptic. The subject openly expresses views of how Phenomena are hoaxes or a culmination mental disorders. (Wait till they put him in the subway!) Subject not the fittest agent to be in DoPP but makes up for it in many ways.
Evaluation; Would suit DoPP as a critical eye often gains another perspective.


(Not in file; Father is a catholic priest in NYC and often tells Alex of the horrors in the city, this is part of Alex's reasons for skepticism)

Backstory;
Alex was born into a heavily Catholic family where he had catholic views pressed into him from a young age as well as his father's belief in the "wrath of the devil"; Alex was always a bright child and gained a scholarship to a cerain prestigous university in Massachusetts where he took psychology all the way to PhD level gaining nods from several highly academic institutions for his research papers on Mental illnesses with particular reference to "Unexplained Phenomena" and several very critical papers reviewing religion and its bases; This has caused severe upset with his family and as such Alex does not talk to his family much anymore in fact he has not spoken to his father in several years although he does know that his father has recently taken a new church posistion in New York. Alex currently resides in a rather nice area of the city though he spends vast majority of his time in various labs and hospitals working with mentally unstable individuals who more often than not claim to have been in contact with "something else" Though Alex doesn't believe in the Paranormal he does realise that New York has particuarly high cases of people who have had paranormal "experiences" though as far as he is currently concerned they are not mentally well; Though if given proof of Paranormal Alex is likely to change his mind albeit rather grudgingly.

[MrEdwardNigma]

The bell by the door rinkled, and a skinny man walked in. He was wearing a speckless clean white shirt with a black tie. There was a red and a blue pen pinned to the pocket on his shirt. The neon-lights in the store reflected off of his glasses eerily. He was holding a letter, much like the one some of the other men in the store were holding. He kept trying to flatten out the folds in the paper. Finally, he gave up, neatly folding it and putting it into his shirtpocket. He took an orange bottle of pills out of his neatly ironed black pants and carefully let one of the pills roll onto his hand. He swallowed it and smiled.

"Seeing things differently" he mumbled. He was good at that. He walked up to one of the freezers and took out a bottle of Dr. Pepper. Carefully he peeled off the label and then he pocketed the bottle. The label he placed face down on the cover of the freezer and he pulled out his blue pen.

HPSJMMZ

"Silly rabbit, that's not even a word! But maybe through the looking glass..."

He pulled out his red pen and wrote down something below.

SKHQNNA

He frowned.
"Or perhaps..."

IQTKNNA

He popped another pill.

"I can't pronounce any of those, yet we were specifically instructed to ask for them. Thus these answers are clearly invalid"

He tucked away the label neatly and took out his cellphone and dialed 434-836-3314

For reference:

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NYPD Employment File

Name: Edward Vanderwalle
Birth: 06/06/1978, Amsterdam
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 164
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Skin: White

Personality Test: Subject appears to be well in control of his mental capacities. Perhaps somewhat absent at times, with a tendency for strange remarks and perplexing observations. The subject tends to view things differently than most, but this could be seen as an asset. Subject has difficulty making friends but has shown great empathy towards animals.
Routine is an important value in the subject's life, especially when consistently medicated.

Addendum:

Psychic Evaluation Report
Mr. Vanderwalle suffers from heavy psychosis and severe delusions, a condition most likely caused by a heavy trauma. Mr. Vanderwalle's case is different though as the condition suddenly struck him during a normal day at the office. Proposed thesis is that Mr. Vanderwall is the first to suffer a modern form of trauma, that of routine. We assume life became to repetitive and void for Mr. Vanderwalle's mind to endure, so it decided to make life a little more interesting. Due to the original nature of Mr. Vanderwalle's case no sure statements can be made about the effects of his illness, but medication seems to calm Mr. Vanderwalle down and returns him to his boring, but sane self. Even when heavily medicated Mr. Vanderwalle suffers from a slight rupture with reality.
Proposed treatment: Heavy medication, five times a day and whenever an episode is about to ensue. Additionally, a job with lots of exitement and variation. Overdoses of medication and tenuous work might lead to relapses in depression.

Academy Record: Extremely high marks on all written work, but oral presentations and field work tended to be flawed. Subject was previously educated at university and graduated magna *** laude as an Engineer in Chemistry. While possessing an extremely high IQ, the subject has a low EQ. Subject is very agile and has extremely good reflexes but is lacking in strength. Marksmanship skills are above average as are any of the subject's skills in operating equipment such as vehicles, weaponery and computers. Subject's vision is impaired, but as long as he has his glasses that shouldn't be a problem.

Demerits: Issues with authority, unconventional work methods, use of irregular weaponry (knives mostly). Brief history of mental breakdowns. Not a team player.

Addendum:

Incident Report: On 06/06/2008 at 4:30 in the afternoon an anonymous call was made reporting a violent incident at ProSmile Pharmaseuticals. Officers Hernandez and Gomez found 5 injured at the scene and prevented Mr. Vanderwalle from commiting suicide with a paper cutter. Some complaints were filed but Mr. Vanderwalle pled insanity and got off with a short stay in the asylum under the care of Dr. James Jones, phd.

Evaluation: An asset to any team, mainly due to his unconventional thinking. It is advised to keep the subject away from most dangerous field work and to keep him medicated at all times.

[Verruckt]

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aha, so i wasn't the only one who immediately went for a reversal cypher, to bad Nieves isn't much for puzzles...

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NYPD Employment File

Name: Domingo Nieves
Birth: 11/8/80, Los Angeles
Ethnicity: Hispanic American

Sex: Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190
Eyes:Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: Light Brown

Personality Test - Has shown remarkable restraint since transfer from LAPD, although circumstances of said transfer leave ample reason for continued observation. Amicable attitude belies no-nonsense black and white system of personal beliefs. Devout Roman Catholic. All signs indicate stable personality fit for normal line of duty, but the subject comes to us with enough baggage to warrant a sideline assignment.

(expt. from L.A. Police Department Internal Affairs docket 112-a37)
Incedent Report: Officer Involved Shooting on the night of 12/6/06.
Officer Nieves calls in at 19:23 to confirm report of domestic violence at
address redacted no further contact with officer until 20:11 when
Officer Nieves reports shots fired at address redacted. Paramedics
arrive to find 2 Hispanic adult males dead and Officer Nieves injured with
one gunshot wound to the upper arm and a graze to the forehead. On
further questioning Officer Nieves cannot/has been unwilling to account for
the time between calls.
(close expt.)

Investigation was discontinued when it was revealed that original 911 caller was Nieves' sister. This office recommends a DoPP posting.

Academy Record - Average in all academic scores, showing no special investigative aptitude. Above average scores in marksmanship, with perfect scores in Pistol and Carbine categories. Holds current record for fastest completion of training course at LAPD academy. Head hunted early on for SWAT unit but returned to normal service a year later out of "a wish to more personally serve the community".

Demerits - Otherwise rigid moral convictions becomes muddy where family is involved, hence his cross country transfer. Is loyal and protective to a fault, valuable aspects but they can result in violent reactions if the lives and livelihood of people he cares for are threatened.

Evaluation; Would suit DoPP as a solid recruit with ample ability to "Bump Back"

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Domingo Nieves was born to father Carlos and mother Maria in late 1980. He was raised in a classic nuclear family, with two sisters and one brother. He is the eldest child, his sisters are 25 and 20, and his younger brother 18. The Nieves family are active community members, Carlos is an active church elder and Maria worked at a homeless shelter until Domingo's birth. This sense of
duty has and family is evident in Domingo as well, as he is fiercely protective and loyal of family and friends, and will go to bat for anyone he considers to be "under his protection" whether they ask for his help or not. This trait, which most considerable at least admirable, has also been his only hampering aspect in an otherwise promising career as an L.A.P.D. officer.

The Nieves family is one that commands a certain amount of respect within L.A.'s large Hispanic community, as their reputation for dependability and strong religious beliefs is legendary. Domingo brought that respect with him, and the L.A.P.D. was more then happy to have him as the poster boy of L.A. S.W.A.T. during the time which he served in that capacity. When he left that posting in favor of a more hands on position as a regular beat cop, he found some resistance from the department at first, but soon enough they realized his value as a liaison within the community as well.

His value to the department and his high profile within the community are also the only reasons that Officer Domingo Nieves does not have a cell in a state penitentiary, but "only" a cross country transfer. The officer involved shooting deaths of two prominent gang members is usually no real cause for concern. The officer involved shooting of two prominent gang members caught on the officer's cruiser camera, and that tape showing that the officer had successfully disarmed one suspect, before brutally interrogating the two of them and then shooting them both at point blank range in cold blood is something else entirely. Official record states that Officer Nieves was involved in a 30 second long shootout with the suspects.

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In reality the incident lasted for more then half an hour, but L.A.P.D. records have been redacted, and the tape from the Crown Vic's camera "lost" when Nieves revealed that the two men had raped and sexually mutilated his youngest sister as part of the gang initiation rites of a younger member. A decision was made on the part of the higher ups within the department that quiet transfer was much preferable to the public media crucification of the closest thing they'd had to a hero cop in a long while.

After the incident he was awarded both the community policing medal and the citation for valor in the line of duty (ribbons he refuses to wear) and quietly transferred to the N.Y.P.D. to do with as they saw fit.

[MrEdwardNigma]

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aha, so i wasn't the only one who immediately went for a reversal cypher, to bad Nieves isn't much for puzzles...

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Sure, the puzzle seemed pretty straightforward. Z is A, right? Off course, the answers clearly show that it's not that easy after all

[JettWilderbeast]

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Yeh, I thought it can't be that easy but it was worth a try in fact.... brainwave....

[JettWilderbeast]

Alex Thorn
Alex has a brainwave and changes his question; Actually, Nevermind that, do you stock Kuogaay?

[Vikingkingq]

At the clerk's harassed response, Chuck felt the blood rush to his temples. Twice in one day, he'd fallen for this stupid snipe-hunting bull****. Pulling out his cellphone, he dialed the number on the paper.

"323-725-2294...ok." As soon as the call connected, Csuscari began to swear down the phone. "and one more thing, you gjaje bastard, if this is Jones or Franzetta, I swear I will put a curse on you so bad that you'll wish that you had swallowed your service weapons, you malo shadogs--"

[Verruckt]

Domingo briefly ponders calling the number before seeing that many of his supposed compatriots have had the exact same idea, although one of them is shouting in an eastern European language he can't even begin to understand. He rapidly comes to the conclusion that whoever is on the other end of that line is already in it up to their neck. Never the less he decides to stick around, if only to see if anyone makes headway.

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If you use "A" as the key in a Ceaser cipher you get "Gorilly", so maybe "gorilla", anyone know a cipher that might use the cellphone number as the key? Not really my actual area of expertise.

[Grizzly]

"Not having much luck looking for some hpsjmmz are you?" A woman standing to one side of Domingo asks. She was dressed casually, wearing jeans and a leather jacket, and she probably would not have been noticed had she not said anything.

She continues in an easy tone and flashes a friendly smile. "There's a lot of people lining up and asking for the stuff and I am suspecting that it has something to do with a mysterious letter and an unsigned check." She glances at the nametag on his chest before stealing a look at the crowd again. "Would I be wrong in assuming that we both are looking for a signature...Officer Nieves?"

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OOC:
Just a quick post to show that I am alive. :)

[MrEdwardNigma]

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Alex Thorn
Alex has a brainwave and changes his question; Actually, Nevermind that, do you stock Kuogaay?

While that word is pronouncable, I doubt it's correct. Z is A seems pretty straightforward, and your Z isn't an A. I'm honestly not even sure how you go that word

[Verruckt]

"An unsigned check it is indeed." Domingo gives the woman a once over and makes an educated guess. "Vice Unit?"

[JettWilderbeast]

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While that word is pronouncable, I doubt it's correct. Z is A seems pretty straightforward, and your Z isn't an A. I'm honestly not even sure how you go that word

Well the letter says that a is z which would make our reverse cipher, the letter also says 1 is 2 so when you count for reverse cipher just double the count and you get where I am... Crikey I confused the nigma....

[MrEdwardNigma]

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Well the letter says that a is z which would make our reverse cipher, the letter also says 1 is 2 so when you count for reverse cipher just double the count and you get where I am... Crikey I confused the Nigma....

Actually, it says that Z is A, not that A is Z, though that may be true. Also, should you employ the "1 is 2" to the word instead of on the phonenumber as I did, Z would no longer be A, which is why I doubt the answer is correct. In addition, if you assume that "1 is 2" must be employed in solving the puzzle, it would be logical to assume you also needed to employ "black is white", and I honestly wouldn't know how. Then again, your answer is pronouncable, while neither of mine are.

[JettWilderbeast]

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Well, I'm not entirely sure any of us are right - We're overlooking the hardest part of the puzzle. "it's probably not as hard as you think" I think we are being too clever - Though I doubt it, I don't see an easy answer.
As for the black is white, I think of invisible ink but I'm fairly certain thats too far.

[Grizzly]

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Well, I'm not entirely sure any of us are right - We're overlooking the hardest part of the puzzle. "it's probably not as hard as you think" I think we are being too clever - Though I doubt it, I don't see an easy answer.
As for the black is white, I think of invisible ink but I'm fairly certain thats too far.

I keep looking at the following passages,

nothing people tell you is necessarily true.

which would seem to imply, to me at least, that there is a hidden negative statement. Maybe tied in to the part saying that the 1 is 2 and Z is A might not be true. The more that I look at it the more I think that all we need to do is call the number, the rest of the letter being a red herring, but that seems too easy.

"A good guess." The woman raises an eyebrow and then holds out her hand. "Nadine Aubrey. Not many people around here seem to be having much luck."

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Edward Vanderwalle:

The phone rings several times, and then an answering machine picks up.

"Thank you for calling the Land Ordinance Board of the Danville, Virginia. Our operators are currently busy. Please hold for the next available representative."

A few seconds later a cheerful, tinny tune begins to play, over and over again.


Chuck Csuscari:

Almost immediately the call is answered, and a man on the other end greets you with an incredible amount of enthusiasm.

"Hello! Hello! This is La Mundo de Mexico, home of Los Angeles most famous Burrito! How may I help you?"


Everyone Else:

By this point the clerk has stopped even looking up to anything that's not a known medicine, but something is obviously up, as he keeps casting sideways glances in your general direction. At the mention of the unsigned check, and the verification by Officer Nieves, his hand grasps the edge of the counter for a fleeting second, and then, as if nothing had happened, he returns to filling out forms.

However, he gets nothing completed, for almost immediately the phone on the wall rings, and the young man hurries over.

"Dwayne Reed pharmacy. May I help you?......No, I'm sorry, we're the Queens branch......Yes, I know it has the same number, but it's area code 212, not 718.......You're quite welcome."

With that, he turns to the next customer and begins filling a prescription for 500mg of Acyclovir.

[Vikingkingq]

Chuck turned the phone off with a snarl.

"Alright fine, if that's how they want to play it...doesn't say I have to play by their rules." Looking around him, Kamarsky wandered off a corner of the store where he could work undisturbed. Holding the letter in both hands, Csuscari began to work himself into a trance state, focusing on the shape of the type, the feel of the paper, the faint lingering trace of the printer's ink, the saliva on the envelope's glue, until the letter was all that there was in the world, everything else fading to background.

"Te' sorthene baxt, hear me, your prala kal' enedral, your taltos. Where is the author of this document, whose are the hands that set word to parchment, and what the name that sent it to me?" he whispered, calling out in mind and spirit.

[Verruckt]

Academic pursuits have never really been Domingo's area of expertise; he was always more concentrated on sports in school, but his policeman's intuition is on a hair trigger. He has an eye for nervous ticks and jerks, the half-second breaks in speech when a perp is casting about for something he thinks you want to hear. As soon as he gets his answer from the woman in the leather jacket he approaches the pharmacist, laying one hand on the counter and the other on the grip of a H&K USP Tactical with a double stacked magazine of twelve .45 hydra-shock rounds. "Something the matter sir?" he asks in his practiced nonchalant tone.

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for those of us who haven't wasted time learning a whole bunch of random gun trivia, his sidearm is a mid size handgun loaded for the maximum possible stopping power available outside of a .50 or magnum.

[MrEdwardNigma]

The skinny man hung up.
"Beethoven. I prefer Wagner"
He stared at the display of his cellphone for a while as his other hand drifted towards the pocket he was keeping the pills in.
"Too many numbers. Too many letters. Too many methods of changing them around. It's simply not efficient. Let's try something different"

He tucked away his cellphone and took out the envelope the letter had been in when he found it in his mailbox. The envelope had been folded neatly as well. He didn't touch the pills. Instead, he unfolded the envelope. He then refolded it carefully and tucked it away again in his shirt pocket.

"If you can't trust the letter, perhaps you can trust the envelope"

He exited the drugstore and took a taxi. He asked the man to take him to the adress on the envelope.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Chuck:

As Csuscari focuses, the world fades away, revealing nothing but an empty void, filled with swirling mist and bright pinpricks of light. The envelope floats in the air before him, it's essence filling the whole of the universe. Sights flash before his eyes...a tall, stockily built black man working on an obsolete keyboard, light grey office walls, a green creature skittering into a doghouse...and then the visions vanish in a flash of bright light, and Csuscari sees nothing but a steel wall.

WARNING. SPIRITUAL CONTACT OF ALL FORMS PROHIBITED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PRETERNATURAL PHENOMENA. CONTINUING WITH THESE INTRUSIONS WILL LEAD TO INVESTIGATION AND POSSIBLE TERMINATION. PLEASE CEASES AND DESIST.

Domingo:

"No sir. Should there be?"

He meets Domingo's gaze perfectly, his face revealing not one trace of a tell.

Edward Vanderwalle:

Upon entering the taxi, Mr. Vanderwalle sees a cab decorated with NASCAR stickers and other racing memorabilia. The cabbie is apparently quite a fan.

"Right ya are, sir. 314 West 39th Street comin' up!"

The ride is rather rough, as the cabbie appears to drive like his racing heroes. Horns blare as the vehicle speeds through the streets, dodging through traffic, pulling corners as incredible speeds, and narrowly missing several pedestrians and even a subway station in one rather frightening case. After what seems like far to long to stay in that taxi, the cabbie slams the breaks on.

"'Ere ya are, guv. That'll be $6.54 please. Want me ta wait?"

The building itself is a ruin, boarded up and covered in graffiti. All the paint is old and cracked, except for three words written in bright red over top of all the gang signs and abstract art.

Thomas Staughton Savage

[JettWilderbeast]

Alex Thorn
Alex decides to take a break and make "other enquiries." He walks out the front door of the drug store and walks round it for another point of entry.

[Verruckt]

The man at the counter is to straight of face, either he really knows nothing or he's been fixed. Domingo gives up and heads out the door on a similar brainwave to Edwards, hailing a cab to the address on the envelope. He dials the number in the letter on the way over.

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Mr. Ceaser found that using "A" was the Key to learn of an English clergyman's Troglodytes Gorilla in the west. Ceaser's dead now, shame he'll never see the exhibit at the Bronx zoo?

[Grizzly]

Aubrey watched as Officer Nieves left the pharmacy following a short exchange of words with the man at the counter. Interestingly enough, a skinny man had left the a few seconds before and it looked like he had glanced at an envelope. She dug through her purse and pulled out the envelope. Could they be following a lead based on some information from the front of the envelope?

This presented her with a dilemma common in undercover operations, that being which lead to follow. She did not have enough of a conversation with Nieves to gain any sort of insight into his abilities and she did not have a chance to talk with the skinny man, but they both moved with a purpose. On the other hand, there was something about the counter attendants phone conversation. Queens branch, area code 212 not 718.

212.

The numbers struck a cord with Aubrey. Those numbers seemed familiar. She pulled out the letter and re-read it. 212. 323. Those numbers were very similar, one digit less.

Aubrey moved through the crowd towards the counter and picked up a business card. Spending enough time looking at it to seem convincing she tried to get the attendants attention. "Excuse me." she asked the man behind the counter. "I think that I might be at the wrong branch. I noticed that your business card has area code 718 on it and I think that I might have dialed 212 when I called in before. Can you tell me if you have a branch with an area code 212 and where it might be?"

[Vikingkingq]

Chuck smiled fiercely. Not a snipe hunt after all, and now the reason for his transfer had become abundantly clear. Someone in the "DEPARTMENT OF PRETERNATURAL PHENOMENA" knew enough about the old ways to ward them against scrying, but not quite enough to prevent him from getting a decent lock. And if they knew things about the old ways that he didn't, it looked like the D.P.P was where he wanted to be.

Leaving the store, he hopped into his car, a restored 1964 Chevy Impala, and filled a cup with water, setting it on the drink holder. Looking around him, he tore off a piece of the envelope flap where the glue had been moistened with saliva and bent it slightly, then pierced the piece of paper with an iron needle through and through so that it rested in line with the paper, which he then carefully tipped into the water such that it lay flat on the surface, spinning gently in circles. "Liha'irden leshya'e, hear your taltos. Follow the trace, guide me, and you shall have salt and bread from my table." The needle slowly stopped spinning and pointed in a direction that was decidely not north.

Csuscari laughed, and started the engine, heading in the direction of his elusive messenger.

[MrEdwardNigma]

The skinny man gave the taxi driver seven dollars and got out of the car, without answering his question nor waiting for change. He adjusted his glasses as he gazed upon the building.

He kicked an empty can of coca cola that was lying around on the street and it bounced into the building, then slowly rolling onto the street. The skinny man's hand drifted towards his bottle of pills, but he stopped his hand and took out his cellphone instead. He took a picture of the building with it, tucked it away and walked over to the door. He tried to open it.

If that didn't work, he would try to pull the boards off the window and enter through there.

[Verruckt]

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Djinn is AWOL I take it?