Inside 57

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

Satisfied that the baby isn't seriously hurt (though the burst blood vessels are concerning) she puts the baby back down into the basket, and takes the card, "I'll look into it then, as long as I can get your name as well." she says. Never accept a job from someone you don't know the name of.

She turns to the corpse, and looks over his wounds. Where is he bleeding from? What does he look like? What's he wearing? What form of prosthetic does he have (magical, technological, basic, and so on)? Pertinent things and all that. She'll also cast a small spell to identify whether there's ambient magical residue around. If there is, it might have been a supernatural attacker, but she kind of doubts that given the blood handprint.

[Lost_Deep]

Trick's Investigations

"John Grendel," The man says. "Now, if there's nothing else, I'll leave you to your... issue."

[Slii Arhem]

Trick's Investigations

The man's leg from half his shin down is a plastic, modern prosthetic that has a friction-based hinge which allows him to walk fairly normally. There are traces of teleportation magic in the area that overpower any other ambient magic there might be radiating off of the man's possessions.

He's wearing a suit that looks like it's seen regular use, like you would wear to a day job, and a boot with a bit of mud on the sole, but only faint traces. There's no sign of his other boot anywhere, he doesn't even look to have been wearing it in the building.

He's lying face down, so all she can tell about his injuries is that he's bleeding heavily from both ears. If she tries to roll him over, she'll find him to be extremely heavy dead weight, but moving him enough to see his face will reveal that his eyes were bleeding as well.

[Deathkeeper]

Zaff's Magical College

Isaac seems apprehensive at the prospect of messing with wizards when he can't do anything himself.
"I'll trust you, but I can't really do much. I don't know how to pick locks."

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

"Then I'll contact you when I've got more information, John," Trick says, and lets the dead man lay back down. Whomever teleported did it right here, left the baby... damn. Need more information. Trick reaches over to the basket, then, and starts bringing the baby inside her office. The alchemy table gives it a bit of an odd pleasant smell, of course.

Trick pus the basket on her desk and breathes out, looking at the baby inside it. For a moment, she wonders what to do, and then realizes it'd be better if the child was asleep. So she begins humming a tune, one she doesn't remember where she heard it the first time, to try and help the child sleep. As she does this, she begins moving the yeti-fur rug off to the wall, revealing the concentric brass and silver runed circles beneath it. Once that's cleared out of the way (and hopefully the baby isn't crying, she'll begin a slow harmonious chant over the rings, focusing her will into a ritual. Normally this ritual would require a little blood sacrifice, but she's extending her power to the blood out in the hall. It'll be a nice way to avoid cleaning the carpets.

Does the baby interrupt the ritual?

[KerfuffleMach2]

Out of the Black Dragon walks a man in a red and black bodysuit and a ridiculously large sombrero. He whistles a happy little tune as he walks.

Looks like we get an extra post tonight, huh?

He's got a couple of minutes available.

So, young grasshopper, those the only weapons you've worked with?

He doesn't look back to see if Sophia followed him out. He just assumes she did. And he assumes that she did bring the tacos.

[Arkhosia]

Out of the Black Dragon walks a man in a red and black bodysuit and a ridiculously large sombrero. He whistles a happy little tune as he walks.

Looks like we get an extra post tonight, huh?

He's got a couple of minutes available.

So, young grasshopper, those the only weapons you've worked with?

He doesn't look back to see if Sophia followed him out. He just assumes she did. And he assumes that she did bring the tacos.

Sophia did!
I also have hand to hand combat training.

[The Bushranger]

[Below the TV Tower]

"F-Future him...?" Hikari gives her a confused glance, then shrugs. "Um, okay then... shall we head off?"

She bundles the witch doll carefully in the cloth and grins.

"It's complicated," Mikani admits with a grin. "And don't even ask about what that does to geneology..."

She giggles, squaring her shoudlers. "I'm ready. Let's go!"

====

Elsewhere

Yep.
...just to be sure, we're talking about the same kind of action, right?
Sophia questions warily.
She really didn't want another Horned Animal Incident.

"Well, that depends. What kinda action are you talkin' about?" Shrike asks, a lopsided grin on the voluptrous redhead's face.

Really. Pants were not made to be that tight.

[Arkhosia]

[Below the TV Tower]



"It's complicated," Mikani admits with a grin. "And don't even ask about what that does to geneology..."

She giggles, squaring her shoudlers. "I'm ready. Let's go!"

====

Elsewhere



"Well, that depends. What kinda action are you talkin' about?" Shrike asks, a lopsided grin on the voluptrous redhead's face.

Really. Pants were not made to be that tight.

...fighting, combat, or adventure. What else would it mean, exactly?
Sophia inquires

[KerfuffleMach2]

Sophia did!
I also have hand to hand combat training.

Deadpool nods a bit as he keeps walking, looking for a large open area for them to work.

How about hand to foot? Fist to face? Foot to crotch?

He finally finds a good area and abruptly stops, tossing the sombrero down and drawing a sword.

Put the delicious food there on the hat, and let's see what you can do.

[Gullara]

Overjoyed Agatha is overjoyed.
Really? Awesome! Thank you so much!

Agatha replies, possibly with a hug if the player desires!

[Pokémon Park]

A hug? "Ack. Hey, get off me." Becca tries to pry the girl off of her. "Um, I guess you can follow me around and stuff while I train and catch Pokemon." What did she just get herself into?

[Arkhosia]

[Pokémon Park]

A hug? "Ack. Hey, get off me." Becca tries to pry the girl off of her. "Um, I guess you can follow me around and stuff while I train and catch Pokemon." What did she just get herself into?

The hug is quite brief, and Agatha ceases the hug when Becca requests her to.
Ok! Again, thanks a lot!

[Slii Arhem]

Zaff's Magical College

Isaac seems apprehensive at the prospect of messing with wizards when he can't do anything himself.
"I'll trust you, but I can't really do much. I don't know how to pick locks."

Zaff's Magical College

Merissa looks down, pressing her fingers together, "Oh, well maybe you can be on lookout? I don't even know if it will be locked, but if it is I guess we'll have to think of something."

Isaac will likely hear a firm, attention-getting cough from behind him, "Or maybe your abilities lie in explaining just what two indecent youngsters are doing out in the halls discussing lockpicking and lookouts in the first place, young man?" The adult seems to have mastered the act of sternly looking over his glasses, his warning tone matching the harsh glower perfectly.

Merissa just groans and feels her legs go weak, sinking to her knees as the pink cat patch cowers on the far side of her from the teacher.

[Trick's Investigations]

"Then I'll contact you when I've got more information, John," Trick says, and lets the dead man lay back down. Whomever teleported did it right here, left the baby... damn. Need more information. Trick reaches over to the basket, then, and starts bringing the baby inside her office. The alchemy table gives it a bit of an odd pleasant smell, of course.

Trick pus the basket on her desk and breathes out, looking at the baby inside it. For a moment, she wonders what to do, and then realizes it'd be better if the child was asleep. So she begins humming a tune, one she doesn't remember where she heard it the first time, to try and help the child sleep. As she does this, she begins moving the yeti-fur rug off to the wall, revealing the concentric brass and silver runed circles beneath it. Once that's cleared out of the way (and hopefully the baby isn't crying, she'll begin a slow harmonious chant over the rings, focusing her will into a ritual. Normally this ritual would require a little blood sacrifice, but she's extending her power to the blood out in the hall. It'll be a nice way to avoid cleaning the carpets.

Does the baby interrupt the ritual?

Trick's Investigations

Though the baby isn't asleep she just lays there and stares up at Trick with sleepy, half-closed eyes as the ritual is conducted. Her arms have migrated under the blanket wrapped around her, and her skin has a healthy pink flush as she settles down in the basket and sucks on the end of the sock contentedly.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

The ritual concludes, and in a grand billowing of smoke, some form of devil begins to materialize. She looks human, save for a pair of wings, a tail, and horns. A succubus?

She's also wearing a sexy nurse outfit which Kail sighs at, "Hello Teluvin. I need a bit of your help."

"Oh my, another murder?" she says, her voice heady and rich, "you gave me far more than the usual fee. Was there something else you wanted?"

"Yeah," Kail points towards the baby basket, "Found a baby on my doorstep. Dunno what to do, but her eyes are red and blue, and I think she might be hurt. I want you to take a look at her. And take a blood sample as well, if you can without injuring her."

The Succubus smiles, "Of course, and I'll put the rest of the blood towards your next call," She'll move over to the baby in the basket, and slowly, gently, lift her out to begin a medical examination. As she's doing so, Teluvin will also be examining the aura of the child - the reason she makes a good nurse is thanks to a unique ability of hers to read a person's soul and aura, to examine what ails them magically and mentally as well.

[Slii Arhem]

Trick's Investigations

The baby's eyes, as it turns out, are not red and blue. They're a perfect match to Trick's own eyes, staring up out of a face that's as red and freckled as her skin. Despite what Trick has seen already, the baby she was just holding looks more like her daughter than any child has a right to.

This might throw Teluvin for a loop, considering the story she's been told, but reading her aura gives her a good idea of the baby's ailments. She's suffering from mild vitamin deficiencies, a swiftly fading case of teleportation sickness, and a complete lack of heartbeat. Drawing the blood will prove both difficult, since it's not pumping on its own, and distressing for the babe who will gum down on the sock and make a buzzing, moaning wail of a noise in the back of her throat without even opening her mouth if it's attempted. It's the kind of noise most adults couldn't hope to replicate that nonetheless infants seem to be able to produce at a moment's notice to discourage further rough treatment.

Trick may feel a headache coming on as the noise begins.

[Deathkeeper]

Zaff's Magical College

Isaac whirls, one hand still covering his nether region.
"Trying to investigate a previous incident in which someone shot Merissa out of a cannon, sir. Also trying to deal with a curse which vanished our clothes that came from a certain imp."
If the imp is still there, he'll also silently mouth "Please get rid of it."

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

"Oh my. Trick, you should have told me you had a daughter," Teluvin says, smiling brightly as she lifts the baby up

"What," Trick looks at the child with an expression of mixed horror, surprise, and incredulity.

"I'll take that to mean you weren't aware of her appearance. It would appear the child's taken on your likeness, dear. She could use some vitamin rich food, or perhaps some breast milk if you have any to spare-"

"Don't even suggest that."

"-Buuuut she seems perfectly healthy, save for the lack of a heartbeat. I suspect that's related to the fact that she looks like you, right down to the cute little freckles," she baby talks the last bit to the child, and employs a bit of direct emotional manipulation to calm her down, "you'd best think of a name, dear, though i know you're terrible with them."

Trick lets out a sigh, "Don't you have a corpse to be looking at?"

"Of course, of course." Teluvin will place the child back down in the basket, and move past Trick towards the door. She never took the blood sample, due to the difficulty there'd be in taking one from a child with no heartbeat. She'll move over the man's body, and begin her examination of the corpse, moving him as necessary to check the physical wounds.

[Slii Arhem]

Zaff's Magical College

((Delaying here until I can get hold of Shrimp to let him know he's got a post upcoming))

[Trick's Investigations]

"Oh my. Trick, you should have told me you had a daughter," Teluvin says, smiling brightly as she lifts the baby up

"What," Trick looks at the child with an expression of mixed horror, surprise, and incredulity.

"I'll take that to mean you weren't aware of her appearance. It would appear the child's taken on your likeness, dear. She could use some vitamin rich food, or perhaps some breast milk if you have any to spare-"

"Don't even suggest that."

"-Buuuut she seems perfectly healthy, save for the lack of a heartbeat. I suspect that's related to the fact that she looks like you, right down to the cute little freckles," she baby talks the last bit to the child, and employs a bit of direct emotional manipulation to calm her down, "you'd best think of a name, dear, though i know you're terrible with them."

Trick lets out a sigh, "Don't you have a corpse to be looking at?"

"Of course, of course." Teluvin will place the child back down in the basket, and move past Trick towards the door. She never took the blood sample, due to the difficulty there'd be in taking one from a child with no heartbeat. She'll move over the man's body, and begin her examination of the corpse, moving him as necessary to check the physical wounds.

Trick's Investigations

The nature of the man's injuries are entirely internal, and focused on his head alone. Dried blood paints one of his hands, and a similar amount is plastered messily over the ear on the same side of his head. If Teluvin has enough experience with these sorts of injuries, then she'll easily determine that the man died of a truly massive brain hemorrhage, one so bad that the pressure of the excess blood was forced to evacuate any way it could.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

The succubus straightens up, "Explosive brain hemorhage, it seems. Given his hand caked in blood, I'd say he didn't know what was going on, and lifted a hand up to his ear when he felt something trickling down." she shakes her head, "This sort of injury doesn't just happen by itself, especially when the man in question wasn't certain of what happened. He was killed, though without an aura to examine I can't tell you exactly how."

Kail nods, "Thank you. That fits with what I heard happening outside my door." If he didn't know what was going on when his brain hemorrhaged, he might have tried to run away in panic. Worse yet, if he did know what was causing it... "Alright, I'm going to call up his spirit. You can take the body once I'm done. Stay out of the way for a moment... maybe keep the baby company or something, I don't know," The investigator is a bit flustered from the sudden turn of events, after all.

"Of course, dear." Teluvin will leave the body, heading back into Trick's office down the hall to sit in Trick's desk chair and make sure the baby is dozing peacefully.

Trick, meanwhile, reaches down into the carrying case on her belt for the Book of the Dead she keeps with her. As she unlatches the seal, there's a pulse of necromantic energy that'll alert any attuned to it nearby that an artifact of power is nearby. There's nobody like that normally in the office, but who knows who might be passing by?

She flips to the appropriate page, the various pieces of parchment letting out soft moans as she turns the pages over, each different page seeming to carry with it a different voice, until she finally finds the one she's looking for. This is a simple seance, requiring a piece of the body of the deceased - thankfully, there's a very large piece right there on the floor. She mutters the words, speaking in the ancient mulhorandi tongue to call forth the spirit of the man lying dead at her feet.

[Slii Arhem]

[Trick's Investigations]

The succubus straightens up, "Explosive brain hemorhage, it seems. Given his hand caked in blood, I'd say he didn't know what was going on, and lifted a hand up to his ear when he felt something trickling down." she shakes her head, "This sort of injury doesn't just happen by itself, especially when the man in question wasn't certain of what happened. He was killed, though without an aura to examine I can't tell you exactly how."

Kail nods, "Thank you. That fits with what I heard happening outside my door." If he didn't know what was going on when his brain hemorrhaged, he might have tried to run away in panic. Worse yet, if he did know what was causing it... "Alright, I'm going to call up his spirit. You can take the body once I'm done. Stay out of the way for a moment... maybe keep the baby company or something, I don't know," The investigator is a bit flustered from the sudden turn of events, after all.

"Of course, dear." Teluvin will leave the body, heading back into Trick's office down the hall to sit in Trick's desk chair and make sure the baby is dozing peacefully.

Trick, meanwhile, reaches down into the carrying case on her belt for the Book of the Dead she keeps with her. As she unlatches the seal, there's a pulse of necromantic energy that'll alert any attuned to it nearby that an artifact of power is nearby. There's nobody like that normally in the office, but who knows who might be passing by?

She flips to the appropriate page, the various pieces of parchment letting out soft moans as she turns the pages over, each different page seeming to carry with it a different voice, until she finally finds the one she's looking for. This is a simple seance, requiring a piece of the body of the deceased - thankfully, there's a very large piece right there on the floor. She mutters the words, speaking in the ancient mulhorandi tongue to call forth the spirit of the man lying dead at her feet.

Trick's Investigations

She spirit pours forth from the body, having not yet left its mortal vessel due to the recent nature of the death. Trick will immediately see that there's something out of place about the projection, as the wounds he bore in life have transferred to his spirit, his ears and eyes flowing with rivers of spectral blood.

Normally something like this would be seen on a naturally occurring ghost where the death was so traumatic it impacted the person's self image. However, since the spirit has been called forth before it's had time to reflect on its death, that's unlikely. One other possible explanation of the effect that Trick may be aware of is that the wounds may have been spiritual in nature, making their mark on both body and soul.

The spirit naturally looks confused and alarmed at the sight of its own corpse, but it points at Trick, seeming to recognize her and attempts to speak. The words come out in a distorted babble that he repeats over and over, getting more coherent as he goes on.

uuafftuvinumoluuafftuvinumolyuhafftofinemollyuhaff tofinemollyuhavtofinehemallyuhavtofinehemallyouhav etofindthemall

You Have To Find Them All

He stops, staring at her helpless and in obvious pain as his ethereal form wavers.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

Crap. And here she was hoping for an answer or two, but that's looking rather unlikely now. whatever did this to the man really did a number on his psyche.

"What are they? What do I need to find? What is the baby?" She holds a hand over the book, holding the spell in place and attempting to compel answers from the man's spirit.

[Slii Arhem]

[Trick's Investigations]

Crap. And here she was hoping for an answer or two, but that's looking rather unlikely now. whatever did this to the man really did a number on his psyche.

"What are they? What do I need to find? What is the baby?" She holds a hand over the book, holding the spell in place and attempting to compel answers from the man's spirit.

Trick's Investigations

Trick will notice him looking at her lips intently as she speaks, his head tilting to the side.

Why can't I hear you? He says this in the same slurred, monotone manner that he managed to just barely speak in before, and Trick may realize that even more than doing damage to his psyche, the hemorrhage has burst his ear drums, a fact which is reflected on his projection. His body knows he shouldn't be able to hear, and his soul reflects that.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

...Oh. Well, crap.

It takes a moment for Trick to figure out how to handle this. She needs both her hands to hold the seance steady - her left hand to hold the book, the right to hold the spell present, since she's not able to internalize something from the book without risking her sense of self. She looks around for a moment, and then shuffles to the left, dipping the end of her tail in the man's blood, and then uses her tail as a clumsy pen on the wall, writing with his blood "THEM?" This takes a moment. Hopefully he understands.

[Slii Arhem]

Trick's Investigations

He nods in understanding, quick on the uptake despite all that's occurred, All the rest of them. I found her, saw the notes on her progress, knew it was horrible from the start, couldn't let them keep her, but there must be more in their clutches. You have to find the others, get them away from wherever they're being held. He talks quickly again, slurring more than usual but still managing to be somewhat understood.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

the spirit may be able to feel Trick's concentration waver as thoughts go through her head, her spell loosening. concentration is key here, and he might slip out of the spell if he doesn't hold himself firm as well. She'll dip her tail into the blood again, and more quickly write onto the wall "NOTES?"

[Slii Arhem]

Trick's Investigations

He seems to be very intent on being helpful, so he's managing to stay firmly in the material world for now.

Left at the office, couldn't take them with me here and carry her as well, barely got out of there as it is. No matter what, keep them quiet, or keep them happy. Never hear them cry. His form begins to waver again as he recalls some trauma, fading slightly. She has enough time for perhaps one more query, if that.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

Trick's eyes go wide, and she nods. A moment more of the tail writing, and the latest word will be "OFFICE?"

[Slii Arhem]

[Trick's Investigations]

Trick's eyes go wide, and she nods. A moment more of the tail writing, and the latest word will be "OFFICE?"

Trick's Investigations

My office. Magically enforced nondisclosure agreement, can't say. Would have killed me anyway for coming here, probably. Check my The man's voice has been fading since he began the second sentence, and it's so faint that Trick can't hear the last few words as his grip on this world loosens and he finally passes on.

[Halae]

[Trick's Investigations]

As the spell begins to fade, Trick mouths the words "thank you" to the spirit, hoping he saw at least that before he left.

She wipes her tail on the carpeted floor as she carefully closes the tome and puts it back into her belt sheath for it, sealing away its power once more. That had been fairly enlightening, certainly. It was clear that the little girl was special, certainly; the fact that she looks just like Trick, and the dead heart definitely go there. Chances are, he was killed by her, the cry of distress from earlier having killed him. What a way to go.

So this, of course, begs the questions: where is this office located? What's so special about the child(ren)? This is a problem, certainly, but there's a way to gather answers. There's always a way. Trick reaches down to the corpse, rifling through his pockets for whatever he'd been carrying. Like a good adventurer, she hopes there's some kind of monetary reward at the end of this, but she's not optimistic about it.

[Arkhosia]

Trick's Investigations

The door is opened swiftly, as if the enterer is worried or anxious, and a fearful-looking drow elf with obsidian skin, a tall, scrawny form, and bright red eyes full of fear and worry, enters. The woman is clad in a jet black suit, and her pale blonde hair is tied in a bun.
She approaches the desk tentatively.