[IC] Of Shadow and Flame EP2: Investigation

[Chevaleresse]

The sun rose into clear skies and pleasant weather overall. The air was fresh and the temperature outside was agreeable to just about everyone. Inside a particular apartment building, the light from outside was barely visible as light crept in between the old, neglected buildings. The news still cast a faint bluish glow on those still asleep in the room, however. The teenager who made his home there was still slumped backward across the couch, snoring faintly as he slept in his clothes. His weapon was still draped loosely about him, a reminder of why this group of people was gathered in an abandoned apartment complex.

[Felicity]

Bobby's eyes opened drowsily. He yawned and looked around at his surroundings. Was he the first awake? He might take the chance to get away from all of this. God knows it may be his only chance before getting dragged into something. Then again, that something could be exactly what he dreamt of in his dull life. The adrenaline from last night had faded and now the fear at seeing the Beast had metamorphosed into curiosity during the night.

Still, first things first, Bobby wanted food. He got up and started to check the fridge. Bobby was too lazy to really make anything so he grabbed a microwave meal, why not have a death meal in the morning, and put it into the ideal cooking instrument. It wasn't until it beeped loudly that Bobby realised maybe microwaving something was impolite. The beep was loud enough to wake most of the residents.

[Yash]

Krys was lying in bed, her eyes shut, hoping for last night to be a dream. She opened her eyes when she heard somebody moving around in the room. Bobby was making his way to the kitchen. Krys got up and went to wash up first, before heading into the kitchen. When she entered she saw Bobby was microwaving something. "You know I could cook something for you. I mean it may not be great, but it would definitely be better than the microwave meal. Plus I don't think anybody else would want to be woken up by a microwave. Maybe some eggs and toast. How about a cup of coffee?" She started looking in the cupboards to find the things she would need to prepare breakfast. She found a box of pancake mix. "Awesome, we have pancakes too. Bobby please find maple syrup for me. Thanks." She started preparing breakfast. Pancakes, eggs and toast, coffee. This is called a good meal. I can't imagine how Bobby could even think about having that micro meal for breakfast.

[Felicity]

Somewhat intimidated by the girl ordering him around, Bobby fumbled to stop the microwave and started rooting around for some maple syrup in the kitchen. He found some hiding in the back of a cupboard and immediately placed it where Krys could see it. He then mumbled a quiet "Thanks" for her offer to cook.

[Chevaleresse]

The beep of the microwave startled Takeshi awake, causing him to awkwardly flop off of the sofa with a thump and a muffled metal clank. He grumbled a bit about his awakening under his breath, but soon returned to his relatively friendly self. "Hey, you guys gotta get up. I like helping out people who are new to this whole thing but you're on my schedule." Standing, he shuffled over to his table, which had three chairs situated around it somewhat haphazardly. There was a straight line from the kitchen to the makeshift dining room, and a few more chairs could be seen stacked in a corner. "Thanks for cooking," he mumbled. Clearly, he wasn't a morning person, evidenced by his dull tone of voice and almost zombie-like motions.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen awoke in the morning having overslept a bit. She didn't want to be in this place that long. Luckily for her no one tried to wake her up so that might have meant people forget she crawled off to her own space. She yawned heavily before leaping up and scrambling to get her stuff together. She didn't want to stay here any longer. That was when it dawned on her that Krys, the girl from before, still had her spare canteen. Water was important out in the field and she didn't want to be down some very important supplies. She groaned... "Great... that means I have to deal with these people more. I don't want to speak with them more than I have to. Get my gear, get out, and then leave. That is the plan." Vixen laid out in her mind. A rather military-esque approach to getting your stuff from someone. But, she really didn't want to get attached to them.

She wandered out into the room, hearing a microwave go off. That meant someone was up at the very least. She kept wandering down the hall in an effort to find the kitchen. As such she stumbled across Krys and the others in that were currently up. "Ugh... at least she is awake. But, now I have to deal with these two idiots... juveniles the both of them. Though at least Scraggles... or whatever they were calling him, knew what he was doing. That Bobby is a moron, and a crass child. I will be glad to be out of here." clearly... she wasn't happy about it. She gave off her typical air, her body language stiff and cold. It could be seen that she didn't want to be here still. "Do you still have my spare canteen?" she asked straight up. Vixen, not a master of being tactful. She was asking Krys, however she seemingly asked the room as she didn't look at her directly.

[Yash]

"Your welcome Bobby." Krys said cheerfully. She was in a good mood. Nothing like a good breakfast to start the day. She always had a good mood when she was getting a good breakfast, even if she had to cook for herself. She noticed Takeshi was awake. "No problem. I'm making scrambled eggs and pancake. There is coffee brewing too. You look like you need some." She smiled at him and went back to her cooking. No way is he a morning person with that look. Haha, Mr. Scraggly has become Mr. Grumpy.

"Do you still have my spare canteen?"

Krys turned to find Vixen awake as well. "Oh hey Vixen. Good morning to you too. Your canteen? I kept it near the sofa where I was sitting. Why don't you get it and sit down. I'm making breakfast and can get something ready for you too. There are scrambled eggs, pancakes and coffee." She broke another two eggs without asking and started preparing them. She had three plates set out and served the pancakes and eggs on the first two. Handing one to Bobby and Takeshi, she went back to the kitchen to finish with the other two. She took both the remaining plates and a plate with toasts. "Somebody please get the coffee. My hands are a little full." Saying this she sat down and gave one plate to Vixen and started eating from her own.

[Cyaloom]

Dexter didn't sleep very well that night, it took him a fairly long time to fall asleep and a distant beeping noise was enough to wake him up. Getting up took him some time, as he felt very tired for some reason, and probably had some kind of back ache; this also made him more frustrated. After that, though, he began to ask himself why he was not feeling alright: the mattress? That beast? The power unlock?

It all happened in one evening... And now that it's another day, what could I do? I need to protect Astros (the cat), but I probably should return home and check if everything is alright... The news were talking about a lot of sucides near there. he thought, looking around the room.

"Good morning everyone..." he said, then got the coffee for Krys. "Here you are. Also, could I get a cup of coffee too?"

He used to have breakfast with a cup of coffee or milk, but not with all of those things Krys was cooking - he could have eaten something anyway, but most probably not like everyone else.

[Pixl]

Gavriil's eyes opened in one deliberate motion. The expression on his face was unamused, or perhaps that was just his normal sleeping face. He thought about the day before, and felt he was in a similar situation currently--although he could actually remember what happened before his lights went out this time. He looked around the room he was in; it was the same one he had woken up in previously, but this time it was devoid of any life save himself. With a soft grunt, he threw off his bedsheets and landed his feet on the cool floor. The room was nondescript enough, so he made for the closed door. With his right hand on the handle, he paused a moment before pulling it open. He wondered if there would be any living soul in this place... He still did not know exactly where in the scheme of things he was.

[Jory]

Bark's eyes snapped open at the smell of food. He yawned and moved over to the kitchen, not even bothering to say hi to anyone as he got a plate of food for himself and tucked in. She didn't do it right, he thought as he observed the canteen exchange. She should've just taken it and left if she wanted to leave without talking to anyone. Just like I'm doing, he noted.

[Hiss13]

Nagi woke up completely refreshed after a good night of sleep at her hideout. After dropping off the red-headed girl at her hospital, she ended up speeding back to her own hideout without being as wary as usual. In the end, the events of the day left her fairly tired and beyond a fairly long and relaxing bath, she ended up skipping dinner to get some much needed rest.

Despite that, the meal of eggs over rice and miso soup she had just finished ended up being sufficient enough for her to be fully functional for the day. So, she donned her day clothes, strapped her rifle case to her back, and walked out of the apartment she used as a hideout and out of the gates enclosing the two floor apartment building.

Since she had no jobs or request negotiations pending, she was free to do what she wished. Being a freelance contract killer was quite a sporadic, albeit lucrative, job, after all. With as much time as she had on her hands right at this moment, she decided it would be best to look into the recent spike of suicide rates. While it was likely something out of her control, she did want to find out whether some external force was leading to innocents taking their lives. So, she headed to the location that was mentioned as the epicenter in the news, Uptown.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Hiss13

[Sutoratosu]

The gentle stirring of a warm breeze on his face Awoke Faust in the morning, stretching his arms out and yawning as he gazed up into the early dawn sky. Why exactly he was looking up at the open sky and not the ceiling of his own quarters, he had no idea at first, but the heavy feel of the Desert Eagle resting in his lap and the rough sensation of the roof's paving soon brought it all rushing back. He glanced over at the same area he'd spent so long last night keeping an eye on after most of the strangers down below had started turning in for sleep, rising to his feet.

"Looks like they're finally gone, took them long enough." He said, stowing the D.Eagle from sight. The brush of the thick roll of Yen still inhabiting his pocket while he did so reminded him that he there was still the matter of food procurement... "Oh screw it, I'll just stop at a Ramen shop for breakfast and try out the electricity idea for the week...It's about time I get out of this miserable place anyway. Shouldn't be too hard considering most of them are probably still asleep this early..."

Getting out of the rundown sector was surprisingly uneventful despite the flashing light show he'd witnessed the previous night. About the most fun thing he did or saw was stopping off and siphoning some juice at an old transformer panel that still buzzed a bit despite being attached to the side of building that should've been condemned and destroyed decades ago; Not like there was much going through it nowadays, but at least he knew that with a bit of tweaking, the electric idea wouldn't be impossible.

The walk into one of the more well off (though not by very much) areas of the city was equally as tear jerkily boring. Before long he found himself seated in behind the white and red emblazoned hanging flags of a 24hour Dual Convenience Store and Ramen Shack not far from the slums, a small TV monitor blaring a news report overhead as he slurped up the broth of the cheap meal. Most of the early morning patrons, few and far inbetween as they were, practically had their eyes glued to the screen, though Faust saw no point in hearing the same story twice. Until...

"Yes, you heard it here first; This startling increase of apparent suicides comes as a shock for residents of the notably upper class housing dis-"

"Wait a minute, upper class?" He turned his attention up to the monitor, managing to catch the name of the area. Somehow he had completely missed that detail last night... perhaps because he had barely been paying any attention to it back then, not as much as just keeping an eye on the strangers. "But that makes no sense... what the hell could be driving them of all people to go killing themselves?"

"How far is that district from here?" He asked the girl behind the Counter Suddenly. The gentle swish of the price of the meal plus a generous tip loosened her lips a bit.

"Far enough to where the wealth doesn't trickle down." She joked, accepting the Yen. She could tell from Faust's face however that her patron was not amused of the response. "I mean, it's honestly a good ways away from here... sir." she added hesitantly. "A dozen blocks at the very least. On foot it would probably take you about-"

"Who said anything about 'on foot'" he asked pointedly, before unrolling another Yen and handing it off as he turned. "My thanks for the service. Compliments to the chef and all."

And before the waitress could even respond, he was already out of the door.

[Chevaleresse]

Takeshi's place

After shoveling away some food, Takeshi was beginning to look much perkier. "Alright, so, here's the plan for today. Anyone who wants to leave can do that." He looked around the apartment briefly, recalling who was who. "It's not like I can stop you - well, it wouldn't be practical, anyway. I'll do my good deed for the next year and show anyone who wants to the ropes of doing this whole thing; starting with how to transform, and some basic fighting techniques. I'll also show you where not to go, because it'll piss off the factions if you start screwing around in their territory. Well, unless you plan on joining up with them. If you wanna do that you can, I guess, if you like being told what to do and being surrounded by fanatical idiots." Clearly his relationship with the others in the city was rather. . . unsteady. He sighed. "I guess you can give 'em a chance, though. They don't like me but you never know. Some people like them, apparently." He stood up and slipped his plate into the sink before walking down the hall that he had directed Bark to last night. "If you already know what you're doing, I don't mind company. I need a sparring partner who isn't actively trying to kill me. Anyway, meet me upstairs.

Protector HQ

Gavriil met a young, nervous-looking boy just outside the room. "He's awake," he called out in a shaky voice. Gavriil dwarfed the boy, who he could recognize from the previous night. His short, green hair quivered a bit as he returned to looking out Gavriil. "I-I'm Kouta. We got some clothes for you, and the showers are uh, that way." He pointed toward a hall to the right of the one they stood in at the moment. The halls themselves were utilitarian, with cheap but effective halogen lights providing illumination and finished concrete serving as the floor.

Uptown

This part of the city had a quiet bustle at all times, as businessmen hurried between meetings and eager shoppers moved from store to store. In one section, skyscrapers provided distinctive landmarks from which one could orient themselves, regardless of where they were in the area. From one of the denser and higher (in literal altitude; the buildings here were often multilevel, massive things) commercial districts, a very small segment of the population might be able to feel a strange energy, if they focused and knew what they were looking for. . .

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen placed the plate back down on the counter, not even thinking about eating it. She promptly turned around and wandered into the living room to grab her spare canteen. She had to reorganize her pack a bit having packed it together without remembering the spare. Not to mention she needed to refill the thing. She would probably do it back at her "home" however she didn't want to risk not having enough water for the trip back not to mention... she had a goal within the city. She didn't want to waylay that trip in order to get more water. So she began to fill it at the sink.

[Felicity]

Bobby saw how Vixen dismissed the meal Krys had made her and was kinda miffed at that. "Hey, uh, Canteen woman. Not even gonna say thank you for meal, or the offer of?" Bobby asked before eating some of his own meal, enjoying the superior taste to his standard fare at his own place. He didn't really know what to do at that time. The guy who owned the place, Takeshi? Had offered some kinda training but... Bobby wasn't sure he wanted to get involved with any of this. And he wasn't likely to discuss it with these strangers. Or anyone for that matter.

[Sutoratosu]

"This can't possibly be good..." Faust sighed as he looked out over the district from his lofty perch. His legs still buzzed and pumping with electric force from the constant sprinting and jumping that had delivered him down to the roof of the high rise... He would've preferred just flying over parkour; was simpler, easier... far easier. His arms and back still ached from the fall he'd taken early on, a bit of beginner's misfortune when he'd misjudged the distance of a jump and ended up hurtling at least two or three stories before he could unfurl and soar upwards with his wing to get out of the death tumble. He'd managed to land himself onto the next roof, but... the impact had been anything but graceful or controlled.

He had noticed it though, as he had covered more and more air. That strange tugging coming from somewhere up ahead. Of all the things, it had served as the only true beacon he could go off of during the wind-swept journey across glass and steel. "It's gotten stronger the closer I've come, shouldn't be much farther away, whatever it is." Faust began searching around, spotted a stairwell leading into the buildings innards, and in an instant he knew how he was going to get to ground level. "Burst through the door, disable any security devices, and ride the elevator fast and hard... simple enough."

He grasped the handle, being met with a jarring stickiness when he tried to pull. The blue screen of the electronic lock just above it sat with it's pale green face blank, plastic cover to protect the key board broken and lying on the floor of the roof. "Oh no no no... that won't stop me, not after all this." His hand raised and hovered before the device, palm outstreched and the sensation of an electric surge beginning to form as violet light spilled over the Password Lock. A spark lept between his hand and the keyboard, and seconds later the face turned a deep scarlet and the door practically fell open, inviting him inside like a welcome guest to a warm cottage. "And that, is how you do it."

Without another word, he disappeared inside, making sure to shut the steel slab behind him just as the lock's ugly mug turned green with envy yet again...

[Jory]

Bark pondered his options for a moment. After putting his plate in the sink the imposing man had left without another word, bringing all his belongings with him. Whether or not he would return later was a question for another time, but for now he had to assume he'd be moving on. Unlike Faust, Bark's journey uptown took a little longer. Public transit tended to do that, especially buses. After an old Haitian woman had begun making hand signs at him and mumbling in Creole, the man had decided to get off a few stops early and avoid any trouble. Thus, he was at a loss as to how to get up to the top of the commercial district when he got there, having been preoccupied with not being lost. Suddenly an idea hit him. He walked into the lobby of the building, doing his best to look like he belonged there. Unfortunately, he'd had to leave his shotgun and his bag behind a dumpster in the alley next to the building, as he was not keen on drawing attention to himself.

Once he entered the lobby he made a beeline for the elevator. He hit the button and waited for a moment before it came down. A man walked out and Bark held the door for him before getting in and closing the door. He hit the button for the third-highest floor. As it started moving he remained where he was, because frankly he wasn't sure what he was looking for and it would do him more good to blend in than to try sneaking around with his powers. "What am I even looking for?" he wondered, unable to shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

[Hiss13]

The life of a contract killer was definitely not one of honor. However, Nagi could not deny that the trust she had built with her more repeated and affluent clients had come with a fair number of perks. As she stood in front of one of the high-rise buildings, she fumbled around in her pocket and picked out a wallet with multiple IDs stacked inside, all with false names. She picked a certain one with the ID name "Rika Takano" out and went to the back entrance of the building where she tapped the ID to the lock at the side panel. As the panel beeped, she walked through the door and headed straight to the employee elevator which she activated with the same ID.

In the end, I need to have a good vantage point so I can get a good feel of the flow of the area. If magic is involved in the spike in suicides some way, I should be able to notice from here.

The employee elevator sounded as it opened up on the third to highest floor. Since the elevator would not go to the roof, it was best for her to get off at a floor which was close enough to the roof and climb up the stairs. So, she got off of the employee elevator and headed to the staircase where she would be able to climb to the roof.

[Pixl]

Gavriil looked down at the boy that quivered before him and nodded. To his introduction, Gavriil's only response was, "Gavriil." It served enough of an introductory purpose for now. The Russian boy then examined his own clothing situation and realized that he really did need to change. To him, a shower sounded nice as well. He started off in the direction given to him for the showers but stopped halfway to speak to Kouta. "And after I shower, where should I go?"

[Chevaleresse]

Protector HQ

"N-Noriko said she wanted to talk to you some more. S-Something about t-training." Kouta gave a violent jerk of his head, indicating that the direction was straight down the hall they were currently in. "I've gotta go, uh, Gabriel. Gavriel. Sorry." The boy skittered off in the direction he had shown before, glad to be done with the stranger.

Uptown

The mages there could feel the pressure from the area more clearly. They were definitely closer to the source. It seemed to press down on one's consciousness, sapping one's energy and will. This effect was noticeable even on the other people around them; they were listless, slow, lacking in their usual drive.

Nagi and Bark

The elevators opened up almost simultaneously. Bark ended facing a security desk, which might have seemed odd except for the fact that this floor held executive offices and the boardroom in which many of them met. The woman working at the desk finished with something she was doing behind the desk, her hands out of sight, then cleared her throat lightly. "Do you have an appointment?" Her tone carried an extremely transparent illusion of politeness as she eyed Bark and his outfit up and down.

Nagi's elevator opened up within sight of the desk, but hers was behind it and had ready access to the offices and the stairwell, secured on both sides with another card scanner. From her angle, she could see Bark as well.

Faust

The German man was met almost immediately by a quite surprised guard armed with a pistol and protected by a bulletproof vest. "What the hell?" he called out in startlement before readying his gun. Before Faust could react, however, another guard knocked him over and out with a quick blow from a nightstick. The second guard sighed, standing and leaning back with his hands on his hips in a position indicating his frustration.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that. You're lucky the cameras around here haven't been working lately, or I'd be in a lot more trouble." He sighed. The man was painfully nondescript, almost as if someone had taken the population of the area and averaged them out in a computer. "Do whatever you'd like, I guess, since I don't have the power - or true desire - to stop you. I do like this occupation, however, so please don't go about stealing anything sensitive or killing my superiors. . . the latter is why I obtained this position in the first place." He spoke with a dry, disinterested tone. He was clearly unfazed by Faust's method of entrance.

[Cyaloom]

If what happened in the Uptown is actually related to Beasts, a lot of people I know could be in danger... I'd like to go there and help but, in this state it's better if I stay here, as I obviously need some help. thought Dexter, standing still as Takeshi went upstairs and some other people left the shelter. (compared to home, that was nothing more than a shelter, and not a proper house to live in).

After hesitating though, he decided to do what seemed to be the safest thing: go with Takeshi and learn how to hold his ground... He slowly walked upstairs, meeting the other guy again and waiting for him to say anything. After all, Dexter was the one who needed to learn things, and not the opposite.

[Jory]

Office Floor

Oh, crap, the man moaned inwardly as he approached the security desk. But still, I might as well try to get in. Bark smiled disarmingly at the woman. "Hi. And no, I'm quite afraid I don't," he said, furrowing his brow slightly. He looked around as though confused, taking in his surroundings. "In fact, I'm not even sure I'm on the right floor." His eyes passed over the placard on the second-nearest office's door. "Could you tell me whether a Mr. Johnson works here?" he asked hopefully. "I've got some papers for him. I'm afraid he's been subpoenaed."

[Yash]

"It's ok Bobby, I only cooked since I was going to do it for myself. We should just thank Takeshi for his hospitality." She smiled at Bobby and went to put her plate in the sink. "You needn't worry about what Bobby said. I had thought of doing it as a thank you for helping me yesterday. For Takeshi, you and all the others. Now if you will excuse me, I think I will go learn more about my abilities with Takeshi. I think being prepared would help me transform properly. See you later Vixen, and thanks again." She left the room and headed up to where Takeshi had gone. She saw there was another guy there. The one who came with Astros. Dexter, like the cartoon, or the serial killer. I hope he is like the cartoon. It wouldn't be nice training with a serial killer. "Hi Dexter, Takeshi. I too wish to train with you if that is alright."

[Pixl]

Gavriil did not give the boy's demeanor a second thought--it was the typical reaction of a timid nature. He heard the footsteps recede and continued on his way to the showers only after they had faded. Walking down the right hallway, he began to debrief and process everything that had happened so far. His life was different now. This wasn't some anime where he could just suddenly get thrown into a new life and be alright with it; he had to come to terms in his own way. And that was to think about it.

The shower door slid open and a boy stepped inside. The knob turned with a squeak and a stream of water slowly gained pressure the farther it went. After a minute, the clear water began to steam and the room filled with vapor. Gavriil stood, bracing against the wall with his right hand, looking down in contemplation as the water passed down his body in cascades. In this cell,the Russian continued to think about his situation.

Gavriil walked out of the shower room in his fresh clothes. He appreciated that his caretakers had taken care to provide him with clothes nearly identical to those he was used to wearing, They must have thought of everything, he thought. Walking down the halls, Gavriil took the turn to the passage the boy had told him to go to earlier. Noriko was still waiting for him somewhere in this direction, so he continued until he came across where she was.

[Felicity]

Bobby shrugged Vixens silence off. "Whatever, be a bitch if you want. Because that's always a great thing to do..." He remarked before heading after Krys and Takeshi. May as well see what's up. Knowledge is power... righ?