pawnstorm | Open Job Post for January

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Open Job Post for January

Who: William Twining and you
When: 1/1-1/31
Where: Menchik
What: The jobs 'A little match girl' and 'breadcrumb trail'
Rating: Prompt C and anything involving William's clue will be rated R due to mentions of beheading, but otherwise probably nothing horrible, but I will update if that should change.

A. A little match girl: chasing down scholars

[William was a little skeptical about helping a girl find curses. That could only end badly, much like a girl who wanted a love potion. It meant she probably wanted to use it on someone, for whatever childish reason girls did such things. At the same time though, she was not only offering a lot of money, but she had William curious. How did curse magic work here?

Isaac, his friend back home, would have known for sure. Even if he had been newly arrived. If it involved magic, then Isaac knew all about it, occult obsessed idiot that he was. Unfortunately, his idiot wasn't here, so William had no choice but to study up on his own.

So it was that he'd been going after various learned individuals to try and find what he could. Occasionally William had to convince them that he wasn't out to use it for himself, other times he had the vague feeling they wanted to demonstrate on him, but otherwise the work was fruitful. He'd even managed to acquire an old, battered volume on curses. The Frightful Book for Young Children was apparently a book of hexes meant to 'frighten and delight, without causing serious harm,' and this copy had seen some loving, or perhaps not so loving use. But it would fulfill the conditions of the job nicely and probably keep his client from making too much trouble. William had managed to get it for a good price and was now happily on his way.

When suddenly some urchin decided to pit pocket it from his hand and ran off as quickly as lightening. William started to give chase after her, dodging through the crowds of people.]

Hey you! Stop!

[The small brat wouldn't listen and continued to run on. Desperate, William's eyes alighted upon a fellow hero, catching their eye.]

Help me stop her now!

B. breadcrumb trail: the assignment

[William looked at the map he had been handed and sighed, wondering if he had taken on too much. It was too late to worry over such matters though. William decided he was going to comb the city first, partially out of his own personal interest. Menchik was a dream to him in many ways, with its technological advances and cogs and gears. Sure, prolonged exposure to its superficiality would be grinding after a bit, but right now it was still novel to him. And speaking with the people there would give him a better idea of where to look later on. He turns to the person he'd roped into being his partner.]

So is there a particular place you wish to get started at?

C. breadcrumb trail: the body

[The investigation had been going fine and William was still putting his thoughts together after the latest bit of info. At this point he suspected that there was some kind of bribery involved. Why else would a man who hadn't cared about making a beneficial marriage match do so now? Especially when it meant breaking off an engagement based on real affection? William didn't think much on such sentimental matters, but even he knew it wasn't natural.

But his thoughts on the matter were interrupted when the body fell in front of him with that horrid sound of bones cracking. William's shaken for a moment before he manages to get his senses together. He runs back into the building then, to the place where the body would have been pushed off in the hopes of finding the culprit, but there is only a drained mana crystal there.

From here on out, he's investigating the scene. Maybe you're helping him deal with the body and the curious bystanders. Or else you're helping him with figure out the crystal. Or maybe you're all far away from this, at a bar or some other such place, digesting this horrible event.]

[ooc: as usual, feel free to alter or throw your own prompts at me! Also I'm happy to do extra plotting for people who want to share clues with William, or plot with him.]

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[ Yew, while wanting absolutely nothing to do with helping someone research curses because of his own experiences, finds himself dragged into this matter anyway thanks to William because he can't exactly turn away a friend who needs help or strange occurrences that bear investigating. He's technically The sharp crack of bone as it slams into the pavement is enough to shake him up already, despite having seen his own share of corpses, but what really gets him is the fact that...

...The body is headless, already headless (how? why?), so there's nothing more he can do about it. Still, he can't help the cringe and reflexive gasp when his gaze falls upon it, frozen for a few moments as he stares, unable to turn away. What snaps him out of his own horror is the sound of William's footsteps as he runs off.

Yew doubts that anyone else would want to go near a headless body, much less touch it. All they'll probably do is gawk at it in horror. He'll...have to leave that macabre matter to the proper authorities, who will certainly be called soon if they haven't been already. That means there's only one thing he can do, really, in this sort of situation. ]

W-William!

[ Yew dashes after him as William runs back into the building, up to the rooftop despite his fear of heights. If he's running right back into the building, the very same building where the woman's body fell from the rooftop and thus would be the next logical place where the culprit might be, he can't let William confront them alone. ]

[William had almost forgotten about Yew as he ran in the building and up the stairs. He'd been more focused on running and by the time he burst onto the roof, William was winded and huffing. He braced himself against the door taking a moment before he could raise his head.

Looking around, William was dismayed to see that whoever it was, they were long gone. He walked towards where the body would have fallen from and paused as he saw the crystal. William knelt down and looked at it, even as he surveyed the roof, almost relieved that there was no one up there, except Yew coming through the door.]

The culprit is a slippery one. [He sighed.] Did you see anything on your way up here?

[ He shakes his head in response, though he's visibly relieved that William's perfectly fine, letting out a sigh. ]

I'm afraid not. Everyone in the building is in a panic and mostly staying where they are because of it.

[ Meanwhile, the passerby on the street who've gotten their fill of the macabre sight turned quickly and fled. Yew quickly makes his way over to where William is kneeling and examining the mana crystal, though he doesn't take an up-close look at it yet. ]

Did you find something?

I suppose that's for the best. We don't need anyone contaminating the crime seen.

[He probably should have been doing more to secure the area but well, here he was. And while he was confident in his magic, William was indeed happy to not have to deal with the monster who had done this. A person who would just push a woman off the roof was one thing. A person who would push a woman's beheaded body off it was another.]

I found a crystal... [William said as he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a handkerchief. He used it to pick up the crystal so that he he wasn't touching it. He already had his gloves on, but every bit of caution helped.]

What do you make of this?

[ Pushing aside his hesitation and squashing down the thought that they're both standing right where a beheaded woman's body was just pushed off of moments ago, Yew approaches him as William holds out the crystal. He needs to calm down and help find the truth of this matter. He too has gloves on, but he doesn't move to take the crystal or anything. Instead, Yew activates his Analysis/Scan ability, magical blue visor popping up and all, and leans in a little to examine the crystal. Some things can't be observed by the naked eye, after all, and he's done more than his fair share of studying since his arrival. ]

Hm...

[ ... ]

It was used to contain wind mana, apparently. That's a bit strange, don't you think? Menchik is known for using steam power instead of magic.

[ So that's already an oddity, as if having a beheaded woman's body falling down from a building's top wasn't already enough of one. ]

Wind mana...

[He's thinking on it now, because yes, magic isn't as popular here.]

It is, but that might just mean the person who did it is a magician, or something similar to that.

[A hero even could potentially do something like that, couldn't they?]

This suddenly became rather grim, didn't it?

[Too grim for his tastes honestly.]

[ Yew doesn't want to suspect it, but...it's entirely possible that even a Hero could've done it, if his experiences back in Luxendarc are any indication. This whole thing is too macabre for his taste as well. ]

You can say that again...

[ The thought of the scene flashing through his mind is enough to make him wince again (and make him think of an unrelated but more personal accident that also involved a severed body part). ]

Are you all right?

[ ...But he'll put the well-being of others before his own. ]

[He hopes it isn't a hero, because the implications and ramifications of this are too worrisome to even consider. How can the people they're supposed to be fighting for trust them if they know there are heroes who would butcher them?]

...I am well enough. I've been in worse danger than this. It's just the first time I have ever seen something like that.

[He can remember the blood battles he saw Dantalion engage in. He can remember the time he met the Ripper, or rather the demon playing as him and nearly died.]

I didn't think I was going to be involved in a murder.

I don't think either of us was. It's my first time seeing something like that too. ...And I hope our last.

[ ...Well, there was the incident with his brother's arm, but he wasn't headless at the very least, just...devoid of his right arm. He wasn't pushed off a roof by some assailant either. Yew hopes that it's their last time seeing such a thing not because he wants to be ignorant of it, but because it would mean that such a thing would never happen again if he can help it. It would be utterly disastrous for everyone involved if a Hero was the culprit; he knows just how important yet difficult it can be to rebuild trust after something like that was committed by a trusted figure, and he wouldn't be able to blame the civilian population in the least. ]

We should at least get down from the rooftop. The authorities are probably going to want that piece of evidence and our eyewitness accounts, too.

[ The authorities haven't arrived yet, but he's sure they would have been notified by now, at least. Not to mention their cooperation, since they're Heroes. ...And he wants to get down from the roof because he's scared of heights, but he won't say that out loud. ]

Yes, though I suspect we might not be so fortunate. These are dark times we are in.

[But he closes his eyes and inhales deeply, forcing himself to steady up. When he opens his eyes, he's more composed, more centered. Because yes there is much to do. He makes sure to wrap the crystal firmly in the cloth and put it in his pocket. It wouldn't do for the wrong person to see and snatch it way.]

Very well then. I suppose I should mentally gear myself up to be a good witness.

[Would there be a trial or anything like that? He wondered how that all worked here.]

Still, that it happened here, in that way cannot be coincidence. Someone was sending a message. A very cruel one.

[ Yew holds out a hand for William to take should he need it. A rooftop can be unnerving, after all (or maybe he's just projecting), and he did just try to compose himself. When William speaks however, he tilts his head slightly. ]

A message?

[ A cruel one, there's no doubt about it. Something like a threat or a warning, perhaps? ]

Like "don't get involved", or something along those lines?

[William's fine, but he decides to take Yew's hand anyways, if only for a moment. His coping mechanism could use a boost.]

Yes something like that. Though it could also be a coincidence that we were here when it happened, so it might have nothing to do with us. It could be aimed at this place instead...

[And he thought wealthy families had it rough back home.]

Someone has something to say to the Lisbrands perhaps.

Edited 2017-01-14 22:21 (UTC)

[ With William's hand in his for even but a moment, he starts to walk back to the roof entrance of the building, but his face is distinctly turned away from his. He lets out a small noise and his hand's grip on William's momentarily tightens when he mentions "something to say to the Lisbrands". ]

...It's possible. The Lisbrands may have wronged people in the past.

[ And now they want to collect a blood debt, so to speak. He might just be projecting, though, given his own family's rather bloody history. When he speaks, his voice is a little lower than he'd like. ]

[It's a bit grim, all of this business and William can feel the silence becoming thick.]

Still, there is no need to go this far. If a person must have revenge, then they should go to a court of law.

[He reached out towards the door and opened it.]

Though I think the law is involved either way now.

Mm.

[ With the door opened, they head down the stairs, step by step. Glancing around them, the people in the building have mostly calmed down in terms of activity, but the chatter hasn't subsided in the least. ]

Perhaps the one who wants revenge thought they couldn't depend on the law to carry out the appropriate punishment. That...sometimes happens with influential and wealthy families.

[ Although he's not entirely sure if the Lisbrands would be on the same tier as his own family back home, influence-wise. ]

That could very well be. I don't know quite how bad it is in this land as opposed to back home. They might have been desperate. Or it might have been something entirely petty.

[The chatter was almost as unnerving as what had just happened.]

What ever it is, the individual behind it is deranged and possibly a sociopath. There is no need to use that level of violence otherwise.

Now that, I can agree with. Whoever they are, they need to face justice for their crimes.

[ Whether that's in a court of law or not. Preferably the former, of course, since taking matters into one's own hands can be an even messier task in more ways than one. After they descend the stairs and make their way back to the building entrance, Yew opens the door. The scene is different from the last time they'd left it, with people having scattered after getting their fill of the macabre, but it's also the same. The body is still there, headless and untouched, and the authorities haven't arrived yet. They can't exactly leave the premises either, as both Heroes and witnesses. He tries to keep his gaze pointed away from the body for...obvious reasons. ]

Do you have any idea who the culprit could be? Or who they could be affiliated with, at least?

[William does the same, not looking at he body. Honestly, he wished that someone would come out and just cover it up. Something about it lying there like that was so vulgar. A lady should be treated with more respect than that, even when she was long gone.]

I can think of at least two possibilities. It's either Nerea, or much as I dislike thinking it, our dear friend Alumina. The former seems suspicious for a lot of reasons, the latter has a very compelling motive.

[ He nods as William speaks. Alumina was already somewhat suspicious to him because of her interest in curses, and Nerea isn't any better in the trustworthiness department, currently. If what he's thinking is true, then Alumina would have a compelling motive to get back at Lisbrand Technologies, for seeing her best friend with her ex-fiancee must be...painful, to say the least. ]

Why do you suspect them?

[ Yew has his own reasons for suspecting them, but he wants to hear what William has to say first. ]

[He thinks a little on the question, putting his thoughts in order.]

Miss Nerea is easy enough. She decided to marry the fiance of the woman who was her best friend. No matter how much you might love a man, most people would never do something so cold and brazen, let alone flaunt their betrayal of a friend's trust like that. It bespeaks a cold and malicious personality.

[There were pieces he was missing here and there, but even if she wasn't the true villain behind this, Nerea was at the root of it all.]

As for Alumina, she has asked for a book of curses. And as I stated with Nerea, she has been cruelly betrayed and humiliated. She may have snapped.

[He did regret taking on that job a bit.]

It is as they say though: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave.

[ Jealousy and love, huh. In a way, he can kind of understand how it'd come to this if love was involved. As wonderful a thing it can be, it also has the ability to expose the uglier side of people. Yew hums a little in thought, and then nods. William's reasons come close to his own, basically. ]

I was thinking similar things. A love triangle...that's cruel indeed, but that's still no reason to involve that woman in this, whoever she was.

[ ...Who is she anyway? Just some random citizen? Someone connected to the both of those suspects? ]

[It's depressing to think on, but that's how humans are. Their desires move and define them, for good and ill. It just happened to be very ill.]

That is a bit beyond the pale, especially considering we don't know who she is. But like I said, we might not be working with a person in a healthy state of mind.

[As grim as it was, he hoped her head turned up soon. Both for the sake of the case and so that she could be laid to rest intact.]

...That's right.

[ Like Geist, perhaps. ...He doesn't want to think about someone similar to Geist (pre-second world, anyway) running around. ]

Her head will have to be found in order to properly identify her, and...I don't envy the detectives tasked with that.

[ Unless the task of finding the missing head would fall to Heroes such as themselves...? Well, they did get odd jobs on the bulletin boards occasionally, but nothing so gruesome as this. Speaking of detectives and cases, though, from the noise of commotion drawing nearer and nearer, the authorities in Menchik seem to be approaching, and Yew glances over in that direction. ]

[It was a bit too much to think about and his head is growing heavy again. William had experienced things back home that were objectively more horrifying. The various alien and grotesque beings in hell and all the danger they represented had been a constant back drop to his life for the last year.

But somehow it paled in the face of this simple act of brutality.]

It looks like the long arm of the law shall soon be here. Are you up to speaking with them?

[They needed to get this over with, that much was sure.]

This is more than just our duty, so I am. Are you?

[ Well, duty and wanting to get to the bottom of this, to ensure that justice will be served. The more witnesses and assistance they can provide, the better. Yew takes a deep breath and straightens up, calming himself as officers draw closer and closer, trying to shoo lingering passerby from the crime scene. ]

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notsolomon - 2017-02-01 15:25 (UTC) - Expand

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Open Job Post for January

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