Log:Occult Conversations
From C2Wiki
| Occult Conversations | |
|---|---|
| Emitter | None |
| Players | Nighthawk, King Minos, Persuasion, Madison |
| NPCs | |
| Place | Borders Books and More |
| Time (IC) | Afternoon Oct, 1, 2012 |
| Time (OOC) | |
Borders Books and More is the place. And a more apt name was ever given. The cafe is filled with people taking a late lunch, or getting out of classes early, some with computers doing work, reading, and other things. The bookstore itself has a few people wandering it, though there are those that wander with an intent on finding others, not neccissarly the books on the shelves.
In the new age section, a blonde young woman bends at the waist, eyes squinting as she seems to be looking over the spines of books, her nose wrinkled with the effort. She pulls out a pair of glasses and peers through them with an 'A-ha' before putting them away and squinting onto the next series of books that catches her fancy.
It's along through the New Age aisle that a tall, broad-shouldered figure wrapped in a greatcoat walks, hands clasped at the small of his back and gaze shadowed by a pair of wrap-around shades; Maximillian's steps carrying him into it slowly, his head tilting to scan the alphabetical order by author's name one letter at a time. He draws closer to the blonde woman with every tread, although he doesn't seem to be showing any particular interest in her.
Angelica walks in with a couple of others. A quiet hug to one girl and a smile before splitting off to head for the New Age section of books. As she wonders through the store, her eyes flicker from face to face but then begins perusing the authors of various books.
Angelica recognises the Greatcoat before Maximillian. She smirks a bit as she gets closer and says "I should have known it was going to be you, Maximillian."
Francine stands in front of the New Age section, glancing. Finally she stops and looks at one book, almost reaching for it, before pulling her fingers back. "No, no, no, that's in the original Italian. Now where did that English translation go, I wonder," offers the woman in a Texas accent, before she stands up abruptly. She turns, and looks over at the tall man approaching her, and pulls out the glasses to peer through them again. "Oh my! Ya are a tall one, aren't ya," she drawls, before turning to glance at Angelica slowly. "An' who'd you be? His girlfrien'? Because your auras, they just donna match."
"I do believe," Maximillian observes in calm tones, gaze swept from the texts arrayed upon the shelves and falling, guarded by black plastic with a rainbow-oil sheen upon it, to consider her for a moment, "That you're mistaken, Agent. I merely intercepted your communications." A smile twitches slightly to his lips as the blonde greets him, allowing easily, "Hardly, miss." He reaches over, then, laying a hand upon a book and drawing it forth from the shelf-- Ginzburg's 'Exstasies', the English translation-- and raising it up into his hands, thumb flipping open the cover and rifling through a few pages.
Angelica shrugs and says "Well then that might mean you have stories to tell about Grandpa under the Blue Moon?" She inquires of Francine.
Even, or perhaps, especially, in the finest bookstores, there are corridors of sound. This is not one of the finest, but it does well enough. Nearly opposite the shelves, on the far end of the store, Madison sits, a copy of 'The Night Battles' in her hand. The one, as it happens, missing from the shelf next to Maximilian. She appears to be reading it intently. Francine blinks at Angelica. "But we haven't even been introduced," says Francine in a airy space-cadet sort of way, before she turns to look Maximillian up and down. "Requiter says to tell your grandfather hello," she offers suddenly in a deep alto. Brown eyes glance around the are, frowning at anyone that might be near before she brushes at her crumpled and gathered skirt. "First of all, the book King Minos is reading," states the woman, "Was the only book out of place at the previous crime scene. I'm still reviewing my once-over of the current scene. Secondly, I'm certain you've identified the cell phone found at the previous crime scene, so you don't need me to tell you who it belongs to."
"Skorzeny killed him a long time ago," Maximillian replies in a low rumble of voice, "Do pass on my greetings in return, however." The pages of the book are rustled through slowly as he reads them, remaining silent for the moment as he listens to the conversation between the other two.
Madison appears to take notes on her readings. She nods to the book. Then begins to apparently plot out some sort of graph, not unlike a truth-values chart.
Angelica arches a brow but then nods to Francine. "We have. Emilija Tichacekova's but it was ruined. Lab tells me it's just too badly damaged to pull anything off the motherboard. Even the flash memory was gone. I'm mostly concerned about this woman." She passes a photo of an Asian woman over. "She goes by the name of Lillith according to the Arsonists we interviewed but INS has her tagged as Wang Fang. Chinese national. Chinese Police aren't being very cooperative so either she's one of their criminals they don't want back or possibly an Agent. I suspect the former and she's dropped off the grid. No apartment rented under that name or any credit card hits after she left the airport so likely a fake. Good fake if it is though."
Francine drops her voice to the barest whisper, her eyes darting around to anyone visible on the second floor as she frowns again. "Mine to keep? Thanks," she drawls, waving it to Maximillian first. "I think Emilija Tichacekova was in the wrong place at the wrong time," continues the woman, before noting the book Max is still holding. "In there it points out a very active 'witches circle' or some such here in Port Liberty, as well as other places. Basically the book goes on to discuss how occult groups have existed longer than most historians believe. After I'm done talking with Carlos on his research, I'll make certain to let you know, Agent... Are you sure there's not a more secured email you'd rather I got ahold of you at?"
Angelica shrugs and says "Depends on if you want the boys in Security tracking your email. Figured you'd prefer not to have them knocking on your door. If you can think of a better way, then by all means. You're not one of my CI's and frankly I'm not assigned to this case at all. I'm helping a friend more than anything else. My Director finds out...well...I'd be in for some Disciplinary action. I'm no Glory hog, here, I just want Emilija found."
"Lilith's base of operations is not in the city," Maximillian says in quiet tones, closing the book and reaching out to carefully slide it back onto the shelf where it belonged-- fingers splaying to the nearby books to part them so it can fit properly. "She's utilizing portal magics to get to and from another site; I believe that Demeter and myself will have located that site fairly soon, and we will, of course, welcome all the assistance we can in retrieving the kidnapped women." A faint smile as he looks back to the others, "The circle of Port Liberty is relatively benign in nature, fortunately, as far as I've ever known; unlike certain other circles and organizations that I could name."
Francine mmms and nods. "Yes, there is that Druid's circle in upstate New York that has the land cowed and fearful," offers Francine before looking back over at Angelica. "First of all, I'd doubt they could even find my door. And secondly, if they can trace my email, then we're in for a world of hurt," she drawls before nodding. "Portals, mmm? The question is, what kind. And trying to figure out what her next target will be. I'll get right on that as I can. Three options, she's after people specifically, or she's after places, OR a combination of the two. Which means we've got a decent chance that the locations are following some sort of pattern. If it is not the locations, it's the people. Not Emilija Tichacekova, but the ones working in the stores at the time. Or have you already done that research?"
Madison raises an eyebrow, and tilts her head. Apparently, she can't hear as well as she thought she'd be able to. Frustrating. She makes notes despite the matter. It will have to do. She has the most important thing of all, at any rate.
Angelica add's "I'm only peripherally involved as I was asked to do a Psychological workup on the two suspects the PD has in custody. For that I got access to the files. The people that worked in the stores, we haven't been able to link outside of an interest in ecclectic reading material." She looks at Max and just nods. "I'm willing to help...officially and unofficially if need be." She looks at Francine and and says "At this point I don't really care what the law says I should be doing with meddlers in this investigation since I know that without outside assistance, Emilija is gonna end up a statistic. Wang Fang entered the country two years ago and has vanished. No DMV records, nothing."
"I suspect that her operational location is European, actually," Maximillian says with a slight shake of his head, one hand lifting in a slight tip to one side as he keeps his voice low, "As for her target... she's following the oriental elements. Her last target is currently staying in my home for protective custody, representing the element of wood; continuing along the logical path, her next should be metal-themed, although she may be unable to finish whatever ritual she has planned without acquiring either the woman in my care or a replacement. She seems to be targeting her subjects very specifically, however."
Angelica frowns slightly. "She may already have a replacement. Lady Yggdrassil was I suspect taken from her cell according to witnesses. From what I am given to understand, Lady Yggdrassil had an affinity for plants. What do you think she's doing with these people?"
"There are many who have an affinity for plants, Foxglove on the other end of the spectrum, for instance," offers Francine, quietly watching and listening to the pair. "European, mmm? Well, I am headed over there to speak to Ginzburg, personally," she states to Maximillina before turning to look at Angelica. "Lady Yggdrasil was taken by Torrent, a misguided man with an affinity for water, in the same druid's circle as Foxglove. And, the two don't get along."
"I believe that was an unrelated incident," Maximillian says with a slight shake of his head, looking back to the books upon the wall with a slight frown, a hand scratching to his jaw's curve, "As the young lady says. Do keep in touch - I believe you both should know how to get in touch with me. Hopefully I'll have the location soon."
Madison decides she has nothing to fear except evisceration. She closes the book, stands up, and proceeds towards the knot of people. If unmolested, she shelves the book, and heads for a different section. History (local) will do.
"The crimes are being committed on American soil and against Americans, it's every bit your jurisdiction, as I recall. But then, I get my information from a very ... biased source. He'd claim everything was his jurisdiction, honestly," drawls the woman, giving a glance to Maximillian, before looking back to Angelica. "You won't be seeing Lady Yggdrasil again, I think. Being captured, and nearly disected tends to put fear into a person. At least not until that Druid's Circle is still looking at her as a prize of some sort."
There is a faint pause, then Francine looks back to Maximillian. "Freyja at valkyrie dot net. Safe, secure, and trust worthy way to get ahold of me. I'll be checking it regularly while I'm ... out of town looking for Ginzburg.
As Madison approaches, Fracine falls deathly silent, watching the woman before taking out her glasses and putting them up to her eyes to peer at the woman and the book she is picking up, before looking back at Maximillian. "Are ya' sure ya' donna need a girlfriend? Ya' are awfully handsome and your aura... such warmin' colors."
"On the other hand, it isn't vigilantism to investigate things in other countries altogether," Maximillian observes with a slight tug of his lips up at one corner, before a low chuckle rumbles up from his gut; turning, then, he allows easily, "I'm taken, unfortunately, madame. In any case, I'll speak with you both soon enough."
Francine wrinkles her nose then nods to Maximillian. "Well, okay. Ifn' ya' say so," she offers with a wave of her hand and a smile. "Do keep in touch though, deary!" she drawls, before giving a faint nod to Angelica and turning back towards the selection of books, not having touched a one! (Nope, no fingerprints left behind for later identification here!)
Things said, Maximillian tucks his hands into the pockets of his coat and makes his way out of the aisle, heading over in the direction of the store's exit.
Madison looks up, briefly, as Maximillian passes. The light from the fixtures above opaque her glasses, making her face unreadable.
After some perusal, Fracine finally waves a hand, walking away from the new Age section of books, and sliding down the escalator on her way out the door.
