Unknown Armies - IC

[Remiel]

Ah, now Bran is acting more like a seventeen-year-old, and not like some snotty supersleuth.   Norm leans against the wall, catching his breath.  It has been awhile since he's called his own mum, hasn't it?  Can't really be helped--the woman is batshit insane.  Keeps insisting that God lives in the house across the street, and things of that ilk.  Apparently the Almighty really likes her rhubarb pies.  But she is his mum, after all.  As someone once said, you only ever get one.

"Just make sure she's there, for one," he suggests.   "Don't worry about what to say."  Although, he's got a bad feeling about this.   He'll be, frankly, surprised if Bran's mum really is there; something inside him isn't too optimistic about the prospect.  He'd tell Bran as such, but the lad looks like he's got a lot on his mind already.  No point in making it worse. 

[Blythe]

Miyo sips her drink from the place, trying to get her bearings and enjoy this one simple thing. She says to Norm when he asks, “Yeah, I did the 2009 report, to my knowledge. Didn't I take that because you didn't really want the hassle that year? And yes, visiting Mrs. Nodshorns seems like a sure thing.”

But then one minute Bran is there. And suddenly....neither Bran or Norm are. Miyo pays attention just in time to see Norm bolt out the door after the kid, and she grimaces. She glugs down her drink in perhaps two gulps, she knows she has to run them down. Up she gets and legs it out the door and down the street. She just barely sees the back of Norm's head as she runs to catch up.

Out of breath, she finally sees them outside a shop and panting, catches up and says to Bran, “Geez, kid, what the hell? Are you okay?”

[Rook Seidhr]

"Not so much, no," Bran mutters to Miyo, and opens the shop door. Walking inside, he asks the familiar-looking woman, "Is Mary Davies around? I think this is one of her days on." His mind is whirling with confusion, but he has to know, has to know for sure about his mother. If she's not here, of course, it doesn't mean anything; he'll call Da next. But if she is here…God, it would be good to see her right now.

[Kythia]

She smiles at Bran "Shouldn't you be in school dear?" glances up at the others waiting in the doorway then back to Bran "I'm afraid I don't know a Mary Davies though, pet."  She has a soft, old woman's voice and its nearly drowned out by the sound of a received text message on your phone.  Almost immediately after it starts ringing, someone is clearly impatient, and the start of her next few words is inaudible  "...have the right place?"

[Rook Seidhr]

"No," Bran says, sadly. "No, I clearly don't."

He walks outside and stares at his phone, wondering who's calling, why they'd be calling a ghost like him. He considers throwing the phone or jumping up and down on it, but tantrums are beneath him, he thinks. Instead he stares at it some more.

OOC

If it's not from one of his parents he'll let it roll to voicemail and check it in a minute.

[Remiel]

Norm would be the first to admit that he's a sociopath, inasmuch as he generally considers the rest of humanity to be a bunch of yammering imbeciles, completely undeserving of his time; but deep beneath the cynicism and general assholery he is still a human being, and he can't help but feel some sympathy for the kid.

"Hey," he says, softly.  "I'm really sorry, Bran. "  He shuffles his feet, feeling awkward, and scratches the back of his head in a nervous manner.    An absurd thought pops into his head, some futile bit of pointless encouragement.  Well, why the hell not?  "Look...don't lose hope.  If Honer's can disappear overnight, then maybe we can find it and get it back.  And if we can get it back..."  he shrugs, figuring the lad's smart enough to see what he's getting at.

[Blythe]

Miyo stands in the entryway of the store, listening to Norm saying something encouraging. She says to Bran, "We'll figure this out. Norm is right. If Honer's and so many things we know can seemingly vanish, then it's just as possible for them to reappear." She steps towards Bran and gently touches his shoulder, saying, "We'll figure this out." Her smile is sad and bittersweet; she knows that this is a terrible way for them all to come together with a purpose...but nonetheless...

She coughs and says to elderly woman in the store, "He's just having a rough day. I'm sure we'll all be out of your way in no time."

[Rook Seidhr]

"I just feel so—so alone now," Bran says quietly. He's not crying, his voice isn't shaky, it's more like he's speaking from somewhere far away, the vocal version of a thousand-yard stare. "I'm here, so I must have parents in some sense. But my ma's gone, my da's gone, I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight.

"You two, maybe Chris, you're all I have left. The Honer's survivors. And I don't even know you, really; I mean I've seen you around the office when I've come in to talk to Da but I didn't know your names until today.

"Isn't that strange? To be uprooted from your family and hanging on to strangers for dear life?"

[Kythia]

Throughout the conversation Bran's phone is hyperactively ringing, beeping, and vibrating.  Texts, phone calls and voicemails flood onto it.  A distant police siren is almost certainly utterly unrelated but it adds to a faint sense of urgency.

The rain starts up again slowly and people hurry a little more, all with somewhere they have to get to.  The a capella singers down the road launch into a new song.  A young mother with a cigarette hanging from her mouth shouts at her toddler.  Two strolling police officers, male and female, look around with casual disinterest.  Life goes on, in short.

[Remiel]

Now things have gone from unsettling to just plain awkward.   Norm rubs the back of his head, and makes a show of inspecting the buildings opposite, leaving Miyo to fill the role of comforter.    He's really not used to making nice with others, and it's not coming naturally to him.  He does give it his best shot, though.  "Yeah, I'll tell you what," he says to Bran.  "Miyo and I will keep you company until we find your mum and da.  Deal?" 

Then he hears Bran's phone going apeshit.  Relieved of the distraction, he points to it.  "Looks like someone really wants to talk to you."

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran looks at his phone for a moment as if he doesn't quite understand what it's for or why he should pay attention to it, then answers it the next time it rings. "Hello?"

[Kythia]

Miyo's phone beeps with a received text as well.  Think something is happening.  Keep me in the loop.  Michael says Tannen.  Or someone using Tannen's phone at a minimum.

There's background chatter in the phone for a moment - someone having a conversation while they wait for the phone to be answered.  "...over in Heaton.  Calls herself Raven Moonlight or some shit like that. Someone should check on Sandra over in Shields as well.  Tannen can..."

By the time you've placed the voice - Rachel, Ron Percy's grandaughter, in a  state of high irritation - she's realised you've answered.

"Bran.  At last.  What's the point in having a phone if you're never going to answer it?  But that's not important now.  Bran, you need to listen to me.  We have a problem developing and we need your help.  We're a little short staffed at the moment for various reasons and we're in an all hands on deck thing.  It's not quite name your price, but we are willing to be very generous.  Hmmm?  One second Bran."

Her voice goes slightly quieter, she's moved the phone away from ehr mouth to talk to someone else "No, she can look after herself, and she's outside Grandfather's Realm anyway.  It's more for courtesy than anything else.  Denise can sort that easily enough, it's not a priority.  Sorry about that Bran",  she's back with you.

"Bran, we need you to go get someone and bring them here, the King's Head.  It might be dangerous, we're not sure yet.  My thought is no, but who knows.  Tell me where you are, I'll get a taxi to you then ring you straight back.  I can explain more en route.  Did you find your friends?  It might be a good idea if they were to come as well.

This is...damnit, one second."  Once again she goes quieter - "Goddamnit Alf.  I don't know what you're talking about.  Someone look up Hephaestus"- then louder again.

"This is outside everything we talked about earlier, Bran.  Like I say, we need your help and are willing to pay accordingly.  Money, information, a favour owed.  Whatever, we can discuss it.  At least let me get the taxi to you, there are timescale issues."

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:45

Pavement Outside Unit 17, Ferguson Street

Jessica

With a cardboard rack of cupholders in each hand you hurry across the damp pavement towards J Honer And Sons.  Thee Cappuccinos - one with ginger.  Two Lattes.  One Green Tea.  No partridges in pear trees, but all coming up on two hours late.  You're going to have to make them complimentary, you realise.  The almost thirty quid a day that Honer's spend on its two coffee deliveries is probably worth keeping.  Such humdrum thoughts occupy you to the extent that you walk round the car without even realising it.

The car in question is an expensive BMW which has been parked perpendicular to the pavement - rear wheels on the pavement, front half out blocking one lane of the street.  But you're distracted and don't immediately register, instead crossing the road to the building opposite.

Or the chare where the building was at least.  You double take for a moment, confirm that Units 16 and 18 are in their long-accustomed positions, then resume your study of the litter strewn alley between the two.  Bright red graffiti confirms that they all know you did it.  Abandoned cigarette tabs have a less easy to decipher statement.

Suddenly there's a beep behind you, causing you to jump and spill coffee cups all over the floor.  The car - parked directly opposite the location of Honer's as if on a particularly obvious police stakeout - winds down a window letting a cloud of earthy smoke out (it's impossible to be a student without recognising the smell.  Marijuana.)  A cultured and almost accentless voice shouts out:

"Hey.  Coffee girl. Sorry about that."

Then repeats "coffee girl" to itself and giggles.

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran gives Rachel the address. "I'll see about the others, but I'll be here."

Once she's off the line, he turns to Norm and Miyo and says, "Rachel Percy says their lot are having some kind of emergency and we can be of assistance, major favors owed if we pitch in. She's sending a taxi. If I were you I wouldn't mind being owed a major favor by someone with information and mojo, so I'm along at least to see what's up."

[Blythe]

Miyo nods to Bran and says, "Tannen...or at least, someone who has Tannen's phone, texted me and wants updates, says something is happening. And Bran, I'm all for helping. If we want to fix things about Honer's, we'll need people with that kind of know-how and magic in our corner. I'm game." She waves her phone for a second and says, "I'll...see what we're dealing with before I tell Tannen anything."

[darras]

Tuesday 13th August 10:45

Pavement Outside Unit 17, Ferguson Street

Jessica

With a cardboard rack of cupholders in each hand you hurry across the damp pavement towards J Honer And Sons.  Thee Cappuccinos - one with ginger.  Two Lattes.  One Green Tea.  No partridges in pear trees, but all coming up on two hours late.  You're going to have to make them complimentary, you realise.  The almost thirty quid a day that Honer's spend on its two coffee deliveries is probably worth keeping.  Such humdrum thoughts occupy you to the extent that you walk round the car without even realising it.

The car in question is an expensive BMW which has been parked perpendicular to the pavement - rear wheels on the pavement, front half out blocking one lane of the street.  But you're distracted and don't immediately register, instead crossing the road to the building opposite.

Or the chare where the building was at least.  You double take for a moment, confirm that Units 16 and 18 are in their long-accustomed positions, then resume your study of the litter strewn alley between the two.  Bright red graffiti confirms that they all know you did it.  Abandoned cigarette tabs have a less easy to decipher statement.

Suddenly there's a beep behind you, causing you to jump and spill coffee cups all over the floor.  The car - parked directly opposite the location of Honer's as if on a particularly obvious police stakeout - winds down a window letting a cloud of earthy smoke out (it's impossible to be a student without recognising the smell.  Marijuana.)  A cultured and almost accentless voice shouts out:

"Hey.  Coffee girl. Sorry about that."

Then repeats "coffee girl" to itself and giggles.

Jess is almost too distracted by the mystery of the disappearing building to react, but there's something about a car horn that just tears through the subconscious and digs right into the brain like a nail. She jumps with a shriek, and then an uncharacteristically loud curse as scalding hot coffee spills on her second set of clean clothes for the day, and burns her skin.

Jess could almost cry really, twice in one day. And the coffee had spilt in the same damn place, all because of some creepy stoner in a flash car. She feels tears well up in her eyes and blinks furiously to will them away. Can't. Cry. In. Public. She tells herself firmly. Besides, there's something bigger to worry about right now. What the hell happened to Horner's? And all the people? And.. they know she did it? Who knows? Did what! Jess presses the heel of her right hand to her forehead hard as if the pressure would ease the sudden pounding headache. She closes her eyes really tight before squinting back through half opened lids to see if it all still looked the same. Surely a whole building couldn't have just.. vanished?

[Remiel]

Norm gives a brief nod to Bran and then to Miyo in turn.

"Sounds good to me," he says to Bran.  "Besides, if what you told us is true, then she's royalty."  To Miyo, he simply shrugs.  "That seems prudent.  He seemed a friendly enough bloke, but I'm not entirely sure I trust him."   Of course, Norm could say that about pretty much anyone, even his two (or possibly three) comrades in arms.   Miyo barely gets a pass because she's an accountant and accountants are, by definition, as interesting as a bowl of oatmeal.  But it wouldn't surprise him if even she turned out to be some kind of fish-eyed Cthulhu worshipper.

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:48

Outside Oxfam, Northumberland Street

Bran, Norm, Miyo

Unknowingly synchonised texting from Tannen and Rachel results in Bran's and Miyo's phones beeping at the same time.  Sadly, their two text message alerts fail to harmonise beautifully and produce a symphony of electronic notification, but wouldn't it be cool if they did?  Putting the messages together - Taxi on its way.  Loading area round the back.  Two mins.  Will ring you in a second from Rachel and a simple Thanks, BTW from Tannen - also fails to create any meaningful message from the collective unconscious.

An alleyway a few stores up leads to the aforementioned loading area.  Several corrugated metal garage doors allow deliveries to be loaded into shops without violating the sanctity of the pedestrianised zone.  A couple of girls in Boots' uniforms having a cigarette and talking about someone named Peter in hushed yet giggly tones.  Several large recycling bins and a couple of rickety and weather faded chairs. 

And, after a moment, a taxi emblazoned with the crest of Newcastle Carriages.  Driven by one of the largest men you've ever seen - his biceps thicker around than Norm's thighs, his thighs requiring a step or two back to get them all in your field of vision.  A tight t-shirt outlines pecs that would be probably be a C-cup.  A body builder, you judge, as opposed to someone who is simply naturally large.  As he gets out to open the rear doors for you, you notice the name "Daniel" tattooed along the inside of his lower arm in faux-blackletter.  Heavy scarring on the inside of the other arm hints at a removal.

"Bran?" He asks Norm.  "Think I'm here for you and your friends, like.  Take a seat."  When someone sits behind the passenger seat he will apologetically pull it forwards, cramping his massive legs to give them maximum leg room.  Once everyone is in he reports to the radio that he's "got them" and almost immediately Bran's phone blares into life.

Remiel, Blythe, Riveda

Pushed ahead a little there as I felt there was little point in you all posting to say you get in.  If, however, you don't then please post as relevant and I'll adjust the above.

Tuesday 13th August 10:45

Pavement Outside Unit 17, Ferguson Street

Jessica


He - the driver - gets out and, leaving the car door open - walks over to you.  A couple of times he sniffs and wipes his nose with the back of his hand.

"Sorry about that Coffee Girl."  He giggles again, ruining the apology a little.  "Hey, whats that show with those two girls?  They're setting up a cupcake business, and one of them is rich and the black haired one is poor.  They work in a coffee shop, and she's kinda hot.  I might ask for her next.

I thought" he continues with a wave of his hand at the alley "that it might show up.  All that expanding the doors of your consciousness stuff.  1969 and all that."  He hums a few bars from what is probably meant to be The Doors' 1967 song "The End"; making some mental connection obviously.

The "he" in question is a relatively young - late twenties maybe? - well dressed and quite attractive man with a neatly groomed goatee and, currently, red eyes and an apparently uncontrolled sniff.

"I wonder if the Oh disappeared as well?"  He nods at the chare, apparently expecting you to have followed his chain of thought.  "I'll ask her if she ever rings."

Finally his attention seems to be fully on you and he gives you the once over that, for some reason, males think is totally undetectable.  "'s gone.  So am I, to everyone but young girls by the looks of it."

[darras]

Jessica


Reeling from the oddness of a completely disappeared building Jess' brain is then assaulted by the inexplicably random verbal wanderings of a complete stranger which doesn't help matters even one bit.

She holds on to the cardboard tray of spilled hot beverages as if letting go of it would be letting go of her sanity and takes a pointed step away from the gent. Attractive? Yes.. But even good looks get ruined by mental instability and that unpleasant once-over business. She shifts her free arm across her chest as if it would do anything to protect her modesty from the man's gaze, her posture one screaming line of 'I don't feel safe'.

Finally, entirely against her sensibility, her curiousity gets the better of her. "I'm sorry, but what??" 

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:48

In a Taxi

Bran, Norm, Miyo

In your previous interactions, Rachel struck you as business-like and professional, this is more of the same.  But now she's moved from "workaday, everything as normal" to "command centre" mode.  She's talking fast and a little less formally than previous

"Bran, thank you for this.  We have a situation and simply not enough warm bodies to be everywhere we need to.  As I say, we will remember this.  But that is by the by.  Shortly after you left we got a call from a girl we know saying that she was "under attack".  She's a bit melodramatic but Grandfather won't let his people suffer, so we sent my great uncle over to take a look.  Some sort of metal creature had emerged from the sewers, the toilet to be precise, and had her trapped.  Vaguely snakelike, coiled round her.  Demanding in a recorded voice to know why she was "attacking my baby" Did I, I don't recall, use the term "occult underground" to you?"

Bran blinks. This is very, very strange, but then, so's a fish telling him he's under a spell. "I don't believe so, no. Is that like the Metro for freaks?"

She laughs, then abruptly sobers.  "Nice guess, and not as far wrong as anyone would like.  But no.  Its an informal term for those of us, errrr, in the know?  Do you understand what I mean?  My Grandfather's court, Tannen, Patveer.  You to some extent.  Nothing really in common, very disparate in fact, other than the knowledge that...well, even precisely what knowledge they have varies wildly.  I realise I'm putting this badly but I hope you can understand to which people I'm referring."

"Yes, I think so. People who have a connection to all this—" He waves a hand in the cab, nearly getting Miyo in the nose. "—all this shite like what's happened to me today. And 'underground' implies secrecy, like an underground movement?"

"Precisely.  There are organisations, one organisation in particular, who enforce that secrecy.  And there-in lies a part of the problem, though I am perhaps getting a bit ahead of myself.  We can't know for sure that we know all of the members in Newcastle.  What we do know is that the majority of those we are aware of and that don't bear my Grandfather some ill well or animosity have contacted us within the last twenty minutes to say something very similar has happened to them.  Some, perhaps most, have dealt with it.  You are on your way to one of the people who hasn't contacted us to...to assess the situation and take what action you see necessary"

"You're not going to send us in blind as that, are you? Who is this person and what do you know?"

"Of course not, sorry.  I was making some notes.  It is a little hectic here.  Oh, before I continue.  Here has moved, we are en route to another of my Grandfather's pubs.  The Castle - I'll text you the postcode.  Now, where was I?  Oh yes.  This girl.  Her name is Helen McClean, but she prefers to be referred to as...one moment...here we go.  As Raven Moonshadow.  Which perhaps tells you all you need to know about her.  But to fill in the gaps, she has some skill - likely natural - at controlling demons and runs something between a cult and a social club from a student house.  Possessions of willing subjects along for the ride.  You know the kind of thing.  Actually, its possible you don't.  Some people enjoy the loss of control that comes with a demonic possession, demons enjoy being back, physically, in the world.  She acts as an intermediary, each side doing her rather trivial favours.  Does that make any degree of sense?  I realise there's a lot of information there so please feel free to ask for clarification."

"I've seen this on the telly, haven't I? But I'll try not to make assumptions based on that… I've played enough D&D to know that the witch lays traps around her house. Are we in fact going to have to break through this Raven Moonshadow's own protections to exfiltrate her?" Bran actually relishes saying the word "exfiltrate" in its correct context. This is all mad as a thousand dancing hatters, he's lost track of how many impossible things he's been asked to believe today, but it appears he's going to be in a bit of a scrap soon and that always clarifies things, peels away the accidents and leaves the essence. And if he's fighting talking robot snakes he won't have time to think about Mam and Da…

"I can't say no definitively, but I doubt it.  Given the nature of her...her organisation, I think it is a little more informal than that.  Lair is how I picture it - and I stress I am simply picturing it, I've never been there - but lair in the sense of teenage, or early twenties technically, layabouts rather than gingerbread houses.  She herself may have some protections but I'm once again not entirely certain.  I only met the girl once and have no strong desire to do so again.  No, my hope is your exfiltration..." you don't get the sense its a word she uses often, she's just matching your word usage.  Again, probably read it in a book on people skills "...will be relatively routine.  Go in, tell her about the problem, bring her back here.  The issue I predict is if the invader has reached her before you do.  But this is supposition."

"Right. Get in, disentangle her from any evil robot snakes, get out, get to the Castle Pub. Do not attract attention. That a correct summary?"

"Broadly.  The attention is, I cannot stress this enough, key.  Which brings me to the second point.  Robot snakes, for want of a better term, are obviously not something one sees every day.  They attract attention.  This group I mentioned earlier, the Sleepers.  They are usually quite hands off, they act as something of a silencer of last resort.  Can we deal with this internally, there will be no issues.  If it becomes apparent we can't keep this quiet and under control ourselves then there will be...ramifications.  The threat of the sleepers is what has made this so easy so far, while not everyone accepts Grandfather's rule everyone accepts that it is in everyone's best interests that this is dealt with quietly."

"Understood. Everything absolutely on the down-low." Bran privately determines that if the only way to rescue this Raven Moonshadow is to drag her out the front door with a snake clinging to her shouting "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY" in stentorian tones, he's going to do that and hang the consequences. But if there's any other way, he'll keep it quiet.

"Precisely.  Now.  Had you any thoughts on what we can do for you in return?  That is not to say you must decide this instant, but as you can imagine the more notice we have the more successful we can be."

"Each of us who assists will have a request, understood? My request is—" He wants to say, "tell me all about this magic shite," but that's the heat of the moment speaking. Really there's something more important. "My request is, network with other royalty or whatever and find out where my parents are, what's happened to them. I have a phone number for Da that you can start with. Now I expect that's a matter of picking up the phone and making a few calls, so unless it turns out there's heavy stuff in the way I'll have another request down the line, right?"

There's silence down the line for a moment.  Or, you realise, not quite silence.  Muffled voices - unmuffled enough to be identified as voices, muffled enough for the words to be incoherent.  Eventually: "Agreed.  Not every city has a True King, some cities have more than one.  We do not know them all, or even the majority.  As such, I am removing the phrase "network with other royalty" from your request, as I feel it would be overly limiting.  "Use what contacts you have" is my suggested replacement, but this is not a contract signed in blood.  I believe we both have the same understanding of what you want."

"Yeah, there's an 'or whatever' in there that encompasses the same scope. I think we do have an understanding. Let me brief the others and they can think about what they want, right? Call you back."

"I'll look forwards to it.  A pleasure talking to you once again and I hope you find a resolution to your problem."

"Thank you, and let's all hope we can find a resolution to yours."





Tuesday 13th August 10:45

Pavement Outside Unit 17, Ferguson Street

Jessica

"The Oh"  He gestures again.  "The sign was missing it.  Woman I know took it one night...oh."  He obviously suddenly realises something.  "Sorry.  Right.  I figured you'd noticed, or knew, or...whatever.  There used to be a building there"  He gives a sad smile. 

"'s gone now though, and noone remembers it.  I asked in the pet place,"  he nods down the road.  "They don't remember it and they don't remember me.  You'll forget me any moment now, anyway.  So it doesn't really matter what I say."

He turns with a sigh and starts walking heavily back to his car.

"I thought getting fucked up might give some information.  But all it did was get me fucked up."  He sniffs again, wipes at his nose.  "Can't drive.  Cops won't give a shit, they'll forget me just like you have.  But still don't want to fuck the car up.  Expensive.  So I'm just gonna sit here, missing John and the missing building."  He's not even remotely talking to you anymore, just himself.  "News at Nine."

[darras]

Jessica

Jess blinks as she watches him go, needing a little time to let the information sink in. Her eyes flick over to the pet place in question before back to him, her mouth gaping slightly open in shock. She holds out her arm as if to say "No wait, come back." But can't seem to get the words out as she looks back to the alley where Horner's used to be. Usually she would have just dismissed the man's ramblings as the odd mind-set of the baked, but this time.. This time she swears there used to be a building there. She delivered every morning to it. Didn't she?

With a little shake of her head as if that might clear up the missing building hitch in her mind she stares once more at that graffiti before turning rather deliberately and walking into the pet shop before she can change her mind. She's just got to do some fact checking.. Ask some people, the stoner isn't going anywhere in that state after all.

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran quickly sketches in Rachel's half of the conversation for Norm and Miyo, assuming that they were eavesdropping on his half. He feels a little light-headed about the prospect of going into a "hot LZ" infested by talking robot snakes, but this is his best hope at finding out what happened to his parents and fixing the gaps in his world.

"So think about payment," he winds up, "and it seems as though these people are better-connected than I realized, in this occult underground whatsit anyway, so while I get the sense that material recompense might be limited we have a shot at some solid information and networking."

[Remiel]

Norm finds himself slouched in his seat, tenting his fingers in front of his face as he listens to Bran recount the lowdown for himself and Miyo.  "So the shite is hitting the proverbial fan," he comments.  "Although, given how the day's gone, I wouldn't be surprised at all if there was a literal fan somewhere and someone calling himself the King of Canterbury, or whatever, was shovelling actual shit into it.  So we have to go rescue a crazy bird who summons demons?  I've read enough of Faust to know that that never ends well."

He taps the cab driver on the shoulder.  "Can we stop by my flat on the way?  I feel the need to get something from home."

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:48

In a Taxi

Bran, Norm, Miyo

"Meant to get you there as soon as possible, mate." he tells you through the rear view mirror then, paying little attention to the dangers of the road, turns round to face you as best as he.  "But I figure you're the boss."  He abruptly turns right without signalling - no cars were oncoming but you get the impression he would have done so anyway - and parks up to get your address and key in the satnav.  Before pulling back into the road without, so far as you can see, any sort of checking it was safe to do so.

A relatively hair raising ten minutes later he pulls up outside your place.

Tuesday 13th August 10:48

Pet Warehouse, Ferguson Street

Jessica

The Pet Warehouse is a single large room with industrial shelving units reaching eight or ten feet from the floor lining each claustrophobic alley, essentially a DIY store but filled with birdseed, rat runs and dog baskets.  Outside, accessible through a back door are cages that barely meet animal welfare guidelines (if, in fact, they do) filled with potential pets.  Staff wander around, so far as you can tell, at random identifiable by their brightly coloured jumpers rather than by any desire to help customers.

You manage to track one down eventually though.  He turns to you with a bored expression which changes to one of irritated expectancy when he realises you're going to ask him something.  At no point does he give any sort of indication he wants that; no "Can I help you" from him.

[darras]

Jessica

Usually Jessica was not a fan of bothering people who looked like they wanted to be left alone, but this was hardly a usual day. And so, with a determined slant to her shoulders she deftly corners the employee, "I'm looking for the offices of Horner's and Sons." She tells him firmly, only just noticing that she was still clutching the empty cups of coffee, still soggy and stained.

"I was told it was somewhere on this road." She carefully hedges her bets with the wording of her question, given that she knows the stoned man had probably freaked out the employees earlier with a less.. wisely worded inquiry.