Strange Town, Strange Folks (Chichi Cheetah & Sheena-Tiger)

[Cheech]

It was another Monday in quiet, lovely Sanford. A mildly cloudy morning meant Ariella Gottklein, pale and freckled with long curly ginger hair, didn't have to cover up too much - an umbrella, a heavy slathering of the potion her sister and father had made to shield her vampiric body from what could hit her, and she could enjoy a warm if damp day. Rain periodically drizzled from on high, giving the various green thumbs of town a boon - this summer had been particularly dry and hot, and everyone's water bill had skyrocketed this year.

The vampire left Emilia Borland's tea shop with a smile on her face and a hot tea in a travel mug in her free hand, settling into her car (a sleek, black sedan with heavily tinted windows) and putting her drink into its cupholder as she shut the door. Key in the ignition, turn the key, and the engine didn't start. She frowned, sitting up a little straighter and turning the key again. The sad, desperate noises of the engine as it tried to turn over made her groan and rest her head on the steering wheel. Okay, so she didn't take as good of care of her car as she should have, but she had the appointment at the garage tomorrow! Just one more day! Why can't it-

Knuckles rapped on the driver's side window, making her squeak in fright and stare at the person on the other side. If she'd still had a heartbeat, it would have been in her throat. "Toni! Not cool!"

"Sorry." The shapeshifter sounded sheepish and Ari cracked the window, glaring at them, then lowering it more when Toni opened an umbrella to shield them both from the rain and light sun. "I just wanted to warn you that you-know-who's back in town."

"Great." Ari pulled out her phone, glancing at the missed calls and seeing a voicemail. "Apparently he wanted to get hold of me?"

"One of his jobs ties into ours. You know the deal." Toni shifted on their feet, clearly uneasy. "He still owes Ty and me from the last job."

"Well, he knows how to pay you back," Ari teased her friend, running a finger along their jawline. Toni just slapped the hand away lightly, trying not to blush. "Paying Ty back is another story."

"They're both straight and I'm Dale's only exception. You know how that goes. Apparently there's a healer out in Paradis that Ty might like but ever since ... y'know, he's been focused on nothing but work." Toni was quiet for a minute, then asked, "Was it... her fault I'm like this?"

"No, Toni. She saved you. You know that." Ariel leaned up, kissing the shapeshifter gently and ruffling their hair. When the kiss broke, she sat back in her seat. "Your memories will come back soon. You've been working with Emi on it, right?"

"Yeah, but it always gives me headaches." Toni wrinkled their nose and pushed up, running a hand through their short blond hair. They'd taken to being blond a lot, lately. "I'm gonna head home. Mind giving me a ride? I walked up."

"Why would you..." Ari shook her head and unlocked the doors, closing the window. Toni hopped in on the other side, closing their umbrella and tucking it at their feet with Ari's, and settled back after buckling in.

-----

In a diner on the far side of town, Cathy Hollen flipped the switch on the neon Open sign, smiling to herself as she rested her hands on her hips. She was proud of her little restaurant, owned by every woman in her family going back five generations. Every woman had been named some form of "Cathy" - owing to the name of the diner, Cathy's. Cathleen, Catherine, and so forth. And all of them had had short, curly dark red hair and gray eyes. Weird family quirks, she loved to tease and joke.

If the town knew her secret though... she shook off her nerves and turned back, stepping around the counter to get back to prepping for the day. Mondays were her slowest day, so she was alone. Whatever was wrong with this town, it wouldn't bother her. She was normal after all. Completely, totally serene.

The bell over the door jingled and she looked up from her cutting board to see who it was as she called out brightly, "Good morning! I'll be with you in a tick-" Her eyes locked with Tybalt's and she blinked. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Not opening the Den today?"

"Nah." Ty sat at the counter, running a hand through his dark hair. Lately he'd let himself look older - maybe it kept people at arm's length more easily? Cathy wondered. It wasn't a bad look for him though, the whole silver fox with the gray-streaked brown hair. She leaned against the counter and rested a hand on his. He didn't flinch away, which could be a good or bad sign on its own. "... I think I fucked up."

"What do you mean?" Cathy poured him some coffee and he took it gratefully, drinking it down in a few gulps. He was in a perpetual state of exhaustion, it seemed.

"Toni." He covered his face with a hand, sighing. "They still... still don't remember anything, Cathy."

Cathy put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. The only reason she even knew about the two 'shifters was the fact that on the day Toni lost their memories, a younger Cathy had found the father and child in the barn, hurt beyond imagination. "It'll be alright."

"Will it?" he asked flatly.

"It will. Toni's tough." She squeezed his shoulder and moved to make his order after he glanced over the menu.

"How's your mother doing?" Ty asked. "Haven't heard from her in a while."

Cathy stopped moving, just looking at the stove and not answering.

"... Oh. Oh, hell, I'm sorry, Cath."

"It-It's fine. She's at rest, now." Cathy tilted her head back, taking a deep breath.

She couldn't tell him, either.

-----

Nyx Infernus didn't come into town often, but when she did, people noticed. They didn't notice her, of course - not with her glamours and trinkets, but they certainly noticed the specific aura she left behind. Where her father could drive up people's libido's on a few blocks and her stepmother could set off orgies, Nyx set off implications of pleasure, of fantasies, cause one to feel hot under the collar.

She sat down at the bottom step of the motel stairs, a toothpick between her teeth as she watched people walk by. The current glamour she had on made her look like any average woman who might stay at a motel - tired, listless, long black hair that rested without volume across her shoulders and a general "don't talk to me" aura. She was waiting, of course, for someone specific, and she smiled as that person approached. "Dale. You're late."

"You're itching that bad for me?" he chuckled, offering his hand and helping her stand up. The pleasure that tingled across his arm made the man grin and lean in, kissing her forehead. "I see you are."

"My usual isn't available and it's been a while. I'm very hungry, Dale." She brought his hand up to her mouth, pressing her lips against his knuckles in a kiss as her eyes gazed up at him.

"Then let's go." He scooped her into his arms, making her squeal in laughter and kiss his neck as they went upstairs to her rented room.

With the door closed behind them, he tossed her lightly on the bed and grinned as she tugged off her glamour bracelets. As she did, her true appearance came through: Brilliant crimson skin, luxuriously curly black hair with tints of purple, eyes the color of a sunset and a long tail (thick at its joining with her spine and narrowing toward the tip) with a spade tip that snapped back and forth between her legs. She was delightfully busty too, which a good number of her clients loved. He moved onto the bed with her and she kissed him firmly, her tongue fighting against his as his hands ran across her skin. "Got to admit," she giggled as he nipped and bit her neck when the kiss ended, "I was surprised you were in town, weren't you on-on a job-?"

"Still am," he said against her throat, sliding his hands under her blouse and starting to undo her front-clasping bra.

"Mm- wait- really?" she asked, surprised, before a pleased mewl left her lips as his hands cupped and squeezed her freed breasts under her shirt. "Ohh, you know you can be a little rougher on me-!"

"Is it a problem I'm on a job?" he asked, lifting his head from her neck with some annoyance.

"I mean- mnh-" She wrapped her legs around his waist, knowing that tone of voice. "Come on, stay here, we both need this," she pleaded. "But if you're only here for work, why did you-"

Dale sighed and let go, sitting up and crossing his arms. "Because I know you've got info. You're one of the local hunters after all."

Nyx flushed in anger, cheeks turning deep purple and she sat up, fixing her bra with a snarl, "Don't fucking lead me on, Dale!"

"I wasn't," he snapped back, getting up from the bed. "I don't know why we have to keep doing this, Nyx, it isn't like we've got feelings tangled in this."

"It isn't about my feelings!" Nyx sighed, frustrated, and let her hand rest against her stomach idly, drawing circles over her navel piercing. It was some kind of protection charm he vaguely recognized. "It's the fact you entice me here, use my needs against me, then make me work with you on whatever stupid gambit it is. I can't do that anymore, Dale. Your jobs are too dangerous for me."

"Is it because of Chax?" he asked. He'd only met the boy once or twice.

"Yes. If I die, my dad and stepmom have to take care of him more than they already do. I'm already a shit parent but I'm not going to be a dead one." She flopped back on the bed, a mute whine escaping her. "Now leave so I can tailfuck myself til I'm done being horny."

"You going to be alright if you don't-?"

"Just get out," she pointed at the door, her other hand over her eyes. "I'll just badger Ty later. He's in dire need of getting laid anyway."

Dale didn't move at first, but at her next annoyed grumble, he walked out, slamming the door behind him. She listened to his footsteps fade and pulled a pillow over her face, screaming into it in pure frustration. Good God, Satan, Lucifer and Gabriel, even Lina didn't have this much trouble with her lovers!! "Is it because my mother's a normal demon?" Nyx grumbled to herself, sitting up and moving up onto her knees. She wriggled out of her jeans, staying in the kneeling position, and she shivered as her tail pressed and rubbed against her through her panties. "Oh, damn it, this is just stupid," she ran her hand up her chest, grabbing one of her breasts and squeezing it, whimpering. Dale was her tallest lover and able to pin her to the bed in ways she adored, but this stupid habit of his meant their rendezvous had become rare. She wasn't often in a submissive sort of mood but damn it, she felt like an absolute mess now.

Her tail pushed past the wet barrier of her panties and she keened as it easily slid into her, flexing and stretching to try and imitate what Dale could do to her. "O-oh- oh- this is- not- enough," she swore, flopping backward and glaring at her reflection in the ceiling mirror. Through the wall next to her, she could hear her neighbors moaning - two women and one of them was begging the other to touch her more, more, more-

Nyx realized her inhibition earrings had slipped off and she snapped them back on, sitting up and pressing her knees together as her tail kept squirming inside her. "Hah- god- need- mnh~" She buried her face in her arms, gasping as her tail forced more of itself inside her slick channel, pushing her open more-

Her phone rang, freezing her in place, and she scrambled to answer it, a notable shake in her voice, "Y-Yeah?"

"It's me." Toni's voice filled her ear and she almost melted. "You okay?"

"No. Dale fucked off."

"Great, he's probably on his way to my place. Did you get your fill before he left at least?"

"No," Nyx groaned, gasping as her tail started moving again. It had found that sweet little spot inside her and she let it start rubbing it firmly. "Have to- mmh - scratch my own- itches- when he's inv-volved..."

"I can fix that." Toni's voice became a low purr, "Are you at the motel near my place?"

"Of course I am. Just hurry. I-I can't stop." Nyx whined and buried her face in the bed.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia Kaloyanchev, a young woman of 25 years who could trace her families origins to people who had left Bulgaria a long time ago looked up at the place she was standing in front of.
According to the signs, she had found the Cathy's Diner who must have been opened up for the day quite recently, as she could only spot 2 people within the place. She let out a soft sigh, the start of the day had been an up and down she had never experienced. When she woke up, she felt unusually agitated and hot, only to feel rather frustrated since she had a cold shower to cool down. Of course, on her walk from the motel to the Diner, she had calmed down a bit but she was already thinking if the place had been a good choice to stay, but the options had been limited.

The brunette had arrived late the day before, long after dark and tired after a long drive in her old but somehow still driving car, maybe it was the handiwork of Germany but even a nearly 20 years old BMW should be about to break down badly. At least checking in had been no trouble and the price had been low enough to check in for a couple days upfront in hopes she would find a better place to stay. Going by the price, either the whole place was not having high prices or the food would be bad in the morning and thus, after getting up late and having the seemingly 2 women in the room next to her wanting to break some kind of record, Emilia had decided to take no chances.

Taking another deep breath, she opened the door to the Diner and entered the place, throwing a friendly smile at the woman behind the counter, noting the dark red color of the hair while the man she was talking to seemed somewhat older but nevertheless of the broad and strong kind. She guessed he could be some kind worker, at least a few years back, at least she could see someone like him doing some kind of work requiring muscles, maybe working the farm in such a rural region or working with wood. Pushing a strand of hair out of her face, she approaches the 2, smiling a well trained smile. Looking friendly was something that had helped her in her line of work more than anything, partially of course since she simply lacked the training or weapon to even look dangerous.

"Good morning ... I guess." Emilia looked down at her mobile to check the time, deciding it was still early enough for that and nodded to herself before putting the phone away and searching for the grey eyes of Cathy Hollen. "I am new, just arrived in the motel last night, and really could use a strong cup of coffee... maybe more... and something to bite... Cathy?" she asked after a short glance over to the window to remind herself what had been the name over the entrance and windows, hoping her guess was good and if not, it would be something to talk about before starting her work.

 

[Cheech]

Ty stiffened in his seat, pausing his eating as he lifted his head. "Someone's coming, Cathy. Don't recognize them."

"A tourist. Relax. You know I'm famous," Cathy teased, ruffling his hair gently and heading to wash her hands. She'd come back over by the time Emilia had stepped in and she gave her a quick once-over, not minding at all what she saw but more curious about what she was here for. "Welcome to Sanford. Staying long?" Cathy asked, sweeping herself over to the coffee maker and pouring the woman a fresh cup of the hot drink. She left enough room for cream and sugar if needed and came back over, setting the cup down in front of where Emilia stood. There was an almost unnatural grace to the way Cathy moved - almost like a dancer, but far too smooth... especially for her seeming age. But, could also just be a lifetime working in the diner. She also slid the menu next to the small coffee saucer.

The food ranged wildly - from breakfasts simple (eggs, toast, bacon) to extravagant (what on EARTH was the "Fly's Eye Pie"???), sandwiches galore, and a wild assortment of drinks (sodas, shakes, floats, coffees, teas), it seemed the Diner catered to a variety of tastes. But it also seemed that Cathy was the only one working this morning. How could one person do this much...? "Let me know what you like and I'll get it nice and hot for you. Running a special on breakfasts from eight to noon, then a 'happy hour' on special shakes from 1-5."

Ty regarded this strange woman over his own mug, tilting his head. So this was the one who had just come to town last night - Toni just hadn't shut up the entire shift, wanting to investigate and maybe scare them off, but luckily Toni was easily exhausted and had gone straight home after work. Eventually, Ty finished his coffee and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I'm not a morning person." He offered his hand for her to shake, smiling in a way that was meant to be friendly... but it was apparent he'd forgotten how to smile much, if at all. The corners of his mouth managed to twitch up in the slightest way, at least. "Tybalt Carver. I own the Angel's Den bar on the other end of town."

"He's also the town busybody," Cathy teased him, pinching his cheek between two fingers. "Has to know everyone who steps onto his little patch of heaven."

-----

"Hah- ahn-!" Nyx dragged her sharp nails down Toni's back, gasping out into their ear, "Please-! Harder-! Fuck- fuck, so-so close- pleease~!"

"Oh, no," Toni grinned into the succubus's neck, slowing their thrusts and letting their cock slowly drag inside the demon. Nyx whimpered long and desperately, trying to rock her hips up but Toni easily stopped her by grabbing her hips and pushing them down. "You get to cum when I want you to, my cute little demon~" Toni pulled out of her and turned her around, kneeling and getting Nyx to sit astride their legs with their shapeshifted cock rubbing between her soaked pussy lips. It was one thing getting a human or average nonhuman wet or erect, but Succubi and Incubi were quite a special breed. "What do we say, Nyx~"

"Please-! Please, Master- agh-!" She gasped as her neck was loosely grabbed, just to make her tilt her head back. "I- I want your cock inside me- I need it-! Please!"

"Good girl~" Toni ran their tongue along Nyx's lithe, bruised neck and teased her twitching hole for another moment with the head of their cock, pulling more needy whines out of her before gripping her hips tight and pushing into her again. "Ohh, yes! Now be a good little tramp for me and ride me, yes?"

"M-mmhm!" Nyx kissed them roughly and they returned it eagerly, growling harshly in the kiss when Nyx's other power began to take effect.

"Mmn-ff- Nyx!" Toni ran their hands down her back, grabbing her heart-shaped ass and squeezing it tightly as the demon's orgasm, a shuddering affair that soaked their shaft, rocked through her, squeezing them tight and (unfairly, in Toni's opinion, given Nyx's talents) pushing them over the edge. Normally, Toni would have pulled out - but the way Nyx worked, she wouldn't be fully satiated without a decent fill-up. Nyx's eyes glowed deep orange as she held Toni's head in her hands, still panting hard as vapors rose off the shapeshifter's skin and absorbed into Nyx's own body. "You are s-so sexy when you're eating," Toni teased breathlessly, combing Nyx's thick hair with their fingers as the demon settled in their lap at last.

After a few minutes, Nyx leaned back on the bed with a shiver as Toni lit up a cigarette next to her, after they adjusted their boxers once their extra attachment had been morphed away. "Fuck, I needed that. Thank you."

"You're lucky today's my day off," Toni yawned, stretching their arms over their head with an almost-purring moan. "You really were about to crack, you sucked a lot out of me."

"That's what I do," Nyx groaned, an arm over her eyes. Her tail slid up Toni's leg, caressing the shapeshifter's slit curiously but not pushing for anything. "I do wish you'd keep both though. I could have so much fun pounding you while you pound me," she pouted.

"Eh, it's too much for me. Tried it once with that demonic hunter down in Galveston." Toni couldn't resist a moan at the memory though, biting their lip. "Mmfff, I couldn't stop. Pretty sure the lust spirit we'd tracked down was to blame for our, er, following week."

"Mmhmm, and not just your wild chemistry with him," Nyx laughed, turning over and wrapping her arms around the bar bouncer. "Alright, part two of Nyx needing to feed: I need cuddles."

"I know." Toni snuffed their cigarette in the tray on the night stand and scooted down, pulling Nyx close and playing with her hair. "Sorry I called you a slut like sixteen times. It's not very creative."

"It got me off, it's fine," Nyx giggled, "Besides, that's what I am for a living. Can't get too mad." She buried her face in Toni's smaller breasts, playfully 'honking' them with her hands. "I love your tiny boobs, I wish mine were this size."

"One day." Toni smiled, stroking Nyx's cheek as the succubus gazed up at them.

"I wish I could just tell Chax's dad the truth." She sighed and nuzzled into her friend more, falling silent at more gently prodding questions. She hadn't told anyone in town who Chax's father was. It didn't matter in the long run - just that he'd been someone who could more than handle her insatiable hunger. One day Toni would pry it out of her. Just, not today, not with everything that had been going on in Sanford.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia had not missed the reaction Ty had when she entered, but there had been no reason to act on it, she was a stranger in this place and might have disturbed some important talk between friends during an usually quiet time. Anyway, she did not know and straining her luck with guesses like the seemingly correct name would not bring her any farther but likely into some dead ends due to making the wrong guesses. "Oh that coffee smells wonderful, just the thing I need after waking up the way I did. I hope it is not usual to be woken by strangers in the room next to the own in the motel, making out like there is no other. Anyway... if I stay long? I hope not. I mean, the region seems a lovely place for a vacation if you are not looking for one of the usual tourist places, overrun and all. Sadly I am here to earn my living and I would like to finish that one quickly." the young brunette told them truthfully, no reason to hide anything. She was here to investigate a case, not seeking a story, and telling someone like Cathy who owned a hopefully well visited place a lie would only hinder Emilia's work.

She decided to let the 2 think about her words, it was likely they would have questions before she was even remotely finished with her breakfast. Not feeling experimental, she picked what looked like it might be one of the standards even here... some eggs, toast and stuff, not expensive, not experimental and it would fill her stomach. "Ah, I see people with manners." she smiled and shook the hand of the older man, seemingly ignoring the teasing Cathy. "My name is Emilia Kaloyanchev but don't bother with the full name, Emilia is fine and I doubt you can butcher my families name in any way I not have heard by now." she winked at them and smiled. "And I think, it is pretty fine to get to know people coming through, especially if you run a bar. Many people crash there to have some fun time and knowing who to look out for that might mean trouble for other guests beforehand has to be helpful. So, is there anything interesting you can tell me about the Angel's Den? The name is intriguing... I would never guess an Angel would be the drinking type but then, Demon's Den would be to predictable and not very interesting."

 

[Cheech]

"Probably honeymooners," Cathy chuckled as Emilia described her morning. She did pout slightly though, hearing the woman likely wouldn't be staying long. "Oh, poo. I suppose people do come for business after all." She busied herself to get started cooking Emilia's order, turning her head in surprise at hearing her name. "Huh, we've got our own little Emilia here in town too! She's a right sweetheart."

"Yes, she is." He mulled her name over in his head, clearly curious about what she was here for - he could handle most names with ease, but since she said not to bother, he wouldn't tease her about it right now. "A pleasure, Emilia." Ty thanked Cathy when she refilled his coffee - which, according to the menu, had free refills - and turned back to Emilia after taking a drink. "Exactly. No one thinks about what kind of crazy antics an Angel will get up to. Though, I'd say the place has garnered a bit of a reputation for trouble." He rolled his eyes, but clearly didn't mind it much as he lightly tapped his fingers on the counter. "Most of the types who come in are the tough sort, bikers, gangbangers, but they know to behave. Otherwise the bouncer will toss them right out on their ass. Funny enough, they never seem to see it coming," he grinned slightly. Most people who looked at Toni wouldn't expect them to be able to pick a person up and throw them halfway across the parking lot. "You mentioned you're here to 'earn your living.' You a reporter?" He raised an eyebrow. "People aren't very keen on outsiders poking their noses into our town's business. Let me guess: The dead bodies that keep popping up."

Cathy cleared her throat warningly at the stove, glancing back at Ty, but he waved her off. "She's been honest with me, might as well be honest back, yeah?" he shrugged. He liked the fact she hadn't hidden, exactly, why she was here - and she was definitely asking the questions he'd expected. But she was just a human; those questions could be dangerous around the wrong people. Time for a slight defusing... hopefully. "Let me be frank with you: I haven't got the damnedest idea of what's going on with it. It's probably a bear; there's hunters messing up critters' hibernation patterns and they probably pissed off a brown or black bear."

The cook let out a faint sigh. Why are you like this, Tybalt? If she's come for a story then she already knows it isn't bears. Cathy plated up Emilia's food and set it in front of her with rolled silverware. "There you are, eggs, toast, bacon, bit of local strawberry jam too there if you want some."

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

"Aww...I think that name is not overly unusual" the brunette said, turning her attention back to Tybalt. "This sounds like an interesting group of people visiting your place and if only to see such a mix of people in one place, friendly with each other. Not to say, I would not like to ask them a few questions, but I am not a reporter, just... something in the same wane." seeing the breakfast placed in front of her, Emilia decided to switch her attention a bit to that. "Hmmm, smells really nice and looks even better than my moms." she smiled, taking a bite from everything for a quick taste. "Aaaand... tastes as good as hers. Nothing better than something that reminds one of good times."

Eating a few more bites she rolls around the words and questions, pondering what she should reveal and what not. With Ty being open and friendly, even though she suspected that he knew more, she reached into a pocket and placed a photo in front of Ty, showing a man maybe twice her age. "A while ago this person had gone missing and not a week ago his wife received information of his death. The thing is, she does not belief it was a bear or some other animal as he was not much a fan of nature or even hunting. So yes... I am here investigating in her name until I think I found the truth. If I deem it was an animal, then she will believe me. Other than that, I did not intent in digging around and cause trouble for anybody." Having said that much, Emilia got back to her meal. She was pretty sure that at least Tybalt would not like what she had just said, but there was no way around it, and maybe she could patch things up a bit during the next couple of days. At one point, Emilia had to reveal her purpose for being here anyway.

 

[Cheech]

Cathy practically glowed at the kind praise for her cooking and she blushed. "I do try to help people think of home. Makes them happy." She busied herself with her stove again, getting various things prepped for later in the day. She never knew when to stop working - one task done, start another. That task done? Next one.

Ty picked up the photo after a moment, frowning and brows knitting as he tried to remember the face. It was a little hard to recognize faces when the only other time you've seen it, it's been mutilated. Hearing his widow had only just found out about his death, he raised both eyebrows. An outsider of Sanford, dying here? Oh, hell. If Pops got news of randoms dying, he'd NEVER open Paradis to Sanford again. That would be bad for business, on both their parts. Ty mulled this over as he drank his coffee slowly, knowing his poker face was already shot. "Well, I can drop you off at the town morgue, if you wanted more info on this guy. Can't remember his name, but next time you talk to the lady, give her our condolences. This shouldn't have happened." He finished his coffee and Cathy refilled the mug before he could say anything.

"I remember him." Cathy took the picture and held it in her hands. "Very friendly gentleman, said his name was Bruce but it could have been fake. It didn't match the name on his debit card but I don't ask questions or pry into people's personal affairs. Sometimes people just pass through and don't want to be remembered." She rubbed her thumb on the picture, a little, as she thought back. "The last time I saw him, he did look a little scared. Like he'd crossed the wrong person. Didn't get his usual breakfast, he'd been here for almost a week before he... turned up."

"He's the one that Dale found out by the old farmhouse, right?" Ty asked the cook.

She nodded, looking pained. "Think this guy had a second life? One his wife didn't know of?"

Tybalt rolled his shoulders back, stretching his arms a bit as he glanced outside. A few cars had pulled up and customers were about to come in, it seemed. "Seems to be the case. Emilia, if you're really that dead-set on your investigation, I'll take you where you need to go. Can't talk much more about it here. Cathy's... upset about this one."

"I'm upset about all of them," she sniffed, using a corner of her apron to dab her eyes. "But let's cut the business talk around my other customers. It'll just scare them."

The little bell over the door jingled and it was like hitting a switch - Cathy's somber expression changed, going from grief-stricken to warmth and a wide smile. "Chad! It's so good to see you."

The young man... did not look like he blended in well with this small town - a decidedly gothic look, long black hair scattered with braids and little gold beads, nails painted black, heavy pair of boots with a black vest over a deep purple long-sleeve shirt. His ears were covered with piercings - left ear was mostly studs and a few rings, right ear had an industrial bar and a few odder conch gems that looked more like subdermal piercings than actual earrings - and his lips were pierced in two spots with hoops. But he smiled tiredly at Cathy and took a seat on the other side of Tybalt. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Hey, Cathy. The usual for me, but extra spicy today if you've got enough?"

"Rough night?" Ty asked the kid.

"Chad" winced and nodded, taking the iced tea from Cathy with a mumbled 'thanks' and taking a long drink. "I was up too late and out too long. Just got in this morning. Mom's gonna kill me."

"No she won't." Tybalt clapped his shoulder, making him jump, before standing up and leaving money on the counter - both for his own food and for whatever "Chad" and Emilia ordered. "Put their breakfasts on me, and Emilia? If you want to follow me up on my offer, I'll be out in my car."

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia enjoyed her meal and coffee while the other 2 were busy looking at and discussing the photo she had presented to them. "I can assure you, his name was not Bruce according to his wife, but knowing that will make things a bit more easy as he likely told everyone this name. And yes, the morgue sounds like a reasonable place to actually start investigations. But working on an empty stomach was never an easy thing for me and I am pretty sure, it got one of the best fillings since some months." the young woman smiled at Cathy, genuinely even with not a trace of having to put any fake into it.

"Whatever... Bruce... was doing here, contradicting what he told his wife about some business... I am sure I will dig it up... but neither in here nor now." the young woman said, following the others eyes to the door right before grabbing the photo and letting it vanish inside her pocket once more and got back to eating what was left, listening to the people around her. The young man was not seemingly interesting, at least for her case and according to her limited knowledge. On the other hand, he was 'out too long' so maybe, considering 'Bruce' had been found by a farmer, this could turn out interesting another time.

"Oh my... this is quite generous... with the breakfast I mean. I promise you will not have to wait long." she smiled at the older looking man like she had smiled at Cathy a little bit before, genuinely and friendly. Emilia then turned her attention to Cathy and 'Chad', coughing lightly to get their attention. "If I may be so bold since I am new and never tried iced tea... what would make it extra spicy? I would imagine a mostly... well... normal tea, whatever sort used."

 

[Cheech]

"You'd be surprised how common fake names are here," Tybalt sighed. "Or not, given what your line of work seems to be." With that, the bar owner stepped outside, the bell jingling as he went through the door. Cathy watched him walk to his car through the window and smiled a little, glad that both Emilia and 'Chad' clearly appreciated Ty's generosity. He'd always been like that - bit of a softy.

Emilia's question made the young goth cough a bit into his drink. "Hmm?" 'Chad' blinked over his glass and chuckled nervously, shaking his head and swallowing his gulp of tea. "Oh, no, the tea's not spicy. My breakfast is. It's um." He scratched behind one of his ears, trying to find a way to explain it without sounding absolutely batshit. Or masochistic. As he lifted that arm, his sleeve slid down a little; on his wrist was a heavy, dark bangle that twisted around itself. Judging by a similar shape under the sleeve of his other arm, he was wearing two of those bracelets.

"Chad here has been fond of my spicier dishes for years," Cathy laughed, covering a cooking pile of eggs on the stove with a heavy metal lid. This was less for cooking the eggs (which seemed to have turned an interesting reddish color from whatever sauce she'd just drizzled on top) and more for keeping the vapors contained - her eyes were clearly watering and she pulled out some eye drops as she walked over to the sink to use them after carefully washing her hands. "Whew! Those peppers are too much for Toni, most days, how you and Ty eat them is beyond me," she teased the boy.

He shrugged meekly and looked at Emilia. "I really like hot food. Like, hot hot. The stuff most people wouldn't think of poking because they're not half insane," he joked, "but the ones she uses are the only ones I've ever had that make me break an actual sweat anymore! It's amazing."

"If you say so. I still can't feel the left half of my mouth after the last time you had me try those sauces of yours," Cathy stuck her tongue out before getting back to work cooking. For a woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties, she certainly acted quite young.

Out in the parking lot, Tybalt had popped open the hood on his car - an old Buick by the look of it, clearly a classic that was painstakingly taken care of - and was checking a few things - oil, windshield washing fluid, making sure the engine wasn't venting anywhere it shouldn't have been. It had been making an off noise for the past week and it was starting to drive him up a wall or two. "Eh, nothing Toni can't fix," he muttered, wiping his hands on a blue shop paper towel and tucking it into a blue plastic bag under the driver's seat - he had a bin he threw them into at home, he'd deal with it later. As he turned to close the hood, he paused, a hand on it as he peered into the woods behind the diner. An off scent just barely crossed his nose, the smell of something rotting - sickly sweet, gag-worthy even with this slight hint of it in the air. But it quickly passed and he slammed the hood down a little too hard - the catch didn't click if he dropped it normally - and he leaned against the side of it, staring into the trees as he focused his senses on his surroundings. He was being watched - that was certain. But he wasn't what it was looking for... but if it wasn't him, who was it?

His unease soon passed and he let out the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding, pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes. "Getting too old for this," he groaned, pushing off of his car and grabbing his cigarettes from his driver's seat. The thought of being too old almost made him laugh. He'd thought that a lot over the years, first when he turned thirty, then eighty, then a hundred and seventy four... and on... and on... he'd stopped keeping track of the birthdays, forgotten what milestones were important. As long as Toni didn't find out the truth, that they were both older than Toni thought, then it was fine.

Totally fine.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

The young Private Investigator smiled and winked at Ty, not wanting to get into details on how common that kind of issues with names were to her, another reason why she used to show a photo around instead of asking for a name. If there was any need, they could talk more about it later on in the car, but now she had triggered Cathy and Chad with her question. She listened and nodded, looking at the stove.

I almost can taste the spice from here. You know, I like some spicy food too but just hearing you 2 talk about it, I have a hunch it would be more than I could take. Nevertheless, Chad, I really would like to get a taste of these sauces. Just a bite... and not today, but definitely before I leave town, which, by the looks of it, might take a week at the very least. Thinking about the possible ways this could lead while talking, she produces a small card with her name as well as a private mail and her mobile number on it, no sign of what she was working as, just an otherwise plain, white card. "If you got time for some taste testing in the coming days. Just... I might need some beauty sleep so do not call me late or in the middle of the night, okay?" The brunette smiled while slowly getting up and looking over to Cathy. "I definitely will be back tomorrow morning, latest. Best breakfast I could imagine Cathy, thanks a lot."

Nodding her goodbyes, Emilia left the place, barely giving Chad the chance to think about her words. Having talked with the other 2 inside she had missed everything Ty had been doing but approached him and his car. "Thanks for waiting. You are quite the help with driving me to the morgue. I would have likely searched for it for the better part of the day since I have no idea about the layout of the place yet. I hope the good lady did not give you any problems because she suspects that she has to carry a younger model than herself around." Emilia joked, pointing at Ty's hand where she was sure there was a tiny stain not properly wiped away, a stain the color of stuff mechanics she talked to often had, never perfectly wiping them clean in one go and something most people would miss anyway, just, it was her job to spot the tiny details other people missed. Her nose on the other hand, did not pick up anything, nothing out of the ordinary at least.

 

[Cheech]

'Chad' blinked after being handed the card, flipping it over once as if expecting something else to be on it, but it really was just a plain business card. "Oh. Oh, sure, if I'm still in town, I'm supposed to... be working," he said sheepishly, smiling at her. Gods, she was pretty! That definitely didn't help the poor young man talk to her.

"I'll await your return eagerly, Emilia. I love return customers," Cathy giggled, waving a small 'goodbye' to Emilia. As the door shut behind her, she looked at 'Chad,' who had started blushing a bit after putting the card away. "Smitten, are we?" she teased him gently, ruffing his hair.

"I-I- uh, I don't think she'd like me. Probably not into my... whole... deal," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's pretty hard to consistently woo someone when you can't control your shape day to day."

"I'm sure Emi could help you sort that out. Er, the one we have in town, not the newcomer," Cathy chuckled, serving 'Chad' his breakfast. "Eat up, you're still a growing 'bus."

"Yeah, yeah, auntie," he teased her before chowing down, not flinching as much as visibly fighting the pain of the spicy doom before him.

-----

Ty nodded to Emilia when she came out of the diner and pushed off of the car, smiling slightly. "It's on my way home, so I don't see why I couldn't help." At his notion that his beloved car was old, he held a hand to his chest and mock-gasped, pretending to be offended on his car's behalf but laughing anyway. "Nah, this old girl loves the ladies." He patted the hood and saw the oil smudge on his hand when she pointed it out. "I try to keep a good eye on her, she's making a few clanky noises lately. My kid's better with cars than me, so I'll have them take a look after I get home." He got in the driver's seat and leaned over, unlocking the passenger's side door and pushing it open for her. "There you are, hop in."

On the drive to the morgue, Ty's phone went off and he made a face, slowing the speed of the car down as he pulled it out of his pocket and put it on speaker after setting it in a cup holder, "Yeah? I'm driving somebody to the morgue."

"Wait, you found another dead one!?" The voice was panicking.

"No! No, just, someone's come to possibly ID that John Doe that was found near the barn. Calm down, Ari."

"Oh. Ohh." The woman on the phone sighed in relief. "Well, when you're done, I'll meet you at your place. I might have a lead."

Ty visibly grimaced and grumbled, "Can I have a day off, just one?" but sighed and nodded to himself, "I'll be there in a few hours, got some errands to run. You might want to meet us at the morgue instead, talk to my friend here."

"Ohh, are they cute?" Ari teased the older man, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, she is."

Ari tried to not sound excited, "Am I on speaker."

"Yes. You are."

"SHIT. Um, I'll meet you there. Bye!" She clicked her phone off and Ty chuckled, leaving his phone where it was and returning to the normal speed limit; there hadn't been anyone behind them, so slowing down mercifully hadn't affected anyone.

"Ari's our own town PI. You two can swap info while I badger the medical examiner."

-----

Ari put her phone away and stood up at the counter at her sister's tea shop, "Sis, can I get a to-go cup? Gotta go distract an out-of-towner. Ty said someone's come to check out the body." The tea shop had practically become her office; couldn't help it, she got free drinks!

"Did he use the code phrase?" the shorter witch asked, not even slightly surprised as she easily poured the hot beverage into a paper travel cup in its sleeve.

"Errands to run, a few hours, means she's got a lot of questions and she's very sharp."Ari grinned deviously, her fangs glinting slightly, "I'm very good at distracting the sharp ones."

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia, quite unaware of the troubles she had made surface within 'Chad' had left and was quite happy that Ty seemingly was joining into the little joke she had made. It was quite relaxing if a joke was taken like a joke but it happened more than once to her that someone did not understand her intentions. "We all have our own skills. I can barely tell what is the motor in them, not to say exchange any parts. II would as likely pull out a working part as I would be taking the correct one out." he brunette told Ty while getting into the car, smiling. "Mmmmh... quite comfortable I have to say. Happy she likes the ladies and I am in no danger to be catapulted from this place up into the air."

She leaned back and let Ty drive while looking out, enjoying the unknown sights of an unknown city. As the phone rang she looked curious and could not help but listen, it was on speakers after all. At the last part though, she would have spit out her food or drink if she had taken any with her. There was an unmistakable darkening in her face, not unlike 'Chad' had when she left. "Did... did she just... ask if I am cute?" Emilia tried to pull herself properly together, this was mostly very unexpected, especially as Ty was obviously thinking she was cute too. Nevertheless, under the surface, some gears were in motion. The young PI had a hunch, that Ty might not only have had invited this Ari to exchange information but for other reasons as well. Usually, she was at least close with her hunches but sometimes she missed the spot by a bit, and it had not been him calling her. Nevertheless, the young human decided to stay on guard, especially if Ari was really another PI, she would have her own tricks and ways to get information and while Emilia liked to put her looks to work every now and then, she never relied on it. But goddess knows, what weak spots Ari would find she was not yet aware of.

 

[Cheech]

"I've had this car longer than you've been alive," Ty teased the woman as she got in the car. Oh, if she only knew the truth behind that statement... "Now, Toni's the one who has a car that's dangerous to be in. I won't be in it for a moment, can't even open the driver's side door. Toni won't fix it for a damn for reasons I don't get." Ty considered lighting a cigarette but decided not to; he wasn't alone in the car after all.

Emilia's reaction to Ari's pointed question made Ty chuckle in a fashion that sounded very, very tired; it was clear this wasn't the first time this Ari had prodded him about someone. "No, she's just... How do I put it," he mused, rubbing his face as he slowed to a stop at a red light. "Any time I meet someone new, that's the first thing she asks because I'm a single old bastard who lives alone in the woods. I like my lifestyle, it's quiet. But she's of the opinion she can set me up with someone, anyone, except that isn't how it works. I know too many people around here and I'm too tired to be with anyone." He was quiet for a few moments, watching the traffic light for it to change, then added kindly, "Not implying you're not lovely, by the way, but you're here for work. I won't try to distract you from that."

Soon, he pulled up to a very plain, white-stone building with a few windows but not very many. It would be easy to mistake it for just another office building, if it weren't for the pale blue Medical Examiner van parked in a spot on the right side of the building. A plaque screwed to a wall to the right of the main door read SANFORD MORGUE, some info about when it was established, generic sorts of things: Established 1743 by Antoinette Carver.

Ty walked into the building with a comfortable ease and pressed a buzzer next to a low-security door - it had that sort of metal mesh inside the small window near the top that reminded Ty of a high school. "Kris, it's Ty. Mind letting me in? I've got someone who can ID that John Doe from the farm."

"One minute, my man!"

It took a few minutes but the light above the door, which was a dim red, blinked green as a loud buzz rang out. Ty opened the door for Emilia and gestured for her to go first.

A door down the hall was open, music dancing across the tiles and walls as loud as loud could be (How we must glow, yes, I bet we look like snow, I can see it—well almost, like a camera sees a ghost) with a voice singing along in a slightly off-pitch but melodious way. At a standing work desk on the far side of the room, a slim man with curly blond hair was filling out a report as he listened and sang to the song from the speakers above his head on a shelf. His glasses hung around his neck from a cord and, at a glance, his hands were normal - but he was missing a few fingers, though this didn't seem to impede him in the slightest as he typed away. Next to the computer screen sat a very fine camera, clearly used for work, and along another wall was a line of coolers for bodies.

As the song came to an end, the man turned around after grabbing a file folder and paused, realizing he wasn't alone and picking up a remoter to turn the speakers down to a more eardrum-friendly volume. His eyes were a bright, clear blue (despite dark circles underneath) behind the glasses he lifted and slid up his nose. "Good morning!" he said cheerily, even as he stepped over to the coolers to one that was marked #7, with the location of discovery written underneath the number in surprisingly neat writing. "Sorry if the music was loud, it helps me focus. Are you the decedent's possible spouse? I, er, must warn you, the state he was found in was not... kind."

Ty chuckled softly and shook his head, glancing around the room. Kris was an oddball of an ME - he was the examiner, mortician, crime scene photographer... he did it all. Normally, he didn't have to - the most he'd had to do in years past was do necropsies on odd animal deaths or sign a few death certificates for people who passed away of natural causes. But this recent burst of deaths meant the man was incredibly busy. Kristoff Thomas had moved here from a much bigger city, wanting to get away from an overabundance of death and misery, and being here had also allowed him to work on his other career - sculpting heads and faces based on skulls found around the country. One such model was on a table on the other side of the large room from the coolers - a 3D printed skull, a scan of one found god only knew where, sat on a small tripod with little markers dotting its surface.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia coughed and calmed down as she heard Ty and his description of what Ari seemingly was attempting to do. "Oh don't you worry Ty, she will bite at least into a big chunk of granite if she thinks I will be a possible option. You are quite handsome I must say but... I think you are a bit old for me. I don't know how old you are, you have such a timeless look though your eyes... My late grandfather had the same kind of eyes... eyes that had seen many things, a man who could tell many stories, and not all meant for everyone's ears. I could tell you some of his war-stories in quite some details, since he had told me them since I was not even 5 years old." The young woman relaxed in her seat, smiling a bit. Once more she had told the truth, something about Ty seemed like he had seen many more things a human should have, there was this little thing in his eyes she only remembers from her grandfather. "Yes... work... I hope this will be solved quickly. Not that I do not like this place, I think this is a lovely city... but the faster I find an answer that satisfies me, the more money I will have in the end. My client is not really rich herself and I can only guess how much the insurance in case of one of their death is covering for me now."

The rest of the way she was silent for the most part as well but it was quite obvious that she looked around, as if she was searching for someone, once they reached the place. Hard to say if she was disappointed that there was no woman in sight that could be this Ari-person she had heard or if she was just checking the surroundings. Having nothing else suddenly coming up, Emilia followed Ty into the building and past the entrance once they had been let in. The assault on her ears made her cringe a bit though nothing she had never experienced. She took note of a few details and even shook his hand without more hesitation than registering the missing fingers, if he even offered a shake. "Sadly or luckily I am not his spouse. The widow has asked me to look into this thing and thus she is spared this moment while I have to go by some pictures she could give me. According to the information I was given, it was the attack of an animal... so if that is true, I expect to see something more akin a horror movie." the brunette told Kris, stepping next to the cooler so he could pull it open.

"After we are done I might have a bit of time until a certain Ari shows up, I guess you would know her, so far I only know her name and her voice... but " she pointed over to the skull he was working on "maybe you could show me a bit more about that project of yours? I once investigated a case and bumped into someone doing the same... seemingly it can be used to identify unknown people where you only have the skeleton left... or even reconstruct a face of someone from really long ago. This is a fascinating thing and while it is not my kind of work, I would really like to see how it works in action."

 

[Cheech]

Ty feigned being offended by being called too old, starting to laugh. Oh, this girl was a funny one! But her next words cut his laughter short and his smile disappeared as his lips tightened to a thin line. He glanced at her, discreetly - was she a human? Completely human? He'd have to poke a few folks in town... But hearing that she liked Sanford put him at ease, a little, even though she wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "It's a good place. Had family that died to protect it, forest fires and all a few times after Centralia caught on fire." Centralia, PA was a town not far from Sanford, perpetually covered in a heavy cloak of smoke as a coal mine beneath it burned away. It didn't just bring fires, though, he thought with a vague grimace.

Kris shook her hand firmly, a smile on his face. "Well, I'm glad someone can put a name to this poor sod. I already sent his dental xrays to try to get an identity that way. Think this is the first time the face wasn't completely mauled." He unlocked the locker with ring of keys hanging from his belt under his lab coat and opened it - swung open toward him, most of the cabinets seemed to open leftward - and gently pulled the table out, one hand under it to stabilize it slightly. Even through the sheet, it was apparent something was wrong with the middle area of the body. "He was... found... ripped in two," the examiner said cautiously, fingers gripping the edge of the sheet, "I have a colleague coming to help put him back to rights so he can have a proper funeral, if his widow wishes. I'm just glad she won't see him the way we found him."

At her words about the skull, he visibly perked up - well, somehow, despite the fact he was already incredibly perky. "Oh! You met another forensic sculptor? There aren't many of us on this side of the country. I'd love to show you." He set his folder down on a rolling table behind him and used both hands to slowly pull the sheet down. The victim's face, while visibly bruised and missing patches of skin from where he'd been abraded, was intact - clearly her client's missing husband. "I just ... I can't figure out why he was here. None of the motels knew his face, none of the businesses knew him," Kris glanced at Ty near the door, and the man faintly shook his head, and Kris adjusted what else he was about to say, "He's a total stranger to everyone here."

What Kris wanted to say, if Emilia had been in the know about the surreal and the strange, was that a hunter's kit had been found torn asunder near the body - wooden stakes, silver bullets and knives, everything you needed to hunt a nonhuman had been in the bag. A bloodstained journal had been found nearby, but quite a few pages had been torn from it.

Kris gently covered the victim's face with the sheet again after a few minutes and pushed him back into the cooler, shutting and locking its door as he picked up his folder and notated something in it with a pen from his pocket. "If it's okay with you, I have some questions too-"

A light buzz distracted the man and a voice came over the speaker, "Kris, can I come in? Ty said to come here."

Kris bristled and rounded on Ty, "I can't have this many people in my workspace!"

Ty shrugged, "Figured our PI would have questions for this one. The more info we have, all of us, the faster we can figure this out."

Kris groaned but shook his head, sitting at his other desk next to Ty and hitting a button on the other computer. Another buzz rang out and footsteps lightly clicked down the hall, the sound of a plastic bag rustling accompanying the steps, and the other private investigator stepped in, setting a large bag (paper, with plastic outside) down next to Kris and smiling sheepishly. "Truce?"

The examiner peeked into the bag and relaxed a bit, pulling out a tin and opening it to sniff; a label on the side read peppermint rose. "Fine, fine." He had a smile on his face though; it was apparently hard for Kris to stay mad at people for long, especially where his favorite tea was involved. The ginger-haired woman took out a hairtie and lifted her hands, starting to braid her long orange-red hair back to get it out of her way as her clear blue eyes fell on Emilia.

"You're the one Ty mentioned?" she asked, twisting the hair tie around the end of her braid and letting it fall down against her shoulder. There was something unearthly about how beautiful this woman was - a supine grace, almost, in the way she crossed the room and offered her hand for Emilia to shake. Her nails were short and painted a pale, summery green. "I'm Ariella Gottklein, but you can just call me Ari. I'm investigating the deaths as well. Our police department... is lacking, a little," she admitted, her other hand brushing some of her own hair out of her eyes that she'd missed. "Small city, we're not used to this much... trouble, to put it plainly."

Kris groaned, "Not our fault there's been ten deaths in a month!"

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

The young PI shivered a bit at the sight and news what had happened to the person. "Forensic sculptor, yes... that is how she called herself... but lucky me, none of my cases ever had the need for someone with these unique skills. But setting that aside for now..." with a sigh she pulled out a few photos, all of the same man just in different situations with different angles and lighting, making it a bit more easy for her to compare them. "Yes... it is him, I have no doubt and I can fill in the paperwork with the correct data. But this means, I can not leave yet too." Emilia rubs her temples, looking worried and still a bit pale from having seen the man torn into 2 pieces, even if his body had been covered. "The widow wants to know the real cause of death since she does not belief in an animal attack and I do not know any animal which would do something like that... and leave it's prey. They either would simply kill whoever was disturbing them, or start to eat them. This... was something else." the brunette concluded, unaware she was likely adding some high flammable stuff into a fire already burning around her. Once Kris shoved him back in she did the same with the photos, letting them vanish in her pocket again, only to be disturbed in her further thoughts by Kris who in turn was interrupted by the buzzer.

"I am really sorry for causing so much disruption in your working place, Kris." she said, hoping this was not putting a strain on the good terms they had been building so far, turning to the red haired newcomer, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "Emilia Kaloyanchev, but people usually skip my families name, most people butcher it quite a lot and I can understand why. Your name is interesting though, Ari... Gottklein... must be of German origin... 'Gott'... as in 'God'... and 'klein' as in 'small'... Oh sorry... I just can not stop analyzing things around me. Must be the reason why I chose a certain picture for my business card." she smiled a bit sheepishly while reaching into the same pocket from where she had pulled the card but pulled a slightly different from it. It was a full blown business card, stating her name and contact details, of course, but as well the lines "E-K-Investigations" and "Private Investigator" while at the side was a stylized picture of what was likely Sherlock Homes.

"Speaking of troubles in this town... I just remembered something." Her head turned to Kris. "Not wanting to disturb you enjoying your drink... though you said something that strikes me odd. You said... none of the motels and businesses knew his name. Incidentally ... there is at least one business where the owner knows his face. Cathy could remember him and did remember that he told her a name that was not the same as on his credit card. I guess, there was nothing found with him to identify him... since you would not have had so much need for someone doing it. Anyway.... just when Ari came in, I think Kris wanted to share information with me and Ari is here for the very same reason. I have none about what had happened here with the victim but I might have background information about him and thus we can fill in some gaps and get a better picture what he was doing here. Officially, according to his wife, now widow, he was here on some kind of business trip."

 

[Cheech]

Ty tilted his head as he listened to Emilia speak, raising an eyebrow as she came to her conclusion so quickly. "..... hm." He rubbed his thumb against the side of his nose as though scratching a slight itch, pushing off the door to let Ari in when she arrived.

"Don't worry about it, isn't your fault," Kris waved her concern away as he poured the hot water from the small kettle into his cup, taking a deep sip and sighing happily as he relaxed in his chair. "Ahhh, feel better already."

Ari smiled sweetly at Emilia, chuckling, "That's my sister's name. I'll have to introduce you two, see how she handles that," she teased gently. As for her last name, she repeated it easily - in fact, flawlessly. "Kaloyanchev, like the actor?" She didn't push for details though, just giggling at the mild analysis of her last name. "It's my mother's maiden name, she didn't take my father's name when they married." She took the business card and blinked, pursing her lips as she nodded, impressed. "Very nice. You'll have to tell me where you get these printed, mine don't look half so lovely."

"Hmm?" Kris opened his eyes from his brief meditation, eyes looking at her but not turning his head as he held his mug in his hands. "... wait. Wait a second-?!" Kris shot out of his seat, putting his drink down and pointing at Ty, "You said she didn't know anything!"

"No, I said I hadn't asked her," Ty said flatly. It wasn't a lie - he'd never thought to ask Cathy of all people, as she kept to herself. But why had the motels lied? Were they afraid after the last attack...?

Kris took another sip of his tea, letting out a sigh and hanging his head as he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And this is why I do my own investigating," he grumbled, putting his glasses back on and turning back to Ari and Emilia. He picked up a clipboard that had the victim's information on it - what little they had - and looked up at Emilia. "Any info you can give me on his wife is appreciated, so that with your permission I can contact her with my own questions later as well as set up sending his body home once it's... back in as much order as possible."

"Well, my own little birdie tells me," Ari rested a hand on Emilia's shoulder in a friendly, almost familiar fashion, "that it wasn't a business trip, which is plain as day to all of us in this room. Was it a romantic diversion?" she mused to herself, her other hand rubbing her chin.

Kris shook his head. "Doubtful. He was still wearing his wedding ring; most men who are being unfaithful don't continue to wear it while committing their infidelity. He also had several pictures of her in his wallet. His phone, unfortunately, was smashed to pieces. Probably tried to call for help."

Ari winced. "Oh, that's unfortunate." She thought for a moment, then asked delicately, "Is this, in your professional opinion, related to the other attacks in town?"

Kris gently held the top of the clipboard against his mouth, tapping a finger against it as he regarded the pair of private detectives. While the town nonhumans had reason to want to exclude outsiders from this information, he was desperate for answers - desperate for anyone to solve this case. Perhaps a fresh set of eyes might fix things, someone with a unique and new perspective... And goodness knew that Emilia here was catching onto threads even Ty, the town guardian, had missed. Knowing he'd catch hell for it later, he slowly nodded. "Without a doubt. He... He's also missing fingers. Like a few other victims."

"Same ones?" Ari asked, surprised and stunned.

He nodded, still slowly. "Three on the left, one on the right." He looked a little pale and adjusted his own fingers - he himself was missing two on the right, one and a half on the left. "It-It reminds me of the case that made me leave New York," he said quietly. "But so, so much worse, so much more violent. With the Entrapper, that was mechanical. Methodical. Planned. This is... this is organic, messy, spontaneous."

-----

Ty's phone rang in his pocket and he excused himself, stepping out to answer it. "Yeah, kid?" he said.

Toni's voice was shaking on the other line, "I had a nightmare. What happened to Mom?"

Ty paused, choosing his words carefully (more because of the human in the other room), and said softly, "She died saving us, Toni. You know that."

"But it's the same nightmare I've been having for years," Toni pushed, "You can't keep telling me to not think about it."

"I can't talk about it now. Later, when I'm home. Go to my place, I'll be there around six."

"Okay." Toni audibly sniffed, muffling a sob. "Ty?"

"Yeah?" Ty turned to head back into the room.

"... are you my dad or my brother?"

"To be honest, I don't remember that either. But you're still my responsibility, my family. Nothing amnesia could ever change."

"... okay. Good." Toni took a deep breath, quietly and gratefully relieved. "I love you. I don't tell you that a lot, because it's weird, but I love you."

"I love you too, kiddo. Go back to sleep." A sleepy 'mmhm' ended the call and he couldn't stop a smile, though it faded as he put the phone away and rubbed his eyes.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia smiled "Ah yes, I already heard there is one with my name living here, it would be great to meet her, and if only just to see the surprised look on her face if there is no time before I leave." The question caught her a bit off guard though and she had to think a few moments before she shrugged, finally something she did not knew. "It could well be, I do not know someone with that name, but I can get you the contacts for the company printing my cards." Meanwhile she listened to the short dispute between Kris and Ty, another thing she had not intended with her analysis, seemingly there had been some gap in communication between people, nothing unusual in her experience and in most cases nothing people planned to do.

"No worries, I will bring you the data on her at a later time, I do not have her full contact information with me, Kris, as I had not expected to... well... find him... on my first day here. And yes..." the brunette turned her head to Ari "I doubt he was on a business trip since I heard he was using a different name than was on his credit card. It just makes no sense since you would like to be recognized when you try to get business things running." The young woman let out a soft sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"This... let's call it success... so early on is nice but at the same time, it is hardly helping with the case. We have a husband, who was here using a false name and giving the people he knew the wrong reason. He lost a couple of fingers, something I have no clue what it could mean, yet... and he was ripped in 2 parts and I am a firm believer, it was not an animal. So, any ideas where to go from here? I am not sure how much the information I have will help since nobody knows what might be a lie and what not. I hardly believe he really was meeting with friends from his company at least one weekend each month while his hobby and special interest with anything medieval and crossbows suddenly sounds far more suspicious as well." Emilia shakes her head, this is one of the days where she was wishing she had not left the warmth of her bed, on the other hand, the 2 in the next room rocking their bed had been far to loud to sleep more.

 

[Cheech]

Ari visibly perked up at the mention that this man had a unique hobby - that he had a hobby involving... crossbows? "You don't say." Ari gave Kris a look from behind Emilia and loosely let her arm rest over the other private investigator's shoulders. "I think we can have a long talk about that, back at my office, if you're game for that."

"That might be best," Ty said as he stepped back into the room, checking one last thing on his phone before putting it back in his pocket. "I have to run home, my kid's not feeling great."

Kris blinked. "Toni's sick again? The last episode they had was last we-" The flat glare that Ty threw at Kris silenced the man immediately, pulling the clipboard over his face again. "Right, sorry, not my business."

"Ari, she's staying at that motel by Cathy's, one of them. Emilia, I'm sorry to ditch you," Ty apologized, pulling out a notepad and scribbling something down with a pen he grabbed from Kris's desk. He ripped the paper off and handed him the slip; it was his number and address. "If you think of something or hear something odd, let me know. I live down the road from the motels, on the other end of Cathy's parking lot."

"You can't just leave her with-" Kris tried to protest, but Tybalt was already gone, walking out swiftly. The security door 'beep beep'ed aggressively at first before silencing when the medical examiner pressed a few buttons. The man sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, and looked at Ari and Emilia. "I... Sorry. Ty's very protective of Toni, drops everything on a moment's notice for them."

"I mean, I can't blame him," Ari said but offered nothing else, letting go of her new 'friend' and walking to the door. "Keep me posted if you find anything else weird about the bodies, okay?" she said to Kris before looking at Emilia. "Well, if you're game, follow me. My office isn't far from here, I just had to get something to make things up to Kris." She grinned at him and he shrugged, picking up his tea and taking a sip.

"It makes the voices be quiet," he joked... but something was off about the joke. It almost ... felt too serious.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia listened the short back and forth between the people around her. "I wish your Toni all the best, Ty, some things have priority and I rank the living and family high among them." she said, smiling, while thinking about what he said. They had started from Cathy's coming here because, according to what Ty told her, it was on his way home and now he was saying he was living almost next to Cathy's. This was confusing and for her, was pointing out he was hiding something or at least simply not telling everything. For the brunette, this man was quite hard to read.

She looked at Ari's back and walked over to Kris, handing him one of her real business cards. "Here, we still have to fill in details and stuff. Contact me .... mmmh... this evening I would say... and we will work something out I am sure. I can then bring all the material I have over here but for now, I am kidnapped by someone." the young PI said jokingly, following Ari out of the building.

"Well then, let's get down to business. I'd suggest, we exchange real information once we are at your office and skip the distract-the-outsider-to-buy-time-part you surely are here for. I know, you called Ty but he surely jumped at the chance to get you into the mix. I am pretty sure, he was hiding some kinda code in what he told you, but you can prove me wrong, of course. You would not believe how happy I would be to make a false guess in some things. It is horrible to be almost always 100% correct with something. It is like some kind of cursed super power from a comic or TV-show." Emilia let out a sigh, waiting for some kind of outburst from Ari, now that she had spilled what she had been suspecting since she had heard Ari at the phone when Ty drove her to the morgue. She herself was not mad at Ari, if she had hit the spot once more, the people she encountered likely only wanted to protect the town after all, and she, Emilia, was the one sticking her nose into their lives.

 

[Cheech]

((OOC note: The dossier below is condensed under a spoiler tag because it is REALLY FRIGGEN BIG. Click and drag mouse to read 'redacted' portions at will.))

Tybalt clearly had something on his plate - he managed to walk into the exit door instead of opening it and he grumbled as he slammed it open and stepped out.

Kris took her card and tucked it in a labcoat pocket, nodding and picking up one of his own from off his desk. "Take mine too, in case you feel there's anything you missed in talking to me." He paused and followed her as far as the hallway, tapping her on the shoulder and whispering in her ear, "Be careful. There's things in this town that most people are better off staying far, far away from, Emilia." He patted her arm and headed back into the lab.

For some reason, Ari had pulled out an umbrella for the short walk between the door and her car. As the out-of-towner spoke, Ari had her back to Emilia as she was getting in her car, climbing in smoothly and shutting the door. Because it was a much newer car than Ty's, she did have to turn the engine on to roll the heavily tinted window down... and she didn't crack it open far. "Normally, I'd pretend to be offended," the redhead began, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. "But... Between you and me," she leaned closer to the window, "We can't play this by Ty's book anymore. We're running out of time, out of people. Now that you're here, you're going to be in the crosshairs of that... thing." She swallowed hard. "Get in, I have copies of the victims' information at my office."

Her office, as it happened to be, was more or less just a tea shop - inside, a shorter woman with a tidy bob of black hair and deep brown eyes looked up from a binder full of paper and perked up. "Ari, you need to get actual work done," Emilia Borland, the owner of Borland Teas, teased her older sister, shutting the binder of inventory after marking a few notes down.

"I am!" Ari groaned, closing her umbrella and putting it away. The windows weren't very tinted, but Ari didn't seem to mind. The air was rich with the smell of different teas, and behind the counter were several electric kettles waiting to be used for brewing. There were stacks and rows of small drawers of different blends across the walls and one side of the shop was clearly the Tourist Trap - souvenirs, kitsch, the kind of things people passing through would want. There was, also, a tidily arranged spinning rack of colorful scarves. "Emi, this is Emilia Kaloyanchev." Again, a curiously perfect pronunciation. "And Emilia, this is my sister, Emilia," the redhead chuckled, heading over to a locked cabinet behind the counter and unlocking it. She pulled out a very, very thick folder and walked over to a table next to a window, sitting down after pulling a curtain over just a bit.

"Well, this will get confusing," Emi laughed, leaning against the counter. "Do you want anything to drink? I've got teas from all over, and I do have coffee too if you'd prefer it."

Meanwhile, Ari had opened the folder and turned it toward the other seat, for Emilia to peruse at her will. Much of it was redacted, information withheld, but... Emilia could probably read through the redactions if she tried hard enough.

Victim Dossier

Victim ID: Gabriel and Raziel Cobbs
Age: 34 [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]actual age 438[/BGCOLOR]
Cause of Death:
----Gabriel: Blunt force trauma to back of skull, cerebral hemorrage
----Raziel: Undefined; high trauma to entire body.
Relation to Other Victims: First to die; called Tybalt Carver the day of their death, begging for help seven hours before they were found. Gabriel later expired [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]at [/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]a Paradis hospital.[/BGCOLOR]
Injuries:
----Gabriel: Severe abrasions on right side of body, as though dragged across concrete or asphalt. Back of head flattened by strong impact or blunt trauma. Missing four fingers, three from left hand and one from right.
----Raziel: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)][REDACTED FROM HUMAN RECORDS, DO NOT SHARE WITH MUNDANES] Body has seemingly been bitten, chewed, torn asunder by hundreds of sharp teeth. What few marks are pristine indicate shark's teeth, but as Sanford is a landlocked town, assumptions cannot be made. Additionally, victim is missing his right foot from the heel down. Search in area of recovery turned up one big toe and part of a foot bone.[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities:[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] Raziel and Gabriel were somewhat renowned for their clairvoyant ability in the Sanford circles of witches, and while Raziel boasted a considerable control over fire, Gabriel had no such extra power. Tybalt Carver, upon interview, repeated the conversation he had with them as best he could: Gabriel was on the phone, panicking and yelling, that Raziel was going to die first. Raziel took the phone and was, for some reason, less frightened - more resigned, and said, It isn't your fault, Ty. Tybalt looked noticeably haunted during the interview by this statement, unsure if Raziel was referring to their own deaths or to the incident that left half of Centralia on fire (which the twins had also predicted, fifty-some years ago).[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Constantine Jackson
Age: 55 [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]actual age: 400[/BGCOLOR]
Cause of Death: Exsanguination
Relation to Other Victims: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Fellow witch in the local circles, [/BGCOLOR]Contacted Ariella Gottklein (Sanford's local private investigator) regarding a stalker prior to her death.
Injuries: Multiple puncture wounds, body is completely drained of all fluid. No other injuries present on victim, other than a bite taken from the right ear but it is unclear if that was pre- or posthostumous due to dehydration of the body.
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]: Constantine was an excellent ice witch, capable of creating anything from mere vapor in the air. With Vanessa Gottklein, the head of the primary circle, the two kept the weather in Sanford rather comfortable for its citizens (with exception of the Hot Summer of 1987, which was resolved mercifully by Toni Carver).[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Marceline Thatcher
Age: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)][unknown], not a born witch of Sanford but came here when she was young. Estimation 200+. [/BGCOLOR] 22
Cause of Death: Severed in half at the waist, loss of blood
Relation to Other Victims: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Circle witch, [/BGCOLOR]Acquaintence of Gabriel and Raziel. Had some hostilities with Constantine, though upon the latter's death she felt crippled with guilt for not taking her fear seriously.
Injuries: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)][REDACTED FROM HUMAN RECORDS, DO NOT SHARE WITH MUNDANES] [/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Victim presents with multiple defensive wounds, foreign matter under nails, and an odd bite of flesh in the mouth that is not hers and testing of this is ongoing. If not split in half, the internal injuries alone would have killed her, as any healers would not have gotten to her in time - liver is liquified from severe damage, pancreas is burst... [List goes on to note all traumatic injuries.] Of note: Only witch to not be missing odd parts of the body. No bite wounds.[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities:[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] Marceline was a highly trained combative witch, capable of utilizing anything and everything as a weapon if necessary. As a result of this talent, she found it difficult to settle down until she came to Sanford, having been ousted from other circles nationwide for her temper.[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Olivia Green
Age: 26 [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Actual age 75[/BGCOLOR]
Cause of Death: Strangulation [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] found in her own greenhouse strung up by her own plants.[/BGCOLOR]
Relation to Other Victims: None [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Olivia was at best a fringe member of the Circles, not being very magic-inclined but possessed of an ability to speak to nature itself in a fashion similar to [REDACTED, INFORMATION IRRELEVANT][/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Injuries: [REDACTED FROM HUMAN RECORDS, DO NOT SHARE WITH MUNDANES][/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] Ligature from plant strangulation, scratches and gouges by thorns. Roots additionally were found buried in her skin. An unknown plant was found growing in her abdomen as well. and is currently being tested Plant has been found to be a rare species of fern, and it is unknown how it came to be discovered inside the victim. The victim also presents with missing fingers - three from the left hand, one from the right.[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities: Olivia's control over plant life was unmatched, in or out of Sanford, except by a handful of the very best treespeakers. There were no plants she could not grow, nothing she couldn't convince to stop growing, and her own house was a clever construction of living trees she manipulated into a proper homestead.[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Lucas Marco
Age: Undetermined
Cause of Death: Undetermined
Relation to Other Victims: Brother to Richard Marco, friend of Genevieve Webber [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]part of a small pack of three werewolves who all perished on the outskirts of Sanford. While Sanford has its own werewolf packs, these three were new to town and petitioning to join one of the packs after their own faced an unfortunate series of attacks in Kansas.[/BGCOLOR]
Injuries: Bludgeoning, bruising, the body is all but mash. Bones seem to be missing, unusually. Body is missing the left lower leg from the mid-shin down and was only identified by piecing together a tattoo for identification by his brother (also now deceased).
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities:[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] A werewolf with the unfortunate tendency to be in his full werewolf state every night instead of only during the full moon. No other odd capabilities outside of this.[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Richard Marco
Age: Undetermined
Cause of Death: Decapitation
Relation to Other Victims: Brother to Lucas Marco [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] second member of the outsider pack.[/BGCOLOR]
Injuries: Head has been roughly torn from shoulders, bite marks cover the body. Head has not been recovered, only identified by similar tattoo to his brother.
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities: [/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] Standard werewolf capabilities. Nothing out of the ordinary.[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Genevieve Webber
Age: Undetermined
Cause of Death: Gunshot to head [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]silver bullet[/BGCOLOR]
Relation to Other Victims: [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Third member of werewolf pack.[/BGCOLOR]
Injuries: Bruising, bites on over 90% of the body. Gunshot wound seems to be self-inflicted, out of refusal to die to the attacker. [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]In other hand was a chunk of flesh that was not the victim's, but was strangely deteriorated. Testing is ongoing.[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities:[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] Berserker: Where most werewolves keep a cool head, Genevieve was a few fuses short and known for a wild temper. Died last, surprisingly in human shape compared to the between forms of her packmates.[/BGCOLOR]

Victim ID: Elizabeth, Reginald, Barbara, and Darcy Shire
Age: Undetermined[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)], estimated ages to be from 300 onward[/BGCOLOR]
Cause of Death: Dismemberment; whole bodies were not discovered.
Relation to Other Victims: None; first set of victims after the twins were found. Scrutinizing of personal effects ongoing, as Reginald and Darcy had extensive journals detailing something odd they had noticed on their journey to Sanford. Additional two victims, unrelated, also died here as well - mauled, seemingly by a wild animal, in the parking lot. Other guests reported shrieking and hideous, wet gasping sounds.
Injuries: [REDACTED FROM HUMAN RECORDS, DO NOT SHARE WITH MUNDANES] Extensive removal of limbs, entire loss of organs. [BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]While vampires normally turn to dust or ash upon expiration, something the Shires themselves did enabled their bodies to be found - an empty flask was found and trace amounts of a preserving potion were found in their mouths.[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Capabilities: Unknown, outside of an apparent talent for alchemy that Barbara had - she had an entire 'cookbook' of potions in her luggage found in the motel where their remains were discovered. Some pages had been torn out, whether by the attacker or by her own hand remains to be seen.[/BGCOLOR]

Most of the bodies, the end of the dossier stated, were held in the Sanford morgue under the watchful eye of Kristoff Thomas - the medical examiner, crime scene photographer, and forensic sculptor. He had seen each scene personally and knew just how bad each death had scarred the community... and that explained why he was so desperate for any help in stopping the deaths.

Ari drank her own tea that she'd grabbed and looked out the window, watching for ... she couldn't quite say, even to herself. Revealing this much info, at this stage, would have one of a few outcomes: Emilia would laugh and think this entire document was fake, Emilia could believe every word (worst outcome), Emilia might continue to be far too curious for a human... that was dangerous. A human couldn't defend themselves from what had killed all these people, that much was very apparent to the vampire. "Do you understand why Ty didn't want you involved?" Ari asked quietly.

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia had taken the card of the good man before leaving, hardly needing the added warning by now as she was already suspecting something. The fact Ari was using an umbrella was making her eyebrows raise far more than the tinted windows, something you grew accustomed to some extend in a larger city. She did not see them all the time but often enough for them to be nothing foreign for her. "Lucky, or unlucky, me does not know Ty's book. All I got was this vibe of you people hiding something... for good reason I guess. That you now tell me I am likely in danger as well, is not adding to anything which would lower my worries though." the brunette said after sitting down inside the car, seemingly not worried to much about her safety. "So, let's get over to your office and have some 'fun' with the information." she tried to joke but the topic at hand was hardly a real joking matter and definitely no fun. Well, to be honest, the actual work was quite fun in some way for her but the reasons seldom were fun. Puzzling a mystery together was fun, a gruesome murder the reason for it not so much.

Arriving at the tea shop, Emilia followed Ari inside, wondering about the stop but it quickly cleared up for her. The 2 did not look all that much alike but the names thrown around, the tone in their voice and the securely locked cabinet Ari pulled the folder from painted a picture of Ari using this place as her office. She smiled and approached the owner of this place and shook her hand or at least offered hers for it. "Yeah, I was warned and already came up with a plan. How about we call one of us Emi and the other Lia? If you ask me, you look more like an Emi so I try to go with Lia, if that is okay with everyone involved. About a drink... a strong coffee as starter and some surprise to mix it up afterwards?" the young woman asked before turning on her heel. "Oh sorry... I am here for work. I would hope to have a nice chat later... like with all the people I met so far in this town. It's only a handfull but all of you have something interesting I'd love to learn more about, and not for work-reasons!" she smiled and settled down across from Ari, taking the Dossier and beginning to look through what little was not redacted.

There was a frown on the face which only grew the further she dug into the reports, especially the last one. Finally she placed them down on the table, nodding slowly and pointing at the last readable line. "This here... this is nothing a normal person would write. I can only think of 3 reasons, right now out of the box... give me a day and I might be able to present even more. First... this place or the person writing these reports is making some far right on the political topic distinction between them and other human beings... like... early 20th century in Europe. Second... aliens, but I kinda doubt they having any interest in our world for different reasons and would have ways to deal with these issues. Third... and I might be reaching not as far out as I would normally think, we talk something super natural. I am talking creatures from stories... from folklore... things science tries to prove every now and then... investigative shows try to solve and find. May it be a possible dinosaur like hiding in Loch Ness... the Yeti... or things like creatures needing to hide from the sun or such people in folklore say only hunt under the full moon." Emilia takes a deep breath. "And there are at least 2 indications I have for either someone attempting to recreate the possible existence in a really gruesome way or at least 2 such supernatural creatures are existing." the young PI pulls the report of Constantine Jackson from the files and points at it. "At least in the redable part, no talk about the brute force of others... but no blood... only puncturing marks. Someone took at least most of her blood... and I assure you, this is hardly possible with medical equipment unless you cut someone open to get more liquid out of them... Kris could elaborate on that I am sure. But 1 or more vampires, hard to say as it talks about several marks which could either be 1 person biting more than once or several at the same time. Well, I would say, such a creature could do it. Then we have all the others." Emilia pointed at them in a random order. "Blunt trauma all over... ripped apart... whatever. All of them speak of someone or something strong, some talk about bitemarks. Sadly it is not going into details what kind of bitemarks... could be human... could be animal. Nevertheless, we talk strong... incredible strong. And even more important..." the brunette raises her finger, a thin smile on her lips "We are not talking claws. The reason why I am here had marks of claws on him, talk about bites. Well... at least I think it was in a report I read, might be wrong and put in there to chalk it up more to an animal attack. Anyway, we will not get far with this..." she lifts one of the reports and sniffs at some parts of it, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting... as I suspected... it is almost impossible to make out but this is an original, am I correct? The redaction was made after printing these reports... so ... I have an offer. Going by the faint scent... I think it might be possible to get some of the redacted stuff back but it most likely will ruin some part of it as well. I would only need a couple of things I am sure a place like this has available but I have no guarantee it will actually work."

 

[Cheech]

Kris settled down at his desk, looking at the skull he'd been working on and picking it up to examine the depth markers more closely. The main part of the skull was plastic, a 3-D replica of a skull whose pieces had been found in New York... probably a victim of the case he'd run away from, he thought with a sigh. The jaw was real, but thanks to the tea he was drinking, the soft voice of the departed soul was muted.

Well, not entirely. He tensed up as he heard a whisper, "You have to help! You can't just hide!"

That wasn't the Jane he was working on. He looked at the coolers on the other side of the room, at the cooler that contained poor Marceline - a most recent death, a combat specialist witch. Witches tended to be very, very loud after death. He tried to ignore her as he put the skull back on its stand to work on it more, but her voice persisted, “She’s smart! She can solve this! She may not be like us but that doesn’t mean she isn’t in danger if she gets too close to-”

“Shut up!” he shouted, clamping his hands over his ears. Tears ran down his face as he tried to stay calm, shutting his eyes tightly and counting backward, and eventually her whispered shouting died down. The room fell silent and he stared at the skull, at the accidental marks his fingers had left, and sighed, picking it up to smooth the imperfections in the clay. “Sorry, Jane. This isn’t about you.” He looked back at the coolers, at the numbers on them, and felt a heavy weight in his chest as he sighed once more, turning back to his work on the unidentified dead.

-----

Emi smiled brightly at Emilia. “Fine by me, Lia. Smash our names together if you need both of us at once, Ari,” she called to her sister, who flapped a hand as she drank her tea in peace. “Strongest coffee we have, on the house, since you’re working.” She did tilt her head though. “Well, I’m here every day. If your investigation leads you back here, I’m more than happy to discuss what I know with you.”

Ari watched Emilia go over the dossier, hoping she’d remember to cross out all the important parts... and cursing under her breath when she realized that she’d missed the one damned part you really shouldn’t let a human see! “Oh.” Ari’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the first two notions - aliens weren’t really a concern, far as the vampire knew, though... even the nonhumans had some weird theories about extraterrestrials. “Uh...” She took another drink of her tea, seeming very interested in what Emilia was pointing out and discussing, though what really got her attention was the fact that Emilia sniffed the damn paper. Humans were always interesting.

“I...” Ari finished her tea and set it down as Emi walked over with Emilia’s coffee, setting it down gently so as to not spill it. The vampire glanced at her sister, who had been listening in, and Emi crossed her arms. “I mean...”

“Some things are better off not being seen.” The owner of the shop kept her gaze on the private detective from out of town. “There are those who would rather this information not leave town.”

“Emi,” Ari hissed, “I can handle this myself.” Largely because she was tense as she spoke, she was gritting her teeth... and her canine teeth seemed a lot longer than the average human’s.

The younger woman sighed and nodded, returning to the counter. Ari took a deep breath, calming herself, and held her empty mug in both hands.

Emi kept an eye on the two while tidying the counter and double-checking the kettles behind her. An average human wouldn’t notice but the coffee mug was gently charmed to tip over when grabbed - it would cause an errant mess of the table and reports. As far as Ari (and Emi) knew, these were the only copies, and when the coffee spilled it would ruin the paper.

Ari spoke after a few minutes, “I keep these things marked out because we can’t... let people see the truth of what’s been happening here. There are so, so many things about these deaths we don’t understand.” She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes briefly, and opened them again - there was a vague silvery sheen to them, now. “I’ll take you back to your motel. You tell the widow whatever you have to tell her to get her out of our hair. And then you should leave.” A softly hypnotic quality filled Ari’s voice - it did nothing to the witch behind the counter, as she wasn’t the intended target for the charming.

-----

Ty sat with Toni on the porch swing at the bouncer’s house, using his feet to swing it gently as he listened to his kid ramble. ‘His kid’ - hell, Toni was at least half his own age and looked like they were in their twenties. “... and then I woke up and Nyx was gone and-” Toni rubbed their eyes with the heels of their hands, gritting their teeth. “It felt so fucking familiar but in a horrible, agonizing way and... We’ve messed around before, I know that, and she’s probably off at Emi’s safe house checking on Tom and Lina,” Toni sighed, “but this felt... bad. So, so bad.”

“You said you had a nightmare.” Ty lit a cigarette and held it in his teeth, not inhaling just yet.

“There was a blond woman with one eye.”

Ty went still in his seat, staring straight ahead.

“... that was Selen, wasn’t it?” Toni asked in a small voice. “The one that got us out of there?”

“We’re not talking about her.” Ty stood up, taking a long drag on his cig with a dead stare into the forest ahead of him. He could see the neon sign of the Den in the distance, through the trees. “She’s dead to us.”

“No, she isn’t,” Toni insisted, “She’s been here. I can feel it. You just- You don’t want to talk about her! Or about Mother!”

“Because I’m trying to protect you,” he snapped, snorting the smoke out of his nose and coughing a bit as he did. “You heard what the witches said; if you remember everything too fast, you could have a psychotic break!”

Toni grumbled but fell silent, crossing their arms and glaring at Ty.

After a lengthy silence, Toni spoke again, annoyance all but dripping from their voice, “So who’s the PI that rolled into town with you? I can smell her on you.”

“Emilia... something. She’s investigating that hunter we found dead. Something about his widow.” Ty snubbed his cigarette out in the ash tray screwed into the rail and lit another one - one good thing about being nigh-immortal was the lack of cancer risk. “She’s too fucking clever for her own good. Ari’s going to have a hell of a time distracting her.”

“Great.” Toni stole a cigarette out of Ty’s pocket, much to his annoyance, and lit it themself - though regretted it, gagging at the taste and flicking it into a puddle on the cobble sidewalk. “I’ll step in if I have to. You know people can’t resist me.” Toni stretched their arms over their head. “After all, we can be whatever anyone wants us to be.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re my age, you stick to a shape for consistency’s sake,” Ty chuckled, leaning against the rail and watching a hummingbird flit back and forth in front of him. “Go on, friend, I won’t bug you at the feeder,” he said to it. It came in close, making him cross his eyes, and then zapped itself away as a plume of the local birds took off in a wild, shrieking explosion of feathers. Toni shot to their feet, grabbing the rail as they stared at the undulation of birds as they fled.

“The fuck-?”

“It’s hunting again.” Ty didn’t move, just taking another drag on his cigarette and exhaling the smoke. “It just killed Marcy, so I don’t think it’s going to pounce yet.”

 

[Sheena-Tiger]

Emilia was waiting for Ari's decision on the topic she had offered and leaned back, listening to Emi as well. "I can promise, nothing will leave this town. I am a professional even if I am young and are not working that long yet as a PI. Still... I need to know what is happening, though not using brute force." The brunette rubbed her temples but then stacked the files back together, handing them back to Ari before finally grabbing the cup with both her hands. Hard to say if it was grabbing it with both hands or some other effect, but the charm seemed to fizzle out of existence while she was lifting it up, sipping on the cup. "Mmmmh... nice and strong... this is a good coffee Emi. Sadly this will be the only thing I can enjoy from you today since Ari suddenly doesn't want me around." the young woman did not only sound but actually looked hurt.

Seemingly not in much of a hurry after Ari had used her hypnotic power on her, Emilia sipped the coffee away, constantly holding it with both her hands while she was thinking, finally shaking her head softly. "No Ari... I can not just leave. I will tell the widow what I need to tell her... but it will be the truth... well... some part of the truth. I will make sure she will never learn the real truth but I will tell her something about an accident... murder... some human involvement of some kind and it is dangerous for this town." she finished, setting down the now empty cup before raising from the seat. "Oh... and I have promised some people of this town something, things I intend to keep, so please stop attempts of hypnosis, I would only come back here once the effect has worn off." the human winked at Ari before turning to Emi and nodding at her. "I will see you later, Emi, I have tea's to taste and take back home." the brunette smiled and started to leave the tea house, intending to go back to the hotel, for now at least, and make plans for the next steps, somewhat happy, she had taken courses about hypnosis in the past. They had been more esoteric but included practices to strengthen ones mind she had repeated every so often. Of course, something like that was unlikely to withstand a real attempt but it had bolstered the humans mind enough to ward her against that soft hypnotic attack Ari had used.

 

[Cheech]

Ari stared in shock at the back of Emilia's head, blinking once or twice before glancing at her sister, who was similarly taken aback. "Lia, you-?"

"I don't understand." Ari finished her coffee and gathered the papers sloppily, stuffing them back in the folder.

Out in the parking lot, a rather gorgeous car had come into park, engine idling as it stopped, as Emilia made her way to the door. While it wasn't unusual for cars in this state to not have front license plates, it also didn't have a back license plate. Not a plume of exhaust came from the tailpipe, instead a strange trailing and faintly purple smoke, and the deep red paint seemed to shift purple at an angle as the driver's door opened. The man who stepped out was tall, and a patient and persistent charm seemed to exude from his very being. His motions as he closed the car door were smooth, almost too smooth, and he turned to see Emilia. "Well, hello there. You're a stranger to me."

"Dale-!" Ari clamped her own mouth shut, just staring at him and hoping he'd get the picture by her strained expression as she glanced at the back of Emilia's head and then the newcomer.

Dale quirked an eyebrow, apparently oblivious to the vampire's distress, and he offered a hand to the private detective. "My name is Dale. I hope our resident PI isn't giving you any trouble, miss?"

Ari turned deep red and crossed her arms, wrinkling her nose.

(sorry for short post, my original one got eaten *weep*)