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july catch-all | we came by the rising of the river
Who: Miles Upshur, Kitty Callahan, Alex Conklin, and YOU!
What: Rin's Stable of Blorbos getting up to no good
When: Throughout July
Where: Around the island
Warning(s): PTSD, religious trauma, existential questions, discussion of cult murder/death. You know. The usual.
A. on a river with no name, in the summer monsoon rain | Miles | Town Hall/The Library | OTA
Miles has just kind of resigned himself to being a single dad at this point. Lady, the Hattrem, hangs out around him, but basically does her own thing. Not that he blames her. Hell, he's getting better at dodging the braids when his head gets a little too loud for her liking. Negative emotional reinforcement, anyone?
This means that for Miles, every day is Take Your Kid To Work Day - which has resulted in him carrying Terry the Ralts around in what he's cheerfully calling a Child Sack, a half-swaddle, half-backpack. Maybe he's being a little too protective, but Terry doesn't seem to mind, and focusing on his newly-acquired Poké-Son is keeping him from mentally engaging with The Horrors.
He's in and out of Town Hall, in Cecil's office, working on newspaper stories, and poking into the library to do some research on the island. In particular, he wants to know more about that bonkers fucking cult. It's not unusual to see him with a stack of books in the library, taking studious notes, with Terry in the Child Sack napping at his feet.
B. to wash away luisa's bones from the ghost that guards her grave | Kitty | the Temple | OTA
The cult thing has definitely shaken Kitty up but good, and anyone who'd met the bubbly teenager last month might notice that she's gotten withdrawn and jumpy. In search of guidance - in search of anything - she's found herself wandering up to the Temple. It's probably a good idea to meet and greet the local deities, especially if the big nasty that she got killed for (shudder) is trying to destroy them. She wants to make it clear what side she's on. In fact, she's spending most of her time there, either getting up her nerves to talk to them, or getting up her nerves to talk to anyone else. She's got some Big Questions that she knows she might not like the answers to. She's often sitting to the side, out of the way, sketching the temple or scribbling away in her notebook. She might even overcome her trepidation a little and start towards anyone in the temple, offering a quiet "Hi."
C. she lays by the ride of firing anvils, in a house of cast-iron gates | Alex | Enforcer Offices | OTA
Oh, what fresh hell.
This whole cult nonsense had gotten a lot of people killed. Even though they came back due to the curse on the island, killing was still killing. And a cult? Jesus Christ. The closest he'd come to that in his sixty years of life was the Jackal and his fiercely loyal contingent of old men. Even then, the man calling himself Fontaine had had his limits. He wouldn't kill Marie or the kids. These cultists had no such qualms. They'd murdered everyone who'd shown up after getting that weird letter - the one that Alex had immediately stashed away as evidence for something while refusing to walk into an obvious trap.
Even though they'd all come back, it left him with a weird sort of survivor's guilt. He'd lived, and they hadn't. They'd made the brave, stupid choice to walk into the cult's jaws, and he'd stayed behind. Self-preservation, he thought. Cowardice, the back of his mind whispered to him. He countered that by telling himself that he hadn't survived as long as he had by making stupid decisions. Discretion being the better part of valor, and all that bullshit.
Guilt or dogged perseverance, or some combination of both, has had him furiously looking into everything he can. He's practically on the verge of making a Pepe Silvia board. Now this is familiar territory. It's oddly comforting. It reminds him of sitting in that little apartment in Vienna and hunting down the members of Medusa. Same general principle, he just can't make mysterious phone calls. That's fine. He'll figure something out.
Even if the cultists in the meeting are no longer around, there have to be some who've picked up the torch. And he's going to find out who.
D. and underneath red candles waits | Alex | Enforcer Offices | closed to CT
Cerrit had asked Alex to look after CT - or at least make sure she didn't get into any trouble she couldn't get out of. Well, that had been a bust, in that before he could do that, she'd gone and gotten herself killed by the cultists. Okay. Second time's the charm.
Next time he sees her, he walks up, holding a cup of tea. "Got a moment?"
for her killers to come home and for a fine revenge to pay | Wildcard!
[Hit me up on the discord server or on plurk at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Chatvert, or just jump in! The squad will be around the island at large, so they're up for being encountered anywhere.]
What: Rin's Stable of Blorbos getting up to no good
When: Throughout July
Where: Around the island
Warning(s): PTSD, religious trauma, existential questions, discussion of cult murder/death. You know. The usual.
A. on a river with no name, in the summer monsoon rain | Miles | Town Hall/The Library | OTA
Miles has just kind of resigned himself to being a single dad at this point. Lady, the Hattrem, hangs out around him, but basically does her own thing. Not that he blames her. Hell, he's getting better at dodging the braids when his head gets a little too loud for her liking. Negative emotional reinforcement, anyone?
This means that for Miles, every day is Take Your Kid To Work Day - which has resulted in him carrying Terry the Ralts around in what he's cheerfully calling a Child Sack, a half-swaddle, half-backpack. Maybe he's being a little too protective, but Terry doesn't seem to mind, and focusing on his newly-acquired Poké-Son is keeping him from mentally engaging with The Horrors.
He's in and out of Town Hall, in Cecil's office, working on newspaper stories, and poking into the library to do some research on the island. In particular, he wants to know more about that bonkers fucking cult. It's not unusual to see him with a stack of books in the library, taking studious notes, with Terry in the Child Sack napping at his feet.
B. to wash away luisa's bones from the ghost that guards her grave | Kitty | the Temple | OTA
The cult thing has definitely shaken Kitty up but good, and anyone who'd met the bubbly teenager last month might notice that she's gotten withdrawn and jumpy. In search of guidance - in search of anything - she's found herself wandering up to the Temple. It's probably a good idea to meet and greet the local deities, especially if the big nasty that she got killed for (shudder) is trying to destroy them. She wants to make it clear what side she's on. In fact, she's spending most of her time there, either getting up her nerves to talk to them, or getting up her nerves to talk to anyone else. She's got some Big Questions that she knows she might not like the answers to. She's often sitting to the side, out of the way, sketching the temple or scribbling away in her notebook. She might even overcome her trepidation a little and start towards anyone in the temple, offering a quiet "Hi."
C. she lays by the ride of firing anvils, in a house of cast-iron gates | Alex | Enforcer Offices | OTA
Oh, what fresh hell.
This whole cult nonsense had gotten a lot of people killed. Even though they came back due to the curse on the island, killing was still killing. And a cult? Jesus Christ. The closest he'd come to that in his sixty years of life was the Jackal and his fiercely loyal contingent of old men. Even then, the man calling himself Fontaine had had his limits. He wouldn't kill Marie or the kids. These cultists had no such qualms. They'd murdered everyone who'd shown up after getting that weird letter - the one that Alex had immediately stashed away as evidence for something while refusing to walk into an obvious trap.
Even though they'd all come back, it left him with a weird sort of survivor's guilt. He'd lived, and they hadn't. They'd made the brave, stupid choice to walk into the cult's jaws, and he'd stayed behind. Self-preservation, he thought. Cowardice, the back of his mind whispered to him. He countered that by telling himself that he hadn't survived as long as he had by making stupid decisions. Discretion being the better part of valor, and all that bullshit.
Guilt or dogged perseverance, or some combination of both, has had him furiously looking into everything he can. He's practically on the verge of making a Pepe Silvia board. Now this is familiar territory. It's oddly comforting. It reminds him of sitting in that little apartment in Vienna and hunting down the members of Medusa. Same general principle, he just can't make mysterious phone calls. That's fine. He'll figure something out.
Even if the cultists in the meeting are no longer around, there have to be some who've picked up the torch. And he's going to find out who.
D. and underneath red candles waits | Alex | Enforcer Offices | closed to CT
Cerrit had asked Alex to look after CT - or at least make sure she didn't get into any trouble she couldn't get out of. Well, that had been a bust, in that before he could do that, she'd gone and gotten herself killed by the cultists. Okay. Second time's the charm.
Next time he sees her, he walks up, holding a cup of tea. "Got a moment?"
for her killers to come home and for a fine revenge to pay | Wildcard!
[Hit me up on the discord server or on plurk at
no subject
"He's fine, just skittish. Huh, Terry?"
"Ralts." He tugs at Miles' pant leg.
"Good to see you," Miles says to Valdis, smiling a little. "Doing some research?"
no subject
"Yes, just a little project, nothing I feel is ready for my boss or peers."
Subject change.
"I've seen you around researching too, anything interesting?"
no subject
"Depends," he says, Terry climbing into his lap. "Is 'getting ritually murdered by cultists' interesting?" There's a crooked smile on his face; he's making a joke out of the trauma. It's EMT humor, soldier humor, been-through-it-all-and-come-out-the-other-side humor. It's also probably an indication that he needs a therapist.
If Lady were here, she'd whack him with one of her braids hard enough to bruise. Terry just pats his arm. Psychic-types just know, sometimes.
no subject
"Ritually murdered by cultists?"
That sounds somewhat familiar to Linette's murder, which plays exactly into what she herself is working on. But she didn't feel him get murdered, and she would have. Valdis inhales, suddenly unsure why she was so certain she would have felt him die. She barely knows him, so it's a preposterous notion.
"Was this recent?"
no subject
Well, they did for the cultists, but, you know.
no subject
"I think we would know if there were still cultists on the island."
Though Linette had never told them if they had all gone, so she can't be sure.
"Did you get any names while 'investigating?'"
sometimes i really just cannot help myself
Pfft. You're hilarious
Sounds like a case of time travel shenanigans.
"Any other names?"
The ralts pokes her leg again and she looks down, confused as to what the little creature wants.
yeah i get that a lot
"Lots more names," he says. "Lucky for me my memory's pretty good, so I was able to write 'em down when I stopped being a ghost."
Normally he'd be leery of sharing the list of names with anyone else - a fellow journalist trying to scoop him, or a Murkoff spy, or, God forbid, a cop - but he has to admit, sharing what he knows is in the public interest. "This isn't going to be ready for publication for a while, not if I want to do it justice. What am I, the New York Post?"
Terry tugs at his leg, too, and he looks down. "What, what is it, lil' fella?"
Sorry Miles, she's a cop and you're gonna be ok with it ;P
"I'm investigating the murder of Linette Brenning and it seems to be connected to this cult, so I'm thankful for any leads you can give me. That poor woman deserves justice."
aur naur
'Brenning' pings his ear, though, and he glances down at his notes. "I have an Archie and Maude Brenning present at the event. Can't tell you how long ago it was, didn't get to see a calendar."
no subject
That doesn't bode well at all as it means Linette's family offered her up on their own.
"Why would they sacrifice their own family member?"
The vitriol in her tone cuts off and returns to something calmer almost instantly when Terry flinches away.
"Larkin and the Brennings. Who else?"
no subject
"'Sacrifice their own family member'?" Miles hadn't been privy to that before. There's a little bit of horror in his eyes, mixed with anger and disgust. He can feel a prickling under his skin, and it settles back down when Terry hugs his leg.
no subject
"Linette Brenning was sacrificed by the cult. It is presumed that her death created the barrier."
no subject
He cuts himself off, feeling his voice start to raise. Not a good call in a library.
no subject