Werewolves (RP13.1) Many Decisions: Dangers
Quote from Kaqurei on July 21, 2020, 11:10 amSabrina casually observed Jackie's stride to the other side of the room before setting in on the file cabinet. Raider... Ridley... River... Ryder. Her eyebrows shot up, surprised to actually find the name on a file. She swept it from its place and flipped it open. It contained only a single sheet of paper; a form detailing (if one could call the few filled fields on the form "detailed") the surrender of a car in the make and model Melinda had been seen driving before her stay at the cabins... and a fat red stamp mark over the whole: "DECOMMISSIONED." Well. How useful.
She slapped the folder closed and spun on her heel to face Jackie. "It was here for a few days," she said, casually offering the folder at arm's length with a flick of the wrist. "And promptly destroyed. Odd. There are older and worse off unclaimed vehicles in these records that have been here for years without such action. This site would have made more profit selling the one we're seeking for parts. But no. A few days, and crush it. Why?"
Sabrina casually observed Jackie's stride to the other side of the room before setting in on the file cabinet. Raider... Ridley... River... Ryder. Her eyebrows shot up, surprised to actually find the name on a file. She swept it from its place and flipped it open. It contained only a single sheet of paper; a form detailing (if one could call the few filled fields on the form "detailed") the surrender of a car in the make and model Melinda had been seen driving before her stay at the cabins... and a fat red stamp mark over the whole: "DECOMMISSIONED." Well. How useful.
She slapped the folder closed and spun on her heel to face Jackie. "It was here for a few days," she said, casually offering the folder at arm's length with a flick of the wrist. "And promptly destroyed. Odd. There are older and worse off unclaimed vehicles in these records that have been here for years without such action. This site would have made more profit selling the one we're seeking for parts. But no. A few days, and crush it. Why?"
Quote from Indy on July 21, 2020, 11:00 pmJackie cracked open an eye, keeping the other closed. The woman held steady a moment, and then suddenly wrung her hands upwards in a shrug. She huffed and then stalked away, skirting the room like a roaming fiend. Her fingers found a dish of paperclips - clearly the most suspicious thing in the room.
"Destroying the evidence," Jackie noted with a wrinkled nose as she bent one of the paperclips out of shape, "... Legally. I think it's easier to crash it into a ditch, personally".
But destroying what?
She tossed the paperclip. The question sent her suddenly to a corner, running her fingers over the floors. The linoleum was a cheap thing and at least 40 years out of date. In the corner, she could see where it had peeled up and exposed the wood beneath. As if in absent thought, she pried up a piece the size of her fist.
The toilet flushed. A man stepped out, the very same that Jackie had sent on the initial quest. His hands freshly washed and dawning confusion on his face, it was clear the scene before him was the last he had expected. As his eyes oscilatted between the file in Sabrina's hand to the piece of flooring in Jackie's palm, he evidently couldn't decide which was the worse offense.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
Jackie's gaze narrowed on him, hunched over the floorboard like a lion over its kill. She didn't move an inch towards him, yet the danger seemed to approach him all the same.
"You can't... be in... here" he managed with a flustered look. Jackie ignored the statement.
"What do you know of a Nina Ryder," she snapped, motioning absently to the file in Sabrina's hand, "The woman that brought her car here and destroyed it only after a few days?"
The snarl was in her throat before she had a chance to pull it back, "What did she tell you?"
Jackie cracked open an eye, keeping the other closed. The woman held steady a moment, and then suddenly wrung her hands upwards in a shrug. She huffed and then stalked away, skirting the room like a roaming fiend. Her fingers found a dish of paperclips - clearly the most suspicious thing in the room.
"Destroying the evidence," Jackie noted with a wrinkled nose as she bent one of the paperclips out of shape, "... Legally. I think it's easier to crash it into a ditch, personally".
But destroying what?
She tossed the paperclip. The question sent her suddenly to a corner, running her fingers over the floors. The linoleum was a cheap thing and at least 40 years out of date. In the corner, she could see where it had peeled up and exposed the wood beneath. As if in absent thought, she pried up a piece the size of her fist.
The toilet flushed. A man stepped out, the very same that Jackie had sent on the initial quest. His hands freshly washed and dawning confusion on his face, it was clear the scene before him was the last he had expected. As his eyes oscilatted between the file in Sabrina's hand to the piece of flooring in Jackie's palm, he evidently couldn't decide which was the worse offense.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
Jackie's gaze narrowed on him, hunched over the floorboard like a lion over its kill. She didn't move an inch towards him, yet the danger seemed to approach him all the same.
"You can't... be in... here" he managed with a flustered look. Jackie ignored the statement.
"What do you know of a Nina Ryder," she snapped, motioning absently to the file in Sabrina's hand, "The woman that brought her car here and destroyed it only after a few days?"
The snarl was in her throat before she had a chance to pull it back, "What did she tell you?"
Quote from Kaqurei on July 24, 2020, 1:56 pm"Excuse me, sir," Sabrina said, stepping forward and flipping the folder onto his desk (though he might find later its contents were missing...). "That was on the floor. And do pardon my companion, she is quite drunk. We'll be on our way, if it is all the same to you."
She'd made her way to Jackie and caught her by the arm, "I'm sure your deceased grandmother hasn't told the nice man anything, dear."
"Excuse me, sir," Sabrina said, stepping forward and flipping the folder onto his desk (though he might find later its contents were missing...). "That was on the floor. And do pardon my companion, she is quite drunk. We'll be on our way, if it is all the same to you."
She'd made her way to Jackie and caught her by the arm, "I'm sure your deceased grandmother hasn't told the nice man anything, dear."
Quote from Indy on July 24, 2020, 10:21 pmThe hapless employee seemed momentarily mollified, if only because any logical explanation was far better than an entirely illogical one.
Jackie stiffened at Sabrina's approach, and immediately snapped her hand back. She glared at Sabrina, internally debating whether it would be worth it to strike her. The answer, evidently, was not one favorable to herself. The snarl on her lips took half a step backwards, but the intensity in her eyes did not.
"Time to make a choice, blondie," she laughed darkly, her nostrils flaring, " You can't have it both ways. Either stop me... or don't".
Suddenly Jackie's fingers were back to the boards, ripping up a sheet of linoleum with appreciable fervor. Beneath the flooring were the rotted remains of the plywood. She nodded at a dark space where the wood entirely eroded as if it were an old friend, and then secured two fingers into the space.
Shrrkkk.
A chunk of plywood larger than her head peeled up like a bad sunburn. Jackie grinned. And then stuck her head and one arm in it.
The hapless employee seemed momentarily mollified, if only because any logical explanation was far better than an entirely illogical one.
Jackie stiffened at Sabrina's approach, and immediately snapped her hand back. She glared at Sabrina, internally debating whether it would be worth it to strike her. The answer, evidently, was not one favorable to herself. The snarl on her lips took half a step backwards, but the intensity in her eyes did not.
"Time to make a choice, blondie," she laughed darkly, her nostrils flaring, " You can't have it both ways. Either stop me... or don't".
Suddenly Jackie's fingers were back to the boards, ripping up a sheet of linoleum with appreciable fervor. Beneath the flooring were the rotted remains of the plywood. She nodded at a dark space where the wood entirely eroded as if it were an old friend, and then secured two fingers into the space.
Shrrkkk.
A chunk of plywood larger than her head peeled up like a bad sunburn. Jackie grinned. And then stuck her head and one arm in it.
Quote from Kaqurei on July 25, 2020, 5:53 pmSabrina blinked placidly. She had not, after all, come to impede Jackie's investigation. Stopping her now would not be productive... would it? She raised a doubtful eyebrow as Jackie began to tear into the floor. There seemed no rhyme or reason to such an action.
Well. There was only one other option.
She gave the room a quick glance-over, gave her jacket collar a quick pop, and almost shyly tucked her hair behind one ear as she approached the befuddled man at the desk.
Only one ear was long, white, and furry. And there was something off about her eyes... were they... yellow?
"At any rate--oh, pardon, sir, are you quite alright? You look a little pale..."
Was it a trick of the light, or was she becoming larger and taller with each step towards him?
Thwack!
One quick hit to the forehead, which he never saw coming. Sabrina's transformation was halted and reversed so quickly it made her lightheaded and queasy for a moment. But she did not let that slow her down or detract from the purpose of her movements: catching the man as he fell and guiding him carefully to the floor. She examined the mark she'd made on his forehead. It would be consistent with one having fallen on their face... with one tweak. A twist to his nose would bloody, but not break it. Then she guided him to said face-down position.
She swiftly stood and went to the bathroom the man had come from. From her coat pocket she produced a rattling plastic container. Sleeping pills? The bottle was opened and pills spilled in the sink and on the floor.
Out she came again, and placed the empty bottle under the unconscious man's hand. He could provide himself with whatever explanation he liked when he awoke. People tend to come up with their own comfortable solutions for things they could not explain, no matter how outlandish it would seem even to themselves otherwise.
Her work done in short order, she spun on her heel to face Jackie. "What did you find?"
Sabrina blinked placidly. She had not, after all, come to impede Jackie's investigation. Stopping her now would not be productive... would it? She raised a doubtful eyebrow as Jackie began to tear into the floor. There seemed no rhyme or reason to such an action.
Well. There was only one other option.
She gave the room a quick glance-over, gave her jacket collar a quick pop, and almost shyly tucked her hair behind one ear as she approached the befuddled man at the desk.
Only one ear was long, white, and furry. And there was something off about her eyes... were they... yellow?
"At any rate--oh, pardon, sir, are you quite alright? You look a little pale..."
Was it a trick of the light, or was she becoming larger and taller with each step towards him?
Thwack!
One quick hit to the forehead, which he never saw coming. Sabrina's transformation was halted and reversed so quickly it made her lightheaded and queasy for a moment. But she did not let that slow her down or detract from the purpose of her movements: catching the man as he fell and guiding him carefully to the floor. She examined the mark she'd made on his forehead. It would be consistent with one having fallen on their face... with one tweak. A twist to his nose would bloody, but not break it. Then she guided him to said face-down position.
She swiftly stood and went to the bathroom the man had come from. From her coat pocket she produced a rattling plastic container. Sleeping pills? The bottle was opened and pills spilled in the sink and on the floor.
Out she came again, and placed the empty bottle under the unconscious man's hand. He could provide himself with whatever explanation he liked when he awoke. People tend to come up with their own comfortable solutions for things they could not explain, no matter how outlandish it would seem even to themselves otherwise.
Her work done in short order, she spun on her heel to face Jackie. "What did you find?"
Quote from Indy on July 25, 2020, 11:28 pmJackie's head and arm were already halfway down the crawlspace before she remembered why this idea, of all her many terrible ideas, was a bad one. She stopped breathing for a moment as she felt the sides of her hole press against her and the dark musty air coiled around her. Even if she knew freedom was inches away, it didn't feel that way.
It was like being back in the mountain's innards again. Like being back in the small box. Instinct pounded at her, compelling her to pull her head out. But instead she could only recall her sister's letter, the page lost but every word seared into her memory. If ever Melinda's plan depended on her, she knew it must mean her sister was desperate.
She heard a thump on the floor. She could only assume one of their problems had been taken care of.
She made a non-committal grunt to Sabrina's query, focusing instead to make her fingers touch the ground. The next part was trickier: she had to breath. Slowly, she let the stale air in with a finely measured inhale as she searched for that which didn't belong.
Dark, mold, dust, wood. It still felt like looking for a needle in a haystack, but at least the haystack was smaller and the needle should be neon.
There! Something sharp, metallic... chemical?
A fist came out from under the floor, scattering linoleum and rotted plywood in every direction. Then the fist sank back down again. Light scattered the crawlspace. Enough that she could see it.
Jackie emerged a moment later, her entire upper body covered in dirt and her ballcap tucked under her arm after it had fallen. Her hair spilled out in a chaotic, tangled mess of filth and grease. Her fist was closed around something.
"A needle in a haystack," she bemused, glancing to the now-unconscious man and - sleeping pills? She whistled lowly.
"Wow, I'm surprised you and Melinda aren't brunch buddies".
She tossed something to Sabrina. It twirled through the air. Upon arrival, it revealed exactly as stated: a small, capped hypodermic needle filled with a neon blue liquid. And a note.
Jackie's head and arm were already halfway down the crawlspace before she remembered why this idea, of all her many terrible ideas, was a bad one. She stopped breathing for a moment as she felt the sides of her hole press against her and the dark musty air coiled around her. Even if she knew freedom was inches away, it didn't feel that way.
It was like being back in the mountain's innards again. Like being back in the small box. Instinct pounded at her, compelling her to pull her head out. But instead she could only recall her sister's letter, the page lost but every word seared into her memory. If ever Melinda's plan depended on her, she knew it must mean her sister was desperate.
She heard a thump on the floor. She could only assume one of their problems had been taken care of.
She made a non-committal grunt to Sabrina's query, focusing instead to make her fingers touch the ground. The next part was trickier: she had to breath. Slowly, she let the stale air in with a finely measured inhale as she searched for that which didn't belong.
Dark, mold, dust, wood. It still felt like looking for a needle in a haystack, but at least the haystack was smaller and the needle should be neon.
There! Something sharp, metallic... chemical?
A fist came out from under the floor, scattering linoleum and rotted plywood in every direction. Then the fist sank back down again. Light scattered the crawlspace. Enough that she could see it.
Jackie emerged a moment later, her entire upper body covered in dirt and her ballcap tucked under her arm after it had fallen. Her hair spilled out in a chaotic, tangled mess of filth and grease. Her fist was closed around something.
"A needle in a haystack," she bemused, glancing to the now-unconscious man and - sleeping pills? She whistled lowly.
"Wow, I'm surprised you and Melinda aren't brunch buddies".
She tossed something to Sabrina. It twirled through the air. Upon arrival, it revealed exactly as stated: a small, capped hypodermic needle filled with a neon blue liquid. And a note.
Quote from Kaqurei on August 31, 2020, 1:28 pmSabrina caught the object instinctively before she even registered it had been thrown. Then she looked at it, and her brows knit together. She looked again at Jackie, confused. She'd smelled this scent on her and her belongings before, since the very day she'd joined the pack. She'd assumed it was a natural part of her biochemistry. Yet the bright blue vial was anything but natural.
"What is this?" she asked, but was already unfolding the paper to read the note.
Sabrina caught the object instinctively before she even registered it had been thrown. Then she looked at it, and her brows knit together. She looked again at Jackie, confused. She'd smelled this scent on her and her belongings before, since the very day she'd joined the pack. She'd assumed it was a natural part of her biochemistry. Yet the bright blue vial was anything but natural.
"What is this?" she asked, but was already unfolding the paper to read the note.
Quote from Indy on August 31, 2020, 7:15 pm"You tell me," Jackie shrugged, as she tried to wrestle her very-uncooperative hair back into the ball-cap, "Everyone seems to have a different answer".
She grunted as a tangle of hair spilled back out from the cap. Irritated, she removed the cap and started to twist the hair into a "manageable" coil - yet the result was nothing short of a rat's nest.
"Maybe I really was allergic to dogs, maybe I'm a super cool bio-weapon, maybe you're supposed to plug it into a night-light".
In a fluid motion, she pulled her hand away from the hair and swiftly trapped it beneath the cap. This time, to her great amusement, it seemed to stay in relative place. She glanced to Sabrina, the self-same shade of her eyes locking onto the neon contents of the vial.
"The better question is why Melinda would want me to have it after she insisted I never touch it again..."
The contents of the note was simple. It listed a local address and taped a small, silver key to the page.
"You tell me," Jackie shrugged, as she tried to wrestle her very-uncooperative hair back into the ball-cap, "Everyone seems to have a different answer".
She grunted as a tangle of hair spilled back out from the cap. Irritated, she removed the cap and started to twist the hair into a "manageable" coil - yet the result was nothing short of a rat's nest.
"Maybe I really was allergic to dogs, maybe I'm a super cool bio-weapon, maybe you're supposed to plug it into a night-light".
In a fluid motion, she pulled her hand away from the hair and swiftly trapped it beneath the cap. This time, to her great amusement, it seemed to stay in relative place. She glanced to Sabrina, the self-same shade of her eyes locking onto the neon contents of the vial.
"The better question is why Melinda would want me to have it after she insisted I never touch it again..."
The contents of the note was simple. It listed a local address and taped a small, silver key to the page.
Quote from Kaqurei on September 1, 2020, 11:36 amSabrina's eyes were hidden under dark lashes as she surveyed the contents of the note. In a flash, she looked up and sought Jackie's, just as they locked on the vial. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. Then gave a meaningful look and a nod. "Perhaps she meant it more as an easter egg or clue than something to be used. But that's for you to decide, isn't it?" She removed the key from the note and tossed the vial and accompanying note back to Jackie. With a half shrug, she raised the key in the air. "I suppose this is how we'll find out for certain?"
Sabrina's eyes were hidden under dark lashes as she surveyed the contents of the note. In a flash, she looked up and sought Jackie's, just as they locked on the vial. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. Then gave a meaningful look and a nod. "Perhaps she meant it more as an easter egg or clue than something to be used. But that's for you to decide, isn't it?" She removed the key from the note and tossed the vial and accompanying note back to Jackie. With a half shrug, she raised the key in the air. "I suppose this is how we'll find out for certain?"
Quote from Indy on September 1, 2020, 10:21 pmJackie caught the vial and note in a fluid motion, her fingers curling around it. The woman studied the contents a moment longer, but she felt nothing towards it. It seemed only a few months ago her skin would itch when it had been too long - but now, she felt nothing, not even as she rubbed her palm along her forearm.
However, that didn't mean the vial meant nothing. She slid it into the bottom of her backpack.
"Sure, Melinda just wanted to remind us the good times we had together last time she was in town," she replied dubiously and glanced at the address, "Let's see what she's been up to this time..."
---
The impound lot fell away. The address listed was only a 20 minute drive away, pushing outside of the bounds of Reknab and into the outskirts of Middlecrest. Jackie pushed the little Volkswagon as hard as it would go, which turned out not to be that fast at all, until the engines started to protest.
For all the drama of finding the place, the destination turned out to be a disappointment. It was a squat, grey building with a small parking lot scarcely filled. From what she could tell, this was hardly a top-secret compound - if the elderly women walking in the front door were anything to go by. She was also pretty sure top-secret compounds didn't provide hard candies in a bowl, either.
"Seriously? The bank?" she grumbled and frowned critically at the address again. She slid it over to Sabrina, "Are you sure I got this right? I'm not paying my overdraft fees, I don't care what she says".
Jackie caught the vial and note in a fluid motion, her fingers curling around it. The woman studied the contents a moment longer, but she felt nothing towards it. It seemed only a few months ago her skin would itch when it had been too long - but now, she felt nothing, not even as she rubbed her palm along her forearm.
However, that didn't mean the vial meant nothing. She slid it into the bottom of her backpack.
"Sure, Melinda just wanted to remind us the good times we had together last time she was in town," she replied dubiously and glanced at the address, "Let's see what she's been up to this time..."
---
The impound lot fell away. The address listed was only a 20 minute drive away, pushing outside of the bounds of Reknab and into the outskirts of Middlecrest. Jackie pushed the little Volkswagon as hard as it would go, which turned out not to be that fast at all, until the engines started to protest.
For all the drama of finding the place, the destination turned out to be a disappointment. It was a squat, grey building with a small parking lot scarcely filled. From what she could tell, this was hardly a top-secret compound - if the elderly women walking in the front door were anything to go by. She was also pretty sure top-secret compounds didn't provide hard candies in a bowl, either.
"Seriously? The bank?" she grumbled and frowned critically at the address again. She slid it over to Sabrina, "Are you sure I got this right? I'm not paying my overdraft fees, I don't care what she says".
