RPGWW

by **Idran1701** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:51 am

"Wh...you think I did that? Why would I do that?"

IM: All right, I have to admit, whoever that is, they got me pretty good here. I'll just have to try harder, then.

by **Endesu** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:10 pm

"Well, sir, the spell seemed to come from you... given that there were no mages around making obvious gestures with their hands, you're the only source we have to look to." The guard talking to him was apparently trying to keep his tone civil, though judging by the look on his face, he was similarly unpleased about the blinding.

"May have been a spell misfire..."
"Or he might just be a shitty mage..."
"Fuck, me eyes."
Came a few random mumbles from the crowd, which, while smaller in number than before, was still sufficiently gathered. Apparently some people had nothing better to do.

by **Uncle Pervy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:58 pm

"Alright, then," says Fresca. "Look, don't worry about it. I didn't learn to be a white mage to not heal people. If I'm needed, let me know and I'll do what I can. I can get a neighbor to look over things." She gives him a smile. "Now get going, before Griff comes down on you for slacking."

by **Idran1701** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:02 pm

Greg stands firm in his denail, not cloaking his personal displeasure in the least, even boosting it a bit.

"Well, it wasn't me. Probably just someone trying to cause some trouble while you all are busy with...this."

He turns sincere at this; only somewhat faked. After all, a man still died.

"Gods...I was talking to him not even an hour ago. I can't believe...when you find the person responsible, I hope he resists arrest, if you know what I mean."

by **Endesu** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:48 am

"Y-yes, M'aam!" The guard saluted her. Even if he didn't need to, he did anyway. And so, he ran off, leaving Kyle and Marie to meet up with Fresca!

End and Kelne, meanwhile, would make quick work back through Doma, and would be at the ranch at some point in the near future.

***

The assorted guards mumbled. The guard talking to him sighed and relented a bit. He seemed to whisper something to a fellow guard, who nodded and appeared to be drawing something.

"If you could just give us your name, sir, we'll let you go. It may very well have been someone else casting suspicion onto you, but it never hurts to be careful."

The guard looked to the unfortunate sod, who was finally being bundled up and taken off for burial. "He was a good man, and will be missed. Rest assured, we will do our best to find his killer. No one can do this to the Kingdom of Doma and get away with it."

(And so I disappear for a week! Everyone, please post, and I'll see ya the Monday after!)

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 3/17/06 18:11

by **Kelne** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:56 pm

Kelne opted to go with a dignified silence on the topic of Inana. He doubted they'd seen the last of the woman, but for now, he would be content with her absense from the proceedings.

by **Dragon Sage007** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:50 pm

Kumo simply groaned as he made his way back to the forest, doing a quick shuffle and a weak healing spell to patch up his neck...but other than that, he stayed completely mundane on his way back to the party in the forest.

The woman was likely bluffing anyway.

by **Endesu** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:46 pm

And so End and Kelne returned to Kyle, Marie, and Fresca, without Kyle ever having gotten to inform his heartthrob of the group of guests that were due to arrive!

"Hey, guys, we're back!" End shouted as he and Kelne approached. "Are we gonna go inside or what?"

He then looked around briefly and noted to Kelne, "Huh, Kumo's still gone. You think he's okay?"

***

Kumo's pain would cease just a bit as the unfortunate neck wound was patched up, but a lingering ache was still sitting there. No matter, though, as he was no longer bleeding to death.

Kumo would find his way to the forest in no time. Naturally, he would find himself completely alone as he made his way back to the former site of the gathering. Based on footprints and all, there had apparently been a few figures that had passed through not too long ago. Kumo could inspect these if he liked.

There was also a slight rustle in one of the trees above him; though if this were due to the wind or some other factor was unknown.

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 6/6/06 16:08

by **Idran1701** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:23 am

(I'm really sorry, End. You happened to leave just as finals week hit for me, and I was so distracted that I actually forgot about the RP until this last post you made. Doesn't make up for it, of course, but I do apologize for my own absence.)

IM: ...Hmm, real or fake? Well, if he does find something out, I would like to be tracked down...looks like I'll have to this time, I suppose.

"Oh, of course, of course. Greg Campbell."

by **Endesu** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:19 pm

"Sir? This isn't her."

Crunching, crackling, and coughing. The sound of electricity crackling out of place fills the air, and the eyes, only a few inches from sealing shut, perceive both the shattered remains of the body and the loose electricity. There are people, as well... the people responsible for this... but their images are fuzzier.

"So not only is it an Android... it's a copy of one?"

"Yes, sir, they must've mass-produced them and left the rest in storage. This one might've been released around the time the second branch of the Corporation finally fell."

There is a crunching sound as one of the figures shoves a foot into the already ruined body and brings it down. The voice, which has been trying to escape the body for some time, finally comes out in nothing more than a whimper.

"I see. Can we use what remains to track down the others? Perhaps it has some knowledge of what's going on on Gaera?"

"No, sir. I've checked. This one is clear of any useful data; all I've found are some irrevelant tangents about its own day-to-day life since its release."

The voice started to shift in tone, going from a simple whimper to a plea that rose to a high enough pitch to be heard by the two out-of-focus people.

"... please... I don't want to die..."

"I see. Well, I'll dispose of it. Go back to the ship and set out the scanners for the next signal. We'll go through the entire mass-produced lot if need be." One of the figures went out of view, leaving the one who had been giving the order, who turned to look, downward, at the ruined being.

"please..."

It raised a sword of some sort...

"please...!!"

... and brought it down. And all went black.

by **Endesu** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:21 pm

The guard nodded, and indicated the name to yet another guard, who jotted it down. "Thank you for your time and sorry about the apparent misunderstanding, sir. If you could clear out for the time being? This is still a crime scene."

Apparently Greg was off the hook for now. He would have to leave the area, though, given the clear order to leave he had had just been handed.

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:47 pm

"Oh, yes, of course. And good luck to you all."

Following the guard's order, Greg heads off into the crowd. Once within the throng of people surrounding the crime scene, he begins making his way in the direction he last saw the mysterious woman. If lucky, he may yet be able to catch up with her. And if not, he heads home; after what just happened, he doesn't want to be without the rest of his equipment if he can help it.

(He'll head off down that way for about 5 minutes. If there's no sign of her, he's heading back home to pick up the stuff he's not currently carrying with him sans flamingo head.)

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=idran1701>Idran1701</A] at: 6/6/06 16:44

by **Endesu** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:05 pm

By that time, unknown to Greg, the mysterious woman had taken to the rooftops and had been involved in a brief chase with a Moogle. Given those circumstances, she was nowhere to be seen in that direction. Five minutes later, this would become all too evident.

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:10 pm

This now being evident, Greg does that other stuff. Once he has retrieved his equipment, he heads back to the marketplace, at a bit of a loss for now, and proceeds to discretely observe various conversations as he moves through the market, in the general area of the crime scene but staying a reasonable distance from it.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=idran1701>Idran1701</A] at: 6/6/06 16:15

by **Endesu** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:27 pm

As he passes through, he'll hear snippets of various conversations, quite a few related to the current case, some not.

"What do you think of all of this?"
"Dreadful, absolutely dreadful!"

...

"So there's actually someone out there killing people like this! I thought this was a safe kingdom."
"It will be; the guards just need to find the culprit."

...

"Do you think there's just one killer, or perhaps more than one?"
"I'm not sure..."

From what Greg could glean from these conversations, most folk were still frightened and just as confused as he might be about the circumstances. If the mysterious woman he had seen earlier was somewhere in the crowd, she certainly didn't make it obvious.

However, something could always come up. It was up to Greg whether to stick to investigating the marketplace or report back to his employer and inform her of the current situation.

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:45 pm

IM: Well, no luck here. Might as well report in.

And report in he does, heading back to the home of Jikuro, to let her know what he's found.

by **Dragon Sage007** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:11 pm

Kumo was at a loss as to what to do next...considering the fact that he really couldn't take on that woman who'd already threatened his life and the fact that he was just a little paranoid, he was strongly considering just sitting around and waiting.

And then he remembered the fact that other people were dying. Screw sitting around. Do your best to throw a monkey wrench into things, damn the torpedos, that sort of thing. He started following the tracks...

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:40 pm

As Greg reached Jikuro's place, he found the sign still up, albeit slightly modified:

"Apply for job inside.

Fucking knock, you dumbshits"

***

Upon further observation, Kumo would find multiple sets of tracks.

The oldest set of tracks apparently belonged to Kumo and the others upon their arrival here; and a similar set of tracks went right over them, slightly fresher but still given to age.

There was yet another set of tracks; this of two people, one with much bigger feet than the other. They appeared to come from much the same way as Kumo and the others had come from and left through. They seemed to intersect with a third set of tracks that ran into theirs. This set of tracks returned in a similar direction as the first group's, followed by the mystery third person for a brief bit of time before disappearing completely.

There was one last set of tracks. They seemed to stem from Doma as well... but from a completely different direction. The tracks were wide and made a complete circle around the area before stopping before the original sets of tracks.

This set of tracks, ominously, stopped there.

It was up to Kumo what to make of this.

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:31 pm

Following the directions on the sign, Greg knocks on the door, waiting for another blast from the irritable elf.

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:24 pm

The door swung open violently, and Jikuro took a firm, noisy step out, looking at Greg for a moment with just a hint of annoyance before finally speaking.

"Gregory again, huh? You're one of the first people to have returned. Let's just hope that you've got something worth the money that's being spent on you."

She stepped back inside to the place, motioning for Greg to follow (and, obviously, close the door behind him) as she went to sit back by the table. The table was now covered with a wide variety of papers in addition to a few opened books. She had apparently been rather busy in his absence. "So, tell me what you've found out so far."

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:28 pm

Closing the door, Greg follows her back into her home.

"Well, got a possible suspect. Someone...something, rather, that was kinda' suspicious around the crime scene. Oh, dunno if you heard yet, but there's been another victim; a guard, this time."

"But anyway...I'm out, gathering leads, and this guy bursts in, shouting about the second murder. So, I go out, check up on it, and he's there in the crowd, calm as can be. Then, while I'm watching him, this other guy - a ghost or something, maybe, but he didn't really look that transparent - anyway, he steps out of the person's body, into another guy's, and starts moving away from the scene. I start following him, just strolling through the crowd as best I can, so as to not scare him. He definitely reacted to that, though, I could tell. I tried to slow him down, but he still managed to get away."

He frowns, continuing on.

"Lead's dead for now, couldn't pick up his trail, so I figured best thing to do would be to report in. Maybe it's someone you know, or someone you were suspecting. Sound like anything?"

by **Dragon Sage007** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:27 pm

Kumo immediately looked up into the trees, wondering if the set of tracks that stopped were a mage's who could teleport, his own, or just a cleverdick who could jump well...or worse, fly.

by **Endesu** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:15 pm

Jikuro frowned. "I can't say I know many people who can 'phase' like that, but I do definitely have a few suspicions about who's behind this crap."

"... but, since you found something that can be used to our benefit, here's your second installment." She tossed out a second sack of gil to Greg, and if he were to check, he would find it did indeed contain a thousand gil once more.

"Now, then... given the circumstances, if that person was indeed the killer, or someone connected... they know your face. And they might be wary of you. So we'll have to come up with a better way to investigate. Any ideas you have are welcome, to be sure..."

***

Kumo would see only a momentary shift of something brown and fuzzy in the branches above. Something small, and certainly not the size of the being that had made these final set of tracks.

For that matter, he couldn't see the source of these tracks anywhere. Whoever had made them had a nasty habit, to be sure.

by **Idran1701** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:55 pm

Grabbing the bag, he trusts that it's the right price; however much it is, from the weight, it's more than worth it.

"Well,...disguise, misdirection, they are some of my specialties. Can't stop someone that checks me out astrally, but anything short o' that and I should be fine."

He pauses, considering the options, as he gets a sudden realization.

"Oh, right, might have a clue to his identity. Whoever this guy is, he's got some strong light magic. Real light, that is, not holy stuff. Somethin' he calls 'Seal of the Sun', a big blinding flash. Sound familiar?"

by **Dragon Sage007** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:12 pm

Kumo shrugged, figuring he'd deal with things as they came, and started following the third set of tracks. If nothing else, it gave him something to do.

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:33 pm

Jikuro paused for a moment, a slight twitch of irritation opening up on her face. Greg would see a vein alarmingly throbbing in her forehead for a moment as she appeared to be poring over his information in detail.

"... if this involves who I think it may involve, this may have been the dangerous case I originally thought it to be." She stood. "All right, you say your specialty is disguise? You need to go find the best one you can get. Something that will change your appearance entirely. I'd recommend altering the voice and eye color as well, if at all possible."

"Now, I'm not here to tell you how to personally investigate, but... I'd recommend checking out the place you were first gathering leads at, they might still be watching the place for you, and you can always investigate any suspicious types. Ditto the marketplace, though I'd wait a bit until the general population clears out. Key to looking through the marketplace, obviously, will be to not make yourself conspicuous." She paused for a moment, and added a last note. "Also, if you can recall anyone else in that crowd, besides this person who got away, as suspicious, try to recall them and ask around. You never know."

"Finally, if you can, return here after dark and let me know anything you manage to find."

***

Kumo would find that all tracks appeared to disappear a few steps after they had stopped. A confusing sight, to say the least, and one that would force Kumo to consider if someone was playing around with him. Nonetheless, he pressed on in the general direction of the tracks, hoping to get somewhere and do something, already.

Edited by: <A>Crawling Reshiki</A> at: 6/21/06 9:24

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:06 pm

Greg appears surprised at this admission, shifting a bit in his chair.

"...He's that dangerous? Well...er...voice isn't a problem, or at least accents aren't. Got some experience with those. I think I can manage the disguise part.......so, when you say dangerous, just how dangerous are we talking? I mean...I figured I'd be getting into something when I heard about how they were killed...can't be worse than that, can it?"

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:10 pm

Jikuro looked at Greg flatly. "Given that the going rate for solving the case is 10,000 gil, just how dangerous were you expecting this case to be?

Now, I'm not going to say anything just yet about who they might be. I might, by some infintesimally small chance, be wrong.

However, if I'm right, you need to keep from making any mistakes. A single mistake will make you a liability, one that could possibly be traced back to me. Something like that will end up in both of us getting fucked over."

She paused. "Oh, and you do have a good weapon, right?"

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:40 pm

"Dangerous on the level of people having their brains stirred to goo, at least. Not sure what'd be more dangerous than that, but if it's there, I'd like t' know. And my weapon..."

He draws it, showing Jikuro a nasty-looking serrated blade, with what appears to be some sort of runic inscription upon it.

"Got it a few months ago. Got an enchantment on it; slash someone, and if you use it, keeps 'em bleeding. For a while at least. Dunno how effective that part'll be if this guy's some kinda ghost, but should be magic enough to do more than just pass through 'em, at least."

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:56 pm

Jikuro nodded. "Better than nothing."

She sighed and folded her arms behind her head. "Like I said, I don't have one hundred percent confirmation on this yet... but from what I can gather, you've crossed paths with a very nasty assassin that I had a brief run-in with some time back... under some... different circumstances." She paused for a moment, and continued.

"She's the main reason I'm recommending you stay disguised. From what we... er, I have on file about her, she's very dangerous... and very persistent. She knows what you look like, now, and may or may not be on the watch for you. Hence my warning."

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:02 pm

"...She? Is she a shapeshifter or something? The guy I saw might have been incorporeal, but he was definitely a guy."

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:08 pm

"Something of a shapeshifter, yes. I haven't seen how well she can change her appearance, but she's managed it a few times. She also has the ability to trascend bodies and assimilate them into herself, eventually replacing them entirely as her body essentially devours their own. A risky move, to be sure, but one that likely comes in handy when she wants to hide.

Sounds like you spotted her in the midst of the latter. Do you see why I'm warning you so much now?"

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:22 pm

He nods, frowning.

"Yeah. Nasty sort, I'd say, from th' sound of it. I've got a few tricks up m' sleeve, though, still; hopefully, it'll be enough."

by **Kelne** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:07 pm

"Kumo ought to be fine. He's probably gotten caught up in healing people." Kelne wasn't overly bothered. They'd left Kumo in the middle of town after all, surrounded by people. And it wasn't as if he was stupid enough to go down any dark alleys.

... Probably.

by **Endesu** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:40 am

Jikuro nodded again, and stood there for a moment. "So... you waiting for something? That's about it, unless you want me to make you feel you're in even more danger just by being here."

by **Idran1701** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:42 pm

He smirks as he stands, resheathing his sword.

"No, no, I'm feelin' plenty worried for my life as it is. Once I learn more, I'll let you know."

Nodding to her, he heads out, closing the door behind him, and heads home, considering what disguise would be best suited for this particular situation as he walks the streets of Doma.

by **Endesu** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:23 am

And so Greg headed home, pondering his next move.

As he jaunted homeward, he would slowly become aware of a suspicious phenomenon: with each step that he both visibly and audibly took, the sound of a step directly in synch with his would come about from somewhere around him. A quick visual check would confirm the presence of no one there, but continued steps would result in continued steps from the unknown.

The steps would match his in clarity and would either speed up or slow down based on his own speed. If he were to stop entirely, the steps would stop as well.

What would Greg do?

***

As they were steadily approaching the general area of the ranch, End frowned a bit over Kelne's response. "Y'think? Demon half or no, Kumo's just a kid, and for all we know, he mighta ran into trouble. I do wanna check it out, but since we're guests and all, 'd be rude to just break and run..."

As the proper host of the occasion, Kyle could feel free to place his honored guests in any room he felt best fit the situation for a good sit down. End was already taking in the ranch, before outside but now inside as well, and he seemed to like it.

*

Edited by: <A>Crawling Reshiki</A> at: 8/31/06 16:00

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 6:13 pm

IM: ...Well then...

Greg does a quick sweep about him astrally and telepathically as he continues to walk, looking for anyone that seems to be following him as he moves.

by **Endesu** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:17 pm

As soon as Greg did this, he would indeed be able to sense something following him.

However, a quick scan up, down, left, right, and sideways would reveal nothing immediately threatening in the area around him. Indeed, whatever was there was not immediately visible.

However, a further effort on concentrating and focusing his astral and telepathic abilities would reveal that whatever was following him was dwelling within his own shadow, which, while not visibly betraying any foreign presence, emnated quite a bit of suspicious energy.

by **Idran1701** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:00 pm

IM: Well, that's an odd one. Why the footsteps, though?

Greg continues walking, though no longer heading home. Instead, he changes his path slightly, heading in a somewhat different direction, so as to keep this fellow from finding out where he lives too easily. As he does so, he looks out for the most well-lit area or building he can find along his new path, coming up with a good excuse for standing in or entering it as soon as he finds something appropriate.

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