5283/Cultist Crackdown

Cultist Crackdown
Date of Scene:	31 May 2017
Location:	The Tapestry
Synopsis:	Paladins interrogate the arrested cultists and manage to get some factoids from them.
Cast of Characters:	Eryl Fairfax, 1110, 707, Rebecca Chambers, 20, Kotone Yamakawa, Sir Gawain

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Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    It was decided that, owing to their unusual powers, the cultists should not be held in their city of origin. If they can tear water pipes from the ground and make a man's apartment attack him, who's to say whether or not they could just tunnel out of the local prison? Thankfully, there have been no incidents while holding them in captivity out-of-state, though they have proven to be terribly uncooperative in regards to questions.

    Thus, it's time for more specialized interrogations.

    Eryl has the assembled Paladins gather in the Ward Preston State Penitentiary, just outside the meeting rooms that will be used as interrogation rooms. "Thank you all for volunteering. Just a quick summation of who these people are, what we would like to know, and what you are not allowed to do while you're in there. Each and every one of these cultists are involved in civil service in some say. Some are middle-management in various departments; some are road workers or botanists for public parks. A very broad mix or organizational and blue-collar."

    "We want more information on this cult and its activities," he continues. "Why is it working with gangsters to obtain endangered animal pelts? Is it behind the embezzlement of $50,000 from the funds of events held at the Animist Chambers? To what end? And most importantly, what is their goal?" He stops for a moment before adding, "Key terms to bring up include Lance Arbast, a founder of the city and the cult's apparent 'master.' Even though he's long-dead, his voice was heard in the ritual we interrupted. Another term is 'Urban Breath,' which may be the central figure of the cult's worship."

    Another pause for breath, before he dips into a more serious tone. "Now. I'll leave the details to you all as to how you'll approach this. But to be clear, do not put them under any kind of physical duress, and no excessive mental duress. Don't even lay hands on them if you can help it. If you have to choose between getting nothing from them and putting undue pressure on them, always choose the former. Because if you choose the latter, even if you do get anything, it's tainted by the potential of them saying what they think you want to hear."

    He gestures at the eight doors. "They have charts with their names and their observed behaviour on them. Pick one, and take it in with you." Thankfully, they're all in braille, so all in attendance can read them.

Chevalier (1110) has posed:
    Chevalier holds up one steel-clad hand to shoulder-height. "Question." he asks. "What do we know for sure about this cult, and what do we suspect?" he says. Sometimes it's easier to start with getting answers to things you already know, or to act like things you guess are known facts. "Also, what do we most want to know? Guess that's more than one question." he adds, sounding like he might be smiling behind his visor. "I guess you've said what it is we most want to know, but the rest might be valuable info so we're not blindly poking around."

    It sounds a bit rough really. Very limiting. If they can't inflict physical or mental duress, what possible reason would these cultists have to cooperate?

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"That takes most of the fun out of this, doesn't it?" Xiaomu remarks mildly at Eryl's overview of the limits on what they can do.

She's joking, of course - the sage fox just isn't inherently mean enough to really beat up someone (or worse) that she's trying to get information out of - but it's the *threat*, implicit or explicit, that usually starts extracting information. Still, the guy in charge isn't wrong, either: you apply too many threats or too much actual pain or injury, the subject gets desperate enough to just throwing out information that may or may not even be true, let alone useful.

It's a balancing act of human psychology, when you get right down to it. And it's probably a lot easier if you're human.

For now, Xiaomu riffles through the files on each of the eight prisoners. There is, admittedly, quite a lot she hasn't had a chance to pick up about this affair with the animal pelts and stuff, so she may not know that much about what details are required. She stops on the first page of one file, "Did anyone else particularly want to question the botanist? I think I might be able to put the fear of kami into him." She double-checks the name, "Or her. I thought that was a 'him' name ..."

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
Interrogations? Well, Rebecca's been called in to interrogate some people that have been captured, mainly Umbrella operatives who were caught and brought in for questioning. So she's got the idea behind how to conduct an interrogation.

But cultists? This is going to be a new one for Rebecca. Regardless, she's ready to take care of it all.

Still, she does have some doubts about this. Namely in that they might expect her to try to break the suspects using harsh measures. That's not the type of thing Rebecca does, except as a very last resort.

Regardless, Rebecca looks to Eryl and says, "I'll take whoever. I've no preference." She nods to Xiaomu and adds, "You can take them if you want."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Interrogations? Well, when a certain metalbender had heard about it, she had expressed interest. Which shouldn't be so difficult to understand for people who know her well enough. A penitentiary isn't perhaps the most common place to see teenage girls in there, though she wears her Paladin badge clearly on her clothes. Toph also looks rather serious where she stands, listening to Eryl as he gives them a quick briefing on the task at hand. Nothing is said, though she does not. No physical or mental things that will make the information they want to get useless. Which makes sense. Not that Toph plans on being too rough anyway. But it's understandable that Eryl needs to make things clear.

    When they're done, Toph heads over to one of the charts, picks it up and sees if she can find somebody interesting to interrogate that the others aren't that keen on. "I'd prefer somebody who might underestimate me. That might make it easier to get info out of them," she asides to the others.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"... Also, what kind of food can we get out here?" Xiaomu wonders. "Anything good, or do we need to ask Fayt or somebody to bring a bunch of pizza over?"

There's a reason why she's asking that, and it's not because she's hungry. (She has fried tofu for that.)

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is here clad in her stealth suit she's even got hte tatical goggles on to hide her face she knows they got to deal with this cultist and has to wonders just whats going on. she goes over the list of objectives keeping them in her hud for easy ref later. She now is moving in to find out just what the heck is going on here. She does not take cults like this lightly she knows how things might go wrong, she's seen kingsmouth after all. So hser she is striding in after Xiaomu she knows they can't do it the way oh an old friend of her might do. Stil George's way was the sort of thing she really couldn't do anymore.

She also is going ove the files for the moment.

"Hummm i can place an order if needed."

She thinks about te botinist now and ponders maybe they should seek out Inga for consltation on this matter.

She'll move to take one of the taken cultists and will do what she can once it's time to question them.

"I'd like someone i'd have a hope in heck of getting anywhere with. Though i'm debating making my nature clear to them it might help to get them to talk without causing any...wait no hummm crap."

Sir Gawain has posed:
Sir Gawain, Paladin Warden, is here in his more formal clothes, and immediately steps up to Chevalier. The superhero might think Gawain is sizing him up, based on how the knight is looking at him. "Double Chevalier! I'll be assisting you in your interrogation, so please lead the way." None of his armor or his sword are present, but his badge clearly says 'SIR GAWAIN', so.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl looks to Chevalier and says, "Very little, I'm afraid. It's been the subject of a rigorous disinformation campaign over the years. All we can guess is that it was founded by Lance Arbast, and involves strange rituals that are spreading arcane energy throughout their city. As such, anything you can get out of them is something we want to know. If you need advice for what to ask next, just ask over the comms. I'll be listening. That goes for the rest of you also."

    Xiaomu's confusion is understandable. The botanist goes by Leslie Jackson, which is a pretty unisexual name. The behaviour report states that he is quiet and unassuming, and spends a lot of his yard time just staring at the sky. Indeed, when she enters, his eyes are fixed on the window and the big blue beyond. Rebecca is waved over to the room holding Janet Revial, a tough old biddy from a secretary pool. Her gray hair has retained a perm this whole time, and she glowers at the young medic as she enters.

    As for Toph, Eryl nods and indicates one of the doors. Behind that one is a Tully Foresmith. His chart indicates that he's an electrician who works the city grid. He seems to be a bit of a traditionalist regarding social roles. Probably the type to underestimate a child. Indeed, when the young girl enters, his yardbrush moustache bristles with indignation!

    Kotone is waved over to the cell of one Jasmine Urakesh. Apparently, she's been pretty antsy the whole time she was here. The one most likely to crack, or so it seems. She doesn't even look up as Kotone enters, just fixates on the table before her. And lastly, Chevalier and Gawain team up to tackle the leader of that little congregation, Louis Paulton. He's got that look about him that would make nervous mothers cross the street to avoid crossing his path, all shrunken and gaunt. He's smirking, even as the two enter the room.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
When the door closes behind her, Xiaomu says ... nothing. And she keeps saying nothing as she begins to walk around the perimeter of the cell, keeping her eyes on Leslie. She's not walking terribly fast, just taking one step after the other as leisurely as if she were prowling the aisles at Comiket ... but instead of trying to bounce her attention among a dozen or more different tables and booths, it remains fixed on the botanist-turned-cultist.

Or was it cultist-turned-botanist?

Either way. She continues circling him, her vulpine ears occasionally twitching as if she's listening to something nobody else can hear.

If he doesn't say anything, Xiaomu finishes two full circuits of the cell without saying so much as a syllable ... the silence and the stalking might be enough to loosen his tongue, for all she knows. Or maybe the sky outside that window has his full attention?

Chevalier (1110) has posed:
    Chevalier's used to being measured, and seems unaffected by Gawain's scrutiny. "Right you are." he says, looking at the Knight. "... Sir Gawain." He grins inwardly. He should ask how Galahad and Lancelot are, later. Anyone's guess if he'd be expecting a literal answer or if it would be simple countersnark for the Double Chevalier.

    He walks into the interrogation room, huge, gleaming and silent. Behind his visor he begins to stare, both to let his presence do its work and to see if his special senses can pick up anything. Glimmer Sight is mostly useless, but it might at least confirm that there's something to learn. And who knows, it might actually give him a hint to work with.

    After an intense staring session, Chevalier finally speaks. "Assaulting Paladins." he says, shaking his head, the closed-face helmet going side-to-side in mock dismay. "A real badass, resisting arrest. Embezzlement, Criminal conspiracy. Given what you're facing, I'm surprised you let them take you in alive." he intones.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
She may be old and possibly mean, but Ms. Revial is not going to get the best of Rebecca (or in this case, Officer Chambers) during this whole interrogation. Already, even though she's being glowered at, Rebecca's got a stern glare of her own readied as she heads into the interrogation room with folded arms. Ms. Revial may think she's got a lot on top of this eighteen-year-old field medic, but Rebecca is about to prove her otherwise!

The moment the door closes, Rebecca turns to face Ms. Revial and says in a tone that indicates she's not going to be taking any crap, "Listen up and listen up good. My name is Officer Chambers, and I will be conducting this interrogation." Her stare doesn't break once as she walks around the table. "I don't expect you to be talking willingly, but that is perfectly all right with me, as I am sure I have dealt with worse people than you."

After a moment of staring, Rebecca sits down opposite Janet Revial and looks her in the eye. "I'm hoping you'll make this easier for both of us and answer my questions. After all, you've got quite the laundry list of charges I've read. Embezzling funds, trafficking contraband, smuggling things, just to name a few." She narrows her eyes at Janet. "I don't know how a woman like you does that!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It does take slightly longer for Toph to read through her chart after Eryl has pointed out a door for her, trusting him to pick a mental opponent that is suited for her less than conventional talents. But she nods, putting the file underneath her arm as she walks into the interrogation room. "Good luck, everyone," she says to the others, not without a slight smile to her features before stepping inside.

    Once there, she keeps on smiling. Hmmm, is the guy waiting inside at the table tense? Not really, but he might be in not too long.

    "Good day, mister Foresmith. I am Toph Beifong of the Paladins, and I'm here to interrogate you. How's your stay been?" she asks, sitting down in the chair with all the decorum she was taught as a young girl. Her expression is soft, and she doesn't seem nervous at all. "If you cooperate, then we can make the stay even better for you, I promise!"

    Now let's see how he reacts to this all.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is now sizing up jasmine for the moment as sh enters. She sees they look at the table and she'll move ti sit down before jasmine. She doesn't say a thing but she does push the visor up fromher eyes so she's abit less faceless. Though now Jasmine might see something's off with her eyes if she takes a good look.

"Jasmine Urakesh, correct? it seems here your in a good deal of trouble. Given my experiances with ... occult matters? Your very luckly to be alive, I do not speak about your arrest but in what you were trafficing in. I am Kotone Yamakawa i'm with the Paladsins and I'd like to speak with you about the incident."

Sir Gawain has posed:
"It's a pleasure!" Gawain replies to Chevalier, as they head into the interogation room. While Chevalier is playing bad cop, Gawain moves to grab a water bottle from somewhere, bringing it and putting it on the table. It's unopened. "Mr. Paulton, I'm Warden Gawain. We're here to figure out what happened that night, in the basement, and what your intentions were. I'm hoping we can cooperate peacefully and put this all to rest!"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    It is time for the interrogations to begin in earnest! Xiaomu gives Leslie a strong dose of the silent, threatening treatment. He regards her for a long moment but when it's clear that she's not going to say or do anything, he returns his attention to the window and the sky. A botanist works with plants, he's probably used to long silences.

    Janet and Rebecca glower at each other, the room's temperature seemingly dropping between the two. As Rebecca rattles off her intro, she snorts and says in a raspy voice, "You're barking up the wrong tree little missy. I don't know a damn thing about any of that. Why don't you toddle off and binge drink with your college buddies instead of wasting my time?"

    Tully just continues to stare at Toph as she introduces herself. Finally, he says "Yeah, get someone proper in here and maybe that's a start. I'm not opening up to anyone though, especially some brat who thinks she can cut it as some kind of cop." She would feel his heart pounding with anger. This isn't some feint or deception.

    As Kotone speaks with Jasmine, she replies quickly. "We weren't doing anything wrong. When you burst in with weapons, we have a right to defend ourselves, don't we? You can't keep us here, let us go!" she demands, the words babbling from her mouth. She seems... very tense.

    Chevalier's Glimmer Sight reveals something... unnerving. Some kind of gray, unwashed pall hangs over Louis. It's evocative of the buildup you might see under the wall-mounted fan in a back alley behind a restaurant. The man smirks at the two who come to speak with him and opens the bottle of water, before upending it over himself to wash his greasy hair. "We were doing fine work. I don't understand why I am being arrested for it. I am a respected analyst at the Department of Commerce, ask anyone."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The bender blinks, then cants her head without her expression changing due to his anger. "Awww, you're not going to get the good treatment that way. I mean, I know you have to be loyal to Mister Arbast and all, but... really. You should talk now. No sense in holding your breath, you know." Here she pulls out the charts, letting her fingers run over the paper quickly. "This cult of yours... have you been in it for long?" Her ears listen intently for any reaction from him. "I do warn you though, if you don't answer me, I'll have to get serious. And you're not going to like that, for the record."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"Any interesting weather?" Xiaomu asks, beginning her third circuit of the cell. "You know, if any of the plants you're responsible for need a person's care in watering or pruning them, they're going to be in trouble if you're locked in here indefinitely."

A few steps of silence follow.

"And you may be locked up in here for a very .... very ... very ... long ... time ... but ... you don't *have* to be."

She lets silence fall again.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
Janet is in a very cranky mood, unsurprisingly enough. Rebecca, however, isn't fazed in the least bit at all. She simply brushes off the insults without the slightest hint of being bothered by it. "You can throw whatever insults you want at me. I don't care." She stands up and begins to pace back and forth. "It's up to you if you want to prolong this or not. I have plenty of time to be in here with you. The only thing that's going to happen is that this will take longer than need be." Rebecca's demeanor remains firm and authoritive as she speaks.

As she paces around a few times, she adds, "So you might as well start talking now. We've got quite a bit on you, and I'm sure there's more dirt to be dug up." She then slams her hands on the table and looks closer at Janet, this time getting a bit closer, but not too close. "If you want to keep insulting me, that's your problem, not mine. I'll have you know that I graduated college already, and FURTHERMORE..."

She gets a little closer now with narrowed eyes. "I don't drink alcohol at all!"

Chevalier (1110) has posed:
    "Put this all to rest. In Peace." Chevalier says with a dry chuckle. He doesn't really sound very amused. Possibly like he's heard a joke and is trying to remember how normal people will react. "Good one, Gawain." he adds.

    Briefly Chevalier considers slamming his fist down on the table. That could splinter it like it were being struck by a wrecking ball. In fact, that's almost exactly what would be happening. It would be dramatic, impressive as hell, and would probably fall under the rules of not inflicting undue duress. Pity.

    "I don't care if you've got a certificate of sainthood signed by the Pope himself." Chevalier states, smacking a fist into his armored palm instead of smashing the table. The crash of metal on metal is loud, louder than it has any right to be. "Your connection to Lance Arbast puts the lie to that. Besides, you'd have to fake being trusted before you could embezzle. Smart guy like you should know that. Too bad you were dumb enough to get caught."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa says "You were attempting some form of ritual summoning. What were you trying to summon? Are you so certain you could trust whatever you may have been promised?" She knows such cults are bad news but she keeps talk she listens. "You do but your actions were poentially putting the entire city if not more at risk tafficng with a thing from beyond the viel. They can be convicng by often seek only ruin and those who ... usher them in tend to be the first to die or worse."

Sir Gawain has posed:
Chevalier's playing it pretty hard. Gawain just smiles idealistically at Chevalier as he replies to him, a genuine smile, as he follows up to his reply to the suspect with an earnest plea. "Whatever was going on in there was dangerous. We want to help you, as well as everyone in the city. If you're being threatened by Lance Arbast's evil spirit, we can help you! We just need /you/ to help us, so that no one gets hurt." There's a pause, as he walks around the room, before turning to Louis. "You work for the city, after all. Can't you see that this is dangerous?"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Tully sneers and crosses his arms. "Don't you dare invoke the Master's name, you little shit! I'll not let you slur the name of the man who took me in and nurtured me for ten years!" Well, Toph got an answer, in a roundabout way.

    Meanwhile, Leslie turns and gives Xiaomu a faint smile. "You're making an assumption miss. I'm not an arborist because it's my passion. It's just work. Honestly, I hate plants, but we all have bills to pay." He regards the foxwoman and shakes his head. "You'll need stronger threats than that. All this steel and concrete? I feel right at home."

    Janet rolls her eyes and leans back in her chair. "Oh, I get the bratty prude, how lucky," she says sardonically. "And you're a college gal, that explains a lot. No real world experience eh? Listen toots, you want to get someone to talk, don't just shout at them to talk. Gotta give 'em a little incentive, like this!" Her head suddenly comes forward, trying to slam against Rebecca's while she leans in!

    Jasmine shakes her head frantically at Kotone. "No, I swear! The Urban Breath would only revive the life of our city, make it thrive! That's what it does, it's the vital spark! I...!" She frowns, and very suddenly clams up. What she said is gibberish though...

    Louis turns and spits at the feet of Gawain and Chevalier both. "Don't you dare invoke his name," he snarls. "The Master loves us, he only wants out help to bring about the glory he foresaw." He turns his dripping head to sneer at Chevalier. "Easy to say that I'm dumb when you brutes swooped in and swarmed us unawares. Tough guy like you would have probably loved to be there cracking heads, but you draw the short straw. Go on, take a swing, I'm sure your buddy won't mind! Hahaha!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The sneer makes Toph lean forward a bit. "So he's alive then. Because according to sources he's supposed to be dead. That doesn't bode well for you, Tully-wully. Is your 'master' behind the embezzlement too? Doesn't sound like something a truly good person does. Or does that mean that you're truly a criminal? Not that I didn't expect so, considering all cultists are crazy people. Heh, wouldn't surprise me if you're just a small fry who didn't know what's going on... oh well, that's why they sent me here I guess!" the blind teen says, shrugging a bit. It seems this guy is easily angered. So let's fire up underneath that and see if he babbles some more.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"Oh, is that why you saw nothing wrong with aiding in the buying and selling of endangered animals?"

Xiaomu's smile is, ostensibly, a fairly pleasant one ... at least if Leslie's looking at her mouth. Xiaomu's eyes are NOT reflecting that smile, though; she looks at the professional botanist almost exactly as though she's sizing him up for a meal. And her ears are angled up and back like she were streamlining herself for a pounce.

"Or was that just another means of paying your bills? Help sell off some pelts or a few tails, it's not like anyone will care ... they're just animals. Right?"

It's probably a REALLY good thing that Xiaomu didn't bring weapons in for the interrogation. As it is, though, she's aiming to put out enough 'predator' vibes to make Leslie question his continued safety.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
Fortunately, Rebecca's quicker than Janet is, and she pulls her head back away from the old woman just in time to avoid being head-butted. "Incentive? You want me to offer you incentive? How about you start talking now before I add on a charge of attempted assault on a Paladin?" The way Janet's acting, one could easily lose her patience, but Rebecca's got quite the display of discipline here. "Hitting me isn't going to solve your problems in the least bit. It's only going to make things harder on you." She stretches her arms over her head as if she's bored more than anything. "So if you want incentive, then I suggest you start telling me what I want to know and then we'll see what we might be able to come up with!"

Rebecca turns to face Janet again. "Tell me about Lance Arbast! We know that you're in line with him, and we want information about him! And also, what's this about 'Urban Breath?' Is that some kind of code name for someone, or is that how dentists describe the way the stench of their client's breaths after they've joined your cult?" She folds her arms and stares at Janet. "And don't give me any more lip!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa takes note of what the woman said she boots up an internet to look for the terms she spoke of anf she keeps talking. "Your intents may have been good, I am afraid I'm ignorant. What are the Urban breath? How did you want to make it does?" She looks at her sympathically. "I do wish to help you but I do not fully know what is going on here and i'd like to better understand things."

Chevalier (1110) has posed:
    "Oh don't worry." Chevalier states, leaning forward to loom. "Gawain won't be leaving us alone together. And even if he did, you're in no physical danger here."

    Somehow, the way Chevalier states that sounds like a threat nonetheless. Possibly a simple legal threat, perhaps something more sinister. He straightens once again, shifting and relaxing. "I don't NEED to break you. Given what your cult was up to, we can put you away long enough you'll forget what the sun looks like." He shakes his head again, looking to Gawain. "No point appealing to his civic duty." he says. "This guy's in on this all the way to his neck. He's no pawn, he's a willing agent."

    Chevalier pauses, looking back, then shakes his head once again. "It's not like he'll convince us this 'glorious' plan would actually do good. No, he's going down hard." he states firmly.

Sir Gawain has posed:
It seems playing 'good cop' isn't going to help too much - this is the boss, and he's too indoctrinated. So instead, keeping up his naturally pleasant demeanor and attitude, Gawain brings up a subject. "Have you heard of a man named 'Jimmy the Nose'? He worked as a middle-man for your group and the gangsters. Several weeks ago, he was almost killed, because several inanimate objects started honing in on him as if he was a threat." There's a pause. Gawain's watching for reactions. "Lance Arbast's abilities, shown that night, make him a suspect. Your master may have tried to kill a man. Are you alright with that? Can you accept that? Is killing people a price you're willing to pay for your 'plan'?"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Tully is furious right now, but he takes a long breath and sits back down. "Hah, a child's way of thinking. He must be alive since he's not dead, no concept for things in between. He has no need for money, that was for us to get what we needed." Though, calling him small-fry riles him a bit more. "I'll take Louis' chair once I'm out of here, and then I'll take H-!" He shuts his mouth /hard/. So, someone higher in the cult has a name or title starting with 'H.'

    Leslie just continues to give a banal smile as Xiaomu starts creeping in for the kill. "You're correct. Nature is fundamentally disgusting and must be tamed or put to use. Those were dumb, base creatures whose parts were put towards something greater, the advancement of human progress. You may have stopped us, but our great work will continue."

    Janet smirks at Rebecca as she pulls back, though that smile turns to frowns when Lance's name comes up. And that frown only deepens when she says 'Urban Breath.' "You're saying names you don't understand, little girl. Don't ask questions you won't like the answer to. The urban breathes, so that you don't have to," she says, the last part sounding like a quote from a chant.

    Jasmine clams up as hard as she can and shakes her head. "I just... I want to see my husband. It was all supposed to be for him. The city cut his benefit because the nurse came to visit on one of his good days and ruled him as capable of work. It's so awful... it needs to be cleansed, improved..."

    Louis smirks at Chevalier and nods. "Oh yeah, I bet those others are spilling their guts about how this was going to be a good thing, but I know better. It'll be everyone getting exactly what they deserve." He giggles to himself softly, before answering Gawain. "Oh, him. Considering our plan will kill a lot of people anyway, of course we don't mind killing him. Damn useless fool though, I told Jennifer that we did-" He stops, and shuts his mouth. Jennifer is not the name of any of the cultists they've arrested.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu goes COMPLETELY still, save for her eyes (narrowing) and her ears (canting back further).

"'Dumb, base creatures' ... is that what you see in a fox? Or a racoon dog? 'Filthy animals'? 'Things' that don't deserve to get in the way of human advancement? Is that why you look down on Nature? You believe the city should breathe, humans should pave over every last blade of grass and cut down every tree so humanity reigns supreme and unchallenged?"

It's not quite the key words 'Urban Breath,' but it might be close enough. And with Eryl refusing to let her handle this guy roughly, harsh language really *is* about all Xiaomu has to work with.

Fine. She's got PLENTY of harsh language to work with right now. Just .... she also has to use it towards a purpose, which ... is not really what she wants to do.

"You know nothing human lasts forever, right? No matter how tall the tower or how deep the dungeon, Earth abides beneath that. Worship Metal all you want, but it melts and corrodes, returning by Fire to the Earth ... Wood grows once more, and Water washes away what's left. All things in Nature return to Nature in the end. And your 'Urban Breath' won't save you."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The blind girl arches an eyebrow at Tully. "Okay, I might be young, but you're seriously asking me to believe in zombies here," she says, trying to sound less serious than she is. She's witnessed a lot of weird variations of being alive, or semi alive, and well... maybe somebody has used some weird tech or magic on this cult leader?

    It's a good thing he's easily riled up, and when he continues babbling, Toph can't help but smirk a bit. "Louis? My buddies are talking with him now, squirt. As for H? What were you going to say? Ha.... He..." Let's start with saying some syllables and hear if he reacts to her saying them. And if so... let's close in on some common names. "Henry? Harold? Hector? Harry?" There's a more determined look on Toph's expression now, and the carefree attitude she had earlier is now gone.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
As soon as the mysterious woman being speaking about the urban breath, Rebecca logs this in her datapad. Then she turns to face the woman again. "Cease this immediately! If you continue to chant like this, I have clearance to gag you!" She narrows her eyes. "This is your only warning! Now cease this nonsense and start telling me what I need to know!"

Janet may think Rebecca is bluffing, but she's got a gag on hand if need be. She doesn't want it to come to that, but you never know.

Chevalier (1110) has posed:
    Chevalier smirks behind his faceplate. Okay so the bad-cop thing was just a role, but it's a role that gives him at least a measure of satisfaction. "We got that recorded, right? This guy confessing to the murder of Jimmy. Confessing to conspiracy to commit murder." He turns his back on Louis, not at all afraid of potentially being assaulted, fully regarding Gawain instead. "That's enough to put him away the rest of his life right there. No point in offering clemency now."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa says "So your family is in need of medical attention? I see the Paladins could be able to heolp with that if you co operate with us on what going on." Desperation that seems to be it and she's clearly intending to help that is if her superiors don't quash it. "You coule make a deal with us what's the nature of your husband's condtion it sounds like a caseof the 'Amerian' health care system. It also sounds like there's other problems to deal with in your city."

Dirty peope in the medical sector there? That might be worth looking into.

"I know your desperate but turning to things like that? I have been desperate hell I ... been horrible injrued with ... little hope myself."

Sir Gawain has posed:
"Not only attempted murder, but also a declaration to commit mass-murder. Mix that with the other charges..." Gawain's moving to be a bit more serious, but he's still Gawain, which means it's oddly contrasted against his natural cheer. "Far past his lifespan, easy. And then their 'master' will be stopped, once we find this Jennifer. Checks of interactions between all of you should dig us something up, a name, and from there, the man with the initial 'H". Unless, of course, you're willing to help us with the rest?" Gawain's doubting it, but he has to have faith that this man might be able to change his mind.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Leslie begins to giggle. "Oh, you're right. You're right of course. Cities crumble without people there, and people are weak and fragile. Nature takes care of itself, so the blasted thing will go on without us." He leans in, and sneers at Xiaomu. "But what if concrete sprouted and grew like trees? What if lights came on and off like a flower bud opening and closing with the time of day? What if the works of man had all the advantages of nature? How long do you think your precious animals would last?" He leans back in his chair and cackles madly.

    Tully has thoroughly clammed up now, only leering at Toph. As she starts rattling off sounds, his heart seems to spike a little when she hits 'Hi.' But then when she goes straight into names, he... relaxes? He continues to glower, not giving his relief away, but his pulse begins to settle. That might be the wrong track... somehow.

    Janet looks at Rebecca with incredulity, before lapsing into laughter. "So uptight! Oh dear, you're not going to last at all when the Urban Breath comes back. If you don't just melt under his glare of glass and light, he'll crush you with his concrete fingers." She continues to giggle and slumps on the table.

    Jasmine looks to Kotone tearfully, before shaking her head. "He's already gone... I've nothing else to live for. But that's okay. If my death sparks something greater, bigger than all of us, then it'll all be worth it." She lapses into silence now.

    Louis smirks. "Intention to commit mass murder? You poor stupid fools. That's just a side-effect of what we have planned. And even if you find Jennifer, you won't find who you think you're looking for, and they're the one who matters. Can't wait to see you all struggle and fall short!" And with that, he says nothing more, and only smirks.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Oh." Toph blinks when he reacts to her saying the syllable 'hi'. "So it begins with 'Hi'," she continues, rising from her chair... and begins walking around the table towards him, narrowing her eyes a bit. "But it's not a first name. Is it a person at all?" she prods, listening to his heart rate and breathing. This guy can't hide his reactions, he's a horrible liar...So let's ask general questions. "Is it a place?" That could always be a possibility. "An event?"

    "I have all day, and I will know when I'm on right track, even if you don't speak. You won't be able to hide the truth from me, so you might as well tell me." Eryl never said anything about psyching them out!

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
When Janet slumps over, Rebecca rolls her eyes. "I don't have time for games!" She puts her head in front of Janet's, albeit ready to pull away again if she tries to headbutt her again. "This is your last chance! Start talking!" It's obvious now that Rebecca's running out of patience here.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu looks at Leslie for a long moment as he cackles; it takes a LOT of self control to keep her anger under wraps.

Humans. Humans and their oh-so-vaunted 'civilization'. This is an old, far-too-familiar conflict for her, and one that doesn't depend on the kind of superstition that she spent centuries trying to hide from; just simple humanocentric cultural egotism. 'We're smart enough to build things, so let's build all the things everywhere' ...

She turns and walks out, her steps as slow and measured as when she first entered and began circling the cell. One, two, three raps on the cell door to signal that the guard should open it. More measured steps as she leaves.

She's ... actually WAY too controlled right now, for anyone who knows her, but once the cell has slammed shut behind her, she finally lets the rage start burning in her eyes. She hadn't gotten involved with this investigation before now.

She's going to be taking it really, *REALLY* personally going forward.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa looks at her for a moment and replies "I am sorry for your loss and there are other things to live for." To be a pawn of a crawling horror She shakes her head a bit buit looks at her for a moment.

"So you think this will make the world better? Why do you have a idea of what would happen if you were successful?" Kotone's not blinked /once/ during this converstation with the woman as she waits watching her for anything of note.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Tully looks frantic now as Toph threatens to just keep saying things until she gets closer to what he was going to say. So he resorts to the only thing he can do. With a sudden, explosive movement, he slams his head against the table, impacting hard enough to knock himself into unconsciousness! He can't give any unconscious cues if he's actually unconscious.

    Meanwhile, Janet lifts herself from the table, and smirks at Rebecca. Blood is gushing from her mouth, and she sticks out her tongue. Both to mock the medic, and show how viciously she's gnawed on it to keep her from saying anything more.

    Jasmine is crying, but she crosses her arms and says nothing more.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
As soon as Janet shows her tongue has been gnawed on, Rebecca rushes in to try to stop the bleeding. She proceeds to secure Janet's arms so she can't resist, before applying some gauze to the tongue. She proceeds to wrap some temporary medical tape around it to keep it there. The strange taste Janet might sense is some green herbs that Rebecca crushed into the gauze to help with healing. After that, she smiles a little bit. "You've given me some information, believe it or not. I thank you for your time."

As Rebecca heads out of the prison cell, she notifies one of the on-duty staff about what happened. "Get a medical team in there just in case. I secured her, but you still want to keep an eye on here."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Yes, this is in the bag. She can do this, only a select few people are good enough to lie to her face without her being able to read them correctly. This guy? He's simple. So she should have this information ready even if she has to stay here all night, but that would be a small price to pay for actu--

    Just as Tully moves, Toph blinks and reacts, at first thinking he might be attaking her as a last resort. But then he slams his head in the opposite direction, down onto the table, causing him to go unconscious. And Toph? The blind girl blinks, then cusses up a storm that girls her age really shouldn't be uttering.

    Part of her can't help but worry that people will think /she/ is the one who knocked him out too.

    Just to be certain she doesn't touch him, as she can tell that he's breathing normally. So that's good. The metalbender grumbles, looking annoyed. "You stupid wimp... didn't even have the guts to face me..." Well, he better be ready for Toph being there to interrogate him more if need be. After she's gotten medics to treat the weirdo.