Scene #7554: KRE: The Lodge-3

Owner	Pose
Go Shijima	February 27, 1989 Twin Peaks, WA Great Northern Hotel 11:14AM "Big, majestic trees they have out here," says Agent Cooper over a cup of coffee. "What do you call them?" "Douglas firs," answers Mari, before Sheriff Truman can answer. The sheriff smirks. "That's right. Douglas firs." "Douglas firs," says Agent Cooper, grinning like he's trying on a new ten-dollar word. "Oh, Strawberry," says Mari, waving her over as everyone piles in for the morning meeting. "Ronette wanted to speak with you. She said something about wanting some pointers for flying? And Sheriff--were you able to find someone to help Harold?" "Andy's on it," says the sheriff. "He's not bright. But in Harold's case, that's a point in his favor. Plus, Andy's loyal and considerate. It might take him a while, but Harold'll warm up." "I'm glad," says Mari. "What's the plan for today?" asks Keitarou, enjoying the INDEPENDENT DECLARATION OF CHEFS salad this morning.
Go Shijima	LEADS: Bobby Briggs - Haru spoke at length with this troubled young man. While it doesn't seem likely that Bobby and BOB are the same, he is evidently in deep trouble besides. Bobby owes $5,000 to a local drug dealer, and evidently shot a courier sent to kill him. Garland Briggs - A general with the US Air Force in charge of a top secret installation somewhere in the area. Lilian spoke with him, and found that Bobby had grown distant with him; moreover, that the general has no idea what his son or Laura were up to. He was fond of Laura and proud of his son. He also provided a transcript of a message received by the installation's deep space telemmetry, undoubtedly from BOB. James Hurley - Xion and Strawberry met with James and convinced him to stay in town. He expressed an interest in becoming a 'rider.' Were it not for the evidence found by Cooper, Ronnette's testimony, and the connection Tomari made, James would be the primary suspect. He had one half of the heart locket Xion found on Laura's body. More on that later. Ronnette Pulaski - A girl assaulted by BOB, who named him explicitly as Laura's killer. She is also the Owl Orphenoch. Ronnette says that BOB wears a 'mask,' which only the gifted and the cursed may see through. She is among this special few, but unfortunately, sight of BOB and sight of his mask are mutually exclusive. In other words--Ronnette can point BOB out, but has no idea who his 'mask' is. Harold - A shut-in with agoraphobia. Tomari learned from him that Laura kept a sordid secret diary. Among the many entries in this secret diary are fearful screeds about owls watching her and telling her movements to BOB. Ben Horne - A business partner of Laura's father Leland. He's planning to buy out the lumber mill to begin development of a suburb known as 'Ghostwood.' Apparently, he managed to find an investor from Japan. Jacques - A drug dealer and pimp who works as a bartender at a place called the Roadhouse. Bobby owes him five grand and it's likely Jacques will try to have him killed. Bobby speculates that there's a special place in the Roadhouse's VIP room where the proceeds of his side businesses are kept. The Arm - An entity somewhat like BOB, which appeared in a dream to Agent Cooper and Tomari. The Arm is, unlike BOB's active, predatory aggression, a more voyeuristic kind of malicious spirit. He offers cryptic portents and tidings, but whether his ravings are advice or trickery is hard to say. BOB - Piece by piece, more is learned about this entity. Lilian and Tamamo learned its name from their scrying two days prior. Tomari learned that he fears only one other being in Twin Peaks--"Mike." There are two people in town who might match this description--Mike Nelson, a high school student, and Philip Michael Gerard, a traveling salesman.
Go Shijima	GAME PLAN: AGENT COOPER can help with the INVESTIGATION, combining the resources of the Bureau with his own extremely unusual deductive style. Dale Cooper is a strange man, with strange methods, but they're undeniably effective... KEITAROU and MARI can clue you into where EVENTS may be going on, the both of them quite used to jet-setting around in Keitarou's well-loved van. Occasionally, one of them may give a call if they believe there is something you ought to see... SHERIFF TRUMAN has lived here all his life, and knows the PEOPLE of Twin Peaks well. There is a certain understanding between him and his deputies that seems to transcend just professional rapport...
Shinnosuke Tomari	AT THE DINER: "We need to find Mike. There's two: Mike Nelson, and Philip Michael Gerard. Student and salesman, respectively. They're the only one BOB fears. I believe it's the latter, but...someone should go look for the former, too, just to be safe." Tomari says, as he straightens his suit, finishes his coffee. "Tell me about the latter. Travelling salesman, right? Does he live here?" LATER, AFTER THE SHERRIFF'S EXPOSITION: The Tridoron pulls up to Philip Michael Gerard's residence (or workplace). Tomari has his badge ready, and is ready to go find and talk to the man. He needs to figure out if this is the right man, and if so, recruit him to the fight.
Muramasa	With the crisis at the bank resolved, and the group turning in for the day, Muramasa had heaved a sigh of relief. That night, sleep didn't come easily, as he restlessly watched the moon from his window. The next day, Muramasa sips on his morning tea, looking up to Mari and Strawberry Princess with an unreadable expression of contemplation on his face for several moments before he smiled lightly, "I was thinking of checking up on her, myself. If she's up for it, perhaps we could go together?" The entity called BOB had murdered Laura, they knew this for a fact. He himself had also been able to tell that she had been attacked in her hospital room, resulting in the stand-off at the bank. If anyone could clear up some of his questions concerning how A.) got to D.) ... or, the sequence of events from Laura's death to her attack on the bank, it was none other than Ronette herself. While investigation was not necessarily his strong suit, he did believe that understanding this was key to figuring out what their next move would be. Besides all of that, it also couldn't hurt to make sure she was doing alright, given everything that had happened.
Hamada Haru	Previously, Hamada Haru has kept to himself. Walked through walls to leave his hotel room, and generally been off doing who-knows-what until he turns up mysteriously at the site of what's going on. It's pretty annoying and less-than-conducive to actually getting anything done with him, and he hasn't been especially open about the intel that he's come up with. That is, until today. So he actually turns up to breakfast today. Haru isn't really properly dressed and very obviously came out of the shower only a little while ago. His hear is damp but not wet, slicked-back, and a scent of mango lingers on him. His manner of dress is the don't-give-a-fuck of somebody boarding an international flight in a few minutes; blue pajamas, and slip-on shoes. What's the plan for today? asks Keitarou. "I'm going to run down a drug dealer who put out a hit on a high school student. You're coming with me," he says, matter-of-factly. Haru orders toast and a couple of eggs over easy. Then he carries on, "I have no idea if it's actually relevant to the case at hand. But given the population of this town and his previous willingness to have a murder committed, I imagine he knows something useful."
Hellwarming Trio	Utsuho: "Douglas firs." Rin: "Douglas firs." Utsuho: "Who's Douglas?" Rin: "The guy selling the furs, duh." The two are having a blast sampling whatever's on the menu via sneaking bites of whatever's left behind, supplementing their breakfast with actual orders of small things that aren't too much of a drain on their funds. With so many potential leads and plenty of people to look into each one, they start to mull over their own plan of action. Utsuho: "Where's the last place someone would expect us to be looking for stuff?" Rin: "Somewhere smart humans would go to first to look at stuff?" Utsuho: "Exactly. Checking out the drug guy would be too obvious, and that owl lady's too close to me." Rin: "Right, right. But then that leaves..." The pair turn to Agent Cooper, each boldly declaring "Ben Horne!" in unison. "We could probably get some good info out of the guy ourselves, but do you want to ask him any stuff yourself?" asks Utsuho, flapping her wings once with a confident grin plastered on her face. "You wouldn't even need your car to get there if you want to see things from way up."
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry Princess staggers downstairs at just about six on the dot. Cold shower, brush teeth, get dressed- you can't fit much more into your morning routine if you want the trifecta of a reasonable amount of sleep, a non-tyrannical bedtime, and an early start. There's no real reason to be up that early; it's cold and probably foggy outside, and the town is just starting to stir to life. But habit is a powerful thing. In the early morning hours, she sits up on the Great Northern's roof- God knows how she got up there- and lets her hair finish drying, dripping down the back of her shirt just a little. Watching the waterfall is soothing. Playing puzzle games on her PlayBrick is even moreso. Finding her up there is hard, but if anyone does, she enjoys their company with a quietly contemplative air. When the meeting kicks off, she's down there with the rest of them, sipping her too-sweet coffee and tucking into an order of eggy bread with fruit. (Thanks, Lilian!) "Miss Pulaski? Really? That's... I guess I'm flattered, but I hope she isn't pushing herself too hard," she muses around a cheekful of food. Her brow is furrowed in gentle concern. "Yeah, I'll go. ... This town is- it's still a dangerous place, isn't it? If she can handle herself, it'll make things a little safer for everybody." She flashes Muramasa a little smile. "Absolutely! I know- we haven't gotten many chances, to work together. I'd like that. You'll probably be better at answering- uh, asking her questions." Her plate's totally and completely clean before she settles her wand carrying case around her shoulders and pushes herself up from the table. "Ready to go when you are, Mr. Muramasa?" A phone call and a (hopefully) short walk later, she'll be meeting up with Ronnette. It's not hard to tell she's quietly jazzed about the prospect of taking someone under her wing.
Go Shijima	Tomari: PEOPLE - 'Mike' Sheriff Truman: "I dunno what to think about all this BOB stuff. But I know even though nobody -likes- Mike Nelson, nobody'd be afraid of him. Philip Michael Gerard, though... he's a strange one. Maybe you're right to check him out." Agent Cooper: "That wouldn't be the shoe salesman, would it? Hm... I met him, in Tulsa. He was a suspect in Teresa Banks' murder, but we cleared him. In another time, another culture, he may have been a seer, a shaman priest. In our world, he's a shoe salesman and lives among the shadows. Keep an open mind, Shinnosuke." Mike stays at a different hotel. A motel, actually, or 'motor hotel' as Cooper explains to the non-Americans present. It makes sense, for a traveling salesman. Twin Peaks, WA Timber Falls Motel 12:15PM It takes a bit of patience. The motel isn't far, but Mike apparently gets up early in the day to be about his work, and the clerk at the front desk of the hotel (after a Paladins badge is flashed) explains that Mike only comes back to sleep, and, curiously, to take his meals. Tomari is able to catch him when he returns. Standing before Shinnosuke is a man with one arm--the left sleeve of his blaser is empty and tucked in. He wears a turtleneck and dark dress slacks with unassuming, yet comfortable-looking loaders. He has thinning brown hair, and a salt-and-pepper beard. Perhaps he's in his early forties. He's currently rearranging inventory in the back of his RV. "Oh, hello," he cheerfully intones, not really looking at Tomari. "You've caught me at lunch, but if you'll give me a--" The moment he sees Tomari, he appears to truly -see- him. Mike steps forward. He exits the RV--keeps walking forward even if Tomari backs up--and offers his hand to shake. "Shinnosuke Tomari," he says with sudden strain. As if something were fighting to surge up from beneath. He staggers backwards, reaching into his coat pocket for pills. Haloperidol, the label says. His hand shakes. The bottle drops. His back slams against the RV, and then... Calm. What does Tomari want to know?
Shinnosuke Tomari	Tomari is willing to wait. If Cooper wants to come with him, he can, though he laughs at the idea of going flying with Utsuho. "Whatever you choose, agent." At the motel, once Mr. Gerard shows up, Tomari doesn't think much of him. Just a salesman. Maybe he can answer a few questions, maybe he'll be Mike- And then he feels it. The gaze. Like someone's looking straight into him. When Mike offers his hand to shake, Tomari takes a breath, tries to calm, and shakes Mike's hand. "Philip Michael Gerard. You're the one. What's...what's haloperidol? Does it..." He makes sure no one but anyone partying with him is listening. "Does it stop you from what you just did? Does it keep him out? What's the situation? Listen, this is going to sound sudden, but I need your help. A girl has been murdered, and the entity that did it is still out there." He doesn't say 'why you'. Mike can probably figure that out, just by context. Tomari instantly trusts Mike, and if Mike is as intuitive as he appears, he can trust Tomari.
Muramasa	With a small smile, Muramasa shotguns his tea and deposits his paper cup in the trash. By the time Strawberry is ready to skidaddle, he nods and reaches for his coat; "I'm comin'!" In contrast with Strawberry's excitement, Muramasa has a more serene air about him, unable to resist a small chuckle. She sure is a go-getter about this, huh? Well, it's not like I don't understand how she feels.
Go Shijima	Muramasa & Strawberry: PEOPLE - Ronette Pulaski Sheriff Truman: "I hope so, too, Strawberry. But Ronette's always been stubborn. I'll phone her father so he's not too jumpy when you two show up." As it turns out, Ronette would be very glad to be Doing something right now. There's a wharf, a little ways away from the lumber mill, a gravelly beach that's perfect for practicing new Orphenoch abilities. When Muramasa and Strawberry come to see how she's doing, it's the place she suggests. They can even get some flying practice in--though Ronette isn't a confident enough flier yet to be carrying people. It's hardcore parkour time for Muramasa. Twin Peaks, WA Gravel Beach 12:15PM When they arrive, it's to a beautiful sight. A gravelly shore welcomes cool, gently rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. Those Douglas firs are reflected in broken multitudes across the water. There is a pleasant, salty smell in the air, and a foghorn blows in the distance. There's even an old fisherman--Ronnette names him as Pete Martell, who gives a friendly wave and seems unconcerned with the Owl Orphenoch. Word passes quickly in Twin Peaks. Ronette's landing isn't too good--her posture is like a kid that's afraid to jump from a big height, and she isn't using her talons effectively. "This is a lot harder than I thought it'd be," she says, a little winded from the trip there. She sounds frustrated, too--she might be the sort that demands much of herself. She'll take a breather, and solicit some advice from Strawberry. Now would be a good time for Muramasa's questions, too.
Tamamo	Though one may guess that Tamamo rises with the Sun, she doesn't come downstairs for breakfast until some time later. Any intervening time is a mystery, but clearly sufficient to have found a less stand-out outfit. White blouse, plaid skirt, and a sweater with arms wrapped around her waist. Any potential benefit to this disguise is, of course, immediately destroyed by the continued presence of fluffy tails. "The mysteries here do run rather deeply, do they not?" Tamamo says, after finishing off her brunch. The syrup agrees with her, so she's continued to try it over every dish it could conceivably work with. "If nothing else, for debts of trifling sums of silver to be paid with the blood of young men sits with me ill. I would see that matter settled, whether it holds some key to other mysteries, or otherwise." Turning to directly face Hamada Haru, Tamamo asks, "This being understood, my talents may be more necessary in other fields. There are some items, already retrieved, that may have connections that can be read. I have, as well, abilities of persuasion and the enforcement of contracts. Should you think these useful in the matter of dealing with this dealer, please remember that I shall not be far away."
Lilian Rook	Lilian is not downstairs at crack o'clock this time, and thus Strawberry has an extra couple of hours of peace and quiet. She arrives shortly before what'd be called 'brunch', and, sending some time at round table in the morning, Lilian shares her findings because she has no reason not to. Sharing (a copy of) the printed transmission from the observatory station (with everyone but Utsuho and Rin, whom she believes certainly cannot be trusted to keep their mouths shut) along with General Briggs' description, she concludes "As I suspected, 'Bob' is a shared thread in the lives of those surrounding each individual case." She is able to at least vocalize the name without the same air of dripping, skeevy menace as it always strikes her. "An entity that has possibly been endemic to this area for a long time, or who appeared here at roughly the same time as Bobby. "I can tell you firmly that nothing about the 'Bob' entity is mundane. This outlines a strong pattern of serial attacks along sympathetic social lines, and almost ritualistic process. We can rule out a material or ideological motive at this point, and this kind of gratification isn't something common to ordinary psychopaths. I'd trust Pulaski's testimony here, insane as it might sound; though it's a low probability you'd simply run across it, I recommend sticking together in pairs for that reason." "We don't yet know what 'Bob' is, what it can do, or why it wants these things, but I believe there's a high probability that its intended pattern is, or at least was, to move on to Bobby next, or else move through Bobby to another person in his life. As of such, I'd like to suspend any kind of criminal processing on the Briggs boy's involvement with drug trafficking. I want to know more about this Mike and I want Bobby's drug connections brought in. I'd like to look into the military's business here a little more myself, but I'd also like to know more about the business connections surrounding Laura. Namely, Ben Horne and his investors. A shot in the dark for certain, but bulldozing out sections of ancient nowhere-land can often be the trigger for malicious entities to appear in human civilization, and that sounds like his intent." Since Shinnosuke seems to have Mike in mind, Lilian sees him off. Because Haru intends to handle Jacques, and is even taking a buddy to stick to pairs, she stops him long enough to actually hand him five grand she had apparently earmarked the other day, and says "I'm expecting it back by the end of the day, less five hundred if you can get him conscious in a room with me and no police or riders once you're done." Then finally nodding along, she adds to the group "Since hearing about that matching 'T' in the related murder, I'd like to request that the evidence locker be turned out again so that Tamamo can perform on the magazine piece itself; I believe it to have a separate, relevant history to our case, different than just the body itself."
Muramasa	Understanding, Muramasa is perfectly fine with having to keep up on his own, and lets Strawberry begin her basic instructions after they'd gotten the introductions out of the way. She seemed like she needed to get out and about, rather than just stay cooped up -- this felt .. good. Real. They were helping. "Trace on." Rather than reinforcing his entire body, since he only needed to be moving about, Muramasa utilizes the magecraft instead to strengthen the muscles and bones in his legs and feet, as well as his shoes. Running directly up the side of a building with speed and ease, he trails closely behind Strawberry Princess and Ronette as they fly, sprinting over rooftops, leaping hither and thither from telephone poles and street lamps to ensure he didn't lose track of them. Being able to move like a Servant had its benefits, afterall. They take a break near a wharf, and Muramasa inhales deeply, taking in the scent of the water and shore. A moment of quiet passes as they all catch their breath, and Muramasa smiles genially, "That wasn't so bad, was it? Though, trying to overcome your sensibilities as a human to fly isn't easy, I don't think." Pausing briefly, he decides to cut to the chase instead of beating around the bush, "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some things, while we're taking a minute to sit back. If you could, then, it would probably help us out immensely .. so that no one has to go through what you, or your friend did." Looking the Owl Orphenoch in the eye, his gaze softens, "Let's start with the 'beginning'. After the attack, you were hospitalized for some time ... according to the nursing staff, you were losing your mind. But I don't think you were. Can you tell me what happened between your hospitalization, and the second attack in your hospital room when you fled to the bank?"
Go Shijima	Tetra and Delta: INVESTIGATION - Jacques Renault Mari covers her mouth in shock. Keitarou's expression darkens, and his fist clenches. Keitarou: "Yes. I am." Twin Peaks, WA The Roadhouse 1:00PM The Roadhouse is what everyone in town calls it, but it's actually called Bang Bang Bar. It's one of thsoe situations where no one who's from here calls it what it actually is. A quirk of small towns. The place itself is the sort where people go to have fun of varying levels of sleaziness. In the afternoon, there's not much going on here, but it is theoretically open. The place is two floors, mostly of wooden make, surrounded by a thickly forested screen of wilderness. Dirt roads lead to and from the place, and in the interest of saving money, the parking lot is all gravel that crunches beneath Haru's boots and Keitarou's sneakers. Delta frowns when he exits the cleaning van. "Isn't that Bobby's car?" He points it out. A muscle car from the 70s, lovingly cared for, painted in a metallic shade of 'British racing green.' A fat man with a bow tie exits the front of house, his curly hair matted to his head with sweat. His eyes are fixated on the car, at first. Scanning it. Considering it. Haru knows this look, when Keitarou doesn't. It's 'what am I going to do about this.' It isn't until after a moment's consideration that he spots the two men. "Help you boys find something?" he asks in a French-Canadian accent. "Place is open, but you might have more fun tonight. Don't have no girls working now, live music don't start till later, neither." He licks his lips.
Go Shijima	Rin and Utsuho: INVESTIGATION - Ben Horne Twin Peaks, WA Great Northern Hotel 11:20 AM Agent Cooper: Good stuff! He ought to be in his office now-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF43b38k0Mw The old jukebox in the corner of the dining area whirs to life. Approaching Rin and Utsuho, in red pumps, a pencil skirt, and a beige sweater, is Audrey Horne, Ben's daughter. But 'approaching' isn't the right word. As the odd lounge music turns heads bleary-eyed with pre-breakfast haze, she dances over to the two of them. With a sly smile on her face, Audrey points to a door that says 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' as Cooper looks on in mute confusion. "You're looking for my father? He's in there. He keeps the door locked when he's on business calls. It'd be a shame if someone heard." Clink. Audrey drops a dull silver key on the table, near Utsuho, giving both gremlins a wink--the sign of a fellow gremlin. She brushes her dark brown hair aside, and sashays her way elsewhere. The voice on the other end of the door can be heard through it. And the key.. that'll allow them to come in at exactly the wrong time, if they like. The voice on the other end must be Ben Horne. "There, you see? When you handle these things with tact, there's no need to panic. ... No. But we'll take care of her next. ... Good. And just to be clear, you didn't use your... 'new talents' to handle him? Good. Good! Sometimes the old-fashioned way really is the best. I'll see you soon." Agent Cooper makes an emphatic thumbs-up for Utsuho and Rin. He then makes to leave with Tomari, to see about this Mike character...
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry doesn't "unsheathe" her wand when they meet up with Ronnette- instead, she reaches inside the case to press a button and flip a switch, and powers the wand up while it's still slung over her back. No costume transformation today; the pastel outfit acts as a convenient flightsuit for high-stress situations, but keeping up with Ronnette and Muramasa is positively sedate activity compared to her usual rigorous aerobatics. 04:59 Rather than her usual dizzying dance of G-tolerance stances, she wordlessly demonstrates a flight-style perfectly suited to Ronnette's abilities the whole trip over: building altitude and turning it into swooping momentum, taking smooth and wide turns to mimic Ronnette's more birdlike agility, and hard-landing and kicking off of roofs or tree trunks to abruptly change her momentum or facing. Strawberry doesn't need to swoop for speed; she can beeline at near-supersonic velocities. Strawberry doesn't need to kick off the environment to corner hard; she can swerve so tightly it threatens to juice her own brain. But somehow she still has this entire secondary aerobatic style etched into her muscle memory, solely for instructing people with different limitations than her own. It's prettier and more elegant, for sure. "Don't worry," she tells Ronnette with a little sympathetic wince as they land. "It looks so easy when birds do it, right? But they cheat. They've... they're programmed, with that muscle memory. We're not." Strawberry unslings her wand from her back again, checks its timer- barely a minute left, now- and uses the remaining time for demonstration and answering questions. How to recognize updrafts and take advantage of them; what muscles to tense and which ones to slacken to use your legs like shock absorbers; the principles of keeping your head on a swivel and maintaining three-dimensional awareness. Somehow she manages to give a master's dissertation without ever resorting to complicated words. It's probably because she doesn't know many. As the conversation transitions into Muramasa's questions, she adds: "You're sure you saw BOB in the bank, right? Because- there were only three people there, I think they said. And that'd... that'd narrow it down a lot, if it was really one of them. His host. If we showed you those people again, could you point him out?"
Hamada Haru	Haru nods towards Tamamo. "You can come along, if you want. I don't know that it'll be of any particular interest. If not, I'll get some communication to you if it looks like your particular expertise is needed." On the subject of Bobby and BOB, his attention swings to Lilian. "I've been speaking with Bobby a lot. He's not the murderer. Too disturbed by having killed somebody in self-defence, and at other things that he's done of lesser importance and severity. I wouldn't imagine that having that name is a healthy thing in this situation, but so far he acts like an ordinary person at that age who happens to be involved in something fucked up." He pushes the cash back, though. "One, I'm not interested in being responsible for your money. Two, you're wealthy enough to flash this much so I know ten percent is far below the rate I'd charge you just for my time much less for getting actual sketchy shit done. Three, Bobby is easy enough to talk to and doesn't need to be roughed up in a back alley interrogation room," Haru folds his arms over his chest, surveying the people present. He nods towards Tamamo, "If in-depth questioning of Bobby is what's desired, I think she's the best for it. She has the right appearance, attributes, and mystique without presenting as a hostile authority." Back towards Lilian. "That is to say, she doesn't act like a cop. But the supernatural elements of her being line up well with presenting an oppositional force to the entity." Not BOB. The entity. A WHILE LATER... THE ROADHOUSE... Hamada Haru transforms into Kamen Rider Tetra partway there, because he actually has absolutely no intention of showing his face to this guy-- among other reasons. When they arrive he swings off of his motorcycle, joining Delta and stopping abruptly when attention is called towards Bobby's car. Kamen Rider Tetra looks at the car, but no sooner has he done so than somebody comes outside. Somebody who looks nervous. Somebody who, based on his body language, based on everything, is absolutely their mark. Delta doesn't realize it, but he does. He likes the rougher company. Immediately, Tetra taps the center of his belt and strides forward. HISSATSU! The belt declares, an eerie fog settling in around Tetra. He walks forward determinedly, more like a horror movie monster himself than the hero he's probably intended to present as. Tetra springs forward on a dime-- he's fast, unreasonably fast, and stops just as abruptly directly in front of the fat man. He plunges his hand through the man's chest, settling it in the vicinity of his heart. It's not a fatal wound, or a wound at all. Tetra's hand and arm is ghostly, passing through and then hovering there where the man's heart rests. "Drug dealer. Would-be murderer. You are all I'm after," Kamen Rider Tetra says. "Someone killed a young woman. Addict, dealer. You're in the local supply chain, this is your territory. You know something. Answer."
Tamamo	"As Lilian said," continues Tamamo, "I may divine the cause of the item's inclusion. Its own history is unimportant, before the moment in which it was removed from some magazine, but it held some meaning to the one who took it. If there is such meaning, and I do suspect this, knowing of this span of time may be of some use." Among those things she doesn't explain: Tamamo's divination is, unlike the investigative tact of material analysis, a matter of using spirits and catalysts to either isolate important moments in time for careful review, or else to reveal the meaning of something in terms of its connections to other things of importance. It tends to be 'people' who have the weightiest threads of Fate, and leave the most obvious marks, but she can't guess what she'll find until she follows them. The faintest result would be a collection of concepts meaningful to the one who handled the object.
Go Shijima	Lilian and Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Psychometry & Ghostwood Sheriff Truman: You two would know more about that than me. We can head down to the office and get that stuff out of evidence. My truck's parked outside. As for Bobby... he's a good kid, underneath all that ugliness he's gotten himself wrapped up in. I don't have any problem with a soft approach, there. Maybe we could even look at what he did as self defense, considering. Sheriff Truman will indeed offer both Lilian and Tamamo a ride back to the office. Lucy, the space cadet working the telephone, has coffee set out for them, and Deputy Hawk procures both a map of Twin Peaks and a sales brochure for 'Ghostwood' at Lilian's request, while the FBI's forensics expert Albert procures the evidence for Tamamo. In Lilian's case, the planned Ghostwood development has Glastonbury Grove as its center, stretching outward to encompass the lumber mill as well. "That's bad," says Hawk, with a frown and a furrow of his brow. "Lilian, that's really bad. People have gone missing in Glastonbury Grove over the years." He makes a hushed voice. Hawk, and Sheriff Truman, make a special gesture. A stroke of the finger, on either temple. "By now," continues Hawk, "I'm sure you know there's more to this place than meets the eye. It's been that way for a long time." "Since the 40s," says Sheriff Truman. "And since you're stumbling right into it, I think maybe it's time you got one of these." She is handed a patch--the kind one sews onto their clothes. A Douglas fir, set behind a golden sword on a field of blue, the outer rim a ring of red. "My father called it the Citizen's Brigade in those days, but since then we just call ourselves the Bookhouse Boys. We keep our eyes on that sort of thing--and you've been such a big help we'd be proud to have our first member from out of town." Tamamo, meanwhile, is given the cut letters found on Ronette, Laura and Teresa Banks. The R, the B, and the T--one of which Albert had overnighted from the FBI's regional headquarters. The first and most obvious thing that Tamamo notices is that each was cut from a lurid magazine. 'FLESH WORLD,' if that gives her any indication of BOB's appetites. It's within the pages of one of these books that he learned of Teresa Banks. The same, startlingly, of Ronette and Laura--hinting that there is more than supernatural darkness which haunts Twin Peaks. It therefore casts little doubt as to why the entity was after each of these young women--but the one found under Laura's fingernail, in particular, carries the most strong, most disturbing visions. A violent, disgusting creature of dark appetites and limitless malice. He hunted Laura through most of her life, from a little girl to the day she was killed. He was obsessed--if he could not make her his next host, then he would kill her. And he told her this--often. It is through these visions that Tamamo sees his true face--a man with the eyes of an animal and wild, grey hair. Grinning, sneering, laughing, snarling. He is one shadow in the darkness which the Bookhouse Boys formed to battle, decades ago. The magazines are hidden in a lockbox, itself buried under filthy rags where BOB would take his victims. Those rags line the floor of a disused cargo container, and that container is in the woods--not far from Glastonbury Grove.
Hellwarming Trio	As the youkai shovel the last of their breakfast into their faces, they turn to stare at the jukebox's sudden musical accompaniment of... Somebody! They're nothing if not accommodating, though, as they start dancing along with the woman as though they've done it all their lives! Except for the fact that their dancing is more like headbanging with rhythmic, if somewhat chaotic arm swinging. "Whoa. That's pretty convenient! But if he doesn't want to be heard..." Utsuho replies with a furrowed brow, her jiving stopping a short while later as she picks up the key. "But if it's a shame, then we shouldn't...?" She looks to Rin. Rin gives her a look of disbelief. "... Should... Uh. Totally shouldn't interrupt him, unless it's by accident." Utsuho finishes, getting an affirming nod from Rin before turning to Cooper with a return-thumbs-up. Thus, it's time for them to see what's going on with Ben Horne. As they near his door, Utsuho's about to just jam that key in and unlock it with all the subtlety of a brick, but she's stopped by Rin. The kasha holds a finger up to her lips in a shushing motion, holding the raven up long enough that they actually hear what he's saying to the person on the other line first. A quiet unlocking later (since Rin actually knows what subtlety is), and then she steps back to turn into a cat while Utsuho just barges right in there. "Hey! Hey. Is this the bathroom?" She asks in her loudest and densest tone possible, looking about the room like a wide-eyed tourist. "I thought I heard someone talking in here. Uh. Who're you, anyway?" Rin, meanwhile, tries taking advantage of that sudden intrusion by slipping inside and using her cat form to find a convenient spot to hide behind. Couches, chairs, higher-than-practical end tables, whatever works.
Go Shijima	Strawberry and Muramasa: PEOPLE - Ronette Pulaski "Huh... I guess they are. So, I'd have to learn to fly like they do. Like... like you were showing me!" Once she's gotten a chance to catch her breath, she flies around the beach, using the trees past the shoreline to practice using objects as Strawberry did on the way here. Her swoops are a little uneven, but she's learning and she's very dedicated. When she's done with that, she makes another landing. It's shaky, too, but it looks much more like a bird landing than a child nervously planking. Her wings beat down and back, halting her descent. She just needs to get more used to the talons--but that will come with time. Catching her breath once more, she has both time and temperament to answer questions. "No, Mr. Muramasa. I don't mind. I really, really want to help. And what you said... yeah. That's exactly why. Well, what happened..." Her account is thus: She did indeed feel herself slipping away. She heard the heart rate monitor flatline, and then, darkness. After that, it was like a breath of air after nearly drowning, and exactly as terrifying. She felt a strong urge to be 'away' and felt herself changing, and her memories of the attack came flooding back. She flew to the bank... "And... I'm not ashamed to say I was going to rob the place. I just... wanted to pull up roots and go run off somewhere else. I just... wasn't expecting..." She trails off. And that's when Strawberry asks... >You're sure you saw BOB in the bank, right? "That's..." She de-transforms, rubbing one arm against the other. But Ronette steels herself, and forces herself to look Strawberry in the eyes. "Yes. I'm sure of it. Delta... -Keitarou- said it was just Mr. Mibbler, Mr. Horne, and Mr. Palmer. But I didn't see Mr. Palmer. Just... him." She shudders.
Muramasa	Nodding his head in understanding, Muramasa listens to her story. It fit with what little he knew about Orphenochs, and how they came about. Even if it was in this form, he was happy that she survived, but as for what came next .. Muramasa frowns, but he does not reprimand her for her admission. Even as blunt as he was, he understood that it would have been a cruel thing to do, and instead he does what he can to absorb what she is saying. Mr. Palmer, huh. "I'm glad we were there," he eventually settles for, " ... you're a good girl, Ronette. I think that even if you'd gotten away, you wouldn't have felt good what would have happened." In his best effort to be comforting, he smiles, "As well, your help is invaluable, as the only witness. ... I don't want to ask what I'm about to." He pauses stiffly, looking away. He wanted to just take this information at face value and run with it, so that she didn't have to feel any more pain over what was happening. What had happened. He wanted to just take care of it himself, an impulse he didn't think would ever leave him. But, he'd also come to understand that .. he didn't have to do everything alone. Ronette wanted to help. Strawberry Princess wanted to help. Everyone did, it's why they were all working together ... and it wouldn't be fair of him to just up and leave now, and try to do eveything alone. That's how he decided to think of it, to ease his heart. "I'd like it if we could go to this 'Mr. Palmer's residence, and, if you could come with us to help us ensure that he's still the one being used to host BOB. Our friend, Detective Tomari, is working on bringing that 'Mike' Laura had written about along, as well."
Tamamo	Tamamo goes with Lilian and the sheriff to the office. Flying would probably be fastest, but then she'd arrive ahead of her host. That would be impolite, so she doesn't mention it. The actual work of her divination isn't much to look at, being something that isn't even magecraft, but more inherent to her nature. Just sitting at a table with her hands over some tiny newspaper clippings, eyes closed, and focusing on the vision. She can't stop her ears from twitching, like this. "All connected, from a single source." They suspected as much, but it's good to confirm it. The similarity was no coincidence. "Left by the killer, taken from... oh, my. 'Flesh World' is the book's title, and all three were featured within it." That will likely be important in narrowing future, potential victims. But then, it makes a limited sort of sense, in the first place. "Taken from its pages, but the rest is kept safe. How curious. Is it so dear to him, that monstrous shadow, that sneering man, grey of hair, with the eyes of a beast?" The 'why' of the letters remains unanswered. She describes the place she saw, "A large and old container, as of those seen on cargo ships, in recent years, and within it is a hidden lockbox, and outside it is a forest, not far, perhaps, from this Grove. Between these points, as I focus upon this, I see... that the young Laura was younger still, when first he set eyes upon her, and planned to take her. She knew this, too. Whether he is predator or parasite is yet unclear to me, without knowing of what would come to his former host, had he done as planned." Pulling away, Tamamo takes a few moments to consider, then shifts to a wholly different topic. "This place is not one to which many travel, in recent years, seeking homes, or is this not so? For one to plan to build so many houses, at the cost of such a business as may be used to employ those who do live in this place, does seem strange, and perhaps an ill-considered decision, for such men as business investors."
Strawberry Princess	"I'm proud of you," Strawberry says, and she earnestly means it- both about Ronnette's flight practice, and her stubborn survival. The magical girl's subtle sparkle-wings finally flicker out as her wand's control rods lock back in, but she doesn't seem alarmed. Surely this is a quiet day for investigation and reflection, right? 00:00 "If it's... too difficult for you," she says, hedging on Muramasa's request with a kind of flinching sympathy in her eyes, "you don't have to. You've- I know you've been so brave already, Ms. Pulaski. We do have someone else who... who might be able to tell for sure. But- if you'd be willing to, it could help us to make this town safe again. For you and everybody."
Go Shijima	Cooper and Tomari: PEOPLE - MIKE Cooper notices the medication, too. "It's typically used to manage symptoms of schizophrenia," he says softly. "But I don't think that's what he's using it for." There is a pall over the noonday parking lot--not the same as in Glastonbury Grove. Not sinsister. Alien. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp2DV0BgPc "My name is MIKE. I am an inhabiting spirit. He is host to me, and takes it to push me away," calmly explains MIKE. "Emerging is difficult. And painful for him. But it must be done. BOB was my familiar. BOB is eager for fun. Always wears a smile. Everybody run." "What does BOB want?" prods Cooper. MIKE bores into Cooper's eyes--but the agent doesn't look away. Tomari gets the same treatment. "The 'situation.' What he 'wants.' Do you understand a parasite, gentlemen? He feeds on fear," coolly rumbles the spirit through Philip's voice. "And the pleasures. They are his children... I am similar to BOB. We were partners, once. But," he says, tapping his missing arm, "I saw the face of God. I rid myself of evil." "The Arm," Cooper says. "I took off the Arm, but remained close to this vessel. For one purpose..." "To find BOB?" asks Cooper. "To STOP HIM!" says MIKE with sudden, fiery conviction. "I will help. One hint I shall divulge, and no more. BOB has discovered a... pathway, in your primate bodies, which, exploited, develops a change within you. The 'Orphenoch Evolution.' For us to toy with your bodies of flesh is no great feat--and so he has found one, who has abandoned her humanity. He helps her turn more of your kind, to restore a fisher king. And as her way is one which sows fear as she walks, he is happy to work with her. Four pawns has she. This, I say, and no more."
Lilian Rook	In the exchange with Haru, Lilian sighs when she realizes what's up. "I've already given General Briggs my word about Bobby; this is for Jacques. Showing up with the money to cover the debt is how you play an opening hand and get them to open up. I expect it back because you're going to arrest him anyways. And I want to interrogate him because I know I can get something from him that none of you--" She hesitates momentarily. "--save maybe somehow Agent Cooper could get." She puts the money away somewhat crossly. "I felt like a pair of decent shoes would have been a perfectly acceptable gratuity, if you were already going to that dive bar." This strongly implies she thinks five hundred dollars is 'normal people' shoe price. "Well, if you do run into him anyways, I don't much care what you get up to." A beat. "He sounds French." Impossible to tell if she's being serious. She then starts poking her radio a lot. "Tomari. That grove from the other day; could you place it on a map?" When she gets the information, she'll begin circling it out, then looking for where 'Ghostwood' is supposedly being built. Thankfully this turns out to be as simple as acquiring a brochure at request from the office, allowing her to lean back from a gas station folding map and its many marker annotations with some chagrin. "I regret even calling it a shot in the dark this morning." she says. "If this weren't America, I think I'd have posited it as a surety, but I suppose even America once had things like this." She doesn't really elaborate, defiantly annotating her own map anyways before tucking the brochure in with it. "Perhaps it's even very much because we're in America, that this would happen; that no one seems to have even a vestigial sense of the reality that developing old ground brings humans into conflict with things that aren't. Too used to paving over what the natives already cleared I suppose." She sighs. "Generations of a culture carefully mark down the leylines and spirit points, make peace with the old things they can, drive out the uncooperative kind, set up boundaries with the rest, exhaustively note down all the signs and portents and procedures, and then it all gets turned into oil fields and strip malls by some Romanesque buffoons thinking 'I don't know what those superstitious barbarians were on about, I don't see anything spooky', torch-to-book. How familiar. Though I suppose here they didn't even bother to keep accounts of it even for academia's sake." Despite that however, she allows herself a soft half-smile that's just slightly too genuine to be called patronizing. After all, the man who'd caught her mid-digression should know. "Indeed it is, Hawk. At least far from good. However, this is at least a clear and familiar lead. I'd worried that this might have had to do with a more esoteric sickness that someone had imported to Twin Peaks; perhaps something to do with the government, or worse. Knowing that it's something that ostensibly belongs here gives us some clear sides: The kind with a bit of Twin Peaks in them, and the kind who want to make a bit of Twin Peaks about them."
Lilian Rook	Despite the rinky dink little rural police station secret code and woven patch being the very definition of hokey, of a league far, far below anything Lilian can even restrain herself from laughing at, never mind taking seriously, in this one, very specific case, she receives the patch with a kind of pleasantly surprised, vaguely approving gravitas instead. "Your father was wise." she replies to Truman. "When old ways are spurned instead of passed down, it's preciously rare that people are willing to acknowledge what was there to start them, never mind do something about it themselves. I'm more than happy to support your cause. Perhaps even a little bit honoured, actually." She doesn't have anything she can conveniently sew a patch to at the moment, so she slips it into the reverse side of her card book with her Paladins badge for now, and then performs the esoteric respect ritual of gruff adult American men: handshakes. Regrouping with Tamamo, Lilian first makes a bit of a face, and says "I'm sorry you had to look at that Tamamo." sounding as if she really means it. "I'd been hoping to head to that grove myself, after Tomari had his experience there. This makes that a rather more pressing decision. However, I'm . . . Not sure how safe it'd be for anyone else to be there. Being able to check the stones for who else might have passed through would be a huge boon to our investigation, but Tomari had it bad enough when he wandered in by accident. I don't know what this degenerate entity will do when its territory is obviously invaded with a purpose." The second part gives her only a bit of pause. "It's money, so it doesn't have to make sense. The investor Horne got is Japanese, right? Whether or not the development is profitable doesn't necessarily matter to him; if he's already gotten the capital to run the project, his foreign investor will be the one holding the bag. Either he's tricked someone uninformed about the area, or the investor has something they want here."
Go Shijima	Lilian and Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Ghostwood & Divination "Parasite," answers Hawk, when Tamamo asks. "My people know of two lodges where spirits stay. White and Black. It's said that spirits must pass through the Black Lodge on their way to perfection. Not all of them want to. Some remain." When Lilian mentions that it might be unsafe to go there, he nods, his tone grave. "That ring of stones leads to the Black Lodge. There, you meet your own shadow-self. We call it 'the Dweller on the Threshold.' But it's said that if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul." Truman nods. "The honor's all ours, Lilian. I can shed a little light on the Ghostwood thing--it used to be Horne was patient, and he just wanted the lumber mill. That's his way. He can out-wait anybody, for anything, because he knows how to win in the long run. This stuff with the Grove wasn't part of his plans until after he found that investor. I--" He's interrupted, by Lucy. "Um, Dame Rook, uh, Ms. Tamamo? Mr. Keitarou's on line one, and he says the drug dealer--the one who tried to kill Bobby, not some other one--says he's an Orphenoch. I'm gonna transfer him to the brown phone. The one on the table by the chair that we moved. Not the other--" "Thank you, Lucy. I'll let everybody else know," says Truman, with what must be years of patience. With a nod to Lilian and Tamamo, he hops on the brown phone. "Yep. Got it. I'll reach anyone you couldn't..."
Go Shijima	Rin and Utsuho: PEOPLE - Ben Horne This is the quintessential late eighties businessman. Permed brown hair, horn-rimmed glasses. Sharply tailored suit, striped dress shirt, slim red tie. Click. He looks up just in time to be utterly bewildered. "No, this is my office. ...I'm sorry, my daughter Audrey must've told you that. She's... a handful." Something dark flashes across his eyes for a moment. "In any case, the restroom is down the hall, past the jukebox, and first door on the left." His expression is suddenly quite warm and welcoming. "Say, you're with the investigation team, aren't you? Anything else I can help you with, miss?" There's time for a conversation, at least. >Who was that on the other line? "A business associate of mine--in the hospitality business, like myself. Are you familiar with the Bang Bang Bar? The locals call it the Roadhouse." >Who's getting taken care of and how? What are these 'new talents?' He chuckles. "We have a mutual interest, he and I--but my associate is swept up in... this new technology. I find that a welcoming atmosphere gets a lot more success than--" It's complete bullshit. But the two of them have spent enough time out in the world to know he was probably talking about having someone killed, with how naturally he's able to smokescreen. The phone rings. "A 'what?' Orphenoch?" His brow furrows almost convincingly. "Say no more." "Miss--you're needed. At the Bang Bang Bar, in fact. And if you see your friend around, she might be needed, too."
Go Shijima	!!EVENT - Jacques Renault!! "Uwoh!" That is a 'what the hell are you doing' whoa. Tetra can hear Delta henshin-up behind him. "Tetra! Are you--are you sure this is him?!" Of course, Tetra is right. And Jacques cracks like an egg, when he doesn't have the advantage. "I don't know nothin'," he croaks. But it is a lie. One born of fear. He reaches for something, in his pocket. A pistol. It is handily blasted out of his grip by Delta. "Answer his question! Did you try to kill a high school student?!" "Get your mitts... ugh... OUT of me!" There is another, more animal croak. Blue light washes over him. Fear makes people do interesting things. "Orphenoch!" Delta angles the blaster to his faceplate and sends out the call to everyone. "The drug dealer that tried to kill Bobby--I think Bobby's here, and the dealer's an Orphenoch!" "Oh, he's here alright," croaks the Toad Orphenoch, a creature with slimy grey segmented armor plates and a bloated appearance. He headbutts Tetra and leaps high into the air, coming down a few yards across from them. "You two little pests are gonna visit him real soon!"
Hellwarming Trio	"Oh. Yeah, I figured this would be too fancy for a bathroom." Utsuho replies to Ben, playing up the ignorance card briefly before dropping it and just getting right to asking questions. She's careful not to even look in Rin's direction as she speaks and listens, taking note of what he's telling them about the Bang Bang Bar and the new technology. "Uh... Huh. Well, that's a start. Yeah, not getting into trouble's working out way better for trying to make money, too." She replies with a firm nod, perking up briefly when the phone rings. Convenient timing, but more for herself with the plan already starting to form in the back of both youkai's minds. "Oh, cool. Thanks for the info!" Utsuho flashes Ben a wide grin, then backs up out of that room (somehow managing not to knock anything over with her wings) and bolts out of the hotel to get to the bar in question! All while relaying that info she's gotten, of course. Rin, meanwhile, remains nice and quiet within Ben Horne's room, all too ready to just keep on listening in for more juicy details after Utsuho leaves.