Scene #7579: The Lodge-4

Owner	Pose
Go Shijima	THE STORY SO FAR Jacques Renault is dead--the first of the 'pawns' mentioned by MIKE. Of course, the inhabiting spirit mentioned 4, yet Lilian's mind-reading discovered that there were a total of 5 Orphenochs in Blue Rose, Jacques included. Did MIKE mislead, or was his portent to Tomari and Cooper more prescient than it seems? Tomari and the Hellwarmers were conspicuously absent from breakfast in the Great Northern today due to investigations on their parts. LEADS Lilian pried the name of Leo Johnson from both Jacques Renault and his wife Shelly Johnson. From the impressions gleaned from Jacques and Shelly, Leo is an absusive, violent, ugly example of humanity, who relishes in his power over others. He was to be Blue Rose's next target for forced Orphenoch evolution. Benjamin Horne is the owner of the Great Northern Hotel. Recently, Rin literally stole just about all of his paperwork. Cooper advised that it won't hold up in court, but Ben will likely suspect his daughter Audrey as opposed to anyone else, so there's that. Of particular note was his ledger, which displayed a substantial profit from something called O.E.J. He is also planning to buy out the lumber mill in town, to bulldoze it for his planned 'Ghostwood' suburb, which will include the ominous Glastonbury Grove. Leland Palmer is Laura Palmer's father. Ronnette advised Strawberry and Muramasa that BOB wears a 'mask,' and that only the gifted and cursed may see through it. When Leland and Benjamin entered the bank, Ronnette later recalled that she didn't see Mr. Palmer--only BOB. BOB appears to be inhabiting Leland Palmer, according to Ronnette's testimony. According to MIKE, they were once partners, but MIKE 'saw the face of God' and 'rid himself of evil,' removing a portion of himself to purge BOB's influence. BOB is a predator, who has apparently hounded Laura for years wearing her own father's skin as a disguise. He seeks pleasure in a brutal, animalistic way, and is apparently helping Blue Rose by forcibly inducing the Orphenoch Evolution, even in those who do not have the gene. It may be assumed that at least some of the members of Blue Rose did not carry the gene. PEOPLE - Rank up!! Haru's bond with Bobby Briggs has grown such that Bobby now trusts him enough to be an ally. Bobby wants to leave his troubled past behind, but will gladly fight by Haru's side or clue him in to Twin Peaks' CRIMINAL ELEMENT. Tomari's decision to have someone loyal and trustworthy take care of the shut-in Harold Smith has paid off. Harold was given LAURA'S SECRET DIARY as a gift, shortly before she died. He trusts Andy enough to have members of the investigation team over as guests for readings of her secret diary, provided they arrange visits through Deputy Andy. Xion's meeting with James Hurley, Laura's secret love, has not been ignored. His uncle, Big Ed, called the Great Northern this morning asking after Xion (and how to pronounce her name). Apparently, James had a troubling dream, and keeps speaking of something 'inside' him... Ronnette Pulaski has been practicing, following Strawberry's advice. She's steadily picking up a talent for flying, and feels confident she'd be able to help deal with any Orphenochs that arise--especially those within Blue Rose.
Lilian Rook	Lilian has arrived just in time for breakfast today. It's become sort of a grounding ritual here. The case has only grown longer, deeper, more complicated, and more dangerous as they'd unraveled each thread in turn, so if she has to be here so much, some normalcy in the morning is all-important time for reflection, meditation, early day trading, and compiling her documents. It's also about the only time she can fit her training in, every single day, in the woods behind the inn. She has found time to sew her Citizen's Brigade patch into the shoulder of a green Paladins shortjacket. She has spent ample time reviewing Horne's documents, following her suspicions that his Japanese benefactor is pushing for him to bulldoze the mill and renovate the Grove for their own ends, and not merely money, certainly not in his best interests. Lilian basically presumes that O.E.J has to be the company that is doing the investing, rather than a private loan through an individual, and has asked Agent Cooper to look into it as best he can, as this world lacks well-organized and conveniently accessible digital information to do research with, necessitating orders for company files that the FBI could pull on short notice. Though her directions and suggestions for the group are usually quite comprehensive, her morning meeting mostly results in just one major request and one minor: Someone to follow, or find an excuse to take Leo Johnson into custody, given he will evidently be the next target for another Orphenoc Incident, and she'd like to get ahead of these instead of constantly being caught on the back foot and interrupted, and, for someone to track Leland Palmer, in at least a group of two, to verify Ronette's testimony. She herself makes her intentions very clear: "I'm going to Glastonbury Grove. Unless you absolutely know what you're doing, don't follow me."
Muramasa	Leland Palmer, huh. Muramasa thinks to himself, scrubbing his hands with soap in the bathroom after doing his morning business. The warm water he felt on his hands as he lathered and rinsed soothed, only slightly, his uneasiness -- part of it was the tension between himself and Lilian reaching a boiling point. Another was how uncomfortably close they were to losing someone .. no, rather, that certainly did happen. It was only a small miracle that he'd turned into an Orphenoch instead. They couldn't afford to keep lagging behind. It was times like this he felt his skillsets to be soreley lacking, as unless there was something left behind that he could apply his armament-based psychometery to, he was left purely to his own deductive capabilities. And while Muramasa was not, necessarily, an unintelligent man; he was not a detective. At least, he considers, that Ronette was doing well for herself. He'd seen her flying high yesterday, she'd really taken Strawberry Princess' coaching to heart. Good for her -- no, good for both of them. He had the impression it was a good experience for Strawberry, too. I'm getting off track .. so, just how long was Laura's father being possessed? That was the million dollar question, he figured. If you could suppose that he'd been that way for some time, then that would mean that he had not immediately murdered Laura but instead, that had been the conclusion of something that had been building up for a long time. I know that I had asked Ronette for her help before, and she does deserve the closure from doing so, but - after what happened with that Briggs boy, I can't help but hesitate on egging her to come with me to the Palmer's residence. And, he figured if he went there with her and it turned out that the elder Palmer was still being possessed, it would immediately begin a fight without allowing for the chance to gather information, and they needed all they could get their hands on in that regard. The faucet slows to a lull, and then a stop as Muramasa turns it off and produces his handkerchief to dry his hands with. Reaching for his coat left hanging on the door, he pushes his arms through and exits the restroom, giving a small wave to the Sheriff and the other cohorts of Twin Peaks they'd been keeping contact with; "I'm off to see what I can dig up. I'll be in touch." Now, if I remember right, the way to the Palmer residence is..
Go Shijima	February 28, 1989 Twin Peaks, WA Sheriff's Department 12:00PM https://youtu.be/bc-Prdyp9LY "Diane," says Cooper into a tape recorder, "I'm in the Twin Peaks sheriff's department with Officer Shinnosuke Tomari of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, as well as Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill, of Twin Peaks, Washington, Rin Kaenbyou and Utsuho Reiuji of the Hell of Blazing Fires." He's pacing back and forth, brushing aside something as he walks. Maybe Rin and Utsuho can't see it, but Tomari can--he's brushing aside those pictures that always pop up when Tomari is thinking hard. "The time is 12 noon, on the dot, and we're poring over some materials sourced by Ms. Kaenbyou, from the office of a Benjamin Horne, owner of the Great Northern." "Sheriff Truman assured me the Great Northern would be a clean place, reasonably priced, and he didn't disappoint, though breakfast today was had in the office here, provided by Lucy, as diligent an operator as I've ever met. Jelly donuts, courtesy of the Double R Diner, one of many charming slices of forgotten America surviving in this little town. Of principal importance among the documents is a ledger, detailing the business dealings of Mr. Horne, showing a great deal of revenue coming from O.E.J. There's no such business present in Twin Peaks, but given Mr. Horne's tendency for international business, it very well could be located outside of the town." He pauses, glancing at a picture of Harold's house appearing from Tomari's ruminations. With a grin, he resumes dictation. "One Harold Smith, a shut-in who knew Laura well, is in possession of a certain secret diary of hers. For his cooperation in the investigation thus far, we've granted Mr. Smith a concession that he be allowed to keep the diary, on the condition that we may make arrangements to visit and read it. A passage in that diary mentioned Mr. Horne by name--that one day, Laura would 'tell the world about who Ben Horne really was.' It could well be related to this O.E.J." "One-Eyed Jack's," says Sheriff Truman, his face lit up like a man who's finally gotten his turn to be sherlock after a week of being Watson.
Shinnosuke Tomari	Despite Cooper brushing aside those pictures, as Cooper talks, they form faster and faster in Shinnosuke Tomari's mind. It's the minute Truman says One-Eyed Jack's that it triggers. The pictures start forming. There were dirty magazines with the three victims in them. Cocaine residue in Laura's 'unsecret' journal. Horne's interest in Laura Palmer, that went into unhealthy levels. "It's a brothel, isn't it? Benjamin Horne was a pimp. He wanted to, if he hadn't already, prostitute Laura Palmer. I thought strip club, but that's too mundane. Too clean. Nobody would care about that in this country. But a brothel...it's probably not state-side. Canada? Directions on a map, please. I'll take these two ladies and investigate for evidence to get Horne to 'help' us out." A beat. "Why do you know about a Canadian brothel, Sheriff?"
Hamada Haru	AT BOBBY'S HIDE-OUT SPOT, PREVIOUSLY... Tetra's motorcycle rumbles to a halt, and the freshly-turned Orphenoch is given the opportunity to recover in the sidecar. In the meantime, Hamada Haru detransforms, the suit giving a high-pitched whine as it fades away. He removes his badge from his belt and stares at it for a long, long moment. It's with great difficulty that he doesn't hurl it to the horizon. Instead he pins it back on his jacket and tries to remove his belt. It won't budge. He gives it another tug. It still won't budge. Haru leans back against the motorcycle and rubs at his face in exasperation. It's a good half hour before it occurs to him to phone anybody. TODAY... The innocuous motorcycle has been replaced by a small camper with a pop-up solar panel roof. Bobby was put in the rear bed and allowed to recover as he pleased. In the meantime, Haru has been brooding, more-or-less. He sits outside in a lawn chair he procured from somewhere, his Riotrooper belt draped across the back of it. A fancy flip-phone sits in the palm of his hand, and he's snapping texts back and forth with someone. Just a handler, probably. It's not until Bobby is voluntarily up and about of his own volition that he raises his head and asks, "Who else was associated with Jacques?"
Tamamo	Tamamo's either brought or acquired from somewhere another type of appropriate Summer-wear, being a blue yukata with flower patterns in gold. Lilian may be the only one to have seen her early enough in the morning to know that she was considering 'American clothing' before choosing this alternative, and also to know that a substantial portion of her understanding of American dress is at the level of 'I <3 NY' t-shirts, one of which remains neatly folded in a trunk in her room. During their morning meeting, Tamamo mentions, "If there are several more of such beings as that Jacques fellow, it might be somewhat dangerous to move about alone. What would happen should they band together? Even a quite competent warrior might not escape injury, should they be ambushed." She, of course, isn't going anywhere alone. She's going with Lilian, to scope out the bad vibes of the grove. Tamamo has particular skills in regards to mystic boundaries, territories, and threatening spirits. Before she goes, if Hawk or someone else likely to have knowledge of it is around, she asks, "Are there other stories of this Black Lodge that may be of some use to us? Even should they appear otherwise, kept stories often preserve unexpected keys to trials faced in later years."
Hellwarming Trio	Proudly displaying their junior detective badges, Utsuho and Rin pay close attention to what's being said even as a lot of it just flies right over their heads. Impressive, considering that they're floating right above everyone so as to hear a little bit better. Utsuho has her arms and legs dangling below her as she floats, and Rin is lazing around on her back as though she was in some kind of swimming pool. Utsuho: "One-Eyed Jack's got a brothel?" Rin: "How close is this Canada place, anyway?" Utsuho: "Can't be too far, if Ben has business out there from here." Rin: "But he's international, right?" A beat, and then Rin squints with her hand on her chin. "Hold up. But why would he be upset about her bein' dead if she had that kind of dirt on him?" "Because he was probably faking it to look good." Utsuho concludes, although she too gets that questioning look in her eyes moments later. "But then... If she had dirt on him, then what's the brothel have to do with that?" "Jack probably had dirt on her. And if she didn't give him the deets, he woulda made her do..." Run gets a glint in her eyes, then looks right at Truman. "... You know what I'm talkin' about!" A beat, and then she just has a blank look in her eyes. "What /would/ he have made her do?, anyway?"
Go Shijima	Muramasa: PEOPLE - Leland Palmer Palmer Residence 12:15PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsVlp49JwTM As Muramasa arrives at the Palmer residence, even the noonday sun cannot banish the pall which bears down upon this house. There is an oppressive presence here--a very familiar, malicious kind of presence. Something evil has been here, and may still be. The curtains on one of the upstairs windows--did it just move? Someone is home. Whether it's Leland, Sarah or the both of them, it's hard to say. "Ah, you must be Muramasa," says an unfamiliar voice. A stocky man with a broad face and graying hair extends a hand. The other hand carries a doctor's bag. "I'm Dr. Hayward. Laura and my Donna were very close, and I've been coming here to help Sarah--she's taken it extremely hard, even moreso than Leland." Dr. Hayward seems to notice the oppressive presence, too, and is trying to ignore it as any healer would. "If you're here to question her or Leland, just be careful not to startle them--and please, let me get Sarah on her tranquilizers before you start with her."
Xion	On her way out of the hotel -- that Xion has never checked into, but keeps coming to breakfast -- Xion has a message! "Oh! It's Xion. Pronounced like it looks. Can you text me the number? My phone's--" And with that, the red hoodies and flannel heart-heroine breezes out of the hotel. ONE SUDDEN CUT TO NEXT SET LATER... Xion steps out into the area of Haru's camper, hands in the front pockets of her hoodie. "Haru! Bobby! James had a weird dream and there's something weird inside of him. I thought we could all show solidarity, you know?" She advances on the camper, waving a hand if she's looked at. "I felt... Something, going on here earlier. Do you need help, first?" Xion asks, her eyes falling to the belt at Haru's waist, and then up to the Riotrooper gear slung over the chair. "Oh! You have more belts, that's right. That must be pretty cool. Do they feel different? Do you like one better?" Xion smiles to Bobby. "I'm glad you're up, too. Are you feeling any better?"
Muramasa	Standing here, he reminisces briefly, shudders and goosebumps running up and down his body in cold anticipation. It was like standing in Fuyuki Memorial Park -- no, he corrects himself. While inspiring an abject dread, the park itself had been harmless. He did not receive that impression from the Palmer's home. It was far closer, if he truly had to equate it to anything, it was -- " ... yes, that's right." Muramasa confirms, pausing briefly at the extended hand before recalling that it was a western custom to shake, rather than bow in greeting. His hand is somewhat clammy as he engages the doctor with a handshake. "Ah, I understand. It's kind of you to do this for them," he says before pulling his hand back to remove his handkerchief and dab at the cold sweat pooling on his brow. He felt sick. It was like his entire body was trying to reject coming here. On some level he understood why, but Muramasa refuses to acknowledge it, and resolves himself to press on. Even as the phantom sensation of flame and hate laps at his sensitive skin. Even a normal person such as this Doctor Hayward felt the malice suffusing the property. It spoke volumes about how careful he should tred. Tamamo's warning came to mind, but, as he was wont to do, Muramasa did not heed it. He had the feeling that if he ran away now, he would let an important facet of this caper slip through his fingers. ... no, that was a lie. More than anything, he simply felt a compulsion to venture deeper, though he could not rightly explain why. "I'll be sure to be on my best behavior, Doctor -- just let me know when she'll be ready to speak to me, please." As he approaches the front door with Hayward, he suppresses the urge to vomit and wither, like dead grass.
Hamada Haru	"I have no idea what you're talking about," Haru says to Xion, regarding James. He's focused very intently on Bobby for a while now, so it's probably no surprise. //Do you need help, first?// Getting to his feet, he shakes his head. "No. If I wiggle out of it, it'll just become somebody else's problem. There will be a moment when I'll need to get rid of it. But for now, if you can make me feel less awful about it, go ahead." He sockets the cell phone he was using into the Riotrooper belt, holding it loosely at his side. //Do they feel different? Do you like one better?// "Yes. Not really," he says. "Picking between them is picking between one pain and the other."
Go Shijima	Lilian: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove Lilian's request for someone to take Leo into custody is met with a nod from Sheriff Truman. "I'll get on it. We'll spin it as protective custody, since he's a known associate of Jacques Renault. Whoever wants to come with can hop in the truck." Harry grabs his hat from the coat rack by the door, and waits for anyone who'd like to Come With. Hawk nods. "Sure, Lilian. I don't have to tell you to be careful." His expression says that he'd still like her to be, anyway--the investigation team is getting popular around here, not the least of all Lilian. Glastonbury Grove 1:00PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzYfUz5dNM As with Tomari, the grove seems to swallow the sunlight. There is the feeling of being watched. As if something, lurking within those firs, might at any moment flitter off into the green to report her movements to something else. Something that would do more than watch. The ring of stones is there. Something oily and black bubbles inside. In the pit of her stomach, Lilian knows that it is neither oil, nor tar. It is something old and dangerous. Like tar, it threatens to swallow and choke. The hostile watching, the smell, the sound of something foul bubbling up from the tar. A light-headedness overtakes her, and then... a ringing in her ears, as everything goes dark. When she comes to... she is no longer in the forest clearing. She is in Tallahassee. It is in the late evening. She is bleeding, stuck by a magical skewer--yet Onyx Witch, Lezard, Tamamo, Bond... Arthur, Arcadia... none of them are here. The city is empty, and a strange wind blows through it--but there is one man. A giant of a man, easily able to make eye contact with Strawberry. He is bald, with a very bony face, and piercing grey-blue eyes. He wears the outfit of a waiter, from bygone times, complete with patent leather shoes and a red bowtie. He is utterly absent the malevolent energy of the Grove, looking down on her with his hands crossed before him. I will tell you three things. If I tell them to you, and they come true, then will you believe me?
Go Shijima	Haru and Xion: PEOPLE - Bobby and James Train Tracks 1:00PM Bobby was out like a light for most of the day yesterday. Now that he's had a chance to sleep it off, calm down, and get some food in him, he's ready to talk. He nods, sitting on the steps of the camper and sipping a glass of water. "Leo Johnson," he says. "There used to be a time when Leo was the scariest thing I could think of. Now..." The hole in his shirt would have a stab wound, had it not vanished after his transformation. He shakes his head. "You should have seen the way he moved, Haru. I had a gun on Jacques, and he just... crossed the entire room like that. And now I'm one of those... things." The glass trembles in his hands. "...Leo's married to a girl I see sometimes. Shelly. He treats her like crap. He's... he was one of Jacques' enforcers and movers. Aside from him, there's Jacques' twin brother, that runs One-Eyed Jack's, across the border. He had a couple of 'business partners,' too, but I never got to meet them. I think... I can't be sure, but I think Laura might have gone up there to buy sometimes... and maybe to party." And then Xion comes with James. It is apparently time to fall down some stairs--because Bobby practically leaps from the stairs of the camper, winding up to throw a punch at James. "I'm feeling good enough to kick this punk's ass!" The two have to be held back from one another--but thankfully, Bobby doesn't think to transform, so there's no need for MaXion Chaser or Tetra to intervene. Still, there's bad blood between them. "There's nothing weird inside Bobby," James says, struggling against his designated Hold-Back-er. "Just the coke. Really classy, by the way, getting Laura hooked on it. Is that the way you usually pick up girls?" It's gonna take a minute.
Go Shijima	Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove "There are," says Hawk. "It's one of two lodges--the shadow-self of the White Lodge. It's a place of pure evil, where all souls--human and spirit--pass through on the way to purification. People have gone missing there, but there are 'near misses,' too." Hawk sips his coffee, heaving a sigh as he searches for a professional way to put what appears to be an opinion: "I think that sometimes spirits--impure or pure--intervene. They pluck people from the doorway before they cross through, out of amusement, or interest, or maybe even benevolence if you're really lucky. I think that's what happened to Officer Tomari." "The Lodges are full of forces humanity hasn't seen uncloaked since its childhood--and plenty of secrets, besides. The spirits that lurk near that place are just as likely to kill you as speak to you." "There's a... cave," says Hawk, "Near the Grove. The Nez Perce left instructions there, on how to enter the Lodge properly." Glastonbury Grove Lilian is out like a light. But Tamamo can sense the presence responsible for it. Unlike the surroundings, there is no malevolence from that presence--yet there is still the sense that she is being watched. The cave must be nearby, if the unusual howling of the wind is any indication.
Xion	Xion stops short of the chair as she's corrected by Haru. "Oh! Right! I didn't really explain at all. Um, someone I know also has a problem. With their insides feeling. It's sort of a recurring thing, with you and James and Bobby, and the most important part of recovery is having a network, you know, so I wanted to make sure..." Xion beams, ear to ear. "That you're doing okay. But if you've got a plan, and you're sure it's what you need, I can't tell you better than you without knowing you a little better, right?" Adding a thumbs-up lifted out of her hoodie pocket, Xion looks between the two belts and then taps her chin. "Okay. I'd try to get a new one, and there's plenty of people who can help you out. I'll help you out any way I can - because I think your heart matters too." And then Bobby decides to hurl himself at James. Holding her hand out, she grips air, and the air firms metallically into a shining mass - the long blade and wide blue O-hilt of Starlight - with a soft 'shwink!'. "I'm sorry. Let me start again." A medallion comes to hand with the image of a welding mask and two red lights with curls of lilac backing. Held in her left hand, Xion slides the medallion across Starlight's side and plants the pink-glowing weapon into the earth where... Large grappling tendrils of lilac spring from the ground to grab ankles and wrists and wrestle the boys into some very comfortable chairs. "Bobby, this is James. He had a vision of something troubling happening inside of him." "James, this is Bobby. He was killed by a monster that we had to stop, but he got better after which really is the luckiest possible outcome. Since the death penalty is the worst to assign for any crime, can we just forgive Bobby for time served? We can all make choices to be better and more caring. Can't we?"
Go Shijima	Muramasa: PEOPLE - The Palmers Dr. Hayward nods. There are pictures of Laura and the Palmers along the wall near the staircase, in the living room. They all seem so happy, so free of the darkness that surrounds this town. Yet, in Laura's eyes, there is always something hiding just beneath the surface... A bleary moan sounds from the den, on the first floor. Dr. Hayward's determined frown, at the sounds of it, must mean that's Mrs. Palmer. "She'll be ready shortly," he says grimly, retrieving a syringe of what must be powerful tranquilizer. The atmosphere of the place is like a sick room in a hospital. The lights are on, yes, and people are home. But who is really here? The place is absent the warmth that the photos on the walls would imply. No home should ever be this quiet--that it is, speaks to the depth of the loss the Palmers have suffered. Sarah Palmer reclines on a couch in the den, wrapped up in a blanket. It doesn't take long for Dr. Hayward to do his work. Sarah is 'relaxed,' but clearly not herself, to such an extent that even a stranger could see. She appears unsettled, when Dr. Hayward gives the shot, as if she'd seen something behind him, lurking--and Muramasa might swear he saw something in the reflection of her eyes. She is calm. But she is not herself. Her face is much more gaunt than in the family photos, and she appears to see Muramasa only with difficulty. "Are you... one of the ones finding who hurt my Laura?"
Lilian Rook	"You don't." Lilian replies to Hawk. "But I appreciate the thought regardless." She brushes the badge on her shoulder with her fingertips. "I'm not going away that easily." At Glastonbury Grove though, Lilian had certainly expected some manner of interference upon arriving; after that'd happened to Tomari when he'd haplessly investigated the future site of Ghostwood, she'd be surprised if nothing was amiss at all. Still, when she encounters such an obvious, visible indicator of supernatural fuckery, she spends a moment to take video of the bubbling, spiritual 'tar', to see if it shows up on film, and to double check with Tamamo that she sees it too. The watching on the way has her as on guard as she can be without slowing her pace; which is considerable, for the amount of training emphasizing doing both at once that she's had, where one cannot afford to slow and cannot afford to lack attention. Lacking any particular reason to believe shooting into the woods would be helpful, she travels only with her sword at her hip, trusting its vigilant, eagerly bloodthirsty aura, seething with the predatory readiness to cut into the flesh of the inhuman, will do the job of a torch warding away wolves for the road. Shortly before everything gets Weird, she'd made sure to ask Tamamo to stay on the outside of the edge of the perimeter, and work her magic while she investigates, giving her a handful of polished runestones of her own to add to the affair; most of them bear the same marks as the emergency repairs she'd done to Caeltons Moon Wards. She says that if she finishes first, she should seek the cargo trailer from the psychometric vision, but to not go inside, and lay her trap at a distance. Shortly after everything gets Weird, Lilian takes a deep, centering breath, and mentally fills her extrasensory channels with fuzzy mental static, like deliberately unfocusing one's eyes. Every twenty seconds, she makes sure to recall the time, a passage from a book, a mathematical equation, or other such detail that the human brain can't process when partially compromised, such as when dreaming. She examines the wound, but she's already familiar with it. She's so very rarely injured like that. An attack she could have dodged, under ordinary circumstances, but this time, this place, wasn't one. The day she'd stuck her neck out to bring that girl home, for no other reason than a feeling in her chest that, even a year and change later, she can only identify somewhat matter. Something that direly conflicted with the mission, but a decision for which she is now thankful. She briefly wonders how Onyx Witch is doing. Especially with that other magical girl roaming around. Inwardly, she mentally sighs in gladness that she hadn't brought Strawberry along. She faces the man. She has no idea of his name, and only the vaguest one of what he might be, butshe doesn't detect the malice of BOB anywhere around him. The getup strikes her as odd, but so does every other classic American trapping that even the supernatural wears around here. She plants the tip of her sword in the asphalt, hands folded over its pommel in restive, but ready posture. "That depends." she begins, "But you'll find I'm not so cynical that I won't trust what I see and hear unless it fits into a narrow little day-to-day. You're a spirit, aren't you? One that belongs here. If you'll give me your name, or at least your title of function, I'll weigh what you have to say." she adds, unfolding one hand to turn up her palm. "Go on. I'd like to not spend much time here. The taint here takes priority. And besides, there's someone waiting for me." Indeed, she completely lacks the confusion, the disbelief, the topsy turvy of a world being turned upside down, of the typical person who would wander here ill-advised. She presents the face of someone who has held negotiations with spiritual entities before. %
Hamada Haru	It takes Haru a few moments to decide that he'll be putting away his Riotrooper belt, though Xion can probably sense that he had a different intent for it a few moments ago. Whatever it was, something that transpired just now convinced him against it. The case is secured shut with a pair of synchronized clicks, and deposited in the bottom of his motorcycle's sidecar. He inhales deeply, allowing his attention to drift between Bobby and James. When a wind-up confrontation happens between the two men, Haru crosses towards James. His tonfa materialize abruptly, a brief glimmer from the center of his belt heralding their appearance. There is a flash of color as he flips one from a defensive posture along his forearm to an extended posture pressed against James's sternum. Immediately afterwards he's relieved of any need to actually exert himself, which suits him just as well, because he's really not feeling it at the moment. The tonfa disappear in a shimmer as the two young men are chaired. The quality of his voice changes for a moment, though, when he addresses them: "Let me be clear. Laura Palmer was a person with agency of her own, and unless some among you held her down and forced her to inhale, the person most responsible for her addictions and predilections is herself." He turns back to Xion. "The belt is eating souls," he explains. "I'll find a way to break it and use my Riotrooper belt after. In the meantime, there's nothing I can do that won't just make it somebody else's problem." "And I don't know what I need, so welcome to the club. But it sounds like this place needs us to deal with this One-Eyed Jack's."
Go Shijima	Tomari and Hellwarmers: INVESTIGATION - One-Eyed Jack's Sheriff Truman nods. "That... sounds like it might be the case. I'll get you the atlas from my truck, before I head out to Leo." he says, throwing on a SHERIFF's OFFICE padded coat over his light jacket. It's cold, this time of year, this far north. When he returns, a thick map is unfolded and placed on the table. "You're gonna take the Pacific Highway the whole way there. Couple of the roads around here exit onto it--can't miss it, though. Big green signs just about every exit." How DOES he know where a brothel is? "Don't get the wrong idea," says Truman with a smirk. "I don't need to go looking in another country for pleasant company." Cooper grins. "Harry, you're alright. I'll head to Leo's with you. He sounds like the type you don't wanna visit alone, and I'd need to clear it with the Bureau to cross the border, anyway. Ladies," he says, nodding to the Hellwarmers. "And gentleman." A nod to Tomari. "Best of luck." One-Eyed Jack's BC, Canada 1:45PM It's not a long drive, at all--Twin Peaks is only five miles south of the border, and One-Eyed Jack's seems strategically placed to draw business from the town. When Rin, Utsuho and Tomari arrive, it's still fairly slow owing to the hour of the day, but the place is assuredly open. The fact that it is a brothel must be an open secret, because the first thing they all notice is the noise. Slot machines, roulette tables, poker, blackjack. Then there's the smell. Cigarettes, from the smoking section. Drinks, from the bar. And a man who looks -identical- to Jacques Renault, tending that bar.
Go Shijima	>What would he have made her do? Though Rin and Utsuho sometimes get off track, they just as often stumble onto the right one. This is not the kind of place where a girl Laura's age would be safe. Given the entries in her diary, it's likely that's exactly why she came here--to feel as though she might have some degree of control over her life. If 'Jack' is Ben Horne, who was known to have cared for Laura, then it's likely his feelings were of a less innocent nature than his conversation with Audrey would have implied.
Shinnosuke Tomari	This place reeks. Not just of cigarette smoke, but of excess and evil. Tomari enters, badge hidden away, looking more like a Japanese salaryman than a detective without it. He whispers to the two girls, Utsuho and Rin. "Can you distract the bartender? I'm gonna find his records." And then, Tomari begins looking around, lounging, and then moves to find the closest thing to an office once the distraction starts and sneak in. If Utsuho and Rin cry for help (or start violence) at any time, he'll run out to help them, no sweat.
Tamamo	Earlier "Thank you, Mr. Hawk. Forewarning of a land's customs does help avoid unfortunate misunderstandings." Glastonbury Grove - Perimeter Though visibly reluctant to let Lilian walk in on her own, Tamamo agrees to begin her work while not so far away. She's made such arrangements as to be in constant communication even should radios fail. The black jade earring she'd given was such a safeguard. When something very strange happens, the array she'd been building is abandoned without a further thought, and she rushes forward, tearing the ground in her haste. Glastonbury Grove - Interior Tamamo is immediately on maximum guard, catching Lilian before she can fall, summoning her enormous mirror in front of her as a shield, and raising one hand to twist and pull down to herself the sunlight that so reluctantly reaches through the trees, here. Her wards are reinforced and detective scrying swiftly cast. Only when she's determined both that Lilian is only in a dreaming-like state, rather than injured, and that the enactor does not share the area's specifically bad vibes, does Tamamo relax to the slightest degrees. Even her tails bristle. Tamamo looks back outside, but removing Lilian could break whatever communion she's currently experiencing, and it has the feeling of some potential benefit to her investigative goal, with little danger, so long as there are no additional threats that find her before she wakes. The mirror requiring no hands for simple motions, Tamamo maintains a (to her) appropriate level of vigilance while princess carrying Lilian in search of the cave. If it's a place meant for guests to first approach, to learn proper entry, then it shouldn't be too far or hard to reach.
Muramasa	There's just something off about it ... it's her eyes. But, I can't really tell what she must have been thinking. At the very least, he was perceptive enough to see that the Laura in these photographs looked uncomfortable. Her eyes hid something unknowable, something that most people probably wouldn't have noticed. He did, because he could recall an underclassman with the same glint hidden behind her gaze that, until it was far too late, he had only seen in hindsight. -- senpai? Turning from decorations of the home to the now medicated occupants, Muramasa uncomfortably rolls his shoulders. He'd gained a relative sense of his bearings, but being within this home made his skin crawl. Almost like ... if he let his guard down, something would begin oozing in from the seams to swallow him up. It had an effect, even on normal people such as the Doctor. He shouldn't be surprised that Laura's mother seemed unwell when the evil pervading her home was so palpable, but .. A mite, suspicious glance is had to the man, before he refocuses on his patient. "That's right. You can call me .. Muramasa, to keep it simple. I was hoping to ask you some questions about your husband, and your daughter, if that's alright?" Only those with the gift can see him He'd only seen it for the briefest instance. Perhaps it was nothing, but, his gut loudly informed him that the look in that mother's eye was shockingly similar to her daughter in the family frames littering the living space. If it wasn't an armament, he had to engage in phsyical contact to use Structural Analysis magecraft. Taking a mild seat on the coffee table to subtly begin reaching out, he pushes his magical energy into the floorboards. With this, he could reach Hayward's feet and attempt to analyze him from a distance. If there was nothing wrong, then, as a normal human being, he wouldn't even recognize what Muramasa was doing. If he weren't, then he'd respond, even if whatever may be wrong with him might not be something Muramasa would be capable of detecting. This carried its own risk, but he had a strong suspicion. And besides which, if nothing turned up there, he could carry on questioning Mrs. Palmer as he'd originally intended. Steepling his hands in front of his face to hide his mouth, Muramasa mutters, "Trace on. .. "
Hellwarming Trio	Utsuho: "The Pacific Highway..." Rin: "Like the ocean?" Utsuho: "No, there's no such thing as a highway on the ocean." Rin: "Oh, right. That'd just be a bridge or somethin'. Luckily for the youkai, the cold weather doesn't seem to bother them too much. Having such an affinity with fire certainly helps, as does bickering over who gets to ride shotgun once the prospect of actually taking a ride to their destination comes up. There's a very good possibility they'll just be stuck in the back seat before they even reach the car. Either way, though, they wish Cooper and Truman luck on their own investigation along with giving them a few pieces of coal from home just in case. Thankfully, they don't miss much on the actual ride, keeping their faces plastered to the windows and trying to memorize the way (badly). Once it's time to head inside, meanwhile, they're quick on the uptake (for once) between the implications of the journal entries and Ben Horne's conversation with Audrey. By the time the trio reaches One-Eyed Jack's, the youkai are already grinning confidently when Shinnosuke makes his request. They've also made sure to hide their badges to keep suspicions off. Utsuho: "Way ahead of you." Rin: "Leave it to us! We'll floor 'em with how distractin' we can be! Utsuho: "... Figure it'ly." Rin: "Already pickin' up the fancy phrases, eh?" Heading inside, the sudden punch of cigarette smoke has the pair flinching despite the fact that they're well accustomed to the smell of far fouler things burning on a daily basis. They beeline towards the bar instead, partially because of that uncanny resemblance and partially because that's probably the best place to keep the bartender occupied. Utsuho: "Hey, barkeep. We're new in town. You know anywhere we can find a..." Rin: "... Dance partner!" Utsuho: "Dance partner?" Rin: "Yeah, to get some extra cash. 'cause we're new around here, ya know? We need someone that can keep up!" As if to demonstrate, Rin backs up a few feet to give herself some space from the bar, gesturing at both the bartender and Utsuho to try and keep his attention. Utsuho, apparently getting the signal, joins Rin, and the pair start to... Maybe they're trying to dance. They're not really moving their feet or stepping around, though, instead looking like they're headbanging and swinging their hips back and forth wildly. There's a rhythm to it (sort of), but it's less of a dance and more of a wild... Something involving a whole lot of hip movement. It might be sending the wrong messages. Or the right ones, considering the location.
Go Shijima	Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove There is a presence which follows Tamamo, as she carries Lilian. Rather... it appears to be leading her. There. The wind at her back changes, when she must change direction. So it continues, for some time--it is hard to say exactly how long, in this place of darkness. But eventually, she reaches what must be the cave. It is hot--moreso than it should be, especially this far north. It is cramped and dark. But with the sunlight she has brought in, she is able to see the walls. And she is able to see, left centuries ago, paintings on the wall. Though the ways of the Nez Perce may not be known to her, a diviner as talented as she knows a star chart when she sees one. Jupiter and Saturn must be in alignment, on the day one wishes to enter the Black Lodge. Depictions of spirits around the entrance certainly seem credible, given Lilian's current condition. Her detection wards go off. There, in the mouth of the cave, stands the spirit which speaks now to Lilian, materialized in this plane to speak also with Tamamo. He is tall--enough so to lock eyes with Strawberry or the Green Knight. "The art which you enjoyed shall come back into style," says the Giant evenly.
Go Shijima	Xion and Haru: PEOPLE - Bobby and James "...we've met," says Bobby, fulfilling the day's quota of extremely obvious observations. Sat in their chairs, there's nothing either of them can do to escalate--so they're listening. "He brought that on himself, hanging around with who he does," says James firmly. "I don't feel bad for him, and I don't forgive him for dragging Laura into that world." "You don't know me, pal. And you oughta listen to Haru, because you don't know Laura half as well as you think, if you think -I- got her into that stuff." James fumes, but eventually relaxes, sighing. "I shouldn't have come at you sideways. It sounds like we both cared about her. I think... what Xion said, it sounds like maybe that'd help us." Bobby sneers. It's an expression he's used to, but Haru knows him well enough by now to know that it's posturing. "Yeah? What could you -possibly- have inside you? You had a weird dream? Get real," he spits. "I got a -monster- inside of me--" "Shut up for a second and listen," James softly, but firmly interjects. "After Xion spoke to me I had a dream, yeah. This guy I'd never seen before--one-armed, beard, really crazy look in his eye... he dug his hand into my chest. Bobby, I felt it. He put... he put a ring there. It looked just like the ring Laura had, and ever since I've felt like something is different inside of me. Like maybe I have something waiting to... come out," he frowns. Bobby is silent, then. "Haru, have you ever felt that way?" He glances towards Xion, silently asking the same question of her.
Tamamo	Once she arrives, Tamamo carefully sets down Lilian, but doesn't move away from her, even here. One hand holds hers. She can both examine the walls and speak to the spirit from a seated position, without issue. Heat is much related to her element, though darkness is not, and she brings her own light to illuminate the centuries-old instructions. 'The art which you enjoyed...' "Oh, have we been acquainted? Please pardon my poor memory." In that case, she need not introduce herself, though it would still be polite for the spirit to do so, even should he be their host, at the moment. "I have enjoyed many arts, but might you mean that of reading the threads of lives woven through past and future? That would make quite the curious interest, in this land. So few seers of any note still remain. Ah, or do you mean that art which mimics it, that of the medium, to whom both Man and spirit may speak, and so may discover the proper place of boundaries between worlds? That would be a pleasant change for many, should I humbly advance an opinion. Or perhaps it is another altogether, and I have merely been distracted by consideration of wandering stars."
Xion	Xion nods and makes affirmative noises as the boys explain their plights -- except Haru's. Haru's is a bit different, and more intense. "Oh. It's a cursed belt. I understand now. That's... Rough. I can see why someone would make a belt like that, but it's a belt of pain. I could probably lock it shut, but I don't want to lock it on... your waist, Haru." "Well... If I felt a certain way on the inside, there's only two answers: It's either what's really inside me, and I need to understand it... or it's some weird chemicals doin' some stuff. You know?" Xion rummages around in her pocket and produces a king sized SNACKER'S BAR 1x, which she hands to James. "See if it's the chemicals, or you. If you need to let something out, this camp is a good place to do it." Xion glances at Bobby and Haru. "Unless a powerful evolved human and Kamen Rider don't want to help? It's better to live your truth, right?"
Go Shijima	Lilian: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove I am called the Giant. I have passed through, but I linger, to observe. To intervene. This must be one of the rare few spirits to have passed through the Black Lodge and moved to the White--yet it remains here, in order to protect the unaware. And, sometimes, to guide. Though it is difficult for you, think of me as a friend. It extends an index finger. Omen one. The first thing I will tell you is... the bodies of wood and earth shall meet in the sky. The one who waits for you will understand, if you do not. Its thumb extends now. Omen two. The second thing is: the silver star shines brightly in a field of blackness. It will call for you, to tell you a secret. The Giant pauses, momentarily. Perhaps it's also talking to Tamamo, in the real world. Tallahassee is eerily quiet, save the wind, which does little to make it less so. Abandoned cars, the helicopter Onyx shot down, even blood from the fight are here. But this is a snapshot. Not the real thing. The third thing is: the mask is unwilling, but others may not see.
Hamada Haru	"You do not have a monster inside of you. You are a kaijin. Specifically, an Orphenoch," Haru explains for Bobby. "The original Kaijin were a product of cybernetic enhancement and bioweapons projects, but some have occurred naturally. Orphenoch are among them. The 'thing' sleeping inside of you is just you. If you focus hard enough, you'll be able to transform." He taps his foot against the ground a moment, and adds, "The extra power of being a Kaijin isn't infinite, but it does mean that nobody here is likely to be able to kill you reliably without you being able to escape or draw attention to the problem. Solo outings are safer for you, now. But don't go where people will expect you to be." Then he turns towards James, and extends his left hand. "Put my hand exactly where you remember the object being placed through." //have you ever felt that way?// "My mother developed the modern Rider system," he explains. "So, in a way." //I could probably lock it shut...// "Curses should be broken," Haru says, glancing at the badge on his jacket. "If you want to help break it, that's fine. Passing the buck just doesn't sit right with me. And it may be... that it can get rid of some of the malign spirits in this place on the way there." Haru is uneasy with that idea, even though he says so. "Do you think that he's intended to 'use' whatever it is?" Haru wonders. "I was just going to remove it."
Xion	"If it was placed there, and he can call it out, isn't it his, whether it was left there for a purpose or not?" Xion asks Haru quietly. "I understand feeling like there's something monstrous or different inside you, but people live painfully if they can't accept their whole heart and self, together. Try to care about yourself, right?"
Lilian Rook	"Well, supposing that's what you really are, that's a noble enough purpose." Lilian replies to the Giant, neither sounding as if she believes him nor has reason to disbelieve him, or rather more like the difference itself isn't relevant right now. "If that's your impression, please don't take it personally; it takes a lot for me to claim a friend." She does, very much, listen carefully to the 'three things'. The Giant's portents. Though she is already using half her head to try and decipher them at the time, she uses the other half to carry the discourse. "I suppose if those are the clearest terms you are willing, or perhaps able, to describe them in, there's no use in gormlessly asking what they're supposed to mean." Bodies of wood and earth. Tamamo would know? Seems doubtful it'd describe Orphenocs, though the spirits here only seem to possess humans. Did Tamamo find something? Silver star. Field of blackness. Calling, telling; the observatory? A message sent from space, picked up by General Briggs. The mask is unwilling. Ronette had described BOB's host as a 'mask'. She'd broadly assumed that there was no Lelond left --that it was all BOB on the inside now-- but if she's interpreting it correctly, that might mean the man is trapped in a situation beyond heinous. His own daughter . . . "Is it that you would like those three things to be 'collateral of confidence'? That you have one more thing to tell me, that you wish me to take very seriously? Or is it only necessary that I believe you in those three things?" Lilian asks the Giant.
Go Shijima	Muramasa: PEOPLE - The Palmers "Of course, of course," says Sarah blearily. Dr. Hayward doesn't seem to notice the structural analysis at all. He does, thankfully, appear to be human. But... just like swords, houses have history. It creeps into him, after just a moment's worth of analyzing Dr. Hayward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml72-Z1RNKM Muramasa is younger. He's creeping up the stairs of the house. He hates coming to this place at night. Always, there's the risk that HE will be here. But what can he do? He can't tell his parents about it. That a man comes in, and... and... That HE comes in no matter when the doors are locked and the windows are bolted. That no matter where Muramasa hides, HE always seems to find him. And then -it- starts. Muramasa feels himself shudder as he enters his room. It's raining. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. Please don't be here. His body feels like it's made of lead, as he sneaks over to his bed. Lightning flashes. he is there he is there he is there he is there RUN Hiding behind her dresser he moved it he found her secret he moved it he's here Lightning flashes. Muramasa screams, when he sees the man's true face. The vision passes. But there is no doubt that BOB is possessing Leland Palmer, and has, for many years. It may not always reside in him, but this is the spirit's turf--hence, the feelings of disgust, of fear, of a home denied the warmth it should have. When he comes to, Muramasa is being attended to. By Dr. Hayward. And by Leland Palmer, with a glass of water ready for him and a look of concern on his face. His eyes appear human--for now. "You look white as a sheet," notes Leland. "My God. Is everything okay?"
Hamada Haru	"Yeah," Haru agrees with Xion, lowering his outstretched hand. "But it's hit-or-miss whether the people who gave it in the first place missed the brainwashing step."
Xion	"Oh, yeah, but that's why you and I are here, Kamen Rider." Xion agrees cheerfully. She had it all planned out.
Go Shijima	Tomari and Hellwarmers: INVESTIGATION - One-Eyed Jacks The bartender's name-tag reads 'JEAN-MICHEL.' Indeed, Rin and Utsuho send the 'wrong-right' message, because he claps his hands together and laughs raucously. "Tell you what, girls, I think we can find one for you, yet. Must have been a while since you had a good dance, huh?" He laughs a greasy laugh, and sets them both up with a complimentary shot. "The 'dance hall' is upstairs, and we get new talent pretty often. Benefit of the location, you know?" Horne owns a department store, in Twin Peaks. Ronnette worked there, before her transformation--that'd probably be where Horne is sourcing the 'girls' from. "We got a few workin' right now, but if you want the /real/ fun dances, you gotta be here after dark, you know?" Jean-Michel helps himself to a shot, as well. "What else you two lookin' for, huh? Maybe old Renault can set you up." He's taken a shine to the two gremlins, assuming gremlinship to be synonymous with moral bankruptcy, as cretins often mistakenly do. Tomari, meanwhile, has ample time to sneak around beneath the notice of Jean-Michel or any of his security. The back of house is locked, but it's no match for his good friend Dimension Cab. No one's in it, either--no reason to be back here when it's this time of day. All the administrative and recordkeeping work in a place like this probably gets taken care of in the morning. It takes some searching, but he manages to find some corroborating evidence--a ledger. They're smart. Everything in it is initials--but cold, hard numbers like payouts and revenue tell stories, even so. 'BH, JH and LP' are regular visitors. BH and JH never seem to appear at the same time, and their visits alwayw coincide with a payout to someone else.
Muramasa	The feeling of needing to vomit brews deeply in his core -- but it's only an approximation, a phychological urge manifesting as a physiological one. It's the same way that someone under a lot of stress or anxiety might feel the need to satisfy a non-existant hunger, he had nothing in his stomach to empty. He could recall waking up like this when he was a boy, living with his Father. But his dreams then had been of something else, yet .. it was, he felt himself assured, very similar if you were to compare the essence of that recollection. Hayward and Leland are doing their best to assist him, and briefly, Muramasa seems unresponsive; his mind is trying to catch back up to his body, and the real world. Breathing out deeply through his nose, his lips part briefly as he surveys the room. Finally, reality sets in. Just now. Was that ..? Flexing his fingers to ensure his grip was steady again, he accepts the water from Leland with a small nod of appreciation and drinks, taking the lull for all it was worth to recollect his thoughts. It was rare for him to get swallowed up like that. He'd been focused more on Hayward, who to his relief, had been a regular person, at least as far as he could tell. Then ... Then, the only way he could make heads or tails of what he saw, would be if the history he'd seen had belonged to Laura. Muramasa's eyes open as he finishes drinking, to observe Leland. He seemed normal enough. Genial, concerned. But he isn't always going to be possessed. At least, I don't think so .. I don't have a real reason for thinking that, but now that I've experienced that episode, it's the impression I have. Something Laura figured, that's stuck with me, maybe. It was difficult for him to shake Laura's panic, her sheer terror. It still threatened to grip him even now. The secret that BOB found, could it have been one of her diaries? "Yes, I'm fine now, I'm very sorry about causing a scene. I'm sure you'd like an explanation ... " He hesitates, a primal response. If he could use his magecraft on the man himself .. But with how vividly he was swallowed just now, that was unspeakably dangerous. He did not consider himself someone easily cowed by fear for his life. But it was too much. Too similar to then. It was like when he was a boy and ______ he had sunk calf-deep in it. Not only his mind, but even his spiritual core was at risk. His window of opporunity would be difficult to regain once Leland removes his hand from his shoulder, he realizes. Usually, to trigger his magecraft, he utilized the image of a handgun in his head. But, this time, without even realizing it -- When the hammer falls down, all he could think about was the first foot step he'd made into the mud back then.
Go Shijima	Lilian and Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove "I am called the Giant," says the spirit to Tamamo. "It is precisely those arts which I mean." He nods, once. "One among you has stood for many years between both worlds, barred insight by the circumstances of his time--as mortals often are. When he awakens, he will need a teacher, for the water is muddied with the words of charlatans and fools." The spirit's tone is grave, now, "And when he is asleep, he will walk against his will." In the dream-Tallahassee, the Giant nods politely to Lilian. It doesn't seem to take it personally at all--evidently, it has gleaned some understanding of her, if this dreamscape is any understanding. Of course. You guess correctly--for one to be a friend, for one to offer help, trust is necessary. One more thing, I will tell you, when it is time. But these three things you must see for yourself, to know my help for what it is. Collateral of confidence, then. It is good to speak with one versed in such matters.
Hellwarming Trio	Rin: "Yeah! It's been forever since we had a party like this." Utsuho: "What? That last one was only a few months ago." Rin: "That might as well be forever!" Eyeing the shots, the two barely hesitate before jiving their way over to the bar and snatching up their complimentary shots, downing them with satisfied noises. Those noises are promptly followed up with brief coughs into their sleeves, but at least they keep the stuff down. "Whoa. You've got a whole floor for this stuff?" Rin asks with a surprised look on her face, playing the act up a bit more for lack of any other plan beyond dancing like an idiot to keep attention off of Tomari's sneaking. "Do that many people really do this kinda thing to bring all this money in?" The mention of money, meanwhile, seems to finally get something to click for Utsuho. "Oh yeah... I was supposed to buy a car for... Something." The raven murmurs, sounding mildly confused at the end as though she knows she's forgotten something. After a few moments of deep (not really) contemplation, she looks right back at Jean-Michel with a curious raise of her eyebrow. Utsuho: "Why's it have to wait until after dark, though?" Rin: "Yeah, wouldn't you wanna see the dance instead of just doin' it blind?" They could be great actors, or they could be genuinely unaware of what plausible deniability is with their choice of words. It's actually kind of hard to tell for anyone that doesn't already know them.
Go Shijima	Xion and Haru: PEOPLE - James and Bobby When James is handed the SNACKERS, Bobby snorts. "Yeah... yeah! See if you need to let something out! Hurk! HURK! OUHRK!" He makes puking noises trying to make James lose his appetite, though it's absent the vitriol from before. Bobby is just Like That, when he's not grappling with things no kid his age should. James rolls his eyes at Bobby, but accepts the candy with a little smile. Who doesn't like a SNACKERS? He eats it. And he waits. And waits. "I... still feel it. So I don't think it's that. Haru... Bobby," he manages with some difficulty, "Could you guys help?" "Help?" Bobby scoffs. But... he softens. "Look, unless you want me to transform and knock you around, I dunno what I can really do to shake that thing loose." James gives him a pleading look, and the same for Xion and Haru. "Ugh. Fine. If they can't, then I will, and I promise not to hit too hard." Bobby rises from his chair--provided Xion will let him--and transforms. His Orphenoch form appears to be that of a dog, with armor more sleek than Jacques', yet less aerodynamic than Ronette's, sporting spiked shoulder and knee pads. A white patch of wispy fur traces from his neck down to his back, culminating in a tail. Holding a clawed hand to the side of his head, he recoils. "Whoa." "What is it?" "I smell... everything. Uh... guys, there's definitely something in him. Smells like... metal," Bobby says. "So it is the ring." "I guess? Also... man, that belt of yours, Haru. It reeks. Smells like a crematorium. What's up with that? That the curse you were talking about?" There's a note of concern in his voice--so he is capable of warming up to people.
Lilian Rook	Lilian makes a thoughtful noise at the confirmation of her initial suspicion. "Mmm, well. I wouldn't have minded hearing the final bit in advance, but I understand well the idea of, let's say, 'If I tell you now then it won't come true." She only sighs a teeny tiny bit, picking up her sword and sheathing it along with one long, slow click. "Well, it's not terribly difficult to get back here. So, once I've confirmed those three omens for myself, I'll be certain to return." Lilian allows herself a self-satisfied smile, in this private place and time beyond a place and time. "It's good to speak with one inclined to steward his land, as opposed to one out to get as many humans as it can." she replies. "A pleasure. But for now, I really have to get back to someone, and to securing the Grove, so that nobody else wanders in while that black taint is still bubbling up. Until we can purify it at least. I suppose it has something to do with BOB" Giving a slight half-bow on the way out, Lilian turns, walks back down the eerily silent street, and comes back to herself again with Tamamo. Looking around, she blandly remarks "Ah, we moved." and then smirks just a little at Tamamo holding her hand. "How spicy. So? How did it go? What did you learn?" A pause. "Ah, and the spirit I spoke to said you might know the meaning of, 'the bodies of wood and earth shall meet in the sky'."
Hamada Haru	"In the western world, the number thirteen or six hundred and sixty six is associated with misfortune and evil," Haru explains to Bobby. "But Rider Services is Japanese. We associate death with the number four as a result of some pronounciation similarities between the number four and the word death. Our buildings sometimes have no fourth floor, like yours sometimes have no thirteenth floor. It might go without saying, then, that..." He taps his belt, "'Tetra' is an unusual name to give to a hero. I wasn't originally intended to be a Kamen Rider. I don't think that this belt was even slated for use, so it might just be defective. I just assumed that somebody was looking down on me when they did it, but it didn't really matter to me." "I had bigger things to worry about," he says. Shaking his head, he adds, "I don't think it'll hurt me. But I think it will keep eating the spirits of people who die around me. I need to find a time and a place to destroy it. After that, I have my Riotrooper gear to fall back on. And I'll have questions for the development department."
Tamamo	So, she had heard correctly. There is always a risk of misunderstanding, in traveling abroad, but Tamamo is pleased to have little difficulty in it, this time. 'One among you...' "I thank you for your warning, o Giant. An uninitiated, sleepwalking medium sounds as one who may be in, or else may cause, a great deal of trouble. Ah, how curious, yet fortunate that he may find us here at this time." Tamamo doesn't read her own fortunes ahead of time, as a rule. "I shall see the sleepwalker sought, then." She refrains from grousing on charlatans, both because they are only one of the sorts of fools found among humanity, and because giving more than a sympathetic nod to a ranting topic can easily be gauche in new company. And so, her thoughts turn back to the Black Lodge. But she's still missing some connecting threads. What was it that was said, before? 'It's said that spirits must pass through the Black Lodge on their way to perfection. Not all of them want to.' "Would that troubling spirit, the one taking the bodies of mortals, be qualified to enter the Black Lodge?" She does not add 'and survive.' Purification, as a process, does not imply safety of that which is. "Ah, but you must be busy, and I shall not keep you. I believe we shall be visiting on another occasion." Soon: Lilian is waking up. Tamamo is still holding her hand, to be sure she didn't disappear the moment Tamamo's back was turned, as can happen in some places. Spicy, indeed. "Oh, did it? That much is quite simple." Tamamo slowly stands, and retrieves a folding fan that had been invisibly hidden with her sleeve. She gestures with it to the paintings on the wall. "Muk Seng." That doesn't sound Japanese. "Ah, they would call it Mokusei, now. Or, in this place, Jupiter, the wood star." She gestures, likewise, to Saturn. "Duo Seng, the star of earth and soil. An opportune day, when they meet, for certain purposes. Were there other riddles? I have, meanwhile, learned we must search for a sleepwalking, untrained seer, a medium for the spirits. How good that we should both be here for him, whoever he may be. Moreover, having one of opened eyes would be good for this land, no? A pity they must be sorted from common deceivers."
Go Shijima	Tomari and Hellwarmers: INVESTIGATION - One-Eyed Jack's No one is going to keep much of an eye on the back of house at this hour--so Tomari is home free. Rin and Utsuho, however... "A few months ago! hah!" Jean-Michel slaps the counter with a meaty palm, having just shotgunned his drink. "We have a party like 'that' here every night--whole floor for 'dancing,' yessirree. Sounds like you girls finally found someplace that could keep up with you, huh?" He puts the shot glasses away, and cleans them right away. "Oh, we got a few hard workers up there now, if you really gotta dance," he clarifies. "But the best ones, they sleep late, you know?" He laughs a disgusting laugh. "So they can really dance the night away. Hah!" In other words, the most expensive girls don't tend to show up until the night time. The phone rings. "Hello? Yeah, this is him. ...dead? How? -Ashes?!- Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Thaaat would probably be someone at the Sheriff's office calling the next of kin. At the very least it allows these two to get clear of this deeply unpleasant man, now that Tomari's gotten something of value. Ben Horne is nowhere to be found, however... was he truly upset when last they saw him, or is something else going on?
Lilian Rook	Lilian sits up straight, then stands with Tamamo, dusting herself off in that habitual, largely needless fashion, as if she'd look tawdry without doing it, and no longer thinks about it. "Oh, well then! That's perfectly straightforward! I'm glad by a measure and a half that it was so easy. Indeed he was right to assume you'd know." "The Giant, was his name. The proper steward of this place. I suspect the places of 'BOB' and 'MIKE' to be drifter or trickster spirits. I wonder if the latter's 'face of God' may have been some fateful encounter at Glastonbury here. Hm." Lilian shakes her head. "Ah, well, it was a pleasant change to speak with a spirit who knew what he should be doing for a change. I wonder if he has some history with Hawk's people, perhaps?" Recounting the other two very recent quasi-riddles, Lilian delivers them with her immediate theories; those being the observatory radar, in keeping with the mysterious message received by Briggs, and Laura's excruciatingly unfortunate father, the state of whom makes their work more complicated, for Lilian insists it is inconveniently her personal duty to not see him killed to get at BOB if at all possible; and she isn't an exorcist.
Go Shijima	Lilian and Tamamo: INVESTIGATION - Glastonbury Grove >Would BOB be qualified to enter the Black Lodge? "The question is not who is permitted, but who uses it properly." So that's it, then--anyone can enter, but why worry about the consequences of failing the trial, if your purpose is not to pass it? The Giant fades from the physical world at approximately the same time Lilian returns to it, eerily standing there as he gradually returns to formlessness. But that parting bit of guidance is not the only assistance the Giant offers. The sunlight bent by Tamamo's mirror--it stretches, forming an illuminated, winding path across the ground. In the afternoon, it is unusual to hear owls--but they appear perturbed by this, if the harsh edge to their cries is any indication. It is likely the Giant has just shown them a path to walk free from prying eyes.
Go Shijima	Muramasa: PEOPLE - Leland Palmer It is summer. Muramasa is at his parents' summer home, the one with the view of the lake. He'd been warned not to go swimming there last year, but this year he was taller, and a better swimmer, and so he could be trusted there. He'd just come back to the shore after playing. Trees surround the lake, opening up on one side to a beautiful field of green. An empty bottle of soda lies on the ground. Muramasa liked popping those caps off with the bottle opener, even though they'd just recently started making them screw-off. A boy of perhaps eight years old smiles back at him, reflection distorted by the shape of the glass. Muramasa's parents call for him to come back inside, and he starts that way. The neighbor is there, watching him with that matchbook in his hands. Every year, the same. Muramasa knows he'll light one, and flick it his way, no. Flick it -at- him, and say "Hey kid. Wanna play with fire?" But Muramasa isn't scared of him. Or the fire, anymore. "Sure," he says. He wants to play with fire. A sick feeling overtakes him, his head swims. Something isn't right. Why won't his legs move? Why won't anything move? The last thing he hears, over the insistent calling of his mother to come in for lunch, is the neighbor's laughing, twisting into something ugly...
Xion	The cHAIRs are easy to escape from if people are being friendly and supportive. Which they are! "It's just a precaution, right? We're not just going to beat you up. And - um, don't worry about me!" The fist holding onto starlight's hilt knocks gainst her chest, before maneuvering the blade to rest over her shoulder. "I'm ready whenever." Bobby's transformation -- Xion lights up. "Wow! You're cute. That's a cool other self, Bobby." Xion praises lightly. She doesn't comment on the rancid belt. Haru was clear.
Hellwarming Trio	Utsuho: "A dance party? That could be fun." Rin: "Yeah! Oh, but we'd need to learn some more moves first." Utsuho: "Isn't our usual one enough?" Still seemingly unaware of what they might be suggesting, the pair continue listening closely to what Jean-Michel tells them. The night shift being the most lucrative time of day is certainly noticed, but Shinnosuke's warning forces them to file away that information for later. The fact that Jean-Michel's occupied on the phone and upset over someone's death might also be useful to relay as well. And so, under cover of phone call, the pair sneak away, still jiving a bit on their way out the doors before taking a roundabout path to the car. Even with their incredibly limited knowledge of investigations... <Tac-Paladins> [4] Lilian Rook says, "Lie, bluff, The fewer people that know they're investigating anything, the better.
Tamamo	"It was Hawk who had mentioned this place, and the same Giant who showed the way here. He spoke as if it was another's lineage as had prepared this place, though I cannot be sure of it. As for that pair of more modern naming, it does seem to me as if they have far the lesser history with this place, and of the one we still hunt, it has spurned the local custom." Tamamo frowns. "Quite worse, in fact. It sounds as if this 'BOB' may be making things difficult for this land's spirits, in misusing the Black Lodge. Only those who undertake the trial with the intent to succeed must also risk failure. To an invader, this would make it a place from which to find prey. Ah, though this assumes that he does seek harm to all, without discrimination. I suppose there to be some small possibility that he instead delights only in the suffering of humans." Still keeping her mirror at the ready, Tamamo inspects the exit. "Ah, and this would be another token of aid." She pauses. "Owls? How strange. I do recall mention of the birds, before. Are they someone's familiars, do you suppose?"
Muramasa	Unlike his previous attempt, Muramasa does not recover in a timely fashion this time. Rather -- With miniscule amounts of blood dribbling from the corner of his left eye, and a dab wetting his ears, he slumps away from the waking world, unable to surface after being submerged in the memory. He wasn't thinking about telling the others. He wasn't thinking about the context of the information, at least, not right now. He wasn't thinking about anything except, in his fugue state, how awful that man's smile was. To call it cold was not anywhere near enough of a comparison. Even that priest back then had a better veneer about him than that person. Muramasa loses consciousness in the Palmer's living room, from the perspective of the others, seemingly having a relapse episode of whatever it was that had him out the first time, only a good deal more severe. And, for the first time in a very long time, he dreams of flame, misery, and hatred, and death. Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great evil to compete with the masses of kindness. The penalty begins at five. -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- for self -- On such a time that he does wake, he does so by expelling what little he can as he heaves into the closest recepticle.
Lilian Rook	"Interesting." That's Lilian's only reply to the matter of Hawk. What she leaves unsaid is more substantial than the very little she says out loud here. "Perhaps I'll speak to him a little more later; he's been a perfectly helpful gentleman so far; significantly outside the bounds of mere police work in role as well." She shrugs dispassionately at further talk of BOB. "Well, all the more reason to eliminate him. I'm already sick to death of that nasty bastard. Adding more crimes to his list won't change his fate by this point. Since it seems we can't set a trap for him here, though, if he's currently fixed himself to Mister Lelond, we'll have to draw a plan for driving him out of his host; as long as I'm even remotely near, I can swiftly deal with him afterwards." The subject of owls draws a twitch of an eyebrow from her, but no more. "I remember substantial chatter about how the owls aren't what they seem, and how they're watching this and that. They were involved in the stalking of the poor dead girl, and in Ronette's attack. One may very well presume that they are. I don't fear their eyes, but it's convenient that we should be able to leave this place without being watched, or should I say that it is best for The Giant if they can't follow us back to this cave." She holds out her arm. "Shall we?"
Go Shijima	Xion and Haru: PEOPLE - James and Bobby James timidly reaches out and grabs Haru's hand. "He said I should use it," explains the young biker, after Xion makes her aside to Haru. "That an old man would be in town, and he'd give me something to use it with. He said... he said BOB had to be stopped. I don't even know who that is... but... I feel it, inside of me. And I feel like this is something I have to do." "Then... do it," says Bobby. "And if anything goes wrong there's three other people here who can help." It's an indirect way of saying it, but he wants to help. "Right. I can't use it if I can't even see it. It's here." He guides Haru's hand to the spot just where his heart is. There is something in there--and it's warm. Safe. It has to come out, wants to come out--but when Haru tugs... "Laura," says James, tearing up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rZbsnB-xkM "I know," says Bobby, his human form appearing as a blue-green projection on the wall of the camper. He's crying, too. "I miss her too." A clawed hand is placed on James' shoulder as Haru pries it free. It is shining brilliantly--even before it's fully free, even in the afternoon sun. A golden-white light. Just to grasp it, to look upon it, is to feel a young man's pure desire to protect, to rescue--not just Laura, but everyone around him. Images of his friends dance across the light as it's revealed. Donna Hayward, helping spirit him away. His uncle, Big Ed, weathering verbal abuse from his aunt. Ronnette, dancing with Donna and Laura in a beautiful mountain clearing. Xion and Strawberry, gently urging him not to run off. When it's finally free, then the glow finally dims, revealing a golden... washer? "Well, I... I guess that's technically a ring." "Someone's coming," says Bobby. "Motorcycle. Touring. Smells like..." Sniff. "Old guy." The Old Guy pulls up to see Bobby, de-transformed, but still puffing his chest out. "Who the hell are you?" "Harley's my name! Professor Harley," says the santa-looking Old Guy as he dismounts his bike. "I had the strangest dream--by chance, are you James Hurley? I've never felt such a strong pull towards someplace... but I know when my mind is needed!"
Tamamo	Responding smoothly, "Of course," and Tamamo goes arm-in-arm with Lilian. She has no doubt that removing the parasite from the host will make it far simpler to dispatch, and the matter of determining just what the birds have been up to will wait for another time.