Scene #8114: The Return: 2014 Split

Owner	Pose
Timespace Riders	September 16, 2014 Twin Peaks, WA Great Northern Hotel 3:32PM Days Until Assassination Attempt: 2 It's a lovely afternoon in the hesitantly-modernized, last living (or possibly 'only extant') slice of 'small town America.' Following your flight back from Vegas, the Great Northern staff arranged for a late lunch, provided any were interested. The conference rooms serve as adequate private dining and unofficial headquarters. The time traveler Woz, alluded to by Lilian Rook as 'the most suspicious man alive,' prophesied that there would be an attempt on General Briggs' life two days from now. Woz also predicted that the attempt would ultimately be foiled thanks to the foresight of Lilian, her juniors, and Hamada Haru. If he's telling the truth, it provides the luxury of time in the investigation; the days leading up to the attempt can be used to pursue other leads. If he's not, he'd probably be screwing his king (also somewhere in town) out of a coronation, based on the ultimatum Lilian gave. Throughout your stay in Twin Peaks, you will have opportunities to advance the INVESTIGATION, to get better acquainted with the PEOPLE (either to aid the investigation or out of interest), or to witness EVENTS which unfold in town--the people here after all do have lives of their own, struggles and conflicts with each other. Solving the mystery of the time-traveling riders and saving the town will require a blend of all three, as this small community holds a multitude of secrets and boasts a storied supernatural history behind the curtains. DEPUTY BOBBY BRIGGS can help with the INVESTIGATION, combining the resources of the Sheriff's Department with those of a secret protective society in town. JAMES HURLEY, the resident Kamen Rider, is a man with an unusually high random encounter chance, often finding himself plunged into absurd or bizarre situations. He's also a musician and often plays at the places in town, so he tends to have a pretty firm grasp on EVENTS in town. MARI SONODA moved into town following the conclusion of the investigation in 1989. She's since become something of a fixture in town, and there are few people who don't know her or know of her. Spending most of her days working at Kikuchi Cleaning with the proprietor, she is a great source of information about PEOPLE in town.
Shotaro Hidari	This was Shotaro's first time to Twin Peaks. He didn't arrive there to meet with people before the investigation and instead showed up at the airport. Now that they have a place where the false Drive would be, they have a little bit of time to investigate the scant clues they had to try and reveal more about the mystery. Shotaro took a small lunch, before heading out to do some snooping around. He tends not to work directly with the cops unless he's starved for clues or they ask for collaboration directly...though he's willing to bend this rule. However, he does not go to the Deputy first. He doesn't seek out James either, they'll cross paths eventually. All Kamen Riders cross paths eventually. Sometimes it's even without a fight. Mari Sonoda is the only one here who has some interest in Shotaro immediately. His background check on Kaido Naoya revealed that the two knew each other. A coincidence that seemed too good to be true. If nothing came of it, she would still be a good source of local knowledge, and let him get to know the wind that blows through Twin Peaks, as he does his own Futo.
Timespace Riders	LEADS DECADE: This figure appeared at the reception for Laura Palmer's funeral to offer Audrey Horne a cryptic greeting. No one is sure whether Audrey has seen him since; she evidently stays busy and is rather a private person these days, though she does own a salon in town. Past that, the only lead would be tracking him down in 1989-A. OHMA ZI-O: A 'tyrant' who is thought to have designs on this world. According to the interdimensional entity known as Narutaki, a battle between this tyrant and 'the destroyer of worlds, Decade,' will be catastrophic for this world. Possibly connected to the Zi-O of the present, a young man named Sougo Tokiwa, who dreams of being a 'Demon King' himself. Notably, Sougo has been spotted in town. NARUTAKI: An interdimensional being, whose Tamamo intuited to mean 'ringing cry' or 'cascading water.' He appeared before General Briggs to spirit him away to future timelines. In one, Decade reigned over a massive criminal empire. In another, Ohma Zi-O fought over the ruins of civilization with other terrible powers, maintaining an iron grasp over his corner of that forsaken world. General Briggs posited it may be possible to summon him through occult means (evidently experienced at such), while Aptom suggested using Decade or Zi-O to lure him out. ANOTHER DRIVE: Now provably known not to be officer Shinnosuke Tomari. The would-be assassin has been attempting to kill General Briggs for nearly 25 years, but was seen complaining in Tamamo's vision that it's as if Briggs has 'someone looking out for him.' He has an unknown accomplice, who may also attempt to kill Briggs. GARLAND BRIGGS: An Air Force general and the administrator of the deep space telemetry station in the woods on the town's outskirts. He is currently under the protection of Lilian Rook's junior Immunes, though his apparent history of near-death experiences may be worth looking into. DALE COOPER: A former FBI agent who assisted in the original investigation. Tapes from that investigation are available from the Bureau on request through the right channels, but the man himself has all but disappeared from the face of the earth, making the uncharacteristic decision to quit within weeks of the original investigation's conclusion. NAOYA KAIDO: An Orphenoch and Watch asset of unknown relation to the investigation. He was seen during the airport footage. Neither Bobby, his father nor Another Drive seemed to notice him.
Hellwarming Trio	"So what's the plan?" "We gonna do some research on those weirdoes from the Lounge?" "Lodge. Or we could see if any other weird stuff's been going on in town." "Let's... See what's going on in town." "Heh. Thought so." "Gonna do that thing, Master?" "... Yes. I'm going to do that thing." With a short bout of banter leading into their arrival at the Great Northern Hotel, the duo turned trio from Gensokyo have opted to take advantage of the hospitality provided. Those who have already seen Utsuho and Rin eat before might notice that they're doing so more carefully than they normally would, likely because Satori is eating there as well, looking quite amused by their transparent attempts to behave better in her presence. Once it's time to get to work, they head off to find JAMES HURLEY as promised. Once they encounter him, Utsuho takes the lead for the three in actually asking him about what's happened. She's focused primarily on the decades of assassination attempts by Another Drive, trying to prod out details about the unknown accomplice, and if James might have any inkling as to who that could be. Satori follows up on that with (possibly too) specific questions about anyone that might have been hanging around after those attempts, or even just weird occurrences in town over the more recent days.
Remee Halcyon	Time to SNIFF AROUND. First things first - a call to House Halcyon's lawyer to get the right forms and the right words to use, and then heading over to get DEPUTY BOBBY BRIGGS' attention. "Hi, here's form 53-B for deputization authorization for out-of-world elite forces, 631-G so I can get warrants, S-32-v as an affadavit that I've got superhuman hearing and smell for getting that warrant, 19-W-ii for release of liability (this is for you, not me), and just need you to initial my open carry and concealed carry licenses here and here, thank you." If all that passes muster then Remee Halcyon is now an EMPOWERED AGENT, which - well, it wouldn't have stopped her from doing some things she'd be doing here anyway, but now maybe she's less likely to be put under (attempted) arrest for doing them. And then off to INVESTIGATE the town, sniffing around to see if she can find traces of ANOTHER DRIVE or the POSSIBLY A GORGON she smelled traces of earlier.
Petra Soroka	Drive... rider... orphenoch... time travel.... Petra's head is still spinning with all these new terms and ideas, and her inability to wrap her head around the Kamen Rider thing is really starting to impact her detective abilities. Everyone else seems to already have experience with them, so she's just been trying to go along and figure it out... but it really isn't working. Of course, it's not like she can just ask for a comprehensive breakdown of the basic concept of the mystery she was sent here to solve. She would be outing herself as useless! Who's someone who would have sympathy for her degree of confusion, but enough knowledge to help her understand it? By the time Petra's disembarked the plane and taken her first deep breath of that clean northwestern air, she's developed a plan and regained some confidence. Mari Sonoda will be her first step towards not being useless, and getting to know more people in town will help a lot too. They can't all be deeply entwined with lore she doesn't know!
Xion	Shotaro Hidari, Private Detective shares both part of his title and most of his idea with another person: The Hero Of Needing Some Drycleaning, X 'Junior Detective' Xion, in distressed jeans and open-buttoned flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath. The same thing(s) she wore when she visited people 25 years ago. She was feeling extra nostalgic, and carried a folded up hooded black coat with silver zippers and draws in her arms, crossed in front of her. She needed a reason to go to the cleaners -- and actually needing to use the cleaners was a great reason. Arriving in a sworl of portaling behind Shotaro and almost sneaking right up to him by matching the timing of his steps while walking. She's quite sneaky, until-- "Oh, hello again, Petra." Xion greets, at Petra's approach to the Kikuchi Cleaners a light grin across the noirette's cheeks. "The people here fought with us, twenty-five years ago. They were important, to people before, and probably went on being important until today. Doing alright?" She continues on into good cheer that turns to ice as she directs her grin - now unkind - to Shotaro's back. "And Hidari went off for permanent employment, didn't he? He's a civil servant now. What twenty five years does to a man. . ." It has been only a year of subjective time since investigations.
Aptom	Narutaki. The mysterious, seemingly otherworldly man. Aptom's prey. With all the information that's been collected, it's time to finally lure him out. Or at the very least, attempt to. Admittedly, he's not very versed in occult beings, only people with extremely fae-ish moods. But if they're as close as he's theorizing, bringing out something that pisses them off is the best bait he has... In the middle of the street, two 'Kamen Riders' suddenly make themselves known. The very same ones that Briggs had shared pictures of. Ohma Zi-O and Decade. Or at least, they appear to be at first glance. However, the longer one looks, the more off they appear to be, with the most stand out thing being that their armor appears to be more like carapace rather than metal. The fake riders seem to be aware that their disguises aren't up to snuff though, as they're quick to spring into action, breaking out in a fight to help mask their imperfections with motion. The fake Decade seemingly has an upper hand in the staged confrontation, constantly throwing the Ohma Zi-O around into various walls and motor vehicles, all to create as large of a commotion as possible.
Timespace Riders	Shotaro: Visit Mari KIKUCHI CLEANING takes up the second story of what looks like a former department store. It must have been a pretty lavish one, too, for a town this small. The bottom floor is something called 'The Rowan Tree Salon,' with a marked elevator leading to the cleaning service. Out of the elevator, the first thing one is met with is a pleasant floral fragrance. A waiting area stocked with magazines and a muted, wall-mounted plasma TV spans most of the view, with a counter for drop-off and pick-up. The woman behind the counter, perhaps early 40s, smiles tiredly at him. "You're just in time," says the woman, brushing a lock of dark hair aside. Her nametag reads MARI. "We just finished with a huge rush. How can I help?" Asking about Kaido causes her to frown. "Give me a moment, please." Pressing a button on a phone intercom system, "Tina, could you please flip the sign downstairs to 'closed?' Thank you." "Kaido was... complex," she says, eventually settling on a word, leaning against the counter. "But even though he didn't show it, even though he acted like a clown... he had a good heart. I haven't heard from him in a long time, but I'll tell you what I can."
Lilian Rook	If nothing else, for the number of times that General Briggs has listened intently to Lilian and taken her advice, despite having no prior reason to do so, Lilian feels compelled to return the favour. She does not at any point examine why she would feel that way or conceive of the fact that this is nearly indistinguishable from the way that normal people navigate relationships. After a late lunch at the hotel (the only place in America she hasn't complained about the food, actually), Lilian heads out to see Audrey. She has, of course, informed Satsuki about the impending attempt on the General's life, and gone so far as found justification to reassign Arina off her post to join her and periodically assess any variations in potential futures. There are worse fates for a military man than to be surrounded by eight professional Paladins special forces soldiers he can learn by name, and a pair of young women from overseas who find everything American fascinating and alternate hot-blooded enthusiasm for his protection with puppy-like care and concern. On rotating shifts, of course. Being midday, Lilian makes a safe bet she'll find Audrey at the salon. Or rather, just cheating. Continuing to have taste and class that is wasted on Washington, she arrives with a gift basket that is decidedly not filled with fruits or cheeses or whatever, makes herself known, and asks to speak with her on 'urgent business' if deflected to a hireling.
Timespace Riders	Hellions: Speak With James At this time of day, James isn't hard to find. He's at his uncle's gas station, BIG ED'S GAS BARN. Right outside, tinkering with his motorcycle. Standing up with a smile, he wipes the grease from his hands and tosses the rag he'd used aside. "No idea who he might be working with," admits James. "In fact, I didn't know Mr. Briggs had it that bad." A shrug of his shoulders. Hands dipped into the pockets of his jeans, he looks out at the road. "This would've been about... six years ago. Right out in front." He points to the road nearby. Bobby was working on his bike one morning when General Briggs, on his way to church, passed by a lumber truck loaded up from the mill and on its way out of town. The braces snapped explosively, like they'd been blasted off, and the logs nearly crushed the general in his own car. James remembers the transformer on a nearby power pole blowing, and when he looked back at Briggs' car, it was nearly untouched. The only other patron at the gas station that day was that funny little old man from the Great Northern. That man is gone now, so it probably wasn't him--but it does certainly sound like someone is looking out for Briggs, after all.
Timespace Riders	Remee: Join the Sheriff's Department "This all looks good to me," says Bobby, flipping through it. "Let's get these to Sheriff Truman and get you deputized." Sheriff Frank Truman, the older brother of the town's previous sheriff, is a man of few words. The reflection on the portrait behind him in his office shows that he was undoubtedly, silently staring at a jpeg of a fish before Remee entered. Quietly thumbing through the paperwork, he nods his head. Standing up from his desk, the sheriff procures a badge for her. "With the powers vested in me by the city of Twin Peaks, I hereby deputize you to assist in the investigation involving the attempted murder of Garland Briggs." He pauses, then sits back down and closes his fish jpeg. "Bobby'll get you a radio if you don't already have one, Ms. Halcyon." Her investigations find no traces of Another Drive, but following the scent of the possibly-a-gorgon leads her to KIKUCHI CLEANING--and she's able to catch the elevator before the receptionist downstairs can reach it to pin the 'closed' sign on. Shotaro must have caught some of the scent poking around at the airport. Still, based on what she overheard from Chase's phone call, it's very likely the detective and the inventor (there's definitely smells here too industrial for a laundromat, even if they're tidily packed away) are discussing the same person.
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro would be running into Petra. In fact, it was this meet-up that confirms one thing. He was being followed. Of course, he had no idea that Xion was /that/ close, but the detective's instinct kicked in with the feeling of being watched. The call-out towards Petra causes him to nearly jump out of his skin, expecting an ambush and this causes him to grab his fedora and spin on his heel toward Xion. The look was 'why???', not expecting this close of a meet-up. Once his heart restarted, he turned back around to walk into the shop, only to be stopped again by the cold tone from Xion. "No, I'm still a private eye. I just did not fit in with the Watch. If you're going to give me trouble over that, then set a meeting up with me and I'll gladly face what dues I have then. Until then, I'm trying to save a man's life." With that tone he enters the store, no stranger to having shops in the upstairs part of another shop. He takes his hat off, respectfully towards Mari, and a short bow that follows. "Thank you, I am sure it was a tough loss, but I wouldn't be here to bring up bad memories if it wasn't for a good reason." He pauses, and pulls out his phone, showing the video of the airport where Kaido was revealed. "This was footage in an Airport in Los Vegas, Did Kaido have any connection with General Briggs that would make him want to...be there at that moment."
Timespace Riders	Petra: Visit Mari By the time Petra arrives, Mari's already got tea set out, and doesn't seem to mind the company. "I'm not originally from here," she explains, "But I fell in love with the place. I've lived here for a long time now." Looking Petra over, she taps her chin. "The best piece of advice I can give you for meeting new people is to give them a chance, even if they seem a little strange. Harold never leaves his house, but he sees a lot, and people trust him with a lot. Mrs. Lanterman..." Mari frowns. "People call her the Log Lady, and give her funny looks. They shouldn't, because I think she's tuned into something most people never... wake up to. And because of that, I think most people are put off by her. If she ever says her log has a message for you, you should take it seriously," she says with a nod. With all of that said, she's liable to bowl Petra over with the bluntness of her next statement. "Jerry Horne is an idiot, though. I think the Great Northern has survived despite him, not because of him. I think his brother was the only thing keeping him in check, but most people who knew Ben wouldn't mourn him." After a pause, "Was there something in particular I could help with, about the investigation?" Hopefully, "I just tuned up my robot..."
Timespace Riders	Xion: Catch up With Mari Mari takes Xion's coat with a smile. "We'll have it ready for you no later than tomorrow morning," she beams, before opening the little gate at the counter and coming around to give the Hero of Everyone's Hearts a hug. "It's good to see you again. How have you been?"
Timespace Riders	Aptom: Lure Out Narutaki It's unclear how he arrived, or when. There is a middle-aged man in a trenchcoat and short-brimmed bucket hat, standing on the corner of the street. "Damn you, Decade..." It would seem that the lure worked--hard to guess that he'd be anyone but a person of interest, given that the townies are running far away from the 'battle' and this guy is staring right at it, both fists clenched in white-knuckled anger. Pointing a finger at the fake Decade, he cries, "You should not exist in this world, or any other!" With an outstretched palm, he calls forth a strange, silvery wall of light that envelops all 'three' of them as it passes over. They're left standing in a cracked, ruined, bombed-out and thinly smoldering version of this very street. A possible future?
Petra Soroka	"Oh, hello again, Petra.... Doing alright?" Petra opens her mouth in a brief flash of a wide smile at the unprompted friendliness, before settling down into a more polite expression. "Morning Xion, it's nice to see that you've recovered a bit from that funk you were in earlier! I'm, good, I've been trying to wrap my head around that. What you said, the history here and the stuff everyone's already been through." Tracking Xion's gaze to Hidari, she asks, "Is there history there I should be aware of?" Once at Mari's laundromat, Petra stares helplessly at the CLOSED sign on the door until someone opens it for her. "Give them a chance, even if they seem a little strange" "Logs like a, oh, like a tree, right. That makes sense! I'm definitely getting the impression that like, a lot of people in this town are a bit funny, so I'll try to take it all in stride! You seem really nice yourself, though, this tea is amazing." Petra is relaxed now, getting exposited at, her bomber jacket hung over the back of the chair. "And you have a robot? I thought this was just a low tech place with a bit of demon activity, what's this robot do?"
Timespace Riders	Lilian: Speak With Audrey Initially, Lilian is indeed deflected by the receptionist. However, being well used to sidestepping them with social prowess and displays of clout, Lilian is more than a match for a desk and phone combo. Audrey is in all likelihood, exactly what Lilian expected of the girl's future self. Successful, busy, having taken lessons from her father's strengths and avoided his flaws. When she's able to have a conversation with someone, it's not the kind of conversation that makes you feel uneasy or suspicious, but a perfectly friendly chat. Audrey's office is small and humble, but has everything she needs. She wears 'business professional' well. Like her father, for better or worse, she's on the bleeding edge of business tech (circa 2014) within her office, sliding a tablet away and breaking away from an online conference call to give Lilian her full attention. "This is about the man at the reception, isn't it?" she asks bluntly.
Hellwarming Trio	With James in their sights, the trio begin the investigation! It's not quite as exciting as the animal youkai were hoping for, but their patience in actually listening to him is rewarded when he gives them a proper storytime session to mull over. Although it doesn't give them new information as far as an actual culprit goes, it does still give them something to turn around and have a little head-to-head-to-head session about. "It can't be the old man, then." "But what if that's what he wanted us to think?" "He's dead, Rin. Besides, if he was involved, he may have been the one to protect the General." "Because lettin' the General croak then would've been easier than savin' him for now?" "Precisely. Plans don't always have to be as pointlessly complicated as..." "As...?" "... Yours." "That transformer blowing up might be good to check out. It's been... Uh. Wait, do they take that long to repair those things?" "And whomever arranged for that lumber truck to be there at that time might have been involved, too..." Already, they're starting to suspect to possible angles, but which one could be Another Drive, and which one could be the work of another assassin? There's the possibility of one or both of those being unrelated, too, but going down that many layers is already starting to give Utsuho a headache. Eventually, Satori turns her attention back to James, albeit with Utsuho and Rin both curled up in her lap in their animal forms to soothe their head and heart aches from thinking too much and getting called out on stupid plans, respectively. "I suspect the exploding transformer might have been an accomplice. Another Drive likely has enough speed on his side that the logs could have been released without the driver being aware, but the exploding pole..." She pauses for a moment, nonchalantly using her mind reading powers to probe James' surface thoughts just to make sure he's not hiding something from her. "Do those transformer poles usually explode? If they don't, then that might give us a clue if we follow whoever has access to these things and would know how to do that. Is there a history of this happening around the General, too?" It's only then that Rin and Utsuho realize that Satori doesn't actually know what a transformer is.
Remee Halcyon	POWER OF AUTHORITY GET Remee obligingly flips open the closed sign for Petra if needed. "Yeah, could you tell us what you can?" she asks, smoothly(-ish) inserting herself into the conversation.
Tamamo	Two of the many possible leads stood out to Tamamo, and so, she mentions them over the small-town-American meal she shares with Lilian. "I would wish to find Mr. Cooper, and yet, it may be best to do this where the trail is not quite so cold, and return to this place only when the other has provided us some progress. It is quite strange, is it not, for him to leave so suddenly? I had noticed, yet not quite thought so much of his disappearance following our victory, that time ago, being rather... ah, I must admit, it was an emotional day." The care with which she eats is probably too much for the sort of fare on offer, but Tamamo can't help that sort of habit, and though it means getting through her meals slowly, at least she never has to deal with dropping anything on her robes, however messy it gets. "Apart from this, I am most interested in pursuing this 'Narutaki,' and discovering just what their motives and connections in all of this might be. A most mysterious addition, no? Ah, yet perhaps it is only that these Riders seem quite mysterious, to me. The ways of hotblooded young men, as they seem to by and large be, are somewhat far from what I might term 'personal experience,' no matter the appreciation for their efforts I might have." With that said, she leaves Lilian to go and see Audrey, and instead makes her way to where her divination suggests Narutaki might appear. Since that appearance is close by and also the site of something loud and attention-grabbing, it's not hard at all for her to find the fight between 'two Riders,' even without understanding Aptom's plan at all. "Oh! My, now, what is--" And then something quite strange happens as she approaches a silvery wall of light. "Ah--" The plan (that she still doesn't know about) worked. How fortuitous. "I am not certain that we are acquainted, but might you be...?"
Xion	Xion, backing up while Shotaro turns, ducks his rotating elbow when he holds his head and goes 'why???', grins to Petra. "Funk? Oh-" She remembers, and cringes lightly, a wince that carries from her eyes out into her face. "-yeah. Well. Hmm. History." Shotaro's direness is only a little cut by Mari coming out and taking her coat. "Oh, thanks! I really appreciate it, it looks like you're closed today, so I'd not want to make you try too hard on your day off." To the detective, she's a bit more clipped. "Touchyyy." Xion sighs, shrugging. "You bailed, so I wanted to see why. 'I didn't fit in', well. . . I hope you find a better fit, then, detective." > 'Is there history there I should be aware of?' "We used to be comrades, but he felt more like a lock than a key." Xion decides, shrugging. Her unhelpful explanation is definitely intentional. As for Mari-- "I actually came to ask if you and Takuma kept in touch. I knew you had history, but I missed... coming back for him. Could you tell me about what happened while we were gone with everyone, Mari?"
Aptom	It would seem that Aptom's plan wasn't in vain. Narutaki is here, and in a moment, he's whisked away to what appears to be some sort of alternate timeline. Either that, or he pissed off the mysterious man enough to wipe everyone in the city but him and the interfering fox woman, but he doubts that. If he had that sort of power, he wouldn't be hiding in the shadows and warning people. "So." The false Decade speaks up, his attention fixed on the false Ohma Zi-O who currently lays outstretched on the floor. He walks on over to him, bending down on one knee to help him up as he offers an outstretched hand. The rider accepts, grabbing hold of the magenta warrior's hand, though rather than being pulled up, he's pulled IN. The fake Zi-O loses cohesion, becoming an undescript blob of multi-colored flesh as it integrates into Decade. "I thought the ringleader agreed to leave Narutaki to me? I guess it doesn't matter, if anything, I suppose I have to explain less now." Rubbing where his nose would be if not for the helmet, Decade finally turns his sights to Narutaki. "Sorry. I'm not the Rider you're looking for. The name's Aptom, and you're my prey now,." Even without a mouth, the way he speaks gives the strong impression that he's smiling. "So. Answers, you got them? I'd start giving them if I were you."
Timespace Riders	Shotaro, Petra, Remee, Xion: Kikuchi Cleaning >Did Kaido have any close connection with General Briggs? 5t"No," says Mari to Shotaro, crossing her legs and leaning back in the waiting room chair. They're pretty comfy. "But he was always interested in other Orphenochs." She frowns thoughtfully. >Can you tell us what you can? She nods, pausing briefly as her eyes flick up to a muted (yet decidedly obnoxious) car dealership ad. "At first, it was about wanting to fit in with them. He never really felt all that 'human,' I think, and when the change happened, I wonder if he wasn't maybe a little relieved." She sighs. "He did a lot of growing up in a short time--enough for me to say that his involvement in this isn't to kill General Briggs. He was probably helping Bobby, but..." She squints at the video. It's unclear to her how he would've done that, given that the video shows him simply appearing in the crowd. >You have a robot? "Two, actually! But one of them is our cleaning van, and Keitarou usually takes that out on Sundays to help anyone that got a little too lively at church receptions. Some of the older people here can be... spirited," she says with a little smile. "Let me show you the one I have here, though!" Procuring a beat-to-hell but still-kicking cell phone, Mari punches in three buttons. The phone announces 'BATTLE MODE' and, after a brief, noisy series of hisses, whirs and clanks from behind the counter, a silver human-sized robot comes stomping out into the lobby. Judging by the shoulderpads and the wheel on its back, it probably transformed from a motorcycle. "I didn't build this one, but I take care of him anyway. His name is Auto Vajin! He's a combat model, but he helps out around here when it's busy, too." >What happened while we were gone? "Takuma gave everything for this place," she says with a sad smile. "I think, for him... a place where no one knew him was incredibly appealing. There were times when he used that belt you gave him, but he learned from what you and Lilian tried to teach him and let James and Keitarou take the lead more often than not." Her smile takes on a shade of warmth. "He spent most of his time volunteering at the library. Organizing, cataloguing. Even reading for the kids," she says fondly. "He left his entire personal collection in the will. It was the Orphenoch gene," she says sadly. Turning towards Petra, by way of explanation, "When a human turns into one of those, it's like accessing a part of you that's incomplete. Using it too much can kill you, and Takuma had already used so much of his by the time he came here..." Searching for something happier, "Deputy Andy and Lucy have been married for a long time now. They have a son, and he's really interesting, too. Mm... Big Ed and Nadine finally split up, too. I've been trying to get him together with Norma, but he's too chicken, so please bully him the next time you see him."
Timespace Riders	Hellions: Transformer "Not at all," James says. "Ronette works as an engineer at the power plant, so you might be able to pull a work order from back then to see what happened." After a thoughtful pause, he says, "There's one other thing. Maybe it'll help. You guys know that General Briggs is big into occult stuff. I asked him, that day, if he saw the transformer, and he told me..." James' face screws up in mild confusion. "'Modern conveniences are not as alien to the wizened as we may believe.'" Beat. "No idea what he meant by that. But it sounds like Lodge crap to me."
Tamamo	"'Ringleader'?" Tamamo wonders who that could be, makes a guess, and says, "Oh, no, there are no rings involved, just yet." Watching the two Riders meld together, she covers her mouth in surprise, saying only, "Oh! So, it was that." Yes, of course, it had to be because of 'that.' "Perhaps some... additional context might be useful? Though I do not mean to interfere, I do have an interest in hearing such answers, myself. Ah, and yet, if you were already aware of the location of Decade, I suppose you would not have believed him to be here. Perhaps, rather than requesting answers, I should offer you my aid in finding him. I am Tamamo-no-mae, and I possess certain skills as may be most useful in bringing people together." For various purposes.
Timespace Riders	Tamamo, Aptom: Narutaki >Might you be...? "I am Narutaki--mortal enemy of Decade, the Destroyer of Worlds." With an angered sweep of his right arm, he gestures to the destroyed Twin Peaks. "What you see before you is the fate that awaits Twin Peaks." >Answers. You got them? Narutaki does not respond favorably to being called prey--but the gritting of his teeth and his stunned body language imply that his options here are few. "Kadoya Tsukasa, the man known as Decade, should not exist. He was given a chance to find his place within a world..." Narutaki scowls. "But he has not. Every world he visits rejects him, and it is only a matter of time before he relearns the ways of conquest and destruction." Tamamo, being the more experienced spirit-handler, can guess that the neutral language is being deliberately used here; that these are 'answers' as requested, but not the whole story.
Remee Halcyon	@KIKUCHI CLEANING "Not in this to kill General Briggs..." Remee frowns a little bit at that. "Is there something specific that makes you think that? Beyond what you generally know of him as a person?" "And would you know why he'd be helping, then?" And then Mari talks orphenoches. Remee grabs a notepad and pen. "You know a lot about people with the Orphenoch gene? How would you stop one, without killing them, if you know?"
Lilian Rook	Lilian Rook cannot be defeated by a mere receptionist. And, really, the whole charade is for everyone else's benefit. If they chose to be unreasonably difficult, she'd simply force her way in anyways. It's not like they can stop her. Thankfully, Lilian is able to simply close the office door behind her, put the basket down on the desk, remove the top to begin sorting out four figures worth of 'import' (as in, she had it from globe hopping and didn't pay import or go through customs because fuck the US of A) alcoholic beverages, high-grade sweets, specialty beauty product, and a small resin case packed with foam padding isolating sixty little vials with dates on them. "Oh, of course not. It's about the man you met twenty five years ago at the funeral." says Lilian, with the exact cheerfully blasé tone about something she clearly knows is extremely significant belonging to an evil faerie about to wisk someone away. "It's good to see you Audrey. Rather, it's good to see that you learned from your father. Do you have a moment? Because I need to ask you everything you remember about that man and that day."
Shotaro Hidari	"I'm not going to insult you by not taking it seriously, Xion. I left because my outlook and the Watch's outlook became incompatible," he says, but to Xion's well wishes he bows his head only slightly. "Thank you for that then." To Petra he shakes his head, "I was in the Watch until recently. Our goals don't align anymore," Shotaro says calmly. Shotaro listens to what Mari has to say, taking out a pen and writing in a notebook as she talks. He speaks up to Remee, "He was likely there to help Bobby then, rather than Briggs. Given what Mari said about his interest in other Orphenoches." Shotaro takes a moment to take these clues into consideration. Where did they connect? Kaido was known for being unpredictable, and he was relieved that the assassination failed. Was it because Bobby managed to survive? Or... "Did Kaido have any other friends besides who you knew? Someone he looked out for or was close to?"
Hellwarming Trio	"Ronette?" "She was around the last time we were here! Remember?" "... No.." "It's alright. She's a contact we can get in touch with later, too. But what Mister Hurley said about General Briggs' statement might be more worrying if he's connected to that lodge." As Satori and Utsuho mull over the possible meanings of that eerie statement that even has James confused, it's Rin's turn to puff her chest up (after turning back into her human form with too many ears). "It's easy, bro! It just means that smart people know how stuff works better than us!" "But what does that mean in this context?" Satori asks aloud, both for Rin's benefit as much as it is for hers. "To say something so mundane in a cryptic way after a near-death experience... I doubt most humans would be compelled to talk like that. The General may know more than he's letting on." Another lead for later, maybe. For now, however, the three refocus themselves on James and the events surrounding this place while they're still here with a seemingly renewed vigor (for the animals, anyway)! "What about you? Have you been around any of those times he almost died?" "Oh yeah! You ever get a chance at fightin' any weirdoes showin' up since way back when?" "... Does this sort of thing happen often?"
Xion	"The reason for my bad mood was that a trio is now a duo. Twenty five years ago here, we fought an enemy, together, who wanted to cause harm and hurt people. Something that wouldn't be better, chose not to be good or even tolerable. People -can- choose to do better. Some people want to do better - they want to be accepted, to escape from their mistakes. Some people, if given the chance to do good, would do good, and would continue to do good, mostly." A sigh works out of Xion, the topic too dark for much of a smile. "People make mistakes, sometimes." Rubbing her left hand against the back of her neck, Xion tilts her head at the chin and tries to work through the awkward knot in her throat. "But they're not bad people. That was the kind of chance Takuma got." Xion asides quietly, after listening to Mari explain the moments between connection, missed connection, and goodbye of the man in question. "It's nice to be here, and it's nice to hear good things about him, but I never got a chance to tell him how proud I was of him. Of what he did, with the chance he got." "I know he was here," Her eyes lift to Mari. "With friends. But, and maybe this is selfish, I wanted him to know I saw him, and that he could hear me say it." She nods, quaking only a little, and dips her gaze after. "Yeah. It was like that." At least she has something to say about Big Ed! "I saw him, with the Demon King. Still giving out free coffees to people who look like they need them. I'm sure he'll find someone, if he cares to look for himself."
Timespace Riders	Tamamo, Aptom: Narutaki Tamamo's offer of aid does not fall upon deaf ears. Narutaki cocks his head, slightly, peering at her from an unusual angle. "Is that so?" he asks, before a grin spreads its way across his face. It's not a flattering expression. "I can tell when he crosses between worlds, or uses his powers--but he knows this, too, and I lack the minute vision necessary to find him when he doesn't." "If you were to assist me in finding him, I would see to it that you were rewarded most generously..."
Petra Soroka	"We used to be comrades," Petra's eyes widen. "You mean like, with the," She still hasn't learned how to be normal about being in the Watch, "in the, thing? Comrades like that?" She's gesticulating helplessly. "I was in the Watch until recently. Our goals don't align anymore." Stops her dead in her tracks. "Oh. Ok." "His name is Auto Vajin!" Petra gasps when Auto Vajin comes into the room, halfway pushing herself up from her seat. "Oh, wow! He's so silver! And he looks so retro, with those pneumatic joints and exposed mode-shifting gears? Where'd you get him? He transforms into a motorcycle, that's gotta be related to the Riders, right?" She's completely lost in her enthusiasm for this robot, maybe a bit intentionally so. The heavy topic of an old friend dying before Xion could talk to him isn't something she knows how to navigate.
Aptom	"I see. That's a start, but you're leaving things out." Aptom seems to be enjoying Narutaki's annoyance at him, by the tone of his voice. He finds a piece of rubble to sit down on, making himself comfortable as the 'helmet' on his head pulls back and contorts to a proper face. It isn't Kadoya Tsukasa's, but rather Aptom's own, scar and all. "Now I'm not averse to helping you out like our fox friend is offering, but I want more. Decade and Oha Zi-O destroy the world. You said so yourself to that Briggs guy, correct? How do you know? Just where are you connected to all of this? Are you warning people because you're a good samaritan, or do you stand to gain something out of all this?" Aptom makes his questions more pointed, though he doesn't really care to get most of them answered. He's just listing off what he assumes other people would want.
Tamamo	'What you see before you is the fate that awaits Twin Peaks.' "The result of a battle between Decade and Zi-O, the demon king, is it...? Ah, but not that Zi-O, but another, yes? 'That which he may become,' to phrase this in another manner, and one I recall him stating that he should like to not." '...and it is only a matter of time before he relearns the ways of conquest and destruction.' "Has he yet to learn them? Ah, no, it would not be relearning, in that case. Has he instead forgotten what was, in his past, known of conquest?" 'He was given a chance to find his place within a world...' It's not a flattering expression. Tamamo's friendly, yet vaguely distant smile does not falter. She is far too good at hiding her thoughts for that to happen. 'If you were to assist me in finding him, I would see to it that you were rewarded most generously...' "Oh, worry not over such things. I should like to avoid this place's destruction, as well as its conquest by those who should not be here, after all. If you wish to aid in such, then our goals align, no?" She thinks for a moment, placing her hand to her chin, slowly turning her head, eyes sliding off and upward. "You know, at least, whether he is in this world or in another, yes? If you would give me your hand, I may read that future in which you are soonest to find him. From this, we might find the hints we seek." If Narutaki does offer his hand, Tamamo will do the reading she suggested, looking into those futures in which Narutaki meets with 'a mortal enemy,' the closest she can do without having any first-hand knowledge of Decade. She does not mention that she will also peek into Narutaki's past for the same sort of meetings, to better understand their relationship. She can decide how much of what she sees should be shared after she sees it. She's listening to the answers to Aptom's questions, as well, but decides to keep the (at least partially true) impression that they're working entirely different angles by not directly following up on any of them. She doesn't, though she avoids suggesting it in the slightest, believe charity to be a signficant motive.
Timespace Riders	Remee, Xion, Shotaro, Petra: Kikuchi Cleaning >Is there something specific that makes you think that? And would you know why he'd be helping, then? "When I knew him, Kaido was... petulant and moody, at worst," Mari admits, sipping. "And there were some times when he fell in with a bad crowd, because of wanting to fit in. But even at his worst, even putting himself as far away from 'human' as he could, he was never a murderer," Mari firmly asserts. "Something like that would destroy him." >How would you stop an Orphenoch without killing them? Mari looks over her shoulder at Auto Vajin, who is polite-hands standing nearby. "Overwhelming force is one way," she says with a sweet smile. "But it helps to know who they are. They might look scary, but beneath all the bio-armor Orphenochs are people, the same as anyone else. They can be scared, or sad, or angry, just like any of us can." >Did Kaido have any other friends besides who you knew? "He did," says Mari sadly. "Most of them are gone, now." >Maybe this is selfish, but I wanted him to know I saw him, and that he could hear me say it. Mari reaches over and touches Xion's hand, smiling at her. "You can still say those things," she says softly. "Even if he isn't literally here to hear them. I can go with you, and we can say them together. Bobby does, too, sometimes." >He transforms into a motorcycle, that's gotta be related to the Riders, right? "He is, yes," says Mari with a nod, standing up to gently usher the robot into a turn for Petra. "Do you see that Phi symbol on his chest? He was originally the bike and ally of a rider named Faiz. Him," she says, "And this," holding up her beat-ass phone with a little smile, "Were both built by a company for... less-than-noble reasons. But most of their hard-hitting stuff, like Auto Vajin here, this phone-blaster," yes, phone-blaster, "And the transformation belts, found their way into our hands thanks to someone else's sacrifice."
Timespace Riders	Lilian: Audrey's Office "I knew we'd be having this conversation one day," Audrey says with a nod, reaching into her desk to procure two on-the-rocks glasses. From the mini-fridge, a few icecubes. She pours a drink for herself, and one for Lilian. At a quarter to four? Really? "I figured you'd have good taste," she says approvingly of the smuggled-in spirits. "Glad to see I wasn't wrong. Now... let me clear this next appointment--this is a little more than a 'moment' kind of thing, you know?" Audrey remembers the man in question quite well. The description she gives matches the general's drawing near exactly, right down to the borderline sullen disposition and twin-lens reflex camera. She hadn't noticed him, at first--maybe she'd seen him, but only in the dimmest way that one's eyes pass over another face in the crowd at social gatherings. He'd taken a picture, too, and somehow, it was the worst she'd ever seen. "Like the trees, the Palmers' house, those little bushes out front and everything were giving him the middle finger for even trying," she says. She pulls it out for Lilian's review. By textbook rules of composition it ought to be fine--but it moves under one's gaze like a magic eye picture. "I ran into him again," she explains. "A week ago. He knew I was working here, and he was waiting for me outside. Dressed like a dishwasher, of all things, but still with that camera. He said his name was Kadoya Tsukasa, and told me that things were going to get interesting again." She shrugs, taking a sip of liquor. "Then he said that he was looking for a 'Demon King,' and then he'd pass through." She scoffs, rolling the ice in her glass. "So naturally, I said a small town in the woods is a funny place to look for some kind of dictator." She pauses, looking at Lilian. "He also left this. 'For whoever comes asking.'" It's a picture of himself and a confused-but-amused looking Norma Jennings, from the Double R Diner. The same strange distortion is in effect in this picture.
Timespace Riders	Hellions: James "Often enough that we've had need of a trio over the years," James explains to Satori. "Me, Keitarou and Mari are usually enough. Sometimes Mr. Takuma would join in, but we always yelled at him, and Bobby too." He smiles sadly at that. "Aside from the time with the log truck, I haven't personally been around for any of the other times, no." With a nod to Satori, "But your new friend there is right." "General Briggs is... he's got one foot in the real world and one foot in whatever it is Agent Cooper and the Log Lady and that whole... gang are into." James makes the sign of the Bookhouse Boys, dragging his index over his temple. "He knows more than he lets on, and I think he just keeps quiet because he doesn't want to scare people. I think... the first time he had one of those experiences was the scariest for him, but I only know what Bobby told me."
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro listens while parts of the story are told. Some more insight into the character of the man who just happened to be at an assassination. "If you could provide me names, that would be very helpful," Shotaro says with a respectful tone. "I don't think he did it, honestly. I don't think he was involved...but his arrival and then disappearance leaves a mystery. I think he might have some of the answers we need." 'Someone else's sacrifice.' This brings back a dark memory for Shotaro. The day the boss passed his hat to him...the one that remains hung up in the office. The one he still feels unable to fit in. He closes his eyes once and sighs. "Who was he?" Shotaro asks, obviously about the man who sacrificed.
Remee Halcyon	> "... But beneath all the bio-armor Orphenochs are people, the same as anyone else. They can be scared, or sad, or angry, just like any of us can." Remee attempts some empathy. "Oh - trust me. I'm not exactly human either?" "These are people, not monsters," says Remee. "I understand that. I wish we didn't have to fight. But at the same time..." She shrugs. "It might be that I have to defend myself, or defend others, right? And I'd like to do that without defaulting to 'overwhelming force', since we're trying not to kill anyone, including them, and relying on them listening to reason is - a good first resort." "So I'd like to learn more about Orphenochs. Do you have... anything, any video of one of them in action, maybe? Anything like that?"
Lilian Rook	"There's nothing more pathetic than a millionaire with atrocious taste." Lilian says to Audrey, a little smug, but mostly pleased to know that Aubrey is a woman of enough taste to appreciate it, and enough dignity not to gush. "My condolences to whomever ended up rescheduled, but it was simply their destiny the minute I was roped into this." She does nothing to disguise her surprise when Audrey not only has detailed information, but the photograph itself. Her eyebrows shoot right up into her bangs when she mentions that the bastard had come right by again. "I swear to Christ, I still don't understand why a supposed time-traveller would do any of that." she sighs in expasperation. "What the hell is the point of foreshadowing it? Why taunt over it? And why you in particular, Miss Horne?" Lilian breaks to pore over the photo. A frown slowly creeps over her lips as she shifts it back and forth, then flips it over just to check the back. "And why would he need a photograph? What possible purpose would that serve." Without really waiting, Lilian slips the photograph into her bag, and says "If you don't mind, I'll be taking this to my resident expert. We're currently engaged in an operation regarding that very 'demon king' issue. Rest assured, there is no possibility that he'd find anything here, on account of the fact that I already know where his king-to-be is. This obnoxious bastard is implicated in a plot to cause immeasurable damage to this town, and indeed, possibly this timeline, for his own selfish ends, so I'd like as much as I can get to be ready for his next appearance." "The fact that no one noticed him at first is troublesome, but that name is immensely helpful. If it is his real name, which it may very well be, given his cocky attitude." The look on Lilian's face tightens up in a way reflective of the fact that she's trying not to show how deeply displeased she is with being left a 'gift'. "Well, he'd have used my name if he knew anything. But that's still rather more direct. I don't like these photographs. I expect that he's done something with them that wouldn't be apparent to ordinary townfolk. I'll have to test." She stares just a little bit longer. "Why Jennings and the diner?"
Hellwarming Trio	"Frequent disturbances, then..." "But none of 'em involving Old Briggs." "Maybe he's keeping it away from people because of... Yeah, what James said. Maybe he's..." It takes Utsuho a little longer to strain her brain, but eventually gets there while Satori nods slowly in encouragement while Rin just gets lost in her own thoughts. "Because... He doesn't want anyone else getting caught up in it?" "That's likely. And if Bobby knows, it might be because the General knows better than to try and hide it from him of all people." Satori adds, eventually realizing she's never introduced herself to James and giving him a light bow in greeting. "Satori Komeiji, Master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Now that that's out of the way, I think..." She pauses, letting both her hasty introduction and uncertain pivot linger a bit too long before continuing. "... Questioning him directly would be useful." "Because of-" "-the thing?" Satori nods, then waves the animal youkai over so that the three of them can give him another practiced bow (albeit a somewhat clumsy one for Utsuho and Rin). "Thank you for the assistance, Hurley. Is there anything you'd like us to tell the others when we meet up with them?"
Timespace Riders	Aptom, Tamamo: Narutaki >Are you warning people because you're a good samaritan, or do you stand to gain something out of all this? "If you ask such a question, you know how vanishingly rare true altruism is," comes Narutaki's cryptic answer. "Decade can only destroy--the chance he was given was wasted on him. I cannot act directly against him, so instead, I do everything in my power to pit him against those with a chance of destroying him before he realizes his power." >Has he instead forgotten what was, in his past, known of conquest? Narutaki nods his head. "He has. But make no mistake--his transformation device, his weapons, were forged as tools of conquest." >If you would give me your hand, I may read that future in which you are soonest to find him. From this, we might find the hints we seek. Failing to suspect any duplicity on Tamamo's part, the entity gives her his hand. The future in which they meet this 'mortal enemy' is one in which Narutaki, Tamamo, Lilian and Aptom corner Decade outside of the Double R Diner--apparently, Tsukasa works part time there, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. With it presently being Sunday, they could meet him as early as the day after the prophesied attack on the general. Narutaki's past is one that does not speak of altruism. His every interaction with Tsukasa is founded on near-blinding hatred, and his tactics to destroy him include summoning dark-hearted types to do his dirty work, as well as emotional manipulation of more kindly people who find themselves around Tsukasa. General Briggs, Aptom, and Tamamo are far from the only people he's tried this sales pitch on. His actions in past timelines show that he does genuinely believe Tsukasa to be a dire threat. Pieced together across multiple cryptic exchanges between the two, this mistrust seems to come from the fact that Tsukasa has the same power. With the vision over, the entity has decided to take his leave. Fortunately, both Aptom and Tamamo are deposited in the Twin Peaks of now--the non-destroyed version.
Xion	Touched, Xion lifts her eyes, seeking behind the cover of dark bangs. She doesn't smile. She is, momentarily, beyond even faking it. It feels bad. She shows it. This kind of thing is impossible to get used to, for her. "I... think I'd like that. Why don't you text me a date, and if I feel up to it, I will." Maybe she'll watch from a distance, even if she doesn't feel up to it. Having the option is better than... "Right now, we're trying to stop people from getting hurt, again. Is there anything you can think about that's been strange? Anything that's always seemed off, to you? If you can't think of anything, could you ask Keitaro too? We can all start a groupchat so you can share info, if that's OK."
Petra Soroka	"Him, and this, were both built by a company for... less-than-noble reasons." "That's... pretty common around here, from what I've heard." Petra looks pensively down. "Things being made to hurt people, and succeeding until they're repurposed. It's sad, but kind of nice to see how these weapons can be used to make things better, instead. How things don't have to stay bad just because they were made that way." Petra settles back into her chair quietly, enthusiasm for the robot dulled by her sudden solemn thoughts. "I don't like treating people like they've done something bad by default, and I don't want to do that to Kaido either. If Mari vouches for him, then we should think of him as a witness, not a suspect. But, either way," Petra bites her knuckle in thought, "He's definitely someone to talk to." She's quiet for a minute, sipping her tea and idly roaming her gaze over the interior of the laundromat. "I think I want to talk to the people who are here, first. Everyone's going to have a different perspective on what's happened recently, and like you said, everyone here in Twin Peaks is special." Excitement leaks into her voice, eagerness more so than a noble desire to prevent future harm, "I'm sure we'll learn something unpredictable."
Tamamo	"The three of us shall be present," Tamamo does say, when she's drawn her hands back from Narutaki's, "to face Decade, within this town. The timing is uncertain. The place is one that I shall find." When they're returned, she inclines her head to Aptom. "Thank you for your assistance. I suspect he would have been reluctant to show himself if only asked, and so, your plan was well-thought. For now, let us see... there are plans that must still be made, though some decisions may be put off for a little while yet."
Timespace Riders	>I'd like to learn more about Orphenochs. >I think Kaido might have some of the answers we need. "Oh, Auto Vajin and my Mark 2 version both record combat data. I can get some DVDs to you tomorrow," Mari helpfully offers to Remee. "I should have footage of Bobby, Ronette and Takuma, too." Mari gets up, but stops in her tracks--and not in a way it seems she's even aware of. Flickers of polychromatic, glitched-out static cling to the edges of her person. The peace of the cleaning service's lobby is replaced by oppressive, static silence. The TV is frozen, the kitschy cat clock's eyes are leveled dead towards the door. "Tch. Didn't that damn Chase tell you anything I said?" You are aware of the man in the doorway--identical to the one on the recording. But like the paralysis of a dream, all you can do is witness. Kaido rolls his eyes. "Whatever! I knew that guy was a basket case. Here!" He throws a paper airplane which flies for about a foot in the frozen time, before it, too, freezes. He turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Time resumes, and the airplane flies into Shotaro's lap. Unfolding it reveals a note. "Don't know jack about this fake Drive or any of this Demon King crap. Was checking in on Bobby and saw him protecting his dad, so I fixed his genome, is all. Signed, 'King' Kaido. P.S. Tell Mari the place looks good. P.P.S.:" And then a little drawing of one of the more common Watch glyphs. Well, now they know how to get in contact with him, at least. >Is there anything that's always seemed off, to you? "Well, aside from..." Mari blinks owlishly. "Whatever happened just now... there have been little things. It doesn't seem right at all that Agent Cooper would quit that quickly, for one. There have been other things, over the years," she admits. "I'll get with Keitarou, see if he feels the same way, and we'll come up with a list for that group chat." She sends a message, perhaps to him--but another, for Xion directly, the proposed date. It's about a week from now. >I think I want to talk to the people who are here, first. "Mm!" Mari smiles at Petra. "I'd start with Mrs. Lannerman or Norma at the Double R, then. Norma hears a lot that people don't really expect her to, and, well..." The Log Lady's insight was already covered earlier. "Keitarou is probably on his way back with a van full of casserole-stained Sunday best, so I'd better get everything going again." She heads back behind the counter, and pulls out a pen and notepad, jotting down her personal number and tearing off little slips for Shotaro, Remee and Petra.
Timespace Riders	Hellions: James "James Hurley, Kamen Rider Ixa," says James, offering a handshake. "Just glad I could help." >Is there anything you'd like us to tell the others when we meet up with them? "Yeah, actually," he says, after a moment's thought. "I think it might be a lodge spirit that's protecting the general, but that's way out of my expertise. If there's anyone who can talk to them, or has before, it might be useful to see if that's really what's going on." He turns to resume working on his bike, before pausing. "And... you guys are Paladins, so... if anyone's gonna get him to spill about what really goes on where he works, it's gonna be one of you. I have a feeling that's involved in all this--the first 'near death experience' he had was in that place. Some kind of fire. I've gotta be cleaned up in time for a show tonight, so I'll catch you three later. Good meeting you, Satori."
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro can't respond but is very much thinking. 'Did you tell Chase to tell us?' knowing Chase well enough to know if you aren't specific with him... When time unfreezes, he unfolds the note and reads it. This of course adds a few more questions to the situation, like 'how can he do that' and 'how can he freeze time?' However, these aren't likely important to the situation, but it does wrap this up. Circumstances and helping his fellow were his reasons...which lines in what was going on. Sadly, this turned out to be a dead end. Well, for now. "He says that the place looks good," Shotaro comments to Mari. This also gives him a way to contact him. He makes sure that the others here have the symbol to contact him. Shotaro quietly takes a number from Mari. "Thank you for your time," he says with another slight bow and places his hat back on to leave. One thread down. Well, this at least beats having to chase cats around.