Scene #8227: PNL: Salem, Trial Witch

Owner	Pose
Stanley Padgett	The house isn't actually that far from Ms Boucher and the MEAT MAN. It would seem that housing prices being what they are, a lot of middle class people looking to sneak into the burbs have migrated out to the north side of town... And inside the home of Agatha Salem, Chastity Miller and.... YOU GUESSED IT, Trevor Cavendish, it's time for some REAL SHIT to take place. Those of the Scooby Squad have been ushered inside the house, to stave off the sudden bouts of freezing rain outside in Lampport. Trevor has stacked up quite the spread inside ahead of time. Instead of being a chemistry teacher, it would appear that Mr. Cavendish is now a sous chef at a fancy Southside restaurant: The Chive. A 80 dollar a plate place. Chastity is curled up on an easy chair in the living room, and there's plenty of room around the area to spread out, question people involved and SNOOP.
Kale Hearthward	Kale Hearthward needs a break. And yet, even on leave, he's restless. Maybe being someone else for a bit will help, and going on a mission where showing up as Kale Hearthward would cause a stir (and try to arrest people). That's the thought, anyway. Whether it works out remains to be seen. In whatever case, it's not Kale that's here. It's Diomede, pirate sellsword and adventurer, who shows up today. She'd run with Stanley earlier, during one of Captain Hook's adventures, and is here to offer a hand with this whole Reversal thing, on the house. "So she's the one who made the Wish this go around, and that caused a whole factory setup to show up at the school?" asks Diomede, who opts to lean against a wall instead of sitting down. (It's important to build in recognizable character tics, such as that rough lady pirates don't sit.) "What was it this time? Not enough video games?"
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro looks up from his seat right at Diomede. There is a hard look in his eyes, that is otherwise never found there. Expressing it without saying a word it simply says 'watch your mouth around the girl', before he turns back towards Chastity with a gentler look. "Hey, Chastity. So...are you feeling better? You had an attack the last time we met, so regardless of whatever we need...we don't need to be pushing you too hard. If you need a break let me know, alright? Otherwise, thank you for being brave for us today, alright?" Shotaro, dressed as one might expect a 1960's detective leans back, having pulled a notepad out with a pen. Trevor has a, arguably, better life...whatever the wish was it wasn't spiteful, even if perhaps careless. "Nobody has disappeared, nobody has been hurt...but some things aren't right. How about you start with how you made the wish, and what it was?" "You know, something simple...the beginning."
Stanley Padgett	TREVOR: Mr. Cavendish is currently in the kitchen, plating up little nibbles. Looks like he brought home hors d'oeuvres from Chive. Veggie and gluten free options available! AGATHA: The Witch Teacher is literally hovering near Agatha, siting on a Roomba knockoff. What, it's a broom. THE HOUSE: Sneaky people might want to snoop.
Kale Hearthward	~~Kale~~ Diomede (whose real identity is currently need to know) returns Shotaro's look... but does soften a little bit. "It's not like something she can control, I mean," she corrects herself. "But still."
Charlotte Newman	Charlotte sighs at the pirate's up-front statement, "Please try to be delicate, miss," Unlike Stanley, she does not know this person, and has no expectations but also-- not much in the way of patience, "Or at least try not to make things actively worse." She had politely greeted Miss Salem and (with barely-contained surprise) Mister Cavandish when greeted at the door and has since seated herself on the living room couch, giving Chastity plenty of space. Her phone rests in her lap, sitting on the Reversal game's home screen with the faint jingle of the menu BGM playing-- and the occasional idle line spoken by her in-game secretary. Who happens to also be literally sitting right over there. The volume is kept low enough to be unintrusive, but it's still audible. Shotaro gets down to questioning Chastity. Charlotte herself isn't quite sure how to approach the girl after the incident with the texts the other day. Distractedly, she glances up about the living room itself, zeroing in on any photos framed on the walls, trying to get a better idea of what things are like for these three. After a moment, she locks her phone and raises her hand, "Um, miss Salem, where's the restroom? I'd like to wash my face and hands real quick after the trip over." It's about as subtle as a brick but Charlotte is far from Sneaky and it's the only thing she can think of to break away from the group to see if there's anything else about the house worth seeing.
Caelan Stuart	It might have been tempting to leave certain things alone. It had seemed as though the encroachment of the video game world into Lampport was largely benign for quite some time. Mostly, it seemed to be giving people loving, ideal spouses, even! But then it turned the school into a factory tower. And Alice goes to school like, literally right next door. Technically in the very same building. And Caelan Stuart cannot abide by anything that might threaten his little girl. He is most definitely not dressed like a 1960s detective. He is in fact dressed like a very modern one. Not much has really changed, he's just wearing slightly a more well-ironed detectively trench coat and a starched up shirt. It's time to GET DOWN TO DIRE BUSINESS. Or it will be. Soon. For now though, he's... sipping a cup of coffee, provided helpfully by the master chef of the house but five minutes ago. "So, miss Agatha," the detective begins, getting down to somewhat more casual business, "Have you and your family been in Lampport long?"
Stanley Padgett	Chastity hugs on a big Catch'ems doll, it's the Gen 5 Water starter, what's it's name, that cute goose thing? A sniffle, as she looks from Diomede to Shotaro, to Stanley, who is sitting near his boss, and watching his phone. The Reversal app updated this morning, with a literal banner for Witch Girl, this time in her Construction Lady outfit. Do they know? Sniffle. "So like... I spent a bunch of money on the Witch Girl banners over the holiday, you know, when they ran... all of the banners at the same time? And like... I had cash saved up from the last few months and I just... I got a BUNCH of rolls on the banners and I REALLY wanted to get Popstar Witch Girl... cause that banner hadn't run for like 2 years." She blows her nose, and looks down at her phone. Her copy of the Reversal was bare and empty for now, and it stung. Agatha blinks and looks up. "Oh! Down the hall and to the right, it's down the little half steps." Because of course this was a split level ranch.
Stanley Padgett	Agatha perks up at her question though. "Oh? Let's see." She lets out a cute little moodlet of noise, an idle sound, before responding. "Well, Trevor and Chastity have been here a lot longer than me, but I met my hubby at the Chive! Just... wandered in 2 years ago while I was a struggling new teacher and it was love at first sight! Which is lucky cause Chastity's mom was out of the picture." A stage whisper. "She cheated on Trevor, very rude." Chastity blanches, and looks at her feet.
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro's tone brightens towards Diomede, glad she understands the situation better, and that things otherwise would not go very well if that attitude was kept up. Otherwise, Shotaro listens attentively to Chastity, writing things down as she goes. It seems she really did have a thing for the witch, but why..? He doesn't comment on the lost gear yet...Charlotte would be better to surprise her with that. Instead, he speaks up, "Then what happened?" he asks, very gently. "Also, I need you to know that we aren't blaming you for anything. You're not in trouble, alright? This sort of thing happens at my home all the time." "Not...exactly this way, but close enough. Sometimes things happen, it's just important to be clear with the details, alright?"
Charlotte Newman	Charlotte dips her head politely and stands up to excuse herself, but she does stop briefly beside Chastity's chair. Reaching down, she taps the armrest lightly, whispering, "Please unblock me, I have something for you later." A little smile and a wink before she slips into the hallway. Once out of sight, she unlocks her phone and switches to her notepad app in case she needs it, paying attention to pictures on the walls. She does overhear Agatha's answer, though, tapping it into her notes as she goes. So the wish rewrote things back a few years, with Mister Cavandish working at the restaurant already... She misses the whispered part, being in another part of the house by that point. This somewhat matches what the group shared with her about the coach. That RICK ROUGHNECK was new in town and hooked up with the person that she knew to be the coach from the unaltered timeline. Love at first sight, did that come up there, too? She can't recall it and, frustratingly, it's not in her notes either. Distractedly, Charlotte passes right by the bathroom while inspecting things and comparing her notes. She feels like she should be looking for something, but she isn't sure what exactly. So she assumes it's a 'know it when she sees it' sort of thing.
Kale Hearthward	"Yeah, not blaming you for anything..." repeats Diomede. "... So it was... a cell phone game that got you upset. I see." She takes note of Charlotte making her exit towards the 'bathroom', and counts steps - but doesn't say anything. This seems about typical behavior for a Watch member, and anyway, 'Diomede' is here to assist, not to bust anyone. "What company makes that game, anyway? I keep hearing about it."
Caelan Stuart	"Two years ago...?" Two years ago. The number sticks in his brain like a coal in the pit of his boot. Chastity's mother cheated on her father. Or did she? Caelan's eyes flicker towards the young girl's expression when it changes. She knows something. Something about what happened to her mother is tied to... this situation. "I see. I don't suppose that has anything to do with her name...?" In both cases so far, the people who've been 'replaced' were simply... in love, and living a different life entirely. A more fulfilling life, it seemed. But something about all this doesn't sit well with the girl herself. Maybe... something about her mother? Caelan sips slowly at his coffee. It's black, LIKE HIS SOUL but no really he's just trying to watch his sugar intake. Ever since he had to live on a diet of Dad Food, he's been in danger of getting a Dad Bod, and that's not something he can easily abide. "You two are lucky to have found each other," he says, then. "After I lost my wife, I thought I'd never find my way again. But it seems like life has other plans for us all, eh?"
Stanley Padgett	Stanley looks up a bit at Diomede, and then murmurs. "Oh, yeah, you are new around here, okay, so." He holds up his phone to the new lady. "This is the Reversal, and it's made by NovaTech, which moved into town a buncha years ago. They started the tech boom here, really. A whole bunch of other companies followed, and it's been APPARENTLY a big old mess. Not just because of the Wishes." Chastity perks up a bit. "My favorite unit is Witch Girl, and uh..." She looks sidelong at Agatha, who smiles back. "And don't worry nothing more than simple harpy cheating. But Trevor and That Woman weren't married when Chastity was born, so..." Messy blended families. Welcome to the modern era. Chastity takes a breath, and mumbles. "...I wished I could have a mom as cool as Witch Girl." Oh. Oh she's just coming right out and saying it. Okay then. She knows what's up. Stanley looks up a bit, and blinks. "Wait, that was it?" A look from Chastity to Agatha and back again. "...Wait you knew?" Agatha burbles uneasily. "It's just an expression, you know. We've been getting along ever so well for the past couple of years. But it's been rough adjusting since the wedding a few months back."
Stanley Padgett	Charlotte will find... much like Shotaro did in the other house, happy photos of Trevor and Agatha. Lots of them. All over. Wedding, dating, out on the town, all sorts of events. None of the family together, though. Hmmmm. She'll make it to what's apparently Chastity's room, and... smack dab on the middle of her door, it looks like the girl wholesale peeled a Reversal Hotspot sticker from somewhere, and pasted it on her door, surrounded by fanart of Witch Girl in all her Various Job Settings.
Charlotte Newman	Charlotte's footsteps go quite a bit further past the bathroom. Oh well. It's not like anyone else is taking a look around. All the pictures of Agatha and Trevor together give her a nice feeling, though. They really do seem happy together. And if what she overheard was true, they'd been dating for over a year before tying the knot, which tells her they're seriously into each other. Reaching out, she gently straightens one of the frames, then pauses. But is Chastity in any of these? Approaching the door, she runs a finger over the Hotspot sticker's lower edge, recognizing some of the pictures surrounding it from her own browsing. She checks her surroundings again, resting her hand on the doorknob, then pauses. No, that would be a violation, she thinks. She does honestly want to be this girl's friend. She can see her room when invited to do so. Charlotte removes her hand from the doorknob without opening it, turning away and returning to the bathroom. Diomedes soon hears running water and washing-up to confirm it. Barring anything else, Charlotte will be back in the living room shortly.
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro is focused on this...but the wish... Well, that is often a wish of a child and the fact that someone gave them the power to /make/ that wish. But where is the video game part of this coming from..? If the wish was /this/ why are... "Tell me what made you think to make such a wish...and then what happened immediately after the wish. Anything you can tell me will be very important, alright?" a breath.
Caelan Stuart	"Ah, I see," Caelan nods slowly. That's a story that sounds familiar to his ear-- but it sounds as though he took a different tack than Trevor did. Hm. But it looks like... things are a little more well-known than expected. Well, isn't that a strange and kind of awkward twist? It sounds as though the new reality is bending a little around the knowledge too, but... It's clear that /Chastity/ remembers what the world was like before the wish took place. And it doesn't quite add up, either. Like, what is causing the /other/ video game characters and worlds to leak? Shotaro is pursuing that line of questioning now, whereas he... Furrows his brow slightly. "So it sounds like there's a bit of bad blood between you all and her birth-mother...?" Caelan asks, canting his head slightly, "...That must be rough, Chastity. I can only imagine what it's like growing up in that kind of environment."
Stanley Padgett	Chastity blinks, and looks at Shotaro and then Stanley. "The same way he got his powers, I guess. The game! Sometimes if you're very lucky it asks people for wishes. That's what all the old Viewtube videos and FAQs say. Stanley puffs up. "I don't have powers, and I didn't wish for them either." He huffs, and crosses arms at being dragged into this. The fangirl huffs right back at Stanley. "Okay fine, but like, how do you go fast, huh? Or get dates from off world girls?" The mousey teen adjusts her glasses. Agatha starts looking... less like a concerned mom and more like a confused program. "Chastity's mother did not approve of me dating Trevor, no. We Do NOT get along. She's a menace." Uh oh, Agatha's purpose comes back into view: defend her marriage. "And we're all much happier that I'm here now, right? Right." Her floating gets somehow grumpy, more terse, the Roomba making concerning motor noises.
Shotaro Hidari	"Yes, but I'm not asking him, I'm asking you. Every time is apparently special and custom to the one making the wish," he says calmly, "As for getting dates from other world people...I think it has something to do with something Lilian Rook once said about him, but we'll avoid that topic for today." Shotaro leans in a little, noticing the change in Agatha. "It's important because of the other video game characters coming into the world, that seems outside of your wish doesn't it?"
Caelan Stuart	Oh dear, Caelan struck a chord. The police officer grimaces uncomfortably around his half-drained cuppa. "I apologize, I just think it's rough not having for the girl to not have a decent relationship with her birthmother, is all. Let's change the subject a little. You said you were a teacher before, right? Where did you teach at before you came down to Lampport? Roombas around these part don't tend to... float much."
Charlotte Newman	"Well, it's normal for witches to ride on flying brooms, isn't it?" Charlotte offers as she returns. Scooting between some folks, she re-takes her seat from before and sets her phone on her lap again, "A roomba is just an electronic broom, at the end of the day." Once settled back in, she addresses Chastity, "I did want to apologize about the other day, when I messaged you out of the blue. I didn't mean to scare you or anything." Shaking her head, she adds, "I had no idea what was going on." After a bit, she does lift up her phone, giving it a wiggle. The screen lights back up, showing the Witch Girl picture she has on her lock screen, "Oh, were you able to while I was away..?"
Stanley Padgett	Caelan keeps picking at the edges of the Wish's splicing, and Agatha puffs up a bit more, as she considers things... And then there's a call from the kitchen. "Aggie baby, can you come here a sec, you should try these, okay?" Trevor's voice lilts. "I'd come in there, but my hand are all chicken-y!" The witch deflates a bit, and then floats up and away from the living room. "Just a moment~" And the moment Agatha's out of earshot, Chastity whimpers and buries her head under her plushie. "Okay you guys have to fix this, I don't know what the Paladins and the Concord are doing here but like, you guys fix things, so please fix this. Stanley too, okay? She's not supposed to... it wasn't supposed to be like this." She's shivering. "I don't know why the other teachers are getting replaced either, it should have just been like... A-Agatha I guess!" Wide eyes peek out from behind plain jane glasses and around that big blue softy.
Stanley Padgett	SITUATION CHANGE: No more Agatha hovering! Get your questions in quick!
Kale Hearthward	Diomede tenses up a little bit at Agatha's reaction. This feels less than constructive, having her here. Fortunately she makes her exit. Time to act! "It's fine, it's fine, we'll fix things. That's why we're here, alright?" She stands up straight from the wall. "I'm the best in the business at this sort of adventuring." Under the disguise, Kale tries to recall what he can remember from the dossiers. "Is there..." says Diomede. "Some place that you have a strong connection to? Aside from your home and school? That might be the place we need to head to." "Somewhere you used to live in Lampport? Someplace you like to go?"
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro waits for the witch to leave. How much does she really know..? And would it be a good thing for her to find out the truth? Difficult questions, all of them. Worse, is that Chastity is crying...and there is one thing that Shotaro can't stand, and it's when a lady cries. Shotaro takes out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and offers it to Chastity. "I'm here because I'm a detective, Chastity. In my home city, I fix supernatural issues that come up, and as a Paladin, this means that my horizons have broadened. I promised to not let my city cry, and I can't very well ignore the plight of another." "That goes for those in the city as well. Right now, I want you to go over what happened with the wish, every detail even if it doesn't sound important...what happened, where you were at, and of course to answer Ms. Diomede's question too. Alright? After that, I think Charlotte has something for you." "After that.." he says, offering her a card. "If something is happening to you or your mother, I need you to call me and let me know," he says calmly. "Or the detective here," he says, "And before you ask 'why' it is because that is what detectives do."
Stanley Padgett	Chastity sniffles and takes the tissue. "No, mom is a bitch and I hate her, she hurt dad." Hooooooooooonk, as she loudly blows her nose. "I don't know why it's like... two years of dating all of the blue. I made the wish during the Pullstravaganza, so like... the week before Christmas? And she showed up the next morning and the house was like... THIS." She huffs and looks up and around. "And like, it was cool at first, but she's... she's just... so honest. And she's trying to be my mom and that's... you should have to work at that." She shrinks agian, having talked away her Wish already.
Stanley Padgett	A look to Diomedes. "Oh, I like... don't get out... much. I have really bad asthma and anxiety so like..." Chastity huffs. "Some days I have to stay home and take classes online, which is why Dad got the job at Silver Springs, cause like... I go to school free on the good track."
Caelan Stuart	The witch hovers away. Caelan sucks in a quiet breath and turns slowly towards Charity. It looks like he's about to ask something when-- She explains what the deal with her real mom was. And the detective deflates slightly. "That explains it, then. I wonder, though, why it is that things started getting... more complicated recently. If this is all because of your wish, then... why is it affecting more people? The entire school, even? Charity, do you remember when it was you started having... second thoughts about things?" Because Caelan has a certain suspicion-- a quirk he might have noticed about how wishes work, but it's... tenuous at best. Shotaro does detectively things. Caelan nods approvingly. "...I can sympathise. Two years. Two years out of nowhere, that everyone else seems to remember, but /you/ can't. I get it. So if you ever need to talk about it with someone, please don't hesitate to look for me." He has a card, too, as it turns out. Though it's a little more local than Shotaro's. This one, after all, reads 'Lampport PD' on it. "We'll do what we can to set this right."
Stanley Padgett	Charlotte comes back, and now that Agatha is gone... Chastity sorta clambers up and hugs the older girl, mushing her face awkwardly against Char's middle. She just holds for a moment, probably longer than she should be, and is mumbling 'thank you' while getting Charlotte's outfit all damp from tears and snot.
Charlotte Newman	So the part about her birth mother seems to be true in both instances, Charlotte turns her phone around to add this to her notes. Some bitterness about her mother might have...seeped into the manifestation of Agatha. Though, her mother being a terrible person also handily explains wishing for a better one. Agatha must have relayed her message after all-- she was starting to think the witch had forgotten, in all the chaos caused by Mister Fixit's ... cavalier approach to construction standards. When she finds a younger girl clinging to her and thanking her, she lifts her arms up for a second, then rests them down to gently hug Chastity's shoulders. "Mm, I thought those things might be precious to you, and I felt guilty for scaring you so badly that you'd get rid of them. No strings attached, I'll get them all back to you as soon as I can." She closes her eyes, then, "Though... coming back to what you said, about Agatha. I understand how strange it feels for a stranger to just... act like they know you, out of nowhere. I think you should talk to her about how you feel. Lay out out. If she's being honest and making an effort, it's only fair to try too, right?" Eyes opening, she glances down, "We'll fix what's going wrong. But this part, I think I can trust you to take care of, ok?" Her gaze lifts up towards Stanley, "I saw a Reversal sticker on one of the doors while I was in the hallway. I bet the wish was made right here." She nods once, "Let's slide over and face this one right now."
Kale Hearthward	"Well..." Diomede produces a business card, which she hands to Chastity. "Here. Consider it making up for being a bit gruff earlier. Say the word, we'll go somewhere anxiety and asthma friendly. Nice little mini-adventure." She takes the opportunity to press cards into Shotaro's and Charlotte's hands too. "Here. Pretty sure the Paladins and Watch could use another blade sometime, right?" Gotta get the marketing out somehow. Especially since she's on this particular job for free (or so her cover story goes).
Shotaro Hidari	Shotaro writes everything up and closes the notepad. He nods once at Caelan, Stanley, and Charlotte. "Charlotte is right. Wishing is nice, but what makes a wish come true is...the effort that comes with it as well. Even when it's hard, especially so. We'll help fix what went wrong, but...what comes after that is something you're going to have to be strong for, alright?" he says with an easy-going smile. Shotaro takes the abet slightly rude, card from Diomede and places it away. "Thank you," he says. "I think we should get to the heart of the matter, I think I have some ideas.." As they move and get out of earshot of Chastity, "I think the changes are based on the original wish. 'Make my mother cooler', and what she thinks is that was what was on her mind. The witch. Whatever Tyrant spawned from that is probably making changes /based/ on those parameters...and using Video games as the source of 'cool' and changing it so that other teachers are being replaced with them..." "Shipping those with broken or lonely hearts with video game characters."
Stanley Padgett	Stanley gets up and follows the rest off to the side, and... wait, when did he go get snacks? He's literally been sitting here the whole time an- Oh, right. "Trevor says he went to culinary school during his teens and uh... something about a shot gun wedding with Chastity's mom, they both worked in the same restaurant and uh..." Stanley shoves a shrimp and bacon puff into his face, while doing the universal 'they was doin' it' motion with his hands. Stanley also points of through the house's wall. "VANCE BISONBRICK and Ms. Boucher live like... 5 blocks that way. If the Wish is expanding like Wonderland did... it might be trying to uhhhhhh..." He looks around. "Single teachers, getting their happy time, but with video games."
Kale Hearthward	Diomede startles at something. "Wait, it's getting single people... video game brides? Am I hearing that right?"
Stanley Padgett	Stanley also holds out the plate to the others. He's got cucumber sandwiches and what appear to be rice poofs with chocolate mousse.
Shotaro Hidari	"Yeah, that appears the be the case," he says grabbing a cucumber sandwhich from the plate and nodding to Stanley. "I think you also have to be a teacher at the school."
Stanley Padgett	Stanley ahs. "One wife, two husbands." He stuffs another rice puff in his mouth. "Prof. Ficsits is... I think a guy."
Charlotte Newman	"Or at least the voiceover was," Charlotte closes her eyes with a sigh, "It felt really weird how the words didn't seem to be coming from the person."
Charlotte Newman	Having set Chastity hopefully at ease and given her the push to have a conversation with Agatha directly, Charlotte excuses herself to accompany the rest when they head outside. She's tidying up her blouse with her own handkercheif when she remarks, "I suppose it would be a bit rude to do this in their living room..." Unsatisfied but it'll have to do, she tucks the napkin away and produces her phone again. Some quick work in the Reversal app tears open a dark portal framed in fluorescing noble gasses and blocky glitchy artifacts. Without waiting or explaining anything, the girl just jumps right in, expecting others to follow.
Stanley Padgett	The world shifts around the group as they all go Sliding Sideways Through Reality and into the Reversal itself. It is a bright sunny day, but there's no sun out. Well, there IS a sun, but is a static object in the sky, that's just... there, not casting any actual light. Also, this is the suburbs, but everything's a bit... off. Polygonal. Vertexed. 64-bit. In the street, there's a ruckus as a squad of Jack Frosts are awkwardly fighting a group of Impterns, with various Reversal minion groups taking bets around the outside. Then a passing ambualtory turtle guy jumps into the middle of the pack and starts beating them all up for their drops, before squealling off on a suddenly appearing dirt bike. WELCOME TO.... VIDEOLAND.