Chapter 1: Dead Moon Rising

[Justin OOC]

Atlanta is a center for many things in the United States, a thriving city, home to thousands.  Unlike many government agencies with large headquarters that are marvels of architecture, the Supernatural Investigation Agency calls a rather nondescript warehouse-like structure on the north side of town home.   The Agency deals with things beyond normal ken, the supernatural monsters, artifacts, abilities, and people who have come forth into the light of the modern age.

The day started as many others do for the team. Each has an office within the large warehouse, and the members of SpecOps3 each received a text message that read  "Meeting room 3, Fifteen minutes, Mission Briefing"
When they arrived, they found their Team leader, Ryusei Hideyoshi seated to the right of a man who was known for many things, but a sense of Humor was not among them.  Director John Smith. 

Once everyone was there he began, as the doors locked .  "I will jump right in.  We have a situation in New Orleans."   He paused giving Mia a look.  "Given that one of your team has extensive knowledge of the area, as well as a special affinity for what is causing this trouble, It has been decided to send your full team there."

He clicked a remote in his hand and the wall behind him showed pictures of several grisly corpses.  "We've had a dozen murders in the last week, which while not uncommon for New Orleans, is certainly part of something more.   The next 4 pictures were of strange wispy like figures, in other parts of the city, at night, each with a face of the murder victims.   "These are the first conclusive proof of the existence of Ghosts, Taken by one of our investigators, who has since gone missing.  You  are to go to New Orleans, find the killer, and prevent the city from becoming home to any more ghosts than it is already home to."  

He looked around at them  "Are there any questions?"

[WS ST]

Mia had been laying out her cards from the moment she sat down, once Mr.Smith mentioned New Orleans she had looked up with her eyes without moving her head

"Shoulda axed me bout da ghosts. I sees em all da time. Gotta walk light down dare, They a bad Voodoo Witch-King He Uncle Skeleton's boy. He try to kill me few time." She drawled out in heavily accented barely recognizable English. "You invest-o-gator he probably a ghost too just no one dare to snap his picture."

She finely looked shook her head sadly then picked up her cards and slipped them into pocked of her long flowing skirt.

"I got one question we gotta fly or can we drive. Gods know I hate flyin."

[SalmonMax]

Mei Ying sighed impatiently. A few snapshots were hardly PROOF of anything. In an era of Photoshop and ultra-high-res imaging, anyone with a little talent and a butt-ton of time could cobble that together.

Obviously Smith knew that, and obviously the fact he was calling these images proof meant that they'd been subjected to tests. Yes. Yes, she got it. It just seemed sloppy was all.

"One question, well, fortunately I have more. Plenty more."

She started ticking fingers.

"First, what was the first team sent there to investigate? These murders? What communications did they manage to get back? Was it just this photograph?"

"Second, which I should add is more like fifth right now, you said ONE of the investigators has gone missing. Are the others still alive? Still in contact?"

"Third, are we going to liase with the local police force? Or are we shutting them out?"

"Fourth, what resources are available for us to take on this assignment?"

"And finally, what do you want us to do about the ghosts? Exorcise? Destroy? Leave alone? Instagram them?"

There was more, of course. There was always more. But she could work most of the rest out on her own.

[Justin OOC]

Smith looked at Mia first.  "We will be sending you by air because it's faster.  Your experience with the locals is part of why you're going, and with luck you'll keep everyone from causing a major incident."

 

He looked to Mei and shook his head.  "The first team was sent to investigate the murders at the request of local police.  It seems someone had an inkling that this was under the aegis of our operations, so we were asked to send someone.  Rather than use SpecOps, they sent a regular investigator.  As to him being dead, I consider this likely, but you are to find him or confirm his death.  Before you is a dossier on the missing investigator, as well as copies of the pictures.  He was the only agent sent, I am sorry if my wording was somewhat unclear there."

He stood up.  "As is normal, we will be working with the local police, but we have been granted authority over the investigation.  Regarding resources, Standard Kit.  I don't imagine a need for any of the really exotic artifacts we have,  and believe you should be able to manage.  There's no way to cram a full lab onto the plane, so you'll be making use of facilities on-site.  As for the ghosts?  discern their motive, and if harmful, sanction them."

[SalmonMax]

Mei Ying picked up the dossier, but didn't open it. There'd be time enough for that on the flight.

She nodded.

"That'll do then. When do we leave?"

[IronLady]

Clara just sat silently listening to situation as it was.  Taking mental notes to herself as she did. And remembering to wear sleeves at all time. She'd have to remember to read the dossier... And she couldn't bring Jager with.  However, there were no questions from her. The rest of the team had asked them

 

[WS ST]

Mia giggles and mumbled "Heh my experience with the locals, I either fucked them or killed them, some times both and not always in that order."

She stands and smooths her skirt. "Do not tink so little of da Ghosts sha, if they restless dare a good reason. We are the children of Gods. My mother rules in Hel, well a hell. It is shortsighted of our mortal masters to even contemplate that ghosts are not real. Shortsighted and insulting."

She crosses herself.

"When do we leave?"

[Justin OOC]

"You'll leave within the hour.  A private plane has been chartered and is waiting at the airport.  He looked to Clara and produced a small collar.  "Have Jager wear this, it will make him look like a regular german shepherd to the eyes of normal people.  He might prove useful."   He turned his gaze to Ryusei.  "Try to avoid summoning Hokuto unless you truly must.  She escalates a situation far too quickly."   Ryusei shrugged, which was about as much as could be expected.  He didn't summon her around civilians often, simply because she WAS a dragon, and tended to terrify people. 

With there being no further questions, Smith left them and Ryusei nodded.  "Okay, get your gear together.  Head down to the garage, We're gonna take the brown Van to the airport, So load up anything you need.  Bring at least 2 changes of clothing, I have a feeling that we will need it.  Keep in mind Jager's coming along for the ride.  He looked at Clara.  "If you think he'll be alright he doesn't have to ride in the cargo hold, but if he gets out of hand, you're gonna take care of him, I want to leave in thirty minutes."

With that he rose up and head for the door, dossier in his hand, going to his room to pack a travel bag.

[IronLady]

"Jager is trained sir. I wouldn't go around with a loose cannon of a dog. But thank you" Clara said as she took the collar, twirling it between her fingers for a little bit. As she looked at it, magic was something she was getting used to very slowly... It's what made her an effective part of a unit again, but still. It ultimately freaked her out. 

"So I will see you all on the plane?"

[SalmonMax]

Mei Ying gave Clara a flat look, then stalked off, shaking her head. Half an hour to pack and prepare, and she still had time to ask a question like that.

In her room, Mei dragged out an overnight bag and threw some clothes from her dresser into it without paying much attention to what specifically was going in. Other things merited more care. The intricately carved wooden box, with the handles in the sides that controlled how the characters on its top slid. It was a puzzle box, an old Chinese one. Her little pistol went in as well, along with a plastic baggie with a few clips of ammunition. A couple of wallets. And the 'roadside emergency kit' that Mei liked to keep handy. It had lots of little things that could be useful if she ever found herself cut off from help.

Hm. Hopefully this was a charter plane. There was no chance she'd be able to get all that onto a commercial flight.

[CarlosBeLoLo]

Sia sat through the meeting silently, no questions needed to be asked, as the ones that did had been asked. So she focused on her unit. The two Americans, well One was rather big and well built, and the other spoke in some accent she couldn't comprehend. Of course the big one seemed rather, out of place. Too military for the setting, also her "dog" interested her. the Chinese one she assumed was as she expected her to be. And the Unit commander... Well he was another story entirely, though he did seem to be a competent feeling person.

So, Sia stood up, and turned on her heel to walk out, deciding what she'd pack as she turned. Figuring most of her rifles would be rather out of place in an American city

 

 

 

[WS ST]

Mia plopped down on her bare mattress shoving the single sheet she slept with to the side. The room that had been assigned to her was a mess. They had originally given her a room on the third floor of one of the housing apartments. But she had complained and literally thrown a fit and threatened to go back to New Orleans if they didn't put her on the ground floor. She would have preferred the basement. They did.

the first thing she had done in the new room was dismantled the bed and throw everything out but the mattress. She threw out all the furniture next and removed the door to the closet and tossed that out. Then she painted the walls and ceiling black then with silver paint paint dozens of intricate mystical symbols and runs all over the room. When she finished that she painted over all of it again in black. She had done all of this over a two day period and had never once closed her door so that everyone who passed by had seen her. They all thought she was crazy.

She lay there thinking. Going back is bad business. There were things there she had done, mostly out of inexperience, that could easily come back to haunt her. And then there was the Baron's Boy. She pulled her skirt up and took the dagger from the sheath strapped to her thigh. She held it up and looked at it.

It held secrets.

She rolled off the mattress and went into the closet, the only part of the room that was tidy. Orderly. She choose a more subdued dress and  then took a quick shower. With her hair up and no makeup she looked completely different than the Mia she usually showed the world.

She packed a few more outfits that were more fitting for her and her Tarot decks. She kept her relics on her at all times. Done, making sure she had her Ipod and phones, she called for her ride.

[Justin OOC]

When everyone arrived, Ryusei was already aboard the plane, his gear stored away, and seated at one of the windows.  At his side was a laptop, and the dossier for the mission briefing and a headset.  He chuckled as everyone came in, pets included.  "Dragons, Tigers, and wolves, oh my.."  he said with an impish smirk.  Once everyone was settled in, Final checks were done, and the plane taxied to the runway and took off without much fanfare.  Ryusei looked at Sia and produced a collar for her companion.  "It won't work as a cat, so It's a dog, I think a King Sheperd, the Director said, but it will do the trick, until  he roars."  They and the crew were the only ones aboard, and the flight itself was without any incident, though, from the way the sky looked, a storm was brewing.  

Once on the ground, They were met by an offcious looking young man, "Hello, I am Detective Kramer with the New Orleans Police Department,   If you'll follow me, We can put you right to work." 

Taking Point, Ryusei nodded.  "Alright detective, I am Major Hideyoshi, I lead this team.  I'm guessing there's been a new development?"

"Yes, Major, we've had a very rough morning.   There've been over a dozen deaths overnight, but these we think are all linked. "

Ryusei raised an eyebrow, and he continued.  "Every single person killed proclaimed themselves as a medium, fortune teller, or voodoo practicioner.  The same message, written in blood, was found at each site.  "What was mine, shall be mine again."" He looked at the gathered scions and their rather large dogs,  "If you come with me, I can take you to the scene of the last victim, Forensics should be nearly done there.  I have pictures of the other scenes, and have been ordered to cooperate fully with you and your team."

Ryusei nodded.  "Sounds good, but we need to unpack our gear and.."  "After this morning, and I was told your arrival, Arrangements were made for your team to stay in a rental home.  I will make some calls and have the rest of your things brought there."  Ryusei nodded once and looked to the others.  "Make sure you have what you need on you, the rest will go to where we're going to be staying."

He gave them a chance to chime in.  "Anyone have any thoughts or comments so far?"

[SalmonMax]

"If it was an ordinary crime," Mei Ying said, "I'd say we were dealing with a psychopath. That, and the message, make me think that each victim is probably missing something, yes? A body part, perhaps...or a possession."

She produced her little smartphone PDA thing and opened a 'scratchpad' app to take notes on.

"We'll need access to the forensic reports and whatever autopsies have been completed so far as well. Ideally before we reach the crime scenes...which I assume is our immediate destination? With so many to choose from, I think I'd like to see the most recent first. After that we can visit the site of the first murder, chronologically speaking. Not necessarily the first one discovered."

With that Mei nodded at Mia. "Beyond that, I think this is your specialty, yes?"

[WS ST]

Mia had been fanning herself with a magazine she had stolen from the plane and not paying much attention to the talking.

She was more interested in the dead.

The ghosts were abundant, much more were gathered here at the airport than there should have been. And old ones too, she saw clothes from the 1700s all the way up to modern times. They all seemed dour and out of place.

This place, the airport, was not their usual haunting grounds, which meant that they were here for a reason.

Mia glanced over at Mei, continued fanning. The Asian girl was very pretty but gave off an 'i'm better than you' vibe

Mia wonders what she would be like in bed.

"You got dat right, Sha. Hey, Boss-man da ghosts ben waitin for us, I think."

[CarlosBeLoLo]

Sia continued not to talk, there wasn't much for her to say. Rest of the team had done the take charge work, and her specialty was focused around the killing of things. Not the investigation of the dead, so she kept a look out, and she'd do the same at the crime scene. Use her eyes for all they were worth.

At the mention of ghosts she would've scoffed. But, with the recent turn of events she wasn't surprised.

 

 

[Kaori Aoyama]

Huston, Around briefing time...

 

The back room of the pool hall was scented with Glade's spring line of 'Stale Beer' and 'Cigar Smoke'. Two fragrances that were probably not going to catch on in the coming season. The entire scene was about as cliché as movie plots during the 1980s: a whole group criminals sitting in a smokey back room playing high stakes poker. Framed pictures of fishing trips with old friends decorated the walls in a few places along with at least a dozen posters of scant-clad bikini models advertising different brands of beer.

 

The game found itself disrupted when their door guard came launching through the door he was charged with guarding and staggered backwards into the table, knocking everything onto the floor. The players all stood up, trying to catch their bearings in the sudden influx of chaos into what was supposed to be a quiet game of poker. A petite asian woman quietly entered after the door guard, dressed in black leathers, her eyes were cold and filled with malice. She was attractive with light make-up but deep red lips. Her long black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. She carried a Japanese sword in her hand, still in its scabbard and clutched tightly at the hilt. The base of the pommel was decorated with a dangling key chain of a Hello Kitty figure.

 

“The fuck...” one of the men muttered, still trying to regain his composure.

 

“Cyrus Dupre,” The young woman said calmly while looking past the others to a short, heavy set man in a cheap suit. “You are hereby bound by divine mandate to submit yourself to interrogation.”

 

Cyrus had no idea who she was or what the hell was going on. His forehead was already glistening with sweat and he was in the process of loosening his tie when he motioned for his comrades to do something. “The hell you waiting for? Do something!”

 

The great thing about back room poker games was the 'no guns allowed' rule. Kaori smirked as the men reflexively reached for their sidearms and found empty holsters. All their guns were behind her in a basket next to where the door guard was standing just moments ago. “Yes, gentleman.” Her eyes gleamed with malice as she smirked, clicking her sword from it's scabbard with her thumb [Game Face]. Her voice was calm and monotone. It was a dare laced with a threat. “Do something.”

 

Apparently to these men, running was doing something. They didn't even stop to get their guns, they just poured out around her like she was a tree in a flood. She stepped over the unconscious door man and approached her quarry. “I will ask once. You will answer truthfully or you will die.” She accepted Cyrus's hard swallow as confirmation that he understood the rules. “Where is Haruto Tekegi?”

 

“I don't know.” Cyrus claimed, trying to hold his urine in his bladder. When Kaori's eyes narrowed he raised his palms up defensively. “I swear! Look I know who you're talking about lady, but I swear I have no idea where he is. I owed him a favor, so I hooked him up with a clean ride and that was it! He didn't say where he was going! That's the truth!”

 

“Make and model.” She inquired, now pacing about the room allowing Cyrus some room to breathe, besides the guy stank of cheap liquor and body odor. A few paces away was the healthier place for her to be. Any closer and she may have vomited, and that did not go well for intimidating scum like Dupre.

 

“Dark blue oh six Cherokee. Everything else is fake, so it won't be easy to track.” Dupre's breathing was getting heavy, almost like his heart couldn't take anymore of the excitement. “Look lady... that's all I know. I swear!”

 

“I believe you.” The women said calmly as she bent over to pick up a few twenties from the floor. Dupre might have enjoyed the view if he wasn't on the verge of a heart attack. She held up the few twenties. “For McDonalds. I like the fries. You don't mind, right?”

 

“You can't be serious lady!” Dupre finally raised his voice, apparently loosing money enhanced his courage. “You come in here and scare all my boys off and now you're robbin me?!? C'mon, I told you what I know.”

 

Her sword slid from it's scabbard with a speed that Dupre's eyes couldn't keep up with. The sounds of it being unsheathed was melodic, like an artist gently sliding their finger tip over the rim of a crystal glass. The blade was just an inch from Dupre's nose and it took all his willpower not to loose his bowels on the spot. The blade shimmered with a dull blue hue, obviously not crafted from any metal the small round man had ever seen. “Either I eat, or my blade does.”

 

“I recommend the number six,” he swallowed hard, absolutely scared beyond reason. “It's the really the most food for your dollar.”

 

She offered a smirk and left without another word, her sword slid seamlessly back into it's home.

 

 

Despite her regimented life of discipline and Bushido philosophy, Kaori had developed one weakness since her arrive in America: McDonalds Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (with fries and a Coke). With her divine metabolism she didn't worry too much about putting on weight, especially the way she worked out. She'd never allow anyone at the agency see her eating one, but they weren't around at the moment.

 

She chewed her sinfully delicious grease burger watching a mother and father wrestle with their child who could seem to sit still in his seat. Her phone vibrated and she took a look while shoving several fries in her mouth. It was Director Smith.

 

She slid her thumb across the screen and held it to her ear. “Hello Kiki,” He used the moniker that everyone at the agency had given her. She didn't mind it, but it felt odd hearing it from Director Smith. “I know you are a woman of few words, so I'll be brief. I know you generally don't work with teams, but your skills are required in New Orleans. Report to Agent Hideyoshi for your assignment and I'll text you the relevant details. Best of luck.”

 

Within moments she mounted her silver Suzuki Hayabusa 1300GSX, revved the engine and was rolling out of the parking lot of Mickey D's. The little boy she was watching in the restaurant had his face and hands pressed against the glass looking out at her as his parents finished their meal. She looked at the boy and offered him a wink as she pulled the visor of her helmet down. Her and the bike shimmered and wavered as the ambient light around them bent rendering them invisible. The little boys mouth dropped as Koari sped from the parking lot and into traffic en route to New Orleans.

[Curtis Shane]

Atlanta, Georgia

The office floor was packed with cubicles, paper, assorted individuals in business formal suits, paper, computers, and paper still. Access to individuals of divine power, modern government technology and more... paper. Somehow, the Supernatural Investigation Agency's accounting wing couldn't fully progress into the digital age.

Certain Scions in the Agency debated whether or not Fatebinding was involved in some fashion.

The one person who was not wearing according to dress code also had the advantage of the corner office, from whom the supervisor had been less than pleased to be booted from, however temporarily. Curtis, with his t-shirt, gym shorts and sneakers, appeared a complete intrusion into this bureaucratic world - if it weren't for the stacks of paper that were at least triple everyone else's on his desk.

This at least, spared him the opposition of the general working population outside. Whatever offense they might have felt about an outsider being sent in from time to time by the powers that be to scrutinize their hard labor was balanced out by the fact he was shockingly good and didn't complain when they foisted the bear onto him.

And Curtis was content. Privacy, the regular hum of the electric grid around the young man... the numbers-checking was frigging boring, but once in a long while he'd see something to put a smile on his face. Like the fact that the cryptic Bushido-spouting Ms. Kaori Aoyama, whom most others referred to as Kiki might as well be called Ms. Ronald McDonald.

The way of the samurai is found in ketchup and mustard.

That was when HermesLite went off, and Curtis quickly drew his face back to serious. The caller ID was the Director. "Sir?

The following conversation could be summed up as such: Curtis was going back into the field. He had to join a team. Ghosts and murders in New Orleans. Apparently, they'd already had a brain included, so he was being pulled for having a mystic gun. Lovely. Add to that he needed to get earplugs and a blindfold in the airport retail stores given how soon his flight was set.

But Curtis acknowledged his instructions, hung up, told the supervisor he could have his office back (heavy load of documents and all) and got out.

[Justin OOC]

"Allright, lets go then."   They got into the vehicles that had been arranged for them and followed the detective to the site of the latest killing.  Enroute, Ryusei received a text from Director Smith.  "Major, I know we have already sent your entire team to the field, but while you were in the air, our less-known sources have ordained that your mission will require even more muscle.  To that end I am sending Agents Shane and Aoyama to join your team in the field.  Incorporate them quickly and know that I have been told even more might be necessary.  Understand, this is not lack of faith in your team, but direct result of information from Beyond even my position."

He looked at his phone, and looked at the others.  "We're going to get reinforcements."   "But we just got here."  Ryusei  looked at the others.  "Something has the higher-ups spooked bad,  They're sending two "Floaters" here too, Maybe more."

The drive to the crime scene wasn't overly long, They came to a stop in a neighborhood that was of somewhat rundown housing, and one had two cop cars out front with the house cordoned off with police tape.   Disembarking the vehicles, they were allowed inside.  and immediately assaulted by the smell of blood.  It was everywhere, the walls, the ceiling, in every room.   The detective led them into a back room, where burned into the floor was a summoner's circle, candles had burned all the way down, and on the wall, the only area save the circle free of bloodstains, were the Kanji for Death and Resurrection.  "This is the only one written this way, and by far the most gruesome.   We've tested the blood, and not all of it is human.   What we do have positive id for was the blood of the house's owners, Jiro and Saeko Yamada,  He was one of the dock operators down at the Port, no criminal record,  She worked for a psychic hotline."

[WS ST]

Mia walks around the room in a swaying floaty fashion, runs her hands across the writing on the wall without actually touching. "Guess this explains all the Asians on the team." She gives Ryusi a look over the top of the sunglasses to see if she gets a reaction. If she does he doesn't show it.

Then she spins and points her finger at the detective. "Why did you move the bodies? You knew we would be here today. Keeping at least one crime scene pristine should have been your priority." She throws up her hand dramatically dismissive.

[SalmonMax]

"I'm not sure they did," Mei says quietly. "There's no signs of it. No tape or chalk on the ground."

She starts walking around the room, taking in the gory details.

"The blood that didn't test human...what do we know about that?"

[Justin OOC]

"Some was goat, some was chicken, and the rest, well we honestly don't know.  It didn't match anything int he files we have access to."  He looked to Mia.  "There are no bodies, not that we found.  All we've seen is blood.  Naturally I've got people looking for any sign of the couple, should their cards be used, or anything that might show them to be alive, but given how much blood we've found I doubt this would be possible." 

Ryusei nodded.  "Okay I want to see any reports you've got, including those from the coroners, just to see if there's something that might have been missed.  Mei-Ying, Mia, I want you to go over this place top to bottom to see if there's something mundane means of perception cannot see.  Sia and Clara, you're going to accompany the Detective to the other scenes,   I'm sure he can spare a K-9 unit to transport you.  Report to me if you find anything of note." 

[SalmonMax]

Mei-Ying nodded absently at Ryusei, not really paying him any mind. He wasn't telling her anything that wasn't fairly clear to begin with. Despite the implication that he wanted supernatural investigation to begin, Mei started with just her own eyes and mind, going over the crime scene and using the few details that had been shared to sketch out an idea of what might have been going on. The world of the supernatural was too vast to just dive into. You had to have an idea of where to start.

([SalmonMax] 11:04 pm: First an Occult roll for Scion...
SalmonMax *rolls* 9d10: 10+8+2+9+8+4+10+10+2: 63
[SalmonMax] 11:04 pm: Bwah. That is...a  lot of 10s
[SalmonMax] 11:04 pm: Then an Investigation roll
SalmonMax *rolls* 8d10: 10+6+2+6+7+4+1+5: 41

To these rolls I add 2 automatic successes each for her epic intelligence. Once I have the results of these, I'll have a better idea of what magic to use and what questions to ask.)

[IronLady]

Clara nodded to Reyusei before saying. "Affirmative, me and Teacup are going to check the other site" Which she followed with a chuckle and a slap on Sia's back before ordering Jaeger to the door.  

[WS ST]

Mia watched the Asian woman, Mei, as she took stock of the room. The other woman was looking at things through eyes but she wasn't seeing.

Mia a faint smile ghosting her lips began to sway. Slowly she turned swaying her arms held slightly out from her body, palms down fingers splayed. She started to hum low, tuneless at first then as she turned the-the sounds found a beat the tuneless hum a melody, haunting. Her maw-maw had sung it to her when she was an infant and as she swayed and spun oblivious to the others in the room the humming turned to words sung low and throaty in french "When you wake, you shall have/ all the pretty little horses/ blacks and bays, dapples and grays/ all the pretty little horses,"

She stopped she had swayed into the center of the circle she looked all around the room to her eyes it was filled with a blood-tinged mist roiling about the floor shadows cavorted in the dark corners only to disappear when you looked. She was facing the writing on the wall, the kanji, Ryusi had called it.

Before anyone could stop her she swept forward and ran her fingers through both symbols, the blood staining and dripping on her fingers she brought them to her mouth and ran them across her tongue a moan escaping her.

Revulsion at the act was on most everyone's face. She ignored them. The magic filled her whether from her gifts or from the kanji she didn't know but there on either side were the two dead people who had once lived here their faces visible and identifiable from the photos around the house. They stood unmoving, ghostly translucent, everything about them looked normal save their hands. Outstretched like hers the hands that extended from their sleeves became monstrous talons, ready to rend, rip and shred.

“Do you see them?” Mia whispered through blood-smeared lips.

[Kaori Aoyama]

“See, this is why I like keeping these cases local,” one officer present on the scene related to his colleague as the Scions were exiting the building to head to their respective duties. “Sometimes I wonder who's crazier, these psychopaths or the people they send us to help look for them.”

Clara, Jaeger and Sia were heading to a vehicle just as a silver motorcycle was weaving through the area's several parked cars and barricades. Kiki dropped the kickstand and approached the crime scene. She offered a nod to the ladies who were leaving, but nothing more. Almost everyone in the Agency knew each other, they just didn't really know each other.  Most of the Scion's reputations were left to rumor and hearsay, and as a Floater, Kiki was one of those Agents.  She was no better skilled or lesser prepared than any of the others, but some of the reputations Floaters had, made them out to be problems from the moment they arrived.  Kiki worked alone and most figured there was a good reason for it, like maybe she was a pain in the ass.  She flashed her credentials at the lone officer trying to keep people out and stepped inside just as Mia was finishing smearing herself in wall blood. She cocked her head slightly in disbelief, her expression shifting from serious to utter confusion then to mild revulsion. Silently she stepped past Mia spectacle, unable to see the spirits of the dead, and reported to Ryusei.

“I was instructed to get orders from you,” she said softly and in Japanese. As she looked about the room, the Hello Kitty key chain fastened to the end of the Masamune's pommel jingled slightly. “Where is it that I am needed most?”

[Justin OOC]

Mei-Ying's casing of the place produced immediate results, it wasn't completely relevant to the others but she was drawn to the circle.  While the writing on the wall was in japanese, that of the circle wasn't, it was no known language on earth.  When she reached down to touch it, the building itself seemed to groan, and the floor beneath it crumbled to dust, revealing a hole, leading down into unknown depths.  It was at this moment that the spirits of the dead emerged from the Kanji.  Their hands raised up, revealing at least eight inch talons, and they let out a terrible wail.   then vanished just as Kaori came inside.  Even as she presented herself to Ryusei, He pulled her too him away from the hole.  "Everyone Get back!"   Mian reacted quickly as well feeling the dark and familiar power, and quickly moved to pull back Mei-Ying from the hole as well. 

Slowly a dark, purple-black miasma of mist began seep up from it, slowly moving along the floor, and from the hole, they could hear spectral moaning.

Mei- Ying looked upon it and said quietly.  "A portal straight to the Underworld."

 

As they stood there collectively, the wood of the floor began to rot where the miasma touched it,  as it spread.

[Kaori Aoyama]

Kiki jerked away from Ryusei. Although his intentions were noble enough, she couldn't react to what was going on with him hanging all over her. Besides, he was clumsy, slow, foolish, and he smelled kinda nice.

 

With a swift movement The Masamune was off her back and in her hand. The sound of it leaving the scabbard was melodic, a simple hum of the blade literally slicing the air as it was readied. She held her arm out stretched, blocking Mia and Mei from approaching too closely until she had time to secure the area. She was a warrior, this was her place, before the brainiacs and the leaders and... whatever flavor of crazy Mia was.

 

Were something to flee from the pit, it was her duty to face it first. She remained guarded, keeping the blade at the ready. “Caution is the eldest child of Wisdom,” she said at Mei and Mia. “Cover me.”

[SalmonMax]

Mei-Ying nodded and produced not her gun, but an intricately carved wooden box. It was graven with Chinese characters and iconography depicting the faces of gods and spirits moving over stylized landscapes, as well as stars and planets. In the sides were little pieces that could slide out and rotate. It was these that Mei manipulated, quickly pulling them out, twisting them, and sliding them back. Then she opened the box.

Inside was white quartz sand, swirling around as if by an unfelt breeze, or perhaps something tiny burrowing around just under it.

As the box opened, the sands went still, then convulsed into a representation of trigrams, radiating concentric lines.

The magic took hold, revealing to Mei-Ying's eyes the complex shimmering lines of Fate suspended all around...the room was full of magic after all.

(Casting Unlidded Eye now that the true magic has been revealed! [SalmonMax] 7:51 pm: Time to cast a spell in Scion. The Unlidded Eye may tell me much about this revealed magic...
SalmonMax *rolls* 8d10: 9+5+1+2+10+6+9+5: 47)

[Justin OOC]

For Mei-Ying, the spell worked like a charm, revealing the bindings of fate within the group, revealing that indeed Kaori was one of them now, even as she turned to the hole and the miasma.  Magic was pouring forth from the portal, most all of it swirling threads of chaos, darkness, and death, but there was something else, something the rest of the magics were entwining with, around even, the core of it was a brilliant thread, the color of starlight, and from it she gleaned the most menace, and an enigma  rooted in ancient myth.

Still the mist began to billow up, and Ryusei looked to the others.  "We either need a quick solution, or we need to pull back from whatever this is, and find some way to contain the mist until we can seal the hole. "

He looked at them.  "Worst come to it I'll have Hokuto blast this place and block the hole with the wreckage.  It won't be permanent but it could buy us some time."

Something in the way the magic reacted told Mei-Ying this might be best, since none of them possessed any means of sealing such a portal.

[WS ST]

Mia had pressed herself flat against the wall as far from the hole in the universe as she could. That fact that moments  before she had been standing on the damn thing had her shaken. Her vision had shown the ghosts and then suddenly they were there before wailing away.. then all the confsion as the orientals were yapping at one another she heard another voice this one belonging to her mother.

"Child this is not my doing."

HS push off from the wall and slipped a phone from her skirt began taking pictures of the room and floor and the portal.

"Boss yous better get the dragon, my momma say dis ain't her doing. That may not be hell on da Otherside.

 

[SalmonMax]

Mei-Ying scowled as the spell revealed to her the depth of the problem facing them.

"We haven't got what we need to stop this," she reported irritably...clearly not liking being in this position. "Physically stopping it up is probably the best option we have while we try to get a real plan together."

She slapped the box shut again, and stuffed it back in her satchel.

"There's more going on here than what it looks like though. Something deep, and old, that I don't recognize. A light in the darkness."

"Lets go."

[Justin OOC]

Quickly the team exit the building, pulling vehicles back while Ryusei stood on the lawn alone.   The expense report could get pretty bad on this.  He brushed the necklace that was his connection to Hokuto and called to her.  "Hokuto Come forth!"   Those there heard a roaring cry from the cloudy sky, and then saw the dragon descend, all one hundred feet of her, as she coiled around Ryusei protectively.  "Destroy this house, there's a portal to a dark realm within and we need to block it even if only temporarily."  The Dragon nodded and rose into the air above the house,.  She opened her mouth and lightning began to coalesce in her mouth before arcing forth in a blast of power that shattered the house from the center,  collapsing the entire thing in a single shot.  Once done, she returned to his side, where he pet her gently.  "Nicely done, now, go back into the clouds, you can stay out, but I need you to keep in the clouds, no need to cause a panic."   She seemed to understand, and took off for the clouds, vanishing from view.  

 

"Okay, that's done.  Mei-Ying, you and Mia are the Magical and Death specialists   I need you to work together, find us a way to close that portal, before this becomes a problem.   We need to figure out what was so different about this site that something like this happened when nothing like this was reported at the other sites." 

He looked over at Kaori.  "I want you to act as a mobile reserve for now, if Sia and Clara have an issue you'll back them up."

[WS ST]

Mia cheks out Kaori and her bike. She holds up her hands like she's holding handle bars and twists her wrist back and forth, "VroomVroom"

Then she laughs and goes and stands sheepishly next to Mei-Ying

[SalmonMax]

Mei-Ying gave Mia a dark look, then said to Ryusei, "It's already a problem. We haven't even looked at the other crime scenes. This instability, and the number of other murders, makes me think there's something bigger going on. I need to know where the other murders took place. Knowing the goal of all this will help work out what they did, which will help figure out how to stop it."

"In the meantime, it should go without saying that the other crime scenes must be kept absolutely secure, with no one allowed to interfere with them. We still don't know exactly what triggered this."

She glances at Mia again. "This time maybe keep your mouth off the evidence, hm?"

[WS ST]

Mia nods and shrugs apologetically.

[Curtis Shane]

The aggravation of a plane with loud children, the long jet-lag, a taxi ride, and finally, Curtis had found the place... only to see people running out and the place collapsing. "You know, the people in Accounting get antsy about these kinds of expense reports, Ryusei." He dryly noted as he approached. "So what's happened here?"

[Justin OOC]

Ryusei looked to Curtis and shrugged.  "Manifestation of harmful ghosts, dark magic portal to a realm of death and chaos, leaking corrosive Miasma.    So we collapsed the house of the deceased on it to stop it up for a time."

"I want you to work with Mia and Mei-Ying to find some way to close this portal and potentially others.   I don't know what's going on but we need to act fast."

[Kaori Aoyama]

“I will assist Lieutenant Price and Chief Sigismund, as you say.” Kiki offerd a polite bow. Those with cultural experience noticed that bow was a half bow, which showed she respected Ryusei as equal instead of the superior he was supposed to be.

When Mia made the 'vroom' noises and revved her hands like she was holding handlebars Kiki looked at her, then to Mei. It was suddenly obvious to Mei that Kiki was thankful she wasn't the one babysitting Hel and Marilyn Manson's love-beast.

“Baka.” Was all she offered in reply to the gesture, shaking her head almost apologetically as if to imply she was sorry Mia was so... off.

 

She walked past Curtis. He may as well had been invisible since she didn't acknowledge his presence. Outside she hopped on her bike and text both Lieutenant Price and Chief Sigismund.  “I have been paired with you. Send me rendezvous information. I'll need a sit-rep.”

[SalmonMax]

Mei-Ying rubbed her temple for a moment, then said, "All right, we need to consolidate and come up with a plan."

She looked at Ryusei and asked, "A headquarters...a place we can centralize our efforts from. Hotel conference room, a room in the police station...anything with enough room for us and our materials, and some display equipment."