Feb 19 07:36:34 108 PA - Serial Killer Revealed
From Chronicles
Feb 19 07:36:34 108 PA.
RIVER WALK NORTH
It's Monday evening in February, and while it's extremely cold, well below freezing, the skies are clear, and snow is low, and the wind is gentle. The River Walk is normally a peaceful place where lovers and the wealthy go to hang out in an attractive environment. Today is not one of those days. Night. A distance north of the residences to the south lies a body on the grass near the edge of the river. Benches are nearby, and the Kingsdale Police are talking to and consoling someone sitting on one of them. Various types of detectives, coroners, or whatever they are continue to poke over the body. Various citizens are being allowed to approach, likely the KDPD trying to get other ideas beyond their own capabilities.
Terrance heard the call come in over the KDPD frequency, and he came as soon as he could. While he's no doctor, he knows more than a little about medicine, and about bodies as he's created a few here and there. He approaches the crime tape and slips under it, several of the officers give him a warning look, but don't stop him. He approaches and kneels next to the body, but doesn't disturb it it yet. For those paying attention, his eyes glimmer a crimson red for a long moment. But when he blinks, they are blue again. Odd. "You guys know when the body was found?" He asks one of the officers nearby.
With a serial killer on the loose, it seems its only a matter of time before another body turns up. That it has to come close to her part of the city is a little disturbing to Sage. She likely had other means of finding out about this particular situation. She comes along comfortable attired for the weather or as comfortably as she is likely to be. "I can help." She assures the police as she begins to wander closer to where the body is. Her gaze looking for things that may be useful for someone with her gifts. She can't help but notice Terrance while she's at it. "Hey..." She greets him simply.
Cold is something that doesn't particularly bother the small Inuit woman. And it definitely doesn't bother the great white polar bear who accompanies her. The beast is larger than what a normal one would be, standing taller than the woman who is his charge. Wandering onto the River Walk, Monique pauses and lifts a hand to lightly touch the bear's leg, her dark-eyed gaze flitting over the police-littered scene. She simply happens to be passing by, though the scene has drawn her attention quite readily. Approaching with perhaps a bit of caution, Tornaq walks close at her side and remains the very protective and watchful presence that he always is.
The officer in charge - apparently - seems to have the time to speak to the newcomers, reading from his notepad. "Mr. Daryus Grea, according to his documentation. Dead within the last hour sometime. We're talking to the girl -" he waves toward the bench "- apparently they were coming from dinner or something. Dunno yet. You can see that he was cut up same as the others." He shakes his head. "Nothing yet for us. Man, woman, nice clothes and a cane. Be good citizens and help us out, would you?" The officer, whose name-tag read 'Rolthis' seems very sincere on that request for assistance.
Terrance examines the body without touching it for as long as he can, then calls up to the officer in charge. "You guys get recording of how he was found? He asks before gripping the dead man's shoulders and rolling him on his side, and examining his front, chest and belly, and his face. "Don't worry about fingerprints or whatever else, I don't have any."
The great white bear lifts his nose slightly to whuff at the scents even as he draws closer to the scene itself. Seeking anything out of the ordinary and becoming, if possible, even more watchful over the area itself. Monique steps nearer as well, her boots crunching on the snow, and her brow furrows a bit as she ends up near enough to see -- and hear -- whom the dead body happens to be. She blinks once, surprised, her dark-eyed gaze turning to Rolthis for a long moment. Yet her attention shifts to the woman sitting on the bench, and she frowns a bit. As the body is moved by Terrance, she looks over to it, studying what she's able to see of it. Both herself and Tornaq pay attention to the area, for she's heard tell of it being the case for the spirits of murdered ones to linger. The great white bear whuffs softly, and Monique raises an eyebrow slightly before giving a small nod. She murmurs something in her native Inuit language, lifting her left hand to make but a faint gesture even as she brings her fingers to rest on Tornaq's snowy white fur.
For the time being, Sage stays back to consider the scene. When the Inuit woman arrives with her bear, she's content to let the bear work at getting a scene without adding her's to the mix that is close to the body. Once it seems the bear has likely gotten all he's going to, she comes closer to find an item of the man's belongings to hold in full view to see what she can sense from its impressions.
Lifting a paw, Tornaq brushes it over his nose, then snorts softly before shaking himself off. He whuffs a breath, heavily, and if a bear could be unimpressed, then that's how he sounds. He keeps watch over Monique as she finds out what she can from the lingering spirit. Softly, the small Inuit woman lightly strokes her fingers along the bear's fur, and she gives a slight shiver that has nothing to do with the cold of the night. Though she doesn't say anything just yet, she moves closer to the great white bear. What could have done such a thing to Daryus? This is the question that she starts to think on now.
Over near the bench, the blond girl is crying, with a few officers trying to both console her and pump her for information. Her blue sequined purse is laying on the ground near Grea's cane, where she presumably dropped it when she collapsed onto the bench. Officer Rolthis takes a moment to look at the three, though Terrance seems extremely occupied with a physical inspection of the body, and is ignored. "Find anything yet? Because fuck me, I have no idea what's happening. Madman, madwoman on the loose and all we have are bodies. Woman over there's our best bet so far, but she's pretty damn upset. Can't blame her really. You two -" he pauses and adds "- and the bear want to talk with her? I need every lead I can get."
Sage purses her lips before nodding faintly to herself before she lets go of the object. She's not foolish enough to give the impression that she is taking something away from the crime scene right in front of the police. She glances over towards the girl on the bench, and begins to wander over towards the woman on the bench. She holds up a hand to forestall any questions directed at her. She comes to settle on the bench near the blond girl. "Hey..." She says softly, "Its Tiffany, right?" She comments before placing a hand gently on the woman's back. "Mind if we have a chat?"
Stepping closer, Monique looks to the police, and then she lifts one of her shoulders in a faint shrug. "Information not much," she says softly, then gives a small nod. Tornaq moves to be a sound buffer between where she talks to the police officer and where Sage speaks with the upset woman. "He not see who attack him, or what. Cause very much pain... more than should. Whatever attack him, keep him alive and aware for longer than he should have, and do for pain. He say he should have die long before pain stop," she says quietly, trying to keep her words from reaching the woman. Her attention turns back towards the dead body of Daryus, her brow furrowing for a moment. She seems to turn thoughtful, the great white bear rumbling softly and lowering his nose to lightly touch her shoulder, and she gives a faint nod. Her concentration seems to settle upon the dead man, her dark eyes gaining a slightly distant cast to them. And to whatever she sees, she pales visibly, the fingers of her left hand closing with Tornaq's fur entwined amongst them. "Is possible... woman on bench, next killer. -Possible-. One of many possibles," she says quietly, then shivers a little. It's not a pleasant thing to have seen.
The girl, no more than eighteen - and very attractive, and wearing a barely-there dress - is near inconsolable. However, possibly because Sage's voice is the first female voice that she's heard since the incident, her eyes turn, take Sage in for a few seconds, and then the girl throws herself at the woman who asked a simple question. Lots of crying, sobbing, sniffling, probably getting some of those remnants on Sage's shoulder, truth be told. But she does manage to squeak out in a girlish soprano, "Yeah, Tiffany." She then continues to cry. "Is this because of the dinner?" The young girl is crying with far too much force - and seemingly extremely genuine and heartfelt - to notice any of Monique's words.
If Sage hears Monique's words, it is not much different than what she has come to realize herself. She encircles the other woman as she breaks down. "There, there, let it all out..." She comments, rubbing her hands against the other woman's back. "Of course not, you two were probably just at the wrong place at the wrong time." She offers, not knowing whether there's much truth in that aside from the comfort it may instill. "I'll need you to do something for me..." She pauses to let the words sink in, "...just need to brave for a little bit, can you do that for me?" She asks softly, sympathy in her tone and expression.
Monique keeps her fingers twined in the fur of the great white bear. He can protect her from a great many things, but unfortunately... he cannot protect her from the things that she sees when working her magic. He touches his nose to her shoulder, whuffing a gentle breath there. Lifting her other hand, she lightly touches his nose, then takes a small step forward to be able to look past the bear to Tiffany and Sage. Her concentration is more upon Tiffany, studying her, and her brow furrows a little bit. She doesn't see what she had necessarily expected, but the possibles are not always the reality of things. Releasing Tornaq's fur, she lightly strokes the bear.
Tiffany continues to sniff, and to be fair to her, most eighteen-year-old girls, when confronted with the horrible death of their... suitor? Boyfriend? Fiancée? Lover? Doesn't really matter. When confronted with a death like that, it's not surprising that she's frantic and near crazy with shock and grief. But apparently she's a brave girl - perhaps what Grea saw in her - and after further sniffles, she sits back, releasing Sage. The words don't come out smoothly, they come out in sniffles: "Oooh. Ooohahh. Okay, um, what do you want me to do?" She then reels back. "It's not going to hurt, is it? I don't have to look at Daryus' body again, do I?!" She begins to become frantic again, and Monique - and even her bear - are out of sight, and out of mind.
Sage offers the other woman a soft smile at the questions, "No, it will not hurt... and you wouldn't have to look at his body again." She assures the other woman before reaching out to touch Tiffany's hand. "I just want you to close your eyes..." She waits for a moment, "Take a deep breath..." She takes a moment to try to touch the other woman's mind ever so lightly just so that she can see what will come to the other's mind. ".. remember that I'm right here with you.. and let your mind drift back to when you were walking with him.... remember no matter what, I'm here... just let your mind replay what happened..."
The small Inuit woman brings her attention away from the other women, choosing not to intrude. Her dark gaze turns instead back to the dead body of Daryus, a frown touching her lips. He was a friend to her, and now his life's been taken by something. She gives a slight shiver that again has nothing to do with the cold, and then focuses her concentration. Must concentrate to see what there is to see. To seeing Grea's aura, she gives a small nod, perhaps seeing in him what was expected to be seen. She breathes a soft sigh, then lifts her gaze, looking out towards the river itself. The great white bear rumbles softly, nosing lightly at her shoulder in a supportive sort of manner.
A mild frown comes to Sage's features as she lets her gaze shift to consider the aura of the woman. There is something troubling about what she's sensed or perhaps more so what she doesn't sense. "You did well." She assures the other woman softly, "You may open your eyes now... let your mind wander to other things..." She offers, "And, that didn't hurt any did it?" She asks softly before smiling softly.
It's very chilly, because it's winter, and because it's very late. Tiffany is wearing very little meant to be outside of a fun dance club, and she's beginning to shiver. Likely she was being walked home beneath Grea's overcoat. While she manages to put most of her effort into whatever it is that Sage is doing to her, she seems to be inching slowly toward the edge of the bench, where her purse and the late Grea's three-quarter cane are laying, continually glancing at that cane, possibly because it's the only thing of her lover that she will have. Or not, who knows the mind of such a young girl? She sniffles more, and nods silently to Sage, eyes open. "What other things? I wasn't trying to think of anything before!" Poor Tiffany is working up to being on the verge of sobbing again. But she'll try to do as Sage asks.
When the other woman begins to shiver, Sage rubs her hands against the other woman. "Well, thinking warm thoughts would be a start." She suggests with a hint of humour. "Officer..." She calls over to the police, "Can you see to it that Tiffany here gets escorted home in one of your warm vehicles?" She asks, "She can't tell us anymore."
Lifting her attention back to the great white bear, Monique tilts her head slightly to one side, some sort of shared communication seeming likely between the two. The small woman blinks, then turns her attention towards Tiffany, who happens to be edging towards the cane. And then she blinks again, looking to the cane -- and something of it is enough to make her shiver. "Sage, no let her touch cane! No touch! Cane have evil!" Monique calls out, her dark eyes a little wider than normal. Tornaq does, at least, wait for the little shaman to speak before rumbling his assent to the notion.
The girl took appreciation with Sage's asking of a warm vehicle, even if she only expressed it through her eyes. In fact, she'd been reaching down to gather her things when Monique made her outburst. The purse is already in her lap, but her fingers are hovering only an inch or two away from the cane. Unfortunately, the Inuit's comments bring out some anger in her, likely anger at the possible besmirching of her fiancée's good name. Her dripping eyes - thankfully, apparently waterproof mascara - shoot across and over the well-bundled, equally young girl. "How can a cane be evil? It's a cane! It's Daryus' cane, and it's all that I have left!" Her hand reaches down and grabs the cane, and her demeanor goes instantly from desperately sad and frightened girl to - a vicious, hateful, dangerous being, and a cornered one at that. Her purse falls off her lap.
The importance of the Inuit's comment makes Sage pause just that split second needed to whisk the cane away from grasp using her powers. Instead, she's just a beat too late before she can activate the ability. Yet, as the woman suddenly changes in demeanor, a field forms around Sage as she rises to her feet. "Let the girl go..."
Monique had been about to step in the direction of Tiffany when the other woman grabbed the cane. That makes her stop. Or what happens when the cane is taken up makes her stop. Tornaq's hackles raise and he gives a bellow, his protective side brought out more. With the bear protecting her, the small woman reaches quickly into the pocket of her parka, wrapping something around her wrist and shoving it up under the sleeve of her parka. Lifting a hand, she lightly pats Tornaq's leg, releasing a spell upon him. It's as much her job to protect him as it is his to protect her.
It's late night, and it's very, very cold here on the River Walk, right near the river itself. There is a body laying on the ground - rather mussed with at this point - and a number of Kingsdale Police officers around - eight of them, all told, though two are more paramedic than peace officer. There is a short woman, very attractive in a tiny, barely-there dress perfect for hitting a good nightclub for dancing. Her face though, is not. She looks freakishly evil, and is moving as such. All that she holds is a three-quarter length cane; dark steel ending on each side with a bright silver bulb. For some reason, she, or it, managed to trip over itself, and is momentarily off balance. But it won't last long, and it looks vicious.
Though the small Inuit woman always has a weapon on her person, she doesn't draw any of them, at this point in time. It's possible that some of them might even be effective, but... she stays with just bare hands. Tornaq lumbers forward with a bellow, stopping near the Non-Tiff entity to rise up on his hind legs and attempt to give the creature a pair of swats -- one from each front paw. Monique follows, but doesn't get near as close as what Tornaq does. She gets as close as she needs to -- within a little under ten feet, and then she releases a wisp of magic towards the creature. It might work, it might not. But if it does, it could help.
Having already expected to have to fend off the first attack, Sage can only assume that the change is disorienting for some reason. Her hand slips to her belt where she's been keeping her silver-coated vibroblade for a little self protection. It slides from the sheath before she moves to slam the blade against the hand holding the cane in an attempt to dislodge it from the once-innocent-woman's hand.
Very, very cold and Leonard don't generally get along, yet here he is. The detoured shortcut off of main does mean less traffic, but it's still cold as he trudges along. He could travel home much more quickly and easily, yet that's still draining, especially after a long day of study and practice. The first thing he notices are the police and paramedics, quickly followed by the attractive woman in the tiny dress. This momentarily pleasing scenery is quickly obliterated by Leonard then noting the homicidal expression on the woman, the aggressive, very large bear, Monique, Sage, ...and the body that drew Kingsdale's nearly-finest. He takes immediate action to stare to try to assess the situation between blinks.
Monique's blinding spell has some effect on non-Tiffany. Not complete, but some, judging by how she moves. In a demonic voice - no, wait, it's the girl's normal soprano - comes, "I will inflict pain on you the likes of which you've never known, and your souls will be released to haunt the world without rest for eternity!" Then Tornaq's claws rip into her. But it's impressive and unimpressive at the same time. Her dress is torn to shreds, and her body is deeply gashed, a wound that would always kill. But in this case, the deep gouges spill particles as if sand running out of an hourglass, and non-Tiffany's flesh is almost instantaneously healed. She's beginning to advance on the police, of all things, when Sage's blow lands on her hand. It's a very close thing, because the young girl has a beastly grasp on the cane - but it is released. Tiffany collapses to the ground, clothing in tatters, but physically unharmed. All of this happened so quickly that almost no one else in the area even flinched. The cane is now laying under the bench where she'd been seated when Sage and Monique arrived.
The great white bear whuffles as the beast of a moment ago is returned to the form of Tiffany. He shakes himself off, snorts and rumbles, and then he turns to lightly touch his nose to Monique. Just checking. The small Inuit woman lifts a hand to lightly pat the bear, a smile touching her lips, and she murmurs something quietly in her native Inuit language. Praise for the bear, perhaps, or it could be something entirely different. Monique's gaze turns then to the cane where it's fallen, and she frowns a little. "What we do with cane?" she asks, uncertain. She doesn't want to touch the evil thing or really get too close to it, just in case.
When the knife connects near perfectly with the creature and causes the cane to fumble out, Sage takes a moment to consider where the cane winds up. She purses her lips as she briefly glances around. As her gaze falls on Leonard, she flashes a grin. "Leo! Portal to that undead world... soon as you can!" She forgoes the formality, "And, no one touched that cane... once the portal's ready, I think I can get it through without touching anyone." She turns her attention to everyone else. If anyone is foolish to make a move for it, she'll just take it with the telekinetic powers. As it is, she wants to wait until the portal is open before attempting it.
As if the sudden change in things weren't enough, Leonard now has Sage calling out requests. He blinks once more. "What? I'm not sure that's the smartest choice, Sage." After looking from her to the cane that he's quite relieved no others wish to retrieve, he explains, "Some creature there is bound to find it. It should be secured and the entity banished from it."
The Kingsdale Police Department is springing into action! Well, at least the paramedics are making their way over to the fallen girl. At first they seem to be relieved, but quickly they become very concerned. One of the officers points out, "She dropped the thing, she must have gone temporarily insane with grief. Tagalo, grab it and put it in the evidence bag. We still have a serial killer to catch." Ah, the finest.
Tornaq's attention turns towards the police as they approach, and he moves to stand between them and where the cane lays. Lowering his head, he bares his fangs and growls with a threat. "No touch cane!" Monique calls out, stepping quickly up to stand next to Tornaq, bringing one of her hands to rest on his fur. He doesn't ease back from his position, though, and she rather agrees with the sentiment. Neither of them will interfere with the paramedics checking out Tiffany, though.
Letting out a sigh, "Idiots..." Sage murmurs as she reaches out with her power to grasp the cane with her telekinetic abilities and move it towards Leonard. "Fine, but do it before some other fool thinks it's a harmless cane and we end up with more bodies to deal with. If you won't send it away, it's your responsibility to keep it from killing again. It took her over as soon as she touched it."
"Don't-!" Leonard is the last to warn, but he does, anyway. When Sage 'grabs' it, he sighs some relief. "I can tend to it. If you'd care to help me take it elsewhere, that would be wonderful. If not... I could still manage." He finally returns Sage's initial grin. "It won't harm anyone else."
Officer Rolthis approaches the team, rather upset. Probably because they're making him look bad. "What're you doing? Solve the case or something? One of the paramedics hurries and whispers in his ear, and Rolthis turns more apologetic. "Tiffany needs some help. Her body is okay, but... well, her mind is pretty troubled right now. Any of you know anything about psychic things?" Indeed, Tiffany's body is still just laying on the ground, but the two paramedics have now covered her up beneath a number of common cloth and Mylar survival-type blankets.
Monique turns her attention to Officer Rolthis, and she tilts her head slightly to one side. Considering the last words more than the first, and she gives a small nod. "I come, see if can help," she offers, a small smile touching her lips. Tornaq rumbles his assent to that idea, and he follows the little shaman over to where Tiffany lays. Next to the girl's body does she kneel, and she reaches her left hand to lightly place her fingers upon the young woman's forehead in order to be able to work a little of her magic.
With a decision point to be made, Sage lets the cane hover over by Leonard as she glances back towards the fallen girl. "Let me know if you need help, Monique." She comments, caught between a potential patient and getting rid of the cane's threat.
Leonard lifts his hands in a light gesture before reaching towards the hovering cane. This is also only a gesture, of course. "Feel free to help her, Sage." He smiles softly, expectant of her wish to offer aid. "I promise that we'll be rid of the threat within this, and can take it from here.
At this point, the cane has been completely forgotten, likely because none of the cops ever realized that it was the problem. Their efforts are now focused on shoving Grea's body into a body bag, and the paramedics tending to young Tiffany. Their on-scene machines are obviously showing that physically, she is completely healthy, yet they're still concerned. Perhaps they'll simply haul her off for further observation in a padded room, or whatever it is that they think she'll need.
Leonard assumes responsibility of the cane the KDPD are ignorant of. Maybe it's for the best that they don't realize the threat it poses. He takes the item, now hovering under his control, and returns the way he came. Back to the same safe, warm, and somewhat distant from the city location he left some time ago. There he can take the time to enforce his will over the entity housed within the cane. It's resistant and tenacious, so the effort is anything but trivial. Leonard's long day becomes much longer. Unfortunately for him, it will be pushing dawn before he finally succeeds in sending the hitch-hiking being back to whatever realm it spawned from.
Monique settles back on her feet, and she lifts her fingers from the young woman's forehead. Her brow furrows a bit, a frown touching her lips, and then she lightly shakes her head. "She need help in mind. I not able give. Or she need someone to be with her, help through recover from what done to mind," she says softly, then gives a small nod.
Sage nods faintly to Leonard as the man takes control of the cane and wanders over to Monique to await the diagnosis. She frowns faintly, as she considers the woman. "I could only influence her emotions to settle... were it a tumour or growth, I could deal with it... but the mind is a strange thing." She takes a breath and lets it out, "A little peace for you Tiffany on your journey." She comments before trying to influence the woman's emotions to peacefulness. It may help, it may not.
