* It's a sunny morning on Saturday, November First, 2070 at UIUC. And in one set of college apartments, sunlight is starting to fill the rooms of one particularly slumbering Bright Lilim...
* Said Lilim's eyelids start to oh so slowly and reluctantly flutter open...
* There's the sounds of late-migrating waterfowl outside the windows, faintly, as the Lilim wakes, and the sunlight warms the rooms of the apartment.
* Tina opens her eyes, smiling quietly before they're even entirely open.
* The room does not smile back, it being a room. The clock in her room indicates that it's somewhere around midmorning.
* Tina ponders the clock. Then decides that she can allow a few minutes to lie there and go over all that happened the prior night, flushing slightly and still smiling, actually happily.
* Nothing happens to interrupt Tina's processing of the past night's events. Boop Splat is presumably doing Boop Splat things.
* The reverie is suddenly broken by an irritated calico face indignantly begging for food.
{Boop} Mrreoooowwwll.
* Tina blinks, then facepalms and sighs. "Oh all right, all right, Monster Splat, I'll get your food..."
* Tina reluctantly hauls out of bed, the reminscing broken, and staggers for the kitchenette to get the kitty the thing of food, followed by said kitty.
* Cat food is readily obtainable for the cat's repast.
* Tina feeds the kitty, then staggers for the shower to make herself a less stinky Lilim. Unfortunately, as none of the readers are Ian, nobody gets any fanservice.
* This is probably a pity, but c'est la vie.
* The shower is warm and refreshing and cleansing.
* Tina enjoys this and staggers out again, less stinky, and gets dressed, and for sake of appearances snorfs some breakfast junk food. She still has a very vaguely goofy look on her face though, which fortunately Boop Splat doesn't know enough about to make comment on.
* If Tina's awake enough, she might notice the fact that her phone's message light is blinking...
* Tina blinks, getting out of her blissful (and likely unrepeatable in public) reverie of last night with an ungraceful mental thud. She activates the message light post haste.
* *pleep* The message plays, and the voice is recognizeable as Paul's, although a tad weary. "Tina? This is Paul... It's 9:30 am right now, and I'm over at what's left of the ACT. I'll be here most of the day, but I think you better come over here. Oh, and Shosh asked me to tell you to check your email. Talk to you later..." *click*
* Tina blinks. "Oik."
* Tina hops over to the terminal ASAP, booting things up, first things first and all.
* *pleep!* The computer boots up, but instead of the usual startup screens, a single 3-D window appears, with precise text printed in it:
* Tina blinks.
* "Tau, Domination of Lightning, and Muon, Domination of Lightning have been assigned to your corporeal location for the duration of the investigations. This is Muon's first Earthside Mission; it is to defer to yourself, the local Scenschal and Soldier, and Tau, in education on matters and behaviors corporeal. Suitable hosts are to be provided by the Senschal, and discretion is advised when possessing humans. Muon is known to be enthusiastic. -- J."
* There is also an acknowledgement button to be clicked by the mouse pointer.
* Tina *blinks*, pumps her fist a moment, does a quick dance, and then clicks the ack button.
* The window blips away, and Tina's computer resumes its startup sequence.
* Tina waits, chanting "yay yay yay" a lot, as she waits for her email to open.
* Her email app opens, and is normal, save for a quick email from Shoshemai that the two Kyrios will bop down to Earth to meet her once she comes to the Tether proper.
* Tina nods to herself, and does a quick tidy of the apartment, before grabbing her jacket and heading out and grabbing her bike, aimed Beckmanward.
* IMAGE: Yodeling grad student with blue hair streaking for the Engineering Quad down Lincoln and Springfield at an appreciable fraction of Mach
* It's a standard fall Saturday Mid-Morning... there's people about on the streets, but most are involved in their own waking-up routines.. which is good, because otherwise the grad student would attract odd looks.
* Then again, this being UIUC... perhaps not.
* Tina tries not to run *too* many people over enroute, quitting the yodeling once she hits Lincoln and buzzes north.
* There's not much traffic this morning, so Tina doesn't run over anybody and she isn't run over in turn. She -might- notice some barracades set up around the Stoughton St. entrance to the DCL, but she can still get to the Engineering Quad via Main Street or Wright.
* Tina does, and takes Wright given the bike paths there, the wind whipping her short hair into a frenzy.
* The Quad is nice and empty today, it being a Saturday. Various migratory birds are perched in the trees, as well as the ravens and squirrels getting ready for winter.
* Tina looks ponderificatingly at all the wildlife, in the know to know that very likely at least some of them are housing intelligences far more than they appear.
* One crow looks at her with beady birdie eyes, and flaps its wings heavily, lifting out of the tree as she parks her bike at a rack, circling down and landing near her.
* Tina blinks, looking around. Seeing nobody in the area, she crouches down near the bird. {q} "Shosh?"
* The crow blinks, clicks its beak a couple times, and nods. "Izz me, yes." {avian chuckle} "You 'kay?"
* Tina nods, smiling and blushing a bit.
{Crow} Iz good. Boss sent Dom'nations.
* Tina nods... "I got that bit of it, yeah...are they here yet?"
* The crow shakes its head. "No' yet. An' time now, tho'."
* Tina nods, and offers a shoulder. Shoshcrow caws a bit, and hops up onto it with a flap of wings.
* Tina strokes the crow's head, heading in toward the Tether locus. "Take they'll be descending here, or is that a stupid question?"
{Crow} *Duuuh*. {caws laughter}
* Tina snrks, bapping the Sensenchal on the beak. Shoshemai responds by mock-pecking her ear. "So, how's I'n?"
* Tina pauses, a brief moment. And unsucessfully fights a flush. "Er...he'll live, Shosh. And he should be up and about in a day or two, fortunately. Going to see him this afternoon if possible..." {still very carefully composed}
* Crow looks at her a long moment, blinking with one eye. Then turns away, feathers ruffling. One suspects if his vessels beak allowed for it, he'd be Grinning about now. Very widely.
* Tina suspects this as well. Her blush grows.
{Crow} {casually} So....s'true what th' s' 'bout Mal'k'm bein' gen'lmen, 'you know wh' mean?
{Tina} *Shosh*!
* Crow croaksniggers as he deepens the Lilim's blush.
* Tina mutters something about throttling smartass avians.
{Crow} Baaaad T'na....gotta leave host goood... {winks, flapping wings}
* Tina grumbles, then jerks her head up as a disturbance can be heard over even the constant thrum of the Tether...
* The crow can hear as well, and jerks his head up at the spire, watching and listening, as the Symphony ripples...
* And for a moment, there is a flare of holy light, and then the swirl of one, then two insane, inchaoately churning forms--one cobalt, the other the rosegold of sodium vapor...forms that defy description and would stun mortals senseless, save that not a couple moments later they disappear, and a couple of the collection of assembled wildlife suddenly look up with sharper, far more acute eyes...
* Tina grins, watching.
* One pigeon flaps up, and flutters over to Tina's free shoulder, pecking her ear. {cooed but distinguishable} "Tiiippparrrretthh..."
* Tina smiles, looking up at the pigeon, eyes shining. {q} "Tau...it's been too damn long, you know that?"
* The pigeon nods, cooing quietly and lovingly, cocking its head at the direction of the various other fauna.
* And a squirrel hops over. And a crow flaps over. And a robin sits on Tina's head. And a pigeon vies for sit space...
* The first pigeon quietly hides its head under its wing.
* The Sensenchal rolls his eyes, muttering about young Dominations and their Very First Possessions. "Drop s'm, 'kay?"
* A starling twitters. "Awww, d'I have t-t-t-to? This is so *ne-ne-neeaat* {twirble, burble, chirpchirp} k-k-koool and..."
* Another crow looks up. "Muon. What the Sensen'ch' said. Lose s'm. Don' need *all* of them, you need bits left over."
* Tina elects for the Smile and Nod Option while the Kyriotates wrangle.
* The starling twitters an awww, but after another glare from the second crow, the vast majority of the various wildlife resume their old and much more natural attitudes, most hopping away from the strange human. The robin suddenly cheeps and flies off rapidly--fortunately *not* leaving an ah, calling card in Tina's hair.
* Taupigeon continues hiding its head in its wing. . o O (It's going to be a loooong loooong investigation....)
* The Taucrow gives the starling another Look, and the starling meekly (somewhat) flitters over to sit on a Lilim shoulder, Shoshemai kindly giving up his seat so he can do so.
{Shoshemai} . o O (Hello, welcome to Earth, here's your pamphlet, here's your bumper sticker, here's your badge, Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute, and No Piddling on the Bears, It Makes them Grumpy. Yeeeeesh.)
{Shoshemai} 'Kay. I t'ke you f'lks know th' basics 'f round here n' were debriefed n' all?
* Taucrow nods. "Y's, Friend. Got all the stuff needed n' all." . o O (Keeping Muon in one place long enough when he found out he was going dirtside was bad enough I don't know what he absorbed though...)
* The starling bobs its head rapidly, after nearly a minute of looking around in stunned wonder at the surroundings, its feathers ruffling. "yeahyeahyeah!"
* Shoshcrow nods. "G'd. Y'folks r' supposed t' go down t' the ACT lab n' meet with Paul, wh's a Soldier here. Make plans fr'm there. Good luck guys."
* Tina nods, smiling slightly. "Thanks, Shosh."
* Shosh clicks his beak, nodding fondly at the Lilim. . o O (And I hope, old friend, you can keep the young'un in check, he's a bit bananas. Whoever says our Bright Lord doesn't have a sense of humor...)
* Tina pats the crow on the head, and turns and heads for the ACT lab, pigeon and starling on her shoulders.
* Again, fortunately for Tina, there aren't many people about, so she doesn't get many weird looks for running around with trained wildlife. Eventually, she reaches the DCL, standing where it was before... of course, last night before everything Boomed, there wasn't the various "Police Line - Do Not Cross" stickribbons across the entrances, or the police/Campus security barracades across the width of the loading dock proper, where the two vans are doing their imitations of modern art....
* Tau coos slightly, impressed by the obvious results of Shosh's possessions. And also giving Tina knowing looks in the meantime, which she's ignoring, currently looking for Paul. Muon is still stunned into silence by his first experiences of the corporeal realm, so merely looks around so rapidly one would think his little birdie neck would twist off.
* There's a campus security guard at the loading bay doors. He looks at Tina and her boids as she approaches. "Going somewhere, miss?"
* Tina nods. "I'm looking for Officer Mansfield, sir?"
* The guard mmms. "And you are?" He looks at Tina's friends with an arched eyebrow.
{Tau} . o O (Damn. Whups. Should have played dumb bird already, too bloody long away from dirtside...)
{Tina} Myself? Tina Manoa-Perez. I helped Officer Manfield last night in the raid on ACT. And these are unusually aggressive campus wildlife. {looks wry, and extremely winningly innocent, playing up the charisma}
* Muonstarling twitters loudly.
* The guard looks dubious, but willing to let that last slide. "Officer Mansfield -did- say she was coming... could I see your Student ID?"
* Tina nods, and gets out her lethal shurik--er, ID. Which is very much authentic. The pigeon seems to startle and flaps off Tina's shoulder at the sudden gesture. Never mind it divebombs the starling into doing the same as well. The latter squeaks in shock, waking up from his fugue.
* The guard gahs as the birds flutter about, but he does manage to get hold of the ID. He mutters something about the damn campus wildlife getting too damn familiar as he inserts the ID into a computer device attached to a lanyard on his hip. It pleeps out that she is who she says she is, and what areas she's allowed into, such as the ACT. "... Right. It's in order, Ms. Manoa-Perez... Officer Mansfield is upstairs on the third floor. And, um... if you could leave your pets outside?"
* The pigeon whaps the starling more just as it's about to screech "PETS?!" at the guard.
{Tina} ....Er....right, sir....
* Tau concentrates on the door mechanism, leaping to possess.
* Muon blinks, sees what Tau's trying to do, and then leaps for the ID checker.
* Both the door mechanism and the campus cop's ID checker come under the sway of the mighty and talented Kyrios.
* Tina smiles wryly at the guard, waves, and heads on inside.
* The guard hands Tina back her ID with a nod and wave.
* Muon momentarily makes the ID checker spell "KILROY WAS HERE" before jumping after Tau into the lab's systems.
* The inside of the DCL is quiet, eerily so, much like it was last night... however, sunlight streams through the windows, so it's easy to imagine that it's just an easly saturday and Tina's just come in to do some labwork. She goes up, unchalleneged, to the third floor... the area outside the ACT, where she confronted the Infernals and their allies, is rather clean. And then there's the police stickyribbons across the open ACT doors.
* The guard bwas as he looks at his ID checker before hooking it on his belt. He thwaps it, grumbles, and mutters somethign about needing to get a replacement.
* Meanwhile, Tina is followed, silently, through data lines and fiberoptic cables...
* Tina pauses for a moment at the scene, then looks around for Paul.
* Paul can be spotted, his back to the open doors, as he works on taking some notes on a notepad. On a table nearby there stands a small cage with two hamsters in it.
* Tina pauses for a moment. "Hey there, Paul. " {small smile}
* Paul turns, and waves to Tina. "Oh, I see you got my message, Tina..." *slight smile* "Come in and take a look at the damage." He sighs wryly, taking more notes and using a digicam to take pictures of the room...
* Tina nods. "Yeah, I did..." {wanders in} "Did you get *any* sleep at all last night?"
* Meanwhile, the hamsters snuffle around, pause...and blink suddenly, one after the other. And proceed to sit up and survey the two humantypes.
* Paul yawns a bit, scratching his hair. "Not nearly enough, Tina... after getting everything secured last night and taped up and blocked, and making sure all the criminals got taken to the station, I had to come in this morning and start to take inventory of what'd happened and what'd been almost swiped." He gestures at the lab proper, which looks... rather more disheveled than even Tina remembers it... especially notable is the several missing large (and expensive) server machinies... and the rather beat-up computers that used to be said machines.
* Tina winces. "Gah..." {nods} "Are they a complete loss?"
{Paul} Haven't had time to check them out... not my expertise. That's where -you- and your friends come in, Tina.. *slight wry look as he notices the perky hamsters*
* One of them waves at him. {squeaked} "Hi there!"
{Tina} Right. Mrf. I can also share you some data I got from the last night. Ian and I met with Boss.
* Paul raises his eyebrows. "Oh? How'd it go? I left my email with the Senschal... got replacements for the two Holy Bullets I spent, but that was it." *slight wry look*
* Paul then waves to the eloquiting hamster, clearly used to this. "Hey there, I'm Paul. And you are?"
{Hamster} Tau! This is Muon.
{Paul} Well then, welcome to Earth, Tau, Muon, if this is your first time.. *slight smile*
{Tau} Isn't for me! Is for Muon! You can tell from the look. {Muon stops looking awed and squeaks indignantly.}
{Tina} Oook. It...went rather well. I did commend you and Shosh on things...but I also got some info. Apparently, the three that were vesselkilled were all demons in the service of Theft, doing mercenary work with their Hellsworn. What *isn't* entirely known is who they were doing this lifting job for. Which means we may need to go and talk to the surviving Hellsworn if we can to find out what we can.
* Paul doesn't chuckle. Really. "Anyway... Feel free to pop the cage and run around a bit, We shouldn't be interrupted for a while... And hm?"
* Paul listens.
* Tau does, using RC, and hops out, snuffling around. Muon pauses, and follows.
* Paul mrms, and nods. "Sounds about right. I heard something about statements being taken down at the station. Hell-sponsored Theft Mercenaries. Oh for the days I was just a simple campus cop..." He sighs, with the sound of this being an old, familiar complaint.
{Tina} And also check for the extent of the damage on the attempted stolen materials and see what's been taken if anything. Also apparently Trade's doing a trace on Sandalphon to see if there's any relationship between this and them but it's still going as this moment.
{Paul} Dunno how long they're going to -stay- there, though... after all, this -was- illegal, but if they've got backing from below or elsewhere, somebody might post bail too quick for comfort. And understood.
{Tina} Urgh. So we'll have to make it soon to make sure we can get what we can. And hey, weren't there *some* upsides working on the Side of Good (tm)? {wry grin}
* Paul mms, lookign around the rather dishelved lab again. "I don't know -who-, but -somebody- wanted the stuff here... enough to try and haul off computer equipment without bothering to check what was on it, as far as I can tell." He then hehs. "Well, yes, and I don't regret it. Really."
{Paul} I've got some friends down at the station who've assured me they'll have to stay there at least a week. They don't know about the War or stuff, though.
{Tina} Right. {gnaws on her lip} And if somebody of the infernal persuasion wants them shut up quickly...they *will* try. One way or the other.
* Paul mmms, and nods. "Yeah. That's what I'm worried about. We can swing by this afternoon after seeing Ian, if you want."
{Tina} That'll work. Or before, depending on how urgent. {wryly, with a very slight color} I think Ian's going to be staying put there for another day or two though.
* Paul raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment at Tina's pinking. "Right. Well, I'm going to continue taking photos and then check the side-offices, see anything was swiped from there as well; you three start on checking the machines over?"
* Tina nods. "Sure thing. C'mon, guys." {she holds out a hand for the Kyriohamsters}
* The two pop over to her hand, and she heads for the computers, starting to think data-recovery thoughts.
* The computers are in various states of (dis)-repair... some are still plugged in and networked, but those are few.
* Tina tries to start the procedure of accessing the data, if at all possible.
* Well, Tina can access parts of the file system on the still-running machines. However, the mountpoints for the other directories are data-non-grata, because of those directories being ont he rather-more-trashed machinies. She's likely going to have to knuckle under and start attempting to bring them up and online.
* Tina mutters, and starts doing so, bringing both Bright Lilim and Malakite attunements to bear on trying to fix them suckers.
* Thanks to Tina's Mad Angel Skillz, a good number of the less-trashed machines are able to be fixed enough to boot up and network. A trio of support servers will need to be returned to the factory, though, as they're just -too- damaged to not be fixed without many extra parts. It'd be easier to just scrap them wholesale, quite frankly.
* Tina wipes her forehead after finishing, quite some time later. "Yerg. I've...think I've got done what I can, Paul. Three servers have gone to join Boss's collection in the sky, though."
* Muon starts chirping "Spirit in the Sky."
* Tau facepaws.
* Paul looks over from where he's taken pictures of the rest of the large room. "Mmmm. Right. Well, you've done what you could. Make note of which ones are totally unrecoverable, and which ones could still use some spit'n'polish, and we'll let the dean know come monday what the damage will be to replace 'em."
{Tina} Sure thing. And doing that right now. {scribbles on her PADD}
* Paul nods. "Excellent." He goes, and starts opening and examining the side offices, leaving Tina to her work.
* Tina makes a note of the kilt servers and the damaged, and her estimates on repair and damage for all.
* The notes are efficently taken by Tina's digital assistant.
* Tina finishes, then takes kyriohamsters and moseys after Paul.
* Paul's currently checking the various offices. None of them appear out of the ordinary to Paul or Tina, they're standard college-style offices with lots of notes and other things. "... didn't find any tampering on the doors themselves..."
{Tina} Hmm....no obvious attempts of them trying to get in?
{Paul} Not unless you could the damage done to the locks leading to the ACT's doors themselves. *wry look as he jerks a thumb back the way Tina came*. I can't tell if they thought to try and burgle the prof's rooms, they just went straight for the machinery.
{Tina} Not very subtle burglars... They were obviously using a brute-force raid, given the Hellsworn and Calabite and all.
* Paul nods. "Which worries me, yeah. Though the Lilim apparently hadn't approvied of the other guy having brought him along. Perhaps they just wanted to make it quick?"
* Tina winces a bit. "I think so. Lightning raid, pardon the term, get the goodies, get out. I guess the diversion with the alarms wasn't very subtle as they just wanted long enough for the confusion to hide it."
{Paul} Yeah.... whoever wants this stuff wants it -bad-. And speaking of which... I've had Rebecca go through the video logs of the alarm boxes.
{Tina} Yeah?
* Tina wipes at her forehead and lo, contemplates the benefits of a drink.
{Paul} Well, she's going to call when she gets to the right point for them... and you look like you need a break, Tina. *slight smile*
{Tina} Mmm....caffeeine. Yeah. And you too, Paul.
* Paul nods. "Coffee or soda?" he asks.
{Tina} Either/ or, whatever you've got, Paul. {wry grin}
* Tauhamster squeaks, "Coffee with some sugar!"
* Muon blinks and chirps a bit, still rather quiet as he continues coping with corporeality.
* Paul chuckles, and heads for a little Kitchenette that's attached to the ACT, so that the people who worked there don't even -need- to leave it for refreshments. "Well, let's see here.... ah, good." He starts the coffee machine burbling.
* Tauhamster scratches with a hind leg. It is of note he seems to be a longhaired black and white hamster, while Muon is of the fuzzy apricot colored variety.
* The Coffee perkles, and the aroma starts to waft, a thread of normality in all the current weirdnesses going on. "So, were you able to tell if they'd tried swiping anything digitally?" Paul asks.
{Tina} It seems like at least on the surface everything's there, except for the ones that were destroyed. But there's backups. May need to check for any attempts at ripping info with the boys, though. {pats the hamsters}
* Tau and Muon both look happy at the attention, the latter continuing to nose around on the countertop.
* Paul chuckles. "Well, that's a relief. Think you'll be able to check after the Coffee Break?"
* There's so much corporeal -stuff- on the countertop! Spoons, forks, packets of sugar, napkins, a Coffee Machine, a few plates and mugs...
{Tina} Sure 'nuff. Any other issues we need to hit while here?
* Muon gets this slightly insane look in his beady little rodent eyes....
{Muon} . o O (Muahahaahha.....TOYS! YES! ThankyouBossthankyouthankyouthankyou!! {kisskisskiss})
* Tina looks at the coffee machine, and tries to possess it, because damn it, it's *there*!
* Er. Muon did. Tina's happily singular, thank you.
* Paul considers, checking his notepad. "Stuff photographed, check. Prints were already taken last night by the regular cops. Stuff restored to the best of our ability, check. Double-checked the staff offices, check. I -think- we're about covered up here, once you double-check the data..." He looks at the coffee maker, double-checking to see if the brew is done...
* The coffee machine abruptly starts singing "Moon River."
{Paul} .....
* Paul looks at the two hamsters.
* Paul looks at Tina.
* The black and white one facepaws
* The apricot hamster cranks up the innocence factor.
{Tina} ....Er.
* Tina looks at Muon.
{Paul} Tina? This is the first time I've ever seen the coffee machine start 'singing'. I didn't know its audio chip could do that.
{Tina} .....Kyrios of Lightning are creative, Paul.
{Paul} So I've noticed in the past.
{Paul} They didn't usually make household appliances perform vaudeville, though.
* The coffee machine suddenly shifts to some Utah Saints.
{Tina} .....real creative when they put their minds to it...
* Paul looks like he really, really wants to facepalm. Instead, he just goes and switches the coffeemaker to standby, pulls out the pot, and pours coffee for himself and Tina, a small glass's worth with sugar for Tau, and a smiliarly sizeed glass of water for Muon.
{Tina} {m} Boss said he was enthusiastic....
{Paul} *m* Your boss is very perceptive.
* Tau facepaws again. {m} "Boss, in case you haven't realized, Tippy, is the Master of Understatement."
* The coffeemaker suddenly develops a smiley face on its LCD indicator panel, with dancing sheep.
{Tau} {m} See what I mean? This is Muon still subdued by the corporeal. Wait.
{Tau} {m} Juuuuuust wait.
{Tina} ....oh dear.
* Tau squeaks thanks at Paul, before hauling himself up to the glass and starting to lap happily.
* Paul looks at the Hamster and Coffeemaker. "Does this mean I should enforce the driving age for him?"
{Muon} *Hey*!
* Tau mutters (in an exceedingly high-pitched manner) at Paul. "Be wise."
{Paul} *offhanddedly* Well, we wouldn't want you crashing it, causing buttloads of Disturbance, and making people really, -really- wonder. Not to mention you'd stun most of my staff when I had to take you in....
* Muon pauses. "Oops?"
* Tau sighs, lapping. "Muon? No making things go boom. Things going boom make Noise down here. Noise attracts Demons. Demons hurt you lots. See?"
{Muon} ...Oh.
{Tina} {wryly} Trust me on this, kiddo. I used to be one.
* Paul picks up his own mug, and hands the other Tina.
* Muon blinkies and waddles away from his glass over in her direction. "Oh? 'Zit true, you're really a..."
* Tina takes it, grinning wryly. "Yep."
{Tau} {m} malakim-lusting groupie, hmmm?
* Tina nearly drops her glass, going bright red. {growled} "*Tau*..."
* Paul blinks at this. "Now, now, no need for name-calling here, we're all on the same side...."
* Tau looks up at her innocently. Then winks one beady hamster eye, and grins.
* Tina flushes, muttering. "Name-calling, hell, this is my adoptive older brother here, Paul, it's like *accepted*...."
{Paul} Oh. *slurp* Well, carry on, then.
* Tina nods, mutely, still flushing an attractive shade of red.
{Tau} Hee hee hee. I got my shots in...
* Paul looks totally deadpan. All that campus-cop training must come in handy.
* Tina mutters, slurping her coffee.
* Paul does not chuckle, at all. Really. Ignore the slight twinkle in his eyes as he looks over at Tau and Muon.
* Tau grins at Paul. "S'how long you been in the Know?"
* Yes, this is with a little pink-lipped and toothed rodent mouth. Don't ask how it's done.
{Paul} You mean about you guys and the Symphony and the War and all? Oh, 'bout 40 years or so, now. Came on board 'round the time the Quad became a Tether.
* Tau looks interested. Even Muon perks up from his water. "Ooo? How'd you find out?"
* Paul hrrms, and thinks back. "Well, I was just a new campus cop on the force... and one night, when things seemed to be all quiet, Shoeshami tried to possess me to deal with some Vapulans."
* Both Kyriotates perk up at this. "What then?"
* Tina blinks, and listens, smiling wryly, likely having heard the story before but still not adverse to another retelling.
{Paul} Well, naturally, I didn't know they were demons. I just thought they were another bunch of thugs trying to deface campus property. I and my parter, Barry, tryed to get them to stop, when for no reason I could figure out, I passed out.
* The two hamsters pause, and nod. Even Muon seems quiet, listening.
{Paul} I'd actually been possessed by Shoshemai, but of course I didn't know about -that- yet, either. For that matter, so had Barry.
{Tau} Whoa. So y' just bopped out to the Marches?
{Paul} All I knew was that I was asleep, so yes. But, anyway, he drove them off via us, but during all the shooting and Songs, he had to pull Forces out of one of us in order to take control of some of the local machinery to stop them... and I was the one who suddenly woke up again, in the -middle- of all the weirdness going on and my partner acting Atypically heroic. *wry look*
* Muon giggles.
{Tau} So you basically stumbled into it.
* Paul nods. "Exactly. Oh, later on my PC started leaving messages to me from nowhere I could trace... turned out Shoshemai had detected soldier potential in me, and wanted to apologize for getting me into this, and also give me the sales pitch."
* Tina snrks, nodding and grinning.
* Tau nodnodnods his head, slurping at more coffee. "So you 'ventually took it?"
{Paul} Well, I thought it over, weighed the options, decided that working for God wasn't a bad idea, and that, well, I really -like- this campus, and if by working here I could help the good guys, well, why not? *slight grin*
* Paul slurps more of his own coffee.
{Tau} Yay! So ever since then it's been protecting UIUC from the Scum of Hell?
* Muon listens, obviously fascinated, whiskers twitching.
* Paul chuckles, and nods. "Not that we've -seen- much of it... Last big incursion, aside from last night and the occasional Vapulan trying to get its claws into the research departments, was a campus professor who'd become a sorceror under the influence of Fate 'bout 12 years ago. But other than that it stays relatively quiet."
* Tau nods. "Last night being an exception."
{Paul} Oooh yes.
{Tina} ...Yeah. Safe to say.
* Paul drinks more of his coffee. "I'm halfway surprised Jean didn't call us on the carpet for the noise. But who can figure Archangels, y'know?"
{Tina} Hm. If Boss was one of the other Superiors, he likely might. But Lightning tends to be um...noisy in things. {wry grin} And the Tether likely drowned out the worst. {pause} Though Boss manifesting probably was heard out to *Rantoul*...
* Paul nods. "Probably should reassure the other Angel-Senschals around town, if they don't already know..."
{Tau} {instantly} Shosh is taking care of that angle. Sending out bits of himself as we speak.
{Paul} Ah, good. Thanks, Tau.
{Tau} No prob. Talking to him on another thoughtthread.
* Paul nods, and slurps, and finds his coffee mug empty.
* Tina ponders her empty mug as well. "Back into the fray, I take?"
* Paul nods. "Yup. I'm gonna double-check the windows and doors, and the entranceway for anything they might have dropped that the cops didn't pick up. Let me know how you do on the data check, and I'll see if Rebecca hasn't finished with her stuff yet."
{Tina} Right. We grill the Hellsworn first after that, or {slight blush} check up on the invalid?
{Paul} Your call, Tina. I suspect you'll be wanting to spend 'Quality Time' with Ian, though, and not have facing annoying hell-bound types hanging over you two as you talk.
* Paul says that in such an offhand manner, you can't tell if he's serious or not...
* Tina's blush spikes up even more. {m} "Yeahhhh. We'll see."
* Paul hides a smile as he washes out his coffee mug, so that only the Kyrios can see it.
* Tau blinks innocent liquid black hamster eyes at Paul.
* Muon giggles.
* Tina spikes up to an appealing garnet.
* Paul puts the mug away, and heads back out into the main room to check the windows and doors.
{Tina} {m} You *will* pay for this, Tau.
{Tau} Mooooiiii? Would you do that to your Sempai?
{Tina} Yeeeeeees.
{Tau} You wound me.
{Tina} No I wouldn't. It'd hurt your host. {pause} Now in *celestial* form.... {innocently}
* Tau razzes her. Muon observes, and giggles a lot.
{Tau} . o O (I'm not being exactly a good role model for the youngun, am I? {pause} Disregarding the Lazertag chases above the Halls of Progress...)
{Tina} Aaanyway. Hey, boys, let's get back in there to check the servers for any fiddling, 'kay?
{Tau} Sure thing. Gimme a pocket.
* Muon giggles and scurries after Tau, hopping into Tina's hand with him and deposited into a pocket. Tina then grins a bit, and washes out her own mug.
{Tina} Right. Let's get cracking, guys.
{Muon} Yay!
{Tau} Right.
* Tina and her portable Kyrios head out to the other room.
* The room is right where Tina and Paul and the Kyrios left it...
* Tina heads for the servers again, with hamster spirit guides!
* The servers stand where they were placed and fixed by Tina, still connected and booted up.
* Tina puts the hamsters down near one server, and begins her work on the first.
* Tau hmmms, and ponders it. "Okay, kiddo, this is how you do it down here dirtside. Watch, 'kay?"
{Muon} {happily} Okay!
* Tau hms, and then branches off a bit of himself, jumping for the machine...
* Muon takes careful not---er, well, enthusiastic ones. Careful we cannot vouch for.
* Tau possesses the computer easily, being a nicely experienced Kyrio.
* Tau hms mentally on one thread and begins to look through the files for signs of tampering.
* Tina meanwhile in a much more corporeal fashion starts looking through the files on a second server.
* No signs of tampering are evident... well, unless you count some missing directory trees...
* Tau hmms and looks at them, trying to find if they're a result of being knocked around, or actual physical intervention.
* Muon meanwhile sidles over to another server at Tau's corporeal nod, and looks at it, trying to duplicate his action.
* Well, if Tau examines close enough, and traces through some of the auxillary config files, he may notice that the directory in question is an external mountpount, for remote-accessing directories on another machine...
* Muon also manages to possess another server, though due to his inexperience it's a tad more difficult... especially since one can't possess computers in Heaven. On the plus side, the computers down here made by man are much less complex than JeanTech top of the line.
* Muon thrashes around a bit, before settling in and starting to muck around the server...deciding that rewriting a portion of it into reading files from "Our Dumb Century and a Half" from the Onion isn't worth the pounding he'd get from Tau and Tiphareth. He too, starts to look around.
* Tau hmms a bit, noting the machine name, before looking elsewhere..
* The rest of the system looks pretty decent, all told, aside from the missing directory trees. No weird changes made to the configuration files, no lurking Vapulan Virii that it can tell...
* Tina pulls out, looking thoughtful. "Other than some missing directory trees, this seems clean, here."
* Tina nods, busy looking through the other server, thoughtfully.
* The state of Tina's machine is much the same as Tau's... it looks as if the Theives were just trying to snatch the machines and go, not bothering with the Technical-types of theft.
{Tina} Seems to be the same here, honestly. Need a lift over to the other machines, Tau?
{Tau} Be much appreciated, actually. {scritches himself with a hind leg}
* Tina grins slightly and lifts the hamster up, placing him by the other recoverable machines.
* Muon meanwhile seems slightly lost.
* Lost? Have you tried Hare Krishna? Oh wait, that was some student's download of the Muppet Movie script....
* Muon can't help himself. He starts reading.
* Tau meanwhile looks into another server.
* This server's state is much like the last one Tau and Tina examined. Mostly there, save for those directories that were stored on likely hosed machinies.
* The complete script is there! No images, though, and since all the machines were disconnected from the outside net, he can't use a webbrowser to find them.
* Muon gets....er...distracted on that thread.
* Tau blinks over, at the transfixed apricot hamster, and facepaws.
{Tina} . o O (Kid needs lots of work....*lots* of work...]
* Paul, meanwhile, as he checks over the windows and doors one more time, hears his walkie-talkie bleep. He brings it up to his mouth, and acknowledges. "Mansfield Here."
* Muon keeps one bit of attention on the script while finally getting around to checking out the rest of the server's contents.
* The state of Muon's machine is much like the rest of the group's. And the script is likely quickly read.
* Muon finishes, now Illuminated About the Corporeal!
* Tau works on a few more servers in the meantime, as does Tina.
* A voice replies, feminine with a hispanic accent. "Paul? It's Rebecca... I've gone through the recordings of the Fire Alarm cameras... and there's something here I think you should see..."
* Muon skitters over to a non-taken server, looking for *MORE* Stuff!
* Paul nods. "Understood. Miss Manoa-Perez is with me, I'll be coming down with her..."
{Rebecca's voice} I'll be waiting.
* Paul cuts the connection. "Tina? Tau, Muon? That was Rebecca... I think she's found something... how're you doing?"
* Tina looks up, blinking. "Uh? Oh, we're okay...I don't think we're seeing anything whacked on the machines other than missing directory trees from what I presume are the destroyed servers..."
{Muon} Frog legs!
{Muon} I found out about frog legs!
* Tau groans. Yes, this is odd coming out of a hamster's throat.
* Paul nods. He pauses, and looks at Muon. "Good for you." He clears his throat. "Anyway, want to take another break and come down to look at what Rebecca found?"
{Tina} ....And er, Muon is apparently getting in extracurricular reading.
{Tina} Yup! I'm good here. C'mon, boys, pocket time again.
* Tina holds out a hand for the Kyriotates.
* Tau scuttles for the hand, pauses, baps Muon as he gets sidetracked into digitally reading some MST of bad Sailor Moon 2025 Lemonfic, and continues on to the Bright Lilim's pickup.
* Muon pauses, squeeps, and follows.
* Paul chuckles, watching the two hamsters scurry, and leads the way out of the ACT and down the stairs to the first floor.
* Tina follows with, two small whiskery faces poking out of her jacket pockets every so often.
* Eventually, the group gets to the first floor, and the Security Office Tina visited therein. Inside, the back of Officer Alvirez can be seen, going over security footage on the monitors.
* Tina hmms. "Manoa-Perez here, Officer."
* Rebecca looks up and over. "Oh, hello there, Tina..." She blinks, as she notices the hamsters trying to sneak a look, and rolls her eyes. "Paul, now you're having Harvey and Dent hitch a ride on the -students- now? Sheesh..."
* Paul looks wry and sheepish. "Well, she asked if she could, and I didn't see a reason why -not-..."
* Rebecca sighs, and shrugs. "Whatever. Take a look at this, Paul..." She turns to look at the screens again.
{Tina} ... . o O (Bweh? {facepalm}) {blinks and looks around the officers at the screen as well}
{Rebecca} I was going through the recordings, and was able to find out which alarm boxes got pulled in the various buildings and faces for the perps... *she starts playing video recordings, and on 7 screens, seven different people can be seen walking for the wall-mounted fire alarm boxes.*
{Rebecca} But that isn't the weird part. The weird part is that they pulled them all -simultaneously.-
* Paul blinks at this.
{Tina} ....Er.
* The video plays further, and the people pull the alarms, and she freezes the images... the timestamps are the same, across the board.
* The hamsters seem to be looking at the screens too, when Rebecca isn't looking in their direction.
{Rebecca} Well, okay, not -exactly-, but close enough... I can't figure it out, who could have convinced these people to do this at the same time...
{Tina} D'you have an ID of any of them?
* Rebecca rewinds, and starts them playing again. "I've already started checking... I think they're -students- of all things, but I can't be sure. I've already sent face images to Registration for them to double-check."
{Tina} ...Right. Could be some of them trying to well, do a stupid prank on Halloween night of all things, but still, who put them up to it...
* Rebecca nods. "That's what I was thinking. Man, I wouldn't want to be them when we find them..."
* The video replays... Tina may just notice as the people move to pull the alarms, they're doing so as if it seems like a naturally good idea to do... but immediately after, they appear to 'snap out of it', and then react to the alarm in surprise, and head out of the building quickly.
* Tina's eyes widen.
* Tina sides over to Paul and gives him a slight poke in the ribs.
{Tina} {vvq} replay that again, paul...
* Paul blinks, and moves over to Rebecca's side. "Rebecca, could you replay that footage once more?"
{Rebecca} Hm? Sure, you're the boss... *she does so*
* The videos replay, exactly the same as before. People moving casually to the alarms, as if on autopilot; they pull the alarms, and then snap out of it, and join the mass exodus as the alarms sound.
* Paul hms, thoughtfully, as he watches the footage.
{Rebecca} You hrmed, oh commander?
* Tina gnaws her lip. A lot.
{Paul} Hm? Oh, just a passing thought... when we bring these people in, we might want to check for any traces of attempts of hypnosis or the like. This was too damn synched to be a simple prank.
{Rebecca} .. Riiight. *She does nod, though* No telling what those jerks who were trying to rip off the ACT would do to try and pull that off.
{Tina} ...Yeah. And if they were innocents in the way....it wouldn't help for them to get penalized for something that wasn't their fault.
{Paul} Exactly. Good work catching that, by the way, Rebecca... have the footage bundled together and forwarded to my office.
* Tina meanwhile massacres her poor defenseless lower lip some more.
{Rebecca} You've got it, Paul... anything else you want me to do?
{Paul} When Registration gets back to us on those face matchups, let me know who they are and where they live... in the interim, take a break, we've been going at that all morning. *wry look*
* Rebecca grins. "I can go for that."
* Paul nods. "In fact, I think we're going to do the same... and later, we're going to check in on the cops and Ian, respectively..."
* Tina nods. "Sounds good to me, too."
{Rebecca} Right. I'll find somebody to cover for you around here.
{Paul} Thanks, Rebecca. *slight smile* Anyway, let's get going, Tina...
{Tina} Sure thing, Officer. {grin}
* Paul nods to Rebecca, and heads out of the office, presumably with Tina and her hamsters traling along.
* Tina and the hamsters *do* trail along! And once confirmed out of earshot...
{Tina} {m} Geased, Paul. They were Geased.
* Paul mmms, quietly. *m* "You sure about that?" *pause* "... 'course you're sure about it. Sorry 'bout that..."
{Tina} {m} It's all right. I was thinking Bal or Habbie or even teamed Shedite for a moment, but they weren't in the group and...well...she was.
* Paul nods. *m* "Gotcha." He sighs a bit. *m* "Pity that kind of explination isn't admissable in court.."
{Tina} {m} Nope. It isn't. I wonder how long they were setting this *up*. It was long enough to get hooks in several people...
{Paul} *m* Which means they had to have been in the area for a while... could perhaps explain the kid who tried the hack. If he'd succeeded, they'd still have the hooks for later...
* Tina narrows her eyes a bit. {m} "They don't, now, though."
{Tina} {m} This kind of thing pisses me off.
* Paul nods, quietly. *m* "Me too."
{Tina} {m} I still wish she wasn't vesselkilled, but given this.... And I hate even more the fact innocent kids are getting slammed with this, all for accepting innocent favors. {there is an echo of guilt in her eyes}
{Tina} {m} Given the kid who hacked, if she hooked him...she had lots of ways to. He was in debt big time.
* Paul rests a consoling hand on Paul's shoulder. *m* "We'll set things right. I think they'll buy the hypnosis explination when we question the kids..."
{Tina} s/Tina's.
{Tina} {m} Hope so. I don't want them dicking around on this turf, Paul.
{Tina} And I'm sure *Shosh* doesn't.
{Paul} Yeah. *he frowns slightly* -Damn- surprised they hadn't checked for Angels or Soldiers around here... though if they did, and didn't suspect you or me, it doesn't say much for their observational skills...
{Tina} Their greed maybe outweighed their better sense? And right next to an Angelic Tether, too...
{Paul} -Somebody- has to have been paying them off to take this sort of risk, if they knew. Lots.
{Paul} 'Cause, what the hell would Theives want with computers that had AI tech?
{Tina} Though this Tether *isn't* well known, either, to be honest. And probably isn't known in Hell either.
{Tina} Thieves that were being hired by somebody, yeah.
{Paul} And the longer it stays that way, the better. *slight smile* And hm... what do you feel like for lunch?
* Paul and the group have reached paul's police cruiser by now.
{Tina} What's on your mind? I'm good for most anything...gyros, fake Mexican, Chinese, you name it.
* Paul considers. "Gyros sound good, if the furry guys don't object..."
{Muon} {cheeped from a pocket} What's a gyro?
{Tau} {From another pocket} You'll find out. Mmm...gyros...
{Paul} Gyros it is! *slight grin*
* Paul goes, and opens the doors of the campus policecar, holding the door open for Tina.
* Tina grins at Paul gratefully, sliding in and making sure not to squish her portable angels while at it.
* Paul goes and gets in the driver's-side door... it's a nice modern 2070's edition of the classic Ford police cruiser -- body reinforced, engine upgraded, lots of nifty little extras on the inside... he goes and gets buckled up...
* Tina does as well. "Yum...gyros.... And are you going to *get* any sleep sometime, soon?" {little grin}
* Paul yawns again as soon as Tina mentions the words "Sleep". "*yawn* Um... not sure... perhaps after church sunday?" *slight smile*
* Tina facepalms. "Paaaaauulll...."
{Tina} No no no. Bad. Not good. Bad. Sheesh, I'm the one that doesn't need to sleep and I got more sleep last night than you did... {pauses and blushes again, forcing it down}
{Paul} Well, I -do- plan to sleep tonight, too... Hmmm?
{Tina} Oh, er nothin'. {sheepish grin}
* There is rodentile sniggering from one pocket.
{Tina} {m} The peanut gallery would do well to shut up...
* Paul idly hrms, as he starts up the cruiser. *offhandedly* "Hm. I suppose in the absence of your Archangel being around, I'll have to give Ian a good 'Father-to-boyfriend' talk?"
* Tau giggles out loud this time.
* Tina facepalms. "Paaauuuul..."
{Paul} Hmmmmm?
{Tina} {mumbled} if you really really want to...
* Tina seems rosy red.
* Muon giggles from the other pocket as well. "Tippy's got a boooyfrieeend....Tippy's got a boooooyfriiieeeeeend...."
* Paul nods. "I'll be nice, and wait until -after- he's recovered, Tina..." He dirives out into the wilds of U-C, looking for a Greek place they both know.
* Zorba's is on Green and near Wright, as it's been for nearly a hundred years by this point, and still serving gyros.
{Tina} ...Rriiiight. ....I'm not very sublte, am I?
* Paul drives to Zorba's, parking at the place next to the "Historic Preservation Site" sign attached to the building. "You're flashing like a first-year soriratry girl, Tina."
{Tina} {m} Thought so... Daaaamn... {sheepish smile}
* Paul stops the car, turns it off, and pops open the doors. *m* "Yup.... though, if you asked me, I'd have to say I think you Needed it, Tina." *wry look*
* Tina baps Paul lightly. {m} "Why?"
* Paul owches, quietly, and grins. *m* "Hey, I remember when I was that age, too. Companionship's importaint."
{Tina} {m} Yeah. {hehs} I never did get out much, as my kind went.
* Paul nods slightly, and holds open the door to Zorba's. The smells of good Greek food wafts through.
* The place has undergone more than one overhaul in the decades, but still remains at night a haven for jazz and during the day one for gyros...big hunks of meat turn on vertical spits in front of the heaters, slowly cooking and giving bits shaved off them every so often by student employees for people.
{Tina} {m} I get concerned about it, though.
{Paul} *m* Wondering if you were 'built right', compared to the rest?
* Paul goes and gets in line to order a good Gyro for himself.
{Tina} {m} Yeah. {sheepish} And me n' Ian too.
{Tina} {m} Well, heck, it's not like I ever worked for... {makes face} Lust. So...
* Paul nods. *m* "Good for you." *wry look* "And So... what sort of Gyro do -you- want?"
{Tina} Ummm...large. With lots of the usual fixin's.
* Paul chuckles, and orders up two larges, plus a large Classic Classic Classic Coke for himself.
* Tina makes a face at the idea. {q} "It's not something that appealed to me. It took me years to get my first vessel. {twitches a bit} Oh, I could have gone to Prettyboy for it, but I didn't, for a couple reasons."
* Paul mmms, nodding, accepting his drink, and handing Tina hers as he waits for the Gyros to be made.
{Tina} {q} First being, I'm *sure* you can guess what his usual price for one would be.
{Tina} {q} Second...too many Frees don't exit from that price still Free.
* Paul winces. *q* "Damn."
{Tina} {q} Yup. And I didn't get all the Geasa from my Sisters and learn computers so I could be one of *his* little stable of hookers. {makes a face}
{Paul} *q* Somebody ought to go down there and stage a giant raid, or something. There oughta be a law...
{Tina} {q} It's Hell, Paul. Only law there is who's bigger and meaner than the rest.
{Tina} {q} And...the rules of the Game.
* Paul sighs. *q* "And they change it to suit their whims whenever they please."
{Tina} {q} Yeah.
* Paul looks up, and notices that their Gyros are ready.
{Tina} Ooo. Food..
{Tina} {q} But yeah, I sort of wonder about Ian n' me. You know?
{Paul} *q* Hoping it holds together?
* Paul accepts his gyro, hands the other to Tina, and heads over to an empty, out-of-the-way table that still has a good view of the street.
{Tina} {q} Yeah. Scared it's gone too fast, that it's for the wrong reasons... and because frankly, our Roles are stationed in different places. I don't like the idea of short-term flings, Paul, which may sound weird coming from me, but hey.
{Tina} {q} I bloody well will have the Freedom to do what I like with my heart, you know?
* Paul mms, and nods, sitting down. *q* "That you do, actually, Tina. Too fast, wrong reasons, Role locations... I can't judge those for you, Tina. And short-term remains to be seen."
* Tina follows with, sitting as well, and starting in on her gyro. {q} "Yeah, I know. Especially after the boom. Still. I guess maybe I'm second-guessing." {small wry smile}
* Paul chuckles a bit, and pats Tina on her arm. *q* "Join the rest of the human race, Tina." *slight grin*
{Tina} {q} Not precisely that, but I'm a sort of cousin? {small wink}
* Tina slips bits of gyro down to her pockets in the meanwhile. There is the movements of much hamster noshing.
* Paul chuckles. *q* "Well, if you want to put it -that- way... and hey, I think you -can- safely let them out, you know... let them get a bit of fresh air and a look around."
{Tina} {q} Oookay. {small grin} I think they're busy at the moment though.
* There is a hamsteresque belch from one pocket.
{Tina} ....See?
{Paul} .. Right.
* Tau pokes his head out of a pocket. "Ewps. Scuse me." He disappears back inside.
{Paul} ... At least he's polite.
{Tina} ....Yeah. Still, having my pockets burp in public is unsettling.
* Paul chuckles, and munches on his own Gyro.
* Tina finishes. With accompaniment of more rodentile burps from her pockets.
* MServ finishes, and pats his stomach. "40 years, and I swear they've gotten better here."
* Paul said that.
{Tina} Mmmmhmm... {burps slightly, looking sheepish} I was in a gyros mood today.
{Paul} It's a good mood to be in. *chuckle* And pardon you... and your friends, belatedly. *grin*
{Tina} Um...yes. Sorry. {glares down at her pockets}
* One of them squeaks apologetically again.
* Paul smiles, and finishes off his Classic-Cubed Coke. He then looks at his watch, and hrms. "We better get hoofing, gang..."
{Tina} Righto. Well, sustenance has been gained, so what's the next on the adgenda?
{Paul} Either check in on Ian, or head down to the local precinct to see if we can get anything out of the Hellsworn that the regular cops couldn't get.
* Tina pinks a bit. "Er, well, there are arguements for both...."
{Paul} Well, we're gonna have to do both of them, eventually... *slight smile*
{Tina} Right. {hehs} Where'd they cart Mr. Squashed off to?
{Paul} Carle Hospital. He's under observation, but I heard that they didn't think it was life-threatening, so we should be able to see him during visting hours. And relatively close to everything that went down.
{Tina} Right. {nods}
{Tina} So him first? {smile}
* Paul nods, getting up and leaving a cash tip on the table. "Sounds good."
{Tina} Right....Onward.
* Paul leads the way back to the campus police cruiser, still parked where it was parked.
* Which is good, as Muon with More Ideas would not have been good.
* Paul gets in, and makes sure everyone is buckled up before pulling out...
* Tina is! Her pockets just continue to make the occasional small happy burp.
* Paul drives northward. After about 15 minutes, they reach University Avenue, and turns onto it, approaching the renovated and modern hospital.
{Tina} Any idea what room he's supposed to be in?
* Paul pulls into Carle Hospital's parking facilities, and is able to park close to the entrance due to the official nature of his vehicle. "No idea, honestly. Didn't think -that- far ahead to call..." *wry look as he parks.*
{Tina} Eh, they know, we'll just find out.
* Paul pops the doors open, and gets out, straightening his uniform jacket to look as offical as possible
* Two small whiskery faces poke out of Tina's pockets in the meantime, Muon apparently still looking around amazed at all the corporeal sights.
* Tina looks....like a somewhat rumpled graduate student with dyed blue hair and hamsters in her pockets.
{Tina} {m} Okay, boys, into the pockets and keep still. Goes double for you, Muon.
* Paul heads for the entrance, the doors sliding open for the little group as they head for the first-floor's receptionist desk, who looks up as they approach.
* Tau chirps an acknowledgement, quietly, and ducks back inside before they get to the desk, followed by Muon.
{Receptionist} Yes, officer? How can we help you?
* Paul nods to the receptionist. "We've heard that a Mr. Ian Zbysko was brought here after the altercation last night... We wanted to check up on how he was doing, and if he would be willing to answer some questions for us."
* The receptionist mmms, consulting a display. "Zbysko, Zbysko... Hmm. Well, current indications are that he's at least stable enough to have visitors, though I wouldn't recommend anything -intense-... Personal visits are all right, but a Q-and-A session would have to wait until another day."
{Paul} That's all right, actually. We just wanted to make sure he -was- all right, and congratulate him for his assistance in stopping the robbery last night. *sligh grin* Just so he knew all this wasn't all in vain.
* Tina nodnods, grinning a little.
{Receptionist} Oh! Then he's on floor 7, room 715, you can reach it by that elevator right over there. *she points across the entrance foyer towards a bank of elevators.*
* Paul nods, with a tip of his policeman's cap. "Thank you much, Ma'm." *slight smile*
{Tina} Right! Thank you. {grin}
* The receptionist nods. "You're welcome." She smiles, and goes back to her work.
* Tina is busy wending her way to the elevator foyer.
* The elevator awaits the happy quad of people!
* Muon pokes his head out again as they get inside, looking around and snuffling a lot.
* Paul gets into the elevator, and presses the button for the 7th floor. The 2070's version of mellow elevator music plays over the speakers.
* Tina mulishly hums Dream Theater to counteract its evil.
* *ding!* 7th Floor.
* Paul leads the way out for the group, towards 715. The classic scents of a hospital linger, muted, in the air. This is apparently a general-care ward, not the ICU, and he nods to a male nurse who's manning the corner aid station before knocking on the door to room 715.
* Muon represses a sneeze at the unfamilar smells.
* A familiar deep voice can be heard: "It's open."
* Tina blushes. Again.
{Tina} . o O (I hate my capillaries.)
* Paul nods, and opens the door for Tina, not noticing the blush. Really. He puts on his official voice: "Mr. Zbysko, it's Officer Mansfield. We just wanted to check how you were doing, and thank you for your help last night..." He then steps aside so that Tina can enter.
{Paul} *sotto voce* Or more properly, -Tina- can thank you....
* Tina goes redder and tries to kick Paul in the ankle, lightly.
* There is muted sniggering from the pockets of said Lilim. Again.
* Tina steps in. "Er...hey there, you." {grin quietly}
* Ian looks pretty much the same as he did before the dustup. "Ah, thank you officer. I'm doing a lot better; hopefully be out of here in another day or so. Did you catch the bad guys?" *pauses a bit at Paul's sotto* "Ah... right." *looks at Tina and smiles quietly back*
* Paul expertly dodges Tina's kick.
* Tina waggles fingers at him, still grinning a little bit, then looks put out at not landing.
{Paul} *q* I'll be waiting outside... you need me, send a Kyriobit to my phone. *he winks*
* Tau chirps a bit and looks for any observational equipment like cameras and so forth in the room.
* Tina coughs. "Riiiiight."
{Paul} *louder* Actually, we did manage to incarcerate more than a few... after this, we'll be heading down to the precinct to see what we can find out from them. In fact, I'll go and check to see how the regular cops are doing...
{Ian} Glad to hear that.
* Paul nods to the twosome... There's a camera and microphone that Tau can spot to be possessed and controlled and edited...
* Tina nods to Paul. "I'll see you soon, I hope, Officer Mansfield?"
* Tau grins evilly to himself and does.
{Paul} I'll be sure to come back to pick you up, Miss Manoa-Perez. *slight smile* And I'll have some questions for you when I get back, Mr. Zbysko...
{Ian} Not a problem, Officer.
* Paul nods again, and ducks out the door, letting it click shut behind him.
* From Tina's pocket there is a high-pitched cheep. "It's safe!"
* Ian arches an eyebrow as he hears that.
* Tina grins slightly sheepishly, sitting by Ian's bed. "Hey there...." {looks down} "Oh, yes...I've got company with me."
{Ian} Hi again. *small smile* And who's that?
* One black and white hamster face pokes out of a pocket, followed by an apricot face out of the other pocket.
* Tina smiles. "Boss finally got us backup." {carefully sets the Kyriohamsters out on the bedside table}
* Muon chirps and cheerfully dances around on his hind legs for a moment.
* Tau whiffles at Ian. "Fancy meeting you here!"
{Ian} *smiles a bit* "Aha, this is good. Do I get to know any names?... well you sound familiar, at least." *wl*
{Tau} Yeeees, Ian, it's your ol' buddy Tau! And the newbie over here.
* Muon squeaks indignantly at that. "Name's *Muon*."
* Ian arches an eyebrow. "Well. Nice to see you again Tau. And Muon; first time dirtside?"
* Muon nodnodnods, whiffling around. "Yep! And I found out about Frog Legs!"
{Tau} Yep yep. {grin}
{Ian} ...frog legs? *glances at Tina*
{Tina} ....I have no idea. I'm afraid to ask.
* Muon dances around some more. "And there are talking frogs being hunted by evil men!"
{Tina} {m} They were helping me inspect the servers. I tremble to think of what he read on them.
{Ian} Ah-hah. *looks wry, obviously quite able to imagine what a newbie Kyrio might do with that information*
{Tina} Oooh yes. {smiles} So...how have you been since...well, since? {flushes a bit}
{Ian} Eh... same old same old here. Just sitting and waiting to get out so I can be a little more useful to people. *seems to have a slight flush of his own*
* Tau does not look knowingly between the Malakite and Bright Lilim. No, really.
{Tina} Right. {wry smile} What's the prognosis on your getting out?
* Tina keeps blushing.
{Ian} Well, given my amazingly rapid recovery -- thanks in no small part to you *still blushing also* -- I should be out of here tomorrow sometime.
{Tina} Oh, gooood. {grin} I'd do another Song but that might be tempting things too much.
* Ian hehs a bit. "Nah, no need to start the tabloids talking about divine miracles." *wg, wink*
* Tina snrks, blushes a bit more, and giggles slightly. "True."
{Tau} {muttered} Hell-loooooo Nurse...
* Ian arches an eyebrow at Tau.
* Tau looks innocent at the Malakite.
* Tina sighs, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. "Anyway..."
{Tina} ...D'you want what we've found out so far to chew over, Ian?
* Ian eyerolls a bit. "Yeah. Anyway."
* Tau grins.
* Ian nods. "And yes, I do want to know what we've got data-wise."
* Tina nods. "Right. The boys and I have all but three of the servers working again, and those are trashed beyond meaningful repair. Inspection of the data on the surviving machines indicate no tampering was done, other than missing directories due to machines not being networked, so it was apparently an attempted snatch and grab."
* Tina lets out a breath. "The people who set off the alarms....did it far too in sync. And observation of the tapes...and their behavior...indicate Geasing."
{Tina} Which means the Thieves had apparently been in the area setting it up at least long enough to hook several people. Paul suspects that the guy who did the original hack may have been hooked as well.
* Ian hrmms, absorbing all this information. "Riiiight. Definitely need to warm up the coals for our little Hellsworn friends."
{Tina} Oh yeah. That's what Paul and I are intending on doing in a bit...given none of the Infernals involved are in any state to talk. Our concern is that if anybody who was willing to pay them enough to pull this stunt right next door to an Angelic Tether wants to shut them up.... Well...
{Ian} *q* If anyone's planning a move, they'll want to do it very soon and very quick, to keep the noise down.
{Tina} {q} Exactly. Which means we need to pick brains and fast.
{Ian} *q* Right. Sounds like a very good plan. I'd offer to play Bad Cop if I could. *wg*
{Tina} {q} Eh, Paul I think can do that. I'll just play Cute Cop, try to geas one or two into talking... {muttered} And hope I don't go dissonant in the process...
{Tina} {q} And if they're still alive in a day or two...then you can. I'll play nurse once you're released so you're up to snuff again.
{Ian} Sounds-- *flush* ...good. *vq* And I'll help work off rotten notes if you need to.
* Tina flushes more. {vq} "Thanks...I appreciate it." {reaches out to squeeze his hand}
* Ian squeezes back. His corporeal eyes may not have that lightning sparkle that his celestial eyes have, but they certainly reflect his love for her.
* Tina smiles, her own lensed blue eyes reflecting it, regardless of flesh or spirit.
* Tau snuffles quietly, knowing when some things just shouldn't be teased, And whaps Muon with a paw when he looks as though he might.
{Ian} *vq, ignoring the Kyrio byplay* I'll be out of this place very very soon. Just focus on giving the Hellsworn... well, Hell *wg*... and don't worry about me.
{Tina} {vq} Foo. I will because I want to, Virtue no baka. And no worry on *that* score. I have a few beefs to settle.
* Ian hehs. "Right, you go, girl." *wg*
* Tina thumbs-up him, winking.
* Ian gives a wink and thumbs-up back.
{Tina} "Good, Evil, I'm the one with Root."
* Ian snickers.
{Tina} And lo, it is a mighty power, for I can greatly smite the evil and clueless.
{Ian} Which is good when there's lots of smiting that needs doing. *g*
{Tina} Oh yeah. It's just physical smotage that I have problems on. {pause} But I have Corp Shields now, so hey.
{Ian} Right, I've got Ethereal and Celestial Shields, so soon as I get out that'll complete the set. *wg*
{Tina} Wow. We might make one sane brain.
* Tau muffles coughing.
* Tina gives Tau a dirty look.
* Ian does too at about the same time.
{Tina} So. Any possible non-dissonant way we can torment the peanut gallery?
{Ian} -Non-dissonant? Hrm... that really narrows it down... *ponders a great deal*
{Tina} I say put a mug over him.
{Tina} Or play Spice Girls at him.
{Ian} Put a mug over him and put headphones on the mug with Spice Girls at high volume.
{Tina} Ooooooooo....you are ingenious....almost Lilim, I would say.... {evil giggle}
{Tau} . o O (Uht oh.)
{Ian} I try. *smirk*
* Tina nods, winking.
* Tina ponders a moment, blushing a bit.
{Ian} Hm?
* Tina shrugs, ignores the peanut gallery, and --very carefully--leans over and embraces him.
* Ian reaches up to embrace her back, just as carefully. *w* "Love you."
{Tina} {w} You too. {peck on cheek} {pause} When you get out.... {hesitate} ...you want to stay at my place?
{Ian} If... if that's not a problem. *slight flush, but a hopeful look as well*
{Tina} {vq} It's not. At all.
{Ian} *q* Then I'd be honored.
{Tina} {q} I'm glad. Want to get to hang out and all. {small smile}
{Ian} Me too. *ws*
{Tina} {q} Cool.... {squeezes again, reluctantly} And I suppose the boys and I have to get back on the case soon. {looks wry}
* Ian nods in understanding. *q* "Don't let them get away. I'll be back very soon."
{Tina} {q} No doubt on that. Get your butt healed, Ian. I like it. {slight wink, little grin}
* Ian reddens a bit, but nods wryly.
* Tina looks wry too, and very reluctantly lets go.
* Ian gives her a little goodbye wave.
* Tina does as well, quirking a little smile.
{Tina} {q} Better bring the stuff back up, Tau. And have Muon or you get Paul?
* Tau nodnods, flicking his ears, not seeming terribly irreverent at the moment.
{Tau} {q} Get me and Muon first, 'kay?
* Tina nods, stowing the Dominations back in her pockets.
{Tau} {q} Monitoring back up in three....two...one...mark.
* Tau also factors a portion of himself off for the phone.
* The cameras resume their normal operation. No orderlies storm into the room. Paul's phone rings.
{Paul} *ringringring* *pickup* Officer Paul Mansfield, here...
{Tau} {cheerful neuter voice} Gigi's Strip-Phone-A-Gram! Would you like me to describe the articles of clothing I'm taking off?
* Paul coughs, and sputters a bit. "All right, which one of you's on the line..."
{Tau} Meee, the Letter T in Greek. {laugh} I'm sorry, Paul, I'm going a bit hogwild on the resonance given I haven't used it recently...
* Paul rolls his eyes. "Ah, hello, Tau. I take it the three of you are ready to haul rear end out of there?"
{Tau} Looks like. {small verbal grin} I think the lovebirds have had their talk. She's updated him on what we've got too.
{Paul} That's good. *slight chuckle* I'll be up there in a few moments, I contacted Darien over at the station to let them know we'd be coming.
{Tau} Right. We shall be waitin'. And the monitoring's up so yeah, we're all in Role. See you soon.
* Tina seems to still be waiting, glancing at Ian every so often.
* Ian keeps glancing at Tina, her being the most beautiful thing in the room and all that.
* Paul hangs up the phone, and heads back up to the hospital room.
* Tina seems to be a bit flushed by the glances. Go fig.
* Eventually, there is another knock at the door.
* Tina heads over and gets it.
{Tina} Yeeeees?
* Paul stands behind the open door, cap under his arm. "Afternoon again, Miss Manoa-Perez. I called the station, and they're ready for us. Have you and Mr. Zybsko gotten aquainted?"
* Tina nods. "Oh, hello, yes, Officer. And thanks for telling."
* Paul nods. "We need to be going, Mr. Zybsko, but we'll be in touch... and rest assured we're going to get to the bottom of this."
{Ian} Certainly hope so. Any help you need, Officer, let me know.
* Paul puts back on his cap, and holds open the door for Tina. "We certainly well. Rest well, Mr. Zybsko."
{Ian} Thank you. Good luck to you too.
{Tina} We'll need it. Hope you're better soon.
* Tina gives Ian a very fast wink as they head out the door.
{Paul} Thanks.
* Ian winks back.
* Paul goes, and closes the door behind them as they depart.
* Tina blushes a bit, heading out with Paul.
* Paul leads the way out of the hospital, the two of them unchallenged... they reach the police cruiser, and get in.
* Tina slides in on shotgun. "Well, he seems well enough given."
* Paul locks the doors and buckles up. "Well, that's good... I also checked with the aid station... he'll be discharged early tomorrow, and easily mobile under his own power."
{Tina} *Very* good. Hopefully soon enough he can play Bad Cop to Hellsworn. I'm probably stuck playing Cute Cop with them at the moment.
* Paul chuckles a bit, pulling out and hitting the streets. "So, shall we give them a quick sweep now? Or just have the Kyrios leave bits to observe if anything goes awry? Darien mentioned there was some stuff he wanted to discuss with me that he couldn't go over the phone..."
{Tina} Hm. Need to talk to him first. And leaving Kyriobits might be wise.
{Tina} We might want to sweep them, but...mm. I don't know if any of them saw me or not during the boom. They might or might not know my nature.
{Tina} Which could or could not help in my ah, efforts.
* Paul hms, and nods. "Right." He thinks a bit as they drive. "Well, let's see, there were the groups in the van, and the ones upstairs... something tells me not -all- of them were Soldiers. Some of them might have been dupes. We can go through the mugshots and see which ones we saw upstairs."
{Tina} Might be wise. It might help my resonance if some of them don't know I'm Lilim. Or if they're not Soldiers of Hell. I....really don't want to risk dissonance too badly. {wry look}
* Paul hehs a bit. "Well, I wasn't about to go announcing your nature to every one of them there... that sort of thing works better for Seraphim or Malakim." *slight grin*
{Tina} Yeeeeah. Whereas here that would likely blow my cover skyhigh. And I like this vessel and Role. {tiny wry grin}
{Paul} It's a good one. Say what you will about your Boss, but he's got good taste. *slight smile*
* Tina grins, a little sheepishly. "Yeah. He probably decided, objectively of course, this vessel was far more Me than the Body by Vapula I had for my last and only prior one. He was right."
{Paul} Good call.
{Tina} Yup. It was.
{Paul} And... here we are.
{Tina} Gotcha!
* Paul pulls the cruiser in among all the other cruisers, though of course the coloration's different. The building itself is very utilitarian, though with a slight degree of elegance to it.
* Tina waits for a stop before getting out.
* Paul 's cruiser is parked! He gets out and locks the car behind them.
* Tina heads in to the building, though waits for Paul en route.
* Paul catches up, and heads in with Tina, leading the way. They enter, and stop at the receptionist's desk. "Officer Mansfield here to see Detective Alexander?"
* The receptionist looks up from her terminal, and looks at Paul and Tina from behind her spectacles. "Detective Alexander's in interview room three, waiting for you... I'll have to ask you to check your gun..."
* Tina arches her eyebrows, looking every part the innocent grad student.
* Paul nods. "Of course." He walks over to a side door, where two officers are waiting as he shows them his badge and ID, and starts removing his gun's harness. He hands it over to one of the police officers, as the other runs a portable scanner over him, and checks the display. "Everything looks to be clear, you can go through... next, miss?"
{Tina} Right. {prays the hamsters stay veeery quiet}
* Tina waits, as she has no gun, but shows her student ID}
* One guard checks the ID and runs it through a slot, while the other waves the scanning wand. "Hrm..."
## Paul rolled 3d6 = 13 (6 3 4).
* The wand beeps. The guard ehs, and looks over at Tina. "Miss, could you empty your pockets, please?"
{Tina} .... . o O (Dowh.) Er....right...
* Tina empties out her pockets. It's...quite an impressive array of junk, including a few grounding clamps, one very old cookie, three lithium batteries, a wadded kleenex, five old dimes, pliers, lip gloss, and last but not least, two hamsters, who look innocently animal as possible.
* There is a table nearby for Tina to do this thing. Paul waits on the other side of the threshold.
* The officer blinks at the Hamsters, as the other one goes through the Stuff, checking it over.
## Paul rolled 3d6 = 12 (4 5 3).
* Well, actually one of the hamsters, the apricot one, looks like its face is going to explode from the cookie in its cheek pouches, but even so.
* The first guard chuckles, and skritches one of the hamsters, the one not eating the cookie, while waving the wand over them both. "Don't worry, Tai, the hamsters are clean."
* Tai, the second guard, rolls his eyes. "Just as long as she cleans up after them...."
* The black and white hamster looks like it's a very tame hamster, and accepts the scritching.
* Paul relaxes, subtly, on the other side of the entranceway.
{Tina} They're very housebroken! {grins}
* The first guard grins. "So I've noticed. Eh, you're clear, head on through... Officer Mansfield knows the way to the briefing rooms, he's been here before..."
{Tina} Gotcha! {puts all her stuff and rodents back into her pockets} Thank you!
* The first officer nods, and moves out of the way, letting Tina through.
* Tina goes through, grinning at him winningly but not overwhelmingly so.
* Paul chuckles, and the two of them, plus hamsters, head further into the police station. Eventually, they reach one of many interview rooms, this one marked with a '3'. Paul knocks on it.
{Voice} It's open!
* Paul opens the door, and inside, behind a desk, sits a man in his early 30's, black hair efficently trimmed, clad in a dark suitjacket and light slacks, and has an almost shojo-level of handsomness. "Afternoon, Paul," he smiles, and looks over at Tina. "...and this is?"
{Paul} Tina Manoa-Perez... she's a graduate student at the ACT who's been helping us with the investigation. *slight smile* And hey yourself, Darien...
{Tina} Hi!
* Darien chuckles, and gestures at the two chairs opposite himself. "Please, have a seat..."
* Paul nods, and closes the door behind them, before removing his cap and sitting down in one of the wooden chairs.
{Tina} Right!
{Darien} So, Paul tells me you've been looking into what they tried to get away with?
* Paul nods. "Yes, I did... and in turn, I think you were saying there was stuff you couldn't tell me over the phone..."
* Tina nodnods. "Yes. As it is, some of the servers are irreperably damaged."
* Darien mms and nods, and shuffles some of the papers in front of him, from one folder to another. "So, they were after the computer equipment? Just the equipment, or what was on it?"
{Tina} I think on it.
* Darien mmms, again, shuffling more papers, and pulling out some photos, showing them to Paul and Tina. "Any of these folks look familiar?"
* Tina hmms, looking.
* Paul takes some of the photos, and starts going over them, handing the other half of the pile to Tina.
* Tina takes them and begins shuffling through.
* The majority of faces are unfamiliar to Tina and Paul... males of various ages and nationalities, though in reasonably decent health. One or two they -might- recognize, from seeing them before they ran from the upstairs attempt to snatch stuff.
* Paul mms. "Can't say I recog any iof them offhand, Darien... save perhaps these three, in passing when we went in to investigate that night."
* Tina nods, in corrobation.
* Darien lets out a slight breath. "Right." He starts taking the photos back. "Was hoping one of them might have blurted out something as they tried to make a break for it. As it stands, they've been rather tight-lipped, though one's been babbling on about angels or some such nonsense." He rolls his eyes. "Two outher, though've, collaborated that thye'd breezed into the area 'bout two weeks ago to case the place. We've forwarded the mugs and their prints to the FBI to see what they turn up 'bout who they are."
* Tina blinks. "Oh..."
* DArien looks over at Tina. "Hm?"
{Tina} Just responding to your information. {little grin}
* Darien ahs, and chuckles a bit. "Well, whoever these folks are, they've been at it for a while. Chain of command, the whole nine yards. Still havent' dragged out of them who hired them, but it's only a matter of time."
* Paul hms. "Darien, I was wondering... could it be possible for us to get a look at some of them, ask some of our own questions?"
* Darien considers, scratching his chin. "Well, they're still in holding, save for those we've figured were higher-up.. and one of us will need to be with you.. I can ask my bosses, see what we can arrange, though."
* Paul nods. "I understand, Darien. We don't want to cause any trouble here, we know you've got your hands full..."
* Darien chuckles, and smiles. "Thanks, Paul... I'll be back in just a moment, just stay here while I check." He gets up, and heads out the interview-room door, leaving Paul and Tina and their hamsters alone in the room.
* Tina glances over at Paul.
* Paul glances over at Tina, then at the Hamsters, then at the cameras up in the corners.
* Tau hmms and tries for a quick posession of the equipment...
* *bloop* Tau has the cameras.
* Paul looks at the Tauhamster, eyebrow raised.
* Tau waves at Paul with a paw. {q} "Safe for a moment. What's the game plan here?""
* Paul nods. *q* "I figure we try to get what info we can from those Darien's cleared to let us chat with... hopefully we'll get a good sample and info out of them. Figure I might as well play the 'Cranky Cop'...." *chuckles a bit* "You and Muon can handle filtering any dicey stuff for comm if they're recording" He looks a bit put off at having to do that, but one needs do what needs doing. "Anything Tina can ferret out via resonance should be good, too. I -don't- think Geasing any of them will be necessary, unless it gets extreme."
* Tau nods, looking wry. "Hope so...And we'll do that. {looks over at Muon} Okay, kid, you're going to want to look at what I'm doing, then emulate it. Whatever you do, we do *not* let the authorities know about messing with by Powers Beyond the Ken, the Heavenly Host, yadda yadda. Dig?"
* Muon nodnodnods. "Dig!"
{Tina} ....Yeah. I hope no Geasing is involved. Too much risk of dissonance. Some of these guys likely have will higher than usual, Hellsworn and all.
{Tina} And if it's good with you, Paul, I'm playing a Free hired by Lightning. I'd rather not let 'em know I'm Bright if I have an option.
* Paul nods. "Sounds good and plausable. Got a good false name or three for you to have?" *slight smile*
{Tina} ...Nooo feggin' clue. Haven't gotten that far.
* Paul hehs a bit. "Oh, and there'll likely be a guard or two on the other side of the partition, you two. You -might- have to possess 'em, if they're in range." He again doesn't look -too- happy with that, but again it's part of the job.
{Tina} Lana'll work as an alias here. You guys?
* Paul nods.
{Tau} Shiphi.
{Muon} Fozzie!
{Paul} .....
* Tau looks at Muon a moment, and shakes his head sadly.
{Muon} What, what?
{Tau} ....Nothing....whatever floats your boat, Muon....
{Tau} . o O (At least he didn't try Gonzo...)
* There's the sound of approaching footsteps...
* Tau blinks, and rapidly deposesses and edits the cameras.
## Paul rolled 3d6 = 8 (1 5 2).
* Darien enters the room, closing the door behind him. "Well, Paul, I've got good news and bad news."
* Paul turns in his chair. "In order?"
{Darien} Well, I talked with the Cheif, and he said it was okay for the two of you to chat with a couple of the perps. The thing is, that's just it. A couple. Two. The university'll have to press formal charges until they'll let you question more.
* Paul sighs, and nods. "Sounds about right... Campus security put in their paperwork last night, but no -idea- when Admin'll catch up and forward their own."
* Darien chuckles a bit, and shrugs apologetically. "Hey, don't complain. Consider this a sneak preview, or something."
* Paul nods, getting up from his chair. "Do we at least get a choice of perps to pick?"
* Tina smiles, looking wry.
{Darien} For you, Paul? Only the best... *he goes and gets the door for the two*
* Tina smiles at Darien. "Thanks!"
* Darien grins, and leads the way out the door and down the hall. "You're welcome, Miss Manoa-Perez..."
* Muon squeaks from a pocket.
* Tina follows after, looking around.
* The interior of the police station is done over in Late Modern Beurocratic. They continue heading inwards, deeper into the depths of the station. Soon they come to a rather more secure door, which Darien opens, revealing a series of booths with glass partitions down the middle. "Anybody in particular you want to meet, Paul?"
{Paul} You been able to place any of them as the ringleaders?
* Darien shakes his head. "None that we've been able to specifically place."
* Paul mms. "Well, see what you can do for picking somebody out of the crowd, and then perhaps soneone who looks higher up in their little group... maybe we'll luck out."
* Tina nods, looking the quiet somewhat overwhelmed grad student at the moment.
* Darien nods, and hands over his folder with mug shots and known names. "Here, keep this for the moment... I'll pick somebody out of the crowd who might know something."
* Paul accepts. "Thanks, Darien... We'll be inside."
* Darien nods, and heads back the way they came. "I'll buzz you when we're ready to send 'm out."
* Paul nods, and heads further into the room itself, holding the door for Tina.
* Tina goes in as well, with attendant Kyriohamsters.
* The door shuts solidly behind them. I mean, really solidly. Paul goes and sits down in front of one of the Kalsterglass-fronted partitions, where there's another seat next to him, and one on the other side. A grated door can be seen beyond, with a solider one behind it. There's a phone handset on both sides, and various spottable listening/monitoring equipment.
{Tau} . o O (Gah. Be stretching myself really thin with this....) {reaches to posess equipment}
* Muon ponders things, and tries to give the ol' possession thing the ol' college try.
* Tina's bearing subtly shifts, to still kawaii but a more cynical and bargaining stance underlying it...in other words quite a bit like a Free Just Doing Another Job.
* Paul , meanwhile, starts looking like the classic Disgruntled Campus Cop. He does it quite well.
* The hamsters in Tina's pockets are quiet and have no comment to make.
* Tau and Muon both succeed in possessing the various cameras... through his own cameras, Tau's able to pick up a junction box within reach that he can take that'll allow him to free up some Forces...
* Tau sighs in relief and grabs that, leaving some of himself free enough for anything else within reason he needs to take.
* Tina looks over the Hellsworn, blasely.
* Nobody else appears as of yet... Darien's voice crackles over a speaker. "Paul? We're sending out Harry Riggs now."
* Or where the Hellsworn will be, we mean. Really.
* Paul nods, slightly, and shifts his papers that Darien's provided, pulling up the mugshot and file that the police proper managed to obtain. On the other side of the partitioned room, a grated door opens, and a man in prison orange is escorted out, handcuffed, by a policeman. He's escorted to the seat in front of them behind the partition, sat down, and one leg is cuffed to keep in place. The man in orange looks at the two on the other side warily, his chin covered with day-old stubble.
* Tina attempts a resonation.
* Looking somewhat bored, to boot. And wondering if she recogged this guy from the mixup last night.
## Tina rolled 3d6 = 15 (6 6 3).
* Tina fails rather miserably.
* Tina fights down a look of frustration, mightily.
* The man himself is not recognizable to Tina, and looks at the two of them with a mixture of wariness, fatigue, and contempt. "Yeah, whadda want, cop?"
* Paul looks at the man sternly. "You're really in it deep now, Mr. Riggs. You realize what you could've caused with your little 'Prank' last night?"
* Tina continues with the bored/ worldly/ cynical attitude.
* Riggs snorts. "So? It's not like we were gonna -hurt- anybody..." He looks over at Tina, semiobviously ogling her. "Just grab the goods and get out. Nothing haven't done before. I've already said this to the regcops, man, you can ask -them-..."
{Tina} {blandly} Looks like at least someone got hurt, though. And I hear he's not happy.
* Paul 's eyes narrow slightly. "No, I'm not asking them, Harry, I'm asking -you-. You were there with the rest."
{Tina} Plus, you apparently ended up getting a *lot* of stuff fragged. Uni's gonna have your ass on a platter. If you're lucky.
* Tina studies her nails, giving Riggs an inviting look from underneath her lashes.
* Riggs lip curls slightly. "So? Like the 'versity can't afford more, kid? No skin off my nose. And awwwww, too bad for him." He sneers slightly. "Should'n'tve gotten in our way. I don't know -why- Charley was yelling 'bout angels, we could have gotten away..."
* Tina's eyes harden. "Let me put it to you this way, monkeyboy. I have a good understanding that there's a nice chilly catacomb way down somewhere reserved juuuuust for you."
* Tina smirks.
* Paul frowns, getting up slightly out of his chair as an open palm slams down on the desk portion in front of them. "SO? You -didn't-. You're -here-, asshole, and you were running around -armed- on -campus-. Suuuuuuuure, you weren't going to -hurt- anybody. Tell that to the Judges, I'm sure they'll believe you."
* Tina shakes her head, obviously putting aside the momentary look of annoyance.
* Riggs blinks, shifting back in his seat. "Hey, don't -push- me, man! Don't *push* me!" His head turns, glancing over at Tina, with a look of confusion. "And whatthehell you talking about, kiddo? This is the twenty-first century, even solitary's not that bad anymore."
* Tina pauses a moment. "Noooothing. Reaally...Plus, well, you think the officer's bad, wait until you get the real interrogations. And well, you broke the law. I mean...you could make it easier on yourself....'fess up...tell who really did it, you know. Might save you some time. And solitary for 35 years is still no picnic."
{Tina} Plus, do you *want* to end up in a cell with a large hairy guy named Evelyn who really, really, really likes you?
* Paul calms down, with an obvious effort. "Listen to the lady, Riggs. It could be worse... a Hell of a lot worse." He sits back down in the chair, heavily, but still glaring at Riggs through the klasterglass, as if he could burn through the transluscency and throttle him.
* Riggs considers a bit, thoughtfully, calculatingly.
{Tina} . o O (Kiddo. He called me....kiddo. Grrrrrr.)
{Riggs} 35 years with someone like that.... *he shudders slightly, then comes to a decision* ... y' didn't hear it from me, but David 'n Charley were the ones in charge, arranged stuff in the area. I don't know -what- Charley was smoking, got his head in the clouds ranting 'bout how he and us were gonna show up God for leaving us in a world of sin.... *he rolls his eyes* David at least had something of a clue. Got us in the area and greased some palms. One of the others 'rranged the contracts, a real looker. Pity she keeps flipping in and out of the group... she must've ran to avoid the cops, the bitch.
* Paul mms, quietly. "She isn't gonna escape us forever, Harry. Maybe you'll luck out and you'll get put in the same jail."
* Riggs snorts. "I should only -be- so lucky."
{Paul} . o O (Damn, I never was good at this Bad Cop stuff. *pause* At least I'm not a Seraph.)
* Tina leans forward, giving what might have been a good view of her cleavage if she hadn't been wearing sweats. "Anybody else important there?"
* Riggs raises an eyebrow, glancing over Tina appreciatively again, at least noticing her chest curviture. "Other than Dave 'n Charley, and Helen and James? Not really... sometimes they brought in this real -bruiser-, Seth for some of our tough jobs... built like a brick shithouse, and brains to match. Fucking -scary- in a fight, and more outside it. Looked at you as if he was gonna tear your head off if you looked at him funny."
{Tina} Mmmm.....good thing he didn't, did he?
{Paul} *dryly* Sounds like he wasn't very popular.
* Tina looks sympathetic.
* Tina's brain is meanwhile filing away the names for future ref.
* Riggs makes what could be considered a winning smile, if he wasn't a hardened criminal with day-old stubble. "Oh, you kidding? Helen hated having him around, but she had him wrapped 'round her little finger, all the same. I didn't know -anybody- there who wasn't after her." He looks somewhat regretful. "The bitch kept running with James, though. How the hell a guy like -that- could have -her- around is way we she could have one of us beyond me..." He smirks.
* Tina gives Riggs the Big Lilim Eyes treatment. "Some people have no sense of taste?"
* Riggs nods, not catching the inherent hidden sarcasm. "Damn straight. I mean, -look- at me, I'm twice the man that sawed-off runt was. Don't know why the rest looked up to him..."
{Paul} *offhand* Perhaps he actually had a clue?
{Riggs} *snort* Shyeahright. Dave handled the management, James and Helen kept popping in and out.
{Tina} . o O (Charming and Geasing the snot out of people, no doubt.)
{Paul} Sounds like you could've taken over without problems, with two wanderers and a born-again holy-roller calling the shots.
* Riggs blinks. "You kidding? And risk myself getting fed face-first into a wall?"
{Tina} By Seth, y'mean?
{Riggs} I'm in this for the money, I'm not in it for the medical coverage, man. *he blinks at Tina* And yeah! *he nods* Veazey tried calling out Dave when the other three were around, and ... *shudders* ... Seth fucking tore him -apart-, babe. Must've been pumping iron like crazy to throw him into the wall like that.
{Tina} .....I knew he was muscle, but...
* Riggs nods, gravely. "NOBODY messed with them after that. They'd have to be effing -mental- to try."
* Tina nods, looking sympathetic.
{Riggs} Momma didn't raise me to be nobody's fool, babe. *he grins* I may be heading to jail, but I ain't gonna be -dead-. And I'm gonna get out eventually.
* Paul 's lip curls slightly. "Don't count on it, asshole."
* Tina's eyes flicker a bit at that. "I'm sure you will..."
* Tina glances over at Paul a moment with a brief "done with him yet?" eyeflicker.
* Riggs grins a bit more. "Hey, maybe you and I, later... Hey! I don't have to sit here and take that kind of abuse!"
* Paul nods, inperceptibly, to Tina. "And nobody's saying you have to, punk."
{Riggs} Well, fine! Officer? OFFICER! I'm ready to go back to my 'sumptious accomidations' now... *he sneers*
{Tina} You've been *very* helpful, Mr. Riggs... {warm smile}
* Tinafights down a finger twitch of her hands, with effort. . o O (Down. No Song of Claws, baaad Tippy.)
* The Police Officer who was on the other side moves forward, and unfastens Riggs, and re-handcuffs him.
{Riggs} Only for you, babe... *he grins again, at an attempt to be charming.*
* Riggs gives a breif handwave before being escorded out through the sliding grilled door.
* Tina's smile gets a bit forced for a picosecond. "Thank you."
* Tina shivers a bit as Riggs disappears behind the door, dropping the act and looking somewhere between disgusted and ill.
{Tina} {m} Asshole's going to get a rude awakening when he bites it.
* Paul waits until Riggs is out of sight and sound. He then -sighs-, rubbing his eyes, and sagging in his chair. "... getting too old for this." He raises his voice as he presses a button. "You got that, Darien?"
* Tina is meanwhile rubbing her forearms a bit.
* Darien's voice replies. "Yeah, got some stuff we hadn't before, dunno how well we'll be able to use it.... you two want a break before we send out the next?"
* Tina glances over at Paul. "I'm good with whatever Officer Mansfield decides."
* Paul nods, as he glances over at Tina... and a quick glance at the KyrioHampsters with a fingertwitch to indicate that they should get ready to edit the next few minutes. "Yeah, we could use it... give us some time to figure out who we'll ask next."
{Darien's Voice} You got it, Paul. Buzz me when you're ready.
{Paul} No problems.
* One whiskered nose poking out of a pocket nodnods.
* The speaker goes quiet as Darien goes and does some stuff as well. Paul glances about the room.
{Tina} {m} I want a good shower. Or cuddles from Ian. {twitches}
* Paul nods, slightly. *m* "Me, I just want a long soak. Or a Seraph to ram the clue into that bastard. At least you'll be able to get those after this. Good thing we've just -got- one more to go through."
{Tina} {nods} {m} So, we have two choices. Dave and Charley. The latter is apparently loony but we might play off that. The former might be cannier, but he seems to be more the brains of the two.
* Paul nods. *m* "Professionally, I'd think Dave... our opposite numbers don't always go for quality in their Soldiers, and I'd rather talk with somebody at least part of a clue."
{Tina} {m} Sounds good to me.
{Paul} *m* How you hanging in there?
{Tina} {m} I'm simultaneously appalled at how easy it still comes for me and wanting a bath and a hug from Ian after being ogled by that turd and moreover playing off it like a good little Lilim. Okay otherwise.
{Tina} {m} You?
* Tina gets her hand fuzzled by a whiskery snout for a moment.
{Paul} *m* Annoyed at having to bend the truth and act like an ass to try and get information -out- of that ass, accepting it as part of the job, but wishing I didn't have to. Decent otherwise.
{Tina} {m} Darn jobs. Makin' us what we don't wanna do in the name of good, truth, and all that. Wonky. {little smile}
* Paul hehs a little bit. *m* "Yup, wonky." He hehs at the KyrioHamsterNose, and skritches it.
* HamsterNose makes a contented squeek and fuzzles Paul's hand back.
* Paul smiles slightly, skritches some more, and then sits back. *q* "Ready for the next?"
{Tina} {q} When you are, yeah. Boys should start editing? And posessing the guard if need be?
{Paul} *q* Think for this one, yeah.
* Tina nods. The HamsterNose bobs once, then disappears back into the pocket.
* Paul sorts through the mugshots, and finds the one with the right name. He reaches forward, and taps the button. "Darien? Could you send out David?"
{Darien's Voice} He'll be with you in a few minutes, Paul.
{Paul} Thanks. *he releases the button*
{Tina} {m} Bad Cop and Cute Cop, as opposed to Annoyed, Pissed Off Cop? {wry look}
* Paul lets out a slight chuckle. *m* "Hopefully, it'll work out this time."
{Tina} {m} I'm sorry, I got annoyed the last time.... {grred} Kid. He called me....kid.
{Paul} *m* He didn't know better.
{Tina} {m} He was still a twit.
{Tina} {m} Pervert.
{Paul} *m* This is true.
{Tau} {squeeked quietly} laaaater...
* Paul nods, and waits for the guard to come.
* Tau pokes snout back into pocket.
* After a few minutes, the grated door on the other slides open, and the same guard from before comes out, escorting another felon clad in prison-orange.. though this one looks more like he should be attending PTA meetings, not coordinating robberies.
* The guard goes and escorts the prisoner to the seat opposite Tina and Paul, and does the thing of rearranging handcuffs, etc, before moving back, still in sight of the cameras...
* Tina blinks slightly, and waits for eyecontact, slipping back into mode.
* Tau steels himself, and leaps...
* The man looks at Tina and Paul, his eyes somewhat wary... and tired and weary, too.
## Tina rolled 3d6 = 10 (5 4 1).
* Tau successfully takes the Guard's body, sending his mind to the Marches.
* The guard pauses, blinks slightly, and straightens, another mind at the helm now...
* The man sighs slightly, looking up at Tina and Paul, his words guarded. "So, what is it you want me to talk about that I haven't told the cops, hm?" Behind his eyes, Tina can see the Need for a good long drink of water or coffee.
* Tina hms and mentally digests that, for later use.
* Tina ponders the proximity of a water cooler or coffee machine to the interrogation area.
{Paul} Well, for starters, David, why the hell did you and your gang hit the college? You realize what kind of trouble you're in?
## Tina rolled 3d6 = 12 (3 4 5).
* Tina knows that she spotted the section's kitchenette along the way to the interrogation area... and that the cooler was full and that the pot of coffee was just about to complete. She also realizes that she'll have to ask another officer to have the coffee brought around to the other side of the room, but she's sure to be able to convince -somebody- to do it...
* Tina ponders this, deeply, and slips out, looking like she needs to head for the bathroom, wit a glance over to Paul.
* David mmms. "5 years for attempted theft, another five for property damage and five more for carrying weapons without liscenses?"
* Paul nods slightly to Tina, inperceptibly, while also glaring at David. "Oh, a joker, huh?"
* Tina meanwhile heads for the kitchenette, looking for an officer as she does it.
* The kitchenette is easily findable, and there's an officer there pouring Police Coffee into a Police Coffeecup.
* Tina heads in and starts trying to find cups for Police Coffee. "Um...officer?"
* There are plenty of foam cups for Police Coffee. "Yes, miss?" the officer asks, a warm smile on his face.
* David sighs. "Nope, unfortunately."
* Tina smiles back. "Er...Officer Mansfield's interrogating a subject in the other room and we need to get the subject some coffee to the other side. Helps grease the process, you know..."
* The officer nods. "Gotcha. Help yourself, and I'll run a cup around tot he other side myself.
* Tina smiles. "Thank you, I really appreciate it..."
* Tina finishes grabbing some cups for herself and Paul, beaming at the officer.
* The officer pours cups, two for Tina and Paul, and one for the guy on the other side. "No problems, Miss. Happy to help out."
* Or, okay, just one for the subject.
* Whatever, time is immaterial, lunch doubly so!
* The officer goes with the kuppa koffie, and heads off back into the depths of the station.
* Tina heads back, coffee in hands and rodents in pockets.
* Paul and David are still where they were, apparently engaged in something akin to a staring match, Paul looking at David like he would a lawbreaking student.
* Tina hands the cup of java over to Paul, blinking at David a bit.
* Paul accepts the coffee with one hand, still looking at David. "Well, lucky for you. Saying it was all a college Prank isn't going to go over well with the Judges...."
{Paul} At least you've got -that- sort of sense.
* David's eyes flick towards the coffee as Tina hands it over to Paul, but he continues looking at Paul. He snorts, slightly. "Fat lot of good it's done -me-..."
* Tina tries for another resonation.
## Tina rolled 3d6 = 11 (2 3 6).
{Paul} *dryly* Well, one could say that goes without saying, trying to rob UIUC...
* TauGuard observes this all, for the moment pretending he's mortal.
* Tina's eyes meet David's breifly as she sits down with her own coffee cup, and behind his eyes, she can see his increased need for Coffee... a better bunk than the one he's got right now... his police record cleared... to see his family, especially his daughter again... a hopefully new life out of this mess he's in ... and his family protected from the all-too-likely retribution that will follow from the fact his demonic masters are only out of the loop temporarily.
* Tina's eyes widen, very slightly.
* Tina spends a couple of essence, into an Etherial Song of Tongues, directed at Paul...
* David rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. It doesn't speak well of me... some theif I turned out to be."
## Tina rolled 3d6 = 9 (2 1 6).
* With a ripple of Essence and a quiet Song, Tina finds her mind brushing against Paul's... David blinks a bit.
* Paul looks at David. "Got something in your eyes?" he says, a bit condescsndingly.
{David} No, it's... it's nothing. Really.
{Tina} -{Six Forces, thought so... Paul? I read his Needs, think I got the whole schmeer. I...think this guy truly regrets the choices he's made, he loves his family...and he's overwhelmingly terrified of the retribution towards his family they're going to get from his masters. }-
{Paul} Of course. *he rolls his eyes* And facing 15 years in the pen, if not more, is "nothing" too?
* Tina looks confused. And does it well.
{Paul} -{Ohhhh.... cute. Crap. Don't know -what- we can do about that, then, Tina.}-
{David} It'd be better than what I've had to deal with the past few years. At least I'd be in one place, though.... mmf.
{Tina} -{He NEEDS his family protected. And there's a few ways out for Hellsworn that regret what they've done...but the price is high. ...it's possible I could get some strings to protect them though.}-
{Tina} -{Maybe Boss would be willing to put a Cherub on the case. It'd make him more cooperative, certainly.}-
* At this time, the grate opens, and the officer that Tina met outside hands the cup to TauGuard. "Hey, Manny, give this to the guy at the table, would you?"
* TauGuard grins over, slightly, taking it. "No problem at all."
* TauGuard heads over and sets the coffee down in David's reach.
{Paul} -{Well, the FBI haven't gotten back to us on any relations... but your folks are better equipped for tracing that sort of thing, anyway. *mental sigh* Damn, I don't think I can hold up the ticked cop schtick much longer, if this is true... I don't have any love for our opposite numbers, they've made their choice... but if one's trying to do good regardless, even -if- he's gonna get screwed in the end... damn.}-
* David blinks, and raises his eyebrows. He picks up the coffee cup, and slurps, and does appear to relax a bit. "Thanks, officer..."
{Tina} -{...Yeah. Been there, done that, have empathy for the guy. My feeling is that my dear dear Sister probably roped him in with Geasa. Or Japeth Charmed him into it. One of the two, most likely.}-
* Tina sighs in relief as she feels a new hook form...
* Very quietly, mind...
* David doesn't notice, taking what Coffee he can get in an uncertain world.
{Paul} -{.... cute. really really cute. he'd have to have gone willingly, though. damn. I take it you can't send her a bomb for christmas? *slight chuckle*}-
{Tina} -{I'm tempted...Mmf. Should we drop the act of officer and college student? Has its risks. Plus my Song's going to run out in a few.}-
{Paul} -{Point. He might already be cluing in, slightly... but if word got back that he spilled his guts, it's -not- going to go easy on him... but we also do outnumber him.}-
{Tina} -{ He's screwed anyway, or his family is...we're not getting much this way.}-
{Paul} -{Right. Your call.}-
* David looks up at the two again. "So... is that it? Can I go now?"
* Paul shakes his head. "No, David, it's not. Who were you working for... -really-? Who called the shots, and who were you doing the job for?"
{Tina} -{Auuugh. You're no help. {wg} Though I do have a minor hook in him... }--
* David mms, sipping his coffee a bit, warily. "I really couldn't say... it was sort of a team effort, you know? One got the contracts, others scouted..."
{Tina} {q} Could you please tell us a bit more? It's rather important....
* Tina reaches out and metaphysically tugs on the Geashook she has implanted in him, hoping...
* David blinks a bit, and sips his coffee some more, the Geas activating, his mind rationalizing for himself that this is a good idea, and that it's some sort of petty revenge agains this demonic masters. "... it was Helen. She was the one who got this contract, actually. We were swinging through Detroid where she and James got a quick mercjob request from Omni Cyber Products... snatch and grab, usual stuff."
* Tina blinks, filing this information away for later. She keeps up her best Kawaii Innocent Student impression. "On the ACT labs? No idea what on earth they wanted?"
* David shrugs. "Nope, no clue." *snorts* "Like they ever told us -anything-, unless it was super-importaint, or if it'd benefit them. So we breezed into town a couple weeks ago, and they told us to watch and scout here, while they handled some other business elsewhere."
* Paul listens, quietly, letting Tina take the lead for now, sipping his own coffee.
* Tina nods, understandingly. "And you decided on last night to hit the place under cover of a prank?"
* David nods a bit, tentatively. "Yeah... that was James' winning idea." *roll eyes*
{Tina} Lemme guess, you didn't like it much?
{David} Hey, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that pulling the alarms will -bring- cops, not divert cops...
{Tina} . o O (Or Malakim. Or Senseschals, or...)
{Tina} Yeah, but he wouldn't listen, I take?
* David shakes his head. "Nope."
{Tina} Why?
{David} Hey, I was just the "hired help". *self-depreciating snort* Yeah, he said he cared about us, but.... *shrug*
* Tina hehs, nodding, looking wry and making a slight, all too knowing face to herself.
{Tina} But After All He Knew Better?
{David} Oh, Of Course. *he nods, and smiles a bit, and drinks more coffee. He notices that it's near empty* Mmm... I don't suppose I could have some more? They don't let us have it back in the 'blocks. *wry look*
{Tina} Oh, no problem. {small grin}
{TauGuard} Sure thing...lemme hail it up for you.
* Within a short amount of time, more coffee is obtained and handed off to the TauGuard.
* Tina walks over and hands it over to David, carefully. . o O (Ow...hot...I forget it's problem having only two hands at a time...)
* David accepts the coffee from where he sits, sips, and relaxes as the hot brew percolates and runs down his throat.
* TauGuard handed the coffee over, that is.
* Tina feels another hook take hold, but keeps it to herself.
{David} So... anything else you want to know? *he drinks more coffee*
* Paul glances over at Tina.
* Tina glances over at Paul, making a little shake of her head.
{Paul} No, I think that just about covers it, actually. *slight smile* Thank you for your time, David.
* David nods, slightly, and works on finishing the rest of the coffee before the time is up.
{Tina} Thanks. {small smile}
* David finishes the kuppa koffee, and glances back at the Guard, indicating his readiness to head back.
* TauGuard nods, preparing him to go back to his cell.
* Tau decides this is probably an optimal time for him to drop host, and does so, mentally biting a lip of several and hoping it doesn't cause too much a stir.
* The guard blinks a bit as Tau leaves him and his mind returns, and he supresses a yawn. "... eh?"
* David blinks. "Um... I'm ready to head back to my cell now, officer?"
* Tina blinks and smiles a little bit. "We're done talking to him, sir."
* The guard blinks again. "Oh. Right. Sure, no problem..." . o O (Didn't I just bring him -out-? *pause* ... must've dozed off....)
* The guard goes, unfootcuffs David, handcuffs him, and leads him out the back door past the grate.
* Paul lets out a long sigh as the two move out of sight. "WEll. Suppose we'd better get going..."
* Tina nods, reaching in pockets to scritch Kyriohamsters. "Yeah...anything else?"
* Paul gets up out of his chair, and stretches. "Nothing that we can take care of while in here..."
* Tina stretches as well, popping a few bones back into place. "Right. At least we have some names now..."
* Paul nod, and heads for the door. "Yup. That should help." He opens the door, and is greeted by Darien, who's waiting outside.
* Tina nods.
* Darien grins a bit. "Paul! How in god's name did you and Tina do it? We couldn't get barelyt anything aside from first or last name and serial number out of them...."
* Paul grins, slightly. "Darien? Never underestimate the power of good coffee." He grins,a nd pats Darien on the shoulder.
* Tina nods solemnly. "Java will Conquer All."
* Darien nods, chuckling. "Riiiight. So, you two heading out?"
{Paul} Yeah. I've got to get back to the station on Campus, and Miss Manoa-Perez has got to get back home.
* Tina nods. "Yeah. Work to do..."
* Paul considers, and then looks at Darien. "Hey, when the FBI comes back with the breifs on the mugs, you think you could forward them to me? Just out of curiosity's sake?"
{Darien} Hmm... shouldn't be a problem. I'll see what I can do.
* Paul smiles. "Thanks, Darien."
{Darien} Anytime, Paul. *he pauses* You take care now, you hear? You're not getting any younger.. and I know a lot of guys on the force who look up to you, even though you work on Campus most of the time.
* Paul nods, solemnly. "I will, Darien."
{Darien} Goood. *he grins, slightly* Anyway, evening you two.
{Tina} Later! {smile}
{Paul} Same to you, Paul. *he tips his hat, and starts heading back the way they came, to reclaim his gun and head outside the station*
* Tina follows with, relaxing a bit.
* Paul leads the way to his cruiser. "WEll... I'd say that turned otu better than expected..." He pops the locks, and gets in.
* Tina follows in shotgun. "Yeaaah. We have names now." {gnaws her lip} "Though I probably need to figure out a way to track down this guy's family so they don't get reprisals."
* Paul buckles up, and starts heading out. The sun can be seen, setting... it's getting onto early evening. "Yeah... I'm sure there's got to be a few ways to do so, but no telling how long he's been at this."
{Tina} Yup. Trade'll likely have ways, though. And we need to drop by the Engineering Quad so I can get my bike. {pause} What about the boys? {pats her pockets}
* Paul hms, and looks over at her pockets. "Well, I'll have to take Harvey and Dent back to my office.. I, ah.. left their portacage in the ACT." *sheepish look* "If you want to take them back home, while they leave bits resident, I'll drop the hamsters off at my office as well. I.. think I'm going to actually try getting sleep tonight."
{Tina} You do that. {seems serious} Running self into ground bad. And maybe a Kyriobit or two, we probably need to check in with Boss and run a few searches for a couple hours before I check in with Ian. {looks a bit pink}
{Paul} Oooooof course. *he doesn't chuckle. Really.*
* Tina blushes further. "I saiiid check in..."
* There is rodentile sniggering from her pockets. Both of them.
{Tina} You lot are enjoying this waaay too much, you know that?
{Paul} Yes, we are. But it's for a good reason. *chuckle*
{Tauhamster} I'm your sempai. It's allowed!
{Tina} Oh, *yeah*?
{Paul} And I'm your police officer.
{Muonhamster} So what'm I?
{Tauhamster} {deadpan} My pain in the ass.
{Muonhamster} *Hey*!
* Tina giggles, slightly.
{Tina} Good reason, she asked?
* Paul considers, as they approach the quad. "Basically, to remind ourselves -why- we're doing this, I think." *slight smile*
{Tina} Good, Truth, Heaven, all that?
{Paul} And Love. *slight grin*
* Tina coughs. "Love is good. Murdered by pirates would suck, though."
{Paul} That it would.
* Paul pulls to a stop. "And, we're here, Tina." He looks over. "Gimme those two rascals, and I'll get out of your hair...."
* Tina hands over the Rascals. "Gotcha. " {pauses, and hugs Paul} "Take care, and night."
* Paul hugs back, blushing a tad, but returning it. "You too, Tina. You too." He moves the KyrioHamsters to his shoulders once they release the hug.
* Tina smiles and slides out of the car, waving.
* The hamsters wave paws from their perches as well.
* Paul waves to Tina as she gets out, and then shifts the car back into gear and drives off, further into campus.
* Tina watches them go, then walks over to Beckman to get her bike.
* No Calabim or other demons jump out at Tina from the shadows. It's a relatively peaceful collegate saturday evening.
* Tina grabs her bike, and begins the pedal back home, to get some remaining errands done, before the Marches...
* And from here... we fade.