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Who: Sam, Noemi, Rick, and Hellboy
What: Something terrible is happening, and Sam ends up with two (of the three) best paranormal investigators on the case to help her out.
Where: Various
When: Late spring 2022

Sam had decided to take Noemi on a little vacation. So long as she keeps Noemi's anchor item, a lovely little paperweight, bundled safely in her backpack, Sam can take her friend to places, and, at a signal, let the spirit of the young lady take control to see things for herself. They're two days into things.

Noemi is in control of Sam's body, enjoying the sights and sounds around her as she chats quietly with Sam in her head (in English! She wants to practice as much as possible!). She's having so much fun, and will cherish the memory forever for sure!

The good feelings don't last, though. A low rumble trembles in the air. No one else seems to notice or react, but Noemi stops, hands coming up to grip her head. Sam will sense the sharp pain Noemi feels just before the girl let's out a blood curdling shriek. This tattooed woman stopping in the middle of everything, hands to her head, screaming at the top of her lungs, has the crowed moving away from her, staring, startled, and unsure of what to do or what the problem is.

(No, no, no, no.) Noemi's voice is full of panic and pain, and plenty of confusion. She doesn't know what's happening, but it hurts! (S-sam....h-help!) The scream stops as her hold on Sam slips, leaving Sam in control of her body once more.

Sam will see Noemi's spirit for the first time outside of a dream. The ethereal image is faint, and will disappear from view quickly, but in that moment she looks like some stuntman in a movie being yanked backwards by a harness. Sam will be able to follow Noemi's aura as it disappears, not into her anchor item, but away through the crowd.

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There was a lot to digest in that minute's explanation, but a venomous “This motherfucker,” slipped out even as Sam's brain turned to the possibilities adjacent to that conclusion. “This thing... might have bitten off more than it can chew this time. I have a few tricks, too. I think I can hurt it, and there's little I'd like better.”

Frowning---at the situation, much much more than her new ally---Sam turned her attention to Rick, studying the investigator, and his aura, anew. The unique aspects of his aura were still very interesting, but his response to what she'd said was of-interest, too. Not that she had said her whole piece, but the rest of her response might've been more the means to the end of throwing hands, and blasts, and iron, in addition to whatever was within arm's reach. “How many suspected victims? What's the range, like, location range? Any similar qualities?”

Rick, too, took a 'study new ally' moment. It wasn't his usual M.O. to work with another person - mostly for their sake but also one fewer person for him to have to look out for - but he'd partnered before, and it'd been advantageous. Usually. Mostly. (~~It'd gotten him body-swapped at one point, for instance, but even that turned out okay in the end.~~)

Sam was clearly pissed, but she was also clearly level-headed even in the heat of her fury, going by her questions. Tricks or not, she was ready for a fight, knowing the opponent was evil, knowing the opponent was supernatural. She believed in ghosts, had experience with ghosts, was apparently really close friends with a ghost. That alone put her ahead of the game in his eyes.

He nodded and turned for the car, motioning for her to follow. "C'mon. Everything I know so far is on my tablet. I haven't been able to glean much from it all, if only because I don't know the area, but maybe if we put our heads together, we can find a pattern or something." The tablet was actually in the backpack he had slung over one shoulder, but he preferred to get out of the public eye (and ear) to discuss things any further.

What Sam saw made her feel marginally better. There was the... well, moods could be complex, like looking at a weather system; concern remained a feature in Rick's emotional atmosphere, and it was most present when she or he made mention of another's well-being. The man cared, and seemed to be as determined as she was. She thought Darnell would like the guy; she'd decided she did.

“Kay. You want to head back to the Chateau? I've got a paper map of the city we can mark up, and some other stuff, and this could be a long conversation. I got a couple cokes in the fridge, too; we might need 'em.”

Rick nodded. "Sounds like a great idea. You hungry? We can pick up something on the way, too. Or get room service. I can cover it."

“You know... I could eat.” Though she sometimes threw herself into impression management, the smile Sam gave Rick at his question, and offer, was appreciative and sincere. “So I think I'll thank you, and take you up on the offer, cause room service is sounding great; we can get crackin' on the facts and our possible avenues of investigation that much faster.”

The adept hadn't forgotten the ritual debris left in her room's bathroom (the only windowless room she'd had available) but she wasn't bothered; if Rick asked about the phone books and bottle, the explanation of how she'd gotten hold of him was probably solid compensation for the food.

"Great! We've got a plan." Rick didn't know the city at large, but he'd driven from the Chateau to this plaza; he could find his way back easily enough.

They stopped in the lobby for Rick to give the desk his credit info for the room service (it'd actually be for all room charges, including the room itself - he's kinda hoping Sam doesn't notice, he just wants to be nice), then they'd head up to the room to start going over the map and his emails and notes.

It was a good plan, for the circumstances.

Sam didn't go far while Rick spoke with the clerk; she'd spotted a newspaper beside the pamphlet display at the other end of the counter, and leafed through it to see if it held anything of particular interest. (All of the letters she'd written to Noemi had improved her French reading comprehension, and she was pained a little with fresh worry for her friend.) It didn't, but by the time Sam was sure of that, Rick was ready to go. She led the way to her room, which wasn't in terrible shape, though it had clearly been occupied for a few days; brochures from outings had built up on the bedside table, some snacks had been stashed behind the TV, and the duffle bag on the desk had been half-emptied.

“The info card with the room service and stuff should be under the TV still, if you were wanting a look... I'm just gonna find that map. And, maybe, figure out what order I want to ask my questions in.” Papers in hand, Sam looked over to the investigator, another small smile on her face. “Mostly about what you know so far, some about you. I don't like to pry, but I'm a pragmatist. You and I will be able to work together better if we have an idea of what's up with each other.”

Rick headed for the TV to pull that card, though he tossed a grin over his shoulder. "Sounds good. I've got nothing to hide, though people don't usually believe me when I tell them." He shrugged, indicating that it didn't bother him...or at least, outwardly he didn't let it bother him. He brought the card to her. "Anything look particularly tasty?"

Rick's admission---admissions?---prompted a bark of a laugh from Sam, who crossed her arms as she regarded her new ally, worry for Noemi briefly displaced so she could be mildly amused and incredulous. “I'm not entirely sure I believe you. No offence. Would you believe that, despite the words coming out of my face in the past sixty seconds, I'm being this candid as a good-faith gesture? But speaking of good faith gestures, I should say: thank you for supper.” With that segue, she shifted her attention to answering.

“That beet salad is amazing. That's what I'm having---that, and the millefeuille. If you're a burger guy, you gotta try theirs and the onion rings. Like, I know that's a thirty dollar burger, but it's maybe even worth it. If you're much for sweets, the Queen Elizabeth cake is definitely worth it, unless you hate coconut.” Noemi had been eager to try that, after butter tarts and nanaimo bar, and with that knowledge resurfacing, there, there was the worry back full-force. “Do you?”

Then: “And, d'you mind explaining the 'few aces up your sleeve when it comes to the paranomal,' or are you hoping to hit me with 'ladies first?'” Sam's tone wasn't accusatory, but curious... with a touch of 'teasing.' Still, she meant what she said, and felt the question was a good one, for learning a little more what Rick was really like... and getting a decent idea of his abilities, eventually.

The easy grin remained in place, even widening a bit in amusement, at Sam's 'not sure I believe you." He nodded at the food comments and noted the shift in her demeanor around coconuts (or something they reminded her of, maybe). His own food considerations were interrupted when Sam shifted the subject back to abilities.

"I guess this is still 'ladies first'. First to be a bit more comfortable with the other person. You already know I can get glimpses into the past - the past of a place or a person. I also have the ability to defend against attacks from dark entities. I've had ghosts and other evil spirits cast magic at me, fire a gun, throw a battle axe . . . I even parried a car once! And yeah, I was just as surprised as you'd think. And also really grateful. It's a power that was gifted to me by a spirit after I freed her and her fiance from a curse his mother had...kind of unwittingly, I think, brought down on all of them. And anyone unfortunate enough to get drawn in too. Like me and...dozens before me." There's a hint of sadness in his face and his aura at that. So many died...and all Emily and Nicholas wanted was to be united at last.

Her admission hadn't landed poorly, and it was something of a small relief; most people didn't take such skepticism well, but Rick was willing to take it in the spirit it was offered. It was possible he had nothing to hide, but not likely (every person she knew had something, though she wasn't sure what Noemi had to hide) but saying so was a way of saying 'look, I'll be honest enough to work with.'

Still 'ladies first,' but first to be---oh. Maybe someone who knew Rick better could've called his answer, but Sam found it unexpectedly gracious ~~and maybe very slightly suspect, since he'd been so nice; was this new ally too good to be true?~~ and “Absolutely fascinating; I'm sort of sorry, but I woulda liked to see the fuckin' car parry cause what? And that a ghost granted this to you is just wild! I'm actually sorry that we're meeting in a bad situation cause if we didn't have the crunch of a crisis we'd have a lot of really interesting conversation. Maybe later? Here's hoping.” With those last four words, Sam's tone lightened a little; she wanted to ask about the curse, but it wasn't a good time for digressions, or digging into the details behind the sadness she saw.

“For now... fair's fair. You already know I can see auras, which is something I normally keep a lid on---even among my friends. It's a scant handful who know, so help me keep it that way? It can creep people out, since I can see a portion of someone's emotional state if I really look at them, and some indicators of their physical health. This only works for living creatures, or things that are 'alive enough,' like some constructs... or demons. I can't see ghosts unless one's possessing or really closely connected to a live person. It's an always-on thing, but my other abilities are... more active. I can do some magic. Call myself a skin-witch, if pressed for specifics; it all has to do with superficial stuff. Heal or inflict shallow wounds, make myself less noticable, look familiar, that sort of stuff. You ever hear talk of adepts, chargers, checkers?”

'Fuckin' car parry' got both a brief laugh and a faint blush, the latter more obvious in Rick's aura than his cheeks. His skintone wasn't quite as dark as Darnell's Mediterranean olive but hinted at some possible Latinx blood in his family tree.

He nodded and would have commented in several places, but the last paused him with a moment of surprise. "Uh...yes and no? Adepts are...something I have no clue about, chargers are for phones, and checkers is for people who can't play chess?" He grinned and shrugged broadly. He could guess well enough none of that was anything Sam had in mind, but it was the best answer he could offer.

If nothing else, Sam could appreciate how chill Rick was; while he smiled easily, it didn't seem to be calculated, and he didn't hesitate to poke fun at himself. 'If nothing else,' wasn't actually applicable---she could, and did appreciate his openmindedness, willingness to help, and frank conversation. Meeting someone in the mix was always surprising, not only on account of it being unexpected, but because there was a moment of I forgot how nice it could be to talk like this, finding someone on the far side, that felt somehow startling, every time.

“You're not wrong?” To start with anything else would've been... unsporting, and anyway, Sam suspected that was the only response she might've managed with a mostly straight face. “But at the same time, an adept is a person with pretty weird and personal magic, like me. Charger is just slang for adept, and a checker is somebody with a good idea of what's up, but maybe not a whole lot of oomph in-hand. If that makes sense. Adepts aren't like, super common, but maybe one in three thousand, so I'm probably not the first you've met, just the first to level with you. If some minor weird stuff happens while we're working together, don't sweat it, cause that's... just a proximity thing. Though...”

Sam crossed her arms and looked at Rick with fresh focus, more serious than she'd been. “The happenings that just go on their own, those would provide Noemi with a little extra energy. She's able to make small noises, move things, flicker the lights, stuff like that, but it wears her out, so the sorta top-up she could take in, was something she really noticed... and the surge of energy from a happening I deliberately made happen had a similar, but much greater effect. Maybe when we find her, if I can trigger some happenings, it could help her break free of this thing. I just jumped tracks off-topic, but it could be an important factor in what comes next.”

"The energy-boost thing makes complete sense. What do you mean by weird stuff happenings, though?"

Sam blew out a breath and looked to the ceiling, clearly flipping through a mental rolodex of 'this one time,' unnatural events. "A lot of it's just like... fuck, I don't know. A little of it lines up with some haunting effects, like there are times at home where I go 'was that from me or is Noemi doing something?' because lights will go off or come on, timers that were never set go off, the phone rings but either there's no call or you hear your own voice and it's speaking gibberish at the exact same time you're talking because you're hearing what you're saying but backwards. Sometimes shadows or reflections go out of sync, clocks go backwards a lot, once a coffee cup shattered because the coffee in it froze so abruptly. A bird hit a window every three minutes for fifteen minutes, that was a weird one. The single weirdest was every egg in the fridge had its yolk and white replaced with air and fortune cookie fortunes when they were normal eggs we bought earlier in the day. Runner-up was cuttlefish ink coming out of a tap. Buddy tested it. It was pastuerized. A humming sound from the centre of the room for maybe half a minute, the radio comes on and says something nonsensical, we notice our ice cubes are sitting at the bottom of our glasses, all sorts of weird stuff... but except for the broken coffee cup, harmless."

Rick frowned a bit. "Except the coffee cup and that poor bird. Huh... At any rate, let's get food ordered so we can start concentrating on that map." He chose what he wanted, got Sam's choices, and called it in, then settled on the bed to look at the map.

Sam stood beside the spot Rick sat at, arms crossed as she studied the map from his shoulder. “Before I forget... thanks. Not just for supper---though it is nice of you---but for being as ready to help as you are. You might've been on the case anyway, but that it's not like you knew about the overlap when you answered the phone. But, on the topic of what you know... how many suspected victims? How big of an area has this thing been active in? Do the victims have any similarities? Do we have a timeline of suspected attacks? And, how did you end up in from outside the country for this case?”

Rick was indeed provided some information when he arrived. He knows that there are at least twelve to fourteen possible victims. Possible, as it's hard to tell for sure who are victims of this dark entity and who are merely suffering from medical conditions if someone else wasn't there to see the dark spirit when the person collapsed. Of the fourteen, three have passed, and the rest are in comas. A commonality among them all is that all of them could be considered weaker or more frail than others, some with health conditions, some just very young or elderly. It seems this entity is targeting people who might be "weaker" in spirit, someone it can rip the soul out of with not as much resistance as a normal, healthy person might give it. It would explain why Sam's ghost friend was targeted, as Noemi was a spirit not even anchored to a body, just an item.

As for radius, this is something Rick isn't entirely certain on yet, but it seems to be within city limits so far. Timeline is also a little sketchy, as all Rick was told was "probably within the last month or so", which means some others in comas might also be victims and no one knows it.

Rick pulled out his phone, pulling up all the files and emails he'd been sent on the subject. He answered Sam's questions as best he could, having her help him plot the possible attack sites on the map. As for how he was here already, one of the victims has a law enforcement officer in the immediate family, as well as a member living in Nevada who'd seen his advertisements.

“At least a dozen people down? Oh, this is some bullshit,” Sam had said, her tone saying she believed the veracity of Rick's information, but was too displeased with the situation to refrain from some disparaging remark. She kept most of her commentary to herself until they'd finished with the map---and Rick had finished with his explanation---mulling over it, and the details of the demon's victims.

“I'm... not entirely sure what to make of this information,” she eventually admitted to Rick, still looking at the map, arms crossed. “New territory for me. The one demon I've tangled with really didn't move too much, being tied to a property. You got much experience with demons? Regardless, I've got a little info for you, too; I can hurt them with my magic, and the one was not keen to get cracked with a crowbar. Mine's in my car, so that's a thing.”

Sam's 'bullshit' comment just got a grim "Agreed" out of Rick.

The last caught him by surprise. "Crowbar? And...no, afraid not. Plenty of ghosts, a banshee, a malevolent murderer who almost might as well have been a demon in death, an entity that...might?...have been a demon or just some kind of ancient forest elemental or something, and two different entities that...at least claimed to be gods, dunno if they actually were or not." He gave her a bit of an appraising look. "I can't outright hurt anything supernatural, not inherently, but I can defend against them. If I handle defense and you take care of offense...I bet we could make a pretty good team."

Rick's 'bet' got Sam smiling again. “Together again, for the first time? 'You and me, right up there with the world's greatest pairs!' I'm very good at being offensive. You might've noticed I'm fond of four-letter words.” Joking aside, she turned to Rick and offered her hand to shake.

“That's quite a list you've got.” It really was... and despite the ostensible outlandishness of it, Sam didn't disbelieve it. The world was fucking weird, and anyone---including the people who had seen and heard enough to be sure nothing would surprise 'em at all anymore---would scratch the surface, at best. Most people probably just skimmed along that surface, buffered by schemas, expectations, assumptions. She had her own, sure... but she had also had something like a pivotal epiphany (and a little like a breakdown of some sort) on a bad January morning, and had scratched, instead of skimming, ever since. “A couple ghosts, a demon, some asshat my godson'd call a lich, probably, that demon again, thanks to the lich. Coming back to the crowbar... a lot of things don't like iron, right? So when you've got an iron bar with a point on the end and grip tape in the middle, you're readier for those things.”

Rick grinned. "Not offensive enough to run me off yet, though don't take that as a challenge." He nodded at the rest. "That actually makes way more sense than it seems like it should in this day and age. I'll have to remember that."

"If our first five minutes of conversation didn't scare you off, I doubt my judicious use of profanity will. I doubt anything I say or do will, but suspect you might crack a smile or mutter something like Sam what, Sam why? if I tell our soul-snatching enemy, to its face, to go and fuck a flaming durian, but the audacity might give it pause and us an opportunity to act. I don't know. Something similar worked once before. Anything's worth a shot, which is kinda why I had my crowbar silvered on one end.... but I'm not exactly as ready as I want to be to tackle this bastard." Sighing, Sam looked to the map once more. "Information aside. I don't know what your abilities might take out of you when you use 'em, but I have to build up reserves. I'll be able to get myself pretty solidly stocked tomorrow, probably by lunchtime tomorrow, but no promises."

Sam changed tracks so often and quickly that Rick wasn't entirely sure he followed things accurately. None of it really begged a comment, though, so he let it go. At the last, he frowned a bit in confusion. "What they take out of me? I don't know, they just...work. What is it /you/ need to do?" Just for curiosity's sake if nothing else.

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If any of this contradicts anything said before.... I'm sorry.

Nope, not that I can see <3

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SQUIIIIIIIIISH