The Foundation: E-Class [IC]

[cameronpants]

The small bi-plane you find yourselves on is cramp. It isn't comfortable and seems to have been built in the fifties. It shakes with turbulence every few moments and doesn't seem like it is relenting anytime soon. The engines, however, make no noise. In fact, the only sounds you can hear are the rattling windows and bumps from the baggage compartment behind you.

The six of you sit in mostly silence. You've come to understand your situation very clearly- you are no longer inmates. You are not going back to a cell, you no longer have to keep up with the politics of the jail. You are free- with rules. It was made very clear to you that as long as you participate, do your part, and not commit any felonies- that aren't pre-sanctioned, that is- then you should be fine. The instructors back at The Backyard alluded to what would happen if you tried to run, flee, or attack any Foundation personelle. The long and short of it was: your brain would explode.

Your new-found powers also left you reeling. All throughout the hands-on training they gave you, from firearms training to stealth testing, integration and social subterfuge, to advanced physical law and transient dream therapy, they were there. In your head, on your skin. You felt different, new. Like something inside you that had always tried to exist but never could was suddenly bursting to the surface.

You were faster, smarter, healthier. Your bodies rejected foreign materials, from tattoo ink to bacteria. You bled less, required less food, less water... some of you could survive long periods of time without even survive for extended periods of time without breathing.

A few weeks flashed by, and suddenly you were cleared for your first mission. The first two days were hurry up and wait, plane delayed, hotel booked, authorities in the county blind-sided, hit with tons of work so as to look the other way.

Your first mission is what they called a 'johnny'. You were to imitate federal investigators. You were each given a fake badge, phone numbers for your superiors, fake assignments, and suits. Gray pinstripes. Shoes, sunglasses, earpieces linked to a radio communication loop. Pens.

You were being sent to a town called Northview in █████████████. Your target was a factory about ten minutes outside the small town. There were rumors of strange goings-on in and around the site. For now, it was not classified as an SCP in its own right, but you knew better. Something messed up must be happening to send a Mobile Task Force out there- even if it was a super-green, ex-con Mobile Task Force.

The first phase of the mission was to look around town and find out what you could about the factory and any inhabitants that had experience with it. The Foundation gave you precious little information about sightings or events, prefering you go in clean with open minds.

The second phase of the mission was to lock down the perimeter of the factory and search the exterior thoroughly. After Command was satisfied with recordings, information, and ambient levels of energy, they would send in MTF: Gamma-101, "The Watchdogs" and okay phase 3: the search.

Phase three was to search the premises in teams of 3. You do not enter the building until Mobile Task Force Gamma-101, "The Watchdogs", arrive in their Mobile Info Station to provide surveillance and backup.

Phase 0, which is being aware of any other GoI (Groups of Interest) who may come looking, was ongoing. Lethal force was sanctioned, but requires documentation for every action taken.


MAP OF NORTHVIEW
http://s10.postimg.org/42eb7n8ix/Northview.jpg

LEGEND OF NORTHVIEW
1. Private Home: Amos Green, banker
2. Private Home: William Cabot, owner of General Store
3. General Store
4. Post Office
5. Bank (mainly handles loans)
6. Private Home: Ben Ownes, Tractor and Seed Store owner
7. Private Home: Doctor Carter (home and office)
8. Aunt Sophie's Boarding House
9. Small Diner (grill)
10. Barber Shop
11. Hardware Store
12a. Tractor and Seed Store
12b. Tractor Lot
13. Real Estate/Lawyer/lncome Tax Office
14. Private Home: Jacob Green, Mayor of Northview
15. Private Home: Sheriff Baker
16. Furniture Store
17. Police Station (SIGN-IN PRIORITY)
18. Carpenter
19. Blacksmith
20. Store (burnt down)
21. Private Home: Sean O'Leary, blacksmith
22. Private Home: Mary Burns, schoolteacher
23. School House
24. Gas/Service Station
25. Newspaper Office
26a. St. Anne's Church
26b. Cemetary
27. Private Home: Harry Webb
28. Locksmith
29. Library
30. Funeral Home
31. Train Station

There are many other private homes not shown on the map, but those listed in the Legend are the ones the Foundation wanted to specially mark for one reason or another.

[SlyJohnny]

The man who introduced himself as Mark, but is now known by the codename "Pine", is sweating profusely, and studiously avoiding eye contact with the rest of his team. He's clearly extremely nervous; one of his feet is twitching continuously, and he's been toying with one of the pens he was issued, continually tapping the end to retract and extend the nib. He's been doing this continuously since he boarded the plane. Click, click, click. Click click, click. Click click click. The clicking sounds are interrupted only by the occasional interval where he instead twirls the pen around his fingers, before he resumes the repeated clicking.

His face is that of a man who is waiting for death, one that he is immensely fearful of, but resigned to; perhaps he is afraid of flying, the kind of person who doesn't fear a plane crash will happen, but knows it will, and is merely waiting for that moment to occur. He's had that face since before he got on the plane, though. His lips move, as if mumbling to himself, but he doesn't actually say anything. He keeps clicking his pen.

Click, click, click click.

[Obscurejones]

The heavy set young man beside him sighs. Lifting his hand to his mouth he slurps down a large maggot like a piece of pasta. It can be seen wriggling down his throat and he gulps twice before speaking.
"Now far be it from me to criticize but it strikes me, friend, that perhaps that particular action would not be the greatest choice of nervous tic in a plane full of former felons. Now myself I'm a man of peace. I do my best not to harm anyone. But it seems to me that a man less inclined to love his fellow human beings might be tempted to take that pen away from you. And a fellow less inclined to your personal well being might be inclined to take the pen and give you an impromptu tracheotomy. Perhaps you might try a small silent facial twitch."
He fixes Pine with a big smile, full of straight white teeth. A worm wriggles along his upper gum until her slurps it back behind his teeth.

[Chase_D]

Reid, sitting next to the pair, keeps his head down, and tries to focus for a couple of seconds. The last time he worked with a team, they ended up robbing documents for a prototype for some kind of military technology. Of course, in this situation he knew that even with his life on the line he was glad to at least be working with others.

Reid lets out a small sigh, before looking back up at everyone. His steel color eyes examined the small space they were encased in. He briefly rubs his short cut hair and tries to relax. He finds it quite hard, after all, he just can't stop thinking about what has happened to him, and everyone else.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Reid sighs and then look at his teammate "Christmas".


"Worms, that's...interesting..." Reid is slightly curious as to what everyone else's power are. If they could be as...prevalent as Christmas's power, he wonders if something similar would happen to him.

[Waxillium Lande]

Sitting across from the trio is a man clad in a suit that seems to be of slightly higher quality than yours, despite the fact that you know you all have the same brand. Moving a jet-black hat from his face, where it had been being used as an impromptu light-deflector, to his head, he sighs. Obviously he would be getting no more sleep this flight. Twirling a sliver pen between his fingers until it blurs, he says in a perfect Yorkshire accent, "Cut it out, both of you. I am not interested in babysitting children, so please refrain from making annoying noises or playing with your food. Either do something constructive or let me sleep."

[Chase_D]

Reid give a small chuckle, and quietly says "Just like the old days...".

"I'm surprised you can sleep, I got so much on my mind it's almost impossible." Reid says.

He takes a moment to check his shoes, and notices a bit of dirt on the left shoe. He quickly brushes it off, and then rests his head against the seat.

[SlyJohnny]

Mark grins over at Prior Walters, somewhat crazily. It's the "what-the-hell-I'm-dead-anyway" smirk of the damned.

"A man of peace? I guess I'm lucky. I guess you're lucky, too. You ever actually gave a man an 'impromptu tracheotomy', ex-con? I have. With a pen, no less. Guy was a D-class. Like you should've been. He peeled his face off with a roll of duct tape we were testing. Just a smooth layer of skin... no mouth, no nose... he couldn't breath. Pen was all I had handy. He lived. For a while, anyway."

Mark's toothy grin widens, and he opens his arms, gesturing expansively to the others aboard the craft. "But hey! That's not us, right? We're a much more interesting experiment! Our genes have marked us out for greatness!"

Mark scowls, but at least he's become distracted from clicking his pen. "You don't scare me. You or your f**king worms. You'll probably be dead in the next three days. All of us will. You lot just haven't figured it out yet."

[Obscurejones]

Prior stares for a moment at Mark, an internal debate working its way through until finally the solution reaches his mouth.
"...Anyone ever tell you that you have a bleak disposition, Pine?"
With a shrug he settles back in his chair, hands resting on the curve of his stomach.

[SyntaxError]

Loren winces at Pine's last comment, nervously wiping a gray-white film of what looks like dust from his forehead. "So do you know who these guys are then? I'd never heard of this 'Foundation' before they took us to that facility. And all this stuff... This is just ridiculous. This isn't supposed to happen to people. A guy peeled off his face!? Who are these people?"

[cameronpants]

The plane begins its descent, and Jake is accutely aware they are six minutes and seven seconds ahead of schedule.

[Chase_D]

"Cedar, who ever they are, they clearly don't like to be known. I also wouldn't ask too many questions if I were you, since they technically own us now..."

Reid absolutely hated that last sentence...

We knew that there was no way out of it. We were all dead, as soon as we agreed to the program, as we got those shots, hell some of us just couldn't handle it and died without anyone caring.

But at least we were alive, we still remembered our lives before all of this, we had our own traits that made us unique.

"I don't mind the talking, but I would like everyone to remember that you had a choice to be here in the end. Not a great choice, but a choice none the less. If your thinking that your better than someone, or you've got suicide on the mind, or that you just don't like anyone here, get used to it. It doesn't get better, only worse."

Reid hated situations like this, but he had to give his honest opinion.

[SlyJohnny]

Mark seems to visibly deflate as Walters doesn't rise to the bait. "Not much of a choice." he grumbles to Reid. He glances from him to Loren. "I'm just being realistic. Think about what you've seen so far, people. D-Class get the same choice you were all given. And Captain Horatio told you to your faces that those guys disappear after a month, whatever they were told initially. That's if they survive that long. What makes you think we actually got a better deal? I've never even heard of a MTF like ours. That's not a good thing."

He glances out the window, and puts his pen away. "We're here. About to land. I suppose now we get the car into town, then we... go sign in as federal agents. That's the easy part." He swallows nervously, as if expecting the plane is about to land under fire in a hot LZ in Iraq rather than a tame, peaceful civilian airfield. "Good luck everyone."

[cameronpants]

The plane touches down, and as the wheels hit tarmac the entire plane shakes violently, more than would be expected for such a small plane. Though the roaring of wheels on pavement is loud, the plane itself still makes no sound; no engines dying down, no air conditioning equalizing pressure, so creaks or clinks from the structure or wings.

Minutes pass, and the pilot's voice crackles to life in your ear-pieces.
"Alright, off the plane. SUV's waiting a dozen meters east, behind the green portable. It'll take you to the Sheriff's office. Your codenames are your Agent name. Agent Christmas, Agent Pine, et cetera. Get it? Good. Now get off my plane."

You unbuckle and exit the plane, using a steep fold-out staircase. You grab bags from a compartment under the plane and begin to walk across the empty airstrip. Somewhere in the distance you hear a siren, ambulance by the sound of it. It dies down as you round the green portable used as an air control station.

The double-long SUV shines in the noonday sun, flawless black paint job a jarring contrast to the peeling paint on the nearby portable. All the windows are tinted, and it takes a moment to realize the SUV is entirely empty, and that the keys are in the ignition. One of the keychains dangling from the key is a Christmas tree, covered in colorful balls. It seems the vehicle was intended for Agent Christmas to pilot.

On each seat is a sealed manila folder. You are posing as Federal Agents from the STB (Science and Technology branch). Your particular team was assembled to investigate the inventions of civilians and its impact on other citizens, the economy, and the environment. A manufactured, fake liaison was set up with the town's Mayor, and he knows your squad is there to look further than funky new technology or computer programs. Nobody else in the town is to know this. Your interest in the Factory is under the guise that many of the tools and supplies used to build the invention you are currently investigating originated in said building.

You are not authorized to speak of the Foundations, its mission, its personnel, or any of its available resources. Should this decision be changed, the Epsilon-Gamma-10 order shall be given.

[Obscurejones]

Slipping behind the wheel Prior slides his seat back and begins adjusting his mirrors.
Pine, grab shot gun if you please. The rest of you can fill in wherever you like. Any preferences for the radio?

[SlyJohnny]

Pine

If there's any menace in the offer/order for him to take shotgun, Mark is too preoccupied to pick up on it. He slips in to the passenger seat of the vehicle. "See if you can find a local news station." he murmurs, distractedly. He glances over in the direction of the distant sound of the ambulance, trying to catch sight of it.

He seems to have taken the presence of a single, solitary emergency siren as confirmation of his 'we're all going to die' theory, and is glumly stewing in his anxiety.

[Chase_D]

Reid quickly enters the SUV, being sure to sit near a window. He wanted to just see what the town we were about to enter looks like, and to indentify possible Points of Interest.

[SyntaxError]

Cedar

Loren clambers into the back row of the SUV and sits next to a window, buckling his seatbelt with a sigh. He hesitates, as if about to ask a question, but thinks better of it.

[nersxe]

Sammy - Maple - tugged at the sleeves of the suit they'd provided, frowning when they proved reluctant to adjustment. The very first thing I do when I get a chance is buying some proper tailoring things, Sammy thought, fussing.

She - Sammy paused a moment, then nodded, yes, she today - stepped into the SUV, positioning herself without fuss in one of the middle seats. She neither got carsick nor did she particularly care to take in the view; one of her new co-workers would appreciate a window seat more, she was sure.

"Yes, local news could be helpful-" she paused for just a second, remembering the man's codename, "-Agent Pine."

[Waxillium Lande]

Ash saunters into the truck, infusing every inch of his body with a smug swagger. Swinging into a seat next to the back door, he slides the window down about two inches, before pulling out his gun, taking it apart, reassembling it, and carefully sliding a magazine into the hilt and the gun into a shoulder holster.
"Someone google the factories layout- I'll look for it's owners."
His smartphone in his hands, Ash is already typing.

[cameronpants]

Excellent! Alright, Waxillium: That's a Spend right there. One spend can get you both the layout and the Factory's history. What Skill would you like to spend from?

Agent Christmas drives the tricked-out SUV to the sheriff's office. You all get out of the vehicle and put on your best Agent impersonation.

You approach the front desk and a man, young but with a receding hairline, frowns slightly under his handlebar mustache.
"Can I help you, uh, gentlemen?"

[nersxe]

Spend 1 Flattery to make this as smooth as possible.

Sammy steps up, slipping into the FBI persona like a second skin. "We're the Agents from the STB," she drawls, one eyebrow raised. Gentlemen, indeed, She thinks to herself. Without giving him time to recover, she adds, "we're just here to check in, we've all got better things to do than hang around blowing smoke." She allows a flicker of a smile to cross her face. "Especially on a Friday night."

[cameronpants]

"Ri, Right. Okay. Please sign in here. I... I think the Sheriff's expecting you."

He hands you a clipboard. You sign in, listing each of you as Agent [Tree Name], and proceed into the bullpen.

Well, what passed as a bullpen in this place. Three desks, one completely empty, and a basketball hoop on the wall.

You walk past the few desks and into a hallway. Second door down reads SHERIFF BAKER. The door is open a bit, and you file in.

The office is cozy, warm. Sitting at the desk is a rotund, bald man in his mid fifties. He looks up at you, glances at your suits, and motions you to close the door.
"So you're the STB, eh? Well, I'm Sheriff Albert Baker. If there's anything you'd like beyond speaking to the good folk of Northview you let me know. I can get it arranged. Before ya'll get started, mind signing off on these jurisdiction documents?" The older man hands a small stack of papers your way.

[Waxillium Lande]

Spend will be from data retrieval.
"One moment, please. Sorry, I do the paper stuff and the higher-ups will be riding my ass like it's a rodeo if anything goes wrong. Feel free to keep talking, I can read and listen."
Ash takes the documents and begins reading them, carefully noting for any fine print or inconsistencies.

[nersxe]

Sammy - Maple - decides to let someone else handle the talking. She watches the Sheriff closely from behind her dark glasses, noting vocal mannerisms, and word choice. There will be no physically imitating a man so very different from her own body type, but the longer they spend talking, the more confident she'll be if she has to talk with the Sheriff's voice.

[SyntaxError]

Cedar

Not feeling like he can contribute by talking, Loren softly coughs spraying a nearly invisible mist of spores into the air, making sure that they land on the sheriff and his uniform so that he can eavesdrop on him.

[Chase_D]

Oak

Reid decided to leave the group, and went back to the main lobby, figuring that they didn't need everyone crowding the area. He leans against the wall near the doors leading to the exit.

He looked towards the young man managing the desk, "So...have you heard anything interesting recently?"

Reid was hoping he might know something, after all it looks like he would be the first person people would speak to if they had a problem, but he couldn't be entirely certain.

[Obscurejones]

Christmas zooms through the papers signing them with a slapdash that makes it seems as if he's ignoring them. At the same time he does his best to scan them from irregularities.
Spend 1 Bureaucracy

[cameronpants]

SyntaxError
Cedar

Not feeling like he can contribute by talking, Loren softly coughs spraying a nearly invisible mist of spores into the air, making sure that they land on the sheriff and his uniform so that he can eavesdrop on him.

Can you please make a Spore check?

Chase_D
Oak

Reid decided to leave the group, and went back to the main lobby, figuring that they didn't need everyone crowding the area. He leans against the wall near the doors leading to the exit.

He looked towards the young man managing the desk, "So...have you heard anything interesting recently?"

I was hoping he might know something, after all it looks like he would be the first person people would speak to if they had a problem, but I couldn't be entirely certain.

If you want to make a spend, let me know. I will then either give you the point back (if there's nothing there for that kind of spend) or give you the information. Otherwise it's just small talk.

Obscurejones
Christmas zooms through the papers signing them with a slapdash that makes it seems as if he's ignoring them. At the same time he does his best to scan them from irregularities.
Spend 1 Bureaucracy

As far as you can see, the documents are pretty standard. They are basically outlining what exactly you are allowed and not allowed to do in the town, and that you are temporarily overseeing an operation that may or may not involve citizens of the town, and that even though it is a federal matter they are to be treated as such. Blah, Blah, Blah.

You get the point back.

Unless, of course, you want to ask him for additional information or supplies...

[Chase_D]

Oak

I'll spend a point of Cop Talk then, since it seems to fit the situation the best. I'll just hope that I don't regret it later.
"I understand if you haven't heard anything, but anything you can think of would be great for our investigation, and will get us out of you hair quicker."

Reid tries to prod a bit of info out of him, but makes it seem like it won't be a huge deal if he knows nothing.

[SyntaxError]

Testing against spores for planting some on the Sheriff.

[SyntaxError]

I can't dice. (When I previewed it got rid of the roll....)
[roll0]

[cameronpants]

The sheriff looks momentarily uncomfortable.
"If I... I know it wasn't right, but there was never an official investigation, so I wasn't withholding information, okay?"
He shifts uncomfortably.
"You seem like reasonable Agents. I feel like I can trust you and all that, so... A while back there's this little drama concerning Mayor Green and some daughter he never knew he had. Ended with some yelling match in the general store. She stormed off, huffing. He said he never heard from her again. Said she went back to her momma out East. But, see, here's the thing: she never picked up her dry-cleaning. I know it don't seem much of a big deal, and I sure ain't trying to read into it, but... it was her grad dress or somesuch. Momma bought it for her and it got muddy on her way down here. What kind of girl would leave a three hundred dollar dress at the cleaners? Couple days later, poof, it's gone. But owner never gave it to the ticket holder. He's still got the ticket in his till. Someone stole the dress."
He sighs, stands, and crosses the room to a coffee maker. He pours himself a cup, two sugars, no milk.
"Now, I ain't saying Mayor Green is up to any funny business- but there's rumours there's a reason that Factory and its land ain't for sale."

@Waxillium

Data Retrieval on the history/status of the Factory:

The Factory was owned by one Atkins & Sons Manufacturing Company. They went bankrupt a few years ago, and left the Factory to the bank. They sold it to a wealthy development manager for a large distribution company, Atel Incorporated. When the developer went missing and presumed dead on vacation the plot was never fully bought. The bank left it to another developer, a privately owned one, and it was left to sit for a few years. Eventually, it was donated to the City of Northview to be used as the council saw fit.

They never did anything with it. In fact, nobody really talks about it. It avoids the news like it doesn't exist- but every so often you stumble upon a blog post or a 'hauntednews.ca' site and it lists the Factory as 'the most haunted place ever omg' or something like that. There is an entire site dedicated to the Factory, stories about it, but it seems like it hasn't been updated in a long time.


@Syntax

You cover most of the Sheriff's torso with a layer of spores. You focus your mind and stare at him a moment- and suddenly you feel his body quaking with every breath, reverberating with every word, thundering with each step. You can feel the bond between you and the spores like an elastic band, stretching and contorting, but never breaking.

The spores should remain on him for 16 or so hours by your estimate. A good colony got on him, and he doesn't seem to be very mobile.

[Waxillium Lande]

"Hrm. Just a matter of not being able to investigate? I get that. Fortunately, we don't have the same problem. Maple, you want to tackle the mayor? Metaphorically, of course."
Ash finishes signing the documents and lays them in a neat pile on the desk, before helping himself to a cup of coffee.
"Damn. Too weak. You Americans never do coffee right."

[nersxe]

Maple

Sammy blinks, coming out of her analytical trance. "Of course, Ash." She doesn't comment further, giving the Sheriff a bland smile. "Are we done here?"

[cameronpants]

"Yeah, I guess. Do your stuff." The sheriff settles in to his chair and begins doing paperwork. As a group, you leave the room and meet up with Oak in the hallway.

[Chase_D]

Oak

"Hm, finally." Reid mutters, as the group enters the hallway. He was glad at least to see them finish up with the paperwork.

Reid proceeds to explain how the guy at the desk knew nothing of the case despite his efforts. He also explains why he stepped out in the first place, saying that it was too 'cramped' in there for 7 people.

"So, did you guys find anything out that might be worth taking a look at?"

[nersxe]

Maple

"The mayor doesn't want anyone to buy the factory," Sammy shrugs, eyes sharp for any eavesdroppers, "and there's some drama about his by-blow and her stolen grad dress. I'll be looking into that, but I don't think his parental problems are going to be relevant. Just covering all the bases."

[Chase_D]

Oak

"Yeah, I'm not sure if a dress would cause a good investigation reason, but I'm sure it's a good conversation piece."

Reid gives a small sigh, before continuing.

"I might check out the gas station across the street, since I figure it must get a lot of people. I suggest we all take a look at some places that can harbour rumours, since we don't have a lot to go on in the first place."

He stops leaning and makes his way to the door. He turns right before he has his hand on the door and says.

"Oh, and before I forget...be careful. We might be stronger now, but something could still happen to us. Perhaps our communicators could be useful if we need it."

[SyntaxError]

Ceder

"I'll check down by the store then, and see if I can't pick up a newspaper somewhere in this town." Loren announces, and begins to make his way down the street towards the general store on the west side of town, scanning the sidewalks for a newspaper stand.

[Waxillium Lande]

"I'll head over to the factory. I've sent you a link to the building layout already."
Ash turns, striding purposefully out the door and down the hallway. Upon exiting the building, the robber takes a few small steps forward and than turns into a blur, racing through alleyways and around buildings. Arriving at the complex, he adjusts his immaculate three-piece, straightens his hat, and walks up to the gate, flashing his badge too quick for the eye to follow.
"Department of Health and Human Services. I'd just like to do a quick run-through of the building."

[Obscurejones]

Christmas
The big man frowns and gives his chin a thoughtful pull. Pats his belly once, as if to calm it.
"If you don't mind Maple I think I'd like to help shake up the mayor a little. Even if it isn't relevant kin slaying just don't sit right with me. I'll have a sour stomach for weeks if I think he got away with somethin'."

[nersxe]

Maple

Sammy blinks once, twice.

"Kin... slaying? No, as far as I know, no one has died. It's just some drama about him and a daughter he didn't know she had, and a grad dress." She waves a hand. "I wouldn't mind company, though."

[Chase_D]

Oak

Reid steps out after Ash and Cedar head outside to their relative location. Reid makes his way across the street to the Gas Station, and decided to put on his issued sunglasses before entering. He took note of how dark it made things but ignored it for now.

He opened the door and heard a small 'ding' as he entered.

[cameronpants]

@Chase_D

Oak
Reid steps out after Ash and Cedar head outside to their relative location. Reid makes his way across the street to the Gas Station, and decided to put on his issued sunglasses before entering. He took note of how dark it made things but ignored it for now.

He opened the door and heard a small 'ding' as he entered.

Standing behind the counter is a lanky man with a receding hairline. It looks as if he hadn't showered that morning, hair in greasy, parted clumps. His face was long, and he had a square jaw. He looked a little malnourished, and had a beer gut to further hammer that fact home.

He wore a blue, short-sleeved collared shirt with the name LARRY sewed in. He was leaning on the counter, reading a scrappy-looking paperback novel. He glances up, and does a double-take as you walk in. He puts the book down.

"Can I... Help you?" he asks.

@Nersxe, Obscurejones

Maple
"The mayor doesn't want anyone to buy the factory," Sammy shrugs, eyes sharp for any eavesdroppers, "and there's some drama about his by-blow and her stolen grad dress. I'll be looking into that, but I don't think his parental problems are going to be relevant. Just covering all the bases."

Christmas
The big man frowns and gives his chin a thoughtful pull. Pats his belly once, as if to calm it.
"If you don't mind Maple I think I'd like to help shake up the mayor a little. Even if it isn't relevant kin slaying just don't sit right with me. I'll have a sour stomach for weeks if I think he got away with somethin'."


The mayor's home was just a few blocks away, around the corner from the police station.

His house wasn't a mansion by any stretch of the word, but compared to many other buildings you see it looks new and shiny. Floor to ceiling windows, skylights, and a large veranda. His yard was about the size of the entire mall you passed downtown earlier. Two hispanic men wearing faded beige coveralls were busily landscaping the lawn and large rose garden on the West side of the building. A car is parked in front of the double-door garage.

Approaching the building, the eyes of the landscapers follow you, watching the men in suits approach the house. After a moment they go back to their work.

You knock on the door and a large man with black hair answers the door. He looks as if he could have once been very fit and very buff, but a few years of comfort have left him a little pudgy. He has no facial hair and a slightly upturned nose. Mixed with his rosy cheeks and salmon-colored polo you get the clear mental image of a pig.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" he says in a cheery voice.

[[Immediate Emotional Response [THINK DC 3], Surface Thoughts From Seeing You [THINK DC 5] ]]
@ SyntaxError

Ceder
"I'll check down by the store then, and see if I can't pick up a newspaper somewhere in this town." Loren announces, and begins to make his way down the street towards the general store on the west side of town, scanning the sidewalks for a newspaper stand.

Just outisde the police station is a little green vending machine holding newspapers. It seems to have been left unlocked, and you quickly grab a paper.

Upcoming music festival, the birthday of the oldest resident in town, and a wanted add for a Dalmation breeder are about the long and short of it. Checking the date, you find they only print a Northview Gazette once every week.

You continue on towards the store. A boy is sitting outside it, maybe thirteen, reading a comic book.

@Waxillium Lande

"I'll head over to the factory. I've sent you a link to the building layout already."
Ash turns, striding purposefully out the door and down the hallway. Upon exiting the building, the robber takes a few small steps forward and than turns into a blur, racing through alleyways and around buildings. Arriving at the complex, he adjusts his immaculate three-piece, straightens his hat, and walks up to the gate, flashing his badge too quick for the eye to follow.
"Department of Health and Human Services. I'd just like to do a quick run-through of the building."

Note: There are no guards. It's a dilapidated, old, rundown facility. There's a chainlink fence around the perimeter with a padlocked gate. Razorwire on top of the fence makes climbing it tedious, but doable.

[nersxe]

Maple

Sammy makes a snap decision on their way to the house to keep her glasses off. Christmas can play bad cop if he wants; Sammy is far more comfortable playing the sympathetic ear than the untouchable monolith. Before they get into the full line of sight of the landscaping men, she activates the recording function on her cell phone, tucking it into the breast pocket of her suit jacket.

"Hello," she responds in kind, flashing a bright smile. "We're the federal agents from the STB. I'm Agent Maple, and this is Agent Christmas. We have a few questions for you."

While she waits for a response, Sammy matches her brainwaves to his, seeking to understand his knee-jerk reaction to the 'federal agents' standing in front of him. While aware that she could fish for his surface thoughts as well, she doesn't feel comfortable enough with her newfound abilities to push that far with someone who may be important to their investigation.

(She pushed too far with a test subject while learning her powers. The end result was... messy.)

[Chase_D]

Oak


Going to spend one point of Streetwise to try and make him co-operate as smoothly as possible.

Reid quickly looks over the kid, before replying.

"Ah, yes...I'm with the Science and Technology Branch of the FBI. Me and my team are just going around seeing how you folks are doing on this fine day."

Reid holds his badge out for a couple of seconds to show the boy behind the counter that he is quite serious. He takes a few steps around the place, examining a packet of gum, before turning his head back towards the cashier.

"You must get a few folks in here I would imagine, since your the only gas station in town. Hear anything interesting lately?"

[cameronpants]

@Nersxe

You pick up the immediate surface responce- apprehension. He seems suddenly guarded, and you can tell his thoughts are racing. Microexpressions on his face show his true intentions- he's going to lie to you.


@Obscurejones, Nersxe

"Of course!" Mayor Green announces. "Come right in. Tea, Coffee?" He leads you immediately right into a large kitchen, and across the room to a nice, comfortable breakfast nook.


@Chase_D

The young acne-studded man eyeballs you for a second, then shrugs noncommittally. "Yeah, I hear some stuff. I get lots of passerby's, lots of tourists. Our town has some rich history to do with some banker and a waterfall. Best couple stories I hear were from a lady and a guy. Lady comes by on Wednesday-- no, Thursday, two weeks back. She's all puffy and pink- she'd been crying. Said something about heading to New York. I told her she was way off, and it made her more stressed. She looked a bit dumpy. You know, with a couple creepy scabs and ****? She said she had no idea where she was. I told her it was hard to not know, considering we're the only place for miles. Made her more sad. I gave her some gas and a free Klondike. Cheered her up a bit. Went West. Then, last Thursday, some other dumpy guy comes in, only he's not in a car. He's yelling at me in Spanish or Mexican or something, and draws a map of someplace I've never seen. I'm bored so I let him use my computer, and he uses Google to show me a map of some town in Brasil or something. I figured he was an escaped convict or something from the penitentiary a couple miles up-road, so I called up the sheriff and they hauled him off. He might still be at the police station."

[Chase_D]

Oak

"Hmm... interesting." Reid quietly says to himself.

"Thank you for the information, we might follow up on both of those people you told me about. It's nothing serious, we are just checking to make sure they are alright and such." He smiles as he finishes.

"Ah before I leave, I'll buy this pack of gum."

Reid pulls out a five dollar bill, and leaves it on the counter, telling him to keep the change.

He makes his way out the front door, and decides to take a second to decide on where to head next.

[nersxe]

Maple

Sammy feels her gut clench, but keeps a pleasant expression on her face. It would make the entire thing easier if he was going to be open with her, but she can work with this, too.

"No, thank you," she demurs, settling herself into the available seating. "You have a lovely home."

Her smile is bland; pleasant but empty, like artificial sugar. She wants him to feel as bad as possible for lying to such a nice woman, nothing at all like the federal agents he's dealt with before (or the ones on television, if he has not actually dealt with any in person), while at the same time feeling vaguely uncomfortable for reasons he's unlikely to pick up on. She's in her element here; both her natural inclinations and newfound supernatural powers are bent toward social interaction.

Standing by to use a bullcrap detection point if he starts talking about anything directly related to the 'case'.

[Obscurejones]

Christmas settles into the largest chair he can find, settles back and closes his eyes for a moment. Yawns. He braces his arms on the arms of the chair and wriggles a little to get comfortable, letting a worm slither down into the stuffing of the cushions as he does.
"Apologies. A long flight this morning. What teas do you have, Mayor?"

[cameronpants]

@nersxe, obscurejones

The mayor rattles off several flavours and brands. "...Mint Medley, Oraganic English Breakfast, Blackberry Currant, Passionfruit, Orange Pekoe, Earl Gray, Tropical Green Tea, Citrus Chamomile, and... oh, and this spicy thai one. Very refreshing."

He waits for Christmas's answer, then goes about making him some tea. The whole time he smiles and glances nervously at Agent Maple.

Agent Maple notices, and picks up that he is uncomfortable about something to do with her.

"What can I help you with, Agents? Is there an ongoing investigation in my town I should be privy to?"

[nersxe]

Maple

Sammy internalizes her frown. The folder she'd read on the way in specifically said that a liaison had been arranged with the mayor, and that he knew they were there for more than just run-of-the-mill tech-checking. She took a part of her mental processing power and partitioned it off, giving herself room to analyze the situation in-depth while the majority of her mind dealt with the real-time scene in front of her.

"Just your normal look-see," she replies, voice not at all reassuring. She's not normally one to enjoy putting pressure on someone to get them to talk, but there's something wrong about this, and she's going to find out what it is. "I have a few questions about your factory, if you don't mind."

[SyntaxError]

Cedar

Loren nods to the boy as he walks into the store, holding up his badge for the clerk to see. "Agent Cedar, FBI, I'm here to investigate some rather outrageous claims made by someone around here. Probably just someone trying to get attention, but we still have to investigate anyway. Seen anything unusual lately?"



I'll spend a point from negotiation for this too.

Not sure if that calls for a roll:
[roll0]

[Waxillium Lande]

OOC: Sorry, this wasn't coming up on my subscriby-thingie. Just PM me if I go dark again.
Ash sniffs at the padlock, opening it with a few deft movements of a set of lockpicks. Slowly and carefully, he slinks into the factory grounds, clicking pictures with the camera on his phone as he goes.