No Man is An Island (IC)

[ChaosArchon]

The sun rises over a mild-mannered town by the sea and gradually the lights come on in each house one by one. To greet the sun, mist rises from the ocean and quickly obscures the small town, as if to lull it back to sleep. But nothing can turn the town to sleep now, not when there's a caper on the loose!

A small boy in the corner shouts,"Extra, extra, read all about it. Half of town graveyard looted! Craven Criminals Corpse-stealin!". Clearly nobody has the heart to tell the child his profession is incredibly outdated. In fact the papers he's selling are made in crayon, the American spirit at work.

Nevertheless, even had their cherubic herald not shouted the news, the whole town would have known. Not much really happens in Emerson Bay, MA. Well aside from the occasional missing persons case, but they're rarely...the missing people the news cares about reporting.

You are all are having a nice breakfast at the Mornin' Donut; eating, surprising nobody, donuts.

[josienoms]

Roxie sits in her favorite booth, mostly drinking coffee and not eating donuts. She's playing with her phone, sitting across from Abby. She didn't buy the paper the kid is selling, but she ruffled his hair when she walked past. She looks over the table at Abby, who's eating some donuts before having to go to work. She smirks, and playfully nudges Abby's foot with hers.

"So, what's the plan for today, babe?"

She knew about the grave robbings, but what was it to her? the cemetery wasn't in her territory.

[Kell_tamer]

Shana eats her donut knowing its not gonna fill her. Not in the way that matters anyway. The thing was hungry..... She just had to resist its urge long enough to find something to feed it that at least deserved it...

She looked out from under her hoodie at the group. "Wh-who robs graves? like I mean m-modern graves..."

[josienoms]

Roxie heard the familiar stutter, and turned over to the next table and saw Shana.

"Hey, Squirt. You gonna look into that weirdness? I'm thinking it has to be something spooky."

[Obscurejones]

Omar takes a slow sip from a black mug labeled BAD MOTHER****ER in bright red letters. Had anyone taken the time to look in the mug they may be surprised to see a chai latte in place of black coffee. Thinking for a moment Omar gently lifts a spoon and flips it at the pape's head.
"F*** off. Quietly."

[Kell_tamer]

Shana jumps a bit. "Oh, hey R-roxie, i mean... if you wanna w-we can look into it" Shana blushes.

[shorewood]

Hawthorn taking a bite of a piece of toast turns to his companions "I can't think of any good reasons why someone would need that many corpses." he murmurs to himself before taking another bite

[josienoms]

Roxie shrugs.

"Maybe? I mean, I was gonna hang out with Abby today."

She looks across the table at her girlfriend.

"Unless you have other plans?"

[ChaosArchon]

At Omar's heckling, the small paper boy trudges off sullenly on a quest to revive his industry.

Meanwhile Abby laughs,"Oh Sugarcube, this corpses business has weird written all over it. And nobody is weirder than you," she teases lightly.

[josienoms]

Roxie smirks, and nods.

"Yeah, alright. Let's see what we can find out, Squirt."

She looks at Abby, grinning a little sheepishly. She'd come with Abby in her truck, after all.

"Think you can give us a lift?"

[Obscurejones]

Omar does his best to be as un visible as he can. Doesn't get up, tries to stay very subtle and still. Maybe they won't ask for help if he's careful.

[shorewood]

Hawthorne leans over towards to Shana's table "What do you think of all of this?"

[ChaosArchon]

Abby grins at Roxie,"Well shucks, I hope so. Or did you get a new car while I grabbed coffee."

[Kell_tamer]

Shana shrugs. "I don't know..." and she isn't lying. She genuinely doesn't know. She thought about it for a bit though... Letting the hungry beast apply its more acute mind to the matter. Why would someone be after corpses?

Intelligence + investigation or academics (either is the same) I get a rote quality. 3 dice and 3 gonna be re rolled just in case

[roll0]
rote
[roll1]

and any 10s
[roll2]

[josienoms]

Roxie rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, you caught me. I've been holding out on you."

She snickers.

"You got school today, Squirt?"

She spares a glance at Hawthorne.

"And is your uh... friend... tagging along?"

[Obscurejones]

Spotting an opening to egress without calling any attention to himself Omar drains his chai and heads for the door, dropping his mug into his pocket as he walks. Nice thing about cafes. Pay up front. No pesky bill to settle. And no tip either. Pay your employees if you want them to make a living.

[ChaosArchon]

It is Sunday morning as Abby looks out at the sea crashing unto the cliffside as she sips her coffee (decaff, she was already hyper enough without it).

Meanwhile a voice from Yggdrasil echoes in Shana's mind,"Maybe they have some occult purpose for so many corpses."

[Kell_tamer]

Shana sighs. "It's S-sunday. No school."

She looks between her companions. "And I th-think it would be a good Idea if he came..."

She looks at Roxie. "H-h-he has a knowledge about stuff l-like this."

[josienoms]

Roxie frowns a little.

"Oh come on. Don't be such a sourpuss, Abbyjack."

She snickers softly.

"You know I'll come back."

She reaches over and takes Abby's hand, entwining their fingers.

"Anyway, Squirt. Bring your friend along then! Can't hurt to have a little help."

She flashes Shana a grin.

[Kell_tamer]

Shana blushes. It was enough to make her temporarily ignore the thing crawling around in her mind begging for a feast. Maybe she would find one today. "J-just gotta be home tonight... Folks think I am a-at the park practicing for t-tryout tomorrow." She gestures to the bag of hockey gear.

[Obscurejones]

Omar pauses at the door... Don't do it. Play it smart. Walk out, head down, even keel. Don't... Ah, F*** it.
"Contributing to the delinquency of a minor? Isn't there some sort of handbook for lesbians that says you're not supposed to do that anymore? Went out with the comics code. Although I suppose if she's a female hockey player you could make a fair argument she's too far gone."
Shana likely recognizes Omar from the shooting range. Horrible place to do business but fantastic place to meet prospective buyers.
"Actually is that just field hockey? I lost track around Good Morning Vietnam. Women in comfortable shoes and all that."

[josienoms]

"Delinquency, shmelinquency."

Roxie flashes Omar an arrogant grin.

"I'm chaperoning. Just making sure she doesn't go off on her own and get hurt."

[Kell_tamer]

Shana blushes. She hadn't actually gotten hurt since the change. She wasn't sure she even could get hurt anymore, but she hasn't exactly been in hot water yet.

"I'm t-trying for Ice Hockey...."

[ChaosArchon]

Abby break into a grin as Daphne entwines their hands,"I was just drinking my coffee you dork, I'm not mad...and you better come back. Otherwise I'll have to drive 'round and look for ya. And I would just hate to waste so much gas, bad for the planet and all that."

She then looks at Shana and ruffles her hair,"And I'm sure you'll get on the team, sport," and leans in to whisper conspiratorially,"After all, you're like a superhero."

[josienoms]

Roxie winks at Abby.

"Then what are we waitin' for? I bet we can solve this case in ten seconds flat."

She smirks again and gets up from the table, ready to go investigate!

[Obscurejones]

"Right just like all the successful Canadian female superheroes! There's... Well no she died... She got ignored so her brother could have a wedding... She got replaced by her dad and vanished... But hey, maybe you break the trend kiddo!"
Flashing Shana a sarcastic double thumbs up Omar slips out the door, chuckling on the way to his car.

[Kell_tamer]

Shana's smile turns down.... "... least I d-don't look like a greasy used c-car salesman"

She sticks her tongue out at Omar.

[Obscurejones]

Omar chuckles and looks over his car as he walks to the trunk.
"Have to have a damn head wound to buy this pile used."
Popping open the trunk for just a moment he slips his jacket off and into the waiting void.
"Spacious interior though. And the driver is damn pretty."

[shorewood]

"well someone's got to keep you two from getting into too much trouble" Hawthorne smiles at his tiny friend "Count me in"

Hawthorne is going to make an occult roll to see if he can think of anything relevant

/roll 9d10

[shorewood]

roles properly this time
[roll0]

[shorewood]

and the extras....
[roll0]

so that is 3 success.... later rolls won't take up as much room

[Obscurejones]

Hopping behind the wheel Omar peels out of the parking lot in a belch of exhaust and melted tire. The noxious fumes providing hopefully enough cover that none of the supernaturals inside will notice that once he hits the street he makes a hard turn towards the cemetery. With any luck he can check this latest bit of weird for infrastructure and be on his way before the others arrive.

[Kell_tamer]

Shana heads to Abby's truck and climbs in. She attempts to make herself small so everyone can fit comfortably.

[ChaosArchon]

Abby dashes off to her truck, racing Shana to the car while Roxie looks on with an incredulous face.

"Alright folks, let's go."

[ChaosArchon]

Omar drives demurely, never passing red nor collecting go. Anyone watching his car from behind would think a particularly gauche grandmother was the driver. Nevertheless he arrives at the graveyard by the sea without too much of an issue, with the waffle he brought from the Mornin' Donut diner (such a non-indicative name for a place that would sell waffles, but that's product diversification for you).

As he gets out of his car and walks on the Cliffside Cemetery he can see already see what happened here. As the salty spray of the ocean ceaselessly batters the cliffs and the sound of crashing waves fill his ears, his eyes devour the crime scene. Dozens of graves, maybe even twenty, have been dug up without even a token attempt to hide the gravedigger's vile act. Each grave has had its coffin door broken or removed, while some tombstones are missing. There's police tape around each grave but no officer patrolling the scene anymore, after all it's not like graves were going anywhere in a hurry.

Meanwhile Abby and co are in hot pursuit...actually maybe tepid pursuit. Abby has an odd little jingle playing while she drives Shana and Roxie to the cemetery. Half way there though she exclaims,"Oh schise! Err...I forgot to fill her up...sorry y'all gonna have to stop at the gas station..."

And so her car pulls into Gas n Shop, wherein she puts the hose into the gas tank and goes inside to pay. The sun is high in the sky now and Shana can see the really quite odd mascot of the Gas n Shop with the sun shining on it. The mascot is an anthropomorphic pop bottle...because clearly that displays the main product of the establishment. Branding laws clearly are anathema in these parts.

[Obscurejones]

Waffle or cigarette, waffle or cigarette... Eh, not like the empty graves are going to judge. Munching on his waffle Omar strolls between the tombstones. He sends a tiny pulse of aether through the quasidivine circuits of his mind, lighting up his sense to any whiffs of the god machine.
Spending one Aether to activate Aetheric resonance.

[Kell_tamer]

Shana climbs out of the truck. She glances around before heading to one of the gas station vending machines and buying a beverage. It wouldn't fill what needed filling, but it would taste good.

While she drinks her fizzy drink, her gaze follows along the station, just kinda watching people. Day to day lives. No idea the world beyond.

Gas stations were usually creepy for some reason. She liked it.

[shorewood]

Hawthorne having finished his meal, hoped on his bike and headed for the Graveyard. Skidding to a stop he locks up his only mode of transportation on the cemetary gates and peers past the police tape, past the lie and towards the truth.

Going to turn my arcane sight to active