Faction Honor Among the Hibiscus

[Renata Westaway]

Renata stood and shook hands with the newspaper magnate. "I'll keep that in mind," she said dryly. "For next time."

The Moff beckoned him over and they sat at a low table. "The servers have already delivered everything," Renata informed Henry as she reached for the teapot. "So you're not getting the full ritual, but we will at least have some privacy." She swirled the pot and poured some tea into Henry's cup and then her own, then stirred in some sugar. She helped herself to an almond cookie and then settled into her seat, fingers cupping the teacup.

"Have you ever been to Sejong before now?" Renata asked conversationally. "I've only been once for the goodwill tour. It's certainly a beautiful place to spend some time, but I feel very out of place here." She frowned and sighed wistfully. "I feel like I stand out like a sore thumb. But then again I feel that way anywhere with an open sky."

"Isn't there a Camden Media Group Network office on Seouil?"

Hector Finn-Camden​

 

[Hector Finn-Camden]

Henry unbuttoned his jacket and took the designated seat, finding it slightly annoying to essentially squat on the low seat. He adjusted the crotch of his pants, the bizarre angle leaving him feeling a little more constrained than he typically liked. Once he settled in again, he accepted the teacup from Renata. "We have several floors in a block in Sejong, and a distribution center in Noryang," he told her. "I've never come here. My sister, Lydia, attended the openings on my behalf. She's, uh -- well, it's a bit funny, when you think about it."

He looked up to the Moff's inquisitive gaze. "See, she was named Grand Moff Fortan's literary executor and has been working on an authorized biography. You should have seen the cover mockups: very tasteful, black embossed, a black-and-white photo of Natasi, the whole thing." He took a sip of his tea, his eyebrows furrowing as he set it down again. "This tastes like the ground. They didn't have anything in the way of a nice breakfast tea?" He scowled and sniffed in distaste.

"Where was I? Oh -- well, what do you suppose happened next? She only went and resurrected herself, so now Lydia has to rewrite the damned ending." He rolled his eyes and took an almond cookie for himself, then took a bite. "Oh, now these aren't bad."

Renata Westaway​

 

[Nora Lithos]

Elisea Korrado // Nylea Apollodor

“Atrisia, ironically enough. Needed help with some medical research, seems I’ve gained a bit of a reputation in some circles as someone willing to work on that kind of thing.” Nora scratched at the back of her neck before she glanced over at Nylea and then Elisea. The others had a conversation, Nora listened and before she could really say anything it was time for Elisea to go.

A small disappointed sigh escaped her, but ultimately she understood it. Duty called, it had been the same for Nora when she tried to run the Lotus by herself. Hopefully for Elisea things were different. A sympathetic smile spread on the Arkanian’s lips and she wished the other woman a farewell before she turned back towards Nylea.

“Sorry, I sort of zoned out for a moment.” She exhaled with a chuckle. “You know it’s still really strange but in a good way to see you smile and be happy as opposed to sulking in your room all day, right?”

Nora’s smile warmed up even further.

“It suits you. She suits you, you look happy together.”

 

[Renata Westaway]

Renata favored the newsman with a charmed smile across the table. Unlike most, she gathered, Renata wasn't snowed by the fact that Hector Finn-Camden was extremely good looking or rich as Croesus. But she recognized that he was the most powerful media figure in the First Order; the Camden Media Group Network, in conjunction with the First Order Ministry of Culture, had made Natasi Fortan a galactic superstar. Renata herself had enjoyed the attentions of the CMG since her own meteoric ascent to Moffship, and she wanted that to continue.

But that was neither here nor there. He had brought up the subject she had wanted to discuss.

"Speaking of... do we call her Her Majesty, now? I think we're still settling on terminology. The Supreme Leader." She raised her eyebrows and leaned forward. "You knew her before, I understand. Your families were very close, I believe. Hence why your sister was the literary executor. I gather you've visited her at the Avalonia Grand. I'm curious about your... impressions. Whether she is as you remember her, from before."

The unspoken question was straightforward: is she the real deal? Is she who she says she is? But she couldn't say that now, could she?

Hector Finn-Camden​

 

[Fevris Derzelas]

Location: Medical Examiner's Office, Sejong, Seoul.
Tagging: Elisea Korrado ~ Resurgent Narrative

Fevris nodded once and began her work on the tigerkin guard, Tokko. He had been a mighty individual, that much was easy to realize even before Dr. Park confirmed it. Carefully looking into the mouth of the deceased guard, Fevris made sure to inspect the inside of his throat very carefully, looking for signs of inflammation or obstruction. Indeed, a force choke would have been a pretty good guess if there were no exterior signs of asphyxiation. But if this species was as sensitive as claimed, then either Tokko's assailant was incredibly skilled or the answer they were looking for had to be different.

She could see the signs of constriction in the tigerkin's throat, but nothing that would indicate some form of poison had been used instead of actual pressure, be it physical or Force induced. She would have liked to look more into it, but the rigor mortis that had set in made it impossible to open his jaw further and time was of the essence. It was then that something caught her attention as her cerulean eyes glided over the form of the deceased....a cut in one of the pads of his paw. It looked like a recent wound, and as far as they knew, Tokko had supposedly gone down without a struggle.

Fevris took the razor to the tigerkin's forearm, getting rid of the fur on it to inspect the skin. Much to her surprise, there was bruising. She did the same for the other arm, and sectors of his sides that a skilled combatant would have targeted. Indeed, the guard had attempted to defend himself before his death, but if the tigerkin were so hardy - how come it was him who died and not his assailant? Something must have hindered him.

Dr. Park's voice reached her, and Fevris did not dare take her eyes away from the body lest she lost trace of what she was looking for. "There is something strange here...He did fight." Forearm, arm, shoulder, and finally back at his neck. There it was. A single, minute patch of white hair tainted pinkish, as though one - and only one - droplet of blood had touched it. Making sure to save the hair in a sample bag before examining the skin after shaving it, there it was: a small puncture wound, a needle mark.

Her fingers went to the patch of skin, and she could feel the hard rock lump beneath it, even harder than the generalized rigor mortis of the muscles. "I believe he was...paralyzed. And quickly, given the strain on this muscle," She shot the pictures, her eyes finally reaching Elisea and Dr. Park, "Is there any known paralytic that could affect tigerkin so?"

The answer to her question would have to wait, for it was then that more people walked in...dismembered bodies in tow. The arrival was unexpected enough that a grimace reached the otherwise blank expression of the Doctor. What the hell was happening out there?

 

[Hector Finn-Camden]

Henry took another bite of the cookie and looked across the table at Renata, his eyes narrowing slightly. He leaned forward, placing the cookie on the saucer next to his teacup. "Yes, I went to her hotel," he said, his voice soft and distant. His eyes glazed slightly, remembering the visit. Henry knew that it didn't matter whether this was the real Natasi Fortan or some robot, clone, or imposter. Not that it didn't matter to him because, as Moff Westaway pointed out, Henry and Natasi had been close friends during their years on Galidraan. Henry had briefly pressed a suit for her hand, but when it became clear that she was entirely enamored of Darrel Irani, the erstwhile chief executive of Iron Crown Enterprises, he had gracefully bowed out.

Well, gracefully being a relative term. As he recalled it, he did end up unconscious in a bathtub after a rather humiliating encounter with Irani on Helm, but -- that didn't count.

His graceful departure made it possible for the two to remain friends, and for Henry to go on cooperating with the First Order and, frankly, making boatloads of credits out of the bargain.

But it didn't matter from a media standpoint whether this was the real Natasi. The First Order had decided that it was, and thus that's what Camden Media Group was reporting. For all intents and purposes, she was the real deal, and she would remain the real deal unless and until someone more powerful decided that the story would change.

He canted his head to one side and smiled tightly at Renata. "Oh yes," he said, his voice matter of fact. "We spoke of things only she would know. I'm absolutely convinced that she is the genuine article." This, at least, was true. They had spoken at length, and part of the conversation turned on memories from their days in Galidraani society some twenty-five years before. "Why do you ask, Moff Westaway? Do you have doubts?"

Renata Westaway​

 

[Renata Westaway]

"Well," Renata said airily. She lifted her cup of tea to her lips and took a sip. He wasn't wrong about the taste. It tasted like someone had taken a handful of leaves off the ground and chucked it into boiling water. Then again, all tea tasted like that to Renata. She supposed Galidraani noblemen had a more refined palate where tea was concerned. "I never met her, you understand. I saw her, a few times, in person. But I never met her, never got close enough to her to be useful now."

She paused and blew over the surface of her tea, taking another sip. It tasted like dirty water but the warmth soothed her throat that had been run ragged over the last few days with all the talking.

"I was just curious, really," Renata said. She didn't know — and neither did Henry Finn-Camden, for that matter — that they were of one view on Fortan's return. Did it matter whether she was the real thing or some robot being controlled by... well, that was up for debate. The Sith Imperials? Ariel Yvarro? She wouldn't put it past the girl, and Renata felt that her fellow Moff had been acting shady. Running around like she owned the place, making calls that really ought to have been matter for the Council to take en banc.

And now, Ariel Yvarro's cousin was on the throne, set to be crowned in coming weeks, even now possessing all but absolute power.

"You knew her well; I was hoping you might give me some idea of what to expect from her. I remember all the Mother of the Nation stuff, but I never worked closely enough with her to get a real feel for how she operates. Does she prefer forthright communication, or more pleasantries, for instance?"

Hector Finn-Camden​

 

[Isobel Nakano]

With what little evidence remained at the scene processed, Isobel happily took up the Detective's offer for a ride. She settled into the seat beside him and considered the riddle that had been scrawled so inelegantly across the scene. The Detective attempted to engage her in conversation, but Isobel would have been hard-pressed to identify anything he'd asked, or anything she'd said in response. She was aware of conversation taking place, but her mind was wrapped in the riddle.

Two bodies, joined into one. "Do you like Seoularian barbeque?" the Detective asked.

How could she think of food right now, after what she'd just witnessed? Mythological creature? Isobel wondered to herself, her gaze narrowing out the windshield as the speeder cruised along the streets. "I don't think I've ever had it," she said distractedly.

"It's delicious," said the Detective. "I know a place." The more I stand still, the faster I run.

Isobel rubbed her forehead, wrinkling in a thoughtful strain. Not run, literally, surely. What else runs? Engines. Batteries. Vehicles. Watches. "Oh," she said distractedly. "That's good, then."

I flip on my head, some watch me with dread. "I could take you. You know, once this is over. Or — hell, everyone needs to eat," said the Detective, equal parts sheepish and defensive.

"OK," Isobel said, eager to shut the Detective up as she puzzled through the riddle. She was no longer following the thread of the conversation. Her mind was drawing connections to the things she had thought of so far. It was still doing that when they arrived at the Medical Examiner's building. The Detective badged them into the building and led the way to the labs. They arrived some minutes after the dismembered bodies had. So deep in thought was Isobel that she didn't much notice; she would have walked into a wall if not for following the Detective, who seemed to know his way around the place.

For Isobel, the answer — or an answer — was hesitating, hovering just out of her line of sight. Flip on my head... watch me with dread... the faster I run... The Detective tried to introduce her to the others assembled, but when a normal person would have replied with her name, Isobel's eyes flashed open wide and she blurted inelegantly, but with a note of triumph: "It's an hourglass! Two bodies: the two chambers, joined into one, one mechanism. You flip it over and the sand — time! — runs. It's a bloody hourglass! Does that mean anything to you?" she asked, looking up at the Detective, then around to the others before she appeared to realize that she was in a completely different location with completely new people.

She blanched. How embarrassing. "I'm so sorry. Nakano, FOSB." She held up her badge, then lowered it again. "Does, um... does 'hourglass' mean anything to any of you? A landmark in the city, perhaps, or... something?"

Resurgent Narrative | Elisea Korrado | Aurelian Dash | Fevris Derzelas​

 

[Nima Vantoon]

After Nima's discussion with the Chief Inspector, she was on her way to start interviewing the suspects that resided of the Palace- the plan being, double check to see if their alibis matched up, and use the Force to sense any deceptions. Then, her com-link chirped.

"Vantoon, we have a double murder- nasty piece of work", her handler started. "Ritualistic or something, by the looks of it. You got some possible suspects?"

Nima nodded thoughtfully. "I have about four likely suspects, according to the Chief Inspector, who had the means, motive, access, and skill-sets to do this. I will be instructing Palace staff to gather them up, so I may interview them, one by one. I need them isolated from others- a complete communications blackout, until the veracity of their alibis can be determined." She rattled off the names of the suspects. "Also, I need a detachment of OIS personnel on site as well- no offense to the staff and security, but I need men that are vetted. I need them to watch the suspects- call it 'extra security measures'."

"If those murders have anything to do with what's happening here, then I have to trust FOSB personnel that might be on site over there already", she continued grimly. "Frankly, I have my hands full here." Nima paused. "Also, I need to to talk to the Royal Shaman."

"Understood Vantoon. But unfortunately, you'll have to make do- security services are stretched thin covering the festival, we can't divert anybody over to you. Happy hunting."

Great.

Setting her face in a mask, Nima decided to make her way to Royal Shaman first. Maybe getting an idea of how the people of Seoul viewed the Force would help inform why somebody was doing this- and how it connected to the Crown.

 

[Hector Finn-Camden]

Henry gave Moff Westaway an indulgent smile. "Yes, she is something of an enigma, isn't she? All the business about her being 'Mother of the Nation' and having this nurturing personality, contrasted with the rumors that have swirled around her from the beginning: that she's cold to the point of frigidity. Touch her and you'll get frostbite, or worse. The truth is, she's both. I've known her to be a gracious, warm individual. I've seen, but thankfully never been subject to, the cold fusion that is Natasi's fury. It's complicated, I suppose, but I suppose it all depends on how you approach her."

He cleared his throat. "There are more than one of her, you see. The people of the First Order got the best of her. And her children, I suppose. The warmth, the unconditional love. I don't think Vitalis even got that Natasi. Well, perhaps on birthdays," he added wryly. "I suppose the thought is that they are blameless and rely on her. Cabinet colleagues had a dual-edged sword in her. She's very much a believer in the power of a team and believes a rising ride raises all boats, but she also expects a lot and doesn't tolerate fools lightly. She expects honesty, however you package it, but if I had to guess, she can mistake overly floral language as deceptive." He smirked. "That's a long answer to a short question, isn't it?"

Reluctantly, he reached for his teacup, because his throat was a little dry. But he couldn't bring himself to drink it, so instead he tipped the contents out and placed the cup on his knee and reached within his suit coat to draw a flask from within. He unscrewed the lid and poured a clear liquid into the cup. "Can I tempt you?" he asked, shaking the flask at his companion. "Have you spent much time with her since... you know?"

Renata Westaway​

 

[Renata Westaway]

Renata listened intently, her eye narrowing somewhat at his description of Natasi Fortan. The woman seemed enigmatic to be sure, but at least from what Henry Finn-Camden was telling her, it sounded like she was an authentic person. The 'Mother of the Nation' schtick wasn't an affectation, listening to the Henry's description. She retreated within herself for a few moments, considering what she was learning. It wasn't until the tinkling of the metallic lid of the flask against its body took her away from her reverie that she looked up.

"Oh," she said, hesitating slightly before she drained her teacup and held it out to him. "Go on then. What is it? You Galidraani love gin, don't you?"

When he had affirmed and poured a shot into the teacup, she took a sip. The juniper liquor seared her throat, and she cleared her throat a few times. "No," she answered his question. "Her dealings have been mostly with Ariel — that is, Moff Yvarro. They are cousins, after all." She looked across the rim of the glass at her companion, then cleared her throat once more. "We're off the record, right? Good. No, I have spent little time with her, very little. Briefly at the Accession Council, but nothing one-to-one."

She leaned back, swirling the gin in the glass, picking up some residual tea-leaves in the motion. "Should I be worried about her?" she asked softly, her gaze lowering into the murk in her cup. "Ariel, that is."

Hector Finn-Camden​

 

[Elisea Apollodor]

​

​

Dr. Park had called in one of her colleagues when Dr. Derzelas said something that no one had discovered. Tokko had fought his attackers, the Chief Medical Examiner crossed the lab as the dismembered bodies were being laid out carefully via droid assistants. She arrived at the table where Tokko's body laid and there she could see as the other doctor shifted ever so slightly. "Seems the Tigerkin's own body density worked against them, these weren't noticable when the techs canvased the scene." She could hear Elisea taking pictures of Mangjol's body, and so thus waved the woman over. "Here, take pictures of these bruises and dispatch them to Chief Kyoung, he'll have a better idea of what to match them up."​

​

Elisea was just glad to not have to work the dismembered bodies. She walked over toward Tokko and began to take pictures. While she took the pictures she looked down through the focus of the camera. "Hey, this has an imprint." She zoomed in on Tokko's bruise, "but I can't rea Seoulian."​

​

"I can, let me get a look," Dr. Park waited as Elisea shifted the camera's visual display. ​

​

Dr. Park looked through the visuals and zoomed in on an imprint. "This is something that is in the palace, but it's distorted." She furrowed her brow and sighed. "Right, let's get this to imagery and have them clear this up, but I am more than certain this is something that's in the hall. Maybe one of the Water Deer statues, well, paper weights if you ask Kyoung but they have an inscription that I've seen that looks like that."​

​

Her attention was turned toward Dr. Derzelas once more when she mentioned a puncture wound. "You two are great, any chance either of you would like to stay and work?"​

​

"Oh, okay I can go home." Dr. Kent remarked with a smirk, "I kid, kind of." His casual look covered with protective equipment as he suited up for the autopsies. He crossed behind the women working and toward the droids. "Oh, I can see why you called me in, and during the festival too." ​

​

"I know, this is insane - and as far as anything that can paralyze a Tigerkin. Specifically? None that comes to mind, but normally when they become feral or too aggressive they're taken out by their own." Dr. Park focused on the muscle that Dr. Derzelas had highlighted. Meanwhile, Elisea had been called to take pictures of the grisly scene. Not only had these people been dismembered but, as she took the pictures, it looked to be pretty instantaneous. "Wait if they're taken out by their own, what do they do it with?" Elisea asked, "hey, what's that?"​

​

Dr. Kent walked around the table tucking a chart he had been given by the droid under his arm. "That, that is a very precise detonator, and a small one. Either that or my time with the Seoularian Military was a falsehood." With gloved hands and a set of tweezers, Dr. Kent plucked the detonator from the table. "Huh." He looked at it closer and watched as it glinted in the bright light. "There's a serial number here, I'm going to - no, you're going to write this down so go put gloves on, and run this through the database at that console."​

​

"Right..." Elisea walked toward the equipment area and set the camera own on a counter, before getting a hold of the gloves along with placing her hair up under a net. ​

​

To answer Elisea's question, Dr. Park replied, "from what I understand Tigerkin uses both the Force and a sedative, but let's get a sample from here." Park directed Dr. Derzelas on where to withdraw a sample of the blood from, "and let's run this through the toxicology sequencer. I've got a hunch that someone went through a lot of trouble..."​

​

"To make somethign to take out a massive beast, and what if it didn't work?"​

​

"Right, for example, even a powerful tranquilizer takes more than three seconds to set."​

​

"Dr. Derzelas can you peel back the muscles beneath the bruises I'd like to get a deeper look into Tokko's story here," Dr. Park directed as she came around with a scalpel. ​

​

Fevris Derzelas | Aurelian Dash | Isobel Nakano ​

 

[Isobel Nakano]

Isobel's dark eyes stared for a few moments, then blinked a few times. She adjusted the strap on her bag and then turned, leaving medical examiner's area. The Detective half-turned, following her the way they had come in. "I need a records office or a library or someplace with a bloody holonet connection," she snapped at the Detective. "And I need you to get me back to the street."

He held an elevator door for her and then pushed the key. "Will a public library do?"

"If it has a holonet connection," Isobel replied waspishly. She dug into her bag for her commlink and hailed a scooter. "Then it will do for now."

They reached the ground floor and the Detective once again retraced his steps through the labrynth of offices and corridors. "There's a branch of the Sejong Library just a few blocks away. I'll get the car."

"No," Isobel said, looking down the street then up the other way until she spotted her scooter. "Stay here and inform me when medical has more information on the bodies. If you see my partner, you'll let him know where I've gone. I'll have my comlink, too." She held it up as if to illustrate the fact to a very stupid person.

"Uh... right. Of course." He paused, looking at Isobel expectantly. She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. He cleared his throat. "About the Seoularian Barbeque...?"

"For heaven's sake," Isobel hissed, turning on her heel irritably and heading for the scooter. She had places to be and riddles to solve, after all. She left a confused Detective in her wake, wondering what he'd said to offend the agent.

 

[Hector Finn-Camden]

Henry tossed the gin back like a shot, then set the cup back down on the saucer and set the pair back on the table. "Yes," he said, looking across at Renata with clear intense eyes. "But also no."

She put his hands in his pockets and drew a cigarette case. "Do you think they'd mind?" he asked, holding them up to show Renata. At her disapproving look, he frowned and tucked them away again. "Probably right," he said irritably. "Now. Ariel. Ariel Yvarro." He folded his arms over his broad chest and cocked his head to one side. "The first thing you must know is that while I know Natasi well and I knew her other cousin Pierce, fairly well, I don't know the Yvarro girls well at all. The only thing I can tell you is from observation and hearsay, but stang it, we've shared a drink and I have something for blondes, so where's the fun in discretion?"

He leaned forward, elbows on knees. "From what I can tell, Yvarro is dangerous in the way that a child with a blaster is dangerous. I mean that in two ways, the first being that there was a time where she was literally a child with a blaster and woe betide you if you were one of those Dosuun Hegemony fools trying to undercut her efforts. But also in the sense that she is intelligent and insightful but also impulsive. Smart enough to be dangerous, to be sure; insightful enough to know just what emotional pressure points to push among the people." He looked up, framing the Moff with his boyish grin.

"I feel I should warn you that I've heard the same about you. How many scales did you kill during the war? And I've heard that your trip to Tholon wasn't all you said it was -- some kind of cultural exchange with the Resistance there. Perhaps you and Yvarro are birds of a feather. Maybe a little bit of good old-fashioned Galidraani discipline is what's required. Mother of the Nation she may be, but I can also see her as Nanny to the Moff Council if that's what it took." He laughed then, sitting back to fill his lungs, but after a moment he returned to his composed self, albeit with a twinkle in his eyes. "Why do you ask, anyway? The time to move against Yvarro would have been before her deified cousin was offered the throne, no?"

Renata Westaway​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

​

An hourglass, how very clever indeed - the agent Isobel Nakano had figured out the riddle but now she must figure out how to apply the knowledge. For time was of the essence, and as the Queen departed the palace she would soon arrive at the Royal Mausoleum and take part in the day's festivities. Time continued to tick down and the Seogka were getting into position, information was handled from one to another and quietly they continued to lurk among the crowds. Lanterns swayed this way and that and there as the wind began to blow did a member of this foul group did bumble. ​

​

They bumbled and stumbled right into a drunk, Kurayami Bloodborn , and then into another of rather beautiful color, Phoenix Edorath but they couldn't be bothered to apologize. They had a schedule to maintain, and a queen to obtain. Perhaps, if either one was perspective they would have noticed the way the shoes sounded. Or perhaps the way his hands were stuffed into his pocket, or how perhaps he smelled of metal - the kind you smell from a coin or blood. ​

​

So off this person went down the streets and away into an alley. For while there was a celebration to be had, celebrating the life of the ancestors. Asking for their blessings, this group pulled at the dark side - tendrils flowed and if one was attuned with the Force. They could feel it, they could feel that was something was running afoul and afoot. ​

​

Somewhere else at another shrine, there written upon the walls, with bright red blood - the blood of an animal painted along the side. There it was written in a hurried Seoulian:​

​

​

I'm always smiling, but I never laugh.

I once loved life, from cat to calf.

I'm always staring, but I cannot see.

I once held secrets, those give to me.

What am I?​

A hushed call to Isobel Nakano to call her and Aurelian Dash as the police placed tape around the scene.​

​

​

​

​

​

The Shaman was at her cottage in the countryside. She had just finished washing rice and set it into the rice cooker, and she hummed a small tune. The tune was something happy and upbeat, the Shaman headed to the gardens and picked up a small basket. The basket had been woven from the reeds down in the nearby pond. The Shaman knew of the ongoings in the Palace, and she knew just who it was to blame, but she had been sent away. For her safety, the Queen had said, and so the Shaman hummed away. She plucked the vegetables from her garden and inspected them carefully. "I might have company today, I'll pluck some more," she said to herself as she continued to hum.​

​

Meanwhile back at the Palace. Chief Kyoung recieved the data from the Chief Medical Examiner's office and looked around for the object in question. The statue of the deer, he spotted it over on the end table against the wall. Carefully he approached it and with his hands held it. "There you are," he commented as he noticed a smudge on the statue. The inscription had left an imprint on Tokko's body and so Kyoung set the statue back down. He returned with his kit and carefully lifted prints and DNA from the statue. ​

​

If Tokko had been injected with something, then where was the syringe the Inspector wondered. ​

​

He made a call to the Agent that had left. "Agent Vantoon, when you get to the Shaman's place ask her about anything that can paralyze a Tigerkin, Inspector Kyoung out."​

​

Nima Vantoon ​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

​

Anyone watching the little exchange between Nylea and Elisea before the latter had to leave would see the echani light up when the kiss was planted on her cheek. An unmistakably genuine and insuppressable smile formed on her face. Of course she was sad that her girlfriend had to head off so soon, but that small display of affection was enough to trigger such a reaction. Never before had anyone been able to change her mood this strongly and suddenly as Elisea could.

"Hopefully we will see you tonight, at least," Nylea said before returning the second kiss. The last thing she wanted to happen was for Elisea to miss the thing she was looking forward to the most. With a "stay safe!" she watched the Avalonian take her leave, reducing the trio to a duo. Like the old days, it was Nylea teaming up with Nora again. Perhaps it had been too long since last time.

And just like the days of old, Nora managed to make her friend feel a little embarrassed again.

"Heh, well..." she responded a little shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I think I finally learned how to deal with everything going on in my mind. The bad days do not come nearly as often anymore and when they do come, they are not as bad as it used to be." Recovery came with its ups and downs, but the overall trend showed the echani was in a much better place now. The blossoming relationship with Elisea was both a result of that as well as a factor that sped up the process even further.

Something that, when Nora pointed it out, made her cheeks go flush.

"I am so, so lucky to have her by my side. Elisea is kind, loving, patient, caring... I could go on forever." Elisea was always there for her, on the good days and the bad. "There really is nobody like her." Nylea had found inner happiness, and Elisea amplified it.

"I do not think I told you this before, but, well..." The echani's voice trailed off, as though she was confessing to something she had done. "I almost backed out of that first date. I was absolutely terrified, but I knew how disappointed you would have been." The message had been typed up, and Nylea had her finger hovering over the send button that day. Thankfully, she ended up deciding against doing it.

"So, really. Thank you."

Nora Lithos ​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

While he had certainly taken more than a few sips from his ever present flask tonight, for the most part Kurayami had gotten nice and tipsy off of the local offerings. It seemed fitting and the drinks he could remember having had were quite tasty even if he forgot what exactly went into them. He had no idea where exactly he was going, he was just letting himself wander without a set destination. It was a nice break from usually having at least an endpoint in mind and the festival itself had been fascinating seeing the many ways that people paid respects to their ancestors. Yet still in the background ran the currents of something off in the Force. With the ever shifting flow and the emotions changing moment to moment as well it would have been quite difficult to pin down an epicenter. Stopping a short time to recenter himself mentally he felt the approach of the man before he bumped into him. His eyes snapped open and he looked around to see who it had been.

It was by no means quiet but there had been an odd noise that had accompanied the man almost the sound of wet leather. Was that it? There was also the scent of copper, a strong scent of copper around the same man. Kurayami thought it might be a good idea to engage the man in conversation, see if he needed help or anything, but something kept him from approaching, something about all of this just felt wrong somehow. It didn't seem to add up and was made all the stranger by the way the man had carried himself. Then again Kurayami was drunk all of these observations were just as likely nothing as they were to be connected. As of now there was no reason to suspect the man had any ill intent even if a few things seemed strange to a drunk Corellian.

Phoenix Edorath​

 

[Isobel Nakano]

Isobel was about to walk into the library when her comlink chirped and, dutifully, she answered. "Nakano," she said briskly.

"It's me," a voice on the other end of the line said.

She squinted, moving to let someone pass her. She held the door open and nodded in reply to their whispered thanks. "Who's 'me'?" she asked. "My caller ID only showed 'Sejong.'

"Detective Hung Ji-hoon." Was it her imagination or did he seem to pout?

"Oh," said Isobel, internally rolling her eyes. "Of course, Detective. What is it?" She again opened the library door for an elderly couple that came toddling up the concrete steps. She smiled in response to their thanks.

"Break in the case," he replied.

"The bodies?" she asked. Another set of library visitors gave her a weird look, and Isobel supposed that was fair enough. It wasn't every day people talked about bodies in broad daylight. "What's happened?"

"No," he said. "Sorry, not the bodies. Haven't heard anything yet, the ME are still working on it." He paused. "No, the break is that we had reports of another riddle at another shrine." He gave her the name and address of the shrine, but nothing seemed to jump out at her as relating to the first riddle.

She remained silent as she thought it through, then sighed. "Is there an hourglass there? An hourglass nearby? Does the name of the kriffing shrine roughly translate to hourglass? No? Then what's the bloody connection?" She allowed one more trio enter the library, then let the door shut, using that hand to rub her forehead anxiously. "All right. I'm on my way. I assume you've got forensics rolling. Give me the riddle."

"I'm always smiling, but I never laugh. I once loved life, from cat to calf. I'm always staring, but I cannot see. I once held secrets, those give to me. What am I?" the Detective recited.

​

She turned the riddle over in her head as she hustled back to the scooter. "Skull," she told the Detective. "Do a search for 'hourglass' concurring with 'skull'. I'll call you back when I get to the shrine." Isobel disconnected, kick-started the scooter, and was off, zooming her way towards the next nightmare.

Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Fevris Derzelas]

Location: Medical Examiner's Office, Sejong, Seoul.
Tagging: Elisea Korrado ~ Resurgent Narrative

A very small smile curved the corners of the woman's lips at Dr. Park's praise and Dr. Kent's witty reply. It was a very valuable talent among those in their line of work to retain their humor even when faced with such a jarring scene. A group of assassins - for Fevris seriously doubted all this could be attributed to one person - was mauling people somewhere in Sejong and here they were, standing among dead bodies and jesting about work done right. Many would have found it inappropriate, but doctors had to learn to balance empathy and detachment. Their sanity often depended on it.

"I see..." It was very strange. Unless a tigerkin had been one of the perpetrators of the crimes, it seemed highly unlikely that it had been one of Tokko's own the one to bring him down. Every step forward threatened to birth more questions than answers, but like Doctor Kent had suggested - a toxicology exam was bound to shed light onto it. Moving swiftly but precisely, Fevris took the blood samples and moved towards the sequencer. After preparing and starting the machine, she returned to the deceased body's side.

Grabing a scalpel and a pair of tweezers, the doctor quickly began working her way through Tokko's body layer by layer. Skin, the meager subcutaneous fat that the strong soldier had possessed, the muscle's fascia and the proper layers, leaving the sections where hemorrhaging was spotted mostly untouched. Once she was finished, her blue gaze met Dr. Park's and Elisea's. "It looks his muscles were wound up so tightly even the bleeding was tightly limited to specific areas...I'm surprised there is no sign of necrosis in his hands. and feet" The muscles were clenched up so much Fevris was sure they must have constricted his blood vessels.

"Perhaps it wasn't the actual choking that killed him but the parlaysis in itself, he couldn't breathe." That would have explained how someone could have defeated the mighty tigerkin, if his diaphragm and intercostal muscles were unresponsive then breathing in could have become a nearly impossible task.

While allowing space for Elisea and Park to make their assessment, Fevris momentarily removed her gloves - disposing of them in the pertinent bin - and grabbed a hold of a datapad. "That would have been a good trick to mislead us." Her fingers skimmed the surface as she began inputting the information they had so far, making sure it would reach the officers charged with the investigation as swiftly as possible.

"If someone went to the lengths of devising a specific paralytic substance strong enough to take them down, we might be have a larger scheme than expected in our hands."

 

[Phoenix Edorath]

Creative Soundtrack: Greenred Productions “Deep Cello Meditation Music”

There were times when her method of creation was a boon - when it was a blessing to be so dead within the Force that its ebbs and eddies slithered past without a second glance. But there were many times when there was not.

Now was one of those moments, and it was driving Phoenix to distraction. Or, maybe the soju was getting to her head...which was more than likely the culprit. It was damnably difficult to keep up with the drunken Corellian at her side in the drinking department. Kurayami was a master of the drunken arts, bless his Force riddled soul, and a fine friend to boot. She raised her delicately carved flask by way of a salute to the man, taking another long sip from the local specialty.

It was glorious, and a sigh of delight passed her lips until the moment the stranger bumped into them both. Phoenix blinked, her posture straightening out of reflex and her hand falling to the blaster on her hip. The squelching sound hit her ears first, and her flickering amber gaze narrowed. She turned to watch him stumble off, the man’s form staggering down the street toward an oddly dark alley amidst the lights and celebratory atmosphere.

A familiar copper tang soon assaulted her senses, and her fingers automatically closed the flask and tucked it back away on her belt. She knew what blood smelled like, and the overwhelming, cloying scent was unmistakably attached to the rapidly retreating gentleman. Phoenix looked down quickly, finding no obvious blood on the leather of her outfit, and unable to pick out if his squelching footsteps had left any traces amidst the detritus of the festival.

“Ami...think we might have a problem. Come on...time to be the people that follow a stranger down a dark alley…” she tilted her head and smiled at her companion over her shoulder before doing just that, hand reaching out to attempt to tug Kurayami along towards the alley.

Resurgent Narrative | Kurayami Bloodborn​