Black and White Spirits

“So you’d just talk to Metis. She’s here every now and then.” [Clay nods in agreement to Aura’s statement; they were actually pretty sure the same guy had done Clay in, as well.]

“...it is something for me to consider, I suppose, Mhyra-sama...

He raised his hands. “If.. it helps? I don’t think Simon is a bad guy. I… have reasons I can’t talk about that tell me he’s a good person inside, but’s puttin’ on a show and got involved with a scary situation he can’t get out of.” Gumshoe huffed a sigh. “I don’t even blame him for running–it’s past his execution date for a crime he confessed to and probably didn’t do. I’m working on getting the initial murder case reexamined with ICOD resources.

“But I can’t let Simon hurt people either. He got into this mess, and I want to help him get out of it and find the guy that did the killing he nearly got executed for. Hurting people is only going to make it harder to get him exonerated or get him more jail time for his new crimes. If the things he’s done go on record it’d be impossible. So I need help off the record.”

“Of course he’s not a bad guy--he didn’t do the crime in the first place.

But no, your stupid court systems thought my testimony was a bunch of mindless nothing. Balderdash, as my brother would say. Not like, y’know, I spoke to the victim or anything. They didn’t believe me.”

[She’s rather angry about the whole ordeal, obviously. She goes back to tinkering with the robot she’d been working on; Clay shoots the detective a nervous look, but Aura thankfully continues.]

I did notice him, he doesn’t seem much of a foe. But you’re right, a lot of sorrow comes from him, I can sense it…

“It’d be fun to have a rabid werewolf, don’t you think? And this time no one can blame us. It’s not like I can control him, only whisper sweet nothings to him...”

“Well....it’s just a thought right now.

Have you seen how mopey the mutt’s twin is? The one who’s leg I broke?

It’d be really easy to convince him to go rabid. A lone wolf like that, an Alpha, to boot...wolves don’t like the isolation. It’d be quite easy, no magic involved. Just manipulation.

“Well, see, there’s this family. Good folks. One side’s Vampires, other side’s werewolves. Some of ‘em are time-refugees, one of the Vampire’s an Unliving. But the three Vampire brothers have fallen prey to a desperate necromancer. Thing is, I’m pretty sure that the necromancer’s not a bad guy and got tricked into his position because he was looking for the one who killed someone important to him. And I’m willing to try to help him, but first things first, he needs to be unable to puppet the Vampires again.”

He was carefully avoiding the topic of the identity of the necromancer.

“....you don’t have to dance around the name. I know you’re talking about Simon.”

[She sets down a wrench she’d been carrying, and puts a hand on her hip.]

“Asshole breaks out of jail, doesn’t even come visit me....I probably could have helped him out if he was building an army, jeez.” [You could definitely hear Clay’s really nervous laughter; Aura was joking, right?]

“Ahh....okay, so, what. You want me to stop him? I can’t.  I can only see and talk to spirits, the men in our family get all the necromantic magic, unfortunately.

“...you can’t see him? You should be able to, looks like you’ve got a Core.” [she points at his chest; a Core of the Dead, she means. Something odd to know about someone you’ve just met.]

“I have enough stuff lying around here that he can float about freely, anyways. Clay, you can talk to us both, right?” [to this, the ghost kid responds “yep!” 

Aura glances back to the detective.]

✰  “Still here! Just using the satellite signals rather than your phone, heheh.

I have to over-ride the employee key-in, but I should still be in the system, so we can just use mine…hang on….”

[A panel by the door flashes red a few times, then finally, it stops on a green light. The door opens, revealing a longer hallway and more doors, this time with signs above each to indicate which room was which.”

The detective decided to not look a gift horse too closely in the mouth and strode to the third door like he had every right to be there.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking?? If you got clearance to be back here you should know what’s going on back here!

      [ It’s amazing. For once in months, he feels like his feelings belongs to him only; not a toy for these crazy people to play with, to make him their weapon. ]

      Mhyra can crawl back into the pit she came from, and you can go with her. I wain’t working with ya anymore.

“Cut the crap, Yomiel.” [he...doesn’t sound too pleased. One thing to insult Mhyra like that, another to defy him....Simon does not have a good temper, really.]