texas ♔ don't want to face the fears we've met

[heavensend]

WHO || Anastacia, Avaleen, Thea, Riddick [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights try to track down some missing Shadowkind
WHERE || Houston, Texas
WHEN || April 9th [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The Church of Good Hearted Souls is a nondenominational church, located in a poorer district of Houston. The neighborhood itself doesn't disguise the fact, but the streets that they walk through to reach the church are populated almost exclusively by Shadowkind, of all types. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, even a minotaur shuffle past, many of them making their way in and out of tenement buildings that have seen better days. The occasional humans that break up the mix often wear clothing more suited to a fantasy village - and those who don't sometimes have hairstyles that give them away as less than totally modern. The Church itself doesn't even remember a conventional church or temple in any way - it seems to have been built into a squat brick building, hollowed out to make room for folding chairs, since pews seemed to be outside their price range. "All faiths welcome" proclaims a sign out front, and another replaceable sign below it is flipped to read "Sister Deborah is in". 

Comments

[behindcloseddoors]

None of that. [ he scowls, but after a second adds: ] Tommy Eldritch has been doing radio programs about the disappearances. Maybe he can tell you something.

[notafraidofthedark]

[Riddick has been good about keeping his mouth shut through this whole exchange, but that didn't mean he liked the elf's tone. Thea had it under control though, and rather than alienate the locals he keeps to himself, only speaking up to say-] Where's he at?

[behindcloseddoors]

His studio is only a few blocks from here, to the north.

[lightblindbadass]

Thanks. [And he'll touch Thea on the arm in a signal to head to the North.]

[withasouvenir]

[ thea nods, seeming to want to say more, but deciding not to. she gives the elf a perfunctory smile before turning to follow riddick. she waits until they're out of earshot to huff out a disheartened sigh. ]

That was... illuminating.

[ except jk it totally wasn't. ]

[notafraidofthedark]

[He rolls his shoulders, voice rumbling as he answers-] Never knew an elf to be a conspiracy theorist. Guess it's not too surprising, given how isolated this place is and it seems like it's being targeted.

[withasouvenir]

Their safe haven isn't safe anymore, I can see why that would make anyone twitchy.

[notafraidofthedark]

[His eyes sweep the run-down buildings surrounding them, goggles flashing in the sun.] So far we've got a mystery kidnapper and the government as leads. I'd guess that would make anyone wary of strangers, especially if they were already leery of outsiders to start.

[withasouvenir]

I can't decide if the government is an actual lead or just the paranoia talking. [ she's still got it planted in the lad column, but it's definitely just penciled it. easily erasable. ]

[lightblindbadass]

Well, considering this is America, land of the free and home of the "be different and we'll kill or segregate you illegally" I'd say the government could be a pretty solid bet. Until proven otherwise. [Yeah, it's on his list too. He still keeps a wary eye out as they near the studio, keeping himself between Thea and anyone else they see on the street with them.

[withasouvenir]

[ thea notices, absently, what riddick is doing, used to it from ollie or roy. walter and her father, even, who used to make sure she was on the inside of the sidewalk so he could shield her from oncoming cars if it ever came up. she notices, but doesn't say anything because it's the kind of underestimation that doesn't really bother her. ]

I really hope it doesn't turn out that this Eldritch guy is just kidnapping people to give him something to talk about on his radio show.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the studio is surrounded by large glass windows that make it so they can see inside before they even hit the doors. this guy is the only person inside, seated in a booth with a set of headphones on. considering there are also posters up of him proclaiming him to be tommy eldritch, it looks like that's their guy. who they should make spot checks on when they enter. ]

[withasouvenir]

[ spot 15. thea peers through the glass, briefly looking around. ] Doesn't seem to have a lot of staff...

[lightblindbadass]

[he gives her a "Hmmph" in answer, eyes darting around what they can see of the structure before settling on Eldritch (Spot 19) as he pulls the door open, holding it for Thea to enter first.]

[withasouvenir]

[ she flounces in and... just knocks on the glass. :D hope he wasn't doing anything important. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ thea might notice that there's something off about him, but riddick spots in particular his slitted eyes and snake blood features. he looks up, holds up a finger, and then finishes what he's saying, before flicking a button and pulling off his headset, motioning for them to come in. ]

[withasouvenir]

[ don't mind if she does, sweeping in purposefully. ]

Mr Eldritch, hi, I'm Thea Queen. We're from the Karthur Institute.

[notafraidofthedark]

[lmao don't mind Riddick just standing there all body-guard like. /doesn't offer his name, Thea's got this handled.]

[behindcloseddoors]

Can't say I've ever heard of them. What kind of Institute?

[withasouvenir]

[ breezily: ] It's a privately owned research facility. We were contacted about the recent... trouble in the neighborhood and told that if we wanted more information that you would be the one to go to. [ her smile is ingratiating, not leaping across the line into sycophantic but carefully deferential. (diplomacy 29; gather info nat 20, 34 total) ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he leans back in his seat, lacing his fingers together in his lap as he studies them ] Yeah, I've been doing programs about the missing members of the community. I do shows that talk to both the mundane and Shadow communities. On the second night of covering the topic on my show, I got a call from a listener. He was a real nut-job, and with my audience, that's saying something. He claimed that it was his 'duty and destiny' to deal with the 'monsters in the streets'. I remember, cuz those words just sent shivers right down my spine.

[withasouvenir]

[ a flash of familiarity makes thea's lips purse, a disdain she doesn't try to hide rippling across her expression. ]

A vigilante of sorts?

[behindcloseddoors]

Sounded like it. I asked if he was the one behind all this and he hung up.

[withasouvenir]

Someone we talked to insisted it was the government. Do you think that could be the case or just paranoia talking?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he shakes his head ] The government wouldn't pull this kinda thing and then brag about it on the airwaves. Whoever this is, I don't think they're sanctioned by anybody except their own sick sense of justice.