illinois ♔ and the message coming from my eyes

[spellfile]

WHO || Andrew, Zero, Han, Rocket, Klaus
WHAT || The Knights investigate some strange events  around a farmhouse in Illinois
WHERE || Metropolis Kansas
WHEN || April 20th, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

The route to the Moore residence is a secluded, gavel-topped county road that meanders through fields and farmland.  The roiling stormclouds and lack of city lights make the countryside seem unusually dark and forbidding.  A battered mailbox on the right side of the road indicates the Moore farm, and a pothole-filled drive leads up to the farmhouse.  On the right side of the long driveway, nestled among the snow, lies what appears to be a small family graveyard.

Beside the dilapidated house, stands a large German Shepard tethered on a leash, barking furiously as they pull up.  An older man stands on the porch looking highly displeased.  The man says something to the dog, but the barking continues unabated.

"You can just turn right around and head back the way you came," he yells from the porch.

Comments

[parsecs]

...that's just cheating.

[Han looks kind of cranky about it, but... yeah, it's helpful, so he leans in.] There were reports of demons running around your property. Know anything about that?

[spellfile]

[ "I don't believe in demons. This all started a few months ago. My wife - her name's Alice - told me she heard people talking inside the house. Then my son, Tim, claimed he saw weird balls of light floating through the fields at night. I didn't really believe either one of them until I saw- I swear - a shadow... thing... walk inside a wall of the barn!"

the dog interrupts his story to start growling at klaus, but the noise annoys moore, who yells at it. "Quiet, King!" the dog abruptly stops barking and lies down with a cowed whine.

"The thing that really got me was that it said my name," he continues. "It kept saying 'Oscar! Oscar!' I know that sounds weird, but it's the truth. I don't believe in any of that crazy stuff you see in the movies, but I can't explain this either." ]

[badexample]

[Andrew just starts to slowly shake his head. N o p e. He's basically the Shaggy of this Scooby gang. He watches all of the horror movies. He knows how this shit goes down.]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket rolls his eyes dramatically and pushes his way past the ocean of legs he's been mostly covered by.] Okay, I heard enough. Look, buddy, we're gonna deal with your issue, we just gotta see your barn.

[yeah, he doesn't believe in all that crazy shit, but there's a raccoon wearing two pistols just waltzing up over here. clearly he is a puppet.]

[spellfile]

[ maybe it's the appearance of a talking raccoon that gives him another will save, but he starts to shake his head slowly, as if under a heavy fog that he's struggling free of.

"I'll call the police. You aren't authorities... don't even.... have a warrant. Thinking you can walk in and .... take my farm... just like those suits..."

zero steps forward enough to put a hand on rocket's shoulder like calm down boi. ]

[parsecs]

Hey, we don't want your farm. [Han sounds almost offended. Does he look like the kind of guy who would be caught dead anywhere near a farm? Besides right now, of course.]

...wait, what suits?

[beatupgrass]

None of us are even wearin' suits. [Rocket's just muttering for the sake of muttering as he shrugs off Zero's arm. wtf, old man.]

[asuma]

[Whose genius idea was it to allow Rocket to run loose anyway? The sight of a talking raccoon was attention grabbing on its own, and apparently Klaus is too busy watching the dog back down after its' little outburst to realize that the shock of Rocket's presence might be countering the effects of his domination (wisdom 4). Time to wrap it up, gentlemen.]

[spellfile]

[ "Those mooks from Armitage Industries. I told them I'd make up my mind when I'm good and ready about selling." ]

Farm's in trouble, then?

[ moore snorts. "I'm almost bankrupt, that's what. Now I got plenty to deal with without tourists and believers haunting my damned property. Scram."

rather than protest, zero just nods to the others slightly. ] C'mon. Sorry for wasting your time.

[badexample]

[Andrew is going to follow Zero, content to fall back and regroup. He's also trying to use his phone to find some deets on Armitage Industries and got himself a nat 20 research check. What up.]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket spits on the ground as he walks, because he's a classy and dignified knight.] The bastard's a wash, anyway. He don't even know what he's seein'.

[spellfile]

[ as they get back in the car, he speaks up: ] We should come back when it's dark. Probably not tonight - he might be expecting that. Think we'll find out more looking around without him over our shoulders.

[ meanwhile, andrew pulls up a bunch: armitage industries is a multimillion dollar software and hardware manufacturer in the computer industry. the owner, maxwell armitage, has a reputation as an eccentric. those who know him claim that he has a passion for blending ancient thought with modern technology. armitage industries purchased the land next to the moore farm a year ago. ]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket normally would never really think about using certain advantages he has over the humanoid population in a pinch unless it was "crawl into that much tighter space" or "avoid getting shot because you're smaller and faster." Astrid, however, did try to instill a sense of... racconoid pride in him, which mostly went in one fuzzy ear and out the other, because THERE IS NO PRIDE IN BEING AN ANIMAL.

Still. If something happens while they're off waiting for the old man to calm his geriatric tits and he could have done something, he might feel moderately bad... In the sense that he will be stuck in bumfuck nowhere for a much longer period of time.]

I could stay here. Scope the joint out. He ain't gonna be able to tell me from anything else around here if I keep my trap shut.

[he better fucking get promoted for this shit, Astrid.]

[badexample]

That Armitage place he was talking about? They work with computers. Bought the land next to his farm last year. Looks like the guy running the place is one of those "mix the old with the new" types. Wonder what he wants with Moore's place, then.

[spellfile]

Wait a minute. I think I've heard of those clowns. They tried to buy some of my technomancy secrets back in the 90s.

[ he looks unsettled by the connection, especially with the news about the other farm. he frowns and looks at rocket. ] If you stick around, it's recon only. You don't stick your snout in to any trouble.

[beatupgrass]

I won't even have my stuff. [said bitterly with a bitter expression as he undoes his gun belt as a show of proof that he... is totally committed to sparkle motion here. ARE U PROUD, ASTRID.] I can be subtle. I just choose not to be, all right?

[it's not untrue, okay.]

[asuma]

Do try your best not to get eaten. [Fido looked hungry ok.

This has been the extent of Klaus' fucks to give. Bye.]

[spellfile]

Fine. Keep your phone buried somewhere you can get to it, and let us know when you want to be picked up.

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket shoots Klaus an annoyed look.] I'll keep y'all updated if I see anything shady.

[spellfile]

[ feel free to make a new thread for rocket's wilderness adventure ]

[badexample]

[As Rocket leaves, Andrew looks to Zero.]

Want to hack into that company, see if we can sort out what the fuck they're doing out here from the back end?

[spellfile]

Might as well. Answer's gonna be 'nothing good', I can tell you that.

[badexample]

Sort of figured, but we might as well know it upfront. [And back he goes to their van, I'm guessing?? He brings his laptop everywhere so he'll just start tapping away to hack in and get more info. Computer use 37.]

[spellfile]

[ and zero will assist with a nat 20???? best ever, basically. this is the easiest for them.

maxwell armitage runs armitage industries, a multimillion-dollar computer firm that makes cutting-edge voice recognition software and has been a leader in the development of artificial intelligence. armitage himself is a brilliant researcher with a deep passion for antiquities of all kinds. there are rumors that armitage has blended his love of science with an interest in the arcane arts. there's evidence of construction materials being shipped to the plot of land he purchased next to the farm in question, although nothing seems to have been visibly constructed there?????? weird... ]

[badexample]

[Well, that's... super weird. Andrew gives Zero a sidelong glance like 'wtf is this shit.']

I'm starting to think we're looking around the wrong farm.