kansas ♔ you have too much fun breaking all the rules

[cigam]

WHO || Gus, Zatanna, Adam, Dawn, Dimitri [closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a multiple homicide that seems linked to ritualistic magic use, in backwater Kansas
WHERE || Black Bottom Ridge, Kansas
WHEN || April 8th [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam or prose

Know what's even worse than Kansas? Kansas after a long winter that just won't die. Everything is creepy and flat and the grass is struggle-bussing its way back to life, and the trees are still skeletal, which just lends an eerie semblance to everything as they drive by. Drive by with a U-Haul attached to the back of her their rented vehicle, because they're bringing a fucking bear along. Luckily Gus was able to coax her into this arrangement, but man, I would not to be the one to draw the short straw opening the doors to that trailer when they arrive.

It only took a single stop at a crappy diner for Zatanna to get someone to spill the whereabouts of the survivor of the night they're looking into: she's being kept at a hospital in the nearest actual city. Zee drops off Adam, Dimitri, and Gus near the crime scene, and takes Dawn with her to go see what they can learn from the girl (after telling Gus to behave).

 

Comments

shawnee kansas hospital ♔ dawn & zatanna

[cigam]

[ zatanna parks at the hospital and yanks her rearview mirror down to check her hair, glancing over at dawn in the passenger seat. ]

Have you done anything like this yet?

[watcherjunior]

You mean, questioning people? [ Dawn fidgets in her seat, tugging on her shirt to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles. ] Sorta?

[cigam]

I wasn't sure what they had you doing on your last mission. The girl's probably been through a lot, so we wanna not push so hard that she's going to be worse off for it. How's your bedside manner?

[watcherjunior]

Pretty chill? I mean, hospitals make me a little uneasy for, like, I guess before reasons? Before I got here. [ She shrugs. ] I can definitely be a light touch.

[cigam]

[ zee pops her door open, nodding ] We're going to have to pretend to be family to get in. Who should do the talking?

[watcherjunior]

[ Cue Dawn gaping a moment. Really, do you want her to do the talking? ] It would probably be better for you to totally do it.

[cigam]

Can do. Your job will be to stand there and look suitably distraught. [ and she starts towards the entrance doors ]

[watcherjunior]

[ And Dawn scrambles to follow behind. Distraught, she can do distraught.

...Maybe she should have tried to teach herself to cry on cue. How hard could it be? Think sad thoughts. Sad. Dead things. Mean things. Maybe she should cheat and ball up her fist until her nails dug in and--wow that hurts.

She gets somewhere in the vicinity of 'pained' with a side of hyperventilating a little. ]

[cigam]

[ dawn can roll either a bluff check or a perform (act) skill check, whichever one is higher! zee waltzes up to the desk, looking worried. ]

We're here to see our sister, Erica Thorne?

[ the desk worker looks between them, clearly not seeing a resemblance, and frowns.

"I'm afraid visiting hours are over." ]

I know, but our flight was delayed. We only just got in. Please, we've been so worried.

[ the receptionist hesitates.

"I'll need to see some kind of ID." ]

[watcherjunior]

[ Dawn's distraught act falls into place with a sob. Her face crumbles just before she can bury her head in her hands. (bluff 18) ]

[cigam]

[ zee's impressed, ok. she puts a hand on dawn's shoulder and gives the secretary an imploring look ] Look, we ran out and I forgot my purse. Just this once?

[ she hesitates a bit more, but then nods, and rattles off a room number.

"Just please be quick," she urges, and zatanna nods, steering dawn back down the hallway. once they're out of sight of her, she glances back and says: ]

So far, so good.

[watcherjunior]

[ She gives one last quiet sob to cement it. When Zee gives the all clear, she lowers her hands and takes a deep breath. ]

Never done that before.

[cigam]

First time for everything. You did well.

[ they hear Erica before they even make it to the door. She's muttering to herself, tossing in her hospital bed. Her dark blonde hair is matted with sweat, most of her face covered in bandages. She doesn't seem to even notice them enter. ]

[watcherjunior]

[ At the sounds, Dawn glances at Zee. It sounds like more than a gentle touch needed here; is she sure they should be questioning her now?

Still, she approached the end of the girl's bed. ] Erica?

[cigam]

[ the girl rambles on, not directly responding.

"Jim! Oh God, Jim, run, please..."

Zee frowns, moving to the opposite side. ]

Run from what Erica?

[ "The... the monsters!" ]

[watcherjunior]

Can you tell us about the monsters, Erica?

[cigam]

[ "They... had sharp claws and... And horrible yellow eyes. Like demons! Big demon... cats. “]

[watcherjunior]

[ She tosses a look at Zee, mouthing 'Demon cats?' ]

Like humans with cat features?

[cigam]

[ dawn can make a knowledge (arcane lore) check to try to identify what she's talking about, because... zee sure failed hers.

"No, no, no, like big cats. Panthers? But with... with--" she stops, and whimpers, and turns away from them. "Tentacles." ]

[watcherjunior]

[ Her eyes light up with realization (knowledge arcane lore 24). ]

It's okay, Erica. You're safe here.

[cigam]

[ dawn knows instantly what she's talking about: a creature called a displacer beast. it's a savage and stealthy carnivore that resembles a puma with six legs, glowing green or yellow eyes, and two muscular tentacles that grow from its shoulders, ending in pads equipped with horny ridges. they usually have blue-black fur and a long feline body and head.

they usually attack small game, but they're known to eat anything they catch. they regard all other creatures as prey and tend to attack whatever they happen to meet. they can average ten feet long and weigh 500 pounds.

their name comes from a light-bending effect that continually surrounds them, making it difficult to surmise their true location.

zatanna bends down next to the bed, her voice gentle. (diplomacy 25) ] They can't get in here, we promise.

You were talking about someone. Someone named Jim?

[ her eyes well up with tears and she turns to bury her head in the pillow.

"I don't know if Jim got away. Please tell me Jim got away." ]

[watcherjunior]

[ No doubt, whenever Dawn had stumbled across this beastie in her self-guided research, it probably gave her a potent, vivid nightmare. Things that vicious shouldn't be allowed to have frigging tentacles too.

It's good that the girl isn't looking at them, because Dawn isn't sure she can keep her expression neutral and caring. This girl is the only known survivor. But letting on about that now wouldn't be the best decision. Dawn doesn't want to outright lie. (bluff 15) ] We'll find out what we can, okay?

[cigam]

[ the girl is whimpering against her pillow, so zee runs a hand over her hair and mumbles: ]

Peels. [ the girl shudders once and then stills, falling into a restful sleep. zee meets dawn's eyes over the bed. ] Any of that ring any bells with you?

[watcherjunior]

Yeeeah. [ Keeping her voice low, she doesn't make an attempt to hide how bad this could be. ] Displacer beast. Ugly and pretty much thinks of everything as dinner and likes to be extra hard to find.

[cigam]

Great. Do you want to do the honors of calling the rest of the team to let them know while we drive back that way? Hopefully, they haven't run into any yet.