Thread: Seeing to a task (ATN: ST) 11-8-09

As Miranda is about to get into her car the door to the shop comes open and a man comes walking out... not the clerk she was charming but another. This man has an air of authority about him, one that seems to say he's the owner.

"Ms?" he looks at the card. "Montreve." He stops short of arm reach from Miranda. "You've obviously new to my shop... so a word of advice." He lowers his voice. "Your money speaks louder than your very charming words in my shop. I'd appreciate you leave your charms and other tricks at the door when dealing with me and my employees... use such things so freely in my shop again and not only will you find that we are unwilling to help you in your 'research' but I may be very put out at your disrepect and choose to take it personally. I hope that I've made myself clear and that in the future we can do amiable business together?" He offers his hand in friendship.

"And ... should you never tell any of your peers that we had this little talk... I'll be glad to find all the information there is on the topics you requested. Do we have an accord?"

((oc: I'll pm you shortly with details on what you find. Feel free to reply as you like to this end post. ))

Miranda stops and watches the other man approach her. When he begins to speak, his tone clearly condescending and disrespectful, she allows a glitter of the beast to show in her eyes. When he is finished she speaks coldly succinct, "Your employee would react the same were I nothing more than what I seem, do not presume to take me to task." She looks down at his hand, then back to his eyes, "No we have no such accord, I do not take kindly to attempts at blackmail." She will gaze him emotionless, then turn towards her car.

"Ms. Montreve?" He speaks flatly. "It was you who came to my domain and used force to get what you needed and if you are right about your skills... you did so without need. Were I to come to your haven and use my powers I wonder if you would be so forgiving?" He steps forward catching the door of her car.

"I have very good business relations with several different members of your soceity Ms. Montreve... as of yet, none of them have even come asking for my expertise in the history of this city... well, aside from a mysterious note from some unknown person asking for me to hand over information without knowing to whom I was giving it."

He visably calms and becomes more polite. "Look, I must be defensive of the good people who work here... they are not like you and I and are easily taken advantage of... by urging you strongly not to do harm when you have only used mundane powers I hoped to steer you from ever considering to use harsher ones. Please, accept my appology and reconsider my offer of accord. I'm almost certain I know why you're here investigating and if it's for the reasons I think... we're on the same side. I warn you not to burn a bridge with an ally simply because your pride was wounded over my calling you to task on a violation of my domain."

Miranda's body loses its stiff tension as the man continues. She has the grace to lower her eyes and give a slight bow of her head, looking apologetic "I understand, monsieur, neither of us knowing the other or our intentions. Old habits die hard for a lady, it's nothing more than a cloak of behavior I've worn for a long time." She looks back up to him, wondering how much to say. "The task I am on is not mine, but another's, and I do appreciate your offer for aid. Still we know each other not and I am unsure of what I can divulge."

"Perhaps a show of good faith on my part, please, come back inside and I'll give you something that may help." The man turns and heads back inside, not looking to see if Miranda is with him or not.

Miranda places her bags in the car then shuts and locks it. She turns back to the store to follow the man inside wherever he leads.

The man leads Miranda back to an office where he unlocks a safe hidden behind a picture of a horse. Inside she can see books, money, and various objects but he produces a letter and he hands it over to her.

The letter isn't addressed to anyone in specific but states that the mysterious writer is looking for help fighting a demonic force living in prarie state park and it requests whatever aide the person who finds this letter can provide to destroying it... specifically magic or weapons. There are instructions on where to leave a message if the reader is interested in helping defeat this "common threat."

The man watches as Miranda reads it. "Whoever left that knows just enough about my society to be dangerous... or in grave danger himself. I thought about responding but I realized that it's possible I don't know all the powers your people can use ... or that demon, if that is what it is. I personally don't think so based on various peices of evidence but that's just me." He shrugs.

"So, take the note, track down whoever sent it and make sure it isn't someone working for the thing and trying to root out enemies from the shadows for it to kill. Be careful though, your twisting of emotions might not serve you so well if it is a demon. They can be very convincing... so can those invested with their powers. And when they can't convience you... they'll kill you. Trust this with only those you know well enough to be certain they aren't under the sway of that energy in the woods."

"As for the history of the city... you'll probably find some things interesting in that stack of books but you're not going to find mortals writing about the rising of demons. Save yourself some money... you probably want to go talk to the descendants of the Osage Indian tribe. The Osage were here before any europeans and they have an oral history that is not put down in many books. I have a few friends who studied their heritage... though I must admit, they're not like the Seneca or the other well known tribes of the area. The Osage tragically have died or bred out for the most part. Finding one with the oral history of his people... a shaman, is gonna take some work. However, if you do..." He writes his phone number down on a card for you and gives it over.

"Call me. I'm willing to pay you a substantial amount for a lead on the oral history of the local indiginous tribes." He smiles.

Miranda notices he does not offer her a chair when they enter the office, so she remains standing, assuming he means this to brief. When he hands her a folded paper, she takes it from him and begins to read. She cocks her head slightly to one side as he voices an opinion that the thing in the woods is not a demon.

"There is only one of my society with the authority to write such a letter with legitimate intentions. I will take it to them to verify if they were the author, if not your concern and cautions are duly noted."

She pauses before continuing, "That is a very valuable piece of information you have just provided me, and should I fine one such ..shaman," she places the card in her purse along with the letter, "I will of course return the favor by forwarding you what I know." She smiles at him, glad of his understanding and aide.

She reaches out her hand, and offers a last apology and farewell, "Monsieur you have been most helpful and I apologize for intruding upon your domain, I will take all that you have given me with thanks. I will call if I have something of worth to share."