Interlude: Militiavisits by Candlelight

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

Who: The staff and residents of the Valhalla Inn with a special guest appearance by the Militia.
What: A lock-down. A shake-down. Some questions.
Where: The Valhalla Inn. Different locations will be designated by different subthreads.
When: Early Coardi morning and into the afternoon.
Notes: OOC Discussion
Warnings: None yet, but expect (subtle) threats, coercion, and general jackboot'n'blackbag shenanigans.

Rumour travels fast in Baedal; soon everyone in Mog Hill and beyond will know that the Militia are at the Valhalla Inn and no one is getting out. Official word is that this is strictly routine; protocol dictates Arrival Houses be locked down for evaluation after a City-wide crisis. It's still early morning. Outside, the sun is rising after a night of gentle rain. Birds sing and gorge themselves on dead monkeys yet to be cleared away. It's going to be a beautiful day.

Meanwhile, inside Valhalla, the Militia have firmly requested that every guest, every employee and every incidental visitor gather in the Common Room as they search the rest of the Inn. The proprietor and her staff are visibly unhappy about the event, but the closest they have come to voicing dissent is managing to call for the Sheriff. Still, so far the gentleman who seems to be in charge of the proceedings has been nothing but curtly polite. The Militia works fast; they have gone through the whole place in less than an hour and are now, as they say, ready to take interviews. These will be conducted one-on-one in a different room of the Inn. Most individuals who arrived after the creature invasion are sorted out and escorted outside of the building. Some, however, are not.

None of the Special's agents or their more thuggish companions say so, at least not out in the Common Room, but it is evident that their search turned up something.

Comments

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

He can have that carefully calculated effect on people. It could even be said that it pleases him to have that effect on people. The smile stays.

"Indeed! You're very attentive. We're trying to eliminate this Inn as a possible source for the recent problems which have plagued our City. Of course, since you arrived after these problems we very much doubt you'd have anything useful to tell us in this matter."

The Agent takes a moment before he continues. "However, you may not be aware of this but your arrival here has gained some notoriety. It is, to say the least, unusual for more than one individual to appear simultaneously. Why do you think you came here with your companion?"

[fixedroll.livejournal.com]

Well, we were dreamsharing at the time and I may have fucked up the kick, I'm not sure...

"I don't know," he says, coolly. "Bad luck?" Oh, you cheeky monkey, you.

His body language, in the meantime, remains more or less dispassionate—but he is silently willing Eames not to get the both of them thrown in a hole somewhere by veering from the path of ignorance when it's his turn.

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

"Bad luck."

It's hard to tell if the Agent is entertained or disappointed. Either way, he shakes his head, suddenly serious. "Let me assure you that the Militia have no interest in you, your companion or how you arrived here. Other groups however will have an interest, and this is where we may have concerns."

[fixedroll.livejournal.com]

"And what happens when these other groups become interested?" More running for his life, probably. That seems to be the way of it lately.

There may be a touch of skepticism in his voice, too, but he's not going to brush off a potential threat simply because it's possible none of this is real. If they're not already in some psychotic, yet strangely organized state of limbo, there's still the chance of dropping down there, which means there's equal chance of waking up. He could also get shot in the knee again, which would suck.

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

"I imagine they will contact you and attempt to bring you into their fold, at which point you would be of interest to us." Powell remains serious, watching for signs of who knows what. "We don't expect you to understand the finer points of local politics just yet, but I would advice you and your companion to stay shy of certain elements."

"Of the groups we have in Baedal, one in particular is known to have made this Inn their hunting ground. They advocate a false escape from the City through suicide, among other things. Being very astute, I am sure you can see how this may appeal to the ignorant newcomer."

[fixedroll.livejournal.com]

There's a real-life parallel there that he can't deny, and will probably want to check out at some point, but at the moment it's trumped by the spike of irritation he feels at basically being called stupid via sir's backhanded compliment.

"If you're concerned that either of us are going to run off and join a cult, I can assure you, that's not going to happen." You giant dong with a badge.

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

Oh, you. Powell is apparently moved to assume the subtle cues of someone who feels nothing but pity towards the lesser creatures in this world.

"You are new here. I sincerely doubt that you had the intention to run off and join the citizenship of our City, and yet." All inclusive hand gesture goes here. "Of course, our concern goes a little ways beyond your well-being, dear as it is to us." Elsewhere in the room, the second Militiaman moves. It's possible he's just tired of standing still, as nothing else happens. The good Agent certainly pays it no mind.

"No, our concern is with the group itself. They will make contact with you, and when they do, you will contact us. We understand that cooperation might not in the forefront of your mind right now, but take a moment to consider the kind of relationship you want to develop to the authority of a City in which you are still a stranger."

[fixedroll.livejournal.com]

Arthur's attention is drawn by the guard's movement the instant it occurs; his eyes flick briefly in that direction before resuming contact with Powell's. The new, but not unexpected, tone of this exchange does nothing to abate his desire to tell this gentleman exactly where he can go. He was trained to maintain a poker face in situations such as these... it's hard, though. So hard.

"I can honestly say I'd rather not develop any kind of relationship." F youuu. "But I'm not here to make waves."

[baedalites.livejournal.com]

If the Agent picks up on Arthur's frustrations (and how could he not), it doesn't show. The mildly sympathetic expression stays right where it is.

"I'm afraid that choice was made for you when you came here. The best you can hope for now is some opportunity to shape the nature of that relationship, such as the opportunity you are being offered right now. We're not your enemies, Arthur."

sorry, my brain fell out .-. - also html inconsistency, aaaa

[fixedroll.livejournal.com]

Of course not. You're just going to lean on me until I agree to act as your informant. That's what friends are for, right?

...The young man says none of this, of course, but the way he shakes his head slightly, offsets his jaw in a smile he clearly doesn't feel, exhales in a sort of aborted chuckle—it's close enough. And it's about as close to slugging this guy as he's likely to get, which is a shame. After taking a moment to collect himself, pausing only as long as as needed to shift the position of his feet, he renews the effortless correctness of his posture.

"Like I said, I'm not here to make waves. If you want me to make contact, you should probably let me out of this room at some point." Also I hate you and you should go choke on a hundred dicks.