Just Asking (open)

[Monica Garland]

This was different, this place was different than all the other places she went to. In New Orleans she visited every person who had a connection with the paranormal. The same was true with New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Des Monies, Washington, Salem. Every single place had some bogus catch to it, another disappointment.

Carefully she glanced down at her appointment was in eight minutes twenty six seconds. Personally she hated wearing watches, in fact if it wasn't for the fact this was so important to her and her family, she wouldn't worry so much, she probably wouldn't have even thought about getting this watch out of the shoe box in the back of her closet under all the calenders and planers she had been given over the years.
She hated the reminders, the constant nagging that clocks, calenders, planners, times sheets gave her. It was every single maddening glance she gave toward her watch, it just like someone poking her telling her what fate had planned...

The building was beautiful, maybe she would have to bring Sonja here, she remembered after the funeral how she clutched that old camera in her tiny hands. That camera was so precious to her, the last connection to ones parents is always precious Monica reminded herself as her fingers traced over the small silver necklace her father gave her for her ninth birthday. Sonja would have a field day taking photos here, the building was lovely for a office building.

She paused for a second before walking up to the front desk, as she pulled a stray hair from her face. These meetings always made her nervous, like her appearance decided if these....sessions would work or not...She approached the front desk with a toothy smile her heels making clicking noises with each step.

Excuse me...I don't mean to be a bother but I have, um, I have a meeting her in 7 minutes and 32 seconds. My name is Monica Garland. Garland, G-A-R-L-A-N-D. Please She said in a nervous voice, god she must sound like a total spaz to the secretary.

[Chloe Matthews]

First week on the job and Chloe was still trying to come to terms with all the craziness and all the unbelievable suddenly becoming very believable in her life. It was more than a lot to take on board but so far she was surprisingly doing alright with processing the facts. After her initial day here at the office she’d slipped into the paranormal world rather well for someone who was in denial of it all these years, of course, she had her days and her shocks, even after only a few days and conversations she’d caught the middle of were interesting to say the least. The number of times she’d turned hearing someone talking to think she’d misheard them only to realised she was correct in her hearing. Well, one thing for sure, things never got dull around here.

The blonde had her face buried in a stack of books, her right hand resting on top of the computer mouse as she scanned pages. Receptionist was her job, not investigator or researcher but Chloe was intrigued by all of this supernatural business, the details of it fascinated her and with the unexpected arrivals and events that could happen here she was more definitely up for learning all she could, even if some of it she still believed to be utter rubbish.

Before the woman had even approached the front desk, she looked up feeling the woman’s presence near her; her anxiety and nervousness growing as she walked towards her. This ‘feeling’ of hers she’d been trying to avoid researching and was determined to keep avoiding researching for some time yet. Chloe had always interpreted it as her being over alert and attracted to small details but she was unsure now. A nature like that couldn’t grow to be stronger over a matter of days like it had done, it didn’t make your feelings, the feelings, any stronger and more vibrant to the point it really could overwhelm her...the blonde was attempting to keep in the shadows of denial for now however until it ever broke out too far, something she tried not to think of but couldn’t deny that it was plausible in happening.

Chloe was rather taken aback with the woman’s precise time keeping...strange, though to something like that strange was no longer a word to link to something so simple and so normal. Setting her book down properly on the desk, she searched under her stack of references for a black leather bound diary keeping clients details. She wondered why they didn’t just keep them on the computer but then, already had she seen some of the furniture broken, smashed, blown to pieces...maybe old fashioned hard copies was the safest way to go. “Hey” Chloe greeted the woman with a friendly smile all the while wondering what could make this woman so nervous, the building?...no, a ‘feeling’ told her it was something else, “Um...yeah, got you...someone will be out soon to see you” studying the woman she spoke softly to her, “You can take a seat if you want. Can I get you a tea or something?” tea solved everything in Chloe’s books, maybe it was just the concept of where she was that was worrying the woman, she just needed to relax a bit? Being where she was though, probably not.

[Monica Garland]

"Yes, thank you. You tea would be lovely." Monica blurted out as soon as the secretary finished speaking. Her spaz alert was going off again. Monica stood there for a second before taking a few steps toward the sitting area, however a little voice was nagging her, she should really learn to ignore it, but sometimes it was a little too loud to bare.

She walked back to the desk and quietly after taking a deep breath, she asked the woman in a slower more confident voice. "Listen, I'm sorry to ask this, I mean to put you on the spot, but would you know the success rate of this establishment. I don't want to waste the investigator's or my time.

She realized that this wasn't really fair to ask the young woman, it was just she didn't want to feel the pain when the person who was supposed to help telling her that they couldn't do anything. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to, I'm just so nervous, I'm getting toward the end of my rope. She said quietly, it was sometimes so hard. Going to agencies like this, they always had the same promises and they never followed through. She wondered what made this one different...but it was if something lead her here...

[Chloe Matthews]

Chloe smiled and stood up from where she had been sitting at the desk. Disapearing from the main reception for a moment she could feel herself shaking the whole way, nervous, but over what? She’d started work now, she’d seen some weird people and things that could not be classed as people really, but oddly enough she couldn’t deny her feelings. The woman, Monica, she was nervous it was more than obvious but she had her back to her now, it was irrational to link the woman now that her perception was not focused on her momements. What was going on with her lately? Continuing making tea for the woman, Chloe’s hands shook lightly, forcing her to focus intently on what she was doing. This was ridiculous! That and she was frustrated at herself for not finding a good rational explanation over her increasingly weird behavious...maybe this place and it’s work was affecting her more than she thought. Nevertheless, Chloe finished what she was doing and returned back to the woman in the reception, returning her welcoming smile to her face in the process.

It seemed the woman had calmed a little when the blonde returned and strangely enough she felt calmer too though she wouldn’t dwell on any link that may be apparent. She handed the mug of tea to the woman as she listened to her speak, that nervous feeling returning to her stomach as the woman did so...maybe that was why she was here? She could make people feel what she felt? That could be plausible right? It wasn’t Chloe then, instead it would be this woman here. “Well, I just started here” she confessed before the woman continued on apologising, “Yeah I noticed” she said under her breath not realising she’d done it till after she had but hopefully the woman hadn’t noticed, “No, it’s okay. They know what they’re doing.” She assumed. They knew better than her anyways, how many people did know about the weird and wonderful, truthfully anyways? Nick had previously saved her already, she had some faith in their knowledge and most definitely couldn’t deny it, “Everyone here is very resilient, I haven’t seen them give up on any cases yet” maybe that wasn’t too accurate having only been here around a week but Monica wasn’t to know that, “Do you mind me asking what you’re here for?” curiosity got the better of her, the woman seemed incredibly distressed though and the puzzle of it intrigued the blonde greatly.

(ooc: Sorry, I've been in a theatre show all week so i've not had time to come post anywhere)

[Monica Garland]

So the woman was new here, huh... That didn't bode well with Monica, to be honest. But it was another thing so different than the others. Usually the others had someone knowledgeable, sometimes too knowledgeable, still.

Quietly she took a small sip of the offered tea, there was something about tea she never liked, maybe it was the hot watery taste, it was the memory of tea that kept her drinking it. Her mother always liked tea, she would often make fresh tea back home. Back before she knew about her fate...

It was the blond's question that stopped her for a second, she didn't expect the secretary to bother asking her why she came her, most other places didn't...

"I'm here, She began quietly. "Because I'm 29, and in my family it means something dreadful... She said taking a deep breath. It means that I'm...I'm going to die in two years

[Chloe Matthews]

Chloe immediately wished she hadn’t asked. The woman didn’t seem to pleased at being asked such a question that may have been supposed to be confidential, but really, as if the blonde was going to go tell anyone, but then Monica didn’t know that for certain. Still, she didn’t want her new boss to loose a client, customer, whatever they called people who came for help here, all because she’d been too curious and started asking people questions but Chloe couldn’t help it, she’d studied in such areas, in asking questions and picking out details, it wasn’t something you could stop the girl doing so easily.

Opening her mouth to say she hadn’t meant any harm by her question she was stopped before words could leave her lips why quietly the woman spoke up. Right...something dreadful...it was always something awful, never stalking Duracell like bunnies, never leprechauns or unicorns if any of those existed well the later at least, she was unsure what was true and what wasn’t these days. Oh even better, the woman stated she was going to die...for the first time Chloe was unsure how to respond. “oh...um, have you tried anything?” she asked knowing from books that there were a number of ‘do it yourself’ ideas, “like spells? Or a charm of sorts?” the concepts from her mouth still sounded foreign to her, suggesting someone try solving a situation using witchcraft or some artefact that could change someone’s luck or fortune, it all still seemed to be ridiculous to her. Still, this woman believed it all to be real so Chloe shed some sympathy for her.

[Monica Garland]

A spell? Just a spell? This woman acted as if was over-reacting. Like she went to the doctor for a cold or something, a spell... really? Is that the best this company had to offer? Thought Monica as her hands tightened on the mug she clutched in her hands, her hands slowly tightening around the object.

"A simple "spell" won't work on a curse, let alone a demon's curse." She said, her voice dripped with a cold presence. She let a dark look cross her face. She was so tired, tired of false hopes and promises that business like this offered. It wasn't that she felt the blond was trying to brush her off or not be helpful, Monica could tell she was, it was the inexperience that annoyed Monica. A novice trying give advice to a delicate problem. She could only hope that the others at Sullivan and Cooper had more to offer than a spell...

Easy girl, don't make her cry. You know you hate it when you make people cry.[/i] she thought as she took time to let a out a small sigh.

"Listen, I'm sorry, I just am a little sensitive about this. Would it be possible for me to talk to someone here, soon. She said trying calm down a bit. It was this damn curse that made her so crazy all the time, is really her fault if she snapped a little sometimes. Quietly she added "I'm don't mean to be rude.[/size]

[Nicholas Sullivan]

Nick had been out playing detective again. Unlike the cases they'd been delving into, Nick found himself more interested in something that was going on under his nose. He couldn't seem to forget about that girl at the cafe, the blonde one who was with Sophie. Of course, some would say the only reason he wouldn't lay down about it was the sheer fact that it involved Sophie. Kris being one person who had to point out just how beautiful the woman was. But, even with that. It was not the reason for his curiosity.

He'd been trying to figure out what it was about the little girl that caused him to be drawn to her. His brother Sam the same, he'd bumped into her at the cafe and felt that same thing. As if the girl could see right inside his head, it was strange and he couldn't get his mind around what was happening.

Sophie wasn't a great help with information. She seemed closed off. As if she was trying to keep something a secret. What was it?

The young man was making his way back to the office. Making a pit stop at the local magic shop where he'd picked up a few little supplies. Nothing extreme, just basic ingredients and poppet type things. Again, ever since that demon came in and played puppeteer with Chloe, he'd been very wary of all people. The last thing he needed was demons lurking around the office.

As Nick strolled on up to the front door, he lightly pushed the handle down, prised the door open walking into a little bit of commotion as he did.

The man lingered in the doorway as he eyed Chloe, who was behind the desk and some dark haired lady standing in front of her looking rather displeased.

"Listen, I'm sorry, I just am a little sensitive about this. Would it be possible for me to talk to someone here, soon"

Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him. Clearing his throat a little he spoke up "Is everything okay?" he asked with a slight cautious tone in his voice. Nick slowly walked toward both women, placing the bag down on the desk as he stopped.

[Monica Garland]

Monica nearly jumped when she heard the voice from behind her, instead she merely dropped the mug of hot tea onto the floor with a nice loud shattering sound.

"Oh...crap, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." She said as she leaned down to grab the pieces of the broken mug, the tea already was soaking into the carpet around the desk. God she was so stupid, there was...this was...It was all wrong, not how she pictured how it would go here. This was worse than her time in New York.

"I think...I don't...Listen maybe I should just... She was so flustered, the evidence was clear as crystal. Her stammering speech, the rose color spreading through her cheeks, it was all too much.

There goes doing business with dignity, she wanted to leave to walk out the large front doors and not turn around, she wanted to go home and hide under the covers and not come out. This was a mistake and she knew it, there was only one thing that kept her from walking out that door right then and there and that was the young girl that lived with her. Sonja, her niece, kept her from leaving. Sonja always had such hope, she couldn't walk away from a chance, however small, and disappoint her again. Her father did, and now...

In... Out...In...Out... She thought as she focused on her breathing as she tried to calm down. "No, er...um Yes, things are currently okay here. I need help, from your agency here. She said in what she assumed was a calm...er voice. If you do work here, which I assume you do. What with the brief case and all. I mean you probably wouldn't be asking if I "was okay" if you didn't would you? Well, there goes the calm. Hopefully the secretary and the gentleman, the well, attractive gentleman, didn't think she was crazy. She hoped the words quirky or eccentric crossed their minds instead.

This really wasn't going as planed...

[Athalya Shadestone]

Athalya had decided to go to the P.I that someone had told her about. She was wearing her huntress outfit, leather pants, the white medieval shirt and the leather corsage and her long black coat. She found the little detective place and entered through the door, but he used her power to open it out of habit. and quickly grabbed the door handle when she remembered this was a place normal humans would be.
She saw a man and two women in the room she entered, probably the waiting room.

They were currently talking together and Athalya didnt want to interupt them so she just stood there, leaning up againts the wall waiting for them to finish their talk.
Athalya saw the fluid soaking the carpet and the broken mug, there was still some pieces of it on the floor and some in the dark haired womans hand. Athalya couldnt help but to notice the woman seemed rather nervous, and Athalyas magical instincts told her that this dark haired woman would rather want to be somewhere else than this waiting room at the moment. Athalya Couldnt resist to use her power to save that beautifull carpet in the room and used her power to pull the fluid from the carpet and hold it as a bubble in the air, she made it drift towards her in face hights, knowing the humans would see it, and opened to door outside and placed the fluid bubble on the ground and let go of it as it splashed down on the sidewalk. She closed the door again and smiled to the people in the room, knowing that what she had just done was quite stupid.
"Umm, hello, my name is Athalya Amethyst Shadestone, and i need some help with a very unnatural thing." Athalya said to them, hoping they were as used to abnormal things as she had been told.