Where the Wicked go after Death

[stealth_andsecrets]

Purple leans against a wall, inside the back-room of the Caritas. For the last hour or so, she has watched Winston (War) tend carefully to the ailing Lorne. Many of her siblings were around the bar, as one of Lorne's requests was for them to get acquainted with the business (so they could run it once he was gone from this world.).

It was almost too much to bear at times, to watch Lorne get sicker and sicker... and feel so helpless to help him. There were so many times when she was so close to tears... sick to her stomach with the thought of losing him.

Winston came to sit beside her. He smiled softly, looking at his younger sister. "Where is your boyfriend today?"

"You need to speak to him?"

"Yes. I do."

Purple pulled out her PINpoint, sending Niverian a message, asking him to come to the Caritas as soon as he was available.

Comments

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine gives Hades a bow of his head in thanks. "Duly noted." By now he knows how things here in the Underworld work, and that they'll find Graeme MacDougall soon after speaking his name. "I will keep you apprised, my Lord." He turns back to Purple (and Winston, if he's still with them), and says, "Let's go find Graeme MacDougall, shall we?"

[stealth_andsecrets]

"I must keep my post here, for your return trip," Winston politely declined the offer.

But Anastasia was more than willing to help solve the mystery.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Niverian nods. "Alright. See you when we get back, then." He takes Ana's hand and starts heading for the nearest exit, so they can begin looking for their quarry.

[stealth_andsecrets]

They make their way towards the First Level, first having to go through the Elysian Fields and Limbo itself. Strange as it is, everything seems so familiar to Anastasia, now they have been there three times.

"Do you think we will find a real person?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

It's starting to feel very familiar to Niverian as well, but he supposes it's only appropriate. As Hades said, this will be his home one day. "I'm not sure," he answers with a small shrug. "I don't have enough information yet. If we do find a real person, I'm fairly sure he'll turn out to be someone else's stooge. But even if we don't, it'll still be a pretty strong indicator of what's really going on. Trying to conceal your identity like that could be considered consciousness of guilt." He pauses and smiles a little. "Well. Unless you're someone who works in espionage."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"I hope we can help Lindsay."

[nonvillainouscipher]

"So do I," he answers quietly, taking her hand again and squeezing gently.

[stealth_andsecrets]

They approach a bog, where it seems that Graeme MacDougall's eternal punishment is to sink to his death, over-and-over again. Cipher Nine will have to brave the dangerous bog himself, to reach his witness.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine halts at the edge of the bog, grimacing a little as he takes a good long look around, trying to scout out the places where the land is most solid and dry. Then he makes his way across the bog slowly and carefully, testing each patch of ground in front of him before stepping onto it, sticking to the places where the ground is firmest, and least likely to pull him under.

[stealth_andsecrets]

It seems, that a Guardian won't have to face the same trials as those doomed to their punishments, for Cipher Nine soon discovers he has no troubles finding a path. And when a path is not available, rocks form to provide him one.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Well, that's definitely a relief. And a little bit odd (in that 'this is new' way), though he's certainly not going to complain about it. Once he knows he doesn't need to watch his step, Cipher Nine starts walking at his usual pace, a brisk, confident, and business-like stride, keeping an eye out for Graeme MacDougall.

[stealth_andsecrets]

Graeme was in the middle of sinking down into the bog, when Cipher Nine approached. The presence of a Guardian brought a halt to the punishment, and the man was able to steady himself on the surface.

He had a thick Scottish accent when he spoke. And wore an outfit similar to one that a member of the Black Watch would have worn in the 1880s. "Good morrow to you, Guardian."

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine halts a few paces away, giving Graeme a small, polite smile and bow at the waist.
"Good morrow," he echoes. "I have a few questions for you, about your testimony to Lord Hades regarding Lindsay MacDonald."

((I am safe and sound in Maryland :). We are not going to the mountain house as I hoped we would be, so I'll be available for TOR and such most days during the daytime, while Mom is at work.))

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Ask away Guardian," Graeme makes himself comfortable, while he can.

((glad you arrived safely!))

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine smiles a little, nods, and, out of sheer force of habit, falls into a military 'at-ease' stance—straight-backed, arms clasped behind his back, the way he always stands either when he's being briefed/debriefed, or when he's giving a briefing of his own... and, occasionally, while he's carrying out an interrogation. Which is effectively what this is, no matter how polite he tends to be about it. "Let's start at the beginning, then. Please tell me exactly what you saw, in as much detail as possible."

((Sorry for the delay. Drama at home, courtesy my younger sister. -_-))

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Let me take you to the spot, where I witnessed the event," Graeme offered. "I start my daily penance at the top of that hill," He pointed to a small hill nearby. "From the top, I can see others in their penance."

Graeme started up the hill, something he did every night after drowning in the bog. He did have a clear view of others in the first level, including the area where Lindsey would have been shot daily.

"About a month ago, I noticed yourself, Guardian speaking to the man. Then a couple weeks later, the two souls that escorted you had brought a woman to the man you had spoken to. He was very happy to see her. Later in the week, I observed strange occurrences by the man. Attempts to escape his penance."

((no worries))

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine follows Graeme up the hill, surveying the view below them with great scrutiny, approximating how far away the spot is from Lindsay's previous 'residence', among other things. Eyewitnesses aren't always reliable, and the farther away they are from what they observed, the more likely it is that they're mistaken about one or more things they witnessed. Not only that, they often mix preconceptions and assumptions with what they actually saw.

"And you're sure it was him?" Cipher Nine asks Graeme, still surveying the view before them. "There's no chance it could've been someone who simply resembles him?"

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Why would someone else, who resembles him, be in the exact spot as that man's penance? Our penance areas are assigned... if someone else was resembling him... then that would be even more evidence against him."

((my day off was cancelled, since a coworker was sick. sad face))

[nonvillainouscipher]

"You're assuming he was complicit," Cipher Nine replies, glancing back over his shoulder at Graeme. "I doubt he had any knowlege of it all. The imposter, assuming I'm right about this, probably used that particular rule deliberately, to make Lindsay appear all the more guilty. After all, when you're trying to frame someone for a crime they didn't commit, you want to pile the evidence against them—the more you can add, the better." He nods back down at Lindsay's old penance spot. "I know a frame-job when I see one. I've had to do a few of them myself."

((Blah, that sucks. Also, wasn't happy with the first tag, so I deleted and rewrote it. >.>))

[stealth_andsecrets]

Graeme frowned, confused. "Who would frame a dead man?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

"That is the question of the hour," Cipher Nine replies quietly. "This reeks of vendetta to me, but there could be any number of reasons. You know as well as I do that just because you're dead, doesn't mean you aren't beyond punishment." He turns back to Graeme. "So, if you don't mind... Are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure the man you saw was actually Lindsay?"

[stealth_andsecrets]

"He looked like the man assigned to that post. He didn't look any different to me... but as you said, Guardian, I am a distance away. I can't tell you anything different."

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine takes a long breath, then nods. "Did anyone else see it happen?" he asks.

[stealth_andsecrets]

"I don't know. I can't see what others do."

"The Mistress of the Underworld accepted my report without question."

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine immediately stiffens when he hears that. "You went to Persephone with this?" he asks, voice carefully neutral, while claxons start going off in his head.