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]

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.

[stealth_andsecrets]

"There is no Guardian to report these things too... so why wouldn't I go to the Mistress?" Graeme sounds confused.

[nonvillainouscipher]

"That you had any way of knowing about? None," Cipher Nine answers, evenly and with a quiet exhalation. "I'm just wondering why decided to go to her instead of, for instance... her husband, who, unless I'm missing something, should have been an equally viable option."

[stealth_andsecrets]

Graeme starts to get uncomfortable with the line of questioning. He is quite unhappy that the Guardian seems to think one would react differently than the other.

"Would not the reaction and consequences be the same?"

"The Master is more tied up with many other affairs... and often it is easier for any of us lost souls to find the Mistress. She finds time for us..."

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine makes note of that reaction, and pays a little bit closer attention to Graeme as a result. Nervous people tend to give away lots of things in their body language and tone of voice. "Sound reasoning," he concedes. "But Persephone and Hades aren't the same person. Or deity, rather. They have different personalities, different mindsets, different priorities. So no... their reactions would not necessarily be the same, and as a result, the consequences might not be the same either." He pauses for a split second. "That's not something everyone realizes about authority figures, though, so you didn't make a mistake or anything of the sort. That it was reported to Persephone first simply makes things a little more... complicated, from my perspective." (Which is putting it mildly, as far as Cipher Nine is concerned.)

[stealth_andsecrets]

Graeme crosses his arms, and addresses Cipher Nine frankly. "Not all of us are the favorite of the Guardian... so we don't get access to the Lord."

"No they ain't the same person. But the Mistress has always ruled fairly before. And I wasn't aware that going to her would make things complicated with you. How could I?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

"I just told you I wasn't blaming you at all," Cipher Nine replies, a mildly frustrated tone coming to his voice. "I was explaining why I needed to know the things I've been asking about, since you seemed confused about it." He narrows his eyes at Graeme a little. "Why so defensive all of a sudden?"

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Just seems to me you looking for a reason not to blame your friend. Must be nice... to get off scot free..."

"Can I get back to my punishment now?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Lindsay didn't do it," Cipher Nine repeats, quietly and sternly. "And fine. I have nothing further to ask you." He turns and walks away, back towards Purple, taking a few deep breaths to get a handle on the frustration that had risen up in him a moment ago.

[stealth_andsecrets]

"You look upset..." Purple was not close enough to overhear the conversation.

[nonvillainouscipher]

"The conversation got a little... vitriolic towards the end," Cipher Nine answers, stepping a little closer and taking her hand, squeezing gently, using the gesture to let out some of the tension built up during the conversation. He takes a deep breath and adds, "Graeme seems to be on the level, and he didn't actually have a clear view of Lindsay, so it's possible he could've been mistaken. But... he also mentioned reporting what he saw to Persephone before talking to anyone else." He leaves off there, allowing her room to draw her own conclusions, or voice her own thoughts and/or questions.