Thread: Strange Town, Stranger Mystery (Chichi Cheetah and Freckled_Beauty)

Dale climbed out of his car, shutting the door softly and walking up to the front door of the shuttered shop. He glanced one way, then the other, confirming the area was empty before pressing a hand against the glass. As his skin contacted the pane of the door, the limb phased into a whorl of smoke, sliding in through the edges of the doorway. The rest of his body followed suit, leaving nothing behind on the outside of the shop. Inside, his shape reformed and he tugged his jacket a bit to readjust it, grimacing - he wasn't much a fan of disintegrating these days, preferred staying solid. Let's see here, what has miss Hilda left behind, he said out loud, to nobody. But there was something in the air in here and caution was undoubtedly the way forward. He walked around the shop in silence, not touching a thing, as he observed the stillness and he stopped at the counter, where she'd probably spent much of her time in the store, and rested his hands on the counter. If I were a fortune-teller, what would spur me to leave, he sighed. Oh, he knew the answer - had done something similar in his far-away youth, when fear had been stronger than his insatiable curiosity. He glanced up, examining the trinkets of the room, before pushing away from the counter, turning around and leaning back against it. If he could even grasp a bare hint of a wish, of a dream, here, maybe he could find her - at the very least, track her direction. He just hoped she wasn't walking straight into the creature's den. ----- Toni watched the red Honda drive up to the motel, tilting their head and narrowing their eyes as Aliana climbed out. She checked the picture - yep, match. The absolutely beautiful Camaro had already been parked here and as Toni checked what Ari had sent them, they blinked That was Genesis's car??? Oh, wow. Toni had a few questions about that engine... Damn it, work now, be a car nerd later, Toni, they scolded themself, sliding out of the car and walking around the back of the motel once Aliana was heading inside. Where was the clerk anyway? Toni peered through the small office window, seeing the older employee asleep at a desk. Ah, that would do it. Toni shook their head and rolled their shoulders, flexing their fingers as they pushed the window up and open with ease. Attaboy, they chuckled softly, climbing in and shutting it quietly. It squeaked a decent bit, but the ringing of the bell at the desk might hide it. Grabbing a jacket from a coat hook, Toni dressed up as an employee and gently touched the back of the employee's head, closing their eyes and inhaling deeply. Unlike Ty, the younger shapeshifter usually had to touch someone to borrow their shape the first few times - Toni wasn't sure if that was to do with amnesia-related issues or just a result of their younger age. But in moments, Toni no longer resembled their usual youthful, snarky self and instead looked like an average, small-town citizen. After grumbling and testing the voice for a moment, Eddie Toni had to glance twice at the guy's nametag opened the door, squinting at the two women as he mimed sleepiness. Sorry, slow night. Eddie approached the desk, opening the roster and turning it to face Genesis since she was closest. Go ahead and fill out the info, I'll grab the keys. It was apparent by their body language that the two didn't know each other. That was good - made it less complicated, trying to figure out what the two wanted. You can either pay by the night or all at once for the duration of your stay, room service usually comes around at nine AM, sometimes ten. If you don't want bothered, there's the relevant signs you can hang on the doorknob in your room. The false employee scratched his chin, adding, Diner up the road, vending machines out in the hall to your right when you step out of the office. Eddie tilted his head, What brings you to Sanford? Not really tourist season right now. ----- Kristoff had just begun to slip into dreams, and those dreams were rarely pleasant. He only saw his old office, in his old house - a calm escape in a tumultuous city. Everything was in its place, as it had always been, books alphabetized and desk tidy. But at the large window behind his desk, a woman stood with her back to him, shoulders slumped and head bowed. Limp blond hair hung over her neck and shoulders, her body damp from rain, even though the rest of the room was dry, and he tensed as he watched her start to lift her head. No, don't- Not again! Even in his sleep, he was mumbling the words. God, Kris, wake up, wake up, he covered his face with his hands - instead stared at the mess of his hands, seeing dried blood around the fresh stumps of his fingers. He tore his gaze away and up, jolting when he saw the woman had moved - closer, so close he could touch her, but her back still facing him. Don't, please don't look at me, don't- don't-! The knock on the window made him jump, though not far, in his seat, staring at her with wide red-rimmed eyes as he panted lightly. O-Oh, Jacoby! Uh... yes, he answered vaguely, half-hearing her words as he fixed his glasses. He stared briefly at his scarred hand as his friend moved to the other door to climb in, turning his own hand back and forth a few times to really dismiss the nightmare, before exhaling in soft relief. This wasn't the first time someone had woken him up before he'd really gotten into it... But he was glad it was her, this time. He gave a token protest as she grabbed his keys from his pocket and stuck his tongue out briefly at her, sitting up straighter in the driver's seat and perking up at the very notion of coffee and food. Orange juice didn't sound too bad, either! That smells incredible! Something new? he asked, chuckling at the placing of the napkin on his chest and fixing it so it was tucked partially into his shirt collar. He picked up the muffin and took a small bite of just the top, 'mm'ing briefly, before taking a proper bite and going 'mmff!!' even with the warning of the surprise. Luckily, he still had a hand on the napkin and used it to clean up the short mess he made, wiping his mouth and holding the muffin carefully in his other hand so it wouldn't drip anywhere it shouldn't. This, he said after swallowing, is absolutely heavenly, Jacoby. You've outdone yourself again. He smiled at her. Thank you, this is perfect. Between the amazing breakfast and the cool breeze gently passing through the car, he almost felt human again. It was at this moment, as had happened with so many other small moments, he was grateful that Jacoby had popped up here, in Sanford, of all places. She was exactly the ray of sunshine people needed. He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin after he finished the muffin, asking her, Have things been quiet on your end of town? Ever since the attacks had started, he'd been nothing short of worried about her. He wasn't very good at hiding it, either. He knew he probably qualified as an outsider, himself - every victim, with the exception of the witches who had died, had all come to town within the last ten years, hell even within a few bare months, and they both fell within that window of arrival. But he was as human as you could get. Hearing dead people didn't count as very supernatural, compared to Sanford's denizens. The thing's been too quiet. It's starting to freak Ty out. Lenora keeps coming and sitting in my office when she isn't pacing around hers. ----- Ari remained in her seat under the tree, her dog curled up under an arm as she read her e-book on her phone. It sucked, but the vampire couldn't focus - hadn't been able to focus in weeks. The agitation, the nerves - all of it had started when the coven's combat witch, Marceline, had died attacking the beast. Marcy... her ex. Ari rubbed her eyes after putting her phone down, gritting her teeth and exhaling as she tilted her head back into the tree. Her phone beeped pleasantly and she snatched it back up, half-wondering if it was Ty with news of an attack - and both relieved and disappointed that it was Elena. She smiled, a little guiltily, and texted her back, Yep, I've got Oldboy with me! He's full of energy after not going to the park for so long. I'm just glad our backyard is enough for Pepper and Mastodon. She settled back against the tree, scratching the beagle's ears affectionately as he curiously looked up at her. Guess who's coming to see you, buddy, she cooed, grinning as Oldboy's tail started thumping. Your favorite person in town! The beagle snuffed in his special beagle-way and nuzzled up to her more, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he grinned a content doggy grin.