{ promotion mission } Priorities (Petra ft. Aleister)

[lizbot]

x_Nata_x

Portal Room at 1200 for External Mission briefing

LP

Portal Room at 1200 for External Mission briefing

The texts were sent out at the relatively reasonable hour of 9am, giving both trainees some time to prepare. As the sender was unfamiliar, it was likely no surprise to see a new face waiting for them when they arrived. The pale, dark-haired hunter greeted the two with an impassive expression, "My name is Stacey, I'm the acting head of the Death Division until Caelius is confirmed dead."  

[LP]

Aleister had been sorta shocked by the texts not demanding he be there now it was unusual as he grabbed a bite of breakfast before trying to figure out what he could possibly need for an external mission. Hopefully he wouldn't screw this up. His hands were thankfully doing a great deal better by now. He could actually use them. He also picked up the pace when he saw it was almost 1200.

<You should run faster. Maybe Caelius won't shoot you for being only a minute early.> Puca was chiding Aleister as he ran muttering about being late.

He was about to apologize for being late when he paused, who was this? <Caelius still isn't back....>. There was a small frown that increased as Stacey mentioned dead. It wasn't that he liked Caelius, he just missed the rude awakens and report now type texts. He glanced over to Petra and gave her a nod Hello as he stood there waiting for.. instructions; unsure really if it was safe to speak.  

[x_Nata_x]

When the text came, Petra had automatically started moving towards the door of the observatory at a brisk pace, her fingers already reaching for the 'abort' button which would summon another hunter to take over her watch. It was instinct, now -- text comes at 9 am, you'd better double time it, because you're already late. There was no doubt that nearly 99% of the hunter trainees felt the same way, and if they didn't yet, it was only because they were too green to know otherwise. They would learn soon enough. As for the moon trainee, it was almost second-nature by now. There was no jerk of surprise, nor any sort of hesitation -- swiveling in the seat, to an onlooker it might have seemed like she had been expecting it, or she'd practiced it a million times. Which, to be fair, after more than a year at Deus, she pretty much had. Petra had been vaguely surprised at the reasonable hour the text came, even before she'd read it, but it was only an after-thought, barely a conscious consideration. If anything, it only coaxed her to move faster -- if they weren't waiting until 3am to send out the text, clearly something was wrong.

It wasn't until her palm ghosted over the button, eyes skimming the pale blue screen that her eyebrows lifted a little in genuine confusion. Letting her hand linger on the button, she stared at the phone for a good whole minute, a minute she for some reason had the luxury of wasting, her confusion quickly turning to suspicion.

It was far too reasonable.

When 1145 rolled around, Petra stepped calmly into the portal room, fifteen minutes early out half out of habit, half out of this same paranoia which had been instilled in her by the heads of the divisions. As was expected, when Caelius' disapproving expression didn't meet her arrival, the moon trainee was not surprised. Instead, she was mostly intrigued. To her recollection, she had never seen this hunter before. Although there were plenty of hunters she had never met, and certainly had never even seen before, the mostly deadpan trainee would have certainly remembered the equally-indifferent demeanor the man was emitting. Taking a small side-step to the left, in order to vacate the area in front of the door, Petra took a few moments to look over the other hunter, midnight-blue eyes moving as unobtrusively as she could muster over his distinctly-masculine form. Only when Aleister appeared did she look away, glancing over at him and giving a noncommittal nod of greeting before her attention returned to the dark-haired man as he spoke.

She almost approved.

"Sir," she prompted, mirroring that same impassive look back at him. She would likely never call him 'Stacey' -- just like you didn't call Caelius, Caelius, you called him 'sir.' Unless you had a death wish."Will you be assuming his responsibilities as acting head of the Death Division, upon confirmation of his death?"

She didn't expect Caelius to truly be dead -- he was far too merciless a dictator.  

[lizbot]

With a nod to Aleister, the senior Death hunter fully he gave his attention to Petra for the first time in the last fifteen minutes, "That remains to be seen." There was a slight tightening of his jaw at this, but other than that, no outward change in expression. Eyes shifting back to the Death trainee, Stacey began to outline the mission, "As you should have heard, there's been a number of occurrences in both urban and rural areas around the world that can be construed as omens of a sort. Death and disappearances have gone hand in hand with these incidents."

Opening his folder, the hunter began placing down several maps and charts, each detailing the same area in a different manner. Gesturing for Aleister to come closer, he continued, "As a Death hunter, part of your duties will include looking for patterns and signs that precede supernatural activity. Freak electrical storms, unusual activity in animals, rare birth defects in both humans and livestock. The Deus library has a large selection on signs, omens, and prophecies."

The dark haired man paused and looked over at Aleister expectantly.  

[x_Nata_x]

The moon trainee didn't fail to notice the tightening in his jaw as he offered his reply, his demeanor frigid, but if this perturbed her, Petra didn't show any obvious signs of it. In truth, it didn't bother her in the least -- she related to that, almost a little too well, and respected it a great deal more than the friendly, bubbly, psychotic personality of a certain moon hunter. His response was curt, but she replied only with the slightest nod of her head in response, taking it as the end of that conversation. Which was just as well, considering he was doing the same. Taking a few steps away from the door frame, she moved towards where Stacey was laying out the mission, stopping a few feet to Aleister's left. From what she'd seen of the boy, he wasn't the most competent of trainees -- if she recalled correctly, he'd been a little confused during previous missions more than once -- something that left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. Still, during those times, he hadn't seemed to have had an attitude, which was something.

Unfortunately for Aleister, the man named 'Stacey' was not endearing him to her. That first gesture for the Death Trainee to come closer, and Petra's facade of composure slipped a little, a slightly surprised look crossing her features. Flicking her eyes to the newer trainee, she stared for a second before sliding her gaze back to the commanding hunter. It was her turn to tighten her jaw, then, the muscles in her shoulders tightening beneath the white hunter coat, thankfully unnoticeable. Keeping silent, she kept her arms at her sides, unmoving from where she had been standing beside Aleister.

If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was dismissing her. It took all her willpower not to openly glare at this new Death Hunter, and even then her indifferent expression grew noticeably darker.  

[LP]

Aleister looked a little shocked when Stacy started talking to him nodding and attempting to take notes, hopefully Puca would be able to help with that. "R-right." He had glanced over to Petra at least once before giving Stacy his full attention again.

He'd never really had anyone explain anything to him like Stacy had, well minus the few moments that Cass had mentioned the library and that there was lots of information in there. He nodded quickly, "So I... have time to look some of this up?" He was a little unsure if he should even ask that question. Knowing what to expect was a bit easier to digest than just being thrown out in the field with no indication of what to look for. However, he wasn't sure if he'd be allowed time to actually look up any useful information until they were back.  

[lizbot]

"No," a slight downturn of Stacey's mouth, "...we'll be going into the field to investigate the area first hand. I suggest you look into that area of research when you get back, as it will increase your ability as a Death Hunter." Gathering the papers, he neatly placed them back into the folder, "I've called you here for this particular mission to give you more experience with fieldwork, Aleister, and to assess your current ability level. If you exceed expectations, there may be a promotion in your near future."

Dark eyes shifted over to Petra, "Your job as a moon hunter will be to act as a guard, and aid him in his investigation. While I'll be in the area, don't think of that as a reason to be lax or get into a situation where you're in need of rescue. A moon hunter that needs to be saved or carried off the field is a hindrance and a danger."

He gave them a few moments to take it all in, "We'll be going to another abandoned farmhouse, this one long empty. A similar set of signs are recorded as occurring in the same area in 1999. I've sent a small information pack to your phones including the building specs, blueprints, the previous patterns, and the current ones. I'll be investigating the house itself, you'll be walking the outside." Stacey gave them both another long, quiet look, "Are you ready?"  

[x_Nata_x]

A body guard. While she gladly took this position normally, today it only further expanded that bitter taste that left her wanting to make a disgruntled face.

She didn't move to glance over at Aleister, despite how he looked over in her direction. She didn't have to -- he was practically oozing uncertainty, his unsure tone saying enough to leave her without a doubt of how he was feeling about this mission. Normally, she might have offered him some sort of misguided attempt at reassurance, as she had the previous times she'd seen him during missions, but the moon trainee did not move to do so today. Instead, Petra watched 'Stacey' with a steely look, completely motionless except to flick her eyes down to the papers he began tucking away in the folder. It would have been helpful for her to have gotten a chance to look over them, get a good feel for the perimeter they'd be following, what kind of omens had been seen, perhaps any places that might require extra caution, but she made no motion to speak again, nor try to take a look. She was far too proud. He'd gestured for Aleister to come forward, not her, and while she wasn't certain, the difference in his expectant speech to the Death trainee as opposed to his disapproving one to her was indication enough to her of his feelings -- apparently Death division could do no wrong. Or men, which was worse.

They did breed them crazy in Death, didn't they.

Pushing her luck a little, she made no effort to respond to Stacey's 'subtle' lecture towards her skills as a moon hunter, the only motion she offered being a slow blink of her eyes. Any more than that, and she was afraid she might be curt, which was generally against her own private set of rules. (Although really, considering how close she was to making an exception for Julie and how Doctor H was already an exception to this particular rule, she was seriously considering ditching it all together. The only thing that kept her hanging onto it at all was she knew backsass generally got you demoted.) Sliding her eyes over to Aleister at Stacey's question, she took a step forward to half move in front of him defensively in response, reaching up to tug the silver chain from her neck, pentagram morphing into her mace.  

[LP]

Aleister gave a sheepish grin, "Right. I uh... knew that." Somewhere in the back of his head Puca was laughing at him. Aleister sighed, he was already screwing up in front of a new 'temporary' leader. He nodded when Stacey mentioned looking into it when they got back. "Yessir."

There was a pause when the other mentioned there might be a promotion in the near future if he exceeded expectations. He nodded again, maybe a little more confident in what he was expected to do. After all this was a chance to redeem his sorry butt. He'd have to be at least try to be brave and stop shaking at shadows every time something passed he didn't like.

He was about to answer when Petra stepped in front of him. He tried not to look anything but serious, though it was a bit hard. He'd at least get to try to show her he wasn't a horrible hunter, maybe. He nodded at Stacey's question. <What's the worse that could happen?>

<I'm pretty sure you just doomed yourself with that thought>  

[lizbot]

Nodding, the Death hunter led them through the portal. The house was a dilapidated structure of peeling paint, weathered boards, and better days long since past. The barn fared no better, while the surrounding fields lent the buildings a dry a wasted backdrop.

Stacey's posture tensed, and his hands suddenly held a glowing set of kunai. The cause of his alarm soon became apparent as portal disappeared and the area was engulfed in complete and total silence. No wind, no animals or birds, no insect hum. This wasn't just the quiet of a land that gone to sleep for the winter, this was nothing.

"I'll take the house," his voice was jarringly abrupt, "you two scout the fields and barn. Take note of any patterns, signs, or objects that catch your attention. Call if you find trouble."

the ooc

Around the field and barn, there are a number of odd pieces of stone that trigger your FEAR sense.

Roll 1 d10
Even: you find 1 piece
Prime: you find two pieces
Anything Else: you come up empty handed

Pieces: [x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]

Once all pieces are found, you may choose to either put the pieces together or bring them to Stacey.

 

[x_Nata_x]

As with every time she stepped through the portal, Petra did not close her eyes.

It was an odd sort of thing to do. She assumed most hunters, at least the trainees, probably automatically let their eyes closed, even if it was just a quick blink to ease the transition. However, while not something explicitly taught, after the first few unsettling times of stepping through a door at one location and ending up in a completely different location all together a half-second later, the moon trainee had fallen into this forced-habit quite readily. The resulting sensation was jarring, a confusing jerk of each and every sense, but to her, it was worth it. Coming out on the other side prepared was important -- even a second of inattentiveness could have devastating effects, keen observation and quick reflexes could mean the difference between returning home safe and dying in a pool of your own blood in the middle of nowhere.

So she kept her eyes open. And, for the first time since she could remember, what greeted them on the other side was more unsettling than the transition.

Silence. An unholy stillness which not even a breath of wind dared break.

Shifting her weight a little uneasily, Petra's already-sober expression became all the more steely as she let her eyes travel in a wide arc around the perimeter, taking in the death-like stillness. As Stacey tightened his fingers around the kunai, her own knuckles whitened around the grip of her mace, muscles of her body coiled tightly. The death hunter's voice sounded unnecessarily loud compared to the quiet around them, and she had the sudden impulse to flinch, as if his order would draw every monster in the area to them. Except there was nothing. No sudden ambush, no piercing scream of something inhuman, not even the rustle of the long grass framing the house and barn. She waited a few more heartbeats before the moon trainee had no choice but to relax a little, (or go insane,) turning just slightly to watch Stacey head off towards the house to leave Aleister and herself to the surrounding.

'There is something near.'

Cain's voice in the back of her mind did not echo the same way the death hunter's had, the damped sound clinical and dark and unbound by the same logic which applied to outward speech.

'Where?'

'Twelve paces to your approximate left.'

Turning a little in the direction Cain had directed, Petra took a few slow steps forward, using the tip of the mace to part the tall grass of the field, stopping when she found a dark grey shape too large and too oddly-shaped to be a natural stone. "Aleister," she spoke up, and as with Stacey's her voice sounded too loud, despite how she'd only murmured it under her breath. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced over at the other trainee, nodding her head towards the piece of rune. She did not, however, touch it just yet. What it was, she had no idea, and it was never a good thing to touch something you didn't recognize, especially in the world of the hunters. Hopefully Aleister could provide some insight.

Pieces Found: 1/11  

[LP]

Aleister frowned as he entered the scene looking around and wincing at Stacey's loud voice in the considerable quietness. He nodded when the other said take note of any patterns and other things.

He had out his phone so he could take pictures of anything they found before they disturbed it. He frowned as he took a quick sweep of the area. Everything was deathly still.

<This is interesting... it almost feels like fear around here.>

<Oh great... I hope it's nothing deadly.>

He paused when he heard his name, "Yes?" He even winced at his own voice before moving to where Petra was looking around before stooping down to check what she'd found, snapping a quick picture. "Hm... this is interesting." He took note of it, Pookie wasn't summoned for the moment mainly because it was easier for him to work without the weapon in the way.

<What do you make of it?>

<It has some fear to it... otherwise I don't know....>

"Apparently it has fear laced in it." He frowned, "But further than that I'm not sure..." He paused and looked around, "I wonder..."

He got up and moved looking around the ground before stopping, finding another piece just like the first. "Okay that's more of it over here." He took out a rag and picked up the piece he found and walked back towards Petra to show her. "It might make more sense if we had it all." He was turning the piece over in the rag assuming it had been broken into different pieces. He grabbed out a couple of bags and shoved each piece into one. "Would you like some bags and a rag so that we can see if there's more around here?"


2/11  

[x_Nata_x]

It seemed that it wasn't an isolated incident -- Petra's eyes followed Aleister as he approached, noting that he had seemed preoccupied with something on the ground as well, phone in one hand. She assumed to take pictures of the anomaly. Although her deadpan mood wouldn't allow her to feel impressed by the insightfulness of the action, she would give him credit -- it was a smart idea. Taking out her own phone, the moon trainee angled it downward towards the broken piece of rock, the sound of a 'click' crisp and far too loud in the silence of the air. Even as the death trainee spoke, her fingers were automatically finding the buttons to send the image to the Deus mainframe to be analyzed, her eyes lifting to the blonde as they pressed 'send.'

"Lets search the parameter," she replied in agreement, following his movements as he leaned down to pick up the other piece with the rag. At his offer, she gave a short nod, extending a hand to take the rag and a few bags, both of which she tucked into her belt.

"We should spread out to maximize the area we cover. We shouldn't go outside each other's line of sight, however, and certainly not outside shouting distance," she spoke up again, looking over at him after she'd picked up the piece. She may have been feeling prickly about Stacy's preference for Aleister, but that didn't mean she was going to be negligent with her job. ... too negligent, anyway. "And I don't suggest full contact until Deus analyzes these images. Be careful."

4/11  

[LP]

Aleister nodded, "Sounds good." He looked around, for a second trying to figure out which way would be best to canvas the area. "It can't have scattered too far ..." He seemed hopeful, "Unless it's actually really big."

"Perhaps work from the inside out? If we find an area with more of these in a bunch, that might be the center of it." He was reaching but at the same time he almost felt like that it could be true. At least with his knowledge of waves, that didn't mean this thing made waves when it broke apart though.

He started searching the area in front of them and then to his right he started walking, since Petra was on his left. As he walked he almost stepped on another piece, "Got another one." He said as he picked it up with the rag he still had and shoved it into a free bag.

5/11  

[x_Nata_x]

Petra didn't reply for a few moments, merely staring at Aleister with a veiled expression as he spoke. It was hard to tell whether her wandering thoughts were considering the Death hunter's words or Aleister himself, but regardless of the subject matter, it didn't seem as if they were particularly pleasant. In this instance, however, it was not the other trainee but the artifact itself which had her eyebrows furrowing a bit, her already-cool expression turning icy. Whatever it was, she was growing more and more certain that it was connected to the deathly silence which lingered around this farm. The moon trainee allowed her eyes to fall to a random patch of dried grass, her expression softening a little, becoming a little less cold, and a little more mournful.

It was the sort of farm she had lived on, as a child. And now, it had been ravaged by something inhuman.

Aleister started to move off in one direction, and her gaze flicked up to him again, reverie momentarily broken as he broke the silence once more. Staying still for half a second longer, she watched as he bent to pick up another piece of the artifact, following it as he dropped it into his bag before shaking her head, clearing away the thoughts of what were now a life long gone. "You're likely correct," she replied a little curtly, if only to appease him -- whether he sensed that she was annoyed by Stacey's general comments, and therefore with him, or whether he merely didn't like the silence, she had gathered that he preferred conversation. Something she didn't, especially in these circumstances. Taking a cursory look around, the moon trainee narrowed her eyes a bit, searching for any sign of disturbance, every muscle coiled tightly.

7/11