[Witzend R] Investigating the Hat Emporium (A/E/V)

[litian]

Quote:

This is a DAY prompt only:

Now that you know the hat shop exists, you can't help but try to scope it out. There's police tape all over the place and it's definitely barred from entry which...wouldn't be too much of a problem if the streets weren't so crowded or you felt like you were being watched. Still, you meander by and hope that you can get one of the locals to talk or...maybe you can eavesdrop on the right conversation...

(Disposable Senshi players are welcome and encouraged to interact with Agents for this one.)

Madeline's, apparently it was a name of a former hat shop located on the far end of Witzen that was listed as a potential place of interest–

Which meant that a scope out was in order and was how Ashley had found herself in the company of a couple of agents - Jadarite (or rather Emilia given that they were unpowered) who she recognised from the shopping district information gathering mission and Leifite (aka Velma), who was not someone who she had worked with before.

As was her habit, Ashley had arrived early to the agreed on meeting place, her mind mentally running through the small amount of information that she had on the hat shop - namely that it had been named Madeline's after the owner of the same name and that there had been a recent fire there that had burned down the shop and killed the owner.

But it was a place of interest, which suggested a potential to be more to that–

Although with all the 'police line do not cross' tape all over the place and it being the middle of the day it seemed that any investigation would have to be more of the indirect sort.

a-disgruntled-dragon

hope this works as a starter for you both

stari_maga

let me know if I need to tweak anything

 

[stari_maga]

Emilia had been spending most of her time thus far on the mission treading the rumor mill. She'd gotten a few interesting tidbits for her trouble, first, general distress about a city that had gone to the birds, which seemed likely to have something to do with the senshi problem. There was also the more specific rumor that one of the other agents had heard as well, about a hat shop that may have been burned down with someone inside.

It was like pulling teeth to get anyone to actually talk about it, though, which meant that some fieldwork was necessary, and Emmy was quick to join up with a group that wanted to investigate the shop itself.

She arrived with a few minutes to spare, but when she saw a familiar face framed by blue curls next to what appeared to be an active crime scene, she couldn't help but notice that Ashley had beaten her to the meeting spot yet again. Hmm. Well, at least she could be confident in the fact that she wasn't late, or even last, as there was supposedly another lieutenant on the way. She gave a quick smile as she walked over and gave what was left of the hat shop a once-over. "Hi, Ashley."

The fire was the whole reason that she was here, but she'd almost been expecting something a little more subtle, not a mess of police tape and everything else looking crispy and blackened. It wouldn't be too easy to fully rummage around. "So it really did burn down," she said, not as careful to keep her voice down. "That's a shame, I thought a hat could be a fun souvenir."

litian

a-disgruntled-dragon

 

[litian]

Despite being the first one to the agreed on meeting place, it seemed that Emilia hadn't been that far behind her with the other agent arriving not long after.

It was something that that Ashley appreciated given the fact that punctuality - and being on time to one's assignments - was something that was important to her and that she personally put the effort into.

Her lips quirked up in a small, but answering smile as the other agent approached - and whilst the other agent had spoken a little loudly than she personally would have, it wasn't something that she couldn't work with - after all she and Shannon had themselves tried to play the tourist route.

"It is a shame," she said, with a small sigh that she tried to make sound sad, keeping her own voice at normal tone as grey eyes glancing around surreptitiously for a moment to see if she could spot the third agent assigned to scoping out the hat shop "I'd heard so much about the.."

Her voice trailed off as another voice chose that moment to speak up, her eyes narrowing at the patronising tone, although her lips still quirked up in a smile that had decidedly much less warmth.

"Yes we are here on business" she said, a coolness in the soft words, "With the key point being to fit in." The word 'fit' was ever so quietly and carefully stressed "So please avoid the use of the word civilian."

Voice back to a more normal tone she continued "It really is a shame about the hat shop, I had so been hoping to pick up a hat for my mother." Another surreptitious glance, Ashley trying to make it look as if she was looking around disappointed "Maybe someone from around here might be able to help us tourists out."

a-disgruntled-dragon

stari_maga

 

[stari_maga]

Any hint of pleasure that she would have shown at Velma following up promptly behind them, allowing them to truly get started, was erased by narrowed brows when the other woman decided to criticize her tone of voice. It wasn't like she'd been shouting or exaggerating, just having a nice conversation with her friend that someone could maybe decide to step into.

When Ashley, who was the Captain underneath her street clothes, told the other woman off, Emmy's glare shifted nicely into a smug smile. "I can't really pass for a local," she said, her voice casual, hushed, and undeniably American, with just a hint of southern length to her vowels, "And either way, I think tourist is better than gawker."

Or undercover agent, as the case may be, but she wasn't about to say that.

In a slightly quieter conversational tone, she added, "We could see if some of the other stores picked up any leftover stock? I'd hate not to be able to get a Witzend hat at all." It also seemed like shopkeepers had decent knowledge about what was going on.

litian

a-disgruntled-dragon

 

[Nuxaz]

A pair of elderly looking women in fantastics, big, over the top hats could be heard chattering away at the cafe next door. They're sitting in the outdoor seating and clearly seem to be eavesdropping with how their conversation suddenly shifts.

"Did you hear about poor Maddy?"

"Oh, that strange woman. It's really so traaaaggiiic what happened."

"Oh. I know. They say her ghost still haunts the place, that's why the police won't let anyone inside.

stari_maga

litian

a-disgruntled-dragon

 

[litian]

Ashley assumed from the inclination of Velma's head that her point had been made and whilst the other had not called it such, she was quite happy to take it as an apology.

There was an amused tilt to her lips as Emilia spoke - because it was true that her accent was unmistakably American, "Playing local isn't really an option for any of us" because Witzen seemed like one of those places in England where anyone who wasn't from Witzen was to some extent an outsider and so whilst Ashley's own accent was undeniably British, there were differences, differences that she was sure that the locals had picked up on.

Although talking about locals–

It would have been hard to miss the shift in conversation, the source a pair of elderly woman who appeared to be taking tea at the cafe next door - and whilst Ashley personally didn't think that there was any such ghost, they seemed to be gossips - and there was potential in gossip.

"It's a potential" she said in answer to Emilia, "Maybe those two ladies over there may be able to help us - I can't help but notice how lovely their hats look."

Adding in much a quieter voice and managing not to raise a blue eyebrow at the 'Ash' name "I think two of us should see if those two ladies are in a chatting mood and see what we can find out from them, whilst one of us tries to see if we can pick up on something out of place."

She added, voice still soft, lips still tilted in a smile as if in answer to something that one of the others had said "I think Emilia should be one of the two who chats to the ladies, but I don't care how we split" because she was equally happy to either try engaging to two woman in conversation or to try picking up clues "But lets regroup in say around half an hour or so with a caveat that it may be less or more depending on things go."

Nuxaz

a-disgruntled-dragon

stari_maga

 

[stari_maga]

Emilia was glad nobody was trying to play local. She didn't mind acting like a lost tourist relying on strangers for help and news, but she didn't want to constantly have to pretend like her partners knew more than she did. Especially not Velma.

Emmy perked up a bit when she heard the two local women talking nearby. They were older, with loud voices and louder hats, vaguely reminiscent of another woman she'd seen at a cafe downtown. It was quite a relief to see them and to hear their voices carrying, too. The old gossipy types were the only ones that Emmy had been able to squeeze any information from around here. If they were talking about ghosts, they might not be the most reliable, but it was something.

She flicked her gaze back from the women and let it linger on Velma for a moment, the same smug smirk on her lips, before she focused in on Ashley. She simply nodded at the instructions, not wanting to talk too much even in hushed tones now that they'd caught someone's attention.

"It's okay, guys," she said, now trying to channel every bit of extroverted American she could muster. "I can be the one to ask where they got those great hats, and if there's any hope for us."

She took a few steps forwards, letting her partners decide among themselves who would follow her while she started waving at the two ladies with their tea, shooting them the aforementioned confused tourist look. "Um, excuse me?"

a-disgruntled-dragon

litian

Nuxaz

 

[Nuxaz]

One of the women turned sharply when address, beady eyes narrowing over a large round noise. She seemed to regard the three women, lips pursed, and a hand lifting to tap her mouth. On her long, narrow fingers with even longer nails, sat some heavy rings almost reminiscent of the woman Emilia had spoken to previously.

She did not seem as over the top despite the large brim of her hat and the feather that decorated it.

"What can I help you with my dear?"

litian

a-disgruntled-dragon

stari_maga

 

[litian]

With Velma opting to see if she could pick up on anything out of place around the police tape, it seemed that she would be joining Emilia in engaging the two elderly gossips in conversation, she gave Velma a small, almost barely there nod before turning to walk after Emilia, trying to lengthen her stride imperceptibly so that the blonde wouldn't be too far ahead of her.

She let Emilia take the lead, keeping her expression friendly as she did her best to try and play the part of tourist friend as one of the women turned at Emila's wave and address.

A beady, sharp-eyed stared glanced over them, the older woman's lips pursing as a hand lifted and tapped at her mouth before asking them what she could help them with.

Ashley left it for Emilia to answer, as the one who had opened up the conversation it made sense for the blonde to take point, at least to her and in this moment in time it did - although Ashley was fully prepared to do her part in keeping the pretence up in the hopes that it would help in picking up potential clues to help the wider mission.

Nuxaz

apologies in taking so long with this all

a-disgruntled-dragon

stari_maga

 

[stari_maga]

Emmy's smirk grew when she saw that Ashley was the one coming up on her heels. For one thing, it meant that Velma was the one left alone and staring at police tape. For another, she was finding that Ashley was good to work with.

She gave the other girl a second to add a question if she wanted to, but since she didn't, Emmy kept her attention on the old ladies.

"Did something happen here? We heard this was where we could get those signature hats we keep seeing around," she said pretty quickly, since it seemed that even the people willing to talk around here never wanted to talk for long.

"Do you think there's extra stock in another location?" she asked, then realized she was maybe staring a little too intensely and added an, "...Or something?" to make it sound less like she was an agent on a mission.

litian

Nuxaz

a-disgruntled-dragon

 

[Nuxaz]

Dark eyes blinked, narrowing a fraction of an inch before the old woman's attention had shifted back to her companion.

"It's oooold news, sweetheart." Thin fingers waved almost dismissively. She glanced over at the police tape and the woman standing too close. "Obviously something happened, look at it."

It sounded like she was scoffing.

"Police won't accept that Maddie went mad and destroyed everything." There was a shake of her head and a long, drawn out sigh.

"Was the only place like it, count a loss when you see one sweetie."

stari_maga

litian