Jorgicle Cats: When You Hear a Dining Room Smash

[goneawaymod]

So far as Ranulf and Carolina are told, they're being sent on this fetch quest because they happened to be the nearest to the armory when the Jorg handler in charge of rounding people up needed two warm bodies. Regardless, they're assured that they'll do just fine at this mission, which should just be going to a theater in a Livable Zone town the Rig's passing and picking up some charmed item the Stuff has bestowed upon this place. The townsfolk should consider it fair that after all the Jorg's done for them, they should agree to a very low price for this charmed item.

The problem is, of course, that while Ranulf and Carolina are en route to the theater in this little town, two things happen. The first is a small wave of Stuff that's gotten in past its bounds. It's gotten to the theater, where it's overwhelmed the cast, who are putting together a dance performance that involves electing a sacrifice or something about the Heavysigh Layer or something like that. The Jorg's brief wasn't super clear, but before Ranulf and Carolina get dropped off, they're warned that they might find anything in there, and appropriately given any weapons or gear they need.

The second thing that happens is a murder, although they don't know that quite yet.

The theater is one of the only ones in the Livable Zone, and it's a bit of a dump. From the outside, it doesn't look like it was supposed to be a theater at all, and more like someone took a warehouse and slapped a sign on it declaring that opening night for CATS is tomorrow. A paper taped to the door says REHEARSAL IN SESSION: please be quiet and conscientious.

And standing outside, Ranulf and Carolina will hear a sudden, earpiercing scream.



[*OOC:

- When you explore something or need a mod answer, please put in bold what it is and what you're doing so I don't accidentally skim over it and leave out your clues.

- I'll be trying to tag multiple times a day so it's up to you how fast y'all want to go. Depending on your choices, there are at least three options: big win, win, and failure.

- Powers and gear that characters get on missions are available.

- Please consider the timing of this plot a little flexible in case it goes past the Don't Touch That Dial plot, which it very well might.]

Comments

[onequartershark]

[ Carolina at least appreciates that she's back in armor. It's like part of her body has been missing. That's... probably not the healthiest way to feel about being covered in metal, but there it is.

She's about to say something like "how bad can it be?" when she's interrupted by that sound. It's flinch-worthy and her head snaps toward the noise. ]

...I feel like step number one is figuring out what that was.

[ Unknown stuff weirdness or not, job or not, somebody's in trouble. Carolina starts toward the entrance. ]

[nyanhat]

[ Ranulf, for his part, is lightly dressed and lightly armed as usual, because armor only gets in the way when you're all claws, teeth, and speed. He'd be just as happy if this stayed simple and he never had to play that card, of course, but he's already starting this mission in a place of "unsure how annoyed to be," because... CATS.

Moments like this are why whenever they say it's all chance and they just sent whoever was handy, he does not believe an Ashera-damned word. ]

That sounded neither quiet nor conscientious.

[ He's right there and keeping pace, though, because even when he's being a smartass, Ranulf is still more do-gooder than not. If it's trouble, then someone might need a hand. ]

[piper90npcs]

[There isn't any further screaming as they approach the entrance, but there's a swell of sound that suggests that there's an alarmed crowd inside, all surging alarm and gossip. Upon opening the doors, Carolina and Ranulf are greeted by the sight of about twenty-five costumed performers in spandex and furry headdresses agog at what appears to be a freshly-killed decapitated woman's body on the floor. It is, as they say, "fresh". The neck stump is still spurting blood.

"Did anyone see who-" one performer starts to ask, before her words are swallowed up by the crowd murmuring and near-panicking amongst themselves.

More alarmingly, it's immediately clear what the Stuff wave did: though the thespians all appear to have the murder more immediately on their mind, they also seem be varying degrees of non-human, some with monkey-like tails or short, flat fur running down their bodies, or triangular ears on the top of their heads pushing their fake cat-ear headdresses askew. The only thing that stays consistently human appears to be their hands.

An tailed actor in what appears to be a magician's tuxedo approaches the corpse and gestures in its direction with a magic wand, making a grunting "gah!" noise and then pausing to see results. In the ensuing awkward silence, someone in the back says "dude, Trevor, I think she's actually dead". After another moment, another voice contributes "yeah, her head's like totally gone. Has anyone seen her head?"

It can't have rolled far. The space itself has more room for stage than audience's folding chairs. The stage is framed by large rings of set-pieces made to look like oversized garbage. There's something massive and heavy-looking behind a tarp in the rafters, maybe the size of boat.

At this moment, the actors haven't yet noticed Ranulf and Carolina.]

[onequartershark]

[ Ranulf's comment gets a light snort. ]

I get the feeling that nothing around here ever is.

[ She's definitely thinking about the whole cherub... situation that they just weathered.

As for this one, though, at least the actors don't seem to have turned into anything dangerous. Not smart, maybe, but not apparently dangerous. It's leaving her feeling slightly overdressed for the occasion.

But only slightly.

Carolina's head tips toward Ranulf as she observes the gaggle of modified actors. ]

I'm gonna try talking to them.

[ The way she says it indicates she's open to input on what to do before blowing cover, but they probably only have a few moments and this is what her instinct is here. The guy waving a magic wand isn't inspiring confidence, but they seem like they're maybe dumb and not murderous. (Well. Whatever killed that woman notwithstanding.)

Carolina has a wealth of experience with dumb. ]

[nyanhat]

[ Despite the fact that he's one of the most diplomatic of his species, Ranulf does not have high hopes for talking to this crowd. But...really, what else are they going to do? ]

I've got your back. If you hear a strange hissing noise, just assume that's the sound of my soul fleeing my body.

[ Seriously, something in him just died at hearing the reaction to a headless body being "dude, I think she's actually dead." ]

[piper90npcs]

[Once Carolina approaches, one of the actors - a stout man with a costume monocle and a much-too-real coat of chest-fur - turns and takes note of her, while someone in the back yells "oh, are those the police? they're fast..."]

Hello, hello. Pardon the commotion, it, ah, appears that our bad luck curse has killed Grizabella. Can I help you with anything today?

["I found the head!" comes from the back.]

[onequartershark]

[ It is to Carolina's credit that she falters only slightly as she gets close enough for the cat fur to become truly uncanny. ]

My associate and I are here on behalf of the Jorgmund corporation.

[ Okay. She's off to a good start. Keep acting like this is normal and fine. ]

We're on orders to retrieve a Stuff object that the company has an interest in.

[ Shit. Um. She should probably address the whole dead presumably-actor situation? ]

I'm... sorry for your loss?

[ Nailed it. ]