[IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

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Miracle
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by Miracle »

Seven Singh

While she was ready for the meeting, Seven mentally grimaced at the introduction from the man. But still, she kept a professional straight face, repeating with perfect the greeting to the man.

"Mister Santos," she said with upward inflection. "No sir, we're not here for your money," she smiled trying to sound sympathetic, "we just need information about your daughter." She reached her hand out in a gesture of greeting. He seemed the type that would be old enough to shake hands. "my partners and I are here to help."
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by jmucchiello »

Anne

Anne focuses on the victim's father and tries to examine their surface thoughts.

(Mind Reading 8, Sensory Link, Subtle 2) Power check: 1D20+8 = [7]+8 = 15 Having to roll rather than the Will DC just being 18 is different in 2e.
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by FuzzyBoots »

Aparecida mutters something under her breath about how the suit had seemed more professional, and how she didn't mean to look intimidating, and would leave the bird on her shoulder next time before taking a deep breath, and letting it out. Stepping forward, her voice coming out in a melodic timbre, she speaks.

"You contacted NPC Investigations. We're here to help. As you probably know, with missing people, the more quickly we can find them, the better the outcome. We'll ask you some questions, then we'll get out of your hair except for keeping you up to date as often as you wish." A lock of hair fell across her face, and she brushed it back, unconsciously leaning her head back slightly, and inhaling before letting it out in a breathy sigh.
"Sorry, I'm new on the job and I didn't mean to make a bad first impression. I hope you will forgive me," she heard herself say, vaguely aware that her power was probably kicking in.
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

It was not Seven who put Jorge at ease. He’d lived in poor neighborhoods long enough to be nervous around someone who openly wore body armor, especially if it was stylized like hers was. It was Fedora mentioning they were from NPC Investigations that alleviated his nervousness. “Oh, NPC! Do not worry about it, Miss. This is…not the best neighborhood. Please, come in. All of you.” He did not quite smile as he backed out of the foursome’s way, as he was still scared for his daughter. The de Santos’ apartment was, well, normal enough. A touch here and there to indicate a little pride in their Puerto Rican ancestry. Someone in the family was Catholic enough to hang a cross on a wall next to a drawing of Jesus. But normal enough. Not a large apartment, of course. Having six people in it would seem like a lot. “Camila, NPC is here to help find Nora.”

Camila de Santos was about the same age as her husband, and in about the same physical condition. She too has clearly Hispanic. She was wearing nurse scrubs in pink. She, for a moment, looked entirely forlorn, before brightening at her husband’s words and practically jumping off the couch. “I am so happy you are here. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Anything to help find my nena."
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Commander Titan
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by Commander Titan »

Cecil Mortlake

"A spot of tea would be lovely, Ms. de Santos, I thank you," said Cecil, looking for a place to sit. Soothing these worried parents would not be his strong suit. But once he could be directed at the -- he caught himself thinking the phrase "crime scenes," but that was too dark, when he wanted to summon optimism for the sake of the worried parents -- "locations of interest," he could start the wheels of science turning in his mind.

Until then, he resolved to sit down and be useful as his new...partners? Teammates? Comrades-in-arms? took the lead.

"Do you mind," he said, looking between the de Santos's, "if I take notes?"
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by jmucchiello »

Anne is sure to look at every wall, furnishing, and tchotchke in the rooms so she can recall it later with her eidetic memory. She changes the focus of her mind reading to Camila.
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Miracle
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by Miracle »

Seven Singh

Feeling Jorge's sad disdain at her presence was understandable. Hardly a faux pas, it still didn't make the parents want to open up about their daughter. Seven had to go the investigative route.

Seeing Cecil pull out an actual god's honest notebook was a confusing sight to say the least. She could type faster on her cell phone. It takes all types, she thought. Shaking her head at the offer of refreshments, she looked to Jorge again.

"Mister Santos," she said smoothly, "we'd like to know a little bit more about Nora. Do you know where she hung out and who her friends were? Was she active or did she keep to herself?"
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by FuzzyBoots »

Aparecida nodded gracefully at Mrs. de Santos's offer and said, "I'll take a coffee, black, if it's made up already." She figured that nurse scrubs suggested there was probably always a pot being brewed, and being able to provide hospitality might put the woman's mind at ease.

Along with Seven's questions, Aparecida added in, "And while we also have a lot of little details to ask about, we also want to know your thoughts of what might have happened. As a parent, you are in a better position to have noticed if, for example, there was someone new in her life, or she was acting in an uncharacteristic manner.
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Camila bustled into the apartment’s kitchen, which was only separated from the living/dining area by a half wall. “No, no. take all the notes you need if it finds my nena. And coffee and tea won’t take any time at all. We got this new machine that makes it instantly last week.” She was using a Keurig, and she was obviously a little proud of the tiny bit of luxury the family was able to afford.

While she worked, Jorge attempted to answer both Seven and Fedora’s questions. “My Nora, she is a good girl, you know? But kids, they get a little, eh…” He gestured vaguely. “I’m sure you all remember being fifteen. She didn’t bring any friends home with her, but she always made sure to text us where she was.” He looked a bit sheepish. “I think…she is a little…we take her to Mass every Sunday, you know? So we are…our house is a refuge from the world outside. Even if it is only music or movies, such things have power, if only in temptation.” He sighed. “My Nora, she used to tell me everything when she came home from school. Now…” He sighed again.

Camila returned with a cup of hot tea and one of black coffee. She gave the tea to Cecil along with a few sugar packets. The coffee went to Fedora. “Yes. All children have their rebellious phases, but my nena…she has gone…I think the word is goth?” Jorge nodded at her, and she continued. “The clothes are fine. I tell Jorge, it’s not a girl’s clothes but her morals that matter.” She smiled, briefly. “Sometimes he even listens.” And then she was worried again. “But the movies she likes now, and the music, and her new friends…I don’t know. Those creatures and those lyrics…” She shuddered and crossed herself. “I know they are not real, but nothing good comes from trespassing in such matters.”
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by Commander Titan »

Cecil Mortlake

Cecil graciously accepts the tea, and deposits the sugar into it, stirring gently with one hand, jotting down notes with the other.

Music - local or a widely recognized musician?
"Creatures"?
New friends - who? From her school or elsewhere?


Cecil wasn't quite sure what the medieval art and architecture had to do with popular music, but he filed that away to ask his companions later. Perhaps another case where a word had changed, or bubbled up and resurfaced with a new context, since he went into the ice.

Regardless, he felt the parents' discomfort at trying to relate to their daughter. His own parents, had trouble understanding his own interest in science as a boy. He'd rather take apart his father's rifle than go hunting. And the elder Mortlake's eyes had glazed over when Cecil tried to explain the chemical experiments he read about in scientific journals.
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by jmucchiello »

Anne switches her mind reading to Jorge to catch a glimpse of Nora's goth style and perhaps a glimpse of these monsters.
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by FuzzyBoots »

Aperacida's smile crooked up slightly on one side and her eyes unfocused slightly as she tried to figure out the diplomatic way to ask.
"Our world being what it is today, do you mean creatures as in animals? Thaumaturgical constructs? Aliens? People of monstrous or demonic heritage?" She did her best to keep any frosty out of her voice. Sometimes it felt like humans had shifted from racial divides to more exotic ones.

Putting a full comforting smile back on her face she added, "Can you walk us through the day you realized she's was missing? Include every detail you can think of. If you have some guesses or hunches, let us know those too, although please let us know which are facts you're certain of, and which are guesses..."
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

It was Jorge’s turn to cross himself. “Ay, bendito. No. These are all fiction. Fiction.” He named a handful of movies and two separate handfuls of names. One of which he said were artists and the other were musicians. “If my Nora was into anything real, I…” His hands shook briefly. “You don’t think her soul is in danger, do you?”

Camila shook her head. “No. Not my nena. She is a smart girl. Top of her class in school and at church. She would not do such a thing.” The woman paused. “When did we think she was missing? For me, when I came home this morning and she was not in her bed. I took the first train back from the hospital, so…perhaps 5? But Jorge was home. You said she went out with Manuel, papi?”

Jorge nodded, but he was wringing his hands out of sheer nervousness. “Yes. Manuel is her boyfriend. He was a good boy. The last few years…they have not been kind. He got into a little trouble with drugs. But dating my Nora seems to have freed him from addiction, thank God. They went out for New Year’s Eve. A group date with Mira, her boyfriend, and a few others. She texted us she would be staying at Mira’s for the night. They’ve known each other since pre-school. So not her not being here when I went to the office was not strange.” Jorge was growing more concerned as he laid it all out for someone else. “But she knew she had school today. I thought she would be home New Year’s night. I called. I texted. Nothing. Camila said do not worry. Perhaps she will borrow clothes from Mira for school and come home after.”

Camila was also now much more worried after having it laid out. “But then I came home and she hadn’t even come home for her schoolbooks. At 7 I called Mira-Jorge does not have the number-and she said she had not seen my nena since early yesterday and did not know where she had gone. She would not go anywhere else without telling us. She is a good girl.” Camila was halfway to panic. “Where would she go? Why would she not tell us?”
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by FuzzyBoots »

Princess Fedora

Aparecida nodded in encouragement, the names of the characters in the films largely flying over her head. Maybe I should have been watching more movies with minha Corruja... Inwardly, she mused at how fast this family was moving.

"It's good you got us involved early. The first 48 hours are important... not necessarily because there is danger," she added, not wanting to panic the parents, "but because, if they've run off, it gives us a chance before they start crossing state lines and the jurisdiction gets messy. Just to be clear, when you say Mira had not seen her since earlier yesterday, you mean that Mira said she did not stay over, or that Nora left early? Did the school say if she showed up at all today? Was there anyone else who saw her? Have you talked to Manuel?"
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Re: [IC] NPC Investigations-Tales From The Junior Associates (Case 1-Nora de Santos)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

“Since the morning after the New Year’s party. The four of them stayed at with Mira afterward. Is that important?” Camila was the very picture o a woman halfway to panic but trying to use logic to calm down. “Mira promised to text if she saw my nena in school today. They have a few classes together.” She picked up her phone from the coffee table and clicked it active momentarily to show. “Nothing.” She shook her head. “I called Manuel’s mother. He is…she said he was not well today, and staying home. She would not put him on the phone, but I could hear him muttering in the background.”

Jorge had something to add. “He can’t be that sick, mi vida. I saw him sitting on the porch before the detectives arrived.” He crossed to the window and looked. “He is still there. On the front steps o his building.” He returned to everyone. “I was going to go out and speak to him, but Camila said to wait for the detectives. We were talking about it when knocked.”

“You do not see him with a mother’s eyes, Jorge.” Camila crossed herself again. “You did not hear him in the background on the call with his mother. He is not well today. An amateur talking to him will only make him worse. And you know how protective his mother is.”

Jorge smiled weakly, still anxious about his daughter. “You see why I was still here when you knocked. My wife is a stubborn woman. I told her we did not need to call you so soon. Mira could text us in five minutes, and we'll have wasted your time. But after talking to Mira and Manuel's mother, she insisted on it.”
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