Menaces and Mysteries: A Fallen London RP (closed, started)

[Green Shoes]

Mickey beamed brightly at Priscilla's compliment, deeply appreciating both the nicety and her swift explanation. It seemed to him that it didn't matter too much that his reading abilities were lacking, and instantly felt more at ease around the small, dark-haired woman. A small nod was all he received from the squid man; he still seemed somewhat nervous, and he was about to extend his hand when Ptolemy mounted his shoulder and gave a swift introduction.

"I won't squash you. You're quite polite."

A deep, resonating chuckle sounded from his chest as he continued to take stock of the room. He noticed a shift, dark-featured man somewhat staring at him. Hoping to continue to make friends, he gave him a friendly wave and a smile. Strolling over to the stack of contracts, he looked for the familiar symbols that designated his name; he remembered seeing it on his 'employment' contract. Signing with an illegible scribble, he took an information envelope and opened it.

With a deep sigh, he instantly closed it and returned it to his jacket pocket, keeping only the sketch of the unfinished man out. Studying it in detail, he looked up at Byron with a curious inspection. He pointed a thick, clay finger to the sketch.

"If I find him, do I bring him back here?"

 

[DarkRawen]

Thomas caught the names of the last people who introduced themselves, though he had no intention of ever using them. The clay man seemed calm enough, unlike the ones he normally dealt with. Then again the ones he normally dealt with were criminals, this one seemed to be one of those who'd do whatever it's told.

So it's not an unfinished man then.

He certainly remembered Lady Poet to use such a term. The last person to introduce herself was another woman, who claimed to be a doctor. Why the bloody hell would anyone think they needed a doctor? Ridiculous. Well, perhaps the one all wrapped up needed to be sown together if the bandages fell off or something, Thomas didn't know. Glancing over at the clay man again, it now was looking at him, waving and smiling. Thomas growled as a reply.

"Don't you dare---"

"Ahem, so now that we've all been introduced, by name if not by profession, I believe we should get started on business,"

The man who had called the group said, and put some documents on the chair, calling their attention to them.

"These are the terms of your employment, simple bit of tedious paperwork, you need only sign and hand them into a functionary when you leave and you will officially be an employee of the department. Any who have decided to back out of this venture I would encourage to do so now."

Thomas went over to the contract bearing his name, and looked at it for any words that might negatively affect him, without really reading it. When he didn't find them -he could take care of his own problems either way- he signed it, and put it back where he had found it, taking the documents next. While it all seemed simple enough at first, just taking care of that one soul eating unfinished man, Thomas noticed that some people from the newspaper was claiming that urchins did it, of all things.

"Ridiculous! Why would anyone claim that urchins did it?!" he growled. Honestly, as long as it wasn't urchins, he didn't care who or what they had to pursue. There was another letter, but when he opened it, it was filled with words he didn't really remember, and preaching. A lot of preaching, that was a priest for you. Or vicar, which obviously was just a fancy name for priest. He closed it and put it away, waiting for the others so that they could just get going.


"If I find him, do I bring him back here?"

The clay man, who had made it rather clear that it couldn't read held the picture of the unfinished man up, asking if he were to bring him there. Thomas went over to him, annoyed.

"If you find it, you shouldn't do anything but to make sure it's bloody dead. We're hunting it, right? Then we're allowed to take it out too, give it a massive beating so that it stays down. If you don't fancy that, you can use your strength to hold it still so that I can deal with it." He folded his arms, muttering to himself.

"Bloody clay men."

 

[sage42]

Priscilla looked over the contract Sir Marshall had presented. Odd to be sure, even here in the Neath. A soul stealing Unfinished Man was an oddity perhaps great enough to fit in Nigels shop. An interesting idea. She would have to talk to the squid about that should they be able to let the clay man go free. What drew her eye however was that the doors were broken from the inside. Curious. She would have to make a stop by the chapel. She set the file back on the chair and started to leave. However something stopped her.

"If you find it, you shouldn't do anything but to make sure it's bloody dead. We're hunting it, right? Then we're allowed to take it out too, give it a massive beating so that it stays down. If you don't fancy that, you can use your strength to hold it still so that I can deal with it. Bloody clay men."

She turned to eye the speaker. Thomas she thought his name was. Oh joy, another brute with no more manners than an Urchin. Still a dangerous man with murder in his heart. I wonder why?"Now sir do you really suppose it right to treat a curious mind with such hostility? This may be a....hunt as you put it, but our order never said anything about killing. In fact knowing the famous resilience of Clay Men, even unfinished ones, I would think our good Mickey here would have a better chance of capturing him than you would, let alone kill him." She said smiling at Mickey.

"Micky I believe I might be able to answer your question, we should bring him back if possible. I'm sure Sir Marshall would love to be able to figure out how one already so dangerous was able to become more so." She pondered something for a moment. "In fact Mickey, would you be so kind as to assist me in looking for this Unfinished Clay Man. I am not nearly as well versed in combat as some of the other members of our fine department, and I would love to have a fine man like yourself along?" She asked smiling sweetly.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Edward M. Cutter, Esq.​

When the final member of their group introduced themselves, Edward doffed his hat once more and smiled at the rather elegant lady, one Dr. Elisa Cartwright. Shortly after, Sir Marshall spoke up again, holding up a stack of forms for the group.

"Ahem, so now that we've all been introduced, by name if not by profession, I believe we should get started on business. These are the terms of your employment, simple bit of tedious paperwork, you need only sign and hand them into a functionary when you leave and you will officially be an employee of the department."

He set the form on each chair, and Edward picked it up, sitting down and setting Victoria against the chair itself. As he read it over, he nodded. Really, the fact that they wouldn't take responsibility for ones injuries, death or insanity was understandable given the occupation. Hair-loss was an unusual addition however. But, being able to collect one's weekly payment even when out of commission was nice. So, he reached into his vest and pulled out a fountain pen, pulled off its cap, and signed the form with a surprisingly elegant signature.

When he handed the form back to Sir Marshall, he got a folder in return, this one having to do with their commission.

"This church sent us a commission, claiming that the vandals included spirifers and an unfinished men. The 'vandals' as this salacious rag terms them attacked and killed one of the priests, and abducted his corpse, he only returned a day ago claiming they stripped him of his soul while he was recovering, and that the unfinished devoured it in front of him."

At that, Edward's head jerked up and he looked at Sir Marshall with a horrified expression. An Unfinished Man... Eating a priest's very soul?

"Now whether that is the truth of the matter has yet to be determined, but a soul-eating clay man is quite beyond the typical fare the department seeks to address, and so the commission was passed to me. You are free to look over what little we have assembled on the matter before setting off, the church is expecting agents of the department to arrive within a few hours so you can take your time, though as one last note they did make a point of requesting some degree of secrecy on the matter."

The hunter frowned as he opened the folder and proceeded to look it over thoroughly. The documents themselves included a newspaper clipping, a map marking the various locations of spirifer arrests, a letter from the Church Vicar, and a sketch of the Unfinished Man that was supposedly the culprit.

The newspaper clipping itself was full of speculation, so while he read it over thoroughly, he waved off most of the contradicting facts. It was likely needless clutter, and would only get in the way of tracking the true suspect. The map of spirifer arrests was more insightful, since while he couldn't really make heads or tales of the significance of each location on their own, he knew that Ladybones Road and Spite were both rather out of place, so his hunters instincts told him to look there first.

He was looking over the sketch of the Unfinished Man when he heard several others speak up.

"If I find him, do I bring him back here?"

Edward opened his mouth to speak, only to stop as Thomas, the growling chap from earlier spoke first.

"If you find it, you shouldn't do anything but to make sure it's bloody dead. We're hunting it, right? Then we're allowed to take it out too, give it a massive beating so that it stays down. If you don't fancy that, you can use your strength to hold it still so that I can deal with it. Bloody clay men."

The corner of his mustache twitched even as he frowned at that. What a rude and intolerant man that was, and it was clear he had blood in mind. He was thankful that Miss Glass responded with a well-worded retort.

"Now sir do you really suppose it right to treat a curious mind with such hostility? This may be a....hunt as you put it, but our order never said anything about killing. In fact knowing the famous resilience of Clay Men, even unfinished ones, I would think our good Mickey here would have a better chance of capturing him than you would, let alone kill him."

Miss Glass went on to suggest that she and Mickey team-up to search for the Unfinished Man themselves, and that Sir Marshall would be curious as to the Unfinished Man's motives. Even Edward had to admit his own curiosity, and after a moment he cleared his throat.

"I would like to suggest that we start our search in either Spite, or on Ladybones road. They seem to be separate from graveyards, and would likely be the best places to look. Though..." he said, hesitating before he patted his Elephant Gun and continuing, "Should things turn for the worst, would Victoria even be able to slow down such an Unfinished Man?"

 

[Terratina.]

"You are free to look over what little we have assembled on the matter before setting off, the church is expecting agents of the department to arrive within a few hours so you can take your time, though as one last note they did make a point of requesting some degree of secrecy on the matter."

Viktor sniffed as he read both the contract and the blasted newspaper. His eye fell not on those pieces of paper - though it was rather questionable what The Daily Diatribe (Viktor cringed a little inside as he read and re-read the name.) was printed on, Viktor didn't even want to continue thinking about what the texture suggested to him - but on even more evidence that his time would be wasted with Miss Priscilla Glass. Regardless, he pocketed the rag and signed his overly long name on the contract, without resorting to initials. It was a good enough deal. Now, on the other hand, the thing that really interested him was the matter of spirifers and the Forgotten Quarter. That brought memories back, memories of the Correspodance and Devils... Those infernal beings got into every nook and cranny, didn't they? Still, it was the perfect excuse to retread some old ground. That, and maybe he could prove to Sir Marshall and the others that he was more than just a simple duellist, that he wasn't a one horse pony.

The bandaged gentleman didn't waste time choosing partners or doing anything juvenile like that. Last time Viktor had worked with a partner with an intellect and an attitude he could respect and could see nothing of the sort here; just bickering children. He strode over to the functionary, gave in his signed contract and turned to the others.

"Going to hunt some spirifers in the Forgotten Quarter now, good afternoon." He curtly stated as he left.

 

[IFS]

"Micky I believe I might be able to answer your question, we should bring him back if possible. I'm sure Sir Marshall would love to be able to figure out how one already so dangerous was able to become more so."

Byron shifted somewhat uncomfortably before speaking up "Typically the department pays commissions out on the death of the target," he said "However these are exceptional cases so exceptions may be made, and certainly the more we can learn about what we face the better."

"Should things turn for the worst, would Victoria even be able to slow down such an Unfinished Man?"

"Provided you hit it certainly, though don't expect to drop it in one shot," Byron replied, his enthusiasm returning "I've seen men take down worse with less though so I'm sure you can handle it, as for starting in Ladybones or Spite you are free to search wherever you like this is your investigation now after all, but I would recommend at least one of you stop by the church and speak with the priests there, if none of you wish to do so though I will just send some special constables and let you know what they find."

Byron seemed quite pleased now, the group was certainly not what he had expected, but outside of a few squabbles they seemed to be focusing on the task at hand quite well.

"Going to hunt some spirifers in the Forgotten Quarter now, good afternoon."

Byron nodded at the man as he exited, "Good afternoon and good luck," he replied, before turning back to the others.

Viktor's departure startled a functionary bent over by the door just outside, he scrambled to pick up the papers he seemed to have dropped and darted out of the bandaged man's way, muttering a quiet apology. The dept's position in the marsh meant it would be a fairly lengthy walk to the quarter, though one could speed up the process by hiring a cab.

 

[Quintley]

"...I would recommend at least one of you stop by the church and speak with the priests there, if none of you wish to do so though I will just send some special constables and let you know what they find."

Nigel signed the contract in an elegant cursive before handing it to a nearby functionary (together with a small stack of business cards, just in case). It leafed through the documents. Nigel rather liked churches. Of course, the regulars were often rather...judgmental about somebody of Nigel's persuasion, but the buildings tended to be dark, quiet, and full of interesting items to look at (or subtly acquire). Looking around a church for clues certainly appealed to Nigel much more than prowling the Forgotten Quarter looking for a fight. It rolled its eyes slightly as Bandages swept out.

Nigel cleared its throat to get Byron's attention (with a sound resembling a boot being pulled out of 6-inch-deep mud). Holding up the newspaper clipping, it pointed with a long, spindly finger to the word 'church' in the headline, then tapped its own chest. It looked at Byron, head cocked slightly, as if requesting permission.

 

[Green Shoes]

Mickey turned his head slowly to Thomas as he spoke roughly to the Golem. Cocking his head slightly to the side, he narrowed his eyes. The man very clearly didn't like him, for reasons that were beyond his grasp. Walking over to him, he stopped himself abruptly close to Thomas. Matching his eyes, he spoke bluntly.

"Thank you. I thought I might squash the rat, but I think I might keep my out for you. He's polite. You. Are. Not."

His gaze lingered for too long, and his expression was deadly serious. The man was rude and looked as if he might cause harm to Priscilla, if given the opportunity. Mickey made a note to keep his eyes on him whenever he could. He figured Thomas was much like any faulty machinery; a swift kick should make him return to normal.

Still uncomfortably close to Thomas, he shifted his body to face Priscilla, listening to both her and Cutter. Mickey instantly liked the two; they seemed to be both direct and friendly, and their compliments were much appreciated. He had never considered himself useful for anything past manual labour, and began to relish the attention placed on his possible utility.

"I would be happy to come with, Priscilla. You can make sure Edward doesn't shoot me by mistake."

A slow and quiet chuckle escaped him, and he walked over to where the pair was standing and stood stock still behind them. Not knowing much of his local geography, nor indeed any aspect of investigation, Mickey was indeed deeply satisfied to simply await instruction, and keep Priscilla and Edward safe.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Now sir do you really suppose it right to treat a curious mind with such hostility? This may be a....hunt as you put it, but our order never said anything about killing. In fact knowing the famous resilience of Clay Men, even unfinished ones, I would think our good Mickey here would have a better chance of capturing him than you would, let alone kill him."

Thomas frowned, even more annoyed. Who was this woman to insult his ability to fight? However, instead of getting loud again, he just smirked, an annoyed yet smug smirk. She was a lot weaker than him, why should he even give a damn about what she had to say? "People in glass houses shouldn't throw pebbles, Lady." He made no attempt to hide how close he was to hitting her, though, eyes moving from her to the clay man, and back. The Clay man got closer, attempting to intimidate him.

"Thank you. I thought I might squash the rat, but I think I might keep my out for you. He's polite. You. Are. Not."

"At least I can read, you bloody rock," Thomas replied. "And you better leave me alone, or I'll make sure you'll never approach me again." He growled, and his eyes said nothing but that, hostility mixed with instinct and an attempt at making the other to back off.

"Typically the department pays commissions out on the death of the target. However these are exceptional cases so exceptions may be made, and certainly the more we can learn about what we face the better."

"Hah," Thomas said, and went over to the door. "You people hear that? You bloody hear that?! If you want your money, you better kill it! Now, I'm going to the..." Thomas thought about it. Truthfully, he wouldn't know what to look for if he went to any of the streets. Lady Poet usually told him exactly what he was looking for, and where he would be expected to find it. Besides, he could certainly make people talk, the priests would gladly share what they knew if he gave them a reason to. Besides, from what the bandaged old man and the guy with the ridiculously over-sized gun said, the church was the most likely place for him to be able to do this alone.

Perhaps, if he was lucky enough, he'd find a way to take out the unfinished man himself. He wouldn't have to share the rewards then, right?

I'll show them.

"The bloody church!" He sounded more angry than pleased as he spoke, and slammed the door as he left, not having noticed that the rubbery man had wanted to go there as well.

 

[IFS]

"The bloody church!"

Byron frowned as Thomas left, he noticed Nigel's gesturing though and glanced at the fragment of paper. He leaned in to read the word the rubbery man was pointing to, then sighed as he realized what Nigel meant.

"Ah, of course you can go there, just follow Thomas if you don't know the way," he said, then muttered to himself "Rather not let that miscreant perform interviews unsupervised."

He could tell already Thomas would be a troublemaker, which struck him as odd given the skills he was purported to have, Viktor he at least would have expected to be violent given his profession. As for the rubbery man he somewhat doubted Nigel's ability to hold Thomas in check but then it was better than nothing, though a rubbery man and an openly hostile man were hardly the ideal candidates to examine a church, nevermind to conduct interviews.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Edward M. Cutter, Esq.​

It wasn't very long before the first of their number decided to pursue a lead of their own, with Viktor turning in his contract and facing them.

"Going to hunt some spirifers in the Forgotten Quarter now, good afternoon.".

"Good hunting, Viktor." Edward told him, doffing his hat once more.

As he turned back to Sir Marshall, he was told that not only had worse than Unfinished Men been taken down with less than a Four-Bore Elephant Gun, but normally commissions were paid out on the death of the culprit, though occasionally exceptions were made. That was strangely reassuring, since that meant his particular expertise would be much more useful outside of what tracking and boxing skills he had.

Taking up Victoria, he turned to watch Mickey stepping forward and making it clear that he wasn't going to take Thomas' hostility lightly, making Edward step forward and putting a hand on Mickey's shoulder.

"Lets not fight between ourselves, chaps. We have to work together, for Queen and Country, and for Fallen London itself. We have a quarry to bag, and I have a feeling it will take all of us to bag it." he said, before smiling up at the tall Clay Man as he spoke again, this time with less tension in his tone.

"I would be happy to come with, Priscilla. You can make sure Edward doesn't shoot me by mistake."

Laughing, the hunter patted the Clay Man on the shoulder.

"Not to worry my good man, neither Victoria or myself would dream of harming you, and I'd be happy to accompany you both." he said.

With a glance to Miss Glass, he nodded before asking, "So, where should we start, Miss Glass? Perhaps Spite, or maybe Ladybones Road? Or would you rather start getting to the bottom of things at the Church?"

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

The card Aidan was given by the rubbery man was neatly inked on fine paper and was certainly a pleasant way for a wordless person to make introduction. Also, going by the description, it could have something he was looking for in its shop, though he would have to make his inquiries at a later time, as the proceedings appeared to have begun. A bit of a shame, really, as he wasn't properly introduced to the rat that was scurrying about. However, the chemist supposed that was to be expected, having lingered in the corner. Then there was the doctor, Elisa. He was curious if she might be willing to make a minor investment in his research. A tidy sum for him and, providing all went well, a decent return for her from his formula which wasn't quite ready. But it was getting there.

Aidan was broken from his thoughts when the documents were splayed on the chairs by Byron. He swiftly made his way over and collected the papers and reviewed the information. Again, the man's concentration was broken, though this time by an an angered outburst from Thomas. He didn't seem to be very content with the task at hand, or at the very least his cohorts. Aidan made a mental note to be wary of the man in the future.

 

[sage42]

"People in glass houses shouldn't throw pebbles, Lady."

Priscilla's smile twitched when Thomas uttered those words. She hated that saying. Near the end of her singing career it had been all she heard from the critics. That's it little man.....you had better sleep with one eye open from here on out. There are worse fates in the Neath than death. She stared after him as he left the room. The fool didn't even know where he was going as he left. Perhaps she should inquire with Nigel, see if he had something of a....darker nature. She was snapped from her thoughts by Sir Cutter.

"So, where should we start, Miss Glass? Perhaps Spite, or maybe Ladybones Road? Or would you rather start getting to the bottom of things at the Church?" She heard from besides her.

"Oh! Right, Well....as much as I loathe to admit it, Sir Thomas has the right idea. Ah! Much like our dear Nigel." She said noticing the squid pointing to a clipping. "There is something odd about the priests story. I would like to ask him a few questions." She told the others. "If anyone else would like to accompany Sir Cutter, Mickey and myself I certainly won't speak against it, however all of us at the Church would be a poor idea. Might I suggest others look into the graveyards? And should you find something return to the church right away to meet with the rest of us." She said looking over the others. "We don't want any other incidents." Not unless I can get something worthwhile out of you first anyway.

 

[Quintley]

Nigel hadn't been particularly keen on the prospect of being alone with the angry one, so was relieved to hear that some of the others would be coming along. If there was any...unpleasantness, Nigel could just stand behind Mickey. And the others, Moustache and the Glass lady, had both been very friendly, for humans. Spirits considerably raised, Nigel stood by the door, ready to leave.

 

[DarkRawen]

Thomas didn't wait for anyone else to follow, he doubted they would want to go with the church with him, not after he had told them to leave him the bloody hell alone. Knowing the darker, more shady parts of the fallen city, he went into the alleys and through the shortcuts, running at his full might. He wondered what Lady Poet would say if he failed to find out anything, or if he snapped and actually harmed any of the others.

She shouldn't send me if it's a problem.

He thought it, stubbornly. After all, this gang of people was more annoying than Robbie, although Thomas wondered if such a thing was even possible. Using his energy for something like running calmed him down a bit, but he still found himself approaching the church with heavy -but quiet- steps, going through the back-door. When he had gotten in, he sneaked up to the closest priest there, and grinned, hoping to intimidate the man. His breath was ragged and his facial expression was eager, as he spoke.

"You! What happened to that priest bloke that lost his soul?!"

 

[Terratina.]

Viktor was more than glad to be out of that place and away from the gaggle of geese. Even though he found walking somewhat pleasant, there would be plenty of time for that in the Forgotten Quarter. So, without further ado, he hailed a cab, announced his destination in a gruff tone and got into it. Soon enough, he would be in the Forgotten Quarter. It felt kind of nostalgic. Maybe it would be good to catch up with that old colleague sometime? But now wasn't the time to visit Benthic, now was the time to investigate the matter of the soul-eating golem. Viktor had a hunch, mostly born from Occam's Razor, that someone was exaggerating and that someone was using a certain type of creature in some sort of way. Though, stranger things have happened down in the Neath - Viktor knew plenty about that... His stomach growled as response those thoughts and Viktor sighed in reply.

 

[IFS]

"You! What happened to that priest bloke that lost his soul?!"

"What?! Oh I'm sorry, I er, didn't see you there," the priest said, he had been sitting at a desk reading through a pamphlet of some sort when Thomas had entered and now stood, eyeing the man carefully.

The priest was a tall, young man with thick black hair and dark eyes, he seemed startled by Thomas's appearance but not overly frightened of him. After taking a moment to regain his composure the priest forced a smile.

"You wouldn't happen to be from the Department of Menace Eradication would you? They said they'd send someone over," he said "Though I must admit you don't exactly look like a special constable to me, if you aren't then I would kindly ask you to leave, the church is undergoing..."

He glanced at the destroyed front door, "Renovations at the moment."

The church itself was not a big place, a small stone building with few windows the interior resembling about what you would expect. A few of the pews were broken, bits smashed out of them along the center aisle, and the door bore obvious signs of damage. From the looks of it they hadn't done much, if any, cleaning since the attack. A quiet sobbing could be heard from a room off to the side, its door shut and locked.

The priest sighed and shook his head, nodding towards the door the sobbing could be heard from "Poor fellow, he's been inconsolable since, well since his soul was taken," he said "I suppose there's no harm in telling you since you already know, though if you aren't from the department I'm afraid you can't speak to him."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Forgotten Quarter

A remnant of the Fourth city, which the bazaar acquired five hundred years ago. Statues of warrior-kings line silent avenues. A fountain shaped like a silver tree stands before a ruined palace at its heart.

The cab driver was wise enough to tell Viktor was in no mood for conversation, and took him quickly to the edge of the forgotten quarter, charging him a small fee before departing. The quarter itself, or at least the part Viktor found himself in, was still. Brass horns of a devilish hunting party could be heard in the distance, though it was difficult to tell if they were getting closer or farther away.

Much of the quarter had long ago been picked over for relics, and this area was no different, but there were still signs that someone had been here recently. A footprint here, a disturbed pile of rocks there, and a few marks scratched into the side of a ruined pillar. The mark led to another, and following them led to another pule of rocks and rubble nestled in the ruins of some old buildings, stables or houses perhaps. They too looked to have been recently moved though whoever had done so had put them back. A few had been put back facing the wrong way up, and in places it was clear they had been used to cover something, a crate perhaps.

The devilish horns could be heard more closely now, and screams as well, whatever or rather whoever they were chasing that person was headed towards Viktor.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Taking a seat at the table, now that a few chairs had been vacated, Aidan set down the documents and withdrew a pen and inkwell from his satchel. He glazed over the print swiftly, searching for any sort of fine print he may find disagreeable and finding none. Content with the terms, he swiftly scrawled his name in the space provided and pushed the contract towards Sir Byron. Then the chemist stood, stowing the remaining documents in his satchel, and straightened his bow tie which almost immediately returned to its seemingly natural, skewed state. Clearing his throat, he prepared to speak once he made sure he was prepared to leave, "Well, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to take a trip down to the cemetery and see...well...see what I can dig up. If anyone cares to join me, I'll be hailing a taxi right outside in a moment. If not, then good day and good luck."

With a smile and a wave, the chemist hurriedly exited the room as he was anxious to get to work. He was honestly wondering just what he would do once he arrived at his destination, for he hadn't been part of a constabulary investigation before. Regardless of his inexperience and his, hopefully temporarily, clueless mental reserves, he was fairly certain he would figure something out before getting there.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Edward M. Cutter, Esq.​

Edward nodded as Miss Glass said that Thomas had the right idea in starting at the church, and he had to agree, though he hardly wanted to accompany the ruffian. As it was, Thomas was just trouble waiting to happen, being rude, hostile, and clearly violent. Edward considered himself dangerous in his own right, but around civilized company he restrained that as much as possible to keep everyone else at ease.

When it was agreed that Miss Glass, Mickey, Nigel and himself would be heading to the church, he quickly strode to the door and opened it, holding it open for his comrades and motioning for Miss Glass to go first. It was only gentlemanly after all. As they exited, he tipped his hat to the functionary once again, and then strode outside, hailing a cab for the group.

Overall, the cab ride was uneventful, even with a large Clay Man accompanying them, and when they arrived at the church in question, Edward strode inside just as a priest finished speaking to Thomas.

"Poor fellow, he's been inconsolable since, well since his soul was taken. I suppose there's no harm in telling you since you already know, though if you aren't from the department I'm afraid you can't speak to him."

Edward frowned beneath his mustache, knowing that Thomas was probably trying to interrogate the poor man. He certainly wouldn't put it past the rapscallion. So, he promptly strode forward and doffed his hat to the priest.

"Father, I'm sorry to disturb you in the middle of repairs to the church, but I am Sir Edward M. Cutter, and these are my comrades, Miss Priscilla Glass, Mister Mickey, the esteemed Nigel." he said, only hesitating a moment as he wondered which honorific to use for the Rubbery Man, and added almost as an afterthought, "It seems you've already met Mister Thomas."

Placing the hat back on his bald scalp, he smiled and straightened.

"You see, we're here on behalf of the Department of Menace Eradication, and we were hoping to ask you, and the poor man who was accosted, if you could tell us anything about the culprit." he said politely, before motioning with one hand to Miss Glass.

"If you could tell everything you know to my compatriots, I'd like to have a word outside with Mister Thomas. If you'll excuse us." the big-game hunter requested politely, before gesturing for Thomas to follow him, and starting to stride off in the direction of the front doors.

 

[DarkRawen]

"What?! Oh I'm sorry, I er, didn't see you there,"

The priest said, not seeming half as frightened as he should be. However, the bloke talked regardless, either eager to get out of the conversation, or just some moron.

Makes this somewhat easier.

"You wouldn't happen to be from the Department of Menace Eradication would you? They said they'd send someone over. Though I must admit you don't exactly look like a special constable to me, if you aren't then I would kindly ask you to leave, the church is undergoing... Renovations at the moment."

Thomas growled at the remark about not looking like he was from the department of Menace Eradication. Sure enough, he didn't want to be part of it, nor did he want to be associated with the constables in any way, but the priest was clearly insulting him. Somehow. At least the man knew not to insult him even further, the guy motioned towards another part of the church. Sobbing could be heard from the room, probably the wimp of a priest who had lost his soul. A lot of the place seemed wrecked too, whoever had done this, hadn't taken the subtle approach.

"Poor fellow, he's been inconsolable since, well since his soul was taken. I suppose there's no harm in telling you since you already know, though if you aren't from the department I'm afraid you can't speak to him."

"I just so happen to be one of those guys," Thomas replied, and took a step closer, eyes set on the priest's. "And I'd like you to shu-"

"Father, I'm sorry to disturb you in the middle of repairs to the church, but I am Sir Edward M. Cutter, and these are my comrades, Miss Priscilla Glass, Mister Mickey, the esteemed Nigel. It seems you've already met Mister Thomas."

"Bloody hell!" Thomas exclaimed and turned to look at the newcomers. "I told you to leave me alone, didn't I?!" It was mostly aimed at the woman and the clay man, but this was ruining his chance at getting ahead. The guy, Cutter, kept talking, still speaking in a fancy way, similar to what Thomas had been taught to do when he was a child.

What's the use of that? Everyone will just treat you like some fool.

"If you could tell everything you know to my compatriots, I'd like to have a word in private with Mister Thomas. If you'll excuse us."

He scowled at Cutter, and then at the priest. "I got here first, so you'll not tell them a bloody thing, got it?" He then followed the large man. Ready to fight if there was going to be a fight, Thomas kept his hand close to the hidden pocket with the knife in it, he was somewhat doubtful of that he could overpower the other with just his fists.

"I was doing just fine," he then growled as the other stopped. "What the hell is your problem?!"