"Right then Ross, get in, don't be sick anywhere in it. If you do feel sick stick your head out of the window, we don't have time to stop."
"Whi' kind ae man dae ye tak' me fur? Ah cin haaaud ma liquor." The Scotsman replied as he got inside the car with the grace of a pregnant walrus and popped - or rather, stumbled, down on one of the passenger seats. There were the times where the alcoholic drank until he threw up, but those times had changed. Pips knew Ross's limits rather well and even though refusing to serve him would cause a fuss, causing a fuss would get Ross barred from Pips & Suits. So, sustainable alcoholism it was, until his liver gave up on him. By some miracle that hadn't happened yet but one of his eyes was clearly yellower than the other. Regardless, Mr. Wolf apparently was one for conversation, like some cab driver he prattled on.
"What a mess, am I right Ross? And I tell you something for nothing, it'll get worse before it gets better. I can already tell it's going to be one of those jobs. Sometimes it's better to just stay home on nights like these. What do you say to that?"
"Ma hame isnae much." Ross shrugged, "Aaaanyway, ca'ae be worse 'an 'e War. 'At's whi' Ah say tae 'at."
This was not the sort of night Dana desired. Not at all. If it were up to her she would be on her way home, preparing to retire for the evening. Instead she was shuffling into a car alongside complete strangers (a sharp-dressed gentlemen and a Scotsman, specifically), galavanting north at the behest of a grieving gangster.
As Dana approached the car, her cane probed the ground in front of her, partially to sell the idea that she had no sight but mostly because nobody was interested in the square foot of pavement in front of her, and therefore she couldn't see it either. "Excuse me, please", she requested the Scotsman as she felt the side of the car and got in, bunching her dress up once she was seated.
And I tell you something for nothing, it'll get worse before it gets better. I can already tell it's going to be one of those jobs. Sometimes it's better to just stay home on nights like these.
To this, Dana had only a light groan and a bemoaning of her dreadfully late night.
"Do you have any records of your transactions that Suits can go through while we're gone? That bottle came into the club from somewhere, it could be a start. If not, you know it's a fucked up city when alcohol smugglers are getting bottles snuck in by someone else."
Pips tilted his head, but nodded. "Yeah. But Suits is the clever one, so she'll probably figure that out on her own. Besides," he held the wine bottle Suits had thrown at him.
"With this, we'll at least have something to compare the rest with. And that's a start."
"Hm, Alice has been frequenting the North Shore lately I think, so she might be there tonight, she's a fantastic gossip too so I'm sure she'll have heard something."
"Sounds like a plan then," Pips smiled. He was relieved that the group was this willing to work this out, though he certainly didn't like how it had happened. When not only one, but two people offered to drive there, he hesitated. He certainly didn't mind riding with either of the two. However, if he rode with Cynthia, he could ask the young woman more about this Alice.
"Miss Asta, you don't mind riding with Mr. Wolf, right?" he asked the rather quiet lady, she obviously didn't like being there. While Pips suspected she might mind riding with a drunk, it was better than having her and Lucy in the same car. At least, they hadn't seemed to get along inside the club, and he doubted they would start now.
"Just follow Cynthia's car," he told Mr. Wolf. He then looked to the others. This was the car with the blind woman and the drunk, possibly the least fit to be involved in this. "Again, I'm truly sorry for this mess. Also, in order to establish what we're dealing with... if not all of you know what magic is, could the ones who do inform the rest? I'd hate to see you step into a situation like this unprepared, but there's only one of me and we haven't got a whole lot of time. Thanks. Oh, and take this---"
He handed the cursed bottle over to the closest person, who happened to be Dana. He had already taken a look at the other bottle.
"You guys may open it and try to figure out what the curse is, if you have any knowledge of the kind, but for the love of all that is holy and good, do not try to drink it."
With that, he stepped over to Cynthia's car, and inside it, closing the door carefully.
"I'll be riding with you lot, then," he started. Looking over at the rest, he knew that Jack and Lucy had knowledge of magic. That left Cynthia who could potentially not know. Actually, he was rather sure she didn't know.
"Cynthia, if you don't mind, I have a couple of questions. Firstly, who is this Alice? And... secondly, if I may be so rude as to assume something, you don't know what magic is, do you? Like, actual magic?"
Everyone should feel free to assume that they get to the docks by the end of their next post, so that we don't end up with an hours long car-ride
Lucy came toward the car, a blow of smoke striking her face from the lady she had threatened earlier, she attempted to step face to face with the women who stood at over a foot over her own height, but she had already turned away, as if the gesture was accidental. It didn't matter to her however, she would have done something about it, if not for the fact that there was clearly work to be done. "Giant fluzey" she muttered as she entered the other car, lighting herself a cigar as she did so.
Lucy spent the majority of the car ride watching the others, for all she knew they could all be accomplices: the supplier, the owner, and an innocent looking girl.
She was especially suspicious of Pips making sure to take the other woman's spot in the car, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep Lucy away from her. However he did begin to question the driver, bringing some satisfaction to her about his innocence.
She made sure that this was no joy ride for the three.
Rosa wandered with the rest, ignoring any accusations of uncivil tongues and where she might deign to stick them if she knew what was good for her. The air outside was cool, cooler than she was used to for this time of year, and she was grateful for the ermine furs draped over her neck. The cigar case in her purse was a comfort, not only for the glorious inhalation but also for the security of a tracking/alarm seal that she could activate at the cost of a few drops of blood should anything go wrong.
Still, she lit one up all the same, and blew a lungful of the smoke, seemingly accidentally, into the face of the female enforcer as she stepped into the car being driven by the one she had surmised to be called MR Wolf. She draped her arms gently across her person and eyed up the obviously blind woman who settled in beside her, scrunched between the drunk scotsman and Rosa herself.
Ignoring the prattle of the driver and the obnoxious drunk, Rosa turned to stare directly at the woman, an eyebrow raised and her lips parted slightly around the cigar. "What's your story then dear?" The ensuing conversation was illuminating, to say the least, but there was little time for more than pleasantries, as the docks were close enough that the ride didn't last long.
"Not at all," she said "I offered to drive didn't I?"
She was happy to hear a few people were willing to ride with her, it was certainly better than stares of disbelief or scoffing at her ability to drive. That said while she was happy to drive people around she had to admit she didn't like the looks of a few of the others who had been drafted, the drunk in particular. I can barely understand what he's saying, who's to say he'll even remember what we're doing tomorrow, or that he won't pass out on the way there. Before she could show them out to the car though Pips started to speak to her.
"Cynthia, if you don't mind, I have a couple of questions. Firstly, who is this Alice? And... secondly, if I may be so rude as to assume something, you don't know what magic is, do you? Like, actual magic?"
"Alice is just a friend from school, likes to dance and drink and such, she can be a bit rude but she's always got an ear out for scandal," she said, "and magic? I mean it's not real is it? Just trickery and such."
She paused for a moment, for something not real everyone here seemed to be taking it rather seriously. Maybe they're just a superstitious lot?
"I mean... if it is then someone can fill me in on the way, or once we're there," she said "We should get going if we want to get there before Alice heads home."
With that she led the others out to her car and began to drive to the North Shore, it had been a while since she'd been there but she remembered the way well enough. Probably a good thing I didn't have much to drink yet tonight, after all I could have ended up with the poisoned stuff!
"You guys may open it and try to figure out what the curse is, if you have any knowledge of the kind, but for the love of all that is holy and good, do not try to drink it."
"Thank you, Pips." Dana didn't understand the man's logic in handing a blind woman an object for inspection, but then again stranger things have happened.
She was joined in the car another woman, forcing Dana to Move over to the middle for room. She turned up her nose at the cigar smoke, as she had never been fond of tobacco, especially not in an environment such as this.
"What's your story then, dear?"
Dear? Dana all but scoffed at her. Such familiarity from a complete stranger was laughable. Nevertheless Dana responded (albeit dry and flippantly), lest she be rude, "My 'story' is one of misery and hardship, both against me and caused by me. In short I'm a lawyer, if you must know." What impropriety.
Dana handed the bottle over to her inquisitive neighbor, "If you could take a look at this for me, please."
"and magic? I mean it's not real is it? Just trickery and such."
Cynthia seemed dubious at the idea of magic, and Jack couldn't blame her. For most, the idea of magic was foreign. It was to Jack before he ran into the Pips and Suits crowd. But if a person was going to spend time around that particular lot, magic couldn't be helped.
"I doubt I'm the best to be explaining this," he began, "but magic ain't just a circus sideshow." He took a puff from his pipe and continued, small trails of smoke escaping as he spoke. "There's folks who can do all manner of conjuring and arcane arts. I'm not being one of them, but enough's at Pips and Suits to fill an outfit of magic-doers." Jack looked out at the passing scenery. "What we're chasing here is one who laid a curse on a bottle. Nasty ones, those who done curses." That last bit was mostly to himself.
A mercifully uneventful ride was spent following Cynthia's car, his myriad of passengers all attempted conversation to varying degrees of success. Everyone was still tense with each other and not revealing much personal information. Ross had mentioned the war, giving away a little about himself in the process, but not much. The other passengers also played the greeting game, Dana identified herself as a lawyer while Rosa didn't reveal much about herself, she was more interested in learning about the others.
Along the way Mr Wolf took the opportunity to ask the others of their experience with magic, "Tell me each of you, how much do you know about magic? 'Nothing' is an acceptable answer at this point." It was important that those currently without a clue about their situation be informed to some extent. Inexperience with magic could get you killed, or worse...
One more thing Mr Wolf notice being passed around the back of his car was a bottle of the wine that had put Tommy out of action. As they were nearing their destination at the docks the bottle was being inspected by his passengers.
As usual, there was not much conversation. Well, there wasn't much conversation to have with a drunk. Regardless, Ross's expression took a solemn turn as the subject of conversation turned to magic.
"Tell me each of you, how much do you know about magic? 'Nothing' is an acceptable answer at this point."
"Nae muuuch." Was all Ross said, revealing nothing. Bit of a white lie that, of course he knew of magic's existence but little about the particulars. Just that getting involved with the whole thing was a bad idea.
Because of magic, the poor Scotsman couldn't even eat his gun and die. And so, he remained in a state of drunken limbo.
"Alice is just a friend from school, likes to dance and drink and such, she can be a bit rude but she's always got an ear out for scandal. And magic? I mean it's not real is it? Just trickery and such. I mean... if it is then someone can fill me in on the way, or once we're there. We should get going if we want to get there before Alice heads home."
Pips wasn't sure where to begin. Magic was... it was a lot more than just trickery, even as someone who couldn't really use magic, just sense it, him and Suits had been through quite a lot because of it. A natural thing, them, so he wasn't sure just how he would describe it to someone unfamiliar with it. That was why it was quite the relief when Jack spoke.
"I doubt I'm the best to be explaining this, but magic ain't just a circus sideshow. There's folks who can do all manner of conjuring and arcane arts. I'm not being one of them, but enough's at Pips and Suits to fill an outfit of magic-doers. What we're chasing here is one who laid a curse on a bottle. Nasty ones, those who done curses."
"Yes, they tend towards rather unpleasant," Pips continued from what Jack had said. "It takes a certain set of mind to go through with something like this, whoever it is, they're likely not just someone looking to steal business from the family."
Which meant someone likely had a serious grudge going on. To be completely honest, he was a bit bothered by the pipe and the cigar that were being smoked in car, but trying not to show it. The man with the white patches sat up a bit, rubbing his eyes due to the smoke, then continued.
"Magic is a lot, though. Curses, hexes, enchanting, spells, alchemy, even summoning, if one knows the right stuff. Most people would have some capacity to use magic, families passing magic down as inheritance even more so. It all comes to the knowledge. Suits and I only know how to sense it, though, we were taught to do so as children. It's... a long story, but I can tell that whoever created the curse also put some sort of enchantment on it so that we could not sense it. That's... rather troublesome."
As he finished what he had to say, they arrived at the north shore docks. It was still a busy day for many of the people there, unlike the more expensive buildings that the area was known for, these were sailors and workers working with shipments. Getting out of the car, Pips noticed that it was quite cold here, and it didn't help that it had started raining.
"Okay, you think this Alice will still be here?" he asked Cynthia. "And who do you propose we talk to, Jack? See anyone suspicious, Lucy?" He waited for the people in the other car to get out, they likely needed the bottle if they wanted to catch the interest of whoever Jack wanted them to talk to. Of course, is anyone saw the bottle and thought they were selling it... Pips sighed, it was a mess, and decent, innocent people -as well as some not so innocent people- had gotten involved in it.
Since conversation in the Wolf-car seems like it's not completely done, I'm acting as if the Cynth-car group is slightly ahead, though that'll change once everyone's together in the same wet and cold spot.
Lucy took another puff on her cigar before putting it out on the door and throwing it to the side, looking back at Pips to respond. "Everyone looks suspicious Pip, it's just a matter of why...."
Her eyes gazed over the bottle in one of the other's hands. "You say that they made sure you couldn't detect it right? So either they, or someone that tipped them off, knew about your ability, perhaps someone close to you or Suits?"
She kept her hand by her side, eyes watching vigilantly. "Either way, if you find someone that needs questioning, you know who to leave it to..." A smile coursed over her face.
Jack waited for Lucy to speak, mostly because he was looking for the rum rowers. Finally, he spotted a dirty, brown and black tugboat with Underwriter painted in white on the side. The boat rocked against its moorings as the crew unloaded box after box of contraband. The Underwriter sat toward the end of the docks, but was still surrounded by enough activity that it didn't attract attention from anyone not familiar with the rum rows. Jack pointed to the boat with a jab of his pipe.
"That's the boat. You'll be wanting to speak with a man named Louis Hall." He looked out at the harbor and saw a Six-Bitter drifting slowly by. "Be careful with him though. The coasties want him something fierce.
"Yeah I think so," she said, "I'll go look for her."
It seemed that she'd managed to get them here ahead of the other group, I told them I was a good driver. Though it did mean that if stuff started happening again they might be in trouble, pfft what could happen? All the excitement before was from one guy getting poisoned. Still something about the whole matter, especially the others insistence that magic was real, had her a bit worried. I mean I suppose it could be, but... I'll believe it when I see it, should keep an open mind though. She certainly wasn't ready to accept that magic was real, not without proof, but the others seemed so sure of it.
Her thoughts on the matter were interrupted when she spotted Alice, sitting and drinking while discussing something with some other girls. Probably gossip, which is perfect! Means she's already in the mood to talk.
"Hey Alice!" she said, moving to get the girls attention "can I talk with you? I wanted to know if you'd heard about anything strange happening lately, you know at places like this."
Mr Wolf pulled his car up just behind the one he was following, it had been a mostly quiet ride and his passengers weren't in such a talkative mood. Understandable given the most recent events involved being forced to join in an attempted murder investigation. Perhaps one of them was the murderer and keeping quiet so as not to trip themselves up? Best not to think about that just yet.
Cynthia was already addressing this Alice, who was sitting and talking with her friends. Mr Wolf though it best not to barge in and interrupt what could be best discussed between friends.
"Everyone looks suspicious Pip, it's just a matter of why.... You say that they made sure you couldn't detect it right? So either they, or someone that tipped them off, knew about your ability, perhaps someone close to you or Suits?"
"There is not a lot of people who are close to Suits and I anymore," Pips remarked, sound a bit distant. "We're... not in a position where we can allow that to happen. Regardless, it might be worth looking into, though if the bottles that were sent to other speakeasies have the same kind of enchantment, it might simply be precaution."
He had a feeling it wasn't just that, though, an inkling of that it was a concious choice, somehow. That would be... unfortunate.
"Either way, if you find someone that needs questioning, you know who to leave it to..."
He had a feeling her help would be needed, and nodded.
"That's the boat. You'll be wanting to speak with a man named Louis Hall. Be careful with him though. The coasties want him something fierce."
"Understood, thank you. Do you want to come along, or would you prefer staying and ensuring that nothing happens to Cynthia? I am sure you could have enough of a presence to hinder a possible danger without resorting to firing guns, which would be preferable in this case. We wouldn't like to bring too much attention to ourselves."
More than they already had, at least. He decided to wait around for the other car to come, since they needed the bottle. Huddling up, clearly not being too happy about the rain, Pips still managed to keep smiling that polite smile of his, as he spoke to Lucy again.
"Lucy, I'd like you to come with me to talk to this Louis."
He figured that Lucy looked enough like a Mafia member not to alert someone who was afraid of the authorities.
"Yeah I think so. I'll go look for her."
With that Cynthia walked off to talk to her friend, a blonde girl who looked like she was from the better parts of the area, yet somehow managed to be at ease and fit in, chatting with some other girls giving off a similar feeling.
Not long after she had, Mr. Wolf's car finally arrived, and Pips walked over, greeting them.
"Hi, did you figure out anything about the bottle?" he asked, then realized that he had assumed that they could without thinking about it. His senses were rather sharp, so likely, he had reacted to something... just who that was, he wasn't too sure of.
"Actually, nevermind that now, I need the bottle. I'm heading over to talk to someone who can help. If anyone wants to help, I---" he trailed off, as he noticed someone coming over to the car. While not a policeman, it was still a guard of some kind, and he quickly grabbed the bottle and hid it under his suit-jacket. He then gestured for the ones in the car to not mention the others as he stepped away. With the same light, yet clearly hurried steps, he motioned for Lucy to follow him, walking towards the boat Jack had pointed him towards.
What exactly it was that had made the guard suspect them was unclear, though it was easy to suspect that the reason Cynthia's car hadn't gotten the same attention was that it had been driven by an innocent looking young female. Or perhaps the guard had just seen enough young women drive there to not pay attention to it anymore.
While it was possible for someone to get out of the car and run off, the only one who could do that unnoticed was Rosa, who was sitting on the other side. Not long after Pips had left, the guard, a man in his early 40s, knocked on the driver-seat window.
"I don't remember seeing your car before," he said. "What are you doing here? Nothing fishy, I hope," he said, eyeing Ross in particular. It almost seemed as if he had been waiting for them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Hey Alice! Can I talk with you? I wanted to know if you'd heard about anything strange happening lately, you know at places like this."
Alice seemed surprised to see Cynthia there, but smiled. She smiled even wider when she saw the strange group she was with, a rather tall, strong fellow, a woman in a striped suit and the man with the white dots in his hair. Another car followed, though she couldn't see who that was too clearly.
"Sure, excuse me for a moment, girls," she said, and stepped away from her friends. Cynthia didn't recognize any of them, likely they were newly picked up friends of Alice, or even just random strangers.
"I'll tell you whatever you need to know. Though, you'll have to let me know who you're with."
She gestured towards the taller of them. "Especially him, I can't imagine you would be walking around with a bodyguard for no reason. She said it jokingly, and winked, then continued.
"But anything unusual... hm, well, someone mentioned something about a woman with quite the large following. She had some cars driven over, and..." She smiled playfully, she was clearly keeping things out just to make Cynthia talk. "There's more, but now it's your turn; why are you here? And why are you travelling with people like that?"
tl;dr: Cynthia is talking to Alice
Pips going to talk to Louis and is trying to bring Lucy with him(Though she can leave if she absolutely don't want to)
Jack can choose to come along or to watch over Cynthia to make sure nothing happens to her
Ross, Rosa, Mr. Wolf and Dana has a guard to deal with, though Rosa can get out of the car and join any of the others if she's quick. The others could try to run, but it's not recommended for obvious reasons.
"Lucy, I'd like you to come with me to talk to this Louis."
Lucy nodded 'not sure how willing this john will be to talk to a dame about this out of his own free will' she thought to herself, before her concentration was cut off by an approaching guard.
She went down to 'tie her shoelaces', steadying her hand toward her ankle, where her knife lay. He was in his early 40s, slowly approaching Wolf's car to talk to him. Lucy didn't trust the passengers to not give anything away, and readied herself.
However, Pips gestured her toward the boat, unwillingly she obliged, pacing back toward his side. "I'm not trustin' that scene back there, coulda' just whacked that guard quick and easy, it's a dark night out..."
She looked back as the guard began talking to the driver. "Then again." she paused "Wolf's good at dealing with sticky situations, got me out of some" she laughed "no doubt he has a way with words too"
Listening to Pips response she continued the short complaints, turning her head toward Cynthia "Ain't no way that girl is ganna get anything out'a her, should just chuck her in the car, shake her up a bit, it'd be more than enough to scare what we need out'a the dame..."
She said to him in a disapproving tone.
"I don't remember seeing your car here before. What are you doing here? Nothing fishy I hope." This was as security guard, not a cop and he was almost daring Mr Wolf to take the bait. Wolf didn't, instead he calmly opened his car door and stepped out, talking to the man as he did all the while.
"I've come here to meet a few friends." Mr Wolf said, as he opened the car door, "Which is why we've pulled up here with them, to meet." Wolf gestured at the car in front as he stepped out, "Are we trespassing? There are no signs around and if there were we wouldn't me meeting here." Me Wolf stood in front of his door at an angle that blocked the guards view of Ross, who had been getting a stern and inquisitive glare, "Now, you've come and checked what we're here for and I've told you, nothing fishy so you can get back to work."
This situation could still go several ways, Mr Wolf was quite tense, ready to counter the guard if he tried to attack. The others in the car would have heard this conversation and now had a chance to act.
"Do you want to come along, or would you prefer staying and ensuring that nothing happens to Cynthia? I am sure you could have enough of a presence to hinder a possible danger without resorting to firing guns, which would be preferable in this case. We wouldn't like to bring too much attention to ourselves."
Jack looked over at the tugboat. The rum rowers weren't fans of the local brewers, and Jack wanted to stay off the radar of any authorities he couldn't pay off.
"I'll stay with Cynthia. Give a shout if you need me."
With that, Jack walked toward the table hosting Alice and her friends. He kept his distance, but quietly let his presence be known. He was with Cynthia, and any harm that might come her way would answer to him.
"There's more, but now it's your turn; why are you here? And why are you travelling with people like that?"
"Oh uh, I met them at another place they asked me to drive them around and I figured why not," she said "I figured I hadn't seen you in a while so I was happy to take them here."
She figured it was probably a bad idea to say too much, after all it would likely cause panic especially if Alice started telling other people about how some wine was poisoned or cursed or something. All the same she doubted she was going to get much past Alice, especially since she knew her lie wasn't exactly the best one she'd told. Hmm, maybe I can keep her from suspecting too much if I distract her? She always liked meeting new people.
"They're pretty nice, or have been so far," she continued, motioning towards Jack as she noticed him walking closer "That one over there is Jack, now then what else did you say you heard?"
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