It had been another day at the orphanage when Mina got the message. Everyone was eating lunch, and Mina had been doing a routine check of any emails, messages and things.
James Moriarty… interesting. The name wasn’t familiar, but it’s possible he knew her parents. That seemed to the only explanation for how he could’ve contacted her. Why now? That was the question.
Would you like to stop the Clay Man? Well, she would certainly like to keep her friends, family and the children safe. She would certainly like to live in a city without fear. She supposed that meant stopping him- this man who had taken her parents and perhaps her friend from her. She’d like him to be stopped. Though, this seemed to imply that she’d be doing the stopping, but why her? Another question.
Thoughts concerning the message plagued her throughout the day, until at last she was able to discuss it with her family.
“I don’t think we’ve heard of this Moriarty person before, have we Lizzie?” Her aunt Charlotte muttered.
Aunt Elizabeth sighed. “I don’t know, hon. It was a long time ago. I think my memory’s getting worse. But of course we’ll take care of the orphanage while you’re gone, Mina.”
Her husband Jonathan was worried out of his mind. “It only said to meet you there? How do I know when you’re coming back? If you’re going to do this, of course. Ah, and the Lanis Building is quite a distance away… Mina, you must let me come with you! If you’re going…”
“Jonathan, I must.” She pecked his cheek. “It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And if it turns out to be a waste?” A grin creeped into her features. “I can always kick him where the sun don’t shine and run away! And of course you’re coming, darling. Why would I do otherwise, considering what happened three years ago?”
He pecked her cheek in return.
They were late.
Mina was afraid they’d miscalculated the distance, or it was simply that traffic was to blame. As they pulled up to the Lanis Building, the clock ticked 5:09. They got out of the hover car, and Mina could see other people up ahead. Well, it was nice to know they wouldn’t be alone.
Jonathan stayed close to her as they approached.
Aleksander had been staying hidden in the shadows, but as it grew closer to five o'clock, and none of these people seemed like the type to have been sent to hunt him down, he drew out of the shadows, approaching them cautiously. There were dark smudges beneath his blue eyes, and his blonde hair was tousled and unkempt. He was thin as a rake, and the dark clothes only made his pale skin look even paler. He looked, well…like a madman, in some respects. But he didn't really care.
((lo: more people!! aleksander: ugh, people))
((lo: more people!! aleksander: ugh, people))
(Honestly yes, that's exactly it)
(I can't wait for our characters to get to know each other and have fun character dynamics! Personally I think Eden and Aleksander might get along well and be good friends. Also off topic but I am not sure if/what I should be posting.)
(:D same! Ooh they definitely would. You can post now, if you like! There's no set order. I was going to wait for a few more people to post before having Moriarty show up)
Victor spotted the man from the shadows, but said nothing as he came out from them. He seemed like the type of person an esteemed gentleman like himself might want to avoid at all costs. "Hmm," he hummed, watching and waiting as more arrived.
Mina walked up to the group, her face bright. “Good evening, everyone. Am I right in saying that you all got the same message I did, saying that I should come here?”
She pushed her glasses up on her nose, and Jonathan tugged nervously on the collar of his shirt.
"You would be," Eden said, staring at Mina for a bit too long. "Moriarty sent yours, correct? Then you would be in the right place." they affirmed.
Lo beamed at the new people, the man and woman who had approached, and the person who had finally come forth from the shadows. "We're a whole group now, how weird is that?" She said, offering her hand to everyone. "My name's Lo, for those of you that just got here. I'd tell you my last, but that doesn't seem super important right now." Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement, having always been a social person who loved meeting people.
"This is all kind of fun, in a mystery-type way. Like going to one of those murder mystery theaters, or dinners. Though, unfortunately, I've encountered actual dead people at those." She frowned, pursing her lips and looking down at the ground. "Only one was murdered there, though. Anyway, where do you think our mystery summoner is?"
"James Moriarty, as the message said. Nothing more or less, I would hope." the creature said simply. Eden was a simple being, following simple logic that made enough sense to them but rarely made sense to anyone else. It tended to make them look more complicated than they really were. "But perhaps more. He will be here." what if this was a trap by the Clay Man? They wouldn't know until it was too late.
Sherlock cocked their head faintly. "I would guess waiting inside." they replied, eyes flashing curiously to the newcomers, though they didn't address them. They turned to look at the building.
At 5:15, the doors swung open silently, and a message chimed on their devices.
Enter and be seated.
Alek slipped inside, taking one of the seats closest to the door, his eyes flashing about uncertainly. The inside of the building was neat and tidy, with a clean, smooth design. The walls were white, and the floor an unobtrusive gray. The chairs were a strangely assorted collection; the only things that did not match. Sherlock seated themself on an ottoman, leaning back on their hands and waiting to see what would happen.
Mina, though a little disconcerted by Lo having mentioned seeing dead people, beamed at her. She shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Lo, and you as well.” She nodded to the tall person who had been staring at her. “I’m Mina Harker, and this is my husband, Jonathan. Truthfully, I have only seen undead people, but I get what you mean. I’m not completely sure of who this Moriarty person is, but I believe there’s a chance he knows my parents, Nathaniel and Marissa Murray. Where he is though, I have no idea…”
(Whoops didn’t refresh the page)
Victor sat down primly and promptly, a bit done with standing up for so long. It was taking it's toll on his old bones, and he wasn't getting younger standing around. Instant relief spread through his body and he nearly sagged in his chair in relief, if only to relieve the tensions of his form.
Eden walked in and sat themself on a large armchair, the thing sturdy but still nearly sagging under their weight. It was still comfortable enough for them, however, and they leaned forward in anticipation, elbows and hands rested on their knees.
Lo followed the group inside, fiddling with the pink fabric of her skirt as she glanced around the room. Taking stock, she noted the strange assortment of chairs, still eyeing the building as she sat carefully in a wooden chair. It looked like…a room. Expected, but nonetheless, after all the built up anticipation, it was a bit of an anticlimactic setting. I wasn't expecting a torture dungeon, but it would have been kind of funny. With a shrug, she pulled her phone back out of her pocket–there was a reason this was one of her favorite skirts–to check the messages unrelated the the Moriarty person who had brought them here.
Once they were all inside, the doors slid shut again, and a few minutes later, a man came in, seating himself in a chair at the front of the room.
"Hello, and welcome." The man said. He spoke in a low, smooth voice, that carried through the room. "I'm James Moriarty. I'm sure you all have some questions for me, do you not? Such as, what are you doing here? Why did I pick you? Why stop the Clay Man? Rest assured, all questions shall be answered. First, do you all know who each other is?" After a moment, he sighed. "Everyone stand up and say your name. Preferably your full name, but if not then I suppose it can be worked around."
Alek frowned slightly, staying silent to see if anyone else followed directions. He certainly wouldn't be the first to speak up. Not when he didn't know anything about what was going on.
"Victor Frankenstein, at your service," Victor broke the silence, standing up and introducing himself. "I suppose my creatio- ahem, associate can introduce themself." he coughed. The group would find out sooner or later, but it was embarrassing how often he kept slipping up.
Eden grunted their name, unamused at Victor's shenanigans. They didn't really care much for being called a 'creature, creation, monster' or the like. And they especially didn't care for Victor spilling their secrets without Eden's consent.
Lo bounced to her feet, phone still in hand. "Dolores Haze. Call me Lo, that's pretty much what everyone calls me. No other nicknames, though, please." She waved a little, despite the fact that everyone hear pretty much had gathered her name already. As she sat back down, her phone chimed, and she muttered something under her breath as she moved to turn off the alert volume. "My bad!" It was Loise, checking in to make sure she was okay. After making sure to mark the text as read, so that her employer and friend would know she was alive, she tucked the device away to focus in on what was happening.
Mina and Jonathan, who had taken to a rocking chair and an office chair respectively, stood. She opted to speak for them both, which he didn’t seem to mind.
“Mina Jane Harker, and Jonathan Elijah Harker, sir.”
They sat down, Mina staring at James Mariarty intently, seeing if there was something familiar she could recognize.
"Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock said from their ottoman, adjusting a little bit to get more comfortable. Their eyes flickered to the blonde man seated near them, waiting. He was the last to speak.
"Aleksandar." Alek said simply, leaving out his first and last name. He used his middle name, most of the time, and he had no desire for this group of strangers to know who he really was.
"Mm. Good." Moriarty replied. "Now. I've gathered you all here for your different, unique talents. I am not going to go into detail with these talents, as we have a limited amount of time and much to discuss." He paused for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "First, the Clay Man. A criminal, the likes of which most of you have likely never seen. He has his fingers in every pie in the station, so to speak, and many believe even further." Moriarty leaned forward a little. "And i want you to stop the Clay Man from doing any further harm. If you do not think you are up to the task, please leave now. If you don't leave now, there is no turning back."
(I’m here, but I’m not sure what to say just yet. Plus I want someone else to go before me, if they want to)
(Ditto on not knowing what to say.)
(cool. Should I just add a bit more so you have more to go off of?)
(That would be helpful, to me at least.)
"Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock said from their ottoman, adjusting a little bit to get more comfortable. Their eyes flickered to the blonde man seated near them, waiting. He was the last to speak.
"Aleksandar." Alek said simply, leaving out his first and last name. He used his middle name, most of the time, and he had no desire for this group of strangers to know who he really was.
"Mm. Good." Moriarty replied. "Now. I've gathered you all here for your different, unique talents. I am not going to go into detail with these talents, as we have a limited amount of time and much to discuss." He paused for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "First, the Clay Man. A criminal, the likes of which most of you have likely never seen. He has his fingers in every pie in the station, so to speak, and many believe even further." Moriarty leaned forward a little. "And i want you to stop the Clay Man from doing any further harm. If you do not think you are up to the task, please leave now. If you don't leave now, there is no turning back."
"Well, I suppose we have no choice but to stay. You've given your ultimatum," said Eden. They looked around the room, staring at the others sitting inside. "And I can hardly refuse given the circumstances." maybe doing this one good thing would save them from eternal damnation.
(Eep sorry, I was offline!)
Moriarty shrugged a shoulder just a little bit. "Yes. Well. If all of you are in this to stay, then here is what you are going to do. I will provide housing for you; I want all of you to live together. It will help ensure you work properly as a team. When the Clay Man next commits a crime, your group will be some of the only ones allowed access. You will be working with the police, though you are not part of them. Similar to what Holmes here has been doing."
Sherlock inclined their head faintly in acknowledgement, still stretched out on the ottoman.
"You will each use your unique talents and abilities to help bring the Clay Man closer to justice, preferably sooner rather than later." Moriarty added.
"Mr. Moriarty, sir." Lo said, raising a hand as if asking for permission to speak in class. She spoke anyway, but the gesture itself was slightly amusing. "You said we'll be working with the police? Their focus will be entirely on the case at hand, right? Not any of our personal hobbies or past employment?" Past employment implied that her record was clean now, but hadn't been before. Which was a bit of a reversal of the actual truth, but that didn't matter.
"And if we're living together, will we all have separate rooms? Will they have locks? It's not that I believe these people are on the level of petty crime that includes rummaging through other's things, it's more…we don't know each other, you know?" She explained, waving her hands slightly as she talked, gestures highlighting certain words of importance. "And I'm sure I'm not the only one who would at least like that method of security, until we do know and trust each other. Oh! Will we be allowed to go about our normal lives, too?"
