backdated to Monday [ video/voice ; open ]

[polarisation]

[ The video clicks on to show a propped-up, misaligned letter and a black rhinoceros playing piece sitting in front of it. It's obvious the person in control is sitting behind the camera, and after hearing who it is, his skittishness might be understandable. The visible pieces of the letter are as follows: ]nd simple: please bring yourself and the

Comments

[tamedhollow]

You got one, too, huh?

[polarisation]

Yeah. Yours the same?

[tamedhollow]

The note reads the same. [he switches to video and holds up his game piece; a crocodile that looks like it was carved from an elephant's tusk] Got a different looking piece though.

[polarisation]

Weird. No idea what it's from?

[ There's a tone of worry to his voice. He doubts he'll be allowed to go, and isn't sure he likes that postscript on the letter. What is all this supposed to mean? ]

Or... what Parrish Manor is?

[tamedhollow]

Not a clue... no return address, no signature... [he sniffs the paper, narrowing his eyes] No scent except the ink and paper, and no reiatsu traces.

[a huff. He sets the letter down]

I don't know that either. But I think I'm going to go and see what this is all about. Guess I need to find out where this manor is.

[polarisation]

No traces of anything?

I think the letter says where it is. Maybe somebody should go by and ask 'bout it.

[tamedhollow]

Nothing... I can ask Rukia, or Zangetsu. They have better sensory abilities than me, they might be able to detect something if it's really small. But you'd think there'd be the smell of someone's hand.

... Oh. There's the address. Hm... I know there's gotta be a catch here, somewhere.

[polarisation]

Could gloves keep it off? [ He's not really sure. His wolf senses only actually work when he's a wolf, and it's not like he goes around sniffing peoples' hands when like that. ]

You mean the part where it'll find us if we don't find it?

[tamedhollow]

Gloves might block scent, but I'm not sure about spiritual traces. Hm...

Yeah. This is Bete Noire, after all. I don't think that's an empty threat. We should go.

[polarisation]

Maybe special gloves. [ He highly doubts such a thing doesn't exist. Not in Bete Noire. ]

Mm. Hope I can.

[tamedhollow]

It's possible. Seems like a lot of work, though.

Huh? What would stop you?

[polarisation]

Like the pieces 'n all the rest of this aren't?

I'm kinda... grounded right now.

[tamedhollow]

That's a good point.

Grounded... oh right. Wataru grounded you. [he snickers] You can't sneak out?

[polarisation]

Must be pretty important to whoever set it up...

[ Yeah, Sefton's just going to let Ichigo think it's as simple as that. It's kinda nice to have someone take him at face value when he says it, actually. ]

He has dragons.

[tamedhollow]

[That grounding incident more or less solidified their relationship in his head; Lance treats Lowell like his kid, in a way. He has no reason to think of it any differently]

Yeah, but Ptera is really easy to distract. Just throw something dead and tasty and she'll go after it. Hakuryu is a little harder, though...

[polarisation]

[ That's an entirely too accurate view of it, only with the blinders on to keep from seeing the outlying problems. Not that Sefton is complaining about it. ]

Yeah. Hakuryu's the biggest problem.