(Since you said you’d be fine with anyone playing anything and you felt the more merrier, I hope you don’t mind if I hop in with someone that people from the Occasion of Unusual invitation might recognize that is NOT my main character.)
Nearby Hangman’s Arch, an unnamed Corresponding Ocelot prowled, checking to see which of the run-down apartments he was supposed to go into. While he preferred a rather mundane life normally, he had been growing listless as Nathan was never around much to give belly rubs or help with a letter to the paper. And so, when a Rattus Faber had told him about the hunt for this murderer going to happen for quite a large sum, it was quite easy for him to strike up the nerve to sneak out to offer assistance. At least this way someone would be able to recognize his obvious intellect.
Once he picked out the correct door, he growled when he noticed that it had been shut, meaning he wouldn’t be able to get in himself because of the blasted doorknob. ---- bipeds, always gloating about their opposable thumbs and yet taking them for granted. Having little choice otherwise, the feline unsheathed one of his paw’s claws and scratched loudly at the wood of the door. It left the door itself in a rather unfortunate state, but it was easy for the Ocelot to think that if the person had as much money as they said they would pay those who caught the murderer, then they would have plenty enough to get a different door.
It seemed like his colleagues were very perceptive! They hadn’t even left the door, and they had already begun investigating! But, what was this? As soon as their host left the room, one of the men -the shorter one- made a mad dash for the desk and quickly copied something down. Oooh, intrigue already! Their host returned, Sherman prepared his thoughts. “My good man, what did you-” But, he was interrupted by a scratching noise seeming to come from the door. “Oh, I’ve got it!” Jones exclaimed, not waiting for a reply from their host. Opening the door, he looked around, confused. But, where was the… Oh, it was on the ground. “Hello, little cat! Did you get lost? You are pretty far from the Palace!”
“Of course of course… Mr Fuchs, read away they even mention a rendezvous with one of my pursuers who is ‘supplying’ Inspector Hatton with evidence by the Docks near where the Market Beast occasionally restocks for supplies. And now to you my most peculiar friend, Mr. Ocelot would you like to go through my papers? I’d be willing to arrange for your payment to be increased from the usual as I have a soft spot in my heart for cats and you could be useful in some quite interesting ways.”, said the cloaked figure, “Now if you’ll excuse me I have some errands to run, I hope that you will have started to make some progress with the case by the time that I return.”
With that the figure stuck on some thick gloves grabbed a sack and walked out into the London fog.
The corresponding ocelot gave the man at the door a doleful stare a then walked past, Correspondence sigils morphing appearing and disappearing all over his body. “I’ll have you know, good sir, that everything you said to me right now made me realize just how ignorant you are.” After that point, he decided he would do his best to ignore that man.
Glancing about, he noticed two other male bipedal figures along with the one who was the host. The feline smiled to himself after listening to the host, then responded, “I would me than willing to go through them, gracious host. Rest assured that your papers will be unscratched and read through down to the smallest detail.”
He sighed in a playfully despondent way. “And, I suppose, if you feel so strongly about it, I would be willing to take a raise in my pay. After all,” He continued, as he walked towards the front desk, “us cats are quite amazing creatures.” Especially me, he added on in his head.
As soon as the cloaked figure left, the ocelot deftly leaped onto the host’s chair and started scouring through the letters and scrolls so as to make sure he remembered every detail of them for later.
“So,” He started, not even looking up from a scroll, “I already met Mr. Doesn’t-know-a-Palace-cat-from-an-Ocelot. May I inquire as to the identities of the two of you?”
Sherman huffed indignantly. The nerve! He was the first to arrive on the scene, as always, and the host didn’t give him that kind of special treatment! And the smart mouth on that cat! Well, he was a man of class and style, and was NOT going to be outdone by something as petty as a glorified house cat. Even one with scores of sigils playing across it’s fur. He really would have to study that closer. So, trying to be nonchalant, he sauntered over to the feline, sneaking out a small notebook and pen, and attempted to copy a few down while saying “Well, do the notes look like they have anything rewarding in there? Worth our time, that is. Or, you could always stay back and study them while we do some field work.”
edited by Sherman Jones on 8/6/2012
When the host left, Thomas felt really stupid, because the desk now was unobserved. However, good and quick thoughts are never to be regreted. So he started examining the correspodence (hopefully they were legally acquired). He took out some candied mushrooms and started eating them, while reading – a habit from his childhood.
However he was interrupted by a feline colleague. A speaking, literate ozelot. Thomas was once again astonished by the marvels of the Neath. It was quite a quick reader, faster and more mindful than Mr Fuchs was. And better paid, as well.
„My name is Thomas Fuchs and I am able to see the difference between a cat and an ozelote, Miss. I am a private detective, so private, you probably have not heard about me.“ In Thomas’ mind all cats are female unless proven otherwise.
„We should look for an inspector, who would admit private individuals to have access to the remains of a deceased. This won’t be easy, however, but with an avid reader like her on our side, we will find one in no time.“
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Fuchs, and you are quite correct that I have not heard about you before, but so far you are making a good impresion. However, I think it would be in your best interest to keep in mind that feline does not instantly equate to female. Others may not be so forgiving in the future, if you make such a mistake again.”
The small predator kept going through the papers, until he felt the gaze of someone upon his back. Looking up, it was simple enough to realize that it had to be the thick-headed bloke who had opened the door. Growling silently to himself, the Ocelot whipped around and lunged, smacking the hand which the biped was holding the pencil in. Afterwards, he turned back around, perfectly happy to go back to ignoring the rude one and reading through scrolls.
“I was having a similar idea, Mr. Fuchs. However, instead of having to hire a private investigator and spend some of our future reward there, I say one of us goes over to the police station and tells them we wish to work on this case, and wish to see all the clues and the bodies of the victims that they have. That way, not only will we be making sure to give both sides equal attention, we will also be able to split their reward and therefore get even more Echoes after this is done. While one person is doing that, another can go over to the Docks where our client said the person who was giving information to the police was and track down that lead, and the last would stay here to search to see if there is anything our gracious host hasn’t been completely truthful about. I would be more than willing to stay with the one who thinks I could be of most use, and/or act as a message carrier between the three of you if something ever calls for it. Your thoughts on my idea?”
Amongst the letters and papers being sorted came out a most peculiar message on one of the stray sheets being shuffled about.
Outside coils, practicing extreme dentistry. -On the Wall
It had been scrunched at least once and had another message in a very different hand perfectly illegible followed it.
This particular note was most interesting. „I do think, the remark to dentistry shows this was not a random scribbling.“ Eagerly stating the obvious he shared his thoughts. „Whatever it is, it has the mental and the physical capacities to write. It knows the English language and it has reason or desire to communicate.“ Mr Fuchs was writing down all these points in his notebook.
Out of coils? That one was a tough one, but after thinking about it for a while, Thomas remembered and daytrip quite a time ago with his aunt to the Labyrinth. They only visited the Entrance Area, but heard about the dangerous inner coils.
„Does this mean, it is from the Labyrinth of Tigers? Or is it a false lead?“
Four different tasks: Finding the informant, getting access to a victim, finding other clues in this pile of writings and checking the Labyrinth. However Thomas Fuchs found the idea of dispersing that much that early unappealing.
„Should we form teams of two individuals each? This way it’s less likely to miss important evidence, I guess.“