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What Are You Listening To?

ᵗʳᵃᶜᵏ ⁰²

______________________________________________ F E E L S O M E T H I N G D I F F E R E N T by B E A M I L L E R wb · ig · fb feat. A M I N E wb · ig · fb
	I have so many feelings I can feel something wrong with me I have so many feelings But I can feel you and you on the way So many feelings I can tell what you want with me I got so many feelings But I can feel you and you on the way If I could choose anything I would be good in bed one day I would fall into love and stay I'd fall into love And it's not fair I keep on writing a sequel to stories I know that are not there I don't wanna die, but I don't wanna live like this I just wanna feel something, I just wanna feel I just wanna feel something, I just wanna feel Something really real, so that I can really Feel like a person again (Oh) I just wanna feel something, I just wanna feel (Feel) I just wanna feel something, I just wanna feel Something really real, so that I can really Feel like a person again-gain-gain Verse I just took a pill so that I could really feel (Limbo) Lights be gettin' blindin' like the diamonds in my grills (I'm shinin') All my opps know drinks ain't the only thing we gon' spill (Yessir) Thank God my niggas didn't let me get behind the wheel (Brrt) Old thing on the phone, lil' zip for the trip and a shot of Patrón (Sheesh) She want a text back 'cause she miss the cologne (Yee) Pasqué killed the beat so I had to chamon, look (Yee) Had to try again like Aaliyah Drowned in my feelings, but I love to see the ee-yah (True) This ain't about no signs Smoke a lil' somethin', eliminate my pride (Bitch) I just

Gods Among Us

@Jones Sparrow I'm not saying it's necessary for every game but seeing as how there is activity and some very good writers for this, have you given any thought on setting up a Discord for us? It might make communication and collaboration more fluid.

Yay or nay from anyone else?

Gods Among Us

^{Some bbcode may not display correctly on your device.}

G O D D E S S O F N I G H T

cs · theme · wiki

_________"What is our name?"

name. Blake Lou Delarose origin. Greek. _______________________________________________ location. A shop in Manhattan. tl:dr. Nyx arrives but Blake has a job to finish. They cope as one learns a face and the other, a name.

Interactions: None Mentions: @ningal700

"W-We....we did. I swear we had it. All of it a-and... on time like alwa-"

"This is not all of it."

"L-look... he didn't know okay? He didn't. His mother is sick and-"

"Mother?" She loosened her grip on the boy's collar and let him fall to the ground. He hit the floor rather hard and rather loudly, eliciting panic from the older gentleman across from her.

...What are you doing?...

"Uh... y-yes. His mother..." He continued, still addressing her but keeping a longing eye on the nearly unconscious body at her feet. There was blood pouring from open cuts across the face and a clearly broken nose. Eyes were swollen almost shut, but not enough to keep the tears staining a bloodied cheek at bay. Breathing was ragged and wheezing and irregular. "...His mother is sick and without the proper meds... h-he thought something extra on the side might help."

...Ugh... someone's pushing. Never mind the kid, I-...

"Ugh. Someone's pushing. Never mind the kid."

"What?"

...What? No! Stop repeating everything I say and just... just ask him who he bought from...

"Who did he buy from?"

The older man furrowed his brow and shook his head, his eyes drifting from the boy on the ground to some far away place buried in his memories. "Aaa-a woman! A woman. Yes. Pretty like you. Green eyes. Black hair. Tall. White... almost pale."

"Name."

He gestured to the result of her fine handiwork, an outstretched hand and the sullen look in his eyes almost accusatory and a hint at where she would have been able to find her answer.

...We'll get the sinner's name from somewhere else. I know of a place...

She opened her mouth to speak, but the voice cut in again.

...Don't!... repeat what I just said... angel. Just tell them that the Church thanks them for their faith...

"The Church... thanks you for your faith." She repeated, the meaning of the words failing to grasp her even as she tried to understand. She knew 'church' and nothing here screamed it. The place was small, too small to hold glory to any deity. The smell was far from pleasant. The incessant buzzing of flies and fluorescents an annoyance. Faith? There was no shrine or altar but a wall that stood at about her chest height and was filled with liquids in jars and nutriment. None of which seemed the least bit appetizing and not at all like a proper offering. And the man in garb too meager and simple to be a priest. With a face like that of of a cantaloupe laid out and forgotten in the sun. Scribbled across his complexion was an expression that had been slowly turning from dwindling fear to that of a concerned confusion.

She blinked when she'd finally noticed his returning stare.

...And... we can go now...

Realizing that she'd just been standing motionless in her musings, she nodded an awkward 'goodbye', heel turned toward the door, and moved to leave. She'd taken only a handful of steps before the voice returned again.

...That is ours too...

To her right and sitting against the wall was the item in question. An ax with a pitch black head affixed to a dark wood haft. An unremarkable thing save for it's being in a simple storefront in the middle of a bustling city where no other such object would exist. She walked over to it and picked it up, feeling for the first time it's heft and would have remarked on it's unusual weight had she not caught a glimpse of her reflection. In front of her and affixed to the wall where the ax had been waiting was a mirror and for the first time since she'd inhabited the body, Nyx saw herself. Her new self.

White, pale almost porcelain skin. Eyes a deep black where even the ambiance of light seemed to lose itself. Hair like a shroud of the night sky itself turned to a waterfall that fell past her shoulders. Lips were left natural but full and parted ever so slightly at herself. There were no blemishes. No marks. No scars. Just her. Just her and the woman who's life and likeness she'd stolen away.

"What is our name?"

...Blake...

Chin tilted ever so slightly up. Nose pointing ever so slightly to the left. Cheek now in plain view. Blake ran a gloved finger along the sharp edge of her cheekbone, smudging a spot of blood she'd finally noticed into a stain across her skin.

"...Blake."

C O N C E P T S ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ

_{A roleplay based on the Nickelodeon television series.}
^{feat. Exit x Roach}

T H E S T O R Y

Everyone knows the story of Aang, the child that would become the savior of the world and bring Fire Lord Ozai to his knees. Not only would he usher in an era of peace to a world mired in a century of war, but he would also save his people, the Air Nomads, from the brink of extinction... with the help of Katara. Following his generation of heroes which included Sokka, Toph and Zuko, another generation would follow when the spirit of the Avatar would reincarnate into a Southern Water Tribe native. A girl named Korra. The hotblooded and headstrong Avatar would come into conflict with not one but four individuals bent on bringing the world into a new darkness: Amon, Unalaq, Zaheer, Kuvira. Each presented with a different challenge and every lesson learned was a struggle not just against their ideologies but against the demons that resided within her. She would eventually prevail and after four years of conflict and growth, her story would come to an end... though that of the Avatar would not. In the time between Korra's triumph and her death, technology would progress in leaps and bounds. The discovery of spirit energy siphoned from spirit vines opened a whole new horizon for what was once an industrial age. The process of harvesting that energy was refined and it's respective uses ballooned thanks in part to Varricks Global Industries. Varrick unceremoniously dubbed the new source of energy "Synergy". Satomobile Industries turned out the modern car, vehicles that ran on hybrid engines utilizing both fuel and this new spirit energy. The airship turned into the first spaceship and simple railcars became bullet trains allowing for quick transport around the Republic. Varricks would go on to design smaller versions of the cannon that had once been attached to the large mecha suit used to terrorize Republic City. However, not wanting to further upset the fragile balance of the spirit and real worlds, he would eventually abandon these designs. It was in truth Korra's last request, her fear being that these advances would be the fuel for the fires of another great war. And so another century would pass and Korra's legend would soon come to a close. The cycle of the Avatar would be passed into another and unto the world would be birthed a hero. Except the Avatar was never to be found and fate instead would usher in a new era of darkness. The Great Panic. Or so we called it. A tumultuous and confusing time when the people of the world searched for their savior and found none. In this panic, the citizens of the world clung to a simple truth: the last Avatar to disappear was Aang and soon after his disappearance an entire nation of Benders set to engulfing the world in a never ending war. Another war was coming. What followed the panic was the violence that so often accompanies it. Civil Wars broke out among the bending nations and their leaders began to butt heads in an attempt to discover the secrets the others were hiding. The Earth Kingdom received the worst of it as did it's sister city Zaofu. The Avatar was after all in line to reincarnate as a native Earth bender. Small raids and infiltration by the other nations were constant and sporadic, most of which served as taunts to lure the Earth Kingdom and her armies outside it's impervious walls. Ba Sing Se began preparations to reply in kind. The Republic, formerly Republic City, had by now grown into it's own nation of benders and nonbenders alike. Concerned for their own safety, the President and his table of advisers moved to take action... and not just for themselves. Fearful that the entire world would not only submerge itself in another war but would also never be free of it, they agreed by vote on eliminating the only viable threat. Benders have been and always were the cause of all great conflicts past and present and it was time they found a solution. The Great War. A conflict that would be remembered by all. The Republic moved swiftly. Reviving old designs by the late Varrick, they began production on new and improved synergy weapons. Firearms made of platinum capable of emitting small sporadic beams of volatile spirit energy. They provided the most obvious of benefits: giving men and women without the gift to bend a way to fight back against Benders. Armed with both their new found technology and a general knowledge of Chi Blocking, they made Zoafu their first target. The most prominent and powerful Earth benders resided in the city and sure enough, the city proved the most difficult to occupy. However, fresh and in full force their march was near unstoppable and the citizens of Zoafu found their power over earth and metal helpless against the weapons of the Republic. After its occupation, Zoafu was used as a base of operations for the Republic to wage their campaign against Ba Sing Se. Rallying the other nations to their cause was an easy enough task. They already believed the Earth Kingdom was hiding the new Avatar and their past with Republic City placed them at odds with everyone else. The siege that followed was rather quick. Synergy cannons were used to punch large holes in the Earthen and metal walls while continuous assault from the air softened up defenses for those on the ground. From there, a combined assault comprised of Fire and Water nation and Republic forces stormed the capitol. It was the first time in the history of the world that Ba Sing Se had been successfully invaded. What followed in the wake of Ba Sing Se's conquest was rather simple. While playing at searching for the Avatar, the Republic made preparations for the second stage of their war, with again, a little help from a long passed Varrick. With the only people capable of defending themselves against conventional firearms out of the way, the Republic turned their guns around to face the rest of the world and began The Great Cleanse. Bombs were dropped... and millions were slaughtered. The Fire and Water nation were the first to go. Their capitals were reduced to dust in the wake of nuclear warfare. The Air temples and their people were similarly destroyed when their diplomacy only helped to postpone the inevitable. The Air nomads, still a budding nation, were once again chased into oblivion. At the end of the war, the Republic made Ba Sing Se it's permanent home and effectively the last city on Earth. The rest of the world lay beaten and scarred, Synergic radiation blanketed much of the landscape being the most prominent around the former capitals of each nation. Much of the affected World’s soil became infertile and many sources of water were left undrinkable. The Republic set to work rebuilding, erecting the walls it tore down and shutting their sins out with the world they destroyed. The nation grew once more, stronger now without the threat of the bender or another war... and peace found the land.

1 0 0 AG Aang defeats Fire Lord Ozai, bringing an end to his reign of terror and ushering in a new age of peace. 1 5 3 AG Aang dies at the age of 66 and the Avatar is reincarnated into a Waterbender named Korra. 1 7 0 AG Amon is exposed as Noatak, a Waterbender by the efforts of Korra. He later dies alongside his brother Tarrlok. 1 7 1 AG Unalaq as the Dark Avatar is defeated by Korra with the help of Jinora. That same year, after delivering a decisive blow to the Avatar, Zaheer is defeated along with his three cohorts and he is imprisoned. 1 7 4 AG Kuvira's campaign against Republic City is brought to an end and she is imprisoned. In the wake of the destruction left by her mecha suit a new spirit portal is opened. 2 3 4 AG Korra dies at the age of 81. The Avatar is reincarnated. 2 4 4 AG The Great Panic begins when no Avatar can be found after ten years. Violence breaks out among the nations. By the years end, War is imminent. _______________________ 2 4 6 AG The Great War begins when the Republic moves on Zoufu and Ba Sing Se. 2 4 7 AG The war ends with the Republic having wiped out the major bending nations and closing all spirit portals but Republic City's. Bending is outlawed and punishable by death. Those benders not already working for the Republic are executed, marking the end of the Great Cleanse. 3 2 3 AG King Wu VI takes the throne at 16 years of age. 3 2 7 AG The Centennial celebration of the end of the Great War begins.

T H E G A M E

themes. Sci-fi. Dystopian. Cyber-punk. level. Casual. players. Exit X Roach This is a mature take on the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Adult themes will be explored and played out including romance, murder, death, war, drug use, psychological trauma, etc. The Setting is near future and takes place in the world of Avatar in it's entirety and in and around the last city on Earth known as The Republic, formerly Republic City, now situated in Ba Sing Se. Our story takes place two centuries after Aang's passing (a century after Korra's) in a place known as The Republic, the last nation on Earth. Main focus will be placed on individuals who discover they have the potential to bend the elements when very few can and when doing so is outlawed. They must learn to cope with their new found powers, embrace and master them or discard and forget them, and finally, find out what happened to the Avatar.

charmed, i'm sure. ♡

@sumire Welcome to the Guild! Do enjoy your stay.

If you haven't yet, check out the 1x1 Interest Check subforum. You may find what you're looking for there in terms of romance. If you don't, feel free to make your own.

Gods Among Us

@Jones Sparrow Thanks! I've moved her over to the Character's tab.

Gods Among Us

_{This CS is heavily reliant on bbcode.
^{It may not display correctly on your device.}}

G O D D E S S O F N I G H T

theme · wiki

"Yes. I killed it. It is dead."__________________________________________

name. Blake Lou Delarose origin. Greek. personality. Blake leaves much to be desired in the arena of communication. Her delivery is often times straight forward, formalities usually skipped, manners can sometimes be forgotten. Although not one to go out of her way to sour one's mood, she will at times unwittingly upset another by way of her speak. She's blunt and bleak. Oddly enough, this mannerism is evident in her activities as well. She takes to her job as it is. Nothing less and nothing more. In this way, the muse she creates is more often than not one of accidental humor. weapon. A two handed ax. Despite it's unassuming appearance, it's head is reforged metal from what was once a labrys. Now, with a single edge and colored a pitch black, there is little to connect it to the head it once severed. extra. She remembers. What she doesn't remember are her many children. As she reacquaints herself, she also reacquires her influence over those domains.

CS by Exit. Created for God's Among Us

C O N C E P T S ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ

_{A comment from Exit.10.25.20.10:59 PST}

What happens if I force myself to accept the stupidity that is
table code shoved inside another table?

test

test	T E S T test test it's all bold. I cannot.

ᵗʳᵃᶜᵏ ⁰⁹

_____________________________________________ F W B by C H I K A wb · ig · fb
	Boy, I spend my time daydreamin' about us I don't want your love, I just need your touch, yeah Yeah, I wanna feel but I ain't tryna trust Know you puts it down so I'm tryna give it up when you want it I can quench your thirst, babe Mean that in the worst way Make a nigga feel like it's his birthday I don't fuck around, I never slack But if you really want it then I gotta get it back Nobody gotta know 'bout it We can keep it extra tight Don't need my soul crowded Just my throne mounted, boy if only for the night Please don't get ahead of it I'm here for the benefits Roll it up and we can catch a vibe I just need a lover and a friend to pass the time A bed to crash tonight This ain't nothin' special, I came for that act right Got my spend the night bag, you know I always pack light Ain't no strings attached, my nigga, fuck it, I'll be that type Pull up inconspicuous make love like it's our last night, yeah Ain't no shame 'cause you got needs and so do I I'm ironically on time, you platonically inside And we'll forget this ever happened, unimportant by design 'Til you want another taste, give me the look, I know that sign Nobody gotta know 'bout it We can keep it extra tight Don't need my soul crowded Just my throne mounted, boy if only for the night Please don't get ahead of it I'm here for the benefits Roll it up and we can catch a vibe I just need a lover and a friend to pass the time A bed to crash tonight I ain't here for love, so promise

What Are You Listening To?

ᵗʳᵃᶜᵏ ⁰¹

______________________________________________ L E M O N A D E by L O W E L L wb · ig · fb
	How the fuck you gonna make lemonade out of everything? Yeah Turn around and say goodbye Like you could find the silver lining, yeah How the fuck you always make lemonade out of everything? Yeah Tell me look on the bright side Tell me look on the bright side, mm Midnight and red eyes Been sleeping in like my whole life Pillow face on your good side And you still look like a dream to me, yeah I know I'm a pessimist, I Get sad for the hell of it, I Never knew why you put up with it, I always Knew you'd finally up and leave, yeah You're running in, running in, running in circles around me I'm stupid, I'm careless, I fuck up, I know this about me You're throwing your things in your suitcase, you're saying you're out of here How the fuck you gonna make lemonade out of everything? Yeah Turn around and say goodbye Like you could find the silver lining, mm How the fuck you always make lemonade out of everything? Yeah Tell me look on the bright side Tell me look on the bright side, ooh, yeah I moved out to the east side We got a house, thought we'd start a life, yeah We were young, it was alright Way out of town where rent was cheap, yeah I know I'm a pessimist, I Get sad for the hell of it, I Never knew why you put up with it, I always Knew you'd finally up and leave, yeah And you're running, you're running, you're running in circles around me I'm stupid, I'm careless, I fuck up, I know this about

C O N C E P T S ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ

_____________________________________________

Martinsville, Virginia 1836 └──────────────────────────────────

The smoke stack had been visible for some time, streaking across the late evening sky as an ominous sign that something terrible had happened. The direction and the distance indicated Beaver Creek, a plantation he owned. A plantation in his family’s name for nearly 60 years and the second his family had built in the state. There was money in those twisting black clouds, evaporating quickly. Bleeding him and his family like someone had nicked a vein. And although the blood didn’t run red, that color emptying into the sky was the unmistakable mark of their most profitable commodity.

A puff of smoke poured from his lips, and drifted lazily across the dirt stained window, obscuring his view of the plume. Obscuring his view of his reflection hanging over it. His gray eyes were the only thing visible to him, dressed in brimstone, returning his stare like they belonged to someone else. To something else. A demon, beckoning him to approach and save that which was his. It felt like a sign.

It felt a lot like punishment.

Movement in the corner of his eyes drew his attention away. From up the road, three men came into view with a fourth strung between two of them. They were signaling as they dragged the man through the dirt, throwing their voices across the field at somebody else out of view. Eventually, one of the men broke away from the others and began sprinting toward the manor.

He turned. ”Andy?!...” He yelled, snuffing the cigarette in his hand before stepping through a pair of nearby doors and onto the landing at the top of a flight of stairs. Below him, the main entrance had already been opened and a boy, in his late teens was standing there, peering out at something approaching with an intensity that read as both worry and excitement. ”Andy! What in the god’s damn is that commotion out there?!”

”Sir Hairston! Apologies!” The boy straightened, startled “Men are coming up the road. They’re calling for you, sir.” The boy replied, stepping back and onto the porch as if he were already in the man’s way.

The shouts were clearer now, less a muffled tune and more the vague shape of words that could almost be understood accompanied by the uneven approach of boots on loose gravel. He descended as they grew louder, getting to the bottom of the steps just as a man appeared in the doorway. George as he was known. A scrawny overseer who looked about as presentable on any day as he did now: Disheveled short brown hair. Out of breath and sweating profusely into an already well stained shirt that clung to him like a second skin. He’d tracked dust and dirt across tiles as he took another few steps inside and then propped himself up on his rifle.

”The hell is it, George?”

”Sir Hairston, sir... a driver,” the man said breathlessly. ”Found him hiding in the brush, ‘tween here and Beaver Creek. Says he was there. Says he knows what happened.”

”Coming up the road now?”

George nodded. ”Yessur,” And moved out of the way as the Planter stepped through the foyer and out the front doors into a quickly approaching dusk. Outside was more humid. The air stuck to his face smearing the last heat of the day across it. He could feel the beads of sweat on his skin but there was no cool kiss of the wind. Just smothering warmth and a stench in the air like ash. Above him, the sky burned in brilliant colors cast from the distant horizon by a setting sun. Its dying light stained his fields and the white wood walls of his manor in hues of red-orange encroached by violet shadows.

From his breast pocket he pulled out another cigarette and a match from a matchbox and had both lit and pressed against each other by the time the approaching men were halfway up his driveway. The yellow glow burned bright in the shadow cast by his downturned face, illuminating Hairston for the two men and the third strung between them as he stood waiting at the end of the path. He watched them too intently, a thousand questions apparent in the intense grey of his eyes made more intense by the match flame reflected within them. Whole conversations had with himself as they crossed the last few feet to him to present the driver they captured.

Hairston snuffed the match with a wave, flicked it into the dirt and pulled on his cigarette, burning nearly a quarter of it before blowing the smoke through stained teeth. He pointed at a spot on the ground and where the two men promptly dumped the third, putting his face in the dirt.

The driver looked as if he'd been dragged through the brush he was found in rather than merely found in it. The man's shirt was torn and stained in streaks of mud and dirt and his trousers were barely holding to his waist. And although rather difficult to see now, Hairston had noticed on the man's approach that his face had been cut up and his left eye swollen shut.

”Get him up.” He said quickly to the two standing on either side of him. They grabbed him by his arms and hoisted him to his knees. From his good eye, the driver looked up at Hairston.

”Where you running to huh? I own every acre from here to the horizon ain't nowhere you can run.”

”I wasn't... sir.”

"No?"

"No, sir. I was comin' to tell yuh what happened." The man on his knees gestured behind him in the direction of the smoke stack still visible in the fading light.

Hairston pulled on his cigarette and blew the smoke into the air, taking a moment to study the plume again. "Beaver Creek." He turned back to the driver. "You are a driver there?"

”Yessur.”

”Well then, get on with it.”

”It was a man.”

There was another pause, this one suspended in the air by all men present. A silent acknowledgement and quiet disbelief. Hairston chewed his tongue for a moment, glanced at the other two men who simply returned his, and then took another pull from his cigarette, lowering himself to the ground as he inhaled until he was level with the driver. He smiled something vile as he let the burnt air in his lungs escape as curling tendrils of smoke that wrapped around stained teeth and drifted through his beard.

"You're telling me a single man burned down my plantation."

”Yessur.”

”Are you lying to me? Cause if you lying, I’ll have George over there shoot you from where he's standing on that there porch, you understand?”

The man shook his head. ”I ain’t no liar, Mr Hairston. It was one man. A-..." There was a bit of hesitation, but eventually he resolved to finish the sentence. "...A white man.”

"A. White. Man..." Hairston repeated slowly, not believing him. His trust was already hanging by a thread, but there was a curiosity to it he couldn't deny. Some small desire to see where this tale led. "Alright. One of mine?"

Another head shake. "No sir... he was in the field... workin' it."

This time it was Hairston who shook his head. ”No. I don't have anybody done recently got here working for me. No contracts."

"I swear..."

"You know what this man look like?” To which the driver only nodded. There was another pause, this one shorter, followed by a finger snap and wave at Andy, who had been standing on the porch next to George. ”Andy!”

The boy jumped down from the porch and ran up to the group of men.

”Andy, get your ass down to the Williams and fetch their son.” The boy nodded and immediately took off down the driveway. ”And not the dumb one! The artist!”

Martinsville, Virginia 1836 └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ 2026 Pine Ridge, South Dakota

^{#bca346 ....|..... outfit .....|..... Main Street}

Noah put the car in park and shut the engine off, letting the growl of the engine die and the still eerily quiet that was Pine Ridge proper find him again. It was difficult adjusting to the speed of sound in a small town, especially built into the base of a mountain as it was. There was no comfort in noise and no warmth from an ever present sun. Just the cold embrace of an ice wind as it tumbled down the peak and rolled over the town nestled in its shadow. Walls kept Noah’s thoughts from tumbling out of his head and there were no walls here. His thoughts kept getting away from him, running toward the mountain and flitting into the trees, carrying with it ideas of ‘what’ and ‘where’.

Right now, the ‘where’ was Main Street and the ‘what’ was the Sheriff he was hoping to find through the doors of the Sheriff’s station.

Noah retrieved a thin binder from the passenger seat and stepped out into the biting cold of an early morning. Clouds stuck to the sky and obscured the nearby mountain peak and cast everything in a drab shade of gray, but the air, as ever, was crisp. It filled his lungs with ice that shocked the lethargy from his eyes and then tumbled free from his lips as a rolling ball of hot air.

He flipped his wrist and checked the time.

7:00

^{#bca346 ....|..... outfit ............... #00aeef ....|..... outfit ............... Sheriff's Station}

_Exit
Noah entered the station, exchanging the biting cold with the comfort of working heat and the smell of old carpet and worn leather.
_Webboysurf
A small bell jangled as the door swung in, revealing wood-panelled walls illuminated by fluorescent tubes in the ceiling.The lobby wasn’t particularly spacious and revealed much of what the sheriff’s station had to offer. An empty check-in counter, wood-carved and still-gleaming from a recent polish, stood in wait with an old bench to the right. A small, unsecured gate that came up waist high blocked anyone from wandering further into the space. Another desk sat a few paces behind the check-in counter, with an old oak door and window leading into an office. It was ajar, a singular yellow lamp glowing. The shades were drawn closed, obscuring the figure shuffling papers on their desk inside. To the left, past the gate, stood a couple holding cells made of brick and tarnished metal bars. Signs indicated that down the hallway past the cells were evidence lockers and the morgue.

It took a moment before the sound of wood scraping against wood came from the office, and a tall man in a tan uniform stepped out into the doorway. The bags under his eyes betrayed weeks of late nights and early mornings, if not months. He sniffed a little as he took in the man before him, a look of momentary confusion crossing across his face. A stranger in town, showing up this early in the morning, was never a good sign. Sheriff Dev Sarkar smoothed his shirt, as he took a few steps closer, letting a polite smile tug at his lips. ”Good morning,” he offered, crossing over towards the gate. ”What can I do for ya?”
_Exit
Noah returned a greeting nod and a smile, studying the man on approach and deciding with little reason that this was the man he needed to talk to. There was hardly anyone else in the station. “Good morning,” he began, offering his hand for a brief handshake across the divider. “Apologies, I know it’s early and I know you haven’t seen my face before. You’re probably a little confused but I promise I’m not here to waste anyone’s time. I’ll get right to the point. I’m uh Noah. I’m a private investigator looking for someone and I was hoping you or someone here might be able to help me out with a little information?”
_Webboysurf
Dev took the man's hand for a firm shake, before letting his hands naturally settle on the belt of his uniform. ”Dev Sarkar, acting sheriff here. Inherited quite the mess.” As the man shared his purpose for being there, the sheriff sighed. ”Missing person? We've been getting a lot of those.” He motioned towards a bulletin board against the wall, overstuffed with pinned leaflets containing faces and names. There were more than a dozen, with more stacked up on the desk nearby. ”Got a name to narrow things down?”
_Exit
So that’s what that was…

Noah followed the man’s eyes to the board and the nearby stack of papers. To say there were a few was an understatement, considering the population of the town. Thankfully, Noah had done a bit of research of his own before arriving and knew full well about the oddity in number of open cases. There had indeed been a spike of late and his person of interest would be yet another name to add to the pile.

Unfortunately for Noah, knowing what to expect didn’t make it any easier a pill to swallow. He shook his head, the sigh that jumped from his chest turning into a name in a single breath. ”Eleanor Crowe. Went missing in Connecticut a few months ago and now I’ve got a daughter who wants to see her mother again. She’s reason believe she’d come to South Dakota. To here.”
_Webboysurf
The sheriff frowned, brows furrowed in thought. He crossed over to the desk, rifling through the stack of papers. He knew all the names of folks by heart who had gone missing. ”Name doesn't ring a bell,” he admitted, setting the papers back down when his thoughts were confirmed. ”Long way from Connecticut, though,” he mused, looking back at the detective. ”What makes your client think she came to Pine Ridge?”
_Exit
”Name’s written all over a journal in her possession.”

Noah's eyes lingered curiously on the bulletin board, automatically trying to memorize each name and face. He didn’t mean to. It just happened. Like a reflex or a defense mechanism that he had little control over. He could already feel the gears turning in his head. Could feel the subtle beat of excitement rising in his chest not unlike the first time he opened a puzzle box and poured the contents on the ground.
_Webboysurf
Dev nodded slowly, scratching his chin as he mulled over the revelation. She could have been a local back in the day, but the name Crowe didn't mean much to him. ”Makes sense… due diligence and all, to start here. She could have grown up here. Lots of folks left a few decades back, some kind of mining incident.” The sheriff said it more for himself than anything, as he recognized that look in Noah's eyes. It didn't matter why she came back, just where she had gone. Stopping here was a professional courtesy, a way to get the lay of the land.
_Exit
Noah pulled open the Binder that had been tucked under his arm and jotted down a note. ”Pine Ridge.” Noah said aloud, as if naming the first piece. He nodded toward the bulletin board. ”Are these all recent?”
_Webboysurf
The question stung, even if it was the most obvious follow-up to seeing just how many people went missing in this small town. ”Last year or so,” he replied bluntly, motioning to the board. ”Try to keep the most recent up, and the kids.” He paused, as if the words tasted sour on his tongue. Dev shook his head, averting his gaze. ”Picking which ones to keep up is the hardest part.”
_Exit
It was impossible for Noah to ignore the all too familiar lump that Dev had just placed in his gut, or more accurately replaced after it had been momentarily forgotten about. It was the unfortunate reality for their line of work and something no one who cared ever truly got over.

”I know the feeling. It never really gets easier, even when you get to take some down. You just end up taking that pile home with you.” The head shake he gave Dev read like it was meant for him. An acknowledgement of the difficulty of the job that he himself knew full well, but it was really an unintended physical reaction. Shutting down the part of him that wanted to drop everything to do something, anything, about a wall of missing children was difficult. It was a hole he’d fallen into before and one he knew he wouldn’t be able to climb out of until he was knee deep in a town full of shallow graves and half-drained lakes. There had to be a reason.

Any reason.

Another headshake. Another note. Judging by recent events and the bulletin board itself, Eleanor could be a part of a larger, missing whole, but it was impossible to know for sure. Irresponsible even to assume. It was, however, even more irresponsible to ignore the question of what exactly was going on in Pine Ridge, he tried to reason. Arabella’s mother was involved in some way with the town itself at the very least. He just had to find the pieces directly connecting it and her, and if that happened to involve solving the rest of the board, well that was just good investigative work.

”You said ‘acting Sheriff’ and I noticed the website had a Sheriff Hawthorne. Is he also missing?”
_Webboysurf
”Damn, gotta get that fixed… I’ll have to give Sutton a call about that.” Dev repositioned his hands onto his belt again, letting out a few harsh puffs as he considered what he should share. It wasn’t exactly an investigation, and the medical examiner had said a lot of words that ultimately boiled down to one simple fact. ”Hawthorne is in the cemetery, died of natural causes in his sleep.” It was a callous way to describe it, but it was easier than trying to find more polite ways. They had more pressing matters. ”You got a picture of this Eleanor? Name doesn’t ring a bell, but a face might.”
_Exit
”I’m sorry to hear that,” Noah said. It was genuine, if brief. A mental note had been checked and that was that, but it was no easy task to step into such a role, especially during such a strange time.

He flipped to the back of the binder to where a picture of Eleanor had been clipped, but as he turned the last page, he was reminded of another image he’d brought with him. Tucked into the corner just beneath Eleanor’s and peeking out from under the corner was the picture he’d snapped of a very specific drawing.

There was a brief pause before he pulled the more relevant picture out and held it up so Dev could see it clearly. ”This is from a few months ago.”
_Webboysurf
Dev studied the picture as it was shown, squinting as he got a good look. It took a moment, but there was a sudden look of recognition. He had seen the woman, but only briefly. ”I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in terms of details… but she was here.” He sighed, shaking his head. He remembered the red hair, as it was a bit unusual around Pine Ridge. It was hard to keep track of all the tourists, unless they did something particularly memorable. Plenty of young adults who want to get freaky in a ghost town, some who wandered into unsafe areas, and some who got a little too into roleplaying like they were from the 1800s. This woman, Eleanor, was none of those.

It was the circumstance of when he saw her. It was late, past the closing time of the bar as he was going to stumble his way home. Warren was busy, so the sheriff didn't have his usual way home via his brother. Most people were either turned in or on some sort of guided (or unguided) tour of the older parts of town if they were out that late. Eleanor had been standing at the corner… though which corner eluded him. She was staring at a building, as if she were some lifelike sculpture. It was strange. When she did turn to look in his direction, her gaze never met his. It was spooky, even for a ghost town like Pine Ridge.

”Saw her on main street, probably around eleven a couple weeks back. I think it was a Tuesday. It was weird she was out so late… but I was off duty and I wasn't gonna book an old lady for loitering in a town like this.” His description was nonchalant, though the reality was clear on his face. Dev wasn't looking forward to adding a new picture to the board.
_Exit
”Makes sense, and a sighting is plenty. That’s confirmation and a timeframe,” Noah began to say, although the breath that followed after was framed as a ‘but’. Reduced now from ‘months’, two weeks was still a pretty large frame of time. ”But uh… was she alone?” He furrowed his brows. ”What was she doing?”
_Webboysurf
”She was alone,” Dev admitted, brow furrowed as he tried to remember anything he could. The memory was fuzzy, like a drunken dream that he couldn't quite grasp. Had she been doing anything? He didn't think so. She was staring at something: a building, or maybe the mountain? The sheriff shook his head. ”I only saw her for a moment. All I saw was her on the street corner. She could have been waiting for someone, or she could have been lost. It's hard to say.”
_Exit
And that was it. No familiarity with her name. No direction. No obvious intent. Just a face, a time and a mystery. Noah jotted down another note as he shifted a piece of a puzzle around on an empty board in his head, orientating it aimlessly as if he could see the image with just his single frame of reference. But he could not. There was too little here and he doubted he’d be able to glean anymore information from the Sheriff. The last sighting of her was weeks ago, alone and lost, and there was too much strange going on in a town full of disappearing people for similar activity to immediately scream Eleanor. He’d have to move on. Get closer to the few clues he had.

He nodded, both for Dev but also as acknowledgement to himself. This was the starting point and all things considered, he’d had worse. ”Okay. That’s a start. I’ll head down to the corner and take a look. See if I recognize anything from my other notes but uh… if you end up remembering anything else or she just happens to turn up…” Noah replaced the image and pulled out a card. On it, Irving Investigations was printed in black ink dead center with his name and number beneath it. He handed it to the Sheriff.

”I’m going to do what I can to keep this name off your board.”
_Webboysurf
The sheriff took the card, giving it a once over before sliding it into his back pocket. Given Noah's appearance, it seemed the private sector paid a lot better than a sheriff's salary. Maybe Dev had earned that kind of reprieve from the front lines, or maybe he deserved to be stuck in a place like this. He gave Noah a firm nod, holding out his hand for another shake. ”It would be nice to have a win for once around here, Irving. I'll loop my officers in on this, and we'll help however we can.”
_Exit
"I appreciate that." Noah said, accepting the handshake. "Thank you, Sheriff."

Noah turned to leave, but hesitated. A thought had lingered too long in the back of his head, and now that he'd been reminded of it, it was refusing to leave him alone. "Actually..." Noah turned around and pulled from the back of his binder the second photo he'd been holding... or hiding. It was a photo of an old sketch of some person of interest, made in a time long past.

"This is going to be a no, but have you seen anyone who might look similar to this?" He wanted to roll his eyes, but he managed to control himself.

^{interactions ....|.... Dev Sarkar............... mentions ....|.... Arabella & Clint (indirectly) ............... collabs ....|.... @webboysurf}