LordOfTheNight

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas watched as she seemed to be trying to piece this whole crazy situation together and coming up short. He wouldn't try to put more explanation into it unless he thought she could handle it. For the time being, she'd been hit with enough information. He didn't need to clutter her head with more information unless she was ready to hear it. Thomas watched her hands go up in an I give up fashion. He chuckled as she said she'd accept his offer and get some shit together so she could live for some time. Thomas ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Probably not a bad idea" he said with a chuckle. Thomas took a drag of his cigarette and began to pace around the house, trying to get a feel of the spirit that was living here. He ran a hand through his hair as he could sense something. It still wasn't strong enough to take a corporeal form. It would have to absorb a great deal more magical energy and the Eye of Horus was ensuring that it didn't do that.

If he knew what he was dealing with he'd be able to use a revelation spell and give it a corporeal form that he could then banish but he didn't know how powerful this thing was. Giving it a corporeal form could be the worst thing possible if he were to give something as powerful as a god corporeal form. He couldn't guarantee being able to banish it. It was a risk he couldn't take. Not yet anyway. Not till he knew just what was trying to come through. He was brought back to reality at the sound of her voice and smirked a bit. "Decided against the just got out of bed look?" he said teasingly. He took one more drag of his cigarette as she made the comment they should probably be going. "First good idea I've heard all day" he said with a chuckle. He ran a hand through his hair and followed her towards the truck. "Probably a good idea that you drive. I definitely don't drive" he said with a chuckle as he took a drag of his cigarette once more, putting it out as he climbed into the passenger side.

Blackgate sighed in relief as they stopped in front of his apartment. He lead the way upstairs until they were on the middle floor, leading the way to his apartment as he unlocked the door and opened it for her. "Make yourself at home" he said gently as he examined the wards carved into the woodwork. He hoped he was right about the wards. The last thing he needed was to make it apparent he didn't know what he was talking about. At that point they could be dead. Blackgate stepped inside and closed the door, locking the locks. He had more than just a few locks by New Yorker standards. The standard knob lock, multiple deadbolts, a chain lock, and to put the cherry on the cake, a large steel bar that landed with a thud into place across the door. When he was sure she was giving him a weird look he looked to her and spoke. "You have a cult that is likely watching you and likely wants you dead and I have artifacts that date back farther than recorded history and also hunt ghosts, demons, and monsters for a living, how many locks do you think you'd have?" he asked with a chuckle.

Blackgate ran a hand through his hair and took his coat off, hanging it up in it's respected spot as he lit another cigarette and took a drag. No doubt she was starting to notice his smoking habit as he made his way to his file cabinet and ensured they were locked. He double checked one specific drawer labeled "Blackgate". His apartment was secure to say the least, both by arcane means and by physical means. He ran a hand through his hair and made his way to his room, straightening it up just a bit as he came back and looked to her, releasing a cloud of smoke as he spoke. "You can sleep in my room if you want. Beds pretty comfy all things considered" he said with a chuckle. He walked to his desk and took a seat with a sigh and leaned his head back, taking a nice drag as he exhaled the smoke. "Well, welcome to Casa de Blackgate" he said with a chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas watched as she adjusted, getting comfortable and resting her chin on her knees as she asked if it hadn't shown itself to her that she'd be fine. He gave a grim look. "Perhaps. However you may have already encountered it and not known it. Some encounters end with a complete loss of memory. You could have seen it some time in the past few weeks or months, than again you may have encountered it as a child and not known it either" he said with a gentle tone. He listened as she commented about feeling things and sometimes even seeing things out of the corner of her eye and he found himself rubbing his chin in thought. "Whatever is in your home, I don't think it's Gorr'rylaehotep. It doesn't toy with people like that. This feels....different. I'm thinking this is something else entirely, likely one of it's lapdogs trying to get loose" he commented.

Thomas remained silent and bowed his head a bit. He wish he could offer better news but there wasn't much he could say that would help her. "More than likely, this thing was stalking Keith first. This thing though didn't kill Keith though, this was the cult that worships it. My guess is that they found out that it was following him and took that as a sign that he was marked for death" he said gently. He sighed and shook his head. "Chances are that this thing will latch itself onto you now. With the trauma you've been through and the things I've seen, we're likely gonna attract this thing like flies are attracted to shit" he said with a grim tone. That didn't make things better, it just meant they would both likely be stalked by an ancient Egyptian god that could kill them, drive them insane, or cause them to commit suicide. If it didn't do that to them than the cult definitely would kill them. It was bad news all around but they had one ace in the hole. Him. If anyone was prepared to take this thing on it was him.

What do I do? she had asked. He sighed and shook his head. "For now? There's nothing we can do. This thing isn't going to make it easy for us. I know a few spells that may keep it at bay but this thing is very powerful. It won't let us go until it gets what it wants from us, whatever that may be" he said gently. He didn't know what they could do other than try and defend themselves. There could be an artifact out there that he could use to possibly banish this thing. He'd heard rumors but he'd need to investigate. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this thing doesn't get us. You have my word on that" he said with a nod. Say what you will about Thomas. That he was crazy, that he was a slob, that he smoked more than a chimney. You couldn't deny though, he had a will of iron and didn't know the meaning of the word quit.

Thomas stood from his seat and took a cigarette from his breast pocket, lighting it as he ran a hand through his hair and took a drag. "You should be safe at my place. Remember those carvings that were on my door?" he questioned. When she gave some form of acknowledgment, he continued speaking. "Those carvings are called wards. Wards will ensure nothing supernatural can enter or do harm. That is arcane law and Gorr'rylaehotep has no choice but to respect such laws" he said with a sure tone. He could almost see her eyes glaze over at the explanation, barely understanding. She'd learn more about magic sure enough if she stayed with him. He'd be shocked if she didn't or didn't have questions concerning the arcane world. He would answer what he could

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas looked to her as she began speak, saying that she didn't even know WHAT to ask. Fair enough. She continued, asking what she should do, how did she get rid of it, what was it, and finally where did it come from. All very good questions as she began to get worked up and finally seemed to calm down, relaxing a bit as she took a sip of her wine and then apologizing for how she'd reacted. "It's ok, I understand" he said gently. He looked to her as she said she was scared, that she wanted it gone for good. He nodded and spoke. "I understand. I would be shocked if you weren't scared. I keep forgetting that you aren't magically inclined like I am. Forgive me" he said gently. he took a moment as she finally came to find a proper question to ask. What is it? Thomas sighed and took a drag of his cigarette, relaxing as he thought about how to comment.

"There have been hundreds of legends concerning this....creature, this being. Perhaps the oldest known record of it is the legend of Gorr'rylaehotep, from ancient Egypt. Legends speak of a being that came to our world from a place just beyond our own. For all intents and purposes, a god from another dimension" he began. Chances were he'd lost her by this point but he continued. "He....it; has been seen countless times throughout our history but each time, these cases follow a recurring theme and a recurring description of the being itself. Every time it makes contact with an adult, the adult has been through some sort of trauma or tragedy in their life. It seems to target those who have seen him as children and stalks them for years. It stalks the person, every encounter causing paranoia, memory loss, hallucinations, nightmares, bad shit like that" he said. He took a drag of his cigarette and put it out with the heel of his shoe. He took a breath and continued. "If this thing is stalking you, you wouldn't know it. You could be unaware of it for months or even years and you wouldn't know it until it showed itself to you and by then you are too late" he commented.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I wish I could give you more information than that and I wish I had better news than that" he said with a grim tone. "Truth be told I have more files concerning victims and the cult that worships him than anything. It's mostly legends and no facts if I'm honest" he said. Gorr'rylaehotep was a mysterious being that didn't stalk hundreds of victims at a time. He often stayed in single digits and spread the cases among countries and states. it was impossible to know who were victims and who weren't

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas could tell she was doing her best to try and believe him or even wrap her head around the idea of him being able to just teleport like it was some everyday thing. For him, it was one of the few magical means for him to travel but it also took a toll on him energy wise. It's not easy to just disappear from one location and just appear in another, physically speaking and magically speaking. True there was a great deal of things he could do with his magic abilities but teleportation was something that only got easier with use and Thomas tried not to use magic when and IF possible. He preferred brains and bullets first before he chose abracadabra. Thomas ran a hand through his hair and could see that she was thinking of her connections and soon found that there were none. He didn't mind taking her in if that's what she needed. She was his client after all. If he didn't protect her that wouldn't make him a very good private detective.

He watched as she made her way towards the kitchen, commenting that before she made reservations at the hotel Blackgate she wanted to talk about just what the hell the 'unpronounceable word' on the folder meant. He figured this was coming but nodded. "Well I assume you were going to ask at some point, better late than never I suppose" he said with a nod. Blackgate watched as she climbed up onto the counter and asked if he liked red wine. He shrugged, not one to turn down a drink as he took a drag of his cigarette. She produced two glasses and uncorked a bottle of the wine, pouring a glass for the both of them.

As she reached for a drawer and pulled out a joint, she asked if he minded. "I don't mind. I'm not one to judge" he said with a chuckle as he took a drag of his cigarette. He took a seat beside her as she took a moment to relax, commenting that she thinks she's finally ready to discuss what was happening to her. He nodded in understanding as she began to speak, asking if this being that was in her home would follow her. At least he assumed that's what she was asking. If she was asking about Gorr'rylaehotep, then that was a different story. "The spirit in your house may only be tied to your home. However, if it does follow you than I have an artifact that will ensure it doesn't harm you. It may still follow you but at least it won't bother you" he said. He stood up and walked to the door as he grabbed the amulet. "This is the Eye of Horus, an ancient artifact from Egypt. It's a symbol of protection and good health. In this case, you need to think of it as a supernatural bulletproof vest that protects you from supernatural bullets. If you wear this, you will not be harmed by anything supernatural. Only something as powerful as a god can harm you" he said as he handed her the amulet.

He took a drag as he took a seat and sighed. "Now if we are talking about what that folder is talking about, if we are talking about Gorr'rylaehotep, than yes. It's gonna follow you. It's not pretty, it's not friendly, and it's not something you want to mess with" he said with a grim tone. He took a breath and nodded. "I'm sure you're wondering just what the hell I'm talking about and wondering what the hell Gorr'rylaehotep is, among other questions of course. Now is your chance to ask" he said gently. He would answer as best as he could but he couldn't guarantee all the answers but he could answer a majority of them

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Upon appearing in her living room, he could feel the presence that lurked within the home. With perhaps the right spell and the right goading, the entity would manifest and Blackgate could use a spell to perhaps expel it. Blackgate took a drag of his cigarette as he felt the temperature of the room grow colder. Cold enough to see his breath even. That wasn't a good sign. Whatever was in the house was absorbing Thomas' magic energy. It appeared to be getting stronger. Most spirits fed on emotional energy, this was feeding on magical energy. That wasn't normal. Blackgate produced the amulet from his jacket pocket. The moment he produced the amulet, the temperature changed immediately. Returning to normal. The amulet had done it's job rather well. At least he'd hope so, he'd be very concerned if he'd gotten a bogus amulet. With the room returning to normal, Thomas held the amulet in hand as he took a drag of his cigarette and relaxed as he approached the room she was in.

He was relieved to hear that she was still alive and coherent. Good. He wasn't too late. Granted it only took a few minutes to get what he needed and to shift from his office to her home. He listened as she spoke, saying that the door was still jammed, asking how he'd gotten here so fast. "I used my ability to teleport. I figured you were in danger, so I decided that my distaste to use magic can take a backseat if it means getting someone out of danger" he said. She probably didn't believe that he could teleport but was there a better explanation. Thomas put his hand against the door and closed his eyes. The presence was definitely holding the door shut. Thomas jiggled the doorknob and pondered for a moment as he took a drag of his cigarette. "Alright. Give me a sec, I should be able to get the door open" he said. Thomas took the amulet and hung it from the doorknob for a moment. Resting his hand against the door once more, he could sense that the presence that was holding the door shut had left the door. It wasn't permanent but for the time being it would do the trick.

Thomas opened the door and raised an eyebrow as he looked her over. "Interesting choice for attire but I'm not one to judge" he said with a chuckle. He took a drag of his cigarette and looked around. "Well you weren't kidding. There is definitely something in the house. Something with power, something that is feeding off of magical energy and getting stronger" he said. He looked to her and spoke. "I'm going to advise that you leave the house. For now anyway. Whatever is here is going to make life very shitty for you and the best course of action for now is to just leave. Is there anyone you can stay with that you trust? Anyone at all? If not than I suppose you can shack up at my place. It may not be the ritz motel but you're guaranteed not to have any demons try and make life any shittier than it needs to be" he said as he took a drag. It had been a bit of a mouthful but it needed to be said. Something in the house wasn't right, it set Thomas' teeth on edge.

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Blackgate read over the files concerning Gorr'Rylaehotep and the cult that worshipped him. There was a great deal of info he needed to go through and yet none of the info was helpful. At least not in the way he was looking for but that was neither here nor there. This cult went back thousands of years, all the way back to the unification of Ancient Egypt. Legends spoke of a god who appeared before the Egyptians and placed a curse on the land. Not much is known of the creature but enough is known that it has come to have many names. The Germans refer to it as "Der Großmann", the Japanese referred to it as "Noppera-bō", the Chinese called it "Hùndùn", the pre-Colombians called it "Taíno". Different names, same faces. There was no such thing as coincidence to Thomas Blackgate. They were all connected. It all pointed to the same being, Gorr'Rylaehotep. The creature however didn't seem to have any motives like the other deities he'd encountered. Khorne was a blood god that demanded blood and violence, the Gods of Chaos only demanded chaos and corruption. Gorr'Rylaehotep didn't seem to demand or desire anything. It just simply was.

Blackgate was so tied into his work that the sound of his phone ringing shocked him back into reality. His cigarette was half way burnt to ash as he put it out and picked up the phone. "Blackgate..." he said as he listened to whom ever was on the other line. It was Caroline. Apparently this poltergeist was keeping her trapped in her room, possibly worse should time go on. Blackgate sighed and nodded. "I will be their in just a few. I need to gather some equipment and I will be there as fast as I can" he said. He needed to make it fast before whatever was in her home tried to rip her open. He was quickly on his feet as he hung up, grabbing his signature brown trench coat. If he was going to fight a malevolent spirit, he'd need at least one item and it wasn't for him.

He knelt before a trunk and unlocked it quickly as he began rifling through the few artifacts he had in his own home. Within no time, the artifact he was looking for was in his hands. The Eye of Horus. The artifact was older than one could imagine but it held power. When someone held it in their hand they could feel the energy rolling off of it. It made the hairs on your skin rise but not as though there were an evil spirit. It was like there was lightning in the air. It was a pleasant tingle that one eventually got used to.

With the amulet in hand, Blackgate grabbed his Browning HP pistol and holstered it quickly. It was a precaution just in case the cult was there. If they were there, then he was ready. If not, then at the very least he was prepared. Patting himself down, he looked at the clock to see he'd been ready in almost 5 minutes flat. Easy. He grabbed his cigarettes and lit one quietly. As he took a drag, he closed his eyes and envisioned the location that she'd told him about. He imagined himself in the living room of her home. He felt a tug in his gut, a sharp and powerful tug that one would immediately feel. "God I hate this part" he said to himself. Within a moment faster than the blink of an eye, Blackgate disappeared from his office and reappeared in the very living room of her home. Blackgate took his cigarette out of his mouth and held his stomach for a moment and then regained his composure. He took a drag and walked quietly towards the bedroom as he knocked on the door. "Caroline, it's me Blackgate. Everything alright in there?" he asked.

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas didn't concern himself with payment this early into an investigation. Some cases sure but when it came to the paranormal investigations he didn't bother until all was said and done. He could handle normal cases well enough. Paranormal ones he never knew if he'd be dead by the end of it all, hence why he didn't ask for payment. He could see that she was doing her best to keep a grasp on the situation but when it came to the supernatural, it was just better to simply just embrace the chaos and roll with it. Thomas had tried to make sense of it before and it put him in an institution. Understanding it drove you to madness and you either succumbed to the madness or you simply followed the rabbit hole down and found what was waiting for you. It was your only option. Some doors can't be closed once you open them. Magic, the supernatural, the paranormal, all of it; once you experience it you won't be able to go back to normal. You may try, but like a hangman's noose for a murderer, it's still waiting.

Thomas listened as she said that Keith's body had been buried last week. Well that wasn't necessarily a problem. He could call up a guy he knew who could exhume the body and he could do what was needed. However as he'd stated he could go to the warehouse. Either way he wanted to look over the crime scene and see if there was any evidence the police could have possibly over looked. It was unlikely but then again they didn't have his resources or his knowledge. He listened as she stated that she didn't want to go to the warehouse, too painful for her. He understood. "It's alright. I should be able to take care of it from there" he said as she wrote down the address for him. He nodded when she commented that the warehouse abandoned and easily accessible. "Well you have my number and I got yours. If I need you I will definitely call, however the same goes for you. If something goes bump in the night, call me immediately. No ifs, no ands, no buts" he said with a serious tone.

Blackgate watched as she grabbed her bag and offered her hand. He smirked a bit as she called him 'Mr. Blackgate'. "You don't need to call me Mister Blackgate, you can either call me Thomas or you can call me Blackgate" he said with a chuckle as he gave her hand a firm shake. "But regardless, I hope I can figure out what in the hell is going on" he said with a nod as she made her way out and onto the street. He sighed and grabbed his cigarettes, taking a cancer stick out and lighting it. He scratched his eyebrow as he made his way to the desk and hit stop on the recorder, taking a seat as he looked over the file on 'Gorr'Rylaehotep'. The file was more than a little thick. It was obvious that he'd been tracking this case, that and the case went back far. VERY far. They weren't dealing with some new age religion like Heaven's Gate or the Peoples Temple. This was something that stretched as far back as you could imagine. This was serious to say the least....very serious.

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas watched as she began to look over the notepad, looking for her reaction. He had no idea what reaction he was looking for but he would know that she recognized the symbol if it was on the page. He watched as she began to stiffen the moment she looked at the first symbol. He sighed and rubbed his eyes as he nodded, taking the notepad as she handed it to him. "I was afraid of that. I know exactly what we're dealing with" he said. He'd encountered these guys before and they weren't ones to be messed with. Though it seemed he wouldn't have a choice at this point. He took a drag of his cigarette and set the pad down. This wasn't their usual MO, though human sacrifice wasn't necessarily out of the question though. Perhaps they were changing it up a bit, trying something new. By the sounds of it whatever they tried was apparently working from their perspective.

Lodging the cigarette in his lips, Blackgate pushed his office chair back to his wall of filing cabinets and went to the cabinet labeled 'G'. He began to mutter to himself as he went through the files. "G-O-R.....G-O-R.....Ah! There you are" he exclaimed as he pulled a file out labeled 'Gorr'Rylaehotep'. He watched as she pulled out a flask and took a swig from it as she seemed to realize how it appeared and then straightened herself up, commenting that she was sorry and that she'd been in solitude for more than a few weeks and that she'd forgotten how to act in public. "I understand. What you're going through isn't easy. Lord knows I have gone through some of my own problems as well" he said as he let her relax. "I put myself in the loony bin for almost 2 years just because I was starting to think I was crazy. Trust me, you came to the right guy" he said with a chuckle.

He looked to her as she commented that she just wanted answers, information, anything. He took a final drag of his cigarette and put it out as he ran a hand through his hair. "Trust me. I will give you what answers I can. You've given me some important puzzle pieces that I needed but I won't be able to solve it without more pieces. The picture is at least a bit more clear. Like I said before, I know who we're dealing with now at the very least" he said. He remained silent for a moment as he rubbed his chin, thinking about what he should do next. He was brought out of his trance as she said she wanted to discuss payment now. He looked to her and chuckled as she produced her wallet, offering to clean his apartment if he wanted. He smirked and chuckled, shaking his head. "We can discuss payment once we've solved this case. As to the apartment, I wouldn't say it's dirty.....just organized chaos" he said with a small laugh.

He ran a hand through his hair and gave a moment of thought about what he could or even should do. He gave it a moment of thought and scratched the stubble on his jaw. "Alright, do you know where Keith's body is at the moment? If I can get a moment to see him, I may be able to get some information out of him. It's not a guarantee but if I can get a name than I may be able to track down the guys responsible and we can put this thing in the ground permanently" he said with a serious tone. If they didn't have access to Keith's body than he would need to visit the scene of the crime. One mistake was all he needed, just one fuck up was all he needed and he could have a monster of a puzzle piece in his lap

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas noticed her touch the carvings, admiring the intricacy of some of the carvings. The carvings all served a purpose, ensuring that no evil spirits could enter his home. Each symbol ensured that regardless of what kind of demon it was, it wouldn't be able to enter his home. He was often a bit paranoid but it simply meant that he was prepared for anything. He was like a boy scout in a way....if boy scouts could practice magic, smoked a great deal of cigarettes, and banished demons to whatever plain they had come from. Thomas relaxed quietly in his chair as she seemed a bit distracted. He wasn't going to push her if he didn't have to. It didn't get him anywhere and just made things worse. It was true that his gaze could be a bit mesmerizing. Looking too long into his eyes without breaking eye contact had often strange effects. Sometimes it caused hallucinations, sometimes some would hear whispers, and some even felt their own sanity begin to crumble.

Thomas looked to her as she began to speak, going into detail concerning their background with one another. For the time being, it wasn't anything worth note. He was starting to think that the NYPD was getting lazy and were just sending her there because they were 'too busy'. He perked up for a moment when she commented that he'd gone to a bar known as 'The Black Dame'. He'd heard of it but he hadn't been there before. He took mental notes as she began to discuss the paranormal happenings that had occurred before her husband's murder. He had two theories in mind that could be possible but he needed two more pieces of info. One theory was that she had a link to magic and it was starting to manifest itself. The other theory was that a demon had latched itself onto her husband at some point and the ritual was a means of releasing it. Both could be very likely but he needed more info before he could make a sound thesis. He maintained a stony expression, barely moving aside from the occasional drag of his cigarette. It was brutal to say the least, the way Keith had been killed.

Thomas watched as she showed him the bruises on her calves and explained that the house was becoming more active. Interesting. It appeared he had not only a murder to solve but an exorcism to perform. He held the cigarette in his lips as he took the envelope and looked over the photos. Nothing concerning the apparent symbol that had been carved into Keith's chest. At that point, Thomas adopted a slightly annoyed look. Leave it to the police to leave out the most important clues for him to look for. Thomas listened as she made a joke and raised an eyebrow, smiling a bit as she admitted she was being corny. Tapping the spent ashes into his ash tray, he grabbed a notepad and a pencil as he began to scribble a few things down. "Well it's obvious from what I'm hearing that you have quite the unique situation" he said. Thomas looked to her and continued his doodling as he spoke. "You had mentioned that the police had found 'satanic symbols' at the scene. This is usually the polices way of saying that they have no idea what the symbols mean. Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures of said symbol. Without it I have no idea what I'm looking for. So..." he began. It was at that point that he handed her the notepad.

On the page were four symbols. "Did it resemble any of those?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. This was important. He needed to know what sort of cult he was dealing with. If he didn't have the proper pieces, he didn't have proper preparation. Without proper preparation, he could very well wind up with his pants around his ankles and his cheeks being spread wide. He didn't need that. Not if he could help it. Thomas wasn't sure if she would pick any of the symbols but he needed to cover what ground he could. Any piece of info helped.

Blackgate: LordOfTheNight & megatrash

Thomas enjoyed his brief moment of sleep, though he didn't sleep for very long. An hour at most and he was sitting up, grabbing his journal and sketching the things he'd seen. To anyone who wasn't magically inclined, they were the doodles and scribbles of a mad man who hadn't taken his medication. To him, these were maps to places he may one day have to trek and navigate. In his mind, he'd rather be prepared and not need to than to need to and not be prepared. Thomas sighed as he finished and put the journal back in it's respective file listed 'Blackgate'. Upon seeing the file, one may wonder what actually lied inside. What was so important that Blackgate required his own file. That was a question for him to know the answer and only him. He sighed as he made his way to the bathroom, lighting another cigarette and taking a long drag as he stopped just in front of the dirty mirror in his bathroom.

His hair was the color of milk chocolate and messy as though he'd stuck a fork in an outlet, his eyes the same shade as well. His chiseled jaw was covered with a rough and prickly stubble. Grabbing a hairbrush, he ran the brush through his hair though it didn't make it seem any neater. His attire didn't help either, wearing a white dress shirt that was half way tucked in and the other half sticking out sloppily. His black tie hung loosely around his neck and his sleeves were rolled up. He looked like he'd just had a rough night at the office and had only haphazardly gotten undressed. He often wore a jacket of some sort that held his artifacts and equipment. He took a drag of his cigarette as he flicked the burnt up ash into an ash tray, making his way back towards his desk when he heard a knock. He looked at his watch and figured it must be his client. He checked through the peephole first as he unlocked the door and opened it to see her looking down the hall.

He looked to her when she offered her hand and confirmed his suspicions that she was indeed his newest client. He looked to her as she made a joke about being part of a metal band. He smirked and then finally took her hand, giving it a shake. "Glad to see that I'm not the only one who looks like they need some sleep and a cup of coffee" he said with a chuckle. He let go of her hand and motioned for her to follow. As she entered she would no doubt notice that the threshold of the door had symbols carved into it. Some of the symbols were obviously Egyptian and Christian, some were Jewish or Pagan, and others didn't appear to be from any religion of any kind. They looked like they had more of a place in a story from Lovecraft than anything. He lead her in and motioned for her to take a seat in the chair that was before his desk. Thomas took a drag of his cigarette and looked to her as he realized that his smoking may offend her. "Hope you don't mind my smoking" he said with a chuckle as he took a seat at his desk.

He released the smoke from his lungs as he looked to the woman and set down the file he'd made concerning her, starting his audio recorder as well. "This is Thomas Blackgate beginning case number 49, I am with Caroline Clarke" he said into the recorder. Taking a moment to relax, he looked to her and sighed. "I caught a majority of what you'd said on the phone but for the record..." he said as he motioned to the recorder, "Can you describe why you are here and what exactly happened to your husband?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn't like going through this process. It was difficult on the client but it was just tedious to him. However he had every confidence that any details she had would help. By the sound of things her husband had been targeted by a cult of some sort but he needed to hear the details concerning the death before he could know just what cult and what their intentions were.