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#1
Old 02-06-2015, 01:32 AM

The streets were crowded, as always. Ever light illuminating the sidewalks glinted off jewels, cufflinks, the edge of a button, the threads of ribbons. This was the tourist section of the city, a place where commerce and wonders mingled together to delight the senses, and invite the lightening of wallets.

Valentina worked in an antique shop. She delighted in the musty smell of old tomes. Ever inch of wood furniture, warm, was a work of art to her eyes. In these days of technological advance, of manufacturing, objects had no soul.

Besides, she felt safe surrounded by things of old. Safer then out and about. It wasn't guns that scared her. It was something else entirely that sent her heart racing, her body trembling.

Just thinking of it made Valentina waltz away from the counter, the old intricate cash register, and out onto the sales floor. Colored glass lampshades with delicate flowers shone. An old fountain pen lay across the top of a worn copy of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities. She wound a glass music box, and listened to the tinkling music with a smile.


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#2
Old 02-06-2015, 04:29 AM

He had just finished his last case, and was trying not to fall asleep doing the paperwork. Mountains of paperwork seemed to pile up every time he stepped away from his desk and as his job often required him to be out in the field that meant massive amounts of paperwork was always there to greet him when he got back. If only fire was an acceptable method of filing forms. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up to fix himself another cup of coffee, it would be his sixth in the past hour.

The break-room was quiet, the whole offices were quiet. He was pretty pleased about that however. The last case had him sitting in clubs and night bars, his hearing was sensitive enough, and in those places he was suffering a headache worse than any hangover he had ever had. Now the silence was welcoming. Taking his coffee back to his desk, he found his supervisor sitting in his seat.

"Detective Darmac. The missing person you found is talking. Thing is she won't stop talking about the Gems of the Kasikar."

"You mean the stones of power that went missing during the looting in WWII?"

"The same. She's still shaken up and heavily drugged, but we want you to go down to the commerce district and just check the place out for new goods movement. We're not sure who's doing this yet, but until your person starts making more sense, that's all we have for now."

He didn't have to be told twice. Leaving his paperwork behind, the satyr took to the streets. It would only be a ten minute walk, fifteen tops, to get to the heart of the commerce district.

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#3
Old 02-06-2015, 11:51 AM

The door chimed. Bells ringing always signaled customers. This woman, dressed in a sleek black skirt suit, headed straight for the back of the shop. The new shipments were always stocked there, and some customers always wandered over to look through them. It was an odd arrangement. Most of the time the store owner didn't even have time to check anything they bought.

Valentina wandered to the counter, and waited.

"I'll take the iron bound chest." The red head slid a check across the counter. It had a huge number slashed across the top, far more then the item was worth.

Valentina's eyes widened, before she grabbed the check and made a receipt for the customer. "There you are." She handed over the slip. "Will you be wanting it delivered?"

"No. I'll be taking care of that myself." With that Fiora Dematteo walked out the door and disappeared.

She'd probably be back latter to ask for the back entrance key.

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#4
Old 02-06-2015, 08:04 PM

Clacking down the streets he was reminded that he had forgotten his rubber shoes, but there was no bothering now. He used his outlandish fashion as camouflage, many people would stare at him, but they would be staring at the navy blazer with lime lightning bolts and his checkered golf pants. Most people didn't notice the fact that his legs seemed backwards or that he had fuzzy goat like ears tucked into his dark curls. The clacking could almost be passed off as very fancy shoe noises.

The commerce district was busy as always, people in suits marched past quickly going places of importance. Food stall vendors shouted out their sales, shouting over the other street vendors. J'kelo felt at home in this sort of chaos, much more so than his paperwork full cubicle. He wasn't sure what he was looking for yet, didn't even know exactly what type of case this would turn into. Stopping to get a kebab from one of the stalls he saw it. A woman stepped out of a shop, looked around and stuck to the shadows. She had red hair and long legs, but that's not what got his attention. It was her need to stay in the shadows and desire to go unnoticed.

"Yo man. Yer food?" The vendor pulled his attention back. He took his food, paid and walked to where she came from. He had lost her but he might learn something from that shop. It was tucked a bit off the main street, the windows darkened by the age of the items inside. The bell rang out as he stepped inside.

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#5
Old 02-06-2015, 09:57 PM

She kept staring at the receipt copy. Such a large amount for something that looked so normal. Valentina shook her head. It always amazed her how much collectors would pay for things. Then again, she couldn't really say much. She'd spent quite a bit on her own collection of music boxes.

Her head snapped up when the bell rang. Valentina plastered a smile on her fast and walked onto the sales floor. She smoothed her dress, and made note of the potential customer's odd, yet fashionable, clothing.

"Welcome to Vintage Delights. Please take your time, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to .. to .." Her eyes were caught on his ears. You could barely see them, but they definitely weren't human. Slowly, Valentina looked lower, to the ground. She took a few steps back, and retreated behind the counter.

No. No! Not again. How had this happened again? She had never wanted to see another supernatural being again, not after the threats shouted at her the last time. She rubbed her shoulder. The ridge of an old scar reminded her all too well of what could happen. She was always careful to hide it, and today she wore a white lace bolero over her flower print dress.

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#6
Old 02-06-2015, 11:33 PM

The place had the smell of old books and furniture. Little things stuck out at him in every corner, it was going to be difficult sorting through things quickly here. A female stepped out to greet him, her words barely audible as his mind bounced off different objects in the shop. What was he looking for in here? Why did that woman come in here?

"Oh? Hi. Just poking about for now. I'll let you know if something catches my.... " He trailed off as he spied a bowl of antique marbles. He loved marbles. The smooth glass and the craftmanship in the designs, they reminded him of sweets or small planets. Putting his hands in the bowl he moved some around, the cool glass felt soothing against his skin. He plucked a few out; a cat's eye, a green glassy, and a shooter with a small cow figure inside. The cow looked fun depending on how he tilted it, the glass distorting the figure inside. "Oh man! You never find these kinds anymore! How much for the cow marble?"

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#7
Old 02-07-2015, 12:03 AM

The clinking of glass snapped her from her stupor. Valentina almost laughed when he came up from the bowl with a marble in his hand. It was so ... unusual. Maybe because he hadn't noticed that she'd already realized what he was.

Instead she smiled, and glanced at the inventory book. "Twenty dollars. It's a unique piece. And like you said, you can't find them anymore." Valentina almost said it cost far more then that, just because of what the man was. For all she knew it could be a trick to lull her into a false sense of security.

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#8
Old 02-07-2015, 12:17 AM

"That's a deal. Here." he placed the three marbles on the counter. "I'll just leave these here while I continue to look around. I came in for a friend and I'm getting things for myself. Typical guy shopper right?" He cracked a smile at her, she seemed a little nervous around him, maybe she knew something? He wasn't the type to scare information out of people, he would rather watch and glean it from them. Terror messed up the truth, and there was always the chance that she didn't know anything and was just jumpy.

He walked over to the dresser and pulled open a few of the drawers. Nice dovetailing but nothing unusual. A travel case had some interesting decals on it, but again nothing unusual. Making his way around the store he was drawn to the back. Things back here seemed more or less just piled together, as if they hadn't been sorted yet. A chaise lounge with crushed velvet and brass tacking, the stuffing seemed reworked. A leather bound book with a strange seal, the detective picked it up and turned it over, it was a family crest but not one in his knowledge. He felt like his trail was going cold. He let out an audible sigh of disappointment.

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#9
Old 02-07-2015, 12:57 AM

He clacked when he moved. She knew it wasn't shoes. Shaking her head, Valentina popped the marbles into a brown paper bag, a small one. The tissue paper she'd wrapped them in crinkled.

Valentina leaned to the side once she was done. Now where had he gone? The backroom was only supposed to be for certain customers, the regulars. The shop owner insisted on it. The strawberry blonde sauntered into the back. "Excuse me, but you aren't allowed back here. Only regular customers are. The owner insists on it."

She tilted her head and forced a smile to her lips. "I'm sure I could help you find something for your friend out in the front of the shop."

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#10
Old 02-07-2015, 01:22 AM

He allowed himself to be guided back to the front portion of the store. There was something he was missing. It was frustrating but not much he could do about it. He wasn't even sure if this was a true lead in the first place. Just a shop that a mystery woman left.

An idea struck him. "Maybe you could help. See my friend likes places like this, full of interesting things, rarely the same product twice. And I was looking for something different for her, but the hard thing is she comes to these kinds of shops so frequently I don't know what she already has." Here was the bit he was hoping for, "You seem like you remember faces and purchases. My friend is a tall red head, usually wearing very sharp black outfits. Super stylish. I just want to know if she's been in recently and if she bought anything so I can avoid getting her something too similar."

It was a long shot that she would even tell him what another customer had purchased, but it was all he had to go with at this point. Otherwise his trip was just for a few new marbles for his jars.

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#11
Old 02-07-2015, 01:57 AM

He seemed so nice. Valentina felt more at ease with him then she should have, considering what he was. He just seemed so normal. She nibbled on her lower lip. There weren't exactly any store policies against sharing information... She shook her head. "Someone who sounds like her was in earlier. She's a regular here. I don't know if she's your friend though."

That wasn't violating any rules, she was sure. She just wouldn't say what exactly Fiora had bought. Valentina nodded to herself. "Usually she likes boxes, vases, chests. Furniture. That kind of thing. I would be glad to help you pick something out, and steer you away from things too similar to her previous purchases." She had to get this sale, otherwise all this information ... well she could get into trouble. She was afraid to get into trouble. Maybe she was just worrying too much.

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#12
Old 02-07-2015, 02:36 AM

His eyes lit up. She did know the person, and she was an apparent regular. He just hoped his hunch would pay off. Tuning into a few key words he carefully thought of what he needed to say next to keep this going. All of those could be used to move things, but boxes and chests were too similar to mention twice.

"I think she would like a smallish sized chest, not like a travel chest. More like a wedding chest, but not one of those! We're not that close!" he laughed, he honestly had no idea who this woman he was purchasing for was. If he did find a good "gift" for her then he would probably just get it for himself. He had enough blazers and scarfs to fill a few of those, might actually free up some of the closet space in his small apartment too.

"Do you think she'd like one with carvings or metal details?" He said it as if musing to himself but still loud enough to be heard by the young woman.

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#13
Old 02-07-2015, 02:44 AM

"Metal." Her mind was already reeling through the inventory. Valentina nodded towards a spot in the back of the room.

She pointed to an iron bound chest, and slid the wool blankets covering its surface to the side. It was square, made seamlessly. It stood on four sturdy little stubs. Solid. Unbreakable. It had survived centuries already, or so Valentina imagined. She pushed the lid up, to reveal a layer of shelving. She took that out, and then slid her hand to the top of the chest. "This one has an interesting feature." Something clicked as her fingers found a dip in the top panel. She slid it back to reveal another set of compartments, these ones hidden, and all lidded to keep the contents safe, if there had been any.

"She usually buys things before I can get a look at them, but I know the owner. He loves these kinds of things." Valentina glanced over her shoulder at the dark haired man.

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#14
Old 02-07-2015, 05:23 PM

He marveled at the chest as it was unveiled. It was an impressive work, but more it was the perfect method of transporting things without causing too much notice. He needed it, it wasn't solid proof that would get him a big lead, but it was enough that the chief would be willing to let him start more searching. "That has potential. I really like hidey holes, that's unique. But I can't take the first one I'm shown. It's a gift for her, not me."

His mind got caught up on something she had said. It kept ticking back and wouldn't let go. the owner loves these things ... she buys things before I can get a look. Who buys things before they can be checked and cataloged? Unless they knew it was coming in and didn't care about it's appearance. But who could be interested in antiques without caring about the appearance?

His mind was wandering and his eyes were staring off in the distance, unfocused. Catching himself he smiled at the girl, "Sorry, I do like this one, but did you have anything similar? Just to compare it to?"

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#15
Old 02-08-2015, 03:37 PM

Valentina tapped her chin. "There is one other one on the floor right now ..." She waved the soft eared man to follow her, and set off through a maze of stacked books, towering above her head. Haphazardly, objects, jewels, ribbons, were strewn throughout the mess.

When they stepped out, it was almost like walking into another store. Here was elegance. Here was ethereality. Valentina weaved through chairs, tables, beds, and sank down in front of a pale chest, leather bound and edged with bronze. The rounded top was decorated with carvings of flowers and faeries, and the front as well.

"This one could work." She pressed her fingers to the front, and slid a few drawers out. They were invisible, the handles and grooves hidden by the carvings, the flowers and vines.

On the inside, she revealed a hidden bottom, a much safer way to transport anything then in the top of a chest. Valentina glanced at the customer, opened her mouth, then closed it.

"I know what you are." Why would she say that?

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#16
Old 02-08-2015, 11:39 PM

This one was even more impressive than the other one. It did cement the knowledge that the owner did seem to get these with some regularity. And with a second one with hidden drawers, he had no idea that antiques were fitted with secret compartments. He started to wonder if other larger pieces of furniture could also have hidden features. The motifs on this one left him feeling a little awkward, seeing fae creatures in art was something he never got used to. But this was the one he was going to get. He could even bring it in to have a magical analysis done to see if anything had happened recently. Too bad he didn't know anyone who could read an object's history through touch.

"Yes. Yes..." he was lost in his thoughts again and almost missed her comment. It snapped him back to reality and threw his mind off balance. "Huh? What do you mean?" eyes narrowing he started to think which charade did she see through? Did she find out that he had no idea who that woman was and had no intention of purchasing anything for her? Did she somehow know he was a detective? Or was it just that she had noticed his clippy cloppy hooves and pointed ears?

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#17
Old 02-08-2015, 11:47 PM

Valentina couldn't bring herself to say it aloud. She lowered her eyes and pointed at the stranger's feet. So what if it cost her the sale ... She just couldn't take it! She should have kept her mouth shut about it.

The young woman edged backwards slowly, and looked around. Why had she brought him to this bottle neck alley, this place she couldn't get out of quickly? Valentina knew better then that! She slid to her feet and hugged herself. "You aren't going to do anything to me are you? I mean, that isn't why you came, right?" Had one of the other fae she'd seen sent him there to track her down, and make sure she remained silent about them all?

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#18
Old 02-09-2015, 12:09 AM

He let out a huge sigh of relief. It was just the clippy clop hooves. Of all the things for her to know, she picked out the most obvious and easiest to handle. Then he saw her sink. He started to panic. "What?! Oh nononono. Miss, miss. Please?" He found himself kneeling down to her level, hand out but unsure if he should pat her, what if that just sent her further into this scared state. He had to deal with this quickly.

"Sweety, miss? Please? Please look at me." he said as softly as he could, he had just dealt with a hostage situation, he thought he was done with the whole damsel in distress thing. "I don't know what you might be thinking, but I didn't come into your store looking for you. I'm not going to do anything to you. I promise. Ok?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "I want to buy my marbles, this chest, and I want you to call me when any new boxes or crates or furniture comes in." J'kelo pushed his business card into her hand and helped her up.

Detective J'kelo Darmac, MDD 19th Ward. phone number

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#19
Old 02-09-2015, 12:18 AM

She sniffled a bit and took the card in her hand. A detective? Well that sent her imagination running, but she did make an effort to try and stay calm. Her lips quirked up into small, barely there, smile. "I'm sorry ... I just .. I have.. .Well I have the Sight, and I can see through glamors ... Most fae, they really don't like me when they find out, and they always do because I just can't help reacting." She used her free hand to push her bolero aside, and exposed the nasty scar on her shoulder. She felt like she needed to explain herself after such an outburst.

"This happened when I was ten." There were more, in less obvious places.


Valentina looked at J'kelo. He did seem harmless. He really did. She was just so used to horrible reactions, to being chased and threatened, that ir was hard to believe he had never had any intention of doing anything to her.

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#20
Old 02-09-2015, 01:20 AM

"Well, I'm not like most fae. I can't cast a glamor to save my tufty ears, I mostly rely on a kind of dazzle camouflage to trick people into not noticing me but noticing my outfit instead. It usually works. I think I should get a louder jacket, I really liked this one though." He rubbed his thumbs on the lapel lining. He didn't want to look at her, not with that revelation. He knew the power those with the Sight had, and he knew their value among his people. He really didn't want to think about it. At least not then.

"You can call that number for anything else if you need the help. It goes to my desk, and if I'm not there, forwarded to my personal phone. Don't let anyone know I was here, or what I was asking about. You know the risks, you wear them." Picking up the chest he moved past her back towards the register. He needed to get out of the shop and back to the offices. He needed to get this information down somewhere other than in his head. It was getting too full as it was.

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#21
Old 02-09-2015, 01:42 AM

She was too shocked to say or do much of anything, except her job. Valentina felt comfortable when she stood behind the counter again. Big, sturdy; it felt like an impenetrable wall standing between her and the rest of the world. Except the world was standing right in front of her in overly bright clothes. Not bright enough apparently.

The clunky cash register rang. "So, check or cash? We don't have debit here."

She glanced at his clothes. "I think orange or yellow would work. Yellow kind of matches your pants." Would he really be alright with her calling him? She slid the marbles across the counter, safely wrapped up in paper and bag.

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#22
Old 02-09-2015, 02:17 AM

"I think I have my check book with me. Don't suppose you mind it having a false name on it? I assure you the bank and money are very real." He pulled it out from inside his coat and started to write on it. Being fae meant he had to keep two of everything, except a job, thankfully he only needed one of those. Since she caught him on his race, and he gave her his card, she would recognize the name on the check wasn't his.

"Maybe, I have a green one with little crabs on it. Most of these I have to get tailor-made, normal places don't sell things this bright or outlandish. And seriously, you got my number." He finished writing out the check and slid it to her. Tucking the chest under his arm and taking the small bag he was set to head back to the offices. Hopefully more came from the victim he had found, but at least he found a honey pot.

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#23
Old 02-09-2015, 02:34 AM

She found herself giggling. It was hard not to laugh! Imagine that, having to get clothes custom made so they would be distracting enough.

Valentina slid the check into the cash register. "Can I really call you if I need help?" Her fingers tapped against the counter. Valentina shifted, bobbed from foot to foot. She wasn't used to dealing with any fae who hadn't tried anything horrible with her.

It was the oddest situation in her entire life.

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#24
Old 02-09-2015, 03:12 AM

"YES!" he shouted back into the shop before closing the door, the bell chiming again. Eyes darted around the streets no sign of that woman from before, no signs of people following his movement either. So he marched on wards, more careful this time with his steps. She saw through his tricks, glamor or no, if he brought too much attention to himself they would assign him a glamor buddy. The last thing he needed was a magic on a stick following him around.

The offices were still quiet when he made it back. The door to the chief's office was closed, so he just passed it on his way to his desk. Sliding the chest under his desk, J'kelo opened the bag to get his new marbles out. The shooter was an incredible find, he marveled at it, watching how the glass distorted the cow inside. "Darmac. You're back early. What's the scoop? Nothing yet from your victim, I know you'd ask."

Scooting the chest out from under the desk, he slid it across the floor towards his supervisor. "There's a place in town that gets these fairly frequently. Antique pieces with false bottoms and hidden access panels." He touched the decorum so that the drawer would slide open, showing off his find. "I saw a woman walk in to the shop. Tall, red hair, wore all black. Stuck to the shadows. She apparently purchases these things from the shop without the shop keepers checking the product. Sounds like anyone we have anything on? Could be our best lead right now." He wondered if he should tell him about the girl, that information might be useful, but she also seemed to have enough issues with his people as it was. He would keep quiet for the time being. I hope this isn't going to bite me in the ass.

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#25
Old 02-09-2015, 03:09 PM

The rest of her shift was uneventful. Run of the mill. The different was she rummaged through the antiques. Searched for clues, for hidden compartments.

J'kelo Darmac's visit had gotten her thinking. It was true, there were some odd things going on in the business. Things she'd put down to an eccentric owner had suddenly taken on a whole new meaning. Wood, old pages, dovetailing, woven seats; they were innocent objects, but what they could hide was another matter.

A crumpled piece of paper caught her attention. It had been tucked away inside a porcelain music box. She'd never noticed it before. She hadn't been looking.She tucked it away inside her purpose before leaving, alongside Darmac's business card.

She would call him tomorrow, after looking at it and doing a little research of her own. The numbers didn't seem like they could mean anything, but they might.

 


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