| Opening Doors |
| Summary: | Black Lightning follows leads on the case of Pluto, meets up with Topaz |
| Date: | (2014-09-08) |
| Related: | NA |
| NPCs: | None |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. |
It's a lovely fall afternoon in Greenwich Village. After a few days of humid, scorching heat, the cold front that is passing through is a refreshing change. It's not quite sweater weather, but it can be felt in the air.
The Village being what it is, there are a number of tourists walking about, taking in the sights and occassionally there is a flash of a camera as a group gets a picture in front of a spot made famous because two actors smooched there in some popular rom-com movie.
In one more business oriented section of the Village is a non-descript door in a concrete brick wall plastered with concert flyers. Of course everyone knows where the door leads, the famous Voo-Doo Lounge. A lone woman, petite in stature, dark in skin and hair emerges from the door, an unusual sight for late morning, but not a unicorn sighting by any stretch of the imagination. As she leaves she makes sure the door is shut type and locks it behind here.
Arriving dressed in a jacket (not quite suit jacket, not quite tweed leisure) with a turtle neck, matching slacks and some shoes. Jefferson Pierce looks more regular than might be regular visitor to the lounge. He looks ready to go in, holding a card in his hand but notices someone exiting. Looking at the card again as if dubious, he decides to pocket it and heads for the woman instead of the door itself. That is, he doesn't try to pass her to get inside.
"Sorry," he says, by way of excusing himself, "Is this some sort of magic shop or something, it looks like a club or something, I think we have a chain in Metropolis but someone said if I had questions …" Bluntly pointing out someone else sent him this way, but he's dubious that he'll get any answers in a club and better to ask the lady emerging than making a fool of himself inside the establishment.
"It is a bar actually, though I prefer to call it a lounge." Topaz immediatly picks up the conversation, seeming not in the least bit put out that a total stranger has approached. "A chain?" she seems quite amused by the assumption "I assure you there is only one Voo-Doo Lounge on the east coast and it is not a chain." a nod is giving at his being sent by a mysterious someone "I am quite fond of questions. I was about to go for some tea, you and your questions are welcome to join me.
"Tea, huh," ponders Jefferson with a smirk, "I think I could go for some tea." Seeing as this woman knows enough that she's a good enough lead on his topic as any. He turns to follow in which ever direction the tea store is. Walking with her, at her lead. "Only one, but there was an article in the Daily Planet down there … a few months back, about an opening of a Voodoo lounge, that's some competitor then, or a different sort of bar?" He is probably deducing enough that might of been the only clue he needed that it is the place he could take his questions, but using it instead conversationally, and to be extra sure.
"And I never enjoy drinking tea alone. So I guess we both win this time." Topaz guides the way toward the teashop, which isn't to far down, but as with all popular spots in touristy parts there is a line out the door. Something she sees no problem with, or else she is just used to it. "Funny thing with doors, sometimes you can walk into one and end up someplace completely unexpected." she gives him a mysterious smile.
Grinning his agreement that they both win, Jefferson isn't complaining about tea lines for the moment as well. Its a good day with signs of the oncoming fall, there is that desire to just be outside, enjoy the cooling weather, get more looks at the sun before its more over the southern horizon and setting early, and generally have good spirits in being ready for the coming months. "Just the thing I was hoping to hear," he says like someone who is curious about the mystical realm while not wanting to just know everything, that slight inner fear of the unknown while trying to keep the brave face. "I'm curious about doors, my friends and I that is. There was an incident last week I was involved in regarding death's door and where it may lead and who may block it. Would it be odd, if I said I was curious about Pluto." The greek god, not the dog, or the former planet.
Topaz tilts her head as she listens to what he is saying. She garners quite a few passing stares from those both passing and inline, several even take pics with cellphones as discreetly as possible. She ignores it all, her single focus on her current companion "The singular door that everyone fears and all must pass through eventually." her nod is a knowing one "No one is able to block death's door. One may prevent passage for a time, but all must pass through it." she hmmms as the god is mentioned "Pluto, ruler of the underworld…as you call it. I much prefer is older name Hades. I have never met him personally, but I can tell you many things about him. Are you wanting to know something specific?" unlike most she knows the ancient gods exist and talks like it as well.
Not trying to think about the pictures being taken discreetly or not, Jefferson is professional enough in his daily life to give proper attention where its due. "He seemed to like the name Pluto," suggest the man, as if suggesting there was something close to a personal meeting on his end of the conversation and he wasn't much of a believer before this. "And I don't know what all is going on with him, but he seems to think he's due for collecting souls. Wanted to claim Manhattan for his purposes. He seemed to stop a few, but couldn't collect them or something. I was hoping you might be able to help out." Someone sneaks a phone out for a picture, he can't help then, "You get this alot?" He can see she's dressed the part to fit in around the Village, might be a tourist thing, she's pretty too, but maybe they know something he doesn't about her, like she's famous in this realm of the mystic.
"Of course he would, it is quite ostentatious for a name. He returned to our plane did he not?" Topaz ponders thoughtfull a few moments, "You said there was an incidence last week. He was that incident." it's not a question, she just figures the two are related "That explains the power surge I felt last week. His arrival took out two of my wards." okay that she sounds put out by. "His time has past, he has no more claim on those souls as you or I do. I have dealt with gods before, I can and will help with Pluto." his final question has her looking around "Only from the tourists." she lifts a hand level with her hip and pushes downward toward the earth. Whatever the tourists fascination with is over, they seem to go about being interested in other things, like line waiting and that boring street corner over there.
"That's good to hear," says Jefferson at her willingness to help, as the others go away and she does the hand movement, he says rhetorically, "That was you?" As if it shows she wasn't kidding about wards and him returning to the realm of mortals, or trying to, and that she is more than someone plying tourists for a quick dime even. As the others go away, and there is some semblance of non-interruptions, he turns more directly towards Topaz. "If you're willing to help, I have some friends who are interested in this matter, especially if it concern New York itself. I'm Jefferson Pierce," the cereal box guy that holds up medels for pictures sometimes but looks like a regular guy, maybe a teacher even. "But I do some things on the side, if you're serious about that help, maybe I could introduce you to what all we know about this and we could work together?"
The line moves quickly, the people running the shop must know there stuff and Topaz moves along with it. "It was. I have a way with people." such a way that she doesn't even have to say anything to them to get her way "I am Topaz. It is a pleasure to meet you" and for they are not just words, she actually projects it. No cereal boxes for her, just a few local magazines about the nightlife of New York and the Lounge. I am willing to help, though I warn you my methods are unorthodox." another mysterious smile "We all do things on the side, do we not." she gives him a wink "Yes, I will need all the information you and your friends have. If it were not for the fact that we are dealing with a god, I would say I was looking forward to working with you. If only that weren't the case." and then they are at the counter, with the cashier asking for their orders.