[PRP] vera causa (temperance & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah was waiting for her as soon as her shift was over. He was not, of course, sitting but standing. There was likely something about him, the line of his shoulders and the way he held himself, that spoke more than just Chief of Police. He was very much a man in command of himself, who was ready to do what was necessary.

"Miss Clark," he called out, his hand flicking in greeting and his eyes bright, "It turns out that I do need to speak with you again. If that's not a problem?" Polite as ever as well.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Chief Mercer," she said, surprise tingeing her voice. What else could there possibly be to talk about? "It's not a problem. I have a few hours free, I believe." She checked her phone. The Temperance of before filled her hours with gaming and other hobbies, but she'd become more selective and found herself with many hours that were empty and silent. Perfect things.

She smiled politely at him. "Perhaps we should take this elsewhere, however?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"If we head outside, I believe I can take care of that. It isn't a subject I feel particularly comfortable talking about here in any case." His head tilted, gesturing for her to follow him and they could head outside of the hospital.

Jeremiah paused a moment, his eyes glowing briefly as he watched one of the small, wispy spiders skitter across the floor and underneath the door into a patient's room. He looked back to Temperance a moment later. "Shall we?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Head outside?" Temperance questioned. "Um, sure." She had no idea what Jeremiah Mercer was up to, or what he could possibly want to talk about, but it was usually beneficial to cooperate with the police.

The spiders were commonplace and she resisted the urge to squash one. Objectively, she knew they were helping, but... "What's up?" She interlocked her fingers and stretched them.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Should you not be opposed, I can take us to other side with relative ease." Jeremiah's eyes glinted. "As this is not something I wish to speak about here." A door was pushed open for Temperance to walk out through, his own steps following a beat later.

"It's a particularly sensitive matter and I'd rather the hospital spiders be the only things around."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"How gentlemanly," she said lightly. "I'm not entirely fond of that place, but I suppose there is no better place, depending on what you wish to talk about." Her fingers dug into her arms, but she walked through the door, leaving the very brightest lights of the hospital behind.

"So - how do you propose we get there?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"You said the magic words," Jeremiah replied and, with a flourish that did not seem patronizing (which made it worse more than likely), offered Temperance his arm to take. "I can simply take us there."

His arm was held out towards her, head inclined and a polite smile on his face.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Her eyebrow arched. 'Magic words' - really. "How can I refuse when you offer so nicely?" With a deep, silent breath, Temperance looped her arm through his.

"On your mark, then." This sucked. She would definitely need to find her own way back.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

With their arms linked it was almost instantaneous. It would feel odd, like a shift in the air pressure to her, but she would blink and find that they were in other ashdown. Inside the very hospital they had just left, though this was the greenery covered version.

The shadowy spiders, of course, were all that more obvious here.

"Not so bad?" he inquired as he politely let go of her, taking a step away and turning to look at her. There was, if anything, almost a shift in his presence in that moment. This was not the polite, relaxed man that had talked with the previous time but someone who carried themselves all together.

His head inclined, blue-green eyes brighter for being in other ashdown, and spoke. "There's a Healer here, did you know that? In this place. It's why it feels so alive here."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She breathed in slowly. "Neat trick," Temperance said. Normally, she would have likened this to a video game, maybe Dishonored - blinking from one place to another. But Temperance hadn't quite been herself lately.

She looked at him. Jeremiah was different here, and it made her feeluncomfortable, even more foolhardy for accepting this invitation. Was he really even a man anymore? "I think I'd heard about that, but I never visited him. I was here once, though." This place, this other Ashdown always caused a chill to settle deep into her bone.

"I assume you wished to talk about something magic related?" Idly, she cracked her knuckles. It made her feel warm for a few scant seconds.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah just inclined his head, lips twitching in a slight acceptance of the praise. His fingers twitched as he flicked a bit of coldfire between the tips of them and up into the air to settle as fairy lights around them. It put an eerie glow on everything though it fit in well with the mossy covered hallways.

"I knew someone who was with the previous Healer when they died and the new one took it's place," he replied, shoulders rolling a little bit before he focused back on Temperance once more. "I've never visited either but the Healer won't let anyone visit without reason anyway." Something about a never ending pit of blackness the only way to get to see it.

The knuckle cracking still seemed so out of place for Temperance, despite that he barely knew her. "It is, yes. I've some questions I'd like to ask you. Just to clarify some things."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Another neat trick. "Should we grab a table or some chairs then?" Or they could just lounge around broodingly as the light cast soft shadows onto their faces. The bits about the healer were noted, filed away, but not commented on further.

She looked at the lights and tried to lift one a little closer. It was a little too eerie for her blood. Temperance preferred the bright florescent of the hospital.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"We could, if you'd like. If you'll be more comfortable, it's certainly beneficial." Which mean that he was, with sweep of his hand, calling forth chairs for them both (though they seemed somewhat mossy like the hospital was as well as a contained a brief lingering cold to them).

As for the fairy light: not even was it unresponsive but there was a sense of magic pushing right back at her; a chill that might've briefly gone down her spine. Jeremiah's will kept the fairy lights where they were, though all they were were just flickers of the coldfire he summoned that hovered in the air.

A gesture was made for her to have a seat, with him taking one a moment after her.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She shivered and supposed that maybe the reason it didn't work was a lack of mass. Though the chill reminded her of the caster, oddly enough. However, with only one glance at a light, Temperance took a seat.

"My comfort is hardly a factor in things," she said, puzzled. It had been an odd thing for Jeremiah to say, Temperance thought. And it made her antsy. The chair was cold, too. She wanted exactly what he was.

"So, I assume you needed to ask me something?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah smiled.

It was probably odd to see it on his face for it was not his true smile, the ones that close friends and family saw, but the pleasant one he wore when he had to. The one that sometimes lead to trouble.

"I do," he said, "but you're probably not going to like it. You were there in the void when the new Sigil was created. Your blood was among many who also helped form it, was it not?" There was something unsettling about his gaze, though it was not any brighter than it already was.

The Semblance of Unity