[PRP] update 2.0 (fox & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

When he had not heard from her, after stating whom she was going to be with for a while, Jeremiah ended up calling. He had not, of course, expected to get a hold of Fox's mother but he had. The brief conversation made him miss his own mother more fiercely than he expected (because, for him, he had lost a mother and gained one all at the same time).

Still, he had taken note that the young woman - though clearly not with it - was safely tucked away.

It was why, come the next day mid-morning, there was a steady yet firm knock upon the door. The kind of knock that did not even sound like the police (and if it sounded like anything, it was somehow a very polite, formal knock).

He was not, as he stood there, going over all the reasons in his mind why it was a bad idea that he had allowed her to handle this case in the first place. While this situation would test her, see her potentially find herself and her courage- The thoughts were pushed away. At least for now.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Meeeeeeeeehhhhhh! MEEEHHH! Myeeeeehhhh! meeooooww! Mooooow! Meeeeooowww! MEH!

The obvious door greeter was apparently immediately as meowing approached the door. A tiny paw scritched at the inside of it as heavier footsteps followed after it.

Bento, hey, I'm getting it. Bento. Beeeentoo~

Fox took a moment to open the door to scoop up the white and orange Devon Rex that had posted itself at it, the feline practically wrapping itself around her face as she opened it. She didn't exactly look worse for wear, but she did look worn out. If she was surprised by her visitor, she didn't show it.

"Chief. I-" "MEEHHHHH!!!" Bento interjected. HELLO NEW HUMAN. "Good morning." She stepped back from the door in a gesture that was near universal for 'come on in'.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah just raised an eyebrow in question before he stepped inside. If he was phased by the fact Fox had a face hugging cat, it did not show (he was absolutely not phased and was, in fact, the opposite).

"Morning, Miss Bliskiss. I am glad to see you are alright." He lingered by the door, not wanting to move forward without prompting. It was rude.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I'm...yeah, I'll call it that." she replied, a little more flatly than she would have liked as Bento arched her back and bumped her entire side into Fox's face, purring up a storm. After a moment, she perked up, crawling up Fox's shoulder, around the back of her head, and to her other shoulder, looking at Jeremiah and meowing.

"No, Bent-"

And there she went, jumping from Fox's shoulder to Jeremiah's, bumping herself against his face and purring before settling in. Fox sighed. "Do you need me to get her for you?" she asked as Bento just contentedly purred. She had a new high place. Life was good.

"You can come in, you're...not intruding." She mentally added 'Vampire' to her list of Jeremiah-is-a-mythical-magical-creature list.

azuredeams

 

[azuredreams]

"You are in one piece and able to answer the door. That, for me, is alright. Though your reaction does tell me something happened," replied Jeremiah. He did not even miss a beat as Bento made herself at home on his shoulders. His hand came up out of reflex, not to steady, but to scratch under her chin and rub her head.

Someone was apparently used to cats doing this.

"It's fine, she's not bothering me one bit." Then he let out a breath. "You'll have to forgive me, Miss Bliskiss. It isn't anything other than how I was raised." One waited until they were lead by either servants or the house owner. Still, once allowed he stepped further in and turned to look at her once more.

A hand was kept on Bento, slowly petting without thought.

"Did I wake you?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

And in .2 seconds, Jeremiah was now Bento's new best friend (though everybody was Bento's best friend). The feline purred contentedly, leaning her head against Jeremiah's as he scratched her chin, tail practically hugging his neck in joy. "OK. Well let me know when you're ready to be liberated she's....clingy." As Fox said this, Bento began to mindlessly knead at Jeremiah's shoulder. She was the happiest cat.

"It's fine." VAMPIRE "I don't have anything I'm hiding in here so I don't mind you making yourself at home." Fox's apartment wasn't exactly minimalistic, but rather than clean it looked somewhat unlived in (outside of obvious marks left by a cat jumping and climbing on everything).

She shook her head. "No. I've been up focusing on not having my breath stolen by the lovelump on your shoulder." Bento bumped against Jeremiah's head again and amped up her purr volume as though to confirm that yes, she was the lovelump. She was the fuzziest sweetest lovelump ever. "In bed, but not sleeping. It's fine. I can..." she frowned, "at least walk without assistance at the moment." Though unintentional, she couldn't help but rub the mark on her wrist with her thumb idly.

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

At least he didn't sparkle in the sunlight.

Well.

Not all the time and only if he had icy scales but that was not now.

Jeremiah moved towards a seat, giving Fox a nod of agreement that he would do so when he was tired of Bento. He seemed quite adept at moving with a cat on his shoulders and able to scratch at the same time without a problem. Lovelumps that purred loudly were, in fact, quite adored by him. Of course the moment that she started to rub her wrist, Jeremiah zeroed in on it and what she said.

"At the moment," he said slowly, "which implies you couldn't previously and your wrist?" Fox was treated to the kind of stare that they told stories about at the department. The ones about when Jeremiah had still been a detective and would be laser focused on something. The gaze that meant he was here and things were going to be done.

"Your meeting with Renard went a way you did not expect." It was a statement, not a question.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Fox took a seat across from him, turning the inside of her wrist away from him when he commented on it with a slight frown. "It's....it went a little strange. I'm not sure how much I should say and how much I...shouldn't..." she admitted. "I'm trying to sort through a lot of information and figure out what is tainted by the opinion of others and what is tainted by...my own." Such as Jeremiah Mercer hurting Renard Leroux's daughter. Renard said there were suspicions. Fox couldn't place Jeremiah as that type of person. There was a conflict of interest there she needed to resolve somehow.

She sat up higher in her seat, shoulders square in a posture that was typical of her 'I am putting on my brave and professional face though I feel neither right now' moments.

"I guess saying it was 'A little' strange is actually not giving it the enormous momentum it actually was. I was given a lead, I followed it. Things...happened."

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah's expression was still laser focused, especially when she hid her wrist. "Things ... happened." His head shook. "We are not in the department, Miss Bliskiss, and you have likely crossed a line I would have preferred you did not. One where the case is not so easily handled by the means at your disposal or the department. However, I did knowingly let you handle the case even knowing where it may lead."

A breath was let out.

"There is magic in the world, of which you know, but then I have a feeling you know that there's also another world tucked around Ashdown now. If only because Renard is likely just like his daughter and when someone comes looking for for answers, he will show them something extraordinary that changes their entire view." His head tilted, studying her for a moment. "So how changed is your world, Fox?"

It was deliberate, the shift to first names, because a line had been crossed. One from work to ... well, his other work.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I was given the means to follow certain information." Fox stated simply, though the look on her face betrayed just how not-simple that had been. In fact, it was just as obvious about everything that happened as Jeremiah spoke about magic and other worlds, the small poker face she'd had the energy to throw up failing her.

She just wasn't on her A game.

"I don't know how one normally gets to that place, but I have a feeling the method I will be using is not it." Fox admitted. "I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to be there, but..." she turned her wrist over to show the watercolor mark on it. "I can get to where I need to be to find what I need to."

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

His gaze fell to the mark on her wrist as it was turned over and visible. Jeremiah drew in a breath and then let it out slowly with a sigh. "You've been a resident of Ashdown," even with her time in Boston, "so I am certain you have heard the rumors? That there's a place that looks just like this one, that it's seasons are opposite ours, that sometimes you find things that no longer exist there, that sometimes it invades your dreams?

"The place you were taken to? It is likely an extension of it or part of it, one or the other. Most who have magic, at least within Ashdown, are drawn to it and can cross over without even realizing it." His eyes were focused on her face again. "It's existence is due to the actions of people who have since died because they wanted to cage someone."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Well yes, I have heard the rumors growing up. I just tend to not put 100% of my eggs in a basket until I've had a chance to look at the basket first." It was difficult for someone who was so...non-magic to take that fact at face value. Guess she at least took it at some value now.

"I can only go on purpose, at the very least." which would likely serve her well since she was definitely not magic in any which way. The mention of a cage caused her brows to raise, as though this was interesting to her in a way more immediate than just historical. "Cage how? Is the entire place a cage? Or was it a safe place to hide a cage?"

She was very interested.


And Bento was feeling very ignored, meowing loudly and bumping her body against Jeremiah's head again before following up with loud purring.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I could attempt to show you the basket," he offered, "in a manner that would likely not be as disconcerting. At least not physically. I may not be able to, however, if you are not truly ready yet." Jeremiah let out a breath, a small laugh as he turned his cheek towards Bento and rubbed it against him.

Carefully calculated face scruff was good for kitty scritches.

He was looking out of the corner of his eye when he spoke again. "Our entire world is a cage. The lives we live, the parts we play- every aspect of it a cage." Her interest, of course, was noted and that told him something but for now it was let go of.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I have seen the basket." Fox assured. "I am not sure how eager I am to see it again at this very moment, however." She knew it hadn't been something for her to see yet. In fact, she wasn't sure how readily she was going to want to go back, despite her determination to see the situation fully through.

Bento purred at Jeremiah rubbed his cheek against her, arching her back and leaning into him as she bumped the top of her head against him. Prrrr. Prrrr. Prrr. Little paws continued to knead at his shoulder.

She frowned at his vague answer to her question, leaning into her seat for the first time into a position that didn't look so stiff and formal. "Well I'm looking to open a cage I've found."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah was pulling his phone out, unlocking it and then bringing up the image gallery. There were several pictures on there of what looked like a dreary, drab version of downtown Ashdown. One of them, in fact, was the department building next to City hall.

"Some part of me thinks you encountered a very particular place as other ashdown, as it's called, is not so bad. It's simply what you find there." The phone was held out for her to look at the pictures, Jeremiah's other hand resting against Bento a moment while he leaned forward.

Sitting back, a breath escaped. "I have, due to recent investigations on my part, been made aware of the cage you speak of. In fact, I am wanting to open said cage and free Liam Noor but you, I don't think, have the means to do so. You would need magic and you haven't discovered yourself with any have you?

"The cage that I speak, the one we are all in, is not the same," he clarified. Jeremiah, of course, apparently had gathered information about Liam Noor himself. "It is tied together, however."

demon_pachabel