AgujaCabra (10:18 PM): Does Thomas watch the news, or read the papers?
NerwenGreen (10:18 PM): sure, Thomas would probably watch the news I guess
AgujaCabra (10:21 PM): All right.. Among other local news, there was a fire at one of the small television studios in Midsomer. It's been designated an arson, and the suspect [a young editor in the newsroom], was the only person killed in the blaze. They are not sure how happened to be inside the fire, as the only significant damage was to one room.
NerwenGreen (10:21 PM): okay
AgujaCabra (10:22 PM): Of course, the mayor's 'suicide' is also a hot topic tonight.
NerwenGreen (10:22 PM): heh, I bet What's being said about that
AgujaCabra (10:24 PM): There's speculation that the mayor had engaged in some illegal activities, that were to be revealed by a snitch inside City Hall. That might be a possible motivation for his suicide, but no one knows what the scandal was exactly. They're also citing personal problems he might have had, including an alledged nervous breakdown after the death of his wife several years ago.
NerwenGreen (10:24 PM): hmmm
NerwenGreen (10:24 PM): okay
NerwenGreen (10:24 PM): I guess I file that away for future reference.
AgujaCabra (10:25 PM): all righty.
NerwenGreen (10:25 PM): So ... what time is it?
AgujaCabra (10:25 PM): It's 11:45 on the nose.
NerwenGreen (10:25 PM): okay
NerwenGreen (10:26 PM): Thomas decides to go wander around that park behind city hall some more.
AgujaCabra (10:29 PM): He can arrive there without anything significant occuring. . There is a general buzz about the street, concerning some of the recent local events, but most of the pedestrian traffic is the same that you'd see any night. It's slightly overcast, and the moonlight glints off the tall glass and steel buildings that abound near city hall... The news crew has cleared out, and it's relatively quiet.
NerwenGreen (10:29 PM): He takes a walk along the same path he took the previous two nights.
AgujaCabra (10:32 PM): As he nears the bench where he'd found the body and Chauncey before, Thomas can discern a figure laid out horizontally on its back, with one hand folded across its chest, and the other lightly on the bench's back, beside a raven that's paused to groom. It's difficult to tell in the dim light, but upon coming closer, he could tell that it is Chauncey.
NerwenGreen (10:33 PM): Thomas strolls nonchalantly over to Chauncey to see if he's awake.
AgujaCabra (10:36 PM): As Thomas comes closer to the bench, Chauncey's gaze drifts casually in his direction: his coal black pupils seeming for a moment to disconnect from the equally dark iris, in the effort of movement. . "I found this place empty tonight-- how do you care for that? Someone picked up the man who slept here, and carried him off ... "
NerwenGreen (10:37 PM): "Really?" Thomas asks. "Were you expecting him again tonight?"
AgujaCabra (10:39 PM): "I thought that I would inquire of him, where he had found that picture.. " Chauncey cracks a very slight smile, moving a finger to touch the raven's front feathers, and gently shoo it away. ".. but where is your friend tonight? "
NerwenGreen (10:42 PM): "Actually, I haven't seen my friend in a few days now," Thomas replies reflectively. He wanders closer to the bench and leans against a nearby tree. "What picture did your friend find?" he asks casually, as he settles up against it.
AgujaCabra (10:46 PM): Pushing himself to a sitting position, Chauncey folds a leg easily under his body, and swings the other lighty as he thinks.. "perhaps your friend found someone else to speak with?" A pause, as he turns his head to listen again to the still night air.. "Oh yes, he had a picture in his pocket-book.. a dusty thing, that I had wanted to see again.. "
NerwenGreen (10:49 PM): Thomas shrugs casually in response to Chauncey's question about Ryan. He studies Chauncey curiously for a moment. "Was it a yearbook photo?"
AgujaCabra (10:52 PM): Holding a hand up into the fractured light, he rather wistfully gazes through the hold in his palm at the shifting leaves.. "How now, would you have come across such a thing as this? Yes. A yearbook damsel, dressed in black and an white, that I saw him chasing... "
AgujaCabra (10:52 PM): [*hole, not hold]
AgujaCabra (10:53 PM): ".. I imagined he might tell me about her.. But he has found someplace else to rest at night."
NerwenGreen (10:56 PM): "Well, as it happens, I was walking through this park yesterday evening, and I came across your friend on this bench," Thomas says quietly after a moment. He looks towards the ground, idly kicks around a pebble, rolling it about under his foot. "He was quite dead." He looks up at Chauncey again, watching him closely.
AgujaCabra (10:59 PM): Chauncey's eyes close briefly, fluttering open again after a relective pause, as he lowers his hand to his knee.. "Oh yes, I know of course. . There were still so many things the he had wanted to speak with me about.. and now he is in a box, shouting out where no one will hear... " He clucks his tongue quietly, lowering his head a bit and moving a toe across the dirt -- making a little path in the grass.
AgujaCabra (11:00 PM): [reflective pause... darn typos]
NerwenGreen (11:00 PM): As casually as he can muster, Thomas asks quietly, "Did you kill him?"
AgujaCabra (11:00 PM): [*that he had wanted to ... goodness]
AgujaCabra (11:03 PM): "Me? kill him? that is a complicated thing... " Chauncey responds quietly, starting to trace a small pattern in the grass, although it bends back easily as his foot passes.. He turns his head to one side, appraising an imagined figure.. "Did you kill him? " And then looks briefly to Thomas, tilting his head just a bit to one side.
AgujaCabra (11:04 PM): [... change it to 'tilting his head just a bit to the left']
NerwenGreen (11:06 PM): Thomas looks vaguely shocked. "No, of course not." After a moment, he begins playing with the pebble again as he adds, "But how is it a complicated question for you? I would think that the answer is either yes or no."
AgujaCabra (11:10 PM): Running his hand along the porous wood back, Chauncey moves to lie again on the flat bench. "He had come here in order to be of use, and return into the earth-- the source of his expiration is not the cause of his expiration.. "
NerwenGreen (11:13 PM): "You summoned him here, then?"
AgujaCabra (11:14 PM): "No," he says after a moment, a note of surprise on his tone, although it remains characteristically placid. "perhaps he summoned me, in fact. What is the bond between two friends.. ? That I should find him here, at the moment he needed me.. "
NerwenGreen (11:16 PM): Still playing with the pebble, Thomas remarks drily, "it seems to me that a friend who has helped would not leave him dead."
AgujaCabra (11:18 PM): ".. I met him in such a way," Chauncey smiles softly, turning onto his side a bit, and playing with a blade of grass between his fingers.
AgujaCabra (11:18 PM): [stop talking to the crazy man]
NerwenGreen (11:18 PM): [but .. but ... the prince wants info! ]
AgujaCabra (11:19 PM): [^_^]
NerwenGreen (11:19 PM): [not that I'm getting anything useful :p time to be more direct I guess]
NerwenGreen (11:21 PM): "You have a conception of friendship which is incomprehensible to me," Thomas says, somewhat philosophically. He idly kicks his pebble into the bushes and finds another one. "Tell me, do you live here in the park? You seem to be here often."
AgujaCabra (11:24 PM): "Oh.. I am here, when it is time for me to be here, and elsewhere when that time comes.. the bushes do not afford living, and then, I would say that I live no where. " .. Chauncey twists the blade a little, and starts to make a line in the dirt with his finger... "Tell me, who was it that killed you.. ? "
NerwenGreen (11:26 PM): Thomas blinks a bit at that. "I beg your pardon?"
AgujaCabra (11:27 PM): ".. I see that the possibility of a man dying, perhaps in part by myself, or in part by another passing though, disturbs you... does it anger? I am not so certain of that yet, but it is a preoccupation... Do you dislike the one who killed you? "
NerwenGreen (11:29 PM): "I suppose you might say that," Thomas answers ruefully, looking vaguely amused. "But I don't see the relevance to your friend."
AgujaCabra (11:32 PM): He contines to trace small patterns in the dirt, not looking directly at Thomas, although his attention falls in that direction.. ".. I wonder if it is all death that you dislike, or only the kind that snuffs the wick out cold, rather than leaving the last to persist.. A heart ends its rhythm-- what is the matter if the body still walks, or if it lies down to sleep? "
NerwenGreen (11:34 PM): Thomas raises an eyebrow at Chauncey. "Were you planning to turn your friend?"
AgujaCabra (11:36 PM): He pauses, as though to consider that, and places his palm down on the ground: little sticks of green grass poking up through his hand.. "he was not one who wanted to walk," Chauncey responds after a moment.
NerwenGreen (11:38 PM): Philosophically in his turn, Thomas asks rhetorically, "Does anyone truly want to walk before it is forced upon them?" He begins kicking his pebble in circles next to the bench. "It is moot in any case."
AgujaCabra (11:42 PM): He looks up at Thomas, shifting his gaze from the grass if only for a moment, ".. was it not your wish to continue.. ? ," he questions curiously.
NerwenGreen (11:43 PM): Thomas looks over at him steadily. "No, actually it was not." He returns to his pebble and smiles slightly. After a long pause, he asks "So... was your shipment enjoyable?"
AgujaCabra (11:46 PM): Nodding thoughtfully to Thomas' comment, Chauncey returns his gaze to the soil, watching ants this time scramble for crumbs of birdseed left at an earlier occasion. . "It was not a shipment for me.. they came in, and went out, while I was elsewhere."
NerwenGreen (11:47 PM): "Ah, I see. You were here," Thomas says wryly. "Perhaps the next shipment will have something for you then?"
AgujaCabra (11:49 PM): "perhaps," he returns carelessly, letting an ant crawl across the back of his hand, and observing it carefully plot a path across the surface.
NerwenGreen (11:50 PM): "You seemed so excited when the last shipment was arriving," Thomas recalls. "Who received it? Was it a friend you were happy for?"
AgujaCabra (11:52 PM): Chauncey is quiet for a long moment, and he picks up his hand after the ant has left, resting it instead on the bench beside himself. . "It was something to consider at the time.. tonight I have my friend's picture, that I remember although I cannot see it again.. "
NerwenGreen (11:57 PM): Thomas nods thoughtfully. "Perhaps you will make new friends with new pictures then." He returns to leaning up against another tree, considering Chauncey briefly before going back to pebble kicking. "When will the next shipment be? I wanted to watch the last one but I missed it."
AgujaCabra (11:57 PM): [um... does Thomas have any idea what he's suggesting with the picture business? He's given Chauncey license to kill :p ]
NerwenGreen (11:58 PM): [uh, no ...]
AgujaCabra (11:58 PM): [hahah ::evil ST laughter::]
NerwenGreen (11:58 PM): [uh wait ... license to kill Thomas?]
AgujaCabra (11:59 PM): [nonono.... to meet new friends with pictures, and drink their blood ]
NerwenGreen (11:59 PM): [well, Thomas would assume that Chauncey is going to do that anyways :p]
AgujaCabra (11:59 PM): [^_^]
NerwenGreen (12:00 AM): [he's trying to get useful info out of him without making it look like he is :p]
AgujaCabra (12:02 AM): Closing his eyes for a moment, Chauncey puts a few of his fingers over his face, murmuring something under his breath, and starting to push himself into a sitting position again. He looks to his right and left curiously, pausing before he responds to Thomas. "I would not know a thing about any shipments, and prefer that I do not-- there are other things to know, that I would not trade for knowing when packages arrive.. "
AgujaCabra (12:04 AM): [merp.. it's after midnight. do you need to be running offline soon? ]
NerwenGreen (12:04 AM): "Like what?" Thomas replies casually, still idly kicking rocks into the bushes.
NerwenGreen (12:04 AM): [no, I napped today ]
AgujaCabra (12:07 AM): "Too many things.. " his lip twists in a soft smile, ".. that someone is losing their ability to hear their heart beating... A wound is splitting someone apart right now, and there are others who hear-- but choose not to... It's such a neighborhood tonight. . The rest I know is not for you."
NerwenGreen (12:09 AM): "Ah, I see." Thomas scatters the remaining pebbles near him. "Well. Perhaps it is time I continued my walk then. Have a good night." He begins to move off down the path.
AgujaCabra (12:11 AM): As Thomas walks off, Chauncey settles back onto the bench-- perhaps to nap, or merely look up at the trees and stars.

AgujaCabra (12:15 AM): Where is Thomas headed?
NerwenGreen (12:16 AM): He's going through the park on the same path as the previous two nights.
AgujaCabra (12:20 AM): Walking towards you on the grass, a man with wiry, but thick, brown hair a bit past his ears, pale brown eyes, green slacks, a white tank top, and an open white and blue polyester long sleeve shirt, whistles something off tune, as he scatters a handful of birdseed along the path.. He appears to be in his mid 40s, and has a touch of stubble on his face.
AgujaCabra (12:21 AM): Passing by you, he nods with a smile. "Why good evening. I hope you're enjoying the walk... "
NerwenGreen (12:22 AM): Thomas slows down a bit to watch the man, looking to see if any birds or squirrels are taking advantage of the seeds. "Good evening to you," he answers. "Seems to be rather late for attracting songbirds. They tend not to be awake this late at night."
AgujaCabra (12:24 AM): "Oh is that so?" He responds, a bit regretfully, letting the rest of the seed drop into the grass. "I keep birds myself, and tend not to think about their natural habits-- but I suppose you are right in that. Excuse me, what was your name? I did not catch it all, and I'm horrible at remembering? "
AgujaCabra (12:25 AM): A raven picks at the seed a bit further back along the path.
NerwenGreen (12:26 AM): Thomas looks sidelong at the man as he watches the raven. "I have not given you my name. I am Thomas. What is yours?"
AgujaCabra (12:30 AM): Taking out a small notebook from his pants pocket, the man pauses to write down a comment, before looking back at you. "Persival," He smiles warmly, extending a firm-looking hand towards Thomas, as he puts the notebook away with the other.
NerwenGreen (12:30 AM): Thomas shakes the hand and says "Nice meeting you, Persival." He checks for breathing.
AgujaCabra (12:33 AM): Persival's expression hardens as he takes his hand back, and he gruffly runs the hand back through his hair-- straightening out the tangles crisply, and turning from Thomas to look back along the path. This man has a very slight tan to his skin, and appears to be breathing. The pattern of breathing does seem slightly abnormal, to Thomas' trained medical eye.
AgujaCabra (12:33 AM): He cracks the notebook open, sketching something down, and reading over the previous page.
AgujaCabra (12:34 AM): [::groan:: Thomas.. keep walking :p I don't know why I put this man here. ]
NerwenGreen (12:35 AM): Thomas raises an eyebrow at the reaction to the handshake. "Or perhaps not so nice to meet?" he inquires in a somewhat confused tone. He casually tries to see what is in the notebook.
NerwenGreen (12:35 AM): [:p]
AgujaCabra (12:37 AM): "What?" Persival turns back around, furrowing his brow a little at Thomas, and snapping the notebook shut. "Oh yes.. It's been a pleasure speaking with you. " He gives a crooked smile, and nods slightly, starting to button up his shirt front.
AgujaCabra (12:38 AM): [He can tell that the notebook has his name in it, and the name of the park... it also has some random notes about birds.]
NerwenGreen (12:39 AM): Thomas steps back a bit, a bit taken aback by the man's erratic behavior, and decides to nod at him stiffly and continue his walk.
AgujaCabra (12:41 AM): The man stands in about the same spot, reading over his notebook as Thomas walks off. . Thomas would probably see him walk back towards the raven a few moments later, and drop some birdseed from his pocket.
NerwenGreen (12:41 AM): The raven doesn't fly off?
AgujaCabra (12:41 AM): [erg... my people... ]
AgujaCabra (12:42 AM): No. The raven seems all right with him being there. Actually, it hops up onto his shoe after the man says something to it quietly. Persival is smiling a bit again, and seems to be in better spirits.
NerwenGreen (12:43 AM): Thomas finds a park bench to sit on, beyond Persival's sight.
AgujaCabra (12:44 AM): Is he still trying to watch Persival?
NerwenGreen (12:44 AM): Yes, I guess so.
NerwenGreen (12:45 AM): He observes Persival and the raven.
AgujaCabra (12:46 AM): hm... I'm not sure how well he can see Persival, if Persival cannot see him. . I'll say he can see Persival drop the seed after talking to the raven for a brief period, and then turn to stalk off down the path in the direction he was headed before.
NerwenGreen (12:46 AM): Thomas beckons the raven. :p
NerwenGreen (12:47 AM): [hehe I just rolled 4 successes on that, 2 of them 10's :p]
AgujaCabra (12:48 AM): The bird, startled by the seed tossed at him, flies overhead in a slow circle, before settling down to perch on Thomas' bench.
AgujaCabra (12:48 AM): It caws a bit, looking at Thomas.
NerwenGreen (12:51 AM): hmm... Thomas wants to talk to the raven. He wants to know whether it's a normal raven, whether it's the same raven that was with Chauncey earlier, what the raven population in the park and city is like .. umm..
AgujaCabra (12:53 AM): The raven is confused by Thomas asking if it's a normal raven, and is the same raven with Chauncey. There are a number of other birds in the park, but it doesn't know exactly-- only that they steal food from him a lot. In the city, it thinks there are many more ravens than there are only in the park.
NerwenGreen (12:53 AM): steal food from who?
AgujaCabra (12:53 AM): from the raven.
NerwenGreen (12:53 AM): oh, you mean the other ravens steal food from the one I'm talking to
NerwenGreen (12:54 AM): or all birds?
AgujaCabra (12:54 AM): he doesn't care about any birds but himself. he thinks the other ravens try to take food from him.
NerwenGreen (12:54 AM): okay ... Thomas wants to get him to follow Chauncey's movements.
NerwenGreen (12:55 AM): I got an 8
AgujaCabra (12:57 AM): The bird seems happy enough with this, and will fly off if Thomas doesn't say anything else to him.
NerwenGreen (12:57 AM): okay, Thomas tells him that he'll be back tomorrow night to chat again.
AgujaCabra (12:58 AM): [hm... ]
NerwenGreen (12:58 AM): [okay ... whatever arrangement suits the raven then]
AgujaCabra (12:58 AM): [nono.. that's fine. the raven will be here]
NerwenGreen (12:58 AM): [ah, okay]
AgujaCabra (12:58 AM): The raven agrees to Thomas' terms, and flies off.
NerwenGreen (12:59 AM): okay
NerwenGreen (12:59 AM): [when I can't get anything useful out of the people, I should try the animals ... ]
AgujaCabra (12:59 AM): [^_^]

NerwenGreen (1:02 AM): Thomas continues sitting on the bench for a few more minutes, pondering whether he should beckon more ravens, then decides that one is enough for now. He gets up and walks out of the park.