The Fallen

The Fallen
Date of Scene:	22 March 2013
Location:	Manhattan - Twilight Detective Agency
Synopsis:	Katyna and Ramza approach Mercade to talk to him about the ongoing issue facing Katyna and those around her. The problem is getting worse... But the TDA is on the case.
Cast of Characters:	Mercade Alexander, Katyna, Emi Dennou, Ramza Beoulve

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Katyna has posed:
It has been a long while now, since Katyna checked up on her case with Mercade. A lot of things had happened since then, including revealing herself to be a Shadow Lord's servant, and of course kidnapping Mercade's girlfriend, Avira in the process.

Unfortunately, that left some loose ends and unanswered questions by the wayside. Having fled Fluorgis alongside Ramza, thanks to a warning given by none other than Valos, Katyna had left along with her new travelling companion Ramza, and the two took a tiring journey towards the newly restored Manhattan, right up to TDA's original headquarters, there to meet up with and touch base with Mercade Alexander.

"Gee, I hope this doesn't end unpleasantly.." the former dark knight murmurs to Ramza as they make their way towards his office. Rather than just barge on in, Katyna hesitantly knocks on his door, holding her breath for the inevitable.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
The old TDA.

The original.

Mercade kind of missed the place. Sure, the new digs in Traverse Town are newer, cleaner, more convenient... But this place reeks of /history/. History... And old pizza boxes. Mercade leans back in the seat behind the old desk, thinking about the times they had there. It's nostalgic. It's perfect, accompanied by a smooth jazz sound. HE GOT HIS CDS BACK. It's so nice to have some variation again.

When Katyna knocks on the door, Mercade blinks, and then he heads to the door, opening it.

He looks down at Katyna for a moment, going quiet... And then he steps aside, gesturing. "Come in."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
This was probably a bad idea.

If all the rumors were to be believed, then Avira and Mercade were together. Avira had made no secret her abject disgust for what Katyna had done, and even suggested to Ramza that she didn't want to be publically associated with him due to the accusations of heresy. While he suspected that Mercade might be slightly more forgiving, he didn't think that Mercade's reaction would be all that welcoming to either her, or himself after he learned that Ramza was protecting her.

But, it was where she wanted to go, and until he heard from a few sources who were far afield, he wasn't going to deny her the oppurtunity. The young man was cowled in a white cloak, as he strode alongside Katyna up to the office door. His reply to her was hushed. "Try not to be disappointed if it does go awry. I believe I can talk down Ser Alexander if his reaction is unfavorable. I managed to curb Angantyr's temper, didn't I?"

He would wait patiently alongside her as she knocked, and when Mercade opened the door, he'd offer his hand to him in a gesture of greeting. If the man didn't take it, he would lower it, not taking any offense. "Well met, Ser Alexander. I do apologize if our visit is any inconvenience."

And then he'd follow Katyna inside.

Katyna has posed:
It was good to know she wasn't alone, carrying this burden. Kat was grateful that Ramza at least, had faith in her and seemed willing to stand by her side no matter what. Still, this is not gonna be pleasant, is it?

Katyna bites her lip, glancing quickly at Mercade's face once he opens the door, then looking quickly away. To her surprise, he allows her to enter. "Err..Thank you, Ser.." She steps in, glancing around nervously, then back at Mercade.

"Um..Last time we met, we had a contract. I..Err..Wasn't sure if it was still valid, but it's important to me, so...Umm..." She continues to fidget uncomfortably, fearful of what may come next.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade nods to Ramza, and closes the door behind the pair. "Please be seated." Mercade says, and sits down himself. He folds his hands and looks at the pair. "I didn't expect the two of you to associate like this, but that's no big deal." He waves a hand. "Before we get started, I'm not going to go after you for what you did to Avira." He frowns. "That ended, and everyone is all right. But I will say that you would be served to not abuse the goodwill and faith of the TDA anymore. The others will interact with you as they will."

He pauses for a moment, and then shrugs. "Anyway, as to your contract, I'm still pursuing it. There were some delays due to the issues involved in restoring Manhattan, but I'm prepared to focus on resolving the mystery. I've gathered some preliminary information that perhaps you can help expand on if you know anything."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
He might have groaned, if he didn't think it would be rude. The youngest Beoulve couldn't fathom why Katyna thought that was the best way to start the conversation with Mercade, but he understood that she was nervous at best, scared out of her wits at worst.

He'd try to offer what he hoped would be taken as a benign nudge in her direction, and hoped that if she did decide to take the advice, that Mercade wouldn't consider her apology insincere as a result. "M'lady, might you consider apologizing to the man before attempting to broach matters of business?"

He sat himself down, and once Mercade touched upon their unlikely association, Ramza would look sheepish. "If you'd like an explanation for our association to quell any fears you might have, I'd be willing to offer one. Your hospitality goes beyond what could be expected of anyone else in your place, and I'm not unappreciative."

Afterwards, he'd lapse into silence, his expression thoughtful as he listened. He'd known nothing about Katyna's contract after all.

Katyna has posed:
Katyna bites her lip, nodding wordlessly as Mercade makes his statement. Of course, she'd rather not open old wounds, although Ramza seems to insist on an apology from her either way.

"I..All I can say is, I'm sorry for what I did, and I'm trying hard to make amends. But I dont wanna be guilt tripped or condemed anymore. What's done is done.." She pauses when he makes his next statement, smiling and nodding weakly. "Thank you..."

Of course, she expected the events in Manhattan would delay things, but she's still concerned. "Hummm, it seems she recently sent someone to kill a friend of mine..And nearly succeeded. It seems she's becoming even more than just a personal threat, so.." So it would be the perfect opportunity for her to prove that she is sincere about trying to do good deeds and make amends!

"Umm.I dont really have anymore information to give. It seems she's a lot more powerful than we thought though, since she recently used some potion to bring an undead fiend back to its original human form. Other than that, it seems she hasnt been around Traverse Town church lately, and most people there dont know much about her history. She's a real mystery! But..I wonder if she's still lurking around the farplane or something. What about you? what kinda info did you find on her?"

Emi Dennou has posed:
Omi steps inside shortly after Katyna's speech begins, she is quiet, and listens, and doesn't even say hello right off the bat. She's been traveling with Ramza's group a lot but has mostly kept her distance from Katyna since Ramza took her in. She says, after her tale, "That why you were found hurt in the desert?, The Network is starting to see something of a trend."

She is keeping things neutral for the moment, though that's her typical behavior anyway. "Sorry for barging in, Alexander." It was really more a quiet slinking in.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade is about to speak, when DENNOU! Mercade smiles and waves to Omi. He's always glad to see one of the Dennous. "Hey Omi. Don't worry about it. Maybe you can help with this too. The Network is really good at this kind of information gathering situation." Mercade says, and then looks back to Katyna. "I can't guarantee others won't condemn or guilt you, Katyna. But I'm just going to move on. What you do with your life from here on is going to decide whether you're going to condemn or save yourself. It's not my job to do it."

He shakes his head, then , and he sighs. "So she's expanding her operations. this could be a serious problem." He opens a drawer in the desk and acquires a folder, which he opens up. Within are some sketches and a large amount of Mercade's almost incomprehensible (to people untrained in it) shorthand. "I've checked with the church in Traverse Town. She's known to have sorcerous powers and worked there as an archivist. Her specialty is the study of magical devices." He looks up, pushing the rough sketches over. "She apparently has an adopted family. There are two known members by the name of Violetta and Kobe Lemarre. I've not managed to get much information on them, as they seem to have gone to ground. No one seems to know them that I've talked to at the moment."

He looks back up. "That's all I have right now, but do these people seem familiar at all? Do you know anything about them?"

Katyna has posed:
Katyna glances behind her as Omi steps in..Honestly, she still cant tell all the Legion apart, and so she just smiles sheepishly at her, nodding slowly. "Y-yeah, I guess so. I was runnin' away from heartless. Got lost in a sandstorm and briefly ran into Rei-...Err..."

She blushes at the recent memory of her and Reize waiting out the storm in a cramped cave and...Having a rather..Romantic interlude..Before the storm abated and they went their separate ways. It was only afterwards that she ran into Ramza, exhausted and starving..

She clears her throat, and decides to say no more on that matter. When Mercade speaks further of her past transgressions, she relaxes a little more. Finally, someone who doesn't plan to condemn her forever and refuse to leave the past in the past. Mercade has already earned some measure of her respect, while Avira has lost some. But it cant be helped.

Time to move on..

She nods again when Mercade talks of her expanding her operations. "I guess she's been working in broad daylight all this time, while keeping her true intentions hidden. And apparently it's not just personal. I think..She has some knowledge in necromancy, else she wouldnt have been able to take control of an undead fiend. And..If my suspicions are correct, she may have another unsent under her control too.."

She leaves that rather open-ended, having not seen nor heard about Jasmina thus far, nor of Lord Fessner's ultimate fate, but seeing what happened with Lillian and Lord Serrak has lead her to fear the worst.

Finally, Mercade offers his own information and she bites her lip. "Um...Ser Kobe was a noble knight last I heard. A veteran of the fifty year war, but, they're pretty elderly and never had kids of their own. They were also from Ivalice. I suppose it's only natural they'd want to adopt her. I didnt know them personally though, only heard about them from Ser Kasrillen, a Knight Templar. " No need to go into the specifics of how he connected Katyna to Ramza, Kat's wary of revealing too much more of her history to people who might at any moment turn on her.

"But that's interesting! I guess that means she's an orphan...Like me. Ooh, but I wonder why she resembles me so closely? And why she seems to have a vendetta against me? I'll bet those two would know though! I hear they were pretty well-off, probably living in some quiet cottage out in the countryside right about now..."

In Mullonde, perhaps?

"Umm, I suppose I owe you some money upfront, huh?" These days, she'd been running dry on munny, mostly making a living by fighting monsters and collecting the reward after, or working as a mercenary in more out of the way places where she was not as well known, but..

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
When Omi arrived, Ramza would nod politely to her, with a gracious smile. "Well met. I trust that you're faring well?"

While most of the Braves had considered her eccentric at first, she'd managed to fit in well enough that the others were warming up to her. He just wasn't sure if the Network was reciprocating. Ramza himself was still getting used to her not wanting to be referred to by her proper name most of the time.

As Katyna and Mercade continued to discuss their business, he'd remain a good listener. He wasn't familiar with their contract, and the conversation was turning out to be most enlightening. Since Mercade didn't ask for more details on why the pair were associated, he didn't offer them up to him. He'd gotten the distinct impression that Katyna didn't like discussing her past, given her obsession with not being perceived as weak.

He only hoped that Omi hadn't been cornered by /Marlowe/ as if so she'd know all the facts already, and much that was pure fabrication from the more gossipy members. He had no idea whether she'd offer it to Mercade, or whether her sisters would.

Once the discussion between the pair began to wind down, Ramza would offer a question. "I do apologize for interrupting, but I was wondering if you had any intelligence to offer on a being named Count Valos. He appears to be the latest errand boy for the Church of Glabados, and tried to offer me pecuniary compensation as means to escape an ambuscade just outside Fluorgis. He stated his sole motivation was to deliver a message from someone that desired to cause disarray within the Church. Even so, I refused what he had to offer, as such gifts are often tainted."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade has a sudden feeling that he is glad that he is not psychic.

"Why would she make use of the undead like this, though? Does she seek minions? What is her goal here?" Mercade rubs his chin. "You and the other person... They must have a common reason why you were attacked."

He looks up as Katyna offers additional information. "The Fifty Years' War? So he's from Ivalice." He squints at Katyna. "So she even looks like you, huh..." He pauses. "I wonder if she's related somehow? Usually these things aren't coinicdence." Mercade is already narrowing down where a well-respected veteran of the Fifty Years War who is in good standing with the Church of Glabados would live.

The subject of money comes up. Mercade waves a hand. "Don't worry about it yet. I haven't incurred any significant expenses as of yet for your case."

Ramza brings up Valos, Mercade frowns. "I haven't heard much about him. He apparently was assisting Morrighan in freeing the Lich from its confinent, based on reports. He's gone to ground since then, and I haven't heard anything since. Given how pissed Garland was, I wouldn't be surprised if Garland got him."

Emi Dennou has posed:
"Parameters are acceptable." Omi says. "The Network nodes are all in optimal condition."

Reize, she thinks. Of. Course. She is oblivious to Avira having lost respect in Katyna's eyes because it hasn't been brought up. As such, the lack of relevation affects her actions appropriately. She does not interrupt the conversation much because it is business, nor does she try to slit Katyna's throat because this is business and one should only cut throats when it is business and never for pleasure. That's what seperates a soldier from a murderer.

But she does play a bit with the knife in her hand. It looks like it could slice through wood without much resistance. It seems to be something of an absentminded gesture.

"A vendetta against you, but looks like you? Strange. The Network is fond of one another due to our similarities. Still, perhaps if some of us were anathema to our existence--then we would rather dislike someone who looked like us. After all, to see someone that looked like ourselves, doing things we would never do--yes, it is illogical, but emotional, and thus not uncommon."

"Count Valos. Was in the Hades tournament, briefly." She adds, looking over to Katyna again.

"So. Another one of Reize's huh? You know he's engaged, right?"

Katyna has posed:
Katyna shrugs. "Dunno, never met her before now. I was an only child as far as I know..As for me and Hati.." she frowns, "Only that people close to us had died and we were searching for them. I suppose she could be related..?"

Another shrug and she falls quiet, listenning to Ramza's account of Valos. "oh, that's what he was planning huh? So...Umm, what should I do now, Mercade? Do you think you can track down her parents?"

She blinks at Omi then. "Huh? He's...? Oh..." She falls into deeper silence at that. Sweatdrop! As for Avira...That's just..Complicated. she's bitter at her apparent lack of compassion and demand for 'proof' of her honesty. Deep down she would always respect Avira, but..Right now she's just hurt, bitter and just wanting a little compassion and understanding. Can she really do this, proving to the world that she really is good?

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza steeples his hands together in his lap, listening to Mercade for a time before nodding. "Lady Katyna told me as much. He gave me the impression that he was actually an agent of the Church, delivering a message for some splinter group. However his overall ambivalence for the errand makes his motives difficult to judge."

As Omi acknowledged him, he'd nod to her. He tried not to sound too awkward when he responded. "That's...I'm glad to hear that."

When Omi brought up the subject of Reize and his relationships, Ramza would politely clear his throat. Though it may have made him seem slightly prudish, he came from a land where affairs of that nature were typically kept private in polite conversation.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Omi offers some additional information and positing. Mercade nods to her contributions. He might object, however, if someone tries to commit murder in the TDA.

The floors, you see. They're hard to clean sometimes.

"Since I can't find her, I can work on finding them. The more I know about her, the more chance I can find something I can use to lock down the sorceress." He pauses. "You should work on your current problems. Be very careful in your situation, because there are probably more people out there who want to inflict harm on you than this woman does. The Shadow Lords don't seem the type to accept betrayal well. I really don't want to see you tortured and murdered... or worse. No one deserves that."

He looks to Ramza and nods. "The man is pretty mysterious, though I hear his habit of speeching is pretty impressive. I don't think I really want to stand around to find out."

Emi Dennou has posed:
Omi doesn't murder, she sees herself as a soldier! So she doesn't try to stab Katyna or anything. Besides, she is fully aware that making a defector be comfortable is basically War 101. Even if you think they're lower than dirt, you don't let it show! You be nice. Doesn't mean that Omi isn't wondering if Katyna really knows that much, though. The Shadow Lords don't seem to have a typical COC. Katyna might know a thing or two, but not neccessarily anything vital or critical.

"Well," Omi says, thinking it over, and relenting somewhat. "Seems like you've got your share of problems. If you can forgive and accept the pain of others, they'll accept apologies. Maybe."

She didn't read minds or anything, but it is all still rather recent! And the topic is being brought up again.

"They give you problems, we shut them down. It's what we do. Might not make you happy though. Safety and fulfillment, pretty far abreast sometimes, The Network guesses."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
He'd listen to Mercade for a time, before nodding. "Agreed. We've been trying to keep our movements erratic for that very reason."

Ramza would actually grin wryly at Mercade's statement on Valos' manner of speech. "What you've heard is true. He is entirely impressive in the sense that he's thoroughly condescending and verbose to the point where he began to vex my bowels. Some nobility in Ivalice were just like him."

When Omi spoke on Katyna's situation, Ramza would offer his agreement. He was trying his hardest to chalk up her /offer/ from earlier to her eccentricity.

Later in a meeting with Sheryl: "For the last time, I don't want the Network to learn anything other than White Magic from us! I thought I'd warned you that no edged weapons are to be left unattended around her!"

Back to the Present: Ramza would offer his agreement to Omi. "This isn't something that can be resolved in a fortnight. I expect that it might take years for some to come around, and perhaps not even then, but if you're sincere in your desire for redemption M'lady, then time will be no factor."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade makes a grimace at that. "Ugh. I'd have a hard time not just shoving a sock in his mouth as he speaks." Mercade sighs. "We'll see what happens, really. All we can do is keep plugging away at it, you know?"

Katyna has posed:
At one point during the discussion, Katyna had quietly headed off to the washroom..And to search her pockets for something that might help Mercade with the case. She returns a little while later, holding something shiny in her hand.

"Ser Mercade! I just remembered something..This photograph of Jasmina might help. She's dead, but if it's anything like what happened to Lillian, another girl who died and was brought back to life, she may be wandering around this world, searching for me, or maybe even hoping to attack others...I'll bet she'd also be under Felicia's control.."

She holds up the locket, but seems hesitant to hand it over. On the other side of the locket is a picture of a noble mystic knight: Lord Fessner.

Emi Dennou has posed:
Omi looks at this image. She is probably going to have to ask Mercade for a cliffnotes version of what's going on here. Jumping in in the middle means that she's only getting snippets and that is, in a way, worse than knowing nothing.

She actually chuckles at the description of Valos however. She's not a /statue/.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza was leaning back in his seat comfortably now, just watching the proceedings. He wasn't asking Katyna any questions right now, though he'd certainly bring all of this up later.

As for Omi, he certainly didn't think she was a statue, he just had the distinct impression that it was best not to leave objects around her that might be sharpened into a fine point.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade looks at the locket, and squints at it... And then looks over to the other side. "Who are these two to you?" Mercade asks. "I'm sorry if this might be a little delicate, but it seems that if this is the case..." He says.

Katyna has posed:
Katyna swallows, looking back at the pendant and staring the longest upon the picture of the male knight, with a little pain showing in her eyes. "He..He is, or was..Lord Fessner. The Shadow Lord who captured me, and spared my life in return for my services as his servant. But..He was kind and taught me how to unlock the hidden powers in my sword." Effectively, he played a similar, fatherly role to Ser Kasrillen, not that she would go into such detail..Still, the way she looks so sadly at his picture, suggests she was very fond of him.

"But, it's very likely, he's dead by now. This girl.." She points at the picture of the girl in the locket, a girl who somewhat resembles Kat, but with shaggy short brown hair, and an impish grin. "She was his daughter, who died before I met him. Apparently he and Lord Serrak went to the farplane to attempt to bring them back to life. After that...Eh...." She frowns, finding it hard to continue but...

"Well, Lord Serrak's daughter, Lillian was the one who came from the farplane and attacked my friend, Hati..Apparently she had already killed her father."

Yes..It is complicated..

Emi Dennou has posed:
"Perhaps she is undead." Omi says. "And of course, you look similarly to her. Perhaps she feels you had replaced her."

She turns her head towards Katyna. "Wouldn't that be natural to hate you then? And if she is undead, then that means she may not have the sort of inhibitions a normal human might."

She balanaces her blade on an outstretched finger. "It's not so unusual."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The young man would file all of this somewhere in his mind. Hati he only knew by reputation, during his sole friendly encounter with Faruja. The Templar had acted positively heartbroken over her illness, and Ramza had the distinct impression that the Burmecian was madly in love with her.

It was a complicated tale, but as Ramza had told her earlier, he tended to thrive on complicated situations. While he had the distinct impression that Fessner's affection for her wasn't entirely genuine, and that the young woman had been manipulated into feeling affection for the one who enslaved her, he wasn't about to voice that aloud. He had the feeling that it wouldn't go over very well. So instead he expressed his sympathies. When he spoke, he sounded quite sincere, regardless of his impressions on Fessner, for Katyna obviously was very fond of him and wouldn't take criticism of him well. "M'lady, you have my condolences. Is there is ever aught that I can do, you need only ask."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade listens to Katyna's explanations, and thinks about what he's been told. He makes a number of additional notes, and scribbles some sketches of the images in the locket. "This is really complicated. And then they're linked to you, and for some reason this woman can control Lillian to make her do things..." The Detective sighs. "Maybe it is the physical resemblance. Maybe it's something else. I am not sure what it could be, it will have to wait for investigation. I don't want to form a theory prematurely on this one. It's too muddy, still."

Katyna has posed:
Katyna nods to Emi. "You're probably right. I think that's what Lillian said when she tried to kill Hati. So it'd only make sense that Jasmina would do the same thing...Assuming Felicia did the same thing to her." Which she probaly did, the monster.

"Well, is it enough information to go on? So far it seems Felicia was just targeting me and Hati. But who is to say she wont target other people? She has to be stopped..And this time I'm gonna help. Just lemme know when you find more info so I can help stop her.."

Kat glances over at Ramza when he offers his condolences and smiles. "Thanks, Ramza!" It cheers her up a little at least.

Emi Dennou has posed:
"Tch. The Network can't understand this." Omi says, even though she just flat out explained it as such. She looks away, in thinly veiled disgust. She does not explain herself.

But Mercade does note it's too early to tell. That soothes her over somewhat. "Mm. You're right. We shouldn't get bogged down until a proper investigation is done, Emi agrees." Omi is just passing on the statement there.

"Well, this one admits to being a bit curious herself. If Ramza investigates properly, this one will likely be providing aid."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"I agree." It's part of the reason why Mercade is still working on the contract. "She does need to be stopped. Too many innocents are at risk here." He looks over to Katyna. "I'll let you know when we find her and when we get more information." He nods then, and looks back to the Dennou. "Good to know, Omi. If I can get you brought up to speed, would you guys be able to help? You'll cover space way better than I do." Also, the Dennous seem to have an absurd knack for wheedling information out of people. "Anyway, is there anything else that needs to be addressed?"

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza doesn't offer too much in the way of explanation, in fact he sounds downright cryptic. "You need not worry about that. This particular node of the network will have more than her fair share of investigation into this situation and several others, should you continue to travel with me."

After a time, he'd look look speculatively at Katyna. "We should probably go speak to Hati next. It sounds likely that you'll be able to recruit her aid at least. Though you may want to alert her in advance, due to her relationship with Ser Senra. I don't have any desire to put any strain on his relationship with you or your friend."

Katyna has posed:
Katyna nods to Mercade. "Yeah..I just wish it didnt have to come to this.." She remembers how angry Seith was even, when he heard what they were up to..Messing with death.

Katyna glances at Emi and nods. Yes, she'd be very helpful through all of this, and at least she wont be busy trying to keep her distance from Kat and eyeing her warily. As for her..She'll continue to stay by Ramza's side, although she's uncertain if visiting Hati next is wise..

"Hmm...Faru is a friend of mine, but I haven't told him about Ember...Or obviously my affiliation with you. I know he can be a zealot though. Even so, I DID save his girlfriend's life, so maybe he'll be a bit more receptive to me.."

Emi Dennou has posed:
Omi nods to Mercade. "We would do our best, of course. We are always eager to learn more." But she's quiet again. She's not super chatty as a general rule, she likes to talk business but--well, okay, Omi is generally pretty aloof so she might not be super friendly with Kat but she probably wouldn't let her feelings get in the way either. The others have their own methods.

"Who can say, THe Network has only truly begun to learn about the Church." Omi adds.