Everyday Goings On

[livelongenough]

A City Aglow

The Thames, as a river, is absolutely horrible. Completely filthy. But, standing at the rail of the bridge and taking in the sights, it makes London look beautiful.

He can remember the last time it froze over completely. The way he'd laughed at seeing the elephant led across it to prove how solid it was.

Just under his feet, there are grey slate slabs. He has them memorised.

"There you may print your name, tho cannot write
Cause num'd with cold: tis done with great delight
And lay it by that ages yet to come
May see what things upon the ice were done."

He remembers the gas lamps that gave way to electric lamps that became the lights lining the streets.

The city is far more ancient than he, and that is a welcome feeling. Many things are fleeting, but--

"London endures."


Time to Kill

"Fine," Henry says in his office at the Redbright Institute, seemingly unconcerned that his office door is open. "You have your uses. Are you happy now?"

His conversation partner?

His computer.

He has the Metro open in a window on his browser. Not that a computer can ever replace a newspaper, not really, but it is helpful in that he can keep up to date with New York and certain police investigations.

For a moment, his hand hovers over his office phone before he withdraws it.

It's not worth it.


A Familiar Face -- open to Guardians and/or ghosts
cw: talk of suicide

'I know you.'

Her voice is as soft as he expected. She's young, just a slip of a girl. Not even sixteen. Her dark hair complements her former complexion as she sits on his examination table beside her own body.

By now, Henry Morgan is no stranger to ghosts.

"Hello, my dear." After death, there was little reason to stand on ceremony, and she looked so fragile. "I knew I'd be seeing you soon."

It hadn't even been on purpose, that day on the Tube. He'd been waiting for his train when he'd noticed something off. Before he could even think about it, he'd taken the girl's arm and tugged her back before she could overbalance and fall off the platform.

When she'd looked at him with pain and despair, he'd realised she'd meant to fall.

They always found another way, if they were determined.

'You weren't supposed to.'

"Because everything ends after death?"

'Because I didn't want to die anymore.'

Comments

[warmheartedly]

Clara is a little unsure of how she can be of help here since ghosts, as a rule, can't see or interact with one another unless there were exceptions to the fact.

In the morgue, with little magic or supernatural activity occurring here and with the witch having not arrived yet to cast a spell to allow the spirits to be seen, none of the exceptions were being made. So she finds herself. Here. Looking at the body of a girl who still looks troubled even as she rests on the table.

"I know I said in the past I'll do my best to help," she tells him, "but I'm rather at a lost of how to handle this. Do I... Do I explain to you what to expect next from her? Or... what she may do next?"

[livelongenough]

"I've a friend here," he explains to the young woman. "Another ghost. There will be a young man in soon. He'll make it so you can talk to each other."

A pity Lucas wasn't here. And versed in magic. It could be quite nice to have him chattering on to these two.

He looks at Clara. "I may need your help to investigate, actually."

'Investigate what?'

"Why," he smiles, turning his attention back to the young woman, "who killed you, my dear."

And then-- Thankfully, there's an interruption. A knock and the entry of a Daybreak witch who worked alongside the others in the Night Council who were here. And he can begin setting the circle and casting the enchantments.

[warmheartedly]

"Murder?!" Clara looks almost indignant -- angry, even -- at the thought of this young girl being snuffed out at such a tender age.

How could anyone do that to the poor dear? She never would willingly wish ill will to anyone but she can't help but think that whoever did this will be caught very soon.

She has to rein herself in and calm down, taking deep breaths to settle her nerves just as the young man manages to cast the enchantment in the room and allowed the ghosts to see each other at long last. Oh... She looks even younger now she's a spectre, looking both lost and troubled by what she had been told.

"Hello." Clara does her best to sound soothing and supportive, not wanting to agitate the other spirit. "I'm Clara. We're here to help you. I promise you-- We'll do the best we can to get to the bottom of this. Isn't that right, doctor?"

[livelongenough]

"This is what I do," Henry said softly, nodding at Clara's words. "I help people like you. Especially the ones who want to find peace."

The girl looked between him and the other ghost and gave a small nod.

'All right.'

"Can you tell us what you remember?"

'I was on the roof of the building where I live. I was...'

"Considering jumping."

'...Yes.'

"It's fine," he murmured, reaching out to touch her. His hand passed through hers, of course, and goosebumps appeared on his arm, but he didn't seem too startled. "I understand."

'I decided not to do it! I was going to step down! But then... I was falling.'

"Think hard. Do you remember anything else?"

'I... I don't know. I think I... felt something? Against my back.'

[warmheartedly]

Her stomach twists at that comment. Oh no. Does that mean… "That's when you fell."

That gave the girl pause, looking back and forth at the three people in the room with her, before she slowly nods, looking rather distraught as the lights overheard flickered from the sudden onslaught of energy coming from her.

The Daybreak witch moves forward, reaching for something in his coat, but he pauses when he sees Clara give him a stern look that clearly dares him to try anything when she's around. When she's sure the man backs away, she returns her attentions, gentle and warm, to her.

"Dear! Dear..." She does her best to sound motherly, to sound present so she remembers that she's here. Safe and sound from that incident now. "Please focus on us. You're here now. You're here.

"Can you tell us your name?"

The girl looks rather shy at this point. Or tired. It's hard to tell when ghosts are new and overwhelmed by their circumstances. 'Um...'

[livelongenough]

"I can take care of the rest," Henry says over his shoulder without really looking. "You may go, Mister Reynard."

The circle has been cast and will last long enough without him here to take care of this part.

Then, Henry smiles gently at the girl. "First, I suppose we owe you an introduction. This is Clara Seville, of the Redbright Institute. I'm Doctor Henry Morgan, medical examiner of the Night Council." Then... "Do you know what that is?"

The girl nods. 'My brother used to work for Millicent.'

"He was a vampire?"

'He got bitten two years ago. I mean... he didn't work for her directly, but--'

"Down the chain of command."

She nods again. Still, her eyes dart to the sides, down to her own lap, and to Clara. But she is, at least, settling down a little. Which is when she looks at Clara and seems to rouse her courage a bit.

'Lucy Parish.'

[warmheartedly]

Millicent. That's… That's the vampire in London, right? She must be if her memory serves her correctly.

She'll probably try to ask Cooper in the future if he knows anything going on with her or with the nests but, for now, she focuses all her attention and devotion to Lucy.

"Lucy! That's such a beautiful name," Clara said with a smile, trying her best to look encouraging and not at all melancholic at the face of such a girl and a life not lived snuffed out so soon. "May we know your brother's name, Lucy? So we can--"

Inform him of this. Investigate him. Interrogate him for any issues or problems he may have had. The vampires aren't in the best… condition at the moment, so very scattered or divided even with a leader like Millicent. "--can keep track of everyone and make sure we're thorough for you. Is it just the two of you?"

[livelongenough]

'Jonathan,' the girl replies. She can't help but smile, forgetting, for a moment, the state she's found herself in. 'Kind of ironic, right?'

Henry thought about it for a moment and then chuckled a bit, shaking his head. With this job came a certain sense of humour.

'My mom's alive, but Jon has his own place, and I usually stay with him. Mom... Well. She likes to drink, so we keep away when we can help it. Holidays are always so unfun.' She stops, reality seeping back through her, and her expression falls. 'I... guess that won't be a problem anymore...'

[warmheartedly]

Clara does her best to smile at that but it's hard, feeling horror and concern for the girl the more she finds out about her past through her comments, their observations. She's not made for this sort of work which. She'll admit that much. There is no way she can look at these sort of cases with a clear head needed which is why she admits Dr. Morgan for being able to do it.

If he can do his part of the job, she could too. So she does her best to do her side of the work here by comforting Lucy and keep her grounded with them. Enough to give her space but enough to give them a clue of where to start. "We'll let Jonathan know about this. We'll help you two and you can still speak with each other. He can still see you since he's a vampire."

There's that to look forward to if it was a silver lining for the girl. Here she pauses for a second as she debates her options, wondering if her next set of words will be a wise thing to say to a newly made ghost.

Most spirits had little control over their emotions, their powers but Lucy is holding herself remarkably well. It could be their break for getting an important lead or clue but Clara needs to make sure she'll be fine. "Lucy-- We'll need to ask some more probing questions now. To get a better of where or who to see next after. If you don't feel comfortable in answering a question, shake your head or say 'no' to us. Okay?"

[livelongenough]

'How do I stop? Being a ghost?'

Henry sighed. That, after all, was a very difficult question. He knew, at least, what he'd seen in the morgue. "You'll have the opportunity to leave this world when you truly feel your business is settled. I find... that often happens when a murderer is brought to justice."

The girl looked between the two again and gave a slow nod. Her eyes focused on Clara.

'Ask me anything you like, I guess. I... don't really have anything else I can think to do.'

[warmheartedly]

It's a good thing Lucy asked Dr. Morgan and not her because, at this point in life, Clara isn't sure what it takes to go and move on.

Maybe it will help Lucy, finding closure of who did this and why they did this. It's worth a shot and it's the reason why she asks, "Were you having any trouble with anyone in particular? With your friends, with your workplace-- Does anyone come to mind when you think of 'poor relations' or 'difficulty' or anything like that?"

The thought of medication and history of her troubles came to mind but maybe it'll be better to let Dr. Morgan use his connections to find the files, look through them due to his knowledge of these sort of things. It's a safer bet and so she sticks to what she thinks she knows-- Personal relationships, connections, and things like that.

Someone wanted Lucy dead and they pushed her to do it. That's a personal action to do so it must have a personal reasoning behind it. There has to be.