[ SEMI-OPEN ] MEDIUM, LIVE!

[knightscode]

Date: 17th to 31st of October, inclusive!
Plot: Medium, Live!
Areas: Manchester for the pre-London show, then Greenwich




Worldwide phenomenon Sarah Silverton is coming to London. The British Born psychic, medium and all round lady of the supernatural is doing a special tour ending with a Halloween show in the enormous setting of the O2 arena.

She's booked out the placed, too, tickets are sold out. They weren't exactly cheap, either.

Silverton has plenty of critics, but nobody can deny that she does put on a good show. Some put it down to publicity stunts, but every time she takes over a stage there always seem to be mysterious problems. Lights flickering, sound problems, all sorts of spooky goings on while stage hands swear blind they didn't touch anything. There have even been some who quit because they couldn't take it any more, claiming members of Sarah's team must have been deliberating interfering to draw crowds.

It's no surprise, then, that the Night Council has taken any interest. With the reports of strange goings on escalating (including a falling piece of set in one show that caused injury to one unsuspecting audience member) they've launched a full investigation. While most believe Silverton to be a fraud simply putting together elaborate stunts to sell tickets, any chance that she's a real member of the community flagrantly breaking the Statute of Secrecy must be addressed. Lancelot is charged with putting together a team and investigating carefully. Sarah Silverton is a celebrity, and they can't risk drawing attention to themselves in the process or causing any kind of public scandal. They have just over two weeks until her live show in London, and a lot of work to get done....

[ ooc; Post for the medium, live! plot. Still time to sign up if you want! Spooky content likely, in the spirit of Halloween. ]

Comments

[knightscode]

"If you'll indulge me. It's work, but it's more of a request than an order. You can say no."

He stops what he judges as a safe distance off, close enough to not be applying pressure, and stands with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Shrugs a little.

"You can listen then say no too. You can even make me pay for your listening time in coffee. This is your ground, not mine."

So it's her rules, and he doesn't want to throw his weight around about it. Guinevere had told him he didn't seem frightening even though he's a guardian, but he'd like to keep it that way. Head of guardian division could easily be a title that makes you head of the hired thugs, used the wrong way. He's sensitive to that.

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha smiles slightly at his gameness to be fair with her. It's not really necessary, but she appreciates the effort none the less. It's a level of freedom to decline that's still new for her.

Even in Redbright, it's not something she gets much of.

"How about if I listen over coffee. Then I can give you my answer."

[knightscode]

"Works for me." He flicks her a smile and gestures slightly over his shoulder. "There's a place on the corner I usually go to, but I can defer to the person whose time I'm buying."

Lancleot's smile turns playful as he waits for her to pick a direction, falling into step easily.

"So, is Redbright meeting your expectations?"

Either the faction or the person, he's leaving that deliberately ambiguous.

[outstandingbalance]

"I know the place. That'll be fine." Natasha's not picky, and that's the closest coffee shop. She's more interested in where this is going than getting a particular cup.

She starts that direction, slipping her hands into her jacket pockets as they go.

"Lucky for me, I didn't come into this with particular expectations. Hard to fail them when I didn't have something in mind to start with." That's not entirely true, but it's true enough. Redbright hasn't disappointed her, but she expected not to be happy with everything she had to do so in that regard, meeting her expectations wasn't all that great.

[knightscode]

He tilts his head at that, half watching her and half watching the road as they walk.

"It's good to keep an open mind. I can't fault you for that. I do find it hard to believe you have no feelings about it at all, though. You must have had an idea of what you wanted it to be."

Surely you can't join a program called something like 'Outreach' for a school system and not have some sort of expectation for how that would work?

Certainly, Lancelot would never have expected an 'Outreach' group to be involved in something like what happened to Abigail. But then again, that's none of his business, he supposes.

Checking the road is clear he jogs across and pushes his way into the coffee shop, ambles up to the counter and begins squinting up at the boards idly trying to decide.

[outstandingbalance]

"I had something, but you know what they say. Happiness is all about managing expectations." And Natasha's life has taught her not to have high hopes. Somehow, it's still disappointing that Redbright managed to be more or less exactly what she would have expected.

That's not exactly high praise.

Natasha follows him inside, a step or two behind, and orders while he's still thinking. She doesn't spend a lot of time looking over the choices. Most of them would be wasted on her anyway.

[knightscode]

He opts for a flat white eventually, leans against the counter a little while he waits for it to be made before retrieving his drink and handing Natasha hers. He gestures for her to walk with him, cradling the drink between his hands and taking a sip.

"So," he says once they're clear of the coffee shop. "How much do you know about Sarah Silverton?"

[outstandingbalance]

"Not a whole lot. She's one of those television psychics right?" Natasha shrugs. "I know she's in town."

That's about all the more attention Natasha gave to her; Natasha has lived long enough to see enough frauds, she tended to tune them out. In Red Room, they hadn't been her problem or her business.

"Should I take it from the fact you're bringing it up that she's more than she seems?"

[knightscode]

"That's what I need to find out." He takes a sip of the coffee, considering his wording a moment. "There have been a few accidents at her shows. People quitting. Injuries from falling set. It could be nothing but publicity, but her next show is going to be the O2 arena. That place can hold twenty thousand people. If there's more than publicity stunts to this we need to know before she has a bigger accident."

An accident in a place with that many people could quickly descend into chaos, which could mean more injuries as people try to escape.

[outstandingbalance]

"So you're investigating and you're hoping I'll help," Natasha says, putting the situation as she understands it on the table. "I'm free to turn you down, but that's still the question?"

She sips her coffee, letting it rest on her tongue a second or two longer than normal before swallowing.

"Do you have a plan?"

[knightscode]

"That's the question," he agrees, "and I have an idea. I wouldn't call it a fully formed plan. I'm sending a few people up to Manchester to scout out her smaller show, to see if they can pick up anything. People who can sense magic, who might be able to tell me if our concerns seem founded. What I'd also like is a few people to do some more traditional investigation on her. After her show in Manchester she'll be down in London for a week and a bit before her show starts. I'd like some people to see what they can pull up. If we end up with two positives, hopefully we can put them together and do something about it. If we pull two negatives, we'll have to admit we might be a little paranoid."

[outstandingbalance]

"And I assume I'm in the second group," Natasha says, her gaze falling on her coffee thoughtfully, swirling it slowly. It makes sense if that was. She's trained for it. She's been part of the supernatural community for decades, but she's no witch.

On the other hand, she does have senses mortals wouldn't, and if this woman really is speaking with ghosts, Natasha is liable to be able to speak with them as well.

[knightscode]

"Unless you'd particularly like a road-trip to Manchester to sit through a psychic show. It's up to you, but I wasn't sure that was your kind of scene."

Not that it's Faolan's either, but he was going regardless -- although Lancelot suspects that's more out of a desire to be helpful to him than anything. Which he appreciates, but the mental image of Faolan trying to tolerate a psychic show is still amusing.

[outstandingbalance]

"No, I can't say I would." She shrugs though, as though to say she wouldn't rule it out entirely, either.

"Can I ask who else?"

[knightscode]

"A member of Hillingdon. Daryl, if you know him. I've seen him work before, so I think he'll be good at it. It would be easier if you worked together, obviously, but you don't have to."

He shrugs a little, quirks a smile.

"As long as everything gets done the details don't bother me too much, that's up to you. Providing it doesn't end up with me posting bail, obviously. I might have a little trouble persuading the Night Council of that one."

Government money is always so tricky to re-direct when there's fiddly things like law involved.

[outstandingbalance]

"We've met. I don't mind working together. Save us all some trouble." She smiles slightly, reassuring. "Which I guess means I'm willing to give you a hand. If this psychic is the real thing and getting this public..."

Well, there were a lot of ways that could go wrong. Natasha isn't about to start considering all of them now based on what she's heard so far, but exposing the supernatural community to scrutiny was dangerous enough on its own. Exposing the public to actual ghosts could be a lot worse.

Either way, she was comfortable calling it within the scope of her job.

[knightscode]

"The Night Council can cover you for the time," he adds, "if you're willing to pursue the hassle of billing us."

Since, like any government based company, the system is entirely fussy and designed to frustrate. He shrugs.

"I have some budget I can use, it's no trouble from my side. Just -- please don't ask for cash."

Lancelot winces slightly. Daryl has already asked him for that, and he still isn't sure how he'll wing it.

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha smiles wryly, sympathetic as Lancelot winces. She doesn't have a hard time picturing Daryl asking to be paid—and paid promptly, without the hoops and bureaucracy.

"You're in luck. I'm not afraid of filing expense forms."

[knightscode]

"You are angelic," he says with all seriousness. "And I'll sign off whatever you charge for, no matter how expensive."

It is just so much easier when he can do that, in stead of trying to fight finance on why they need to, apparently, draw money to pay a freelance hunter who isn't in their records.

"I'll get all the information we have across to you. If there are any other concerns you have...?"

Or questions, or just... things he hasn't covered.

[outstandingbalance]

"Don't tempt me. My apartment isn't that nice. I might use it as an excuse to stay a few nights in a fancy hotel." She's teasing, probably, but there's something just a little catlike in her smile.

"I'll look over what you have, let you know if there's any holes I need filled in."