[open] But the hole remains, an empty space

[astudyinviolet]

Who: Sherlock and others
Status: Open
Where: Eltrut
What: Some MANTA stuff, some catch all stuff
Warnings: one fancy looking detective for one prompt, Sherlock giving people heart attacks with his testing antics in another (in two?)

MANTA Paladin: Love and Paladinspace

[ Sherlock followed the instructions and dressed his best: long, flared black jacket and pants with a white, buttoned and lightly ruffled dress shirt and a black corset belt. To give a touch of color and to make certain parties feel uncomfortable, Sherlock pinned a pale green crystal in the shape of a hexagon and bordered by silver filigree at his collar. While he healed, one of those crystals had popped off his skin. He thought to study it, but when the Paladins had announced this gala, a new idea formed.

Anyone who believes Sherlock is here to make nice and help repair Paladin relations is terribly mistaken. Sherlock wants information. He wants to make sure everyone who was involved in the crystallization trafficking is held responsible to the highest degree. He feels personally betrayed after investigating the matter for so long, becoming a victim himself, and then learning that the whole thing was spearheaded by Paladins. He's had his suspicions in the past about Paladin cover ups, and trust broken at this level is not easily mended.

Perhaps, the Paladins should have worked more to restore relations within their own group. Sherlock remains, despite, and to spite them. His eyes are cold steel despite the smile as he stands near the refreshments, listening to a pair talk as the two grab flutes of sparkling wine. ]

MANTA Special: No Rift Like Home

[ Within the rift, he sees the door to the share sitting room of 221B Baker Street. Sherlock's heart stops in his chest, and he reaches out, fingers stopping just shy of the rift's surface. ]

John?! Mrs. Hudson?! Can you hear me?! WATSON! JOHN!!

[ But he never knows if his voice carried through the rift to anyone who might have heard on the other side. He falls. The air rushes past him, though he doesn't panic as others might. He has his Trustfaller Bangle after all.

Sherlock's feelings of home (in Escordvi) will center around the Surasthana Cafe, the S.H. Detective Agency, and various people he's especially close to. Sorry if he drops in unannounced. At least any falls for him will be cushioned by his bangle and result in no injuries. For him. (But feel free to catch in a princess carry if you want.) ]

MANTA General: Eltrut Snap!

[ Still feeling like he owes both Kaveh and Alhaitham, Sherlock volunteers to help take pictures using the new device. He's certainly trying to put it through its paces by taking extreme close ups of flowers or prolonged exposure to the sky or trying to take a photo while moving. He takes meticulous notes on each of his trials.

He hasn't really taken any good photos, however. Sherlock has used a photography camera before, so unfamiliarity with the technology isn't the issue. He's simply more focused on the testing portion of the quest rather than the actual results.

Maybe he should take a few photos with his friends as keepsakes. ]

Having fun with new purchases

[ So after the whole bounty thing, Sherlock has invested in a camouflage cloak (level 3) of a dark grey color with a hood and a pair of Sacred Galewind Shoes, which surprisingly look like a classy pair of black shoes with faint feather embroidery in black thread on the sides to invoke the idea of Mercury's winged sandals (or Hermes or other mythical variant). He hopes to avoid such trouble in the future with these additional tools in his bag. All he needs to do is test them out.

So, if you find Sherlock trying to walk out of a window from his second story apartment, he's testing out the shoes. (Any fear of falling has been removed due to his Trustfaller Bangle and certain happenings in another world.) If you find a strange cushion in the Surasthana Cafe or a rock that wasn't in a park before, that's Sherlock testing out his cloak which doubles as a more respectable version of walking outside with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

No, Sherlock did not warn anyone of his new purchases. Why is he like this? ]

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]

Comments

[astudyinviolet]

I am by their records, but I will not involve myself in spreading anything that might be construed as a cover story.

[ His own trust in the Paladins as a whole needs to be reestablished for him to even think of helping restore their reputation. Malicious compliance is the most they'll get out of him, even if being here was his choice. ]

The truth remains my sole focus, and I am not convinced that all who participated in the crystal trafficking ring have been apprehended.

[madeofmirrors]

Ah, is that what you think this is?

[But this man clearly had information, and also didn't quite trust his fellows.]

Would you be willing to fill in a newbie on this whole "crystal trafficking" business? I'm afraid I've heard quite little and it troubles me.

[Even if the statement is shared flippantly.]

[astudyinviolet]

Ask yourself if people fully committed to righting wrongs would be spending funds and manpower hosting a gala to improve an image instead of assisting in the damages left by Elah's disappearance and doing so that way.

[ This isn't even to raise money to help those affected, though Sherlock would be just as suspicious of the fundraising. ]

I shall give you a quick summary of events. People and creatures were abducted and turned into crystal for both monetary and artistic gains. A great number of whales had also gone missing, later discovered to become the foundation of the traffickers' headquarters, a place gaudy with any luxury they could obtain and containing dungeons and cells to turn more into crystal. The investigation into the disappearances and rumors of people turning into crystal had gone on for months. Some victims were freed, and the cure was in no small part due to the earlier, smaller rescues and undercover investigations. However, the traffickers grew too greedy, too vengeful. They abducted too many people at once and drew attention from those previously uninvolved.

Two captains, one from each Armada and who went against orders from their superiors to work together, spearheaded a rescue operation. A number of whales and other such creatures also came, possibly lead by the large red-eyed entity that later caused the ocean to crash down upon the island and destroy it.

[ He touches the pale green crystal at his collar, a crystal that had broken free off his own body. This is a very brief summary that glances away from Sherlock's personal involvement, the pain and horrors he experienced at the hands of his captors. Of the feelings of betrayal he felt. ]

A number of high ranking Paladins were personally involved with the crystallization traffickers. The Paladins were also the ones investigating the crime, but I do not doubt that the corruption within the Paladins hampered the investigation and allowed the trafficking to go on as long as it did.

[madeofmirrors]

It's almost as if they're a political faction.

[Which was the impression Jean-Phillipe was starting to get of the groups. They didn't seem to be completely at odds with one another all the time, which came off as violent political rivals.]

They were kidnapping people and turning them into ornaments?

[He notes that motion, trained as he was to read body language as part of his purpose as an assassin. There's a bit of trepidation there. This riftfaring Paladin was closer to this situation than he'd like to be known. Interesting.]

And so we get a lot of pomp and circumstance in order to distract us from what they allowed to happen. Typical.