Ghostbusters We Are Not...

[drjuliusmayfair]

Time: 8:00 AM
Date: March 5, 2009
Place: Gilpin Residence, Oak Leaf Hills, New Jersey
Status: Open to BPRD Agents


Jules stretched and looked at his coffee with blinking eyes full of wanted sleep. His unshaved chin was somewhat covered with a thick wool scarf. The few agents that accompanied him on this trip were weary not to speak with him. He had the eyes of a demon… well…not really, they were red and somewhat puffy from lack of sleep. He had been up for two days, maybe not the best idea, considering the job he had ahead of him. He had invited Frankie on this little trip. What he had thought would be a simple cleansing ended up being something more…sinister. So the trip was pushed back until he was better prepared. And it WAS still Bureau Buddies week… after all.

Jules coughed and sipped his coffee, which tasted like butt. He would prefer a good strong cup of teas, but since moving to America he had yet to find anywhere that made, served, or imported any good tea. The black SUV rolled along the quiet little suburbs of The Garden State. He looked out the window. All the houses looked the same, all the yards were somewhat yellowed and white from half melted dirty snow, and there was the same car in every driveway. He hated this place. And he was cold. And he was pretty sure he HAD a cold.

The SUV pulled onto Cherry Tree Street in the suburb of Oak Leaf Hills. All the houses were new, almost mansions. People with too much money trying to show that they had too much money. The SUV pulled up into the driveway of another cookie-cutter home. Jules got out of the SUV with a stretch, trying to pop his back again.

“Anyone have one of those red bulls?”

He said as his team got out after him. He was passed a slim can and he popped it, gulping it down. More horse piss. He gave a shutter and tossed the can back into the SUV, straightening his clothes to look more presentable before he was passed an electric shaver, which he ran over his chin as he opened his laptop in the back seat, pulling up some last minute information before he went up to the front door to ring the doorbell.

[professor]

Leaning out of the way red bull can. "Oi, watch were your throwing that crap." Grunted Alistair from his seat in the SUV. "Usually it is polite to introduce oneself before you throw the new guy into a van and throw cans at him. Let alone drive him halfway across the state with no bloody explanation of why." Scathed the Professor form his seat. He was frustrated with the way his first day at the new Jersey office is going.

After he had the introduction and tour by an agent who was obviously a third of his age Alistair was shown his office. His many books and trinkets were packed away with meticulous precision. He had taken only two steps into his new office when a vary large and very sweaty I.T. guy came racing in and keeled over panting. The programmer informed him that a field analyst was needed in the go room for a mission. He was told to get his field kit and be down there in 5 minutes. Lucky for him his gun, sacrificial cup, and field kit were in three different boxes. He only had time to grab one maybe two. He had to race to get to the meet on time. He waited by an SUV for twelve minutes for the rest of the "team" to show up. He would have had enough time to get his gear if he knew they would be late. Now he is in a strange place without his gun or field kit and with no briefing.

He was unprepared and did not like the situation at all.

[drjuliusmayfair]

Jules gave the man in the SUV a look and went back to his computer. He finished his info-searching and closed the laptop, slipping it into his case. He wasn't sure he wanted this stranger on this mission, but he had to have agents. This job had turned int a case of possession, or so he was told, and the house sat in a spiritually active area of New Jersey.

"Alright." He said at last, turning to Alistair. "Sorry about that, had to finish the paperwork. I'm Dr. Mayfair. Julius or Jules if you would. I usually take care of the issues with ghosts..." He looked up at the house, "This case is rather interesting. I had files about it in my in box when I first came to BPRD Jersey." His Scottish burr thickening in the chilly air, "Which was a few months ago acually... has it been that long?" He pondered.

"have you had any experience with spirits?" He spoke but looked at the house. There was a kind of sheen to it, he could only see. The kind of sheen that spirits created.

[professor]

Alistair Looked at the Scottish man with a slightly cocked head. "My name is professor Alistair Hartwood and no I do not actually have any experience with spirits. I am a polytheistic religion and god specialist. Unless this spirit starts declaring he is Heimdal and that he descended from rainbow bridge, bringing Ragnarok in his wake, I'm only really useful as a logistics specialist pulling lore and such. So seeing as you are obviously lead, lead on. I would like to be done soon so that I can return and unpack my office."

With that he got out of the opposite side of the car. Walked around to the front of the SUV. "So whats the play boss man?" Alistair said with a bit of sarcasm as hefts his cane and straitened his jacket. A dry wind rushes through the street kicked up the early fallen leaves. The creaks of the house gave off an unsettling feeling. As he flexed his arms in an attempt to stretch out he felt his scars stretch as well. He might not be in good favor with some of his "divine mentors" at the moment. He has gone some time without sacrifice, which is not good.

As he paced around the car waiting for the other people to finish their prep he looked across the cookie cutter suburban street into the upper story window of a house directly across the street. From Behind the curtain he could see the outline of a very skinny and short Hispanic man. His skin was taught and he looked almost like a zombie or close to in. He saw the man the day the Boston office was attacked and he had a hunch who it was. Miclántecuhtli, Death god, the one who had been hounding him for months.

"I recommend we get a move on Jules."

[brennalarosa]

A mop of dark auburn hair hung shaking over a self-heating thermal coffee cup, USB cable still dangling from the bottom. She'd been shivering since they got out. She set Lovelace and her cup down on the SUV's hood and yanked the pins out of her mane, raking her nails through it until it was mostly tidy again and pinning it all back.

"Jersey. I hate Jersey. Got thrown out of Jersey once. Okay, Atlantic City, but that's in Jersey," she muttered as drank the contents of her mug, "Okay, just the Tropicana. But, that's still in Jersey."

She flicked a glance at the new guy, Professor Hartwood. He seemed okay. Crabby, but everybody was.

"I've logged some time with spirits," said Phia, "I've even dealt with sentient forces of that kind."

[drjuliusmayfair]

He looked to Alistair and Phia, the handful of suits they were given and the two SUVs with their equipment, "This isn't one of those missions were we go in, shoot 'em up and move out. I am rather glad Hellboy isn't with us." He looked at his watch,"I need to speak with the owners of the house. Phia, be a love and set up our homebase in the second SUV. Park a little ways down the street. I don't want to risk losing information if the spirit drains the power. I am not sure of the range it has, just want to be on the safe side. We'll check in with BPRD in...say... five PM. I should know what were dealing with by then."

He moved up the walk, Alistair hopefully behind him. He had learned that men with accents, well, British accents and Scottish, were soothing to ruffled clients. He knocked on the door, waiting. He felt the tingle of spirits, it was the area. They were there, watching, but he couldn't see them. He also felt something else in the back of his mind. The steady drumbeat of something that wasn't his heart. Before coming this morning, even in his sleep deprived, he remembered to sacrifice just in case. The blood of the chicken was dried on his skin, but covered by his clothes.

The door opened slowly and a tired and harassed woman looked at them from the crack in the door.

"Madame, good day to you. I am from the Baltimore Paranormal Research Group."

"I thought... the magazine... BPRD?" The woman said,looking relieved but flustered.

"A common mistake, madame. BPRG. We do get crank calls from time to time about that...government organization... which i doubt is real... but I can assure you what my group handles is real enough and I am here to help. My associate here is Mr. Hartwood. I am Dr. Mayfair. If we may come in?"

The lady of the house allowed them to enter and showed them into a well kept home. It was clean, but one could tell there was something...slightly off... about the house. Jules passed Alistair a temperature gauge and EVP device, a small digital recorder.

"Madame, while i ask you some questions, I am going to ask Mr. Hartwood to... ah... poke about? Just on the first floor. I promise that we will not disturb your normal routine for no longer then a few minutes." He lead the lady into a sitting room and turned to Alistair, "See what you can find. The possessed is upstairs no doubt." The lady of the house was flustering about, nervously cleaning as Jules spoke quietly to Alistair, "I am going to ask my usual questions of her, but i suspect fowl play here." he nodded his head towards the door. In the wall paper, a lively floral print, there were random shapes behind the flowers, "Runes."

[professor]

Alistair stepped forward to examine the "runes", finally something more in m y field. He squinted at it for a moment the turned to Julius. "Well the last time I read runes was when I was in Sweden. The problem being was that that was close to a few decades ago, so to the best of my knowledge it could mean one of two things death...." he paused for dramatic effect. He took off his glasses and whipped them on his cotton shirt, and examined them in the light before returning them to his face. "....or....cheese." He let out a long sigh and a half hearted laugh then turned back to the picture.

"Though I doubt that this "ghost" has anything to do with the Norse. You see they did not believe in ghosts in the traditional sense. When you died the soul went to the under world which was lorded over by the goddess Hel. Everyone went there except those who were deemed worthy to enter Asguard, capital of the Gods' realm. Warriors who died valiently in battle were chosen by the Valkyrie to stay in Valhalla as Einherjar. The Einherjar eat and drink there fill in the night and battle in the day in preparation of Ragnarok. So as you can see no spirit resides on earth in Norse mythology. Or Aztec for that matter.

If this is a ghost tied to religion you should hit the big three first. Monotheism, Hoodoo, or Paganism. Find out if this spirit is violent. Form there if you can find out the way it acts it can be applied to religious trappings and hopefully narrowed down to a particular religion and for them we can look into a cleansing. That is my best assumption. If it has nothing to do with organized religion, well then I am completely useless." With that Alistair turned to begin to explore the house but stopped.

"Why not let me talk to her? I could expedite the identification that way." He looked past Julius at the frightened woman standing in the living room out of ear shot. A shame that she was pulled into this. When he took a step toword her he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the house had a pool. That could come in handy.

[drjuliusmayfair]

Jules was looking at the rune and started at the mention of death..or...cheese. He blinked up at the rune and scowled, "Well, I hope it means cheese, because I don't have the equipment to deal with Nordic curses." He rubbed his chin, thinking.

"It isn't hoodoo. I'm a voodoo priest. I would know the markings of hoodoo the second I crossed the threshold." He sucked on his back teeth, "I'll talk to the lady. Just take some temperature readings in each room downstairs in different areas of each room. As you do it, run this. As you work and this is recording, ask some questions. I can't see spirits at this time, but it doesn't mean they aren't there. Some can veil themselves to my sight. After you take the readings and I finishing talking to the lady of the house, we'll set up the equipment and get Phia in here. If you find anymore runes, take not of where they are and I'll call the bureau to send up someone who can read them."

He turned to the lady and lead her into the sitting room. He removed a small notebook from the inside pocket of his jacket and with a smile to her, started his interview, "Madame, I believe this has been going on for about...a month now?..."

[gyakusatsu]

While the two professors were making their routine runs through the woman's house, the second SUV sat across the street.
Inside buzzed the sounds of Elvis' Devil in Disguise from an old cassette tape accompanied by the soft snoring of a bald, gaunt man in a dark robe sitting in the driver's seat.

He'd had no luck hearing any spiritual activity though that was mostly due to the side-effect of being near Dr. Hartwood apparently. He'd opted to drive the second Van as an alternative to having the painful psychic static grating on his mind. At the very least it wasn't so obnoxious at a distance and despite being unable to hear anything spiritual-wise, he could hear with his corporeal ears just fine. Thus he popped in one of his old tapes and promptly gave into the exhaustive impulse that seemed omnipresent in his mind.

His mouth hung half open and, even closed, his eyes looked bloodshot. His skeletal frame protruded sharply from inside his loose garb and one may have even been able to see his ribs through the thin fabric as his smooth breath inflated his chest periodically with a gentle rumble from his throat.

Suddenly the pale man woke with a start as Devil in Disguise give way to Burning Love. He sat up dazedly and wiped a thread of spittle from his chin with his sleeve before looking out the window at the target house. It was an average hunk of brick that was remarkably unremarkable, he never really saw the charm in cookie-cutter neighborhoods. He saw Dr. Mayfair enter, followed closely by Hartwood.

After giving a drowsy yawn that would make anyone think he'd never taken the nap in the first place, he rubbed his eyes and pulled a particularly grotesque shrunken head from the sag of his right sleeve. The eyelids were sewn shut and the hair drawn up into a long braid by which he held it aloft, the shrivels, gray lips were perched open slightly and the knob of a nose retained what in life was probably some kind of wart.

" Gutentag Agatha..."
He smirked at the head.
quickly the dusty old lips begin flapping as if they'd never died though no sound escaped them and they mushed together limply due to the lack of a jaw bone.
What's so good about it child?
"I don't know I just thought I'd give you a nice greeting."
Spit it out.
"Fine fine, you feel anything here?"
Nothing special, just a possession.
"Well i know that."
The craggy old head seemed to laugh silently.
Sorry Lambchop, can't help you. Too much stray energy in the air.

He sighed exasperatedly.
"I just had to be sent out with the human spirit-magnet, I feel like a bat in a subway station."
Tired, he leans his head back and stares out at the house, hoping that just maybe they'd have something for him to do.

[professor]

Alistair knew what would happen if he turned on the EVP device. He had worked with them in the past; his connection with Tlaloc sends them off the chart for some reason when they are on around him, so he never liked to use them. Psychics also refuse to be around him, maybe the presence of a god's blessing is unsettling to them.

So he continued towards the back of the house and into the kitchen. From there he saw a nice marble topped island surrounded by lots and lots of chrome appliances, most of which look so pristine that it was likely they had never been used. This assumption was confirmed by looking into the trash receptacle near the door, which was filled with empty pizza boxes and Chinese take out cartons. Obviously the home owner was either very busy or very lazy.

When he passed by the pantry closet something inside caught his eye. He opened the door slowly and there he saw it. Scratchings. There were marks on the inside door frame, carved into the wall by tiny fingers no bigger then that of a rats. But these were different. They were precise and intricate, not mere clawing of a rodent. these could be similar to the sand paintings that the Native Americans used to call and bind spirits to a location. But why here? He Rubbed his hand over the indentations and felt the grooves. That was when the day went from bad to worse. As his hand slid over the wood there was a crack and part of it splintered and hit the floor. When he turned to see where the splinter went he saw the gaunt man from across the street standing in the kitchen, fragment of wood held in between two long and boney fingers.

" Hola Profesor, buen día ¿no? Oh, parece que ha roto el precinto. I puede ser incapaz de hacer daño, pero tal vez lo hará. Saluda a Tláloc."

<<Roughly translates to : Hello Professor, good day right? Oh, it seems to have broken the seal. I may be incapable of doing harm, but maybe it will. Say hello to Tlaloc. >>

Said the thin skeletal man as he slowly faded from sight. Shortly after his disappearance intense pressure began to push down on Alistairs head causing him to black out within seconds.

***
Minutes after entering the kitchen he walked past the living room out of the house. He walked strait up to the group of agents outside the first van and told them the boss needed them inside. As soon as they were all inside he walked to the drivers side and got in. He revved the engine and backed out of the driveway but stopped to lock eyes with the German who sat in the other van. His eyes were black and the psychic static was gone. He grinned at the German then Gunned the SUV's engine and sailed down the suburban street at upwards of 50 miles and hour.

[brennalarosa]

Phia trotted over to the SUV as best she could in a pencil skirt and heels, whistling to try and regain some cheer. Muller was driving car 2, thank God. Phia couldn't have parallel parked a unicycle and was convinced she got her driver's license on dumb luck. She tapped on the window as a warning before crawling into the passenger side seat.

"Dr. Mayfair said park it down the block a little. We can't be sure of range and if we're dealing with an entity that can generate EMPs, we're hosed. Besides," she said, checking a light on the side of her laptop, "the signal here isn't fit for a 264." She rubbed her hands together to get them warm enough to move.

Something nagged at her mind. It was like the words to a song that wasn't catchy enough to stick, but cute enough to half-remember. She flexed her hands and popped Lovelace open. The signal was spotty and weak, still, prompting Phia to flick it hard.

There was a darker reason for Phia's hatred of New Jersey. This place had been Native ground once. Who was to say some brotherhood of Lenni-Lenape hadn't laid a trap for unwelcome guests? Even magical traps grew rusty and stagnant. Maybe something the family had done had put just enough weight on the trap to make it shift and stir. But was it just a dead, unexploded bomb, or a bear trap ready to have a few flakes of rust break free to snap around an ankle?

[gyakusatsu]

Christoph nodded to Phia as she knocked on the window and sat in the passenger seat.
"Dr. Mayfair said park it down the block a little. We can't be sure of range and if we're dealing with an entity that can generate EMPs, we're hosed. Besides," she said, checking a light on the side of her laptop, "the signal here isn't fit for a 264."
The robed man nods sleepily before putting the SUV back into drive. He begins to drive slowly but suddenly brakes and pulls Agatha from inside his sleeve.
Her craggy, gray lips flapped incessantly.

It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here!...

Christoph's eyes grew wide and had he had any, the hair would have stood up on the back of his neck. Quickly he jerked his head to the house, seeing BPRD agents walk inside as Dr. Hartwood got in the first SUV, smiling at Chris with black, dangerous eyes before speeding down the road.
"Ph-Phia..."
Quickly he mashed his fist against the steering wheel, making the large car blast out an obnoxiously loud *HONK*
"Jules! It's got Hartwood!"

His head was jutting out the window when his foot loosed the brake and the SUV began rolling. Swiftly he ducked his head back in, exclaiming something obsene in German before rapidly developing a very bad case of Lead-foot syndrome, speeding after Hartwood's van and wheeling around any corners with adept hands no-one would expect from a man that always seemed so sleep deprived, though it was probably adrenaline.

"Phia, Buckle up and try and get a reading or try to set up shop in the back.
Oh wait -"
If Phia even had time to sit, she would've quickly found a shrunken witches head being swiftly tossed into her lap.
"Tie her to the mirror, I'll be needing some advice here."

[brennalarosa]

Christoph's eyes grew wide and had he had any, the hair would have stood up on the back of his neck. Quickly he jerked his head to the house, seeing BPRD agents walk inside as Dr. Hartwood got in the first SUV, smiling at Chris with black, dangerous eyes before speeding down the road.
"Ph-Phia..."
Quickly he mashed his fist against the steering wheel, making the large car blast out an obnoxiously loud *HONK*
"Jules! It's got Hartwood!"

"What the--!?" Phia saw Hartwood, saw the ugly twisting of his aura, the worrying hue of pale green it had and the deadly glitter, and let fly with her own stream of invective.

His head was jutting out the window when his foot loosed the brake and the SUV began rolling. Swiftly he ducked his head back in, exclaiming something obsene in German before rapidly developing a very bad case of Lead-foot syndrome, speeding after Hartwood's van and wheeling around any corners with adept hands no-one would expect from a man that always seemed so sleep deprived, though it was probably adrenaline.

Phia yelped as she was jerked backwards in her seat, slapping Lovelace shut. "We can't catch him if you run us into a tree!", she bellowed. She fumbled around for her cane... Which she realized she'd left in the vehicle Hartwood was driving. Oh, boy.

"Okay, gonna have to do this by the seat of my pants." Using her finger as a makeshift wand, she pointed ahead and began chanting in Hebrew, but it was no use. She couldn't lock on to the car or the driver or the ghost.

"Phia, Buckle up and try and get a reading or try to set up shop in the back.Oh wait -"
If Phia even had time to sit, she would've quickly found a shrunken witches head being swiftly tossed into her lap.
"Tie her to the mirror, I'll be needing some advice here."

Phia took the head and tied it to the mirror, thinking weakly, Some guys just hang a lady's garter or an air freshener up.

"I can't get into the back without running a risk of breaking my neck, or worse, the equipment!" said Phia, "Even so, I don't see how logging into the Base is going to help us if we can't catch Hartwood! I knew it, I just KNEW it!"

[drjuliusmayfair]

Jules was talking calmly to the lady of the house, the back of his mind tingling slightly. So far, he was ignoring it. With Alistair's connection to HIS gods, and the handful of agents and their connections, it seemed as if they were in a super powered episode of Ghost Hunters. Jules had to ignore the feedback he was getting off Alistair. Since they were both new, they had yet to really get used to each other. But now wasn't the time for bonding. He heard a door slam and turned just as Alistair left the house.

"Hartwood?"

He turned to the woman and bowed, "Madame, I will go and speak with my team and then we will see about your son. Don't worry, we handle things like this everyday." A couple agents entered the home, saying something about Hartwood telling them Mayfair needed them.

He walked into the hallway and outside, replacing his navy blue fedora on his head as he saw Alistair peel out in the SUV. He blinked, confused when he was yelled at by the second SUV, his backup.

"Jules! It's got Hartwood!"

Jules opened his mouth but they were already gone, after the first SUV. "What am I suppose to do?! FLY!" He yelled after them, and then cussed in thick Scottish, the other agents standing behind him as he took out his cell phone, "This is Dr. Mayfair. We have a code red. Possession of Agent Hartwood. That's right... they're heading... Christ...uh... eastbound towards the freeway... I don't know! He was taking some readings and then just left!" He snapped his fingers at another agent and they brought him the instruments Hartwood left behind. He raised his shoulder to keep the phone at his ear as he looked through the readings.

"Ah... Cisneros and whats his name... I don't know everyone yet... Muller... they're going after him, I need a pick up up two agents at this address..."

One of the agents handed him keys to a Toyota Prias. Jules gave the agent a dirty look and took the keys. He hated to drive, he was bad at it, but he would have to go after them. He didn't know if Phia or Muller could exercise the spirit from Hartwood if that was the issue.

He went to the car, as the woman of the house came out, looking scared. They had asked if they could use the car on official business. The car was banana yellow. Jules got in and frowned at the banana charm hanging from the rearview mirror, "This does not bode well."

He pulled out, hitting the trashcans on the curb and gave chase.

[gyakusatsu]

Muller was thoroughly concentrated on not crashing and hardly noticed Phia's complaints.
Quickly he shouted at Agatha. He shouted out of sheer nervousness, he hated having to chase down his exorcism targets.
"Agatha! Come-on give me something to work with!"
No need to yell, German.
"Okay I'm sorry for yelling, now tell me something."
A dark, fiery spirit roars eastward. The old man, he released it.
"What? How? Why?"
The head's jaw stayed still.
"Damnit Agatha!"

He then addressed the witch beside him, keeping his one good eye on the road.

"Alright, Somehow Hartwood released some kind of spirit. Agatha said it was 'fiery' so I'm thinking it may be some kind of elemental or a nature spirit, maybe even a demon.

Now What do we know about the Doctor's abilities? Any special things we should take into account? To exorcise him I need to know any strengths or weaknesses he may have."

As he spoke he maintained a few car's distance between themselves and the professor. Partially because they couldn't go much faster and even if they could the car would likely flip with the next turn.