Questions and Secrets (part 1)

JP with Lorem, Lasersexpanther, mdman, and

Lorem was content to stay in the back of the bus and read through the journal that was in her hands. It was a series of notes, ideas and sketches which happened to span the scope of work she was bringing with her to the Paris headquarters. It was soon apparent from the vibrations from the bus that it’s shocks were not of the caliber to offer a smooth ride. Not wanting to risk motion sickness, Lorem placed the journal down.

With a mind full of wonder, her curiosity took her on a tour of the other members of their group scattered about the bus interior. Her attention soaked up the details and tried to conjecture their personalities and temperaments beyond that which she had experienced in the few shared social settings to date. She finally rested her attention on Sasha.

Lorem hopped down from her seat in the back of the bus and tucked her journal under her left arm and used her right to stabilize herself with support from the seats along the way. She then made her way down the aisle, having to politely excuse herself past the outstretched legs of Cronk, to find her way to Sasha’s location.

When she finally made it, she looked up to Sasha and politely inquired. “May I join you and bother you with a few question?”

Sasha's attention was pulled away from her book by Lorem sudden appearance. Sasha's expression was a smile though only indicated through her eyes, she placed a string to mark the page in her book, placing it back in her pack and moving the satchel to the floor so Lorem could sit. "Not at all. Though don't be disappointed if I can't answer a question." Sasha told her. "If that is okay with you I am willing to try to answer anything you'd like to ask."

Lorem smiled in thanks and hopped up to take a seat with her. She looked so diminutive compared to the taller woman. “I have been meaning to ask you about your attire. It seems from observation to have some semblance of functionality that goes beyond just style. If I am correct, would you be willing to share with me the particulars?” Her interest was eager and genuine.

As the Lady Elizabeth and Frenchie spoke as well as the Masked One and Pretty Flower, Cronk was inspired to converse. He turned to Lorem, whom he had seen working in her outbuilding, making plans, as he glanced through the window last evening.

All the cranks, rods, pistons, and such were like all the heels and whistle’s to Cronk. In fact, Cronk thought he did see a steam whistle inside the building too.

“Cronk like your toys,” he proclaimed to Lorem. Of course, he realized they were not exactly toys. However, they put the same feeling within Cronk that he remembered his toy Orc soldiers did when he was a wee laddie. Cronk grinned at the thought of wee laddie. That’s what they said in Ireland. He could almost imagine Quinn saying it.

Sasha listened to the gnomes question and gave a slight nod. "That is correct. It's function more than style. Though the attire is a sort of calling card for my trade." she admitted. "The coat has many pockets and loops inside to hold my weapons and devices used for my job." Sasha said, then undid the latches on the leather inner vest, it was lined with a strange sort of chainmail. "Protection from puncturing." she closed and redid the vest fasteners, Sasha then drove attention to her boots. "Soft soles for stealth, and they are built in a way to prevent any rolling of the ankle. The pants aren't special just well fitted for easy movement." Sasha explained. "The hat was my fathers sort of a calling card within a calling card, and the mask is my own addition." she explained to Lorem. "Any thing else?"

Cronk watched and observed Sasha as she gave her explanation of her clothing. He couldn’t understand how the ladies, who had all these wonderful curves, tended to hide them. At the mention of her mask, Cronk sighed.

“Cronk should wear mask,” he announced. “Not pretty ladies!”

Lorem smiled at Cronk each time he blurted out his opinions in the midst of their conversation. She wondered if that was what it was like when her elder siblings said she would constantly interject when she was a youngling. She couldn’t help but gently stifle a giggle at how Cronk just said what he meant without a filter for social etiquette.

Her eyes were analytical and taking great measure of Sasha’s tour of her outfit. She was memorizing the details and would commit them to pen and paper later that day. She already had ideas starting to spiral off of what she saw. In a word, she looked fascinated by it all.

“Most interesting. Yes, why do you wear the mask in the presence of others and is there anything that you can think of that would make your outfit, or line of work, more effective. If perhaps someone decided to take a try at innovation?” It was not subtle at all that she was proposing to put her keen intellect to work towards innovations that would benefit her new teammates.

"I wear the mask for personal reasons." She said, "I found people take me far more seriously while wearing it." Sasha explained, "As for innovation I can't think of something to improve upon. This gear comes from years and years of tradition only being made by a select few within the trusted circle of 'Hunters' and I fear my family would not take kindly to someone, and pardon my language bastardizing their tradition." she said, but didn't want to be rude. "I do not wish that to come off as harsh, but my family worked decades to make this protective gear as it is. I do appreciate the offer of improving upon it, but it would be a betrayal to my family to have copies being made."

Lorem payed attention to how Sasha responded in a way that was open, yet not vulnerable. She wondered if that had something to do with her personality or was it a necessary precaution of her profession. It all sounded so mysterious, especially when it concluded with a family tradition built on legacy.

Even though she could replicate what she just saw due to her photographic memory, Lorem promised. “I understand and will not make a copy of it.” Of course she didn’t promise that she wouldn’t attempt at making a hunter attire that was technologically superior. Challenge excepted was her mindset.

“Why would you say people would not take you seriously without the mask? Is it because it makes you more mysterious and intimidating?”

Lorem payed attention to how Sasha responded in a way that was open, yet not vulnerable. She wondered if that had something to do with her personality or was it a necessary precaution of her profession. It all sounded so mysterious, especially when it concluded with a family tradition built on legacy.

Even though she could replicate what she just saw due to her photographic memory, Lorem promised. “I understand and will not make a copy of it.” Of course she didn’t promise that she wouldn’t attempt at making a hunter attire that was technologically superior. Challenge excepted was her mindset.

“Why would you say people would not take you seriously without the mask? Is it because it makes you more mysterious and intimidating?”

Sasha looked like she was about to speak but seemingly stopped herself. "I am possibly willing to answer that question in a more private setting." Sasha told Lorem. "But yes intimidation is very much a part of why I wear the mask, but the second reason isn't for the burning ears of the masses." she gave a subtle hand motion to the others on the bus. "Fair?" She asked in regards to answering a question at a later time.

Lorem nodded. “Fair.” She simultaneously hoped that she would have the opportunity to hear more when they had a chance apart from the others. “If I may offer an objective critique. I think the mask does a good job of hiding the data that can be gathered from your facial expressions. Reading you is difficult and requires injunctions, which may not be accurate, to be inserted if one were to try and uncover the enigma. I suppose that though is useful in your line of work.”

Lorem paused and then tilted her head like a curious puppy. “What do Hunters do exactly? Beside the obvious task that is etched into the title itself?”

Sasha scratched the side of her head, "Well...." she paused. "I do not only do what my family set out to do." she started to explain. "We mostly hunt monsters, though that term is set up for interpretation." Sasha said. "I hunt both things that go bump in the night and..." she leaned in a bit. "Men who think of women as things to be used and discarded without the woman's say."

Lorem wrinkled her nose more at the latter explanation because it painted a rather distasteful picture in her mind. How awful it was indeed that some men thought they had the right to abuse and mistreat others.

The former, about monsters, was abstract to her. Lorem had never come across a monster before unless fairy tales counted. In fact, she wouldn’t have thought them real if not sitting next to a professional hunter whose mere presence must validate the fact to be true.

“What type of monsters have you hunted? Are they common or hard to find?” She was inquiring in a matter outside her depth, which only added to the novelty of learning more about it. Like a moth to the light, she wanted to know more. Her naivety on the subject was palatable. She was inquiring from a purely academic perspective and knew not the horror that accompanied the reality of it.

"Not as common as a 'job' of a hunter would suggest." Sasha began, "But common enough even one could cause a lot of troubles for normal people. "I've killed a few vampires, a few werewolves, some other variations of lycanthropes, pretty much anything in the story books really but..." she thought a moment. "If I had to pick the two hardest monsters I've ever killed. I once killed a flesh Golem, and a serial killer who called himself the "The Demon of Roslov." broke three ribs and nearly shattered my wrist fighting him." she said.

Lorem gasped in reaction. She was mortified to hear the consequences to Sasha’s person in the pursuit of equally nightmarish sounding targets. “I had no idea such things were real.” She admitted. “Perhaps I have people like you and your family to thank for that?” She rhetorically questioned.

“Why do you do this line of work? It sounds frightfully dangerous.” If Sasha was good at reading facial expressions and body language, she would pick up that these questions were not meant to insult. In fact, Lorem seemed to be looking up at her significantly impressed. Inwardly, Lorem wondered if she could ever be as brave as the woman beside her.

"And a few off shoots of the original family, mine is just one of them, we don't tend to opperate in the same area at the same time unless numbers are called for such as a cult trying to summon a demon. Not that summoning a demon typically works," Sasha said quickly to put Lorem at ease that demons summoning was common place. "But get enough people who want to reshape the world in the same place at the same time can become a clear danger. Sacrifices, kidnappings, poisoned party punch." Sasha gave a shrug,

"Partly because my family did it, so I do too." Sasha had the rare time her facial expressions, "And with full honestly it is not usually the daughter to take up the mantel, but my father never had a son." she explained. Too the latter part of the question, "I've never scared easy." she admitted. "And the few things that do are more abstract fears." Sasha added.

Cronk intensively listened to both ladies. Some considered Cronk a monster due to his size and appearance. He wondered what classified as a monster to the Masked Lady.

Now, he did enjoy the presence of a woman. However, he didn’t leave them high and dry. Quinn and he were one of the regulars at a few of the finest establishments in Dublin. At times, Cronk felt the women were overly happy to see him. They often fought each other to be the one he chose. Of course, Cronk would never walk up to those society defined as a lady and ask, “Cronk boink you?” He had learned his lesson there.

So, Cronk didn’t believe he was in the Masked Lady’s second definition of a monster. Something inside of him wondered though, if they were not teammates, would the Masked Lady hunt him down?

Cronk frowned a bit at the thought. Cronk was at times a child in a massive body. His size and strength were what brought him any security. His insecurity had to do with how others viewed him. Did they consider him a monster. Did they consider him as not being bright. Quinn was one who overlooked those things. That’s how he became close to the man. That’s what had built a trust in their relationship. He wondered if these people, who were of a more noble upbringing could do so. Leaning back, he seemed to think Lady Elizabeth, the Wise One, and Frenchie had treated him well.

He didn’t know what the others were capable of doing. He had seen Frenchie so some form of magik. What else was he capable of doing? Apparently, Pretty Flower’s gift lay in her toys. Being able to piece them together to make something useful. This Masked One hunted monsters. She could fight well, Cronk assumed. He began to think of whom may need his strength to protect them. Definitely Pretty Flower. Maybe Lady Elizabeth, the young girl that appeared last evening, the Good Doctor, the Wise One, and Frenchie (of that was the extent of his magic). He would do his best to keep all safe.

Sasha could feel Cronk fidgeting in his seat. "Is something the matter Cronk?" She asked turning slightly to look back at him.

Her question reminded the Orc of his mother’s own inquiries whenever Cronk appeared to be thinking heavily on something. Cronk didn’t usually think. Mostly what you saw from Cronk was a reaction to someone else. One could possible say that Cronk’s thinking at this time was a reaction to their conversation.

“Cronk think,” came the truthful reply. “What monster?”he asked to get the Masked One’s idea of what defined a monster. He asked while scratching his chin.

Lorem actively listened to Sasha’s answers. They gave her much to consider.

When Cronk chimed in, Lorem turned as well. She looked to Sasha wondering how she would answer that question. She guessed that the lady’s reply would be different then her own because Sasha had actually experienced monsters before.