42nd Ashan 718
Mrs Aislin Tanely was quite clearly impatient to get away from here. It didn't take a great level of observation or Empathy to be able to see how she switched her weight from one foot to the other, huffing out exasperated sighs and scowling around at everything: the light snow fall, the IA agents, the Academy buildings, the volunteers who were gathering. She clicked her tongue, loudly snapping a query about the time to Taysin who responded calmly, evidently disinterested in the woman's silly display. There was no need for the Orphanage owner to be here - she was neither use nor ornament - however, she'd insisted on being here, ready to add her own voice to the speech to the gathered volunteers before she returned to the charges that she still possessed up at Mountainside.
Yorrick watched the gathering volunteers through slightly narrowed eyes, although he only gave them half his attention; the rest of his attention was focused on Mrs Tanely's Tangle, intrigued by what had provoked such outward responses from the older woman, wondering if she knew more than she'd told the IA thus far. Was there guilt? Was her outward irritation a manifestation of something of which she felt guilt over? The man had to consider multiple theories. Although the story seemed to be that they'd run away, maybe she'd really had a hand in it. They'd find out soon enough; they would resolve this, no matter what they had to do and no matter how unpleasant.
The Eídisi woman towered over both of them at 6' 5", perhaps more intimidating than either of her companions although it wasn't intentional. She simply stood before the gathering volunteers, hands clasped behind her back as she regarded each new face with blind-seeming eyes, her expression almost bored. A scar-like mark over her eye declared her Xypha status. Unlike the other two, she held herself perfectly still except from when she answered Mrs Tanely's question, not seeming bothered by the snow that fell to gather on her short, spiky black hair, clinging to the strands on her head, her eyelashes, the fibres on her furred clothing. She had lived in Viden for many years, rarely out of the cooler weather of the place and thus, she'd built up a tolerance, finding milder temperatures uncomfortable at this point; she could speak Xanthea but she'd never succeed in going to Desnind. Although they would soon disperse into the tunnels that enclosed large sections of the city, it was quite possible that they'd be dealing with more exposure soon anyway. There was no point in trying to avoid the chill and besides, it was getting much warmer now, even if the non-native volunteers didn't realise it.
The very moment that the 11th break arrived, the senior investigator shifted out of her statuesque demeanour as she sprang to life. Those who arrived late would be speared with a quick, disapproving look, a slight downturn of her mouth conveying how she felt about their tardiness.
"Good morning! I'm Taysin, this is my colleague from the Intelligence Authority, Yorrick Farrow, and the owner of Mountainside Orphanage, Mrs Aislin Tanely. If you're gathered here then it's likely that you know what's going on. For those who may have wandered over with no knowledge of what's transpiring, allow me to fill you in," Taysin announced, her voice loud and clear as she projected it over the gathered bodies, watching them huddle a little as if seeking each other's warmth. "Two orphans from Mountainside Orphanage have gone missing-"
"They left! Ungrateful little-" Mrs Tanely interjected, eliciting a twitch at the edge of Taysin's mouth. She carried on as if there had been no interruption, her voice a little louder, a steely note carried in the first few words.
"These vulnerable and bewildered children brought hardly anything with them from what we could determine and if they've wandered out of the protected areas of the city, they might well be in serious danger from exposure," Taysin explained, ignoring the muttering coming from the human woman who was edging closer to her. "There's a boy and a girl, eight arcs and ten arcs old respectively. They're both young and misguided and it is our duty to return them into Mrs Tanely's uh... care." She cast a sideways look at the woman, her opinion of her clear as she literally gazed down her nose at her.
"It isn't clear how long they've been missing or where they've gone but the sooner they're found, the better," Yorrick commented, his voice soft but attention-grabbing, its tone and cadence making heads turn in his direction as he lingered further back from his companions. "It seems likely that they've sequestered themselves in a potentially dangerous location, the Docks or possibly making a break into the Tundra. Obviously, we will need many to help investigate the Docks; it's possible that they may have stowed away somewhere," he added, his tone distant, dreamy and oddly detached from the situation.
"Are there any questions? If not, we'll divide you up and set off," Taysin remarked, injecting urgency into the situation; she seemed impatient to get moving.
Yorrick watched the gathering volunteers through slightly narrowed eyes, although he only gave them half his attention; the rest of his attention was focused on Mrs Tanely's Tangle, intrigued by what had provoked such outward responses from the older woman, wondering if she knew more than she'd told the IA thus far. Was there guilt? Was her outward irritation a manifestation of something of which she felt guilt over? The man had to consider multiple theories. Although the story seemed to be that they'd run away, maybe she'd really had a hand in it. They'd find out soon enough; they would resolve this, no matter what they had to do and no matter how unpleasant.
The Eídisi woman towered over both of them at 6' 5", perhaps more intimidating than either of her companions although it wasn't intentional. She simply stood before the gathering volunteers, hands clasped behind her back as she regarded each new face with blind-seeming eyes, her expression almost bored. A scar-like mark over her eye declared her Xypha status. Unlike the other two, she held herself perfectly still except from when she answered Mrs Tanely's question, not seeming bothered by the snow that fell to gather on her short, spiky black hair, clinging to the strands on her head, her eyelashes, the fibres on her furred clothing. She had lived in Viden for many years, rarely out of the cooler weather of the place and thus, she'd built up a tolerance, finding milder temperatures uncomfortable at this point; she could speak Xanthea but she'd never succeed in going to Desnind. Although they would soon disperse into the tunnels that enclosed large sections of the city, it was quite possible that they'd be dealing with more exposure soon anyway. There was no point in trying to avoid the chill and besides, it was getting much warmer now, even if the non-native volunteers didn't realise it.
The very moment that the 11th break arrived, the senior investigator shifted out of her statuesque demeanour as she sprang to life. Those who arrived late would be speared with a quick, disapproving look, a slight downturn of her mouth conveying how she felt about their tardiness.
"Good morning! I'm Taysin, this is my colleague from the Intelligence Authority, Yorrick Farrow, and the owner of Mountainside Orphanage, Mrs Aislin Tanely. If you're gathered here then it's likely that you know what's going on. For those who may have wandered over with no knowledge of what's transpiring, allow me to fill you in," Taysin announced, her voice loud and clear as she projected it over the gathered bodies, watching them huddle a little as if seeking each other's warmth. "Two orphans from Mountainside Orphanage have gone missing-"
"They left! Ungrateful little-" Mrs Tanely interjected, eliciting a twitch at the edge of Taysin's mouth. She carried on as if there had been no interruption, her voice a little louder, a steely note carried in the first few words.
"These vulnerable and bewildered children brought hardly anything with them from what we could determine and if they've wandered out of the protected areas of the city, they might well be in serious danger from exposure," Taysin explained, ignoring the muttering coming from the human woman who was edging closer to her. "There's a boy and a girl, eight arcs and ten arcs old respectively. They're both young and misguided and it is our duty to return them into Mrs Tanely's uh... care." She cast a sideways look at the woman, her opinion of her clear as she literally gazed down her nose at her.
"It isn't clear how long they've been missing or where they've gone but the sooner they're found, the better," Yorrick commented, his voice soft but attention-grabbing, its tone and cadence making heads turn in his direction as he lingered further back from his companions. "It seems likely that they've sequestered themselves in a potentially dangerous location, the Docks or possibly making a break into the Tundra. Obviously, we will need many to help investigate the Docks; it's possible that they may have stowed away somewhere," he added, his tone distant, dreamy and oddly detached from the situation.
"Are there any questions? If not, we'll divide you up and set off," Taysin remarked, injecting urgency into the situation; she seemed impatient to get moving.
