Big Trouble in Little Chi-Town

[Casey]

“Aye,” he nodded and began to walk up the steps to the ticket station. The lines weren’t long this time of day so the wait was blessedly short. He smiled at the woman behind the glass window, after several days of visiting the museum he was beginning to know a number of the workers.

“Hello Mr. Cassidy,” the teller smiled back, “Back for more?”

“That I am,” he said sliding his fake id and credit card through the slot in the glass, “Figured I’d show this one some of the finer arts. Only knows drawings out of comic books.” He motioned over his shoulder to Chase.

“Two tickets then?”

“If you’d kindly.”

She slid the tickets and cards back under the window and he gave her a warm smile. After putting the cards back in his wallet he motioned for Chase to follow.

“Pay me back when we get inside,” he said handing the younger hunter his ticket.


[td][/td]

[Chase]

He took his role of a bored teenager without prompt, giving an obligatory roll of the eyes after Sylus mentioned comic books. Did teens really even read those these days? Chase wasn't exactly in the loop on current trends. The only time he would clue in to any landmarks for his generation where when he'd keep seeing the same advertisments in each town. Last thing he remembered had something to do with vampires...not the smartest idol kids these days could be worshipping.

He took the ticket from the Irish man and readjusted his jacket as they walked to the entrance. When was the last time he had visited a museum? Something having to do with a curse and a ghost, if he remembered right. Chase's eyes drifted across the numerous artifacts on display as he showed his ticket to the employee at the entrance.

"What exhibit are we visiting?" Chase asked, genuinely curious. He had recently started researching different artifacts and the hold they had over supernatural beings. On some of his hunts he had started collecting charms and pendants, the most recent of which was bound on a leather cord around his wrist. Saved his butt countless times by turning ridiculously hot against his skin when spirits or such came within a ten foot distance. Chase never regretted wearing it, despite the shock he received whenever it randomly changed temperature.

[Casey]

“Got a collection that came in from India a few weeks ago,” he said over his shoulder to Chase, “Interesting stuff and probably got all sorts of power in them. But that’s not what we’re here for. One of the pieces has a hitchhiker or sorts. Real bad juju attached. Has a habit of relocating people’s organs."

He stopped as they reached the entrance to the many halls. “Well have to take the long way though if we want to avoid suspicion though. Where would you like to see first Boy’O?”

[Chase]

Relocating organs? A flicker of concern flashing across his face. "Well, that promises to be interesting," he mused aloud.

Chase nodded, and moved to the right toward some Picasso exhibit. Closest and first thing. If they could get through it quickly, then they could go straight to this psuedo-Indian piece and start working on the case.

The exhibit mostly contained paintings, of which Chase found no interest in. Damn. Why couldn't he have picked one with pieces that pertained to his line of work? He stopped next to a portrait painted entirely in blue that was juxatposed next to a similar one in red. "Moody one, wasn't he?" Chase raised an eyebrow toward Sylus, attempting to make conversation.

[Casey]

“That it does my friend,” he chuckled at Chase’s comment.

He followed the boy into the exhibit and put his hands in his pockets. Over the past few days he’d become familiar with the most of the items. Still he found himself leaning in and looking at the paintings. With a slight huff he straightened back up..

“Suppose so,” he shrugged and looked over Chase’s shoulder at the picture, “Artists types tend to be. They aren’t the only ones.” He raised an eyebrow raise at the boy hoping he’d get the hint.


[td][/td]

[Chase]

Him? Moody? Great. Another person who mistook thoughtfulness for emotional issues. "Long night. Sorry if I'm not as perky as you are in your hung-over state," Chase kept his face straight as he teased the man.

He moved onto another row of paintings, his thick eyebrows burrowed in confusion. "It doesn't make any sense. Or look realistic at all." A lady admiring it next to him shot Chase a dirty look. He shrugged apologetically. "It doesn't!" he grumbled as she walked away.

[Casey]

“And the world is worse off for it,” he laughed. Who wouldn’t enjoy the world waking up with a head ache but refreshed? He’d argue no one.

“That’s because you’re looking at it wrong,” he explained, “Not supposed to be realistic. It’s from a human’s soul and since when do those make sense, eh? It’s emotion, feeling and everything else you can shove into a greeting card. The second you look for logic you miss the meaning of the thing.”

Shaking his head he turned away from the painting and continuing down the hall.


[td][/td]

[Chase]

"Eh," Chase tilted his head again, trying to see if looking at it from a different direction helped. Nope. While he was used to illogical things, it would be nice if just once things could make simple sense. Not his lucky day for that though. Strange texts, hung-over Irish hunter, and some myserious artifact that could rearrange internal organs?

No. Of course art wouldn't make sense on a day like this. With a final glare at the nonsensical piece, he turned to follow Sylus down the corridor.

[Casey]

While he wasn’t sure what Chase’s facial expression was like as he left, he knew it was probably humorous. There was always the museums video feed to fill him in later. That could be a good laugh after the job had been completed.

Deciding to give the kid a break he walked toward the hall with the exhibits from India instead of the one with paintings of dripping clocks. Explaining art would have been amusing, especially if he got more funny faces out of it, but he needed Chase’s A game. Not some headache induced F.

“See anything out of place?” He nodded toward the display cases still a few yards away.

[Chase]

Chase's interest spiked as he followed Sylus to a more interesting exhibit. Shedding light on the days and ways of old, charms and brightly-painted pottery decorated the exhibit. Instantly, a dozen folktales and lore surrounding the culture present popped in his head. He mentally reviewed them before sending them back into storage for another time.

At Sylus's comment, he took a second glance at the room. While a number of the masks were slightly creepy, that didn't mean he could link anything supernatural to a piece of wood made in bad taste. "Not particularly. Am I missing something?" he asked, curious. Chase didn't miss things often.

[Casey]

His lips curled back into the smile that never truly left his face. With a small good natured huff, he walked closer to the exhibits, and motioned toward the statues. Some of them were in encased while other completely roped off.

“One of these things,” he pointed to the nearest of the few, “Is not like ‘de others. Come on you’re a bright boy, see if you can figure it out.”

He put his hands back in his pockets and instinctively when for his cigarettes. After pulling one out he noticed what he was doing and stuck it behind his right ear. In other parts he could probably get away with smoking in public places but given America’s newer laws and all the expensive old stuff he’d probably get kicked out before he could strike a match. All the better for Chase to get his inspection on, that way they could get outside. Sure he might get dirty looks but if anyone gave him a problem he would just spread that good old Irish hospitality.

[Chase]

Chase frowned, not amused by Sylus's casual behavior. He had already pointed out that he didn't know-the Irishman didn't have to rub it in. Did he expect that all hunters were art experts as well? The deluded man was severely mistaken, if that was indeed the case. "Or you could not waste both of our times and just point it out, grandpa," he muttered under his breath.

But, since Sylus refused to give straight answers, Chase took a second glance at the statues in front of him, comparing each to the others. Height-check. Coloring-check. Stance-none were in the same position, but then again, there was nothing suspicious about any of them. What was he looking for?

"I give," Chase begrudgingly announced, returning his attention to Sylus. A cigarette? Oh come on. Who would think of pulling out a cigarette in the middle of a museum? The fact he had the nerve to do so while messing with the Chase's head struck a nerve with the boy. "First you're ditzy and now you want to smoke a joint? Is this how you do every job?"

[Casey]

“Be careful who you call Grandpa,” he tilted his head toward Chase, “One of these days a fellow may get offended and show you why you never piss off an old bloke.”

He pulled the cigarette out from behind his ear and held it in front of the boy, “Smell like cannabis to ya? And I won’t wanna smoke one from around here, stocks balls up.” Chuckling he tucked it back behind his ear as an elderly woman gave him the oddest look, “I roll my own cigs, if you want I can show you how. Something tells me you’re not the smoking type though, are ya boy’O?”

Finally he allowed the amusement he felt earlier to drift away so he could enjoy the things to come. “No I’m not this way on every job. Figured I should be on my best behavior since I’m showing a toddler around,” he said before letting out a low chuckle.

He waved Chase over to the display of the Shiva Nataraja. Beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and it was made before the advent of modern machinery made the fact doubly so. Allowing himself a moment to appreciate the piece he sighed and set a hand on Chase’s shoulder so he’d be looking at the same level.

“See those holes in the base? One on the right? If you look just so, there’s a red stone pushed under the statue. Thing is though, that ain’t a part of the piece and the curators didn’t catch it.”

[Chase]

Chase stared at the cigarette Sylus held out, wondering if the man had gone senile. His rant was not amusing and did not help his case in any way whatsoever. "Not during a job, I'm not," he carefully replied, barely containing his frustration. Occasionally he did take a whiff or two of whatever he could get his hands on, but usually he only succumbed in an attempt to lower his stress levels. Chase had an eerie feeling that this job could classify as one of those stresses.

He frowned, unamused at the toddler comment. "We can discuss track records later. What's off with the statue?"

Chase listened closely, a sense of relief overcoming him as Sylus decided to take things seriously. He followed him over to a bronze colored statue. Great. Another piece of work that made no sense. Why did something need four arms? Sylus's warm hand settled on his shoulder, directing his attention to a small red stone near the base of the piece.

Finally.

Chase's eyes locked onto the item in question. "That little thing can relocate organs? Any idea how we can get around that feature, or is that what I'm here for?"

[Casey]

He sighed and rolled his head, “Well, you seriously need to learn to never separate business and pleasure. Make your stomach rebel my boy and keep the lasses away. Or lads whatever your fancy.” Straightening up he chuckled and watched for Chase’s reaction to the last bit. Wasn’t uncommon for the person he was talking too to become a stuttering fool or just plain offended. Few just didn’t react to such extremes and shrugged it off. While not as entertaining, it did do wonders for his view of them.

“Relocate Organs if you be lucky,” he said taking a darker tone, “that stone there is tied to something big and not from India. It’s English in fact. Not sure what exactly but the current theory going around is that it was cursed by a witch who gave it to a Duke’s wife after the Duke killed her family. But for all we know that could just be a bunch of crap. All I know for certain is that it needs to be smoother in salt and sealed in iron container.”

He turned and motioned for Chase to follow, “As long as the stone isn’t active it can’t hurt anyone. Well unless you throw it and hit someone in the eye. That’s why we gotta get in here tonight before the moon is high in the sky.” He walked out of the museum and back into the Chicago air. Readjusting his jacket he started down the stairs, “You got a place to stay yet? We got some getting ready to do before tonight, and please tell me you have some nicer than what'cher wearin'."