Morose Mystery

Just a research assistant for the famous Count Xander. I'm here to help The Count get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearances in the New York art scene.

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

Nikolai sighed, deciding to let the matter drop. If he ever met Count Xander, it might be a different story, but he better things to expend energy on than pointlessly laying into a research assistant. “Calm down, this isn’t the mafia we’re talking about. As long as you’re careful, you won’t have to die for someone else’s story.” At worst, he’d probably receive a cease and desist notice, or perhaps get told to leave DIA territory alone. “Well, the thing I noticed – Answer me this. If you’re kidnapping a man, how would you create a distraction?” He trailed off, talking more to himself, sounding his own uncertainties out. “It doesn’t make sense…”

“I don’t know man. Rich people scare me. They can get away with anything and they don’t even care to pretend that laws apply to them. You have to be careful when asking questions regarding things like this.”  Deryl paused to listen to him. “Was he kidnapped in a situation where there would need to be a distraction?” He pulled out his notepad and began jotting things down, kidnapping - distraction. “How many people have gone missing, do you know? I know its more than one but I don’t know the scene enough to know how much I am missing of this.”

[morose-mystery]

wynncopeland​:

“no angle.” she shook her head at the options he offered up to explain her statement. there was nothing so messy about her beliefs, it was clean and simple: “people die. why avoid it.” and why not turn it into something far more memorable than the run of the mill natural cause. “you’re right, you can’t steal a crime the way he does it.” she liked reading the stories that were based off the scenes she left, seeing if they aligned with the ideas that she’d had in mind when she did it. but for the most part the count was just throwing every idea at the wall and seeing what sold. it really detracted from her work. “if everything’s public record how come he gets so much wrong? come on, tell the truth.”

“Hey lady, what gives you the right to judge his work. What do you have thats so much better than what he does?” Deryl was getting more annoyed than he should have been. He knew he had to keep his cool since he had been undercover. He could still feel his blood pressure rising though. “Let it go will you, fuck! I’m Count Xander. Its my pen name. Give it a fucking rest. How could you know what I gets wrong anyways? You’d have to have been a murderer to know the details better than I did. I do thorough research and even though I may not have all the answers but I do my best. And don’t tell a fucking soul that I told you that, I’ll deny it. You’ll look stupid.”

[morose-mystery]

wynncopeland‌:

“i’m pro…death.” she nodded at the words, hearing them out loud confirmed her stance. war was superfluous to the thought, people would die either way if she had anything to do with it. “i’m a cleaner.” the title was delivered with some pride, encompassing the extent of her work, though perhaps it didn’t make her an artist. “count xander, that guy! he’s a hack!”  she’s still looking at the wall, trying to decide what her thoughts on the bunny were. “he gets details wrong all the time.” she liked a good read as much as the next person, but the murder mysteries of count xander didn’t do any of her work justice. “if he’s going to steal a crime scene, i think he should do it right.”

"Pro...death... interesting. That’s not what I was expecting to hear.” His guard went up instantly. She was seeming a bit on the unstable side, but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Why, population spiraling out of control? Society going to hell in a handbasket? Whats your angle?” He was waiting for her response but the tirade against him was enough to make him drop his guard and go on the counteroffensive. “Hey, he’s not that bad. People love his work, its sold millions. You can’t steal a crime, its public record. “ It didn’t even register to him that she mentioned that the details were wrong. He used all information publicly available when he wrote his books, so that was another red flag he was missing.

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

“He wants to solve kidnappings so he can write a novel about them? Charming.” Nikolai’s voice was practically dripping with sarcasm; god forbid the Count, in his far-off, probably-nonexistent castle, ever considered what it was like to be certain you were going to die. To be broken down, bit by bit, until you weren’t sure what really was you anymore. No, it was just an opportunity to make money. A muscle tightened in Nikolai’s jaw as he tried to remind himself Deryl was just an assistant, no need to lay into him. No point. “I wouldn’t bother with debt, it isn’t like I know any more than what the police have deigned to release. Though – there was one thing about Poldark’s kidnapping –”

"I didn’t say he was a nice guy, but he does pay my bills and I get to travel a lot because of it. I’m sorry if thats insensitive to your situation though. I didn’t mean any disrespect to you.” Deryl looked for any sign of softening in the man’s face, he wasn’t sure if the buttons that were being pushed would end up shutting him out of this lead. “Any information you have, I would be grateful. I want to help get to the bottom of this and get out before anything bad happens to me. I hear thats a common thing in these scenes. Ask too many questions and you just disappear. I’m not about that. I mean I don’t have a lot to live for or anything but maybe I will some day and I’m not looking to die for someone else’s story, you know?”

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

Nikolai listened to Deryl explaining himself, incredulous expression growing with with each word. First there was the unexpected honesty, motives laid out bare for anyone to take advantage of – and certain people sprung to mind without even giving the thought any consideration. Then – Domn deasupra, could the man hear himself? Brazenly implying that the only reason his boss hadn’t decided to write about the case was because Nikolai was still alive to object. Though he supposed that was more a bone to pick with Count Xander. He sighed, trying to relax again and maintain a civil tone. “Well.” Perhaps your boss would rather learn what it feels like to have his back broken. I could have it arranged. “I find some doors are best left closed.” Changing the subject: “Anything in particular your boss wants to know about?” He could make a guess, the Poldark case was certainly attracting a lot of attention.

Deryl let loose a sigh of relief. “Well there have been some disappearances lately and he wants to get to the bottom of it so that he can write a novel about it. He thinks artists are being kidnapped and murdered as part of some art/gang related dispute. Its all quite crazy when I say it out loud but its not my job to judge his theorys, I’m just here to help uncover the truth and make a little bit over minimum wage doing it.” He faked his best frown, which was actually quite good because he wasn’t known as the happiest individual anyways. “Any tips you might have or leads you can throw my way would be magnificent. I would be forever in your debt.”

[morose-mystery]

wynncopeland‌:

she searched for the one that he described, landing on the peace sign. she thought about it, the peace sign on the wall of a gruesome crime scene, the blood dripping. but he was right about the meaning, “that’s too deep. i don’t want people getting antiwar ideas.” and so she was back the smiley face without any more elaboration.. it was so hard to talk about serial killing with random strangers, they got so many strange ideas, thinking she was a bad person. “i’m not an artist, well—” no, she shouldn’t, not with a complete stranger. “no, just an observer!” with a knack for stealing an idea or two for the local paper. “you’re researching the art world? what kind of boss makes you do that? is he a collector or what’s the deal?”

"So you’re... pro-war then?” He was being antagonistic purposefully, he didn’t really care whether or not she was pro or anti war in either case. “An observer? So what do you do then if you’re not an artist?” He was curious now, she talked as if she was planning on ripping someone’s work off for her own gain. “He’s a writer. A famous one. Writes murder mystery novels. Count Xander. You may have heard of him. Old white guy, big castle, pays well, etc.” He looked at another piece on the wall. “What about the psycho bunny, top right. The bunny with the crazy eyes and the knife in its paw. Its a contrast between cute and deadly I guess. Kind of endearing.”

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

Research assistant. Normally, Nikolai wouldn’t have given him the time of day, especially with the donation records waiting at the Avery, but he had been a little snappy earlier. And if all Deryl wanted was information about the artists, that was easy enough. “I suppose I have some experience with that – though if you’re hoping for poetic motivations suitable for love stories, you might want to tell your boss to reconsider.” Most of the successful artists pandered to the rich, regardless of what their art claimed to portray. 

The moment of recognition hit him, almost a slap to the face, bringing with it a sickeningly familiar rush of anxiety. Defences up, as usual. “Yes. Why do you care?”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but my boss likes to be thorough either way.” He could tell there was a shift in the mood at the mention of his name. He may have overstepped his boundary but curiosity always got the better of him. “Oh, I don’t. Well not really. I just... I’ll be honest, my boss isn’t writing a romance novel, my boss is Count Xander the murder mystery writer. I’m here to find out about murder in the art scene. I remember keeping up your case on his behalf in case it turned into something he could write about. Rough stuff, absolutely horrible. Didn’t meant to dredge that up, I was just curious about it.” he hoped he hadn’t shut the door on this contact before it was really open. He thought being honest, well more honest, would help bridge the gap. Obviously he couldn’t reveal that he was Count Xander. That would ruin his entire career. But as honest as he could be without ruining himself.

[morose-mystery]

mfk: nikolai, wynn, tomas

"Whats it to you, friend?” He pondered the question. There were a lot of variables to it. What would the kill be like, would the fuck include any kinks or require aftercare, would the marriage end in eventual divorce. Lots of variables. “I don’t know a Tomas so I guess kill them for sure. And I don’t know the other two well enough to know who would be better for which but I’m going to say fuck Nikolai and marry Wynn I guess.”

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

“Don’t worry about it.” Nikolai had expected that to be the end of it, but apparently the man was intent on sticking around, wasting his time. “Nikolai Ciora.” Professional mask back on, Nikolai offered a handshake; he probably had been too uptight, reflexively trying to keep strangers at a distance. He did note that Deryl’s forwardness was unusual, most people preferring to keep their intentions close to their chest until they at least knew who they could trust – but if he was being honest, there was no reason to deny him. “I’d like to think so; I’m an art dealer.” Come to think of it, what Deryl probably wanted to know about was the muses. That was a card Nikolai was wary to play until he’d measured the other’s attention. “If you’re interested in any of the auction houses, I could probably give you some information.”

That name sounded so familiar to Deryl. He paused as he tried to search his mind for the article or the case that might have the answer to where he recognized him from. He realized he likely looked odd at this introspective and opted to take the man’s handshake. “I’d like that. I’m doing some research for my boss for a fiction novel based around the art scene. I need to mingle and get a feel for how artists are, their motives- motivations rather, what drives them. Its going to be a dumb love story but my boss likes to be thorough and realistic.” Ciora... Ciora.... Ah! Weird case. Romania or Bulgaria or somewhere European. Not worth writing a book about, the victim survived. He did recall reading about it though. “Are you... that Nikolai Ciora?”

[morose-mystery]

wynncopeland‌:

“your bad! it was an accident!” wynn smiled, she loved chance encounters, looking at situations with fresh new surprised eyes. after all she was the one who was stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, admiring a wall of random graffiti that no one else apparently cared about. “which of these stand out to you most?” it was worth noting, the tag that caught the eye, it could be a calling card. spray paint seemed like a lively way to bring color to a crime scene. all that red, there was room for improvement. “i think it’s that one—” she pointed to a bright yellow smiley face, tucked in the top corner of the mess. bright and happy. “but i’m taking a poll.”

“The one on the left, the peace sign with with bloody fingers. Its an interesting contrast. Perhaps the artist intended it to show the contradiction of those who seek peace by waging war.” Look at Deryl, pretending to be an artist. His research into the art scene had paid off well enough he guessed. “Sorry again though for running into you. Are you an artist then I’m guessing? I’m new around here. Just trying to get an idea of the scene. Doing some research into art for my boss.” He shifted a little bit nervously, still getting used to his uncomfortable lie as research assistant to a famous author.

[morose-mystery]

cioras‌:

The disappearance of Poldark had been – troubling, to say the least, but while there were still clients wanting pieces found, it wasn’t Nikolai’s top priority. Instead, he’d been to Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, trawling through old archives to find sale records for a particular piece. All he’d emerged with was a tension headache and more questions, frustration giving an edge to his movem– shit. The donation records, what if the piece had been donated – he stopped in his tracks, all but ready to turn around when someone bumped into him. “Ce naiba –” no, English. It wasn’t like a complete stranger would understand Romanian. “Do you Americans ever consider slowing down?”

"Hey man, I said I was sorry. You don’t have to get all uptight. It was an honest mistake and you did kinda just stop at random on a busy sidewalk. But still, I should have been watching so thats my bad. I’m sorry.” Deryl was content to keep going with his day though, except that anything could be a lead and he felt like he owed it to himself to use any excuse to ask questions. “I think we got off on the wrong foot there though. I’m Deryl. I’m new around here. Just trying to check out the art scene and get a feel for the types of people in it. Do you know anything about that?” Maybe this man was an artist, maybe he owned a gallery. Deryl couldn’t know for sure. He knew the man looked familiar so maybe he was one of the people who Deryl researched before the trip but weren’t suspicious enough to be suspects. 

[morose-mystery]

Deryl knew that something had to be going on in the New York Fine Art scene. There were a few unexplained disappearances around the type of people who people would definitely know were missing and who would definitely end up being priority investigations from the law enforcement agencies. So with the fact that the cases remained open, Deryl was pretty sure murder was in the air. His pondering didn’t leave him attention towards where he was walking and he was stopped abruptly upon the back of the person who should have still been moving in front of him. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I didn’t notice you were stopping. That was my bad for sure.”