private Enigma's Mysteries (Private w/Illiad Easle)

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She would smile "I might be, and we'll have plenty of time during this investigation to get to know each other" she would say "And what time brings us, we shall come to see" she'd say just as the pizza arrived and she would go to pay for and collect it.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would be quite surprised to say the least, but welcomed the distraction of the pizza to avoid dwelling on the subject further.

Unless he was spoken to before this, he would be about halfway through his pizza before he would speak up. "So, you hunted demons in the human realm? Are they common over there?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

Enigma brought the pizzas over and set them down "Yeah, demon and ghost hunter was my profession back there" she would say, picking up a slice "Honestly, while I believed in the after life, the supernatural and paranormal, I never really believed in magic or portals, but now..well that's all changed"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would smirk, "And here I am on the other side of that, magic being part of everyday life and now being introduced to the supernatural." He would look like an idea struck him, "Wait, you didn't believe in magic? How do humans get anything done without magic? I mean, it's hard for me to imagine life without magic, given it's been integral to my being for my whole life."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She'd shrug "We did things with our hands and minds, but we also built machines to help us" she would say "The car is one example" she would say "Needless to say, magic does make some things a lot easier to do" she'd smile

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would nod, "True enough, it's like the deer or the minotaur. The deer loose their horns seasonally, so they built machines they could rely on when they don't have their magic. And minotaur magic is almost exclusively runic, so building golums has always been their thing, sounds similar to what you describe with technology."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She would nod, finishing her second slice "How-ever, magic does certainly make doing a lot of things, a lot easier" she'd say, "For one, I can tell what others are feeling and thinking easier and quicker than I could when I was a human"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would suddenly look very concerned, setting down the slice he had been in the process of eating. "Hold on now. Are you saying that you're a telepath? Stars above, have you been listening in on my thoughts?" He cursed himself for being so casual, telepaths were potentially dangerous, but he hadn't noticed her empathic abilities, likely due to the special disguise magic blocking the sense. When she had revealed herself he hadn't thought to check again because there was no need to.

He took a deep breath with his eyes closed, drawing on his training to protect against mental intruders and readers. "Well, if you were reading me, what did you find? Tell me truthfully or this partnership may already be at an end."

I can't rule out that she already knows what I am. I can't have that getting out. I've put too much work into this.

He studied her closely, waiting for her response, hands hovering near his waist.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

"Oh no, no, no" she would say "I can just tell a bit easier now, I do so by reading facial expressions" she would say "listening to tone of voice and looking for any ticks" she would say "besides, I think mind magic is illegal or highly morally wrong"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would relax, slightly, at her clarification. "Sorry, I overreacted a bit. It's my job to be careful. But while you are mostly correct in mental manipulation being illegal, you can hardly outlaw someone's natural abilities. Telepaths do exist, but they are closely monitored, where they are known." He would calm a bit more, taking a more interested approach. "You say it comes easier now? Perhaps you are an Empathic? Without magic it wouldn't be too obvious, but now with magic, though untrained, you're starting to better develop that ability." He would look like he was pondering something, "If you had another Empathic to teach you, maybe something more could come of it?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She would nod "I am actually glad to hear I am right about mental manipulation being illegal and that the mind readers are being closely monitored" she would say to him, "But I suppose you could be right about me being an Empath. I always was spiritually empathetic. meaning I am more susceptible to picking up the spiritual, but with the use of magic, I could be more emotionally empathetic as well, and maybe you're right, the problem is finding one willing to teach me"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would nod as well, "From what I've gathered, most if not all empathics agree more than happy to help another better their abilities. The difficulty is finding one willing to admit being empathic. To many ignorant ponies confuse them with telepaths and think them all evil manipulators. That being said, I think I could find one for you, provided you can keep their abilities secret."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

Enigma would nod and look at him "I'd appreciate that" she would say "and I'm good at keeping secrets" she'd then pick up her third slice of pizza "The only reason I video and take photos of my jobs, is for proof and for records. I don't put any of it online" she would say "Despite this being a land of magic, you'd be surprised how many ponies are still ignorant of or sceptical of things like ghosts and demons"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would nod, "Understandable, I've done similar for some of my clients, taking recordings and such, but only showing them and them alone, despite what others may have offered. I'll send some feelers out, see if I could find someone willing to teach you. Probably won't happen till this investigation is over though."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

"I would appreciate that, Hard Line" Enigma would say with a soft smile, lounging on the sofa "got a bit of time before the job, so I'm gonna relax a bit, you can do..whatever I guess" she'd smile at him

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would nod, grabbing one last piece before closing the box to save the other half for later. He would go grab a bag from his room, the one he had gotten in Ponyville, and headed for the door. "I'm going to grab a few things from my office, I'll be back in an hour or so."

If she didn't follow him, he'd be back in just over an hour, with a different bag than the one he had left with. He would drop the bag off in his room before returning to the pizza to take another slice. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

Enigma hadn't followed Hard, as she had passed out on the bed after setting everything up. She was sprawled out on the bed and snoring cutely. In all honesty, she wouldn't care nor mind whether or not if she found out Hard is a Changeling, she was beginning to like him, yes, but what would it matter, what he is?

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Critical-Hit

Hard would enter the shared space quietly, knowing that Enigma could very well be asleep already. He would take the rest of his pizza to store in the mini fridge in his room before going to sleep himself.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

Enigma would still be passed out by the time Hard had found his own bed. How-ever, she was wide awake early the next morning. She had a pot of coffee brewing and was nibbling on her left over pizza.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Dreadmare

Hard would stumble out of his room with a yawn, mane disheveled, roughly an hour after Enigma had gotten up. He sniffed the air and grimaced, muttering something about 'Artificial stimulants' before ducking back into his room, returning with his thermos and drinking from his coat flask. It seemed nearly empty as he shook it into his mouth as he approached a chair, a cyan liquid dripping out onto his tongue before he would sit down and refill the flask from his thermos.

Only then would he acknowledge Enigma's presence, "Oh! Sorry, good morning. I'm not much of an early riser you see."  

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

Enigma looks up from her coffee "It's alright, I'm hardly a morning person myself" she'd say, sipping her coffee "Well we have plenty of time for some research and such before we go to the spot" she'd say to him with a soft smile.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Dreadmare

Hard would nod as he tucked the coat flask away, "Alright then, what do we have left to research? I thought we already knew pretty much all we could without actually seeing it ourselves before we left Canterlot?"

He'd go to pull out his tabled before realizing it was still in his room, so he'd go get it and bring back some of his leftover pizza to breakfast on while he prepared to search up what they would need to know.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She'd boot up her laptop as well putting the files she had already gathered on the table "Mostly the history of the place, the employee that died there, anyone else who might have perished there and the current state of employment"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Dreadmare

Hard would look a bit surprised, "Current state? I'd be very surprised if anyone worked there now given all that's happened previously. Didn't you say the new owner wanted us to check it out?" He sighed, "Regardless, I've got access to the city database on the property, so I could get us a list of prior owners and public notices about it if that helps."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Illiad Easle

She'd shrug "Security mostly, i think" she'd say, "Making sure no ponies move in as squatters or ponies vandalising the property I guess" she would say "But something feels off from what I heard about the one guard there" she says to him "and please, any records we can find will be very useful"