apocalypsehowcomm | Network: Leave Me Here, Burning With You

Who: Andrew Jaeger
Username: a.jaeger
Warnings: cw: fire damage/injuries, mention of death

Hello. For those who don't know me, my name is Andrew Jaeger and I'm involved in the Investigation and Security divisions of ADI. I wanted to make the group aware of some work I've been doing on a string of fires. Due to past incidents involving the Desolation, I've been keeping an eye on reports for arson and other suspicious fires, matching them to the modus operandi of the Avatar we know as Pyre. These recent reports caught my eye, particularly as they seem to be moving toward Massachusetts from the original incident in New Haven, Connecticut. Specifically, the situation is this: the popularity of "fire shots", or lighting a shot or cocktail with high alcohol content on fire, has led to injuries and four deaths in the area, and reports of a patron ordering several fire shots and then vanishing. One bartender has claimed that she witnessed a man drink a still-flaming shot right in front of her. Right now this is unfortunately spotty, but I want to keep an eye on it. The proximity, the spectacle, and the unfortunate fatalities are worth noting. I'm happy to accept any questions, comments, or other information for my file- if I can make a concrete case for further investigation, I'll submit it for action. Otherwise, it will be filed with ADI as a case to be watched, since Pyre is still unaccounted for and a credible threat. Thank you for your time.

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I think at this point, New England in general would be the target area worth keeping an eye on. Somewhat less concerned with Maine, but if the incidents continue to follow I-81 north, then we can make a guess that they're heading for Canada. If it tracks west, then Gloucester, Boston or Providence is the more likely destination. I'll also pass on what news reports, video, and pictures I've managed to gather, mostly through social media. There's a few stand-out details that I found unsettling, and I think having everyone familiarize themselves with those points would be helpful in future investigation. Specifically, some of the videos that I've seen show signs of suspicious distortion, the kind of warping and glitching that I've come to associate with supernatural influence. There's also been several shots of a stranger wearing an old-fashioned denim jacket, that seems distinct enough to keep note of.

Got it.

Anything you can send would be helpful. I've got time to go searching for more pictures, too, maybe from other folks at the same bars. I may be new to this social media idea, but kids setting themselves on fire seems like something they'd be keen to snap some hip shots of. [As Nick immediately ages himself an additional 40 years or so.]

[No worries, Nick, Jaeger is with you on that. He's about to turn 41 and he really, really feels it on days like this.]

I'll send it on, then. I've made some notes, feel free to add to them or ask questions. I feel that just familiarizing everyone with the situation is important, but the more eyes on the information we do have, the better. It makes it easier to catch minor things that might slide by in the initial gathering process.

And I really mean it when I say I have nothing but time. George and I were gonna head down to Boston for a few days, too. Maybe I could even go take a peek at one of the bars where we suspect an incident happened.

In other news, Mr. Jaeger, how's things? You hanging in there?

Interviews of witnesses could prove useful if we push the matter further. The problem would be going about it in such a way as to keep ADI's involvement quiet and not give away the possibly supernatural nature of the incidents. It's something of a balancing act.

[The latter question gets a small smile from him, as he regards his screen thoughtfully for a moment before starting to type again.]

I've been well enough, I think. I do better when I'm busy, and I had a bit of a shake-up last month, so getting back to something like a normal routine has been good for me. As normal as anything here can be, at least, but I'm used to being immersed in chaos. Thank you for asking, I appreciate it. How have you been?

Not to worry. I'm a private eye. I can tell them I'm pursuing an investigation on my own, and I wouldn't even be fibbing.

Hope it wasn't too rough a shake. You never know around here.

I'm about as well as an old bot can be, I suppose. Finally got some bits replaced that have been on the skids for a while now. WD-40 sure is a miracle.

Oddly, even though the situation was stressful and very personal, it was also very enlightening. I think it was some things I needed to hear, and I feel better for having faced them. It's still a lot to process, but I'm getting there. Upkeep is important, I'm glad you're able to take care of yourself. This place has its issues and complications, but the general stability is a good thing, I think. It lets us take that bit of time to work on what we need to, and care for ourselves as best we can.

That's good to hear. If you ever need a listening ear to try and talk some of that stuff out, I'm always around somewhere.

It's not always easy, particularly when the upkeep is literal and my parts are all proprietary and a hundred years off being invented. Fortunately, I've met some engineers who know what they're doing. Maybe one of these days I'll have the confidence for a full tune-up.

Or a jetpack. That might be nice.

Thank you. This place can be a lot of pressure and just knowing people are willing to talk is a help. We have a lot of very talented people here, representing a great variety of worlds. My roommates are very technical people, though I admit it's outside of my experience. I can manage a computer or the coffeemaker well enough, but my expertise is more in magic. ADI does seem to have some resources that reflect the variety of its employees' experience, even if they aren't always as forthcoming as I'd like. And I'd be happy to sit down with you sometime and compare professional notes, one investigator to another.

Like I said, I've got nothing but time.

Sounds like a date to me. I happen to be pretty technical myself [rimshot] though I don't know the first thing about magic.

Magic can be a very complicated topic. It's a powerful tool, but like most forms of power it's very prone to abuse. Humans are humans, and we have some unfortunate tendencies at times when given advantages over others. I won't bore you, though. And magic is somewhat different here with the nature of avatars in any case. I'll go ahead and send those files I've already got, and if you pick up anything I've missed, we can compare notes once you've had some time.

Feels like that ought to be my next focus for some in-depth research. Avatars and the like.

Thanks again, Mr. Jaeger. Hopefully I won't find anything too spooky in Boston, but if I do you'll be the first person I tell.

The more we know going into these situations, the better, though I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. It's a pretty basic tenet of investigation: be informed, be alert, be prepared to be surprised. It just goes triple here. Especially with how close ADI plays its cards to its vest.[no, Jaeger isn't completely happy with the secrets their employers keep. And he's sure there's a lot of them.] Likewise, I'll keep you informed of anything new I find out, and I'll keep the information file as up to date as I can. Enjoy Boston as much as you can, I know it's a working trip but it's nice to have a change of scenery when we can manage it.

Network: Leave Me Here, Burning With You

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