Shen rapped upon Marlena's door rather hurriedly with his pipe, and then packed and lit it whilst he waited for a reply. It was raining, which hardly had him thrilled and truth be told, he was quite agitated.
Being stuck indoors, the rain mocking her by letting up slowly with the promise of stopping only to begin pouring and hammering against her windows again, had Marlena glaring at the sky from the chair in which she was settled in. She hated the rain with a passion, and she was only drawn from her seat when she heard the knock at the door.
It wasn't often she heard that sound, she spent most of her time walking around the town to see others rather than have them coming to her. Fingers closing around the handle, she pulled the door open only slightly before opening it wider and stepping back. She ignored his obvious bad mood and smiled, gesturing for him to enter.
Shen stepped inside with an indignant look, then flicked his hand as if to illustrate the water spilling from his leather coat. He approached the hearth and tapped out his pipe before slinging it under his arm in a rather gestapo fashion. There was a clenching of his teeth as he forced himself to not yell or insinuate. He knew he was upset and therefore, not entirely rational at this time.
"No. As it is likely one of the reasons the mongrel who broke into my new home and stole the greater selection of chemicals I had laid out was undetected."
He bit back the snarl in his words and forced himself to be a little more couterous when he looked upon her.
"... and being that you're the mother hen of every thieving, dirty, slugwater drinking, pilfering, sheep buggerer in this town; I though it best to visit you immediately. I want my things back. I want them now."
No, he was not accusing her but might have been having a hard time controlling the harhness of such words.
Marlena had taken her seat again, her legs curled beneath her as watched him. An eyebrow raised as she was told what had happened, and her back straightened as he demanded for her to aid in the recovery of his items. Letting out a huff of breath, she leaned back into her chair, her hands moving to toy with the thin silver chain around her neck.
I'm afraid you have overestimated my reach slightly, Shen. I do not have full control over anything, nor every criminal in Wistvale. I power extends only to those within the Tryst, and even then, I only oversee and regulate.
If you wish, I could help you possibly discover who may have taken your possessions. Or, if you had some idea of what was taken, I may be able to help you replace what was lost.
Shen folded his arms and looked at her sideways, a bitter stare. Then he looked back to the fire instead, he meant no ire for her but was upset, understandably.
"Oh? And if the theif was seen entering that blasted church you are associated with? You'll have to forgive me for bringing this to you, but I am rather eager to retrieve what belongs to me."
He muttered then, a string of expletives and some comments about crippling any number of people. When he spoke next, she could tell he was chewing on his words and doing his damndest to not be altogether too rude.
"I would sincerely appreciate your help in this matter."
Standing from her chair, Marlena walked towards Shen. She stopped when she reached the fireplace and smiled as she turned to him. She found his mutterings amusing, but she wasn't about to show it. Her mind was working over the information of the thief being in the church, the memory of that place causing her to shudder. The pin given to her was sat in a draw of a small end table, gathering dust.
If he went to the church, he would be in the safe house beneath it. Of course, I know how to get in. And do not worry about coming to me. The Sentinel would be of no use. I'll help you, Shen. Finding them will most likely be the easy part.
Shen looked at her with that stern expression. It then faltered and he sighed, rolling his eyes. He removed his glasses and wiped the rain drops from them, looking down as he did so. He chuckled, just one short laugh and shook his head some. He then looked at her sideways with a sly smile.
"You're too damned nice, you know that? Thank you. I hear the church has been abandoned, am I correct?"
Laughing softly, Marlena winked at him and turned to retrieve her cloak from the back of a chair where it had been thrown at an earlier time. It was entertaining that he would think that of her, but then, she could charm almost anyone. He was someone that seemed almost constantly in a bad mood, and that was difficult to work with. Breaking through that made things easier. Turning back to him, the cloak draped over her arms, she leaned back against the chair.
I'm only this nice to people I like, Shen. And yes, the church is abandoned, but I believe the safe house beneath it is still functioning to some degree. Petty thieves mainly, those that are waiting for Sentinels to forget about them. I haven't been there in some time. It wasn't the most pleasant of places to be.
Shen continued to smile in that sly manner then, his eyes were locked on her as she moved. She was certainly quite the woman to look at, not that Shen had any untoward motives in that regard. But he did like her attitude, in that she had a very finely polished mask which she utilized impeccably well. He respected that.
He knitted his fingers together and pressed his palms out, cracking most everything in his hands.
"Well you needn't fear the dark. I imagine we're much nastier than anything down there. Shall we?"
He swivelled and offered an arm, much like a suitor may invite his lady to the dancefloor.
Taking hold of the cloak, she spun it around, throwing it around her shoulders and fastening it before linking her arm with his, her free hand resting on his shoulder as she leaned her head back and laughed, the sound melodic and not restrained in anyway. Her hunch was right, and he was pleasant company when not being grumpy and withdrawn.
Of that, I have no doubt. I'm surprised you can walk on the streets with that weapon of yours without causing half the town to flee to their homes.
Leading him from the house, she took him out onto the street, the walk to the church wasn't going to be long, though the building was set back slightly from the main road through Wistvale.
"Oh it's not that menacing is it? That would be terrible, as one never knows when one might encounter a truly charming woman. And quite beautiful too."
He stifled his laugh and instead licked his lips as he walked with her to the street, accompanying her to the now forsaken and altogether silly 'church of zalgo'. He hadn't an umbrella, an unsusual invention he'd worked upon after seeing one in a far off land, but he did make every effort to make sure she wasn't receiving the greater portion of the downpour.
Marlena went silent for a moment, she didn't look up at him, but she did arch an eyebrow and give a slight smirk. He was quite the charmer when he wanted to be apparently, but she decided to keep the light-hearted conversation going, she was rather enjoying the the relaxed nature of it.
Well, maybe I was exaggerating, but if you meet this woman, you'll have to introduce me. Not many wouldn't be intimidated by something of that size.
Grinning, she led him around a corner, the church visible ahead of them. Somehow it seemed a little less dark and intimidating than before, and she was glad it had been left, well almost, empty. She'd had her reservations about the previous occupants and how trustworthy they may have been.
Shen's lips narrowed and that smile grew a bit, him almost straining not to say somethign entirely inappropriate. Well ok, maybe a little.
"Apparently size does matter."
He nodded with a humoured look and then held the door open to the church, first peeking inside. The dark was persistent in this abandoned building but his glasses lens shone brightly, as though in defiance of the dark within. He looked back to Marlena.
"Ladies first, unless you'd rather I did. Of course."
Letting go of his arm, she watched as he opened the door. His reaction amused her greatly and she was in a good mood, so she stepped past him into the shadows of the church, her voice quieter now as she glanced back at him.
Such a gentleman... Thank you.
Her eyes took some time to adjust to the darkness, but she walked forward, her fingers brushing over the handles of the weapons on her hips. She possibly seemed a little more cautious than necessary, but her mind was always on what could be hiding in shadows. This place may have been abandoned by Ansel and other members of the church, but from what she had been told, the place was far from empty.
She knew where to go for the entrance of the safe house beneath their feet, though she'd never been there, and found the darkened corner easily.
Shen had paused at the door however and looked about. It was gloomy, but there was easily enough light for him to manage a very simple trick. A parlor trick for someone of his skill really.
He clapped his hands together and then opened them like someone might open a book, a ball of light forming and hovering above his palms. He smiled, just a little, then lifted it without touching it to his shoulder. His hand lowered and it remained, brilliant and cating light about the room with ease. It would take a negligible amount of energy to maintain.
He followed Marlena to the corner with the hatch and lifted a hand to stop her as he crouched down.
"Here now, let me."
He tugged at the handle and the door creaked open with ease, the light that now accompanyied them spilling into the gloom below.