Captain Jack and Captain Jack [for slayers_desire]

[fractured_agent]

It's been a few months since the team got their first lessons in psychic shielding, and once again, the Hub is open to April's expertise. Though he knows they're having guests, Jack doesn't push anyone to clean up the clutter so it looks better. The Hub is still a work space, and a chaotically changing one at that. They're all used to it by now, and Jack knows April won't mind.

Ianto is manning the tourist information office upstairs, as usual, and he knows that April is coming.

Comments

[fractured_agent]

"Glad to hear it," Jack says with a smile. "You're doing great with them."

[slayers_desire]

"I love them to pieces. But I am always glad to see my friends too..."

[fractured_agent]

"We're glad to see you too. Isn't that right, Owen?"

Owen glances up from his game and dramatically rolls his eyes. Jack just shakes his head a little and looks back at April.

[slayers_desire]

"Well I was so anxious to see Owen again." April chuckles lightly, giving as good as he gives. "How have things gone?"

[fractured_agent]

"Well, the Rift's been pretty active lately," Jack begins, but before he can explain too much, two things happen. The first is that the main door rolls aside to admit Toshiko, dressed up a bit more than usual for a day at work, in a purple dress. And the second is the Rift alarm going off.

"That's the fourth time in an hour," Owen gripes.

Jack goes over to the monitor to see what's up, looking over Tosh's shoulder.

[slayers_desire]

April heads over to the monitor too, staying back so that the team can work the way they are familiar with.

"What has been causing the troubles?"

[fractured_agent]

"We still don't know," Tosh says absently as she studies the readouts. "Just comes and goes, I suppose."

"Looks like a small spike," Jack decides. "At the Ritz dance hall, the same place we've been getting those anonymous tips about."

[slayers_desire]

"Anonymous tips?"

[fractured_agent]

"Someone's been hearing music coming from the dance hall," Tosh explains. "Music from the 1940s."

"It's also been abandoned since 1989," Jack adds.

[slayers_desire]

"Perhaps it has a psychic ghost attached to it." April does believe in hauntings. After all, she has been haunted before. And has helped lost souls.

[fractured_agent]

Jack believes in hauntings too, although of the alien and/or technological type rather than something supernatural. "Or some other kind of ghost. An imprint of a moment in time, maybe. Either way, it's worth checking out."

[slayers_desire]

"Do you need any help? I am sensitive to most psychic impressions."

[fractured_agent]

"You might as well come along," Jack agrees readily. "This probably won't take long, and you can't start evaluations until Gwen's here."

"I need to make a phone call," Tosh says as they gather their things and head towards the garage. "Just in case it takes a bit longer than expected."

[slayers_desire]

April wonders to herself about why Tosh feels the phone call is necessary. But it seems they have a mystery on their hands.

"Do we need anything from here?"

[fractured_agent]

"Just a few scanners and Tosh's laptop," Jack says, gathering those things while Tosh is on the phone. He's curious too, but it's answered for him somewhat when he overhears her speaking over the phone in Japanese. Must be family things.

"We'll probably just take some readings, see what the source is, and leave," he adds as he starts up the SUV. "The spike wasn't big enough to bring someone or something through, so if it's just music, it's harmless."

[slayers_desire]

April picks up on his mental thoughts, deciding not to get too involved with that situation. A family thing is private, after all.

She follows Jack to the SUV. "Sounds good."

[fractured_agent]

Tosh's conversation lasts most of the drive, though she sounds relaxed instead of anxious. Jack understands a fair bit of Japanese, but he politely pretends not to for Tosh's comfort.

The drive is a relatively short one, and soon they're pulling up in front of a dilapidated old building, painted with graffiti and plastered with raggedy paper ads. Jack looks at it with a fondness in his eye, as if recognizing an old friend, although there's also a nostalgic sadness about the state of the building.

Tosh hangs up the phone, and she can almost sense their curiosity. "It's my grandfather's eighty-eighth birthday today," she explains.

[slayers_desire]

April notes the fondness and recognition from Jack for the old building. And then gives Tosh a smile, "Big milestone."

Of course, both her own father and 'grandfather' are much older. But they are vampires. And one can't compare... since both Spike and Angel appear no older than April herself.

[fractured_agent]

"And here I thought you'd gotten dressed up just for me," Jack says with a laugh.

"Eighty-eight is a joyous year for the Japanese," Tosh tells them both with a smile. "As soon as we're done here and you get to look at my shields, I'm off to London to watch men throw rice."

[slayers_desire]

"Why is it a joyous year?" April is a little curious about the traditions.

[fractured_agent]

"It has to do with the way it's written," Tosh explains. "The character broadens gradually, growing prosperous. Two eights are twice as prosperous, and the characters combined look like the character for rice."

"Well we'd better not keep your family waiting," Jack says, leading the way into the dance hall. Everything seems quiet for now, and the building definitely has that empty feel to it. No one has been here in years.

[slayers_desire]

"Definitely. It is very important to embrace those moments with your family."

[fractured_agent]

Jack certainly feels like this will be a short trip. Tosh's family might have to wait a few extra minutes because of the detour, but she'll be there in plenty of time for the party. "So what do we got?"

Tosh begins using one of the scanners, looking for any unusual Rift activity or residual energy. Jack moves towards the staircase in the center of the room, and pauses a moment, tilting his head slightly as he listens.

[slayers_desire]

April tilts her head too, listening herself. She is not sure if the music is a psychic impression or not, but hopefully she might be able to tune to it.

[fractured_agent]

It's faint, but as Jack listens, he can definitely hear Big Band music coming from upstairs. It's clearly coming from the second floor, but it also sounds like it's miles away. It certainly brings back memories.

April will get a slight psychic impression, like an echo left behind after a sound, though she will also be able to hear it directly.

Jack looks back down at the two ladies. "You coming up?"