Mystical Paradox Mavens Detective Agency -((closed))-

Mystical Paradox Mavens Detective Agency​

"If you ever need to find something you never thought you could get back, call Mythical Paradox Mavens. I can't thank the young ladies enough for finding my family heirloom. It's been lost for generations!"
--O.R.I.

"My Husband didn't believe me when I said our house was haunted. I called MPM and they took the matter seriously and professionally. Turns out the house was haunted and who would have thought there was Nazi GOLD hidden in the walls!?! They helped us exorcised those restless spirits and assisted us in getting the best value for the gold. The detectives are smart and reliable. Their services are top notch and the price can't be beat!"
--Sammy E.

Magic (Co-Written by KattDclaw & Vailyn)

Brief History on Magic​

Author Nikki Sweet, Editor Z. Atanas​

It started during the final days of the second World War. Germany's defeat was inevitable, or so it seemed. Unbeknownst to the Allies, the Third Reich had successfully uncovered the ancient foundations of what the world at large knew as 'magic'. Yet they lacked any true understanding of the force they unleashed and intended to use it as a weapon to win them the war.

It was their undoing.

Unable to control the sheer power of arcane forces they dabbled in, they unleashed a veritable hell on earth. World War II ended in a flash of blue energy, and the entire world shook to its core. How exactly they managed to unleash magic back into a world devoid of it for so long was a mystery, much of the details were lost to the flurry of destruction as the natural ley lines that criss crossed the world swelled and flared back to life. Tremendous floods, shattering earthquakes, huge tsunamis, and massive hurricanes ravaged the land, along with other not so natural disasters. Society, as the people of Earth knew it, came to a quick and brutal end.

In the wake of such destruction, magic was reborn into the world. Life slowly began again and mankind crawled from the ruins of their society and began to rebuild.

At first the arcane powers were primitive and unrefined, more instinctual than learned. But as Mankind's understanding grew so did their mastery of what had nearly brought them to the brink. Humans always had a desire to tame and control their surroundings, magic was no different. It was defined, redefined, distilled, expanded and cataloged until its limits were established and perfectly outlined.

Just as man thought that they had once more mastered another aspect of nature, it changed once again. Magic was mutable and ever-changing. A majority of its power came from the inherent will of the user. Some people were meant to follow and some lead, some were meant to be taught and regurgitate it on command, others were meant to take what they learned and expand and revise it--sometimes in frightening and unthinkable ways.

During this time, more things that man thought forgotten or simply tales emerged, along with magic came creatures long lost to legend. Still, man does not know where they came from; another dimension, another world attuned to the radiant energies of magic, or perhaps they were just buried deep in underground caverns waiting for the return and their second chance.

Things like dragons and demons became suddenly very real. But they weren't the mythical creatures of old who could only be slain by a magic sword and a true hero. Dragons died just as easily to high caliber firepower as any flesh and blood creature. It just took a bit more effort.

The definition of society was forcibly changed, and people of a larger variety began to rebuild from the chaos of extreme contact. The world that had been known before was rebuilt through arcane means. Cities that had been destroyed or flooded were brought back to their original stature and beauty. Mankind, along with the other creatures, returned stronger than ever.

It was a world all to its own. Goblins drove taxis and collected the trash, elves dominated artistic endeavors with their grace and beauty, ogres and minotaurs worked tirelessly as construct workers, wizards walked around in tailored suits and memorized their spells from ipads, and a few dragons even made a lucrative career out of being CEO's for multinational corporations.

Then came the next evolution of magic: Technomancy.

The combination of magic and technology turned the world on its ear. The unique blending of both science and the supernatural didn't come easy. Once more society shook as things inevitably changed. Some clung to their old ways while a good majority of the world embraced the new changes. Technomancy was here to stay.

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Seeking an intelligent, brave and self-motivated individual with basic computer skills to be a receptionist at MPM Detective Agency. Must be at least 18 years old, capable of passing a lie detector test, and know how to deal with a variety of customers of all races and cultures without discrimination. If you are afraid of magic and curses or a Troll, do not apply! To apply for the position, email your resume and contact information to Seeking@MPMDetectiveAgency.com with the subject line: Receptionist.

Zara Atanas - Just Another Monday

“There. Done!”

Zara read over the Want Ad for the receptionist position. Being a receptionist is easy but keeping one at Mystical Paradox Mavens has become a challenge. Apparently, not everyone is prepared to handle the range of clientele that seeks MPM services. No one asked to be cursed or have combat spells thrown at them by dysfunctional malcontents. It is not their fault that someone’s hair caught on fire! Well, maybe it’s Nikki’s fault. The spell did bounce off of Nikki and the furniture before landing on the unfortunate receptionist. Zara couldn’t remember her name. She was the forth one to fill the post last month. Let’s just say that there have been so many receptionists and incidents that the stories about them could fill a few books and the number count restarts each month.

“Hmmm, I should remind Nikki…” She tabbed over to her email and wrote a quick reminder to Nikki about making a safety shield around the receptionist desk. Maybe a talisman? Perhaps that will help them keep one longer than a few weeks. Long, slim fingers brushed back recalcitrant red-gold locks behind her ear. The sea breeze playfully whisked the tendrils out of place and twirled them into the air. A short ding notified Zara of a new message.

Email from Nikki:

Shield thingie. Sure sure. It’s on the “list”. Where the list is or if it will ever get accomplished is debatable.

Don’t forget that MPM is not liable for incineration or imprisonment in an inter-dimensional plane or for having souls stolen.

No dwarves.

-N

PS: Get me Gackt. Make it happen.

Zara’s bright brown eyes sparkled with laughter as she read the email from Nikki. She had a strong feeling that Nikki was up to some sort of mischief. If Nikki was fiddling with one of her electronics and making it “better”, Zara will have to be extra careful or something unpredictably disastrous will happen—again. The last time Nikki added “special functions” to Zara’s smartphone, it did three cool things before it self-destructed into a bazillion pieces. Thankfully, it provided a great distraction that allowed them to escape a perilous situation with little to no harm.

With MPM’s growing reputation for solving obscure problems, they were getting more cases. It was imperative that they get extra help to deal with the day to day organization and running of the office. It’s nice to have enough cases coming in that they don’t have to search for work but it would also be nice to have some time off from working. Someone had to do the paper work and it usually ended up being her.

“No time for the wicked.” She sighed as she wrapped up a few business reports and updated their accounts. “If only I had someone to be wicked with!”

Zara laughed softly at herself, took in a deep breath of sea air and sipped her mug of coffee as she watched the sun rise over the ocean from her balcony. One of the perks of becoming partners with Nikki was the portal system that allowed them to have easy access to various points of interest in the world and an expansive interior to their modest townhouse and office in New Orleans. With a little luck, southern charm and networking, Zara was able to land them a prime location in the French Quarter. The first floor had been given over to their business: Mystical Paradox Mavens Detective Agency or better known as MPM. On the second floor, there is a cozy sitting room, guest bedroom, quaint bathroom and two non-descript, identical doors with brass doorknobs that lead to storage closets. However, if you had a special talisman made by one Nikki Sweet, the doors became portals that lead elsewhere.

The portals act as a gateway and a magical protection system to their real living quarters. Each of them had a series of rooms that were designed and decorated exactly the way they wanted it. Zara opted for a two floor layout. The main floor is an open space that combined the living room, dining room and kitchen. Elegant, long windows were placed by the portal door and each one holds a different view. Dual, curving stairs hugged the eastern and western walls. Upstairs, the loft area has been turned into a spacious library office with shelves lining the walls, making partisans in select blocks and guarding the desk that looks over the living room. A short hallway with three doors is recessed in the north wall. Zara’s bedroom is to the right, the work room to the left and the north door opens to what Nikki calls the fluff room that acts as an extra bedroom and storage space when it’s not used as a portal. It’s keyed to the summer house on Vailyn’s Isle and her parents’ place in the mountains.

Her home on the Isle was a bonus reward for a job well done. Before she joined forces with Nikki, Zara had been a coveted corporate integration troubleshooter. Many companies are working to upgrade their systems from standard network systems to hybrid technomancy networks. A general system overhaul must be completed as new systems take over old ones and training for the conversions had to be developed and put into effect. With her special skill set, Zara was an ideal troubleshooter with a high success rate.

One of her last projects was working on creating the integration procedure and employee training programs for Shallaht’s Tower Crest Corporation. It took several months to develop the necessary procedures and another eight months of hard work to complete the job. During which, the President of STC and Elven Prince, became enamored with Zara. Milan Grisha set out to win her with his urban grace and centuries of courtly charm. Not that it worked. She didn’t give in to any of it. She held fast to keeping her professional and private lives separate. She would not consider doing anything with Milan until she completed the current project. Their first date occurred several weeks after she completed the project for STC.

Normally, she would have refused such an extravagant gesture but Zara couldn’t make herself say no once she saw the house. It was as if the dwelling near the beach was made just for her. A strong sense of familiarity and homecoming embraced her as she stepped through the front door. The wonderment filling her brown eyes said it all and the rest, as they say, was history.

For the past year, Zara has been getting up before dawn to do paperwork and enjoy the sunrise on the Isle. She’d make herself a light breakfast or heat up some leftovers and drink a freshly brewed pot of coffee or tea as she worked. A relaxing swim in the tropical sea waters would clear her head, and a quick shower to clean up before heading back to NOLA to get dressed for the day and open up the office. On the Isle, she doesn’t need much more than a bikini and sarong or flowing dress. Dressing for work is another story altogether.

“Crap! It’s getting late.” Reluctantly, she threw the laptop, smartphone, planner and pen into the messenger bag. Zara gave a longing glance at the crystalline waters before heading into the summer house and the portal back to the townhouse. She dropped the bag on the bed and walked into the bathroom to shower. Her mind filled with plans for the day and a vague idea of what to wear. The water turned her thick red-gold hair into a wet mass of black with a reddish sheen. The long locks curling, clinging to her neck, shoulders and back as she lathered shampoo into it and rinsed it clean. After threading a light conditioner onto her hair, Zara squirted a dollop of her favorite lavender vanilla body soap onto the multicolored loofah and languidly washed her toned body. Humming a sprightly jazz tune, she washed her hair until the water ran free of bubbles. Steam billowed out and curled around her damp body as she toweled herself dry and wrapped her hair in a fluffy yellow towel.

Dewy from the shower, she walked into the extravagantly large walk in closet and quickly searched through the hangers of dresses until she found the one she’s looking for. She pulled the sky blue and white dress from the hanger, plucked a wide brown belt from a hook and rummaged in the dressers for matching cream and pale blue lingerie. Dressed, she went back into the bathroom to towel dry her hair, combed it free of tangles and pinned the long mass in an elegant French twist. She slipped on her favorite dark brown slouched ankle boots and immediately gained four inches of height to her petite 5’2” frame.

Humming Storm by Lifehouse, Zara grabbed the leather messenger bag and walked out into the loft office. She looked on the desk for the pile of mail she needed to organize, scooped the whole stack into her arm before running down the stairs and used the portal to step into the MPM office. Compared to the original office that Nikki used to run, this one was spotless and a hundred times less cluttered. The old office used to be a storage room, lab and office all rolled into one. Zara was pretty sure that it was more storage than office and definitely all lab. The whole place was a mine field of gadgets that seemed to be normal but wasn’t. Even a simple ashtray was more than an ashtray. That particular ashtray was also a truth meter and it had bug eyes. Creepy. Very creepy.

Collecting another pile of files for recently completed cases, the slim Asian woman walked out of the office, set everything down on the receptionist desk and went to unlock the door. Until another secretary was hired, someone had to man the desk and there was no one to do it but Zara.

“If anyone in the Heavens loves me, I’ll find the most amazing employee to hire.” With that thought in mind, she pulled out her laptop, plugged it in and went back to reading resumes. It’s amazing how many unqualified people tried to apply but that made it easy to narrow down the list of call backs. A list of eleven men, women and beings of various races made it to the final list, and she was able to interview them all on the phone. Three likely candidates were singled out and she made appointments to interview them in person that afternoon.

Email to Nikki Sweet
Subject: Receptionist Update

Cross your fingers! If we’re lucky, I may be hiring someone new in a few hours. All of them are male. If I do hire one today, please don’t scare the guy off until he’s been here a few weeks. I really need the help!

I’m going to bet you a $100 that you can’t resist and end up doing something in less than a week.

-Zara

PS – Did you take my microwave?
Do we need to start a collection jar for when you mess with my electronics?

She had just hit enter to send the email when the door opened and someone entered the room. A thin shadow crossed over the desk as the person stopped in front of it. “Hold on one moment and I’ll be right with you.”

------------Bloop-----------------