Please forgive the presence of Timestamps on this and the next log.
Requiem 01: The Agency
It's the middle of a dim morning at the Twilight Detective Agency. A thick blanket of fog lays across the area, giving the eerie place an even darker feel than one might expect. It's likely a bit much for Thomas - the letter of hiring in his hand aside, it's an intimidating place even if you're supposed to be there. The door's painted over, the windows tinted so one can't see through them. There are a few lights on inside the windows, but this simply enhances the eeriness - it's like staring at a giant monster with a thousand eyes ready to devour unwary travellers in an instant. Still, the sign on the door and the plaque at the entrance confirm that this is the right place, and the old-style hanging sign above it doubles that confirmation.
It was enough to put his teeth on edge. There was definitely an eerie sort of vibe coming from the office. He had heard that there were some pretty strange people working here, but now that he was actually here, well...
We'd be lying if we said he wasn't having second thoughts. But some things were more important that his well being. The letter of invitation- employment, even- for example- promised a decent pay, or better than the off-and-on work he did for the police, and besides that, it was a good opportunity to find out... His mechanical arms shrugged in his coat, time to bite the bullet.
Heavier than he appeared, his steps were heavy against the ground. Heavy, and loud, "Hey, I'm here for that interview!"
The door opens to reveal a girl in her late teens, with medium-length brown hair and bright brown eyes. "Oh, hi!" she says cheerily, an up-beat voice to match her upbeat smile. She's a stark contrast to the otherwise freakishly dark aura of the place, in her pink pinstriped top and black miniskirt. "You must be Thomas. They're expecting you. Come on in!"
A brow quirked at the beacon-of-joy-made-flesh. Well, if a strange place could get any stranger, one needed only to provide an eye to the storm. "Uh, right. And you are...?"
"Yukari," she offers, the door swinging open to reveal the pleasantly lit, just-light-enough-not-to-be-dim office. The scent of lemon spray is a welcome contrast to the cold and chill of the fog outside, and the room is similarly pleasantly heated. "I do all the important stuff around here. You know, paperwork, filing, phones...the stuff they're all too lazy to do." She laughs and gestures for Thomas to follow her in, waiting for him to enter before shutting the door behind them.
"Well..." the cyborg's heavy footfalls were all but deafened by the office's carpeting, "It's very nice to meet you, Yukari. That's a district 11 name, isn't it?"
His eyes glanced about the room. Well, the sinister aura was surely dispelled... Somewhat. It reminded him of those old Film Noir flicks, somewhat. Well, minus the greyscale, plus a terribly cheerful secretary.
"I'm from Japan," she agrees, "My parents moved up here a while ago." Still, far too chipper. She leads Thomas back through the waiting area, past the desk with a picture-frame pushed down against it, past the wooden chairs with plush cushions, past the little table with flowers on it and a card that's been ripped in half, past the picture brutally torn and missing faces and figures, and past the hanging poster of a man named Dio, right up to the door with a metal skull knocker and a skull carved in the top. "They're inside." She says, opening the door for Thomas. "Good luck! I'll be rooting for you!"
It all really made him feel naked without a proper hat and trenchcoat. His eye glanced down at the toppled frame- who could that be? And the torn picture? Interesting... If sinister. "Heh, yeah, thanks..."
"I guess I'll see you if I'm still in one piece," his gaze darted back to the picture missing its faces, before stepping into the office proper. "Hello?"
The office is black, or very nearly so. It takes Thomas's eyes a moment to adjust before he realizes that one wall is actually a massive window, and that what little light is coming through is being dispersed by the intense fog just outside. As his eyes adjust even further, he can two figures - a man in what seems to be a trenchcoat leaning against a wall, and a thin, slight individual sitting at the desk, elbows against it, hiding the lower half of his face with his hands.
The cyborg shuts the door behind him. Rules of interviews: Be yourself, don't do anything you're not permitted to do... "I'm Thomas, I think you two sent me something about a job offer?"
"That's correct," the man in the corner replies.
The thin one doesn't move. However, his voice - icey cold - chimes in a moment later.
"Thomas W. Magnusson, age 25. 6'2", 110 kg. Britannian. Cybernetic enhancement of the legs and arms. Boxer and criminal psychologist graduate."
"Is this correct?"
A smile slips across his features, "You've got quite the intelligence network... And what can I call you?"
Criminal psychologist, and a pretty damn good one. It wouldn't be the first time he was faced with such a frigid tone.
"Minato." He says bluntly.
"You're hired," the tall man says after a moment, waving his hand over his shoulder and striding forward. In the dim light, it almost looks like he's got a skull on his head. He strides past Thomas. "I don't want to waste time with this interview. Fuuka can get him acquainted. Come on - I feel something's wrong in downtown." Minato stands, and only now can Thomas see that he's only about 17, wearing a blue jacket, pants, and headphones around his neck. Minato, similarly, walks past Thomas, but he says absolutely nothing, simply closing the door behind him and leaving Thomas standing in the dark room.
Blink. Once, twice... "Th... That's it?" A mechanical arm rose to rub at the base of his skull, "Well... I guess that's that..."
Yukari peeks her head in, a welcome light to the otherwise black office. Dim light isn't enough to stretch far, but it's enough for Thomas to tell that the room is mostly...well, it's not really in the best of repairs. "Congratulations!" She chirps.
Awkward, but not too awkward... Perfect, "Yeah, I guess so. But I kind of wanted to know what exactly it is I'm supposed to do around here."
"I mean, that kid was pretty eerie on his own, and the other guy looked like he didn't have a face. Heh, just glad there's one normal person around here."
"Well, Fuuka's here, too, but you haven't met her yet. Minato's..." A black cloud sort of passes over her face for the briefest of instants. "...different. And Boss is, too."
"Hey, we should celebrate your success. C'mon, let's hit Akihiko's - it's right across the street, best place to get a drink in the whole city!"
"Boss, huh...? Heh, well alright."
Yukari closes the door to the office behind them, opening a second door to reveal stairs leading downwards. She shouts, "Fuuka! I'm going out! Keep an eye on everything, okay?"
His hands slipped into his pockets, "Quite the wallflower, is she? That's fine, I don't mind that either." A mental note scribed- bringing up Minato puts her on edge.
"Fuuka's the lab tech here - you'll probably work with her a bunch," Yukari says, leading Thomas back out into the foggy street. The chilly air hits like a ton of bricks, and she shivers momentarily before walking forward, right across the street, and over to a pleasant-looking bar with the sign 'Akihiko's' hanging over it in a similar style to the detective agency's own. She pushes the swinging door open and heads inside.
One of the benefits to having those arms- his core temperature never had to adjust for the sake of preserving his limbs. A shiver, yes, but nothing earthshattering.
His legs carry him just a foot short of his (unfortunately, likely underage) guide and coworker.
The bar is an absolute twist of its dimly-lit counterpart. It's bright, it's fun, and it's musical. The jukebox in the corner is playing a friendly song, and there are quite a few people sitting at the booths. At the bar itself is a guy in a cap and heavy jacket, a sultry-looking redhead in a white pinstripe suit, and the barkeep, a white-haired guy around 20, polishing a glass. He holds up his hand at Yukari. "Yukari! It's been a while."
She smiles. "It has," she agrees. "I'm just over to help the new hire celebrate."
"New hire?" The guy in the cap and jacket tilts his head back to look at Thomas.
Still wearing a smile- though now a degree less forced, Thomas takes a seat at the bar, "Hey. How's it going?" His coat rolled atop his shoulders, loosening up the joint... Though it was now wholly unecessary. Just call it habit,
"Call me Tom, I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid I might break it."
"Shinji." The guy replies, hunching back over and taking a drink from his mug. The redhead raises an eyebrow and spins back to lean across the bar. "I'm heading out, Aki."
"Have a safe night." She stands and makes her way out, hips swinging under the black dress the whole time.
"Night, Mitsuru." Akihiko comments. Yukari quickly steals her seat.
Another girl, another five seconds lost staring after her. Were all the women in this joint that attractive?
"So what'll it be?" Akihiko inquires, turning to look at Thomas.
"Gotta say, this is a pretty hopping place... Hm? Oh, just a bit of guinness for me."
"Coming up. Yuka-tan?"
"Don't call me that," Yukari sticks her tongue out at him, "And the usual, Aki."
"On it."
"So what made you want to come to this dump of a place?" Shinji inquires.
"Dump? Heh, I'm not sure, anywhere you can get a good drink about five steps from your dayjob is a good place to be."
"How long you been here?"
"Not long. Just arrived the other day."
"Mmm." He dusts off his drink, and stands up, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Gonna go check on Koro," he says over his shoulder. Akihiko nods.
"His dog," Akihiko explains, "He's pretty attached to the little guy."
"Anyway, welcome to the city. I'm Akihiko." He holds out his hand.
"Doesn't strike me as the type who would, but there's surprises anywhere you look, eh?"
Another shrug, his mechanical palm extends to the bartender's. Careful now, careful...
Akihiko blinks at the cyborg hand, but shakes it anyway, a firm grip. He releases Tom's hand shortly after. "So what made you want to come down here, anyway?" He asks, repeating Shinji's earlier question.
"The city, I mean. Not the bar."
"Heh, well, it's a little thing I call curiousity, my friend."
"Curiosity, huh." He slides the guiness over to Tom. "Well, good luck." And with that, he heads down the bar to serve some of the other patrons.
"That, and I got a job offer better than my old sort of work."
A blonde girl with a prosthetic arm in a waitress outfit comes out to help him serve drinks to the patrons. Yukari swings around, crossing her legs in either an attempt to look suave or just to prevent anyone from looking up her skirt. "I'm surprised," she says, picking up her drink and taking a sip. "Not a lot of cyborgs this far out...you must really need the money if you're willing to come here."
"Mm. So..." Tom's hands rest atop the bar, "You guys seem like you know one another really well..."
His fingers tap against the counter, heavy, and with a bit of a metallic tinge, "Yeah, I'm out here for leads, more than just the job."
"We went to school together," she replies, "Aki, Mitsuru, Shinji, Ai, Fuuka...we're all sort of bound up by fate, you know?"
"What kind of leads?"
"About these limbs."
"You mean...wait, that wasn't voluntary?"
"Yeah, I woke up in an alley one morning, couldn't feel my arms or legs."
She takes a sip of her drink. "Creepy."
"Can't remember anything of who did the surgery, or why, but I figure working for a detective agency would turn up leads faster than working for the police as a consultant."
He'd try, again, very careful as to not crush the glass in his hands. Success.
"Really creepy." She amends, taking another sip. "So you flew all the way out here because you think Boss can help you out?'
He takes a sip of his beer. Dark, bitter, cold. Just right, "Well, besides even that, I might be able to find people who know about my operation like this, either through clientelle or... other contact."
"Well...I hope you find something!"
"Yeah. I do too."
"So how old are you, anyway?"
"And, if not, I still get to spend time in the company of some pretty decent people- though the mental integrity of those two could be brought into question..."
"You mean the Boss and..." she stops and takes another sip. "Boss isn't so bad." "Hm? Oh, twenty-five as of this past April."
"Yeah, I can tell they're pretty decent people at heart. I think... But they still put off some weird vibes."
"Close enough," she agrees.
"So is it just you and Fuuka working there? I mean, besides Boss and Headphones."
"Oh, no...there's also Stu...er, Junpei. He's the janitor."
"Heh, the Janitor, huh...?" He takes another sip from his can of booze, "Do you think there's anything else I should know about this place?"
"I mean, the city. I expect I'll need to lodge at the office 'till I can find myself an apartment, so..."
"Y'know, if there's a seven eleven or something nearby for some rations..."
She nods. "There are rooms in the building, actually. Most of us stay there."
"Oh! Well, that's a reprieve. Looks like I can keep the funds stashed away for a little longer."
Yukari smiles. "Well that's good."
"Yeah, I'll have to get the stuff moved in sometime, though. So when will they have me working?"
"Oh, probably as soon as they get back. You're going to be pretty busy...you should enjoy what relaxation you've got while you can."
"Ahahaha... So they'll be working me to the bone, will they?"
"More like the city will..."
"The city? Oh, right. Detective agency, clients..."
"So they get a lot of jobs?"
"You could put it that way."
"Mm. And there's that whole thing with the neighbors..."
"Which ones?"
"Oh, the countries near here."
"Ishbal and Latveria."
"Oh! I thought you meant...oh, well. They don't bother us too much." She takes another drink. "Even other countries don't want to come here."
"Huh? With such gorgeous women around everywhere, I don't see why not..."
She laughs. "Weird things happen here."
"Weirder than the norm, huh?"
"That's right," she agrees.
"Guess I'll find out soon enough, won't I?"
She nods in agreement. "We're in the center of it, too."
"This bar, or...?"
"No...the agency. Didn't you notice? On the map, it's in the middle of town."
"Huh? Is it?"
"Yup."
"...Well, I guess that's good for business."
"It is."
"We get tons of it." She grins over her drink.
"Good money, but I'm assuming it's pretty dangerous work, huh?" He rests his can, now three quarts empty, onto the countertop.
"Maybe. I don't know what they're going to want you to do yet."
"You might get a desk job or something."
"Here's hoping I don't end up like the other faces, then- yeah, maybe."
Her face darkens again, and she finishes off her drink and sets it down on the counter. "...I'm gonna...go back. Fuuka might need some help."
"Though I can't help thinking they could have just brought in anyone if it was just psychological work."
"You want me to walk you back over?"
She shakes her head and walks out the door.
A few moments later, the cell phone in Thomas's pocket starts ringing.
Reinforced for personal use. It was one of the few things he had to worry about breaking.
It goes out of his pocket, flips open, and presses to his ear, "Hello, Thomas speaking."
"Welcome to the tower of oblivion."
An unfamiliar voice, chillier even than Minato's, colder than ice in the dead of winter.
"This city lies on the gulf between man and death. Will you be the one to drag it away?"
"Return to the Detective Agency. Your destiny is awaiting you."
Click.
"Tower of obli-? Hey, wait!"
...Too late...
"Tch," A quick swig of the can finishes off his guiness. He rises, and moves to press out into the foggy night.
The door to the agency is open.
Click. A step forward into the unknown.
It's horrifying - a girl one can only assume is Fuuka is lying against the wall, clothing semi-ripped and blood all over her body, some of it maybe not even her own. Yukari, similarly, is hurled against the wall, by the...thing...out of the basement doorway. It can't be described in any other way - it's a thing, a monster, a beast, black as night with maws gaping and claws and fangs dripping with what could only be Fuuka's blood. Seven horrific red eyes turn to stare at Thomas, locking on with the sick, twisted bloodlust a creature of the night should have, and it slithers forward, like an enormous snake with arms and spikes and God only knows what else, sensing new prey...
"Wha..." Struck dumb, what the hell -IS- this thing? His eyes quiver in their sockets, his heartbeat quickens. They have to be okay, but... What's he to do...
What's he to do... But...
Instinct takes over. Boxing, bounce, bounce. Get ready to weave and punch like a beast, rocky...
Speed's on your side! One of his cybernetically enhanced limbs pushes off the floor, a fist projected forth, using his own momentum to put force behind that punch. His limbs could take it, he knew they could, they just needed to hit.
The blow strikes the beast straight in the face, and the blackness of its body shines - they're scales, not shadows, Thomas realizes as his punch strikes it right in what might be the nose. It opens its maws and screams, spiked arm swiping down towards his body The strike goes wide, sticking in the ground.
"Hey, Fuuka-chan, what's going on out...holy crap!" A guy in a baseball cap with a broom practically falls over in terror at the sight of the monster. However, a moment later, he sees Fuuka lying on the ground. "Don't worry, Fuuka!" He cries. "Junpei POWER!"
The broom swings down...and shatters on the thing's head.
"...Crap!"
"What the hell are you doing? Get back!" Here he goes again. Fists striking at this... this... Whatever the hell this thing is!
No dice. Quite literally, no dice. Whether it was a jam in the arm or a otherwise, his punch slides cleanly off to the side of the monster.
The monster shakes what's probably its head and roars, again.
At least he didn't have to worry about dodging this time...
Junpei grabs at the broken broom, swinging it down again. He fails, falling flat on his ass. "Crap! This thing's tougher than it looks!" That might be because Junpei hasn't actually hit it yet.
That would be very likely.
Punch! Connection, but...
Apparantly onto something extremely tough. Chitin?
The creature's scales are simply too tough. It swings all seven eyes back at Thomas, noting that this one is the actual problem.
As he could actually hit, yes.
It swings down and swats at Thomas with all its considerable might, spiked arms hitting him with the force of a locomotive.
And he...
Doesn't flinch. Much.
His knees pull downwards, but to absorb the shock.
The mechanical man smirks up at the alien monstrosity. Gonna have to do better than that...
Junpei stands up and swings his broom handle again. "Taaaake thiiiiiis!" he shouts, bringing it down...right in the monster's middle eye. The broom penetrates, and sick-looking viscous blue ooze pours out onto the red carpet;
Junpei looks quite proud of himself as he rips the broom handle out of the now-extinguished eye.
"That's what you get for messin' with Junpei the Great!"
Nice shot, now let's try another!
SLAM!
...Not.
The chitin on this thing was THICK.
Another swipe of the arm goes down for Junpei, but the capped man stumbles backwards, the claws stabbing right between his legs - fortunately, only hitting the ground, and not anything important.
Junpei flails at the claw with his broom-handle, but to no effect.
Another punch- you'd think if the thing was facing away from it...
But...
Lots of armor.
His blow knicks a plate and glances.
It thrashes and swings around, trying to remove its claw from the floor, but to no avail.
However, as it rears up to its height, it roars, a sick roar of numerous gaping jaws screaming in pain. Its tail whips around, and Junpei goes flying, skidding to the ground against Fuuka.
"Bastard, let's see how you like..." The Cyborg slams his fist into the beast's tail as it drops. This should do it some hurt...”
It thrashes willdy in pain, screaming its horrible scream.
"The One-Two Punch!" His second punch rises from the ground, using his legs as propulsion to slam his knuckles into the beast's jaw.
The blow sends the creature to the ground. Another twitch, and it gives a final, screaming roar and falls dead.
His teeth clench as the adrenaline hits his bloodstream in full force. While still in mid air, he extends his leg...
...And drops his ankle into the monster's now dead throat.
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
The cell phone rings again in his pocket.
Slip, flick, to the ear.
"Very good." Click.
A withered sigh.
Was this what the city had in store for him?
He regarded the two most injured...
The blood has already disappeared, as has the damage to the ground, sort of. The Boss throws the door open, dragging someone behind him, and Minato follows, hands in his pockets and an ice-cold demeanor. They take one look at the room, and now, in the light, it's quite obvious that the Boss is in fact wearing a skull. "Hm."
Thomas turns suddenly toward the door, "You had... a guest." His voice is interrupted by breath.
"One of them got loose," Minato says idly. "It's nothing to be concerned about."
With that, he walks past Thomas and into the dark office.
"Uh, two of your employees are bleeding out! We need to get them to the hospital!"
"And tell them what, exactly?" The boss asks. "That they were beaten up by a monster? They'll live. It's happened before."
His teeth grind. That one was going to be a pain, "Hell if I know, knife fight, I don't know..."
He holds up the man he's dragging. The guy looks absolutely brutalized.
"How many scars?"
"That's not your concern."
He dangles the brutalized criminal from his hand.
"Keep this one unconscious. See what you can find out from his wallet."
"Don't let him wake up. We'll need to do a Removal later."
"At least tell me where the bandages a-" A tilt of the head, then his pupils begin to dilate... "A removal?"
The boss gestures at the fading corpse of the monster.
"Those things... Are in people?"
"That's correct."
The cyborg's arms take the brunt of the criminal's weight... "...I understand. I'll keep him out."
"You got any bandages?"
"I'll take care of that."
"Go downstairs, lock him up, and make certain he remains unconscious."
"If he wakes up, we'll have another one of those on our hands."
"...Right, Alright, just..."
"They won't die."
"...Alright." Too much for one day...He'd pop open the door to the basement- the one Yukari called down earlier, and began on his way.
"I'll explain later. But you seem to be able to handle yourself. Welcome to the Twilight Detective Agency."
"Right... Thanks. You should... Think about getting a face."
"It's a helmet." He sounds amused.
"Though I guess it's iconic, huh?"
"Hurry up."
"Yes sir."
With that, the boss turns and disappears into an adjacent room.
The door shuts; Tom hurries downstairs.
[13:29] The downstairs lab is filled with strange things, but the one that any idiot can figure out is the holding chair.
[13:29] It would take him no time at all to latch the man in and prevent him from leaving.
[13:29] All he'd have to do is keep him from waking up.
[13:29] So after an hour or so of watching the man, rifling through his pockets, and similar, Fuuka comes down the stairs. She's heavily bandaged and holding one arm in a sling.
[13:30] When she sees Thomas, she gives a little 'oh' sound and looks down at the floor. "H...hello."
[13:30] His eyes rush to the woman at the foot of the stairs, "Oh! Damn! Are you alright?"
[13:31] "I'm...I'm fine..." She says. "It just...got loose..."
[13:31] "I'm sorry, I said I should have walked with Yukari back to the office, if I had known, you might've not had the cast..."
[13:31] "Oh! No...it's...it's not your fault..."
[13:32] "That's what they said about the droids and accidental human deaths in I-Robot, but that doesn't make it right..."
[13:33] A sigh. His mechanical limbs filter once more through the man's credentials.
[13:33] "I...I think that's the wrong comparison," she says after a moment, a bit of a smile on her face. "But you didn't hurt me...you had no way of knowing."
[13:33] "I guess, but that doesn't fix the injuries. At least you got patched up well enough..."
[13:34] "This guy..."
[13:35] "Who is he...?"
[13:35] "I can't see any reason why he'd have to be brought in by force."
[13:35] "Oh...it was probably...one of the Requiems..."
[13:36] "Requiems?"
[13:36] "What you saw."
[13:36] "So this guy got attacked by one of them?"
[13:36] "I mean, family, relatively steady job...
[13:36] "No..."
[13:36] "He...probably is one."
[13:37] "...How does something like that happen? Can we help him?"
[13:37] "We don't know...how it happens, I mean. But it happens...Skull Man thinks it has something to do with the city..."
[13:37] "I think...I think they're the darkness in peoples' hearts. But...we don't really know."
[13:38] "They're brought in, and we do a Removal, and keep the Requiems here."
[13:38] "I... Did you get a phone call when you arrived here, too?"
[13:38] "A phone call?" She sounds puzzled.
[13:38] "I see. I guess not, then..."
[13:39] "Some weird voice keeps calling me."
[13:39] "Weird...voice?"
[13:39] "It told me to come back to the office."
[13:39] "That's...really creepy..."
[13:39] "Something about a tower of Oblivion."
[13:39] "Yeah. Tell me about it."
[13:40] "He calls me again afterwards- if you can call it a he- and says something along the lines of 'good job.'
[13:40] "That's...that's really scary..." She repeats, hugging herself.
[13:40] "Like someone watching me, you know?"
[13:41] She nods.
[13:41] "I'm almost wondering if it's my limbs, or if it's the city itself."
[13:41] "Either one could be possible, I guess. Anyway..."
[13:41] "That's...let's not talk about this anymore, okay?"
[13:41] "Yeah. I agree."
[13:42] "I'll deal with it if it pops up again... I found this guy's home phone number."
[13:42] "...we can't call them..." She says after a moment.
[13:42] "Do we tell- Oh..."
[13:42] "Alright."
[13:42] "What...I mean...what do you want to say? 'Sorry...he...he got possessed by a horrible demon'?"
[13:42] "Heh, I guess so, huh?"
[13:43] "Not many people would believe it without seeing it."
[13:43] She nods.
[13:43] "Are there any similarities in the details between cases?"
[13:43] "Family, workplace, associates?"
[13:43] "No...well! ...maybe..."
[13:43] "I don't remember who that one you killed belonged to..."
[13:44] "If the cause can be isolated, then... Well, I took down this one's information for later reference, do you have anything else lying about?"
[13:44] "Ah, no...the last one, she didn't have any information..."
[13:44] "She was just a little girl..."
[13:45] "A... little girl?"
[13:45] "Uh-huh."
[13:45] "...Kids, huh?"
[13:45] "And a dog..."
[13:45] "Did any of the others have close relations with children?"
[13:45] "I...don't remember," she admits.
[13:46] "Minato...Minato might."
[13:46] "That's fine... I'll have to ask him when I see him."
[13:46] "These things, do you know where they reside- when they possess someone, I mean."
[13:48] "Uh-uh."
[13:48] "Inside them, I think."
[13:48] "Physically, then?"
[13:48] "Mm... Well, I can draw up a few theories..."
[13:48] "It's okay...we know how to remove them."
[13:49] "We just need to stop it from happening."
[13:49] "But more than anything, I'd need to know more before I could piece anything together."
[13:49] "Right... By the way..."
[13:49] "I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Thomas Magnusson, Bachelor in Criminal Psychology and new employee."
[13:49] "Nice to meet you, Fuuka, right?"
[13:49] "Fuuka. I'm the...the lab worker." She nods.
[13:50] "Well, I look forward to working with you."
[13:50] She smiles.
[13:50] He returns the gesture. At least there was some sort of anchor of normalcy...
[13:51] Even a little something like that, his studies have taught him, can make all the difference in a person's life.
[13:52] "Well, I couldn't find the sleeping gas...
[13:52] "So besides bludgeoning the poor bastard over the head, how do we keep him out?"
[13:53] "That's how we usually do it..." She admits, a bit of a smile on her face.
[13:53] "But...there's some tranquilizer in..." She opens a drawer, draws a needle, and slides it into the man's arm quite cleanly, pressing down on the stud.
[13:53] "This is...generally more humane."
[13:53] "Heh... Well, if it's possible to reduce the trauma to their bodies, then all the better. Tranq works- yeah, I agree."
[13:54] She smiles. "But Skull Man and Minato are rarely...interested in that sort of thing."
[13:54] "I'm no doctor, but I think he's got enough bruises to be held accountable for."
[13:54] "They're a bit different, aren't they?"
[13:55] "They are."
[13:55] "I think I prefer that Skull Man over Headphones."
[13:56] "It's just a matter of vibe, I guess."
[13:56] "Minato..." She frowns and looks away. "Skull Man is a good director."
[13:56] "..."
[13:56] "Did something happen, to that boy, I mean."
[13:56] It really seems like no one wants to talk about Minato.
[13:56] "Someone his age shouldn't be so sullen, but if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine."
[13:56] "He's not sullen..." She whispers.
[13:57] "I'm sorry. What would you describe him as? You've known him longer than I, after all."
[13:57] "But only if you're comfortable with talking about him, I mean."
[13:57] "...dead inside." She murmurs, still staring at the unconscious guarde.
[13:57] *guard
[13:58] "Dead... inside?"
[13:58] "Heh. Almost sounds like a brand of computer chip."
[13:58] She doesn't reply.
[13:59] "So..."
[13:59] "Let's swap stories, huh?"
[13:59] She brightens up just a bit at that, the cloud of Minato passed away.
[14:00] "You first."
[14:00] His fingers slide the wallet back onto the table, his notes scribbled neatly onto a note card are laid to rest atop the leather piece.
[14:01] "Well... Where to begin?"
[14:01] "The beginning is usually good..."
[14:01] "I'm a born-and-bred liberal Britannian, went to college for a year and a half or so in general studies before switching over to Criminal Psychology.
[14:02] "One day, I was on my way home..."
[14:03] "Took a train 'cross the continent to get there. I passed out sometime in the midst of the trip."
[14:03] "My family is fairly well off. My mother and father live comfortable lives with my younger siblings. A brother and a sister. They call me, sometimes."
[14:04] She smiles. "That's nice...you must have nice parents."
[14:04] "Got a little house in the country, with a great garden, and green hills and other little houses dotting the landscape... Yeah, they're great people."
[14:05] "They raised me right, I think," said with a smirk, "But I'm digressing a bit."
[14:05] "On the way home, I pass out..."
[14:06] "And...?"
[14:06] "When I come to, it's already three days past. And in an alley of a town along the train's route... With these things in place of my real limbs."
[14:07] Fuuka covers her mouth with her hands.
[14:07] "I was a boxer, you know. Used to fight a lot in the ring, but I can't really do that so much anymore- not with normal people, anyway."
[14:07] He chuckles. At least he's in good spirits- despite... Everything, "No, it's fine. They were able to save lives today."
[14:08] "MIne, Yukari's, and Junpei's..."
[14:08] "I guess you can call them a blessing within a curse? Yeah. That's right."
[14:08] "He's pretty good with that broom, I gotta say."
[14:09] "Junpei?"
[14:10] "Yeah."
[14:10] "He's a good guy." She agrees.
[14:10] "You probably weren't concious, but he got that thing right in the eye before he got a tail to the chest."
[14:10] "He's alright, right?"
[14:10] "I, um...I heard."
[14:10] "He was describing it...in...um...in great detail."
[14:10] "He said you softened it up for him."
[14:10] "That's good... Huh? Heh, was he?"
[14:11] "Hahaha, I guess I did."
[14:11] "And he helped me out, too."
[14:11] "...that's..." She gives a bit of a smile. "Not what he was saying."
[14:11] "He said you nearly got skewered when you fell on your butt."
[14:11] "If it wasn't for him, I probably couldn't have gotten that last punch in."
[14:12] "...Uh..."
[14:12] "That... Kinda was him."
[14:12] "I thought so," she nods.
[14:12] "Unless I suffered another bout of memory lapse, y'know."
[14:12] "Thomas." Comes Skull Man's voice. "We need you upstairs."
[14:12] "I want a more...accurate...description of the fight."
[14:13] "Heh, we were just talking about that, actually."
[14:13] "Also, your first client is here."
[14:13] He felt lighter now, at least. Having someone to talk to always helps...
[14:13] "So we have a job for you to take care of."
[14:13] Fuuka nods. "I can take care of this..."
[14:13] "You go ahead, okay?"
[14:13] "And...don't be too mad at him."
[14:13] He turns for a moment to Fuuka, "Well, looks like I'm being called off. See you later, wish me luck!"
[14:14] "Ha! It's fine. I know a few guys back home like him."
[14:15] Upstairs, the sultry redhead from earlier is talking with Yukari.
[14:15] Again, back to the floor above...
[14:15] She gives Thomas the once-over with her visible eye, and it's vaguely like being sized up by a predator.
[14:15] Just close behind the Skull Man, it seems... "So what do you look like under that thing anyway...?"
[14:16] A shudder.
[14:16] Jeez, that felt almost as bad as being stared at by the monster...
[14:16] She purses those full red lips. "So you're the one who killed the Requiem, too."
[14:17] At least with the monster you could ignore it and punch, but... Well, to be frank, she was dead hot, "Heh, yeah. I got the last punch in."
[14:18] At least he could be thankful that the arms didn't betray his heartbeat.
[14:18] She strides over, smooth as silk, and leans in for a better look.
[14:18] "Britannian...you'll do."
[14:18] "I'll... do?"
[14:18] She slips a card into his hand. "I'm heading out, Yukari...see you later."
[14:18] I'd do her...
[14:18] No! Bad thought!
[14:18] "Oh, uh, thanks!"
[14:19] With that, she walks out, hips swaying from side to side like a far-too-seductive palm tree.
[14:19] "Later, Mitsuru!" Yukari chirps.
[14:19] It was like a black hole.
[14:19] "The case details," Skull Man notes.
[14:19] And his eyes were light.
[14:19] "Right, right.
[14:20] Tear... your eyes... AWAY.
[14:20] ...Only possible once she left the room.
[14:20] Minato heads out the door without a look at anyone, closing it behind him.
[14:20] After wards, he'd have flipped the car over in his fingers, eyes scrolling carefully over the contents.
[14:21] The card has a place and a name scribed on it.
[14:21] The address is 1772 Browning Street.
[14:21] The name is Michael O'Hara.
[14:22] Underneath both, in neat, black handwriting are the words "MISSING PERSON."
[14:22] "So uh..." He conscribed the contents to memory and glanced up, "You needed to confirm the results of the combat?"
[14:22] Missing person...
[14:22] Interesting.
[14:22] "No," Skull Man says, bemused. "Minato had a few questions, but I think he figured it out for himself."
[14:23] "Oh, heh, I needed to ask him about something, too..."
[14:23] "Maybe when I get back."
[14:23] "Mmm?"
[14:23] "I'm trying to figure out if any of the victims have anything in common."
[14:24] "Not that we've been able to tell."
[14:24] "Like children, workplace, work district..."
[14:24] "They work for different companies, or no companies. They pop up all over the city."
[14:24] "I can sense them. So can Minato."
[14:24] "Is there any pattern to the appearances?"
[14:24] "I mean, geometrically, not just geographically."
[14:24] "No, I'm afraid not."
[14:25] "Why? Do you think you have some idea as to what's causing it?"
[14:25] "Well, I was thinking if it was a geometric pattern, then the cause was an intelligent, propogating force."
[14:25] "If it wasn't geometric or geographic, then it could be based on victim mental state prior to the affliction."
[14:26] "...Or even predicted state once the affliction passes."
[14:26] "It doesn't pass," Skull Man replies.
[14:26] "It's removed, or it takes up root in them and can't be removed without death."
[14:26] "It's recurring?"
[14:26] "I see..."
[14:26] "No. Once a Requiem is removed, we've observed that it never returns."
[14:26] "We have a list of people being watched. Yukari can get it for you."
[14:27] "Mm. So the body or the mind develops an immunity for it."
[14:27] He pats Thomas on the shoulder. "Or a person can only ever have one requiem."
[14:27] "Yeah. I'd like to see if their psychological states have anything in common."
[14:27] "I'm going to head out and follow Minato - when he starts acting like this, it means he's got a lead."
[14:27] "That might be, too. Though... Hey, I'm curious."
[14:27] "Mm?"
[14:27] "Did you ever get a weird phone call?"
[14:27] "A weird phone call?"
[14:27] "Like, just a really, really strange voice on the other end? Says something, and hangs up?"
[14:28] "I get a lot of weird phone calls."
[14:28] "Yeah. I got a weird phone call telling me to get over here."
[14:28] "No. Nothing like that."
[14:28] "It mentioned a Tower of Oblivion."
[14:28] It's impossible to tell if he blinks or not. "I see."
[14:28] "Unusual."
[14:28] A chuckle, "Even for around here?"
[14:29] "Yeah. I think I might be being watched by... Something. It called me after taking that thing out- 'Good Job,' it said."
[14:29] "I'll look into it." He agrees.
[14:29] "Anyway, I'd best catch up with Minato. Your room key is in the desk - Yukari can get it for you."
[14:29] "Thanks for that, boss. Speaking of Good Jobs, I better get to doing mine, huh?"
[14:30] "Alright. Good luck with him."
[14:31] "Thank you."
[14:31] Skull Man heads out.
[14:32] "Well..."
[14:32] "Going to bed?" Yukari offers, dangling the key out.
[14:32] His hands slipped into his jacket pockets...
[14:33] "Heh, after today...?"
[14:33] "Well, is there any rush to get to this job?"
[14:33] "I mean, in your opinion."
[14:33] She gives a bit of a grin.
[14:33] "What do you think?"
[14:33] "Heh."
[14:33] "I think I might be in for a long night."
[14:33] "Sleep well."
[14:33] "And you."
[14:34] "Not likely."
[14:34] She kicks back and puts her feet up on the desk.
[14:34] "I don't get off for until sunrise."
[14:34] *off until
[14:34] "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll be out trailing some guy..."
[14:35] "I got a ton of sleep on the way over, anyway. A whole four hours."
[14:35] She laughs at that.
[14:35] The first rule of Forensics...
[14:36] The longer a trail is left untouched...
[14:36] The colder it becomes.
Requiem 01: The Agency
It's the middle of a dim morning at the Twilight Detective Agency. A thick blanket of fog lays across the area, giving the eerie place an even darker feel than one might expect. It's likely a bit much for Thomas - the letter of hiring in his hand aside, it's an intimidating place even if you're supposed to be there. The door's painted over, the windows tinted so one can't see through them. There are a few lights on inside the windows, but this simply enhances the eeriness - it's like staring at a giant monster with a thousand eyes ready to devour unwary travellers in an instant. Still, the sign on the door and the plaque at the entrance confirm that this is the right place, and the old-style hanging sign above it doubles that confirmation.
It was enough to put his teeth on edge. There was definitely an eerie sort of vibe coming from the office. He had heard that there were some pretty strange people working here, but now that he was actually here, well...
We'd be lying if we said he wasn't having second thoughts. But some things were more important that his well being. The letter of invitation- employment, even- for example- promised a decent pay, or better than the off-and-on work he did for the police, and besides that, it was a good opportunity to find out... His mechanical arms shrugged in his coat, time to bite the bullet.
Heavier than he appeared, his steps were heavy against the ground. Heavy, and loud, "Hey, I'm here for that interview!"
The door opens to reveal a girl in her late teens, with medium-length brown hair and bright brown eyes. "Oh, hi!" she says cheerily, an up-beat voice to match her upbeat smile. She's a stark contrast to the otherwise freakishly dark aura of the place, in her pink pinstriped top and black miniskirt. "You must be Thomas. They're expecting you. Come on in!"
A brow quirked at the beacon-of-joy-made-flesh. Well, if a strange place could get any stranger, one needed only to provide an eye to the storm. "Uh, right. And you are...?"
"Yukari," she offers, the door swinging open to reveal the pleasantly lit, just-light-enough-not-to-be-dim office. The scent of lemon spray is a welcome contrast to the cold and chill of the fog outside, and the room is similarly pleasantly heated. "I do all the important stuff around here. You know, paperwork, filing, phones...the stuff they're all too lazy to do." She laughs and gestures for Thomas to follow her in, waiting for him to enter before shutting the door behind them.
"Well..." the cyborg's heavy footfalls were all but deafened by the office's carpeting, "It's very nice to meet you, Yukari. That's a district 11 name, isn't it?"
His eyes glanced about the room. Well, the sinister aura was surely dispelled... Somewhat. It reminded him of those old Film Noir flicks, somewhat. Well, minus the greyscale, plus a terribly cheerful secretary.
"I'm from Japan," she agrees, "My parents moved up here a while ago." Still, far too chipper. She leads Thomas back through the waiting area, past the desk with a picture-frame pushed down against it, past the wooden chairs with plush cushions, past the little table with flowers on it and a card that's been ripped in half, past the picture brutally torn and missing faces and figures, and past the hanging poster of a man named Dio, right up to the door with a metal skull knocker and a skull carved in the top. "They're inside." She says, opening the door for Thomas. "Good luck! I'll be rooting for you!"
It all really made him feel naked without a proper hat and trenchcoat. His eye glanced down at the toppled frame- who could that be? And the torn picture? Interesting... If sinister. "Heh, yeah, thanks..."
"I guess I'll see you if I'm still in one piece," his gaze darted back to the picture missing its faces, before stepping into the office proper. "Hello?"
The office is black, or very nearly so. It takes Thomas's eyes a moment to adjust before he realizes that one wall is actually a massive window, and that what little light is coming through is being dispersed by the intense fog just outside. As his eyes adjust even further, he can two figures - a man in what seems to be a trenchcoat leaning against a wall, and a thin, slight individual sitting at the desk, elbows against it, hiding the lower half of his face with his hands.
The cyborg shuts the door behind him. Rules of interviews: Be yourself, don't do anything you're not permitted to do... "I'm Thomas, I think you two sent me something about a job offer?"
"That's correct," the man in the corner replies.
The thin one doesn't move. However, his voice - icey cold - chimes in a moment later.
"Thomas W. Magnusson, age 25. 6'2", 110 kg. Britannian. Cybernetic enhancement of the legs and arms. Boxer and criminal psychologist graduate."
"Is this correct?"
A smile slips across his features, "You've got quite the intelligence network... And what can I call you?"
Criminal psychologist, and a pretty damn good one. It wouldn't be the first time he was faced with such a frigid tone.
"Minato." He says bluntly.
"You're hired," the tall man says after a moment, waving his hand over his shoulder and striding forward. In the dim light, it almost looks like he's got a skull on his head. He strides past Thomas. "I don't want to waste time with this interview. Fuuka can get him acquainted. Come on - I feel something's wrong in downtown." Minato stands, and only now can Thomas see that he's only about 17, wearing a blue jacket, pants, and headphones around his neck. Minato, similarly, walks past Thomas, but he says absolutely nothing, simply closing the door behind him and leaving Thomas standing in the dark room.
Blink. Once, twice... "Th... That's it?" A mechanical arm rose to rub at the base of his skull, "Well... I guess that's that..."
Yukari peeks her head in, a welcome light to the otherwise black office. Dim light isn't enough to stretch far, but it's enough for Thomas to tell that the room is mostly...well, it's not really in the best of repairs. "Congratulations!" She chirps.
Awkward, but not too awkward... Perfect, "Yeah, I guess so. But I kind of wanted to know what exactly it is I'm supposed to do around here."
"I mean, that kid was pretty eerie on his own, and the other guy looked like he didn't have a face. Heh, just glad there's one normal person around here."
"Well, Fuuka's here, too, but you haven't met her yet. Minato's..." A black cloud sort of passes over her face for the briefest of instants. "...different. And Boss is, too."
"Hey, we should celebrate your success. C'mon, let's hit Akihiko's - it's right across the street, best place to get a drink in the whole city!"
"Boss, huh...? Heh, well alright."
Yukari closes the door to the office behind them, opening a second door to reveal stairs leading downwards. She shouts, "Fuuka! I'm going out! Keep an eye on everything, okay?"
His hands slipped into his pockets, "Quite the wallflower, is she? That's fine, I don't mind that either." A mental note scribed- bringing up Minato puts her on edge.
"Fuuka's the lab tech here - you'll probably work with her a bunch," Yukari says, leading Thomas back out into the foggy street. The chilly air hits like a ton of bricks, and she shivers momentarily before walking forward, right across the street, and over to a pleasant-looking bar with the sign 'Akihiko's' hanging over it in a similar style to the detective agency's own. She pushes the swinging door open and heads inside.
One of the benefits to having those arms- his core temperature never had to adjust for the sake of preserving his limbs. A shiver, yes, but nothing earthshattering.
His legs carry him just a foot short of his (unfortunately, likely underage) guide and coworker.
The bar is an absolute twist of its dimly-lit counterpart. It's bright, it's fun, and it's musical. The jukebox in the corner is playing a friendly song, and there are quite a few people sitting at the booths. At the bar itself is a guy in a cap and heavy jacket, a sultry-looking redhead in a white pinstripe suit, and the barkeep, a white-haired guy around 20, polishing a glass. He holds up his hand at Yukari. "Yukari! It's been a while."
She smiles. "It has," she agrees. "I'm just over to help the new hire celebrate."
"New hire?" The guy in the cap and jacket tilts his head back to look at Thomas.
Still wearing a smile- though now a degree less forced, Thomas takes a seat at the bar, "Hey. How's it going?" His coat rolled atop his shoulders, loosening up the joint... Though it was now wholly unecessary. Just call it habit,
"Call me Tom, I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid I might break it."
"Shinji." The guy replies, hunching back over and taking a drink from his mug. The redhead raises an eyebrow and spins back to lean across the bar. "I'm heading out, Aki."
"Have a safe night." She stands and makes her way out, hips swinging under the black dress the whole time.
"Night, Mitsuru." Akihiko comments. Yukari quickly steals her seat.
Another girl, another five seconds lost staring after her. Were all the women in this joint that attractive?
"So what'll it be?" Akihiko inquires, turning to look at Thomas.
"Gotta say, this is a pretty hopping place... Hm? Oh, just a bit of guinness for me."
"Coming up. Yuka-tan?"
"Don't call me that," Yukari sticks her tongue out at him, "And the usual, Aki."
"On it."
"So what made you want to come to this dump of a place?" Shinji inquires.
"Dump? Heh, I'm not sure, anywhere you can get a good drink about five steps from your dayjob is a good place to be."
"How long you been here?"
"Not long. Just arrived the other day."
"Mmm." He dusts off his drink, and stands up, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Gonna go check on Koro," he says over his shoulder. Akihiko nods.
"His dog," Akihiko explains, "He's pretty attached to the little guy."
"Anyway, welcome to the city. I'm Akihiko." He holds out his hand.
"Doesn't strike me as the type who would, but there's surprises anywhere you look, eh?"
Another shrug, his mechanical palm extends to the bartender's. Careful now, careful...
Akihiko blinks at the cyborg hand, but shakes it anyway, a firm grip. He releases Tom's hand shortly after. "So what made you want to come down here, anyway?" He asks, repeating Shinji's earlier question.
"The city, I mean. Not the bar."
"Heh, well, it's a little thing I call curiousity, my friend."
"Curiosity, huh." He slides the guiness over to Tom. "Well, good luck." And with that, he heads down the bar to serve some of the other patrons.
"That, and I got a job offer better than my old sort of work."
A blonde girl with a prosthetic arm in a waitress outfit comes out to help him serve drinks to the patrons. Yukari swings around, crossing her legs in either an attempt to look suave or just to prevent anyone from looking up her skirt. "I'm surprised," she says, picking up her drink and taking a sip. "Not a lot of cyborgs this far out...you must really need the money if you're willing to come here."
"Mm. So..." Tom's hands rest atop the bar, "You guys seem like you know one another really well..."
His fingers tap against the counter, heavy, and with a bit of a metallic tinge, "Yeah, I'm out here for leads, more than just the job."
"We went to school together," she replies, "Aki, Mitsuru, Shinji, Ai, Fuuka...we're all sort of bound up by fate, you know?"
"What kind of leads?"
"About these limbs."
"You mean...wait, that wasn't voluntary?"
"Yeah, I woke up in an alley one morning, couldn't feel my arms or legs."
She takes a sip of her drink. "Creepy."
"Can't remember anything of who did the surgery, or why, but I figure working for a detective agency would turn up leads faster than working for the police as a consultant."
He'd try, again, very careful as to not crush the glass in his hands. Success.
"Really creepy." She amends, taking another sip. "So you flew all the way out here because you think Boss can help you out?'
He takes a sip of his beer. Dark, bitter, cold. Just right, "Well, besides even that, I might be able to find people who know about my operation like this, either through clientelle or... other contact."
"Well...I hope you find something!"
"Yeah. I do too."
"So how old are you, anyway?"
"And, if not, I still get to spend time in the company of some pretty decent people- though the mental integrity of those two could be brought into question..."
"You mean the Boss and..." she stops and takes another sip. "Boss isn't so bad." "Hm? Oh, twenty-five as of this past April."
"Yeah, I can tell they're pretty decent people at heart. I think... But they still put off some weird vibes."
"Close enough," she agrees.
"So is it just you and Fuuka working there? I mean, besides Boss and Headphones."
"Oh, no...there's also Stu...er, Junpei. He's the janitor."
"Heh, the Janitor, huh...?" He takes another sip from his can of booze, "Do you think there's anything else I should know about this place?"
"I mean, the city. I expect I'll need to lodge at the office 'till I can find myself an apartment, so..."
"Y'know, if there's a seven eleven or something nearby for some rations..."
She nods. "There are rooms in the building, actually. Most of us stay there."
"Oh! Well, that's a reprieve. Looks like I can keep the funds stashed away for a little longer."
Yukari smiles. "Well that's good."
"Yeah, I'll have to get the stuff moved in sometime, though. So when will they have me working?"
"Oh, probably as soon as they get back. You're going to be pretty busy...you should enjoy what relaxation you've got while you can."
"Ahahaha... So they'll be working me to the bone, will they?"
"More like the city will..."
"The city? Oh, right. Detective agency, clients..."
"So they get a lot of jobs?"
"You could put it that way."
"Mm. And there's that whole thing with the neighbors..."
"Which ones?"
"Oh, the countries near here."
"Ishbal and Latveria."
"Oh! I thought you meant...oh, well. They don't bother us too much." She takes another drink. "Even other countries don't want to come here."
"Huh? With such gorgeous women around everywhere, I don't see why not..."
She laughs. "Weird things happen here."
"Weirder than the norm, huh?"
"That's right," she agrees.
"Guess I'll find out soon enough, won't I?"
She nods in agreement. "We're in the center of it, too."
"This bar, or...?"
"No...the agency. Didn't you notice? On the map, it's in the middle of town."
"Huh? Is it?"
"Yup."
"...Well, I guess that's good for business."
"It is."
"We get tons of it." She grins over her drink.
"Good money, but I'm assuming it's pretty dangerous work, huh?" He rests his can, now three quarts empty, onto the countertop.
"Maybe. I don't know what they're going to want you to do yet."
"You might get a desk job or something."
"Here's hoping I don't end up like the other faces, then- yeah, maybe."
Her face darkens again, and she finishes off her drink and sets it down on the counter. "...I'm gonna...go back. Fuuka might need some help."
"Though I can't help thinking they could have just brought in anyone if it was just psychological work."
"You want me to walk you back over?"
She shakes her head and walks out the door.
A few moments later, the cell phone in Thomas's pocket starts ringing.
Reinforced for personal use. It was one of the few things he had to worry about breaking.
It goes out of his pocket, flips open, and presses to his ear, "Hello, Thomas speaking."
"Welcome to the tower of oblivion."
An unfamiliar voice, chillier even than Minato's, colder than ice in the dead of winter.
"This city lies on the gulf between man and death. Will you be the one to drag it away?"
"Return to the Detective Agency. Your destiny is awaiting you."
Click.
"Tower of obli-? Hey, wait!"
...Too late...
"Tch," A quick swig of the can finishes off his guiness. He rises, and moves to press out into the foggy night.
The door to the agency is open.
Click. A step forward into the unknown.
It's horrifying - a girl one can only assume is Fuuka is lying against the wall, clothing semi-ripped and blood all over her body, some of it maybe not even her own. Yukari, similarly, is hurled against the wall, by the...thing...out of the basement doorway. It can't be described in any other way - it's a thing, a monster, a beast, black as night with maws gaping and claws and fangs dripping with what could only be Fuuka's blood. Seven horrific red eyes turn to stare at Thomas, locking on with the sick, twisted bloodlust a creature of the night should have, and it slithers forward, like an enormous snake with arms and spikes and God only knows what else, sensing new prey...
"Wha..." Struck dumb, what the hell -IS- this thing? His eyes quiver in their sockets, his heartbeat quickens. They have to be okay, but... What's he to do...
What's he to do... But...
Instinct takes over. Boxing, bounce, bounce. Get ready to weave and punch like a beast, rocky...
Speed's on your side! One of his cybernetically enhanced limbs pushes off the floor, a fist projected forth, using his own momentum to put force behind that punch. His limbs could take it, he knew they could, they just needed to hit.
The blow strikes the beast straight in the face, and the blackness of its body shines - they're scales, not shadows, Thomas realizes as his punch strikes it right in what might be the nose. It opens its maws and screams, spiked arm swiping down towards his body The strike goes wide, sticking in the ground.
"Hey, Fuuka-chan, what's going on out...holy crap!" A guy in a baseball cap with a broom practically falls over in terror at the sight of the monster. However, a moment later, he sees Fuuka lying on the ground. "Don't worry, Fuuka!" He cries. "Junpei POWER!"
The broom swings down...and shatters on the thing's head.
"...Crap!"
"What the hell are you doing? Get back!" Here he goes again. Fists striking at this... this... Whatever the hell this thing is!
No dice. Quite literally, no dice. Whether it was a jam in the arm or a otherwise, his punch slides cleanly off to the side of the monster.
The monster shakes what's probably its head and roars, again.
At least he didn't have to worry about dodging this time...
Junpei grabs at the broken broom, swinging it down again. He fails, falling flat on his ass. "Crap! This thing's tougher than it looks!" That might be because Junpei hasn't actually hit it yet.
That would be very likely.
Punch! Connection, but...
Apparantly onto something extremely tough. Chitin?
The creature's scales are simply too tough. It swings all seven eyes back at Thomas, noting that this one is the actual problem.
As he could actually hit, yes.
It swings down and swats at Thomas with all its considerable might, spiked arms hitting him with the force of a locomotive.
And he...
Doesn't flinch. Much.
His knees pull downwards, but to absorb the shock.
The mechanical man smirks up at the alien monstrosity. Gonna have to do better than that...
Junpei stands up and swings his broom handle again. "Taaaake thiiiiiis!" he shouts, bringing it down...right in the monster's middle eye. The broom penetrates, and sick-looking viscous blue ooze pours out onto the red carpet;
Junpei looks quite proud of himself as he rips the broom handle out of the now-extinguished eye.
"That's what you get for messin' with Junpei the Great!"
Nice shot, now let's try another!
SLAM!
...Not.
The chitin on this thing was THICK.
Another swipe of the arm goes down for Junpei, but the capped man stumbles backwards, the claws stabbing right between his legs - fortunately, only hitting the ground, and not anything important.
Junpei flails at the claw with his broom-handle, but to no effect.
Another punch- you'd think if the thing was facing away from it...
But...
Lots of armor.
His blow knicks a plate and glances.
It thrashes and swings around, trying to remove its claw from the floor, but to no avail.
However, as it rears up to its height, it roars, a sick roar of numerous gaping jaws screaming in pain. Its tail whips around, and Junpei goes flying, skidding to the ground against Fuuka.
"Bastard, let's see how you like..." The Cyborg slams his fist into the beast's tail as it drops. This should do it some hurt...”
It thrashes willdy in pain, screaming its horrible scream.
"The One-Two Punch!" His second punch rises from the ground, using his legs as propulsion to slam his knuckles into the beast's jaw.
The blow sends the creature to the ground. Another twitch, and it gives a final, screaming roar and falls dead.
His teeth clench as the adrenaline hits his bloodstream in full force. While still in mid air, he extends his leg...
...And drops his ankle into the monster's now dead throat.
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
The cell phone rings again in his pocket.
Slip, flick, to the ear.
"Very good." Click.
A withered sigh.
Was this what the city had in store for him?
He regarded the two most injured...
The blood has already disappeared, as has the damage to the ground, sort of. The Boss throws the door open, dragging someone behind him, and Minato follows, hands in his pockets and an ice-cold demeanor. They take one look at the room, and now, in the light, it's quite obvious that the Boss is in fact wearing a skull. "Hm."
Thomas turns suddenly toward the door, "You had... a guest." His voice is interrupted by breath.
"One of them got loose," Minato says idly. "It's nothing to be concerned about."
With that, he walks past Thomas and into the dark office.
"Uh, two of your employees are bleeding out! We need to get them to the hospital!"
"And tell them what, exactly?" The boss asks. "That they were beaten up by a monster? They'll live. It's happened before."
His teeth grind. That one was going to be a pain, "Hell if I know, knife fight, I don't know..."
He holds up the man he's dragging. The guy looks absolutely brutalized.
"How many scars?"
"That's not your concern."
He dangles the brutalized criminal from his hand.
"Keep this one unconscious. See what you can find out from his wallet."
"Don't let him wake up. We'll need to do a Removal later."
"At least tell me where the bandages a-" A tilt of the head, then his pupils begin to dilate... "A removal?"
The boss gestures at the fading corpse of the monster.
"Those things... Are in people?"
"That's correct."
The cyborg's arms take the brunt of the criminal's weight... "...I understand. I'll keep him out."
"You got any bandages?"
"I'll take care of that."
"Go downstairs, lock him up, and make certain he remains unconscious."
"If he wakes up, we'll have another one of those on our hands."
"...Right, Alright, just..."
"They won't die."
"...Alright." Too much for one day...He'd pop open the door to the basement- the one Yukari called down earlier, and began on his way.
"I'll explain later. But you seem to be able to handle yourself. Welcome to the Twilight Detective Agency."
"Right... Thanks. You should... Think about getting a face."
"It's a helmet." He sounds amused.
"Though I guess it's iconic, huh?"
"Hurry up."
"Yes sir."
With that, the boss turns and disappears into an adjacent room.
The door shuts; Tom hurries downstairs.
[13:29] The downstairs lab is filled with strange things, but the one that any idiot can figure out is the holding chair.
[13:29] It would take him no time at all to latch the man in and prevent him from leaving.
[13:29] All he'd have to do is keep him from waking up.
[13:29] So after an hour or so of watching the man, rifling through his pockets, and similar, Fuuka comes down the stairs. She's heavily bandaged and holding one arm in a sling.
[13:30] When she sees Thomas, she gives a little 'oh' sound and looks down at the floor. "H...hello."
[13:30] His eyes rush to the woman at the foot of the stairs, "Oh! Damn! Are you alright?"
[13:31] "I'm...I'm fine..." She says. "It just...got loose..."
[13:31] "I'm sorry, I said I should have walked with Yukari back to the office, if I had known, you might've not had the cast..."
[13:31] "Oh! No...it's...it's not your fault..."
[13:32] "That's what they said about the droids and accidental human deaths in I-Robot, but that doesn't make it right..."
[13:33] A sigh. His mechanical limbs filter once more through the man's credentials.
[13:33] "I...I think that's the wrong comparison," she says after a moment, a bit of a smile on her face. "But you didn't hurt me...you had no way of knowing."
[13:33] "I guess, but that doesn't fix the injuries. At least you got patched up well enough..."
[13:34] "This guy..."
[13:35] "Who is he...?"
[13:35] "I can't see any reason why he'd have to be brought in by force."
[13:35] "Oh...it was probably...one of the Requiems..."
[13:36] "Requiems?"
[13:36] "What you saw."
[13:36] "So this guy got attacked by one of them?"
[13:36] "I mean, family, relatively steady job...
[13:36] "No..."
[13:36] "He...probably is one."
[13:37] "...How does something like that happen? Can we help him?"
[13:37] "We don't know...how it happens, I mean. But it happens...Skull Man thinks it has something to do with the city..."
[13:37] "I think...I think they're the darkness in peoples' hearts. But...we don't really know."
[13:38] "They're brought in, and we do a Removal, and keep the Requiems here."
[13:38] "I... Did you get a phone call when you arrived here, too?"
[13:38] "A phone call?" She sounds puzzled.
[13:38] "I see. I guess not, then..."
[13:39] "Some weird voice keeps calling me."
[13:39] "Weird...voice?"
[13:39] "It told me to come back to the office."
[13:39] "That's...really creepy..."
[13:39] "Something about a tower of Oblivion."
[13:39] "Yeah. Tell me about it."
[13:40] "He calls me again afterwards- if you can call it a he- and says something along the lines of 'good job.'
[13:40] "That's...that's really scary..." She repeats, hugging herself.
[13:40] "Like someone watching me, you know?"
[13:41] She nods.
[13:41] "I'm almost wondering if it's my limbs, or if it's the city itself."
[13:41] "Either one could be possible, I guess. Anyway..."
[13:41] "That's...let's not talk about this anymore, okay?"
[13:41] "Yeah. I agree."
[13:42] "I'll deal with it if it pops up again... I found this guy's home phone number."
[13:42] "...we can't call them..." She says after a moment.
[13:42] "Do we tell- Oh..."
[13:42] "Alright."
[13:42] "What...I mean...what do you want to say? 'Sorry...he...he got possessed by a horrible demon'?"
[13:42] "Heh, I guess so, huh?"
[13:43] "Not many people would believe it without seeing it."
[13:43] She nods.
[13:43] "Are there any similarities in the details between cases?"
[13:43] "Family, workplace, associates?"
[13:43] "No...well! ...maybe..."
[13:43] "I don't remember who that one you killed belonged to..."
[13:44] "If the cause can be isolated, then... Well, I took down this one's information for later reference, do you have anything else lying about?"
[13:44] "Ah, no...the last one, she didn't have any information..."
[13:44] "She was just a little girl..."
[13:45] "A... little girl?"
[13:45] "Uh-huh."
[13:45] "...Kids, huh?"
[13:45] "And a dog..."
[13:45] "Did any of the others have close relations with children?"
[13:45] "I...don't remember," she admits.
[13:46] "Minato...Minato might."
[13:46] "That's fine... I'll have to ask him when I see him."
[13:46] "These things, do you know where they reside- when they possess someone, I mean."
[13:48] "Uh-uh."
[13:48] "Inside them, I think."
[13:48] "Physically, then?"
[13:48] "Mm... Well, I can draw up a few theories..."
[13:48] "It's okay...we know how to remove them."
[13:49] "We just need to stop it from happening."
[13:49] "But more than anything, I'd need to know more before I could piece anything together."
[13:49] "Right... By the way..."
[13:49] "I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Thomas Magnusson, Bachelor in Criminal Psychology and new employee."
[13:49] "Nice to meet you, Fuuka, right?"
[13:49] "Fuuka. I'm the...the lab worker." She nods.
[13:50] "Well, I look forward to working with you."
[13:50] She smiles.
[13:50] He returns the gesture. At least there was some sort of anchor of normalcy...
[13:51] Even a little something like that, his studies have taught him, can make all the difference in a person's life.
[13:52] "Well, I couldn't find the sleeping gas...
[13:52] "So besides bludgeoning the poor bastard over the head, how do we keep him out?"
[13:53] "That's how we usually do it..." She admits, a bit of a smile on her face.
[13:53] "But...there's some tranquilizer in..." She opens a drawer, draws a needle, and slides it into the man's arm quite cleanly, pressing down on the stud.
[13:53] "This is...generally more humane."
[13:53] "Heh... Well, if it's possible to reduce the trauma to their bodies, then all the better. Tranq works- yeah, I agree."
[13:54] She smiles. "But Skull Man and Minato are rarely...interested in that sort of thing."
[13:54] "I'm no doctor, but I think he's got enough bruises to be held accountable for."
[13:54] "They're a bit different, aren't they?"
[13:55] "They are."
[13:55] "I think I prefer that Skull Man over Headphones."
[13:56] "It's just a matter of vibe, I guess."
[13:56] "Minato..." She frowns and looks away. "Skull Man is a good director."
[13:56] "..."
[13:56] "Did something happen, to that boy, I mean."
[13:56] It really seems like no one wants to talk about Minato.
[13:56] "Someone his age shouldn't be so sullen, but if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine."
[13:56] "He's not sullen..." She whispers.
[13:57] "I'm sorry. What would you describe him as? You've known him longer than I, after all."
[13:57] "But only if you're comfortable with talking about him, I mean."
[13:57] "...dead inside." She murmurs, still staring at the unconscious guarde.
[13:57] *guard
[13:58] "Dead... inside?"
[13:58] "Heh. Almost sounds like a brand of computer chip."
[13:58] She doesn't reply.
[13:59] "So..."
[13:59] "Let's swap stories, huh?"
[13:59] She brightens up just a bit at that, the cloud of Minato passed away.
[14:00] "You first."
[14:00] His fingers slide the wallet back onto the table, his notes scribbled neatly onto a note card are laid to rest atop the leather piece.
[14:01] "Well... Where to begin?"
[14:01] "The beginning is usually good..."
[14:01] "I'm a born-and-bred liberal Britannian, went to college for a year and a half or so in general studies before switching over to Criminal Psychology.
[14:02] "One day, I was on my way home..."
[14:03] "Took a train 'cross the continent to get there. I passed out sometime in the midst of the trip."
[14:03] "My family is fairly well off. My mother and father live comfortable lives with my younger siblings. A brother and a sister. They call me, sometimes."
[14:04] She smiles. "That's nice...you must have nice parents."
[14:04] "Got a little house in the country, with a great garden, and green hills and other little houses dotting the landscape... Yeah, they're great people."
[14:05] "They raised me right, I think," said with a smirk, "But I'm digressing a bit."
[14:05] "On the way home, I pass out..."
[14:06] "And...?"
[14:06] "When I come to, it's already three days past. And in an alley of a town along the train's route... With these things in place of my real limbs."
[14:07] Fuuka covers her mouth with her hands.
[14:07] "I was a boxer, you know. Used to fight a lot in the ring, but I can't really do that so much anymore- not with normal people, anyway."
[14:07] He chuckles. At least he's in good spirits- despite... Everything, "No, it's fine. They were able to save lives today."
[14:08] "MIne, Yukari's, and Junpei's..."
[14:08] "I guess you can call them a blessing within a curse? Yeah. That's right."
[14:08] "He's pretty good with that broom, I gotta say."
[14:09] "Junpei?"
[14:10] "Yeah."
[14:10] "He's a good guy." She agrees.
[14:10] "You probably weren't concious, but he got that thing right in the eye before he got a tail to the chest."
[14:10] "He's alright, right?"
[14:10] "I, um...I heard."
[14:10] "He was describing it...in...um...in great detail."
[14:10] "He said you softened it up for him."
[14:10] "That's good... Huh? Heh, was he?"
[14:11] "Hahaha, I guess I did."
[14:11] "And he helped me out, too."
[14:11] "...that's..." She gives a bit of a smile. "Not what he was saying."
[14:11] "He said you nearly got skewered when you fell on your butt."
[14:11] "If it wasn't for him, I probably couldn't have gotten that last punch in."
[14:12] "...Uh..."
[14:12] "That... Kinda was him."
[14:12] "I thought so," she nods.
[14:12] "Unless I suffered another bout of memory lapse, y'know."
[14:12] "Thomas." Comes Skull Man's voice. "We need you upstairs."
[14:12] "I want a more...accurate...description of the fight."
[14:13] "Heh, we were just talking about that, actually."
[14:13] "Also, your first client is here."
[14:13] He felt lighter now, at least. Having someone to talk to always helps...
[14:13] "So we have a job for you to take care of."
[14:13] Fuuka nods. "I can take care of this..."
[14:13] "You go ahead, okay?"
[14:13] "And...don't be too mad at him."
[14:13] He turns for a moment to Fuuka, "Well, looks like I'm being called off. See you later, wish me luck!"
[14:14] "Ha! It's fine. I know a few guys back home like him."
[14:15] Upstairs, the sultry redhead from earlier is talking with Yukari.
[14:15] Again, back to the floor above...
[14:15] She gives Thomas the once-over with her visible eye, and it's vaguely like being sized up by a predator.
[14:15] Just close behind the Skull Man, it seems... "So what do you look like under that thing anyway...?"
[14:16] A shudder.
[14:16] Jeez, that felt almost as bad as being stared at by the monster...
[14:16] She purses those full red lips. "So you're the one who killed the Requiem, too."
[14:17] At least with the monster you could ignore it and punch, but... Well, to be frank, she was dead hot, "Heh, yeah. I got the last punch in."
[14:18] At least he could be thankful that the arms didn't betray his heartbeat.
[14:18] She strides over, smooth as silk, and leans in for a better look.
[14:18] "Britannian...you'll do."
[14:18] "I'll... do?"
[14:18] She slips a card into his hand. "I'm heading out, Yukari...see you later."
[14:18] I'd do her...
[14:18] No! Bad thought!
[14:18] "Oh, uh, thanks!"
[14:19] With that, she walks out, hips swaying from side to side like a far-too-seductive palm tree.
[14:19] "Later, Mitsuru!" Yukari chirps.
[14:19] It was like a black hole.
[14:19] "The case details," Skull Man notes.
[14:19] And his eyes were light.
[14:19] "Right, right.
[14:20] Tear... your eyes... AWAY.
[14:20] ...Only possible once she left the room.
[14:20] Minato heads out the door without a look at anyone, closing it behind him.
[14:20] After wards, he'd have flipped the car over in his fingers, eyes scrolling carefully over the contents.
[14:21] The card has a place and a name scribed on it.
[14:21] The address is 1772 Browning Street.
[14:21] The name is Michael O'Hara.
[14:22] Underneath both, in neat, black handwriting are the words "MISSING PERSON."
[14:22] "So uh..." He conscribed the contents to memory and glanced up, "You needed to confirm the results of the combat?"
[14:22] Missing person...
[14:22] Interesting.
[14:22] "No," Skull Man says, bemused. "Minato had a few questions, but I think he figured it out for himself."
[14:23] "Oh, heh, I needed to ask him about something, too..."
[14:23] "Maybe when I get back."
[14:23] "Mmm?"
[14:23] "I'm trying to figure out if any of the victims have anything in common."
[14:24] "Not that we've been able to tell."
[14:24] "Like children, workplace, work district..."
[14:24] "They work for different companies, or no companies. They pop up all over the city."
[14:24] "I can sense them. So can Minato."
[14:24] "Is there any pattern to the appearances?"
[14:24] "I mean, geometrically, not just geographically."
[14:24] "No, I'm afraid not."
[14:25] "Why? Do you think you have some idea as to what's causing it?"
[14:25] "Well, I was thinking if it was a geometric pattern, then the cause was an intelligent, propogating force."
[14:25] "If it wasn't geometric or geographic, then it could be based on victim mental state prior to the affliction."
[14:26] "...Or even predicted state once the affliction passes."
[14:26] "It doesn't pass," Skull Man replies.
[14:26] "It's removed, or it takes up root in them and can't be removed without death."
[14:26] "It's recurring?"
[14:26] "I see..."
[14:26] "No. Once a Requiem is removed, we've observed that it never returns."
[14:26] "We have a list of people being watched. Yukari can get it for you."
[14:27] "Mm. So the body or the mind develops an immunity for it."
[14:27] He pats Thomas on the shoulder. "Or a person can only ever have one requiem."
[14:27] "Yeah. I'd like to see if their psychological states have anything in common."
[14:27] "I'm going to head out and follow Minato - when he starts acting like this, it means he's got a lead."
[14:27] "That might be, too. Though... Hey, I'm curious."
[14:27] "Mm?"
[14:27] "Did you ever get a weird phone call?"
[14:27] "A weird phone call?"
[14:27] "Like, just a really, really strange voice on the other end? Says something, and hangs up?"
[14:28] "I get a lot of weird phone calls."
[14:28] "Yeah. I got a weird phone call telling me to get over here."
[14:28] "No. Nothing like that."
[14:28] "It mentioned a Tower of Oblivion."
[14:28] It's impossible to tell if he blinks or not. "I see."
[14:28] "Unusual."
[14:28] A chuckle, "Even for around here?"
[14:29] "Yeah. I think I might be being watched by... Something. It called me after taking that thing out- 'Good Job,' it said."
[14:29] "I'll look into it." He agrees.
[14:29] "Anyway, I'd best catch up with Minato. Your room key is in the desk - Yukari can get it for you."
[14:29] "Thanks for that, boss. Speaking of Good Jobs, I better get to doing mine, huh?"
[14:30] "Alright. Good luck with him."
[14:31] "Thank you."
[14:31] Skull Man heads out.
[14:32] "Well..."
[14:32] "Going to bed?" Yukari offers, dangling the key out.
[14:32] His hands slipped into his jacket pockets...
[14:33] "Heh, after today...?"
[14:33] "Well, is there any rush to get to this job?"
[14:33] "I mean, in your opinion."
[14:33] She gives a bit of a grin.
[14:33] "What do you think?"
[14:33] "Heh."
[14:33] "I think I might be in for a long night."
[14:33] "Sleep well."
[14:33] "And you."
[14:34] "Not likely."
[14:34] She kicks back and puts her feet up on the desk.
[14:34] "I don't get off for until sunrise."
[14:34] *off until
[14:34] "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll be out trailing some guy..."
[14:35] "I got a ton of sleep on the way over, anyway. A whole four hours."
[14:35] She laughs at that.
[14:35] The first rule of Forensics...
[14:36] The longer a trail is left untouched...
[14:36] The colder it becomes.