Day 57: Library (third shift)

[unpriest]

The meal shift had come to an end without being able to ease Seishin's confusion. In fact, the conversation with Vino-san had only served to raise even more questions than he initially had. It had all sounded so strange and unreal, though he didn't think the other man had any reason to lie to him. He couldn't help but to be a little skeptical,

Comments

[fourstonewalls]

As soon as brunch had ended, Lana and Edgeworth went their separate ways, at least as much as one could do so when they both intended to stop by the bulletin board.

The library was quiet, as it ought to be, with just a low murmur of conversation. The loudest sound was coming from Dent, pacing up and down the aisles. Nervous energy, perhaps; the basement didn't sound like a hospitable destination, and nerves were understandable. She was looking for a little more peaceful afternoon, and so after flashing him a reassuring smile, she walked to the next aisle.

She stepped up to the first shelf and looked for something she hadn't read before -- it was a nice collection of classical literature, too little of which she'd had time to read. She slid The Island of Doctor Moreau off the shelf, and turned around to find an empty chair.

[Meekins!]

[dork_at_duty]

After the very pleasant conversation with Mr. Tolten (or wait... just "Tolten," as the man had asked him to call him), Meekins found himself ushered out of the cafeteria and into the large room where he had run into Mr. Wright only a few hours ago. Except that now, calling it a "Sun Room" would be a misnomer, since it was dark, like a movie theater

[fourstonewalls]

"I believe you're right." For what was quite possibly the first time in his life, it seemed.

She looked at the young man, dressed in the standard-issue Institute sweats, and tried to imagine him in an LAPD uniform. It might have been easier if he'd at least been in that farce the soldiers dressed them in, but she was beginning to think that nothing would help in this case. She finished sitting down, and motioned at a second chair.

That might not be obvious enough. "Please, sit down." She spoke just above a whisper, hoping she might lead by example and at least keep this one-sided reunion marginally private. Maybe it would give Dent some entertainment.

"Tell me, Officer Meekins, wasn't it?" The name wasn't ringing any bells, but the man looked junior. She hoped. "Did anyone ever tell you that libraries are supposed to be quiet places?"

[dork_at_duty]

"Y-Yes, Ms. Skye," he cringed. Though it was nice to be right about something for once, it was much nicer when it was about getting letters correct on a hangman game than in knowing how clumsy he was. "At least I wasn't fully running this time, Sir? I guess you could call it 'speed walking...'"

He remained standing, looking wistfully at the chair before him as Ms. Skye seated herself. "I'm sorry, Sir, but... I'm not allowed to sit down until dinner tonight, Sir." His face was now contorted in shame. "You see... I... was a little too loud to a soldier last night, and he put me on notice for 'insolence'. So, I'm not allowed to sit down until tonight, and I wasn't allowed to eat breakfast today either. If it wasn't for Police Chief -- er, I mean, ex Police Chief -- Gant, I would have had to starve all day, Sir

[fourstonewalls]

As Meekins spoke, Lana's eyebrows continued their upwards creep, reaching a peak she was quite sure was unprecedented. Then he saluted, and she winced.

Damon? Pity? On him? Even if the man had apparently been embroiled in the mess that had been his downfall, surely Gant wouldn't have needed to go that far to avoid publicity. Especially given that discretion was nearly a lost cause. Though he did seem to have wound to a halt of his own accord.

"Perhaps a corner." Lana stood, and marched back to the end of one of the aisles, one not occupied. "You can call me Lana. No need to stand on ceremony, hmm?" The pun would be lost on him, but perhaps the content would not. Chief Prosecutor was a title best left in the past -- and the future -- where it belonged. This little respite might be temporary, but they needed to make the most of it.

[dork_at_duty]

[OOC: Sorry for the lateness!]As Ms. Skye's eyebrows rose, Meekins wondered if he'd said something wrong anyway. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time either

[fourstonewalls]

He was floundering. Oh, dear. "Relax, Mr. Meekins. Call me whatever makes you most comfortable." Chief Prosecutor would be an insult from anyone else from his time, but she wasn't sure he had the wit to understand that logic, let alone construct it.

She hadn't meant the move as punishment; sitting while he stood felt much more like disciplinary action, but she supposed he had good reason for the assumption.

"You like art? If you don't mind me asking, what made you join the force?" She would have followed it it with and how, precisely, did you succeed? Except that she knew exactly why standards had fallen, and how. Certain departments needed people who would ask no questions -- or, in terms of present company, not realize there were questions to ask.

[dork_at_duty]

"Yes, Sir!" Indeed, he seemed to be much more comfortable in his own skin the moment Ms. Skye gave him leave to call her by the more formal appellations he was accustomed to. "Thank you very much, Ms. Skye, Sir!" Again, he smacked his forehead in a brisk salute.

"Of course I like art, Sir! Doesn't everyone? It was one of my best subjects in school, Chief Prosecutor!" He gave a rather proud grin at that. "And the reason I joined the police force was because I want to help fight crime, just like they do on T.V., Sir!" He looked down at his feet then continued in a smaller voice. "...And because I was rejected from every detective job I applied for..."

Forcing himself to brighten up, Meekins looked back up at the Chief Prosecutor. "How about you, Sir? What made you choose to be a prosecutor instead of a forensic scientist like your little sister? You would have been really good at it, Sir!"

[fourstonewalls]

"Hah!" Surprise hooked in below her breastbone pulled the laughter out of her -- not unwilling, but unexpecting. No one had ever compared her to Ema, not on a professional level

[dork_at_duty]

That self-derisive snort wasn't lost on Meekins. Again, the sad look appeared on Meekins' face as he addressed Ms. Skye's dismissal of his admiration. "But you are smart enough to be a forensic scientist, if you wanted to! You shouldn't sell yourself short, Sir!" he exclaimed in what he hoped sounded like an encouraging tone

[fourstonewalls]

Lana had never been especially comfortable taking compliments, at least not when they weren't warranted. She'd been a good detective, and most of her prosecutorial career was something she could stand behind, but this display of earnest faith was too easily abused. Even if they desperately needed the kind of honesty it indicated, naivete wasn't necessary. He knew what she'd done, and he still was going on about it.

Then he got to the part about von Karma, and her eyebrows, which had finally gotten some rest, went back up. My, my, Prosecutor. Felled by handwriting, were we? The perfect crime was an illusion, they all knew that, but making such a rookie mistake!? She was almost disappointed. Perhaps she'd track down Damon and see what, precisely, had happened; he couldn't have been involved, except administratively in the investigation, and his description of the facts a little less...confused

Sorry for the long wait for such a short tag D:

[dork_at_duty]

"Actually, Sir... now that you mention it, I was wondering about something." Meekins scratched his head. "I've noticed that people seem to like to speak in code on the bulletin board. In particular, they seem to avoid using the word 'tonight.' Why is that, Sir?"

no prob!

[fourstonewalls]

At least he'd gathered it was a code. Small miracles.

"The staff frown upon frank discussion of the true nature of this establishment." That was likely too subtle, but he'd have all afternoon to puzzle it out. "If you put up something that talks about tonight or last night, it's liable to be removed before it gets to the person you wanted to see it