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Day 43: Sun Room, Second Shift

Aug 13, 2009 10:50

When the shift changed, HK stayed put. Even after a long night of zombie killing, he had no interest in meatbag fuel, especially after all the discussion of chocolate with that rather strange meatbag. It was just making him crave the stuff even more than he had previously, if that was possible ( Read more... )

raine, klavier, kitty pryde, tenzen, tsubaki, xigbar, scott pilgrim, kuukaku, jason, forte, miku, junpei, zex, luxord, lunge, kanji, hughes, lugnut, brainiac 5, james bond, hk-47, albedo, hanekoma, kvothe, kio, depth charge, two-face, apollo, souji seta, the scarecrow, schuldig, beatrix, ryoji, l, subaru

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herr_inspektor August 13 2009, 17:50:39 UTC

Galvin’s testimony had been useful to him. From it (as well as the sources on the bulletin board) Lunge had been able to determine that there were scientific forces at worth here that he did not yet fully understand. For now, at least, the logical paradox that came with the existence of monsters had been resolved and he could move on to wrapping his head around the Institute and its inner workings- no mean feat, considering that he had neither a crime scene to inspect nor a witness to interview, let alone evidence or even a definite victim ( ... )

quarter_english August 15 2009, 01:53:13 UTC

As the nurse escorted him from brunch back to the Sun Room, L began to scan the people in it, looking for a tall, dark-haired man in his early fifties. Appearances might be deceiving, but in his own experience, that description, and the knowledge that Lunge claimed to be an inspector for Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, made it seem unlikely that he would choose the wrong man to speak to by mistake ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 15 2009, 18:16:38 UTC

It wasn't long before a likely candidate entered the room- likely, at least, in that they seemed to look around before settling in a chair next to him. What Lunge hadn't expected was for said candidate to look so very... well. Not Japanese. Aside from the dark hair and eyes, there was little about the man to suggest anything but Western heritage. So, 'Ryuuzaki' was almost definitely a false name, then ( ... )

quarter_english August 15 2009, 19:51:31 UTC

L's first response was surprise: he heard Lunge claiming not to speak English in perfect English. The same realization that some unknown factor allowed the people trapped in Landel's to communicate followed on the heels of his surprise. For the moment, he elected not to question it; understanding why it was happening might be part of unraveling the greater mysteries of the place, but it would not help either of them at the moment.

"We are lucky. It seems not to matter." He spoke in English this time, relieved that comprehension wouldn't be a problem, but said the phrase We are lucky with a faint hint of irony: he would not describe anything else about their situation, as he understood it, as fortunate ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 15 2009, 20:22:41 UTC

Lucky, lucky them. Lunge caught the ironic little undertone to Ryuuzaki's observation and returned it with the barest hint of a smile. At least he seemed to have figured out the language issue fairly swiftly; reasonable but stilted speech would only have hindered their progress ( ... )

quarter_english August 15 2009, 20:55:27 UTC

L felt hesitant. Everything about this place, so far, with the exception of his initial meeting with the man who called himself HK-47, suggested that the things he had been told were true, or mostly true.

He knew himself to be sane, so it was reasonable to assume that other people here might be, and that the claims made on the bulletin board had at least a degree of validity. Matt had not seemed unstable, and Amane had seemed to be -- herself, as he knew her, after having shared his most recent residence with her for months.

In light of the situation, it seemed possible that a man claiming to be an agent of the Bundeskriminalamt might be delusional, but even if he were, he was acting the part to such a degree of realism that he might be indistinguishable from a real inspector -- at least for their current purposes. I cannot presume that he is mentally stable, but if the performance of this role is necessary to maintain his own identity, he will still be a useful ally here. He will keep to it as long as it is possible for him to do ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 16 2009, 20:45:43 UTC

More fidgeting and twitching. Not so much the anxious as thoughtful, as though the motions encouraged a smoother sequence of thoughts. But even if the act was not anxious that wasn't to say the actor was perfectly comfortable. The two were clearly still walking uncertain territory; almost everything Ryuuzaki said seemed to go through some kind of monitored system. Lunge couldn't help but feel that, for every spoken word, another twenty had been considered and discarded. The process was one he knew well himself, not least because he had been doing precisely the same since the conversation had begun ( ... )

quarter_english August 16 2009, 22:02:19 UTC

There was a small collapse of L's shoulders, intensifying his slouch; it was frustrating that Lunge came from a world apparently different enough that they had not heard of each other.

"Yes, and no. My existence was not well-known to the public until recently. I am not a policeman, myself; rather, I direct the police involved with a given case, if I choose to accept it."

Even if they had come from the same world, or one that was similar, L himself was aware that the natural consequence of his attempts to keep himself anonymous meant that anyone could claim to be L; he used this to his advantage in his work. That Lunge seemed willing to accept his identity without further preamble or proof might be more "luck" -- but it is obvious that we will each be watching the other to continue to confirm the claims that we have heard."It is difficult to know where to begin, Herr Lunge ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 17 2009, 16:54:19 UTC

A sociopathic machine…?And that was precisely why he would have to be careful with just who he associated with. Without moving his head he followed L’s nod across the room, to where the two men sat in deep conversation. The fact that L was not so outwardly disturbed was one of the few reasons he kept their conversation going. In all honesty, Lunge had every reason to have doubts about him; false names, withheld information, uncertain identities… everything about the man begged for suspicion. For background checks and research and careful character analysis ( ... )

quarter_english August 17 2009, 21:09:56 UTC

When Lunge made the comment about research, L replied with a decisive nod.

"To be honest, it doesn't matter yet whether or not they have investigative skill. There is no quick way to tell who here is sane and who is not, or who is likely to tell the truth, but if they have constructed an identity in which they are in some way involved with law enforcement and investigation, they will probably cling to this identity for as long as possible." The insinuation was there, too: this could also describe either of us.

"As long as the work of an investigator is part of a given patient's identity, there is a strong chance that they will pursue an investigation to the best of their ability. In a place like this, it's the most we can hope for. However, nothing can attest to the quality of their results: at a moment of desperation in terms of maintaining the identity, they might just create -- and later present -- 'clues' that they have 'discovered.' It isn't yet possible to tell."

For what it's worth, Herr Lunge, he thought, you do not strike ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 18 2009, 18:42:53 UTC

“Which is why we must tread carefully,” Lunge responded without missing a beat. His expression bore the same knowing glint as it had before, acknowledgment the distance between the two of them. I’ll be watching you carefully, but you know that, don’t you? I don’t think you would have asked to speak with me if you thought I wouldn’t. You’re smarter than that.As for the men he was going to be speaking with later… well. He would just have to see, wouldn’t he ( ... )

quarter_english August 19 2009, 10:52:56 UTC

L leaned forward, his demeanor gaining in intensity. "In this case, no body means that there is no way to know whether what occurred was a crime, or a performance.

"Even a body would not tell us much. Any body could be presented as Landel's after the fact, to people who had not seen him before. A description to us would not be enough; the people who have seen him would have to confirm the identity of the body for themselves. Then, we always return to the question of how reliable they are."

He gave Lunge a slow nod, after listening to the explanation of his theory about Landel's psychology. "Yes, I agree -- although I think we are speaking of degrees. If everything we have been told about this place so far is true, Landel was deadly to begin with. The question there is how he was deadly, in the precise sense ( ... )

herr_inspektor August 20 2009, 07:18:43 UTC

[Sorry I didn’t post this sooner, my internet had spontaneous myocardial infarction. BUT YES. I am SO sorry for the general fail this shift! Fate conspired against me for this one I think, orz]The corner of the inspector’s mouth twitched in a smile as L added his own links to the chain of thoughts. While this wasn’t the time to discuss the matter of profiling at length, he couldn’t resist continuing. “Naturally. The man already has a sizeable body count from what I’ve heard, regardless his state of mind ( ... )

quarter_english August 21 2009, 13:46:24 UTC

L understood that Lunge was watching him -- expected it, in fact. A good investigator should be suspicious of him, to some extent, and they should be analyzing his behavior. Noticing it was almost reassuring: it showed keen intelligence, capability, the idea that L would not be the only person addressing their situation in a serious way.

He was used to working alone, but always with eyes and ears and hands. Only time would show whether Lunge was as reliable and skilled as it seemed that he might be, but L had a fleeting thought: This is someone I might choose to work with even if I were not forced to do so.Still, when Lunge said he would find membership in a club to be an unwelcome distraction, L tilted his head, frowning a little ( ... )

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