there's nothing we can do but play cops and robbers

[vinovidivici]

Who: OPEN
When: November 27th onwards
Where: City of Siren’s Port
Summary: Any actions/encounters relating to the Rail Tracer investigations sparked by Czeslaw’s broadcast can go in here. You can tag in with an open comment or leave your date/location in the comment header for specific threads.
Warnings: To be added as necessary. Let's kick things

Comments

In and around Sector 4 or the Underground Mall | 11/27 - 12/3 | open for questioning or the like

[immortale]

[Maybe he's just left the boarding house on his way to work or maybe he's wandering around in some bit of spare time, but he's likely to be lost in thought, with hands shoved into pockets of an overcoat as he makes his way through the streets.]

11/27; afternoon

[topslug]

[ At this point, the official police search for Claire Stanfield hasn't been put into motion yet-- but perplexingly, despite Yako and Neuro's combined efforts, the man just can't seem to be found. For the moment, then, she's resigned herself to trying to catch ahold of the people who know him instead. After all, she's barely acquainted with the man; it might do to gather a little more information on him before she actually accuses him of anything.

She isn't actively looking for Firo, but she'd taken note of the people who responded to Benjamin's post, and he's one of the people she's keeping an eye out for. Which is why it's funny that she literally runs into him-- as she navigates the crowded street, she ends up bumping hard into his shoulder as someone rudely shoves past her and makes her stumble. ]

[immortale]

[Firo had been in a sour mood since Czeslaw's borderline accusation -- and asking Claire about it had only complicated his feelings on the matter. Going out to get some air hadn't helped him in sorting through things at all, either... His relationship with Czeslaw was already complicated at best, but his loyalty to Claire is making him start to doubt whether anything between them was really the way the young immortal said it was.

He's deep in thought when he feels someone's weight hit against his shoulder.]

'scuse me.

[The irritable-sounding apology is muttered without thinking, but Firo also glances to see who it was who'd run into him. When he does, his manner brightens at the sight of a friendly face.] Oh!

Are you alright, Miss Katsuragi? [It doesn't look like she's tripped, but something must've made her run into him.]

[topslug]

Sorry-- [ Yako's apology cuts off when she recognizes Firo just about the same time he recognizes her. Judging by the expression on her face, she's feeling pleasantly surprised as well-- though for not entirely altruistic reasons. ]

I'm fine, Mr. Prochainezo. [ She looks at him with candid curiosity; the shift in mood hadn't escaped her, and while she has questions for him of her own... ]

What about you? Are you alright? [ She's probably not just asking about his shoulder. ]

[immortale]

Oh... [He turns to face her properly, shaking his head.] I'm fine. You didn't hit very hard.

[His worries about Claire and Czeslaw have momentarily gone from his mind, and so the potential double meaning of Yako's question goes straight over his head. But while the distraction is welcome...] Were you headed somewhere? Don't let me keep you.

[topslug]

[ Well, when he puts it like that... ]

Actually, you were just the person I was looking for. [ Not him specifically, per say, but anyone who knew Claire. She glances around for a good place to sit down and spots a small cafe decked out in holiday ornaments. ] Are you busy right now?

[immortale]

Me? [The surprise of hearing that Yako had been looking for him is plainly written on his face. In that case, (literally) bumping into each other must have been quite the coincidence...]

Er... No, I can't say that I am. [Good thing, too, or else he'd spend the rest of the day curious about why she'd been looking for him, of all people.]

[topslug]

[ He might be understandably less happy to know she was looking for him once he finds out why. She almost feels bad for interrupting Firo's day like this, but no doubt Neuro would be more violent about it...

Still, talking in the street about this isn't exactly the best move. Clearing her throat, Yako nods towards the cafe. ]

Then, do you mind if we sit down for a bit? [ Might as well be comfortable. And it's not like she'll be bribing him with food, right? ]

[immortale]

[He follows the direction of the nod to the cafe, and then gives a nod of his own.]

That's fine; I don't mind. [Moving out of the way beats staying in the middle of the busy street, where either one of them are likely to get run into again. He starts towards the cafe, wanting to ask what this is about, but holds his tongue... for now.]

[topslug]

[ Yako doesn't seem to see fit to enlighten him any more than that, though, at least until they've sat themselves down at a table. Yako considers the menu longingly before she decides against ordering anything for now; it wouldn't do to get distracted.

Well, on to business. ]

Mr. Claire Stanfield is a friend of yours, isn't he?

[immortale]

[ Something in Firo's stomach gives a sharp turn at the mention of Claire's name and his expression hardens, as everything he's been thinking over since this morning suddenly floods his mind once more. Did Yako see that message? He'd scanned over a few of the replies, but he can't remember if he saw any from her. Could this question be unrelated? The timing seems too suspicious for that.

Regardless of his questions, he keeps his reply simple: ] He is.

bawww firo don't make me feel bad for you

[topslug]

[ Yako doesn't need to be very good at reading people to see the way Firo's expression changes, but she keeps her own as neutral as possible-- though the easy smile has been replaced by a more serious look. ]

Then you know what he's been accused of. [ She pauses, leaning forward in her chair, and keeps her gaze fixed on him. ]

I just want to ask one thing: do you think he'd be capable of doing something like that? [ In some ways, it doesn't matter what Firo actually says: his response will tell her what she wants to know. ]

[immortale]

[ Firo nods once, slowly, to confirm that he knows what Claire's been accused of, but remains quiet until Yako has asked her question. Is 'Vino', the genius assassin, capable of what Czeslaw said?

Of course he is.

Firo remains quiet for a long moment after the question is asked, watching Yako as intently as she him. He's not going to lie about it, but he doesn't want Yako to get the wrong idea about what happened, either. ]

He is. I'm not going to insult Claire by claiming he's not-and anyway, I'd be lying if I said that. But whether he's capable of it and whether he killed those people in the paper are different things... I can promise you that he didn't do it.

[topslug]

[ Yako looks at Firo closely, expression serious for a few moments more-- and then, impossibly, she relaxes, leaning back in her seat with a broad smile a little more like the one she greeted him when she first saw him. ]

All right, then. That's good enough for me. [ A bit more soberly: ] I'm not sure it's good enough for the police, though. They haven't put out any official notices about him, but... [ At the rate things are going, for lack of any other leads... it's just a matter of time. ]

Have you ever done any detective work before, Mr. Prochainezo? [ The switch in conversational tracks might be a bit abrupt, but she does have a point to all this. ]