(Untitled)

[firebrands]

Characters: Itou, Franziska, Stein, and Kasai
Location: The edge of the football field near Death City Heights.
Rating: PG-13
Time: January 1, about an hour after this.
Description: Kasai has a gentlemanly discussion on the merits of arson, and then gets his ass handed to him.

Comments

On the way to the field - Itou

[firebrands]

HI! Sorry, I was away on the weekend.

[thricepawned]

There was something unsatisfying about seeing New Year happen barely six months after last year's celebrations. There was something unsatisfying about this world's New Year, in general, Itou thought nastily, as he stalked down the streets in the cold because exercise was a necessary activity for someone recovering from death and three weeks in a hospital, and the apartments in the Communal were too small for that

It's totally fine!

[firebrands]

He'd expected people to catch up with him eventually. The Watch, even while celebrating, was doubtless still running its patrols around the city - the Witches didn't take days off, though they had been eerily polite over the last month or so. And it wasn't like he was going to try and avoid capture, especially after broadcasting his own damn face over the entire network. But he was caught a little off-guard when he noticed someone moving directly toward him instead of toward the fire like most of the other people on the streets. They weren't moving quickly, or with intent, but nonetheless they were headed toward him, so he slowed his walk as the man approached.

"The root word in fireworks is 'fire'," Kasai pointed out, keeping a careful eye on the man in case of any sudden attacks of morality or conscience. "So, technically, I did. I think it looks pretty impressive. Even celebratory." The new year, rung in with absolute style. Nobody was going to forget this. "Why? You think I should have done differently

[thricepawned]

Itou raised his single hand as he approached to indicate that he was not only unarmed (literally, one arm), but also didn’t intend to try anything with the man. He stopped steps away, just far away enough to be comfortable.

“No,” he replied blandly, “It’s none of my business how people celebrate their holidays. I’m, ah, culturally sensitive,” Itou put in, for the lack of a better term. “And more importantly, it’s not my duty to mind other people’s businesses here. I am curious, though.”

The arrest - Franziska, Stein

[firebrands]

[histrionicflair]

Fires like that don't start themselves, as fires like that don't get posted over the network just like that. And so, fueled by her own need to prove herself as capable as she once thought herself to be, she went out on a search for the arsonist without telling anyone she knew about it.

It worked just about as well as one would expect. She had no back up. She had no clues other than that video. And she had little patience for things. How she found herself in the snow-laden football field was something brought about by sheer luck. She had no idea the arsonist was there.

As far as she knows, the arsonist must have been far gone by now. What kind of fool stays so close to the scene of the crime anyway? She kicks at the snow angrily.

Of all the foolish things to foolishly happen on this foolish day...

[firebrands]

From a distance, the glow of the fire was a little overshadowed by the general glow of the city, but he could still see it just fine. People were getting angry at him on the network - as he'd expected, and hoped - and Kasai had amused himself by responding to them. Katsuragi in particular had blown a gasket. Now he was tapping at the screen, making sure it didn't freeze in the cold, and hunkering down further in his coat to make sure he didn't freeze, either.

He saw someone over on the edge of the field, angrily kicking at the snow. What someone would be doing out here at this time of night wasn't clear. She didn't look like law enforcement, but given the makeup of this city, she might have been part of the Watch. Well, not like he'd been looking to hide ...

"You lost?" he called, slipping the communicator away and letting out a cloud of cigarette smoke.

[histrionicflair]

"I know exactly where I am." It was true, so long as they don't get philosophical about this. "But what are you doing here?" she asked. It's a strange place to be in the middle of the night. Granted, Death City is a strange place and she has yet to get used to it but still, it does make this man very suspicious.

Not suspicious enough to be immediately accused of arson though.