Grief In the Shell: Madokapunk IC Thread

[strawberryman]

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Tower - Floor 44)

Nadica rolls into the apartment where this is transpiring.

She quietly processes this.

And then some more.

And then, she speaks. "...all right, you're not one of my cat wranglers, so who the **** are you, then?"

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia finally controls her coughing as she jumps to attention and bodily vaults over the back of the couch, trying to body slam Victor and grab onto him before he can grab the phone.

"What feelings, Vic!? I don't have a crush on her! Stop reading those smutty manga!"

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor is body-slammed, and grabbed onto. But he was already fairly close, and his arms are long. The phone is in his hands. Her words, though cause him pause.

"Smutty? Is beautiful romance! Anyway! If this is not so, then you can still just talk! Is plenty late enough!"

He yanks his phone under his chest, and carefully begins tapping again...

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Tower - Floor 44)

Nadica rolls into the apartment where this is transpiring.

She quietly processes this.

And then some more.

And then, she speaks. "...all right, you're not one of my cat wranglers, so who the **** are you, then?"

"Take five, Simba." He says to the lion.

"Yusaku's called in sick. The name's Hasunaga. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

...or not, judging from that vein on your forehead."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Tower - Floor 44)

"...I've had a bit of a day." In all actuality, Nadica is not quite as agitated as one would expect her to be. But still, there's an unknown man in her apartment. Or... well. She really thinks about it for a few seconds.

"So what's a war legend doing in my building? Or someone acting like him, for that matter." She's sharp, so it's no surprise she figured it out.

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia hefts Victor up with alarming ease... and then drops him through her coffee table.

...fortunately that's not an uncommon occurrence, so Vic is probably used to it, and Mia is sort of used to performing the drop with as little harm to her manager as possible.

"Why're you so desperate for me to talk to her anyway!? Stop being so nosy!" ...She at least holds off for Vic to move before continuing her assault. She's got standards, dammit!

[Kuroimaken]

[Warutsu Tower]

"Yeah, I guess not putting on a mask or something was laying it on too thick, huh?" Hasunaga responds. "I need your help figuring out the bombing of Kato Towers. I have reason to believe there might be military elements involved. Could even be people from my past, for all I know, so... I figured I'd lend a hand."

Nadica knows he couldn't exactly do it out in the open. Snake is the political equivalent of a time bomb. With Arata dead, his presence could give the JSDF the excuse it's been looking for to give Neo-Mitakihara hell.

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Vic stands. He dusts himself off. This is not a remotely foreign occurrence to him; sometimes, it's how Mia says hello! As such, it's not too surprising that his smile remains bright, as he waves his arms like he wants to embrace the world.

"Miss Mia, I am just so happy for you! Besides, you brought it up, and now you don't want to call! Is just nerves! There is no time like the present!"

To punctuate the point, he raises his phone, and begins to dial another couple of numbers.

As he's body-slammed into the opposite wall, his eyes catch Mia's, sincere admiration shining through them.

"I know you are up to challenge."

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

"Cold. I'm not going to rely on these wraiths being something you can freeze - magic ice will hold them, but it's always iffy when it comes to secondary effects like this water. Anything only partially magical, they'll slip through. Still, the last thing we want is steam. I've never heard of a wraith being blinded, so it'd just be impeding our own efforts if we sent up too much of that. I'm thinking..." Nuan taps her foot for a moment, as unsettled by the wraithsign as Makoto, but with decades of experience in dealing with it.

"We take it at a blitz. You drop the heaviest attack you can into the center of the nest. They'll almost certainly come for you first, but Hoa and I will stand near you just to ensure they get moving the direction we want. A mirror in front of us will slow them down, and I'll drop two more to our rear. You backstep through one and I'll drop you in... the tenth floor of the building there, overlooking us. Focus on reloading. Hoa and I have worked together before, so we can keep her moving through portals pretty consistently to stay away from them and pick off any wraiths that try anything funny. I don't have the offensive power of you two, but I can try to corral and disorient them, and my lasers can at least finish off damaged wraiths. When you're ready, signal, and Hoa and I will clear a space for you to take a second volley. If anything is left, we all close in and mop up."

"As always, everyone needs to keep to their toes and have their wits about them. Wraiths are dumb, but that doesn't mean they're predictable. Making assumptions is a good way to die. But for now, Makoto, does that sound like something you could pull off? You know the nuances of your power better than I do - I'm mostly falling on general-use artillery doctrine here. Bombardment might compensate for our smaller team size."

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

More rain. It's pushing on into evening now, with the descending sun slowly losing its battle to sneak a few rays onto the sodden surface of Neo-Mitakihara's streets and gardens. In some places, automated canopies surreptitiously extend, shielding delicate plants from the rampant deluge.

There's a knock. Again. And it's easy to look past the person doing the knocking, even with the door open.

"...Hello. You're Rio. I'm Kita Momoko. You... wanted to meet me?" Introductions are brief, and the guest seems ill at ease in the Koizumi household, even as she settles down on the edge of a couch, politely declining an offer of food. "...I don't normally go out to meet clients like this. But, uh. Chiyo-san has helped me out a lot so... this is a, um. Favor. For your mom."

Momoko keeps a tablet computer hugged to her chest almost perpetually with one arm, periodically loosening her grip to glance down at it or tap periodically at something on the screen. She's... one of the most astonishingly unremarkable people Rio has ever seen. The sort of person you could see in the company of two others, and later swear you'd only encountered a pair. Mousy brown hair hangs tightly around a nervous, pale face whose most prominent feature is the pair of glasses perched on its nose. Momoko looks to be dressed for a job as a secretary more than a manager, and if her posture were any more hunched, she'd be at serious risk of implosion. Still, she manages a nervous smile.

"...so. Hi. Sorry you're caught up in all... this. I know it's sort of a crazy world to get. Thrust into. Where do you want to start?"

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower)

Rio looks over Momoko, and Kin has by this point done his customary examination. The teenager frowns over something for a few moments before responding.

"...I've been asking people some questions. So I guess there."

"What mashou have you worked with?"

"Why'd you decide to be a manager?"

"Who do you think you've helped the most?"

"And... what can you offer to me that's unique?" Chiyo might notice Rio's tone as being rather more focused and concise than normal, and it kind of seems like something is bothering her. But... they'd talk about this after the appointment, for sure.

[Warutsu Tower]

"Yeah, I guess not putting on a mask or something was laying it on too thick, huh?" Hasunaga responds. "I need your help figuring out the bombing of Kato Towers. I have reason to believe there might be military elements involved. Could even be people from my past, for all I know, so... I figured I'd lend a hand."

Nadica knows he couldn't exactly do it out in the open. Snake is the political equivalent of a time bomb. With Arata dead, his presence could give the JSDF the excuse it's been looking for to give Neo-Mitakihara hell.

Nadica takes a drag on her cigarette quietly and parses this for a few more seconds.

"So you messaged Gomie? The way he made it sound, it was some fanboy, which is pretty crazy considering... y'know. Me. So I have a few questions."

"Why stick your neck out for me? What makes you think this is military? And some hard facts on that would be nice. And... what do you have that proves I wasn't involved? If you're wrong, you're gonna look like an idiot."

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia suddenly stops after ramming Victor into the wall, looking to the ground quietly. For a few moments, there's just silence. But one could swear they hear a smoldering sound. "...what was that?"

SMASH. Mia punches a fist through the plaster just to the left of Vic's shoulder. "A challenge!? Are you making fun of me!? Hell yeah I'm up to a challenge! I'm gonna call her!" She grabs for Vic's phone, and inputs the last few numbers. "I'm gonna ask her out on a date! Ten dates! TWENTY! Profess my love for her! Get married! Have a buncha kids! Live happily ever after until we die in some kinda accident! DO YOU THINK I CAN'T!? WATCH ME!" She pushes the dial button, and the phone rings.

...Mia shakes her head after a few rings when she realizes what she's done. "...wait. Uh-"

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

"Cold. I'm not going to rely on these wraiths being something you can freeze - magic ice will hold them, but it's always iffy when it comes to secondary effects like this water. Anything only partially magical, they'll slip through. Still, the last thing we want is steam. I've never heard of a wraith being blinded, so it'd just be impeding our own efforts if we sent up too much of that. I'm thinking..." Nuan taps her foot for a moment, as unsettled by the wraithsign as Makoto, but with decades of experience in dealing with it.

"We take it at a blitz. You drop the heaviest attack you can into the center of the nest. They'll almost certainly come for you first, but Hoa and I will stand near you just to ensure they get moving the direction we want. A mirror in front of us will slow them down, and I'll drop two more to our rear. You backstep through one and I'll drop you in... the tenth floor of the building there, overlooking us. Focus on reloading. Hoa and I have worked together before, so we can keep her moving through portals pretty consistently to stay away from them and pick off any wraiths that try anything funny. I don't have the offensive power of you two, but I can try to corral and disorient them, and my lasers can at least finish off damaged wraiths. When you're ready, signal, and Hoa and I will clear a space for you to take a second volley. If anything is left, we all close in and mop up."

"As always, everyone needs to keep to their toes and have their wits about them. Wraiths are dumb, but that doesn't mean they're predictable. Making assumptions is a good way to die. But for now, Makoto, does that sound like something you could pull off? You know the nuances of your power better than I do - I'm mostly falling on general-use artillery doctrine here. Bombardment might compensate for our smaller team size."

"Right. Imagine my artillery options run on a range of 1 through 10. If I drop a 10, I have to switch to at least a 3 or 4 for a while before I can pull off something big again. I CAN use one big gun after another, but that burns through energy like crazy, and it leaves me with very few and weak options when I'm done. So it's not a good tactical choice, especially on multiple opponents.

If I focus entirely on reloading after the first volley, it should take me two minutes, thirty seconds before I can pull a big shot again. Twice that long if I use some saturation fire in the meantime. Your plan seems sound enough to me to pull off, but you're the ones keeping them busy while I'm readying another strike, and we don't know how many there'll be."

_______________________

[Warutsu Towers]

"I would've done it for anyone else. Can't afford the NMSF thinking they've got their culprit if the real bomber is still out there. We don't know if he got what he wanted, either, so there could be a second attempt.

My working theory so far is that the bombing was an attempt to conceal theft of some kind. Something Wishcraft had. That goes double since Arata was murdered mere hours before the bombing took place - that's another crime with military methods.

It's not enough to fool security in order to pull off an attack this big, Ms. Novak. They'd have to know exactly where to plant the bombs, which they'd need to bring in to begin with - the scale suggests long-term preparation. Which means someone would need to dodge security multiple times in order to get it done.

The alternative would be to bring multiple personnel capable of delivering the payloads. You don't have that many associates, let alone friends. And your file doesn't suggest you have experience handling military-grade explosives, either. Motive notwithstanding, you don't have what it'd take to bring Kato Towers down by yourself.

But, if they wanted to bring it down, they'd need someone of your caliber. Or someone who knows your methods. Either one is a hard find, which is why suspicions are on you right now. And I need to know what kind of methods those would be if I want to find the one responsible."

[Beans]

Leon considers the options for a moment.

*Bzzszzt* "You go to her. This isn't Masaki's modus operandi anyway, she is as clean as she can be."

Which, granted, probably isn't very clean.

Either way, Vocusta gets her picture. As I recall it is not so much a gun as it is a pile of gun parts.

"I have to go decide what to make of the JSDF and their battleship."

[Ward 3]
(ZT HQ)

Vo starts to analyze the picture, running pattern and shape programs to start projecting possibilities. Already, it's clear that this isn't one of the models she worked on, but she's familiar with the design so far as she can tell.

[Sucrose]

[Ward 1->Ward 3]

His plans changed by Duncan's suggestion, Satou gets a few minutes of sleep on the way to ZT HQ, and consumes an energy bar. By the time the two detectives get there, he's a bit more rested, and more nourished.
______________________
[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor gives Mia a huge, earnest grin, and a thumbs-up!

[Dorizzit]

[NMSF HQ]
Rest Quarters

Leysa is jolted out of her brief sleep as her phone suddenly begins to ring. Groggy from the nap, Leysa isn't her usual, attentive self. She doesn't even bother to look at the phone, fumbling for it with one arm before answering and putting it to her ear. She doesn't even bother to life her head from the pillow.

"...Sup?"

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

"With my poisons and restraints, and Nuan's mirrors and beams, I think we can manage it. I'd put our upper limit at... three hundred seconds. Two-fifty if we're playing it safe, which we really should. Speaking of which..." Hoa tosses her soul gem skywards, taking a few steps and flowing through a short and graceful transformation involving a substantial number of flower petals and a lot of green light. When the spectacle fades, she has her knives from the prior night, along with a suit of snug, midriff-baring leather armor embossed with vine-like patterns in green and gold.

Nuan takes this in with a bit of a smile while considering Makoto's commentary. Eventually, she begins pointing out positions.

"Alright then. I think Hoa's assessment is on the mark here, but I'm a little worried that a wraith or two might slip past us. So we'll aim for... let's shoot for four minutes post-contact for our second volley. Your primary focus is on prepping that, but I want you to have enough leeway to blast any stray wraiths that slip your way after the reposition. Hoa and I will be a lot safer if we don't have to worry about the odd wraith losing interest in us. If you can prep sooner, that's great, signal us, but prioritize keeping a light defense up."

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

"...I keep my client list pretty small. But, um. There's... actually a confidentiality clause in my contract, if you don't want to waive it, so I can't talk about most of them. Still, uh, of the ones I can... Morimoto Tsubaki? She stands out. You... know. A lot of mashou apparently. So maybe you know her. Sill..." Momoko traces a circle in the thick carpet with her toe, frowning a bit.

Spoiler: Knowledge: Mashou

Show

Morimoto Tsubaki is a bit of an oddball for being more famous as a businesswoman and entrepreneur than as a magical girl! She's quite wealthy and has investments in a number of major companies, including the Osaka-based Deep Blue Aquatechnologies - the publicly-funded group currently leading the charge in the environmental struggle to haul the oceans back from the sorry state inflicted on them prior to widespread adoption of the zeal engine.

"In a way, what I offer, I guess, is... normalcy? Just... you've got a lot on your plate. And I can take care of a lot of it. You can keep going to school. You won't have to worry about gossip or being stuffed in the tabloids. It's going to be hard to avoid the spotlight right now, but I can help make sure you get out of it fast, and people have other stuff to talk about. Hunting, too, I can, uh. Get you assigned to really good teams, so you'll have safe hunts, and you'll only really need to do them every once in a while to keep your soul gem clean. If you're willing to donate enough money, you can even get out of that."

"...speaking of which, I can get you with a pretty steady income, if you want it. I mean, nothing super huge, but basically no effort beyond maybe a commercial or something now and then, or an endorsement or appearance. Whatever you're comfortable with. From there I can see about your money being invested properly. I know people who can get really reliable returns on investment. I know it all sounds boring, but... um. Well. Start early and you'll have a really good baseline for success later in life, with whatever you want to do."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio fidgets noticeably during Momoko's speech, which elicits a slight head-quirk from Akio, who's watching from the kitchen as he's preparing... what looks to be makings for teriyaki chicken pizza.

The teenager just nods absently, not really saying anything during the speech. Momoko might catch onto her distracted mood, but whether she says anything is up to her. Still... Rio seems fairly eager to be done with this appointment, as she looks back to Momoko quietly, just trying to stay... polite, at least.

"...um. Okay. I don't have any more questions." She gives a short pause, in case Momoko has anything more to say. Otherwise... she stands and bows slightly. "...thank you for coming, Kita-san."

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Tower - Floor 44)

Nadica thinks over this quietly. Then shrugs. "...day-of, they'd need some way to overwhelm the tower's network, and that'd take something like several KAMI working in concert. But it could be done, if they had the right resources or passcodes."

"Assuming they weren't working from the inside anyway. With the right tools, they could rig up personnel files to slip in however many people they have as... maintenance guys or other building workers that aren't covered by the automated systems. All they'd really need is time and resources. That theory begs the question of why they couldn't just steal whatever it was they wanted to steal before then, but. It could still be an elaborate coverup, sure."

"And I guess whoever they are, they are probably counting on me being the primary suspect just because I don't like Wishcraft and have the means. And there's not a ton I can do to dissuade Gomie or Omoikane of that. And I honestly doubt Wishcraft has anything these guys want, there's a Zealtech warehouse and Kujoh facility in Kato tower too. The Wishcraft office is... just an office. I mean, maybe there's a chance they're pulling something over on us but I doubt it. And I mean, I know a lot of **** going on in this town, so." Nadica pauses from here, just exhaling smoke tiredly.

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

For a brief moment, Mia gapes after what she said prior to the pickup, and thanks whatever gods or godesses there are that Leysa didn't pick that rant up.

Then, she recovers, putting on her usual tone while giving Victor a death glare. "Hey! Uh. It's Mia. Just. Calling because I was wondering if you wanted to hang out or something?"

She runs a finger across her throat at Victor while putting on a grin that just sort of helps her keep her usual upbeat, sort of energetic tone.

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

"With my poisons and restraints, and Nuan's mirrors and beams, I think we can manage it. I'd put our upper limit at... three hundred seconds. Two-fifty if we're playing it safe, which we really should. Speaking of which..." Hoa tosses her soul gem skywards, taking a few steps and flowing through a short and graceful transformation involving a substantial number of flower petals and a lot of green light. When the spectacle fades, she has her knives from the prior night, along with a suit of snug, midriff-baring leather armor embossed with vine-like patterns in green and gold.

Nuan takes this in with a bit of a smile while considering Makoto's commentary. Eventually, she begins pointing out positions.

"Alright then. I think Hoa's assessment is on the mark here, but I'm a little worried that a wraith or two might slip past us. So we'll aim for... let's shoot for four minutes post-contact for our second volley. Your primary focus is on prepping that, but I want you to have enough leeway to blast any stray wraiths that slip your way after the reposition. Hoa and I will be a lot safer if we don't have to worry about the odd wraith losing interest in us. If you can prep sooner, that's great, signal us, but prioritize keeping a light defense up."

Makoto nods. "Alright. See if you can keep them tightly clustered. This way we can take them out in a couple of shots. After that we're talking cleanup. When I signal, back the hell away from there."

Taking his time to stretch, the boy juts his own soul gem forward and whispers a single word. A magic circle with heavy gear and clockworks patterns opens, and when he steps out of it...

...well, let's just say he'd probably make a LOT of people uncomfortable.

Frankly, Makoto's attire is very revealing. Thigh-high boots are the closest thing he gets for pants. His hands are fitted in fingerless gloves. A sleeveless trenchcoat with a a high collar and a large belt across his waist are all that cover his torso, which is otherwise left bare. Thankfully, at least there's a speedo to cover his modesty, but with the way the belt is seated on his waist, it only draws further attention to his crotch. The whole ensemble is a sheer, vibrant red, and the material resembles leather.

There are probably male strippers that would resent having to wear such attire.

[Dorizzit]

[Ward 15]
NMSF Rest Area

It takes Leysa a few seconds to reply as her sleep addled brain parses out the message.

"Uh...Oh. Oh! Hi. Yes. I would like to do that."

Leysa's voice is slightly muffled by her pillow, which she hasn't fully extricated her face from.

"I can't...really commit to anything right now. Still working with the NMSF. Dunno when we'll be done. I'll let you know as soon as I have a better idea. About...timing."

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio fidgets noticeably during Momoko's speech, which elicits a slight head-quirk from Akio, who's watching from the kitchen as he's preparing... what looks to be makings for teriyaki chicken pizza.

The teenager just nods absently, not really saying anything during the speech. Momoko might catch onto her distracted mood, but whether she says anything is up to her. Still... Rio seems fairly eager to be done with this appointment, as she looks back to Momoko quietly, just trying to stay... polite, at least.

"...um. Okay. I don't have any more questions." She gives a short pause, in case Momoko has anything more to say. Otherwise... she stands and bows slightly. "...thank you for coming, Kita-san."

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Tower - Floor 44)

Nadica thinks over this quietly. Then shrugs. "...day-of, they'd need some way to overwhelm the tower's network, and that'd take something like several KAMI working in concert. But it could be done, if they had the right resources or passcodes."

"Assuming they weren't working from the inside anyway. With the right tools, they could rig up personnel files to slip in however many people they have as... maintenance guys or other building workers that aren't covered by the automated systems. All they'd really need is time and resources. That theory begs the question of why they couldn't just steal whatever it was they wanted to steal before then, but. It could still be an elaborate coverup, sure."

"And I guess whoever they are, they are probably counting on me being the primary suspect just because I don't like Wishcraft and have the means. And there's not a ton I can do to dissuade Gomie or Omoikane of that. And I honestly doubt Wishcraft has anything these guys want, there's a Zealtech warehouse and Kujoh facility in Kato tower too. The Wishcraft office is... just an office. I mean, maybe there's a chance they're pulling something over on us but I doubt it. And I mean, I know a lot of **** going on in this town, so." Nadica pauses from here, just exhaling smoke tiredly.

[Yumeiji Towers]

"I think maybe scheduling all three interviews in one day may have proved a little bit exhausting." Chiyo notes. "We'll likely contact you again, Momoko-san. Thank you for taking your time to come here."

________________________

[Warutsu Towers]

"That's actually a very good point. If it were information they wanted, no one would even know it's gone unless they deleted it, and that'd take more cover-up than a simple bombing. My reason for suspecting Wishcraft was the target is because Arata died on the same day. But it could be unrelated." Hasunaga considers the options.

"Gomes and Omoikane are failing to consider the fact that you couldn't overwhelm security AND plant the bombs on your own. Even assuming the inside job angle, there'd still be traces of you planting personnel files and whatnot. There'd always be a trace leading back to you. As far as patsying goes, they actually did a pretty sloppy job, though it worked thus far, I suppose.

Pulling a job like this still takes some pretty heavy resources. Even if you contract some of the heavy hitters in the PMC market, you'd still need a lot of money to back it up. Kujoh or Zealtech could have been the clients, even, but open urban terrorism doesn't seem their style."

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

"...thank you for having me. Please call if you are interested. I am easy to reach."

Momoko stands and bows with the formality and precision of a schoolgirl. "I hope you come to the decision that is right for you, Rio-san. Please do not feel... um, rushed." Silence hangs in the air for a bit after that, before Momoko awkwardly makes her way out of the apartment.

It's quiet, apart from the rain, which shows no signs of abating. For today, at least, calm has arrived.

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi apartment)

Rio gives a deep sigh as Momoko leaves, dismissing her costume. Apparently she was just wearing her pajamas under it the entire time, but nobody needed to know that. Akio just gives a smile, continuing to work on dinner. "...that went pretty well, right? You learned a lot, I hope." He sets the pizza in the oven, evenly distributed with bits of chicken, peppers, and other veggies.

Rio thinks about this and nods, offering a slight smile in return. "Mm."

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers - Tower 1, Floor 44)

Nadica shrugs, letting her cigarette hang from her mouth while responding. It's a practiced skill. "You know, there's also hacking delivery drones and supplying them with extra payloads, which I could definitely do. It'd lack the precision, but those drones can get a lot of places. Some buildings even have built-in highways for the things, to avoid them needing to run around the floor of a building, could reach the infrastructure pretty easily from there. But given there was C4 on the friggin' power grid door, I rather doubt it would be that alone. Gomie doesn't believe I didn't just plant it myself to get sympathy points."

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

"Uh, yeah! That's important! Just... gimme a ring if you have the time, I guess. And... uh, if I could help in any way, cool!"

Mia mouths 'Death' to Victor, continuing her glare. Otherwise she's just trying to act casual.

[KnightDisciple]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Japan]
[Ward 1 -> Ward 3, Zeal Technologies HQ]

Duncan is surprisingly gentle when he shakes Satou awake when they arrive at their destination. But then he's all business-grins (his trademarked "devil-may-not-care-but-I-sure-do" smile gleaming from his pale ginger-beareded face) as he strides up to the front doors of the ZT HQ, the glass of said doors being saved a bevy of cracks only because they slide out of the Scottish policeman's way without him having to touch them.

He strides up to the receptionist's desk, still grinning, whips his mirror shades off, and leans on the desk.

"And a fine mornin' to all o' ya too! Lovely weather today, isn't it? Pretty sure my partner and I have an appointment with one of your fine employees, a Doctor..."

He turns to Satou, clearly expecting the elder detective to smoothly fill in the gaps here.

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi apartment)

Rio gives a deep sigh as Momoko leaves, dismissing her costume. Apparently she was just wearing her pajamas under it the entire time, but nobody needed to know that. Akio just gives a smile, continuing to work on dinner. "...that went pretty well, right? You learned a lot, I hope." He sets the pizza in the oven, evenly distributed with bits of chicken, peppers, and other veggies.

Rio thinks about this and nods, offering a slight smile in return. "Mm."

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers - Tower 1, Floor 44)

Nadica shrugs, letting her cigarette hang from her mouth while responding. It's a practiced skill. "You know, there's also hacking delivery drones and supplying them with extra payloads, which I could definitely do. It'd lack the precision, but those drones can get a lot of places. Some buildings even have built-in highways for the things, to avoid them needing to run around the floor of a building, could reach the infrastructure pretty easily from there. But given there was C4 on the friggin' power grid door, I rather doubt it would be that alone. Gomie doesn't believe I didn't just plant it myself to get sympathy points."

[Yumeiji Towers]

"You have 'the look' on your face. When something's on your mind. Are you okay?" Chiyo makes sure to lean over a bit so she can look her daughter straight in the eye.

___________________________

[Warutsu Towers]

Snake's good eye gives Nadica a look that almost screams "I'm trying to help you out, here".

"Fair enough. Increased drone activity could've tipped them off, though, especially since, again, Arata's murder. Though that just proves my point even more. This doesn't have your fingers in it. Motive? Maybe. Means? Shaky as it is. Opportunity? Definitely lacking.

The sympathy points strategy isn't much good, either. You brought up another good point: why attack that office when Wishcraft has bigger facilities elsewhere? And why now? You've hated them for several years, and that obviously hasn't changed or you wouldn't be a suspect right this moment."

[Dorizzit]

[NMSF HQ]
Rest Area

"Yup. Will do. I'll call you when I get a chance. Or let you know if you can help. Whichever comes first. Bye."

Leysa will finish the exchange of farewells before hanging up. Despite her brevity, it didn't seem like Leysa was being curt or annoyed; just focused elsewhere. On sleep, in this case. Leysa is out like a light before she even puts her phone back on the window sill.

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi Apartment)

Rio bites her lip before responding, thinking of how best to phrase her thoughts. "...I, um... Kita-san was nice. But. I can't hire her."

"She made me think of... me. The part that would really like to not deal with all of the fame stuff, because it's hard, and makes me nervous, and gives me a headache... I couldn't understand what anyone was saying yesterday. I had to read the... screen. Thing." She is obviously referring to one of the audio pickup drones that transferred speech into text. Very useful for chaotic situations such as a press conference. "And I'd like that, but..." She takes a breath before continuing.

"That's not what mashou are. They're heroes, and... people to look up to. This isn't a... a career. It's my life now. And what I need to do is help people however I can. Even if it's... hard, and makes me want to hide, or I can't understand people." There's admittedly a bit of unspoken and naive judgement on girls who do treat it like just a career, but... Rio is sort of naive. That much is undeniable. But she speaks with a passion on this point of her perspective that she normally just doesn't really display. It takes her a few moments to calm back down. "...so it... made me a little mad. But... I didn't want to be rude. And I know she just wanted what she thought was best, I just... I can't hire her."

Rio nods slightly to indicate she's done talking on this point, to let Chiyo have her turn in the conversation. Akio observes from the kitchen, but doesn't interrupt.

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers - Tower 1, Floor 44)

Nadica either doesn't recognize the intent to help, or doesn't care. But to be fair, she is kind of the epitome of cynicism.

"...I won't deny that. But this still wasn't me. You've got it right, I hate Wishcraft. But... I've been around here for a while. I've had time to pull things off. And believe me, it's crossed my mind. I'm not about to explain my reasons for hating them, because that ain't your business. But... this town is still dependent on them. Until it isn't, attacking them is like attacking the whole city, and believe it or not I kind of like this place. But... they won't believe anything I bring in front of them."

"Another thing you're right on, this stinks of military involvement. Arata probably got gunned down by the military. Why not think they did this too?"

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia hangs up.

There's a quiet moment where she just looks at Victor with a vicious grin.

"Hey Vic. When's the last time we've been to the gym?"

"I'm in the mood for some boxing practice. So... hope you've got a change of clothes. You're gonna help me train for pulling that dirty trick."

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi Apartment)

Rio bites her lip before responding, thinking of how best to phrase her thoughts. "...I, um... Kita-san was nice. But. I can't hire her."

"She made me think of... me. The part that would really like to not deal with all of the fame stuff, because it's hard, and makes me nervous, and gives me a headache... I couldn't understand what anyone was saying yesterday. I had to read the... screen. Thing." She is obviously referring to one of the audio pickup drones that transferred speech into text. Very useful for chaotic situations such as a press conference. "And I'd like that, but..." She takes a breath before continuing.

"That's not what mashou are. They're heroes, and... people to look up to. This isn't a... a career. It's my life now. And what I need to do is help people however I can. Even if it's... hard, and makes me want to hide, or I can't understand people." There's admittedly a bit of unspoken and naive judgement on girls who do treat it like just a career, but... Rio is sort of naive. That much is undeniable. But she speaks with a passion on this point of her perspective that she normally just doesn't really display. It takes her a few moments to calm back down. "...so it... made me a little mad. But... I didn't want to be rude. And I know she just wanted what she thought was best, I just... I can't hire her."

Rio nods slightly to indicate she's done talking on this point, to let Chiyo have her turn in the conversation. Akio observes from the kitchen, but doesn't interrupt.

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers - Tower 1, Floor 44)

Nadica either doesn't recognize the intent to help, or doesn't care. But to be fair, she is kind of the epitome of cynicism.

"...I won't deny that. But this still wasn't me. You've got it right, I hate Wishcraft. But... I've been around here for a while. I've had time to pull things off. And believe me, it's crossed my mind. I'm not about to explain my reasons for hating them, because that ain't your business. But... this town is still dependent on them. Until it isn't, attacking them is like attacking the whole city, and believe it or not I kind of like this place. But... they won't believe anything I bring in front of them."

"Another thing you're right on, this stinks of military involvement. Arata probably got gunned down by the military. Why not think they did this too?"

[Yumeiji Tower]

"You know, Rio, there aren't that many people who'd be brave enough to admit such things about themselves. It makes me very proud to see you're growing up to become one of them." Chiyo offers with a boisterous smile. "You're right. Momoko-chan is a lot like you in many ways. I figured, if you were having second thoughts about being in public, it was better to find someone who could respect your wishes. And someone like her would be able to relate to them. I guess I didn't expect to see you take it this seriously, or this quickly. Sorry about that."

____________________

[Warutsu Towers]

"Wouldn't ask them even if I wanted to know them. Doesn't factor into method or proving it was you." Big Boss replies. "Could be they're related. That's why I thought Wishcraft first. They have ties with Arata after all. And I heard talk of the JSDF making moves on Neo-Mitakihara, but nothing concrete just yet, so we can't tie those together that quickly.

If it WERE the JSDF, I'm thinking they'd want to avoid using any method that could link to them. Each military in the world's got their own trademarks, see. Spetsnaz are wizards with knives and favor disabling the target up close. SEALS work best with amphibious approaches, so they often carry waterproof equipment, being a Marines branch. They'd want to use equipment with no proprietary technology, probably supplied by ZT. Black market wouldn't be off the table, either, though that leaves a lot of loose ends. So no subcontracting either, I think."

[Sucrose]

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor...is actually a little bit intimidated. His smile takes on a slight nervous tinge. He begins taking of his suit jacket.

"Is fair, is fair. Just...let me make sure Mr. Fishy doesn't get hurt."

He points to a part of his jacket that does, in fact, have a tropical fish printed on it.

He then puts the jacket on the countertop, folded a bit, places his tie beside it, turns, and takes an amateur boxing stance.

"Okay, then!"

And the beatings commence. They likely will continue until Mia's morale improves.
_________________________
[Ward 3, Zeal Technologies HQ]

Satou rubs his temple, with the arm that isn't holding the package.

"Masaki. Dr. Masaki's expecting us."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi Apartment)

Akio plops down on the couch next to Rio, patting her on the head and giving her a one-armed hug. Rio just sort of takes this with her usual neutral expression. "I think we're both proud of you for that, Rio. So... it's between Ikeda-san and Himura-san, then?"

Rio nods, knitting her mouth in thought while Akio wanders back off to the kitchen. "...um. Yeah. I like Ikeda-sensei and Ironh, um... Himura-san is really cool. It's kind of hard picking between them. If I could really help people by just talking about myself, and can meet other mashou, that would be cool. But... also... I shouldn't forget I have to fight wraiths, and maybe Himura-san can help me learn my powers better. But I could still train under Ikeda-sensei, and try to do... some talk show stuff or other stuff with Himura-san... so..." She fidgets a bit, thinking some more.

"...but you said that right now is really important for 'cementing my image'. So... I don't know if I could do that on my own." She still doesn't sound entirely sure. It is kind of a tough decision.

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers)

"If they used Zealtech it'd be one more point against me. So." Nadica offers this rather nonchalantly.

"I can't really suggest anything else. You're gonna have a hard time convincing Gomie, he brushed you off once already."

[KnightDisciple]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Japan]
[Ward 3, Zeal Technologies HQ]

[Ward 3, Zeal Technologies HQ]

Satou rubs his temple, with the arm that isn't holding the package.

"Masaki. Dr. Masaki's expecting us."

Duncan grins, snaps his fingers, and points at Satou for a moment before resuming his mission (whether the mission is "get in to see the doctor" or "annoy everyone in the building", it's a hard call).

"Bam! That's it, Doctor Masaki! We're here to see the good Doctor. Expected and all that. So, visitor badges, floor number, intercom buzzing, elevator, etc.? Seems like the ticket for us, yeah?"

[Beans]

[Ward 3]
(ZT HQ)
The receptionist has been pre-informed by the good doctor that people may come asking for her; the pair are directed to an elevator and given visitor tags that will authorize them to be taken to the correct floor! It's a bit of a long ride, though, given how far down they go...

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower - Koizumi Apartment)

Akio plops down on the couch next to Rio, patting her on the head and giving her a one-armed hug. Rio just sort of takes this with her usual neutral expression. "I think we're both proud of you for that, Rio. So... it's between Ikeda-san and Himura-san, then?"

Rio nods, knitting her mouth in thought while Akio wanders back off to the kitchen. "...um. Yeah. I like Ikeda-sensei and Ironh, um... Himura-san is really cool. It's kind of hard picking between them. If I could really help people by just talking about myself, and can meet other mashou, that would be cool. But... also... I shouldn't forget I have to fight wraiths, and maybe Himura-san can help me learn my powers better. But I could still train under Ikeda-sensei, and try to do... some talk show stuff or other stuff with Himura-san... so..." She fidgets a bit, thinking some more.

"...but you said that right now is really important for 'cementing my image'. So... I don't know if I could do that on my own." She still doesn't sound entirely sure. It is kind of a tough decision.

[Ward 13]
(Warutsu Towers)

"If they used Zealtech it'd be one more point against me. So." Nadica offers this rather nonchalantly.

"I can't really suggest anything else. You're gonna have a hard time convincing Gomie, he brushed you off once already."

[Yumeiji Towers]

"Hmmmm." Uh-oh. Chiyo is making thinking noises.

"What if you don't have to pick?

It's really about prioritization. Do you want who you are to speak louder than your actions, or let your actions speak for themselves? You can do good either way, but you have a limited time to take advantage of your recent fame. You CAN train AND do the public part... but you'll have to work twice as hard as anyone else. Are you up for that?"


____________________________

[Warutsu Towers]

"I don't really need to convince him. The evidence is bound to speak for itself.

Thing is, that Koizumi kid's wish has probably erased most of what we'd be able to find... unless..."

Snake stops to think for a moment.

"Your gear. Did it record any of the explosion at all?"

[KnightDisciple]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Japan]
[Ward 3, Zeal Technologies HQ]

[Ward 3]
(ZT HQ)
The receptionist has been pre-informed by the good doctor that people may come asking for her; the pair are directed to an elevator and given visitor tags that will authorize them to be taken to the correct floor! It's a bit of a long ride, though, given how far down they go...

Once in the elevator, Duncan is much calmer and more serious. Keeping is gaze forward, and speaking low enough that his mouth's movements are partially obscured by his beard, he strategizes with Satou.

"So, how do you want to tackle this one? Good cop bad cop? Sunshine cannon blitz like we just did? I don't know this Doctor Masaki, so I'm not sure what our best bet is."