tushanshu | [CONSOLE] video;

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[CONSOLE] video;

[Zanru looks irritable. This is nothing new. She also looks tired, and that makes the irritability worse. Whoever has been going around the city is focussing enough on Metal Sector that they've lost a bit of revenue and held up a few projects owing to, oh, vital components being filched.]

Right, listen up. Someone's been haunting the city, stealing things and leaving people bloodied. There's been rumours spreading, so let's clear some of it up.

Fact A: Yes, I know the perpetrator can use something that looks a lot like shadows. No, that does not mean the Old Nightmare is back. Think big, people. He wasn't so small-minded as this.

Fact A-dot-1: No, it isn't that Foreigner bloke who throws shadows about either. He's laid up and can't be in two places at once.

Fact B: The perpetrator can probably shapeshift and is probably not made of metal. Stop blaming the Foreigners for every petty thing, it makes us look bad. No matter how idiotic they can be.

Now, I don't care if people moonlight as a damned roof-hopper. What I do care about is knowing whether this person is involved in the crimes, stopping them, or just generally trying to build up some kind of morale game. Whatever the case, it's stupid and it's pissing me off.

The only competent investigators we've got left are Foreigners, so this is over to you: Get me the idiot who's playing up. I'm available on this broadcast for the next hour for questions and contracts. Anything after that I'll pick up as I've got time.

[ooc: Related to this plot here, but will not progress at any point beyond what Callaghan's mun stipulates. This is not an NPC plot, just NPCs reacting to things that happen.]

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[thinks for a moment, recalling some of the times in recent months he dealt with this little amount of information. he'd been able to track down Amai's location with barely anything to go on, but there had been extenuating circumstances in the city that day and he knew enough about the bastard to predict where he might go when cornered. some of his GROUP work had also involved a little thinky business. nothing quite like this, though.]

Well, neither am I, nor do I know much about this city. If I had to start somewhere, it'd be mapping out the perpetrator's movements in the order that each target was hit, organize it by day, and look to see what transportation methods he could or couldn't have used to accomplish any clusters. Someone capable of flight or teleporting could do a hell of a lot more devastating damage further spread out than someone on foot, and with this many reports there ought to be knowledge on the possibility of vehicles.

[Do security cameras even exist here? Would they even be the scientific types he's familiar with rather than magical ones? Who knows. He hasn't had much reason to think about it before. But he continues:]

I'd also look at whether every incident was a theft, who'd benefit the most from the crimes if there's any hint of that, and whether the incidents could only be accomplished by someone with special information on the targeted places. Like things related to security systems or the building layouts, or whether knowledge of the tech stolen had any access restrictions. Is he hitting up places he knows will have basic tech and just going for whatever he finds? Is the purpose to acquire the tech, or is acquiring it just a benefit and his aim is actually to fuck things up for the targets? Just food for thought.

It sounds like you already got a couple people with more information on the targets and stolen tech, so those are things they can keep in mind.

[Because, after all, he's a complete stranger. Why would anyone on this kedan's end give him what could be sensitive or restricted data?]

[Zanru's original answer had, admittedly, been a little dismissive. She doesn't know the name on the console and she doesn't recognise the voice. The calm litany, on the other hand, was far more capturing. Condescending, too, but Zanru's honest enough to admit that's at least partly because she hates being told what to do. Especially when it's things she's already done.]

Well, when you put it like that.

[She looks and sounds irritable.]

Yeah, those sort of things are the details we've got on hand, but only in relation to thefts from the Metalworker family. Missing half the data puts a crimp on figuring out the details, so if there's been a pattern, we haven't seen it. And, since you're probably new, the Metalworkers have enough enemies or petty rivals that shortening that list hasn't been very helpful.

Are you offering to take it over, Mr Not-an-investigator?

[It doesn't take long for him to think it over. The crimes themselves don't particularly interest him, but accomplishing something that benefits her does. With her current mood, his best chances hinge on that.]

I could take a crack at it. People using powers to commit crimes isn't a new thing to me. My own powers give me a lot of mobility and offense. I'm new, but I know a couple of the Foreigners you're already talking to about this. Maybe they're up for a collaboration and can help me predict the general area where the criminal might strike next. That'd increase the chances of my running into him, or being near a future incident close to the time it happens.

[Sokka and the skeleton detective... either could be useful for advising him.]

[He'll take a crack at it? In Zanru's experience, people who don't actually have experience for a job offered don't say 'they'll take a crack at it' unless they're sucking up or want something. This guy doesn't seem like the type to suck up. He's way too thorough for that.]

Uh-huh. And what do you actually want?

[At this point Accelerator switches the feed on his side to video.]

Akito recommended I talk to Zanru about something. It's something unrelated to this, though, and it can wait. I just saw your post and thought it'd be a good idea to meet you while you were around. I do actually think I can be effective, though, or I wouldn't have offered.

Then you can have a chat to Aya and Detective Pleasant, since they seem to be the ones with an idea for leads. If you're angling for work, call me back in an hour--and a half. Hour and a half.

[There's a few things she needs to follow up on after this broadcast, but after that she suspects she'll need the distraction. Most of the Foreigners seem to be going for contracts instead of full employment, anyway, which makes the hiring process easier to expedite.]

I'll talk to them. For the future, my name is Accelerator.

[The detective was one of the people he already planned to, so it's not much of a change.

His gaze flits off to the side for a moment. He gives a small wave, his words coming out a little awkwardly.]

...Sorry about the timing.

[This is what he gets for continually putting things off. At least he made it through the conversation without setting off irreversible sparks.]

[Zanru just grunts. Apologies, shapologies.]

No such thing as good timing right now. Later.

I'm back.

All right, the other thing was, I'm interested in setting up an appointment to have you look at some tech of mine. One's an original design for a cane I built, the other's a smartphone.

Assuming you're interested in either, do I run that through you first, or your receptionist?

[Truth the tell, Zanru completely forgot she told him to call back, and looks prepared to tear someone a new one before Accelerator's words disarms her.]

What? --Oh. Right.

[Business. She can do business.]

That'd be me or Xuiyu, my cousin. We've had a smartphone to look at, but if yours is a different model it'd still be worth something. What's so special about the cane?

[He nods once, listening.]

I heard the one you had was a Blackberry. If so, mine's definitely a different model. As for the cane...

[He scoots his chair back a little so the screen will show more, and lifts up the cane. He starts off holding the lower end with the mecha legs and pressing at them with his other hand to show their mobility, since that's where his explanation begins, then moves it to show the top end with the guard and grip.]

The base has legs designed for stability, which also have sensors that grip the ground and let the user pull themselves up from any angle. The other special function is, when you don't need to actively use it, everything below the guard is retractable by pressing a button on the hand grip. You strap it to your forearm. Self-powered.

I built it for my own use, but I drew up a new copy of the blueprints.

[Having another model of phone would expand their understanding of the mechanics and the software for sure, but honestly, she's more interested in the cane. Xuiyu'd have things to say if Zanru ever suggested she needed one, but Xuiyu isn't the only one lacking limbs after the invasion and even the course of daily life.]

Now that would be worth some money. You're thinking of a straight buy-out of the blueprint and the phone?

[sets his cane back down, leaning it against the side of his chair]

I figured you'd want to assess them in person before we talk about the amount, but yeah. Straight buy-out is fine.

Then you figured right.

[She glances down and brushes some papers away impatiently.]

Two days from now, midday? It'll have to be over lunch. Come into Stark Industries and we can have a look.

That works. I'm not busy then.

Okay. Anything else right now?

That's it for now.

Fine.

[ooc: You can assume they came to a mutually agreeable arrangement! The phone will fetch a second-hand price more equal to pocket expenses. The blueprints will net him enough juulan roughly worth a month's rent (either in a nice apartment or the Hotel’s nicest rooms). Zanru will also want him to sign a 'copyright'--ie that he promises not to give the tech or specs to anyone else on Keeliai or on any of the continents.]

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[CONSOLE] video;

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feel free to have him call back in this same thread.

about two hours later

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