"Good, yeah; don't know why everyone's so worried about some poison. I mean, big whoop, I've been on poison terrain before and it ain't that bad," PatrolMan laughed, sticking the list back into the compartment. "Alright, dawg, let's get this show on the road!"
The officer recalled his car in a beam of light, acting as nonchalant as he could to overshadow the revelation that he'd summoned his car up there with no intention of driving it. Next, he swaggered up the stairs, shouldering navis aside to let the two of them through. The front entrance opened up to a tastefully decorated entrance hall, which he paid no attention to, leading Ember to an inconspicuous side door. Beyond that, a trap doot led them through a chute with a ladder. At the bottom, they finally reached their destination.
"Alright, how we proceed from here is your business. Let me just tell you what I know about all the guys in that room. The first one you'll spot is Bayonet; that's cause she's wearing this stupid black headdress that rises almost up to the ceiling. She's an NP bigwig who works in Internal Affairs. Cold bitch, but daaaamn does she have an ass. I would personally pay you to use your magnet on her for no reason at all, just to record a video of it and upload it somewhere. Not even joking!"
Grinning, he proceeded down the list. "There's a chef named Flambe. Flat chick, kinda ordinary, supposed to be an assistant chef. Aroma won't say how they know each other, but they do. Dressed like a chef, you can't miss her."
"Next up, Garde, another security officer. She and Bayonet and Aroma all apparently go back. She acts like such a dumbass that I can't believe she could be an assassin. She also speaks in a weird accent that makes her hard to understand some times."
"After that is Somnia, from our Department of Justice. She's pretty milf, but she is constantly asleep, so that's kind of a turnoff. Hard to imagine her having anything to hide."
"Next to last is Agent, another personal security merc brought in. Pricey, but she's supposed to be good at her job. She's not affiliated with anyone, but apparently Aroma still knows her. She looks so shady, I think its gotta be her."
"Last is Beacon, the really tall girl. She's a reporter for World News Server and creeps me out a bit. Could be her too?"
"Anyways, that's all of it. Any other questions for me? Bank told me I oughtta keep ny mouth shut after this briefing, so I'm going to be watching only be security camera from outside. The search will be all you and you cam conduct it any way you want," he finished, thumbing towards the door at the end of the corridor. The hallway was very dim, but a bright light shone from beneath the doorway.
((Received NPMagnet.DAT))
Aroma's Homepage
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With the magnet gun in hand, Embers first action was to store it to keep it out of sight, he held the device up towards his neck where the barrel storage was, which opened up and absorbed the device in a ray of light before closing again. With the gun in his possession and with a good grasp on what he needed to do, he went on to confirm his understanding and to move onward.
"Roite then, no further questions, I've got it now."[b][/b]
With that, Ember went towards the door to open it and enter the room he was lead to.
"Roite then, no further questions, I've got it now."[b][/b]
With that, Ember went towards the door to open it and enter the room he was lead to.
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PatrolMan nodded, then stepped aside to lean on the wall, letting Embed head through the door. He produced a cigarette, but Ember was out of sight before it was lit.
Inside, the situation was much as described. Six girls stood in a lineup, generally quite straight and orderly thanks to NP training. The first and closest to the door, probably Bayonet, wore a black military guardsman's hat, making her look even taller than she already, was, along with a red coat and military pants. Even subdued by the uniform, her body made it easy to see why PatrolMan would want a look. She carried an old fashioned musket across her back and had both arms crossed across her chest. Her hair was brown, held in a tight bun with a short tail, and her eyes were blue and unenthused with the situation. "Hello, Ember. I heard you were brought in to assist Officer PatrolMan. I want nothing more than my friend's safety, so I will gladly welcome your aid," she greeted him, trying to stay as civil as possible.
The chef was next, a short figure in a white uniform and tall hat. He hair was messy and blonde, her face somewhat childish. She had nothing to say and seemed only eager to please by submitting quietly.
Garde was a woman in light armor with a fancy blue cape and beret; the fencing foil at her side, like Bayonet's firearm, made it easy to suspect that PatrolMan had not thought to take away any weapons. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were big and blue with exaggerated lashes. "Ey, zis is a little on ze ridiculous zide, no? Why would longtime NP officers like me and Bayonet want to hurt Aroma?" she asked incredulously, not matching Bayonet's forced politeness.
The next, Somnia, was a girl in a long, modest blue night gown and a fuzzy sleeping cap. Her hair was white and her eyes were... closed. She seemed to be asleep on her feet.
The next was Agent, an attractive woman in black with big, blonde hair like a movie star. Her face was obscured by a large pair of jet-black sunglasses. She smiled and said nothing, fixing her hair with one hand, which was completely hidden by a leather glove.
Finally was the reporter, a huge "girl" with a body like a pillar, white with red stripes running up like a barber's pole. She didn't even look to have arms. A few openings on Ned body shined yellow lights at him and a hatch up top opened, revealing two glowing white eyes. The ringing of a small bell sounded from inside and a beam of light shot out, causing Garde to grumble. It seemed to be getting on her nerves. "Extra man hired on to interrogate the NP's own men from a neutral perspective? Quite a scoop!" Beacon exclaimed in a muffled but enthusiastic voice. Ding ding ding ding...
It was up to Ember to find out who had the poison.
Inside, the situation was much as described. Six girls stood in a lineup, generally quite straight and orderly thanks to NP training. The first and closest to the door, probably Bayonet, wore a black military guardsman's hat, making her look even taller than she already, was, along with a red coat and military pants. Even subdued by the uniform, her body made it easy to see why PatrolMan would want a look. She carried an old fashioned musket across her back and had both arms crossed across her chest. Her hair was brown, held in a tight bun with a short tail, and her eyes were blue and unenthused with the situation. "Hello, Ember. I heard you were brought in to assist Officer PatrolMan. I want nothing more than my friend's safety, so I will gladly welcome your aid," she greeted him, trying to stay as civil as possible.
The chef was next, a short figure in a white uniform and tall hat. He hair was messy and blonde, her face somewhat childish. She had nothing to say and seemed only eager to please by submitting quietly.
Garde was a woman in light armor with a fancy blue cape and beret; the fencing foil at her side, like Bayonet's firearm, made it easy to suspect that PatrolMan had not thought to take away any weapons. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were big and blue with exaggerated lashes. "Ey, zis is a little on ze ridiculous zide, no? Why would longtime NP officers like me and Bayonet want to hurt Aroma?" she asked incredulously, not matching Bayonet's forced politeness.
The next, Somnia, was a girl in a long, modest blue night gown and a fuzzy sleeping cap. Her hair was white and her eyes were... closed. She seemed to be asleep on her feet.
The next was Agent, an attractive woman in black with big, blonde hair like a movie star. Her face was obscured by a large pair of jet-black sunglasses. She smiled and said nothing, fixing her hair with one hand, which was completely hidden by a leather glove.
Finally was the reporter, a huge "girl" with a body like a pillar, white with red stripes running up like a barber's pole. She didn't even look to have arms. A few openings on Ned body shined yellow lights at him and a hatch up top opened, revealing two glowing white eyes. The ringing of a small bell sounded from inside and a beam of light shot out, causing Garde to grumble. It seemed to be getting on her nerves. "Extra man hired on to interrogate the NP's own men from a neutral perspective? Quite a scoop!" Beacon exclaimed in a muffled but enthusiastic voice. Ding ding ding ding...
It was up to Ember to find out who had the poison.
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With the girls before him it was time to device a game plan. So far he didn't have too much suspicion towards any of the girls, Bayonet and Garde seems fairly sincere while Somnia and the reporter seemed harmless enough. He had some suspicion towards Chef since she handles the food and Agent due to her being affiliated with no one. For now though, he figured that the best thing to do was to get a general idea on what these women were like.
"..Roite then, so You all here are the Lasses I'll be checking out then, so how about you all just start things off by telling me about yerselves, what ya do, and yer relation with this Aroma lass then eh? We'll do this from front to back, startin' with Bayonet here."[b][/b]
"..Roite then, so You all here are the Lasses I'll be checking out then, so how about you all just start things off by telling me about yerselves, what ya do, and yer relation with this Aroma lass then eh? We'll do this from front to back, startin' with Bayonet here."[b][/b]
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"Very well. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Bayonet, fourth ranked of the leaders in the NetPolice's Department of Internal Affairs. I began my career in the NP's armed forces, back before there was a division between Public Safety and Justice departments, but later transferred to my current division. Due to my seniority and familiarity with police routines, military strategy, and mafia tactics, my primary role is to act as a supervisor to those inside other factions, especially those within Justice," the brown-haired girl began, standing ramrod straight in a way that was utterly military. She'd moved both hands so that they were now crossed behind her back, thrusting her chest out slightly as she spoke, which was likely simply habit for her. "I met Aroma nearly a decade ago at a social gathering and we became quick friends. I admire her integrity and her broad-minded thinking, but more than anything, I admire her acknowledgement of the importance of the NP's standing forces. Few men or women donate as much to the NP as she does, neither in time nor funding," she explained. She stopped abruptly, deciding that was all that was fit to say.
"Non non! He said talk about yourzelf! Explain your hobbies," Garde laughed from nearby, enjoying the way Bayonet's eyelids flickered momentarily in alarm.
"I study ancient wars and naval strategy in my spare time. Some say it's foolish for a navi to study naval strategy, but there is no understanding of war that is frivolous," she responded, putting on a confident smile to show that she wasn't embarrassed.
"And ships in bottles! What a stuffy lady you are, hm hm! Tu rends compte?" Garde chuckled, waving one gauntlet dismissively and smiling back at Ember, as if expecting him to laugh along. That one seemed to irritate the Internal Affairs officer more. "Alright, chef, what's your story?"
"I'm Flambe, a five-star chef brought in to cater this party," the second girl started nervously, seeming frightened of Ember... which perhaps made sense, seeing as he was a big dog man with a cannon on his back. "I know Aroma from other parties I've catered before, a-also for her... She's a fan of Netopian cuisine and has expensive tastes when it comes to dining. I-I'm pleased that she's continued to rely on my service," the navi finished, sighing contentedly as if she'd been worried that someone was judging her food right that moment. "Oh, I er... Enjoy cooking..."
"And now ze piece de resistance, Garde!" Garde announced, pressing one hand to her breastplate theatrically and arcing the other at her hip. She gave a big, showy smile, as if her goal was to win at a competition, rather than defend her innocence. "I'm a Public Zafety officer, unranked, but none-the-less a critical player in our enzemble! I've been an officer for just as long as Bayonet and have just as much experience, but ze office life hasn't made me dusty like it has her," she laughed again. "I know Aroma from some security details in ze past but... eh, enfin... ca ne fait rien! We don't know each other all zat well, but zat's just coincidence!"
They all waited in awkward silence while the next suspect failed to speak up. "W-What?! It's not like Aroma doesn't want to hang out with me! W-We just haven't had ze opportunity!" Garde defended, thinking the silence was all intended to make fun of her own position. Finally, she realized they were waiting for Somnia to speak and gave the woman to her right a shake.
"Oh, pardon me. Hello, everyone... I'm Somnia, the fifth ranked member of the Department of Justice... my specialty is in crowd control and teaching new recruits... ways to calm a situation through non-violent means... hmmm!" she paused, giving a big stretch... "big" being the keyword, as the motion showed off her own chest as being comparable to Bayonet's. "Aroma and I have shared some time together in the past... it was very steamy..."
"St... Steamy?" Bayonet asked, leaning her head slightly to see past Garde while maintaining her soldierly stance.
"Yes, we indulged in some steamy tea on a humid day... The moisture was a bit overwhelming and I... fell asleep..." Somnia responded, then seemed to doze off again.
"Seeing as we can all guess easily enough what her pass time is, I'll go next. My name is Agent," the fifth girl started, speaking quickly. "I'm a mercenary who will serve any role. I follow money and Aroma has a lot of it to offer me. We have no particular history, so whoever thought I might be a suspect is probably stereotyping me due to my profession. I do sometimes indulge in seedy practices, but now is not one such time," she shrugged. "My hobbies are keeping up with the news, writing, blogging... anonymously," she laughed briefly... it was as if all of that was stringed together in some hidden way.
"My name is Beacon! I'm a reporter for the World News Server and I specialize in stories related to the NP. My motto is that I shine a light on... shine a light on uh... well, writing isn't my strong point! I'm an observational journalist and that's all! I can communicate through pictures and captions as well as any writer!" the strange, tall reporter explained. "I'm not sure why Aroma wanted me on such a big event, but she was insistent that I be here, and I'm not one to refuse! We don't have a lot of history, but if I show her what a good job I can do, maybe she'll ask me to cover more events in the future?" she pondered out loud. Ding, ding, ding... The light shined out again, causing the other navis to discretely shade their eyes and Somnia to wake up for a moment, look around, and then fall back to sleep.
"Now you know everyone, Ember. Please, continue to lead the gathering so that we can hastily resolve the matter of Aroma's assailant," Bayonet offered, trying to get everything back on track.
"Non non! He said talk about yourzelf! Explain your hobbies," Garde laughed from nearby, enjoying the way Bayonet's eyelids flickered momentarily in alarm.
"I study ancient wars and naval strategy in my spare time. Some say it's foolish for a navi to study naval strategy, but there is no understanding of war that is frivolous," she responded, putting on a confident smile to show that she wasn't embarrassed.
"And ships in bottles! What a stuffy lady you are, hm hm! Tu rends compte?" Garde chuckled, waving one gauntlet dismissively and smiling back at Ember, as if expecting him to laugh along. That one seemed to irritate the Internal Affairs officer more. "Alright, chef, what's your story?"
"I'm Flambe, a five-star chef brought in to cater this party," the second girl started nervously, seeming frightened of Ember... which perhaps made sense, seeing as he was a big dog man with a cannon on his back. "I know Aroma from other parties I've catered before, a-also for her... She's a fan of Netopian cuisine and has expensive tastes when it comes to dining. I-I'm pleased that she's continued to rely on my service," the navi finished, sighing contentedly as if she'd been worried that someone was judging her food right that moment. "Oh, I er... Enjoy cooking..."
"And now ze piece de resistance, Garde!" Garde announced, pressing one hand to her breastplate theatrically and arcing the other at her hip. She gave a big, showy smile, as if her goal was to win at a competition, rather than defend her innocence. "I'm a Public Zafety officer, unranked, but none-the-less a critical player in our enzemble! I've been an officer for just as long as Bayonet and have just as much experience, but ze office life hasn't made me dusty like it has her," she laughed again. "I know Aroma from some security details in ze past but... eh, enfin... ca ne fait rien! We don't know each other all zat well, but zat's just coincidence!"
They all waited in awkward silence while the next suspect failed to speak up. "W-What?! It's not like Aroma doesn't want to hang out with me! W-We just haven't had ze opportunity!" Garde defended, thinking the silence was all intended to make fun of her own position. Finally, she realized they were waiting for Somnia to speak and gave the woman to her right a shake.
"Oh, pardon me. Hello, everyone... I'm Somnia, the fifth ranked member of the Department of Justice... my specialty is in crowd control and teaching new recruits... ways to calm a situation through non-violent means... hmmm!" she paused, giving a big stretch... "big" being the keyword, as the motion showed off her own chest as being comparable to Bayonet's. "Aroma and I have shared some time together in the past... it was very steamy..."
"St... Steamy?" Bayonet asked, leaning her head slightly to see past Garde while maintaining her soldierly stance.
"Yes, we indulged in some steamy tea on a humid day... The moisture was a bit overwhelming and I... fell asleep..." Somnia responded, then seemed to doze off again.
"Seeing as we can all guess easily enough what her pass time is, I'll go next. My name is Agent," the fifth girl started, speaking quickly. "I'm a mercenary who will serve any role. I follow money and Aroma has a lot of it to offer me. We have no particular history, so whoever thought I might be a suspect is probably stereotyping me due to my profession. I do sometimes indulge in seedy practices, but now is not one such time," she shrugged. "My hobbies are keeping up with the news, writing, blogging... anonymously," she laughed briefly... it was as if all of that was stringed together in some hidden way.
"My name is Beacon! I'm a reporter for the World News Server and I specialize in stories related to the NP. My motto is that I shine a light on... shine a light on uh... well, writing isn't my strong point! I'm an observational journalist and that's all! I can communicate through pictures and captions as well as any writer!" the strange, tall reporter explained. "I'm not sure why Aroma wanted me on such a big event, but she was insistent that I be here, and I'm not one to refuse! We don't have a lot of history, but if I show her what a good job I can do, maybe she'll ask me to cover more events in the future?" she pondered out loud. Ding, ding, ding... The light shined out again, causing the other navis to discretely shade their eyes and Somnia to wake up for a moment, look around, and then fall back to sleep.
"Now you know everyone, Ember. Please, continue to lead the gathering so that we can hastily resolve the matter of Aroma's assailant," Bayonet offered, trying to get everything back on track.
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Ember took in what each girl had to say to him, smiling a bit. All of them didn't seem like bad programs; still he had to get more information from them to see what their true intentions were. He still had some concern towards Agent, as though she claims that she may be stereotyped, she is still a good suspect at the least. Flambe and Somnia didn't indulge as much information as the others, but while Somnia still seemed more affable than anything, Flambe's behavior came off as odd to Ember. Ember took another glance at the list that Patrolman gave him for more ideas on what to ask about. The strait stuff didn't seem like anything that would give him much of a lead but the rumors were still rumors, and might get the girls touchy with him if he asked about it in such a blunt manner. Finally he figured out a plan.
"...Roite, now here is what we're doing next then, I'm gonna pass each of yas a question in order and you lassies will answer yer given question in order, with no interruptions from the others, Roite? So..."[b][/b]
Ember approached Flambé.
"We're starting with ya, since yer the chef you're the closest to the food. So tell me about this culinary, what goes on back there in the kitchen eh? And tell me more about Aroma's taste in fine drinks and food."[b][/b]
Ember then turned towards Bayonet.
"Now ya probably know this Aroma lass in a less professional position more than the others here, what do ya know about her as an individual? And how is she with others in a less formal position?"[b][/b]
Ember Faced Agent next.
"Now for ya, Tell me about yer line of work and how you handle business, and just how "Seedy" are ya willing to get?"[b][/b]
Ember then approached Garde.
"Now, ya's been working as an officer for as long as Bayonet has, tell me about any past run ins with the NetMafia during yer line of work, if ya have any to share."[b][/b]
Ember came towards Somnia next.
" Lass, I want ya to tell me more about yer time spent with Aroma back in the past, and the impression ya get from her since then."[b][/b]
Finally, Ember approached Beacon
"As fer ya, I want to hear about some of yer past NP related stories, Especially any that may involve either that Aroma lass or the NetMafia.."[b][/b]
"...Roite, now here is what we're doing next then, I'm gonna pass each of yas a question in order and you lassies will answer yer given question in order, with no interruptions from the others, Roite? So..."[b][/b]
Ember approached Flambé.
"We're starting with ya, since yer the chef you're the closest to the food. So tell me about this culinary, what goes on back there in the kitchen eh? And tell me more about Aroma's taste in fine drinks and food."[b][/b]
Ember then turned towards Bayonet.
"Now ya probably know this Aroma lass in a less professional position more than the others here, what do ya know about her as an individual? And how is she with others in a less formal position?"[b][/b]
Ember Faced Agent next.
"Now for ya, Tell me about yer line of work and how you handle business, and just how "Seedy" are ya willing to get?"[b][/b]
Ember then approached Garde.
"Now, ya's been working as an officer for as long as Bayonet has, tell me about any past run ins with the NetMafia during yer line of work, if ya have any to share."[b][/b]
Ember came towards Somnia next.
" Lass, I want ya to tell me more about yer time spent with Aroma back in the past, and the impression ya get from her since then."[b][/b]
Finally, Ember approached Beacon
"As fer ya, I want to hear about some of yer past NP related stories, Especially any that may involve either that Aroma lass or the NetMafia.."[b][/b]
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"Me? Oh! Yes, Ms. Aroma is a lady of fine tastes," the chef responded to Ember, giving a big, warm smile. "She prefers Netopian food, but I believe she's been wrongly characterized as single-mindedly focused on her native cuisine. I've seen her enjoy spicy Yumland curry as well as Electopian noodle dishes. Whenever I cook for her, however, it's usually Netopian. She eats her steaks well-done, which is, of course, the best way to indulge in a fine cut of beef. She almost always drinks tea, but occasionally indulges herself with an aged wine. And isn't it fine that our net-culture is so far advanced to allow actually wine aging to occur?"
"Ahem, yes. And in the kitchen? How are events going to proceed tonight?" Bayonet asked, realizing that the chef could remain side-tracked forever.
"O-Oh, excuse me. I was to prepare a soup for each of the guests tonight; she'd be dining on the same dish as everyone else. Right now, I'm sure the assistants are working hard in my absence. It's a lobster bisque, if you're curious" the chef offered. "I cook it at a very high temperature, flambe, you know! And I let it cool, but served, the temperature is still deliciously present~"
Bayonet nodded, but it was her turn to be questioned. Ember's question seemed to throw her off guard. "A less formal position? Well, one of my friend's great talents has always been appearing the same before friends and press. She doesn't put on an act; the Aroma you see out there is the same one with which I converse. She is at once pleasant and shrewd; whimsical, yet smart. I imagine she could have made a fine officer if she wasn't drawn to politics and sponsorship," the NP officer replied. She seemed to understand that Ember might be fishing for particularly startling aspects, but wasn't willing to give any away. While she was overall cooperative, the defiant, attractive pride of her expression made it clear that she was withholding some information.
When questioned, the lady in black smirked and crossed her arms. "I told you already: I'm a mercenary and I do whatever asked, so long as the pay is right. If you want a seedy operation, how about this one: I was recently hired by one celebrity host to assist a navi in sabotaging another celebrity host's program. I accepted the up front payment, then had an opposing navi pay me to doublecross the navi I'd come to back up! It was quite a farce and ended up very profitable for me~" Agent laughed, covering her mouth with one gloved hand briefly to suppress a laugh. "In the end, I'm glad it played out like it did. Of course, you could say that in the end I sided with my favorite team: me."
"Have you no shame, discussing such a vulgar endeavor in the presence of police officers?" Bayonet barked, obviously finding the story offensive.
"I'm not intimidated by you at all, navy girl, nor this room full of officers," Agent shrugged. The NP officer frowned, but took her rigid position again, realizing she'd allowed herself to be provoked.
Next on Ember's list was Garde; this girl was worst of all at hiding her emotions, and clearly seemed to be uncomfortable about the question. "O-Oh, oui... EvolutionMan, you know him? He and ze Techari criminal who recently ezcaped prison, TrapMan, had zet up a devious trap in ze common area! Another officer and I infiltrated ze establishment and cleaned their clocks zimply enough. Not much more to tell," she finished, crossing her hands behind her head. "Monseiur Voulge was taken by ze zplendor of my shapely body, I'll tell you zat much! It was a ra'zer saucy escapade in ze end~"
The ensuing silence made her seem to lose any comfort she'd given herself by trying to derail the conversation. "W-What? He was very interested!" she defended, stomping her metal boots.
"If you're asking me what I thought of Aroma," Somnia spoke next, opening her sleepy, unnaturally pink eyes to watch Ember, "I thought she was quite pleasant to be around. I haven't got any extensive knowledge of her activities or anything, if that's what you're asking. We simply shared tea once or twice." Her eyes closed gradually, indicating that she was done talking.
Finally, Beacon spoke. "Okay, you know that MarbleMan story from a long time ago? I did a photojournalism profile on that! I got lots of good pictures of him, one of them almost won an award!... An office award... Anyways, uh... I took some pictures of TrapMan before he uh... escaped custody, so I didn't get to finish my story... And then they took me off of the story for somebody else... Ding ding ding ding..." she answered, growing increasingly less energetic as she realized she didn't have any especially good stories. "Well, I provide pictures for everybody else's articles! That's an important job, you know?"
"Ahem, yes. And in the kitchen? How are events going to proceed tonight?" Bayonet asked, realizing that the chef could remain side-tracked forever.
"O-Oh, excuse me. I was to prepare a soup for each of the guests tonight; she'd be dining on the same dish as everyone else. Right now, I'm sure the assistants are working hard in my absence. It's a lobster bisque, if you're curious" the chef offered. "I cook it at a very high temperature, flambe, you know! And I let it cool, but served, the temperature is still deliciously present~"
Bayonet nodded, but it was her turn to be questioned. Ember's question seemed to throw her off guard. "A less formal position? Well, one of my friend's great talents has always been appearing the same before friends and press. She doesn't put on an act; the Aroma you see out there is the same one with which I converse. She is at once pleasant and shrewd; whimsical, yet smart. I imagine she could have made a fine officer if she wasn't drawn to politics and sponsorship," the NP officer replied. She seemed to understand that Ember might be fishing for particularly startling aspects, but wasn't willing to give any away. While she was overall cooperative, the defiant, attractive pride of her expression made it clear that she was withholding some information.
When questioned, the lady in black smirked and crossed her arms. "I told you already: I'm a mercenary and I do whatever asked, so long as the pay is right. If you want a seedy operation, how about this one: I was recently hired by one celebrity host to assist a navi in sabotaging another celebrity host's program. I accepted the up front payment, then had an opposing navi pay me to doublecross the navi I'd come to back up! It was quite a farce and ended up very profitable for me~" Agent laughed, covering her mouth with one gloved hand briefly to suppress a laugh. "In the end, I'm glad it played out like it did. Of course, you could say that in the end I sided with my favorite team: me."
"Have you no shame, discussing such a vulgar endeavor in the presence of police officers?" Bayonet barked, obviously finding the story offensive.
"I'm not intimidated by you at all, navy girl, nor this room full of officers," Agent shrugged. The NP officer frowned, but took her rigid position again, realizing she'd allowed herself to be provoked.
Next on Ember's list was Garde; this girl was worst of all at hiding her emotions, and clearly seemed to be uncomfortable about the question. "O-Oh, oui... EvolutionMan, you know him? He and ze Techari criminal who recently ezcaped prison, TrapMan, had zet up a devious trap in ze common area! Another officer and I infiltrated ze establishment and cleaned their clocks zimply enough. Not much more to tell," she finished, crossing her hands behind her head. "Monseiur Voulge was taken by ze zplendor of my shapely body, I'll tell you zat much! It was a ra'zer saucy escapade in ze end~"
The ensuing silence made her seem to lose any comfort she'd given herself by trying to derail the conversation. "W-What? He was very interested!" she defended, stomping her metal boots.
"If you're asking me what I thought of Aroma," Somnia spoke next, opening her sleepy, unnaturally pink eyes to watch Ember, "I thought she was quite pleasant to be around. I haven't got any extensive knowledge of her activities or anything, if that's what you're asking. We simply shared tea once or twice." Her eyes closed gradually, indicating that she was done talking.
Finally, Beacon spoke. "Okay, you know that MarbleMan story from a long time ago? I did a photojournalism profile on that! I got lots of good pictures of him, one of them almost won an award!... An office award... Anyways, uh... I took some pictures of TrapMan before he uh... escaped custody, so I didn't get to finish my story... And then they took me off of the story for somebody else... Ding ding ding ding..." she answered, growing increasingly less energetic as she realized she didn't have any especially good stories. "Well, I provide pictures for everybody else's articles! That's an important job, you know?"
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Ember quietly took in what all the girls had to share with him, the information he was given didn't really reveal anything but the girls behavior did. Bayonet seemed like she was a bit shocked by the question given to her, and she gave off an impression that she was actively defying his effort, describing someone's behavior in a more casual position shouldn't be so taboo, clearly there was something more to this Aroma that Bayonet did not want him to know. But would that secret reveal her intentions towards Aroma? Maybe not. Garde however did act quite strange when she answered her question, Ember was still rather young for a navi so he doesn't know a whole lot about the NetMafia and their history, but is the subject really that uncomfortable to discuss?
Despite their unusual behavior, there was still no indication towards their intentions towards Aroma. Unlike these two, everyone else didn't hesitate to answer their questions. Agent's answer did make him more suspicious of her, as she would easily fall for anyone that had a bigger wallet than Aroma did, and an organization like the NetMafia could have that sort of budget. How would he go about this from here? They are probably on to him and simply asking for Aroma's vices would yield no result.
Ember decided that maybe bringing up an unrelated and less pokey question would have some of the girls become more relaxed and less defensive.
" Roite then, so next questions will be answered in the same order. We all have netbattled at some point in our existence so... say yer ran into some pretty nasty viruses, these aren't ones you can just whip out a few cannons n' shotguns and have it done an over with, one will more than likely have to tap into more advanced measures, What's yer typical netbattling strategy in that situation, in detail.
After ya answer that, I wanna know your stance on this whole "virus morality" talk that's been going on round the net fer a while. Ya think viruses should be given the right to live and if bustin them is wrong and all that jazz. If ya ask me, a virus is a virus. It breaks stuff, deletes programs, and muck with machinery to either malfunction or outright attack folks. I say they just need to be wiped upon discovery."[b][/b]
Despite their unusual behavior, there was still no indication towards their intentions towards Aroma. Unlike these two, everyone else didn't hesitate to answer their questions. Agent's answer did make him more suspicious of her, as she would easily fall for anyone that had a bigger wallet than Aroma did, and an organization like the NetMafia could have that sort of budget. How would he go about this from here? They are probably on to him and simply asking for Aroma's vices would yield no result.
Ember decided that maybe bringing up an unrelated and less pokey question would have some of the girls become more relaxed and less defensive.
" Roite then, so next questions will be answered in the same order. We all have netbattled at some point in our existence so... say yer ran into some pretty nasty viruses, these aren't ones you can just whip out a few cannons n' shotguns and have it done an over with, one will more than likely have to tap into more advanced measures, What's yer typical netbattling strategy in that situation, in detail.
After ya answer that, I wanna know your stance on this whole "virus morality" talk that's been going on round the net fer a while. Ya think viruses should be given the right to live and if bustin them is wrong and all that jazz. If ya ask me, a virus is a virus. It breaks stuff, deletes programs, and muck with machinery to either malfunction or outright attack folks. I say they just need to be wiped upon discovery."[b][/b]
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Bayonet knit her eyebrows, an expression that revealed some amount of impatience on her part. "I spare no thought for viruses. In an especially difficult situation I use my naval bombardment technique, which destroys most viruses handily enough," she explained. "And I think the net has enough worries without concerning itself over the wellbeing of its long-time malefactors. If we start treating them nicely despite all of their malicious intentions, people will want to start joining them! That's what happened with the Mafia, after all."
"I don't usually fight or think about viruses. The life of a chef for navis and not humans keeps me mostly inside a well-secured kitchen," Flambe explained. "In a pinch I suppose I have knives I could use... or an open flame...?"
"I don't know too much about virus liberation or what not, but I an an expert in all forms of combat, regardless of my opponent!" Garde answered confidently. "I fight close range with my saber or long range with my musket. I am ze musketeer, no?"
"I prefer not to fight at all... I use my powers to put the enemy to sleep instead," Somnia responded "I suppose with technological breakthroughs being as they are, we should be considering if there are nonviolent ways to handle viruses... Something more practical than having me sing to all of them, of course," she chuckled.
"I take out navis all the time without question, only for being promised payment. Do you think I care about viruses?" Agent responded, crossing her arms and smiling. "I have a number of very powerful chips that easily dispose of viruses. Of course, viruses are small money compared to more complicated jobs..."
"I destroy viruses with my Beacon Beam! Ding ding ding! But uh... I mean, I keep up with the news pretty well of course, I'm a reporter... But what are we talking about again? Non-threatening viruses? Are there peaceful viruses? It sounds like a scoop!" the final girl answered.
Bayonet pressed one of her silk-gloved hands to her face. "Is that enough on the subject? I hardly see how our views on virus politics relate to Aroma's would-be assassin..."
"I don't usually fight or think about viruses. The life of a chef for navis and not humans keeps me mostly inside a well-secured kitchen," Flambe explained. "In a pinch I suppose I have knives I could use... or an open flame...?"
"I don't know too much about virus liberation or what not, but I an an expert in all forms of combat, regardless of my opponent!" Garde answered confidently. "I fight close range with my saber or long range with my musket. I am ze musketeer, no?"
"I prefer not to fight at all... I use my powers to put the enemy to sleep instead," Somnia responded "I suppose with technological breakthroughs being as they are, we should be considering if there are nonviolent ways to handle viruses... Something more practical than having me sing to all of them, of course," she chuckled.
"I take out navis all the time without question, only for being promised payment. Do you think I care about viruses?" Agent responded, crossing her arms and smiling. "I have a number of very powerful chips that easily dispose of viruses. Of course, viruses are small money compared to more complicated jobs..."
"I destroy viruses with my Beacon Beam! Ding ding ding! But uh... I mean, I keep up with the news pretty well of course, I'm a reporter... But what are we talking about again? Non-threatening viruses? Are there peaceful viruses? It sounds like a scoop!" the final girl answered.
Bayonet pressed one of her silk-gloved hands to her face. "Is that enough on the subject? I hardly see how our views on virus politics relate to Aroma's would-be assassin..."
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" It could show a guy's intent in general, but enough questions for a bit, we're going to do something different."[b][/b]
Ember moved away from the line of girls.
" Roite then, so here's what I' getting off of the lot of ya.
Bayonet, yer certainly the most trustworthy lass 'ere, but that doesn't exempt you from any suspicion just yet, you acted a bit abnormal on your second question, like ya may 'av been hiding somethin'. Still you 'av the closest relationship with 'er so you probably didn't want to share anything too offensive about 'er, especially in the presence of a reporter no less. The fact ya questioned the last question is an interesting point though, especially since the others here didn't mind it as much. Yer general eagerness towards a resolve might show that you want this assassin bagged ASAP but it may say something else about ya. Fer now though, yer in the clear with me.
Now Garde, yer quite the character but ya still don't seem like one ta do it. Yer a straightforward lass and ya seem pretty devoted to yer work, I can't see ya having any reason to want to poison this Aroma lass and especially not when such a long career of yer's would be at stake.
Somnie, Yer the most harmless one 'ere, I assumed this whole sleepyhead schick was just an act but ya answered yer questions directly, and ya didn't try to hide anything it seems either. Yer preference with non-violent methods towards confrontations reinforces the notion.
Now Agent, I know it's stereotyping but ya gotta admit, Yer almost unscrupulous in yer dealings and you'll work for whoever's got the fullest wallet. Ya ain't got nothing at risk nor do ya really care much for this Aroma lass. I may not know much about the NetMafia but I say it's safe to say that an organization like 'em would 'ave a bigger budget than a single person such as Aroma, so as it stands yer the biggest danger to Aroma because of that, and fer that, I want ya to move to the opposite side of the room if ya will.
Now Beacon, ya seem harmless, but it seems ta me ya haven't had much luck in yer work as of lately, haven't made that hit story yet. Aroma's poisoning in such a big gathering would be quite a huge thing, and with ya right 'er and past that large crowd ya wouldn't have much competition when it happened fer a while. Ya have the most reason ta do it from what I feel, so I want ya to join Agent on the other side of the room too.
And finally, Flambe, ya seem like a nice lass but again, yer the closes to the food 'ere. While you yerself may not have any reason to want to poison the lass you could still be part of an inside job fer someone else. I'd like ya to move to the other side of the room also."[b][/b]
Ember moved away from the line of girls.
" Roite then, so here's what I' getting off of the lot of ya.
Bayonet, yer certainly the most trustworthy lass 'ere, but that doesn't exempt you from any suspicion just yet, you acted a bit abnormal on your second question, like ya may 'av been hiding somethin'. Still you 'av the closest relationship with 'er so you probably didn't want to share anything too offensive about 'er, especially in the presence of a reporter no less. The fact ya questioned the last question is an interesting point though, especially since the others here didn't mind it as much. Yer general eagerness towards a resolve might show that you want this assassin bagged ASAP but it may say something else about ya. Fer now though, yer in the clear with me.
Now Garde, yer quite the character but ya still don't seem like one ta do it. Yer a straightforward lass and ya seem pretty devoted to yer work, I can't see ya having any reason to want to poison this Aroma lass and especially not when such a long career of yer's would be at stake.
Somnie, Yer the most harmless one 'ere, I assumed this whole sleepyhead schick was just an act but ya answered yer questions directly, and ya didn't try to hide anything it seems either. Yer preference with non-violent methods towards confrontations reinforces the notion.
Now Agent, I know it's stereotyping but ya gotta admit, Yer almost unscrupulous in yer dealings and you'll work for whoever's got the fullest wallet. Ya ain't got nothing at risk nor do ya really care much for this Aroma lass. I may not know much about the NetMafia but I say it's safe to say that an organization like 'em would 'ave a bigger budget than a single person such as Aroma, so as it stands yer the biggest danger to Aroma because of that, and fer that, I want ya to move to the opposite side of the room if ya will.
Now Beacon, ya seem harmless, but it seems ta me ya haven't had much luck in yer work as of lately, haven't made that hit story yet. Aroma's poisoning in such a big gathering would be quite a huge thing, and with ya right 'er and past that large crowd ya wouldn't have much competition when it happened fer a while. Ya have the most reason ta do it from what I feel, so I want ya to join Agent on the other side of the room too.
And finally, Flambe, ya seem like a nice lass but again, yer the closes to the food 'ere. While you yerself may not have any reason to want to poison the lass you could still be part of an inside job fer someone else. I'd like ya to move to the other side of the room also."[b][/b]
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"Almost unscrupulous? Now now, unscrupulous is fine. I never claimed to have scruples. The only question here is who's paying me the most this time, right?" Agent laughed, walking to the other side of the room. Reluctantly, the other two followed her.
"I'm being lumped in with a mercenary in black?! What a scoop!" Beacon exclaimed, not seeming entirely unhappy about it.
Bayonet nodded, seeming pleased that Ehibika had removed NP officers from the equation. "The last thing we needed was a case of assassination from within. Nobody in the NP could possibly gain from getting rid of our benefactor," she explained. "Now we've solved the case of motivation for all three, but the are still many elements we don!t know... Most importantly, who has the poison?"
"It's got to be ze Agent! She is ze shadiest one!" Garde announced assuredly.
"... You fit delightfully into your role in a murder mystery story," Somnia laughed, although she still looked asleep.
"While I don't tend to second Garde's conjecture, she may be right in this case. That woman has a history of misbehavior, no prior relationship to Aroma of any note, and is an expert in assassination techniques, it sounds like," Bayonet commented with a nod. "The judgment will be yours to make, however, Ember. We will all wait as long as it takes to resolve the issue."
'I just marvel that you've dismissed so many girls purely on the cause of character. Friends of the victim and officers of the law! Don't you watch movies?" Agent scoffed with a smile. "Friends are betrayers. A girl like me has no reason to resort to lowly poisons."
"I'm being lumped in with a mercenary in black?! What a scoop!" Beacon exclaimed, not seeming entirely unhappy about it.
Bayonet nodded, seeming pleased that Ehibika had removed NP officers from the equation. "The last thing we needed was a case of assassination from within. Nobody in the NP could possibly gain from getting rid of our benefactor," she explained. "Now we've solved the case of motivation for all three, but the are still many elements we don!t know... Most importantly, who has the poison?"
"It's got to be ze Agent! She is ze shadiest one!" Garde announced assuredly.
"... You fit delightfully into your role in a murder mystery story," Somnia laughed, although she still looked asleep.
"While I don't tend to second Garde's conjecture, she may be right in this case. That woman has a history of misbehavior, no prior relationship to Aroma of any note, and is an expert in assassination techniques, it sounds like," Bayonet commented with a nod. "The judgment will be yours to make, however, Ember. We will all wait as long as it takes to resolve the issue."
'I just marvel that you've dismissed so many girls purely on the cause of character. Friends of the victim and officers of the law! Don't you watch movies?" Agent scoffed with a smile. "Friends are betrayers. A girl like me has no reason to resort to lowly poisons."