Lawful-Neutral

Fresh off her trip to the police station, Cecilia found herself staring at the entrance to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency. The events of the day and the night before still weighed heavily on her mind, the girl nervously fidgeting a bit as she looked down at the flyer she grasped in her hand. Truth be told, what she really wanted to do was rush home away from the district and the streets teeming with people, but the words of Maxwell echoed through her mind and a sense of duty kept her feet glued to the concrete while she perused the list of services. Between him admitting to his ignorance of the dangers of Psyche Terrorists and the prior revelation of Endymion's true enemy in the years after the Divide, Cecilia knew she couldn't simply walk away as if it were nothing, as if the broadcast last night hadn't reached the ears of nearly every man, woman, and child in Endymion. The terrorists weren't the only ones who wore masks, even she wore her own this day in the form of a simple pink hood obscuring her face, and if this woman could offer a peak beneath the public's and some additional certainty then it was an offer too good for the desperate Cadet to pass up.

The ringing of windchimes and a doorbell would echo through the entrance as Cecilia walked inside and approached the front desk. Even away from all the hustle bustle, she'd keep her hood up with the rabbit ears drooping listlessly down to the shoulders, staring skeptically for a brief moment at her surroundings before sighing heavily and walking up to the woman. She wasn't sure if this was the right course of action, but then again, right now she wasn't sure of anything.

When Cecilia made her entrance, she would hear the meow of a cat. Hearing the soft greeting, the Cadet could notice a black cat staring at her. But before allowing her any action, the animal snuck off underneath a desk never to be seen again. Though, she would also come to notice the woman in black giving her the attention she wanted. It appeared as if the detective was in a middle of reviewing case files through countless manila folders and printed sheets of paper from her desk.

Under normal circumstances Cecilia might've been more inclined to focus on the cat, but with the business at hand on her mind she wouldn't make any effort to pursue it or coax it out from the under the desk, only briefly staring at it for the split second before it scurried away. She was more of a dog person anyway truth be told. "I came across one of your advertisements not too long ago. You probe public opinion, right? Read the feelings of the citizens or whatever." The hooded girl would comment as she placed the flyer on the desk and slowly slid it over to Raidou. Not waiting for an answer, the girl would hastily pull her wallet out of her pocket, fishing out some money and holding it up for the detective to see. "That broadcast last night had everybody's attention. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it... and I'm sure most others are the same. Could you offer some insight into how people feel about it? The terrorists, what they had to say, the government; I just want to know how the public views the message of this Platinum Playhouse."

Transaction:

Raidou carefully observed Cecilia. Her eyes didn't even leave the Cadet until taking the compensation into her hand. It was almost as if trying to divine what exactly was familiar about that face, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it just yet. As she took the cash, the Kuzunoha finally leaned her back against her chair and began to close her eyes as if to ponder for a moment. Then she opened them before beginning to reply. "At this very moment, I'm very sure you can tell the City is in a rather precarious situation. My sources suggest that people still have some trust in the Government. Yet, the uncertainty was set into the populace from that recent stunt. There are voices out there in social media and within rumors questioning the Government's reliability in protecting them and their motives for putting up said facade. The gunshot from this one woman before it cut off didn't quite help matters very much, I'm afraid... But as far as the Playhouse's message, it galvanized some to discussion. Others see it as a hoax, but the significant minority is keeping that inquisitive fire alive for discussion and future consideration."

The results were mixed, however, as they were delivered Cecilia would realize that she'd been expecting far worse. She wasn't irrational enough to believe that the city would turn against their saviors, especially in the course of a night, but... it was still strange to hear reassurance. Welcome but strange. She'd pause in contemplative silence for a moment staring off in the direction the cat had went. While thankful that most still respected the government, the detective had brought up outliers, people like Maxwell once was who'd begun to grow skeptical of the current state of affairs. Yet even worse were the ones mentioned who questioned the ability of the government to protect them, who called the security of Endymion into doubt over this one night, who stirred fear about Class Zero's necessity and competence when evening after evening before they'd taken down countless Demons and terrorists from the shadows. Perhaps they couldn't be blamed, but that ignorance of theirs, the bliss it enabled... That was all thanks to their efforts, to the sacrifices of the royal family and Cecilia's comrades. Without Cadets Endymion would've never gotten out of that hell; without Cadets it'd so easily slip right back into it. And as she unknowingly balled her fists and quietly bit down on her lip with an indignant quiver, words she'd forgotten until now flashed through her mind, a warning accompanied by glimpses of familiar scenes new and old.


Nobody wanted people to have to face the real truth... perhaps Cecilia least of all. She'd joined the Cadets to shield them from danger and even now, especially now, she wouldn't begin to consider shirking that purpose. Yet if truth was a dangerous thing then maybe people needed it to some extent. Maybe they needed a reminder that the night belied many terrors and that Class Zero had been protecting the people from all of them. So before she knew it, the pink-haired Cadet was pulling out more money, twirling around and thrusting it onto the table as she looked the detective in the eyes. She was silent for a moment, hesitant and held back by an invisible force, but this wouldn't last long. Discretion was necessary, but her tongue would yield a bit of the truth that this significant minority yearned and yammered for.

"Last night there was another terrorist attack in the same district. Upwards of hundreds of lives were endangered by a group known as Infinite Jest and a prolific member of it that's since been captured. If Class Zero hadn't intervened then countless innocent people would've been slaughtered. In other words..."


She'd pause to let it sink in and gauge Raidou's initial response before continuing. "If you can get this information out to that minority then I'll pay any fee you want. But no matter what, you didn't hear this from me." Of course, she'd already handed over the initial asking price, but she wouldn't be surprised if the woman tried to charge her more. She wouldn't even blame her. Cecilia only hoped the knowledge would be taken the right way and that it wouldn't be traced back to her... assuming the detective was willing to leak it in the first place, that is.

Transaction:

The Kuzunoha listened intently to what the Cadet had to say. And it turned out to be a very interesting rumor and it verified something about her. To be frank, wouldn't she get into trouble about this kind of information? It gave the Kuzunoha a lot to consider. But her thoughts were interrupted as she watched the money set on the table. She stared at it for a moment before giving a brief nod. "Very well. However, for this kind of information, it will require a higher toll."

Raidou accepted the offering and counted it. Three thousand in all, it was. She set it aside inside her desk. This was a job she took and it was a job she would accomplish. The detective addressed Cecilia once more. "Consider the job done. Do you have anything else you want done?"

"No... Nothing else for now. Thank you for your assistance ma'am. May Isla bless you and your day." With a grateful nod and a heavy sigh, Cecilia would make her way out of the building with uncertain steps. Hurriedly she'd start rushing home, but as she made her way back her phone would begin to vibrate. Raidou had her tasks to attend to and in the end it seemed the Cadet was no different...

As hooded girl gave her farewell, Raidou gave a tip of her hat in her direction. When the door was closed behind her, Raidou spoke into the silence. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Cadet Cecilia."

[End]