Tough Crowd [Yuri/Jackie]

After having been transported to the station, Yuri would find himself alone in a cell for quite some time, kept company only by the officers guarding him throughout the course of the afternoon. With their watchful eyes on him at all times, it'd definitely feel as if he was more of a prisoner than a mere suspect, the city's authoritarianism oozing from the cold gazes shot at him by the police and the deafening silence they'd offer in response to any inquiries. However, after a substantial period of stillness, the prison would begin to come to life once more and he'd find himself dragged to his feet by a small platoon of cops as they demanded he comply and follow them closely. Assuming he did, he'd be ushered through the hall toward a steel door resting at the end of the room, a young girl in a hoodie hovering distantly around the area alongside the plethora of armed men and women. Were he to notice her, Yuri might be able to recognize her face from the broadcast if he could get a good look at it, the woman being one of the Cadets who'd attempted to stop the Playhouse's hijack of SMILE... her presence hinting at what awaited the terrorist in the hours to come. He'd reported a supernatural crime and so he would be met with supernatural authorities looking to discover whether that claim was true or simply an excuse used to cover up his actions.

Once shuffled into the room, the man would be released of his handcuffs and left alone in an enclosed metal space with only a table and two chairs, though were he to analyze it closer he'd quickly discover multiple cameras nestled in the upper corners of the room out of human reach. If he attempted any sort of overt escape or disruption of the proceedings then law enforcement would be aware immediately and multiple guards waiting on the outside would storm in to deal with the situation accordingly; the only practical options left to him were to either accept his position and wait for the questioning to begin or to attempt to employ his abilities subtly in ways that couldn't be detected. As someone who wasn't currently suspected of Psyche Terrorism himself, no sort of inhibitor had been placed on Yuri to block his powers, but with Cadets lurking around the station and numerous mundane officials carrying firearms on them it'd no doubt still be life-threatening to unleash them indiscriminately. No matter what his gameplan was, he'd need to be careful about how he enacted it.

Outside the room, a certain soldier of order would be arriving on the scene, assigned to deal with the situation by Julius's command. The police would escort him to the area without hesitation if asked, but otherwise he'd be left to find his own way there. Regardless, as he approached his destination, he'd find a familiar face awaiting him; Cecilia stood in front of the door with baggy eyes and a tired gaze. She wouldn't immediately notice him with her eyes fixated on her phone, but it wouldn't be difficult to grab her attention once he was ready.

'Good grief... So much time has passed.' It was more or less relieving to see that he safely arrived at a police station as oppose to some underground government facility and killed instantly. There were no windows, though Yuri could tell the moon had risen due to the return of his powers. He wouldn't use them, however. That would be suicide. He sat himself down on the seat farther from the entrance, as courtesy would dictate.

Left alone to utter silence, the suspect crossed his legs and closed his eyes, swimming in his thoughts as he waited for the door to open. There was absolutely no way he wouldn't be getting out of this perfectly safe, whether that be through convincing the police of his innocence or sheer force. Mentally and physically, no one was stronger than he. No one could hinder him from doing whatever he pleased, and that would be the same tonight.

And here Jackie thought he was going to be enjoying a nice, quiet day. He was relaxing at home, watching some old movies, getting a good charge...it was amazing, compared to how hectic things had been lately. He supposed even of he wasn't human, if he continued pushing himself he'd break down. But, on the othet hand, he was just a robot, he didn't need that long of a break. So when he recieved a call to come in to perform an interrogation over a Murder of all things, he simply agreed, and got ready to head out. He entered the police station, eyes hidden behind his, now cracked, sunglasses. He'd already declined going to a different, far more important interrogation earlier that day, so he supposed at the very least he could handle this. Between the Church Slaughter and the Capture of Gambler Shotoro...he needed to start proving he was worthy of the Class 1 rank he'd been given.

He asked an officer for an escort to the proper area, not willing to get lost. He'd just look a fool, if he got lost doing something as Routine as this. Once he arrived, he approached Cecilia. "Hello, Officer Hunt. It's been a while since I last saw you, have you been alright? Can you give me a briefing on the case? Then I can get started on my interrogation." He was sure it wouldn't take him too long to get this all wrapped up. He did notice Cecilia looked a bit...off...and he was fairly sure he knew the cause.

For a brief moment she was startled, nearly jumping out of her shoes as Jackie made his introduction and her gaze was forced away from the device she seemed so engrossed in, but this surprise would swiftly fade as she became aware of her surroundings once more and forced an awkward smile onto her face. A half-hearted laugh escaped her lips as she rubbed the back of her head with her free hand sheepishly, nodding at her comrade and responding with a coy, "Long time no see." Letting her arms fall to her side, she'd take a more serious disposition, wanting to dive straight into the business at hand... understandably given what they were dealing with. "I've been doing well. I got called by Julius the same as you did; he wanted me to monitor things and provide assistance as needed, though I doubt you'll require the help. The suspect's Yuri Ivanov; I've never heard of him personally, but supposedly the guy attends Seven Stars and lives in the dorms there. This afternoon he was in Sunlake Palms at the Vagabond Inn because some 'JOKER' on the SMILE forums told him to come there. Supposedly he tried to pull some kind of trick on them and bait them out with money since they kept asking for it? Either way, it took a turn for the worst fast and he ended up killing two men staying there after entering the room they were in. According to his account, he was attacked by them and did it in self-defense, but overall his story's kinda... fishy as you can tell. What stands out though is that both he and the sole other witness - one of the workers at the place - described the men with characteristics that match those of the people infected by Infinite Jest: facelessness, fits of laughter, violent tendencies... The guy said it must've been a case of Psyche Terrorism, and if what they said is true then there's no doubt about it, but we haven't gotten access to the footage yet and the crime scene is still being examined so we can't be 100% sure. And of course his reason for coming to the inn in the first place is... well, I don't know about you, but it feels pretty sketchy to me. It's definitely possible he knows more than he's letting on and that's where we come in."

"Yuri's inside the room behind me awaiting interrogation. It'll be just you and him, but there are cameras in there so I'll be watching things play out in the next room over with a couple of cops who've been granted clearance. Right now this still falls under police jurisdiction but depending on what you get out of him and what the bigwigs find in the evidence, we could be able to take this case over officially and start looking deeper into any connections between these murders and the clowns. So whenever you're ready lemme know and I'll get into position... I mean, if you don't have any further questions that is." Finishing off her synopsis with that, she'd take a file off a nearby desk and extend it to Jackie, offering him the full report so he could use it as needed. She'd broken it down a lot and covered the events in broad strokes, but ultimately there was only so much she could explain in a reasonable span of time... not to mention that she probably didn't even have the energy to cover it all, not if appearances were anything to go by in any event. However, Cecilia wasn't the kind of person to step back and let others handle things alone, so she'd delve into the details as much as Jackie wanted if he decided to ask her to cover it further.

Jackie accepted the file, looking over it quietly. He didn't want to force Cecilia into further conversation, with how she looked. It seemed like the best course of action would be using the file himself, and trying to get this wrapped quickly. He didn't know her very well, but she didn't look to be at 100% at any rate. He didn't want to keep her, he was sure she had more important things to be doing, like sleeping, or...doing anything but dealing with a murder case. "Alright...it seems like everything's pretty open and close. Well, everything besides Infinite Jest's potential involvement in all this. I have no further questions, everything I need is in this file. I appreciate your assistance, Officer Hunt. With you here, I think we'll be able to wrap this up neatly." He sighed, or at the very least mimed a sigh. "I...I really hope they were Jest, and it was actually Self-Defense. I don't want to believe it was a murder over money, of all things."

Jackie closed the file, and mimed taking a deep breath, and then put on a confident look. "Well, his Highness chose us to handle this, so we'll have to do our best. Whatever the truth is, I'm sure I'll find it talking to this guy. I'm ready to go in now, Officer Hunt." Time to play Good Cop. Part of him wished Officer Frost was there to play Bad Cop with him. Well, he put such thoughts into the back of his CPU, and prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. Someone's life was potentially in his hands. If he screwed up...a murderer could get away, or somebody genuinely guilty could get away.

"Yeah. I feel you there. Personally speaking, I think it's gotta be. The guy's suspicious but it'd be way too weird a coincidence for his description of the victims to perfectly match their profile. It's just so specific that it seems like the odds are slim to none... unless..." Unless he was aware of Infinite Jest. Unless he was a member of Infinite Jest. It wasn't a possibility they could outright dismiss: everyone in the city had succumbed to their madness once before and their activities now had already proven that anyone could be reinducted into the fold. But that wasn't a healthy way of thinking and she immediately regretted falling into it again -- especially right now of all times. Spouting baseless speculation just before an interrogation was the worst possible thing she could do, yet again her hubris had betrayed her, led her to nearly poison the well before Jackie even got the chance to ask the man a single question. It was pathetic and she needed to openly address it as such.

"...no, that's not a good way to look at this, not at all. We're supposed to be protecting Endymion's citizens; if we start assuming they're the enemy then we'll just end up like her. I'm sorry Jackie." Without further commentary, she'd step back and allow him entry into the room, retreating to the door over as the police opened the entrance and allowed him in. Once Jackie stepped inside it'd all be up to him until he came out of the door with either answers or a request for help. It was unclear how long it'd take, but in the end one could only hope Yuri would cooperate... both for their sake and for his.

Jackie nodded at Cecillia. If they let themselves give up on Endymion's people, they'd end up going down a dark path. At his core, he liked to believe that people were inherently good, but that woman...there was something just...wrong with her. How on earth could someone like that be a guard for the queen, of all thing? Well, there was no use thinking about that. He didn't have anything further to say to Cecilia for the moment. He'd just have to get the truth out of this guy, for better or for worse. As far as personal feelings went...even if they were Jest, there was no telling if they were simply brainwashed citizens or actual members. He doubted they were as strong as T had been, at any rate. Saying Jackie was a bit stressed out about finding out the answer to that question would be an extreme understatement. He doubted he'd get said answer from here, though.

Jackie entered the room, adjusting his glasses quietly, while adjusting his glasses. At first, he didn't even look at Yuri, his eyes skimmed the file instead, picking up a few key pieces of information, before closing it, and putting on a smile. "My name is Jackie, a Cadet from Class Zero. I've been asked to get whatever information you have, so with that said...in your own words, can you tell me what happened earlier today?"

It should have been expected the Cadets would be getting involved. Yare yare daze. The situation made him begin to bite his nails. After a moment, Yuri made eye contact with Jackie and began speaking. "Alright. First, do you have my phone? It's not locked with a password. If you have your own, that's fine too. There are texts and online messages that are vital to what happened, so if you wish to view them for proof, I'll show you." If Jackie asks for it, Yuri would provide the URL to the SMILE Web thread in which Joker contacted him.

URL:

That out of the way, he ceased the nervous habit, leaving his hands on his lap. "As for what happened... What I told the police was true, but I left out some details in regards to how the fight went down. This morning, someone replied to an online post I made by the name of Joker. They are quite famous for erratic behaviour, and requested money from me, so I obliged." As he spoke, he gently slid his hand under his shirt. Given how he was closely scooted up against the table, the motion shouldn't have been seen through the cameras. "I agreed to give him something at Vagabond Inn. It was a box with a single dollar inside, though I didn't tell him that. I rented a room so I wouldn't be accused of loitering in case he'd take a long time, or didn't show up. Eventually, a large crowd of people approached, and obstructed the view of the box. When the crowd cleared, it was gone, and I received a text message from Joker telling me to look at the television, which a bizarre video was suddenly playing on. It's important to note that I did not tell him my phone number. A received another text inviting me into the room I rented. Again, there was of course no way he could have known that. Inside the room, a mannequin with a radio was set in a chair facing the window. Through the radio, Joker asked why I sought him out. I told him it was due to curiosity. Anyways, based on all the things he did, hacking a television, knowing things he couldn't possibly know, all that, I figured he must have been some sort of criminal or Psyche Terrorist, and if he went through all this effort for our meeting, he must have some use or plan for me, so I offered to work together. Not in anything in particular, but if he agreed, and ended up attempting something illegal, I could report him. After I said this, Joker said he did have a use for me, but that our goals didn't align, whatever that meant. After this, those two faceless men stepped out of the doors, and approached. The part I left out from what happened next was that I attacked them first. I left that out because I was concerned it wouldn't be ruled as self-defense." Yuri took a deep breath after all that, and sighed. The pain he felt in his abdomen was completely manageable due to the tolerance gained from fighting. "Jackie... I don't know how it would be interpreted from a legal standpoint, but can you fault me for assuming two twisted monsters approaching me following the meeting of someone who was probably a criminal were going to kill me? Well, they clearly weren't human, or, at least, weren't anymore. I killed one with magic, and the other dropped dead on its own. I believe it's the same kind you use. After the police arrived, they questioned me. Then one officer came downstairs with a camera, which he said was in the room, and arrested me." Yuri shifted in his chair and gazed at the wall. "It was about a week ago... I was attacked by demons, and killed them with magic. However, I heard a rumour that anyone who has magic powers gets executed or brainwashed. I wanted to keep it a secret and avoid that risk. Though, I was arrested... because that camera must have recorded it. If this was only to determine whether it was self-defense, then I'd be talking to the police. In that case, there's no use in denying anything. I suppose he must have heard that rumour, and decided to put me in a position where I'd have to use them. Whatever the case, that camera was definitely Joker's, and whether he planned on it being seen by you or not, he wanted a recording of me, whether it be a snuff film of the fight, exposing me, or something else. It's a mystery. That's everything that happened today." After wiping his fingers, his coat wouldn't look any different than it had, given the stains from earlier. "I only need to know... Is that rumour true?" He went back to biting his nails, sweat forming on his head. It could have been caused by the tense situation, but it was probably wearing that thick coat inside like he always did.

Jackie leaned back against a wall, not interrupting Yuri's story. The only time he moved was to look through the web-page Yuri talked about, before moving back to the wall. His expression remained unreadable for the longest time, as he processed Yuri's claims. Eventually, though he tapped his foot, and stood up straight. "Honestly...all this proves is that you were contacted by someone going by the name of 'JOKER'. There's no real proof such a person actually exists. For all we know, you wrote both sides of this conversation." At least they had a name for a possible member of Jest, but that was all it was...a Possibility. Nothing more, nothing less. Really, he sounded more like a conspiracy theorist than anything else, at this point. He...didn't seem to talk like someone who actually dealt with Demons would. Magic? Surely he'd know what it actually was, if he'd actually experienced something like that. He would call it a Persona, right? Perhaps he was like Officer Frost, but he also didn't say 'I used a weapon'. Magic was vague, near meaningless, actually. It certainly didn't prove Psyche Terrorism. "As it stands, I was sent to interrogate you because of the descriptions you gave of your 'assailants'. Your claim of self-defense wasn't debunked entirely until you did it yourself, Mr. Ivanov. And for the record, the coroner's report shows that one of the 'Monsters' was stabbed to death with a screwdriver. No 'magic'." Jackie's face turned stern, as he slammed a hand onto the table. Just like in the good cop shows.




"Admit it Mr. Ivanov, you killed those people in cold blood, or maybe even during some kind of psychotic break! You lured them to the Hotel, and when things went south, you ended up trying to shut them up for good. But it seems like it didn't quite go how you wanted, did it? A plea of insanity won't help your case!" Yeah, Jackie was the coolest cop. He needed to start thinking of a one liner!

Yuri stared blankly at Jackie, not reacting to his increase in tone. "They were monsters. You saw their faces, or should I say lack of, didn't you? Anyways, no need to raise your voice. They weren't even human. One look at them makes that obvious, so why are you calling them people? If a bear or rabid dog runs towards you, that's not murder if you kill it. Assuming they were humans, and this was in fact premeditated, why would I pick a public hotel in the middle of the day to kill them? Why would I stay to tell the staff to call the police instead of running? Most importantly, why would I record it? That just doesn't make sense. Anyways, you obtained video of the attack from that camera, didn't you? Then it should show that they were already lying in wait well before I entered, and had approached me, yes?"

"As for their wounds... When they first stepped out and approached me, seeing they were some sort of demon like the ones that I'd seen earlier, I used a screwdriver I brought with me for protection, yes. However, that did not impede him, and they began to strangle me. That's why I had to use magic to kill them. Only one has physical wounds, right? That's cause this doesn't leave any wounds." Holding his arm out, Yuri's sword manifested as he placed it gently on the table in front of them, before returning his hands to his lap. "I could make this sword appear ever since I was first attacked by demons. The same thing happened today, so I had to use it again. If you'd like, I can cut myself to show that it doesn't leave a mark. That's why the other one didn't have wounds. Can't you Cadets do the stuff like that?"

While Jackie would have a brief interval to respond and question him further, any inquiries would be cut short by the sound of an opening door. The shuffling of a few guards' feet would sound, but the only one visible in the entryway would be Cecilia, standing silently with a dull grey tablet held to her chest. Though covered by her hand, the department's insignia could still be clearly seen on it and it'd remain exposed for a moment before she marched forward toward the table, the steel door slamming shut behind her as she flashed a glare at Yuri and his weapon -- a not-so-subtle hint to dismiss it as swiftly as possible. While she could respect his confession and the point of calling his soulbound as proof, obviously the presence of a weapon in the hands of a suspect couldn't be tolerated, regardless of her feelings or the practical reality of the situation... though more importantly, getting rid of it would make space on the table and allow the young girl to set the device down for the two to see, and if he followed through with that simple act of good faith then the passive hostility emanating from her would immediately subside.


After tapping the screen a video would begin to play of the events that Yuri had detailed in his testimony. True to his word, the men's faceless visages were all too apparent... as was the suspect's usage of so-called magic. Yet more than that, the video would confirm not one but two Psyche Terrorists, showing the witness who'd testified on his behalf employing powers of her own to aid him. It was damning evidence, not just for Infinite Jest's involvement in the case, but for Yuri and Nadia's nature as Psyche Terrorists as well. Even if the authenticity of it were to be called into question, the likelihood of it being entirely doctored was slim to none given that it both simultaneously outed Ivanov as a terrorist (not that he hadn't already done so himself mind you) and validified his claims that it was justified self-defense, vindicating none of the parties involved and showcasing symptoms of the clowns that members of the general public wouldn't be privy to. All in all, it left things rather open and shut; in light of this Yuri's decision to cooperate had ultimately been proven a wise one.

"My name is Cecilia. As you can probably guess, I'm a Cadet as well, and as I'm sure Jackie and I can both attest to your concerns are misplaced. I understand it may be hard to accept considering the circumstances, but trust me when I say we're not your enemy Yuri. Class Zero doesn't kill terrorists; in fact, we go to immense lengths to bring them in safely and securely, and we've helped people far worse than you could possibly be attain second chances. You have nothing to fear and the compliance and honesty you've demonstrated so far go a long way; I only ask that you continue to cooperate with us. You've already seen what we're up against and in order to keep you, your friend, and the public at large safe I need you to answer honestly. If you lie to us we won't be able to stop JOKER nor will we be able to protect Nadia Marquee or any other friends of yours from him; withholding information of any kind is putting their lives at risk. Do you understand?" If he professed his willingness to comply then she'd step back and allow Jackie to pick the situation up once more, but she'd remain in the room by his side for now, ready to intervene once again should the need arise for her input or interjection. Yuri had been honest about his own personal situation, true enough, but his omission of details about Nadia was telling; he had plenty left to answer for and Cecilia could only hope her pleas had reached him. The more straightforward he was with the truth, the better.

In hindsight, bringing out a weapon might not have been a good move when he was in the middle of a police interrogation. It was lucky that no one here had a trigger finger. Yuri made his soulbound vanish, and watched the screen as Jackie and he were instructed. It appeared they got video from that camera after all, which would have been a relief had Nadia not been caught by it as well. Damn, this sucks.

Cecilia sounded genuine when she attempted to alleviate his concerns, though, for better or worse, others would definitely be affected by what he chose to say. After a brief second, he stated "Alright. I trust you. I won't leave anything out. What do you want to know?" It was hard to get through those sentences without stuttering, unsure yet whether he truly meant it when he said that. It was an all too confusing scenario for a normal person to handle, stuck between which side to trust, if not neither or partially both.

"Comparing humans to animals isn't exactly the best thing to do when someone accuses you of being insane, Mr. Ivanov." Jackie stated not looking up from his file. He was really only half listening to the ramblings of this clearly insane man. "In the future, if you have one, I'd advise you not to make things worse for yourself by dehumanizing your victims. Even in acts of 'self defense' I doubt it'll win you any points with the Judge." If there was an expression to be read on Jackie's face, it would be one of annoyance. Of course, annoyance suddenly turned to something else when Yuri pulled his Soulbound out. For a second, Jackie just stared at him a moment, as if trying to decide if this person was an idiot or not, first. Either way, he summoned his own soulbound.

"Mr. Ivanov...I'd like to take this moment to ask you if you actually graduated fourth grade, or not?" He was either an idiot, or suicidal. Before Jackie could take any form of action though, violent or not, Cecilia entered. He dismissed his Soulbound when she did, taking a second to to relax. Two were better than one, at least. And she got him to put the damn weapon away, which was nice.

Jackie would watch the video play out in it's entirety before speaking again. He would only nod at Cecilia's summery. "I guess the best question to start with would be the most simple. What on earth were you thinking getting in contact with this person? Why did you lure him to the hotel?" At least all the conspiracy theories made more sense now, he supposed. "More over, are you and Nadia Marquee members of The Platinum Playhouse? "

Jackie's sarcasm was not worth responding to. Yuri only resumed speaking when asked about the case. "I was curious. Joker's a well known figure on the internet. I didn't except him to be a Psyche Terrorist or something akin to that. I chose the hotel because it was a public location, to decrease the chance of any danger, cause they always say not to trust people on the internet, you know?" In regards to his membership, should he lie? As far as he knew, they didn't have any reason to think they were. Then again, they already knew they were Persona users. If they were gonna get got cause of that, it was already too late. If he said he wasn't, they might accuse him of lying. If he said he was, they'd press him for information on them. Luckily, he came prepared. He didn't really know anyone else's identity.

"I've had some interactions with them. I don't know how they knew I was a user, though, but right after I awakened I received an invite. I spent a few nights demon hunting with them, so I suppose that makes me a member. I don't know about a Nadia, though. Everyone kept their identity a secret. I don't know who Nadia is, though she called me by name, as if she knew who I was, so it's possible. Then again, she could just be a classmate of mine, and I never payed enough attention to know who she is."  He really didn't know, himself. "Then again, if she has powers, it's probably a former. I can't say for certain."

"For a Psyche Terrorist, you don't seem too respectful of other people's anominity. I think this is what superstitious people call 'Karma'." Jackie noted, dryly. "Why did you kill them instead of just knocking them out with your Soulbound? With damage to their soul, they could have lived. What drove you to go for a screwdriver?" It was accusatory, even if the question was asked a bit casually. "I'd like to think you aren't a senseless Murderer, Mr. Ivanov."

"So. She knows you, but you don't know her. I find that a bit hard to believe, personally. There's no point hiding anything. All you're doing is hurting her chances of survival if you're leaving anything out. But fine. There's a more pressing question right now, anyway." Jackie leaned forward a bit. "Has anything on your phone changed since your encounter with JOKER?"