187 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Informant"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tobias Murakami on Jul 26, 2020 19:58:48 GMT -4
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that THE WORST CASES INVOLVED CHILDREN.
Through all the politics of the PSC, the HOC, and the pro-heroes themselves, and through all of the head-butting, this was one point that each faction agreed upon—the worst cases involved children.
This case in particular had been on Tobias's desk since March-- and the culmination of his work now lay before him in small manila folder, slightly askance on a small, metal table. He was seated in a small, dark room, furnished sparsely with a couch, a table with chairs, and a pub-styled bar with stools. The bar, anchored to a wall, faced a silvered window that opened onto another room. From a single vent, cool air blew. This, the rustling of papers, the ticking of Tobias’s wristwatch, and his faint breathing were the only sounds in the room. Tobias was reviewing the file.
“Shiloh Dubois” was written upon a white label in Roman typeface.
It was the kind of case to make anyone a misanthrope—according to the child’s permanent record, he came to Japan following the death of his father, Michel Dubois. His mother, too, had died many years prior due to illness. Shiloh Dubois had been entrusted to an estranged aunt and uncle, his only living relatives. Security camera footage from the day of Shiloh’s arrival showed that he was retrieved, and yet… days later, Pro Hero “Zombie King” found the youth sleeping in a park. And, when Zombie King and Hellhound had attempted to apprehend the child, Shiloh Dubois had given them the slip.
This had suddenly become an issue worthy of the pro heroes’ attention.
It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
They started with the boy’s legal guardians.
“Negligence?” the waspish aunt had yelled, her voice pitching upward in disbelief, “No one asked us if we wanted that creature—we did right by him, dumping him at the gates of that orphanage. It isn’t our fault that that monster wandered off!”
Tobias had slammed his palm against the surface of the metal table, his usually cool exterior cracking around the edges.
“If your intent was to surrender Shiloh, you should have seen someone directly! It is negligent to leave a ten-year-old unaccompanied on a sidewalk, particularly a blind ten-year-old with no grasp of the native language!”
“No one asked us what we wanted! We never asked my sister to… to start a family with that… thing! And we refuse to be saddled with her mistakes!”
Absolutely disgusting… Tobias rubbed his face. It was all dead-ends, one after another. A family that didn’t want him, a child that was slipping through the cracks. After a month of radio-silence, Tobias assumed the worst… that the boy had died, or worse, was taken in by some criminal syndicate and exploited.
Of course, until they had Shiloh in-custody—alive or otherwise—the case would remain open. Cold but refusing to close. A single shard of hope.
Then, at the beginning of July, their first big break—on a routine patrol, Yellow Jacket responded to a break-in in the wee hours of the morning. Dispatch showed records of a reported breaking-and-entering in a high-end outdoor supply store. There were three suspects. Two teenagers, and one mutant bat.
Shiloh Dubois.
It was like seeing the face of a ghost.
Ultimately, the bat was the only one that Yellow Jacket was able to apprehend. Then came the issue of what to do with him—although the child was an accomplice in a robbery, his age (and his tumultuous background) made incarceration seem inhumane. But where, then, could they put him if not jail? Orphanages were out-of-the-question—he would just runaway again—his family did not want him. And the level of constant surveillance necessary was too much for any one foster home to take-on.
The bat was passed from PSC-operative to PSC-operative. They worked in teams of three, so that at least one agent was always awake. Shiloh Dubois, all the while, as uncommunicative. Completely silent and periodically hostile. Every few days, Shiloh would be brought to the same facility, to meet with the same operative, who would try to cajole Shiloh into trusting them enough to talk. The child was resistant every step of the way. Toys offered to him were smacked from the hands of those that offered them. Questions were met by cold shoulders and turned heads. The optimist in Toby thought that they were close—for at one point, the bat angrily insisted that, “I want my brothers back! Let me go!”
But when it became apparent that this wasn’t going to happen, the bat withdrew again.
They were back to square one.
Shiloh was visiting again, today. And Tobias was going to try something that he… hadn’t thought to try, before.
The crimson gentleman brought a thermos to his lips, sipping the hot tea within. The pub-table was anchored to a wall, and faced a one-way mirror. The mirror looked-out onto a comfortably furnished room, rather like the waiting room for a doctor’s office—with plush chairs and sofas, sterile and barely used, and soothing color-schemes. Additionally, there were copious amounts of toys, likely recycled from elsewhere, and a t.v. that could be used to play videos. They’d tried to make the interrogation room as inviting as possible.
But with someone whose interrogation styles tended to be more... professional? Serious? And though Tobias preferred to handle all of his cases personally, they needed someone with a gentler touch. A more... kid-friendly persona? A criminal that refused to corroborate evidence found on a case was worlds different than a child who was afraid (or possibly unable) to work with investigators.
They needed someone like Selena. It was the perfect kind of case to bring her in on. So, Tobias made a copy of the case-file, sent it her way roughly a week ago, and arranged for her to meet him in... he checked his watch... roughly five minutes.
The door to the observation room opened, and the Informant donned his best, most winsome smile.
“Good morning,” he greeted placidly, “Thank you for joining me. How are you doing?”
| quirk: c-rank burn, durability, heat resistance; combat abilities: jujitsu (e), magma sleeves (e), regeneration (d), cinder sprites (f)(summon); etc.: info. sifting/ investigation (e), problem solving (f), interrogation (f), first aid (e), disguise (f) ooc notes: |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2020 23:53:35 GMT -4
For the entire week, Selena spent looking at the case file, paying close attention to the details provided. Shiloh Dubious. Age ten. Possible quirk user related to a bat. Left in front of orphanage by aunt and uncle. Parents deceased. He had given the Pros the slip a couple of times, only to be finally caught by Yellow Jacket. In custody in pertinence to a robbery involving two teens, who were still on the loose. PSC-operatives tried to gain information from Shiloh, but to no avail.
This was her first case that she had worked since she got to Japan, one that was special due to being a child, making the case very sensitive in its nature. Selena hadn't talked to her mother about the case she was handed by the Informant. More so because she knew RJ would attempt to help, and Selena wanted to do this on her own. Her moms had did their best in respecting her boundaries, treating her as an adult being prepared for the hero world. But a mother was still a mother by the end of the day. And maybe that's what this case needed- a gentle, motherly touch. She couldn't approach this with her usual military demeanor. She needed the old Haymaker charm for this one.
Flipping page after page, she tried to connect the dots, but came up with more questions than answers. Who were the two brothers that the victim, or suspect in this case, talked about? What information did he have on the case? What could be done to resolve this dilemma? The questions replayed in Selena's mind for the past week. And now she was being called on in to help work on it. Her mother once dealt with a case like this. Usually, the only option for most kids in this situation was the juvenile hall or the orphanage. But maybe a different solution could be made.
She arrived at the office in casual attire, deciding against her hero uniform. A pair of blue jeans with a white shirt with blue flowers on it. She had her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, extending all the way to the small of her back. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the child and she wanted him to feel comfortable as possible to ascertain the information needed. She walked through the door and gave a nod to her partner.
"Morning, Murakami-sama," responded Selena with a smile, putting the file on the desk. She didn't want to call him by his hero's name, understanding why it needed to be a secret. But calling him by his first name would be, in her eyes, disrespectful. The man earned his title, so she would show that respect with earnest. "I've been better. Been racking my brain on this case for the past week. There are more questions than answers." Selena looked through the window that showed into the room. "I presume that's where Shiloh will be interviewed in?"
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187 Posts
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EXP
Total
"The Informant"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tobias Murakami on Sept 1, 2020 2:31:21 GMT -4
my words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that "HAYMAKER-SAN," THE REDHEAD GREETED back, bowing his head. Shaky beginnings aside, the pair had fallen into a cordial, albeit stilted, relationship, “Sorry to hear that you aren’t at you best.”
He rose his thermos in greeting, before taking a sip from it, abstractly musing to himself.
“There’s always more questions than answers. The hunger is good though. Investigators need it.”
It was none other than Selena Haymaker, dressed in business-casual. The outfit was a nice touch—a conscious decision or subconscious? Regardless, it wasn’t a polite question to ask. Until then, Shiloh had only worked with men and women in suits, Tobias mainly, and they’d made no progress. So perhaps someone dressed in a more relaxed fashion would help the child to warm-up.
“Yes, that’s the room,” Tobias confirmed, “We did our best to make it… kid-friendly, but Shiloh is having none of it. There’s a lot of mistrust of adults there.”
He smiled anemically, taking another sip of team from his thermos. It was almost time for the boy to arrive, so Tobias skipped the small-talk and cut straight to business.
“Since Shiloh is ten years old, his collusion in the robbery is not punishable,” Tobias explained patiently, “In accordance with the penal code of Japan. Legally, we cannot detain him… so our objectives are a little different than a normal interrogation. We need… a statement regarding the two individuals he was seen with the night that Yellow Jacket detained him. And, if possible… insight into where the child would like to go. This, of course, will ultimately be the decision of our courts, but… he needs more supervision than what an orphanage provides."
Tobias set his thermos down, reaching into a case to remove the sanitized bone-mics, each hermetically sealed in plastic baggies. Tobias passed one to the young woman before him.
“I and a child psychologist will be sitting in this room, patched to you via a bone mic,” the Informant explained, “To support you in whatever capacity we can. Helping with leading questions, if necessary, but otherwise just listening.”
After surrendering a bone mic to the young woman, Tobias wrangled the other package open, uncoiling the cord before tucking it into his ear. There were also a pair of battery packs to which they could connect the bone-mics.
Moments later, the child psychologist walked in, taking a seat at the pub-height counter. Tobias checked his wristwatch.
“Alright… five minutes. You ready?”
| ft. selena haymaker quirk: c-rank burn, durability, heat resistance; combat abilities: jujitsu (e), magma sleeves (e), regeneration (d), cinder sprites (f)(summon); etc.: info. sifting/investigation (e), problem solving (f), interrogation (f), first aid (e), disguise (f) ooc notes: |
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287 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
33 Years
Female
"Yellow Jacket"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Hachi Tsutsuji on Sept 3, 2020 19:43:35 GMT -4
 You knock me out, I fall apart.
And I thought I was so smart.
The last month had been rough. Or perhaps it had been less time than a month, and Hachi was having a hard time telling the difference between the span of days and the span of weeks. Her attention hadn't been on work, heroism or school or otherwise; rather, it had been focused on her latest arrest. "Arrest" was the loosest term she could use to describe that incident.
After all, you didn't "arrest" children.
Not at this age.
Somebody might have called it "rescuing", and that did not sound right to her either. He may have been on the streets, yes, but he had been in a place he felt safe, whether or not he actually was. Her taking him from those he had been travelling with was not "rescuing" to him, any more than her bringing him in felt like her "arresting" him. Shiloh Dubois was unlikely to see her actions as anything but cruel for some time.
But even still, she worried about him. She worried every time she saw PSC updated on who he was staying with for the day, who he was meeting with in the morning, where he was going to be during the night. It wasn't consistent. Of course it wasn't. The PSC wasn't optimized to hold a child, and its officers had their own lives to consider outside of work; not everyone was so willing to drop everything to take in and watch a small boy who was both literally and metaphorically a flight risk. Yet, given her own current situation, she had been quiet on the matter. Between her injury, and the threat that Thunder Shock would be out to get her, and the list put out (supposedly) by Ishtar...she wasn't a good choice to take the boy in. That's what she told herself.
Heroes need to protect everyone. If I'm a target, anyone around me is at risk. I can't subject anyone to that--especially not a young child. It would be selfish.
She would still do it in a heartbeat if she was asked.
Or would, if she could figure out means of ridding herself of those more troubling, dangerous aspects of her life.
...or if the boy could ever forgive her.
...
Tsutsuji Hachi hovered into the room, dressed more formally than her modest, weather appropriate sun-dresses that she wore when teaching. She had opted to be out of uniform for this one. She was still Yellow Jacket, but she was always Yellow Jacket. The only difference was the matter of vulnerability. She had no mask, no armor, nothing but her own alien expression and a blue velvet dress. She gave a bow to the more familiar face in the room. "Murakami-san, good day." Then she raised her head to look at the other woman. Hm, she didn't recognize her immediately, and she was also without a uniform. Unlike Hachi, though, that meant she passed as any normal individual rather than a hero. She still bowed toward her as well. "Hello."
She straightened back to full height. Even though she only was hovering a couple of inches from the floor, Hachi was taller than Tobias, and loomed over Selena.
Even without the mask, and ignoring her lack of human facial expressions, she could never a hundred percent shake the intimidation factor.
Alas.
"Is Shiloh already in the building?" She was quick to the point. "Who will be meeting with him today? I do appreciate you inviting me to this session," Hachi gave a look out the one-way window, "But I'm afraid I don't know very much about the process beyond my own less-than-relevant experiences." Criminals and villains were not the same thing as frightened ten-year-olds.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2020 0:54:20 GMT -4
Selena listened closely to her mentor. Her partner. What were the chances that he would accept her? She felt years behind the stoic investigator and years' worth of experience. But she wasn't walking away. She came this far. And she was going to prove her worth to him. Even if it was something like a simple task as this. But was it really that simple? Getting information from a child that not even the best investigators couldn't get.
She remembered when her moms would work with youth in New York. Punishments for them were different than it was in Japan. And her moms tried their best to make sure that each child got a fair trial, no matter the crime. "The laws here are a lot different for youth than they are in the United States," Selena said remembering New York. "Their solution to those who would not give information to a crime or committed one was the juvenile hall. Then, when they reach a certain age, they would take them to prison." A harsh reality. The child didn't have a chance to change. Especially if they were quirkers. "It's nice to see Japan is different."
The Informant lay down the mission objective. Get the information on the robbery and the names of the accomplices. "Understood," she said, putting the mic in her ear. Right at that moment, a woman who looked like a giant bee came into the room. Selena recognized her from the top ten lists and the descriptions that Desmoshi and Mizuki gave about their teachers at UA. Her height towered over the Haymaker as she said hello to her. "Good morning, Tsutsuji-sama," Selena responded, bowing to show respect to the woman. She unbowed as she continued. "I will be conducting the interview with the help of Murakami-sama and a child psychologist."
She looked into the room and took a deep breath. This needed a gentle approach. Any mistakes could cause the child to be scared and clam up. She had toys in the room along with other childlike things. She knew what she had to do. She had to be on the child's level. Talk to him like a child would talk to another child. Or mother to her own. Oh god. She was going to have to be like her mothers for the day.
Selena put her hand on the doorknob that led into the playroom/interview room. "I'm ready," she said as she entered the room. She closed the door behind her and sat at one of the play tables. She pulled out some crayons and pieces of paper. And she did something that would make her less conspicuous or adult-like. She started coloring and drawing. That way the child could enter into an easy environment. She continued this until Shiloh arrived.
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66 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
10 Years
male
"batty"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Shiloh Dubois on Sept 8, 2020 21:34:49 GMT -4
i'm just too far from where you are
i wanna come home THE RIDE OVER WAS QUIET. Last night, Shiloh had stayed with the Taka’s, who were (in some form or fashion unknown to the child) affiliated with the so-called Pro Heroes that had taken him away. He had intended on keeping quiet with them, just as he had with every other family that had watched him, but this family spoke French. It wasn’t like the other families that spoke only Japanese and broken English. Being able to speak French was enough to open the child up, on its own. He wondered if he’d get to go back to that family again after today’s talk.
He was reluctant as he was guided out of the car, shepherded by a hand that patted the back of his head. He remembered the route. He followed the familiar twists and turns of the halls. They’d never used handcuffs on him, and promised they wouldn’t if he didn’t run… so Shiloh didn’t run. Not that he had any idea of where to go…
The door to the interrogation room clicked open. And Shiloh was allowed to step in before the door was shut behind him. He lingered just within the doorway, shuffling his feet. He clicked softly. Lifting his muzzle slightly. Echoes bounced off of the walls around him, painting a landscape of the room. The big table to the left, the toys on the open ground, the little table in the right corner. Someone was sitting there.
Curious, the bat moved closer, letting their echolocation paint a picture of the person at the table. A smaller figure than what he was used to… a woman… not the big man who called himself “Toby”, nor any of the other people who tried to talk to him. The bat inclined his head slightly.
“You’re new,” Shiloh remarked in English, “But that won’t make me talk! And you’re at the wrong table. You need to sit at the big table.”
That’s where all the others sat, anyways. They sat at the big table, and they made Shiloh sit at the big table (although Toby let him choose a toy sometimes) and then they would ask him all sorts of questions. Usually just… one question, “How are you?” and “How did you like the home you were in last night?” and then right to trying to get information about Bishop and Wesker. But he would never tattle on Bishop and Wesker. They were good people! And they took good care of him!
The bat let his enormous ears fall, and squinted his big, black eyes—he was trying to look mean.
| ft. toby, selena + hachi quirk: e-rank echolocation, flight, speed; f-rank durability, multilingualism |
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187 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Informant"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tobias Murakami on Sept 8, 2020 22:36:33 GMT -4
my words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that "IT CERTAINLY IS MORE FORGIVING, isn’t it?” Tobias echoed warmly. He was about to say more when a noise stirred at his attention, and he lifted his gaze.
The door to the room popped open, and Tobias lifted his gaze, his expression as illegible as ever. The form that entered was none other than Tsutsuji Hachi, fellow teacher and the hero who’d found Shiloh Dubois. Tobias bowed slightly at the waist, the ghost of a smile crossing his expression.
“Hachi-san, it’s good to see you,” he replied. He gestured to the blond who stood with him, offering a brief, “Selena Haymaker, my sidekick. She will be working with Shiloh today.”
He allowed the women to exchange words or greetings, before offering what reassurances he could, in regards to Hachis’ questions… besides the one that he addressed a few moments prior.
“He arrived a few moments ago, he and the psychologist are on their way up,” Tobias confirmed, briefly looking at his phone to verify the information. Tobias gave Selena a thumbs-up as she dismissed herself and went into the other room to situate herself. She selected one of two plastic play-tables, where crayons, coloring books, and blank papers were scattered. Interesting choice.
Tobias checked his battery pack for power, then switched it, and his bone mic, on. He pressed a hand to his ear to activate the mic itself, and spoke coolly.
“Check, one-two, check-check,” Tobias murmured, “Selena, am I coming in clearly?”
Assuming there was an affirmative, he would clamber onto one of the stools, gesturing for Hachi to join him, if she were able.
“It’s no problem at all, I’m glad we could have you with us,” Tobias said to Hachi, “I wish I could say that I was… accustomed to situations such as this, and that I knew what to expect… yet I also… don’t.”
He exhaled sharply, “Your role could be to corroborate any information Shiloh might give us, if he gives us any information at all… he’s been frustratingly tight-lipped for the past few weeks. I also… seem to recall your vested interest in the case.”
Another subdued, albeit warm, smile. In a way it was sort of heterodox to have Hachi there, but Tobias could spin a convincing enough argument for her presence there. Sometimes there were cases that you simply needed to see through until the end.
At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened, the diminutive form of the bat-child little more than a silhouette against the legs of his escort, the child psychologist. Shiloh seemed to take-in the room (although his file suggested he was almost entirely blind) before his attention fixed on Selena. It took him a moment, but he noticed her sitting on the floor.
Today’s attire was a pair of overalls (most of his pants were overalls, to be fair) and a too-big shirt that had been cut at the side-seams and given snaps so that it fit around Shiloh’s wings.
The door closed behind the child, and moments later, the door to the observation room opened.
“Doctor Tachibana, welcome,” Tobias greeted, “Doctor Tachibana is the child psychologist aiding in Shiloh’s case. Doctor Tachibana, this is Tsutsuji Hachi, also known as Yellow Jacket, the hero who brought Shiloh in.”
A brief, polite greeting was offered by the psychologist before he, too, took a seat. Tobias quickly returned to watching the scene before them.
As per the usual, the bat seemed reluctant to address the new person, although he noticed that Selena was not only new but sitting in a location different from the one that she usually occupied.
“Sharp as ever,” Tobias remarked in sonorous tones. And he meant it, too. For however simply the child spoke, and for as airheaded as he sometimes seemed, the bat had a way of cutting to the heart of the matter.
| ft. selena, hachi + shiloh quirk: c-rank burn, durability, heat resistance; combat abilities: jujitsu (e), magma sleeves (e), regeneration (d), cinder sprites (f)(summon); etc.: info. sifting/investigation (e), problem solving (f), interrogation (f), first aid (e), disguise (f) ooc notes: |
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287 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
33 Years
Female
"Yellow Jacket"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Hachi Tsutsuji on Sept 10, 2020 21:27:01 GMT -4
You knock me out, I fall apart.
And I thought I was so smart.
Tsutsuji Hachi was introduced to the woman, and after a moment of thought, a very small smile appeared on her lips. "Haymaker. Interesting. Are you by chance related to Mizuki and Desmoshi Haymaker? Mizuki is one of my interns this year. She is quite talented." If that was the case she was very interested to see more of Selena. Heroism as a concept was still in such a young state that a "family" of heroes (or at least one with as many members involved in law as possible) was almost unheard of. Almost, as the Taka's had a hero and a hero-in-training in their family already, but if she was correct then the Haymakers would have them beat.
The pleasantries put aside, Hachi moved to where Tobias gestured, taking a seat more comfortably on the backless stool than most chairs. She rested her hands in her lap and observed, wide alien eyes taking in the scenery of the room on the other side of the window.
On one hand, it did look like a comfortable spot for a child. On the other, given his circumstances, she had to wonder if Shiloh would be more comfortable with less. Too many toys might be seen as a bribe, or could remind him of what he had been without for so long.
Maybe she was overthinking it. He was still young.
But children could be smarter than adults thought.
As Tobias checked in with his mic she glanced toward him, waiting for him to explain why she had been called in before giving a small nod. "I understand. I will do to provide what I can, but I have to ask; that microphone, or rather her earpiece, is kept muted unless you are holding the switch? Yes? Shiloh appeared to have quite an enhanced sense of hearing, and I cannot help but think that if he picks up on our words--especially mine--through her earpiece that he will go quiet. Similarly, is this room sound-proofed?" She looked back at the window. "I do not know the strength of his hearing but it is better to be over-prepared than not, in my eyes."
And there he was, as tiny as he had been the first time, but somehow even larger than she remembered. It had been dark when she had taken him, but even once they'd been in the PSC office building before he'd been taken into custody he'd just felt so small. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, or maybe it was her emotional state causing her to feel like he'd been far more fragile then than now. He was still so young.
"...I heard from a reliable source that you got to speak with his legal guardians," Hachi spoke with a cool tone, "Child endangerment and abandonment is a criminal offense with up to ten years of prison time, or a three million yen fine, is it not? If one were inclined to see such charges brought about, Orlov-san has an highly skilled lawyer. And I'm sure you have a confession."
She gave another bowed head towards the psychologist as he entered and took his spot. It was honestly a little funny to her that as a child, she'd planned on pursing psychology as her own field. Maybe in another world, she would still be involved in this case, or ones like it.
That was a little draining to consider, honestly.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2020 17:40:18 GMT -4
Selena nodded to Hachi's question, confirming she was indeed related to the twins before entering the room. Man her cousins get around. And Mizuki was an intern already. She would have to ask later on how Mizuki was doing on her internships. Mizuki and her talk a lot but when it came to UA, she never said much about it. She just told her for the first time in a long time, she was happy. And she left at that.
She gave a small nod to confirm the mic check as she sat silently at the kids' table and started doing some small drawings. She remembered a room like this. It was take-your-daughter-to-work day. Jeanne was excited to show her all the interview rooms they use to talk to other people. There was one room that was designed for kids and to make them feel comfortable. Jeanne told her the best way to talk to someone is to make sure they don't feel like the suspect, especially children. The goal was to help them and get them to trust you. Hopefully, Jeanne's advice would hold some bearing on today. Selena really wanted to help Shiloh. She had seen what happened to others who were alone on the streets, having to steal and fend for themselves. Maybe Shiloh would let her help him. Maybe.
As she was sitting at the table coloring and making drawings, Shiloh walked in, making clicking sounds to discover his surroundings. Right, he was part bat. Makes sense for him to see with sound. Shiloh stood his ground, letting Selena know that he wasn't going to talk. Nice, he spoke English. The benefits of living in New York- everyone spoke English. She responded in English, looking at him with a confused look. "I am not sure what you are talking about. I was just told to sit in here with you until the others got here. They got tied up in some big, important meeting." She continued coloring, smiling as she did so. "And I don't like the big table. It's uncomfortable for me. I prefer to color here if you don't mind." Not entirely off. She wanted to be on his level for this. People were more comfortable with people who didn't exert authority.
She smiled at the small boy. He was observant, she give him that much. She would have to be a little bit more clever and careful if she wanted the information he had. So, she would play the game of the nice lady waiting for the others to come. Probably the best way to go about this interview is to play somewhat dumb and be gentle. It was probably a good thing she left her badge and stuff outside the interview room. Otherwise this might not work the way she intended it to. "My name is Selena by the way. I am guessing you are Shiloh. They told me to keep you company until they got here. Want to color with me? Coloring is more fun with another person."
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66 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
10 Years
male
"batty"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Shiloh Dubois on Sept 27, 2020 2:04:38 GMT -4
i'm just too far from where you are
i wanna come home THE CHILD STOOD HIS GROUND, grabbing the straps of his overalls with his claws. His ears were pressed flat against his head, to show how mean and serious he was. And he really was trying to look mean and serious! Just because he was small, didn’t mean he was stupid! He knew these adults were trouble!
And this one was tricky... she spoke good English. She sounded confused. And that was suspicious. The bat listened with his mean, mean look in his eyes.
The woman gave some vague response about being told to wait in the room, and preferring to sit at the little table. The response left Shiloh dissatisfied, and filled with more questions than answers.
There were others coming? Would they all sit at the big table? Would they all ask Shiloh questions? Would they all try and sit at the little table? Or would the woman move to the big table when the others arrived?
Shiloh glanced over his shoulder towards the door, expecting it to suddenly swing open as more people burst in. Instead, it remained closed.
Reluctantly, Shiloh sauntered towards the table, his ears lifting ever so slightly.
“Why… aren’t… you in the big, important meeting?” the child demanded. It seemed suspicious that all these other people were in a meeting, but she wasn’t.
The bat stopped at the edge of the table, letting the sound of the woman’s coloring paint the faintest landscape of the area. He could see just a tinge of color, but he couldn’t discern what she was coloring, really.
“Je me fiche de la table à laquelle vous êtes assis,” the child muttered tersely, dipping his snout towards the ground. He really didn’t care what table the woman sat at, or did he care if she colored.
Shiloh found a plastic chair at the table’s edge, turning it so that the chair’s back was flush with the table. Then he clambered onto it backwards, so that the front of his body was flush with the back of the chair and the table itself. Told her to keep him company.
The woman introduced herself as Selena, and insisted that “they” had
“Who are they?” Shiloh asked, blind eyes turning towards the surface of the table. She knew who Shiloh was… so… maybe she was one of them. “Selena” was definitely a new name, though.
“I can’t see too good,” the child remarked, when Selena invited him to join her in coloring. If she was trying too color something specific, Shiloh would just ruin it by drawing too vaguely.
| ft. toby, selena, + hachi quirk: e-rank echolocation, flight, speed; f-rank durability, multilingualism |
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187 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Informant"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tobias Murakami on Oct 22, 2020 14:22:28 GMT -4
my words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that TOBIAS INCLINED HIS HEAD as Hachi asked her question, a small smile crossing his expression. Such a fine attention to detail!
“Fair questions, fair questions,” Tobias complimented the woman, “Yes, the room is soundproofed, and yes, the microphones are typically kept silenced unless there’s something we need to say to the interrogator.”
It felt weird to say “interrogator” when the conversation was decidedly more lax than a standard interrogation. However… the objectives were the same. They were seeking information from the youth. Tobias turned his attention towards the reflective window, resting his chin upon his hand.
“He does, however, seem to have no grasp of Japanese,” Tobias explained, “So, in that regard, we can have conversations without the concern of him understanding. Albeit that isn’t the best for when we’re trying to garner his trust… but it’s useful, in its own right.”
The conversation shifted, then. Good news traveled fast. A smile remained on the Informant’s expression, but it was entirely without mirth. More of a grimace than a smile, really.
“You know I can’t discuss the case with you while it’s still open,” he sighed, “But… yes. I did have such an honor… and we will be taking this to court.”
If she was picking-up what the gentleman was putting down-- a good lawyer, not just a court-assigned one, would be much appreciated.
He huffed in amusement as Selena insisted that she’d rather sit at the kid’s table, or at least, that’s what he gleaned—Tobias’s grasp of English was basic at-best. Selena introduced herself, and asked Shiloh’s name.
It was an interesting tactic, pretending to be someone who was waiting for other interrogators, rather than the interrogator herself. Tobias was, for a moment, tempted to caution her about fabricating too much information—it made it difficult to keep your stories straight, at times—but it wasn’t such a glaring decision that Tobias felt the need to correct it. He’d wait, and watch, to see how the child reacted.
Shiloh seemed to react with questions and overt resistance, offering the woman little to work with. She did, however, seem to have garnered his interest enough that he clambered into the plastic chair and peered unseeing towards the table.
| ft. selena, hachi + shiloh quirk: c-rank burn, durability, heat resistance; combat abilities: jujitsu (e), magma sleeves (e), regeneration (d), cinder sprites (f)(summon); etc.: info. sifting/investigation (e), problem solving (f), interrogation (f), first aid (e), disguise (f) ooc notes: |
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287 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
33 Years
Female
"Yellow Jacket"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Hachi Tsutsuji on Oct 27, 2020 21:10:29 GMT -4
You knock me out, I fall apart.
And I thought I was so smart.
"He will still likely recognize voices, if not the concept. Do you or Haymaker-san speak French? I can offer small amounts of translation here and there, though mine is far from perfect." Hachi watched through the glass as Shiloh approached Selena. Trying to win more of his trust, she feigned naivety and continued to act as an uninterested, uninvolved individual. Those tactics brought out some mixed feelings. "She should take care with lying to him. If he catches her in it, it would lose what trust she manages to build up with him. And I'm not sure we can afford to lose much more trust."
If there even was any to lose at this point.
Hachi nodded at Tobias, making a note to message Mikhail as soon as this session was finished to ask for his lawyer's number. She would be...well, she wouldn't be pleased to see this sort of thing happen. She would have much rathered that Shiloh have been taken in by his extended family, treated with love and care, and never even having become known to Hachi outside the chance of him applying to UA in the far future. But that was not how that had gone, and now here they were. So she would be satisfied more than pleased to see the people responsible for leaving a defenseless child to his own devices with nary an ounce of empathy thrown in either jail or charged a ridiculous fee. They'd earned it.
Shiloh's voice, small and unsure, made her chest ache again. "...he said 'I do not care what table you sit at'. I..." she fiddled with her claws in her lap, "The next home he stays at--has that been decided upon? When all of this is said and done, I mean. Will he be placed into foster care, or has any other willing and able family come forth?" She could hope, even if it was unlikely. If any kinder family had existed then they would have surely swooped in to help the boy before he was given to the ones who abandoned him. Would foster care be kind to him? He was so young. He needed stability, not to be passed from home to home. He also needed some manner of glasses, judging from his words.
Well, he is a bat. They don't have great eyesight.
What would he look like with glasses? How would they construct a frame to fit his face? Would it need to wrap around his head like goggles? What kind of prescription did one apply to a bat's eyes? The children in her class--no, not children, they were soon to be sidekicks--would undoubtedly love a shot at answering each of those questions. It would, perhaps, be a nice gift for him.
...not that it would be any of her business, once this was over. If he had a home set to go to she would be out of his life, as she suspected he wanted that.
But the little "what if" of staying in touch wasn't...bad.
There was a small lull in the conversation inside, and her nerves were awful. Even if just for a bit Hachi needed a distraction. She glanced at Tobias, a smile so small that it was easily missed on her face, and a faint amused buzz to her voice. "I can see the support studies students fighting over who would get to make him glasses, can't you? It sounds right up their alley. If this continues longer, I may suggest it as an extra credit assignment--glasses for mutation Quirks of unusual skull shape and size."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2020 21:45:24 GMT -4
Half-truths. Delicacy. Understanding. That was the only way to start this conversation off. Selena had seen her mom interview once back in New York. Don't let the child know that you are interviewing them or making them go through one she always told her. The information that they have could be vital and important to your case. Treat as though it is conversation between two people and be gentle.
And Selena was putting her mother's advice to go use. Reviewing the case, the people that Shiloh had met was intimidating and was always asking questions. She needed to take a different approach to this. Make the child feel comfortable. To let the child know that this was not an interview that was designed to out him as a criminal. She was here to help. To find a solution where everyone could win and justice was given to those who deserve it. But to do that, she needed to be someone who wasn't so authoritative focused and someone who wanted to help.
"Well, I just started work here. So I can't help with the more important stuff at the moment," Selena said, responding to the bat child as she drew more trees in her picture. "But I guess the people who interviewed you wanted you to be kept company. So, if you want we can play a game if you like." The child was fishing, to see if she could be trusted. He was smart, she would give him that. The child spoke in French, a language
Selena finally finished her picture. It was a crappy drawing of her two moms and her in a yard. Time to change the subject. She held up for Shiloh to see. "So what you think?" Selena said gently with a smile. "I know you probably can see it that well, but I am hoping that my moms would like it." She place the paper on the table. To tell the truth she wasn't the best artist. But a drawing was all about feeling. She was also trying to steer the conversation into talking about family, a subject that she didn't want to get into given Shiloh's history. Hopefully, this would provide her with clues she needed.
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66 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
10 Years
male
"batty"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Shiloh Dubois on Nov 6, 2020 13:08:08 GMT -4
'm just too far from where you are
i wanna come home THE BAT SQUINTED AS THE WOMAN explained that she has “just started working” there, and couldn’t be a part of the big, important meetings that all of the other people were allegedly in. He mentally turned the explanation over in his mind, surveying it for flaws or inconsistencies, weighing it against his own decade-old understanding of the world. Well… as a ten-year-old, there were some conversations that he wasn’t allowed to hear, because he was too young in the world, too new. So… he supposed it made sense, that even at their jobs, grown-ups still excluded other grown-ups that were too new, too young, too inexperienced to be a part of their conversations.
“Oh. I guess that makes sense,” Shiloh said simply. He understood. But he still didn’t trust her. The child leaned forward, clasping the back of the chair with his claws as he watched the woman work. Or rather, listened to her work. Whatever it is, she seemed really focused.
She dodged the question about who the men were, though. To which the bat only furrowed his brow. So who was supposed to be there? One of the people he didn't like? Or one of the ones he *really* didn't like? Or were there really other people at all? It seemed like a suspicious thing to omit. His ears sank, his nose nearly touching the tabletop, as he continued to contemplate the woman's possible motives. He closed his eyes. It helped him think better.
"I do like games," Shiloh murmured.
He didn't get to play many games, of course, because kids back home found him strange. And even if he didn't like or trust the woman, a game would make things less boring than just sitting around waiting for the interviewers to come.
The woman held-up the paper, then slid it across the table, asking for the child's opinion. The child opened his eyes again, raising his snout. If he squinted just right, he could kinda see two humanoid figures. It wasn't a very good drawing, but… that was probably for the better. Simple shapes are easier to see.
"It's nice," the boy remarked, "I'm sure your moms will like it."
Papa was always proud of anything Shiloh made. So the child assumed that this was the default for any parent. Quality didn't matter, it was the gesture that really counted. Shiloh rubbed his snout idly.
"You have two moms? Where's your dad?" Shiloh inquired. He was of the age where he knew that it took a mom and a dad to make a child. But he had never heard of there being two moms before. Did one of them pretend to be the dad…? But where would the baby come from, then?
It was all very confusing.
| ft. selena, hachi + toby quirk: e-rank echolocation, flight, speed; f-rank durability, multilingualism |
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187 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Informant"
Rookie-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tobias Murakami on Nov 16, 2020 14:05:31 GMT -4
my words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that TOBIAS NODDED AS HACHI SPOKE, closing his eyes. It was true, Selena was playing a dangerous game by fabricating information. Shiloh would either catch her in the lie before the session was over, or catch her at the end when the “important men in a meeting” were allegedly supposed to show-up and interrogate him. It was a gamble that hinged entirely on the success of this particular session.
“I don’t think he’s trusted us, ever,” Tobias sighed, “Not even once.”
Hachi translated the boy’s French retort, then stumbled her way through inquiring as to next steps. Tobias opened his eyes, glancing sidelong at the fellow pro.
“There haven’t been any bites,” Tobias replied, “And there’s nothing… permanent, or semi-permanent, set in place yet. If he were less of a literal and figurative flight risk, he’d be placed in the system. But… Shiloh’s proven once already that he won’t stay in such a place.”
The last thing they needed was for the youth to take to the streets again. He’d been found with two teenagers—which could have been very fortunate for him, Shiloh’s statement determining. Better than remaining alone and ultimately dying… particularly with winter fast approaching.
The conversation between Shiloh and Selena sputtered a bit, lingering on games and Selena’s family. Hachi suggested challenging the support students to make him glasses.
A smile crossed Tobias’s features.
“Or like… little aviator goggles with prescription lenses,” Tobias agreed. Since, you know… flight-capable mutation, “That would be a very cute challenge to put them up to, I agree.”
| ft. hachi, selena + shiloh quirk: c-rank burn, durability, heat resistance; combat abilities: jujitsu (e), magma sleeves (e), regeneration (d), cinder sprites (f)(summon); etc.: info. sifting/investigation (e), problem solving (f), interrogation (f), first aid (e), disguise (f) ooc notes: |
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