TEXT: Day after the Festivities

[sociallychallenged]

Username: dpdhank@dualislink

My name is Hank Anderson, I'm a patrol officer with Dualis's police. I think I met a few people at the Dualis Days festival, many of them during the unfortunate opening ceremonies.

The police are conducting an official investigation but I want to conduct my own independent investigation. In my experience that usually solves cases a little more quickly. [That's how he and Connor made it as far as they did, superseding what was technically required of them. The end result was also the better result for the world, not the preferred result for the powers that be, too.]

I know some of you were close to the bombing. If you're interested and able to give me some information I'll be in the kitchen on floor six for the rest of the evening.

[Anyone that comes to find him will be lucky. For the moment he'll be listening to some jazz he loaded onto a music player and speaker he found in a thrift shop rather than metal. But you better believe when it's necessary he'll switch to metal if he has to. In the meantime he's also reading an actual paper book, a softcover novel that he was lucky enough to find.]

Comments

[cadiastands]

[It's fine! Mira doesn't trust any Dualis police to protect her, irrespective of their will to live. She also doesn't want to talk about Hank's partner the blasphemous abomination, because she's currently trying to avoid starting any unnecessary fights.]

You know, I've just realized we haven't been introduced. [Extremely smooth subject change, Mira, well done.] Second Lieutenant Miranda Nero, 203rd Cadian regiment.

[sociallychallenged]

[He'll have you know his blasphemous abomination is also an asshole and should be known as that first and foremost, thank you.]

Lt. Hank Anderson, Homicide Detective with the Detroit Police Department. Nice to meet you. And talk uninvited philosophy while you were trying to enjoy your fruit cup.

[He'll claim it for now. He's not technically lost his badge yet. He was ready to. Maybe Connor might have said something later that could let him keep his job.]

[cadiastands]

[Mira looks down at her snack, where a few fruit bits are still floating in the syrup. Oh, right. She picks it and the fork back up to finish it, and chuckles at Hank.]

How d'you do. [It's a quick, rote phrase acknowledging the introduction, not really a question.] It's fine. You're not shooting at me or threatening to report me to the Commissar for being out of uniform.

[Nice high standards, there, Mira.]

[sociallychallenged]

Your uniform would make you as different as any other person, right?

[He shrugs lightly because his uniform for the last ten years has just been a badge around his neck. Being a beat officer means he's gotta go back to wearing uniforms and fuckin' accompanying traffic cone colors. No one deserves that shit. He was glad to peel himself out of that and back into the offensive dress of his own choosing.]

Don't think your Commissar could say too much. ...Actually, what job did you end up getting here?

[cadiastands]

You've not met many Commissars, I see. [Very dry. Even the legendarily disciplined Cadians don't tend to like their political officers much.]

Laser tag? It's something to do with small unit tactics, I'm told. [David's explanation had helped somewhat, but she hasn't had orientation yet and thus can't quite picture it.]

[sociallychallenged]

I hope you tell me how you would evaluate the first battle you witness.

[Because Hank can guess how that'll go, and his face already says it. Small unit tactics is the best way to describe a bunch of idiots running around in a room making shooty noises at each other. And they do make shooty noises. Even on the guns that don't have sound effects, you will hear the occasional human "pew pew" or "shzap".]

[cadiastands]

[Mira shrugs minutely.]

It's just practice. I don't expect anyone will be particularly good.

[Her soul is going to leave her body, it'll be great.]

[sociallychallenged]

[Her soul is absolutely going to leave her body. His biggest regret is that he won't be there to see the first time she sees your average nerd attempt his first combat roll.]

I'm glad you're keeping an open mind.

[And low standards.]

You'll probably have fun with that eventually. [Who knows, in a few months maybe she'll be desensitized to foolishness.]