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[Text]

This is Hank Anderson, and I recently got my promotion so it's now Det. Hank Anderson. Which is why I wanted to make this announcement.

[Hank still wants to research into the missing people and initiate his vague plan to devalue the iterations. Right now the public see them as a protective force for good. Hank wants the people to see other fucking people as their reliable protective force. That in the many variations of temperaments and personalities and creative resolutions to conflict, they can find their safety.]

I have a case that could use some assistance from some specialized outsiders. If you could come to me and lay out your experience and training, I would like to offer you temporary deputy work in helping solve this case.

Necessary qualifications include:
-Combat against armed opponents
-Negotiation and Interrogation
-Ability to secure an area until CSI arrives (cursory crime scene analysis a bonus)

Due to Dualis's policy on providing payment through credit, if you would want rewards we would have to attach a name to your activities. However if you'd want to work off-record [which is as close to anonymously as he can get] we could come to some sort of arrangement such as donated payment.

I'll be at the cat cafe to conduct interviews 4:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon for the next week. You can show up when it's convenient to talk. Sounds like a fucking weird place for it, yes, it'll make more sense when you're there.

I've also arranged for donated goods to be offered when people come in and might find themselves in a state of disrepair or any nicer version of saying fucked the hell up. New clothes, medical things like crutches for people with chronic conditions, sanitary supplies like soap and toothbrushes, things of that nature. So if you want to donate something to the people coming in there's a donation box in the dormitory's lower entryway and they'll be taken to the temple.

[Action]

Like he promises, Hank's waiting around at the cat cafe whenever someone shows up. Usually reading a book, sometimes bored, sometimes deeply into it. Right by his side though? A mammoth green cat, purring and resting her head against his arm. She's twitching her tail to and fro.

Hank is pretty sure he'll be able to tell if someone is bullshitting their credentials and whether they'll do intentional harm with their new role. It's hard to do background checks when different universes are involved, but he thinks he's figured out a way to beat the system without having to use any of the department's lie detectors.

Note: Plotting post here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hank leans forward.

"Okay, so, Arkady. I want you to listen to me. I do think you can help, but I need you to play along okay?" He says it all very quietly, with a look of forced pleasantness and a tone of voice that blends into other yammering.

"I think I have an idea of what's going on. I have a person I can verify it with, and if I'm right? You're going to have to be very careful who you talk to about it, okay. Don't talk in messages. Don't talk to people that don't live in our building about it. Always discuss it with background noise or- well, I guess in your brain if you can manage it.

"But if I'm right, I'm gonna ask you for help, okay? I'm just a fuckin' human. I can throw punches. That's it. I'm up shit creek if I'm by myself."

She nods enthusiastically. "Yes sir, copper sir." The tone is playful but her expression shows she does understand it's serious and she takes it that way.

"That's what I wanted to offer," she taps on her brain. "I think I could make it where a group of people could talk with their brains to each other. We call it a static line back home. All of us can talk in our heads for a little bit and nobody knows. If we ever need to be really secret, maybe I could do that for anyone you want to include." She's not sure how long she could hold a meeting like that, it's not like she's tried. But maybe it'd be helpful in the case of an emergency where they really don't want to be heard or potentially found.

"Good. Everyone should always ask for help. Human or not."

He snorts softly. Copper won't stop being mildly amusing to him.

"Do you have to be like you and your siblings? Or have you been able to do it with regular people?"

Hell, even just her being able to think at regular people would make her a valuable messenger, a break to any sign of a paper trail.

It will be what he is referred to as probably forever now. Once she decides something amuses her, it sticks.

"We're not siblings." She realizes that probably makes it weirder, that they're all basically the same but not actually siblings. But, it's an important distinction for her. "We fuck around too much for that." It's an attempt at a joke that she probably finds more amusing than others might. If only they knew the extremely complicated relationships that troubled teens end up in when they're left mostly on their own.

"Others too. Sometimes we gave information to Alice that way. She was like you." Regular. "I think she got used to it." Sort of. Not really. But it was useful. "She was the only normal person we trusted to know about us. So we had to tell her things where other people wouldn't know and get scared."

"I don't know why I thought you were. I guess it was how you talked about 'em."

He blinks hard, once. But, well... "I guess not being related is a pretty good prerequisite to fuckin' around." And that's really all he can add to that without being more awkward than he is. Which is pretty fucking awkward. It's a talent of his.

"Anyway, yeah. It'd be helpful." He's making a note of it. Especially if they have to warn people someone's coming. "Just be aware some people have powers, too." And if he's right, those people are doubles. They'd have the same abilities that their originals had- and wouldn't be afflicted with the forced limitations. Her communication might show through; another thing they'll have to be careful.

"We've always been together so I guess we kinda can act like siblings." From birth they were always around each other. Or connected. She grins, practically feeling his awkward blink. "Usually it is. Unless you're really weird. And we're not that weird."

"I want to be helpful!" she looks excited about the idea that he seems to like her offer. "I know some people have powers. I'll be careful."

"Angel, you've been nothing but helpful." He calls her that again as he hears what seems like a self-disparaging note. He could be reading it wrong, but he wanted to be sure. She's absolutely done a ton in his book.

"I'll make sure you know what I find out."

"If you say so, then I believe you. You're the authority right," she teases just a little bit. There's a smile on her face and she gives him a quick hug before pulling away.

"I'll let you know if I find anything too. Be careful though. There's nothing more dangerous than people who want to control people and secrets." Though she doubts he needs to be told that.