"Nara I am just so glad that you keep making it in to see me," The therapist smiled as she, the kitsune, slowly sat down, folding her hands in her lap. "How are things going, with you?"
"They have been going well, thank you," Nara nodded quietly, looking down at the floor for a moment before meeting the gray eyes of her therapist. "I have been… well, I had a conversation with Alice. It was productive."
"Productive how?"
"I told her that I do not feel romantic love for her- at first, I thought that I was as well in love with Alice, but no- I simply admire her as a person. An heiress, sure, but an inventor, a brave soul and a genius. But, after she and I slept together with Lynx… I just realized that it was different."
"Do you wish that you had not committed an act like that, with Alice involved?" The therapist asked gently, angling her head, and Nara shook her head.
"No, it's not that- but if Lynx had not been there then I would have had no interest."
"That's interesting. Well, there are some circles in which friends casually have sex, and there's no romantic feelings attached," Therapist cleared her throat, leaning back. "Let's shift the conversation away from that, for a moment, though. When we last spoke, you told me that you felt inadequate and unimportant; that you felt as though when put next to others with greater struggling than yours, you feel your own problems have no reason to be heard. That you have no right to be heard. I want to dive into that a little bit, may we?"
"Sure, I…" Nara hesitated, then nodded. "I just feel that when my fears are being inadequate or not being pretty enough, or something stupid and girlish… and then my friend's problems are flooded with death and misery and pain, who am I to speak? I think… I think that is getting better, though. I am beginning to understand that problems are not a war of comparison."
"That's good- and how do you feel about the development of Aegis Order?"
"Lynx-"
"No." Therapist cut her off, shaking her head. "Not Lynx. Aegis Order and Contracted Arms; where does your mind fall on them? What do you think of Elevated, and their songs of unity?"
"I think the Elevated… I do not know enough of them to comment but I understand that they deal heavily in the drug trade and terrible people. As does Contracted Arms; how can either be wrong when they are the same coin on two sides? One preaches control, the other preaches free will but both have the same end result; a drug-filled city where the poor and the weak are left to die."
"Interesting," She replied, lips tightening. "Aegis Order?"
"I do not know," Nara shrugged, helpless. "It could turn out to be a beautiful thing. Corruption could sink into it just as well. I believe that we can make something good if we have the courage to cast out those who might ruin it- but it will require effort and attention, and weeding out those we cannot trust."
"We?"
"Aegis Order," Nara nodded, clearing her throat.
"Good." Therapist nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer.
-
[Hunt for Paladin: Day 1]
Lynx stepped out of the car, and for a second she thought that maybe she should feel guilty- it was Alice's car, and she'd just taken it here to Pinevale- but eh, Alice wouldn't mind, she was sure of that. Not in the polite sense of saying it was fine, but she had a feeling in her gut that the white-haired doll wouldn't care at all. Man, those orange streaks in her hair are actually cute as…
The street that she'd stepped out onto seemed… quiet. There was nobody walking to and fro, as she set off, boots crunching on the snow, hair pulled back into a messy bun to keep it out of her face. The light was falling, now, but she had time to put her nose to the ground, at least a bit. In another moment, she was shouldering into the cafe where Vilhelm had supposedly committed a murder the day before; unsurprisingly, it was empty.
"H-Hello," A barista smiled behind the counter; a pretty man, dark skin, curly hair. Lynx nodded, keeping her expression carefully neutral. "What can I get for you?"
"I'd like to order some coffee, please," Lynx began, stepping forward. "My name is L- Lucy," She finished awkwardly, hoping, for just a moment, not to be recognized.
"Right, okay. What can I get for you, Miss Lucy-who-looks-a-lot-like-Lynx?"
"Fuck," Lynx laughed, shaking her head and jamming her hands into her jacket pockets. "Okay, okay. I'm here to ask a few questions about the murder that took place yesterday, but I really do want that coffee, is that cool?"
"Of course, what can I get for you?" He laughed, seeming to deflate a little, and smiled.
"Just a coffee with creamer please, I'm not the one for triple shot mocha express venti bombastic side eye buttfuck vanilla," Lynx snorted, and the barista did too, nodding.
"I think I can manage that," he laughed, starting to work with one of the machines behind him. "Sorry, should I have just called you Lucy? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I don't really know how I feel about spotlights and being known, that's all," She shrugged. "Maybe I'll figure out some magic to change what I look like. Anyway- were you working during the murder yesterday? Is there someone else I need to talk to?"
"I was here, and I will show you the security feeds after we talk," He answered, swallowing. "This cafe, the Hare's Brew- you can use it whenever you need privacy. I know the man who died- not well, but regardless. These walls are not ones that Welcome Contracted Arms or their dogs."
"Then what am I, their cat?" Lynx rolled her eyes, leaning on the counter and peering up at the barista as he slid the coffee her way, slapping her medallion over the sensor to pay, then slotting the small medal back into her back pocket.
"You are above them- and Contracted Arms has not come in here to investigate. That should tell you all you need to know," He added, and Lynx nodded, straightening up- his eyes flicked, for just a moment, to her cleavage, but she ignored it, realizing she'd gotten way too comfortable on that counter for half a moment with a faint burning in her cheeks.
"Alright. So let's talk. Tell me what he looked like first; any notable weapons or pieces of clothing, scars; anything at all that you might have noticed."
"Well," The barista began. "He had dark clothing and he reeked like he hadn't showered in days; saw him adding whiskey to his coffee- or something that color, anyway. He had a knife, that was the only weapon I saw, and I mean, he had a handful of small scars on his hands, one on his cheek- but they just looked like the scars of a working man."
"Okay- The knife- anything special about it?"
"Just looked like a boot knife, honestly," He shrugged, shaking his head. "Nothing you'd want to carry into a sword fight for sure, the blade was maybe seven inches at most?"
"Thanks," Lynx nodded. "Did he say anything that might have given an idea as to where he might go next? What did he say overall?"
"Few customers were talking about an unfair arrest, lady said that her brother, I think? Had been arrested in the middle of a night on some lame excuse to take him in when he wasn't guilty. She didn't say anything that might have said why the brother might have been targeted. Some dude was talking suspiciously with her about a way to get him out, and that Paladin guy just… put a knife to his throat, killed him a moment later."
"Got it," Lynx said softly, sipping her coffee and watching his eyes. "Did the man actually seemed like he was planning harm?"
"He told the Paladin guy that he was talking about a protest, but yeah, he seemed pretty suspicious. That's just me though, and I ain't a cop."
"Heard." Lynx nodded. "Thanks. I want to see the footage; wanna see if I can find the identity of the woman and ask her about her brother while I'm in the area."
"Bet, come on." The barista jerked his head and led Lynx around the counter when she followed to some sort of conference room; a break room, maybe. In the back, there was a computer setup; here, the barista sat down and logged in, working to pull up the security feeds.
Lynx watched silently from three angles as Vilhelm walked in, ordered and sat. Indeed, he poured something into his coffee, and then, seemingly with almost no hesitation, he killed a man, dropping the corpse. On his way out, he promised the cafe that he was on the right side- or he wouldn't be Paladin. Amid the screaming and scrambling to leave that followed, the barista cut the video and glanced up at Lynx.
"Thanks," She sighed. "That doesn't give me any indication as to where he might have gone, but I can touch bases with local CA, get into the traffic cams. Unless they fight me too much."
"Good luck then," He smiled. "-If you need anything, our door is open."
"Thanks. Time to figure out who that chick was; send me that recording? I'll give you my number."
"Yes ma'am."
-
"We're closed for the day," The receptionist spoke coldly with that sort of fake politeness that pissed Lynx off more than anything- narrowing her eyes, she nodded.
"I know you are. I'm with Contracted Arms, and I need to access your records."
"Okay, what's your badge number?" The receptionist smiled with all the fake kindness of a governor or a president as Lynx floundered.
"That's right- you're not part of Contracted Arms, you're part of Aegis Order- which means by my orders, you have no authority for the next five months and some change. We're closed for the day," The secretary added, cold, returning to packing her things up for the day. Around them, a few agents were passing through the lobby, watching curiously.
"I need to access your records, I'm investigating a murder," Lynx snapped, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. "I need access to your records damnit, trying to go after that Paladin guy!"
"That Paladin guy," The receptionist snorted with contempt, grinning. "Listen, bitch, right now you're nobody. Understand? You made it publicly known that you want no part in this, and my orders are-"
"Lynx." A hand on her shoulder suddenly, and Lynx turned, narrowing her eyes- what stared back at her was not anger, contempt, or suspicion, though; instead, a man stared at her from behind brown bangs with eyes like the depths of an ocean. "I have some information relating to Paladin. Come with me."
"Let's go," Lynx agreed, nodding, forgetting the receptionist entirely as she followed him outside. "What do you know?"
"Not here."
"Then where?" She raised an eyebrow, and the man jerked his head down, toward his car.
"Follow me? I have a place in mind; a public one, with plenty of witnesses. Just… people we can talk with freely."
"Sounds good," Lynx agreed and walked toward Alice's car in kind. "I'll be on your tail, but… if this is some kind of trick, don't think I'll hesitate. Whatever that needs to mean," She added, quiet, nodding.
Whoever he was; he nodded, opening the driver's door to his car.
"Don't worry, Ms. Lynx; our goals align, I promise you that much. At the first scent of a trap, I encourage you to run- there will be none."
"I'll kill you before I let you hurt me," Lynx stated flatly, staring, tail flicking just once.
"That is of no consequence," The man nodded, and Lynx opened her mouth to ask his name, but he was already shutting his door, starting his engine. Clearing her throat, Lynx prepared to follow, steadying herself; surely, a solid lead wasn't falling into her lap so easily? This felt too easy- too good to be true, like it must be a trap.
Chest fluttering, she narrowed her eyes and fired off a text to Nara and Alice before peeling off and following him. For a time, they simply wound through the streets of Pinevale; but it was a smaller town, and before long, they ran out of road, coming to a stop in front of a… well, what seemed to be some sort of cigar lounge?
Oh what, are we gonna knock back a few shots over our law conversation? Shaking my damn head.
"We're here!" The man was waiting for her, leaning on the side of his car, smiling, the night wind tousling his hair. For a moment, Lynx just looked around, steadying herself; the night sky was velvety, pitch, nearly void- was the sky always so dark here? Wonder if that's something to do with magic or what- can't even see the stars, here.
"Does something feel wrong to you?" Lynx called, drawing another sharp breath as a puff of snow was dropped off in her hair by the breeze. "The sky seems really dark."
"Just rain coming," He called back, shrugging and starting to walk toward the lounge's doors. "Magic in the air messes with the rain clouds- now come on, would you?"
"Coming," Lynx agreed, walking along and pushing into the lounge with him, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling of vague anxiety tugging at her chest and making her breaths come a little shorter- Calm down Lynx, something feels wrong but that doesn't always mean something is, you're freaking out because of the snow, the cold- just calm down.
The lounge itself was comfortable; smoky, dim and themed in extravagant reds and purples. Old, wrinkly demons sat around a table blowing smoke, and Lynx walked with her new companion as he led her up to the bar.
"What do you like?" He asked, hopping onto a stool, and Lynx shrugged.
"Not much of a drinker. Especially with strangers."
"Whiskey and a Cola please," He asked the bartender, who hurried off. "My name's Viggo, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Viggo," She mumbled, narrowing her eyes. "Now, care to tell me why we're at a bar? I'm trying to investigate a murder."
"Tell me, Lynx- what do you want to do if you find this… Paladin? This dirty killer," Viggo mused, eyes tired, rolling his eyes as if his own words were the most amusing thing he'd heard all night.
"I don't know, exactly- bring him to justice and make him answer for his crimes? If I don't find him within ten days, he'll be executed." Lynx sighed, throwing her cheek into her hand, mumbling a small thanks as a can of soda landed in front of her, watching Viggo swirl his whiskey.
"Ten days. That's what he gets, huh? Seems short," Viggo chuckled, and Lynx shrugged half-heartedly.
"He's killed someone- probably more than one someone. I have some… political thing going on in ten days, so that's what I have to work with."
"Right." Viggo nodded, sucking in a slow breath.
"So, why here?" The blonde asked, redirecting the conversation. "Why this lounge, what makes it safe to talk here?"
"People here generally don't like Contracted Arms," Viggo explained, finally throwing back his shot, wincing, slamming the glass down.
"You're Contracted Arms- and they didn't raise an eyebrow at you," Lynx pointed out, raising an eyebrow. Viggo just nodded, letting the barkeep refill his glass and knocking it back again.
"I don't like them either," He rasped, then cleared his throat, groaning. "My commanding officer ordered me to stay away from the Paladin case. They say a task force is trying to bring him in; that he'll be dead in ten days otherwise. That I'm not allowed to so much as look in the local alleys, or I'll have my career taken from me."
"Why's the case matter to you?" Lynx asked, tail flicking curiously. "I mean it's wrong that they're trying to bar you from finding him, but…"
"Vilhelm, the man who doesn't exist, is my brother," Viggo practically snarled, lip curling slowly. "When I saw you, for a moment, I didn't see a girl with the ears and tail of a cat- I saw a chance. You can trust me- I do not know if she remembers me, but I'm the one who told Nara to stay put until Aerendyl arrived, that night, in Eastbrook. I have a lot of respect for what my brother stood for, even if I called him stupid most of the time- but this thing that he has become is not my brother. I'm sure of it; something is controlling him, or someone forcing him to do this." Viggo shook his head, gritting his teeth, voice raw with emotion as he finally looked back at Lynx. "So yes, Lynx- I hate Contracted Arms. We're supposed to protect people, and I can't even… protect my own gods-damned brother," He snarled in a whisper, a single tear cutting down his left cheek. "So you tell me- and be honest- what will you do, if you find my brother?"
"I was being honest," Lynx spoke before her mind could catch up, shuddering and shaking her head. Vilhelm's brother. Viggo. "-I don't want him dead, I want to try and bring him in- but be that as it may, I've also got to make sure that I uphold my end of something. Something I can't miss- something global. If ten days is what I've got, then I'll just capture him in ten days."
"Then, please," Viggo spoke slowly, staring. "Let me be your man on the cameras. I'll feed you traffic camera data, anything I can find- and when Aegis Order goes live… I want a place there. With the people who actually want to protect Ravenwood. Let me prove it to you. Let me help save my brother's life."
For a long moment, Lynx just stared, eyes wide- even her tail's idle flicking about had ceased as she finally nodded.
What if he's some kind of plant? What if he feeds me bad intel?
What would I do if it was Alice, or Nara?
If he's lying, he could get me killed. And if it was me, gone off the rails; Alice and Nara would pay to take that risk.
…
"Let's save your brother."