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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 10:57 am
While he hadn't known it at the time, Shun was eventually able to identify the men behind the masks at the ball. He didn't know either of them, but apparently the one that had been the sinister stranger was the Enemy. Or at least a part of it. A strange thing to think about, really. They both appeared to be rather ordinary on the outside. After some digging, he found that one of the two, Liam Noor, was a part of the faculty in the nearby college as well. Would he have eventually taught Adoelle at some point? In part, he felt like he was wasting his time, looking into things further. But there were still answers that he sought. If nothing else, it kept him busy. Maybe. Somehow. He might be able to prove Jeremiah wrong. Hopes were not high in that regard. And so, he contacted the older man, requesting to see him for some questions. Off the record. Total: 158
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:03 pm
Liam Noor had been quick to respond, and tremendously amenable to the idea of speaking to Shun. Please stop by my office hours. 4:30 to 6 PM. Room 412, Technology Annex. Perhaps not the typical behavior of a man who might have been guilty of murder, if that gave the detective any pause. Anyway, Liam Noor's office was tucked away into a corner of the Technology annex, sandwiched between a series of portraits of past college presidents (1907-1962) and a water fountain. The nameplate beside the door said, "L. Noor. Computer Science" and below that, a student had helpfully added a post-it note reading, "Silver Fox." There was an XKCD comic printed out and taped to the door.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:12 pm
Shun was a bit surprised to hear Liam almost eager to meet with him. Granted, maybe the guy knew that there wasn't really a whole lot he could do about what he had done. Not yet, anyway. Sure there had been a lot of witnesses, but if any charges were to be pressed, there was still a lot of questions that needed to be answered. Ones that wouldn't really look so good. Like the motive, the fact that people had agreed prior that Adoelle had to die for the sake of the cage breaking. Or why no one really tried to stop it from happening. Where it occurred, and where the body was now. Yeah, that wasn't happening. In any case, he had gathered up his things and made his way to the designated location. Not being too familiar with the layout of the campus, it did take him a little while to find the office, but he still managed to arrive at around 5pm. He squinted at the plate outside the door. It seemed to be the right one. The image on the door was... interesting, but he didn't pay it too much attention. Drawing in a deep breath, he went ahead and knocked. "Mr. Noor? This is Shun Kuroda. I called earlier for a meeting."Total: 376
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:19 pm
"Please. Come in." Liam's voice was clear, without its characteristic echo that most at the ball had become accustomed to. A moment later, the door, swung open, although no one had touched it. The office was scarcely bigger than a shoebox. It contained a desk, upon which rested a leather-bound notebook and a slim, silver laptop computer. Behind the desk, a bookshelf stretched from floor to ceiling, packed full of books on coding languages and theoretical mathmatics and some things that, if you really took the time to read the titles, seemed downright arcane. One side wall was dominated by a window which overlooked a small courtyard with a fountain and climbing ivy, apparently unreachable and invisible from anywhere else in the building. The other wall was home to a pair of very impressively framed diplomas - both from MIT - and a small collection of photographs. Liam with Renard. Liam with Steve Jobs. Liam with Vivien. He did not appear to be younger than his current age in any of them. Professor Noor was seated behind his desk, a stack of term papers spread around him - but he began to move them aside as Detective Kuroda entered. "How can I help you?" he asked, voice still clear as a bell. (He seemed a little surprised by that.)
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:49 pm
Shun entered slowly, taking a few moments to look around the office, getting more of an idea of what this man was like. Two of the photographs had caught his attention. Renard, the other man at the ball, and Vivien... the ghost he had seen there. He hadn't really spoken with the spirit, so he didn't know of her connection with the man. Apparently they knew one another, though. What was also a little odd was that he appeared to be the same age. Then again, maybe this was some sort of side effect of nobility. The other thing he noticed off the bat, as his voice sounded... normal. Perhaps it only sounded like a chorus of multiple voices in Other Ashdown. "I just had some questions. Off the record. Regarding the events at the ball and... well. The weather. If you do not mind, that is."Total: 524
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:06 pm
Liam nodded. "Indeed," he said, his demeanor cool. "That earthquake - quite unusual. I've only just got all my books put away. Or... do you mean?" He cast his eyes to the rain-slick window and the sodden courtyard beyond. The fountain looked to be threatening to overflow. "But anyway," he said, dropping the term papers into a neat stack. "Please. Ask away, detective. Anything I can do to help."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:15 pm
"Both."Shun briefly cast a glance towards the fountain outside, then turned his attention back to the gentleman before him. "I suppose we will start with the weather first. Given your involvement on the Other side, I figure you may know the cause of the odd weather patterns as of late. Is this a result of the weakening cage?"It never stopped raining in Other Ashdown. And now, that much was carrying over here. Total: 599
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:21 pm
"That would be a fair assumption," said Liam, shrugging lightly. "However, as the cage has never been so significantly weakened before, I cannot say for certain - and plenty of other things are known to cause odd weather." "It's certainly unnatural," he said, leaning forward to rest his hand on his chin. "A blurring of borders. Have you spent much time in the Otherworld, detective?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:26 pm
"This has never happened before? In any of the previous cycles?" he asked. He didn't really know how much Liam knew of those things, but maybe. Just maybe. Shun rested his hands on the back of a chair as he watched the older man carefully. "I have spent a fair amount of time there, relatively speaking. Not as much as some others, but I am not exactly a stranger to it."Total: 671
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:41 pm
Liam cleared his throat. "We have never had this conversation," he said. "That's really all I'm certain of at the moment."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:45 pm
That was a very... curious thing to say. Shun slowly tilted his head. "We never had this conversation? How many of the cycles have you gone through?"Or at least that he was aware he had gone through. Total: 710
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:25 pm
"I have been witness to all of them," said Liam, tilting his head to mirror Shun's. "So I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it is to surprise me."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:34 pm
"But me being here is different. This time, at least," he remarked, regarding Liam very carefully. It was difficult, trying to figure these people out, not when they apparently knew so much more than him. They have been around for so long, and likely knew certain things about the rest of them. It was a little unsettling to think about. "I take it you know why it is we have failed every cycle, then, as well. Is there anything you can tell me about them?"The question was probably more along the lines of whether or not he was willing to do so, rather than if he can. Total: 819
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:57 pm
Liam narrowed his eyes. "I think, Detective Kuroda," he said, "you have forgotten who my husband is."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:03 pm
"Renard, yes?"The guy who was the Enemy, or had something to do with it, in the very least. "I understand why you might be hesitant to give out many details... but one thing I never quite understood is why we keep getting more chances after he has succeeded each of those times."Seriously. Someone was causing things to reset, and it surely wasn't the Enemy. Or so he thought. It wouldn't make sense for Renard to be handing out extra attempts after he had apparently won. Total: 907
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