[prp] A Relapser's Anatomy [Alexis/Shun]

[Daekie]

They hadn't meant to meet with Shun -- would have been perfectly happy to never speak with him, actually. He was a cop, and they were all the same, even Mercer - Mercer had just seen them in enough shitty moods that he got the benefit of the doubt. (Also, it was mostly because he'd made their fetch upset, and they'd hated her more than words could say. She was dead now, by their own hand - or teeth, depending on how literal you made it - but it didn't mean they hated what she'd done, and the sort of person she'd been, any less.) But Kuroda had asked them to talk, and there was no place safer in Ashdown for talk of magic than Other Ashdown.

The police station in OAD was empty -- but Alexis had a book, and they had their phone, and they were contented to relax for a bit before Shun got here and everything got serious. He knew where they were, and he knew when they were meeting.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun wasn't exactly thrilled to speak with Alexis either. He hadn't had a whole lot of experience with them but so far his interactions had not been all too pleasant. But there were some things that needed to be done. He had a mystery to uncover and he needed to go over all bases if possible.

Once it was time, he popped over into Other Ashdown with the aid of the pendant, then stepped into the Police Department.

Taking in a deep breath, he made his way to where Alexis was, lifting his head at the sight of them.

"Alexis," he greeted plainly. His tone was as neutral as ever.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Detective Kuroda." Alexis shuts their book, looking up, expression flat. Even in such a fairly stressless situation, there's still something about them that can't help but put Shun on edge, uncomfortable, unbalanced -- it makes little sense. "Figured it'd be easier to talk 'bout magic over here so nobody figures out anything's weird about you, yeah? I already get enough looks as it is."

They're bitter. They're exceptionally bitter about it. But it's not like they can do anything to fix it.

"The faster we start talking, the sooner we can both pretend we never had to be civil t'each other. Let's go."

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun was pretty much always a little tense. A little guarded. The sensation he felt wasn't really anything out of the ordinary for him. In any case, he went straight to business.

"Right. I am sure you have noticed a number of complications that have sprung up after the creation of the sigil. One that has fallen into may lap involves the murder of Ascension Shore. Or rather, a version of her, as a different Sunny is still very much alive right now as we speak. According to the case notes that my counterpart apparently had put together, you are one of the suspects. Or rather, the you from this timeline."

He grunted, and added, "I know it is impossible for you to have done the deed, as the date of the murder preceeds our arrival to this world. This is merely a sort of courtesy call because who knows what the ******** happened exactly before we all arrived."

The detective made no indication that he personally suspected anything of either version of Alexis as of now, but his features didn't really shift all that much in general.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Well," Alexis said, very calm and guarded, cracking their knuckles, "even if I could help you, I probably wouldn't want to, 'cause I'm not interested in going to jail - and I don't think they're gonna take 'half the town was replaced by their alternate reality versions' as an acceptable insanity plea. You like your job, don'tcha? Couldn't imagine why, but, y'know."

They put the book down on the desk, putting their hands in their pockets and leaning against the wall. "This me didn't take records, but I can't help you and say I wouldn't've done it." They huffed, a sharp noise. "How'd she die? Anything surrounding the situation, anythin' weird? I can maybe try and help rule a couple'v things out."

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

That was a fairly typical response. It was something to consider, how he would proceed should the murderer be one of the ones who had crossed over. It was one of those things he was going to need to handle carefully. Either he convict them of something they hadn't really done, or he finds some way to cover it up. Neither of these options were really ideal.

"Throat and wrists were slit. Body was laid out over a large stone in the forest. It seems it might have been in an attempt at some sort of ritual, or at least to make it look that way. Circle of candles surrounding it and whatnot."

It was entirely possible that whoever or whatever had done it merely laid it out that way to make it seem more ritualistic than the situation actually had been. A part of him hoped it had just been some non-magic asshat who was trying to pin it on the more magically inclined. It would make things a bit more simple that way.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"If it was ritualistic," Alexis shrugged, "any sort'v sigils or specific positioning of the body? I hope other-you took good notes, Officer." They began to pace, shoulders tense; despite how laissez-faire they wanted to be about it, a girl was still dead (and alive, and dead, and alive depending on how you looked at it).

"Far as I can tell - this me never got tithed or anything. They just woke up with their magic, n' they didn't want it. 's why they came here." They spoke of them-but-not with level detachment, as if it was some story. "Real bad magic control. You know what her throat and wrists were slit by? Knife, larger blade, somethin' else entirely? That could help, if it was actually some kinda magic and not an attempt to look like it."

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

"There appeared to have been some attempt to draw something out in blood, but the markings were smeared. I have seen the photographs of them, but it is difficult to make out what was drawn. As far as the murder weapon, it has not been located, but the cuts suggest a knife or some other smaller blade. Or something that can cut like one: clean and precise. It probably was not any larger than the blade that was used in the void," Shun replied plainly. He did recall that the other Alexis had something of a record. The difficulty in control likely had something to do with that. Along with their general demeanor, he supposed. A potential motive could have been as some attempt to gain some semblance of control.

That might have been stretching it. It was a little hard to pin down possible motives without really knowing the past versions of people. He wasn't sure if the former Jeremiah had the same ideas as the new one, especially if Ascension didn't necessarily serve the same sort of purpose she did here than she did for them originally. If she did... well it was entirely possible he could have done it, especially if his counterpart had access to the shadowed dagger that he had. That would be something.

"There is nothing really solid to indicate that magic was or was not actually used. Not at present, anyway."

The forensics team unfortunately hadn't been able to pick up on any DNA samples around the scene of the crime. No bits of skin under Ascension's nails or anything. It made things a bit harder for him.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Iunno what blade was used in the void, 's all kinda fuzzy, so I can't help you on that one," Alexis commented offhandedly, swinging around the corner of a desk. "Somethin' clean - yeah, probably not other-me, or me, or whatever you wanna call em if it was in the woods. Y'see -" they flashed their hands at Shun (empty), felt around on the desk behind them, and then offered up a sharpened letter opener. "I can find sharp things, iffen I want to. But they're somethin' fittin for the area. And it wouldn't have been a precise cut. Don't think I have it in me to kidnap, either."

They dropped it back on the desk. "Gettin' kidnapped's a different story, probably, but have you thought it mighta been multiple people? What about any reason someone'd want to kill her?"

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun's eyes narrowed in on the letter opener that was procured rather quickly. Well. That was a handy, if not somewhat dangerous ability to have. It was something to keep in mind in general for certain.

"Multiple people working together is certainly possible. Whoever did it was careful to not leave anything behind so I doubt it had been a much larger group. With more people involved, there are greater chances that someone will leave behind something incriminating," he nodded, folding his arms over his chest, "As for possible motives... If an actual ritual was indeed attempted, I imagine they thought they needed Ascension as a key component. Depending on the nature of this supposed ritual, it could be they needed a certain type of person that she happened to fit the bill of, or her specifically."

He let out a breath.

"If it were merely set up to only look like a ritual, there is the possibility that this was some sort of hate crime against the magically inclined. Not everyone on the current list of suspects seems to have powers."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"This Sunny Shore - she wasn't the Witch on the Beach, yeah? Might be a good angle to look at it for. Did anyone know this Sunny was magical at all? Who the ******** was she, anyways?" They stretched, predatory, long and lithe; their shoulders cracking. "Iunno. Her dads are like...crazy magic, aren't they? Could have been aimed against them. But I'm no detective, so ******** if I know."

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

"Yes and no... that was who she was to us. But here there were no tales of her being the witch on the beach. She looks like the Sunny we knew. But I need to go into records for just who she was in this world. I had not managed to dredge much up yet. But yes, that is indeed a possibility."

Shun ran a hand through his hair, "This most likely had something to do with the fact that we recreated the sigil. We recreated Sunny effectively. But it does not explain what exactly happened on this end."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"I remember maybe a third of that whole time travel void adventure," Alexis replied, frank as anything. "s**t was ********. Magic didn't pick me to be a pillar, and didn't pick you, I'm guessin' - how about you go find out who it did pick?" They weren't bitter. (They were so, so bitter it hadn't wanted them.)

"If they're the people runnin' this world, like the teens were -- I dunno. Winters said a whole thing about how she was thousands of years old. They might be able to help." And, like a petulant child: "Can I go now, unless you got any more questions?"

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun shrugged. He was not bothered that the magic didn't pick him. Though he was curious as to why Alexis actually wanted that position. Power hungry? Or something else?

"I know at least one of them. But they did not know any more than the rest of us. But no. I have nothing else to ask of you. As I said this was mostly to inform you of the circumstance. You may go."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Nothing else to ask of you," Alexis muttered quietly in Shun's voice; followed up by "So ******** pretentious." They picked up their book, shrugged out the door behind him, and were gone by the time he turned around with an area of soaked gravel the only thing to mark their passing.

Blade Kuroda

fin on yours! ty!