Tezaki, Kou [ 手巧 ] [ てざき, こう ] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fearthearrow) wrote2020-01-05 12:32 am
fearthearrow) wrote2020-01-05 12:32 am
[An Offer He Can't Refuse]
"So, have you actually found out something, or have I been wasting my time with waiting, here?"
Shian expected this soon enough. Not that they knew how to really contact the guy after what happened, but they figured-- hang around a secluded enough place, and he'd find them soon enough. They held up a hand.
"Boy, you think? I wouldn't have been obvious about it if I didn't have something." They flicked their hand, as a shining orb appeared between their fingers. "This is what you'd want, right? The memory of what happened, and who it is you're looking for?"
The boy leaped down from the building top he'd perched himself onto, cloaked with his lower face covered, as he stared at Shian standing there. "... There's a catch to me having that, isn't there."
"No, really? Me, make a catch to this? Don't be silly.
I'm offering you a job."
That gave the cloaked boy pause, as though making sure he heard that right. "I... what?"
"Okay, here's the deal." Shian tossed the orb up into the air, catching it a few times as they spoke. "This memory orb only shows what happened. It won't give you the knowledge of the person's identity. But the thing is, I have a 90% hunch on who it is that caused all of this. And it's only that 10% that's stopping me from jumping them." They tossed it up once more, catching it again. "The problem is, they hang around Duel Academy most of the time. And the island won't take kindly to some guy sneaking around in full ninja gear."
The boy clenched his fist. Of course, the last thing he'd want to deal with was sneaking around an island like that, getting from and back there... "And you say you're offering me a job. As what?"
"Teaching assistant for history classes, mostly. You'd be helping me keep an eye on some teenagers some days, but then running 'errands' other days. As in, tailing the person of concern, here."
"You do realize you're asking me to expose who I am though to you, right? In exchange for knowing who it is I have to track down?" "Who we have to track down, kid. Like it or not, you're not finding any leads on this on your own, right? And now an entire group of tourists have vanished. I'm sure you already made one and one go together on the timing of that."
The boy looked away slightly. "Of course I already figured that out... I already checked the shrine, too. I found traces of... Something, like ash and scratches in the ground, but..." "But you still don't know who did it, right? Or what did it?"
Shian tossed over the orb, surprising the boy who scrambled to catch it. "Consider it an advance on this. Just toss it into your head when you're ready. But you'd get a decent job if you don't have one already, and you'll get first dibs on shooting an arrow through the guy if he does anything skeevy."
Shian raised their hand. "And if your anonymity is still so important to you, I'll remove the knowledge of who you are from my own mind after this is all done, and I won't tell the other Signers either unless you want to start being sociable."
"So, what do you say, kid?"
The boy stared at the orb, as it shined in his hand, almost swirling inside... He took a short breath...
"It's Kou."
"Kou?"
"Tezaki, Kou. Not 'kid'." The boy removed the mask and hood, showing himself finally, illuminated slightly by the orb's light. "And I'll take your offer, Signer of the Red Dragon. Just to take care of this. But you'd better keep your own word, before I strike you down, too."
"Maybe work on those trust issues of yours, Tezaki, but fine.
We have a deal."
Shian expected this soon enough. Not that they knew how to really contact the guy after what happened, but they figured-- hang around a secluded enough place, and he'd find them soon enough. They held up a hand.
"Boy, you think? I wouldn't have been obvious about it if I didn't have something." They flicked their hand, as a shining orb appeared between their fingers. "This is what you'd want, right? The memory of what happened, and who it is you're looking for?"
The boy leaped down from the building top he'd perched himself onto, cloaked with his lower face covered, as he stared at Shian standing there. "... There's a catch to me having that, isn't there."
"No, really? Me, make a catch to this? Don't be silly.
I'm offering you a job."
That gave the cloaked boy pause, as though making sure he heard that right. "I... what?"
"Okay, here's the deal." Shian tossed the orb up into the air, catching it a few times as they spoke. "This memory orb only shows what happened. It won't give you the knowledge of the person's identity. But the thing is, I have a 90% hunch on who it is that caused all of this. And it's only that 10% that's stopping me from jumping them." They tossed it up once more, catching it again. "The problem is, they hang around Duel Academy most of the time. And the island won't take kindly to some guy sneaking around in full ninja gear."
The boy clenched his fist. Of course, the last thing he'd want to deal with was sneaking around an island like that, getting from and back there... "And you say you're offering me a job. As what?"
"Teaching assistant for history classes, mostly. You'd be helping me keep an eye on some teenagers some days, but then running 'errands' other days. As in, tailing the person of concern, here."
"You do realize you're asking me to expose who I am though to you, right? In exchange for knowing who it is I have to track down?" "Who we have to track down, kid. Like it or not, you're not finding any leads on this on your own, right? And now an entire group of tourists have vanished. I'm sure you already made one and one go together on the timing of that."
The boy looked away slightly. "Of course I already figured that out... I already checked the shrine, too. I found traces of... Something, like ash and scratches in the ground, but..." "But you still don't know who did it, right? Or what did it?"
Shian tossed over the orb, surprising the boy who scrambled to catch it. "Consider it an advance on this. Just toss it into your head when you're ready. But you'd get a decent job if you don't have one already, and you'll get first dibs on shooting an arrow through the guy if he does anything skeevy."
Shian raised their hand. "And if your anonymity is still so important to you, I'll remove the knowledge of who you are from my own mind after this is all done, and I won't tell the other Signers either unless you want to start being sociable."
"So, what do you say, kid?"
The boy stared at the orb, as it shined in his hand, almost swirling inside... He took a short breath...
"It's Kou."
"Kou?"
"Tezaki, Kou. Not 'kid'." The boy removed the mask and hood, showing himself finally, illuminated slightly by the orb's light. "And I'll take your offer, Signer of the Red Dragon. Just to take care of this. But you'd better keep your own word, before I strike you down, too."
"Maybe work on those trust issues of yours, Tezaki, but fine.
We have a deal."