ic contact;

[condoner]

This is Tsunemori! I'm sorry, I'm not here right now, but please leave a message. I promise to get back to you once I'm able. Thank you very much! ( action → text → voice → video )

Comments

action; 4/20

[abhors]

[ Previously on Cerealia PD... Kogami and Tsunemori crack another case! A murdered jewel shop keeper and nothing of value stolen? A revenge killing? No, it turns out it was just a malfunctioning cleaning droid, which the shopping centre director tried to cover up because their droids only clean, not kill!

Letting their own task force droids wrap up what remains of the case, Kogami meets his partner in crime fighting outside of the shopping district, just near their police vehicle. He offers her a cigarette, but doesn't say anything yet, instead he appears to be trying to solve another puzzle... the curious case of Akane Tsunemori. ]

[condoner]

Kogami?

[ earth to kogami, hello, anybody in there? akane waves a hand in front of her partner's face, hoping to get his attention.

oh, and she does take the cigarette. can't live without it, now. ]

[abhors]

[ You HAVE his attention!! He's been paying attention this whole time, which is why he just presses his hand on her forehead while she's distracted with the cigarette. ]

You looked a little off back there.

[condoner]

[ WELL MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED STARING AT HER LIKE THAT... ]

It's just a headache, [ haha... that's just saying it lightly. ] I'm fine.

[abhors]

You look like you have a fever.

[ But once he gets a decent read of her temperature, he eases off again. ] ...Which is not the case.

[ And yet... that's what's troubling. ]

[condoner]

Please don't worry, I'm fine.

[ see? no fever. ]

[abhors]

[ He's not buying it. The being fine part. Otome already mentioned something about Akane taking pills, too, but he also has his own intuition to rely on. ]

When did the headaches start?

[condoner]

[ with a pout, she responds; ]

A couple of days ago.

[ let's not mention the nightmares. ]

[abhors]

[ A couple of days... that might mean Akane is due to collapse sometime soon, if he follows the pattern in his notes. ]

Are you aware that there is an unexplained epidemic going around? [ He talks about disease as he offers to light her cigarette, ha ha. ]

[condoner]

An epidemic?

[ that sounds troublesome. ]

Do you think I've been affected by it, too?

[abhors]

The early stages of it are headaches and fatigue, until you get fever-like symptoms without actually having a fever at all. [ Hence his earlier attempted diagnosis. ]

Sound familiar?

[condoner]

Ah.

[ sounds like kogami's hit the jackpot. akane looks at him with worried expression, though she's more worried for the other people experiencing it rather than for herself. ]

And I guess there hasn't been a remedy for this?

[abhors]

Dr. Yanagiya was working on finding it, until it struck her, too.

I'd like to take you home, Tsunemori. It would be troublesome if you fainted in the middle of a case.

[condoner]

I'm not going to faint, [ so she says, but she'll probably pass out later on. ] so please don't worry.

[abhors]

That's not up to you to decide, when your symptoms worsen you will lose consciousness whether you like it or not. You need to think about how this will affect you in a high-stakes situation.

[condoner]

[ she doesn't want to, but it looks like she has no say in the matter. ]

Well, all right. I just hope I won't get scolded for retiring so early in the day by the chief.

[abhors]

You're not used to being scolded, are you?

[condoner]

... not really.

[abhors]

Then don't make me do it.

[ He opens the passenger side of the car door for her. ]

I'm sure you already realized this, but the chief is a figurehead at best. It's CERES who signs our paychecks.

[condoner]

[ she isn't 100% willing, but okay. she finds a bin where she can dispose of her cig and rides the car. ]

I do know that, but I just can't help but show respect, anyway.

[abhors]

[ Ha ha, don't mind him as he keeps smoking once he gets behind the wheel. ]

...I know it's not easy for you. You want to be out there, helping as much as you can.

I'd be as stubborn as you if our roles were reversed.

[ But he also knows that she wouldn't let him chase criminals in that state of mind. ]

[condoner]

[ this is why she looks up to kogami as much as she does. she considers him a role model of the kind of inspector she wants to be. save for the whole killing thing, of course. ]

You're right. I can definitely see that.

[abhors]

[ She agreed so damn fast about his bullheadedness that he can't help but be amused. ]

Heh, I'm flattered.

[condoner]

In normal circumstances, I'd be worried if my partner would get the job done or not, but... [ kogami isn't exactly normal when it comes to work, is he. ] I'm certain you'll be able to finish the paperwork on your own.

[ have fun chatting with the chief after finishing it, kogami. ]