shacklebreaker | IC Inbox: cerealia

If the floor is your preference, you might as well sleep in the corridor or on the street, you silly girl.

Challenge accepted!!!

Actually, no, I take it back. I don't want to get kidnapped or anything.

Precisely.
In your efforts not to be a bother to anyone, do be careful not to overdo it, or you'll make yourself a bother to everyone.

I can do that! [ Or she'll die trying, at least. ]
Let me know when I can come over?

I'm finishing work early today, so come over whenever you're able.

[Read: he left work early because he was worried about Ryuko and Athena.]

Alright. Thanks again, and I'm sorry for the trouble!

[ It takes a while for Athena to come knocking on his door since she was out most of the day, and only started packing her things later in the evening. Even though Simon's apartment is close-by, she sure is bringing a lot of things with her. As if she was moving out.

... well, more like she doesn't want to risk everything being stolen in case whoever broke into their apartment came back. ]

[When he answers the door, Simon has a katana at his hip, and he looks more on edge than usual. He's been carrying a blade more frequently since the blizzards, but now with this incident and a few other things, he has more reason than ever to expect danger.

Luckily it's just Athena at the door, and she seems to be fine.]

Is this everything?

[Without asking, he'll start picking up the heaviest of her belongings and shifting them inside.]

Everything that I can put in a box or dump in a bag.

[ She looks back at the door to her apartment and sighs. ]

I'm glad Ryuko wasn't around. I don't know what I'd have done if something happened to her.

[ Nevermind that Ryuko can fight. Athena just doesn't want to see her friends in danger. ]

Hmph, have a little faith in her. She's a tough one.

[And both of them had a mutual agreement to put Athena's safety first, and so that's what he intends to do. Ryuko is more than capable of fending for herself.]

[ She pushes the rest of her belongings inside, and just gives the apartment a lookover. This just doesn't sit well with her. ]

I know. [ She's fully aware that Ryuko can't "die", or however it was worded when Ryuko told her the truth about her. Still, she can't help but worry. ] But looking after her is still something I have to do.

But I guess the least I can do is catch the perpetrator.

[Once everything is inside, he takes one more look outside in the corridor -- just in case -- and closes the door, locking it behind him.]

Leave the pursuit of this criminal to me. Though I may no longer be a prosecutor, I still have some strings I can pull in the police department.

[ But everybody knows you can't trust the police... ]

I can't just do nothing, though. And if this is connected to Apollo's disappearance, then I have to be involved.

[He doesn't trust the police, despite being a member of them himself. But he does trust Integra.]

Justice-dono disappeared? This is the first I've heard of it.

I only told Mr. Wright about it. I'm sure Trucy has noticed it too, but... [ She pulls out her CereVice from her pocket to show Simon her contacts list. ] Apollo's name isn't on here anymore, and that only happens when...

[ She doesn't want to continue, because that would be admitting that Apollo might actually be gone. His code had been corrupted, or whatever. ]

Anyway, I need to find him.

...If the same thing has happened before, I don't need to point out your search is likely in vain.

[Harsh though it may be, he doesn't want her getting her hopes up, only to have them dashed again later.]

I'll ask Aura if she's seen him.

You don't know that it's the same thing. It might not be.

[ Or she just refuses to accept the truth right now. ]

There were people here who suddenly showed up and weren't even recorded by the CereVices.

Yet they vanished without a trace soon after, as though they were never truly here at all.

[He still doesn't understand why or how that happened, but she might be able to hear the deep sadness in his voice about it.]

The only way we'd know he was here for certain would be to crack into CERES' databases and look for ourselves, and there's little chance of that ever happening.

[ They, or rather, one specific person, at least, made a mark before mysteriously disapearring. It still bothers Athena to this day, and has made her more insecure. People have to like her, and if they get mad at her, then it's all over.

Something does bother her, though. ]

Did you meet somebody recently who didn't stay here for long?

[ Hmm. She could fix the wording to make it more specific, but saying that someone was coded and then all of a sudden got corrupted just sounds too weird. ]

Yes. Wright-dono experienced the same thing, so I can only assume it happened to a number of people.

[He's almost reluctant to ask, but...] Did you see anyone?

[ It's as if she just got jolted when Phoenix is mentioned. She's deep into this conversation now if it's happened to more people than she thought. ]

Even boss, huh?

I didn't see anyone... [ Her eyes move from one side of the room to another, then back, and then she just looks at the ceiling. She's made herself suspicious now. This won't end as she had planned. ] Anyone important, anyway.

[ Good job, Athena. You certainly got yourself out of that one. Maybe. ]

[Apparently she's once again forgetting he can read people like a book. That she's a terrible liar doesn't help her case either, but he simply narrows his eyes, replying,]

...If they're not important, then you should have no problem telling me who it was.

[ Ha! You fell for her trap, Simon. The trap which she just thought of. She even grins and crosses her arms, thinking it's checkmate for him now. ]

You first.

...Hmph. If you really want to know, I'll tell you.

[He's kept it from her so far, but now there's really no point in doing so any further. Not when she's seen someone, and when she could get the truth of who he saw easily out of Phoenix.]

I saw Metis.

[ If he was expecting her to react wildly, he isn't going to get it. She does frown, though. ]

Oh. [ Like, oh, her. ] Okay.

IC Inbox: cerealia

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