sirenspull_logs | Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another

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Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another

Who: Manfred (

not_the_dreck )
When: The day after he's released from the hospital, the 4th.
Where: A cafe across from the SPPD. Noon.
Summary: Takes place after this conversation; Manfred asks for a little inside information.
Warnings: General. Von Karma shenanigans.

12' o clock sharp. This morning, like the last several, had given rise to this...ridiculous repetition in which he found himself checking out from the hospital no matter where he slept the night. Alas, that it should be with frustration that he felt inclined to go a different path to avoid seeing that sameness, making his way inside the cafe across from the precinct in which had been previously named by the man who had called for this meeting to take place.

He couldn't be absolutely sure what he was looking for, a uniform more than likely. So it was that he would seat himself, if a bit stiffly, the brace around his ribs beneath his shirt making it a little difficult to breathe. Manfred himself might be made recognizable by Franziska's physical resemblance to him, if anything else. The style of his clothes too, were somewhat distinct. Hopefully the other would prove himself to possess a degree of deductive reasoning. For the time being however, he would order a strong coffee, and obtain something to read while he waited.

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This daily repeat was starting to get on Asch's nerves, to be blunt about it. Everyone was doing the same damn thing over and over again, and as far as people knew, it was still the second, and still a work day. He was getting sick of reporting into work for the same calls and everything else. Now to top it all off, he had a feeling this guy was going to show up on what was supposed to be the fourth, so he had to make sure he actually got a lunch today.

He sighed faintly as he made his way into the cafe, looking around. It probably would have helped if he actually knew what this guy looked like, but at least he had some clues. He was related to Franziska and was a prosecutor as well, which meant it was likely they shared similar tastes. That, and the man had be injured in the incident at the Towers. Even if he was just released from the hospital (again and again), he probably was still hurting.

Asch let his eyes scan the room, spotting someone that was very nicely dressed sitting a bit stiffly, favoring his chest. That... was probably his guy. He nodded to himself, before approaching him.

"Mr. Von Karma?"

The waitress had approached the older man with a menu, which he left on the tabletop and waited still, until he heard a voice, and looked up from his reading material.

The paper is folded precisely and neatly, left in the corner as he lifted his gaze to Asch's face. A blood red head of hair was the first thing that he noticed when it came to the other man, along with the contrast of bright green eyes, before observations followed the rest, from demeanor to the way the other held himself.

"I am. Asch, I presume."

"Yes," Asch replied, making no move to sit down until he was invited to. He may not have lived in a royal house for years, but he still had his manners, dammit.

"Forgive me if I have to make this brief," he continued. "It's apparently still Tuesday."

A bit of an outmoded consciousness, but one that Manfred didn't mind, entirely. He gestured for the other to seat himself, as if by his permission, his eyes never fully leaving Asch's face.

"Naturally."

He wouldn't have expected otherwise.

"Whatever is to be done as of this moment won't make a difference, as well you know. Diligence in an officer of your station and age is rare, however."

"I rather not take the chance," Asch replied as he seated himself, "we don't know when time will start moving properly again. I rather do my work, and handle everything else in my spare time, even if I'm arresting the same person over and over again."

Which... admittedly, the faster he caught people, the better it looked on him. So really, this was a good thing for him.

"Anyway, I don't know how much I can tell you," he continued after a moment. "When I first started, they relegated me to parking ticket duty as punishment for refusing to get a driver's license."

"Dedication is of the utmost importance", he agreed, glad at least there appeared to be a capable individual on the force.

Even if time had gone array one simply couldn't abandon their post. Manfred had been testing to see exactly what the other would say, in such a situation. An unprecedented situation called for an unprecedented answer, after all.

"Perhaps you can tell me a few minor things. I don't expect you'll be selling me Department secrets. Rather, I believe I shall be working rather closely with the Police Department in the coming months after I am reinstated. Quite simply, I would like a general assessment of the kind of crime you deal with on an average basis in this place, and who your superiors and peers are. The legal matters I can see to myself."

Asch nodded at that, leaning back in his seat a moment to think. Manfred's coffee came as he thought, as did a cup that Asch didn't order -- clearly, he had come into this cafe far too much, they knew what he wanted without asking.

"Well, most of the crime committed is the usual fair," he began. "Robberies, domestic disputes, things like that. Some of it is more serious, especially considering ninety-percent of the time, someone is using their powers to commit these crimes. Worse case was Riley Ripley; she had the power to age or de-age people at will."

He frowned bitterly at that memory. Being ten years old again was not something he ever wanted to experience.

He stares at the cup for a moment, leaving it untouched by his hand. He was principally a tea man but the time had come where even he needed the perk, so to speak. Sleep has been escaping him. The taste of coffee definitely was not his favorite, but all the same. There was no avoiding it completely.

"...A powers-related criminal phenomena."

A rather fascinating concept; though he's seen a great deal of strange things in his time as a prosecutor this place was an entirely different kind of bizarre.

"She was caught, I presume?"

Hopefully. Unlike that madman he'd spoken with some time ago...Unfortunate, that. It spoke to how inept the field agents.

"I've dealt...many times with murder. Being a fairly large City, there is a homicide division, yes?"

Asch nodded. "Yes, but not before she caused havoc in the Underground Mall and elsewhere. She also aged several people to death. Needless to say, she'll be spending most of the rest of her life surrounded by Voids."

He leaned back in his seat. "And yeah, there is a homicide division, though they mostly focus on the native deaths. Newcomers come back the next day, like they had never been killed. Those cases are usually solved pretty quickly, though not always."

"As long as she's been dealt with."

Results are what Mister Von Karma liked to hear. None of this inept business like the bumblings of the police department back home.

"..."

A short silence as he listened, to be followed by a shifting in position. Normally he would've had something to say on the matter. In fact, he should have had something to say. But to know that he had been saved by the very person he despised needlessly...Insulting, to say the least.

"Then you mean to tell me death is not achievable?"

"Oh, it's achievable... for about a day."

Asch stirred up his coffee a bit, making a face at it.

"I didn't want to believe it either. It's... awkward to be handling a crime scene, only to have the victim come in the next day and let you know what happened."

"Ridiculous."

A biting word, like a curse, his eyes narrowing.

"...Is that all?"

It was ridiculous, and he wished it wasn't the truth. Unfortunately it was, no matter how stupid it sounded saying so.

"There's not much else to say," he replied. "The laws of this world seem to be the standard fair. The biggest issue I see is being accepted as a Newcomer. The police department is supportive of the Newcomers, but then there's groups like MAN."

He made a face; he hated those idiots. "Mothers Against Newcomers. They're more of an annoyance than anyone else."

"Nn. Hardly a matter I need to bother with." Especially if he was going to be working for the City itself. No one would dare to discriminate against him if they didn't want to find themselves a new enemy.

Manfred didn't consider anyone on equal footing with himself, so there was no need to be in an uproar over such a group.

Asch raised an eyebrow at that; guy was awfully over confident. Or maybe he just didn't have a good idea of what he was up against. He'd probably find out the hard way... like, uh, he did... Well!

"Just be careful," he warned. "Some of them can be a bit... over zealous."

Of course he was! He was obliged to be; A confident manner to a Von Karma was inherent. And he commanded a presence, hence confidence was a part of that carefully constructed image.

They would be finding out his way, and no one would dare to question him. He would be warning them, in the end.

"Ha! I welcome such idiocy. Let them discover just who it is they mettle with. But no matter! I am not here to hear about the idiots who think they can badger me!"

Well, he couldn't say he didn't warn the guy. Asch gave a shrug, sipping at his coffee.

"Fine, what else did you want to know?"

"Attorneys. Who are they and which ones work most closely with the precinct?"

That was what he was most interested in. After all, he had to know who else was here that hadn't shown themselves yet.

Asch nodded. "Most are natives," he answered, naming a few names before continuing. "And of course, there's Franziska..."

He paused, frowning. What was the name of that weird guy that was ridiculously obsessed with coffee?

"I'm not sure of the man's name... Armand maybe? Anyway, he was big with the AGI slave trials. He's pretty hard to miss; I think he's the only man in the port with a visor over his eyes."

Franziska...The subject is not one he wishes to breach, yet inevitably it would come to be discussed to some degree.

Of course, by the time Diego was made Prosecutor Manfred was no longer around...He would have forgotten his name in an instant as a defense attorney, such was his nature.

He finally touches his own drink before it grows cold, being certain to add a little cream and stirring it until the black turns a caramel brown.

"Him...I see. Anyone else?"

"I think that-- no," Asch cut himself off. "That prissy 'brother' of Franziska's is back, though he said he was going to 'defend innocents' this time."

Asch snorted at that, finishing off his coffee. "Best of luck to him on that one," he remarked dryly. "I hardly see anyone taken in that was actually innocent."

He already was well aware of this, by now. But no matter.

"Mm", he made a simple sound as he drank delicately, letting the cup stay half-empty on the surface of the table before eying the other man.

"He is a fool.."

Asch smirked at that comment; hey, they agreed on something!

"I'll give him credit for being good, but that's about it," Asch admitted. "He's not a bad person, if you ignore his ridiculous sister complex, but he's an idiot if he thinks he'll be successful as a defense attorney."

"Heh. I taught him technique, but he could never completely shed that veneer of amateurism."

A smirk plays upon his mouth as he leaned up from his chair, raising a brow.

"Hmph."

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Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another

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...Why didn't I reply to this. :| -Shoots inbox-

XDD

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