Scene #9657: Chief Field Investigator of Walkies

Owner	Pose
Lilian Rook	For some reason, despite the ostensibly urgent medical necessity of it, it turns out to be unusually difficult to investigate Lilian Rook. The school is halfway impossible to track down a line of communication to, and snobbishly hostile to anyone 'low-class' they aren't required to speak to. The records aren't on a database that can be accessed externally. The job is military bordering on clandestine; there are three nested layers of communication to get through before even knowing who to talk to, and doing so is predictably an absurdity; they don't disclose what their personnel do or are like. The medical record should be the one easiest to access for an alleged medical eventuality, should there be a need to claim genuine (albeit Multiversal) legal authority, but the two varieties of answer are 'sorry, we don't have those records anymore', and 'due to special consideration, come back with a warrant'. She didn't attend school before age 13, and apparently never appeared anywhere in public either. Referencing more casually available databases (to a Foundation super-cop) connects a series of private tutors and child psychologists, almost none of which remember her, while the remainder evade questions with faint praise. She literally owns Trídéag, and anything Sonetto could get from the Fixers there, she's heard already. Sapient Heuristics is Concord and therefore suspect automatically. Everything generally accessible through her Chevalier job ends up looking like a list of accolades and a massive heap of financial records that amount to endless tables of currency exchanges and filings for subsidy or reimbursement on humanitarian grounds; millions of credits thrown around on behalf of entire towns, but nothing interesting. The rest . . . would be so much easier if Vertin just joined the Paladins like a normal girl. Sonetto is publicly Watch now. They owe her less than nothing unless she comes to Aegis Astray with direct approval from the St. Pavlov Foundation. What leads remain makes for a very short list. One is a resignation notice from the Paladins, a notice of its misfiling, and a retraction a little more than a month later. Another is the case surrounding Matthew Rook's sudden and untimely death, filed as a suicide with very little investigation. More is Allison Rook's sudden long-distance move very shortly after, including relinquishment of assets. And then, there is the short list of people Sonetto knows from the wedding know Lilian outside her career, who are not hidden somewhere on a secret mountain. . . . . . . . . The easiest to track down is Katrina Rook; which is really saying something. Following her record shows her being randomly out of the country for an average of ten months out of the year. She agrees to meet much more readily than her elder brother, which in turn makes it easier to get a reply to pending messages from him. Once Sonetto actually locates her, having returned from somewhere in Syria just the other day, and laying over two days at a hotel in a large Commonwealth Warpgate hub city, she actually turns out to be perfectly happy with meeting. Sonetto was at her little sister's wedding, which means Sonetto is a good person, and very trustworthy; just like everyone else there.
Lilian Rook	She probably isn't worried about whatever Sonetto could say, because she invites her to the hotel bar, of all places. The alternative reason would be very unlikely. Sonetto finds her in casual dress, glowing with the particular sparkle of having taken a luxurious shower for the first time in weeks. For the first time (though there were only two other times), the abrasions and cuts all over her fingers have scabbed over, necessitating only a few bandaids. She waves her over while still at the counter, but gets up and moves towards the window so Sonetto can sit across from her in the natural light instead. Then she takes a good long look at Sonetto, smiling as warmly as can be, and props her cheek in her palm just to say in the end "I didn't really get a good look at you before, but you're so proper! Are you a model, or in government work?" She even laughs at it. "Oh! Are you together with that guy in the top hat?" Katrina please you're the one answering questions not asking.
Timekeeper	THINGS SONETTO KNOWS: > Lilian is suspected of some health disorder, discovered by Mesmer Jr. via Artificial Somnambulism. > There is no documentation on this disorder, but Lilian acknowledges that it exists. > This medical disorder, according to an unregistered Awakened that was in conversation with Mesmer Jr., would cause the end of the world. > Mesmer claims that the symptoms she's seen are indicative of a mindstate that will result in antisocial and anomalous behaviors. > Lilian, however, says that Mesmer's investigation can only lead to Mesmer herself being killed. > Lilian's dreams appear to be a significant factor in the manifestation of this disorder, and contain some concerning emotional disregulation, but Lilian is incapable of remembering them. > Lilian has had a history of maladaptive arcane illness tied with psychological duress similar to Cristallo, with a medical array on her back to suppress it. Less relevant notes: > 'Exigent Serenity' --> to find peace quickly? No results found on a cursory search. > Mesmer and Lilian have often had personality mismatches resulting in arguments of varying severity. > The LSCC has a recording of the Storm in a Bottle experiment. > Lilian drew a connection to a Wing's (Oligarchic corporation-governments in the world known as the City) Singularity (a signature technology of aforementioned). > Implications that the knowledge itself would cause Mesmer to come to harm --> possible infohazard, or more likely retributive violence from a third party. This is what Sonetto has done in her leisure time, lately. Not that she thinks this is all for fun-- Lilian's health is a matter to take very seriously!-- but it's work in the sense that a shepherd dog corralling sheep is working, or a sled dog charging through the snow. This is what she's designed for, and the effort itself is rewarding even before the end goal. Requesting the Storm in a Bottle logs was simple, as a Foundation investigator. She watched through them, but she's acutely aware of not being a Mesmer herself. There's information here that Mesmer would intuit by afflatus that Sonetto could never find on her own, so rather than trying to make a medical diagnosis out of the state of a dreamscape, she just watches through Lilian's conversation with an invisible other. Frankly, she's not sure what the problem is. That looks like a pretty upsetting dream, but it's not so out of the ordinary to talk to people who aren't real in dreams. She's at least familiar with the basics of psychoanalysis as they pertain to investigations and arcanum, but there's nothing conclusive there. Then, it's off to the phones, for dozens of calls spaced over days. She's entirely happy to navigate long, convoluted chains of offices and extensions to get where she wants, cordially putting in requests when asked and spending the time waiting prying along a different vector. She's less happy with how many end in being stonewalled out of knowing anything, but she can't get too frustrated. Lilian's not a criminal, after all, so while it's a little odd that her life is so securely wrapped up in censorship, it's not really the same as a criminal covering their tracks. The Paladins... well, it's not as if Sonetto is planning on being Lilian's doctor herself. She just wants to convince Mesmer to be more kind and aware of HIPAA guidelines, and to interrogate whether Mesmer's worries are justified for organizational intervention or dissuade her from the topic if they're not. If they are, then, Mesmer will simply be looking into solving it alongside the Paladins.
Timekeeper	It actually isn't very frequent at all for Sonetto to go outside of Foundation grounds, alone, for reasons besides work. It's just work enough that she knows it's not a waste of her time-- again, it's a matter of Lilian's health! She was pretty much specifically requested to do this, almost.-- but it's not work, meaning she doesn't have her uniform on. Instead, she's wearing a beautiful green and grey dress and a pair of round glasses, coordinated with a grey-gold handbag. The top of the dress has a sheer shawl of grasslike textured green that flutters around her elbows, with sleeves ending with lace at her wrists. Gold outlines the edges of each end-point of the dress, over the darker green at her collarbone, on the shawl and sleeves, and a band of gold down at her ankles just above the grey ruffles that just barely don't brush her shoes. She sits down across from Katrina with her bag primly in her lap, not touching the back of her seat. She has an easy smile on her face, eyes closed and upturned for the duration of Katrina's observation. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Katrina. Have you been well? I'm certain your work takes a lot of your time, so I am glad to have gotten a moment with you." For whatever reason, Sonetto's modeling has been a frequent topic lately, so she treats Katrina's comment as being precisely in the middle of being a joke or not, making her reply extremely funny. "Ah-! Government work, yes. I am a Chief Investigator at the St. Pavlov Foundation of London. The modeling is also government work." Then she unclasps her purse, taking out a grey-black diamond patterned journaling pad as well as a pen. Before placing them on the table, her eyes shoot open in shock."Guy?" She says it like she's unfamiliar with the concept at all. "Oh... do you mean the Timekeeper? She is, er, not a man. And I am not with her today, actually." There's no other possible meaning to 'together with' that exists in her mind. She nods, glad to have a good segue to get to the point. "Actually, it is a matter of personal concern with regards to your younger sister, Lilian Rook." She's talking like it's episode one of a long-running series, or there's a tape recorder rolling. There's no tape recorder, though; the purse is right there on the corner of the table now. "Mrs. Rook is an incredible ally and a highly skilled combatant that many of us have learned to rely on for the smooth and reliable completion of mission objectives, as well as being a continual source of wisdom and support for those around her. However, it was suspected by medical professionals that she may be hiding some sort of affliction that could cause accidental harm to herself and those around her if unaddressed. I am uncertain of the details, but it appears to be something that Lilian is aware but ashamed or avoidant of, possibly primarily of a psychological nature with ties into physiological and arcane symptoms, present ever since she was a child." "Would there be something that you have observed in your time around Lilian--" What a deeply weird way to think about siblings. "--That would suggest such a thing?"
Lilian Rook	'It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Katrina.' "Same! Same~ Oh I hardly ever get to meet Lilian's friends, but they're always so interesting! Ah, sorry again for the short notice call out to last time! You were a big help, I promise!" Katrina's eyes sparkle at Sonetto. Katrina uses highly animated gestures while speaking. Katrina talks quickly and all in a row without pauses for anything but being stuck. In every way, anyone would wonder how the hell she and Lilian could even be related outside the visual resemblance. If Sonetto were the dog she is sometimes compared to, Katrina would be squishing her cheeks and scruffling her ears. "Ah-- haha! Oh wow, I need to practice answering that one! I'm fine though. I just got back the other day and o~h my god it's nice to have a real bed again." She weirdly doesn't even glance at her fingers when asked, like whether she's well or not has nothing to do with dozens of small injuries. 'The modeling is also government work.' Katrina snrks right behind her lined-up fingertips. Her eyebrows shoot up into her bangs, but that habit, at least, is identical. "I see I see! Well, duty calls!" she snickers. 'Oh... do you mean the Timekeeper? She is, er, not a man.' Katrina should either stare blankly or gasp in embarrassment, but instead she winces and glances away for a second, then sounds embarrassed. "Oh my gosh. I heard Rita call them 'Mister' and-- Sorry! I guess you obviously wouldn't be with her in that case!" Katrina laughs nervously. 'Mrs. Rook is--' Katrina claps her hands together and wiggles in her seat. She's barely had anything to drink, but still subvocally squeals "Oo~h Missus! It's so cute! I can't believe it!" Perhaps it's a little silly, but she clearly doesn't have people speaking about Lilian in front of her that often if the shine is still this fresh. 'However, it was suspected by medical professionals that she may be hiding some sort of affliction that--' Katrina goes from enthusiastically nodding along with praise towards her little sister, tapping the counter with her fingertips and somehow evincing 'humming' with her subtle seat bounces, to expressing not really much of anything at all. It'd be a totally ordinary, attentive and listening look, if she'd lead with it and hadn't swapped so easily halfway through. '--That would suggest such a thing?' "Only child huh?" Katrina laughs, as a brief deflection, venting a little pressure like a maneuvering thruster. "That's a really private kind of question. What kind of medical professional do you mean? Lil' Lil hates doctors, so I doubt it's something she went and got diagnosed." Sonetto doubtlessly has something prepared. Katrina isn't hard to convince to spill a little, but feels like a brick wall about spilling a lot. Any invitation to try taking this very seriously kicks off "She wouldn't cause harm to other people. Even accidentally. That girl never has accidents in the first place." She tries to lighten it up a little with a mysterious finger wiggle and "It's almost freaky right?"
Lilian Rook	Katrina finally decides to resume drinking when she has to actually think of what to say. The pause isn't polite, performative, avoidant, or pacing; it's written all over her face, staring out the window into the lovely street view, that it's a tough decision. "There's nothing you should worry about being 'unaddressed' either. There isn't anything she could 'relapse' into or whatever." Even with that wording, chosen oddly carefully, it's still tantamount to admitting there is an implicit singular 'it' in the hypothetical subject. "If you need something to shut the doctors up, you can tell them she had a tough time growing up, because her-- oh you said 'arcanum' right? I like that one. Her arcanum was pretty wobbly and unstable. She got sent to a lot of doctors and they--" Again, her face. Disgust, of a kind Lilian isn't normal enough to wear."--did a lot to lose our trust. There's nothing she should be ashamed of, but you understand right? You would dodge talking about a 'disorder' after all that too." And yet, Sonetto is such a good, sweet, obedient girl, and Lilian is always trying to keep the unglamorous parts of her life secret from her sister-- like whoever 'Ash' is and why James drove her halfway across America-- that restless discomfort builds up from not saying anything cautionary. Because what if? "Hey. If people think something weird is going on around her, it's because they're making it happen." Katrina says. "My little sister does everything on purpose and worries way too much. She works really hard to fit in and make everyone comfortable, so make certain you don't go pushing her into a corner. No doctors, quarantines, shitty bosses, or power harassment, okay? It'll be all be fine."
Timekeeper	The casual chatter is really pleasant. So much that Sonetto's surprised by it herself, which is a feeling she packs away and doesn't reflect on at all. Even if she's a little bit of a space alien about it, and every interaction she has is filtered through the lens of work, it's nice to just sit and talk with someone she has nothing but positive opinions of in an environment that's new to Sonetto. Sonetto is characterized by a lot of different kinds of stiffness, some of them good, but one of them eases away here. "It was truly no issue! If we were able to provide assistance, then it was well worth the time. Ah, though, as I recall, that was our very first time meeting Mrs. Rook in person as well, after the completion of the warpgate. Because Timekeeper already had a positive impression of her from talking, they were happy to take the opportunity when it lined up conveniently with their warpgate clearance going through." "I see I see! Well, duty calls!" Sonetto tilts her head a little bit, face-framing braid swinging back and forth like an uncertain but happy dog's tail. "Mm?" Her confusion resolves when she decides that 'duty calls' is always an objectively good thing to say. "Ah, yes." "I guess you obviously wouldn't be with her in that case!" Another weird, blank stare, trying to process what that could possibly mean. In the internal mechanisms of Sonetto's mind, she's raising the possibility that Katrina is unused to women being allowed in positions of governmental authority, which would preclude Sonetto being with her as her assistant. Certainly, the Rook girls are both self-made, but it's clear even from Sonetto's knowledge of Katrina that both of them had to work hard for it. So eventually she decides to say, "Um, no, I am. But they are often busy or low on sleep, so to bother them with something like this would be... unnecessary, so I have come on my own." "That's a really private kind of question. What kind of medical professional do you mean?" Sonetto doesn't flinch at Katrina's reaction, but there is a tangible gear shift into work mode. Still strictly positive on both Katrina and her sister, there's a certain kind of determined set to her expression when she flips open her notepad and uncaps her pen. "It is, I understand. The medical professional in question is, without a doubt, the very best in her field, who happened to see anomalies in data that Mrs. Rook volunteered for an unrelated study. I would not be so concerned if I believed there was a chance of a false positive or conclusions arrived at by inexpert analysis." She shakes her head, still having written down nothing on the new page she flipped to so far. "I am not an expert, nor am I interested in scraping through Mrs. Rook's private health information searching for a hidden psychosis. I have no doubts as to her reliability or good nature. It's just that I am worried those traits may encourage her to hide something harmful to her that you as family would see more clearly." "There isn't anything she could 'relapse' into or whatever." Sonetto nods along, jotting down shorthand recordkeeping that seems to just be a faithful recitation of what Katrina addresses as important. "Okay. Mrs. Rook is certainly not the type to be 'uncontrolled' by any means. It is a principle she has talked about when instructing swordfighting, as well; I have been learning from her through an organization of hers, and it makes her very efficient in everything that she does."
Timekeeper	"If you need something to shut the doctors up, you can tell them she had a tough time growing up, because her-- oh you said 'arcanum' right?" Once Katrina says that, there's a small, awkward smile on Sonetto's face throughout the rest of her explanation. She jots down bits and pieces, but mostly leaves her pen to twiddle between her fingers-- it's not a cheap ballpoint, either. A little bit of a pen enthusiast, preferring a thickness and smoothness to her glasfeder, it's a cute and sleek cartridge pen that clips through the top of the notepad, and she holds it a bit like a weapon and a bit like a worry stone. "Ah, yes. I understand. Um, to put it plainly, it is my belief as well as Mrs. Rook's that the medical professional in question intends on pursuing this thread regardless of Mrs. Rook's wishes, out of an assumption that she could threaten harm to herself or others. Among arcanists in our world, this would not necessarily be an unfounded belief, and for uncontrolled arcane illnesses, there is considerable research on tools and treatments to manage that eventuality, but... I came hoping for reasons to dissuade her, yes." "My little sister does everything on purpose and worries way too much." Sonetto dips her chin, clearly glad to hear it. There's a longer stretch of writing, while she says, "This is the tie to psychological distress, correct? I believe in Mrs. Rook's ability to handle it, but she is often pushing herself to do more and more work, I have seen. So the frustrations caused by other people..." She trails off, dotting a sentence and then closing the notepad. "Um, thank you very much for sharing that. I will do my best to keep an eye out, and otherwise trust in Mrs. Rook."
Lilian Rook	'Um, no, I am. But they are often busy or low on sleep, so to bother them with something like this would be... unnecessary, so I have come on my own.' Katrina raises an eyebrow again. Despite being exaggerated over Lilian's way of doing it, she somehow comes off less saucy. "Interesting." she says, then leaves Sonetto accidentally in the dark again. "Perhaps busybodies attract busybodies, hm~? I mean here we are, having this talk!" But it's clear as day that Katrina doesn't like anything she hears after that. Space alien or not, Sonetto can watch her colours turn grayscale as the details are laid out. She flickers a smile when she hears of her learning swordfighting from Lilian, but the ember of fondness cools back to room temperature again. Lukewarm. 'Um, to put it plainly, it is my belief as well as Mrs. Rook's that the medical professional in question intends on pursuing this thread regardless of Mrs. Rook's wishes' When Sonetto looks up from her notes again, just for a moment, there is grit-toothed anger on Karina's face; the spark in her eyes is returned as something hostile. She smooths it over alarmingly quickly again. 'but... I came hoping for reasons to dissuade her, yes.' "You're a sweet girl, you know that?" says Katrina. Twiddling with the tips of her hair, she swigs back most of the remainder of her drink, and claps the glass back down without a coaster. "And smart, too. You've kinda figured it out as far as you really need to. Haven't you? And now you're just looking for the pieces that explain it in words." Somehow, that charges the air with a strange sense of allyship. Unspoken, but yearning to be put into words. 'This is the tie to psychological distress, correct?' "She's so worried about being dangerous that she's kind of less dangerous than anyone." Katrina sighs, slumping theatrically forward. "People frustrate her all the time. Mostly 'cause they don't think as much as her. I think it's only 'distress' when like--" She waves her hand vaguely, stereotypical of being more drunk than she is. "--everything's inconsistent on purpose. Like people can't decide who they want to be, or can't figure out what they want, and they change the rules and make up things and forget things." She side-glanced Sonetto, and muffles into her arms, with an eerie sort of sulky gravitas, "If a bomb blew up only when you put in a ten digit code, you wouldn't even think of it as dangerous, right? Getting blown up is just-- who can you even blame but yourself?" . . . . . . . .
Lilian Rook	Katrina, in the end, had insisted on Sonetto staying for long enough for her to drink a few in a row (maybe it runs in the family, actually), and bombarded her with unrelated stories and anecdotes just to reach over into Sonetto's sheet and manually adjust her own reputation bar up. She leaves Sonetto with her 'work phone', which is a private number, and says to call if 'the doctor really fucks it up-- I mean bad' She drinks just enough to add. "I'll handle it fine~ Just like old times!" The followup with another wedding-familiar figure, untapped, is one 'Nina Clementine'. Sonetto's background investigation pulls up nothing special. She's a hardworking data jockey for the Paladins, who handles Elite personnel; requisitions, exemptions, reassignments, reimbursements, onboarding, allocation, and so on. She lives alone, is well-liked at work, enjoys a healthy level of parasocial investment in the Paladins 'brand' by following various Elite careers from afar, and has no criminal history. Once Sonetto mentions it's about Lilian, she's almost stupidly eager to meet. She tries calling Sonetto into her workplace, and has to actually be told she isn't with the Paladins by her seniors, which results in her hastily rescheduling to meet her 'outside', 'after hours'. Which, if Sonetto takes her dead seriously, keeps her waiting for a while at one of the gorgeous scenic plazas in the transit town a few miles from the crashed satellite-turned-castle on the time-gentled mountain; far enough away that employee Warpgates are in use, for Nina to come jogging from, out of breath, still in her olive green and dove white clerk uniform. "Hi! S-sorry! Sorry! Hi again! You're--" She freezes up, realizing how stupid she sounds, then tries to bounce off it with extra (stiff) enthusiasm. "Sonetto, right? You're the one from the Saint Pavlov Foundation! I remember!" She sounds . . . congratulatory. "Okay so--" Nina glances around the plaza, and looks for a sign to sit or walk. "--this is off the record right? You're a close friend, I know that, but-- I mean, sorry but I can't tell you anything that could be a security liability. I hope you understand!" she says, folding her hands.
Timekeeper	Sonetto is not particularly skilled at the mysterious ritual of "spending time with a friend at a bar", especially not one on one. She's a good listener for Katrina's stories, and a sincere one too, but once her Task is completed, she gradually begins accumulating the atmosphere of 'your stiff autistic friend who it feels like you have to adopt any time you're outside'. The alcohol helps with that, though. She's more interested in listening to Katrina's stories than telling her own, partly because she thinks hers are uninteresting work and hearing about Katrina or anecdotes about Lilian is cool, but it's inevitable that she thoughtlessly drops enough nonsense comments that Katrina presses her to elaborate. In turn, this leads to a lot of extolling Vertin's virtues, as her most comfortable topic for fulfilling her conversational quota that isn't boring or confusing. This clears up nothing to Katrina. By the end, she's warm and cheery, a little unfiltered about talking about how nice Katrina and Lilian and Tamamo and Vertin all are, and very pleased with her results. A testimony from Lilian's own family is a great thing to have as proof, even if it's not airtight with evidence. It shows that she's definitely on the right track, so there's nothing but to keep going. The next comes a few days later, when Sonetto gets another moment to herself. It's with some dejection that she preemptively informs Nina during the phone call that she would need special dispensation to enter Aegis Astray, but besides that, Nina seems perfectly pleasant to talk to. She's the sort of person that Sonetto has fond feelings about within the Foundation itself, that Sonetto herself is a bit of an ambassador for. The people who want to do their jobs and do them responsibly, who think field agents are really cool, and have a kind of bureaucratic patriotism about their organization that Sonetto resonates with. She's dressed up again this time, with the addition of a cute sunhat, even if she had the impulse to wear the Foundation uniform instead. If she was here on official Foundation business, she'd be meeting inside, so it's improper to wear the uniform outside. Obviously Sonetto took the instructions dead seriously. She doesn't even register that there's an alternative to doing that. It's still not time wasted, though, because she had to move her work schedule around to make the trip anyways, and it's a little treat to go outside. For however long it takes until Nina arrives, Sonetto can kind of just be a tourist around the town, idly wondering if there's tours available in Aegis Astray even for someone like her. Maybe with an escort? She'd personally advocate for escorting a member of the Watch around the Foundation if one wanted a visit. She's familiar with the story of the Ad Coelum before arriving, out of academic diligence. Thus, she can bask in the symbolism of the far-off castle, and be enraptured by the mountains and the sea in quiet contemplation. The number of times she's seen mountains... when, actually? The land that the Foundation is built in is hilly, of course, but she's never seen anything like this. The mountains framed by the sky in a vista previously relegated to glossy photographs in textbooks, with brown and blue and the colors of the sun reflecting off of the water, and the grey of the sea in shadows and a thousand different variations of green.
Timekeeper	She could sit here on this ocean-facing bench for hours, just watching the shadow of a cloud slowly move over the campus of the castle, and come away from the experience refreshed. That's where Nina finds her when she comes out of the warpgate, quietly absorbing the view and the air, sipping from a sort of colored water convenience store drink, with her handbag by her thigh. "Hi! S-sorry! Sorry! Hi again! You're--" "Ah, yes! Hello, Nina." She stands up carefully, offering out her hand to shake. "That's correct. Thanks a lot for meeting me here." It's a walk kind of day now. Sonetto was just sitting down, and there's not, like, an immediately available table with the kind of privacy aura that a booth at a bar provides, so instead she'll walk around and get more of her tourist wiggles out, in this practically nameless satellite town that's the closest she's allowed to get. She withdraws her pen and notepad from her purse, and stows the drink in their place, hooking the bag's handles over her wrist to free both of her hands for writing. "That's right. I won't be attributing anything you share with your name, and there won't be a tape recording of your words, just notes taken of what is necessary." Sonetto sighs softly, shoulders falling and raising. "I am aware. Please do not be worried; I have no desire to bring any harm to Mrs. Rook or the Paladins, so do not feel the need to answer questions with information that could be compromising." "Now, um... I am interested in the near-resignation from the Paladins, of course. Did you know Chevalier Rook before then? On a personal level, or professional? I remember us crossing paths briefly at her and Mrs. Tamamo's wedding, but we haven't properly been introduced. I have worked with Chevalier Rook in the field on many occasions, and have the utmost respect for her and her abilities. She often assists the St. Pavlov Foundation, and I am a contracted employee in an organization of hers, so we frequently work together." Her walking trends towards the outskirts of the town, preferably seaside, both for privacy and for the view. "What I am interested in particularly is the circumstances surrounding that resignation notice, and how it was both put in and retracted so suddenly. Was there a period of conflict surrounding it, that you were aware of?"
Lilian Rook	"Hi! No it's fine! Thank you for--" Nina pauses in her cluttered greeting, counts something invisible with her fingers, and recalls the fact that she's going out of her way at Sonetto's request, and not the other way around. "Oh. Wow." 'That's right. I won't be attributing anything you share with your name, and there won't be a tape recording of your words' Nina laughs nervously and halfheartedly throws up both hands; like she wants to really overanimate it, but felt too self-conscious to pass the skill check. "A-Uhm, that's not, really what I meant?" Damn girl. Sonetto is the professional here. You bombed it. You said something stupid. "I mean-- This isn't going into any record, right? I don't want to say anything at all that influences, you know, big professional channels over my head." she says, and tries to laugh off how stupid that sounds. "I mean I don't want to cause Chevalier Lilian any kind of issues at all. If we're just talking, and it's not, you know, formal, then . . ." 'I am aware. Please do not be worried; I have no desire to bring any harm to Mrs. Rook or the Paladins' Okay! Yay! Nina's face lights up in relief. 'Now, um... I am interested in the near-resignation from the Paladins, of course' And then falls again. For the second time, Sonetto has asked someone close to Lilian about murky past events, and torpedoed their mood. All the other times before that, though, they wouldn't even talk to her at all, so there are limits to how bad anyone can feel about that. Even if Nina goes from flustered nervous to 'job' nervous, and starts fussily cleaning her glasses so she doesn't have to make eye contact anymore. "Um. No. We didn't know each other at all. Well, obviously I knew her. We even talked a couple of times, but it was just superficial work stuff, so it'd be creepy to say she knew me." Nina holds her glasses up to the sun, then slowly settles them back onto her face as she says "She looked me up a while ago, but I didn't know she was even aware I existed until this year." At first it seems like she's looking at Sonetto with envy; bitter and leaky about the fact Sonetto gets to work with Lilian personally. After a second though, her nervous glowering comes into focus as 'waiting for the catch'. Like Sonetto could only be panderingwith Lilian talk because she wants something that Lilian wouldn't ever let her. 'What I am interested in particularly is the circumstances surrounding that resignation notice, and how it was both put in and retracted so suddenly.' "I was unaware of any conflict at the time. I happened to observe signs of distress in Chevalier Rook that caused me to consider the possibility of her being coerced or not of sound mind when filing her resignation. However, my administrative error was purely accidental, and brought on by emotional stress." Nina lies very badly, and exactly like a lawyer has already told her that stenographers only take down words and not tone.
Lilian Rook	"The events preceding the resignation were the murder of a close friend and being made responsible for detaining the offender shortly after. During the period her resignation experienced delays due to bureaucratic error, I observed what I believed to be clear and present signs of repeated physical assault to her person, extreme anxiety, frequent memory confusion, social avoidance, and refusal to communicate." "I perceived her unusual state of disorderly schedule and dress coupled with sleep deprivation and malnutrition while continuing to participate in Paladins operations to the best of her present ability during the entire period of the delay to indicate a strong reluctance to resign from her post, and all administrative processes I requested were in keeping with reasonable suspicion." Nina takes a deep, deep breath, considers 'I already nearly got fired and the committee found my actions justified', then decides not to throw 'you can't double jeopardy me!' at Sonetto, despite the fact it's written all over her face. Then she's been quiet so long that she feels awkward and stupid, and she has to pick a random direction to extend the walk. "Um. It was rescinded by Chevalier Rook anyways, so since it hadn't been processed, it's normal to be able to cancel it on short notice." Nina squishes her lips together and winces. "Um. This is something you can just look up for yourself. So it's fine if I tell you." she says. "But a week after she returned to duty, her father committed suicide." She hurries on to say literally anything after that line. "She was obviously pretty shaken up by it, so, I tried to keep an eye on her. Nothing really happened though. There weren't any new personal combat discretion reports with other Elites after that. Oh-- I mean she wasn't fighting with anyone. She got back to work right away, the week before it happened, so she was at work when the call came in. I guess it was maybe . . . four months, until she really seemed back to normal." Then, as if this fact could somehow be a total afterthought, because Lilian hadn't expressed any feelings on it. "Oh. I remember hearing that her mother moved away too? Really short notice. She left a lot of assets I think, too? I don't even know where she went; not the same world at least."
Timekeeper	"I mean-- This isn't going into any record, right?" "Ah. Okay." Sonetto pauses to decode that colloquial shorthand, which has her falling silent for a minute. She looks down at the notepad where she is quite literally recording things-- but no, she's not handing that over to anyone, so that can't be a record. She's not on the clock as an investigator, so none of this is being reported to the Foundation. She's certainly not sharing anything with the Watch, and if Vertin asks, she would explain her conclusions simply as she's planning to do with Mesmer. So, no, probably? But on the other hand, if Lilian's condition is severe enough, she would attempt to get Laplace or the Paladins involved. It's not like Nina's commentary would be directly invoked for that, but it could potentially sway her decision? She would talk to Lilian first before making any professional motions like that, though. Sonetto suddenly gets a wave of vertigo thinking about the idea of 'professional channels over her head'-- the lofty machinations of the Joint Council and especially the Pax House aren't things she interfaces with personally, but she's regularly at their direct beck and call. The highest government of the tiny secular world contained within the Foundation's campus, the only world that really exists on Earth, and Sonetto is only two steps removed from it. The only higher authority is God. Is that what Lilian's like to other people? Is Lilian God? Sonetto refocuses. "Ah. No. The notebook is for my recollection alone. I am attempting to assist in easing an interpersonal issue that has been causing difficulties for Mrs. Rook at the workplace." "However, my administrative error was purely accidental, and brought on by emotional stress." "Okay." This feels a little bit like dangling weed in front of a retired police dog. Even if Nina's shift in mood doesn't take her own down very far, and even though this is a relatively casual conversation and not an interrogation, she can't help having her ears swivel and lifting her head off of her paws at the clearly coached lie. She can negotiate herself back down from that, though. It's easy, especially considering what comes next. "I observed what I believed to be clear and present signs of repeated physical assault to her person, extreme anxiety, frequent memory confusion, social avoidance, and refusal to communicate." "What?!" Sonetto gasps like she's been punched in the chest. The stilted and semi-professional nature of the conversation up until now splinters . Sonetto clutches the notepad to her chest rather than writing, gripping the pen tightly in shock. Nina's dull recitation of events slowly drains the tension from her body, but there's no going back to the detatched investigator air she had before. "Th-that's horrible... ah...." Sonetto is a dedicated lover of bureaucracy and The Process, but it's a lot easier to shrug about missteps in that in retrospect. After all, that reasonable suspicion seems perfectly justified from this side of things, and administrative filibustering is only frustrating and improper when you have to live through it. Sonetto doesn't!
Timekeeper	"If she rescinded it once improved, then..." Sonetto shakes her head. She's thinking about what Katrina said, about Lilian's severe responses to feeling stressed and trapped and particularly shitty bosses and abuses of power. Memory gaps, social obstacles, sleep deprivation, coming shortly after what sounds like a tragic and extremely demanding event, seems like a line she can connect, and it doesn't make her happy to think about Mesmer in relation to it. "... It must have been a very difficult time of her life. Um, thank you for doing your due diligence to ensure that Chevalier Rook could continue contributing to the common good as much as she does once she recovered." Mood swings causing a self-destructive resignation after a tragedy.... "But a week after she returned to duty, her father committed suicide." She did know that already, on account of looking it up herself. Nina mentioning it instead makes her think about the timing-- how often, really, do powerful men commit suicide without interference? A couple seconds pass before she remembers she has to say something, then she solemnly nods and just acknowledges it with a "Yes." The loss of a family member didn't trigger another episode, though... and Lilian isn't such a fragile person to have a breakdown when stressed by the natural progression of life. The signs point to intentional exacerbation, possibly as coercion. Sonetto's eyes are downcast, rather than looking out at the sea. Lilian's life... no wonder prying into it made people unhappy. "She's a very strong person, isn't she? I look up to her quite a lot. I am glad that this year has seemed to treat her more kindly." "Oh. I remember hearing that her mother moved away too? Really short notice." Hm!!!! Well isn't that interesting! Sonetto lifts up her face to look over at Nina, eyes wide for a moment before settling. "She did? So soon after the suicide? How strange." Murder alarms! The German Shepherd's tail is wagging warily at a threat to pounce on! This, absolutely, is a thread to follow up on. "That's right, I do not believe she was at the wedding.... Anyways, thank you very much for sharing your perspective of events, Nina."
Lilian Rook	'Okay.' Nina does breathe a sigh of relief. Despite being a clerical worker slash fangirl, she's already gotten deep enough into Elite trouble once before to know how scary it is to be investigated. Back then, she had the benefit of the vast majority of people involved silently being on Lilian's side, and also the Paladins high committee having no desire to lose one of their best, but the experience was enough. 'What?!' That, more than anything, more than anything Sonetto has promised or claimed or glowed Lilian up for, gets Nina to drop her guard again. She exhales, and then in an entirely different voice, she says, 'Th-that's horrible... ah....' "Yeah. It was really bad . . ." Taking a deep breath again, Nina considers leaving it there, but realizing that she's now talking about the single most dire event she's ever witnessed, it just seems irresponsible. "She's one of the of Elites I'm assigned to work with generally, so, it's kinda . . ." Her face says 'well, it's obvious anyways'. "That's a woman you can't even shoot with a gun inside of thirty feet. You know? If it was that bad then she-- she could only have let someone do it. I'm not going to speculate, because that would be really disrespectful, but . . . she was really messed up. She was confused about everything and scared of everyone and just trying to hold on to why she was even there that day." 'Um, thank you for doing your due diligence to ensure that Chevalier Rook could continue contributing to the common good as much as she does once she recovered.' Nina clutches her arms to her chest, where she doesn't have a clipboard, and nods quickly with an 'mm mm' included. "If I hadn't screwed up, then it'd be really difficult for her to return to the Paladins. So I guess she looked into who did it." 'She's a very strong person, isn't she?' "Yeah. But--" An objection from this woman sounds strange. She has the air of someone who only says variants of yes. "I kind of wish it wasn't always things like this that make her stronger. I'm glad for once, just once, it was something happy." She gasps. "Ah! I mean the wedding, not the-- You know!" 'How strange.' Nina double nods again. "I thought so too, but nothing ever came out of it. Her mother never got involved with her cases before, and they were at least kind of close enough that she referred a girl in a bad situation to her, so there's no way she'd scare her off, right? And I know her brother and sister fought with their dad, because they told me, but they didn't have anything to say about her. Do you think someone chased her away? To get back at Lil-- Chevalier Lilian?" No Nina, it's way more suspicious than that. 'Anyways, thank you very much for sharing your perspective of events, Nina.' Nina surreptitiously holds out her hand to shake, though she ends up squeezing it instead. "If I can help, then I want to! So good luck!" . . . . . . . . A little luck becomes necessary. Allison Rook didn't so much as cover her tracks as fuck off to the other end of the universe to the point that the tracks are so faded and far apart and over such rough terrain that nobody would bother to follow them anyways.
Lilian Rook	Her firm, Saoirse HTO, was left to Lilian, who does all her work as a researcher at LSCC instead. The house was left to Bryce by Matthew, but she didn't contest it at all, even when he passed it on to his sisters. She drained her accounts before leaving, but didn't retain any property, or even buy much before leaving. She put in notice, but only a week in advance, and only privately to trusted friends and business partners. She didn't leave a letter or line of communication. She never pushed for an investigation on Matthew's death. For all intents and purposes, it seems as if she just went through Warpgate after Warpgate until she felt 'far enough' and settled down again by virtue of savvy and being rich. The travel would be utterly prohibitive. The number of steps Sonetto has to follow up on is mind-numbing. The one upside is that nobody along the chain actually has lofty legal authority over her, so it's a matter of smarts and dogged persistance. The first time, she's refused immediately by a secretary. The second time, she's hung up on. The third time is redirected to a personal assistant, who refuses her. The fourth time, she's told 'she'll hear back', and then a fifth followup gets it to happen for real. A video call, at least, with one Allison Rook. Judging by the interior of the building she can be seen in, not to mention her clothes, she hardly seems to be doing poorly. Sonetto would probably find it easiest to compare to a more tasteful and downplayed Sothebies situation. The benefits of having a universally in-demand body of professional experience. The angle, however, feels like it's specifically taken to prevent anything identifying from being seen. The noise filtering keeps out the background. It's impossible to tell whether it's day or night. She doesn't go so far as concealing her face, which makes it apparent that she looks maybe ten years older than Katrina at most, with the same red hair. Unlike her, she doesn't animate at all. As if the other end of a gradient, she conducts herself in an even more severely neutral than Lilian. "I understand, Miss Sonetto, that this has something to do with my daughter." No 'investigator'. No formalities. Sonetto is someone she doesn't know and apparently doesn't plan to get involved with. "Whatever it is, I assure you that I have no interest in becoming involved in any way, much less interfering. I hope that she's doing well, and I have nothing else to say." She does. For all of her government-oid energy, her stonewalling is marred by the fact that she is, ultimately, a leaky, lonely, unsatisfied parent. Sonetto barely has to prompt at all. "I hear that she's married now. To that-- foreign woman, I presume." Sonetto can just hear the outline of the casually outdated word. "I'm glad. If she and her brother carry on the family legacy, I can forgive her sister." Prick. "I would have appreciated hearing it from her, but I understand." Literally how? You made it such a pain in the ass.
Timekeeper	Being prohibitively difficult to research seems to run in the family. This is the thought that idly hangs in Sonetto's head while she performs such normal actions as combing through faxed business records from former associates for a number to follow up on to get a hook to find a direction to search to reach a contact that could get her in contact with Lilian's mother, all during her supposed free time. She spends a week doing this, like a jigsaw puzzle laid out on a table that she's slowly piecing together. Her own stack of notes and crossed-out or potential leads sits next to the paperwork she's digging through, in her office in the Field Agent Administration, which is also where she ends up holding a 'video call' with Allison Rook. There's one (1) computer for general use in the sunroom of Vertin's manor, but Sonetto's not going to have such a private conversation there. Thus far, she's been booking times to use the research computers accessible to employees with good track records, and Sonetto of course has the best, but it's not like she owns one. So, fired up in the same way that she's known to be when studying for a test, Sonetto receives a lesson in how to perform a video call and how to plug a camera into a portable computer, which she then takes back to her office as carefully as if it was made of 50% solid gold and 50% snakes. "Good evening, Doctor Rook." This time, Sonetto is in her uniform. The 90s era video camera is angled a little bit too far up, but Allison can still see the prim ironed nature of it, and the girlscout-esque scattering of ribbons and accolades across the breast. The impression that Allison gives off is that she's either in witness protection, or in fear of the law, and either way Sonetto wants to portray herself as the impeccable and reliable field agent that she is.
Timekeeper	After all, off the clock though it may be, this is an investigation on suspicions of murder. "I wouldn't accuse you of having any reason to interfere with anything at all. While it does concern your daughter, this isn't an official meeting in any sense. I would just like to have a conversation." "She's very well. During the short time I have known her, I haven't seen her happier." Even before Allison made the call, Sonetto had the sense that this would be a somewhat more combative interview than the others had been, and dusts off her techniques accordingly. Anything that gets Allison to talk is a valid route to pursue. She can even smile fondly, and mostly genuinely, to give off a certain sense of parasocial access to Lilian at the mention of the wedding. "That's right, to Mrs. Tamamo. The ceremony was just about a month ago, and she's still glowing from it. I'm sorry she hasn't contacted you since. Ah, actually, the work that brought your daughter to the organization I am with has to do with the business she inherited from you. I remember, in a conversation about her doctorate, she confided that 'Doctor Rook' still only sounds like her mother's name to her." Sonetto sighs a little bit, suppressing the urge to fiddle with her braid through professional instinct. "But, I did not contact you for gossip. For various reasons, I was looking into the events in your daughter's life from May of AU 31 to July of the same year, around the time of her near-resignation from the Paladins. I will repeat that this conversation will not be recorded or reported on in an official capacity, nor do I want any consequences to come to you or your daughter. But the events surrounding Mrs. Rook's resignation, your husband's suicide, and your subsequent abrupt departure, has led me to suspect foul play. I believe that you feel the same, or have firsthand knowledge of the circumstances in actuality as they pertain to that tragedy." She'll let her respond, but if that doesn't get Allison offering up information immediately, then Sonetto wheels out a gentle application of corkscrews. "My only uncertainties are to the nature of your knowledge about the event, Doctor Rook. Not doubt as to its suspiciousness. I understand that you fled to maintain a peaceful life, and I have no intentions of disturbing that peace. There is no shame in what you did, and I have not heard an ill word spoken about you since. But it would help me greatly in my investigation if you provided your perspective, and gave me the pieces to complete the puzzle." "From where I sit, I see two possibilities: either that the foul play was to protect Mrs. Rook from coercion by those who hold her dear, or that she was surrounded by a larger power play stretching back further than her near-resignation. Would you be willing to shed some light on this?"
Lilian Rook	'She's very well. During the short time I have known her, I haven't seen her happier.' This is the first time anyone has lookd sour about hearing those words. Even the intermediaries in all her previous scouting these past couple of weeks were either mildly happy to hear it or blandly 'that's nice'. It's remarkable how little of a facial expression Allison makes while still conveying her complex, subtly nuanced displeasure. "I see. That's wonderful." 'The ceremony was just about a month ago, and she's still glowing from it.' Allison sniffs vaguely. "I had my confidence." she says, even more vaguely. "Regardless of what anyone else had to say, I told them she'd develop an interest in the end." Then, like a left hook to the jaw out of nowhere, she says, "Let me guess. She's started gardening." She gives off the vibe of laughing just to herself, and doesn't. "I imagine cooking and architecture as well. Has she begun applying that medical education too? Said anything about children? I've always said." 'I remember, in a conversation about her doctorate, she confided that 'Doctor Rook' still only sounds like her mother's name to her.' "Oh my. So she does remember I exist." says the woman who essentially unexisted herself from Lilian's life. 'But, I did not contact you for gossip. For various reasons, I was looking into the events in your daughter's life from May of AU 31 to July of the same year' Somehow, despite the targeted shot, Allison manages to make a faintly derisive noise at 'will not be recorded'. Like she doesn't believe Sonetto and is slightly insulted that she'd try. Then she just comes right out with it. "Of course I suspect foul play." Allison scoffs, then actually looks unhappy. "I've known that man for longer than you'll live. For all his faults, he was never a wallower, never a quitter, and certainly never a coward." 'But it would help me greatly in my investigation if you provided your perspective, and gave me the pieces to complete the puzzle.' She pauses, briefly letting her expression turn disgusted. "They expect me to believe that man, who lived through both World Wars and the Onslaught, would slit his wrists in a bath tub? Nobody in this family would do something so absurdly melodramatic, much less him." Intentionally smoothing out her expression, without any engagement motion, she incidentally reveals where Lilian learned that habit. "He despised her involvement in the military, much less the Paladins. I admit that I was disappointed as well, but I saw no need to insist. Our highest hopes were that she would reestablish our family's legacy and good name, after all. Political engagements in circles her brother and sister don't run in is all the same. I hardly need to tell you the resignation was his idea." And yet, despite her terrible mood and vaguely fluctuating dislike of Sonetto, she doesn't go in the obvious direction. "Resigning was his suggestion. It was a well-founded and reasonable one. That line of work was clearly too much for her. She hid it well, but she was falling apart at the seams. The intention was that she would return home to rest, recover her perspective, and sort out her priorities. I didn't disagree in any way except the urgency with which he chose to press it."
Lilian Rook	She sighs, subtly, and shakes her head by five degrees each way. "He always thought he could beat that girl in a battle of wills, and even he never did. She's as stubborn and proud as they come; a control maniac to the core. I don't know where she got it." There's an easy guess. "He never listened to me about how to handle her. Of course it would only exacerbate her condition. I suppose it was because he disliked how she always listened to the lady's maid instead of him. Not that her disrespectful attitude helped, mind you." Allison fully skims over whatever 'condition' means as if it's self-evident. "My intentions were to insist on her taking a break. Long enough for her to reorient the direction of her life. I mean the boy had been murdered for Christ's sake; of course she was hysterical. We fought about it more times than I can count." Allison says, helping her case so little that it's as if she gallingly couldn't give less of a shit. "Frankly, it's a miracle she recovered from all of that. It would have been a disaster for everyone if she broke down for good, no matter his good intentions, but I suppose she inherited some of my resiliency at the very least. It's less surprising that she's finally come around to more appropriate pursuits." She means feminine. "The way she hesitated about them while clearly meaning to engage was always disappointing." 'Would you be willing to shed some light on this?' Only when Sonetto rephrses in specific terms does Allison finally pause in her steady divergence to talking about Matthew's death to venting like an estranged parent about Lilian. She makes a discontent noise, as if the choice is silly, but retains a serious and severe bearing. "Not a soul on Earth had the patience to hold that girl dear back then. Aside from myself and Cecilia of course. When she started showing the cracks, all her connections dried up and abandoned her, like I warned her they would. Whoever killed him wasn't a friend of hers in for petty revenge, that's for certain." Finally, she moves her hands, rubbing her cheek tiredly. "It's not unheard of for people of power and means to make these sorts of unwisely considered attempts, especially when ancient grudges and bloodline quarrels are involved. You know how it is." she says, now implicitly including Sonetto in the group of 'Enlightened'. "But my guess is that a gaggle of reprobates noticed how special that girl is, and had long-term plans that involved her carrying them to success; the Extras are always lazy opportunists when it comes down to it. I'll bet you anything they were a foreigner too. Some groupie from just outside the Paladins who needed that girl in working order." Out of nowhere, she fires off "If you find the rat responsible, I want to be notified. I want to be there when they fry him and watch from the front row. They deserve that a hundred times over for daring to degrade my husband in such an utterly unbelievable way."
Lilian Rook	Having reached the end of her personal conclusion, Allison pivots tracks like a switchblade; swift and mechanically precise, sharp on the leading edge and locked up straight at the heel. "A word to the wise, Miss Sonetto. Keep your investigation focused on the culprit, not my daughter." She stares at Sonetto like she's a suspiciously attentive dog, clearly about to misbehave the second she looks away. "After all that we went through to tame that wild beast into a civilized human being, I won't shed a single tear if you turn up regretting it. Just accept that anything she's hiding from you is something that belongs to the bloodline, something she can't know in that particular moment, or something you don't want to know; learn to live with it, like I did." Seemingly done, at the last second, Allison blinks, then thinks to add, in conversational tones despite its utter absurdity, "Oh. And while we're at it, she'll gladly play the part of a productive member of society as long as you let her. There's no reason to try interfering with it and nothing to be gained by doing so, so no matter whatever you think she knows might aid your investigation, you're wrong. I'm warning you; if you get greedy and start prying for family secrets, all you'll get is burnt fingers." Allison shakes her head, and sounding inexplicably commiserative with Sonetto, says "We did the best we could, but sometimes God gives us challenges that aren't meant to be overcome. They're to keep us humble and remind us of our limitations as mere mortals. Learn that while you're still young and spare yourself the grief."