Log: The Investigation (Shigure)

[aloof_savant]

[ Caesar is sitting on the grass just nearby the lake. Normally he would be napping around this time, but he seems to be deep in thought, perhaps even troubled. ]

What's gonna happen if they really can't go back...?

Comments

[what_a_pain]

[Laughs just a little.] Yeah, you're right about that. Fuyo would scold me big time for letting a kid smoke this!

[Finally gets a puff out of his returned item.] Can't let you getting addicted to this stuff. It might screw up your sense of smell and it'd suck to not be able to smell the flowers anymore!

[aloof_savant]

Hmm, I'd be more worried about charred lungs than being able to smell any flowers. Then again, isn't "stop and smell the roses" some kind of metaphor about appreciating life?

Either way, I have no intention of dying anytime soon.

[what_a_pain]

It could be. I'm not good at metaphors... Do you like the smell of roses?

Well, speaking rhetorically, what would you wanna do before you did die? I know I'd like to take a look at some things they offer here if I couldn't make it back home. I'm curious about that theater I heard about. Wonder if they got any plays worth checking out?

[aloof_savant]

[ Again with the 20 questions, now he definitely feels like he's being interviewed. He figures this chit-chat should have run it's course when the pipe was returned. ]

...Detective, remember what I said about deep secrets earlier? I have yet to tell you mine.

[what_a_pain]

I never really said anything myself so I don't expect you to return the favor.

[aloof_savant]

But I did say I owe you for the pipe, and I don't like being in debt.

... [ Well, he's come this far, might as well make this interesting. ]
It's about Agnes and me.

[what_a_pain]

What about you and Agnes?

[aloof_savant]

Well, you see, I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest about the nature of our relationship. She is actually my fiancé.

[ Pause for dramatic effect. ]

[what_a_pain]

... Are you being serious? [Would press way harder than that about this revelation, but it would also make his job immensely easier if true. He wasn't getting far with his questions before anyway.]

[aloof_savant]

My parents are strict about me marrying a girl of status, but to hell with that! I can marry whoever I want, right? And until we ARE married and it's official, she is pretending to be my housekeeper so they don't catch wind of this...

...and for the record, I was the one who proposed! [ Recalling Shigure's earlier joke. ]

[what_a_pain]

This secret... it really is a deep one. I see why you were hesitant to spill the beans. [Gets up and takes another inhale from his pipe as he's still genuinely surprised by this information.] I don't think I can top this.

[aloof_savant]

[ He laughs to himself, not many people can top a made up story after all. ]

So you see, that's how it is. And now we're square, detective.

[what_a_pain]

[He's positive he's got what he came for. Even if it turned out much much much differently than he was expecting.]

Heh, yes. It looks that way... Well, I hate to cut this so short, but I'm sure you've got a lot to think about. Maybe we can chat again some time in the near future?

[aloof_savant]

[ Not surprised at all by the abrupt end to the conversation, this confirms Caesar's suspicions, although he's more amused than bothered at this point. ]

I look forward to it.