Description: With only a name and a country, Mimiru tries to get in touch with this mysterious man known to her only as "Daniel", seeking answers about the boy that looks like Jiro. After a series of SMS, the two of them meet up at a fancy cafe in Paris and have a long discussion on the matter.
One name and one city. This is all the information Mimiru had. The only clues that could allow her to find more about all of this. Did she really want to investigate, to dig further into it...? Or she could choose to ignore this incident and turn away from it all...
Never had she felt so much doubts in her decision since she met Him.
A few weeks later, Mimiru was in Paris, France. Her delivery job allowed her to travel easily, and the many persons she met through her wanderlust allowed her to find out more about this person...
In the end, she had his number, along with other miscanellous information about him... She only had to find the courage to contact him.
Meanwhile, somewhere else in Europe, Daniel's cellphone rings (or vibrates). Looks like he's got a message... Though a message from a new number, one he's never seen before.
The message was simple : 'Have you seen this man?'
It was followed by a cut image of a blonde man, smiling. The original image was obviously larger, two other persons having been cut on both side of the image. The man was in his late teenage years and the picture seems to have been taken as part of some graduating ceremony as he wears a black toga.
Weird way to break the ice, that's for sure...
Well, Daniel's been having a weird day.
The detective drags himself out of the Lourve. Literally. Legs are useless, arms are barely functioning. The dark-skinned man's clothes were in tatters, his body bruised and bleeding. His ally, the titanic ninja, was gone. Pulling himself across the grass outside the museum, one thing was clear to the detective.
Things did not go well with Mukai, needless to say.
Daniel Jack rolls on his back, staring up at the nighttime sky through dim eyes. Every breath hurts. Even his thoughts hurt. He felt betrayed, used. Mukai was his friend, and the fact he just... brutalized him. And for what? Daniel Jack stewed in his agony. He wouldn't repeat what he saw to others. He would refuse to. Mukai had his reasons, he still had his honor, and Daniel wouldn't betray that. He sighes, wincing.
His pocket buzzes.
Daniel Jack blinks. Gingerly, he slides his hand to the remains of his slacks, and pulls out a smart phone. Cracked, of course. Those ottershells are not perfect. Holding it over his head, he squints at it, unlocking it with a slide of his thumb. Mouthing the message silently, he selects the image.
His eyes goes wide.
Carefully, nearly blindly, he struggles out a return message to the mysterious number.
"is shit a friend of Juror?"
After Daniel's initial reply, there seems to be a long pause from the stranger. As if she was trying to figure out what the other person meant. It was shocking to say the least, was he implying that Jiro was shit? And what about the jury? That made no sense...
Mimiru heaves a sigh as she looks at her phone. Was that the right number? It had to be.
A few seconds later, she types back : "That made no sense. Do you recognize him?"
Mimiru was either taking this very seriously, or she was not used to texting.
Someone was looking for a ghost.
Daniel Jack lays back down, mind swimming. Why was someone looking for Jiro? Wouldn't be an enemy, not with a picture like that. It had to be graduation; no enemy would use a graduation picture. It was too... personal. This was either family, friend, or something more.
Maybe Hotaru?
The phone buzzes again. Daniel Jack brings it up to his face again, squinting into it. She didn't understand? He answered clear as day. Looking back to the previous message, he sighs, rolling his eyes. How could he- whatever. It takes him a while to respond as well, typing and backspacing very carefully. Finally, he sends the message again.
"Damn auto-correct, Jiro I mean Jiro. I know him. How do you?"
Now it all made sense. Mimiru can't help but burst into a sort laughter. It wasn't that particulary funny, but the tension she felt while texting this stranger made her react weirdly.
She frowns a bit as she reads his answer. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to know... She starts writing again and texts :
"Have you seen the man on that picture in the past few months...?"
She totally ignores Daniel's question for now. Mimiru bites her lips nervously, chewing on her nail some, staring at her screen for the next text..
Daniel Jack rolls over.
Family. Friends. Loved ones. These thoughts pass through the wounded detective's mind as he looks into the grassThose were the ones who would care about Jiro. Who would know him. And would know that he should be dead. Just like how Daniel knew he was dead. The phone buzzes. He looks at the phone, face deadpan. And carefully, he sends the next message.
"I have. He's alive."
Looks like Mimiru has the right person... It would have been very unlikely that someone named Daniel that knew Jiro before his death would have lived here but still, Mimiru had to be sure.
Her heart seems to pound in her chest. A mixture of adrenaline and fear filling her, her hands moist against her phone. She types something... Than she changes her mind and she erases it. Types something up again... And erases it..
Finally, after almost a minute of confusion and struggle, Mimiru manages to texts something.
"Let's meet."
Is the only text she sends. Simple and clear. Then she sends another message shortly after.
"Cafe A, 148 rue Faubourg Saint-Martin. It has a good view on Jardin Villemin."
She grins and adds, "Tomorrow??? I pay the lunch. :D"
'Live' might not be the right word to use right now.
At best, Daniel could say he was existing. Getting smashed through stone pillars had left the man bleeding, battered, and essentially broken. The last thing he wanted was to deal with people. And yet, the next text comes. Whoever this person was, he wanted to meet.
Ugh.
Daniel Jack grabbed the phone. He was not in the mood to entertain anybody, chatting about the dead. He had a job to do. He had a lead. Someone by the name of Saiki. For all he knew, this could even be another trap. He was just about to send his response, when the address was texted. And the time. And a free lunch.
"Sure. Meat you there."
"I'll be waiting there at 3pm,"
And the conversation with this mysterious stranger ends with that last text. Mimiru gives him no indication on how to recognize her. She doesn't need to, she will recognize him. She had just enough information about Daniel to know what he looked like, and to look out for him.
*********THE NEXT DAY*********
Daniel Jack was not dressed well.
And that was just the bandages.
Heads were turning on this Parisian morning. Jaws were slack. Mutters intermingled with giggles. And how could they not, when they saw Daniel Jack, dressed in his backup wear. The detective was clad in a jacket of mauve, slacks of orange, and a hat of grey. The rainbow of colors was... grotesque. But it was all he could salvage from his luggage.
He wasn't exactly expecting to pick a fight with a demi-god, after all.
His face was bound in bandages and gauze, his arm was in a sling. Limping across Paris, ignoring the stares and gasps he was getting from locals, the worse for wear Daniel Jack clutches his phone, looking at the directions. "Well, I think this is the place." He mutters. Looking up, he stares into where that cafe should be.
Hopefully his stranger wouldn't pretend not to know him.
Not too far from the 'Jardin de Villmin' which was quite a reknown park in Paris, the Cafe A's large terrace offered a lovely view on the park. It was generally quiet at this time of the day, a couple of customers taking a good roasted coffee and enjoying a fine sandwich made of game... Some playing chess, other reading news paper... A perfect place to have a discussion, where everyone minds their own business.
Daniel's phone buzzes. He received a text : "Two tables beside you."
Looking around, he might easily spot the person who wrote this message. At least, she's one of the few who's actually staring at him. Pink hair, a pair of goggles atop her head and a round-shaped shoulder bag with a large star on it.
She's waiting at a table, with a hot coffee that is still steaming. When he looks her way, Mimiru gestures her hand a few times to tell him he's got the right person.
Her face remains rather stern though, but she shows some concern when he approaches, "Got into trouble yesterday?" She asks. It's a wild guess, but considering the look of the bandages and his injuries, it must have been recent ones. She smiles and says, "Let me order you a Brazilian Coffee," Mimiru offers as she stands up and gestures for him to have a seat.
Thank god everyone minded their own business.
Despite Daniel's own appearances, he raises an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting someone with pink hair, that's for sure. He was expecting either a leggy brunette at this point, or a pretty boy in a suit. Or maybe an underaged girl with zero personality. Really, some flavor of villain. But pink was a new flavor. He adjusts his mauve jacket.
Did he get in trouble yesterday.
"Yeah, you might say that." He croaks, taking a seat. He winces as his butt reaches the chair, before easing himself in. Placing his hat down at the table beside him, he steeples his fingers. "The name's Daniel Jack. Though if you have my number, you probably know me. And you probably heard about Jiro." Daniel Jack is silent for a moment, before adjusting the bandages on his face.
"So, uh, are you family of Jiro? A friend? An, uh, ex?"
The pink hair spoke for themselves on Mimiru's personality, as well as the clothings. The first impression of those two elements made her stand out as a marginal woman.
Mimiru gives him a nod of her head, but she doesn't answer to his questions right away. She instead makes her way inside the open doors that leads into the Cafe from the terrace and speaks with one of the staff member, ordering a special coffee for Daniel as well as two sandwiches.
She returns with a large plate that holds the two sandwich, as well as Daniel's coffee, "If you want anything, feel free to order it," She says, gesturing with her head inside of the Cafe.
Mimiru sits back down and she crosses her legs under the table, "A pleasure to meet you, Daniel... I thought it would be easier to meet in person like this, thank you for coming," Mimiru says. She puts her hands on her cup of coffee that was already on the table and stares at its liquid for a moment. The thought of an ex makes her smile, "I..." She hesitates for a moment, "I'm his sister," She answers.
She arches a brow and asks, "When did you first meet Jiro?"
Sister, huh.
Daniel Jack sits quietly in his chair, as the girl handles the orders. Maybe she was drugging them. Daniel doubted it. He got a good vibe from this girl. Besides, Jiro didn't seem the type to piss off women. Hotaru didn't seem pissed. As she returns with the sandwich, he starts off with the coffee, sipping it deeply with both hands.
"When did I first meet him."
Daniel Jack puts down the coffee cup, leaning over the table. "It might help to tell you why I met him. It was when he was on the run from the law; he earned himself some charges for murder, and I was eager to investigate that. I talked to Hotaru Futaba about it. Real cute girl, has pigtails and a weasel. Anyways, I talked to her about it, she gave me a better offer to find the poor bastard for her sake. I finally met him at the Shibata's place, dealing with NESTS types. Some creepy ice chick, he got shut down real hard, I saved his life while some pretty boy covered us." The detective looks into the coffee.
"Hey, what was your name again?"
The coffee Mimiru served him was topped with a bit of whipped cream. A sip of it allows him to feel the mixture of alcool inside that creates such a wonderful harmony with the light roast coffee... A bit of brandy, Grand Marnier and some Kalhua.
Mimiru listens carefully to his story. There's that glitter in her iris as he tells her how he met Jiro and how things turned out. A warm smile grows on her lips when he mentions Hotaru, and Mimiru lifts her cup of coffee to her lips to take a sip, closing her eyes for a moment, savouring her drink.
"Mimiru," The girl answers, her eyes turning away for a moment.
Hearing all of this seems to make the girl ponder. She seems lost in her thoughts for a moment, before she adds in a soft, distant voice, "So... You've known my brother for a long time then," Mimiru concludes. Her eyes turn over him and she stares at him. She remains silent, but the question was obvious in her gaze. She finally puts words on it and asks, "Who was that boy?"
Daniel Jack is quiet.
He takes another sip of his coffee, looking away from Mimiru. He hoped he didn't have to deal with this. This was Jiro's burden to deal with. What was he gonna do now. Place false hope? Break her heart? Confuse her? All these were presented before him, that and a good cup of coffee and a half-decent sandwich. The detective finally speaks, stilling looking away from the other.
"This is good coffee."
The detective sips again, letting out a long sigh. "Mimiru, Jiro's alive." He holds the coffee out to the side, motioning his free hand to the pink-hair lass. "That person in the picture? That's Jiro. And whoever is walking around right now? That looks like him, acts like him? He thinks like him too. That's Jiro." He looks back to his coffee, shaking his head. That wasn't true.
It wasn't.
"But there is something different now. Something important." He pulls up his phone, and fiddles with it. Turning the cracked screen towards Mimiru, he points a finger on the screen. "There. Here is the difference. You see in this picture, the eyes? The Jiro that's running around?"
"Snake eyes. Deep green."
Mimiru's lips curl into a faint smile at Daniel's comment, "I knew you'd like it," She answers casually. Her gaze is distant though, lost in her thoughts but also eagerly waiting for the next moment when Daniel will speak. Eager yet afraid at the same time to hear what he has to say next, afraid to discover the truth. Yet, she has no idea why she's so afraid and feels so vulnerable in all of this.
That soft smile on her lips quickly fade away when the detective speaks of Jiro. She fixes him, almost glare at him. Her muscles tense up, slightly, her fingers curling tighter against the cup she is holding.
Was this what she was afraid to hear? Or what she didn't want to hear? Hard to know, but the answer doesn't seem to please her.
"No," She says, her voice filled with renewed convction, "It can't be him. Jiro died years ago," Mimiru says, as if this was the argument that ends all. It was just impossible, and there was something in her eyes that was almost pleading him to give her an explanation, something she could hold on to to understand all of this, anything.
She was not disappointed.
Mimiru arches a brow and leans a bit closer. She reaches out with one hand, to look at the cracked screen. She frowns and stares at the picture, until he points to his eyes. Definately not a detail Mimiru would have noticed in the brief encounter she had with him. Though he was right, her brother never had this snake eye, nor any hint of green in his eye.
She lifts her gaze up, her mouth a bit agap. Her expression softened up a bit, yet confused, "What does that mean..?" She asks, hesitatingly. So many questions were rushing into her mind at the present, yet it felt so hard to word them all.
What did it mean.
Daniel remembers when he took that picture. The second time he met Jiro. The volcano was still ready to steal away the city. It was Jiro that helped motivate to go to Paris. Not that this place was much better. He could see how apprehensive Mimiru was. And yet, he looks away, taking his sandwich and chomping out of it.
"I don't know, Mimiru."
He swallows. "I took that picture when I saw him in Southtown. I just walked past him, and remembered. I talked to him there, I asked him questions. He was confused as I was; he did not remember me. He had no memory past the age of 17. It was like he was a clone with memories trapped there, or a person pulled from time. I am suspecting the time thing, for... reasons." The detective takes another bite of the sandwich. "He was with someone too." The detective says with his mouth full. And his eyes goes wide. And he swallows.
"Do you have a cousin named Jira, by any chance?"
Mimiru's eyes are fixed on Daniel's every movement, awaiting his reactions trying to understand all of this. There are parts of her that shows some stress and anxiety despite her best effort to control herself. The way her her fingers constantly seem to curl and uncurl around the cup, how she repeatedly bites her lower lip while waiting...
When Daniel takes a bite of his sandwich, Mimiru's eyes glance to hers. Even though she was hungry moments ago, it didn't feel appealing for now. She had lost her appetite. When he mentions Southtown, Mimiru seems to tense up a bit. Her eyes widen slightly, a frighten expression crossing her face for a moment. She seems to become a bit more blemish, but it passes after a few seconds. Her voice is a bit shaky at first, when she asks the following question, but she soon controls herself, "Is it where you met him for the first time?"
Mimiru leans back and closes her eyes. "Why the time thing? I.. Hum, the clone seems, for some reason, more likely I..." She lowers her gaze and says, "This all seems way too surreal, but still more plausible..." Then again, who would do that? And for what purpose?
Mimiru grits her teeth a bit at the mention of Jira. She slowly nods her head and answers, "Apparently..." She admits, "A distant one... My mother's divorce more or less made us outcast amongst the Kasagi.. I don't know all the details, but we haven't seen much of the rest of our family," Her lack of conviction made it sound like she couldn't confirm whether or not Jira was truly a distant cousin.
"Do you think she might be involved somehow?" She asks. "Or know something..?"
It was suspicious, wasn't it.
"I suspect she is. But at the same time, I have no evidence." The detective shakes his head, putting his sandwich down. He picks up his coffee again, tapping the phone with the finger of his free hand. "The whole thing is surreal. Jiro shouldn't be alive. But this Jiro seemed to be an earlier Jiro. A younger one. The thing is right now, there is something going on. I can't tell you all the details, but let me make this clear."
"Jiro showing up is part of something bigger."
Daniel Jack moves his free hand around vigorously, nearly spilling his coffee. "Mt. Fuji getting active in Japan. Thailand freezing over. Metro City flooding. And finally, the kidnappings here. Oh, they aren't kidnappings by the way. They are disappearances. All connected to the same thing that is bringing Jiro back to life. And somebody is behind it all. Somebody... I don't know. But he has people working for him. And if it is an international scale, I... I suspect that someone like Jira could be part of it. A distant cousin helping a confused, reborn Jiro, and 'guiding' him to where he needs to go? That sounds damn suspicious to me." The detective takes a long slurp of his coffee, before putting it down roughly.
"Tell me, have you ever heard of Saiki?"
Mimiru came to have answers, but unfortunately, it seems the deeper she looks into it with Daniel, the more questions arise as they try to get a look at the bigger picture. Could it really be all related? And Jiro's presence is but a small gear in this complex wheel.
Mimiru closes her eyes and she lifts one of her hand up to rub her template back and forth. It was a lot to assimiliate and it demanded quite the effort to actually believe in all of this... Then again, there was no denying those strange events, Mimiru experienced some of them first hand.
Mimiru tilts her head to one side and she asks, "Is that why you're injuried? Because you've been investigating all of this?" She asks. Her hands curl up around her cup once more, its warm soothing her some somehow. She frowns and concentrates, but after a moment, Mimiru simply shakes her head negatively.
"I can't say I have, no..." There's an apolegetic pout on Mimiru's face as she adds, "I'm sorry... But I can try to see if some of my contacts might know something about it.."
This was a lot for Mimiru.
"Don't worry about me too much." Daniel Jack states, shrugging as he takes another sip of the coffee. "I'm investigating the disappearance of a young girl. It lead me to an old... and old friend." Daniel Jack thinks back to Mukai. His warning. His threat.
"We are not friends anymore."
The detective finishes down the coffee, staring off into space. Draining it, he places it on the table, blinking fiercely. "But yeah, don't worry about me. If you hear anything, I'd appreciate the help, but you're not here to help me." He points at Mimiru, nodding softly.
"I'm here to help you."
"See, this is what I'm worried about." The detective toys with his phone a bit, and brings up a picture of Jira. "Jiro and Jira, they are supposed to be your family, right? And yet, you are coming to me about Jiro, rather than the pair of them. I can think of two reasons why. The first is that Jira is not family, and he is being manipulated away from you. But the second, Mimiru?"
"The second is that he is afraid to see his family."
Daniel Jack leans back. "I mean, think about it. Imagine being shoved forward 7 or so years... and finding out you died. And your family and friends, having grieved for you, how they would treat you now that you are alive again. Or are you alive again? Jiro's scared, Mimiru. Even if he is being manipulated, he is scared about who he is, what he is." Daniel Jack pauses a moment, grabbing his sandwich.
"What would you do, if you met him again?"
Mimiru nods her head slowly to Daniel. She doesn't push the subject any further, but she still seems concerned some about his well being. His next words catch her a bit off guard though, and it shows."
"Help me?"
Mimiru echoes a bit in disbelief. Did she need help? Mimiru only wanted answers to straighten things out in her head. This ghost from the past had shaken the frail fundations on which Mimiru had built and spent her life those past years and Mimiru had to make things right. Never, not even for an instant, did she consider someone's help for this.
Mimiru leans back as Daniel explains further and she closes her eyes. Her encounter with Jiro had been like most of her life those past years : intense and fleeting. She shakes her head after a moment of contemplation, "No," She says. "No, you got it all wrong," She repeats, but this time with more conviction.
"When I first met him, he was not afraid of me," Mimiru says. "I..." She stammers, "I pushed him away from me. If anything, I'm the one who scared him about meeting family..." Mimiru heaves a soft sigh, though her eyes seem to fill with a mixture of anger and sadness as she glares at Daniel, "He did not consider this, I think, up until he met me... And I hope, with all my heart, that he hasn't met Yoko, our mother, yet..."
Mimiru shakes her head and she pushes her chair away, slowly rising up, "No, the boy I met was a teenager -- he had no concern for such things," Her voice trembles a bit at the thought and she adds, "His voice was filled with joy when he saw me, but I assure you..." Mimiru says, "Not for a moment, I swear, did he think how we would react to him showing up..."
Mimiru lifts her hand up and she rubs her face from exertion. So many different emotions twist her features momentarily. Anger, sadness, confusion, exhaustion...
She rubs her brows with her fingers as she ponders Daniel's question, "I..." She seems lost at words for a moment, mouth open but with no words coming out, "My brother died five years ago..." Mimiru answers, "This young man... No matter the similiarity is not, and will never be Jiro..." Her intonation was soft and wavering.
She turns her gaze away and adds, "You should consider it that way too," Bringing back the dead into everyone's life was not a good idea after all.
After a moment of silence, Mimiru says, "If you find anything.. About him or..." She lets her words trail off, "Or need a hand.. You have my number.." Mimiru offers with a weak smile. "Thank you, for your time and explanations..."
Mimiru looks up into her pockets and takes out a few rolled up Euro banknotes and hands then to Daniel, probably around sixty euros or so, "For your time... It's not much, but..." She insists and puts it on the table.
"It's not just a similarity."
Daniel Jack growls, peering into the coffee cup. The sandwich was unfinished. But the sandwich wasn't his favorite part. "It's a lot deeper than that. The kid thinks he is Jiro. He remembers himself as Jiro, up to about a few years ago. He's not faking it. I'm not saying he's the Jiro we know and love. The only thing I'm certain of?"
"He's an omen."
Daniel Jack stands up at the table, bones aching. He winces, baring his teeth in pain. Taking a deep breath in, he continues. "He's a omen of the times. But let me ask you this, Mimiru. Why isn't he Jiro? He thinks like Jiro, acts like Jiro, and looks like Jiro. He has the same memories as Jiro. If you came to him, he would see you as his sister. The only thing that is keeping him from being your brother are those freaky eyes, and the fact he should be dead. So here is my question, sweetheart.
"Shouldn't you be helping him?"
The detective points a finger at Mimiru. "I th- oh, I'm sorry." He puts his finger down, running a hand on his neck. "This is just real serious stuff. When I met Jiro in Southtown, when I first saw him like... that. I thought to myself, how I would feel if I was in his shoes. If I was looking down at my own tombstone. And how I would terrify by friends, my family. I shouldn't be there. And yet. I thought about how much more I would need them. The only people I could trust in this world was family, was friends. Those are the people I need. But Mimiru, the point still stands."
"Why aren't you with him, instead of this Jira creep?"
The detective eases himself back into the chair, baring his teeth again. "Uuuurgh. I mean, kid. I'm not gonna lie. It doesn't look like you know what the hell you want to do with this Jiro. And frankly, from the sound of things, you didn't know what you wanted with the old Jiro. And I don't blame you for it. But Mimiru." He puts a hand on the sandwich, opening it, peering within.
"He needs you."
The sandwich was particularly fancy. Two slices of ciabatta with fresh dijon mustard spread on them. Between those slices, some alfalfa as salad and flavorful slice of wild board meat.
Mimiru watches Daniel he stands up and she retracts the hand that handed him the money. She listens to his words silently, but they weighted heavily on her shoulders. She tries to figure out the answers to his questions. Why wasn't she helping him? The doubt was obvious in her face.
Unable to withstand his gaze, Mimiru averts her eyes a bit in shame. Her lips part a bit hesitantly, her soft voice barely above a whisper stammering some incomprehensible words, mumbled and unspoken justifications for her behavor.
The truth was, Mimiru had no answer to this question.
Something in his speech rings deeply into her and Mimiru winces a bit at the thought. Her fingers clench into a fist and Mimiru keeps her gaze low. She was no better than Jiro, after all, she had betrayed him and left him down when he needed her the most, his sister turning her back to him.
He was right, she had no idea what she wanted to do with this Jiro right now. As for the old Jiro, "It was... Complicated..." Mimiru finally says. If only she had been able to spend more time with him...
Thinking about her behavior, her brother and old memories cause Mimiru to sob softly. She's trying to control herself and she lifts one of her hand up to try and discreetly wipe away tears from her face.
When she lifts her eyes back up to Daniel after some moments of deep contemplation, her eyes are slightly swollen. She asks, "And do you know where Jiro is right now...?"
That was one fine looking sandwich.
"Family's always complicated." He says softly, closing the sandwich. "Believe me." He tries to keep it calm. He tries to keep it cool. But then Mimiru does something.
She begins to cry.
Daniel Jack averts his gaze, sticking a tongue in his cheek. He sighs. Gingerly, he stands up again. Sauntering over, he opens out his free arm, the unslung one. He puts a comforting hand on Mimiru shoulder, voice going softer. "I last saw Jiro in Southtown. I don't know where he would be, or where he would be-"
"The tournament."
The detective states flatly. His eyes go wide. "He told me that he was taking part in that Gaia Tournament, before I left. I told him not to take part in it, that it was trouble. He didn't listen to me. He... he does that lot, doesn't he?" He tries to smile at Mimiru, to comfort her. The smile goes away after a breath moment, as he looks at the phone. "If he went with to the tournament, then there has to be a record of the fight; television, articles, maybe even a website." He motions his slung hand to the table. "If we do a quick search, we can figure out what he is scheduled to show up at, and we can pin him down there."
What is this 'we' business, Daniel Jack?
Fortunately for Daniel, it was but a momentary breakdown. Mimiru was able to control her emotions enough so he wouldn't have to deal with those sorts of things. His hand on her shoulder causes Mimiru's lips to curl into a gentle, almost apologetic smile toward her own tears.
Daniel didn't have to witness that, nor deal with Mimiru's feeling over this whole situation.
Thinking about her brother and her past for too long like this brought up some of the emotions and memories she had been trying to repress and forget but alas, they were always there, deep down inside of her.
Mimiru managed to avoid the storm for now.
"Now that you mention it..." Mimiru says as he mentions the tournament. She vaguely remembers something when she met Jiro, hearing him mention something about going to a tournament. She nods to Daniel, his comment on Jiro making Mimiru's smile widen a bit, "Yeach... Thick head... A true Kasagi, I guess." Mimiru adds.
Mimiru lifts her hand up to rest her fingers over Daniel's hand on her shoulder. She spares a quick glance at it, and then back at Daniel, "Thank you," She says, her words sincere, "You've made me realize very important things... Values that were very dear to me and that I..." She lets her words trail off, lowering her gaze as she adds, "that I had forgotten over the years,"
Mimiru lets go of his hand and she takes a deep breath, straightening her posture show, chasing away lingering signs of sadness on her face, "You've done so much for me already," She bites her lips and adds, "You don't have to do all this for me..."
Mimiru seems unsure wheter or not he is doing all of this out of pity for her due to her tears a few moments ago. She was not pressuring him out of this, only offering him a polite way out of this if his motivations were due to Mimiru's emotional state.
"Don't worry about it."
That is all Daniel says as he returns to the phone, browsing through it. "I help people. All kinds of people. That's my job. Besides, not like I'm doing this for free." The detective states dryly. Gingerly putting the phone in the bum hand, he makes the point of it by reaching his good hand to the sandwich, and bringing it up for some choice chomps on it. Swallowing hard, he polishes it off energetically. "It isn't like this was a free lunch, after all!" Moving the phone back, he browses through. Internet detective work. A quick search for Jiro Kasagi tournament, and maybe-
"The -hell?-"
The detective holds the phone at a distance, eyes wide. He glances at Mimiru, and hides the screen from her, clearing his throat. "Ahem, um, I got a lead. Something on something called 'highkickchicks.com' on Jiro Kasagi. Okay. Yeah." He clears his throat again, peering over at Mimiru warily. "He apparently guest hosted a tournament match with Alma and some broad named Lightning Spangles. That was in Thailand. And there is a link to the ledger for Lightning Spangles' tournament activity..." He presses on the screen a bit, before smirking.
"And here is Jiro's, I got it."
The detective mutters to himself wordlessly, reading through the tournament information. "He went from Thailand, to participate in the next stage of the tournament. And the next match of the tournament is-" The detective shakes the phone, a fierce grin spreading across his space. "Damn straight!"
"He's right here in Paris."
The detective walks over to Mimiru. "Right here. The tournament is supposed to continue right here in Paris. Yang and Vyle matchup; I don't know much about Yang, but I've worked with Vyle before. They had a match, Jiro was supposed to show up for more commentary at-" The detective's grin fades away to a look of horror.
"At the Lourve."
Mimiru smiles at Daniel, her hands slipping down into the front pocket of her jacket. She didn't have to say anything, her facial expression easily showing the gratitude she had toward him. Her eyes glance down at the sandwich and Mimiru says, "You didn't have to finish the sandwich if you didn't like it," The woman chuckles softly, "Next time I might find something more into your halley... I guess the coffee was a bit better though, wasn't it?"
His sudden change of expression causes Mimiru's smile to fade away. She arches a brow and leans in a bit, trying to get a glance at the screen. She then glances up at Daniel and blinks, "What..."
Mimiru shakes her head, almost in disbelief. She lifts one hand up from her pocket, putting the palm on her forehead. She winces. "Urg... Really?" She says, heasving a soft sigh. Jiro had a quirk to end up in stupid situations.... So did she when she was younger. It was a Kasagi quirk, something that, hopefully, seemed to happen less and less with age. At least, Mimiru hopes.
Her hand slowly slips down though and Mimiru listens carefully to Daniel, lapping up everything he had to say, nodding silently to him. Her eyes widen a bit when Daniel finally finds where Jiro should be. Mimiru seemed a bit shocked, as if she didn't expect him to be this close to them, her expression growing darker, much like Daniel's one, though for different reasons.
After a moment of silence, Mimiru nods to Daniel and she whispers, "I... If that's where he is, then that's where I should go..." She says, as if to convince herself of this.
The Lourve.
That's where Daniel gotten beaten into a pulp. And now it is was the site of a tournament. The Gaia Tournament. Mukai. Gaia. Magaki. Pieces begin to tie each other together, loose threads tightening as they weave into a complete tapestry of conspiracy. It was all connected to one person. Saiki. This was getting bigger and bigger now.
But there was still a matter of Mimiru.
"No!" He exclaims, putting the phone down. "No, Mimiru. He was supposed to be at the Lourve. But.. he didn't show up. You can't go to the Lour- I mean you shouldn't go there. It... I can't tell you. I can't tell you the details. But you stay away from the Lourve. It's dangerous."
"Damn dangerous."
"Listen, Mimiru." He places a hand on her shoulder, looking at her intensely. "I know I told you that you need to help your brother. He needs your help, he needs you support. And you can help him. You can help me. We need to comb the city, try to get some leads. Someone has to have seen your brother around the city. I'll search the around the dark places, the places where there might be danger. If he is in danger, I'll find him for you. But Mimiru. For your sake, for his sake"
"You stay away from the Lourve."
Mimiru blinks at Daniel's exclamation, "What, but why?" She asks almost immediately, confused at how he changed his mind so suddenly. Didn't he want her to join her brother?
The woman frowns at his explanation, arching a brow. Obviously, she didn't quite believe what he just said. When he finally decides to tell her a part of the truth on the subject, that this place was dangerous, Mimiru leans in a bit and replies, "And...?"
Danger was one thing, but it was an easy excuse to try and keep her away from this place.
She leans back when he places a hand on her shoulder and gives her more explanation, her gaze locked with his, listening silently. She hums softly, her eyes going down to stare at his body, assessing him and his injuries, "Is that where you got all those injuries?" She asks.
Mimiru heaves a soft sigh and she nods, resting one of her hand on his. She gives it a soft pat, "Very well... I won't go there, I promise," Mimiru says. The threat must be real if Daniel would deny her the chance to see her brother after what happened. Her lips curl into a faint smile and she says, "I'll give you a hand... You look like someone who might need a bodyguard or a hand," She says with a playful, teasing tone.
Though her expression grows a bit more serious as she asks, "Were you telling the truth...?" She frowns and stares at him intensely, "About my brother, not showing up there?" She asks. "Or was it just to put me off?"
The girl was just as stubborn as her brother.
Daniel Jack facepalms with his free hand, shaking his head. "Look, Mimiru. I'll tell you what I can tell you. This?" He motions at himself clumsily, through his slung arm. "This is what happened at the Lourve. I can't tell you who did it. But let me put it like this. I've picked a fight with the current head of the Kusanagi clan. That's Kyo's dad. I walked INTO his front yard. And I asked for a fight. And I got it. Don't worry, it was for important detective reasons." He hastily explains. "But let me make this clear. What happened in the Lourve?"
"It was WORSE than that."
He points off in the distance, where one could only assume where the Lourve was. "I was smashed through things. I saw a man turn into STONE. And I could walk away from that alive because of a few old favors I had with the guy." The detective looks straight in Mimiru eyes, his own peepers open wide, and he points at the pink-haired lass. "You don't have those favors. You won't walk away if you run into him. I can't tell you who he is. But trust me on this Mimiru. If he finds you?"
"He will kill you."
He drops his finger, and look aside, mouth open. He takes a long sigh, relaxing. "As for Jiro..." He trails off. "I didn't see him there. But I won't lie to you, the stuff I saw there... he might end up being drawn to there. He'll be in danger if he does. He'll probably drawn to a lot of that stuff, I bet." He looks back to Mimiru, and he looks... disappointed.
"I'm sorry Mimiru."
"I'm leaving so much out. I can't tell you everything, or else they'll hunt me down. And then I'll disappear, just like those children. What I can tell you that there are supernatural happenings right now. Your brother is part of it. And I will try and find him, and help him." He steps aside, looking out at the street, hand in his pocket, shoulder stooped. "That's how it is, when the end of the world's comes knocking on your door. We're small fish. For the whole world, falling apart, the problems of you and your brother don't amount to a hill of beans. But that's your hill of beans, kid." He turns to Mimiru.
"Nothing more important than your own beans."
Mimiru listens calmly to Daniel, half-lost in her own contemplation on the whole subject. She nods slowly and turns her gaze away, staring off into the distance.
"Don't be sorry," Mimiru replies.
The pink haired lass shakes her head to Daniel, "All of this, at least most of it, is definately none of my business..." A gentle, nostalgic smirk curls on her lips, her eyes still lost in her reverie, "Were I younger, I might have not listened to you and insisted on helping, on trying to save the world but now..." She lets her words trail off, her smile fading into a more serene and serious expression as she adds, "I've realized and accepted that there are things you have no control over in life and that you'll be powerless to change..."
She shrugs her shoulders and says, "In the end, all I've been seeking were answers on this new Jiro. Why is he here? Who is he really?" She bites her lower lips and then spares a glance to Daniel, "You've made me realize those questions did not matter..."
A bit of shame and guilt shows on her features and Mimiru lowers her eyes, partly to conceal it, "You've shown me some parts of me I had forgotten..."
"I will find Jiro,"
Mimiru says, this time with more conviction than before, "He might be different than he was, he not stay here forever.. Who knows, just a day, a week, maybe a month..." Her lips curl into a smile.
"But that'd still be a day, a week or a month worth of time I'll have the chance to spend with him, and if I don't do it, I know I'll regret it all my life,"
She closes her eyes and heaves a soft sigh : she had taken her decision.
Mimiru lowers her gaze and she moves her hand to the sandwich she ordered for herself. It was still untouched for now. She lifts it up to her face, leaning closer to sniff it. She lets it drop a bit and she says, "Be careful, okay?" Mimiru says. She lifts her gaze up and she adds, "Don't try to be a hero," Mimiru warns, "The line is very thin between being a hero and a memory..." Mimiru then returns her attion to her sandwich.
Mimiru then takes a bite of the sandwich. She slowly munches on it, her eyes rolled up slightly, obviously trying to appreciate its taste. She's trying to figure out why Daniel did not like its taste but she's obviously failing to find it out.
The problem with the sandwich?
Too fancy.
The detective had simple tastes. A burger was what he needed, not a fancy sandwich. The liquored up coffee though? That was a keeper. As Mimiru makes her goals clear, the detective fiddles with his sling. "I gotta be a hero, Mimiru." He states boldly. "I gotta help people. That's what I do. I help people. And..."
He undoes his sling, tossing it to the ground.
Moving his arm gingerly, he adjusts it. "And if your brother has taught me anything." He says, turning around. "The line between hero and memory isn't as thin as you think it is." He nods at the pink-haired lass. "I have a lead at the cathedrals around here. I won't be looking for Jiro, but... but if I find him..." He looks at Mimiru with soft brown eyes.
"Where should I send him?"
Mimiru narrows her eyes and snorts at Daniel. Her eyes obviously show that she disapproves what he has just said. She heaves a soft sigh and she sits down, glancing down at her sandwich as Daniel stretches his injuried arm. She takes another bite, focusing on it for a moment.
She lifts her gaze up, pondering, "You have my number...?" Mimiru says, glancing up at Daniel, "If.. You find any clues, anything drop me a SMS or give me call..."
Mimiru glances down at the sandwich and she takes another bite. It was fancy, but it tasted good and she enjoyed it.
After her bite, she finally says, "Be careful, Daniel..."
Daniel Jack was done here.
Mimiru was a nice girl. Much nicer than her brother. Just as stubborn though. Maybe Jiro was a stray, a hooligan who seperated himself from his family. It was a shame though; if Daniel had a sister like Mimiru, he'd work hard to protect her. "Thank you for that, by the way." The detective states. "If I run into any serious trouble, or I run across Jiro, well..." He picks up his phone, and pockets it.
"I'll call you."
Daniel Jack adjusts his hideous outfit, and sticks his hands in the pocket. "That goes the same for you. You run across Jiro, or run into trouble? Give me a call. I'm just here to save people. And you and your brother? They are people." The detective begins to walk away, before pausing. Turning around, he wipes his brow, grinning slightly.
"Thank you for the lunch, by the way!"
In lot of ways, Daniel reminded her of her brother. He seemed just as stubborn as her brother was, willing to sacrifice himself to protect others, for the greater good...
Unlike Jiro, Daniel was willing to accept an offered hand, to ask for help. It made her smile. Even if Mimiru barely met this man, there's no hesitation in her voice as she replies : "Don't hesitate to contact me, if you're in trouble.."
Her cheeks flush gently and she lowers her gaze, fixing her sandwich. She nods her head, "Thank you, I will..." She answers.
When Daniel is on his way to head out, Mimiru leans back and offers him a bright smile. She waves her hand to him, "It was a pleasure, Daniel... Thank you. You've allowed me to open my eyes to important things I had forgotten.."
She also winks playfully and adds, "Next time we lunch, I'll find you something you like," She takes another bite in her sandwich.
Daniel Jack nods, giving Mimiru a thumbs up.
"Next time, lets go for burgers." The detective states, turning to walk away. "I heard they have something called a Royale with Cheese, that sounds pretty fancy! And remember kid, you keep those eyes open. Things are gonna get a lot worse, before they get better." With that, the detective walks from the cafe.
Things were gonna be a hell lot worse, that's for sure.
Log created on 19:22:16 09/04/2014 by Mimiru, and last modified on 21:13:33 09/09/2014.