2025-10-02: A Reminder That We're Not Alone
- Log: A Reminder That We're Not Alone
- Cast: Julian Marlowe, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Aoba - Main
- OOC Date: October 02, 2025
- IC Date: July 20, 2012
- Summary: Following the attempt on Tsubasa Seki's life, two individuals do a bit of investigating, in their own ways. Ichika happens to run into a Julian in a more casual setting, finding out about one of his lesser known interests in the process. They discuss matters such as the Joker Killer and the questionable loyalties of the local police.
(|=============================== Aoba - Main ================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
To Sumaru's east is Aoba Ward, where fashion and commerce abound. The city's
fire department headquarters is based here too. Ample shopping can be found at
the stores that dot Aoba Way. Past it, Aoba Park is a popular place to walk
around and relax, especially since there's an outdoor concert hall located
deeper within where one might catch a live concert.
Various programs are filmed at Sumaru TV, where famous stars like veteran
actress Junko Kurosu, talk show host Hidehiko "Brown" Uesugi, and popular model
Eriko "Elly" Kirishima might be spotted. Along the way, one will pass Kismet
Publishing, where popular publications like hot teen magazine Coolest are made.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's been a mere three days since the art exhibition in Aoba Park was set on fire, and... Things happened there. Funny how nobody's talking about the extremely notable details of the incident, it's mostly just been about the fire. It's striking how most people wouldn't find a single thing odd about the way it's being reported. And yet, in recent times, Julian Marlowe finds himself doubting the retellings of events such as this as a matter of course. He couldn't exactly claim to feel used to it, though when your suspicions are proven warranted this often, seeing things others don't is getting easier to accept every day.
That's the reason why he's been passing by this area so often the past few days, keeping his eyes open for signs of unusual activity. Not that anyone would have reason to be very suspicious of that. Not with the way he's chosen to approach this.
By now it's late afternoon, school's out and people are on their way home, possibly home already. Soon it will be dinner time for most people. But outside, it's still a bright and pleasantly warm summer day. The sun's not too harsh, and there's a nice breeze out... perfect time for a stroll. Or something a bit more active.
Take that man in the white t-shirt and blue shorts wearing tennis shoes, for instance, who's decided this is the perfect time for a jog. He's been following this same route through Aoba around the same time for the last several days, passing by and partially through the park several times, calling it quits after a lap or five. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
Well. A little bit out of the ordinary, since the man is quite obviously a foreigner, but the activity is nothing unusual. That is... unless one happens to recognize that man as Julian Marlowe. Who, to the casual observer, wouldn't appear to be the most active-seeming individual, and is well-known for going around never wearing anything else than neat business suits. He's even traded his signature monocle for a sweat band around his head. Perhaps his private life might be a little different than most may have assumed.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Just a few days, but they feel like they've been full days. Yesterday, Ichika was picked up by the police in the parking lot at Kasugayama High School. They let her go... but still. Today, after parting ways to Jun and Umie, Ichika has spent the last bits of this late afternoon returning to the scene of the last crime: Aoba Park.
She's on the trail of evidence now, and so... there is a bit of suspicious activity! It's Ichika, a girl with long bleach-blonde hair, walking about the ruins of the art show with her phone out, looking for things to take pictures of. However...
She hasn't noticed Julian here before, but she does notice him now. A blink, as she steps out to see him and--
That's not his usual attire at all!
"Sensei?" Ichika asks. She waves.
She's not in uniform; she's in a green miniskirt and a skull tanktop, with thigh-highs and knee-high boots, with bracelets and some jewelry. And her usual makeup, of course.
"You uh..."
"I didn't know you were into fitness."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian hasn't seen as much happening here as he would have liked. Perhaps that stands to reason, if they're trying to hide something then nobody wants to do anything too overt here. He did get some glimpses of the damage though, which... well, he's no firefighter or anything, but there's no way he buys that all of that could be attributed to the natural spread of fire. In his mind, he's started to visualize positions where people might have been standing. If you go by the assumption that they would be able to project fire or cause impact damage, it's surprising how many things start to make sense.
He snaps out of visualization mode when something unexpected enters his actual vision. Is there someone skulking around there? Curious indeed. Maybe once he gets a little closer...
...He will actually recognize her?? Attire aside, Ichika isn't too difficult to pick out of a crowd. Because of the hair, if nothing else. He might have suspected something like this could happen, lingering in the city where he works for longer than typical, but still, this feels a little bit awkward.
Slowing his pace before coming to a stop, the surprise is plain on his face as he wipes the sweat off of it. Somehow, it doesn't feel right to do the whole English spiel he normally does in front of the students. "...Kawase-san, good... afternoon, I think it still is? Fancy meeting you here."
He didn't mean to imply anything by saying that, but now that he's said it, he can't help but wonder what he'll see in her reaction. Since, after all... he's already heard that she was there, that day. He may not be entirely sure of what happened then, but he knows what happened yesterday.
Still, he chuckles pleasantly at her observation, not particularly out of breath. "I am, indeed. Normally speaking I would be doing this closer to home, but... we all need a change of pace every now and again, do we not?" Even if he doesn't go into the actual reason, he really is no stranger to regular exercise. It wasn't as easy to notice below the suits he wears at school, but now it's plain to see that he takes solid care of his health.
"That aside..." He decides to skip past small talk and asking what she was doing just now, suspecting that may become clear from asking about what he has greater concerns about. "If I may ask, what did the police want with you? Coming to school grounds like that... I take it this was about a little more than typical gang activity."
He inclines his head in apology, no less sincere than any other time they've spoken of serious matters. "Do forgive me if I'm intruding where it's not wanted, I ask purely out of concern. If you would rather not discuss this, or do so at our next session, you are of course free to."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
The damage adds up. Ichika was there for it, of course--not that most people would know that. The police did, but even they don't know exactly what she was doing here... she thinks.
Ichika stands out, and that's on purpose, but still. It might feel awkward, but she actually smiles once he gets a little awkward with it.
Fancy, huh?
"Yeah," she says. "I'm pretty surprised, too."
But, "That's true," she says. She might even believe it. She looks him over, and indeed--he is in good shape. Healthy body healthy mind, right?
But he asks what the police wanted, and...
Luckily for Julian: unlike certain others who could come asking questions, Ichika actually trusts him. She closes the distance, walking over with long strides towards the teacher so that she can talk without being overheard too much. he apologizes, but...
"It's fine," she says. "I might need some adult help anyway. I know a reporter, but..."
Pause. "They wanted to know where Tsubasa-kun is," Ichika says, and scowls. "But I think they might've found them already, they haven't been answering their phone..." A sigh. "It's bullshit, though. The news says it was them, but it was the Joker Killer again. Just like at our school."
"...I got some... stuff, about him. Some gruesome stuff. But I'm looking around to try to see if I can find evidence he was here..."
"But I'm not very good at looking into stuff. I don't really know what I'm looking for..."
"But, um. If I can find enough stuff... I'm thinking I can try to clear Tsubasa-kun's name."
"Maybe not alone," she admits, "But I know this reporter lady, and..."
It's easy to get information when you've already laid the groundwork!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Healthy body, healthy mind indeed! It's a principle that Julian lives by. Apart from his own sake, it wouldn't do to set a bad example. Though it's not something that's come up much, since most students get a decent amount of exercise on their own. Not to mention, as much as he wishes it were otherwise... the woes that have been brought to his attention are often of a kind that a little more exercise isn't going to help with.
Case in point, after everything he's discussed with Ichika, he knows very well what she already has to deal with. It feels like he would be letting her down if he didn't try to help when she may have landed herself in some kind of new trouble. He doesn't need to be wearing the suit to help people. This isn't a job, it's a calling.
Not that he would have felt okay to straight out ask a question like that of just anybody. He's very well aware of the trust that's been given to him. He's always been a proponent of positioning himself as an equal, rather than speaking from a position of authority as a counselor, a teacher, or even an adult. Ichika affords him the chance to act accordingly, which is very much appreciated.
Which isn't to say that he isn't prepared to offer the sort of help an adult is better positioned to, of course. To that, he nods in understanding. "If there is a way I can assist, by all means... I'm all ears."
The mention of Tsubasa causes his eyebrows to raise, while the Joker Killer moves them firmly back down. All too similar of the previous incidents. He too has his doubts about that being coincidence, just not in the sense of believing Tsubasa is to blame. "...I see. The police seem rather eager to 'solve' these cases in the manner most convenient. I'd be curious to see what evidence they have."
In other words, yes, it's bullshit, Julian just won't use that word. He crosses his arms. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if evidence to the contrary is being withheld. If you do find anything, I would recommend against presenting it yourself." Rather overt about his opinions in regards to the police, he realizes, tacking a small smile onto that. "This is a private conversation, you understand. I would appreciate it if you did not tarnish my reputation as an upstanding citizen." Trust has to go both ways. Speaking of...
"Ah yes, you must mean the lady you spoke to about a possible future career path." That's come up in their sessions. "The free press may indeed be your best friend, where it comes to uncovering that which others try to keep hidden."
And where it's about the Joker Killer, one other person readily comes to mind. "You should speak to Shinjiro Aragaki, of Gekkoukan. He is actively pursuing the Joker Killer, for his own personal reasons. I'm certain he would be more than happy to assist in this matter."
He looks apologetic, then, "I'm less certain about the help I myself can offer you. I'm afraid that most of what's come to my ears in regards to the incident at school has been during counseling sessions." Which he can't talk about, obviously. "I would be curious to hear about whatever... 'stuff' you may have found out, however."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
True. Ichika gets plenty of exercise, but that's not exactly helping how complicated her life is.
"Great," Ichika says of Julian's assistance. But he already has one thing to do: and that's to believe her about it. "Yeah," she says. "They want this to be 'gang violence', or 'that arsonist', or... something. I dunno why they don't want to find the Joker Killer, but that's kinda the impression I'm getting, you know?"
Evidence. And... hm. "Right," Ichika says. "...They won't believe me. Nobody will." A pause, and she shakes her head. "Obviously you wouldn't say something like that, so it'd be silly if I said you did."
Pause. "Yeah," Ichika says. "Amano-san. People would believe her--she was already looking into the story." But... Shinjiro. "I'm familiar with him," Ichika says. "And a little worried about him. He does some dangerous stuff. Not the kid-level dangerous we talk about, either." Ichika apparently doesn't think of gang warfare as such a big deal, by comparison to... something?
"Either way, I'll do that." She pauses. Less certain... Hmmm. "Yeah, you can't reveal that stuff," she knows. "But..." She thinks about it.
"Well, I got given this video that was making the rounds before it got taken down--of the Joker Killer cornering this guy. It doesn't show him killing him on-screen, but... You can... hear it."
She shivers. "...But, there is..."
"There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about, too." She hesitates. "But it's scary. I don't want you to..."
Ichika glances away. "...When the cops let me go, one of them said to 'give my regards to Kamiya-kun'. ...That's..."
"That's the name of the boy I was going to marry."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Belief is easy, in Julian's experience. As long as there's no demonstrable reason to do otherwise, simply take people's words in good faith. He'll admit, this subject matter is a little bit more complicated, but all the same... what Ichika says seems like a fair assessment. It just doesn't add up when you consider all the facts.
"Well, if I can put on my 'outsider' hat for a bit," he says, miming the placing of a hat on his head, "Before I came to work here, I too would never have been able to put stock in rumors that sound as outlandish as the Joker Killer. If this were any other city, I wouldn't have nearly as much trouble believing the authorities are simply dismissing the impossible in their search for the truth."
There is a 'but' coming, of course. "That being said... this is Sumaru City. Everyone knows the popular rumors. Some of them are demonstrably true, and no one finds that the slightest bit odd. One would think that in light of this, the police would take the matter of the Joker Killer very seriously. Why the rush to deny the possibility?"
Not just this time, nor just the police. The incident at Kasugayama... the faculty acted the same way. More than a little curious that only students would speak of it, while he was told not to. Curious, and shameful. "...I'm sorry to agree with you," is all he can say to the assertion that nobody is likely to believe Ichika.
But her reporter friend, that could be a different story. He nods. "If she's willing, perhaps even eager, to report on what no one else will. That would be a very strong voice, particularly in this city."
He chuckles, not very surprised to hear she and Shinjiro have met, even if he's unable to share the full reason for that. "I'm sure he does. He had no qualms about hanging out on our school grounds, with the 'gang violence' incident fresh in everyone's mind. Clearly someone who doesn't care much about possible consequences." He couldn't talk about the real dangerous stuff that he knows Shinjiro does either, of course. He's just a normal guy.
And yet, when the video comes up... "Oh... that video. I'm aware of it." He'll admit to that much, explaining it as, "Aragaki-san actually requested me to keep watch for anything related to the Joker Killer, so I've been keeping my eyes open, so to speak." That could neatly explain away why he was clearly jogging near this particular occasion, too. ...He'll refrain from commenting on the video's chilling contents. He'd rather not call it back to mind, himself.
Of course, what he didn't have any way to hear about is... Kamiya's name being dropped. "..." He can't stop himself from dropping into 'what does that mean' mode for a moment, before remembering that you need to respond when spoken to, seeming a little shaken himself. "...Invoking his name at a time like that... I hesitate to draw premature conclusions, but... while it might have been a matter of ignorance, this appears to me as an attempt at intimidation. I shudder to think about what that might imply."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Outsider hat! Ichika nods along, waiting for it. "...Yeah," she agrees. "It's weird," she agrees. "...I guess if you were being generous about it you could say that, though."
But...
"Yeah," Ichika agrees then. "I don't know either. But I'm sure there's a reason. Anybody reasonable would at least admit it's possible, and..."
And they won't believe her. "Thanks for not bullshitting me," Ichika says to Julian about that.
"She's great. And I know she wants to cover the story. So..."
"Oh, yeah? I guess that makes sense," Ichika says of Shinjiro asking. "And yeah, like, we had one of the minor Bosses trying to recruit him to go after..." Pause. "Well, you don't want to hear all that stuff, probably. But he had some trouble on campus until we sorted it out. We want to be welcome to other schools, right?"
But Julian sounds a little shaken too. That's worrying, but kind of fair.
"...It's..."
"They were giving me a lot of trouble before that. Talking about 'obstruction of justice', and... stuff like that. But suddenly somebody came to the door and then he let me go and said that."
"...I know he's... maybe wrapped up in some big stuff. I knew his dad had connections in the police. But hearing it outright... I'm scared," she admits.
"...So I'm working on the Joker stuff. Gotta focus on things I can do, right...?"
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's a painful situation, which Julian doesn't exactly like to admit to. But it's true... bullshitting wouldn't help anything, if anything it would make it worse. He looks sheepish about that, averting his gaze for a moment. "Sometimes I wish I could pretend things are better than they actually are... that's just not my personality, I suppose." With a slight smile, he looks back to Ichika. "I'm glad you appreciate it, at least."
He chuckles a little bit at the story involving Shinjiro. He isn't aware of what all goes down between the gangs, but... Shinjiro seems like the type who would end up getting involved with things whether he likes it or not, just in general. He wouldn't know anything about that. "Well, I appreciate your optimism in that regard. I would like to see our school's reputation improve... it's rather difficult to find others who are motivated to make the effort."
But... Julian can't help but feel a bit shaken. He didn't mean to show it, but... he knows more than Ichika realizes. He can't help but connect the previous information about Eiji's involvement in human trafficking with sway over the police now. This is rapidly becoming just as bad as Kaneshiro. Depending on how high up this goes, it could be worse. He can get lost in thought about such things... but he can't afford to do that right in front of Ichika.
His mouth presses into a thin line when Ichika admits to being scared. It stands to reason, but... he has to say something now. "Well, Kawase-san... should the police continue to give you trouble to the point you feel cornered... I will have to have a talk with them myself. Surely they won't deny a teacher the right to defend their student." He tries his best to strike a confident figure. "I may not look it, and I'll thank you not to inquire about the details, but I do have experience in getting the police to back down from baseless accusations."
Then he looks down, suddenly aware of and feeling undermined by his mode of dress. He clears his throat. "...I'll make certain I'm more presentable than this, of course. But, for the time being..." He looks Ichika in the eyes, leaning forward slightly, impressing upon her, "Do not tell them anything. If they try to trap you with words, the best way to avoid that is to remain silent."
Straightening up once more, he adds, "I'm sure I don't need to remind you to be careful, in both those matters." His more typical, serene smile returns to his lips. "But a reminder that we're not alone can't hurt every now and again. Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It sure would make it worse. "I don't mind that," Ichika says. "I prefer a little honesty." A smile. "Yeah."
But, "I'd like that. ...But I'm not sure how to do it," she admits. "If you get ideas, I'll listen. I want... Kasugayama to be the sort of place where people can have dreams."
Ichika can see some of it--or at least, did say some of it. But she is afraid. And, well... "...OK." He will. "Thanks. ...Daddy's going to get involved, too..." She hedges before, "He was really mad when Mom told him about it."
A smile. "I won't ask, then. Thank you. that really helps. ...Having somebody in my corner... It's nice."
A laugh, then. "I dunno, the guns might be intimidating," she jokes. "...But seriously..."
"OK. yeah. Even when I tried not to say anything before, they still seemed to get stuff out of me... so maybe I'll just... not say anything at all, like you say."
"I will. ...And it does help, yeah."
"...But they're probably watching me still, so I'm gonna move on for now. Good luck with your run?"