[Closed | Bounty Log : Witch Hunt]

[k2so]

WHO: Cassian Andor & K-2SO
WHAT: Three people have been murdered in Attleton by being tied to a stake and set on fire. The reason behind this is unknown, Cassian and Kay are out to catch the criminal.
WHEN: Starts on Sunday until they catch the culprit.
WHERE: Attleton & possible other cities
WARNINGS: Rogue One characters. Yes that deserves a warning.

[Kay stares at the charred remains of what was once a stake and a pile of wood. The charred remains of the victims were in the morgue and, given how they were going nowhere, Cassian and him decided to investigate the crime scene first. Kay is not a forensic droid but he could still scann and analyze everything down to and almost molecular level. His only issue is that he doesn't have repulsorlift and needs to be careful where he steps as not to ruin any possible proof.

It had been a crude work. Who burned people nowadays? It took time to collect the necessary wood, and strength to set the stakes up. Not to mention that the burning itself wasn't quick or quiet, people had the tendency to voice their displeasure when you set them on fire.

They had no witnesses who had heard or seen what happened. That only meant to Kay that they didn't want to know or that they knew exactly what was happening. The droid can't frown but he hunches his shoulders and then tilts his head toward Cassian in disapproval.]

Remind me again why you wanted to live in this lovely city?

Comments

[captain_by_the_book]

[ Standing back a bit so as not to get in the way while Kay did his analyses, Cassian crosses his arms and shoots him a scowl. ]

Now let's be fair. First of all, you kept nagging me about getting myself killed in Everglade, and second, I don't think there's been a murder for the last two weeks. We were overdue.

[ No. No, they are not, but he'll be damned if he admits to that. Or to being deeply disturbed by the gruesomeness of these murders. ]

[k2so]

[Kay moves around carefully, every now and them grabbing some burned wood and one time what it seems to be a small piece of clothing, almost burned to a crisp.]

'Two weeks' is not a reasonable time frame when we are talking about murders, Cassian. And you would get yourself killed in Everglade, it would also be too dangerous for Sonico.

[captain_by_the_book]

I wouldn't have gotten myself killed... much. [ Which is, maybe, not the most convincing argument, so Cassian approaches Kay to distract him. ] Have you gotten what you need? I've got to admit I'm worried. I have researched, and burning people at the stake is associated with the burning of witches.

[ Cassian lets his gaze stray into the distance, the quaint town they have chosen to make their home. ]

I wonder if there's deeper meaning to this method of murder, or if it's just one more needlessly elaborate way to kill, just like the cement shoes case I had with Cad Bane.

[k2so]

Much? [Kay scoffs. Literally, scoffs. He's picking human bad habits now. He considers not having eyebrows to raise at Cassian's the biggest fault in his design.] I didn't know that someone could only get killed 'a little'.

[The droid collects some more evidence, mentally maps the area around them and then straightens up.] Or it could be a way to throw off people and make us think that this has something to do with magic users. I've got all we need. They had to burn the person quickly so no one would notice the fire and come over, I see traces of accelerants.

[captain_by_the_book]

Disgusting. [ He shakes his head, grimly looking at the scene of crime. ] What is it with this town and the criminals it attracts? What is wrong with killing people with a blaster? [ Everything, apparently, if you ask Attleton's uncannily artistic serial killers. ]

Let's go, we can call the morgue and see if they'll give us the report... and if they won't, we'll just have to get it ourselves.

[Easy there. They may not be the guardian's office, and as such have no actual rights to confidential files, but they need somewhere to start their bounty hunt. The galaxy helps those who help themselves. He turns his back on the grisly scene and starts to walk away, though slow enough for Kay to catch up.]

So. Speaking of... I mean, not speaking of. [He shoves his hands into his pockets.] Different topic. The attic. The bedroom situation.

[k2so]

[Kay shrugs. Hell if he knows, they seem to be very creative people.]

Must be all the niceness they always show the rest of time. It's not normal, it probalby does things to their brain and they need to compensate it being extra awful while doing bad things.

[At the question -or not question- the droid starts dragging his feet. Mayb if he plays dumb he can avoid this conversation.] What about it?

[captain_by_the_book]

[ He shrugs, half agreeing. Well... that's as good an explanation as any for the disturbingly artistic Attleton murderers.

Cassian's face turns less than impressed at Kay's hedging. ]

We need to figure out who gets which room.

[ Okay, so they're both beating about the bushes. Cassian starts typing a request for the files to the morgue while they're talking, if only to look like he isn't particularly bothered. ]

[k2so]

[Kay keep walking towards the direction of the morgue building but he can't avoid looking at Cassian for long.]

No, we do not. I'll..recharge in the living room. You can keep the bedroom. I just thought there was no point on wasting more money and resources when we built the house. We already had a lot of expenses.

[That was his excuse and Kay really hope it worked.]

[captain_by_the_book]

[ He had assumed that Kay had no interest in a bedroom of his own, since he doesn't need to sleep, but now...

Oh. They had been assigning rooms after the circus. After the circus and prior to that talk. ]

Of course. [ He swallows against the lump in his throat. ] We did have a lot of expenses. That's... generous of you.

[ More like, he doesn't want to recharge in the same room anymore. It couldn't be more damning, for how awkward things have become between them. ]

[k2so]

It's...for the best. I'm sure you will like to have a decent room for your own. And Fest won't get up there either, promise.

[He has no need for it but he would have liked to share it with Cassian. But things had been different back then, he still had absurd hopes about the future. It's no longer the case.

And Force, is this awkward.]

Unless you changed your mind about, eh, the rooms.

[captain_by_the_book]

The rooms. Yes.

[ He peers at Kay from the corner of his eyes. It's about so much more than the rooms. Things he needs to figure out for himself, they need to talk about. But not while they're on a bounty hunt. But it's always one thing or another that he considers more important than having that overdue talk. ]

Can we just... Space, Kay, can we just...? I don't even know. But I wouldn't mind it if you put your recharge dock up there. Or at least a secondary one, for if you want some peace and silence.

[k2so]

[Kay glances back, tentatively at first until Cassian's offer sinks in. He's tempted to stop walking but that has the risk to make Cassian uncomfortable. The last thing Kay wants is to have him rethink his proposal.]

I'd like that too, if you really want me there. I don't need a secondary dock.

[captain_by_the_book]

Good.

[ He exhales, he hadn't even realized that he was holding his breath. ]

I'm glad. I mean. [ He snaps his mouth shut. Stuttering like a teenager. Fantastic. ] Thank you.

[ Thank you for giving him this chance, even with everything standing between them these days. ]

[k2so]

No need to thank me. [After a moment of hesitation, Kay steps closer to him. Walking alongside Cassian is what feels right to him.]

It's nice, don't you think? Having a real house for once. A place to call home.

[captain_by_the_book]

It is. I didn't ever expect to live long enough to have a home that isn't a rebel base.

[Mood killer? Maybe. But it's also a fact.]

If doing these bounties is what we can do to contribute our part... Even if the people are weird. And the people are very weird.

[k2so]

Technically, we didn't.

[The worst mood killer. He's lucky that Kay isn't any better.]

When you say 'the people are really weird' here you mean they are 'nice', right? It confuses me sometimes too.

[captain_by_the_book]

Yes. They invite you to... places. Parties. Their homes. There's this old lady down the street who told me everything about her cat having arthritis.

[ He looks around, eyeing the small neat little houses with some wariness. ]

I'm not surprised they murder people to make up for it.

[k2so]

[The droid's head shifts, moving to the side slowly like a bird checking its surroundings.] You are talking about Angela. Poor Mittens has had some few rough years.

[So, Kay might have been chatting with the neighbors about their pets too. All to gather some sort of information, he wasn't gossiping or anything!]

They really need better hobbies. Don't you think it's weird that this is the 'nicest' town of all of them...and yet it has a Colosseum where people can kill each other without repercussions?