no honor among thieves || wonderland event bounty log

[eatsfish]

Who: Oswald Cobblepot, Goro Akechi
What: Catching Fayren's Wonderland thief
When: Backdated to the event
Where: Fayreon
Warnings: N/A, will update as/if needed


[ Of all the things Oswald considered himself adept at, possessing an uncanny ability to utilize an opportunity to its fullest was something that he prided himself in a great deal. When word spread of the uproar in Fayren and the apparent cause behind it, he'd taken little time in putting matters in his own hands. He'd been just a bit too quiet in recent months, his attention focused on pursuits of a much more personal interest, but solving this little problem was exactly what he needed to put himself on the public's radar again.

Alas, the nature of the situation made it one that he couldn't solve without assistance from an individual of a certain kind. Proficient but humble enough not to brag about it, trustworthy but expendable if things turned sour; those were the primary qualities he needed in whomever was going to join him in this little scheme.

Someone came to mind rather quickly.

The irony wasn't lost on Oswald that he was depending on a GCPD detective to make his plan go off without a hitch, but the temptation of success heavily outweighed any pride he had about the issue. Fortunately, Goro was much more agreeable than the so-called detectives he'd dealt with in the past.

It had been a decent length of time since they'd begun the search for their target. It was becoming tiring to deal with the oddities of "Wonderland", but if Oswald was feeling any sense of impatience he was going out of his way to hide it. Things with the boy needed to go as smoothly as possible, of course. Still, he couldn't do anything about the way his leg was beginning to act up. ]

Detective Goro, excuse the interruption but I'm afraid I'm going to need a moment to catch my breath. [ He'd been relying on his cane a tad more than usual, so he figured he didn't have to explicitly say what the issue was. Oswald wasn't sure he wanted to go as far as sitting down considering the location, so standing and striking up a conversation seemed the better option. ] I'm curious, what do you make of this place? It's all a bit odd to me, but one could argue I should be used to Genessia's surprises by now.

Comments

[misalignment]

[ A political figure using him for something in order to improve their image? More likely than you think. After he agreed, Akechi laughed at himself about it in private. He wasn't sure if he found it funny or somewhat upsetting. Funny, probably. Utilizing his actual valued detective skills! How ironic. No one can ever know why.

He's nothing but companionable and respectful the entire time. A few questions here and there so far but nothing that made it seem like he was doing any sort of probing for information. That can come later, once there's a clear link of trust. Once it's more than obvious he was the right person to ask for help with this sort of thing. He slows to a stop with a simple nod, letting Oswald take his needed rest.

Wonderland is something new but he doesn't consider it too far off from some of the more odder palaces or Mementos. There's still a clear layout of Fayren underneath it all that already makes it easy enough to navigate through. A few locations are removed from consideration right from the start. ]

I've never seen anything like it. [ Said with a thoughtful tone and another smile as he tips his head to gander at an odd plant. Never touching it or leaning in to close, even if he is wearing gloves and this one seems harmless enough. There's a level of caution he maintains the entire time. ] It's certainly fascinating. One could only see things like this in fiction before.

[eatsfish]

[ It was quite the irony that the way they thought was so similar, though neither of them were aware of it. Oswald didn't doubt that there was more to Akechi than the surface showed -- the boy was too pleasant -- but he certainly didn't expect him to be anything like himself. His act was so convincing that Oswald didn't even know it was an act.

He gave a quick nod in return, genuinely relieved for the brief reprieve. There probably should have been a little more thought about appropriate footwear involved in this kind of thing. Oswald shifted his gaze to the same plant Akechi was studying, but quickly decided that observing the detective's reactions was much more interesting as well as potentially useful. ]

I suppose there's merit to truth being stranger than fiction after all, hm? [ He gave a polite smile. How many of those were they going to exchange in one day? ] I really can't help but wonder if our thief knew what they were getting themselves into when they made such a mess of things. As fascinating as it is, I can't imagine what purpose any sane person would have for doing this of their own accord.

[misalignment]

[ So darn pleasant. He gives no indication of ever lying. This is a mask that's practically glued to his face.

Oswald Cobblepot is an interesting being who chooses only the nicest attire at all times. He wonders if he owns a single t-shirt in his closet. Is this one an act or just how he chooses to dress always? Those shoes, while incredibly nice, can't be doing anything for his bad foot.

His gaze moves from the plant (broken leaf) to more flora next to it (pushed to the sides), then down to the floor (a drag in the dirt - the rest of that leaf, ripped off the person most likely and tossed to the ground)- following a trail that isn't immediately visible for most people. He ends up kneeling down, hands on his knees to look at the last one. Movements are swift, silent. Tracking. Thinking. Gloved hands never move too far away from his own sides. ]

Ha. You're right. [ The truth is far too strange for most people. The smile is returned again. He lost count. He ends up looking back to the plant again, which sways without needing a breeze to move it. Hm. ] I don't think they knew what they actually had in the slightest. They're leaving too many marks behind for someone who knows how to navigate through this.

[eatsfish]

[ Akechi's process truly was intriguing to watch. He gave the impression that little passed his notice, even the most minute details taken into account. The proficiency in which he worked easily put to shame every single detective he'd ever had the misfortune of dealing with in Gotham. It was fortunate that they'd met when they did or this excursion would have been much harder to execute. ]

They are leaving a rather sloppy trail. [ He gestured to what Akechi had been investigated, shrugging slightly as though he was put off by the tactlessness of whomever it was they were searching for. ] Do you have any guesses as to how close we are?

[misalignment]

[ If only he knew someone thought such praises of his work methods for real. Cases back home he solved on his own merit weren't exactly the revered ones and were few and far between lately. The ones that were paid for were what got paid attention to because that's what they were for: popularity. His skills used for more sinister matters. ]

[ His head turning, following shifts in dirt. Eyes momentarily flickering up a tree. He focuses on nothing in particular while his smile widens, turning a little mischievous in comparison to every smile before it. ] They're either an amateur or this is way over their heads. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, since they did manage to steal a magical object in the first place.

[ He straightens himself out again, eyes going up again then back to Oswald. He shakes his head, shrugging in an exaggerated manner. ]

Guesses? Unfortunately, none. They might have gone anywhere. [ Like above them in a tree, carefully aiming an arrow at their heads and hoping they're not noticed.

EHEM. ]