undergrounds | BACKDATED TO JULY 3; CLOSED TO NATASHA

A Guardian has been murdered. Simon may have been young and inexperienced, but there is still something about the scenario that does not sit will with Faolan. Even if Sylvia had not instructed him to be investigating the case, there is a part of him that would have had him out on the streets, sniffing about for trouble anyway. It's just as well that his fieldwork here and now is officially sanctioned.

Of course, there's the small part of the fact that he doesn't know exactly where to begin. He finds himself wandering around near the scene of the crime, hoping that he'll come upon something new. It had been violent. Brutally so. Faolan didn't need to be an expert in vampires as he was to know that it had been one of them that had done the deed. But that was where the trail went dead. And considering the number of vampires in the city, and the fact that the entire population of them had been officially sanctioned to commit crimes like this by their leader... It isn't getting him very far.

On what is probably his third time circling around that area on that day alone, Faolan knows that he's going to have to adjust his tactics. But he'll be damned if he knows which direction to start in first.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"If we know it's a vampire and we know who he runs with, that's a pretty solid start." It's a better lead than they'd had a few days ago, or working separately. Natasha has been paying attention to the local vampires, but she'd been looking for a social climber, someone out to exploit their kill to rise the ranks. Not the kind who build wood fires in derelict buildings and hung around with street kids.

"We could keep an eye on them. Get some pictures or video. Simon might be able to pick him out that way."

Simon, she keeps mentioning Simon being able to do things, but it's odd to Faolan to factor Simon himself into the picture given the fact that it's his murder they're investigating in the first place. Still, if it would help, he supposes. He's not going to be any use to Simon, nor is Simon to Faolan himself, but if there's someone who he can communicate with along with them then he doesn't see why not.

"If he can identify the man, then we've got him," Faolan agrees. "It's worth a shot. They're vampires, not international spies. I doubt they're going to be on the lookout for anyone looking into them, all things considered."

Natasha clears her throat at his comment about international spies, then murmurs, "The two things aren't always mutually exclusive, but I take your meaning."

The plan is good, though. Not too many moving parts, which was the case with the best plans. And Faolan is most likely right. The vampires behind this aren't subtle or careful. If she had to lay a bet now, she'd guess street kids.

"And once he's identified?"

He raises an eyebrow at the correction, but doesn't comment on it. Point taken, he supposes, though he doesn't feel he needs to elaborate to suggest that these particular vampires aren't exactly brainiacs.

Once he's identified, though? He shrugs, slightly. "Sylvia would no doubt like him taken in to answer for his crimes, I'm sure. But I'm a hunter. If it's his life or mine, you'd better believe what choice I'm going to make," he says, matter-of-factly.

Natasha nods. In that event, they're on the same page. Sylvia had seemed interested in t trial, but while Natasha appreciates the spirit, she doesn't much see the point. If a vampire is found guilty of murder, there's really only one possible outcome anyway.

If they can identify the killer with a reasonable degree of certainty, then it's safest and most streamlined just to remove him. If a hunter does it, all the better.

"Understood."

He knows that she's a vampire herself. There's something curious about heading out to spy on and eventually potentially hunt down a vampire with a vampire for company. Faolan isn't exactly complaining about it. She's no doubt a capable woman, and Sylvia wouldn't have enlisted her help if she didn't think that he could use it. But he would never trust her. Not being what she is. He hopes that won't get in the way of things.

"So what's our next move?" he asks. Because they're on equal ground here, at least as far as the planning stages are concerned.

"Now?" Natasha shrugs and takes, flashing a quick smile. "Now, I figure we start taking pictures."

As far as she was concerned, that was the first and most important thing. Everything should fall into place once they'd identified the members of this gang.

"As long as you don't mind having an extra set of eyes on the job. Otherwise, I suppose I wait until you have some photos to run by Simon."

Faolan shakes his head. "I don't mind at all," he replies. "The more the merrier. The sooner we get an answer to this, the sooner we can get an answer for Simon I suppose, yeah?" It's still odd to think that he's still hanging about in some capacity, but that's neither here nor there. Besides...

"If you have a camera for taking said pictures, that would come in handy." Faolan hadn't thought he'd need anything of the sort when setting out for the day, and while he has something in the way of said equipment back at his flat, it's still back at his flat and no use to him in the here and now.

"I have my mobile phone," Natasha says with a shrug. She didn't have much with her in the way of supplies, but she did always have that. What they would have given fifty years ago to have a camera that no one questioned someone taking everywhere. Spy cameras had become largely a thing of the past these days.

"No one should question that too closely."

Faolan glances at her a moment, before shrugging slightly. "That works," he says, after a moment, before gesturing them forward. He has a better camera than his mobile for the PI jobs he'd gotten that had needed a better photograph than his mobile would provide. But this would work in a pinch. And the sooner they found the answers, the sooner they could help Simon.

"It's actually not that far off," he says. "We can walk it, if you're up for that?"

"I could walk," Natasha says after a short hesitation. "Lead the way. The sooner we get this out of the way, the better."

BACKDATED TO JULY 3; CLOSED TO NATASHA

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