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ghost in the shell: togusa

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WHO: Juzo and you!
WHERE: Various locations
WHEN: 4/14
WHAT: It's his birthday!
WARNINGS: Language

( One )

[New day, new paperwork to do. Having a birthday is certainly not enough to change that fact. But Juzo's thoughts, as usual, are somewhere else.

This morning, he got two unexpected packages. To be fair, any package today is sort of unexpected, but these ones are from Retrospec, which makes it even weirder. Juzo grabbed and brought them to work as he simply had no time to do that at home.

So now, he's eyeing the pile of documents and two packages stacked next to the files on his desk. Which one will he choose? It should be obvious. Now, where is that damned boxcutter?

The first package contains a neatly folded jacket, which is just his size.]

Creepy stalkers. But it's not too bad.

[Muttering to himself, Juzo opens the other box, much smaller than the previous one. That first "gift" was random enough, so he has absolutely no idea what could be inside and isn't willing to take a guess. And even if he was, he would never ever have guessed what's inside.

It's a framed photo featuring him and two other people he hasn't ever seen in his life. And it's giving him the creeps. Who is this girl? And that guy? ~~Is he suffering from OMG?~~ They're all wearing high school uniforms, so it could be taken a few years ago, but he has no memory of doing that.]

What the hell, I don't remember third wheeling in high school...

[The longer he looks at the photo, the more questions emerge. Maybe it would be a good idea to yell at him to actually do this work...?]

( Two )

[Having a birthday means having a free coffee and a cake at his favorite café, which Juzo remembers after wandering around the city for a while.

However, he forgot that it also meant the whole staff gathering and singing him "Happy Birthday" and bringing everyone's attention to him. And he just wanted to grab his freebies...]

Why did you do that...

[He just wants to eat and drink in peace, guys.]

( Three )

[His job here is done (but he didn't do anything...), so Juzo leaves the station as quick as possible and heads to the closest bar. He needs a drink or two...or ten. And while he'd rather just buy some alcohol and drink at home, he doesn't want his flatmate to see him in this sorry state (or maybe he just doesn't want to share his booze).

Sitting at the counter, Juzo stares at his drink like it held the answers to all his questions. His hand goes to the pocket where he's keeping the framed photo. Are they important to him? Why such a photo exists? And who the fuck are they?]

One more. Happy birthday to me, damn.

[His glass is still full, but let's be real, it's not going to end just at one drink.]

( Wildcard )

[Feel free to hit me up with a starter of your own or poke me here/over PMs/

koohii if you'd like a closed thread!]

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The timing couldn't be more perfect, what with Juzo's little slipup on the network. Because Togusa just got his own package, not from Retrospec, but from a co-conspirator who shall remain nameless ~~Prompto~~.

It was worth it to get up early, not a suspicious thing for Togusa, to sneak in and place one more folder on Juzo's desk, and slip away, hopefully before anyone catches him.

Surprise, inside are very high-quality prints of Juzo at the Crossdressing Pageant. The paper bag over his head was a very nice try. But someone figured it out anyway.

Absorbed with the packages from Retrospec, he doesn't notice the one's waiting for him on his desk. Maybe if he realized it's here sooner...it wouldn't change much, most likely. But Juzo can't think straight while holding photos of himself wearing a wedding dress. The paper bag camouflage didn't work and it's very disappointing.

Who could have done this?!

Trying to figure it out is going to take him a while, that's for sure. But first, he needs coffee. On his way, he decides to poke a few officers to ask whether they didn't notice someone near his desk today. And Togusa is one of them.

"Uh, I've been wondering...you're always doing your best at work and so on, so you probably arrived earlier. Did you see someone leaving something on my desk?" He needs to keep it as cryptic as possible, but in case Togusa has questions, he came up with a "believable" story, something about waiting for a package from Japan.

Don't laugh, can't laugh. Even as Juzo is trying to figure it out, asking everyone else one at a time. When he comes over, Togusa has to put on a straight face. He has to sell this, or he is going to get the absolute life beaten out of him and he'll deserve it.

"Yeah, I was in early, but, sorry, I didn't notice anything," Togusa shakes his head. He glances at his own inbox, as if he's only half paying attention instead of hanging on Juzo's every word. "Why do you ask?" Pretend you don't already fucking know.

Honestly, Togusa is doing an outstanding job because it doesn't cross Juzo's mind even once that the culprit may be standing right in front of him. Technically, at least, since someone else took the photos but he doesn't know that. Not to mention that he considers Togusa to be a serious police officer who doesn't have time for stupid pranks.

"Really? No one? Ugh, that sucks."

When the time for the "why" comes, Juzo replies right away with his prepared answer, "It's nothing big. I've been just waiting for a package from Japan, but I'm not sure why they sent it here, to the station."

This is so legitimate.

Why not both, Juzo? Why not both. Togusa has to nod, pretending that he believes Sakakura. "Ah, I see. Your family still over there, too?"

See? What a natural change of topic, instead of being so burningly curious about his reaction to himself in a wedding dress. Of all the things to pick, Juzo, why did you go with the wedding dress, anyway? The choice, itself, was just so fascinating, too.

"Yeah. They told me it's some important shit, so I wanted to talk to the delivery guy..." This story gets more and more elaborate and he can't believe himself he's going so far. Then, he remembers the photos inside and instantly realizes why. If someone posted them here, of all places...Juzo doesn't want to even think about it.

"Do you think someone saw them?" Togusa, you're his only hope, don't fail him now.

Don't fail him just as the organizers of the pageant did when they told him that he arrived too late and the only things that are left are wedding dresses.

Too bad Prompto couldn't have also been a fly on that wall. Togusa looks like he is pondering the question, and he looks around the room, searching for who else was here that early. "You could certainly try," Togusa shrugs. "Somebody was probably paying better attention than I was."

He tries to look past Juzo, trying to see his desk. "Even international, weird that they'd be here this early, though..." He wasn't dumb enough to leave the folder lying out was he?

Listen, when it comes to his nonexistent reputation, he has to be careful. The photos are lying in his drawer. Not that it's locked or anything, but who would even look for something on his desk or in drawers, anyway?

"Yeah, I might just try..." He's about to walk away actually, but then Togusa's doubt reaches his ears. "Early? What's so weird about it?"

Hunh? Togusa holds out a hand. "Well, little early for mail call, isn't it? All I meant. Less they sent it by courier."

As tempting as it was to spread the photos everywhere, it was a masterstroke to only give the picture to Juzo. This quiet paranoia is much funnier than the big explosion would have been. And it's going to last longer.

Togusa you're evil. Not that Juzo knows and he probably never will learn that he's been speaking with the man behind this. Alright, there's still Prompto, but.

"Early...maybe, I don't know," Of course he knows, it's The Flaw That Might Ruin Everything. "Do me a favor, man. If someone is going to wander around my desk when I'm not around, let me know."

What if there are more photos. WHAT IF.

[ Lucian had been on his way home from an errand, doubling up the walk as a way to stretch his legs.The cafe looked interesting enough for him to venture in and perhaps buy something for himself. The outburst of birthday song is enough to grab his attention, especially since there's a familiar face at the centre of it.

They're not friends yet, but acquaintances is enough. He waits until the song is over before coming within conversational range. ]

Happy Birthday.

[ Quietly, with a touch of amusement. ]

[Hey, maybe everyone in the cafe sang Happy Birthday for him, but at least there no one is present to witness it—wrong.]

Doctor...

[His voice is so weak that it might seem that he's going to faint anytime soon. But nothing like this actually happens, he just...needs a while.]

Thanks. Do you want a coffee? I can get you one. Their lattes are great.

[Bless reward programs, he has enough points for a big cup of coffee. And thanks to that he can change the subject of the conversation right away.]

[ For both of their sakes, Lucian adjusts his expression to a more conversational one so Juzo can reassume his dignity. ]

I should be the one buying you a drink. It is your birthday after all.

[ Even though this is his first time... might as well make up for that slight jab that he had at Juzo's expense. ]

[This is greatly appreciated but isn't it too late for him to regain it, that is the question.]

It's okay, really. I insist. Let's just grab our drinks and find a table.

[He's a bit scared that they're going to start singing again when he comes closer to the counter, but obviously, Juzo's not telling Lucian that.]

[ At least only Lucian saw it and he's one to keep secrets. Not that it's any small comfort at this point, though. ]

Alright. [ He'll pay you back in some other way. ] After you.

[ He's a man of simple tastes so something plain would do. ]

[He has some decency to wait for Lucian to walk away before letting out a sigh of relief. Really, he doesn't need any more attention.

And speaking of attention, this hyper barista is already opening her mouth and, from what he can see, is about to start singing.]

Don't give me this crap again, please.

[Who would have thought that the P word has such power. Or maybe it doesn't, given her puffed cheek. He didn't even try at all.]

One vanilla latte.

[It takes a little while, but soon enough they can finally sit down in peace. If they ignore a few customers looking at them and chuckling, that is.]

So, how's life? [Maybe he shouldn't be so casual with a doctor? Let's try again.] I mean...how are you today?

[Last time he sounded so stiff could have been in high school. It's all because of that singing staff, dammit.]

[ Lucian has assumed his seat in the meantime, adjusting his countenance as to let his calming aura reassemble itself around him. Hopefully it will help ameliorate some of the stares. ]

You can be casual with me. [ Said with a slight incline of his head. ] It has been fine so far, but as spring comes, so do the hay fever allergies.

[ More sniffling kids than usual, but that's nothing as strange as what's been happening lately. ]

How about you?

Hay fever allergies? Heh, that's better than all those people remembering weird stuff. [Not to mention the appearance changes.] It must be a pain in the ass.

[It sure didn't take him long to get casual, Juzo's not even trying to correct himself here. The initial shock over that Happy Birthday song is no more, perhaps.]

Save for the obvious... [He sends a glare over his shoulder to the counter.] I'm fine, I guess. So, do you come here often? It's a great place, save for that friendly folks.

[The grimace can't be helped...congrats Juzo, your grumpiness reached a new level.]

People have seen me for those as well, though they still remain largely unexplained.

[ Lucian still remains unruffled, though it's more to do with his personality than actually making an attempt to be formal. ]

I merely passed by in search of something for teatime. But if you recommend it, I will be sure to come back more often.

[ It's a warm touch, though it might have been used to better appreciation on someone else. ]

If this keeps up...guess I should be happy that I'm not clever enough to be a doctor.

[Unlike Juzo who's allergic to work, Lucian doesn't seem to be the type who doesn't like his job, so maybe it won't be that bad...maybe.

Then, he recalls something...something that happened a little while ago, but comes back from time to time, provoking him to think about—]

What about dehydration? Do many people suffer from that?

[Surely a doctor wants to talk about all kinds of medical conditions, yep.]

[ He lives for his work.... no okay he's just a weird old man. He just goes serenely along with the flow. ]

Ah, it is more common in athletes and physical workers. The daily recommended intake is eight glasses of water a day.

[ A pause. ]

How has work been for you?

Athletes? Physical workers? What about normal people?

[Sure, kids can be a pain, but they're either really buffed or something's not quite right. There's no need to worry, detective Juzo is on the case.]

If you say so...

[He's going to remember that eight glasses of water a day part.]

Fine. I'm taking it easy. There's no chance of overworking myself.

[Should he say it so casually, though.]

[ Dehydration is a very specific condition and he thinks he has a vague idea of who Juzo might be talking about. ]

It can affect anyone, since it depends on how much water you drink. Coffee and tea contain caffeine, which can cause a person to lose water faster than normal, so it is important to keep a watch on your water intake if you feel thirsty.

[ This he says sagely while stirring his coffee once or twice. ]

This city is generally peaceful. I hope it means less work for you.

Gotta be careful.

[Juzo's sipping his coffee at the time, actually. That said, he doesn't seem to be bothered by this at all.]

Yeah, it's almost like I knew where to move so I won't have to deal with work. I bet Japan isn't as peaceful.

[Whether it's a good thing for him is a completely different subject.]

If I just jinxed it, don't tell anybody. I don't want my colleagues to blame me for this.

[ It's fine to drink coffee if one drinks more water after that. ]

I do not think you will jinx anything. The atmosphere of a city is unlikely to change overnight. Perhaps with a few decades. Barring any exceptional circumstances, our peace will hold.

[ He sounds like an old man. ]

Have you... perhaps seen anything strange lately?

I wouldn't be so sure...I still remember that power outage all too well.

[He was unlucky enough to be on duty back then, oops.]

Yeah, a bunch of stuff actually. Mostly people changing their appearance overnight, but there's also this...amnesia thing. Would it be possible to forget about something really important that happened in the past in the first place?

[ Lucian was thinking more on the scales of civil unrest... but then again, he's the one who had volunteered in war areas. This is a different scale altogether. ]

I see. [ Ah, back to the memories. ] In conventional neuroscience, I doubt it. However, I have looked into it and it becomes apparent that something beyond conventional science is happening here.

[ Even electromagnetic signal tracking didn't turn up anything. ]

Have you heard of the theory of a person's soul? An identifying marker that is tagged to a person's consciousness.

[He's just going to continue sipping his coffee, since that way he can buy himself more time to answer...not that he has any groundbreaking answers, for that matter.]

Person's soul? Nope, I don't think so. Feel free to fill me in.

[ It's Togusa's theory to begin with, but he's added some of his own ideas. ]

The theory describes the soul as another identifier for a person besides DNA and physical appearance. It may be how the company tracks us with our phones despite the lack of wireless data signals.

[ Flashbacks are another thing, but maybe they were beamed to each person depending on their soul? Or erasing the memory block. ]

With it, they would also be able to deliver specific things to specific people, such as the packages or the visions.

[He's continuing to sip—no, he's not actually because coffee is gone already. Yet, he's still holding the cup up while listening to Lucian. Somehow, it's helping him with processing the information.]

This is...

[Juzo sure knows how to build tension. Very slowly, he puts the cup away and only then looks at the other man.]

...so fucked up. Especially if it's true. You think a single app can do that?

[ Fucked up is real. Lucian might have used that term, but he isn't one to swear. ]

It is great power to attribute to only a single application. I would suspect the company has further technology or knowhow. The app could just be a front.

[ He sits back and sighs a little. ]

I did look into it the best I could, but I only found dead ends.

[Juzo will swear in your stead, Lucian. Juzo will swear in everybody's stead, to be honest.]

Makes sense. I wonder why just some people have it, are we their lab rats or what? And is it just a matter of time that everyone needs to deal with this shit...

[Someone's not a fan of the parental filter.]

A doctor playing detective? Now, now that would make a great story. I can't believe I'm the one saying it, but I guess we should work all together on this case.

[ Juzo, taking one for the team. ]

Perhaps. If that is the case, then it would be a grievous breach of ethics.

[ Lucian is never one to display intense emotions, but the way he sets his expression for just a few seconds might imply that he was considering serious action. ]

I have dedicated my life to finding the meaning behind our existence. I would gladly assist in elucidating this mystery.

Hate to say it but...something's telling me that Retrospec guys might not care about ethics. With viruses and all that stuff.

[All in all, this isn't even supported by any sort of evidence, something of which Juzo is painfully aware of.]

I'm pretty sure we'll find something on them sooner or later. Especially if we're getting help from other people. How's your coffee?

[Maybe it'll be better to leave it at that for now, they're off work and probably should take it easy.]

[ Lucian has been tying his thoughts in circles. Maybe it's a better idea to just focus on the coffee. ]

It is quite pleasant, thank you. The flavour is refined but not too rich.

[ He's naturally a tea drinker, but he can try his best at interpreting this one. ]

[Tea is that way →

honestea, this guy only does coffee.]

That's good to hear. Hey...

[The pause is way too long but he's trying his best to word his request in a polite manner, please wait.]

Don't you think it would be good to keep in touch if something weird comes up? Using that shit—unreliable app may be too risky.

[ Both are good. Both have deep history that he can spend hours talking about, but this is not the time for that right now. ]

Speak freely with me, I do not mind. [ Lucian prefers to not make people uncomfortable, or have to mind themselves. ] I can give you my number. You know where my clinic is, yes? I live just upstairs.

[ In case of any emergencies... ]

[Who would have thought that asking an old man for his number is even worse than asking someone out!!

Juzo has gained a new experience.]

Yeah, I'd take that just in case. And I sure do— [He's surprised about the new piece of information.] Upstairs? Damn...you're dedicated.

[Maybe there's something he can learn from Lucian.]

[ Well, he's harmless, so...

Lucian produces a name card out of the depths of his wallet and hands it over. ]

I live alone, so might as well. If someone needs a doctor at night, I can be there.

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[Open]

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amazing, simply amazing

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i'm sorry i just had to (or maybe i'm not sorry, i'm not sure yet)

don't be sorry, this is beautiful.

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I'M LAUGHINGG

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