The Search of a Lifetime

Chapter 3 - Peer Pressure

The tangent has tangented accordingly. You'd be surprised as to how much she can go off on a specific topic. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. The more she talks, the more she seems to like me. The more she likes me, the less likely I am to end up splattered on the wall. Although that'd give this empty prison some decoration, that'd be at the loss of one of the coolest people on the block, and that's just not done. She's still talking, by the way. The biology of squirrels and how their front teeth never stop growing is quite the subject. From what she had said, she's got the knowledge of everything... that includes squirrels.

So, let's recap. My two goals coming here were to 1. Discover the truth behind the breakout/figure out how it happened. That part is done. Shiori has given me more than enough information about that topic to give to Yagoo. Plus, I learned some extra things about each of the other members. For starters, they codename themselves "Advent". Why? No fucking clue. It's quite a name. I also learned about each of the other members, which I will not talk about unless I somehow encounter them later on because I need content elsewhere.

Now, the second goal. 2. Figure out where the rest of Advent lies. That should also be easy, as long as I can convince Shiori to tell me the details of where they are. Of course Shiori would know. She knows everything! Plus, she did lead the breakout, so that's something... No, no. I got this. I'm a detective, after all.

"...Hey, Shiori."

"And THAT'S why crocodiles cannot stick their tongues out! Which actually leads into..."

"Shiori."

"Because Doyle actually ran for parliament right, and he actually ran TWICE, so..."

"SHIORI!"

"But it definitely doesn't- hm? Did you say something?"

God, this woman. She's neat and all, but damn. She's looking at me with her damn golden eyes again. There's something about them... it's entrancing. It's almost as if they're persuading me to feel a certain way. First, it was fear. A constant fear. But, as she's slowly grown to tolerate me, it's become something calm. A beach, where the brisk ocean radiates a blue tint like no other on a slightly clouded day. It's not too vibrant, but enough to be relaxing. My happy place.

Wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah. Her eyes are spooky. I need to look more into that.

"Where are the other crimi- members of Advent?"

Her eyes narrow. The beach I had subconsciously imagined started to fade out of view. A blur. Please, no... Come back! Come back to me! I-I need you right now! I'm spiraling. What's happening? Why am I falling apart? I can't- I can't think straight. Everything is crumbling! Fuck, I'm remembering things I shouldn't. No, no no non on o onon no nnnnnnnnn-

"Why should I tell you where the other members of Advent are?"

"Wha- uh- erm- hotdog?" Oops.

"...Okay... that doesn't answer my question whatsoever."

"Emm... I'm a cool guy?"

"Debatable."

"Ouch."

"You're a detective. If I told you where Advent was, you'd arrest them, and that sounds like a pain. So... nah."

Dammit. I ain't saying shit after that one. I dunno how to combat that. I'm a detective, not a charmer. The silence is overwhelming. The quiet dripping of a shattered water pipe echo throughout the room. Time freezes in place, the Gods having left us alone in this moment. I know not what I should say, what I should do. How do I convince this woman, who knows seemingly everything, to let me visit her comrades? To let me find them? I have no intention to butcher them or watch them lose their freedom once more; I only wish to complete my goal and assist Yagoo in searching for the beings in which he so desires. It's my duty, my moral code as a detective to complete my goal and bring the desolate desires to fruition. So...

"Please, Shiori. Let me see them. I don't work for the police. We took an offer from a person who went by 'Yagoo' to find you guys. I have no intentions to turn you people in. I only wish to complete my duty to Yagoo."

That did something. Her face contorted when she heard the name 'Yagoo'. Whether it's good or bad, she recognized it. She looks down at the ground, her lips going from her frown to a grimace. Her hand, which had been resting on the arm of the couch, gripped it with unprecedented vigor.

"Fine. If you're working for Yagoo... I've no other choice."

Who is Yagoo? I thought he was just an idol company CEO. However, his influence on the Archiver of all beings is undeniable. This feels important. Maybe Watson would know about what this Yagoo person really is. She's tampered with space-time and all that before. Tch... It's not something to worry about right now. What I should be worrying about is how to continue forcing Shiori's hand towards my goals.

"You've no other choice, hm? How kind of you."

Shiori gets up from the couch, standing over me and staring. She certainly doesn't look happy to do this, but who can blame her? The detective which so kindly mentioned that he's working for some being of a higher plane/higher influence is making demands that go directly against everything that you've been trying to do. I can't help but think she was trying to dissuade me from investigating further by so promptly leaking the entire escape plan. A hand extends outwards toward me, waiting for me to grab it.

"Well, c'mon! Are we going or not?"

Just hold on a second. I don't talk to people often, so this is a first for me. Someone offering me their hand...? Isn't that, like, a marriage thing? I must be getting popular. Before I could graciously affect the proposition, the hand reached down and grabbed mine, pulling me up. We're... actually a lot closer than I thought we'd be. She's about half a foot shorter than me, now that I'm paying attention to her instead of not dying. Her hand is cool. Not cold enough to hurt, but cool. Like the underside of a pillow. It grips my own tighter, quite the opposite response to letting it go like I anticipated. Those damn golden eyes keep staring at me all the while. I still can't shake the feeling that she's reading my every thought, analyzing my whole being at my response to this sudden closeness. Her pout turns into a slight smirk as she looks me up and down. I'm not one to make assumptions, but there's something going on. Maybe she just likes smart people? I'm smart. I'm a detective. My narcissistic monologue, however, is cut short by her tugging me along the jail interior towards the entrance.

"I've got a boat on the end of Wake Island at Heel Point. Figured it'd be out of sight there rather than hunted down and blown up by the government!"

"Huh, okay- wait, weren't you looking for something earlier?"

"Mhm." She reaches down with her free hand and pulls a book from her jacket. It's fairly small, stocked to the brim with bookmarks. "I found it while you were zoning out earlier."

"Oh."

"I noticed, Mr. Inconspicuous."

I dare not say anything else. We walk through the forest, the flourishing wildlife interfering with almost every step of the way. Through lizards poking their heads out, or Shiori getting preoccupied with dead insects and begging me to take pictures of them, it was quite the journey. I'm more surprised I didn't get bit at all during the entire ordeal, but we take these. The boat slowly starts to come into view, and its... fairly tiny. A small dingy, with barely enough room to hold two people. The look of confusion must've been apparent on my face, as Shiori gives me a stink-eye and a little nudge.

"I wasn't planning on bringing someone else with me, y'know. It was a one-person job, but now there's two people, so... get in." I nod, giving out a simple "Yep" before hopping into the dingy and heading towards the back of the boat. I sit down and watch as Shiori gets the boat off the shoreline with surprising ease, hopping in and starting to row us to shore. I don't want to feel like a burden, so I look around and grab a conveniently-placed pair of oars under the seat and row along with her. The sun slowly starts to come up on the horizon, with us having been busy throughout the night. That doesn't stop our rowing, instead only pushing us to go harder.

To Advent we embark.