https://youtu.be/WoujzO8op8I

"Do you need something? I don't have all day, you know."

Galileo's voice was calm, but as he spoke there was an unmistakable twinge of impatience that Silas and Azurine caught onto. So already, they had to make sure whatever they said was sufficiently distracting. The duo looked at each other, breathing deeply before nodding in sync, looking back at the villain and flashing him their most charming smiles.

"W-Well, uh..."

"That's..."

"You see..."

At once, they began to realise that maybe the Spectrums, as a group, had screwed up - the two of them for not asking Inigo for any details about the man's personality, and Inigo for not providing that information to start with. It was time to improvise, and Silas quickly came up with something.

"That's...a pretty snazzy suit!" he exclaimed, and Azurine could have sworn she saw Galileo's eyebrow shoot up even higher. She herself looked up at Silas, hoping he'd finish this. "Where'd you get it?"

"You can't have come all this way just to inquire about my clothing." Galileo pointed out, placing a hand on his hip.

"Yeah, but we're clothing enthusiasts!" Azurine exclaimed with a smile that showed off her pearly whites. Galileo looked down at them, closely examining their frames for a little while before audibly scoffing.

"Neophytes, I reckon?" he asked sarcastically, a mildly smug smirk on his face.

"You've got that right!" Azurine replied emphatically, placing a hand on her chest. "We've only recently discovered-"

"Stop right there. I was making fun of you." Galileo scowled, shaking his head. "If you must know, I get all my suits tailored."

"Well, then, you've gotta introduce me to your guys." Silas smiled, crossing his arms, causing the red-clad man to roll his eyes.

"I've answered your question, so if you could please answer mine, that would be nice." he told him. "And I swear, if this is just the setup to some joke-"

"Which it isn't!" Silas raised his hands. "Don't worry, we have a very real reason to come here!"

"Out with it, then." Galileo crossed his arms, evidently annoyed. Silas and Azurine exchanged another glance, trying to brainstorm another approach to take with this. This time, it was Azurine's turn to come up with a spark of inspiration, and as she turned to Galileo, she spoke up.

"Well, we wanted to see if you were interested in a new book club we're starting!" she said.

"Because we're book enthusiasts." Silas added helpfully. "Not new ones, though."

"Very old ones, in fact!" Azurine exclaimed. "We've got so many books under our belt, you wouldn't even believe it!"

"Hmm...I am rather fond of reading myself..." Galileo murmured, seeming to ponder their words for a little while before looking down at them. "I'll make a note of it for later. Tell me, what books have you looked into lately?"

"Uh, well, for starters-"

"Lord of the Flies! Oh, that's such a classic!" Azurine cut in enthusiastically, eyes shining brighter than the sun. "Have you read it? It provides such interesting commentary..."

The talk went on, with Silas nodding along to her words with his arms crossed, like some kind of silent hype-man. Best to leave this to the expert, he thought. Plus, it had been a while since he'd heard her go off about a book, so he was interested in what she had to say.

.........

Meanwhile, at the Hole, Inigo and Scarlett, having successfully found a table for two, had sat down with their respective orders in front of them. Inigo had an iced tea with a slice of apple pie, while Scarlett, somewhat disappointed at their lack of bubble tea, had settled for an iced latte with a strawberry cream muffin. For the situation in Arc was very peaceful, and the two of them saw no reason to challenge that.

"...so, like, the chance to tell someone to look up 'En Passant' doesn't come up every day, you know." Inigo said, in the middle of recalling an anecdote about one of his chess-gambling matches at the inn while Scarlett listened intently. "You should've seen how surprised he was when the pawn moved past his and it was declared a capture."

"I didn't know pawns could do that." she mused.

"A lot of new players don't." Inigo commented. "I won, but he wasn't happy. Couple days later, he hunted me down and tried to beat me up to get his money back."

"Even though you won it fair and square?"

"Not according to him. Like it's my fault he used the bongcloud opening." Inigo shrugged. "But, I managed to defeat him there, too, and he hasn't tried to attack me since. So, all's well, I guess."

Scarlett giggled a little at that, giving him a smile. "And what's this 'bongcloud opening' you speak of?" she asked. "Sounds like a drug thing."

"It's an opening only an idiot would make. Basically, it centres around moving your king as quickly as possible." Inigo explained. "By doing this, you stop yourself from castling completely!"

"I...don't know what castling is, either." Scarlett smiled awkwardly, finding it amusing to watch Inigo nerding out like this. She picked up her muffin, letting out another little laugh. "Maybe you ought to give me a tutorial sometime."

"If you're interested, we can arrange something..." Inigo began, only to raise an eyebrow as he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He picked it up to see a new message from Jude: a live photo. He stared at it, seeing what looked to be a group of suited men packaging pills into red little boxes. Nice, he thought. He put his phone away again, awaiting further updates while he enjoyed this little outing with Scarlett.

.........

https://youtu.be/OW1ps75BRSM

That was the first picture. The next was soon to come. Knowing he didn't have much time, Jude quickly moved from one room to the next. He was silent and barely noticeable, using his newly-honed skill at hiding, the Sound crystal and the suit he'd bought prior to coming here to make sure he didn't appear overly suspicious.

Wishing he were an Adept with a suitable ability to get this done, he continued to move through the upper floor, finding the least suspicious entrances to sneakily snap photos through. There was one door at the end that was just locked, though, and he didn't think it would be wise to try and open it. His experiences had not taught him to lockpick, after all. At least nobody was around to suspect the damage done to the air vent - even for the lithe Jude, it was quite a tight squeeze.

But still, this really was the most important - and presumably, most difficult part of the plan. The whole time, Jude felt the pressure of Inigo's icy cold stare weighing on his back. Not helping matters was that he couldn't get the best pictures due to the brevity of his time in each room. But he didn't let that stop him, silently uttering prayers to the two Dei as he snapped photos and darted off before anyone could notice he was ever there.

He only really got a good look at his pictures as he was sending them to Inigo, and it was proof beyond all else that he was, indeed, a criminal. He wasn't sure what those pills were, but they were certainly criminal in nature. Perhaps they were some sort of drug - Libera had to be getting their money from somewhere. But one picture in particular puzzled him - rather than drugs and tiny red boxes, he saw...meat?

That one, he had to snap a few more pictures of to get a better clue, and he realised just what kind of "meat" this was. Hearts, kidneys, possibly a liver, and he was pretty sure he saw a lung or two. All being carefully handled and packaged. He sent Inigo the pictures, then put his phone in his pocket, frowning slightly as he looked at the stairs. If it was to be the quickest way outside, then fine, he'd go downstairs. He only had to make sure Grant didn't see him.

Thankfully, Silas and Azurine seemed to be doing a good job at keeping him busy, so Jude carefully kept the discussion at arm's length. He didn't have too much time left, so he figured he might as well make this count. He moved down the stairs, avoiding eye contact with his friends as he made his way past the doors until he reached the back door, which he could see from the window led to the back yard.

.........

"...and then, without warning, the Mikado herself appeared! Needless to say, those Caricatures weren't so cocky after that."

Now that the topic had shifted to an old war story of Libera's, Scarlett had made sure to keep her voice down, and Inigo, ever eager to hear about Caricature abuse, listened closely. It could hardly be considered a turf war, but it was certainly funny enough to be engaging.

"Just so we're clear, there were still just the three of them, right?"

"Actually, back then there was a fourth. A guy with a shovel, I think." Scarlett explained. "He was their strongest. But then the Mikado defeated him and took him into custody, and nobody ever heard from him again."

"Weird how a bunch of randoms managed to find your base." Inigo shrugged. "Wonder what happened to Captain Shovel, though. Can't be anything nice."

"I try to avoid thinking about that stuff." Scarlett admitted, raising an eyebrow at the 'Captain Shovel' title. If she spent too much time dwelling on what those people were going through, she'd never be able to sleep at night.

Inigo nodded in understanding, pulling out his phone to examine the deluge of photos from Jude. And as he observed some of them, his eyebrow shot up in confusion, closely examining the pictures to make sure he was seeing them correctly. Was that a lung?

"Hey, what's up?" Scarlett asked, snapping him back to the real world as he looked up at her. "Something weird on your phone?"

"Huh? Yeah." Inigo nodded quickly, clearing his throat and putting his phone away. "My friend Jude sent me a picture of some dead guys. I'm trusting that it wasn't taken in person."

The intent to deceive was very present, but if you stretched it far enough, his words were actually true, he thought. Scarlett didn't seem to catch on, though. She laughed a little, smiling at him. "I can relate. Sometimes, Coyote sends me pictures of animal carcasses."

"Knew he was a nutcase." Inigo murmured, looking at Scarlett closely. "Maybe he's flirting with you?"

"Do you think that might actually be the case?" Scarlett asked, placing a hand on her chin and looking up. "If so, that's a really weird way to go about it...but it makes sense, since we're good friends and I'm super cute...but then again, he's, like, everyone's big brother, so it'd feel wrong..."

Inigo listened to her, her words admittedly only partially occupying his mind. Otherwise, he was far more preoccupied with what Jude had found. So many body parts, in addition to what were most certainly drugs? Given what Galileo's job was, he was almost certainly selling all those somewhere. He remained silent, wondering just what his allies were to encounter next. At least Jude was there to keep him updated...

.........

The backyard of the Monarich household was in pristine condition. As Jude cautiously stepped out of the hallway, he stepped onto a wooden sectional connected to a walkway. It was surrounded in pink flowers and green grass, and at the very end was a large, metallic shed covered in an even coat of brick-coloured paint, while the whole thing was surrounded with a tall brick wall that Jude once had great trouble surmounting. He made sure to close the back door just as vigilantly as he'd opened it before slowly making his way down the walkway.

Just as he did, however, the doors of the shed slid open, and before Jude could respond, out came a man in a suit, adjusting a pair of spectacles while his hair was worn in a fancy, slicked-back style. Jude jumped slightly as the suited man looked down at him, spectacles shining in the light for that extra intimidation factor.

"Hmm? And who might you be?" the man asked, his voice deep but noticeably nasally as he stood on the other end of the walkway, staring sceptically at the man. "I don't think I've seen you around here."

Jude took a deep breath, remembering he was still silent. He wasn't counting on having to talk to anyone, but he had something up his sleeve for that. He stood up straight, and with a smile, he made a few slow hand gestures. The man raised an eyebrow as he watched him, before translating his signs as "Apologies, but I am deaf."

"Interesting..." he murmured, making a few signs in return. "Who are you?"

"J-U-D-E. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

"Likewise. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to inspect these grounds and make sure the work environment is safe."

"They're perfectly safe. Nobody has been hurt yet."

"I disagree. These are grounds where people are hurt en masse. It's better for all of us if I can ensure its safety."

"Of course. Come on, come through."

The man stepped aside, and Jude took a deep bow in gratitude, walking through the walkway with his hand fumbling around inside his jacket pocket. So they moved past one another, eyeing each other carefully and discreetly. Right as Jude reached the door, the two of them turned around, holding their hands up as they opted not to hold up this charade of trust any longer. In Jude's hand was a green crystal, and in the man's was a flintlock pistol. As blades of wind swirled from the crystal and the man aimed and fired the gun, not another word was exchanged between them.

.........

Eventually, Azurine stopped talking, having finished her analysis of the book, and with a smile, she looked up at Galileo, while both he and Silas looked down at her, both impressed, as evident from the lack of contempt on the former's face. "I must say, I never thought to look at it that way." Galileo murmured, nodding slowly. "Freudian psychology in Lord of the Flies of all books? Fascinating."

"Best part is, she thinks that deeply about every book she's ever read." Silas smiled proudly. "So, how about it? Any further questions?"

"Just one. It's been itching at the back of my mind since you started this meeting." Galileo crossed his arms. "You two, ever so clever book enthusiasts, what is the real reason you've come here?"

https://youtu.be/lQ4gpuPP0r4

"U-Uh, pardon?" Silas stammered a little. "I dunno what you mean. We've been very honest with our intentions here."

"Yeah, what gives?" Azurine put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "I get this is Ruben and all, but we're totally trustworthy!"

"Certainly, the little one is quite knowledgeable in the art of book analysis, but you, sir, have yet to contribute a thing to this discussion beyond a vague curiosity about my outfit. The way you looked at each other as if you had run out of lines." Galileo shook his head. "And your whole thing is overall far too disorganised and chaotic, with nary a hint of planning! This whole farce is no more a book club than I am a master swordsman. So, if I could perhaps have the truth this time?"

Silas and Azurine glanced at each other for answers, only to stop themselves immediately and face Galileo, both psyching themselves up to respond before Azurine went first, suddenly putting a confident smile on her face with her hands on her hips. "Ha! Haha! You're smarter than you look, sir!" she exclaimed. Silas looked down at her, wondering where she was going with this. "Truth is, we've taken it upon ourselves to test you, for you, sir, are under suspicion of being a member of Libera!"

"Uh, what?" Silas panicked slightly, wondering if it was the right time to expose things already. "Azurine, don't you think this is a little reckless?"

But Azurine didn't respond to him, instead remaining fully focused on Galileo's expression. And sure enough, he seemed genuinely startled, perhaps naturally for someone in this position. Quickly, confusion became laughter; a somewhat hearty one, as he placed his hand on his forehead and smiled slightly. "Are you sure you have the right person?"

"Positive!" Azurine exclaimed, nodding emphatically. "And we know you're the white-flame menace, too, so you'd better fess up!"

"Baseless accusations do not make a good substitute for proper evidence, child." Galileo eyed Azurine suspiciously. "What led you to this conclusion, anyway? Because you really ought not to believe everything you hear."

Silas cleared his throat, speaking up with a slightly nervous smile. "We happen to be friends with someone who claims they...heard about your involvement with the attacks. They're a florist, you see."

"'They'." Grant repeated sceptically.

"Yeah, gotta respect the pronouns." Silas nodded quickly. "But anyway, you were the one implicated, so we've gotta question you, you know?"

"No, I think I'll be the one asking the questions here." Galileo glared at the duo. "Because if that was all that was going on, then there would be no need for all that book club nonsense, or the clothing! What this tells me is that you were stalling for time...but for what?"

He looked behind him, listening out for any noise, and shook his head slowly as he looked back at Silas and Azurine. "Just who are you two, anyway? Surely you weren't sent here by the Red Joker, were you?"

"The who?" Azurine replied, a response that Galileo examined closely. The genuine rising, curious tone of her voice, the puzzled raising of her eyebrow - she genuinely didn't know who that was, did she? He shook his head quickly, turning around.

"Tch, it doesn't matter. Even if it's not him, you're here with someone, and I'm going to find out who that-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard the sound of a gunshot from nearby, and at once he raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Silas and Azurine before slamming the door shut and storming off. He had to go and investigate - because if that white-haired rat was here, he might have to kill a man today.

Silas, having swiftly caught the door with his foot, gradually removed it, hissing slightly in pain as he looked down at Azurine, taking a deep breath. "We should follow him." he said quietly.

Azurine nodded in agreement, but looked at him, mildly concerned. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Positive. Hurts like a bitch, but you know how strong my shield is. I'll live." Silas replied. "Rather, we should be worried about Jude. I'm pretty sure that was a gun..."

"You're right!" Azurine nodded quickly, grabbing onto the door handle and opening it. "Good on you for keeping the door open. Now, let's go save our friend!"

Acting of a single mind, the two of them entered the opened door and pursued Galileo, who was not focused on either of them. There was no time for him to look back - he had to keep moving forward and learn just who was meddling in his affairs. This could be serious, he thought, and knowing that, he simply couldn't allow himself to get distracted.