LogFAQs > #904888875

But there was something about this warmth. It definitely wasn't the same as what Enoch described. The estate still felt empty. This was not a comforting sense of warmth. It was giving her some other feeling that she couldn't describe.

//###//

Compared to the small and personable group described above, Jamison had found himself stuck in a rather crowded party. With the addition of Lady Fakeru, or rather, just Fakeru, or just Fah, he was feeling even more stuffy and awkward than before. There were just too many around to witness his embarrassment at that moment. The existence of the confident and brash Captain Punch, and the skilled Gunslinger Kidd, was not helping any; it just made him feel his own lack of manliness by comparison.

Punch had spent the morning leading the crew around to the southern side of the estate, in search of a collapsed section of wall he had spotted the day before. Unfortunately, one thing he hadn't spotted was the wetlands around this area. It almost seemed strange that these wetlands would border the farm, but Jamison got the sense that they hadn't been here before.

Something had changed the landscape.

Jamison found himself watching Fakeru while trying to traverse the muddied and sunken paths. He felt like getting his boot stuck in the mud and sinking to oblivion would be a rather stupid way to die. As for Fah, she was walking along the top of it all, her sandals glowing the entire time. They seemed to be reducing her weight enough that there was no risk of her sinking in.

Matsuda and Zephyr were walking in the rear of the party.

Jamison decided to turn and speak to them, trying to familiarize himself with some of his new companions... and being rather intimidated by the idea of starting a conversation with Punch. "H-... Hello there," he started off relatively strong for his usual self. "So you two... um... You were with the group that found that strange card in the medical clinic, aren't you? I would have liked to have seen that myself, but, I suppose I didn't have time to get a good look at it before, you know, um.... That guy seemed to vanish into thin air." Jamison realized he couldn't remember the name of the guy who had gotten sucked into the black hole.

Zephyr merely tilted his head in a state of half confusion as he tried to make sense of Jamison's rambling.

"You're a cop, aren't you?" Matsuda responded. "No offense but I don't think you and I will really get along that well. I'm more of the type to rebel against authority."

"W-Well, I am something of an Inspector, but, I've d-done a lot of private work in the past, as well," Jamison explained. "Mr. Owen up there was actually an old acquaintance of mine." It was actually the reason Owen had even found out about this place, or this job. Though, looking back at the work he had done for Owen in the past, Jamison was surprised that a guy like that would come to a place like this.

Then again... Jamison had no idea how his superior officer had ever convinced him to do it, either.

Or why they would have chosen a sheepish guy like himself. There were more capable, more confident men in the service to the Censors. Or, hell, they could have sent a Fisher Knight or two down here. He supposed it all had to do with how the government had been completely gridlocked until now. Convincing them to send even one lousy Inspector, with an emphasis on lousy, must have been their idea of compromise.
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~* Now I only see your dull imposter ~*
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