pricelesstears | @ferrociously.

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@ferrociously.

[ Jouno has not been in a good mood for days. Tetcho is avoiding him to the point of refusing to sleep in the same bed with him, and work has been anything but kind to him. While the Hunting Dogs could certainly operate with a limited number of operatives, being down one and with a potential traitor in another meant they had to at least start looking. Jouno has recruited before -- Tachihara himself is proof of that -- so he's been in charge of the effort, and thankfully, it'd been enough to bury himself in to not deal with whatever had been going on with his boyfriend.

If Tetcho could even be considered that anymore. Could you date someone who would barely even speak to you?

It's all besides the point for now, though. They, as a group, had more pressing concerns -- namely the mysterious doctor and figuring out what to do with her -- but that's what this meeting with Tachihara is for. It's easily disguised as regular drinking after work, and really, it's not a total lie. Jouno does have every intention of getting incredibly drunk. ]

Whiskey, please.

[ He'll wait until Tachihara has ordered and the waitress has left before speaking again. ]

I reached out to a contact of mine about Doctor Takemi. I have yet to hear back, but he should provide us with valuable insight.

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[Tachihara really doesn't trust this new doctor either. It's the sudden change to their routine that has him on edge, though if Jouno had told him not to worry about it, he would have let it go. After all, the Hunting Dogs have been experiments from the start, but... This feels different. This happened without any warning or any real explanation, beyond trying to make a team that almost never fails (failed once) more efficient.

And snooping for information is something he does well. It's exciting, especially when he's working with Jouno. He orders himself a beer, and then waits for Jouno to take the lead in planning this.]

If you want me to reach out to someone as well, I can. [All his contacts are mafia, so he expects not.] But shouldn't we try to figure out what she's going to do?

That won't be necessary.

[ Tachihara is right in his assumption. Jouno doesn't want him anywhere near the mafia if he can help it. It'd be too easy to slip back in old habits once in touch with old contacts, and while Jouno wants to trust Tachihara, he doesn't. ]

You said you had a plan, though, didn't you? Enlighten me.

[ The waitress is quick to return with their drinks, and for once, Jouno doesn't wait to get started on his. Where he's normally much more careful, especially out in public, right now, he just wants to feel the rush of alcohol burn down his throat and to get his mind off of everything save the important task at hand. ]

[He's not surprised that he's turned down. And that's in part why he brought it up, too - he still needs to regain that trust, he knows, and asking for permission to contact someone in the mafia will make it seem more like he's cooperating, especially if he doesn't argue. It would probably be weirder if he never brought it up, even when it's relevant.]

Let me know if you change your mind.

[He takes his beer and sips it, not really questioning how quickly Jouno is drinking yet. He's focused on his plan instead.]

We need to read any of those documents, right? The easiest way to get access to her office is by getting hurt. It's not much of a plan yet, though.

[ There will be no changing his mind, so Jouno just hmms in response as he takes another sip of his drink. He does not particularly like drinking to get drunk, but he's making an exception today. ]

Anything we can find will be useful. If you think that's the best way to infiltrate then--

[ His phone buzzes in his pocket and he, in the hopes that maybe Tetcho is looking for him, pulls it out and taps the screen. The name it reads out is not Tetcho's, though, and is instead the fake name that Jouno has Fyodor listed under. He frowns. While he could play the message out loud, there's never a guarantee that Fyodor isn't asking him to do something unsavory so he listens to it with headphones first. ]

Hold on- This is my contact. [ He's silent for a good minute while he listens to the report found and then unplugs the headphones, tapping the message again so just the file plays.

Tetcho really is so stupid, trusting everyone.

It's only once it's finished playing that Jouno speaks again. ]

I want to know what the files she has on us say, as well as any reports on what the new drug their testing is really intended to do.

It's the easiest way, at least.

[Other methods would need more time, especially since they don't know the doctor, and they don't want it to be obvious what they're doing. And Tachihara isn't scared of getting hurt if it means protecting the Hunting Dogs.

He goes quiet as Jouno listens to his message, sipping his beer in the meantime, looking around the bar at the other people there. Though as soon as Jouno finishes, Tachihara's attention is completely on him again. He frowns just a bit as he listens to the message.]

Send me those documents if you want me to look them over.

[It'll be faster for him to skim them than for Jouno to listen to them all using voice-to-text. He'll summarize them for him later. At least Jouno's contact provided enough context for now.]

I'd need to be hurt enough for me to stay there a while for treatment. I'll have to wait her to leave so I'm alone in there.

[ Jouno finishes his whiskey as Tachihara listens, motioning to the waitress for another one. He really is going too fast, but he doubts that it matters. Once they have their plan in place, who cares what he does for the rest of the evening?

He saves the file to his phone and sends it to Tachihara. ]

A broken bone might suffice. An arm, maybe? You'd need to have a cast fitted, and you'd still be mobile enough to search for files when the doctor isn't in the room.

[ His face feels warm and his head fuzzy when he takes the second glass that the waitress brings, bringing it up to his lips to take a quick sip. ]

I can break it.

[ Jouno's ultimate goal is to protect the Hunting Dogs, but if hurting Tachihara is part of that... ]

Don't tell Tetcho-san about this.

[ Jouno breaking his arm, or the operation in general. ]

I'll tell the doctor we were training. It was an accident.

[Okay, Jouno is definitely drinking too fast. He's always responsible, always the one to keep the other Hunting Dogs in check, even if he likes to shove that responsibility onto Tachihara. For him to drink when they're planning something like this is definitely strange.

He frowns, and sets his beer down.]

I won't tell him. Apparently he likes the doctor.

[But he likes everyone until he's given a very definitive reason not to, so his judgment really isn't one they should trust.]

That sounds like a good plan.

[ At least it wouldn't look like Jouno's regular torture that way. ]

Yes, well, Tetcho-san is an idiot. He'd trust anyone.

[ Insulting Tetcho is natural and comes easily, but something feels less satisfying about it when they're actually fighting. ]

I'm authorizing this without running it by the Captain, so if we get caught, I'll take responsibility.

Tetcho-san is scheduled first, right?

[Which gives them a very narrow window to do this, if they want to be able to stop whatever is being planned in time. Especially if Tetcho will just walk in and let them do those tests without questioning it.

Although that's probably what they'll all have to do.]

I won't get caught. But if I do, there's no way I'm throwing you under the boss.

He is.

[ Jouno had tried to have that changed -- to have Tetcho's appointment switched with Tachihara's -- but he hadn't had any luck. Tetcho wouldn't have approved of the switch had he known anyway.

He takes another drink of whiskey before replying: ]

This isn't the mafia anymore, Tachihara-kun. You don't need to cover up for your superiors. We're the ones in charge for a reason.

So there's a time limit.

[He watches Jouno keep drinking, and wonders if he should say something. He shouldn't, right? It's Jouno's business, and Jouno never likes when Tachihara questions him on it, but at the same time, that's a bit worrying.

They can figure this out first, though.]

You're right. I'm still getting used to being back. But we have to protect the Hunting Dogs' reputation, though, right?

There is. We only have a few days at most.

[ The time crunch is severe. Jouno isn't sure they'll be able to achieve anything, even if they, as planned, start tonight. ]

Yes. If they're going to kill us, I'd rather they let us die with dignity than as lab rats on an operating table.

[ Their position had always come with risks, and it's not as if their surgery had ever been safe, but... ]

Sorry. I should keep those thoughts to myself.

[ Drinking a little too quickly had loosened his tongue, it seems. ]

Then I'll work fast. I don't want Tetcho-san getting hurt.

[Hearing Jouno say that is definitely worrying. It's not surprising - there's a reason why Tachihara didn't trust the doctor either - but he hadn't expected him to say something like that out loud.]

You can say it, Jouno-san. I agree. We have our pride as Hunting Dogs, after all.

I don't either.

[ Even if Tetcho won't speak to him.

Jouno sighs, twirling a strand of hair with his gloved finger. ]

I'm not sure we have much pride left. Were it not for the Armed Detective Agency, we would have failed completely, and now... [ If there had been any hope that a new doctor was a positive change, it had left Jouno with Fyodor's report. ]

Well, the first step is to find out what we're dealing with.

[He considers that for a few moments. He picks his beer back up, but mostly just for something to hold in his hand, twirling the bottle between his fingers.]

Our pride is our own, I think. I still have pride in the Hunting Dogs.

[He means that. Even if it's complicated. Even if Jouno probably doesn't want to hear that from a traitor, though at least Jouno can tell he's being honest. Though there's one more thing that's worrying him.]

Is keeping me around making it harder for the Hunting Dogs to rebuild that trust?

[ Hearing that makes Jouno feel a little better. As long as they can still have pride in what they are, they can rebuild the faith the world used to have in them. ]

I do, too.

[ The fact that Tachihara is a traitor doesn't factor in; he'd chosen to at least try and stay with them, after all. His question has Jouno pause though. ]

Neither the Captain nor I have reported our concerns with you to anyone higher up. [ He shouldn't be telling Tachihara that. In fact, it shouldn't be the case at all. ]

You are for us to deal with. No one else.

[He blinks, openly surprised. And a little happy, too, to hear Jouno say it like that. He shouldn't smile, but --]

I won't let you down again.

[He's made up his mind. He's staying with them. It does feel good to be back, to finally feel like he's part of the Hunting Dogs again, and it's making the pain of missing the mafia a little easier.]

Thank you, Jouno-san. I know you're risking a lot for me.

I hope not. A second time, and we really will have to kill you.

[ Is that admitting they'd decided not to? Maybe. ]

You're one of us, Tachihara-kun.

I was prepared for the possibility.

[He wants to believe that means they won't. He knows he still has a way to go before he's fully clear, because Jouno and Teruko don't forgive easily, but he also knows Jouno wouldn't say that if he didn't mean it.]

It's really good to be back.

You're a good soldier, Tachihara-kun.

[ At least this topic is a little lighter, feels a little less like something Jouno has failed at. ]

We're glad to have you back, too.

That means a lot, Jouno-san.

[It really does. All he wants is to make them proud.]

But since we don't have much time, we should do it now, right?

[before Jouno gets too drunk.]

Yes, but we should probably not do so here.

[ A shame. He'd wanted to drink a little more.

He will at least finish off the glass that he had. ]

[Tachihara has barely touched his beer, so he'll just leave it. He'll wait for Jouno - a little worried that he's too drunk, that he'll hurt him more than he means to - and then head out of the bar.]

If we're gonna say we were training, you should probably give me a few extra bruises, too.

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