• Solo • Job: Mystery Case

[Logik]

Timestamp: 14th of Vhalar - 716th Arc

It's been two weeks since the first trial of the Cold Cycle, two weeks since Logik started actively promoting his freelance odd jobsman-for-hire status to the public. Lacking in marketing skills and advertising know-how, he had simply spread the word through his friends and acquaintances. Hoping that it would spread to at least one prospect client so that the ball could start rolling. He remained optimistic and hopeful for the entire first week, figuring the news about some random guy starting a man-for-hire business wouldn't exactly spread like wildfire all over Andaris. Realism took a turn for pessimism after a week passed though. First he made excuses for himself, fooling himself in thinking it could have been that there had been clients passing by his place, but he simply hadn't been home at the time! So the second week was spent mainly indoors, in solitude and eager anticipation for the very first job to finally knock on his door. Another morning, following another restless and stressful night laying awake in bed. Close to caving in and going out to look for an employed job instead, he was dreading getting out of bed and effectively doing so. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the knocking on his door.

"Hello??" Logik could hear it was a man, from his voice, at the other side of the door. He wasn't fully dressed yet, but he'd be damned if he'd let this man walk away like that, he hoped the gods have had enough with their trial of patience and that the man would be someone in need of something and have a job for him. Logik quickly walked near the door, opened it just a bit and smiled apologetically as he asked if the man could wait just a moment. The man nodded stoically and Logik hurried towards his wardrobe and put on a random outfit as fast as he could before letting the visitor in his humble abode. As the man passed Logik, he spotted the unknown man was carrying something fairly bulky under his coat, a sudden mental connection was made and he got wary of this man, thinking he was hiding a weapon of sorts, presuming he was a robber. Fortunately, before the misunderstanding escalated, the man turned around on the spot and the hidden object was revealed to be a small wooden case of sorts.

"You're Logik? The one taking all sorts of jobs, right?!" The man spoke calmly but there was negativity or perhaps scepticism in his tone of voice. Logik nodded before offering the man a seat. "Depends on the request actually, while I'm a man for hire, I don't accept just ANY job." The man's face didn't change, he maintained his serious, inquisitive expression but nodded in comprehension of what Logik was trying to make clear in a diplomatic manner. "It's good to find a man with principles, rare to come by these days. Care to hear me out, or are you already overloaded with requests?" The man's face eased up a bit as he spoke, al though only barely, his bushy brows were still frowned and the stress lines on his midddle aged face were still prominent. "I'm not. By all means, go on." The man seemed to swallow his anxiety or doubts away before opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the right words. "This case. I found it yesterday in my house, planted right on my bed...I live alone. This case, nor what's in it, is mine. I want you to find out who broke in and left it there." Logik listened carefully, even after the man finished explaining his request, he didn't speak, instead gesturing to hand over the case before speaking up. The man obliged, a slight quiver in his hands as he handed it over to Logik.

[Logik]

Taking a firm grasp of the case, Logik pulled it closer to himself, turning it around and upside down to inspect the outside for any oddities that might 'click' or at the very least leave him a mental image for the future, if needed during this job. Once he found himself unsuccesful enough in finding anything particular about the case, which was a wooden box with plain, shiny iron hinges and lock, he moved to the contents and opened the case carefully. In it lay a rolled up piece of paper, stringed in shape; Logik presumed already there was a message of sorts written on the paper. As he unravelled the piece of leather string, the paper rolled out partway and it became clear before even fully stretching it that there wasn't a text written on the paper but a drawn image. A woman's face.

"You know this woman?" Logik asked before looking up at the man. Who shook his head briefly and seemingly certain of it. His face didn't change much al though his eyebrows burrowed deeper as Logik didn't break his gaze from the man, not because of distrust but because he had the feeling the man wanted to tell him something that he hasn't managed to do yet. He decided he'd give the man the time to speak up himself rather than prying already. Turning his attention back to the drawing again, he noticed the image itself was sketched very skilled and extremely detailed. As if the woman herself had stood model during the drawing itself. Apparently the face of the woman was the only thing stashed in the case, until Logik remembered to turn the page over, revealing a very short phrase on the bottom edge of the page.

"I'll be back."

The phrase was written in bloodred and considering the context and mysterious manner everything was handled around conveying this message, it was quite ominous. Logik mumbled more so to himself rather than to the man seated across him 'Not good.' The man nodded with eyes looking down and, for the first time since he arrived, worried. The following silence was noticeably grim, Logik didn't let his attention waver though and continued to look at the portret over and over until it was imprinted on his mind's eye. Once he placed the drawing back in the case, he told the man he'd like to keep these items in his custody for the time being, for the sake of the investigation. The man agreed and quietly remained seated, Logik could only imagine the weight of the words stinging on the tip of his tongue, still he remained silent. Leaving the option to speak, or remain silent, in the hands of the man. After another awkward and slightly prolonged silence, Logik decided to round it up for the time being and after handling minor details around the job, such as some details about the man himself and where to find him once the case comes to an end, he let the man out politely.

Barely a foot passed the doorway, the man halted in his tracks and without facing Logik, he finally spoke. "I fear for my life." Logik was surprised but quickly regained his composure before he replied true to himself, and to the man. "I'll do everything I can to track whoever is responsible for this, asap." The man shivered just a moment before walking away with bent back. Logik closed the door and walked back to the case, now no longer haunting the man's home, but his own. What a job, Logik almost regretted being so eager to start working, he had forgotten he started this business to help people. The less jobs, the better; in a way. He started this, he was going to finish it too. And he wasn't lying when he said that to the man, he was going to do all he could and if at all possible, he'd stop the mysterious culprit before the damage was done.

After spending some more time investigating the case and the drawing, he started noting down the information he had. First listing the items of the case, then breaking them down and adding to each part their own observations and possibly useful information.

Case: Plain and standard small case. No ornaments or noteworthy details. In mint condition!
Paper: Plain and standard paper. Nothing noteworthy.
Phrase: "I'll be back." Bloodred. History with client probable!
Portret: Young woman's face. Highly detailed! Skilled drawing!

The notes he made with an exclamation mark were the ones that he deemed valuable information. Those points were his potential starting blocks to move forward in this investigation.