| Jack with a Map? | ||
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| Summary: Rayne and Jack Hawksmoor breifly discuss work before switching over to some deeper talk on Twisted's last rending.   |
Jack Hawksmoor lifts a hand in salute to the chief, which is probably a sign that he can be bothered. Rayne takes her arrived drink and makes her way to Jack's table, where she spins the seat around to sit on backwards. "So. You with a map. That's unusual." It's got marks on it. Some of them were made by Jack. "I'm making notes," he says. No, he doesn't need a map, not at all. But his memory isn't perfect. Rayne looks over the map and notes, trying to make out what it is while taking a sip of her drink. "This a case?" she ventures after swallowing. Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "No, it's my trying to understand the dimensional anomalies better," he says. "The case is..." He sighs. "Don't you hate when you are pretty sure you know who did the thing but you can't actually prove it enough to bring them in?" Rayne winces. "Yeah, I just kind of... try to move with the flow on those. But yeah, I do. It's even worse when you get up to the top and the big things that aren't even quantifiable as crimes." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Oh, believe me, I've...I mean, how to you quantify genetically engineering telepaths and using them to try and destroy the world?" Rayne says, "Point. But I'm thinking more subtle than that, personally. Eh. Whatever. So what's the case, exactly?" No, the Chief normally doesn't keep her eye on every single case. Anymore." "That burglary over on Mabase Street," Jack says. Of course she doesn't. "Fairly standard, hacked the security system...and then stole the homeowner's entire safe." He rolls his eyes. "Safes aren't really the best way to protect your stuff." Rayne shakes her head. "There's honestly not that much you can use in a place like this. So this narrows down things to the point where you have someone that can carry off a safe as well as hack security systems. Which you've already done, obviously, you just have no evidence that ties to that individual specifically, as opposed to some other person with both abilities." She sighs again and takes a swig. Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Exactly. They have an alibi, but it's...one of those alibis." He turns back to the map. "And besides, I know they did it, but not admissible." Rayne deadpans, "Does their alibi have an alibi?" She shakes her head again, then mentally pulls herself away. Noooo, not in the office, try to not get involved in everything. "I'm sure you'll figure out a way. Catch the alibi's slipup." Jack Hawksmoor laughs a bit at that. "Yeah, sometimes..." And then he turns back to the map. "So, I'm worrying about this for right now. See, I've overlaid the old configuration of Mabase over the new one." Rayne corrects, "Twisted. The old city was Twisted. We renamed it after... the whole dimension ripping apart thing." "Did you?" Jack studies her. "And where did the new name come from?" Then he turns back to the map. "Which shows me part of the pattern of the dimensional rip." Rayne pauses, then says, "You based it on the ruins? Not Twisted or Neo-Edo?" "I'm basing it on the differences between before and after," Jack says, with a shrug. Rayne says, "...So is this related to the case, or is this just for fun?" "Neither really. I mean, it's fun, but it also tells me things. About the city, about the world." He leans back. "I mean, sure, it's curiosity, but I care about the city." Rayne sets her drink, still mostly untouched, down before resting her chin atop her hands, themselves planted on the back of the chair she's sitting on backwards. "What's it telling you?" Jack Hawksmoor hrms. "That everything's falling and stable at the same time. You know how an arch works?" Rayne winces, then nods. "I'm not gonna like this." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "What I'm saying is that Twisted is kind of like that. It's very stable, as long as nothing messes with the keystone." Rayne points upward. "Bishop?" Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "Oh, Bishop's important, he's keeping things working that make sure gravity goes the way it's supposed to and we can breathe. Which kinda does matter." Rayne raises an eyebrow, then ventures, "Lady Setsuna and the Council?" Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "Think more physical. And isn't Lady Setsuna kind of MIA?" Rayne pauses, then nods. "In a way. I think she's just gone more... behind the scenes. I don't think she likes being in the public eye at all. And is worse at making friends than I've been the past two years. But I think she's still there." Jack Hawksmoor purses his lips...and elects not to say anything. "No, as far as I can tell, the keystone? We're sitting in it." Rayne offers a quick, humorless grin. "The Usual. That was actually going to be my next guess." Jack Hawksmoor nods, "Which...I'm starting to have thoughts on what is causing dimensional rips and collapses. But...so, Twisted IS stable, at least for the medium term. Making it more so...that's the challenge." Rayne winces. "Yeah, uh, well. You do know what caused the last collapse, right?" Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "No. Fill me in so I can keep an eye open for similar problems?" Rayne says, "...I don't think 'trying to move a large array of portals to other dimensions' is a thing that's likely to happen again soon. We just need to keep them where they stand naturally." She looks a bit more seriously at Jack. "Seriously. Do. Not. Attempt. To move portals." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Got it. I don't think I can move them. Now, I am pretty sure I could close a transient portal or rift that was causing problems, but I'm not touching the permanent ones." Rayne says, "I'd be careful even with that. What happened was I wanted TASK, the police department's predecessor, to have a more up close presence for people to see. To be more in the community and not hide behind 'city hall'." She actually uses air quotes there. Perhaps Jack has heard that at one point the building called 'city hall' was an arena. "TASK HQ also housed all the portals on a spiral staircase on the outside of the building... they were moved there before I got here. Apparently that was a bad idea, and the second time they were tried to be moved..." Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "There's a difference between a wound and your belly button." Rayne says, "So, yeah. That's why standard procedure is to cordon something like that off rather than try to remove or close them. Some permanent portals have still not been located, if they exist at all anymore." "I might be able to help with that. The city can...feel them." His lips quirk. "But it's not quite like I can just point them out on a map." Too easy. Rayne shakes her head. "I'd not worry about it unless someone is... digging toward them or something. Get them a warning about what they're about to find." She's assuming Jack could tell when that's happening. Jack Hawksmoor nods. "What if it's a portal somebody's been looking for? And I'm sure it's the right one?" Rayne pauses, then says, "We'll need to handle that on a case by case basis. And possibly get the council involved. I don't think it's in our power to make the descision to make a portal available or not. But I'm also pretty sure we aren't required to stop it from happening, either. Unless it's a danger, of course." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Mostly it's Rainbow Dash. She finds this place really hard to deal with. She's been hanging out in Gotham a lot, and I don't think she'd be too upset if the portal closed behind her. But if I did find a path to Equestria..." Rayne mumbles, "But would it be hers or not?" She sighs and shakes her head. "That's why I said case by case. I'd send her through, but we'd need to keep that one from being public knowledge, I think. It's too... nice a place to get tainted by the messed up crap here, from what I understand." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "I...yes. I probably can't go there myself anyway," Jack adds, something faintly wistful to his tone. Rayne says, "I'm not so sure how well the place would deal with us 'two leggers' at all. But do you... require a city?" "Yes, but that's not the problem. Rainbow Dash has assured me there are cities in Equestria." Okay, he just admitted it, casually. "The problem is Equestria apparently changes everyone who goes there into some more appropriate form. And I don't know if..." He shrugs. "If that magic can handle cyborgs." Rayne blinks and tilts her head. "More appropriate... so I guess no two-legger issues, then, I suppose." Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Right, and while wandering around as a pony for a while would be interesting, I...don't trust it." Rayne deadpans, "You might notice I've never set foot through any of the portals, myself." Jack Hawksmoor laughs. "I've gone through the one to Gotham. But I could see the city through it, so it seemed safe. A lot like my world. Except not." Rayne picks up her glass and swirls it, but doesn't drink. "A lot like your world? Your world had a Gotham, I take it?" Jack Hawksmoor shakes his head. "No, but that world seems to have a good number of posthumans, similar technology...a few years ahead, but no more." | |
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