Private Finished Rumor Has It

Nameless

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Oct 22, 2015
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A strange thing has happened. Rumors were floating about Helmut doing some things in the shadows quite recently. Though they may not be unfounded, Helmut wasn't worried. Strange rumors pop up every time. And it was true that Helmut had some shadowy visitors before. Some had reputations that were not entirely angelic, as moot as that may sound in a place like Manta Carlos. If anything, it was possibly just him being a little too careless with his hidden assistance. However, now that the spotlight was hovering around him, he'd have to be selective with the people he has contact with, as innocent as their exchanges would be in case this would lead to some undue harm. But he couldn't turn down his visitor for today. An individual known as Kon, one of the rescued Nek0s, he believed. He remembered taking a glance on his report when he was brought in. Kon was asking to talk about the recent rumors. Apparently, they've been popping up for a few people as well. Undoubtedly concerning to learn about. They set the meeting at the mansion in the afternoon. He had Celia prepare the tea, and had Duke tidy up the parlor for the guest. When Kon arrived, Celia ushered him to the parlor, which simply had a large ornate window with a good view of the front garden. The room itself was quite spacious, with a fireplace, and some artworks that came with the mansion when Helmut had won a bet. The floor was polished hardwood, with the concrete walls being a nice cream color. There were book cases lined up in a corner, with a table and a chair for comfortable reading. In the middle of the room was a carpet with a subtle geometric pattern. On top of that was a coffee table with a pair of armchairs that looked quite luxurious and well-crafted. Not to mention comfortable with the cushions. They were positioned so the window was to the side, giving both spots a good amount of natural light. Helmut joined Kon in the room, followed by Celia with the tray for the tea and some cookies and biscuits. As Helmut seated himself across from Kon, Celia set the cups on the table and pour the tea for Helmut and Kon before leaving. "Please, make yourself at home," Helmut told Kon before easing in. Helmut was dressed as he normally was, except for the trench coat and the orange tie. His gloves however, were still on. "So, how shall we start this interview?" he chuckled.


@Keen
 

Keen

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Konpeitō needed to be on his best behavior, which meant holding back his jealousy of the large, luxurious house Helmet was living in. He even had a maid and a butler. It had been some time since Kon had been in a mansion. The last time it was his own home. Being on the other side disgusted him.

To make up for this, he tried to look his very best through the use of rather expensive clothing. He had on a magenta romper with long, puffy sleeves that tightened at the ends, a gold flower pattern on the side, and a black belt on. Underneath that romper was a strapless white shirt.

But Kon didn't come here to show off and focus on how luxurious a life Helmut was living. Helmut was treating him very kindly and he needed to show the same respect. Plenty of people here were rich and had wealth to flaunt. At least Helmut wasn't obnoxious about his own.

Once settled down and comfortable in an armchair, Kon crossed his legs, pulled out a tablet, and gave Helmut a pleasant smile. "Thank you very much for your cooperation and kindness," he began. "I'm hoping to get your side of the story with all these rumors. I'm sure the authorities are already looking into things, now that some of these rumors involve actual crimes, but I want to have more information before things get too close to home for me. And, heh, I'd like to be a scout who deals with information in the future. This may be good practice. I also hope you don't mind me taking notes."

With that explanation (and excuse for his questioning) out of the way, Konpeitō could finally get into his actual questions. "From what I understand, the rumors seem to be based on already-existing characteristics of the person being spoken about. That is to say, the rumors are, to the average listener, completely probable to the person's character. I'm interested in knowing why people are saying that sketchy people are entering your property. That you're even seen dealing with these people."

Kon knew how flimsy of an idea this was. By all means, Helmut could deny these rumors and say he was simply not part of the pattern. After all, Thabisa didn't seem to fit the pattern perfectly. In fact, Konpeitō had considered going to Helmut under a disguise. To go in with everything he knew and see what stuck. But Helmut was a scout. A scout involved in the saving of NEK0s at that. Konpeitō wasn't an average stranger. There was a chance that he could get something from using his true identity that no fake identity could get. At least, not in a timely fashion.
 

Nameless

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The rumors have started to involve crime? Well now this has gotten serious. Perhaps a series of pranks gone too far? Worst case scenario would be whoever was behind it was impersonating people, and that was particularly concerning, especially for Helmut. His face showed a bit more worry at this news. At first he thought it was just some harmless thing that concerned just him, but if its starting to ramp up, then who knows what would happen next? Something to distract from the implications of his situation was Kon's admittance to wanting to become a scout. "That is admirable," he said. "I'm guessing you wish to be a scout in the field then? Gathering information on a particularly stealthy candidate for the school is definitely a skill you must hone. It's not always as easy as asking for a name and address." He looked approvingly at Kon. Helmut went back to listening as Kon shared his findings on how the rumors were built on actions that were already attributed to something the person was known to do. So, again, a little bit concerning for a number of reasons. One being what people thought he was. He let out a quiet chuckle and sighed. "Well, perhaps it has something to do with my line of work before becoming a scout. But before I go on a tangent down memory lane, how much do you actually know about me? It's just to give me an idea how far back I should reach."
 

Keen

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The scout part worked! Or did it? Helmut definitely looked to be interested in that part of Konpeitō's life. It might have been out of politeness. Either way, it was good that Kon had something to fall back on if he got too out of hand. It wasn't like he was lying either. This was, other than a little game, training.

"I want to work wherever I do best, as long as I get to spend a good amount of time on the island. From what a friend doing scout training told me, it sounds like a possibility. With hope with my skillset, it'll make the job easier for me," he replied with a chuckle. That was something they could talk about later.

Helmut bringing up his past was what interesting Konpeitō the most. His ears perked up, his pupils dilated, and he fidgeted with his tablet. "I don't know much. I did a little research, but I wasn't sure how true all of the things I read were. It felt like an invasion of privacy anyway. Start wherever you feel is most relevant."
 

Nameless

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Helmut nodded, but left no clue to what he's thinking. It was just his second nature at this point, not giving anything away he didn't want to through his body language. "I see. Well, I suppose I'll start with... the most probable point of mistrust." He took a sip of tea and thought for a moment. "I don't particularly share this, but at the same time, it doesn't really matter to me. Then again, I'd prefer to avoid any mass panic, so please use discretion if you choose to tell anyone. Anyway, when I was still a boy in Germany, when the second war broke out, I was one of a group of super soldiers kept to the shadows. A secret weapon, so to speak. I'm sure you might be able to see why I'd be seen as a shady character. It definitely doesn't help that I was an information broker after the war. And then... this." He opened his arms and motioned to the room around them. "This didn't originally belong to me, but to someone else with a bad reputation. I simply won it over a bet." He chuckled. "I'd find myself untrustworthy too." He took another casual sip from his cup.
 

Keen

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So Helmut was also an information broker. Good to note.

"I understand why you would want to keep that hidden. I try to see Manta Carlos as a second life for those who need it. Particularly for those who were forced into undesirable work and survival tactics before coming here. My father worked as an information broker, actually. I'm happy I have the opportunity to put what I learned from him someplace better." Konpeitō finished his response with a gentle smile.

As he spoke, he focused on not letting his form slip to reveal his underlying jealousy. There was bitterness there too. Bitterness towards the scouts who took him away from a luxurious life. But that was Sprinkles thinking. Not Konpeitō.

"And the house certainly is impressive. If I was confident enough in my skills, I would dabble in gambling too and see what I could get." A large house certainly would be nice, but it was no use if he couldn't manage it. Cleaning an entire mansion was definitely one of his less fun memories of his previous home.
 

Nameless

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Oct 22, 2015
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Helmut gave a closed-eye smile and chuckled. "Quite the coincidence, isn't it?" he said. "Though I would advise against pursuing being an information broker, if you were ever considering it. Even if you focus on the mundane, trouble will usually show itself to you. And even if you don't know it, someone is still going to be threatened. Second life or no." He didn't mean to make the moment sour, however he felt he needed to offer that warning. After all, he himself knew how dangerous that kind of life is. And he's seen the measures to silence people like Helmut evolve over the last few decades. But to lighten the mood a little, he decided to pick at Kon's consideration into gambling. "Responsible adults will tell you to never tie yourself into that. However, life is a game of chance anyway. If you do try getting into gambling, the most important thing to learn is knowing when to stop. Or at least knowing how make yourself disappear." He laughed a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sidetrack the interview"
 

Keen

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Kon tilted his head. "I never said I was becoming one or that I am one. I said I was involved with an information broker... You know... when I was a slave," he corrected bitterly. Konpeitō didn't like how quickly Helmut jumped to conclusions, nor did he appreciate being told he may not be able to handle something he was handling perfectly well.

"Information brokers typically deal with the criminal business anyhow. But I appreciate the advice on gambling. I don't know how I would even gamble to get something as great as, well, this." He waved a hand around.
 
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Nameless

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Helmut seemed unaware of the bitterness in Kon's reply. "That's why I said if you considered it." He poured some more tea for himself and eased himself back on his chair. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to find the kind of people that would put a house and everything in it on the line for something novel." There was a quiet tapping at the door close to the corner with the book shelves. "Come in," he said without turning to look. It was the butler, and he stayed by the door after closing it behind him. "A letter has arrived for you, sir." "From Sarah?" "Yes, sir." "Very well. Put it in my study." With a courteous bow, Duke left from the same door, and once Helmut heard the click, he turned his attention back to Kon. "My apologies for the interruption. Where were we?"
 

Keen

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The point was lost on Helmut, but Kon decided to not go forward with it. It wasn't relevant to why he came here, and the point he was trying to make could easily be turned on him.

Konpeitō was politely quiet as one of Helmut's butlers delivered mail from someone named Sarah. Kon told himself he would remember the name, but without any idea on its importance to Helmut, it seemed pointless.

"No no, it's no issue at all! We were getting sidetracked anyway. Mm, where was I...?" Kon looked down at his notes, nodded to himself, then looked back up to Helmut. "Have you looked into your property? Any of them. If a doppelganger and strangers are entering, there should be some evidence, no? And do you have any idea on what they might have been discussing?"
 
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