Turnabout a la Mode! Day 1 Investigation

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The journey is far less painful than might be expected. After arriving in the Champ de Mars in Paris, the arriving strangers go unnoticed by the crowds all around, the people too busy whispering to each other in horror. Several are crying and others are carrying their children away from the Eiffel Tower which stands high above in the dark Paris night.

The area is hauntingly beautiful, with lights covering the trees of Paris's park and banners talking about the great Tic and Tac's final Parisian tour before going worldwide. So why is the entire place so somber?

The fact that the police are scrambling about is the first clue that something is very wrong. As the Visitors were warned, their powers are completely gone, leaving only their mundane skills. With no Persona to call on, it will make this entire journey far harder... but thankfully Minerva can be spotted close by.

But before anyone can do anything, she's being carried away by the policemen, put into a car, and carted off.  The police bar the perimeter, looking at you in annoyance.

"Mesdames et Messieurs, the show is over, and this area is a crime scene. Please move back so as not to cause issues with the investigation."

It seems something terrible has happened...

But just as you're pondering your next move, another car screeches up beside the yellow tape, and a man with a fervent expression and a rather alarming mustache leaps out of the car.  Gesticulating wildly, he descends upon the scene like a storm of extravagantly expensive cologne.

"Get back, get back!  A terrible crime has occurred here!  And I, Chief Inspector Otto Gaffe, swear that I shall not rest until justice is served!"

A flailing arm barely avoids breaking a nose as he impatiently pushes you out of the way.

"Who are you?  ...Is that an attorney's badge?"

Perhaps this would be a good place to start.

((There will be no tag order so as to speed things along!  But each group should only respond to the portions marked for them (A, B, or Defense).  When all the necessary clues have been discovered, we will initiate Day 1 Court. You may respond!))

Comments

[turnaboutnpcs]

"What?! Preposterous!"

The Inspector indeed does.

"Tic & Tac are twin brothers! Mademoiselle Cachou was their assistant, nothing more. ...Of course, when a lovely young creature works with a, uh, gentleman of a certain age, there are always the rumors."

[thirdarrow]

Takakage nodded again. He was starting to have a strong suspicion now.

"Ah.. yes, there are those rumours too... but they are unfounded, yes?"

Paparazzi tend to jump at every chance for a juicy story. Even the mere suggestion of romantic emotional attachments seem to be prime bait.

[turnaboutnpcs]

"Certainly not. Mademoiselle Anise had a romantic partner of her own. ...And before any silly ideas enter your head, he was well away from the scene of the crime tonight."

Otto sniffs at the thought of such tawdry imaginations.

[thirdarrow]

The strategist shook his head slightly, but his tone still remained neutral.

"... I see... well, I was unaware of that. Is he on good terms with the magicians, though?"

[turnaboutnpcs]

"Mademoiselle Anise kept private and public affairs quite separate." He stops for a second realizing the word he used, and quickly corrects himself. "...If you'll pardon the misuse of that word."

He looks at him like he has no choice.

"My point is, he had his line of clothing that she had started to model for him. We looked into it, and the brothers have their own tailor, a man more popular with world-famous magicians than the elite."

[thirdarrow]

Hm. Different tailors. Business rivals? Perhaps. But it didn't seem too relevant at this point.

The Inspector didn't answer his question, though. And it would be revealing too much for him to ask more pressing ones.

"I trust the magicians and Madamoiselle Anise have been working well together? They are partners, after all... but I wonder if there may have been disharmony."

He flips open his book to a random page and pretends to consult something.

"I did some reading up before I came to the show... and there are rumours. It's hard to tell what's really true."

[turnaboutnpcs]

"Disharmony? Pah! Perish the thought, even our gossip columns could not stop talking about what a beautiful trio the three of them made. Where did you hear about that? From the message boards online, perhaps?"

[thirdarrow]

Takakage had no idea what the Inspector was talking about, but he decided to roll with it.

"Yes, around there." He closed the book with a snap. "Though it certainly seems I am mistaken."

... the questioning seemed to reach a dead-end, though he was reluctant to leave just yet. Perhaps the Inspector had something else to add?