Praxus - Acid Death

[Suli]

“That’s what it was about.” Highridge mutters beginning to look increasingly uncomfortable. He was an immensely private creature and having his immensely private life being pried open in any manner was disconcerting to say the least. He also apparently couldn’t lie to save his life, but such was the price a shut in like him paid for being a shut in.

And Suli was wrong. Highridge could definitely be intimidated, but not in a way she’d been expecting really.

[Vora]

Vora aims Highridge a flat, unamused look. Time to play the "Bad Cop".

"Yeah, that's real nice and all, but I need you to tell me why exactly you met and what happened."

[Suli]

“He means they had interfaced, Vora,” Suli answers bluntly, palming her face. And then she continues because she hasn’t expended enough energy being cruel this cycle. “Swapped paints, exchanged codes, plug n’ played and fiddled with each other’s joysticks. I have human terms for such things too; shall I elaborate or shall we discuss in further intimate and graphic detail exactly what put those foreign patches of color on our witness’s chest plate?”

Highridge stares. And then he quickly covered up his chest plates and the patches of olive paint on them. “... I should go... away now.” And by 'I' he's refering to the cops and not actually himself.

[Vora]

Most people would probably be feeling pretty awkward right now. Vora isn't most people. In fact, he just plain doesn't care. As far as he's concerned there's still questions that need answering.

"We're not through just yet," he replies coldly. "I still have questions that I want answering, so I suggest you co-opererate before I get the wrong end of the stick with a few other things."

[Suli]

“Do not move,” Suli orders, taking out a vial and a scraper, much to Highridge’s dismay. The green mech immediately tries to recoil but vice-like hands dig in his shoulder and hold him in place before he could so much as take a step back.

He glances between the officer currently scraping point off his chest and the officer currently asking him a question, silent and uncomfortable for a moment before finally resigning himself to his fate.

“I didn’t even do anything,” Highridge rumbles unhappily.

[Vora]

"I'll be the judge of that," Vora replies sharply, bringing up the details he's acquired so far on his datapad.

"Whether you claim to be aware or not, a murder took place on the rooftop. And lucky for you, we've decided you're a witness. So you see, it really would be in your best interests to do what we say and answer our questions. Am I making myself clear?"

[Suli]

"I was in my room. I cannot magically go out of my room to murder people. I have datalogs on my computer to confirm the fact. I even have various chemical evidence of my stay here-" Highridge stops and recoils properly when Suli steps back, the old harpy ignoring him as she neatly closed the lid of the vial.

"... you can even ask Crodge for the security tapes on this level. I haven't left my room in days."

[Vora]

Vora merely snorts. "If you'd just told us this from the start you'd have saved us all a lot of trouble."

So, there were security tapes for this floor. Why the frag doesn't anyone tell him about things like this? Oh wait, silly him, he never specifically asked. Primus forbid anyone actually pass on anything that could possibly be useful to him without him actually asking for it.

With a scowl, Vora begins typing into the datapad again. "I take it Crodge is in charge of security for this level, then. Correct?"

[Suli]

Suli isn’t helping because this is supposed to be Vora’s field training. She’s just collecting evidence and leaving some of the investigative and paper-related work up to the young mech. Not like she’d trust him with evidence gathering at this point anyhow- that was grown up work.

“It’s not really everyday that someone comes up to my door and asks me about my love life, officer, sir,” Highridge rubs the back of his helm. “He’s the head of sec. of the whole building, actually. I don’t think he has anyone else working with him except maybe some tech guys.”

//Order a few of our colleagues down to here to investigate his alibi when you’re done,// Suli reminds him idly. //Do not reveal that you do not know important people in the building next time. Bad for public image and you can just look the list up in the building’s databanks. More information there.//

---

OOC: Oh, oh! Fat cell or yeast cell? Or both?

[Vora]

Ah yes, silly him for not looking into the buildings databanks whilst simultaneously running around with Suli and questioning gormless tenants.

//Noted,// he sends back, curtly.

As far as he's concerned, he's done now. There really doesn't seem to be much to gain from Highridge and he seems to have all his bases covered. Really quite thoroughly, actually, now that he thinks about it. Hm. Best let the collegues see to that.

"Be that as it may, anyone knows you don't have to leave a room to commit murder."

---

OOC: Both, because I'm greedy.