Just Here

Tsuchi was sitting on top of a pile of stacked crates that were doomed to topple any minute. She liked the peaked high of suspension that waiting for the inevitable gave her.

She took a drag from her cigarette as she glanced out towards the street. It was getting late and people were trying to get home. She smiled slightly.

Mattias turned to start walking down the alleyway, almost as if he had magically appeared there, dressed in a skinny black suit, black shirt, light gray tie, black pants and shoes. It was obvious he was walking toward Tsuchi, considering she was the only form of life in the alley at the moment. He had his hands in his pockets, an iconic smile on his face, and his head was partially looking down.

Tsuchi automaticly noticed the guy - how could she not? - but she didn't move until he got a couple meters from her. She slowly stood, the crates teetering precariously below her, and stared down at the guy.

While Mattias was walking he said, "Going to be frank, you're not the only girl I've seen putting her self in dangerous areas this week. Is that the new thing or something? Just arm yourselves with knives and wait in one of the worst places in the whole damn city?" Still walking, he laughed out loud a little bit. "What a strange place we live in."

This is too much of a coincidence. We'll see how this goes.

"Well it must be strange else people like us would have no place now would we?" She smiled and jumped down, sending the crates crashing and banging behind her. "Then again, if the world were normal all of us strange people would just make it strange." A demonic smile settled onto her features. "So what's guy like you, doin' down a place like this? 'tis a dead end my friend."

"Well, Miss, I would happen to be an information dealer/detective. You look awfully full of information. ESPECIALLY if you're anything like the young woman I was talking two a few days ago. You might know her, if she uses the same alias with you as she did I." He stopped walking about 1 foot away from her. He looked down at her, and said, "He name was Ali. My name is Kasami, and yours is...?"

She tilted her head away, so only her profile was visible. "Is that so? Well, I don't usually assosiate with dealers..." So Nadia's in town is she...

"I'm a detective too, so, think that you're talking to a detective." Mattias was smiling a bit, "So, what do you have to say one the Kira case? That's really the only reason I'm here."

"What about the KIRA case?"

"Well I'm a detective, I need to know more things about it, what do you know?"

"Nothing."

"Well you're no fun." Mattias looked around, "Now what about Ali?"

"Who?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well I just figured, you both sit in the most dangerous of places, looking like you're waiting. I figured I could make a connection, but, regardless."

"Don't know her." She shrugged. "And what do you mean 'regardless'? Regardless of what?" What the hell was she doing?

"I can't really tell you anything, until you contribute some sort of knowledge to the situation. Sorry, that's kind of a policy."

"I'm no idiot," she snapped, her playfulness disappearing. She ran a hand through her hair. She stuck her hands in pockets and pulled out her cigarette pack. She lit one and took a drag. Blowing smoke into the stranger's face she said: "Well then I guess I'm outta luck now aren't I."

Mattias inhaled a good bit of the smoke through his nose, and held his breath until all of it dissipated in his lungs. "You must know something, seeing you snapped like that, and you taking out your cigarette's, angrily blowing it in my face. You'll need to talk to me sooner or later, considering you MUST know who Ali is."

"I'm just like this naturally." She flashed him a smile before she rolled her eyes. "I got bored of trying to be nice."

"Then please don't hesitate, if anger can bring forth some type of information from you, then by all means." Mattias smiled again, his eyes squinting.

"I don't have any, and if I did why would I tell you?" She took another drag and blew the smoke upwards, never taking her eyes off Kasami.

"Because I'm probably the best person to tell anything. I'm a detective, the best detective, and if there's anything you know about Kira... Then I'm probably the smartest choice to reveal information to."

Tsuchi laughed and muttered: "Bullshit" under her breath. She put out her cigarette under her shoe. "Listen Kasami-" She looked up at him. "-I don't know anything. And if I did, I don't talk with hot shots like you. Especially if I can't see anything in it for me."

"I already told you, I'm an information salesman as well. But you 'don't work with dealers.' If you wan't something, you'd have to trade bits of information with me. That's how the business works. I only deal with money for information if things get dire, or my client is in need of it." Mattias held out his hand, so that he was leaning against the wall. "You're underestimating how influential a person like myself can be, in any situation." Mattias winked a bit, considering his eyes were pretty small to begin with.

Tsuchi rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone think that what other's want is money? Information is practically currency these days." She sighed and looked the guy up and down. "You say you're influential. How?"